"He had no spirit roots, no legacy, no fate. But from blood, breath, and pain… he carved a path that even the heavens would one day bow to. The first step? Create a system no immortal would dare imagine."
The chair was soft.
Too soft.
I'd never sat in anything so fine before.
Carved from redwood, its arms shaped like clouds, it seemed made for someone far above me. And yet, here I was—seated on the Sect Master's throne inside the Main Hall of a sect I built from ash.
Ashen Vow Sect.
I looked around the empty hall. No disciples. No elders. Just me… and the ghosts behind me.
For a moment, I let myself relax.
The stories from my village came back—old men huddled by the fire, whispering tales to make the children wide-eyed.
They used to say that Yinlu Mountain wasn't just a mountain.
It was the spine of a beast.
A divine creature so vast its bones stretched for miles, petrified long before the first empire rose. Its breath shaped the clouds. Its roar carved the valleys.
Back then, I just laughed.
"Everyone thinks everything's from some ancient god," I used to joke. "What next, Pangu sneezed and we got lakes?"
Pangu.
That name belonged to a myth in my old world. A titan who split heaven and earth.
And yet, here I was…
Living on a mountain some claimed was a god's broken spine.
I shook the thoughts away.
"System," I said aloud. "Open my profile."
A light shimmered before my eyes.
[System Display: Host Profile]
Name: Ren Xuyan
Cultivation: Mortal (Upon creating a Custom Cultivation System, Host will reach a realm equal to the peak of Foundation Establishment.)
Sect: Ashen Vow Sect
Role: Sect Master
Sect Rank: 1-Star
Members:
— Elders: 0 / 10
— Disciples: 0 / 500
I stared at the glowing panel.
So… once I created a cultivation system, I'd instantly gain the strength of someone at the peak of Foundation Establishment?
That was no small thing.
But a question came to mind.
How would I even know if the system I created was strong or weak?
I barely understood how cultivation truly worked in this world. I only knew fragments—rumors from merchants, tales from wandering cultivators who passed through my village.
"System," I asked, "can you give me general knowledge about this world?"
A chime echoed.
Lines of light unfolded before me like ancient scrolls opening in midair.
[Basic Knowledge Unlocked: Xuantian Domain]
This world is vast, but the land you live in is called the Xuantian Domain.
It is ruled by several Divine Empires, each spanning countless kingdoms.
You currently reside within: Taihua Divine Empire.
Inside its borders lies Liuhe Kingdom, a lesser territory of little renown.
Ashen Vow Sect has been founded here.
That part I vaguely knew. But seeing it written like this made everything feel more real. And more… small.
Then another panel appeared.
[Cultivation Realms – Unlocked Stages]
1. Body Refining (Lifespan: ~100 years)
— Strengthens bones, muscles, and internal organs. No qi circulation yet—just pure physical tempering.
2. Qi Gathering (Lifespan: ~250 years)
— Spiritual roots absorb energy from nature. Energy collects in the dantian.
— Divided into 9 levels. Level 9 is the gateway to Foundation Establishment.
3. Foundation Establishment (Lifespan: ~500 years)
— Qi becomes liquid and forms a reservoir in the dantian.
— First major step into true cultivation. Limited flight becomes possible.
— Divided into 9 stages.
So Foundation Establishment was where real power began.
And I'd jump straight to its peak... if I created my own path.
I felt a flicker of confidence.
Then I noticed more realms, still locked.
[Cultivation Realms – Locked Until Sect Rank 2]
4. Core Formation (~1,000 years)
5. Nascent Soul (~5,000 years)
[Cultivation Realms – Locked Until Sect Rank 3]
6. Soul Transformation (~15,000 years)
[Cultivation Realms – Locked Until Sect Rank 4]
7. Quasi-Saint (~50,000 years)
8. Saint (~500,000 years)
And realms even further beyond that, unnamed.
Note: In Liuhe Kingdom, very few cultivators ever reach Soul Transformation. Realms beyond are considered legends.
I let out a slow breath.
It was a long path.
But I had time. I had purpose.
And most of all… I had the right to walk it.
