"When discussing the nations surrounding the outer ring, we always talk about Chen-Yuan first. You came to Torch Castle cause you want to embark on the Golden Road from here, intending to go to Chen-Yuan, right? To earn gold from someone, you must cater to their preferences first; to gain wealth from a land, you must understand its customs and culture. Chen-Yuan, the land where the divine dragon coils, the center of the world, is perfectly suited as our opening."
The Ashes of South
The southern part of the Divine Land was once an endless snowfield, but the terrifying Great Collapse caused the mountains to crumble, the mantle to shift, and the heat of lava to melt the snow and thaw the ice, irrigating the vast lands south of the mountains. The Ancient Empire and the Divine Land were destroyed on the collapse day, and survivors had to flee. Under the escort of three Legions, the southern tribes of the Ancient Empire crossed the snow-capped plateau, migrating further south to the wild lands. The migrants crossed the mountains, and they were pleasantly surprised to find the land was not as barren as expected. The fertile mountains and rivers, the interwoven network of waterways, the rich terrain, and the distinct four seasons... it was simply a gift from the Deity! The migrants took root in this land, attempting to rebuild civilization south of the ashes, and this land was also called Divineland, the god-given fertile land.
Years later, an envoy from King Kurulek came from the west, sounding the horn of war and calling for revenge. Despite the unhealed wounds in their hearts, the Divinelander responded to the king's call, sending a massive army composed of three Legions and seven auxiliary forces. They were personally reviewed by King Kurulek, accompanied the king's tent, and were thrown into the fiercest battles. At the end, only one-third of this army survived and returned.
The era of war ended, and according to King Kurulek's posthumous edict, Divinelanders are no longer to pledge allegiance to the Ancient Empire; the fate of Divinelanders is handled by themselves. In the joy of freedom, Divinelanders successively established several clans on the Divine Land, cultivating their abundant homeland.
Huan Dynasty
The Divine Land is a rich and fertile land, but not without danger. Roaming beasts, malicious foreign tribes, and mysterious untouchable entities, they are significant threats that the individual clans can't face to. After numerous alliances and disputes, the Huan clan, retaining the only Ancient Empire Legion, became the overlord of the Divinelanders, uniting the clans into a complete and unified nation. This nation's first name was also called Huan, meaning the unfallen fortresses and majestic walls. the empire was initially established to protect its people.
After the establishment of the Huan Dynasty, it immediately began addressing threats from all sides. The Huan Emperor dispatched a powerful army composed of various clans to march north, expelling the roaming Demonspawn, and built a strong city in the north, known as Loong City; dispatched the Luan clan, skilled in construction, to the east to carve through the towering Dragon-jaw Mountains, searching for the legendary fertile lands in the east; ordered the unruly Sui clan to move south, developing the southern smoky jungles, expanding territories while consuming their strength, stabilizing the central heartland. Outside the court, the Huan Dynasty made a pact with the Ascender sect, which sought the secrets of primordial Ki. The empire provided resources and protection to the Ascender, while the Ascender handled the threats of mountain spirits and wild creatures for the empire.
Open the Mountains
With magic, machines, and the dedication of several generations, the Luan clan carved a magnificent and wide mountain pass through the Dragon-jaw Mountains and built a fortress there, known as Duan-Long Fort. After hundreds of years, the Mankind of east and west reunited, restarting trade and exchanges, marking the beginning of a new era. The Luan clan, having made outstanding contributions, was granted vast lands in the east by the Huan Dynasty, growing ever stronger and more prosperous.
The Northern Calamity
In the Era year 145, Grimspawn led the Demonspawn army, and launched a massive attack, assaulting the long-peaceful Huan Dynasty, marking the second Circle of Calamity in history.
The sudden attack caused significant losses to the Huan Dynasty. The frontier defenses were breached, and Demonspawn raiders wreaked havoc in the extensive area of Huan, causing widespread destruction in the empire's heartland. Only Loong City was holding out for reinforcements. After the initial panic, the Huan Dynasty quickly responded. With the six elite legions of the sides and allied forces, the Huan Dynasty achieved a great victory in the final battle at Loong City, ultimately driving out the Demonspawn.
Subsequently, the Huan Dynasty undertook massive construction in the Bei-Ting Area, building a vast frontier defense system centered around Loong City and establishing the special military system "Loong City Guardian". The garrison troops were directly supported by the court and highly independent, belonged to the emperor, and didn't have to take orders from anyone else. "Loong City Guardian" focused on countering the Demonspawn threat and was prohibited from engaging in internal disputes.
Majestic Mountains
The Huan Dynasty lasted for six hundred years, but ultimately, it was limited by its clan alliance structure, falling into decline after the northern calamity and gradually losing people's support. In the Era year 336, with the support of major clans, the Luan clan raised an army and entered the Capital Region, deposing the last Huan Emperor. The Luan clan leader, Luan Feng, claimed the divine right of an emperor and became the first emperor of the Luan Dynasty. After that, the empire capital was moved to Luan Town, establishing the Luan Empire.
During Luan Feng's reign, he felt the inadequacy and looseness of the Huan Dynasty's system and implemented sweeping reforms internally. The Luan Dynasty stripped other clans of their military power, centralized command under the court; reclaimed clan territories for the central government, established counties and prefectures, dispatched officials for management; unified the nation's weights and measures, language, and currency, eliminating clan barriers and fostering a national identity of "Divinelanders." Due to the unexpectedly smooth transition of power, local clans still held influence, threats are buried deep beneath the surface of calm. The Luan Emperor's reforms faced obstacles. Under the resistance of the clans, reform measures encountered difficulties locally, causing widespread public discontent and continuous uprisings.
