Sword Snow Stride Episode 31 Recap
> Sword Snow Stride Recap
Xu Fengnian and Li Chungang arrived at Mount Hui, seeking to ascend the Snowfield. They were met by Xuanyuan Jingyi, who defiantly blocked their path with over thirty well-known martial world retainers. Ning Emei, leading Xu Fengnian's Fengzi Battalion, prepared to intervene. Just as conflict seemed imminent, Xuanyuan Qingfeng arrived and announced that the Old Ancestor, Xuanyuan Dapan, had ordered Xu Fengnian to be allowed onto Guniujiang.
Convinced by her words, Xuanyuan Jingyi stepped aside, and Qingfeng offered to lead the way. Upon reaching the Snowfield, Xuanyuan Jingcheng called out for Xuanyuan Dapan to appear. He internally reflected on his desperate plan: he had lied about Dapan summoning Xu Fengnian, knowing that if Dapan died, his lie would remain hidden.
Xuanyuan Dapan soon appeared, immediately recognizing Jingcheng's hidden growth over the years and mockingly inquiring if Jingcheng's extensive reading had taught him about the "resonance of the sky and the earth" and the Celestial Realm. Jingcheng, undeterred, boldly declared his readiness for battle, stating he would "shake Mount Kunlun alone" and challenged Dapan to see if he could withstand a hundred moves.
Meanwhile, onlookers reacted to the escalating fight, and the news that Xuanyuan Jingcheng had already killed his brother, Xuanyuan Jingxuan, spread among them. Li Chungang, observing the combat, noted Dapan's improvement since their last encounter and confirmed his own immense power, stating he could defeat Dapan "singlehanded." Xuanyuan Dapan unleashed a powerful strike, thinking he had pushed Jingcheng to his limit. However, Jingcheng rallied, unleashing three formidable tornados.
As the battle intensified, Jingcheng declared that regardless of the outcome, he was already a dead man and implored Dapan to join him in death. Dapan scoffed at Jingcheng's "contrived Celestial Realm," seemingly unharmed even after Jingcheng's life-costing attack. Dapan then arrogantly proclaimed his intention to fight Li Chungang after dispatching Jingcheng. In response, Jingcheng announced his resolve to ascend to an even higher realm.
Dapan dismissed the idea as impossible, stating that even Wang Xianzhi had not reached the stage beyond Celestial Realm: Immortal-on-Earth. Jingcheng explained that this realm was like an epiphyllum, blooming and decaying in an instant, achieved by burning one's own blood and vital energy to ignite a "heart flame" and "mount the apex." Despite this, Dapan remained skeptical, believing that sacrificing one's life could not truly reach such a pinnacle.
Jingcheng, however, offered a final lesson, telling Dapan he should have read the books he deemed useless, as one could never reach the Immortal-on-Earth Realm without comprehending the "law of the universe." Dapan, contemptuous, planned to evade Jingcheng's attacks until Jingcheng's life force completely withered. As Xuanyuan Jingcheng prepared his final, cataclysmic attack, lightning surged from the heavens. Dapan, seeing his impending doom, desperately pleaded with Jingcheng, offering to make Qingfeng the family master and swearing never to touch her.
However, Qingfeng's heartfelt cry of "Dad!" seemed to steel Jingcheng's resolve. He lunged forward, sacrificing himself to unleash the full force of his power, bringing down the heavenly lightning upon himself and Xuanyuan Dapan in a devastating conflagration. The two vanished in a flash, turning to ash, leaving nothing behind. After the dust settled on the vast Snowfield, only Xuanyuan Qingfeng remained, collapsing in heart-wrenching sobs.
Xuanyuan Jingyi seized the moment, proclaiming that the family could not be without a leader and asserting his intention to take control. He immediately ordered Qingfeng's arrest, labeling her the daughter of a rebel. However, Xu Fengnian swiftly intervened, declaring his intention to lead Xuanyuan "following God's will" and ordering Ning Emei's men to carry Xuanyuan Jingyi away. Elsewhere, Xuanyuan Madam received news of Xuanyuan Dapan's death and Xuanyuan Jingcheng's ultimate sacrifice.
