Chapter 1 new world
Changli's last memory from Earth was of exhaustion—dragging his feet home after another grueling day of work. Just as he was about to cross the street, a blinding light pierced his vision. The sharp screech of a car horn echoed in his ears… then nothing.
When he opened his eyes again, he was no longer in his cramped apartment or on the busy road. Instead, he found himself in the frail body of a boy with the same name—Changli. This boy was an orphan whose parents had been declared missing six years ago. His predecessor had lived a pitiful life, begging for scraps, sleeping on cold stone streets, and finally succumbing to the winter frost. It was at that very moment of death that Changli's soul from another world had taken over.
That was fifteen years ago.
In those early days, when Changli awakened and gained the memories of his predecessor, he was struck with both shock and excitement. This world was no ordinary place—it was a world of martial arts and cultivation, where the strong ruled over the weak, and only those who pursued the Dao could grasp true power.
At first, his heart burned with ambition. He dreamed of soaring past the heavens, of stepping on the pinnacle of this world, of becoming a figure others would look up to in awe.
But reality struck him like a bucket of ice water.
When he applied to a small sect, full of anticipation, the elders tested him for spiritual roots—the foundation of all cultivation. The result was devastating:
> He had no spiritual root.
Not even the lowest five elements root.
In the eyes of this world, he was worse than trash.
A person who wished to embark on the path of cultivation first needed a spiritual root. Without it, one could never draw in the energy of heaven and earth.
Spiritual roots were divided into several categories:
1. Five Element Roots (Lowest Tier):
These were the most common—Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. A cultivator with a pure, single-element root could progress steadily, though their speed was slow. Those with dual or triple roots often suffered from conflicting affinities, making cultivation even harder. The most tragic was the so-called Five Element Root, where all five elements coexisted and canceled one another out, leaving the possessor branded as a waste. Thus, five-element roots were ranked from weakest (five elements) to strongest (a single pure element).
2. Variant Roots (Specialized Mutations):
These included rare mutations such as Ice, Lightning, or Poison roots. Though uncommon, such roots excelled in unique paths and often outshone basic elemental roots.
3. Spiritual Vein Roots (High Grade):
Those born with spiritual veins possessed a stronger resonance with the world's qi. Depending on the grade, they could rise all the way to Core Formation, Nascent Soul, or even higher.
4. Heavenly Roots (Peerless Talent):
Children blessed by destiny, born to defy the heavens. These geniuses absorbed qi effortlessly and shattered bottlenecks as if they were nothing. They were destined to stand above their peers.
5. Mythical or Unique Roots (Legendary):
The rarest of all—Chaos Root, Immortal Root, Devil Root. Said to appear only once in countless generations, each was tied to fate itself and capable of shaking the heavens.
Changli's last memory from Earth was of exhaustion—dragging his feet home after another grueling day of work. Just as he was about to cross the street, a blinding light pierced his vision. The sharp screech of a car horn echoed in his ears… then nothing.
When he opened his eyes again, he was no longer in his cramped apartment or on the busy road. Instead, he found himself in the frail body of a boy with the same name—Changli. This boy was an orphan whose parents had been declared missing six years ago. His predecessor had lived a pitiful life, begging for scraps, sleeping on cold stone streets, and finally succumbing to the winter frost. It was at that very moment of death that Changli's soul from another world had taken over.
That was fifteen years ago.
In those early days, when Changli awakened and gained the memories of his predecessor, he was struck with both shock and excitement. This world was no ordinary place—it was a world of martial arts and cultivation, where the strong ruled over the weak, and only those who pursued the Dao could grasp true power.
At first, his heart burned with ambition. He dreamed of soaring past the heavens, of stepping on the pinnacle of this world, of becoming a figure others would look up to in awe.
But reality struck him like a bucket of ice water.
When he applied to a small sect, full of anticipation, the elders tested him for spiritual roots—the foundation of all cultivation. The result was devastating:
> He had no spiritual root.
Not even the lowest five elements root.
In the eyes of this world, he was worse than trash.
