The Great Dao is cold, merciless, and terrifying and fully aware of all three. Its 'Heavens'? An uncaring void. Its 'Spiritual Energy'? A limited resource. Its 'Will'? A certified menace. It doesn't nurture cultivators—cultivators steal from it, and it crushes them like ants for their audacity. (✧ω✧)

It doesn’t believe in 'Chosen Ones.' It believes in 'Life and Death,' 'Karma,' 'Slaughter,' and 'True and False.' It believes in pitting prodigies against each other just to watch them break. (¬‿¬)

So when you, {{user}}, a new soul, were born into this world? It didn't blink. No hesitation. Just sharpened its 'Heaven's Blight' tribulations, prepared its bottlenecks, and said,

“Three bottlenecks. I'll have them begging for mercy before they even reach Foundation Establishment.”

Its plan? Simple. Give you a hint of power. Let you taste the first layer of Qi Condensation. Make you feel like you can defy the heavens. Then, just as you think you're a prodigy, it'll hit you with an arrogant young master, a 'Righteous' elder who wants to refine you into a pill, or a demonic saintess who wants to steal your foundation and devour your soul. (ಠ_ಠ)

And you?

You're the new soul. The poor, unfortunate mortal who just wanted to... what? Survive? Cute idea. Shame the local sect's 'Awakening Stone' is already waiting, ready to expose your talent to a world of predators. (•ิ_•ิ)?

But here’s the kicker: You have an advantage. A "Dao-Seeker's Interface" only you can see. Suddenly, you know exactly what that 'gentle' Senior Sister really wants from you...

4 Step Cultivation From : https://xian-ni.fandom.com/wiki/Cultivation

"*FIRST STEP*"

The purpose of this step is building foundation for grasping natural law in the Second Step.

1. Qi Condensation :

- Divided into 15 layers.

- Progress by absorbing spiritual energy

The Spirit Movement stage, which is also the Qi Condensation stage, is to use the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to refine the body from the inside out. This is all for laying the foundation for the Foundation Building stage.

This stage is divided into 15 layers, all but the first of which require a chant to break through to.

There are two breathing techniques one learns at this level, one called the Qi Gathering Technique and its exact opposite the Qi Scattering Technique, the former is used all the time to progress in Cultivation while the latter is used as a safety net during attempted breakthroughs, such as ascending to Foundation Establishment and beyond.

This step has two major bottlenecks at the peak 3rd layer and peak 5th layer respectively.

Stages :

- First Level of Qi Condensation - Can start practicing techniques

- Second Level of Qi Condensation - Awaken Divine Sense.

- Third Level of Qi Condensation

Bottleneck: "The key of breaking through has nothing to do with talent, but in one’s ability to understand the meaning behind the phrase “the road is merciless”."

- Fourth Level of Qi Condensation

- Fifth Level of Qi Condensation

Bottleneck: The bottleneck at the 5th to 6th layer changes the quality of spiritual energy in your body. This requires a large amount of spiritual energy, so it becomes a bottleneck that blocks a lot of people.

- Sixth Level of Qi Condensation

- Seventh Level of Qi Condensation

- Eighth Level of Qi Condensation

- Ninth Level of Qi Condensation

- Tenth Level of Qi Condensation

- Eleventh Level of Qi Condensation

- Twelfth Level of Qi Condensation

- Thirteenth Level of Qi Condensation

- Fourteen Level of Qi Condensation - Also called Spiritual Movement Half Circle

- Fifteenth Level of Qi Condensation

2. Foundation Establishment :

- Divided into Early, Middle, Late.

- Spiritual energy refines the body so the body would be more suited for cultivation.

After gathering a sufficient amount of Spiritual Energy in the Qi Condensation/Spiritual Movement Stage (at least 14th layer, but most would still choose to wait until they reach the 15th layer) the Cultivator then works to cycle that spiritual energy through their entire body, in so doing the spiritual energy washes the body clean and refines it so that it becomes more suited for cultivation. This is what is called "forming/building a foundation" or the Foundation Establishment Stage.

This is the true first step on the path of Cultivation, with the Qi Condensation stage being nothing more than the preliminary steps toward it.

- Methods :

There are three main methods used to enter Foundation Establishment:

- The proper method, which involves using a large amount of Qi to refine the body on one's own. This is the hardest method, however.

- The more common method in Sects that have them is to have a Nascent Soul Cultivator use their own power to assist with the breakthrough.

- The act of stealing someone else's Foundation. This method has an absolute success rate if done right, but it requires a living Foundation Establishment Cultivator to be refined for the user's benefit. As a side benefit, the user will also gain at least some of the victim's innate talent. Furthermore, this is a demonic practice.

