ADAPTED FROM BAI LU CHENG SHUANG'S LOVE IN THE CLOUDS
That immortal from Zhushui Spiritual State
is quite loyal to you.
He cares so much about you.
Situ Ling and I did everything we could
to stabilize your condition.
But I'm afraid that will not last for more than a month.
It's all right. We have one month anyway.
Situ Ling said he had some connections in Zhushui Spiritual State.
And I will find some herbs at Mangfu Swamp tomorrow.
Worry not.
I'm sure I can find a cure in these vast Six Realms.
Master,
there's still hope for Twenty-Seven, right?
Of course.
Once a companion beast makes a pact with its master,
they become one entity.
Situ Ling preserved a wisp of Twenty-Seven's divine consciousness.
Once your spiritual veins and power return,
so will he.
Ming Yi.
Ji Bozai does not have the Golden Millet Dream at all?
He had it.
But he saw me stealing it, so he destroyed it before my eyes.
Destroy it? Why…
Why would he do that?
It's your only hope to live.
That jerk. I…
I could grab his neck now and snap it.
-And you even lied to Situ Ling for him. -Master.
What's happened has happened.
Besides, it was Ji Bozai's possession.
He can do whatever he wants with it.
If everyone knows he had the Golden Millet Dream,
no one will believe that it is gone.
Some people refuse to give up.
Also, I let him down first.
I don't want to trouble him again.
Why did I take in a disciple like you? I…
I've heard that Ming Yi left Wugui Sea.
I will not pry into what happened between you two.
But most of the time,
communication is the solution to a misunderstanding.
Immortal Ji, I brought you here to discuss something.
Now that my uncle has passed, we should tie up any loose ends.
What do you want to do next, Your Highness?
We must deal with Mu Qibai's subordinates.
We can recruit those who wish to serve Jixing Abyss with caution.
And the rebels will be exiled to the cold, harsh grounds.
The netherbeast army was emboldened by the Blood Moon.
Needless to say, the Emperor of Zhushui is the mastermind.
Given his ambition, he won't stop now.
The Soul-Consuming Tree in the Dragon Carp Terrace
connects the Sunken Abyss and the divine capital.
If they attack Jixing Abyss,
an opening presents itself in the Sunken Abyss.
Ah, you noticed it too.
Immortal Ji, it seems like you already have a plan in mind.
After Hou Zhao turned himself in,
the Judgment Hall released the innocent prisoners from the Sunken Abyss.
Other prisoners were transferred elsewhere.
However, knowing how unique the place is, it will always be a problem for us.
I plan to withdraw all guards from the Sunken Abyss,
seal the Soul-Consuming Tree,
and then destroy the Sunken Abyss for good.
As you wish, Immortal Ji.
My Lord.
My Lord, you hurt yourself again and again to save Ming Yi.
And this time, you even exposed your true identity to save her.
Is she worth it?
-As long as she lives. -My Lord!
Did you find anything in Zhushui Spiritual State?
I bribed Chao Yu's former confidant
and found out the truth about what happened 22 years ago.
We all believed
a sudden inferno in Zhangwei Mountain
killed everyone in the Bo clan.
But in fact, it was His Majesty
who sent in a secret squad to raid the Bo's ancestral mansion
in Zhangwei Mountain.
I knew it.
Back then, they only found Part 1 of the Bo's Medical Classics,
which contains the method to fabricate the Heavenly Grief.
However, the prescription of the Golden Millet Dream is incomplete.
The Bo clan died in the fire.
His Majesty gave Mu Qibai Part 1 of the documents
so that he could make the poison in the Sunken Abyss.
But the rest of the classics are missing.
His Majesty then gave Chao Yu a secret task
to hunt down the Bo sisters to retrieve the rest of the classics.
That said, it is still missing right now.
A century ago, the Bo clan developed these dichotomous drugs
capable of giving spiritual veins to those who were born without one.
The Six Realms fought for them, and many lost their lives.
