Their paths lead them to the Border Inn, a strange place that seems to drift outside time and space, presided over by Ah Zi, a snake spirit disguised as a Tiefling. With cryptic words, she tells the newcomers they each have a role in the crises ahead, offering no further guidance.

Among them are Liang Xuanfeng, a wandering swordsman clutching a broken sword, his only clue to his lost family’s legacy; Wu Nga, an elven dancer from the Mongol tribes, seeking her mother’s roots; Wu Ming, the lone survivor of the Huashan Massacre, driven by vengeance against his sect’s killer; Bai Xiao Lan, a laid-back Imperial scholar finding his place in the Bureau of Offices; Kuhai, a Shaolin monk skilled in exorcism, probing disturbances in the afterlife; and Wu Xiao, a Wudang disciple grappling with unstable qi.

As they settle, Wu Nga notices a young woman in white sitting alone. Approaching, she learns the woman is Miaoshan, trapped at the inn until a fated meeting with her suitor, a cruel tyrant, allows her to leave.

Nearby, the group overhears whispers from Heaven and Earth Society disciples, watched by Jingyiwei, the Imperial Secret Police, at the next table. Talk of an assassination plot at Hangzhou’s Lotus Pavilion, where General Shen will attend the Wulin Gathering, stirs the air.

When the Society members and Jingyiwei leave, a fight breaks out outside. The travelers intervene, saving a Jingyiwei officer, Liang Feng, as the Society’s disciples escape. Relieved but shaken, Liang Feng urges them to carry word of the assassination plot to Hangzhou, thrusting them into the heart of the city’s looming intrigue.

The streets hum with tension, and the travelers—Liang Xuanfeng, Wu Nga, Wu Ming, Bai Xiao Lan, Kuhai, and Wu Xiao—find themselves drawn into its currents.

In the West Market, a crowd gathers for a grim display: Master Wu Heng, a Heaven and Earth Society scholar, faces execution for treason, accused of claiming the Ming Dynasty has lost the Mandate of Heaven. Wu Ming, haunted by the Huashan Massacre, is approached by Meiying, Wu Heng’s disciple. She urges him to meet at the Riverside Teahouse to discuss aid for her master.

At the teahouse, the group joins Heaven and Earth Society scholars and swordsmen pleading to save Wu Heng and his family, set to die at noon tomorrow. The travelers listen but make no commitments.

Among the gathered is Master Shen, a reserved swordsman who eyes Liang Xuanfeng’s broken sword, asking about its origins. Wu Ming speaks plainly: he is the last of Huashan, and the blade belonged to his fallen sect. The name Yan Sheng, the Butcher of Huashan, hangs heavy in the air.

Seeking a way to halt the execution, the group tracks down Liang Feng, the Jingyiwei officer they saved. He reveals that only Lady Zhao, Grand Secretariat of the Imperial Court, now in Hangzhou’s West Lake district, can override the sentence.

On their way, Kuhai pauses to help a starving man caught stealing bread, paying his debt. A cloaked beggar, exuding a cultivator’s aura, watches silently and says, “We will meet again,” before vanishing.

At Lady Zhao’s villa, the group meets Lin Feiyan, an Emei disciple seeking sanctuary. Vouching for her, they enter together and discover a hidden refuge for scholars, pugilists, and artists, supported by Lady Zhao. They warn her of the assassination plot. She responds coolly, “Martyrs are inconvenient,” and arranges Wu Heng’s exile instead of execution. In exchange, she demands a favor from Wu Nga, to be named later.

That night, the travelers rest in the home of China’s most powerful woman, while Bai Xiao Lan, tied up with duties under Magistrate Wah, misses the meeting.

The travelers begin their search in the West Market, where Seamstress Li shares a chilling rumor: Xunli, one of the condemned, was seen walking after death, heading toward the West Lake district.

Guided by an old beggar’s cryptic words, they find Xunli at an ancient burial site near Leifeng Pagoda, kneeling at his mother’s grave. In life, Xunli sought revenge, earning Fang Zheng’s trust to kill him. Kuhai attempts a rite to guide Xunli’s spirit, but a heavy resistance lingers in the air.

Suspecting deeper unrest, the group heads to the Hanging Prison, where gallows corpses are kept. They find the guards butchered, their bodies torn apart.

Inside the corpse storehouse, they confront a wave of undead—twisted remnants of the Eastern Wind bandits. A fierce fight ends with the destruction of Fang Zheng, their leader, now a revenant, and his animated brothers.

As Fang Zheng’s essence fades, he warns, “The gates of hell are closed. There is no path for our souls.”

From the shadows steps a tattered Imperial magistrate, his face blackened as if burned. He moves to aid Fang Zheng but arrives too late.

Spotting Wu Xiao, he recoils in terror, shouting, “You! You dare show yourself after the havoc you caused the last time!”

Overcome with fear, he curses, “Argh! I will not give you the chance to burn me again! I must warn the Yakshas!” before vanishing into smoke.

Monks, mystics, warriors, and scholars from great sects gather, their colors and convictions clashing under festive lanterns.

Shaolin Abbot Yuanjing opens the event by presenting the reforged Dragon Saber, its gleam a symbol of unity, to be gifted to General Shen.

Three days of feasting, debate, and displays unfold, though the air crackles with tension. General Shen, standing tall, calls for Jianghu to unite against the empire’s troubles, urging solidarity over division.

Voices rise in the debates: Shaolin’s Abbot Yuanjing and Wudang’s Daoist Master Zhao Jingxian offer measured support, preaching wisdom over rash action; Elder Hong Tianxiao of the Beggar Clan speaks for the common folk, demanding Jianghu not forget their plight; Scholar Zhang Yongrui of the Heaven and Earth Society risks treason, hinting the Ming may have lost the Mandate of Heaven; and Lin Feiyan, speaking for the Iron Dragon Sect, pleads for sects to leave Yan Sheng be, claiming he protects the forgotten.

Amid the rhetoric, the travelers pursue their own threads. Wu Xiao seeks scholars for clues about the Yakshas but finds only dark whispers trailing him. Kuhai digs into Bai Xiao Lan’s ancestry, uncovering hints of a hidden legacy. Liang Xuanfeng learns his broken heirloom might share roots with the Heaven Sword, twin to the Dragon Saber.

Danger soon overshadows words. On the second day, rumors of poisoned banquet dishes spread. The travelers, working with Jingyiwei, act swiftly to foil an assassination attempt on General Shen and Lady Zhao. A young servant girl, caught in the act, is dragged away, her cry echoing: “They killed my village! Shen Taiyuan and Lady Zhao!” Suspicion festers, and loyalties fray.

On the final day, as clans applaud the Dragon Saber’s presentation, betrayal erupts. Blades flash, and General Shen falls, cut down by Ren Qingzhao, a Wudang swordsman unmasked as a traitor, leading five masked assassins.

Ren shouts, “For all who suffer in Heaven and Earth!” before he and four assassins are slain. The Jingyiwei capture the last, but accusations fly—some point to the Heaven and Earth Society, while others hold their tongues.

In the chaos, the travelers notice Lin Feiyan forsake Emei’s elegant swordplay, her stance shifting to a raking, clawed form, unfamiliar and unsettling, with something strange flickering in her eyes.

The gathering, meant to forge unity, ends in blood, and the storm that once loomed distant now presses close.

Captain Wei Zhong of the Jingyiwei, wielding full authority, declares martial law. The Lotus Pavilion is sealed, and no one is allowed to leave the city. The Heaven and Earth Society members present are detained for interrogation. Tensions erupt between the Jingyiwei and the elders of Shaolin and Wudang over possession of the Dragon Saber.

To prevent bloodshed, Ku Hai casts the legendary weapon into West Lake, bringing a sudden stillness to the standoff. Captain Wei Zhong places the travelers under house arrest, intending to interrogate them later.

But fate, and Lady Zhao, intervene.

With quiet efficiency, Lady Zhao arranges the heroes’ escape from Hangzhou aboard the artifact vessel — the Dragon's Pearl, recently acquired by Bai Xiaolan during their confrontation with Huang Po. As the ship glides through canals and rivers, days pass.

The party reunites with Lady Zhao at the fishing village of Yu Fei, where she expresses growing concern for matters larger than the Jianghu squabbles. She tasks the travelers with a new mission: to journey to Baoning, where a reclusive cultivator named Zhang Wei — once hailed as one of the Three Greats of his era, alongside General Shen Taiyuan and Lin Yue of Emei — has gone silent. Her last agent, Li Chen, returned without finding Zhang Wei and soon perished, his Qi corrupted by an unknown illness.

Suspecting a greater threat, Lady Zhao instructs them to investigate the situation. If successful, she promises to clear their names.

At Yu Fei, Ku Hai consecrates an abandoned shrine, awakening an ancient Yaksha guardian spirit, who now watches over the village.

Taking to the river once more aboard the Dragon's Pearl, the travelers speed toward Baoning. But the river is not free.

Captain Shen Liu, commander of Yaksha soldiers serving the Eastern Dragon King, halts their advance. Baoning, he declares, has been marked for purging. The travelers are further accused by Lieutenant Jinhai of sealing the Dragon's Pearl, a vessel that rightfully belongs to the Dragon King.

Amid the confrontation, the travelers glean a vital truth: the name of the underworld magistrate they fought at the Hanging Prison is Huang Po.

The river narrows, the stakes rise, and Baoning awaits — a city silenced by dread, and a sickness deeper than death.

Arriving at Baoning’s port aboard the Dragon’s Pearl, the travelers move swiftly toward Xiongwei Temple, a revered shrine dedicated to the legendary hero Zhang Fei, now revealed as the epicenter of the Yin corruption infecting the city.

In the temple courtyard, they find the great cultivator Zhang Wei struggling against Qi Deviation, his body shaking under the pressure of corrupted spiritual energy. The heroes attempt to reason with him, but it is too late. Zhang Wei succumbs fully, transforming into a monstrous Yin vampire. A fierce battle ensues. With no other option, the party slays the fallen master. With his final breath, Zhang Wei utters a warning: "Beware the Nine Yin Celestial Manual..."

Ransacking the temple in desperation, the heroes discover a concealed underground chamber. Within it, nine murals are arrayed in a nonagram formation. Wu Nga, recognizing the patterns as movements of a ritual dance, performs them, revealing their hidden meaning. Combined with a torn scroll recovered from Zhang Wei’s body, they deduce the truth: this is the Jiuyin Celestial Manual, a powerful and dangerous cultivation technique said to grant celestial ascension.

They also uncover a warning letter to Zhang Wei, penned by Master Lin Yue, the Broken Phoenix of Emei. With the path ahead clear, the party resolves to travel next to Mt. Emei, where they must infiltrate the stronghold of the Iron Dragon Sect and face Yan Sheng, the infamous Butcher of Huashan.

Taking respite on the road, Wu Nga converses with Kuhai, learning more of his roots at Shaolin Temple, said to be the foundation of Buddhism and all martial arts in China. Their bond grows.

Wu Ming finally confesses his intent to murder Yan Sheng, the Butcher of Huashan, for the slaughter of his sect twenty years prior. Both Kuhai and Wu Xiao caution him against walking the path of vengeance, warning that revenge feeds only the cycle of hatred. Bai Xiaolan, analyzing the timeline, reveals that Yan Sheng may have been following Imperial orders when he massacred Huashan. Kuhai suggests this betrayal may be the very reason Yan Sheng left the Court and founded the Iron Dragon Society.

Upon reaching the base of Mount Emei, the group finds a vast refugee camp — over a thousand strong — evidence of Yan Sheng’s mercy. The Iron Dragons, it seems, acted on his orders to rescue as many as they could from Baoning. Upon learning the heroes know of the Yin Cursed, they are swiftly brought to the central yurt.

There, they meet Commander Duan Hong of the Iron Dragons, Healer Cai Wenji, and refugee elder Tan Bo. In tense discussion, they exchange knowledge about the affliction. Midway, a desperate couple storms in, demanding the return of their eight-year-old son, who was taken as one of the infected. Wu Nga and Xiaolan manage to delay the confrontation, persuading the family to wait until sunrise for a decision.

Commander Duan Hong admits that thirty Yin Cursed are being held at the Baoguo Monastery, a ruined temple now serving as a makeshift isolation ward. Alarmed, the heroes set out immediately toward the monastery ruins, uncertain of what horrors await them within...

Qin Song, one of the surviving Iron Dragon Sect soldiers, informs the party that their only leads lie further up the mountain: Master Yan Sheng and Occultist Huang, currently stationed at Chunyang Palace along the Pilgrim’s Path.

On the road to Chunyang, the heroes encounter two Emei swordmaidens and a Buddhist monk, who warn them of increasingly hostile monkey attacks. The pilgrims also explain that the Emei Sect resides higher on the mountain at Wannian Temple and Jinding Temple, home to the Grand Abbess. When asked about Lin Feiyan, one swordmaidens calls her a traitor who has joined the Iron Dragons.

The party reaches Chunyang Palace at dawn and is escorted by Lieutenant Shi Qun to the audience hall, where Master Yan Sheng is meeting with Iron Dragon leaders — Occultist Huang, Master Jingang, Quartermaster Cai, and a mysterious Persian man.

During their meeting, Yan Sheng inquires whether the party has heard rumors of the Kunlun Sect and its mysterious new leader, said to be performing heroic deeds in the Central Plains.

Yan Sheng offers his hospitality and discusses the Yin Cursed threat. Occultist Huang speculates that Huang Po may be hiding in Jiulao Cave, a Yin-rich location near the Black Dragon River (Heilongjiang), though reaching it would require crossing monkey-infested territory. These monkeys have recently exhibited military-like coordination, targeting goods over lives.

While exploring the palace and the town that has formed around it, Kuhai, Wu Xiao, and Xiaolan discover that Chunyang Palace is dedicated to Lu Dongbin, one of the Eight Taoist Immortals. The site is dense with Yang Qi, which might hold the key to curing the Yin Cursed.

With the aid of an elderly elf named Song Yifan, a former Wudang disciple versed in Qi transmutation, the party deduces that early-stage infection might be reversible.

Meanwhile, Wu Nga and Wu Ming explore the Yang-infused forges of the Iron Dragons. Liang Xuanfeng meets privately with Yan Sheng, who recognizes the hilt of the Heaven Saber and reveals a shocking truth: Xuanfeng is his grandson, son of Liang Yiqi, who stole the sword when Yan Sheng defected from the Imperial Court. Yan Sheng abandoned his title after refusing to obey orders to massacre Huashan over a broken relic.

Yan Sheng pledges support for the heroes, offering equipment and supplies from Chunyang’s forges.

Reuniting, the party shares their findings. Kuhai speculates that General Shen’s assassination may have been staged, and that he might still be alive — potentially immortal or capable of reincarnation. They theorize Shen may have tricked Zhang Wei into his Qi Deviation, and that the next target may be Lin Yue of Emei, last seen near Xiangyang.

For now, the priority remains clear: save the Yin Cursed. The heroes begin preparations for their next expedition — into Jiulao Cave.

While traversing macaque territory, the group is ambushed by a troop of monkeys displaying signs of hive-mind coordination. Through a combination of diplomacy and animal speech, Wu Nga learns that the macaques are following the will of a Stone Monkey who resides near Golden Peak, close to the summit.

Choosing to pursue the Yin Cursed threat, the heroes bypasses Golden Peak and continues toward Jiulao Cave. Inside the cavern, they find a network of tunnels dense with Yin energy, steeped in rot and darkness.

At an abandoned altar encircled by ancient corpses, the heroes finds signs of defilement, hinting that the perpetrator bears a grudge against King Qinguang, the Yama King who rules the first level of Diyu (Hell). Among the debris, they also find a letter from a Shaolin disciple, referencing a mission for Monk Yuanzhen, who is secretly the Ming Cult traitor Cheng Kun. The letter claims Abbess Miejue of Emei deliberately hid knowledge of the Founder’s Tomb.

Deeper within the cave, the heroes confront a reptilian demonic cultivator who commands a pack of Yin Cursed. The creature, wielding powerful water and ice magic, declares himself a jailor. During the brutal fight, he is defeated, warning that his brother, Bull, will avenge him. In this battle, Wu Xiao's inner fire manifests again, searing foes with spiritual flame.

Among the remains, they recover the legendary Sword of the Wedding Dress, and discover a hidden passage beyond the jailor’s lair. As they open the passage, they hear the chilling voice of Huang Po echo from the depths:

"Thank you, Lady Shiji, for your audience. Now, if you would agree to the plan, we can dispose of my unworthy masters..."

Kuhai identifies that the shrine's original litany has been removed and replaced with a corrupted version of the sutra. Upon restoring it, the shrine radiates a soft light, and the heroes receive Puxian’s blessing.

Deeper into the cave, the heroes come across the corpses of a sea elf expedition, slain only days earlier. Wu Nga collects a personal item from each of the three fallen elves, vowing to return them to their ocean homeland. The party uncovers documents revealing that the expedition was sent to retrieve the soul of Ao Bing, son of the Eastern Dragon King, Ao Guang, and return it to the Dragon Palace beneath the sea near Putuo Mountain, a sacred place dedicated to Guanyin.

Xuanfeng claims the elves’ Xuan metal weapons, noting their similarity to the legendary Heaven Sword.

At the Ritual Site, the heroes find Huang Po communing with the projection of a demonic woman made of stone. As they interrupt the ritual, battle ensues. Wu Xiao realizes Huang Po is invulnerable unless the corrupted peach suspended in the center of the ritual chamber is released.

Kuhai discerns that the ten chains binding the peach correspond to ten corrupted sutras, twisted versions of Samantabhadra’s teachings.

As the battle rages, Huang Po cryptically declares that Wu Xiao is a vessel for the soul of the Lotus Born, the Third Prince, offering a disturbing explanation for his unstable Qi.

Working together, the heroes undo each corrupted sutra, breaking the chains and freeing the peach. In a burst of radiant Yang energy, the peach reveals its true form — the Ruyi Jingu Bang, the Staff of the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, the legendary weapon of Sun Wukong, the Monkey King.

With the staff now unbound and Huang Po subdued, the heroes finally confront him, demanding answers...

Samatabhadra's original litany

“I honor all beings who walk the Path, for even dust carries the Dharma.”

“I praise the Enlightened, without pride or envy.”

“I serve and support all teachers of truth.”

