Chapter Summaries

Di Xin agreed to lead the officials to Empress Wa’s Palace and secretly used Human Path Fortune to conceal his identity from the Saints. As his procession left Chaoge, Daoist Zhunti, Daoist Jieyin, and Primordial Lord Tianzun also set out, preparing to begin the Investiture of the Gods Tribulation and target him.

• Shang Rong proposed that Di Xin visit Empress Wa’s Palace on Nuwa’s birthday, and Bi Gan and the other officials supported the proposal.
• Di Xin approved the ceremony and ordered Shang Rong to prepare the procession and offerings for the visit in three days.
• Before leaving, Di Xin gathered Chaoge’s Human Path Fortune into his body to conceal his identity from the Saints.
• Huang Feihu escorted Di Xin as he boarded the royal chariot and led the procession toward Nuwa Palace.
• Daoist Zhunti and Daoist Jieyin left Mount Sumeru, expecting Cheng Tang’s fortune to decline and the Western Teachings to rise.
• Primordial Lord Tianzun left Jade Void Palace to confront Di Xin, and the three Saints headed for Chaoge.

Zhou Ming told Houtu that the Western Saints were plotting against the Human Emperor and Nuwa, then went to Empress Wa's Palace to warn Nuwa that she could not escape the approaching Investiture of the Gods Tribulation. Nuwa agreed to hear him out, but Zhou Ming left her with a foreboding question about whether the other Saints would let her remain uninvolved.

• Zhou Ming told Houtu that the two Western Saints were scheming against the Human Emperor and Nuwa, and warned Houtu to keep her presence hidden.
• Houtu used a water mirror to watch a procession from Chaoge heading toward Nuwa's Palace, while wondering how it fit into the plot.
• Zhou Ming arrived at Empress Wa's Palace and was admitted by Nuwa through Golden Phoenix.
• Zhou Ming invited Nuwa to Chaoge to watch a grand show, but Nuwa said she intended to avoid the Tribulation by staying secluded.
• Zhou Ming warned Nuwa that sealing her palace would not keep her safe if the other Saints refused to let her remain apart, leaving her uneasy.

Zhou Ming explained that others planned to use Nuwa’s connection to the Human Clan to provoke her into starting the Investiture of the Gods Tribulation. Nuwa agreed to accompany him to Chaoge as a spectator, though Zhou Ming intended to keep control of how events unfolded.

• Zhou Ming told Nuwa that her status as the Mother of the Human Clan made her a target in schemes to open the tribulation.
• Zhou Ming explained that the Human Emperor’s customary visit to offer incense on Nuwa’s sacred birthday could be used to provoke her into punishing him.
• Nuwa doubted that a mortal could anger her, but grew curious about the plot and agreed to travel to Chaoge with Zhou Ming.
• Zhou Ming urged Nuwa to let events unfold and suggested the tribulation could give her a chance to settle old grievances with the other Saints.
• Zhou Ming and Nuwa concealed themselves with Dao Rhyme and set out through the void toward Chaoge.

Jieyin, Zhunti, and Primordial Lord Tianzun joined forces to scheme against Di Xin during his visit to Empress Wa's Palace, while Zhou Ming and Empress Wa watched from above. Di Xin let Zhunti's spell enter his mind before breaking free, leaving the three Saints' plan stalled and Primordial Lord Tianzun furious.

• Di Xin entered Empress Wa's Palace to offer incense as Jieyin, Zhunti, and Primordial Lord Tianzun secretly prepared to act against him.
• Zhou Ming stopped Empress Wa from confronting the Saints, and they watched as Di Xin faced her statue.
• Primordial Lord Tianzun concealed the Heavenly Secrets, Jieyin suppressed Di Xin's Human Path Fortune, and Zhunti sent a spell to bewilder his mind.
• Di Xin pretended to fall under Zhunti's spell, then quickly regained clarity and broke free of its control.
• Jieyin questioned Zhunti, while Primordial Lord Tianzun angrily criticized them for failing to control Di Xin.

Zhunti repeatedly tried to bewitch Di Xin into insulting Nuwa and writing a poem on her temple wall, but Di Xin resisted each attempt and left without writing. The three Saints were left stunned as the court followed the King back to the palace.

• Zhunti strengthened his bewitchment, and Di Xin praised Nuwa's statue in language that alarmed Shang Rong and the other ministers.
• Di Xin regained his composure before writing a poem, leaving Zhunti, Jieyin, and Primordial Lord Tianzun stunned.
• Zhunti insisted the Human Emperor's fortune was interfering and promised Primordial Lord Tianzun that his next attempt would succeed.
• Zhunti poured even more power into his spell, and Di Xin called for brush and ink to compose a poem for Nuwa.
• Just before Di Xin's brush touched the wall, he stopped, set it down, denied intending to write, and left the hall.
• The ministers hurried after Di Xin, while Zhunti and the other Saints watched in disbelief as the scheme failed again.

