Sects and Locations
THE TEN GREAT SECTS
The cultivation world is divided into the upper and lower cultivation realms. Most of the ten great sects are located within the upper cultivation realm, while Sisheng Peak is the only great sect within the lower cultivation realm.
Sisheng Peak
死生之巅 Sisheng zhi dian, “the peak of life and death”
A sect in the lower cultivation realm located in modern day Sichuan. It sits near the boundary between the mortal realm and the ghost realm, and was founded relatively recently by Xue Zhengyong and his brother. The uniform of Sisheng Peak is light armor in dark blue with silver trim, and members of the sect practice cultivation methods that do not require abstinence from meat or other foods. The sect’s name refers to both its physical location in the mountains as well as the metaphorical extremes of life and death. Xue Zhengyong named many locations in Sisheng Peak after places and entities in the underworld because the sect is located in an area thick with ghostly yin energy, and he is furthermore not the sort to think up conventionally nice-sounding, formal names.
Heaven-Piercing Tower (通天塔)
The location where Mo Ran first met Chu Wanning as well as the location where, in his past life, he laid himself to rest.
Loyalty Hall (丹心殿)
The main hall of Sisheng Peak. Taxian-jun renamed it Wushan Palace (巫山殿) when he took over the sect.
Red Lotus Pavilion (红莲水榭)
Chu Wanning’s residence. An idyllic pavilion surrounded by rare red lotuses. Some have been known to call it “Red Lotus Hell” or the “Pavilion of Broken Legs.”
Platform of Sin and Virtue (善恶台)
A platform where public events in Sisheng Peak, including punishment and announcements, are carried out.
Mengpo Hall (孟婆堂)
The dining hall at Sisheng Peak. Named after the mythological old woman who distributes memory-erasing soup to souls before they are reborn.
Silk-Rinse Hall (浣纱堂)
The tailoring hall of Sisheng Peak, which creates and tailors clothing for members of the sect.
Linyi Rufeng Sect
临沂儒风门 Rufeng, “honoring Confucian ideals”
A sect in the upper cultivation realm located in Linyi, a prefecture in modern day Shandong Province. Has seventy-two cities and is known for being affluent and well-respected. In Taxian-jun’s lifetime, he burned them all to the ground.
Kunlun Taxue Palace
昆仑踏雪宫 Taxue, “stepping softly across snow”
A sect in the upper cultivation realm located on the Kunlun Mountain range. Its name refers to both the physical location of the sect in the snowy Kunlun Mountain range and the ethereal grace of the cultivators within the sect.
Guyueye
孤月夜 Guyueye, “a lonely moon in the night sky”
A sect in the upper cultivation realm located on Rainbell Isle. They focus on the medicinal arts. The name is a reference to the solitary and isolated nature of Guyueye—the island is a lone figure in the water, much like the reflection of the moon, cold and aloof.
Rainbell Isle (霖铃屿)
Not an actual island, but the back of an enormous ancient tortoise, which was bound to the founder of the sect by a blood pact to carry the entirety of Guyueye sect on its shell.
Xuanyuan Pavilion
A subsidiary operation of Guyueye, and a trading post well-known in the cultivation world. Xuanyuan is a name for the Yellow Emperor, a legendary Chinese historical figure and deity, who was one of the Three Sovereigns and Five Deities alongside Fuxi.
Fragrance Inn
An inn on Rainbell Isle.
PEACH BLOSSOM SPRINGS
Peach Blossom Springs
桃花源
Home of the feathered tribe, located beyond the maze of Mount Jiuhua and within the land of the immortals. The Peach Blossom Spring is a fable written by Chinese poet Tao Yuanming, in which the eponymous setting is an ethereal utopia where people live a peaceful, prosperous existence in harmony with nature, unaware of the outside world. In popular culture, the setting has become a symbol of an ideal world, and it has been depicted in many paintings, poems, music, and so forth.
Zhuque (朱雀)
The land of immortals. (See entry on the Vermilion Bird in the glossary for more details.)
Mount Jiuhua (九华山)
A mountain with a snowy summit. The path to Peach Blossom Springs begins at the foot of Mount Jiuhua. Mount Jiuhua in modern China is a site sacred to the Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva, and is located in Anhui Province.
Ancestral Abyss (始祖深渊)
An abyss within Peach Blossom Springs, filled with roaring flames where neither flora nor fauna survive. Frenzied demon owls live within, making their nests out of the abyssal flames. They hide during the day and emerge only at night. According to legend, the abyss was where the Vermilion Bird ascended.
Dewsip Pavilion (饮露阁)
A pavilion where visitors to Peach Blossom Springs are received.
Zhurong Cave (祝融洞)
Where cultivators at Peach Blossom Springs meditate to refine their cultivation and train their inner spiritual energy against the burning yang energy of the cave. Zhurong refers to a figure in Chinese mythology who is associated with the cardinal direction of south and the element of fire.
Asura Arena (修罗场)
Where cultivators at Peach Blossom Springs go to engage in practice matches against one another.
Stargazing Cliffs (观星崖)
Where cultivators at Peach Blossom Springs attend Eighteen’s evening lectures.
Spirit Lake Tavern (灵湖楼)
A tavern located in the western market of Peach Blossom Springs.
Campsis Pavilion (凌霄阁)
A residential pavilion where guests of Peach Blossom Springs are hosted.
ILLUSORY LIN'AN
Lin’an City (临安城)
The setting of an illusory realm where Mo Ran and Xia Sini undergo their trial.
Putuo (普陀)
The destination of the refugees from Lin’an during the first ghost realm barrier breach. Putuo in modern China is a location sacred to Guanyin.
Qiantang River (钱塘江)
The river by which Lin’an City is located.
City God Temple (城隍庙)
A temple dedicated to the god of the walls and moats that protect cities. Nearly every city has its own City God Temple.
OTHER
Yangzhou Port 扬州口岸
Yangzhou is a city in Jiangsu province, historically one of the wealthiest cities in China.
Wuchang Town
无常镇 Wuchang, “the Buddhist doctrine of impermanence”
A town not far from Sisheng Peak.
House of Drunken Jade 醉玉楼
A high-class pleasure house in Xiangtan, famed for its theater, star songstress, and food. It burned down not long before the events of the current timeline.
Dawning Peak 旭映峰
A sacred mountain located in the upper cultivation realm, within the territory of Linyi Rufeng Sect. Known as the place where Gouchen the Exalted forged the Heavenly Emperor’s sword, it is now a pilgrimage site for cultivators seeking holy weapons.
Dai City 岱城
A mildly prosperous city by the foot of Dawning Peak. Caters to traveling cultivators on their way to Jincheng Lake.
Jincheng Lake 金成池
A lake at the summit of Dawning Peak that remains frozen over year-round. According to legend, it was formed by a drop of Gouchen the Exalted’s blood, shed as he forged the Heavenly Emperor’s holy sword.