Tomb of the Sea Episode 52 (Ending) Recap
> Tomb of the Sea Recap
Wu Xie successfully navigated the mechanisms to reach the Algorithm Department, where he encountered a mysterious young man in white. The young man told Wu Xie, "This is the end of your journey," and when asked his identity, responded, "It doesn't matter who I am. The important thing is that I know you want to know Clan Wang's secret. And I can tell you that. . . What you see is not necessarily true."
He explained that Clan Wang had obtained a fragment of the Changbai Mountain bronze gate, a small bronze meteorite, and used it to "predict everything in the world." Wu Xie retorted that if it were so divine, he wouldn't be standing there. The young man insisted that Wu Xie and Clan Wang were locked in a stand-off, stating, "Only if you guys restrain each other can the balance be kept. Without us, you'll become us.
By the time, there will be someone who is gonna fight against you." Wu Xie accepted this truth, remarking, "Alright. It would have to be so. But not everyone is like you, who love to control fates." A fierce battle ensued. During their fight, the young man taunted Wu Xie, believing he couldn't be killed and would lose. He emphasized that "Sometimes what you see is not necessarily true. There is a boundary between the truth and the illusion.
And I know where the boundary is." Wu Xie, however, recognized the figure as merely an illusion, a "Blue-eye fox corpse," and declared, "I won't make the mistake that I made ten years ago." He then proceeded to destroy the Algorithm Department with explosives. Meanwhile, Su Nan and Li Cu arrived at the Clan Wang base. As a bomb on a door exploded, an alarm blared, announcing an imminent five-minute countdown to the release of toxic gas.
Su Nan urgently told Li Cu, "We need to find Wu Xie immediately. He must have gone to the Algorithm Department." Upon finding the Algorithm Department's entrance destroyed, Li Cu worried, but Su Nan reassured him, "There is no blood or body here. Wu Xie should be fine." Su Nan explained Clan Wang's protocol: "When Clan Wang built the base, they installed some gas devices in the buildings.
If there is an invasion by the enemy, they will leave a small group of men to pin down the enemy." They rushed to the control area and found Wang Can, who was activating the gas system. Su Nan's leg was injured by Wang Can, and she was pinned under a cabinet. Li Cu also became embroiled in the struggle with Wang Can. Trapped, Su Nan still managed to ask Li Cu, "Why do you help them?"
She answered her own question, "Just for myself." When Su Nan finally struggled out from under the cabinet, she continued to fight Wang Can, instructing Li Cu to focus on the password, realizing it required one. Wang Can mocked Li Cu, "You can't save anyone. Everyone will die because of you." Recalling that Wang Cen had previously operated the password, Li Cu desperately tried, "Wang Xiaoyuan! Try it!"
The password worked, and the gas release was halted just in the final seconds. Enraged, Wang Can, though injured by Su Nan, pulled out a grenade, threatening, "I'll bury you with Clan Wang." Su Nan quickly threw Li Cu out a window, shouting, "Li Cu! Go! They should be out by now," but she was caught in the ensuing explosion. Outside the base, Wu Xie and Master Black found an unconscious Li Cu.
Wu Xie carried him, lamenting, "I'm sorry for coming late." The Jiu Men regrouped, with Xie Yuchen arriving, visibly relieved to see Wu Xie alive. Xie Yuchen optimistically declared, "It will be over soon," but Zhang Rishan cautioned that "The conflict between Clan Zhang and Clan Wang won't end so easily. It's just a beginning." Wu Xie placed Li Cu in the car and reflected on his arduous journey.
He recalled a conversation with his Third Uncle, who had apologized, "Everything you've been through is my fault." Third Uncle had explained the long-standing conflict: how the Old Nine Clans lived happily as treasure appraisers and protectors until a "tenth clan," Clan Wang, emerged, "break[ing] our rules and interfer[ing] with our plans." He revealed that Wu Xie's grandfather first discovered Clan Wang's conspiracy, burdening the Wu family with this fight.
Third Uncle admitted, "Your birth made us come up with a wonderful plan to fight against Clan Wang. You would carry out the plan. But I'm not going to tell you the details. Because I want you to act like an irrelevant guy and get out of their control. From now on, I want you to forget your experience to make yourself uncontrollable." Wu Xie, remembering his younger self's response, silently uttered, "Goodbye, Master Junior Third."
Li Cu later awoke on a train, where he coincidentally met Weiwei, a former classmate. She recounted her stressful school semester and shared that she had ended things with Zheng Yi, a statement that made Li Cu think of Shen Qiong and her poignant revelation, "My real name is Wang Xiaoyuan." Li Cu returned to his city, where Su Wan and Yang Hao eagerly awaited him at the school playground. Su Wan joyfully exclaimed, "I knew you'd be fine!"
but their happiness turned to sorrow when Li Cu somberly announced, "Shen Qiong was dead." He expressed his deep remorse, saying, "I couldn't save her. She died in front of me to save me. She died because of me. I'm sorry." Su Wan, tearfully, comforted him, "It's good to see you alive. It's good to see all of us alive."
After diligent study for four months, Li Cu remarkably scored 666 on the GaoKao, earning him high praise from his teacher. Meanwhile, Wu Xie and Pang Wang visited Pan Zi's tomb. Pang Wang, in his typical garrulous fashion, pondered if Zhang Qiling, or "little bro," might have already left on his own. Wu Xie offered a cigarette to Pan Zi, stating it was Pan Zi's favorite, adding, "It has nothing to do with money. That's the real brotherhood."
As they prepared to depart, Pang Wang appealed to Pan Zi's spirit to bless them in bringing Zhang Qiling back safely, hoping for the "Best Triangle" to be reunited. He also urged Wu Xie to "smile and get back to the innocent you" so Zhang Qiling would recognize him. Wu Xie simply replied, "Let's go, bro," as they began their journey to find Zhang Qiling.
Liang Wan, having returned to her career as a doctor, was in her office when a patient reported a "cooker bombed when I cooked." Hearing these specific words, Liang Wan smiled, recognizing it as the memorable phrase from her first meeting with Zhang Rishan, and knowing he had returned safely. Moments later, Zhang Rishan appeared, and Liang Wan ran to embrace him romantically. The overarching conflict, however, remained unresolved. Clan Wang members, including Wang Cen, were shown planning their resurgence.
As Li Cu sat by the window in his classroom, he suddenly heard a mysterious voice call his name, "Li Cu, Li Cu," hinting that the battle between Clan Zhang and Clan Wang, a struggle between righteousness and evil that maintained the world's balance, was far from over, and a new adventure awaited him.
