Chapter Summaries

Feng Wu led the Phoenix Clan in a battle against Daoist Randeng and the Chan Sect above Zhaoge, preventing the immortals from reaching Great Shang. With Saint Nuwa’s barrier shielding the city, Yin Shou led Great Shang’s army into the battle.

• Daoist Randeng invoked the Heavenly Dao and threatened the Phoenix Clan with punishment from the saints, but Feng Wu refused to let the Chan Sect enter Zhaoge.
• Feng Wu attacked Daoist Randeng, who used the Qian Kun Diagram and Qian Kun Ruler to meet her spear.
• Feng Yang led the Phoenix Clan cultivators into battle against the Chan Sect and the Buddhas of the Western Lands above Zhaoge.
• Saint Nuwa’s Human Dao barrier protected Zhaoge and its people from the battle’s destruction.
• Seeing the immortals held back, Yin Shou ordered Great Shang’s soldiers to attack and charged with Huang Feihu and Queen Jiang.

The Great Shang Army defeated the Xiqi forces while the Phoenix Clan held back the immortals and Buddhists, and the Investiture of the Gods filled completely. Ji Fa collapsed into madness, and Jiang Ziya faced the reality of his defeat as Shen Gongbao confronted him.

• King Zhou and the queen led the Great Shang Army into battle, and Shang and Xiqi clashed outside Zhaoge.
• Over several months, the immortal battle claimed countless lives, and the Investiture of the Gods filled with their names.
• The Investiture erupted with golden light, leaving the Chan Sect and Buddhist forces despairing while the Phoenix Clan rejoiced.
• The Xiqi Army dwindled to fewer than one hundred thousand, while King Zhou and the Great Shang forces remained dominant.
• Ji Fa broke down and attacked those around him, so Jiang Ziya bound him with Immortal Light.
• Shen Gongbao rode between the armies and told Jiang Ziya that he had lost.

Shen Gongbao and King Zhou defeated Xiqi’s forces and challenged Jiang Ziya’s belief that Heaven had ordained Zhou’s victory. Jiang Ziya’s faith collapsed, but he clung to his past grievances as King Zhou revealed that the Heavenly Dao and Chan Sect had manipulated his suffering to turn him against Great Shang.

• Jiang Ziya argued that Great Shang would fall because the people could not be turned against their will, even after Xiqi’s defeat.
• Shen Gongbao denounced Xiqi and Ji Fa as tools of the immortals and accused them of bringing war and ruin to the Human Race.
• Shen Gongbao’s accusations shattered Jiang Ziya’s Dao Heart, and Jiang Ziya fell from his horse, questioning whether he had been wrong.
• Jiang Ziya recalled his persecution in Zhaoge and insisted that he had been right to flee and support Xiqi.
• King Zhou told Jiang Ziya that the Heavenly Dao and Chan Sect had arranged his hardships to make him turn against Great Shang and obey Heaven.

King Zhou was about to execute Jiang Ziya when Primordial Heavenly Venerate arrived with two other Saints and stopped him, insisting Jiang Ziya had to complete the Investiture of the Gods. King Zhou defied their pressure and challenged the Saints over their schemes and disregard for the Human Race, leaving the confrontation unresolved.

• Shen Gongbao refused King Zhou's order to behead Jiang Ziya, sparing his fellow disciple because of their shared ties.
• King Zhou raised the Emperor's Long Sword to execute Jiang Ziya, but Primordial Heavenly Venerate descended with two other Saints and halted the battle.
• Primordial Heavenly Venerate declared that Jiang Ziya could not be killed because he was a Chan Sect Direct Disciple responsible for the Investiture of the Gods.
• King Zhou stood firm beneath the Saints' pressure and accused them of treating Great Shang and its people as expendable pieces in their schemes.
• King Zhou demanded to know whether the Saints had ever respected the Human Race, the Human Dao, or the people beneath heaven.

