Chapter Summaries

Boyi Kao entered Zhaoge with San Yisheng and Nezha to seek Marquis Jichang’s release, while Emperor Xin asked why he had not brought Su Daji. Shen Gongbao accused Boyi Kao of plotting against the Great Shang, but Jiang Ziya, Nezha, and Bi Gan defended him, and Fox Fairy distracted Emperor Xin as Boyi Kao prepared to present his tribute.

• Boyi Kao, San Yisheng, and Nezha entered the Human Emperor’s Palace, where Boyi Kao paid his respects to Emperor Xin and the consorts.
• Emperor Xin asked Boyi Kao why he had not brought Su Daji, and Boyi Kao explained that they had postponed their wedding until Jichang could return from Youli.
• Shen Gongbao accused Boyi Kao of trying to secure Jichang’s release for Western Qi, while Jiang Ziya defended Boyi Kao’s loyalty to the Great Shang.
• Nezha mocked Shen Gongbao, and Jiang Ziya and Bi Gan warned the Imperial Preceptor against provoking him.
• Fox Fairy urged Emperor Xin to inspect Western Qi’s tribute, distracted him with her charms, and Emperor Xin told Boyi Kao to present the supreme treasures.

Ling Xiao manipulated karma so Boyi Kao openly rejected Fox Fairy, prompting her to accuse him before Emperor Xin. Emperor Xin ordered Boyi Kao executed, leaving his death imminent.

• Boyi Kao presented Emperor Xin with a Sobering Mat and a white ape, then played the qin at Fox Fairy’s request.
• Fox Fairy tried to seduce Boyi Kao and offered to seek Jichang’s release, but he rejected her.
• Ling Xiao used the law of karma to intensify Boyi Kao’s righteous anger, and Boyi Kao insulted Fox Fairy through Dao Sound.
• Fox Fairy accused Boyi Kao of molesting her, while Boyi Kao exposed her attempted seduction and appealed to Emperor Xin.
• Emperor Xin rejected Boyi Kao’s defense and ordered him stripped and sliced into a thousand pieces.

Boyi Kao was executed after confronting Emperor Xin, and Shen Gongbao devised a test to determine whether Jichang would be released from Youli. Emperor Xin ordered Shen Gongbao to prepare Boyi Kao’s flesh as meat pies and made Jichang’s fate depend on whether he ate them.

• Emperor Xin ordered Boyi Kao to be tortured to death, while San Yisheng could not save him.
• Bi Gan urged Emperor Xin to release Jichang, and You Hun and Fei Zhong supported the plan with a proposal to grant him a princely title.
• Shen Gongbao proposed feeding Jichang meat pies made from Boyi Kao’s flesh to test his divination and loyalty.
• Emperor Xin ordered Shen Gongbao to conduct the test and told Fei Zhong and You Hun to prepare two decrees, one releasing Jichang if he ate the pies and the other ordering his execution if he refused.
• Shen Gongbao left to fetch Boyi Kao’s flesh, while Fox Fairy had Boyi Kao’s remains thrown into the Scorpion Basin and reduced to ashes.

After Boyi Kao died, Ling Xiao left Zhaoge, while Shen Gongbao and the others brought Jichang a chance to return to Western Qi. Jichang ate the last of Boyi Kao’s remains, accepted the title of Prince Zhongxiao Wen, then broke down in grief as Nezha carried him home.

• Ling Xiao departed for the Nine Heavens Clouds, and Jiang Ziya, Wuyun Xian, and Dingguang Immortal followed to learn what would happen to Boyi Kao’s soul.
• Shen Gongbao, Fei Zhong, You Hun, San Yisheng, and Nezha went to Youli to release Jichang, with Nezha warning Shen Gongbao not to interfere.
• Jichang feigned indifference to Boyi Kao’s death, then ate the meat pies made from his son’s remains so he could preserve them for a funeral in Western Qi.
• Fei Zhong read Emperor Xin’s decree granting Jichang the title of Prince Zhongxiao Wen, and Jichang accepted it while pledging loyalty to the Great Shang Dynasty.
• After Shen Gongbao and the others left, Nezha told Jichang to grieve and warned him to vomit up the remains before they were digested; Jichang collapsed in tears, and Nezha carried him toward Western Qi.
• Shen Gongbao demanded half the benefits Western Qi gave Fei Zhong and You Hun, leaving both ministers heartsick.

