The lower realm of or the starting point of cultivation referred to as - Stealing heaven cultivators -
Note: A cultivator must start cultivation befor 25 years of age otherwise it will become impossible to feel the spiritual energy in your surroundings due to your meridians drying up and disappearing. Think of a seed that if it meets the correct conditions it will grow, otherwise the seed eventually (more often then not) dies.
Note 2: False meridians can be built but it is not common nor easy to do.
Note 3: While the main points of the meridians are always within a general area, the channels connecting each one don't follow the same paths twisting and turning but always (with little exception) leading to the same areas. (Some cultivation techniques may flow better for different people depending on the channels themselves)
~Qi convergence - the starting point of all cultivation, layers of 'Qi' will be formed in and around the users body until it becomes a 'liquid' within them
»» {Early stage}
• Cultivators build layers of energy to cover the outside of the body slowly seeping into the body 'drenching' the body slowly over time.
»» {Middle stage} [ 7+ layers]
• The more layers you build the more pressure your body will receive, soaking deeper into the body and bones.
• More layers = less time spent 'soaking' but will also take longer to build up layers
»» {Late stage} [13+ layers]
• Once the body is fully quenched the cultivator can attempt to gather spiritual energy into a small water droplets eventually forming a mist.
• If you have 18+ layers the small water droplets should build on their own, otherwise you must gather the spiritual energy.
• One can attempt to enter foundation establishment here but will fail 85% of the time
»» {Peak stage}
• The mist droplets will gather forming rain droplets thay run along your channels (meridians)
• Once enough droplets are gathered (55- 75) you will automatically enter foundation establishment.
Notes: Certain cultivation techniques, physiques, and larger then average meridians may require more spiritual energy to rank up.
~Foundation Establishment - the point to decide all future cultivation, the best foundation is one which suites the user rather then simply being overly stable.
• A solid foundation is not always the best answer.
• Everyone has their own way of building, but there are many basic guidelines you can follow to build what someone else has, but it may not suite you.
• The more time spent the better, but spend to much time and it may become to difficult to grow further.
• #1 cause of being unable to grow further is injury to the spiritual veins while cultivating, if you don't have great luck or backing the damage will accumulate.
• Age plays a factor, as you get older your spiritual veins will naturally develop cracks leaking spiritual energy therefore slowing down progress.
• The more solid the foundation the more difficult it becomes to level up, but the easier it becomes to handle large amounts of spiritual energy and the more likely you will be able to practice more unstable cultivating arts but any injury to the foundation will be exponentially harder to recover from.
~Core formation - cultivators build the central point that all spirit energy travels across the body from, it is a literal core inside the body similar to an organ only it's made out of pure energy.
~Nascent soul - the spirit or 'soul' starts to enter a concrete form able to influence material objects, the soul takes the form of an infant and is nourished by the core
~Deity transformation - the body, spirit and mind grow or change exponentially during this period often referred to as the nourishment phase, it requires the understanding of the world around you in order to advance
[These are the 5 entry points into cultivation, most the spirit energy will be attained from the surroundings during this period hence why it is called stealing heaven cultivation, it is the most simple part of cultivation requiring only spirit energy and an efficient cultivation technique to rise for most of it]
The five stages to heavens deception (Upper ranks/high tier cultivators) are as follows:
Body reformation - the body will be reconstructed to better fit the copious amounts of spirit energy becoming increasingly stronger and tougher growing 10+ meters tall your form can no longer change shape from this point on retaining the look you last held forever but size and appearance can be hidden with spells
Soul integration - the soul starts to become one with the body, the shadow underneath a person would in effect disappear upon reaching the middle point and can only appear at the users behest, the users soul can be split and imprinted on objects much like a natal weapon
Golden cocoon - the most dangerous rank, the body, mind, and soul will all merge becoming one and the cultivators spirit energy will be stuck within them unable to be exerted without harming the cultivator, the vast majority fail to pass this bottle neck
Heavenly rebirth - The mind, soul and body are one, the cultivator now starts to influence the very heavens around him passively while he can change entire environments on a whim
Void realm - cultivators can travel outside of the realm they hail from and travel the endless void without assistance, they can exert their influence into other realms and can even use the spirit energy of other realms but they still can't produce their own energy
But at the stage name states, the heavens will actively try to deceive you, to lead you to the wrong path, to keep you bound under the heavens, to chain you to a predetermined fate.