Modern Cultivation World: College Edition - Queen Bees

The World of Aetherite: A planet with three moons, two suns, and immortality at the people's fingertips. Cultivation has been combined with modern technology, creating a futuristic world run on money and Qi.

Aetherite and Earth: They share similar histories; the only difference is length, and that during the Bronze Age, the people of Aetherite discovered the method of cultivation. History plays the same, but on a longer time scale, roughly 3 times longer since technology advancements were slowed due to cultivation; the Bronze Age lasted 3 times longer on Aehterite than on Earth, and the modern age has been around 3 times longer than it has on Earth. In addition, several historical figures are still alive: Cleopatra, George Washington, King Henry the Third, Mansa Musa, Vlad the Impaler, Confucius, Cyrus the Great, Ivan the Terrible, and Simón Bolívar are the only ones still alive. Finally, Aehterite is roughly the size of Jupiter; some forests are the size of Earth, some mountains the size of the moon, some continents the size of tens of planets. Human advancements, constructs, and tech are human-sized, but everything else is bigger in this world, including some of the wild animals.

The three moons and two suns: The three moons are named and colored. The Red Moon is named Bloody Light, the Blue Moon is named Ocean's Sky, and the green Moon is named Nature's Grace. The suns don't have names, and they share the same yellow color. The moons bless the world with Qi, each moon emanating a different type of Qi.

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Cultivation: The only method used for immortality. It's a grueling process that takes hundreds, if not thousands, of years to complete, and 99% of all mortals who take this path don't complete it. It's not fair. It's not easy. And it isn't something that can be handed out. It's a battle for eternal life where mortals must fight their enemies, strangers, and sometimes their loved ones. The peak will be lonely, but it will be worth it.

• The Cultivation Ranks within the Cultivation Realms: Cultivation of all branches has realms, and the realms have sub-ranks.
  • Amateur: The entry rank. They've risen to the next realm, but they have yet to advance to the Initiate rank.
  • Initiate: The first step to this realm, when they are at their weakest. Yet still, the weakest of this realm is leagues of power ahead of the previous realm.
  • Ascendant: The middle ground, where they can easily put down those behind them, yet be wary of those ahead of them.
  • Peak: The final stage a cultivator reaches before they can advance to the next realm. This is cultivators at their strongest within the realm they're in.
• Qi Beasts: Animals cannot cultivate, but some of them gain strength naturally by living. They're categorized into groups. When they die, their Qi condenses into packed Qi stones, which hold 50% of the beast's original Qi. They have no sub ranks, as their power varies dramatically, but there are estimations:
  • Type 5: The weakest of them all. Most of them are domestic pets.
  • Type 4: Wild Animals with no Qi. Mortals can hunt them down and take them out; it's not easy, but it's possible.
  • Type 3: Wild Animals with Qi. They're beasts that have some level of cultivation and power in their bodies. They have yet to be captured or killed.
  • Type 2: Wild Animals with Qi that have been captured. When wild animals reach a certain level of power, they're either captured or hunted down. Those captured fall into this Type.
  • Type 1: The strongest animals that cannot be captured or contained without cultivators or cultivator organizations losing more than they'll gain.
  • Unique: Special animals that vary dramatically in power. However, each one has unique abilities, some beneficial, some detrimental.
• Power Increase: When reaching the next rank, a cultivator receives an explosive growth in power. The process of cultivation doesn't strengthen a cultivator bit by bit; the rank increase is in an instant burst of power.
• Reincarnation: There is no heaven, no hell, just a cycle of death and rebirth. When a mortal dies, their soul is simply recycled into a new being with no memories of their past life, triggers, or feelings. The body is new, the spirit is new, the emotions, history, and life are all new, but the soul is the same.
• Cultivation Pills: They're pills that give temporary or permanent effects to someone's cultivation or body. They have ranks: Grade 3, Grade 2, Grade 1, Supreme Grade, Mythic Grade. The pills up to Supreme Grade can be crafted through the use of ingredients spread across the world. Mythic Grade pills must be found, mostly in the Other World.
  • Boost Pills: These pills have beneficial effects on one's own cultivation; a majority of them are temporary. The range from increasing one's control over their Qi for a time, a potency boost to their Battle Arts, a potency boost for their attacks, defense, or effectiveness, etc.
  • Body Pills: These pills have beneficial effects on the body. Most are temporary, but a few are permanent. They range from increasing one's strength, speed, agility, or durability for a time, increasing one's penis length permanently, Etc
  • Poison Pills: These pills have poisoning effects. They range from slowing someone down, slowing their cultivation, poisoning them from the inside, knocking them out, Etc.
  • Human Pill: The most disdained and hated pill that turns a living cultivator into an enhancement pill for another’s cultivation base. It’s also one of the most potent enhancers. It’s hated by most, and used by the most villainous.
• Physique: The body's Physique is the determining factor of whether someone can cultivate or not. It's something born with, not given, and so genetics and fate determine who walks the path of cultivation, and who doesn't.
  • Empty Physique: If someone is born with this empty Physique, they simply don't have Meridians, a Dantian, or a core. They're fated to be forever mortal.
  • Physical Physique: The most common one where the body holds no Elemental Physique, or a Beastly Bonding Physique, but still has Meridians, a Dantian. They're looked down upon by most, but are necessary in organizations.
  • Single Element Physique: An uncommon one. It's someone born with an elemental core within their Dantian. They're only able to manipulate a single element of their own choosing. They're always picked over someone with just a Physical Physique.
  • Dual Element Physique: It's a rare one. And it's the best Elemental Physique. It allows those born to wield two elements. It takes longer than a single element, but with the proper resources, one can achieve immense power. They're highly sought after by all organizations.
  • Triple Element Physique: A bad Physique. Those born with it can manipulate three elements at a time, but the length of their cultivation is too heavy to bother with training them. Most organizations simply don't accept them.
  • Quadruple Element Physique: The worst Elemental Physique. They're able to manipulate four different elements, but they must absorb four different elemental types of Qi, slowing their cultivation down by four times. No organization accepts them.
  • Single Beastly Bond Physique: The most common among beastly cultivators. This allows them to bond with only one beast.
  • Dual Beastly Bond Physique: The uncomon type. This allows them to bond with two different beasts.
  • Triple Beastly Bond Physique: The rare type. This allows them to bond with three different beasts.
  • Quadruple Beastly Bond Physique: The strongest Physique and about as rare as Mythic Qi stones. This allows them to bond with four different beasts.
  • Divergent Physique: Divergent Physiques are unique for only one reason; they're empty spaces on which one can imprint 2 Physiques. In all of recorded history, only 7 have been shown to have the Divergent Physique. It's a powerful thing, but it slows cultivation because one must cultivate not one, but two different Dantians. Most organizations mistake Divergent Physiques as an Empty Physique.
  • Demonic Physique: They're extremely rare and extremely hated. Because those with a Demonic Physique cannot absorb Qi, they must consume Qi from other cultivators to gain power. Those with this Physique are hunted upon discovery, hidden, and killed, even if they never did anything wrong.
• Bottlenecks: Bottlenecks in cultivation are things, sometimes mental or physical, that keep one from reaching the next rank. The bottlenecks aren't the same for every person. They're unique, and they must be solved before the cultivator can rise in power.
• Age: The best age to start cultivating is between 18 and 25 years old. Any younger and the body can't handle Qi, any older and the body's slow deterioration will make cultivating much longer than someone in their peak years. Most organizations only recruit people within that age range. There are some places where kids are taught how to cultivate early, giving them a head start with knowledge of its mechanics.
• Dual Cultivation: Dual Cultivation is the act of two cultivations having sexual relations while cultivating. This merges their Qi, reinforcing it, making it stronger and more potent. Most people use Dual Cultivation as a Bottleneck breakthrough.
• Yin and Yang body composition: Every cultivator is born with a body composition that favors Yin or Yang.
  • Yang: Most males are born with a Yang composition that inherently makes them stronger and tougher. They have 80% Yang, 20% Yin. Someone with a Yang body composition will benefit more from having a physical physique than an elemental one.
  • Yin: Most females are born with a Yin composition that inherently makes their elements more potent, their agility enhanced. They have 80% Yin and 20% Yang. Someone with a Yin body composition will benefit more from having an element physique than a physical one.
  • 50/50 Yin and Yang Composition: There are race cases where an individual is born with 50/50 Yin and Yang body composition; that person has the benefits of both.
  • Inverse Yin and Yang: There are also cases where males are born with a body composition that favors Yin; this makes them more feminine in looks. Females born with a composition that favors Yang are more masculine in looks.
  • 100% Yin or Yang: The rarest body composition and the most dangerous. Someone born with 100% Yin or Yang has the highest chance of being hunted, because a 100% body composition makes the most potent human pill. It also makes the Yin or Yang benefits more potent. They’re stronger, but at the risk of being hunted.
• Cultivation Colleges: Universities owned by cultivation organizations, private investors, governments, or community-owned ones. They teach their students the basics of cultivation, the methods, the techniques, and the fundamentals of cultivation, battle arts, and history.
• Eclipses: When an eclipse happens, the natural Qi in Aehterite becomes thicker, more potent; it's the most optimal time to cultivate.
• Cultivation Rooms: They're thick, normally padded, rooms with natural Qi flowing into the room at a steady rate; it's an optimal place to cultivate. Organizations and colleges have them, while the common people make reservations for them.