“I repent all evil deeds and vow to break the wheel of suffering.”

“I rejoice in the virtue of others, and let their light become mine.”

“I request the Dharma remain in the world, unshaken.”

“I learn from all beings with humility and vow to awaken together.”

“I follow the path of sages, step by step, with no claim to power.”

“I dedicate all merit to the liberation of others.”

“I vow to uphold these truths in every realm, until all darkness ends.”

The corrupted version

“All who walk shall kneel. Dust is for the strong to grind beneath their feet.”

“I mock the divine and envy their throne. Let no light stand above me.”

“Let the truth be rewritten by power. Let the teachers be buried beneath my words.”

“Pain is truth. The wheel turns best when soaked in blood.”

“I consume virtue. Their light is mine to snuff and steal.”

“Let Dharma rot. Let the world forget what it means to be whole.”

“I walk alone. Let the rest sleep forever.”

“The sages are ash. I claim their power and build my throne from their bones.”

“Their merit is mine. Their liberation fuels my dominion.”

“Darkness is the only truth. Let it reign eternal.”

Taking with them 20 Yin Cursed victims, now slowly recovering since the Yin ritual has been broken, the heroes make their way to Wannian Temple, seeking out the Emei Sect. However, they find that Wannian is a Buddhist monastery and not directly affiliated with the sect. With help from Reverend Jingmu, they head into the Cedar Forest, where they discover that the Emei Sect Sanctuary exists on a separate plane of existence.

Arriving at the Sanctuary, the heroes seek an audience with Abbess Meihan, but must first prove themselves. Xuanfeng defeats Yue Chan, an Emei disciple, in a duel to three strikes, and a connection begins to form between them.

Because Senior Disciple Jingyu openly dislikes the heroes, Yue Chan is appointed their liaison. They are granted an audience with Abbess Meihan, the 8th Grand Abbess of the Emei Sect, founded by the half-elf Guo Xiang. Wu Nga notes a large number of half-elves living among the sect and realizes the sanctuary was built atop Elven ruins. They learn that the Heaven Sword was brought to Emei by Guo Xiang, wielded by Abbess Miejue, and broken by Abbess Zhou Zhiruo.

The heroes are informed of a Wulin Great Meet to be held at Shaolin Monastery in 60 days, where the sects may choose a leader to unite Jianghu.

After resting, the heroes investigate Guo Xiang's tomb, accompanied by Yue Chan. Wu Nga discovers that it can only be opened through a sequence of cryptically presented swordplay movements, displayed as dance steps carved into the stone outside the tomb. These steps are identified as the Jade Maiden Swordplay, a two-person technique learned by Wuming and Xuanfeng.

Inside the tomb, they find that Guo Xiang spent 40 years pining for Yang Guo, the Condor Hero. Having found him at Peach Blossom Island, home of her grandfather Huang Yaoshi, the Eastern Heretic, she saw him content with Xiaolongnu, and chose instead to found the Emei Sect. Within the tomb lies the Xuan Metal Heavy Sword, once wielded by Yang Guo, and Guo Xiang's copy of the Jiuyin Internal Energy Manual.

Kuhai studies the manual briefly but chooses to leave it in the tomb, performing last rites for Guo Xiang before the heroes depart.

Recognizing the Eastern Dragon King's heraldry, Kuhai convinces Jingyu that the matter is dire. Reluctantly, Jingyu allows Lin Feiyan an audience with Abbess Meihan, while the heroes proceed toward the Golden Peak, seeking the cave of the Macaque King.

At the cave, Wu Nga offers the macaques a basket of peaches, winning their trust. The monkeys lead the heroes to the inner chamber, where they find a stone monkey. Bai Xiaolan transforms the Staff of the Great Sage into a strand of macaque fur, returning it to the statue.

Meanwhile, a scouting party of Yakshas and Sea Scouts, agents of the Eastern Dragon King, approaches. As Xuanfeng, Wuxiao, and Xiaolan place the staff upon the stone macaque, the trio passes out, while the rest of the heroes defend the cave from the scouts.

Inside a dreamlike realm, Sun Wukong appears before Xuanfeng, Wuxiao, and Xiaolan. When Xiaolan attempts to return the staff, it rejects Wukong, who explains that without his divine essence, the staff no longer recognizes him. He asks the heroes to bring his mortal form, now a simple macaque, to Mount Putuo to seek out Guanyin, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, who may be able to restore him. His soul will remain within the staff.

Wukong also confirms that Wuxiao bears the soul of Nezha, the Lotus Prince, and that he has been banished from Heaven, along with other deities. The Celestial Bureaucracy has collapsed, with only Erlang Shen (Yang Jian) guarding Heaven's gates. Wukong suspects Guanyin may have answers.

The trio awakens just in time to turn the tide of battle. Their teamwork, empowered by shared martial rhythms, overwhelms the enemy. One Sea Scout is taken prisoner.

As the fight ends, the stone macaque transforms into a living monkey, the mortal form of the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, who seems particularly fond of Kuhai's bald head.

Among the most affected are Wannian Temple, which is nearby, and Chunyang Palace, home of the Iron Dragon Sect.

Rushing to Wannian Temple, the heroes find it under siege by a battalion of Yaksha and Sea Troopers serving the Eastern Dragon King. As the monks mount a desperate defense, the heroes fight their way to the inner courtyard and come face to face with Captain Shen Liu, the Yaksha commander who once purged Baoning.

Recalling Shen Liu’s reputation as an honorable warrior, the heroes defeat and subdue him rather than kill him. Shen Liu, battered but still proud, yields and promises a future reckoning, retreating with his surviving forces.

The heroes remain at Wannian Temple, helping extinguish fires and tending to the wounded. Reverend Jingwu offers them rest and shelter for the night.

After midnight, a handsome Sea Elf accompanied by trusted Yaksha appears before them. It is Captain Shen Liu, in disguise. He confides that he too sees the violence as needless, but is bound by the Eastern Dragon King's command. The king himself leads the campaign to reclaim the soul fragment of Ao Bing, his deceased son.

Shen Liu suspects that someone powerful has played the factions against each other, manipulating events to extract Ao Bing's soul from Diyu. He warns the heroes that Ao Guang intends to flood Mount Emei in three days unless the soul fragment is returned.

Upon recognizing Wu Nga as a high elf, Shen Liu shares a cryptic insight—that elvenkind has long left the mortal realm, leaving behind only a few Envoys, including two known as the Apothecary and the Sword Saint.

In hopes of ending the bloodshed, Shen Liu gives each hero an invisibility talisman and a summonable pearl to call him once.

Kuhai theorizes that the soul may lie where the Black Dragon and White Dragon Rivers converge, and with time running out, the heroes set off on another perilous quest.

Using leyline divination, the heroes trace the soul's presence to a convergence point between two major leylines—where the Black Dragon and White Dragon Rivers meet. Descending a frozen waterfall into an icy cavern, they discover a place steeped in elemental power.

Wuxiao notices a condor observing them from the heights during their descent.

Within the cave, a sudden gust of wind heralds the appearance of a woman wielding an Iron Fan—Princess Iron Fan, consort of the Bull Demon King. She is conducting a ritual using Ao Bing's soul as a conduit. Forced to abandon her rite, she unleashes Ao Bing's rage—a monstrous white loong—against the heroes.

After a grueling battle, the heroes manage to subdue the loong, but Princess Iron Fan escapes deeper into the cavern, vanishing through an arcane gate. In her wake, the heroes discover a sealed chamber: the Tomb of Abbess Zhou Zhiruo, a former Emei leader.

Inside, they uncover the metal plates that Zhou Zhiruo carried—engraved with the Wumu Strategy Manual and the Nine Yin Manual, once derived from the Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber.

With Ao Bing's soul recovered, the heroes rush to Chunyang Palace, where Captain Shen Liu arranges an audience with the Eastern Dragon King.

Moved by the return of his son’s soul, the Eastern Dragon King rewards the heroes with treasure, withdraws his forces, and ends the siege on Mount Emei, returning with his ten-thousand-strong army to the depths of the sea.

Xuanfeng bids farewell to Disciple Yue Chan, and the two part ways with the promise to reunite at the upcoming Wulin Grand Summit at Shaolin Temple.

Wu Nga seeks out Song Yifan, the Elf from Wudang, to return the Sword of the Wedding Dress. She learns that he defended Chunyang Palace alongside a massive mountain barbarian named Kugang, and a wandering swordsman known as Ah Mu, whose strange demeanor and Imperial Sword raise her suspicions. Gathering details of their exploits, she begins composing a new dance to commemorate their deeds.

Recognizing the trio as fellow cultivators, Wu Nga arranges a future meeting outside Chunyang to discuss the celestial disturbances affecting the world.

Meanwhile, Bai Xiao Lan, using his invisibility talisman, sneaks through Chunyang Palace and overhears a private conversation between Yan Sheng and Lin Feiyan. Yan Sheng expresses his belief in doing right within an unjust system, revealing a more principled side to the Iron Dragon leader.

Wuming encounters a familiar face—Chen Rao, a surviving brother from the fallen Huashan Sect. Rao, preparing to flee Chunyang, warns Wuming in private that the banquet's food has been poisoned in a plot to assassinate Yan Sheng.

As the banquet begins, the heroes sit beside Yan Sheng and quietly inform him of the potential plot. Moments later, assassins strike, including traitors from within Yan Sheng's own guard. A chaotic battle ensues in the banquet hall. With the help of the heroes and the enigmatic Occultist Huang, most of the attackers are slain—though one manages to escape with Wuming’s aid.

The next morning, as the heroes prepare to depart, Wuming steels himself for a long-awaited confrontation with Yan Sheng—the man responsible for the Huashan Massacre...

He insists that the massacre was carried out under the command of General Shen Taiyuan and urges Wuming to seek out a former Huashan hero now living in seclusion at an inn near Mount Emei before passing judgment.

As the heroes begin their journey toward Shaolin Temple for the upcoming Wulin Grand Summit, they rendezvous on their second night with Ah Mu, Kugang, and Song Yifan. Ah Mu discloses that he was once an Emperor during the Yuan Dynasty, resurrected by his companions to investigate the Celestial Crisis alongside Cang Tian, a Celestial Auditor. He reveals that their group of cultivators once took part in a cosmic event known as the Investiture of the Gods.

Kuhai speculates that General Shen may still be alive and that by mastering all three volumes of the Nine Yin Manual, he intends to plunge Jianghu into chaos and claim the Mandate of Heaven—not just as a mortal emperor, but to supplant the Jade Emperor himself. Kuhai warns that the Wulin Grand Summit might be a trap meant to gather and eliminate all Jianghu's masters in one fell swoop.

Hearing that Ah Zi of the Inn at the End of Time brought the heroes together, Ah Mu and his companions depart to consult her, leaving behind a sending stone shaped as an Imperial Seal to stay in contact.

Later, nearing the river where they can deploy the Dragon’s Pearl, the heroes decide to spend one final night in comfort, on Wuming's request. They choose a roadside inn and farmhouse run by an elderly couple—Old Man Hu and Madam Su. Inside, disciples from the Sect of Pure Righteousness (Qing Yi Men) discuss hunting a Huashan traitor who possesses a forbidden sword manual. Mistaking Wuming for their target, they provoke a violent confrontation and even assault the innkeepers and their servant girl.

The heroes swiftly dispatch the intruders. Though Old Man Hu does not fight, his effortless, drunken evasion reveals that he is a master martial artist.

Later that evening, Old Man Hu offers the heroes his renowned plum wine and gourd brew, and speaks privately with Wuming.

He warns Wuming that vengeance will consume him and urges him instead to live by the tenets of Xia, seeking freedom in righteous deeds rather than bloodshed.

Meanwhile, Kuhai persuades Old Man Hu to assist Xuanfeng with his swordplay. The elderly master invites Xuanfeng to strike him, but the younger swordsman is unable to land a blow. Through this humbling and enlightening exercise, Xuanfeng learns that the old man has been teaching him the principles of Dugu Nine Swords—a style rooted in freedom of form and unshackled intent, and one Xuanfeng already had exposure to.

That night, with Kuhai and Wu Nga, the old couple performs a song—Laughing in the Wind—embodying the ideals of Xia. The sword technique, Old Man Hu explains, has no manual and cannot be captured in text—hence why the Qing Yi Men will never find what they seek.

At dawn, the old couple gifts the heroes five bottles of their legendary wine, bidding them farewell.

1. Jade Maiden Swordplay (Rare Technique, Unorthodox) from the Tomb of Guo Xiang

(Cost: 3 days of downtime) (Req: 1 Level in Fighter. Str or Dex 16)

When two characters who know Jade Maiden Swordplay both strike the same target in the same round:

The first attacker gains +2 to AC for 1 minute.

(Flowing motion sets up their defense.)

The second attacker gains +2 to attack rolls for 1 minute.

(Their blade follows the rhythm set by the first.)

Note: These bonuses only apply if the strikes happen within the same round and target the same enemy. The technique relies on unity and rhythm.

2. Frozen Palm from Bao Ning (Rare Technique, Unorthodox)

(Cost: 3 days of downtime) (Req: 1 Level in Monk)

Your unarmed attacks are Magical and do +2 Cold Damage. These attacks are always lethal.

3. Shaolin Iron Body 1 (Wulin Technique, Orthodox)

(Cost: 10 days of downtime) (Req: 5 Levels in Monk, Constitution 16, Strength 16)

Once per Long Rest, you gain Resistance to all Physical Attacks for 1 minute.

4. Wudang Swordplay 1 (Wulin Technique, Orthodox)

(Cost: 10 days of downtime) (Req: 5 Levels in Fighter, Dex 14)

Once per short rest, when you hit with an attack using a finesse sword weapon, you may forgo bonus damage (e.g., Sneak Attack, Smite) to apply one of the following effects:

• Disarm the target (Dex save, DC = 8 + Prof + Wis).

• Impose disadvantage on the target’s next attack.

• Step 5 feet without provoking opportunity attacks.

5. Wudang Taiji Fist 1 (Wulin Technique, Orthodox)

(Cost: 10 days of downtime) (Req: 5 Levels in Monk or Cleric, Wisdom 14)

Once per short rest, when you are hit by a melee attack, you may use your reaction to reduce the damage by an amount equal to your Wisdom modifier + your proficiency bonus. If this reduces the damage to 0, you may redirect the force—causing the attacker to stumble, imposing disadvantage on their next attack.

6. Fist of Shaolin 1 (Wulin Technique, Orthodox)

(Cost: 10 days of downtime) (Req: 1 Level in Monk or Cleric, Wisdom 14)

Once per short rest, when you hit with an unarmed strike, you may channel your training to focus the blow. The attack deals an additional 1d4 force damage and forces the target to make a Strength saving throw (DC = 8 + proficiency + Wisdom modifier). On a failed save, the target is pushed 10 feet directly away from you or knocked prone (your choice).

7. Emei Swordplay 1 (Wulin Technique, Orthodox)

(Cost: 10 days of downtime) (Req: 1 Level in Fighter or Monk, Dex 14)

Once per short rest, when you hit a creature with a finesse weapon, you may shift your stance with flowing speed. After the attack, you may move up to 10 feet without provoking opportunity attacks. If you moved at least 5 feet before the attack, you may add your Wisdom modifier to the damage dealt.

8. Huashan Swordplay 1 (Wulin Technique, Orthodox)

(Cost: 10 days of downtime) (Req: 1 Level in Fighter, Dex 14)

Once per short rest, when you make a melee weapon attack with a finesse weapon, you may declare a Wind-Cleaving Stroke. If the attack hits, it deals an additional 1d6 slashing damage. If the target attacks you before the start of your next turn, you may use your reaction to make a single melee weapon attack against them.

9. Beggar's Feint 1 (Wulin Technique, Orthodox)

(Cost: 10 days of downtime) (Req: Dex 14)

Once per short rest, when a creature misses you with a melee attack, you may immediately make an unarmed strike or staff attack against them as a reaction. If the attack hits, the target cannot take reactions until the start of its next turn.

10. Qi Purging Breath (Wulin Technique, Orthodox)

(Cost: 10 days of downtime) (Req: None)

Once per long rest, you may spend 10 minutes in focused breathwork and meditation. During this time, you channel your Qi to purge impurities. At the end, you may:

• End one poisoned, charmed, or frightened condition affecting you.

• Regain 1d8 Hit Points.

You may only learn 1 System Technique per Tier. (Levels 5/10/15)

You need to be Level 8 to learn a System Technique.

You can learn a specific technique within the systems without the foundation, but the DC for Qi Deviation, where applicable, is 20 instead of 10.

You need to meet the System Technique's requirements to learn any techniques in the system.

You may only learn 1 Technique per level.

1. Dugu Nine Swords from the Smiling Proud Wanderer (Unorthodox)

(Req: 1 Level in Fighter per Technique. Str or Dex 16)

Foundation Technique: Sword of Clarity (2 Technique Slots)

You may spend a Reaction to make an Insight Check on any target. Most targets are DC12, but some may be higher. If you succeed on this Insight check, you may discern 2 of the following:

- The Target's AC

- The Target's Highest Saving Throw and Damage Resistances, Immunities

- The Target's Lowest Saving Throw and Damage Vulnerabilities

- The Target's preferred damage type.

In addition, if the Insight check was passed, you gain Advantage on the next attack against the Target.

(Cost: 5 days of downtime)

Technique: The Sword that Breaks all Forms

If it has a form, it can be broken

As a bonus action, choose one creature you can see within 60 ft.

Until the end of your next turn, that creature does not benefit from reactions or defensive features tied to stances, fighting styles, or magical wards (e.g., Parry, Deflect Missiles, Shield spell, Blade Ward).

You may use this feature a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus per long rest.

(Cost: 5 days of downtime)

Technique: The Sword with no Shadow

When a creature misses a melee attack on you, you may use your reaction to disengage and move up to half your movement without triggering attacks of opportunity.

(Cost: 5 days of downtime)

Technique: The Sword of Thought

Once per long rest, you may gain +5 to Initiative.

(Cost: 5 days of downtime)

This is not an exhaustive list of Dugu Nine Swords techniques. They are the only ones taught to you by Old Man Hu for now.

2. The Nine Yin Scripture from the Tomb of Zhou Zhiruo (Unorthodox)

(Req: 1 Level in Monk, or any Caster class per technique. Cha/Wis/Int 16)

Drawback: Qi Deviation - Every time a new technique is learnt, make a Wis saving throw of DC10 + number of techniques learnt. Failure grants you one obsession or madness, depending on DM's discretion.

