Cultivation World

Jo Yuan stepped out of the dark halls, blinking in the bright sunlight. The cold stone altar and deadly traps were behind him. Now, he found himself standing in the middle of a bustling town. People passed by, their clothes old-fashioned, their conversations lively but strange.

He walked through the streets, listening closely. They were talking about martial arts, spiritual power, sects, and cultivation—a world Jo Yuan had only read about in novels back on Earth.

"This… this is a cultivation world," Jo Yuan whispered to himself, realization sinking in.

Curiosity filled him. He approached one of the locals, a shopkeeper, and asked about learning martial arts. The shopkeeper pointed him toward a small training area at the edge of town. There, men and women were practicing different fighting techniques. Jo Yuan watched them, fascinated, but also confused. If this was a world of cultivation, where were all the flashy abilities he read about?

As he talked to more people, he learned that most martial arts here were basic. Only those accepted into powerful sects could truly cultivate and gain access to mystical powers.

...

As Jo Yuan wandered the town, memories of the cultivation novels he read on Earth flooded back. The stories always talked about spiritual roots, dantians, and reaching immortality through cultivation. He had read about sects, where masters taught students to unlock their inner power, control elements, and even achieve god-like strength.

Could it be the same here? he wondered. Maybe I can cultivate too.

The more he thought about it, the more excited he became. If he could learn to cultivate, he would become stronger. Maybe then, he could figure out why he kept regressing and stop it from happening.

...

Jo Yuan sought out someone who could teach him more about cultivation. After some searching, he was directed to a man called Elder Liu, an old martial artist known for his deep knowledge of the cultivation world.

Elder Liu sat under a large tree, watching the trainees practice. Jo Yuan approached him respectfully, bowing slightly as he had seen others do.

"Elder, I wish to learn cultivation. Can you help me?" Jo Yuan asked.

The elder eyed him carefully, stroking his long beard. "You want to cultivate, do you? Very well. But first, you must be accepted by a sect. And to be accepted, you need spiritual roots."

Jo Yuan's heart raced. "Spiritual roots?"

"Yes. They are found in your dantian," the elder explained. "Without spiritual roots, one cannot cultivate at all. Only those born with them can unlock the mysteries of true power."

Jo Yuan felt a rush of excitement. If I have spiritual roots, I can become like the heroes in those stories!

But his excitement was short-lived.

...

Elder Liu examined Jo Yuan's dantian, his hand glowing faintly as he used a strange technique. After a moment, the elder's face darkened.

"You have no spiritual roots," Elder Liu said flatly.

Jo Yuan blinked in shock. "What? That can't be right…"

The elder's expression turned cold. "You're trash, boy. Useless in a cultivation world. You'll never amount to anything."

Jo Yuan felt his heart sink. But before he could process the elder's harsh words, something even worse happened. Elder Liu suddenly struck Jo Yuan in the chest with a powerful blow, sending him crashing to the ground.

Jo Yuan gasped in pain, blood spilling from his mouth as he looked up at the elder in disbelief. "Why…?"

The elder sneered down at him. "Because you're just like me. No spiritual roots, no future. The difference is, I've learned to survive by mastering martial arts, but that's all I'll ever be—a lowly martial artist. I can't let someone like you, who reminds me of my own weakness, live."

Jo Yuan coughed, feeling his life slip away. The elder leaned closer and whispered, "You have no chance to cultivate life, just like me. You'll die trash, and no one will care."

Jo Yuan's vision blurred as darkness overtook him, and then—nothing.

...

Jo Yuan woke up with a gasp, his heart pounding. But this time, he wasn't on the cold altar. He was in the middle of the town again, just where he had been before meeting Elder Liu.

He stood up quickly, looking around in confusion. "I'm… back?" he muttered. He wasn't sure how to feel. He had died again, but the regression didn't take him back to the altar this time. It had brought him to the town instead.

His mind raced. My starting point changed… Jo Yuan realized. He was no longer bound to that cursed altar. His ability to regress was more flexible than he had imagined.

"Amazing," Jo Yuan whispered, a small smile forming on his lips despite the cruel death he had just suffered. His power was more than just a curse—it was an opportunity.

Now, with each loop, he would start here, in the town, with the knowledge he had gained.