The rain hadn't stopped, but Han Li no longer noticed. He sat cross-legged in the dimness of his hut, heart pounding, skin buzzing.
It started with the brush of Mianhua's fingers against his as she passed him a bundle of flame-root. A current jolted through him — not pain, not pleasure, but something primeval. The kind of sensation that left your bones hollow and your skin too tight.
Then came the light.
A golden rune now hovered in the air before him, pulsing like a heartbeat. Alien yet instinctively understood, it curved and twisted into lines of text that hung suspended in the space between thought and flesh.
> [HEAVENLY ROOT DAO SYSTEM — SYSTEM INITIALIZED]
User: Lin Xun (Soul ID: Han Li)
Compatibility: 98% | Root Status: Dormant
Vital Qi: 3% | Emotional Qi: 67% | Lust Qi: 11%
Meridians: Blocked (82%)
Dual Compatibility Detected: 1 nearby candidate
Han Li stared, blinking rapidly. "This… this is a system," he whispered. "A real one."
He'd joked about it once, lying half-starved in this same hut: "Wouldn't it be nice if I got a cheat code?"
Now, the heavens were listening.
> Welcome, Host. You have awakened the Heavenly Root Dao System.
This system cultivates not through meditation…
But through emotion.
Through connection.
Through… desire.
Han Li's eyes widened. The golden rune pulsed again, unveiling a new pane.
[ROOT STATUS PANEL]
Name: Lin Xun (Han Li)
Age: 21
Cultivation Stage: Mortal (Uninitiated)
Meridians: Blocked — 82%
Heavenly Root: Dormant (Seed Phase)
Emotional Qi: 67/100
Lust Qi: 11/100
Dual Resonance Candidates: [1 nearby]
Current Compatibility: Mianhua — Widow Herbalist (Affection: 16%)
More text followed.
> System Note:
Traditional cultivators spend years building a single foundation.
Your Root thrives on intensity — in emotion, in intimacy, in raw spiritual exchange.
The greater the connection, the greater the breakthrough.
Han Li slowly exhaled. "You mean I get stronger by…"
He hesitated. "Connecting with women?"
> Correct.
The screen shifted again.
NEW QUEST: "First Flame"
Objective: Trigger First Dual Resonance with Compatible Partner
Conditions: Consent-based interaction. Emotional and/or physical connection.
Reward:
— Unlock Lower Dantian
— Unseal first meridian (10%)
— Gain Root Sense (passive ability to detect emotional states)
Time Limit: 3 days (Root Stability Window)
Failure Penalty: Root Regression. System enters hibernation for 12 lunar cycles.
Han Li sat back, stunned.
This wasn't a dream.
This wasn't delusion.
It was a cultivation path—one that bent the rules of this world to something far more… human.
He stood, breath catching. Rain slicked down the old walls of his hut, drumming like a warbeat. The air smelled of herbs and damp earth—and something new, something metallic and vital, like blood and lightning.
His eyes dropped to his hand.
The golden rune that hovered before him slowly descended, etching itself into the skin just above his palm, vanishing in a flicker.
The Root was inside him now.
And it was hungry.
But it didn't just crave flesh.
It craved fire. Passion. Meaning.
> System Reminder:
First compatible candidate within 20 meters.
Emotional Affection trending upward.
Touch initiated recently.
Initiating now will result in 19% breakthrough probability.
Recommendation: Build deeper emotional trust to increase resonance.
Han Li chuckled under his breath.
"So you're telling me to seduce her slowly?"
> Correct.
A pause.
> Consent is sacred. No reward shall be given for coercion or manipulation.
He liked that part.
He wasn't a monster. He wasn't going to force his way through the world like the typical jade-eyed young master. But now—he had tools. A system. A path. And a woman nearby who… maybe, just maybe, saw something in him already.
Han Li walked to the doorway.
Outside, the rain had lightened to a gentle mist. Mianhua stood a few paces down the path, gathering herbs by moonlight, her cloak still wet, her hair slicked to her neck. She looked back.
Their eyes met.
Her lips parted, startled.
He could feel it, even without the unlocked ability—the slight rise in her breath, the color blooming in her cheeks.
> Emotive Surge: +4
Affection Level: 20%
Han Li smiled, a slow, confident grin that hadn't been seen in Lin Xun's face for years—maybe ever.
"I owe you thanks," he said gently. "That root you gave me… it worked."
She hesitated, then nodded. "I'm glad," she said. Her voice was soft. Unsure. "You looked like you were… changing."
He nodded. "I was."
Then, quieter: "I am."
SYSTEM ALERT:
First Flame Path: Active
Bandit Threat Detected — Estimated Arrival: 72 hours
Survival Chance (without cultivation): 12%
Recommendation: Strengthen bond. Harness system. Prepare defenses.
Han Li's jaw set.
Three days to build strength. Three days to prepare.
A woman's growing trust. A village on the edge of danger. A system that devours emotion and rewards connection.
He didn't have years to become a sage.
He had three days to become a man worth following.
A man worth desiring.