# 04 -- Realm / Cultivation Progression

## Complete Cultivation Realm System

《凡人修仙传》features one of the most detailed cultivation hierarchies in xianxia fiction. The system spans **three realms of existence** with **13 major cultivation stages**.

---

## Realm Hierarchy Table

| # | Realm (CN) | Realm (EN) | Sub-Stages | Domain | Lifespan |
|---|-----------|------------|------------|--------|----------|
| 0 | 凡人 | Mortal | -- | Mortal World | ~80 years |
| 1 | 炼气期 | Qi Condensation | 13 layers | Mortal World | ~100 years |
| 2 | 筑基期 | Foundation Establishment | Early/Mid/Late/Peak | Mortal World | 200-250 years |
| 3 | 结丹期 | Core Formation | Early/Mid/Late/Peak | Mortal World | ~500-600 years |
| 4 | 元婴期 | Nascent Soul | Early/Mid/Late | Mortal World | ~1,000+ years |
| 5 | 化神期 | Deity Transformation | Early/Mid/Late | Mortal/Spirit | ~2,000+ years |
| 6 | 炼虚期 | Void Refinement | Early/Mid/Late/Peak | Spirit Realm | ~5,000+ years |
| 7 | 合体期 | Body Integration | Early/Mid/Late/Peak | Spirit Realm | ~10,000+ years |
| 8 | 大乘期 | Great Vehicle/Mahayana | No sub-stages | Spirit Realm | ~30,000+ years |
| 9 | 真仙境 | True Immortal | Early/Mid/Late | Immortal Realm | Theoretically infinite |
| 10 | 金仙境 | Golden Immortal | Early/Mid/Late | Immortal Realm | Theoretically infinite |
| 11 | 太乙境 | Taiyi Jade Immortal | Early/Mid/Late | Immortal Realm | Theoretically infinite |
| 12 | 大罗境 | Great Luo | Early/Mid/Late/Peak | Immortal Realm | Theoretically infinite |
| 13 | 道祖 | Dao Ancestor | One per law | Immortal Realm | Infinite (but天道同化) |

---

## Mortal World Realms (人界下境界)

### 1. 炼气期 (Qi Condensation) -- Layers 1-13

**Core:** Absorb qi from heaven and earth to open meridians, nourish the physical body, and condense qi into the dantian.

| Layer | Description |
|-------|-------------|
| 1-3 | Initial qi absorption; meridians open; body strengthened |
| 4-6 | Qi condensation deepens; basic techniques usable; simple talismans |
| 7-9 | Qi substantial; can use mid-grade magical tools; fly on tools briefly |
| 10-12 | Qi liquid-like; Spirit Sense (神识) awakens; can use high-grade tools |
| 13 (peak) | Qi at maximum density; can attempt Foundation Establishment |

**Han Li's Path:** Age 10 (layer 1) -> 14 (layer 3) -> 16 (layer 6) -> 18 (layer 9) -> 21 (layer 11)

**Key Requirements for Breakthrough to Foundation Est.:**
- Qi Condensation 13th layer (ideal) or 11th+ (minimum)
- Foundation Establishment Pill (筑基丹) -- Han Li required multiple pills due to pseudo-spiritual root
- Pure Yang energy to trigger qi-to-liquid transformation

### 2. 筑基期 (Foundation Establishment) -- Early / Mid / Late / Peak

**Core:** Qi liquefies into True Essence (真元). Can use Innate True Fire (先天真火) for pill refining and tool crafting. Can fly on swords. Spirit Sense range expands dramatically.

| Stage | Han Li's Age | Details |
|-------|-------------|---------|
| Early | 25-31 | Azure Origin Sword Art begins; life-bound sword crafting prep |
| Mid | 31-51 | Battlefield experience; Great Development Art 1st layer |
| Late | 51-126 | Scattered Star Seas; preparing for Core Formation |
| Peak ("Fake Core") | ~126 | Three Revolutions Re-Origin Art (三转重元功) 2nd cycle |

**Key Requirements for Breakthrough to Core Formation:**
- Foundation Est. peak
- Core Formation Pill (结丹丹) or equivalent accumulation
- Condense all True Essence into a single Golden Core
- Han Li used 三转重元功 (scatter cultivation three times, re-condense each time) to compensate for poor spiritual root