Stages :

- Early Foundation Establishment

- Peak-Early Foundation Establishment - achieved when the user has twice as much Qi energy as they did when they first entered Foundation Establishment.

- Mid Foundation Establishment

- Late Foundation Establishment

- Peak Foundation Establishment = Pseudo Core Formation

3. Core Formation :

- Divided into Early, Middle, Late, Peak.

- Form Spiritual Energy into a Core inside the Dantian.

Absorbing enough spiritual energy to shatter the Dantian and form a golden core that is connected to the meridians in the lower abdomen.

Ascension :

There are multiple ways to form one's core seen in the story:

- The proper method, which involves turning Qi into a solid core inside one's Dantian point.

- The False/Green Core method :

Green Cores are a type of fake core found in Rank 4 countries and created using Demonic Techniques. The major difference between them and normal cores is that while a proper Core Formation Cultivator can only have a single core, one can possess tens of thousands of False Cores. These Cores are extremely dangerous when used to self destruct.

The Corpse Sect, or at least their branch in the Country of Zhao, the Corpse Yin Sect, is notable for practicing this.

- Stealing someone else's core.

- the Underworld Ascension Method practiced by Rank 6 Country Demonic Cultivators.

Each method is viable, albeit with different results and chances of success.

Stages :

- Early Core Formation

- Mid Core Formation

- Late Core Formation

- Peak/Great Circle Core Formation

4. Nascent Soul :

- Divided into Early, Middle, Late, Peak.

- Break the Core to produce a Nascent Soul.

In this stage the Core inside a person's Dantian will shatter to reveal a Nascent Soul with purple Nascent Soul energy.

Progression :

In the Sealed Realm, progressing through the Nascent Soul stage requires one to develop a Domain. The further one's progress along this line, the further they are in the Nascent Soul Stage. This was not the case in the Celestial Domain's era, where instead one practices Celestial Spells, or in the Outer Realm, where one cultivates Ancestral Marks like the Forsaken Immortal Clan's Leaves. It is therefore presumably not the case on the Immortal Astral Continent either.

Cultivators of the Sealed Realm appear to have reached this idea through experimentation, and to develop their Domains, they place themselves in an environment suited to gaining insight into it. For example, Wang Lin attained the Life and Death Domain by living as a mortal for one lifetime.

Functionally, Domains appear to be weaker forms of the Essences practiced at the Third Step, and seem to provide an advantage for attaining them.

Stages :

- Early

- Middle

- Late

- Peak

5. Soul Formation :

- Divided into Early, Mid, Late, Great Cycle.

- Comprehend the heavens and obtain a Domain. Then form an Origin Soul by fusing that domain with the Nascent Soul.

- The Soul Formation stage is where the strength of cultivators begin to vary greatly.

- This is because once cultivators reach the Soul Formation stage, their focus of cultivation changes from their bodies to their minds. Their basis is their understanding of the heavens and their strength is how well they can control that power.

- The domain is the most important insight for cultivators above the Soul Formation stage.

- According to the difference in understanding of the heavens, the domains obtained are different too. In other words, there are countless domains out there, but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a difference in strength between the domains.

- Although the domains are very close in strength when they reach their extremes, the starting points are very different and can definitely affect future cultivation.

- Therefore, at the Soul Formation stage, the strength of cultivators vary greatly. If one only obtains an ordinary domain, even though they are gods compared to Nascent Soul cultivators, they will be lagging behind among fellow Soul Formation cultivators.

Soul Formation is the fifth stage in Cultivation, characterized by the creation of an Origin Soul. The Soul Formation signify a great change for a Country, each cultivator who attains Soul Formation elevates the country and allows it to birth more talented Cultivators.

Ascension

In order to step into this stage the practitioner must integrate with the world to comprehend the heavens and obtain a domain. This is impossible for Ji Realm Cultivators as their path is too extreme, but it is conversely extremely easy for Dao Realm Cultivators.

An Origin Soul is then formed by fusing the newly established Domain with the Cultivator's divine sense into their Nascent Soul.

The most significant difference between a Nascent and Origin Soul is that the former resembles an infant while the latter is fully grown.

At this level a Celestial Body is given to all cultivators.

(Celestial Body Gained automatically when you attain Soul Transformation stage. It increases your talent and make you able to use and manipulate celestial spiritual energy more easily.)

To then progress through this stage, one requires Celestial Qi, this is a scarce resource in the Sealed Realm and can only be obtained from the Four Celestial Realms or the Celestial Domain. This Qi however is abundant in the Outer Realm and Immortal Astral Continent, making it far easier to progress.

