Explain Cultivation Stages Pwweeeaaaseee

So, I've recently gotten into xinxia novels but the cultivation stages are bugging me out.
What Gold Core? What Nascent Soul? The hell is foundation? IAnd don't get me started on the entire Huntian realms and what not, it's just plain confusing! So, Explain Cultivation Stages Pwweeeaaaseee!!!

 

warded cause i'm interested in learning from an expert as well

 

Like a house, strong and stable foundation means safer and long lasting. Building strong foundation means no hidden problem mau arise unexpectedly in the Future.

 

https://www.wuxiaworld.com/page/general-glossary-of-terms

 

Cultivation stages in Xianxia is loosely based on taoism. Many cultivation stories have slight differences on what they're called or what they do, but it's mostly it the same.

 

It’s another word for level 10, level 20, etcera.

 

• Qi Building - This is typically used to temper the body enough that it is able to sense and send Qi throughout the body.
• Foundation Building - Goes one step further, but also focuses on a specific method/style to Qi circulation so that forming a core is easier.
• Golden Core - The Qi is focused to a point and reinforces all Qi circulation. It's an exponential increase in "pressure", thus is many times more powerful than Foundation state.
• Nascent Soul - This is where your Qi gains some consciousness and you can project yourself outward. Some novels allow for rebirth after body death at this stage by possessing someone else with your Nascent soul.

It's fairly standard if you think about it. You're just developing new attributes as you become more in tune with universal energies. Granted, pounding the body to feel them at the first two stages seems rather backwards. Perhaps not, however, if you think of it like sensory deprivation or overload to enter an altered state of consciousness.

 

You must be new here.

Start with Coiling Dragon. It's the most western-ish a xianxia novel can get. Then maybe read the Douluo Dalu series. That also has a very simple and easy to understand system...but its a little too different from xianxia stuff so it might not really help you with understanding them better.

Stellar Transformation also has a simple system, but its just for the main character. The rest of the population uses the same confusing thing but because the main character trains in something different you don't necessarily need to bother with others' stuff so its easier on the mind and you'll naturally pick it up over the course. But it's not necessary cause it has nothing to do with the main character.

 

Its different per novel. The novel should have explained it though. What particular novel/s are you reading? But really all you have to understand is its like tiers, each one multiple times stronger than the last one. There’s levels on each one (again depending on the novel, could be 1-10 or lower, mid, and higher) and when you reach the max level for a tier you need to have a breakthrough to reach the next one. Normally it all ends to godhood/universe creator or something.

 

The usual first realm is elementary or Qi condensation. The point of this realm is to make the body begin sensing and manipulating Qi. Anyone can get through this realm as long as they put effort in. The next is about building a foundation. Now that you can manipulate Qi, with the idea that the end goal is to become a higher being, you need to build a foundation to support that power. A foundation strong enough that no matter what you’ll do, you’ll be able to continue slowly. This stage focuses on making your energy purer and giving you more storage to hold more energy. The next is core formation. This is common in all xanxia. In Martial world, you build a revolving core. In Desolate Era, you build a mansion of sorts that contains a pool that will hold all your Qi. Imagine this core like a seed for a higher being. You’ve built the ground it’s going to grow in and now you have this powerful seed that will grow with you. The next level is where you start changing. Yourvseed is growing, as are you. The quality of your body changes now. In Er Gen books, nascent soul is where you start training and manipulating the laws of nature. In MW, you undergo life destruction where you go from a mortal being into a spiritual lifeform. After that each level is a qualities change with the end result being your own universe. By having your own universe, you are no longer shackled to th rules of the old universe. Most xanxia novels follow this idea, however this is the essence cultivation path. There is also the idea that you can cultivate your soul or body to become a god those ways instead.

 

Cultivation based novels whether wuxia, Xianxia, Xuanhuan or others depict a certain form of ancient mythical training, in which those who follow said training are referred to as cultivators, cultivators mentioned in novels are usually regular people trying to reach beyond the human limit.
Most cultivation based novels would divide the training regiment of a cultivator into stages according to what the author may see fit (the stages naming and number might be the same from one novel to another or different should the author deem it so).
For example let's imagine a character in an mmorpg game.
After the character's creation, it can be considered a level 0 yet to learn any skills or attacks, but after doing some quests, leveling up a bit and getting a specialization (class, job) the character can be considered no more a noob.
The same logic can be applied to the said cultivation albeit with some changes, the MC in cutivation based novels is in most cases (at least in the novels that I know) start as a normal person (level 0 yet to lelvel up), the said MC would then go through different adventures and trials through the novel in order to level up and no longer a noob (in cultivation terms he becomes an expert).
In cultivation, the level = stage, meaning a game character that finished the game tutorial and came to learn about what HP, MP and battle damage (for example) are, would be able now be able to to level up and the character can now proceed in the game to learn skills, do adventures and such to reach higher levels and becoming stronger.
The same ideology can be said about a person in novels (level 0)in order to become a cultivator needs to do get some basic knowledge(in a game the same knowledge can be acquired by doing the tutorial), (let's say the tutorial was done correctly) Mc now undertaand what is HP, MP, damage and how to recover from damage, the MC in this case just finished building his foundation (for example ).
Following the same process, let's say the player now have been leveling up for sometime now and the game character leveled up alot reaching beyond level 100 (a high level compared to the other players on the same server or map) the character now is OP, in cultivation the Mc can be said a Golden core (for example going by what you said).
Let's say the player after some more time passed leveling up, his/hers game character hit the higher levels (let's say beyond level 200), by cultivation standards the MC now entered the higher stages (the levels of pro gamers for example) or in other words a new cultivation realm or higher cultivation realm.
Of course this explanation is more or less according to the used names to name the stages, what novel you are reading and it's plot, but it should make things clearer at least (hopefully )

 

I'll try to make it easy and use the US school system.
The first realm is like elementary school with each grade its own level in the realm.
Second Realm - middle school.
Third Realm - high school
Fourth Realm - Undergraduate (college)
Fifth Realm - graduate
Sixth Realm - doctoral

 

You are probably reading ISSTH. Right?

