Cultivation levels:
Divided into stages and each stage is divided into phases. Each phase is also devided in the classical early, mid and peak level.
Heaven Opening:
The initial stage of cultivation
1st phase: qi gathering phase: In this phase, the normal human has to focus on moving source qi towards them. Once they can gather some qi into their spirit veins they are officially past this stage.
2nd phase: Flesh refining: One has to guide the source qi through the spirit-veins to refine it. And then, transport it along certain paths to strengthen the flesh. This also strengthens the spirit veins and, with time, it makes them able to gather more qi. (Not a permanent increase of strength, once you run out of qi you are as weak as any other human. The qi is stored in nodes that in turn seep qi to the muscles.
3rd phase: bone strengthening: It is practically the same as the one before, only that here the cultivator will gather qi into the nodes that are connected to the bones.
To break through:
Using movements of qi, the cultivator refines and expands the nodes. ( Most nodes have different ways of refinement.) Then through a natural process, the nodes start to fuse with the flesh, the effect is called overlapping. Once all nodes are expanded, they cover the body and make it possible for a cultivator to move their inner qi to strengthen to a higher degree some parts of their bodies.( Normally, when they do this some other part of their body gets weaker in consequence.)
Note: There are cultivation techniques that only show how to enlarge a few nodes, taking the cultivator to the half-step qi circulation.
Qi circulation:
1st phase, initial phase: In this phase, the cultivator focuses on strengthening their recently enlarged nodes as well as making the inner qi travel faster from one place of their bodies to others. The speed at which it moves can make the difference between life and death in this phase. Since when you move more inner qi to one arm, for example, the rest of your body will have less qi. But, there are high-level techniques ( elite techniques) that can make up for this deficiency.
2d phase, projection phase: After the refining of the nodes reaches a certain level, the cultivator becomes able to use qi outside of their spirit veins and out of their bodies. This is the stage where cultivators start practicing images. ( The level where Aleran’s abilities will start to really show)
3rd phase, Seed creation: The cultivator starts to compress their inner qi creating a small but extremely concentrated ball of qi inside their bodies. Once it is complete, the cultivator will start having more dense qi. At this level, besides taking a huge leap in the quantity of qi they can store, the inner qi becomes so dense that cultivators can create a barrier of pure inner qi that protects them. The power of their images is also generally more powerful due to the thickness of their qi. Those who are close to the peak can create pseudo domains, imitating a technique of those at the Qi Manifestation real. (Between the second phase and the third, there's a huge gap and is the stage where cultivators can become more independent. The techniques to form the seed are tightly controlled.)
Breakthrough next level:??????
Qi Manifestation:??????
Images:(will be filled later to not spoil anything, for now just know that there are limits and that you can't just use all images from the very beginning. There are like slots for images.)
Martial stances:( the same as above, they will be filled after they are introduced)
Bloodlines:( the same as above, they will be filled after they are introduced. hey will also be ecplained as Aleran discovers what they are)
Beasts ranks:
Although these ranks can be used as a general power rank, there are exceptions, The creatures are categorized not according to their power but according to how they use their qi.
Mortal beasts: Everyday creatures, not directly affected by source qi.
E.g, the wolfs of the forest of eternal darkness. Even though in the world people think of them as Earthly beasts, some even categorizing them as a special case of a weak beast in between Heavenly and Earthly tier, their poisonous fog is actually made by special glands. This makes it a purely biological creature, something that Aleran would be more familiar with. This is a clear example of a creature that is more powerful than some Source beats.
Source beasts: Beasts that can use raw source qi ( some without even refine it into inner qi.) Generally, in simple ways like protection barriers or to gain sudden bursts of speed. This simple use of the source qi makes them the easiest beasts to deal with. They are commonly weaker than Earthly beasts, but there can be cases of source beasts as strong as Heavenly beasts.
E.g. The flying rocks of the forest of eternal nightmares. ( They use source qi as a form of impulse.) These creatures are often miss categorized as Earthly beasts because of their rock-like appearance. But in fact, that is simply thick skin with the aspect of rocks.
Earthly beasts: The base level of these creatures is at the human equivalent of qi circulation. They have some images fused with their bodies. Nobody knows as to why or how these creatures originated, neither how the images are transmitted from parents to children by bloodline. And much less how they fuse with their bodies. There are theories saying that body cultivator learned from these creatures their techniques. ( but few families practice body cultivation techniques and they are not willing to show any outsider how their techniques work. It is one of the best-guarded secrets in the world, making it impossible to clear the doubts.) But one thing is for sure, these creatures are extremely dangerous and just like with the Source beasts there can be creatures as powerful as Heavenly beasts.
E.g. The White Hunters Although they don't look like it, they have the image of metal fused into their very bodies, granting them an almost perfect and natural body armor.
Heavenly beasts: Their base power is above that of the human qi circulation. They are a mix of the other two categories, with the extra addition that they can project images. They are powerful and many times they have human levels of intelligence. The most powerful Heavenly beats can even compare with some of the most powerful cultivators of the human race.
E.g The bird and the snake that fought in the southern mountain range.
Next rank: ??????
Note: Some creatures start as source beats and as they age and become stronger they will grow from source beasts to Earthly beasts and then into Heavenly beasts and above. This is often the life cycle of the most powerful and dangerous creatures. ( Nobody knows exactly how they become stronger, many believe that beats also cultivate, just like humans but nothing has been proved yet.)
Locations
Silver Moon Kindom: The Kindom where the body of our Mc was born. The people from here have an obsession with the silver moon. They claim to be the descendants of a powerful ancient cultivator. Outsiders see their fascination with the moon as a crazy cult.
Blackwood region ( inside the silver moon kingdom): Where the family of the original Aleran lives. Their territory produces the rare Blackwood tree. Its wood can be used for several things, depending on if it is the core or the bark it will be used for different purposes and for products of different qualities. The wood can be refined with alchemy to become as hard as steel or as soft as a feather. And the core has a great qi conductivity.
Silver Creek Asylum: Where the mc was left after his incident with the spirit-veins. It serves as a cover for some secret facilities of the Silver Moon kingdom.
Forest of Eternal Nightmares: A place of many dangers, that serves as a limit between the Sidrin Empire and the Silver Moon kingdom. It is said that deep into the forest lives a creature that has no form and it is made of nightmares. It is said that despite the efforts of the Sidrin emperor and the Silver Moon king of killing it, the creature has managed to escape time and time again. Although it fears both of these hegemons, it always manages to escape. The part that serves as a limit between the two forces is actually a small part of a forest that keeps going towards the south and there it becomes wider and much more dangerous.
Sidrin Empire: Founded by a cultivator with mysterious origins, it is one of the powers of the south. The mysterious nature of the emperor leads to much speculation, be it from the general population or from outsiders.
Vast Sky village: Named in honor to Vast Sky master, a cultivator who taught the villagers the first three levels of cultivation. The place where Kindrav lived since he was ten.
Hilua: Closest city to the Forest of eternal nightmares.
Dragons heart: Name used for the Capital of the Sidrin Empire.
Free central states:????