Ling Xiao helped Ziwei recover his consciousness and set out with him for Ziwei Star, where he would restore his cultivation and take his place as Great Emperor of North Pole Ziwei. As the Sect of Interception lamented the Heavenly Court’s growing power, Tongtian proposed using the Ferocious Beasts Clan to destabilize Northern Darkness and create trouble for the Heavenly Court.

• Ziwei thanked Ling Xiao for awakening him, and Ling Xiao escorted him toward Ziwei Star to restore his past-life cultivation and assume his Heavenly Court position.
• Jiang Ziya, Dingguang Immortal, and Wuyun Xian followed as news of Ziwei’s return spread throughout the Primordial Three Realms.
• Duobao, Golden Light Holy Mother, and Qin Tianjun blamed Ling Xiao and regretted that the Sect of Interception had failed to secure positions among the Six Emperors.
• Ghost Chariot offered to attack Ziwei and risk his life, but Nuwa rebuked him and warned that he could not defeat Ziwei under the watch of powerful allies.
• Tongtian told the Sect of Interception to let Ziwei’s return proceed and proposed bringing the Ferocious Beasts Clan back into the world to provoke chaos in Northern Darkness and undermine the Heavenly Court.

Ling Xiao used the Time Law to help Ziwei recover his past-life cultivation and foundation, then Ziwei broke through to the Quasi-Sage realm by severing his good corpse. The chapter ended with Ziwei’s good corpse revealed as Boyi Kao, as Ziwei prepared to receive his investiture in Lingxiao Palace.

• Taibai Jinxing and Perfected Immortal Taiyi mocked the Sect of Interception while the Heavenly Court gathered to welcome Ling Xiao and Ziwei.
• Ling Xiao accelerated Ziwei’s recovery with the Time Law, restoring his body and past-life cultivation.
• Perfected Immortal Taiyi needled Wuyun Xian and Dingguang Immortal, who rebuked his mockery of the Sect of Interception.
• Ziwei drew upon the Stars of the Heavens, reached the peak of his past-life cultivation, and used the Chixiao Sword to sever his good corpse.
• Ling Xiao recognized Ziwei’s good corpse as Boyi Kao, and Ziwei prepared to go to Lingxiao Palace for his investiture.

Ling Xiao and Haotian invoked the Heavenly Dao to confer Ziwei as the Great Emperor of North Pole Ziwei, strengthening the Heavenly Court’s authority. At the banquet, Dingguang Immortal warned that a upheaval was coming, and Ling Xiao revealed that he knew the Sect of Interception planned to use the Ferocious Beasts to cause trouble.

• Haotian and Yaochi persuaded Ling Xiao to join them in invoking Heavenly Dao Luck and authority for Ziwei’s investiture.
• Ling Xiao rang the Chaos Bell and helped Haotian confer the title of Great Emperor of North Pole Ziwei on Ziwei, who was entrusted with governing the stars.
• Yaochi offered Ziwei a blessed land in Great Net Heaven near Ling Xiao’s Primordial Dao Palace, and Ziwei toasted the assembled guests.
• Jiang Ziya mocked Wuyun Xian and Dingguang Immortal for their diminished standing, while Perfected Immortal Taiyi taunted them about the Investiture of the Gods Tribulation.
• Dingguang Immortal declared that a great upheaval was coming and that the Sect of Interception would turn the tide; Ling Xiao replied that he knew they planned to use the Ferocious Beasts to stir up trouble.

