Although most gods in the heavenly realm avoid dealing with the forgotten god Xie Lian, Heavenly Emperor Jun Wu holds him in good graces. Xie Lian's luck is otherwise terrible, and adding to his troubles, the gods seem to suspect that Xie Lian's recent companion was the dreaded Ghost King Hua Cheng. Despite what others may think of him, Xie Lian fondly recalls Hua Cheng's promise: the next time they meet, Hua Cheng will appear in his true form.
Jun Wu informs Xie Lian of the unsettling news that a god's distress signal was seen coming from the Ghost City—the most prosperous place in the ghost realm, where the only law is Hua Cheng himself. As Xie Lian has no qualms about stepping into Hua Cheng's territory, he infiltrates the city to locate the lost god. There, the genuine Hua Cheng is already waiting. He is the most feared being across the three realms, yet before Xie Lian, his arrogance erodes. Without revealing the reason for his generosity, he spares no power or means to ease the burdens of Xie Lian's endlessly unfortunate past.
