The path to immortality is defined by distinct realms, each offering greater power and an extended lifespan. While variations exist across different sects, schools, and spiritual philosophies, a basic version of these cultivation stages is widely recognized. This structure is a guiding framework that almost all cultivators follow, regardless of the specific techniques or methods employed.
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1. Qi Refining Period (炼气, Liànqì) – The Beginning of the Journey
It marks the first step on the path of cultivation, allowing a practitioner to draw and refine Qi within their body as gas forms in the dantian. During this stage, cultivators remain much like mortals, still needing to eat, drink, sleep, and perform all other bodily functions. Their lifespan extends to around 200-250 years, with an additional fifty years granted to those who achieve the Perfect Stage at the peak of this realm. Upon initially absorbing Qi, impurities (杂质, Zázhì)—a foul, black slime-like substance—are expelled from the skin. These impurities represent the bodily waste accumulated from mortal food and other worldly substances.
As the cultivator advances, impurities continue to be expelled whenever they consume mortal food, non-stubborn erysipelas from pills, or after significant breakthroughs (small advancement such as from early stage to middle stage; or big advancement such as from peak foundation building to golden core period).
Every time these impurities are purged, the cultivator's appearance subtly transforms. Their skin becomes clearer and more refined, scars fade, and they take on a more attractive appearance. This change is not merely cosmetic; it is a reflection of the body's increasing purity and its gradual separation from the mortal realm.
After expelling impurities, the initial absorption of qi also enhances their senses, granting them sharper vision, keener hearing, and heightened awareness. Qi Refining cultivators can see and hear clearly from great distances, and their divine senses—akin to a spiritual radar—are awakened. Shen (神, spirit or soul), divine senses or consciousness can grow stronger with their cultivation. Qi Refining cultivators can use their divine senses to explore their environment, and with training, they can even communicate telepathically over distances that depend on their spirit's strength. However, stronger cultivators can eavesdrop on these communications, turning whispers into vulnerabilities in the world of cultivation.
2. Foundation Building or Foundation Establishment Period (筑基, Zhùjī) – The Second Watershed.
Often called the second watershed in cultivation, following the first watershed that determines whether an individual possesses spiritual roots. Only those with spiritual roots can pursue spiritual cultivation; those without are forced to choose alternate, often grueling paths, such as physical cultivation or Buddhist cultivation. These paths are fraught with difficulty, as physical cultivation demands immense wealth and resources, extreme discipline, and unwavering willpower, while Buddhist cultivation hinges on achieving enlightenment—a feat that could take a lifetime, or might never happen at all.
When cultivators in the Peak stage of Qi Refining can't absorb Qi anymore in their dantian, or their dantian is already full and has no more room to be filled by Qi. They can start the process of building the foundation, to advance to this realm. Qi is compressed into liquid form. The quality and quantity of qi determine the "sea's" width and depth. Building a solid foundation is crucial for future advancement. Upon reaching Foundation Building, the cultivator's connection to mortal needs shifts dramatically. The Qi within their body now sustains them, allowing them to go without food, drink, or sleep. Instead, they meditate to absorb Qi, replenishing their reserves and refreshing their mind and body.
This profound change not only marks their ascension to a new level of power but also their gradual transcendence of mortal limitations. The soul or spirit of cultivators in this realm also becomes strong enough to allow feats such as sword flight (御剑, Yùjiàn)—often called "Edgeworth." This technique allows them to stand atop their swords and ride them through the air, showcasing their newfound strength and control over their divine senses and spirit. Lifespan during this stage increases to around 600-650 years, with those achieving the Perfect Stage gaining the maximum lifespan. This period solidifies the cultivator's foundation, laying the groundwork for their future endeavors and setting them on a firm path toward greater realms.
3. Golden Core Period (金丹, Jīndān)
When cultivators in the Peak stage of Foundation Building can't absorb Qi anymore in their dantian, or their dantian is already full and has no more room to be filled by Qi. They can start the process to advance to this realm. Their sea of qi will be boiled and compressed in the lower dantian, forming a golden core. This is the reason why the lower dantian is also called "the golden stove" (金炉 pinyin: Jīn lú). The core initial quality and toughness determine their cultivation potential.
Achieving this realm is a monumental feat, as it represents a cultivator's full departure from mortal limitations and a significant increase in lifespan, now reaching 1500-1550 years. Those who perfect their Golden Core shine brightest among their peers, and their longevity and strength push them far ahead of those who only scrape the surface of this stage.
Golden Core cultivators are revered as true powerhouses and have the title of "Real Person" or Zhēnrén (真人), capable of feats that would seem miraculous to those below them.
