Recaps

Lin Ze discovered that Zhongli’s shopping had drained the group’s funds, and the shocking balance made him collapse. After everyone in the teapot rushed to help him, Lin Ze recovered and hurried off with Paimon to find Zhongli.

• Lin Ze checked his phone and found a flood of purchase alerts and an overdrawn bank balance from Zhongli’s spending.
• Paimon panicked when Lin Ze clutched his chest, bringing Kaeya, Diluc, Rosaria, Klee, Venti, and others running to help.
• Diluc examined Lin Ze’s phone but mistook the transaction list for possible secret codes.
• Xiangling fed Lin Ze a fiercely spicy medicinal soup, and he insisted that he had recovered.
• Lin Ze blamed Tartaglia for failing to haggle and left with Paimon to find Zhongli before he spent more money.

Lin Ze discovered that Tartaglia and Zhongli had spent Wanmin Restaurant’s money on extravagant purchases, but Zhongli revealed that the shopping spree was a costly trap to expose an alien spinal-stone trafficking ring. Stephen identified the seller’s connection to the group, while Lin Ze learned he still owed the outstanding balances on four cars.

• Tartaglia and Zhongli returned with a roomful of purchases, including a house, four Tesla cars, and a giant Iron Man display, leaving Lin Ze horrified by the costs.
• Tartaglia explained that he had bought a spinal-stone paperweight for nearly five million dollars after securing only a tiny discount, and Lin Ze and Paimon pointed out its lack of value.
• Zhongli revealed that the purchases were meant to draw out the people trafficking harmful alien spinal stones, whose energy had been found in the attackers who targeted Wanmin Restaurant.
• Stephen reported that the spinal-stone seller worked for a boss and could be lured into arranging a bulk purchase, allowing the group to catch the traffickers.
• Lin Ze agreed to help recover the money, then learned from Tartaglia that the four cars had been bought on an installment plan and their outstanding balances remained due.

After Tartaglia dismantled the extraterrestrial spine stone organizations, Lin Ze planned a trip to Nepal with Zhongli and Paimon to meet Tony, while Zhongli intended to visit Kamar-Taj. The next day, Stephen set off alone to seek treatment for his hands, and Tartaglia was left behind with a note and an unanswered phone call.

• Tartaglia took down the spine stone organizations and forced their mastermind to turn himself in, while Lin Ze was overwhelmed by the bills.
• Zhongli told Lin Ze he had promised a mage to visit Kamar-Taj and said Stephen must make the journey alone.
• Zhongli clarified that only he, Lin Ze, and Paimon would travel to Nepal, and promised to explain Tartaglia's absence himself.
• The next day, Tartaglia told Stephen that Zhongli had directed him to Kamar-Taj and lent him money for the journey.
• Stephen left to find Kamar-Taj, while Tartaglia tried calling Lin Ze and got a message that the number was outside the service area.

Lin Ze and Paimon accepted Tony’s help with their debt before setting out to find Zhongli’s sorcerer friend, the Ancient One, in Kamar-Taj. They reached her weathered stone house and were invited inside by a man who said Zhongli and his master had been expecting them.

• Tony offered to have Potts resolve Lin Ze’s friends’ debt and sent Lin Ze money for travel expenses.
• Lin Ze told Tony that he and Paimon planned to find Zhongli at Kamar-Taj, where the Ancient One lived.
• Lin Ze and Paimon followed the Geo marks through Kathmandu until they found a shabby stone house.
• Paimon knocked on the door, and a hooded man opened it and invited them in, saying Zhongli and his master had been waiting for them.

Lin Ze and Paimon entered Kamar-Taj and met the Ancient One, hoping she could help him understand time. The Ancient One knew about Lin Ze’s question before he asked, leaving him frightened and wondering how much she knew.

• The Black man guided Lin Ze and Paimon through Magic Alley to the Ancient One’s sanctuary, where he described her as a master who knew everything.
• Paimon wondered whether the Ancient One was this world’s Nahida, while Lin Ze considered asking her about his stalled quest concerning time.
• Zhongli introduced Aether and Paimon to the Ancient One, who invited them to drink tea before discussing time.
• The Ancient One anticipated Lin Ze’s question and told him he was not dreaming, making him hide behind Zhongli in fear.
• Lin Ze leaned against Zhongli and spilled his tea onto Zhongli’s seat.

Lin Ze and Paimon settled into Kamar-Taj after meeting the Ancient One, who discussed time and future possibilities with Zhongli. Meanwhile, Stephen gained permission to study magic, and the Ancient One and Mordo considered how Zhongli and the newcomers might affect Kamar-Taj’s coming crisis.

