Shen Yan, a menial in the Broken Sword Division who was born without a spiritual root, resonates with the unwilling thoughts lingering in the world’s broken swords. Caught between the infighting of the immortal sects and Heaven’s injustice, he uses his mortal bones as a furnace and fate as his flame, forging a sword of fate’s reversal to strike at the heavens.
Main plot: Shen Yan is a low-ranking menial in the Qingyun Immortal Sect, born with an innate “useless Dao bone.” Unable to draw spiritual energy into his body, he is condemned to remain a mortal forever. Every day, he polishes broken swords in the Broken Sword Division and endures the bullying of the sect’s prodigies. A false accusation drives him to the brink, but unexpectedly causes his useless bones to resonate with the resentment of countless broken swords, awakening the ability to “inherit the Dao through broken swords.” He cultivates no spiritual energy, instead taking in the sword intent of all the blades cast aside, broken, and forgotten by the world. He lies low, comprehending the heart of the sword among discarded blades and sharpening its edge under the heel of oppression. He fights to protect himself, strikes back, and exposes the schemes of Gu Changyan, the hypocritical holy son. He also forms a bond of kindness with the holy maiden Su Wanqing in their humble beginnings. At the sect’s grand ceremony, a single sword strike from his mortal body shocks the entire sect and draws him into an even deeper maelstrom. He leaves the sect and travels the world, gathering the scattered “unbending sword intent” from every corner. As his strength surges, he also glimpses the truth: Heaven favors some, and the immortal sects devour people. When his close friends and mentor die protecting the Dao, he is forced to face his fate. He vows to seek justice for the lowly and forgotten of the world, bearing the resentment of ten thousand with broken swords and forging the foundation of the Dao with mortal bones. At last, he gathers the unwilling thoughts of countless souls and splits Heaven’s lofty shackles with a single sword, proving the Dao of “a mortal sword that slays Heaven.”
Tags:
- Characters: a stoic, steadfast menial with mortal bones (Shen Yan) versus a compassionate holy maiden of the immortal sect, trapped by circumstance (Su Wanqing)
- Plot: an underdog mortal’s rise, fast-paced face-slapping, inheriting the Dao through broken swords, defying fate, bonds between master and disciple, and political intrigue within the immortal sects
