System + no harem + I originally wanted to write a fast-paced action-packed power fantasy, but as I kept writing, the pacing slowed, the fun increased, and the fighting decreased. (ಠ益ಠ)
Lu Gui transmigrated to a fantasy world and bound himself to the Heavenly Dao Intellectual Property Management System, which could obtain Heavenly Dao seals for any cultivation art.
By securing seals for others, Lu Gui made a fortune so huge he couldn’t spend it all.
When the disciples of a seal holder studied and used the cultivation arts recorded in the seal, the holder received spiritual energy as a reward and increased their cultivation.
With a Heavenly Dao seal, cultivation bottlenecks became a thing of the past. The more disciples one had, the faster one cultivated.
Golden Core cultivators were as common as ants, Nascent Soul cultivators as common as dogs, Divine Transformation cultivators were everywhere, and Tribulation Transcendence cultivators were nothing rare.
The Five Continents trembled, their overlords were destroyed; the sacred grounds fell, their divine light extinguished.
At first, Lu Gui entered a brothel, the Red Luan Pavilion, and became a servant there.
Once cultivators discovered the power of Heavenly Dao seals, they flocked to the Red Luan Pavilion to gain this opportunity. And so:
“All male cultivators, listen up! Hurry to the Red Luan Pavilion!”
“Don’t get the wrong idea! We’re going to the Red Luan Pavilion to drink!”
“Of course we’re going to drink. What else, eat the girls?”
Outside the Red Luan Pavilion, an old madam tried to poach customers:
“Heroes! If you’re looking to enjoy the company of lovely ladies, the girls at our Jade Spring Courtyard are the softest and most tender, melting in your mouth...”
Seeing how many cultivators visited the Red Luan Pavilion, wealthy patrons began sending their daughters there, hoping they might encounter an immortal opportunity.
One day, a group of wealthy patrons bought the entire red-light district and gifted it to the Red Luan Pavilion.
Thus began the Red Luan Pavilion’s expansion across the fantasy world.
Modern intellectual property equivalents:
Patents: Heavenly Dao seals, which can be obtained for cultivation arts;
Trademarks: Spirit Pattern Contracts, which can be obtained for names and designs;
Copyrights: Dao Text Jade Slips, which can be obtained for published books.
The pacing is textbook perfect! The first three chapters jump straight into the main crisis, and the protagonist's transformation from despair to triumph is clean and efficient, without any lengthy setup. The fight scenes are visceral and impactful, while the everyday scenes are filled with subtle foreshadowing. It's rare to find a combination of fast pace and meticulous plotting so well.