Chapter Fifty-Six: Conspiracy Theories of the War of the Gods, Part One

It is said that King Wu of the Shang, Cheng Tang, issued a proclamation to the world against the Xuan King, which left many neighboring states astonished and deeply surprised by Shangqiu’s actions. After all, only a year prior, tales of Cheng Tang’s escape from the ferocious tiger of Great Xia, the Black Tortoise, and the Three Gates of Immortality had already spread across the nine provinces of Huaxia. Even those with considerable power among the regional states had heard whispers of these events. During this period, the surrounding lords quietly observed Great Xia’s attitude toward Cheng Tang. Yet, just two months after Great Xia’s silence, Cheng Tang abruptly declared himself king to the nine provinces, openly disregarding the royal authority of Xia Jie, the recognized sovereign of the realm.

At the same time, atop the Nine Yi Peaks, Hao Dan, Su Moran, and the mysterious Li conversed freely about ancient secrets. At this moment, Su Su’s fate within the White Emperor’s tomb remained uncertain, while the three wandered among the mountains, discussing wonders of past and present, caring little for the concerns of the day, seeking only tales of antiquity.

Upon the summit of the Nine Yi Peaks, mist swirled and fine rain fell upon them. Not long before, a mighty dragon vortex had swept through here, nearly disturbing the ancestor of Qingqiu in her secluded meditation. Were it not for Li’s timely intervention, subduing the primal power of the Heavenly Soul within Hao Dan’s Eastern Emperor Bell, the consequences might have forced Qingqiu’s ancestor to emerge, and then the three would not have enjoyed such leisure amid the peaks.

At that moment, the power of the Heavenly Soul disrupted Hao Dan’s will and nearly overwhelmed him. Li, employing methods unknown, intercepted the force within the Eastern Emperor’s world, preventing the Heavenly Soul from possessing Hao Dan. Thereafter, Li intentionally cast a mysterious art upon Hao Dan, akin to a seal, and the Heavenly Soul gradually quieted. No matter how it raged within the Eastern Emperor’s world, it could not prevail.

This incident was but a minor interlude—startling, but not perilous. Having witnessed the Heavenly Soul’s fury, Hao Dan grew more vigilant. His greatest concern remained the union of the three souls; he had pledged to the Heavenly Soul that, when the time came, they would merge, even at the cost of himself.

Yet, after this ordeal, Hao Dan began to gain the upper hand and seize the initiative. Li had set some prohibition upon him, whose powerful effects Hao Dan could clearly sense. Through Dongjun’s account, he understood the entire sequence: the prohibition Li placed was an ancient secret art capable of imprisoning the Heavenly Soul within the Eastern Emperor’s world. For how long it could bind it, even Dongjun could not say. Now, the Heavenly Soul could no longer interfere directly with Hao Dan’s consciousness, granting him a great advantage. So long as the Heavenly Soul failed to break free from Li’s barrier, it would pose no threat to Hao Dan.

Understanding all, Hao Dan finally felt relieved. At that moment, under the attentive gaze of Su Moran and Li, he opened his eyes. The previous scene had unfolded in a flash; Li, seeing Su Moran’s urgency, restrained him from acting rashly, then unleashed the ancient secret art at the critical moment. Su Moran believed it was all a trap set by Li to draw the Heavenly Soul forth, only to suppress it utterly.

Looking at the enigmatic Li, Su Moran saw through the scheme but remained silent, waiting patiently for Hao Dan’s return to consciousness.

“You’re finally awake. If I hadn’t intervened, you would have been possessed by the most domineering soul of the Eastern Emperor. Had it succeeded, even all my skills might not have sufficed against it!” Li smiled with flair, taking a swig from his gourd, then said ruefully,

“Then why provoke him so? Don’t you know I made a promise to the Heavenly Soul—that when the time was right, we would merge the three souls? Yet, I don’t know if, once the fusion succeeds, I’ll still be myself.”

The events still echoed in Hao Dan’s mind, the terror most palpable to him alone. Since pledging in the Tower of Celestial Guidance, he had lost his former cheer, his heart anxious and burdened.

“If I hadn’t set that trap and helped you bind him, soon you would have been devoured. The outcome would not be as trivial as you imagine! Neither of you truly understand the power of the Eastern Emperor’s Heavenly Soul. If it were not confined within the bell but loose in the world, I could never have imprisoned it so easily. And why does it remain hidden inside the bell, never emerging? That is what I find suspicious.”

Li pondered: given the strength of the Heavenly Soul, why did it isolate itself within the Eastern Emperor Bell, rather than manifest? This was the source of his doubt. In the past outside Shangqiu Manor, Li had received word from a celestial messenger that Hao Dan was in grave danger and needed his secret help. Otherwise, Li would not have come to Nine Yi Peaks for such a perilous undertaking, risking his very life.