After Di Xin resisted Zhunti’s soul-bewildering spell and left Empress Wa’s Palace, Zhunti proposed impersonating him to inscribe the poem and deceive the ministers, with Primordial Lord Tianzun tacitly agreeing. Nuwa believed the Saints’ scheme had failed, but Zhou Ming hinted that she seemed to want them to succeed.

• Zhunti, Jieyin, and Primordial Lord Tianzun argued over their failed attempt to control Di Xin, and Jieyin urged them to abandon the scheme.
• Zhunti proposed using an incarnation to impersonate Di Xin, inscribe the poem, and plant false memories in the ministers so they would believe Di Xin had written it.
• Jieyin warned Zhunti that impersonating Di Xin would greatly increase his Karma with Nuwa, but Zhunti insisted and acted before the others could stop him.
• Zhunti intercepted a trace of Di Xin’s aura, and Primordial Lord Tianzun further concealed the Heavenly Secrets, tacitly approving the plan.
• Nuwa watched Di Xin leave with the officials and laughed that the three Saints had failed, while Zhou Ming suggested she seemed eager for them to succeed.

Zhunti and the other Saints staged an obscene poem in Nuwa’s palace by using an incarnation disguised as Di Xin, provoking Nuwa into fury. Zhou Ming stopped her from attacking and revealed a power that left her unable to move, while the three Saints below remained unaware of their presence.

• Zhou Ming warned Nuwa that the three Saints had made another move, and Zhunti intercepted a trace of Di Xin’s aura.
• Primordial Lord Tianzun, Jieyin, and Zhunti sealed Di Xin inside an isolated space, while Zhunti used the intercepted aura to make an incarnation resembling him.
• Zhunti’s false Di Xin wrote a provocative poem praising Nuwa on the wall of her palace, and Shang Rong and the other ministers pleaded with him to erase it.
• The false Di Xin defended the poem as sincere admiration, and Zhou Ming teased Nuwa about Zhunti’s supposed poetic talent.
• Furious at the Saints’ scheme, Nuwa prepared to attack them, but Zhou Ming subdued her with a hand on her shoulder without alerting the three Saints.

Zhou Ming stopped Nuwa from immediately retaliating against the Saints who had schemed to humiliate her, urging her to wait and settle the debt during the Investiture of the Gods Tribulation. Nuwa questioned why she should cooperate without knowing what she would gain, and the chapter ended with her demanding a benefit.

• Zhou Ming restrained Nuwa and persuaded her to suppress her anger until the Tribulation began.
• Daoist Zhunti planted a suggestion in the ministers’ minds to keep them from speaking about the poem, then secretly restored it after Shang Rong’s attendant washed it away.
• Primordial Lord Tianzun grew wary of the Western Saints’ methods, and he, Jieyin, and Zhunti departed from Chaoge.
• Nuwa confronted Zhou Ming about stopping her from punishing the Saints, and he urged her to cooperate with their plans until the Tribulation.
• Nuwa asked Zhou Ming what benefit she would receive for waiting, arguing that she could instead demand treasures from the Saints as compensation.

Zhou Ming persuaded Nuwa to repay two favors by cooperating in the Investiture of the Gods Tribulation and acting once on his behalf. Nuwa agreed to join the conflict, suspecting Zhou Ming wanted her to help Tongtian, and returned to Empress Wa's Palace to prepare her first scene.

• Zhou Ming offered to erase two of Nuwa's favors if she cooperated with his plan and acted once during the Tribulation, and Nuwa eagerly agreed.
• Nuwa asked why Zhou Ming would not intervene directly, and he explained his strength was too great to take part without ending the Tribulation.
• Nuwa reasoned that Zhou Ming wanted her to oppose Primordial Lord, Jieyin, and Zhunti and help Tongtian, and Zhou Ming acknowledged her deduction without sharing further details.
• Zhou Ming told Nuwa to return to Empress Wa's Palace and then demand an explanation from the Human Emperor at Chaoge before vanishing.
• Nuwa vowed to settle scores with Primordial Lord, Jieyin, and Zhunti during the Tribulation, then returned to Empress Wa's Palace to prepare.

Nuwa staged her fury over Di Xin, then ordered Golden Phoenix to proclaim the Mandate of Heaven for Zhou at Mount Qi. The phoenix omen convinced the other powers that the Investiture of the Gods Tribulation had begun, while Tongtian looked toward Chaoge and hoped Di Xin would not disappoint him.

