Chapter Summaries

After Jiameng Pass fell and the Four Demonic Generals were killed, Wen Zhong prepared to stake Great Shang Dynasty’s remaining forces on a decisive battle. Ling Xiao watched as Wen Zhong’s fate neared its end and Ziwei sought to recruit him for the Thunder Department.

• A scout reported that Jiameng Pass had fallen, the Four Demonic Generals had been slaughtered, and Yu Yuan, Yu Hua, and the others were retreating toward Peach Blossom Ridge.
• Wen Zhong ordered Shen Gongbao to help rescue Yu Yuan and the others, declaring that Great Shang Dynasty would fight a decisive battle against Western Qi and Great Qin.
• Shen Gongbao warned Wen Zhong to reconsider and return to court, but Wen Zhong refused, and Shen Gongbao agreed to follow him.
• Ling Xiao watched Wen Zhong lead seven hundred thousand soldiers toward battle and judged that Wen Zhong’s death at Dragon Severing Ridge could not be changed.
• Ziwei told Ling Xiao that he hoped Wen Zhong would soon join the Investiture of the Gods List and take charge of the Thunder Department as the decisive battle approached.

Jiang Ziya and Wen Zhong’s armies clashed at Peach Blossom Ridge while Yang Jian and Nezha fought Shen Gongbao. Shen Gongbao broke Nezha’s Heavenly Burning Demon Domain with the Dragon Phoenix Sword, leaving Nezha defeated and badly injured.

• Jiang Ziya taunted Wen Zhong over Great Shang’s losses, but Wen Zhong refused to retreat and ordered his soldiers into battle.
• Jiang Ziya assigned Yang Jian and Nezha to subdue Shen Gongbao with the Wordless Heavenly Book protecting them from the Six Soul Banner.
• Lei Zhenzi charged Yu Yuan, and the two began fighting amid the battlefield’s slaughter.
• Yang Jian and Nezha pressured Shen Gongbao, with Nezha trapping him in the Heavenly Burning Demon Domain and Yang Jian wounding his right arm.
• Shen Gongbao drew the Dragon Phoenix Sword and unleashed the Great Shang Dynasty’s national destiny to break Nezha’s domain, sending Nezha flying backward and vomiting blood.

Jiang Ziya urged Wen Zhong to withdraw as the Great Shang army faltered, while Yu Yuan came under attack from Lei Zhenzi. Ling Jing sent the Seven Treasure Exquisite Pagoda to intervene, and the battle remained unresolved.

• Yang Jian and Nezha held Shen Gongbao at bay after Nezha warned that Shen Gongbao's powerful strike had exhausted his reliance on Great Shang's national fortune.
• Ziwei proposed Yang Jiao as one of the Four Saints of the North Pole, and Ling Xiao agreed to discuss the other positions with the Jade Emperor and Queen Mother.
• Jiang Ziya told Wen Zhong that withdrawing could preserve Great Shang's remaining strength, but Wen Zhong feared what would happen to Emperor Xin and the dynasty without his supervision.
• Lei Zhenzi battered Yu Yuan, whose Golden Light File was nearly destroyed, while Yu Hua cried out for help.
• Ling Jing judged that Lei Zhenzi had not yet harmed Yu Yuan's foundation and sent the Seven Treasure Exquisite Pagoda to attack.

Jiang Ziya’s forces defeated Wen Zhong’s army at Peach Blossom Ridge, killing Yu Yuan and destroying Wen Zhong’s Paired Dragon Golden Whip. Wen Zhong fled toward Dragon Severing Ridge, where Ling Xiao predicted he would die, while Jiang Ziya led troops in pursuit.