• The Ancient One refilled Lin Ze’s tea and invited him and Paimon to stay at Kamar-Taj while she discussed time with Aether.
• Zhongli explained that the Ancient One could observe likely future paths, then showed Lin Ze and Paimon to their room.
• Lin Ze and Paimon realized they were hungry and went to ask Zhongli where they could find food.
• Stephen readily accepted the Ancient One’s teachings about magic and gained permission to study at Kamar-Taj.
• Mordo told the Ancient One that Zhongli’s defenses resisted every challenge, while she wondered whether the Outlander’s influence on fate was right or wrong.

Lin Ze and Stephen had breakfast at Kamar-Taj, where Lin Ze found Paimon asleep on Georgia’s plate. Back in their room, Paimon explained that Zhongli’s preparations had kept her awake, and Lin Ze promised to make her Cream Stew before heading to class.

• Lin Ze realized Paimon had disappeared, then found her asleep on Georgia’s plate in the dining hall.
• Georgia explained that she had caught Paimon when she fell from the air, and Lin Ze carried the sleeping Paimon back to their room.
• Paimon told Lin Ze that Xiangling’s cooking and Bennett’s late-night work making Warming Bottles had kept her awake.
• Lin Ze explained that Zhongli, Xiangling, and Bennett were preparing for a mining trip to a snowy mountain.
• Lin Ze promised to make Paimon Cream Stew at noon, and she fell asleep again before he went to class.

The Ancient One taught Lin Ze, Paimon, and Stephen the basics of spellcasting and explained that learning magic required time and practice. After their morning lesson, they prepared for lunch and the afternoon martial arts class, with Paimon eager for Lin Ze to make her goulash.

• The Ancient One gave Lin Ze, Paimon, and Stephen books on Ancient Sanskrit spells and demonstrated how spells formed shields before dissolving into sparks.
• The Ancient One explained that magic could be dangerous and that Stephen would need sustained study and practice to restore his hands.
• The Ancient One skipped the book's author biography and taught the three students to read and repeat spells until the morning lesson ended.
• Lin Ze and Stephen discussed reviewing the spells with translation software, while Paimon admitted she had struggled to pay attention and expected Lin Ze to learn magic for her.
• Paimon asked whether the afternoon martial arts class involved fighting, then reminded Lin Ze that he had promised to make her goulash and threatened to call Zhongli if he broke his word.

Lin Ze returned to Kamar-Taj for martial arts training after sharing lunch in the Serenitea Pot, where he realized he had nearly missed class. He and Stephen began planning their studies, but Lin Ze ended the day overwhelmed by memorization and wishing Nahida would give him a Knowledge Capsule.

• Lin Ze shared Cream Stew with everyone in the Serenitea Pot, and Diluc agreed to make Dandelion Wine and open another winery after they got out.
• Lin Ze and Paimon rushed out of the pot when Stephen called, and Lin Ze hurriedly changed into his Martial Arts Uniform before class.
• Lin Ze and Stephen trained under Master Mordo and Master Wong, repeating movements until their arms hurt while trying to master martial arts without incantations.
• Georgia explained that learning the Portal spell had taken her six months and told them Wong could recommend books from the Library, which stayed open until two in the morning.
• Stephen revealed that he had a photographic memory, and he and Lin Ze agreed to study together that night.
• Lin Ze struggled to memorize the material while Stephen advanced through the book, leaving Lin Ze begging Nahida for a Knowledge Capsule.

Lin Ze accidentally opened a portal into Tony Stark’s home while practicing the Sling Ring, bringing Qiqi and Tony into the sorcerers’ training area. After Wong defused the clash between Tony and Mordo, Wong privately asked Lin Ze to get him Iron Man’s autograph.

• Lin Ze successfully opened a Sling Ring portal, and Qiqi peeked through from Tony Stark’s room while Paimon asked Tony for snacks.
• Mordo scolded Lin Ze for opening a portal to a potentially dangerous place, but Lin Ze explained that the portal led to Nepal and that Qiqi was harmless.
• Tony tried to enter the teaching area, argued with Mordo, and summoned his Iron Man armor.
• Wong explained that Mordo had only been protecting the class, and Tony and Mordo accepted the chance to back down.
• Tony left with Qiqi, Paimon flew back through the portal into Lin Ze’s arms, and Wong ordered Lin Ze to resume practicing.
• Wong quietly asked Lin Ze to help him get Iron Man’s autograph.