King Zhou forced Laozi, Primordial Heavenly Venerate, and Zhunti to admit that Xiqi had lost the campaign against Yin Shang. Their proclamation restored Great Shang’s destiny, and the Golden Wheel of Destiny awakened above Zhaoge.

• Primordial Heavenly Venerate threatened King Zhou, but Laozi and Zhunti warned him that provoking the Human Emperor could plunge the world into a greater calamity.
• King Zhou demanded that the three saints personally declare Xiqi defeated, while Jiang Ziya and Xiqi’s forces watched in despair.
• Zhunti tried to negotiate, but King Zhou refused and raised the Human Emperor Sword over Jiang Ziya.
• Laozi, Primordial Heavenly Venerate, and Zhunti agreed to King Zhou’s demand, and Primordial Heavenly Venerate proclaimed Yin Shang victorious.
• The Heavenly Dao answered the saints’ proclamation as Xiqi’s stolen fortune vanished and destiny gathered toward Zhaoge, where the Golden Wheel of Destiny awakened.

After the Saints withdrew and the human world began to recover, King Zhou faced the defeated Xiqi army and pardoned Su Hu and Su Quanzhong, recognizing that they had been misled by the Saints’ schemes. Su Hu asked to give up his titles and retire to his homeland, and King Zhou approved of his choice.

• The Saints and their forces left the Mortal Realm after the Human Race’s Auspicious Qi returned and Xiqi’s cause collapsed.
• King Zhou surveyed Ji Fa and the defeated Xiqi remnants as the generals who had betrayed Great Shang regretted being used in the Investiture of the Gods Calamity.
• Su Hu and Su Quanzhong prostrated themselves before King Zhou, and Su Hu confessed to treason and asked him to spare his family.
• King Zhou pardoned Su Hu, explaining that the Saints had misled mortal lords, though he privately resolved to punish the unrepentant traitors later.
• Su Hu refused to return to office or command troops and asked to retire with his family to his homeland, a request King Zhou welcomed.

King Zhou comforted Su Hu with the news that Daji was still alive and called on former rebel generals to help restore Great Shang. Months later, the realm had recovered, and the people learned the truth about King Zhou’s struggle against the immortals and honored him as the defender of the Human Race.

• King Zhou told Su Hu and Su Quanzhong that Daji had survived and would reunite with her father after the tribulation ended.
• Su Hu and Su Quanzhong thanked King Zhou, and he ordered Su Hu to gather his troops and return to court rather than resign.
• Former rebel generals and Xiqi’s remaining troops surrendered to King Zhou and pledged to help pacify the realm.
• Great Shang rebuilt war-damaged communities, aided the people, honored the dead, and restructured its government around the Human Dao.
• Survivors spread the truth about King Zhou’s actions, and people across the realm replaced old rumors with praise and memorials honoring him.

After Great Shang’s victory overturned the immortals’ plans, Jiang Ziya was ordered to begin the investiture of the gods. When the list unfurled, it revealed that fallen Interception Sect and Three Tribes cultivators could be reborn, while fallen Chan Sect, Human Teachings, and Western Buddhism members were imprisoned by the Heavenly Dao.

• Jiang Ziya collapsed onto the Investiture Platform as the defeated saints and their disciples gathered under the weight of Great Shang’s victory.
• Yang Jian and Nezha stood apart from the kneeling immortals, confident in their distinct lineages and mocking the failed schemes against the Human Dao.
• Primordial Heavenly Venerate ordered Jiang Ziya to begin the investiture, and Jiang Ziya opened the Investiture of the Gods.
• Jiang Ziya saw that the names of fallen Interception Sect disciples and Three Tribes cultivators glowed blood-red with the promise of revival.
• Jiang Ziya saw that fallen Chan Sect, Human Teachings, and Western Buddhism members were marked in dark gold and bound by Heavenly Dao Chains.

Jiang Ziya and the three saints discovered that Tongtian had concealed a plan that let the Jie Sect and Three Tribes preserve their bodies and escape the Heavenly Dao’s shackles, while Chan Sect and Western Teach disciples were trapped by the Investiture. As Jiang Ziya continued assigning divine offices, the Great Emperor Ziwei’s name broke free from the list and awakened Ziwei Star.

