Cultivation

This article is about the conventional energy path, soul cultivation and body cultivation. For other cultivation paths click here (in development).

The conventional energy path is the one most followed in the martial world because if its balance. Between speed, power, explosiveness, healing ability, defense and more it has no weak attributes. While other paths may provide boosts in specific areas, the conventional energy path is the most stable. This instability in other paths and lack of their specific types of energy has caused the vast majority of people to utilize the conventional energy path.

Talent
An incredibly important aspect of cultivation is talent. More talented people can cultivate faster and with greater abilities at the same level. Talent can be split into three categories, energy, body and soul talent.

Energy talent is pretty straight forward being split into 10 possible grades based on their meridians. These grade determine how much energy one can store in their meridians, how much they can absorb at once and how well they can sense ambient energy. Greater talent makes it easier to sense energy meaning it is easier to comprehend higher forms of energy. The grades are 1-9 with 1 being the most talented then above that are true deity grade meridians.

Body cultivation talent usually manifests itself as a constitutions. Constitutions give their owners special abilities and greater bodily strength at equivalent levels. Constitutions also have an impact on energy cultivation talent. Having a constitutions ensures you have at least good energy talent.

Soul cultivation talent is based on one's innate soul strength and aurora. The greater one's innate soul strength the greater their soul talent. Along with that is the aurora. Having an innate aurora is an incredible boost to the abilities of one's soul. Another way to look at soul talent is through a manifestation. The stronger the manifestation, the greater the talent.

Energy Cultivation
Energy Cultivation consists of six major tiers. It starts with priming the body for cultivation in the first two realms and then each subsequent level after involves using a different type of energy to fill meridians. The higher the cultivation level the harder it is to fill meridians.

Each cultivation level is defined by how many meridians someone opened/filled while in the previous level. A cultivator can only fill up to however many meridians they opened/filled in the previous level. Cultivators are split into grades and orders. The more meridians opened/filled the greater the difference between grades and orders.

Starting with the Saint level, cultivators will undergo tribulation when they try and enter the next major realm. The strength of the tribulation is based on energy cultivation talent with the more talented you are the harder the tribulation.

Also starting with the saint level cultivators can improve their foundation with a new type of energy. Before entering the saint level but after comprehending saint energy, a cultivator can improve their foundation using the stronger type of energy. This will make them stronger in the same realm and make future breakthroughs easier. The only problem is that to do it properly it takes time. This can be done for the celestial and dao formation realms too. Cultivators who do this are called pseudo-saints, pseudo-celestials and pseudo-dao formation.

Foundation Stage (9 Levels) (500 years)

 * Strengthening (1)
 * Flesh (2)
 * Bone (3)
 * Marrow (4)
 * Internal Organs (5-6)
 * Nervous System (7-9)

Meridian Formation Stage (12 Levels) (500 years)
Uses wills to open up the meridians in the body. The more wills used to open meridians, the better prepared they are to absorb energy later on. Every nine meridians is considered a minor stage. A cultivator can enter the next realm as long as they have opened at least 54 meridians. 81 opened meridians is considered the peak but the maximum number of meridians an ordinary cultivator can open is 108.
 * Stage 1: 1-9 meridians
 * Stage 2: 10-18 meridians
 * Stage 3: 19-27 meridians
 * Stage 4: 28-36 meridians
 * Stage 5: 37-45 meridians
 * Stage 6: 46-54 meridians (7th grade)
 * Stage 7: 55-63 meridians (6th grade)
 * Stage 8: 64-72 meridians (5th grade)
 * Stage 9: 73-81 meridians (4th grade)
 * Stage 10: 82-90 meridians (3rd grade)
 * Stage 11: 91-99 meridians (2nd grade)
 * Stage 12: 100-108 meridians (1st grade)

