Chapter Summaries

Di Xin tried to act like a foolish, depraved ruler, but his ministers mistook his decisions for signs of wisdom and praised him. He ended the court session more popular than before, despite his efforts to damage his reputation.

• On Mount Sumeru, Zhunti's sense of danger faded after Nuwa abandoned her plan to retaliate against him.
• Nuwa, Houtu, and Xuan Ming decided to make avatars and join the Investiture of the Gods, while Hong Yun worried they would turn the tribulation into a spectacle.
• Di Xin attended court and learned that Ji Chang had overseen the successful development of hybrid grain seeds.
• Di Xin named the seeds "Chang Zhong" to boost Ji Chang's standing, and Ji Chang and the officials were moved by what they saw as the king's generosity.
• Di Xin announced that he would summon three thousand beautiful women to fill his harem, expecting condemnation, but the officials instead praised him as wise.

Di Xin tried to establish himself as a Foolish Monarch by announcing that he would take women into his harem, but the court enthusiastically supported him. Ji Chang and Shang Rong pledged to help, leaving Di Xin frustrated and searching for another way to appear foolish.

• Di Xin was shocked when Wen Zhong, Bi Gan, and Shang Rong celebrated his plan to take women into his harem and urged him to gather thousands of women.
• Di Xin hoped Ji Chang would condemn him, but Ji Chang praised the decision and argued that it would secure an heir, reassure the vassals, and let Di Xin enjoy himself after years of service.
• Ji Chang promised to handle public criticism, while Shang Rong worried that Ji Chang was gaining the Great King's favor and stepped forward to support him too.
• The other officials joined Ji Chang and Shang Rong in endorsing Di Xin's plan, and Di Xin struggled to hide his frustration.
• Di Xin announced that he had one more request, and Shang Rong eagerly promised the court would fulfill it.

Di Xin tried to provoke Ji Chang and Wen Zhong into condemning his demand for Su Daji, but they supported it and sent a marriage proposal to Su Hu. Su Hu welcomed the proposal as a chance to tie Jizhou to the Great King, leaving Di Xin still hoping for a rebellion that never came.

• Di Xin demanded that Su Daji be brought to Chaoge, though Ji Chang pointed out that she was only twelve and Wen Zhong approved the request.
• Wen Zhong ordered Ji Chang to write to Su Hu and threatened to lead an army to Jizhou if Su Hu refused.
• Ji Chang sent Su Hu a letter proposing Daji for Di Xin, and Su Hu first mistook it for a match with Boyi Kao.
• After learning Di Xin was the intended husband, Su Hu praised Ji Chang and decided to persuade Daji to accept the marriage.

Su Hu told Daji that Di Xin had arranged for her to go to Chaoge and eventually enter the palace, and she eagerly agreed to marry him. Di Xin was stunned by Su Hu’s compliance and did not know that Empress Nuwa, not Daji, was about to arrive in Chaoge.

• Su Hu told Daji that Ji Chang had proposed she marry Di Xin and move to Chaoge, and Daji readily accepted.
• Daji imagined becoming Di Xin’s virtuous wife after Su Hu left to reply to Ji Chang.
• Ji Chang reported Su Hu’s agreement to Di Xin and said Su Hu would send beauties from Jizhou if the Great King wanted them.
• Di Xin was shocked by Su Hu’s eagerness and resented Ji Chang’s flattery.
• Di Xin remained unaware that Empress Nuwa, not Daji, was about to arrive in Chaoge.

Di Xin’s attempts to appear foolish only strengthened public support for him, while Nuwa took over Daji’s body and other powerful beings prepared to enter the palace. The chapter ended with Yin Shi Niang going into labor after carrying Li Jing’s third child for three years and six months.

• Di Xin investigated whether people considered him a foolish monarch, but returned to the palace discouraged when he found that they praised his actions.
• Nuwa stopped time on the road to Chaoge, took Daji’s soul, and entered her body after promising Daji a new Dao Body and a place as her nominal disciple.
• The daughters of Jiang Huanchu and Huang Feihu also resolved to enter the palace, with Huang Feiyan forcing her brother to agree.
• Li Jing worried about his wife’s unusually long pregnancy, while Yin Shi Niang defended their unborn child and compared the long gestation to that of ancient Sage Emperors.
• Yin Shi Niang suddenly felt labor pains and told Li Jing that their child was about to be born.

Yin Shi Niang gave birth to Nezha, who first appeared as a floating flesh ball before transforming into a baby. After Li Jing mistook him for a monster and tried to strike him, Nezha spoke at birth and punched his father into a wall.

