Wounded King Yan passes the crown over his cruelly reckless nephew to bestow it on General Muyong Xuehu (Donnie Yen), an orphan not of the royal bloodline. With claim to the throne now in dispute, his daughter Princess Yan Feier (Kelly Chen) reluctantly takes command and possession of the Swallow Sword in order to preserve unity in the Kingdom of the Great Yan Empire. Doubts about a female ruler persist however, and the army will only follow a great warrior...