"Sigh!"
A disappointed sigh echoed as an ordinary-looking young man stood there, his face blank with emotion. Another failure. This was already his 49th failed breakthrough attempt in the past three months. Even with Lin Xuan's strong will, he was now surrounded by frustration and despair.
A bitter smile crept onto the corner of his lips as he shook his head and looked down at his hands. Was his aptitude really that poor?
Lin Xuan clenched his fists tightly, his fingernails digging deep into his flesh, but he seemed to feel no pain.
He was 17 years old and had been a disciple of Piao Yun Valley for three years.
Piao Yun Valley was a small sect in the cultivation world, with nearly a thousand disciples. Lin Xuan was just one of its low-ranked members.
In three years, the fellow disciples who joined at the same time as him had already advanced to the mid-stage of the Spirit Movement Realm. A few with outstanding talent had even reached the late fifth level. But Lin Xuan… he was still stuck at the first level, unable to break through.
His progress was so slow—not because he lacked effort. Quite the opposite, his dedication was unmatched among the lower disciples. When others practiced a technique once, he practiced it three times. When others meditated for an hour, he meditated for three. Yet despite his relentless hard work, his progress was pitifully small. He had long been left behind, filling his heart with a deep sense of defeat.
The Path of Cultivation
The journey to immortality was divided into eight major realms:
Spirit Movement (Lingdong)
Foundation Establishment (Zhuji)
Core Formation (Ningdan)
Nascent Soul (Yuanying)
Soul Fusion (Lihe)
Profound Void (Dongxuan)
Divine Separation (Fenshen)
Tribulation Crossing (Dujie)
Each realm had seven levels:
Levels 1-2: Early Stage
Levels 3-4: Mid Stage
Levels 5-6: Late Stage
Level 7: Great Perfection—once breaking through, one could advance to the next realm.
Though the path to immortality was difficult, it followed a natural progression. For example, the techniques of the first two levels of Spirit Movement Realm were merely introductory. Those with good talent could master them in two months, while those with weaker talent could take three to five months.
That is… if they had spiritual roots.
Spiritual Roots – The Decisive Factor in Cultivation
In the cultivation world, spiritual roots were an essential, yet mysterious attribute. Even after tens of thousands of years, no one could define exactly what they were. However, one thing was clear: Those who possessed spiritual roots could cultivate at an exponentially faster rate than those without.
In theory, an ordinary mortal could cultivate. But compared to someone with spiritual roots, they would have to put in ten times the effort just to achieve less than half the results.
In short, it was an exhausting struggle with little reward.
And unfortunately, Lin Xuan was one of those ordinary people—born without spiritual roots.
A Fortunate Twist of Fate
Normally, someone like him—without spiritual roots—would never even have the chance to step onto the path of cultivation. No sect would accept such a hopeless case.
But Lin Xuan's situation was unique. Three years ago, by sheer luck, he had saved a heavily injured elder from Piao Yun Valley. Grateful, the elder introduced him to the sect, allowing him to become a disciple despite his lack of talent.
For three years, Lin Xuan had trained tirelessly. In the harshest winter, in the scorching summer, he never slacked off.His sweat and dedication far exceeded his peers.
Yet despite all his effort, he was still far, far behind.
Talent Over Effort?
In the pursuit of immortality, talent mattered more than hard work. No amount of effort could fully make up for a lack of aptitude.
Take his recent breakthrough attempts, for example. Lin Xuan could feel that his strength had reached the peak of the first level of Spirit Movement Realm. He was only a step away from reaching the second level.
But that tiny gap felt like an unbridgeable chasm.
No matter how hard he tried, he simply couldn't cross it.
After a long while, Lin Xuan finally loosened his clenched fists and exhaled deeply. Then, he—