The Immortal Ascension Episode 12 Recap
> The Immortal Ascension Recap
After Han Li and Nangong Wan defeated the Blackflood Drake, Nangong Wan took its primordial spirit, intending to use it to guard her sect's gate. She told Han Li he could have the beast's body, noting its hide was tough and its parts were valuable.
Observing that Han Li had many artifacts for a Qi Refining cultivator, Nangong Wan teased him about potentially killing her for her treasures, to which Han Li replied that her "treasures" were mere "junk" to him. Annoyed by Han Li's clumsy attempts to dismantle the beast, Nangong Wan took over, explaining that the drake's horns and claws were valuable materials and that its inner core must be extracted first.
Despite feeling out of practice, her pride compelled her to handle it herself. However, instead of an inner core, she extracted a different, unknown organ. As she remarked that Han Li was lucky, a strange mist was released, causing both of them to lose consciousness. Urgent announcements from the elders echoed through the trial grounds, warning disciples that the portal would soon close, trapping anyone left inside for sixty years. Nangong Wan awoke disoriented, realizing she had overslept.
She quickly roused Han Li, stressing that they had to leave immediately. Internally, she debated killing Han Li to silence him. She then revealed the source of their unconsciousness: the drake was a rare male, and the organ she had touched was its lust sack, which released an aphrodisiac poison mist upon contact with a female. Nangong Wan warned him to keep quiet about the incident.
Han Li, understanding the gravity of the situation, agreed it was a misunderstanding and vowed that no third person would ever know. Nangong Wan then took a mysterious chest, to which Han Li had no objections. She claimed the Blood Spirit Flower for herself but allowed Han Li to keep the remaining spirit herbs, which included the Celestial Essence Fruit he had desperately sought. With time running out, they found their path blocked by rubble.
Nangong Wan admitted she knew a way to clear the path but her powers were completely drained from their recent ordeal, forcing Han Li to open the way. They dashed towards the exit as the elders' final warnings sounded. On their way, Han Li lamented the destruction of his Golden Brick Talisman after only two uses, but Nangong Wan called him a "moneygrubber," retorting that his life was just as important.
As they neared freedom, Han Li introduced himself, "I'm Han Li, 'Li' as in erecting a tombstone," and asked for her name. After some hesitation, she revealed her name was Nangong Wan, adding curtly that they would be strangers once outside. Han Li, however, made a solemn promise: if she ever faced danger, he would come to her aid. Nangong Wan dismissed him, telling him to look after himself and never seek her out.
Outside the Bloody Trial Ground, the elders debated closing the portal. Li Huayuan insisted on waiting a little longer, despite another elder's skepticism. Just then, Han Li emerged alone. Seeing that the Moonshadow Sect's elder, Mistress Ni Chang, had already departed with her disciples, Han Li assumed Nangong Wan had left. The portal then sealed, with only five disciples from Yellow Maple Valley having survived, a testament to the trial's danger.
Li Huayuan, pleased with his successful wager, approached Han Li to inquire about his gains. Han Li, cautious not to draw attention, presented only a few spirit herbs, including the Celestial Essence Fruit. As a result, Li Huayuan won his bet, much to the chagrin of the other elders who grudgingly paid up. Impressed, Li Huayuan asked Han Li how he had obtained the herbs.
Han Li explained that he had followed his master's advice to avoid conflict and, by sheer luck, had stumbled upon the aftermath of battles, collecting the herbs left behind by the dead. Finding Han Li both fortunate and humble, Li Huayuan formally accepted him as his direct disciple, telling him to address him as "Master" instead of "Grandmaster."
Reflecting on the heavy losses, Li Huayuan was pleased by Han Li’s somber demeanor and genuine sadness for his fallen peers, seeing it as a sign of his good character. As a welcoming gift, he gave Han Li the Qingyuan Sword Manual, a technique suitable for the Qi Refining Stage. Han Li reported to Li Huayuan about the suspicious individuals from Spirit Beast Mountain he had encountered.
He detailed how they practiced ruthless toxic and demonic arts, focusing solely on killing—even their own sect members—rather than gathering herbs. Li Huayuan acknowledged the gravity of this information and cautioned Han Li to keep it a secret, suspecting a link to the high casualty count. Meanwhile, a troubled Nangong Wan found herself unable to open the mysterious chest.
Her maid, Qing'er, noted Nangong Wan's strange behavior since her return and reminded her that the Blood Spirit Flower she sent to the Yan Clan Stronghold should have arrived. Mistress Ni Chang, the Moonshadow Sect Leader, expressed concern over Nangong Wan's depleted powers. Nangong Wan attributed her state partly to the drake, but also revealed that someone had cut off her escape route during the fight.
She voiced her suspicion that demonic forces had infiltrated the Seven Sects and were responsible for the massive losses. At the Spirit Beast Mountain, Wang Chan of the Ghost Spirit Sect received a report from his subordinate, Zhong Wu, confirming that the Seven Sects had lost nearly 70% of their top Qi Refining disciples, severely weakening their foundation.
Wang Chan then tasked Zhong Wu with returning to the Seven Sects' territory to discreetly instigate cultivators to defect to the Ghost Spirit Sect. Meanwhile, two of his members who failed to retrieve the Blood Spirit Flower were kneeling in disgrace. Concurrently, at the Yan Clan Stronghold, Lord Yan and his aide, Elder Liu, were anxiously awaiting the Blood Spirit Flower for the ailing Yan Ruyan.
However, the Moonshadow Sect messenger delivering the flower was intercepted and killed by Wang Chan's forces. Shortly after, Elder Liu informed Lord Yan that Wang Chan had arrived, claiming he could save the Young Lady. Though wary, Lord Yan agreed to meet him. Wang Chan offered the Blood Spirit Flower he had stolen but argued it would only sustain life while damaging Yan Ruyan's cultivation foundation.
Instead, he proposed a superior Ghost Spirit Sect art that could not only cure her but also enhance her future cultivation. The price for this cure was an alliance between the Yan Clan and the Ghost Spirit Sect. Upon Han Li's return to his sect's residence, fellow disciples, including Dong Xuan'er, came to greet him. They joked that Han Li, who once called them "Mentors," was now their junior disciple under the same master.
Dong Xuan'er expressed relief at his safe return from the perilous trial. Seeing them together, other senior disciples playfully commented on their closeness, and Dong Xuan'er challenged Han Li to a future sparring match. Meanwhile, in her secluded cultivation, Nangong Wan was plagued by memories of Han Li. Vexed, she furiously declared that the first thing she would do upon emerging would be to kill him and erect a tombstone in his name, echoing his own introduction.
She resolved to refine ten or even twenty Foundation Pills to ensure her breakthrough. At the same time, Han Li used his green bottle to successfully ripen his spirit herbs, including the crucial Violet Monkey Blossom. With the ingredients and formula in hand, he had enough to refine over a dozen Foundation Pills. Having also reached the 13th tier of Qi Refining, all that remained was for him to achieve the Foundation Establishment Stage.
