Arriving at the Weishui Riverside, at the spot where Jiang Ziya fished, the outcome of the draw was naturally the Investiture of the Gods.
As soon as Shen Yan finished speaking, a dazzling pillar of divine power lit up before their eyes.
Within the pillar, an old man with white hair, clad in a Daoist robe, with a long flowing beard, gradually appeared.
He held a fishing rod, carried a fish basket on his back, and had the Investiture of the Gods tied at his waist.
There was no doubt that this was Jiang Taigong—Jiang Ziya.
A disciple under Yuanshi Tianzun, and the principal orchestrator of the great task of investiture.
Almost at the same time, the blessing Qingling Summon Array on Su Fu shimmered out a circle of green ripples.
Su Fu’s heart raced, ‘This meant the blessing was working’—could she summon both Nezha and Erlang Shen at once?
In the next second, two vague figures appeared beside Jiang Taigong.
“They really came!”
On the left was a youthful god with hair bound in a red headscarf, a Universe Ring around his neck, Fire-tipped Spear in hand, and bare feet stepping on Wind Fire Wheels—none other than Nezha Third Prince.
On the right was a handsome, tall and valiant young man, a vertical mark at his brow, clad in armor, holding a three-pointed double-edged saber, and beside him was the blurred figure of a dog.
Erlang Shen, Yang Jian!
“They really came. Taishang Laojun is truly incredible!”
This Qingling Summon Array was practically a cheat, but thinking again, as one of the Sanqing and the supreme deity of Daoism, Taishang Laojun’s exalted status and wide network made this unsurprising.
Ahem.
Su Fu thought she must ask the old lord for help again in the next league.
[“Please begin the summoning and establish a connection with the deity.”]
[“Tip: You must call the correct name and recite the title.”]
Su Fu had already decided what divine abilities she wanted, so she began to summon directly: “Jiang Shang, disciple under Yuanshi Tianzun, bearer of the Investiture of the Gods, sage of military strategy who masters the Six Secret Teachings and Three Strategies, peerless strategist who controls the mysteries of fate!
“As you divine the great tides of the world, please grant me the ability to discern the threads of destiny, so that I may foresee fate and seize the initiative!”
As Su Fu called out, Jiang Ziya slowly looked at her, then a heavy, ancient tome appeared in his hand.
The tome transformed into a stream of light and flew towards Su Fu.
‘It worked!’
Su Fu was delighted—Jiang Taigong had agreed to her request.
Next, the second one: “Nezha, Third Prince, reincarnation of the Spirit Pearl, Great God of the Three Altars Sea Assembly, Marshal of the Central Altar, rebel who defies the shackles of fate!”
“As you wield the Red Training Divine Weapon, please grant me the binding power of the Hun Tian Ribbon, so I may restrain formidable enemies and clear all obstacles!”
Nezha’s eyes suddenly lit up.
He brandished his Fire-tipped Spear, the Wind Fire Wheels beneath him roared into flames, and a red long sash floated from his waist, twining and darting toward Su Fu.
Su Fu couldn’t hold back a smile—Nezha, the one who only slays and never saves!
Someday she had to beg Nezha for more divine powers.
Once that Killing Deity Lotus Divine Manifestation appears behind her, who could resist?
Simply too cool!
Finally, the last one.
“Yang Jian, Pure Source Marvelous Dao True Lord, Erlang Manifest Saint True Lord, master of Seventy-Two Transformations, the Heavenly Court’s war god who slays demons and devils, master of the Howling Celestial Dog!”
“As you command the Howling Celestial Dog in pursuit, please grant me the power of the Howling Celestial Dog, so I may track all things and let none escape!”
Yang Jian’s divine shadow nodded slightly at Su Fu, and the dog beside him suddenly became clear.
Then, the Howling Celestial Dog howled toward the sky, its voice echoing through the clouds.
Su Fu felt certain the Howling Celestial Dog had agreed.
[“Congratulations, candidate Su Fu has successfully summoned all deities!”]
[“Randomly drawing divine abilities……”]
[“Investiture of the Gods: Mandate Enactment (Decree)”]
[“God-Slaying Whip: Heavenly Punishment (Divine Retribution)”]
[“Three Heads and Six Arms: War God Manifestation (Fury)”]
[“Universe Ring: Cosmos Suppression Seal)”]
[“Eight-Nine Arcane Arts: Great Manifestation (Divine Manifestation)”]
[“Heavenly Eye: True Void Insight (Insight)”]
Su Fu noticed that these divine skills seemed to reveal more details than before.
At this moment, the final screen changed and showed: [The divine abilities you have drawn are:- –Investiture of the Gods: Know the Mandate.
–Hun Tian Ribbon: Bind
–Howling Celestial Dog]
Descriptions of Jiang Ziya’s divine skill floated in her mind.
The full version should be [Investiture of the Gods: Mortal Knows the Mandate], mastering the art of fate-divination, able to discern the inevitability in the development of things and foresee possible future directions.
At the current stage, it was only “knowing the mandate”—in other words, mortals cannot change fate, but they can perceive fate and thus align themselves with the heavenly way.
At that moment, the three divine figures began to slowly dissipate, and the entire space started to ripple like water—this meant she was about to enter the exam scenario.
Su Fu composed herself.