The Bo's then destroyed all the drugs
and warned their descendants not to make them again.
The Bo sisters are fugitives.
They have probably hidden Part 2 of the classics somewhere.
After the Bo clan was gone,
the patron deity, Zhulong, woke up in rage.
It sealed the mountain and burned the forest.
His Majesty had to retreat from Zhangwei Mountain.
Since then, the Bo's ancestral mansion
has been kept inside an impenetrable barrier erected by Zhulong.
It cannot be discovered.
Only the Bo descendants can enter it.
In that case, the best place to hide something
is the hidden Bo's ancestral mansion.
Maybe
Part 2 of the classics is in Bo's ancestral mansion now.
And there's currently one descendant of the Bo clan
who can enter the barrier.
Ji Bozai?
I'll retrieve Part 1 of the classics from the Sunken Abyss.
My Lord.
Mu Qibai has passed.
Zhushui Spiritual State will be on high alert.
If you take it away, His Majesty will find out.
There's no time for this.
Ji Bozai doesn't have the Golden Millet Dream.
I need to make a new one, so that Ming Yi can live.
She won't bat an eye at you, even if you do this for her.
One day, she'll fall for me.
A CLOUD OF PEAR BLOSSOMS AND A FORLORN DREAM
Are you sure, Immortal Situ?
After the Emperor of Zhushui retreated,
the patron deity, Zhulong, erected a barrier
and hid the Bo's ancestral mansion.
If they are still looking for Part 2,
it means Part 2 still hasn't been found.
We just have to get Part 1 from the Sunken Abyss,
then find Part 2.
Once we collect both,
we might be able to make the Golden Millet Dream.
I am the Chief of Judgment Hall.
I have access to many things.
And even if I am found out, I can find an excuse to protect myself.
Ming Yi, I'll go to the Sunken Abyss for you.
I can't burden you again, Immortal Situ.
A CLOUD OF PEAR BLOSSOMS AND A FORLORN DREAM
Ming Yi. Immortal Situ made you some scallion pancakes.
Have some.
Ming Yi.
Ming Yi!
Immortal Situ!
Ming Yi is gone.
Ming Yi.
Master, Zhang Tai, Immortal Situ.
I appreciate your hospitality all this time,
but I cannot ask you to take more risks for me.
I left to retrieve the classics.
Forgive me.
Immortal Situ.
Can Immortal Situ find Ming Yi?
Maybe I should inform Ji Bozai.
JI…
Ming Yi!
Twenty-Seven.
No.
Ming Yi!
Where are you, Ming Yi?
"Ming", as in "bright", like the moon in your heart,
and "Yi", as in "feelings", like the deep ones I hold for you.
You are the one
who's in a mess.
My relationship with you isn't ordinary.
This sounds more like jealousy.
My Lord! My Lord!
I brewed a lot of Golden Millet Dream and brought a jar for you.
You're the best, My Lord!
Thank you.
Make me one more artifact.
Show me. Come on. One more.
There's no need for that.
I really want to see it. Make me one more.
-Please. -Okay.
My Lord, it seems like you still care about me.
I am rich now.
I want to be your wife,
your loyal, doting,
and legitimate wife.
Get yourself together, Ji Bozai.
Twenty-Seven.
Only a wisp
of your cat's divine consciousness is left.
What happened?
How come you're here?
Didn't you sever the heart imprint?
Zhang Tai told me to come.
I won't trouble you again.
Even if the Graft Spell backfires on you, there's no way you can be this weak.
What's wrong?
Nothing.
Even if something's wrong, it has nothing to do with you.
Yes, that is true.
I came to ask you one thing.
In Xinliu's testimony,
she mentioned Mu Qibai had a name list.
Did you erase that?
So you found out.
Yes.
Moments ago.
When I had Twenty-Seven investigate the netherbeast army,
I told him to find the name list in the Dragon Carp Terrace.
He found nothing.
I speculated that either Mu Qibai found out
and destroyed it
or someone else took it away.
