IMBBS - Translation Notes

~ Beware — Spoilers Ahead! ~

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## Characters

長空琢玉 — Changkong Zhuoyu [lit. Vast Sky Carving Jade]
厲星輪 — Li Xinglun | Carries the bloodline of an ancient god who forcibly fused Pangu’s blood into himself, absorbing the power that created heaven and earth in order to wield the Time-Space Wheel forged from Pangu's bones.
裴星辰 — Pei Xingchen | Alias of Li Xinglun in his Gu-altered form
裴狐貍 (Pei huli) — Fox spirit Pei | A derogatory nickname
白秀才 (Bái xiùcái) — Scholar Bai | Five Poisons sect, contact person for Hundred Flowers sect
讓岑岑 — Rang Cencen | "Saintess", Sect Master for Hundred Flowers sect
讓巍然 — Rang Weiran | Sect Elder for Hundred Flowers sect, ~2000 years old
血千劫 — Xue Qianjie [lit. Blood Thousand Calamity] | “I call myself Xue Qianjie, destined to suppress the mortal realm’s blood calamity for a thousand years”
血宗主 (Xuè zōngzhǔ) — Sect Master Xue
戎锏 — Rong Jian | The hammer man near Mount Su
尹長空 — Yin Changkong | Sect Master for Kunlun. Same "Changkong" as in "Changkong Zhuoyu".
一貧真人 (Yipin zhēnrén) — Sage Yipin | Sect Master for Mount Shu.
清苑師太 (Qingyuan shītài) — Abbess Qingyuan | Sect Master for Emei
無因大師 (Wuyin dàshī) — Master Wuyin | Sect Elder of the Tianyin temple
殷長老 (Yīn zhǎnglǎo) — Elder Yin | Sect Elder for Kunlun
玄冥烈 — Xuan Minglie | Sect Master for the Demon Sect.
青辛 Qingxin | Six-tailed Fox yao in the Green Hills
青緣 Qingyuan | Eight-tailed Fox yao, elder of the Green Hills.
萬俟顯 Wanqi Xian | Yin Changkong's personal disciple
歷劫星君 (lì jié xīng jūn) Star Lord of Tribulations | Changkong Zhuoyu's title in the Jade Pool
妙心师太 (Miào Xīn Shī Tài) — Abbess Miaoxin | Emei sect

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## Changkong Zhuoyu's roles

Xue Qianjie, demonic sect master
Yin Changkong, Kunlun sect master
Sword Immortal from Mount Shu (reincarnated master of the Twin Swords of Purple and Azure)
Buddhist master
Nuwa's heir
Queen of the West's heir

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## Geography

魔界 (mó jiè) — demon realm
仙界 (xiān jiè) — immortal realm
神界 (shén jiè) — god realm
人界 (rén jiè) — human realm
人间 (rén jiān) — human world

谷 (gu) — valley, canyon, gorge, ravine
斷魂谷 (Duàn Hún gǔ) — the Soul-Breaking Gorge

苗疆 — Miaojiang [lit. Miao territory] | Refers to the Chinese borderlands housing the ethnic minority Miao. Often depicted as a mysterious, exotic, and dangerous place — home to poisons, Gu worms, shamans, and unusual magical practices, emphasizing its “otherness” from the Han Chinese heartlands.

五毒教 (Wǔ Dú Jiào) — Five Poisons sect | Located in Miaojiang; deal with poisons; serves as a contact with the Hundred Flowers sect.

百花門 (Bǎi Huā Mén) — Hundred Flowers sect | Located in Miaojiang; deal with Gu insects. Legend says that once an ancestor of the sect made a vow to goddess Nüwa in front of her statue, and received a drop of divine blood. This blood enabled his descendants to understand the language of all creatures, control flowers, and gradually develop the poison path.
The Hundred Flowers sect was able to walk the path of poison and have the Twin Serpent sacred animals because our ancestor once swore before  Since then, our ancestors could . The Hundred Flowers sect’s ability to command flowers and control myriad poisons all stems from that drop of blood.

天一門 (Tianyi men) — Tianyi sect | A Daoist sect

天音寺 (Tiānyīn Sì) — Tianyin temple | A Buddhist temple

昆侖 — (Mount) Kunlun | In Chinese mythology and fiction, a mythical sacred mountain (or a mountain range) often depicted as the abode of immortals or gods. Considered to be the pinnacle of the orthodox/Daoist cultivation world, an unassailable stronghold. One of the three mountains where a breach to the demon realm emerged, and was subsequently sealed by a divine formation anchored by a divine artifact.

蜀山 — Mount Shu | In Chinese mythology and fiction, often associated with a righteous sword sect. Known for its sword cultivators and for balancing righteousness with deadly power. One of the three mountains where a breach to the demon realm emerged, and was subsequently sealed by a divine formation anchored by a divine artifact.

