Ma Xiaofan was a menial disciple of the Qingyun Sect, branded a “good-for-nothing” with no spiritual root. He endured three years of ridicule, until he accidentally stumbled upon the First Elder Zhao Yuan’s shocking conspiracy at the Origin Stone in the forbidden grounds: altering spiritual roots and devouring his disciples’ potential. To clear his name and expose the truth, he fled with the consciousness of an origin fragment. Along the way, he met Jiang Xiaoxia, an inner sect disciple burdened by a blood feud. Together, they set out to find the scattered origin fragments in the Mortal Realm, the Ancient Realm, and beyond, vowing to undo the seal on spiritual roots and bring justice to the cultivation world.
From being surrounded by demonic beasts in the Misty Forest, to battling guardian beasts in the frozen mountains, to being ambushed by evil cultivators in the Flame Canyon, they faced danger at every turn, yet their trust grew as they fought side by side. As they gathered more origin fragments, the cruel truth emerged: a higher civilization had turned the cultivation world into an “experimental ground.” The Domain Lord led a fleet in an attack, while temporal rifts appeared and unleashed chaotic energy. One crisis followed another.
Ma Xiaofan and Jiang Xiaoxia rallied the forces of the three realms to resist the higher civilization with the power of the origin. At the final turning point, they were even willing to sacrifice their cultivation to seal the rifts. This journey to trace the origin across realms is not only a quest to break a conspiracy and protect their home, but also an epic coming-of-age tale about a group of passionate cultivators holding fast to their ideals and pursuing justice in the face of desperation. In the end, they write the cultivation world’s most moving legend of guardianship, finding an ordinary place to call home.
This novel takes "tracing the origins" as its core, and writes about the pursuit of the world of immortality in a solid and thorough way. The protagonist does not rely on golden fingers from the sky, but progresses step by step in deciphering the fragments of ancient books and understanding the laws of heaven and earth. Every breakthrough in realm hides a new understanding of "Tao". The text is concise but picturesque. A few strokes outline the dangers of the secret realm and the moment of enlightenment, making "seeking the Tao" no longer an empty concept, but a tangible daily practice. It is very immersive to read.