As Fan Yue speaks, Bai Shuo feels a surge of anger. Drawing a dagger, she points it at her own heart, declaring that if she dies, the Wunian Stone will become nothing but a useless rock. However, Fan Yue is entirely unimpressed. She even exposes Bai Shuo’s hidden motives—avenging her father, something impossible for humans alone. Bai Shuo is left with no choice but to navigate between the immortals and the demons. Fan Yue reveals her disdain for the immortals’ apathy and declares that the Hall of the Bright Moon is her only viable option.
Despite Bai Shuo’s verbal retorts, Fan Yue has hit a nerve. To prove a point, Fan Yue invites Bai Shuo to attack her. No matter how hard Bai Shuo tries, she cannot harm Fan Yue. Instead, Fan Yue easily subdues her, leaving her struggling to break free. He mocks her for her inability to get close to him, let alone her wish to kill Tian Yu, one of the three demon kings, whose power is formidable.
Fan Yue reminds Bai Shuo that she has no alternatives—only by becoming powerful enough to instill fear in her enemies can she begin her path of revenge. He urges her to calm down and think clearly. Tianhuo, noticing Fan Yue’s unusual concern for Bai Shuo, warns him against wavering in his resolve due to a moment of compassion. Fan Yue reassures Tianhuo, stating that he knows what he’s doing and that Bai Shuo, as a human caught in the conflict between immortals and demons, must learn how to protect herself.
Meanwhile, Jin Yao, the head of Lanling Sect, gathers the immortals to discuss the whereabouts of the Wunian Stone. Their top priority is to locate the Hall of the Bright Moon, find Bai Shuo, and bring her back. Chongzhao, held accountable for the Ning’an City incident, is punished with 300 lashes from the Crimson Bone Whip—a severe punishment from the Lanling Sect. Though it appears to inflict physical wounds, it is designed to torment the soul, and few can endure it. Despite Jin Yao’s reluctance, he believes Chongzhao cannot escape blame and sends him to the Cliff of Reflection to reflect on his actions after the punishment.
Bai Shuo locks herself in her room for two days until Tianhuo delivers her a bottle of medicine and a knife, asking her to choose between the two. Spurred on by Tianhuo’s provocation, Bai Shuo shakes off her despondency and requests to learn magic from Fan Yue—whether from him or someone he appoints. Fan Yue readily agrees.
Elsewhere, Fu Ling, punished by Tian Yu for aiding Chongzhao twice, proposes recruiting Chongzhao for Cold Spring Palace in exchange for a month’s time. Meanwhile, Chongzhao, reflecting on his guilt toward Bai Shuo at the Cliff of Reflection, is approached by Fu Ling, who lures him with doubts about his parents’ deaths and invites him to the demon clan to seek answers.
Ten years ago, a lantern festival in the human territory of Xunyuan was attacked by demons, resulting in hundreds of casualties. Lanling emissaries Zhongtai and Meng Ning, Chongzhao’s parents, investigated the incident but were killed by the demon Scorpion Yao Qianyin. Chongzhao has long suspected foul play but found no clues. Fu Ling tells him that his parents were not killed by Qianyin, who had died two days earlier, casting doubt on the supposed truth.
Fan Yue takes Bai Shuo to the armory, where she chooses the most powerful weapon—a fire wheel staff. Despite her determination, she struggles to control it, suffering severe burns to her hands. Fan Yue orders Tianhuo to escort her back to her room. Tianhuo tends to her injuries and warns her not to wander in the Hall of the Bright Moon to avoid breaking any taboos.
After Tianhuo leaves, Bai Shuo reminisces about her father and vows to take her revenge and carve her own path. Unable to wait any longer, she secretly follows Fan Yue into a dimly lit chamber filled with plaques inscribed with names. Among them, she finds one bearing Fan Yue’s name. Before she can investigate further, Fan Yue discovers her intrusion and furiously warns her against prying into secrets. Angrily, Bai Shuo declares her desire for strength, while Fan Yue retorts that he understands her desperation all too well, as he has faced far greater upheavals.
Fan Yue casts her out of the chamber, leaving the room silent once more. The plaques are revealed to belong to deceased members of the Baize Clan, stirring Fan Yue’s memories. Once awakened with no recollection of his past, he spent cherished days with his clan leader Gu Shang and his friend Qi Feng. However, a tragedy befell the Baize Clan when the Tiger Clan massacred them, leaving Fan Yue the sole survivor.
The next morning, Bai Shuo offers fresh fruits to Fan Yue as an apology for her reckless behavior. However, she suddenly experiences symptoms of demon energy backlash. Under Fan Yue’s questioning, she admits to secretly practicing demon clan techniques. Fan Yue explains that the Wunian Stone, being a divine artifact of the ancient Night Clan, naturally conflicts with demon clan techniques.
To resolve the backlash, Fan Yue brings Bai Shuo to the Lanling Sect, seeking help from a thousand-year-old mystical turtle, “Old Turtle,” with whom he shares a past connection. Fan Yue once saved Old Turtle’s life and severed Tian Yu’s tail, earning the enmity of Cold Spring Palace. Under Fan Yue’s threats, Old Turtle reluctantly agrees to teach Bai Shuo celestial arts. However, Bai Shuo finds Old Turtle’s teachings unsatisfactory.
