Prologue

August 19, 2020, Qingcheng City

Qingcheng City—the nation’s gathering place for electronic games. Here, prodigies rise to fame on the digital battlefield, while others, once defeated, never recover. Yet, more than anything, this city is the birthplace of world-class gaming legends.

On this day, the largest arcade in Qingcheng—the Qingcheng Electronic Sports Arena—was hosting an event that sent shockwaves throughout the gaming world.

This sensation was none other than the ten-year anniversary gala of “Divine Mourning,” celebrating its decade-long reign as the national leader in the online martial arts game genre.

“Divine Mourning” is the sole original martial arts game independently developed by China Huaxia Myth Network Technology Co., Ltd. Even on the global stage, this game has maintained an astounding number of active players. Since its open beta, for ten consecutive years, it has consistently ranked among the top three in world gaming evaluations—a true hall of fame MMORPG.

The game pioneered seamless global server integration. Even if players spoke different languages, messages would be automatically translated into the recipient’s language. It faithfully recreated the authentic martial arts world, immersing players in a realm of ancient fantasy where they could forge their own legendary tales.

After ten years, “Divine Mourning” boasted a staggering forty million concurrent players, spread across one hundred servers—meaning each server averaged forty million online users, a figure that defies imagination.

A piece of gaming news that would reverberate around the world was sent from here.

The “Decade Pact of Divine Mourning”: Ten years of martial rivalry, awaiting your return beneath the misty pavilion.

In 2020, to mark the game’s tenth anniversary, China Huaxia Myth Network Technology Co., Ltd. joined forces with several global gaming giants to further develop “Divine Mourning,” aiming to secure its place as the world’s number one game. This alliance ushered in what players worldwide called “The New Era of Divine Mourning.”

After the merger, now known as the “Divine Mourning Team,” this coalition leveraged immense technical and economic strength to combine one hundred servers into fifty, dramatically increasing server capacity. Each server could now house up to eighty million concurrent players, with a maximum capacity of one hundred million—eliminating wait times and ensuring every server remained bustling.

The brightest feature of the New Era was limitless combos and infinite character freedom. Once players reached a certain level, they could undertake special quests to unlock this freedom, allowing them to craft unique and personal martial arts heroes. A new chapter in the martial world awaited their pen.

According to the CEO of China Huaxia Myth Network Technology Co., Ltd., the infinite freedom system was designed to help new players adjust. The professional framework enabled beginners to immerse themselves quickly, and after meeting certain criteria, they could attempt quests to unlock “unlimited character freedom.”

When the servers were merged from one hundred to fifty, five entirely new servers were opened exclusively for newcomers. Once new players felt ready, they could switch to the main servers at will.

This reinvigorated “Divine Mourning,” making it a global sensation once again.

September 1, 2020, Qingcheng City, Qingcheng University

Qingcheng University—known as Qingda—is a top-tier institution. What sets it apart is that two-thirds of its students are gaming prodigies, equally gifted in academics and virtual competition.

Today marked the arrival of the class of 2020. The campus buzzed with excitement as the new students flooded in.

The university’s main gate was a towering stone arch, crafted from the city’s unique mountain rock, exuding an ancient charm. The campus itself felt like a step into a world of classical Chinese elegance.

Qingcheng City was once an unremarkable place, even with a prestigious university. The real transformation came a decade ago, when a groundbreaking game swept across the globe, lifting the entire city to new heights.

“Divine Mourning”—the authentic martial arts MMORPG by China Huaxia Myth Network Technology Co., Ltd.—was the only Chinese online game to remain in the global top three for a decade, its status unchallenged.

This year, with the formation of an international development team, the game soared to new heights—a new era had dawned.

Winds of martial arts stir the land; after ten years of rivalry, we await your return!

This poetic phrase adorned the official website, written in ink-brushed calligraphy. A single click would play the clash of masters in the martial world, followed by a soft yet resolute ancient voice:

“Ten years of martial strife, beneath the misty pavilion I await your return!”

A young man with short black hair carried a large black suitcase in his right hand. He wore a simple, loose shirt adorned with ink-wash patterns, exuding a strong traditional aura. His sleeves were decorated with faint mist, adding a touch of classical elegance. He wore plain black cropped pants and slip-on shoes as he strode confidently through the university gate.

In his left hand, he held a red document—the admission letter from Qingcheng University.

Sunlight fell across his youthful face, revealing a gentle aura and a bright, easy smile. Behind round vintage spectacles, his eyes drew many glances as he walked.

A hundred meters inside the gate, he reached a circular flowerbed, from which three straight paths radiated, each with detailed maps and signs.

He stopped at the central path, glanced at his watch, and smiled. “Just in time. I'll check in at the student office now—my university life begins. I am here, Ye Yu!”