Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Haotian, newly empowered as a Hunyuan Saint and wielding the Thunder Seal, pursues the Two Shakya to Zixiao Palace after they provoke him.
• The Two Shakya abandon their dignity and desperately beg Hongjun to save them, fearing that a second death would severely damage their Primordial Spirits and Dao foundations.
• Haotian attacks with the Thunder Emperor’s Finger, a devastating technique that destroys Chaos and causes the surrounding laws to collapse. However, he deliberately slows the attack, seemingly to intimidate the Two Shakya and test whether Hongjun will intervene.
• The attack disappears harmlessly before reaching Zixiao Palace, proving that Hongjun can effortlessly neutralize Haotian’s power.
• Hongjun opens the palace gates and orders Haotian to leave. Haotian recognizes the overwhelming difference in their strength and reluctantly shows respect.
• As Haotian departs, Hongjun suddenly launches a black nail containing sealing power, apparently attempting to kill him through a surprise attack. Haotian is unable to resist and experiences the terrifying certainty of imminent death.
• Before the nail strikes, an even greater invisible force erases it. The intervention suggests that another powerful entity or higher-level rule is restraining Hongjun.
• Hongjun claims that he “mistook” the situation and denies having any particular reason for attacking Haotian.
• Haotian angrily criticizes Hongjun for using a sneak attack, but his bravado conceals the fear caused by the near-death experience.
• After Haotian leaves, the Two Shakya complain to Hongjun about his insults and mistreatment, asking the Dao Ancestor to uphold justice. Hongjun responds mockingly: “Justice? Haven’t you always been doing this?”

Character Developments

• Haotian demonstrates immense new strength after becoming a Hunyuan Saint, but he also discovers that he remains completely outmatched by Hongjun.
• His initial confidence and aggression shift into caution after witnessing Hongjun casually erase his attack and later nearly kill him.
• Although frightened, Haotian maintains his dignity outwardly and openly rebukes Hongjun for acting dishonorably.
• The Two Shakya are shown as shamelessly fearful and opportunistic. They repeatedly invoke their status as disciples and beg for protection rather than confronting Haotian themselves.
• Their fear is intensified by the possibility that another death would permanently damage their foundations.
• Hongjun appears cold, overwhelmingly powerful, and morally hypocritical. He protects the Two Shakya but also uses a covert assassination attempt against Haotian.
• His final remark reveals that he sees through the Two Shakya’s appeals to “justice” and recognizes their own history of using similar tactics.

Significant Themes

• Power disparity and humility: Haotian’s impressive strength is revealed to be insignificant before Hongjun, emphasizing the vast hierarchy among the strongest cultivators.
• Fear beneath bravado: Both Haotian and the Two Shakya attempt to preserve their dignity, but their actions expose their fear and helplessness.
• Hypocrisy and double standards: The Two Shakya appeal to justice while relying on manipulation and seeking protection from a stronger authority. Hongjun’s response highlights their hypocrisy.
• Hidden power and unseen intervention: The destruction of Hongjun’s black nail suggests the presence of an even greater force or rule operating behind the scenes.
• Honor versus ruthless survival: Haotian condemns Hongjun’s sneak attack, but the confrontation shows that powerful figures in this world often prioritize victory over fairness.

Character Interactions

• The Two Shakya repeatedly plead with Hongjun to protect them from Haotian.
• Haotian taunts the Two Shakya while pursuing them and deliberately uses a slow, intimidating attack.
• Hongjun effortlessly nullifies Haotian’s technique, then confronts him with overwhelming pressure.
• Hongjun secretly attacks Haotian after ordering him to leave, creating a sharp contrast between his calm words and ruthless actions.
• Haotian challenges Hongjun’s conduct before departing.
• The Two Shakya later accuse Haotian of wrongdoing, but Hongjun’s sarcastic reply turns their plea for justice back against them.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Two Shakya plead with the Dao Ancestor for help after the Western Lands suffer repeated disasters. Although the Dao Ancestor rebukes them, he reassures them that the West’s time to rise has not yet arrived and instructs them to wait patiently.
• Heavenly Emperor Haotian returns to the Heavenly Court after secretly advancing to the Primordial Grand Unity Golden Immortal/Hunyuan Saint realm. Taibai Golden Star and the court officials welcome him with great excitement and organize a grand celebration.
• The banquet draws Saints, Hunyuan cultivators, Quasi-Saints, Grand Unity Golden Immortals, and powerful factions from across the Primordial Wilderness. The world appears to be entering a prosperous age due to the recovery of spiritual energy and the return of many ancient origins.
• From Lingxiao Treasure Hall, Haotian observes the movements of the entire Primordial Wilderness:
  • Powerful figures rise and fall like fleeting Emperor Stars.
  • Reincarnating True Spirits gradually deepen Haotian’s connection to the world and support his plan to establish himself permanently as its Heavenly Emperor.
  • A Saint in Kunlun conceals the heavenly secrets while plotting an unknown scheme.
  • Saints repeatedly visit the Western Lands despite publicly claiming they will not interfere there.
  • The Sect of Interception possesses immense fortune, but ominous blackness and bloodshed foreshadow disaster.
  • A Saint enters Reincarnation and reaches an agreement with the Earthly Dao Saint, apparently preparing for the birth of a major figure.
  • The Witch Clan expands into the Western Lands, seizing resources and operating transportation and security businesses.
  • The Demon Race’s kingdoms publicly support Prince Lu Ya while secretly competing against one another.
  • The Netherworld and Reincarnation system become increasingly complicated and overburdened.
  • Human Emperor Di Xin reforms and expands the Human Race, beginning a flourishing era.
• Haotian becomes overwhelmed by the burden of seeing these developments without being able to freely alter them. He realizes that even as a Saint, he must follow the greater trend and political rules of the Primordial Wilderness.
• A sudden, powerful premonition causes Haotian intense anxiety. He summons his master, Qingyuan/Yuan Qing, through the Bronze Bell and asks whether he is about to die.
• Qingyuan cryptically replies that Haotian is not about to die—he is about to “strike it rich,” leaving Haotian confused and demanding an explanation.

Character Developments

• The Two Shakya: Despite being reprimanded, they remain shamelessly persistent and focused on securing help for the Western Lands. They leave encouraged by the Dao Ancestor’s promise that the West will eventually rise.
• Haotian: His new Saint-level strength gives him greater authority and confidence, but his perspective from the Heavenly Court also reveals his loneliness and helplessness. He begins to understand that power does not mean freedom to overturn destiny or the greater trend.
• Qingyuan/Yuan Qing: He remains mysterious and perceptive, immediately recognizing that Haotian’s ominous premonition signals an opportunity rather than disaster.
• The Heavenly Court’s Officials: Their reverence and enthusiasm grow dramatically after Haotian’s breakthrough, giving the court a renewed sense of stability and ambition.

Significant Themes

• The rise and fall of powers: The chapter emphasizes that kingdoms, stars, sects, and individuals all undergo cycles of emergence and decline.
• Power versus freedom: Even a Saint cannot act without regard for the greater trend, heavenly rules, political balance, and the consequences of intervention.
• The loneliness of supreme authority: Haotian can see countless events and hidden schemes but lacks the ability—or permission—to control them all.
• Foreshadowing and destiny: The Western Lands’ promised rise, the Sect of Interception’s ominous fortune, the birth of a great figure, and Haotian’s premonition all suggest major future upheavals.
• Prosperity concealing danger: The Primordial Wilderness appears to be entering a golden age, but hidden conflicts, conspiracies, and bloodshed threaten the surface harmony.

Important Character Interactions

• The Two Shakya repeatedly beg the Dao Ancestor for guidance; he dismisses their immediate demands but promises that the West will rise when the time is right.
• Taibai Golden Star and the Heavenly Court officials enthusiastically welcome Haotian, reflecting their renewed faith in his leadership.
• Haotian observes the actions of Saints, the Witch Clan, Demon Race, Human Race, and Netherworld from above, but remains unable to intervene freely.
• Haotian and Qingyuan have a tense but significant exchange: Haotian fears impending death, while Qingyuan cryptically identifies the omen as a sign of immense fortune.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qingyuan tells Haotian that the divine method he taught him—scattering fragments of his True Spirit through the Six Paths of Reincarnation—is finally nearing completion.
• Haotian explains that most of his reincarnated fragments became insects, beasts, or otherwise insignificant beings. Only a few achieved immortality, and the strongest known reincarnation had reached merely the Golden Immortal Realm.
• Haotian’s recent unease is revealed to be an instinctive reaction to the approaching trials required for him to eternally secure the Heavenly Emperor position.
• Qingyuan identifies the crucial reincarnated fragment as Ji Fengming, a former disciple of the Human Sect and a major figure in the Human Race’s past prosperity.
• Ji Fengming was secretly created from one of Haotian’s True Spirit fragments, which the Two Shakya had intercepted and sent into reincarnation after repairing its foundation.
• After the decline of the Human Race’s Great Xia era, Ji Fengming entered prolonged seclusion out of guilt. He eventually chose Self-Disintegration and reincarnation to fulfill his Heavenly Dao oath, atone for his past failures, and help the Human Race rise again.
• The Human Sect Saint initially opposed the plan but eventually permitted it after Xuandu pleaded on Ji Fengming’s behalf and an agreement was reached with the Earthly Dao Saint.
• Ji Fengming’s reincarnation and future accumulation of Merit will complete Haotian’s divine method, enabling him to undergo 1,750 tribulations and eternally attain the position of Heavenly Emperor of the Primordial Wilderness.
• Qingyuan orders Haotian to remain in the Heavenly Court and avoid interfering in wider Primordial Wilderness affairs unless the Heavenly Court’s interests are threatened. He assures Haotian that he will handle the coming trials.
• Qingyuan leaves without revealing Ji Fengming’s future identity, leaving Haotian curious but overjoyed at the prospect of succeeding without further effort.

