References: Background and Details

Hello everyone,

To avoid repeating the same information, you can refer to this for background and details mentioned at the beginning of the chapters, as they may come up in subsequent chapters.

I will update this as necessary while writing the following chapters.

__________________________

1.) CULTIVATIONS, MAGE, AND SUMMONERS LEVELS

In this world, unlike what was heard before, cultivation, martial arts, Magician and Summoners are mixed together.

Everyone has a shot at becoming a MARTIAL CULTIVATOR, but it depends on whether they have a dantian and what kind of spiritual roots they possess.

Spiritual Roots determine which element the Martial Cultivators can cultivate. For example, individuals with Fire spiritual roots can only gather the lingering fire essence in the realm's air to cultivate and use it to enhance their bodies. The same principle applies to other spiritual roots such as Ice, Wind, Earth, and so on.

For those without spiritual roots, as long as they could activate their dantian, they can become MARTIAL PRACTITIONERS who focus on cultivating physical energy to boost their strength.

MAGE and SUMMONERS possess nearly the same physical strength as mortals because they cannot use magic particles to enhance their physical bodies. However, their use of magic particles and soul power delays the aging of their bodies, which allows for an extended lifespan.

This increased lifespan can reach up to one thousand years by attaining the highest star level. Consequently, there are only a few who aspire to become Mages, and even fewer who wish to be Summoners.

MAGE relies on the magical particles in the air to store them in their Magic Roots. They use these magic particles to expand their Magic Roots, thereby advancing their level and increasing their capacity to use larger quantities of magic. It is a costly profession, requiring numerous precious and expensive materials for both cultivation and the use and release of magic. In addition, just like spiritual roots, their Magic Roots depend on which element they could use in magic.

Mage are required to use refined wands made from precious materials capable of holding a magic stone. The type of magic stone depends on their level. Before they can use, gather, release, or manipulate the magic particles in the air, they must cast spells.

This means they require more time before employing magic. However, their ability to manipulate and utilize the elements, along with the resulting effects, is significantly stronger than that of Cultivators.

There are many kinds of Mage, and the most precious profession is that of Healers. While they can cure many injuries and illnesses, often more effectively than using pills from alchemists, there are still some limitations, particularly related to their level. There are certain circumstances that only alchemists can address. However, hiring Healers is also the most expensive option.

SUMMONER don't need magic roots; instead, they require a strong soul power that incorporates the space element. They rely on the space elements present in the air, combining them with their soul power. However, this type of soul power differs from that used in pill refining, weapon refining, or inscription writing. This distinction accounts for the scarcity of summoners in their profession.

Summoners depend on various magical items, accessories, rituals, and spells to summon beasts or other creatures from the unknown and beyond. They utilize precious magical items to inscribe lines and ancient words, using their soul power to create a circle where they can summon specific creatures and more.

Mages have various ranks, each with twenty-star differences per level. For example, there are twenty stars for Apprentice Mage, forty stars for Elementary Mages, and so on.

Both Mage and Summoner levels are divided into layers: early, middle, late, and peak stages.

Meanwhile, Summoners are only categorized with star levels, and Mage are categorized as Novice, Elementary, Intermediate, Junior, Senior, Advanced, High Mage, Master Mage, Grandmaster Mage, Great Mage, Magic Scholar, Magister, Grand Magister, Grand Mage, Holy Mage, Sage, and Enchanter.

Subsequently, Both Martial Cultivators, Martial Practitioners have various stages, each with nine levels, and each level is divided into layers: early, middle, late, and peak stages.

MARTIAL PRACTITIONERS can transform their physical energy into 'Inner Strength', which has fewer stages: Physical Refining, Body Foundation, Master, Grandmaster, Transformation, Core Spirit, Golden Body, Golden Sovereign, Golden Sage.

MARTIAL CULTIVATOR stages are categorized as Body Refining, Martial Qi, Martial Disciple, Martial Student, Martial Pro, Martial Master, Martial Guru, Martial Lord, Martial Sovereign, Martial Emperor, Martial Ancestor, Martial Spirit, Martial Saint, Martial Ascension and Void Mastery, which opens the door to the fairy realm.

Once in the FAIRY REALM, the subsequent stages are simplified into four layers: Fairy Guru, Fairy Lord, Fairy Emperor, Fairy King, Fairy Spirit, Fairy Saint, Celestial Fairy, Heavenly Fairy, and Void Fairy, which leads to the gate to the immortal realm sanctuary.

Upon entering the IMMORTAL REALM, the stages are divided as follows: Void King, Celestial King, Heavenly King, Immortal King, Immortal Emperor, Immortal Sage, Void Immortal, Saint King, Saint Emperor, Void Saint, Spirit King, Spirit Emperor, Spirit Sage, and Void Spirit.

Upon reaching the Void Spirit, they must follow a heavenly path that becomes visible only after passing the threshold. This path leads to a massive SANCTUARY housing gates to various realms, including the God Realm and others. After reaching the Celestial Realm, another colossal sanctuary awaits, containing numerous gates to distinct ethnic worlds.

