Chapter Summaries

Yin Yunze waited with the Lord of Du Mountain for the City God to respond to the public campaign against him, then returned to Qingnü Temple to greet Prefect Liu Zhengyuan. Liu Zhengyuan thanked Yin Yunze for providing Fox Rice and hinted that he wanted help with his health, leaving Yin Yunze offering him sweet-dew water.

• Yin Yunze waited outside Qingling County with the Lord of Du Mountain, but the City God remained silent despite the growing public outrage.
• Yin Yunze received a message that a guest had arrived at Qingnü Temple and agreed to let the Lord of Du Mountain accompany him in human form.
• Yin Yunze returned to the temple and found Prefect Liu Zhengyuan there with Sun Qin, Zhang Liuyun, Peng Shulan, Xu Hanxian, and his subordinates.
• Liu Zhengyuan thanked Yin Yunze for providing Fox Rice to the eight counties and explained that it had protected him from political trouble.
• Liu Zhengyuan pretended to suffer from a stubborn illness, and Yin Yunze recognized that his main problem was kidney deficiency.
• Yin Yunze prepared warm water with a drop of sweet dew and offered the glass to Liu Zhengyuan.

Yin Yunze used Nectar Water to win Liu Zhengyuan’s favor and secure her investiture as the Primordial Lady of the Azure Heavens, a County God with authority across Anqing Prefecture. Liu Zhengyuan also issued an edict dismissing the Qingling County City God, giving Yin Yunze the means to strip him of his divine status.

• Yin Yunze gave Liu Zhengyuan Nectar Water, which healed his ailments and temporarily restored his youthful appearance.
• Yin Yunze offered Liu Zhengyuan and his companions fruit and iced drinks, then gave him a jar to preserve the remaining Nectar Water.
• Liu Zhengyuan presented Yin Yunze with investiture documents elevating her from village god to County God across Anqing Prefecture.
• Yin Yunze chose the divine title Primordial Lady of the Azure Heavens, and her investiture greatly strengthened her Dynastic Karmic Luck and authority.
• Liu Zhengyuan presented Yin Yunze with an edict condemning and dismissing the Qingling County City God.

Yin Yunze rewarded Zhang Liuyun by healing her old injuries, restoring her limbs, and implanting a divine eye, then watched her demonstrate the Spring Breeze Brushes Clouds Hand. Her renewed understanding of the martial art helped her break through into the Innate Realm.

• Yin Yunze drew Zhang Liuyun into his Dao Field and asked whether she expected punishment or reward for her work bringing Liu Zhengyuan to Qingnü Temple.
• Yin Yunze broke and reset Zhang Liuyun's damaged leg, gave her a drop of sweet dew, and implanted Judge Li's remaining eyeball in her empty socket.
• The sweet dew healed Zhang Liuyun's leg and eye and regrew her missing right arm, while the implanted eye gave her divine sight.
• Zhang Liuyun reacted with delight to receiving Yin Yunze's eye, then demonstrated the Spring Breeze Brushes Clouds Hand for him.
• Zhang Liuyun refined the technique through five successive demonstrations, and Yin Yunze drew in Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi as she entered the Innate Realm.

Zhang Liuyun broke through to the Innate Realm, but Yin Yunze's celebration was interrupted when the Qingling County City God arrived to demand the surrender of Yin Yunze's Subordinate Deity. After Yin Yunze revealed his equal divine rank and refused the City God's offer of peace, he summoned his demon gods to face the City God's forces.

• Zhang Liuyun entered the Innate Realm, thanked Yin Yunze by sucking on his finger, and was frozen around the mouth as punishment.
• Yin Yunze sensed the City God and his followers approaching, then used the Jeweled Tree Glazed Branch to open a chasm that blocked their advance.
• The City God demanded that Yin Yunze hand over his Subordinate Deity for spreading damaging truths about him, and Yin Yunze taunted him.
• The City God's decree failed to seize Yin Yunze, who revealed that he was the Primordial Lady of the Azure Heavens, an equal in rank to the City God.
• The City God offered to coexist peacefully, but Yin Yunze rejected him and raised the Demon-Summoning Banner.
• Nearly two hundred foxes and a group of Land Gods answered Yin Yunze's summons, joining him, Guo Jing, the little fox girl, and a winged tiger against the City God's forces.

