Sun Mo sat cross-legged in the quietest corner of the Thousand Peaks Cultivation Academy.
He had made it a habit to rise before dawn—not out of diligence, but because the silence at this hour reminded him that he was still here. Still behind.
While others walked paths paved with Spirit Qi and Dao techniques, Sun Mo sat alone on the margins.
The stonebeneath him was cold. The academy's famed Thousand Peaks loomed in the distance, veiled in morning mist, like a solemn judgment.
He had failed again.
Another session with Elder Xuyuan. Another attempt to form his first Dao foundation. Another rejection. Not from the teacher—but from the Dao itself.
"Your meridians reject the flow," Xuyuan had said, his voice gentle but distant. "It is as if the Dao itself cannot find you."
He was a curiosity to the instructors. An enigma to his classmates. A disappointment to himself.
Sun Mo was actually curious about what kind of benefits he would get for cultivating the Source.
In general, cultivation—especially through the Dao, grants a person the ability to surpass the limits of ordinary life by aligning themselves with the deeper laws of reality.
At its core, cultivation enhances the body, mind, and spirit, leading to increased strength, heightened perception, spiritual energy, and even longevity.
As a cultivator advances, they refine their internal qi and unlock spiritual realms within their body such as the Qi Sea, Meridians, and Spiritual Apertures.
These inner transformations allow them to practice powerful techniques, engage in combat arts, resist disease, and extend their lifespan far beyond mortal limits.
More advanced stages bring about profound changes: the formation of a Golden Core grants spiritual stability and strength; the emergence of a Nascent Soul introduces spiritual consciousness, astral projection, and mental defense; later levels might even allow one to fly, defy gravity, manipulate elements, or reshape small portions of reality.
Equally important is the development of the Dao Heart—a cultivator's inner truth and philosophy—which anchors their progress and protects them from inner demons or deviation.
Cultivators gain more than just power: they gain clarity, endurance, inner willpower, and a place in the social hierarchy of their world.
Many sects, especially places like the Thousand Peaks Academy, higher cultivation status brings respect, resources, and influence, allowing a cultivator to rise from obscurity to authority.
In the Thousand Peaks Cultivation Academy, Sun Mo sat in one of the classrooms.
A whole room filled with students that numbered to 30 were preparing for their Array Formation class.
Over the course of 5 years, Sun Mo had made almost no progress in his cultivation realm.
The only progress he made were during classes where they talked about comprehension on