Qi cultivation is about balancing and harmonizing Qi in the body. It is like filling the reservoir of the body with spiritual energy upon which the body can draw to maintain health, vitality, and power.
Soul cultivation is nurturing the heart. It is the work of purifying the defiling behavioral patterns, or energy streams, that are entrenched in the thought patterns of your mind and not acting on them. It's the process of turning negative states into virtuous states along with realizing your true nature.
Mix them together, and you'll have a breakthrough: the 1st Stage of being a Qi Cultivator. There are 5 stages of Qi Cultivation: Qi Condensation, Dawning, Nascent, Emergent, and Sainthood. Each stage consists of 7 Ranks. It is said that if a person reaches sainthood, he or she can transcend to heaven. Legends say that Heaven is where all the Gods of this place live.
A billion years ago, when Huaxia came to be, the same Gods interacted with the people. The land was abundant with spiritual energy. Spiritual beasts were friendly, and spiritual herbs could be seen easily anywhere. It was the good times.
But at some point, they stopped coming. The people didn't exactly know what happened. The land began to get chaotic. The spiritual energy in some areas diminished. Some places were still dense, but they got conquered by the spiritual beasts. The spiritual beasts became greedier, and unfortunately, humanity was too dependent on the Gods. They were weaker compared to the spiritual beasts. Some stronger people were able to conquer parts of Huaxia, but most of the land was still fraught with dangers. Some parts of the land were empty, and due to the absence of spiritual energy, the spiritual beasts didn't linger there. The weaker part of mankind could be seen living in these areas.
Sometimes, the Gate of Heaven would open up in the sky. It happens when someone is able to reach sainthood. Unfortunately, the last time it happened was a million years ago. No one has been able to break through. It is said that at the moment, the strongest man alive is only at the 7th Rank of Emergent.
All of this information was lost in time. Only the strongest families and the reigning monarchs have information such as this; even then, it wasn't the whole truth. But Mu Xin was able to give this full information to Yi Ling by sending her some part of his own spiritual energy through that kiss.
By sending this spiritual energy, it unlocked the First Seal. Yi Ling's soul was locked by a powerful seal, and Mu Xin had a part in it.
Mu Xin's eyes grew darker. He was carrying Yi Ling in his arms. Due to the power of unlocking the First Seal, Yi Ling's body couldn't handle it, and she fainted.
He carried Yi Ling all the way inside her living quarters. He laid her down on the bed and caressed her hair away from her face.
"I'm sorry, Ling'er. I know I have brought you pain before, and it will only get more painful from this point on. But this is the only way I can think of. Don't worry, I'm here to protect you this time, no matter what. I must have you back by my side." Mu Xin's heart was in pain. He had longed for her for many years. He already forgot how long ago it was. In his heart, he'd rather be in pain than see her hurt. Some Deity that he is, he wasn't even able to protect the most important person in his life. Yi Ling's brows furrowed, as if she was having a bad dream.
"This time, I will show you my real feelings. This time, please believe in me." Mu Xin kissed Yi Ling's forehead, and her brows relaxed. He covered her body with a blanket.
Mu Xin walked outside. He glanced one last time at Yi Ling and then closed the doors.