The Longest Promise Recap, Plot, Synopsis

The Longest Promise Synopsis

The aloof prince Kongsang, Shi Ying, and the righteous princess of the Chi Zu, Zhu Yan, had predestination in their life.

By mistake, they become masters and apprentices for three years.

Shi Ying fell in love with Zhu Yan from the first moment he saw her. When Zhu Yan was thirteen years old, Shi Ying sent Zhu Yan off Jiuyi Mountain and gave her the Jade Bone, the bride price of successive Emperors of Khongsang.

When the evil raised, Kongsang is in danger. Shi Ying mistakenly thought that Zhi Yuan who grew up with Zhu Yan was the sea emperor, so he sealed Zhi Yuan.

This led to a battle between Shi Ying and Zhu Yan, Shi Ying was killed by Zhu Yan voluntarily. Zhu Yan stabbed the Jade Bone to Shi Ying.

A saying turned out to be a prophecy.

However, the fate has changed as early as the day it was spied on…

The Longest Promise Recap

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Huo Tu Tribe, the Princess of the Chi Tribe, Zhu Yan, was arranged by the Emperor to marry the Prince of the Huo Tu Tribe, Prince Ke'erke. Outside the tribe, everyone celebrated the prince's wedding, but inside the tent, Zhu Yan used a brush to draw her own portrait and turned it into an illusion of herself, planning to secretly escape. Her maidservant tried to persuade her not to run away, but Zhu Yan was determined not to marry someone she didn't love.

During the wedding of Prince Ke'erke and Zhu Yan, a sand demon suddenly appeared, causing chaos as the guests fled. Unbeknownst to everyone, the sand demon was controlled by Zhu Yan herself. She used the sand demon to destroy her illusion and then quickly fled from the Huo Tu Tribe. On her way, she unexpectedly met her master, Shi Ying, who had been invited by Zhu Yan to attend the wedding.

In the realm of Six Harmonies and Four Seas lies a mystical island called Yun Huang, inhabited by the Kongsang, Jiao, and Ice tribes. Seven thousand years ago, Kongsang Langxuan unified Yun Huang but fell under the influence of the destructive god, Xu Yao. Chaos ensued in Kongsang as six kings fought secretly, while the Jiao Sea Kingdom and the Ice Tribe wreaked havoc, plunging Yun Huang into war once again.

Shi Ying, the Crown Prince of Kongsang, had been training in martial arts since childhood, aiming to change the turmoil in Yun Huang. Zhu Yan, the Chi Tribe princess, wanted to pick the most beautiful Snow Hanwei as a gift for the Crown Prince. Zhu Yan wished to learn the most powerful spells to protect the Western Wasteland, but her father disagreed, thinking that as a princess, she didn't need to learn such things. Zhu Yan sought the Crown Prince's permission to study magic, not knowing that the young man who helped her pick the Snow Hanwei was the Crown Prince Shi Ying.

On her way, Empress Bai Yan of Kongsang met with the Jiao Tribe's Queen, Song of Autumn Water. As the Queen was pregnant, Empress Bai Yan graciously made way for her. Zhu Yan accidentally fell in front of the Queen's carriage, which led to a misunderstanding. The Queen thought Zhu Yan had intentionally bumped into her and crushed the Snow Hanwei in Zhu Yan's hand, believing the Chi Tribe intended to harm her and her child. However, Shi Ying arrived just in time to prevent any harm to Zhu Yan and calmed the situation. He revealed his identity as the Crown Prince, and Zhu Yan recognized him as the young man who helped her earlier.

Zhu Yan blamed herself for losing the Snow Hanwei given to her by Shi Ying. The Jiao Tribe's steward, Chiyuan, found the Snow Hanwei and returned it to Zhu Yan. Grateful, Zhu Yan decided to risk her life to mourn Shi Ying since she didn't believe he was a wicked person. Chiyuan knew he couldn't stop her, so he promised to accompany Zhu Yan to protect her during the journey.

Before the fire broke out in the palace, Shi Ying planned to leave with Empress Bai Yan. The Empress gave Shi Ying an ancient artifact called Jade Bone, which he later used to create a puppet in her likeness. Empress Bai Yan told Shi Ying that he didn't need to seek revenge and should just live his life well. Shi Ying then pledged that once he completed his training in Jiuyi Mountain, he would return to clear his mother's name.

Zhu Yan secretly mourned Shi Ying, tears sliding down her face as she held the Snow Han Wei, causing a faint cold light to flash and disappear into her forehead. The Great Destiny, observing from the realm of fate, sensed that someone had done something for Shi Ying and decreed that when the Yin and Yang meet and the Luli flowers bloom, Shi Ying must kill this person. Otherwise, this person would become the one who takes Shi Ying's life. On the other hand, Zhu Yan vowed to learn the Spring in the Withered Wood technique, intending to use it to assist the Crown Prince Shi Ying in his return.

Many years later, Zhu Yan waited anxiously for seven days to meet Master Xuan Zhen. She had been devoted to seeking help to bring Shi Ying back to the mortal realm. Master Xuan Zhen believed that the Return to Yuan technique was the most extraordinary and forbidden spell in the world, and he could not assist Zhu Yan. Instead, he advised Zhu Yan to go to Mount Jiuyi for a trial. Mount Jiuyi was the supreme place of the Kongsang magic, where one could find the technique of resurrection.

Zhu Yan returned to the Wujin City after being away for ten days. She learned from her maid that Jialan had invited her to participate in the grand ceremony at Jiuyi Mountain. According to ancestral customs, the eldest daughter of the Bai family would lead the dance as the envoy of the stars during the ceremony. However, if other noble ladies performing the accompanying dance were impressive, they could also bring honor to their families. Zhu Yan hurriedly went to her father and the consorts, expressing her desire to participate in the ceremony and promising that her dance skills would pass the test within three days.

Three days later, Zhu Yan accompanied her father to Jiuyi Mountain for the grand ceremony. By the Star Lake, Shi Ying, who had grown up, practiced the Qingyin Lu Ling, hoping to present it to his mother before her birthday. Chong Ming, the divine bird, came to invite Shi Ying to the grand ceremony at Jiuyi Mountain, but Shi Ying was unmoved and ultimately angered Chong Ming, who left in frustration.

Zhu Yan asked the servants on Jiuyi Mountain if there were any ancient secret techniques that could transcend the boundaries of yin and yang. Upon hearing Zhu Yan's words, Da Si Ming, the high priest, stated that life and death were predetermined, and forcibly breaking the boundaries of yin and yang would go against the natural order and was a taboo for practitioners. Da Si Ming realized that Zhu Yan was a curious person and warned her not to trespass in Jiuyi Mountain, especially in the Valley of Emperors behind the mountain. The Valley of Emperors was the burial place of past emperors and empresses, guarded by the Earthly Ring of Queen Bai Wei, with the eternal divine beast Chong Ming as its guardian. Those who trespassed there would never return.

Shi Ying finally refined the Qingyin Lu Ling and had the divine bird deliver it to the queen. Consuming the item would restore the clear voice that had been affected by the fire on that day. Unexpectedly, Chong Ming accidentally scratched his face with a tree branch. In order to avoid disfigurement, he asked Shi Ying to help find a remedy for his facial injury. Reluctantly, Shi Ying agreed to help. Zhu Yan unexpectedly saw Chong Ming, the divine bird, on Jiuyi Mountain and noticed another person accompanying him. She believed that this person must possess powerful magic and disregarded her maid's attempts to stop her, insisting on following them.

Zhu Yan caught up to them on the mountain and asked Chong Ming if there was someone practicing with him. Unfortunately, Chong Ming refused to tell her. The servants from Zhu Yan's residence came to call her back to participate in the ceremony, so she had no choice but to give up her inquiry and hurriedly descend the mountain. Bai Xuelu, the princess of the Bai clan, had outstanding dance skills that earned praise, while Bai Xueying, also a princess, was not acknowledged. Zhu Yan always believed that her good friend, Bai Xueying, was the true envoy of the stars. She pulled Bai Xueying forward, declaring her as the true envoy and encouraging her to dance in front of everyone.

The wise ones from the Ice Tribe ordered the ten witch leaders to gather forces and plan to infiltrate the Valley of Emperors during the Jiuyi Mountain ceremony to obtain the Earthly Ring. Bai Xueying wanted to show her mother's handmade dance dress to her friend. At that moment, Bai Xuelu arrived, admitting that she acknowledged her sister's superiority in both dance steps and background. She just wanted to admire Bai Xueying's dance dress. Bai Xueying, with a kind heart, handed the dance dress to Bai Xuelu to appreciate, but unexpectedly, Bai Xuelu dropped it off the cliff. The cliff was the forbidden area of the Valley of Emperors, and once the dance dress fell, it would be impossible to retrieve it. Now, without the envoy's dance dress, the qualification to offer the dance to the gods was lost. If they couldn't find another solution before the grand ceremony, someone else would have to take the lead.

Bai Xuelu always wanted to become the crown prince's wife to silence those who criticized her background. Zhu Yan wanted to help her friend retrieve the dance dress, so she drugged her maid in the middle of the night and secretly climbed down the cliff into the Valley of Emperors. Zhu Yan found Snow Xueying's dance dress by the Star Lake and, captivated by the beautiful scenery, couldn't help but put on the dress and dance gracefully. Shi Ying sensed something unusual and came out to investigate. He unexpectedly saw Zhu Yan dancing and rescued her when she almost fell into the lake. Upon hearing Zhu Yan introduce herself, Shi Ying realized that she was the little princess of the Chi tribe from all those years ago. Chong Ming, the divine bird, saw Shi Ying and Zhu Yan meet and knew that Zhu Yan was the one destined for Shi Ying. He wanted Shi Ying to kill Zhu Yan.

Shi Ying did not kill Zhu Yan. Instead, he took action against the infiltrating members of the Ice Clan in Emperor's Valley. He asked Chong Ming to inform Da Si Ming and decided to confront the Ice Clan alone. When Zhu Yan saw that Shi Ying was in danger and wanted to help, she accidentally burned Bai Xueying's dance skirt. Seeing the reinforcements arriving, the members of the Ice Clan quickly retreated from Emperor's Valley.

When Shi Ying saw Chong Ming and Da Si Ming approaching with others, he quickly hid Zhu Yan. Shi Ying suspected that the Ice Clan's arrival was related to the Earth God Ring. Da Si Ming was also puzzled by this matter. Although the heavens had the power to destroy the world and the earth, and the earth had the power to protect Kongsang, only the chosen ones could control it. Since the Ice Clan attacked, they must have known about this. Da Si Ming believed that not many people knew when Jiu Yi Mountain would defend against the emptiness, so there must be someone with a high position and influence acting as an insider for the Ice Clan.

Da Si Ming noticed that there had been living people in the valley and asked Shi Ying about it. Shi Ying denied it. After Da Si Ming left, Shi Ying released Zhu Yan from her illusion. Zhu Yan asked if flowers and plants had the ability to revive withered trees and wondered if it was the same for people. Shi Ying did not answer the question but instead erased Zhu Yan's memory of the previous night and personally sent her back to her room. Shi Ying returned to his residence, and Chong Ming believed that Zhu Yan was Shi Ying's destined calamity and should be killed directly. However, Shi Ying believed that Zhu Yan was just someone who accidentally entered Emperor's Valley and couldn't have been involved with him in the past, nor would they meet again in the future. It turned out that years ago, Da Si Ming had a puppet replace Shi Ying, but due to several coincidences, it became a calamity for Shi Ying. If Shi Ying met this woman before the age of eighteen, he would die at her hands in the future.

Wu Xian, the leader of the Ice Clan's Ten Witches, told Lord Qing that they encountered a highly skilled young man in Emperor's Valley. They accused Lord Qing of providing inaccurate information. Although Lord Qing was unaware of the situation in Emperor's Valley, he promised to investigate and inform them later, as both sides had promised cooperation for their own benefit.

The next day, Zhu Yan woke up in her room, but she had no memory of meeting Shi Ying the previous night and wondered why she hadn't gone to Emperor's Valley. Chong Ming wanted to know if Zhu Yan was the calamity destined for Shi Ying. He went to the book collection pavilion in Jiu Yi Mountain to search for the identity of the esteemed daughter of Kongsang. He found Zhu Yan's birthdate and concluded that she was not the calamity destined for Shi Ying, finally putting his mind at ease.

Privately, Bai Xuelu went to Emperor's Valley in search of the Earth God Ring. She wanted to use it to become the wife of the Crown Prince of Kongsang or even the Empress of Kongsang. Chong Ming frightened Bai Xuelu in his true form, and Shi Ying recognized her identity with the jade pendant. Shi Ying awakened Bai Xuelu and asked about the well-being of her mother, Queen Bai Yan. Shi Ying learned that the Queen was living a difficult life in the palace. The palace attendants not only neglected to bring her meals but also didn't even provide her with a blanket when she was sick. Shi Ying erased Bai Xuelu's memory and then had Chong Ming send her back, while he went to find Da Si Ming to rescue his mother.

When Shi Ying went to find Da Si Ming, he unexpectedly learned that Da Si Ming had just returned from Jia Lan and that Queen Bai Yan had already died. It turned out that Queen Bai Yan didn't want her son to worry about her and was afraid that others would know that Shi Ying was still alive, so she chose to end her own life by swallowing charcoal. She only wished for Shi Ying to succeed in his future magical arts and protect the people. Shi Ying blamed himself greatly for his mother's death. However, Da Si Ming persuaded Shi Ying that Bai Yan's death was her own choice. Now Shi Ying had to hide his identity and wait to avenge his mother in the future.

When King Bai learned the news of Queen Bai Yan's death, White Xuelu saw it as an opportunity for herself, while King Bai also saw through his daughter's scheming and thought that the illegitimate daughter Bai Xuelu had a better chance of becoming the Crown Prince's wife than Bai Xueying.

Shi Ying erected a monument to commemorate his mother on Jiu Yi Mountain. He blamed himself for cleverly giving his mother Qing Yin Lu Ling, which ultimately led to her death. Da Si Ming said that after Shi Ying's eighteenth birthday and the passing of his destined calamity, he would promote Shi Ying to become the Junior Minister of Fate. With time, when Shi Ying's cultivation reached the true realm, he could take off his divine robe and return to Jia Lan to reclaim the throne. Only then could he take back everything that Bai Yan had lost and avenge her.

Da Si Ming saw that Shi Ying had lost his fighting spirit due to his mother's death. He asked Shi Ying to listen to the decisions regarding Queen Bai Yan made by the Six Clans. Lord Qing believed that the Emperor did not hold Queen Bai Yan in high regard, and only virtuous and righteous people were honored in the sacrifices, so Bai Yan was unworthy. The other kings had no objections, so Da Si Ming had no choice but to remove Bai Yan's name from the list of those honored in the sacrifices. Shi Ying, seeing that his mother was not respected even after her death, was single-minded in seeking revenge and, in his shaken state of mind, fell into a demonic state.

Chong Ming discovered that Shi Ying had fallen into a demonic state and wanted to approach and check on him, but Shi Ying pushed him away. Zhu Yan returned to Emperor's Valley and felt a sense of familiarity with the place. Chong Ming noticed Zhu Yan's presence and believed that she could move Shi Ying and possibly save him from his demonic state.

Chong Ming took Zhu Yan to Shi Ying's residence, where Shi Ying was harming himself in his demonic state. Chong Ming tried to stop him, but Shi Ying didn't recognize him and mistook him for Lord Qing, attacking him. Zhu Yan saved Chong Ming but got injured by Shi Ying in the process. Shi Ying regained his senses and hurriedly took Zhu Yan to the Xileng River for treatment. Despite her severe injuries, Zhu Yan comforted Shi Ying, who had lost his mother.

Shi Ying brought Zhu Yan to the Xileng River on Jiu Yi Mountain, a place of extreme cold. He helped heal Zhu Yan's injuries and unexpectedly discovered a Lulihua blossom on her forehead. Chong Ming recognized the Lulihua blossom and believed that Zhu Yan was the calamity destined for Shi Ying. However, Shi Ying disagreed, stating that Zhu Yan's birthdate did not match the prophecy. Moreover, Zhu Yan had just saved both of them. Despite Chong Ming's persuasion, Shi Ying insisted on saving Zhu Yan.

Using the frigid Xileng River as a medium, Shi Ying transferred his pure yang spiritual power to Zhu Yan, successfully helping her recover from the dangerous state. Zhu Yan was grateful to Shi Ying for saving her when she was on the verge of death and believed that he was the master she had been seeking.

Chong Ming revealed his true form and took Zhu Yan and Shi Ying away. In the excitement, Zhu Yan accidentally fell from Chong Ming's true form, and Shi Ying had no choice but to also fall to save her. They both landed near Shi Ying's mother's tomb. Zhu Yan voluntarily paid her respects to Shi Ying's mother and noticed that there were no words on her tombstone, realizing that Shi Ying had fallen into a demonic state because of his mother. Zhu Yan believed that when someone had passed away, their parents would want their children to live safely and shared her own experience to console Shi Ying.

Chong Ming questioned Zhu Yan about her birthdate, and she admitted that she was born on a day of extreme cold in the winter month. At the age of two, she was taken into the palace by her father, who believed that those born in extreme yin conditions were ominous. Therefore, he publicly stated that Zhu Yan was born in the month of Ming Chuan. Chong Ming was convinced that Zhu Yan was indeed the calamity destined for Shi Ying and wanted to persuade him to kill her. However, Shi Ying believed that Zhu Yan had saved their lives and couldn't bring himself to harm her. He promised to cherish his own life as his mother had wished and hoped to protect the world with his magical arts in the future.

Chong Ming thought it necessary to erase Zhu Yan's memory, as otherwise, when Da Si Ming found out, he wouldn't spare her. Chong Ming believed that Zhu Yan's wish could easily be fulfilled and thought that she must want Shi Ying's feather. As a result, he personally brought his own feather to Zhu Yan, making her feel that Chong Ming treated her as a friend.

To help Bai Xueying secure the leading dancer position in the Star-Gazing Festival, Zhu Yan gifted her with one of Chong Ming's divine bird feathers to adorn her dance skirt. King Bai purchased valuable medicinal herbs and instructed Bai Xuelu to deliver them to Prince Shi Yu, emphasizing the importance of seizing the opportunity. Da Si Ming visited Shi Ying and noticed that he hadn't fallen into a demonic state due to his mother's death, suspecting that he had interacted with an outsider.

Da Si Ming has always wanted Shi Ying to seek revenge for his mother, but Shi Ying expressed that he had already made a grave mistake and must not disobey his mother's dying wish. He had firmly resolved to dedicate himself to cultivating his skills according to his mother's will and never enter the Jia Lan realm. However, Da Si Ming believed that since Bai Yan had died for Shi Ying's sake, Shi Ying should seek revenge for her in the future. Seeing that Shi Ying had made up his mind, Da Si Ming had no choice but to temporarily give up persuading him and instructed Shi Ying to attend the ritual ceremony at the Water Mirror in the Book Pavilion the next day and observe and record the grand event.

Upon learning that Da Si Ming had arranged for Shi Ying to participate in the ritual ceremony, Chong Ming couldn't understand the purpose behind this decision. Shi Ying thought that perhaps Da Si Ming believed he had a deep affection for Shi Yu and wanted him to take the opportunity to see his younger brother. While Bai Xueying had no intention of competing with Bai Xuelu, she felt that continuously yielding would be a letdown to those who supported her. She went to the riverside to relax and unexpectedly saw a young man silently cheering for her performance. Bai Xueying believed that both of them were shy individuals and hoped they could encourage each other to become braver.

Bai Xuelu's dance was highly praised, and the nanny initially intended to appoint her as the stargazer. However, Bai Xueying hurriedly arrived with her servant and explained that she used the feathers left by Concubine Qing as decorations for her dance skirt. She wondered if this would allow her to retain the position of the stargazer. The nanny believed that both of them had excellent dancing skills and planned to let Lord Shi Yu decide who would be the stargazer.

Zhong Ming sought Red Abyss' help in finding a gift for his apprenticeship ceremony, as requested by Zhu Yan. Red Abyss went alone to the Mermaid Market to find a truly satisfactory gift for Zhu Yan. Red Abyss had set his sights on a piece of mermaid silk, but unexpectedly, the Sea Nation Army arrived and confiscated the item directly. The old man selling the mermaid silk had no choice but to let the Sea Nation Army take it. Red Abyss gave money to the old man, considering it as if he had purchased the mermaid silk himself. In gratitude, the old man gave him a gift.

The next day, Shi Yu appeared before everyone, and only then did Bai Xueying recognize that the young man from yesterday was the prince of Kongsang. The nanny stated that both of the Bai family's princesses were candidates for the stargazer position and asked Lord Shi Yu to personally decide who would be the final stargazer. Shi Yu stated that the stargazer position was reserved for the legitimate daughters of the Bai family according to ancestral customs. Therefore, Bai Xueying successfully became the stargazer.

Shi Yu presided over the ritual ceremony himself, and Da Si Ming asked Shi Ying to record the ceremony in the Book Pavilion. He wanted Shi Ying to witness firsthand everything that belonged to him being taken by Shi Yu. Shi Yu became overly nervous and forgot his lines during the ceremony, but with Bai Xueying silently encouraging him, he managed to complete the ritual speech successfully. During the noble ladies' dance segment, Zhong Ming discovered that his feathers had been used by Zhu Yan to make Bai Xueying's dance skirt. Da Si Ming also mistakenly believed that Bai Xueying was the person who had met Shi Ying and helped him overcome his inner demons.

Shi Ying worried that Da Si Ming would suspect him because of Zhong Ming's feathers, so he transformed into flower petals to approach Zhu Yan and asked her to break one of the feathers on Bai Xueying's dance skirt during the performance. With Shi Ying's secret assistance, Zhu Yan successfully broke one of Zhong Ming's feathers.

Shi Yu publicly praised Bai Xuelu's dance, which made Bai Xueying feel somewhat disheartened. Da Si Ming approached Bai Xueying privately and asked about the origin of her dance skirt. Xue Ying claimed that it was left by her deceased mother and didn't disclose its source. Da Si Ming noticed the broken trace of Zhong Ming's feathers on the dance skirt and thought about the incident where Zhong Ming's feathers were indeed lost among the common people, dispelling his suspicions about Bai Xueying.

Zhu Yan's father worried that the two kings of Jiu Yi Mountain were in conflict and unable to protect themselves. He wanted to leave this place with Zhu Yan as soon as possible. However, Zhu Yan used her injured foot as an excuse to delay descending the mountain, eventually convincing her father to let her rest for another day. Zhu Yan secretly went to the Emperor's Valley, where Zhong Ming prevented her from meeting Shi Ying and even planned to kill her. Unexpectedly, Shi Ying suddenly appeared and interrupted his plan.

Shi Ying asked Zhu Yan about her wish, and she expressed her desire to become Shi Ying's disciple. Shi Ying realized that Zhu Yan wanted to learn the technique of reuniting the primordial spirit and initially intended to dissuade her. However, Zhu Yan revealed that she wanted to learn this technique to revive a person who had been unjustly killed. She wanted to save that person. Shi Ying stated that such a technique didn't exist in the world and advised Zhu Yan not to waste her life pursuing such a foolish idea. Unable to grant her current wish, Shi Ying suggested that Zhu Yan change her wish, returned her embroidered handkerchief, and told her not to come looking for him again in the future.

Bai Xueying felt down because Shi Yu pretended not to recognize her, but while she was by the riverside, she coincidentally encountered Shi Yu, who had been waiting for her. Shi Yu explained that he had never pretended not to know her and gave her a wooden carving of a sparrow that he had made with his own hands. Shi Yu stated that he pretended to ignore Xueying during the grand assembly to protect her. King Bai urged the two to get married, but Shi Yu's mother and uncle didn't want him to marry, so he pretended not to recognize Bai Xueying.

Bai Xuelu unexpectedly witnessed a scene where Bai Xueying and Lord Shi Yu were together, and she believed that Xueying was secretly colluding with Lord Shi Yu. Xuelu believed that two people in love couldn't be together forever, but until the last moment, she wouldn't give up on her desire to become the crown princess.

Xueying came to Zhu Yan and told her friend about falling in love with Lord Shi Yu. Zhu Yan believed that Shi Yu had engraved his feelings on the wooden bird, indicating his interest in Xueying. However, due to their family interests, they couldn't truly be close. Zhu Yan sighed that it would be better if Shi Ying, Shi Yu's elder brother, were still alive. Zhong Ming secretly approached Zhu Yan and learned that she sincerely wanted to learn the technique of reuniting the primordial spirit. He told her that the junior priestess should go to the Emperor's Valley at the hour of the pig to retrieve the Seven-Star Lamp from the tomb of the Supreme Emperor. He also mentioned that the Seven-Star Lamp served as an introduction to practicing the technique of reuniting the primordial spirit and considered it as a pledge of apprenticeship.

Knowing that retrieving the Seven-Star Lamp was a life-threatening choice, Zhu Yan still decided to go to the Emperor's Valley to get it. Xue Lu snatched the wooden bird from Xueying's hands, thinking that there was a suitor harassing her sister. They gathered in front of the elders to discuss the matter, stating that they found objects of affection between a man and a woman in Xueying's room and wanted to investigate the person responsible and clear Xueying's innocence. Xueying didn't want to reveal Lord Shi Yu's identity in front of everyone and could only claim ignorance of the sender's identity.

Alone at the hour of the pig, Zhu Yan arrived at the tomb of the Supreme Emperor. She insisted on retrieving the Seven-Star Lamp. Zhong Ming saw that Zhu Yan had really come for the lamp and thought that it would lead to her downfall, and he couldn't blame anyone else. Zhong Ming had specially brewed a concentration soup for Shi Ying, who sensed that Zhong Ming was hiding something from him. He realized that someone had entered the tomb of the Supreme Emperor and hurriedly rushed to the scene. Shi Ying witnessed Zhu Yan's determination to retrieve the lamp despite her injuries and was determined to use his own power to save the crown prince. Seeing Zhu Yan's spiritual power about to deplete, Shi Ying intervened and helped her successfully obtain the Seven-Star Lamp.

