Under the vast canopy of the cosmos, where ancient stars seemed closer than the clouds, lay the Six Heavenly Rivers Continent. Here, spiritual Qi was so dense it was not merely absorbed, but flowed like six gigantic rivers that sustained all life. This land was carved by legend, a place where humanity trod the long path toward immortality. That path was not a fairy tale whispered in the market, but an ambition that demanded a steep price: untold sacrifice, steel-hard discipline, and ingenuity that surpassed ordinary morality. Among the millions of souls bound by the old order, a single, supposedly impossible, thread of destiny began to shift.
For millennia, the foundation of this continent was guarded by the Seven Pillars of Power, an alliance of great clans born from the totems of the Ancient Spiritual Insects and the philosophies that shaped civilization. They were the guardians of balance. Yet, just as the highest mountains crack under the assault of time, these pillars too began to waver. This morning, even the sky gave a warning: the entire continent witnessed a silver fissure suddenly gape open in the eastern sky, before vanishing without a trace. Inherently, the Tiān Yì Jiàn Pài (Heirs of the Beetle Wing) held the Heavenly Mandate—the supreme authority that enforced law and military honor. But now, that Mandate was merely an empty label covering decay. This great sword clan was a sleeping old giant, sinking into stagnation and putrefying corruption. The elders were now busy preserving the purity of their bloodline and the outdated status of the main families. Geniuses from side families, even commoners, were discarded and had their opportunities destroyed. The vacuum of power they created became a gaping hole that threatened to swallow the entire continent.
The void left by Tiān Yì was swiftly seized by ambitious parties. Fēng Nián Shāng Zōng (The Golden Bees), the continent's economic monarchs, controlled the flow of goods and monopolized the price of Pills and vital materials. Spiritual economic stability began to crumble, replaced by stinging greed. At the same time, Líng Jī Gōng Fāng (The Clever Dragonfly Clan) led a wave of innovation with high-ranking formations and mechanical technology. They dreamed of changing the face of the world, but their revolutionary ideas were flatly rejected by Tiān Yì traditionalists, creating a burning friction ready to ignite.
Behind the scenes, Huā Jìng Yào Shī (The Praying Mantises) expanded their influence in silence, trading secret information, manipulating allies and foes, and treating rare Pills as dark currency to control the continent's politics. From the snowy regions, Bīng Lǜ Fǎ Tíng (The Ice Butterflies) remained isolated, clinging strictly to Heavenly Law. They descend the mountain only when the balance is threatened, but their cold and unreachable demeanor makes them perceived as arrogant observers in the eyes of many clans.
But the greatest threat did not come from the north or the center. Far to the south, the Yīn Wō Xì Zōng (The Dark Spider Clan), exiled for blood practices and forbidden techniques, was quietly building a brutal military force. Just last night, three northern border posts collapsed, the victims found trapped in dark Qi webs, bloodlessly desiccated. Their burning hatred for the other six Clans now consolidated into a single ambition: total war. The continent now trembles, holding its breath, awaiting the approaching red storm, ready to tear apart the remnants of peace.
Amidst this cracked stage of power, far from the political turmoil, stood the Yún Fēng Shū Yuàn (Cloud Peak Academy). Led by Master Tiān Wú, the only Heavenly Mandate cultivator who refused the dirty games of power, this academy became an oasis of idealism—as well as a living critique of the Clans' decay. This was a sanctuary of knowledge and the Universal Dao, where talented young people from across the continent sought learning, hoping to find a different path from the generations before them.
Upon this stage of conflict stood the long path to immortality: the Stairway to Immortality, an order that defines a cultivator's entire life. This path begins at the Mortal Tier with Qi Hardening, Spirit Circulation, and Spirit Condensation—the foundation for the disciples of the major factions. After that, the Profound Tier unfolds, where one is truly recognized as a genuine cultivator. Here, Heavenly Foundation provides basic spells, Spirit Transformation allows energy to change shape, and Profound Peak grants longevity and the ability to fly, marking their departure from ordinary human life. The pinnacle is the Immortal Tier; with Soul Formation, the body and soul transcend aging. As a Dao Leader, one holds a unique Dao path, and at the highest peak—Heavenly Mandate—one becomes the ruler of nature and comprehends the cosmos in its entirety.
The Heavenly Mandate—the ultimate authority now held by the corrupt clan. The system built by the Ancient Gods is now rotting from within, while a totalitarian threat crawls from without. To end the era of stagnation and prevent total annihilation, this continent does not just need a leader to seize the title. It needs someone who can see the code behind the cosmos, someone with the vision to reform the spiritual laws and order. The Six Heavenly Rivers Continent holds its breath, awaiting not the heir, but The Architect of the New Heavenly Mandate.
A new era is preparing to be born—amidst ambition, ruin, and the dream of immortality.