Fox Fairy suffered a Heavenly Dao backlash that destroyed her heart meridians and Dao Heart, and Shen Gongbao revealed that Bigan’s Seven Aperture Exquisite Heart could save her. Emperor Xin chose to sacrifice Bigan, then summoned the ministers to judge him as Fox Fairy’s life faded.

• Emperor Xin summoned Shen Gongbao after Fox Fairy suddenly collapsed, and Kong Xuan identified her injury as a Heavenly Dao backlash caused by the karma of Boyi Kao’s death.
• Shen Gongbao said only Nuwa might heal Fox Fairy, or her heart could be replaced with Bigan’s Seven Aperture Exquisite Heart; Emperor Xin raged and feared for his beloved consort.
• Fei Zhong and You Hun urged Emperor Xin to take Bigan’s heart, accusing him of contributing to Fox Fairy’s calamity and seeking advancement for themselves.
• Emperor Xin ordered Bigan brought to the Human Emperor’s Palace for judgment, while Fox Fairy remained barely alive in his arms.
• Bigan respectfully asked why Emperor Xin had summoned the ministers, and Emperor Xin told his royal uncle to kneel and said he begged him for one thing.

Emperor Xin ordered Bi Gan to surrender his Seven Aperture Exquisite Heart to save Fox Fairy, and Bi Gan obeyed after condemning the ruler and his corrupt ministers. He left the palace heartless, with only a final breath remaining, and recalled a prophecy that a woman selling heartless vegetables might offer him a chance to survive.

• Emperor Xin ordered Bi Gan to kneel and give up his Seven Aperture Exquisite Heart to revive Fox Fairy.
• Fei Zhong and You Hun threatened Bi Gan, while Shen Gongbao used his mana to silence the ministers who tried to remonstrate.
• Bi Gan denounced Emperor Xin, slapped You Hun into a pillar, and made Emperor Xin promise to give him an ordinary burial.
• Bi Gan declared that Emperor Xin would be the ruler of a fallen kingdom, cut open his chest, and threw his Seven Aperture Exquisite Heart to the ground.
• Bi Gan walked out of the Human Emperor's Palace and recalled a prophecy about asking a woman selling heartless vegetables whether people without hearts could live.

Emperor Xin gave Bi Gan’s Seven Aperture Exquisite Heart to Fox Fairy, who recovered and gained a higher cultivation realm. He appointed Fei Zhong as chancellor and You Hun as vice chancellor, while the dying Bi Gan prepared for his funeral and learned that the mysterious woman selling heartless vegetables could offer him a chance to live.

• Emperor Xin used the Seven Aperture Exquisite Heart to restore Fox Fairy, whose cultivation rose to the Early-stage Golden Immortal of Grand Dao realm.
• Fox Fairy persuaded Emperor Xin to reward Fei Zhong and You Hun with Bi Gan’s vacant chancellor post and the vice chancellor post.
• Fei Zhong and You Hun accepted their appointments, and Emperor Xin left court with Fox Fairy and Tu Shan Youyue.
• At Bi Gan’s residence, Bi Gan told his grieving family that his death was part of the greater trend and urged them to flee to Western Qi afterward.
• Bi Gan recognized the woman selling heartless vegetables as the fortune-teller from his childhood, and she offered him a chance to keep living.

Bi Gan died after Cihang Daoist answered his question about living without a heart, and his spirit entered the Investiture of the Gods List. Ling Xiao then learned that Ghost Chariot and Sect of Interception disciples had found the Ferocious Beast Clan in the North Sea Burial Abyss and were trying to break its seal.

