Accident Episode 14 of The Daily Life of the Immortal King (Netflix) kicks us back to the strategy session from Episode 12 where Sun Rong shares the plan. Then we zip to Isabelle setting her spell to watch over Wang Ling as School 60 captures the Alter of Fire. Isabelle realises several alters are now in danger as School 60 suddenly leads 4 to 1. What? Wang Ling quietly separates from Froggy (who takes a human form), then snags the undefended Alter of Wood. As Isabelle tries to figure it out, she receives a big old smacker from Froggy, much to her horror. He’d turned her own detection talent on her as he’s not actually human. Guo Hua heads toward Chen Chao while Sun Rong races to meet Wang Ling. Even though they have more alters presently, they’re still behind School 59 by 11 percent as they near the finish.
While all this is happening Wang Ling’s Dad, still in the control room with the teachers, wonders how Wang Ling is really doing. Til now, Wang Ling had been pushing things like competitiveness, belonging, friendship and the like to the back of his mind, seeing every feeling as he’d been taught – as a matter of scale, presumably compared to his responsibility. And here it comes… until he met Sun Rong. And then, the guys. Guo Hua reaches the Alter of Metal to discover a beat up, tied up Chen Chao. Elsewhere, Froggy clues in that Wang Ling is reaching his talisman-free limit and scrambles off. At the Alter of Earth, still thinking, Wang Ling prepares to sink his sword but is suddenly overcome with emotion, recalling everything that’s happened since he started at School 60. Even his Sword Spirit, still at a distance in the school building, notices the fluctuation. As the countdown begins, he continues to ponder, sending his heart into a flurry. Just as he hesitates, about to let go of the sword and lose the Alter, Sun Rong shows up and steadies him. Now 60 has five alters to zero. But what’s more important, Wang Ling realises that Sun Rong can calm his heart.
Meanwhile, back at the Alter of Metal, Guo Hua seriously worries for Chen Chao’s state. There’s an uproar among the teachers – what about the level of protection put in place for the competitors? How is this possible? As Sun Rong teases Wang Ling about his smile, Shadow Faction Leader (formerly known as fake He Bufang) finally assaults Sun Rong, forcing her spirit out of her body. And Wang Ling just loses it. His Dad and Zhou Yi run to help. But Froggy leaps in, freezing time. With a roar, Wang Ling breaks free, attacking Shadow Leader. She too unfreezes with a laugh and like a man possessed, he continues his onslaught to her barbed verbal barrage. Finally regaining his senses, Wang Ling grasps that he isn’t able to save Sun Rong. Her soul had been torn away so she’s alive but only in this frozen state. Man’s Best Friend Froggy offers some potential solutions, but none are great options. Wang Ling chooses to start the world over. For the fifth time?
The Episode Review
Wow. All along we’ve been hearing about the disaster Wang Ling could inflict without his talisman in place. Who knew he had it in him? Or what he’d been supressing his whole life. Do you too suddenly have sympathy for the oppressed of the world and those who just plain go off the deep end? Something gets you there. As the penultimate episode, what could he mean start the world over? And those words – for the fifth time. So, this has happened before? The same scenario that he just can’t fix? Or alternate realities that he also couldn’t live with? Heavens, wouldn’t it be comforting to think it’s possible to just start over? Well, maybe not the way it’s looking here – which could potentially be a complete world do-over. In Chinese culture, the number five can be considered both lucky or unlucky – 5 (五, WǓ) – depending on context. So, could a ‘fifth’ start be the charm or a complete explosion, like the one our narrator anticipated? The number five can also represent curiosity and adventure and is associated with the five elements – earth, water, fire, wood, metal – hhhmmm, just like the Games. Whatever that ‘fifth time’ means, our man Wang Ling has come so far in this one – made some friends, has a girl he likes who likes him, got to compete, feel his feelings. Pretty valuable stuff. If there were another way to save Sun Rong, that progress would seem hard to give up. But of course, that’s not what an Immortal King must consider. Even if it weren’t Sun Rong, I’m sure he’d choose the same. What would you do in his shoes? Looking forward to finding out what it all means in the next and final instalment of The Daily of the Immortal King. By the way, none of this seems like the ‘accident’ of the title does it? We’ve noticed these titles often come full circle in the following chapter. So let’s see. Have you been enjoying The Daily Life of the Immortal King as much as we have? We’d love to hear your thoughts on all the action in the comments section below!
