Original subtitles

ADAPTED FROM ZHU YAN BY CANG YUE

Yufei.

You're finally back.

Yufei.

My lady, what's wrong?

Send someone to Bamian Peak

and look for Lady Yu and her son.

Yes.

This won't do.

I can't just get trapped here and do nothing.

If you want to go out,

you can break my barrier

after you finish reading this book.

When that time comes,

no one can stop you.

ZHU YAN'S NOTE

Is this Master's drawing of me?

"Sprawling Roots."

I didn't think Master would even teach me

the technique of Sprawling Roots.

What is on the page

he tore out?

Is it harder to master than Sprawling Roots?

Does he think it's too hard for me?

Let's find a safe place

to spend the night.

This spot seems adequate.

No. Even if we must take a detour or lose everything,

we must never get involved with the Huotu Tribe again.

Indeed.

We can make more money,

but we only live once.

What's wrong with the Huotu Tribe?

The Great Consort of the tribe planned a rebellion.

Thankfully, a master from Jiuyi Mountain came.

Otherwise, more lives would have been lost.

Indeed.

They haven't caught the Principal Sorcerer.

They are transmuting

with the lives of the Merfolk.

It was dark and menacing.

You should leave now.

Mother.

We can't keep waiting.

The Kongsang people are all bad guys.

We can't trust them.

Did you hear them?

The Principal Sorcerer is using the Merfolk for transmutations.

Mother, we mustn't get caught.

My lady, the scouts reported back.

They searched Bamian Peak three times over.

But they couldn't find the lady you mentioned.

A wounded mother

carrying a child recovering from illness…

Where could they possibly be?

My lady.

I think you worry too much.

As you said,

Lady Yu was a beloved concubine.

She has seen her fair share of the world.

Surviving while carrying her child

shouldn't be a challenge for her.

Perhaps

they had been waiting for too long,

so they left when you didn't show up.

This is my fault.

I totally overlooked them

because of the rebellion.

No.

I have to break the barrier soon.

I must find them.

My lady.

You were busy yesterday,

and you didn't rest well at night.

It's going to take a toll on your body.

I'm fine.

Don't worry about me.

Dismissed.

I'll figure it out.

GUWEI CITY, HUOTU TRIBE

Spare me some food.

- Back off! - Spare me some food.

Stay still!

Spare us some food…

Spare me some water…

I still can't sense anything.

The Sea Emperor is not in Guwei City.

Where else could he be?

Excuse me.

Did anyone escape from this cell?

Escape?

We had hoped the Merfolk marine force

would send help after learning about our situation,

but no one ever came.

Unless you could turn into smoke,

there would be no way

to leave this cell.

- Yes. - We are trapped for good.

Will we ever get out of here?

I'll get you out of here.

You?

That's impossible.

You will never succeed.

Extreme Wind City is nearby.

They are friendly toward Merfolk.

After you get out, go to that city.

- Can you really get us out? - Really?

Can you?

That can't be possible.

It's unlocked.

Save us!

Be quiet.

- Save us, please! - Save us!

- Quick! - Quick!

- We're out! - Quick!

Stay quiet. Quick!

Hurry!

Be careful.

We're finally saved.

Quick!

Hurry.

Quick! Don't fall behind.

- Watch out! - The Principal Sorcerer!

Be careful.

Be careful.

Is this the Principal Sorcerer who caged you?

- Yes! - That's him!

- It's him! - Yes!

Who are you?

How dare you sneak into Guwei City?

You committed countless sins.

Today, I shall avenge my people!

Run!

You're a Merfolk.

Do you know the sword art of Kongsang?

Are these Merfolk without any souls?

Imbecile!

Speaking of yourselves!

Being used

and dying for me

are the greatest purposes you have!

Pursue!

You…

These Merfolks

have lost their souls.

They weren't even alive.

Rather than let them be used

and become empty husks,

why not send them back to Biluo Sea,

so they can find peace?

