Golden Core and Fun in the Hot Springs.

In 1st Path Cultivation, there are four minor realms. . .

Mortal Realm, Spirit Gathering Realm, Core Formation Realm, and Nascent Soul Realm.

The gaps between these stages were like huge chasms that divide cultivators into different leagues. Unless there were some crazy or unreasonable exceptions, someone in a higher realm would always crush someone of a lower realm.

In the Mortal Realm, cultivators would refine their vital Qi tirelessly to awaken their essence Qi and unlock their spiritual potential. The spiritual domain opened up a they would strengthen, blossom and transform it──like a delicate plant that must be cared for.

Before breaking into Spirit Gathering Realm, one must acquire one of the three specialized meridians──Stellar Essence Meridians, Harmony Earth Veins, and Solar Radiance Pathways. . . each gave them extra lifespan in this order: 400, 250, and 100 years. It was a level of strength Mortal Realm cultivators could only dream of.