Fengshen Yanyi (traditional Chinese: 封神演義; simplified Chinese: 封神演义; pinyin: fēngshén yǎnyì) (translated as The Investiture of the Gods or The Creation of the Gods), also known as Fengshen Bang (Chinese: 封神榜), is one of the major Vernacular Chinese novels written in the Ming Dynasty.

The story deals with the decline of the Shang Dynasty and rise of the Zhou Dynasty, intertwining numerous elements of Chinese mythology, including gods and goddesses, Chinese immortals, and spirits.

This epic novel (Yanyi refers to the Chinese equivalent of the Western epic) is a fantastic retelling of the overthrow of unscrupulous and merciless ruler Di Xin (also known as Zhòu) of the Shang dynasty by King Wu of Zhou.

The story integrates oral and written tales of the many Daoist heroes and immortals, and various spirits (usually represented in avatar form as foxes, chickens, and sometimes even inanimate objects like Jade Pipa) that take part in the struggle.

Enchanted by his concubine Daji, who is actually a fox spirit in disguise, Di Xin murders loyal ministers with draconian punishments like incineration on a red-hot pillar of brass or being fed to a pit of snakes.

He even attempts to kill his own sons. After the fall of the Shang Dynasty and exorcism of Daji by Jiang Ziya, King Wu of Zhou builds his own dynasty, creating the Zhou feudal system.

The slain heroes, even those on the "enemy" side, are endowed with heavenly ranking, being essentially elevated to the position of gods, hence the title.