The Great Ruler Episode 10 Recap
> The Great Ruler Recap
Mu Chen urgently attended to Jiu You, whose life force was severely depleted, though his own spiritual power was too low to be of much help. Jiu You dismissed his efforts as futile but acknowledged his selflessness, confessing she felt like a burden. Mu Chen, however, vowed not to let her die, to which she retorted that his own life was tied to hers.
Meanwhile, in the Liu Territory's war camp, No-Face Taoist expressed his astonishment that Mu's Capital, despite its main forces being away, remained unbreached. He noted that the Liu army had even lost soldiers, suspecting that the Mu forces were unusually well-prepared, almost as if they anticipated the attack. He then questioned Liu Qingtian about his son, Mubai, who had not been found.
Liu Qingtian admitted he had not located Mubai and requested more time, explaining that his war magicians had suffered immense losses and were too weak to conjure a Dharma Idol the next day. No-Face Taoist, however, insisted on breaking through the city defenses by the following day. To address the war magicians' weakness, No-Face Taoist offered them a special Elixir, distilled from his own spiritual power, instructing them to dissolve it in water and drink it.
After consuming it, the war magicians convulsed. No-Face Taoist explained that this was the "Power of Whisper," a minute fraction of his true master's power, far exceeding that of Lord Black Dragon, whom he described as merely a colleague. He promised Liu Qingtian an introduction to his true master when the time was right. Back in the temporary safe area, Mu Chen believed Liu Territory had halted their offensive, thinking their war magicians were exhausted.
Jiu You cautioned him not to be overly optimistic, asserting that Liu Qingtian would not give up easily, and questioned if they could endure another day. She then probed Mu Chen about his feelings for Luo Li, noting that in her beast clan, love meant staying together until death. She asked why he would let Luo Li leave if he cared for her so much.
Mu Chen admitted his love for Luo Li, explaining he sent her away to protect her from harm. He also declared his deep affection for his homeland, its land, and its people, stating he could not stand by and watch Liu Territory invade it. Jiu You, finding his reasoning vague, advised him to rest while they had a temporary reprieve.
Later, Mu Chen gazed at a portrait of his mother, lamenting that he had never met her, expressing his longing, and wondering how much longer he could hold out and if he would ever see her. The next morning, Liu Territory launched a renewed assault. Mu Chen, continuing his brave defense of Mu's Capital, faced the war magicians, who, empowered by the Elixir, fought with enhanced vigor, pushing the City Protection Circle to its breaking point.
Suddenly, the attack ceased, and it was discovered that several war magicians had been killed by a sword. Liu Qingtian, infuriated, ordered the entire army to resume the attack. Meanwhile, Mubai, having informed Mu Feng of his father’s true intentions, bid farewell to Mu Feng’s group. He expressed his determination to return to Liu Territory and reason with his father, despite Mu Feng's warning about the danger.
Mubai stated that as a subject and son, he could not abandon his family in battle, emphasizing his actions were for the greater good and against his father's unjust alliance. He acknowledged that their next encounter might be on the battlefield. Liu Qingtian and his forces entered Mu's Capital, finding only Mu Chen standing in defiance. Liu Qingtian offered Mu Chen a chance to surrender, promising to spare him.
Mu Chen defiantly refused, boasting that he had single-handedly held off the Liu army for two days and that Liu Qingtian would face consequences when his father returned. As they clashed, Luo Li unexpectedly appeared, wielding her Luo God Sword. She revealed that she was the one who killed the war magicians, confirming Liu Qingtian's suspicions that Mu Chen had an accomplice. Just then, Mu Feng and his allies arrived, engaging Liu Qingtian's forces.
In the ensuing chaos, Shu Zhang was killed. Liu Qingtian ordered his men to capture everyone. Luo Li was injured and apprehended, while Mu Chen was forcibly taken away by Qingshan and Qian'er under Mu Feng's instructions, as Mu Feng commanded his remaining forces to prioritize the safety of their people over defending territory. Luo Li awoke to find herself a captive of No-Face Taoist, who confirmed her identity as the Luo God Clan's goddess.
He calmly explained his plan to use the Power-dissipating Spell to extract all her spiritual power, which he would then refine into Power-collection Pills to present to his master, the Evil Deity. He assured her it would only hurt "a little." Mubai confronted his father, Liu Qingtian, who accused him of treason for colluding with the enemy and declared such an act punishable by death under military law.
Mubai retorted that Liu Territory had broken its alliance with Mu Territory, questioning how the world would view them. He also warned that No-Face Taoist was not to be trusted and that abandoning their ally would lead to their own downfall. Mubai asserted his clear conscience, stating his actions were for Liu Territory's true benefit. Enraged by his son's defiance, Liu Qingtian slapped Mubai and ordered his guards to imprison him for reflection, especially as No-Face Taoist entered the tent.
No-Face Taoist then chastised Liu Qingtian for the prolonged siege of Mu's Capital and Mu Feng's successful counterattack, implicitly blaming Mubai for these setbacks, and criticizing Liu Qingtian's lax discipline. Liu Qingtian, seeking to regain trust, pleaded for another chance and promised to conquer Mu Territory within a month, which No-Face Taoist accepted. Mu Feng later reviewed the deteriorating war situation.
