Cultivation Levels

  Major Realms:

  Yellow Realm

  Earth Realm

  Sky Realm - Usually referred to as Immortals.

  Divine Realm - Usually referred to as Divines or Gods by any inhabitants of planes below the Divine tier.

  Astral Realm - Practically unknown to anyone except Divines. They are referred to as the Pinnacle of Cultivation.

  Minor Realms (All realms except the Astral one is comprised of the four of them):

  Body Realm - Strengthen and improve one's body.

  Spirit Realm - Strengthen and improve one's consciousness and qi control.

  Soul Realm - Strengthen and improve one's Soul and overall prowess (a small increase to everything).

  Integration Realm - Strengthen and improve one's knowledge, wisdom, and/or understanding of the Dao. Each of the levels grants a significant increase to overall prowess.

  Furthermore, each minor realm is divided into levels. These levels are numbered from 1 to 9.

  A secret level also called the 10th level or Heaven Secret level is present. Not only it grants the opportunity to jump over a difference in cultivation but also guarantees a safe breakthrough between minor or major realms. Extremely hard to accomplish without having the information relevant to its requirements.

  Yellow Realm

  It is important to understand that the yellow realm being the lowest possible one is fairly different from the two following major realms that are considered "cultivation" in the middle and upper tier planes.

  The main difference is in the manner in which the levels of its minor realms are completed to increase one's cultivation.

  Each level has a more or less clear objective as to how to pass it. For example, the 1st level of the Body realm requires one to be able to sense qi and simply absorb it for the first time.

  A table is provided for commodity.

  Note: Healing with qi is almost ineffective before the Sage realm.

  As for the heaven secret level, lost level, or 10th level, the requisite is to connect and fully obtain an ability from the next level:

  - Body Realm requires to open the secondary meridians (naturally opened at the 1st level of the Earth Realm minor Body Realm).

  - Spirit Realm requires creating a secondary (or elemental) qi pool (naturally granted at the 4th level of the Earth Realm minor Spirit Realm).

  - Soul Realm requires to manifest one's soul image (naturally possible after reaching the 7th level of the Earth Realm minor Soul Realm).

  - Integration Realm requires to sense any dao laws (one's first laws are naturally obtained at the 9th level of the Earth Realm minor Integration Realm).

  Each of the levels and minor realms grants the cultivator new abilities and an increase in power.

  Resumed:

  - Each Body Realm level will make one's body stronger or more resilient and for some grant an increase in life-force (between 45 and 60 years depending on the cultivator). It also will allow a cultivator to increase one's strength or speed by infusing qi (for a short amount of time) up to 10 times from the original.

  - The Spirit Realm will allow a cultivator to create a dantian and store qi. Each level will either improve the dantian or grant an increase to the overall capacity and speed of use. Qi absorption can be increased by special methods, granting a cultivator the ability to always be in a peak state (strenght+speed+defense capacities of the body being increased by a practically natural qi infusion).

  One's consciousness will be also unlocked, allowing a cultivator to increase his intelligence, retention capacity, and memory. One's senses will also unlock and can be trained up to the 3rd level.

  - The Soul Realm will allow a cultivator to connect to one's soul. Albeit the main increase from each level will go towards the soul and aura of a cultivator, the overall prowess will get a slight natural increase (law of compensation, a strong soul needs a strong vessel).

  - The Integration Realm will allow a cultivator to unlock his mind power and begin training it. Each level will also significatively increase one's prowess as normally each level requires to increase one's three qualities (body, spirit, and soul).

  Peak normal "Sage" Yellow realm cultivator:

  - Live up to 200 years

  - Ignore mortal diseases and poisons

  - Can physically affect up to a mile with their mind or soul powers

  - Slight capacity of glimpsing into the future

  - Strength comparable to 50-100 mortals (depending on cultivation technique)

  - Speed (with no movement technique or skill) above 100 mph

  - Fully trained senses allow to see, hear, smell, sense qi in an area up to 2 miles

  - Fully trained senses allow to discern any herb, medicine, poison, etc. of the Spirit level and below

  - Perfect memory

  Earth Realm

  The Earth Realm, as well as the following Sky realm, are considered the "normal" realms of a cultivator in Middle and Upper tier planes respectively.

  The most significant difference can be resumed in the manner each level is broken through.

  No level or minor realm has any objectives and will be broken through when reaching a threshold of qi and soul power. The only real requisite is to find, get, obtain, or be injected with enough martial insight.

  This "Martial Insight" is an accumulation of experience and inspiration coming from cultivation, meditation, battles, mastery of skills, etc.

  Each of the levels is also separated into three states. Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced.

  So a cultivator would make two natural half breakthroughs (reaching a threshold) and only then be able to prepare for a full breakthrough into the next level.

