Chapter Summaries

Lu Chen considered how to break the Love Fate Tribulation and went to the Zhao Clan Temple to worship the Harmony Immortals. After confronting Zhao Zhihong and drawing worshippers toward the Lu Clan Temple, he found that the Harmony Immortals recognized him before he could pray.

• Lu Chen concluded that dealing with Zhao Wuya was urgent while the Matchmaker God's commission and the Love Fate Tribulation could take time.
• Lu Chen asked Sun Yourong about temples devoted to the Harmony Immortals and the God of Happiness, then chose to visit the Zhao Clan Temple.
• Lu Chen caught Zhao Zhihong bullying a worshipper, demanded compensation and more worshippers from Zhao Wanliang, and beat Zhao Zhihong when he protested.
• Lu Chen gave money to the mistreated worshipper and invited the crowd to visit the Lu Clan Temple, prompting worshippers to leave the Zhao Clan Temple.
• Lu Chen offered incense before the Harmony Immortals, whose divine voice recognized him as Registrar Lu of the Imperial Horse Office.

Lu Chen learned that only the Moon Goddess might be able to undo his friend’s tribulation of fated love, but seeking Her help could turn him into a woman. He summoned Sun Yourong and went to the Wu Clan Temple, where he demanded that the Wu family answer for its debt.

• Lu Chen offered wine and swore brotherhood with the Harmony Immortals, He An and He Ning, who advised him to petition the Moon Goddess because the Matchmaker God was their superior.
• He An warned Lu Chen that the Moon Goddess might punish a male worshipper by turning him into a woman, perhaps permanently, and He Ning said She loved opera but was unlikely to be impressed by familiar tricks.
• Lu Chen considered performing an opera for the Goddess, then called Sun Yourong to meet him at the Wu Clan Temple.
• At the Zhao family estate, Zhao Wanliang told Zhao Wuya that he had secured the Matchmaker God’s red thread tying him to Sun Yourong; Zhao Wuya warned him to wait until the prefectural City God position was settled.
• Lu Chen arrived at the Wu Clan Temple and ordered its attendant to summon Old Wu, declaring that he had come to collect a debt.

Lu Chen forced Old Wu to hand over the Wu family’s forty prime-location shops, then went with Sun Yourong to pray to the Lunar Star Lord for help against the Matchmaker God. In the Moon Palace, the Lunar Star Lord’s attendant noticed the unusual incense from a man and suspected it came from the mortal who had recently caused a stir in Heaven.

• Lu Chen threatened to exchange the Cinnabar Iron Pardon unless Old Wu explained the promised follow-up measures, and Old Wu agreed to give him all forty shops.
• Sun Yourong arrived at the Wu Family Shrine, and Lu Chen took her to the Lunar Star Lord Hall to pray for the Moon Goddess’s help.
• Lu Chen offered incense and silently recited the Lunar Invocation Incantation, hoping to draw the Lunar Star Lord’s attention.
• The Lunar Star Lord discussed the scheme targeting her incarnation with her attendant and said she would refuse outright rather than let it succeed.
• The attendant connected the strange incense from a male worshipper to the mortal who stole the Seven-Treasure Exquisite Pagoda and received a heavenly post.

Lu Chen failed to get a response from Lunar Star Lord and considered staging a provocative Hou Yi and Chang'e play to catch her attention. He then remembered Broom Star and rushed off with Sun Yourong to seek his help, while Broom Star felt an ominous chill in the Heavenly Court.

• Lu Chen's incense offering brought no response from Lunar Star Lord, and he left the Wu Family Shrine with Sun Yourong.
• Lu Chen and Sun Yourong discussed ways to gain Lunar Star Lord's attention, and Lu Chen proposed performing Hou Yi Chases Chang'e before her.
• Sun Yourong warned Lu Chen that provoking the Moon Goddess could bring dangerous consequences, but Lu Chen considered the plan worth attempting.
• Lu Chen remembered Broom Star and hurried off with Sun Yourong to seek his help.
• Broom Star sneezed on his way to the Imperial Horse Office and sensed an ominous feeling.

