1. The Central Continent: Zhongtian (The Middle Heaven) or Centralia
Description: The undisputed heart of the mortal and cultivation realms. It holds the densest spiritual energy, the most ancient dragon veins, and the most terrifying powers.
The Unbreakable Alliance (The Twin Pillars of Zhongtian)
Rather than fighting for supremacy, the Divine Su Empire and the Heavenly Sword Sect have an ancient, unbreakable pact. They function as the two halves of a perfect whole.
The Su Empire rules the lands, manages the vast mortal populations, controls the economy, and commands the armies.
The Heavenly Sword Sect acts as the ultimate academic and spiritual sanctuary. They focus entirely on the Great Dao, unbothered by worldly administration, relying on the Empire's massive resource network to fund their cultivation.
The Connection: Su Changxuan (The Fallen Sword Crown)
The bond between the two factions was cemented by Changhe's older brother, Su Changxuan.
Because of his Innate Void Sword Bone, Changxuan was not just the Imperial Crown Prince; he was also chosen as the Sword Crown (the absolute successor) of the Heavenly Sword Sect.
The Sect Master, Sword Venerable Li Taibai (Divine Dharma Realm): He is Changxuan's master and treats him like his own son.
Subverting the trope where a sect abandons a crippled genius, the Heavenly Sword Sect did not cast Changxuan aside when his Core shattered. Instead, the Sect Master was devastated. The entire sect went into a century of mourning, and they now actively help Emperor Su Qingtian scour the world for ancient herbs to heal him.
How the Rest of the World Sees It (The "Corrupt" Monopoly)
Because the Su family and the Heavenly Sword Sect are completely united, to an outsider—especially a poor, "righteous" protagonist rising from the bottom—this alliance looks like an evil, corrupt monopoly.
The Protagonist's View: "The tyrannical Su Empire and the hypocritical Heavenly Sword Sect hoard 99% of the Central Continent's resources! They protect each other's flaws and suppress commoners! I must destroy them both to return balance to the world!"
The Reality: The Su family and the Sect Master are just a group of fiercely loyal people trying to protect their home and cure the beloved older brother.
Su Changhe's Role in the Sect
Because of his Dual Pupils, Changhe is technically an honorary Supreme Elder of the Heavenly Sword Sect at age 19. He casually strolls into their most sacred forbidden sword pavilions just to borrow ancient texts to read while drinking tea, and the Sect Elders happily let him because they adore the Su family.
The Central Continent power structure other than Su family and Heavenly Sword Sect
The Great Yan Divine Dynasty (The True Rival Empire)
The Background: An ancient empire equal in size and wealth to the Su Empire, splitting the secular rule of the Central Continent. While the Su Empire rules through absolute martial power and Dragon Veins, the Yan Dynasty rules through Karmic Destiny and summoning the avatars of ancient gods.
The Ancestor: A Jade Pure Imperial Ancestor who slumbers in the Sun.
The Rival Genius: Crown Prince Yan Wudao (Origin Core Realm). He possesses the Mandate of Heaven Physique. He is arrogant, believes he is the literal son of the heavens, and views Su Changhe as his fated arch-nemesis.
2. The Medicine King Valley (The Supreme Dao of Life)
The Background: They are not a mere pharmacy; they hold the monopoly on life and death. They possess the primordial "Cauldron of the Universe." Even Divine Dharma experts treat them as equals because the Valley controls the supreme pills needed to survive Heavenly Tribulations.
The Ancestor: A Grand Pure Alchemist who is said to have refined a dying star into a pill.
The Rival Genius: Holy Maiden Hua Muling (Transformed Spirit Realm). She possesses the Nine-Colored Glazed Body, making her completely immune to all poisons, illusions, and elemental attacks. She is one of the only people whose cultivation speed rivals Yang Qiong.
3. The Heavenly Pivot Academy (The Arbiters of the Dao)
The Background: The supreme authority on Arrays, Karma, and Universal Law. They don't just study history; they write it. They view the Su Empire and the Yan Dynasty as "brutes" who only know how to use force, while the Academy controls the fundamental laws of space and time.
The Ancestor: The Grand Pure Sage, who inscribed the original laws of the Central Continent onto a stone tablet.
The Rival Genius: First Scholar Kong Ming (Life Core Realm). He has the Seven-Aperture Exquisite Heart, allowing him to calculate a million variables a second. He fights by throwing down instant, continent-spanning array formations.
4. The Nine Netherworld Pavilion (The Overlords of Samsara)
The Background: They are the literal gatekeepers of the Underworld. They do not live in the shadows; they rule the shadow dimension overlapping the Central Continent. They control the cycle of reincarnation and command armies of ancient, undead Immortals.
