In the era of the Shang Dynasty, at the strategic fortress of Chentang Pass, a child of extraordinary and chaotic destiny was born. Li Jing, the commander of the pass, and his wife Lady Yin had waited three long years for this third son. When the birth finally occurred, it was not a child that emerged but a pulsating ball of flesh. Suspecting a demonic presence, Li Jing struck the sphere with his sword, only for it to split open and reveal a fully formed, walking, and talking boy. This was Nezha, a reincarnation of the Lingzhu (Spirit Pearl), sent by the heavens to serve as a vanguard for the coming change of dynasties. However, the relationship between the stern, duty-bound father and the wild, supernatural son was fractured from the very moment of the sword's strike.
Nezha’s childhood was marked by feats of strength that terrified his parents. His most infamous act involved the killing of Ao Bing, the son of the Dragon King of the East Sea, after a confrontation at the shoreline. When the Dragon Kings demanded retribution, threatening to flood Chentang Pass and drown its people, Nezha chose a path of ultimate filial sacrifice. To save his parents and his home, he performed a ritual suicide, carving the flesh from his body to 'return' it to his mother and scraping the bones to 'return' them to his father, effectively severing his mortal ties and paying his debt of birth. His spirit, however, did not dissipate. Under the guidance of his mentor, the immortal Taiyi Zhenren, Nezha’s soul sought a way to manifest again in the physical world.
Lady Yin, grieving for her son, secretly built a temple for Nezha on Cui-ping Mountain, where his spirit could receive the incense and prayers of the people, allowing him to construct a new body over three years. For six months, Nezha’s spirit found peace as the people flocked to the shrine, moved by the miracles he performed. But when Li Jing discovered the temple, he was consumed by a righteous and fearful anger. He viewed Nezha not as his son, but as a curse and a rebel whose continued presence in the world of men would bring only ruin. With his golden halberd, Li Jing smashed the clay statue of Nezha and ordered his soldiers to burn the temple to the ground, scattering the worshippers. This act of paternal betrayal ignited a fire of vengeance in Nezha’s spirit that even the cool waters of the East Sea could not quench.
Nezha’s spirit fled back to the Golden Light Cave at Mount Qianyuan, where Taiyi Zhenren awaited. Seeing that the path to peace had been blocked by Li Jing’s interference, the immortal decided to take a more direct approach. He gathered two lotus flowers and three lily pads, performing a high level of botanical alchemy. He reconstructed Nezha’s form using the lotus as a skeleton and the pads as skin, breathing life into the green-hued youth. Nezha rose again, more powerful than before, armed with the Fire-Tipped Spear, the Universe Ring, and the Wind Fire Wheels beneath his feet. His first thought was not of the heavens, but of the man who had destroyed his temple. He flew back to Chentang Pass with the speed of a comet, the air hissing beneath his flaming wheels.
When Nezha arrived at the commander’s residence, the confrontation was immediate and violent. Li Jing, though a master of martial arts and a practitioner of Taoist magic, found himself hopelessly outmatched by the resurrected lotus-prince. Nezha’s spear moved like a serpent of flame, and his speed was such that Li Jing could barely track his movements. Forced to flee, Li Jing rode his swift horse across the wilderness, but a horse is no match for the Wind Fire Wheels. The chase took them across the rugged landscapes of ancient China, through valleys and over peaks, eventually leading toward the mist-shrouded heights of the sacred mountains. Li Jing’s heart was heavy with the realization that his own son intended to slay him, a reversal of the natural order that horrified his sense of Confucian propriety.