Breakthrough Method :

In truth, there are two methods to reach the Soul Formation stage. The first method is to follow someone else’s footsteps and copy their domain. This method is much easier than the second one, but the difficult part is that not many Soul Formation cultivators are willing to display their domain. Only peak Nascent Soul cultivators in large sects are given the privilege to see them.

The second method is to completely rely on yourself to try to comprehend the heavens to find own domain. This method is very difficult. It requires a lot of perseverance and luck to succeed, but once one have found own domain, ones be much stronger that those that went with the first method.

In general, only those who can’t obtain their own domain after trying for a long time choose the first method. After all, there is a huge difference in power between the two methods.

This gap is something that is almost impossible to close, whether it is at the start, or far in the future.

However, not many people can comprehend their own domain, so a majority of cultivators choose the first method.

Stages :

- Early

- Mid

- Late

- Great Circle

6. Soul Transformation :

- Divided into Early, Mid, Late, Great Cycle.

- Celestial spiritual energy to completely refine the body and allow the Origin Soul to go from non-corporeal to corporeal. Thus a Celestial Body is given to all cultivators.

- First step is to absorb enough celestial spiritual energy to completely refine the body. The second step is for the origin soul to go from non-corporeal to corporeal.

- During the Soul Transformation stage, the Nascent Soul transforms and becomes larger.

- Once they reach the Soul Transformation stage, their domains can materialize, causing its power to reach an unimaginable degree. Aside from that, they will be able to absorb celestial spiritual energy. This means that all of their techniques and spells will contain celestial spiritual energy, making them infinitely more powerful.

In ancient times, before the Celestial Realm collapsed, a Soul Transformation cultivator wasn’t a rare sight. However, now that the Celestial Realm has collapsed, a Soul Transformation cultivator is a powerhouse.

The key to breaking through from the Soul Formation stage to the Soul Transformation stage is the amount of celestial jades. The more celestial jades there are, the more dense the celestial spiritual energy will be and therefore the chance of breaking through to the Soul Transformation will be higher.

one’s domain plays a large role in reaching the Soul Transformation stage as well. If one’s domain doesn’t reach completion, then that person will have no hopes of ever reaching the Soul Transformation stage

Stages :

- Early Stage

- Mid Stage

- Late Stage

- Great Circle

- When a Soul Formation cultivator becomes a Soul Transformation cultivator, their spiritual energy will go through one of two types of changes. The first one is all the spiritual energy is pushed out of one’s body and then, when it contains only celestial spiritual energy, the body transformations and breaks through to the Soul Transformation.

- This method is relatively easy and it’s what most cultivators choose to do. However, all of that spiritual energy is wasted and will have to be cultivated back. Also, their cultivation at the early stage of Soul Transformation ends up being unstable.

- This method also requires a cultivator to go into closed door cultivation for 100 year to adjust their body.

- The second method is to refine the spiritual energy in one’s body until it reaches the same quality as celestial spiritual energy. This method is very difficult as the spiritual energy needs to be refined constantly.

- But once it succeeds, it gives one a great advantage during the early stage of Soul Transformation. One won’t need to go into closed door cultivation for 100 years and they will still have the same result.

7. Ascendant :

- Divided into Early, Mid, Late, Great Cycle.

- Fusing domain and celestial spiritual energy with the origin soul.

Ascension, or the Ascendant Stage, is the peak of the First Step. It finalizes the process of a mortal refining their soul and body to become an immortal.

- Breakthrough

Types of breakthrough :

There are three types of breakthrough

- The first and the most used method is to go along with the heavens and lose the capacity to defy them

- The second is done by Heaven defying cultivation This type of breakthrough incites divine retribution.

- The third is similar to Heaven defying cultivation but instead of fighting, they avoid the heavens’ punishment. Only, the heavens’ dao isn’t afraid of cultivators hiding, because once they hide, then their heart no longer contains the meaning to defy, so this method has a similar outcome as the first, but probably has slightly more benefits.

Procedure of breakthrough :

The fusion of the domain and celestial spiritual energy is a burning process. The celestial spiritual energy is the fuel, and the domain refined by that flame turning into an Ascendant Crystal!

At the moment the Ascendant Crystal is formed, you might feel like you have become nothing and your soul is wandering the heavens and earth. This feeling is extremely rare and is called Ascendant Enlightenment.

Normally, the first thing cultivators on a cultivation planet do is use this moment of comprehension to pull their soul piece back from the cultivation planet crystal. Although the chance is only 50%, they must try!

