Chapter Summaries

After resolving the Romantic Tribulation, Lu Chen checked his Divine Service Ratings and learned that his rank remained outside the top hundred, then received Sun Yourong’s confirmation that the tribulation was over. Meanwhile, Matchmaker God watched the Severing-Fate Thread disappear and prepared to leave the Heavenly Court, entrusting his duties and treasures to Azure Luan and Fire Phoenix.

• The Lunar Star Lord questioned whether Lu Chen was an immortal’s incarnation, then ended their conversation after praising his prospects.
• Lu Chen checked his watch and found that his Lunar Star Lord rating had reached 19%, Emperor Wenchang’s remained at 2%, and his national rank was still 100+.
• Lu Chen planned to tell Zeng Rou about the Chang and Song families’ billion-value orders, then received Sun Yourong’s call confirming the Romantic Tribulation was resolved.
• Zhao Wanliang saw the Marriage-Fate Thread vanish from his wrist and blamed Lu Chen for destroying the fate Matchmaker God had tied.
• Matchmaker God told Azure Luan and Fire Phoenix he was leaving to seek an old fate, gave Fire Phoenix the Marriage-Fate Thread Register and Azure Luan a golden ruyi, and entrusted each with a Heart of Longing.
• Azure Luan and Fire Phoenix knelt and clung to Matchmaker God, crying as they asked whether he was abandoning them.

The Matchmaker God entrusted Red Luan Star Manor to Azure Luan and Fire Phoenix while preparing to risk punishment to settle an old bond, and he sent Lu Chen an urgent exclusive edict mission through the Heaven-Serving Directorate. In Jiangdu, Lu Chen prepared to move against Zhao Wuya, then hurried to the City Lord's Mansion after Yu Feng summoned him.

• The Matchmaker God admitted to Azure Luan and Fire Phoenix that he was ready to endure a hundred years in heavenly prison, but agreed to wait and see whether Lu Chen could safely enter the Netherworld.
• The Matchmaker God sent a secret tube and Heavenly Court decree through a portal, entrusting the outcome to Lu Chen.
• A Spirit Platform Clerk received an exclusive edict mission naming Lu Chen and offering two thousand immortal merits for a promotion quota ticket, then rushed to report it.
• Hu Sanniang warned Lu Chen that Zhao Wuya was growing suspicious, and Lu Chen decided they would move against him within the next few days.
• Lu Chen questioned Hu Sanniang about Zhao Wuya's Xiangnan Secret Art, which let him impersonate Li City God and enter the Netherworld.
• Yu Feng urgently summoned Lu Chen to the City Lord's Mansion, and Lu Chen flew there at once.

Lu Chen received a confidential divine decree assignment from the Matchmaker God, who had specifically named him to carry it out. After opening the sealed message at Cloudtop Manor, he began reading the golden characters, but the assignment itself was not revealed.

• Azure Luan worried that Lu Chen's plan to help the Matchmaker God would defy Heaven, but Fire Phoenix reassured her that a mortal could not enter the Netherworld without an Underworld divine rank.
• Lu Chen visited Yu Feng, who tried to fight him over an old grievance, but Lu Chen subdued him with the Hearthfire Seed and the Giant Spirit God's statue.
• Yu Feng told Lu Chen that the Jiang Province Affairs Office had arrived with a personal divine decree assignment from the Matchmaker God, and Lu Chen went with him to meet its officials.
• Lord Wang handed Lu Chen a treasure chest containing the confidential assignment and explained how he could claim reimbursement if he succeeded.
• Lu Chen returned to Cloudtop Manor, opened the secret cylinder with his spiritual power, and began reading the golden characters that appeared.

Lu Chen learned that the Matchmaker God had asked him to arrange a meeting with Meng Po, his former lover, and heard from King Yama how their love was punished by Heaven. King Yama warned Lu Chen not to help them defy Heavenly law, leaving the request unresolved.