• Jiang Ziya questioned the Primordial Heavenly Venerate after seeing that the Investiture treated names differently, and the three saints examined the list’s hidden principles.
• The three saints realized that the Jie Sect and Three Tribes had ascended the list with their bodies intact, while Chan Sect and Western Teach disciples had been bound by Heavenly Dao shackles.
• The Primordial Heavenly Venerate recognized Tongtian’s long-concealed scheme and told Jiang Ziya to continue the Investiture.
• Jiang Ziya prepared to manipulate the divine appointments for Chan Sect disciples, but the Great Emperor Ziwei’s purple-gold name burst free from the list.
• Ziwei Star awakened, a newly formed imperial figure opened his eyes, and beings across the Three Realms felt an overwhelming pressure.

Ziwei the Great Emperor returned through the Investiture of the Gods Calamity, cleansing the Primordial world and revealing himself before the three Primordial Saints. His reappearance made them realize their old scheme to divide Haotian’s authority had unwittingly cleared the way for Ziwei’s return and brought them no benefit.

• Ziwei’s Violet Qi washed away calamity and hostility, healing wounds and restoring clarity across the Primordial world.
• Ziwei descended onto the Investiture of the Gods platform and greeted Taiqing Laozi, Primordial Heavenly Venerate, and Saint Zhunti.
• Laozi asked whether the returning figure was Ziwei, and Ziwei confirmed his identity.
• The three Saints recalled how Di Jun and Tai Yi had slain Ziwei during the ancient Heavenly Court’s chaos, scattering his soul and Star Origin.
• The Saints reconsidered their plan to divide Haotian’s authority and realized it had left Ziwei’s central imperial position untouched.
• The three Saints understood that their scheme had only paved the way for Ziwei’s return and gained them no authority or Auspicious Qi.

The Central Ziwei Great Emperor used the Investiture of the Gods to restore the fallen and confer divine offices, while those who had entered it with their bodies intact received rebuilt bodies and transcendent cultivation. The sight left Primordial Heavenly Venerate consumed by regret and the ordinary gods envious of the Interception Sect and the Three Tribes.

• The Central Ziwei Great Emperor invoked the Heavenly Dao's decree, and the Investiture of the Gods absorbed Heaven and Earth Origin power.
• The True Spirits of those who had died in the War of Investiture of the Gods awakened, and their forms emerged beneath the Heavenly Dao's radiance.
• Zhao Gongming, Lady Bi Xiao, and Lady Qiong Xiao had their bodies and Dao Foundations restored, broke past the Quasi-Saint level, and surged in power.
• Primordial Heavenly Venerate realized that entering the Investiture of the Gods with one's body intact had been a supreme opportunity and regretted denying it to his disciples.
• The fallen received divine offices, but ordinary gods remained bound by the Heavenly Dao's restrictions while the restored immortals watched in envy.

The Ziwei Great Emperor appointed Zhao Gongming, Bi Xiao, and Qiong Xiao as Ancient Venerable Gods, giving them authority to oversee the Heavenly Court’s gods. He also granted powerful offices to the ancestors of the Dragon, Phoenix, and Kirin clans and the remaining Interception Sect disciples, while assigning Chan Sect and Buddhist disciples low-ranking posts.

• Zhao Gongming, Bi Xiao, and Qiong Xiao received Ancient Venerable God ranks and Supreme Divine Seals, gaining power to inspect and punish gods throughout the Three Realms.
• The Primordial Heavenly Venerate and Daoist Zhunti realized that their disciples would be subject to the three Interception Sect immortals’ oversight, but they could not oppose the decree.
• The Ziwei Great Emperor appointed Long Feng, Feng Wu, and Feng Xiao to supreme offices governing the waters, feathered beings, and lands.
• The Ziwei Great Emperor assigned the remaining Interception Sect disciples high-ranking positions with real authority in the Heavenly Court.
• The Ziwei Great Emperor gave Chan Sect and Buddhist disciples ordinary subordinate posts without meaningful authority.