Yin Yunze confronted the City God with more than a thousand allies, but the City God summoned tens of thousands of Yin soldiers and tried to carry them across a chasm. Yin Yunze’s forces wounded and knocked the City God into the chasm, and Yin Yunze’s divine body joined the fight as the clash continued.

• Yin Yunze gathered his Land Gods and more than a thousand lesser demons to face the City God, who revealed his tens of thousands of Yin soldiers.
• Yin Yunze armed the lesser demons with firearms and enchanted their bullets with purifying water while his mortal body joined forces with the Lord of Du Mountain to attack the Yin soldiers with wind and snow.
• The City God tore apart the mortal body’s snow tornado, but the mortal body and the Lord of Du Mountain escaped his strike and continued attacking with a blizzard.
• The City God ordered the Yin soldiers onto his body and began crossing the chasm, using his karmic luck to blunt the wind and snow.
• Yin Yunze’s wind-and-snow saber struck the City God, and an explosive attack laced with black lightning knocked him into the chasm.
• Yin Yunze’s divine body landed on the Lord of Du Mountain’s back and taunted the wounded City God.

The City God used three decrees to ground Yin Yunze’s group, suppress their magic, and force the divine body into its true form, then showed his skill in unarmed combat. Yin Yunze fought him in human form and, after realizing he could not win by strength alone, trapped him with a final grappling trick and the Pure Fox Robe.

• The City God invoked decrees forbidding flight, magic, and transformation, leaving Yin Yunze’s group grounded and limiting their abilities.
• The Lord of Du Mountain attacked the City God but was beaten back by his unarmed combat skills.
• Yin Yunze took over the fight in human form, used the Pure Fox Robe and weapons, and wounded the City God before losing the Demon-Summoning Banner.
• Recognizing the City God’s superior strength, Yin Yunze switched tactics, seized both of his hands, and wrapped him in the Pure Fox Robe, which constricted him like a python.

Yin Yunze formed a Golden Core during her fight with the City God, triggering an immense lightning tribulation that forced him to flee. The City God's forces surrendered, helping Yin Yunze form Authority over Lightning, and she used it with the Dark Heavenly Lightning Flag to absorb and disperse the remaining tribulation lightning.

• Yin Yunze and the divine body joined forces with Guo Jing to pin down the City God while the little demons fought his Yin soldiers and Yin generals.
• Yin Yunze formed a Golden Core, and her lightning tribulation expanded across more than ten li, terrifying everyone beneath it.
• The City God lifted the three edicts and escaped to the City God Temple, leaving his subordinates trapped beneath the tribulation cloud.
• Yin Yunze threatened the City God's forces with lightning, and the Civil and Martial Judges, Yin generals, and Yin soldiers surrendered and became her believers.
• Yin Yunze used the Dark Heavenly Lightning Flag and Evil-Cleansing Blue Lightning as Authority over Lightning coalesced, then the mortal body returned to the real world.
• Yin Yunze used her new authority to draw the remaining heavenly lightning into the Dark Heavenly Lightning Flag and released it as Evil-Breaking Purple Lightning.

Yin Yunze absorbed heavenly lightning, strengthened his Lightning Divinity, and severed the Yin Immortal Sect grand elder’s control over the Dark Heavenly Lightning Flag. He took Guo Jing to confront the Qingling County City God, where the people’s resentment broke the City God’s karmic protection and engulfed his temple.

• Yin Yunze used heavenly lightning and the believers’ faith to strengthen his Lightning Divinity and refine the Dark Heavenly Lightning Flag, learning that the grand elder had used it to restrain Prince Jing’s corpse.
• Yin Yunze left Lord of Du Mountain and the little fox girl to guard the gathered ghosts and City God’s subordinates, then took Guo Jing to the City God Temple.
• The City God dismissed Yin Yunze’s threat, confident that his temple and rank would protect him.
• Guo Jing read the proclamation accusing the City God of crimes, and Yin Yunze presented the prefect’s dismissal document, weakening the City God’s Dynastic Karmic Luck.
• Yin Yunze revealed the lake of resentment gathered above the temple, and the people’s accumulated hatred shattered the City God’s remaining karmic protection and poured over the temple.

