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"They said Wei Wuxian was a great warrior before he went astray. He was a cultivated gentleman. What was he thinking? Why did he choose the dark path and create horrible things like that?"
— Lan Jingyi, summing up the entire Flashback Arc.
Even as they are saved from certain death, Lan Wangji and Jiang Cheng are not certain on whether their rescuer is ultimately a friend or a foe. They get their answer, and it is not what they expected.
- Adaptational Angst Upgrade: The scene where Lan Wangji confronts Wei Wuxian is more emotionally harrowing compared to the novel, where the scene happened alongside a heartwarming reunion between Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng and a gruesome scene of Wen Chao being mentally and physically tortured to death. The donghua also makes sure to show just how pained Lan Wangji is during their argument.
- Adaptational Badass: In the novel, there was never any mention or hint at how Wei Wuxian could use demonic cultivation to levitate, exhibit pseudo-telekinetic abilities, or rip out someone's Golden Core like he does here, making him even more impressive than his source version.
- Adaptation Distillation: Jiang Cheng's reunion scene with Wei Wuxian is absent in the donghua to give more focus on the latter's confrontation with Lan Wangji, and his only role in the scene is telling the latter that he has no right to interfere with Wei Wuxian's business as they're not of the same clan.
- Armor-Piercing Question: When Wei Wuxian accuses Lan Wangji of wanting him detained or killed, he questions what right the latter and his clan have to judge him. This stuns Lan Wangji and makes him incapable of answering.
- Asshole Victim: After both playing big roles in putting the cultivation world through hell, including destroying most of the Yunmeng Jiang sect and throwing Wei Wuxian to his (presumed) death at the Burial Mounds, Wen Chao and Wen Zhuliu finally receive their karma when Wei Wuxian inflicts his demonic cultivation on them (plus tearing the latter's Golden Core out of his body) and killing them in brutal fashion. Although Lan Wangji is disturbed by his friend's new gruesome fighting methods, their deaths are cathartic for the heroes who have been wronged by the Wen Clan.
- Attack the Mouth: The fierce corpse of Wang Lingjiao bites off Wen Chao's tongue under Wei Wuxian's control.
- Bittersweet Ending: The season ends on a mixed note thanks to how both the Flashback Arc and the present day events in the episode end. The Sunshot Campaign flashback ends on a bleak note as Wei Wuxian parts with Lan Wangji on sorrowful terms, and it's a Foregone Conclusion that he dies while on hostile terms with Jiang Cheng. When the episode cuts back to the present time at the Cloud Recesses, however, the situation is presented in a more hopeful light as Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji have reunited under relatively better circumstances.
- Book Ends: The first episode shows the image of Lan Wangji's guqin and an empty bottle of Emperor's Smile on a desk. In this episode, that same image is shown again before the credits, but this time a few magnolia petals join the scenery.
- Cannot Spit It Out: It's clear that there's a lot unsaid on Lan Wangji's side of his argument with Wei Wuxian, but he fails to convey his feelings into words and walks away instead.
- Chekhov's Gun: The sword Wei Wuxian found when fighting against the Tortoise of Carnage ends up being the key to his creation of the Stygian Tiger Amulet.
- Composite Character: In the novel Wei Wuxian summoned a female ghoul to terrorize Wen Chao. Here, the fierce corpse of Wang Lingjiao takes her place.
- Continuity Nod: While resting, Wei Wuxian finds jars of Emperor's Smile under the floorboard — the wine he would often drink at night when he was studying in Gusu.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: It's obvious from the beginning that Wei Wuxian's merely toying with his prey, choosing to torment them first before finishing them off with ease.
- Death Glare: While killing every Wen in sight, Wei Wuxian's eyes are practically locked in a terrifying glare, further emphasized with his red eyes.
- Dies Differently in Adaptation:
- Wen Chao was slowly tortured to death in the novel. In this episode, Wei Wuxian has Wang Lingjiao's corpse bite off his tongue before he pierces him with spikes of materialized resentful energy, which he then tears the Wen clansman to pieces with.
- In the novel, Wen Zhuliu got his arm injured and was then strangled to death by Zidian. In this episode, his arm gets twisted off, his Golden Core is destroyed, and he's then Eaten Alive by Wei Wuxian's Cavalry of the Dead.
- Emerging from the Shadows: Wei Wuxian steps out of the shadows when he finally shows his face to Wen Chao.
- Enemy Mine: Before they find out who their savior is, both Lan Wangji and Jiang Cheng agree that in spite or because of the methods being used, the three of them share a common enemy.
- Exorcist Head: The fierce corpse of Wang Lingjiao rotates her head in an unsettling manner after Wen Zhuliu shoves her off of Wen Chao.
- Face Framed in Shadow: No one recognizes Wei Wuxian at first due to his face being obscured by shadows, especially with him being surrounded by resentful energy while it's nightfall.
- Forced to Watch: Wei Wuxian incapacitates Wen Zhuliu by breaking his arms and has him witness the gruesome death of Wen Chao (the master he swore to protect) and only then does he command his zombies to kill the former.
- Go Through Me: Implied. Jiang Cheng tells Lan Wangji that neither he nor his clan have any right to punish Wei Wuxian since he's part of the Jiang Clan, subtly telling him that he'd have to confront their clan first.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: Lan Wangji's previous aloof attitude to Wei Wuxian's attempts to help or befriend him comes to bite him in this episode, where the latter misunderstands his offers to help and instead takes it as a threat, leading to their falling-out.
- Implied Death Threat: When Wei Wuxian yells at Lan Wangji that he or his clan have no right to judge his actions, he makes a display of his power by summoning more resentful energy and then removing his control over the corpses — giving an undeclared statement that while he doesn't want to fight, if Lan Wangji chooses to attack he won't hesitate to kill him then and there.
