The Great Cataclysm hit without warning. One moment, the world was as we knew it: cities bustling, screens glowing, the mundane rhythm of human existence. The next, a blinding flash ripped across the sky, followed by a deafening roar that shook the very foundations of the earth. When the dust settled and the panicked screams subsided, they were there. Monsters. Grotesque, horrifying, born from the void, they swarmed our planet, bringing with them an existential dread humanity had never known.
But from the ashes of despair, a miracle emerged. A select few, touched by the lingering energies of the Cataclysm, discovered a hidden power within themselves: spiritual energy. They learned to cultivate it, to hone their bodies and minds, transforming into warriors capable of standing against the monstrous tide. This was the dawn of the Cultivation Era, a brutal new world where raw strength became the ultimate currency.
Eric knew the taste of dirt better than most. It was an acrid, metallic tang that clung to his tongue, a constant reminder of his place in this harsh new reality. He lay sprawled in the training yard, the jeers of his peers ringing in his ears, his body aching from yet another losing duel. His chest burned, not just from exertion, but from the humiliation.
"Look at him! Still stuck at Qi Condensation Stage 1!" a voice boomed, followed by a chorus of laughter.
Eric squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out the world. His spiritual energy, a faint flicker compared to the raging infernos of others, was a constant source of ridicule. While some of his age were already breaking through to Foundation Establishment—a realm where spiritual energy solidified and allowed for the wielding of basic techniques—Eric remained stubbornly tethered to the lowest rung. It wasn't for lack of effort. He trained relentlessly, pushing his meager reserves to their limit, but his Dantian, the spiritual energy core within, seemed perpetually empty.
To make matters worse, his family was poor. Dirt poor. Every spiritual stone, every minor Qi replenishing pill, was a luxury they couldn't afford. While the scions of wealthy clans practiced with rare herbs and secret techniques, Eric relied on scraps of knowledge gleaned from worn-out scrolls and the occasional free training session offered by the local Cultivation Hall—sessions usually packed with dozens of others just like him, vying for a moment of an elder's attention.
"Get up, worm!" The voice belonged to Roric, a burly youth whose spiritual energy pulsed visibly around him, a testament to his family's vast resources. Roric was already nearing Qi Condensation Stage 7, a formidable feat for someone their age. He kicked Eric's side, not hard enough to injure, but enough to convey his contempt. "You're a disgrace to the cultivators of Ironclad Village. Why don't you just give up and go dig ditches?"
Eric slowly pushed himself up, his muscles screaming in protest. He met Roric's sneer with a defiant glare. "I won't give up," he rasped, his voice raw. "Not as long as there are monsters outside the walls."
Roric scoffed. "You? Fight monsters? You'd be lucky to even scratch a Qi Beast!" He turned to his cronies. "Let's go. We've wasted enough time on this trash."
As Roric and his entourage sauntered away, their laughter echoing in the courtyard, Eric slumped back down. The setting sun cast long shadows, painting the dusty ground in hues of orange and purple. His small, weathered pouch, usually holding a handful of dried rations, felt heavy with its emptiness. He needed a breakthrough. Desperately. But how?
His thoughts drifted to the Spirit Hunting Grounds, a perilous zone just beyond the village walls where lower-tier Qi Beasts roamed. Cultivators often ventured there to gain combat experience and, if lucky, gather rare herbs or monster cores to sell. It was dangerous, but for someone like Eric, it was one of the few avenues for advancement. He'd only been a handful of times, always sticking to the safest edges, and had little to show for it.
He needed something more. Something drastic.
That night, a gnawing desperation settled in Eric's gut. He couldn't continue like this. Every day was a struggle, a reminder of his inadequacy. His family, though they never said it, looked at him with a mixture of pity and quiet hope, a burden he felt keenly. He had to take a risk.
The next morning, before the sun had fully risen, Eric slipped out of his small, rundown hut. He carried his only possession of value: a sturdy, if plain, Ironwood staff. His spiritual energy was as sluggish as ever, a mere trickle. He bypassed the main gate of Ironclad Village, heading instead for a less-used path, a narrow trail that led directly into the Spirit Hunting Grounds.
The air grew cooler, denser, the scent of damp earth and unseen vegetation filling his nostrils. The sounds of the village faded, replaced by the rustle of leaves and the distant, unsettling calls of unknown creatures. This part of the Hunting Grounds was known for its Horned Rabbits and Spiked Boars, relatively weak Qi Beasts, but still dangerous for an uncultivated individual. Eric usually stuck to areas where he might encounter a stray Forest Strider, a creature that resembled a large spider but was slow and predictable.
He moved cautiously, his senses heightened, his staff held ready. After an hour of uneventful trekking, he spotted a faint glow in the distance. His heart pounded. It wasn't the usual faint aura of a Qi Beast. This glow was vibrant, almost ethereal. Curiosity, a dangerous trait in this new world, pulled him forward.