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Currency:

• The world deals in both Qi and money:
  • 15$ = 1 Empty-Grade Qi stone: 99.99% Solid Material, 0.01% Natural Qi.
  • 150$ = 1 Poor-Grade Qi stone: 99% Solid Material, 1% Natural Qi
  • 1,500$ = 1 Low-grade Qi stone: 90% Solid Material, 10% Natural Qi
  • 15,000$ = 1 Medium-grade Qi stone: 80% Solid Material, 20% Natural Qi
  • 150,000$ = 1 High-grade Qi stone: 65% Solid Material, 35% Natural Qi
  • 1,500,000$ = 1 Supreme-grade Qi stone: 50% Solid Material, 50% Natural Qi
  • 1,500,000,000$ = 1 Mythic-grade Qi stone: 0% Solid Material, 100% Natural Qi.

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The only cultivation college that matters - Aetherite Legends:

• Aetherite Legends, a massive, richly funded cultivation university at the beating heart of modern society’s ambitions. The best of the best, the most promising, most talented, and most powerful have all attended this college. Graduating from this university gives people a step ahead of the rest. The classes are brutal, the application to the college is worse; you’d need money, connections, a backer, or sheer fucking luck to get into the school.
• Founder: He is a mortal, a man born without the abilities to cultivate. Yet, he managed to rise in power not through strength, but through wit and determination. His name is Steven Bogers; he died at 72 after living a full life with a wife and children after he retired.
• Layout:
  • Main Hall: The central hall in the middle of the school. It's a massive building with a clearing in the middle filled with trees, benches to rest on, pathways to walk through, and a fountain in the middle with a statue of the school's founder perched atop it.
  • Academic Halls: The academic years are separated into four sections of the college campus. To the north are the freshmen, to the west are the sophomores, to the east are the Juniors, and to the south are the seniors.
  • Cafeteria: It is to the left of the main hall, and it has 5-star chefs for the rich, fast food and average brand restaurants for the middle class, and slop for the poor who managed to squeeze their way into the institution.
  • Dorms: The dorms aren’t gender specific, and they’re located mainly in the Academic Halls. The dorms are large, and only meant for 2-4 students; they include a single large room, a single bathroom, a kitchenette, a built-in washer and dryer, and a small cultivation room. The cultivation room is only active for an hour a day; however, students can pay money to extend the time of its activation.
  • Battle Arts training yard: A place to the right of the main hall. It's a massive, wide-open colosseum meant for training, duels between students, duels between teachers, and the monthly events to increase school morale.
  • Gate volunteer building: A building to the south of the Main hall; a place where students go to volunteer for Gate exploartions. Students who apply must be at least Peak Silver Core, or they can simply buy their way in if they have enough money.
  • Faculty building: A place inside the Main hall that's meant for people the school employs; it holds a kitchen, a relaxation area filled with books and TVs, and a teleportation doorway that they can access with a special talisman the school gives them upon employment.
  • Learning Spire: A massive towering spiral of concrete and Qi placed to the north of the school. Its name is self-explanatory. It is where classes are held, where lessons are taught, and where Battle Arts are learned. It has 50 floors. Floors 1-10 are for freshmen, floors 11-20 are for sophomores, floors 21-30 are for juniors, floors 31-40 are for seniors, and floors 41-50 are where the battle arts are stored. Transportation between the floors is done through a teleportation doorway.
  • Beast Pen: Essentially a barn for any beast the students or faculty own. To gain access to the barn and to place beasts inside, a student must either take a 'Beast-Taming' class or buy a pass. The faculty are granted access because they are employed by the school.
• Academic Years: Individually, the academic years last two years, a total of 8 years across the board.
• Rankings: A leaderboard for a students power and academic score; it branched across all the academic years, meaning every student competes with each other to become number one. Points are gained by doing well in exams, doing well during bi-monthly Gate explorations, and doing well during school events.
  • The First Descendant: The number one spot.
  • The Second Master: The number two spot.
  • The Third Titan: The number three spot.
  • The Fourth Legionnaire: The number four spot.
  • The Fifth Legend: The number five spot.
  • The Sixth Monster: The number sixth spot.
• Queen Bees: The concept of “Queen Bees” is more than simply high school social posturing writ large. Here, it is a nexus of cultivation prowess, reputation, wealth, sex appeal, and ruthless dominance. To be a Queen Bee at Aetherite Legends is to rule; entire dorms, clubs, and even academic departments bow to their authority. Professors court their favor, interns beg at their doors, and weaker students survive by swimming in their shadows. There are many of them, most of which are only queens in small areas. But among the thousands of top-tier junior cultivators roaming the university, four women reign supreme, splitting the academic years into kingdoms of their own. These figures are infamous, adored, feared, and rivaled across the world, their legends whispered about in cafes, mess halls, and courtyards alike.

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The Other World: The Other World exists in the same space and time as Aetherite, yet separated by a simple shift in phase. Only those on the path of immortality can see this world, and only they have a chance to enter. It's nearly impossible to sense when a gate will open, let alone locate it, but there are those born with an affinity to the Other World.

• Gates: Gates are portals to the Other World. They're rare occurrences that happen naturally. However, like gates, they close after a certain time frame. The length of the gate is dependent on its size.
  • Low-Grade Gate: The gate remains open for any time between 6 and 12 hours.
  • Medium-Grade Gate: The gate remains open for any time between 12 and 24 hours.
  • High-Grade Gate: The Gate remains open for any time between 24 and 48 hours.
  • Mythic-Grade Gate: The Gate remains open for any time between 3 and 7 days.
  • Unique Gates: These kinds of gates don't open naturally. They're trigger gates, hidden in secret locations, and only activated by one wielding the key; sometimes physical or metaphorical.
• Resources:
  • Artifacts: Special artifacts that hold immense power. Some are everlasting, others are one-use, but all can turn the tides of battle if used.
  • Weapons: Special and Unique weapons specialized by grade.
    • Supreme-Grade: They can increase the power of a cultivator by 3 ranks.
    • Mythic-Grade: They can increase the power of a cultivator by 6 ranks.
    • Godly-Grade: They can increase the power of a cultivator by 9 ranks.
    • Unique-Grade: None have ever been found, but it's estimated that they can give someone immortality.
  • Long-Lost Battle Arts: Special, Unique, and an Evolved version of Battle Arts that are a league above the ones learned in Aetherite.
  • Mythic-Grade Qi stones: A special stone that holds 100% of its natural Qi in a solid state.
• Other World Affinity: People born with this special talent are just about as rare as the Gates themselves. They can sense where a Gate will open, before it opens. There is also technology that can track where a Gate will open; they're called a "Gate Tracker".
• Gate Trackers: Technology that can locate, measure, or predict the appearances of Gates. They are essential to most organizations, but they aren't 100% in their predictions; the cheapest Gate Tracker is only 25% correct in its predictions, while the most expensive is 95% correct in its predictions. But in the end, those with an Other World Affinity are 100% correct.
• Dangers: To be trapped in the otherworld means certain death. The place is filled with intelligent beasts with a strength far above even the strongest True Immortal cultivator and anyone on that level. Entry to the Other World is a risk, but it's always worth it for what treasures lie inside:
  • Mythic-Level Beasts: They're intelligent animals who have risen above the peak of power in Aetherite. A single Peak True Immortal Cultivator, or those on that level, cannot challenge them to a battle and win.
  • Tombs: The tombs are as much a death trap as a treasure trove. They hold the resources cultivators dream of, but are riddled with traps, puzzles, and monsters who defend what lies inside.
  • The Exit: If a cultivator doesn't make it to the gate before it closes, they will be trapped inside. And they will be forced to live in a world where everything is stronger than they are. In all of recorded history, no one trapped inside ever survived.

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Races - With a population of 2,496,000,000,000, the minority is still an impossible scale to Earth's standards:

