The World of Fantasy Episode 9 Recap
> The World of Fantasy Recap
In the bustling market, Qin Lie wandered, holding spiritual array drawings he had sketched from memory, seeking someone who could identify them. He was repeatedly turned away until he stumbled upon Li Mu's small shop, where Li Mu initially dismissed his drawings as mere "leg pads for my table." However, Bu Li subtly prompted Li Mu to assist Qin Lie. Li Mu then requested all of Qin Lie's spiritual array boards, laying them out.
Qin Lie explained that these were fragments of larger patterns he saw in dreams, representing less than one percent of the original. Li Mu advised him not to force the pursuit, telling him to continue dreaming and return when he could recall the complete patterns. After Qin Lie left, Bu Li questioned Li Mu's true intentions for opening his shop in this location, suggesting it was for Qin Lie.
She noted Qin Lie's "plateau redness" and his cultivation was "only Natal Opening Realm," suggesting Li Mu's admiration was surprising given this. Li Mu, however, claimed it was merely a favor to her. Later, Ling Yushi met with Qin Lie and Gao Yu to discuss her plan to expose Pu Jiao. She had already informed Pu Jiao that she would marry Du Shaoyang, believing this would provoke him to personally attempt to kill her.
Qin Lie and Gao Yu expressed concern for her safety. Du Shaoyang, present for the discussion, asked if her proposal was a genuine commitment or merely a strategic move, to which Ling Yushi confirmed it was a calculated trap. Together, Ling Yushi and Du Shaoyang then approached Du Haitien. Du Haitien inquired about Ling Yushi's prior accusations against Du Shaoyang regarding Blacksmith Hua’s murder.
Ling Yushi explained her past impulsiveness and stated her current belief in Du Shaoyang's innocence, proposing the marriage to mend the rift between their families. Du Shaoyang elaborated, suggesting a quick wedding followed by a visit to Chief Ling in Ling Borough to clarify misunderstandings. Du Haitien asked if Qin Lie was aware, fearing he might "ruin the wedding again." Ling Yushi assured him she would inform Qin Lie. Pleased, Du Haitien immediately approved the marriage and ordered city-wide celebrations.
Hearing the news, Pu Jiao was astonished by Ling Yushi's sudden change of heart from Qin Lie to Du Shaoyang. He declared his intention to turn the wedding into a funeral. Meanwhile, Du Shaoyang met Xie Jingxuan, who continued to refer to herself as Tang Siqi. She congratulated him on his impending marriage, then subtly questioned his feelings for Ling Yushi, noting the lack of emotion in his eyes.
She scorned his pursuit of "power and status," advocating instead for "endless love, boundless love" as the true source of strength that eradicates fear. Xie Jingxuan offered to sabotage the wedding without implicating him if he wished to avoid it. Du Shaoyang, however, rejected her offer, warning her not to interfere. Xie Jingxuan stated that she would depart forever if he went through with the marriage, as "married man. . . are as good as dead" to her.
She would wait at the tavern until the wedding day, and if he had a change of heart, he should find her there; otherwise, they would never meet again. Du Shaoyang later met with Song Tingyu, who immediately detected Xie Jingxuan's scent on him. Du Shaoyang dismissed the possibility of Xie Jingxuan's return.
He admitted that his marriage to Ling Yushi was a ruse and that he had revealed Pu Jiao's plan against Qin Lie to Qin Lie's group to gain their trust. On the eve of the wedding, Ling Yushi gazed at her wedding dress, concerned about Qin Lie's reaction to their staged marriage. At the same time, Qin Lie stormed into Xingyun Pavilion, demanding Ling Yushi's release and accusing Du Shaoyang of coercion. Du Haitien intervened.
One of Du Haitien's wives (Gao Huang'er) insulted Ling Yushi, claiming she was promiscuous with Qin Lie and Gao Yu. Qin Lie retaliated with a threat. Li Zhongzheng arrived, suggesting they spare Qin Lie for Ling Yushi's sake. Du Haitien agreed, instructing Guo Ying and Guo Hao to take Qin Lie away to "cool off" until after the wedding. As Qin Lie was being led away, in his dazed state, he caught a glimpse of Liang Zhong's face.
Li Zhongzheng and Pu Jiao exchanged pleasantries, with Li Zhongzheng noting Pu Jiao's smug expression as Pu Jiao then proceeded to the dungeon to interrogate Qin Lie. In her room, Ling Yushi showed Gao Yu her wedding dress, urging him to remain hidden in anticipation of Pu Jiao's attack. Gao Yu, seeing the dress, was overcome with emotion and asked if she would ever wear it for him.
He confessed his desire to embrace her, then quickly dismissed it as a joke to lighten her spirits. Tragedy struck when Gao Huang'er, Du Haitien's wife and Gao Yu's sister, was discovered dead. Du Haitien immediately accused Qin Lie of the murder. Qin Lie vehemently denied it, claiming he was framed. An enraged Du Haitien attacked Qin Lie. Ling Yushi attempted to defend Qin Lie, asserting his innocence, but her pleas were ignored.