Xiong City had fallen, and nearly half of Mu Territory's lands were now under Liu Territory's control, including Feng City. Their pleas for alliance had gone unanswered, even from Tang Territory, despite their long-standing friendship. Mu Feng speculated that Tang Shan was likely prioritizing self-preservation due to Liu Territory's growing power. Mu Chen, now recovered from his spiritual exhaustion, proposed a new strategy.
He argued that losing cities was not entirely negative, as it forced Liu Territory to become the defenders. He suggested that by constantly ambushing Liu Territory's supply lines and harassing their rear forces, they could drain their resources. He believed this "them diminishing, us growing" approach would eventually create an opportunity to reclaim territories one by one.
Mu Feng, however, worried about maintaining morale over a protracted conflict and the difficulty of reclaiming territory solely through harassment, especially with Liu Territory's powerful allies. Mu Feng suspected that the strange occurrences pointed to a deeper conspiracy: Black Dragon's collusion with the Evil Deity. He explained that the Evil Deity, possessing unfathomable power, could bestow his evil energy upon others, granting immense strength but gradually corrupting their minds until they became puppets.
Mu Chen immediately thought of the Great Thousand Demon-Suppressing Array, an ancient array designed to counter the Evil Deity's power, and suggested activating it. However, Mu Feng noted that the array's core was located in Mu's Capital, now occupied by Liu Qingtian's headquarters, making activation difficult. Despite the danger, Mu Chen volunteered to infiltrate Mu's Capital to trigger the array, citing his familiarity with the city and spiritual formations.
Mu Feng initially refused but eventually consented after Mu Chen promised to act cautiously. Separately, the Lord of Tang Territory proposed a marriage between Mubai and Qian'er, aiming to ally with Liu Territory to attack Mu Territory. Mubai was initially unwilling to inherit a dynasty built on treachery. However, Liu Qingtian, fearing the forces behind Black Dragon and desperate for his son's help to ensure Liu Territory's survival, pleaded with Mubai.
Unwilling to see Liu Territory decline, Mubai eventually agreed to the marriage alliance with Tang Territory. Meanwhile, Liu Territory's logistical challenges escalated as their army provisions were ambushed multiple times, resulting in heavy casualties. Liu Qingtian, desperate to maintain supply lines, doubled the number of personnel for transport. Mubai advised his father to consider negotiating peace with Mu Territory, arguing that despite their current advantage, they could not quickly conquer Mu Territory and would eventually be worn down by attrition.
He suggested that even returning a city or two would still leave Liu Territory in a strong position. No-Face Taoist vehemently opposed any negotiation, asserting that granting Mu Territory time to recuperate would make their eventual destruction impossible. When Mubai pressed for an alternative strategy to counter the harassment and continue their offensive, No-Face Taoist merely stated he had a plan, which he would reveal in due course.
No-Face Taoist then sought an audience with Wen Qingxuan, requesting permission to bestow the Power of Whisper upon Liu Territory's forces. Wen Qingxuan initially deemed such a powerful ability a waste on mere humans. However, No-Face Taoist convinced her that it was the most reliable way to completely annihilate Mu Territory and kill Mu Chen, whom Wen Qingxuan confirmed must die as the inheritor of the Great Futu Spell. Wen Qingxuan reluctantly agreed.
No-Face Taoist also reported his successful capture of Luo Li, the Luo God Clan's goddess, and his plan to extract her spiritual power to create Power-collection Pills for both the Evil Deity and Wen Qingxuan. Wen Qingxuan praised his initiative and generously told him to keep the pills for himself, but No-Face Taoist humbly declined, reaffirming his devotion. No-Face Taoist then returned to Luo Li, who was still his captive, continuing to torture her.
He mockingly taunted her, suggesting that her resistance was futile and that he eagerly awaited her "sweetheart" (Mu Chen) to come save her, hoping to kill him as well so they could "have company on the road." Elsewhere, Qian'er visited Mubai in his chambers, expressing her concern about his imprisonment. Mubai informed her that his father and her father had set their engagement ceremony for the second day of the next month in Mu's Capital.
Qian'er reiterated her refusal to marry him until Liu Territory withdrew its forces, even threatening death. She accused him of changing, lamenting that she had once believed him to be a person who could distinguish right from wrong. Mubai, in turn, questioned how she expected him, as Liu Territory's Young Master, to betray his father and slaughter his own men. Qian'er simply told him he could "do nothing." Mubai, conflicted and cold, asked her to leave.
Mu Chen successfully infiltrated Mu's Capital. He witnessed No-Face Taoist presenting two captured Mu Territory soldiers to Liu Qingtian and Mubai. No-Face Taoist offered the captives a chance to fight Mubai for their freedom. After being defeated by Mubai, No-Face Taoist offered them "water." The soldiers drank, their eyes darkened, and they were instantly imbued with immense power, becoming dark and savage. Liu Qingtian recognized this as the "Power of Whisper," the same power used on his war magicians.
The two corrupted soldiers then ferociously attacked Mubai, who struggled to defend himself. As Mubai was about to be overwhelmed, Liu Qingtian ordered the corrupted soldiers to stop, demanding No-Face Taoist explain the true nature of the "Power of Whisper."