Yin Yunze watched resentful power destroy the City God's Subordinate Deities and trap the City God in his statue, then learned that the people's wishes had driven her to oppose him. Guo Jing chose not to kill the City God outright, instead pouring her resentment into him before saying farewell.

• Resentful power dragged the City God's gods back into their statues, devoured their souls, and left the City God as the last one standing.
• Black Impermanence and the other underworld generals begged Yin Yunze to kill them, but she refused to spare them from the backlash they had inflicted on others.
• Guo Jing confronted the City God over her wife's death and her own, but Yin Yunze stopped her from acting in anger and explained why the people's hearts had made the City God her enemy.
• Yin Yunze prepared to finish the City God, but Guo Jing asked to act herself, and Yin Yunze agreed to bear the consequences.
• Guo Jing thrust her Crime-Measuring Ruler into the City God's chest and poured her resentment into him, then said farewell.

After Guo Jing destroyed the Qingling County City God with resentful power, the Prefectural City God confronted Yin Yunze and demanded that his supposed elder negotiate for him. Just as Yin Yunze was about to go with the Prefectural City God, Li Miaoyan appeared and was recognized as Celestial Being Miaoyin of the Heavenly Wheel Sect.

• Guo Jing's resentful power dragged the Qingling County City God's soul into a well and then vanished, and Guo Jing reunited with Yin Yunze through tears.
• The Prefectural City God restrained Guo Jing and confronted Yin Yunze, accusing him of causing the county City God's downfall.
• The Prefectural City God demanded that Yin Yunze summon his elder or come to the prefectural residence, refusing to negotiate with him as a child.
• Yin Yunze reluctantly decided to accompany the Prefectural City God and hoped to escape later through the Great Gate of Incense.
• Li Miaoyan appeared, challenged the Prefectural City God's treatment of Yin Yunze, and was identified as Celestial Being Miaoyin of the Heavenly Wheel Sect.

Yin Yunze fled from Li Miaoyan and the Prefecture City God, but Li Miaoyan soon returned after reaching an agreement with the City God. She gave Yin Yunze authority in Qingling County and promoted her to Second Prison Warden of the Celestial Person Division.

• Li Miaoyan silenced Yin Yunze and prepared to fight the Prefecture City God, so Yin Yunze grabbed Guo Jing and escaped while the two vanished.
• Yin Yunze returned with Guo Jing and considered retreating to the real world, but worried about the fox girl and the others left behind.
• Li Miaoyan caught up with Yin Yunze, tugged her fox ears and tails, and told her she had made a deal with the Prefecture City God.
• Li Miaoyan gave Yin Yunze two Jade Slips and a token, then promoted her from Third Prison Warden of the Evil Ghost Division to Second Prison Warden of the Celestial Person Division.

Li Miaoyan treated Yin Yunze as a familiar younger sister, gave her a position in the Heavenly Wheel Sect, and left Anqing Prefecture in her hands. After she vanished, Yin Yunze realized the encounter had been a calculated effort to claim her and the eight counties for the sect, though Li Miaoyan’s kindness softened her view of it.

• Li Miaoyan told Yin Yunze to call her Sister Miaoyan, entrusted Anqing Prefecture to her, and urged her to treat its people kindly.
• Li Miaoyan gave Yin Yunze a token and two Jade Slips, named her the Celestial Person Division’s Second Warden, and repeated the Heavenly Wheel Sect’s slogan before disappearing.
• Yin Yunze considered why Li Miaoyan had acted so warmly despite knowing that Yin Yunze had opposed the sect.
• Yin Yunze concluded that Li Miaoyan had used the Second Warden title and their apparent family bond to fold the eight counties into the Heavenly Wheel Sect’s influence without a fight.
• Yin Yunze recognized that the sect could use her new identity to pressure her and keep its enemies focused on her, but she felt less hostile toward the sect after meeting Li Miaoyan.

