Champions and Supernatural Mounts in Creation of the Gods (Part 4)

An article inspired by the War Beast Rider challenge . Part 3 As Zhou’s campaign continues, the war becomes increasingly strange and unpredictable. New generals, immortals and magical specialists appear at successive passes and battlefields, each bringing powers capable of changing the course of a campaign. Plague magic threatens entire armies. Fire immortals attempt to burn cities. Warriors travel through the sky on clouds, strange beasts race across land and sea, and increasingly specialized supernatural abilities demand equally specialized counters. By the later stages of Creation of the Gods , victory often depends not simply on military strength, but on finding the right immortal, magical treasure or supernatural ability to overcome a particular threat. LATER SUPERNATURAL CHAMPIONS OF THE SHANG–ZHOU WAR 1. Chen Qi 陈奇 Sect / Background: Shang general with supernatural training War Camp: Shang War Beast: Golden-Eyed Beast (金睛兽) Combat Tier: B- Chen Qi serves as a supernatural defender of Qinglong Pass. He is the counterpart to Zheng Lun. Where Zheng Lun expels white supernatural qi through his nose, Chen Qi opens his mouth and releases yellow qi capable of causing enemies to collapse. Weapons & Magical Skills: Demon-Sweeping Pestle, yellow magical breath and strong mounted combat. Why He Stands Out: Chen Qi and Zheng Lun form a striking supernatural mirror match: both fight with similar weapons and extraordinary mounts, but wield opposing breath techniques. 2. Lü Yue 吕岳 Sect / Background: Cultivator of Nine Dragon Island; Jie Sect-associated immortal War Camp: Shang/Jie side War Beast: Golden-Eyed Camel (金眼驼) Combat Tier: A Lü Yue is one of the most dangerous specialists in the story because his powers revolve around plague and epidemic disease rather than straightforward weapon combat. He arrives mounted on a Golden-Eyed Camel . Weapons & Magical Skills: Plague magic, plague umbrella and related artifacts, swordsmanship, three-headed six-armed transformation and command over plague disciples. Notable Feat: Creates a plague outbreak so devastating that Zhou cannot overcome it through ordinary military force and must rely on a specialized supernatural counter. Why He Stands Out: Lü Yue does not merely defeat soldiers—his magic threatens entire populations and armies. 3. Yu Yuan 余元 Sect / Background: Jie Sect; disciple of Jinling Shengmu; master of Yu Hua War Camp: Shang/Jie side War Beast: Golden-Eyed Five-Cloud Camel (金睛五云驼) Combat Tier: A- Yu Yuan is the formidable master of Yu Hua and is connected to Wen Zhong through their shared lineage under Jinling Shengmu. After Yu Hua's death, Yu Yuan descends from Penglai Island seeking revenge. His Five-Cloud Camel is an extraordinary supernatural mount whose feet generate golden light as it travels. Weapons & Magical Skills: Golden Light File, Ruyi Qiankun Bag, Blood-Melting Divine Blade tradition, Water-Escape techniques and a nearly indestructible body. He later receives the Heart-Piercing Lock from Tongtian Jiaozhu. Notable Feat: Ordinary execution methods prove ineffective, forcing his enemies to find a supernatural means powerful enough to kill him. Why He Stands Out: Yu Yuan stands out for his fearsome appearance, extraordinary durability, and the remarkable speed of his Five-Cloud Camel. 4. Luo Xuan 罗宣 Sect / Background: Immortal of Fire Dragon Island; Jie Sect-associated War Camp: Shang/Jie side War Beast: Red-Smoke Steed (赤烟驹) Combat Tier: A- Luo Xuan is one of the novel’s most strongly fire-associated immortals. With red hair and beard, three eyes, red battle attire, and the Red-Smoke Steed beneath him, nearly every aspect of his appearance reflects his connection to fire. During his attack on Xiqi, even the steed’s four hooves produce flames. Weapons & Magical Skills: Five Dragon Wheel, fire swords, fire dragons, Ten-Thousand-Crow Pot and a three-headed six-armed combat form. Notable Feat: Attempts to