A demon sorceress has entered a human school to save her demon king. In the process, she falls in love with a half-demon-half-human.
Notable Actors/ActressesXu Kai: Li Xuan
Wu Jia Yi: Su You Lian
Director
Chinese Title
天舞紀
[Ep1] Li Xuan is a half human and half demon. His mother (Jiu Ling Er) was killed by his Master but the master wiped his memories of it. The Master takes him in as his disciple but Li Xuan has fragments of his memories even if they were sealed. Hence, he takes every opportunity to run away from Mo Yun Academy.
天舞紀
Network: iQIYI
Year: 2020
Episodes: 28
Recap Grade: B/C
First Impression: 2/5
First Impression: 2/5
Mini Recaps
Su You Lian is a demon. She's the saintess of Kun Wu Tribe. Her shijie is Li Xuan's mother. She has one motive: to save their demon ruler, Dragon Ruler (Shi Xing Yu), who is captured by Li Xuan's master. Before her death, Jiu Ling Er had sealed the Dragon Ruler in ice therefore keeping him alive. Su You Lian, just like Li Xuan, had witnessed how her tribe had fallen into the hands of humans. Now that it's been ten years, she's of age and the seal is ready to be broken. But first she needs to pretend to be human to enter Mo Yun Academy to find the Dragon Empire.
Li Xuan and Su You Lian's first meeting is when she exposes him of pretending to be a corpse to sneak out of the city. From that moment forward he doesn't like her.
Yun Shan. I don't know her yet. Just wanted to comment on her dress... How does one cross the street in that?
[Ep2] Li Xuan had tied Su You Lian to a chair. He had planned a sweet revenge on her but he immediately regrets it. He rushes back to save her from the wasps. It's him who ends being stung all over his face. Su You Lian smiles at his bruised face.
Li Xuan slept through an exam but he ends up winning the Medallion anyway without having to lift a finger. Su You Lian doesn't think it's fair. Whenever there's a chance, she tries to steal his Medallion. She needs it in order to find the Dragon Ruler. She purposely spills tea over Li Xuan and rubs her hand all over his chest to search for the medallion. There's nothing. Unamused with being touched, Li Xuan asks, "Do you like me?" She doesn't.
[Ep3] It's Li Xuan who ends up liking her first. Li Xuan is mesmerized by her dance but it's also because he finds it familiar. I have to say though, I was pretty mesmerized with drum and dance performance myself.
Su You Lian buries Li Xuan alive leaving only his head exposed. She's just completing the Crown Prince's half baked punishment on Li Xuan. Her purpose is to retrieve the medallion. He lies to her that it's on him so she'll need to unbury him. She tells him she might as well wait until he dies. He racks his brain for another idea and tells her he hid the medallion in a place only he knows. He's trying to bargain but she's okay with him dying. Thus he faints over. She thinks he's really dead and quickly gives him CPR. So first it was touching his chest, and now she's kissing him.
[Ep4] Su You Lian is starting to warm up to Li Xuan. He stands up for Kun Wu Tribe in the middle of class when the teacher was making discriminatory comments about demons. We also see flashbacks of how Humans have mistreated Demons in Su You Lian's perspective. After the war ten years ago, Humans have since enslaved Demons.
[Ep5] To protect Su You Lian, Li Xuan accidentally unseals a demon.
[Ep6] Li Xuan is ordered to catch the demon he released. The demon is on a killing spree. Li Xuan doesn't understand why the demon is killing prostitutes only. Su You Lian automatically replies it's because they're pretty. Li Xuan still doesn't understand it because if the demon is only killing pretty women, the first person he should kill is Su You Lian. Li Xuan doesn't realize he spoke his thoughts out loud. By the end of the episode, with Li Xuan's wits and skills plus the help of all the other disciples, the demon is captured.
[Ep7] It's an episode where Li Xuan is jealous of Su You Lian and she's jealous of him.
[Ep8] Li Xuan wakes up to find Su You Lian on top of him. He flings her around on his bed so that he's on top of her. He gives her a seducing smile and asks him if she likes the Prince. She says she does just like how she likes everyone else. He smiles hearing that and wonders why he isn't in her list. She tells him it's because she hates him the most. She runs away. He sits up from the bed. Although smiling, he has a feeling she was in his room because she's after his medallion.
[Ep9] Su You Lian reunites with You An General. Wu Prince now knows her identity and helps her free the demon slaves. While Li Xuan is still stuck on his jealousy. He's dreaming his crush and his enemy have reciprocated their feelings.
