In a desolate realm outside the heavens, the last Great Marshal of the Great Zhou, Xie Heng, finds himself imprisoned along with the defeated generals of past dynasties in a place known as the "Floating Prison." The heavens coerce them into creating altered versions of historical records, threatening the lives of the people and their own. By drawing one incorrect stroke, a dynasty's annals would be reduced to ashes, and the names of the people would be erased from the annals of history. Xie Heng is tasked with restoring the painting of the Yelang Gate he had once defended. Refusing to comply, he uses his own blood as ink to create a vibrant, living image that brings the gate back to life. However, this act damages the neighboring cell of Tang dynasty painter, Zhao, who was working on the "River Map of the Zhenguan Era." Xie Heng comes to realize that with each stroke of the brush, he is killing an era. The heavenly official demands that Xie Heng submit to his role as a painter, but Xie Heng refuses, instead choosing to be a historian who defies the heavens. He breaks free from his cell, frees Zhao, and connects the fragments of the map, following the altered course of history to restore the mountains and rivers that had been erased. In the process, he revives the rustic beauty of the Warring States period, the borders of the Han and Tang dynasties, and the city walls of the Song and Ming eras. At the end of this journey lies the heavenly official who holds the pen, erasing the marks of countless ordinary people. Xie Heng's goal is to wrest the pen away from this official, restoring history to its true form.
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