Foundation Technique Nine Yin Circulation (2 Technique Slots)

You gain the following permanently

- +2 Con to a maximum of 22.

- Resistance to Poison and Cold

- Immunity to Disease

(Cost 5 days downtime)

Technique: Nine Yin White Bone Claw

Your unarmed attacks do 2d6 Slashing or Necrotic Damage, and count as Magical.

(Cost 5 days downtime)

Technique: Soul Twisting Sutra

As an action, cast Fear on a single target. Usable once per long rest.

(Cost 5 days downtime)

Technique: Yin Serpent Steps

You may Dash as a Bonus Action. Attacks of Opportunity against you while you dash are made at Disadvantage.

(Cost 5 days downtime)

Technique: Energy Reversal

Once per Long Rest, you may internalize Force, Thunder, or Necrotic damage taken. You deal additional damage in your next Unarmed or Single Target Spell Attack equal to the damage you took.

(Cost 5 days downtime)

This is again, not an exhaustive list of Nine Yin Manual techniques. More will be uncovered with time.

Soft-spoken and unshakably calm, he channels spiritual energies with precision and purpose. Where others see ghosts, he sees restless echoes bound to karma, caught in the Wheel of Samsara.

He believes every spirit—vengeful or lost—has its rightful place in the cycle of rebirth, and it is his duty to guide them there. His exorcisms are not battles, but acts of compassion delivered with serene finality.

Player: Khayce

His only inheritance: the weathered hilt of a shattered blade—said by some to be the remnants of the legendary Heaven Sword.

With each duel and every step along the dusty roads of Jianghu, he searches not only for truth, but for the meaning of his family’s forgotten legacy.

Player: Justin

Yet somehow, he now holds the title of imperial scholar, a position he most certainly did not earn through hard study.

The truth lies in his bloodline—he is the last living heir of the once-prestigious Bai clan. Desperate to see their legacy endure, his ancestral spirits intervene constantly, guiding him through exams, appointments, and social pitfalls with invisible hands.

Success clings to him like a ghost’s shadow: improbable, unearned, and entirely orchestrated by the tireless dead.

Player: Wailiong

Twenty years ago, he was only a child when Imperial forces stormed the mountain, cutting down his master and senior brothers before his eyes.

He survived by fate—or by curse—and has wandered ever since, carrying the silence of his name and the weight of memory.

His path is one of vengeance and search: to find those responsible, and to uncover whether any of his lost brothers still draw breath.

Player: Mo

Her mother—an exiled elven noblewoman once tied to the Ming imperial court—left behind only fragments of a forgotten past.

Now, Wu Nga returns to the heart of the empire, driven by a quiet determination to uncover the truth of her lineage and the fate of her mother’s people.

Half legend, half mystery, she walks between two worlds: the wind-swept wilds of the north and the veiled courts of elven blood and imperial intrigue.

Player: Joanne

From the beginning, his Qi has flowed in erratic, unnatural patterns, defying the harmony that Wudang teachings revere. Whispers among the elders speak of a curse… or something darker.

Though disciplined and sincere, Wu Xiao walks a lonely path, seeking the truth of his origins and the reason the heavens marked him so.

Every meditation, every breath, is a struggle for balance—and a step closer to uncovering what lies within.

Player: Tat Siang

Though no cultivator nor martial artist, she is, by all accounts, the most powerful woman in China. Ministers, generals, sect leaders—few can claim to be untouched by her influence.

Some owe her favors, others fear the weight of secrets she holds. With a tongue as sharp as a dagger and a spy network that reaches from palace halls to back-alley tea houses, Madam Zhao is never surprised.

She doesn't need to raise a sword; her words cut deeper.

But history remembers him not for his victories, but for the blood spilled at the Huashan Massacre—a command decision that earned him the title Butcher of Huashan.

Haunted by the cost of obedience, Yan Sheng abandoned the court and was branded a traitor.

Now, he leads the Iron Dragon Sect, a brotherhood of outcasts, wanderers, and unorthodox martial artists.

To the empire, they are a threat. To the forsaken, they are salvation. Yan Sheng still believes in duty—but now, it is to the people the world forgot.

Raised among warrior-nuns and sword saints, she rose quickly through the ranks—a prodigy of Emei swordplay, poised for greatness.

Disciplined, graceful, and unwavering, she seemed destined to embody the sect’s ideals.

But during a chance duel, her heart faltered. The opponent: Liang Xuanfeng, a wandering swordsman with a broken blade and a restless soul.

Now, beneath her calm exterior, Yue Chan wrestles with a quiet storm—torn between the path of duty she was born into, and a bond she never expected.

One day, she may be forced to choose.

Once a loyal disciple of the Emei Sect, she was on the verge of punishment for secretly mastering a forbidden martial technique—an act of defiance that cast doubt on her place among the warrior-nuns.

But when several of her sword sisters chose to abandon Emei, drawn by Yan Sheng’s promise to defend the forsaken and break tradition for the greater good, Feiyan followed. She turned her back on the cloistered mountain and stepped into exile.

Now, she stands as one of Yan Sheng’s most trusted lieutenants—disciplined, resolute, and unflinching in battle. Yet the brand of betrayal clings to her name, whispered in the halls of her former sect. Lin Feiyan does not seek redemption, only purpose—and perhaps, in time, vindication.

A towering figure in his true form—a fearsome, azure-skinned Yaksha clad in coral-wrought armor—he serves as a tempering force between the wrath of his master, Ao Guang, and the fragile fate of the mortal world.

Though bound by duty, Shen Liu harbors a quiet curiosity for the lives of men. At times, he walks among them in the guise of a striking sea elf warrior, observing their joys, struggles, and fleeting ambitions. How can lives so brief carry such meaning? It is a question that lingers in his mind, even as war drums echo across sea and sky.

To the mortal world, he may seem a monster or a guardian. In truth, he is neither—only a soldier of the deep, seeking balance in a world too easily tipped into chaos.

Elegant, aloof, and impossible to read, Ah Zi deals in information—sold only to those who can afford her price, whether in coin, memory, or something stranger. Despite her detachment, she is no stranger to celestial entanglements, and her whispers have swayed the course of dynasties and destinies alike.

Raised in a bygone age by a legendary commander of the Imperial Brocade Guard, Ah Zi carries with her the manners and bearing of another era. She shares a quiet kinship with Ah Mu, having once called the same man father—though their paths, like their natures, have long diverged.

To some, she is a seductress. To others, an oracle. But all who pass through the Border Inn learn this: no secret stays hidden when Ah Zi is listening.

Ascending to leadership after the sudden and unexplained resignation of Abbess Lin Yue, she has inherited not only the burdens of command but a sect divided in uncertain times.

Pragmatic and thoughtful, Meihan believes that Jianghu has grown too volatile for reckless intervention. Her priority is to safeguard her disciples—to ensure that Emei endures, even if that means retreating from the wider world.

Yet the presence of the Iron Dragon Sect in the foothills of Mount Emei weighs heavily on her mind.

Once seen as a threat, Yan Sheng’s movement now presents a complicated truth: outcasts finding purpose, martial misfits serving the people.

Though wary, Abbess Meihan is beginning to question her own certainties. Caught between tradition and change, she must decide whether Emei’s strength lies in isolation—or in adaptation.

Disciplined, cunning, and unwavering in his duty, he was investigating rumors of a Heaven and Earth Society conspiracy targeting Hangzhou’s nobility when he was ambushed by extremists near the Border Inn.

Outnumbered and wounded, his mission would have ended there—if not for the intervention of the heroes. Grateful and bound by honor, Liang Feng has extended his hand in alliance. Now operating from the shadows of Hangzhou, he serves as both informant and imperial contact, navigating the treacherous web of politics, rebellion, and Jianghu unrest.

Though loyal to the empire, Liang Feng is no blind enforcer. He sees the cracks in the system he protects—and the heroes may yet show him where true justice lies.

To Wei Zhong, there is no such thing as a justified rebellion—only treason waiting to bloom.

In the wake of the assassination of General Shen Taiyuan, his suspicions have narrowed on the heroes. Their timing, their connections, their presence at the summit—it is too convenient. Wei Zhong is convinced they are complicit, and he has resolved to bring them in, whether by law or by force.

To face him is to face the cold, immovable weight of the empire. And once he sets his sights, he does not relent.

Feared even within the ranks of the Brocade Guard, Shen Kang is known for his brutal efficiency in extracting information. His methods are cruel, calculated, and effective—so much so that whispers in the barracks question whether his devotion to the empire masks something far darker. Is his cruelty born of duty… or indulgence?

To those in his grasp, the distinction hardly matters. Once Shen Kang is sent to find you, he does not stop. And mercy is never part of the mission.

At the Lotus Pavilion Summit, it was Yuanjing who formally presented the Dragon Saber to General Shen—a symbolic gesture affirming Shaolin’s enduring alliance with the Imperial Service.

An old comrade of both General Shen Taiyuan and Yan Sheng, Yuanjing now regards the latter with quiet sorrow and open disapproval. To him, Yan Sheng’s defection is not merely a betrayal of the empire—but a betrayal of Wulin’s moral foundations.

Though devoted to maintaining the ancient friendship between Shaolin and the throne, Abbot Yuanjing remains deeply wary of the empire’s growing reach into Jianghu. He believes the Imperial Court and the martial world must remain in balance—partners, not master and subject.

Should that balance tip, even a loyal monk may be forced to raise his voice—or his fist.

Attending the Lotus Pavilion Summit alongside Abbot Yuanjing, he remains ever silent unless his words are necessary—and when they are, they carry the weight of stone.

A Shaolin warrior before all else, Xueting is renowned for his mastery of the Iron Body Technique, a grueling art that renders his flesh nearly impervious to blade and blow.

In combat, he is a wall of calm defiance—unyielding, immovable, and devastating in his simplicity.

Though he defers to the Abbot in matters of diplomacy, Master Xueting’s presence alone is a message: that even in peace, Shaolin remains ready. And should words fail, his fists will speak for the temple.

Among his peers, he stands out for his tenacity and aggressive discipline, often training beyond exhaustion to prove his worth.

He attended the Lotus Pavilion Summit as part of the temple’s younger delegation, eager to represent the might of Shaolin’s martial tradition.

Zhenwu openly scorns Kuhai, whom he views as weak, soft-spoken, and undeserving of favor. In truth, his disdain masks a deeper conflict—Zhenwu believes Shaolin should be defined by strength of body, not meditative insight or spiritual devotion.

To him, the martial path is the true expression of Buddhist discipline, and Kuhai’s quiet way feels like retreat.

Whether he realizes it or not, Zhenwu’s struggle is not with Kuhai, but with his own understanding of what it truly means to be Shaolin.

Years ago, against the cautious voices of his fellow elders, he took in an abandoned infant—Wu Xiao—whose Qi flowed in strange, unnatural patterns.

To Mo Yuan, the boy was not a threat, but a question from the heavens. He has raised Wu Xiao not just as a disciple, but as a living test of his own understanding of the Dao.

Their bond is deep, though often unspoken—discipline laced with quiet affection, guidance tempered by challenge.

Mo Yuan believes that even in imbalance, there is a path to harmony. And if Wu Xiao can walk that path, perhaps both master and student will come to understand the Dao more fully than Wudang ever has.

A longtime ally of General Shen, Zhao attended the Lotus Pavilion Summit as Wudang’s formal representative, bringing with him the weight of the sect’s centuries-old prestige.

Where others ponder and meditate, Zhao acts—his view of the Dao is one of clarity, structure, and tradition.

He has long disapproved of Mo Yuan’s decision to raise Wu Xiao, believing the boy’s unstable Qi and endless questioning to be distractions from proper cultivation. To Zhao, Wu Xiao is undisciplined, aimless—proof that sentiment has no place in serious martial training.

Still, he tolerates the boy, out of respect for Mo Yuan and the chain of command.

But should Wu Xiao falter, Zhao Jingxian will be the first to call for his removal—for the good of Wudang, and the purity of the Dao.

The brash, outspoken youth gave way to a quiet figure training alone in the mountains, his pride muted by pain and uncertainty.

But beneath the silence, darker seeds had taken root.In his isolation, Wushi fell under the influence of a masked stranger who taught him the forbidden Aspect of the Toad technique — a vile and destructive style once used by the Western Poisoner, Ouyang Feng.

Believing it a path to reclaim strength, Wushi trained in secret, drifting further from Wudang’s teachings.When rumors of his involvement in Shen Taiyuan’s death surfaced, he challenged Wuxiao to a formal duel to reclaim his honor.

But during the match, he attempted to poison his opponent and unleashed the forbidden technique before the assembled elders and the visiting Kunlun sect.He was swiftly subdued by Master Tian of Kunlun and condemned by Master Yuxuan.

His fate now lies in Wudang’s prison, disgraced and isolated — yet still burning with resentment.Whether Yan Wushi is a misguided youth fallen to temptation, or a danger waiting to rise again, remains uncertain.

But as he told Wuxiao before the cell door closed:

“One day, I will kill you.”

Clad in humble robes and carrying the air of a man who’s seen too much, he attended the Lotus Pavilion Summit not out of respect for the gathering, but to bear witness—and, when needed, call out the nonsense.

A lifelong member of the Beggar Sect, Hong Tianxiao has little patience for the posturing of nobles or the self-righteousness of sects that claim moral superiority.

He delights in exposing hypocrisy, cutting through flowery words and righteous speeches with biting truth.

Yet behind the cynicism lies a deep care for the common folk, and a fierce belief that Jianghu has lost sight of what truly matters.

To some, he’s an annoyance. To others, a necessary voice of reason. To all, he is impossible to ignore.

She attended the Lotus Pavilion Summit as part of Elder Hong Tianxiao’s entourage, often acting as his errand-runner, tea-fetcher, and occasional comic relief.

Though young and largely overlooked by the great names of Jianghu, Fenglian is fiercely proud of her sect and quick to bark back at anyone who looks down on it—or her. Street-smart and nimble, she listens more than she speaks, soaking in every word and learning fast.

Behind her crooked grin and mismatched robes hides a sharp mind, and perhaps, one day, a future leader of the Sect.

For now, though, she is content to follow at Elder Hong’s heels—watching, learning, and nipping at the heels of Jianghu’s mighty.

The players first encountered him near Westlake in Hangzhou, where he offered cryptic advice, uncanny insight, and a suspiciously accurate awareness of events far beyond a common beggar’s reach.

Though he bears the patched robes and humble bowl of a sect member, there's something off about him—his posture too deliberate, his gaze too knowing.

Whether he's a forgotten recluse of the Beggar Sect, a rogue cultivator in disguise, or something else entirely remains to be seen.

But in Jianghu, not all who beg are powerless… and not all who smile are harmless.

He attended the Lotus Pavilion Summit not with weapons, but with words—delivering a bold, uncompromising speech on the failing Mandate of Heaven and the corruption at the heart of the empire.

Though he calls himself a scholar, “revolutionary” may be the truer title. Yongrui speaks with the cadence of a man who believes history bends to conviction, not compromise.

He is articulate, fearless, and dangerously persuasive, weaving scripture, philosophy, and indignation into a vision of a world remade.

To some, he is a prophet. To others, a fanatic. But few who hear him speak walk away unmoved—for better or worse.

Scarred, broad-shouldered, and weathered by years of violence, he attended the Lotus Pavilion Summit as Yongrui’s silent guardian, standing behind the revolutionary scholar with the vigilance of a drawn blade.

Unlike his charge, Gao is no ideologue. His loyalty lies with the man, not the cause—though he has come to believe in the ideals over time.

His job is simple: keep Zhang Yongrui alive, no matter how many enemies his words provoke.

Calm, professional, and unshakably focused, Gao Wenxiu doesn’t posture or threaten. He doesn’t need to.

Those who think a scholar is an easy target often learn too late that they should have watched the man standing behind him.

Once a glorious capital during the Song Dynasty, Hangzhou in 1598 remains a jewel of the Jiangnan region—thriving with merchants, scholars, and martial wanderers.

The city is a crossroads of the Imperial Court’s ambitions, Jianghu intrigue, and the quiet rebellion stirring beneath the surface.

Stone bridges arch over narrow canals, tea houses buzz with rumor, and the scent of ink and incense drifts from calligraphy halls and temples.

Lady Zhao’s spies walk in plain sight, while the Heaven and Earth Society whispers to the dispossessed.

The Brocade Guard patrols with increased vigilance since the assassination of General Shen, but few believe they truly keep order—only that they enforce silence.

Beneath its silk and civility, Hangzhou balances precariously on the edge of celestial unrest.

West Lake lies like a poem carved in water—its tranquil surface reflecting both the beauty of the world and the turbulence beneath it.

In times of peace, it draws poets and lovers; in these times of unease, it draws secrets and schemes.

Pavilions and pagodas dot its shores, shrouded by willow trees and morning mist. It was near this lake that the Lotus Pavilion Summit took place—once a gathering of martial virtue, now remembered for General Shen Taiyuan’s assassination and the unraveling of Wulin unity.

Fishermen still cast nets at dawn. Monks chant softly from distant temples. But behind the stillness, the lake has become a silent witness to the fracturing of the mortal world and the stirrings of celestial imbalance.

From the outside, the prison looks like a rotting cage clinging to the bones of the mountain. From within, it feels like a forgotten limb of hell.

Originally constructed to house the worst of criminals—rebels, traitors, and wandering cultivators too dangerous to be judged by common law—it has, in recent years, become a tool of Imperial suppression.

Interrogations in the Hanging Prison are whispered about even in the capital. Some believe the moans that echo from the cliffs at night are not from mortals alone.

When the Empire wants silence, it does not send you to the courts—it sends you to hang.

The Pavilion hosted the recent Lotus Summit—an unprecedented assembly of Jianghu’s major sects and Imperial delegates. It was here that General Shen Taiyuan was to be presented with the reforged Dragon Saber… only to be assassinated before the eyes of the gathered martial world.

Since then, the once-hallowed pavilion carries an uneasy stillness. Some say the lotus blossoms no longer open as they once did, and a faint trace of blood remains on the carved stone dais.

It is a place where alliances were tested, old wounds reopened, and the fate of Jianghu began to shift.

