Chapter 303: The Sword Returns to the Scabbard

After the update of "Sword Fairy", a group of people immediately began watching the new content.

It was seen that Li Xiaoyao had returned to ten years ago, the Moon Worshipping Cult Leader summoned the Water Demon Beast, and Zhao Ling'er's mother, Qing'er, revealed her true form as a Nuwa Descendant, engaging in battle with the Water Demon Beast.

On the other side, Jiu Jianxian headed to the imperial palace together with Li Xiaoyao to save Ling'er.

The two flew to the imperial palace, and Jiu Jianxian Mo Yixi looked at the masked Li Xiaoyao, unable to help but ask: "Little brother, why have you come here on a sword?"

No matter how he looked at it, he felt bewildered; why were this person's moves exactly the same as his own?

The masked Li Xiaoyao said indifferently: "I realized it myself."

——That was quite a brush-off.

At this moment, the grandmother ran out from inside the imperial palace holding Ling'er, with the followers of the Moon Worshipping Cult behind her, brandishing weapons in pursuit.

It was seen that Li Xiaoyao and Jiu Jianxian flew forward, their hand movements identical; after two moves, they blasted the group of lackeys to death.

In the end, Qing'er transformed into a stone statue, sealing the Water Demon Beast.

Li Xiaoyao and the others boarded a phoenix and left Nanzhao Kingdom, searching for a safe place to hide.

Li Xiaoyao looked at the grandmother and said: "Grandmother, promise me, don't let Ling'er know about all this; let her be an ordinary girl, okay?"

The grandmother promised Li Xiaoyao, saying she would not let Ling'er follow her mother's path.

Li Xiaoyao believed this was the first step in him changing the future.

Little did he know that it was precisely because the grandmother did not tell Ling'er she was a Nuwa Descendant that later, when Ling'er first revealed her snake tail, she terrified herself and hurriedly fled from Li Xiaoyao's side.

He thought in his heart about changing everything, and even thought: "Since Fairy Spirit Island is in the east, I will fly to the west; the further west, the better."

The phoenix carried everyone, flying continuously westward at the speed of divine travel.

Jiu Jianxian, still feeling sentimental, drank wine while unable to help but say: "Eh? Did I drink too much? Why hasn't the sun set today?"

"Could it be... that we are flying to the end of the Earth?" the grandmother also said.

These two lines were, in fact, a piece of foreshadowing.

Earth is a sphere; Li Xiaoyao thought he had reached the furthest point in the west, but in reality, he had only circled around.

At this time, he saw a small island that looked like a paradise, felt it was suitable for living, and had the phoenix land there.

And this place was, in fact, the Fairy Spirit Island of ten years ago!

It was just that at this time, Fairy Spirit Island had not yet been remodeled by the grandmother, and it looked completely different from how it would ten years later.

After arriving at Fairy Spirit Island, Jiu Jianxian prepared to leave.

Li Xiaoyao chased after him and asked: "Senior, are you leaving?"

"Before you go, can you promise me one thing?"

"What thing?" Jiu Jianxian was disheartened at this moment, saying listlessly.

"You must never go to Yuhang Town and teach a person named Li Xiaoyao martial arts," the masked Li Xiaoyao said.

Jiu Jianxian glanced at him and said: "Why? Do you have a grudge against him?"

"No, but please, you must not teach him," Li Xiaoyao said.

Jiu Jianxian glanced at him and said: "Let it be."

Then, he left that place.

As he walked, he held his wine Gourd and muttered: "You're going to boss me around? Who can boss me around?"

"You don't want me to teach him? I'm going to teach him!"

——Are you trying to tell me how to do my job?

Another plot hole was filled just like that, and it resonated perfectly with Jiu Jianxian's personality, without any sense of abruptness.

Therefore, later on, when Jiu Jianxian heard that waiter call out the name Li Xiaoyao, he insisted on teaching him the Sword Control Technique.

Li Xiaoyao prepared to leave, and the childhood-aged Zhao Ling'er expressed that she was reluctant to let him go.

