Li Yuan had read countless cultivation novels.
He had read about protagonists who transmigrated into immortal worlds, awakened supreme Spiritual Roots, inherited ancient legacies, and obtained mysterious systems that could turn even the most ordinary person into an existence capable of shaking the heavens.
Some received an invincible system the moment they opened their eyes.
Others obtained an ancient treasure, an immortal inheritance, or a mysterious master who appeared at precisely the right moment.
And then there were those who possessed nothing but an ordinary body, yet somehow managed to obtain opportunities that made countless geniuses look like fools.
Li Yuan had always envied them.
Not because he wanted to rule the heavens or trample countless enemies beneath his feet.
He simply wanted to experience cultivation for himself.
To sit beneath an ancient tree, absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, comprehend the mysteries of existence, and eventually become an immortal who could watch the rise and fall of countless civilizations.
Unfortunately, reality had never offered him such an opportunity.
He was an ordinary person living an ordinary life.
His only consolation was the time he spent reading novels and discussing cultivation with his closest friend.
And unlike Li Yuan, his friend had an unusual habit.
He didn't merely read cultivation novels.
He constantly criticized their cultivation systems.
"This makes no sense."
Li Yuan glanced at the screen of his phone.
His friend sat across from him, looking at a cultivation novel with an expression of genuine disappointment.
"What doesn't make sense this time?" Li Yuan asked.
"The cultivation system."
His friend turned the phone toward him.
"Look at this. The protagonist spends hundreds of years cultivating, absorbs countless resources, and breaks through one Realm after another. But what has actually evolved?"
Li Yuan examined the passage.
"His cultivation base?"
"That's a measurement, not an explanation."
His friend leaned back in his chair.
"Why does absorbing spiritual energy make someone fundamentally different from an ordinary person? How does that energy transform their existence? Why does every breakthrough suddenly grant them a new ability? And why do so many cultivation systems treat their own rules as absolute truths without explaining their foundations?"
Li Yuan considered the questions.
"Because the author wants the protagonist to become stronger."
"Exactly. The author wants a result, so the system produces that result."
His friend shook his head.
"I want something more coherent. A cultivation path that explains how a living being evolves, why that evolution is possible, and what it actually means to transcend one's original existence."
Li Yuan smiled.
"Then create one."
His friend looked at him.
"That's what I've been doing."
He opened a document on his computer.
Its title was simple.
ORIGIN Dao Path.
Li Yuan leaned forward.
He had seen countless versions of this document over the past few months. His friend had changed its structure, rewritten its principles, discarded entire sections, and rebuilt them from scratch.
Yet he had never abandoned the central idea.
A genuine cultivation path should not merely provide a collection of techniques for accumulating power.
It should explain the evolution of existence itself.
"Let's hear the latest version," Li Yuan said.
His friend began explaining.
"The first problem is that most cultivation systems make the cultivator dependent on something external. A Spiritual Root, a special constitution, an inherited bloodline, or a particular technique."
"Those things aren't inherently bad," Li Yuan pointed out.
"Of course not. Resources and natural advantages can exist. But they shouldn't be the only reason someone can cultivate."
His friend tapped the document.
"The ORIGIN Dao Path begins with the individual. Not with a Spiritual Root, not with a Dantian, and not with a cultivation technique."
"Then where does it begin?"
"With the True Self."
Li Yuan became attentive.
His friend continued.
"The Evolution Root represents the individual's True Self. Awakening is the first fundamental transformation. Once the conditions are fulfilled, the Evolution Root awakens, and the individual manifests an Innate Talent rooted in their own nature."
"So everyone gets a talent?"
"An Innate Talent manifests through Awakening, but its nature differs from person to person. Similar talents can exist, but they aren't automatically identical in every respect."
"And after Awakening?"
"Then cultivation begins."
His friend opened another section.
"The cultivator can cultivate through Internal Origin Qi, generated through the process of Grind, Will, and Cultivate. External Origin Qi offers another route through Absorb, Assimilate, Refine, and Cultivate. Neither requires a conventional Spiritual Root."
Li Yuan rubbed his chin.
"So the path doesn't depend on the world's existing cultivation system."
"Correct. It has its own foundation and its own rules."
"What about the Dantian?"
"There isn't a separate Dantian or core. The entire body is the Essence Sea. The point isn't to build a container and fill it with energy. It's to evolve the cultivator's existence."
Li Yuan nodded slowly.
He understood the theory.
