Lore

There are a total of 32 Legendary Stories in the game, 12 in the base game, 3 in DLC1 and 17 in DLC2.

Each story requires the player to collect 2 or 3 Legendary Items to unlock.

# Base Game

## Yi and Qing

Reward: Heart of Hatred unlocked

> *Lu Shiyi was the second eldest son of the Lu clan. His elder brother and sister are Lu Kunhai and Lu Shuying. A natural swordsman, he left home because he refused to be a part of his clan's conspiracy to usurp the throne. Lu Shiyi met the young girl named A-Qing on his travels and fell in love with her. A-Qing became ill on the day that the Warm Snow fell. To save her, Lu Shiyi had no choice but return to the Swine Palace and swore loyalty to Lu Kunhai. Lu Kunhai had no intention to save A-Qing, instead turned her into an unrecogizable monster.*
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Required items:

* Potrait of A-Qing: Drops from Nameless Swordsman

> *A painting of a young girl sitting on a small boat in Jiangnan. The girl is wearing a green jade pendant. The writing on the back of the painting says: To Shiyi, may we be together until our black strands become silver snow.*
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* Bloody Jade Pendant: Drops from Twisted Pig-faced Hag

> *The front of the pendant is inscribed with the character for "Qing", while the back is inscribed with the character for "Yi".*
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* Sealed Letter: Dropped from enemies before Lu Kunhai

> *It appears to be the direct order from Lu Kunhai to his trusted henchmen: "Watch my foolish brother closely. He must not know that A-Qing is dead. We still need his power... Until I sit on the throne.*
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## Boar's Ambition

Reward: Crimson Jade Marrow unlocked

> *Lu Shuying became an imperial consort and was eventually promoted to Empress through the support of Lu Kunhai. They now plan to usurp the old and frail Emperor...*
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Required items:

* Lu Clan Genealogy: Drops from enemies in Chapter 1 (after the chapter's first boss)

> *The Lu Genealogy, the most recent page says: Eldest son - Kunhai, Eldest daughter - Shuying, Second eldest son - ... The name of the second eldest son is illegible because it has been scratched out.*
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* Luxurious Letter: Dropped from Lu Kunhai the Swine Lord

> *The letter says: "Dear Brother, his majesty is now old and frail. My son has reached adulthood and our clan's ambitions will soon become reality...*
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* Lu Kunhai's Order: Dropped from enemies in Chapter 1 (after the chapter's first boss)

> *Our time of greateness nears. The Clan of the Swine shall soon rise.*
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## Mother's Absence

Reward: Max HP +5%

> *The children, in their innocence, were thrilled at the falling of warm snow and thought nothing of it. In the Li family, a boy and his sister came down with a strange sickness after playing in the snow. Their mother thought that they'd eventually recover as long as she kept them fed and warm. Despite reports of rioting in town, the mother went to visit a relative and ask for some food. She never came back. Now, in life and in death, the boy looks after his little sister and waits for their mother to return...*
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Required items:

* Mother's Message: Dropped from a secret area in Chapter I. Find the 2 kids in a courtyard, then kill the zombie one.

> *Mom is going to ask your Second Aunt for some food. If mom doesn't come back, hide with your little sister and take care of her...*
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* Rotten Steamed Bun

> *A small rotten bun. It is totally inedible now. It has been gripped so tightly that it now bears a palm print...*
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## The Serpent and the Dragon

Reward: Fallen Dragon unlocked

> *Before the dawn of the Dragon Era, there was a seven thousand year reign of terror by the Serpent Clan and followers of Heluo. People were sacrificed alive in return for Heluo's power. But kings are mere canoes in the sea of history. The Serpent Dynasty was finally overthrown by rebels led by the Dragon Clan.*
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Required items:

* Forbidden - Blood Seal: Dropped by Ji Xia the Dragon Emperor

> *The Blood Pact is a powerful seal that requires one primary bloodline and four secondary bloodlines. The primary bloodline can provide the seal with energy while the secondary bloodlines cannot. To break the Blood Pact: The primary bloodline must kill the providers of other bloodlines. Every secondary bloodline provider that is killed weakens the seal.*
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* Origin of the Dragon's Reign: Dropped by Red Ink

> *451 years ago, Ji Yan, the Dragon Lord, led the four great clans of the Tiger, Turtle, Crane and Swine in overthrowing the seven thousand-year rule of the Serpent Clan. They cast down the Serpent Kingdom ruled by weilding the power of Heluo, then combined the powers of the five clans to use the Blood Pact and seal the dark god Heluo within the dragon ley line. Ji Yan became the emperor and the Dragon Era was proclaimed. The capital was built on the*
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* Sanhai Tome - Heluo: Dropped from Zhao Changgeng the Turtle Lord

