Chapter Summaries

Saint Mother Jin Ling brought Jiang Ziya back to Jinao Island after his three years of learning statecraft and military affairs in Chaoge. Sect Master Tongtian praised his progress and told him to remain on the island and cultivate in peace.

• Saint Mother Jin Ling praised Wen Zhong for teaching Jiang Ziya and told Jiang Ziya that Tongtian was pleased with his work in Chaoge.
• Jin Ling took Jiang Ziya from Chaoge to Jinao Island, while he and Wen Zhong thanked each other for their time together.
• Jiang Ziya reported to Tongtian that he had mastered the Great Shang’s laws, geography, military strategy, and governance.
• Tongtian approved of Jiang Ziya’s confidence and ordered him to stay on Jinao Island and seek guidance from Duobao in his cultivation.
• Jiang Ziya left Biyou Palace, relieved to return and begin cultivating as a true immortal of the Interception Sect.

After years of neglect as a nominal disciple, Shen Gongbao pressured Immortal Official Nanji into teaching him two Jade Void Palace techniques by invoking the Chan Sect’s plans for the Investiture of the Gods. He left with the techniques, while Nanji secretly vowed to punish him once his usefulness ended.

• Shen Gongbao resolved to stop accepting neglect and went to seek cultivation guidance from Immortal Official Nanji.
• Nanji dismissed Shen Gongbao’s concerns and warned him to focus on his shallow foundation.
• Shen Gongbao argued that his weakness could jeopardize the Chan Sect’s plans and implicate Nanji in any failure.
• Nanji reluctantly taught Shen Gongbao the Jade Pure Divine Firmament Thunder Technique and the Earth-Traversing Golden Light Technique.
• Shen Gongbao left with the techniques, and Nanji privately vowed to destroy him after the Investiture of the Gods.

Yuanshi ordered Taiyi to send Lingzhuzi to reincarnate as Li Jing’s child at Chentang Pass, giving him three spiritual treasures for his future disciple. Taiyi also reported Shen Gongbao to Yuanshi, then placed Lingzhuzi in Lady Yin’s womb and left him awaiting birth.

• Yuanshi summoned Taiyi, named Lingzhuzi as the Person of Destiny who would take the tribulation in his place, and ordered Taiyi to arrange his human reincarnation.
• Yuanshi gave Taiyi the Universe Ring, the Chaos Tunic, and the Fire-Tipped Spear to bestow on Lingzhuzi after taking him as a disciple.
• Yuanshi told Taiyi to send Lingzhuzi to Lady Yin at Chentang Pass, saying the reincarnation would settle Karma with the Dragon Clan and did not require notifying Empress Pingxin.
• Taiyi told Yuanshi that Shen Gongbao had demanded immortal arts from Nanji, and Yuanshi said Nanji would handle the matter while warning that Shen Gongbao should curb his ambitions.
• Taiyi traveled to Chentang Pass and sent Lingzhuzi into Lady Yin’s womb, promising to return when the child was born.

As Emperor Yi lay dying, he entrusted Great Shang to Zi Shou and declared that his son had the qualifications to become a Human Emperor like the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. Zi Shou doubted he could match the ancient sages, and Emperor Yi began to explain why he had kept Zi Shou under his constant supervision since childhood.

• Emperor Yi entrusted Great Shang and its people to Zi Shou, who vowed to govern diligently and strengthen the dynasty.
• Emperor Yi said Zi Shou could become a Human Emperor like the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, leaving Zi Shou astonished.
• Zi Shou admitted he could become a wise ruler but had no confidence in matching the ancient sages.
• Emperor Yi reassured Zi Shou that his claim had a reason and asked whether he knew why he had kept him close since childhood.
• Zi Shou recalled that Emperor Yi had personally arranged his education and even controlled when his mother could see him.

Emperor Yi revealed that the Human Emperor Sword had chosen Zi Shou as its master on the day he was born, explaining why he had guarded and prepared his son so carefully. Zi Shou claimed the sword and embraced his ambition to walk his own path as the future of Great Shang and the Human Race.

