The Broken Blade's Journey, Part One

Setting: The waning years of the Dayong Dynasty. Imperial authority has fallen into decline, and eunuchs hold power. The Tianji Pavilion secretly controls the martial world, while the martial alliance leader is nothing but its puppet.

* Central conflict: A broken saber called Sin Song is said to conceal the treasures of the previous dynasty and the secret of the peerless martial art Formless Heavenly Art. The imperial court’s hounds, the righteous and wicked factions of the martial world, and reclusive sects all vie for it.

* Martial arts system: The story progresses from low martial arts to high martial arts. Early on, it focuses on breaking down techniques and inner force; later, it explores spiritual realms and resonance with the energy of heaven and earth.

* Character profiles:

* Male lead: Shen Changfeng. Outwardly, he is a down-and-out bookkeeper at the Drunken Immortal House. In truth, he is the sole survivor of the Listening Rain House, wiped out ten years ago. Patient and possessed of a dry sense of humor, he wields a blunt iron ruler.

* Female lead: Su Hongyi. The Demon Cult’s holy maiden, she acts capriciously and is neither wholly righteous nor wholly wicked. She enters the Central Plains to unravel the mystery of her origins.