WTF is up with #WangXian's random telepathy? a speculative thread #cql #TheUntamed

SPOILERS through the whole show

First, a thank you. I stumbled across this idea in the comments of someone's twitter thread a while back. I have no idea where it is now (threads so hard to keep track of ) but I'd like to say tyvm for the inspiration

So, wangxian can straight-up communicate telepathically with each other in the live action? I have no idea why this was a thing and then was underplayed SO MUCH (actually I do, but first!)

Actual telepathy?? This is a HUGE DEAL. But the show only acknowledges it a few times and kind of brushes it off like, nbd. Just sharing intimate thoughts, no biggie THE POTENTIAL THIS HAS TO CHANGE THINGS

Anyway, there are three instances I can recall (if there are more I'm missing, pls tell me!), so let's look at each of them

1. Ep 15, Slaughter Tortoise Cave

This is where they gain the ability to talk in each other's minds, and it's something any cultivator can do??? Or maybe just cultivators from Lan clan?

It seems this only happened at all for plot - the show wanted them to be able to communicate while wwx was inside the tortoise, so it gave them telepathy! Okay then. This doesn't have the possibility for far-reaching consequences at ALL

When wwx says "Listen to me," you're like wtf, he's already listening to you (it's his full-time job ), but then lwj touches his forehead with his own spiritual energy and the penny drops. Are they really going to...?

Yes, yes they are. Inside the tortoise wwx starts sharing what he's experiencing so lwj knows just what's going on. lwj even tells him to be careful

(incidentally I love how they show lwj's concern for wwx here, with his hand tightening on the rope. ugh, details It's so restrained and HIM)

Creepy things happen, bad special effects happen, wwx and lwj both being BAMFs happens and the telepathy is seemingly gone? Now if this was the only instance of 'telepathy' in the show you could simply say, well. It's just a short-term ability good in an emergency

But...nope. Not the only time it happens and the other two times there's no forehead touching at all

Does this mean it's permanent? Can they communicate telepathically whenever they want now? Maybe there's some kind of limit on it like time/distance?

Maybe it's only permanent if you have a strong emotional bond? Maybe agreeing they're soulmates sealed the deal? Whether they realised it at the time or not?

Obviously I know they DIDN'T use telepathy again for a very long time, but as we discover later they CAN still use it seemingly without needing to forehead touch again and OMG THE POTENTIAL

2. Ep 43, Silence Room, Cloud Recesses

First of all, This scene is so damn beautiful, not just the feeling between them but the setting and the snow, that lwj is serenading wwx with their song to make him feel better/show his support It feels like a moment out of time, cocooned away in their own little world

But back to telepathy! At this point wwx has died and resurrected. He's in a whole new body! (they hid his chin moles to showcase this, in case anyone didn't know). So technically the forehead touch never even happened to this body and yet...they can still share thoughts

They start by giving us wwx's internal thoughts - they do this a lot throughout the show, so it's not a surprise. But then...lwj responds with HIS internal thoughts. And it's so specific you realise that they can hear each other, this is an actual conversation IN THEIR MINDS WTF

And they're both so chill about it?? It's not surprising to them AT ALL?? Which only suggests that they already knew this was something they could still do and WHAT THE EVERLOVING FUCK?? Do you two boneheads realise the situations this could've changed???

Oh wait, my bad. You're too busy having a moment and making hearteyes at each other, of COURSE you don't realise ::facepalm::

3. Ep 50, The End

Ahem. So the third, and final, example of telepathy is at the end of the show, which seems fitting. wangxian are going their separate ways and then, thank goodness, wwx is a little shit

He calls out with his music and then his mind and - once again - lwj responds in his own mind like THIS ISN'T A BIG DEAL YOU GUYS, WE CAN JUST COMMUNICATE IN OUR HEADS, EVERYONE CAN DO THIS, RIGHT???

Honestly, they're both such oblivious dumbasses it wouldn't surprise me at all if they thought this was normal, that all soulmates can do this (and in this speculation, maybe they're even right)

Like I said the show underplays the hell out of this, when this has huge potential to change so much of the show. Honestly, that's probably WHY they underplayed the hell out of it. An OP ability like this could've changed everything and they still needed to tell the story

But! It gives fandom so much to play with! We can make so much speculation and run with whatever we want! For example, do they feel each other like a presence in their mind when they're physically near?

If that WAS the case imagine lwj when he first arrives at Mo's Manor. There's an itch at the back of his mind, something he hasn't felt for a very long time but there are spirits to defeat. It's only after he realises it's the Amulet that he remembers what the itch means

It's been so long since he felt it - sixteen YEARS - so when he sees movement of course he flies the fuck straight over there, it can only be wwx!

The idea gives new power to this moment, too. It's an internal thought, but he could also be calling this out in this mind, waiting for a response he hasn't had in 16 years

Also, because I hate myself, some 'when wwx was dead'. Though the show makes it plain he did indeed search for wwx, they never explicitly state that he used Inquiry to search for his spirit a la book canon

But imagine if he did, playing his guqin, calling out for wwx's spirit with his music - but also desperately calling out with his mind wanting to hear that voice in his head again so badly that had become as familiar as his own

Imagine the touching things they could share in their heads, or dirty things when they're having sex (omg wwx trying to get lwj all riled up while he's working/in a meeting, but then lwj turns it around by sending the dirtiest fucking thought back hahaha)

Even just the easy couple-y convenience of not needing to speak (tho let's be real, they do this anyway)

And of course, the huge changes this could've made to the plot. This paves the way for so many AUs and if you take anything from this speculation, pls take this – WRITE/DRAW/CAP/GIF/VID ALL OF THEM. A SUZ IS ALWAYS DESPERATE FOR WANGXIAN TELEPATHY CONTENT. Give methatshit

Thank you for your time. Go forth and speculate!

p.s. Enjoy these beautiful boys in a beautiful setting