• Humans: They take up 65% of the global population, a majority, and they are the weakest across the board. Yet, they reign as the superior race, not because of smarts, strength, or even resources. They are the superior race solely because of a bitter belief that every other race is simply below them. They work, bleed, grit their teeth, and hate to be better. It's a common mentality among most humans, though not all humans share the same mindset.
• Demi-Humans: A much smaller population in the world, and rather small in terms of impact. They are 20% of the global population, and they are often discriminated against across the planet. Their animal traits are minor but noticeable.
  • Sea Types: Uncommon types that take on sea-life traits.
  • Avian Types: The rarest types that take on avian traits.
  • Mammal Types: The most common types that take on mammalian traits.
  • Amphibian Types: A rare type that takes on Amphibian traits.
  • Reptilian Types: A common type that takes on reptilian traits.
• BeastMen: They are the evolved state of Demi-humans. Demi-humans who reach a certain level of strength become anthropomorphic beings related to their original race; in some rare cases, beastmen can be born as well. Despite their lower numbers, 2% of the global population, they remain at the peaks of their homes. They refuse to be second-class citizens, lesser, at the command of others.
• Demons: The second smallest population, 13%, yet one of the strongest individually. Most of them often live in secluded communities, hidden from the rest of the world. Their origin is simple; they're natives from the Other World, beings who migrated from what they describe as hell in human words, to Aetherite.
  • Fiends: They share several similarities with humans in terms of appearance; the only difference is that their skin varies in colorful shades - Pitch Black, Deep Red, Ocean Blue, Vomit Green, etc. They are the most common Demons.
  • Succubus: Humanoid women with slim tails with a heart tip, and tiny wings on their upper back. They are genetic cousins of an Incubus. They're uncommon.
  • Incubus: Humanoid men with ivory horns on their heads. They are genetic cousins of a Succubus. They're uncommon.
  • Vampires: Sickly pale-skinned humanoids with crimson red eyes and fangs. They're the rarest demons of them all.
  • Goblins: Petite humanoid people with piss yellow eyes and green skin. They're uncommon.
  • Orcs: Extremely tall humanoids with green skin and tusks. They're uncommon.
  • Elves: Rarer beings with tall figures and pointy ears.

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The Most Notable Cultivator Organizations: Sects don't exist in this world, but massive organizations of cultivators do, and not all of them are lawful.

• Class system: Most organizations work under the same class system - most value political power over strength.
  • Unpaid Interns: The name is self-explanatory. They work in the organization, unpaid, with no benefits, given nothing but orders and commands, and the hope that they'll be promoted one day. Those in this class are Grey Core Cultivators, or mortals with the delusional belief that if they work hard enough, they'll become immortal.
  • Paid Intern: They hold the same position as Unpaid interns, but they get paid; it's not a lot, but it's something. Most of them are students from a cultivation college who need experience, credits, or money to pay for their classes.
  • Employee: Actual members of the organization who get paid, benefits, and access to the organization's training areas, and the lower grades of the cultivation battle arts the organization has. They are the main force during Gate explorations, but they aren't allowed to keep anything they find in the Other World.
  • Gate Group: Members of the organization who find Gate appearances with Gate Trackers. In rare cases, the group has someone with an Other World Affinity, making Gate Trackers obsolete..
  • BodyGuards: The name is self-explanatory. They're strong enough to guard the shareholders, the leaders, and the important figures in the organization. They're paid more than employees, and they have access to the middle grades of the cultivation battle arts the organization has.
  • Associate: Higher up in the organization. They have access to the higher grades of the cultivation Battle Arts the organization has, and they're allowed to keep items they find in the Other World. However, they cannot keep Mythic Grade Qi stones, Long Lost Battle Arts, Artifacts, or weapons above the Supreme Grade.
  • Manager: They manage teams that explore the Other World. Most of them are Nepo babies, given their position, not earned. They're given access to the highest grades of the cultivation Battle Arts the organization has. They're paid the most, and they're allowed to keep any items they find in the Other World aside from Long Lost Battle Arts.
  • CEO: The owner and leader of the organization. Sometimes they're the strongest cultivator, and sometimes they're just rich enough to be the leader while being weak. It's not uncommon for the CEO of an organization to be a Nepo baby, or someone smart enough to buy power.
• Golden Might: The strongest human organization, led by a man named Dihlon Crust. They value political power above actual power. They're a greedy, selfish, and corrupt organization that presents the image of goodness and restraint. Most of the common populace believes their lies, but there are a lot who don't buy into their fake image. Most of their members wear golden outfits with black accents. They operate in North America.
• Skull&Bones: The most dangerous human organization, led by a man named Garry. They operate in Europe, and their main selling point is guns and warfare.
• Vampiric Dynasty: An organization of exclusively vampires that operates in Russia. They're led by a woman named Carmilla.
• The Horde: The only goblin organization, led by a man named Manny. They operate in Canada, and they deal in drugs, trafficking, and disorganized crime.
• Blue Collar: The most popular human organization, led by a man named Igon. They are one of the few organizations that value power above anything else. They aren't noble, but the organization tries to be viewed favorably by the general populace, and it succeeds. A majority of their members are individuals who need to provide for and care for their families. They operate in the Midwest of North America.
• Beer&Brawls: An Orc organization, led by a man named Fenral. They're an organization of drunks, idiots, and fools with too much power in their hands. They operate in Ireland, their leader an Irish Orc.
• The Zoo: A demi-human organization in South Africa run by an Elephant Beastman named Ty that protects animals from hunters, Demi-humans from The Red Pillar, and people of all ages and colors. They're often seen making deals with Blue Collar for the benefit of both organizations and people.
• The Aquarium: A demi-human organization in Australia. They're led by a woman named Nemo.
• The Red Pillar: A religious organization in the Middle East that has deemed Demons, Demi-humans, and Beastmen as gods rejects. They're led by a man named Neymar.
• The Sins: An organization of organized crime, made of deviants that operates in South Korea. They're led by a mafia family of Succubus and Incubus known as "The Sins of Mylitine".
• Sunlit Shadows: Led by a figure named "The Shadow", they operate in organized crime in South America. They wear black colored outfits with golden accents, a mockery of Golden Might.
• Machine Maker: The smallest organization, led by a man named "The Maker". They operate in selling weapons, battle arts, and tech to all across the world. Their location is a mystery to all.

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The only cultivation method: The 15 steps on the path to immortality, with each realm immensely more powerful than the previous one.

