Episode Summary
The Immortal Sect leaders blame Mo Xiao for recent troubles, and he agrees to perform a dangerous soul-cleansing ritual to atone and unite them against Chong Guang. Meanwhile, Chong Guang reveals he never removed Feng Lixue's demonic energy, leading to a confrontation. Feng Lixue attempts a risky deal with Zi Ying, which Chong Guang interrupts, saving Feng Lixue and further solidifying his obsession by using powerful magic stones at the expense of his own ambitions. During Mo Xiao's ritual, Lu Jianchuan secretly manipulates spirits to attack him, causing Mo Xiao's demonic nature to surface. Murong Jing discovers Lu Jianchuan's treachery and a suspicious spell scroll linked to her father, Murong Changfeng. Amidst the chaos and accusations, Mo Xiao is sent to the Demon-Suppressing Palace for judgment. The episode ends with Chong Guang, having obtained the Tianmo Order, presenting a puppet-cursed Feng Lixue as his future bride and queen, announcing a grand coronation.
Spoiler Alert
Mo Xiao: The Scapegoat Scramble
So, things kick off with all the Immortal Sect leaders pointing fingers squarely at Mo Xiao for... well, a lot of things. Murong Changfeng, ever the diplomat (or is he?), also throws Mo Xiao under the bus but tells the other sects to chill and not cause a ruckus on Shushan grounds. He assures them Shushan will deal with Mo Xiao. Yuan Beichen isn't too thrilled but doesn't push it. Just then, a battered and bruised Mo Xiao shows up, ready to take the blame. In a pretty hardcore move, he offers to perform a soul-cleansing ritual for the departed using his physical body, no fancy immortal powers involved.
Xuan Qing is understandably worried, thinking Mo Xiao is too weak for such an ordeal. But Mo Xiao is all about that noble sacrifice, saying if it unites the Immortal Sects against Chong Guang's nefarious schemes, he's all in. Yuan Beichen even asks if he feels wronged by all the slander, but Mo Xiao's response is basically, "I'd die a thousand deaths if it meant foiling Chong Guang". Talk about dedication!
Feng Lixue & Chong Guang: A Toxic Tango Continues
Meanwhile, Feng Lixue wakes up to find Chong Guang looming over her. Surprise! He totally didn't remove the demonic energy from her body like she thought. She's furious, obviously, and lays into him. Chong Guang, ever the charmer (not!), basically tells her that hate can reshape a person, just like love can destroy one. He even has the audacity to say he "reshaped" her once and isn't opposed to doing it again. Yikes.
Later, Feng Lixue, clearly not taking this lying down, approaches Zi Ying with a deal. The bargaining chip? The Bingqing Fu within her. Feng Lixue knows Zi Ying is desperate to be Chong Guang's number one and would love to see her dead. Zi Ying is suspicious, but Feng Lixue then forces Zi Ying's hand, holding a dagger, to stab herself in the chest. Just as Zi Ying is probably thinking "jackpot!", Chong Guang conveniently arrives, sees Zi Ying "attacking" Feng Lixue, and blasts Zi Ying with a palm strike. Poor Zi Ying is bleeding out, but Chong Guang doesn't give her a second glance, whisking the injured Feng Lixue away.
Chong Guang then goes full panic mode, using his own cultivation to save Feng Lixue. His loyal minion, Chang Ming, warns him that this will mess with his plans to obtain the "Wu Shuang demonic power," but Chong Guang couldn't care less. He even uses the power of three potent magic stones, risking his long-held ambitions, just to save Feng Lixue. Once she's stable, he tells Chang Ming to get her to rest while he goes into seclusion to cultivate.
Secrets, Suspicions, and Sabotage
While Chong Guang is off powering up (and successfully obtains the Tianmo Order, or Heavenly Demon Order, by the way), drama is brewing back at Shushan. It's time for Mo Xiao's soul-cleansing ritual, but he's late, leading everyone to grumble about his irresponsibility. Xie Lingyun pipes up, saying Mo Xiao is in a bad way and that he actually drugged Mo Xiao's tea the previous day so he could perform the ritual instead. Right on cue, Mo Xiao makes his grand entrance, and Murong Changfeng flashes a tiny, almost unnoticeable smirk. Hmm, suspicious!
Mo Xiao takes center stage and begins the ritual. Spirits start flying everywhere, not too happy about their demise and blaming Mo Xiao for betraying them. During all this intense spiritual action, Lu Jianchuan sneaks off, with Murong Jing quietly tailing him. Murong Changfeng, ever observant, clocks their departure.
It turns out Lu Jianchuan was manipulating the spirits to attack Mo Xiao! Under this assault, Mo Xiao starts to lose it, and his demonic energy begins to flare up. Lu Jianchuan then sneakily injects more demonic qi into Mo Xiao. Mo Xiao's eyes glow red, a wicked smile plays on his lips, and everyone is, understandably, freaking out. For a moment, Mo Xiao remembers his master, Feng Yue Sword Master, telling him that as long as his heart is righteous, he is righteous. He even cries out for his master but then loses control again, bursting into maniacal laughter.
Murong Jing confronts Lu Jianchuan, who makes a hasty escape, dropping a "Soul Ferrying Spell" scroll in the process. Xuan Qing and Yuan Beichen manage to grab the now very demonic-looking Mo Xiao and whisk him away, while Murong Changfeng and Xie Tianjun try to keep the panicked crowd from doing anything rash.
Later, Murong Jing has a flashback: she's seen that Soul Ferrying Spell before... in her father's room! He'd told her it was a special spell to eliminate evil spirits and not for those with low spiritual power to look at. The plot thickens!
The Fallout and a Twisted Coronation
The Immortal Sects are now furious with Yuan Beichen for supposedly shielding Mo Xiao. Murong Changfeng also expresses his displeasure with Mo Xiao's current state. Xuan Qing, however, stands up for Mo Xiao, arguing that it's natural for some demonic energy to manifest after he absorbed so much while trying to help everyone. But the crowd isn't buying it. Murong Changfeng, trying to restore order, proposes using the Demon-Suppressing Palace to test if Mo Xiao has truly turned demonic. Xuan Qing objects, saying the palace is for actual demons, not someone like Mo Xiao. To stop the bickering, Yuan Beichen agrees to send Mo Xiao to the Demon-Suppressing Palace.
Back in Chong Guang's world, Feng Lixue wakes up dressed as a bride but looking completely dazed and unresponsive. Chong Guang is enraged and demands to know what Chang Ming did. Turns out, Chang Ming, fearing Feng Lixue might harm Chong Guang, put a Puppet Curse on her. Chong Guang acknowledges Chang Ming's loyalty but makes it clear that harming Feng Lixue is a line he shouldn't cross again, or it'll be his life. Chang Ming offers to take the Bingqing Fu and accept punishment in the Demon Prison, but Chong Guang isn't interested in his penance, just in his future obedience.
The episode culminates with Chong Guang presenting the still-dazed Feng Lixue to his followers, announcing her as his upcoming "Zun Hou" (a title like Empress or high consort). He also declares that the Tianmo Order has returned to the mortal realm and that he wants the entire world to witness Feng Lixue's grand coronation ceremony.