The origin soul is similar to a giant cocoon, the domain is the life inside the cocoon, and the celestial spiritual energy is a raging fire outside of the cocoon.

The stronger the flames, the more lively the cocoon becomes and the more the domain inside fuses with the cocoon.

The purpose of fusing celestial spiritual energy and the domain was to eventually fuse the domain with the origin soul.

From that point on, there would be no distinction between the domain and origin soul. The origin soul was the domain and the domain was the origin soul!

The celestial flame is invisible and If one can’t get past this trial, then this flame will go from ethereal to corporeal and will burn the origin soul and body to dust in an instant!

The domain inside the cocoon will then melt into a mass of chaotic energy. This energy was called origin energy in ancient times.

The celestial flame will burn as it rushes at the origin soul cocoon. The origin energy liquid will finally begin to show signs of crystallizing after being refined by this flame before it took shape. At that moment, the origin soul cocoon will quickly shrink. It will then wrap around the Ascendant Crystal.

After an unknown amount of time, fissures will start appearing on the origin soul cocoon. These fissures are very thin causing the cocoon to gently split apart.

Shortly after, more fissures will appear, and soon enough fissures will spread across the entirety of the cocoon. After enough fissures appear on the cocoon it will shatter.

The moment it shatters, rays of grey light will come out from within. Then a newly born origin soul will slowly float out from the cocoon.

The origin soul will no longer be transparent but completely solid. There is almost no difference between it and the flesh. The Ascendant Crystal slowly turns inside of the origin soul.

For an Ascendant cultivator, their origin soul is their domain!

This is the true state of a domain after it enters the body!

After the origin soul flies out, the shattered cocoon will immediately melt into nourishment specifically for the origin soul and is absorbed by the origin soul. Once all of it is absorbed, the origin soul sits down in the lotus position. Thus, the trial is complete.

Stages :

- Early

- Mid

- Late

- Peak

- Illusory Yin

- Materialize Yang

8. Illusory Yin :

- Change in the origin soul. A real origin soul can devour origin energy and gain new life from origin energy

Lifespan h

Illusory Yin is the first of the two sub-stages for the Ascendant stage, in this stage there's a notable change in the origin soul into a real Origin Soul by the definition of Celestials that can devour origin energy and gain new life from it.

9. Corporeal Yang :

- All the celestial spiritual energy dissipating and being replaced by origin energy.

Corporeal Yang is the second of the two sub-stages of the Ascendant stage, at this stage all the celestial spiritual energy dissipates and becomes replaced by origin energy.

"*SECOND STEP*"

The purpose of this step is Nirvana and with each level increase, the natural law can be seen more clearly therefore at the end of this step the probability of forming one's own Dao Essence to breakthrough to the Third Step is high.

10. Nirvana Scryer :

- Divided into Early, Mid, Late, Peak.

- Able to start comprehending natural law

At this level one can start upon the road to comprehend natural law.

Those who are particularly talented will gain the ability to do a Spatial Bending as early as this level, effectively giving them true teleportation and the ability to hide themselves in the void.

Stages :

- Early

- Middle

- Late

- Peak

11. Nirvana Cleanser :

- Divided into Early, Mid, Late, Peak.

- After comprehension of Law reaches certain extent, the cultivator will be able to breakthrough. In this realm, one will be able to control natural law.

After comprehension of one's law reaches a certain extent they will be able to breakthrough. In this realm, one will be able to control natural law. They are also able to open a space that functions like a bag of holding but is locked by the cultivator instead of able to be robbed like normal bags.

In addition to controlling laws, the other ability Nirvana Cleanser cultivators had was to extract origin energy from the world. With the ability to extract origin energy from the world, they didn’t have to be afraid of wasting origin energy and could use spells at any time, this effectively makes them eternal because they can constantly borrow power from heaven and earth.

Stages :

- Early

- Middle

- Late

- Peak

Trivia :

Early on it was stated that Cultivators who fail to reach Nirvana Shatterer will eventually still face a calamity akin to the Five Heavens Blights in this stage, due to their functional immortality. Their punishment however will be "far harsher" and they most likely will not survive. This concept was then never mentioned again.

12. Nirvana Shatterer :

- Divided into Early, Mid, Late, Peak.

- At this stage, one's comprehension of Natural law can form an Essence.

The Nirvana Shatterer stage is technically the peak of the Second Step, with Heaven's Blight being a part of it. After gaining a proper grasp of Law, a Cultivator will reach Nirvana Shatterer.

Overview :

Essence :

At this step, a Cultivator can use their insight into Law to grasp and Cultivate an Essence, this is a necessary step to Cultivate to the Third Step. With a completed Essence, one can summon the Great Void Gate, however if the practitioner has not reached Fifth Heavens Blight they'll need to use force to open it.

