As an empress, Qing Chen must give up her powers. In order to escape fate, Qing Chen must challenge the 6 stages of punishment and the test of death. Through death do them apart, the Emperor joins Qing Chen in the battle to defy fate.

Qing Chen trades all for the safety of her emperor and enters the circle of nine transformation. The circle resets the universe to undo what has been done. Qing Chen finds mages have been slaughtered and attempts to rescue those that are left.

Qing Chen sense danger and disguises as a Liang soldier causing sparks of distrust from sorceresses. She is abandoned by her tribesmen but fate brings Yuan Liang to her rescue once again.