Early in the morning, Chong Zhao checked on Fu Ling again, inquiring about her headaches and leaving medicine for her. Meanwhile, Bai Shuo brought breakfast to Fan Yue, encouraging him to truly let go of his guilt rather than pretending to move on. She reminded him that knowing the truth was a step toward confronting it, not wallowing in the past. Their priority remained collecting all five thoughts to cure the Seven-Star Soul Seal and protect those they cared about. As they spoke, Qi Feng arrived late, explaining he had been making bamboo-filled buns for Fan Yue. Bai Shuo cautioned Qi Feng to avoid going out alone due to the current unrest in the Stone Tribe. Fan Yue supported Bai Shuo’s concerns, and while the three shared a warm moment, the underlying tension was evident.
After breakfast, Bai Shuo helped Cang Shan’s mother hang clothes and subtly probed why she remained calm despite her husband’s disappearance. Her demeanor shifted to fear and avoidance upon seeing Qi Feng, raising Bai Shuo’s suspicions that Qi Feng’s arrival was no coincidence. Meanwhile, Chong Zhao sneaked into Tian Yu’s room to investigate and accidentally triggered a secret mechanism, alerting Tian Yu. Just as Tian Yu prepared to kill him, he noticed Chong Zhao’s black seal, which shocked him. Fu Ling quickly intervened, claiming Chong Zhao had entered the room to retrieve medicine for her, convincing Tian Yu to spare his life temporarily.
Outside the room, Fu Ling scolded Chong Zhao for acting recklessly, warning it would only bring disaster. Chong Zhao asked about the mysterious mirror in Tian Yu’s room and mentioned the unusual power within Tian Yu. Fu Ling speculated that Tian Yu might have seen the black seal and urged Chong Zhao to return to the Lanling Sect.
In secret, Cang Shan’s mother begged Chen Ye to release her husband, Cang Xuan, claiming she had lured the Hall Master of the Bright Moon Palace as instructed. Meanwhile, Bai Shuo, Fan Yue, and Cang Shan investigated the stone forest, where they found sharp scratches on the rocks. Suddenly, black-clad assailants attacked them, and Cang Shan managed to injure one of them.
Later, Cang Shan recounted the Stone Tribe’s troubled history. They originally lived elsewhere but were forced to migrate after the Tiger Tribe decimated many clans, including theirs. Cang Xuan led the tribe to an ancient site guarded by a boy who refused to leave his ancestors’ burial grounds. Cang Xuan killed the boy, whose resentment stirred unrest, leaving the tribe no choice but to move again. However, the boy’s vengeful spirit followed them. To suppress it, Cang Xuan and the tribe erected stone pillars in the forest, but the cost was great. Cang Shan had a heated argument with his father over this and left the tribe, never returning.
According to Cang Shan, the boy’s legs were broken by Cang Xuan before his death. Fan Yue began to suspect a connection to Qi Feng, but Bai Shuo dismissed the idea, noting that coincidences were common. She also pointed out that Qi Feng’s legs were permanently damaged, unlike the agile black-clad attacker. Despite this, Bai Shuo privately doubted Qi Feng but chose not to voice it, knowing how much Qi Feng meant to Fan Yue.
Elsewhere, Tian Yu recalled forcing an old turtle to predict the destinies of three chosen children. The turtle identified two: a purple-eyed boy from the Bai Ze Clan and a member of the Bai family from Ning’an City. The third child’s lineage pointed to the Immortal Clan. Upon seeing Chong Zhao’s black seal, Tian Yu began suspecting him as the third child.
Fan Yue, under the guise of concern, questioned Qi Feng about the tribe’s murders. Sensing the suspicion, Qi Feng expressed his pain and accused Fan Yue of mistrusting him. His words left Fan Yue feeling conflicted.
Soon after, Cang Xuan’s body was discovered, identified as one of the black-clad attackers. The tribe accused Cang Shan of patricide and treated him with hostility. Cang Shan’s mother sought revenge against Qi Feng, but Qi Feng killed her in self-defense.
The bizarre events prompted Bai Shuo and Fan Yue to reexamine Cang Xuan’s body. They discovered a demonic insect, deducing that he had been controlled before his death. Cang Shan, overwhelmed by guilt, was comforted by Fan Yue, who revealed the truth about the insect. This eased his pain slightly.
At the same time, Bai Shuo encountered Qi Feng while searching for Cang Shan’s mother. During their conversation, Qi Feng shielded Bai Shuo from a demonic insect attack, leaving him gravely injured and unconscious.
