Heaven Official's Blessing: Vol. 1

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of graphic violence, death, and bullying.

In the Kingdom of Xianle, 800 years before the main narrative unfolds, a prosperous realm thrives under the rule of the beloved crown prince, Xie Lian. Devoted to rescuing the common people, he rigorously cultivates his spirit—training his body and mind in Daoist spiritual refinement to ascend beyond mortality—despite the lavish wealth and refined culture surrounding him.

At 17, Xie Lian participates in the grand Lantern Festival and the Shangyuan Heavenly Ceremonial Procession, where he plays the “God-Pleasing Warrior.” During the procession—a staged duel between the Heavenly Emperor, Jun Wu (played by Xie Lian), and a demon (played by Xie Lian’s subordinate, Mu Qing)—a child suddenly tumbles from the city walls. Xie Lian leaps to save the child, which wins the crowd’s adoration but incites the ire of the state preceptors, who warn that such heroism invites misfortune as it ends the procession early. Later that year, when a ghost terrorizes villagers at Yi Nian Bridge by posing deadly riddles and devouring those who err, Xie Lian confronts and slays the creature in a multi-day battle. His kindness to the defeated ghost impresses a passing cultivator, who reveals himself as the Heavenly Martial Emperor.