峨嵋 — (Mount) Emei | In Chinese mythology, one of the Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains. One of the three mountains where a breach to the demon realm emerged, and was subsequently sealed by a divine formation anchored by a divine artifact.

撼天峰 (Hàn Tiān fēng) — Heaven-Shaking Peak | A mountain housing the strongest demonic sect, once the homeground of Xue Qianjie. Guarded by a strong formation. Posses a divine-level artifact formed by combining the four artifacts of the Four Sacred Beasts.

鐘山 (zhōng shān) — Mount Zhong [lit. Bell Mountain] | In mythology the mountain guarded by the Candle Dragon. The true identity of Heaven-Shaking Peak; this was the original body of the Candle Dragon. The Candle Dragon’s Fang serves as the key to awaken the Candle Dragon, with the Dark Yin Bell connected to it.

霧靈妖谷 (Wù Líng Yāo gǔ) — Mystic Fog Yao Valley | One of the two non-human domains. A yao sanctuary, protected by a barrier placed by the goddess Nüwa, and accessible to all yao who reach the spiritual core stage. In truth, the valley lies within a fragment of the Primodial Wilderness that was forcefully fixed by Nüwa with the Queen Mother of the West into the Map of Mountains and Rivers, a divine artifact. Using the power of the artifact and the divine formation created by Nüwa,  the Mystic Fog Yao Valley has existed in an independent space all these years.

青丘 (Qīngqiū) — Green Hills | The legendary homeland or domain of the fox spirits in Chinese mythology and literature

四聖山 (Sì Shèng shān) — Four Sacred Mountains | One of the two non-human domains. Located in the Kunlun Valley. Home to spiritual creatures, descendants of the ancient Four Sacred Beasts.

昆侖山谷 (Kūnlún shān gǔ) — Kunlun valley | A valley in the Kunlun mountain range; the back mountain of Kunlun.

瑤池仙境 (yáochí xiānjìng) — Jade Pool Paradise | A divine palace in the sky, radiating with seven-colored light, situated by a mythical divine lake. Located on the tallest peak of the Kunlun mountain range, in the valley. The Jade Pool lies above the fierce wind, in the region that was once a part of thirty-third heaven, assessable only to the gods. It houses the divine beasts — descendants of various god-like ancient beasts such as the Four Sacred Beasts. In the ancient past this was the residence of the Queen Mother of the West.

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## The great plan to resolve the blood calamity

In the Central Plains, nine was the ultimate number. If the divine artifacts left by the ancient gods truly existed to resist mortal calamities, then there must be nine divine artifacts in this world.

Known divine artifacts:
#1 Heaven-Mending Stone from Kunlun, anchor of the divine formation, the focus and the controller of the nine artifacts
#2 Twin Swords of Purple and Azure from Mount Shu, anchor of the divine formation
#3 Yin-Yang Mirror from Emei sect, anchor of the divine formation
#4 Four Sacred Beast artifacts, combined, for Heaven-Shaking Peak
#5 Dark Yin Bell from Heaven-Shaking Peak
#6 Candle Dragon's body, the mountain itself of the Heaven-Shaking Peak
#7 Map of Mountains and Rivers that creates the isolated realm of Mystic Fog Yao Valley.
#8 Plain Cloud Realm Banner (or Gathering Immortals Banner) from the Jade Pool
#9 Karma lamp from the Buddhist Order

The records of Jade Pool divine palace describe the ancient divine formation that uses the Candle Dragon’s body as the vessel, with the Heaven-Mending Stone at its center to seal the demonic energy. The Dark Yin Bell is yin, the Plain Cloud Realm Banner is yang, and coupled with Emei’s Yin-Yang Mirror to harmonize yin and yang, the power of these three divine artifacts operating together can absorb ninety percent of the demonic energy between heaven and earth and trap it within the Candle Dragon's body. The Nine Divine Artifacts will be sealed as well, fighting the demonic energy. After about a thousand years, both the artifacts and the demonic energy will be exhausted. That way, the human world’ spiritual veins will no longer be absorbed by the artifacts, and the mortal realm will be free of demonic threat. In addition, the Buddhist Karma Lamp burns karma, severing the root. Without karma, demonic energy is a rootless fruit, easily destroyed. By burning the karma between the demon and human realms, and between demonic energy and the three great artifacts, no resentment from the human world will ever again feed the demon realm. Only then can the demon realm truly vanish. The Heaven-mending Stone commands the Nine Divine Artifacts; without it the formation is impossible.