Shi Ying knew that Zhong Ming had acted out of concern for him and didn't blame him for his actions. However, Shi Ying stated that he would make Zhu Yan let go of all her thoughts. Zhu Yan brought the Seven-Star Lamp to meet the junior priest Shi Ying, but he stated that even the Emperor of the world had turned into dust, indicating that there was no technique in the world to reunite the spirit and soul. Shi Ying mentioned that he allowed Zhu Yan to retrieve the Seven-Star Lamp to make her realize the difficulty and give up, but he didn't expect Zhu Yan to be foolish and reckless, which he despised the most. Shi Ying refused to acknowledge Zhu Yan as a friend, which made her very sad and disappointed. Zhu Yan promised not to bother Shi Ying anymore and vowed never to return to the Emperor's Valley.

Lord Shi Yu was invited to preside over justice and saw the gifts given to Xueying by people from the mountains. He initially wanted to find a way to exonerate Xueying, but Xue Lu claimed that the wood used for the bird was unique to Jiuyi Mountain, prompting Da Si Ming to order the collection of writings from all the priests and attendants in the mountains. They were determined to find the person who had a connection with Xueying, the Princess of Xue. After examination, no one's handwriting matched the inscription on the wooden bird. Lord Qing asked about the solitary priests who practiced seclusion in the Emperor's Valley, which made Da Si Ming realize that Lord Qing had been colluding with the Ice Clan.

Xueying remained silent, causing Lord Qing to suspect that she and the person who gave her the wooden bird were in love. When Zhu Yan learned that Xueying was being publicly judged, she hurried to the main hall and stated that someone who concealed the truth was not worthy of her affection. Zhu Yan believed that as a man, he should have come forward when his loved one was suffering. She suggested giving up on the oath written on the wooden bird. Under Zhu Yan's provocation, Lord Shi Yu publicly admitted that he was the one who gave her the wooden bird and that he was the one who admired Princess Xueying. This enraged Lord Qing, but Lord Bai was delighted that Lord Shi Yu and his daughter had mutual feelings.

At that moment, the servants of Jiuyi Mountain reported that the solitary priests in the Emperor's Valley had already left. Upon hearing the news, Zhu Yan became furious and fainted. Da Si Ming found Lord Bai and advised him not to rush to marry off his legitimate daughter because the future crown prince might not necessarily be Lord Shi Yu. Lord Bai deduced from Da Si Ming's words that Lord Shi Ying was still alive.

After returning home from Jiuyi Mountain, Zhu Yan lost her appetite and became distraught, worrying the queen. Lord Chi Yuan, at the queen's request, came to visit Zhu Yan. Zhu Yan expressed her sadness that there was no technique to reunite the soul, and she would never see the crown prince again. Lord Chi Yuan comforted Zhu Yan, saying that what seemed impossible today might change in the future. He took Zhu Yan out to stroll and taste delicious food, and in a relaxed mood, Zhu Yan confided in him her worries. Lord Chi Yuan believed that Zhu Yan was born to be affectionate and compassionate to everyone in the world, but some relationships are fleeting, and she should not hastily give her friendship to someone she just met. He advised her to stay away from this person as he preferred solitude. Zhu Yan learned that Lord Chi Yuan had not shed tears for anything until now. They made a pact that if either of them was feeling down, they would confide in each other.

Chiyuan sent Zhu Yan the precious treasure of the Jiao Clan, Mingyue Xiaosao, and Zhu Yan wanted to bid farewell to the past by using this item. Although there was no technique to reunite souls in the world, Zhu Yan planned to continue practicing her skills to protect important people. She instructed her maid to send Mingyue Xiaosao to Jiuyi Mountain.

Lord Qing told Concubine Qing that he had discovered a suspicious little priest on Jiuyi Mountain, and Da Si Ming had caused him embarrassment because of this person. It was rumored that Da Si Ming had deep feelings for Bai Yan in his youth, and if Bai Yan hadn't insisted on marrying the King of Bei Mian, Da Si Ming wouldn't have secluded himself on Jiuyi Mountain. If Da Si Ming had secretly taken Shi Ying away and faked his death, then the little priest could possibly be Shi Ying. Lord Qing suggested that they hide Shi Ying's existence from the King of Bei Mian and quickly eliminate any future troubles caused by Shi Yu.

Lord Bai advised Bai Xuelu to consider the overall situation. Since Prince Shi Yu liked Xueying, they should do everything in their power to plan for her. Concubine Qing met with Bai Xuelu and asked her if she wanted to marry Shi Yu. Bai Xuelu naturally did not deny her desire to become the crown prince's concubine. When Concubine Qing asked about the matters on Jiuyi Mountain, Bai Xuelu mentioned her loss of consciousness upon entering the Emperor's Valley, speculating that there might be someone in the valley who didn't want others to know about. Bai Xuelu knew that Concubine Qing didn't appreciate her but wanted to use her. She confirmed that the person in the Emperor's Valley was the center of attention. She decided to get close to this person at all costs and gain an advantage for herself.

On Shi Ying's eighteenth birthday, Da Si Ming prepared a coming-of-age gift for him and planned to officially crown and grant him authority on an auspicious day, making Shi Ying an official disciple of Jiuyi Mountain. Da Si Ming sent out invitations for Shi Ying's discipleship ceremony to the six noble families. Both men and women from the six noble families could participate in the selection exam on the mountain. Those who passed the exam would become Shi Ying's registered disciples, and the most outstanding would become his first disciple, able to stay by his side for a long time. This disciple selection was also an opportunity for Shi Ying to gather support from various clans. In the future, these people would be helpful if Shi Ying wanted to achieve great things in the world. Shi Ying was unaware that Da Si Ming actually intended for him to eventually become emperor. According to the system, Emperor Jialan had to marry the legitimate daughter of the Bai family as his empress. Da Si Ming planned for the legitimate daughter of the Bai family to become Shi Ying's first disciple.

Shi Ying moved into the Qingxiu Hall with Chong Ming. Chong Ming prepared a birthday gift for Shi Ying and unexpectedly found a handkerchief hidden in Mingyue Xiaosao, which Zhu Yan had sent. Shi Ying used the excuse of not liking handkerchiefs to burn it. Lord Bai arranged for Xueying and Xuelu to go to Jiuyi Mountain to participate in the discipleship selection, and he warned them not to stand out too much on the mountain.

Zhu Yan also learned from her father that Jiuyi Mountain was preparing to accept disciples, but she hesitated because of Shi Ying. When she heard about Jiuyi Mountain, she couldn't help but think of the person who had denied her. Chiyuan advised Zhu Yan that she only needed to gain the recognition of the Prince of Shi Ying and not care about others' opinions. Zhu Yan talked to Chiyuan about her great-grandmother, not knowing that Chiyuan had known Zhu Yan's great-grandmother, Zhuo Yi, a long time ago. When Zhuo Yi was seriously injured, she instructed Chiyuan to live well and wait for her reincarnation as a Kongsang person, and she asked Chiyuan to protect their clan. Jiao people only loved one person in their lifetime, but Chiyuan couldn't remember the appearance of his loved one because of Zhuo Yi's technique. He could only wait for their reunion in the next life. Encouraged by Chiyuan, Zhu Yan finally decided to participate in the discipleship selection on Jiuyi Mountain and reunited with her friend Xueying there.

Zhu Yan aspired to become the first disciple of the Jiuyi Mountain Prince, while Xueying mentioned that there was intense competition because Xuelu also aimed to become the first disciple. This time, Lord Qing sent the leader of the Shadow Warriors, Qing Gang, to participate in the selection. If he was interested, there would be no other candidate for the first disciple.

Nobles from the six families came to participate in the disciple selection exam. Chong Ming worried that Zhu Yan would encounter Shi Ying, but Shi Ying believed that Zhu Yan's magical powers were average, and even if she happened to pass the selection, she wouldn't become his first disciple. The disciple selection rule was to form pairs, and many people from the six noble families intended to give gifts and form pairs with Qing Gang. However, Xuelu advised against using gifts to win Qing Gang's favor because he was not someone who would show mercy. As expected, when Qing Gang arrived, he collected the gifts and planned to distribute them to the nearby people as gifts from the gods.

Xuelu asked Qing Gang why he came to participate in the discipleship selection when he had already defeated Lord Chi. This made Zhu Yan very dissatisfied, but she also realized that Xuelu wanted her to quarrel with Qing Gang, which would violate the rules of Jiuyi Mountain and result in disqualification from the selection. Xuelu wanted to use Zhu Yan's hand to eliminate Qing Gang as a strong opponent, but Zhu Yan saw through her plan. Zhu Yan and Qing Gang agreed to have a duel after the disciple selection.

Da Si Ming held a coming-of-age ceremony for Shi Ying, and Zhu Yan learned that the person who denied her was the Prince of Shi Ying. She declared that she didn't want to participate in the selection and the Prince of Shi Ying didn't stop her. Shi Ying announced the rules of the competition: Xuelu and Xueying formed a pair, and Zhu Yan would compete alone, but she intended to wait for elimination.

Zhu Yan encountered Chong Ming's provocation in the mountains, but she was no match for his magical powers. At a critical moment, Shi Ying appeared and saved Zhu Yan. Shi Ying couldn't stand by and watch Zhu Yan being schemed against. He couldn't tolerate those who played dirty tricks. He invited Zhu Yan to team up and go up the mountain.

Da Si Ming wanted to control the selection of the next Lesser Lord and secretly chose Shi Ying as the candidate. He believed that if Shi Ying became the emperor in the future, he would choose a daughter from the Bai family as his empress. He selected Bai Xuelu to be Shi Ying's destined partner and secretly instructed his subordinates to ensure her victory. Qing Gang's intention to become Shi Ying's disciple was fake, but his attempt to investigate Da Si Ming's identity was real. He had his subordinates send a poor mythical creature to Qing Gang. Zhu Yan was paired with Qing Gang, and even if it cost them their lives, Zhu Yan's life was more important.

Zhu Yan didn't want to go up the mountain, and she didn't want to become a disciple of the Lesser Lord. She initially wanted to bid farewell to Qing Gang and leave. However, at that moment, the poor mythical creature appeared, and the two of them were no match for it. They could only try to escape and hide in a cave. Zhu Yan mentioned that the Qing Clan was skilled in using poison and urged Qing Gang to use poison to stupefy the poor mythical creature quickly. Qing Gang took out a poison and temporarily drove away the creature, allowing them to escape.

Through an illusion, Shi Ying learned that the poor mythical creature was chasing Zhu Yan and Qing Gang. He couldn't understand how the creature knew their hiding place. Chong Ming revealed that he unexpectedly saw the two disciples signaling the poor mythical creature. Shi Ying was furious upon learning that Chong Ming had secretly interfered with Zhu Yan's selection.

Qing Gang and Zhu Yan escaped to the top of a cliff. Seeing the poor mythical creature chasing them, Zhu Yan remembered from ancient books that the creature enjoyed watching conflicts and liked cunning and evil people. She pretended to angrily scold Qing Gang as a demonic leader in the army, claiming that killing him today would be for the people's good. Zhu Yan even admitted that she had taken many lives herself. She made the creature believe that they were both villains, and it surprisingly let them go and left.

Through a magic mirror, Shi Ying discovered the manifestation of chaos, which existed before the creation of the world and was formed by accumulated resentment. Chaos was not bound by any magic system, and even the former Emperor Xingzun couldn't do anything about it. On the other hand, Qing Gang managed to evade the poor mythical creature but was then chased by chaos. Unable to bear seeing both of them devoured by chaos, Shi Ying decided to rescue them.

Zhu Yan, exhausted, was caught up by chaos. She pushed Qing Gang away but was swallowed by chaos and entered the Abyss of Wrath. Zhu Yan's mind was influenced by the Wrathful Spirit and was on the verge of falling off a cliff. However, Shi Ying appeared in the crucial moment and saved her. Shi Ying knew that the Wrathful Spirit was using Zhu Yan's resentment, so he told her not to see or hear anything. Due to the influence of the Wrathful Spirit, Zhu Yan couldn't see or hear properly. Shi Ying asked her to hold onto his sleeve and guided her to leave.

While searching for Zhu Yan, Qing Gang discovered that Bai Xueying and Bai Xuelu were attacked by the poor mythical creature. Bai Xuelu protected Bai Xueying and tried to make her leave. Qing Gang recalled how Zhu Yan drove away the creature before, but this time, it didn't work. Qing Gang secretly helped Bai Xuelu, a girl from the Bai family, and together they successfully drove away the creature.

Zhu Yan, still frightened in the Abyss of Wrath, tightly grasped Shi Ying's clothes. When Shi Ying turned to check on her, he accidentally kissed her forehead, which made him feel embarrassed. However, Zhu Yan, thinking she encountered a ghost, expressed her bewilderment. Upon hearing her reaction, Shi Ying felt helpless. After a while, Zhu Yan regained her senses and saw that the one who saved her was the Lesser Lord himself. She didn't want to accompany him and chose to leave directly.

Zhu Yan walked onto a wooden bridge but feared the greedy spirits beneath her feet. Since chaos was not bound by any magic, not even Shi Ying could use magic to leave. Soon, the greedy spirits destroyed the wooden bridge beneath Zhu Yan's feet. She had no choice but to rely on Shi Ying's jade umbrella to return to the edge of the cliff. Shi Ying explained that only the jade umbrella could function independently within chaos. By opening the jade umbrella, they could create a protective barrier against external attacks. Unexpectedly, Zhu Yan closed the jade umbrella and used it as a makeshift weapon. Zhu Yan blamed herself for damaging Shi Ying's artifact, but Shi Ying believed that although Zhu Yan had the intention to become his disciple, she couldn't even imitate how he used his artifacts, and that was what made him angry.

Shi Ying deduced that people's hopes, trust, and joy could regenerate the Bridge of the Heart, allowing them to cross to the other side. On the contrary, people's suspicions, doubts, and lies would damage the Bridge of the Heart. Shi Ying asked Zhu Yan to think of some happy things to regenerate the bridge and enable them to reach the other side. Zhu Yan recalled the happy moments of her childhood when the Crown Prince gave her the gift of Xue Han Wei and when her father, the king, agreed to let her learn magic upon hearing the Crown Prince's words. These memories regenerated the Bridge of the Heart. Shi Ying couldn't think of any happy moments, so he asked Zhu Yan to share her happy memories. Zhu Yan listed all the joyful things she experienced, including the encounter with the Lesser Lord on Jiuyin Mountain. She thought that event would damage the Bridge of the Heart, but it unexpectedly generated a bridge of benevolence, successfully guiding them to the other side.

Shi Ying and Zhu Yan arrived at the other shore but unexpectedly found an old lady. The old lady confessed that she had been swallowed by chaos many years ago and had been living alone here ever since. Despite searching for years, she hadn't found a way out. She persuaded Zhu Yan to stay in this place because only by staying here could she be with Shao Si Ming forever. Zhu Yan denied having any desire to be with Shao Si Ming, but Shi Ying, contrary to his usual behavior, held Zhu Yan's hand and even fed her pastries, making Zhu Yan feel extremely sweet.

The old lady was very pleased to hear Shi Ying's words and suddenly transformed into her true form and attacked Shi Ying. Shi Ying easily defeated the old lady's true form. It turned out the old lady was a manifestation of obsession. Only by breaking the opponent's obsession could they deal with her. Now that the three obsessions of greed, anger, and delusion had been broken, Shi Ying found a note in the room. He believed that the message in it was the way to escape, but he couldn't understand its meaning at the moment.

Zhu Yan asked Shao Si Ming if it was worth risking everything for someone as reckless as her, considering his noble and dignified status. But Shi Ying refused to answer that question because he believed they would definitely find a way out together. Soon, Shi Ying broke the illusion in the room, but the opening that appeared in front of them might not necessarily be the real exit. Shi Ying said that as long as he pushed Zhu Yan into the opening as a sacrifice to chaos, he would be able to escape safely. He then revealed that he came to this place to borrow the power of chaos to aid in his cultivation, and now Zhu Yan happened to be the one he used. Zhu Yan didn't believe that Shao Si Ming was deceiving her, but his actions deceived and played with her, which made her resent him deeply. Without hesitation, Zhu Yan turned around and jumped into the opening.

It turned out that Shi Ying wanted Zhu Yan to hate him to the extreme so that he could turn a dead end into an opportunity for survival. Now that Zhu Yan had returned to the mortal world, Shi Ying was left behind in chaos due to the backlash. Zhu Yan woke up on Qianyue Peak and learned from Qing Gang that only a joss stick's worth of time had passed since her disappearance.

The spectacle chaos anticipated was for Zhu Yan to learn that Shao Si Ming's actions were meant to save her, but in the end, she was killed by her own resentment. At that time, Zhu Yan would undoubtedly be heartbroken. Unexpectedly, what Zhu Yan left behind when she jumped into the mouth of life and death was goodwill. Whether it was the Crown Prince or Shao Si Ming, Zhu Yan always believed in Shi Ying's character.

Having understood Shao Si Ming's intentions, Zhu Yan decided to find the Jade Bone as soon as possible because she speculated that it could lead her to its owner. Shi Ying returned to the mortal world, but Da Si Ming believed that the Princess of Chi Zuzu was not worth Shi Ying risking his life to enter chaos to save her. Da Si Ming admitted to arranging for someone to attract Qiong Qi to harm Qing Gang because Qing Gang was sent by Concubine Qing to spy on Shi Ying's true intentions. However, Shi Ying believed that as the newly appointed Shao Si Ming, he couldn't allow the tragic deaths of the six important figures in the Six Departments at Jiuyi Mountain. The purpose of cultivation was to protect all living beings, and he didn't want to become someone who deviated from the path.

Seeing Shi Ying's unwavering adherence to his principles while Da Si Ming showed doubt about their relationship, Shi Ying claimed that he and Zhu Yan were complete strangers, and Zhu Yan's qualifications were not sufficient to stay at Jiuyi Mountain. If Da Si Ming still suspected Zhu Yan of being the daughter of his calamity, Shi Ying would have no complaints about how Da Si Ming would handle her.

Zhu Yan saw that the Jade Bone was circulating normally at Qianyue Peak, guessing that Shao Si Ming was safe. Soon after, Bai Xuelu and Bai Xueying arrived at the peak, and Bai Xuelu directly made a move to take the Jade Bone. Zhu Yan and Qing Gang also hurriedly tried to snatch it, but they were all repelled by the barrier. After Bai Xuelu obtained the Jade Bone, she faced a test, and seeing that she was about to be in danger, Zhu Yan advised her to destroy the Jade Bone quickly to save herself. However, Bai Xuelu would rather fall into the lava than give up the Jade Bone. Qing Gang jumped into the lava to rescue Bai Xuelu but ended up getting trapped himself. Seeing Bai Xuelu's insistence on obtaining the Jade Bone regardless of everyone's safety, Zhu Yan had no choice but to intervene and take the Jade Bone from her, throwing it into the lava. As a result, Zhu Yan, Bai Xuelu, and Bai Xueying all fell into the lava.

In the blink of an eye, Zhu Yan and the others woke up on Qianyue Peak, realizing that everything they had just experienced was an illusion. The Jade Bone returned to Zhu Yan's hands, and Zhu Yan, who had been willing to destroy the Jade Bone and sacrifice herself to save everyone, was the kind of person that Shao Si Ming wanted as his first disciple. Bai Xuelu believed that since she was the first to obtain the Jade Bone, she should have it back and made a move to reclaim it, but unexpectedly, the struggle between her and Zhu Yan caused Bai Xueying to fall off a cliff. Zhu Yan reached out and saved Bai Xueying, while Bai Xuelu, in order to retrieve the Jade Bone, fell off the cliff. Qing Gang tried to save her, but both ended up hanging on the edge of the cliff. Zhu Yan thought Bai Xuelu's insistence on obtaining the Jade Bone was foolish but still rescued both of them.

After the competition, Bai Xuelu ultimately obtained the qualification of being the first disciple. However, Da Si Ming believed that Zhu Yan, who possessed both intelligence and bravery, should not be overlooked. To dispel Da Si Ming's suspicion of Zhu Yan, Shi Ying publicly expressed his willingness to take Zhu Yan as his disciple. However, Da Si Ming used the rules as an excuse and decided to keep all four of them at Jiuyi Mountain to observe their moral character and comprehension. After listening and learning for a month, he would select his first disciple from among them. Shi Ying agreed happily.

Zhu Yan went down the mountain to find Qing Gang and told him that the young priest she had encountered earlier turned out to be Shao Si Ming. Although she had mistakenly passed the preliminary selection, she did not want to become Shao Si Ming's disciple. Zhu Yan noticed that Qing Gang was not feeling well and used her techniques to heal him, unexpectedly causing the Water Mirror to reappear. Zhu Yan was fascinated by the Water Mirror, which moved Qing Gang. He didn't know why he felt that way, nor did he know why he didn't want to disappoint Zhu Yan.

After coming out of the Water Mirror, Zhu Yan realized that she should follow her heart and decided to go to Jiuyi Mountain to thank Shao Si Ming. Chong Ming was worried that Zhu Yan would truly become Shi Ying's first disciple after a month, but Shi Ying stated that Zhu Yan's qualifications were not enough for him to be his first disciple. According to Shi Ying, Zhu Yan's proficiency in techniques would only place her as an ordinary disciple at Kongsang Peak. Although Zhu Yan heard Shi Ying belittling her, she still decided to show herself and thank Shao Si Ming for saving her life. Zhu Yan bid farewell to Shi Ying, believing that in the vast world, she would surely find a master who would recognize and appreciate her. In order to prevent Da Si Ming from growing suspicious, Shi Ying could only temporarily use his techniques to hide Zhu Yan when Da Si Ming arrived.

Zhu Yan was hidden in Shi Ying's sleeve, but due to her current technique, she couldn't leave temporarily. Da Si Ming asked Shi Ying about his opinion on potential disciples, but Shi Ying replied that he had just met all four of them, and his understanding was shallow, so he didn't dare to make a hasty judgment. Da Si Ming asked Shi Ying about his opinion on Zhu Yan, and Shi Ying mentioned that although Zhu Yan was courageous and righteous, she had inherent dullness, recklessness, and stubbornness. Shi Ying praised Bai Xuelu for her soft exterior but strong interior and unwavering determination, considering her as someone with great potential.

Upon hearing Da Si Ming belittle her, Zhu Yan became infuriated and wrote down the derogatory words on a piece of paper from Shi Ying's sleeve. Unexpectedly, the paper fell out, and Shi Ying, who had already left, saw the words on his sleeve and transferred them to Zhu Yan's hand, using them as constant reminders for her. Zhu Yan wanted Shi Ying to remove the words from her hand, but he used them as leverage to persuade her to stay and listen to his teachings.

The writings on Zhu Yan's hand were seen by the other six important figures, who mocked her. However, Zhu Yan didn't consider the words as a punishment from Da Si Ming; instead, she mocked Bai Xuelu for not receiving special treatment from Da Si Ming. On her first day of class, Zhu Yan was late and lost points. She thought it was a deliberate mockery from Da Si Ming, but Bai Xuelu explained that the automatic scoring system accounted for the deductions, and the princess of the Xuan clan confirmed that the system was widely used. To resolve the situation, Zhu Yan suggested that the princesses of the Bai and Xuan clans donate the scoring system to the West Wild Academy, making it difficult for them to refuse.

Da Si Ming sought out Shi Ying and informed him that he received news of Qing Gang bringing the poisonous Magpie's Footsteps technique into Jiuyi Mountain. Since Qing Gang had passed the assessment, it was inconvenient to revoke his privilege of listening and learning. Da Si Ming warned Shi Ying to be cautious of Qing Gang. During class, Zhu Yan felt sleepy due to the boring curriculum. When questioned by the priests, she expressed her belief that the theories were of little use, and she only wanted to learn powerful techniques. Shi Ying asked Zhu Yan about the most powerful technique in Jiuyi Mountain, but she couldn't provide an answer, while Bai Xuelu displayed extensive knowledge of Jiuyi Mountain's techniques. Zhu Yan believed that Bai Xuelu's answer was incorrect, but Shi Ying explained that the most advanced technique was borrowing power from the void of time, which could change the course of everything. Faced with Shi Ying's guidance, Zhu Yan had no choice but to accept the penalty and agreed to transcribe the introductory section of the Yuan Void Classic three times.

Qing Gang asked Zhu Yan to help him obtain a strand of Da Si Ming's hair during her visit to the Qingxiu Hall, as he believed it would aid in the advancement of his technique. Zhu Yan agreed to assist Qing Gang in exchange for his guidance in deciphering the meaning of the transcribed Yuan Void Classic.

Da Si Ming personally summoned Bai Xuelu and learned that she admired him and was willing to follow him on the path of cultivation. Da Si Ming appreciated Bai Xuelu's dedication and gifted her with the method of the primary technique in Jiuyi Mountain to support her studies, while also asking her to keep an eye on Qing Gang. Three days later, Zhu Yan went to the Qingxiu Hall to deliver the transcribed scripture as her punishment. Shi Ying carefully reviewed her work word by word and explained that the penalty was intended to compensate for Zhu Yan's lack of theoretical knowledge.

Zhu Yan attempted to massage Shi Ying's shoulders to help him in return for her assistance to Qing Gang, but she was rejected. She purposely approached Shi Ying and tried to pluck a strand of his hair when he was off guard, but he anticipated her actions due to her proximity. In order to improve Zhu Yan's reading speed, Shi Ying specifically taught her the technique of transmitting information through books. For the evening meal, Shi Ying prepared tea, soup, and rice, which Zhu Yan was displeased with. However, considering that there were no other evening meals available at Jiuyi Mountain, she reluctantly stayed to eat. After learning the technique of transmitting information through books, Zhu Yan noticed significant progress and apologized to Shi Ying for her previous rudeness in class. Shi Ying had a favorable attitude toward Zhu Yan's willingness to learn from her mistakes and promised to answer any questions she might have in the future. As a reward, Shi Ying specially prepared additional fish and meat for Zhu Yan, but it was unexpectedly snatched by Chong Ming.