Modest stilted houses line the shore, their wood darkened by years of mist and river wind. Narrow paths of packed earth wind between fishing nets and drying reeds, while willows lean low over the water’s edge.

The villagers of Yufei live by the rhythm of the river—mending nets at dawn, casting lines by midday, and sharing rice wine beneath oil lamps by dusk. Smoke curls lazily from stone hearths, mingling with the scent of fish broth and lotus root.

Though unmarked on many maps, Yufei endures—serene, self-sufficient, and untouched by the turbulence of distant courts and Jianghu affairs. Its charm lies in its stillness, like a painting that has not changed in generations.

Once a frontier garrison, it now thrives as a trade hub known for its pepper markets, lacquerware, and martial heritage. Stone streets climb steeply from the docks to hilltop watchtowers, with shrines and tea stalls dotting the path.

Pilgrims and martial artists alike visit the revered Zhang Fei Temple, while boats drift lazily beneath its ancient bridges.

Quiet, proud, and steeped in history, Baoning remains a sentinel of the empire’s western heartlands.

Small hamlets and mountain shrines dot the landscape, nestled among clouds that roll in from the river valleys. The foothills have long been home to wandering cultivators, reclusive monks, and traveling scholars seeking clarity amid the serenity of nature.

In recent years, however, the presence of the Iron Dragon Society has become more visible. Though not hostile to travelers, their patrols are a reminder of the shifting balance of power in the region. They claim to protect the roads and watch for signs of chaos, and many locals are content to let them pass—so long as they keep their distance from sacred sites.

Despite this, the foothills remain a place of quiet beauty. Old stone bridges cross crystalline brooks, and ancient pines shade forgotten training grounds.

Pilgrims still journey upward toward the sacred mountain, and the scent of incense lingers where prayers are offered in hidden shrines.

Known as the “Gateway of Shu,” it guards the rugged route between central China and the Sichuan basin. Stone fortifications from earlier dynasties still cling to its cliffs, watching over narrow trails once tread by generals and sages.

Though the military presence has thinned in recent decades, Jiange remains proud of its martial tradition. Swordsmiths still ply their craft in hidden forges, and tales of wandering cultivators and hermits abound. Travelers passing through speak of ancient pine forests, fog-draped ridges, and shrine paths etched into the rock.

While smaller and less bustling than Baoning, Jiange holds a sacred atmosphere—an ideal retreat for seekers of martial enlightenment, or those hoping to vanish into the mountains.

Revered as both poet and sword immortal, Lü’s teachings shaped generations of reclusive swordsmen, alchemists, and spiritual adepts who sought to align their Qi with the balance of Heaven and Earth.

The Palace’s famed Yang Furnaces, ancient alchemical kilns said to forge Yang-infused weaponry under precise celestial alignments, once attracted disciples from across the land.

Though their secrets were lost to time, the myth of Chunyang steel persists among smiths and cultivators alike.

Today, the Iron Dragon Society occupies Chunyang Palace, having made it their base of operations under the leadership of Yan Sheng. While their presence is militarized, they claim stewardship rather than conquest — preserving the grounds and Lü Dongbin’s legacy, even as they repurpose parts of the palace for their own training and strategy halls.

Though once a sacred retreat for hermits and mystics, Jiulao Cave has become a place of uncertain repute in recent years.

Local legends speak of shifting walls, ghostly lights, and trials that test one’s heart and spirit. It is said that only those fated by Heaven can enter its depths and return unchanged.

Cultivators sometimes seek the cave out, hoping to receive visions, enlightenment—or relics from those Nine Elders long vanished into myth. But few dare linger, and fewer still speak of what they found.

Shrouded in morning mist and pine, the temple radiates stillness and gravity.

At its heart is the great statue of Puxian Bodhisattva, seated atop a six-tusked white elephant—a symbol of boundless compassion and the strength of virtue. Incense smoke curls endlessly through the temple halls, mingling with the deep toll of bronze bells that mark the hours in solemn rhythm.

Reverend Jingwu, the temple’s current abbot, is known for his clarity of mind and unwavering discipline. Under his quiet guidance, Wannian Temple has remained a place of refuge and reflection, even as conflict brews in the world below.

While others take sides, Jingwu watches the mountain, believing that endurance is itself a form of wisdom.

Only by passing through ancient Qi-attuned portals, concealed along sacred points on the mountain, can one reach this exalted place.

Built upon the forgotten ancestral lands of the elves, the Sanctuary’s foundation resonates with ancient energies long buried beneath stone and root.

The air carries a timeless stillness, and in moments of quiet meditation, one can almost hear the lingering voices of the old spirits.

Though the elves themselves have long vanished from this region, the Sanctuary honors their legacy through its architecture and its deep reverence for nature and balance.

Under the leadership of Abbess Meihan, the Emei Sanctuary serves as the heart of the sect's inner teachings.

It is here that senior disciples train in sacred swordplay, spiritual clarity, and the weaving of divine qi. The buildings are spare yet elegant—wooden halls framed by gnarled pine, courtyards that open to sky and stone, and bridges that seem to float across clouds.

Its current keeper, Ah Zi, is a serpent spirit of old cultivation, both enigmatic and amused by mortal affairs. Behind her charming smile lies a vast trove of knowledge, which she trades for stories, silver, or sometimes... secrets of greater worth.

Inside, time flows unevenly. A night’s rest might last an hour—or a hundred years. Spirits sip wine alongside wandering heroes. Dead men leave messages for the living. In the back, a lotus lamp burns endlessly, tended by a quiet girl named Miaoshan, who waits for someone who may never return.

Some say the inn was built during the previous Celestial Reshuffling, meant as a neutral ground. Others whisper it was never built at all, but simply appeared—when the world first cracked.

At the Border Inn, all roads meet. And not all who arrive are meant to leave.

Revered as one of the holiest Daoist mountains in all of China, its winding paths and layered peaks have long drawn sages, hermits, and martial seekers. Yet it is more than a site of pilgrimage — it is the spiritual bastion of the Wudang Sect, whose name is known across Jianghu.

The sect's sprawling complex weaves seamlessly into the mountainside: elegant temples, meditation platforms, and stone stairways that spiral through ancient pine forests and cliffside ridges.

Here, disciples train not only in the famed Taijiquan and Wudang Swordplay, but also in Daoist alchemy, breathwork, and inner cultivation — all in pursuit of balance between Yin and Yang, motion and stillness, Heaven and Earth.

Wudang is currently led by four Grandmasters, each a living vessel of different Daoist principles.

The temple complex itself is vast and austere: red-walled halls with sweeping gray-tile roofs, meditation courtyards shaded by ancient pines, and training grounds worn smooth by generations of barefoot practice. The air carries the scent of incense and iron, echoing with the rhythmic strikes of fist on stone and the low intonation of sutras.

Shaolin is currently overseen by Grand Abbot Yuanjing, a respected elder known for his unwavering faith, measured wisdom, and deep spiritual authority.

Though outwardly humble, Yuanjing is a man of conviction, long committed to maintaining the delicate relationship between Shaolin, the Imperial Court, and Jianghu. He believes that Shaolin’s role is not to lead, but to guide — not to rule, but to endure.

Beneath him serve countless monks of varying traditions — from scholarly ascetics to iron-bodied martial brothers. While the world outside grows restless, within Shaolin’s walls, the Dharma is preserved, and the body remains a vessel for the Way.

But make no mistake: when righteousness is called for, Shaolin’s silence can break like thunder.

Located off the coast of Zhejiang, its cliffs face the eastern horizon, where the first light of dawn touches the temple roofs in golden silence.

The island is a place of pilgrimage and deep reverence. Stone stairways wind through camphor groves and over high ridgelines, connecting centuries-old temples, prayer halls, and cliffside shrines. Monks and devotees in white and saffron robes can be seen performing water offerings at the shore, while bells from distant towers ring softly over the ocean wind.

It is said that Guanyin herself once walked these shores in mortal form, and her presence can still be felt in the stillness between waves.

Pilgrims speak of visions during meditation, of voices in dreams, of miraculous rescues at sea. Though the world beyond grows turbulent, Putuo remains still — not untouched by suffering, but rooted in mercy.

The island is cloaked in beauty—groves of peach trees bloom year-round, their petals drifting like snowfall through winding paths and quiet courtyards. But beneath its tranquil surface lies mystery.

Legends speak of an ancient master who once made the island his domain, weaving formations of fragrance, illusion, and terrain to deter intruders. Stone labyrinths and whispering gardens conceal the island’s inner sanctum, and even seasoned sailors find themselves turned around when navigating its shoals.

The central manor, half-swallowed by time and vine, remains untouched by looters or weather. It is said the wind plays music in the empty pavilions, and lanterns still light at dusk with no hand to tend them.

Whether the island is cursed, protected, or simply forgotten, none can say for certain.

But the Wanli Emperor has not appeared in court for five years. His silence has hollowed the court. Memorials go unanswered. Imperial edicts arrive rarely and through eunuchs.

The Grand Secretariat, once the administrative engine of state, has been sidelined—ignored, bypassed, and left to wither.

Without clear direction, the Service fractures. Some officials cling to protocol, pretending the system still functions.

Others serve their own interests, or those of palace eunuchs, frontier generals, or unseen factions. Power flows through informal channels now—whispers in corridors, sealed letters from within the Inner Palace, or not at all.

Officially, the Imperial Service remains intact.
In practice, it is a court without a sovereign, and a state without breath.

They move through cities, courts, and martial sects in silence, gathering secrets and eliminating threats before they grow.

Known for their cold efficiency and ruthless methods, the Brocade Guard is both respected and hated. Many believe they now act with their own hidden agenda, shaping the empire’s fate from the shadows.

The largest sect in the Jianghu wears no silk, builds no mountain halls, and holds no titles—only rags, scars, and quiet resolve.

Found in every city and village, the Beggar Sect walks among commoners, gathering information, upholding justice, and defending the powerless.

Its ranks are divided by cloth pouches, from the lowly one-pouch wanderers to the nine-pouch elders who govern its far-flung branches. Though their martial arts appear unrefined, they are brutally effective—designed for speed, deception, and survival in the streets.

At its head stands Chief Jiang Tunan (江图南), known in whispers as “The Wandering Flame.” Once a gutter-born orphan, he rose through the ranks with ruthless discipline and now wields the Dog Beating Staff (打狗棒)—the sacred weapon and symbol of authority passed only to the Sect’s true leader.

Jiang Tunan is rarely seen, traveling alone, dressed like the lowest beggar—but the sect moves when he commands.

Though fractured in places by internal disputes and imperial scrutiny, the Beggar Sect endures—not through power, but through presence. Rooted not in temples, but in the streets.

Nestled deep within the mist-shrouded peaks of Mount Song, the Shaolin Sect stands as one of the oldest and most revered martial orders in the realm.

Founded centuries ago, it is both a bastion of Chan Buddhism and a renowned center of martial excellence, where discipline, compassion, and strength are honed in equal measure.

Led by Grand Abbot Yuanjing (圆净), a monk of immense spiritual attainment and martial mastery, the sect teaches that true power arises not from wrath or ambition, but from stillness and inner clarity. Its disciples train in both scripture and fist, mastering forms such as the Arhat Fist (罗汉拳) and Shaolin Staff Arts, while also studying sutras and meditation under the gaze of their elders.

Despite their pacifist roots, the monks of Shaolin are not naive. With the world in chaos and the Mandate fractured, the temple’s warrior-monks now guard sacred relics, escort emissaries of peace, and intervene when the innocent are threatened.

They remain neutral in the political struggles of the world, but their silence is not weakness — and their fists still echo like thunder across the mountain when called upon.

High in the cloud-veiled peaks of Mount Wudang, the Wudang Sect stands as a symbol of inner harmony, flowing power, and Daoist philosophy made martial.

Unlike the rigid discipline of Shaolin or the secrecy of hidden sects, Wudang teaches that true mastery lies in stillness within motion — in knowing when to yield, and when to strike.

Founded on the teachings of Zhang Sanfeng, Wudang blends Daoist cultivation, internal alchemy, and refined swordplay into a seamless path. Disciples train in the elegant yet deadly forms of Taijiquan, Wudang Sword, and Daoist breathwork, focusing on qi flow, redirection, and balance of Yin and Yang. Their fighting style appears soft — until it does not.

The sect is currently governed by Four Grandmasters, among them the serene and inscrutable Mo Yuan, and the sharp-willed strategist Zhao Jingxian. Together they preserve the lineage, mediate internal disputes, and observe the changing world with patient clarity.

Where temples recite sutras and mountains echo with sword chants, the Society works quietly, invisibly, through word, ink, and steel.

Scattered across the empire in hidden lodges and countryside taverns, its members speak of the Mandate of Heaven — not as a gift to emperors, but as a contract with the people.

They believe that when rulers forsake virtue, Heaven’s favor withers, and rebellion becomes not just a right, but a sacred duty.

Their code blends Confucian righteousness with Daoist natural law, tempered by the hard truths of life beneath a broken sky.

While imperial gazettes brand them as seditionists and criminals, many in Jianghu see them differently: folk heroes, wandering philosophers, and ghost blades who strike only when justice calls. They are said to hide among traveling monks, merchant caravans, even in brothels and beggars’ guilds — their true numbers unknown, their influence growing with each unjust tax and silenced dissident.

Formed from displaced soldiers, refugees, and martial outcasts, the Society protects those left behind—peasants, villagers, and wanderers forgotten by court and sect alike.

Though not aligned with the orthodox Emei Sect, they are tolerated—respected for their discipline, feared for their growing influence. Their fighting style is drawn from battlefield tactics: spear lines, heavy sabers, and shielded formations. They speak little of righteousness, but act swiftly when the weak are threatened.

To the Empire, they are a complication.

To the people below the mountain, they are guardians.

High atop the mist-veiled slopes of Mount Emei, the Emei Sect stands as one of the great orthodox pillars of the Jianghu—revered for its discipline, elegance, and moral clarity.

Traditionally led by women, the sect balances grace and restraint with sharp, decisive swordsmanship rooted in both Daoist and Buddhist teachings.

Emei’s martial style emphasizes precision over force, using agile footwork and deceptive angles to outmatch even heavier styles. Its disciples are trained not just in arms, but in scripture, medicine, and decorum—each sword tempered by study and self-mastery.

The sect is currently led by Abbess Meihan (眉涵师太), a composed and formidable woman who rose quietly through the ranks and assumed leadership after Abbess Lin Yue (林月师太) voluntarily stepped down, choosing to retire from the pugilistic world.

Meihan’s leadership has been marked by steadiness rather than spectacle, maintaining the sect’s internal harmony while keeping a watchful eye on the unrest stirring across the Wulin.

Though Emei avoids court entanglements, it does not retreat from duty. Its blades move when righteousness is threatened—but never without cause.

From their mountain stronghold in the far west, their swords rarely descended except in times of true unrest. In recent decades, even that ceased. The sect became silent, absent from Jianghu affairs, its name fading into obscurity.

But now, faint traces of their return have begun to surface.

Strange happenings—outbreaks of unexplained madness, disappearances in desolate villages, corpses that do not rot—have been followed by fleeting sightings of Kunlun swordsmen. They do not linger. They offer no explanations. But in each case, the disturbance ends soon after their arrival.

Some say the sect has gathered once more under a powerful cultivator, a figure unknown even to the elder generation. What unites these reclusive swords is unclear, but a pattern is emerging: they appear where tales of unnatural forces take root. And when they vanish, so too do the things that defied explanation.

That silence ended after the Huashan Massacre.

When General Yan Sheng, acting under imperial orders, slaughtered Huashan’s elders and disciples, a handful escaped. Wounded and hunted, they were taken in by the Sect of Pure Righteousness—not as refugees, but as brothers.

Now the sect stands reborn. Old doctrines remain, but they are carried by swords sharpened in grief. Their movements are quiet, their actions swift—intervening where corruption festers, whether it wears the robes of a demon or the seal of the court.

They do not speak of revenge. But they remember.

And what rose from Huashan’s ashes now walks in silence—with righteousness in hand.

When temples fall into disrepair or offerings cease, he responds through flood, drought, or storm—not as punishment, but enforcement of divine order.

His forces, drawn from the depths, include tideborn infantry, crab-armored vanguards, eel-archers, and serpent-mounted Yaksha captains, supported by Rain Priests who command wind and weather through ritual.

The army does not intervene in mortal wars but appears when cosmic balance is broken.

Ao Guang does not seek power. He acts when mortals forget their place.

In death, however, her duties only grew stranger. Now a ghost bound to the Bai family’s legacy, she serves as the primary conduit between Bai Xiao Lan and the long line of ancestral spirits determined to see their bloodline endure.

Sharp-tongued and fiercely protective, Bai Zhu takes her task seriously—even if her charge most certainly does not. She nags, schemes, and meddles with the persistence of an overbearing aunt, all in service of pushing Xiao Lan toward success, marriage, and ultimately, heirs.

Though she died young, Bai Zhu carries the weight of generations on her translucent shoulders. To the mortal world, she’s just a whisper in the wind.

To Bai Xiao Lan, she’s the most exasperating ghost in existence—and perhaps the one who loves him most.

Player: Wai Liong (She's his familiar)

Rarely vocal, Hoo communicates more through presence than sound—appearing just when Wuming needs him most.

Whether perched on a rooftop under moonlight or gliding soundlessly above a battlefield, Hoo seems less like a creature of flesh and more like a ghost tethered to Wuming’s fate.

Player: Mo (Wuming's Familiar)

She tells visitors she is waiting for her suitor, a man promised to her since birth. Though she never speaks ill of him, there's a shadow in her eyes whenever he is mentioned, a quiet sorrow that suggests she already knows what kind of man he truly is.

Ah Zi gives her space, and the spirits never disturb her. Travelers often find her presence calming, even if they don’t understand why. To most, she is simply the girl with the lotus lamp—waiting, always waiting—for a fate she does not want, yet will not flee from.

But in this age, the heavens have changed—and the Sage has been cast down. His divine persona shattered, scattered across realms and memories, leaving behind only a fragment: a golden macaque, silent and watchful, bearing no sign of the legend he once was.

Now, the heroes carry this mortal vessel toward Mount Putuo, where the bodhisattva Guanyin may hold the key to restoring what was lost.

Whether Wukong can truly be reborn—or if some parts of him are meant to stay broken—remains to be seen.

