Overview: In cultivation novels, there is a recurring trope where multi-element spirit roots—particularly five-element roots—are portrayed as weak, slow, or trash-tier, despite the fact that in Daoist cosmology, these elements are foundational to the world. This document analyzes the contradictions in traditional webnovel portrayals of multi-element cultivators, and provides a logical framework for addressing them.
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1. The Contradiction in Traditional Webnovels
Many cultivation novels establish a cosmology where chaos splits into Yin and Yang, which then gives birth to the Five Elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). The Five Elements then form the foundation of the world. Therefore, it logically follows that a cultivator who possesses all five elements would be closer to the Dao, have higher potential, and more versatility.
However, most webnovels portray multi-element cultivators as weak or slow, often justifying it with concepts like "chaotic circulation" or "energy conflicts." This contradicts both their own cosmology and classical Daoist logic, where fusion and balance of elements is inherently powerful, as exemplified by characters like Kong Xuan in Great Primordial mythology, whose Five-Colored Divine Light represents the ultimate elemental power.
2. Population and Scaling Problems
If all low-level cultivators with 5-element or even 4-element roots automatically grew into god-tier powerhouses, the world would collapse narratively and logically. It would be like claiming every dragon born is a divine dragon or an immortal dragon. This breaks the natural hierarchy and removes tension from the story.
3. Proposed Logical Framework
To reconcile these contradictions, a more consistent and realistic framework can be applied:
A. Suppression by Heaven (or World Law)
Multi-element cultivators are not naturally weak; their potential is artificially suppressed by Heaven or the enforcement mechanism of the Dao/Chaos.
Heaven does not outright kill because the Great Dao or Chaos law above it prevents total destruction. This ensures balance in the world.
Suppression explains slow early-game progression and justifies underdog arcs.
B. Quality and Harmony Factor
Not every multi-element cultivator is world-threatening.
Most multi-element roots are chaotic, imbalanced, or pseudo-mixed and plateau at lower levels.
Only rare, perfectly aligned multi-element cultivators can survive suppression and reach god-tier potential.
C. Late-Game Payoff
Early game: cultivator struggles due to suppression.
Mid game: rare talents start overcoming suppression, unlocking multi-element fusion techniques.
Late game: suppression is broken, multi-element fusion reaches full potential.