World of Cultivation

In this world of cultivation, the Living Being Realm, the Spirit Realm, the Realm of Nothingness and Chaos stands as the four pillars. This has been so since times past, since time immemorial, till the present day and would still be so into the uncertain and ever changing future. Akin to an indelible truth of existence.

In the Living Being Realm, where humans live and thrive among the many races and creatures that inhabit this realm. Every single being is born as a mortal, but The World gifts them a chance to decide by their own hands what their fate would be. To transcend their original fate as mortals and live past their ordinary lifespans. Every being could cultivate, taking in the energy of the world and breaking past the limitations The World has placed upon all beings. However, how far they could break past these limitations was still something decided upon by The World.

The World gave talent to all beings, and talent decided how far every being could cultivate. And as with all things with The World, The World was never partial to any single being but impartial to all. Or it could be said, The World never cared to cater to any single being or group of them. Those with greater talent could go far on the path of cultivation until they reached the limit of their talent. And those with middling or lesser talent could only go so far. They could rage all they want against the unfairness of it all, but they could never do anything to The World about it. Those who were unsatisfied with their talents had no choice but to not only break past the limitation of lifespan but also the limitation of talent. Indeed, The World was never partial to any single being but impartial to all. It always left a way out for all beings. 

All beings could improve their talents through great pains and greater sacrifices. They could even to an extent improve the chances of their progeny having greater talents. Indeed, all cultivation was ever about was breaking past the limitations set upon a being by the world.

 ***

In the city of Welles, Gareth woke up on a cold morning inside his room. He had journeyed to this city from his faraway home, leaving the care of his adoptive parents to seek his own path in the world. His adoptive parents were mortals with ordinary talents who had not gone far on the path of cultivation. The old couple had taken care of him with love and care all his life, treating him like the child they never had.

He had enjoyed their love and care all these years, never knowing the fact he was not their child. This had remained so until he turned fifteen, an age where one could no longer be considered a child. His adoptive parents had broken this news to him as gently as they could with concern upon their faces. They had no idea who his birth parents were. In fact, he had been discovered in the forest by his adoptive father during one of his hunts, with a pendant found hanging on his neck by a chain. This pendant, his adoptive father asserted, had kept the dangers of the forest away from him.

The reveal hadn't changed his relationship with his adoptive parents, but something had changed within Gareth himself. A year later, he had bid goodbye to his adoptive parents. Two years after that, he now lived alone in this city, already on the path of cultivation.

Gareth stretched his body, having risen from the bed. The beginning of cultivation was the intake of world energy into the body. A process that can only be achieved through eating food, especially food rich in world energy. This process is continued until one entered the first realm, the Awakening Realm. This was the realm where one's cultivation talent was revealed. Further down the road of the Awakening Realm was the accumulation of more world energy until completion is achieved. Cultivation was in itself one part accumulation and another part comprehension. Comprehension was an especially important factor in the completion of each realm.

Gareth himself was in that state between an ordinary mortal and a mortal that had reached the Awakening Realm. However that would change soon, as he wasn't far from reaching the Awakening Realm. When he entered that realm, he would be able to join a good sect as long as his talent wasn't bad.

Joining a sect was important on the path of cultivation. This was more so for those with no cultivation heritage. Sects had repositories of cultivation method and knowledge, with a plethora of experts that would guide disciples of the sect on the path of cultivation. Joining a sect required one to have adequate talent and youth on their side, and different sects had differing requirements. It was usually the more prestigious and powerful the sect, the stricter their requirements. 

Walking out of the door, Gareth put all of this to the back of his mind, it was time to get his daily bread and get to work. This city wasn't so cheap to live in after all.

Somewhere in the city, Gareth opened the door to a building that was unassuming on the outside. The business at this time of the day was devoid of its usual patrons. Gareth however wasn't here for them anyway. It was after he had a hearty meal, and that energy needed to go somewhere. Exchanging pleasantries with his acquaintances and coworkers, he walked down to the basement of this building. 

In the basement that was filled with cages housing beasts and a few fighting stages, Gareth walked past the cages not minding the beasts snarling within. Gareth walked to one of the stages, he nodded in greeting at the man standing beside the stage. 

"How are you doing today, John?" Gareth asked. 

"I am as good as any goddam good day. Gareth, you ready yet?" John sought confirmation from him. 

Gareth stretched his body, punching his fists into the air.

"Alright." Gareth nodded slightly. 

A cage was dropped over the stage at his assent. The beast Gareth had paid for was released onto the stage. It was a panther, sleek and dark as any of its kind.

Gareth wanted to breakthrough to the Awakening Realm and there was no better way to do that quickly than to expend and refill his body with world energy as many times as possible. What better way to do that, if not to fight. Not just any fight, but a fight with your life on the line.

This might not be as intense as the fights he had been in when journeying to this city of Welles. Not in anyway like this place where he knew what enemy was before him, and was sure there was no other one in hiding, but it would do. And would do just well. 

Gareth moved, fast. But the panther was even faster. A paw was swiped at his face, but he moved out of the way. His bare fist punching at the panther's flank, but the punch barely affected it. 

It turned around as Gareth moved some distance from it. The both of them circled each other on the stage, studying one another, then both of them once again pounced at each other. Fists and paws were exchanged in a deadly dance. The panther snarled, as it tried to tear out the throat of the human. The human kicked and punched back at it. They both fought with their all, well aware of the fact that only one of them would get out of this place alive. 

The fight continued for a while until finally everything turned silent.

John could only shake his head at the sight on the stage.

"What a madman," he muttered to himself. 

The stage had Gareth with his back on the floor, panting hard as his body was covered in bloody wounds. The panther on the other hand was as equally bloody, but silent. Forever.