Zhi Yuan's eyes emitted a blue light, reminding him of his father's words that the presence of blue light indicated a connection to the Dragon God. He speculated that the sleeping Dragon God was somewhere near Jiuyi Mountain. Zhu Yan personally crafted a clay figure as a token of gratitude to Shi Ying, but he stated that she was just a named disciple and would leave after a month, so there was no need for such grand gestures. However, Zhu Yan believed that even with only one month, she should fulfill her duty as a disciple and intended to comb Shi Ying's hair as a show of respect.

Zhu Yan persuaded herself to stay clear-minded because Shao Si Ming's affection for her was solely based on her entry into the mountain and did not imply any romantic involvement. Zhu Yan discovered that Shao Si Ming had been affected by the Poison of Magpie on Branches. She recalled a solution to save him and instructed Shao Si Ming to hold the Seven-Star Lamp, allowing it to absorb his life force, in the hope that it would help detoxify him.

To scare Shao Si Ming, Zhu Yan asked him if he liked her, and indeed, this question caused Shi Ying's emotions to fluctuate. Zhu Yan drank alcohol herself and went crazy, demanding that Shi Ying return her little white master. Zhu Yan, in a drunken state, pounced on Shi Ying, who became shy and reverted to his original form. Zhu Yan was delighted to see her little white master and fell asleep while embracing Shi Ying in his transformed state.

Shi Ying asked Zhu Yan to look into his eyes and sincerely asked if she wanted to become his first disciple. Zhu Yan naturally wanted to become Shi Ying's first disciple. After making efforts, Zhu Yan eventually became Shi Ying's first disciple. Shi Ying personally gifted Zhu Yan with a jade bone and expressed that he would demand the strictest standards from Zhu Yan in the future.

achievements must have come from enduring a lot of hardships. She just wanted to prove that as a common girl, she was not inferior to others. Qing Gang himself also came from a humble background, so he could understand the difficulties Bai Xuelu had faced. Zhu Yan came to help Shi Ying provide medical relief, but Shi Ying expressed concern about her, saying that as a fine young lady, if her face was covered in pockmarks, how would she ever get married? Although Shi Ying didn't welcome her arrival, he still personally helped her put on a scarf to cover her mouth and nose.

Chong Ming reported a problem with the epidemic situation. It turned out that a patient had worsened their condition by following Zhu Yan's prescription. Shi Ying smelled the prescription from Zhu Yan and learned that she had made a mistake in one of the medicines. He quickly helped treat the patient. Although Zhu Yan made a mistake while saving someone, Shi Ying still chose to believe in her and allowed her to assist in the treatment.

The people of Jiuyi County are grateful for the healing and treatment provided by the Lord of the Few. Shi Ying inquired about the source of the epidemic and learned that the villagers had contracted the disease from drinking water from Jiuyi East Creek. He decided to go to Jiuyi East Creek to investigate. After inspecting the water source, Shi Ying confirmed that the change in water quality in Jiuyi East Creek was the cause of the epidemic. He informed the Lord of the Few about this matter. The Lord of the Few knew that the hidden source in Jiuyi East Creek was the Dragon God trapped beneath the Abyss of Cangwu. The awakening of the Dragon God, the rise of evil, and the return of the Sea Emperor were the great events anticipated by the Merfolk. If the Dragon God truly awakened, the world might descend into chaos. The Lord of the Few wanted Shi Ying to take advantage of the chaos and leave the mountain. Therefore, he didn't want Shi Ying to investigate the truth and instead instructed him to observe the situation quietly.

Bai Xuelu and Bai Xueying, two sisters, entered the palace to attend a banquet. Xueying received a secret message from Shi Yu and went to meet him, while Xuelu took the opportunity to request an audience with Concubine Qing. Shi Yu brought delicious food from the palace for Xueying to taste and lamented that they couldn't meet due to Concubine Qing's interference. However, Xueying believed that they would eventually be together because she had the wooden bird given by Shi Ying.

Bai Xuelu sought an audience with Concubine Qing and informed her about the Lord of the Few encouraging her to take the position of the First Disciple in Jiuyi Mountain. Xuelu stated that she went up the mountain solely to help Concubine Qing, so she deliberately lost to Zhu Yan, the princess of the Chi Clan, in the competition. She remained steadfast and was not deceived by the manipulative Lord of the Few. Upon learning about the matter in Jiuyi Mountain, Concubine Qing, in order to repay Bai Xuelu, had Shi Yu called back from Xueying's side. She also promised that if Xuelu understood the situation in the future, she would fulfill Xuelu's request.

Qing Gang saw that Bai Xuelu sought an audience with Concubine Qing. After bidding farewell to Concubine Qing, he pulled Xuelu aside and asked what they had discussed. He learned that Xuelu had told Concubine Qing about what she saw and heard in the mountains and about the Lord of the Few. Qing Gang didn't believe that Xuelu would use the Lord of the Few's identity for personal gain, but Xuelu warned him to worry about the consequences of his own deception. Soon after, an order from Concubine Qing arrived, instructing Qing Gang to return to the territory of the Qing Clan and kneel in the ancestral hall to receive punishment. Before parting, Qing Gang expressed that he wouldn't give up on Bai Xuelu. Xuelu knew that Qing Gang truly cared for her, but she could only follow the person who eventually ascended to the throne. She could only blame Qing Gang for his misplaced affection.

Concubine Qing had Shi Yu taken away and forbade any further communication between him and Xueying. She confirmed that the Lord of the Few was indeed Shi Ying based on what Bai Xuelu had said, and she informed the Lord Qing about it, wanting him to send someone to kill Shi Ying. At that moment, an Ice Clan witch came to see Lord Qing and advised them to calm down. The wise ones of the Ice Clan were even more eager than anyone to see the heir, Shi Ying, pass away.

Qing Gang sent a message to Shi Ying, informing him of Concubine Qing's knowledge of his true identity and urged him to be cautious. Bai Xueying, frustrated by her punishment, had lost her appetite. The King Bai visited his daughter and secretly brought Prince Shi Yu to visit Xueying. Shi Yu fearlessly let Concubine Qing know that he came out of the palace to visit Xueying. He brought food for Xueying to taste, successfully bringing a smile to her face.

Bai Xuelu sent someone to inquire about Qing Gang's situation and learned that he had been kneeling in the ancestral hall for a few days but faced no other punishment. Qing Gang also sent military strategies to Xuelu, but she wasn't interested. Zhu Yan grew bored while reading and fell asleep. Shi Ying noticed and covered her with a robe. Unexpectedly, Zhu Yan woke up at that moment, and the two of them shared an awkward gaze. Zhu Yan personally brought Snow Orchid Cake to Shi Ying, and Shi Ying invited her to eat together, making Zhu Yan very happy.

Two years later, although Zhu Yan had learned the spells of the six clans, she knew that she would often be criticized by her master for being unfamiliar with their usage. After two years of teacher-student interaction, their relationship had become more harmonious, and Shi Ying became more and more helpless with Zhu Yan's mischievousness. Shi Ying allowed Zhu Yan to choose her first magical instrument in the book collection pavilion, and to his surprise, Zhu Yan chose a magical instrument that he didn't expect.

It turned out that the magical instrument Zhu Yan chose happened to be the one Shi Ying had wanted to choose when he became a disciple. This magical instrument couldn't be used for offense or defense; its main function was to share injuries with others, provided that the other person willingly agreed and had spiritual awareness. The Lord of the Few had advised Shi Ying to give up this magical instrument in the past, but now Zhu Yan wanted to choose it. Zhu Yan believed that when Shi Ying was willing to transfer his spiritual energy to save her, this magical instrument was perfect for her. Zhu Yan insisted on choosing this magical instrument and named it "Gong Shang," meaning the dual stars of Gong and Shang, mutually dependent and watchful of each other, unchanging throughout eternity. To Zhu Yan's surprise, Shi Ying had chosen the same name for this magical instrument when he had selected it. Shi Ying was also surprised that Zhu Yan shared such a similar mindset with him.

Shi Ying decided to seclude himself and strive to reach the true realm, while the Lord of the Few set up a trap, waiting for anyone with ill intentions to come. The Lord of the Few ordered his subordinates not to disclose the matter of Shi Ying entering the true realm to anyone outside; it was classified information about Jiuyi Mountain. On the other hand, Lord Qing learned from a letter sent by a wise person that Shi Ying would soon be secluding himself to enter the realm. This would be Shi Ying's weakest moment, and it was the perfect opportunity for them to strike.

The Wife of Lord Chi visited Jiuyi Mountain to see her daughter Zhu Yan. Now that her daughter had achieved something, she hoped that Zhu Yan would find a good marriage partner after leaving the mountain. However, Zhu Yan thought that spending her whole life in Jiuyi Mountain, learning spells and becoming a goddess's priestess under the guidance of the Lord of the Few, was not a bad choice either. Bai Yuan, who came from a distance, brought some delicacies from the Chi Clan for Zhu Yan. Inspired by this, Zhu Yan wanted Bai Yuan to teach her water manipulation techniques, so she could turn water into ice and bring the delicious food from Yanfeng Tower for her master to taste. Bai Yuan carefully selected a gift to give to the Lord of the Few, which made Zhu Yan very happy. However, Bai Yuan also noticed the close relationship between Zhu Yan and the Lord of the Few, which left him feeling somewhat bitter.

Zhu Yan personally delivered the cloak brought by Bai Yuan to the secluded Shi Ying. When Zhu Yan mentioned her mother's wish for her to leave the mountain and marry someone, she revealed that her greatest desire used to be reviving the Crown Prince, but now her greatest wish was to accompany her master. Zhu Yan personally helped Shi Ying put on the cloak, and while her master was in seclusion, she appreciated the magnificent sight of Shi Ying.

At this moment, an assassin attacked, and Zhu Yan intervened to protect her master. However, due to her first experience of killing someone, she hesitated and was momentarily injured. Shi Ying noticed this and rushed to eliminate the assassin, personally healing Zhu Yan's wound. The Lord of the Few arrived at the scene, reprimanding Shi Ying for breaking through his closed-door meditation and blaming Zhu Yan for protecting Shi Ying, which disrupted his plans. The bloodthirsty curse he set up was meant to lure Shi Ying into a trap, but now Zhu Yan's impulsive actions had spoiled everything. In order to save Zhu Yan, Shi Ying willingly missed the opportunity to enter the true realm.

It was only at this moment that Zhu Yan learned that Shi Ying's seclusion was for the purpose of entering the true realm. She felt extremely guilty, but Shi Ying didn't blame her. He believed that he would have another opportunity to enter the true realm in due time. After being driven away by the Lord of the Few, Zhu Yan shed tears of self-blame. The Wife of Lord Chi had originally thought that sending her daughter to Jiuyi Mountain would provide her with a peaceful haven, but now she realized that even Jiuyi Mountain was full of dangers. She decided to return home with her daughter the next day. Persuaded by Bai Yuan, the Wife of Lord Chi planned to retract the letter of resignation she had written for the Lord of Chi and would bring her daughter back home when the time came.

Bai Yuan saw the Dragon God appear in Jiuyi Mountain. The Dragon God reproached Bai Yuan for forgetting his true nature as Zhi Yuan and serving the Kongsang people as a subordinate for hundreds of years. The Dragon God intended to kill Zhu Yan to sever Bai Yuan's bond with the Kongsang people. The Kongsang people were descendants of Langxuan, and the Dragon God planned to use Zhu Yan as a sacrifice for the Sea Country's war flag. The Dragon God spewed fire, burning down Zhu Yan's house. Bai Yuan, thinking that Zhu Yan had been burned to death, felt heartbroken and shed tears. The Dragon Blood Ancient Jade was a sacred artifact of the Merfolk, entrusted to the Zhi lineage to guard for generations. The guardian was never allowed to shed a single tear. Zhi Yuan had never shed tears even when his beloved died. But now, because of the Princess of Kongsang, he had shed tears, causing the Dragon Blood Ancient Jade to appear in the mortal realm. The Dragon God believed that Zhi Yuan had fallen in love with Zhu Yan, but Zhi Yuan insisted that the person he loved was Yao Yi and denied that he had fallen in love with Zhu Yan. The Dragon God believed that the fate of the Sea Country had changed because of Zhi Yuan and wanted him to remember his mission and not disappoint himself.

After the Dragon God left, Bai Yuan realized that everything had been an illusion, but he still held the Dragon Blood Ancient Jade in his hand. He refused to admit that he had fallen in love with Zhu Yan and clung to the belief that a Merfolk could only love one person in their lifetime. He didn't want to admit his betrayal of Yao Yi and decided to sever his excess emotions.

Shi Ying missed the opportunity to enter the true realm because of Zhu Yan. The Lord of the Few believed that Zhu Yan was a calamity for Shi Ying. Using his lifetime of cultivation, he calculated that in ten days, there would be a sequence of nine stars, the convergence of Yin and Yang, creating the true realm. If Shi Ying cultivated his primordial spirit on that day, he would gain the power of the nine stars. The Lord of the Few instructed his subordinates to watch over Zhu Yan and ensure that she didn't cause any more trouble.

Although all the assassins sent by Lord Qing had been killed, he wasn't concerned. Concubine Qing planned to use Bai Xuelu to kill Shi Ying. Zhu Yan wanted to re-enter the water realm to learn the Waterfowl technique, but Bai Yuan was concerned that it would disturb her mental state and refused on the grounds that she was injured. Zhu Yan sensed Bai Yuan's distance from her, but Bai Yuan stated that he only wanted Zhu Yan to understand the boundaries between men and women. Bai Yuan gave the Dragon Blood Ancient Jade to Zhu Yan and was surprised to find it intact. He knew that the Dragon Blood Ancient Jade had a connection to Zhu Yan in the grand scheme of things and hoped that it would protect her.

The Wife of Lord Chi came to resign from the Lord of the Few, and he took the opportunity to request Zhu Yan's birthdate, claiming that he wanted to help her avoid a calamity. The Wife of Lord Chi didn't suspect his true intentions. Concubine Qing summoned Bai Xuelu and hoped that she could find a way to lure Shi Ying to Nüluo Creek in Jiuyi Mountain. Bai Xuelu did not refuse.

Zhu Yan discovered that Shi Ying could play the flute and create the shape of the divine bird Chong Ming in the clouds. She was very curious and asked her master to help her play clouds to create mountains and courtyards. She also wanted Shi Ying to play their two figures, but Shi Ying refused. Shi Ying formally thanked Zhu Yan for saving him that day, but Zhu Yan blamed herself for delaying her master's entry into the true realm. However, Shi Ying didn't mind entering the true realm at the moment. He thought about how Chong Ming, despite disliking Zhu Yan, had learned to smile because of her, and he realized the happiness Zhu Yan brought to him. Shi Ying gifted Zhu Yan a jade flute and taught her the technique of cloud manipulation. To his surprise, Zhu Yan played clouds and created her own image out of thin air. Shi Ying was about to seclude himself again, and with the imminent Heavenly Tribulation for Chong Ming, he instructed Zhu Yan and Chong Ming to take care of each other. Zhu Yan promised that after her master emerged from seclusion, she would welcome Chong Ming to their mountain abode.

Bai Xuelu withheld the letters sent by Bai Xueying to Jiuyi Mountain and modified them, letting Zhu Yan know about the beauty-enhancing effect of Nüluo's Nüluo leaves. After experiencing the fiery Heavenly Tribulation, Chong Ming, who was very concerned about his appearance, believed that he was disfigured and couldn't show himself to others. Zhu Yan came to comfort Chong Ming and tempted him with delicious food. When Chong Ming heard that the fish soup brought by Zhu Yan had beauty-enhancing effects, he became interested.

Zhu Yan saw that Chong Ming was distressed over his burnt feathers due to the tribulation. She remembered the Nüluo leaves mentioned by Bai Xueying and wanted to find them to help Chong Ming regain his appearance. Zhu Yan went to Nüluo Creek in search of the leaves, but the Ice Clan assassins wanted to use her to lure Shi Ying. Shi Ying sensed that Zhu Yan was in danger and rushed to save her, but he was intercepted by the people sent by Da Si Ming. Shi Ying chose to save Zhu Yan instead of seizing the opportunity to break through the mirror and stopped the people sent by Da Si Ming, heading towards Nüluo Creek.

Zhu Yan alone couldn't resist the elite Ice Clan assassins, so Shi Ying arrived to confront them. He realized that the Ice Clan had colluded with the Qing Clan, but he hadn't broken through to the true realm yet, and his spiritual power was at its weakest. He could only make a feint before fleeing with Zhu Yan.

Da Si Ming deduced from the birthdate sent by the Wife of Lord Chi that Zhu Yan was the calamity destined for Shi Ying. Upon receiving the report, Shi Yu rushed to rescue Zhu Yan without hesitation. When Da Si Ming learned of this, he quickly went to Nüluo Creek with his men. Shi Ying and Zhu Yan fled to the edge of the cliff at Nüluo Creek, and the Ice Clan assassins caught up. Shi Ying and Zhu Yan had to join forces to fight them. Seeing Zhu Yan get injured, Shi Ying used the power of the Heavenly Retribution to deal with the assassins. Zhu Yan held Shi Ying's hand and used the power of the Gong Shang instrument, which united their energies, to help Shi Ying repel the Ice Clan assassins. However, they both fell into Nüluo Creek as a result.

Zhu Yan's powers were weak, and she couldn't share too much of Shi Ying's injuries. Fortunately, Bai Xuelu had previously taught Zhu Yan the Waterfowl technique, so she tried to bring Shi Ying out of the water. The Dragon God was in danger, and the Earth God's Ring appeared in the Sea Country. Seeing Shi Ying fall into a coma, Zhu Yan used her mouth to transfer her breath to Shi Ying, successfully awakening him. As a result, they arrived at the Cangwu Abyss.

In the Cangwu Abyss, the Dragon God surrounded Shi Ying and Zhu Yan. Zhu Yan explained that they fell into this place due to an ambush by the Ice Clan, and she wanted to request the Dragon God to send them out. However, the Dragon God despised the Kongsang people and sensed that Shi Ying's aura matched that of the Star Sovereign Emperor who trapped him thousands of years ago. Naturally, he didn't want to let them go. Shi Ying was too injured to fight the Dragon God, but Zhu Yan stood up against him with her limited power, aided by the Dragon Blood Ancient Jade. The Dragon God recognized the protective artifact of the Merfolk on Zhu Yan and understood that the one who possessed the Dragon Blood Ancient Jade must have a significant connection to the Sea Country's fate. In order not to disrupt the Sea Country's destiny, the Dragon God sent Shi Ying and Zhu Yan out of the Cangwu Abyss.

Zhu Yan wanted to bring the unconscious Shi Ying back to the Qingxiu Hall, but she was also injured and couldn't take him away. Fortunately, Da Si Ming arrived with his men, and Zhu Yan fainted upon seeing him. Da Si Ming examined the Lulihua mark on Zhu Yan's forehead and confirmed that she was indeed the calamity destined for Shi Ying.

Shi Ying woke up after three days and three nights in a coma. He was worried about Zhu Yan's safety and quickly went to check on her condition. Zhu Yan's spiritual veins were severely damaged, and it would take some time to recover. Shi Ying instructed his subordinates to take care of Zhu Yan. Chong Ming saw that Shi Ying only cared about Zhu Yan and never asked when he would regain his spiritual power. Shi Ying had failed to break the mirror before, and he didn't know if he would have another chance to enter the true realm. Chong Ming believed that Shi Ying was willing to give up everything for Zhu Yan and speculated that Shi Ying had developed feelings for her.

When Zhu Yan woke up, she learned that Shi Ying had come earlier to visit her and had instructed his subordinates to prepare medicine for her injuries. Zhu Yan thought about how Bai Xueying had suggested she go to collect Nüluo leaves, and the Ice Clan had set an ambush in that exact place to capture her. She couldn't believe such a coincidence and suspected that someone wanted to frame her master and deliberately imitated Bai Xueying's handwriting to deceive her into going to Nüluo Creek.

Da Si Ming deliberately let Zhu Yan know about Shi Ying's identity, hoping that Shi Ying could overcome his emotional obstacle and persuade him to leave the mountain for Zhu Yan. Zhu Yan couldn't believe that the prince she had been yearning for was actually her master, and she didn't understand why he had kept this from her.

Shi Ying learned that Zhu Yan had heard about his identity and deliberately sought her out. Shi Ying explained that his gesture of giving flowers to Jiuyi Mountain was merely an act of kindness, yet Zhu Yan trusted and believed in him when the whole country cursed and spat at him. She suffered injustices and nearly lost her life in order to bring him back to life. Now Zhu Yan continued to protect him at great risk and endured torment. Shi Ying never blamed Zhu Yan, and he kept his past identity hidden because it was too unbearable, and he didn't want Zhu Yan to suffer for him.

Zhu Yan also blamed herself for being fixated on her own obsession and never considering Shi Ying's feelings. She realized that Shi Ying's deep wounds were evident from his silence about the past, and even mastering the most powerful techniques couldn't heal his past hurts. Zhu Yan didn't know how to console her master, but Shi Ying believed that meeting Zhu Yan in this lifetime was the greatest consolation he could ask for. Zhu Yan had always wanted to repay the prince's favor, and now she was delighted to learn that the prince was still alive.

Shi Ying realized that he might actually have developed feelings for Zhu Yan. He reported to the gods that he had fallen for mortal emotions and came to receive the punishment of impurity, the Sword of Awakening Wisdom that could sever flesh from bones and cut off mundane attachments. Despite being severely injured, Shi Ying insisted on accepting the punishment, causing the executioners to feel reluctant.

Da Si Ming ordered the news that the Young Prince was Shi Ying to be spread throughout the world. With the current crises and the intensifying situation, it was an opportune time for Shi Ying to emerge from seclusion. However, for Shi Ying to remove his divine robe, he would have to endure the torment of a myriad of catastrophes. Even if he survived the arduous ordeal, his spiritual power would be uncertain. Da Si Ming believed that although the myriad of catastrophes were difficult, Shi Ying was the highest among the generations of priests. As long as his true essence remained intact, his spiritual power combined with the medicines he had could heal him. To ensure Shi Ying's safety, Da Si Ming placed a curse on Zhu Yan's heart. If she ever harbored murderous intentions towards Shi Ying, the curse would bring her to her demise.

Lord Qing learned about the rumors circulating among the people that the former Young Prince was not dead and began to suspect that the Ice Clan was not wholeheartedly on their side. With various forces threatening, it was crucial for the Qing Clan to act quickly, and the alliance with the Bai Clan couldn't be delayed any longer. Concubine Qing didn't want to choose the weak and clumsy Bai Xueying. She summoned Bai Xuelu and proposed a marriage between her and Lord Shi Yu, and she would request the Emperor's approval to crown Shi Yu as the Young Prince.

Bai Xueying received a letter from Zhu Yan, asking if Bai Xuelu had tampered with the letters she sent to Zhu Yan. Bai Xuelu did not deny her actions and warned Bai Xueying not to meet Shi Yu again in the future, as Shi Yu was her future husband. Bai Xueying wondered why her sister would help Concubine Qing deal with the Young Prince. Bai Xuelu told her that she had seen through the fickleness of the world and people's calculations since birth. Everything she had achieved was fought for, and if she made one wrong step, she would never be able to hold her head up in this lifetime.

Lord Bai learned from Concubine Qing about the marriage between Bai Xuelu and Lord Shi Yu. He came to praise Bai Xuelu and showed no sympathy for the disheartened Bai Xueying. Bai Xuelu told Bai Xueying that she didn't intentionally compete with her for Lord Shi Yu, but all she wanted was to become the queen. Bai Xueying shed tears of frustration due to the change in the marriage arrangement and didn't know how to win Lord Shi Yu's affection.

Da Si Ming called for Chong Ming and instructed him to take care of the severely injured Shi Ying. He deliberately told Chong Ming that Shi Ying's calamity had already been averted, which made Chong Ming very happy. Chong Ming approached Zhu Yan and inquired whether Shi Ying had transformed when they were in the Cangwu Abyss. Zhu Yan was also puzzled that their kiss didn't trigger a transformation in Shi Ying. Chong Ming agreed with Da Si Ming's speculation that Shi Ying's calamity might have been resolved.

Zhu Yan received a letter from Bai Xueying, informing her of Bai Xuelu's manipulation of the letters and deceiving her to go to Nüluo Creek. She wanted to tell Shi Ying about this incident. However, when she attempted to visit her master, she was denied entry. Chong Ming went in to see Shi Ying and learned that the calamity had been resolved. He persuaded Shi Ying to remove his divine robe and return to the mortal world to be with Zhu Yan. Shi Ying believed that as long as he adhered to the rules, he could eliminate his distractions. But Chong Ming didn't want to see Shi Ying have regrets in this lifetime. Shi Ying threatened to sever their friendship, and Chong Ming left in anger.

Zhu Yan couldn't understand why Shi Ying refused to see her. She knelt in front of the door, begging to see him, and in the end, Shi Ying couldn't bear it and let her into the room. Zhu Yan informed him about Bai Xuelu's alteration of the letters and expressed her desire to go and see Xue Han Wei with Shi Ying. Shi Ying formally thanked Zhu Yan and reminded her to always remember that she was the disciple of the Young Prince of Jiuyi Mountain. He also advised her not to act willfully. Now that Zhu Yan had completed her training, their master-disciple bond had come to an end, and it was time for Zhu Yan to return home.

Zhu Yan didn't want to leave Jiuyi Mountain. She wanted to continue practicing with Shi Ying and stand together against their adversaries, advancing and retreating as teacher and disciple. Regardless of Shi Ying's decision, Zhu Yan declared that she would not leave her master. In the following days, Zhu Yan used fish soup to entice Chong Ming, hoping he would help persuade Shi Ying to stay. Meanwhile, a messenger arrived to report that Lord of Chi and his wife had come to Jiuyi Mountain. Zhu Yan was worried that her father and mother had come to take her home. Lord of Chi brought formal documents, intending to take his daughter down the mountain. Shi Ying would not stand in their way, and Da Si Ming agreed to let Lord of Chi take Zhu Yan down the mountain tomorrow.