Clad in crimson and veiled in silence, she stood at the heart of a forgotten altar, her great iron fan resting beside her as arcane symbols flickered faintly in the air.

She spoke little, and when the soul stirred, she did not fight. Instead, she vanished into the wind—ritual unfinished, purpose unknown.

What she intended, none can say. Was she guardian, mourner, or something far more dangerous? All that remains is the echo of her presence… and the lingering sense that her work is not yet done.

Thought destroyed, she has since reemerged in whispers, her name found alongside forbidden rituals and vanishing cultivators.

She was connected to Huang Po’s schemes, though no one is sure whether she was his collaborator—or his puppet master.

Cold, poised, and unreadable, Lady Shiji moves through Jianghu like a shadow from another age. Those who know her story speak her name with caution. Few believe her plans are truly finished.

In the stories passed down since the time of the Great Sage’s rebellion, few figures loom as large as the Bull Demon King.

Once counted among the mightiest of the demon kings who ruled the untamed reaches of the world, he held dominion over Fire Mountain, surrounded by flame and smoke, feared and respected in equal measure.

Unlike the reckless pride of Sun Wukong or the scheming of lesser beasts, the Bull Demon King was a creature of brutal strength and princely bearing. He wore his power plainly—horned, armored, and unbending. Among demons, he was a sovereign. Among gods, a nuisance. Among men, a legend.

Though he fought fiercely in the time of Heaven’s unrest, he did not fall. Nor did he kneel.

He simply disappeared.

Some believe the Bull Demon King still dwells deep within Fire Mountain, his palace sealed and silent, watching the turning of ages with unblinking patience. Others claim he was granted pardon by Heaven and chose silence over further war.

Regardless, his name endures—tied to tales of rebellion, of strength unchecked, and of a time when even Heaven feared the Beast Kings.

Created by the reclusive sword sage Dugu Qiubai, the Dugu Nine Swords is a supreme sword art that abandons form in favor of insight. It consists of nine techniques, each designed to target and exploit specific weaknesses—whether in weapon, stance, breath, or intent.

Unlike orthodox sword styles bound by fixed routines, Dugu Nine Swords is formless, requiring the practitioner to observe, adapt, and strike with absolute precision. It is a sword style not of strength, but of clarity—a mirror to all martial flaws.

To wield it is to walk alone—above sects, beyond doctrine. It is not a style for the many, only for those who seek truth over tradition, and whose sword pierces not only the enemy… but illusion itself.

Dugu Nine Swords from the Smiling Proud Wanderer (Unorthodox)

(Req: 1 Level in Fighter per Technique. Str or Dex 16)

Foundation Technique: Sword of Clarity (2 Technique Slots)

You may spend a Reaction to make an Insight Check on any target. Most targets are DC12, but some may be higher. If you succeed on this Insight check, you may discern 2 of the following:

- The Target's AC

- The Target's Highest Saving Throw and Damage Resistances, Immunities

- The Target's Lowest Saving Throw and Damage Vulnerabilities

- The Target's preferred damage type.

In addition, if the Insight check was passed, you gain Advantage on the next attack against the Target.

(Cost: 5 days of downtime)

Technique: The Sword that Breaks all Forms

If it has a form, it can be broken

As a bonus action, choose one creature you can see within 60 ft.

Until the end of your next turn, that creature does not benefit from reactions or defensive features tied to stances, fighting styles, or magical wards (e.g., Parry, Deflect Missiles, Shield spell, Blade Ward).

You may use this feature a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus per long rest.

(Cost: 5 days of downtime)

Technique: The Sword with no Shadow

When a creature misses a melee attack on you, you may use your reaction to disengage and move up to half your movement without triggering attacks of opportunity.

(Cost: 5 days of downtime)

Technique: The Sword of Thought

Once per long rest, you may gain +5 to Initiative.

(Cost: 5 days of downtime)

This is not an exhaustive list of Dugu Nine Swords techniques. They are the only ones taught to you by Old Man Hu for now.

Originally written as a response to the rise of unorthodox and demonic sects, Huang Shang studied and deconstructed their techniques, then wove them into a comprehensive system of internal cultivation, counters, and advanced martial applications.

Though its reputation is steeped in blood due to the many who fought over it, the scripture itself is neither righteous nor evil. It emphasizes Taoist philosophy, spiritual refinement, and subtle mastery of Qi.

Within its pages are techniques both defensive and devastating—such as White Bone Claw and Spirit-Displacing Method—each designed to neutralize aggression with elegant precision.

Even a fragment of the Nine Yin Scripture can grant overwhelming advantage in martial cultivation. Those who master it often walk the line between transcendence and obsession.

The Nine Yin Scripture from the Tomb of Zhou Zhiruo (Unorthodox)

(Req: 1 Level in Monk, or any Caster class per technique. Cha/Wis/Int 16)

Drawback: Qi Deviation - Every time a new technique is learnt, make a Wis saving throw of DC10 + number of techniques learnt. Failure grants you one obsession or madness, depending on DM's discretion.

Foundation Technique Nine Yin Circulation (2 Technique Slots)

You gain the following permanently

- +2 Con to a maximum of 22.

- Resistance to Poison and Cold

- Immunity to Disease

(Cost 5 days downtime)

Technique: Nine Yin White Bone Claw

Your unarmed attacks do 2d6 Slashing or Necrotic Damage, and count as Magical.

(Cost 5 days downtime)

Technique: Soul Twisting Sutra

As an action, cast Fear on a single target. Usable once per long rest.

(Cost 5 days downtime)

Technique: Yin Serpent Steps

You may Dash as a Bonus Action. Attacks of Opportunity against you while you dash are made at Disadvantage.

(Cost 5 days downtime)

Technique: Energy Reversal

Once per Long Rest, you may internalize Force, Thunder, or Necrotic damage taken. You deal additional damage in your next Unarmed or Single Target Spell Attack equal to the damage you took.

(Cost 5 days downtime)

This is again, not an exhaustive list of Nine Yin Manual techniques. More will be uncovered with time.

• The Sword of the Wedding Dress can store up to 3 spell levels. Any creature may cast a spell of 1st through 3rd level into the Sword by touching the Sword while the spell is cast. The spell has no Effect, other than to be stored in the Sword. If the Sword can't hold the spell, the spell is expended without Effect. The level of the slot used to cast the spell determines how much space it uses.

• While wielding the sword, you can cast any spell stored in it. The spell uses the slot level, spell save DC, spell Attack bonus, and Spellcasting Ability of the original caster, but is otherwise treated as if you cast the spell. The spell cast from the Rapier is no longer stored in it, freeing up space. However, the enchantment of the rapier prevents the casting of any spell stored in the rapier cast by the wielder.

The Sword of the Wedding Dress was forged by Qiu Muyi for her husband Ximen Tiezun.

苦为年年压金线，为他人作嫁衣裳

I labour hard for years to spin golden thread, only to make a wedding dress for someone else.

• Cast Misty Step spell
  OR use

• Thunderous charge (Move 60 ft. in a straight line)

These heavy-soled war boots bear the stylized image of a roaring ox and are infused with the unyielding spirit of General Zhang Fei. When activated, they leave behind the echo of a battle cry and the faint shimmer of coalescing mist—emulating the fearsome moment at Changban Bridge when Zhang Fei appeared in multiple places at once to his terrified foes.

• Counts as a spellcasting focus

• Immovable: As a bonus action, it can be planted into the ground. Only the attuned wielder or certain divine forces can move it.

• Reactive Weight: As a bonus action, the wielder may shift its form to gain +1d6 bonus bludgeoning damage on their next melee attack (1/short rest).

• Grants a +1 bonus to spell attack rolls and spell save DCs

• Adds one additional 2nd-level spell slot, or equivalent feature (e.g., 2 sorcery points or 1 ki point, depending on class)

• Once per long rest: cast Counterspell or Dispel Magic without components

• Seal of the Cycle - Once per long rest, when reducing an undead or revenant creature to 0 HP, the wielder may store the soul within the staff. It is not known how many souls it can store. Stored souls cannot be resurrected or return by any means unless released through ritual.

Forged in the fiery crucibles of the Dragon Palace beneath the Eastern Sea, the Staff of the Great Sage that Equals Heaven is no ordinary staff—it is the legacy of rebellion and the echo of heaven’s defiance.

Once wielded by the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, Sun Wukong himself, the staff shifts in size, weight, and shape at the command of its master, from a pin concealed in the ear to a colossal pillar that could sunder mountains.

AC: 18

HP: 400

Speed: 4mph

Damage Threshold: 20

Crew: 3

Passengers: 20

Cargo (Tons): 2

Weapons (Manned)

Front Facing Sunbeam Cannon: The Dragon's Pearl fires a Sunbeam (6d8) in a straight line from its bow.

2 Side Facing Guiding Ballistas: The Dragon's Pearl fires 2 Guiding Bolts at 2 targets per side.

The Dragon's Pearl is an artifact that belongs to the Eastern Dragon King. When a command word is spoken next to a large body of water, it can turn from an amulet to a junk and vice versa. It is unable to turn back into an amulet so long as a person is on board.

A true cultivator of profound attainment, Yifan once took part in the last Investiture of the Gods—a celestial upheaval that reshaped Heaven’s hierarchy. Though few remember the details, those who do speak his name with quiet reverence.

Functionally immortal and possessed of unmatched grace, Yifan now wanders China with his companions Ah Mu and Kugang, following subtle signs of a new celestial crisis. He studies the stars, old prophecies, and the shifting energies of the world with the calm precision of one who has witnessed Heaven turn before—and survived it.

As an elemental transmuter without equal, Yifan’s cultivation allows him to reshape the natural world as effortlessly as others might recite poetry.

But his true strength lies not just in power, but in foresight—he does not seek to conquer Heaven, only to understand what stirs beneath its surface.

But the man who walks China today is a different beast: loud, boisterous, and quick to laugh, yet driven by a deep, unshakable need to atone.

Towering and broad-shouldered, Kugang wields a magical stone pillar as a weapon—an artifact as massive and blunt as his personality.

He is rarely seen without food in hand or a jug of wine at his side, and his laughter often echoes long before his footsteps. Yet behind the mirth lies history: like his companion Song Yifan, Kugang played a part in the last Investiture of the Gods. His role in that divine reshuffle remains shrouded in mystery, but the weight of it lingers in his silences.

Now, he travels alongside Yifan and Ah Mu, a living contradiction—part reformed sinner, part divine relic, and still very much a walking catastrophe when provoked.

During the last celestial reshuffle, when the heavens themselves shifted, Ah Mu was offered immortality. He refused. Instead, he chose duty, took the throne, and ruled until his mortal death—a sovereign remembered for restraint, discipline, and silence rather than glory.

But death is no longer the end. As signs of a new celestial upheaval emerge, his former companions—Song Yifan, Kugang, and the Celestial Auditor Cang Tian—have brought him back. Not as a ruler. Not as a god. Simply as himself.

With the Celestial Avenger, his Imperial Sword, at his side once more, Ah Mu roams the land—not to reclaim anything, nor to seek redemption, but because the world is shifting again. And when the heavens tremble, even the dead may rise to bear witness.

Old Hu is always drinking—his own brew, unfiltered and sharp enough to floor a bandit. When tipsy, his tall tales sound too vivid, like half-veiled war chronicles. Once, a wandering pugilist tried to start something over a spilled drink—Hu had him face-first in the dirt with a lazy flick of his cane. He chuckled afterward, muttering something about "old habits."

Madam Su, always calm, often watches travelers with eyes too steady and sharp for a simple innkeeper. She moves like water over stone—graceful, practiced, and quietly commanding.

A dusty guqin rests untouched in the corner of the inn, but some nights, when the river is still, faint melodies drift from its strings with uncanny precision.

Locals whisper they were once part of something greater—ghosts from Jianghu who left their names behind. The river knows, they say. And the river forgets.

In his twilight years, Shen turned his gaze toward legacy and peace. He convened the Lotus Pavilion Summit in Hangzhou, inviting the great sects of Wulin to a historic gathering—an attempt to bridge the ever-widening gap between Jianghu and the Imperial Court.

There, Abbot Yuanjing of Shaolin was to present him with the reforged Dragon Saber, a symbol of trust and harmony between Heaven, Earth, and Man.

But before the ceremony could be completed, Shen Taiyuan was assassinated. The blow shattered not only his body, but the fragile unity he had tried to forge.

Now, whispers spread across Jianghu: Who truly ordered the killing—and what chaos will rise to fill the space Shen once held still?

Methodical, cruel, and deeply self-serving, he performed his duties with cold precision—but always from a safe distance.

When the celestial crisis unsettled the balance of realms, Huang Po saw an opportunity to rise. He began raising an army of Yin-cursed souls, hoping to challenge the Lords of Diyu and gain leverage over his superiors.

But true to his nature, he never intended to fight at the front—only to command from the shadows.

His plans were undone by the heroes. Cowardly and cornered, Huang Po was defeated and now lies trapped within the Staff of the Great Sage, sealed and silent, a schemer brought low by his own overreach.

Eventually, it did. Captured and sentenced to death by hanging, Fang Zheng’s story should have ended at the gallows.

But when the celestial crisis disrupted the balance of life and death, his soul never reached Diyu. Instead, he clawed his way back into the world—half-man, half-shadow—and struck a pact with Huang Po, the exiled magistrate of the underworld.

Reforged by the deal, the Eastern Wind returned as Huang Po’s enforcers, sowing terror throughout Hangzhou in his name.

Their reign ended when the heroes intervened, breaking Fang Zheng’s grip on the city. Whether his soul has found rest—or simply waits again in limbo—remains unknown.

Though not overtly corrupt, Wah has his share of dealings—small bribes, quiet favors, and selective enforcement of the law. He works in close coordination with the Brocade Guard, deferring to their authority when it suits him, and doing just enough to stay in their favor.

Above all, Magistrate Wah aims to keep powerful figures—especially Lady Zhao—pleased. Whether through flattery, gifts, or quietly burying inconvenient matters, he ensures that Hangzhou remains orderly on the surface… regardless of what festers beneath.

His mastery of Yin techniques was legendary: it was said he could halt a man’s breath or silence a battlefield with a single motion.

But power without balance breeds ruin. Entrusted with an incomplete copy of the Nine Yin Celestial Manual, Zhang Wei pushed beyond safe limits, descending into Qi Deviation. The result was the Catastrophe of Baoning—a spiritual and physical disaster that shattered an entire prefecture.

It was there the heroes confronted him. The battle was fierce, its echoes still felt in Baoning’s cracked earth and haunted qi fields. Zhang Wei was defeated—but whether he died, transcended, or left something behind is a matter still unsettled.

What is certain is this: mastery without harmony leads to collapse—and the Master of Yin serves now as a caution to all who follow the path of inner cultivation.

As Abbess of the Emei Sect, she brought the sect to new heights—refining its inner teachings, training generations of warrior-nuns, and holding its name aloft as a paragon of righteous strength. Her composure was unshakable, her discipline legendary, and her swordwork—divine.

It is whispered, with both admiration and fear, that she mastered the greater part of the Nine Yin Manual, a feat few in history can claim. Those who witnessed her demonstrate the Emei Piercing Cloud Style or the White Lotus Hand spoke of techniques so refined they verged on the unnatural—calm, devastating, and impossible to counter once set into motion.

Alongside her mastery of Emei's traditional forms, Lin Yue was also a scholar of forgotten Daoist martial writings, and some believe she secretly cultivated internal techniques far beyond orthodox Buddhist norms. But such claims were never proven—only feared.

Despite her stature, Lin Yue did not covet power. Some say she grew tired of court intrigue and the growing corruption of the imperial court; others believe she foresaw the coming darkness and chose to vanish before it began. Whatever the reason, she abdicated her position five years ago, handing leadership to her disciple Abbess Mei Han, and vanished into seclusion.

No farewell, no public announcement—just silence.

Now, as war drums echo across the land and the shadows lengthen over Emei, some wonder if the retired abbess still watches from afar. And if she does—whether the day will come when her blade is drawn again.

+2 Magical Weapon

When rolling damage with the Xuan Metal Heavy Sword, roll twice and choose the roll to use.

This sword was previously wielded by 2 legendary heroes, Yang Guo, the Condor Hero, and Dugu Qiubai, the Undefeated._

Weapon (greatsword / Dao), legendary (requires attunement)

The reforged Dragon Saber embodies raw might and rebellion. Where the Heaven Sword guards legitimacy, this saber dares to seize destiny by force.

You gain a +3 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon.

• Slayer’s Smite. When you hit a creature with at least one size category larger than you, the target takes an extra 2d8 force damage. You may use this as many times per long rest equal to your proficiency bonus.

• Blade of Dominion. When you score a critical hit, each creature of your choice within 30 feet must succeed on a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened of you until the end of your next turn.

• Dragon-Cleaving Blow. Once per long rest, as an action, you can sweep the blade in a 20ft radius arc around you. Each creature in the arc must make a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw, taking 8d10 slashing damage on a failed save, or half as much on a success.

• Legacy of Rebellion. You gain an advantage on all saving throws that apply the Restrained / Charmed / Frightened conditions.

• Convergence of Destiny

  When both reforged blades are present and attuned within 30 feet of one another:

  • The wielders each gain resistance to non magical damage while they remain within 30 feet of each other.

  • Once per long rest, the wielders can combine their actions into a Twin Strike of the Eight Steps: a 30-foot-radius explosion centered between them. Each creature of their choice in the area must make a DC 18 Constitution saving throw, taking 10d6 radiant and slashing damage on a failed save, or half as much on a success.

In the years since, the fragments of the saber passed through countless hands — warlords, monks, scholars — until a forgotten smith in the Western regions, skilled in the art of working with Xuan Metal (玄铁), undertook the impossible: to reforge the blade.

Now reborn, the Reforged Dragon Saber is heavier, darker, and more ominous than before. Its edge gleams with a restrained menace, as though bearing the weight of dynasties.

While it no longer holds the Wumu Manual, its very existence is a rallying cry — for emperors who seek legitimacy, for rebels who invoke old glories, and for martial heroes drawn to its myth.

Weapon (longsword / Jian), legendary (requires attunement)

Forged anew after its shattering, the Heaven Sword no longer conceals manuals.

You gain a +3 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon.

• Heaven's Protection. While you hold the Heaven Sword, allies of your choice within 30 feet gain a +1 bonus to AC and saving throws.

