Chapter 199 - Cultivation & Other Glossaries (1/2)

Cultivation and Levels of Cultivation

Cultivating is usually performed meditating in a specific way. There are many methods of Cultivation. Those that are suited for some people are not always suitable for others.

A person must have an awakened root in order to cultivate, but a person who does have an awakened root still may not have the ability. If one is not determined, patient and have the time to cultivate, one should not try to step on the path. If one has physical problems such as blocked meridians or a damaged innersea, one will have no ability to cultivate.

A dormant root is not necessarily an obstacle as there are pills that can awaken them. It is not recommended that children over the age of ten attempt to awaken their roots. The older a person is, the more likely they are to fail. Failure will damage the root and shrink the meridians making it nearly impossible to fix. Life expectancy may also be reduced as well as overall physical health.

There is often a bottleneck between stages.

Core Formation Stage

Core formation the time a Cultivator forms his inner core. Peak stage simply means the Cultivator is soon to advance. Some Cultivators do not recognise those that have not formed their core as being Cultivators.

Primary (a cultivator's first level after their roots awakened and they begin cultivating.)

Secondary

Tertiary

Body Tempering Phase

Body tempering is the transformation of the body, making it stronger, sturdier, physical impurities completely removed and ageing lessened considerably. Once this phase is complete, a cultivator can expect a very long life and no need to eat food, diamond like skin in both toughness and clarity. No longer likely to contract illness, plus all five senses greatly improved. Any physical impairment would also be fixed.

Each level has a low, mid and peak sub level. Each sub level is like reaching another initial level.

Quaternary

Quinary

Senary

Mind Tempering Phase

This is tempering of the mind; greater intelligence and reasoning, greater memory, much quicker of thought and greater mental senses; i.e. to danger, to atmospheric changes, to general moods. Any mental impairment, in theory, would also be fixed, but in Ren Zexian's world, this has yet to be proven.

Each level has five sub levels. We'll call them stars as this term is used in at least one of my favourite cultivation novels!

Septenary

Octonary

Nonary

Soul Tempering Phase

Soul Tempering Phase is considered the true path to immortality. In a middle realm, it is as rare as Phoenix teeth to reach this stage, however it is believed that there are those able to complete this path and reach the Heavens.

Each level has seven sub levels, making this the hardest phase to conquer.

Denary

Onodenary (this is made up, because apparently, an equivalent for eleven does not exist)

Duodenary (however, this word does exist!)

Who knows what, if anything, comes next!

Roots and levels of roots

Roots represent peoples abilities, so they are mostly elemental. The more roots a person has, the more difficult to tailor their needs with cultivation methods, plus their ability to advance is much slower, hence those with three roots are considered wastes.

Major Roots

Major roots have the most control over their elements and can 'create' their element from 'thin air'.

There are five major roots being Wood, Fire, Earth, Water and Metal.

Minor Roots

Minor roots are not as powerful as major roots, partially as they only encompass a part of the ability found in Major roots. They also are considered to derive from major roots. For example Water is the major root, Ice is a minor root. Water root owners can create and manipulate water including turning it to steam or ice. Ice root cannot control water, just manipulate it, but they can change existing water to either steam or ice. The name does not mean they can just deal with ice.

Examples of minor roots; Grounding(gravity), lightning, ice, sand, rock, air, plant, spirit, fog, sword, dark, light...

Body roots are often considered waste roots. Few established Cultivators will bother to train someone with either only this type of root or someone with lots of roots. These roots affect only the user. So the water equivalent of 'mist', their owners can perhaps breathe under water and not get wet in rain. Hence considered a bit useless.

Examples of body roots; Blessed, thunder, spark, smoke, diamond, curse, iron, mist, bone, feather, stone, star, lava...

There are naturally exceptions to the rules such as Jin Li's lightning, which is often seen as almost on par with a major root in many people's opinion and Leon's Star root, which actually does more than his own body and abilities.

There are mutated roots, but these are very rare and few and far between and even then it might not necessarily be a good thing to have.

Alchemist Glossary

Healing Pills & Potions

One Heart Pill Helps heal external wounds

Blood Pill Helps heal internal wounds

Vital Essence Pill Helps regenerate blood

Soft Ice Pill reduces fevers and swellings

Bone Regrowth Pill Helps heal broken and fractured bones

False Recovery Pill Temporarily removes all pain

Still Mind Pill Calms inner sea after advancement during Core Formation Phase

Tranquil Mind Pill Calms inner sea after advancement during Body Tempering Phase

Enlightened Mine Pill Calms inner sea after advancement during Mind Tempering Phase

One Pulse Pill General regeneration Pill

Basic Purifying Potion removes low levels of impurities within the body

White Warming Potion promotes recovery during sickness

Fire Water Tonic heals chill effects such as frost bite

Gentle Snowflower Balm heals burns

Cultivation Pills

Root Origin Pill Awakens dormant roots

Clear Spiritual Pill Helps promote cultivation, only effective for Primary stage Cultivators

Cloudy Spiritual Pill Helps promote cultivation, only effective during second and third stages of Core Formation

Misty Spiritual Pill Helps promote cultivation, only effective during Body Tempering Stages

White Spiritual Pill Helps promote cultivation, only effective during Mind Tempering Stages

Light Chi Elixir herbal bath soak to help promote cultivation

Combat Pills & Potions

Burning Energy Pill Increases temporarily level of ability, only effective for primary stage Cultivators

Burning Blood Pill increases temporarily level of ability, only effective for second and third stages of Core Formation

Burning Heart Pill increases temporarily level of ability, only effective during body formation stages

False Root Pill randomly and temporarily gives the cultivator the abilities of another root, considered unreliable

Seven Steps Pill increases temporarily swiftness and agility, also considered an Enhancement Pill

Dark Flame Potion A flammable oil that happens to burst into flames once exposed to air

Root Nullifying Potion Prevents a person splashed with this poison from using their natural root abilities

Beast Pills & Potions

Beast Calming Pill A Pill that Calms the natural temperament of weak beasts, making them easier to tame

Beast Soothing Pill A Pill That Calms the natural temperament of low to average strength beasts, making them easier to tame

Hidden Mist Pill Reduces the scent of low level Cultivators

Dream Blossom Potion a sleeping potion that only works on beasts

Enhancement and Transformation Pills & Potions