Chapter 2: Cultivation & Breakthroughs
-Yuanshi Tianzun-
Genesis Qi surged through his body like a rising tide.
Yuanshi Tianzun sat cross-legged, his expression calm, but within, his eighth Great Channel trembled violently under the impact. Streams of purified Genesis Qi crashed against the final blockage like waves against a crumbling dam.
Ten breaths later, a faint sound echoed within his body.
Crack!
The obstruction in his eighth channel finally gave way, and a rush of warm energy flooded through the newly opened path. In that instant, all eight Great Channels connected, forming a complete loop.
Feat Achieved: Eighth Channel Opened
50 CP Gained
Feat Achieved: All Channels Opened!
100 CP Gained
Tianzun exhaled slowly, a faint mist of Genesis Qi drifting from his mouth. His eyes opened, seeming brighter and deeper than a month ago, when he was still a mortal.
"One month…" The Transmigrator hummed thoughtfully, "Not even that little prince opened his channels this fast, if I remember correctly."
As for which prince he was talking about—
"Zhou Yuan."
It wasn't hard to remember. Not when Klein Moretti's true name had been Zhou Mingrui. "Zhou" stuck easily, and "Yuan" had meanings like origin, source, and, fittingly, genesis… as in Genesis Qi. Once that clicked, it hadn't taken much effort to make the connection.
He'd speculated early on that he'd landed in a fictional world, and the Basic Cultivation Manual had confirmed it. The manual had laid out the framework of the Eight Great Channels, Genesis Qi, the Qi Dwelling, and other foundational concepts. Enough for him to be certain: this was Yuan Zun—also known as Dragon Prince Yuan.
He hadn't read it in years, but the shape of it came back. One of the good ones.
Mostly because it wasn't filled to the brim with "This young master is courting death!" or endless cycles of random noble idiots harassing jade beauties.
He figured that was because it wasn't a harem.
"Or at least, not the usual brain-rotting kind," He muttered his thoughts drifting. "From what I can remember, the Saint race should be the overarching villains of the novel, even having their own God…"
Tianzun's words trailed, a chilling thought seizing him as he recalled the Burden of Original Sin.
Primordial God Almighty…What if he transmigrated as the Saint God…?
Once again, Tianzun felt that Eternal Peace Pavilion would be a fruitful idea. "Luocha really has the right idea," He nudged the golden-rimmed monocle on his face with practiced ease. "Carrying a coffin around is quite practical."
He stretched, vertebrae cracking with faint pops as Genesis Qi passively flowed smoothly through his newly completed circuit of meridians.
From his storage ring, Tianzun took out a white pill with faint golden lines.
Channel Stabilizing Pill.
Without much ceremony, he popped the pill into his mouth, and the pill melted the moment it touched his tongue, dissolving into an icy-cool stream of energy.
Its use was self-explanatory. This pill ensured that any newly opened meridian would stabilize, preventing collapse under the strain of violent Qi surges or internal backlash.
After another ten breaths passed in silence, the Alchemist produced a second pill from his ring.
Qi Gathering Pill.
This one, too, required no explanation, it accelerated the body's absorption of ambient Qi, which when combined with Breathe Like Jade, made for a good replacement for a Qi Drawing Method.
"Qi Nourishing stage…I should break through before I leave." Tianzun mused, willing for the game-like interface to appear, his eyes instantly zoning in on his Choice Points.
600 CP
A nice haul.
The 400 CP had come easy: 50 for every meridian opened, and with all eight Great Channels unblocked, that was a neat haul. Another 100 CP dropped the moment the full circuit completed — Feat: All Channels Opened. And the remaining 100? That had come from the Feat: Cultivation Journey Begins, granted right after he shattered the first blockage and officially embarked on this world's path to power.
From zero to six hundred in just a month.
"What a generous system," He murmured with a faint smile. "Is what I would like to say, but…" Tianzun glanced at the new perk that appeared in the Cultivator tree.
Heaven-Blessed Potential (300 CP): You are what legends speak of—a cultivator born under the most auspicious heavens, one whose very soul hums with the rhythm of destiny. When you reach pivotal advancement stages, your innate talent always guarantees the highest possible grade or tier
within the limits of the world, perhaps even exceeding it.
The Transmigrator didn't hesitate.
-300 CP
Half his points were gone in an instant.
"A small price to pay for compound interest." Tianzun chuckled, justifying his expense to himself.
In cultivation worlds, ninety percent of the time, innate talent played a key role for future success. As for the other ten per cent, apparently, as long as you have an unshakable Dao Heart, even having shit talent will allow you to one day reach the apex.
And Tianzun had such an Unshakeable Dao Heart, one he got for free.