Character Developments

• Haotian: Shifts from anxious and doubtful to astonished and delighted. He realizes that his seemingly failed reincarnation plan has succeeded through an unexpected individual and that his path to absolute Heavenly Emperor authority is nearly complete. Despite his excitement, he remains insecure about surviving the Three Dao trials, especially the Heavenly Dao trial.
• Qingyuan: Demonstrates extensive knowledge of the hidden history behind Haotian’s True Spirits. He acts as a confident protector and strategist, reassuring Haotian while deliberately withholding information about Ji Fengming’s future reincarnation.
• Ji Fengming: Is recontextualized as both a major Human Sect disciple and an unknowing fragment of Haotian’s True Spirit. His guilt over the Human Race’s decline motivates him to sacrifice his current existence and reincarnate to seek redemption.
• The Human Sect Saint and Xuandu: Their actions show loyalty toward Ji Fengming and commitment to the Human Race’s future, while their agreement with the Earthly Dao Saint enables the reincarnation that completes Haotian’s method.

Significant Themes

• Fate and unintended consequences: Haotian’s plan succeeds through circumstances entirely beyond his expectations, especially Ji Fengming’s hidden identity and voluntary reincarnation.
• Accumulation through reincarnation: The chapter presents cultivation and power as the result of countless lifetimes, Merit, trials, and the gradual convergence of scattered True Spirit fragments.
• Guilt and atonement: Ji Fengming’s decision to reincarnate stems from remorse over the Human Race’s decline and his desire to correct past failures.
• Power and legitimacy: Haotian’s completed method will make his Heavenly Emperor status effectively unshakable, forcing even Saints to respect his authority.
• Protection and dependence: Haotian’s confidence rests heavily on Qingyuan’s protection, emphasizing the imbalance between Haotian’s official status and his personal fear of the trials ahead.

Character Interactions

• Qingyuan calmly explains the hidden progress of Haotian’s divine method and interprets Haotian’s anxiety as a premonition of the coming tribulations.
• Haotian openly admits the weakness of his reincarnated bodies and seeks reassurance about his ability to become the Eternal Heavenly Emperor.
• Qingyuan reveals the truth about Ji Fengming, overturning Haotian’s understanding of the method’s apparent failure.
• Haotian worries about opposition from Hongjun and the Heavenly Dao, while Qingyuan dismisses his fears and orders him to remain passive.
• Their final exchange highlights Qingyuan’s authoritative, mysterious guidance and Haotian’s obedient but increasingly hopeful dependence on his master.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• In the Six Paths of Reincarnation, Qingyuan and Empress Pingxin observe the Human Sect Saint’s disciple, Ji Fengming, being sent into reincarnation.
• Pingxin assumes Ji Fengming will be reborn as a son of Ji Chang and become part of the Zhou royal family. This would allow him to help Zhou overthrow Shang, influence the Human Race, and eventually undermine the Heavenly Dao Saints.
• The Human Sect Saint had surrendered part of his Human Dao Authority to Pingxin in exchange for her cooperation, making this reincarnation possible.
• Qingyuan reveals that the reincarnation is already complete—but Ji Fengming has not become a member of the Zhou Royal House. Instead, he has been reborn as Zhang Youren, the son of a poor farming family in East Victory Continent.
• Pingxin is shocked, since Zhang Youren lacks royal blood, Human Race Destiny, and any obvious legitimacy to rule the Nine Provinces or replace Shang.
• Qingyuan explains that his goal is not merely to create another short-lived Human Emperor. He intends to establish a foundation capable of protecting the Human Race for countless generations.
• He also plans to use the opportunity to connect the Underworld Bureau with the Primordial Wilderness, allowing it to cooperate with the Heavenly Court, receive Human Race incense offerings, guard the various worlds, and preserve the order of reincarnation.
• At that moment, Saint Taiqing arrives in the Netherworld in anger, clearly intending to demand an explanation for the unexpected reincarnation.
• Taiqing enters Pingxin Hall but becomes uneasy when he sees Great Love Heavenly Venerate already present. Though he is close to reaching a realm comparable to the Dao Ancestor, he fears being attacked or having his cultivation damaged.
• Pingxin reassures him that she did not lure him into a trap. She argues that Zhang Youren may ultimately gain a far greater and more lasting destiny than he would have obtained as a single Human Emperor.
• Taiqing attempts to deduce Zhang Youren’s future but finds that it is obscured by a profound, chaotic mystery. Even so, he can sense that Zhang Youren possesses an immense and seemingly endless Fortune Aura.

Character Developments

• Qingyuan: Demonstrates confidence and strategic vision. He rejects the conventional plan of placing Ji Fengming in the Zhou Royal House, choosing instead a more unpredictable path that may produce long-term protection for the Human Race and greater influence for the Earthly Dao.
• Pingxin: Initially expects a politically practical reincarnation into the Zhou lineage, but she accepts Qingyuan’s decision because she trusts his judgment. She also reveals her desire to use the Human Dao to strengthen and expand the Earthly Dao.
• Ji Fengming/Zhang Youren: His identity and destiny are transformed. Rather than becoming a royal heir, he begins life as the son of a poor farmer, suggesting that his future achievements will come from personal ability and extraordinary fortune rather than bloodline.
• Taiqing: Arrives arrogantly, empowered by the Human Sect’s recent gains and his near-breakthrough to a higher realm. However, the presence of Great Love Heavenly Venerate makes him cautious, while his inability to predict Zhang Youren’s destiny unsettles him.
• Great Love Heavenly Venerate: Remains silent and composed, but his presence alone intimidates Taiqing and changes the balance of the confrontation.

Significant Themes

• Long-term foundations versus immediate power: Qingyuan argues that one Human Emperor can protect the Human Race only temporarily, while a deeper institutional or cosmic foundation could safeguard it for countless generations.
• Destiny and unpredictability: Zhang Youren’s humble birth contrasts sharply with the expected royal reincarnation, emphasizing that great destinies may emerge outside established bloodlines and prophecies.
• Power beyond legitimacy: The chapter questions whether royal ancestry and official Human Race Destiny are truly necessary for someone to unite or protect humanity.
• Conflict between the Three Daos: The reincarnation serves as a contest involving the Heavenly Dao, Human Dao, and Earthly Dao. Pingxin seeks to develop the Earthly Dao by learning from and influencing the Human Dao.
• Strategic deception and hidden plans: Qingyuan’s real objective is concealed even from Pingxin and Taiqing. The deliberate deviation from the expected reincarnation plan creates uncertainty and gives him greater strategic freedom.

Character Interactions

• Qingyuan and Pingxin: They discuss the intended reincarnation and the future of the Human Race. Pingxin proposes the Zhou royal path, while Qingyuan reveals that he has chosen something much more ambitious.
• Pingxin and Taiqing: Pingxin calmly receives Taiqing’s anger and reframes what appears to be a betrayal as a potentially greater opportunity for the Human Sect.
• Taiqing and Great Love Heavenly Venerate: Though they barely interact directly, Great Love Heavenly Venerate’s silent presence intimidates Taiqing and prevents him from openly acting as he intended.
• Taiqing and Zhang Youren: Their connection is indirect but central: Taiqing expects his disciple to gain royal power, while Zhang Youren’s mysterious and potentially limitless destiny suggests that Taiqing may receive something far greater—or lose control of the situation entirely.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Saint Taiqing is troubled by events in East Victory State and Pingxin’s apparent influence over Zhang Bairen and the wider Human Race. Unable to discern the hidden scheme because heavenly secrets are obscured by the calamity, he eventually realizes the matter will not affect his own future and returns to secluded cultivation.
• Di Xin ascends as the new Human Emperor of Great Shang. Though young, he possesses legitimate royal blood, extraordinary physical strength, ambition, and strong political and military ability.
• Within five years, Di Xin revitalizes Great Shang by:
  • Purging corrupt military commanders.
  • Recruiting capable nobles, feudal heirs, and overlooked talents.
  • Introducing a military-farming system.
  • Encouraging land reclamation, population growth, handicrafts, and trade.
  • Simplifying government administration.
  • Reducing taxes and forced labor.
  • Expanding imperial control through military campaigns.
  • Destroying dozens of rebellious or disobedient feudal states.
  • Reintroducing advanced policies associated with Great Xia, including industrialized agriculture and manufacturing, academies, examinations, roads, and logistics.
• Di Xin’s reforms create a prosperous golden age in which the country is powerful, the people are secure, and the feudal lords are unable to challenge him openly.
• Unlike Great Xia, Great Shang also welcomes disciples of the Sect of Interception into official positions. These disciples hold prestigious posts but little actual authority, serving primarily as guardians of the Nine Provinces and as a stabilizing force for Di Xin’s rule.
• The narrative then shifts to Kunlun Mountain, where Jiang Shang lives a miserable life as a menial laborer in the Chan Sect’s alchemy room.
• Jiang Shang is forced to split ancient wood, fan divine flames, and work continuously in support of pill production. Despite thousands of years of cultivation, he has only reached the Spirit Refining and Void Return realm, largely because he lacks time to cultivate.
• Shen Gongbao and Yun Yi occasionally provide him with pills, preventing his cultivation from regressing further.
• A Mystic Immortal named Xuandao, an attendant of Senior Brother Taiyi, arrives and demands Jiang Shang. The alchemy steward assumes Jiang Shang must have committed some offense and has him seized.

Character Developments

• Saint Taiqing: Becomes increasingly cautious and introspective. His inability to understand Pingxin’s plan frustrates him, but he ultimately chooses not to interfere and focuses on seeking his own breakthrough in cultivation.
• Di Xin: Emerges as a forceful, ambitious, and highly capable Human Emperor. He combines military ruthlessness with effective economic and administrative reform, transforming Great Shang into a centralized and prosperous state.
• Jiang Shang: Is portrayed in sharp contrast to his expected importance. Rather than enjoying status or advancement, he is exploited as a low-ranking laborer, physically exhausted, socially humiliated, and unable to cultivate properly.
• Shen Gongbao and Yun Yi: Act as Jiang Shang’s limited sources of support by supplying pills, though they cannot—or do not—remove him from his oppressive circumstances.
• Chan Sect members: Display rigid hierarchy and resentment toward Jiang Shang, particularly because he appears to have received special recognition from the Saint despite lacking the cultivation normally required for his position.