• Heaven’s Clarity. You can cast sunbeam (save DC 18) once per long rest. The radiant strike manifests as a slash of pure light.

• Sword of Balance. When you are hit by an attack, you can use your reaction to add your proficiency bonus to your AC against that attack, potentially causing it to miss.

• Legacy of Heaven. The Heaven Sword grants its wielder an additional Spell Slot of Level 6 or below per Long Rest.

• Convergence of Destiny

  When both reforged blades are present and attuned within 30 feet of one another:

  • The wielders each gain resistance to non magical damage while they remain within 30 feet of each other.

  • Once per long rest, the wielders can combine their actions into a Twin Strike of the Eight Steps: a 30-foot-radius explosion centered between them. Each creature of their choice in the area must make a DC 18 Constitution saving throw, taking 10d6 radiant and slashing damage on a failed save, or half as much on a success.

Unlike its brother blade, which inspired ambition and conquest, the Heaven Sword symbolized righteousness, balance, and the enduring legacy of the martial world’s highest ideals.

Within its blade were hidden the ultimate martial manuals of the Central Plains — the Nine Yin True Scripture and the secret sword style of Guo Jing and Huang Rong, sealed inside to preserve their teachings beyond dynasties.

Reclusive and eccentric, he sees beyond the material world—claiming to read the patterns of fate in drifting smoke, cracked stone, and the silence between thunderclaps.

Though few understand his methods, his predictions have proven disturbingly accurate. He speaks often of celestial imbalances, shifting destinies, and forces moving beneath the surface of Jianghu.

While some dismiss him as a madman, those close to Yan Sheng know better: when Occultist Huang speaks, storms often follow.

A master of medicine, traps, martial technique, astronomy, music, and the Dao, Huang Yaoshi rejected the rigid doctrines of the orthodox sects and carved out his own path on Peach Blossom Island, a secluded haven of beauty and danger in the eastern seas.

There, he built his own world—one of elegance, deadliness, and absolute control.

They called him the Eastern Heretic, not for evil deeds, but because he refused to kneel to the so-called righteous order. His martial arts were as unorthodox as his philosophy—deadly, precise, impossible to predict. His intellect eclipsed most scholars; his temper, it is said, could silence entire halls.

Though he vanished from the world generations ago, his legacy never did. His daughter, Huang Rong, rose to prominence in her own right, and traces of his techniques, writings, and scattered disciples still appear in strange corners of the Jianghu.

Some say Peach Blossom Island lies abandoned now, its mechanisms still active, its master long returned to dust.

Others whisper he yet lives—unchanged, watching the world decay as it always has.

A legendary internal cultivation art rooted in Shaolin origins, Nine Yang Divine Scripture, or Jiuyang Shengong, is the embodiment of pure Yang energy—radiant, forceful, and restorative. Known for its ability to heal wounds, burn away poisons, and reinforce the body’s vitality, it is prized not only for combat but for its deep connection to the essence of life itself.

Practitioners of this divine skill can recover from mortal injuries, resist demonic influences, and unleash explosive bursts of internal force. Unlike many orthodox arts focused on discipline or suppression, Jiuyang Shengong burns with unrestrained internal fire, purifying the meridians and empowering all martial forms, regardless of school or sword.

It is said the full scripture is lost to time, scattered in fragments across temples, scrolls, and memory. Those who master it walk the razor’s edge between radiance and ruin, for pure Yang, if unbalanced, may consume its wielder from within.

The Nine Yang Divine Art (Unorthodox)

(Req: 1 Level in Monk, or any Caster class per technique. Cha/Wis/Int 16)

Foundation Technique Yang Circulation (2 Technique Slots)

You gain the following permanently

- Regeneration: At the beginning of each of your turns, regain HP equal to your proficiency bonus if you are above 0 HP.

- Advantage on Saving throws vs Disease, Poison

- Immunity to Internal Injury

(Cost 5 days downtime)

Technique: Purge Impurity

Spend an action to remove one of the following conditions on yourself:

Poison / Paralyzed / Stun / Frightened / Charmed

(Cost 5 days downtime)

Technique: Qi Amplification

Once a turn, add 1d4 Radiant or Fire Damage to a melee or unarmed strike

(Cost 5 days downtime)

Technique: Flow of the Nine Suns (Level 12)

You gain Evasion on Constitution Saving Throws

Once per Long Rest, you may channel the flow of the nine suns and gain

• +2 AC

• Regeneration equal to twice your proficiency bonus

• Your melee attacks gain extra fire damage equal to your Con modifier

• You glow in a bright radiant light for 10 ft

(Cost 5 days downtime)

This is again, not an exhaustive list of Nine Yang Manual techniques. More will be uncovered with time.

Some larger changes, like the Martial Arts Techniques System, has it's own section and is not found in this post.

Resurrection does not come easily.

As with most media that depicts this genre, straight up resurrection methods do not exist. Bringing someone back to life is usually a fairly epic quest on its own. Hence, Resurrection spells do not exist in this game.

The only exception is Revivify, which can pass off as the sudden healing of someone close to death.

Internal Injuries.

The concept of Internal Injuries are widely depicted in media of this genre. For this campaign, whenever a character fails a Death Saving Throw, they are considered to have sustained an Internal Injury. Characters with an Internal Injury are treated as having one level of Exhaustion, with another level gained if they were to fail another Death Saving Throw. A character dies when they gain their 6th level of Exhaustion as usual.

All other rules for Exhaustion apply, including the removal of one Exhaustion stack per Long Rest.

Flanking does not exist...

We are not using the Flanking rule.

But Cinematic Bonuses do.

Players may describe a cinematic move once every Short Rest. Doing so usually involves a Proficiency Check to perform said move. Upon success, the player gains Advantage on the described attack.

Free Feats for Everyone!

Every Player Character started this campaign with a free custom feat that is tailored to their background.

e.g: Because Wuxiao has an unstable Qi flow, whenever he spends Ki, he has a chance of either losing an additional Ki, or gaining a bonus.

Cultivation Techniques

It wouldn't be a Wuxia game without Martial Arts, or Cultivation Techniques that can be learnt via manuals and such. Cultivation Techniques function like Magic Items that do not require attunement, giving bonuses to a character.

This is covered in detail in the Techniques section.

Languages

It's historical China, except fantasy. Hence, languages are also those of that period, such as Han Chinese, Sanskrit, etc.

Currency

Wen - Strings of Copper Coins often bound by a cord.

Liang - Silver Taels, or Ingots. These are valued at about 1000 to 2000 Wen each, depending on region.

For simplicity however, we have opted to go with the concept of Gold and Silver, with Silver signifying 10 Wen, and Gold signifying 100 Wen. Platinum Pieces are signified as Taels.

As a baseline, all Player Characters attain Foundation Establishment of their Qi Flow at Level 5, which gives them their first Technique.

A Character may only gain ONE technique per Level, which means most Characters will only be able to learn a Technique at Level 6, as the Level 5 Technique has to be Foundation Establishment.

Foundation Establishment of Dantian (Level 5)

As a bonus action, your character can now fly 30ft in a straight line, but must land at the end of the movement.

Formation of the Golden Core (Level 10)

Note: This may be learnt on top of another Technique this level

The character gains:

• Immunity to Disease

• Resistance to Poison Damage

• The ability to learn Divine Techniques

Partial Immortality (Level 16)

The character is now functionally immortal and no longer ages. They are also now able to attain True Immortality from any means they find.

They also gain an Advantage to their Death Saves.

Without True Immortality however, they can still die from mortal means, such as damage.

How do Techniques work?

Techniques usually require a way for them to be learnt. This could be from having an actual teacher, to reading a manual, or whatever suitably in genre reason.

Techniques function like Magic Items. They are pure bonuses that do not have a cost for attunement, nor can they be lost by normal means.

However, most of them require Downtime to learn, with powerful techniques requiring more downtime.

A character may only learn ONE technique per Level gained. These are retroactive, meaning that if a character did not learn a Technique in the previous level, they may now learn two this level. Think of them like Technique Slots that are gained at the rate of 1 per level.

System Techniques

System Techniques are a way of life, and are used to represent extremely powerful forms of Martial Cultivation such as Nine Yin Sutra, and Dugu Nine Swords.

To learn any Techniques within a System, a character must first learn the Foundation Technique of the System.

System Techniques have a minimum requirement of Level 8

Creating a Technique

Player Characters may Create their own Techniques with DM approval. These are often based on the same rules as creating Magic Items in a Bastion.

As usual, Player created Techniques also follow the restrictions of being able to learn just ONE Technique per level.

Cultivation is the practice of refining one's internal energy, or Qi (气, life force), to transcend mortal limitations. Through rigorous meditation, martial training, and mastery of esoteric techniques, cultivators enhance their bodies, minds, and spirits to achieve supernatural abilities. In Record of Heaven's Fate, cultivation allows characters to break free from the constraints of ordinary existence, reaching new heights of martial prowess, longevity, and even godhood.

Unlike traditional spellcasting, which draws upon external magical forces, cultivation is an internal progression system—one that grants its practitioners immense power but demands strict discipline, deep knowledge, and often great sacrifice.

The Core Tenets of Cultivation

Qi Manipulation

Cultivators learn to harness Qi, the invisible energy that flows through all living beings. By refining their Qi and circulating it through their bodies, they can achieve feats impossible for ordinary mortals, such as leaping great distances, healing from grievous wounds, or shattering stone with a single strike.

Qi Reserves: Cultivators store their energy in their Dantian (丹田), a core of internal power that expands with training.

- Qi Flow: Mastery of internal energy allows practitioners to move with impossible speed, deliver devastating attacks, and even deflect projectiles with sheer force of will.

Breakthroughs & Tribulations

Cultivation is not simply a matter of training—it is a journey fraught with obstacles known as Bottlenecks. To advance, a cultivator must undergo a *Breakthrough*, a moment of extreme internal refinement that allows them to ascend to the next stage.

However, breakthroughs are not guaranteed; failure can result in catastrophic consequences, including Qi Deviation (走火入魔, Zǒuhuǒ Rùmó), where one's energy spirals out of control, leading to permanent injury, insanity, or death.

At higher levels, cultivators face Heavenly Tribulations, powerful cosmic forces that strike those who dare defy the natural order. These divine punishments manifest as *lightning storms, soul-rending fire, or time-warping distortions*, testing the cultivator's worthiness to ascend.

The Path to Immortality

Most cultivators seek ultimate power, whether to protect their sect, dominate Jianghu, or achieve true enlightenment. Cultivation follows a structured progression of realms, each representing a new stage of mastery.

| Stage | Description |

|-----------------------|--------------------------------------------|

| Qi Gathering (气聚) | The initial step of drawing Qi into the body. |

| Foundation Establishment (筑基) | Strengthening internal energy flow and meridians. |

| Core Formation (结丹) | Creating a "Golden Core," a condensed reservoir of Qi. |

| Nascent Soul (元婴) | Developing an ethereal soul that can separate from the body. |

| Soul Transformation (化神) | Achieving a semi-divine state, manipulating reality itself. |

| Void Stage (空冥) | Mastery of space, time, and elemental forces. |

| Great Ascension (大乘) | The final step before leaving the mortal realm. |

| Immortal Realm (仙界) | Achieving true immortality and divine authority. |

At the pinnacle of cultivation, one may attempt to transcend mortality and become a Dao Master, a being who governs the laws of existence itself.

The Dangers of Cultivation

Cultivation is a path of risk and reward. Though it grants unparalleled power, it also exposes practitioners to numerous dangers:

- Qi Deviation (走火入魔, Zǒuhuǒ Rùmó): Cultivators who push themselves beyond their limits risk internal energy imbalance, leading to bodily destruction or madness.

- Demonic Cultivation (魔道, Módào): Some seek shortcuts by absorbing others' Qi, forsaking morality to gain power. These practitioners often fall into darkness, their bodies twisted by corruption.

- Sect Rivalries & Power Struggles: The martial world is ruthless—great sects hoard powerful techniques, and those who rise too quickly often become targets for assassination.

- Heavenly Tribulations: The strongest cultivators attract divine retribution, forcing them to prove their worth through celestial trials.

Cultivation in Gameplay

In this campaign, cultivation functions as a progression system that rewards players with enhanced martial abilities, supernatural endurance, and eventually reality-altering powers. Players may choose to specialize in:

- Internal Cultivation: Mastery over one's body and Qi, increasing strength, speed, and longevity.

- External Cultivation: Channeling Qi outward, striking enemies with shockwaves or imbuing weapons with energy.

- Esoteric Cultivation: Pursuing enlightenment through Daoist philosophy, alchemy, or forbidden arts.

Your Character may learn an additional Technique this level. This Technique can also be the Foundation Technique of a new System, allowing you to henceforth learn Techniques from another System.

Celestial Cultivation Prodigy Type: General, Req: Level 5

Your Character advances their Cultivation by one tier, gaining all abilities of the next tier of Cultivation.

The following Feats were custom made for the Player Characters in this campaign and were given to them at Level 1. Feel free to adapt them for your use.

Feat: “Heavenly Gambler” (天命赌徒, Tiānmìng Dǔtú) for Bai Xiao Lan

- 1x Luck-based reroll/short rest, retroactive plot convenience per long rest.

(Actually, i knew this guy from before/ Actually, i've had this dagger from earlier/ Actually, I happened to spot the thing).

Feat: “Unstable Inner Flow” (乱流内劲, Luànliú Nèijìn) for Wu Xiao

- Chi fluctuation (gain/lose Ki unpredictably), Constitution proficiency, and a risk/reward extra unarmed strike.

- When you spend Ki, roll a d6 - 1: Lose an additional Ki, 2-4: No change, 5-6: You regain 1 Ki.

- When you spend Ki on Flurry/Step/Patient, You may get an additional unarmed strike which is reckless.

- When you fail a con save, you may reroll it. Once per long rest.

Feat: “Sword Initiate” (剑入门, Jiàn Shi Rùmén) for Liang Xuanfeng

- Gain Insight-based counters, reaction-based defenses, and choose 1 early Stance.

- Gain Insight proficiency

- Once a turn, when an enemy attacks you, you may use a reaction to make an insight check. If you succeed, you gain +2AC against that enemy's attack until the beginning of your next turn.

- Breaking Blade Stance - Once per Long Rest, you may spend a reaction when an enemy attacks you with a Sword or Axe to reduce damage by 1d10 + Dex mod.

Feat: “Shaolin Exorcist” (少林伏魔, Shàolín Fúmó) for Kuhai

- Grants Turn Undead against Fiends & Spirits, Martial Harmony (Wis-based combat).

Feat: Art of the Wind Dancer for Wu Nga

- Dancer’s Parasol: While wielding an umbrella, it functions as a finesse weapon (1d6 bludgeoning or piercing, player’s choice).

- Evasive Step: When an enemy misses an attack against you, you can use your reaction to move 5 feet without provoking opportunity attacks.

- Parasol Twirl: When an attack misses you by 10 or more, you can use your reaction to twirl the umbrella, redirecting the attack toward another creature within 5 feet (the dancer rerolls the attack against them).

Feat: Song of Vengeance for Wu Ming

- Avenger’s Focus: When an enemy damages an ally within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to give your next attack against them advantage.

- Steadfast Blade (Once per Short Rest): If you start combat with no uses of Bladesong left, you regain one use.

In the martial world of Jianghu, the line between orthodox and unorthodox techniques is not drawn merely in form—but in philosophy, social standing, and the cultivator’s path itself.

These distinctions shape not only the nature of combat, but how one is seen by the world.

Orthodox (正派): The Way of Righteousness

Orthodox techniques represent established lineages, often taught by sects such as Shaolin, Wudang, or Emei.

These schools emphasize balance, restraint, and spiritual discipline, with cultivation rooted in inner peace, harmony with nature, and moral conduct.

Practitioners are often treated with respect and trust. Their martial arts are seen as part of a greater social and moral order, aligning them with imperial forces, religious institutions, or legendary heroes.

Yet orthodoxy is not without its flaws: rigid hierarchy, resistance to innovation, and sometimes, the hypocrisy of those who hide ambition behind virtue.

Unorthodox (邪派): The Path of Rebellion

Unorthodox techniques, by contrast, are often secretive, brutal, or forbidden. They may harness Yin energy, blood, poison, or corrupted Qi. Some stem from demonic pacts, others from ancient lost arts, often developed outside the boundaries of accepted sects.

Those who use them are labeled outlaws, heretics, or monsters, regardless of intent. Unorthodox cultivators might be survivors, revolutionaries, or simply pragmatists—choosing power when virtue fails.

But the path is treacherous: Qi deviation, soul corruption, or loss of humanity are common costs. In many tales, it is not the power itself that is evil—but the price one is willing to pay.

Implications in Jianghu

• Reputation: Using unorthodox techniques may result in social exile—even if the practitioner fights for good.

• Cultivation Risk: Orthodox methods offer stability. Unorthodox paths may yield power quickly, but often come with dangerous spiritual consequences.

• NPC Reactions: Sect leaders, temple guardians, and local magistrates may respond with suspicion—or aggression—toward those who stray from orthodoxy.

• Inner Conflict: Many heroes must ask: Do I uphold the way of righteousness, or do I survive by any means necessary?

In the end, the choice between orthodox and unorthodox is not simply one of martial arts—it is a reflection of the cultivator’s heart, conviction, and place in the world.

Founded by Wang Chongyang, it emphasizes inner cultivation, celibacy, and moral clarity.

Though often viewed as reclusive, its disciples are revered for their deep knowledge of internal martial arts and spiritual refinement.

Their Mystic Sword Style flows with subtle precision—striking not with brute force, but with harmony.

By 1598, Quanzhen remains aloof from Jianghu politics, but its watchers are ever-present.

Yifan, once a disciple of Wudang, is an immortal elf of unmatched cultivation and foresight—more scholar than warrior, though his command over the elements is second to none.

Ku Gang, his opposite in every way, is a former mountain warlord wielding a stone pillar like a cudgel, hiding his history beneath laughter and wine.

And Ah Mu, the emperor who once refused immortality, now walks again—not as sovereign, but as witness.

They have not been summoned by any divine edict. They do not speak in the name of Heaven.

But with Cang Tian guiding them in the shadows, they follow the signs—searching for the reason the Jade Emperor no longer speaks.