Helping me was your excuse to approach me.
Why should I trust you now?
Maybe you have the name list.
That's why you concealed this piece of information from me.
If I had the name list,
I would have sufficient evidence to know who from Yaoguang Mountain
got the Heavenly Grief from Mu Qibai.
I would strike back and locate the villain who poisoned Ming Xian.
I wouldn't be here at all.
Ming Xian was poisoned by the Heavenly Grief.
So that's why you want the Golden Millet Dream.
It's not because of Yaoguang Mountain.
Owning both the Golden Millet Dream and the Heavenly Grief
allows one to have spiritual veins
and ascend to the next cultivation stage.
When that happens,
Yaoguang Mountain can win in the Qingyun Tournament.
It sounds enticing.
But worry not, Immortal Ji.
I am not that despicable yet.
So, why not return sooner?
To Yaoguang Mountain?
The Golden Millet Dream is destroyed.
What's the point of going back?
Watch as Ming Xian died from the pain of Heavenly Grief?
He is prideful.
He won't let anyone see him when he's at his most vulnerable.
So full of lies.
Zhang Tai, Ming Yi is in…
A CLOUD OF PEAR BLOSSOMS AND A FORLORN DREAM
-Zhang Tai. -You're finally awake.
I was so scared.
How did I come back?
I asked Immortal Ji to find you.
After he found you, he wrote to me.
Immortal Situ was looking for you too.
I told him you'd be staying at my place.
I also told him not to visit now, so that you could get more rest.
When I was there, Immortal Ji was gone.
You were unconscious, so I brought you back.
What happened?
You were unconscious in the temple just now,
and you were so cold.
Fortunately, someone injected some spiritual power into you.
Otherwise, I wouldn't know what to do.
Ming Yi,
I'm worried about you.
What is happening?
I thought you would tell me when you recovered.
But it's getting worse now. I…
Thank you, Zhang Tai.
My life isn't worth anything.
But you saved me and care for me.
If you know I've been lying to you,
you will hate me forever.
What are you on about?
I will never hate you, even if you lie to me.
You've been so kind to me.
A few lies won't change my mind.
I won't die just because you lied to me.
And if someone hates you, that's because they are an idiot.
Can't they see it's a white lie?
A CLOUD OF PEAR BLOSSOMS AND A FORLORN DREAM
You…
So, you are…
Ming Yi. How could it be? You are…
Oh my.
You were framed and poisoned.
And you only have one month to live.
I…
What do we do now?
I'm sorry
for lying to you.
Come on. This is a serious matter.
You'll die if your identity is exposed.
Of course, you have to hide it from everyone.
-So, after knowing who I am, you still… -Do you think I'll…
Ming…
You can call me either name.
Ming Yi.
Jixing Abyss and Yaoguang Mountain are sworn enemies,
but you are my friend.
Of course, if you want to attack Jixing Abyss,
I'll stop you.
But you fought the netherbeasts and protected the people.
You are a good person.
Also, when I was in trouble,
you came to help me.
Now that you need my help, I won't leave you alone.
Ming Yi, have hope.
We'll find a way to cure you within this month.
Then, you go back to Yaoguang Mountain
and find that jerk who poisoned you.
Give him a good beating, so that he won't bully you again.
Thank you, Zhang Tai.
THRONED IN STARS
The tea gathering is in three months.
Thanks to the help of Fairy Zhang Tai,
our battle robe is ready to be distributed.
I wish you a swift victory against Yaoguang Mountain.
Thank you, Your Highness.
Meng Yangqiu is hardworking and is improving daily.
Yan Xiao is an excellent healer
who is great at supporting everyone.
Chen Xi has trained for many days
and knows the divine armory the most.
You should represent us as the Forger.
Can… Can I do that?
Our rival, Ming Xian,
became the youngest warrior at the age of 13.
You are 14 now.
You are one year older than him when he was fighting.
You will do fine.
-Show me your confidence. -I don't have any right now.
