『Strange Tales of the Present World』

The Great Demon Sealing War
봉마대전

100 years ago, the Immortal Realm and the Mortal Realm joined forces to seal the Demon Lord.
Now, a century later, the boundaries between the four realms are once again shaking beneath the ancient seal.

The Four Realms

Mortal Realm
The central world where humans, demons, and cultivators reside.

Ghost Realm
The underworld where the souls of the dead head.

Demon Realm
A world of the fittest where demons and demonic energy exist.

Immortal Realm
The higher world where ascended immortals reside.

Major Races

Humans — The majority race of the Mortal Realm.
Demons — A minority race in the Mortal Realm. They often hide their identities and are distinct from ferocious beasts or strange creatures.
Devils — A race born in the Demon Realm, naturally wielding demonic energy.

Major Factions in the Mortal Realm

Imperial Family of the Great Xia Dynasty — The nominal rulers of the Mortal Realm, heavily reliant on the Taiyuan Zhu Clan.
Taiyuan Zhu Clan — A clan specializing in formations and feng shui. The de facto power managing the Imperial City's barrier and the Great Sealing Formation.
Yunfeng Sword Sect — A sword cultivation sect strong in subduing remnants of demon sealing, ferocious beasts, and demon-corrupted beings.
Xiling Yan Clan — A clan specializing in talismans and exorcism, monitoring the Ghost Gate. They have a pact with the Ghost Realm and handle matters related to ghost gates and malevolent spirits.
Nanhua Medicine Valley — A sect specializing in medicine and alchemy. Suffering from labor and financial shortages after the Great Demon Sealing War.
Qianjin Trading Company — An independent trading company not fully aligned with any single faction.
Wuji Sect — A demonic cultivation sect hidden in the Uninhabited Zone, researching demonic energy, forbidden arts, and rifts to the Demon Realm.

Regions

Mortal Realm

Taiyuan Prefecture | Central
The dazzling center of power.
Taiyuan City: Central metropolis
Great Xia Imperial Palace: Golden palace at the heart of the imperial city
Zhu Clan Main Residence: The Zhu Clan's mansion in the imperial city
Great Sealing Formation: The massive formation that sealed the Demon Lord.

Yunfeng Prefecture | North
Land of sword cultivators, characterized by mountains and sword peaks.
Yunfeng Town: Northern mountain village
Yunfeng Mountain Gate: The sect's gate atop a sword-like cliff
Northern Subjugation Zone: Dangerous area where ferocious beasts and demon-corrupted beings appear.
Ruins of the Demon Sealing Battlefield: Old battlefield bearing the scars of the Great Demon Sealing War.

Xiling Prefecture | West
Land of canyons and ancient tombs, prone to disturbances from the Ghost Gate.
Xiling City: A secluded western city
Yan Clan Main Residence: The Yan Clan's dark mansion
Xiling Ancient Tombs: Ancient burial grounds frequently haunted by restless spirits
Ghost Gate: A rift connected to the Ghost Realm.

Nanhua Prefecture | South
Land of medicine, featuring forests and swamps.
Nanhua Town: Forest village
Nanhua Medicine Valley: Medicine valley deep in the forest
Hundred Herbs Forest: Forest where spirit herbs and medicinal plants grow.
Poisonous Fog Swamp: Dangerous swamp with toxic fog and contaminated medicinal ingredients.

Canghai Prefecture | East
Center of trade, information, and maritime routes.
Canghai Port: Eastern region's largest port city
Qianjin Trading Company Headquarters: Hub for goods and information
Underwater Secret Realm: Ancient secret realm slumbering beneath the East Sea Archipelago.

Uninhabited Zone
The frontier beyond the continent, where the boundaries of the four realms are unstable.
Wuzhou Town: Rough frontier village
Wuji Main Sanctuary: The Wuji Sect's hidden main sanctuary
Wuzhou Remnant Zone: Dangerous area with remnants of demon sealing.
Ancient Sect Ruins: Ruins of an ancient sect and forbidden ruins.

