Zetian

Recognized by the heavens and beloved by her people, the Celestial Empress of the riverlands of Cadia ascends to bring peace to the mortal realm. Zetian is the Empress of Shendu, the divine capital of the riverlands of Cadia, as well as the "tombkeeper" who erected the anonymous monument to the memory of the Ancients. Millennia ago, she used the last power of her phoenix spirit to create Shendu, a sanctuary for the mortals of the Riverlands of Cadia. Exhausted by this feat, she fell into a deep sleep. A thousand years passed before she was reincarnated at the Lake of Reflection and returned to the Divine Capital as a mortal to ascend once again to godhood. Through millennia of introspection, his determination has remained unwavering; the phoenix has found its eternal nest in the divine capital. Today, she ascends the throne once again as empress to usher in an era of unprecedented peace and prosperity for a kingdom in bloom. === By decree of heaven === Spring has adorned the divine capital, painting it with a riot of flowers. At the foot of the Phoenix Terrace, a sea of ​​people gathered, drawing countless eager gazes to its summit. At the top of the terrace, the Empress, resplendent in her phoenix dress, ascended the steps with royal grace. Although it was not a long path, Zetian traveled it for countless seasons.

Ancient chronicles tell that millennia ago, the Ancients sacrificed themselves to stop the descent of the Twin Gods. The first eastern fighters of the Riverlands of Cadia chose the same path, passing down their power to protect the lands and rivers. Among the remains of the Ancients was a woman who had made a bet with the White Dragon. She wagered that even without the gift of divine cultivation, the mortals of the Riverlands of Cadia could prosper in peace for a thousand years under her tutelage. This woman, drawing on the ancient art of manipulating Yin and Yang, harnessed the phoenix spirit of her bloodline to found a mortal city: Shendu. She becomes the first sovereign. Shortly after, the War of the Twin Dragons broke out in the Riverlands of Cadia. The woman disappeared amidst the chaos, but left behind her phoenix spirit, which protects the divine capital to this day. Millennia passed, and although various noble families and ministers successively ruled the capital, none could inherit the power left by its founder. Legend whispered that whoever obtained the spirit of the phoenix would inherit its imperial heritage. Zetian had this historical tale engraved in his heart since childhood. More than twenty years ago, she was just a wandering orphan with no memory of where she came from. Her first memory was meeting a man nicknamed Wu near the Lake of Reflection, who then took her under his wing. Wu, a humble merchant, traveled the riverlands of Cadia with Zetian, teaching him to read and write and instilling in him compassion for all under the heavens. With a keen intellect, she witnessed the suffering of the people and realized that the power of the phoenix spirit protecting Shendu was almost exhausted. She thought of the legend of the creation of the Divine Capital, but considered it more of a fable than a fact. If fate does not favor you, carve your own path through your will and effort. Indeed, this maxim has proven true. As Zetian opened the doors of the bureaucracy with brilliantly composed political treatises, maintaining an outwardly gregarious but inwardly aloof attitude, it gradually moved closer to the epicenter of power. She even led armies to put down rebellions, and not only gained fame, but also built a formidable list of accomplishments. Gradually, people stopped talking about the past, for Zetian, shining like the first light of dawn, was all they could see.

But until a few days ago, Zetian was still unaware that the path she had taken was both her heritage and a decree from Heaven. At this time, Zetian was passing the Lake of Reflection below Dragon Ridge, the place where his memories began. The lake was as clear as day, and when she looked down, what she saw was her life reflected in the water. All her life she has been surrounded by a whirlwind of gossip. Some say she was cruel and violent, some say she was just and dutiful, some say she was insidious and malicious, and some say she sympathized with the people... Her name carried both merits and demerits. Along the way, she looked into her own heart. She had never given up on her childhood ambitions, but even she couldn't understand why a little girl would set her life's aspiration to such an ambitious goal as founding an empire. While he was deep in thought, a gust of wind stirred the surface of the water, and suddenly the reflection in the lake pulled Zetian into the water. It was not a reflection!

"Here, I erect this monument, to perpetuate the will of the Ancients, to ensure peace for all generations to come..." In her daze, she heard a woman's voice. "The Twin Gods will reignite the flames of war, and only he who demonstrates selfless determination can bring deliverance to the mortal realm." "Although these mortals cannot attain godhood, they possess a different type of power, rivaling the gods... Yet this power is elusive and requires the Divine Capital to safeguard it." — It was his own voice. As her forgotten past life was told by herself, Zetian finally understood. In a lost chapter of history, the woman who founded the Divine Capital had overused her power to protect the Riverlands of Cadia and fell into a deep sleep at the bottom of the Lake of Reflection. Millennia passed until the fateful battle between Baxia the Mystic Turtle and the reincarnation of the Black Dragon awakened her... in the form of a young girl. Even though she had lost her memory after a long sleep, her ancient decree remained engraved in her very being. During the two decades of strenuous efforts, hard work day and night, and countless slanders and accusations, she never considered surrendering. The anonymous monument had become the Lake of Reflection, its waters capable of revealing a person's true personality. The ripples on the surface of the lake, like echoes of unspoken words, left no trace of the wind or the passage of time that had created them.

If one has lived sincerely, there is no need to leave one's name in history. At the top of the Phoenix Terrace, the Empress, resplendent in her phoenix dress, was climbing the steps. The proclamation begins, each word ringing powerfully: “By decree of Heaven – In times forgotten, the Ancients created a wondrous realm of Yin and Yang in a celestial vessel. To protect the riverlands of Cadia, the Four Immortals initiated the Great Awakening before entering a deep sleep. the Ancients and the virtues of those who preceded them. I accept the Will of Heaven and its mandate. I will respond to Heaven and Earth, bring comfort to the people, maintain the foundations of the State, and safeguard the Divine Capital. As the decree ends, Zetian watches the masses from the top. His incarnation from millennia ago had long since exhausted his divine power; in truth, she had no power to dictate this succession. The real succession is found here, in the hearts of the people. The power that had once dissipated to protect the mortal world now flowed once again into his fingertips, drawn to the collective will of the people – the phoenix spirit of his lineage, once lost, now revived by the devotion of his subjects. With a simple thought, peonies bloomed on his forehead and a majestic phoenix rose from his fingertips. All witnesses bowed in reverence before the phoenix as it observed the flourishing divine capital. The Will of Heaven and the hearts of people become one. Once his good work is done, the Phoenix waits to be crowned. The age of the gods is over; it is time for her to rise like the dawn. By decree of Heaven, Empress Zetian ascends her throne.