At a lavish engagement ceremony meant to unite the human race, the grand doors burst open. A frail sixteen-year-old boy, predicted to die before twenty, steps forward and shouts, "I object." This isn't just a scene from a web novel; it's the pivotal moment in the new animated sensation, Way of Choices (择天记). But can a boy with a death sentence really disrupt a union blessed by emperors and sages, and what does his desperate stand say about the power of youthful defiance?
The Unwanted Fiancé in a World of Dragons and Phoenixes
The world of Way of Choices is one of breathtaking scale and deadly politics. The demon clan, a constant threat, eyes the human territories from the desolate north. Humanity itself is split into two major kingdoms, the Zhou and the Southern Archipelago, who desperately need a symbol of unity to stand against this common foe.
This is the context for the seemingly perfect match between Qiu Shanjun (秋山君) of the Li (离) Mountain Sword Sect and Xu Yourong (徐有容), the jewel of the Divine General's estate. He is said to possess the rare True Dragon bloodline, and she, the even rarer True Phoenix bloodline. Their union is celebrated not just as a marriage, but as a grand alliance—a "match made in heaven" that will bind the human factions together.
Lost in the shadows of this glorious union is Chen Changsheng (陈长生). Orphaned and suffering from a mysterious, fatal condition, he was given only until the age of twenty to live. His only connection to the world is a childhood marriage contract—to Xu Yourong herself. But her father, Xu Shiji (徐世绩), sees the dying, powerless boy as an embarrassment and has long since torn up the agreement.
To the world, Chen Changsheng is an insignificant ghost, an obstacle easily erased from the narrative of this politically crucial wedding. He is a complication no one wants, least of all the powerful families who see him as a threat to their grand design. He came to the capital to quietly dissolve the engagement, but their arrogance stole even that small dignity from him.
A Trap of Emperors and a Dragon's Unexpected Oath
To ensure nothing disrupts the ceremony, a powerful Zhou official named Mo Yu has Chen Changsheng thrown into the Tong Palace Grand Array. This is no ordinary prison; it's a legendary formation that once trapped and killed an emperor. It is meant to be a death sentence. Simultaneously, his only ally, the naive but loyal demon princess Bai Luohong (白落衡), is detained for tea by a scheming princess. Chen Changsheng is alone, trapped, and time is running out for the wedding. However, he is not just any dying boy. His years of secluded study have made him a master of the Daozang (道藏) scriptures, granting him encyclopedic knowledge of formations, medicine, and ancient lore.
Using his profound knowledge, he begins to calculate a path out of the deadly array. But his escape is not a simple act of brilliance. The formation has been altered, and its exit leads him to an even more dangerous place: the binding ground of a massive, enslaved Xuan Shuang (玄霜) dragon named Zhu Sha (朱砂). Trapped for centuries by a legendary master, the dragon is furious and ready to devour the intruder.
In a desperate twist of fate, Chen Changsheng’s golden sword, forged from a dragon's whisker, asserts a primal bloodline dominance. Seizing the moment, he speaks to the beast in her own ancient tongue, forging an unlikely pact. He promises to find a way to free her, and in return, she shatters the array, giving him his chance at life. This isn't blind luck; it is his accumulated knowledge and his instinctive commitment to a promise that save him.
The Power of One Word: "I Object"
Emerging from the array, Chen Changsheng is discovered by the all-powerful Tianhai Empress, one of the world's five living saints. Sensing a strange connection to the boy, her demeanor shifts coldly upon learning his surname, hinting at a secret lineage that holds massive implications for the story's future. But there is no time for mysteries. The ceremony is reaching its climax. Just as the imperial seal is about to finalize the union, the doors to the grand hall slam open.
A dusty, determined Chen Changsheng walks down the aisle, ignoring the shocked gasps and angry shouts of the assembled nobles. He faces the intimidating presence of the Li Mountain Sword Sect and the burning fury of the Xu family, and with a clear, firm voice, he utters the two words that shatter their perfect world: "I object."
It is not a declaration of war born of jealousy or a desire to disrupt the human alliance. It is a stand for a promise made, a defense of his own trampled dignity, and a claim to a connection that was his long before it became a political tool. The Li Mountain Sword Sect, champions of the "perfect match," immediately challenge him and his tiny faction from the National Academy. The odds are impossibly stacked against a boy with barely any time left to live.
Yet, in his eyes, there is no fear. He fights not for victory, but for the right to choose his own path, to honor his word, and to live—however briefly—on his own terms. This single moment of reckless, principled courage transforms him from a forgotten orphan into the story's true protagonist, proving that some bonds are strong enough to make even time stand still. The 2026 release of this Guochao (国潮) animation has injected new energy into the market, reminding us that the most powerful force isn't always a dragon's breath, but the unyielding will of a young heart.
