In this world of cultivation, power belonged to those who cultivated. For mortals to step onto the path of immortality, they had to be born with spiritual roots.
Spiritual roots, a gift determined at birth, were rare—only one in ten thousand people possessed them. These roots were categorized into five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. The aptitude for cultivation depended on the quality and number of spiritual roots.
The fewer spiritual roots one possessed, the greater their potential. Most cultivators had low qualifications, such as four or five-element spiritual roots. Rarely, some had three-element roots, while dual-element roots and heavenly single-element roots were regarded as extraordinary.
Beyond these were unique spiritual roots formed by mutations of the basic five elements—lightning, wind, ice, shadow, and others. Cultivators with such roots were said to be blessed by the heavens. Though their cultivation speed wasn't as fast as those with pure single-element roots, their power far exceeded the five-element roots. With the right techniques and resources, these unique roots allowed their wielders to rival multiple cultivators of the same rank.
Rong Yu, the man who had just awakened in this world, happened to possess one such rare spiritual root—lightning.
The Rong family, a lineage of cultivators with over 600 years of history, had never produced a disciple with a unique spiritual root. When they discovered Rong Yu's potential, the family was ecstatic. He became their pride and hope, and vast resources were allocated to aid his cultivation.
Yet, to everyone's disappointment, Rong Yu's progress was painstakingly slow. Despite the family's investment, he had only reached the third level of Qi Refinement, far below expectations.
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Puzzled, the elders invited an expert to examine him. The conclusion shattered their hopes: Rong Yu’s lightning spiritual root was incomplete. Though he possessed the gift, it was flawed—an imperfect lightning root. His cultivation speed was comparable to someone with the weakest aptitude.
At first, the family refused to believe it, but after exhausting numerous methods to improve his progress, they gave up. Resources were withdrawn, and Rong Yu was cast aside. Once the family’s pride, he became its disgrace, a laughingstock among his kin.
The humiliation was unbearable. Desperate to prove himself, Rong Yu turned to alchemy, a noble and respected art among cultivators. However, his alchemical talents were mediocre. Years of effort and a fortune in resources yielded only entry-level skills.
With his parents killed in a territorial war with the rival Qian family, and the family unwilling to fund his alchemy pursuits further, Rong Yu's situation became dire. The compensation given for his parents' deaths was barely enough to cover his basic needs, let alone the costly materials required for alchemy.
Desperate, Rong Yu turned to the Fifth Elder, Rong Xianyu, and borrowed 500 spirit stones. They made a wager: if Rong Yu could become an official alchemist within a year, he would keep the stones. If he failed, he would serve as her dual cultivation partner for three months.
Rong Xianyu, the fifth elder of the family, was renowned for her dual-element spiritual roots and exceptional talent. By twenty, she had reached the late stage of Qi Refinement and was unmatched in combat among her peers. Her ruthless reputation in battles against the Qian family earned her the title "Crimson Witch."
Her eccentric and unpredictable nature made her both feared and avoided, despite her beauty. Many in the family secretly referred to her as a "demonic witch," and few dared to cross her path. Yet Rong Yu had no choice but to accept her terms, hoping against hope to reclaim his honor.
Now, with the odds stacked against him, he had one year to achieve what seemed impossible—or face the consequences of his desperate gamble.