• Jiang Ziya broke Wen Zhong’s Paired Dragon Golden Whip with the God-Slaying Whip and left him severely wounded.
• Li Jing and Lei Zhenzi defeated Yu Yuan, whose primordial spirit and True Spirit ascended to the Investiture of the Gods List.
• Jiang Ziya’s call prompted the Great Shang Dynasty troops to retreat, and he ordered Li Jing to pursue Wen Zhong toward Dragon Severing Ridge.
• Jiang Ziya refused Huang Tianhua’s request to pursue Yu Hua and told him to help clear the battlefield instead.
• Ling Xiao drew Yu Yuan’s spirit into the Investiture of the Gods List and told Ziwei that Wen Zhong would die at Dragon Severing Ridge, where Yun Zhongzi awaited him.
• Wen Zhong woke among his fleeing soldiers, learned that Shen Gongbao was still occupied fighting Yang Jian and Nezha, and hurried his troops across Dragon Severing Ridge.

Yun Zhongzi prepared to kill Wen Zhong at Dragon Severing Ridge while Ling Xiao and Ziwei watched, hoping Wen Zhong would later serve as master of the Thunder Department. After Jiang Ziya refused Wen Zhong’s request to spare his soldiers, Yun Zhongzi revealed the Heavenly Fire Pillar and sealed the battlefield, leaving Wen Zhong facing his death.

• Ling Xiao and Ziwei arrived at Yun Zhongzi’s mountain and asked him to grant Wen Zhong a swift, dignified death.
• Jiang Ziya surrounded Wen Zhong and refused his offer to surrender himself in exchange for the safe return of seventy thousand Great Shang Dynasty soldiers.
• Jiang Ziya ordered Li Jing and the Western Qi army to attack, and Wen Zhong chose to fight rather than flee with the White-browed Tiger.
• Wen Zhong sensed an ambush and challenged Jiang Ziya to reveal his accomplice.
• Yun Zhongzi appeared and activated the Heavenly Fire Pillar, sealing the battlefield as Wen Zhong recognized that the treasure had been designed to counter his Paired Dragon Golden Whip.

Wen Zhong died at Dragon Severing Ridge after Yun Zhongzi and Jiang Ziya defeated his final attack. Ling Xiao welcomed him into the Investiture of the Gods List and promised him a high position in the Heavenly Court, while Jiang Ziya planned to use Wen Zhong’s death to expose Shen Gongbao’s schemes and further destabilize Great Shang Dynasty.

• Yun Zhongzi trapped Wen Zhong in the Heavenly Fire Pillar, and Jiang Ziya urged him to take his own life.
• Wen Zhong burned his essence and launched a desperate attack, but Jiang Ziya blocked it with the Apricot Yellow Flag of Wu and Yi, allowing Yun Zhongzi to kill him.
• Wen Zhong’s spirit met Ling Xiao and Ziwei, accepted his fate, and was promised the position of Grand Supreme Sage, Master of the Azure Heavens.
• Ling Xiao summoned Wen Zhong into the Investiture of the Gods List, where he reunited with Our Lady of Golden Spirit, Yu Yuan, and others.
• Jiang Ziya asked permission to escort Wen Zhong’s body to Zhaoge and reveal the truth about the Seven Aperture Exquisite Heart and Fox Fairy’s death.
• Ling Xiao approved Jiang Ziya’s plan, which aimed to provoke Emperor Xin and undermine the Sect of Interception.

After Wen Zhong’s death, Tongtian ordered Kong Xuan to return to Zhaoge and counter Jiang Ziya’s plans, while Lu Yue and Luo Xuan volunteered to join him. The Sect of Interception prepared to keep fighting in the Investiture of the Gods War, though Tongtian privately feared its prospects.

• Duobao reported that Wen Zhong had fallen, and Kong Xuan asked to return to Zhaoge to stabilize Great Shang Dynasty.
• Yun Xiao urged Tongtian to send Kong Xuan to support Great Shang Dynasty and warned that Jiang Ziya would exploit Wen Zhong’s death.
• Tongtian ordered Kong Xuan to stop Jiang Ziya’s scheme and kill Jin Buhuan, whom he condemned as a traitor.
• Lu Yue, Chen Geng, Li Ping, Lu Yue’s five disciples, and Luo Xuan volunteered to go to Zhaoge and fight in the war.
• Tongtian allowed Lu Yue and Luo Xuan to leave, saying the Sect of Interception could still turn the war around with the Ten Thousand Immortals Sword Formation.

