Creation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms

Jiang Ziya volunteered to take the Investiture Scroll because he recognized that Shao's oppressive nature made him unfit for the responsibility. Ziya realized that the scroll, which possessed the power to restore balance and eliminate the curse plaguing the Shang dynasty, needed to be entrusted to someone capable of using it wisely rather than someone who would abuse its power.

The Immortals of Kunlun initially debated who should receive the scroll, with Shao as the other candidate.

King Di Yi was accidentally killed by his own son, Crown Prince Qi, during a violent outburst at a celebratory feast. This created a power vacuum that Prince Yin Shou exploited to seize the throne. The violent ascension was accompanied by dark omens foreshadowing the curse that would plague the Shang dynasty due to this regicide.

The regicide immediately triggered ominous signs that cursed the dynasty.

The malevolent fox spirit was freed during the Battle of Jizhou when Su Hu's rebellion was defeated. This demon had been imprisoned previously and sought a vessel to regain power. The spirit possessed Su Daji, who had been captured by the Shang forces, and manipulated King Yin Shou into making her his favored consort while covertly influencing his decisions.

The fox spirit's possession began shortly after Su Daji's capture following the Battle of Jizhou.

The curse plagued the Shang dynasty as a result of the regicide, the killing of King Di Yi by his own son. This act of killing the rightful ruler brought ominous signs and doom upon the dynasty. King Yin Shou attempted to appease the heavens by vowing to undergo a self-immolation ritual to lift the curse, though the supernatural corruption had already taken root through the fox spirit's influence.

Ominous signs appeared immediately after Shou took the throne, foreshadowing the dynasty's downfall.

Bi Gan sacrificed his heart in an attempt to expel the fox spirit that had possessed Su Daji. Recognizing the demon's malevolent influence over both Daji and King Shou, Bi Gan used his magical wisdom to perform this desperate act. However, his sacrifice came too late, as Shou had already discovered the truth about the demon that had ensnared his wife.

Bi Gan's sacrifice was the culmination of his earlier investigations into palace secrets alongside Yin Jiao.

The four dukes from the East, North, South, and West conspired against Shou after hearing rumors of his alleged illegitimacy to rule. However, their secret meeting was discovered by royal guards. Shou responded by ordering the dukes to be executed by their own hostage-sons, forcing impossible choices that resulted in tragic outcomes, Chong Yingbiao executing his father, E Shun attacking Shou and being killed, and the Duke of the East committing suicide.

The conspiracy was already fragile given the dukes' hostages were held by Shou.

Ji Fa devised a plan to save Duke Chang by faking his death during the execution. Understanding that Chang would face a dishonorable public execution, Ji Fa convinced Shou to allow what appeared to be the execution while actually enabling Chang to escape the city under the protection of Lei Zhenzi. This act of defiance ultimately led Ji Fa to spearhead the rebellion against Shou.

Ji Fa had earlier argued for a less dishonorable punishment for Chang, showing his loyalty.

Ji Fa's rebellion was triggered by a series of events: Shou's merciless execution of Duke Chang after refusing clemency, the arrest and execution of Crown Prince Yin Jiao, and the overall tyrannical rule that had corrupted the kingdom. Ji Fa led the rebellion alongside the hostage-sons from Xiqi, ultimately faking Duke Chang's death to facilitate his escape and challenging Shou's illegitimate reign.

Ji Fa had been helping Jiao escape and was increasingly at odds with Shou's sinister rule.

The Taotie statues were terrifying constructs controlled by Shen Gongbao, Jiang Ziya's rival. These statues were summoned to pursue and capture Ji Fa and Ziya during their escape. Ji Fa ultimately managed to trick the statues through clever deception, freeing himself and his companions from this pursuit.

Shen Gongbao had been pursuing Ziya and his companions throughout their journey.

After being captured by the Shang forces following her father's defeat, Su Daji was taken to the palace. She became possessed by a malevolent fox spirit that had been freed during the Battle of Jizhou. King Yin Shou became enamored with her, making her his favored consort. She was later involved in the queen's death during a confrontation, and Bi Gan attempted to sacrifice himself to remove the fox spirit from her.

Daji's capture immediately followed the defeat of her father's rebellion at Jizhou.

Lei Zhenzi was an infant demon encountered by Duke Ji Chang on his journey to the capital Zhaoge. Chang named the demon and later, Lei Zhenzi played a crucial role in helping Duke Chang escape execution by protecting him during Ji Fa's deception. The infant demon's fate became intertwined with the kingdom's political upheaval.

This encounter occurred during Chang's journey to pay respects to the newly crowned king.

The mid-credit scenes show the fox spirit within Su Daji being revived when King Shou awakens, indicating the demon's connection to the king was not permanently broken. Meanwhile, Jiang Ziya is seen observing ominous crows by the Wei River, and Wen Zhong, the Grand Preceptor of the Shang dynasty, returns to the capital with his generals and the Four Demonic Giants, setting up direct sequels rather than providing resolution.

The mid-credit scenes deliberately set up续集 (sequels) rather than conclude the story.