Significant Themes

• Centralization versus aristocratic privilege: Di Xin’s reforms challenge the feudal lords’ traditional monopoly over resources and political power.
• Merit and legitimacy: Di Xin’s legitimate bloodline and demonstrated ability justify his authority, while the Chan Sect’s hierarchy exposes the tension between formal status and actual merit.
• Reform and resistance: Policies benefiting commoners threaten entrenched elites, making Di Xin’s success dependent on both popular prosperity and military suppression.
• The cruelty of sect hierarchy: Jiang Shang’s treatment reveals the Chan Sect’s rigid class system, where cultivation level determines dignity and opportunity.
• Fate and hidden schemes: Taiqing’s confusion emphasizes how the current calamity obscures the future and limits even saints’ ability to understand unfolding events.
• Contrasting fortunes: Great Shang flourishes under Di Xin, while Jiang Shang suffers under the Chan Sect, creating a deliberate contrast between worldly political success and personal misery.

Character Interactions

• Taiqing briefly interacts with Great Love Heavenly Venerate before leaving the Netherworld and returning to seclusion.
• Di Xin’s relationship with the feudal states is defined by a mixture of diplomacy, recruitment, reform, and military coercion; he courts them when useful but destroys those that resist.
• Great Shang cooperates with the Sect of Interception by granting its disciples prestigious but limited official positions, allowing both sides to benefit.
• Jiang Shang pleads with Senior Brother Liuyun for relief from his exhausting work, but Liuyun harshly reprimands him and threatens consequences.
• The alchemy steward treats Jiang Shang with contempt, reflecting the resentment of those who believe Jiang Shang received undeserved special treatment.
• Xuandao’s arrival abruptly changes Jiang Shang’s situation, though his purpose remains unclear and may signal a new conflict or turning point.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Shang is accused of wrongdoing and brutally whipped by a steward in the alchemy room. He insists that he is innocent, but no one investigates his claims.
• Immortal Xuandao arrives and announces that Venerable Yuanshi, the Saint teacher, has summoned Jiang Shang to the Jade Void Palace. The Chan Sect disciples are shocked and envious because ordinary disciples—and especially a mortal like Jiang Shang—rarely receive such an honor.
• Jiang Shang remembers Shen Gongbao’s warning that “prejudice was a mountain,” realizing that his low status and others’ bias against him have shaped how he is treated.
• Xuandao escorts Jiang Shang to the Jade Void Palace. Their interaction is cold and distant; Xuandao even carries Jiang Shang like a chick when he proves too slow.
• Before Venerable Yuanshi, Jiang Shang reveals that he has cultivated in the Chan Sect for sixty-two years without becoming an immortal. He assumes the Saint has summoned him because he considers him a failure.
• Yuanshi confirms Jiang Shang’s fears, declaring that his immortal destiny has ended and ordering him to descend the mountain.
• True Person Taiyi harshly rebukes Jiang Shang, insisting that he was never qualified to become an immortal. Taiyi reminds him that, without Yuanshi’s pity, the Chan Sect’s resources, and the support of fellow disciples, Jiang Shang would have remained an ordinary mortal living a difficult life.
• Yuanshi explains that he accepted Jiang Shang because of a destined master-disciple connection, but that their karmic bond has now ended.
• Jiang Shang gratefully performs three bows and nine kowtows before accepting his dismissal.
• When Immortal Elder Nanji asks whether Jiang Shang has a plan after leaving, Jiang Shang suggests using his cultivation to earn a living. Nanji bluntly declares that he would probably starve immediately.

Character Developments

• Jiang Shang: Becomes increasingly aware of his inferior position within the Chan Sect. Though humiliated and distressed, he remains respectful and grateful toward Yuanshi. His lack of confidence deepens as he accepts that he cannot become an immortal.
• Venerable Yuanshi: Is portrayed as emotionally detached. He acknowledges that Jiang Shang’s cultivation path has ended but shows little sympathy, viewing their relationship primarily through fate and karmic obligation.
• True Person Taiyi: Reveals strong prejudice and contempt toward Jiang Shang. He sees him as an ordinary mortal who has received opportunities beyond his natural status.
• Immortal Xuandao: Treats Jiang Shang coldly and impatiently, reflecting the broader Chan Sect attitude toward him.
• Immortal Elder Nanji: Appears more practical than sympathetic, immediately pointing out that Jiang Shang lacks a realistic livelihood after descending the mountain.

Significant Themes

• Prejudice and social hierarchy: Jiang Shang’s treatment demonstrates how deeply his mortal origins affect the way others perceive and mistreat him.
• Fate versus personal effort: Despite decades of cultivation and access to powerful resources, Jiang Shang cannot overcome the limits of his destiny.
• Conditional compassion: Yuanshi’s acceptance of Jiang Shang is presented not as unconditional care but as the result of fate and karmic ties.
• Humiliation and gratitude: Jiang Shang is repeatedly belittled, yet he remains grateful for the chance to cultivate and experience the immortal world.
• The harshness of cultivation society: Status, talent, lineage, and innate qualifications matter more than effort, leaving ordinary people vulnerable and powerless.

Character Interactions

• The steward physically abuses Jiang Shang while dismissing his protests.
• Xuandao escorts him without warmth and refuses attempts at conversation.
• Yuanshi formally informs Jiang Shang that his immortal destiny has ended.
• Taiyi aggressively criticizes him, contrasting his ordinary mortal life with the opportunities provided by the Chan Sect.
• Jiang Shang responds to everyone with fear, humility, and repeated apologies, ultimately accepting Yuanshi’s decision with gratitude.
• Nanji’s final remark emphasizes how unprepared Jiang Shang is for life after leaving the mountain.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Shang is shocked when Immortal Elder Nanji suggests that he might starve after descending from Kunlun Mountain. Jiang Shang argues that his knowledge of spells, fortune-telling, feng shui, alchemy, artifact refinement, formations, healing, and herbal medicine should allow him to survive in the Human Realm.
• Nanji dismisses these plans as naïve, explaining that the Human Realm is far more difficult to navigate than Jiang Shang imagines. Even powerful immortals often rely on feudal lords, influential clans, or the Great Shang Dynasty for status, resources, and Fortune Aura.
• Guangchengzi proposes that Jiang Shang be entrusted with an important task, suggesting that completing it could secure him a lifetime of wealth and stability.
• Venerable Yuanshi deduces Jiang Shang’s fate and reveals that his immortal affinity has ended. Jiang Shang will not become an immortal through the Chan Sect, but he possesses a different opportunity and some Fortune Aura.
• Yuanshi gives Jiang Shang the Investiture List and declares that he is destined to preside over the Investiture of the Gods. Jiang Shang is instructed to descend the mountain, fulfill the mission, and keep the List’s existence secret.
• Jiang Shang, who knows nothing about the Investiture of the Gods or how the List works, attempts to ask for guidance, but Yuanshi refuses to explain further, citing the heavenly secrets.
• Nanji arranges for Xuandao to escort Jiang Shang away. Xuandao mocks Jiang Shang for failing to become an immortal and accuses him of clinging shamelessly to the mountain.
• Unable to challenge Xuandao, an Early Mystic Immortal, Jiang Shang uses spells and asks fellow disciples for assistance to return to the residential area.
• He initially plans to ask Shen Gongbao about the Investiture List, but Shen Gongbao is away on a mission. Jiang Shang instead encounters Yun Yi and begins questioning him about the List.

2. Character Developments

• Jiang Shang: Revealed as capable but inexperienced and sheltered. He has learned many practical Daoist skills but lacks worldly understanding and knowledge of the larger political and divine situation. His confidence in surviving independently is challenged, and he is suddenly given a destiny far greater than he understands.
• Immortal Elder Nanji: Displays a cynical, pragmatic view of society and Jiang Shang’s limitations. He sees Jiang Shang as naïve and socially unprepared rather than secretly destined for greatness.
• Venerable Yuanshi: Confirms that Jiang Shang cannot become an immortal but recognizes his unusual fate and Fortune Aura. He redirects Jiang Shang’s future toward the Human Realm and the Investiture of the Gods.
• Xuandao: Acts contemptuously toward Jiang Shang, emphasizing the latter’s low status and failed cultivation. His mockery humiliates Jiang Shang but also highlights the power imbalance between them.
• Guangchengzi: Shows some support for Jiang Shang by recommending him for the mission, suggesting that he recognizes Jiang Shang’s karmic connection and potential usefulness.
• Shen Gongbao and Yun Yi: Shen Gongbao becomes the person Jiang Shang hopes can explain the mysterious mission, while Yun Yi is positioned as his next source of information.

3. Significant Themes

• The limits of cultivation and talent: Learning spells and Daoist techniques does not guarantee immortality, status, or worldly success.
• Naivety versus worldly experience: Jiang Shang’s secluded life has left him unfamiliar with society, politics, and the realities faced by independent cultivators.
• Fate and redirected destiny: Jiang Shang’s failure to become immortal is not the end of his path; instead, his destiny shifts toward a major role in the Human Realm.
• The hidden workings of the Investiture of the Gods: The approaching tribulation and the activities of the Interception Sect hint at a larger cosmic conflict unfolding beyond Jiang Shang’s understanding.
• Power and social hierarchy: Xuandao’s treatment of Jiang Shang demonstrates how vulnerable those without cultivation, status, or institutional backing are in this world.
• Secrecy and heavenly plans: Yuanshi’s refusal to explain the Investiture List reinforces the idea that divine schemes must unfold according to fate and cannot be openly revealed.