Lu Chen learned that Broom Star’s misfortune could not safely protect him from the Moon Goddess, leaving Matchmaker God’s commission unresolved. He considered using divine talismans to redirect the danger, but lacked the register rank needed to draw them legally.

• Broom Star warned Lu Chen that misfortune could fail against the Moon Goddess’s divine punishment, harm others, and erode Lu Chen’s fate if used repeatedly.
• Lu Chen accepted that he could not risk his fate, and Sun Yourong suggested abandoning the commission despite its guaranteed sixty thousand military merits.
• Lu Chen explained that his ritual arrays required an external initial cause, so they could not resolve a tribulation for which he was both cause and result.
• Lu Chen revealed that he could use talisman paper to guide misfortune away from himself, but true divine talismans required a register rank approved by the Jade Emperor.
• Lu Chen explained that drawing divine talismans without Register Ordination would amount to privately summoning the Heavenly Court’s gods and could bring serious trouble.

Lu Chen realized he could bypass formal register ordination by making a private talisman, provided his merit and cultivation could sustain its power. He prepared to create a spiritual treasure that used Broom Star’s bad luck, leaving Broom Star stunned by Lu Chen’s plan to do the gods’ work himself.

• Sun Yourong suggested that ordinary worship already relied on the Jade Emperor’s approval, prompting Lu Chen to reconsider his belief that he needed an official register to draw divine talismans.
• Lu Chen concluded he could make private talismans as long as his merit and cultivation supported them, and thanked Sun Yourong for opening his eyes to the idea.
• Lu Chen purified himself, burned incense, and prepared to draw a Talisman for Sweeping Away Calamity connected to Broom Star.
• Lu Chen summoned Broom Star and proposed making a talisman spiritual treasure, asking him to contribute bad luck rather than bestow a blessing directly.
• Broom Star protested that he could not produce a spiritual treasure, but Lu Chen said he would make the treasure embryo himself and insisted he would try refining it.

Lu Chen successfully created spiritual-treasure talismans with Broom Star’s divine power and confirmed his merit cultivation had reached the Alliance Authority Register level. As a dangerous full-moon night approached, he prepared protections for Sun Yourong and the residents of Southern Mountain Residential Compound, then met Sun Yourong at Wu Clan Temple for their planned roles as Chang’e and Hou Yi.

• Lu Chen drew a Calamity-Sweeping Disaster Talisman with Broom Star’s help, and the deity’s mark infused it with divine power.
• Sun Yourong tested the talisman by striking Lu Chen with her axe; the barrier blocked it and hurled the weapon back, consuming the talisman, while Lu Chen confirmed his cultivation had reached the Alliance Authority Register level.
• Lu Chen made eighteen talismans, gave Sun Yourong three for her family, and arranged to meet her at Wu Clan Temple at eight that night.
• Lu Chen gathered the adult men of Southern Mountain Residential Compound in two activity rooms, placed talismans there, and instructed them to remain inside after moonrise.
• At eight, Lu Chen waited at Wu Clan Temple and watched Sun Yourong arrive dressed in white as the moon rose.

Lu Chen and Sun Yourong staged a performance of Chang'e Flies to the Moon before the Lunar Star Lord, despite the taboo against men worshipping Her. The Lunar Star Lord found Lu Chen interesting, but Her silver-white divine light struck him, leaving his fate unknown.

• Lu Chen and Sun Yourong entered the Lunar Temple in ancient-style clothes while Old Wu and the heads of the Wu, Qin, and Zhao families watched them on a screen.
• Wu Jingzhi explained that men who worshipped the Lunar Star Lord risked being turned into women, and the three family heads celebrated Lu Chen's presumed downfall.
• Lu Chen and Sun Yourong offered incense, then Sun Yourong rose into the air as Lu Chen began acting out Chang'e Flies to the Moon.
• The Lunar Star Lord recognized Lu Chen through the incense and watched his performance, including his cries as Hou Yi for Chang'e.
• The Lunar Star Lord called Lu Chen interesting and unleashed a blast of divine light at him.