Zhu Yan thought that Shi Ying asked her to leave the mountain and return home because he knew that Lord of Chi and his wife had come to pick her up. In order to avoid causing difficulties for her master, Zhu Yan decided to follow her father and mother back home. She hoped that Shi Ying would take care of himself, and wherever she was, her heart would always be with her master. Zhu Yan looked forward to seeing Shi Ying again, but he didn't give a direct answer. Shi Ying gifted her the Jade Bone, an ancient artifact passed down by Empress Bai Wei, as a token of her apprenticeship completion. Reluctantly bidding farewell to her master, Zhu Yan prepared to leave the mountain with her parents.

Chong Ming didn't expect Shi Ying to really let Zhu Yan go, but Shi Ying believed that in his current situation, it would be more dangerous for Zhu Yan to stay. The Jade Bone was a token of love given by the Star Sovereign to Bai Wei, and it was also the betrothal gift that all the emperors of Kongsang Langxuan gave to their queens. Shi Ying had already pledged his love to Zhu Yan and would not give the Jade Bone to any other woman. He hoped the Jade Bone would accompany Zhu Yan throughout her life.

After returning to the Wujifeng City, Zhu Yan found Zhi Yuan and expressed her gratitude. If it weren't for the jade he had given her, the Dragon God wouldn't have spared her and her master. Zhu Yan confirmed to Zhi Yuan that she was the predestined one for the Dragon Blood Ancient Jade, but she didn't know the connection between her and the Sea Emperor. Zhi Yuan congratulated Zhu Yan on realizing her initial aspiration. Now the Young Prince she longed for was Shi Ying. Zhu Yan was indeed happy about it, but she had to leave the mountain because Shi Ying's identity had been exposed. She only hoped that Shi Ying would overcome his difficulties.

The Wife of Lord of Chi arranged a blind date with a scholarly gentleman for Zhu Yan. Zhu Yan deliberately behaved rudely in front of him. Later, at a tavern, she encountered someone harassing a common woman and intervened to teach him a lesson. The scholarly gentleman disapproved of women stepping forward and wielding weapons, accusing Zhu Yan of meddling where she shouldn't and lacking proper decorum, claiming she had no virtue. However, Zhu Yan didn't believe she was at fault and stated that she would always be the first to stand up in such situations. This infuriated the scholarly gentleman, and he stormed off.

After returning home, Zhu Yan wrote a letter to her master, believing that if all men in the world were like her master, there would be no injustice. Zhu Yan continued to participate in the arranged blind dates set up by her mother. This time, she directly informed her suitor that she had no plans to marry within the next three to five years and already had someone in her heart. In order to get rid of the suitor, Zhu Yan casually pointed at Zhi Yuan and declared him as her beloved. The suitor looked down on Zhi Yuan due to his merfolk lower status, which further infuriated Zhu Yan. She publicly admitted that Zhi Yuan was her beloved and that he was far nobler than those who abused their power. To support Zhu Yan, Zhi Yuan also proclaimed that the princess was the most important person to him. Seeing the genuine affection between the two, the suitor angrily left.

Zhu Yan took Zhi Yuan to Yanfeng Tower for a meal and complained to him about her mother arranging eleven blind dates for her. Although she knew her parents meant well, she couldn't stand any of those men. Zhu Yan praised Zhi Yuan for his handsome appearance and remarkable talents, and she asked him what kind of woman he would like. Zhi Yuan talked about his beloved and expressed that genuine affection would make one happy and worried for the other person. Being with that person would make everything interesting, and they wouldn't want to be apart for a moment. They would even want to protect them. Hearing Zhi Yuan's description, Zhu Yan realized that she had feelings for her master, Shi Ying. But she didn't want to defile her master and could only deny it in her heart.

Zhi Yuan quietly confided his thoughts to Yao Yi. He didn't know when his feelings for Zhu Yan had changed from protecting her. He also knew that Zhu Yan wasn't Yao Yi, and he shouldn't continue to have feelings for her. Therefore, he decided to leave the residence of Lord of Chi. Despite being separated by distance, both Zhu Yan and Shi Ying missed each other.

In a dream, Zhu Yan unexpectedly found herself in Shi Ying's spiritual realm. There, she longed for her master, and to her surprise, Shi Ying appeared before her. Zhu Yan embraced Shi Ying, expressing her longing, thinking that her master had actually come in person. But soon, Shi Ying sensed something amiss and disappeared from the spiritual realm. Zhu Yan saw the Wishing Tree in the realm and felt that it resembled her master greatly.

Shi Ying couldn't understand why Zhu Yan had intruded into his spiritual realm. He suspected it might be due to the lingering effects of the Gong Shang Yu Li, where their spiritual powers had connected, leading Zhu Yan to mistakenly enter his spiritual realm. Concubine Qing summoned Qing Gang and arranged a marriage for him, instructing Qing Gang to propose to Princess Zhu Yan in Lord of Chi's residence. She also mentioned that Qing Gang had previously failed to complete a task, so this could be seen as making amends. Zhu Yan, as Lord of Chi's only daughter and the future Lord of Chi, this alliance would be beneficial for the Qing Clan.

Qing Gang met Bai Xuelu and revealed the plan of Concubine Qing for him to propose to Zhu Yan. He knew that Bai Xuelu was about to marry Lord Shi Yu, but he wondered if she willingly accepted this marriage. Although Lord Shi Yu liked Bai Xueying, Bai Xuelu believed that children of prominent families had no right to choose their own marriage partners. People like them didn't seek warmth; they only considered the pros and cons. She advised Qing Gang to act the same way. With Zhu Yan's support, Qing Gang might have a chance to ascend to the position of Lord Qing in the future. Although Qing Gang didn't care about these matters, seeing Bai Xuelu's insistence on power, he could only bid farewell helplessly.

Concubine Qing wanted King of Bei Mian to bestow marriage upon Lord Shi Yu and Bai Xueying. However, King of Bei Mian brought both Bai Xueying and Bai Xuelu before him and asked Shi Yu to choose one of the Bai family princesses as his wife. Shi Yu naturally chose his beloved Bai Xueying as his wife. King of Bei Mian had already heard about the mutual affection between the two and was willing to fulfill their wishes. King of Bei Mian believed that in his own life, he couldn't stay with the person he loved, so he hoped his son could be with the person he truly loved. King of Bei Mian dismissed Shi Yu and the others, and he told Concubine Qing that he could decree Shi Yu as the crown prince but warned her not to send anyone to harass the people of Jiuyi Mountain again.

Lord Bai learned that King of Bei Mian personally approved the marriage of Lord Shi Yu and Bai Xueying, so he hurriedly prepared bird's nest soup for Bai Xueying to taste. Bai Xuelu didn't blame anyone for missing out on Shi Yu. She always believed that Lord of Chi was not an ordinary person, and even if Shi Yu became the crown prince, he would struggle to achieve great things.

A new crown prince was chosen, and Zhu Yan knew that her master didn't care about such titles. With this arrangement, her master wouldn't have to worry about her being involved in conflicts, and perhaps she could quickly return to Jiuyi Mountain. Zhu Yan had been home for over a month, often sending letters and local products to Jiuyi Mountain, but she hadn't received a reply from her master. Now that the crown prince had been decided, Zhu Yan looked forward to her master's early arrival in Wujifeng City.

In her dream, Zhu Yan once again entered the strange realm. She wanted to approach the Wishing Tree but found herself blocked by a barrier. Qing Gang personally came to Lord of Chi's residence to propose, and Lord of Chi and his wife greatly favored the match, urging Zhu Yan to get along well with Qing Gang. Zhu Yan learned from Qing Gang that Concubine Qing wanted to win over the Chi Clan by arranging Qing Gang's marriage. Qing Gang couldn't refuse the clan leader's command, so he asked Zhu Yan to reject the proposal. Although Zhu Yan didn't like Bai Xuelu, she persuaded Qing Gang not to give up because of her. Under Zhu Yan's persuasion, Qing Gang decided to go back and reject the marriage alliance.

Shi Ying saw Zhu Yan again in the spiritual realm. Zhu Yan thought the phantom before her was her master in person and reproached him for not visiting her and for doing things she didn't dare to do with her master, teasing him in various ways. Faced with Zhu Yan's teasing, Shi Ying could only laugh and dispel Zhu Yan's suspicions. Zhu Yan embraced her laughing master, enjoying the presence of her master in the illusion since her master wouldn't allow her to embrace him in reality. Zhu Yan confided in the phantom master about being forced into marriage by her mother, and she wondered who could compare to such an excellent master she had encountered. Shi Ying heard Zhu Yan's praise and felt joyful, causing red flowers to bloom on the Wishing Tree in the spiritual realm.

Chong Ming informed Shi Ying that the assassin from the Ice Clan who targeted him hadn't died. Shi Ying knew that the survivor was Wu Xian, the leader of the Ten Sorcerers. As long as Wu Xian survived, even if the other nine were wiped out, he could rise from the ashes. The Ice Clan attacked the Emperor's Valley and the Nüluo Stream twice, and it was evident that there was a plot involving the Qing Clan behind the scenes. However, it was unknown what kind of agreement they had reached. Shi Ying wanted to find out the intentions of the Ice Clan and the identity of the wise person mentioned by Wu Xian.

Shi Ying and Chong Ming went to Jiuyi County to gather information. They found an item left behind by Wu Xian when he escaped and discovered maps of Jiuyi Mountain, the surrounding areas of Nüluo Stream, and the solution to the maze outside the Emperor's Valley. Chong Ming speculated that there was a traitor from the Ice Clan in Jiuyi Mountain. Shi Ying believed that the person who gave the map to Wu Xian was the wise one. He ordered Chong Ming to spread the news and search for the whereabouts of the Ten Sorcerers of the Ice Clan within the territory, hoping to find the wise person as soon as possible.

Shi Ying informed Da Si Ming about the information he had gathered, and Da Si Ming commanded him to continue the investigation. Da Si Ming also told Shi Ying that Concubine Qing had ordered Qing Gang to propose to Zhu Yan, and if Shi Ying felt it was inappropriate, he could use their incompatible fate as a reason to stop the marriage. However, Shi Ying stated that he had no interest in worldly matters, so he didn't care about Zhu Yan's marriage. Shi Ying extracted Da Si Ming's spiritual power in the realm of Qing Xiu and learned that Zhu Yan could enter his spiritual realm because Da Si Ming had reinforced the residual connection with his own spiritual power. Shi Ying questioned Da Si Ming's intentions for doing so. Although Da Si Ming didn't deny it, he said it was just a test to gauge Shi Ying's state of mind. Shi Ying emphasized that Zhu Yan was only his disciple, and he hoped Da Si Ming wouldn't speculate about their relationship. If Da Si Ming insisted on testing, he would erase all memories and spiritual power related to Zhu Yan and start his cultivation anew. Seeing Shi Ying determined to erase his memories and spiritual power, Da Si Ming intervened and promised to retract his spiritual power, no longer allowing Zhu Yan to enter Shi Ying's spiritual realm.

Shi Ying knew that Zhu Yan's desire not to marry was just a fantasy and a hope to return to Jiuyi Mountain one day. But if Zhu Yan still had any connection to him, both her and Lord of Chi's residence would be drawn into trouble. He personally wrote a marriage proposal letter to break Zhu Yan's delusion. A divine servant brought gifts and the marriage proposal letter, congratulating Zhu Yan on her blessed union with Qing Gang. The divine servant conveyed Shi Ying's message, hoping that Zhu Yan could enjoy the worldly pleasures and not be concerned about matters in the mountain. This made Zhu Yan very sad.

Zhu Yan couldn't accept Shi Ying's blessings for her marriage. She stole a horse from the royal palace and fled the city. Zhi Yuan learned about it and hurriedly chased after Zhu Yan. Zhu Yan couldn't understand why her master treated her this way. Zhi Yuan believed that Shi Ying, being a cultivator, was different from Zhu Yan, who was born in the mortal world. The marriage between the Qing and Chi clans was arranged by their parents, and Shi Ying couldn't stop it and could only congratulate the alliance. Zhu Yan made it clear that she would never marry Qing Gang, so Zhi Yuan had to help her find a temporary place to stay and escape from the marriage temporarily.

Zhi Yuan had lived a cautious and stable life for two hundred years. This time, he confronted Lord of Chi for Zhu Yan's sake and voluntarily went to apologize to him. Zhi Yuan believed that Princess Zhu Yan was unwilling to marry Qing Gang, and he hoped that Lord of Chi wouldn't force her. However, Lord of Chi believed that Qing Gang was a suitable match for Zhu Yan. He couldn't let her remain unmarried and lonely for the rest of her life. He ordered Zhi Yuan to disclose Zhu Yan's whereabouts, or else he would punish Zhi Yuan according to the rules. Zhi Yuan was willing to accept the punishment but refused to reveal Zhu Yan's location. Lord of Chi became furious and ordered his men to whip Zhi Yuan forty times.

When Zhu Yan saw Zhi Yuan being punished by her father, she blamed herself for causing trouble for him. She personally treated his wounds caused by the whipping. Zhu Yan took the opportunity to ask Zhi Yuan who taught him swordsmanship, and Zhi Yuan said that he learned it from his beloved. It was then that Zhu Yan learned that Zhi Yuan's beloved was also her master. She felt envious of Zhi Yuan. Zhu Yan realized that Qing Gang was her best choice if she had to consider marriage. She had thought that her relationship with her master was as close as Zhi Yuan's, where they could talk about anything. But the marriage proposal letter sent by her master made her realize that she was ultimately an outsider in his heart. She now understood that it would be difficult for her to return to Jiuyi Mountain, and all she could do was hope for her master to break the mirror on the mountain as soon as possible. Seeing Zhu Yan distressed, Zhi Yuan advised her to calmly express her thoughts to Lord of Chi.

A special envoy from the court delivered an empty military fund chest and used the delay in the marriage between the Qing and Chi clans as an excuse. Lord of Chi had no choice but to send the remaining food from the royal palace to the military to alleviate the situation. However, his men reported that the palace had run out of food. The special envoy used the delay in the marriage to pressure Lord of Chi, and his men could no longer tolerate it and wanted to kill the special envoy. Zhu Yan hurriedly arrived to stop them and learned that her father had been under pressure due to the military funds. She publicly asked the special envoy to deliver a message, stating that she agreed to the marriage between the two clans.

Concubine Qing bestowed a silver hairpin upon Bai Xuelu and wanted her to become the concubine of Shi Yu. Bai Xuelu accepted without refusal. At this time, Qing Gang requested an audience with Concubine Qing and refused the marriage with Zhu Yan. Qing Gang stated that Zhu Yan was not the person he loved, and he was willing to serve in the Qing clan and fight on the battlefield, but when it came to marriage, he wanted to marry the one he truly loved. Although the person he admired had no interest in him, he hoped that she would fulfill her own desires. However, he was still unwilling to give up on his own desires and would remain unmarried and lonely for the rest of his life. Concubine Qing became furious and threatened to strip Qing Gang of his position as Shadow Warrior General. Bai Xuelu openly criticized Qing Gang for being foolish, giving up a bright future for the sake of marriage. She accused Zhu Yan of thinking too highly of herself and not wanting to expose the marriage. The special envoy arrived to report that Zhu Yan had already agreed to the marriage, which surprised both Bai Xuelu and Qing Gang.

Zhu Yan entered Shi Ying's spiritual realm again and saw that the Wishing Tree's flowers and leaves were withering. She tried to approach the tree but was blocked by the barrier. She accused her master of sending her a marriage proposal letter and asked if he really wanted her to marry and never see her again. In her master's heart, Zhu Yan believed that she was ultimately an outsider. Shi Ying saw Zhu Yan's sadness but could only respond silently. Zhu Yan was the person he cared about the most in this mortal world, but he didn't want to involve her and the Chi clan. Zhu Yan realized that she couldn't accompany her master by his side in the future and told him to smile and be happy even if he was alone. Tearfully, Zhu Yan bid farewell to her master and the Wishing Tree. Shi Ying watched as the Wishing Tree and Zhu Yan disappeared before his eyes, feeling reluctant despite it being his long-awaited wish.

Chong Ming learned that the Ice Clan members were appearing in Songzhou, and Shi Ying speculated that it might be their landing point. He planned to send a message to Jiulan, urging them to strengthen their defenses to prevent more Ice Clan members from entering Kongsang. Shi Ying prepared to go to Xifeng County with Chong Ming for investigation. Chong Ming initially wanted to pass by Tianji Wind City to visit Zhu Yan, but Shi Ying insisted on bypassing it and not disturbing Zhu Yan.

To thank Zhi Yuan for his companionship over the years, Zhu Yan planned to use the origami crane technique to help him find his beloved. But Zhi Yuan revealed that his beloved was a woman named Kongsang, who had passed away many years ago. Zhi Yuan thanked Zhu Yan for her kindness and asked her to teach him the art of transforming origami cranes. He wanted to use the cranes to fly to the Biluo Sea and find his deceased loved one. Zhu Yan passed on the technique to Zhi Yuan, hoping that his beloved could find peace.

Zhu Yan knew that the purse Zhi Yuan always carried was a gift from his beloved, so she secretly took out the pearl from the purse and performed a spell to manifest Zhi Yuan's beloved. She hoped that this would console Zhi Yuan's longing for the past two hundred years. Yao Yi appeared before Zhi Yuan, surprising him greatly. Zhi Yuan couldn't help but embrace Yao Yi, unaware that it was actually Zhu Yan disguised as Yao Yi. Lord of Chi and his wife, accompanied by the special envoy, arrived in the courtyard and witnessed Zhi Yuan embracing Zhu Yan. Lord of Chi became furious and slapped Zhi Yuan, considering his behavior as an insult to the princess.

The envoy of the Qing clan accused Zhu Yan of colluding with the merfolk slaves and canceled the marriage between the two clans. Zhu Yan defended Zhi Yuan's identity in front of everyone, stating that the merfolk were much nobler than these arrogant and disrespectful people of the Qing clan. Zhi Yuan, witnessing Zhu Yan's defense, recalled the scene when Yao Yi defended him in the past, and he finally saw Yao Yi's appearance. Zhu Yan explained to Zhi Yuan that she had intended to use the pearl to help him, but unexpectedly, the pearl disappeared from her forehead. Zhi Yuan recognized that Zhu Yan was the reincarnation of Yao Yi.

Lord of Chi became furious and wanted to kill Zhi Yuan. Zhu Yan intervened, explaining that she had transformed into the image of the person in Zhi Yuan's heart to comfort him because she saw him in distress. Zhi Yuan's abnormal behavior was a result of mistaken identity. At Zhu Yan's plea, Lord of Chi's wife also interceded for Zhi Yuan. Considering Zhi Yuan's service to the Chi clan for generations, Lord of Chi allowed Zhi Yuan to leave the palace.

Zhi Yuan knew that he had to address the situation. To protect Zhu Yan's reputation, he took the initiative to bid farewell to Lord of Chi and his wife and left the palace. Zhu Yan was reluctant to part with Zhi Yuan and tearfully begged her father and mother for mercy. However, in the end, she could only watch Zhi Yuan leave the palace. Zhu Yan was confined to the palace, worried about Zhi Yuan, who had left injured.

Zhi Yuan couldn't believe that the person who had been by his side for two hundred years was actually Yao Yi, who had finally returned. In the past, Yao Yi had found the injured Zhi Yuan on the battlefield and brought him back for treatment. At that time, Zhi Yuan had forgotten his past on the battlefield because he didn't know the true nature of his identity. Yao Yi made him follow her, forbidding him from committing any evil deeds in the future, and named him Chi Yuan. Zhi Yuan became Yao Yi's disciple and learned the Kongsang Swordsmanship. As they spent more time together, he developed feelings for Yao Yi and eventually transformed into a male form.

Yao Yi recognized that Zhi Yuan was not an ordinary merfolk and took him as her disciple, changing his surname to guide him towards goodness and to keep him by her side. Yao Yi gave Zhi Yuan a choice. If he returned to the palace of the Chi clan, she would accompany him even if they faced countless obstacles. If Zhi Yuan couldn't let go of the past and wanted to return to his people, she wouldn't stop him. At that time, Zhi Yuan had already fallen for Yao Yi and naturally chose to stay by her side. Later, when Yao Yi was critically injured on the battlefield, she entrusted Zhi Yuan to protect her people and wait for her reincarnation.

Zhi Yuan firmly believed that Zhu Yan was the reincarnation of Yao Yi, but he didn't know that Yao Yi's curse from the Ice Clan prevented her from reincarnating. She could only leave a fragment of her consciousness on the Red Pearl and stay by Zhi Yuan's side. For two hundred years, Zhu Yan was the only person who could make Zhi Yuan let go of his obsession with the past. Now that the Red Pearl had shattered, it was time for Yao Yi's fragment of consciousness to depart. She only hoped that Zhu Yan would accompany Zhi Yuan and grow old together.

Shi Ying and Chong Ming traveled to Riyue Lake and unexpectedly learned that the Qing clan had canceled the marriage proposal for their princess. Although Shi Ying was worried, he chose to ignore it. The merfolk princess, Yu Ji, and her son from the Huotu tribe had been suppressed by the Grand Concubine for many years. The old king knew about it but could offer limited help. He promised to let Sumo and the noble grandchildren of the tribe study together. As long as Sumo succeeded in his studies, even when the old king was no longer in this world, Yu Ji would have someone to rely on. However, before he could finish speaking, the old king was attacked by shadows and died. The Grand Concubine believed that Yu Ji had caused the old king's death and wanted to execute her. Sumo stepped forward to protect his mother. Koko heard the commotion and came to stop the Grand Concubine, believing that the most important thing at the moment was to inform Jialan and Tianji Wind City about the king's death to prevent turmoil in the Huotu tribe.

Emperor Jun of Jialan Imperial City issued an imperial decree for Zhu Yan to marry Prince Koko of the Huotu tribe. Lord of Chi and his wife were unwilling to let their daughter marry into the desert, but Zhu Yan personally approved the marriage. She believed that marrying Prince Koko of the Huotu tribe suited her better than joining the Qing clan. The Chi clan was currently under pressure, and her father and mother had worked hard. As a princess of the Chi clan, she should share their burdens and help them overcome difficulties.

Shi Ying found the Ice Clan witch Zhen at Riyue Lake and learned from her that the Cangliu Empire would soon return to the Cloud Wilderness. The sages wanted to use the blood of Kongsang children to create a blood ritual, and Zhen stated that the world she had created would also be destroyed by her. Shi Ying returned to Jiuyi Mountain and asked Da Si Ming if there were any records of the immortal passing of the Emperor Star Lord. He suspected that the Emperor Star Lord had not truly ascended as an immortal. Currently, Gui Xie had not appeared, but he found in the records that if the Sea Emperor merged with the sacred object, the Dragon Blood Ancient Jade, there would be a reaction. He planned to find the whereabouts of the Dragon Blood Ancient Jade.

Qing Gang and Xueying came to bid farewell to Zhu Yan for her marriage. Zhu Yan took them to taste the delicacies in Tianji Wind City. She thanked them for coming to see her off and expressed her willingness to marry Prince Koko of the Huotu tribe, asking her friends not to worry about her. Zhu Yan instructed Qing Gang not to let Bai Xuelu take advantage of him and expressed her concern for the soft-hearted Xueying. She urged Xueying that if Concubine Qing troubled her, she mustn't endure it and should seek help from Prince Shi Yu. The three of them drank together and ended up getting drunk at the tavern. In her drunken state, Zhu Yan mistakenly thought she saw her master but then realized that Zhi Yuan was standing before her.

Zhi Yuan knew why Zhu Yan chose to marry into the Huotu tribe, and he hoped that when the day of Zhu Yan's freedom came, he would reveal his true identity to her. By then, he would personally tell Zhu Yan that she was the lover he had been waiting for two hundred years. Now that the Dragon God had awakened, he couldn't let Zhu Yan fall into the same predicament and danger as two hundred years ago. He would lead the Sea Emperor onto the right path, resolving the grievances between the two clans. At that time, no one would be able to prevent them from being together. Zhi Yuan left the new map of the Huotu tribe for Zhu Yan while she was drunk and silently departed.

The next day, Zhu Yan studied the newly acquired map of the Huotu tribe. She suspected that someone had specifically left it for her but wasn't sure if it was Zhi Yuan. Zhu Yan bid farewell to her father and mother. The duration of her absence was uncertain, and she was afraid she wouldn't have the chance to serve her parents in their old age. She hoped that in the next life, she could continue being a daughter to her father and mother. Zhu Yan severed her hair to repay her parents' kindness and asked them to promise that they would be well, no matter what happened. She then tearfully parted with her parents and boarded the bridal carriage to marry into the distant Huotu tribe.

After a long journey, Zhu Yan arrived at the Huotu tribe, where Prince Koko and his people welcomed her. Zhu Yan observed that most of the Huotu tribe members had ordinary spiritual power and were not her opponents. Only the High Wizard made her wary, but she discreetly tested him and found no abnormalities.

Shi Yu learned that Da Si Ming was actually Shi Ying and wrote a letter to Shi Ying, hoping for a reunion between brothers. Shi Yu mentioned Zhu Yan marrying into the Huotu tribe and inquired if Shi Ying could come to Jialan to witness the occasion. Upon learning about Zhu Yan's marriage, Shi Ying remained outwardly calm, but he was deeply moved inside.

The Grand Concubine of the Huotu tribe arranged for Princess Zhu Yan to rest before the wedding. Zhu Yan took the opportunity to inquire about the incident involving the Sand Demon that had occurred in the Huotu tribe. That night, Zhu Yan informed her maid, Yu Fei, about her plan to fake her death and run away from the marriage. She didn't want to drag the entire Chi clan into trouble by defying the imperial decree. Thus, she decided to escape by faking her death. At that moment, Zhi Yuan, disguised as a member of the Huotu tribe, found Zhu Yan. He had already guessed Zhu Yan's plan and was ready to help her. However, this time, Zhu Yan didn't want Zhi Yuan to be involved because if the plan failed, it would be a grave offense punishable by death. She didn't want anyone else to be implicated. Throughout their time together, it was always Zhi Yuan who worried for her. Zhu Yan believed that everyone had difficulties they had to face alone, and this time she was fully prepared to handle it on her own, allowing Zhi Yuan to focus on what he needed to do.

