Episode 18 recap: Zhang Chu Lan killed Shen Chong.
Zhang Chu Lan refused to inherit the Tian Shi Du tradition, which greatly angered Zhang Zhi Wei. However, the current state of the Tian Shi Sect was as Zhang Chu Lan had said, unsuitable for passing on the techniques. Zhang Zhi Wei learned that Quan Xing's people were attacking the mountain. Despite being over a hundred years old, their agility was still unbelievably fast. Zhang Chu Lan caught up to a woman who was protecting two Taoist priests, while Quan Xing arrogantly boasted about acting according to one's nature and wanting to destroy the thousand-year-old Taoist temple. Zhang Chu Lan rudely destroyed their weapons and scolded them for not having the enlightenment of Yang Zhu, but instead pretending to be something they were not and stirring up trouble.
The woman reminded Zhang Chu Lan that by doing so, he was comparing her to something unsightly. Zhang Chu Lan directly slapped Quan Xing and called them filthy. They felt wronged but couldn't defeat Zhang Chu Lan, so they could only back down. The battle at the Daochang became even more intense, and seeing that the Taoist priests couldn't hold on much longer, Zhang Chu Lan shouted loudly, causing both sides to stop fighting.
Quan Xing's Liao Tie Tou didn't believe in superstitions and charged straight at Zhang Chu Lan. Before he could get close to Zhang Chu Lan, he was struck by a golden light curse, causing his head to be covered in blood. This scared everyone, but there was still someone who didn't believe and relied on their speed to try and fight Zhang Chu Lan. However, before they could make a move, their pair of short blades shattered into pieces, immediately frightening them into turning and running away. Quan Xing believed that Zhang Chu Lan couldn't handle four hands with his two fists and called for everyone to attack together. However, Zhang Chu Lan used a single move to knock them all down, showing them his strength.
Akun and his companion hid behind a stone carving and were about to sneak away when Zhang Chu Lan blocked their path. It turned out that Zhang Chu Lan had discovered that they had stolen his tea leaves. He made them put the tea back where it belonged and clean the room. Akun was about to object but was pulled back by his companion, and the two of them obediently went to do the work.
Zhang Chu Lan wanted to find Feng Bao Bao and encountered a group of Quan Xing's lackeys disguised as Zhang Ling Yu. From the lackeys, he learned that Zhang Ling Yu had been captured by Xia He and instructed them to pretend to be Zhang Ling Yu to divert others' attention. He then split up with Xu San to search for the missing person.
Zhang Chu Lan didn't find Feng Bao Bao but instead encountered Zang Long and Lu Ling Long being chased by Quan Xing's people. Zang Long was already at his limit but insisted on protecting Lu Ling Long and getting her to safety.
Suddenly, Shen Chong appeared and instructed Zang Long to imprint his Qi with a hand seal. Lu Ling Long knew that if she pressed the hand seal, she would become a puppet like Hu Jie. She firmly tried to stop it, but Zang Long was determined to send Lu Ling Long away and still pressed the seal.
Zhang Chu Lan appeared at this moment, and upon hearing that Zhang Chu Lan was interested in a loan, Shen Chong quickly presented the VIP terms. Zhang Chu Lan took the opportunity to request that Shen Chong take care of the other three members of Quan Xing while he prepared to escape with Zang Long and Lu Ling Long.
Shen Chong never allowed his prey to escape from his grasp and immediately pursued the three of them. All three were heavily injured. As the successor of the Qi Source Flow and the champion of this tournament, Zhang Chu Lan received special attention from Shen Chong. He was almost overwhelmed by Shen Chong's resentment, but he remembered Zhang Xi Lin's words, urging him to let Qi circulate endlessly. Seizing the opportunity, he used his ultimate skill, "Little White Worm," and managed to kill Shen Chong.
Upon seeing Xia He, Zhang Zhi Wei recognized her as the girl who had seduced Zhang Ling Yu. He advised Xia He to act according to her nature and not use her circumstances as an excuse. Xia He left as a result. Lu Jin had already succumbed to madness. Gao Ning didn't dare to confront Lu Jin directly, so he hid with Yuan Tao and Dou Mei. Unexpectedly, Zhang Zhi Wei arrived and exposed their hiding place, ordering them to leave immediately or be killed.