The Ancient One pushed Stephen to abandon his old beliefs by leaving him stranded on Mount Everest, while Zhongli returned safely to Kamar-Taj with Xiangling and Bennett after mining. Stephen struggled to survive and finally saw a light just as he was about to lose consciousness.

• The Ancient One ended Lin Ze's lesson, then took Stephen through a portal to Mount Everest to challenge his understanding of magic.
• Stephen encountered Zhongli, Xiangling, and Bennett beside a fire, but the Ancient One brought them back to Kamar-Taj and left Stephen behind in the freezing cold.
• Zhongli thanked the Ancient One for helping with his mining trip and promised to share what he had seen and heard.
• Mordo asked the Ancient One how Stephen was doing, and she said they would know soon as they waited for his portal to appear.
• Stephen failed to conjure a portal as the protective pillars vanished and the fire went out, but he kept tracing circles and finally saw a light.

Tony visited Lin Ze and offered him a place to stay, while Zhongli returned from a mining trip with valuable minerals that left Lin Ze thrilled at his newfound wealth. Meanwhile, Stephen mastered the Portal spell, but found Lin Ze and Wong grinning uncontrollably in the Library.

• Tony visited Lin Ze's dorm, signed his notebook, and offered him a place to stay after he returned to New York.
• Lin Ze packed Tony freshly picked raspberries before Tony and Qiqi left.
• Zhongli returned with Xiangling and Bennett, and explained that they had borrowed Childe's Fatui uniforms for the cold mountain mining trip.
• Zhongli gave Lin Ze a large haul of minerals, including diamonds, and Lin Ze celebrated his sudden riches.
• Stephen successfully summoned a Portal, then went to study with Lin Ze and found him and Wong grinning in the Library.

Stephen secretly used the Time Book to restore its missing pages, then used its time spell to repeatedly restore cake for Paimon. Their unstable manipulation of time drew the attention of Zhongli and Wong, and a prismatic space began opening before them.

• Wong caught Lin Ze after his summoned hammer smashed through the Library shelves and dragged him off to Zhongli.
• Stephen took the Time Book and used the Eye of Agamotto to restore the pages Kaecilius had stolen.
• Paimon startled Stephen, learned how he had restored the book, and asked him to use the spell on cake.
• Paimon kept eating the restored cake too quickly, and Stephen restored it four times as she begged for another try.
• Zhongli and Lin Ze sensed unstable spacetime nearby, and a transparent, prismatic space unfolded in front of Stephen and Paimon.

Stephen nearly disrupted space-time after trying a spell from the Book of Cagliostro, but Wong and Mordo stopped him and he admitted his mistake. After the group made peace, Mordo said they should tell them everything about the crisis approaching Kamar-Taj.

• Wong and Mordo stopped Stephen as prismatic crystals spread from his attempt to use the Time Manipulation Spell.
• Mordo warned Stephen that the spell could create unstable branches in space-time and cause deadly paradoxes or time loops.
• Paimon confessed that she had asked Stephen to restore the cake, and Lin Ze defended them while urging everyone to focus on fixing the mistake.
• Stephen took responsibility for secretly testing the spell, and Wong apologized for failing to explain the risks of the Ancient One's books.
• Lin Ze apologized to Mordo, who accepted the apology and praised Stephen's exceptional magical talent.
• Mordo told Wong that they should reveal everything, while Zhongli silently sensed that the real storm had arrived.

Wong and Mordo explained the Mystic Sorcerers’ sanctums and Dormammu’s threat to Lin Ze, Paimon, Zhongli, and Stephen, who refused to join their ranks. Kaecilius attacked through the London Sanctum, but Lin Ze shielded Kamar-Taj’s room from the blast, leaving Kaecilius to confront him.

• Wong explained that Agamotto created the Eye and the three sanctums that protected Earth, while Mordo described Dormammu’s plan to devour the universe.
• Stephen declined to become a sorcerer because he had come to heal his hands and wanted no part in a mystical war.
• An alarm warned that the London Sanctum was under attack, and Kaecilius killed a young sorcerer as he crossed through its doorway.
• Kaecilius unleashed a massive golden spell through the doorway, and Lin Ze cast an impenetrable fortress that protected everyone in the room from the blast.
• Kaecilius found the room unharmed and asked Lin Ze, whom he had identified as the caster of the barrier, who he was.

