Core Worldbuilding
Beneath the surface of modern cities lies the “Inner World,” which has endured for five thousand years.
China is crisscrossed by earth veins, the source of the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and the foundation of the mortal world's order. They are also natural cages that seal away the tainted spirits.
“Tainted spirits” arise from a fusion of human negative emotions, the obsessions of those who died unjustly, and turbid energy leaking from the earth veins. Ordinary people cannot see or sense them, but the spirits can drain their vitality and control their minds. Many bizarre disappearances, sudden accidental deaths, and extreme violent incidents in the cities are connected to them.
The Line of Vein Guardians has watched over the earth veins, slain tainted spirits, and protected the order of the mortal world for generations. They coexist with the official organization responsible for concealing the truth about the Inner World and preserving stability in ordinary society: the Xuan'an Bureau.
The central conflict: A thousand-year-old seal is gradually weakening, and the Nine Calamities Tainted Emperor is about to break free. A villainous organization is stoking the crisis, while a traitor lurks within the official ranks. Ji Yun, the last of the Vein Guardians, was meant to shoulder everything alone. But after meeting Wen Wan, he defies the fate that every Vein Guardian must sacrifice themselves and finds a new path to protect the world.
