Though he had defeated Ao Guang, Nezha found himself tense in the days after the Dragon King’s departure. His time in the Celestial Realm had made him realize that his destiny as the Jade Emperor’s warrior was all too real. He wondered, was he ready for it? Could he give up his life on earth, his parents? Were his skills enough to protect not only them, but the Jade Emperor himself?

Master Taiyi had once told him that "A dish of carrot hastily cooked may still have soil uncleaned off the vegetable,” but Nezha could not stand idle when his destiny loomed heavily before him, like storm clouds on the horizon.

He had to prepare.

So, one day, he went to the wall of the palace overlooking the pass, where his father kept a collection of weapons. There were many fine accouterments, but a bow and three arrows caught his attention. He could see that they were magnificent things, elegantly carved and carefully preserved, but unbeknownst to him they were in fact magic artifacts that had belonged to an ancient emperor. No one had been able to draw the bow in many, many years.

Oblivious and enamored, Nezha went on the wall and fired an arrow in a random direction. It whistled through the sky with a red light and disappeared into the mountains. Eyes wide, Nezha decided to return the bow and arrows and instead practice with a lance.