The Mountains and Seas in This Life

Shanhai: The Modern Age Preface Long before the Xia Dynasty, the rare treasures and strange beasts described in the Classic of Mountains and Seas had already appeared. Some could breathe fire, some could summon water, and others could ride the clouds and summon wind, thunder, and lightning. After a great cataclysm, most of these beasts became divine souls, while some became blood essences that randomly fused with human beings. A divine soul is part of a strange beast's soul, imbued with its power. A person can have one to three divine souls, but only one blood essence. Even when they come from the same kind of beast, differences in form can mean differences in strength. For instance, a person with the divine soul of a Nine-Tailed Fox is fundamentally stronger than someone with the Nine-Tailed Fox's blood essence. Divine souls and blood essences can both awaken soul weapons and blood weapons, which can transform into countless kinds of weapons according to their users' wishes. Divine souls and blood essences can also be combined to form a blood-soul weapon, with the soul weapon enhancing the blood weapon that serves as its base. The bloodlines of three mighty figures have also been passed down: the Yellow Emperor, the Flame Emperor, and Chi You. Each of the three exists in three forms: divine soul, blood essence, and bloodline. Their soul weapons, blood weapons, and bloodline weapons are fixed forms, based on the weapons they wielded in life. A bloodline can summon the true weapon its bearer used in life, and the purer the bloodline, the more obedient the weapon. And so, the story of Shanhai: The Modern Age begins. I'm the Fool. See you next time.