No Boundary Season 1 Episode 4 Recap
> No Boundary Season 1 Recap
The young son of Baiwen Bookshop's owner, who was trapped in the dream world, declared his desire to stay in the illusion, longing for his legs to be well again. He apologized to Zhan Yan before inflicting a wound upon him. In the real world, Zhan Yan's primordial spirit was severely injured, causing blood to appear on his physical body.
A concerned Shangguan Ce rushed forward, but he was held back by others who informed him that Wengu was already casting a spell and any interference would only worsen the situation. Shangguan Ce expressed his fear that Wengu might not be able to fully protect Zhan Yan and desperately requested to be sent into the illusion himself. However, he was told that as a scholar, he would only be a burden in the dangerous dream world.
Inside the illusion, Zhan Yan collapsed from his severe injuries. Duanmu Cui quickly brought him to a room in Qifeng Prefecture to begin healing him. Zhan Yan initially protested against her ministrations due to gender propriety and concern for her reputation. Duanmu Cui, however, dismissed his worries, emphasizing that his life was far more important than any reputation. She warned him that if his primordial spirit perished, his physical body would follow.
After a futile attempt to heal himself, Zhan Yan allowed Duanmu Cui to proceed. As she tended to his wounds, Duanmu Cui found herself staring at his face, commenting on how handsome he was, which made Zhan Yan blush and look away. Duanmu Cui teased him about his newfound chattiness and recovery, attributing it to her "Hua Tuo-like" medical skills. The Mirror Spirit, currently possessing Madam Jiang's primordial spirit, confronted Zhan Yan and Duanmu Cui.
Speaking through Madam Jiang's form, the Mirror Spirit questioned why Duanmu Cui sought to rescue the mortals who willingly chose to remain in the dream world. Zhan Yan pleaded with "Godmother" to regain her senses, reminding her that "Godfather" was waiting outside. Duanmu Cui countered that no matter how beautiful, an illusion remained fake. Duanmu Cui then forced the Mirror Spirit out of Madam Jiang's body. The Mirror Spirit escaped, and Duanmu Cui and Zhan Yan pursued his tracks.
As heavy rain began to fall, Duanmu Cui was about to cast a spell for an umbrella, but Zhan Yan quickly used his cloak to shield her. Taking shelter under an eave, Duanmu Cui noticed Zhan Yan was drenched and used her Samadhi True Fire to dry his clothes.
It was then that they saw Meng Die walking hand-in-hand with a man possessed by the Mirror Spirit, with Meng Die's eyes appearing normal; this Meng Die was an illusion created by the Mirror Spirit. Zhan Yan led Duanmu Cui to Meng Die's illusory home, where they subdued the Meng Die illusion. The Mirror Spirit then revealed that he had made a deal with the envoy of the Demon Clan to obtain something he desired.
Zhan Yan deduced he was after Madam Jiang's hairpin. The Mirror Spirit admitted that the hairpin was, in fact, a fragment of the Penglai Drawing. He confessed that all his actions and the creation of the illusion were for Meng Die, whom he wanted to be with forever in human form. The envoy had promised to reveal the method of becoming human if he found the drawing's fragments.
Duanmu Cui pointed out that trapping people in a false reality was crueler than outright killing them and warned the Mirror Spirit that taking shortcuts in cultivation could lead to eternal damnation. The Mirror Spirit, distraught, argued that Meng Die, a mortal, could not wait for his centuries of cultivation. Unwilling to be stopped, the Mirror Spirit declared that he would kill anyone, even gods, who stood in his way and threatened to destroy the dream, taking everyone with him.
As the Mirror Spirit began to shatter the illusion, Duanmu Cui quickly sent a message to Wengu in the real world, informing him of the Mirror Spirit's plan to destroy the dream and asking him to bring Meng Die to resolve the crisis. Outside the dream, Wengu, upon receiving the message, used his own primordial soul power to reinforce the magical array protecting the dream, knowing this could cripple him.
He dispatched Zhang Long and Zhao Wu to search for Meng Die. Concerned about the rapidly weakening array, Wengu decided to search for Meng Die himself, first trapping Hong Luan in a barrier, stating he would not risk Duanmu Cui's safety with her again, recalling an incident a millennium ago. Despite Hong Luan's earnest pleas of loyalty to Xihualiu and her family, Wengu remained unconvinced.
Seeing the magical array on the verge of collapsing and sensing the danger to Zhan Yan's life, Hong Luan, professing her dedication, broke through Wengu's barrier to help Shangguan Ce reinforce the weakening array, accidentally touching Zhan Yan. Meanwhile, Zhang Long and Zhao Wu reported that Meng Die was not at the bookshop. Wengu eventually located Meng Die and brought her back to the cottage.
Meng Die affirmed that despite never seeing the Mirror Spirit in its true form and always encountering it in different bodies, she recognized him through his scent and the rhythm of his footsteps. She implored Wengu not to harm the Mirror Spirit, and he agreed, on the condition that all trapped individuals safely returned from the illusion. Wengu then sent Meng Die into the dream world through a mirror.
Inside the dream, Duanmu Cui continued to assure Zhan Yan that she believed in him, even as his primordial spirit grew increasingly fragile. Zhan Yan, sensing his imminent fading, urged Duanmu Cui to escape if an opportunity arose, emphasizing that his fate was his alone to confront. When the Mirror Spirit saw Meng Die enter the dream, he recoiled, covering his face in shame, fearing she would see his true, non-human form.
Duanmu Cui revealed to him that he had cultivated for 999 years and only needed one more year to achieve human form, exposing the envoy of the Demon Clan's deception. The Mirror Spirit, in denial, initially refused to believe her. As the two talked, Meng Die stepped forward, taking responsibility for the Mirror Spirit's actions, confessing that her constant longing for him had driven him to possess others' bodies and ruin his cultivation.
The Mirror Spirit refuted her, insisting he alone was to blame and that they should bear the consequences together. Meng Die proposed they free the innocent people and remain in the dream forever. He refused, explaining that staying would cause her physical body to perish, and his ultimate desire was for her to live. She begged to stay with him, even if only for a few days.
The Mirror Spirit, deeply apologetic, expressed remorse for believing he needed to be human to be worthy of her love, realizing his misunderstanding had led them to this painful juncture. Zhan Yan's primordial spirit continued to weaken, and Duanmu Cui recognized the urgency. However, seeing the genuine love between the Mirror Spirit and Meng Die, she decided to grant them a brief moment together, despite Zhan Yan's weakening state.
The couple reminisced about their first encounter, when Meng Die saved the Mirror Spirit's true form, sparking his love and a vow to always protect her and be her "eyes," even if it meant inhabiting others' bodies to be near her. Meng Die reaffirmed that she had always recognized him, regardless of his borrowed form. Finally, the Mirror Spirit made his decision.
He released Meng Die from the illusion, urging her to live well, and returned Madam Jiang's hairpin to Duanmu Cui. As his final wish, he offered his 900 years of cultivation to grant Meng Die eyesight in this life, transforming himself into her eyes so she could see the true colors of the world. Duanmu Cui agreed to his sacrifice. With the Mirror Spirit's entanglement resolved, Zhan Yan's primordial spirit grew even thinner.
As they prepared to leave the collapsing dream, Duanmu Cui reminded him that it is the heart, not the person, that can be trapped. Zhan Yan and Duanmu Cui agreed to meet in Xihualiu.