Zhi Yuan knew that there was ongoing turmoil within the Sea Kingdom's military. To ensure that the elders didn't discover his and Zhu Yan's existence, he needed to leave as soon as possible. He had prepared horses in advance for Zhu Yan's escape and informed her that the eastern side of the tribe had increased patrols while the western side had the weakest defense. Zhu Yan asked Zhi Yuan to promise her that he would successfully accomplish what they needed to do so they could reunite elsewhere.

Zhu Yan secretly went out to check the horses for their escape and unexpectedly encountered Yu Ji seeking help. Yu Ji hoped that Zhu Yan could cure her son Sumo, who was suffering from a high fever. Yu Ji recognized the Dragon Blood Ancient Jade on Zhu Yan's body and knew that she was acquainted with Zhi Yuan. Yu Ji was unable to speak due to being poisoned, so she wrote her name in water. Zhu Yan learned of Yu Ji's identity as the favored concubine of the late king and that she was being imprisoned and tortured by the Grand Concubine. Zhu Yan understood that Yu Ji wanted her to save Sumo, but she couldn't escape with both of them at the moment due to her limited abilities. She had to find another way.

Bai Xuelu secretly sought an audience with Da Si Ming, expressing her intention to atone for her deeds and expose the Qing clan's conspiracy. She accidentally overheard Concubine Qing and the High Wizard of the Huotu tribe plotting the marriage between the Chi clan and the Huotu tribe. She also mentioned that given time, she would ensure that Prince Shi Yu achieved great merit. Da Si Ming had long been aware of Concubine Qing's schemes and mentioned that he planned to send Shi Ying to the Huotu tribe to resolve the matter.

Zhu Yan brought Yu Ji and her son to her temporary resting place. While taking care of Sumo, the Dragon Blood Ancient Jade on Zhu Yan's body unexpectedly came into contact with him, causing a reaction in Sumo's body. Zhi Yuan sensed the rise of the Gui Xie Star and worried that if the Sea Emperor fell into the hands of someone with evil intentions, Kongsang and the merfolk would be plunged into an irreversible disaster. He hurriedly headed to the merfolk tribe to deal with the situation in advance. Shi Ying also noticed the rise of the Gui Xie Star and reported it to Da Si Ming. Da Si Ming realized that Gui Xie had appeared in the Huotu tribe of the Western Wilderness. Concerned about the impact of the Gui Xie Star on Kongsang's fortunes, he sent Shi Ying to the Huotu tribe to handle the matter.

The Sage also learned about the rise of the Gui Xie Star and believed that the world was on the brink of chaos. At that time, the Houtian Divine Ring would leave the Azure Sea and return to the Kongsang mainland. He planned to exacerbate the conflict between Kongsang and the merfolk, stirring up chaos in the Cloud Wilderness. The Sage learned that Shi Ying, the Junior Lord of Jiuyi Mountain, was investigating his whereabouts and realized that Shi Ying might have already guessed his identity. However, he had his own ways to deal with Shi Ying.

Zhi Yuan couldn't sense the presence of the Sea Emperor and suspected that the Sea Emperor had left the Huotu tribe. In the Huotu tribe, he couldn't find any trace of the merfolk and learned that the Huotu tribe had captured all the merfolk and imprisoned them in Ancient Miang City. Shi Ying, accompanied by Chong Ming, also arrived at the Huotu tribe to search for the Sea Emperor's whereabouts. They discovered that the merfolk were imprisoned in Ancient Miang City but didn't know the location of the city. Shi Ying planned to seek an audience with the Grand Concubine of the Huotu tribe to inquire about the merfolk, despite Chong Ming reminding him that it was the day of Zhu Yan and Koko's wedding. Nevertheless, Shi Ying insisted on going to the Huotu tribe urgently.

The wedding was imminent, and Zhu Yan created an illusion of herself, intending to send the illusion with the Jade Bone to attend the wedding while she secretly left the Huotu tribe. Shi Ying arrived at the Huotu tribe and witnessed Koko marrying Zhu Yan. During the wedding, Shi Ying sensed that the Zhu Yan participating in the ceremony was fake. Meanwhile, the real Zhu Yan, who had escaped from the Huotu tribe, caused chaos during the wedding by summoning Sand Demons and took the opportunity to kill her own illusion.

Shi Ying realized that the chaos caused by the Sand Demons was Zhu Yan's doing. He took back the Jade Bone amidst the commotion. Zhu Yan finally regained her freedom and rode away from the Huotu tribe. During her journey, she unexpectedly encountered Shi Ying in front of her. Shi Ying presented the Jade Bone and accused Zhu Yan of treating the gift he gave her in such a manner. He also revealed that the High Wizard of the Huotu tribe had long seen through Zhu Yan's plan. Zhu Yan, who had been delighted to see her master, was now displeased with his reproach. She wanted to retrieve the Jade Bone, but Shi Ying refused to exchange it with her. Instead, he brought her back to the Huotu tribe to see the consequences of her actions.

Zhu Yan and Shi Ying hid under an umbrella, observing as the High Wizard of the Huotu tribe successfully dealt with the Sand Demon disturbance. The High Wizard publicly announced that Princess Zhu Yan was severely injured and had been taken into the tent for treatment. The High Wizard and the Grand Concubine ordered guards to protect the tent while the High Wizard prepared to use the eyes of numerous merfolk to resurrect Zhu Yan's puppet illusion. Unbeknownst to Zhu Yan, the Grand Concubine had planned to control Zhu Yan's mind that night, allowing her to manipulate Zhu Yan as she pleased. The Grand Concubine's true intention was to control Zhu Yan and, ultimately, the entire Chi clan.

Zhu Yan secretly learned about the Grand Concubine's rebellious intentions and despised the idea of being turned into a puppet. The High Wizard realized that Zhu Yan's illusion was fake, and Zhu Yan was unexpectedly thrown into the tent by Shi Ying, appearing before the Grand Concubine and the High Wizard. The Grand Concubine wanted to kill the real Zhu Yan, and the High Wizard attacked Zhu Yan, but Shi Ying revealed himself at that moment. The Grand Concubine believed that Shi Ying was the Junior Lord of Jiuyi Mountain, an outsider who had no authority over the affairs of the Huotu tribe. Kokko arrived and discovered that Zhu Yan was still alive. The Grand Concubine didn't want to inform Kokko about Zhu Yan's collusion with outsiders to escape the marriage, as the Jiuyi Mountain and the Chi clan intended to use the wedding to deal with the Huotu tribe. Zhu Yan countered, stating that it was the Grand Concubine who wanted to turn her into a puppet to control the Western Wilderness, and the High Wizard had caused the disappearance of many merfolk in order to practice forbidden arts.

The Grand Concubine ordered the capture and execution of Shi Ying and Zhu Yan. Shi Ying fought against everyone alone, impressing the Grand Concubine with his abilities. The High Wizard, realizing he was no match, hastily fled. Shi Ying accused the Grand Concubine of attempting to murder the Chi clan princess, conspiring against the Western Wilderness, and now with solid evidence against her, the Grand Concubine pretended to confess and attempted to assassinate Shi Ying. Zhu Yan realized this and saved her master. Prince Kokko learned about the cause and effect of the situation, discovering that his mother had conspired with the High Wizard in an attempt to rebel, and he believed that his father had died at the hands of the High Wizard's forbidden arts.

Prince Kokko was willing to take full responsibility and hoped that Shi Ying wouldn't implicate the entire tribe. Shi Ying promised that as long as Kokko didn't rebel, he would request the Heavenly Emperor to spare the innocent. Subsequently, Kokko committed suicide to apologize, and witnessing his son taking his own life for his actions, the Grand Concubine burst into tears.

Shi Ying arranged for Chong Ming to take the Grand Concubine away and interrogate her about the whereabouts of Ancient Miang City. Zhu Yan questioned Shi Ying why he didn't save Kokko, and Shi Ying explained that Kokko wanted to use his own blood to cleanse the Huotu tribe's sins, and he would hand the Grand Concubine over to the Jialan emissary for punishment, without implicating anyone else in the Huotu tribe. Zhu Yan expressed regret that she didn't have the chance to save Kokko, but Shi Ying believed that Zhu Yan was stronger than she imagined and urged her to believe in herself. He then returned the Jade Bone to Zhu Yan.

Shi Ying had already written a letter to Lord Chi, urging him to bring Zhu Yan back as soon as possible, as he had other matters to attend to. Zhu Yan questioned her master, stating that he didn't come to the Huotu tribe for her but merely happened to rescue her along the way. Shi Ying didn't deny it, further disappointing Zhu Yan.

Although Shi Ying didn't inform Lord Chi about Zhu Yan's escape plan, he still intended to personally teach Zhu Yan a lesson. Zhu Yan was surprised that Shi Ying actually slapped her with a paddle and Shi Ying explained that he did it to make her remember that she should never risk her own life and the lives of her people. The marriage proposal was his wish as her master, but Zhu Yan held the power to fulfill her own desires. Instead of resorting to escape, she could persuade Lord Qing or Kokko to refuse the marriage proposal. Zhu Yan believed that her master only spoke of reason but didn't understand her inner struggles. If she didn't marry into the Huotu tribe, Concubine Qing would make things difficult for the Chi clan.

Shi Ying hadn't considered that Concubine Qing would cause trouble for the Chi clan. Zhu Yan stated that Concubine Qing troubled the Chi clan not because of Shi Ying but because Lord Chi refused to submit. Shi Ying believed that Zhu Yan could resolve the issue by writing a letter to him, and Zhu Yan realized that her master still cared about her but blamed him for never telling her his thoughts. Shi Ying used his techniques to trap Zhu Yan and handed her a secret manual, instructing her to practice her techniques and wait for Lord Chi to come and take her. However, Shi Ying tore out one page of the manual, refusing to let Zhu Yan learn the techniques on that page.

Chong Ming informed Shi Ying that the Grand Concubine had ultimately taken her own life but revealed the location of Ancient Miang City before dying. The city imprisoned many merfolk and could hold clues to the source of evil. Shi Ying, accompanied by Chong Ming, hurried to Ancient Miang City while sending the evidence of the Grand Concubine's rebellion back to Tianji Fengcheng. Jiuyi Mountain was an outsider's domain and shouldn't be involved in Jialan affairs. Shi Ying was willing to credit the success of quelling the chaos to Lord Chi. Yu Fei helped Zhu Yan tend to her wounds and, during their conversation, mentioned rumors among the servants about Zhu Yan and Shi Ying being mutually in love. Zhu Yan commanded that anyone spreading rumors that tarnished her master's reputation should be immediately punished.

Zhu Yan remembered the Fish Princess and her child whom she had encountered in the Baimian Peak. Now, she was trapped within the barrier and had to send Yu Fei to find the Fish Princess and her child. Zhu Yan didn't want to remain trapped and began practicing the spells from the magical book left by Shi Ying.

On their escape, Fish Princess learned about the Huotu tribe's rebellion and how the Grand Concubine used the lives of merfolk to practice dark magic. Su Mo believed that people from Kongsang were not good and urged her mother to leave the Huotu tribe as soon as possible. Yu Fei brought news to Zhu Yan that they hadn't found the Fish Princess and her child at Baimian Peak. Worried about their safety, Zhu Yan wanted to break the barrier and find them quickly.

Zhi Yuan intentionally allowed himself to be captured in Ancient Miang City, but he couldn't sense the presence of the Sea Emperor there. Witnessing the torment suffered by the merfolk, Zhi Yuan decided to rescue them. The High Wizard discovered the escape and tried to stop the merfolk, but Zhi Yuan protected them and led them to safety. However, he discovered that the High Wizard used soulless merfolk to attack him. Reluctant to harm his own people, Zhi Yuan chose to flee, but the soulless merfolk continued to pursue him. In a crucial moment, Shi Ying arrived and killed the soulless merfolk, saving Zhi Yuan.

Shi Ying believed that these merfolk no longer had souls, and instead of being manipulated while alive, it would be better to kill them and return them to the deep sea. Shi Ying revealed his identity as the Junior Lord of Jiuyi Mountain and mistakenly believed that Zhi Yuan was the Sea Emperor he was searching for. The High Wizard wanted to obtain the power of the Dark God Di Ba, which required sacrificing a hundred merfolk. He had struggled because he couldn't meet the conditions. However, after witnessing Shi Ying's ability to control numerous arrows in Huotu tribe, the High Wizard wanted to use Shi Ying's power to obtain the power of Di Ba. The High Wizard admitted that he served Concubine Qing and, under the pretense of assisting Shi Ying, wanted Shi Ying to hand over control of the Western Wilderness after his plan succeeded. Shi Ying scorned the offer and refused to agree to the High Wizard's conditions.

Shi Ying and Zhi Yuan joined forces to confront the High Wizard, engaging in a fierce battle that ended with the High Wizard's death. However, to their surprise, the High Wizard resurrected and the battle continued. Eventually, they managed to kill the High Wizard for good, but Shi Ying was unexpectedly hit by a gemstone from the High Wizard's staff. The gemstone contained the power of an ancient demon, causing Shi Ying to lose consciousness.

Chong Ming examined Shi Ying's injuries and explained that the gemstone's demonic power conflicted with Shi Ying's practice of the heavenly and earthly powers. The longer it remained in his body, the more damage it would cause, suppressing his spiritual energy. After handing Shi Ying over to Chong Ming, Zhi Yuan left, as he believed Zhi Yuan was the Sea Emperor. However, he thought that with Zhi Yuan's character, it would bring fortune, not harm, to Kongsang.

After two days of contemplation, Zhu Yan finally discovered the key to learning the spells in the book. She successfully mastered the spells and broke the barrier set by Shi Ying. Zhu Yan searched the Huotu tribe but couldn't find the Fish Princess and her child. She decided to return to Tianji Fengcheng with Yu Fei and the others.

Da Si Ming spread the news of Shi Ying suppressing the turmoil in the Huotu tribe, and Shi Ying knew that Da Si Ming wanted him to bring peace and return to Jialan. However, Shi Ying's goal wasn't to become the Heavenly Emperor; he wanted to quickly resolve the threat and return to Jiuyi Mountain. Zhi Yuan returned to the underground city of the merfolk but couldn't sense the Sea Emperor's whereabouts either. The elder of the merfolk told Zhi Yuan to retrieve the Bining Pearl from the bodies of the merfolk they had brought, but Zhi Yuan accused the elder of harming their own kind. The purpose of the Sea Kingdom's revival was to prevent the merfolk from being exploited, not to oppress innocent people. Zhi Yuan saved the merfolk and threatened the elder that he wouldn't show mercy if he continued to harm their own kind.

A sage arrived at the underground city and knew what the elder planned to do. He believed that inciting war was the prelude to a real war with Kongsang and thought the immediate task for the Sea Kingdom was to attack Tianji Fengcheng. Soon, the Sea Kingdom launched an attack on Tianji Fengcheng. Zhu Yan learned about the battle and intended to return to help her father. On her way, Zhu Yan discovered that the Sea Kingdom's forces had surrounded Xia City to seize provisions. She wanted to go and relieve Xia City but unexpectedly encountered her master and Chong Ming at a post station. In order to create distance between them, Shi Ying wanted to leave that night, but Zhu Yan realized his intentions and persuaded him not to worry about sharing the post station with her, as she would be leaving the next day. Zhu Yan unexpectedly discovered her master's suspicious behavior when she tried to stop him from noticing her injury. To prevent Zhu Yan from discovering the truth, Shi Ying reluctantly decided to stay at the post station.

That night, Shi Ying learned from Yu Fei that Zhu Yan had fainted and rushed to check on her, only to be trapped by Zhu Yan and have his pulse examined. Zhu Yan discovered that his spiritual power was stagnating and asked why he was injured. Chong Ming appeared to help Shi Ying explain the source and severity of his injuries, hoping that Zhu Yan would persuade Shi Ying to seek treatment from an old physician in Xia City. Shi Ying didn't want Zhu Yan to interfere and, instead of allowing Zhu Yan to directly remove the barrier, he suggested that they go to Xia City the next day to find the old physician. Shi Ying wanted to convince Chong Ming to remove the barrier, but Chong Ming prioritized treating Shi Ying's injury and naturally refused Shi Ying's request.

The next day, Zhu Yan used her techniques to restrain Shi Ying and took him to Xia City. Shi Ying was restricted in his movements and felt helpless. To facilitate Shi Ying's medication, Zhu Yan removed the silencing spell along the way.

Zhu Yan took the opportunity to tease her master while feeding him medicine, and she sprinkled some of the medicine on him, forcing Shi Ying to change into Chi Clan attire. The group then hurried to Xia City, with Zhu Yan and Shi Ying posing as a Chi Clan couple. Shi Ying pretended to be severely ill with a cold, and after a thorough inspection, Zhu Yan and Shi Ying successfully entered Xia City.

Shi Ying didn't want Zhu Yan to risk herself for him and wanted her to find an opportunity to leave. However, Zhu Yan couldn't easily let her master go and used her magic to lock Shi Ying, taking him to the physician Xu's clinic. Zhu Yan asked someone at the clinic to prepare food but used her magic to immobilize her master's right hand, making it impossible for him to eat on his own. Shi Ying had no choice but to help take care of her.

Zhu Yan understood that her master didn't want to burden her, and Shi Ying honestly admitted that Zhu Yan had been seriously injured because of him on Jiuyi Mountain. He didn't want to owe Zhu Yan anything in the mortal world. Zhu Yan believed that since her master believed she wasn't just an ordinary woman confined to the inner chambers, he shouldn't view her with the eyes of someone looking at a weakling. She stated that everything she did was based on her own principles and she always remembered the teachings of her master. She wouldn't hesitate or act against her own principles.

Shi Ying asked Zhu Yan to release the spell, and once they arrived in Xia City, he wouldn't choose to leave anymore. After having their meal, Shi Ying sought treatment from Physician Xu, who recognized Shi Ying's identity as a practitioner from Jiuyi Mountain and treated his wounds. Physician Xu mentioned encountering someone who insisted on going through the trials of hell and returning to the mortal world for the sake of a loved one. However, in hundreds of years, no one had successfully passed the trials of hell, and that person died under the heavenly thunder. Shi Ying believed that if one chose to be heartless in the mountains, they shouldn't seek true love in the mortal world. Therefore, he didn't approve of that person's choice back then.

Although Physician Xu removed the fragments from Shi Ying's body, the malevolent energy inside him still needed time to be purified. For the next three days, Shi Ying wouldn't be able to use any magical power. If he forcefully activated his power, it would only backfire on himself. Physician Xu cautioned Shi Ying not to recklessly use his true essence.

When Zhu Yan saw Chong Ming arriving at the clinic, she wanted to bid farewell and leave the place. Chong Ming intended to express his feelings to Zhu Yan and persuade her to stay, but Shi Ying interrupted him. Shi Ying stated that he would be fine after resting for a few more hours and urged Zhu Yan to leave with peace of mind.

Upon receiving a letter from Lord Chi, Zhu Yan learned that the crisis in Xia City had been resolved and troops from Jialan were sent to support them. The crisis in Tianji Fengcheng had also been alleviated. Shi Ying stated that he had urgent matters to attend to in the Western Wilderness and planned to part ways with Zhu Yan there. Zhu Yan was concerned about her master's condition and accompanied him to the mountain to observe the stars. On the way, she deliberately twisted her ankle to test her master. Seeing that Zhu Yan insisted on going up the mountain with him, Shi Ying had no choice but to carry her on his back. Shi Ying had long seen through Zhu Yan's ruse to test his recovery of magical power but also thought that Zhu Yan's behavior of truly twisting her ankle was quite foolish.

Since the appearance of the Gui Xie Star, it had been intermittent. While observing the stars on the mountain, Shi Ying couldn't detect the whereabouts of the Gui Xie Star and suspected that its owner had been teetering between life and death. Shi Ying honestly stated that he had descended the mountain to make the Gui Xie Star a reality but also came for Zhu Yan. After all, Zhu Yan was his first disciple, and he couldn't let her die in Huotu tribe without understanding the truth. Shi Ying wanted to investigate the whereabouts of the Gui Xie Star to determine if this person posed a threat to Kongsang. He would take action before disaster struck and prevent the suffering of the world caused by him. Shi Ying intended to continue tracing the Gui Xie Star and planned to go to the White Tower in Jialan to observe the stars. They would part ways the next day. Zhu Yan was reluctant to separate from her master and, upon hearing that her master was willing to grant her a wish, she requested him to play the xiao flute for her. Shi Ying naturally fulfilled her wish.

The next day, Shi Ying originally intended to leave with Chong Ming directly. However, Zhu Yan caught up with him and explained that since the battle in Xia City, he had become the target of the Sea Kingdom's forces. Now, the entire Western Wilderness was searching for Shi Ying. Zhu Yan worried that her master, whose powers had not yet recovered, would be unable to resist the Sea Kingdom's forces. Just as someone tried to capture Shi Ying, Zhu Yan noticed it and pushed Shi Ying away, but she herself was caught.

The Sea Kingdom's forces used a precious treasure of the Merfolk to capture Zhu Yan. Shi Ying wanted to rescue her, but his powers had not yet recovered, so he could only watch helplessly as the Sea Kingdom's forces took Zhu Yan and escaped underwater. Shi Ying wanted to forcefully drive away the evil energy and restore his powers by using his true essence, but the true essence was the foundation of cultivation, and using it recklessly could easily lead to demonic possession. Determined to save Zhu Yan, Shi Ying decided to restore his powers using his true essence.

Zhu Yan was taken to the underground city of the Merfolk, where Elder Jian learned that she was a disciple of the Young Commander and the ruler of the Chi Clan. He planned to take action against her but was unexpectedly repelled by the dragon blood bone jade on Zhu Yan's body. Elder Jian realized that the jade must have been given to Zhu Yan by Zhi Yuan, and seeing how important Zhi Yuan was to Zhu Yan, he planned to use her to deal with him.

Zhi Yuan sensed the presence of the Sea Emperor but unexpectedly discovered the destitute Fish Princess and her child. He suspected that one of them was the Sea Emperor. Just then, a Merfolk came to report that Zhu Yan had been captured, so Zhi Yuan hurried back to the underground city to rescue her.

When Zhi Yuan arrived at the underground city, he saw Elder Jian using the treasure to bind Zhu Yan. Elder Jian intended to threaten Zhi Yuan but was unaware that the Sea Kingdom's artifacts were all made by the Zhi clan. Zhi Yuan freed Zhu Yan and used the treasure to bind Elder Jian instead.

After restoring his powers, Shi Ying arrived at the Merfolk to demand the release of Zhu Yan. Zhi Yuan realized that now that the Sea Kingdom had declared war on the Chi Clan, he couldn't bring himself to reveal the connection between him and Zhu Yan from their past lives. Thus, he temporarily entrusted Zhu Yan to Shi Ying.

Shi Ying treated Zhu Yan's injuries, and when she woke up, she mistakenly believed that her master had saved her and used his true essence to do so. To prevent Zhu Yan from worrying, Shi Ying claimed that he had only consumed a red fruit to restore his powers. Zhi Yuan, who was observing from the side, saw how much Shi Ying cared about Zhu Yan and realized that he had arrived too late in this lifetime. Shi Ying explained that Zhi Yuan had saved Zhu Yan, and only then did Zhu Yan notice Zhi Yuan's presence. She expressed her gratitude to Zhi Yuan and introduced her master, Shi Ying, to Zhi Yuan.

Shi Ying believed that Zhi Yuan was the leader of the Sea Kingdom's forces and that they had abducted Zhu Yan, sparking a war in the Western Wilderness. He questioned whether Zhi Yuan knew anything about this. Zhu Yan explained that Zhi Yuan had only recently returned to the Merfolk and that her abduction was orchestrated by Elder Jian, an elder of the Merfolk, with no connection to Zhi Yuan. Shi Ying couldn't understand why Zhi Yuan had concealed himself within the Chi Clan for so many years and why the Sea Kingdom's forces were so familiar with the terrain of the Tianji Fengcheng. At that moment, the Chi Clan's horn sounded, and Zhi Yuan hurriedly wanted to return to the Merfolk. He stated that he would address these questions at a later time. Zhu Yan believed in Zhi Yuan's character, and with her persuasion, Shi Ying agreed to let Zhi Yuan go and convince the Sea Kingdom's forces to withdraw.

Before leaving, Zhi Yuan hoped that Shi Ying would not let Zhu Yan be in danger again and entrusted her to him. He also stated that if Shi Ying put Zhu Yan in danger again, he would personally protect her.

Zhu Yan asked Shi Ying to temporarily conceal Zhi Yuan's true identity. Seeing that her master was willing to trust her and trust Zhi Yuan, Zhu Yan embraced Shi Ying happily.

Zhi Yuan tried to persuade the Sea Kingdom's forces to cease fighting, but Elder Jian wanted them to continue their campaign. Zhi Yuan was prepared to take action against Elder Jian but was unexpectedly stopped by Ruyi, whom he had barely managed to restrain.

Lord Chi couldn't understand why the Sea Kingdom's forces suddenly withdrew, but Shi Ying didn't explain further. Lord Chi expressed his gratitude to Shi Ying for rescuing Zhu Yan and putting down the rebellion in the Huotu tribe. However, Shi Ying believed that his actions were out of his control and told Lord Chi that there was no need to thank him. He then bid farewell to Lord Chi and left the area.

For the past two hundred years, Zhi Yuan had mysteriously disappeared, and during that time, Elder Jian had led the Merfolk. Compared to Zhi Yuan, the Sea Kingdom's forces were more willing to trust Elder Jian. Zhi Yuan's younger sister complained about his long absence, but Elder Jian had taken care of her during those years.