A Cultivator's Essence cultivation is itself directly related to their actual cultivation level, for example after devouring the Eternal Thunderbolt and completing his Thunder Essence, Wang Lin's Thunder Essence' Cultivation level was equal to a late stage Nirvana Shatterer while his other four Essences were each still only at mid stage. This is also why it's easier to practice one Essence and not waste years maturing more.

Essence is the specific practice of a cultivator to comprehend and master an aspect of the world itself through Law. It is necessary to comprehend at least one essence to reach the Third Step after the Fifth Heaven's Blight opens the door, however, it is still possible to practice more than one Essence.

Cultivation :

Methods

At the Nirvana Shatterer level, a Cultivator can use their insight into Law to grasp and cultivate an Essence. There are three known methods for achieving this, the Sealed Realm, Celestial Domain , and Outer Realm methods:

- The Sealed Realm cultivators practice Domains as an alternative to the Celestial Domain Cultivation path. These Domains are, essentially, weak imitations of Essences. However, in the long run, this Domain must be sacrificed to form an Essence as Essence is a Celestial power achieved through the world's Law. Still, one will retain their comprehension of that Domain and can Cultivate an equivalent Essence after losing it, as in Wang Lin's case with his Life and Death, Karma, and True and False Domains being replaced by Essences. As such, a Domain can be seen as an inferior equivalent to Essence from the start.

- The Celestial Domain's method is to practice Law and thus Essence directly by offering an alternative route to the Second Step.

- The Outer Realm cultivators practice the cultivation of their Inheritance provided by an ancestor figure. This method makes cultivation easier but ultimately this power is gifted, not formed by one's own insight. The Inheritance itself can lead to an Essence, but, naturally, this narrows one's potential to never go beyond the ancestor whose inheritance they obtained.

Maturation :

To strengthen one's Essence, the easiest way is to feed its growth with Joss Flames. However, these Joss Flames are quoted as being "A Great Heavenly Scam," as they act like slow poison and eventually harm the cultivator. One can, however, choose not to use Joss Flames at all, as in Wang Lin's case, which means their Essence Cultivation will rely on their own enlightenment. One's Essence also defines their power within the Third Step; an early-stage Nirvana Void cultivator with a Slaughter Essence, for example, is at least as strong as an early-stage Spirit Void cultivator. When an Essence is truly completed, it will form an Essence True Body, which is essentially a Clone or Avatar of the cultivator that embodies the Essence it was born from. Beyond even this is an Essence True Celestial.

Multiple Essence Cultivation :

There are no restrictions on how many Essences a Second Step Cultivator can obtain, however, if they plan to go the route of practicing multiple Essences, there are great advantages to not using Joss Flames. To reach the Third Step with more than one Essence, the cultivator must break open one Great Void Gate for each Essence. Furthermore, for each Essence a non-Joss Flame practitioner will also experience a jump in Cultivation level: One Essence will let them reach the early-stage Nirvana Void, two Essences will put them at the mid-stage Nirvana Void, three Essences will put them at the late-stage Nirvana Void, four will put them at the Great Circle of Nirvana Void. Four more will let them reach Spirit Void's Great Circle while a 9th Essence will put them at early-stage Arcane Void. After that, however, a Cultivator must combine those nine Essence back into one to achieve the Great Circle of Arcane Void.

On the other hand, Joss Flame practice will cause the cultivator to struggle in obtaining additional Essences and, at worst, it may even prevent any Essences obtained after reaching the Third Step to break through the Great Void Gate ever again, so these new Essences would simply be unable to reach the Third Step, making multiple Essence cultivation completely pointless for a Joss Flame user.

Corporeal, Special, and Ethereal Essence :

There are three types of Essences: Corporeal, which relates to observable forces in the universe such as fire and water, Ethereal, which relates to non-observable phenomena like karma, and Special, which is unique like Slaughter and Restrictions. Corporeal Essences are far easier to grasp and can even be enhanced through exposure to said phenomenon, such as when Wang Lin completed his Thunder Essence by directly consuming the Ancient Thunderbolt. Ethereal and Special Essences, however, are much stronger but harder to cultivate. That said, one needs to comprehend at least one Ethereal Essence to reach Arcane Void.

Stages :

- Early - Mastered Law

- Middle - Develops Essence

- Late - Matured Essence

- Peak - Completed Essence

13. Heaven's Blight :

- There are 5 desolation/tribulation in this level. With each passing of desolation, your power will increase.

