Sindhu.
All twelve ancient lands had fallen. Under the edicts issued by the court, the territory was divided into three provinces: [Western Province] along the coast, [Yang Province] in the center, and finally [Hua Province], near the golden mountain of Mount Sumeru.
The original twelve lands were broken apart, their foreign customs eradicated, and all brought under royal rule. Any who refused to submit became food for the demons.
During the Ancient Xia Dynasty, humans and demons governed together. Immortals, devils, shamans, and Buddhists often held posts at court, with few disputes between them. After all, that [Heaven-Bright Divine Emperor Yuyi] had not concerned himself with distinctions of lineage or species.
Although Sindhu had now been rebuilt under Ancient Xia, demonkind truly reigned supreme. Bloodline determined rank, and the division between noble and lowly was clear. Humans at the very bottom either became slaves and blood food or fled overseas. All of Sindhu had become a nation of monsters, with humans rarely seen.
Western Province.
Bordering the sea, this province encompassed the former lands of [Cloud-Mo], [Pure Lotus], and others. Once a gathering place for Asuras, foreign monks, and practitioners of the Outer Dao, it now wore an entirely different face.
Within the province lay an immense abyss called the [Great Western Abyss]. It stretched west to the outer seas and east to the Southern Border, spanning untold tens of thousands of miles. Perpetual drought plagued its surroundings, and many living creatures died of exposure and thirst, turning to charcoal dust.
South of the abyss's middle section lay [He Prefecture]. A magnificent, enormous city stood there, towering into the clouds, its walls built of Black Stone and molten iron flowing around it. Above its gates were carved the words [Bitter Heat City].
It was dusk, and the sky hung heavy.