• Lu Chen read the Matchmaker God's letter asking him to arrange a meeting with Meng Po and worried that helping would implicate him in breaking Heavenly law.
• Xie Qingyi and Fan Rusong said they knew nothing of a relationship between Meng Po and the Matchmaker God, so Lu Chen summoned King Yama for answers.
• King Yama told Lu Chen that the Matchmaker God and Meng Po had fallen in love as classmates at Merit Academy a thousand years earlier.
• King Yama recounted how the Great Celestial Venerable punished the lovers, how Meng Po left the Matchmaker God, and how his blood became the manjusaka flowers.
• King Yama urged Lu Chen to abandon the request, warning that the lovers were bound by Heavenly statutes and that a mortal could not contend with Heaven.

After learning that the Matchmaker God was barred from the Netherworld and that the Supreme One was keeping Meng Po confined, Lu Chen realized he might have a way to descend there. Reviewing the chain of fortunate events that brought him to this point, he suspected that someone had arranged his path and that he might be an incarnation.

• King Yama explained that the Ghost Emperors Shentu and Yulei had removed the Matchmaker God from the Netherworld entry register, while the Supreme One was keeping Meng Po confined.
• King Yama warned Lu Chen that he could not secure the Supreme One's help and said the Plague Lord was also unavailable because the Great Heavenly Venerable had confined Him and the Five Plague Envoys.
• After King Yama sent him out of his sea of consciousness, Lu Chen told Xie Qingyi and Fan Rusong that the Matchmaker God and Meng Po had once loved each other, then asked to be left alone.
• Lu Chen reviewed his past encounters and the divine titles, artifacts, and connections he had gained, concluding that the coincidences might have enabled him to enter the Netherworld.
• Lu Chen wondered whether he was blessed by fate, someone's incarnation, or the target of a trap.

Lu Chen examined the three intertwined paths before him and spent the night trying to understand whether someone had arranged his fate. After his mother's advice convinced him to act instead of overthinking, he went to the Lunar Star Lord and revealed that he intended to help the Matchmaker God, despite the danger of confronting the Northern Pole Exorcism Office.

• Lu Chen considered his Daoist path, divine offices, and Fleshly Body Attaining Sainthood, wondering whether he was an incarnation or part of someone's plan.
• Lu Chen spent the night analyzing his circumstances until Mother Lu arrived and urged him to take action rather than keep worrying.
• Lu Chen seized on Mother Lu's advice, left without breakfast, and hurried to the Lunar Temple.
• Lu Chen told the Lunar Star Lord that he had received the Matchmaker God's commission and asked whether helping Him would bring punishment or arrest.
• The Lunar Star Lord warned Lu Chen that the Northern Pole Exorcism Office was a more likely threat and that its Four Saints were formidable.
• Lu Chen declared that he intended to pull off something big, and that the bigger it was, the better.

Lu Chen decided to use the Matchmaker God incident to draw out the hidden force manipulating events, while preparing to capture Zhao Wuya and investigate whether the Plague Emperor Banner could imitate a City God’s rank. He offered the Giant Spirit God a share of strange treasures and 500,000 Heavenly Gold to secure the Military Department’s help.

• Lu Chen left the Lunar Star Lord and resolved to risk a dangerous gambit to expose the hidden mastermind.
• Lu Chen sent Broom Star to ask his master about the Five Direction Plague Ghosts and whether they could imitate a captured deity’s rank.
• Lu Chen summoned the Giant Spirit God and presented hundreds of bad-luck-tainted treasures as a reward for the Military Department’s help against Zhao Wuya.
• The Giant Spirit God objected that the treasures were useless and complained about the soldiers’ losses, but Lu Chen offered 500,000 Heavenly Gold as additional compensation.

Lu Chen paid Giant Spirit God to secure his help and recruit three Heavenly Court incarnations to capture the corrupt City God Zhao Wuya. Meanwhile, Plague Lord gave Broom Star a jade slip containing a method that could temporarily grant Lu Chen a divine rank, leaving the next move in the mortal world pending.

• Lu Chen gave Giant Spirit God five hundred thousand Heavenly Gold for the Military Department and another fifty thousand to reward him and the Four Heavenly Kings.
• Lu Chen explained Zhao Wuya's crimes and asked Giant Spirit God to use an incarnation to help capture the prefectural City God.
• Giant Spirit God agreed and said Many-Hearing Heavenly King and King Who Upholds the Nation also had incarnations in the mortal world; Lu Chen asked him to recruit them as well.
• Plague Lord gave Broom Star a jade slip containing the Profound Yin Puppet-Proxy Great Method and told him it could help Lu Chen temporarily hold a divine rank.
• Broom Star left to deliver Plague Lord's message as Plague Emperor wondered who would enter the game next.