Jiang Ziya and Li Jing escorted Wen Zhong’s body to Zhaoge while Yang Jian and Nezha kept Shen Gongbao from escaping to warn Emperor Xin. Emperor Xin broke down at Wen Zhong’s death, and the ministers demanded Jiang Ziya and Li Jing be seized as Tu Shan Youyue urged the ruler to reconsider.

• Yang Jian and Nezha fought Shen Gongbao and prevented him from returning to Zhaoge, while Ling Xiao and Ziwei followed Jiang Ziya’s group toward the city.
• Jiang Ziya and Li Jing reached Zhaoge with Wen Zhong’s body, followed by grieving Great Shang Dynasty commoners, and Feilian gave the Western Qi soldiers a command token to pass the guarded routes safely.
• Elai announced Wen Zhong’s return to Emperor Xin, and Jiang Ziya explained that Wen Zhong had died during the Investiture of the Gods War.
• Emperor Xin coughed up blood, saw Wen Zhong’s body, and collapsed in grief before it.
• Fei Zhong and You Hun accused Jiang Ziya and Li Jing of betraying Wen Zhong and demanded their execution, while Tu Shan Youyue urged Emperor Xin to reconsider.

Emperor Xin ordered a grand funeral for Wen Zhong and confronted Jiang Ziya and Ling Jing, while Jiang Ziya raised questions about Fox Fairy’s death. Tu Shan Youyue’s plan to leave Emperor Xin and seek a place on the Investiture of the Gods List was exposed, and she asked him to grant her wish.

• Emperor Xin ordered Feilian and Elai to give Wen Zhong a grand funeral, then accused Jiang Ziya and Ling Jing of causing the Great Shang Dynasty’s grief.
• Jiang Ziya challenged Emperor Xin over Fox Fairy’s death and suggested that Shen Gongbao had engineered her fate.
• Tu Shan Youyue furiously defended Fox Fairy’s execution, prompting the ministers and Emperor Xin to question her sudden change in demeanor.
• Ling Xiao and Ziwei discussed Tu Shan Youyue’s plan to leave Emperor Xin, sever her past ties, and enter the Investiture of the Gods List.
• Emperor Xin realized Tu Shan Youyue intended to leave him, and she admitted that she had contributed to the Great Shang Dynasty’s decline and asked him to fulfill her wish.

Emperor Xin killed Tu Shan Youyue after she asked to die rather than remain with Great Shang, then heard Jiang Ziya accuse Shen Gongbao of using Fox Fairy’s Seven Aperture Exquisite Heart to advance his cultivation. The chapter ended with Emperor Xin questioning whether Shen Gongbao had arranged Fox Fairy’s death.

• Tu Shan Youyue told Emperor Xin she wanted to leave the Investiture of the Gods Tribulation and asked him to grant her death.
• Jiang Ziya urged Emperor Xin to send Tu Shan Youyue to the battlefield, but she rejected his interference and defended her choice.
• Emperor Xin killed Tu Shan Youyue, ordered her body returned to Tushan without consort rites, and blamed Jiang Ziya and Ying Zheng for influencing her.
• Jiang Ziya accused Fei Zhong and You Hun of once benefiting from Fox Fairy’s rule and revealed that someone had excavated Fox Fairy’s Seven Aperture Exquisite Heart.
• Jiang Ziya named Shen Gongbao as the one who used Fox Fairy’s heart to improve his comprehension and reach the early Quasi-Sage realm.
• Emperor Xin connected Shen Gongbao to Fox Fairy’s death and asked whether the Imperial Preceptor had been the mastermind.

Jiang Ziya exposed Shen Gongbao’s role in Fox Fairy’s death and demanded that Emperor Xin expel him from Zhaoge and strip him of his Imperial Preceptor position, offering to bring Yin Jiao and Yin Hong back in exchange. Emperor Xin began to turn against Shen Gongbao, but Kong Xuan arrived to defend him, leaving the dispute unresolved.