Shi Ying brought Chong Ming to the Kongsang White Tower. Through calculations made by Ji Heng, Shi Ying determined the exact moment when the Sea Emperor's true form would appear. Whoever had dragon patterns on their bodies at that time would be the Sea Emperor. Zhi Yuan asked about Ruyi's well-being in recent years and learned that the person who had caused the division among his siblings had died, and the person he had loved had also died two hundred years ago. Zhi Yuan blamed himself for not taking care of his sister all these years. He knew that his sister had always disliked war. Although Elder Jian claimed that the war was for the sake of reclaiming their country, Zhi Yuan believed that they had all been deceived by Elder Jian. He believed that only by finding the Sea Emperor could they achieve their goal of reclaiming the country with minimal sacrifice. Zhi Yuan had a plan in mind and asked Ruyi if she still remembered the Blood Coagulation Bead.

Zhi Yuan planned to find the Sea Emperor before he entered Ye City. His blood could sense the Sea Emperor, so he made the blood into a Blood Coagulation Bead. He wanted Elder Jian's help in finding the Sea Emperor. When the time came, he and his sister would explore other ways to reclaim their country.

Some members of the Sea Emperor's forces secretly killed Merfolk to obtain the Jade of Verdant Coagulation. The Fish Princess and her child were captured while fleeing. In order to protect Sumo, the Fish Princess was brutally killed, and in her grief and anger, Sumo revealed the power of the Sea Emperor. Recognizing Sumo's identity, he led the Sea Emperor's forces to confront the Kongsang troops, causing them to turn against each other. Zhi Yuan sensed the Sea Emperor and rushed to rescue Sumo. Dragon patterns appeared on both of them, confirming that Sumo was indeed the Sea Emperor.

Zhi Yuan told Sumo that he was the Sea Emperor, a mission bestowed upon him by the Dragon God. However, Sumo refused to accept the title, as he believed his mother was killed by the Sea Kingdom's forces and resented them deeply. Sensing that Elder Jian was approaching, Zhi Yuan decided to take Sumo to a safe place.

Shi Ying arrived at the scene guided by the Gui Xie Star and happened to witness Zhi Yuan preparing to leave with Sumo. Mistaking Zhi Yuan for the true Sea Emperor due to the dragon patterns on his body, Shi Ying admitted that he was the Sea Emperor in order to protect Sumo. Sumo, who was saved by Zhi Yuan, wanted to leave with him because he had lost his mother and wanted to be taken care of. Shi Ying wanted Zhi Yuan to explain what he owed him in the past, but Zhi Yuan sensed that Elder Jian was getting closer. He told Shi Ying that he had a hidden secret at the moment and asked Shi Ying to believe in him once again for Zhu Yan's sake. Then, Zhi Yuan took Sumo and left underwater, and Shi Ying chose to trust Zhi Yuan once again, intending to continue testing whether Gui Xie was righteous or evil in the future.

Qing Gang chased after the Sea Emperor's forces and encountered Shi Ying. The soldiers in the army had heard many rumors about the Young Commander and praised him highly. Shi Ying stated that he was involved in these matters against his will and hoped that Qing Gang would put a stop to the rumors in the future. Qing Gang mentioned that Shi Yu was currently stationed in the army and asked if the Young Commander was willing to meet him. Shi Ying followed Qing Gang to the military camp to see Shi Yu, and they were both thrilled to see each other after so many years.

Shi Yu explained that he was forced by the Queen Mother to be stationed in the military camp and had no desire to be the crown prince. Shi Ying believed that Kongsang and the Merfolk should not engage in conflict and stated that he would do his best to prevent the spread of war. Shi Ying encouraged Shi Yu to believe in himself and assured him that he would become a good crown prince. However, Shi Yu felt that he lacked the talents of his older brother and the outstanding individuals from the Bai, Qing, Lan, and Zi families.

Shi Ying told Shi Yu that being a good ruler didn't rely on bravery or strategic planning but on understanding and utilizing people's strengths. Shi Yu was skilled at recognizing the strengths of others, and given time, he would become a wise ruler who understood the people and made the best use of their talents.

After bidding farewell to Shi Yu, Shi Ying initially intended to leave Kongsang. However, Qing Gang mentioned the rumors that Zhu Yan intended to elope with Shi Ying in the Western Wilderness. Qing Fei summoned Princess Zhu Yan to the palace for training. Upon hearing this, Shi Ying felt that his disciples' affairs were not for others to gossip about. He immediately assumed the identity of the Young Commander of Jiuyi Mountain and entered the palace to meet Qing Fei.

Qing Fei summoned Zhu Yan and showered her with praise upon their meeting. She wanted Zhu Yan to reveal the plot of the Young Commander seducing her. Zhu Yan sensed that Qing Fei wanted to manipulate her to frame her master and took the initiative to admit her mistakes and accept punishment. Seeing that Zhu Yan remained unenlightened, Qing Fei intended to take action against her. However, Shi Ying arrived and stopped Qing Fei. Shi Ying accused Qing Fei of abusing her power based on hearsay. Qing Fei publicly accused Shi Ying of an inappropriate relationship with Zhu Yan, but Shi Ying used his mind-reading ability to make Qing Fei's maid confess the plot to incite rebellion in the Huotu tribe.

Shi Ying didn't want to get entangled with Qing Fei and intended to leave with Zhu Yan directly. At that moment, the King of Bei Mian arrived, and Qing Fei accused Shi Ying first. However, the King of Bei Mian believed that if it weren't for Qing Fei's provocations, the Young Commander wouldn't have come forward. He warned Qing Fei to stop causing trouble. The King of Bei Mian asked Qing Fei to step back, and Shi Ying initially intended to leave immediately, acknowledging that he had nothing to say to the King. However, the King of Bei Mian revealed Shi Ying's identity, but Shi Ying insisted that he was only the Young Commander of Jiuyi Mountain. Faced with the King of Bei Mian's accusations, Shi Ying was willing to cut his hair as a token of gratitude to his parents, but he did not want to owe the King of Bei Mian any further debts. In anger, the King of Bei Mian slapped Shi Ying, and Zhu Yan felt sorry for her master, realizing that the King of Bei Mian didn't treat Shi Ying as his own son. In the past, when Shi Ying was slandered by the world because of Qiushui's death, the King as his father didn't investigate the truth but instead hurt him the most.

The King of Bei Mian believed that Shi Ying disregarded the relationship between father and son and planned to punish him for deceiving the king. However, Zhu Yan argued that since Shi Ying did not die back then, and the world should not have speculated about his life and death, his appearance now was reasonable, and it couldn't be considered as deceiving the king. The King of Bei Mian saw Zhu Yan's words as disregarding others and ordered her punishment. To protect Zhu Yan, Shi Ying claimed that it was his fault, and he was willing to bear all the punishment, asking the King not to involve Zhu Yan. However, the King believed that as an outsider, Shi Ying had no right to take the blame for Zhu Yan. In order to prevent Zhu Yan's punishment from affecting the clan, she voluntarily accepted the punishment.

Shi Ying watched helplessly as Zhu Yan was punished and felt both sorrow and anger. Despite the punishment, Zhu Yan used her magic to create snowflake petals to comfort her master. Faced with Zhu Yan's affection, Shi Ying finally decided to confront his feelings and made a promise to himself not to let Zhu Yan down in this lifetime.

Late at night, Shi Ying met with Da Si Ming in the White Tower and informed him that he had confirmed Zhi Yuan's identity as the Sea Emperor. However, due to the complicated situation at the time, he had let Zhi Yuan go. Da Si Ming believed that Zhi Yuan should be eliminated, but Shi Ying had a premonition that they would meet again and would find out the truth of his righteousness or evil at that time, providing an explanation to the world.

Da Si Ming took the opportunity to persuade Shi Ying to return to the mortal realm, as he believed Shi Ying had a mission to revive Kongsang. However, Shi Ying had already decided to take off his divine robe for Zhu Yan's sake, even if it meant going through countless hardships and risking his life. But Shi Ying made it clear that he wouldn't return to the palace even without the divine robe and only wished to live freely like wandering clouds and cranes. Although Da Si Ming was angry at Shi Ying's decision, he believed that the priority was for Shi Ying to handle the Gui Xie matter properly.

Lord of Chi and his wife felt sorry for Zhu Yan's punishment but also hoped that she would learn a lesson from this incident and change her straightforward and outspoken nature. Shi Ying visited Zhu Yan and brought her healing medicine from Jiuyi Mountain. Shi Ying blamed himself for implicating Zhu Yan and personally fed her the medicine. Shi Ying told Zhu Yan that he had confirmed Zhi Yuan's identity as the Sea Emperor. Since the unification of the Cloud Wilderness by the Star Lord, the Merfolk had been unable to rise due to the lack of a powerful leader, making the Sea Emperor their only hope. However, the meaning of Gui Xie was uncertain, and if the Sea Emperor turned out to be a ruthless warmonger, the entire Cloud Wilderness would fall into chaos. But if the Sea Emperor was a compassionate person, Kongsang and the Merfolk could continue to live in peace. Zhu Yan believed that if Zhi Yuan truly was the Sea Emperor, it would be a good omen for Kongsang, as Zhi Yuan was a very kind person. Zhu Yan believed that a person's good or evil should not be judged based on their race and persuaded Shi Ying to have a sincere conversation with Zhi Yuan. In doing so, their choices would bring good fortune to the world and the Cloud Wilderness. Shi Ying told Zhu Yan where they would settle temporarily and expressed his willingness to negotiate with Zhi Yuan.

Zhu Yan received a message from Zhi Yuan, asking her to meet him. She inquired about Zhi Yuan's identity as the Sea Emperor, and he did not deny it. Zhu Yan trusted Zhi Yuan's character and advised him to talk to Master Shi Ying to resolve all misunderstandings. She knew that only Shi Ying and Zhi Yuan could quell the war between the two clans and urged Zhi Yuan not to give up. Zhi Yuan agreed to meet Shi Ying and asked Zhu Yan to help him with something.

Zhi Yuan brought Zhu Yan to meet Su Mo and learned about the connection between Zhu Yan and Yu Ji and her child at the Huo Tu Tribe. Zhu Yan blamed herself for not being able to help Yu Ji and her child. Su Mo was ill and needed spiritual energy to protect his heart. As a merfolk, Zhi Yuan couldn't practice Kongsang technique, so he sought Zhu Yan's help. With Zhu Yan's assistance, Su Mo's condition improved. Zhu Yan volunteered to take care of Su Mo, and Zhi Yuan was very grateful. Zhi Yuan pleaded with Zhu Yan not to reveal Su Mo and his identity in front of others, as he didn't want to cause her any trouble.

Ying Yi was worried about leaving Su Mo with the Kongsang people, but Zhi Yuan was more afraid of the merfolk elders finding out. He trusted that Zhu Yan could protect Su Mo even if the Grand Preceptor discovered his identity. Su Mo was the hope of the merfolk, but he was still a child and shouldn't be used for the elders' selfish purposes.

When Su Mo woke up and saw Zhu Yan, he believed that both Zhi Yuan and Zhu Yan were deceivers and wanted to leave. Zhu Yan explained that she couldn't meet them earlier due to some circumstances, and she blamed herself for not protecting them properly. She advised Su Mo not to act impulsively and to think about how Yu Ji sacrificed herself to protect him.

Bai Xueying came to visit Zhu Yan, and Zhu Yan entrusted the care of Su Mo to her servant. However, she later learned that Su Mo had escaped while no one was watching and was now being hunted by the Xiongqi Army in the city. Su Mo was captured, and Bai Xueying mentioned that the Xiongqi Army was now under the command of her brother, Bai Fenglin. Zhu Yan intercepted Bai Fenglin in the street, trying to take Su Mo back, but he refused to release any merfolk associated with the Sea Country. Unable to persuade him, Zhu Yan had to take Su Mo away by force.

Zhi Yuan came to the Bai Residence to seek an audience with Shi Ying. He knew that Shi Ying was afraid of the prophecy that the Sea Emperor would destroy Kongsang. However, Zhi Yuan believed that Kongsang's decline was not caused by a single celestial event. He analyzed the situation and proposed that the merfolk and Kongsang should coexist and support each other for prosperity. Shi Ying agreed that if the Sea Emperor had such a vision, they could agree to a one-month truce, during which both the merfolk and Kongsang forces would withdraw.

After discussing official matters, Shi Ying invited Zhi Yuan to dine at the residence. Chong Ming remained skeptical of Zhi Yuan, but they found common ground in their thoughts about the merfolk and Kongsang people. They both believed that the truce was not just an excuse to buy time but a genuine effort to follow the will of heaven. Zhi Yuan was surprised that Shi Ying proposed the truce and withdrawal of forces voluntarily. Though Shi Ying held grudges against Autumn Water, he didn't want to sacrifice countless lives for the sake of one person's anger. Zhi Yuan and Shi Ying respected each other and considered each other as trustworthy individuals.

As Shi Ying saw Zhi Yuan off from the residence, Ying Yi arrived with a group of blind merfolk from the city. Due to the Xiongqi Army's actions of capturing merfolk, these blind merfolk had nowhere else to go. Shi Ying offered to let them stay temporarily at his mother's old residence, which touched Zhi Yuan even more.

Zhi Yuan knew that Ying Yi was using Shi Ying's compassion to avoid suspicion regarding his character and to protect herself and her clan. He understood that his sister was worried about him, but he didn't want her to end up like Elder Jian, who disregarded others' lives for personal gain.

Zhi Yuan returned to the merfolk with Ying Yi. He stated that their failure to find the Sea Emperor was due to the war causing the Sea Emperor's displacement. He used this opportunity to persuade the Sea Country army to withdraw and promised that Kongsang would also withdraw once the Sea Country did. Shi Ying entered the palace as the Young Grand Preceptor and informed the King of Bei Mian about finding the Sea Emperor. He implored the King to allow the withdrawal of Kongsang's troops.

Many court ministers opposed the withdrawal and vowed to drive the merfolk out of Kongsang. Lord Qing also questioned Shi Ying's intentions, suspecting him of meddling in political affairs as an outsider. Shi Ying explained that Kongsang's conflict with the merfolk allowed the Ice Clan in the north to take advantage, and there were people in the court with close ties to the Ice Clan. Shi Ying presented the Ice Clan's sword found in the Qing Gang Ye City camp, and many elite soldiers in the camp suffered from cold-related illnesses due to using this weapon. The King of Bei Mian questioned Lord Qing, who denied that the weapon belonged to the Ice Clan. However, Shi Ying revealed the weapon left behind when he was attacked by the Ice Clan at the Jiuyi Mountain, confirming that the Qing Clan did indeed use weapons from the Ice Clan. Faced with irrefutable evidence, Lord Qing had to admit his mistake but refused to acknowledge any collusion with the Ice Clan. Shi Ying advised the King of Bei Mian not to thoroughly investigate the matter but to punish those who procured the weapons. Only then would Lord Qing avoid severe punishment. The King of Bei Mian agreed to the request for withdrawal and entrusted Shi Yu to oversee the matter.

Shi Ying brought Chong Ming to the prison to interrogate the captive. Just as they were about to extract information, the person was assassinated by Wu Xian in secret. Unexpectedly, Shi Ying entered an illusion while tracing the traces and saw the Star Sovereign Emperor Langxuan in the illusion. Langxuan killed Wu Xian because he believed that the Ice Clan no longer had any use at the moment. Langxuan admitted his identity and revealed that he was still alive due to his obsession with Empress Bai Wei. Shi Ying questioned Langxuan's alliance with the Ice Clan and his intention to destroy the prosperous era of Kongsang that was co-established with Empress Bai Wei. Langxuan did not want to witness Kongsang's downfall and intended to destroy it with his own hands and rebuild order.

Shi Ying knew that Langxuan had ignited the flames of the Ice Clan's revival. Anyone who opposed Kongsang, even the Star Sovereign Emperor, he was willing to fight. Langxuan had betrayed Empress Bai Wei's deep affection in the past, leading her to believe that he was growing distant. He regretted his mistakes for thousands of years and was now tired of wandering. He had been waiting for Shi Ying and told him that he could choose to become an emperor or someone who assists the emperor. With Shi Ying around, Langxuan could finally meet Empress Bai Wei without worries. He asked Shi Ying to kill him, and without hesitation, Shi Ying killed the Star Sovereign Emperor.

After coming out of the illusion, Shi Ying told Chong Ming that the wise man in the illusion was the Star Sovereign Emperor Langxuan, who used the Ice Clan to target Kongsang due to his obsession with Empress Bai Wei. With the death of the Tenth Witch Wu Xian and the weakness of the Ice Clan, Kongsang only faced a threat from the Sea Country Army.

Bai Fenglin wanted to interrogate the captive merfolk and desired to gain military achievements through the war. On the way, Qing Gang was ordered by Shi Yu to take away the merfolk captives from the Sea Country Army, causing Bai Fenglin to hate Shi Ying even more for suggesting a ceasefire and withdrawal of troops.

Shi Yu was overseeing the troop withdrawal, and Shi Ying also received a decree to protect the safety of civilians during the conflict. Zhi Yuan thanked Shi Ying for considering their well-being and hoped that after the ceasefire, there would be no more disputes between the two clans, and the land of Yun Huang would have lasting peace. Hearing Shi Ying's conversation with Chong Ming, Shi Yu learned something. The happiest moment of Zhu Yan's life was when she joined Shi Ying's sect and spent her days with him at Jiuyi Mountain. The most painful moment was being expelled by Shi Ying and thinking that she would never see him again. Zhi Yuan knew that Shi Ying was the one who could truly make Zhu Yan happy, but he couldn't take care of her in the future due to his responsibilities to the clan. He hoped that Shi Ying would never make Zhu Yan cry again. Shi Ying agreed to Zhi Yuan's request, and Zhi Yuan shared his own heartache with Shi Ying. Two hundred years ago, the one who signed the peace treaty between Kongsang and the merfolk was Zhi Yuan's beloved, the Chieftess of the Chi Clan, Chi Zhu Feili. He recounted his past with Chi Zhu Feili, how they fell in love despite belonging to different clans. The greatest thing he ever did was to tell her that he loved her. Zhi Yuan hoped that his experience would enlighten Shi Ying and that Shi Ying would confess his feelings to Zhu Yan.

Shi Ying came to visit Zhu Yan, who didn't want her master to see her in such a messy state. She pretended to have an upset stomach to ask her master for a prescription while secretly hiding her mess. Zhu Yan unintentionally got closer to Shi Ying while hiding her things, making Shi Ying very nervous and shy. Shi Ying invited Zhu Yan to visit the lantern festival together tomorrow. Zhu Yan was delighted to know that she could go to the market with her master.

The next day, Zhu Yan took Shi Ying to a calligraphy and painting store to have fun. She explained the knowledge of calligraphy and painting that she had studied intensively overnight to Shi Ying. The curious passersby asked for explanations of other paintings, and when Zhu Yan started to make things up, Shi Ying quickly came to help explain. Zhu Yan admitted that she was mischievous, but Shi Ying found it amusing to be silly with her. Shi Ying originally wanted Zhu Yan to stop regarding him as her master, but Zhu Yan couldn't understand his intentions.

Shi Ying wanted to find a shadow puppet show ending that he had never seen as a child. Zhu Yan wandered around the market to help Shi Ying find his childhood memories. She used the excuse that her body wasn't fully recovered to hold his hand while they admired the fireworks and lanterns in the bustling market.

Finally, Zhu Yan found the shadow puppet show that Shi Ying wanted at the lantern festival market. Shi Ying asked the shopkeeper about the ending of the show ten years ago, but due to Qing Fei's announcement about the Princess of the Chi Clan entering the palace for training, they could not perform any love stories. To compensate for their regret, the shopkeeper decided to cut a small portrait for them. With the shopkeeper's guidance, Shi Ying personally cut a portrait for Zhu Yan. The shopkeeper praised it as an exquisite work from a couple in love. The shopkeeper also allowed them to pick a marriage blessing letter, and Shi Ying chose one with auspicious meaning. Shi Ying told Zhu Yan that after settling the matter of troop withdrawal, he would take off his god robe, but before he could reveal his feelings, he learned that Shi Yu had encountered trouble according to Chong Ming's message.

Shi Yu explained that he got injured while exploring the hunting ground after receiving a message from his mother. Concubine Qing did not blame him and allowed Shi Ying, the Young Commandant, to visit him. Shi Ying used his spiritual power to help Shi Yu with his injuries and gifted him a spiritual bead to ease the pain. Shi Ying exposed Shi Yu's lie about not wanting to stay in the military camp, and Shi Yu finally admitted that he wanted Shi Ying to handle the troop withdrawal on his behalf. Now that Shi Yu's injury was real and the troop withdrawal concerned Kongsang, Shi Ying agreed to Shi Yu's request.

Concubine Qing visited again and asked Shi Ying to help feed the medicine to Shi Yu. Unbeknownst to Shi Yu, she had put a poison that only affected those with spiritual power in the bowl. When Shi Yu insisted on drinking it himself, Concubine Qing hurriedly stopped him. Shi Ying noticed the problem, knocked over the bowl, and revealed the poison. He then confronted Concubine Qing, who attempted to shift the blame onto the servant girl who brought the medicine. The servant girl, fearing for her family's safety due to Concubine Qing's threats, tragically took her own life by swallowing the broken pieces of the bowl.

Zhu Yan couldn't understand why Shi Ying wanted to take off his god robe. She knew he was not interested in power and wealth, but she thought that the Young Commandant was willing to sacrifice himself for the people. They were all worried that if the Ice Clan repeated their actions, the Young Commandant would be the one to deal with it. Although Shi Ying's decision to handle the troop withdrawal had the approval of the King of Bei Mian, he planned to return the military power to Shi Yu after his recovery. This decision wasn't accepted by the King of Bei Mian, who believed that Shi Ying's accomplishments would be remembered in history. However, Shi Ying didn't care about leaving a legacy; he only cared about fulfilling his responsibilities to heaven, earth, the people, and his bloodline, as his mother had taught him.

Shi Yu wanted to give up his position as the Crown Prince to Shi Ying and leave with Bai Xueying. Zhu Yan disagreed with their decision. Shi Yu was worried that if he didn't leave with Concubine Qing, she would harm Shi Ying, and he didn't want to betray the people of Kongsang or Bai Xueying.

Shi Ying arranged for Bai Fenglin to lead the Ye City army to immediately withdraw, but Bai Fenglin refused to obey the order, claiming that he didn't trust Shi Ying. To make Bai Fenglin acknowledge his abilities, Shi Ying used the merfolk water-controlling technique to teach him a lesson and forced him to comply with the troop withdrawal.

Zhu Yan went to visit Shi Ying and encountered the King of Bei Mian on the way. The King of Bei Mian told her not to disturb Shi Ying, who was busy with the troop withdrawal, but he surprisingly allowed Bai Xuelu to bring tea to Shi Ying. Zhu Yan didn't understand why Bai Xuelu could disturb Shi Ying when she couldn't. The King of Bei Mian explained that in the future, when Shi Ying returns as the Crown Prince and inherits the throne, he will have to marry the Princess of the Bai Clan according to tradition. He showed Zhu Yan how well Shi Ying and Bai Xuelu got along and believed that they were meant for each other. The King of Bei Mian asked Zhu Yan to consider the big picture and not disturb Shi Ying in the future.

Feeling misunderstood and upset about the relationship between Shi Ying and Bai Xuelu, Zhu Yan left the White Residence in tears.

Qing Gang advised Bai Xuelu that Shi Ying did not have feelings for her. However, Bai Xuelu believed that since she had chosen this path, she had anticipated everything, and she didn't want to degrade herself in front of Qing Gang. Later, Zhu Yan accidentally bumped into a servant girl carrying food, and Shi Ying heard the noise and followed her out of the White Residence. Zhu Yan hid her initial intention of visiting the White Residence and didn't want to disturb Shi Ying again. Shi Ying planned to take Zhu Yan out to shop the next day and express his feelings to her.

The King of Bei Mian overheard Shi Ying's arrangement to meet Zhu Yan and Bai Xuelu's response. Bai Xuelu, although not intending to sabotage them, decided to intervene to secure her position as the future queen. She warned Zhu Yan that she and Shi Ying were only master and disciple, and she should follow the rules and show respect. Zhu Yan didn't get angry because of Bai Xuelu's warning, but she asked her to treat Shi Ying well.

Zhu Yan learned that Shi Ying would return to Kongsang and become the future king, Bai Xuelu's husband. She felt sad about it. Su Mo came to comfort her and gave her candy. Su Mo admired Zhu Yan's masterful skills in magic, and Zhu Yan appreciated the compliment.

Zhu Yan went to meet Shi Ying as agreed. This time, Shi Ying arranged for a shadow puppet show to be performed for them. He specifically asked the puppeteer to show the love story of the Star Sovereign and Empress Bai Wei. Zhu Yan learned about the tradition where the future kings had to marry princesses from the Bai Clan due to the oath between the Star Sovereign Emperor and Empress Bai Wei. Shi Ying tried to use this show to express his feelings to Zhu Yan, but she misunderstood and thought that he would marry Bai Xuelu after taking off his god robe.

After watching the shadow puppet show, Shi Ying pretended not to understand women's thoughts and asked Zhu Yan to help him pick accessories. Zhu Yan mistakenly believed that Shi Ying wanted her to help pick accessories for Bai Xuelu and chose a pendant suitable for love. She was still struggling to accept the idea of Shi Ying being with Bai Xuelu and left hastily, claiming that there was something urgent at home.

Bai Xuelu intentionally bought the pendant that Shi Ying had chosen and showed it to Zhu Yan. Zhu Yan misunderstood and thought that Shi Ying had already given the pendant to Bai Xuelu. Bai Xuelu warned Zhu Yan that she and Shi Ying were just master and disciple, and she should follow the rules. Zhu Yan wasn't angry about the warning and only requested that Bai Xuelu treat Shi Ying well.

Zhu Yan met Shi Ying and confirmed that he didn't regret taking off the god robe. She expressed her support for whatever decision he made, and she looked forward to that day. Afterward, Zhu Yan left with a heavy heart. Shi Ying believed that Zhu Yan already understood his feelings, and he promised to protect her for a lifetime.

