A week had passed since Arthur first believed this place to be another cruel dream. A fragile mirage of freedom conjured by a mind too long imprisoned in Purgatory. Yet the cold bite of the wind, the weight of unfamiliar robes against his shoulders, and the subtle hum of Qi in the air did not fade with waking.
This was no dream.
He stood in the Boundless Immortal Firmament, the endless realm spoken of by the Five Immortals. Yet for reasons unknown, his fate was tethered to a single, dim island adrift in its vastness, a lower world called Tianyu. A world so insular that its people had never imagined there was anything beyond the curve of their own sky.
Arthur carried the breadth of the Five Immortals' knowledge. Still, wisdom alone could not shield him from the perils of an unfamiliar land. The Immortals had often spoken of survival and how it hinged on knowing a world's rules and dangers.
So he decided to read. There were stacks of books in front of him.
The cracked leather cover he held now bore the title "Way of the Heavens." Within its faded ink and brittle pages lay the cultivation truths as Tianyu understood them — truths that, to Arthur's eyes, seemed almost primitive.
AWAKENING OF SPIRIT ROOTS
In Tianyu, the Spirit Root is the hidden ember of life within the lower abdomen. It awakens most often between the ages of ten and twelve, though cases as early as eight or as late as fourteen are known. The rarest recorded was a boy whose Root stirred at fourteen and a half, yet even his dim spark was hailed as a gift from the heavens.
Scholars of Tianyu classify spirit roots into seven ranks.
Seventh, the Brown Ember Root — A dim reddish-brown flicker that can barely sustain qi flow without the aid of pills or formations; most born with it never progress beyond rudimentary cultivation.
Sixth, the Crimson Root — Burns with a stable red glow, granting steady, if unremarkable, progress toward the middle realms.
Fifth, the Solar Root — Warm and golden, considered the ideal for balanced growth. It is neither lacking in endurance nor deficient in strength.
Fourth, the Whitefire Root — White-hot brilliance edged with arcs of corona, yielding swift advancement and a piercing, aggressive qi.
Third, the Sapphire Root — Deep blue luminescence with swirling qi storms, promising unmatched cultivation speed and destructive might, though dangerous without strict control.
The remaining two classes, Second and First, are Spirit Roots of legend, said to transcend mortal limits entirely. Few believe they truly exist, and fewer claim to have seen them.
What a waste! Does this book have any reliability? Arthur scoffed with disdain. For him, the book did not know even a fraction of what he knew, but these were the standards of Tianyu; he didn't want to reform them, but now he knew how much he could demonstrate if he was to cultivate.
THE FLOW OF QI
To the people of Tianyu, qi flows much like water drawn from a spring. The Spirit Root is the wellhead. It is the sole point from which energy enters the body. From there, it seeps into the meridians, narrow channels running through flesh and bone, before finally pooling within the dantian.
The quality of one's spirit Root determines how swiftly and richly this current runs. A lower-class Spirit Root draws only a thin trickle, forcing the cultivator to rely on long hours of breathing exercises or external elixirs to fill the dantian. A Strong Spirit Root draws a torrent, allowing meridians to brim with energy in a fraction of the time taken by individuals with a lower-class Spirit Root.
Cultivators believe that to strengthen the flow, one must first temper the Spirit Root, for no matter how many meridians a person widens, a poor wellhead will never fill the reservoir quickly.
Arthur frowned, and a flicker of confusion crossed his face. So the people of Tianyu recognised only a single Spirit Root.
He let the thought pass and turned the pages.
DANTIAN, THE HEART OF POWER
The dantian is a cultivator's inner reservoir.It is the storehouse where qi gathers, waiting to be called upon—
Arthur stopped immediately.
"What a joke…" he said with a sharp voice. "They treat the dantian like a cistern. Fill it before a battle, drain it in the clash, then… refill at leisure."
He shook his head, muttering, "Why has nobody in Tianyu ever questioned this pattern?"
"If they cared to seek it, the dantian wouldn't have to be some stagnant pool," he went on, tone gaining heat. "With the right discipline… one could circulate qi endlessly, draw from the world even in combat. Never fear depletion once the fight begins."
His fingers tapped against his arm as he thought aloud, quieter now.
"But such mastery… It's more than just stubborn will. You'd have to understand the other major spirit roots the body holds. Channels that feed, refine, and harmonize with the dantian…"
He trailed off, a faint, dry laugh escaping him. "Hah… without that knowledge, they'll all keep chasing their little half-measures."
He sighed, almost to himself. "Well… who am I to reform them?"
THE NINE LUMINARIES OF TIANYU
It is said that all who walk the path of cultivation ascend through nine burning skies, each a reflection of the star that shines within their dantian.
The first luminary, the Ember Ignition Realm — The hidden star is stirred to life, no more than a trembling ember. Its light is weak, its fire unstable; qi flickers like a candle in the wind, and every breath is a struggle for control.
The second luminary, the Crimson Furnace Realm — The core steadies, casting a dim but constant heat. Qi moves slowly yet without falter, granting the cultivator the means for sustained practice, though not for fierce battle.
The third luminary, the Amber Radiance Realm – The inner sun swells, heat and light blooming within the dantian. Qi flows in steady currents, granting endurance and the first authentic taste of power in combat.
The fourth luminary, the Solar Ascendance Realm — The inner star reaches a harmonious blaze, balancing might and longevity. At this stage, a cultivator is the midday sun — steady, unwavering, and worthy to stand among peers.
The fifth luminary, the Whiteflare Bloom Realm —The light sharpens, burning pure and white. Qi grows dense, swift, and piercing, shattering common defenses and striking with the swiftness of lightning.
The sixth luminary, the Azure Corona Realm — The star burns with searing blue-white fire, releasing qi in violent bursts. The aura turns razor-edged; mere presence cuts like unseen blades.
The seventh luminary, the Sapphire Dominion Realm— The star's pull deepens, bending qi into storming vortices. Each strike carries crushing force, each step the weight of a falling sky.
The eighth luminary, the Dominion Starforge Realm — The dantian swells with world-forging heat, a furnace that shapes the land beneath one's feet. Every movement shifts the battlefield, as a celestial smith shaping continents.
The ninth luminary, the Eternal Worldseed Realm — The star condenses into an unbreakable core, inexhaustible and absolute. The cultivator becomes the axis of their realm; qi bends to their will as rivers to the sea.
Between realms lie smaller steps: early, half-step, and late stage. Each is a stone in the stairway.
When the qi within presses against the dantian's walls until they can bear it no longer, the cultivator breaks through, returning to the early stage of the next realm.
It is like changing seasons, but with a more potent force wielded.
Arthur let the book fall shut with a dull thump. He hadn't even bothered to read the scattered tales and florid verses that followed the pompous praises of Tianyu's so-called paragons.
"At least this section is correct," he murmured, though his tone was heavy with resignation. "But is this all? Just a fraction… barely a shadow of the Five Immortals' knowledge."
"I have no mood for the rest."