4. Nascent Soul/Yuan Infant Period (元婴, Yuányīng) – Birth of a New Self
When cultivators in the Peak stage of Jīndān can't absorb Qi anymore in their core, and their core already can't be compressed anymore. They can start the process to advance to this realm. They will "hammer" and destroy their core, making it crack. This process is very hard and very painful. The golden core cracks, revealing an illusory infant formed from refined qi. Sign of the birth of a miniature spiritual self within the cultivator. But if the golden core of the cultivator cracked or shattered before the "time of advancement", it can hinder cultivation, or even cripple their cultivation. It requires many and rare resources to repair the broken core, the process is also hard. Some cases even need cultivators to re-cultivate from the start- from Qi Refining (if their body or their dantian, meridian is still healthy).
If cultivators have amputated limbs, they can grow back after they succeed to advance to this realm. They also can reshape their bodies (Faces, etc.) for once after the advancement, and the result will become or replace their initial appearance, as their original appearance. This realm brings an even longer lifespan, extending to 3000-3050 years for those who reach its peak and perfect their Nascent Soul. Cultivators in this realm have the title of True Monarch or (真君, Zhēnjūn). Cultivators in this realm are hard to kill because they have "two selves", they can reshape their own body as long as their "infant" is still alive. This second reshape needs lots of rare resources.
They also can have doppelgangers, because their souls and divine senses are already powerful enough to be divided. Most cultivators can only have one, but they can have more if their souls and divine sense are strong enough. The base of the doppelganger body is varied. The rarer, higher level of treasures that are used, the more powerful the body of their doppelganger is. (This is different from puppetry).
I usually call this stage as Nascent Soul and the 'infant' as Yuányīng.
5. Post-Nascent Soul Stages
After reaching Nascent Soul, the progression varies depending on the novel or author. Some examples:
Common in many Xianxia novels:
Divine Transformation Period (化神, Huàshén)
The Nascent Soul (the infant or miniature spiritual self) begins to merge with the cultivator's consciousness. Their lifespan reaches 6000-6050 years, making them veritable paragons of cultivation. The cultivator's understanding of the world deepens, and they begin to tap into the very fabric of the universe, manipulating space, time, and even the natural laws to a limited extent. They can create small pocket dimensions as they begin to understand the essence of space and time. This is a stage where power and wisdom must coexist harmoniously. Cultivators in this realm have titles as "True Sage" (真圣, Zhēnshèng).
6. Tribulation Period (渡劫, Dùjié)
From this stage onwards, cultivators can no longer rely on simply absorbing qi to advance. Instead, they must deepen their comprehension of specific "laws" or "ways" (道, Dào) they have chosen to study. The depth of their understanding directly correlates to the power of the "laws" they can utilize. Cultivators must grasp the underlying "intent" (意, Yì) of these laws. Cultivators in this realm have the title as "King" (之王, zhī wáng) or "Sovereign" (之主, zhī zhǔ).
Each practitioner's interpretation of a law is unique, making this a deeply personal journey. While they can use others' insights as references, true advancement comes from individual understanding. This personal nature of cultivation at this stage makes it challenging to progress and often leads cultivators to withdraw from worldly affairs to focus on their comprehension. Have 15,000-25,000 years lifespan.
7. Mahayana Period (大乘, Dàchéng)
The Mahayana Period is the pinnacle of mortal cultivation, the final stage before ascending to the Immortal Realm or to the Middle World. Similar to the Returning to Void stage but involves an even higher level of understanding of the intents behind the laws of the universe. This also can be called understanding the true meaning of their ways (道, Dào). As with the previous stage, progress is highly individualized. Each cultivator's path is unique, based on their personal insights and interpretations of the higher-level intents and searching for their own True Meanings.
The difficulty of advancement at this stage and the deep, personal nature of the cultivation process mean that Mahayana cultivators rarely involve themselves in worldly matters. However, if they cannot ascend within their extended lifespan of 100,000 years, they face certain death. The threat of death looms ever closer for those who linger too long, urging them to push forward or perish. This period marks the culmination of a cultivator's journey in the mortal/human world or the Small World. It is a realm of immense power and potential, but also one of intense pressure, as every decision and every battle could be their last before they face the heavenly gate. Cultivators in this realm have the title of "Great Ascendant" or "Supreme Ancestor" (大乘天尊, Dàchéng Tiānzūn / 太上祖师, Tàishàng Zǔshī).
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In Su Min's story:
Divine Transformation; Dao Comprehension; Unity; Mahayana
In Jian Dan's story:
Divine Transformation; Divine Soul; Void Refinement; Unity; Mahayana
These stages serve as a general framework, though their names and exact breakthroughs may differ across sects or worlds. But the principles—refining the body, mind, and spirit—remain central to nearly all cultivation systems. For more detailed information about cultivation stage you can visit the link on the comments.