But their bodies were whole.

The Evil Star has risen.

When the Sea Emperor is crowned and the God of Dragon returns,

they still stand a chance to wake up!

The only Merfolk who possesses both a spirit and a soul

is you.

Besides, given your knowledge on the matter,

you are not a commoner among the Merfolk.

Are you

the Sea Emperor?

Are you really the Sea Emperor?

Why are you looking for him?

Who are you?

The Preceptor of Jiuyi Mountain.

The rising of the Evil Star,

the search for the Sea Emperor, and defending Kongsang

are my responsibilities.

He is Yan'er's master.

What is he doing here?

The power of Diba, the God of Darkness,

requires 100 Merfolks to be sacrificed

before it can be acquired.

I've been waiting for this chance for ages.

I lacked the necessary conditions.

But then I saw you, the Preceptor,

in the Huotu Tribe.

You commanded a rain of arrows with only one arrow.

I knew you'd fulfill my last wish.

I knew it!

You fell for it!

War will soon ravage Western Huang!

If you surrender yourself to me,

to serve me,

I can spare your life.

I am the Preceptor of Jiuyi Mountain.

Why should I bow down to living filth like you?

Not a chance.

How ignorant.

I'll let you in on a little secret.

Consort Qing sent me here.

I know

the Preceptor of Jiuyi Mountain

was the former Crown Prince Shi Ying!

How about we make a deal?

I'll give up on aiding Shi Yu.

I'll aid you in retaking the nation.

When the job is done,

I want a plot of land in Western Huang as payment.

Every word you speak

pains my ears.

Shi Ying!

Know your place!

The power I possess now

came from the primordial demon god!

Your power is no match for me!

Even if I must exhaust my power and die,

I won't let you get away with your crime.

You consumed my people.

I will make you pay for this!

I'll aid you.

You are no match for him.

Leave now.

If you're not afraid of him,

why should I be?

You shall both die!

Watch out!

Preceptor!

He's finally dead for good.

No.

The gem contained the power of the primordial demon god.

Preceptor.

Preceptor?

What's wrong?

Preceptor?

You're finally awake.

You said you could handle it by yourself.

You even asked me

to check the nearby bases.

What happened to you?

How many fingers?

And now?

I'm glad you're awake.

The shards contained the power of the primordial demon god.

It conflicts with your power of heaven and earth.

It will subdue your spiritual power.

The longer it lingers in you, the greater the damage.

You must find a way

to get rid of it.

What am I doing here?

- Where is the Merfolk? - I was just about to tell you.

By the time I arrived,

he was carrying you.

He clearly looked exhausted.

He was as pale as a ghost.

Before he left,

he left you in my care.

By the way,

he gave me the Merfolk's medicine.

You let him leave?

I…

Do you see that?

When he moves, the Evil Star moves.

He must be the man

we've been searching for.

What?

But I didn't know who he was.

If he is the Sea Emperor,

the two of you

will be at war with each other in the future.

Judging by his personality,

if he is the Sea Emperor,

the two clans might not go to war at all.

Instead, we could work as allies.

Perhaps the Evil Star

might not be a calamity

for Kongsang.

Over the years, the Merfolk marine force

didn't seem to act on a wise commander's orders.

The Evil Star had just risen.

He must have learned about his identity

as the Sea Emperor not long ago.

However,

he is not in the marine force.

Otherwise,

why would he come to battle Diba alone?

As for the Merfolk,

they obey the Sea Emperor.

The Sea Emperor's opinion

will eventually decide the fate of the clans.

If they have a wise ruler,

it's a blessing for both clans.

The phoenix passes on at the withered.

Heroes are born in war.

Just like this barren land beneath us,

it will one day

be thriving with pasture and fields of flowers.

Since we came to the Huotu Tribe looking for the Evil Star,

you've foiled Great Consort's plan and defeated Diba.

You've done many good deeds.

But in the end,

you let others have the credit.

