Episode Summary
Fan Yunfei and Li Xueyang's wedding is revealed to be a trap set by the Sand Fox King to steal the Dragon Spine from Li Xueyang. Wangquan Fugui intervenes, but not before the King transfers the Spine into Fan Yunfei, granting him immense power. With Wangquan Fugui's help, Fan Yunfei masters the power and avoids becoming a monster. In the end, Li Xueyang and Fan Yunfei decide to leave their homes behind, while Qingcheng awakens an ancient power to free the Black Fox Empress.
Spoiler Alert
A Wedding Gone Wrong
So, the episode kicks off with some fallout. Qingtong has officially left Qianji City. This sends Qingcheng into a spiral. He's furious with Wangquan Fugui for his role in all this. He even tries to have Qingtong followed, but his guys lose her trail.
This is where it gets messy. A Black Fox clone shows up to whisper in Qingcheng's ear. The fox tells him he can't stop Qingtong on his own. But there's another way. The fox suggests Qingcheng finish the plan that Quan Jingting started. If he does, the fox gets a power-up. And once Wangquan Fugui is dead, Qingtong will have no choice but to return to Qingcheng's side. It's a dark offer.
Then we cut to the main event. It's Fan Yunfei and Li Xueyang's wedding day. Fan Yunfei is so nervous you can practically see him shaking. Li Xueyang's father formally gives her away, and Fan Yunfei swears he'll always be true to her. The Sand Fox King throws them a huge wedding party. But during a prayer ceremony, things get weird. Wangquan Fugui and Quan Rumu notice something is off just before everyone collapses. Only the Sand Fox King and Fan Yunfei are left standing.
The King smirks. He says the whole thing was a trap. He even tells Fan Yunfei that his gullibility is what made the plan work perfectly. Ouch.
The King's Twisted History Lesson
The King then grabs Li Xueyang and holds her suspended in the air. He decides it's story time. He talks about the old days in the Western Regions. The place was a violent mess. A human leader named Guli Zan from the Qianxia Kingdom stepped up. He managed to get the Dragon Spine from a dragon leader, which totally changed the game. Humans could finally fight back against a creature called the Tyrant Dragon.
The plan was for the Sand Fox elders and Guli Zan to use a spell called the Ten Thousand Withered Formation to trap the Tyrant Dragon. But the spell had a brutal cost. It required the sacrifice of one human, one demon, and one dragon. Fan Yunfei's own grandfather refused to sacrifice a child. He took the Sand Fox clan and ran. Because of this, Guli Zan was sealed away inside the formation. The surviving humans from that time changed their name to Li.
The King defends his ancestor's actions. He says if they hadn't fled, the Sand Fox clan would have been wiped out first. Now, he plans to finish the job by ripping the Dragon Spine right out of Li Xueyang. Fan Yunfei is horrified. The King explains his goal. He wants to combine the Dragon Spine with his Water-Controlling Pearl to gain the power of a true dragon.
The Cost of Power
Just as the King is about to act, Wangquan Fugui and Quan Rumu wake up. They were ready for this. Wangquan Fugui uses his special Eastern Spirit Blood to save Li Xueyang. The King finally realizes just who he's dealing with. Wangquan Fugui uses a teleportation spell to get Fan Yunfei and Li Xueyang to safety. He tells Quan Rumu that Fan Yunfei isn't a fool. He's just too good for his own good.
The couple reappears in a secret chamber. Fan Yunfei begs his father, the King, not to hurt Li Xueyang. The King doesn't listen. He pulls the Dragon Spine from Li Xueyang's body and forces it into Fan Yunfei. His goal is to make his son a cold, emotionless ruler who will lead the Sand Fox Kingdom to conquer the entire region.
The power surge is immediate. Fan Yunfei, now holding both artifacts, is overwhelmed. He knocks his father out cold. He looks possessed as he walks toward Li Xueyang. But at the last second, he turns his weapon on the King instead. Li Xueyang screams at him to stop. She tells him to drop the knife, or he'll become a true monster.
Right then, Wangquan Fugui and Quan Rumu arrive. They help Fan Yunfei control the massive power. Wangquan Fugui activates a technique called Pure Yang Flame, which costs him some of his own life force. The ritual works. The Tyrant Dragon's energy is gone. Fan Yunfei is now the true master of the Water-Controlling Pearl.
A New Beginning and an Old Evil
Li Xueyang wakes up later. Her spine is badly damaged, but she doesn't blame Fan Yunfei. She knows the history now. She knows the Sand Fox clan betrayed her people. But she says there's no point in holding onto that past.
Her father shows up with his soldiers, demanding justice. Fan Yunfei accepts all the blame. The King is arrested and thrown in prison. Li Xueyang's father still refuses to approve the marriage. He's worried Fan Yunfei will betray her one day. But Li Xueyang makes her own choice. She declares she's leaving the Western Regions with Fan Yunfei to prevent any more wars.
The episode ends on a cliffhanger. Using Quan Jingting's old notes, Qingcheng finds the ancient ruins of the Qianxia Kingdom. He finds and awakens the sleeping Guli Zan. He asks her to open the Ten Thousand Withered Formation and free the Black Fox Empress. In return, he promises her anything she desires.