4. Character Interactions

• Jiang Shang debates Nanji about whether his skills will allow him to survive after leaving the mountain, revealing their contrasting views of the Human Realm.
• Guangchengzi advocates for Jiang Shang before Yuanshi, indirectly helping him receive the Investiture List.
• Yuanshi formally assigns Jiang Shang his mission but gives him almost no practical instructions, leaving him confused.
• Xuandao humiliates Jiang Shang during the escort from the summit, forcing Jiang Shang to endure the insult because of Xuandao’s superior cultivation.
• After returning to the residential area, Jiang Shang seeks help from Shen Gongbao but instead meets Yun Yi, continuing his attempt to understand the Investiture of the Gods.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Shang informs Yun Yi that their teacher has entrusted him with the Investiture List.
• Yun Yi is shocked because the Investiture List is reputed to be a supreme Primordial Divine Object capable of enfeoffing countless immortals and deities.
• He explains its enormous capacity: it can appoint tens of thousands—or even millions—of deities, granting them authority over the laws of heaven and earth.
• According to Yun Yi, even an ordinary mortal appointed through the Investiture List could gain strength comparable to a Daluo immortal, become immortal, and receive the Human Realm’s incense offerings.
• Jiang Shang realizes the potential of the list and privately considers using it to appoint himself as a supreme deity, avoiding the arduous process of cultivation.
• Yun Yi also reveals that the Chan Sect’s immortals have already been assigned future positions in the Heavenly Court. He jokingly asks Jiang Shang to give him a high-ranking post once Jiang takes control of the list.
• Jiang Shang leaves Yun Yi’s cave abode and begins descending from the Kunlun Mountains. Because he now possesses the Investiture List, he becomes suspicious of the immortals around him and fears that someone may attempt to seize it.
• The Disciplinary Hall immortals briefly stop and question him, but allow him to pass after assuming he is leaving in disgrace because he was expelled by a Saint.
• Outside Qilin Cliff, Jiang Shang is stopped by Shen Gongbao, who has come to see him off after learning that he is leaving the mountains.
• Shen Gongbao encourages Jiang Shang, promises to help him in the future, and gives him a mobile phone from the Interception Sect along with a mid-grade Houtian Spiritual Treasure for protection.

Character Developments

• Jiang Shang: His attitude toward the Investiture List changes dramatically. Initially unaware of its value, he becomes excited and begins imagining how it could grant him extraordinary power. At the same time, possessing the treasure makes him nervous and distrustful, causing him to fear that others may covet it.
• Yun Yi: He demonstrates extensive knowledge of the Investiture List and sincerely admires Jiang Shang’s fortune. Although envious, he does not show greed or attempt to take the treasure. His joking request for a high-ranking divine position highlights his friendly relationship with Jiang Shang.
• Shen Gongbao: He acts as a supportive senior brother. Despite Jiang Shang’s expulsion and uncertain future, Shen offers encouragement, practical assistance, and valuable gifts, showing genuine concern for him.

Significant Themes

• Fortune and ignorance: Jiang Shang possesses an artifact of immense importance without initially realizing its value, emphasizing the contrast between great opportunity and limited understanding.
• Power and ambition: The Investiture List offers an almost effortless path to immortality and authority, immediately tempting Jiang Shang to abandon conventional cultivation and seek supreme status.
• Trust and suspicion: Once Jiang Shang understands the list’s value, he becomes wary of everyone around him, showing how possession of power can create fear and isolation.
• Fate and heavenly order: The planned assignment of Chan Sect immortals to the Heavenly Court suggests that their future roles are being arranged according to a larger cosmic design.
• Brotherhood and support: Shen Gongbao’s farewell demonstrates loyalty and compassion, contrasting with Jiang Shang’s growing anxiety about potential enemies.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Shang and Yun Yi: Yun Yi educates Jiang Shang about the Investiture List, while Jiang Shang questions him closely and secretly evaluates how he might exploit its power.
• Jiang Shang and the Disciplinary Hall immortals: They mistake his cautious behavior for shame over being expelled and allow him to leave after questioning him.
• Jiang Shang and Shen Gongbao: Shen meets him outside the mountain, offers reassurance, promises future aid, and presents him with a mobile phone and a spiritual treasure to help protect him.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• In the wilderness, Shen Gongbao explains to Jiang Shang how to use a phone and gives him a Mid-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure as a parting gift.
• Jiang Shang is deeply touched by Shen Gongbao’s sincere kindness, especially because most members of the Chan Sect have treated him with contempt. He decides Shen Gongbao may become an important ally once he gains power.
• Shen Gongbao promises to help Jiang Shang in the future, drawing on his extensive connections among immortals, sects, factions, and the Great Shang court.
• Jiang Shang reveals that their teacher gave him the Investiture List and appointed him to preside over the Investiture of the Gods. He boasts that he will eventually grant Shen Gongbao a high-ranking immortal position.
• Shen Gongbao is visibly shocked and distressed by the revelation. Although he offers congratulations, his forced smile and clenched fists reveal jealousy, disbelief, and emotional turmoil.
• Jiang Shang explains that he intends to return to the Nine Provinces, help his homeland, and use his cultivation for the benefit of ordinary people. He confidently believes his abilities will allow him to make a major difference.
• True Person Taiyi arrives and offers to take Jiang Shang home because he is traveling toward Chentang Pass. Jiang Shang accepts gratefully, and Taiyi abruptly grabs him and departs.

Character Developments

• Jiang Shang: Becomes more confident and ambitious after receiving the Investiture List. He views it as the foundation of future authority and believes he will eventually control the distribution of immortal positions. Despite his limited cultivation, he develops grand aspirations and sees himself as a future savior of his homeland. He also forms a strong sense of loyalty toward Shen Gongbao.
• Shen Gongbao: Demonstrates genuine compassion, loyalty, and generosity toward Jiang Shang. However, learning that Jiang Shang possesses the Investiture List exposes hidden jealousy and insecurity. His outward congratulations contrast sharply with his troubled inner reaction.
• True Person Taiyi: Appears authoritative, arrogant, and efficient. He shows little interest in extended conversation and treats Jiang Shang roughly but helpfully by offering him a ride home.

Significant Themes

• Sincere friendship versus sectarian prejudice: Shen Gongbao’s kindness stands out against the Chan Sect’s widespread disdain for Jiang Shang.
• Ambition and destiny: The Investiture List gives Jiang Shang confidence that he is destined for greatness, even though he does not yet understand how to use it.
• Jealousy and unequal opportunity: Shen Gongbao’s reaction highlights the resentment that can arise when someone overlooked receives a major divine opportunity.
• Responsibility and overconfidence: Jiang Shang believes power creates an obligation to protect his homeland, but his confidence greatly exceeds his actual cultivation and abilities.
• Parting and future alliances: The separation marks the end of Jiang Shang’s life on the mountain while establishing Shen Gongbao as a potential ally in his future struggles.

Important Character Interactions

• Jiang Shang and Shen Gongbao: Share an emotional farewell. Jiang Shang promises to reward Shen Gongbao in the future, while Shen Gongbao offers continued support and protection.
• Jiang Shang revealing the Investiture List: This transforms the mood from warm friendship to tension, as Shen Gongbao reacts with shock and concealed envy.
• Jiang Shang and True Person Taiyi: Taiyi offers transportation, but his brusque manner contrasts with Jiang Shang’s respectful gratitude.

Chapter Summary

Plot and Events

• After Jiang Shang departs with the Investiture List, Shen Gongbao remains behind, stunned that the responsibility was given to his junior brother instead of him.
• Shen recalls that their master once suggested he possessed the Fortune Aura necessary to oversee the Investiture of the Gods, so Jiang Shang’s appointment leaves him confused and troubled.
• True Person Huanglong appears and harshly mocks Shen. He slaps him, accuses him of coveting the Investiture List, and claims Jiang Shang “stole” the opportunity that should have belonged to him.
• Huanglong argues that Shen has foolishly treated Jiang Shang as a brother despite receiving little in return. He points out that Shen gave Jiang Shang pills, treasures, guidance, and repeated assistance with sect assignments and work transfers.
• Shen initially defends Jiang Shang, insisting that Jiang is only a mortal and could not have altered the master’s decision. However, Huanglong’s accusations cause Shen to remember Jiang’s repeated requests and lack of meaningful repayment, awakening resentment in him.
• Huanglong reveals that Jiang Shang allegedly spoke ill of Shen before their master and claims he personally witnessed it, ending the chapter on a shocking accusation.

Character Developments

• Shen Gongbao: Begins confused and emotionally unsettled, still loyal to Jiang Shang and unwilling to believe he acted maliciously. As Huanglong lists Jiang’s ingratitude, Shen’s suppressed dissatisfaction begins to surface. His fear of the sect’s powerful figures also becomes clear.
• Jiang Shang: Although absent, he is portrayed ambiguously. Shen sees him as a harmless, dependent junior brother, while Huanglong depicts him as calculating, ungrateful, and ambitious enough to undermine Shen.
• True Person Huanglong: Revealed as arrogant, aggressive, and openly contemptuous of Shen. He uses intimidation, ridicule, and manipulation to provoke Shen’s jealousy and distrust.
• Yun Yi and the sect: Their past involvement in helping Jiang Shang is mentioned, suggesting that Shen’s generosity affected others as well.

Significant Themes

• Resentment beneath generosity: Shen claims he helped Jiang without expecting repayment, but Huanglong exposes how easily unacknowledged sacrifices can turn into bitterness.
• Ambition and lost opportunity: The Investiture List represents status, authority, and Shen’s expected future. Its transfer to Jiang Shang threatens Shen’s sense of destiny and worth.
• Manipulation and suspicion: Huanglong deliberately reframes Shen’s relationship with Jiang, encouraging him to interpret years of dependence as exploitation.
• Power and fear within the sect: Shen cannot challenge Huanglong because of the vast difference in status and strength, showing the dangerous hierarchy of the Chan Sect.
• Appearance versus reality: Jiang’s apparent harmlessness may conceal ambition, while Shen’s reputation as a benevolent helper may also contain a desire for recognition.

