To provoke the Lanling Five Immortals into taking action against Fan Yue, Fu Ling continued to spread chaos in Ning’an City. Chong Zhao suddenly intercepted her and, noticing her use of the Cloudfire Bow, confirmed her identity as a demon lord from the Cold Spring Palace. While the two clashed, Tian Yu appeared to shield Fu Ling and wounded Chong Zhao, intending to kill him to silence him. Fu Ling, however, protected Chong Zhao, allowing him to escape.
Despite Chong Zhao saving her life, Fu Ling knew that, by Cold Spring Palace’s rules, her actions warranted death and soul destruction. She told Tian Yu she was willing to accept his punishment. However, she explained that saving Chong Zhao was not just to repay him but also because he might be a valuable ally within the Immortal Sect. Intrigued by this idea, Tian Yu spared her.
Meanwhile, Bai Shuo attempted to break the barrier confining her by self-harming to summon the power of the Wu Nian Stone. Her efforts succeeded, and she rushed back to Ning’an City, only to find the streets in utter chaos, filled with those infected by the Nether Poison. Remembering Chong Zhao’s earlier warning that she should not seek Fan Yue’s help because he was also from the Demon Clan, Bai Shuo risked being bitten by a madman and went to Buji Building to confront Fan Yue.
By this point, Bai Shuo had seen through Fan Yue’s true nature. She exposed his deception: he had been manipulating her trust and collecting the five desires to fuel his power. Furthermore, he refused to save Bai Xun, instead allowing Ning’an City to fall into chaos, hoping it would become a living hell to expedite the birth of the five desires and absorb them through Bai Shuo.
To force Fan Yue’s hand, Bai Shuo revealed the bite wound on her arm, demanding he hand over the antidote, gambling that even someone like him had something he couldn’t bear to lose. Touched, Fan Yue produced seeds of Phantom Grass, explaining that they needed to be nourished with human blood to bloom. One flower a day would alleviate the poison, effectively making it a life-for-life trade.
Bai Shuo planted the seeds under a tree and used her own blood to nurture them. To accelerate their growth, she bled herself excessively, leaving her extremely weak. Despite this, she refused to harm others, believing in the inherent goodness of humanity. Fan Yue, however, was convinced that humans were inherently selfish and that the Phantom Grass would inevitably lead to greed and bloodshed. He waited to see how things would unfold.
Soon, the Phantom Grass bloomed, and Bai Shuo used the flower to cure her father, Bai Xun. However, she fainted from blood loss. Fan Yue appeared in time to carry her back to her room. Seeing the various items related to immortal cultivation in her room, he found the situation both amusing and ridiculous, muttering a few words before leaving. In her haze, Bai Shuo noticed that Fan Yue’s silhouette overlapped with that of her long-lost benefactor.
Chong Zhao returned to the Lanling Sect, seeking reinforcements for Ning’an City and revealing that the Wu Nian Stone was inside Bai Shuo. Meanwhile, Bai Shuo awoke, still frail, worrying Bai Xun. Suspicious, he questioned the source of the Phantom Grass and the method of its cultivation, leading to an argument between father and daughter. After Bai Xun left the room, Bai Shuo felt equally conflicted, knowing the harsh truth she couldn’t bring herself to share.
Tian Yu continued to monitor Ning’an City from the shadows. Fan Yue confronted him, warning him not to harm Bai Shuo. Meanwhile, Fu Ling spread rumors that the antidote could be found at the City Lord’s mansion, inciting a riot as desperate citizens surrounded the mansion, begging for a cure. Bai Xun had no choice but to promise he would find a solution.
Bai Shuo collapsed again, and the doctor diagnosed her with severe blood loss. Under Bai Xun’s relentless questioning, she finally revealed the truth about the Phantom Grass. In the garden, Bai Xun prepared to destroy the Phantom Grass, calling it a bottomless pit that traded lives for lives. He couldn’t bear to let his daughter bleed for him or see the grass become the cause of further bloodshed among the townspeople.
That night, which coincided with Bai Xun’s birthday, father and daughter shared a meal in the courtyard, mending their long-standing emotional rift. Unaware of his true intentions, Bai Shuo lost consciousness due to the effects of a drug. Bai Xun, acting out of love, secretly arranged for her to be taken out of the city. At the same time, the City Lord’s mansion was overrun with frenzied citizens. Even when Bai Yu was injured, he refused to draw his sword against the townsfolk. Bai Xun, however, burned all the Phantom Grass and prepared to fight to the death to protect Ning’an City.