Seeing Ling'er so sad, he decided to give her a memento.

He suddenly remembered that Zhao Ling'er was simple-minded; she would treat A Stone as a seed and take care of it with all her heart.

Li Xiaoyao picked up A Stone at random and tricked her, saying it was a seed, and that as long as the stone bloomed, he would return to see her.

——Anyway, this wasn't Fairy Spirit Island!

So, this stone was definitely not the one on Fairy Spirit Island.

It just so happened that Ling'er seemed to fall for this, so he might as well settle it this way.

After leaving Fairy Spirit Island, Li Xiaoyao actually ran into his childhood self.

The most magical thing was that he actually saw his childhood self playing with a bead, which was the very Spirit Bead he had been searching for so desperately!

Little Li Xiaoyao refused to let him see the Spirit Bead, so Li Xiaoyao traded his wooden sword for it.

Therefore, the wooden sword Li Xiaoyao had possessed since childhood was actually a gift from his future self ten years later.

Even the money for their family's inn was given to his aunt by himself.

In the end, he took the Wind Spirit Bead and the phoenix, and with the help of the Goddess Nuwa, returned to ten years later.

The Goddess Nuwa asked him: "Do you understand everything now?"

At this time, he still did not understand the deep meaning of the Goddess Nuwa.

——All of this is Fate!

Returning to ten years later, he found that nothing had changed and everything remained in its original state.

In this way, most of the plot holes were actually filled.

The audience found it incredibly satisfying, but while feeling satisfied, they also felt a bit pained.

"So it turns out nothing can be changed."

"Fate, it's all just Fate!"

"Shocking, the mastermind behind it all was actually him!"

"Learn math, physics, and chemistry well, and you can travel the world without fear. I told you to act like a hoodlum when you were young instead of studying hard, only knowing how to cheat and swindle."

"Sigh, I didn't expect it to end like this."

That said, I wonder if Wei Ran and Li Ge actually drank that bowl of hot pot base they bet on?

………

………

By the time the thirtieth episode finished airing, the audience already understood the cause and effect.

Anu also learned of her own background, knowing that she was the daughter of Jiu Jianxian and the Holy Maiden.

Everyone was eagerly waiting for the two episodes updating tomorrow, feeling that tomorrow would be truly too happy.

The reason is very simple: tomorrow is Saturday, and besides being able to see the update of *Celestial Sword 5*, one can also hear new songs from 【Superstar】 and 【Earth】.

And in this episode, the song Luo Mo let Li Junyi sing on the program was Pu Shu's "Those Flowers".

Having whistled for two episodes, it might be better to stop for a while this time.

Many years ago, how popular Pu Shu was, and how maverick he was, naturally needs no further explanation.

Luo Mo choosing to release this song early actually had another reason.

He wanted to lay sufficient groundwork for his future entry into the film industry.

This "Those Flowers" has a certain connection to a film that will be shot later, so the song must be released early.

And the view count of *Celestial Sword 5 Qixia Zhuan* on Penguin Video had already reached just over 9.9 billion before 7:00 PM on Saturday night.

In other words, as long as these two episodes updated, it would definitely break 10 billion!

On Blue Star, the calculation method for view counts on video websites is very strange, just like on Earth a few years ago.

For example, if you watch half and exit, and then click back into the same episode to watch, the view count will be recalculated.

But regardless, on the same video platform, the statistical method for the view count of every drama is consistent. Therefore, within the same platform, the view count can be used as a reference, and comparisons can be made between dramas.

*Celestial Sword 5* has only aired just over 30 episodes, and the total view count has already broken 10 billion; it is truly a bit too frightening.

The pacing of the entire drama's conclusion is not dragging at all, and the speed of resolving plot holes is extremely fast.

What moved the audience immensely was that this resolution of plot holes seemed to be... not just foreshadowing from the early stages.

This is truly burying people!

Previously, many people scolded current screenwriters, scolding them for being responsible for the killing but not the burial.

Well, now they have encountered Luo Mo, a guy who is responsible for both the killing and the burial.