Essence Gathering Stage (12 Levels) (2,000 - 3,000 years)
Uses essence energy to fill the meridians opened in the meridian formation stage. In order to enter the saint realm one must fill at least 63 meridians with essence energy.
 * Stage 1: 1-9 meridians
 * Stage 2: 10-18 meridians
 * Stage 3: 19-27 meridians
 * Stage 4: 28-36 meridians
 * Stage 5: 37-45 meridians
 * Stage 6: 46-54 meridians (7th grade)
 * Stage 7: 55-63 meridians (6th grade)
 * Stage 8: 64-72 meridians (5th grade)
 * Stage 9: 73-81 meridians (4th grade)
 * Stage 10: 82-90 meridians (3rd grade)
 * Stage 11: 91-99 meridians (2nd grade)
 * Stage 12: 100-108 meridians (1st grade)

Saint Stage (12 Levels) (5,000 years)
Uses saint energy to open meridians filled in the essence gathering stage. One must understand an intent to enter the saint stage. In order to enter the Celestial realm one must fill at least 72 meridians with saint energy.
 * Stage 1: 1-9 meridians
 * Stage 2: 10-18 meridians
 * Stage 3: 19-27 meridians
 * Stage 4: 28-36 meridians
 * Stage 5: 37-45 meridians
 * Stage 6: 46-54 meridians
 * Stage 7: 55-63 meridians (6th grade)
 * Stage 8: 64-72 meridians (5th grade)
 * Stage 9: 73-81 meridians (4th grade)
 * Stage 10: 82-90 meridians (3rd grade)
 * Stage 11: 91-99 meridians (2nd grade)
 * Stage 12: 100-108 meridians (1st grade)

Celestial Stage (12 Levels) (10,000 years)
Uses celestial energy to open meridians filled in the saint stage. When entering the celestial stage one forms a pseudo-domain, a space carved out from the heavens for themselves. Using this pseudo-domain celestials can manipulate energy in the atmosphere around them. In order to enter the dao formation realm one must fill at least 81 meridians with celestial energy.
 * Stage 1: 1-9 meridians
 * Stage 2: 10-18 meridians
 * Stage 3: 19-27 meridians
 * Stage 4: 28-36 meridians
 * Stage 5: 37-45 meridians
 * Stage 6: 46-54 meridians
 * Stage 7: 55-63 meridians
 * Stage 8: 64-72 meridians (5th grade)
 * Stage 9: 73-81 meridians (4th grade)
 * Stage 10: 82-90 meridians (3rd grade)
 * Stage 11: 91-99 meridians (2nd grade)
 * Stage 12: 100-108 meridians (1st grade)

Dao Formation Stage (12 Levels) (100,000 years per level)
Uses enigmatic energy to open meridians filled in the celestial stage. When entering the dao formation realm one's pseudo-domain evolves into a true domain.
 * Stage 1: 1-9 meridians
 * Stage 2: 10-18 meridians
 * Stage 3: 19-27 meridians
 * Stage 4: 28-36 meridians
 * Stage 5: 37-45 meridians
 * Stage 6: 46-54 meridians
 * Stage 7: 55-63 meridians
 * Stage 8: 64-72 meridians
 * Stage 9: 73-81 meridians (4th grade)
 * Stage 10: 82-90 meridians (3rd grade)
 * Stage 11: 91-99 meridians (2nd grade)
 * Stage 12: 100-108 meridians (1st grade)

Half-Step Transcendent (1.2+ million years)
Also called Higher Existences, they must climb what is called the transcendent heavenly staircase to break free of the mortal plane. A cultivator must reach the peak of the dao-formation realm in two of the three cultivation categories to become a half-step transcendent and transcend. Without a peak dao formation soul it is impossible to transcend. Half-step transcendents begin to form their souls and when their formed souls awaken, energy from the immortal plane is called down allowing them to transcend. Their lifespans are at least that of a 12th stage dao formation expert but they can live much longer than that.

One main reason why a half-step transcendent is far more powerful than a peak dao expert is because of martial intent. Martial intent is the ability of one's will to effect reality. This goes far beyond wills like wind will. Martial intent is what creates faith seeds and is the basis of presence, one of the most powerful techniques in existence.

While failing to climb the transcendent heavenly staircase usually results in death, the few who survive are known as Fallen. Fallen are more powerful than peak dao experts but weaker than half-step transcendents.