• Emperor Yi told Zi Shou that the Human Emperor Sword had acknowledged him as its master at birth.
• Emperor Yi explained that the sword had chosen Zi Shou as the Human Emperor favored by the Human Race's Fortune.
• Zi Shou touched the wooden box, and the Human Emperor Sword rang out and opened it on its own.
• Zi Shou grasped the sword, joined his Fortune with it, and merged with its aura without resistance.
• Emperor Yi gave Zi Shou the sword and urged him to walk his own path.
• Zi Shou raised the Human Emperor Sword toward the firmament, newly resolved to challenge Heaven and Earth.

As Emperor Yi neared death, he summoned Wen Zhong and entrusted him with the Great Shang Dynasty and Zi Shou. The old friends reunited as Daoist companions, and Wen Zhong vowed to protect the new king and the realm.

• Emperor Yi sent Zi Shou to bring Wen Zhong into the sleeping quarters.
• Wen Zhong saw that Emperor Yi's life was fading and entered to meet him at his bedside.
• Emperor Yi and Wen Zhong recalled their friendship from before Emperor Yi became king and mourned the years they had spent as ruler and subject.
• Wen Zhong tried to pour Magic Power into Emperor Yi, but Emperor Yi stopped him, accepting that his death could not be reversed.
• Emperor Yi entrusted Zi Shou, the Great Shang Dynasty, and its people to Wen Zhong.
• Wen Zhong swore to protect the realm and keep the new king safe for as long as he lived.

Emperor Yi entrusted Zi Shou and the Great Shang Dynasty to Wen Zhong, Bi Gan, and Shang Rong before he died. As the nation mourned, the seal within Zi Shou’s brow began to crack while an ancient memory gathered.

• Emperor Yi gave Wen Zhong the King-Beating Golden Whip and ordered him to discipline Zi Shou if he became a tyrant or betrayed the Human Race.
• Zi Shou pledged to heed Wen Zhong and honor Emperor Yi’s final instructions.
• Emperor Yi charged Bi Gan, Shang Rong, Wen Zhong, and Zi Shou with protecting the dynasty and guiding the new king.
• Emperor Yi said farewell to Wen Zhong and died, prompting the death knell and nationwide mourning.
• As Zi Shou knelt beside his father’s bed, the seal placed by Empress Pingxin cracked slightly and an ancient memory began to gather.

The death of Emperor Yi alerted the Sages that the Investiture of the Gods Tribulation was beginning, and each considered how to respond. As Dijiang and Zhujiuyin neared attaining the Dao, Zhou Ming anticipated the Witch Clan gaining more from the coming upheaval.

• Venerable Lord Yuanshi sensed Emperor Yi's death and concluded that the Tribulation was about to begin.
• Tongtian tried to discern the new Human Emperor's destiny but found the Heavenly Secrets unclear, then accepted that his Interception Sect would rise and fall with the Shang Dynasty.
• Taiqing recognized the Tribulation's onset and returned to meditation, while Nuwa reinforced Wa Huang Palace's restrictions to avoid involvement.
• Zhunti and Jieyin celebrated the chance for Western Teachings to prosper and discussed making That One willingly ignite the first fire of the Tribulation.
• Houtu and Zhou Ming sensed the Tribulation's arrival, and Zhou Ming said Dijiang and Zhujiuyin were close to attaining the Dao.
• Zhou Ming anticipated that their advancement would help the Witch Clan gather more fragments as the Primordial Wilderness shattered.

Zi Shou completed his enthronement rites and received an overwhelming surge of Human Dao Destiny, which broke the seal hiding Wu’s memories. He declared himself the Human Race’s Human Emperor, while powerful figures across the world sensed a change in human destiny.

