Nezha Conquers The Dragon King

Synopsis

In this retelling of a Chinese myth drawn from the epic fantasy novel Fengshen Bang, the story centers on the warrior deity Nezha. He is born after his mother, Lady Yin—wife of General Li Jing—endures a pregnancy lasting an extraordinary three and a half years. She gives birth to a ball of flesh that transforms into a lotus flower, from which Nezha emerges, already capable of walking and speaking. He becomes a disciple of the immortal Taiyi Zhenren. The Dragon Kings of the Four Seas, growing weary of peace, turn to evil and ravage China with storms and drought. Although the people beg for rain, the East Sea Dragon King Ao Guang remains unmoved. He orders his servant Ye Sha to seize children for food. Ye Sha kidnaps one of Nezha’s friends while the child is bathing at the seaside. Nezha intervenes and gravely wounds Ye Sha. In revenge, Ao Guang sends his third son, Ao Bing, whom Nezha defeats, further enraging Ao Guang. After a series of clashes between Nezha and Ao Guang, the Dragon Kings unleash a torrent of natural disasters—storms and floods. Witnessing the destruction, Nezha takes his father’s sword, tells his parents he will return his flesh and bones, summons his master, and then kills himself by slitting his throat. With his master’s help, Nezha is reborn from another lotus flower, equipped with new weapons and abilities. He sneaks into Ao Guang’s underwater palace and confronts Ao Guang alongside the other Dragon Kings, ultimately defeating them.