Episode Summary
A forbidden love triggers a catastrophic war between gods and demons. After the death of Yu Qing and Demon Lord Xuan Yi, the powerful artifact Qian Qiu Ling is sealed in the frozen Sea of No Regret by War God Bai Yan. A thousand years later, Yu Qing’s sister Ni Huang sets out to retrieve her soul, accidentally awakening Bai Yan. As secrets, lies, and divine politics unfold, Ni Huang and Bai Yan find themselves bound by fate.
Spoiler Alert
Welcome to the tangled, magical, and heartbreakingly beautiful world of Destiny and Saving. Episode 1 kicks off with a celestial bang—literally. Gods, demons, forbidden love, a mythical artifact, and a frozen sea set the stage for an epic saga. Buckle up.
The Artifact That Could Upend the Universe
Long ago, a mystical stone called the Qian Qiu Ling—a powerful relic capable of reversing death and altering fate—was sealed away by the heavens. Why? Because something with that kind of power is just begging to start a god-demon-human war. So the gods stashed it in their temple, guarded by the mighty war god Bai Yan.
But it didn’t take long for trouble to find it.
The Demon Realm’s ambitious Xuan Yi, leader of the Asura demons, wanted the Qian Qiu Ling for himself. His goal? Dominate all three realms. Classic bad guy move. He launches an all-out attack on Bai Yan. But here comes the plot twist: Yu Qing, a divine being from the Feather Tribe, is madly in love with Xuan Yi.
In a Romeo-and-Juliet-on-steroids moment, Yu Qing sacrifices herself by self-destructing her soul and crashing into the Qian Qiu Ling with Xuan Yi. They both perish. Bai Yan, severely wounded, uses his ice-based divine power to lock the artifact deep within the Sea of No Regret in the realm of Lijing Heaven, sealing it—and himself—under endless ice.
Feathered Fallout
The heavens are not thrilled with Yu Qing's betrayal, and her whole clan—the Feather Tribe from Danxue Mountain—gets the boot from the godly ranks. Her sister Ni Huang refuses to let that be the end. She believes Yu Qing simply fell in love with the wrong guy—but did nothing truly evil.
Ni Huang’s mission? Reunite with her sister’s shattered soul and restore their family’s honor. Grandpa Dan He even crafts a feather fan from their tribe’s feathers to help her. But not everyone is on board. Hei Ying, another tribe member, warns that reviving Yu Qing will only bring more divine punishment. Ni Huang, however, isn't having it and literally slaps him down.
The Boy in the Ice
While searching for Yu Qing’s soul, Ni Huang falls into the frozen Sea of No Regret and stumbles upon a boy trapped in the ice. He’s not just any boy—he’s Bai Yan, still alive… sort of. When he wakes up, he immediately grabs Ni Huang by the throat, demanding answers. But before he can hurt her, he collapses and transforms into a dragon.
Yeah, that escalated quickly.
Ni Huang uses her phoenix flame to revive him. Meanwhile, Tuo Sang, a godly inspector, senses the disturbance but can’t penetrate the barrier protecting the area. Suspicious.
When Gods Bathe Together
Bai Yan finally awakens, curious about Ni Huang’s presence. She admits she was just trying to find her sister’s soul using the feather fan. But—plot twist—the fan is missing. Turns out Tuo Sang’s already picked it up and is keeping it quiet.
Soon after, Bai Yan senses the Qian Qiu Ling stirring again. Together, he and Ni Huang manage to re-seal it, but she collapses. To save her, Bai Yan places her—naked—into a hot spring and transfers his energy into her. When they both wake up, they’re tangled up together, and Ni Huang plays it cool, saying she won’t cling to him. Bai Yan, however, refuses to let her leave without answers.
New Identities, New Lies
Outside, Bai Yan introduces Ni Huang as his “new disciple.” She’s not thrilled. Qing He, Bai Yan’s actual disciple, is skeptical—how could a war god need saving? Bai Yan spins a lie to the Heavenly Emperor, claiming Ni Huang is a koi fish from a pond that he turned into a human. That works—for now.
But Ni Huang’s true identity must stay hidden. To protect her and avoid suspicion, Bai Yan seals her phoenix form. Now, to everyone else, she’s just a fish.
Of Tea, Tears, and Trauma
Life in the divine realm is weird. Bai Yan, secretly a sensitive soul, sips bitter tea alone to “cultivate longevity” since the Three Realms need him to live. When Ni Huang tries it, she bursts into tears—it's that bitter.
Later, Qing He drags her to a lotus pond to harvest seeds, but Ni Huang is terrified of water. Qing He finds that ironic—why would a fish be scared of swimming? He pushes her in. She nearly drowns. Bai Yan rushes in to save her, and Qing He has a moment of clarity: the saddest thing is a bird that can’t fly or a fish that can’t swim.
Secrets and Suspicions
Tuo Sang visits again, this time hinting that he knows more about the feather fan than he’s letting on. Bai Yan plays it cool, pretending it belonged to some weak immortal. But when Ni Huang overhears talk of the fan, she becomes visibly emotional, raising Tuo Sang’s suspicions. Bai Yan quickly seals her voice to shut her up.
Feeling guilty, Bai Yan offers to take Ni Huang out for a breather—to ease her mind… or maybe his.
Final Thoughts
Episode 1 of Destiny and Saving is packed with world-building, beautiful betrayals, and emotional complexity. Ni Huang is a compelling heroine—fierce, loyal, and vulnerable. Bai Yan is the stoic war god with a heart he pretends not to have. Their chemistry? Already sizzling.
The show sets up a high-stakes cosmic chess game with love, power, and destiny hanging in the balance. If this is just the first episode, we’re in for one wild, emotional ride.
