The serpentine creature, bearing the visage of a woman, the matriarchal sovereign known as the Empress Wuhou of Buxian, led her race of women from the deepest recesses of Mount Buxian across the northeastern reaches of the Shenzhou continent, engaging in unchecked pillage and slaughter, intent on enslaving every man under heaven. Yet, things did not unfold as planned; many of her kin found genuine affection in their proximity to men, understanding and caring for one another—for nothing is more precious than love.

This was something the Empress Wuhou could not tolerate. She hanged the men and executed the women who defied tribal law, an absolute authority and ingrained faith as a descendant of the Western Queen Mother. However, this invited unprecedented pressure; a rebellious army rose from within, led by the venerable Priest-King, Huang Zunzhe, storming back to their ancestral home, Mount Buxian, determined to defy Wuhou's majesty.

“Zunzhe, the Jade Blood Palace is just above us,” the female attendant said, clad in armor, her face set in grim determination. “Wuhou’s remnants are inside the Palace; we can storm it at any moment!”

Huang Le’er was startled awake by the shout. She had been in a state of suspended animation, but as she stood, she realized she was upon the back of a colossal ox, surrounded by armored female warriors. “This is Mount Buxian…”

“Zunzhe, command us quickly,” the attendant urged, her eyes blazing with the fire of battle, betraying her deep hatred for the Empress. “The Empress Wuhou of Buxian, for all her legendary renown, murdered the innocent. Today is the day our people cleanse this stain of grievance.”

Huang Le’er turned to observe the surrounding forest. Though it shared features with the Changbai Mountains, she was intimately familiar with the atmosphere of the ancient woods. She tried to speak, intending to explain her identity, but in that instant, she felt as though struck by an immense electrical current. Every story concerning the Empress Wuhou surged through her mind, and the identity of the Priest-King, Huang Zunzhe, was deeply etched into her being. In that moment, she could no longer distinguish whether she was a princess of the Earth Clan of the Arts lineage or the Priest-King of the Buxian tribe!

“Brave warriors of the Buxian Clan, and friends from beyond our borders, let us unite and forge a homeland free from slaughter!” Priest-King Huang Le’er suddenly waved her hand, signaling the army behind her. “Today marks the fall of Empress Wuhou and the dawn of a new chapter for the Buxian people.”

“Oh, ugh…” Excited roars erupted from the men and women in the ranks. Having suffered under Empress Wuhou’s century of oppression, they finally possessed the courage to rise up, to fight and shout for their liberation.

The grand army advanced upon the Jade Blood Palace. Amidst an impenetrable thicket of vines, there remained a vast cavern, its stone entrance firmly sealed. This door to the cave could only be opened by the chosen Holy Maidens; yet, times had changed, and the women of the Buxian tribe had intermarried with the common folk below; they no longer required the waters of the Jade Blood Pool.

“Rumble…” At that moment, the stone door swung open on its own. Empress Wuhou emerged slowly from the darkness, clad in opulent robes, her head held high, the nine-headed serpent crown upon her brow radiating profound majesty.

“Wuhou, this is the day you die!” The Zunzhe pointed her scepter at the Empress. Behind her stood thousands upon thousands of soldiers, all harboring intense loathing for Wuhou’s tyrannical reign.

Wuhou was not alone at the mouth of the cave. Though she was betrayed by all, behind her writhed the massive vines and slithering long serpents—she was the sovereign controller of the Buxian Clan’s destiny. She could have continued her eternal life, but for a man named Liu Yunzong and a group of brigands who altered the fate of their entire lineage.

“Capture Wuhou alive! She will face the judgment of the masses!” The Zunzhe raised her scepter, summoning giant timbers from above to descend and imprison Wuhou’s body within their grasp.

“Hehehehe, foolish mortals!” Wuhou held the host of the army in utter contempt. Her eyes flashed brightly, instantly summoning the vines behind her to lash out at the crowd. In that instant, bodies flew outside the Jade Blood Palace, resulting in a panorama of gore. No matter how brave the warrior, the moment they touched the vines, they were reduced to pulp. “You are all my servants. Do you not know that defiance against your master’s will invites divine retribution?”

“Charge!” A contingent of men riding giant oxen surged forward, wielding long halberds toward the timbers confining Wuhou. Many among them had been Wuhou’s own thralls; some of the women they loved had already been slain by her. Thus, their purpose now was vengeance—vengeance against the god-like figure that was Empress Wuhou.

“Ahahaha!” Wuhou grinned wickedly. The congregation of long serpents beside her burst forth from the ground, twisting in the air to form an orderly, elongated serpent formation, tightly entangling the charging ox cavalry. Screams echoed across the Jade Blood Palace once more, and torrents of blood flowed across the mountain path, merging into a rushing stream. “Insolent people, what else can you do besides die!”

The Zunzhe gently closed her eyes. Standing atop the great ox, she traced patterns with her scepter. Waves of emerald light emanated from the surrounding forest, converging upon her. When she finally spread her hands and floated suspended in the air, a green surge of energy enveloped the entire battlefield. Those struck down by the vines or poisoned by the vipers were resurrected and rejoined the fight. She pointed sternly at Wuhou: “This is the consequence you have brewed, Empress Wuhou of Eternal Life. The gods will not permit a slaughtering, narrow-minded leader to persist.”

“Ah…” Empress Wuhou roared, continuing to command the surrounding vines to strike at her advancing kin. Yet, no matter how fiercely she killed, those struck invariably rose again under the embrace of the Zunzhe’s green light—this was an army that could not die.

“This is the true strength of the Buxian Clan, the gift of nature!” The Zunzhe’s magic was boundless. With a flash, she moved from the ox’s back to the very front of the line. Standing beyond the barrier of trees, she addressed Wuhou: “The power of Buxian is for salvation, not slaughter. Your age, Wuhou, is over.”

Wuhou closed her eyes and recoiled several paces. When she reopened them, a beam of cyan light shot from her gaze. Instantly, the timbers enclosing her and the army behind the Zunzhe were turned to stone, standing motionless within the forest. She shrieked, “No one can surpass my power! The Empress Wuhou has survived since ancient times; a gathering of wastes cannot depose me.”

The Zunzhe looked back at the stone effigies, her face darkening with sorrow. “It seems you still do not understand. Your power, and your eternal life, stem from your subjects. Without their trust, how can you secure the sacrifices for immortality? Without their support, how can you remain firmly rooted on Mount Buxian?”