After the Investiture of the Gods concluded, the Ziwei Great Emperor restored Jiang Ziya’s vitality and granted him a place in the Heavenly Court to cultivate, settling the Karma tied to his service. Jiang Ziya accepted the opportunity with gratitude and vowed to obey the Heavenly Rules.

• The gods received their positions, with the Jie Sect and Three Tribes granted core authority while Western Heaven’s Buddhist figures received lesser posts.
• The Ziwei Great Emperor considered killing Jiang Ziya but suppressed his intent because Jiang Ziya had served the Investiture and was Yuanshi’s disciple.
• The Ziwei Great Emperor sent starry imperial power into Jiang Ziya, renewing his body and restoring his vitality.
• Jiang Ziya kowtowed and thanked the Ziwei Great Emperor, who offered him a chance to make up for the Karma tied to his Investiture merits.
• The Ziwei Great Emperor instructed Jiang Ziya to seek out the Star Lord of the Zhou Heaven Constellation after completing his work and warned him to obey Heavenly Law.
• Jiang Ziya vowed to follow the Great Emperor’s teachings and felt his lifelong wish to pursue the Dao had finally found a path forward.

Yuanshi suppressed his anger after Ziwei Great Emperor gave Jiang Ziya a new immortal future, then watched Ziwei conclude the Investiture of the Gods. With Ziwei and Bo Jian gone and the calamity ended, pure Innate Spiritual Qi poured across the Mortal Realm.

• Yuanshi decided to endure the humiliation of Ziwei's intervention and secretly vowed to settle the score another day.
• Ziwei Great Emperor looked toward Yuanshi's hidden figure, then recalled the divine appointments and talismans into the Investiture of the Gods.
• Ziwei swept away the Investiture Platform, dissolving it into motes of light.
• Ziwei rose with Bo Jian and departed into the Deep Void.
• The Investiture of the Gods Calamity ended, clearing the Three Realms of its calamity energies and settling its tangled Karma.
• The vault of the Nine Heavens opened, pouring pure Innate Spiritual Qi across the Mortal Realm.

After the Investiture of the Gods Calamity ended, the Mortal Realm recovered and Nezha chose freedom from the divine list so he could pursue the Primordial Great Dao. Hongjun summoned the nine saints to Zixiao Palace, where Haotian and Yaochi welcomed them at the gates before opening the palace.

• Spirit Rain restored the Mortal Realm as the Human Dao's protective power faded and the calamity ended.
• Yang Jian told Nezha he had missed a divine position, but Nezha said he preferred to pursue the Great Dao freely rather than be bound by the Heavenly Dao.
• Yang Jian and Nezha vanished, and the three saints of the Western Lands withdrew as the last Calamity Qi dissolved.
• Hongjun summoned all nine reigning saints to Zixiao Palace once the Investiture of the Gods was complete.
• Haotian and Yaochi greeted the arriving saints as their equals, and Yaochi opened the palace gates for them.

The saints gathered in Zixiao Palace, where Zhunti complained that Buddhism and the Chan Sect had suffered losses in the Investiture of the Gods Calamity and sought compensation from Hongjun. Hongjun rebuked Zhunti for demanding an opportunity after declaring that opportunities went to those destined to receive them.

• The nine saints entered Zixiao Palace and faced one another in a tense silence while Haotian and Yaochi watched without intervening.
• Zhunti asked Hongjun why some cultivators had joined the Investiture of the Gods with their bodies intact, then lamented Buddhism and the Chan Sect's losses and requested compensation.
• Tongtian angrily condemned Zhunti for shamelessly seeking rewards, while Yuanshi silently agreed with Zhunti's appeal and hoped Hongjun would compensate the Chan Sect.
• Hongjun told Zhunti that opportunities went to those destined to receive them and challenged him for complaining after proclaiming that principle himself.

