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The moon hung low in the sky, casting a pale, silvery light over the dense, shadowy forest. The Desolate Abyss was a place that even the most daring cultivators avoided. Known for its treacherous beasts, hidden traps, and the eerie silence that seemed to swallow sound itself, it was no place for a human to be left alone—especially not one like Jin Wei.
Jin Wei's breath came in ragged gasps as he crawled over jagged rocks, his body battered and broken. His once proud robes, symbols of his lineage, were now torn and stained with the blood of his own making. A searing pain shot through his chest where a deep wound had been inflicted, and his head throbbed as though his skull might split open. The last thing he remembered was the cruel, mocking laughter of his cousin, Jin Zhen, as he was pushed into the Abyss.
"Your meridians are crippled. You'll never amount to anything," Jin Zhen's words echoed in his mind, cruel and unforgiving. Jin Wei had always been different, born with an unusual and weak cultivation vessel, which left him unable to progress in the art of cultivation, unlike his peers. His family, once proud of him, had turned their backs on him, deeming him a failure and a burden.
But even now, lying on the cold stones of the Abyss, Jin Wei refused to give up. I can't die here. He could feel his very life force slipping away with every passing second, but his will remained strong. His body, though fragile and broken, still clung to life—because he had to survive.
The wind howled through the trees, a mournful cry that seemed to echo Jin Wei's despair. It was then that he felt it—a strange presence. A flicker of energy, subtle at first, like a whispering voice in his mind. His eyes snapped open, though blurred with pain. He could hear it now, clearer than ever, the voice that seemed to resonate with the very core of his being.
"Do you wish to live?"
It was not a voice he recognized, nor one that seemed to belong to anyone or anything in his world. But it was familiar, in a way. Something about it called to him, as if it knew him better than he knew himself.
"Yes," he managed to whisper, his voice weak. "I... want to live."
"Then accept my gift."
A strange warmth surged through his chest. It started as a spark but quickly spread, coursing through his veins like wildfire. His crippled meridians—those very channels that had never been able to cultivate properly—began to shift. He could feel them rewriting, as though they were being reforged, not just healed, but reborn.
The pain intensified, but Jin Wei gritted his teeth and endured. He could feel the power, the potential, the vastness of it all flooding into him. His body, frail and weak moments ago, now surged with unfamiliar energy, each breath filling him with new strength. The system—the source of this power—began to speak again, and Jin Wei could sense that it was both sentient and ancient.
"I am the Primordial Reforge System. With my help, you will rise from the ashes. Your cultivation will be rebuilt, stronger than ever."
Jin Wei's heart pounded as he absorbed the system's words. Was this real? Was this a dream? Or had he truly been granted the chance to become something more than the crippled failure he once was?
"Reforge your path. Begin anew," the voice continued, its tone calm and yet filled with immense authority. "You will be the one to shape your future."
Jin Wei's eyes widened as he felt the world around him begin to shift. The air seemed to hum with life, and the stones beneath him began to glow faintly. His meridians, once fractured and incapable of sustaining even the most basic cultivation techniques, now felt whole. The energy that had once been locked within him surged, ready to be harnessed.
He rose unsteadily to his feet, his body trembling with a mix of exhaustion and newfound power. The system had given him a chance, a chance to break free from the chains of his past and reclaim his future. But he knew the journey ahead would not be easy.
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The World of Cultivation
Cultivation in this world was not merely a pursuit of power—it was a way of life, a path that all cultivators followed in their quest for immortality and enlightenment. The strongest cultivators, known as Immortals, could control the very elements of the world around them, bending space and time to their will. Cultivators followed the path of Qi, drawing power from the world's natural energies to strengthen their bodies and minds.
But cultivation was not simple. It required discipline, time, and a connection to the Essence—the very force that flowed through the world and bound everything together. Only those with the right tools, techniques, and determination could ascend through the realms of cultivation, rising from weak mortals to the divine powers who shaped the world itself.
Jin Wei's own path had been far from ordinary. Born with an unusual condition—his meridians were weak, his Qi flow stunted—he had always struggled to cultivate like others. Even with the most basic techniques, he was still a far cry from his peers, and his family had given up on him, casting him aside as a failure.
But now, with the Primordial Reforge System awakening within him, Jin Wei had been granted the power to forge a new path. The system promised to rebuild his cultivation from the ground up, refining his body and soul to unimaginable levels. With every challenge he overcame, his strength would grow.
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Jin Wei staggered forward, determination burning in his chest. The journey ahead would not be easy. He would face trials, enemies, and obstacles that sought to break him. But no longer would he be a pawn in the game of the powerful.
His body thrummed with energy, his eyes sharp with focus. Jin Wei was no longer the weak cultivator he had once been. He was reborn, and the Path of the Eternal had just begun.
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