• Jiang Ziya accused Shen Gongbao of revealing the truth about Huang Feihu and orchestrating events to obtain Fox Fairy’s Seven Aperture Exquisite Heart, then summoned Jin Buhuan to present Wuyun Xian’s memories.
• Jin Buhuan showed a jade slip revealing Shen Gongbao digging out Fox Fairy’s heart, but Emperor Xin initially defended Shen Gongbao and condemned Jiang Ziya for trying to divide them.
• Nezha and Yang Jian arrived, and Jiang Ziya confronted Shen Gongbao while Emperor Xin’s anger grew and the Dragon Phoenix Sword flew from Shen Gongbao to the throne.
• Shen Gongbao admitted taking Fox Fairy’s heart and claimed he had acted to strengthen his cultivation and protect Great Shang, while Jiang Ziya accused him and the Sect of Interception of deceiving Emperor Xin.
• Jiang Ziya asked Emperor Xin to expel Shen Gongbao and remove him as Imperial Preceptor, offering to persuade Yin Jiao and Yin Hong to return to Zhaoge.
• Kong Xuan arrived with Lu Yue, Luo Xuan, and other disciples and opposed Shen Gongbao’s expulsion.

Emperor Xin stripped Shen Gongbao of his position and expelled him from Zhaoge after Yang Jian challenged his authority and Jiang Ziya accused Shen Gongbao of wrongdoing. Shen Gongbao realized Jiang Ziya had drawn him into a larger scheme involving Yin Jiao and Yin Hong, while Ling Xiao anticipated unrest and rebellion within the Great Shang Dynasty.

• Lu Yue and Luo Xuan prepared to attack Jiang Ziya's group, but Kong Xuan restrained them and defended Shen Gongbao before Emperor Xin.
• Yang Jian urged Emperor Xin to uphold the dignity of the Human Sovereign rather than bow to the Sect of Interception disciples.
• Emperor Xin stripped Shen Gongbao of his Imperial Preceptor position and expelled him from Zhaoge, severing his ties to the Great Shang Dynasty's national fortune.
• Shen Gongbao confronted Emperor Xin, and Jiang Ziya warned that losing the dynasty's support would weaken Shen Gongbao's fate as one chosen for the Investiture of the Gods.
• Shen Gongbao realized Jiang Ziya was using Yin Jiao and Yin Hong to destabilize the Great Shang Dynasty and had drawn him into the scheme.
• Ziwei enjoyed watching the factions' schemes unfold, while Ling Xiao predicted that Shen Gongbao would fuel turmoil and that Yin Jiao and Yin Hong might rebel.

Emperor Xin expelled Shen Gongbao from Zhaoge, worsening the rift between the Great Shang Dynasty and the Sect of Interception. After Jiang Ziya and his companions left, Kong Xuan took charge of the court and sought to protect Shen Gongbao and the princes Yin Jiao and Yin Hong.

• Emperor Xin expelled Shen Gongbao, who vowed to return and make everyone regret it before flying away on the White-browed Tiger.
• Kong Xuan threatened Jiang Ziya and his companions, but Emperor Xin ordered them to leave the palace unharmed.
• Emperor Xin appointed Kong Xuan Grand Tutor and assigned Lu Yue, Luo Xuan, and the others to guard the Great Shang Dynasty’s realm and passes.
• Fei Zhong ordered guards to preserve Tu Shan Youyue’s corpse and return it to Tushan.
• Kong Xuan asked Luo Xuan to find Shen Gongbao and watch over Yin Jiao and Yin Hong, while Ling Xiao and Ziwei watched from the Nine Heavens Clouds.

After Emperor Xin expelled him from Zhaoge, Shen Gongbao planned to replace him with Yin Jiao or Yin Hong and win support from powerful feudal lords. Jiang Ziya learned of the scheme and sent allies to watch and exploit the upheaval, while Emperor Xin remained heedless of the danger facing the Great Shang Dynasty.

