Haveninmuse

I'm happy to answer! If you really don't mind spoilers, (gosh this thread s full of it, read at your risk). The "death" happens halfway through the story, so it's coming within 10-15 episodes. She's a phoenix so she doesn't die, but close to it. I think she's reborn, the story is unclear at this part, the bead in her activated and she "burns" up to ashes, but later she wakes up, but loses all her senses (sight, smell, taste, touch, sound). The story still ends happy, I hope that's a good answer for you, unless you want to know more.

Right now Xing Zhi senses Mo fang's energies, so he doesn't want him near ShenLi. But Shenli is also part monster, so maybe even worse energies than Mo Fang. XZ is observing how they act, evil or not. They are both weak to the "voice" in the abyss that keeps saying "kill kill kill, kill the heavens". In the trailer the part with the chains is a whole other villian plot, and the finale of the drama, do you still want to know? It's the ending, and if I spoil it, you wont be enjoying the end as much.

Oh boy I hope you still enjoy the drama after spoilers! I still dont know if drama will follow this kind of villain ending, because people like Mo Fang's character, and he gets a tragic ending in the novel.

Mo Fang is the son of the previous demon emperor (before Shen Muyue, SL's master), and that emperor was destroyed in the war 1000 years ago by Xing Zhi because he was trying to overthrow Heavens with his demon monsters that he created (super strong, nearly invincible, heals fast) So these monsters was forced into in the Abyss, sealed there by XingZhi, and Fu Sheng was one of the creations. Mo Fang is the "young master" or "prince" of the Abyss, and he feeds off Fu Sheng's powers (so hes human, but has demon monster powers). He infiltrated into the military as a Spy, but fell in love with ShenLi and has been conflicted about betraying her, but has no choice since he needs the power of the demons.

He keeps trying to save her, even when the monsters attack and killed a lot of people, including their General friends. ShenLi "died" fighting with Fu Sheng, who is trying to steal her fire phoenix bead (in the trailers, you see Mo Fang flying away with her, but a hand claws through her chest). ShenLi decides to die with them, and burns up with the power of her bead, incinerating Mofang and Fusheng.

Regarding Mofang, its not that he's evil, but his identity is beyond his control. He is forced to go along with evil things because of who he is, the side hes on. You can say he's a Spy, but he really fell in love with her, and saved her life many times. She dies fighting Fu Sheng, and basically in that fight she "consumes" the energy of the pearl, like digesting it, and becoming a true phoenix. I'm unsure if she's reborn, (in the novel it doesnt say, since she's unconscious and then wakes up and the novel is in her POV) but more likely she got super injured and disappeared and people said she died.

So the way he explains it in the book is:
[XZ: "My time, from life to death, is beyond my control. Gods are too powerful to allow personal desires to sway them. As such my time, while alive to the moment I die, is beyond my control. Only when my life force is dispersed to Heaven and earth, settled into the mountains and lakes, can I truly die.”

Shěn Lí was shocked. “Gods can die?”

“Of course. All living things perish eventually. Even gods cannot escape that fate.]

When I'm tired of defending him, I sometimes just say "he's an old guy who's seen it all, but experienced nothing" lol

He's super duper lonely because hes very, very ancient and all his Ancient God friends have died. He lives all alone in the heavens (even further away than the emperor, they call it "tian wai tian" or Skys Beyond), where he has no one to talk to for thousands of years at a time. His only job is to make sure the 3 realms are peaceful, which also means he can have no emotions or turmoil, never loved before. So he had no parents, no family, no love, and eventually no friends when they all died out. He's envious Shenli's relationship with her master, of regular people living life. His biggest emotion is he's lonely and misses his friends. He literally doesn't remember the feeling of living anymore, but he can't let go of his responsibility. Some sad scenes later you realize he's literally waiting for his life to end naturally...

He has no one who can be his friend because they are afraid of interacting with him, and no matter how odd or ridiculous he acts, people still bend over backwards to please him (point: see Heavenly emperor). Thats why ShenLi matters so much to him; she reacts to him, challenges his ridiculous lies, doesn't care if shes disrespecting his authority, and more importantly, fell in love with Xingyun, whom is his natural self if he did not have all these responsibilities.

Me too, to me it was obvious he's suspicious of her and observing reaction from her body in the Abyss, but people thought he wanted to kill her at the part with the little boar.

Mr Gu, the guy they met in the mortal realm was Ancient God Qing Ye, XZ's best friend. He had fallen in love with a mortal woman, and intervened in her death because he loved her. Gods are not allowed to act on their emotions, which caused him to lose his God status and be punished by the Heavens to endless reincarnations with the same woman, usually ending tragically. Hes lost because his spirit doesn't remember if he loves Xiao He, or his wife. They meet him again in his future reincarnation and XZ will try to help him break free of the tragedy.

Do you want to know spoilers?

Thanks for saying that. I always have a soft spot for Xingzhi. He's always better on re-read of the novel.

No problem! A lot of it was filler talk, waiting and internet problems. Furong actor said he is most unlike his character in real life (he's very quiet, it seems).
The other stuff is LGX was asked why he looked like he wanted to "kill" ShenLi in the scenes with the Xutian Abyss (I think that topic came up a lot online and some ppl said on here, too) and he was confused because it wasn't what he wanted to convey, he thinks he acted badly maybe because it was very hot that day so his displeasure might've shown on his face.

I did, they had great chemistry. LGX is super talkative in real life. Some funny parts is that he said the ice pops tastes bad. He didn't know Mofang said "that useless guy?" so he got surprised when he watched the scene. Also, he was asked why his ears got super red at the part his elbow touched Shenli's chest and he got too shy to answer. I went back to watch that part, and it's true, his ears are super red haha

If you really wanna know the end, she doesn't marry Furong, and gets with Xing Zhi, and XZ proposes at the end.

Loved her grabbing his scarf tie. LGX is really super handsome, I wish they didn't use that much filter in the drama because it takes away some of his features.

Oh no, the marriage never happens. Just sayin why it was arranged and Furong was chosen.

XZ avoids the question at every turn; I was frustrated too. The ending sheds some light though, when master and shenli are talking about her real identity and they both say that XZ always knew about the miasma in her, and Furong has the strongest purification powers, so it wasn't such a "random" match for marriage, or at least why he pushed her towards it.

XZ knows everything, including monitoring ShenLi, Master, Mofang & ruins abyss, but waiting to act depending on situation, since when he has to act, it will affect all three realms. He seems so carefree everyday wandering around but hes always on top of stuff.

I love him too, especially when he's consistent in some stuff like loving sweet things, and being weird without caring what people think. I always feel like hes super lonely, and I pity that.

I like the part from trailers where he runs after her and both of them are giggling in snow, it looks so happy like Xing Zhi learned how to love.