• Seven days after Emperor Yi’s death, Zi Shou completed the ancestral rites and offered incense to the sages of the Human Race.
• Zi Shou felt a strange familiarity with the statue of Ancestor Wu and vowed to win lasting peace for the Human Race.
• Wen Zhong presented Zi Shou with the royal seal and Human Emperor Sword, and Human Dao Destiny poured into him as he took the throne.
• The destiny shattered Empress Pingxin’s seal, restoring Wu’s memories and changing Zi Shou’s demeanor.
• Zi Shou declared himself the Human Race’s Human Emperor, and Wen Zhong, the ministers, and the soldiers knelt to him.
• Fuxi and the others in Huoyun Cave smiled with relief, while Nuwa, Taiqing, Venerable Lord Yuanshi, Tongtian, Jieyin, and Zhunti sensed a change in the Human Race’s destiny.

Di Xin used a court announcement about unifying the realm and recruiting talent to create a pretext for bringing Li Jing’s family to Chaoge, where he planned to keep the soon-to-be-born Lingzhuzi from becoming True Lord Taiyi’s disciple. He left Fei Zhong and You Hun in charge of the new Hall of Honored Sages, setting them to work on his plan.

• Di Xin reflected that he needed a plausible reason to summon Li Jing’s family from Chentang Pass without alerting the court or the Sage.
• Di Xin declared that Great Shang must pacify the Four Barbarians, unite the Nine Provinces, and recruit extraordinary talent.
• Fei Zhong and You Hun praised Di Xin’s ambition, while Wen Zhong and the other ministers pledged their support.
• Di Xin proposed establishing a Hall of Honored Sages in Chaoge that would accept talented people regardless of origin or status.
• Wen Zhong, Shang Rong, and Bi Gan approved the plan, and Di Xin assigned Fei Zhong and You Hun to establish the hall and gather talent.

Di Xin learned that Li Jing’s wife, Lady Yin, had been pregnant for more than two years and declared that the unborn child would be treated as a subject of Great Shang. He ordered Li Jing and his family brought to Chaoge City, then kept Wen Zhong behind to discuss another important matter.

• Di Xin invited officials to recommend extraordinary talents, and Fei Zhong reported Lady Yin’s two-year pregnancy with Li Jing’s child.
• Wen Zhong warned that the unborn child might be a monster or a reincarnated mighty figure and advised investigating or eliminating him.
• Di Xin insisted that anyone born from a human mother was human and must obey the Human Emperor’s laws and commands.
• Di Xin ordered Li Jing to bring Lady Yin and their family to Chaoge City, transferred him under Wen Zhong’s command, and tasked Fei Zhong with ensuring their safe journey.
• After dismissing court, Di Xin asked Wen Zhong to stay so they could discuss another important matter.

Di Xin ordered Wen Zhong to arrange a formation covering Chaoge that would detect cultivators and suppress the Magic Power of anyone below the Quasi-Saint realm. He planned to use Human Dao Destiny and the Nine Provinces’ mountains and rivers to make Chaoge an Immortal and God Forbidden Zone, while Wen Zhong remained doubtful that such a formation could restrain Grand Unity Golden Immortals.

• Di Xin told Wen Zhong he wanted a grand formation to cover all of Chaoge City.
• Di Xin explained that the formation would detect cultivators entering the city and suppress their Magic Power unless he permitted them to use it.
• Wen Zhong warned that suppressing Grand Unity Golden Immortals would be impossible without a Sage’s Innate Grand Array.
• Di Xin proposed using the formation as a hub for Human Dao Destiny, drawing on the Nine Provinces’ mountains and rivers to suppress powerful immortals.
• Wen Zhong cautioned Di Xin not to underestimate Grand Unity Golden Immortals, and Di Xin assured him he understood their strength.

Di Xin planned to fortify Chaoge with a formation powered by Human Dao Destiny and sent Wen Zhong to recruit the San Xiao sisters and the Ten Heavenly Lords. Wen Zhong left for Jinao Island resolved to aid Di Xin, who intended to make Chaoge dangerous for the Chan Sect.