### 3. 结丹期 (Core Formation) -- Early / Mid / Late / Peak

**Core:** Golden Core (金丹) forms in dantian. Immensely denser True Essence. Can craft Life-Bound Magical Treasure (本命法宝). No longer needs tools to fly -- can fly freely.

| Stage | Han Li's Age | Details |
|-------|-------------|---------|
| Early | ~126 | Crafts Azure Bamboo Beecloud Swords; Void Heaven Hall |
| Mid | ~175 | Outer Star Seas demon hunting; Azure Origin Sword Art 8th layer |
| Late | ~195-198 | Azure Flame Wine breakthrough; Wind-Thunder Wings; Land of Yin冥 |
| Peak ("Fake Nascent") | ~217 | Prepares for Nascent Soul breakthrough |

**Key Requirements for Breakthrough to Nascent Soul:**
- Core Formation peak
- Nascent Soul Formation Pill (结婴丹) or equivalent
- Shatter the Golden Core to birth the Nascent Soul infant
- Spirit Sense must be strong enough (Great Development Art critical for Han Li)

### 4. 元婴期 (Nascent Soul) -- Early / Mid / Late

**Core:** Golden Core shatters; a miniature "infant self" (元婴) is born in the dantian. The Nascent Soul can leave the body, perform possession (夺舍) if the physical body is destroyed, and provides a second life. Can begin comprehending heaven-earth laws. Faces **Minor Heavenly Tribulation (小天劫)** every 300 years.

| Stage | Han Li's Age | Details |
|-------|-------------|---------|
| Early | ~217-252 | Falling Cloud Sect elder; Mulan War; Falling Demon Valley |
| Mid | ~252-358 | Post-Spirit Remote Garden seclusion; Great Jin journey |
| Late | ~358-885 | Kunwu Mountain; Minor Extreme Palace; Void Heaven Hall seclusion; Scattered Star Seas return |

**Note:** Nascent Soul late stage was Han Li's longest bottleneck -- approximately 400+ years, due to the difficulty of accumulating sufficient power and comprehending the laws needed for Deity Transformation with a pseudo-spiritual root.

**Key Requirements for Breakthrough to Deity Transformation:**
- Nascent Soul peak
- Transform Nascent Soul into Primordial Spirit (元神)
- Begin connecting to heaven-earth laws (天地元气)
- Han Li used: Primordial Magnetic Divine Light (元磁神光), Five Element Cold Flame (五色寒焰), Demon Origin Pill (魔元丹)

### 5. 化神期 (Deity Transformation) -- Early / Mid / Late

**Core:** Nascent Soul transforms into Primordial Spirit. Can begin manipulating heaven-earth vitality (天地元气) -- no longer limited to personal True Essence. Must ascend to Spirit Realm, or lifespan runs out (mortal world lacks sufficient spiritual energy).

| Stage | Han Li's Age | Details |
|-------|-------------|---------|
| Early | ~885 (Mortal World) | Supreme in Tiannan; prepares for ascension |
| Mid | ~1,160 (Spirit Realm) | Post-recovery; Brahmic Sacred Demon Art complete |
| Late | ~1,305 (Spirit Realm) | Earth Abyss Trial; Twelve Transformations |

---

## Spirit Realm Realms (灵界中境界)

### 6. 炼虚期 (Void Refinement) -- Early / Mid / Late / Peak

**Core:** Primordial Spirit can merge with void. Five Elements unify. Can manipulate limited heaven-earth vitality. Lifespan theoretically unlimited, but must face **Major Heavenly Tribulation (大天劫)** every 3,000 years.

| Stage | Han Li's Age | Details |
|-------|-------------|---------|
| Early | ~1,415 | After 100+ years seclusion; Black Mist Sea |
| Late | ~1,465 | Star Chart infusion in Vast Cold Realm -- direct jump past mid |
| Peak | ~1,465 | Both original body and second Nascent Soul at peak |

**Han Li's Fastest Advancement:** Void Refinement early -> peak in one Star Chart infusion -- essentially skipping decades/centuries of normal cultivation, though at the risk of body explosion.