“Could it be...?”

Prompted by Li, Hao Dan realized a possibility. Because of Dongjun’s unique nature, Dongjun could attach himself outside the bell but could not monitor the Heavenly Soul within, fearing its strength and the risk of being devoured. Thus, Dongjun remained outside the bell to protect Hao Dan. Yet, both Hao Dan and Dongjun overlooked one thing: the Human Soul was also in the Heavenly Soul’s grasp. During the battle of the two souls in the Eastern Emperor’s world, the Human Soul burst forth, giving Hao Dan his chance to be rescued by Dongjun. Afterward, the Human Soul fell silent; it was likely that when Hao Dan and the Heavenly Soul struck their agreement, the latter had already set its sights on the Human Soul. Should the Heavenly Soul successfully devour the Human Soul, its next target would be Hao Dan. Realizing this, Hao Dan shivered in terror, cold sweat breaking out on his back.

“Has the Human Soul, one of the three, already fallen into its hands?”

Su Moran asked cautiously nearby, for he knew a little about the ‘Three Soul Division Art’ rumored among the demon clans.

“Indeed so!” Hao Dan’s heart surged with dread.

Li took a deep draught of wine, chuckled, “Looks like my arrival was timely!”

“Why did you, Senior Brother, know about my dealings with the Heavenly Soul?”

This question puzzled Hao Dan. With the crisis past, he wanted to understand why Li had appeared so suddenly and with such clear purpose.

“The secrets of Heaven must not be revealed; the words of immortals cannot be lightly spoken.”

Li remained leisurely, sipping his wine as if his gourd held endless celestial liquor.

“It is Heaven’s will. You are of the ancient Heavenly Wolf clan, regarded as divine by mortals in this realm. My words may be difficult for you to comprehend, as the history of your demon clan has broken off for nearly a thousand years. After the separation of Heaven and Earth, the legacy of ancient times was lost.”

“As for all this, it’s a long story. Let me explain it thoroughly, since I’ve gone through such trouble to come here!”

Seeing Li’s approach, Hao Dan and Su Moran’s curiosity was piqued. They exchanged smiles and bowed together. Su Moran respectfully said, “We hope you will enlighten us! We are all ears.”

Seeing their enthusiasm, Li laughed heartily, put away his wine gourd, and slapped the stone table, declaring, “Since you wish it, I shall tell you. The ancient past is far too fascinating! I had to use certain mystical arts to trace the history and catch a glimpse.”

“This tale begins in the ancient era, tens of thousands of years ago, when this realm was but chaos. Stars circled the great sun, the lunar orb encompassed all things. At some point, myriad races from the cosmic vault descended upon this world, igniting a war to open the heavens. In this conflict, the races fought each other, and the Eastern Emperor Taiyi emerged in accordance with the Heavenly Dao, rising amid the chaos. His origins were a mystery to all, even to the supreme ancestor Hongjun of the Thirty-Six Heavens above. Thus, it was said Taiyi was ordained by Heaven, born for calamity.”

“When the races arrived, they saw this world’s boundless wonders, abundant spiritual energy, and vitality. All sought to claim it, to use its energies to strengthen their own. Among them were eight powerful clans: the Heavenly King clan, Heavenly Dragon clan, Heavenly Demon clan, Heavenly Harp clan, Heavenly Wolf clan, Heavenly Angel clan, Heavenly Lizard clan, and Heavenly Nether clan. These became known as the ‘Innate Eight Divine Clans.’ Each ruled one direction, commanding the heavens and earth, yin and yang, above and below. Thus began a war lasting ten thousand years.”

“Originally, the world was pure chaos, but the arrival of the races opened the heavens to the sun. This war became known as the ‘Pangu War.’ The chaos caused the cosmic rivers to flood; many factions could not stabilize, and some chose to leave. Those who remained, led by the Eight Divine Clans, saved the survivors and refugees. The devastation nearly destroyed all original life and disrupted the cosmic stars and primordial universe. So, the Eight Clans convened a heavenly alliance, agreeing to leave their divine progeny in the world to develop and multiply. From then on, the Eight Divine Clans ceased warring to prevent further destruction. This grand event became known as ‘Pangu Opening the Heavens.’”

“It was during this war that Eastern Emperor Taiyi was born to restore balance. He possessed innate divine powers, dominating the cosmos. Upon his birth, Hongjun descended from the ninth dimension of the Three Thousand Universes, establishing the Thirty-Six Heavens above the eastern lands. Hongjun appointed Taiyi as the supreme emperor, commanding the Heavenly Wolf, Heavenly King, Heavenly Dragon, and Heavenly Nether clans to guard the southeast’s ‘Heavenly Dao Matrix.’ Taiyi then founded the ancient Celestial Court, joined the Earth Empress Nuwa, the Human Emperor Fuxi, and the Three Pure Ones under Hongjun’s tutelage. Taiyi became the Celestial Emperor, ruling the southeast and the Thirty-Six Heavens.”