Lu Chen endured the Lunar Star Lord’s divine punishments with talismans, while their aftershocks turned men across Jiangdu City into women. After his talismans were exhausted, a fourth beam pierced Lu Chen, leaving his fate uncertain.

• Lu Chen’s first two divine punishments were blocked by his Calamity-Sweeping Disaster Talismans, though their aftershocks transformed male shrine staff into women.
• The Lunar Star Lord gathered a third, stronger punishment, destroying the temple’s surveillance equipment as Lu Chen urged Sun Yourong to escape.
• Lu Chen revealed the talismans covering his body, but the third punishment burned through most of them and its citywide aftershock transformed men throughout Jiangdu, including Wu Jingzhi, Zhao Wanliang, and Yu Feng.
• With his remaining talismans destroyed, Lu Chen watched a fourth beam pierce his body.

Lu Chen met the Lunar Star Lord in her sea of consciousness and agreed to travel to Haicheng to carry out a task in exchange for her help with his Love Fate Tribulation. After returning to the Wu Clan Temple, he discovered the staff had all turned into women, and the Lunar Star Lord realized that Lu Chen’s past was obscured by heavenly secrets.

• The Lunar Star Lord pulled Lu Chen into her sea of consciousness, searched his memories, and heard his request for help with the Love Fate Tribulation.
• The Lunar Star Lord agreed to help if Lu Chen went to Haicheng and worshipped at the Chang Clan Temple, where she would explain his task.
• Lu Chen returned to the Wu Clan Temple and found that every Wu family staff member had turned into a woman; he promised compensation and said their condition would soon reverse.
• Lu Chen told Sun Yourong he had to leave for Haicheng, and she drove him there after he assured his parents he was taking a short vacation.
• Back in the Moon Palace, the Lunar Star Lord discovered that heavenly secrets obscured Lu Chen’s past and wondered whether he could help her with the Matchmaker God.

Lu Chen and Sun Yourong visited the Chang Family Temple in Haicheng, where Lu Chen’s worship drew the attention of the Lunar Star Lord. She offered to resolve his romantic-fate tribulation if he stopped Spirit Cypress Immortal from using her incarnation in a scheme to become her child.

• Lu Chen and Sun Yourong discussed the Chang family’s power, its completed missions, and how prestigious families maintained their influence in Haicheng.
• At the Chang Family Temple, Lu Chen saw its three SS-rank missions, twelve S-rank missions, and two hundred divine seats before entering the Lunar Temple alone.
• Lu Chen lit incense for the Moon Goddess, and the statue of the Lunar Star Lord glowed as she spoke to him.
• The Lunar Star Lord promised to resolve the Matchmaker God’s romantic-fate tribulation if Lu Chen settled a matter involving one of her incarnations.
• The Lunar Star Lord identified Spirit Cypress Immortal as the culprit and revealed that it planned to use her incarnation to perform “Borrowing a Womb to Grow a Lotus.”

The Lunar Star Lord recruited Lu Chen to stop Spirit Cypress Immortal’s essence soul from entering her incarnation’s womb, promising him Moon-Dew Congealed Radiance in return. Lu Chen agreed after learning the scheme involved heavenly soldiers above Haicheng and the Wheel-Turning King in the underworld, then asked the Lunar Star Lord to send hundreds of moon maidens to help.

• The Lunar Star Lord revealed that Spirit Cypress Immortal planned to reincarnate into her incarnation’s child and use the Moon Palace’s power to advance his own lineage.
• The Lunar Star Lord asked Lu Chen to prevent Spirit Cypress Immortal’s essence soul from entering the womb, offering to resolve his romantic tribulation and grant him another opportunity.
• The Lunar Star Lord promised Lu Chen Moon-Dew Congealed Radiance, a supreme resource for advancing his Four Rivers Dragon Seeds, and explained that the scheme would unfold in about three days.
• The Lunar Star Lord said Spirit Cypress Immortal had stationed heavenly soldiers above Haicheng and colluded with the Wheel-Turning King to have an underworld constable deliver his reincarnated essence soul to the Chang family.
• Lu Chen accepted the task and asked the Lunar Star Lord to send eight hundred or a thousand moon maidens to join the battle, prompting her to mock his grand request.

