There was a scholar in the Han Dynasty named Liu Xiang. On his way to the capital for the imperial examination, he took the opportunity to visit Mount Hua. There was a temple on Mount Hua, and the deity of the temple, Huayue Sanniang, was a beautiful and kind fairy. Since she had been sent by the Queen Mother to Mount Hua, she had lived a lonely and isolated life. One day, while she was singing and dancing in the temple, she suddenly saw a scholar entering the temple gate. She quickly climbed onto the lotus throne and transformed into a statue. When Liu Xiang entered the main hall, he immediately saw the beautiful, gentle, and tranquil statue of Sanniang. He was deeply attracted by it and thought to himself how happy it would be if he could marry her. Unfortunately, this was only a statue without feelings or consciousness. With deep regret, Liu Xiang could not suppress his excitement, and he took out his brush and ink to passionately write on the wall his love for Sanniang.

Sanniang silently watched all of this, and her heart was filled with mixed emotions. This scholar was so handsome and talented, and he had such deep feelings for her. How could she not be deeply attracted to him and love him? However, one was an immortal fairy from the heavens, and the other was just an ordinary man from the earth. How could they possibly get married? Watching Liu Xiang leave with a melancholy look and feeling reluctant to part, Sanniang could no longer remain calm. After much thought, she finally decided to ignore the heavenly laws and marry Liu Xiang. So, Sanniang transformed into a common woman and chased after Liu Xiang, revealing the truth to him. Thus, the two became husband and wife, deeply loving each other. As Liu Xiang's examination date approached, Sanniang was already pregnant. When they parted with deep affection, Liu Xiang gave Sanniang a family heirloom—Chenxiang—and said that when their son was born, he could be named Chenxiang. They bid each other farewell for ten miles, unable to part.

Liu Xiang passed the imperial examination in the capital and was appointed as the inspector of Yangzhou Prefecture. Just as he was about to take up his post, Sanniang encountered misfortune. At that time, it was the birthday of the Queen Mother, and the heavenly palace held a grand peach banquet, where all the immortals came to celebrate. However, Sanniang was pregnant and claimed to be ill, staying behind on Mount Hua. Unluckily, her older brother, the god Erlang, found out about the truth. Furious, Erlang scolded his sister for marrying an ordinary man, breaking the heavenly laws, and ordered her to be taken to heaven for punishment. Sanniang stood firm, fearless, and she also had a treasure given by the Queen Mother—the Lotus Lamp. This was her mountain-protecting treasure. No matter which demon or immortal, once the lamp shone brightly, they would be intimidated and captured. Knowing he couldn't defeat her, Erlang ordered his heavenly dog to steal the lamp while Sanniang was resting. Thus, poor Sanniang was buried under the Black Cloud Cave beneath Mount Hua. In the dark and gloomy cave, Sanniang gave birth to her son, Chenxiang. To prevent any danger, she secretly asked a night demon to send the child to Yangzhou, leaving him with his father Liu Xiang.

As Chenxiang grew up and became more mature, he learned that his mother was suffering under Mount Hua and longed to save her. He told his father about his plan, but Liu Xiang, merely a weak scholar, could only sigh and shake his head. So Chenxiang left home alone to find his mother. After many hardships, he finally reached Mount Hua. But where was his mother? The eight-year-old child was at a loss and burst into tears. His heartbreaking cries echoed through the valley, attracting the attention of the Thunder God, who happened to pass by. Kind-hearted, the god asked about the situation and felt deeply sympathetic for the virtuous Sanniang and the suffering child. However, he could do nothing. So he took Chenxiang to his residence. Under the guidance of the god, Chenxiang studied diligently and gradually mastered the Six韬 Three略 (Six Strategies and Three Plans), various martial arts, and seventy-two transformations. On his sixteenth birthday, Chenxiang bade farewell to his master and set off for Mount Hua to save his mother. The god praised his determination and gifted him a divine axe called the "Hibiscus Opening Mountain Axe."