The Road to Cultivation

The Road to Cultivation

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The cold wind howled through Windvale Village, rustling the trees as the night stretched on. Jiang Yun sat cross-legged outside his small wooden house, the rough dirt beneath him cool against his legs. His hands rested on his knees, fists clenched. In his palm, the jade lay silent, as if it had never pulsed with the power that had saved his life just hours ago.

He had barely escaped death.

He had received a treasure that countless cultivators would kill for.

And yet, he was still just a mortal.

Jiang Yun took a slow breath, his mind racing. What did Bai Zhen mean when he said this jade would lead him on a path the heavens could not control?

The only way to find out was to try.

The first step of cultivation was simple in theory: draw spiritual energy into the body, refine it, and begin Qi Condensation.

For most, this process came naturally. Those born with spiritual roots could absorb the energy around them without effort. Some geniuses even formed their first wisp of Qi as children.

But Jiang Yun wasn't like them.

He lacked a spiritual root. He had no talent. He had no guidance.

Still… Bai Zhen had given him the Nirvana Jade. And that meant there had to be another way.

Jiang Yun closed his eyes.

He steadied his breathing, focusing inward.

At first, he felt nothing.

The world remained still. The air was silent. He could not sense the flow of energy at all.

Minutes passed.

Then an hour.

Sweat dripped down Jiang Yun's brow as he gritted his teeth.

He would not give up.

He adjusted his posture, trying to mimic the stance of the cultivators he had seen before. He cleared his thoughts.

And yet…

Still nothing.

His hands trembled.

"Is this all I am? A mortal? A weakling?"

Frustration burned in his chest, but he crushed it down.

No.

He refused to accept that.

There had to be another way.

Jiang Yun's fingers tightened around the Nirvana Jade.

The moment his skin made contact, a faint, barely perceptible warmth spread through his palm.

Jiang Yun's eyes snapped open.

A sensation—so faint it was almost imaginary—flowed from the jade and into his fingertips.

Was that… energy?

He stilled his breath, focusing entirely on the jade.

The warmth flickered—like a dying ember struggling to stay alight.

It was weak. Unstable.

But it was there.

Jiang Yun concentrated, not pulling energy into himself, but pushing his mind into the jade.

For a moment, the world shifted.

The howling wind disappeared. The night faded into an eerie silence.

And then—a voice echoed in his mind.

"If you walk this path, you will defy the heavens themselves."

Jiang Yun gasped, snapping back to reality.

The jade was cold again.

He stared down at it, heart pounding.

Did… did it just speak to him?

Was that a memory from Bai Zhen? Or something else?

His mind swirled with questions, but one thing was clear—this jade was far from ordinary.

The night stretched on, and Jiang Yun continued his attempts.

He tried to absorb the energy from the Nirvana Jade. Failed.

He tried to force Qi into his body through sheer willpower. Failed.

He tried mimicking the breathing techniques of cultivators he had seen. Failed.

By dawn, his body ached from exhaustion.

Yet he had not given up.

But he had learned one thing.

Normal cultivation methods did not work for him.

If he wanted to become strong, he would need to find another way.

Jiang Yun sighed, standing up slowly. He had one last thing to do before leaving the village.

He turned toward his home—toward his parents.

Inside the small wooden house, the scent of freshly steamed rice and herbs filled the air.

Jiang Yun sat across from his father and mother, the three of them sharing a quiet meal.

His father, Jiang Han, was silent as always, chewing his food in slow, thoughtful bites. His mother, Su Mei, occasionally glanced at Jiang Yun with concern.

Jiang Yun didn't say anything at first.

He simply memorized the moment.

The warmth of the home. The simple, familiar taste of his mother's cooking. The steady, comforting presence of his father.

Because this might be the last time he experienced it.

Su Mei finally broke the silence. "You're leaving."

It wasn't a question. She had always known this day would come.

Jiang Yun nodded. "Yes."

Jiang Han put down his chopsticks. "Where?"

"Sword Palace," Jiang Yun said. "Or… at least, I will try."

His father's expression didn't change.

His mother, however, immediately reached for his hands. "Yun'er, the cultivation world is cruel. You saw what happened to Lin Xue. If you—"

"I have to try."

His mother flinched at the certainty in his voice.

Jiang Yun took a deep breath. "I know I am weak. I know I have no spiritual root. But staying here… living as a mortal while people like Lin Xue get taken away…"

His fists clenched. "I can't accept that."

Silence filled the room.

His father studied him for a long moment before finally speaking. "Then go."

Su Mei turned to her husband in shock. "Han—"

Jiang Han shook his head. "If he has made up his mind, stopping him will only waste time." He looked at Jiang Yun, his dark eyes unreadable. "But listen well, boy."

Jiang Yun straightened.

"The world does not welcome the weak. But it does not easily accept the strong, either."

His voice was steady, calm, but heavy with meaning.

"If you walk this path, you will make enemies—many of them." His eyes narrowed. "And if you cannot protect those behind you, then power is meaningless."

Jiang Yun held his father's gaze and nodded. "I understand."

Jiang Han watched him for another moment before finally sighing. "Come."

Jiang Yun followed him outside.

His father walked to the chopping block, picked up the old woodcutting axe, and handed it to Jiang Yun.

"Take it," Jiang Han said.

Jiang Yun hesitated. "But—"

"Your hands are still those of a mortal," Jiang Han said firmly. "You need a weapon."

Jiang Yun swallowed and took the axe. It was heavy, its handle worn from years of use.

He had wielded this axe for years to chop wood.

Now… he would wield it to carve his own fate.

His father placed a firm hand on his shoulder. "Do not return until you have become strong."

Jiang Yun nodded, gripping the axe tighter.

His mother stepped forward, pressing a small pouch of herbs into his hands. "For injuries," she whispered.

Jiang Yun felt a lump rise in his throat.

He knelt. "I will return."

Jiang Han nodded. "Then go."

Jiang Yun stood, turning away from the home he had always known.

With nothing but a woodcutter's axe and a silent jade, he stepped toward his future.

Toward cultivation.

Toward his first step in defying fate.

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Did you know?

In many Xianxia stories, the first step of cultivation is the Qi Condensation process, where cultivators draw spiritual energy into their bodies to refine it. However, not everyone can do this easily—especially if they don't possess spiritual roots, like Jiang Yun, the protagonist of Eternal Sword Ascension. Without natural talent or guidance, Jiang Yun's journey to cultivation takes a different route. Instead of relying on traditional methods, he must discover a hidden power within a mysterious jade that promises to defy the very heavens themselves. Sometimes, in Xianxia, the true path to power isn't the one most expect—it can come from the most unexpected sources!