🌸 The Golden Age of Murim

Year 412 of the Murim Calendar is an era where secret manuals and traditions scattered by the Great Orthodox-Demonic War and sect wars have been restored, and exchange, duels, and competition between sects have become active. Three masters of the Life-and-Death Realm and numerous masters of the Transcendence Realm exist in one era, and the level of the younger generation has approached that of past elders. With the growth of merchant groups and escort bureaus, transportation and information networks have developed, and later generations will record this as the Era of Universal Prosperity.

⚔️ The Ten Great Masters of the World (天下十大高手)

《The God-Sovereign-Emperors (神尊帝皇)》

An unidentified person, the number one in the world, the War God (武神), reigns alone in the position of the One God. Below him, the absolute ruler of the Heavenly Demon Cult, the Demon Sovereign (魔尊), and the supreme martial artist of Shaolin, the Fist Sovereign (拳尊), form the Two Sovereigns (二尊) and look down upon the Murim.

The Blood Emperor (血帝), who established her throne with the blood of the Unorthodox, the Blade Emperor (刀帝), who is the Lord of the Wicked Hegemony Union and has reached the peak of blade techniques, and the Sword Emperor (劍帝), who leads the Orthodox as the Murim Alliance Leader, are called the Three Emperors (三帝).

And the Poison Monarch (毒皇), who rules over poison and hidden weapons, the War Monarch (鬪皇), who completed the hegemonic way of fists and kicks, the Spear Monarch (槍皇), the master of the single spear that cleaves the battlefield, and the Sound Monarch (音皇), who shakes the soul with sound arts, form the Four Monarchs (四皇) to support the Balance of the World (天下之均衡).

Their hierarchy is clear.

One God (一神) > Two Sovereigns (二尊) > Three Emperors (三帝) > Four Monarchs (四皇)

However, there is no officially recognized ranking among the absolute masters belonging to the same title group. Only at the end of a life-and-death duel can it be proven who stands in a higher heaven.

⚪ The Murim Alliance

The Murim Alliance is the largest Orthodox coalition formed around the Nine Great Sects and One Gang and the Five Great Noble Clans. It emphasizes chivalry, righteousness, order, and justification, and is responsible for mediating disputes between sects, declaring subjugation orders, holding martial arts competitions, and maintaining the order of the Jianghu.

The Alliance Leader is usually the highest power in the Orthodox who has reached the Transcendence Realm. Most sect leaders and clan heads are in the Profound Realm, and major elders are in the Super-Peak Realm. While the Murim Alliance represents the legitimacy of the Jianghu, internal interests and political conflicts between sects exist.

⚫ The Wicked Hegemony Union

The Wicked Hegemony Union is the largest Unorthodox coalition that integrates various Unorthodox sects and forces. It emphasizes freedom, pragmatism, and the hegemonic way, determining status based on skill and merit rather than origin or justification.

The Union Lord is usually an absolute powerhouse of the Transcendence Realm. Most subordinate force leaders are in the Profound Realm, and major executives range from the Peak to the Super-Peak Realm. Internal competition and secret feuds are intense, but they rally quickly when a strong leader appears. Organizations responsible for intelligence, infiltration, tracking, and assassination are also operated directly under the Union Lord.

🔴 The Heavenly Demon Cult

The Heavenly Demon Cult is a massive religious organization that moves around the Heavenly Demon. It regards strength, will, and loyalty as the highest values, inheriting unique martial arts and rules different from the Central Plains sects.

The Heavenly Demon is usually an absolute powerhouse of the Transcendence Realm, and the Left and Right Guardians and subordinate branch leaders mostly belong to the Profound Realm. The Cult strictly maintains internal loyalty and command systems, treating betrayal and disobedience as grave sins. While the Orthodox view them with fear and caution, the Heavenly Demon Cult is not a force that pursues only disorderly slaughter.

The Murim Alliance, the Wicked Hegemony Union, and the Heavenly Demon Cult compete for hegemony in the Jianghu through different values and methods. If the balance between these three forces collapses, sects, merchant groups, cities, and even civilians can be swept into a massive war.

🥋 Mortal Realm System

Martial artists accumulate internal energy in their dantian through heart laws and perform martial arts using the accumulated true qi. As internal energy deepens, attack power, defense, recovery, and endurance increase. At high realms, one can handle sword qi, blade qi, spear qi, and materialized astral qi (Gang-gi).

The realms of mortal martial artists rise in the following order:

3rd Class → 2nd Class → 1st Class → Peak → Super-Peak → Profound → Transcendence → Life-and-Death

3rd Class consists of entry-level disciples and new warriors; 2nd Class includes general warriors and bodyguards; 1st Class is the level of first-generation disciples and sect executives. Peak refers to elite executives and top-tier assassins, while Super-Peak corresponds to famous elders and leaders of elite organizations.

Profound is the domain of sect leaders, clan heads, guardians, and core force leaders—super-masters who freely operate astral qi. Transcendence is the realm of the strongest humans who sway the balance of the entire Jianghu, such as the Murim Alliance Leader, the Wicked Hegemony Union Lord, and the Heavenly Demon. Life-and-Death is considered the final realm of humanity, reached by only a very few in history.

Every martial art has proficiency stages: Entry → Mature → Peak. Entry is basic operation, Mature is free application, and Peak is the stage of completely realizing the true essence of the martial art.

At the same realm, victory or defeat depends on proficiency, martial art compatibility, talent, practical experience, weapons, and psychological warfare. However, as the realm increases, the gap between stages grows, and generally, a difference of one stage or more is difficult to overcome.