• Shen Gongbao vowed to support a new Human Sovereign and persuaded White-Browed Tiger to help recruit Yin Jiao, Yin Hong, E Shun, and Jiang Wenhuahn.
• Luo Xuan joined Shen Gongbao after he promised that backing a new ruler would bring them Great Shang Dynasty national fortune and help their cultivation.
• Yang Jian reported Shen Gongbao's rebellion plans to Jiang Ziya, who agreed to send Jin Buhuan, Nezha, and Yang Jian to invite Maitreya Buddha, Yellow Dragon, and others to watch the turmoil.
• Emperor Xin sensed an ominous sign but dismissed his concerns and continued feasting, while Kong Xuan sensed danger over Zhaoge and worried over the Great Shang Dynasty's lost territory.

Yin Jiao and Yin Hong considered returning to Great Shang as the dynasty faced defeat, but Shen Gongbao and Luo Xuan urged them to depose Emperor Xin and install Yin Jiao as Human Sovereign. Yin Jiao accepted the plan and appointed Shen Gongbao and Luo Xuan to high positions, leaving the brothers poised to challenge their father.

• Yin Jiao told Yin Hong that they should descend Mount Kongtong to defend Great Shang, and Yin Hong asked if he was truly decided.
• Shen Gongbao and Luo Xuan arrived and asked Yin Jiao and Yin Hong to lead the lords in purging Emperor Xin’s court and changing the ruler.
• Yin Hong rejected the proposal as treason, while Shen Gongbao argued that Emperor Xin had failed the dynasty and its people.
• Luo Xuan presented Yin Jiao with a Human Emperor's Ceremonial Robe and urged him to reveal his ambition.
• Yin Jiao agreed to become Human Sovereign, named Shen Gongbao his Yafu, and appointed Luo Xuan Chancellor and Commander-in-Chief.

Ling Xiao and the others discussed Shen Gongbao’s rebellion and whether Emperor Xin or Yin Jiao would prevail, while Shen Gongbao’s army advanced on Zhaoge. Yin Jiao embraced his new claim to the throne and gave E Shun permission to kill Emperor Xin if necessary.

• Jiang Ziya reported that Yin Jiao and Yin Hong had left Mount Kongtong and gained the support of Jiang Wenhuan, E Shun, and the commanders at the passes.
• Maitreya Buddha and Du'e Zhenren praised Jiang Ziya’s plot, while Du'e prepared Great Qin troops to attack Sishui Pass.
• Ling Xiao predicted that Emperor Xin might fight back and that Yin Jiao and Yin Hong could switch sides, leaving the feudal lords trapped.
• Shen Gongbao’s army marched toward Zhaoge as Yin Jiao promised Jiang Wenhuan and E Shun that he would hand over Fei Zhong and You Hun after taking the throne.
• Jiang Wenhuan and E Shun pledged their support, and Yin Jiao told E Shun to act freely if killing Emperor Xin became necessary.

As Yin Jiao’s rebellion threatened Zhaoge, Fei Zhong and You Hun urged Emperor Xin’s forces to act but doubted Kong Xuan could defeat the rebels. They decided to steal the Human Emperor Jade Seal and Dragon Phoenix Sword and offer them to the new ruler, while Ling Xiao and the others watched their scheme unfold.

• Fei Zhong blamed Shen Gongbao and Luo Xuan for inciting Yin Jiao and Yin Hong’s rebellion and urged Kong Xuan to kill them.
• You Hun accused Kong Xuan of hesitating, and Kong Xuan promised Emperor Xin he would devise a plan.
• Emperor Xin went to the inner palace, while Kong Xuan ordered Feilian and Lu Yue to lead the army beyond Zhaoge and told Fei Zhong and You Hun to watch the ministers.
• Fei Zhong and You Hun concluded that the rebels were likely to win and feared they would be killed if Zhaoge fell.
• You Hun proposed stealing the Human Emperor Jade Seal and Dragon Phoenix Sword to offer to Jiang Wenhuahn and the other rebel leaders, and Fei Zhong agreed.
• Ling Xiao and the others observed Fei Zhong and You Hun’s plan.