Hongjun ended debate over the Investiture of the Gods Calamity and called the sages to discuss a new order for the Prehistoric Era. The Three Tribes and Tongtian remained unconcerned, while Primordial Heavenly Venerate, Zhunti, and Jieyin feared another reshuffling of power.

• Hongjun silenced Zhunti and declared the Investiture of the Gods Calamity finished, forbidding anyone from revisiting its outcomes.
• Hongjun announced that the assembly would discuss the future order of the Prehistoric Era rather than judge the tribulation.
• Zu Long, Ancestor Phoenix, and Ancestor Kirin remained indifferent, content to preserve their clans' secluded domains.
• Master Tongtian dismissed the Interception Sect's apparent losses and focused on his disciples' gains and their coming War of Chaos.
• Primordial Heavenly Venerate, Zhunti, and Jieyin grew alarmed, fearing that the Heavenly Dao Rules and the balance of power would be reshaped.

Hongjun established rules for Heavenly Court to govern the newly unified ten thousand worlds and warned the Chan Sect and Western Lands' Buddhism against causing disorder. Haotian and Yaochi were left responsible for enforcing the new order, while Yuanshi, Zhunti, and Jieyin faced the bitter reality that their sects had lost the true opportunity of the Great Dao.

• Hongjun instructed Haotian and Yaochi to uphold the Three Realms’ order and establish earthly deities only after consulting Houtu about Earth Dao authority.
• Hongjun ordered Haotian and Yaochi to screen ascended cultivators from the ten thousand worlds and keep evil beings and chaotic Dao from entering the Immortal Realm.
• The Saints realized the expanded Investiture of the Gods had filled more divine positions because the primordial world had absorbed countless worlds and their inhabitants.
• Hongjun warned Yuanshi, Zhunti, and Jieyin to keep the Chan Sect and Western Lands' Buddhism peaceful and prevent their teachings from stirring up calamity.
• Yuanshi, Zhunti, and Jieyin accepted Hongjun’s warning, knowing their sects appeared prosperous but had lost the true opportunity of the Great Dao.

Hongjun announced that he would leave the Prehistoric Era and wage war across the Endless Chaos, then asked the Saints for their thoughts. The Saints feared losing most of their power beyond their world, while Master Tongtian eagerly welcomed the prospect of following Hongjun.

• Hongjun declared that the order of the Prehistoric Era was settled and announced his plans to conquer the Endless Chaos.
• Jieyin and Zhunti feared that Hongjun had discovered their secret schemes to strengthen the Western Teach, but relaxed when his expression showed no anger.
• Primordial Heavenly Venerate warned Hongjun that the Saints would lose most of their cultivation outside the Prehistoric Era and urged him to reconsider.
• Laozi and the other Saints agreed that the unknown dangers of Chaos made the expedition perilous.
• Master Tongtian showed no fear and looked forward to following Hongjun into Chaos, confident that his Dao was less dependent on the Heavenly Dao.

Hongjun explained that the Heavenly Dao Saints would remain in the Primordial Land to guard it while he and other powerful cultivators joined the Dao Venerable’s campaign into Chaos. Tongtian volunteered to join the expedition and received Hongjun’s permission to await orders on Azure Nether Island, while the others prepared the world’s defenses.

• Hongjun told the Saints that their Dao Fruits bound them to the Primordial Land and assigned them to conceal the expedition and guard the world.
• Tongtian volunteered to follow the Dao Venerable into Chaos and offered the Jie Sect’s disciples to help protect the Primordial Land.
• After warning Tongtian of the dangers, Hongjun accepted his request and ordered him to await the Dao Venerable’s Imperial Edict on Azure Nether Island.
• Zu Long, First Phoenix, and Qilin chose to remain behind because entering Chaos would weaken them and burden the expedition.
• Hongjun and the Saints established defensive measures for the Primordial Land, then the gathered figures departed Purple Cloud Heavenly Palace.