Zhongli challenged Kaecilius’s belief that eternal life through Dormammu was worth the cost, while Kaecilius accused the Ancient One of hiding her own source of longevity. When the sorcerers chose to fight, Zhongli’s golden shield blocked Kaecilius’s attack, leaving Lin Ze and the others protected.

• Zhongli argued that eternal life would eventually erode the soul and compared Kaecilius’s goal to an old friend’s pursuit of eternity.
• Kaecilius defended Dormammu’s Dark Dimension and claimed the Ancient One had been practicing true magic to live far longer than ordinary people.
• Mordo and Wong rejected Kaecilius’s accusations, and Wong pointed out that Kaecilius had killed Fubien.
• Mordo called for a fight, and Lin Ze drew his silver sword as Kaecilius formed a massive magical attack.
• Zhongli’s golden barrier stopped Kaecilius’s blast, astonishing Mordo and Wong, while Lin Ze privately worried that Zhongli might unleash Planet Befall.

Kaecilius warped the London Sanctum, separating Lin Ze and Paimon from Zhongli and the others. Lin Ze defeated two corrupted sorcerers, but Paimon’s comment left him shocked that he had thrown a Three-Star Weapon.

• Kaecilius twisted the room and carried Lin Ze and Paimon away from Zhongli and the others.
• Lin Ze fought a corrupted sorceress, used Starfell to destroy the floor beneath her, and kicked her into the falling Geo construct.
• A sorcerer attacked Lin Ze after the space stopped twisting, and Lin Ze defeated him with a barrage of weapons and a kick.
• Paimon caught up with Lin Ze and pointed out that he had thrown a Three-Star Weapon, shocking him.

Zhongli fought Kaecilius, overwhelming him with his spear and stone attacks before Kaecilius lured him into the Mirror Dimension. Zhongli realized he could probably break free by force but decided to sit down for tea while considering the Ancient One's plan.

• Kaecilius taunted Zhongli until Zhongli lowered his shield and summoned a spear.
• Zhongli defeated Kaecilius in combat, and Kaecilius asked who he was before Zhongli gave his name.
• Kaecilius warped reality and attacked again, but Zhongli struck him down with stone spears.
• Kaecilius used Dormammu's power to rise, then fled and drew Zhongli into the Mirror Dimension.
• Zhongli recognized the Mirror Dimension and considered whether breaking out would interfere with the Ancient One's plan.
• Zhongli noticed a low table and chairs and decided to sit down for tea.

Lin Ze and Wong waited as the New York Sanctum fell, while Stephen and Mordo dealt with the Ancient One’s death and returned to Hong Kong. Dormammu descended on the last remaining Sanctum, where Zhongli protected the sorcerers and accepted a commission.

• The Ancient One told Lin Ze that Kaecilius had cornered Stephen at the New York Sanctum, then sent her to find him while Lin Ze brought Zhongli out of the Mirror Dimension.
• Lin Ze, Paimon, and Wong found Zhongli calmly drinking tea in the Mirror Dimension.
• The New York Sanctum went dark, leaving Hong Kong as Earth’s last defense, so Wong and Lin Ze went outside to defend it.
• Stephen told Mordo that only the Hong Kong Sanctum remained and reminded him of his oath, prompting Mordo to return with him through a Portal.
• Stephen and Mordo arrived in Hong Kong amid destruction and battle, where they saw that Dormammu had descended and Zhongli was protecting the sorcerers.
• Zhongli spoke with an unseen presence, then accepted a sorcerer’s commission.

Stephen used the Eye of Agamotto to reverse time and restore the Hong Kong Sanctum, then flew toward Dormammu’s Dark Dimension after realizing how to stop the invasion. The chapter left Lin Ze and the others thinking Stephen had defected, while Stephen declared that he had come to bargain.

• Stephen reversed time with the Eye of Agamotto, but Zhongli, Lin Ze, and Paimon remained unaffected.
• Kaecilius broke free of the spell and tried to stop the Sanctum from being restored, while Lin Ze held him back.
• Stephen restored the other sorcerers, and they hurried to protect the Sanctum as time returned to normal.
• Kaecilius warned that Dormammu’s followers would keep threatening Earth, prompting Stephen to consider the Dark Dimension.
• Stephen flew toward Dormammu, and Lin Ze punched Kaecilius as he laughed and claimed Stephen had defected.
• Stephen called out to Dormammu and said he had come to bargain.

Stephen trapped Dormammu in a time loop until he agreed to leave Earth, ending the invasion and condemning Kaecilius and his followers to the Dark Dimension. Mordo left after arguing that the sorcerers had broken natural laws, while Wong treated everyone to food and discovered Paimon had eaten far more than he expected.