On New Year’s Eve, Lu Chen celebrated with his family temple staff and asked the Lord God of Wealth to bless the readers. The Five Gods of Wealth joined in to offer New Year’s wishes, and the chapter ended with Lu Chen encouraging readers to vote diligently.

• Lu Chen arrived at his family’s temple, where Zeng Rou and the staff welcomed him in festive attire, and he handed out red envelopes.
• Lu Chen prayed at the Lord God of Wealth Hall and asked the Lord God of Wealth to bless the readers for the new year.
• The Lord God of Wealth invited the other four Gods of Wealth to join him, and their carriages descended over Jiangcheng City.
• Lu Chen offered incense and asked each of the Five Gods of Wealth to grant the readers prosperity, good fortune, and protection.
• The Five Gods of Wealth wished everyone a flourishing Bingwu Fire Horse Year, and Lu Chen urged readers to vote diligently.

Lu Chen studied the Profound Yin Puppet-Proxy Great Method and prepared to use it while waiting for Giant Spirit God to deal with Zhao Wuya. After the Four Heavenly Kings agreed to help and learned more about Xiangnan’s role in the rise of West Ward, Giant Spirit God answered Lu Chen’s summons, and three divine figures gathered at the Lu Clan Temple.

• Lu Chen received the Profound Yin Puppet-Proxy Great Method from Broom Star, suspected the Plague Lord might be manipulating events, and learned that the method required possessing a complete plague ghost’s Dharma body with his own soul.
• Lu Chen decided to practice the method while waiting for news from Giant Spirit God, confident that the Heavenly Court could not easily punish him for fulfilling divine errands.
• Giant Spirit God gave the Four Heavenly Kings their shares of Lu Chen’s Heavenly Gold, and they agreed that Lu Chen was trustworthy and generous.
• Giant Spirit God told the Four Heavenly Kings that Zhao Wuya had tried to murder a god and asked for help eliminating him; Many-Hearing Heavenly King and King Who Upholds the Nation agreed to lend their incarnations.
• Giant Spirit God explained that the Marshal had linked West Ward’s rise to the poisonous influence of Xiangnan’s hundred sects, then left after Lu Chen summoned him.
• Two days later, Giant Spirit God and two companions arrived at the Lu Clan Temple in Jiangdu City and set out to meet Lu Chen.

Lu Chen learned from Sun Yourong that a deity’s popularity depended on both its spiritual efficacy and worshippers’ spirituality, explaining why the Plague-Wielding Young Lord’s prayers had gone unanswered. He planned to consecrate the temple’s statues, then went to meet three visitors and was startled to see a woman among them.

• Zeng Rou reported that King Yama and the Plague Lord drew strong incense offerings, while the Mighty Martial Virtue General and Plague-Wielding Young Lord remained unpopular.
• Sun Yourong explained that weak divine efficacy and insufficient mortal spirituality could prevent prayers from reaching a deity.
• Lu Chen realized that consecrating the statues could improve their spirituality and planned a grand ritual after his clan advanced.
• A temple steward announced that three people had come to see Lu Chen, and Lu Chen brought Sun Yourong to meet them.
• Lu Chen entered the conference room, saw two men and a woman, and froze in surprise.

Lu Chen brought Giant Spirit God, Many-Hearing Heavenly King, and King Who Upholds the Nation to confront Zhao Wuya at City God Hall. After Zhao Wuya mistook the visit for news about his manor rank, Lu Chen revealed his intent to take the City God divine rank, leaving Zhao Wuya stunned.

• Sun Yourong met Giant Spirit God, felt an unexplained closeness to him, and parted with him as he called her his little sister.
• Lu Chen learned the identities of Many-Hearing Heavenly King and King Who Upholds the Nation, then agreed to take the three immortals to City God Street before their incarnations were damaged.
• Zhao Wuya guessed that Lu Chen had news about the manor rank and hurried out to welcome him, while Hu Sanniang privately anticipated Zhao Wuya's death.
• Lu Chen arrived at City God Street with the three immortals and brought them with Zhao Wuya to City God Hall.
• Zhao Wuya eagerly offered to do anything Lu Chen asked, but Lu Chen revealed that he had come to claim Zhao Wuya's City God divine rank.

