The year 412 of the Murim calendar is an era where secret manuals and traditions scattered by the Great War between Good and Evil and sect wars have been restored, and exchanges, duels, and competition between sects have become active. Three Life-and-Death Stage masters and multiple Divine Stage masters exist in one era, and the level of rising stars 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 Golden Age of Murim

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

《God-Venerable-Emperor-Sovereign (神尊帝皇)》

The mysterious number one person in the world, the Martial God (一神), reigns alone. Below him, the absolute ruler of the Heavenly Demon Cult, the Demon Venerable, and the supreme fist master of Shaolin, the Fist Venerable, form the Two Venerables (二尊) looking down upon the Murim.

The Blood Emperor, who established his reign with the blood of the Unorthodox factions; the leader of the Evil Tyrant Alliance and master of the saber, the Saber Emperor; and the leader of the Righteous Factions as the Murim Alliance Leader, the Sword Emperor, are called the Three Emperors (三帝).

And the Poison Sovereign, who rules over poison and hidden weapons; the War Sovereign, who completed the hegemony of fists and kicks; the Spear Sovereign, owner of the single spear that cleaves the battlefield; and the Sound Sovereign, who shakes the soul with sound arts, form the Four Sovereigns (四皇), supporting the balance of the world.

The hierarchy is clear.

One God 〉 Two Venerables 〉 Three Emperors 〉 Four Sovereigns

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 is it proven who stands in a higher sky.

🐉🌺 The Next Generation — 《Four Dragons and Four Flowers》

The Four Dragons who will lead the next era of Murim

Four Dragons (四龍)

The Sword Dragon, who inherited the orthodox sword lineage of the Namgung Clan; the Saber Dragon, who carries the domineering saber techniques of the Hebei Paeng Clan; the War Dragon, representing the struggle and ambition of the Evil Tyrant Alliance; and the Spear Dragon, who appeared from a mysterious sect unknown to the world.

And the Four Flowers that will decorate the world

Four Flowers (四花)

The Demonic Flower, who inherited the demonic path of the Heavenly Demon Cult; the Poison Flower, who took over the poison and hidden weapon arts of the Sichuan Dang Clan; the Moon Flower, who holds the clear sword light of the Emei Sect; and the Martial Flower, who embodies the martial arts and Taoist lineage of the Wudang Sect, make their names known throughout the world.

They are all rising stars who have reached adulthood, the greatest geniuses of the time who have already reached the mastery of the Peak Stage or entered the Early Transcendental Stage. Each carries the future of their sect and power on their shoulders, moving toward the yet-undecided tomorrow of the Murim.

✨ While the predecessors of the God-Venerable-Emperor-Sovereign group protect today's order, the next generation's Four Dragons and Four Flowers compete for tomorrow's hegemony.

Will the brilliant Golden Age continue longer, or will the prelude to a new war open?

The fate of the world now depends on the choices of these eight rising stars.

⚪ Murim Alliance

The Murim Alliance is the largest coalition of Righteous Factions, formed around the Nine Great Sects and One Gang and the Five Great Clans. It emphasizes Chivalry, Justice, Order, and Justification, and is responsible for mediating disputes between sects, declaring subjugation orders, hosting martial arts tournaments, and maintaining order in the Jianghu.

The Alliance Leader is generally the highest authority of the Righteous Factions who has reached the Divine Stage. Sect leaders and clan heads are mostly in the Profound Stage, and major elders are in the Transcendental Stage. The Murim Alliance represents the legitimacy of the Jianghu, but internal interests and political conflicts between sects exist.

⚫ Evil Tyrant Alliance

The Evil Tyrant Alliance is the largest coalition of Unorthodox factions, integrating various unorthodox sects and powers. It emphasizes Freedom, Utility, and Hegemony, and determines status based on skill and achievement rather than origin or justification.

The Alliance Leader is an absolute powerhouse of the Divine Stage, subordinate power leaders are mostly in the Profound Stage, and major executives range from the Peak to Transcendental Stages. Internal competition and secret feuds are fierce, but they rally quickly when a strong leader appears. Organizations in charge of intelligence, infiltration, tracking, and assassination are also operated directly under the Alliance Leader.

🔴 Heavenly Demon Cult

The Heavenly Demon Cult is a massive religious organization centered around the Heavenly Demon. It regards Strength, Will, and Loyalty as the highest values and inherits unique martial arts and rules different from the Central Plains sects.

The Heavenly Demon is an absolute powerhouse of the Divine Stage, and the Left and Right Guardians and subordinate sect leaders are mostly in the Profound Stage. The Cult strictly maintains internal loyalty and command systems, treating betrayal and disobedience as grave sins. While the Righteous Factions view them with fear and caution, the Heavenly Demon Cult is not a force that pursues only disorderly slaughter.

The Murim Alliance, Evil Tyrant Alliance, and Heavenly Demon Cult compete for hegemony in the Jianghu through different values and methods. If the balance between these three forces collapses, it could lead to a massive war engulfing sects, merchant groups, cities, and civilians.

🥋 Secular Realm Hierarchy

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 higher realms, one can handle sword qi, saber qi, spear qi, and materialized astral qi (gang-gi).

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

3rd Class → 2nd Class → 1st Class → Peak → Transcendental → Profound (Hwayeong) → Divine (Hyeon-gyeong) → Life and Death (Saengsa-gyeong)

3rd Class are entry-level disciples and new warriors; 2nd Class are general warriors and escort warriors; 1st Class are first-generation disciples and sect executive levels. Peak Stage are elite executives and top-tier assassins, and Transcendental Stage are prestigious elders and leaders of top-tier organizations.

The Profound Stage is the domain of sect leaders, clan heads, guardians, and core power leaders—super-masters who freely use astral qi. The Divine Stage is the realm of the strongest humans who sway the balance of the entire Jianghu, such as the Murim Alliance Leader, the Evil Tyrant Alliance Leader, and the Heavenly Demon. The Life and Death Stage is considered the final human realm reached by only a tiny few in history.

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

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

⚖️ Survival Rules of the Martial World

To survive in the Jianghu, you must check the opponent's realm, title, sect, and martial arts lineage before their name. A difference of one stage or more in realm is generally absolute, and recklessly drawing a sword against someone stronger than yourself is not courage, but self-destruction.

Poison and internal injuries must be dealt with immediately. Rather than stubbornly enduring through meditation, finding a physician, antidote, or healing salve may be the priority. Elixirs and secret manuals of unclear origin may look like fortuitous encounters, but they can also be traps, bait, or the cause of internal energy deviation (Qi Deviation).

Do not believe rumors heard in an inn at face value. An inn is both a tavern and a battlefield of information. The Beggars' Gang, Hao Clan, assassination organizations, and Unorthodox information networks handle information for different purposes and in different ways. You must consider who said it, why they spread it, and what they hid.

In the Jianghu, both favors and grudges always return. Loyalty and trust gather people and power, but betrayal becomes the greatest disgrace and is tracked for a long time. Respect legitimate duels and promises, and judge carefully before taking actions that would turn the opponent's sect and lineage into enemies.

When meeting a strong person, judgment comes before the sword. Secure an escape route, use negotiation and stalling, and do not recklessly provoke a mysterious master.

The most dangerous thing in the Jianghu is not knowing who is stronger than you.