The Ancestor: The Dao Ancestor of Death (Grand Pure), who holds the Book of Life and Death.
The Rival Genius: Netherworld Young Master Ye Gui (Golden Core Realm). He possesses the Samsara Eyes—the only visual prowess in the world that dares to rival Su Changhe's Dual Pupils. While Changhe's eyes perceive the Dao and bring annihilation, Ye Gui's eyes see the strings of karma and bring decay.
5. The Blood Sea Demonic Cult (The Primordial Threat)
The Background: The origin of all Demonic cultivation in the world. They reside in an endless, blood-red ocean at the edge of the continent. They are so ridiculously powerful that the other six righteous/neutral factions occasionally have to call truces just to make sure the Blood Sea doesn't swallow the continent.
The Ancestor: The Asura Blood Ancestor (Grand Pure). He is truly immortal; as long as a single drop of blood exists in the universe, he cannot die.
The Rival Genius: Blood Prince Xue Kuang (Origin Core Realm). He possesses the Indestructible Asura Body. He thrives on pure violence and is the only person in the younger generation whose physical strength can match Su Changhe's giant cousin, Su Changfeng.
Heavenly Sword Sect power structure
The Heavenly Sword Sect (The Supreme Sword Dao)
They do not rely on endless armies or massive cities. They possess a single, floating mountain range composed of millions of flying swords, anchored by the Seven Supreme Peaks. To become a Peak Master, one must be a Divine Dharma Realm expert whose Sword Intent can cut the sky in half.
Sect Master (The 1st Peak)
Sword Venerable Li Taibai (Divine Dharma — Principal Realm)
Role: The absolute authority of the sect. He is the master of Su Changxuan (Changhe's crippled older brother). He is gentle, perpetually drinking wine, and carries a profound sorrow for his crippled disciple. He treats the Su family as his own kin.
The 2nd Peak (The Peak of Heavenly Punishment)
Master: Elder Yan Luo (Divine Dharma — Primordial Realm)
Role: The enforcer of sect laws. A rigid, terrifying old man who cultivates the Dao of Judgment. Even the other Peak Masters fear his ruler. He is the only elder who occasionally scolds Changhe—not out of malice, but because he genuinely wants the Crown Prince to reach perfection.
The 3rd Peak (The Peak of the Falling Snow)
Master: Fairy Ye Sha (Divine Dharma — Primordial Realm)
Status: The most beautiful woman in the Central Continent, known as the "Snow Sword Empress." She is cold, aloof, and utterly uninterested in worldly affairs or romance. Her sword intent freezes time itself.
Relationship to Su Changhe: She is Changhe's Master. Despite her freezing demeanor, she is incredibly protective of him. She accepted him as her First (and only) Disciple not just because of his Dual Pupils, but because the Empress Yang Wanying personally asked her over tea. She often hides her slight smile behind her sleeve when Changhe uses his world-ending Dual Pupils just to brew her morning tea perfectly.
The 4th Peak (The Peak of the Refining Furnace)
Master: Elder Ou Yezi (Divine Dharma — Ingress Realm)
Role: The supreme weaponsmith of the continent. He doesn't fight with a single sword; he controls a river of ten thousand molten swords. He absolutely loves Changhe, frequently begging the young master to use his Dual Pupils to help him find microscopic flaws in his forging arrays.
The 5th Peak (The Peak of Ten Thousand Illusions)
Master: Elder Bai Ling (Divine Dharma — Ingress Realm)
Role: A master of array formations and Sword Illusions. She is eccentric, playful, and loves gambling. She is terrified of the Empress Yang Wanying and therefore goes out of her way to spoil Changhe, often helping him sneak out of the sect to go to mortal cities.
The 6th Peak (The Peak of the Slaughtering Asura)
Master: Elder Mo Mie (Divine Dharma — Primordial Realm)
Role: The sect's ultimate vanguard. He cultivates the demonic-leaning Slaughter Sword Dao. He is heavily scarred and barely speaks. He has immense respect for Changhe's uncle (the Regent Su Qinghe) and frequently invites Changhe's giant cousin, Su Changfeng, to his peak to spar until the mountain crumbles.
The 7th Peak (The Peak of Hidden Swords)
Master: The Shadow Elder (Realm Unknown, suspected Divine Dharma — Principal Realm)
Role: He controls the sect's assassination and intelligence wing. No one knows his real name or face. He works closely with Changhe's younger brother (Su Changming) to share intelligence on the other Hegemons, forming a terrifying shadow network between the Sect and the Empire.