Realm Specifications

Note: There are updates as the story progresses. This serves as the framework of the immortal cultivation system used in this fic.

Practice

Cultivators focus on Qi, in the early stage. As it progresses, specialties appear: Body and Qi; Mind and Qi. Qi is very crucial to progress. Starting from the Purple Mansion Realm, it involves Dao Rhymes (i.e., World Laws). The end goal of cultivation is to turn oneself into an equivalent of nature itself but without its objectiveness (basically subjecting everything to the cultivator's will). It fits the "Destiny is in my Hands" theme of xianxia.

Spiritual Qi 

Low Grade - Pure energy (Qi Refining ~ Foundation Establishment)

Middle Grade - Pure energy and Dao Rhymes (Purple Mansion ~ Nascent Soul)

High Grade - Pure energy and even higher-level Dao Rhymes (Divine Transformation ~ Void Refinement)

Ultimate Grade - Pure energy and the Dao (Nature/Way) itself (Dao Integration ~ Tribulation Transcendence)

(Note: Spiritual qi is irrelevant to True Immortals/Mahayana.)

Metaphysical Body

The meridians, dantians, and Spirit Roots exist in this "metaphysical" body. It is intangible and could not interfere with the world. The other term for it is the "Soul". 

In the beginning, the soul is weak. Even if it houses the important meridians, dantians, and Spirit Roots, it requires an anchor to the world. That's where the physical body comes from. The Body is the connection to the world itself. Without it, a cultivator will be flawed. This importance will be carried on until the Divine Transformation Realm.

In final note, the meridians, dantians, and Spirit Roots only "exist" within the soul; they are heterogeneous. It is required to smelt these things into the soul itself. This is done gradually with each realm progressed.

Foundation Establishment smelts meridians and dantians.

Purple Mansion and Golden Core smelts Spirit Roots.

Nascent Soul contains everything, which leads to its evolution from intangible to physical.

Qi Refining

The starting point of cultivation. It involves the intangible meridians that invisibly affect a person. It is inspired from the Jade Emperor's Jade Seal Sutra (involving the three Golden Core Elixirs: Jing, Qi, Shen). By the time a cultivator finishes this entire stage, they will focus on honing all three dantians at the same time to their utmost limits.

Foundation Establishment

The real starting point. It condenses everything (except Spirit Roots) into a liquid state, which then flows metaphysically in the form of countless of veins. It is intangible. It consists of the meridians and dantians. Cultivators are now able to inhale/exhale spiritual qi through every single pore of the body, thus increasing power and cultivation speed exponentially. It occurs since everything is flowing like 'liquid'. Once the veins are saturated (i.e., showing a clear crystal-like state), Foundation Establishment is over.

Purple Mansion.

Purple Mansion (Zifu) is an idiom for something that 'nurtures'. It is the crystallized form of Foundation Establishment's liquid form. It came from the 'Zifu' (i.e., Purple Mansion) mentioned in Baopuzi (also referencing Tao Te Ching and other immortal-related poems); the home of immortals. 

It is required to 'have' a Dao Rhyme for this breakthrough, staining the crystallization of power with profound intent. It houses the Seed of Supernatural Powers and serves as a breakthrough point for Golden Cores. The Spirit Roots (any other advantages) can now be partially smelted to the crystallization, thus increasing one's power even further (also boosting cultivation speed).

Golden Core

After the crystallization and comprehension of dao rhyme, what comes next is to 'compress' everything into a perfect vessel: a circular golden elixir. Circle represents Wuji (boundlessness), Golden Elixir pertains to the "medicine for immortality". Supernatural Powers are present here (i.e., talents like Herrscher Authorities). Since everything is compressed into a single point, the soul/spirit can now live even if the body dies; just some compensation is needed. Spirit Roots are fully smelted into it.

