Chapter 1: The Forgotten Path

In the vast world of Tiānyuán, a land shaped by legends and boundless ambition, the pursuit of power is more than a way of life—it is the law. Divided into three great continents, the people of Tiānyuán, from the noble families to wandering cultivators, live by a single creed: only the strongest survive. Across the lands of Shòulíng Dàlù (Beast Continent), Gǔyí Dàlù (Ruin Continent), and Hēi'àn Dàlù (Darkness Continent), generations of warriors, alchemists, and ancient bloodlines have relentlessly pursued the dream of reaching the peak of cultivation, a legendary status known as Bó Shén—Combat God. But no one alive has touched it; Bó Shén has become a myth, a glimmer on the horizon of time, reminding everyone of their limits.

For ten million years, this status has been only legend, a star fading in a dark sky. The last cultivator to transcend the known world was Shén Du, the fabled god whose power defied death itself. After ascending, Shén Du vanished from the realms of mortals, leaving behind only his name and whispers of his exploits. Yet his legacy remains, a beacon of unreachable strength that haunts the ambitions of those who would dare to chase it. Families rise and fall; sects dominate only to be crushed. In the shadow of Shén Du's memory, all strive to be remembered, all aspire to transcend.

The Levels of Cultivation

The arduous path to godhood is marked by 15 known levels, each a monumental step closer to legend. With each rise, a cultivator must defy fate itself, surpassing boundaries of body, spirit, and even soul. These levels of Bó, the path of Combat, each come with immense challenges and a reward of untold power, though few can advance beyond even the mid-ranks.

搏启 (Bó Qǐ) – Combat Awakening

搏聚 (Bó Jù) – Combat Gathering

搏体 (Bó Tǐ) – Combat Body

搏凝 (Bó Níng) – Combat Condensation

搏圆 (Bó Yuán) – Combat Perfection

搏护 (Bó Hù) – Combat Protection

搏势 (Bó Shì) – Combat Aura

搏逃 (Bó Táo) – Combat Flee

搏祖 (Bó Zǔ) – Combat Ancestor

搏控 (Bó Kòng) – Combat Control

搏元 (Bó Yuán) – Combat Elemental

搏峰 (Bó Fēng) – Combat Peak

搏创 (Bó Chuàng) – Combat Creation

搏凡 (Bó Fán) – Combat Transcendence

搏神 (Bó Shén) – Combat God

Each level offers unimaginable strength but requires ever-greater sacrifices. Those who seek these heights must cast aside fear and embrace the hunger to ascend, for only one in millions might step beyond the 14th level, and even fewer dare to chase the title of Bó Shén.

The Seven Elements

Yet strength alone is not enough. In Tiānyuán, every cultivator is bound by an elemental affinity, shaping their powers and destiny. While some master Fire, Water, or Earth, the rarest walk paths of unimaginable rarity, wielding Thunder or even the elusive force of Space.

Space (空间) – Kōngjiān

Those with the Space element control dimensions and warp reality, shaping the fabric of existence itself—a force possessed by only a few in history.

Thunder (雷) – Léi

Thunder cultivators bring storms of raw power, speed, and destruction, unmatched in their explosive might.

Fire (火) – Huǒ

Fire cultivators wield flames of destruction and transformation, capable of incinerating foes and turning landscapes to ash.

Water (水) – Shuǐ

Water cultivators heal, adapt, and flow around obstacles, channeling the currents of life and death with equal skill.

Earth (土) – Tǔ

Earth cultivators create unbreakable barriers and harness the stability of mountains, embodying resilience.

Wind (风) – Fēng

Wind cultivators excel in speed and evasion, striking like a whisper before vanishing.

Wood (木) – Mù

Wood cultivators connect deeply with life itself, drawing on the energy of nature to heal and regenerate.

Though most cultivators align with Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, or Wood, those with Thunder or Space are hailed as miracles—beings of unparalleled potential.

The Art of Alchemy

Beyond brute force lies another revered path: alchemy, the art of creation and transformation. Alchemists shape herbs, mystical ingredients, and the forces of the universe itself to create elixirs, artifacts, and medicines of extraordinary power. An alchemist's journey mirrors the cultivator's, advancing through ten levels, each promising mastery and influence.

识药 (Shí Yào) – Herb Knowledge

炼材 (Liàn Cái) – Ingredient Refining

初丹 (Chū Dān) – Basic Pill

中丹 (Zhōng Dān) – Intermediate Pill

融合 (Róng Hé) – Elemental Fusion

奇材 (Qí Cái) – Rare Material

炼器 (Liàn Qì) – Artifact Forging

魂融 (Hún Róng) – Soul Infusion

天丹 (Tiān Dān) – Heavenly Pill

丹帝 (Dān Dì) – Alchemy Emperor

An Alchemy Emperor can shape reality itself, creating potions to enhance life or bring ruin. Alchemists of the highest rank command respect, their pills and elixirs coveted by all who seek to advance in cultivation.

The Celestial Nexus

At the heart of Tiānyuán lies the Celestial Nexus—a place spoken of only in whispers, where the boundaries of the three great continents bleed into one another, and the energy of worlds collides in turbulent harmony. Known as the cradle of Shén Du's legendary power, it is here that the first cultivators dared to dream of godhood, channeling the untamed force of the Nexus to reach beyond mortal limits. Even now, it pulses with an ancient power that draws the mightiest ancestors, the most dangerous cultivators, and guardians of secrets older than memory itself. The Nexus offers a lure as irresistible as it is deadly—a promise of ultimate power, or utter ruin.

Yet, in Tiānyuán—a world ruled by rivalries as old as the Nexus itself—the path to godhood has become a near-impossible dream. Wars erupt and fade, alliances form only to shatter, and powerful sects cling to influence as shadows of the past stir from their long slumber. The specter of Shén Du, the god who transcended it all, looms large, a taunting memory of a power no one has touched in ten million years. His legacy is like a distant sun, its light still reaching Tiānyuán, yet out of reach for all who chase it. And while few dare hope to attain such heights, there are those who feel the air crackle with the promise of change.

For in the shadows, beyond mortal sight, an ancient force awakens, nudging the world toward a new fate. And soon, a child—one among millions—will tread the path that so many fear. This child will challenge the fate of Tiānyuán itself, setting off a chain of events that will shake the very bones of creation, testing the world's resolve and calling forth powers long forgotten.

The world of Tiānyuán stands on the edge of rebirth, and for the brave and the daring, the road to Bó Shén—the god realm—may not be as closed as it once seemed. An era of gods lies waiting beyond the veil, and the journey to shatter destiny itself begins here.