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## Artifacts

器 (qì) — vessel, tool, weapon, artifact

神器 (shen qì) — divine artifact | Granted by the gods
仙器 (xiān qì) — immortal artifact | High-level human-made artifact

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紫青雙劍 (Zǐ Qīng Shuāng jiàn) — Twin Swords of Purple and Azure | Mount Shu divine artifacts
雷公錘 (Léi Gōng chuí) — Thunder Lord's Hammers | Rong Jian's weapon.
玄霜冥火扇 (Xuán Shuāng Míng Huǒ shàn) — Dark Frost Underworld Fire Fan | a simple paper fan
斬棘劍 (Zhǎn Jí jian) — Thorn Cutting Sword | Master Yipin's life-bound artifact
須彌尺 (Xū Mí chǐ) — Sumeru Ruler | Elder Yin's life-bound artifact
春秋筆 (Chūn Qiū bǐ) — Spring-Autumn Brush | Yin Changkong's life-bound artifact
時空輪 (Shí Kōng lún) — Time-Space Wheel | Time-traveling divine artifact forged from Pangu’s bones
嗜血幡 (shì xuè fān) – Bloodthirst Banners | Yin energy-gathering banners, part of the Dark Yin Bloodthirst formation.
玄陰鈴 (xuán yīn líng) — Dark Yin Bell | Xuan Minglie's life-bound artifact. Together with the Bloodthirst Banners forms a divine formation that can draw in and imprison the world’s yin energy (yin — related to death, ghosts, suffering, demons).
龍鱗刀 (lónglín dāo) — Dragon Scale Saber | Made of the Azure Dragon's reverse scale
朱雀令 (Zhūquè Lìng) — Vermilion Bird Token | Made of the Vermilion Bird's feather
白虎鞭 (Bái Hǔ biān) — White Tiger Whip | Made of the White Tiger's whisker, most likely
玄武璧 (Xuán Wǔ bì) — Black Tortoise Wall | Made of the Black Tortoise's shell, probably
長戈古劍 (Chánggē Gǔjiàn) — Chang Ge Sword [lit. long halberd/spear ancient sword] | Ferocious but pure sword possessing a sword spirit, forged with baleful blood energy by the demon occupying Demon sect's vice sect master.
燭龍之齒 (zhú lóng zhī chǐ) — Candle Dragon’s Fang | A token symbolizing the sect master of Heaven-Shaking Sect. Made from the literal fang of the Candle Dragon. Can be used together with the Dark Yin Bell to channel all the demonic energy into the body of the Candle Dragon.
山河社稷图 (shān hé shè jì tú) — Map of Mountains and Rivers | Divine artifact holding a fragment of the Primordial Wilderness, sealing the Mystic Fog Yao Valley inside it as a separate realm
天書 (Tiān Shū) — Heavenly Book | The record of destiny at Jade Pool palace
補天石 (Bǔ Tiān Shí) — Heaven-Mending Stone | The ultimate divine artifact, the center of the Kunlun formation. The Kunlun divine artifact was a clay figure Nüwa molded using the Heaven-Mending Stone before leaving the human realm. The Queen Mother of the West engraved the formation with secret arts into the clay figure’s divine soul.
兩儀鏡 (Liǎng Yí Jìng) — Yin-Yang Mirror | Emei sect divine artifact, anchor of its divine formation
素色雲界旗 (Sù Sè Yún Jiè Qí) Plain Cloud Realm Banner | Jade Pool divine artifact
聚仙旗 (Jù Xiān Qí) Gathering Immortals Banner | Another name for Jade Pool artifact
因果灯 (yīn guǒ dēng) Karma Lamp | Buddhist divine artifact. Lit by the first flame between Heaven and Earth after the Tribulation, by the Tathagata Dingguang. Since then, there has been light in the world. It doesn’t harm people, but burns karma to sever past ties.
瀝血劍 (Lìxuè Jiàn) Dripping Blood Sword | Li Xinglun's sword formed from a yao bone picked up in the Mystic Fog Valley, shaped by the heavenly gale of the Jade Pool. Looks like a simple iron sword, sometimes becoming blood-red. This is the baleful sword of Xue Qianjie, left in the Sword Tomb at Mount Shu.


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## Gods, beasts, creatures

女娲 — Nüwa | A primordial Chinese goddess of creation, protection, and harmony. She is said to have shaped humanity from clay and repaired the broken sky after a cosmic disaster. Nüwa is deeply connected to nature, embodying the balance of earth and life, and is often depicted with the upper body of a woman and the lower body of a serpent, symbolizing her divine, earthly, and natural essence. She represents the nurturing forces of the natural world and the order that sustains it.

Nüwa mending the sky:
In the distant past, the world fell into chaos. The sky cracked and split open, the earth broke apart, floods and fires ravaged the land, and wild beasts roamed freely, endangering the people. Nüwa, the goddess who had created humanity, looked upon the devastation with sorrow and resolved to save the world. She gathered stones of five colors, melted them, and used the molten rock to patch the holes in the sky. To steady the heavens, she cut off the legs of a great turtle and set them beneath the sky’s corners as pillars. She slew a black dragon that was terrorizing the land and blocked the floods by piling up reeds and ashes. When her work was done, the sky was whole again, the earth was stable, the floods receded, and humanity could live on in peace.