• Cihang Daoist answered Bi Gan that a person without a heart must die, and Bi Gan fell dead as his remaining life force ran out.
• Shen Gongbao rebuked Cihang Daoist for trying to tempt him into taking Fox Fairy's Seven Aperture Exquisite Heart, and Cihang Daoist left for Kunlun Mountain.
• Bi Gan's spirit arrived at Lingxiao Palace, where Ling Xiao placed it on the Investiture of the Gods List.
• Ling Xiao sent Jiang Ziya, Wuyun Xian, and Dingguang Immortal back to Zhaoge before asking Hou Yi to report on the Ferocious Beast Clan.
• Hou Yi reported that Ghost Chariot and the Sect of Interception disciples had found the Ferocious Beast Clan in the North Sea Burial Abyss and were trying to break its sealing formation.
• Azure Dragon and the other officials reacted angrily, while Ling Xiao said Dao Ancestor Hongjun might have anticipated the attempt to release the Ferocious Beast Clan.

Ling Xiao chose to stay out of the Sect of Interception’s North Sea campaign and gained the Primordial Chaos Codex, while waiting in Zhaoge for Grand Tutor Wen Zhong’s return. Wen Zhong arrived and discovered the truth about Emperor Xin’s atrocities, leaving him devastated by the collapse of the Great Shang he had served.

• Ling Xiao chose the system’s third option and received the Primordial Chaos Codex, which could equalize opponents’ strength and provide a method for opening the Chaos Void.
• Ling Xiao considered using the Codex’s method to give the Ferocious Beast Clan a place to live and help nourish the Primordial Wilderness.
• Wen Zhong approached Zhaoge with Yu Yuan and the victorious Great Shang army, but remained troubled by rumors of Emperor Xin’s misrule.
• Wen Zhong found Bi Gan’s grave, learned that Bi Gan had died and his family had left Zhaoge, and confirmed the rumors with his Divine Sense.
• Wen Zhong learned of Empress Jiang’s death and the executions of Marquis Jiang Huanchu and Marquis E Chongyu, then recognized that Emperor Xin had betrayed the Great Shang and his own ambitions.

Wen Zhong returned to Zhaoge and angrily confronted Emperor Xin over the court’s corruption and his indulgence in favored consorts. He presented ten reforms, but Emperor Xin refused to depose Fox Fairy and Tu Shan Youyue or punish Fei Zhong and You Hun, leaving the two at an impasse.

• Wen Zhong summoned Emperor Xin to court and rebuked Jiang Ziya for interfering in Great Shang Dynasty's affairs.
• Emperor Xin arrived late from Longevity Palace and tried to welcome Wen Zhong with a banquet.
• Wen Zhong condemned Emperor Xin's rule and silenced Shen Gongbao when he tried to defend the sovereign.
• Wen Zhong presented ten measures to restore order, including dismantling Deer Tower, deposing Fox Fairy and Tu Shan Youyue, and executing Fei Zhong and You Hun.
• Emperor Xin accepted seven measures but refused the ones targeting his favored consorts and ministers, and Wen Zhong warned that Great Shang Dynasty could not recover while they remained.
• Emperor Xin angrily challenged Wen Zhong, and the two stood firm as the ministers watched in fear and Ling Xiao smiled from the Nine Heavens Clouds.

Ling Xiao and Azure Dragon discussed Wen Zhong’s fate and his future role as the Thunder Department’s chief deity. At the Human Emperor’s Palace, Wen Zhong attacked Fei Zhong and You Hun, accepted Emperor Xin’s treasures to strengthen himself, and set out to restore order while Jiang Ziya departed to meet Ling Xiao.

• Azure Dragon judged Wen Zhong’s fate, and Ling Xiao said Wen Zhong was destined to become the Nine Heavens Responding Yuan Thunderclap Universal Transformation Heavenly Venerable.
• Wen Zhong urged Emperor Xin to stop shielding his corrupt ministers and warned that the Great Shang Dynasty would fall if the court remained in chaos.
• Fei Zhong challenged Wen Zhong, who struck him down, then injured You Hun when he accused Wen Zhong of attacking a fellow official.
• Kong Xuan intervened to protect Fei Zhong and You Hun, and Emperor Xin gave Wen Zhong Enlightenment Tea Leaves and Yellow Center Plum.
• Wen Zhong accepted the treasures, demanded that Emperor Xin attend court regularly, and left to improve his cultivation.
• Jiang Ziya bid farewell to Emperor Xin and flew toward the peak of the heavens to meet Ling Xiao.

