Episode Summary
In this episode, Ji Bozai decides to become a human cauldron to absorb the demon army, and Ming Yi agrees to help him. A cruel new prince, Chao Yu, arrives and abuses his younger brother, Situ Ling. This leads to a heartfelt confession from Fu Yue, who reveals her backstory and promises to help Situ Ling. As Ji Bozai begins the dangerous ritual, his enemies, led by Mu Qibai, begin plotting to use his absence against him.
Spoiler Alert
Ji Bozai's Guilt Trip
We start with Ming Yi patching up Ji Bozai. He’s a complete wreck. Not because of his injuries, though. He’s drowning in guilt.
He blames himself for everything. He thinks if he hadn't exposed Mu Qibai, things would be different. Chen Yuan wouldn't have been investigated. The innocent prisoners and Ruoshui wouldn't have been recaptured. They wouldn't be about to become food for a demon army. It's a heavy burden, and he's putting it all on his own shoulders.
Ming Yi isn't having it. She reminds him who the real monster is here. The blame lies with Mu Qibai. His greed and cruelty started all of this. She sees the Demon Beast Army is almost complete. The crisis is real. So, she makes a choice. She's going to help Ji Bozai. Twenty-Seven is worried she'll be in danger, but he supports her decision anyway.
A Royal Pain and a Dangerous Plan
A New Player Enters the Game
A new guy shows up. It’s Chao Yu. He's the first prince of the Chasing Water Spirit Continent. He strolls into Jixing Yuan to check on the Demon Beast Army's progress.
You can tell he’s the one with the real power here. Jixing Yuan relies on his continent for support. He talks down to Mu Qibai with total confidence. He basically tells him not to get any bright ideas. He warns Mu Qibai not to think he can use Ji Bozai to win the Qingyun Tournament. Mu Qibai knows where his power comes from. He just has to take the insults and play nice for now.
The Human Cauldron
Ji Bozai has a wild idea. He decides he will personally become a "refining cauldron" for the demons. He asks Ming Yi how to do it.
She lays out a three-step process. Each step is more dangerous than the last.
Second, he must pull the demon beasts' essence into his body. He has to form it into a demon core inside himself.
Third, he becomes the cauldron. He has to coexist with the demon core. He must refine it completely within his own body.
The first stage alone will drain all his spiritual power. He'll be incredibly weak. He won't even be able to leave Wugui Hai. So, Ming Yi gets to work brewing a special tonic to help him.
A Sad Backstory and a Shocking Confession
That night, Chao Yu goes to the Si Pan Hall. He's there to "visit" his younger brother, Chao Yuan. You might know him by his new name, Situ Ling.
This isn't a friendly family visit. Chao Yu is testing him. He wants to know where the Fleeting Dream is. He confirms Situ Ling still hasn't developed his spirit veins. Then he whips him. He doesn't even try to hide his disgust for his own brother. It’s brutal.
Later, Fu Yue is tending to Situ Ling’s wounds. She is heartbroken. She finally confesses her feelings for him. We learn that years ago, Fu Yue was just a little fox. Chao Yu had captured her and was torturing her. But Chao Yuan, who was just a boy, stepped in. He took the whipping for her.
From that moment on, she dedicated her life to him. She sees him as the most important person in the world. Her only wish is for him to finally awaken his spirit veins. Then he wouldn't have to live under his cruel brother's thumb. Situ Ling is stunned to hear her true feelings. Fu Yue holds back her tears. She promises to help him find the Spirit Vow Well, where the Fleeting Dream is hidden.
The Ritual Begins
Ming Yi brings the tonic to Ji Bozai's room. He looks like he's fast asleep. She turns to leave.
But he wasn't asleep at all. He follows her out onto the porch. He takes the bowl and drinks the tonic right from her hands.
Then, with her help, he starts the second step of the plan. He sends his own core energy deep into Chen Yuan. He completely absorbs the spirits of the demon beasts.
Guess who sees the whole thing happen. Chao Yu. He was inspecting the area and witnesses the entire event. He is furious. He orders Mu Qibai to find Ji Bozai immediately.
Everyone Starts Scheming
Ji Bozai has to go into seclusion to meditate. This gives Mu Qibai an opening. He tells Sun Liao to start stirring up trouble. The goal is to spread discontent about Ji Bozai among the fighters. They want to force him out of hiding.
Then Tianji does something interesting. He starts acting friendly toward Sun Liao. He even publicly announces that Sun Liao will replace Ji Bozai as the new chief fighter. Sun Liao is an idiot. He's completely blinded by this fake promotion. He has no idea Tianji is just setting him up for a massive fall.
At the same time, Mu Qibai finds Meng Yangqiu. He puts on a big show of being worried about Tianji's safety. He paints Ji Bozai as a dark, unpredictable threat that needs to be handled. The political games are in full swing.