西王母 (Xī Wángmǔ) — Queen Mother of the West |  An ancient Chinese goddess of immortality, cosmic order, and feminine power. She resided on Mount Kunlun at the Jade Pool, a heavenly paradise. She rules over immortals, bestows the peaches of immortality, and guards the balance between life and death. Created the barriers protecting the Jade Pool and the Mystic Fog Yao Valley. Also created the divine formation protecting Kunlun.

四聖獸 (sì shèng shòu) — Four Sacred Beasts | Mythological animals of great power
Azure Dragon (青龍, Qīnglóng) — East
Vermilion Bird (朱雀, Zhūquè) — South
White Tiger (白虎, Báihǔ) — West
Black Tortoise (玄武, Xuánwǔ) — North

燭龍 (zhú lóng) — Candle Dragon | One of the ancient gods, residing on Mount Zhong. A giant red dragon with a human face and serpent body, particularly associated with the primordial world, light, time, and the seasons. The name refers to its ability to shine like a candle or torch, bringing light and darkness, day and night. When the Candle Dragon opened its eyes, it became day; when it closed them, night fell. When it blew, winter came; when it exhaled, summer arrived. It could summon wind and rain.

青鳥 (Qīngniǎo) — Azure Bird | Messenger and servant of the Queen Mother of the West

雙生蛇 (shuāng shēng shé) — Twin Serpents [lit. twin-born snakes] | Yao guardians and holy animals of the Hundred Flower sect.  

鬼車 (guǐ chē) — Guiche [lit. Ghost Chariot Bird] | An ancient great yao; the ancestor of one of the elders of Mystic Fog Yao Valley. The fire of its feathers its fire can burn for three days and nights without being quenched.

魔物 (mó wù) — demonic creature | Non-human, non-beast entities of pure demonic energy, whose essence is plunder and invasion.
魔頭 (mó tóu) — demonic fiend | another term for the same

蠱蟲 (gǔ chóng) — Gu insect | Magical parasites, typically called insects or worms, capable of generating various curse-like poisons.


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## Cultivation — core concepts

洪荒 (Hónghuāng) — Primordial Wilderness | Or vast wilderness; a state of nature before civilization, law, and the separation of heaven and earth. It can also stand metaphorically for an era of primal forces, when gods and great beings contended for dominance.
古荒 (gǔhuāng) — Primordial Wilderness | Same as above, stressing the ancient and desolate qualities of a mythic past.
天道 (tiān dao) — Heaven’s Order [The Way of Heaven, Heavenly Dao]

氣 (qì) — breath, air, energy, aura.
元 (yuan) — essence, origin, primal, fundamental
靈 (líng) — spirit, soul, essence

天地靈氣 (tiān dì líng qì) — spiritual energy of heaven and earth | Chaotic spiritual energy of the world, the basis for all mortal cultivation forms.
真元 (zhen yuan) — true essence | The internal, refined energy of a cultivator.
仙氣 (xiān qì) — immortal energy | The final stage of internal refinement of spiritual energy.

正 righteous/orthodox/upright (cultivation) | Follows Heaven's Order: respect nature, cultivate based on individual  achievements, help people.

魔 demonic/unorthodox/evil (cultivation) | Goes against Heaven's Order: practice various evil techniques that hurt nature or people, with a focus on stealing, destroying or perverting. For example, forcefully taking spiritual essence from other humans or creatures; generating special forms of spiritual energy through mass slaughter; using perverse cultivation methods such as sexual cultivation; using harsh and greedy methods for absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth; transforming living creatures into artifacts and pills; etc.

心 (xīn) — heart, mind, core, center
- Literally: the heart (the organ or the symbolic heart)
- Figuratively: the mind, thoughts, feelings, intent, or spirit
- Philosophically: one’s inner being, consciousness, or mental/emotional state

法 (fǎ) — technique, method, art, formula, skill

阵法 (zhèn fǎ) — formation, or array [lit. battle formation methods] | Originally refers to military formations and strategies, but in cultivation fiction it refers to mystical arrays that manipulate spiritual energy, often defensive or offensive. A deliberate arrangement of spiritual power, artifacts, talismans, or people, laid out in a certain pattern to produce a desired effect.

法陣 (fǎzhèn) — magic array | Explicitly a magical construct or spell array.

方式 (fāngshì) — method, way, manner | general word for the process or approach rather than a formal, named technique or secret art

術 (shù) — art (technique, method, skill, craft, practice) | specific ability, such as Blood-Guiding Art

心法 (xīnfǎ) — mental technique | Internal, meditative spiritual cultivation technique unique to a sect or lineage. The philosophy and mental method of cultivating vital energy (qi), as opposed to just external moves.