And now, your power is sealed away.

Is it worth it?

Let's not waste any time.

We have to track down the Evil Star

as soon as possible.

I think

you should first extract the shard.

I've been training for two days.

I still can't understand the knowledge within.

Lady Yu and her son are waiting for me.

How can I be so useless?

I get it now.

These movements are connected.

There's more to simply sitting down.

It's the movement before standing up.

It requires

a charged upward thrust,

and lowering peacefully.

My lady,

have some food before you continue.

My lady!

What happened?

My lady!

Are you all right?

I did it!

My lady!

- My lady! - Yufei.

I must go to Lady Yu and her son.

When I find them,

I must bring them home.

They will like Extreme Wind City.

Sumo was having a fever.

Maybe Lady Yu took him to an apothecary.

This is the last apothecary in town.

Yufei, go check inside.

Yes, my lady.

Jiuyi Mountain's Preceptor

single-handedly

subdued the entire army of the Huotu Tribe

and defeated Diba.

He sure is amazing.

Incredible. I heard about this too.

Rumor has it

that the Preceptor

was the former Crown Prince.

The former Crown Prince is alive?

I think he came to the Huotu Tribe

to build up his influence.

- Of course. - With this accomplishment,

he has earned the right to fight for the throne of Kongsang.

Some said he was meditating on the mountain

with his heart pure and untainted.

He clearly got impatient.

- Yes. - Indeed.

These people…

These are baseless claims.

My master is a righteous person.

He cares about the people.

He wouldn't seek to take the throne.

He would never take revenge.

My lady, calm down.

I'll bring them here and you'll teach them a lesson.

Forget it.

I've already caused a lot of trouble to my master.

If I stick my neck out again,

I might get to vent my anger,

but I'll bring even more trouble to my master.

Let's bear with it.

So? Did you find the two?

They weren't in there.

Everyone we've spoken to said

they had never seen the pair.

Could it be they are already

in Extreme Wind City?

Lady Yu and the Old Lord

used to visit His Lordship together.

This time, you saved both of them.

Maybe they had waited too long

and decided to go to Extreme Wind City.

At the moment, we're all out of options.

Let's pack up

and return to the city now.

Let's go.

NOTICE

We see this everywhere along the path.

Others might not know who wrote this,

but I know.

As expected from your disciple.

For me,

this isn't embarrassing.

Mind your business.

However,

we've never spread the word about your good deeds.

Why is it that everyone already knows?

Could it be

your disciple's doing?

His Supreme Majesty did this.

Yes.

The Grand Preceptor wants you back in Jialan.

His Supreme Majesty had already learned

about the Great Consort's plot.

He expected me to leave the mountain

and put an end to the matter.

Yes.

But it wasn't your fault.

The blood of the royal family flows in you.

You couldn't have let the rebellion succeed.

After the matter with the Evil Star is over,

I'll return to Jiuyi Mountain at once.

The Evil Star is just up ahead.

Let's go.

MERFOLK'S DUNGEON

Lord Left Envoy.

Lord Left Envoy.

It has been 200 years.

How did you find this place?

It has been 200 years.

The marine force's communication wave

hasn't changed.

I heard you were here,

so I came by.

It seems all the rumors

about the marine force over the years

have been true.

It was a misunderstanding.

Just a misunderstanding.

You carry the oldest surname of the Merfolk.

The blood of the Dragon Clan's side branch flows in you.

You can sense the blood of the Sea Emperor in an instant.

Everyone expects you to return.

By the way,

have you found any lead on the Sea Emperor?

No.

Can you sense

if the Sea Emperor is here?

Could you show us the miraculous power?

None of them is the Sea Emperor.

Give them the muting pills.

Take their Jade Tears.

- Yes. - Yes.

Stop!

You really are into illicit conduct.

Even the people of Kongsang are not allowed to do something so cruel.

How could you victimize your own people?

Where is your conscience?

Sir.