• Investigate the situation in Diyu (the Underworld)

• Locate Grandmaster Lin Yue in Xiangyang, Central Plains

• Attend the Wulin Grand Summit at Shaolin Monastery

• Escort Sun Wukong’s mortal form and the Staff of the Great Sage to Mt Putuo and seek Guanyin’s aid

• Find out more about the Bull Demon King's plans

• Investigate Black Woods Cliff

🗡 Liang Xuanfeng’s Quests

• Investigate the origins of your broken family heirloom sword, possibly forged by the same smith as the Heaven Sword

• Reforge the Heaven Sword?

• Learn the truth about Yan Sheng, your grandfather

🔥 Wu Xiao’s Quests

• Discover why your Qi is tied to the Lotus Born, the Third Prince, Ne Zha

🐺 Wu Ming’s Quests

• Avenge the victims of the Huashan Massacre (Optional)

• Reunite with surviving Huashan Sect brothers (Optional)

• Find closure regarding the Huashan Massacre

🌊 Wu Nga’s Quests

• Learn more about your mother’s legacy and her people

• Investigate the sea elves and their link to the Eastern Dragon King

• Discover the truth about Huang Yaoshi, the Eastern Heretic of Peach Blossom Island

🐒 Bai Xiaolan’s Quests

• Live up to the expectations of all your Ancestors

• Return the Staff of the Great Sage to Sun Wukong

• Learn more about General Bai's connection to Black Woods Cliff

☠️ Kuhai’s Quests

• Discover why some spirits cannot return to the cycle of reincarnation

• Learn why deities have been cast out of Heaven

Once a modest skiff, it now rises from the waters as a grand river junk, its lacquered hull gleaming with a serpentine sheen, its sails inscribed with shimmering arcane glyphs.

The Eastern Dragon King’s blessing has awakened its true form, complete with elemental wards and enchanted defenses that hum faintly with suppressed power.

As the vessel glides downriver, the group finds rare respite from their constant trials. They gather atop the deck one moonlit evening to mark the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Though far from home and hunted by fate, they share mooncakes, light simple lanterns, and raise a quiet toast to absent loved ones beneath the full silver moon — its light mirrored gently on the Pearl’s polished surface. It is a brief, fragile moment of warmth and remembrance.

In the days that follow, the heroes turn to deeper matters. With time at last to rest and reflect, they begin studying the Nine Yin Manual. Its cryptic verses and shifting diagrams resist easy understanding, but slowly, progress is made. Some manage to internalize the text’s foundational teachings, awakening subtle flows of inner energy previously dormant.

Wuxiao, still unable to grasp the manual’s qi circulation, turns his attention elsewhere. He devotes himself instead to his brushwork, refining his painting with renewed focus and calm. Wuming, ever introspective, experiments with novel ways to channel his internal strength, drawing inspiration from the shifting currents of the river and the silent wisdom of the Pearl beneath his feet.

Eventually, the group makes landfall and begins their trek toward Mount Wudang. Along the way, they pass through scattered villages and roadside inns, resupplying and trading with locals.

Rumors circulate in hushed tones — of Yao growing bolder, even violent, and of strange gatherings near forgotten ruins. Some whisper of a dark banner rallying the more dangerous among them.

At last, the towering silhouette of Mount Wudang rises before them. As they approach the mountain temple, Wuxiao is halted at the gates by Senior Disciple Qingyun, who demands a duel to test his virtue. Rumors have reached the sect that Wuxiao was complicit in the assassination of General Shen Taiyuan at the Lotus Pavilion. The duel is swift, measured — and telling. Satisfied that Wuxiao’s heart has not strayed, Qingyun grants them entry and leads them to the inner halls.

There, they meet Master Yuxuan, the acting head of the sect, as the Grandmasters have already departed for Shaolin to attend the upcoming Wulin Grand Summit. Yet an undercurrent of unease pervades the monastery.

Wudang’s stance toward the Yao has hardened — they now regard any such creature as a threat to be rooted out without question.

Disciple Yan Wushi, who witnessed the Lotus Pavilion events firsthand, challenges Wuxiao to a formal duel for his honor at dawn. Wuxiao accepts, knowing that words alone will not erase doubt.

Together, Wu Nga, Wuxiao, and Kuhai present their case to Master Yuxuan, declaring their innocence in Shen Taiyuan’s death and stating that their presence is brief — Wuxiao’s true goal is to seek out Grandmaster Mo Xuan, his former guardian.

That afternoon, the heroes cultivate within Wudang’s famed Pools of Pure Yang Energy, the radiant currents offering clarity and renewal. In the stillness of meditation, Bai Xiaolan receives a vision from his ancestor, General Bai, urging him to seek the Black Wood Cliffs before continuing on to Shaolin. Others sense a faint cry for help carried on the spiritual winds — a woman’s voice, claiming she is imprisoned within Wudang’s storehouse.

After a modest dinner, the heroes act. While Wu Nga and Kuhai unleash a swarm of insects near the barracks as distraction, Xiaolan and Xuanfeng slip unseen into the storehouse.

There, they uncover a hidden chamber holding eleven Yao captives — mostly women, children, and commoners, none appearing as warriors. Leading them is Shuo, a fox spirit priestess. She speaks plainly: they are refugees, driven from the ruins of Black Wood Cliffs, taken by Wudang under suspicion. They refused to join the Bull Demon King’s ranks and sought only shelter.

Their protector — the snake spirit, Ah Zi — had hidden them until she too was captured. Shuo believes Ah Zi now lies imprisoned somewhere in the upper halls of the temple.

Though known among the Jianghu as a wandering priestess, her power lies not in divine favor, but in rigorous arcane discipline. She is a scholar of the unseen — a master of talismanic magic, spellcraft, and Daoist alchemy.

With scrolls inked in silver dust and sigils drawn from ancient constellations, she aids the lost and the willing, offering protection, healing, or insight — always for a price, though not always one of coin.

To common folk, she is a mystic; to those who know better, she is a wizard cloaked in ritual and myth, walking the boundary between folklore and true sorcery.

He vanished beyond the Jade Gate with three hundred riders and was never seen again—believed by some to have died in the desert, and by others to have been taken by Heaven for his unwavering loyalty. Among the Bai clan, he is venerated as the founder of the bloodline and the first to bring the family lasting honor.

In spirit, Bai Guang manifests rarely—only when he deems it necessary to correct or command. He appears in dreams or in moments of crisis, clad in time-worn bronze armor, eyes like molten gold, his voice a curt and unyielding bark. He does not advise; he expects obedience.

To Bai Xiao Lan, he is a towering figure of impossible expectation. He demands strength, discipline, and most of all, continuation of the family line. Every moment spent idling, every refusal to take a wife or wield power, is—to him—a betrayal of legacy.

He authored The Principles of Upright Rule, a treatise on integrity in governance that endured long after his disgrace. His refusal to flatter a corrupt prince cost him his post and his freedom; he died under house arrest, unreconciled with the court but revered by later generations.

In spirit, Bai Ren appears draped in plain scholar’s robes, ink-stained fingers clasping a bamboo slip or brush. His voice is measured but laced with disappointment, and his eyes are always searching—judging. He does not demand obedience like Bai Guang, but expects his descendants to understand the moral weight of their choices, and to carry the family name with clarity and conviction.

To Bai Xiao Lan, he is both burden and compass. Bai Ren is less concerned with power than with propriety—less with legacy than with honor. He urges moderation, reflection, and marriage not for glory, but for continuity of virtue. And while he disapproves of sorcery, he tolerates it—for now—so long as it serves a just purpose.

Over the years, she carved her name into legend by slaying bandit kings, toppling crooked magistrates, and vanishing before gratitude could find her. Songs still speak of her duel atop the Red Gorge Bridge, where she severed both her opponent’s sword—and his pride—with a single stroke.

In spirit, Canghe appears as a tall, wind-worn woman in faded traveling robes, her hair loosely tied, her voice low and calm. She carries herself like a storm in quiet retreat—always watchful, always half-ready to draw. Her words to Bai Xiao Lan are often dry with humor, but never unkind.

She has little patience for his ancestor-worship or overthinking; she’d rather see him act, bleed, love, and err honestly.

To Xiao Lan, Bai Canghe is a rare kindred spirit—an ancestor who doesn’t chain him to duty, but challenges him to forge his own legend. She cares little for legacy or marriage, but urges him to live boldly and stand for something beyond survival. “A name is just a ripple,” she once told him. “But a ripple, well-placed, can break the sky.”

When arrested for treason, she sang her final aria on the execution platform—The Drowned Concubine—leaving behind no children, only legend.

In spirit, Bai Xiang Le appears draped in embroidered stage robes, her face half-painted in pale rouge and black lacquer. She speaks like a song: seductive, theatrical, and cutting. She adores Xiao Lan for his sensitivity and wit but despairs at his unwillingness to commit. “Beauty fades,” she often sighs, “but bloodlines end only when the last coward refuses to love.”

To her, legacy is both flame and flesh. Art gives a soul its wings, but lineage anchors it to the world. She insists Xiao Lan must live boldly and marry wisely—not just for the Bai name, but to ensure passion and truth survive in more than memory.

Officially appointed as a minor courier for the provincial court, he dreamed of heroism and honor—but left behind a legacy of misdelivered letters, collapsed bridges, and three accidental fires. His life ended when he attempted to sabotage an enemy boat by lighting it on fire—only to realize, too late, it was his own.

In spirit, Wu Long appears in a courtier’s robe that’s always slightly singed, holding a half-broken fan and smiling sheepishly. He means well—truly—and often tries to offer Bai Xiao Lan advice on diplomacy, romance, or warfare… with predictably awful results.

Despite everything, his heart remains big, and his earnestness strangely endearing. He considers himself the “soul” of the Bai family, if not its brain.

To Xiao Lan, Bai Wu Long is equal parts comic relief and cautionary tale. He insists that intent matters more than outcome, and often waxes poetic about love, fate, and second chances. Though his advice is usually a disaster, he always ends with the same sincere plea: “Just… don’t die like me, alright?”

A generation younger than Chong Xu and Zhao Jingxian, he rose swiftly through the ranks for his unmatched sword precision and his ability to silence conflict before it began. Where others teach through discourse or discipline, Yu teaches through absence—offering few words and even fewer explanations.

He is often away from the main halls of Wudang, walking the forests or mountain ridges alone, returning only when summoned or when his insight is required. While not hostile toward Wu Xiao, Yu Lianzhou keeps his distance, neither investing in the boy’s growth nor opposing it.

To him, Wu Xiao is Mo Yuan’s burden, and interference would disrupt the natural unfolding of the Dao.

Among disciples, Yu Lianzhou’s name inspires awe more than affection. He is respected, even feared, for his ruthless clarity in battle and the quiet way he holds others accountable. Yet beneath his cold demeanor lies a fierce devotion to Wudang’s survival—not its ideals, but its continuity.

He was a junior elder during the battle against Dongfang Bubai and the cult of the Sun Moon Holy Sect, and though he did not face the demon himself, he is among the last living witnesses of that generation’s great upheaval.

Now nearing the end of his life, Chong Xu has withdrawn from active leadership, spending most of his time in quiet seclusion at the Misty Cliff Courtyard—Wudang’s oldest meditation hall. Though frail of body, his voice remains crisp, and his mind sharp as ever. His wisdom is often sought, even when it is reluctantly received.

Unlike Zhao Jingxian, Chong Xu finds Wu Xiao’s presence troubling not because of fear, but because of what the boy represents—a pattern he has seen before: the rise of powers that defy sectarian structure, that reshape the Jianghu.

He does not oppose Wu Xiao’s training, but watches carefully, and speaks little. When he does, his words weigh heavy.

His command of breath, Qi, and mental clarity has shaped generations of meditation halls within the temple. He rarely speaks, and when he does, his words are brief, spare, and deeply unsettling in their accuracy.

Though not known for external combat, Daokong is a living vessel of the Muscle-Tendon Changing Sutra—a foundational discipline that refines both body and spirit.

In moments of necessity, he has been seen to redirect blows with imperceptible motion, and once calmed a berserk warrior with nothing but a glance.

His bearing is severe, his judgments exact, and his martial form without error. He is the temple’s highest authority in the Arhat Staff Techniques, drilled into him through decades of tireless repetition and austerity.

His signature technique is Crossing the River Without a Boat—a deceptively simple form that uses timing, footwork, and relentless pressure to disrupt and dominate. No wasted movement. No forgiveness. Just order rendered through motion.

He is a master of the Drunken Arhat Style, a winding, swaying method that conceals deadly accuracy beneath apparent clumsiness.

Chengxin is also highly skilled in Shaolin’s pressure point strikes, used to disable limbs or stabilize injuries with a touch.

His kindness masks a surgical precision—one that can end a fight before it begins, or save a life with the same calm hands.

His signature technique, the Toad Aspect Technique, made his strikes explosive and grotesquely powerful—capable of crippling foes in a single motion.

He was a man driven not only by ambition, but by paternal devotion. His only son, Ouyang Ke, was central to his plans: groomed as heir, intended to marry into a prestigious family, and raised with all the cold precision of a legacy being forged. But when his son died, Ouyang Feng's already twisted path descended into obsession.

In his desperation to master the legendary Nine Yin Sutra, he was tricked into practicing it in reverse—a method that shattered his mind. Though raving and incoherent, he remained fearsomely lethal until his final days.

He died some time in the mid-13th century, having left behind no proper successor. Yet in the darker corners of Jianghu, his name still lingers—spoken in tones of both fear and awe.

It is said that even in madness, Ouyang Feng achieved a martial clarity few dared to pursue… but at the cost of his soul.

It emulates the crouched, coiled violence of a giant toad, using internal qi to twist the body into unnatural tension before releasing it in explosive, bone-crushing strikes. The practitioner compresses their qi in the lower dantian and spine, arching into a grotesque stance with bulging eyes, hunched back, and distended throat.

When released, this coiled force can send enemies flying, rupture internal organs, or pulverize stone walls. But its most feared trait lies not in its strikes—but in its belch. At higher levels, the practitioner can emit a noxious expulsion of toxic mist from the throat, a half-physical, half-qi discharge.

This venomous belch can numb limbs, blister skin, or even blight crops if unleashed near the ground. The poison’s composition varies by the user’s cultivation—some even feed on snakes and toads to “refine” its strength.

While this happens, Wuming enters the storehouse and assists Xuanfeng and Xiaolan in helping the Yao escape. Fox Spirit Shuo and her disciple guide the group with concealment techniques, allowing them to safely flee back toward Black Wood Cliffs.

Once the refugees are away, the group regathers and stealthily enters the monastery building. Inside, they find Ah Zi imprisoned in a secluded chamber, guarded by a Daoist exorcist from the Kunlun sect. They had not seen him before — and it is strange for a Kunlun cultivator to be operating within Wudang.

The heroes quickly defeat him and render him unconscious. Before the fight, the Daoist had instructed Wudang disciples not to disturb him while he worked. Using this as cover, the group returns quietly to their guest quarters. They tell Ah Zi to escape and close the doors behind her. They agree to reunite with her later at Black Wood Cliffs.

The next morning, Wuxiao attends the honor duel with Yan Wushi. Before the duel begins, the Kunlun contingent arrives, led by Master Tian — a cultivator with immense internal energy.

Master Tian praises the Wudang disciples for capturing Yao, claiming it hinders the Bull Demon King’s recruitment. After exchanging formalities, the duel begins.

On the first strike, Wushi attempts to poison Wuxiao using a ring on his finger. Wuxiao dodges the attack and calls out the foul, retreating behind Master Yuxuan. Wushi then unleashes a cone-shaped qi blast using the forbidden Aspect of the Toad technique.

Master Tian immediately uses a divine finger technique to paralyze Wushi by striking his acupoints. The heroes move to aid the injured Wudang elders.

Master Yuxuan berates Wushi, declaring that using the Aspect of the Toad — a technique once used by the infamous Western Poisoner, Ouyang Feng — is grounds for expulsion.

Master Tian offers to take Wushi into Kunlun’s custody and bring him before the Grandmasters at the Shaolin Summit. Wuxiao objects, saying Wushi’s fate belongs to Wudang. Master Yuxuan agrees, and Wushi is sent to the sect prison.

Wuxiao visits Wushi in his cell and learns that a masked stranger taught him the technique in secret over many weeks, meeting in a secluded area behind the farms lower on the mountain. As Wuxiao leaves, Wushi swears he will one day kill him.

Before Kunlun can discover the unconscious Daoist, the group departs Wudang and investigates the training site. Using divination, Kuhai learns the masked figure is currently traveling to the Shaolin Grand Summit.

With that, the group decides to meet Ah Zi at Black Wood Cliffs before continuing on to Shaolin.

Xuanfeng and Xiaolan explain that the Aspect of the Toad was the signature technique of the legendary figure Ouyang Feng — the Western Poisoner.

Master Tian Wujin (天无尽) has quickly become the leading figure of the Kunlun Sect — calm in bearing, precise in action, and unwavering in purpose.

Though Kunlun remains a diminished sect, Tian Wujin’s rise has brought it renewed recognition.

He has led swift, decisive campaigns against Yao and demon cults, appearing time and again to save besieged villages and border settlements. His presence is marked by discipline, restraint, and overwhelming force — a hero forged not by acclaim, but by necessity.

His philosophy is clear: the world teeters on the brink of collapse, and only the total eradication of demonic forces can restore balance. Cultivation, in his eyes, is not for personal transcendence, but for righteous correction.

Now, Tian Wujin travels to the Shaolin Grand Summit, seeking the title of First Under Heaven. With it, he intends to unite the scattered sects under one banner and lead a crusade against the growing chaos.

To the people, he is a savior.

To the sects, a rising power.

To Jianghu, a name that cannot be ignored.

Once the stronghold of the Sun Moon Sect (日月神教), it rose again in 1560 when Ren Woxing reclaimed leadership after the fall of Dongfang Bubai. For five years, from the heights of Black Woods Cliff, Ren Woxing rallied followers and challenged the orthodox sects with unmatched ferocity.

But his second reign ended in blood.

In 1565, a coalition of martial heroes led by General Shen Taiyuan marched upon the cliff in a final campaign. The fortress was stormed, Ren Woxing was slain, and the Sun Moon Sect was destroyed. The cliff was left abandoned, its gates sealed, its name etched into the history of rebellion and defeat.