 

Read this classic glossary for every newbie knowledge imaginable. https://immortalmountain.wordpress.com/glossary/wuxia-xianxia-xuanhuan-terms/

 

NAh, I tried but it had too much... stuff? I was reading Grasping Evil

 

WTF, all those people smoked, i will give you most authenticate explanation:

Qi Condensation - absorb world(origin/yuan) Qi and refine it into Qi for personal use, then use it for other shit. Qi is in gas form at this stage.

Foundation Establishment- in Qi Condensation, Qi constantly roams within body and now cultivator condenses it into one pudle of liquid(Qi is not water, it's separate thing.). It creates foundation for next step, but just on its own already qualitative change, law of attraction and other shit. Qi is in liquid form at this stage.

Core Formation - There two part to it, in first cultivator condenses liquid into solid form, Fake Core. In second cultivator fuses his Blood(Vitality Qi, natural strength of all living.) and Soul into Fake Core, it creates Golden Core, aka Gold Pill. Qi that he uses is in form of dust particles from Core. Golden Core is now most important part of cultivators body and allows him to survive blasted off head, Fake Core doesn't provides such ability as it's just a solid form of Qi.

Nascent Soul - Last classic Immortal Dao stage, Golden Core nurtures soul within it until it transcends 'mortality' and then breaks apart into Gas form and refined into new thing by sheer power of Soul, now we have Nascent Soul and Nascent Qi, person is no longer living breathing being - now it's an energy lifeform.

All other stages just make Nascent Soul grow stronger and with transcended intelligence Nascent Soul is capable of prying into secrets of universe/heavens, which is Dao Comprehension.

 

sigh why make it so hard to understand?

just make lvl from game perspective to make easier to understand

lvl 0 ~ mortal
lvl 1~10 ~ qi layer
lvl 20~29 ~ foundation stage
lvl 30~??? put what ever name into it with whatever description well actually you can give same pattern to all stages~

what da heck with half butt explanation
well cuz it really depend on author give stage name and how translator translate it~ not big deal as long as da term is consistent~

then why MC can fight those above his level?
similar to game MC just have many hidden skill exclusive to it's class+ better equipment+ plot armor cheat~

yup that game is suck but I don't play the game tho~
I just watch it for fun~

 

Okay so the usual first four stages r as follows ( remember it can be different from novel to novel with different limits and capabilities )
For the ease of this list I will recommend u read History's Number 1 Founder ( it has a very short cultivation system compared to others and Very easy to understand , so i am using it as template )
Qi Refining / Building : it is the first step after u break through from being a normal human , it is nothing more than ur body sensing Qi for the first time and getting used to it , the idea is to get ur body familiar with it's new capabilities and power . It is generally not that hard as if the place has abundant Qi anyone can do it naturally . Think of it like body adapting to different levels of Oxygen as Qi is also like gaseous
Foundation Establishment : Now I am not saying that this has to be the next step some novels put another two or three different stages in between again depends on the author , but the gist for this is that after ur body has adapted to Qi now u increase the capacity of it in ur body by turning it liquid , usually their isn't much difference in this and Qi Refining level except for faster and bigger pool of Qi but again it can vary between novels
Core Building / Golden Core : This is fairly straightforward , u take the Qi pool and compress it to form a solid or semi solid Qi Core , this not only increases ur pool capacity but the ease in which u can use it , Now in most novels this is a very important level because it determines how good a cultivator is , generally the level of core decides their future and whether they can grow more and with what ease .
Nascent Soul : Now I am not saying this is the sure next level , but it is generally their it may have some more levels in between but still pretty common . Now this is where the most confusion comes from because of how common the title is , there r many many variations of what it is capable of and how to get there , basically it means using ur golden core as a seed to grow a Qi soul for urself , again like I said there r many variations so I am just going to list the most common of attributes ; It allows u to draw ur soul out of the body ; Capable of using the soul to directly attack another soul ; Soul can use ambient Qi to attack basically making the Qi pool unnecessary ( Or u can think of it as having a very high Qi regeneration rate then the expenditure )
Now generally these all have small stages btw them like
Foundation Building Stage 1 - 9
It's usually 9 because in Chinese culture nine is a Special Number .
Some novels also have different stages in a particular level such as
Foundation Building Stage 3 ( beginner < low<mid<high<peak )
It can vary from novel to novel
Now these r only The most common attributes that ur r likely to find in any CN novel u read with little differences
Again I should state that if u wish to truly understand the cultivation system u should read History's Number 1 Founder it has only 6 stages Max as oppose to 9-81 ( yes there r novels with 81 cultivation stages and that's only the titles) , it is also a pretty straight forward and classic system which is generally used as a baseline so u can't go wrong with it

 

bro, don't worry about it. they are just realms in cultivation. I think what you are confused I on a different thing. the realm are there just like power level. If you read ATG or coiling dragon the cultivation realm are different (each realm reach gives different abilities or you breakthrough each realm by certain way. If you are reading something like renegade immortal. you usually start off by building your foundation and on the road of cultivation, you get stronger. I'm sure you already know by the comment above. After you read many cultivation novel, you will understand that THERE ARE MANY WAY OF CULTIVATING and different realms. Just understand which one is stronger than which.

 

I'd say better start with Cultivation Chat Group. They explain everything even the dragon's gate, tribulations and stuff. And Shuhang seeking death unconsciously is fun although not that much as Thrice Reckless Mad Saber