  And the other, important, difference between the Earth realm and the Yellow realm was the breakthrough process itself. If in the case of the latter one would finish obtaining new powers and be spent of qi, but in the former the situation was different. The amount of qi that an Earth realm cultivator required was enormous (and so practically always supplied externally), but because of the use of "Martial Insight", in the end, some of this qi would be absorbed into one's dantian. So after each level or minor realm breakthrough, an Earth Realm cultivator would be fully replenished.

  Each of the levels will bring an enormous increase in combat strength and so jumping even over a single level is considered something possible only for geniuses.

  Minor realms also bring their benefits, which are:

  - Each Body Realm level will increase one's physical capacities. Including a severe increase in speed, strength, and lifespan. Reaching even the first level will allow a cultivator to "skywalk" (walking on air / mistakenly considered flying).

  - The Spirit Realm increases will center on one's qi and consciousness. Albeit the physique will be also improved, the main beneficiary will be the qi pool, qi control, and fighting prowess. Eventually, it will allow a cultivator to control one's qi enough to fly amongst other things.

  Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work!

  - The Soul Realm will allow a cultivator to merge with one's soul. Not only one's aura will be able to cover several miles, but it will also be capable of affecting both physical and void spaces. Eventually, it will allow one to manifest the soul (Martial Soul) to increase one's strength or weaken the opponent for a brief time.

  - The Integration Realm will allow one to sense the initial Dao laws. By using one's understanding of the latter, such a realm cultivator can affect the world itself. This includes the creation of artificial void spaces amongst other things.

  Average peak "Saint" Earth realm cultivator:

  - Live up to 500 years (relevant treasures and techniques can be used to prolong it up to 1000 years)

  - Have perfect health (except for afflictions and poisons comparable to the Sky realm)

  - Affect an area between 10 and 15 miles around themselves

  - Strength comparable to 1000-10000 mortals (depending on cultivation technique and learned Dao laws)

  - Speed above the sound (affected by several factors)

  - Fully trained senses allow to see, hear, smell, sense qi in an area between 10 and 15 miles

  - Flight

  Miscellaneous Information

  Some of the realms have local names, otherwise, the cultivators are always referred by their stage/level/realm.

  Even so, a few terms are considered universal:

  - Earth Realm cultivators are usually referred to as Warriors. The word Lord, King, Emperor is added depending on the minor realm (respectively Body, Spirit, Soul).

  - Sky Realm cultivators are usually referred to as Immortals. The word Mortal, Earth, Heavenly (Sky can be also used) is added depending on the minor realm (respectively Body, Spirit, Soul).

  - Integration (4th Minor) Realm cultivators are always referred to as Sages, Saints, True Immortals, Divine Sovereigns (respectively for the Yellow, Earth, Sky, Divine major realms).

  - People below the common Major realm in the plane are called mortals. This term can be used both normally and in a derogatory way. Common Major realms are Yellow, Earth, and Sky respectively for Lower, Medium, and Higher tier planes.

  Techniques, Skills, Spells

  The types (and a short description) are:

  There also exist both techniques and skills for weapons. Usually, they are considered stronger than their bare-handed equivalent. Mostly because of the weapon itself being added to one's initial strength.

  Categorized by rarity (Common, Uncommon, Rare, Very Rare).

  Standing out are the extremely rare single-weapon techniques and skills. They are unique and can only be used with the weapon they were created for. Their power not only surpasses equivalent techniques and skills but also has reduced expenditure. As they are traded along with the weapon, their value can easily double in comparison to a similar weapon and technique/skill.

  Some techniques or skills form a set. In some cases, this set can increase the individual powers of the techniques or skills, while in other cases it can be fused into a single one. A thing to note is that a complete set is considered to be a tier higher when being valued.

  Mastery

  All of the paths, skills, techniques, weapons, laws, etc. have a relevant system to track one's progress and/or level.

  Weapon Mastery

  - Mortal/Common training (Beginner to Advanced). Fully mastered is equivalent to a mortal (no cultivation) weapon expert.

  - Path of the Weapon (1st to 9th Steps. Can be also referred to as levels 1-9). Requires training in techniques and skills relevant to the weapon as well as combat experience. A common way to gauge one's skills with a weapon.

  - Body as a Weapon (Beginner to Peak). Full understanding of a weapon, to the point of not need to use the actual weapon for any skills. Not only it allows the body to become a weapon but increases one's physique by a great amount. Peak also grants the possibility of jumping over a level of cultivation during a fight (if the opponent has not reached a similar level of mastery). Weapon intent and Weapon breath can be conjured.

  - Weapon in Heart (Beginner to Peak). Similar to Body as Weapon. Adds the ability to conjure a weapon from surrounding qi (without the usage of techniques or qi). Peak also grants the possibility of jumping over a level of cultivation during a fight (if the opponent has not reached a similar level of mastery). Weapon intent and Weapon breath can be controlled.