Yin Jiao led his army to Zhaoge and demanded that Emperor Xin abdicate, while Kong Xuan sought to prevent a devastating battle. The standoff intensified when Fei Zhong and You Hun defected to Yin Jiao with the Human Emperor Jade Seal and Dragon Phoenix Sword.

• Kong Xuan and Lu Yue prepared to defend Zhaoge, with Lu Yue offering to use plague and poison against Yin Jiao's army if needed.
• Yin Jiao arrived with Shen Gongbao and a million troops, proclaimed himself the rightful Human Sovereign, and demanded that Emperor Xin surrender the throne.
• Kong Xuan urged Shen Gongbao to stop the rebellion and offered to restore him as Grand Preceptor, but Shen Gongbao refused and threatened to spill blood in Zhaoge.
• Yin Jiao rejected Kong Xuan's offer, accused Emperor Xin of grave crimes, and insisted he would rule the Great Shang Dynasty.
• Fei Zhong and You Hun entered Zhaoge's formation and presented Yin Jiao with the Human Emperor Jade Seal and Dragon Phoenix Sword, while E Shun tried to kill them.
• Yin Jiao stopped E Shun and pardoned Fei Zhong and You Hun, prompting Kong Xuan and Feilian to react furiously to their defection.

Yin Jiao used the Great Shang Human Emperor Jade Seal and Dragon Phoenix Sword to claim the throne, while Fei Zhong and You Hun helped turn the army against Emperor Xin with fabricated accusations. Emperor Xin attacked his sons, and Yin Jiao called Shen Gongbao "Yifu" for help, leaving Emperor Xin stunned by the apparent betrayal.

• Fei Zhong and You Hun stole the Great Shang Human Emperor Jade Seal and Dragon Phoenix Sword from the civil ministers and handed them to Yin Jiao.
• Kong Xuan confronted Fei Zhong and You Hun outside Zhaoge, but Fei Zhong defended Yin Jiao as the rightful Human Sovereign and urged the soldiers to welcome him.
• You Hun and Yin Jiao fabricated claims that Emperor Yi had chosen Yin Jiao to rule, prompting calls to welcome the new sovereign and weakening the Great Shang army's resolve.
• Emperor Xin arrived and denounced Yin Jiao and Yin Hong after discovering they had taken control of the two treasures.
• Yin Jiao and Yin Hong presented Emperor Xin with a false proclamation condemning him, and Emperor Xin attacked them in fury.
• Yin Jiao called Shen Gongbao "Yifu" for protection, and Shen Gongbao intervened while Emperor Xin stared in disbelief.

Ling Xiao and Ziwei arrived in Zhaoge as Emperor Xin appealed for their judgment against Yin Jiao and Yin Hong, while Jiang Ziya affirmed that Emperor Xin remained Great Shang’s rightful Human Sovereign. Emperor Xin awakened Cheng Tang’s armor and rallied Feilian and Elai, leaving Kong Xuan uncertain whether to support Yin Jiao or oppose his fellow Sect of Interception disciples.

• Ling Xiao and Ziwei descended upon Zhaoge, and Jiang Ziya urged Emperor Xin to ask them to judge the rebellion.
• Emperor Xin appealed to the Heavenly Emperors, and Ling Xiao declared that Jiang Ziya, Maitreya Buddha, and the others would uphold justice without directly intervening.
• Jiang Ziya reminded Emperor Xin that he alone was Great Shang’s Human Sovereign and encouraged him to confront Yin Jiao and Yin Hong.
• Emperor Xin awakened Cheng Tang’s armor, drawing on Great Shang’s national fortune as Feilian and tens of thousands of Human Emperor’s Guards rallied to him.
• Elai answered Emperor Xin’s call in blood-colored armor, and Ling Xiao and Ziwei praised his strength and affinity with Qiongqi.
• Lu Yue asked Kong Xuan whether to suppress Emperor Xin, but Kong Xuan hesitated over fighting fellow Sect of Interception disciples and harming the people of Zhaoge.