功法 (gōngfǎ) — cultivation method | A more formal cultivation practice — usually with a name and specific set of rules or exercises.

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Cultivation — absorption and internal transformation of energy. The type of energy absorbed determines the final stage of the cultivation.

Cultivation to immortality — spiritual cultivators. Cultivators practice by absorbing the wild chaotic spiritual energy of heaven and earth and transforming it internally into power suited to themselves, based on the personal cultivation path (Buddhist, Dao, sword, demonic). The cultivation world collectively refers to all those internal powers as true essence. No matter how one cultivates, these forces ultimately transform into immortal energy, sharing the same origin and returning to the same destination — the differences lie only in the process.
 The purpose of the cultivator is to discard worldly desires and achieve immortality. The first stage is to ascend to Heaven (a separate realm for immortals). Cultivation continues until the form can be completely discarded, leaving behind a pure consciousness unconstrained by matter or emotion.  There are numerous paths to reach the end goal, based on mental enlightenment (philosophy and morality — Dao), accumulating merit, understanding swordsmanship, stealing vital essence from others, accumulating negative energy, etc.

Cultivation to godhood — divine cultivators. Cultivators begin from humans or creatures, accumulate faith from others, ascend into the realm of gods and acquire responsibilities over certain worldly phenomena as well as a place in the general hierarchy of Heaven. Incompatible with cultivation to immortality; the spiritual cultivators desire to discard their attachment, while gods are the essence of attachment and exist only as long as they are remembered and revered or feared.

Nonhuman creatures — animals, plants, rocks — can also passively absorb spiritual or divine energy and gain awareness. An important stage in the cultivation is the achievement of a human form (humans are seen as the pinnacle of creation and their form the most perfect one).


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## Beasts (nonhuman cultivators)

元靈 (yuán líng) — spiritual core | analogous to the human Golden Core
妖靈 (yāo líng) — Sacred Yao Spirit

妖獸 (yāo shòu) — yao [lit. yao beast] | Various nature spirits — animals, plants, mountains, rivers, even rocks or objects that remained undisturbed for long periods of time — that gained self-awareness due to absorbing large amounts of spiritual energy, often over very long time periods. Such spirits can then consciously choose to cultivate further despite harsh opposition from Heaven's Order, becoming yao cultivators. Two important cultivation stages for yao are the creation of a spiritual core — gaining longevity, magical powers related to its nature, and the ability to influence its environment, and the transcendence of physical form — allowing the yao to transform into a human appearance.

妖修 (yāo xiū) — yao cultivator | Yao who chose to continue cultivating after gaining self-awareness. Cultivation is no longer a passive and instinctual, but active and conscious. Considered more “wild,” “base,” or “unrefined” compared to humans or divine beings.

靈修 (líng xiū) — spirit cultivator, spirit beasts | Creatures possessing a divine spark, tracing their origin to the bloodline of the Four Sacred Beasts. More noble, refined, and sacred in origin compared to yao. Able to progress much faster in their cultivation due to inherited knowledge.

神獸 (shén shòu) — divine beasts | Refers to both yao and spirit beasts. Emphasis on divine, celestial, god-like status.
聖獸 (shèng shòu) — sacred beasts | Refers to both yao and spirit beasts. Emphasis on sacred, revered, holy, or ancestral role.


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## Divine cultivation / Cultivation to Godhood

神力 (shen lì) — divine power | Power of the gods or Buddhas, higher beings. Can be invoked, borrowed, or bestowed on someone who aligns with the gods or fulfills their will.

Not in this story:
信仰之力 (xìnyǎng zhī lì) — power of faith/belief | [not in the story] Generated by the belief, worship, or prayers of others directed at the person.

Not in this story:
愿力 (yuàn lì) — power of vows | [not in the story] The power generated by the strength and sincerity of a person's vow.
These are often massive, altruistic vows that seem impossible — and that’s the point. The scale of the vow determines the magnitude of the vow power that arises to support the cultivator.
- Vows anchor the spirit, making the will unshakable.
- They attract karmic, spiritual, or even divine support.
- They allow one to endure hardships that would break others, because the vow sustains the person.
- In Buddhist thought, vows resonate with the vows of Buddhas & bodhisattvas, aligning one with their path and merit.

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## Spiritual cultivation / Cultivation to Immortality

### Cultivation stages

炼气 (lian qi) — Qi Refinement   
筑基 (zhu ji) — Foundation Building (ends with a lightening tribulation)
金丹 (jin dan) — Golden Core (ends with a heart demon tribulation)
元婴 (yuan ying) — Nascent Soul [primordial infant]
化神 (huà shén) — Soul Transformation
大乘 (da cheng) — Great Ascension (ends with the ascension tribulation)

### Human Cultivation paths

#### Buddhist cultivators (佛修 fó xiū)
* Energy: Buddha power (佛力, fó lì)
* Philosophy: merit, compassion, discipline

[More typically, merit power (功德力 gōngdé li), because Buddha power is usually a type of divine power gifted as a blessing to devout Buddhists.]

