"Cultivation is the path to immortality. To control the Dao, to transcend life and death, to walk among the heavens… But for trash without talent, it's nothing more than an unreachable dream."
The Azure Spirit Sect towered above the mortal kingdoms like a celestial fortress. Its jade pavilions nestled atop the mist-shrouded Canglan Mountains, where waterfalls plunged into endless depths and cranes glided lazily above drifting clouds.
For countless generations, this sect stood as the undisputed ruler of the land. Kings bowed before its gates, empires offered tribute, and mortals whispered its name with reverence. But within these sacred walls, the strong were worshiped… and the weak were crushed.
Inside the Azure Scripture Hall, Su Chen sat cross-legged on the cold floor, his brush gliding carefully across a fresh scroll. His plain gray robe was patched and frayed, his long black hair tied carelessly behind his head. The faint scent of old parchment filled the silent hall as rows upon rows of ancient scrolls towered around him.
"Draw Qi through the Twelve Heavenly Meridians… circulate into the Spirit Bridge Vessel… condense within the Lower Dantian…"
He whispered the words as he copied them, but then his hand paused. His dark eyes narrowed.
"No… this meridian path is wrong. If I reverse the sixth and ninth channels, wouldn't Qi flow smoother? That would double efficiency."
A bitter smile tugged at his lips.
"What am I thinking? Even if I find flaws, it doesn't matter. Trash like me can't cultivate anyway."
Suddenly, a burst of mocking laughter echoed through the hall.
"Look at him, copying manuals again like an obedient little scribe!"
Su Chen turned his head slightly. Three outer disciples strode into the Scripture Hall. Leading them was Wang Kun, a tall, broad-shouldered youth whose cultivation had already reached Qi Refinement Stage 5. Behind him were two lackeys, grinning like hyenas.
Wang Kun snatched the scroll from Su Chen's hands and waved it mockingly.
"Basic Qi-Gathering Sutra? Hah! You've been stuck at Stage 1 for three years, and you still dream of becoming a cultivator?"
One of his lackeys snickered. "Senior Brother Wang, don't be too harsh. Trash like him can't comprehend cultivation even if you carve the Dao into his forehead."
Laughter erupted.
Su Chen kept his head down, knuckles white beneath his sleeves. He knew better than to argue. In this sect, strength dictated everything. Without power, you weren't worth the dirt beneath their boots.
Wang Kun shoved the scroll into his chest and leaned close, voice dripping with contempt.
"Remember your place, Su Chen. People like you exist only to serve geniuses like me."
With a flick of his sleeve, he left.
Su Chen clenched his fists, nails digging into his palms.
"Three years… three years of humiliation. I can't even break through Stage 1. Am I truly destined to remain trash forever?"
Night descended. Lanterns flickered faintly as Su Chen descended the spiral staircase into the Forgotten Vault, the deepest level of the Scripture Hall. Few disciples ever came here; it was said the scrolls stored here were too ancient, too obscure, or simply useless.
Dust coated the shelves like a burial shroud. Cobwebs stretched across the corners, undisturbed for decades.
As Su Chen swept, his broom knocked against something hidden behind a broken wooden shelf. A faint clink echoed through the vault.
He crouched and found a black jade slip no larger than his palm. Its surface was etched with intricate runes that shimmered faintly, as though alive.
The moment his fingers touched it, a chilling whisper slithered into his ears:
"Seek comprehension… become the Way…"
A surge of spiritual light burst from the jade, swallowing Su Chen whole. His vision went black.
When he opened his eyes again, he floated in an endless void. Stars spiraled around him, and rivers of Dao runes wove themselves into dazzling constellations.
Before him, a massive golden gate hovered amidst chaos, its surface engraved with symbols too profound for words.
The gate creaked open, releasing an ancient resonance that shook the depths of his soul.
"You have awakened the Arcanum Path Gate.""Innate Dao Heart detected.""All Dao, all techniques, all worlds… may now be understood."
A torrent of information flooded his mind — cultivation methods, meridian structures, martial techniques, and the laws of heaven and earth. His consciousness expanded endlessly, yet the flow felt natural, as if he had always known.
Then the vision collapsed.
Su Chen gasped and woke on the cold floor of the Forgotten Vault. The jade slip crumbled into dust, leaving behind a faint spiral mark glowing on his palm.
At first, he thought it was a dream. But when his gaze fell upon a random cultivation scroll nearby, something strange happened — diagrams unfolded in his mind, flaws revealed themselves instantly, and new possibilities bloomed effortlessly.
Heart racing, he grabbed the Basic Qi-Gathering Sutra and rewrote it from scratch, modifying its meridian cycle into a perfect circulation pattern.
He sat cross-legged, inhaled deeply, and began cultivating.
In that instant, spiritual energy surged into his body like a roaring tide. His dantian burned as Qi gushed through his meridians, refined and purified by his corrected method.
Boom!Qi Refinement Stage 1 → Stage 2!
Boom!Stage 2 → Stage 3!
His body trembled as he opened his eyes, panting heavily.
"This… this is impossible. My comprehension… it's as if the Dao itself whispers to me."
Far above the Azure Spirit Sect, in a forbidden realm beyond mortal reach, an ancient figure opened his withered eyes. His gaze pierced countless worlds.
"The Arcanum Path Gate… has awakened once more."
He rose slowly, robes billowing with chaotic light.
"Find him… before the Celestial Dao Court does."