Jiang Ziya and Wen Zhong

Wen Zhong returned to Chaoge after settling the northern sea, learned that Western Qi had killed Zhang Guifang and driven off the four Mo brothers, mustered his own troops and rode west on his black qilin. Jiang Ziya set an array below Western Qi to meet him, and at their first meeting Wen Zhong drove at the centre with the male-and-female whips while Jiang Ziya held him with the God-Beating Whip, and the officers of both sides fell into a melee in the dust.

Beaten in that first engagement, Wen Zhong rode by night to Jin’ao Island, Mount Emei and elsewhere to bring in the Ten Heavenly Lords, Zhao Gongming and other Jie disciples; Jiang Ziya raised the investiture terrace on Mount Qi and had the Twelve Golden Immortals break the formations one by one. After the Ten Absolutes fell, Wen Zhong gathered his broken army and withdrew towards the five passes, and Jiang Ziya, following Luya’s method, had his road cut again and again.

Wen Zhong at last blundered into Jueleng Ridge and died among the Heaven-Reaching Divine Fire Pillars. Receiving the report at Western Qi, Jiang Ziya kept the name of Wen Zhong’s soul on the Investiture List; and on the day of the investiture he installed him with his own mouth as the Heavenly Venerable of the Nine Heavens Who Universally Transforms with the Voice of Thunder.