Lu Chen confronted Zhao Wuya over his schemes and allowed him a few minutes to speak before the Plague Emperor Banner consumed him. Zhao Wuya revealed that his son had been taken by Heaven’s immortals and made into a Human Pill.

• Zhao Wuya attacked Lu Chen, but the Giant Spirit God shattered his demonic slash and the Many-Hearing Heavenly King bound him with the Primal Umbrella.
• Lu Chen accused Zhao Wuya of betraying Li Qingyuan and agreed to hear him out as the Plague Emperor Banner consumed him.
• Zhao Wuya asked Lu Chen to use the City God Token to shield their conversation from heavenly divination, and Lu Chen activated it.
• Lu Chen explained how Hu Sanniang and the Fengdu Supreme’s warning had exposed Zhao Wuya’s plot to seize the office position.
• Zhao Wuya revealed that his son had been taken by immortals in Heaven and made into a Human Pill.

Lu Chen questioned Zhao Wuya about his son’s death and learned that the boy may have been a merit incarnation, or human elixir, harvested by an immortal. As Zhao Wuya’s life faded, he warned Lu Chen that Heaven’s immortals preyed on mortals, but Lu Chen recognized the warning as an attempt to plant an inner demon in him.

• Zhao Wuya told Lu Chen that Li Qingyuan had once suggested his son might be the incarnation of a great power in the Heavenly Court.
• Zhao Wuya explained that incarnations came in three kinds: destiny incarnations, tribulation incarnations, and merit incarnations, which immortals used as human elixirs.
• Zhao Wuya asked Lu Chen to spare his grandson, Zhao Wanliang, in exchange for explaining the incarnations, but Lu Chen refused to bargain and continued devouring him with green miasma.
• Zhao Wuya described the incarnations as a heavenly mandate, a chess piece, and a lamb, then said Madam Zheng was a Nine-Lifetime Benevolent Person whose merit could also make her a human elixir.
• Zhao Wuya justified his schemes against Li Qingyuan and his efforts to refine a ghost immortal, warning Lu Chen that he would become prey unless he acted ruthlessly.
• Lu Chen laughed and accused Zhao Wuya of trying to plant an inner demon in him.

Lu Chen revealed his ties to the Heavenly Court to break Zhao Wuya’s attempt to manipulate him, then learned that Xiangnan’s greatest secret concerned where a sect would be established. After Zhao Wuya died, Lu Chen transferred his souls and spirits into Zhao Wuya’s Dharma body as part of his plan to infiltrate the Netherworld.

• Lu Chen told Zhao Wuya that he had visited the Heavenly Court, survived the Seven-Treasure Exquisite Pagoda, and held an immortal registry, then asked him to reveal Xiangnan’s secret.
• Zhao Wuya confirmed Lu Chen intended to borrow the City God fruit position to infiltrate the Netherworld and began revealing that Xiangnan’s greatest secret was the place where a sect would be established.
• Outside the City God Hall, Giant Spirit God, Many-Hearing Heavenly King, and King Who Upholds the Nation failed to hear what was said inside, then followed Lu Chen away when he emerged.
• Zhao Wuya died as the green miasma consumed him, and his empty Dharma body was taken into the Plague Emperor Banner.
• Lu Chen used the Profound Yin Puppet-Proxy Great Method to transfer his three souls and seven spirits into Zhao Wuya’s Dharma body, which opened its eyes as Li Qingyuan.

Lu Chen temporarily assumed Zhao Wuya's City God Rank, gaining authority over his jurisdiction and disguising his identity from yin officers. He set out with Xie Qingyi and Fan Rusong to ask the Supreme One to open the Netherworld's gates so he could help the Matchmaker God meet Meng Po, leaving one hundred yin soldiers to guard his physical body.