[Sect Advancement Criteria – Rank 1 to Rank 2]
To advance to a 2-Star Sect:
— At least 10 Elders must reach Foundation Establishment or higher.
— At least 500 Disciples must reach Body Refining level 9 or higher.
Only then will new functions and realm details unlock.
Five hundred disciples.
Ten powerful elders.
A real sect.
I looked around the silent hall once more.
It didn't seem so impossible anymore.
Just… distant.
And distance could be crossed.
One vow at a time.
I closed the panel, stood from the throne, and walked toward the entrance. My sleeves fluttered in the wind.
A mountain might be born from a beast's corpse.
But a sect… a real sect…
Would be born from the living.
From choice.
From suffering.
From the vow I made when I had nothing left but ashes in my hands.
And I hadn't broken that vow yet.
After a moment of silence, I turned back toward the system.
"How do I create a cultivation system?"
System: Host, simply imagine and describe your desired system. I will construct it accordingly and conceal its uniqueness. If the design differs too much from the Immortal Path, others may notice. That could lead to danger.
"Why?"
System: Host's authority is insufficient to access that knowledge.
I frowned. "Then let's begin."
I won't change Body Refining. It's universal, after all. A foundation that even mortals can complete.
System: Understood. You may begin designing from Qi Gathering onward.
"In the Immortal Path, spiritual roots absorb energy from the air and store it in the dantian. But… what if my system followed the logic of the body instead?"
I imagined it.
"We all breathe. Oxygen enters our lungs, flows to the heart, spreads through blood, and reaches every cell. What if spiritual energy worked like that—flowing like breath, carried like blood, stored in muscle and organ, not a root?"
System: Analyzing concept...
...Analysis complete.
New Cultivation System Created: Mortal Path
Realm 1: Body Refining – Same as Immortal Path.
Realm 2: Mortal Qi Gathering
Divided into Two Phases:
Phase 1 – Cellular Circulation (Levels 1–5):
— Spiritual energy spreads like oxygen into muscle tissue.
— Power matches Qi Gathering Level 9 of the Immortal Path.
— Lifespan: ~250 years
— Realm will appear as Level 7–8 in Immortal Path.
Phase 2 – Organ Storage (Levels 6–9):
— Energy flows into vital organs and settles.
— Power equals Foundation Establishment Level 1.
— Lifespan: ~400 years
— Realm appears as Level 9 in Immortal Path.
I was stunned.
It worked.
A cultivation system for those without spiritual roots. For mortals. For people like the old me.
And the system wasn't finished yet.
"Next is Foundation Establishment," I said. "In the Immortal Path, they refine their qi into liquid. But my body… it already has blood. Water. What if we refined that instead?"
System: Processing… design confirmed.
New Realm: Mortal Foundation Establishment
Divided into Two Sub-Realms:
Sub-Realm 1 – Spiritual Blood Formation (2 Levels):
— All blood becomes infused with spiritual power.
— Power equals the peak of Foundation Establishment in the Immortal Path.
— Realm will appear as Level 5 Immortal Foundation Establishment.
— Lifespan: ~500 years.
Sub-Realm 2 – Spiritual Fluid Conversion (7 Levels):
— All internal fluids transform into spiritual water.
— Final level matches power of early Core Formation Realm.
— Realm will appear as Level 9 Immortal Foundation Establishment.
— Lifespan: ~800 years.
I couldn't stop the smile that spread across my face.
This wasn't just a new path—it was a revolution. A cultivation system for those who had nothing. No roots. No fate. No backing.
Just a body.
Just breath.
Just blood.
System Notification:
Host has created a Custom Cultivation System.
Cultivation now advancing to Mortal Foundation Establishment – Level 9.
Transformation initiating…
I gasped as heat flooded my veins.
My blood turned warm, golden. My skin shimmered. Muscles contracted and stretched as power filled every fiber.
My lungs expanded. My bones pulsed with strength.
It wasn't painful.
It was… becoming.
I stood still, breathing deeply.
idn't feel like an outsider.
I felt like I belonged.
And deep within the silence, I heard a whisper.
Not from the system.
From memory.
From a vow.
Father… I think I can do it.
I think I can build something the heavens won't be able to ignore.