The Sun in the Dark Episode 3 Recap
> The Sun in the Dark Recap
Ye Chenyuan continued his torment, telling Bai Xiaoying that mental suffering could be far more dreadful than physical pain. He forced her to relive a painful memory from her childhood in Su City, where she was cruelly branded a monster and driven away by the villagers. Her mother desperately tried to shield her from the angry crowd, while Bai Xiaoying cried out, begging them to stop their hateful shouts.
She then knelt, pleading with Ye Chenyuan to end the vision, but he callously declared it her punishment and refused to stop such an "interesting scene." Overwhelmed, Bai Xiaoying sobbed, clutching her head, agonizing over her inability to avenge her mother, yet being tormented by her enemy.
She cried out to her mother, lamenting that she couldn't hold on much longer, trapped between the desire to live as her mother wished and the inability to kill her foes or forget her suffering. Witnessing Bai Xiaoying's profound anguish, Ye Chenyuan shattered the illusion with a swift strike. The cacophony of accusations vanished, replaced by a gentle snowfall. Bai Xiaoying reached out to catch the falling snowflakes, still weeping.
Ye Chenyuan impatiently told her to stop crying, yet masked his concern by claiming she was merely staining his dream. When Bai Xiaoying fully awoke, she found Ye Chenyuan seemingly asleep opposite her. She dismissed the idea that he would do anything for her, believing she had merely suffered a backlash from her Dream Spell, leading to an absurd dream. However, the cool sensation of a snowflake in her palm made her doubt, wondering if the dream had been real.
At that moment, Ye Chenyuan opened his eyes, annoyed that she wasn't sleeping, and reminded her about the upcoming trial. Seeing his irritating face, Bai Xiaoying again convinced herself she was overthinking. For the second trial, contestants entered Youlan Forest to tame spirit beasts, their courage and abilities put to the test. Bai Xiaoying, along with Yunqu and another disciple, ventured in, unaware that Ye Chenyuan's spirit accompanied her. The air was thick with mist and a sense of dread.
Wanyan and her followers again intercepted Bai Xiaoying, attempting to force her to leave the forest. Suddenly, a thick mist appeared, indicating the presence of a powerful demon, and trapping them in a large maze. Bai Xiaoying soon spotted an adorable puppy and instinctively picked it up, even deliberately bringing it close to Ye Chenyuan for him to see.
He, however, was disdainful, refusing to even glance at the "eyesore" and telling her to get it away before it tainted his sight. Bai Xiaoying, then realizing he was scared of dogs, reassured the puppy it was the cutest and told it to find its mother. Bai Xiaoying tried to de-escalate with Wanyan, humbly stating she was just a cleaner and would even hand over any high-ranked spirit beasts she found.
Wanyan, however, scoffed, calling her a "sweet talker" and declared Bai Xiaoying a threat who must leave. As Wanyan commanded her followers to attack, Ye Chenyuan prompted Bai Xiaoying to dispel the miasma, using an incantation he had taught her. She did so, revealing a dog demon, furious over the death of her son, the puppy Bai Xiaoying had just seen.
Wanyan, seizing the opportunity, falsely accused Bai Xiaoying of the murder, with her followers corroborating the lie, claiming Bai Xiaoying was seen alone and recognized the puppy. The enraged dog demon lunged at Bai Xiaoying. Bai Xiaoying desperately called out to Ye Chenyuan for help, but he hid, confirming her suspicion that the powerful Night Deity was terrified of dogs.
As the dog demon tightened its grip, Bai Xiaoying's body erupted with immense power, blasting the demon away and killing it instantly. During this surge, tempting voices filled her mind, questioning the fairness of the world and her path, echoing Ye Chenyuan's previous provocations. Observing the unusual energy from a distance, Yun Ya recognized it as similar to Bai Xiaoying's mysterious power and rushed to Youlan Forest to investigate.
