The Journey of Legend Episode 40 (Ending) Recap
> The Journey of Legend Recap
Wu Jie remained imprisoned in the water fortress, where Xiao Kaiyan had set a deadly trap: a sand timer that, once depleted, would trigger a volley of arrows. Meanwhile, the North Wasteland armies, led by Helian Yan, laid siege to Xianren Pass. A Daxi commander urged his soldiers to immediately report the dire situation to the imperial court and General Wu, then rallied his troops, declaring they would fight to the death.
Helian Yan scoffed at Daxi's peace talks, asserting that since General Wu was no longer present, the agreement was void. Daxi soldiers, lacking General Wu and new orders, resolved to defend the heartland at all costs, vowing to die rather than let the invaders pass. Xiao Qiushui, carrying his guqin, infiltrated the water fortress alone, demanding to know General Wu's whereabouts from Xiao Kaiyan.
Xiao Kaiyan, dismissive, taunted Xiao Qiushui, saying that every moment he wasted merely hastened General Wu's demise. He challenged Xiao Qiushui, claiming that if he wanted to be a hero, he would prove him powerless. A fierce battle erupted between the two. Xiao Kaiyan realized that Xiao Qiushui had mastered the true essence of the Book of Oblivion, his moves flowing like water. Using his guqin as a formidable weapon, Xiao Qiushui inflicted a severe injury upon Xiao Kaiyan.
Defeated and critically wounded, Xiao Kaiyan defiantly told Xiao Qiushui that even though he had won, he would never reveal General Wu's location. Xiao Qiushui countered, explaining that Xiao Kaiyan's pursuit of shortcuts and stolen powers had led him astray, causing him to kill countless innocents and ultimately become deluded by his own power.
He emphasized that true enlightenment lay in selflessness and compassion, qualities Xiao Kaiyan, consumed by his own ambition, could never grasp, thus failing to understand that the highest realm of oblivion was, in fact, love.
As Xiao Kaiyan lay dying, he experienced vivid hallucinations of his family—his father, Xiao Xilou, praising him as the most stable of his children; his mother, Sun Huishan, offering to cook for him; and his siblings, Xiao Yiren and Xiao Xueyu, inviting him to roam the martial world together. Heartbroken at being the last of the Xiao family, Xiao Qiushui implored his brother one last time to reveal General Wu's hiding place, promising to atone for Xiao Kaiyan's mistakes.
With a few gasping syllables, Xiao Kaiyan uttered "General Wu is. . . in. . ." before succumbing to his wounds. At Xianren Pass, Helian Yan declared victory imminent, but the Daxi soldiers remained resolute, shouting their vows to defend Daxi and drive out the invaders. Helian Yan dismissed them as fools, claiming even their emperor would surrender.
Just as the North Wasteland prepared to make a final push, Liang Dou arrived with the members of the Shenzhou Alliance to defend the nation's borders. They engaged the North Wasteland's elite warriors but were quickly overpowered. As the North Wasteland prepared for a second assault, an arrow shot by Xiao Qiushui suddenly struck Helian Yan, pinning him to the city wall. With their commander killed and subsequently beheaded, the North Wasteland troops fell into a panic.
Xiao Qiushui then appeared with General Wu. General Wu, rallying his troops with a powerful call to arms, led a fierce counterattack, pushing the North Wasteland army out of Xianren Pass and securing a decisive victory for Daxi. The Emperor, having just received a secret report that exposed Xiao Kaiyan's deception, hastily ordered Li Chenzhou to rescue General Wu at all costs. Moments later, a flurry of eunuchs burst into the palace, joyously proclaiming a great victory at Xianren Pass.
They reported that General Wu had crushed the North Wasteland army, Helian Yan was dead, and the North Wasteland had surrendered, pledging a 50-year non-aggression pact. Overjoyed, the Emperor immediately ordered generous rewards for General Wu and the frontline troops, then, remembering Li Chenzhou, included him as well. However, his joy turned to sorrow when an eunuch informed him that Master Li Chenzhou had perished during his mission to rescue General Wu.
Overwhelmed with grief and regret, the Emperor mourned his loyal brother. That night, a celebratory bonfire lit up the army camp. General Wu expressed profound gratitude to Xiao Qiushui, acknowledging the Xiao family's unwavering loyalty and the immense debt of honor he owed for Xiao Qiushui's self-sacrificing rescue. Xiao Qiushui raised a toast to all the brave men who had fallen fighting the North Wasteland, acknowledging their shared part in the victory, and then proposed another toast to the survivors.
Amidst the joyous revelry and teasing among friends about Zuoqiu's impending marriage to Qu Mushuang, Tang Fang approached Xiao Qiushui and confessed that meeting him was the happiest event of her life. Observing the vibrant scene, Liu Suifeng, accompanied by Song Mingzhu, acknowledged that Xiao Qiushui had truly won. He remarked that the martial world was now united by righteousness, not profit, and that Xiao Qiushui had shown them a truly different path.
As Liu Suifeng and Song Mingzhu quietly departed, Liu Suifeng bid Xiao Qiushui farewell, saying they would meet again. Xiao Qiushui knew that activating the final chapter of the Book of Oblivion, while granting immense power far beyond his limits, would come at a fatal cost: it would rapidly deplete his vital energy, irreversibly damage his meridians, and ultimately cost him his life. Yet, his mission was complete. Back in the modern world, Xiao Mingming awoke in a hospital bed.
His college roommate, Zuoqiu, was by his side, informing him that the investigation had confirmed Li Nan's espionage, revealing he had stolen state secrets under the direction of foreign spy organizations. However, Li Nan had died two days prior, before he could be brought to justice. Xiao Mingming, still captivated by the vividness of his dream, envisioned himself as Xiao Qiushui, a figure in white, disappearing into the brilliant hues of a setting sun. The martial world, united by righteousness as Xiao Qiushui had envisioned, continued its saga, ever-changing like the tides.