It is said that each sanctuary is overseen by guardians from the Heavenly Realm, where the World Creator and Guardians reside. These guardians are tasked with punishing any transgressors within the sanctuary, enforcing rules such as refraining from unveiling their aura to oppress the weaker ones, engaging in combat, causing harm, or taking lives within the premises.

Certainly, beyond the immortal realm, there exist alternative means of accessing different realms for convenience, such as employing the SCROLL GATE. This is a one-time use pathway, permitting a single individual to pass through while keeping the portal open for a maximum of an entire day, unless the scroll's controller opts to promptly close it.

The sanctuary consistently manufactured these gates annually, distributing them to the foremost ruler of each realm. As for whom the realm leader chose to bestow them upon? The sanctuary remained indifferent to such matters.

After entering the God Realm or other realms, the stages simplify to God, True God, Profound God, Spiritual God, Domain God, Heavenly God, Supreme God, God Ruler, God Sovereign, God Emperor, Void God, Celestial Ruler, Celestial Sovereign, Celestial Emperor, Celestial Sage, Void Celestial, Heavenly Ruler, Heavenly Sovereign, Heavenly Emperor, Heavenly Sage, and Heavenly Supreme.

______________________

2.) REALMS, RULES AND RESTRICTIONS

In this vast universe, there exist numerous realms, one of which is a unique domain known as the mortal realm—a place inaccessible to even Martial Cultivators and Martial Practitioners, including Mage and Summoners.

It distinguishes itself from other realms, as it exclusively permits entry to mortals or Martial Cultivators who have been stripped of their cultivation abilities, lacking spiritual roots and dantian. Simultaneously, it categorically prohibits Martial Practitioners, even if their dantian has been shattered, owing to their physique and strength surpassing that of ordinary humans.

Meanwhile, magicians and summoners have the same physical strength as mortals. If they lose or damage their magical roots, they will become just like mortals.

Above that were the lower, middle, upper, fairy, and immortal realms. Ancient texts mentioned other unknown realms, but only the Immortal realm has information about those domains such as; Underworld, God Realm, Demon Realm, Devil Realm, Magic Realm, Celestial Realm and so on. The Celestial Realm had various worlds divided for different clans, like the Dragon world, Phoenix world, and so on.

There are also Realm Cultivation Rules and Restrictions. Simply put, every realm has its own rules to protect its inhabitants.

If a higher-level cultivator, Practitioners or Mages and Summoners attempts to enter a lower realm where their strength isn't permitted, their power gets reduced to the highest level allowed in that realm. They can't tap into any greater force allowed there. If a cultivator tries to exceed these limits, they get immobilized and can't leave. Even returning to their own realm won't save them; the heavenly order annihilates them as punishment for breaking the rules.

Simultaneously, considering the strength of the bodies of those with higher cultivations, their cultivation level, which should have been limited to the highest level allowed in the realm, would be lowered to achieve balance. In short, if individuals from the fairy realm and above attempted to enter the realm below, their cultivation would be automatically sealed. This means they could only rely on their physical strength and couldn't utilize their aura, let alone employ suppression.

For those who crafted charms, magical tools, and such, even certain pills the heavens could sense, capable of unleashing formidable might, if their power exceeded the realm's limit, it'd naturally lessen to match the realm's highest strength. Regardless of its initial might, it would adjust to the realm's acceptable potency, shielding the creator from celestial punishment.

The first five stages for Martial Cultivators and the initial three stages for Martial Practitioners, and kept them confined to the lower realm. Upon reaching the sixth stage for Cultivators or the fourth stage for Practitioners, they had no choice but to move up to the middle realm.

Here, they could proceed to advance through another five stages for Cultivators and three stages for Practitioners. When they reached the eleventh stage as Cultivators and the sixth stage as Practitioners, they'd ascend once more to the upper realm, continuing their cultivation journey.

It was only at this point that they could aspire to become a Fairy Guru; upon achieving this, they'd be compelled to ascend again, unlocking the gateway to the Fairy realm. However, those at the ninth stage of Practitioners had no opportunity to progress further.

For Mages and Summoners, each is only allowed up to twenty stars for every realm, starting from the Immortal realm and below. There are a maximum of twenty stars for the Lower Realm, twenty-one stars to reach the Middle Realm, forty-one to reach the Upper Realm, sixty-one stars to reach the Fairy Realm, eighty-one stars to reach the Immortal Realm, and over one hundred stars to reach the Magic Realm. However, they are welcomed in other realms besides the Magic Realm, where magical particles are stronger than in any other places. Thus, they have the option to venture into any realm.

__________________________

3.) SPIRITUAL ROOTS AND DANTIAN

It is normal for some people to be born without spiritual roots, but dantian would always exist, whether it is activated or not, it is a normal and crucial part of the body. Subsequently, Mages and Summoners are no different from Mortals, the Magic Roots of Mages could not be transferred, while Summoners rely on their Souls.

