Rise of the Jade Dragon

In a world where gemstone cores determine one's destiny, Uzun has nothing. Born of the despised Tuza people and orphaned on the streets of a backwater mining town, he watches from the shadows as clan cultivators wield powers beyond imagination. While others are born with precious stones that unlock the path to immortality, Uzun clutches only a worthless fake—until desperation drives him to forge his own impossible path. When a catastrophic discovery in the depths of an ancient cave system threatens to reshape the balance of power, Uzun finds himself holding something that shouldn't exist: a mysterious jade stone that pulses with unknown energy. But in a realm where mutated horrors outnumber the living and clan politics can be deadlier than any beast, possessing such power may be more curse than blessing.