You abandoned us 200 years ago.

You hid in the Crimson Residence.

We didn't judge you,

so who are you to judge us?

War and revenge require resources for the military.

These Merfolk captives are dying anyway.

Rather than let their deaths be in vain,

why not put their lives to better uses?

We want to rebuild,

so no Merfolk will ever be exploited again.

Not because you get to exploit the innocent.

Release all of them now.

Now that you've said it…

Release them.

- Get up. - Quick, get up.

- Thank you. - Get up.

Thank you.

Take it easy.

Filth like you has no right

to search for the Sea Emperor with me.

If I ever see you harm innocent Merfolk again,

I'll make you pay!

There have been rumors

that Jiuyi Mountain's Preceptor

was killing Merfolk.

However, someone spread different rumors to clarify the claims.

If there are explanations,

we'll present our evidence.

Find an opening to kill the dragon slayer.

That should make the Merfolk obey

and pay more tributes.

Who are you?

How dare you infiltrate the dungeon?

Elder Jian!

Elder Jian!

I know what you're planning.

I came to offer my assistance.

Assistance?

What do you mean?

To start a war.

It will not be like your petty skirmishes,

but an all-out war with Kongsang

similar to 200 years ago.

If the Sea Emperor returns amidst chaos,

he has no right to punish you.

So your top priority at the moment

is to lay siege to Extreme Wind City.

EXTREME WIND CITY

Princess, an urgent letter from your parents.

Extreme Wind City is besieged by the marine force.

The main routes to the city

are crawling with enemy soldiers.

Please delay your trip to Extreme Wind City.

Stay in Huotu Tribe until it's safe to return.

I am the Crimson Pearl Flame of Extreme Wind City

and the heir of Jiuyi Mountain.

How can I hide in Huotu Tribe?

I must return to the city

and aid my parents.

Princess, war is not child's play.

You should follow your parents' instructions.

We were returning to look for Lady Yu and Sumo.

We have all the more reason to return.

Ready the horses for me.

Yes.

My lady.

RELAY STATION

Princess, welcome.

Messenger Zhang.

Do you have spare horses to exchange,

so we can travel all night?

Not long ago, the Merfolk marine force attacked.

They took many of our horses.

We no longer have any horses to exchange.

These soldiers are unbelievable!

Indeed. They also seized Xia City.

They've made it a base.

Inspection checkpoints are tight.

Given your large group,

they won't grant you any passage.

Why are they taking Xia City?

The army provisions to Extreme Wind City

was confiscated in Xia City by them.

How dare they steal my father's supply!

Very well. I shall get rid of them

and help out Extreme Wind City.

Princess, no.

The marriage delegation is no match for them.

You can't fight trained soldiers.

If you are captured,

you're causing more trouble.

I believe in my chances.

There must be a way.

Princess!

Princess!

Master.

What are you doing here?

There is only one way out of Huotu Tribe.

It's perfectly normal

to run into you here.

Did you think

I'd still be trapped in Huotu Tribe?

You said so yourself.

With power comes greatness.

You asked me to train and escape the barrier.

Extreme Wind City is being attacked by the marine force.

As a daughter, it's only right for me to go there

and aid my father.

Are you

thinking about setting up another barrier

to trap me?

Is there another relay station nearby?

None within 100 miles.

Chong Ming, in this case,

we must hurry up

and travel at night.

Master!

Do you think you're invincible?

You're wounded inside and out.

You can't travel without shelter.

Whatever the case is,

I must have my beauty sleep.

I'm staying in the inn.

Master.

Why must you avoid me every chance you get?

I know it all.

I will set out tomorrow morning.

You need not be bothered

to share the inn with me.

Master!

I only trained for a few days

following instructions in the books.

I didn't know I had become this strong.

All right, I'm calling the shots.

We are spending the night here.

Shut it now before she learns the truth.

Wait.

Master and Chong Ming

can travel 1,000 miles a day.