I just realized if Su You Lian calls Li Xuan's mother her "sister" (I doubt they're blood related though) then accordingly she's Li Xuan's senior. Technically, she's his aunt.
[Ep10] Li Xuan is in charge of securing the city gates to prevent the demon slaves from fleeing. However, he's noticed that Su You Lian and Wu Prince are working together to help the demon slaves escape. He doesn't expose them and lets them go instead.
The class plays a game of magic ball. If Su You Lian wins then she gets Li Xuan's medallion as a reward. Does their magic school remind anyone of Harry Potter? And then the magic ball game they play, is it inspired from quidditch
[Ep11] Cui Pian Ran cheats in the game and inserts a poisonous needle in Su You Lian to make her lose. Su You Lian sends the poisonous needle out of her body back to Cui Pian Ran which ends up scratching her face. Su You Lian wins the game but Li Xuan thinks she cheated. He refuses to give her the medallion. Cui Pian Ran runs up to them and blasts her power at Su You Lian sending her to the pond. Li Xuan jumps in to save her but a waterspout sucks them into another world. While protecting her in the pond, Li Xuan suffers multiple wounds. They're now in an ice world. The next moment they wake up, its spring. A white-haired, white-bearded eccentric man appears and wants to kill them. There's always someone eccentric like that in these Xian Xia dramas.
[Ep12] The old man ends up saving Su You Lian from her poison. Conveniently, he wants a baby. Thus, he makes Li Xuan and Su You Lian marry so that he can have a baby. Ta-da. They are now husband and wife. She turns away when he wanted to give her a kiss. He sweetly kisses her cheek instead. They sleep on the same bed that night (clothes on). She wakes up first to find him sleeping soundly. She reaches over to touch his cheek not knowing he was only pretending to be asleep. He moves his cheek to her touch teasing her for touching him. So I guess these two have reciprocated their feelings
Su You Lian discovers a magic book in the old man’s room. The book reacts to her touch and she starts seeing images of the cruelty humans have subjected on her demon clan.
[Ep13] Su You Lian is reminded of her mission and needs to leave this dream world. Li Xuan gives up his self-healing abilities to the old man in exchange for the method to leave. It's the pearl the old man gave them on their wedding. However, this pearl can only bring one person out. The other will have to live in this dream world forever. Knowing this, Li Xuan sends Su You Lian out without telling her the truth. They activate the pearl which requires blood of two people in love. Li Xuan smiles. Knowing that she loves him is enough for him to sacrifice for her. Before she leaves, he pulls her in for one last hug. When Su You Lian finds out he can't leave with her, it's already too late.
Li Xuan finds the book that Su You Lian had read. It's a book that reveals one's yearning. Su You Lian cared about her demons, so she saw their living condition. Li Xuan loves Su You Lian and wants to be with her so he sees her and a purple galaxy that will allow him to escape. However, the old man warns him against it because entering that galaxy means entering death. Li Xuan doesn't care. What is life without Su You Lian anyways? Thus, he enters this galaxy and ends up being whipped by a kid monk. He fractures his leg and barely makes it out alive but he's still in the dream world.
[Ep14] Before I start the recaps, I just want to say the OSTs are pretty in this drama especially these two episodes. Li Xuan continues to enter the purple world and he continues to be whipped. The kid monk is pretty cool. This time Li Xuan's entire body is fractured. With a few more tries he finally finds the exit. He returns back to the pond they fell in and there he finds an unconscious Su You Lian. His kiss wakes her up but he faints instead. He'll be okay though.
[Ep15] Now that he's all better, Li Xuan's next goal is to reveal to everyone he and Su You Lian are married. However, Su You Lian still has her mission. The demon in the sword reminds her of it with air slaps. His orders are for her to kill Li Xuan to retrieve the medallion to save their Dragon Ruler.
[Ep17] Su You Lian's identity is being tested by the Second Prince. When the Demon General is captured, Su You Lian had originally wanted to free him but the Second Prince has gathered all the disciples. To protect her identity, the General makes it look like she's killing him instead of freeing him. That night, she steals Li Xuan's medallion to save the Dragon Ruler but it's not that simple. She enters another dimension and sees the dragon sword that has sealed the Ruler but she's unable to move it.
[Ep18] The reason why Second Prince is raised as a male when she's a female is revealed. Her mother, a consort, needs a son and so she's been making her daughter continuously bathe in painful medicine to turn her body masculine. While she's bathing, Li Xuan sees a woman silhouette in Second Prince's not knowing it was her. He plans to expose Second Prince for keeping a woman on school territories but he doesn't find anyone except Second Prince. She on the other hand seems to have found love in him.