Character Interactions

• Huanglong dominates the encounter through physical violence and verbal humiliation.
• Shen responds deferentially, repeatedly denying any improper ambition while attempting to defend Jiang.
• Their exchange gradually shifts from Huanglong’s mockery of Shen’s lost opportunity to a psychological attack on Shen’s loyalty to Jiang.
• The final claim that Jiang Shang denounced Shen before their master threatens to transform Shen’s confusion into betrayal and suspicion.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Shen Gongbao becomes suspicious that Jiang Shang has taken the opportunity to preside over the Investiture of the Gods, which he believed should have been his.
• True Person Huanglong deliberately tells Shen Gongbao that Jiang Shang insulted him, calling him a dangerous “beast” who might cause trouble for the Chan Sect. Huanglong claims Jiang Shang persuaded their teacher to give him the Investiture List instead of Shen Gongbao.
• Shen Gongbao, believing he has been betrayed despite previously helping Jiang Shang, becomes enraged and calls Jiang Shang to confront him.
• Meanwhile, True Person Taiyi manipulates Jiang Shang in the opposite direction. He claims Shen Gongbao intended to ambush Jiang Shang and steal both the Investiture List and his Fortune Aura.
• Taiyi uses Shen Gongbao’s past kindness, his interest in the Investiture List, and the fact that he gave Jiang Shang a magical treasure as supposed evidence of a long-term conspiracy.
• Taiyi predicts that Shen Gongbao will call to ask where Jiang Shang is staying in Great Shang. Shen Gongbao immediately does so, apparently confirming Taiyi’s accusations in Jiang Shang’s eyes.
• Frightened, Jiang Shang gives his phone and magical treasure to Taiyi for safekeeping, believing they may be tracking devices or tools Shen Gongbao could use against him.

2. Character Developments

• Shen Gongbao: His insecurity and resentment intensify when Huanglong tells him that Jiang Shang has betrayed him. Although Shen Gongbao previously supported and protected Jiang Shang, he quickly begins to view him as an enemy.
• Jiang Shang: He is shown as naïve, easily influenced, and unable to recognize that both sides may be manipulating him. He changes from trusting Shen Gongbao to suspecting him after Taiyi’s accusations and ultimately surrenders his possessions out of fear.
• True Person Huanglong: He acts as a provocateur, feeding Shen Gongbao a fabricated account designed to turn him against Jiang Shang.
• True Person Taiyi: He presents himself as Jiang Shang’s protector while skillfully exploiting Jiang Shang’s doubts. His confident predictions and mockery make his deception appear credible.
• The opposing groups: Both sides manipulate the relationship between Jiang Shang and Shen Gongbao, turning mutual assistance into apparent evidence of betrayal.

3. Significant Themes

• Manipulation and misinformation: The central conflict is created through false claims and selective interpretations rather than direct evidence.
• Betrayal and misplaced trust: Shen Gongbao feels betrayed by Jiang Shang, while Jiang Shang is persuaded that Shen Gongbao betrayed him first.
• Naivety and gullibility: Jiang Shang accepts Taiyi’s explanation largely because Shen Gongbao’s predictable concern appears to confirm it.
• Political intrigue: The Investiture List represents power, status, and control over a major undertaking, motivating jealousy and deception within the Chan Sect.
• Irony and dramatic misunderstanding: Readers can see that both Jiang Shang and Shen Gongbao are being played, while each believes the other is responsible for the conflict.

4. Character Interactions

• Huanglong speaks with Shen Gongbao and falsely reports Jiang Shang’s alleged insults and conspiracy, provoking Shen Gongbao’s anger.
• Taiyi speaks with Jiang Shang and reframes Shen Gongbao’s concern as an attempted plot against him.
• Shen Gongbao calls Jiang Shang, intending to ask about his plans and possibly visit him, but Jiang Shang interprets the call as proof of Taiyi’s accusations and hangs up.
• Taiyi then offers to protect Jiang Shang by taking his phone and magical treasure, further isolating him from Shen Gongbao.
• The chapter ends with Shen Gongbao and Jiang Shang separated by suspicion, despite their previously supportive relationship.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• True Person Huanglong provokes Shen Gongbao by claiming that Jiang Shang deceived and humiliated him. He urges Shen Gongbao to reclaim the Investiture of the Gods List, arguing that success would prove his worth to their master.
• Shen Gongbao is tempted but remains uncertain, returning to the Chan Sect conflicted over whether taking the list would be justified.
• True Person Taiyi uses a limited magical projection to show Jiang Shang that Shen Gongbao may be planning to seize the list. He warns Jiang Shang to hide his whereabouts after they reach Great Shang.
• Upon arriving, Taiyi abandons Jiang Shang and travels separately to Chentang Pass. Jiang Shang hides briefly, convinced Shen Gongbao might pursue him.
• Jiang Shang enters a prosperous provincial city and becomes delighted by the lively Human Realm. His pride grows as he imagines establishing a great legacy after taking charge of the Investiture of the Gods.
• While eating in a crowded restaurant, Jiang Shang asks about the current Human Emperor and the reason for the city’s prosperity. His questions make the locals suspicious, and the waiter summons soldiers.
• The soldiers accuse Jiang Shang of possibly being an extraterrestrial demon or monster plotting against Great Shang. He is arrested and shackled for questioning.
• Confident in his cultivation, Jiang Shang tries to intimidate the soldiers and prepares to demonstrate his abilities. However, when he attempts to circulate his Dharma power, he discovers that it has been completely suppressed. A common soldier then strikes him with a weapon hilt.

Character Developments

• Shen Gongbao: Huanglong’s taunts deepen his resentment toward Jiang Shang and awaken his desire to reclaim the Investiture List, though he remains indecisive and insecure.
• True Person Huanglong: Acts as a manipulator, exploiting Shen Gongbao’s anger and inferiority to push him toward confrontation.
• True Person Taiyi: Appears detached and pragmatic. He warns Jiang Shang but does little to protect him, ultimately leaving him alone in unfamiliar territory.
• Jiang Shang: Returns to the Human Realm arrogant and self-important, believing his cultivation makes him superior to mortals. His confidence quickly collapses when ordinary soldiers arrest him and his powers mysteriously fail.
• The Shang soldiers and civilians: Display suspicion and vigilance toward outsiders, reflecting Great Shang’s strict concern with potential supernatural threats.

Significant Themes

• Manipulation and resentment: Huanglong turns Shen Gongbao’s wounded pride into a possible threat against Jiang Shang.
• Arrogance before humiliation: Jiang Shang expects to impress the mortals, but his condescending attitude and overconfidence instead lead to his arrest.
• Powerlessness and loss of control: Despite being a cultivator, Jiang Shang cannot use his abilities in Great Shang, reversing the expected power relationship.
• Prosperity and governance: Jiang Shang is amazed by the Human Realm’s development, suggesting that Great Shang’s rulers have created an unusually flourishing society.
• Appearance versus reality: Jiang Shang imagines himself returning as a successful immortal, but reality immediately undermines his heroic expectations.

Character Interactions

• Huanglong and Shen Gongbao: Huanglong mocks Shen Gongbao’s weakness and urges him to seize the Investiture List.
• Taiyi and Jiang Shang: Taiyi warns Jiang Shang about Shen Gongbao but offers little reassurance or protection before abandoning him.
• Jiang Shang and the waiter: Jiang Shang casually questions the waiter about the Human Emperor, unaware that his words appear suspicious.
• Jiang Shang and the deputy general: Their exchange reveals Jiang Shang’s arrogance and the officer’s calm, procedural approach. Jiang Shang threatens to retaliate, but the soldiers simply restrain him.
• Jiang Shang and the soldiers: Jiang Shang expects to overpower them, only to discover that his supernatural abilities have been sealed, leaving him vulnerable and humiliated.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Shang is captured by Great Shang soldiers after attempting to resist arrest. When he tries to activate a Five-Elements Immortal Art, the deputy general strikes him and disperses his spell, revealing that the nation’s “National Fortune” protects ordinary people from cultivators.
• Soldiers and civilians condemn Jiang Shang as a dangerous “demon cultivator.” Their support for the King’s proposed Immortal-Ban Edict shows that Great Shang is becoming increasingly regulated and hostile toward unregistered cultivators.
• Jiang Shang is imprisoned in a terrifying jail filled with Killing Aura. He tries to intimidate the guards by claiming allegiance to the Interception Sect and Saint Shangqing, but his threats are ignored.
• Another prisoner claims to be an Interception Sect disciple. Despite his powerful aura and status, he is immediately executed, and his Primordial Spirit is destroyed.
• A second immortal attempts to bribe or recruit the guards with promises of cultivation, treasure, and marriage to his granddaughters. He is also executed for spreading “demonic words” and attempting to corrupt officials.
• Jiang Shang considers using a forbidden escape technique that would consume his potential and foundation, but another prisoner demonstrates several escape arts by exploding into blood mist. A mysterious prison authority effortlessly devours every fragment, proving that escape is nearly impossible.
• When questioned about his crime, Jiang Shang insists that he has been wronged. The prison authority dismisses his claim as a common excuse and orders him executed, leaving Jiang Shang in desperate danger.

Character Developments

• Jiang Shang: His arrogance and confidence collapse rapidly. Accustomed to being protected by his identity and cultivation background, he becomes frightened and helpless when faced with Great Shang’s legal system and prison defenses. He shifts from rage and threats to panic, attempted deception, and thoughts of sacrificing his cultivation to escape.
• The deputy general and soldiers: They are portrayed as disciplined, fearless, and fully willing to attack cultivators. Their confidence comes from Great Shang’s National Fortune and centralized authority.
• The prison authority: This figure is calm, ruthless, and seemingly overwhelmingly powerful. He executes prisoners without hesitation and treats claims of innocence, status, or future revenge as meaningless.
• The imprisoned cultivators: Their failed attempts to threaten, bribe, or escape contrast with Great Shang’s power. Their arrogance and desperation emphasize how completely the old relationship between immortals and mortals has been overturned.