At least, he understood what his friend was trying to accomplish.
But understanding a theory and proving that it worked were two entirely different things.
He pointed toward the document.
"How many Realms?"
"Fourteen in the current framework."
"Fourteen?"
"Fourteen."
"And you think you've made a complete cultivation path?"
"I've established a framework. Whether it works as intended is another question."
His friend closed the document.
"That's the part I can't settle by sitting here and thinking about it forever."
Li Yuan grinned.
"Then let me test it."
His friend raised an eyebrow.
"How?"
"Simple. I'll transmigrate into a cultivation world."
There was a brief silence.
Then his friend stared at him.
"You're serious?"
"Of course."
"Li Yuan, you realize that transmigration isn't something you can arrange just because you want to, right?"
"I know."
"And even if you somehow ended up in a cultivation world, you might not have a Spiritual Root."
"Then I'll cultivate the ORIGIN Dao Path."
"You might not have any resources."
"I'll find a way."
"You might not even survive long enough to begin cultivating."
Li Yuan paused.
"That's a problem."
"A rather important one."
"Then I'll try not to die."
His friend looked at him for several seconds before laughing.
"You've read too many novels."
"Probably."
Li Yuan leaned forward, his expression becoming serious.
"But think about it. If I actually transmigrated into a cultivation world, I'd have the perfect opportunity to test your theory. No laboratory, no modern technology, no familiar environment. Just me, a completely different world, and the path we've discussed."
"We?"
"I've listened to you explain it for months. I've argued with you, pointed out things that didn't make sense, and helped you refine some ideas. Don't try to take all the credit."
His friend smiled.
"Fine. We created it together."
"Exactly."
Li Yuan extended his hand across the table.
"Make me a promise. If I ever transmigrate, I'll follow the ORIGIN Dao Path and see how far it can take me."
His friend clasped his hand.
"And if you don't transmigrate?"
"Then I'll keep reading novels and complaining about their cultivation systems."
"Somehow, I believe that."
They laughed.
Neither of them realized how seriously that casual conversation would soon be tested.
That night, Li Yuan returned home.
He ate dinner, browsed through a few novels, and watched several videos before finally putting his phone aside.
His thoughts returned to their conversation.
He imagined waking up in a world where cultivators flew across the sky, immortal swords split mountains, and ancient beings lived for thousands of years.
He imagined obtaining a system.
A real one.
One that could display his cultivation, record his progress, and unlock new functions as he advanced.
He imagined walking through an immortal sect's entrance, watching Spiritual Root testing stones light up with dazzling colors.
Then he imagined his own result.
No Spiritual Root.
The thought made him laugh.
"That would be my luck."
Still, the more he considered it, the more appealing the idea became.
If he ever found himself in such a world, he wouldn't have the advantages of a protagonist written to succeed. He wouldn't have a guaranteed inheritance or a mysterious old monster waiting inside a ring.
He would have to face the same world as everyone else.
And if the ORIGIN Dao Path truly worked, he would have a chance to prove it.
If it didn't, he would discover that too.
There was no point discussing a path forever without ever walking it.
Li Yuan closed his eyes.
"Well, if some heavenly being is listening, you know what to do."
He chuckled at his own words.
Then he fell asleep.
The following morning, Li Yuan did not wake up.
At least, not in the world he knew.
When he opened his eyes again, the first thing he noticed was the unfamiliar ceiling above him.
Old wooden beams.
Yellowed paper windows.
A faint medicinal smell.
Somewhere outside, a horse neighed, followed by the clatter of wooden wheels against a stone road.
Li Yuan stared at the ceiling.
He remained still for several seconds.
Then he slowly sat up.
The room was small. A wooden table stood beside the window, with a chipped teacup resting on it. His bed was hard, and the blanket smelled faintly of dust.
Nothing looked familiar.
He lowered his head and examined his hands.
They were his hands, but not quite.
The skin was rougher. A faint scar crossed one knuckle. His arms appeared slightly thinner than he remembered.
Before he could investigate further, a flood of unfamiliar memories erupted in his mind.
A small village.
A deceased father.
An aunt who had raised him after his parents were gone.
A journey to Qinghe City.
A test intended to determine whether he possessed a Spiritual Root.
And finally, the crushing disappointment of learning that he had none.
The memories gradually settled.
Li Yuan clutched his forehead and breathed through the lingering discomfort.
After a while, he lowered his hands.
"...You're kidding me."