Wanyan, despite the dog demon's death, still attempted to claim its spirit, further infuriating Bai Xiaoying. Engulfed in a furious rage, Bai Xiaoying turned on Wanyan, intending to kill her, but Ye Chenyuan intervened, pulling Bai Xiaoying into his arms and transferring energy to her. She gradually calmed down but then fell unconscious. Moments later, Yun Ya arrived, finding Bai Xiaoying unconscious. He gently retrieved a bracelet from the ground and placed it back on her wrist before departing.
When Wanyan awoke, she had no memory of the events in Youlan Forest. Upon learning that Bai Xiaoying had taken first place, she was outraged. The Immortal Lord appeared, scolding Wanyan for her un-ladylike behavior. Wanyan protested, insisting Bai Xiaoying didn't deserve first place. The Immortal Lord, also suspicious of Bai Xiaoying's extraordinary power, summoned Yun Ya for an explanation.
Yun Ya covered for Bai Xiaoying, attributing her power surge to the Monster Dog's demonic energy entering her body and awakening her potential, which the Immortal Lord accepted as plausible. Later, Ye Chenyuan confronted Bai Xiaoying, questioning her about the demonic energy that had erupted within her. Bai Xiaoying retorted that it was his doing, and that forcing her to become a demon would only deepen her hatred for him.
She reminded him that she only lived to kill the Night Deity, and if he wanted her to be a demon, he might as well kill her. Ye Chenyuan dismissively claimed he simply wanted her to know that becoming a demon wasn't so agonizing. Shortly after, Yun Ya visited Bai Xiaoying, expressing concern over her power nearly spiraling out of control in Youlan Forest, questioning if she was pushing herself for vengeance.
Bai Xiaoying apologized for losing control and promised it wouldn't happen again. Yun Ya assured her, as her master and chosen disciple, he would protect her no matter what. Bai Xiaoying gratefully thanked him, much to Ye Chenyuan's hidden jealousy. Concerned about Bai Xiaoying's unusual and unknown power, the Immortal Lord secretly convened with several elders.
Fearing she might be a spy from the Night Clan and the negative consequences of her abnormal strength, he instructed them to devise a plan to prevent her from winning the final trial and obtaining the Divine Sword, explicitly telling them to keep Yun Ya unaware. The next stage of trials began, pitting the four finalists against each other.
It was revealed that Wanyan, despite being eliminated in the Youlan Forest, was controversially reinstated as a finalist due to Senior Immortal Xiyuan's nomination and the collective support of the elders, overriding the Immortal Lord's initial rejection. In the first match, Yun Ya faced Upper Immortal Yongning from Taixu Palace. After a spirited exchange, Yun Ya emerged victorious, with Upper Immortal Yongning playfully conceding and demanding drinks. The second match pitted Bai Xiaoying against Wanyan.
Wanyan accused Bai Xiaoying of unfairly using the Monster Dog's power in Youlan Forest and vowed to reclaim her honor. Ye Chenyuan urged Bai Xiaoying to show Wanyan what she was capable of. Bai Xiaoying, acknowledging Wanyan's unintentional help in the Youlan Forest, challenged her to fight. Unable to defeat Bai Xiaoying through conventional means, Wanyan resorted to a potent Intensified Spirit Herb, given to her by an elder previously, that could multiply her power.
The elder, despite knowing Wanyan was Immortal Lord's daughter, initially warned her about the punishment for cheating but ultimately relented, compelled to keep her secret. As Wanyan consumed the herb, her spiritual power surged dramatically. Bai Xiaoying was struck, coughing up blood, and her mind was flooded with painful memories of being ridiculed and called a "motherless wretch" and "lowly cleaner" throughout her life, pushing her to the brink of a breakdown.
Witnessing Wanyan's sudden surge in power, Yun Ya immediately questioned Elder Kongming, who feigned ignorance, claiming Wanyan's recent progress was "nothing special." As the tormenting voices echoed in Bai Xiaoying's mind, Yun Ya, seeing her distress, urgently called out to her, letting her know he was there.