Bai Xueying wanted to write a letter to inform Zhu Yan of her location so that Zhu Yan could visit her. Shi Yu suggested that Zhu Yan could come to their wedding celebration, and they spent a beautiful night together. The Hai Kingdom army and Kongsang had completed their troop withdrawals, and Shi Ying had finally fulfilled his mission.

Zhu Yan learned that Su Mo missed her mother, Fish Princess, and she taught Su Mo how to transform paper cranes to search for her mother in the Blue Falling Sea. Shi Ying wrote a wedding letter with their portraits and their names, expressing his hope for a lifelong union with Zhu Yan.

The Returning Evil Star reappeared, causing Su Mo a sudden headache. Zhu Yan hurriedly took him to see a doctor. The doctor diagnosed Su Mo as a Dragon Blood Sea Emperor due to his practice of Kongsang magic. Zhu Yan realized that Su Mo stole her magic book to seek revenge for his mother. The doctor instructed Zhu Yan to place the Jiao Clan sacred item, Dragon Blood Ancient Jade, on Su Mo's chest. Su Mo successfully absorbed the power of the jade, and the doctor took Su Mo upstairs for further treatment. Zhu Yan trusted the doctor, but he secretly took Su Mo away.

The doctor brought Su Mo to the Jiao Clan to claim the reward, but the Jiao Clan Elder, Jian, killed him to cover up the truth. Jian falsely claimed that Zhu Yan abandoned Su Mo and deepened Su Mo's hatred towards Kongsang. Jian received a map of the Jialan Imperial City, which he planned to use to attack the city, break the ceasefire agreement, and blame Zhi Yuan. He also intended to use Shi Ying's hand to eliminate Zhi Yuan.

The Returning Evil Star suddenly turned into the Great Disaster Star, indicating that it would replace the Kongsang Imperial Star in seventy years and destroy Kongsang. While searching for Su Mo on the street, Zhu Yan unexpectedly witnessed the Hai Kingdom army invading Jialan City and killing innocent civilians. Upon hearing the news, Shi Ying rushed to the city to eliminate the invading Hai Kingdom soldiers. He immediately assigned Qing Gang and Bai Fenglin to guard Jialan City and set out to find Sea Emperor Zhi Yuan.

Zhi Yuan arrived at the White Residence and discovered that the couple who helped care for the blind Jiao people had been killed. He accused Jian of the murders, and Jian admitted that these people died for him. Zhi Yuan was angered and killed Jian, instructing Axi to take the Jiao people back to their clan. Zhi Yuan knew that unity was essential for the Jiao people, and returning to the Blue Falling Sea was their only way forward.

Shi Ying arrived at the White Residence and mistakenly believed that Zhi Yuan killed his Sixth Uncle's family. He also thought that the Hai Kingdom's violation of the agreement was Zhi Yuan's doing. Zhi Yuan didn't want Shi Ying to know about Su Mo's existence and could only admit to those accusations. Shi Ying attempted to kill Zhi Yuan, but Zhi Yuan used the Water Vanishing Technique to escape. Shi Ying informed Zhu Yan, who arrived hurriedly, that Zhi Yuan killed Sixth Uncle's family. Zhu Yan believed that there must be more to the story, but Shi Ying no longer wanted to hear anything related to Zhi Yuan.

Upon returning to the Jiao Clan, Zhi Yuan learned that Jian had used the Dream Alteration Technique on Su Mo, causing him to be trapped in a dream of hating Kongsang, unable to wake up. While Zhu Yan believed in Zhi Yuan, she still wanted to ask him for the truth. However, Zhi Yuan wasn't willing to explain further and only wanted to help the Hai Kingdom troops withdraw. Zhu Yan informed Zhi Yuan about Su Mo's disappearance, and only then did Zhi Yuan realize the connection between Zhu Yan, the Dragon Blood Ancient Jade, and Su Mo. Zhi Yuan felt that the relationship between the two clans was at odds and that it wouldn't be appropriate for Zhu Yan to stay with him in the Red Palace.

The Hai Kingdom army resumed the war, and Shi Ying blamed himself for the situation. He sought out the King of Bei Mian to be punished. The King of Bei Mian instructed Shi Ying to kill Sea Emperor Zhi Yuan and wipe out the Hai Kingdom army to end the war completely. The King of Bei Mian believed that Zhi Yuan's death was necessary to resolve the suspicions of the court officials and pacify the anger of the people. Shi Ying understood that this was the only way to resolve the chaos and promised to kill Zhi Yuan.

Zhi Yuan admitted his identity as the Sea Emperor in front of the Hai Kingdom army and stated that he had no intention of interfering in the conflict between Kongsang and the Jiao Clan. He only wanted his people to live without worries and would do his best to find a way for them to return to the Blue Falling Sea. Qing Gang and Bai Fenglin led their troops to besiege the Hai Kingdom army and unexpectedly found information about the Kongsang daily movements among the Hai Kingdom officers, indicating that there was a spy among the Kongsang commanders.

Bai Fenglin found Bai Xuelu and persuaded her as a sibling to retrieve the stolen military intelligence from Qing Gang. Bai Xuelu initially refused, but Bai Fenglin threatened to expose her mother's death. Bai Xuelu learned about Bai Fenglin's betrayal and how he had leaked information to the Hai Kingdom army to gain recognition. Knowing that Bai Fenglin's actions endangered hundreds of lives in the Bai Residence, Bai Xuelu reluctantly agreed to help retrieve the information.

Bai Xuelu took the initiative to visit Qing Gang, mentioning that she had been studying military books and hoped Qing Gang could tell her about the conflict with the Jiao Clan. Qing Gang recounted the details of the conflicts with the Jiao Clan to Bai Xuelu. She asked if she could choose a different path and start anew, even though she had done many wrong things in the past. Qing Gang sincerely admired Bai Xuelu and didn't mind her past actions. Bai Xuelu kissed Qing Gang, and while he was mesmerized by the kiss, she secretly took the intelligence documents from the desk. Qing Gang wanted to give Bai Xuelu a family heirloom as a token of their affection and expressed his intention to propose to her after the war.

Shi Ying painted a portrait of Ruyi to lure Zhi Yuan out. Bai Fenglin recognized the portrait and volunteered to capture Ruyi and arrest the Sea Emperor. Ruyi arranged for her subordinates to secretly evacuate the Jiao people from the city. However, she couldn't disappear suddenly as it would raise suspicions among the Kongsang army. Bai Fenglin and his men arrived at the Star Sea Cloud Pavilion, and he paid a high price to see Ruyi. Ruyi appeared, stating that the young masters present had come to see her, and she wanted to express her gratitude with a song.

While Ruyi was performing, Bai Fenglin's subordinates searched the Star Sea Cloud Pavilion in secret. Although Aqing managed to send the Jiao people away discreetly, she was eventually killed. Bai Fenglin tortured Ruyi to force her to reveal the location of the Sea Emperor. Over the years, Ruyi struggled in Mudan and had some involvement with Bai Fenglin. Bai Fenglin fed her poison to make her talk, but Shi Ying arrived in time and saved Ruyi.

In gratitude for Shi Ying saving her life, Ruyi revealed the truth about the Autumn Water Songstress incident. It was Jiant Elder's arrangement for Autumn Water to infiltrate the King of Bei Mian's side, while Ruyi was tasked with providing funds and intelligence to the Hai Kingdom army. Autumn Water succeeded in gaining the trust of the King of Bei Mian. The Elder believed that Shi Ying, as the legitimate eldest son of the King, possessed extraordinary talent and would hinder the Jiao Clan's plan to reclaim their country. Thus, he ordered Autumn Water to put Shi Ying in a perilous situation. In the end, Autumn Water sacrificed herself to secure the future of the Kongsang people.

Chong Ming wanted to bring Ruyi to the King of Bei Mian and reveal the truth, but Ruyi had already overwritten her memories with a dream. She had forgotten everything. Shi Ying knew that Ruyi was a victim of the Hai Kingdom's manipulation and used his spiritual power to protect her pulse. Shi Ying knew that the King of Bei Mian knew the truth in his heart, but for the sake of his dignity and his beloved, he had wronged them. The one who killed his own mother was not Autumn Water but the King of Bei Mian.

Shi Ying knew that Zhi Yuan must be concerned about Ruyi's safety and would come once he received the news.

Zhi Yuan learned from the Jiao people that Ruyi was trapped in the Star Sea Cloud Pavilion. He rushed there to rescue his sister. Zhu Yan heard that the Kongsang army had captured Ruyi and sought Bai Xuelu's help to find Shi Ying's whereabouts. Zhu Yan rushed to the Star Sea Cloud Pavilion upon learning that Shi Ying was there. After observing the situation, she confirmed that the place was now under the control of the Kongsang army. She met Qing Gang and asked him to take her to see Shi Ying. Bai Fenglin interjected, stating that Shi Ying was currently interrogating the Jiao person, Ruyi, and stopped Zhu Yan from seeing Shi Ying.

Shi Ying heard Zhu Yan's voice and asked her to come upstairs to meet him. Zhu Yan asked about Ruyi's whereabouts upon meeting Shi Ying. However, Shi Ying noticed something amiss and hurried back to the room, only to find that Ruyi had been rescued. He followed the trace and tracked them. Worried about Shi Ying and Zhi Yuan, Zhu Yan also followed in haste.

Zhi Yuan took Ruyi to the underground city of the Jiao Clan and used the Water Vanishing Technique to send her away. Shi Ying caught up and fought with Zhi Yuan. He easily trapped Zhi Yuan, and at this moment, Zhu Yan arrived to protect the injured Zhi Yuan. Zhu Yan clarified that it was Elder Jian who was responsible for the last time the ceasefire agreement was broken. Zhi Yuan was doing his best to salvage the situation, and he was not the mastermind behind it. Shi Ying revealed that Ruyi willingly stayed in the dangerous Mudan all these years, even choosing to erase her memories through dreams to prevent herself from obtaining any information about the Sea Emperor. The incident with Autumn Water Songstress was caused by hearing that the Crown Prince was an extraordinary talent from Kongsang, so she willingly entered the palace to sow discord and ultimately committed suicide to destroy the Crown Prince. Shi Ying told Zhu Yan all of this because as long as the Sea Emperor remained alive, the fanatic assassins of the Hai Kingdom would continue to be a threat to Kongsang.

Zhi Yuan also knew that this was a war between the two nations, and someone had to bear the responsibility. That person was him as the Sea Emperor. He tried to persuade Zhu Yan to leave. However, Zhu Yan believed that people should not be killed based on prophecies. Shi Ying asked Zhu Yan to step aside and pointed his sword at Zhi Yuan, ready to take action. Zhu Yan shielded Zhi Yuan and expressed her feelings for him, stating that she liked Zhi Yuan and wouldn't let her master kill him.

Zhu Yan believed that Zhi Yuan had always been with her since childhood, and it was because of his words that she met her master on the mountain. Zhu Yan confessed that she loved Zhi Yuan, and in the past, she broke off the engagement with the Qing Clan because she was seen confessing her feelings to Zhi Yuan in the garden. Shi Ying only realized at this moment that he had been delusional all along, thinking that Zhu Yan liked him.

Zhu Yan pleaded with Shi Ying to spare Zhi Yuan's life and promised that she would live in seclusion with him from now on, making sure no one could find them. However, Shi Ying stated that the evil force had already emerged, and he must kill the Sea Emperor, Zhi Yuan, even though he was Zhu Yan's beloved. Shi Ying launched the Heavenly Punishment spell to kill Zhi Yuan, but Zhu Yan used the Heavenly Tree to counter the spell. Shi Ying saw Zhu Yan injured and couldn't bear it. In the end, he chose to withdraw the spell, causing the backlash to harm himself.

After waking up, Shi Ying inquired about Zhu Yan's condition from Chong Ming and learned that she had been safely sent back by him. The Sea Kingdom soldiers protected the injured Sea Emperor and broke through Qing Gang and Bai Fenglin's encirclement to retreat. Chong Ming found out that Shi Ying was injured because of Zhu Yan and was astonished, feeling that there must be a misunderstanding. However, Shi Ying believed that matters of the heart couldn't be judged, and he knew he would still kill Zhi Yuan. He didn't know how to face Zhu Yan when the time came.

Da Si Ming visited Shi Ying, asking about his injuries. Shi Ying explained that he was not familiar with the Jiao Clan's secret passages and got injured due to an ambush. Da Si Ming said he would conceal the news of Shi Ying's injuries and claim that he was in seclusion for cultivation. Da Si Ming asked Chong Ming to go with him to get medicine for Shi Ying and inquired about the reason Shi Ying was injured by the Heavenly Punishment spell. Under pressure, Chong Ming revealed it was because of Zhu Yan. Da Si Ming regretted not killing Zhu Yan, the one destined to harm Shi Ying, back then. Instead, he used the Heart Curse on her. If Zhu Yan ever harbored killing intent towards Shi Ying, she would immediately be backlashed to death. Da Si Ming left Zhu Yan alive back then to let Shi Ying return to the mortal world. If Zhu Yan continued to be entangled with Shi Ying, he would undoubtedly get rid of her.

Shi Ying secretly overheard the conversation between Da Si Ming and Chong Ming, learning about Da Si Ming's plan. After being unconscious for several days, Zhu Yan woke up and immediately inquired about her parents, the Sea Emperor's condition. Upon hearing that the Sea Emperor had escaped, she assumed her master had spared Zhi Yuan. Zhu Yan also knew that she had lied and caused chaos in the situation, and her master must be very angry with her. She also worried about Shi Ying, who was severely injured due to the backlash of the Heavenly Punishment spell.

Zhu Yan came to see Shi Ying, concerned that he was injured because he showed mercy to Zhi Yuan that day. Shi Ying didn't admit his injuries. To prevent Da Si Ming from wanting to kill Zhu Yan himself, Shi Ying coldly stated that the reason he didn't kill Zhu Yan and Zhi Yuan last time was that Zhu Yan once saved him at the Cangwu Abyss. However, next time, he wouldn't show mercy. Shi Ying severed their master-disciple relationship, stating that he no longer had a disciple like Zhu Yan who was disloyal and disregarded the nation's interests. He took back the Yugu bone and ordered Zhu Yan to leave immediately. Zhu Yan cried bitterly at the break of their master-disciple relationship and pleaded with Shi Ying.

Shi Ying cruelly made Zhu Yan kneel in the courtyard and refused to let Chong Ming persuade her to leave. He wanted Zhu Yan to die in her heart and leave him so Da Si Ming wouldn't harm her. Zhu Yan knelt in Shi Ying's courtyard all night and refused to leave. Bai Xuelu came to deliver food for Shi Ying and saw Zhu Yan kneeling in apology. She persuaded Zhu Yan to leave. Zhu Yan realized that her master wouldn't easily change his mind and thought that if Zhi Yuan could truly bring peace between the two clans, perhaps her master would forgive her. She decided to find Zhi Yuan.

Bai Xuelu had always tried to present herself to Shi Ying and make others believe she was the perfect candidate for the position of the Crown Prince's consort. Qing Gang came to see Bai Xuelu and learned that Bai Xuelu was sent by Bai Fenglin to steal information in the past. When Bai Xuelu gave Qing Gang a scarf at Jiuyi Mountain, there was a leaf hidden inside the scarf. Qing Gang turned the leaf into a jade pendant and carried it with him. He willingly allowed Bai Xuelu to use his feelings for her but was shocked to learn that she had helped the traitor Kongsang. Qing Gang couldn't forgive Bai Xuelu for this and shattered the jade pendant. Qing Gang asked Bai Xuelu to return the ancestral jade he had given her, but she refused, claiming she lost the jade pendant.

Zhu Yan found Zhi Yuan to inquire about his future plans. Zhi Yuan believed that under the current situation, leading the Jiao Clan back to the Bi Luo Sea was the best choice. Zhu Yan supported his decision, thinking it was the only way to restore peace between the two clans. Bai Fenglin learned from the captured Sea Kingdom soldiers about the underwater passages used by the Jiao Clan and destroyed them all to prevent the Jiao Clan from returning to the Bi Luo Sea. However, Shi Ying told Bai Fenglin that there was no need to exterminate the Jiao Clan and that they only needed to focus on capturing the Sea Emperor. Bai Fenglin requested a portrait of the Sea Emperor from Shi Ying, but Shi Ying didn't grant his request. He ordered Bai Fenglin to investigate the underwater passages and capture the Sea Emperor alive.

Qing Gang knew that Bai Fenglin was worried about him reporting the matter to Da Si Ming, and while Bai Fenglin didn't deny his collusion with Kongsang, he explained that he did so to delay the war and find opportunities for achievement. He also claimed to be prepared to plead guilty to Da Si Ming after the victory in this battle. Bai Xuelu thought Bai Fenglin had convinced Qing Gang, but he said that he only said that to buy time. If Qing Gang insisted on reporting him, he would get rid of him. Bai Xuelu wanted to dissuade Bai Fenglin from such actions, but he threatened her by using the lives of the Bai family and herself.

Zhi Yuan arranged for the Jiao Clan to evacuate in an orderly manner. Although Qing Gang wanted the Jiao Clan to leave, there were also many Sea Kingdom soldiers waiting to evacuate. Zhi Yuan stated that if the death of the Sea Emperor was the only way to end the war, he was willing to die in place of the Sea Emperor.

Zhi Yuan arranged for Ruyi to accompany Sumo to the place where the Dragon God is located in Cangwu Abyss to heal. Although Ruyi lost her memory, she was still reluctant to leave Zhi Yuan. However, Zhi Yuan did not reveal their sibling relationship and only wished her to take good care of Sumo as he grew up.

Currently, there are only two entrances to the Leaf City that lead to the sea: Xinghai Cloud Court and Chao Yun Crossing. Shi Ying received the challenge letter from the Sea Emperor in Xinghai Cloud Court and ordered others to guard Chao Yun Crossing and investigate the Sea Emperor's whereabouts. If the Sea Emperor does not appear, other merfolk will be allowed to leave. Zhi Yuan informed Zhu Yan of his plan, that he will meet Shi Ying in Xinghai Cloud Court tomorrow, and other merfolk will depart through Chao Yun Crossing. He entrusted Zhu Yan to help the merfolk leave safely and bid farewell to her, hoping they would meet again someday. Zhi Yuan thanked Zhu Yan for everything she had done for him, and before parting, he hugged her with determination in his heart.

The next day, Zhu Yan appeared at Chao Yun Crossing, disguised as Elder Jian, to help delay time for the merfolk to return to the Bluefall Sea. Qing Gang wanted to release the merfolk and tried to capture the Sea Emperor, taking him as a hostage. Zhu Yan understood Qing Gang's intentions and used him as a hostage to threaten Bai Fenglin to withdraw his troops. However, Bai Fenglin disregarded Qing Gang's life and insisted on killing all the merfolk. Bai Xuelu arrived and stopped Bai Fenglin.

Seeing that the merfolk successfully withdrew, Qing Gang still wanted to capture the Sea Emperor. Zhu Yan had to reveal her true identity as the Sea Emperor and said that she came to help the merfolk escape as requested by the Sea Emperor. Qing Gang believed Zhu Yan, stopped Bai Fenglin, and let her leave safely.

Zhi Yuan arrived at Xinghai Cloud Court to battle Shi Ying. After several rounds, Zhi Yuan was injured and collapsed. Zhu Yan arrived just in time to witness Zhi Yuan's injury, but Shi Ying used a barrier to keep her away. Zhi Yuan wanted to exchange his life for Sumo's safety and asked Shi Ying to take care of Zhu Yan. With regret for being enemies in this life, he hoped to be friends with Shi Ying in the next life.

Zhu Yan saw Shi Ying kill Zhi Yuan with her own eyes and was filled with grief and blame towards Shi Ying for killing Zhi Yuan for the so-called prophecy. She held Zhi Yuan's sword and pointed it at Shi Ying. Zhu Yan hated him for killing Zhi Yuan, but she knew she couldn't kill her master with her own abilities. She never wanted to see Shi Ying again in her life. Unexpectedly, Shi Ying took the sword from Zhu Yan's hand and pierced his own heart, admitting that he had wronged Zhu Yan and caused the death of her beloved. He chose to die to atone for his sins. Shi Ying returned the Jade Bones to Zhu Yan, asking her if she would be more heartbroken losing him after his death than losing Zhi Yuan. Watching Shi Ying faint in her arms, Zhu Yan finally cried and wrote down her feelings. She had liked him since the first time she saw him as the Crown Prince.

Da Si Ming suffered backlash from the Forbidden Curse and rushed to Xinghai Cloud Court, only to find it was too late. He discovered the Forbidden Curse on Zhu Yan and realized that Shi Ying used his own life to lift the curse on Zhu Yan. Even in death, Shi Ying used Jade Bones to protect Zhu Yan's life. Da Si Ming hated Zhu Yan but could not kill her because of Shi Ying's last spell.

Star Emperor asked Wuxian Tortoise to pretend to be dead and had Shi Ying kill the Star Emperor's body to gain Shi Ying's trust. Now that both Shi Ying and Zhi Yuan were dead, chaos ruled the world, and with Hou Tu in his hands, the next step was to obtain the Heavenly Emperor's position.

Bai Fenglin voluntarily confessed to Bai Wang that he had falsely provided information to the Sea Country Army for the sake of gaining achievements, but he was later intercepted by Qing Gang, who wanted to falsely accuse him of colluding with the enemy. Bai Xuelu revealed the truth and believed Bai Fenglin was twisting the truth. She was willing to go to Shi Ying to confess the truth. Bai Wang forced Bai Xuelu to marry Shi Ying. Qing Gang told Bai Wang that he and Xuelu had already promised to be together, and they had a family heirloom as evidence. Qing Gang took Xuelu and left, but Bai Fenglin tried to stop him and attacked Qing Gang. Bai Xuelu protected Qing Gang with her magic, and together they left Bai Mansion. Qing Gang knew that Bai Wang and Bai Fenglin would not let them go, so he planned to take Xuelu to Jiuyi Mountain to report everything to the Young Venerable.

Da Si Ming regretted that he should not have forced Shi Ying to take off the god's robe and should not have used Zhu Yan to shake his Dao heart. If he had known today's situation, he would have let Shi Ying live peacefully in the mountains and never interfere with his life. Zhu Yan visited Shi Ying for the last time, and Chong Ming blamed her for Shi Ying's death, saying that he would never forgive her. Da Si Ming revealed to Zhu Yan that she was the person destined to be Shi Ying's calamity, and because of her kindness, Shi Ying had protected her time and time again. After the incident in Cangwu Abyss, Shi Ying became clear about his feelings for her. Later, he decided to take off the god's robe to return to the mortal world and be with her. Chong Ming told Zhu Yan that the Jade Bones given to her by Shi Ying were not just a sacred item left by Queen Bai Wei but also a token given by the emperors of Kongsang lineage to their queens.

Upon learning Shi Ying's feelings for her, Zhu Yan inquired whether there was a way in the world to return from the netherworld to the mortal realm. She was willing to try everything to bring Shi Ying back. Da Si Ming said that Shi Ying's soul had dispersed, but he could prolong Shi Ying's time of consciousness by seven days. If the soul could not be restored within seven days, Shi Ying would forever fall into oblivion. Da Si Ming revealed that there was indeed a forbidden spell called "Star Return Blood Oath" that required a person to connect with the deceased's thoughts and spiritual power. Within three days, the person would retrieve the soul and refine it within themselves to grant the deceased a new life. This spell came at great cost, as the caster had to sacrifice half of their lifespan. Da Si Ming calculated that Zhu Yan still had 54 years of life remaining, and whether the spell succeeded or not, she would only have 27 years left. Zhu Yan was willing to try, even if it meant sacrificing her life.

Da Si Ming found the ancient records of the forbidden spell, and Zhu Yan recognized it as the spellbook that Shi Ying had given her, but some pages were torn out by Shi Ying at that time. The missing pages contained the "Star Return Blood

Zhu Yan knew that she was the calamity daughter of Shi Ying. She didn't want to witness Shi Ying's death again and promised to leave the mountain after his soul returned. The next day, when Shi Ying woke up, he indeed didn't recognize Zhu Yan, and his memories were stuck before the birthday banquet. He couldn't understand why he was on Jiuyi Mountain. Zhu Yan handed him the secret letter left by Da Si Ming, and Shi Ying learned that his memory was confused due to injuries sustained while ending the rebellion in the Sea Nation, and Zhu Yan was there to care for him as a maid.

Zhu Yan found that she had started to show the after-effects of the Middle Yin Qi. She was losing her sense of touch among the Five Senses. When Shi Ying saw Zhu Yan scalding her hand with hot water, he came with ointment to apply on her hand, puzzled as to how he knew where the ointment was. Zhu Yan explained that Shi Ying often stayed on Jiuyi Mountain, and so his belongings were kept here. To prevent Shi Ying from suspecting his lost memories, Zhu Yan had to stay close to him. She helped him bathe but clumsily raised Shi Ying's suspicion, as he believed he wouldn't have such a clumsy maid in the palace. He felt that there was more than a simple master-servant relationship between them and asked Zhu Yan who she really was. Sensing the change in his soul fire, Zhu Yan had no choice but to admit to the past misdeeds she had done to Shi Ying and rushed to take care of him after learning about his injury.

Upon seeing the revived Shi Ying, Chong Ming was very happy. Zhu Yan was worried that Chong Ming might trigger Shi Ying's memory confusion, so she said that Shi Ying and Chong Ming had some prior connection on the mountain. Shi Ying wanted to return to Jia Lan, and Zhu Yan had to use Da Si Ming as an excuse to delay him and let him rest in the mountain until Da Si Ming returned.

Shi Ying saw that the people in the mountain were familiar with Zhu Yan, and though he didn't remember what Zhu Yan had done to him before, he believed she wasn't a malicious person. Zhu Yan told him that he didn't need her care anymore and could leave the mountain. But Shi Ying, without his memories and magic, was not familiar with the terrain of the mountain, so he asked Zhu Yan to stay and take care of him. Zhu Yan took him to the Imperial Valley to worship their ancestors, but fearing that he would see Empress Bai Yan's tomb, she tried to persuade him to leave Jiuyi Mountain according to the mountain rules.