• Li Jing anxiously waited while Yin Shi Niang gave birth, then learned from the midwife that the child was a flesh ball.
• Li Jing rushed into the room, mistook the floating flesh ball for a Yao, and drew his sword to attack it.
• A green-robed Daoist stopped Li Jing's sword, while Yin Shi Niang scolded Li Jing for threatening their child.
• The flesh ball floated into Yin Shi Niang's arms, transformed in a burst of light into baby Nezha, and restored her strength.
• Nezha called Yin Shi Niang Mother, then punched Li Jing into a wall after Li Jing asked him to call him Father.
• The green-robed Daoist laughed and praised Nezha as his chosen disciple.

Kong Xuan stopped Li Jing from attacking Nezha and was accepted as Nezha’s master, while Zhao Gongming defeated Taiyi in a fight over the child. When Zhao Gongming arrived to claim Nezha as his disciple, Yin Shi Niang told him Kong Xuan had already accepted him.

• Kong Xuan introduced himself to Li Jing and Yin Shi Niang and agreed to take Nezha as his disciple.
• Zhao Gongming used the Five Elements Spirit Beads to counter Taiyi’s attacks and forced him to retreat.
• Zhao Gongming headed to Chentang Pass after learning that Tongtian had sent him to accept Nezha as a disciple.
• Nezha sent Li Jing flying with a single slap, and Zhao Gongming caught him as he arrived at the Marshal’s residence.
• Zhao Gongming offered to take Nezha as his disciple, but Yin Shi Niang told him that Kong Xuan had already accepted the boy.

After Kong Xuan became Nezha’s master, Zhao Gongming complained to Duobao that Kong Xuan had taken his chance, while Taiyi blamed Zhao Gongming for ruining his own attempt to accept Nezha. Yuanshi sided with Taiyi and agreed to Zhunti’s request to join forces against Tongtian’s Jie Sect.

• Li Jing and Madam Yin told Zhao Gongming that Nezha’s master-disciple bond with Kong Xuan had already been settled, so Zhao Gongming returned to the East Sea without Nezha.
• Zhao Gongming complained to Duobao that Kong Xuan had intercepted his opportunity, and Duobao vowed to get even with Kong Xuan when the time was right.
• Taiyi went to the Jade Void Palace and told Yuanshi that Zhao Gongming had thwarted his effort to take Nezha as a disciple.
• Taiyi embellished his account of his battle with Zhao Gongming and pretended to have suffered internal injuries, prompting Yuanshi to condemn the Jie Sect.
• After Taiyi left, Yuanshi agreed to Zhunti’s request to join forces against Tongtian, and Zhunti told Jieyin that their plan had succeeded.

Di Xin met Jiang Wan, Huang Feiyan, and Daji, unaware that they were Houtu, Xuan Ming, and Nuwa in mortal disguises. Their conversation left Di Xin humbled by their knowledge, and he left wondering who among them was truly the transmigrator.

• Di Xin left state affairs to Wen Zhong and the other ministers while preparing to receive three women chosen for his inner palace.
• Jiang Wan, Daji, and Huang Feiyan recognized one another as Houtu, Nuwa, and Xuan Ming and agreed to cooperate to win Hong Yun while keeping their identities secret from other Female Cultivators.
• Di Xin entered the hall and welcomed the three women, believing they were his destined wives.
• Di Xin discussed politics, warfare, cultivation, and other subjects with the women, but each of them answered with insight and expanded on his ideas.
• Di Xin left the meeting embarrassed by how much the three women knew and wondered who the real transmigrator was.

Di Xin married Jiang Wan and Huang Feiyan, while Daji, frustrated at being too young to marry him, left the palace in a rage. She beat Boyi Kao after he mistook her for his beloved and tried to grab her, and Chaoge began spreading rumors about his heartbreak over Di Xin’s wedding.

• Di Xin married Jiang Wan and Huang Feiyan amid celebrations attended by envoys from across the realm.
• Daji complained that Jiang Wan and Huang Feiyan had married Di Xin before her, and they teased her about having to wait until she was older.
• Di Xin drank himself unconscious at the wedding and was carried to Jiang Wan’s bedchamber, where Huang Feiyan arrived furious that he had not come to hers.
• Boyi Kao stopped Daji on the road and claimed they had once spent time together in Jizhou, but Daji said she did not know him.
• Boyi Kao tried to grab Daji, so she kicked and beat him until he screamed on the official road.
• Rumors spread that Boyi Kao had wept over not being the one to marry Di Xin, while Di Xin woke up in Jiang Wan’s bedchamber.