Her retainer also delivered a sachet Jingcheng had left for her, prompting a complex mix of sorrow and remembrance. Later, Xuanyuan Jingyi vehemently argued against Qingfeng's succession, pointing out that Xuanyuan Jingcheng had "rebelled against the ancestor" and questioning her ability to manage the intricate family affairs. He then offered Xu Fengnian an alliance with North Liang if he became the householder, even going so far as to offer Qingfeng to Xu Fengnian.
Xuanyuan Qingfeng, however, sharply exposed her uncle's "unruly personality" and warned Xu Fengnian that Jingyi, once freed from Dapan's control, would surely betray any alliance with North Liang. As Xu Fengnian pondered the complex political landscape, Cao Changqing secretly transmitted a message to Jiang Ni, urging her to consider her choice between her homeland and Xu Fengnian.
Li Chungang, with his profound cultivation, overheard the secret message, much to Jiang Ni's surprise, and confirmed Cao Changqing had been secretly protecting her all along. Addressing the clan, Xuanyuan Qingfeng swore that if she became the householder, she would dedicate herself to revitalizing the family. To achieve this, she promised to open Wending Pavilion to all clan members, including retainers.
Her pragmatic strategy also included a temporary alliance with North Liang to secure the clan's safety until a new Celestial Realm expert emerged, at which point terms would be renegotiated. Despite Xuanyuan Jingyi's last-ditch attempt to sway the clan by emphasizing traditional hierarchy and seniority, the retainers, swayed by Qingfeng's vision and acknowledging her father's rightful lineage, turned on Jingyi and killed him, pledging their allegiance to Xuanyuan Qingfeng.
One of them, a loyal retainer of Xuanyuan Jingcheng, revealed that Jingcheng had foreseen these events and had made arrangements, including preparing sachets for Xu Fengnian and Qingfeng. Meanwhile, Zhao Kai, having learned of the deaths on Mount Hui and Qingfeng's ascension, quickly found Yuan Tingshan and convinced him to flee and join his cause.
Zhao Kai promised Yuan Tingshan access to "supreme martial arts" and a "bright future," exploiting Yuan Tingshan's desperation as an enemy of the new Xuanyuan leadership. Back at Mount Hui, Xuanyuan Qingfeng, now the official family master, immediately honored her promise by opening Wending Pavilion to all clan members and meritorious retainers. She then sat in her father's favorite reading spot, lamenting that she had never truly understood him.
She opened the sachet he left for her, finding a deeply personal letter detailing the personalities of clan members and retainers, as well as a heartfelt expression of his profound fatherly love. Jingcheng's letter revealed his regrets, his wishes for her marriage, and even names for her future children. Qingfeng finally understood that the window her father often gazed from looked out not at distant scenery, but directly at her and her mother's courtyard, symbolizing his constant, unspoken love.
Xu Fengnian also opened his sachet from Xuanyuan Jingcheng. Unlike Qingfeng's detailed letter, his contained a simple, powerful message: should Xu Fengnian wish to take over Mount Hui, he only asked that his daughter's life be spared, and all treasures and secret martial arts from Xuanyuan Dapan's mansion would be his. Xu Fengnian, after playfully teasing Qingfeng, rejected the treasures and martial arts.
His true request was for the Xuanyuan family to safely escort Jiang Ni back to West Chu by the quickest and safest water route. Jiang Ni initially resisted, but Xu Fengnian insisted, explaining that while Cao Changqing was powerful, he wasn't adept at caring for people during travel, and the Xuanyuan family's boats would ensure her safety. He also lightheartedly mentioned that Jiang Ni still "owed him money" from years of care.
Finally, Xu Fengnian revealed his next destination: Mount Longhu, much to Li Chungang's concern. Xu Fengnian also made a second, highly secretive request to the Xuanyuan family: to use their ships for a future mission to pick up multiple individuals from various locations, promising to reveal the details only when the time was right, due to the plan's long preparation and extensive involvement.