• Wen Zhong agreed that Di Xin's Destiny-powered formation was feasible but said it required powerful array masters.
• Di Xin named Yunxiao, Qiongxiao, Bixiao, and the Ten Heavenly Lords as candidates, explaining that Huoyun Cave had informed him about them.
• Wen Zhong warned that the San Xiao sisters would be difficult to invite, so Di Xin told him to convey that the Tribulation was approaching and the Human Emperor would advance and retreat with the Interception Sect.
• Di Xin said Huoyun Cave would not intervene unless the Human Race faced extinction, but declared that Human Dao Destiny would stand with the Interception Sect while he remained its Human Emperor.
• Wen Zhong departed for Jinao Island, promising to bring the San Xiao sisters and the Ten Heavenly Lords to Chaoge to establish the formation.
• After Wen Zhong left, Di Xin said he wanted to see how the Chan Sect would seize his people once Chaoge became a dangerous stronghold.

Wen Zhong asked Saint Mother Jin Ling to support Di Xin’s plan to use Human Dao Destiny to create a formation that would bar immortals and gods from Chaoge. Tongtian approved the alliance and ordered San Xiao and the Ten Heavenly Lords to go to the capital, leaving Di Xin’s preparations backed by the Interception Sect.

• Wen Zhong told Saint Mother Jin Ling that Di Xin planned to build a powerful formation in Chaoge and had Huoyun Cave’s support.
• Wen Zhong argued that the Interception Sect should ally with Di Xin because its fate was bound to Great Shang.
• Saint Mother Jin Ling brought Wen Zhong to Biyou Palace to seek Tongtian’s decision.
• Tongtian approved Di Xin’s proposal and told Wen Zhong to return to Chaoge.
• Tongtian ordered San Xiao and the Ten Heavenly Lords to go to Chaoge, then sent two streaks of azure light toward their retreats.

Sect Master Tongtian summoned the San Xiao and the Ten Heavenly Lords to Biyou Palace and ordered them to Chaoge to help the Human Emperor create a formation that would suppress immortals and gods below the Quasi-Saint realm. Yunxiao led the thirteen disciples toward the human realm, tasked with studying the formation and discovering what made the Human Emperor dare contend with a Sage.

• Yunxiao, Qiongxiao, and Bixiao received Tongtian's summons and traveled from the Three Immortal Islands to Jinao Island.
• At Biyou Palace, the San Xiao found Saint Mother Jin Ling and the Ten Heavenly Lords gathered before Tongtian.
• Tongtian ordered the thirteen disciples to go to Chaoge and help the Human Emperor establish a formation.
• Tongtian explained that the formation would draw on Human Dao Destiny to suppress the Magic Power of any immortal or god below the Quasi-Saint realm within Chaoge.
• Tongtian appointed Yunxiao to lead the mission and told the disciples to investigate the Human Emperor's unusual abilities and confidence.
• Yunxiao led the San Xiao and the Ten Heavenly Lords out of Biyou Palace as they flew toward the territory of the Human Race.

Wen Zhong returned to Chaoge with Yunxiao, Qiongxiao, Bixiao, and the Ten Heavenly Lords, who had come to help Di Xin create a formation barring immortals and gods. Yunxiao judged that the plan was feasible in theory but said they first needed to survey Chaoge’s ley lines and the flow of Human Dao Destiny before designing the formation.

• Wen Zhong told Di Xin that their Ancestor Master had agreed to send the Martial Uncles to help establish the formation.
• Di Xin sensed thirteen powerful auras outside Chaoge and went with Wen Zhong to welcome the arriving immortals.
• Yunxiao, Qiongxiao, Bixiao, and the Ten Heavenly Lords greeted Di Xin and felt the pressure of Chaoge’s Human Dao Destiny.
• Di Xin asked whether they could establish a formation using Human Dao Destiny to prohibit immortals and gods from entering.
• Yunxiao said the plan was theoretically possible but that they needed to survey Chaoge’s ley lines and Destiny before deducing a formation diagram.