• Stephen repeatedly confronted Dormammu in a time loop until Dormammu agreed to leave Earth and never return.
• Stephen returned to Hong Kong, where Kaecilius and his followers began crystallizing and were taken into the Dark Dimension.
• The Hong Kong Sanctum returned to normal, and Mordo left after warning that the sorcerers would face consequences for breaking natural laws.
• Wong proposed celebrating with a meal in Hong Kong and promised to pay for whatever Paimon wanted.
• Paimon and the others emptied Wong's wallet with their feast, and Zhongli asked whether anyone had brought money.

After returning to New York, Lin Ze completed his mission and learned that his luck had improved, then discovered that Minister Wu could control multiple heroes at once. His questions about superheroes and the Space-Time Gate left him bewildered as Lucy rushed him off to make gacha pulls.

• Lin Ze paid for another meal in Hong Kong, drank too much liquor, and passed out beside Paimon.
• Back at Kamar-Taj, Lin Ze told Stephen he would fund renovations to the New York Sanctum, then left with Paimon and the others.
• Lin Ze received an A-rank mission completion, met Zhuang Ruo, and asked whether he had relatives who resembled Ceros; Zhuang Ruo denied having any.
• Lin Ze found Minister Wu playing a game, handed him paperwork, and learned Wu had touched the Tesseract to team up with heroes before Wu ordered Lin Ze to copy the Code of Conduct a hundred times.
• Lin Ze wondered whether America had superheroes, and Lucy jokingly answered that Super Mario was one before hurrying him along to make gacha pulls.

Officer Vito helped Paul escape an illegal lender and directed him to Northland Bank for a loan to cover his daughter Sasha’s medical bills. As Paul searched for the bank, he encountered a distressed woman and then a funeral parlor owner who eagerly tried to sell him burial services.

• FBI agents raided the illegal lender’s house, found evidence of blackmail and other crimes, and Officer Vito told Paul that his loan agreement was invalid.
• Paul explained that Sasha’s hospital bed had been moved to the lobby because he could not pay her medical bills, and Officer Vito gave him Northland Bank’s address.
• Officer Vito told Paul that Northland Bank offered fair loans and work opportunities, so Paul set out to find it.
• A frightened woman directed Paul to the bank and hurried into the Paranormal Affairs Research Institute.
• Paul found a young man playing a board game with a blond boy outside a shop covered with wreaths, and a girl from Wangsheng Funeral Parlor rushed out to pitch him coffins and headstones.

Hu Tao tried to attract customers to the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor and learned that Chongyun had been asked to investigate a woman’s strange experiences, possibly caused by her missing husband’s ghost. She welcomed the case as a chance to find the man and bring business to the parlor.

• Hu Tao tried to pull Paul into the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, then directed him to the Northland Bank and gave him flyers to distribute at the hospital.
• Lin Ze doubted Paul could bring Hu Tao any business, while Hu Tao complained that hospital guards kept driving her away.
• Paimon and Chongyun arrived at the parlor, and Chongyun gave Hu Tao an ice pop.
• Lin Ze offered to ask Tony about technology that could help Chongyun manage his Pure Yang Constitution during exorcisms.
• Chongyun told Hu Tao that a woman had heard a voice resembling her missing husband’s and suffered sleep paralysis for months.
• Chongyun asked Hu Tao to help investigate whether the voice came from the woman’s husband’s ghost, and Hu Tao eagerly agreed.

Lin Ze, Hu Tao, Chongyun, and the others investigated Yvette’s claim that her missing husband Simon’s voice haunted her, and went with her to her isolated home. As they entered, Yvette heard the voice again, then fainted after mistaking Hu Tao’s little ghost for a real one.

• Chongyun introduced Yvette to Lin Ze, Hu Tao, Aether, and Paimon, and Lin Ze and Paimon pretended Paimon was a powerful benevolent spirit to reassure her.
• Yvette explained that Simon had vanished five years earlier and that she had recently begun hearing his voice and dreaming of him attacking her.
• Lin Ze and Chongyun agreed to investigate Yvette’s home, and Yvette drove them to the remote house where the voice had first appeared.
• Yvette heard Simon’s voice as soon as she opened the door, and Hu Tao tried to comfort her while the others prepared to search the house.
• Paimon panicked when Hu Tao’s little ghost flew past, and Lin Ze pretended to be scared too, causing Yvette to scream and faint.