The Throne of Seal

The Throne of Seal is a long-running otherworld fantasy novel by Tang Jia San Shao. It debuted on Qidian on November 14, 2011, and concluded in November 2012, running roughly 2.63 million Chinese characters across more than nine hundred chapters. The story takes place on the Holy Demon Continent: after seventy-two demon god pillars descend, the demon race rules the world through the seventy-two pillar demon gods, and humanity has been suppressed for thousands of years, able to rely only on the six great temples (the Knight Temple, Mage Temple, Priest Temple, Assassin Temple, Warrior Temple, and Spirit Temple) to guard its last territories—an era known in history as the Dark Age. The youth Long Haochen joins the Knight Temple to save his mother, climbing from the lowest-ranking squire trials upward one test at a time; with his innate "Child of Light" spiritual power talent and an almost stubborn diligence, he has the knightly virtues—humility, honesty, compassion, valor, justice, sacrifice, honor, perseverance, righteousness, and benevolence—hammered into his bones by harsh instructors. He gains companions on the Knight Sacred Mountain, forms the "Light of Dawn" demon-hunting squad during the squad selection tournament, carries out demon-hunting missions deep in demon territory with his comrades, and gradually discovers the secrets of his own origins and of his mount Haoyue (Austin Griffin). The book's main thread is the long confrontation between humans and demons, while also depicting the power struggles within the Temple Alliance, the brotherhood of the demon-hunting squad, and the romance between Long Haochen and Sheng Cai'er. It ultimately arrives at the goal of "ascending the Throne of Seal, symbol of the highest knightly honor." It is a coming-of-age ensemble work with a clear system and steady pacing.