The Great Ruler Episode 16 Recap
> The Great Ruler Recap
Mu Chen, who was currently blind, decided not to attend the martial arts class, especially since Liu Mubai was present. He asked Qingshan to go in and observe the situation. Before Qingshan entered, Mu Chen expressed concern about Luo Li, noting that their classes no longer coincided and asking if Qingshan knew why. Qingshan feigned ignorance, claiming he barely knew her, but offered to take Mu Chen to see her. Mu Chen, however, declined the offer.
Inside the class, Shen Cangsheng, North Cang Spiritual Academy's strongest master, had returned from patrolling outside. He challenged the students to defeat him in groups of four, warning that anyone unable to withstand ten strikes need not return. Liu Mubai, however, insisted on a one-on-one challenge. Qingshan later reported back to Mu Chen, describing how Shen subdued Mubai in a single move.
Mubai then used his Devil-sealing Fan, prompting Shen to use his Celestial Lotus War God Spear, but both then froze. Li Xuantong, a student, interpreted this as a high-level contest of internal power, noting that Mubai had lost due to his rashness and improper approach, despite his talent. Shen had also remarked that Mubai would have died in a real fight, and that his lack of steady focus would prevent him from becoming a true master.
This confirmed Mu Chen's suspicion that Mubai was still plagued by inner demons. Mu Chen approached Shen Cangsheng to discuss Liu Mubai's condition. Shen confirmed that Mubai was still unrefined and troubled by inner demons, which made his moves unsteady and him overly eager for quick results. Mu Chen worried that Mubai, despite being a hero in the Mu-Liu Battle, was pushing himself to despair after such heavy losses and might stray from the right path.
Shen, who had experienced similar losses, empathized but emphasized that he offered help to comrades, not out of pity, and that trust was crucial for Mubai to move forward. Mu Chen then proposed a plan: if it succeeded, Shen would agree to take Mubai on an expedition to hunt dragon slaves. Shen readily agreed, stating his willingness to help Mubai, though Mu Chen mentioned that an additional helper would be needed for the plan.
While Mu Chen was seeking Luo Li, Mo Xingtian appeared before Shen Cangsheng, having followed him for some time. Mo Xingtian acknowledged Shen's prowess and, on behalf of Black Dragon Sovereign, attempted to recruit him to serve the Dragon Clan, promising him great power beyond the confines of North Cang Spiritual Academy. Shen Cangsheng feigned interest, asking about the benefits of joining and then boldly demanded Mo Xingtian's and Black Dragon Sovereign's heads as his condition.
Unfazed, Mo Xingtian warned Shen about the impending destruction of North Cang Spiritual Academy, urging him not to be buried with it. However, Shen Cangsheng unequivocally refused, declaring his unwavering loyalty to the academy and daring Black Dragon to attack. To execute the plan, Tang Qian'er lured Liu Mubai out with his favorite food. There, Shen Cangsheng presented a captured dragon slave, forcing it to confess that Black Dragon Sovereign had manipulated Liu Qingtian into betraying Mu Territory.
The dragon slave further revealed that the No-Face Taoist had coerced Liu Qingtian into accepting the Power of Whisper by threatening Mubai's life. Mubai initially dismissed this, believing Qian'er and Shen were conspiring against him. However, Qian'er and Shen earnestly appealed to him, explaining that the true enemies were Black Dragon, who had allied with the Evil Deity to target the Five Academies and enslave humanity.
They urged Mubai to remember his duty as the future lord of Liu Territory to protect his people and avenge his father's death by stopping Black Dragon and the Evil Deity. Mu Chen also reminded Mubai of their lifelong brotherhood and shared trials. Overwhelmed by these revelations and memories of his loved ones, Mubai finally broke free from his torment.
He executed the dragon slave, asked Shen Cangsheng for guidance, and pledged to join him in protecting North Cang Spiritual Academy. Shen welcomed him, implying a strong partnership. Mubai then apologized to Qian'er, who, though touched, playfully demanded reimbursement for the power points she had spent on his food, which he readily agreed to. Qian'er later thanked Mu Chen, who attributed Mubai's transformation to her unwavering loyalty and resilience.
Mu Chen, realizing Li Xuantong had been following him all day, asked him to step out. Mu Chen then asked Li Xuantong to return to Luo Li and assure her that he would carefully consider her previous words. He also urged Xuantong to protect Luo Li instead of following him. Later, Xuantong found Luo Li, visibly weak after a strenuous match, and conveyed Mu Chen's message, which she acknowledged.
Meanwhile, Luo Li continued to secretly compete and earn power points, pushing herself to exhaustion. Unknown to her, Xue Lingzi, disguised as a new student named Tang Chengbo, secretly followed her. He then infiltrated North Cang Spiritual Academy's spiritual array, noting the weak security around its core. He installed a time-delay explosive device, planning for it to detonate, destroy the barrier, and allow him to abduct Luo Li.