“With the southeast stabilized and Hongjun’s aid, Taiyi could govern peacefully. The Eight Divine Clans began to withdraw from the world, and the northwest was also calmed by other divine spirits. Thus, for nearly ten thousand years, war ceased. During this era of peace, the cosmic races united again to begin the creation of humanity, the 'Making People Plan.'”

“Now you understand why the races undertook this plan? Because the wars reversed yin and yang, spiritual energy became chaotic, and strange beasts appeared, some stronger than the Eight Clans. The races struggled to reproduce, and as spiritual energy thinned, the world faced the ‘Extinction of the Light Path,’ meaning the races could no longer return to their own worlds, risking their extinction.”

“So, to ensure survival, all aided Lady Nuwa’s creation of humans. If new life could be born here, their legacy would endure. Many clans, threatened by extinction, joined the effort. After two thousand years of trial and error, the current mortals were finally made. Before them, there were five other types, scattered across the world, each different from modern humans. Some were seen as monsters, ghosts, or even ancient beasts—failures of creation, leading to myriad bizarre creatures. Yet, for the races, these beings enriched the world, upholding the Heavenly Dao’s great merit. The diversity here stems from the Making People Plan. Afterward, the Eight Clans resolved to build the mortal world, naming it the 'Human Realm,' or ‘Yang World.’ The Celestial Realm was founded in the southeast by the Ancient Celestial Court, the northwest by the Holy Spirit Palace. The two courts each governed their domain, not interfering. The Netherworld was called the ‘Yin Realm’ or ‘Underworld,’ ruled by two overlords, much like the heavens. This is the ancient myth: Pangu opening the heavens, Nuwa creating humanity, Taiyi governing the world. Yet, these legends only spread in the southeast. The northwest, influenced by different spirits and clans, developed divergent traditions. Thus, countless myths spread through humanity, and the origin of the three realms stems from this.”

With that, Li gradually withdrew from the tale, turning to see that his companions were stunned, their expressions vacant, as if still lost in the story.

Yet, it was not only the myth’s grandeur that captivated them; much remained unclear. Li’s account seemed too fantastical to believe.

“Why are you both so? Did I not explain clearly enough?”

Li suddenly broke off and asked. Su Moran glanced at Hao Dan, then spoke before Hao Dan could reply, “There were a few points I did not understand. Could you clarify?”

“Interesting! Young Su, please ask.”

Prompted, Li was even more intrigued, took a sip from his gourd, and asked in return.

Perhaps Hao Dan and Su Moran shared the same questions. Hao Dan collected his thoughts and asked, “You said Eastern Emperor Taiyi was of the Heavenly Wolf clan. First, do the other Eight Divine Clans still exist in this world, and if so, are they involved in today’s affairs? Second, which clan now controls the Celestial Court? Since the demon clan belongs to the Heavenly Wolf, now fallen, does the Celestial Court belong to the Heavenly King, Heavenly Dragon, and Heavenly Nether clans?”

These questions, echoing Su Moran’s thoughts, were crucial, for the Eight Divine Clans related to the demon clan’s fate. Li’s earlier account left these points vague, and they had to be made clear.

“You’ve come to the heart of it! Let me speak plainly.”

“After the War of the Gods, with the Eastern Emperor’s fall, the Kunpeng strategist led the demon army, only to be besieged by the allied races. Unable to withstand the army controlled by the sorcerer clan, the Three Pure Ones joined forces with the Heavenly Dragon and Heavenly King clans to end the war. Now, the Celestial Court is ruled by the Heavenly King clan, who submitted to Hongjun’s companion, today’s Celestial Emperor Haotian. The Jade Emperor Haotian belongs to the Heavenly King clan. The other two, you can guess: the sorcerer clan and the dragon clan. The descendants of the Heavenly Nether are now the sorcerer clan; the Heavenly Dragon’s descendants are the dragon clan, which rebelled against the Celestial Court five hundred years ago.”

“As for your question, I have my own conjectures. The Eight Clans are immensely powerful; if the four in the northwest choose to conceal themselves and plot in secret, it’s difficult to verify. Many mysteries remain from the War of the Gods. If only the sorcerer clan called the races to arms, it would be hard to persuade so many; without the northwest clans’ covert support, a mere sorcerer rebellion would not suffice. But a thousand years have passed since that war, and history is obscured. The Heavenly King clan deliberately hid the truth, and now, verifying that plot is nearly impossible.”

At this point, Li seemed to recall something, though it was only his own intuition. He put away his friendly demeanor and spoke solemnly, “Perhaps your friend, the Red Fairy of the Nine Heavens, knows more. But I must say, that is only my personal opinion.”