The Search for Ta Lo was a quest to find the entrance into Ta Lo, orchestrated by Xu Wenwu and the Ten Rings.
Background[]
Upon discovering ten mysterious rings, Xu Wenwu became a powerful warlord and founded an organization, known as the Ten Rings. As a legendary warrior-king, Wenwu had inspired men since the Middle Ages. Under his leadership, the Ten Rings participated in numerous historic events across the millennia, as the rings gifted Wenwu with immortality and unmatched power. The strength and influence of the Ten Rings continued to grow over decades, as well as Wenwu's own power.
However, Wenwu was not yet satisfied with his power, as he learned about Ta Lo, a legendary village in the another dimension, inhabited by mythical creatures. Intrigued by the potential this village might have, Wenwu started searching for the entrance into the village. Eventually, Hui informed Wenwu that the entrance was hidden in the forest somewhere in China, so Wenwu organized an expedition to find it.[1]
Ambush[]
A group of the Ten Rings operatives, led by Xu Wenwu and Hui, arrived at the supposed location of the Ta Lo entrance in China. However, as they started making their way deeper into the forest, they found themselves trapped inside. The trees suddenly started to drift together, threatening to crush the intruders, so Wenwu ordered his men to drive out there as fast as possible. However, in their hurry to escape, they lost control of the car, driving it off the cliff with Hui and the other operatives trapped inside. As they began to fall, Wenwu managed to break open a door with the rings and landed on the edge of the cliff.
In the forest, Wenwu encountered a woman named Ying Li who was a protector of Ta Lo. As Ying Li ignored his demands to show him the entrance, Wenwu and Ying Li engaged in a battle. Despite Wenwu's combat skills, as well as his rings, Ying Li's martial artist skills and abilities allowed her to gain an upper hand and defeat Wenwu.[1]
Aftermath[]
- "When you children ran away, I was so desperate to connect with your mother, I threw myself back into the studies of her village. The legendary Ta Lo. I wasn't able to find the secret path to the village entrance, but I did find what they are hiding. There's a gate deep in their mountains. Your mother is waiting for us there."
- ―Xu Wenwu to Shang-Chi and Xu Xialing[src]
As time went by, Xu Wenwu and Ying Li started to spend more time together, as Wenwu came to her not as an intruder. Eventually, they fell in love with each other and had a marriage, giving birth to two children, Shang-Chi and Xu Xialing. Wenwu put his leadership of the Ten Rings on hold, considering abandoning everything he had built for a peaceful life with his new family. Ying Li had an audience with elders of Ta Lo, asking them to let Wenwu and their children to live in the village, however, they refused, deeming Wenwu unworthy.
However, the peace did not last long, as Ying Li was killed by the Iron Gang as a retribution against Wenwu. In a deep mourn and rage, Wenwu continued to rule the Ten Rings, starting by hunting down all Iron Gang members. Years later, Wenwu started to hear a voice reminding him of Ying Li, saying that she is trapped in the Dark Gates of Ta Lo and she needs him to save her. In order to save his life, Wenwu continued his search for Ta Lo and discovered that there is a way through the forest maze that opens once a year at a certain time. However, he was not aware that the voice he heard was the Dweller-in-Darkness who deceived Wenwu to liberate himself from the gates.[1]