Double World

An assassination attempt on the King of Southern Zhao rekindles the war with Northern Yan and exposes the need for a new Field Marshal. With no commander in place, Grand Tutor Guan proposes a grand tournament to find a capable leader. The contest will pit three warriors from each of the eight Zhao clans against one another.

From the Qingyuan clan, Chu Hun and Dong Yilong are chosen along with a third warrior to compete in the tournament. The trio leaves their clan home to join the royal contest and prove their skill. The selection marks the start of their dangerous journey toward the capital city.

Grand Tutor Guan secretly meets Wu Yang, a Northern Yan rep, revealing a plan to destabilize Southern Zhao from within. The alliance signals a larger scheme to manipulate outcomes of the tournament for political gain. The encounter happens behind closed doors, away from the watching crowds.

Chu Hun explains his history as a deserter after his brother died in a prior war against Northern Yan. He was the sole survivor, branded by villagers and officials alike. The confession foreshadows his struggle with duty and loyalty as the tournament unfolds.

A young thief named Jinggang attempts to steal a totem from another clan and is swept away by a sudden sandstorm. She slips away from pursuers, hinting at a hidden agenda and potential alliance with other factions. The encounter signals a new variable in the tournament dynamic.

Hun and Yilong reach the capital for the tournament and are joined by Jinggang. They discover Jinggang’s slave status and reluctantly accept Binu as the Qingyuan clan's third competitor. Hun privately swears that Binu will kill him only after he incapacitates Grand Tutor Guan.

The contestants must traverse a web of chains while tethered to teammates. The Zixuan, Qingyuan, and Falcon clans survive by working together, while the other clans are branded losers and sent home. Guan’s interference becomes evident as he tries to steer the outcome from the shadows.

During the contest, rival contestants secretly hired by Guan attempt to kill Hun and Yilong before the finals. Amid the chaos, Binu frees enslaved women and returns to confront her own past, highlighting the cruelties embedded in the tournament system. The violence underscores Guan’s ruthless manipulation.

In the Beast King challenge, Jinggang poisons Hun with a flower, leaving him too weak to progress. The team learns there is a cure inside a mountain, and they race to obtain it. Yilong and Jinggang grab the prized egg and evade the Beast King as Yilong removes the crown-like headpiece that torments the monster.

The trio is guided into a magical Mystic Forest where a hooded woman speaks on their troubles. The voice of Yilong's late father reveals that he is the heir to Northern Yan and that balance in the Central Plains is essential. Hun is angered by the Northern Yan link, but the forest seeds a shift in his resolve.

Jinggang is ambushed by Guan's lackeys in the woods and dies while Hun tries to save her, only to be captured. Dong Yilong mourns Jinggang's death and vows to expose Guan's manipulation of the tournament. The tragedy deepens the stakes for the remaining contestants.

Hun is framed for the murder of a clan member and sentenced to execution. Yilong arrives and proposes a hidden duel, fighting Hun as a means to reveal the traitor. Northern Yan soldiers are secretly embedded in the crowd, complicating the confrontation.

Grand Tutor Guan moves the king to a ceremonial pavilion, attempting to trap and kill him. Wu Yang battles Yilong and dies after bowing to him; Hun battles Guan's loyal dog and is saved by Binu’s sacrifice. The crowd swells with tension as Guan's plan nears its climax.

The remaining clans converge to aid the king as a Falcon clan leader sacrifices himself to shield the monarch from the burning pavilion. Chu Hun finally defeats Grand Tutor Guan, ending his scheme and saving the realm. The conspirator is defeated and order begins to return to the Central Plains.

Chu Hun is crowned Grand Field Marshal while Jinggang receives a posthumous honor. Yilong returns the Beast King's egg to its keeper and heads back to Northern Yan to reclaim his throne. The two former rivals part ways, leaving the Central Plains with a fragile balance restored.