> *One of the ancient gods of the depths. According to legend, it is a giant sea creature with one head and ten bodies... It can appear in the human world in a varitey of forms such as a young child, a grown man, a young girl, or even old women and men...*
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## Flames of Winter Solstice

Reward: Tiger's Mark unlocked

> *On the day of the Winter Solstice in the 3rd Year of the Longwu Era, Yuhua Palace caught fire at night due to careless handling of braziers. Imperial Consort Qin Yuchi, the second daughter of the Tiger Clan, as well as the imperial prince Lan were both killed in the fire. Somehow, a closely-watched palace caught fire on the night that the imperial consort gave birth to an imperial heir...*
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Required items:

* Dragon Chronicles Pages - III: Dropped from enemies in Chapter 4

> *...In the 3rd Year of the Longwu Era, Imperial Consort Qin gave birth to a boy named Lan...*
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* Dragon Chronicles Pages - IV: Dropped from Qin Wu the Tiger Lord

> *...On the evening of the Winter Solstice in the 3rd Year of the Longwu Era, Huayu Palace caught fire due to careless handling of braziers. Both Imperial Consort Qin and the imperial prince Lan perished...*
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* Dragon Chronicles Pages - II: Dropped from enemies in Chapter 4

> *...In the 1st Year of the Longwu Era, Emperor Wu made Lu, the second daughter of the Swine Clan, Empress... In the 2nd Year of the Longwu Era, Emperor Wu made Qin, the third daughter of the Tiger Clan, an imperial consort. Qin had the good fortune to become pregnant in the same year...*
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## Dragon Anomaly

Reward: +5% Base Attack

> *In the 24th Year of the Longwu Era (447 years since the empire was founded by the First Dragon Emperor), Emperor Longwu was struck down by a mystery illness that spread throughout the palace. Strange vines with small white flowers also appeared throughout the palace. Emperor Longwu ordered Zhao to research a cure.*
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Required items:

* Dragon Chronicles Pages - X

> *...In the winter of the 23rd Year of the Longwu Era, Emperor Wu became afflicted with a strange disease and named Li as the crown prince...*
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* Dragon Chronicles Pages - XI: Dropped from enemies in Chapter 4

> *...In the 24th Year of the Longwu Era, Emperor Wu's condition worsened and the mystery illness began to spread throughout the palace. Strange vines and white flowers appeared in the grand hall. Emperor Wu ordered them ripped out and burnt...*
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* Anomaly Report: Dropped from enemies in Chapter 4

> *...The mystery illness and strange phenomenon that have been spreading through the palace are probably the work of the evil forces in the dragon ley line. The seal is weakening... This is a matter of great importance...*
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## The White Lotus

Reward: +5% Base Attack

> *The 27th Year of the Longwu Era - Emperor Longwu's condition suddenly worsened and put him into a coma. A huge vine sprouted from under the throne in Longding Palace, punched through the roof and produced a huge lotus bud. It proved to be immune to axes and fire. The White Lotus periodically sprayed tonnes of white powder into the sky. It fell like the snow but wasn't cold to the touch so it became known as "Warm Snow". Zhao Changgeng suggested that the Crown Prince Li to ascend to the throne and use his dragon blood to strengthen the Blood Pact, but it got opposed by the Empress and the Swine Lord...*
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Required items:

* White Lotus Report: Dropped from Corrupted Tiger Guard

> *...A white lotus sprouted from under the palace. The vine quickly repaired any axe or fire damage...*
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* Zhao Changgeng's Letter: Dropped from Ultimate Prototype

> *...The best solution is for Crown Prince Li to ascend to the throne and use his fresh dragon blood to keep the dark god in the dragon ley line in check. I don't understand why the Empress and the Swine Lord are so opposed...*
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* Arcanum - Sword Tomb Seal: Dropped from Zhao Changgeng the Turtle Lord

> *A new seal developed by the Zhao clan for strengthening the Blood Pact. The Dragon bloodline is connected directly to the dragon ley line to strengthen the bindings. The subject will fall into a deep sleep unless they are not of Dragon blood. In which case, the dragon ley line will suck their life force dry...*
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## "Warm Snow"

 "Warm Snow"

Reward: Power Core unlocked

> *Tiny white creatures that spewed from the giant White Lotus now cover every part of the world. They look like snow but are not cold to the touch. People who breathe in these tiny spores in the air are afflicted by a mystery illness. The power of the Warm Snow fades as it grows distant from the source.*
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Required items:

* Report of Warm Snow - I: Dropped from enemies in Chapter 1

> *This is no ordinary snow. Close observation suggests that it is some kind of living organism...*
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* Report of Warm Snow - II: Dropped from enemies in Chapter 2