Yin Yunze returned to the battlefield, confirmed the City God’s remaining followers had vanished, and chose to free the vengeful ghosts rather than keep them for their incense offerings. After reciting Li Miaoyan’s Rebirth Sutra until all the ghosts were reborn, Yin Yunze formed the Rebirth Golden Lotus Seal, which would let her deliver future ghosts with a single strike.

• Yin Yunze returned to the battlefield, reassured the Lord of Du Mountain and the little fox girl, and recognized that the vanished City God followers had been pulled back into their statues by resentment.
• Yin Yunze considered keeping the tens of thousands of vengeful ghosts as a source of incense offerings, but rejected the idea rather than repeat the City God’s wrongdoing.
• Yin Yunze used the Rebirth Sutra Li Miaoyan had given her to recite for the ghosts, gradually dispelling their resentment and sending them on to rebirth.
• After delivering the final ghost, Yin Yunze discovered golden lotus patterns on her palms and recognized them as the Rebirth Golden Lotus Seal, which could deliver future ghosts with a single strike.

After the battle, Yin Yunze freed the resentful ghosts, healed and rewarded the lesser demons, and returned to Qingnü Temple to consider how to develop Anqing Prefecture and whether to accept the vacant Qingling County City God position. Liu Zhengyuan arrived to carry out Yin Yunze’s appointment ceremony, and Yin Yunze asked why he had come so late.

• Yin Yunze used the Rebirth Golden Lotus Seal to send tens of thousands of resentful ghosts to liberation and rebirth, furthering his cultivation of the seal.
• Yin Yunze healed the lesser demons with sweet dew, promised them support for life’s necessities, and ordered them not to harm mortals or each other before dismissing them.
• Yin Yunze returned to Qingnü Temple and considered working with Anqing Prefecture’s City Gods, sending the little fox girl to handle lesser demons, and whether to take the Qingling County City God position.
• Liu Zhengyuan arrived at Qingnü Temple to announce Yin Yunze’s imperial appointment and complete the ceremony with the believers.
• Yin Yunze appeared before Liu Zhengyuan and his attendant and asked why Liu had come so late.

Yin Yunze spoke with Liu Zhengyuan about the drought, offered to provide high-yield grain seeds, and secured the prefect’s cooperation in preparing to introduce them. The chapter ended with Yin Yunze asking Liu Zhengyuan to describe him at the consecration ceremony as a god of abundance and peace.

• Liu Zhengyuan explained that the heat had kept him awake, and Yin Yunze cooled him and his attendant with his divine power.
• Liu Zhengyuan praised Yin Yunze’s compassion, and Yin Yunze cautioned him against disparaging other gods.
• Liu Zhengyuan described Anqing Prefecture as comparatively good for ordinary people, while crediting Yin Yunze’s aid with helping residents endure the drought.
• Yin Yunze offered to obtain high-yield grain seeds for Anqing Prefecture, and Liu Zhengyuan agreed to prepare for their use next year.
• Yin Yunze asked Liu Zhengyuan to tell the people at the consecration ceremony that he governed abundance and peace.

Yin Yunze chose to establish himself as an Agricultural God who governed abundance and peace, believing the office would anchor him against corruption from the Power of Incense Offerings. He asked Liu Zhengyuan to arrange a written prayer and imperial investitures for his Subordinate Deities, then pressed him to secure the vacant Qingling County City God's position.

• Yin Yunze rejected the offices of God of Frost and Snow, God of Lightning, God of Learning, and God of Wealth, and chose to become an Agricultural God who governed favorable weather, abundance, and peace.
• Liu Zhengyuan welcomed Yin Yunze's choice and offered to arrange for a prayer to be written, proposing Magistrate Xu for the task.
• Yin Yunze asked Liu Zhengyuan to seek imperial investitures for his four Subordinate Deities, and Liu Zhengyuan readily agreed.
• Yin Yunze asked Liu Zhengyuan to arrange for someone to take the vacant Qingling County City God's position after Yin Yunze had disposed of the former City God.
• Liu Zhengyuan explained that appointing a City God required proper court procedure and promised to do his utmost, but Yin Yunze insisted that the matter definitely be completed.