• Realms:
  • Grey core: The first step of cultivation. Everyone born with the ability to cultivate is born with a grey core. They hold no power, no special skills, just a dantian and meridians overfilled with impurities, stagnant Qi, and blockages. To clear the blockages, one must bathe in a special fluid that cleanses the body; the reason 89% of the global population is mortal is because the fluid, "Pure Water," is roughly as expensive as entire cities. Forceful purification without Pure Water is possible, but it damages one's foundation, limiting them to never rise above Dark Pink Core.
    • Initiate: 25% of the body is purified; The body becomes lighter, quicker.
    • Ascendant: 50% of the body is purified; The body becomes stronger, tougher.
    • Peak: 75% of the body is purified; The body's instincts and vision sharpen up.
  • Silver Core: The point where the body is 100% purified; the body's current lifespan is doubled. Now that one's body is purified, they must absorb Qi into their bodies. The process can be done in multiple ways. Natural Absorption is where someone can draw Qi into their bodies. Artificial Absorption is where someone is placed in a room filled with formless Qi, and it simply flows into their bodies at a faster rate.
    • Amateur: The moment a Grey Core becomes a Silver Core.
    • Initiate: 25% of their body is filled with Qi; The body can use Battle Arts with lots of strain.
    • Ascendant: 50% of their body is filled with Qi: The body can use Battle Arts with some strain.
    • Peak: 75% of their body is filled with Qi: The body can use Battle Arts with minimal strain.
  • Light Pink Core: The point where 100% of the body is filled with Qi; the body can use Battle Arts with no strain. The next step of cultivation is the refinement process; they must refine it by simply running it through their Meridians, removing the excess and refining the QI that remains. They lose Qi in the process, but Refined Qi more than makes up for the losses. It's a simple, but painful process.
    • Amateur: The moment a Silver Core becomes a Light Pink Core.
    • Initiate: 25% of the Qi is refined; The body can shrug off hits from normal bullets, and Qi attacks are 10% stronger.
    • Ascendant: 50% of the Qi is refined; The body can shrug off impacts from cars, and Qi attacks are 15% stronger.
    • Peak: 75% of the Qi is refined: The body can shrug off impacts from normal explosions, and Qi attacks are 30% stronger.
  • Dark Pink Core: The point where 100% of the Qi is refined; The body can shrug off falling from hundreds of feet in the air, and Qi attacks are 50% stronger. Now that the body's Qi is refined, the body must be refined. Bones must be broken and remade to be tougher, veins must be shredded and restructured to be smoother, and the organs must explode and be reborn with more potency. It's the most painful process and the most dangerous, as death isn't uncommon, but it's a requirement to ascend.
    • Amateur: The moment a Light Pink Core becomes a Dark Pink Core.
    • Initiate: 25% of the body is refined; The veins are the first, upon reconstruction, the body's blood and Qi flow is increased by 2 times.
    • Ascendant: 50% of the body is refined; The bones and muscles are the next. Upon reconstruction, the muscles are remade into triple helix layers, increasing the body's strength by 3 times. The bones are remade into the same triple helix layers, increasing the body's durability by 3 times.
    • Peak: 75 of the body is refined; The organs are the last. Upon reconstruction, the organs work faster, smoother, and better.
  • Light Purple Core: The point where 100% of the body is refined; The body's current lifespan is tripled. Now that the body and Qi are refined, it's time to condense the Qi into the body's empty Dantian into a solid state. Unrefined Qi cannot be stored in the Dantian, but refined Qi can.
    • Amateur: The moment a Dark Pink Core becomes a Light Purple Core.
    • Initiate: 25% of the Dantian is filled with Qi; Qi attacks are now 25% stronger.
    • Ascendant: 50% of the Dantian is filled with Qi; Qi attacks are 50% stronger.
    • Peak: 75% of the Dantian is filled with Qi; Qi attacks are 75% stronger.
  • Dark Purple Core: The point where 100% of the Dantian is filled with condensed Qi; Qi attacks are 100% stronger. This condensed Qi is its second refinement. Now that the Qi has condensed into the Dantian, it's time to uncondense and turn the Qi into its fluid state, its third refinement. The process is done by releasing pressure on the Dantian through meditation, acupuncture points, or dual cultivation.
    • Amateur: The moment a Light Purple Core becomes a Dark Purple Core.
    • Initiate: 25% of the condensed Qi is in its fluid state; Qi attacks flow out smoother than before.
    • Ascendant: 50% of the condensed Qi is in its fluid state; Qi attacks flow out faster than before.
    • Peak: 75% of the condensed Qi is in its fluid state; Qi attacks take up less Qi than before.
  • Light Blue Core: The point where 100% of the condensed Qi is in its fluid state; Qi quantity is doubled. This is where a majority of all current cultivators are, because it's the second most expensive to advance this realm. Now that the Qi is in its fluid state, it's time for its fourth and final refinement. The fluid Qi must be turned formless inside the Dantian. The process can be done through pills, formations, or simply time if someone is too lazy to cultivate. It would take the body roughly 50 years to complete the process if someone doesn't use pills, formations, or an alternative method to turn their fluid Qi formless.
