The Supreme Swordmaster

Year Three of Tianyou, Great Yong.

The Gaozong Emperor suddenly dies, and his only son, seven-year-old Duanmu Yun, ascends the throne. With a young ruler and a doubtful realm, the people are uneasy.

Powerful enemies circle from outside, local magnates remain unreconciled within, and vassal princes are ready to make their move. The realm teeters on the brink of collapse.

The regent, Princess Duanmu Jin, overrules all opposition and expands the imperial examinations to recruit worthy talents from across the land.

Jiang Feng, taking part in the provincial examination, pokes his head out of a water vat. What greets him is a world of ruins left by a great fire.

In this world, Confucian cultivation has declined, martial arts flourish, and Buddhism, Daoism, and demons coexist.