Significant Themes

• The reversal of power between mortals and cultivators: Ordinary soldiers can overpower and execute immortals because of Great Shang’s National Fortune, laws, and institutions.
• The triumph of law and state authority over personal status: Sect affiliation, immortal cultivation, and threats of revenge no longer grant protection.
• Fear of uncontrolled supernatural power: Citizens support registration, aura recording, and restraints because cultivators can harm people without warning.
• Political stability and reform: The people praise the King’s six years of peace and prosperity and express hope that industrial reforms will restore Great Shang and strengthen the Nine Provinces.
• Arrogance versus reality: Jiang Shang and the other prisoners assume that power, promises, or reputation will save them, but the prison system treats them as ordinary criminals.
• Desperation and survival: As each possible strategy fails, Jiang Shang becomes increasingly aware that his life may end before he can even explain his identity.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Shang clashes with the deputy general after trying to use magic, and the soldiers respond with physical force rather than fear.
• Civilians openly criticize Jiang Shang and endorse the King’s anti-cultivator policies, reinforcing his isolation.
• Jiang Shang witnesses one prisoner invoke the Interception Sect’s prestige, only to be executed immediately, destroying his confidence in using the same tactic.
• Another prisoner tries to persuade the guards with wealth, cultivation opportunities, and marriage alliances, but the prison authority orders his execution.
• The blood-escape prisoner boasts of his techniques and revenge, yet the prison authority effortlessly annihilates him.
• Finally, the prison authority questions Jiang Shang, mocks his claim of innocence, and orders his execution, ending the chapter on a cliffhanger.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Shang is arrested and nearly executed after asking an inn waiter about the current Human Emperor of Great Shang. The authorities suspect him of being a demonic cultivator or an assassin.
• He desperately identifies himself as a disciple of the Chan Sect and an attendant of Venerable Yuanshi, claiming that he came to Great Shang to help its people.
• When asked for proof, Jiang Shang cannot produce his Chan Sect identity plaque because he was expelled from the sect. He then proves his sincerity by swearing an oath to the Heavenly Dao.
• The guards accept his oath but continue questioning his motives, suspecting that his inquiry about the king may be connected to an assassination attempt or an attempt to steal Great Shang’s secrets.
• Jiang Shang eventually admits that he was expelled from the Chan Sect after failing to become immortal during forty years of cultivation. He claims he returned to Great Shang because he had nowhere else to go and hoped to enter the imperial court as an official.
• The interrogator reveals himself as Mo Lihong, a Jie Sect/Interception Sect disciple who openly despises the Chan Sect’s hypocrisy.
• A creature that previously devoured a demonic cultivator’s soul returns in the form of a cute Purple Golden Flower Fox Marten and rests on Mo Lihong’s shoulder.
• Mo Lihong reveals that he reached the Mystic Immortal realm in only a few decades and hopes to advance to the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm. Jiang Shang is stunned by his confidence and cultivation speed.

Character Developments

• Jiang Shang is shown as fearful, inexperienced, and extremely cautious. Though he is associated with the prestigious Chan Sect, his expulsion and lack of cultivation progress have left him vulnerable and humiliated. To survive, he relies on pleading, partial truths, flattery, and his reputation as Jiang Shang.
• Mo Lihong is introduced as a powerful, arrogant, and blunt Interception Sect cultivator. He is suspicious of outsiders but is willing to spare Jiang Shang once convinced of his identity. His hatred of the Chan Sect contrasts with Jiang Shang’s former affiliation.
• The Purple Golden Flower Fox Marten appears to be an exceptionally dangerous spirit creature despite its adorable appearance. Its transformation from a soul-devouring monster into a pet-like beast highlights the unusual power surrounding Mo Lihong.
• Jiang Shang realizes that the cultivators and authorities of Great Shang are far more powerful and strange than he expected, leaving him intimidated and confused.

Significant Themes

• Misunderstanding and suspicion: Jiang Shang’s innocent question about the Human Emperor is interpreted as a possible assassination plot, showing how dangerous political curiosity can be.
• Power and status: Jiang Shang invokes his Chan Sect background for protection, but his lack of proof and expulsion make his prestigious identity nearly meaningless.
• Sect rivalry: Mo Lihong’s contempt for the Chan Sect reflects the broader conflict between the Chan Sect and Jie Sect, with both sides holding strong prejudices.
• Humiliation and survival: Jiang Shang must conceal his true purpose and endure insults about his expulsion in order to stay alive.
• The gap between cultivation levels: Jiang Shang is shocked that Mo Lihong considers becoming a Grand Unity Golden Immortal an attainable goal, emphasizing how far beyond him the powerful cultivators of Great Shang are.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Shang repeatedly begs the prison authorities and attempts to prove that he is not a demon or assassin.
• Mo Lihong interrogates Jiang Shang aggressively, alternating between threats of execution and amused curiosity.
• Jiang Shang flatters Mo Lihong after learning his name, predicting that Mo Lihong will one day become famous.
• Mo Lihong responds proudly but modestly claims that many Interception Sect disciples are already Mystic Immortals, while lamenting that he has not yet reached the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm.
• Their exchange establishes a tense but increasingly relaxed relationship, with Jiang Shang trying to win Mo Lihong’s favor and Mo Lihong treating him as an amusing, inferior outsider.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Shang meets Mo Lihong at Jiameng Pass and explains that he only came to eat, observe the prosperous city, and gather information. He proves that he is genuinely connected to the Chan Sect by demonstrating the Jade Purity Immortal Method.
• Despite his explanation, Mo Lihong initially orders Xu Kun to execute him, suspecting that Jiang Shang may be a spy. Jiang Shang is eventually spared when Xu Kun argues that he appears too weak and dispirited to be an infiltrator.
• Mo Lihong uses soul-searching to inspect Jiang Shang’s memories. While reviewing Jiang Shang’s journey with True Person Taiyi, Taiyi detects the intrusion through the River of Time and attacks Mo Lihong.
• Mo Lihong is nearly killed, but a powerful sword intervenes to protect him. The mysterious rescuer warns Taiyi not to harm Chan Sect disciples, even discarded ones, and another voice arrogantly challenges Taiyi.
• After the attack ends, Mo Lihong collapses in exhaustion and thanks his master on Golden Ao Island. His master warns that anyone who has not reached the Daluo realm remains insignificant compared with the true scale of the Primordial Wilderness, further motivating Mo Lihong to pursue higher cultivation.
• Fearing further retaliation from Taiyi, Mo Lihong orders Jiang Shang released. The Four Heavenly Kings then discuss the incident and conclude that the Chan Sect may be plotting against Great Shang.
• They report Jiang Shang’s presence and the suspicious circumstances to their master and to King Di Xin.
• Jiang Shang leaves Jiameng Pass and travels toward Chaoge, confident that his knowledge and cultivation will allow him to prosper. Along the way, he is astonished to discover that ordinary mortals can ride airplanes, revealing how advanced and transformed the Human Realm has become.

Character Developments

• Jiang Shang is portrayed as envious of Mo Lihong’s rapid cultivation progress but remains ambitious and resourceful. After surviving the interrogation, he becomes determined to exploit Great Shang’s resources and technology to establish himself.
• Mo Lihong displays suspicion and loyalty toward Great Shang, but his soul-searching nearly costs him his life. The encounter with Taiyi exposes the vast difference between his power and that of higher-level immortals, strengthening his resolve to cultivate further.
• Xu Kun is aggressive and eager to kill Jiang Shang, though he also recognizes Jiang Shang’s pathetic appearance and doubts that he is a spy.
• The Four Heavenly Kings become increasingly wary of the Chan Sect and resolve to protect Great Shang from possible interference.
• True Person Taiyi is shown to be extremely powerful, perceptive, and hostile toward anyone spying on him or threatening Chan Sect interests.
• Mo Lihong’s master intervenes indirectly through the sword and later offers a warning about the insignificance of lesser realms of cultivation.

Significant Themes

• The danger of underestimating powerful immortals: Mo Lihong’s attempt to inspect Jiang Shang’s soul connects him to Taiyi and nearly results in his death.
• Political and sectarian suspicion: Great Shang and the Chan Sect distrust one another, with both sides assuming the other is pursuing hidden plans.
• The gap between realms of power: The master’s warning emphasizes that even powerful beings remain insignificant before the highest realms of cultivation.
• Transformation of the Human Realm: The appearance of airplanes and other advanced technologies shows that the mortal world has developed in unexpected ways, surprising traditional cultivators.
• Ambition and opportunity: Jiang Shang believes that his cultivation and knowledge can help him succeed in Great Shang, despite his earlier failure to become immortal.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Shang and Mo Lihong clash over Jiang Shang’s identity and motives, with Mo Lihong treating him as a possible enemy.
• Xu Kun advocates executing Jiang Shang, while Mo Lihong ultimately chooses to release him.
• Taiyi confronts Mo Lihong through the River of Time, but Mo Lihong’s master intervenes, creating a tense exchange between powerful figures from the Chan Sect and the opposing side.
• The Four Heavenly Kings discuss the incident and unite in their suspicion of the Chan Sect.
• Jiang Shang’s final encounter with an airplane highlights his direct confrontation with the unfamiliar modernity of Great Shang.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Shang arrives at an airport while trying to travel from a nearby prefectural city to Chaoge. He is astonished by airplanes, which are advanced artifacts recovered from the previous dynasty and now used throughout Great Shang.
• He boards the airplane and marvels at its luxurious interior, speed, and technology. During the journey, he fantasizes about beginning a new life in the Human Realm, becoming a high-ranking official, and proving his worth to the disciples who once looked down on him.
• After landing in Chaoge, Jiang Shang loudly declares that he is starting a new life. Security officials mistake his strange behavior for signs of demonic possession and detain him. He is released only after paying a substantial guarantee.
• Jiang Shang attempts to enter government service, but the modern Great Shang bureaucracy requires academy-based identity certification, political screening, examinations, and interviews. His advanced age and lack of credentials prevent him from becoming an official—or even securing ordinary work.
• Abandoning the official path, he decides to become a wealthy merchant using the knowledge he gained at Kunlun Mountains.
• Jiang Shang spends several days making a crude, slightly colored glass cup. Believing glass to be a valuable invention, he places it in a busy market and initially prices it at 100,000 Money.
• Although the cup attracts crowds, nobody buys it. He repeatedly lowers the price, eventually reducing it to 1,000 Money, but still finds no customers.
• Desperate, Jiang Shang visits multiple pawnshops and claims the cup is a family heirloom worth 100,000 Money. Each proprietor rejects and ridicules him. He finally learns that the item is merely an ordinary, worthless glass cup in Great Shang.

