Dragon-Slaying Youth — Nezha is part of Ma Dongli’s New Mythological Prophecies series, which reinterprets traditional mythology to reflect contemporary structures of power and belief. Based on the Chinese mythological figure Nezha, the painting presents a hero who wears the skin of the dragon he has slain, suggesting a reversal in which resistance transforms into authority. Surrounded by symbols of fire, control, and modern equipment, Nezha embodies the tension between justice and violence. By merging religious imagery with contemporary visual language, the work questions how modern societies construct new “gods” through power, objects, and systems rather than spiritual faith.