• Lu Chen explored the City God Rank's powers and learned that its authority confined him to the City God's jurisdiction and the Netherworld except when specially summoned.
• Lu Chen summoned Xie Qingyi and Fan Rusong, disguised himself as Zhao Wuya, and tested them before revealing his identity and borrowed Rank.
• Lu Chen told Xie Qingyi and Fan Rusong that he planned to help the Matchmaker God meet Meng Po, even though doing so would violate Heavenly Laws, and they pledged to follow him.
• Lu Chen ordered one hundred yin soldiers to guard his physical body, then opened the Netherworld's gates and entered with Xie Qingyi and Fan Rusong.

Lu Chen entered the Netherworld and went to the Hall of Yama, where King Yama and his officials wondered why the Jiangdu City God had come. Lu Chen passed through the gate and approached the hall, eager to surprise King Yama.

• Fan Rusong described the Netherworld’s five mountains, six palaces, and various cities as she guided Lu Chen toward Fengdu City.
• Underworld officials recognized Lu Chen as a City God, and he presented his Jiangdu City God Token at the Hall of Yama’s gate to request an audience.
• King Yama and his confidants discussed Lu Chen’s plan to reunite the Matchmaker God and Meng Po and doubted that he could overcome the obstacles.
• Ox-Head announced that the Jiangdu City God had come, surprising King Yama, Xie Bi'an, and Fan Wujie.
• King Yama ordered Lu Chen admitted, and Lu Chen entered the Hall of Yama’s grounds, looking forward to surprising him.

Lu Chen, disguised as Jiangdu City God Li Qingyuan, tried to secure King Yama’s introduction to the Supreme One for the Matchmaker God’s mission. King Yama refused to help a proxy, but Lu Chen revealed his identity and Yanluo Token, leaving him and the two Impermanences stunned.

• Lu Chen entered the Hall of Yama as Li Qingyuan, greeted King Yama, Xie Bi'an, and Fan Wujie, and asked for an introduction to the Supreme One on General Lu’s behalf.
• King Yama rejected the request, insisting Lu Chen must come to the Netherworld himself and warning that the mission could violate the Heavenly Laws.
• Lu Chen questioned whether King Yama would still honor his promise if the general came in person, and King Yama swore that he would.
• Lu Chen called King Yama his adoptive father and revealed the Yanluo Token, exposing himself as General Lu Chen.
• King Yama, Xie Bi'an, and Fan Wujie recognized Lu Chen and reacted in shock.

Lu Chen admitted to King Yama that he had falsely assumed Li Qingyuan’s City God office, prompting King Yama to rage and threaten punishment. After Lu Chen claimed the Supreme One had helped set events in motion, King Yama agreed to take him to Mount Luofeng to meet the Supreme One, though the two parted on angry terms.

• Lu Chen explained how he had taken Li Qingyuan’s City God office to expose and deal with Zhao Wuya, and King Yama condemned his violation of the Yin Laws.
• Xie Bi'an and Fan Wujie defended Lu Chen, but King Yama accused him of coveting the divine office and demanded he return to the mortal world.
• Lu Chen said the Supreme One had noticed Zhao Wuya’s schemes and used the prefectural selection deadline to help him act; King Yama became uncertain and calmed down.
• Lu Chen insisted he was willing to risk meeting the Supreme One and promised not to trouble King Yama again, prompting King Yama to angrily agree to help him this time.
• King Yama carried Lu Chen from the Hall of Yama to Mount Luofeng, where they headed to the pavilion for registering visitors to the Supreme One.

Lu Chen accompanied King Yama to the Six-Heaven Sage-Visitation Pavilion seeking an audience with the Supreme One, but Judge Cui recognized him and summoned him aside. Judge Cui revealed that he had altered Zhao Wanliang’s lifespan and asked Lu Chen to tell the extraordinary Lu that the Wheel-Turning King wished to meet him.

• Lu Chen registered as Jiangdu City God Li Qingyuan in the Netherworld Jade Register and waited with King Yama for a response from the Supreme One.
• Judge Cui arrived, recognized Lu Chen, and secretly called him out of the pavilion.
• Judge Cui told Lu Chen that he had agreed to revise Zhao Wanliang’s lifespan and offered to help Lu secure what he sought if he did him a favor.
• Judge Cui asked Lu Chen to tell Lu that the Wheel-Turning King wished to befriend him and invite him to meet.
• Judge Cui explained that Lu had thwarted the Wheel-Turning King’s grand plan, but that the setback had impressed the king.