All martial arts, when broadly categorized, can be divided into two great branches: the Righteous (正) and the Unorthodox (邪).
At some point in history, these two paths split apart, and in the endless cycle of bloodshed and vengeance, they became so consumed by their enmity that they forgot the very reason their conflict began.
The Righteous Sects (正派) saw the Unorthodox Sects (邪派) as irredeemable enemies.
The Unorthodox Sects regarded the Righteous with equal hostility.
And so, both sides sought to eradicate each other by any means necessary.
The foundation of Righteous martial arts traces back to the legendary Buddhist monk Bodhidharma (達摩), who brought to the Central Plains the Two True Scriptures (二真經)—
- The Muscle-Tendon Classic (易筋經)
- The Marrow-Cleansing Classic (洗髓經)
From these scriptures, a new school of martial cultivation emerged, forming the basis of what is now mainstream Righteous martial arts.
Among them, Buddhist (佛家) and Daoist (道家) sects became dominant.
Even the so-called Five Great Noble Houses (五大世家), despite their secular status, could ultimately trace their origins back to disciples of the Nine Great Sects (九派) and the One Great Clan (一幫).
As generations passed, new sects branched off from old ones, until their lineages grew so complex that, in modern times, the distinctions between them have blurred.
In ancient times, martial techniques were born from observing and imitating the movements of beasts and birds.
The famed Five Animal Forms of Shaolin (小林五拳) were modeled after the attacks of:
- Tigers,
- Leopards,
- Snakes,
- Monkeys, and
- Cranes.
Likewise, swordsmanship (劍法), saber techniques (刀法), spear techniques (槍法), and staff techniques (棒法) were influenced by nature and the flow of movement.
These disciplines—fist arts (拳法), palm arts (掌法), and weapon arts—collectively form the External Arts (外功).
On the other hand, Internal Arts (內功) originated from breathing techniques (吐納術), focusing on the refinement of inner energy (內力).
By practicing controlled exhalation and inhalation, one could store unseen power within the body, accumulating strength in the Dantian (丹田, energy core).
Once this unseen power reached a certain threshold, it could be circulated throughout the meridians to amplify one’s strength and martial prowess.
This process of circulation—guiding energy through precise pathways—led to the development of various Internal Energy Cultivation Methods (運氣調息之法).
Among the Righteous, cultivating internal energy is a slow and arduous process.
- Without receiving a master’s inner energy directly, or consuming rare elixirs, even the most diligent practitioner—
- Training day and night without rest—
- Would only reach the peak of mastery at forty years of age.
- And to ascend to the ranks of supreme grandmasters, one would have to surpass sixty.
Of course, there are exceptions—those born with natural superhuman strength who rely on External Arts alone.
But without a strong foundation in Internal Energy, even these individuals struggle to reach the highest realm of martial arts.
This is why, even among the Righteous Sects, different paths to mastery exist.
However, unlike the Demonic Cult (魔敎), they do not resort to extreme methods to accelerate internal cultivation.
Within the Righteous Sects, there exist numerous factions, but the most prominent are the Great Noble Houses (名門).
These are sectarian families, primarily descended from Daoist or Buddhist lineages, that have produced legendary grandmasters over generations.
Such houses, due to their heritage and achievements, have been granted the prestigious title of ‘Noble Houses (名家).’
And yet, their disciples often look down upon smaller sects, mocking them as ‘Unorthodox Offshoots (傍門外道),’ despite the fact that the true strength of the Righteous Sects lies not in the few great houses, but in the countless lesser sects that uphold its foundations.
Unlike the Unorthodox Sects, which often rely on deception and treachery, these smaller Righteous sects lack powerful Internal Arts, forcing them to specialize in External Arts.
For the Noble Houses, a chosen successor is often granted True Essence Energy (眞身內功) directly from an elder.
Alternatively, they may be given rare spiritual elixirs to rapidly accelerate their cultivation.