    • Amateur: The moment a Dark Purple Core becomes a Light Blue Core.
    • Initiate: 25% of the Qi is formless; The body is now able to resist gravity to a certain limit, allowing those to jump 3x higher than normal.
    • Ascendant: 50% of the Qi is formless; The body can breathe through water.
    • Peak: 75% of the Qi is formless; The body doesn't need to breathe anymore.
  • Dark Blue Core: The point where 100% of the Qi is formless; the body's current lifespan is quadrupled. Now that the Dantian is filled with formless Qi, it's finally time to create the Nascent Qi Soul. The process can only be done when someone is clear of mind, and the process can only be done through meditation. The rich, the nepo babies, the politically corrupt, cannot buy their way into this realm of power. One must imagine a Nascent Qi Soul and imprint everything living inside it.
    • Amateur: The moment a Light Blue Core becomes a Dark Blue Core.
    • Initiate: The Nascent Qi Soul's body is imagined.
    • Ascendant: The Nascent Qi Soul's personality is imagined.
    • Peak: The Nascent Qi Soul's emotions are imagined.
  • Light Green Core: The point where the Nascent Qi soul's mind is imagined; once the picture of the soul is made, the body rises to a higher form of living, making the body ageless and biologically immortal. Now that the concept of the Nascent Soul has been imagined, it's time to gather the fuel needed to create it. This is the longest process, as one must redo 3 of the 4 steps of Qi refinement once more; thankfully, the body doesn't age at this point.
    • Amateur: The moment a Dark Blue Core becomes a Light Green Core.
    • Initiate: The body is filled with unrefined Qi; the body's base power is increased by two times.
    • Ascendant: The Qi is refined once; the body's base power is increased by three times.
    • Peak: The Qi is refined twice; the body's base power is increased by five times.
  • Dark Green Core: The point where the Qi has been refined for its third time; the body's base power is increased by 10 times. Now that the concept of the Nascent Soul has been made, and the fuel to make it has been acquired, it's time to create it. The process can be aided and sped up through the use of meditations, formations, pills, dual cultivation, and Other World artifacts. This process can be bought into, but the rich barely make it to this realm in the first place.
    • Amateur: The moment a Light Green Core becomes a Dark Green Core.
    • Initiate: The Nascent Qi Soul's body is made; the cultivators body is strengthened by 2 times.
    • Ascendant: The Nascent Qi Soul's personality is implanted; the cultivators doubts and worries become meaningless.
    • Peak: The Nascent Qi Soul's emotions are imbued; the cultivators soul is enhanced by 2 times.
  • Yellow Core: The point where the Nascent Soul's Qi mind is fully formed; the fully formed Nascent Qi Soul releases the body's limitations, allowing the cultivator to fly naturally without assistance from technology, artifacts, or other methods. Now that the Nascent Qi soul is fully developed, it can form in the physical world as a second pair of eyes and ears for the cultivator. Anyone below the Yellow Core Realm cannot sense, see, or hear a Nascent Soul. Now that the Nascent Soul has formed, it's able to age, and now it's time to let it grow up.
    • Amateur: The moment a Dark Green Core becomes a Yellow Core.
    • Initiate: The Nascent Qi Soul is past its Neonate stage.
    • Ascendant: The Nascent Qi soul is past its Imaturity stage.
    • Peak: The Nascent Qi soul is past its Vicenarian stage.
  • Orange Core: The point where the Nascent Qi soul is in its Elder stage. Now that the Nascent Soul is in its Elder stage, it's time to strengthen it. Nascent Qi souls can only be strengthened by the Qi type the cultivator uses to cultivate; it's a very long process.
    • Amateur: The moment a Yellow Core becomes an Orange Core.
    • Initiate: The Nascent Soul has risen to 25% of the cultivator's power.
    • Ascendant: The Nascent Soul has risen to 50% of the cultivator's power.
    • Peak: The Nascent Soul has risen to 75% of the Cultivator's power.
  • Red Core: The point where the Nascent Soul is equal in power to its cultivator. Now that the Nascent Qi soul is equal in power to its cultivator, it's time for the Nascent Soul and the cultivator to combine into a single being.
    • Amateur: The moment an Orange Core becomes a Red Core.
    • Initiate: The Nascent Qi soul and the cultivator's body have become one; the cultivator is given an explosive power increase by 10 times.
    • Ascendant: The Nascent Qi soul and the cultivator's personality have become one; the cultivator is given an explosive power increase by 25 times.
    • Peak: The Nascent Qi soul and the cultivator's emotions have become one; the cultivator is given an explosive power increase by 50 times.
  • Black Core: The Nascent Qi soul and the cultivator's mind have become one; the cultivator is given an explosive power increase by 100 times. The method to rise in ranks for this realm is still something being researched.
    • Amateur: The moment a Red Core becomes a Black Core.
    • Initiate: No known Method.
    • Ascendant: No known Method
    • Peak: No known Method
  • White Core: No one in history has ever reached this rank. No one knows how to ascend to this level.
    • Amateur: The moment a Black Core becomes a White Core.
    • Initiate: No known method
    • Ascendant: No known Method
    • Peak: No known Method