There are three parts of the Dantian in the body: the Upper Dantian in the brain, the Middle Dantian in the chest, and the Lower Dantian in the lower abdomen. If these Dantians are not activated, individuals are considered 'Mortals' and are strongly advised to live in the mortal realm.

There are instances where one of the spiritual roots from the list of twenty heavenly spiritual roots is transferred from one person to another. However, transferring the dantian simultaneously is crucial since these two aspects highly complement each other.

On the other hand, if the spiritual root is not on the heavenly list, there's no need to transfer the dantian. Conversely, if only the dantian is transferred, even when the spiritual roots belong to the heavenly list, there's no need to transfer the spiritual roots.

Individuals who receive a higher-level dantian and spiritual roots, a higher dantian from a different body than their own, have a chance to integrate the new dantian and spiritual roots into their own body and utilize them as their own if they successfully survive. Their strength would significantly increase, and their cultivation would progress rapidly, reflecting the attributes of the new dantian and spiritual roots, or dantian.

Simultaneously, it would demand advanced skills, precious materials, and herbs to ensure the survival of those who have lost and received both the dantian and spiritual roots, or dantian. These valuable materials and herbs are enough to arouse people's greed.

In contrast to those who have damaged dantian or spiritual roots, who are considered mortals, individuals who lose both the dantian and spiritual roots will either die or survive for only ten years. Those who survive the loss of their dantian will have a limited chance to live for thirty years.

__________________________

4.) NINE GUARDIAN BEAST FOREST

The Nine Guardian Beast Forest, which existed in the middle part of every realm, covered an extensive and densely wooded area with towering trees, abundant medicinal herbs, and numerous beasts each with their own territories.

It also had boundaries and restrictions on every beast's cultivation. Similar to the realm rules, beasts with higher cultivations couldn't venture into the lower layers to cause havoc or dominate weaker beasts.

Weaker beasts, on the other hand, couldn't progress towards the higher layers unless their cultivation reached the peak of the allowed level for their current layer. Only then could they move to a higher layer and have the potential for their cultivation to advance to the next level.

For those weaker beasts born in a higher layer with a cultivation level higher than their own, it made them vulnerable to stronger beasts, leaving them with no choice but to move to lower layers that matched their cultivation levels.

Legends spoke of nine layers before reaching the center where the Realm's Ancient Guardian Beast resided. However, no one could prove its existence because, from the ninth layer, no one had ever successfully emerged alive.

Those who managed to escape and return to the boundary of the eighth and ninth layer always died from grave injuries, never having a chance to survive. Since then, no one had the courage to enter the ninth layer of any Realm's Nine Guardian Beast Forest.

___________________________

5.) CONTRACTS

There are two kinds of contracts: the highest and most demanding is the soul contract, while the other, commonly used by everyone, is the blood contract. Both contracts are further divided into two categories: the Equal contract and the Servant contract.

As the name suggests, a Soul Contract binds through the soul and requires the consent of both parties. Each person retains a small part of the other's soul, ensuring the contract endures even if the master is reincarnated.

Now, under the Equal Soul Contract, if one party's soul perishes, the other can sever the contract by releasing the shared soul fragment. However, since the deceased party possesses a part of the shared soul, the process will inevitably inflict injury, necessitating the healing of the loss.

The Servant Soul Contract operates differently. If the master's soul perishes, as long as the other party with the shared soul fragment remains alive, there's a path to healing the incomplete soul. Yet, this process takes countless years, and the regenerated master's soul might not be the same as before. However, if the holder of the shared soul fragment is also gravely wounded, there's no way to mend the master's fragment, leading to both their demise.

In essence, very few opt for Servant Soul Contracts due to the considerable risks and demands. Loyalty aside, not many are willing to enter such a binding agreement. There are also circumstances where the Servant Soul Contract is forged when both parties receive blessings from the heavens. It was bestowed to be the protector, as their master is the child of heaven.

Over hundreds of thousands of years, the knowledge of Soul Contracts has faded from memory. The full details, especially the process of binding the Soul Contract, remain elusive. It's almost as if the heavenly way forbids anyone from preserving such information. Those bound by it, though highly respected and feared, also face great peril if their master remains weak. They become the target of relentless pursuit, risking an early demise. This is why very few are aware of those bound by such contracts, as it's akin to possessing eternal life.

However, only a select few remember the existence of Soul Contracts. Most who retain this knowledge are those who've reached high levels of cultivation or those who've inherited the memories of certain ethnic groups, who sought to protect their descendants from entering into such contracts. Unfortunately, they possess only fragmentary details about the Soul Contract, as the complete process has been lost to time.

The Blood Contract operates exclusively through the binding power of blood, and it necessitates a willing agreement or enforcement.

Within the confines of the Equal Blood Contract, the demise of one party releases the other from the contract's constraints. However, even in death, the departing party's influence lingers, causing residual harm to the survivor.

Conversely, the Servant Blood contract intertwines the life of the servant with that of the master. Should the master meet their demise, so shall the servant. Yet, if the servant passes away, the master remains unaffected except for a minor loss in cultivation.

___________________________