Pu Jiao intervened, suggesting that Qin Lie be interrogated to uncover the truth rather than executed on the spot, though his true intention was to further incite conflict between the two families. He insisted on a thorough investigation of the timing and method of the murder before any judgment could be passed. Qin Lie was then dragged to jail. As he was led away, Qin Lie urged Gao Yu to "protect Yu Shi!"
Gao Yu, devastated by his sister's death, warned Ling Yushi that if Qin Lie were found guilty, he would personally kill her. He then led Ling Yushi away. Ling Yushi, realizing they had been "tricked" and their plan was "seen through long ago," deduced that Song Tingyu, not Pu Jiao, was the mastermind, having turned their own strategy against them. Desperate to save Qin Lie, Ling Yushi tried to rush to him.
Gao Yu stopped her, knocking her unconscious, his actions driven by a surge of dark power from his evil ring. Overcome by grief and the ring's influence, Gao Yu tearfully embraced the unconscious Ling Yushi, whispering that he could finally hold her. Du Shaoyang confronted Song Tingyu, expressing his anger over her killing his "stepmother," Gao Huang'er. Song Tingyu justified her actions, explaining that killing Gao Huang'er was strategically easier than Ling Yushi.
She questioned Du Shaoyang's intense reaction, implying he lacked "mother-son affection" for Gao Huang'er. She then presented Du Shaoyang with the Luminous Bead, promising it would allow him to "ascend to a new realm instantly." Du Shaoyang accepted the bead, his complaints ceasing. In the dungeon, Qin Lie learned from Pu Jiao that Du Shaoyang had betrayed them to Song Tingyu. Pu Jiao mocked Qin Lie's foolish trust.
Enraged by this revelation, heavenly thunder entered Qin Lie's body, his thunder energy surged uncontrollably, and he killed Pu Jiao, bursting free from his cell. Qin Lie found Du Shaoyang at the Luminous Pillar and confronted him about his betrayal and the sacrifice of his stepmother for personal gain. Du Shaoyang defended his actions, framing them as a duty to Song Tingyu and a path to profit, asserting that "In this journey, someone has to be sacrificed."
They engaged in a fierce battle, their clashing powers creating immense energy fluctuations. Song Tingyu, along with Liang Zhong, observed from a distance. She revealed the Luminous Pillar was an ancient weapon, built by powerful figures to unleash destructive power upon Icestone City if the Dark Nether Race invaded, requiring the combined forces of "thunder and starlight" spiritual energies and the "Luminous Bead."
Song Tingyu confessed that she had intentionally used the "presumptuous Pu Jiao" to set up a visible trap, knowing Qin Lie and Du Shaoyang would uncover it. She banked on Qin Lie's "kindness" and Du Shaoyang's "ruthlessness" to lead them into an inevitable conflict, which, fueled by the Luminous Bead and Qin Lie's thunder energy, would obliterate Icestone City and all its inhabitants.
This destruction, she believed, would conceal the secret that the Soul Reaping Beast had not died by her hand. As the Luminous Pillar's energy neared eruption, Qin Lie experienced excruciating head pain and a flood of memories. Just as Song Tingyu anticipated her plan's success, a figure clad in golden armor, Gong Mulie, appeared, his back to Song Tingyu. He intervened, single-handedly stabilizing the Luminous Pillar and averting the city's destruction.
After the intense battle, Qin Lie and Du Shaoyang regained consciousness. Song Tingyu approached them, disingenuously explaining that she had intended for them to eliminate each other because they were "too difficult to control," but she couldn't simply kill them without cause. She claimed she had given Du Shaoyang the Luminous Bead only because she feared Qin Lie might lose. She further asserted that their battle had inadvertently triggered the Luminous Pillar's destructive power, which she then "stopped."
(This was a lie, as Gong Mulie had intervened). She acknowledged their surprising skipping a level breakthrough in cultivation, with Qin Lie reaching the "pinnacle of the Natal Opening Realm" and Du Shaoyang attaining the "early level of the Manifestation Realm," recognizing their extraordinary talent.
Deciding to cultivate rather than kill them, she blamed Pu Jiao for Blacksmith Hua's death and Gao Huang'er's murder, stating that Pu Jiao had "misunderstood" her orders to kill "some warriors" and acted to gain "credit." Both Qin Lie and Du Shaoyang expressed their disbelief at her explanation. Song Tingyu then gravely announced that the Horned Demon Tribe had launched an unexpected early invasion, restarting the "battle with the netherworld" before its scheduled 30-year cycle.
She declared her intention to lead the forces at the Purple Mist Sea and invited them to join, mentioning that even Master Mo Hai of the Artefact Forging Sect would be there leading a team. Hearing the name "Master Mo Hai," Qin Lie agreed to join, seeing it as an opportunity to pave his way into the Artefact Forging Sect. He stipulated one condition: an arranged meeting with Master Mo Hai. Song Tingyu agreed, adding that their ability to gain Master Mo Hai's favor would depend on their own efforts.