He looked around the room again.
The wooden furniture.
The unfamiliar clothing.
The memories that did not belong to him.
There was only one reasonable explanation.
He had transmigrated.
Actually transmigrated.
For several seconds, Li Yuan sat in silence.
Then his lips slowly curled upward.
"You're kidding me!"
He jumped out of bed.
"I actually transmigrated!"
He paced around the room, trying to contain his excitement.
He had spent years reading stories about transmigration. He had joked about it with his friend the previous evening.
And now he was here.
In a genuine cultivation world.
A world where immortals existed, where cultivators pursued longevity, and where the heavens might truly be within reach.
Li Yuan clenched his fists.
"All right. First things first."
He looked toward the wooden door.
"System!"
Silence.
"Great Sage?"
Nothing.
"Proficiency Panel!"
Still nothing.
Li Yuan stared at the empty air.
Then he sighed.
"Of course. Why would I get a system immediately?"
He was disappointed, but not particularly surprised.
His friend had created the ORIGIN Dao Path, not a magical interface that would appear whenever he shouted a few words.
Besides, he had not even awakened its first Realm.
He needed to understand his current circumstances before thinking about anything else.
Li Yuan sat back down and carefully reviewed the memories he had inherited.
His current body was eighteen years old.
His name was also Li Yuan.
He had come to Qinghe City to undergo Spiritual Root testing, hoping to enter a cultivation sect.
The result had been disastrous.
No Spiritual Root.
Without one, he could not cultivate through the conventional Immortal Dao practiced in this world.
The original owner had struggled to accept the result. He had spent his remaining money on lodging, hoping to find another opportunity, but had eventually fallen ill.
And then Li Yuan had awakened in his place.
He stared at his palms.
"So this is how it is."
The initial excitement slowly gave way to reality.
He was in another world, but he had not become a protagonist with guaranteed success.
He had no sect backing him.
No cultivation resources.
No Spiritual Root.
And no system.
If he tried to enter a sect, the result would probably be the same as before. If he attempted conventional cultivation, he would encounter the same fundamental obstacle.
He was an ordinary mortal in a world where cultivation determined one's future.
Li Yuan leaned back against the wall.
For the first time since waking up, he felt genuinely uncertain.
Then he remembered the document on his friend's computer.
The ORIGIN Dao Path.
Fourteen Realms.
A path beginning with the True Self, not a Spiritual Root.
A path whose foundation did not depend on the cultivation system of this world.
His friend had explained the theory countless times. Li Yuan knew its broad principles and understood the requirements that had been discussed.
But he had never cultivated it himself.
He had never awakened an Evolution Root.
He had never manifested an Innate Talent.
He did not even know whether the path would function as expected in this world.
Knowing the map was not the same as reaching the destination.
Still, what alternative did he have?
Li Yuan looked at the paper window.
Beyond it lay a city filled with cultivators. Somewhere in that city, people who possessed Spiritual Roots were beginning their journeys toward immortality.
He could spend his life resenting them.
He could search endlessly for a way to enter their cultivation system.
Or he could attempt something different.
Something uncertain.
Something that might fail completely.
He closed his eyes and recalled his friend's words.
The point isn't to build a container and fill it with energy. It's to evolve the cultivator's existence.
Li Yuan took a slow breath.
He did not expect to awaken immediately.
He did not expect a miracle simply because he had made a decision.
The ORIGIN Dao Path had its own requirements. If he could not fulfill them, he would remain an ordinary mortal, regardless of how much he wanted otherwise.
But at least he could try.
"All right," he murmured.
"I'll walk it."
He opened his eyes.
"No Spiritual Root. No system. No inheritance."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"But I know a path that doesn't require any of them."
Outside, the city continued to stir.
Cultivators went about their business, merchants opened their shops, and ordinary people began another day beneath the same sky.
Nobody knew that a transmigrator had awakened in a small inn.
Nobody knew that he intended to cultivate a Dao unknown to this world.
And Li Yuan himself had no idea whether he would ever succeed.
For now, he possessed nothing more than the knowledge of a path and the willingness to attempt it.
It was not a guarantee of immortality.
It was not a promise of power.
It was merely the beginning of a journey whose destination remained unknown.
Li Yuan stood, straightened his unfamiliar clothes, and walked toward the door.
He had a world to understand.
And for the first time in his life, the cultivation novel he had always wanted to experience was no longer something he could simply put down and read tomorrow.
It had become his reality.