Night fell softly over the Azure Cloud peaks. Moonlight poured through the bamboo trees, bathing the sect in a serene silver glow.
In his quiet courtyard, Tian Shen sat cross-legged on a stone platform. Before him lay the dim jade slip—its once-bright chaos sigil now faint and cold.
He took a deep breath, eyes closing in focus.
> "The Chaotic Origin Codex..." he murmured. "Let's see if I can truly cultivate it."
The Path of Cultivation
Before beginning, Tian Shen recalled Elder Ru Han's earlier teachings about the cultivation realms of their world:
> "All beings walk a path divided into three Great Realms — Mortal, Immortal, and Celestial. Each realm contains its own stages, and each stage a thousand ways to die." The elder then proceeded to explain the mortal realm, he could not do the same to the higher realms as the heavenly attention could be triggered.
Mortal Realm – The Foundation of the Soul
1. Body Refinement Realm (Tempering Stage)
This stage focuses on strengthening the physical body to withstand Qi flow. The cultivator tempers bones, muscles, and meridians through spiritual energy and medicinal herbs.
It's divided into three substages;
Early: The cultivator strengthens muscles and blood, improving endurance and vitality.
Middle: Internal organs and meridians are reinforced, allowing for the first traces of Qi to circulate safely.
Peak: The body becomes resistant to minor injuries, toxins, and fatigue; Qi can flow smoothly without damaging the body .
2. Qi Awakening Realm (Energy Sense Stage)
After refining the body, the cultivator learns to sense and absorb Qi from the world, establishing their Qi Sea (dantian). It's divided into three stages;
Early: The cultivator senses Qi for the first time and begins to draw it in small quantities.
Middle: The Qi Sea stabilizes, allowing energy to circulate through meridians smoothly.
Peak: The cultivator can project Qi outside the body, using basic techniques or enhancing physical strikes.
3. Meridian Opening Realm (Path Unveiling Stage)
This is the stage where cultivators expand the number and capacity of open meridians, determining their potential for future power. It's divided into three stages;
Early: 300–600 meridians opened; Qi circulation improves.
Middle: 700–1000 meridians opened; internal Qi strengthens and techniques grow sharper.
Peak: over 1200 main meridians fully open, forming a stable Qi circuit across the body.
4. Spirit Fusion Realm (Soul Tempering Stage)
At this point, the cultivator begins merging spiritual awareness with Qi, allowing them to manifest energy externally and sense other auras. It's divided into three;
Early: Spirit sense awakens, enabling perception of Qi around them.
Middle: Qi and spirit harmonize; cultivators can control weapons or Qi attacks at a distance.
Peak: The spirit and Qi become inseparable—foundation for Core Formation.
5. Core Formation Realm (Essence Condensation Stage)
The peak of the Mortal Realm, where a cultivator condenses all gathered Qi and spirit into a Core inside the dantian. It's divided into three categories.
Early: Qi begins to condense into a mist.
Middle: The mist solidifies into a liquid core.
Peak: The liquid crystallizes into a solid Golden Core, marking readiness for Immortal Ascension.
At the peak of this realm, one's life essence transforms, giving birth to the Nascent Core — the threshold to immortality.
As far as I remember you had completed the first stage of cultivation before joining the sect, now you'll proceed from there. Always seek clarity when you're lost. Don't let pride be your downfall, the sect has high expectations of you young man.
Tian Shen's current stage was at the very bottom — Qi Awakening, the first step of the Mortal Realm.
He exhaled slowly, recalling the Codex's first verse:
> "Chaos is not order nor void; it is the origin before origin, the end after the end.
Draw not from heaven, nor from earth, but from yourself—
For chaos dwells where existence begins and ends."
The Attempt
Following the verse, Tian Shen guided his breath inward. Instead of sensing the world's Qi around him, he searched deeper—within the quiet depths of his own being.
At first, nothing happened. Then, faint golden threads began to shimmer in his dantian, intertwined with streaks of pure black.
They clashed.
A wave of pain exploded through his body. His meridians screamed, his vision blurred, and blood trickled from his nose.
> "Too violent…" he gasped, trembling. "I can't… control it."
He forced his will to remain steady, cycling his breath once more. Slowly, he guided the two opposing energies into a single spiral—black and gold revolving around one another like twin stars.
The pain subsided. His heartbeat steadied.
Then, for the first time, his Qi moved naturally through his meridians—gentle but incredibly dense.
His surroundings responded faintly: the air grew heavier, the candle flames in his room flickered in rhythm with his pulse.
After hours of silent cultivation, Tian Shen opened his eyes.
A faint shimmer of golden-black light glowed across his skin before fading. His Qi sense had expanded, his body felt stronger, and his dantian pulsed with stable energy.
He smiled slightly.
> "I did it… I've stepped onto the path."
The Weak but Stable Start
Though he had succeeded, his Qi was far weaker than most disciples at the same stage. The Codex refined his energy slowly, layer by layer, making each strand more condensed and stable than ordinary Qi—but at the cost of growth speed.
The next morning, when he tried sparring with fellow disciples, his strikes seemed sluggish, his Qi reserves shallow.
> "That genius? He can't even sustain a single Qi technique properly!"
"So much for shattering the formation… he's just another overhyped brat."
The whispers stung, but Tian Shen ignored them.
He could feel it—the quiet, boundless potential within his core. The others might have stronger Qi now, but theirs flowed like rivers. His was like a seed—small, silent, but carrying the strength to birth worlds.
A Subtle Stirring
That night, as he meditated again, Tian Shen felt a faint vibration within his soul. The ancient voice echoed softly, almost proud.
> "Good… you have taken the first step. Chaos is patient. Let the heavens sleep; your time will come."
And then, silence.
Tian Shen's breathing steadied. His heart no longer raced with anxiety, but with determination.
He was weak. He was far from drawing the attention of heavens or immortals. But for the first time, he was truly walking his own path.
The path of chaos.