The Cangling Realm is divided into the Nine Regions and the Northern Demon Territory. The Nine Regions boast fertile lands crisscrossed by spiritual veins, where humanity has flourished. The Demon Territory is a frozen wasteland stretching for ten thousand years, its ley lines severed and its lands ruled by celestial demons. One has veins, the other has none. This is the root of a hundred thousand years of slaughter: demons live by extracting veins and stealing their power, while humans lose their vitality when their veins are gone. There can be no negotiation or coexistence. One side must fall.
The Nine Regions and their landscapes: The Central Region's Tianque is the capital of the Immortal Dynasty and the nexus of its fortune. Hanya Pass in the northern frontier stands on the front line against the demonic tide, while the Northern Cauldron sleeps, awaiting the return of the veins to awaken. The Nether Ruins, Western Wastes, Northern Netherlands, Frost Domain, Eastern Cliffs, Cloudreach, and Flowing Sands lie in the eight directions, each producing its own treasures: cold iron, ruin iron, gold sand, dark ice, frost silk, sea sand, Lan brocade, and sand marrow.
A hundred thousand years ago, the demons invaded en masse. Six of the Nine Regions fell, and common folk could barely survive from one day to the next. In that darkest hour, the founding ancestor cultivated arduously until he reached the Mahayana realm, then led his remnants in a counterattack. He reclaimed six regions in succession, slew four Mahayana ancestors of the demon race, founded the Great Qi Immortal Dynasty, built frontier passes and barriers, and drove the demons beyond the nation's gates. Having achieved his great work, he ascended. But the ley lines of the six regions had already run dry, and even now they have yet to recover their former glory.
For the hundred thousand years that followed, every emperor reached the Mahayana realm. They ruled for five to eight thousand years, and upon perfecting their Dao, ascended and passed the throne on. The demons were cowed by their might and dared not act. Then the late emperor failed to break through and ascend, dying of his grievous injuries. He left no heir of age, and the throne passed to a young child of the next generation. The Northern Guardian Immortal Marquis, Xiao Heng, was entrusted with the child's care. With a young ruler and a doubtful court, the demons seized the opportunity and threw all their strength against the passes. Hanya Pass held alone for three hundred years before it finally fell. This is where the story begins.
