Fu Ling and Xixi returned to the Cold Spring Palace, reporting the situation in Ning’an City to Tian Yu. Upon hearing that Bai Shuo had absorbed the Wu Nian Stone into her body and that Hao Yue Palace Master Fan Yue could freely move in and out of the city with the Wu Nian Stone, Tian Yu ordered Fu Ling to capture her. Additionally, Fu Ling had already dispersed the Nether Poison in the city but discovered it had not taken effect immediately. The demon lord responsible for developing the Nether Poison, Yeyue, suddenly appeared, mocking Fu Ling for her impatience. The two quarreled incessantly until Tian Yu intervened, diffusing their conflict.
As night fell, a poisoned wealthy merchant became delirious, biting his wife to death, and during the day, he rampaged through the marketplace, attacking others. Coincidentally, Chong Zhao was accompanying Bai Shuo to purchase birthday gifts and immediately recognized the enraged man, puzzled as to why the antidote he provided did not prevent this behavior. Deputy General Bai Yu and his team promptly arrived to control the merchant, briefly explaining the situation to Bai Shuo.
Realizing the severity of the situation, Chong Zhao decided to seek help from the Immortal Sect. He learned that many disciples of the Lanling Sect had been killed, all by the hands of the Demon Clan. To avoid alarming his elderly master, Chong Zhao personally approached his uncles Jing Lei and Yu Feng, mentioning the Wu Nian Stone recognizing a master. His uncles stated that if it recognized someone from the Immortal Clan, they would bring her back to the sect. However, if it recognized someone from the Demon Clan, they would kill her without hesitation, ensuring that even humans would not be left as threats.
With the number of poisoned individuals increasing, Bai Xun had been confining them to a remote and desolate courtyard, while the doctors were helpless. Fu Ling attempted to ambush Bai Shuo but was severely injured by Fan Yue and had to flee in panic. Chong Zhao encountered the severely injured Fu Ling and mistook her for a human woman, taking her to the clinic for treatment. The doctors mistakenly believed the two were a married couple.
Concerned for Bai Shuo’s safety, Fan Yue wanted to take her away. However, the Wu Nian Stone caused her to witness a chaotic scene in Ning’an City, including the imprisoned poisoned individuals in Bai’s courtyard. Through Fan Yue, Bai Shuo learned that the images displayed by the Wu Nian Stone were of events that had not yet occurred but were destined to happen. To secure her obsessions, those events needed to unfold in their proper order.
Thinking that the lines between friend and foe were still unclear and doubting Fan Yue’s sincerity, Bai Shuo decided to find a reason to leave Buji Building first. Indeed, she saw the madmen in the desolate courtyard. Because the Wu Nian Stone had provided her with insights, Fan Yue was not in a hurry to take her away from Ning’an City. Moreover, having discovered that the Nether Poison was related to the Cold Spring Palace, he decided to wait quietly for the first desire to emerge.
Meanwhile, Fu Ling woke up and killed the doctor, deliberately causing chaos in the city, resulting in many civilians being bitten by the madmen, including Bai Xun, who nearly injured Bai Shuo in his frenzy. Chong Zhao recognized Fu Ling as a demon, drew his sword to confront her, and Fu Ling took the opportunity to frame Fan Yue, claiming she was acting under orders and refusing to hand over the antidote.
After the city guards regained control of the situation, they directly bound Bai Xun and took him back to his mansion. While Bai Shuo was rummaging through boxes, she discovered that her father had secretly kept the birthday gift she had given him, finally realizing that Bai Xun had always cared deeply for her, though he was not good at expressing it. Noticing the suspicious nature of the Nether Poison and knowing that earthly medicines were ineffective, Bai Shuo immediately thought of seeking help from Fan Yue.
At this moment, Chong Zhao stormed into Buji Building alone to confront Fan Yue, unexpectedly discovering that the courtesan was actually Fu Ling of the Cold Spring Palace in disguise, who was highly skilled in the demon flower escape technique. Chong Zhao, half-believing, ordered Fan Yue to hand over the antidote. During their intense battle, Bai Shuo arrived seeking the medicine and witnessed the confrontation. It was only then that Bai Shuo was shocked to discover that Chong Zhao was an immortal, having concealed his identity all along.
Facing Bai Shuo’s questioning, Chong Zhao had no choice but to admit the truth and took her to an outdoor cottage. Bai Shuo angrily accused Chong Zhao of deceiving her. She had once held hope in the Immortal Sect, seeking immortal aid to save Ning’an City. However, Chong Zhao revealed that the Nether Poison was a toxin of the Demon Clan, for which the Immortal Clan had no antidote.
For Bai Shuo’s safety, Chong Zhao prevented her from seeking Fan Yue’s help for an antidote to the Nether Poison by using a barrier to confine her in the cottage. He also realized that today’s events would irreparably change their relationship. Subsequently, Chong Zhao decided to search for Fu Ling alone, believing that only by finding the true culprit could the chaos in Ning’an City be truly resolved.
