"The way that can be spoken is not the eternal way. The name that can be named is not an eternal name. Nameless, it is the origin of Heaven and Earth. Named, it is the mother of 10,000 things." - Laozi, Dao De Jing, Chapter 1 In the world of Yuexia, power is everything. Or at least it used to be. After thousands of years of endless war, with a new Imperial family deposing the previous one every few hundred years, the Emperor Qiang Heiyao has finally brought peace and stability to the five provinces of the Moonlit Empire. In this new era, cultivators may pursue their paths without fear of death around every corner, arrogant young masters, greedy warlords, or centuries-long blood feuds. Mortals, once no greater than dirt crushed beneath the boots and blades of those with the power to level entire cities, are treated with respect by those who will outlive them a hundred times over. But no matter how much has changed, remnants of the Empire's bloody past still remain. Born into this time of peace, a thousand doors are open to the children of the Empire. But for Wuming, cursed to die before he can explore a single one, the peace of the Empire means nothing if he cannot live long enough to see it.  This serial will appeal to fans of Cradle, Forge of Destiny, Beware of Chicken, and other eastern fantasy novels. Things this serial will have: extensive worldbuilding, rational, non-sociopathic characters, (some) romance, LGBTQ characters*, lots of descriptive imagery, combat (we'll see if it's well-written or not), female characters who are more than just a walking pair of breasts or a love interest for the MC *If LGBTQ things bother you, go read something else.  Things this serial will not have: harems, needless romantic subplots, OP MC, explicit sexual content, excessive profanity, grammatical mistakes New chapters released whenever I finish writing them. The pace will be slow until the semester ends (starting in June).