The Mortal World

The Realm

Mountains, mist, and sects — the realm where power is climbed rather than granted. In places like Banghwa Sect, cultivation is a lifetime's work of breath, discipline, and herb-stained hands, and a gifted healer is worth more than a strong sword.

The gods watch this world, but they cannot freely walk in it. Mortals count that as mercy. The elders who know better count it as a door — one that is supposed to stay shut.

Mortal lives are short, and the mortal world knows it. That is why its markets are loud, its feuds are long, and its loves are stubborn. Everything here burns brighter for having an ending.