Yin Yunze gave Liu Zhengyuan three Nectar Pills to help settle a matter in Anqing Prefecture, then freed Zhang Liuyun after realizing he had forgotten her in the Dao Field. He restored Fox Rice distribution and told his Subordinate Deities they would receive official recognition as gods, before asking Guo Jing whether he wanted to become an official.

• Yin Yunze gave Liu Zhengyuan three Nectar Pills and entrusted him with handling the matter, allowing two or three months for it to be done properly.
• Yin Yunze discovered Zhang Liuyun had been left in the Dao Field all day and expelled her, counting the confinement as her punishment.
• Yin Yunze summoned Sun Qin, Guo Jing, and the little fox girl, then ordered free Fox Rice for three days in Clear Creek Village and increased the county town allowance to twenty jin on credit.
• Yin Yunze told Guo Jing and the little fox girl that the prefect would grant them official recognition as gods the next day, exciting the little fox girl.
• Yin Yunze solemnly asked Guo Jing whether he wanted to become an official.

Yin Yunze appointed Guo Jing to take over as Qingling County City God, arranging a temporary period of service and staff for him. After sending his companions to prepare the transition, Yin Yunze returned to the real world and remembered that her mortal body still faced the interrupted Golden Core Lightning Tribulation.

• Yin Yunze offered Guo Jing the City God position, and after Sun Qin and the little fox girl declined, Guo Jing accepted it as a responsibility.
• Yin Yunze assigned Peng Shulan, Zhang Liuyun, and foxes and lesser yao to support Guo Jing, while warning him to screen subordinates carefully.
• Yin Yunze said Guo Jing would act as City God until Lord Liu returned with the formal appointment, ordered the replacement announced, and asked Sun Qin to rebuild the City God Temple.
• Yin Yunze sent word to Zhang Yufei about the next day's investiture, then returned to the real world through the Gate of Incense.
• Yin Yunze remembered that her mortal body still had to undergo the Golden Core Lightning Tribulation, returned to Qingnü Temple, and took out Li Miaoyan's Six Divisions Infinite Scripture: Animal Realm cultivation method.

Yin Yunze studied the Animal Realm Cultivation Method and began using the Golden Core Lightning Tribulation to temper his body with heavenly lightning. He endured the painful process, grew stronger with each bolt, and learned that he could continue body tempering with natural lightning after the tribulation.

• Yin Yunze compared the Animal Realm with the Hungry Ghost Path and speculated that the Six Divisions Infinite Scripture might unite six cultivation paths into one.
• Yin Yunze left Qingnü Temple’s Dao Field and waited for the Golden Core Lightning Tribulation to strike his mortal body.
• Yin Yunze used his Authority over Lightning to keep the first bolt’s power inside his body while circulating Heavenly Lightning Body Tempering.
• Yin Yunze absorbed the next three bolts, finding that his body grew stronger and the lightning became easier to endure.
• Yin Yunze realized he had begun the method partway through and that natural lightning could help him continue tempering his body after the tribulation.

Yin Yunze completed Heavenly Lightning Body Tempering and discovered he could store Evil-Slaying Mystic Lightning inside his body for later use. He then settled his four Subordinate Deities’ divine titles and forged formal gowns for them before leaving to speak with the prefect.

• Yin Yunze used the Dark Heavenly Lightning Flag and his Authority over Lightning to reach minor mastery in Heavenly Lightning Body Tempering by dawn.
• Yin Yunze struck himself with Evil-Slaying Mystic Lightning and found he could store up to five bolts inside his body to use for cultivation or surprise attacks.
• Yin Yunze considered the Animal Realm Cultivation Method suitable for his Subordinate Deities and returned to Qingnü Temple after enduring several more lightning strikes.
• Yin Yunze asked the four Subordinate Deities to choose their divine titles, and they settled on the Spirit-Attending Immortal Fox, Incense-Sharing Immortal Lady, Judgment Mystic Maiden, and Punishment-Inflicting Fairy.
• Yin Yunze forged four palace gowns for the Subordinate Deities and told them to change while he went to inform the prefect.