But—
"Why only work hard when you can also work smarter?" He mused aloud.
As for what made him invest in that particular perk?
Qi Nourishingstage.
The second realm in this world's cultivation system. From the Basic Cultivation Manual, he'd learned the significance of the Qi Nourishing Stage.
That was the true beginning of a Genesis Master. Where one's Qi Dwelling, the inner palace that stored and cycled Genesis Qi, would be formed. From there, real cultivation began in earnest.
However, not all Qi Dwellings were created equal.
The majority of the population opened Colorless Dwellings — unstable, inefficient, and shallow. Better talent might land you Azure, the best an ordinary person could hope for. But geniuses — the kind sects fought over — would open Purple Dwellings, rare and powerful.
And at the very top?
Golden Qi Dwelling.
The difference between a Colorless and Golden Dwelling wasn't just that one looked prettier than the other. According to the Basic Cultivation Manual, a higher tier Qi Dwelling was tougher and could store more Genesis Qi.
Starting with a higher tier Qi Dwelling would undoubtedly be advantageous. In fights with those of the same cultivation level, not only would one's Genesis Qi be stronger, but it would also allow one to last longer in battle.
And with Heaven-Blessed Potential, Tianzun was guaranteed to have the best Qi Dwelling.
Moreover, he had the creeping suspicion that if Qi Nourishing had grades, then so too would the other stages beyond it.
"Indeed, a worthy investment." He reaffirmed, closing his eyes as he consumed the Qi Gathering Pill.
It was time to breakthrough.
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The Qi Gathering Pill melted on his tongue, its cool medicinal essence spreading like mist through his meridians. Genesis Qi surged once again, and the absorption rate of Breath Like Jade increased once more.
His breathing slowed.
Inhale.
Hold.
Exhale.
The eight Great Channels pulsed in perfect harmony, forming an unbroken cycle through his body.
Tianzun's awareness sunk inwards, as he recalled what he read in the Basic Cultivation Manual.
"Only after opening the Qi Dwelling would one be considered to have truly stepped into the Qi Nourishing stage."
"Come." As if in response to his whisper, thick, white streams of Genesis Qi condensed around his body, so dense they resembled threads. His body inhaled them greedily in a single, sweeping draw.
Within, the influx of Qi spiraled downward, gathering at his lower abdomen.
A vortex formed.
It spun slowly at first. Then faster. And faster. Faster.
At the heart of that whirling Genesis Qi, a single point appeared.
A dot.
Infinitely small, and yet…
Infinitely vast.
It pulsed, flickering in and out of perception like a mirage between realms. It was present, and not. Real, and not.
And then, it anchored.
The swirling Qi slammed into the Dot, and in that instant, the formless space began to unfold.
The Qi Dwelling.
Tianzun's Spirit surged into the space instinctively, entering the newly forming domain.
There, within the strange realm, he saw it.
Genesis Qi spiraled in an endless cycle through an expanding interior, a hollow sphere growing by the second. And slowly, like pigment bleeding into clear water, color began to appear.
First, a faint whiteness, colorless and undefined.
Then Azure, reminiscent of a clear sky.
The Azure deepened, swirling faster—
Until a spark of violet bloomed.
Purple.
The color grew bold, overtaking the Azure.
The hallmark of a genius.
But—
"Continue." As if hearing his command, the Purple light quivered, glowed, before shimmering and collapsing inward.
A Golden hue flickered, then surged out like dawn breaking over a mountain range. The entire domain became a sun, casting rays of power in all directions. The Genesis Qi inside now gleamed like molten light.
Feat Achieved: Enter Qi Nourishing Stage
100 CP Gained
Feat Achieved: Awakened Golden Qi Dwelling
100 CP Gained
Tianzun beheld the splendour of his Qi Dwelling for a moment, before his spirit left the space.
In reality, he opened his eyes, exhaling slowly. He opened and closed his fist, and Genesis Qi obeyed immediately, flowing into his limbs. It was no longer fleeting as it was in the Channel Opening stage.
Now, it was stored.
500 CP
"An acceptable return on investment." A satisfied smile tugged at Tianzun's lips. "For now though…" His eyes wandered along the perks of three archetypes, looking at anything that could help him. "Hmm…that'll be useful, let's take it."
Download Knowledge (300 CP): Given time with books or scrolls, you can absorb information at ridiculous speed. A week of study gives you expert-level understanding in most fields.
"200 left…" The Transmigrator didn't stop there, selecting a perk from the Alchemist tree.
Poisonous Perfection (100 CP): You're as skilled with poisons as with pills. You can craft undetectable spiritual toxins, pills with delayed backlashes, or poisons that awaken hidden potential—for a price.