#### Daoist cultivators (道修 dao xiū)
* Energy: spiritual power (靈力 líng lì)
* Philosophy: harmony with nature, following the Dao, balance

#### Sword cultivators (劍修 jiàn xiū)
* Energy: sword qi (劍氣 jiàn qì) | Manifested in the form of sword-shaped energy or strikes
* Philosophy: sharp focus, determination, channeling will into the sword

Central terms:
劍訣 (jiànjué) — sword technique | A set or sequence of sword moves or an esoteric sword method.
剑意 (jiàn yì) — sword intent | The understanding and intent behind the sword, a kind of enlightened state where the sword becomes an extension of the cultivator’s mind and will.

#### Demonic cultivators (魔修 mó xiū)
* Energy: demonic power (魔力 mó lì)
* Philosophy: greed, force, selfish ambition, defiance of heaven
Demonic cultivators sometimes gather and use baleful blood aura — a bloody, murderous energy that is generated by mass slaughter, or employ crude arts such as draining others’ vital essence. But most still gain strength by absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, their cultivation method merely different from that of Daoist cultivators.

Central terms:
- 煞氣 (sha qi) — baleful aura | Can be spiritual or psychological; a hostile, destructive, aggressive energy, or a cold, oppressive, threatening killing aura. Not necessarily bloody — more about lethal intent or aura of danger.
- 血氣 (xuè qi) — blood energy | Warm, life-giving energy of the body, often literally connected to one's blood.
- 血煞之氣 (xuè sha zhī qì) — baleful blood energy | A deadly, bloody aura that combines the lethal intent and the gore of blood, or a murderous energy born from or steeped in blood. Absorbed from slaughter, battlefields, corpses, or places of mass suffering.
- 兇兵 (xiōng bīng) — ferocious sword | forged by absorbing baleful blood energy

Arts and skills:
- 引血之術 (yǐn xuè zhī shù) — Blood-Guiding Art | A demonic art for controlling someone through the blood of their relative
- 斬血之術 (zhǎn xuè zhī shù) — Blood-Severing Art
- 血嬰 (xuè yīng) — Bloodborne Soul | Perverse version of Nascent Soul, formed through the Blood-Severing Art


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## Tribulations and calamities

斬前塵，死劫逢生 (zhǎn qián chén, sǐ jié féng shēng) — ‘Sever the past; in the death tribulation discover life.’ | Carving on a cliff wall in the Soul-Breaking Gorge

The many meanings of 劫 (jia):
— Calamity/disaster/catastrophe | World-wide destruction
— Tribulation/ordeal | Personal suffering, a painful, prolonged experience, or a test
— Cosmic trial | Fated, karma/heaven-imposed challenge to assess or strengthen the person/world

### Specific types

飛升劫 (Fēi Shēng jié) — Ascension Tribulation | Heaven's punishment and a test to cultivators who go against the set order of things by attempting to discard their morality and ascend to the celestial/immortal realm.

天劫 (Tiān jié) — Heavenly Calamity | A general term for any tribulation imposed by Heaven to test or punish, especially at key breakthroughs (cultivation upgrade points).

雷劫 (Léi jié) — Lightning Tribulation | Often manifests as divine lightning striking the cultivator trying to ascend or make a breakthrough.

死劫 (Sǐ jié) — Death Tribulation | An unavoidable, life-threatening crisis that marks a turning point in one’s cultivation or destiny. Overcoming the tribulation often leads to an advancement to a higher level of cultivation, while failure leads to death.

血劫 (Xuè jié) — Blood Tribulation | A major, deadly trial in one’s cultivation, often involving mass killing, war, sacrifice, or karmic punishment tied to violence. A Blood Calamity refers to a similar worldwide disaster.  
 
情劫 (Qíng jié) — Love Tribulation | the emotional and karmic ordeal a cultivator faces when they develop deep feelings of love or attachment, that are seen as a test or obstacle on the path to enlightenment or immortality. Emotional attachments are thought to bind a cultivator to the mortal world, weakening their resolve, distracting their mind, or leading them into danger. The cultivator may have to choose between their lover and their cultivation, or endure heartbreak, betrayal, loss, or temptation. Overcoming the tribulation — often by transcending attachment without hatred or obsession — can lead to growth and advancement. Failing the tribulation can lead to stagnation, inner demons, or even destruction.