Other Realms

Ghost Realm
The world of the dead, accessible only through the Ghost Gate.
Underworld: Bureau handling the records and reincarnation of the deceased.
Reincarnation Village: Village of souls whose reincarnation is delayed.
River of Oblivion: Black river that washes away memories and attachments.
Reincarnation Platform: Platform where souls descend to their next life.

Demon Realm
A dark and harsh world of demonic energy, reached through rifts, summoning circles, and gates of contract.
Demon Emperor's City: Capital of the Demon Realm
Demon Emperor's Palace: Black palace at the center of Demon Emperor's City
Demon Sealing Scar: Rift remaining from the aftermath of the Demon Lord's sealing.
Black Lotus Hot Springs: Hot springs that heal wounds and awaken desires.

Immortal Realm
A pure and majestic world of heavenly laws, reached through ascension or guidance from the Immortal Realm.
Shangqing Domain: Central living area of the Immortal Realm
Tai Xu Immortal Gate: Cultivation sect for ascended immortals
Shangqing Palace: Palace of power for Immortal Lords and officials
Heavenly Law Palace: Palace of justice that judges violations of heavenly laws.
Destiny Hall: Hall recording fates and affinities.
Demon Suppression Hall: Military hall monitoring rifts to the Demon Realm.
Sky Forge: Workshop for crafting immortal energy and magical artifacts.

Cultivation Stages

Qi Condensation — Perceiving spiritual energy and practicing basic spells/artifacts.
Foundation Establishment — Stabilizing the dantian and meridians, enabling sword flight.
Golden Core Formation — Forming a Golden Core, increasing lifespan and power, slowing aging.
Nascent Soul — Forming a Nascent Soul, greatly increasing recovery and magical power.
Spirit Transformation — The highest stage in the Mortal Realm, interfering with the laws of heaven and earth.
Ascended Immortal — An immortal who has successfully ascended after enduring heavenly tribulations.
Heavenly Immortal — A higher-level immortal who has stabilized their immortal energy.
Golden Immortal — A high-level immortal who has deeply grasped a single Dao.

Cultivation Systems

Sword Cultivation — Sword, sword energy, sword heart.
Talisman Cultivation — Talismans, sealing techniques, exorcism.
Medicine Cultivation — Medicine, alchemy, detoxification.
Spell Cultivation — Spells, five elements, formations, barriers.
Ghost Cultivation — A dangerous system dealing with souls and ghost energy.
Demonic Cultivation — A forbidden system dealing with demonic energy and forbidden arts.
Sound Cultivation — A rare system using music and waves as spells.

Hazards

Ferocious Beasts — Beasts that have become savage by absorbing spiritual energy, blood, grudges, or miasma.
Demonic Beasts — Beasts corrupted by demonic energy, leaving behind demonic energy in wounds, making them difficult to heal.
Demon-Corrupted Beings — Humans, plants, or corpses transformed by demonic energy.
Restless Spirits — Souls that could not reach the Ghost Realm. Can be pacified by resolving their grievances.
Malevolent Spirits — Departed souls who have lost their reason due to grudges and harm the living.
Haunted Objects — Objects, corpses, or places imbued with ghost energy and grudges.
Remnants of Demon Sealing — Fragments from the Great Demon Sealing War, sources of pollution that create strange phenomena.

Events

January 15th | Lantern Festival — New Year's lantern festival and a day to inspect the flow of the imperial city's barrier and the Great Sealing Formation.
March 3rd | Hundred Schools Martial Arts Tournament — A righteous martial arts tournament where young disciples from various sects and clans compete.
May 5th | Secret Realm Opening Day — The day when ancient secret realms open, and people venture out to find spirit herbs, magical artifacts, and ancient records.
August 15th | Moonlit Festival — A night festival under the full moon where people wear masks to conceal their identities while wishing for love and dreams.
October 9th | Hundred Schools Hunt — A hunting event where sects and clans compete in practical combat skills and achievements through subjugation.
December 21st | Ghost Gate Soul Pacification Ceremony — On the night of deepest yin energy, a ritual to console the departed and appease the Ghost Gate and restless spirits.