• Nuwa unleashed her Saint's pressure and flew toward Chaoge, but two red beams from the royal palace stopped her outside the city.
• Nuwa claimed the Great Shang Dynasty still had twenty-eight years of fortune, then left after threatening to make its realm crumble in a single day.
• Nuwa ordered Golden Phoenix to fly to Mount Qi and cry out that the Mandate of Heaven favored Zhou.
• Golden Phoenix appeared above Mount Qi, and Jieyin and Zhunti celebrated the omen as the successful beginning of the Investiture of the Gods Tribulation.
• Primordial Lord Tianzun predicted Di Xin's downfall, while Laozi noted that Nuwa had entered the game.
• Tongtian rejected the Mandate of Heaven and looked toward Chaoge, hoping Di Xin would not disappoint him.

Fei Zhong and You Hun interpreted the King's poem at Empress Wa's Palace as a signal that he wanted another consort, and devised a plan to obtain Su Daji while protecting the King's reputation. Their scheme left Su Hu in Jizhou with an inexplicable sense of danger.

• Fei Zhong and You Hun concluded that the King wanted another consort and saw an opportunity to win his favor.
• You Hun proposed Su Daji, daughter of Marquis of Jizhou Su Hu, as a candidate for the imperial harem.
• You Hun urged Fei Zhong to persuade Su Hu to offer his daughter voluntarily when the regional lords came to Chaoge, rather than have the King issue a decree.
• Fei Zhong agreed to join You Hun in pressuring Su Hu, using persuasion, threats, or inducements if necessary.
• In Jizhou, Su Hu felt an unexplained chill while reading military treatises and wondered at his sudden unease.

Nuwa summoned the Three Demons of Xuanyuan Tomb and ordered them to enter Chaoge and beguile Di Xin. She prepared them to bypass the city's defenses and sent the Nine-tailed Fox to possess Su Daji, leaving the demons ready to carry out her plan.

• Nuwa summoned the Three Demons of Xuanyuan Tomb with the Monster Summoning Banner and ordered them to seduce Di Xin and overturn the Great Shang Dynasty.
• The three demons warned Nuwa that Chaoge's Human Path Fortune formation would destroy them if they entered the city.
• Nuwa cleansed the demons of their demonic qi and promised them a method to enter Chaoge safely without being restrained by its fortune.
• Nuwa told the Nine-tailed Fox to possess Su Daji without harming her body or soul, and gave her a Protective Jade Talisman.
• The three demons accepted Nuwa's orders and left Empress Wa's Palace.

The Nine-tailed Fox used Nuwa's Creation Jade Talisman to take over Su Daji's body in the Marquis of Jizhou's Manor. She planned to enter the palace in Su Daji's place and bring chaos to the Great Shang Dynasty.

• The Nine-headed Pheasant Spirit and Jade Pipa Spirit worried about how they would reach Chaoge, so the Nine-tailed Fox promised to bring them into the palace after securing her own position.
• The Nine-tailed Fox traveled to Jizhou and found Su Daji reading alone in her bedchamber.
• The Nine-tailed Fox sealed the room, immobilized Su Daji, and used the Creation Jade Talisman to suppress her soul and merge into her body.
• After taking over Su Daji's body, the Nine-tailed Fox declared that she would enter the palace and topple the Human Emperor's kingdom.
• The new Su Daji dismissed a maidservant who had heard a noise, then looked forward to meeting the King.

The demoness posing as Su Daji tried to persuade Su Hu to take her to Chaoge, hoping to reach the Human Emperor and advance Nuwa’s edict. When Su Hu refused, she turned to enlist her brother Su Quanzhong’s support.

• Su Daji maintained her gentle disguise and joined Su Hu and Su Quanzhong for dinner.
• Su Hu announced that he would travel to Chaoge to pay court to the Human Emperor and leave Jizhou’s affairs in Su Quanzhong’s hands.
• Su Daji asked Su Hu to bring her to Chaoge, but he refused because the journey and court were dangerous.
• Su Daji pleaded with Su Hu by acting affectionate and claiming she wanted to serve him, but he remained firm.
• Su Daji turned to Su Quanzhong with tearful reproach and asked whether he also thought she was a burden.

Su Daji persuaded Su Hu to let her accompany him to Chaoge, where she planned to carry out her mission and meet Di Xin. The convoy departed Jizhou, leaving Su Daji eager to make the capital her stage.

• Su Daji used tears and Su Quanzhong's support to persuade Su Hu to let her travel to Chaoge.
• Su Hu agreed on the condition that she stay inside the post station once they reached the capital and obey him.
• Three days later, Su Hu's convoy left Jizhou with Su Daji aboard and Su Quanzhong seeing them off.
• After the convoy departed, Su Daji revealed her wicked nature and toyed with the jade talisman Nuwa had given her.
• Su Daji anticipated meeting Di Xin and imagined making the Human Emperor fall for her and surrender the realm.

