The Immortal Ascension Episode 16 Recap
> The Immortal Ascension Recap
Wang Chan brought a secret concoction from the Ghost Spirit Sect, capable of preserving spiritual power, to give to Yan Ruyan. Her father, Lord Yan, questioned Wang Chan about his interest in a woman from Yellow Maple Valley he was seen observing. Wang Chan denied any romantic interest, stating the woman was merely useful for gathering information and assured Lord Yan that his own true identity remained a secret.
Given the recent influx of cultivators into the city for the wedding, Lord Yan decided it was best to postpone their plan against the commoners in the Lower City to avoid any unforeseen complications before the ceremony. Wang Chan agreed. Meanwhile, Mo Caihuan visited an apothecary to buy two stalks of Moongazing Grass with 20 spiritual gems, only to be told by the supplier that the price had increased significantly due to high demand from visiting cultivators.
When she offered to buy seeds instead, the supplier dismissed the idea, citing the weak spiritual energy in the Lower City. He then propositioned her, offering her unlimited herbs if she agreed to become his concubine. Mo Caihuan refused and tried to leave, but he pursued her until Han Li intervened, rescuing her from the supplier's harassment. Mo Caihuan brought Han Li back to her own small apothecary, and they reconnected after a decade.
When Han Li asked about her family, Mo Caihuan sorrowfully revealed that they were all gone. Three years prior, the Five-Color Sect, having secured a powerful new ally, slaughtered her entire family overnight to seize their assets, leaving her as the sole survivor. She also explained that several months before the massacre, their companion Qu Hun had lost control of his senses and run off into the mountains, and she was unable to find him.
Now, she runs the apothecary alone and is content with her simple life. Han Li expressed his concern for her safety, but she reassured him she could protect herself. He offered to fill a prescription for her and insisted she contact him if she ever needed help. Elsewhere, Dong Xuan'er sat alone, distressed by her innate enchanting abilities, which she felt brought her nothing but trouble and robbed her of her freedom.
Two cultivators, Wuyouzi of the Clear Void Sect and Ba Chushui of the Giant Sword Sect, noticed her sadness and approached, offering her wine to lift her spirits. After a brief philosophical exchange about the moon's reflection in her cup, they introduced themselves. They revealed they were not in the city for the wedding but to investigate evil presences. They left her the wine and departed to watch the fireworks.
As fireworks lit up the sky, a tearful Mo Caihuan asked Han Li if it was truly impossible for someone without a spiritual root to become a cultivator, and he confirmed it was. Just then, Han Li heard Dong Xuan'er using her enchantment on a large crowd and sensed she was in trouble. He urged Mo Caihuan to go home, giving her some mystic herb seeds and powerful pills beneficial for mortals.
He advised her to either use them herself or sell them for a high price and told her to leave a message for him at his inn if she needed anything. A masked individual attempted to abduct Dong Xuan'er in the dark but mistakenly grabbed Mo Caihuan. Confused, Mo Caihuan began repeating Dong Xuan'er’s enchanted phrases, claiming to be her. The attacker, believing he had the right person, mockingly played along before Han Li arrived to intervene.
A visibly drunk Dong Xuan'er, who had stumbled upon the scene, declared that the two men should fight, and she would leave with the winner. Han Li engaged the masked man, noting his strange techniques. As city patrols approached, alerted by the commotion, the attacker fled. Han Li took a disoriented Dong Xuan'er back to their inn and gave her medicine, explaining that the masked man had used her own enchantment against her, causing damage to her spirit.
She worriedly asked if he would tell her master about the incident, lamenting that she never intends to cause trouble. Han Li promised to keep it a secret and that he would stand guard for the night. He instructed her to stay close to him during the ceremony the next day, as he had sensed the attacker stalking her in the city and had an ominous feeling about the upcoming event.
The next morning, at a quarry in the Yan Clan stronghold, Xuan Yue of the Moonshadow Sect arrived to collect his sect's monthly payment of spiritual stones. He noticed heightened security and learned from a guard it was for the young lady's wedding to a "foreign cultivator." Suddenly, the stronghold's defensive formation activated, and the guard urged Xuan Yue to flee.
Simultaneously, at the Moonshadow Sect's headquarters, the Grandmaster received grave news: the Ghost Spirit Sect had completely destroyed the Jiang and Cheqi Kingdoms. She ordered the elders to convene an emergency meeting at Yellow Maple Valley, signaling that war was imminent. On the day of the wedding, Han Li and Dong Xuan'er met up with Wuyouzi and Ba Chushui. As they walked toward the venue, Han Li’s sense of unease grew.
Inside, they noted the absence of Lord Yan and the strange, vacant look on Yan Ruyan’s face. Han Li was shocked to recognize the groom as the masked man he had fought the previous night, confirming his suspicion that the ceremony was a trap. Wang Chan and Yan Ruyan appeared before the guests. Wang Chan welcomed everyone and declared the banquet would begin, at which point a powerful formation sealed the hall. The cultivators found their spiritual power completely suppressed.
Han Li immediately identified the trap as the Ghost Spirit Sect's infamous Blood Spirit Spell and yelled for everyone to run. They fought their way through guards toward the exit. Wang Chan activated the spell, mockingly thanking the guests for their "gifts" and challenging the righteous sects to sacrifice their power to save the Yan Clan's heiress. Lord Yan appeared, acknowledging that his clan was now past the point of no return.
The trapped cultivators' life force was drained and funneled into Yan Ruyan, who, despite the massive influx of power, remained unconscious. Enraged, Lord Yan reminded Wang Chan of their "Truedeath Oath," threatening him if Yan Ruyan wasn't saved. Wang Chan, unconcerned, noted that a few cultivators had escaped and declared he would hunt them down to "feed" them to his new wife, promptly setting off in pursuit as Han Li and Dong Xuan'er saw figures rapidly closing in on them.