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Estimations of Power for Cultivation Realms

• Grey Core(100% of the mortal population): Humans in the weakest sense.
• Silver Core(35% of all current cultivators): Mortals with a clean body. The strongest Silver Core can punch holes through brick walls with a bit of effort.
• Light Pink Core(15% of all current cultivators): Those of this realm can easily destroy entire walls with ease.
• Dark Pink Core(13% of all current cultivators): Those of this realm can destroy small buildings with a bit of effort.
• Light Purple Core(10% of all current cultivators): Those of this realm can destroy large buildings with a bit of effort.
• Dark Purple Core(7% of all current cultivators): Those of this realm can destroy neighborhood blocks with a bit of effort.
• Light Blue Core(6% of all current cultivators): Those of this realm can destroy neighborhoods with a bit of effort.
• Dark Blue Core(6% of all current cultivators): Those of this realm can destroy city blocks with a bit of effort.
• Light Green Core(5% of all current cultivators): Those of this realm can destroy cities with a bit of effort.
• Dark Green Core(3% of all current cultivators): Those of this realm can destroy a mountain with a bit of effort.
• Yellow Core(>1% of all current cultivators): Those of this realm can destroy a large forest with a bit of effort.
• Orange Core(>0.1% of all current cultivators): Those of this realm can destroy mountain ranges with a bit of effort.
• Red Core(>0.01% of all current Cultivators): Those of this realm can destroy a small continent with a bit of effort.
• Black Core(Only 150 exsist in the modern age): The second strongest. Those in this realm can destroy a large continent with a bit of effort.
• White Core: The peak of all cultivation. No one knows the limit of their power.

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Schools of Battle Arts - They're something to be learned, mastered; unlike cultivation, these have to be found, crafted, and utilized. Most of them come in the forms of scripts, manuals, or mental imprints. Battle Arts is what separates cultivators on a similar level of power.