Nascent Soul

The shattering of the Golden Core results in this. It transforms your "Soul" into a version that is "closest" to nature (i.e., Dao). The stronger the Supernatural Powers, the greater the advantage. The Dao Rhymes from the Purple Mansion to Golden Core serves as support to create the "Nascent Soul" connected to the "Dao". It lowers the difficulty of breaking through the Nascent Soul Realm by a large degree.

The "Soul" is now physical and tangible, and as such, the Body can be abandoned in dire straits. One's 'Will/Spiritual Consciousness' can affect the world with comprehended Dao. 

The Nascent Soul grows by feeding it with high-level laws (Dao Rhymes) and a huge amount of spiritual qi (pure energy does not work for them). They also negate lower-leveled attacks with ease (except for high-level Dao Rhymes).

Divine Transformation

The realm where cultivators become "divine" (i.e., closer to Immortals). The Body, which is side-tracked on the Nascent Soul Realm, becomes crucial. You need to integrate the Body and Soul to become a Divine Venerable. The Soul actually contains everything at this point: Spirit Roots, Meridians, Dantians, and so on. You can break through with Soul alone, but that results in a flawed divinity. 

At this stage, 'Spiritual Consciousness' turns into 'Divine Consciousness'. Changing of cognition, altering the world with a thought, and trapping lower-leveled cultivators into a false world (illusions) are some feats that can be done. A cultivator at this stage can now sense karmic lines as well as see the future (i.e., jumping out of the river of time).

Their main combat capabilities lie in the fact that their Dao Rhymes (World Laws) turned into Dao itself (Divine Laws). Their attacks, although still consuming spiritual qi, are all based on concepts. 

Void Refinement

The web of karma seen in the eyes of Divine Transformation plays a part here. To break through Void Refinement, you have to refine your mental state and cultivation. To do so, there are two ways:

1.) Cut off all karmic lines and refine yourself to "Emptiness" to fulfill the "Emptiness is Void" or; 

2.) Merge important karmic lines onto oneself and turn yourself into "Void", therefore fulfilling "Void is Emptiness". 

(Note: This excerpt comes from the Heart Sutra. The concept of emptiness comes from "Traditional Daoism".)

Option 2 is harder than option 1, but it makes the cultivators stronger/have an edge compared to their peers. Most importantly, they retain the people they are around with. The ones who chose option 1 effectively erased themselves, in turn erasing "karma" and becoming "empty". Forming karma with the ones previously cut off after breaking through with option 1 negatively impacts their cultivation.

(Note: Void Refinement Realms are no longer affected by karma once they STEP into this realm.)

Void Refinement is the start of refining the "Dao Path" suitable to themselves. It is basically "Pathways" but Immortal Cultivation. As long as the "Path" is empty, you can take that "Dao" and integrate it into oneself, which leads to the Dao Integration Realm.

Void Refinement cultivators don't need to worry about energy (spiritual qi) since they can convert the void (and any other sources) into one—even concepts.

Dao Integration

The eighth stage of immortal cultivation. Everyone who stepped into this stage has their own "Dao" integrated with themselves. This is where cultivators start to become nature themselves. Their existence itself transcends dimensions. They can peer through the river of time, see countless parallel universes, and impose their will unto a world itself. 

They are THE powerhouses of immortal cultivation.

Tribulation Transcendence

What comes next after becoming a part of Dao (nature)? Become THE Dao itself.

Tribulation Transcendence symbolizes the ninth realm of cultivation. "Nine" in Chinese numerology represents "completeness" and "highest". They are no longer limited to one world; they can become the very nature (Dao) of all worlds. The biggest challenge here are the "Tribulations" the cultivator will face. It can either be external or internal. It can be the world itself rejecting them. It can be things from other worlds posing a threat. Everything is rejecting their "Transcendence".

Once the tribulation is surpassed, they achieve the state of enlightenment—Mahayana (Immortality).

True Immortal/Mahayana

The peak. Scalable? No. They lowdiff everything except their equals. Their ceiling is as far as one's imagination takes them.