This isn't a recommendation or looking for novels. I developed my own cultivation system where people comprehend laws of the world, open up their own inner world, and draw power from that world in order to combat people or use laws from their world. I want to see if others have developed unique systems of their own or have seen them in different kinds of novels. Something different from the typical.. Foundation Establishment or Qi Gathering Realms.
I’m sorry, I don’t pay attention to the systems in chinese novels since that would rot my limited braincells but aren’t you describing Tao/Dao?
Speaking off Tao/Dao. There's this kind of cultivation novels, its your typical cultivation theme novel, but it was different because they need to determine they're own dao path. Its just just your usual upgrading from Qi refining to ascending, but they need to figure out their path ways based on the cultivation method they are cultivating or else they won't level up at all. The Transmigrator’s Cultivation is one of my example. The mc is a transmigrator with plant type spiritual vein, and used a cultivation method called Ten thousand trees something something...later in the story as he became stronger, he will have his own tittle, and he became the Lord of Ten Thousands trees. He comprehend the Dao of reincarnation. Using the trees, from seeds to dying until it became a seed again, a cycle of reincarnation, he needs to comprehend the reincarnation itself. In his spiritual world, he have a forests in which different species of trees resides. BTW, all those trees were real. MC collected them all, and he have this special skill that comes with it, every tree can became a dragon, and he can use it for attack. Meanwhile, ML is a sword cultivator, and he can leapfrog as expected. He was only a core condensation almost in nascent soul when the story began, but he can't upgrade because he lack emotions...anyway, his spiritual world is like a storm filled with sword intent. The ML also has a title, but i forget it since it was in chinese. And there is also a character there, also a strong one. He cultivates the stars, and follow the dao of the stars. He comprehend the movement of the stars, and also predicts the future if necessary. Also, its not just these, I think in this world, you need to actually obtain the most suitable cultivation method not only by physique also by mental and personality. ML's master aint a sword cultivator at all, it was ML who destroyed his cultivation and started all over again as a sword cultivation when he realized his cultivation wasn't right for him(is what i remember). Speaking of, I read a novel, and there's a mc that cultivates the Dao of companionate or something something. He need to cultivate his buddha heart or something in order to ascend, and he has to cultivate 9 karmas? Or disaster? He needed to overcome; and he has to reincarnate 9 times to facilitated this. I think he almost succeed, but he sacrifice his buddha heart to save ML. Also, the same author...its I have Medicine. I like how the cultivation system here isn't like just meditating, gathering QI and level up. You need to grind. MC is a pharmacist. Since MC is a pharmacist, he need to accumulate medicinal Qi in order to level up. While ML is a martial artist, and he needs to practice martial arts, open up his meridians little by little, and accumulate experience by killing monsters. It also has all kinds of demons here. And one of them made a mark on my mind. Its a "Book Worm". They are worm...but they all can be found in books/scroll. In the story, book worms works in the library, and every book worm has a book/scroll they resides to. And they are "not eating book to cultivate" but they absorb book Qi. It was said that all things have a certain Qi in them, specially items with particular age..
I'm talking about the main path of cultivation. Dao is usually something you comprehend on the side and it plays a part in later cultivation. Unless your talking about a cultivation path that is all about comprehending the Dao or something.
I replied before as to dissect your power system and didn't answer your question so I thought I'd list a few ideas I've had. 1.a system based on the 4 types of social influence/dynamic/relationship (intra, inter, micro,macro-social) in relation to specific items of existential significance, with later levels delving into cosmic, spiritual, etc types of interaction. 2. a basic idea where everybody has 1 of both the 7 sins and virtues from which they can draw power from. 3. upper-dantian based system where they gain power by making people and outcomes conform to their wills, really magic researcher vibes.