Ninefold Pact of the Vast Sea

This novel resumed updating on June 9, 2026, and has been completely rewritten. [I offer incense to the gods, to ease the ache in my heart.] Jiu Ming was a young goddess of water. At the age of three, she was exiled to the deep sea. A three-year-old goddess with the purest water-divinity bloodline had no means of protecting herself. The moment she entered the sea, she became the object of desire for powerful beings from every corner. And so the naive little Jiu Ming was carved up for medicinal ingredients one day, then drained of blood for pill-making the next. No one could bring themselves to kill her. After taking their share of flesh and blood, they always returned her to the ocean floor so they could harvest her again later. Jiu Ming learned to navigate among them. From an early age, she picked up all sorts of skills: reading people’s expressions, flattering them, and keeping on everyone’s good side... When she grew old enough to understand more, Jiu Ming adopted the airs of a “goddess” and went around proclaiming herself “the only deity in the mortal world.” At first, people scoffed. She was only the daughter of a guilty god, exiled to the mortal world. What kind of deity did that make her? But though there were clear-headed people, they couldn’t withstand more than a thousand years of brainwashing. By now, Jiu Ming had amassed a huge following among humans. “Jiu Ming is the only goddess with half-human blood.” “Jiu Ming is the deity closest to humankind.” “Human blood is the noblest! Jiu Ming is the noblest goddess!” She and her sea folk spread rumors everywhere, throwing their weight around, making things up, and muddying the waters. Her legends spread throughout the mortal world. Goddess Jiu Ming was mysterious, beautiful, powerful, and kind... She made up all those wonderful stories to cater to what people admired and imagined. Yet day and night, she hid her own fear, weakness, insecurity, jealousy, and anxiety. “Have I pretended to be a goddess for a thousand years, and started believing I really am one?” “Of all people, you expect someone like me to shoulder the burden of a mortal world on the brink of destruction. You’ve got some nerve.” Note: Two male leads and two female leads, xianxia romance, with a comedic yet heartbreaking tone. The main couple has a happy ending; no guarantees for the others. We’ll be entering VIP serialization on May 10. Updates daily at 9:00 a.m. I’ll post a notice if anything comes up. Read my previous completed xianxia novel: The Unawakened Theme: You must learn to let go of love and pursuits that have no hope.