Such hereditary transmissions create a massive gap in martial prowess.
A disciple not granted this inheritance would require decades of training to reach the same level as a noble heir—whose ten years of training could rival fifty.
Thus, the difference in power is often greater than tenfold.
However, passing True Essence Energy is an extremely dangerous process.
Even among blood relatives, such an act causes immense suffering, and few are willing to endure it.
Moreover, if the recipient’s inner energy does not harmonize with the donor’s, their conflicting energies will clash, leading to crippling internal injuries—or death.
Ordinary energy transfers used for healing or temporary reinforcement do not carry this risk, as such borrowed energy naturally dissipates over time.
In the history of Righteous Martial Arts, those who attain the pinnacle of inner cultivation are known as the Masters of the Three Realms (三境).
- First Realm (第一境) – The Realm of Transformation (造化境)
- Second Realm (第二境) – The Mysterious Realm (玄境)
- Third Realm (第三境) – The Realm Beyond Life and Death (生死境)
Those who reach these realms are nearly unmatched, their martial prowess beyond mortal comprehension.
First Realm – The Realm of Transformation (造化境, 化境)
- Masters of this realm have fully attuned their bodies to the principles of Heaven and Earth (天地).
- They reach a state of rebirth (換骨奪胎), transforming into a perfected martial form.
- At this stage, a master can kill with sound alone and shatter mountains with a single gesture.
There exist seven known martial artists who have reached this level, honored as the Three Sovereigns and Four Emperors (三皇四帝).
Second Realm – The Mysterious Realm (玄境)
- At this level, a master’s inner energy becomes so profound that they develop absolute immunity to all poisons (萬毒不侵).
- They can reverse aging, causing their hair to darken and teeth to regenerate (反老換童).
- Even the mere aura of their presence can slay lesser warriors.
In all of history, only one man is known to have reached this realm:
The founder of the legendary First Under Heaven Sect (天下第一門)—Divine Sword Hero Gu Hui (神劍大俠 區揮).
Third Realm – The Realm Beyond Life and Death (生死境)
- The absolute pinnacle of martial arts—a realm beyond mortality itself.
- Those who reach this level would transcend the cycle of life and death.
But this realm remains a mystery, for in all of history, no one has ever attained it.
If the Righteous Sects cultivated their martial arts through gradual refinement, then the Unorthodox Sects followed an entirely different path.
Unlike the orthodox traditions, which traced their lineage to Bodhidharma (達摩), the techniques of the Unorthodox Sects originated naturally within the Central Plains.
As such, their methods of internal cultivation (內功修煉) differed greatly.
Most Unorthodox factions, particularly those from bandit clans (綠林) and lesser sects, lacked advanced knowledge of Internal Arts.
To compensate, they developed:
- Counter-techniques (破解術) to neutralize enemy attacks
- Strange, unpredictable stances (奇異招式) to gain an advantage
- Weapon-based combat (兵器武技) that prioritized efficiency over honor
These techniques—though often dismissed by high-level martial artists—were extremely effective against those who lacked proper combat experience.
However, there existed one faction within the Unorthodox Sects that followed an entirely different path—The Demonic Cult (魔敎).
Unlike other Unorthodox Sects, the Demonic Cult had a long and storied history, accumulating vast knowledge in Internal Energy Cultivation.
After extensive research, they discovered a revolutionary method—one that allowed for rapid cultivation of internal energy at speeds unheard of within the Righteous Sects.
This method was called:
Reverse Meridian Energy Cultivation (逆穴氣功)
Traditional energy circulation (正循環運氣法) requires a martial artist to circulate their energy following the natural flow of the body’s meridians.
However, the Demonic Cult discovered that if this flow was reversed, energy could be cultivated at an accelerated rate—allowing practitioners to reach peak levels of mastery decades earlier than normal.
Through this technique, the Demonic Cult produced an entire generation of grandmasters, each wielding power that rivaled or even surpassed the so-called Righteous Masters.