[Ep19] Second Prince falls more in love with Li Xuan. She's watching him being all heartbroken over Su You Lian. Su You Lian isn't happy either. When he plays a melody, she remembers him as the boy she had met when they were younger. While he's drunk from alcohol, she secretly takes care of him. He wakes up and demands what her feelings are towards him. She only tells him she's the one who's wrong. He then plants a kiss on her.
[Ep20] Su You Lian tearfully accepts the kiss but Li Xuan is too drunk to remember it accurately the next morning although he does recall bits of it. She also puts the kiss behind her as she uses him to help her free the Dragon Ruler. Under her guide, Li Xuan takes out the sword with ease and unseals the Dragon Ruler. When he realizes she used him, the two battle it out. Su You Lian's sword (the master) takes control of itself and strikes at Li Xuan.
Li Xuan's master flies in to fight Su You Lian. Li Xuan quickly takes this chance to destroy the emerald that can awaken the Dragon Ruler. Still, the Dragon Ruler is stirred. The master uses Li Xuan's blood to seal the Dragon Ruler once more. However, it seems the Dragon Ruler has been staying dormant in Xiao Feng Ming's body and has finally awaken now. He goes on a killing spree until his path crosses with Yun Shan's. He can't kill her.
[Ep21] Killing spree isn't exactly the right word for what Xiao Feng Ming (Dragon Ruler's pawn) is doing. He's going on a large-scale massacre. There's a bloodbath wherever he goes. Su You Lian escaped with the help of Mu Prince and he promises to help her revive the Dragon Ruler if she returns with him to his country. Back in the academy, Li Xuan is blamed for releasing the Dragon Ruler. His father kills himself to protect his son. Li Xuan goes crazy and his powers explode in an instant. With a tap in the forehead from his master, Li Xuan faints over. Huh. That's it?? The master also pleads for Li Xuan's pardon.
[Ep23] Li Xuan saves Second Prince from being beheaded with his upgraded magic skills. She asks him if he has an interest of learning his past and unsealing his memories. He doesn't.
[Ep24] Li Xuan finds out about Second Prince's (Long Wei Er) female identity. The Emperor had a killing decree if any of his consorts gave birth to a princess. However, there seems to be more to her birth than what is shown here. Long Wei Er's life mission is to make her father suffer ten thousand times worse than what she has.
Su You Lian is to marry Mu Prince because only when she becomes his woman can she activate the emerald jade that Li Xuan had shattered and only that way can she wake up the Dragon Ruler. While she's looking at the wedding preparations, she reminisces about her marriage with Li Xuan.
Crown Prince has been working with Xiao Feng Ming. Crown Prince thinks he's helping him claim the throne but Xiao Feng Ming just wants it for himself. Yun Shan stops him and he accidentally injures her. For a moment, Xiao Feng Ming returns to himself as he holds her in his arms. However, the next moment Xiao Feng Ming wakes up from his slumber, he's back to being dark and crazy.
[Ep25] It's the wedding between Wu Prince and Su You Lian. There isn't an ounce of happiness in her expression. The ritual is completed and You Lian is bathing to prepare for the wedding night. But Li Xuan kidnaps her. She willingly leaves with him. Well, at least temporarily. She tells him to release her but he won't. There's a battle of magic between them. She thinks he wants to kill her. He doesn't. He only steals her emerald jade that can save the Dragon Ruler. She tries to steal it again but fails and injures herself. He quickly rushes over to save her. Her condition continues to worsen over night. Li Xuan aimlessly piggybacks her to see a doctor. She whispers in a raspy voice that she truly does love him. What happened to all his magical powers? Can't he just zap or fly? They wander around until a girl takes them to a village full of demons. He witnesses the harmonious lives of these demons and begins to believe that not all demons are bad.
[Ep26] A demon has fallen off a cliff to gather medicine for Li Xuan. Li Xuan goes down the mountain to find the demon but his rope snaps and he too falls. He arrives in this mystical land bound to vines and is hypnotized. It was Su You Lian's voice that woke him up. He returns safely and saves the demon. Su You Lian and Li Xuan return to Wu Prince's palace. Wu Prince tells her he's found a new way to make her the owner of the emerald jade that doesn't require consummating. He has one question for her though: in her heart, was there only ever Li Xuan? She gives a confident yes. Li Xuan overhears and smiles. Later on, Li Xuan tells her "Me too".