And his speed at burying people is simply terrifying.

By the 32nd episode, Jiu Jianxian was going to save his daughter, Anu.

He and Li Xiaoyao were walking On the Road, and the stirring background music "Celestial Sword 5 Love" played at this moment.

Seeing him suddenly stop his footsteps, he picked up his own Gourd and opened the wine lid.

Li Xiaoyao covered it with one hand and said, "Stop drinking, sober up, and face reality."

"Do you know what reality is?" Jiu Jianxian asked.

"I know," Li Xiaoyao replied.

"You know?"

"I know, and you know too."

Jiu Jianxian said faintly, "Right, I finally know what is real."

This man with stubble all over his face smiled slightly and tossed away the Gourd that had followed him for many years.

Do not forget, when Jiu Jianxian first went to Mount Shu to apprentice, he was not addicted to alcohol.

Being addicted to alcohol is a form of escapism.

He had not broken through his inner demons, nor had he seen through his obsessions.

At this moment, throwing away the Gourd meant he had already attained the Dao!

Many viewers who understood this scene left comments in the bullet screen one after another.

"Congratulations to Jiu Jianxian!"

"Congratulations to Fellow Daoist Mo!"

"Kindness! Great Kindness!"

"Damn, this scene has so much feeling!"

Just as everyone was incredibly excited, Baiyue interfered, controlled Anu, and killed Jiu Jianxian directly.

—The stabbing has begun!

The bullet screen instantly surged into a sea.

"Grass! My favorite Jiu Jianxian, the coolest man in the whole show!"

"Damn it, let the Sect Master of Baiyue die for me!"

"Deadly, a daughter killing her father!"

At the end of episode 32, the Sect Master of Baiyue also found "A Qi" Liu Jinyuan, using the death of Lin Yueru to bewitch him, wanting to make him turn against his master, Li Xiaoyao.

After watching this episode, everyone felt that A Qi would inevitably turn dark.

Turning dark is a conventional trope.

Not to mention, this move is still quite effective; many viewers are a bit expectant, wanting to see what the final ending will be.

However, some viewers who were tired of this kind of trope couldn't help but say online: "Is this going to have a bad ending? I originally thought it was a serious Xianxia drama, but it ended up falling into clichés and using the conventional trope of turning dark again?"

"Speechless, such a good A Qi, I feel he is the kindest and most pitiful person in the drama. He should have been an excellent Reader, a good official who benefits the people; why let such a pure and kind person turn dark! I'm really going to vomit!"

"I can accept a tragedy for everyone, but I cannot accept someone like A Qi turning dark. I think he is the most Gentle person in the entire Celestial Sword 5 world!"

Amidst a chorus of scolding and demands for updates, *Celestial Sword 5* ushered in its final two episodes.

No matter how everyone curses, before knowing A Qi's ending, they still have to watch it.

Under the fermentation of all this, the various data for "Legend of Sword and Fairy" ushered in another wave of explosive growth!

………

………

As night fell, episode 33 of "Legend of Sword and Fairy" began airing.

Li Xiaoyao and Tang Yu found Baiyue, and Baiyue finally contributed one of the famous memes of the "Legend of Sword and Fairy" series in this world.

——I only wanted to prove that the Earth is round, yet you actually treated me this way.

Baiyue: I'm showing my cards, I am actually a "scientist"!

He, who loves toying with people's hearts the most, began to mock Li Xiaoyao in a calm tone.

He told him, you thought you sent Ling'er to the far west, little did you know that this world is actually spherical.

This person actually knows that the Earth is round!

He began to mock Li Xiaoyao's ignorance.

Immediately after, although Anu was rescued and successfully woke up, she found that things were not as they used to be.

She thought she could still cast spells; by flicking her finger, her father would receive the signal and respond to her.

But no matter how she flicked her finger, she could not get the result she wanted.

Heavy rain poured down, and the "darkened" A Qi arranged a duel with Li Xiaoyao.

Li Xiaoyao arrived as agreed, and even brought two jars of wine.

