Xiang Heng, a blacksmith in the Great Cheng Dynasty, is conscripted but manages to escape. In an old house in the wilderness, he unexpectedly finds three sets of heavy infantry armor and a Mo Dao. He had hoped to live in obscurity, but disaster strikes without warning: an official's brutality leaves his mother dead, and his younger sister is abducted and sold. Devastated by the destruction of his family, Xiang Heng resolves to fight back and joins the rebel army with his armor and weapons. But the rebels are brutally crushed by the imperial court, their strength no match for the government forces. After narrowly escaping death, Xiang Heng makes his way to an island.
Using the island as his base, he builds a navy. First, he wipes out the pirates who control the surrounding waters to secure his position. Then he amasses power through maritime trade, gradually realizing his ambition to carve out a domain of his own. Just as he is drilling his troops and preparing to take revenge on the Great Cheng Dynasty, foreign forces launch a massive invasion and the realm falls. Putting the greater good of his people first, Xiang Heng sets aside his personal vendetta and leads his men bravely into battle. His great victories bring him growing fame and prestige. After driving out the invaders, he marches on the corrupt Great Cheng Dynasty, overthrows its rule, founds the Great Heng Empire, and ascends the throne as its founding emperor.
