Episode 4 recap: Zhang Chu Lan had a conflict with Feng Bao Bao.
Zhang Ling Yu struck Zhang Chu Lan with a palm, sending him into the giant rock. The rock formed a humanoid hole, leaving Zhang Chu Lan infuriated. However, he recalled the words of his grandfather, Zhang Xi Lin, and looked at the rubber band in his hand. With great determination, he suppressed his anger and retaliated against Zhang Ling Yu with a spell called "Golden Light Curse."
Zhang Chu Lan was then crushed by a gigantic hand formed by Zhang Ling Yu's golden light. Despite his struggles, Zhang Chu Lan couldn't free himself from the grip of the hand. However, he remained defiant and challenged Zhang Ling Yu to another battle as he prepared to leave. But Zhang Ling Yu caught hold of him tightly with his transformed hand.
Feng Bao Bao sensed that Zhang Chu Lan was in trouble and quickly got up from the bed. Confirming the appearance of golden light on the ground, she immediately rushed there wearing flip-flops. Zhang Chu Lan found solace in Feng Bao Bao's presence and took shelter behind her.
Knowing Zhang Chu Lan's abilities, Feng Bao Bao encouraged him to unleash his full strength and show Zhang Ling Yu what he was capable of. Finally, Zhang Chu Lan snapped the rubber band that had constantly reminded him to endure and revealed the true techniques he had learned from his grandfather, Zhang Xi Lin. Zhang Ling Yu was astonished when he witnessed the white lightning, but Zhang Chu Lan quickly made him experience the crushing sensation he had endured.
In response, Zhang Ling Yu withdrew his golden light and retaliated with a thunder technique, but his thunder was black while Zhang Chu Lan's was pure white. Zhang Chu Lan unleashed a palm thunder, further surprising Zhang Ling Yu, and then employed his ultimate move to defeat Zhang Ling Yu. At a critical moment, Feng Bao Bao effortlessly dismantled Zhang Ling Yu's attack, leaving the members of the Celestial Masters' Mansion astonished. Only Zhang Ling Yu, who knew Feng Bao Bao's true identity, remained unsurprised.
Zhang Ling Yu acknowledged that Zhang Chu Lan now had the qualifications to participate in the Tian Shi Du selection competition of the Tian Shi Fu. However, Zhang Chu Lan didn't need anyone's acknowledgment and therefore didn't want to participate. Zhang Ling Yu asked Zhang Chu Lan if he didn't want to know about Zhang Xi Lin's martial arts origins and past. This immediately sparked Zhang Chu Lan's curiosity.
Feng Bao Bao took Zhang Chu Lan back to school, and as they walked on the road, they chatted. Zhang Chu Lan felt that Feng Bao Bao was someone he could completely trust, which made him feel at ease. However, Feng Bao Bao had no understanding of trust, so Zhang Chu Lan took out his phone to explain it to her. Feng Bao Bao learned that Zhang Chu Lan knew the Golden Light Curse and asked him to use it to light their way. Zhang Chu Lan initially didn't want to agree, but Feng Bao Bao's sharp gaze made him unable to resist, so he reluctantly complied.
At Wudang Mountain, Wang Ye overheard his fellow brothers discussing the Tian Shi Du competition at Longhu Mountain. He learned that Zhang Chu Lan would also participate and couldn't help but be curious about the appearance of the successor of the "qi body source flow." With just one glance, Wang Ye recognized Zhang Chu Lan as the young man he had seen in the inner realm before. This time, Wang Ye quickly entered the inner realm again and unexpectedly found out that Zhang Chu Lan recognized him and used the powerful Golden Light Curse to force him out of the train. Afterwards, Wang Ye couldn't help but touch his chilling neck and turned to find Zhou Meng, the Grand Master, wanting to participate in the Tian Shi Fu competition. However, Zhou Meng disagreed out of concern that the Fenghou Qimen technique would be exposed. If this technique became known to others, it would bring disastrous consequences to Wudang.
The Tian Shi Mountain's extraordinary martial arts competition was only forty-eight days away. Feng Bao Bao rode an electric tricycle and took Zhang Chu Lan straight to a villa outside the city. Zhang Chu Lan thought they were going on a vacation and imagined a luxurious villa, but when they arrived, they found a dilapidated cottage that was extremely dirty inside. Zhang Chu Lan didn't want to participate in the competition and wanted to return to the city. Feng Bao Bao reminded him that this was a great opportunity to learn the truth about Zhang Xi Lin's past because only by participating in the Tian Shi Du selection could Zhang Chu Lan get close to Zhang Zhi Wei.
Zhang Chu Lan felt that he was evenly matched with Zhang Ling Yu in their previous sparring match, despite losing. However, Feng Bao Bao bluntly pointed out that Zhang Ling Yu had only used thirty percent of his power, making Zhang Chu Lan realize the difference between them. Feng Bao Bao started to urge Zhang Chu Lan to practice, but Zhang Chu Lan's "qi" always deviated. This greatly displeased Feng Bao Bao, so she directly pressed her forehead against Zhang Chu Lan's and transmitted a set of techniques for him to cultivate diligently. Feng Bao Bao was unaware of the taboos between men and women and would undress in front of Zhang Chu Lan casually, which made Zhang Chu Lan feel that she had no shame. However, he couldn't help but look at her, causing his "qi" to deviate. Feng Bao Bao realized it was due to the restriction sand and found a group of beautiful women to help Zhang Chu Lan break the restriction. However, Zhang Chu Lan felt like a joke and wanted to regain his dignity, so he chose to leave despite Feng Bao Bao's threats.
As an anime fan, I came here to give it a try and see how the live-action adaptation turned out. Surprisingly, the level of faithfulness to the original is quite decent. Currently, Zhang Chu Lan and Bao'er are carrying the show, as it's impossible to achieve a 100% faithful portrayal of animated characters' nuances and expressions. As long as they capture the essence, it's good enough. One downside is that the special effects for Xu San were a bit too cartoonish, and Xia He's seductive allure fell a bit short. Overall, it's still worth following. I'm particularly interested in seeing how the first season concludes because that's where the essence of the story lies. It was so touching, I remember crying my eyes out the first time I watched it. It also sets up the relationship between Bao'er, Zhang Chu Lan, and their family. I hope the production team understands that sentiment and manages to convey it.