Hell has fallen, the boundary between yin and yang has shattered, and ghosts are running rampant across the human world. A once-glorious civilization has collapsed, leaving only nine great cities clinging to survival in the darkness. In this apocalyptic age, spiritual qi revival begins and hidden realms reappear. The forces of the three realms, the lofty immortals, the evil spirits lurking beneath the earth, and the ancestors who protect humanity, each unveil their own paths of cultivation, all seeking to control this chaotic world.
The protagonist has survived among the ruins since childhood, walking the line between life and death as a "bone scavenger," unaware that the blood of the Ghost King flows through his veins. During an expedition into a hidden realm, he meets the heir of humanity's ancestors, a rebellious and haughty disciple of the Daoist sect, as well as the offspring of the Divine King, a cold and taciturn descendant of the Heavenly Court. The three travel together through the nine cities, uncovering the truth of the world through one life-and-death trial after another: the immortals are no saviors, but the masterminds behind the scenes. They broke open Hell only to harvest humanity's faith and fear.
As the protagonist's Ghost King bloodline awakens, the three fall out over their differing allegiances and each goes their own way. But when the immortals' plan to destroy the world finally unfolds, the former companions must join forces once more, uniting the last remnants of humanity and the ghost clans to launch a final rebellion against the gods. This is a war for survival and faith, and the protagonist must choose: become a new god, or shatter the chains of this cycle once and for all?
Dark cultivation, hidden-realm exploration, and epic political intrigue: a grand saga of betrayal, redemption, and defying fate.
