Chinese: 斐塵翎

Fei - (of literary talent) striking, brilliant; elegant/graceful
Chen - dust & dirt, euphemism for the world of mortals
Ling - plume, tail feather, quill

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Former Mt. Linglong peak lord. The young, powerful, but quick-tempered leader of Star Pavilion Sect and the oldest of the previous sect leader's five disciples. He sees himself as a caretaker to his junior siblings foremost and oftentimes places his responsibilities as sect leader on the back burner. Has a special fondness for his youngest junior brother, Mo Yixuan. 

Visual Inspiration:

Chinese: 君貞

Jun - prince, monarch, sovereign
Zhen  - loyal, faithful, virtuous

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Mo Yixuan's senior brother who holds a grudge against him. Sources say Mo Yixuan somehow caused his legs to be crippled with an ice affliction that requires treatment by the sect leader every month. His mind is also rather unstable...

Visual Inspiration:

Chinese: 陌逸軒

Mo - raised path, street.
Yi - ease, leisure; escape, flee; to withdraw from the world & be a recluse, to be lost or excel.
Xuan - high, lofty; pavilion with a view.

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Mt. Jingting peak lord. The main character (MC) of the story. A man who died in his mid-thirties to transmigrate into the body of a prominent Peak Lord of the Star Pavilion Sect. The original was a two-faced wretch with delusions of grandeur, but his replacement just wants the world to leave him alone. 

Visual Inspiration:

Chinese: 穆夜蓮

Mu - surname that means solemn, reverence, calm.
Yelian - night lotus.

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Mt. Luojia peak lord. The youngest of the five disciples under the previous sect leader, and the only girl. As she was close in age to Mo Yixuan, she feels closest to him out of all her senior brothers and crushes on him actively. Peak Lord of Mt. Luojia, which trains the sect's female disciples and specializes in healing; however, she herself is also a consummate master of poisons. Simple and childish, she's rather spoiled but means well. 

Visual Inspiration:

Chinese: 南無月

Nan - south.
Wuyue - moonless, without a moon.

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The male lead (ML) of the story and Mo Yixuan’s core disciple, making him the highest ranked student amongst his master’s charges. Once a naive and innocent boy, he turned twisted under his master’s abuse and maltreatment. The current Nan Wuyue possesses his soul from ten years later and is hellbent on revenge, specifically against his scum master Mo Yixuan.

Visual Inspiration:

(Note that Nan Wuyue at the start of the story is 15 years old. These are his adult visualizations.)

Joke Modern Verse Nan Wuyue:

Chinese: 歐陽澈

Ouyang - a two character surname. Ou can mean "to sing, a ballad," Yang is "positive," the yang in "yin yang."
Che - (of water) clear, thorough.

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Second oldest of Mo Yixuan's senior brothers, a scholarly type skilled in the medical arts. Although intelligent, he is also lazy. Rumors have it that he was on bad terms with the original Mo Yixuan, but he seems to take a special interest in his replacement and actively helps him out. Besides Mo Yixuan, he's only member of Star Pavilion Sect with the power to change the sect leader's mind.

Visual Inspiration:

Joke Modern Verse Ouyang:

Chinese: 上官隱

Yin - secret, hidden, concealed.

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Mo Yixuan's junior at his old company back in the modern world. A man whose soft-spoken visage hides a greedy, empty hole of a heart, and the ultimate cause of Mo Yixuan's death.

Visual Inspiration:

Chinese: 世風

Shi - the world.
Feng - the wind.

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The second male lead (ML #2) of the story. A powerful yet reclusive cultivator who watches over the border between the High and Middle Realms (where Star Pavilion Sect is located). His age is unknown but his cultivation is closest to that of godhood, making him a relic of an ancient time. Open and forthright, he is also used to getting what he wants.

Visual Inspiration:

Chinese: 夜星嶙

Ye - night.
Xing - stars.
Lin - precipitous (of a mountain).

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The founder and former sect leader of Star Pavilion Sect who created the Celestial Sublime Sword Style inspired by the constellations in the 28 Lunar Mansions. Currently deceased. A remarkable cultivator who sent shockwaves through the Middle Realms when he was still alive.

Visual Inspiration:

An Chengyan (安程焱)

An - peace.
Cheng - rule/regulation, journey, distance.
Yan - flame.

