Cultivation realms and terms
Blood Essence – Also known as Heart Essence. Refers to the concentration of vital energy or life force that flows through the body, which is often associated with the cultivation speed of spiritual energy, physical strength, and overall well-being. Blood essence mostly plays a crucial role in the development of physical and spiritual strength and is intrinsically connected to one's spiritual roots.
Spiritual Roots – figuratively, the very foundation (roots) of one's body and soul. Associated with a person's innate talent. Spirit roots have 5 grades that are also known as talent grades and are numbered from lowest [5] to highest [1]. Legends spoke of a mythical grade root known as Null Grade which is above grade 1 and is said to grant unimaginable qi absorption rates with no bottlenecks, but no one has seen one in tens of millennia.
Cultivation Base – the amount or capacity of refined Qi possessed by a cultivator.
Sutras & Scriptures – Generally viewed as sacred writings that contain detailed instructions on training in a cultivation method, martial arts, weapon arts or spells.
Internal Demons – Also known as Heart Devil/Demon. Rather than standard demons or devils, these are a practitioner's negative emotions and other mental barriers which hinder their training/cultivation. Internal Demons, in some cases, can even attack the practitioner from the inside, and failure to adequately resist them may result in Qi Deviation.
Qi Deviation – Literally translates as "to catch fire and be entered (possessed) by devils". A state wherein the cultivation base becomes dangerously unstable, causing internal damage to the body and symptoms of psychosis. People who succumb to their Internal Demons, who practice cultivation/martial arts incorrectly, or who rashly use forbidden arts are all at risk of falling into this state.
Dantian – Refers to the region in the body where a person's Qi is concentrated. It is located three finger widths below the navel.
Meridians – the network of vessels/channels in the body through which Qi flows. Like blood vessels, but for Qi instead of blood.
Acupoints – There are several hundred of them on the body, mostly located along the meridians. Knowledge of acupoints can be used in healing (through acupuncture or similar practices) or in combat by deliberately striking them to achieve certain effects.
Formations – divided into battle formations and spell formations, although they are often just called "formations". Spell formations are also called Arrays. They're essentially magic circles which cast a continuous area-of-effect spell on the location the formation encompasses.
• Formation Flags – magical flags set up at key points in order to activate a spell formation (usually around the perimeter).
• Restrictions – also translated as Seals, Restrictive Spells, or Spell Restrictions. Somewhat similar to formations. They are spells which form a barrier around a location or act to seal/suppress a person or object.
*Please note that I did not come up with these terminologies and explanations*
―――MORTAL REALMS―――
Early/Middle/Late/Peak stage
Qi Condensation – also known as Qi Refining or Qi Gathering. An initial stage of cultivation which involves absorbing Qi from the natural world and refining it inside the body. [Lifespan of 150 years]
Foundation Establishment – also translated as Foundation Building. Once a cultivator's Qi crosses a certain threshold (in the volume and/or density of the Qi), they'll be able to breakthrough to this stage. [Lifespan 300 years]
Core Formation – It involves forming a Golden Core by using the Dantian as a template and the Cultivation Base as raw material. The core is also acting as an embryo for the creation of a Nascent Soul. [Lifespan 600 years]
Nascent Soul – The Nascent Soul resembles an infant or miniature person and resides in the Dantian, the Nascent Soul can travel outside the body and is like a second life for cultivators. If their main body dies, their consciousness can continue to exist in the Nascent Soul. [Lifespan 1,200 years]
Soul Transformation – This stage is related to the growth of the Nascent Soul and mainly focuses on increasing its strength and density by solidifying it to make sure their Ascending breakthrough is successful. The majority of cultivators who reach this stage remain stuck as their foundation is not strong enough to support their solid Nascent Soul without their bodies falling apart. [Lifespan 2,400 years]
Mortal Ascension - At this stage, cultivators solidify their foundation and create a Soul Star between their solar plexus and heart. This star is also known as a Cultivation Matrix and embodies one's lifetime efforts. To create a Soul Star, the cultivator needs to compress all the qi in their body around their nascent soul and create a small spherical marble. This process takes a long time and requires utmost caution as this whole process is carried outside the cultivator's body. (For cultivators that have special bloodlines or physiques, they need to add a drop of their Heart Essence when creating the Soul Star, or their bodies will gradually lose said bloodlines or physiques after breaking trough.) [Lifespan 4,800 years]
――――Beast Cultivation――――
Early/Middle/Late/Peak stage
Rank 1 (EQ. Foundation Establishment)
Rank 2 (EQ. Core Formation)
Rank 3 (EQ. Nascent Soul)
Rank 4 (EQ. Soul Transformation)
Rank 5 (EQ. Mortal Ascension)
Rank 6 (EQ. Spirit Sequence)
―SOUL SEQUENCING REALMS―
Spirit Sequence (1) [9,600y]
Soul Ring Creation
Earth Sequence (2) [20,000y]
Soul Ring Creation
Heaven Sequence (3) [40,000y]
Soul Ring Creation + Axis Formation
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Void Sequence (4) [80,000y]
Soul Ring Creation
Detachment Sequence (5) [120,000y]
Soul Ring Creation
Rebirth Sequence (6) [300,000y]
Law Ring Creation + Axis Formation
*Sequences 4 and 5 are transitional and also known as "Tribulation Sequences"*
―
Divine Sequence (7) [500,000y]
Soul Ring Creation
Primordial Sequence (8) [2,500,000y]
Soul Ring Creation
Unity Sequence (9) [10,000,000y]
Soul Ring Creation + Axis Formation
*Sequences 7,8 & 9 are optional*
―――IMMORTAL REALMS―――
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―――――GOD REALMS―――――
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