The master and disciple drank all the wine, and A Qi swung his sword at Li Xiaoyao, but Li Xiaoyao refused to draw his sword the entire time, questioning his disciple and close friend in the pouring rain: "Why!?"

How could A Qi be Li Xiaoyao's opponent? When Li Xiaoyao spared A Qi, he suddenly held his sword and stabbed it into Li Xiaoyao's body.

Li Xiaoyao raised his long sword, and could have ended A Qi's life at this moment, but he couldn't bring himself to do it, only asking him over and over again: "Why?"

Such a divine plot twist left the audience stunned.

No way, right? Did A Qi really darken completely?

No way, right? Did Li Xiaoyao just die at A Qi's hands like this?

The scene switched at this moment, and before the audience had time to think, they saw the Sect Leader of Baiyue gazing at the night sky, seeing a star fall.

He didn't expect that Li Xiaoyao had actually died?

"A Qi" Liu Jinyuan walked into the room and told him: "Sect Leader, you have had your wish granted."

He opened a Gourd, which contained the Spirit Bead obtained from Li Xiaoyao!

"Is he really dead?" Baiyue asked.

A Qi nodded, but did not look directly at Baiyue.

"Good, very good!" Baiyue laughed.

After confirming Li Xiaoyao's death, he made A Qi a priest of the Baiyue Sect, Under One Person and above ten thousand.

Baiyue even felt he had found a soulmate, the only one who understood him.

Liu Jinyuan stood beside Baiyue, a smile appearing on his face.

The scene switched at this moment; Zhao Ling'er found Li Xiaoyao's corpse, and under her calling, Li Xiaoyao actually spat out blood and came back to life!

"Immortal Tribulation?"

"I understand! I understand!"

As the strategist within the protagonist group, Liu Jinyuan relied on Li Xiaoyao's fake death to make the King of Nanzhao Kingdom change his mind, and also let the people see the true face of the Sect Leader of Baiyue.

After the Sect Leader of Baiyue understood all this, he extended a finger, pressed it against Liu Jinyuan's chest, and asked: "Immortal Tribulation, is it here?"

Baiyue, who gave people a supreme sense of oppression, just pointed at his chest like this, but Liu Jinyuan did not change his expression and said calmly: "Yes."

The next moment, the finger turned into a blade, directly piercing through Liu Jinyuan's body, leaving only a broken blade stabbed into the Immortal Point!

"I pardon your sins," Baiyue said calmly.

Liu Jinyuan covered his chest with his hand, blood continuously flowing out, and walked out of the Baiyue Sect with a staggering gait.

This episode ended at this moment, reaching a critical point again.

All the audience felt that Li Xiaoyao would appear at this moment, relying on the mystery of the Immortal Point to save his disciple A Qi and let him live.

Little did they know that in the final episode, A Qi still died.

Baiyue appeared to leave him a glimmer of hope, but in reality, he had cast a spell.

He still stood in a high and lofty posture, like a god, toying with everyone's lives!

But what Baiyue could never have imagined was that he could actually fail twice on Liu Jinyuan.

By getting close to him, Liu Jinyuan had already peeked into the biggest secret; before he died, he told Li Xiaoyao: "Master, to stop Baiyue, the biggest secret is in those two human-faced pendants."

He told Li Xiaoyao and Tang Yu how to use the pendants and what effects they had.

Then, he left this world.

The audience was being stabbed by the plot!

"I'm done for!"

"Stop with the stabs, I beg you, stop with the stabs!"

"I knew it, how could the most Gentle person darken!"

"When he shouted the five words 'Master Li Gongzi', I burst into tears!"

"I feel like the most pitiful person in the whole show is A Qi! Loving but unable to be together, all his relatives dead, yet he still has endless Gentle feelings for this world, still wanting to save everyone."

"The MVP of the whole show! So all the big turning points are on him alone!"

"Even though he was a Reader who couldn't even truss a chicken, he relied on reading, on the strange arts in books, and on his own brain to turn the tide!"