Xuan Lin's Northern Expedition
The third Circle of Calamity severely damaged the Sagal, an ancient northern kingdom. The outer ring nations realized that mere defense would only lead to passive destruction. In the Era year 363, the Luan Emperor passed away, and his son Luan Yuan ascended the throne. The county and prefecture system reforms were already struggling, the new emperor's foundation was unstable and unable to command respect, and the state was in jeopardy, with only the powerful army still in the hands of the royal family. Therefore, Luan Yuan urgently needed a monumental military achievement to subdue the ministers.
The following year, after detecting the movements of the Demonspawn, Luan Yuan, ignoring the opposition of the Loong City Guardian Troop, appointed Xuan-Lin, the Grand General of Bei-Ting, as the commander, leading the six elite legions to launch a northern expedition. The Luan Dynasty army crossed the Dragon Bridge, sweeping across the broader, dismantling Demonspawn settlements, greatly weakening the Demonspawn, and nipping the brewing invasion in the bud.
The Luan Empire achieved the greatest victory against the Circle of Calamity among the outer ring nations, successfully thwarting the impending disaster, but the cost was also staggering. The expedition rapidly consumed the astonishing wealth accumulated by the previous Huan Dynasty over a century, causing the heartland, where not directly facing the Demonspawn threat, to judge the expedition.
Moreover, after the Demonspawn recovered from their initial shock, the expeditionary force suffered heavy casualties during the retreat, with a casualty rate exceeding half, and the six elite legion almost lost their combat ability. The "victory" of the northern expedition did not bring an overwhelming reputation to the emperor but instead depleted the sharpest blade in the royal family's hands. The powerful clans in various counties were eager to move, and the Divine Land was in turmoil.
Wei-Chuan Rebellion
In the Era year 371, during an emperor's western tour, the Luan Emperor was assassinated in Wei-Chuan, but fortunately survived. The Luan Emperor was furious, ordering the Li clan, a powerful local faction in Wei-Chuan, to capture the rebels, resulting in thousands being implicated. Li You, the patriarch of the Li clan, submitted a petition to admonish the emperor, but was branded a rebel by the court, forcing him to raise an army in rebellion. The rebellion swiftly spread nationwide. Within months, the Luan Empire lost control of most provinces, plunging the empire into a prolonged civil war.
The Establishment of Chen-Yuan
During the years of civil war, the righteous army led by the Wei River Li clan experienced several ups and downs, eventually defeating most warlords and unifying the east of the Dragon Bridge, with only Bei-Ting and Luan remaining in the hands of the Luan Emperor. In the Era year 379, General Xuanlin was assassinated, the Loong City garrison surrendered, the righteous army captured Luan Town, and the Luan Dynasty ended. The Li clan established the capital in Zhao-Lin, and renamed the original area capital as Wei-Chuan. The new emperor appointed officials and founded the Chen-Yuan Empire.
The clans across the land rejoiced, believing that the "harsh policies" of the Luan Dynasty were about to end, and the Divineland would return to the clan alliance system of the Huan Dynasty. Unexpectedly, Emperor Li You fully inherited the reform legacy of the Luan Dynasty and, relying on his rising Reputation and battle-hardened elite troops, implemented even more radical measures. The exhausted clan forces from the war were powerless to resist the new empire, and although there were sporadic resistances, they could not stop the wheels of the era.
By the end of Era year 381, Chen-Yuan conquered the southern Sui clan territory, establishing Nan-Xi, and the last clan forces were suppressed; at the beginning of Era year 396, the Chen-Yuan navy and the Caucaid fleet drove out the Fallen Elves pirates entrenched in the South Ocean, reclaiming Chu-Yun Island, bringing the Divine Land to completeness. From the eastern Dragon-jaw natural barrier to the boundless western desert. From the snowy peaks of Loong City in the north to the smoky jungles in the south. An unprecedentedly vast empire rose in the center of the Outer Ring, under the dragon banner. The Divinelanders created a miracle, and this miracle is not yet over.
Under the Dragon Banner
Since the founding of Chen-Yuan, in just over fifty years, it has risen from the ashes of bloody civil war to become a colossal entity unparalleled in the world. Whether it was the former Emperor Li You or the current Emperor Li Wentai, both are wise and enlightened emperors, capable of steering the Chen-Yuan chariot swiftly along the broad road. But... such a large and unified dynasty overly relies on its helmsman. If the person on the throne is merely of average talent, where will the empire head?
The achievements of Chen-Yuan are so dazzling, and the challenges it faces are equally severe: internally, the conflict between the "Academy Faction" controlling the court and the "Military Merit Faction" at the borders is sharp and almost irreconcilable; the clan forces in the six-sided broaders have bowed and submitted, but their foundations remain solid. Externally, Chen-Yuan has had frictions with the eastern Caucaid Empire and the western Sasin dynasty, not to mention the Circle of Calamity is just to the north, and the Demonspawn, though temporarily withdrawn, will not easily give up. Outside the court, the Hong-Yi College, Gui-Gu Sect, and other sects beyond the world have no interest in politics but have never let the court rest easy; in the mountains and wilderness, those mountain spirits and wild creatures that were forced into hiding under the Huan Dynasty's conquests are showing signs of resurgence.
The common people can enjoy peace and prosperity, but the emperor and ministers may not rest easy. The center of the world is also the center of the storm, and before the emperor lies a complex chess game, where one wrong move could lead to total defeat. At this moment, an idle piece can often play an unexpected role, and from an unknown pawn to a name in history, it only takes one step. The people heading to Chen-Yuan are endless, but who will be so fortunate to enter the game and stir the winds and clouds? If this is also your goal, then pack your bags and head west. Friend, your journey has just begun.