Chapter 4: Information about cultivation

I have found a lot about this place. My guess was right. I'm not on earth anymore, this is a completely other world. The next information that I need is about cultivation, magus, and the demonic path.

Let's start with cultivation. Humans and giants are using this to manipulate the Spiritual Qi which was omnipresent. They created this path after the elves were using magic. Elves were the strongest force in this world before demons suddenly arrived. Humans and Giants created this path to compete against both races. Dragons could also use the way of cultivation, but they prefered to use the magus way. There are ten cultivation realms with ten minor stages of a realm. The ten minor stages are divided by four groups.

early 0-4,

mid 5-6,

late 7-8,

peak 9-10

Spiritual Qi Condensation Realm

Qi Condensation is the start of a cultivation journey. Without a cultivation path, you are considered as mortal. For humans, Qi Condensation is the entry realm to cultivate. First, you need to feel the Spiritual Qi, which is everywhere on the Spiritual Earth. The next step is to gather into your blood veins. If the Qi Condensation stage is higher, you gather faster Spiritual Qi. Each realm has minor stages divided by early 0-4, mid 5-6, late 7-8, peak 9-10.

Estimated lifespan: 200 years

Spiritual Qi Tempering Realm

Spiritual Qi Tempering is a stage where you gather the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to refine the body from the inside out. This is all for laying the foundation to the next realm, the Foundation Establishment Realm. It's named as Spiritual Qi Tempering because it stabilizes the unruly Qi which you gather at Qi Condensation Realm.

Estimated lifespan: 300 years

There are three principal methods used to enter the Spiritual Qi Tempering Realm:

The proper method which involves using a large amount of Qi to refine the body on one's own. This is the hardest method.

The more common method in Sects that have them is to have a Nascent Soul cultivator use their own power to assist with the breakthrough.

Eating pills

Foundation Establishment Realm

After gathering a sufficient amount of Spiritual Qi in the Qi Tempering Realm, the cultivator works to cycle that spiritual Qi through their entire body. In doing so, the spiritual Qi washes the body clean and refines it so that it becomes more suited for cultivation. The bones and veins are evolving. After the evolution, you can gather Qi faster. The colours of the world are clearer and the body is studier. This is called "forming/building a foundation" or the Foundation Establishment Realm. This is the true first step on the path of cultivation, with the Qi Tempering realm being nothing more than the preliminary steps toward it. At this Realm, the cultivator needs to face a tribulation. Clouds would gather and the lightning would try to kill the cultivator.

Estimated lifespan: 400 years

There are four principal methods used to enter the Foundation Establishment Realm:

Surviving the tribulation without help

The more common method in Sects that have them is to have a Nascent Soul cultivator use their own power to assist with the breakthrough.

Eating pills and surviving the tribulation

Magical treasure which helps you to defend against the tribulation

If the cultivator cannot defend the tribulation, he dies painfully. However, upon successfully condensing the Foundation Establishment Realm, one's lifespan dramatically increases, and proportionally, the strength of the physical body.

Core Formation Realm

The Core Formation Realm is about to create a core. The cultivator must gather the spiritual Qi to form a core while he needs to face a tribulation where clouds gather and hit the cultivator with a more powerful lightning than the Foundation Establishment Realm.

Estimated lifespan: 500 years

There are four principal methods used to enter the Core Formation Realm:

Surviving the tribulation without help

The more common method in Sects that have them is to have a Nascent Soul cultivator use their own power to assist with the breakthrough.

Eating pills and surviving the tribulation

Magical treasure which helps you to defend against the tribulation

If the cultivator cannot defend the tribulation, he dies painfully. However, upon successfully condensing the Core Formation Realm, one's lifespan dramatically increases, and proportionally, the strength of the physical body.

Nascent Soul Realm

In this realm, cultivators reform their core into a Nascent Soul. By undergoing this transformation, the cultivators have to pass a lightning tribulation. If one fails the tribulation, the Nascent Soul scatters, as does one's mind or soul. Lucky ones live on as mad lunatics, while the unfortunate ones die. However, upon successfully condensing the Nascent Soul, one's lifespan dramatically increases, and proportionally, the strength of the physical body. Most cultivators of this stage are renowned grand elders of sects. These cultivators rarely involve themselves in trivial sect affairs, and most immerse themselves into further cultivation or adventures. Very few vagrant Nascent Soul cultivators exist, as most powers attempt to rope in such powerful figures with equally powerful incentives. During wars or skirmishes, battles between Nascent Soul cultivators are deadly. One of the more powerful abilities of Nascent Soul cultivators is the ability to escape death should their physical body perish. Not only is the Nascent Soul fast and nimble, it can enter another suitable body, should the original body perish.

Once a "core" has reached sufficient density, it can be forcefully molded to form a "Nascent Soul". A cultivator reaches the Nascent Soul stage upon successful formation of a Nascent Soul. Progression through the Nascent Soul Realm involves absorbing spiritual energy to refine the Nascent Soul. Like the previous realms, there are 3 groups: Early, Middle and Late Nascent Soul Cultivators.

One ability of this Realm is to separate Nascent Soul from a cultivator's mortal body. It reduces its dependency on the Mortal body. It is possible to possess another body should it be given to them or they forcefully take over a new body. However, doing so will weaken the Nascent Soul, and future growth is still limited.

We consider cultivators at this stage ancestors or grand elders within sects, and can live up to a thousand years at most. More should they use special methods. Nascent Soul cultivators form the basis and majority of strength within a middle level sect. Loss of Nascent Soul ancestors can cause the extinction of a sect. A single ancestor can single-handedly wipe out an enemy sect. War between sects or factions with Nascent Soul cultivators rarely results in battle between cultivators of this stage.

Nascent Soul cultivators are mostly motivated by self-interest. They will not involve themselves in conflict unless there are rewards.

Estimated lifespan: 1 600 years

Ascension Soul Realm

This is the peak cultivation in the spiritual earth realm. Ascension Soul realm is the farthest you can cultivate. You can't break through the next realm because of the limitations of the world. You can also wait and stay in this world. Humans and giants are not blessed with immortality and die at old age.

In the Ascension Soul realm, you can fly freely. Their next new ability is to isolate a range within 1 km with a barrier. You can't eavesdrop and see through barriers. You also create an Avatar from yourself, which only humans and giants can do. Ascension Soul realm cultivators are legends that rarely appear. Even the elves said that there are no Ascension Soul Realm cultivators anymore. They got extinct during the wars or are hiding for some unknown reason.

Estimated lifespan: 3 000 years

There are a few hints that the cultivation path goes farther. Old established sects should have more information about this topic. For me it's irrelevant as it would take hundreds of years to be at their Realm. What interests me more is the magical path.