He grows up learning ways to survive in a clan where a child half his age can murder him at will and nobody would bat an eye. He is a source of shame to his family and his clan. He has magic, he feels madra, but when he dips his hand in to the bowl, nothing happens.

Each specialization comes with its own unique set of powers. They could become Strikers, Enforcers, Forgers, or Rulers. Each of them dips their hand into a bowl of pure madra and it shows their predestined path. That’s why early on, the clans test their children. The more Iron fighters and Jade martial artists a clan has, the stronger it is. In the Sacred Valley, everyone hopes to attain the rank of Jade.

Then Copper, which gives you enhanced senses, then Iron which reshapes you body, then Jade, which gives you foundation, then legendary Gold which comes with devastating power. Plants that absorb madra for a long time bear magical spirit fruit and beasts who are exposed to it gain powers, intelligence, and become sacred.Īs the martial artist become more proficient in their handling of madra, they begin climbing up the ranks of cultivation. It allows them to hurl weapons of pure magic and animate constructs. It can give them enhanced sight and indestructible bodies. Madra enables them to do incredible things. Martial artists cultivate it by pulling it into their core and refining in, using it to push their bodies beyond human limits. There is fire madra, water madra, earth madra. Each living being has it and every aspect of the world produces it. Madra is a magical force that permeates the world. Everything in the Sacred Valley revolves around madra. Our hero, Lindon, lives in a Sacred Valley, an idyllic green valley sheltered by tall mountains.

It’s a fantasy world, slightly reminiscent of Ancient China in that everyone is a martial artist and they wear robes. This is a terrible synopsis, so let me explain this a little bit. When faced with a looming fate he cannot ignore, he must rise beyond anything he’s ever known…and forge his own Path. Lindon is Unsouled, forbidden to learn the sacred arts of his clan. Sacred artists follow a thousand Paths to power, using their souls to control the forces of the natural world.

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