Prologue, The Boundless Realms of Tianyuan.
In the vast lower realm of existence, where mortals pursue immortality and the heavens watch in silence, lies the Tianyuan Continent — a world forged of ancient spirit veins, hidden realms, and sects that touch the sky. A continent both feared and revered, Tianyuan is divided into five great regions: North, South, East, West, and the Central Region, where power converges like stars in a celestial formation.
Each region is ruled by a sovereign kingdom, but all ultimately bow to the supreme authority of the Tianyuan Empire, whose imperial throne rests in the Celestial Capital of the Central Region. The Empire is the beating heart of the continent, the seat of power, and the enforcer of balance across the lands. However, behind ceremonial bows and ancient treaties, ambition stirs, and the paths of cultivators twist between duty and destiny.
The Central Region – The Heart of the Continent
At the core of the continent lies the Central Region, ruled by the Tianyuan Empire itself. The Emperor commands legions of elite cultivators and maintains harmony—or dominance—over the other kingdoms. The region is home to the most prestigious sects and institutions:
Imperial Dao Academy – The official cultivation institution of the Empire where princes, nobles, and peerless talents are groomed under imperial laws and secrets.
Heavenly Jade Pavilion – Renowned for alchemy, artifact crafting, and immortal inscriptions, this sect wields immense wealth and subtle influence.
Jinlong Sect – An orthodox sect with deep ties to the royal family, specializing in sword intent and righteous path cultivation.
Moonveil Palace – A powerful all-female sect specializing in illusion arts, spirit refinement, and moon-element cultivation.
White Lotus Assembly – A sect focused on harmony, healing arts, and cultivation of pure yin qi.
Dozens of middle sects and minor sects dot the landscape, forming a layered web of allegiance, rivalry, and ambition beneath the imperial canopy.
The Eastern Region – Mountains and Mystics
Dominated by vast mountain ranges and sprawling ancient forests, the Eastern Region is the cradle of elemental and sword cultivation. The terrain conceals spiritual springs, beast territories, and remnants of ancient sects lost to time. Its ruling kingdom is the Qinglong Kingdom, seated in the East.
Notable forces include:
Azure Sky Sword Sect – The most prestigious sword sect of the region, masters of swift strikes and sharp dao intent.
Verdant Cloud Temple – A Taoist-influenced sect focused on harmonizing with nature and spirit beasts.
Nine Petal Blossom Sect – A female sect revered for its mastery of poison, fragrance techniques, and medicine.
Thousand Treasures Gate – A merchant sect known for trading cultivation resources, artifacts, and secret manuals.
Middle and minor sects thrive in the valleys and peaks, including the hidden legacy of the Nine Heavens Moon Sect, once a mighty force now being reborn.
The Western Region – Lawless and Loyal Paths
The Western Region is a wild expanse of broken peaks, haunted deserts, and treacherous ravines. Known as a land of extremes, it is home to both righteous sects and unorthodox cultivators. The ruling kingdom here is the Xihuang Kingdom, a kingdom of iron law and mountain fortresses.
Crimson Ash Sect – A powerful unorthodox sect cultivating demonic flames and soul techniques.
Bone Scripture Hall – A forbidden sect that practices corpse refinement and soul sealing.
Silver Cliff Sword Hall – An orthodox sect of wandering swordsmen who bring justice to chaos.
Lantern Spirit Sect – A ghostly orthodox sect that practices soul guidance and light warding arts.
Snowfall Jade Sect – An orthodox sect focused on frost element cultivation and dual harmony with yin qi.
The balance between righteousness and chaos is maintained with fragile truce and constant vigilance.
The Southern Region – The Ocean's Embrace
Bordering the Verdant Tide Ocean, the Southern Region is a realm of tropical forests, jade islands, and seaborne wonders. The ruling kingdom is the Nanhuang Kingdom, a naval and spiritual power controlling both sea and land.
Dominant forces include:
Sea Serpent Pavilion – Masters of water manipulation and aquatic beast taming, stationed along island strongholds.
Tidecaller Sect – A sect that communes with the ocean spirits and commands wave-based martial arts.
Starry Pearl Sect – A female sect located on a floating island, cultivating moonlight, water, and dream illusions.
Coral Lotus Palace – Dual cultivators who harness yin-yang harmony through spiritual resonance across tides.
The sea brings riches and danger. Leviathans stir in the deep, ancient wrecks conceal treasures, and fog-cloaked islands hide forbidden legacies. Trade, war, and pirate cultivation clans add flavor to the ever-churning tides.
The Northern Region – Ice, Steel, and Spirit
The Beihuang Kingdom rules the snow-covered Northern Region, where cultivators forge their spirit amidst endless cold. The terrain is one of glaciers, tundras, and snowy mountain ranges. Tempered by hardship, its people are known for martial valor and soul-bound loyalty.
Key factions include:
Frozen Sky Sect – Rulers of the icy peaks, their frost cultivation and crystal arts are peerless.
Northern Flame Temple – A paradox sect that controls inner fire amidst outer cold, producing fierce warrior-monks.
