The Great Ruler Episode 40 Recap
> The Great Ruler Recaps
Liu Mubai discovered that Qian'er, whom he was cradling, had severely irregular spiritual veins and was pregnant. This revelation brought him to tears. Simultaneously, Wen Qingxuan was informed of Liu Mubai's actions in allowing Mu Chen and his companions into the Dragon Den. She expressed disdain, fearing his interference would jeopardize the Evil Deity's resurgence plan. Later, Wen Qingxuan confronted Liu Mubai, accusing him of prioritizing a woman and sarcastically referring to Qian'er as a "femme fatale."
Liu Mubai vehemently swore that no one would harm Qian'er. Wen Qingxuan, after a tense exchange where she hinted at her superior power, claimed she was merely jesting. She then told Liu Mubai that she had covered up his transgression for him, and in return, he now owed her a favor. She instructed him to proceed with the ritual sacrifice of the Heaven Soldiers.
Before departing, Liu Mubai conjured a protective barrier around Qian'er, a move Wen Qingxuan mockingly questioned as either a precaution against her or a means to prevent Qian'er's escape. Inside the perilous Dragon Den, Mu Chen was resolute in his quest to dismantle the formation imprisoning his mother, Qing Yanjing. Mu Feng, sensing the array's complexity, urged Mu Chen to carefully observe the four pillars for any anomalies. Mu Chen noticed a missing piece in the formation.
Mu Feng, recognizing the ancient design, explained that instead of completing it, they needed to remove an existing piece from the gap. As Mu Feng initiated the move, an ancient inscription resonated: "Virtue and vice, hardness and easiness, void and fullness are mutually generated, long and short form each other. However, without the sun, there’s no light. It’s certain. You win and you lose. Great perfection seems flawed, but its function is inexhaustible.
Great fullness seems empty, but its use is endless. The Way of the Great Thousand, the Way of drawing a bow." Immediately, the first keeper of the Dragon Den Formation appeared. Mu Feng cautioned Mu Chen against a hasty attack, believing the cryptic inscription held the key to the keeper's weakness.
Analyzing the lines, Mu Feng pinpointed the phrase "With sun but no moon, with host but no guest" as unique, and ingeniously connected the missing "moon" and "guest" to form the character for "knee." Realizing this was the guardian's weak point, Mu Feng attacked its left knee while Mu Chen struck the right, swiftly defeating it. A new, intricate formation then materialized.
Mu Chen, recalling the inscription's theme of "void and fullness" and the duality of black and white, identified it as a game of Go and instinctively knew the next optimal move. As he placed a piece, a second, more powerful keeper emerged. Mu Feng directed Mu Chen to strike its chest, but their attacks were absorbed, injuring Mu Feng.
Mu Chen quickly discerned that this guardian's life force was linked to the pillars, and by attacking its upper and lower body, they ultimately defeated it. Qing Yanjing, witnessing Mu Chen's cleverness, expressed her pride but implored them to leave. She explained that the barrier surrounding her, set by the God of Heaven, was impregnable, and that each subsequent guardian would be exponentially more powerful. She was content simply to have seen them again.
However, both Mu Feng and Mu Chen adamantly refused to abandon her a second time. At this moment, Jiu You, sensing Mu Chen's peril, arrived, fending off Tuling Guards as she made her way towards them. Suddenly, a mysterious smoke enveloped Mu Chen and Mu Feng, trapping them in the third challenge: an Illusion Array designed to suppress the Evil Deity.
This potent magic plunged them into vivid hallucinations of their worst fears, with Mu Chen experiencing the tragic deaths of his parents. Breaking free with his Futu Pagoda, Mu Chen roused Mu Feng, explaining the illusion he had just shattered. Reading newly revealed inscriptions, Mu Chen declared, "Open, Rest, Life, Harm, Block, View, Death, Shock. Only the middle gate is left. It must be here," and attempted to breach the final barrier.
The true master of the Dragon Den then manifested, threatening death to the intruders. A fierce battle ensued, with Jiu You engaging the Tuling Guards while Mu Chen fought the formidable guardian. During the struggle, Mu Chen's God veins were completely severed, and he collapsed, unconscious. Jiu You confirmed Mu Chen's critical state, informing a distraught Mu Feng and a sorrowful Qing Yanjing that his God veins were broken.
Jiu You, distressed, offered to transfer her own spiritual veins to Mu Chen using the Soul Transfer Spell, despite knowing the immense personal cost. Qing Yanjing intervened, warning that such a spell would gravely weaken Jiu You, and more importantly, Mu Chen's shattered body could not withstand a sudden surge of raw spiritual power. She concluded that this path would not save him.
Recognizing her own spirit was rapidly fading, Qing Yanjing declared Mu Chen their last hope against the Evil Deity. She then revealed the Firmament Rank, a stone stele born from the accumulated Power of Heaven since creation, and the key to summoning this power, which alone could restore Mu Chen's God veins. Facing Mu Chen's imminent death, Mu Feng decided they must take him out of the Dragon Den immediately to seek a cure, promising to return for Qing Yanjing.