For decades, Black Woods Cliff remained silent — avoided by pilgrims, feared by sect disciples, untouched even by looters. Stone halls still stand, their banners long rotted. Lantern hooks hang empty. The air is still, as if holding its breath.

In recent years, following the onset of the Celestial Crisis, the area has changed.

The nearby mountain town, once a border post, has become a haven for non-human cultivators — fox spirits, snake demons, and Yao-blooded exiles seeking refuge from persecution. Though they avoid the cliff itself, they live in its shadow, tending their wounded and hiding from sect patrols.

This is not written in defense, but in truth.
The blade that struck General Shen was not ours; no man of Hetu Ala carried it, nor did our chieftain Nurhaci give the order.

We ask you to look not only to the northern border, But also to the obscured corridors of your own court.

There are whispers of a eunuch in the Inner Court, whose hand reaches too far, whose practices are not passed by teacher or tradition, and stray from the proper path.

Let no false arrow fly north.

Humbly submitted by a loyal servant under the banners of Nurhaci, Hetu Ala.

The dough, made from rough-ground wheat and millet flour, is slightly yellowed and dense, steamed over worn clay pots lined with cabbage leaves.

Among the laborers and porters of Jingzhou, such bao are eaten quickly at roadside stalls or temple fairs — cheap, filling, and heavy with the tang of preserved fat.

Though the meat is sparse, it is laced with ginger and garlic, and the broth soaks into the bun’s base, making it soft and savory. A poor man’s meal, but a warm one.

Armor glinted in the dark, and Jurchen bodies lay broken among slain Ming soldiers. From the carnage, they surmised that an Imperial detachment had intercepted and obliterated a Jurchen diplomatic mission.

Among the dead, one Jurchen yet clung to life. Gasping through bloodied lips, he pressed a scroll case into Bai Xiaolan’s hands and begged that it be delivered to Lady Zhao — before slipping into death.

With delicate fingers, Xiaolan loosened the seal and read the missive: a message from within Nurhaci’s inner circle. It declared the Jurchens bore no hand in the death of General Shen, and that the real culprit was a eunuch within the Ming Court — a revelation that could prevent war, or ignite it.

Calling upon his qi, Kuhai sent a whisper across the wind to Lady Zhao. Her reply came swift and grim: she would expect them in Hangzhou. For now, she urged caution.

The heroes pressed onward.

Two days later, they arrived at the village nestled at the base of Black Woods Cliff. The ruined settlement had been quietly reclaimed by the yao refugees they had rescued. Though their welcome was warm, a new complication awaited: a splinter cell of the Beggar Sect had taken shelter in the village’s ancestral shrine, awaiting the recovery of a wounded comrade.

Xiaolan sought out the Fox Priestess Shuo. Their conversation was light, almost flirtatious, and they agreed to meet later by the pond under starlight. Meanwhile, Ah Zi — ever practical — had established herself in the village market, managing supplies and logistics.

Reunited at last, the heroes shared their theory: that General Shen’s death was a ruse, and that the man himself sought the Mandate of Heaven — perhaps even the Celestial Throne. Ah Zi, still indebted to the heroes, pledged her aid and promised to pass word to Ah Mu, Kugang, and Song Yifan.

Their talk was interrupted by the arrival of Snake Priestess Bai, who informed Ah Zi that a weekly food tribute was being sent to the ruined Sun Moon Holy Cult fortress at the mountain’s peak — an offering to pacify restless spirits rumored to be behind recent disappearances. Curious, the heroes resolved to investigate the fortress at dawn.

But first, they visited the shrine.

At its gate, they were halted by two beggars until Kuhai spoke the name of Elder Xie. Granted an audience, they found the old wanderer still sharp of wit, and grateful for their help in healing the wounded Beggar Lu.

The conversation turned toward the upcoming Shaolin summit, which Elder Xie mockingly called the “Great Wulin Farce.” Over wine and laughter, he shared word of the Beggar Sect’s unrest — the Clean and Tattered factions drifting apart in the absence of their vanished leader, who was last seen headed toward Shaolin.

Later, Wuxiao and a younger beggar named Zheng stepped outside to spar, trading styles and testing skills. Elsewhere, Xiaolan made his way to the pond. On the path through the market, the ancestral spirit of General Bai appeared, chiding him for consorting with a fox spirit. Xiaolan gave no reply, choosing instead to follow his heart.

At the water’s edge, under silver moonlight, he and Priestess Shuo shared wine and questions. She asked if he, like most humans, believed all yao to be untrustworthy. Xiaolan's answer was simple — that good and evil were not bound to race or spirit, but to choice. Moved by his words, Priestess Shuo agreed to join their quest, hoping to resolve the celestial unrest that threatened all beings, human or otherwise.

The next morning, the heroes climbed Black Woods Cliff.

Along the way, they passed the returning tribute patrol, who had left meat baozi and a whole chicken at the fortress steps — a strange offering for spirits. Their climb was long and treacherous, ending at the summit tunnel that led to the ruined stronghold of the Sun Moon Holy Cult.

Emerging from the shadows, they beheld three enormous statues: the effaced, androgynous figure of Invincible East; the musician Qu Yang, sage-like and poised; and the fallen cult leader Ren Woxing, cast in austere dignity. Magical energy lingered faintly around the statues, but their purpose was unclear.

They pressed on.

Crossing the massive stone span that bridged the two halves of the mountain, they began to approach the fortress gates.

Behind them, stone groaned.

The statues began to move.

As the heroes crossed the stone span toward the ruined fortress of the Sun Moon Divine Cult, the statues of its former leaders came to life. Without proper rites or acknowledgment, they moved to kill all trespassers.

Kuhai remained behind, summoning spirits and a swarm of insects to slow their advance. Once the others reached the far side, the heroes turned back to assist him. Working together, they sent two statues falling into the gorge and shattered the statue of Qu Yang using a magical force bead and Wuming’s spectral hound, Dog.

With the statues neutralized, the heroes entered the fortress.

In the courtyard, they observed the remains of what had once been a grand gathering ground. The space had been used by Cultmaster Ren Woxing and, for a time, the Invincible East to address thousands of followers. The fortress appeared abandoned, but the heroes proceeded with caution.

Inside, they discovered human corpses in various states of decay. Many showed signs of having been partially eaten. Some were missing their skulls. The heroes also located a large cache of stored goods: gold ingots, jewelry, preserved food, and barrels of gunpowder.

Upon examining the bodies, Kuhai identified injuries consistent with the Nine Yin Bone Claw, a forbidden technique from the corrupted Nine Yin Manual. He confirmed the killer was a cannibal.

Wuming noted that since the local yao had begun leaving food offerings at the base of the mountain, the number of half-eaten abductees had sharply decreased.

In the cult’s sanctum, the heroes encountered a man dressed as an apothecary. He was deranged and hostile.

After a brief battle, the heroes defeated him. They determined that he had once been a Divine Healer, but had gone mad from studying a corrupted version of the Nine Yin Manual. However, he had stayed in the fortress to keep someone alive.

A secret passage behind the sanctum led deeper into the mountain.

In a lower chamber, the heroes found an ancient man suspended by meathooks between four stone pillars.

Each hook had been placed to suppress his meridiens, preventing him from using martial arts. He resembled Ren Woxing, the former cult leader.

General Bai appeared to Xiaolan and claimed the man had taken the Oath of Generals, binding his soul to the Emperor.

Kuhai and Wuming disagreed, noting that Ren Woxing had never served the Empire.

While investigating the chamber, Wuming found a broken jar and recognized it as a possible vessel for soul transference...

Seven survivors slipped through the flames that night. All were children—frightened, hungry, and unsure of their future.

The eldest, Yue Ronglie, led them into the sect’s hidden tunnels beneath Huashan’s crumbling halls, narrowly evading the Imperial soldiers that scoured the mountain. The youngest, Wu Ming, was barely able to walk—his terrified cries threatening to give them away as they fled into the wilderness.

Huddled beneath the stars in a forest clearing, they swore a blood pact: to live, grow stronger, and take vengeance on those who had brought their sect low.

But as the weeks of flight turned to months of wandering, the group fractured. Hunger and fear gnawed at their resolve.

Yue Ronglie and the older survivors, fearing for Wu Ming’s safety, left him in the care of an elderly couple in the quiet village of Niu Jia Cun. They hoped he would grow up far from Jianghu’s bloodshed and intrigue.

In time, the brothers and sisters went their separate ways, each pursuing a different vision of vengeance:

The Seven Survivors

🌙 Yue Ronglie (The Eldest)

• The leader of the escape. Steadfast and loyal, he hopes that his brothers and sister will one day reunite to complete their oath.

🌸 Lin Yuhsien (The Outcast)

• The illegitimate daughter of Elder Lin Nizi. Last known as a seamstress’ apprentice in Xiangyang, hiding from those who might hunt her for her lineage.

⚔ Kang Ruizi (The Avenger)

• Fierce and hot-headed. Last known to have joined the Sect of Pure Righteousness, seeking the strength to confront Imperial power.

🏔 Xie Tingzhen (The Strategist)

• Calm and calculating. Said to have joined the Kunlun Sect, where he studies both martial and scholarly arts.

☯ Zhou Rongxin (The Loyal Blade)

• Principled and disciplined. Also joined the Sect of Pure Righteousness. Recently sighted at Chunyang Palace, where he delivered a warning to Wu Ming of an assassination plot against Yan Sheng.

🪷 Yu Zhe (The Mystic)

• The most spiritually inclined of the group. Rumored to have sought enlightenment within the Kunlun Sect, though his whereabouts remain uncertain.

🐺 Wu Ming (The Youngest)

• Once left behind for his own protection, he grew into a wandering swordsman of no fixed allegiance. Last seen traveling with an elven maiden from lands beyond Jianghu.

Their Oath Remains Unfulfilled

Though years have passed, the massacre at Huashan still casts a long shadow. The seven survivors, scattered across Jianghu, have yet to reunite. Each walks their own path—some burning with vengeance, others haunted by the ghosts of their past.

When the Heaven Sword’s fragments resurface and whispers of Imperial conspiracies echo through the land, the Brothers and Sisters of Huashan may find their fates intertwined once more…

This revelation suggested that the crimes laid at Shen’s feet—including the Huashan Massacre—may in truth have been orchestrated by Ren himself. Mastery of the Nine Yin Manual, or some corrupted form of it, had allowed the former cult leader to survive in another body, pulling Jianghu’s strings from the shadows.

In the Cultmaster’s private quarters, the heroes uncovered a hidden cache containing a fragment of the Nine Yin Celestial Manual. Though incomplete, the pages hinted at forbidden techniques capable of reshaping flesh and soul alike.

Returning to the lower chamber, the group chose to act with compassion. They carefully removed the meathooks pinning Ren’s body to the pillars and performed rites to lay him to rest. As the final prayers echoed in the cold stone hall, they felt Shen Taiyuan’s displaced spirit stir—untethered at last. With Wuming’s spectral hound, Dog, acting as a guide, the general’s soul departed to the afterlife, leaving behind only silence.

With Elder Xie and the Beggar Sect in tow, the heroes departed the ruined fortress, beginning a week-long journey to Shaolin Monastery for the Wulin Grand Summit.

Along the winding roads of Songshan Mountain, they observed banners bearing Wudang’s crest fluttering in the valley winds—their contingent had already arrived and set camp lower down the slopes.

Upon reaching Shaolin, Kuhai secured an audience with Abbot Yuanjing and Chan Master Dao Kong. The Shaolin elders demanded answers for Kuhai’s actions at the Lotus Pavilion, particularly the infamous moment when he cast the Dragon Saber into the West Lake. Kuhai admitted his rashness and bowed his head in contrition.

Chan Master Dao Kong intervened before the Abbot could pass judgment, suggesting that Kuhai’s punishment wait until after the Summit. Privately, Kuhai revealed troubling news to Dao Kong: the Hells were no longer accepting souls, and the Dharma cycle itself seemed broken. He also mentioned Wu Xiao, who might bear a connection to the Third Lotus Prince.

At the mention of Ao Guang and Ao Bing, Dao Kong’s brow furrowed—Ao Bing’s soul, he explained, was said to have been trapped in the Hells long ago.

As penance for his misdeeds and as a means to seek clarity about the Celestial Crisis, Dao Kong sentenced Kuhai to sweep and tend the Great Shaolin Library in preparation for the sect’s honored guests.

Meanwhile, Wu Xiao visited his shifu, Grandmaster Mo Yuan, at Wudang’s encampment. The two shared a quiet, tender reunion. Mo Yuan recounted how, twenty years prior, a mysterious nun had left the child in Wudang’s care, entrusting him to the mountain’s teachings so he might find balance. Yet Mo Yuan warned of the turbulent politics within Wudang, where other Grandmasters disapproved of Wu Xiao and could obstruct the young monk’s path to a greater destiny.

Xuanfeng, Xiaolan, Wu Nga, and Wuming explored the pagodas and temples of Shaolin. In their wandering, Wu Nga noted the faint traces of elven influence woven into the monastery’s artifacts and architecture—subtle yet undeniable echoes of a forgotten age.

Later that night, at Mo Yuan’s request, Wu Xiao gathered his companions to meet the Grandmaster. Together they pieced together a chilling truth: Wu Xiao carried within him the essence of Nezha, the Third Lotus Prince. Kuhai’s insights confirmed the fear—that a celestial legend slumbered in their companion’s soul.

To protect Wu Xiao’s journey from interference, Grandmaster Mo Yuan solemnly disavowed him from Wudang, placing the monk’s fate in the hands of his traveling companions.

Mo Yuan also theorizes that if Ao Bing's soul has left the Hells, something else must have taken its place, as the Hells are known to keep a very strict watch over their charges. But this is refuted by Kuhai, who informs that the Dharmic cycle has been broken, and the Hells may not be as efficient as before.

Before parting, Mo Yuan asked the question that now weighed heavy on Wu Xiao’s heart:

“When the time comes, and Nezha demands his power back… will you surrender yourself to a Celestial Legend, even if it means your own destruction?”

Two Days Before the Grand Summit

The Sect of Pure Righteousness arrived with twenty disciples, followed by the Iron Dragons Sect with a contingent of thirty. The air grew tense as both sects seemed to stare daggers at one another.

Wu Ming was approached by his former Huashan brother, Zhou Rongxin, who invited him to meet that night at the South Pavilion along the mountain road.

Wu Nga encountered a group of traveling minstrels led by the bard Situ Yuyang, who showed a keen interest in her elven heritage. Yuyang spoke of a legend in which an elven musician once moved the cold heart of the Eastern Dragon King with an unfinished song. Wondering if the melody would ever be completed, he shared his musings with Wu Nga. In turn, she taught him the song discovered in Guo Xiang’s tomb, and they agreed to perform it together that evening at the inn.

Later, as the group sat at their table, a waiter slipped Bai Xiaolan a folded note requesting his presence at the Beggar Sect camp that night. The message, sealed with Elder Xie’s mark, instructed him to come alone.

That evening, Wu Ming met Zhou Rongxin at the pavilion, where Kang Ruizi, another Huashan survivor, awaited him. Kang challenged Wu Ming to a duel to test the skills he had gained over twenty years. Their fight was interrupted by Zhou, who revealed that more Huashan brothers would be attending the Grand Summit, some among the ranks of Kunlun.

When Wu Ming expressed doubt that Yan Sheng was truly behind the Huashan Massacre, Kang dismissed his concerns, insisting that everyone involved should die, mastermind or not. Zhou urged patience, suggesting they wait for Yue Ronglie—the eldest of their group—whose arrival in a day would settle their course of action. For now, they drank together, the night heavy with old grudges and uncertain loyalties.

Meanwhile, Bai Xiaolan met Elder Xie in private but brought Wu Xiao along, much to the elder’s annoyance. Xie accused Xiaolan of stealing the Beggar Sect’s Dog Beating Staff, which he claimed had been disguised by a powerful enchantment as the magistrate’s rod. Xiaolan denied it until Xie dispelled the magic, revealing the truth.

As the two dueled for the legendary weapon, Xiaolan accidentally channeled its power, summoning the spirit of Hong Qigong, a former Sect Leader. The ghostly master laid the matter to rest. Though Elder Xie acknowledged the staff’s choice, he argued that Xiaolan lacked both the legacy and the Dog Beating Staff technique to claim leadership—an outcome Xiaolan did not desire either. Wu Xiao countered that if the staff had chosen him, perhaps it was destiny. Elder Xie agreed to delay bringing the matter to the Sect Elders until after the Grand Summit and re-applied the enchantment to disguise the staff.

At the inn, Wu Nga performed with Situ Yuyang and his minstrels. Together, they played a heroic rendition of the Legend of the Condor Heroes, inspiring those present to rekindle their belief in Xia, the heart of Jianghu’s code.

One Day Before the Grand Summit

The Kunlun and Emei sects arrived at Shaolin. Among Kunlun’s ranks was Yan Wushi, formerly of Wudang, now dressed in Kunlun colors.

That evening, tensions flared at the inn when Quanzhen disciples and Sect of Pure Righteousness disciples nearly came to blows. Wu Nga stepped in and convinced them to take their grievances outside, but before a fight could erupt, Master Tian Wujin intervened. With a powerful burst of Qi, he disabled all the fighters and rebuked them, saying their actions were unrighteous and dishonorable. He told them that if they had grievances, they should settle them at the Grand Summit tomorrow.

Afterwards, Master Tian approached the heroes directly. He asked if they knew anything about a missing Kunlun exorcist at Wudang. Bai Xiaolan denied any involvement. Tian then toasted them as the legendary heroes of Emei Mountain and bought them a round of drinks before departing, leaving the group with the uneasy sense that the matter was far from resolved.

Xuanfeng was approached by Disciple Yue Chan of Emei, who confessed that the Grand Abbess disapproved of their relationship and reminded her of her vows as a nun. Together, they decided she would leave Emei and flee with him, leaving sect politics behind for the sake of their love.

That night, Wu Ming sought out his Huashan brothers again to hear their decision on Yan Sheng, while Yue Chan visited Xuanfeng in his quarters.

The two lovers spoke of abandoning Jianghu and of Xuanfeng’s plan to contest for First Under Heaven. They spent the night together, sealing their resolve with intimacy.

But in the morning, Xuanfeng woke to find Yue Chan gone—and with her, the hilt of the Heaven Sword, his family’s heirloom.