In the Clear Sky Ye Clan, morning began with sword forms, medicinal smoke, and someone yelling at Ye Changsheng.
"Changsheng! Get your shameless self off the roof!"
Ye Changsheng lay flat on the tiled peak of the Alchemy Hall, hands behind his head, staring lazily at the clouds. His robes were slightly open, chest catching the sun, and a peach in one hand. He took a slow bite, savoring the moment.
"I'm meditating, Aunt Tianying!" he called back, voice like spring wine—light, annoying, and just slightly smug.
A vein pulsed on Ye Tianying's forehead as she stood below, arms folded in her dark red clan leader robes. "Meditating?! You're eating fruit like a drunk mortal beggar!"
"I'm communing with the Dao of Leisure."
"You're one step away from communing with the Dao of the Wooden Paddle!"
That got a laugh from someone in the distance—Changming, the handsome and proper elder cousin, seated calmly under a peach tree, sipping tea as if this was all normal.
Inside, Ye Changsheng grinned to himself. He had lived two lives, after all.
Once in America, where things were fast, loud, and filled with instant noodles. And now here, in a cultivation world of pills, blades, and boiling family expectations.
He had done his duty so far—studied, trained, survived Tianying's lectures. But life had felt a little... directionless.
Until today.
Ding! [Heritage System Awakening…]
Ye Changsheng blinked. "...Huh?"
System: Welcome, Host. You are now bound to the [Heritage Advancement Interface]. Your strength shall now rise through the cultivation achievements of your descendants.
"Wait. Descendants?"
Milestone 1: Have one child with spiritual roots. Reward:???.
"..."
He sat up straight.
"...Motherf—"
Down below, Tianying looked up just in time to see her mischievous nephew spring upright like a squirrel on fire.
"He's about to do something stupid," she muttered darkly.
She was right.
Ye Changsheng leapt down and landed with a dramatic flourish, robes fluttering behind him like he was trying to impress a sect princess.
He nearly collided with a young clan sister carrying herbs. She squeaked in surprise.
"Apologies," he said smoothly, catching her elbow before she stumbled. "Fate moves fast, but I promise I'm gentler on second meetings."
She flushed. He winked. Tianying glared.
"Oh, this is going to be fun," Changsheng whispered, eyes gleaming.
Meanwhile, in the family hall, Mu Lianhua—his mother and Alchemy Hall Master—sneezed softly while grinding spirit lotus petals.
She looked up at the cloudless sky and smiled.
"Changsheng must be up to something again."
Before the Story: What Is Cultivation? READ IF YOU ARE NEW TO CULTIVATION NOVELS
In this world, power doesn't come from swords or politics alone—it flows from within. Cultivation is the path of harnessing spiritual energy, refining the body, mind, and soul to transcend human limits.
A cultivator absorbs Qi—the life energy that fills the heavens and earth—circulates it through internal meridians, and uses it to temper their flesh, expand their lifespan, and awaken supernatural abilities. The journey begins at Qi Refinement, where energy is drawn in like vapor. It advances to Foundation Building, where that energy condenses into liquid essence, forming a core that fuels future breakthroughs.
From there, cultivators chase realms like Core Formation and Nascent Soul, each step peeling away mortality and approaching something divine.
But the path is cruel. One wrong step, and everything collapses.
This is the world I was born into. This is the world I plan to reshape.
Most outsiders think cultivation is just about sitting cross-legged and absorbing light from the sky.
They're not entirely wrong—but they miss the details that matter.
Cultivation isn't just one path. It's dozens of interwoven disciplines. Spiritual root quality, elemental alignment, body refinement, alchemy, talisman crafting, formation arrays—every choice can shape your future. And every mistake can cost you your life.
The stages are clear, but the way you walk them is anything but.
Qi Refinement is where we all start. You draw in spiritual energy from the world, temper your body, open your meridians. That's the stage of learning control, shaping your vessel. Most people stop here—forever weak, forever dependent on pills and sects for protection.
But Foundation Building is the first real test. That's when the Qi in your body condenses from vapor to liquid. When your spirit core begins to take shape. It's also the line that divides commoners from cultivators who matter. You live longer. You fight stronger. You stop being prey.
After that, it's Core Formation, Nascent Soul, Godtransformation, and so on. Each realm has its own rules. Each has its own price.
And that's just one side of it.
Tao foundation—your personal path—matters just as much. Some cultivate the sword. Some the flame. Some chase immortality through the body, others through law and spirit. The deeper your understanding of your Tao, the farther you can go.
That's why the world respects geniuses. Not because they're stronger at level one—but because their path runs deeper. Clearer. More dangerous.
I've got my roots—fire and water. I've got a path—mine, not borrowed.
Now I just need to walk it without falling off.