Character Development

• Jiang Shang begins the chapter full of confidence and excitement, convinced that his cultivation knowledge and experience will allow him to flourish in the Human Realm.
• His idealized expectations are repeatedly undermined by modern institutions, law enforcement, employment requirements, and commercial realities.
• His confidence shifts into confusion, frustration, and embarrassment as he realizes that the skills and assumptions from Kunlun Mountains have little practical value in this era.
• Despite repeated setbacks, he remains stubborn and resourceful, trying government service, street vending, and pawning before finally confronting the failure of his glass-making plan.

Significant Themes

• Culture shock and modernization: Jiang Shang struggles to understand a society transformed by technology, bureaucracy, and standardized systems.
• Outdated knowledge and misplaced confidence: What he assumes is a rare invention—glass—is already common and worthless.
• The gap between fantasy and reality: His dreams of becoming a powerful official or wealthy entrepreneur collapse when faced with practical barriers.
• Social and economic change: Great Shang’s advanced transportation, security systems, employment standards, and markets demonstrate how far the Human Realm has progressed.
• Adaptation: Jiang Shang must learn that past experience and cultivation credentials do not automatically translate into status or success in a changed world.

Character Interactions

• Airport passengers become impatient with Jiang Shang because he blocks the boarding line while questioning the staff about airplanes.
• A helpful woman or staff member explains the airplane system and advises him to step aside for assistance.
• Security personnel in Chaoge interpret his public declaration of “living a new life” as suspicious and accuse him of being connected to demonic cultivation.
• Government and employment systems reject Jiang Shang because he lacks modern credentials and is too old for available positions.
• Market crowds gather around his glass cup but treat it as a curiosity rather than a valuable product.
• Pawnshop owners mock, threaten, and expel him, ultimately informing him that his supposed treasure is only an ordinary glass cup.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Shang’s attempts to establish himself in the Human Realm repeatedly fail:
  • His glassware business collapses.
  • His fortune-telling stall is shut down for lacking a license.
  • His medical practice is reported as illegal.
  • His feng shui work has little demand and nearly gets him imprisoned amid government crackdowns.
  • A customer runs off with pills Jiang Shang made using borrowed money, leaving him unable to report the theft because he lacks an alchemy license.
• After accumulating heavy debt, Jiang Shang tries various small businesses—selling snacks, sandals, firewood, and other goods—but somehow drives each one into bankruptcy.
• He eventually works menial jobs in restaurants, only to lose employment after offending an important customer.
• Jiang Shang reunites with his former sworn brother, Song Yiren, who is wealthy and helps him clear his debts. Song also arranges for him to marry an older unmarried woman named Ma.
• With his debts paid and life stabilized, Jiang Shang abandons his former ambitions and settles into a modest, comfortable existence of odd jobs, farm work, and married life.
• The chapter reveals that Jiang Shang’s misfortunes were deliberately engineered by Di Xin. After learning from the Demon Brothers that Jiang Shang was a suspicious expelled disciple of the Chan Sect, Di Xin ordered Fei Zhong to sabotage all of his ventures.
• In Chaoge, Di Xin reviews state documents, orders encrypted communications, and commands generals at key passes to drill their troops and remain on alert.
• Di Xin refuses to halt E Lai’s brutal military training program, despite soldiers dying and officials objecting, believing the sacrifices are necessary to prepare humanity for future catastrophe and resist Heaven’s control.
• At the end, Di Xin consults his system. His new task is to take concubines: building a harem of three thousand women will increase his fortune, raise his cultivation to the Golden Immortal Realm, and reward him with industrialization technology.

2. Character Developments

• Jiang Shang/Jiang Ziya: His confidence and ambition are crushed by repeated failure. Once proud of his Kunlun and Chan Sect background, he becomes fearful of authority, avoids risky ventures, and accepts an ordinary life after receiving help from Song Yiren.
• Di Xin: He is shown as calculating, suspicious, and determined to alter humanity’s fate. He secretly manipulates Jiang Shang’s life while simultaneously preparing the Shang realm for future threats. He accepts present casualties and political criticism as necessary sacrifices.
• Fei Zhong: Rather than acting as a conventional treacherous minister, he serves Di Xin carefully and obediently, offering restrained, impartial responses and anticipating the king’s needs.
• E Lai: He is a ruthless executor of Di Xin’s military reforms, pushing soldiers through deadly training despite opposition from officers and court officials.
• Song Yiren: He is revealed to be wealthy and loyal, rescuing Jiang Shang from financial ruin and helping him establish a stable household.
• Ma: She becomes Jiang Shang’s wife, providing him with companionship and a peaceful domestic life.

3. Significant Themes

• The clash between supernatural ability and worldly systems: Jiang Shang’s cultivation knowledge is nearly useless in a regulated Human Realm where licenses, laws, and government policy determine success.
• Fate versus manipulation: Jiang Shang believes he is simply unlucky, but the reader learns that Di Xin is deliberately controlling his failures.
• Ambition and contentment: Jiang Shang’s grand aspirations fade as he discovers that a humble, stable life may be preferable to dangerous ambition.
• Preparation and sacrifice: Di Xin is willing to bear the reputation of a tyrant and sacrifice lives in the present to protect humanity from future domination.
• Human independence: Di Xin rejects the idea that humanity should remain subordinate to Heaven, emphasizing the Human Emperor’s authority and humanity’s right to control its own destiny.
• Political appearances versus reality: Fei Zhong appears to be a sycophant, but his careful obedience functions as effective service to the king; Di Xin’s harsh policies may also conceal a larger protective strategy.
• System-driven power: The system links Di Xin’s personal behavior—specifically expanding his harem—to cultivation, fortune, and technological advancement.

4. Character Interactions

• Jiang Shang and authorities: His encounters with officials repeatedly expose the incompatibility between his traditional methods and modern regulations.
• Jiang Shang and Song Yiren: Their reunion transforms Jiang Shang’s situation, with Song providing financial rescue and help finding a wife.
• Di Xin and Fei Zhong: Di Xin confirms that Fei Zhong successfully sabotaged Jiang Shang and then uses him to carry out sensitive administrative and military orders.
• Di Xin and E Lai: Di Xin supports E Lai’s extreme training methods and commands him to intensify them despite deaths and court objections.
• Di Xin and the system: Di Xin’s private consultation with the system introduces a new objective that combines his political role, personal life, cultivation, and the promised industrial technology reward.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Di Xin receives a system task requiring him to establish a harem of three thousand beauties. Though personally uninterested in excessive lust, he accepts because the reward includes Golden Immortal-level cultivation and access to Great Xia’s advanced technological legacy.
• He believes Great Xia’s technology could strengthen Great Shang’s Fortune Aura, protecting the dynasty from Saints, rebellious feudal lords, and potential uprisings.
• Di Xin summons You Hun and orders him to arrange the expansion of the royal harem. However, he strictly forbids coercion or abuse of authority, threatening to destroy You Hun’s entire clan if he harms innocent women.
• You Hun informs Di Xin that Bi Gan and other officials are preparing to worship Nuwa at the ancestral hall. Di Xin rejects the belief that Great Shang’s prosperity comes from divine protection, insisting that his own governance and ability are responsible for the dynasty’s strength.
• Di Xin continues his cultivation but finds his innate aptitude limited. He instead trains in martial arts and teaches the generals Fei Lian and E Lai methods of forging weapons.
• During the next court session, Bi Gan again attempts to present his concerns. Di Xin initially dismisses him, criticizing him for wasting time and refusing to submit a written memorial.
• Bi Gan insists that he has two urgent matters that could destabilize the dynasty. When Di Xin angrily rebukes him, Bi Gan finally loses his composure and openly challenges the king.
• You Hun, Fei Zhong, and their supporters condemn Bi Gan for disrespecting the emperor. Bi Gan counters by accusing them of being treacherous flatterers who will eventually bring ruin to Great Shang.
• Bi Gan’s primary demand is that Di Xin visit Nuwa Temple and worship Nuwa, whom he regards as the Human Race’s Holy Mother and a Heavenly Dao Saint who protects humanity.

Character Developments

• Di Xin: Demonstrates confidence in his own ability and deep distrust of relying on gods or Saints. He is pragmatic, ambitious, and focused on strengthening Great Shang through technology, cultivation, military development, and political control. Despite his harshness, he establishes a clear boundary against abusing women during the harem recruitment.
• You Hun: Remains submissive and fearful, eager to obey the emperor and avoid punishment. Although he is normally inclined toward manipulation and corruption, Di Xin’s explicit warning forces him to act cautiously.
• Bi Gan: Becomes increasingly frustrated by Di Xin’s refusal to hear his advice. His usual restraint breaks down, leading him to confront the emperor publicly and accuse him of endangering the dynasty.
• Fei Zhong: Continues acting as a loyal flatterer, defending Di Xin’s rule and attacking Bi Gan as a disruptive minister.
• Fei Lian and E Lai: Receive military and technological instruction from Di Xin, showing his effort to improve Great Shang’s practical strength.