"With herbs like Serpent-Tongue Grass, Joyroot Bark, and Bittercoil Root, I would be foolish to miss out on a perk that could level the playing field against enemies several realms higher."
Tianzun gave one last glance at the perk tree, before pulling up his general information.
_____________________________________________
[General Information]
Name: Yuanshi Tianzun
Origin: Transmigrator (Perks Available)
Primary Profession: Cultivator (Perks Available)
Secondary Profession: Alchemist (Perks Available)
Cultivation: Qi Nourishing (Initial)
Divine Soul: Illusory Realm (Elementary)
CP: 100
_____________________________________________
"Divine Soul…" According to the Basic Cultivation Manual, Soul Cultivation is divided into four realms: Illusory, Corporeal, Materialization, and God Roaming realms.
To strengthen one's Divine Soul, a Genesis Master could continue raising their Qi cultivation, and the soul will follow suit. This method is rather slow and there is an upper limit to how strong the soul will grow.
The second method is to practice a Soul/Spirit Tempering Art. Such techniques are incredibly rare, often guarded by elite clans and ancient sects. Most cultivators never even glimpse such arts, let alone qualify to train in them.
The third method… was both the most coveted and the most dangerous. It involved the use of Genesis resources — herbs like Thousand-Year Illusory Dew, or the rare Nine-Petal Spirit Orchid — that could nourish and empower the Divine Soul directly. But such treasures were sacred and costly, often buried deep within secret realms or guarded by ancient beasts and old monsters.
"Those herbs have a higher chance of being in the Inner and Core Zones," His gold eyes flitted to the faint, shimmering barrier in the far distance.
And wasn't that a surprise.
He couldn't instantly access everything in the Inheritance Grotto.
"It seems Aha enjoys the grinding as much as he does an overpowered character." Tianzun muttered with a chuckle, his monocle glinting as he recalled the lore about the worm that was given boundless intelligence and power for the fun of it.
Shaking his head, the Alchemist rose to his feet.
Not being able to access the Inner and Core Regions, while disappointing, was not the end of the world.
The Outer Region had plenty of resources that he could make use of. And with Life-Spirit Flame, Tianzun could experiment with the low grade herbs without worry.
"Hmm~ Before I leave, I should prepare a few batches of pills…" With a hand on his chin, he started muttering, "Qi Gathering, Minor Recovery, Qi Returning, Flesh Regeneration…I should also include a couple poison pills just in case.
Black Death Pill, Heart-Piercing Poison, Yin Devouring Poison for women, Widowmaker & Yang Devouring Pill for men…"
Tianzun's words trailed, his eyes lighting up in realization.
"Lifestyle Pills."
The words left Tianzun's lips with a soft chuckle, yet the spark in his golden eyes burned bright with inspiration.
They weren't mentioned in the Beginner's Pill Compendium. Naturally, they wouldn't be. That compendium was written for cultivation—pure and simple. The basics: detoxification, recovery, Qi restoration, spiritual clarity, body tempering, all the essentials for surviving and ascending as a cultivator.
This was something only he, as an Earthling, who had experienced modern amnesties would consider, in a world where everything was about power.
Naturally, Cultivators or Alchemists who were native to this world would ignore such needs. Pills are for war, recovery, or breakthroughs.
But what about the mortals?
Merchants. Nobles. Royalty.
Tianzun could already picture it.
Overweight aristocrats in silk robes obsessing over their aging complexions, rich merchant daughters distressed over dry hair or dull nails, minor royalty suffering from body odor despite spiritual baths and Qi cleansing.
Not everyone has the fortune to be born with a Phoenix Bloodline or Ice related physique that increases their beauty. He mused with a chuckle.
"Pills for clearer skin, better sleep, anti-aging effects… detoxification, but for alcohol and hangovers instead of poisons… libido boosters, of course. That'll definitely sell."
There were dozens of herbs in the Outer Region that he'd already noted in passing that could be used for the ideas snowballing in his mind.
Tianzun had Earth's consumer culture in his blood. He knew there was always a market for vanity and comfort.
"Hm? A Sun-Drop Petal?" The Transmigrator crouched beside the warm golden-tipped flower, plucking it with practiced care.
Rising, he glanced at his surroundings, sighing in admiration at the sheer beauty of nature.
"I'll need to build a house for myself…" He idly thought, "But for now, let's get the pills ready and finally start exploring this world." A smile of anticipation spread across his lips, and Tianzun walked further into the Outer Region.
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A/N: At last, Tianzun will be going to make contact with other people after his various preparations…and be prepared for the surprise that he'll experience after learning where he is (And I don't mean the world).