Similar to his other films, Wuershan’s Creation of the Gods 1: Kingdom of Storms begins with a narration about how the world came to be. The world had no shape at the beginning of time. The mighty god Pangu transformed his body into the sun, the moon, the mountains, and the rivers. Another god, Nuwa, made people out of clay, and her spirit gave them life. When Nuwa died, she hid a powerful artifact that held the secret of creation. This artifact was called the “Fengshen Bang” and could turn humans and monsters into gods. The immortals of Kunlun were trusted to guard it. This artifact could only be opened by the king of all realms when it was absolutely necessary. Sadly, the current king of the realms was a despicable evil.
Spoilers Ahead
Why Does Yin Shou Order the Construction of Pyres?
As generations came and went, Yin Shou (Kris Phillips) became the king of the realms. During his last siege, Yin Shou took Su Daji hostage. The woman was inhabited by the spirit of a demon fox. She had the ability to heal wounds and reveal secrets. Thus, Yin Shou kept her close rather than killing her. She could help him in his pursuit of power, Yin Shou figured. The gods of heaven prophesied that a great curse was soon to envelop Earth. Millions would die, and demons would take control. The only way to thwart it was with Fengshen Bang. Ziya (Huang Bo), one of the immortals of Kunlun, agreed to take the artifact to the supreme king. Unfortunately, there was a price to be paid. If any immortal touched the artifact, they would lose all their power. This would turn them into human beings again. Ziya didn’t hesitate and shouldered the burden.
Yin Shou didn’t inherit the throne from his father. He ended up in charge when his brother murdered the last king but also got himself killed in the process. This was a huge sin in the eyes of God, and it brought a great curse. Yin Shou believed the world could avoid such disasters by offering a few thousand human sacrifices. But that was not the case. Some five hundred years ago, one of Yin Shou’s ancestors built a huge pyre. He then immolated himself, which ended the curse. Hesitant at first, Yin Shou took on the burden and ordered the construction of a huge pyre. On the day it was completed, he would burn himself, Yin Shou assured his people.
Why Didn’t Ziya Give The Scroll To Yin Shou?
Yin Shou didn’t really want to immolate himself. He was looking for ways to avoid it. He called sorcerers and witches and ordered them to tell him ways to lift the curse. None were successful. Ziya and the other gods, in the guise of humans, presented Yin Shou, the Fengshen Bang. They said that when Yin Shou would open it, it would lift the curse. Yin Shou would also become a god, they said. At first, Yin Shou thought Ziya was spouting lies. Yin Shou became convinced when a demon in his court told him about the real power of the scroll. It contained the energy of the dead souls. This meant that if more people were dead, the scroll would get more powerful. Yin Shou had all sorts of evil schemes, and he saw the curse as a gift. A reward that would make him the most powerful god. Yin Shou even tested the scroll’s authenticity. He killed one of his soldiers and saw his soul being sucked into the scroll. It wouldn’t take long for Ziya and his company to realize that Yin Shou wasn’t a good fit. The king was evil and would willingly sacrifice innocent souls for power and control. If he got his hands on the scroll, the world would certainly end. Thus, Ziya and his mighty friends escaped the castle. Yin Jiao (Luke Chen), the king’s son, gave chase, but he was overpowered. Ziya was advised by his fellow gods to return to the mountain and leave the humans to their own devices. But before he’d become a god, Ziya was a human, and that’s why he wasn’t ready to give up on humans just yet. Maybe Yin Jiao could be the right fit to use Fengshen Bang, Ziya figured.
Why Were The Dukes Murdered?
Ziya learned from Li Chang (Xuejian Li) that all four Dukes were going to pay Yin Shou their respect. He conspired with all four Dukes to overthrow Yin Shou and make Yin Jiao the king. They were running out of time. The corruption had spread to all four realms. There are plagues in the north, foul water in the east, babies stillborn in the south, and crop failure in the west. The longer the wait, the greater the tragedy. Before they could plot further, the Dukes were captured and brought to court. Yin Shou then forced their own sons to murder them. Whoever killed his father would take his place, Yin Shou promised.
To avoid any sudden coup, the kings had a plan in place. Every duke, as well as the 800 lords, was forced to send their sons to the king. This was done to ensure there was no military campaign against the king. Remember Su Quanxio? He was the prince whom Yin Shou killed at the beginning of the movie. He was executed because his father rebelled against the king. Everyone except Li Chang, was killed. Yin Shou wanted to make an example of him. Ji Fa (Yosh Yu) was under the impression that the king would spare his father’s life, but Yin Shou had other plans. The Dukes were loyal men, and their deaths shook everyone’s trust in Yin Shou. They saw that Yin Shou had abandoned all humanity and was now only fending for himself and his evil seductress.
Who Is The Demon Fox?
Yin Jiao was a loyal son and was even willing to offer himself on the pyre instead of his father. But his trust in his father took a nosedive when Yin Shou didn’t even lift a finger when his mistress killed Yin Jiao’s mother. The evil woman also claimed that Yin Jiao was trying to kill the king. This left Yin Jiao with no other choice, and he had to escape the castle. Even the high priest made attempts to sway Yin Shou. He told him that his mistress was a demon fox who would finish his dynasty if not killed. The high priest even showed everyone the demon’s real form. But Yin Shou had his guard murder the high priest. Only the demon fox knew what he truly wanted, Yin Shou said. In reality, the demon fox is behind everything. She’d conspired the events that led to Yin Shou inheriting the throne. It was the demon fox who made Yin Shou’s brother murder their father. The demon fox had been trapped for thousands of years, waiting to be freed. Unfortunately, she was freed when Yin Shou was fighting Su Hu. This was the same battle we saw at the start of the film. Ji Fa also joined Yin Jiao after he found out the king’s real intention. Ji Fa was the son of the Duke of the West, Li Chang, and one of the most loyal soldiers of Yin Shou. He worshipped the king and heeded his advice. He was the kind who would willingly give his head for the king. But everything changed when he realized that he had been wrong all this time. Yin Shou was evil, not a noble king. For him, the citizens of his realm were a commodity and a sacrificial lamb.
Who Will Become The King Of All Realms?
As Creation of the Gods 1: Kingdom of Storms neared its end, Ji Fa and his allies rebelled against Yin Shou and killed him. After Yin Shou’s death, Ji Fa also forced his followers to lay down their arms. However, Yin Shou had already succeeded in executing his son, Yin Jiao. The demons weren’t ready to back down just yet. They sent their monsters after Ji Fa and his father, Li Chang. The latter was saved by Lei Zhenzi, a large green demon with wings. This was the same demon that Li Chang had saved in the jungle. Other gods wanted to kill it, but he’d convinced them otherwise. He told them that a child is just a child. Whether he grew up to be good or bad depends on how he was raised. Lei Zhenzi was raised by the immortal Kunlun. Thus, he had not one evil bone in his body. Li Chang was taken to his kingdom, Xiqi. Ji Fa joined him soon after. But what about the Fengshen Bang?
In the Creation of the Gods 1: Kingdom of Storms post-credit scene, it was revealed that Yin Shou wasn’t dead. The demon fox used a soul transference spell to rejuvenate Yin Shou. This left the door open for further installments. The next movie in the franchise will focus on Yin Shou as he tries to take back what he has lost. As for his son, Yin Jiao, he was sent to the immortals of Kunlun. So, maybe he would come back to life and claim the artifact to save the world from the curse and his father. There’s also another theory. In the next Creation of the Gods movie, Ji Fa could also become the king of all realms and claim the power of the artifact. If you remember, the prophecy never said that only the people of the Shang Dynasty could open the scroll.