Lu Chen learned that he would receive no troops from the Lunar Star Lord and began planning to thwart Spirit Cypress Immortal’s scheme by seeking the Wheel-Turning King’s help. After spotting the Cypress Four Generals guarding Chang Residence, he entered the Underworld Hall and confronted temple workers who mistreated a worshipper.

• The Lunar Star Lord refused to assign Lu Chen troops, urged him to use his three divine offices, and warned him to keep Chang Suqing’s incarnation secret.
• Lu Chen used the Lunar Dharma Eye to spot heavenly soldiers and the Cypress Four Generals above the clouds, then decided to seek advice from his godfather, King Yama.
• Wither-and-Bloom General told the other generals to guard Chang Residence closely until Spirit Cypress Immortal’s incarnation essence was sent there in three days.
• Lu Chen bought black incense and entered the Underworld Hall, where he saw temple workers seize a worshipper trying to burn spirit money for his deceased daughter.
• Lu Chen knocked the workers aside and angrily declared that he did not care about the Chang family, shocking the worshippers in the hall.

Lu Chen protected a worshipper burning spirit money at a Chang family temple, where Chang Tai recognized him and invited him to the Chang family's master's birthday. Lu Chen summoned King Yama to ask him to prevent Spirit Cypress Immortal's unjust reincarnation, leaving King Yama horrified by the danger of the request.

• Lu Chen drove off the temple staff who tried to stop a worshipper from burning spirit money and learned that temples across Haicheng restricted the practice.
• Chang Tai arrived, recognized Lu Chen as the Lu family head, punished an insolent subordinate, and let worshippers burn spirit money in Lu Chen's honor.
• Chang Tai invited Lu Chen to his master's eightieth birthday, and Lu Chen accepted his business card.
• Lu Chen prayed to King Yama, who answered after complaining that Lu Chen had neglected him.
• Lu Chen asked King Yama to pull strings with the Wheel-Turning King to prevent Spirit Cypress Immortal from reincarnating unjustly, and King Yama protested that the request could get him killed.

King Yama warned Lu Chen that Spirit Cypress Immortal’s stature made the rebirth scheme dangerous, then explained that Lu Chen would face four major obstacles if he pursued the Lunar Star Lord’s commission. He left Lu Chen waiting to hear what those obstacles were.

• King Yama explained Spirit Cypress Immortal’s high status and warned Lu Chen against meddling in His incarnation plan.
• Lu Chen recounted Matchmaker God’s test and the Lunar Star Lord’s commission, but King Yama refused to reveal uncertain details about the Heavenly family’s affairs.
• Lu Chen considered abandoning the mission, but King Yama warned that refusing the Lunar Star Lord could offend Her.
• King Yama pointed out that the local City God, Heaven-Patrolling Dingjia, and Spirit Cypress Immortal’s informant could obstruct the plan, while a direct intervention by Spirit Cypress Immortal risked provoking the Moon Goddess.
• King Yama said the rebirth would happen because the Netherworld tolerated such arrangements, then declared that Lu Chen would have to overcome four obstacles to succeed.

Lu Chen and King Yama planned how to stop Spirit Cypress Immortal’s forces and deliver reincarnating souls, dividing the obstacles between them. Lu Chen then went to the Nie Clan Temple to enlist heavenly help, deciding to invite a divine statue home.

• King Yama outlined three conditions for the plan and said Lu Chen had to get past the Soul-Delivering Matrons, while he would investigate the City God and handle the matrons by another method.
• Lu Chen agreed to conceal the spirit cypress’s heavenly secrets and deal with the Cypress Four Generals and Celestial Patrol Soldiers, suggesting he would use Broom Star to dump filthy water on the cypress.
• Lu Chen learned that the Nie Clan Temple had Giant Spirit God and the Four Heavenly Kings, then went to meet Sun Yourong at the Lunar Palace.
• Sun Yourong teased Lu Chen about insulting the Chang family, and they agreed to meet back at the hotel that evening.
• Lu Chen traveled to the Nie Clan Temple and decided to invite a divine statue home so he could plan without being overheard.