### 7. 合体期 (Body Integration) -- Early / Mid / Late / Peak

**Core:** Primordial Spirit fully merges with physical body. Begin grasping a single attribute of law (法则). Combat power grows by orders of magnitude. True fusion of法 (law) and体 (body).

| Stage | Han Li's Age | Details |
|-------|-------------|---------|
| Early | ~1,565 | Refined Spirit Art 1st layer; takes disciples |
| Mid | ~1,925 | Ten-Thousand Poison Chaos Body small success; 330+ years cultivation |
| Late | ~2,338 | Absorbed Ice Phoenix primal yin; killed Azure Dragon Superior |
| Peak | ~2,400 | Blue Waterfall Lake; encountered Violet Spirit |

### 8. 大乘期 (Great Vehicle / Mahayana)

**Core:** Three Yang灌体 reforges the body. Can borrow law power. The apex of Spirit Realm existence. Can live 100,000+ years. Preparing for the ultimate leap: ascension to True Immortal Realm.

**Requirements for Breakthrough:**
- Body Integration peak
- Survive True Thunder Tribulation (真雷之劫)
- Survive Heart Demon Tribulation (心魔之劫)
- Han Li's four-step preparation: Refined Spirit Art 2nd layer + law comprehension + physical body peak + heart demon resolution

| Event | Han Li's Age |
|-------|-------------|
| Breakthrough to Mahayana | ~2,468 |
| Refined Spirit Art 3rd layer | ~2,890 |
| Forges Primal Unity Five Peak Mountain | ~3,190 |
| Ascension to Immortal Realm | ~11,134 (8,000+ years after Mahayana) |

---

## Immortal Realm Realms (仙界上境界)

### 9. 真仙境 (True Immortal)

**Core:** True Essence converts to Immortal Spirit Power (仙灵力). Begin formally comprehending one law. Must pass **Heaven-Human Five Decays (天人五衰)**. Opening immortal apertures (仙窍).

| Stage | Immortal Apertures Required |
|-------|---------------------------|
| Early | Start opening |
| Mid | 12 apertures |
| Late | 24 apertures |
| Peak (ready for Golden Immortal) | 36 apertures |

**Special Paths:**
- **散仙 (Scattered Immortal):** Failed to properly comprehend a law; dead-end path
- **伪仙 (Pseudo-Immortal):** Ascended but hasn't fully converted to immortal spirit power
- **玄仙 (Mystic Immortal):** Body refinement path; True Extreme Body (真极之躯)
- **地仙 (Earth Immortal):** Faith-based power; limited by territory; blocked from Golden Immortal

**Heaven-Human Five Decays (天人五衰):**
1. **仙衰 (Immortal Decay):** Immortal spirit power leaks away
2. **躯衰 (Body Decay):** Physical body rots
3. **窍衰 (Aperture Decay):** Immortal apertures rot; cultivation lost
4. **魂衰 (Soul Decay):** Soul/mind deteriorates
5. **煞衰 (Sha Decay):** Murderous aura erupts, driving one insane

Surviving all five = Golden Immortal qualification.

### 10. 金仙境 (Golden Immortal)

**Core:** Soul sublimates. Deploy **Spirit Domain (灵域)** -- a zone of personal law control where one dominates. One Golden Immortal can kill unlimited True Immortals within their domain.

| Stage | Immortal Apertures Required |
|-------|---------------------------|
| Early | 36 apertures |
| Mid | 64 apertures |
| Late | 84 apertures |
| Peak (ready for Taiyi) | 108 apertures |

### 11. 太乙境 (Taiyi Jade Immortal)

**Core:** Body transforms into **Limitless Jade Body (无限玉体)**. Spirit Domain can evolve into a miniature world (界). "Body-Law-Intent" (身法意) unified trinity. Soul, spirit, body -- all indestructible.

**No tribulation needed** for this advancement -- considered "the most carefree realm" (最逍遥的境界).

### 12. 大罗境 (Great Luo)

**Core:** Manifest law. Body and world co-exist. Can affect world laws with a wave of the hand. The true top-tier of the Immortal Realm (short of Dao Ancestor).

