Zhongnan Mountain, also known as Taiyi Mountain, formed part of the Qinling Mountains, stretching from Mei County in Baoji, Shaanxi, in the west to Lantian County in Xi'an, Shaanxi, in the east. Its mountain paths were rugged and treacherous, and few people had ever lived there. On this mountain stood a Daoist temple established by Wang Chongyang, a patriot who had once fought against the Jin.
The temple had remained obscure until a few years earlier, when Wang Chongyang, leader of the Quanzhen Sect, had become the greatest martial artist in the world at the Mount Hua Tournament. Only then had Chongyang Palace gradually become known.
The martial world had once been peaceful. Even the occasional disturbance had raised no more than a few ripples. Then, at some point, a supreme martial arts manual called the Nine Yin Manual had suddenly appeared, setting that quiet world ablaze. The bloody struggle to seize this martial treasure had left countless fighters dead far from home.
To put an end to this catastrophe, Wang Chongyang had invited the other four great martial arts grandmasters of the age to compete at the summit of Mount Hua. Whoever proved the strongest would claim the Nine Yin Manual. Thus began the world-famous Mount Hua Tournament.
In the end, Adept Chongyang had defeated all four grandmasters atop Mount Hua and claimed the title of the world's greatest martial artist. The Quanzhen Sect, perched on the summit of Zhongnan Mountain, had become a sacred destination for martial artists. With the Seven Quanzhen Masters also performing many chivalrous deeds throughout the land, its reputation had even surpassed Shaolin on Mount Song.
Time flew. Several years had now passed since the Mount Hua Tournament. Adept Chongyang, once the world's greatest martial artist, had passed away, and his eldest disciple, Ma