Visual Inspiration: 

Peak Lord Jun Zhen’s current disciple, though apparently not by his own choice. A young teen with delicate features, he doesn’t like to speak much and takes care of Jun Zhen’s daily needs.

The three realms in the story are based on cultivation strength rather than physical location. Please read on for further instructions:

• Lower Realms - Home to humans and Yao, or beastkin/natural spirits. The Yao were once part of the Middle Realms but suffered catastrophic defeat during the Three Realms War around 200 years ago, thus leaving most of their tribes scattered and/or destroyed.
• Middle Realms - Demonic and celestial cultivators. While the celestial cultivation sects actually exist on a floating continent above the Lower Realms, most demonic sects prefer to stay in sections of the Lower Realm rife with demonic energy, also known as the Demon Realm.
• Higher Realms - Home to gods and immortals, sealed up thousands of years ago.
• Netherworld - Home to the dead souls and ghosts, location of King Yama's court. Technically considered separate from the Three Realms as it can't be accessed by the living through normal means. 

3 Types ofYao (妖)

• Yaojing (妖精) - any Yao who possesses sentience and the ability to cultivate into human form. Runs the gamut from peony spirits (plants), pipa spirits (objects), or animals. The jing in their names referred to “refinement."
• Yaomo (妖魔) - Yao who willingly embrace and enlighten on a demonic path, 
• Yaoguai (妖怪) - Yao who prefer to stay in their true, monstrous forms as plants or beasts.

Located in the highest current point of the Middle Realms, Nine Heavens Range. Has nine peaks for each of its nine peak lords as well as a central arena for greeting guests. Below the arena lies the ice prisons powered by the demonic core of an ice serpent one slayed by its founder, Ye Xinglin. 

Their practitioners train in the Celestial Sublime Sword Style inspired by the 28 Lunar Mansions of the Chinese constellations, divided into 4 Houses with 7 Movements each:

• Dance of the Azure Dragon - Speedy offensive style (think DPS)
• Steps of the Black Tortoise - Defensive arrays, delay tactics, mitigation
• Roar of the White Tiger - Raw power offensive style
• Song of the Vermillion Bird - Subterfuge, illusions, misc skills

Name Origins: Inspired by its high-altitude geographic location which offered excellent views of the night sky, thus helping former Sect Leader Ye perfect his sword techniques. He used to call the sect grounds his stage to dance for the Heavens, his pavilion of endless stars.

[Pics later!]

A cultivation sect focused on checks and balances whose disciples believe in the cycles of karma and retribution as well as the revolutionary practice of taking a percentage of members' monthly spirit stone payments to support sect upkeep costs.

Their practitioners train in the Three Branches Sword Style which consists of:

• Ruler - Creating laws for the battlefield
• Executor - Upholding laws in the battlefield
• Judge - Disseminating opponents' movements and limits based on the grasp of law

Name Origins: "Law is ever immutable, changing with the time and place. Only the principle of Rule and Obey remain constant, and the cultivators themselves decide the limits, just as how iridescence itself is a constantly changing stream of colors without any one set hue."

NOTE: Listed in order of appearance. Be wary of labeled chapter spoilers!

Su Shiyu (蘇詩紆)

Shi - poetry.
Yu - to tie or bend; winding, tortuous.

Visual Inspiration:

The eldest son and current patriarch of the Su Clan, an old and wealthy family of merchants who deal in jade mining. His family controls the largest deposit of jade in Stonecut Valley. Although he appears to be in his late 30s, half of his hair has already turned white. A reserved and upright man with the trappings of a gentleman, though it's rumored that he has a short temper.

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Bai Tingyao (白婷瑶) 

Bai - white. 
Ting - graceful. 
Yao - precious jade. 

Visual Inspiration:

Known as Lady Bai, she is the wife of Su Shiyu. An intelligent, capable woman with a highly independent streak who has her husband wrapped around her metaphorical finger. Dotes on her darling Mengmeng to a fault, or as she puts it, “Everything my Mengmeng does is adorable!” She has a three-year old son named Su Lingxiao (蘇凌霄), nicknamed Ah-Xiao.

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Spoiler for C30 - "Mengmeng"

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Spoiler for C31 - Ghost Girl

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Spoilers for C36 - Ah-Xiao, Su Yan'er, Ting'er

5 Years Later!Nan Wuyue x Mo Yixuan by Killokii for BL_Palace's May 2021 Anthology Chibi Banner