As he drew closer, the glow intensified, revealing a small clearing. In its center, nestled amongst ancient roots, was a pulsating Spiritual Herb. It shimmered with an inner light, radiating an energy that made Eric's Dantian thrum with a strange, unfamiliar sensation. This wasn't just any herb. This was a Luminescent Azure Lotus, a rare spiritual treasure capable of significantly boosting spiritual energy and aiding breakthroughs. He'd only ever seen illustrations of such a thing in forbidden cultivation texts.
He scanned the clearing, his eyes darting through the undergrowth. A treasure like this wouldn't be unguarded. His instincts screamed at him to flee, but the desperate yearning for power, the desire to escape his pitiful existence, rooted him to the spot.
Suddenly, a low growl rumbled from behind a cluster of moss-covered rocks. A Forest Troll emerged, its skin like rough bark, its eyes glowing with malice. It was a formidable Qi Beast, far stronger than anything Eric had ever faced. Its spiritual energy pulsed with an oppressive aura, easily reaching Qi Condensation Stage 5.
Fear, cold and paralyzing, gripped Eric. He cursed his luck, his foolishness. He should have known. The troll let out another guttural growl, its gaze fixed on the Luminescent Azure Lotus, then on Eric. It was clearly the guardian.
"Stay away!" Eric croaked, raising his staff defensively. His palms were slick with sweat.
The troll ignored him, taking a step towards the lotus. Eric knew he had only one chance. He had to create a distraction. Gritting his teeth, he channeled every ounce of his meager spiritual energy into his staff, attempting a rudimentary Qi Burst technique—a technique he'd only ever practiced on static targets. A faint, almost imperceptible ripple of energy shimmered around the staff.
He lunged, aiming for the troll's leg. The troll, annoyed by the trivial attack, merely swatted him away with a massive hand. Eric flew backward, slamming into a thick tree trunk. A searing pain shot through his back, and he gasped, his vision blurring. His staff clattered uselessly beside him.
The troll let out a triumphant roar, its attention returning to the Luminescent Azure Lotus. It reached out a clawed hand, about to pluck the precious herb.
Despair washed over Eric. He was done. His dreams, his struggles, all for naught. He was nothing. Just a weak, insignificant human, fodder for the monsters.
But as the troll's shadow loomed, a faint, almost imperceptible warmth spread through Eric's chest, radiating from his Dantian. It was a sensation he'd never felt before, a flicker of something ancient, vast.
And then, everything changed.
A searing heat erupted within him, an agonizing inferno that consumed his very being. He screamed, a raw, primal sound ripped from his throat. The world spun. The troll, startled by his sudden outburst, hesitated.
Through the haze of pain, Eric saw it. Not with his eyes, but with something deeper, something beyond comprehension. A majestic, serpentine form, scales gleaming like solidified starlight, coiled within his Dantian. It was a Dragon. A creature of myth, of legend, a being of unimaginable power. Its eyes, ancient and wise, met his, and in that instant, a torrent of information, of forgotten knowledge, flooded his mind.
This wasn't a spiritual energy boost. This was a Spirit Awakening. The Dragon Spirit. For millennia, it had lain dormant, waiting for a host, waiting for the right moment. And now, in his moment of near-death, in his absolute desperation, it had chosen him.
The pain intensified, but with it came a strange sense of clarity, of boundless energy. His Dantian, once a barren wasteland, now pulsed with a vibrant, roaring torrent of spiritual energy. He felt it surge through his meridians, purifying, strengthening, transforming every cell in his body. His cultivation level, which had been stagnant for so long, shattered its limitations.
Qi Condensation Stage 1... Stage 2... Stage 3... The numbers flashed through his mind, climbing with astonishing speed. The spiritual energy around him coalesced, forming a visible aura, a vibrant blue that pulsed with immense power.
The Forest Troll, sensing the profound shift in Eric's aura, recoiled, its earlier confidence replaced by primal fear. It let out a terrified shriek and scrambled back, abandoning the Luminescent Azure Lotus, its only thought to escape this terrifying transformation.
Eric rose to his feet, his battered body now radiating an unearthly strength. He felt no pain, only a profound sense of power. His eyes, once dull with fatigue, now glowed with an ethereal light. The Dragon Spirit, though unseen by others, was a living, breathing entity within him, its presence unmistakable.
He extended his hand, and with a mere thought, the Luminescent Azure Lotus floated gently towards him, its glow dimming as its spiritual essence was absorbed into his Dantian. He didn't need it anymore. Not for the breakthrough it offered. The Dragon Spirit had already transcended anything that herb could provide.
He looked at his hands, then at the retreating form of the Forest Troll. A quiet roar, not from his throat, but from within, echoed through his very being. The world had changed for Eric, not just outwardly with the monsters and cultivation, but profoundly within himself. He was no longer the weak, unfortunate boy. He was something more. He was the vessel of a dragon. And this was just the beginning.