After being overwhelmed by Jiang Wan and Huang Feiyan during three days of wedding celebrations, Di Xin abandoned his plan to act as a depraved monarch. He emerged exhausted and resolved to govern diligently instead.

• Di Xin woke in Jiang Wan's bedchamber and was pinned down by the Queen after Huang Feiyan left.
• Huang Feiyan carried Di Xin to her bedchamber and kept him there until evening, leaving him exhausted and doubting his strength.
• Di Xin fled Huang Feiyan's bedchamber, but Jiang Wan intercepted him and arranged for him to take three days off from court.
• For three days and nights, Di Xin went back and forth between Jiang Wan's and Huang Feiyan's bedchambers.
• Di Xin emerged from the Queen's bedchamber drained and declared that he would stop acting like a foolish monarch and govern with diligence.

Di Xin recovered from his ordeal and tried a new way to build his foolish-monarch persona by summoning the treacherous ministers Fei Zhong and You Hun. Meanwhile, Nuwa, Houtu, and Xuan Ming pressed Hong Yun for an answer about their feelings, setting the Investiture of the Gods Great Tribulation as his deadline.

• Di Xin arrived at the cabinet and insisted on handling state affairs despite Wen Zhong, Ji Chang, Shang Rong, and Bi Gan worrying about his exhausted appearance.
• Hong Yun learned that Nuwa, Houtu, and Xuan Ming wanted to be with him, and he asked for time to think until the Investiture of the Gods Great Tribulation.
• Di Xin decided against further harem pursuits and ordered his attendant to find Fei Zhong and You Hun so he could employ treacherous ministers.
• The attendant brought Fei Zhong and You Hun to Di Xin, who sized them up and asked whether they were the men he had summoned.

Di Xin promoted Fei Zhong and You Hun into the Inner Cabinet Assistance, hoping they would help him appear to be a Foolish Monarch. Instead, his praise inspired them to abandon corruption and serve Great Shang, leaving Di Xin unaware that they would become pillars of the dynasty.

• Di Xin praised Fei Zhong and You Hun for their abilities and appointed them to the Inner Cabinet Assistance, calling them the Crouching Dragon and Young Phoenix.
• Fei Zhong and You Hun thanked Di Xin and promised to report to the Inner Cabinet the next day.
• After leaving the hall, You Hun suggested they use their new positions to enrich themselves, but Fei Zhong urged him to honor Di Xin’s trust.
• You Hun agreed with Fei Zhong to work honestly, serve the Great King, and prove themselves to those who had looked down on them.
• Fei Zhong and You Hun walked off together, discussing how they would serve Great Shang, while Di Xin remained unaware of their future importance.

Di Xin appointed Fei Zhong and You Hun to the Cabinet, prompting outrage among officials and the people of Chaoge, who branded him a foolish monarch. Ji Chang believed the appointments were meant to balance the Cabinet's power, while Fei Zhong and You Hun endured hostility and resolved to prove worthy of Di Xin's trust.

• Di Xin ignored officials' memorials opposing Fei Zhong and You Hun's appointment, and rumors spread until the people of Chaoge called him a foolish monarch.
• Bi Gan, Wen Zhong, Ji Chang, and Shang Rong debated Di Xin's motives, and Ji Chang argued that the appointments would keep the Cabinet from becoming too powerful.
• Fei Zhong and You Hun entered the Cabinet, where Shang Rong and the other ministers treated them coldly.
• After Fei Zhong and You Hun made a minor mistake, Shang Rong berated them, but they accepted his criticism and continued working.
• Fei Zhong and You Hun heard the criticism directed at Di Xin and vowed to work hard to restore his reputation.

Kong Xuan trained six-year-old Nezha in the Sky Breaking spear technique and warned him to stay out of trouble during the Investiture of the Gods tribulation. As Kong Xuan departed for the Floating Island, Nezha learned that his lineage expected him to call on powerful elders rather than suffer a loss.

• Kong Xuan demonstrated the Sky Breaking spear technique, shattered the sky with one move, and made Nezha beg to learn it after Nezha had mocked its power.
• Nezha practiced the technique for a month while Kong Xuan continued training him.
• Kong Xuan gave Nezha a ring of spiritual essence and told him not to cause trouble after he returned to the Floating Island.
• Kong Xuan told Nezha to endure one provocation for the moral high ground, then strike back if the bullying continued.
• Kong Xuan instructed Nezha to call for reinforcements if he faced an opponent he could not defeat, citing the Floating Island Lineage's powerful elders.

Nezha killed Shi Ji’s attendant after Taiyi disguised himself as Biyun Boy and lured him to Skull Mountain. Taiyi then impersonated Kong Xuan, severely injured Shi Ji, and left her unconscious as Caiyun went to seek help from Duobao.