Yunxiao and the Interception Sect Daoists surveyed Chaoge City to plan a formation powered by Human Dao Destiny, but discovered that they could not safely guide that power themselves. Yunxiao decided to explain the danger to Di Xin and ask whether he could control it.

• Di Xin gave Yunxiao and the other Daoists permission to inspect anywhere in Chaoge, and ordered Wen Zhong to accompany them without restricting their access.
• Over several days, Yunxiao and the twelve other Daoists surveyed Chaoge’s earth veins and Destiny nodes by walking through the city.
• Qin Wan reported that Chaoge’s earth veins were tightly connected and its Human Dao Destiny was so powerful that it repelled their Divine Thoughts.
• Yunxiao said they had chosen the formation’s core and worked out its general framework, but Bixiao pointed out that immortals could not safely guide Human Dao Destiny into it.
• Dong Quan and Zhao Jiang concluded that only someone with Human Dao Authority, likely the Human Emperor, could direct the Destiny, though they doubted Di Xin’s ability to do so.
• Yunxiao decided the group would meet Di Xin, explain the problem, and ask what he intended to do.

Di Xin rejected Yunxiao’s suggestion to invite a sage from Huoyun Cave, insisting that he would guide Human Dao Destiny into the formation himself. After the Interception Sect immortals agreed to trust him and chose the Grand Temple as the formation’s core, Yunxiao left wondering whether Di Xin was truly only a Human Emperor.

• Yunxiao told Di Xin that the formation was ready to be arranged but that only the Human Emperor could guide Human Dao Destiny into it.
• Yunxiao and Qin Wan urged Di Xin to invite one of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors from Huoyun Cave to oversee the dangerous task.
• Di Xin refused, declared that guiding Human Dao Destiny was his duty, and assured the immortals that he had absolute confidence.
• Yunxiao accepted Di Xin’s decision, and the Interception Sect immortals agreed to trust him.
• Yunxiao identified the Grand Temple as the formation’s core, and Di Xin ordered the immortals to finish preparing the formation.
• As Yunxiao and the others left, they praised Di Xin’s imposing presence, while Yunxiao wondered whether he was truly only a Human Emperor.

After leaving Di Xin, Yunxiao and the others discussed his unsettling confidence and suspected he possessed hidden strength beyond his status as a mortal Human Emperor. Yunxiao reminded them that their task was to perfect the formation for Chaoge, and they left determined to protect the Interception Sect’s reputation.

• Qiongxiao and Bixiao questioned Yunxiao about why she thought Di Xin was unlike an ordinary Human Emperor.
• Yunxiao explained that Di Xin’s composure and confidence seemed to come from deep within him, not from his imperial status or Human Dao Destiny.
• Qin Wan and Zhao Jiang agreed that Di Xin had exerted a chilling pressure on them despite not using Magic Power.
• Yunxiao told the others to focus on perfecting the formation, warning that failure would damage the reputation of the Interception Sect and their master.
• The Ten Heavenly Lords, Qiongxiao, and Bixiao vowed to give their all to the formation, and Yunxiao led them back to deduce its design.

Fei Zhong arrived at Chentang Pass with The King’s decree, transferring Li Jing and his family to Chaoge. He revealed that The King regarded Li Jing’s unborn child as an extraordinary human prodigy and intended to raise the child as a Pillar of the State, leaving Li Jing overwhelmed with relief.

• Fei Zhong arrived at the Commander's Residence and greeted Li Jing with unusual warmth.
• Fei Zhong read The King’s decree transferring Li Jing and his family to Chaoge to serve under Grand Tutor Wen.
• Li Jing accepted the decree but questioned why The King had granted him such favor.
• Fei Zhong told Li Jing that The King had heard of his wife’s unusually long pregnancy and viewed the unborn child as a Kirin Child of the Human Race.
• Fei Zhong explained that The King planned to nurture Li Jing’s unborn child as a Pillar of the State, and Li Jing asked if The King had truly said so.