Wu Prince expends his energy to Su You Lian so that she can be the new owner of the emerald jade. This jade is practically his life. Without it, he can die but he's still giving it to Su You Lian so that she can save millions of people. The jade can also be used to invoke Li Xuan's sealed memories. He remembers his mother and how she was killed. His master is the murderer. He also finds out he's a half demon.
[Ep27] Wu Prince is dying. The Master is captured by Dark Xiao Feng Ming. Li Xuan doesn't save his master. He blames him for killing his mother and enslaving the demon clan. The master admits he accidentally killed his mother but it was all for the greater good. Li Xuan disagrees with his ideology. However, he can't kill his master, not after the many years he raised him.
Long Wei Er takes her men to dethrone her brother. Meanwhile, there's a magic showdown between the disciples (including Su You Lian and Li Xuan) against Dark Xiao Feng Ming. All of them combined is no match for him.
[Ep28] The master flies to protect Li Xuan before Xiao Feng Ming kills him. The master's injuries are near fatal. Li Xuan holds down Xiao Feng Ming buying time for Su You Lian to awaken the Dragon Ruler. She's successful. The Dragon Ruler is unsealed and his powers are immense. All the demons far and wide sense their powers being returned. He also levitates all the disciples to heal their wounds. After that, he leaves with Su You Lian. Li Xuan runs to his Master who's dying. The master apologizes for his wrongdoings. Li Xuan hugs onto him and tells him he'll never forgive him. But he still calls him his master.
The Master isn't the only one who's blinded by prophecies. Long Wei Er's father (the original Emperor) also receives his punishment from Long Wei Er. She shows up in her rightful gender to her father and forces him to hand over the throne. She questions him the princess's prophecy and whether she destroyed the country or saved the country. She's gotten her revenge but Long Wei Er isn't the least bit elated.
Xiao Feng Ming is back to normal. He takes poison to die beside Yun Shan but she's alive. He's happy but freaks out because he's poisoned. Frantically, he tells her to hit him to send the poison pill back out.
The Dragon Ruler has no intentions of getting revenge on the Humans. He wants to rebuild his demon clan. Su You Lian is grateful but she refuses to follow him. She has someone more important to her. The Dragon Ruler lets her leave on one condition: she must return the Mark of the Saintess. However, the removal of that is equivalent to killing her. Her master temporarily heals her (think of it as pain medication) but her time is limited. Su You Lian quickly goes to find Li Xuan. Before she leaves, the master asks her for the emerald jade. He needs it to save someone.
The master saves Wu Prince. The next happy news: Yun Shan and Xiao Feng Ming are married. The ultimate happy news: Su You Lian is alive. Li Xuan had taken her to the dreamworld in the pond. The old man who lives there saved her. It's a happily ever after.
Remarks
[First Impression (Ep1-8)] Eh. I don't know how I feel about this. There's fillers already. This drama is about teamwork, friendship, and love that’s all happening in a magic school with dark secrets. There are multiple couples that are already forming, at least three, maybe four. The ending of Episode 6 should be the peak of their teamwork when all the disciples stand together to fight the bad guy but I didn't feel the camaraderie yet. There's definitely a lot of romantic scenes sprinkled everywhere but I don't feel the romantic pull to any couple yet either. Maybe it's because the romance is happening too fast while the story is still lagging. I'm a quarter way into the drama and it feels like only the surface is exposed. Perhaps I’ll be won over later but first impression wise, I am not impressed.
[Actors/Actresses] I was honestly excited to see Xu Kai in a lighthearted romance but I think I'm falling out of love with Xu Kai. I've only finished one of his dramas so far: Story of Yan Xi Palace. For some reason, I dropped Arsenal Military Academy (not because I didn't like that drama, I was just busy during that time) but I had liked him there; I watched at least half of that drama. The other dramas of his, I really couldn't sit myself through them. His acting here is similar to "Arsenal Military Academy" and "Once Upon a Time in Ling Jian Mountain", and I don't think I like him being goofy and free-spirited, at least not three times in a row.
[Episode 11&12] Are you all following the story? There was a magic ball game. The main couple get sucked into a water vortex from a pond to a world of ice. The next moment they wake up it's spring. Finally, because a random old man wants a baby, the main couple are forced to marry.
[Review] This is a watchable drama and a forgettable drama. There’s nothing that irks me to drop this but there’s also nothing exciting about this. Story is mediocre, romance is mediocre, characterization is mediocre. There are plot holes but I don’t care enough to complain about it. It almost feels as if it would be better if there was something glaringly annoying that I can complain about to feel like I watched this. If you’re a Xu Kai fan, sure this is watchable. But he plays pretty much the same playful character. It’s nothing different.
Nice blog thanks for postinng
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