• Nezha baited greedy monsters with the Hun Tian Ling and killed those who tried to seize it, earning the people’s praise.
• Taiyi kidnapped Biyun Boy, disguised himself as the attendant, and provoked Nezha into chasing him to Skull Mountain.
• Nezha killed the real Biyun Boy in front of Shi Ji, then invoked Kong Xuan’s name and left after Shi Ji agreed to investigate.
• Taiyi disguised himself as Kong Xuan, accused Shi Ji of scheming against Nezha, and defeated her with Samadhi True Fire.
• Caiyun helped the badly injured Shi Ji and went to inform Duobao before Shi Ji fainted.

Duobao went to Skull Mountain after learning Shi Ji had been seriously injured, then confronted Kong Xuan at Floating Island to demand an explanation. Kong Xuan and Yao Ji’s playful ride through the clouds ended with Yao Ji wondering whether her husband really had another woman.

• Fire Spirit told Duobao that Shi Ji had been beaten into serious injuries and remained unconscious.
• Duobao healed Shi Ji, who awoke three days later and tried to keep Kong Xuan’s identity secret, but Caiyun Boy revealed it.
• Duobao took Fire Spirit to Floating Island to confront Kong Xuan despite Shi Ji’s warning not to provoke him.
• Kong Xuan let Yao Ji ride on his peacock form as they flew through the clouds, then tried to deny his identity when they met Duobao.
• Duobao confronted Kong Xuan about injuring Shi Ji, and Yao Ji began to suspect that Kong Xuan was seeing someone else.

Duobao accused Kong Xuan of mistreating his junior sister Shi Ji, but Kong Xuan denied knowing her, leaving Yao Ji convinced he had been unfaithful. The accusation sparked a fierce battle between the two, while the disciples gathered to watch and Yao Ji confided in the Three Xiāo.

• Duobao accused Kong Xuan of laying hands on Shi Ji, whom he said had taken human form from a stubborn rock.
• Yao Ji mistook Duobao's accusation for proof of an affair and demanded that Kong Xuan explain himself.
• Kong Xuan denied knowing Shi Ji, and he and Duobao clashed with their Spiritual Treasures and Divine Abilities.
• Ao Guang tried to mediate, but the battle escalated as Duobao formed the Myriad Treasures Great Array and Kong Xuan countered with the Five Elements Great Array.
• Yao Ji told the Three Xiāo that Kong Xuan had someone else, while Bi Xiao's remark about Hong Yun provoking many Martial Uncles drew murderous looks toward him.

Kong Xuan defeated Duobao in a fierce duel, using his Five-Colored Divine Light to seize the Duobao Pagoda and wound Duobao. Ao Guang stopped the battle, but Shi Ji’s arrival prompted Yao Ji to turn a resentful gaze toward Kong Xuan.

• Houtu teased Hong Yun by asking which woman he thought was prettiest and liked best, so he fled rather than answer.
• Duobao summoned his Duobao Pagoda, but Kong Xuan’s fused Five-Colored Divine Light brushed it away and sealed Duobao’s mind inside.
• Duobao transformed into a Sky Swallowing Rat and clashed with Kong Xuan, who became a giant peacock and later armored himself in Five-Colored Divine Light.
• Ao Guang intervened when Kong Xuan’s attacks began to damage Duobao’s foundation, and the two fighters returned to human form.
• Duobao admitted his skill was inferior, but Shi Ji’s arrival made Yao Ji look at Kong Xuan with greater resentment, while Bi Xiao eagerly anticipated more trouble.

Yao Ji and Duobao accused Kong Xuan of injuring Shi Ji, but Shi Ji realized the culprit had only impersonated him. Her admiration for Kong Xuan sparked jealousy from Yao Ji, and Ao Guang redirected the group toward finding the impersonator.

• Yao Ji confronted Kong Xuan and apologized to Shi Ji on his behalf, while Duobao accused Kong Xuan of attacking her three days earlier.
• Ao Guang asked Duobao to explain the accusation, and Duobao recounted what Caiyun Boy had told him.
• Kong Xuan denied knowing Shi Ji and swore that he had never met her before.
• Shi Ji said her attacker had Kong Xuan’s appearance but a completely different bearing, so she believed someone else had impersonated him.
• Shi Ji praised Kong Xuan and exchanged furtive glances with him, prompting Yao Ji to intervene and Bi Xiao to tease him about having two boats underfoot.
• Ao Guang ended the awkward exchange and urged everyone to find the person who had impersonated Kong Xuan.