Great Ruins

Biodata

Background / History

The Great Ruins is an ancient, desolate wasteland within the world of Tales of Herding Gods. Its daytime terrain includes towering weeds, collapsed stone pillars, moss-covered statues, ruined temples, deserts, forests, rivers, and ancient battle relics. Beyond an ancient stone wall lies the prosperous Yankang Kingdom, establishing that the ruins are a sealed, abandoned region rather than the entire world. 1 8

Ancient records describe it as a “land abandoned by the gods.” The records link the region's fall to darkness, dead gods, and stone statues that protect the surviving bloodline of humanity. 16

The Sky Screen initially sends five explorers from Douluo Continent into the Great Ruins. Four die during the first expedition: Wang Xiu is devoured during the night, Chen Aniu is killed by a snake demon within a protected village, Liu Dao is killed by Granny Si, and Li Ziyang is dragged away outside a protective array after sunset. 2 3 5 6

Environment

Daytime

During the day, the Great Ruins can appear calm despite its danger. Explorers encounter rivers, wastelands, Gobi deserts, primeval forests, ruined temples, divine relics, and ancient statues. 1 3 5 20 32

• Ancient stone structures and broken pillars are common throughout the region. 1 20 32
• Ruins may contain sealed evil entities, divine skeletons, relics, and dangerous treasure traps. 20 21 27 32
• Native beasts, demons, cultivators, and hidden predators remain threats even during daylight. 2 3 14 29
• Daybreak forces many night monsters into hiding, allowing safer travel outside protected areas. 35

Night

Nightfall is the Great Ruins' defining danger. It arrives abruptly, without moonlight, starlight, or a normal dusk transition; darkness spreads like thick ink over the land. 2 5 28

• The night belongs to monsters, old ghosts, and demonic entities rather than the living. 18
• Night creatures can kill powerful outsiders before they can see or defend against them. Wang Xiu, a rank 63 Soul Emperor, has his skull crushed and body devoured by an unseen monster. 2
• The darkness can consume fleeing beasts and those outside protective barriers, accompanied by screams and chewing sounds. 15
• Even cultivators capable of remote sword control fear the night and rely on talisman arrays to survive it. 5 6
• Night can arrive ahead of schedule, suddenly extinguishing sunlight and sharply lowering the temperature. 28

Protective Measures

Stone Statues

Ancient stone statues are the most reliable documented refuge against the night.

• At night, the statues emit a pale-golden barrier that holds the darkness and its external monsters at bay. 15 18
• Crippled Old Village is protected by four weathered stone statues at its entrance. 2 14 17
• The statues protect against threats approaching from outside the village, but do not stop snakes, insects, beasts, or other dangers already hidden within the protected area. 2
• A damaged statue can weaken under sustained pressure, shrinking its protective halo and allowing demonic creatures to encroach. 65

Arrays and Sacred Ruins

Other defenses can provide temporary shelter.

• White-robed swordsmen use Golden Dragon Pillars and an Evil-Warding Talisman Array to form a protective golden barrier before sunset. 5 6
• Great Thunderclap Temple contains Buddhist seals and statues, but breaking its seals can release ancient evil entities. 20 21
• An underground goddess ruin emits white light strong enough to repel the surrounding night and resist an Ancient Demon God's assault. 32

Inhabitants and Threats

• Night monsters — Unseen predatory entities that emerge in darkness and devour those outside protected zones. 2 6 15
• Demon gods and old ghosts — Powerful supernatural presences associated with the Great Ruins' night. 18 32
• Hidden beasts and venomous creatures — Predators may inhabit supposedly secure locations, including village houses. 2
• Ancient sealed evils — Ruined temples can imprison intelligent monsters capable of melting refined steel and resisting Soul Sage techniques. 21 22
• Native cultivators and sects — The region contains cultivators whose techniques differ fundamentally from Douluo's soul master system. 5 29
• Ancient divine remnants — Goddess skeletons, divine treasures, Buddha projections, and the Black Tortoise God indicate the ruins' connection to beings far beyond Douluo's gods. 32 33 59 60

Notable Locations

• Crippled Old Village — A village protected by four stone statues and inhabited by Qin Mu and the disabled elders. It is one of the few known safe havens during the night. 2 15 18
• Great Thunderclap Temple — A colossal Buddhist ruin containing glowing statues, seals, and ancient evil entities. 20 21 22
• Underground Goddess Ruin — A luminous canyon sanctuary containing goddess skeletons and supreme treasures; its defenders repel an Ancient Demon God. 32 33
• Great Ruins–Yankang Border — An ancient stone wall separates the desolate ruins from the cultivation civilization of Yankang Kingdom. 8
• Carefree Village Mural Site — A ruined relic where Tang Chen finds a mural depicting Carefree Village, a homeland without sorrow. 53
• Great Ruins–Yankang Military Border — A border camp with soldiers, machinery, and steam-powered transport operating near the ruins. 65

Relationships

• Crippled Old Village — Sheltered by the village's four stone statues; its inhabitants understand and survive the ruins' night. 2 15 18
• Yankang Kingdom — Separated from the ruins by an ancient stone wall; the kingdom is a prosperous cultivation nation beyond the abandoned land. 8
• Douluo Continent explorers — Receives randomly selected visitors through the Sky Screen, most of whom initially underestimate its dangers. 1 2 6
• Goddesses and ancient gods — Holds remnants of divine beings, including goddess skeletons, divine statues, and records of gods abandoning the land. 16 32 60
• Sun Herders — Their colossal ship drags the artificial sun that brings dawn and light to the Great Ruins. 60

Trivia

• The Great Ruins' sun is an artificial star suspended from an enormous ship dragged by the Sun Herders. 60
• It is not uniformly hostile: daytime travel, protected villages, sacred ruins, and routes toward Yankang Kingdom can offer relative safety. 8 32 35
• The God of Evil is defeated by a giant god with a single finger flick shortly after entering the world above the Great Ruins. 53
• A Black Tortoise God statue recovered from the Great Ruins suppresses Poseidon and the Asura God merely through its presence. 59 60