The young general Wu Li and his childhood friend Prince Ying ventures on their first official campaign in service of the Empire of Northern Qi. They meet the mysterious Ziqí, a tormented soul with a clandestine burden, who is struggling to control his very own nature. Wu Li finds himself drawn to Ziqí, an attraction that will lead to disastrous consequences. In a neighbouring country, a young wanna-be-warrior that struggles with his identity helps a woman set on seeking vengeance on her violent husband.

Against the backdrop of a fading belief in gods and demons, the dominant Yue and Cui clans - united by the sacred Blood Oath - tightly hold political and military power, with the Ning clan relentlessly trying to get more influence at any cost, even sacrificing one of their own.

The five major cultivation sects that used to be intricately involved in ruling the Empire are now on the brink of extinction, leaving behind only a handful of Guardians, keeping the ancient Moves of Zhuoye alive. As the story unfolds, the characters find they need to rely on each other and these cultivation techniques to save the known world from an impending disaster. In the end of them will have to make the ultimate sacrifice.

This story develops slowly and has multiple characters in many locations. If you are looking for action right away, this might not be the story for you.

Some chapters have Roman numerals, representing that they occur before our story's current timeline.

This story contains love scenes between men which are portrayed in medium detail. It also has some scenes with sexual abuse and rape.

Enjoy!