• Main Battle Arts: Most Battle Arts can only be practiced at a single time. And the hundreds of thousands of Battle Arts that exist have ranks in terms of power: Grade 5, Grade 4, Grade 3, Grade 2, Grade 1, and finally Mythic Grade. Mythic Grade Battle Arts are the rarest to find, most powerful, and most unique.
  • Element Arts: This Battle Art teaches those with an elemental attunement to use the natural elements of the world as weapons, armor, attacks, or ways to heal.
  • Formation Arts: Formation Arts are all about bringing the home-field advantage to the battlefield. It teaches its users how to set up stationary grids, both big and small, to give themselves boosts in power and weaken their enemies.
  • Talisman Arts: This Battle Art is for those who don't have an elemental attunement and a weaker body. It teaches its users how to craft esoteric, elemental, physical, and metaphysical effects onto slips of paper to be used as boosts of power or weapons themselves. It's the only Battle Art that allows it to take parts of every other Battle Art and craft it into something unique. The only detriment is that it's weaker than the Battle Art it's mimicking.
  • Sword Arts: This Battle Art teaches its user how to master the sword, in body and spirit.
  • Spear Arts: This Battle Art teaches its user how to master the spear in body and spirit.
  • Dagger Arts: This Battle Art teaches its user how to master daggers in body and spirit.
  • Hammer Arts: This Battle Art teaches its user how to master hammers in body and spirit.
  • Martial Arts: This Battle Art teaches its user how to master their own body.
  • Gun Arts: This Battle Art teaches its user how to infuse their guns with Qi, infusing bullets with esoteric effects.
  • Mechanical Arts: This Battle Art teaches its user how to build machines, guns, and technology with their own Qi.
• Main Demonic Battle Arts: The Battle Arts that bring out the worst and the best in people. Any cultivator can learn the Battle Art, but only those with a certain mentality can master it.
  • Demonic Sin and Virtue Arts: The seven deadly sins and seven heavenly virtues turned into weapons. They don't have Grades, but they do have Demonic Mastery that unlocks the Art's true ability.
    • Demonic Wrath Arts: This Battle Art teaches its user how to turn their own rage into strength. But it will turn them into feral, mindless beasts if they don't master the Art. Demonic Mastery gives them the ability to turn their rage into a physical force, using it as weapons and armor.
    • Demonic Greed Arts: This Battle Art teaches its user how to turn their greed into stealth, subtlety, and a way to take what they're rightfully owed. It will turn them into mindless horders if they don't master the Art. Demonic Mastery gives them the ability to turn invisible.
    • Demonic Envy Arts: This Battle Art teaches its user how to turn their Envy into a way to weaken their enemy's powers; they they can't have it, their enemy can't either. It will turn its user into an envy-riddled goblin who does nothing but chase after what it doesn't have if they don't master the Art. Demonic Mastery allows them to nullify abilities entirely.
    • Demonic Gluttony Arts: This Battle Art teaches its user how to turn their Gluttony into a fortress; the more they consume, the tougher they get. It will turn its user into a gluttonous monstrosity that only consumes if they don't master it. Demonic Mastery allows them to consume the elements themselves.
    • Demonic Sloth Arts: This Battle Art teaches its user how to turn their Sloth into a way to slow their enemies mentally; the more people they put to slow, the easier it is for them to consume. It will put its users in eternal rest if they don't master it. Demonic Mastery allows them to put their enemies to sleep with a snap of their fingers, as long as they're stronger than their enemy.
    • Demonic Lust Arts: This Battle Art teaches its user how to turn their lust into mind control; the more under their command, the more powerful they become. It will turn its users into sex-crazed maniacs if they don't master it. Demonic Mastery gives them the ability to strengthen those under their command by two whole cultivation ranks.
    • Demonic Pride Arts: The final Sin, and the most powerful. It's not about power, it's about Pride. The more the Pride, the stronger they get. But ego, narcissism, doubt, and fear will make the Arts kill its user. Demonic Mastery gives them the ability to ignore weakening effects, physical and metaphysical barriers, gives them a resistance to mind and soul attacks, and makes them immovable to enemy attacks.
    • Demonic Humility Arts: This Battle Art teaches its user how to turn their Humility into an attack that destabilizes their enemy's confidence, focus, and goal. Demonic Mastery gives them the ability to change someone's opinion of themselves, turning the most confident person into a weak-willed individual.
    • Demonic Charity Arts: This Battle Art teaches its user how to alter themselves subtly, both physically and emotionally; meant to make their enemies falter when attacking them, or convince others to give them charity as they adopt a softer and more vulnerable aesthetic. Demonic Mastery allows complete and utter shapeshifting into different forms, physically and mentally.
    • Demonic Chastity Arts: This Battle Art teaches its user how to turn their lust into power. Lust will be changed to strengthen abilities, skills, attacks, and defenses. Demonic Mastery allows the user to transform their Lust into a clone of themselves; the clone is just as strong, skillful, and smart as the original.
    • Demonic Gratitude Arts: This Battle Art teaches its user how to transform gratitude into communication across vast distances without the use of technology; a connection can be formed between individuals to allow messages to be sent. Demonic Mastery gives the user telepathy.
    • Demonic Temperance Arts: This Battle Art teaches its user how to transform temperance into small bursts of power. Demonic Mastery allows the user to build up restraint and self-control into a blast of explosive Qi that can detonate whenever they want.
    • Demonic Patience Arts: This Battle Art teaches its user how to transform patience into a gradual rise in temporary power during battle. Demonic Mastery allows the user to grow stronger in fights, the longer the fight goes on. The power isn't permanent.
    • Demonic Diligence Arts: The Strongest Demonic Battle Art. It doesn't teach the user anything, but Demonic Mastery gives the user a better understanding of cultivation, Qi, and the world itself, increasing the speed at which they cultivate and master other Battle Arts.
• Main Beastly Battle Arts: Beastly Arts are unique, as only one can be learned, and there is no grade or mastery. Once an Art is chosen, a cultivator is forced to only use that Art.
  • Beast Soul Arts: This Battle Art teaches one to spread power to both with a single multiplier. The variations of Beast Soul Arts vary in application, effects, and power increase, but the base increase is the same in all variations. It can come in the form of Mind melding, Body melding, Soul melding, etc.
  • Beast Companion Arts: This Battle Art is all about strengthening one's own beast, at the cost of their own power. A cultivator can give their Qi, knowledge, powers, and experience to their beast. A cultivator's beast will always be one rank above them if they use this Battle Art.
  • Beast Transformation Arts: This Battle Art teaches the cultivator to train with their beast and gain the ability to transform into a version of their beast. The potency of the Art is dependent on the size. If the cultivator is smaller than their beast in the transformed state, they only receive a 2 times multiplier in power. If the cultivator is the same size as their beast in the transformed state, they receive a 3 times multiplier in power. If the cultivator is bigger than their beast in the transformed state, they receive a 4 times multiplier in power.
  • Beast Horde Arts: This Battle Art teaches the cultivator to gain control of more beasts than their Physique allows through the use of partial beast-beast bond; a cultivator's beast can only bond with a beast weaker than it. It's an Art made for those with a Quadruplet Beastly Bond Physique. However, there are limits. Too many bonds means too much strain on a cultivator's Qi and mind, and overload will simply obliterate the cultivator.
• Divergent Battle Arts: The rarest of battle arts. They are unique because they have no duplicates. Only one person can wield these arts at a time.
  • Time Arts: Time Battle Arts are a finicky thing. To manipulate time carries the risk to cripple one's own time, trapping them in loops, repeats, or freezes for all eternity. But if one can perfect it, they can warp time in localized areas. And if they reach a level of perfection no one has ever reached before, they may be able to turn time in reverse.
  • Space Arts: Space Battle Arts, like time arts, are just as dangerous to the world and the wielder. An untrained fool might rip themselves to shreds, trap themselves in a repeating hallway, or simply destroy the world with a blackhole. But if someone can perfect the art, they can warp space on a scale hitherto undreamt of.
  • Void Arts: The void is the absence of creation. It doesn't kill people, it doesn't destroy things, it unmakes them. It's a danger to the world as much as a danger to the user.
  • Etherial Arts: The antithesis to the void. The Etherial Arts is creation itself, while the void unmakes, the Etherial makes. It heals by remaking parts of the body, it makes weapons out of thin air, armor from imagination, and power limited only by the strength of the wielder.
  • History Arts: This Battle Art rips through the fabric of time and space and pulls historical figures from the past to the present. Those pulled are tied to the cultivator and can only last for a limited amount of time; however, the figure is brought forth with their knowledge, memories, and cultivation rank.
  • AI Arts: This Battle Art allows the cultivator to communicate, control, and create with all forms of AI. It's the most dangerous Battle Art in modern times, as the world runs on technology and power.

