Foundation Establishment

The entanglement of Western technology and Chinese Daoist cultivation has begun in the near eschatology. Ye Qing, from Chongqing, China, embarks on her foundational journey supported by her head-mounted display (HMD).

Foundation Establishment (築基) allows players to navigate Ye Qing's journey, who, with the aid of her HMD, undertakes astral travels. The adventure is structured into seven major planes, each comprising three sub-planes, making a total of twenty-one planes. These planes are not merely shifts in physical space but are reflective of Ye Qing's insight meditation, named after acupuncture points, highlighting the journey's connection to internal alchemy.

Ye Qing's HMD grants her abilities beyond ordinary human bodies. It enables a god's-eye view for an overarching perspective of all planes and allows instant teleportation to any of the seven major planes through the Big Dipper's perspective.

However, building one's foundation transcends mere leaps or shifts in perspective; it necessitates Ye Qing's deep engagement with each plane and being earnest and down-to-earth. She must traverse these planes patiently and thoroughly immerse herself in unearthing the dodecahedron portals.

Ye Qing collects doppelgangers from discarded robots and her friends throughout the planes, which are integral to her journey and key to her foundational building. Through the realisation of the True Forms Chart of the Five Sacred Peaks, Ye Qing gradually progresses in her practices, integrating technological onto-episteme with the essence of cultivation.

Character and Robot Introductions:

  01

Ye Qing (葉青): A Chongqing native, member of an HMD modding group, and friend to Qian Jiangmin and Qian Yingmin.

 02

Ye Qing's Head-mounted Display (葉青的頭戴): Abbreviated as HMD, it facilitates astral travel and is the game's protagonist.

 03

Liang Weiyu (梁衛宇): From Linhai, a drone modding group member, Ye Qing's friend.

 04

Xu Jun (徐軍): A Daoist from Linhai practising thunder rites, Liang Weiyu's friend, possesses doppelgangers.

 05

Qian Yingmin (錢英敏): Missing, a researcher from Xianyang, a friend of Ye Qing and Liang Weiyu, Qian Jiangmin's brother.

 06

Qian Jiangmin (錢江敏): A researcher from Xianyang seeking his missing brother Qian Yingmin, the protagonist of "Project Search", this game's prequel.

 07

Advanced Painter Bot (先遣繪畫機器人): From Xianyang, who lacks doppelgangers, merges with Ye Qing's HMD to assist in collecting other robots.

 08

Hotpot Chef (火鍋店老闆): From Chongqing, lacks doppelgangers.

 09

Lady Chef (麥蝦店女老闆): From Linhai's old town, famous for making wheat shrimp noodles, possesses doppelgangers.

 10

Pneumatic Essential (充氣結構基礎檢察員): From Xianyang, lacks doppelgangers.

 11

Printer (3D 打印機器人): From Chongqing specialises in instant 3D printing, possesses doppelgangers, and can merge with Ye Qing's HMD.

 12

Mural Copier (壁畫臨摹機器人): From Dunhuang, lacks doppelgangers.

 13

Geological Generator (地質震盪發生器): From Dunhuang lacks doppelgangers.

 14

Monkey Hunter (捕獵機器人): From Jinzi Mountain, Linhai, possesses doppelgangers and can merge with Ye Qing's HMD to collect other robots.

 15

Linhai Sixth Middle School Student Simulator (臨海六中學生模擬機): From Linhai's old town, possesses doppelgangers and can merge with Ye Qing's HMD to find other robots.

 16

Geological Team (地質探測機): From Chongqing, lacks doppelgangers.

 17

Roller (滑輪教練機): From Dunhuang’s roller disco club, lacks doppelgangers.

 18

Winged Monkey (飛猴機器人): From Jinzi Mountain, Linhai, possesses doppelgangers, can merge with Ye Qing's HMD.

 19

Patrol (巡邏機器人): From East Lake, Linhai, lacks doppelgangers.

 20

Bookstore Assistance Robot (書店輔助機): From Linhai's old town bookstore lacks doppelgangers.

 21

Slaughterhouse Security (屠宰場保安機): From Huang Jue Ping, Chongqing, lacks doppelgangers.

Ye Qing activates her HMD, collecting robots and friends' doppelgangers and discovering the True Forms Chart of the Five Sacred Peaks for her foundation establishment.

Plane Introductions:

1-1 Middle Assembly LU-1 (中府)

Location: Tea House, Huang Jue Ping, Chongqing

Next to a Chongqing tea house, Ye Qing collects Advanced Painter Bot and Hotpot Chef, getting acquainted with portal mechanics.

1-2 Pool at the Bend LI-11 (曲池)

Location: Linhai's old town, Taizhou, Zhejiang 

Discovering Mount Chang's true form chart in Linhai's old town, Ye Qing collects the doppelganger of Lady Chef, specialising in wheat shrimp noodles.