I shall lead the group.
All of you have unique strengths.
Amplify your strengths and we may succeed.
By a draw of lots, the tea gathering will be held in Yaoguang Mountain.
This will be the best opportunity to eliminate incumbent warriors.
If we have fewer than three warriors, we will be disqualified.
Therefore, all of you are equally important.
Make sure you are safe during training.
As for the shortlisted candidates, train hard too,
even though you are not attending the Qingyun Tournament.
Zhushui Spiritual State will attack us again.
We must work together
to protect Jixing Abyss with our lives.
Protect Jixing Abyss with our lives!
Ming Yi! I have bad news.
There's a public notice on the Parade Bureau saying
that Yaoguang Mountain demoted Ming Xian to a criminal
due to his desertion.
Lord Chengyun, Ming Xin, will be the new Crown Prince.
Anything else on the notice?
It says he will be the warrior for now,
and the conferment ceremony will be held later.
I'm sure your father was forced to make this decision.
The Qingyun Tournament is around the corner.
The position of the warrior cannot be vacant.
They had to elect a new one.
He was forced to…
I know.
I've gone missing for a while.
The tea gathering is coming soon,
and Yaoguang Mountain has to make a statement.
They can't drag this out forever.
I understand why Father did what he did.
But nothing is set in stone yet.
They merely announced the decision to all realms.
The conferment ceremony hasn't been held,
which means that Father still doubts Ming Xin's capability.
He is not the Crown Prince until the conferment ceremony is done.
Once you are cured and return to Yaoguang Mountain,
I'm sure you'll find a way to put a stop to this.
I won't let Ming Xin ruin Yaoguang Mountain.
Ming Yi.
Just tell me.
What do I have to do for you to trust me?
Immortal Situ, you treat me with kindness.
You have saved me many times.
Even though you are from Zhushui Spiritual State,
I still trust you.
But this is my problem.
I don't want to trouble others.
This is the complete map of the Sunken Abyss,
including caverns that are concealed by spells.
Bo's medical classics might be hidden in these places.
There might be traps in the caverns.
So, let's explore them together.
You need help.
Your master is not enough.
I am already involved in this.
I'm sure you know it's better to trust me
than another outsider.
ZIWEI HALL
The Emperor of Zhushui raised netherbeasts in the Sunken Abyss.
Surprised that Mu Qibai harbored another plan,
the Emperor used the blood moon
to drive the netherbeast army to frenzy,
hoping to eliminate Jixing Abyss.
At this point, unless we collude with Zhushui Spiritual State,
a war will be inevitable.
You're saying…
Your Majesty, please pen a decree that all warriors in Jixing Abyss
must train hard outside of the preparation for the Qingyun Tournament
in case Zhushui Spiritual State attacks us.
Zhushui Spiritual State is a powerful foe.
Your Majesty, concession will only feed their arrogance.
In the end, we will have none left.
True, Father.
Zhushui Spiritual State will not spare us.
A war with Zhushui is inevitable.
After the Prayer Night,
Yan Xiao and I went to Shouhua Academy and asked the warriors
what they would do if Zhushui Spiritual State attacked us.
All of them, including the 14-year-old Chen Xi,
said they were sick of coddling Zhushui Spiritual State.
Father,
the victory against the netherbeast army has raised our morale.
Everyone in Shouhua Academy is willing to fight for Jixing Abyss.
All of you are too naive.
The Emperor of Zhushui has lived for centuries.
Who knows how many tricks he has?
If we fight them
and lose,
what will happen to Jixing Abyss?
But no one can decide the fate of a person, a nation,
or a world.
To cower before the possibility of failure
is to set ourselves up for failure.
You'll think that failure is imminent.
But that's cowardice.
You don't surrender to your fate.
You write your own fate.
Indeed, the world needs young souls like you.
I shall make it known that Tianji will act on my behalf
and lead the defense against Zhushui Spiritual State.
Everyone in Jixing Abyss shall unite.
