Cultivating Infinity: A LitRPG Apocalypse

The Boundless Expanse, Book 1

By: DabossUnberogen

Narrated by: Steve Corona

One day, Sam was flipping burgers. Next, he was leveling up to survive.

Stuck in a dead-end job with no future, Sam longed for something more: power, purpose, a reason to keep going. The System gave him all of that and more... at a devastating cost.

Humanity was nearly wiped out. Earth was shattered and reshaped into something hostile and unfamiliar, a testing ground in a war started by powers far beyond comprehension.

Now, Sam must grow stronger or be swept aside like the rest. With every level gained and skill unlocked, he inches closer to something greater. And if he fails, humanity may not get a second chance.

Don't miss the start of this apocalyptic LitRPG series featuring cultivation-inspired progression, interdimensional war, and a weak-to-strong protagonist who refuses to be left behind. Perfect for fans of The Primal Hunter, Iron Prince, and Defiance of the Fall.

©2025 Daboss Unberogen (P)2026 Podium Audio

This is meh

Starts good a then just falls flat on its face. Not much of anything substance

A Different Take on Cultivation, Needs Refinement

I’m always on the lookout for my next cultivation fix, and Cultivating Infinity offered a slightly different take on the genre. This story combines a system with traditional cultivation, and in this universe, the Dao has been absorbed by the system itself. It’s an ambitious concept, though it isn’t always executed as clearly as it could be.

The story begins with Earth being purchased by a powerful alien known as “The Butcher,” a C-grade threat who culls the planet with low-level monsters and sends the survivors into a massive arena event. Our main character, Sam, navigates this dangerous new world, forming alliances and gradually learning to progress.

Sam himself is not particularly clever, and many of his decisions are questionable. The narrative frames him as a “righteous” character, which makes many of his solutions one-dimensional. He reaches level 25 before receiving a Daoist-style cultivation class, which is unusual because Daoism often appears later in cultivation novels. In this book, Daoism is a central element of his growth, but it doesn’t always feel fully developed or nuanced. I found myself wishing it were more of a subtle or secondary aspect rather than his primary strength.

The pacing of Sam’s progression is also slower than some of the other characters. The story suggests this is due to secret outside factions helping other humans on Earth, but the hints are only lightly explored. The system itself gives clues about these external forces but never seems to act on them. This leaves unresolved threads that feel like missed opportunities to deepen the story or build tension.

One of the biggest challenges in reading this book is that the author struggles with writing characters who operate more cleverly than the main character. Many intrigues are easy to see through, and while that can be a stylistic choice, it sometimes feels like the narrative stretches beyond what it can effectively support. The story might have benefited from focusing on fewer elements and executing them more cleanly.

The narration by Steve Corona was okay. He delivered the story competently, but it didn’t quite convey the excitement or fun that the material has the potential to offer.

All in all, this isn’t a bad book, but it’s not a great one either. It has an interesting premise, and the world has potential, but the execution left me wanting more. I hope future installments refine the storytelling and make better use of the unique system-cultivation concept.

Great start to a new series

It was great from start to finish. Cant wait to listen to the next one.

Good start

A good start to the series. I wish the next was ready to jump into.

Plot armor much?

I would have enjoyed this book a little more if the MC didn’t win more than half of his fights because of ahh pulls.

It also felt a little early to have a tournament. I would have liked to see more world building as well as better fleshed out skills and abilities.

The dao abilities are interesting and blended in a novel way with the system, however. I think it will make for a decent series, all things considered.

I have other really minor complaints, but overall a good book.