The planet's core was a world of its own—burning rivers of spiritual lava, crystalline formations pulsing with raw energy, and swirling storms of chaotic force that could annihilate lesser beings on contact.
Markandeya floated in the heart of this chaos, a soul without flesh, yet more stable now than when he had first awakened.
He had no eyes, but he could feel. He had no ears, but the world's vibrations spoke to him.
His form was a flickering silhouette of glowing light—an outline of a young man surrounded by radiant runes and cycling auras.
He wasn't afraid. He couldn't afford to be.
His instincts kept him calm. His curiosity pushed him forward. And his survivalist nature forced him to think cautiously.
He needed to figure things out—properly this time.
> [Daily Survival Bonus: +0.1% Cultivation Potential Across All Paths]
The same message appeared again, hovering in front of him in translucent light. That made it the second time since he became conscious. The "daily survival" reward. A tiny increase, sure, but it confirmed something important:
Time is passing.
It was hard to track in this place—no sun, no moon, only eternal fire and flow. But the system's reward gave him an anchor.
Each passing day gave him a slight push forward.
Markandeya turned his focus inward. He could now sense his soul more clearly. It wasn't a simple wisp or orb—it was dense, layered, filled with different types of energy fused together in delicate balance.
Qi. Spirit. Elemental Force. Karma Threads. Chakra Nodes. Even faint traces of Divine Faith Energy.
Everything… was there.
Not in overwhelming quantity, but in harmonious coexistence. That was the real anomaly.
In cultivation stories, most beings followed one or two paths. Body. Qi. Dao. Soul. Some rare prodigies might fuse a few.
But he… had all of them.
His soul wasn't a container—it was a forge.
A multi-path crucible that refined every energy it touched.
He hadn't built this consciously. It had formed on instinct, adapting to the rich energy within the planet's core, harmonizing by necessity.
But what do I do now?
He couldn't stay idle. Every second wasted was potential slipping through his fingers.
He turned his attention outward again. The surrounding environment teemed with energy, yes—but it was wild, unfiltered, and unstable.
If he wanted to make progress, he needed a foundation. Something to focus on. Something to cultivate.
He remembered the cultivation systems from his past life's novels. Body, Qi, Soul, Dao, Elemental, Karma, Beast, Artifact, Chakra, and Faith. A hybrid path.
And he had access to them all.
But starting all ten at once would be suicide—even if his soul allowed it.
No shortcuts.
No cheats—yet.
Start with one. Build stability.
He felt out the energies closest to him. Among them, one pulsed strongest in resonance—Qi.
Raw, untamed spiritual energy. The foundation of almost every cultivation system.
Markandeya took a cautious breath—though he didn't need one—and began drawing the Qi in.
Not in reckless greed, but in small, stable currents.
Like sipping boiling water instead of chugging it.
He shaped the Qi into a spiral within his soul, letting it cycle through his form slowly. It wasn't perfect, but it was functional.
> [Qi Cultivation Path: Initialized]
Base Compatibility: Harmonized
Spiritual Core: Unformed
Current State: Soul Cultivation Phase - Early Foundation
He smiled inwardly.
A start.
The system didn't overload him with tasks. It simply acknowledged his intent and gave feedback. That was ideal.
Simple, direct. I can work with this.
Now that his soul had a minor cycle of Qi, it was time to test whether he could absorb other energies in parallel.
He extended his senses again—reaching for elemental fire.
The entire core burned with it. Heat, combustion, fusion—it was the lifeblood of this world's center.
This time, instead of forcing it into himself, he allowed a thread of fire elemental energy to enter the flow of his Qi spiral.
There was resistance. A jolt of heat threatened to destabilize his cycle.
But his harmonizing trait kicked in.
The spiral adjusted. Runes shifted. The cycle slowed down… and accepted the flame.
> [Elemental Cultivation Path: Initialized]
Affinity: Fire (Natural Access via Environmental Immersion)
Elemental Soul Circuit: Incomplete
Current State: Passive Absorption Phase
Two paths running simultaneously.
Even in this dangerous environment, he could already sense the massive advantage this gave him.
While other cultivators had to master transitions between paths—Qi to Elemental, Soul to Faith—his body, or rather his soul, was blending them at base level.
He was instinctively building a multidimensional cultivation model.
A hybrid framework.
No wonder the system is focused on survival.
If I can endure, I'll outgrow anyone.
But he was still vulnerable.
Right now, he was a floating soul in a hostile, molten realm with no way to defend himself beyond dodging energy currents and hiding behind mineral ridges in the core.
And speaking of that—
A violent quake pulsed through the core.
He spun instinctively, shifting his position behind a crystalline structure the size of a mountain.
From the red mist in the distance, something moved.
A shape emerged—massive, serpentine, and pulsing with lava-like scales.
A beast.
A World Core Guardian Beast.
> [Warning: High-Tier Elemental Beast Detected]
Class: Core Flame Wyrm (Mutated)
Threat Level: Extreme
Advice: Hide or Escape
Markandeya froze.
He'd read enough to know that guardian beasts were not to be messed with. They weren't simply wild animals—they were willful manifestations of the planet's defense mechanisms. Born from the planet's natural forces to protect balance.
And here he was—a new soul, drawing in energy that might be considered "unauthorized."
The wyrm sniffed the air. Glowing nostrils flared. Molten eyes scanned the surroundings.
It's sensing energy fluctuations.
Panic began to creep in—but he crushed it.
Breathe. No... think.
He immediately ceased all cultivation and entered a meditative state.
His soul dimmed its glow.
The spiral of Qi slowed to a crawl.
He hovered silently, hidden behind the mineral ridge, suppressing his presence as deeply as possible.
The beast hovered. Waited.
Then—finally—it slithered away, merging back into the fiery tides of the core.
That was too close.
He stayed still for several minutes longer before allowing his form to flicker back to life.
Survival wasn't just about power. It was about choosing the right moment.
He hadn't fought. He hadn't shown off.
He had stayed hidden—and lived.
> [Survival Bonus Increased: +0.15% Cultivation Potential (All Paths)]
Cause: Evaded high-threat environment through optimal decision-making
A grin flickered across his mind.
So the system rewarded not just time… but survival choices.
That made things far more interesting.
I'll grow. I'll plan. I'll adapt.
He looked deeper into the swirling core around him. This world was ancient. Hostile. Unforgiving.
But it was also a treasure trove.
And he would make it his forge.
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