Invaders will not be spared.
-Yes, Father. -Yes, Your Majesty.
A CLOUD OF PEAR BLOSSOMS AND A FORLORN DREAM
Ming Yi.
Are you all right?
I'm fine.
Immortal Situ isn't here.
The spiritual power I injected in you isn't helping.
You can use your spiritual veins now,
but that doesn't mean you should exhaust them for me.
Don't worry.
I still have a month to live.
Touch wood!
Don't give up, Ming Yi.
We'll cure you within this month.
-Don't worry. -Ming Yi.
-Ming Yi, are you all right? -Master She.
Please help Ming Yi.
I'll brew more medicine.
You never listen to me.
Why must you leave?
I only went out for a while.
Are you trying to drive me crazy?
Look at you now.
You think you can head to the Sunken Abyss alone?
Not alone. I'm planning to bring you with me.
Do not use your spiritual veins anymore.
Otherwise, you won't live past the next few days.
Therefore, I stayed up all night to make this crossbow.
Master, inject your power into it, so that I can use it.
No need to head to the Sunken Abyss. I'll go on your behalf.
Master,
we're going together.
With you there, we'll breeze through the Sunken Abyss.
You're done?
-You're the death of me. -Ow.
It's filled to the brim.
So, this is the Sunken Abyss?
It doesn't look so special.
Why did Father pick this place to raise netherbeasts back then?
This place is full of miasma,
perfect for harvesting and storing Blood Pearl Bloom.
Mu Qibai volunteered himself right then,
so Father gave him a chance to serve.
Father also said
that once the Bo's medical classics were taken out of the Sunken Abyss,
the trap would be triggered.
The Sunken Abyss would collapse right away,
and the miasma would spread quickly thanks to the Soul-Consuming Tree.
Now that we don't need anything from Jixing Abyss anymore,
why don't we give them a taste of miasma?
Then allow me to stand guard next to the Soul-Consuming Tree,
so that the tunnel will not be destroyed,
while you descend to get the classics.
I see you find yourself a quick exit.
It's only right to leave the important task to you, my dear brother,
so that you can take credit for it before Father.
Oh, the fiery phantom. Calm your mind as I retrieve this item.
Break!
BO'S MEDICAL CLASSICS, PART 1
Where is he?
Chao Yuan?
Father asked me to retrieve the medical classics.
Are you here to help me or to steal it from me?
Should I hand you over to Father,
or should I
kill you right away?
Situ Ling said he'd come here to retrieve the medical classics.
Where is he?
It's my problem. I don't want to be indebted to him.
Ming Yi, let's split up and search.
-Be careful, Master. -You too.
Break!
BO'S MEDICAL CLASSICS, PART 1
My Lord, I have scouted the place near Dragon Carp Terrace.
There is no other entrance.
Only the Soul-Consuming Tree is connected to the Sunken Abyss.
Tianji has already withdrawn
all the guards from the Sunken Abyss.
And now, we just need to seal the tree.
What is this?
I'm not sure.
But since it's so well hidden, it must have a use.
Keep it first.
We'll see after we seal the Soul-Consuming Tree.
Something's afoot in the Sunken Abyss.
An illusion.
What are you looking for?
Found you.
A fairy like you trespassed into the Stoneheart Cavern of Sunken Abyss.
Are you here for Bo's medical classics?
Who told you it's here?
I'm here to sweep the floor.
Oh, you! You're early.
So, this is the medical classics?
Master She, the miasma is somehow spreading.
We need to find Ming Yi as soon as possible and leave.
You're right. Let's go.
Sure.
If you won't speak,
I might just use Phantom Fire
to give you the indelible brand of a criminal.
Where should I brand you?
Your chest
or your pretty face?
If you are disfigured…
Where are you going?
Run.
Tell me. Who told you to look for the medical classics?
Please.
Even on my last breath, I can kill a weakling like you easily.
You think you can kill me?
Go ahead.
Kill me.