burn the entire city of Xiqi through a coordinated magical fire assault. Why He Stands Out: Few characters in the novel embody a single theme as completely as Luo Xuan, whose appearance, magic, weapons, and Red-Smoke Steed are all tied to fire. 5. Jinguang Shengmu 金光圣母 Sect / Background: Jie Sect; one of the Ten Heavenly Lords associated with the Ten Absolute Formations War Camp: Shang/Jie side War Beast: Five-Spotted Leopard Steed (五点斑豹驹) Combat Tier: B+ Jinguang Shengmu is the only woman among the famous masters of the Ten Absolute Formations . She presides over the deadly Golden Light Formation , which uses magical mirrors and supernatural light to destroy those trapped inside. Weapons & Magical Skills: Golden Light Formation, magical mirrors, flying golden sword and Daoist formation techniques. Notable Feat: Her formation is so dangerous that the Zhou/Chan forces first send in a sacrificial challenger before allowing the designated formation-breaker to enter. Why She Stands Out: She combines a swift leopard-like mount with one of the novel’s most elaborate and dangerous magical formations. 6. Yang Ren 杨任 Sect / Background: Former Shang official; later disciple of Qingxu Daode Zhenjun War Camp: Zhou War Beast: Yunxia Beast (云霞兽) Combat Tier: B+ Yang Ren originally serves at the Shang court, but after remonstrating with King Zhou, he is brutally punished. Qingxu Daode Zhenjun rescues him and later grants him supernatural eyes that grow from his hands. When Yang Ren is eventually sent to assist Zhou, his master gives him the Yunxia Beast, a celestial mount whose four hooves generate clouds, allowing it to race through the sky. Weapons & Magical Skills: Five-Fire Seven-Bird Fan / Five-Fire Divine Flame Fan, extraordinary supernatural eyesight and Daoist techniques. Notable Feat: Sent specifically to counter Lü Yue’s devastating plague magic and help break the crisis threatening Zhou’s forces. Why He Stands Out: Yang Ren combines highly unusual supernatural eyes, a powerful fire-generating fan, and the cloud-riding Yunxia Beast, giving him one of the most distinctive combinations of abilities among Zhou’s champions. 7. Hong Jin 洪锦 Sect / Background: Identifies himself as connected with Jie Sect War Camp: Begins as Shang commander; later joins Zhou War Beast: Jinglong / Whale-Dragon (鲸龙), used as an aquatic supernatural mount Combat Tier: B Hong Jin begins as a Shang commander sent against Xiqi and is skilled in sophisticated Five-Element escape techniques. He is eventually defeated by Princess Longji , and their confrontation develops into one of the novel’s more unusual relationships: Hong Jin later joins Zhou and marries her. His most extraordinary mount appears during his attempt to escape from Longji. After reaching the North Sea, Hong Jin throws a magical object into the water, where it returns to its original form as a Jinglong , or Whale-Dragon. He mounts the creature and flees across the sea. Weapons & Magical Skills: Swordsmanship, Inner and Outer Banner Gate techniques, Five-Element escape arts and magical banners. Notable Feat: His pursuit by Princess Longji stretches from the battlefield to the North Sea, where he ultimately escapes aboard the supernatural Jinglong. Why He Stands Out: Hong Jin is a clear example of how political allegiance and supernatural affiliation can diverge: although connected to Jie Sect, he ultimately changes sides and becomes a Zhou warrior. (To be continued in Part 5) Interested in the world of Creation of the Gods ? If you would like to explore another side of the story, you can also read my Daji: The Fox Spirit of Xuanyuan Tomb series, which retells the story of Daji, King Zhou and the events that set the fall of the Shang dynasty in motion. While this article focuses on the warriors, immortals, and supernatural creatures of the great Shang–Zhou conflict, Da Ji’s story returns us to the royal court of Chaoge and to the woman whose arrival would become inseparable from the dynasty’s downfall.