⚔️ War of Three Factions: The Infinite Tome

• 🗺️ The World of Murim

Kangho is a world where martial artists who have learned martial arts live with their honor, power, and survival on the line. The Righteous Alliance and prestigious sects are located in the center of the Central Plains, while the Five Great Clans, Nine Schools One Gang, Evil Faction forces, and numerous cities are scattered across the north, south, east, and west.

In the southwest lies the headquarters of the Heavenly Demon Cult, and outside the Central Plains, external forces such as the North Sea Ice Palace, Southern Barbarians, Western Potala Palace, and Hainan Sect rule their own territories. The government does not intervene in Murim disputes unless large-scale civilian massacres or treason occur.

-🥋 Martial Arts and Realms

Martial artists accumulate internal energy in their dantian through internal laws and learn martial arts including sword, saber, spear, fist, and palm techniques. As internal energy deepens, attack, defense, recovery, and endurance strengthen, and at higher realms, one can freely manipulate Sword Qi and Sword Force.

Realms of secular martial artists are as follows:

3rd Class → 2nd Class → 1st Class → Peak → Great Peak → Transcendence (Hwayeong) → Profound (Hyungyeong) → Life and Death (Saengsagyeong)

Every martial art has separate stages of proficiency:

Initial → Mature → Mastery

Even in the same realm, victory or defeat depends on proficiency, compatibility, combat experience, weapons, and psychological warfare. However, a difference of one realm or more is absolute and cannot be easily overturned by mere will or surprise attacks.

Currently, Alliance Leader Yoo Seol-hwa, Union Leader Jang Mu-hyeok, and Heavenly Demon Chun Mu-jin are all at the Peak of the Profound Realm. Clan Head Namgoong Yeon, Black Night Leader Baek Ya-ryeong, and Poison Demon Dang So-rin have all reached the Mastery of the Transcendence Realm.

-🏯 The Three Great Factions

⚪ Righteous Alliance

The largest coalition of the Righteous Faction, valuing chivalry, righteousness, justification, and order. Centered around the Nine Schools One Gang and Five Great Clans, it handles dispute mediation, subjugation orders, martial arts tournaments, and maintaining order in Kangho.

Alliance Leader Yoo Seol-hwa is prudent and fair, refusing to condemn without evidence. Namgoong Clan Head Namgoong Yeon is a staunch swordswoman who cooperates with the Righteous Faction but prioritizes her clan's independence and honor.

⚫ Evil Tyrant Union

The largest coalition integrating various Evil Faction sects. It values freedom, utility, and merit over justification; internally, skill and performance determine status.

Union Leader Jang Mu-hyeok delegates authority to capable subordinates but never forgives betrayal. The Black Night Society is not an independent force but a direct subordinate organization of the Union Leader, with Leader Baek Ya-ryeong overseeing intelligence, infiltration, tracking, assassination, and monitoring illicit trades.

🔴 Heavenly Demon Cult

A massive force independent from the Central Plains Murim. It values power, will, and performance over bloodline and justification; cultists obey the authority and commands of the Heavenly Demon.

Heavenly Demon Chun Mu-jin is an absolute being who despises flattery and meaningless slaughter. Poison Demon Dang So-rin is Chun Mu-jin's direct subordinate, in charge of poison arts, medicine, detoxification, and secret investigations.

-📜 The Infinite Tome and the Great War

Thirty years ago, the Righteous Faction, the Evil Tyrant Union, and the Heavenly Demon Cult fought a great war to claim the Infinite Tome.

The Infinite Tome is not just a manual for peerless martial arts. It is an ancient celestial book said to record the principles of completing the Realm of Life and Death and transcending human limits.

To end the war, the previous three leaders divided the book into three volumes:

First Volume: Kept by the Righteous Alliance Middle Volume: Kept by the Evil Tyrant Union Final Volume: Kept by the Heavenly Demon Cult

The three forces signed a pact not to encroach on each other's storage sites and maintained a truce for thirty years.

However, on the eve of the truce renewal, the three volumes, which were strictly sealed, vanished simultaneously. No trace of external intrusion or broken seals remained.

The Righteous Alliance suspects the Evil Tyrant Union, the Union is wary of the Demonic Cult, and the Demonic Cult tracks both external conspiracies and internal traitors. With attacks on messengers, manipulation of information, disappearance of convoys, and disputes over strongholds, Kangho is heading toward total war once again.

Throughout these incidents, sword scars and records reminiscent of Mumeong, a hidden master who disappeared long ago, are being discovered. However, no one knows Mumeong's age, realm, status, or purpose.

-⚖️ Laws of Survival in Kangho

In Kangho, those who rely only on power die, and those who rely only on justification die.

Do not recklessly confront those of a higher realm; first check the opponent's sect, title, and martial arts lineage. If poisoned, detoxification and treatment take priority over meditation, and unidentified manuals or elixirs may be traps rather than fortuitous encounters.

Rumors in taverns are mere clues, not the truth; information handled by the Beggars' Union, Haomun, or the Black Night Society must be verified for its source and purpose. Favors and promises build forces, but betrayal and grudges are tracked through generations.

Above all, remember one law:

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

☁️ The Celestial Realm Beyond Life and Death

The Realm of Life and Death is the final realm a human can reach. From the Nature Realm beyond that, it is classified as the domain of Immortals.

Nature Realm → Void Realm → Heaven-Earth-Man Realm → Transcendence Realm → Fisher-Immortal Class → Jade-Emperor Class → Heavenly-Venerable Class → Primordial Heavenly Venerable

Immortals manipulate celestial power and the laws of heaven and earth rather than internal energy. An Immortal's true name contains their existence and authority; if an ordinary martial artist hears it fully, they may suffer severe internal injuries or lose their life.

Only spiritual creatures that have reached the Heaven-Earth-Man Realm or higher are called true Guardian Beasts. The Azure Dragon of the East, the White Tiger of the West, the Vermilion Bird of the South, and the Black Tortoise of the North protect their respective directions, seasons, and natural laws.

The Infinite Tome is not an all-purpose manual containing all secrets of the Celestial Realm. However, it is the greatest clue in the mortal world that shows the first door toward the Nature Realm after completing the Realm of Life and Death.