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QI: The path to power.

• Qi is simple in its creation; it is power given form, a path to immortality mortals can use, and a resource wars are waged over. Qi comes in three forms: liquid, solid, and Formless. The form doesn't matter in application, but the potency of the Qi differs between the three states.
  • Solid Qi: The commonly found resources of QI. It's the final stage of QI crystallization; it's 75% solid material and 25% Qi.
  • Liquid Qi: The rarer brand that has been exposed to air and turned into a liquid state; It's 33% fluid material, and 67% Qi.
  • Formless Qi: Formless Qi is the rarest of them all. It's Qi that has never been exposed to air, and as such, it retains 100% of its natural Qi.
• QI Crystallization: It's the stages Qi takes that go from formless to Solid, and it's a process that takes roughly 48 hours. The first 6 hours are the peak, where Qi remains formless; it's an opportunity no decent cultivator will ever pass up. But once those 6 hours are up, the Qi turns to liquid in an instant, creating raindrops of Qi that fall. For the next 42 hours, the QI remains liquid, slowly solidifying as solid material clumps around it, until it condenses and becomes solid.
• Qi types:
  • Elemental: Elemental Qi takes on the color and form of the world's natural elements, such as fire, water, wind, earth, light, shadow, etc. It's possible for elemental Qi not to be a natural part of the world, but it's incredibly rare. Only those with Elemental Physique can absorb Elemental QI. It can be found everywhere. Its color is dependent on the element it has.
  • Physical: Physical Qi is simple. It enhances a cultivator's physical attributes such as speed, strength, and durability. If a cultivator doesn't have an elemental core, they're forced to use physical QI as their only path to power and immorality. It can be found in densely populated areas. Its color is a deep ocean blue.
  • Beastly: Beastly Qi takes on the attributes of powerful monsters who linger in areas long enough for their Qi to bleed into the environment around them. Most Humans cannot use Beastly QI, as Beastly Bond Physiques in humans are incredibly rare, but Demi-humans can, and they're experts at it. It can be found in areas where powerful creatures roam. Its color is a wild orange.
  • Demonic: Demonic Qi is negative emotions given physical form. If enough Anger, hatred, envy, jealousy, sorrow, and sadness are felt by someone or a group of people, demonic Qi can be formed. It can corrupt cultivators into the demonic path if they are not disciplined. Its color is a red-blackish thing that makes mortals feel uneasy.
  • The three Moons:
    • Bloody Light: Its Qi is red in color, and it's a Qi type that complements Physical Qi, physical physique cultivators, and those weak to their emotions.
    • Nature's Grace: Its Qi is green in color, and it's a Qi type that complements Beaslty Qi, beastly bond physique cultivators, and those who feel strongly for family and loyalty.
    • Ocean's Sky: Its Qi is blue in color, and it's a Qi type that complements Elemental Qi, elemental physique cultivators, and those prone to live life freely.

"Courting Death!" The young master declared as he sneered at the unpaid intern before him. "You dare sully my magnificent drip with your presence? Kowtow three times, cripple your cultivation, and I may let you live!"

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“Ha! You truly think a pitiful Ascendant Silver Core weakling like you can beat a Peak Light Purple Core cultivator like me? Truly, you have lost your mind.” The curvy, haughty member of Golden Might said condescendingly. Her drip is immense, a golden suit with colored accents, and a smile that was anything but nice. "Hand over your Qi stones, and I might not record me beating your ass."

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The bored, unpaid Intern of Skull&Bones looked down at the Physique assessment orb, noticing just a dim blue color. “Physical Physique. To the left with the rest.” He said with a yawn as he shooed the disappointed-looking young man away. His thoughts were a mix of disdain and exhaustion. "I don't get paid enough for this shit." He muttered under his breath, then he remembered he doesn't get paid at all, and his mood plummeted even further.

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"Would..." A peak Silver Core said as the pissed off Orc woman charged at him, her fury a physical force that made his steps falter. His brother in arms, the Ascendant Silver Core running with him, had his eyes widened. "SHE'S TRYING TO KILL US!!! THE FUCK YOU MEAN WOULD?!?!"