Episode Summary
After escaping the Corpse-Brides, the team discovers the legendary Heavenly Palace of the Clouds.They are confronted with a choice to enter a dangerous passage where Zhang Qiling lost a previous team. Wu Xie, searching for his uncle, runs in, forcing the others to follow. Inside, they encounter hallucinogenic bells and rescue a disoriented A'Ning. With oxygen running low, they use explosives to create an escape route, causing the chamber to flood with water.
Spoiler Alert
Time Raiders: Episode 17 Recap
The team just managed to fight off the Corpse-Brides and pin a Sea Monkey in a cave. Wu Xie and Pang Zi are completely wiped. They collapse on the ground to catch their breath.
The Heavenly Palace
Pang Zi is freaking out. His back is numb and itchy from the fight. Zhang Qiling tells him it's poison from the Corpse-Brides. This sends Pang Zi into a panic. He's worried he'll turn into a Sea Monkey. Zhang Qiling doesn't have a clear answer, which just makes Pang Zi more desperate to get to a hospital.
As they're about to move, Zhang Qiling stops. He stares ahead and tells them they've found it. They are at the Heavenly Palace of the Clouds. Wu Xie and Pang Zi look up. What they thought was just a gray, hazy structure is actually a massive, intricate palace. It has pavilions, gardens, and detailed murals, all carved underground. It's an incredible piece of architecture.
In the center of the palace, they find a figure sitting down. It looks like a mummy or a statue. Zhang Qiling identifies him as Wang Zanghai.He was the master architect who designed this entire underground city and all its traps.Wu Xie studies the murals on the walls. They tell the story of how Wang Zanghai built this place. A sudden avalanche buried the palace and all the builders. Wang Zanghai, unwilling to let his masterpiece be forgotten, carved these murals to explain what happened.
A Bad Memory
Zhang Qiling stands frozen in front of a mirror. Pang Zi and Wu Xie can't figure out what's so special about it. Then Zhang Qiling tells them there's a door behind it. They push the mirror aside and find a dark passage.
Zhang Qiling warns them against going in. He's been here before. Over a decade ago, he came through here with a different team. They were knocked unconscious in that passage, and he never saw them again. He wants to go back in to finally figure out what happened.
Wu Xie grabs his arm, trying to stop him. He says the three of them need to stick together. Pang Zi agrees. He tells Zhang Qiling that some things are better left unknown. Staying alive is more important than finding answers.
Into the Trap
Zhang Qiling agrees to find another way out. But Wu Xie can't let it go. He's obsessed with finding his Third Uncle.He worries his uncle might be trapped inside, or worse, that he was responsible for what happened to Zhang Qiling's old team. Wu Xie makes a run for it and disappears into the dark passage.
Zhang Qiling immediately goes after him. With the other two gone, Pang Zi has no choice but to follow. The team is back together, for better or worse.
Inside, they find A'Ning wandering around in a daze.Pang Zi, despite the danger, decides to carry her on his back. Deeper in the passage, they enter a large chamber. In the center is a huge coral tree. Hexagonal bells hang from its branches. Wu Xie and Pang Zi recognize them instantly. The bells release a mist that causes powerful hallucinations.
The effect hits Wu Xie first. He sees his Third Uncle standing in the mist. He starts to walk towards the vision. Zhang Qiling and Pang Zi have to physically drag him out of the chamber before he gets completely lost.
The Escape
They make it back to the main hall of the Heavenly Palace. But now they have a new problem. The oxygen is running out. They only have about fifteen minutes left.
Zhang Qiling comes up with a desperate plan. He says there are explosives hidden inside the mummified body of Wang Zanghai. After another fight with a Sea Monkey, they manage to get the dynamite. With time running out, Zhang Qiling takes the explosives. He throws them at the ceiling of the palace. Wu Xie and Pang Zi take cover as a loud explosion echoes through the hall. Water starts pouring down from the ceiling.