Over time, this technique evolved, giving rise to a multitude of heretical martial arts, each one more fearsome than the last.
The Demonic Sect unleashed a reign of terror, striking fear into the hearts of the Righteous world.
However, accelerated cultivation came at a heavy price.
There were three major drawbacks to this method:
1. The Danger of Qi Deviation (走火入魔)
The faster internal energy is accumulated, the greater the risk of Qi Deviation.
If a practitioner lost control of their energy, they could suffer from crippling internal injuries, lose their sanity, or die in agonizing pain.
The more extreme the technique, the higher the risk.
Because of this, the Demonic Cult had a strict training system—forcing beginners to use the fastest cultivation techniques before switching to safer methods as they advanced.
For many, this was a necessary sacrifice.
After all, why waste decades cultivating Internal Energy when one could reach the pinnacle in just twenty years?
Thus, many willingly gambled their lives, striving for absolute power.
2. The Risk of Energy Dissipation (散功之禍)
Even if a practitioner avoided Qi Deviation, there was still another danger—Energy Dissipation (散功).
This condition, unique to Reverse Meridian Cultivation, caused all accumulated internal energy to vanish in an instant.
The stronger the martial artist, the more excruciating the suffering.
For ordinary disciples, this was a death sentence.
However, for high-ranking members of the Demonic Cult, it was simply an accepted risk—for in their philosophy, it was better to burn brightly for a short time than fade away in obscurity.
3. The Limit of Progression
Even for those who avoided Qi Deviation and survived the risks of Energy Dissipation, there was one final obstacle—
A barrier.
A point where their progress would suddenly halt, as if an invisible wall prevented further advancement.
This was known among Demonic Cult masters as “The Unseen Wall (看不見的壁).”
Only a select few had ever broken through this barrier.
Those who did, reached the legendary realm of:
The Pinnacle of Demonic Power (極魔之境)
Among the Demonic Cult, there existed a legendary state of mastery, equivalent to the Three Realms of the Righteous Sects (三境).
This was known as “The Ultimate Demon Realm (極魔).”
A master who reached this level would experience a complete transformation—
- Their body would undergo Rebirth (換骨奪胎), reaching physical perfection.
- Their Demonic Qi (魔氣) would become so vast that mere exposure could paralyze ordinary warriors with terror.
- They could kill without touching their enemies, using only Demonic Aura (魔風).
Within the Demonic Cult, only four individuals had ever reached this level.
They were known as:
The Four Demon Emperors (四魔帝), or as the Righteous Sects called them,
The Four Heavenly Kings (四天王).
Yet, above even the Pinnacle of Demonic Power, there existed one final realm.
This was the highest state of martial cultivation attainable within the Demonic Cult—
The realm known as “Transcendence Beyond Demonhood (脫魔).”
At this level, a martial artist would completely shed their Demonic Qi, achieving absolute control over their power.
A master of Transcendence Beyond Demonhood would:
- Become completely immune to all poisons (萬毒不侵)
- Have no need for food, water, or sleep
- Regain youth, strength, and vitality (反老還童)
The greatest terror of all Demonic Cult practitioners—Energy Dissipation (散功)—would become impossible.
Thus, this realm was called ‘Beyond Demonhood,’ for it was believed that one who reached this state had transcended the very nature of demonic cultivation itself.
However…
In all of recorded history, not a single person had ever reached this level.
Many within the Demonic Cult believed that it did not exist.
Some scholars speculated that this realm might be the same as the Righteous Sect’s final stage—the Realm Beyond Life and Death (生死境).
If true, then both the Righteous and Unorthodox martial arts would ultimately lead to the same destination.
Yet, without proof, such ideas remained nothing more than empty speculation.
And thus, the world continued as it always had—
A battlefield between the Righteous and the Unorthodox,
With each side striving to prove their supremacy.