Meanwhile, Qin Tian, Luo Li, Shen Cangsheng, and their group arrived at the Xuantian Altar, where Heaven Soldiers were imprisoned within a Spiritual Binding Formation. Qin Tian acknowledged the difficulty of breaking the formation by force and sensed trouble elsewhere. Luo Li emphasized the urgency of rescue and retreat, wondering how Mu Chen would approach such a dilemma. Shen Cangsheng proposed harnessing the Spiritual Binding Formation's power by reversing its function to create a Teleportation Formation.
Luo Li elaborated, suggesting that by converting the spiritual pressure within, it could become a means of transport. Li Xuantong expressed reservations about the monumental task and the risk of being trapped, but the entire group, including Li Xuantong, volunteered to proceed. Luo Li then requested Qin Tian's assistance to stabilize and reverse the formation, which he agreed to. Working collaboratively, they successfully transformed the Spiritual Binding Formation into a Teleportation Formation, liberating the entrapped Heaven Soldiers.
After the rescue, the group converged and found Mu Chen, who had been brought out of the Dragon Den by Mu Feng and Jiu You. Luo Li, heartbroken, discovered that Mu Chen's spiritual veins were utterly destroyed. Jiu You confirmed Qing Yanjing's words: only by locating the Firmament Rank and summoning the Power of Heaven could Mu Chen be saved. However, no one, including General Qin, knew its whereabouts. Shen Cangsheng then suggested that Dragon Roc might hold the answers.
Qin Tian volunteered to guard the Heaven Palace, allowing Luo Li and Jiu You to travel to the Lei Territory to find Dragon Roc. Upon their arrival, Dragon Roc was stunned to learn of Mu Chen's broken God veins. Luo Li immediately inquired about the Firmament Rank. Dragon Roc explained that the God of Heaven, initially outmatched by the Evil Deity, had sensed the Power of Heaven and the mysteries of the Ruler Level through the Firmament Rank's first appearance.
To prevent the Evil Deity from exploiting this power, the God of Heaven had entrusted its guardianship to the Tailing Ancient Clan, one of the three ancient divine clans, who then retreated into seclusion. While Dragon Roc couldn't reveal their precise location, he advised them to seek out any traces of their existence. After examining Mu Chen, Dragon Roc confirmed his critical condition, stating he would not survive much longer without intervention.
He proposed that the ancient Holiness Elixir could temporarily stabilize him, providing crucial time to find the Firmament Rank. The Elixir, he explained, was located in the treacherous Freezing Lake in the far north, a place few could survive. However, Jiu You, with her unique undying flame, possessed the ability to withstand the extreme cold for a limited period.
Despite Dragon Roc's stern warnings of fatal risks if she stayed too long, Jiu You immediately volunteered for the perilous mission, promising caution and success. Mu Feng expressed his profound gratitude. Luo Li, too, vowed to search for the Firmament Rank. She remembered that her clan's ancient texts contained records about the Tailing Ancient Clan, believing that finding them was half the battle won. Mu Feng thanked her deeply for her commitment.
Luo Li then took a mysterious object, believing it would help the Firmament Rank sense her, and promised to return safely. Dragon Roc provided Mu Feng with a basic prescription to sustain Mu Chen, emphasizing that the Holiness Elixir and the Firmament Rank were paramount to his complete recovery.
Tan Qingshan and Ye Sun'er tried to comfort a worried Mu Feng, reminding him of Mu Chen's destiny as the Heavenly Sword's successor and assuring him that Jiu You and Luo Li would succeed. Mu Feng thanked them, entrusting Mu Chen to their care as he had other pressing matters. Li Xuantong offered to accompany Luo Li, but she discreetly rendered him unconscious, determined to undertake her dangerous quest alone.
Meanwhile, Luo Li returned to the Luo God Clan and, despite her weakened state and the urgent warnings from Luo Qingya and others about the severe spiritual toll, once again summoned the Spirit of Luo to inquire about the Tailing Ancient Clan's location. The Spirit, noting Luo Li's fragility, offered to restore her spiritual power if she withdrew her question, but Luo Li steadfastly refused.
The Spirit then imparted a cryptic hint, wishing her strength and that her profound love would be rewarded. Luo Qingya sternly reprimanded Luo Li for risking the clan's safety for an "outsider." Luo Li passionately defended her actions, explaining that Mu Chen, having wielded the Heavenly Sword, was the Great Thousand World's only hope against the Evil Deity, and she could not allow him to perish.
Kneeling before Luo Qingya, Luo Li acknowledged the extreme peril of her journey, expressed deep remorse for potentially failing her clan, and asked him to assume the leadership position should she not return. Luo Qingya urged her to rise and checked on her condition.