 * Fallen : Failed but survived
 * Higher Existence : 3333 steps or less
 * Lord : 3334 to 6666 steps
 * Supreme : 6667 to 9999 steps

Transcendent (None)
A transcendent is someone who has surpassed the mortal plane and gone to the immortal plane or was born on the immortal plane. People who transcend have their mortal bodies stripped away and are give new bodies at the immortal essence realm. A transcendent has no set lifespan but as long as their mental state remains intact they won't die. Even the the most horrific injuries can be healed but presumably that can effect one's dao heart (mental state) thus reducing their "lifespan". Levels on the immortal plane are similar to the mortal plane.


 * Immortal Essence Realm
 * Immortal Saint Realm
 * Immortal Celestial Realm
 * Immortal Law Realm
 * Gains the ability to fly on the immortal plane
 * Immortal God Realm
 * Presumably those who have formed origin sources

Grades and Orders
Cultivators are split into grades and orders based on how many meridians they previously filled and opened. The higher the grade/order, the greater the difference between each level. This means the difference between one meridian can be greater than an entire stage.
 * 7th Grade - 54 meridians
 * 6th Grade - 55-63 meridians
 * 5th Grade - 64-72 meridians
 * 4th Grade - 73-81 meridians
 * 3rd Grade Low Order - 82-85 meridians
 * 3rd Grade High Order - 85-90 meridians
 * 2nd Grade Low Order - 91-93 meridians
 * 2nd Grade Mid Order - 94-96 meridians
 * 2nd Grade High Order - 97-99 meridians
 * 1st Grade 1st Order - 100 meridians
 * 1st Grade 2nd Order - 101 meridians
 * 1st Grade 3rd Order - 102 meridians
 * 1st Grade 4th Order - 103 meridians
 * 1st Grade 5th Order - 104 meridians
 * 1st Grade 6th Order - 105 meridians
 * 1st Grade 7th Order - 106 meridians
 * 1st Grade 8th Order - 107 meridians
 * 1st Grade 9th Order - 108 meridians

Soul Cultivation
Soul cultivation is split into 12 major levels which are then divided into early, mid, late and peak stages. Levels of the soul also correspond to energy/body cultivation levels and if one's energy or body cultivation are not at the required level their soul will be too strong for their body and they will die. It is incredibly rare for someone to have a soul strength equal to their cultivation level let alone surpass it.

Starting with the celestial stage one's soul is capable of utilizing different types of energies. These energies are called comet, moon, planet and star qi. Many secondary occupations such as alchemy and forging are dependent on soul strength. While skill is very important, one's maximum is determined by how powerful their soul is.

While soul cultivation does not translate into battle power very well, it is still incredibly important. People with more powerful souls can think faster and comprehend things more easily. This makes comprehending techniques and wills easier for those with more powerful souls.

Mortal Levels

 * 1-2 - Foundation Stage
 * 3-4 - Meridian Formation Stage
 * 5-6 - Essence Gathering Stage
 * 7-8 - Saint Stage
 * 9-10 - Celestial Stage
 * Divine Sense Forms
 * Comet and moon level energies
 * 11-12 - Dao Formation
 * Planet and star level energies

Immortal Levels
Once one reached the immortal realm of the soul, cultivation split into two. One was cultivation of the senses, while the second was cultivation of the nascent soul. Immortal Souls weren’t as fragile as mortal souls. Some could even use it for direct combat, and it was almost considered a second body for many immortal cultivators. Immortal Sense allow one to Understand bodies to the finest of details, making cultivation easier but also allow one to communicate with the Heavens easier, making the comprehension of wills, intents, daos and beyond far easier

Senses
 * World Seer : 3 Grades

Power

Body Cultivation
Standard body cultivation is about refining and changing one's blood to make it more powerful. Gradually improving one's blood is incredibly painful as it requires drilling into bone and changing a fundamental aspect of the body. This will increase every part of a person just like regular cultivation but it also provides a greater increase in durability than regular energy cultivation.