Lu Chen persuaded the Giant Spirit God to investigate a purported secret realm in Haicheng and recruit the Four Heavenly Kings, claiming it was guarded by the Cypress Four Generals. After confirming the site and its guardians through a Profound Light Mirror, the gods debated whether Lu Chen was manipulating them, but the shortage of military provisions made the opportunity tempting.

• Lu Chen contacted the Giant Spirit God at his temple and learned that he and the Four Heavenly Kings had avoided serious punishment over the Southern Heavenly Gate affair.
• Lu Chen claimed a secret realm in Haicheng was guarded by the Cypress Four Generals and thousands of Celestial Patrol Soldiers, and asked the Giant Spirit God and the Four Heavenly Kings to help seize its treasures.
• The Giant Spirit God agreed to investigate the site before deciding whether to assist Lu Chen.
• The Giant Spirit God and the Four Heavenly Kings used a Profound Light Mirror to confirm the concealed spirit tree and the troops guarding it.
• The gods suspected Lu Chen wanted the secret realm for himself, but the Giant Spirit God argued that its treasures could help cover the Military Forces Office's shortage of provisions.

The Four Heavenly Kings agreed to help Lu Chen seize the secret realm after weighing the risks and rewards. Lu Chen promised to split its treasures evenly with them and headed to the Chang Residence to inspect the situation.

• King Who Upholds the Nation persuaded the Four Heavenly Kings that helping Lu Chen could bring them treasure and military provisions, despite Growth Heavenly King's concerns about a possible trap.
• Giant Spirit God agreed on behalf of the Military Department to help Lu Chen, and Lu Chen promised to divide the secret realm's treasures fifty-fifty.
• Lu Chen paid 1.2 million for Giant Spirit God's divine statue and prepared to visit the Chang Residence in person.
• Lu Chen hailed a car to Bajiang Road and paid the driver with a hundred-yuan bill.

Lu Chen discovered a blood-red mist around Chang Residence that drained people’s yang energy and besieged the villa, then returned to the hotel to contact King Yama. King Yama revealed that the Spirit Cypress Immortal had laid a Severing Yin Grand Formation near the residence, throwing life and death into chaos and creating monstrous resentful death energy.

• Lu Chen saw hidden ghosts in scarlet mist draining pedestrians’ vital energy and attacking Chang Residence’s protective formation.
• Lu Chen noticed that the cold streets and ghostly assaults remained unexplained to the Chang family and their guests, then left to return to his hotel.
• Wang Yiming recognized Lu Chen’s profile as their cars passed and resolved to investigate whether he had survived the collapsed Secret Realm.
• Lu Chen carved a divine statue and contacted King Yama, who said the Spirit Cypress Immortal had laid a Severing Yin Grand Formation within ten li of Chang Residence.

Lu Chen learned that Spirit Cypress Immortal’s formation had trapped millions of dead creatures’ souls and built up a sea of resentment, while divine politics kept the authorities from acting. King Yama proposed seeking the Fetal-Separation Pavilion Chief’s help to thwart the incarnation plan, and Lu Chen prepared to pursue the remaining steps while avoiding a direct fight with Spirit Cypress Immortal.

• King Yama explained that Spirit Cypress Immortal’s Severing Yin Grand Formation trapped the souls of all creatures that died within ten li, creating the red mist of resentment.
• Lu Chen questioned why the Northern Pole Exorcism Office had not intervened, and King Yama said divine authority and the greater tide of events constrained its actions.
• Lu Chen revealed that he had resolved the Cypress Four Generals and Celestial Patrol Soldiers by securing a military post and the Giant Spirit God’s support.
• King Yama told Lu Chen to send Xie Qingyi and Fan Rusong to seek the Fetal-Separation Pavilion Chief, whose aid could separate Spirit Cypress Immortal’s essence from the Moon Goddess’s incarnation after Child-Giving Granny placed it in the womb.
• King Yama warned Lu Chen to obtain the Goddess’s consent, keep Spirit Cypress Immortal from discovering the plan, and avoid confronting him directly.