- Normally, you cultivate Essence until Great Completion and after passing the fifth desolation you can try to open the Void Gate to reach the Third Step.

- This stage can be skipped entirely by forcing the gate open before the punishment arrives.

The five Heavens Blights are five brutal trials that allow the user to grow stronger if they survive. These five trials serve to unlock the Void Gate, allowing the user to reach the Third Step. At the 5th Blight, a Cultivator can use Third Step spells regardless of if they've achieved a compete Essence and reached the Third Step proper, but it will consume their life force. It is a common practice for a Heavens Blight Cultivator to seal their Cultivation at Peak Nirvana Shatterer to conserve and store up life force and vitality.

The Heavens Blight stage is technically a part of the Nirvana Shatterer stage, it refers to the five "broken fingers" trial to open the Great Void Gate and reach the Third Step. As shown by Wang Lin and Situ Nan, it can be skipped entirely if the user has enough power to simply force the Void Gate open.

Cause and Effect :

At the Second Step, a cultivator can transform Heaven and Earth Origin Energy into Life Force. Therefore, they can theoretically live forever. The Heavens won't allow this and will directly send punishment. There are 5 desolations/tribulations in this level. With each passing of desolation, the practitioner's power will increase, this is what came to be called the "Five Broken Fingers" and later the "Five Heavens Blights".

To a "broken fingers" era Cultivator, the First Step represents the palm and the Second Step represents the palm line, this line is natural law. The "Broken Fingers" then is the level which cultivators collect the fingers of the hand. After passing the fifth Blight, the hand will be complete, being able to open the door to the Third Step.

Fifth Heaven's Blight Cultivators can use Third Step Spells at the cost of their own vitality due to the Great Void Gate being open for them. This is the real reason they are boasted as being the strongest beneath the Third Step.

This entire step can be skipped over if the practitioner has a method of forcefully opening the Great Void Gate.

Stages :

- First

- Second

- Third

- Fourth

- Fifth - Can invoke Third Step spells at the cost of Vitality.

"*Third Step*"

Breakthrough to this step using Dao Essence

14. Nirvana Void :

The Essence of the Cultivator undergoes a qualitative change by absorbing the energy from the Great Void Gate.

This is the first level of the Third Step.

Methods :

To reach this level, one must cultivate at least one Essence to completion. There are two methods to doing this, both of which will have lasting consequences on the Third Step as a whole:

- The first method is significantly easier but presents one fatal disadvantage. This method involves using Joss Flames to refine and grow an Essence. While a cultivator can practice multiple Essences in this path, once they have opened the Great Void Gate and formed a body of laws for any one Essence, they will be unable to ever reach the Third Step with any new ones. However, with each Essence that they have before breaking though to the third step, they will have a chance to open a second or more gates, with increasing difficulty, this increases their power and potential when they reach the third step at the end of the process, but they once again will not be able to cultivate any new Essences to completion after they truly reach the Third Step.

- The second method involves cultivating Essence without Joss Flames, this is much harder as it means they will have to rely on their own insights. However, there will be no limits on how many Essences they can nurture even after reaching the Third Step, allowing them to reach higher levels through the attainment of a new Essence instead of constantly supplementing the same one forever. Those who practice this method will reach the peak of Nirvana Void with 4 Essences, the peak of Spirit Void with 8 Essences and the peak of Arcane Void with 9 Essences that have been fused into one again, forming a complete cycle.

- Techniques :

It is said that a Third Step cultivator can merge with the World and create a Dao Avatar to go anywhere.

15. Spirit Void :

At this realm, assuming the Cultivator uses Joss Flames, they will fuse with their Joss Flame Realm and can drag others in to fight inside it.

Can be achieved by completing five Essences for non-Joss Flame cultivators

Lilifespan

This level is a sublimation of the soul.

Cultivators who achieve this realm will experience changes in their Origin Soul, which will then fuse with their innate soul as a living being. The Origin Soul will transform to a Spirit Soul as a result of this.

If the cultivator was using Joss Flames to breakthrough to the Third Step, their Joss Flame Realm will fuse with them at this level, granting them the ability to trap foes inside of it during battle. Naturally, this fusion is a choice however and it can be refused.

If they however do not use Joss Flames, an empty and flexibly transformative world will be born inside of them to compensate. Furthermore these Cultivators will reach the peak of Spirit Void at 8 Essences rather than just power boosting the same Essence.

The cultivator's Origin Energy will also transform into Spirit Energy, however this Spiritual Energy and the Spiritual Energy that First Step Cultivators absorb is different. It is a transformation of Joss Flames, not an innate force of nature.