In the final episode, Baiyue shattered the statue of Qing'er and relied on the Spirit Bead to rescue the Water Demon Beast again, wanting to flood the entire world.

Tang Yu and Anu transformed into birds of a feather through the magical pendants to save the human world.

It is just that Tang Yu had already lost both his arms, so it changed to Anu taking care of it, carrying it as they flew to the ends of the earth.

In the final episode, one point that has always been mocked by the vast audience is that Li Xiaoyao shouted "Love Infinite" and then instantly killed Baiyue.

Watching it when I was young, I felt very moved, but watching it again after growing up, it always feels very "chuunibyou" and illogical, and the name of this ultimate move is also very shameful.

In reality, this is because the pacing of the final episode was too fast, and many places were not expressed very clearly.

Based on the logic and Drama of the entire show beforehand, Luo Mo made a certain degree of modifications here.

Actually, one can see something from the divergence in the Dao between these three people: the Sword Saint, Jiu Jianxian, and Li Xiaoyao.

Li Xiaoyao enters the Dao through emotion!

The Sword Saint chose to let go, but Li Xiaoyao is completely different.

And the power bestowed by the human-faced pendants is likewise "emotion."

Therefore, from another perspective, the "Love Infinite" he shouted out was not at all a move like when he shouted "Sword Control Technique" before.

This was just a signal—he had attained the Dao!

By placing the final focus on attaining the Dao, the viewing experience will become different.

Li Xiaoyao killed Baiyue, Zhao Ling'er killed the Water Beast, and the audience had already welcomed a "both male and female leads survive" ending.

But one still feels that something is wrong somewhere.

Actually, there was foreshadowing early on; Zhao Ling'er was merely at the end of her strength.

She only rushed back to take one last look at her Xiaoyao-gege.

"Ling'er, if you are tired, then close your eyes."

"Xiaoyao-gege, I don't want to, Ling'er doesn't want to close her eyes."

"Sleep for a while."

"I'm afraid I won't wake up."

"Silly girl, I will wake you up when we get home."

"Really?"

"After we get home, I will wake you up together with Rakshasa Ghost Mother and Yiru, okay?"

"Don't lie to Ling'er."

"When has Xiaoyao-gege ever lied to Ling'er? Sleep."

——The tragedy is insane! This ending is insanely tragic!

Li Xiaoyao held the blood-covered Zhao Ling'er and walked on a road full of flowers.

Zhao Ling'er closed her eyes forever.

The scene switched for the last time.

With the previous modifications to the details, this iconic scene can also make people understand it more clearly.

With dull eyes and a face full of stubble, Li Xiaoyao held his daughter Yiru and walked forward all the way.

The Sword Saint stood on the other side, looking at him from afar.

One road, standing at two ends.

This is...

——Two completely different types of "Dao"!

The Sword Saint stepped forward and came to Li Xiaoyao's side.

He looked at this most proud disciple of his junior brother, watching him change from the original high-spirited, handsome young hero into the current dull-eyed, world-weary, down-and-out man, and he could not help but feel a bit moved.

He raised his palm and gently brushed over the top of Li Xiaoyao's head.

"Child..." The white-haired Sword Saint looked at this young man whose temperament had already changed completely and could not help but speak.

Li Xiaoyao gave him a faint look, held his daughter Li Yiru in her swaddling clothes, and only said four words: "Do you understand?"

My "Dao," or rather the "Dao" we are obsessed with... do you understand!?

He moved his body slightly, stepped aside, brushed past the Sword Saint, and walked forward alone, stepping toward the road ahead.

In the sky, red dandelions began to drift down, echoing the earlier scene.

It turns out that the sacrifice of every Nuwa Descendant would cause red dandelions to fill the sky and descend upon the earth, starting with red dandelions and ending with red dandelions.

——"Celestial Sword 5 Qixia Zhuan," The End!

The finale has no equal, the sword returns to its sheath!

(PS: Second update, 5500 words, not splitting the chapter, begging for monthly tickets!)

(End of this chapter)