Nether Spirit Realm

At the dawn of creation, when chaos first parted and the world was formed, beneath the vast heavens teemed myriad beasts and birds. Mighty apes and fierce tigers roamed the mountains and rivers, their thunderous roars shattering the sky and shaking the heavens above. Kunpeng, dragons, and phoenixes soared amidst the white clouds and the endless firmament above the Northern Sea. The back of the Kun was like a towering mountain drifting through the ocean, its being eternal and indestructible—it would cultivate for a thousand years and with a single day’s transformation, become the great Peng bird.

Riding the whirlwind, it would ascend ninety thousand miles high, its wings stretching like clouds hanging from the sky, casting shadows that blotted out the sun, each beat of its wings tearing through the heavens. Beneath the firmament, there was nowhere forbidden to it. Dragons and phoenixes, side by side, rode the clouds and rose beyond the ninth heaven, gazing down upon all living things.

All manner of unique creatures were nurtured by the essence of heaven and earth, granted intelligence and awareness. As time flowed by, all beings developed independent thought, and thus the Art of the Way emerged beneath the vault of the sky.

Some, guided by this art, cultivated the Great Dao, earning the approval of the heavens. To them were granted countless celestial palaces in the Heavenly Court for their cultivation—these beings became known as gods.

Others, having grasped the Dao, refused to follow its natural course. They rebelled, taking a twisted path, rever