**Must sever three corpses (斩三尸):**
| Corpse | Nature | Han Li's Method |
|--------|--------|-----------------|
| 恶尸 (Evil Corpse) | Rage, hatred, darkness | Sealed with斩尸 talisman |
| 善尸 (Good Corpse) | Compassion, attachment | 100 years as doctor couple doing good deeds |
| 自我尸 (Self Corpse) | Ego, identity, ambition | -- |

Each severed corpse is a powerful clone that constantly tries to usurp the original body. Cannot be killed (permanently damages the original's potential). Must be exiled, sealed, or reconciled.

**Key Difference:**
- Great Luo cultivating **supreme laws** (Time, Space, Samsara) --> can even fight ordinary Dao Ancestors
- Great Luo cultivating **ordinary laws** --> utterly helpless before any Dao Ancestor

### 13. 道祖 (Dao Ancestor)

**Core:** Master a law to its absolute limit. Fuse with the Heavenly Dao (以身合道). **Only one Dao Ancestor per law** in all of existence.

| Aspect | Detail |
|--------|--------|
| Power level | Universe-scale -- can reshape reality within their law's domain |
| Fatal weakness | **Heavenly Dao assimilation (天道同化)** -- using law power progressively merges the Dao Ancestor with the fabric of reality until individual identity is lost |
| Historical fate | Most Dao Ancestors eventually assimilated and "died" this way |

**Three Supreme Laws (至尊法则):**
| Law | Power | Dao Ancestor (final) |
|-----|-------|---------------------|
| Time (时间) | Accelerate, slow, stop, reverse, time travel, precognition | Han Li (韩立) |
| Space (空间) | Imprisonment, pressure, teleportation, dimension creation | Gu Huojin (古或今) -- defeated |
| Samsara (轮回) | Divination, resurrection, reincarnation, fate manipulation | Samsara Hall Master (another Han Li) |

**Han Li's Dao Ancestor Fate:**
- Achieves Time Dao Ancestor in final battle
- Immediately begins experiencing Heavenly Dao assimilation
- On the Heaven-Palm Bottle spirit's guidance, seals his Dao Ancestor origin into the bottle
- Bottle dissipates; Han Li drops to **Great Luo peak**
- Even at Great Luo peak, as former Time Dao Ancestor, he remains the strongest being in three realms

---

## Han Li's Complete Realm Progression Summary

| # | Realm | Age | Location | Key Method / Event |
|---|-------|-----|----------|-------------------|
| 1 | Qi Condensation | 10-21 | Seven Mysteries Sect -> Yellow Maple Valley | Eternal Spring Art |
| 2 | Foundation Establishment | ~25 | Yellow Maple Valley | Foundation Establishment Pills; 8 pills required |
| 3 | Core Formation | ~126 | Scattered Star Seas | Three Revolutions Re-Origin Art (三转重元功) |
| 4 | Nascent Soul | ~217 | Falling Cloud Sect | Azure Origin Sword Art 9th; Great Development Art 4th |
| 5 | Deity Transformation | ~885 | Tiannan | Primordial Magnetic Divine Light + Five Element Cold Flame + Demon Origin Pill |
| 6 | Void Refinement | ~1,415 | Black Mist Sea / Vast Cold Realm | Star Chart infusion -> jumped to peak |
| 7 | Body Integration | ~1,565 | Heavenly Abyss City | Refined Spirit Art 1st layer |
| 8 | Mahayana | ~2,468 | Seclusion | Refined Spirit Art 2nd layer + Four Steps |
| 9 | True Immortal | ~11,134 | Northern Cold Immortal Domain | Ascension (then ambushed, amnesiac 300 years) |
| 10 | Golden Immortal | ~13,016 | Mohan Immortal Mansion | Great Circuit Heavenly Star Origin Art |
| 11 | Taiyi | ~13,845 | Grey Realm | Washed away煞-decay at Shura City |
| 12 | Great Luo | ~15,903 | Hua Zhi Cave Heaven | Time-accelerated cultivation; Great Five Elements Illusory World Art |
| 13 | **Time Dao Ancestor** | ~27,000+ | Heavenly Court battlefield | Achieved during final battle vs. Gu Huojin |
| Final | Great Luo peak | After sealing | Black Earth Immortal Domain | Sealed origin in Heaven-Palm Bottle to avoid assimilation |