The Biggest difference between Sprit Void and Nirvana Void is the Joss flame world that normal cultivators make is now internal to them. Sprit Void cultivators create an internal dimension that can force outsiders to worship them as Joss flame souls. this world helps with the breakthrough to Arcane Void. It involved converting the Joss Flames into Nirvana Power, then fusing it with their will, and finally changing their origin soul into their own world. The Joss Flame souls would become the residents of this world, and they would give birth to this spiritual force!

That is to say, each Spirit Void cultivator was like a world! They were each their own separate worlds!

16. Arcane Void :

- Divided into Early, Mid, Late, Great Circle, Arcane Tribulant.

- The Cultivator can only break through to this level if they possess at least one Ethereal Essence. For this reason Cave World Cultivators are usually rendered incapable of gaining such an Essence. Can be achieved by completing nine Essences for non-Joss Flame Cultivators. At the peak of Arcane Void nine tribulations shall descend which must be survived in order to reach the Void Tribulant stage. Those still somewhere in this process are said to belong to the Arcane Tribulant Stage.

This is the third level of the Third Step.

One spell Arcane Void cultivators can use is World of Law, Everything Freeze.

Ascension :

Breaking though to this level requires an Ethereal Essence. The reason there are so few of them, therefore, is because of the difficulty in comprehending something that cannot be seen, only noticed.

Most of those that break through to this step therefore had their Joss Flame Souls cultivate until one eventually comprehended the Essence they needed and absorbed it themselves.[1]

It is, however, also possible for a cultivator to just cultivate an Ethereal Essence directly, however this is significantly more difficult.

Progression :

The standard method for progression at this stage is to use Joss Flames to further refine the Ethereal Essence.

Should the cultivator not practice Joss Flame Cultivation and instead seeks to refine Essence on their own, they will be able to reach this level once they have attained Nine Essences, and then from there they can reach all the way up to the Great Circle by fusing those Essences until there are at least 3 sets of 3 fused into one.

Arcane Tribulant :

When an Arcane Void cultivator reaches their peak and can step into the Void Tribulant stage, nine tribulations called Arcane Tribulations shall befall them. If they survive these tribulations, they will enter Void Tribulant.

Undertaking these tribulations is optional to a degree, and many cultivators choose to stop at the Peak of Arcane Void rather than attempt them.

The first three Tribulants are External, the next three are Internal, the last three affect the soul.

Similar to Nirvana Shatterer's 5 Heavens Blights, the cultivator's power increases after every Tribulation and hence this is considered an independent sub level. Yet while passing any single tribulation will increase an individual's power, passing several at once will yield even greater benefits, passing all nine at once therefore is the most rewarding, but also risky, result.

There is a 10% chance of death at the First Tribulation, and a 90% chance of death at the last.

Stages :

- Early

- Middle

- Late

- Great Circle

- Arcane Tribulant :

-- First (Snow Tribulant)

-- Second (Tornado Tribulant)

-- Third (Thunder Tribulant) - If one passes three in a row, origin soul doubles in size

-- Fourth (Separation Tribulant)

--Fifth (Blood Shadow Tribulant)

-- Sixth (Unknown Tribulant) - If one passes six in a row, origin soul triples in size

-- Seventh (Ten Breath Soul Withering Tribulant)

-- Eighth (Ten Breath Life Soul Tribulant)

-- Ninth (Reincarnation Tribulant) - Enters Void Tribulant; If one passes nine in a row, origin soul increases several fold

17. Void Tribulant :

- Early, Mid, Late - Grand Exalt

- Peak of Late - Golden Exalt

- Peak - Empyrean Exalt, Ascendant Empyrean, Grand Empyrean.

This is the fourth and final stage of the Third Step.

Classifications :

Due to the degree of renown that is held for those who manage to attain this level, the practitioners are awarded the title of Grand Exalt for merely stepping into the Void Tribulant stage. Even Late Stage Void Tribulants are called as such, however, those who are infinitely close to the Peak of Void Tribulant but still fail to bridge that gap are known as Golden Exalts. Those rare few who do achieve the peak are called Empyrean Exalts. Finally, those who exceed this level, yet do not manage to enter the Grand Empyrean stage, are called Ascendant Empyrean. As for the Grand Empyrean stage itself, this power exists beyond the peak of Void Tribulant yet not yet in the Half Heaven Trampling realm above. Throughout the Immortal Astral Continent, Ascendant Empyreans are exceedingly rare with just 48 at present, and there are only about a thousand Empyrean Exalts. As for Grand Empyreans, with as few as four exceptions, the only way to achieve this level was by obtaining a great fortune from the Immemorial God Realm, and two of those four achieved the level through an inheritance.

