The Great Ruler Episode 42 Recap
> The Great Ruler Recap
Luo Li, expressing deep remorse for her actions, decided to relinquish her positions within the Luo God Clan. She tearfully entrusted the Luo God Sword to Xuantong, admitting she could no longer protect the clan. Xuantong, heartbroken, assured her that she would forever be the true goddess in his heart and the Luo God Sword would always be hers. Luo Li then gathered the clan, announcing her resignation as both Leader and Saintess.
She revealed that she had become the goddess of the Tailing Ancient Clan and declared that Luo Qingya would immediately succeed her as the clan's Leader. Mu Chen awoke, calling out Luo Li's name, having dreamt of her helping him but also being in danger. Tan Qingshan came to his side, and Mu Chen, eager for news, asked about Luo Li. Tan Qingshan promised to gather everyone.
As Mu Chen regained his strength, he noticed a significant increase in his spiritual power. The others present, aware of Luo Li's sacrifice, subtly avoided mentioning her, hoping to spare Mu Chen further sadness. Mu Feng and the others arrived, relieved to see him well. Mu Chen observed Jiuyou limping and learned from Mu Feng that she had injured her leg while venturing into a freezing land to retrieve the Holiness Elixir to save his life.
Mu Chen thanked Jiuyou for her profound sacrifice. Mu Chen then inquired about his mother, Qing Yanjing, but Mu Feng advised him to prioritize rest first and then offered to show him the way to rescue his mother. Later, Mu Feng led Mu Chen to witness the perfected Devil-dissipating Circle, a formidable array he had spent ten years developing to fulfill Qing Yanjing's wish for global peace.
Mu Feng explained that this was the only known method to defeat the Evil Deity. He urged Mu Chen to practice diligently, reach the Ruler Level, and use the circle to ultimately kill the Evil Deity and rescue his mother, thereby honoring Luo Li's and Jiuyou's profound efforts. Mu Chen, impressed, promised not to disappoint his father. Next, Mu Chen pressed Jiuyou for information about Luo Li.
Jiuyou, no longer able to conceal the truth, revealed that Luo Li had sought the Firmament Rank to heal Mu Chen's shattered Divine Vein, as the Holiness Elixir could only sustain his life. Jiuyou sadly disclosed that Luo Li had agreed to remain in the Tailing Ancient Clan as their goddess and would not be returning. Though pained by the news, Mu Chen reasoned that Luo Li was safer in the Tailing Ancient Clan given the current perilous situation.
He resolved to prioritize rescuing his mother, believing that only by gaining sufficient strength could he truly protect Luo Li. Seeking to accelerate Mu Chen's cultivation, Jiuyou consulted Dragon Roc for suitable training locations. Dragon Roc, initially vexed by Mu Chen's absence, reluctantly suggested the Land of Thunder God deep within the Lei Territory.
He described it as a place of incredibly fierce lightning, where Mu Chen could potentially forge the formidable Body of Thunder God, promising a significant boost to his power. Jiuyou promptly took Mu Chen there. Mu Chen, acknowledging the extreme conditions, began his training, despite Jiuyou's concerns about the danger. He believed that facing life-or-death situations was crucial for growth and building a body capable of containing immense spiritual power.
He insisted on training alone, asserting that Jiuyou had already done much for him. After a period of intense training, Mu Chen's physique and spiritual power had advanced considerably, and he successfully mastered the Triple Purity technique. However, the lightning refinement had made his spiritual power dangerously volatile and excessive. To manage this, he decided to disperse the surplus energy. Subsequently, one of Mu Chen's clones sought out Dragon Roc, who was greatly impressed by his mastery of Triple Purity.
Mu Chen proposed that by utilizing his clones for separate training before reintegrating, he could achieve faster progress. Dragon Roc agreed and suggested two "Impasses" for further body tempering: the Freezing Lake, and using Jiuyou's Undying Fire—a supreme flame—under her controlled guidance. One of Mu Chen's clones then approached Jiuyou, who was astonished to see two of him. Explaining his need for an extreme environment to temper his body, he requested her Undying Fire. Jiuyou, while cautioning him, agreed.
The other clone then asked for directions to the Freezing Lake, and Jiuyou provided a guiding feather. Upon the clones' return and reintegration, Dragon Roc confirmed that Mu Chen's newly tempered physique was now capable of containing his vast spiritual power. Mu Chen expressed profound gratitude to Dragon Roc, acknowledging that his complete transformation and newfound invincibility were due to the elder's guidance and the rigorous refinement in both the Freezing Lake and Jiuyou's Undying Fire.
Luo Li formally returned to the Tailing Ancient Clan to be crowned as their new goddess. During the ceremony, her memories were extracted as part of the succession process. The clan elder announced her arrival, marking the end of a long period without a goddess. As her first decree, Luo Li, through the elder, declared a formal alliance between the Tailing Ancient Clan and the Luo God Clan.
This pact stipulated that the two clans would unite to resist the Evil Deity, sharing both prosperity and adversity. Meanwhile, the Evil Deity confronted Qing Yanjing, taunting her that his power had fully recovered and her demise was drawing near. He scoffed at her belief that the Futu Pagoda could continue to contain him, asserting that his complete revival was imminent. Qing Yanjing, however, defiantly vowed never to release him.
