Murong Clan

Biodata

Background

The clan descends from a dynasty that held the throne for roughly one or two centuries before losing it thousands of years ago. Its founding ancestor, Murong Dragon City, built the clan into a power that dominated the Central Plains. Dragon City was constructed as one of its two capitals and remained its stronghold after its decline 16 483 490.

The Murongs continued to claim royal status and speak of restoring their state. They suppressed such displays when the Great Xia Court was strong, but later resumed wearing imperial imagery and openly discussing restoration. By then, the claim was widely treated as empty boasting 16 261.

Organization and Territory

• Main and branch families: The main family guarded Dragon City, while branches expanded elsewhere. As the clan weakened, the main family sought to absorb the branches and tightened its control over them 268 483.
• Dragon City: A fortified black-and-gold city reinforced over generations. Its defenses included warning formations and three grand formations left by Zhuge Xuanji 481 483 485.
• Retainers: Dragon City housed roughly a thousand guest retainers. Zhang Yunying served as their chief steward, though Murong members repeatedly mistreated and undervalued them 481 483 485.
• Youzhou influence: The Heavenly Wolf Gang surrendered eighty percent of its earnings after imperial taxes to the Murong Clan. For years, the clan also competed with the One Qi Piercing Sun Alliance for power in Youzhou 1 291.

Inherited Power and Defenses

Starshift

Starshift absorbs and redirects incoming power, but cannot redirect pure physical force. Murong martial artists carried blood-activated, one-use Starshift avatars; the clan's defensive reputation rested heavily on them 19 21 270 272.

• Murong Chang could deploy large numbers of avatars and even detonate them together 487.
• The supposed original was not a conventional Divine Weapon. The avatars grew from the flesh and blood of a giant's heart with which Murong Dragon City had fused 488 489.
• Deceased Murong members were secretly placed beneath the ancestral temple to foster more Starshift avatars. This practice explains their dependence on Murong blood 488.

Martial Arts and Military Forces

• Inherited techniques: The clan taught sword, palm, fist, and finger arts, including Dragon City Swordsmanship, Dragon-Shocking Palm, Black Dragon Finger, and Great Heavenly Dragon Finger. Its teachings were varied, though later compared unfavorably with those of stronger aristocratic clans 18 21 268 362.
• Hidden Dragon Burning Gold Formula: A secret art that releases a surge of true qi at serious risk to the user's meridians 21.
• Dragon City Imperial Guard: Alongside its living fighters, the clan concealed more than five hundred ancient guards refined into durable undead soldiers. Summoning them cost Murong Zhao his life and Primordial Spirit 485 486.

History

Linked Mountains City

Chen Yuan arranged for the Murong Clan to learn early of Jiang Kaitai's blood sacrifices. The clan sent Murong Qing, who uncovered the sacrifices' formation pattern and fought Jiang beneath Linked Mountains City over the Seven Kill Stele. Chen Yuan killed Jiang and Murong Qing and took the artifact fragment 15 16 17 20 22.

Sensing Murong Qing's use of a Starshift avatar, the clan dispatched Murong Li. He reconstructed much of the battle but could not identify the thief. The clan then purged the Heavenly Wolf Gang, killing thousands and ordering fugitives hunted 23 24.

Conflicts in Youzhou

Murong Jing, a branch elder, independently plotted to establish a southern power base through an agreement with Wei Chaoge. His forces fought Chen Yuan's allies at Phoenix Roost Mountain, where Feng Tianbao killed him 268 270. Later, after the One Qi Piercing Sun Alliance fell, Murong Sheng and Zhang Yunying attempted to seize its Sun-Piercing Sword from the Radiance Cult but were driven off 291 292.

Fall of Dragon City

Chen Yuan recruited Zhang Yunying, whose wife Murong Haitang and her family had been killed in a Murong internal purge. Zhang brought Chen Yuan, Liu Suifeng, Gu Linchuan, and Duan Hengshan into Dragon City under cover of preparations for Murong Chang's birthday banquet 482 483.

At the banquet, Zhang rebelled, Liu Suifeng took control of the city's formations, and nearly eighty percent of its retainers sided against the clan. The Twelve Blades Hall breached the gates. Murong Zhao, Murong Sheng, and Murong Xuan died in the fighting, and Chen Yuan destroyed the summoned undead Imperial Guard 484 485 486 487.

Murong Chang retreated to the ancestral temple and used his heart's blood to awaken Murong Dragon City's power within the giant skeleton beneath it. After the battle, the attackers secured the God-Demon Essence associated with Starshift. The Twelve Blades Hall and Zhang's forces eliminated most remaining resistance, leaving the clan effectively destroyed 488 490.

Notable Members and Associates

• Murong Dragon City — founding ancestor whose fusion with a giant's heart gave rise to Starshift 488 490.
• Murong Chang — Ninth-Realm ancestor and leader who controlled the production of Starshift avatars 481 484.
• Murong Qing — young investigator sent to Linked Mountains City; killed by Chen Yuan 16 22.
• Murong Li — investigator who traced the theft of the Seven Kill Stele fragment; later killed while trying to expose Chen Yuan 24 203.
• Murong Jing — branch elder whose unauthorized expansion plan ended with his death at Phoenix Roost Mountain 268 270.
• Murong Zhao, Murong Sheng, and Murong Xuan — senior defenders killed during the assault on Dragon City 485 486 487.
• Zhang Yunying — chief guest steward whose rebellion turned most of the clan's retainers against it 483 485.
• Heavenly Wolf Gang — subordinate organization that paid tribute to the clan; later subjected to a deadly purge 1 24.