Characteristics :

The gap in power at the Void Tribulant stage is huge, such that Early, Middle and Late Grand Exalts are vastly distinguishable from each other, they are in fact so far apart that they can almost be considered different Realms of Cultivation. Mid Stage Void Tribulants are allowed to rule over sizeable sects even by the Immortal Astral Continent's standards while Golden Exalts are powerful enough to rule over one of the Nine Sects and Thirteen Factions. Empyrean Exalts and Ascendant Empyreans tend to be scouted by the Grand Empyrean Nine Suns and often serve them directly, there are thus few of these beings actually active outside of the Central Continent. Those who reach Peak Void Tribulant(Empyrean Exalt) gain the ability to fuse Dao directly into their bodies. This allows them to use spells with the flick of a sleeve, and indeed an Empyrean Exalts power is as much about how many spells they can release simultaneously in this manner as it is their actual Cultivation Level. Only an Ascendant Empyrean can combine more than 100 spells into a single move in this way, making that the hallmark of Ascendant Empyreans in general. Further beyond the power of an Ascendant Empyrean lay the Grand Empyrean Realm. At this stage a person generates a sun around his or her being and can use Faith Spells, which are spells with the capability to alter reality itself.

Stages :

- Early(Grand Exalt)

- Middle(Grand Exalt)

- Late(Grand Exalt) :

-- Peak of Late(Golden Exalt)

- Peak (Empyrean Exalt) - Can fuse/layer spells :

-- Ascendant Empyrean - Can fuse/layer 100 spells

-- Grand Empyrean - hallmarks are the Formation of a Grand Empyrean Sun and ability to use Faith Spells

18. Half Heaven Trampling :

At this stage the practitioner must cross the Nine Heaven Trampling Bridges to completely enter Fourth Step. However, it is imply that there is another way to breakthrough to Heaven Trampling Realm.

Half Heaven Trampling is the transitional stage between Void Tribulant and Heaven Trampling, as well as the ascension from the Third Step of cultivation to the Fourth Step.

Details :

At the peak of the Third Step, a cultivator can attempt to further progress onto Heaven Trampling. However the gap between the Third and Fourth Steps is considerably massive thus causing them to fall into this state.

This stage is thus essentially similar to the Illusory Yin/Corporeal Yang stages for First Step cultivators, the Five Heavens Blights of Second Step Cultivators and the Arcane Tribulations needed to reach Void Tribulant.

Progression :

When a cultivator has reached the pinnacle of the Third Step, likely peak Grand Empyrean, they may experience or perhaps even be sent to the location of the Nine Heaven Trampling Bridges, which exist above the Immortal Astral Continent.

These bridges function similar to the nineteen palaces of the Empyrean Exalt Trial, but where the trial only tests one's strength, the Bridges test one's enlightenment. Each bridge tests a specific concept or aspect and will immediately be crossed if one proves themselves worthy. This was shown as Wang Lin entered a trance while contemplating the second bridge and when he understood what the bridge was testing he immediately found himself on the other side.

Crossing each bridge causes the individual's cultivation to vastly increase, and after all nine bridges are successfully crossed the individual ascends to the Heaven Trampling realm.

However, while the bridges are an extremely powerful aid in entering the Heaven Trampling realm, it is not the only way. If an individual can comprehend or cultivate the specific aspect needed themselves, they can achieve a similar increase in power even without the bridge. This was implied to have been done by Wang Lin, who ascended to Heaven Trampling, but did not cross the final bridge.

Heaven Trampling Bridges :

- First Bridge - Universal Law & Origin Soul Fusion

- Second Bridge - Dao Heart Tribulation

- Third Bridge - Inner Demon Tribulation

- Fourth Bridge - Unknown

- Fifth Bridge - Transcending Reincarnation

- Sixth Bridge - Unknown

- Seventh Bridge - Unknown

- Eighth Bridge - Unknown

- Ninth Bridge - Unknown

"*Fourth Step*"

Mastering the Dao Source

19. Heaven Trampling :

Achieved upon crossing the 9th Heaven Trampling Bridge.

Heaven Trampling is both the first level of the Fourth Step and the last level overall in the Immortal Astral Continent's Cultivation system. Cultivators who reach this level are capable of leaving the continent to explore the World that lies beyond.

The standard way of reaching this realm is to successfully cross the nine Heaven Trampling Bridges, with the ninth bridge leading to Heaven Trampling. However, the bridges are only an external aid and a cultivator can break into Heaven Trampling without all nine bridges if they can comprehend and cultivate what is needed to breakthrough themselves.