The Empty Aperture

An unconventional cultivation novel. No saintly self-sacrifice, and a cunning, calculating protagonist. Chen Mo’s abilities are distinctive: instead of meditating to refine qi or searching for rare treasures as in traditional cultivation novels, he cultivates by siphoning off other people’s extreme emotions. This premise creates plenty of dramatic conflict: he must constantly manufacture, provoke, or wait for moments when emotions boil over, making the story full of schemes and twists. Starting out as a menial outer-sect disciple, he gradually uncovers the dark truth about the cultivation sect and the entire cultivation world.