As the feudal lords gathered in Chaoge, Fei Zhong and You Hun pressured Su Hu to send his daughter Daji to the king’s palace. Su Hu refused and denounced them, prompting the two grandees to plan how to force him to comply.

• Fei Zhong spotted Marquis Su Hu of Ji Province on the arrivals list and went with You Hun to visit him at the posthouse.
• Su Hu tried to refuse the visitors, but Fei Zhong and You Hun entered and claimed they had come on the king’s behalf.
• You Hun urged Su Hu to offer Daji to the king in exchange for honor and influence, while Fei Zhong warned that an edict could follow if he refused.
• Su Hu angrily rejected their proposal, condemned them as treacherous ministers, and vowed he would never sell his daughter for glory.
• Fei Zhong and You Hun left in anger, and Fei Zhong proposed finding mediators before using the king’s decree to pressure Su Hu.

Su Daji tried to persuade Su Hu to send her into the palace, hoping to fulfill Nuwa’s mission, but Su Hu refused and vowed to protect her. After pretending to accept his decision, Su Daji resolved to find another way into the palace.

• Su Daji entered the hall and asked Su Hu what Fei Zhong and You Hun had wanted, though she had overheard their proposal to send her into the palace.
• Su Hu told Su Daji that Fei Zhong and You Hun had come to cause trouble, then vowed he would never sell her for rank or glory.
• Su Daji pretended she would enter the palace to protect the Su Clan and Ji Province, but Su Hu rejected her offer and insisted The King could not have ordered it.
• Su Hu blamed Fei Zhong and You Hun for acting on their own and told Su Daji to stay in the rear courtyard until they returned to Ji Province.
• After returning to her room, Su Daji dropped her act, cursed Su Hu for blocking her path, and decided she would enter the palace by other means.

Su Daji used gentle suggestions and a staged show of filial concern to weaken Su Hu’s resistance to sending her into the palace, but he refused again and blamed Fei Zhong and You Hun for pressuring him. The chapter ended with Su Daji confident that one final push would make Su Hu agree, while hoping Grand Tutor Wen remained away in the North Sea.

• Su Hu grew furious after Ji Province’s lords repeatedly urged him to accept the King’s demand and send Su Daji to the palace.
• Su Daji comforted Su Hu and urged him to agree for the sake of their family and Ji Province, making him hesitate before he refused again.
• Su Hu lamented that Grand Tutor Wen was away fighting Yuan Futong in the North Sea and could not curb Fei Zhong and You Hun.
• Su Daji privately rejoiced at Su Hu’s wavering, hoped Wen Zhong would stay away, and began planning how to impress the Human Emperor when she entered the palace.

Jiang Huanchu investigated rumors that Di Xin had ordered Su Hu to offer up his daughter and concluded that Fei Zhong and You Hun had acted in the King's name. Queen Jiang agreed the King could not have ordered it, and prepared to warn him discreetly.

• Jiang Huanchu learned that vassal lords were mediating at Su Hu's posthouse over a demand supposedly made in the King's name.
• Jiang Huanchu suspected Fei Zhong and You Hun had used the King's authority to pressure Su Hu and went to question Queen Jiang.
• Queen Jiang angrily rejected the idea that Di Xin had ordered the demand and blamed Fei Zhong and You Hun for acting on their own.
• Jiang Huanchu advised Queen Jiang to hint at the matter rather than openly accuse the favored ministers, and she agreed.
• Queen Jiang worried that Fei Zhong and You Hun might further endanger the realm and set out for Nine Chamber Hall with ginseng soup to warn the King.

Queen Jiang visited Di Xin in Nine Chamber Hall and raised rumors about Su Daji and the harem, while Di Xin challenged her assumptions about his character. He admitted that he had known about Fei Zhong and You Hun’s actions, leaving the matter unresolved.

• Queen Jiang brought ginseng soup to Di Xin and spoke with him about their sons, Jiao'er and Hong'er, who spent their days training and playing with Nezha.
• Queen Jiang urged Di Xin to choose more consorts for the sake of Great Shang Dynasty and revealed that she had heard rumors about Su Hu.
• Di Xin asked whether Queen Jiang considered him a lecherous man enslaved by beauty, and she insisted that he was a sagely ruler.
• Di Xin pointed out that her offer to select consorts contradicted her faith in him, leaving Queen Jiang embarrassed and speechless.
• Di Xin said that Fei Zhong and You Hun had not acted on his orders, but that he had known about what they did.