The Five Elements and Eight Gates

After Pangu split heaven and earth, the world was divided into three divine realms: the Heavenly Realm, the Underworld, and the Mortal Realm.

The Heavenly Realm, commonly known as the Celestial Palace, is governed by the Jade Emperor. The many gods under his command control the wind, rain, thunder, and lightning, the blooming and withering of flowers, and the rising and setting of the sun in the Mortal Realm.

The Underworld, commonly known as the Netherworld, is governed by the King of Hell. He oversees the spirits and ghosts of the Heavenly and Mortal Realms, guiding them to reincarnation and meting out the trials and blessings of their next lives according to the good and evil they did in their previous ones.

The Mortal Realm, commonly known as the human world, is ruled by the Human Emperor. The people once lived in peace and prosperity, free from worry. But when Pangu split heaven and earth, he left behind a wheel of an axe, which transformed into a demon named Chiyou. Disdainful of the Human Emperor's way of ruling the world, Chiyou recruited troops and established his own domain. After years of fighting, the Human Emperor's forces finally defeated Chiyou's people. Though he had won a great victory, the Human Emperor realized that, apart from himself, all the ministers around him slowly grew old and feeble as the years passed, until every one of them died. He ascended to Heaven to question the Jade Emperor, seeking a way to live forever. The Jade Emperor...

This novel and its characters are entirely fictional. Any resemblance to actual people or events is purely coincidental. Do not imitate.