When the transformation ended, she found herself standing quietly by a riverside.
There was no doubt—this was the Weishui Riverside.
In the distance, light mist curled, mountains faintly visible, the river flowed gently, lush trees and thriving flowers and grass lining both banks.
It was early morning, golden light sprinkling over the river, coating it in a layer of fine golden brilliance.
At the water’s edge, an old man in a straw raincoat and conical hat was fishing alone.
He held a long fishing rod, his posture leisurely, the fish basket beside him empty.
Su Fu thought, ‘this must be Jiang Ziya?’
She hadn’t expected him to appear as only a remnant shadow.
Just as she was about to step forward, her expression suddenly changed: “Wait, where’s my divine power?”
She tried to summon the Golden Hoop Staff, the Nine-Toothed Rake, but nothing happened—no response at all.
Including the abilities she had just obtained, all of them were unusable.
“No way? Did this scenario turn me into an ordinary person?”
Heavens!
How was she supposed to survive in a scenario full of demons and monsters?
But what was done was done—she could only push on.
Su Fu remembered what Teacher Zhuge Yan had once said: for cyclical scenarios, the key is to break the cycle, which requires actively exploring the oddities of the map.
If that was the case, the crucial point clearly lay with Jiang Ziya.
With that thought, she stopped hesitating, walked forward, and asked politely: “Elder, are you fishing?”
Jiang Ziya didn’t turn around, only said faintly, “The turbid waves surge—how can mortals cross?”
Su Fu: “?”
What kind of riddle was this for an opener?
Before she could ponder the meaning, the calm river surface suddenly exploded—a massive demon dragon burst from the water, spewing foul wind, jaws gaping as it lunged for her.
Su Fu: “!”
Before she could react, the demon dragon swallowed her whole, and her consciousness sank into endless darkness.
Who knew how much time passed—Su Fu awoke with a start, finding herself once again standing at the Weishui riverside, Jiang Taigong in the distance still fishing, everything as before.
“This… Did I die once?” Su Fu muttered, heart pounding as she stared at the tranquil river.
She quickly retreated a few steps, but after waiting for a long while, no demon dragon appeared again.
“No, what’s going on here?”
What was she supposed to do?
Su Fu glanced at Jiang Ziya again, testing by calling, “Jiang Taigong?”
No response.
She felt dejected.
Just now Jiang Taigong had asked, “How can mortals cross?”
Could breaking the cycle require her to cross the river?
But the problem was, that demon dragon appeared unpredictably—who knew when it would strike?
“How can mortals know…?”
‘Hmm?’ Su Fu’s expression shifted, recalling her newly acquired divine skill, murmuring, “How can mortals… know the mandate?”
As an ordinary person, her five senses dulled, no divine power to aid her—she couldn’t sense demon auras, so naturally she couldn’t detect such a demon dragon.
At that moment, Jiang Ziya’s remnant shadow seemed to be stirred by the keyword in her muttering, and slowly spoke again: “Sit and watch the water.”
Su Fu was delighted—he was guiding her.
‘But watch what? Changes in the water?’
When she sat down, Jiang Ziya’s voice sounded again: “There are fish in the water. When the fish move, the ripples change. When the ripples change, the hook may catch. Everything has its signs—those with insight perceive the subtle to understand the whole.”
Su Fu suddenly understood—Jiang Taigong was teaching her to observe.
Without divine power, she could still spot the demon dragon.
According to Jiang Taigong, everything in the world had its patterns; if she could grasp the pattern, she could avoid the demon dragon.
That seemed to be the key.
But after less than ten minutes of watching, the water exploded again—Su Fu tried to run but failed, the demon dragon soared up and swallowed her in one bite.
Su Fu: “…”
‘That was way too sudden.’
When she awoke from darkness once more, Su Fu was indignant, “Hey! I don’t believe this! Even as an ordinary person, I’m sure I can find the pattern!”
One day, two days, three days…
She was swallowed over and over, the scene reset again and again.
Su Fu began not only watching ripples, but also the wind direction, reflections, insect chirping, temperature…
Until a week later—ripples appeared, insects fled, birds changed course—
Su Fu seized the moment and flashed aside.
The demon dragon surged up from where she had just been standing, missing her entirely.
“I did it!”
This demon dragon was cunning—if she dodged too early, it wouldn’t appear, and her observation was wasted.
If she dodged too late, instant death and a reset.
She had to grasp that fleeting instant—a task that was truly exhausting.
“Jiang Taigong, how’s that?”
Jiang Ziya turned around and looked at her for the first time and said, “In that case, go to Chao Ge.”
Su Fu was stunned: “Chao Ge?”
“Go to the market in Chao Ge. Find a pair of merchants about to have a dispute, and predict the outcome.”
Su Fu thought, this was clearly the next-level lesson.
She didn’t hesitate, heading straight to the marketplace, mingling with the crowd, observing the buyers and sellers’ manners and expressions.
Soon, she spotted an interesting scene: A silk merchant avoided eye contact, while the buyer wore luxurious clothes, but the cuffs were badly worn.
Su Fu thought, ‘The deal was bound for trouble—the merchant was cheating, the buyer was wealthy but currently in dire straits, so haggling and conflict were inevitable.’
She had just finished the thought, and sure enough, a quarrel broke out.