Hundreds of thousands of years ago, a common mortal was born. This mortal had an exceptional work ethic: through the ages, they cultivated so masterfully that they eventually achieved immortality.
This individual had seen extreme chaos in Di within their lifetime, and thus, they became a beacon of peace and order. Lighting the path of civilization, culture, and advancement, they gained the favor of the gods of the Sky. The gods made this soul the successor to the ruler of all realms. When the gods passed, this individual became the Jade Emperor.
The workload of the Emperor only grew, so they recruited the heavenly dragons and phoenixes to be their ambassadors and advisors respectively. Because those who lived on the Earth plane were often unpredictable, the Jade Emperor formed a twelve state system for the mortals to follow. The governments formed within the Earth and in the Land of the Shade spread their influence and guidance throughout Yuzhu.
In order to provide sufficient governance and protection to all twelve states, Jade Cores were given to the Emperor’s strongest dragon ambassadors every nine hundred and ninety-nine years. Each nine hundred ninety-nine years marked a new cycle, forming the Ascension system.
The world as we know it has now been established for around eight thousand years with nine generations of previous Ascensions.