Significant Themes

• Human ability versus divine dependence: Di Xin rejects the idea that the dynasty survives through Nuwa’s protection, asserting that human governance and achievement are more important than divine favor.
• Political legitimacy and religious ritual: Bi Gan believes that respecting Nuwa is essential for maintaining order, while Di Xin views such rituals as unnecessary and potentially humiliating dependence on higher powers.
• Pragmatism and modernization: Di Xin prioritizes technology, economic development, military improvement, and administrative efficiency over tradition and ceremony.
• Court loyalty versus honest remonstrance: The conflict between Bi Gan and the flatterers Fei Zhong and You Hun highlights the danger of sycophancy and the difficulty of giving truthful advice to an absolute ruler.
• Power and abuse: Di Xin’s threat against officials who exploit the harem recruitment shows that, despite his authoritarian nature, he wants to control corruption and prevent his authority from being used for personal cruelty.

Character Interactions

• Di Xin orders You Hun to recruit women for the harem but warns him not to force or mistreat anyone.
• You Hun cautiously raises the issue of worshipping Nuwa, only to be frightened by Di Xin’s openly irreverent response.
• Di Xin and Bi Gan clash during court, with Di Xin accusing him of wasting time and Bi Gan accusing the king of ignoring matters that threaten the dynasty.
• You Hun and Fei Zhong unite to defend Di Xin and attack Bi Gan, while Bi Gan denounces them as harmful flatterers.
• The chapter ends with Bi Gan publicly insisting that Di Xin must worship Nuwa, setting up a sharper conflict between the emperor’s self-reliant worldview and the court’s traditional religious beliefs.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• In the royal court, Royal Uncle Bi Gan fiercely condemns Di Xin for allegedly becoming tyrannical. He accuses the king of reviving corrupt old practices, waging costly wars, imposing heavy burdens on the people, recklessly training soldiers, and endangering the Shang Dynasty.
• Bi Gan insists that Di Xin must personally visit Nuwa Hall to honor Empress Nuwa and request peace, prosperity, and favorable conditions for the Human Race.
• The court erupts into chaos. Ministers are divided between supporting Bi Gan, defending Di Xin, and exploiting the confrontation for political advantage. You Hun and Fei Zhong angrily denounce Bi Gan and call for his removal.
• Di Xin remains calm and expressionless, then quietly leaves instead of punishing Bi Gan. In the following days, he ignores Bi Gan’s demands but still sends physicians to treat him when he falls ill.
• Bi Gan eventually abandons his campaign after realizing Di Xin will not be pressured into personally worshipping at Nuwa Hall.
• When Grand Tutor Wen Zhong returns, Bi Gan seeks his support. Instead, Wen Zhong dismisses the issue and beats Bi Gan severely with the Golden Whip, warning that if Bi Gan insists on seeking death, he will send him to his death and brand him a “treacherous minister.”
• Di Xin later welcomes Wen Zhong to the palace. They discuss military affairs and the possibility of recruiting more Interception Sect disciples to administer regions of Shang. Di Xin also suggests making the Interception Sect the state religion, but Wen Zhong rejects the idea, explaining that the sect already possesses immense fortune and needs no external support.
• When questioned about his harem, Di Xin claims that a founding ancestor appeared in a dream and instructed him to expand it. Wen Zhong accepts the explanation and even recommends suitable women from his associates.
• By the seventh year of Di Xin’s reign, Shang enjoys peace and favorable weather. Di Xin still has not visited Nuwa Hall, frustrating the Two Shakyas in the Western Pure Land, whose scheme depends on provoking a conflict between Di Xin and Nuwa.

Character Developments

• Di Xin: Demonstrates remarkable composure and political confidence. Rather than retaliating against Bi Gan, he uses silence, restraint, and even medical care to neutralize the confrontation. His refusal to visit Nuwa Hall reflects his growing independence and his belief that the Human Emperor should not submit to another divine authority.
• Bi Gan: Becomes increasingly emotional and confrontational, convinced that Di Xin’s refusal to honor Nuwa threatens Shang’s future. After Wen Zhong’s brutal reprimand, he loses his confidence and retreats from the issue.
• Wen Zhong: Reveals his broader understanding of the Primordial Wilderness and the balance among the Heavenly, Earthly, and Human Daos. He supports Di Xin’s position and views worshipping Nuwa as unnecessary and potentially dangerous.
• You Hun and Fei Zhong: Act as aggressive defenders of Di Xin, using Bi Gan’s criticism to inflame the court and attack his authority.
• The Two Shakyas: Become confused and frustrated because Di Xin refuses to follow the expected path that would allow them to manipulate him into offending Nuwa.

Significant Themes

• Human sovereignty versus divine authority: The chapter emphasizes that the Human Emperor represents the Human Dao and is not inherently subordinate to Nuwa or the other divine powers.
• Political manipulation and restraint: Di Xin defeats opposition not through open punishment but through patience, silence, and strategic generosity.
• The danger of ritual becoming political coercion: Bi Gan presents the Nuwa ceremony as a sacred obligation, while Di Xin’s actions suggest that ritual can be used to create political dependence.
• Factional conflict within the court: The confrontation exposes divisions between loyalists, opportunists, corrupt officials, and neutral observers.
• The limits of prophecy and scheming: The Western Pure Land’s plan depends on Di Xin behaving as expected, but his independent decisions disrupt their strategy.

Important Character Interactions

• Bi Gan and Di Xin: Bi Gan openly rebukes the king, while Di Xin refuses to engage emotionally or punish him directly.
• Bi Gan, You Hun, and Fei Zhong: The two officials fiercely attack Bi Gan, turning the disagreement into a broader court confrontation.
• Bi Gan and Wen Zhong: Bi Gan expects Wen Zhong’s support but is instead physically punished and warned to stop interfering.
• Di Xin and Wen Zhong: Their meeting establishes mutual respect and cooperation, especially regarding military administration and Interception Sect involvement in Shang.
• The Two Shakyas and Di Xin: Though they do not meet him directly, their plans are repeatedly frustrated by his refusal to visit Nuwa Hall.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• In the Western Ultimate Bliss World, Jieyin and Zhunti Daoists discover that Di Xin did not visit Nuwa Temple or offer incense, disrupting their expected plans.
• Suspecting Interception Sect interference, Jieyin devises a ruthless strategy: destroy Nuwa Temples, arrange disasters across the Nine Provinces, and spread rumors blaming Di Xin for angering Nuwa and bringing calamity upon the Human Race.
• To deal with the Witch Clan’s repeated raids on Western Teachings, Jieyin orders Zhunti to disguise himself as members of the Witch and Demon Clans and provoke them into war with each other.
• Zhunti carries out the plan, and the Primordial Wilderness soon descends into widespread chaos. Natural disasters, human disasters, rumors, and rising tribulation qi cause wars and killings throughout the land.
• Nuwa Temples and other religious sites are destroyed by disasters. Di Xin focuses on aiding survivors and rebuilding communities rather than restoring temples, declaring that living people are more important than worshiping unresponsive deities.
• Nuwa becomes furious at Di Xin’s refusal to honor her, but she cannot yet act against him. Zhunti also fails to approach Di Xin because the emperor remains inside the imperial city, protected by powerful national fortune.
• The Witch and Demon Clans unexpectedly begin a savage war, confirming Jieyin’s plan and intensifying the wider disorder.
• Jiang Shang receives guidance through stargazing and a dream, then resumes fortune-telling beneath a bridge. He is recruited to help construct Di Xin’s Star-Picking Tower after You Hun seeks talented men and geomancers.
• Unlike the original expected course of events, Jiang Shang does not yet encounter the three demons or kill the Pipa Spirit. Instead, his Chan Sect knowledge earns him a minor construction position.
• Di Xin continues building the Star-Picking Tower, training troops, pursuing technological innovations from earlier eras, and indulging in his harem without suffering physically or politically.
• He reforms the regions under his direct control and concentrates resources in the imperial heartland. The feudal lords are dissatisfied, but Great Shang’s strength and Di Xin’s prestige prevent open resistance.
• The chapter closes as the time approaches for the feudal lords to come to court.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Jieyin Daoist reveals himself as calculating, ruthless, and willing to manipulate entire races and nations to strengthen Western Teachings. He believes chaos is necessary for the West to rise.
• Zhunti Daoist follows Jieyin’s schemes, first planning the destruction of Nuwa Temples and later provoking war between the Witch and Demon Clans.
• Di Xin demonstrates caution and independence. He refuses to follow the expected ritual involving Nuwa, stays within the imperial city, prioritizes disaster relief over religious reconstruction, and strengthens Great Shang through military, technological, and administrative reforms.
• Nuwa becomes angered by Di Xin’s rejection of temple worship but remains unable to retaliate immediately.
• Jiang Shang begins moving into a role connected to Di Xin’s construction projects, though his development differs from the traditional sequence of events. His fortune aura and geomantic knowledge help him gain recognition.
• The feudal lords grow increasingly resentful of Di Xin’s centralization policies, creating tension that may become significant when they assemble at court.
• The interaction between Jieyin and Zhunti establishes the Western Teachings’ strategy: manipulate religious sentiment, create political instability, and redirect conflicts away from themselves.

Significant Themes

• Manipulation and manufactured chaos: The Western Teachings deliberately create disasters, rumors, and wars to weaken their rivals and expand their influence.
• Religion versus practical governance: Di Xin rejects rebuilding temples and instead uses resources to aid the people, challenging the authority of gods and religious institutions.
• Historical deviation and altered destiny: Familiar events occur in unexpected forms—Jiang Shang is recruited for construction rather than immediately beginning his traditional rise, while Di Xin avoids the expected Nuwa Temple incident.
• Centralization versus feudal power: Di Xin’s reforms strengthen the imperial center but alienate the feudal lords, foreshadowing political conflict.
• Ruthlessness in troubled times: Jieyin argues that survival requires extreme measures, presenting morality as secondary to institutional power.
• The rise of heroes amid disorder: As the Primordial Wilderness enters chaos, figures such as Jiang Shang gain opportunities to emerge and influence events.