Xie Xuechen, Mu Xuanling, and Gao Qiumin uncover a hidden chamber beneath Su Ningxi’s room. Gao Qiumin is shocked, as she had no idea such a place existed under her mother’s room. Mu Xuanling remarks that it seems Gao Fengxu kept secrets even from his daughter.
Inside the chamber, they discover a bed with a mechanism attached. Gao Qiumin speculates that Su Ningxi may have used the bed to nourish the Chaos Pearl. Xie Xuechen suggests a darker truth: Su Ningxi might already be dead, and her body has been used to sustain the Chaos Pearl every time Gao Qiumin visited.
Unbeknownst to them, people from Jinghua Palace have arrived outside. They capture Abao and plan to destroy Mingyue Manor. Abao is taken to a forest, but her father appears and kills the Jinghua Palace members. When Abao calls out to him, asking why he won’t reveal himself, she receives no response.
Betrayal and Conflict
At Xianxian Pavilion, the Pavilion Master and Nan Xuyue are seen conversing. It turns out the two have known each other for a long time, and many of the events leading up to now were orchestrated with Nan Xuyue’s help.
Meanwhile, in the secret chamber, Mu Xuanling, Xie Xuechen, and Gao Qiumin notice the structure starting to collapse. In the chaos, Mu Xuanling pushes Xie Xuechen aside, attempting to lock him inside the chamber. Xie Xuechen quickly catches up to her, questioning her actions. Mu Xuanling reveals that she has found a lead on the Chaos Pearl and must report it to Sang Qi.
Xie Xuechen insists he won’t let her leave. Mu Xuanling suggests he return to the Dark Domain with her, claiming his strength could allow him to defeat Sang Qi and become the new ruler. Xie Xuechen refuses, knowing Mu Xuanling doesn’t truly desire such a life. Frustrated, Mu Xuanling pushes him away and tries to escape. Xie Xuechen draws his sword and injures her.
At that moment, Abao arrives and touches Mu Xuanling’s wound. Mu Xuanling’s blood stains Abao’s hand, which she then transfers to the Blood Sacrifice artifact. To everyone’s surprise, the artifact reveals the same vision Gao Qiumin had seen earlier.
Fu Lansheng explains that the Blood Sacrifice only works with the blood of close relatives. He announces that Mu Xuanling and Gao Qiumin are sisters. Both women are equally stunned and adamantly deny wanting to be related.
Verifying the Truth
To confirm the artifact’s accuracy, they conduct further tests. Mu Xuanling’s blood reveals the visions Gao Qiumin had seen, while Gao Qiumin’s blood shows Mu Xuanling’s memories. Skeptical, they question whether the Blood Sacrifice might be malfunctioning. Fu Lansheng defends the artifact, stating it has never been unreliable. To prove his point, he uses his own blood, which reveals Fu Yuanting’s memories. This convinces them that the artifact is genuine.
Xie Xuechen concludes they need to visit Jinghua Palace and question Su Ningzhen for more answers.
A Heated Confrontation
At Jinghua Palace, Su Ningzhen orders Zai Xi to locate Gao Qiumin, even if it means venturing into the Dark Domain. Before Zai Xi can leave, Gao Qiumin returns with Mu Xuanling and the others. Xie Xuechen confronts Su Ningzhen, asking how many children Su Ningxi had. Offended, Su Ningzhen accuses him of insulting her sister’s purity.
Xie Xuechen explains that they’ve discovered Mu Xuanling and Gao Qiumin are related by blood. Gao Qiumin recalls a flash of light during her sister’s labor but admits she didn’t see everything clearly. Su Ningzhen tells them to rest for the night, promising answers the next day.
Outside, Xie Xuechen reassures Mu Xuanling that the truth will come to light soon. Mu Xuanling insists she doesn’t care, but Xie Xuechen notices her reluctance to admit her curiosity about having family.
A Flowered Mark and Hidden Secrets
Later, Gao Qiumin finds Su Ningzhen searching for something and offers to help. Su Ningzhen asks if Gao Qiumin saw Mu Xuanling at Mingyue Manor and mentions a flower-shaped mark on her head. Su Ningzhen asks Gao Qiumin to draw the mark, and upon seeing it, realizes it corresponds to the flash of light from that day.
As Gao Qiumin sits alone, lost in thought, Fu Lansheng brings her pastries to comfort her.