Seeing Shi Ying's sadness, Zhu Yan knew that he wouldn't be able to see the late Empress again in his life. So she transformed into the appearance of Empress Bai Yan to meet Shi Ying, who urged him to rest and recover in the mountain. Bai Yan then disappeared before him, and Zhu Yan explained that she had used a magical technique to deliver a message for Empress Bai Yan, and what he saw was a message from her.

Before going to sleep, Shi Ying mentioned his favorite Snow Wei Cake to Zhu Yan, and she decided to use the Jade Bone to get some Snow Cold Wei and make Snow Wei Cake for him. After spending a day with Shi Ying, she realized that he didn't have any aversion to her, and she was grateful for these three days spent with him. She decided to make one last meal for him to not let him down. Zhu Yan tasted the seasonings one by one, successfully distinguishing them, and prepared a delicious meal for Shi Ying. Due to tasting the seasonings, Zhu Yan's voice became hoarse, and Shi Ying was deeply concerned. Although Zhu Yan repeatedly claimed her guilt, Shi Ying's heart told him that no matter what mistakes she made, he would not hold it against her. Shi Ying asked Zhu Yan to join him for the meal, and she had to accompany him to enjoy the food together.

Zhu Yan was too tired from taking care of Shi Ying and accidentally fell asleep. When she woke up, she found that Shi Ying was missing. Upon inquiry, she learned that Shi Ying insisted on going to Jiuyi County, and Chong Ming had to accompany him there. Worried that Shi Ying might be investigating her identity, Zhu Yan hurriedly went to Jiuyi County to find him.

In the rain, Zhu Yan found Shi Ying by the river, who was actually looking for herbs to treat allergies, and Chong Ming brought him there. Seeing Zhu Yan soaked in the rain, Shi Ying quickly gave her his umbrella and expressed that although he felt close to Zhu Yan, he wanted her to tell him about their relationship personally. To thank Shi Ying for the fruit he gave her, Zhu Yan decided to invite him for a drink that evening.

In fact, Da Si Ming had instructed Zhu Yan to bring Shi Ying to the lakeside of the Starry Lake on the last day. There, Shi Ying's soul would be secure, and the seven stars in the lake would be the key to his complete rebirth. Shi Ying originally wanted to confess his feelings to Zhu Yan, but she noticed that his soul was already complete. Zhu Yan decided to be a little willful and dance for Shi Ying one last time.

Zhu Yan performed the final dance for Shi Ying by the lake, and he asked her if she had danced this dance for him before because he felt it was familiar. Shi Ying suspected that they were in love before, and what he wanted to say was that he wanted to spend his life with Zhu Yan. Holding back her tears, Zhu Yan told him that she would give him the answer when he woke up the next day.

As the sun set, Shi Ying eventually fell asleep next to Zhu Yan. At this moment, she gave her beloved one a final kiss and entrusted Shi Ying to Chong Ming. She decided to leave Jiuyi Mountain and never see Shi Ying again. Da Si Ming used magic to remove the worms from the body of the King of Bei Mian. He believed that the chaos caused by King of Bei Mian harmed Kongsang and killed the only loyal Empress, Bai Yan, and drove away the only loyal crown prince. Da Si Ming's revival of King of Bei Mian was to bring justice to Bai Yan and Shi Ying, who came late.

Zhu Yan lost all her senses, stumbling down the mountain. She fell unconscious in the mountains. Concubine Qing tried to escape from the palace but was caught halfway and accused by the King of Bei Mian of poisoning him. He wanted to kill Concubine Qing, but she was willing to bear the guilt and hoped that he wouldn't involve Shi Yu. Then she committed suicide. Da Si Ming wanted to clear Bai Yan and her son's names. He didn't want Shi Ying to return to the mortal world and recognize King of Bei Mian. King of Bei Mian had to order to strip Concubine Qing of her title and demote her to a commoner. Bai Yan was posthumously honored as Empress Ren Jia, and her remains were moved to the Imperial Valley. Shi Ying resumed his status as the crown prince from that day.

Xuelu and Qing Gang rescued Zhu Yan in the mountains, but she remained unconscious for three days, and they were unable to help her because she had told them not to take her to Jiuyi Mountain. Xuelu recalled something she had read in ancient texts and suspected that Zhu Yan's lost senses could only be restored by magic. Together with Qing Gang, they used the magic of their clans to restore Zhu Yan's sight and hearing, but unfortunately, Qing Gang belonged to a branch of the Qing clan and didn't have the Qing clan's ultimate treasure. In the end, Qing Gang used a hereditary precious jade and joined forces with Xuelu to perform magic on Zhu Yan.

Wu Xian came to see Bai Fenglin and wanted to join forces with him to achieve their wishes. Wu Xian's condition was for Bai Fenglin to take his master to Jia Lan White Tower. Bai Fenglin took Wu Xian to Jia Lan White Tower, and during this time, Star Lord successfully obtained the Heavenly Ring.

When Shi Ying woke up, he learned that he had been resurrected because of the Blood Oath of the Stars, and Zhu Yan had spent three days comprehending the Blood Oath of the Stars and used half of her life force to save him. Shi Ying felt guilty towards Zhu Yan, believing that she must hate him for killing Zhi Yuan and couldn't forgive himself, which led her to choose to leave the mountain.

Following the fragrance, Shi Ying arrived at the kitchen and found a divine servant learning to make Snow Wei Cake. Upon questioning, the divine servant revealed his memory loss to Shi Ying and mentioned that Zhu Yan had taken care of him for three days even to the extent of undressing him. Shi Ying made an appointment with Chong Ming to go to the lakeside of the Starry Lake, tricking Chong Ming into believing that he had remembered the three days spent with Zhu Yan. Chong Ming told him about Zhu Yan not wanting to burden him with her calamity daughter status and choosing to leave the mountain. Chong Ming also realized that Shi Ying hadn't fully regained his memory of those three days.

Knowing that Zhu Yan had used half of her life force to save him and took care of him for three days, Shi Ying suspected that she actually liked him even though she said she liked Zhi Yuan. He deduced that Zhu Yan liked him, and her initial declaration of liking Zhi Yuan was just to save someone. After confirming his feelings from Chong Ming, Shi Ying decided to go down the mountain to find Zhu Yan. When Da Si Ming arrived and saw Shi Ying awake, he was very happy. He promised not to force Shi Ying to return to the mortal world and forbade him from looking for Zhu Yan, the calamity daughter. Shi Ying thanked Da Si Ming for his nurturing over the years, but now that he had died once, he just wanted to be with Zhu Yan and not waste the second chance she gave him. Shi Ying was determined to go to the Hell of Ten Thousand Tribulations and took off his divine robe. Seeing his determination, Da Si Ming finally agreed to his request.

Zhu Yan woke up and learned that Shi Xuelu and Qing Gang had saved her. Seeing that the two had decided to be together, Zhu Yan sincerely expressed her blessings. She also learned that they were going to Jiuyi Mountain to find Shi Ying and urged them not to mention her name. Zhu Yan asked about Xuelu's situation and found out that she regretted not being able to bring her mother's tablet back to the Bai Mansion. Zhu Yan believed that a mother's concern would never be for a heartless man who refused to acknowledge her and a tablet in the Bai Mansion. It would be for her beloved daughter. Now that Xuelu and Qing Gang were together and excelled in Bai Clan's magic, this was what Xuelu's mother wanted to see. With Zhu Yan's comforting words, Xuelu finally understood the situation.

Zhu Yan learned that Shi Ying had decided to take off his divine robe and descend to the Hell of Ten Thousand Tribulations. She was worried and rushed to Jiuyi Mountain. As the Lord Qing was demoted to a commoner and Qing Gang was crowned as Lord Qing, they learned from the messenger that someone from the Ice Clan was rushing to Jiuyi Mountain. Qing Gang and Xuelu were concerned that the Ice Clan might attack Shi Ying while he was facing the Hell of Ten Thousand Tribulations, so they immediately set off for Jiuyi Mountain.

Shi Ying had no regrets about taking off his divine robe and returning to the mortal world for Zhu Yan. He entered the Hell of Ten Thousand Tribulations step by step, activating the magic to enter the illusion of his heart's demon. There, he saw his mother, Bai Yan, who told him the words they exchanged before parting. This time, Shi Ying chose to stay with his mother, but to his dismay, he saw Bai Yan swallow fire and perish. He was overwhelmed with grief.

Seeing Shi Ying injured, Chong Ming was puzzled, and Da Si Ming explained that Shi Ying was now facing his greatest fear and pain in life. He was using all his heart's blood to resist. If he couldn't overcome it, he might become a demon. Meanwhile, Shi Ying saw Zhu Yan in the illusion of his heart's demon. Zhu Yan hated him for killing Zhi Yuan and wanted to kill him with her own hands. Shi Ying manifested a dagger and chose to commit suicide.

In reality, Zhu Yan hurried to Jiuyi Mountain, trying to stop Shi Ying from killing himself, but was blocked by the boundary of the Hell of Ten Thousand Tribulations. Inside the Hell, Shi Ying passed the test of his heart's demon and entered the ultimate trial, enduring the strikes of heavenly thunder and sustaining severe injuries. His magical powers were also revoked. Eventually, Shi Ying broke through the Hell of Ten Thousand Tribulations and collapsed in Zhu Yan's arms.

Da Si Ming had prepared for this day for ten years, and he fed Shi Ying a spirit medicine. At this time, Wu Xian arrived with his people, and Chong Ming, Qing Gang, and Bai Xuelu all fought to protect Shi Ying. However, they were no match for Wu Xian. Da Si Ming instructed them to protect Shi Ying while he dealt with the ten witches of the Ice Clan. The ten witches used a suicidal formation to try to kill everyone, and Da Si Ming was severely injured in the process. At the critical moment, Zhu Yan used the power of Heaven's Wrath to successfully kill nine of the ten witches of the Ice Clan. However, Wu Xian, using his last strength, tried to kill Shi Ying, and Da Si Ming shielded him and suffered heavy injuries.

Shi Ying wanted to use his spiritual power to rescue Da Si Ming, but he had lost his powers. Da Si Ming looked at Shi Ying's eyes and was reminded of his beloved Bai Yan. He didn't want to see those eyes shed tears again, so he wiped them away before dying in Shi Ying's arms.

Before he died, Da Si Ming revealed the truth about the Autumn Water Case to Shi Ying. It was Concubine Qing who used venom to manipulate Bai Yan, and when she was exposed, she chose to commit suicide. He managed to find out the truth before his death and cleared Bai Yan and her son's name, making it not in vain for his life. The attack of the ten witches was not accidental, and Kongsang might be caught in another war again. Shi Ying regained his life but lost his powers. Da Si Ming wanted to advise him to take care of himself, but he knew that Shi Ying wouldn't just stand by when Yun Huang was in chaos. He only advised him to do what he could and be at peace with his conscience.

After paying their respects to Da Si Ming, Qing Gang and Bai Xuelu decided to return to Jia Lan to find out the reason behind the attack of the ten witches. After bidding farewell to Zhu Yan and Shi Ying, they hurriedly left the mountain. Shi Yu and Bai Xueying were caught secretly worshipping Concubine Qing, but the King of Bei Mian did not blame them. Qing Gang didn't tell Shi Ying about Bai Fenglin's crime because he didn't want to burden Shi Ying, who had lost his powers. Bai Xuelu told him that he could report it to the Emperor when he faced the court.

Zhu Yan decided to leave the mountain and distance herself from Shi Ying because of the ordeal of fate, fearing that her foolish actions would harm Shi Ying. Shi Ying said that even though Zhu Yan "killed" him as foretold, she also brought him back to life. Without Zhu Yan in his heart, he would have perished long ago. This showed that nothing is set in stone, so he does not believe in fate. Shi Ying kissed Zhu Yan, believing that love can conquer all.

Shi Ying had thought that Wu Xian was dead, as the wise usually self-destruct. But now he realized that if Wu Xian could come back to life, then the wise must still be alive and has another hidden identity. Shi Ying bid farewell to the immortals in the mountain and asked Chong Ming if he wanted to continue traveling with them. Chong Ming felt that he was the ancient divine bird of the Jiuyi Mountain and should protect peace in the area, so he declined to go down the mountain with them. Chong Ming had previously wanted to say goodbye to Zhu Yan, knowing from the first time he saw her that she would take Shi Ying away sooner or later. He entrusted Zhu Yan's care to ensure that they would leave the mountain happily.

Shi Ying was reluctant to part with Chong Ming and hugged him, but Chong Ming chose to leave on his own initiative, telling Shi Ying not to miss him too much. Shi Ying decided to leave the Jiuyi Mountain with nothing, as he believed that the Jiuyi Mountain had brought Zhu Yan to him, and that was already enough for him.

On their way down the mountain, Shi Ying sought a way to retrieve Zhu Yan's five senses, but they had already missed the nine-day period. Only Zhu Yan's strongest desire in her heart could break the barrier of the Middle Yin energy. Zhu Yan said that when Shi Ying kissed her, she felt something. Shi Ying reassured her that her heart's desires were also his.

Qing Gang reported White Fenglin's collusion and betrayal to the King of Bei Mian, who ordered White Wang's execution and demotion to a commoner. Due to Bai Xuelu's righteousness in killing her own relatives, she was ennobled as the White Wang, and the King of Bei Mian allowed her to bring her mother's tablet back to the White Mansion.

Bai Fenglin reported that the King of Chi, Zhu Gaozhao, and the princess, Zhu Yan, committed a great offense, which led to a massacre of nine clans. The Chi Tribe and the Jiao Tribe have been colluding for 200 years, protecting the Sea Emperor. Bai Yan returned to the Tianji Wind City and the Chi King Mansion with Shi Ying. The King of Chi thanked Shi Ying for taking care of his daughter all these years. He thanked Shi Ying with a drink, but seeing that Shi Ying was not good at drinking, Zhu Yan drank the wine from Shi Ying's hand in one gulp. Shi Ying told the King and the Queen of Chi that he and Zhu Yan loved each other and had experienced life and death together. He had prepared a marriage proposal according to the Chi Tribe's customs and asked the King and Queen to marry Zhu Yan to him.

Zhu Yan had always refused the marriage arranged by the Queen of Chi. At this moment, the Queen of Chi finally realized that Shi Ying was the person in her daughter's heart. She entrusted Zhu Yan to Shi Ying. Zhu Yan was looking forward to her wedding with Shi Ying. She wanted to invite people from the entire Tianji Wind City, as well as Xueying, Shiyu, and others. Long Shen will awaken soon, but now is not the right time for him to wake up. She let Ruyi take Long Shen back to the Bi Luo Sea, while she entered a dormant period, waiting for Long Shen to awaken after seventy years.

The Guixie Star lit up again, and Shi Ying suspected that Zhi Yuan was not the real Sea Emperor. He believed that Zhi Yuan was merely protecting the true ruler of the Jiao people by playing a trick. Qing Gang arrived with an imperial decree, accusing the Chi King Mansion of colluding with the Jiao Tribe and escorting the entire Chi Mansion to Jia Lan for trial. Zhu Yan blamed herself for implicating the Chi Mansion and said that no one knew Zhi Yuan's identity as the Sea Emperor when he was in the Chi Mansion. The King of Chi took the blame for Zhu Yan and claimed full responsibility for any crimes committed.

The imperial envoy planned to take the people from the Chi Mansion away, but Shi Ying showed up and ordered them to protect the people from the Chi Mansion, promising to report the details to the Emperor. Shi Ying returned to Jia Lan to meet the King of Bei Mian, hoping that he wouldn't make the wrong judgment about the Chi Mansion's case. The King of Bei Mian knew that Zhu Yan was the princess of the Chi Tribe and Shi Ying's beloved. He agreed to spare Zhu Yan's life but could not spare the Chi Tribe. Shi Ying explained that Zhi Yuan did work as a steward in the Chi Mansion, but he only returned to the Jiao Tribe after leaving the Chi Mansion. He signed a truce agreement with the Jiao Tribe and even used his own life to exchange for peace between the two tribes. Shi Ying vouched with his life and requested a half-month period.

Shi Ying told Zhu Yan that the return of the Guixie Star meant that Zhi Yuan was not the Sea Emperor. He decided that they should no longer pursue the Sea Emperor because he believed that even an individual's life could be influenced, let alone the fate of a nation. He thought that the person Zhi Yuan protected at the cost of everything would not be the demon who caused bloodshed in Kong Sang. Shi Ying decided to use the half-month period to go to the Cangwu Abyss and see the Dragon God. Perhaps the Dragon God could help them.

The Emperor of the Stars wanted to use the power of the Sky Emperor and Earth Emperor to destroy Cloud Wasteland and establish a new realm. However, he found that White Wei had placed a Dragon Soul Seal on the Earth Ring, which could only be unlocked with the blood of the Sea Emperor. After seven thousand years, the Sea Emperor returned to Kong Sang. The Emperor of the Stars believed that no one could stop him from destroying Cloud Wasteland. Shi Ying arrived with Zhu Yan at the Cangwu Abyss to meet the Dragon God. Through the incident with Zhi Yuan, Shi Ying realized that fate could not determine the destiny of a nation. If the ruler and officials are virtuous, the country and people will prosper, and no one can shake the foundation of Kong Sang. However, if the king is corrupt, the people will suffer. Seven thousand years ago, Queen White Wei worked hard for the Sea Country and prevented the Jiao Tribe's tragic destruction. Two hundred years ago, Red Pearl Fei Li fought for peace for her beloved and achieved peace between the two tribes. Over the thousands of years, Kong Sang and the Jiao Tribe were already inseparable. Shi Ying begged the Dragon God to reveal to the world the innocence of Zhi Yuan and the Chi Tribe.

The Dragon God said that Zhi Yuan was not dead; he had already implanted the Dragon's Breath in Zhi Yuan's body, so Zhi Yuan was still alive. The person who could wake him up must also be from Kong Sang. Zhu Yan used the techniques taught by Shi Ying to awaken Zhi Yuan, and Zhi Yuan woke up. After seeing that Shi Ying and Zhu Yan were finally together, he sincerely expressed his blessings. Shi Ying, though aware that the Sea Emperor was not Zhi Yuan, had already seen through the prophecy after experiencing life and death. Zhi Yuan learned that Shi Ying would not harm the Sea Emperor and revealed that Su Mo was indeed the Sea Emperor.

To prevent Su Mo's identity from being exposed and causing chaos, Shi Ying wanted to see Su Mo return to the Bi Luo Sea with his own eyes. Zhi Yuan took Shi Ying and others to the Huangquan Waterfall. Shi Ying saw Su Mo in a coma due to the Dream Alteration technique. He taught Zhi Yuan and Zhu Yan how to break the dream, and Su Mo woke up successfully. After bidding farewell to Zhu Yan, Su Mo followed Ruyi back to the Bi Luo Sea. At this time, Xu Yao arrived and wanted the Sea Emperor's blood. Zhu Yan found out in time and tried to stop him. Zhi Yuan also closed the passage to the Bi Luo Sea just in time.

Xu Yao took control of Zhi Yuan's body, intending to control the future Sea Emperor and use him to control the fate of the Sea Country. Shi Ying sensed that Xu Yao's aura was very familiar and realized that Xu Yao had controlled the Great Emperor of the Stars before. Zhi Yuan struggled for his beloved, but Xu Yao told him that Zhu Yan was not the reincarnation of Red Pearl Fei Li and even claimed that Zhu Yan killed the last trace of consciousness of Yao Yi, deceiving Zhi Yuan into turning Zhu Yan into Yao Yi.

Zhi Yuan couldn't resist Xu Yao's control in the end. Shi Ying knew that Xu Yao was skilled at exploiting the darkest and most selfish obsession of the original owner, as he had done with the Emperor of the Stars' feelings for Queen White Wei. Now, he was using Zhi Yuan's obsession with Yao Yi. Shi Ying no longer had magical powers and was injured by Zhi Yuan. But he was unwilling to admit that Zhu Yan was Yao Yi. Zhu Yan couldn't bear to see Shi Ying die in front of her and told Zhi Yuan that she was willing to become Yao Yi, temporarily persuading Zhi Yuan to spare Shi Ying.

Zhi Yuan took Zhu Yan to a new residence and forced her to go through the marriage ceremony with him. He planned to use the power of the Earth Emperor to turn Zhu Yan into Yao Yi completely. At the critical moment when Zhu Yan was gradually losing her memory and becoming Yao Yi, Shi Ying arrived. Shi Ying had been severely injured before, but unexpectedly survived and regained his magical powers. However, even with Zhu Yan's help, they were unable to resist the Earth Ring's power held by Zhi Yuan. Zhu Yan was injured, and Zhi Yuan briefly regained his senses, instructing Shi Ying to take Zhu Yan away quickly.

Shi Ying believed that Xu Yao now controlled Zhi Yuan and possessed the power of the Earth Ring. Over time, Xu Yao's ability to manipulate people's minds would become stronger and could even manipulate the army at will. Once he found the Sea Emperor through Zhi Yuan, he could unleash the combined power of the two rings to destroy Cloud Wasteland. They needed to find a way to retrieve the Earth Ring as soon as possible.

Zhi Yuan regained consciousness momentarily and realized that he could not let Xu Yao destroy Cloud Wasteland even if it meant his own death. However, he was unable to end his life under Xu Yao's control. Xu Yao continued to manipulate Zhi Yuan, offering to help him regain the Earth Ring in exchange for his cooperation. Zhi Yuan agreed, hoping that with Xu Yao's help, he could find the Sea Emperor.

Shi Ying brought Zhu Yan to the Jia Lan Imperial City, but they were surprised to learn that the Lord and Lady of Chi had committed suicide out of fear. Zhu Yan hurried back to her home, where she discovered that Zhi Yuan had sent a letter to Kongsang. He offered to stop the war if the Chi Tribe handed over their princess to him, otherwise, he would attack Jia Lan. This letter caused unrest among the Chi Tribe, and the Lord and Lady of Chi sacrificed themselves to protect their people. Feeling guilty for the loss of her parents, Zhu Yan blamed herself.

Zhu Yan arranged for the bodies of the Lord and Lady of Chi to be sent back to Tianji Wind City. Grieving the loss of her parents, she sought solace from Shi Ying, who comforted her and advised her to live on like the West Wild Tree. After Zhu Yan rested, Shi Ying went to the palace to see the King of Bei Mian, requesting the authority to lead the troops and help Zhu Yan repel the Ice Tribe's rebellion. Shi Ying informed the King that the current Zhi Yuan was controlled by Xu Yao and manipulated by the power of Heaven and Earth, turning the Ice Tribe's soldiers into mindless beings. Shi Ying vowed to recover the power of Heaven and Earth before Xu Yao found the Sea Emperor and brought calamity to Kongsang. The King of Bei Mian was concerned about Shi Ying's willingness to face the gods in battle, but Shi Ying believed that if the gods enjoyed the suffering of the people, they didn't deserve to be gods. He was determined to become the first mortal to slay a god.

Zhu Yan and Shi Ying agreed to meet at the top of the White Tower. When Shi Ying arrived, he found that Zhu Yan had prepared simple wedding attire for them. They held a simple wedding ceremony on the White Tower, toasting and drinking to each other's happiness. Shi Ying regretted not being able to give Zhu Yan a lively wedding and promised to hold a grand celebration for her once the crisis in Kongsang was resolved. They spent their wedding night together, but the next day, Shi Ying discovered that Zhu Yan had left a farewell letter. Zhu Yan decided to deal with Zhi Yuan on her own and promised to return safely.

When Shi Ying tried to find Zhu Yan, he was summoned back to the palace as the King of Bei Mian's condition worsened. The King handed the governance of Kongsang to Shi Yu and expressed his regret and desire for Shi Ying to take care of Shi Yu and protect Kongsang. Shi Ying finally called the King of Bei Mian "father" and promised to look after Shi Yu. After the King passed away peacefully, Shi Ying visited Zhu Yan, who had disguised herself as Yao Yi. Zhu Yan had decided to erase all her memories so that she could completely become Yao Yi and not be hindered by her past identity. Shi Ying was saddened by her decision but respected her choice.

Shi Ying realized that the Heaven and Earth power was crafted by the Star Emperor and decided to use the Seven Celestials to try to control the Earth Ring's power. Although he couldn't fully control it, he managed to disrupt Zhi Yuan's ability to manipulate the army with it.

With the loss of the Earth Ring's power, Zhi Yuan tried to trap Shi Ying and Zhu Yan in a Luminous Illusion, but with the power of the Heaven and Earth ring, they managed to fight back. At a crucial moment, Zhi Yuan broke free from Xu Yao's control and apologized to Zhu Yan before choosing to end his life along with Xu Yao.

As Zhi Yuan's spirit dissipated, Xu Yao attempted to manipulate Zhu Yan, who was tormented by guilt for her parents' deaths and the harm caused by her destiny. Xu Yao repeatedly manipulated her, but Shi Ying reminded Zhu Yan that meeting her was the happiest thing in his life. He kissed her to awaken her consciousness, but Xu Yao also took control of Shi Ying's body. To seal Xu Yao's spirit, Shi Ying decided to sacrifice himself. He handed the Jade Bones to Zhu Yan and asked her to kill him so that Xu Yao would be trapped within him forever.

Zhu Yan couldn't bear to watch Shi Ying die in front of her again and was unable to do it herself. Shi Ying reassured her that this was his mission as a practitioner of magic to save the people. With tears in her eyes, Zhu Yan hugged Shi Ying and drove the Jade Bones into his heart. Shi Ying told her that he would come back to see her every year when the Snow Han Wei bloomed.

As the Snow Han Wei bloomed, Zhu Yan visited the place where she first met Shi Ying in the palace and left the Snow Han Wei petals that Shi Ying had given her. To her surprise, the petals transformed into golden light in the sunlight, and Shi Ying appeared before her once again. They reunited in the season of falling flowers, where their love story began and where they met again.

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