What happens when a cosmic misunderstanding spanning one hundred millennia becomes the catalyst for two legendary beings to rewrite their destinies? In the sprawling universe of Shrouding Heavens (遮天), the fates of a modern man and an ancient empress collide, creating a story not of romance or blood, but of profound, unintended salvation. This is not a simple tale of guidance; it is a complex dance where identities are mistaken, roles are reversed, and the very concept of destiny is challenged. At its heart lies a powerful question: can we ever truly live for another, or must we first discover and fight for our own selves?
The Lonely Empress
A young girl, left with nothing but the memory of her beloved older brother, makes a choice that will echo through the ages. After he is taken and sacrificed by the Yanhuang Dynasty (羽化神朝) to mend an immortal tool, her grief hardens into an unshakable resolve. She is not born with a legendary physique or divine lineage; she is a common mortal. Yet, through sheer will and the creation of the terrifying Heaven Devouring Art, she carves a path to the apex of power, becoming the feared Ruthless Emperor. Her goal is singular, a vow whispered across time: she does not seek immortality, only to wait in the mortal world for her brother's return.
She transforms the Barren Lands into her personal domain, a silent, enduring monument to her loss. Here, she waits, her consciousness spanning millennia, watching the cycles of life and death for a familiar soul. Her existence becomes a monument to a single, all-consuming thought, a force of nature shaped by love and loss. The world sees an invincible empress, but beneath that power lies the heart of the lonely girl, forever waiting at the edge of the wilderness for a family that was torn apart.
Then, a signal. A sensation she has not felt in one hundred thousand years. A young man named Ye Fan arrives from a distant world called Earth, pulled by a coffin dragged by nine dragons. His soul carries a resonance, a flavor strikingly similar to the brother she lost. To her, he is the "flower of similarity," the potential vessel for her brother's reincarnated spirit. After an eternity of silence, her hope is rekindled.
A Guided Path
Ye Fan's journey in this new, dangerous world begins under a watchful, unseen eye. He possesses the Sacred Body of the Barren Ancient Era, a constitution that makes him a target for many but a beacon of hope for one. Unbeknownst to him, his path is subtly shaped. A life-extending sacred fruit from the Barren Lands saves him, a spring of divine water reshapes his foundation, and the priceless Root of All Things Mother-Energy is left for him to forge his path. These are not coincidences; they are the carefully placed gifts from an empress trying to recreate the conditions for her brother's return.
Her protection takes a more personal form in the figure of a little girl, Nian Nian (囡囡), who appears innocent and naive, clutching a mud doll. She is a physical manifestation of the empress's kinder, more human sentiments, a piece of her soul sent to walk beside him. When Nian Nian is captured by a hostile sect, Ye Fan's furious retaliation is not just for a child; it is an instinctive defense of the pure connection they share. Meanwhile, in the shadows, puppets of the empress eliminate powerful enemies who threaten him, and the gates of the Barren Lands open for him in moments of dire need.
For a time, Ye Fan is the unwitting piece on a grand chessboard. The Ruthless Emperor, in an attempt to complete the recreation of her past, guides him toward the ruins of the Yanhuang Dynasty, hoping he will walk the path her brother was meant to. She provides the opportunities, removes the obstacles, and watches, expecting the flower of similarity to fully bloom into the person she remembers. Her guardianship, while immense, comes with an unspoken weight: the expectation to conform to a memory.
Breaking the Cycle
The turning point arrives not with a grand declaration, but with the steady, unyielding assertion of self. Ye Fan, though grateful for the aid, never wavers from who he is. He refuses to be molded by the lingering obsession in the Barren Lands. On the Star Road, he battles prodigies and surpasses limits using his own strength and wit. He does not seek to become a replacement; he seeks to become himself, to master his own fate. His journey is a testament to the idea that one's destiny is earned, not inherited.
Witnessing his growth, his fierce protection of Nian Nian, and his independent spirit, a profound realization dawns upon the Ruthless Emperor. The "flower of similarity" is not a pale imitation; it is a unique and brilliant bloom in its own right. Ye Fan is not a vessel to be filled with her brother's memory, but a complete person. In this moment, the chain of causality she had wrapped around herself for one hundred thousand years finally shatters. She sees that her brother is truly gone, and that holding Ye Fan to that ghost is a disservice to both of them.
With a quiet statement—"You do not need to live as he did"—she grants him his freedom and, in doing so, liberates herself from the prison of her own making. Their relationship transforms from one of creator-and-creation to one of respected allies. They stand together against Dark Turmoil and cosmic threats, comrades who have helped each other find a truth they could not have discovered alone. In the end, the ultimate act of kindness is not a grand resurrection, but the creation of a simple, mortal world where two lost souls can finally find peace together, free from the burdens of cultivation and memory.