Jiang Ziya agreed to help Ling Xiao gather the other sects against the Sect of Interception’s scheme at the North Sea Burial Abyss. There, the Ferocious Beast Clan’s leaders debated whether to trust the Sect of Interception or remain under Dao Ancestor Hongjun’s suppression, and Mo Fei wondered whether the sect could become their backer.

• Jiang Ziya agreed to contact the Western Sect, Sect of Enlightenment, and Human Sect and bring them to the North Sea Burial Abyss when Ling Xiao signaled.
• Ling Xiao manipulated karma toward Zhaoge and set out for the North Sea Burial Abyss with Azure Dragon and Xuanwu.
• Ghost Chariot and the Sect of Interception disciples continued breaking the restrictive grand formation, while Holy Mother Turtle Spirit questioned why the Ferocious Beast Clan had not responded.
• Zhu Yan urged the Ferocious Beast Clan to join the effort to escape, but Lei Zheng and Mo Fei warned that the clan was too weak to risk renewed conflict.
• Lei Zheng said the clan would soon have to choose between submitting to the Sect of Interception and following Dao Ancestor Hongjun’s will, while Mo Fei wondered whether the Sect of Interception could serve as their backer.

Ling Xiao, Azure Dragon, and Xuanwu arrived at the North Sea Burial Abyss as Ghost Chariot and the Sect of Interception broke the restriction and tried to persuade the Ferocious Beast Clan to attack the Witch Clan. Lei Zheng refused to join them, but Ghost Chariot stirred the beasts’ bloodlust before Ling Xiao revealed himself, leaving Yun Xiao longing to approach him and Qin Tianjun urging her to stay alert.

• Azure Dragon and Xuanwu discussed their mission to kill Ghost Chariot, while Ling Xiao suggested Ghost Chariot was a discarded pawn of the Sect of Interception.
• The restriction collapsed, releasing a flood of baleful energy, and Ghost Chariot called on the Ferocious Beast Clan to emerge.
• Lei Zheng, backed by Zhu Yan and Mo Fei, refused to leave the North Sea Burial Abyss or join the Sect of Interception’s plan.
• Ghost Chariot tempted the beasts with the prospect of devouring the Witch Clan, stirring their killing intent and making Zhu Yan waver.
• Ling Xiao descended with Azure Dragon and Xuanwu, and his radiance cleared the minds of some ferocious beasts.
• Yun Xiao recognized Ling Xiao and longed to renew their relationship, while Qin Tianjun warned her that Ling Xiao knew of their scheme.

Ling Xiao confronted the Sect of Interception and the Ferocious Beast Kings at the North Sea Burial Abyss after the sealing array vanished. He rejected Yun Xiao’s advances, exposed Ghost Chariot’s evasive claims, and left the gathered factions uncertain as he proposed roles for the Beast Kings in the Heavenly Court.

• Zhu Yan feared Ling Xiao, Azure Dragon, and Xuanwu had come to destroy the Ferocious Beast Clan, while Mo Fei argued they still had a chance to survive.
• Yun Xiao tried to win Ling Xiao’s affection, but Ling Xiao rebuffed her, and Xuanwu struck her away when she treated Ling Xiao’s rebuke as concern.
• Ling Xiao questioned Ghost Chariot about the vanished sealing array, while Ghost Chariot claimed it had naturally eroded and warned Ling Xiao not to restore it.
• Ling Xiao said he was considering duties for Lei Zheng, Zhu Yan, and Mo Fei, and suggested the injured Qiongqi had the bearing of a Heavenly Court Deity.