He expressed his possessive intent, declaring that after tomorrow, Luo Li would be his. Determined to speak with Luo Li, Mu Chen, despite his blindness, set out to find her while trying to avoid Qingshan. Along the way, he encountered Xue Lingzi, still disguised as Tang Chengbo. As Xue Lingzi was about to attack, Teacher Zhu Tian suddenly appeared. Xue Lingzi quickly changed tactics, feigning assistance to Mu Chen by guiding him away from an imagined obstacle.
Both offered excuses for being in that area, and Zhu Tian, recognizing "Tang Chengbo," dismissed them. As Xue Lingzi escorted Mu Chen away, he introduced himself as Tang Chengbo, a new student who had lost his way. Mu Chen, also a new student, confided that he was searching for a girl he liked, describing her as initially cold but warm-hearted.
Unbeknownst to Mu Chen, "Tang Chengbo" then described his own beloved, claiming he intended to marry her and that she was also indifferent but his type, slyly suggesting they might like the same person, though both dismissed the idea. " Tang Chengbo" falsely claimed he was about to get married, leading Mu Chen to congratulate him. As they neared the Dragon Roc Arena, Mu Chen overheard talk of Luo Li sparring there.
Upon confirming it was indeed Luo Li he sought, "Tang Chengbo" offered to guide him, then concealed himself at the arena. At the Dragon Roc Arena, Mu Chen confronted Luo Li, realizing she was dangerously overexerting herself in matches to accumulate the immense power points needed to enter Lei Territory, where the mythical Jade Knot—the only cure for his blindness—was rumored to exist.
He adamantly forbade her from risking her life for him, expressing that he would rather remain blind than have her endure such danger. Luo Li, though acknowledging his concern, was determined to obtain the Jade Knot within a year and urged him not to seek other remedies during that time. However, Mu Chen, frustrated by her persistence and self-sacrifice, angrily rejected her help, reiterating that his eyes were his responsibility.
After Mu Chen left, Xue Lingzi emerged from hiding, revealing his true identity to Luo Li. He menacingly questioned her relationship with Mu Chen and declared his possessive intent, asserting that she was his and no one else could have her. He then used a spell to seal her spiritual power, intending to abduct her. However, just as he was making his move, Qingshan and Shen Cangsheng arrived.
Qingshan had been sent by Mu Chen to check on disturbances, while Shen was patrolling the barrier and noticed the spiritual array break. Confronted by them, Luo Li identified Xue Lingzi as the one who sabotaged the protective array. Xue Lingzi, annoyed by their interference, managed to escape but vowed to Luo Li that he would return to marry her. Shen then acknowledged the gravity of the situation, realizing the broken barrier would invite a Dragon Clan invasion.
Defying Luo Li's earlier warnings, Mu Chen, accompanied by a reluctant Qingshan, sought out He Yao to cure his blindness. At He Yao's, Mu Chen inquired about the possibility of regaining his sight, and after affirming his trust, sent Qingshan away to ensure privacy. He Yao explained the intricate and painful procedure: he would infuse his spiritual power deep into Mu Chen's spiritual veins to examine and suppress the deeply rooted restrictions within them.
He warned that this foreign power would cause the body to instinctively reject it, making the process almost unbearable for ordinary people. Despite the difficulty and the fact that spiritual power alone couldn't fully resolve the issue due to the bans' long-standing nature, Mu Chen, demonstrating unwavering resolve, declared his willingness to endure any pain for a chance to recover.
He Yao, after completing the initial phase, instructed Mu Chen to rest and return in two days for further treatment, promising to find ways to extract the bans from his spiritual veins. With Xue Lingzi's device successfully detonating and destroying the spiritual array's core, North Cang Spiritual Academy's protective barrier was breached, signaling an imminent invasion by the Dragon Clan. Everyone began preparing for intensified defense.
Teacher Zhu Tian worked diligently to repair the severely damaged array core, but realized that Headmaster Ling Xi's intervention was necessary to fully restore it. Meanwhile, Luo Li, recovering from Xue Lingzi's attack, felt immense guilt over the incident. Zhu Tian went to comfort her, and she confessed that "Tang Chengbo" was actually Xue Lingzi, the leader of the Xue God Clan, who had infiltrated the academy to abduct her for marriage.
Zhu Tian reassured her, taking responsibility for failing to guard the array. Luo Li's aide, Li Xuantong, also apologized for his failure to protect her and urged her to return to the Luo God Clan due to the compromised safety of North Cang Spiritual Academy. However, Luo Li steadfastly refused, determined to complete her mission first. Recognizing her exhaustion, Xuantong persuaded her to rest and offered to acquire the remaining power points needed for her goal.
Tang Qian'er was delighted to learn of Liu Mubai's significant increase in spiritual power, which he attributed to overcoming his earlier restlessness. She encouraged him to continue his progress, reaffirming her presence by his side. Qian'er then suggested that he spar with Shen Cangsheng once more, believing that direct combat with a master would further hone his skills, to which Mubai readily agreed.