1-3 Sunken Valley ST-43 (陷谷)

Location: Orchid Garden, Dunhuang, Gansu

Forced to merge with Printer in Dunhuang, Ye Qing grasps the concept of doppelgangers.

2-1 Metal Mound SP-5 (商丘)

Location: beside Double Stone Road, Yulin Caves, Guazhou County, Gansu

Collecting her true form outside Yulin Caves, Ye Qing experiences the separation and connection between astral and physical.

2-2 Spirit Path HE-4 (靈道)

Location: Jinzi Mountain, Linhai

Thunder rites disrupt Ye Qing's collection of Qian Jiangmin's doppelganger in misty Jinzi Mountain.

2-3 Palace of Hearing SI-19 (聽宮)

Location: Ye Qing's insight meditation - library

Discovering Mount Heng's true form chart in an abandoned library, Ye Qing collects Liang Weiyu's doppelganger, moving deeper into her journey.

3-1 Willpower Room BL-52 (志室)

Location: 3D Printing Workshop, Orchid Garden, Dunhuang

In Dunhuang's 3D printing workshop, Ye Qing's first successful merge with a robot, Advanced Painter Bot, helps collect Mural Copier.

3-2 Stepping Upwards KI-22 (步廊)

Location: Cave 285, Mogao Caves, Dunhuang

Recollecting her HMD in Mogao Caves, Ye Qing witnesses the expansive power of Geological Generator.

3-3 Palace of Toil PC-8 (勞宮)

Location: Ye Qing's insight meditation - displacement scale

In a scale-displaced environment, Ye Qing reunites with Advanced Painter Bot.

4-1 Wind Screen TE-17 (翳風)

Location: West Street, Temple of the Moon, Beijing

Facing severe tests in the heavy snow of Beijing, Ye Qing collects the doppelganger of Monkey Hunter and Advanced Painter Bot.

4-2 Head Governor of Tears GB-15 (頭臨泣)

Location: Room 401, West Street, Temple of the Moon, Beijing

Emerging from the darkness of Room 401, Ye Qing discovers Mount Lu's true form chart.

4-3 Great and Thick LR-1 (大敦)

Location: Neo West Street, Temple of the Moon, Beijing

On Neo West Street, Ye Qing re-merges with Advanced Painter Bot, collecting the doppelganger of Linhai Sixth Middle School Student Simulator.

5-1 Life Gate GV-4 (命門)

Location: Linhai's neo-town

Ye Qing and Advanced Painter Bot encounter the incarnation of Jinzi Mountain's true form - a mammoth above the neo-town centre.

5-2 Way of the Pot GV-13 (陶道)

Location: Jinzi Mountain, Linhai

Supported and merged with Linhai Sixth Middle School Student Simulator, exploring the 3D printed framework of Jinzi Mountain's true form, Ye Qing finds Geological Team.

5-3 Water Pit GV-26 (水溝)

Location: Monkey Hunter's insight meditation - roller disco

In Monkey Hunter's insight, Ye Qing collects Roller, who struggles with the previous version of being a coach.

6-1 Wind Palace GV-16 (風府)

Location: Daquan River Valley, Mogao Caves, Dunhuang

Dodging floating rock in Daquan River Valley, Ye Qing recollects key doppelgangers amid extreme danger.

6-2 Upper Star GV-23 (上星)

Location: Daquan River Valley, Mogao Caves Northern Area

Floating upwards, Ye Qing searches for and collects Xu Jun's normal-scaled doppelganger, correcting and offsetting the inflated ones.

6-3 Jade Rotator CV-21 (璇璣)

Location: Lake Centre, East Lake, Linhai

At East Lake's heart, Ye Qing sees the complete reflection of the True Forms Chart of the Five Sacred Peaks for the first time and collects Winged Monkey.

7-1 Central Courtyard CV-16 (中庭)

Location: Jinzi Mountain, Linhai

Ye Qing collects Patrol beside the giant gourd on Jinzi Mountain.

7-2 Crooked Bone CV-2 (曲骨)

Location: Mount Hua's true form, Shaanxi, 

Ye Qing completes her final collection task by comprehensively traversing Mount Hua's true form and parting ways with Advanced Painter Bot.

7-3 Yin Meeting CV-1 (會陰)

Location: The Gourd of Ling River Mountain White Liquor, Liang Weiyu's Living Room, Infant Care Alley, Linhai's old town

Ye Qing and her friends' true forms finally gather in the Gourd. Straightly after, Mount Hua's true form collapses, and tranquillity returns.

One who lives in accordance with the Way, one who cultivates immortality against the Way. The True Forms Chart of the Five Sacred Peaks is complete, marking the first step in Ye Qing's foundation establishment. She is now ready for the next phase: discard her HMD and ascend the Five Sacred Peaks.