A Confluence of Storms in Chang'an

In the twenty-third year of the Zhenguan reign of the Great Tang, on the eve of the Shangyuan Festival, undercurrents stirred through Chang'an.

While on a night patrol, Lu Lingfeng, junior minister of the Court of Judicial Review, saw a blood-soaked courier gallop in from the western part of the city. With his dying breath, the courier pressed a jade token engraved with the words "Xuanming" into Lu Lingfeng's hand. Hidden behind the token was the mystery of a thousand-year-old underground palace left by Xuanming Zhenren, the former dynasty's Imperial Preceptor. It was also tied to the truth behind the death of Lu Lingfeng's father, Lu Chengqing, who had died in prison eight years earlier: it had not been an illness, but a meticulously planned murder.

The sinister martial sect Xuanyin Pavilion infiltrated Chang'an. Its leader, Black Fiend, practiced the forbidden art Ninefold Netherworld Yin Technique and planned to assassinate the emperor during the Heaven-Sacrificing Ceremony, seize the jade token, and activate the Yin-Gathering Formation deep within the underground palace. If the formation were activated, a million people in Chang'an would become sacrifices. Together with his junior sister Su Qinghan and his master Xiao Yichen, Lu Lingfeng joined forces with Pei Yuanzhao, the Chief Minister of the Court of Judicial Review. In six days, they broke through Xuanyin Pavilion's three strongholds and fought the final battle at the sacrificial altar in the southern suburbs.

But Black Fiend's death was not the end. From Chang'an to the Western Regions, from the Qilian Mountains to the summit of Kunlun, a battle to break a thousand-year-old seal began. As they embarked on this journey, one that would decide the fate of the world, Lu Lingfeng and Su Qinghan stood side by side, growing from childhood friends into companions bound by life and death. They spent their lives honoring the vow: "As long as the blade remains, so does the loyal soul."