The sun had barely risen over the horizon when Ling Wei's breath formed small clouds of mist in the cold morning air. He was seated cross-legged in the clearing behind his family's small courtyard, the rough bark of an ancient oak tree at his back. The place where he'd spent countless hours trying to sense the energy of the world—the Qi. He clenched his fists in frustration. After years of training, he was still stuck at the **Qi Condensation realm**, the lowest tier of cultivation.
All his peers had long since surpassed him. Even his younger cousins had reached the **Foundation Establishment realm**, the next step in cultivation, which gave them access to more advanced techniques and profound strength. His inadequacy weighed heavily on him. The problem wasn't his talent; Ling Wei was certain of that. It was something else—something more elusive, something blocking him.
Taking a deep breath, Ling Wei cleared his mind and began to circulate his Qi. The small threads of energy within his body, weak but persistent, flowed through his meridians as he attempted to guide them. Each pulse of energy was a battle, a reminder of his limits. Suddenly, the air seemed to shift. The wind died down, and a strange chill ran through his spine. His heart skipped a beat as an ancient presence settled over him, pressing down like the weight of a mountain.
"What is this?" Ling Wei muttered, eyes snapping open. He jumped to his feet, scanning the forest around him.
A voice echoed in his mind. Cold, distant, and filled with authority.
"You are the inheritor of the Domination Seal. Kneel."
Ling Wei staggered back, his head spinning. The words carried a power that struck his very soul, yet he fought the instinct to bow. Kneeling? To whom? His eyes flashed with defiance as he struggled to stay upright.
"Show yourself!" he shouted into the silence.
Suddenly, the world around him shifted, and the clearing dissolved into a vast void. In front of him, an imposing figure materialized—an ethereal being cloaked in golden robes, his face hidden by a veil of light. The pressure radiating from the figure was overwhelming, and Ling Wei felt the gap between them like a chasm. This being was far beyond anything he had ever encountered.
"Who are you?" Ling Wei asked, his voice trembling despite his best efforts to stay calm.
"I am the Dominator, an ancient being who controlled realms with the power of the **Slave Seal**. You are my successor," the figure's voice resonated in Ling Wei's mind.
The words took a moment to sink in. "Slave Seal?" Ling Wei repeated, confused.
"Yes. The seal that grants you the power to bind others to your will. With it, you may subjugate those even one major realm above you, bending them to your command." The figure raised a hand, and a symbol glowed in the air—a circular seal made of intertwining lines of light, humming with ancient energy.
Ling Wei's mind reeled. The idea of controlling someone stronger than himself was absurd. The power hierarchy was strict and unforgiving. In this world, cultivators were divided by realms, each representing a different stage of mastery over body and mind.
First was **Qi Condensation**, where one learned to manipulate the basic life force within their body. Next came **Foundation Establishment**, where cultivators solidified their internal foundation and began to channel the world's energy.
Above them lay the **Core Formation** realm, where one condensed their energy into a powerful core, and those who reached **Nascent Soul** could project their soul to overpower enemies. Beyond that were the legendary realms, where cultivators merged their bodies with Dao itself, such as the **Dao Seeking** and **Immortal Ascension** realms, which few even dared to dream of.
Ling Wei had barely touched the threshold of foundation establishment , and the thought of enslaving those far above him in power was unbelievable.
The figure's voice cut through his thoughts. "The Domination Seal will awaken in you slowly, but its power is absolute. You can place the seal on anyone, even those at the Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, or Nascent Soul realms. As long as they are only one major realm above you, they cannot resist."
Ling Wei swallowed hard. The implications of such power were immense. He could control the fate of others, even those far more powerful than him. But the idea of enslavement left a sour taste in his mouth.
"I don't want to control others," Ling Wei said, his voice steady despite the turmoil within.
The Dominator's laugh was cold. "Then you will be controlled, or worse, killed. In this world, strength is everything. Without it, you are nothing but a stepping stone for those above you. The Domination Seal is your path to survival and beyond."
Ling Wei frowned, still hesitant. The cultivation world was brutal. Those with power ruled, and those without were left to scrape by, always at the mercy of someone else. He had seen it countless times—the weak being crushed underfoot, families torn apart, sects destroyed by rival factions. Even now, his own Ling family was in decline, overshadowed by larger, more powerful clans.
The temptation to rise above it all gnawed at him. With this seal, he could climb the ranks of cultivation, bend even the most arrogant geniuses to his will, and protect those he cared about. Still, there was an unease in his chest.
"I don't trust you," Ling Wei said bluntly. "Why give me this power?"
The Dominator's expressionless figure shifted slightly, as though amused. "Whether you trust me or not is irrelevant. The seal has already been passed to you. How you use it is your choice. But remember this: in a world where strength is law, mercy is weakness."
The void around them began to fade, and the clearing reappeared. Ling Wei was alone once more, but something had changed. He could feel a faint warmth in his chest, and when he looked down, he saw the mark—the Slave Seal—etched faintly on his palm, glowing with a soft golden light.
Ling Wei stared at the mark, conflicted. The power to control others, to bend them to his will—this wasn't the path he had imagined for himself. But in the brutal world of cultivation, power was everything, and weakness meant death.
A new determination ignited in his heart. He wouldn't become a tyrant, but neither would he allow himself to be trampled. He would rise, no matter the cost.
Ling Wei closed his hand over the glowing mark.
"The path to power begins now."
---
This was only the beginning of his journey. The Slave Seal had awakened, but what would come next would be trials far more dangerous than he had ever imagined. His rise in the cultivation world had begun.