- Internal Reveal: While the audience knows that it's Wei Wuxian killing the Wen army, Lan Wangji and Jiang Cheng don't know this until he properly reveals his face to Wen Chao.
- Ironic Echo:
- In this flashback Jiang Cheng defends Wei Wuxian against Lan Wangji regarding the matter of demonic cultivation, with the latter ultimately walking away. This contrasts with the trio 13 years later at Dafan Mountain, where it was Lan Wangji who protected Wei Wuxian from Jiang Cheng when the latter is about to have the former arrested for practicing The Dark Arts. Bonus points for both scenes occurring while the background is in flames.
- In every interaction they had, Wei Wuxian would always address Lan Wangji's birth name in an affectionate and friendly manner. When they talk again in this episode, he addresses the latter's name in a cold and distant manner instead and at one point spits out his courtesy name in a fit of rage.
- Lighter and Softer: Downplayed. In the novel, Wei Wuxian first subjected Wen Chao to a horrific Mind Rape until he was driven to Autocannibalism, before flaying him yet still leaving him alive for him and Jiang Cheng to keep torturing. In this episode, the entire psychological torture, cannibalism, and skinning is omitted, but Wei Wuxian still makes sure that Wen Chao dies in complete pain by having him devoured by corpses.
- Logical Weakness: Wen Zhuliu is The Dreaded among cultivators for being able to melt Golden Cores and counter spiritual energy. As Wei Wuxian easily demonstrates, this doesn't make him immune to attacks fueled by resentful energy.
- Meaningful Echo: When Lan Wangji warns Wei Wuxian about the dangers of demonic cultivation, Wei Wuxian counters that no measure is questionable when it comes to the Wens due to the atrocities they've committed, echoing what Jiang Cheng said in the previous episode.
- Mr. Exposition: Lan Jingyi gives Wei Wuxian and the audience a brief exposition about the Venerated Triad and what happened to Nie Mingjue during the Time Skip.
- My Master, Right or Wrong: Wen Zhuliu explains that he's indebted to the Wen family for acknowledging him, explaining why he serves them despite their incompetence and cruelty. However, this just angers Wei Wuxian into breaking his arm.
- Not So Stoic: In the flashback, the usually stoic Lan Wangji shows a great deal of vulnerability while pleading with Wei Wuxian to reconsider his actions, and by the end he's already close to crying.
- Offhand Backhand: Wei Wuxian nonchalantly repels an attack from Wen Zhuliu with a swipe of his hand from the opposite way he's facing.
- Poor Communication Kills: Had Lan Wangji simply explained from the beginning why he wanted to take Wei Wuxian to Gusu, his statement wouldn't have been mistaken as an intent to have the latter face punishment for tampering with demonic cultivation. While he does try to clarify the issue by stating that's not the case, by then Wei Wuxian is too consumed with anger to listen and cuts him off.
- Power at a Price: Lan Wangji tells Wei Wuxian that demonic cultivation comes at the cost of one's sanity, but the latter replies that he's capable of paying the price required.
- Power Floats: Wei Wuxian's newfound abilities allow him to levitate midair even without his sword.
- Sequel Hook: The episode marks the end of the flashback arc detailing Wei Wuxian's life up until he became the Yiling Patriarch and shows him more at peace in the present. However his resurrection and the demonic arm are hinted to be part of a larger plot, setting up Season 2.
- Slasher Smile: Wei Wuxian sports a psychotic smirk throughout his Curb-Stomp Battle and outright grins before twisting Wen Zhuliu's arm. Jiang Cheng does the same when Wen Chao gets mauled by Wang Lingjiao's corpse.
- Stepford Smiler: Jiang Yanli shows a pained expression when she listens in on Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng's conversation about their plan to avenge their family, but hides it with a smile when she enters the room for their sake.
- The Stinger: The post-credits scene shows Nie Huaisang in the present timeline while addressed by a servant, revealing he's now the head of the Qinghe Nie Clan.
- This Cannot Be!: Wen Chao is stumped when he finds out the mysterious stranger who's curb-stomping his clan is Wei Wuxian, as he was certain he killed him after throwing him into the Burial Mounds.
- Throw the Dog a Bone: Throughout the flashbacks, Wei Wuxian never got to enjoy drinking Emperor's Smile in peace while he was in Gusu since Lan Wangji ended up breaking his jars. In the present timeline, he surprisingly finds a whole stash of the wine under the latter's floorboard, and he happily helps himself to a jar before he's summoned by the Lan disciples.
- Tongue Trauma: When Wei Wuxian commands Wang Lingjiao's corpse to attack Wen Chao again, he has her bite off his tongue.
- Took a Level in Badass: The ability to manipulate resentful energy makes Wei Wuxian significantly more powerful than he previously was.
- Took a Level in Cynic: In the flashback, it's clear from the way he brutally kills his enemies and his slightly melancholic disposition that every tragedy Wei Wuxian suffered from the Wen Clan's tyranny ultimately changed him from a practical yet idealistic boy to a ruthless and bitter man.
- Trying Not to Cry: Implied. When Lan Wangji realizes there's no getting through to Wei Wuxian, he trembles and seems to be holding back his tears.
- Wide Eyes and Shrunken Irises: In the first half of the episode characters often express their shock or horror with their pupils shrunken. Most notable is when Jiang Cheng starts to realize who the demonic cultivator may be, and when he sees that it is who he suspected.
- You Called Me "X"; It Must Be Serious: As the argument between the two leads gets more and more heated, they shout each other's courtesy names rather than their birth names which makes it clear how furious they both are.
The night had passed. The sun in the sky was about to rise. And the sun on the ground was falling.
