Hey y'all! A quick cultivation manual for people not as experienced with the genre. I'll keep it brief and easy to understand. I use terms such as "Generally, Normally, Technically" because, frankly, the definitions can change in every single novel, and that's alright.
Cultivation
In short, cultivation is gathering Qi from your surroundings, "processing it," and refining it in order to become more powerful. The efficiency depends on your meridians and talent.
In system novels, this step might be changed or completely removed, and instead, cultivation becomes tied to the system.
Qi
Qi is technically a form of energy that can be shaped, controlled, and altered with various techniques or constitutions. Qi is generally gathered within the Dantian, which is an extra "organ" in cultivation novels.
Constitution
Essentially a body type. There are cases where someone is born with a special body. This can affect how Qi is processed, gathered, distributed, and so on. Some may give higher physical strength at the cost of Qi efficiency, while others make Qi gathering easier. Frankly, imagination is the limit here.
Meridians
Imagine something like blood vessels, but for Qi. Cultivators use these vessels to distribute Qi through their body. In many novels, these vessels are blocked, reducing efficiency. Cultivators are encouraged to "clear" them as they work toward higher realms.
Cultivation realms / stages
This is where creative freedom comes into play. While some novels use the general formula, many others get creative with it. These realms describe the strength of the cultivator.
Each realm is split into 10 stages - stage 1 being the weakest and stage 10 being the peak. At stage 10, the cultivator is at the "breaking through" point to advance into the next realm, and the cycle repeats.
If cultivation is stated as "Middle Stage," it usually refers to around stage 5. "Early Stage" covers stages 1–3, while "Late Stage" refers to stages 7–9. "Peak" always means stage 10.
In my novel, it goes like this –
Mortal – No cultivation whatsoever. Your average human.
Qi Gathering – Introduction phase. This is where every cultivator starts. Once you gather even a sliver of Qi within your dantian, you are considered to be at the Qi Gathering stage.
Foundation Establishment – Once you advance from Qi Gathering to a higher realm, this is where you land. The strength of Foundation Establishment is fundamentally different from Qi Gathering. As the name suggests, this is where a cultivator has laid and stabilized their foundation. New, more powerful, and complex techniques open up here.
Qi Condensation – This is where cultivators begin to condense their Qi into a "ball" – a core. The Qi at this point undergoes a radical change. It becomes stronger, easier to control, and much more flexible.
Golden Core – The core is fully condensed, and the cultivator advances to Golden Core. This stage can theoretically be called the real "foundation," as after this, the cultivator mostly focuses on building their soul. Golden Core cultivators are powerhouses. The gap in strength between Golden Core and Qi Condensation is a massive chasm.
Nascent Soul – Soul cultivation begins. A whole new world of cultivation opens up to the cultivator, with techniques fundamentally different from before. Such techniques include soul-based arts for attack, defense, or utility. For example, if a Nascent Soul cultivator dies, it's not over. Their soul is so strong that if they can find a new body, they can survive.
Soul Transformation – The soul undergoes a qualitative change. At this point, the cultivator is no longer even human, but a demi-god. They can split their soul into multiples—creating clones, traveling worlds by body possession, and so on.
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And more. But we'll leave that for when we get there.
Quick recap from weakest to strongest:
Mortal → Qi Gathering → Foundation Establishment → Qi Condensation → Golden Core → Nascent Soul → Soul Transformation
As for the Han Ye, his cultivation names are different, and he is fundamentally stronger than this worlds counterpart. For example, stage called - Terror Manifestation Realm is in this world Foundation establishment. This will be highlighted in thr status.