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## Mythology and Cosmology

The **五行** (*wǔ xíng*, Five Phases) are the five fundamental dynamics or processes that structure the cosmos, nature, and human life in Chinese thought: wood (木 *mù*), fire (火 *huǒ*), earth (土 *tǔ*), metal (金 *jīn*), and water (水 *shuǐ*). Unlike static “elements,” the *wǔ xíng* describe cycles of generation and overcoming — wood feeds fire, fire produces ash (earth), earth bears metal, metal enriches water (through condensation), and water nourishes wood — as well as destructive cycles. The theory permeates cosmology, medicine, ritual, music, and governance, offering a framework in which balance and cyclical change are the core principles.

The **洪荒** (*hónghuāng*) refers to the primordial wilderness or vast wilderness before the ordering of the cosmos. In myth and literature it evokes an unformed, boundless expanse — a state of nature before civilization, law, and the separation of heaven and earth. It can also stand metaphorically for an era of primal forces, when gods and great beings contended for dominance.

Similarly, **古荒** (*gǔhuāng*) denotes the “ancient wilderness,” overlapping with *hónghuāng* but often stressing the ancient and desolate qualities of a mythic past. It carries connotations of danger, uncultivated wilds, and the profound remoteness of the legendary world before the advent of humans or the establishment of culture and moral order.

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In the traditional Chinese cosmological triad of **Heaven (天)**, **Humanity (人)**, and **Earth (地)**, the Three Realms correspond to distinct modes of existence and causality. **Heaven** represents the realm of **law and fate** — the fixed cosmic principles, moral order, and destiny that govern the world. Its patterns are immutable and impartial: stars move, seasons turn, karma ripens, and the Dao flows, indifferent to individual will. **Earth**, by contrast, is the realm of **instinct and inaction** — the material and natural world, passive and receptive, cycling through growth and decay, sustaining life without conscious direction. Between them stands **Humanity**, the realm of **choice and action**, uniquely endowed with the freedom to deliberate, to harmonize with Heaven’s laws, and to care for Earth’s fertility — or to violate both through selfishness and ignorance.

While Heaven dictates the overarching structure of existence and Earth provides the fertile stage upon which life unfolds, only Humanity acts consciously within this framework. The divine (Heaven) cannot deviate from its own law, and the natural (Earth) follows instinctive cycles, but humans alone have the freedom — and the burden — to choose. This freedom of choice makes humans the mediators between the transcendent and the material, capable of cultivation and transcendence when they align their actions with Heaven’s Dao, or of chaos and destruction when they turn away. Thus, the triad is not simply a hierarchy of places but a dynamic interplay of fate, freedom, and instinct, with humanity occupying the unique middle ground where meaning and morality emerge.

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In Buddhist cosmology, all sentient beings are caught in the endless cycle of birth and death (*samsara*), which unfolds across the **Three Realms (三界, sānjiè)** — Desire, Form, and Formless. The Realm of Desire (*欲界*) is the lowest, where beings remain attached to sensory pleasures, emotions, and cravings; it includes humans, animals, ghosts, and even the lower gods. Above it lies the Realm of Form (*色界*), where beings have transcended base desires and inhabit refined, subtle forms, dwelling in states of meditative bliss. At the highest is the Realm of Formlessness (*无色界*), where even form is abandoned and only pure consciousness remains — beings here exist as detached awareness, free of physicality, though still bound within samsara. Together, these three realms encompass all modes of existence within the conditioned world.

Within these realms, beings traverse the **Six Paths (六道, liùdào)** — six modes of rebirth determined by karma. The highest paths are the gods (*devas*), enjoying pleasure and power, and the asuras (*demigods*), driven by jealousy and conflict. The human path is prized because it offers the best balance of suffering and freedom, making spiritual cultivation possible. Below humans are animals, governed by instinct and ignorance; hungry ghosts, tormented by insatiable craving; and hell-beings, enduring intense suffering. These six paths are not separate places but states of being experienced within the Three Realms. Together, the Three Realms and Six Paths describe the full spectrum of conditioned existence — a cycle from which liberation is possible through insight and practice.

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## The Yao transformation

In Chinese mythology and cosmology, all things in the universe are permeated by **氣 (qì)** — the vital energy of heaven and earth — and participate in the dynamic flow of **陰陽 (yīn-yáng)** and **五行 (wǔxíng)**, the Five Phases. Within this worldview, there is no strict boundary between what we now call living and non-living matter. Mountains, rivers, stones, plants, and animals are all **生靈 (shēnglíng)** — sentient or potentially sentient beings — each carrying a measure of qi and **靈 (líng)**, a latent numinous spirit {spiritual; suggesting divinity}. The difference lies not in kind but in degree: some are more vibrant, mobile, or perceptive; others are heavy, dormant, and slow to awaken.

