Cultivation Methods (修炼方法, Xiūliàn Fāngfǎ) and Cultivation Exercises (修炼功法, Xiūliàn Gōngfǎ) are essential tools that guide cultivators in their journey to greater power.
While cultivation methods provide mystical arts, spells, and techniques used for attacking, defending, fleeing, and other abilities, cultivation exercises are foundational practices that enable a cultivator's growth and development. Both are categorized into distinct grades, each representing increasing levels of completeness and power: Grading System for Cultivation Methods and Exercises:
Yellow → Human or Mystic → Earth → Heaven → God
1. Yellow Grade (黄级, Huáng jí)
The most basic level, suitable primarily for the Qi Training Period (炼气, Liànqì). Yellow-grade exercises are the first stepping stone in cultivation, allowing practitioners to grasp basic techniques. Cultivators must seek more advanced exercises to progress beyond this stage.
2. Human Grade (人级, Rén jí)- or Mystic Grade (玄级, Xuán jí)
Human-grade or Mystic Grade exercises support cultivation until the Nascent Soul Period (元婴, Yuányīng). These exercises are widely available but require a cultivator to work hard and improve continuously. They represent an average level of techniques and are commonly found in some small sects, medium sects or among a small percentage of wandering cultivators.
3. Earth Grade (地级, Dì jí)
Earth-grade exercises can guide a cultivator up to the Mahayana Period (大乘, Dàchéng), the pinnacle of the human realm or small worlds. At this stage, these methods become precious treasures, often guarded by large sects or powerful clans. After reaching the late or perfect Mahayana stage, cultivators may use these techniques to ascend to higher planes or the middle world and achieve "Immortality."
4. Heaven Grade (天级, Tiān jí)
Usable in the immortal plane or middle worlds, Heaven-grade methods and exercises are exceedingly rare in the human or earth realms or in the Small Worlds. They are often split into sub-categories to further refine their compatibility with specific paths or focuses.
These sub-categories represent various strengths or specializations within the grade:
Low Heaven Grade (下天级, Xià Tiān jí)
Middle Heaven Grade (中天级, Zhōng Tiān jí)
High Heaven Grade (上天级, Shàng Tiān jí)
Peak Heaven Grade (极天级, Jí Tiān jí)
5. God Grade (神级, Shén jí)
God-grade exercises are primarily found in the God plane or big worlds, making them extraordinarily rare. They, too, are split into sub-categories that determine their rarity, power, and the extent of their abilities:
Low God Grade (下神级, Xià Shén jí)
Middle God Grade (中神级, Zhōng Shén jí)
High God Grade (上神级, Shàng Shén jí)
Peak God Grade (极神级, Jí Shén jí)
In the human realm, even a partial God-grade exercise or method can cause wars between sects, as they represent the pinnacle of mortal cultivation.
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Heaven and God-grade exercises and methods are exceptionally rare in lower worlds, becoming the top secrets of major sects and families.They are often incomplete, passed down through generations, or hidden in the cave heavens of fallen seniors, some even hide themself as inconspicuous things to wait for the fated person to find them.
These higher-grade exercises and methods offer incredible power, but their mastery is commensurately difficult.
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Other term:
1. Manual (秘笈 mìjí)
a "book" containing detailed instructions on training in a cultivation method or martial arts style. Usually regarded as extremely valuable and thus kept secret (or at least, not made publicly available).
2. Jade Slip (玉简 yùjiǎn)
A long, narrow strip of jade is used as a magical item. A cultivator can magically store information inside it, and other cultivators can then use that Jade Slip to directly transmit the stored information into their minds. Based on the Bamboo Slips used in ancient China. Some jade slips also have ban: making them only be used by certain persons from organizations such as sects, clans, etc; Or they can only read the content of the Jade Slips when they reach certain requirements; While others making cultivators who read them can't share the content with anyone else (the ban will be imposed on their mind) some even will be accompanied by the jade slips being destroyed automatically after they have been read.
3. Sutras & Scriptures (经 jīng)
Used more or less interchangeably with "Manual". Usually, it is more focused on "Buddhism", "Religion", or related to merit and the underworld