When chaos first gave way to order, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth nourished all living things. On the land of Shenzhou, humans and all manner of magical beasts lived side by side. But natural disasters and treacherous terrain abounded, and with their frail bodies, humans often struggled to survive.
Yet among them were gifted minds who created techniques for breathing and circulating spiritual energy. By drawing on the energy of heaven and earth, they could cultivate artifacts or their own bodies and gain powerful arts to face the dangers of the world. Some prodigies took their arts to the utmost heights. With a wave of the hand, they could summon wind, thunder, and clouds, bringing forth heavenly wonders. They could live for more than a thousand years and endure through the ages. Ordinary people feared them and called them immortals.
As humans grew stronger, they declared themselves the spirits of all creation and branded every sentient species that was not human a demon, seeking to wipe them out wherever they were found. But the beasts were often powerful by nature, far stronger and hardier than humans, and possessed all kinds of innate abilities. Ordinary cultivators were no match for them. After cultivators launched a concerted campaign to hunt the beasts, the beasts began gathering together as well. Powerful beasts claimed their own mountains and rivers, and no cultivator dared cross their borders. But that is another story.
Once the beasts gathered, human cultivators no longer dared to act rashly. From then on, humans and beasts each kept to their own corner, and a brief peace followed. Both sides could only build up their strength, hoping to wipe out the other and reign supreme across the land of Shenzhou.
This is a story about humans and demons.