Yuan Tao underestimated Zhang Zhi Wei's strength and released a hidden weapon, which Zhang Zhi Wei easily intercepted. Yuan Tao suffered a backlash and spat out a mouthful of blood before hastily turning to flee. Gao Ning's Twelve Labor Formation sensed Zhang Zhi Wei's unyielding will, knowing that they couldn't shake him, so they quickly escaped. While fleeing, Gao Ning blamed Yuan Tao for daring to provoke Zhang Zhi Wei. If they had been any slower, they would have all been killed.
After great effort, Zhang Zhi Wei finally cured Lu Jin, but he paid the price of fracturing several ribs. This deeply moved Lu Jin. Feng Bao Bao engaged in a battle with Old Xia, who had changed identities more than ten times, equivalent to fighting against over ten people. Old Xia noticed that despite Feng Bao Bao's numerous injuries, she could still recover, and he felt that she resembled someone. At this moment, he not only couldn't defeat Feng Bao Bao, but also couldn't bring himself to attack her. He took the initiative to retreat.
Finally, the people from the righteous faction arrived. Some of the members of Quan Xing were captured, while others managed to escape. Lu Jin learned that Lu Ling Long was saved by Zhang Chu Lan and immediately used the Dan Book method to heal Zhang Chu Lan's injuries as a gesture of gratitude.
This episode was really poorly adapted. It completely missed the crucial plot point that showcases Zhang Chu Lan's character. He's not a hot-blooded youth; instead, he's shrewd and calculating, always living cautiously.
Whether he chooses to save someone or not is a result of careful consideration. Moreover, there were no repercussions or consequences mentioned later on in this regard.
This episode's adaptation is really disappointing. Lu Ling Long, who was originally a strong and resilient girl capable of protecting others, has been transformed into a helpless little girl who needs others for protection. Tu Jun Fang is also missing, and Zhang Chu Lan's character development has completely collapsed. Does the production team think that Zhang Chu Lan is weak? Are they resorting to the cliché of leveling up through monster fights? I'm truly baffled by this.
I agree. This particular segment renders all the previous buildup meaningless. Statements like "a more than ten-year period of being single" and facing a ten-year-old opponent, or that he is a child who knows what he wants, completely fail to support the subsequent events. While it's understandable that an adaptation may not strive for an exact replication of the original manga, the core essence should not be lost. Zhang Chu Lan is the protagonist, after all.
Is it possible that the author made these changes themselves? Personally, I find that the manga has many illogical and overly melodramatic aspects. So far, in the TV series, I think everything is quite reasonable.
I didn't initially intend to say anything, but it seems that with this episode's changes, they're not planning to continue filming the rest. From the moment Lu Ling Long, the actress, appeared, I knew she couldn't carry this role.
The screenwriter is impressive too, making direct changes. The highlight of Lu Ling Long's episode was setting up the future plot, but now it seems like they're just going to relegate her to a background prop.
I really can't bear to watch it anymore.
The positive energy conveyed in this TV drama is that many people know that "China's indigenous 'Daoism' has not disappeared, but continues to thrive in institutions like the Tian Shi Fu, Wudang Mountain, and the Zhuge family, producing numerous representatives of righteousness from the new generation of descendants." Zhang Zhiwei, the 99th-generation Tian Shi, is the epitome of the highest moral level of Daoism today, carrying out heavenly justice and punishing those who specialize in wrongdoing.
Speechless, really! It was getting more and more exciting, but the screenwriter went crazy in Episode 18! I didn't expect the male lead to defeat the Four Madmen right from the start, but look at that nonsense scene earlier.
He got knocked down by a single beam of light. There was no effort to fight back anymore. At least show his efforts before despairing, right? Now it feels like the male lead blocked one attack and instantly shut down.
Isn't this shutting down too quickly? It turned all subsequent psychological activities into complaints, without any sense of identification, only anger towards the male lead.
I want to critique episodes 17 and 18. The battle scenes at Longhu Mountain were poorly executed, creating a very awkward atmosphere. Additionally, it seems like they tried to save money on special effects by not allowing Zhang Chu Lan to use his lightning spells, while Shen Chong's dark aura effect is less costly.
Zhang Chu Lan ended up being just a human shield throughout the entire scene.