Ling Xiao offered the Ferocious Beasts race a place in the Heavenly Court, but the Sect of Interception's attempt to provoke them into violence backfired when Qin Tianjun's accusation drove Lei Zheng to threaten to expose the sect. Ling Xiao protected the three Beast Kings and summoned other sects to contain the rampaging beasts, leaving Shen Gongbao's group trapped in a scheme that threatened Ghost Chariot and the Sect of Interception's reputation.

• Ling Xiao promised Lei Zheng, Zhu Yan, and Mo Fei important posts and offered to heal Beast King Qiongqi if the Ferocious Beasts joined the Heavenly Court and helped the Primordial World.
• Xuanwu used the laws of order to drive the Ferocious Beasts into a rampage, while Zhu Yan blamed Ghost Chariot for inciting their clansmen.
• Qin Tianjun accused Lei Zheng and the other Beast Kings of ordering the attack, prompting Lei Zheng to threaten to reveal what the Sect of Interception had done in the North Sea Burial Abyss.
• Shen Gongbao urged Ghost Chariot to kill the Beast Kings, but Xuanwu, Azure Dragon, and Ling Xiao protected them and blocked Ghost Chariot's attack.
• Ling Xiao summoned Jiang Ziya, Guangchengzi, Grand Master Xuandu, and others to calm the Ferocious Beasts, and Wuyun Xian realized the Sect of Interception had fallen into Ling Xiao's scheme.

Ling Xiao’s scheme left Ghost Chariot and the Sect of Interception’s disciples trapped in the North Sea Burial Abyss under suspicion of conspiring with the Ferocious Beasts. At Golden Ao Island, Tongtian and Nuwa refused to rescue them immediately, leaving Bai Ze disheartened by the Sages’ hesitation.

• Ling Xiao denied Wuyun Xian’s accusations while Azure Dragon and Xuanwu held Ghost Chariot and the others in the North Sea Burial Abyss until Jiang Ziya and the others returned.
• At the Palace of Green Essence, Daoist Duobao and Our Lady of Wudang realized Ling Xiao’s scheme threatened the Sect of Interception and its standing.
• Bai Ze urged Tongtian and Nuwa to bring Ghost Chariot and the other disciples back before Lei Zheng, Zhu Yan, and Mo Fei testified.
• Our Lady of Fire Spirit challenged Bai Ze, and Daoist Duobao reprimanded her, deepening Bai Ze’s humiliation.
• Nuwa refused to intervene at once, and Tongtian proposed waiting until one person took the blame before they acted.
• Bai Ze understood that Ghost Chariot or another disciple might be made the scapegoat, and his heart turned cold with disappointment.

At the North Sea Burial Abyss, Ling Xiao and the other forces confronted Ghost Chariot and the Sect of Interception disciples over the destroyed restrictions and the Ferocious Beast Clan’s attempted rampage. Lei Zheng accused Ghost Chariot and his group of acting behind their Saints’ backs, and Ling Xiao asked whether he had evidence as the confrontation continued.

• Jiang Ziya, Xuandu, and the other leaders gathered at the North Sea Burial Abyss, where Bhaisajyaguru Buddha credited Ling Xiao’s Pure White Lotus with helping return the Ferocious Beast Clan to its home.
• Dingguang Immortal tried to take Ghost Chariot and the Sect of Interception disciples back to Golden Turtle Island, but Ling Xiao insisted that Lei Zheng and the others be heard before witnesses.
• Ling Xiao and Jiang Ziya praised the effort to clear the Sect of Interception’s name, while Guangchengzi taunted its disciples and Xuandu questioned the Ferocious Beast Kings.
• Lei Zheng stopped Zhu Yan from revealing everything and accused Ghost Chariot and the other disciples of destroying the Abyss’s restrictions and provoking the Ferocious Beast Clan behind Sect Master Tongtian and Nuwa’s backs.
• Ghost Chariot attacked Lei Zheng, but Azure Dragon blocked him, and Ling Xiao refused Holy Mother Turtle Spirit’s plea to end the confrontation.
• Ling Xiao asked Lei Zheng whether he had evidence for his accusations.