> *Those who breathe in this organism begin to mutate after two hours. Initial symptoms include fever and coughing blood. They then start hallucinating and eventually become insane monsters...*
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* Report of Warm Snow - III: Dropped from enemies in Chapter 3

> *Samples taken from near the White Lotus and other places showed that the organisms in the White Snow become less active the further away they are from the White Lotus. Their effect weakens as well.*
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## The Benevolent Mother

Reward: Celestial Jade unlocked

> *In the 4th Year of the Dragon Era, Emperor Longwu built a grand palace to commemorate his dead wife and son. The people groaned under its cost. One day, a laborer called Li Guang rose up and founded Pingtian Sect. It soon spread like wildfire... When the Imperial Government began persecuting the Pingtian Sect, Li Guang dreamed of Mother Guanyin... Guided by Mother Guanyin, he fled north with his believers and founded the Mother Trinity Sect.*
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Required items:

* Prophet Pingtian's Notes: Found in the basket next to the old man in the starting temple.

> *"Oh, all-powerful and all-seeing Mother, the child I found in the river according to your decree has grown into adulthood... He shall now embark on his trials as you commanded...*
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* Mother's Scripture

> *"Those blessed by Mother Trinity will attain immortality and have no fear of death. Our Mother will tirelessly return you to the mortal world again and again...*
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* Anecdote - Divine Edict: Dropped by Sima Ying the Crane Lord

> *There are no truly benevolent gods in this world. Gods do not offer mankind salvation. The whispers people hear may be those of even darker beings...*
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## The Hidden Truth

Reward: Curse of Death unlocked

> *Twenty-five years ago, Qin gave Lan to the palace maid Yuying during the Yuhua Palace fire and asked her to carry him to safety. Yuying had already been bought however but rather than killing the child herself, she put Lan in a barrel and tossed the barrel into a river...*
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Required items:

* Consort Jade's Will: Dropped from a table after the Concubine Jade fight.

> *"I don't think I will survive this. Perhaps it's karma. I have few regrets in my life, but my greatest regret is giving in to the Empress' bribes and threats, and then helping her murder Consort Qin and the imperial prince Lan. I did not kill Lan though. I put him in a small wooden barrel on the river bank. If he survived, he should be twenty-five years old now...*
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* Aged Secret LEtter: Dropped from an object in Concubine Jade's area

> *This secret letter looks quite old. Some of the text have begun to fade but are still barely legible: "...That slut and her bastard offspring must die before Winter Solstice. Do it and I will shower you with wealth and prestige. But if you fail..."*
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* Consort Jade's Pages: Dropped from Concubine Jade

> *"...I've been having the same nightmare lately. That child is coming for revenge..."*
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## Hope Amidst Desperation

Reward: +5% Max HP

> *The 27th Year of the Longwu Era - Emperor Longwu's condition suddenly worsened. A huge vine sprouted from under Longding Palace Throne, punched through the roof and produced a huge lotus bud. It proved to be immune to axes and fire. Emperor Longwu summoned the Four Great Clans on his deathbed to try strengthening the seal by activating the Blood Pact. The attempt failed, and the White Lotus grew even bigger. It also began spewing white powder into the air. The Blood Pact ritual was executed without any errors, so no one knew why...*
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Required items:

* Tortoise Servant's Letter: Dropped from enemies in Chapter 3

> *"They say a giant white lotus has sprouted from the top of the imperial palace. The Emperor has summoned the Four Clans... Our lordship went to the palace overnight... Things don't look good...*
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* Qin Wu's Notes: Dropped from Qin Wu the Tiger Lord

> *"The seal ritual failed... What can we still protect?... Is it truly the end of the kingdom as the ancient oath decreed...?"*
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* Zhao Changgeng's Notes: Dropped from Zhao Changgeng the Turtle

> *"I just don't understand... We followed the ancient oath religiously, and there shouldn't be any problems with those involved the Blood Pact. So why did it fail? What was our mistake...?"*
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## Desperation Amidst Hope

Reward: +5% Max HP

> *The 27th Year of the Longwu Era - Emperor Longwu's condition suddenly worsened. A huge vine sprouted from under Longding Palace Throne, punched through the roof and produced a huge lotus bud. It proved to be immune to axes and fire. Emperor Longwu summoned the Four Great Clans on his deathbed to try strengthening the seal by activating the Blood Pact. The attempt failed, and the White Lotus grew even bigger. It also began spewing white powder into the air. Lu Kunhai was frustrated that the ritual failed, but it seemed like Sima Ying knew something...*
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Required items:

* Crane Servant's Notes: Dropped from White Shadow

> *"The master of the clan has been acting increasingly strangely since returning from the Palace. She spends all day cooped up in the Fate Tower studying nobody knows what... Now, the second eldest young mistress is missing too..."*
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* Lu Kunhai's Notes: Dropped from Lu Kunhai the Swine Lord

> *"Damn it, what a waste of time... The fools! I even took part myself and they still failed to contain the evil. What good is the empire to me then?"*
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* Sima Ying's Notes: Dropped from Sima Ying the Crane Lord

> *"I saw the stars in the spell when the Blood Pact was activated. They issued a decree and kept whispering in my ear to stop stop stop stop stop stop stop..." The rest of the paper is covered with the same words.*
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# DLC：The Ash of Nightmare

## Project Flesh Ascension

**Reward Unlocked: +5% Max HP**

> *During the initial Warm Snow outbreak, Mo Wentian proposed Project Flesh Ascension to Zhao Changgeng. The plan involved using Blood Wax to separate the physical body from the spiritual essence, and combining it with mechanical modifications to create a new life form immune to the effects of Warm Snow. However, due to the need for cruel and extensive experimentation, Zhao terminated the project, imprisoned Mo Wentian, and buried a large number of test subjects in the Flesh Dungeon beneath Mansion of Enigma.*
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Required items:

* Blood Wax: Dropped from Blood Candle

> *"A crimson wax-like substance that closely resembles blood. Thinking back, it seems that there were numerous statues made of this along the way..."*
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* Mo Wentian's Notes: Dropped from the box next to the Arrogance

> *"Damn that Old Zhao! If he had just let me bring in the final batch of test subjects, I could've completed the research! Flesh Ascension would've been finished long ago if it weren't for him! That old fool can’t save anyone in the end. My way is the only way to save this world..."*
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* Spirit Extraction Research Notes: Dropped from Arrogance

> *"By using the Blood Wax to seal the physical body within a special container, the Spirit-Flesh Separation Technique can then be used to extract and transfer the soul to an automaton. As long as the physical body remains intact, the automaton can endure. However, currently, there are instances of the physical body becoming animated without the presence of the soul for unknown reasons. If I can obtain a thousand more samples, I should be able to resolve this issue quickly..."*
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## Nightmare's Deceptions

**Reward Unlocked: +5% Max HP**

> *After the seal was broken, in order to trap the deceived hero in an endless cycle, the ancient deity sent forth its minions, the Deceivers, to infiltrate the hero world. These Deceivers would disguise themselves as trusted companions, guiding the hero through increasingly insane trials, time and time again.*
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Required items:

* Mysterious Message I: Appears when the player first interacts with the Spirit Sword to enter the Endless Nightmare

> *"This is the last of my strength... If you see this message, trust me, this is the last chance you have in saving the world. Please seize it..."*
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* Mysterious Message II: Dropped when interacting with the Spirit Sword before Greed

> *"If you have reached this point, you have already taken the first steps... From this point forward, you face various temptations, but you would do well to trust none. The Deceivers will disguise themselves as familiar faces, sparing no expense to keep you trapped in this world of illusions..."*
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* Mysterious Message III: Dropped when interacting with the Spirit Sword in front of Madness

> *"The Deceivers are crazed nightmare creatures. They mostly follow their master's command, but there are always a few that act on their own whims. Some of these even believe that the best deception is the one without any disguise..."*
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## Dream of Heluo

**Reward Unlocked: +5% Base ATK**

> *In order to break the Blood Seal, the pawn must be immortal. Even if there is only one successful attempt among countless failures, the seal can be broken. During the process of repeatedly returning the pawn to the mortal realm, a subtle connection was formed between the ancient deity and the pawn. It was only when the deity wished to dispose of this pawn did the deity learn of this link that could not be easily severed...*
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Required items:

* Mysterious Message IV: Dropped when interacting with the Spirit Sword before Arrogance

> *"Maybe you are questioning whether this hyper-realistic world is truly an illusion, but I implore you to trust me. The illusions are real-world projections created by the deity, Heluo, with the intention of trapping you here forever..."*
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* Mysterious Message V: Dropped when interacting with the Spirit Sword before Blind Obedience

> *I know you have questions, such as why you are trapped here in the first place. Even before you unleashed Heluo, you have been sent back to the mortal realm repeatedly by Heluo; your souls are already intertwined. Now, even for a deity like Heluo, it is no easy task to remove you...*
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* Mysterious Message VI: Dropped when interacting with the Spirit Sword in front of Lust

> *"Friend, I don't know how battles you have fought in this endless cycle... The hardest challenge is coming up next, and the answers you seek lie beyond..."*
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