If nothing went wrong,

they would've traveled much further ahead.

What happened?

Who is it?

Preceptor,

I am the Princess's maid.

She passed out

all of a sudden.

Could you take a look?

I knew something was off yesterday.

So I employed a little trick to test you.

Your spiritual power is stagnant.

How did you get wounded?

Was it the battle against the Principal Sorcerer?

What is this?

The shard of the gem from the Principal Sorcerer's staff.

How can an ordinary shard do this to you?

Was the shard tainted or something?

Now that she has found out,

I'll be honest with her.

The shard was embedded with the power of the demon god.

It conflicts with the power of Jiuyi Mountain.

If we don't get it out in time,

the longer it lingers,

the greater the harm.

What do we do now?

I asked the birds.

There is a divine healer in Xia City named Xu.

He specializes in treating divine officials.

He can deal with all kinds of conditions.

All right.

We're going to Xia City tomorrow

for this physician.

You should stay out of this.

Why you…

How dare you trap me? You are…

I'm insolent and audacious,

rude and disrespectful?

You once said the same thing about me.

But you took those words back.

If you want to leave,

stay here and recover your strength.

When you're ready, you can set yourself free.

Yan'er is right.

It's an urgent matter.

Let me go now.

At the moment,

your health comes before anything.

Do as I say.

Tomorrow, we'll take you to the physician.

Chong Ming.

You mustn't collude with Zhu Yan.

Undo this barrier now.

The Merfolk marine force is on the move.

They are eager to march due to the rising Evil Star.

We should hurry up

and find the Sea Emperor.

Only then can we devise a plan.

Enough.

No more excuses.

The Evil Star is moving in the direction

of Extreme Wind City where Yan'er is headed for.

Besides,

Xia City

is occupied by the Merfolk marine force.

The Evil Star you're pursuing

is ahead of Xia City.

To reach him, you must pass through Xia City.

Xia City is crawling with enemy soldiers.

If they found out

I was the so-called dragon slayer,

Zhu Yan would be in danger

if she traveled with me.

Do as I say.

Undo the barrier.

Even if I did undo the barrier,

could you escape your disciple

who has become so mighty?

Power speaks for itself!

Chong…

Chong Ming!

Master.

Stop giving me the look.

It won't do you any good.

It's not the same as running away from a wedding.

If I can petrify you,

of course I have

a flawless plan in mind.

Here.

Collect some water with this.

Thank you.

It's time for your medicine.

I am no match for your mighty disciple.

Besides,

as you said earlier,

the world operates in a repeating cycle.

Every bit of power you borrow from nature

must be returned in the end.

How you treat others

will decide how you're treated.

I wouldn't dare intervene.

It's karma.

Yes. Chong Ming has a point.

Here you go.

Master, the medicine

was prescribed by Chong Ming himself.

You must take it three times a day

to recover quickly.

Here you go.

Why aren't you taking it?

You've petrified him.

How can he open his mouth?

It's getting late.

We will reach Xia City before this evening.

You must convince this man.

We need his cooperation

for the plan to succeed.

Understood.

I must go, nature calls.

Master, I shall lift the Muting Spell,

so you can use your mouth.

Master.

Pardon me.

I think I did it the wrong way.

Otherwise, you would've started reprimanding me.

I get it now!

I should draw the line based on the mouth shape.

"Tracing the lines,

tracing the mind.

With my skills,

hand is lifted."

Break!

Did I do it wrong again?

I got the wrong spell this time.

Let's try it again.

"Tracing the lines,

tracing the mind.

With my skills,

hand is fitted."

Break!

Why aren't you talking?

You're pressing on my lips,

how can I speak?

You had to redo a simple Muting Spell

three times to get it right.

Sorry about that.

I embarrassed you three times.

Master, I have an idea.

I'll lift the Immobilization Spell.

You should feel better.

I swear

I'll get it done on the first try.

Stop.

Go any lower

and you're dead.