  - Weapon in Soul (Beginner to Peak). Ability to conjure and control an unlimited amount of weapons from Soul power (comparable to a treasured Earth-level weapon). One's aura will be naturally imbued with weapon intent and weapon breath, equivalent in strength to the cultivator strength.

  - Realm of the Weapon (Beginner to Peak). Absolute mastery and understanding of a weapon. The weapon breath is also permanently infused into any movement of the cultivator. If one was to will it, a single thought can contain enough weapon intent to kill a similar strength cultivator (with lesser mastery).

  Techniques, Martial Skills, Spells

  Any cultivator manual, skill, technique, or even spell mastery is divided into 9 (with 8 being commonly known) levels or steps. Each one grants an increase in strength and control while also decreasing the needed seals, skills, thoughts, qi, soul power, and/or mind power.

  Non-Martial Paths

  Even though most of them can be used by cultivators for/in battle, such a term is used to describe runes, formations, refining, medicine, etc.

  Most of the paths require cultivation or are aided by cultivation.

  Basic

  - Apprentice

  - Master

  - Grandmaster

  Intermediate

  Path of the Saint, which is divided into 9 levels depending on one's skills and proficiency.

  Advanced

  - Astral Master

  - Astral Grandmaster

  - ???

  Beasts, Herbs, Pills, Weapons, Treasures

  Beasts

  A beast that can both sense and absorb qi is called a Spirit beast.

  They are divided into 9 levels, assigned because of the danger or their cultivation equivalent. The following chart provides a comparison between the 9 levels and their respective Yellow Realm equivalent:

  Peak level Sage realm cultivators are incomparable to 9th level Spirit beasts, being able to easily win over them.

  Afterward, the beasts able to do so (or born from such parents) become Saint beasts. An interesting fact is that all the Saint beasts are capable of speech and have intelligence comparable to humans.

  They are also categorized into 9 levels, the comparison is with Earth Realm cultivators. Because of this, Saint beasts are sometimes referred to as Beast Lords, Kings, or Emperors (depending on their level).

  Further evolution is possible.

  Herbs

  Herbs are divided into several categories, with each of the following being more rare, precious, and having increased effects.

  - Common (No qi, considered weeds on most planes except the lowest-tiered ones)

  - Quasi-Spirit (Absorbs qi, but has not reached the level or effect of a Spirit Herb. Unique to lower-tier planes)

  - Spirit (Can only grow when absorbing qi. Grows on all planes)

  - Earth (Requires qi and special environment. Very rare in tiers below the medium-tier)

  - Sky (Requires qi, environment, land, and other special requirements depending on the kind. Rarely found on planes below Upper-tier ones)

  - Divine (Each stalk is unique can only be found by sheer luck even in Upper-tier planes)

  Another three types are extremely rare and impossible to find by normal means. Making them even more valuable than Divine Herbs.

  - Void (Only grow in the void, normally guarded by Astral Scourges)

  - Astral (Only grow in the accessible parts of the Astral Road. Can be harvested only by cultivators at least of the True Immortal or above)

  - Heavenly Gift (Only appear in stories. Supposedly are granted by the heavens themselves)

  Weapons

  Weapons are divided into several tiers as well.

  The following table contains their title, maker, and material (minimum).

  Furthermore, each of these categories can be divided into tiers depending on the quality and strength of the weapon. Namely, they can be considered inferior, low, medium, good, supreme, or godly.

  All of the weapons from the Earth tier also have a semblance of consciousness. Weapons above the Sky tier are endowed with a soul.

  Armor

  Armor is categorized in the same way as weapons. Overall requirements are the same.

  Pills

  Pill quality is heavily dependant on the level of mastery that their refiner has.

  Overall, they are divided into four grand categories being Common, Earth, Sky, Divine.

  A few unique and special pills do exist, but they are extremely rare and so are simply called as such.

  Each pill can be assigned one of the 9 levels of quality depending on the pureness, effect, and lack of side effects (if applicable).

  - Common pills can be refined by any refiner.

  - Earth pills can be refined by any level Rune Saints and above.

  - Sky pills can be refined by 9th level Rune Saints and above.

  - Divine pills can be refined only by Astral Master Refiners and above.

  Treasures

  Because of the enormous amount of different treasures, including single-use or disposable ones as well materials, the categorization is extremely complex. For such a reason, normally the item in question is first assigned one of the main four categories - Common, Earth, Sky, or Divine. Afterward depending on use, rarity, and author (if applicable), the treasure is assigned a level of rarity varying between 0 and 100 (from low to high).

  As an example, the Astral Phasing Orb is considered a Sky tier treasure, with a rarity of 70. Bluntly, this means that at least 70 percent of the cultivators will never be able to even see one.