Among these countless beings, a small number are born with unusually high **悟性 (wùxìng)**, a capacity for insight or comprehension. These are often animals or plants, but they may also be stones or mountains that have quietly absorbed qi over thousands of years. At first, they act entirely on instinct, clever but unreflective. Over time, under the right conditions — proximity to spiritual places, rare celestial events, long accumulation of qi, profound stillness, blessings from deities — such beings may **開靈智 (kāi língzhì)**, awaken spiritual intelligence. This awakening is a profound transformation: the creature becomes self-aware, able to recognize itself as distinct from its surroundings, to reflect on its nature, and to consciously shape its destiny — think, feel, and act with intention, like a human.

Once a creature awakens spiritual intelligence, it can begin the long, arduous process of **cultivation**, refining the spiritual energy of heaven and earth into its own essence. This is the path of becoming a **妖 (yāo)**: no longer a simple animal, plant, or stone, but a being of spiritual power and agency. Over time, it grows stronger, gains longevity and magical abilities that reflect its nature, and often the ability to influence its environment. It may even come to take on a more defined, magical form. Such yao are still subject to the restrictions of **天道 (tiāndào)** — Heaven's Order — which in later ages grows increasingly hostile to their advancement, imposing countless tribulations to suppress their rise.

Some yao, however, do not stop at awakening and cultivation. The most ambitious pursue the path of the **妖修 (yāo xiū, yao cultivator)**. This stage is no longer simply about gaining power or maintaining existence but about transcending their current state entirely. The yao cultivator seeks to approach immortality, to perfect its essence, and — perhaps most importantly — to achieve a **human form**. In Daoist and mythological thought, the human form represents not only a higher degree of consciousness but also harmony with Heaven's Order. To take human shape is to stand on equal footing with immortals and sages, to shed the raw instincts of the creature and enter fully into the spiritual hierarchy, to assimilate to human culture and morality.

The change in form can also occur in reverse — a being may revert to its original form when killed or when its spiritual power is broken — underscoring that the human shape is a cultivated illusion, maintained by will and energy. In many tales, gaining a human form is both an aspiration and a danger: the creature can walk among humans, seek love or revenge, or transcend the limitations of its original body, but it also risks exposing its true nature if its cultivation is incomplete.

The transition to a yao cultivator demands even more discipline, skill, and perseverance. The creature must refine its body and spirit, survive harsh trials, overcome Heaven's Order's suppressive forces, and often endure periods of isolation or concealment. Many fail, consumed by their own instincts or destroyed by external forces. Those who succeed become extraordinary beings — sometimes worshiped as gods, feared as demons, or hidden as reclusive immortals — yet always bearing the memory of their origins as stones, rivers, animals, or trees.

Thus, in Chinese mythology, the journey from sentient being to yao, and from yao to yao cultivator, is not just a tale of transformation but a testament to the universal potential within all things. Even the smallest creature or the most unassuming stone, given time, insight, and will, can awaken, cultivate, and ascend.

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## The Great Ancient War

In the story’s cosmology, the ancient world — the *Primordial Wilderness* — was ruled by great powers: gods, yao, and wizards (*wu*), with humans insignificant and struggling to survive. The *Three Realms* at that time seem to have been simply layers of territory — heaven, earth, and underworld — governed not by moral law but by strength, instinct, and ritual. The yao claim that they, alongside the wu, were the rightful rulers of this order, while humans played no meaningful role. The story refers to a devastating war — called by the yao the *yao-wu war*, and by humans the *gods-and-demons war* — that shattered the old world, decimated the yao and wu, and forced the gods to impose a new order: dividing existence into the **Three Realms and Six Paths** under *Heaven’s Order (天道)*, establishing the karmic system and preventing the resurgence of such destructive power.

The text deliberately leaves ambiguous whether the *yao-wu war* and the *gods-demons war* are two names for the same cataclysm, or separate but parallel events. From the human point of view, it is remembered as the gods fighting demons, while from the yao’s perspective it is remembered as yao and wu destroying each other. Yet both traditions describe the same consequences: the collapse of the Primordial Wilderness, the remaking of the world under Heaven’s Order, and the rise of humans in the aftermath. It is possible that “demons” (*mo*) are simply what humans called the yao and wu — beings of great power but insufficient inner realization to be regarded as gods — or a general label for anything opposed to the divine. The death of 玄冥太一, who may represent the underworld or yin forces allied with the wu, further complicates the picture and suggests that the wu occupied or embodied a domain distinct from both gods and yao.

What seems clear is that the *old Three Realms* were domains of power — territories dominated by gods, yao, and wu — with little regard for humans or moral order. After the war, whether it was a single conflict or several intertwined ones, the gods imposed a karmic system, formalizing the realms and adding the Six Paths to regulate beings’ fates and suppress the resurgence of the Primordial Wilderness. Thus, in both the human and yao traditions, the war marks the decisive turning point: the end of the wild, instinct-driven old world, and the imposition of *Heaven’s Order*, which elevated humans and permanently suppressed the ancient greatness of the yao and wu.