Ultimate Note Episode 5 Recap
> Ultimate Note Recap
Upon arriving at A Ning's camp, Zhang, Wang Pangzi, and Pan Zi were met with a grim scene, prompting Wang Pangzi to note Wu Xie must have fled without any supplies, stressing the urgency of finding him. As they ventured into the Devil City, led by Zhang, they found themselves ensnared in a perplexing illusion. Despite walking for nearly four hours, covering over twenty kilometers, they realized they were trapped in an elaborate labyrinth, unable to find their way out.
Pan Zi, recalling their occasional attempts to choose paths with more stones, acknowledged they were consistently rerouted to paths with fewer stones. As darkness approached and temperatures began to drop, Zhang suggested they set up camp for the night and continue their search in the morning. Meanwhile, Wu Xie, reflecting on the terrifying Corpse Grub King he encountered at the Seven Star Palace, was horrified to confront similar creatures in the vast desert.
He learned from A Ning that these creatures, perhaps cultivated in "ghost jars," might serve as biological weapons for the Heavenly Queen Mother. Despite their narrow escape, they were now lost in the treacherous Devil City. Lacking water and food, Wu Xie worried about succumbing to either the freezing night or dehydration from the scorching day. A Ning, initially dismissive, urged him to focus on survival, suggesting they build a stone barrier for warmth.
The next morning, Wu Xie awoke to find A Ning holding a dagger, contemplating using him for sustenance. Although she hesitated, remembering his role in saving her from the Corpse Grub King, she ultimately spared him. Weakened, they continued their journey, A Ning meticulously leaving Dangshi Copper Coins as markers, hoping for eventual discovery even if only their remains. As dehydration set in, Wu Xie struggled to remain conscious, continuously speaking to A Ning.
She revealed that her earlier aggressive actions were merely to stimulate his muscles to prevent heatstroke spasms, admitting she had considered killing him for survival but had changed. Despite their desperate efforts, both eventually collapsed from exhaustion. Concurrently, Xie Yuchen and Hei Yan Jing, trapped in an underground pit, encountered an extensive network of hyphae.
Hei Yan Jing, using his acute hearing, detected movement and identified a giant fungus, explaining it fed on petroleum and secreted silk-like filaments, clinging to everything in its path. Xie Yuchen proposed using sandrat holes to escape, though Hei Yan Jing admitted he lacked the contortion skills for such a feat. Realizing they were in an old Republic-era petroleum pipeline with a connection point, they decided to use explosives to create an exit.
Hei Yan Jing meticulously planned their escape, explaining he would detonate the charge, creating a crack that would release quicksand, which he would then use to climb out and pull Xie Yuchen to safety. The operation was fraught with danger due to the flammable petroleum. Despite a slight snag when the expected quicksand didn't appear immediately, Hei Yan Jing pushed Xie Yuchen up first, promising him a capsicum-free fried rice if they survived.
As Xie Yuchen ascended, the intense flames from the subsequent explosion engulfed Hei Yan Jing, his face illuminated by the inferno. Back in the Devil City, Wang Pangzi, Zhang, and Pan Zi discovered A Ning's valuable Dangshi Copper Coins. Wang Pangzi, initially elated by the find, quickly realized these were A Ning's personal and precious coins, signaling a desperate situation that would force her to use them as markers.
Following the trail, they found a semiconscious Wu Xie and A Ning. Upon waking, Wu Xie, having overheard their conversation, confronted Wang Pangzi about his involvement with Third Uncle, realizing that Zhang, Wang Pangzi, and even Hei Yan Jing were working for him or a similar client like Cox Hendry, A Ning’s boss.
Wu Xie lamented being the only one without monetary compensation, questioning the overarching purpose of their perilous journey from the Seven Star Palace to the Paracel Islands and the Cloud Top Palace, as well as the identity of the person sharing his face in the videotape. A Ning seized the opportunity to propose a collaboration, asserting that everyone sought the same ultimate secret.
She disclosed that her boss, Cox Hendry, had ordered her to find the Palace of the Heavenly Queen Mother using the videotape to locate a specific porcelain plate. Madam Dolma was the sole key to entry, but she was separated from them, and time was of the essence, as missing their chance meant waiting another five years. Wu Xie revealed he too had received a videotape and, possessing Chen Wen Jin's notes, knew there were three such tapes.
Wang Pangzi then shared his insight into the Devil City, explaining it was not a single entity but a massive system of yardangs, a chain of interconnected smaller "Devil Cities." He clarified that the seemingly random rock formations were meticulously arranged using Qimen Dunjia, an ancient art of strategic placement. This invisible design subconsciously guided people toward paths with fewer stones, perpetually leading them astray and back to their starting point, effectively creating a giant, unseen maze.
Wang Pangzi speculated that the area was an ancient battlefield, suggesting the Heavenly Queen Mother, an expert in Qimen Dunjia, used these formations for defense, creating an "invisible wall" around her kingdom, which was likely once a vast body of water, acting as a moat. He deduced that the Palace of the Heavenly Queen Mother must lie within this circle, or in the very center of the Devil City.
Madam Dolma's information further pinpointed the location: two days west along the ancient riverbed, they would reach the rocky mountain pass where Chen Wen Jin's team vanished. While they pondered whether to wait for Wu San Xing's team or risk venturing downstream along the now-indistinct riverbed, the sky suddenly grew dark, and intermittent rain began to fall across the vast Devil City.
This unusual and scattered rainfall hinted at the immense scale of the area and potentially signified the precise "window" Madam Dolma had warned them about, the very opportunity they could not afford to miss for another five years. With no news from Wu San Xing, concern grew. As they pressed on, the group stumbled upon what appeared to be a fossil, which Wang Pangzi, with a wry grimace, declared "too good" to be true, hinting at an unforeseen complication.