A person who wished to embark on the path of cultivation first needed a spiritual root. Without it, one could never draw in the energy of heaven and earth.
Spiritual roots were divided into several categories:
1. Five Element Roots (Lowest Tier):
These were the most common—Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. A cultivator with a pure, single-element root could progress steadily, though their speed was slow. Those with dual or triple roots often suffered from conflicting affinities, making cultivation even harder. The most tragic was the so-called Five Element Root, where all five elements coexisted and canceled one another out, leaving the possessor branded as a waste. Thus, five-element roots were ranked from weakest (five elements) to strongest (a single pure element).
2. Variant Roots (Specialized Mutations):
These included rare mutations such as Ice, Lightning, or Poison roots. Though uncommon, such roots excelled in unique paths and often outshone basic elemental roots.
3. Spiritual Vein Roots (High Grade):
Those born with spiritual veins possessed a stronger resonance with the world's qi. Depending on the grade, they could rise all the way to Core Formation, Nascent Soul, or even higher.
4. Heavenly Roots (Peerless Talent):
Children blessed by destiny, born to defy the heavens. These geniuses absorbed qi effortlessly and shattered bottlenecks as if they were nothing. They were destined to stand above their peers.
5. Mythical or Unique Roots (Legendary):
The rarest of all—Chaos Root, Immortal Root, Devil Root. Said to appear only once in countless generations, each was tied to fate itself and capable of shaking the heavens.
Changli's last memory from Earth was of exhaustion—dragging his feet home after another grueling day of work. Just as he was about to cross the street, a blinding light pierced his vision. The sharp screech of a car horn echoed in his ears… then nothing.
When he opened his eyes again, he was no longer in his cramped apartment or on the busy road. Instead, he found himself in the frail body of a boy with the same name—Changli. This boy was an orphan whose parents had been declared missing six years ago. His predecessor had lived a pitiful life, begging for scraps, sleeping on cold stone streets, and finally succumbing to the winter frost. It was at that very moment of death that Changli's soul from another world had taken over.
That was fifteen years ago.
In those early days, when Changli awakened and gained the memories of his predecessor, he was struck with both shock and excitement. This world was no ordinary place—it was a world of martial arts and cultivation, where the strong ruled over the weak, and only those who pursued the Dao could grasp true power.
At first, his heart burned with ambition. He dreamed of soaring past the heavens, of stepping on the pinnacle of this world, of becoming a figure others would look up to in awe.
But reality struck him like a bucket of ice water.
When he applied to a small sect, full of anticipation, the elders tested him for spiritual roots—the foundation of all cultivation. The result was devastating:
> He had no spiritual root.
Not even the lowest five elements root.
In the eyes of this world, he was worse than trash.
A person who wished to embark on the path of cultivation first needed a spiritual root. Without it, one could never draw in the energy of heaven and earth.
Spiritual roots were divided into several categories:
1. Five Element Roots (Lowest Tier):
These were the most common—Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. A cultivator with a pure, single-element root could progress steadily, though their speed was slow. Those with dual or triple roots often suffered from conflicting affinities, making cultivation even harder. The most tragic was the so-called Five Element Root, where all five elements coexisted and canceled one another out, leaving the possessor branded as a waste. Thus, five-element roots were ranked from weakest (five elements) to strongest (a single pure element).
2. Variant Roots (Specialized Mutations):
These included rare mutations such as Ice, Lightning, or Poison roots. Though uncommon, such roots excelled in unique paths and often outshone basic elemental roots.
3. Spiritual Vein Roots (High Grade):
Those born with spiritual veins possessed a stronger resonance with the world's qi. Depending on the grade, they could rise all the way to Core Formation, Nascent Soul, or even higher.
4. Heavenly Roots (Peerless Talent):
Children blessed by destiny, born to defy the heavens. These geniuses absorbed qi effortlessly and shattered bottlenecks as if they were nothing. They were destined to stand above their peers.
5. Mythical or Unique Roots (Legendary):
The rarest of all—Chaos Root, Immortal Root, Devil Root. Said to appear only once in countless generations, each was tied to fate itself and capable of shaking the heavens.