Beginner Guide (Core Concepts)

Qi is the life force that flows through all living things, the earth, the heavens, and even the stars.

Without Qi, there is no cultivation. It can be drawn from spirit stones, absorbed from natural environments like sacred mountains or deep lakes, or stolen during battle.

Cultivators refine this energy to strengthen their bodies, sharpen their minds, and awaken supernatural powers that defy mortal limits.

Each cultivator follows their own Dao—the path they walk toward immortality.

The Dao reflects who they are: their temperament, their obsession, their truth. Some follow the Sword Dao, honing their edge with every breath. Others pursue fire, ice, wind, or even silence.

Those who comprehend their Dao begin to master the laws of the world itself, bending time, reshaping space, or commanding the elements.

Qi flows through meridians, invisible channels within the body. If the meridians are blocked or damaged, progress becomes impossible. In the lower abdomen lies the dantian, the core where refined Qi is stored.

This inner reservoir determines how much energy a cultivator can call upon in a moment of need—whether for battle, recovery, or breakthrough.

But before any of that, the body must be tempered. A fragile vessel cannot contain great power. Through pain and perseverance, cultivators strengthen their flesh, harden their bones, and toughen their organs.

At the peak of body tempering, one can run through storms unscathed or crush stone with bare fists.

Once the body is ready, the foundation must be laid. Foundation building is the silent labor that shapes the future.

A weak foundation will fracture under pressure, no matter how high one climbs. But a solid one allows the cultivator to soar beyond realms and reach heights others only dream of.

Breakthroughs are never without risk. The heavens do not give power freely.

At critical moments, a cultivator faces tribulations—lightning storms that tear the sky, illusions that attack the heart, or forces that test the very soul.

Success leads to transformation. Failure means death, or worse.

To survive and thrive, cultivators rely on ancient tools.

Flying swords—sometimes sentient, sometimes not—serve as weapons, mounts, and cultivation aids.

Spirit stones, filled with concentrated Qi, fuel growth and trade alike.

Talismans, drawn with spirit ink and sealed with will, unleash powerful effects in a single breath.

Pills, brewed by alchemists, mend wounds, restore Qi, or help break through walls that cannot be crossed by strength alone.

Power is rarely pursued alone. Cultivators often join sects, organized schools that teach specialized techniques—swordplay, alchemy, arrays, or soul arts. Sects are structured by rank, with outer disciples at the bottom and the sect master reigning above all. Others are born into clans, families tied by blood and bound by ancient legacies.

Some clans possess divine bloodlines or secret arts passed down through countless generations.

Many words are whispered along the path. A heavenly tribulation is feared by all—it is the wrath of the heavens aimed at those who reach too far.

Inner demons lurk within the mind, surfacing at the edge of enlightenment, seeking to drag the cultivator into madness.

Spirit beasts, creatures born with natural cultivation, roam the wilds and sometimes walk beside men as loyal companions or feral foes. And when a cultivator disappears from the world for days, months, or years, they are said to be in closed-door cultivation—isolated, focused, and teetering on the edge of transformation.

This is the world of cultivation—a world where mortals rise to become legends, and every step forward is a battle against fate.