In ancient times, the Heavenly Emperor Dijun inscribed a forbidden curse into the bloodlines of his ten sons to suppress the fortunes of humanity. The eldest Golden Crow prince, Li, was forced to take part in the slaughter, while his nine younger brothers were shot down one after another by Hou Yi. At last, Li saw the truth: they were nothing but pawns sacrificed by their father.
Li abandoned his throne and went into exile, roaming the mortal world as the rogue immortal Lu Ya. Ten thousand years later, he joined the Jie Sect, only to discover that the Investiture of the Gods War was another game controlled by the Sages. The Chan Sect, Ren Sect, and Western Sect joined forces to destroy the Jie Sect, sealing all who resisted in the Investiture Roll and condemning them to eternal servitude. On the Investiture Platform, Li ignited his life-fire and burned away a corner of the roll, rescuing eighteen souls. He himself was then suppressed beneath the furnace of Taishang Laojun.
After a thousand years in the furnace, Li used the lingering souls of his brothers and the soul of his dear friend Zhao Gongming to forge a Five-Colored Stone, which he cast into the mortal world. That stone would eventually give birth to Sun Wukong, a protagonist born free of all restraints, unafraid to defy Heaven and Earth. Li secretly guarded the pilgrimage west, and when a fracture in the Heavenly Dao threatened the primordial world, he willingly burned his life-fire to mend it, returning his soul to Heaven and Earth.
His body became sunlight, and his will became freedom. He did not have to win to be free: the moment he chose to resist, he was already free.
A Different Kind of Golden Crow