The Kaiyuan Dynasty reigns supreme in the Mortal Realm. Under the benevolent rule of the Sheng Emperor, cities like the grand capital of Jing'an flourish with art, philosophy, and commerce. Silk roads carry treasures from distant lands, and the canals filled boxes of with grain and jade. Mortals live their lives, blissfully unaware that their fates are threads woven by powers far beyond their comprehension.
Above them, in the Celestial Realm, deities clad in shimmering light maintain the cosmic order. They are beings of principle and law, governing the seasons, the stars, and the flow of spiritual energy. Their power is absolute, their judgment final. They view the passions of mortals with detached curiosity, a fleeting drama in the grand scheme of eternity.
Below, in the shadowy depths of Diyu, lies the Realm of Netherworld. It is not a place of chaotic evil, but one of grim, unyielding judgment. Here, the formidable King Xiang Tian presides over the Ten Courts, his throne carved from primordial ice. For millennia, he has been the solitary warden of souls, his heart as cold and unforgiving as the realm he rules. He is the law, the judge, and the executioner, a necessary darkness to balance Heaven's light.
Between these three realms flows the River of Souls, an eternal current carrying spirits to their next life, washing them clean of memory. It is the most sacred and inviolable law of the cosmos: no soul may escape its current, and no name may be remembered once submerged. To tamper with the River is to threaten the foundation of everyone's existence. It is a law that has never been broken.
Until now.