Episode Summary
Han Li learns of his master Li Huayuan's sacrificial death and parts ways with his fellow disciples. He finds his friends Qi Yunxiao and Xin Ruyin have both died; before her death, Xin Ruyin repaired an ancient transportation array for him and made him promise to avenge her and her husband.In the Forbidden Land, Han Li encounters an injured Nangong Wan being pursued by Demonic Dao cultivators. He rescues her by taking Dong Xuan'er hostage, which leads to a stunning revelation: Dong Xuan'er is the daughter of the Demonic Dao ancestor Yunlu and the Huangfeng Valley elder Hongfu.
Spoiler Alert
The aftermath of the battle with the Demonic Dao sends ripples through the lives of the scattered disciples of Huangfeng Valley. Nangong Wan arrives at the now-desolate valley, searching for Han Li's former cave residence. She instead finds Hongfu, who has just laid her partner, Li Huayuan, to rest at the base of a snowy mountain—a place he always loved. Hongfu, now considering herself a free-spirited rogue cultivator, claims to be done with the conflicts of the cultivation world. However, she vows to watch over Li Huayuan's disciples, especially his youngest, Han Li. Having met Han Li before, Nangong Wan offers to help locate him.
Meanwhile, Han Li awakens from his injuries and is met by his senior, Song Meng. From him, Han Li receives the devastating news of their master Li Huayuan's death; he sacrificed himself by detonating his Golden Core in a final, desperate battle against Yunlu. Han Li realizes with a heavy heart that his master had already accepted his fate when they last parted. Though his fellow disciples are eager for revenge, Han Li, ever the pragmatist, reminds them of their severe losses and the other sects' desire for peace. They are currently no match for the Demonic Dao. The group decides to seek out their senior, Hongfu, for guidance, but they understand Han Li's nature and give him their blessing to forge his own path.
Han Li's journey first takes him to the home of the formation array master, Qi Yunxiao, only to discover he has been killed by members of the Fu family. Qi Yunxiao's grieving partner, Xin Ruyin, entrusts Han Li with her late husband's research and her own profound insights into formation arrays.She extracts a promise from Han Li: that when he becomes powerful enough, he will avenge them.Seeing Xin Ruyin's frail health, Han Li offers to stay for a few days to refine pills that could ease her suffering. Three days later, he returns to find that Xin Ruyin has also passed away. She leaves behind a letter explaining that she used the last of her life force—her own blood as a formation master—to partially repair an ancient transportation array.Though its destination is unknown, she trusts Han Li to survive the journey and asks only that he bury her beside her husband. Han Li solemnly fulfills her final wish.
He proceeds to the Forbidden Land, where he finds the transportation array. The lax security suggests the Demonic Dao is unaware of its existence. His plans are interrupted by the arrival of Wang Chan and his followers, who are pursuing an injured Nangong Wan. Annoyed at her bad luck, Nangong Wan can't help but wonder why she came to this place just to find Han Li. Seizing an opportunity, Han Li incapacitates one of Wang Chan's men and takes his place in the group. As they close in on Nangong Wan, Han Li makes his move, taking Dong Xuan'er hostage and forcing Wang Chan to let them escape. Nangong Wan tells him she will wait for him a hundred miles to the west.
Alone with Han Li, Dong Xuan'er reveals that she recognized him. Han Li, removing his mask, questions why she has sided with the Demonic Dao. Dong Xuan'er reveals a shocking secret: her father is the Demonic Dao ancestor, Yunlu, and her mother is none other than Hongfu from Huangfeng Valley.Her father, who had hidden his identity, forcibly erased her Huangfeng Valley heritage. She now fears that as her new powers reach their peak, her personality will be warped, and she might even forget Han Li. He can only advise her to always remember who she truly is before she asks him to leave her. Finally, Han Li reunites with Nangong Wan, only to find her injuries are far more severe than he realized.
