The Desolate Wastelands were not born of nature, but of consequence. Following the Great Burial War, the heavens cracked and the old world's Qi got contaminated.
Those who survived, the desperate, the exiled, and the ambitious fled to this scarred continent. They built a society atop the graves of gods, founding a culture where power is not just attained, but "buried" within the self.
I. The Geography of the Wastelands
The continent is divided into five great regions, each defined by the lingering curse of the Great War:
The Eastern Silk Reach: A land of perpetual twilight and copper-tasting air. Home to the Temple of Zhi and the center of the world's record-keeping.
The Western Bone Barrens: A desert of white sand made of pulverized spirit-stones.
The Northern Iron Tundra: A frozen expanse where Qi freezes in the lungs of the weak.
The Southern Ember Mire: A volcanic swampland where life and fire are indistinguishable.
The Central Void: The epicenter of the Great Burial War, now a restricted zone of spatial anomalies.
II. The Ten Great Sects (The Pillars)
These are the absolute authorities of the Desolate Wastelands. They maintain the balance and control the flow of ancient scrolls.The Ten Great Sects and their corresponding regions:
The Temple of Zhi – Eastern Silk Reach
The Iron Monolith – Northern Iron Tundra
The Bone-Eater Cult – Western Bone Barrens
The Crimson Altar – Southern Ember Mire
The Silent Needle – Eastern Silk Reach
The Azure Firmament – Central Void Border
The Thousand Mask Sect – Southern Ember Mire
The Hollow Grave – Western Bone Barrens
The Jade Harmony – Northern Iron Tundra
The Shattered Mirror – Central Void Border
Apart from them there are quite a few more sects but not as significant and powerful as them.
III. The Temple of Zhi: Internal Structure
Lian Shen resides within the Temple of Zhi, which is organized into five specialized Pavilions.
The Scarlet Silk Pavilion: The Archive. They manage the records of every life and death in the reach. Lian Shen is a low-level record keeper here.
The Golden Bell Pavilion: The Defense. They guard the temple's borders and enforce internal laws.
The Jade Incense Pavilion: The Alchemy. They produce the pills required for the Burials of Flesh and Breath.
The Azure Sky Pavilion: The Combat. Home to the active warriors and "Prodigies" like Li Chen.
The Silent Mirror Pavilion: The Elders. A secluded space for those who have reached the 6th Burial.
IV. The Ladder of Power: The 7 Burials
Cultivation in the Wastelands is a process of burying one's mortality. Each Burial is divided into 9 Minor Stages.
The Burial of Flesh: Hardening the skin and bone to survive toxic Qi.
The Burial of Breath: Refining internal energy to replace the need for oxygen.
The Burial of Mind: The stage Lian Shen currently occupies. Achieving total mental clarity and the ability to influence the "aura" of others.
The Burial of Dao: Constructing a permanent core that acts as a gateway to the laws of the world.
The Burial of Spirit: Purifying the soul into an independent entity that can survive without the body.
The Burial of Earth: Surviving the "World's Rejection," a series of physical and spiritual tribulations.
The Burial of Heaven: Ascension. Leaving the Desolate Wastelands to walk the path of the Ancients.