Xuantong arrived at the Tailing Ancient Clan to see Luo Li. When he addressed her, Luo Li, whose memories had been erased, asked who he was and if they knew each other. Seeing her lack of recognition, Xuantong's heart broke. He then fabricated a story, claiming he was a Luo God Clan member who had been expelled for offending his master.
He said his kind clan mother, appreciative of his martial skills, had sent him to seek refuge with the newly appointed Tailing Ancient Clan goddess, as she was in need of capable individuals. Luo Li, noting his familiar gaze as if he were an old acquaintance, felt a strange connection despite her memory loss and agreed to let him stay as her personal guard.
Later, Luo Li questioned the Taiming Old Ancestor about Xuantong, but the elder confirmed he had never appeared in their territory before. The Taiming Old Ancestor strongly opposed Luo Li's decision to keep an outsider, citing the clan's ancient rule against non-members and the potential dangers of an unknown individual. However, Luo Li firmly dismissed his concerns, declaring her decision was final. She later found herself pondering why she had felt compelled to keep him by her side.
Wen Qingxuan approached the Evil Deity, expressing her displeasure at his apparent favoritism towards Liu Mubai. She pointed out Mubai's unauthorized allowance of people into the Dragon Den and his decision to house Tang Qian’er in his quarters as evidence of his disloyalty and a potential rebellious heart. The Evil Deity, however, dismissed worldly affections as "hypocritical karmic obstacles."
He then gifted Wen Qingxuan the Heartless Whip, instructing her to use it to control or even punish Liu Mubai, particularly given his "affectionate nature." Wen Qingxuan gratefully accepted the whip. Tang Qian’er managed to breach her confinement in Liu Mubai's chambers using her spiritual power, but her escape was intercepted by Wen Qingxuan. Wen Qingxuan confronted Liu Mubai, who arrived to protect Qian'er, and unleashed the Heartless Whip upon him.
She taunted him, saying he deserved the agonizing pain for his betrayal of her "Godfather," the Evil Deity, and claimed the whip, a gift from the Evil Deity, was designed to inflict torment even upon a Ruler. Wen Qingxuan revealed her jealousy over the Evil Deity's trust in Mubai, stating that she, who had been loyal for thousands of years, now found herself merely on par with him.
She declared her intention to make Mubai's life a living hell, believing only her unwavering loyalty mattered. Despite the excruciating pain, Liu Mubai insisted on escorting Qian'er to safety, rationalizing that it was merely repaying her for saving his life and that she was no longer of use to Wen Qingxuan. As he covertly led Qian'er out, he managed to overhear a conversation between Mu Feng and Shen Cangsheng.
Upon completing his rigorous body tempering, Mu Chen, after consulting with Dragon Roc, confirmed his enhanced physique. He then sensed a peculiar disturbance emanating from the Futu Pagoda, sparking his concern about the Evil Deity's imminent revival. Leaving a letter behind, Mu Chen departed for the Ancient Heaven Palace, determined to rescue his mother. Jiuyou, discovering his letter, realized his intentions and quickly set off to follow him.
Mu Feng, reading Mu Chen's letter, confirmed his son's solo mission to the Ancient Heaven Palace. Meanwhile, Liu Mubai, while escorting Tang Qian’er away, overheard a conversation between Mu Feng and Shen Cangsheng. They discussed the joyous news that the Tailing Ancient Clan had emerged and, thanks to Luo Li's efforts and sacrifice, had agreed to open their portal and form an alliance to jointly combat the Evil Deity.
Upon arriving at the Ancient Heaven Palace, Mu Chen discovered that General Qin Tian and his Heaven Soldiers had been overwhelmed by the numerous Tuling Guards, resulting in the loss of the main hall. Jiuyou soon caught up, reminding Mu Chen that their blood connection meant she would always follow him into danger, rendering attempts to leave her behind futile. Mu Chen apologized for his misjudgment.
General Qin explained that the hall was now swarming with Tuling Guards, whose defenses had become even more stringent after previous skirmishes. He noted their advantage in knowing the palace's intricate terrain, allowing them to retreat to the Heaven River's edge if necessary, where the Tuling Guards could repel them but not achieve a decisive victory. Mu Chen then inquired about a passage from the Heaven River to the Dragon Den.
Qin Tian confirmed its existence and stated he had deciphered the Tuling Guards' deployment patterns, making safe passage to the Dragon Den possible. However, he warned that the Dragon Den itself was heavily fortified, and the narrow passage would make an easy breakthrough impossible. Mu Chen conceded that they would have to "break through" by force. Recognizing the Tuling Guards' formidable "Power of Whisper" and the limitations of their current forces, Mu Chen asserted that they must employ strategy.
He instructed Qin Tian to secure the periphery to prevent outsiders from discovering their presence and attracting more Tuling Guards. He proposed creating a small opening for himself and Jiuyou to enter. Qin Tian detailed the plan: two small teams would flank the enemy to divert their attention, while he led the main charge through the center. Jiuyou would act as Mu Chen's protector, and the Heaven Soldiers would serve as his personal guards. Their objective was to swiftly invade the Dragon Den once the enemy was distracted, leaving the subsequent actions to Mu Chen and Jiuyou. Mu Chen agreed to this strategy.