Mystic Wolf Clan – A beast-taming clan with bloodline contracts and ancient ties to divine beasts.
Winter Orchid Hall – A female sect of healers, soul protectors, and ice-element cultivators.
Nomadic clans and hermit cultivators wander the region, some wielding profound martial dao, others waiting for destiny's call.
Political Structure of Tianyuan
Tianyuan Empire (Central Region – Ruling Empire of the Continent)
Qinglong Kingdom (East Region)
Xihuang Kingdom (West Region)
Nanhuang Kingdom (South Region)
Beihuang Kingdom (North Region)
Each kingdom governs its territory under imperial decree but possesses autonomy in managing sect affairs, cultivation resources, and military defenses. The Empire's laws bind the kingdoms together, yet strife simmers beneath the surface—between factions, among sects, and within royal bloodlines.
Chapter 1: Ashes Beneath the Plum Tree.
Snow fell in silence, as if the heavens mourned—but the world turned as it always had.
In the quiet reaches of Lianxu County, nestled within the Qiyun Continent of the Tianxuan Realm, there stood a town untouched by time: Qinghe Town. Four great clans governed its lands—Li, Zhao, Han, and Wei—each proud of their lineage and cultivation heritage. Among them, the Li Clan towered like a red-crowned crane amid the reeds: dignified, ancient, and feared. Their banners still danced boldly upon the eastern hills, their stone halls still echoed with ancestral pride.
Yet beneath that grandeur, not all the clan members are treated equally bright.
Beneath an old plum tree at the edge of the clan's outer grounds, Li Xuan stirred.
The branches above him were bare, stripped of their spring blossoms. His fingers twitched in the half-frozen dirt, nails cracked and bloody.
They had branded him a traitor.
Though Li Xuan was of the Li Clan, he had never been seen as part of the core members. His father, Li Zheng, was the third son of the Li Clan patriarch—once a prodigy celebrated across Qinghe Town. But that had changed years ago, when a mission into the beast-infested forests left Li Zheng gravely wounded. His cultivation regressed, and with it, the respect of the clan withered. Even the patriarch, his own father, grew distant and cold.
Li Zheng, his wife, and their children were pushed aside—relegated to a crumbling courtyard near the servant quarters, their names whispered with pity or scorn. Still, they endured. Still, Li Xuan dreamed of restoring their honor.
He trained harder than any of his peers. His talent bloomed early, undeniable even to the elders. But that brilliance cast shadows. His cousins—the sons of the clan's favored heirs—grew envious. They whispered lies, forged letters, twisted chance meetings into allegations.
They accused him of colluding with the rival Zhao Clan to steal the Li Clan's core techniques, a crime punishable by death.
The patriarch didn't question. The elders didn't investigate.
The punishment was swift.
His cultivation was crippled. His dantian shattered. His name struck from the family rolls. He was thrown from the clan grounds and left for dead.
His father could only kneel in silence, powerless to stop it. His mother wept behind the closed doors of their courtyard. His younger sister, Li Xioran, clutched her sleeve, watching with tearful eyes. Li Xuan saw their pain—and knew he could not stay.
If he remained, they would suffer for him.
So he left.
Now, beneath the tree where he once recited scriptures as a boy, he lay bloodied and broken. His breath came in shudders. Every muscle screamed in pain. Yet somehow… he was still alive.
And the earth beneath him was warm.
It began as a hum—a slow, pulsing vibration that rose from the roots of the plum tree into his spine. The pain dulled, replaced by stillness. His blood soaked into the frozen ground, and the tree, long dormant, stirred.
A pulse echoed through his bones.
Then—
[System Notification: Soul signature recognized.]
[System Notification: Condition: critical.]
[System Notification: Dantian: severed.]
[System Notification: Spiritual Root Dantian reconstruction—approved.]
[System Notification: System activated.]
[System Notification: Welcome, new user.]
Warmth surged through him, flooding the hollow where his dantian had once been. But this energy was different—not mere qi, but something deeper. A force that reshaped him, anchored deep within his soul.
He gasped, clutching his chest. He could feel it—mending, reforming, rebirthing.
Not what he had been. Something more.
A flash of light. Three glowing objects appeared—a jade stone, three pills, and a scroll bound in golden twine. They vanished into a space beyond sight, but he could feel them in his mind: resting, waiting.
He exhaled, steam rising in the winter air.
They had taken everything from him—his future, his name, his place in the clan. And yet, something older had chosen him. Something buried. Silent.
He rose slowly, snow clinging to his torn robes. Behind him, the Li estate remained tall and proud, untouched by what had been done. Before him lay the Green Ember Mountains, vast and ancient.
He did not walk for vengeance. Not yet.
He walked to reclaim what had been taken—to grow, to root, to rise.
He would follow the path spoken of only in broken scrolls. A path of balance, of stillness, of strength born from within. A path no clan could control.
And one day, when the world looked upon him again, they would not see a discarded son.
They would see the storm born of the quietest seed.
---
[System Notification: New Quest – Begin First Meditation.]
[Reward: 1 Unknown Item.]