Body Tempering: Consists of many smaller stages of refining one's flesh and blood into that of an "immortal". As a cultivator progresses through these stages they gain resistance to mortal diseases and maladies. Each breakthrough during Body Tempering results in impurities exiting the body in the form of black blood. They will also begin to reach the maximum mortal lifespan (99 years old)
Strength Rendering: One's strength becomes equal to the greatest of mortal warriors and it makes a foundation upon which to reach the next stage. Requires one to open one's pores in order to allow natural energies to pass through the body, or the consumption of food/treasures with large amounts of natural energies. Alternatively, some normal, but talented, people who undergo intense exercise (and usually battle) regularly can reach this stage.
Flesh Tempering: The tempering of one's skin and outer flesh makes them more resistant to blows. Ordinary people will struggle to leave behind meaningful wounds, even with weapons, although their wounds will still be severe after they enter the body. Old wounds are removed from the body as the skin is, rather painfully, shed. Beauty is increased.
Bone and Marrow Tempering: The bones and marrow within one's body are tempered, making them more resistant to bones breaking and increasing their strength. During this stage people often grow a few inches due to changes in the body.
Blood and Viscera Tempering: The blood and viscera within one's body are tempered, making previously fatal blows much less dangerous and increasing the body's vitality. The blood will thicken and one's body temperature will increase slightly.
Meridian Opening: The meridian's within one's body begin to connect, and one can begin allowing natural energies to flow through them. These energies can now temper the body far more easily, giving a cultivator twice the results with half the effort compared to before.
Dantian Creation: Now that the meridians within one's body are open, they begin forming a dantian in order to better store their energies and refining natural energies into a more pure state.
Qi Refinement: One refines the scant natural energies that entire their body into qi, and this allows them to absorb more energy from the environment and makes it easier to control.
Qi Emission: One gains greater control over the qi in their body and is eventually able to focus it in various parts of their body, and eventually send it out of their body.
Dantian Creation/Meridian Tempering: With greater control over their qi, one can begin to create a dantian to store greater amounts of qi than their meridians. If meridians can be called estuaries, then the dantian is a great sea to hold the water from all of them. The time a dantian takes to form depends on the width of the meridians, which is why this may also be called "Meridian Tempering". One's lifespan is lengthened to 139 years old by this point due to the increased quantity and purity of energies stored within the body.
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Acupoint Opening: In order to gather greater amounts of qi to fill/widen the dantian, the body's acupoints must be opened. There is a specific order that must be followed for each person, or a blockage may occur, stopping one from opening all of their acupoints and limiting their further achievements. With each acupoint opened comes an increase in a cultivator's ability to absorb qi and their strength. Each acupoint opened increases one's lifespan by a year, ending with a lifespan of 250 years.
12 main acupoints: All of them must be opened in order to advance to the next stage.
99 supplementary acupoints: Technically a cultivator can advance to the next stage without opening any of these acupoints, but it will be difficult and their achievements will be greatly limited.
0 - 10: No hope for a breakthrough.
11 - 20: If one does breakthrough, there is no hope in any advancement in strength. Breakthrough nearly impossible.
21 - 30: Breakthrough may be possible, but that will be the end of their martial path.
31 - 40: Mediocre. Greatly limits one's future achievements.
41 - 50: Average. Not seen among those with a high cultivation.
51 - 60: Good. One retains hope for future breakthroughs.
61 - 70: Mainly seen among geniuses who have some hope for several breakthroughs in the future.
71 - 80: Seen among great geniuses with a bright future.
81 - 90: Seen among peerless geniuses who will naturally make major breakthroughs, given they don't die.
91 - 99: Almost unheard of, and will draw great fame and attention.
(Note: These classifications refer to younger cultivators. Among very old cultivators, they may reach a large amount of acupoints opened but not be considered a genius of any sort, as they're far too old to make a breakthrough.)
Soul Foundation: After one opens up their acupoints, they prepare to cleanse their soul. In order to do so they must build a foundation upon which to do so by strengthening their soul. The cultivator will slowly increase the size and strength of their soul by tempering it with qi. This is a major bottleneck for many and is the point at which some begin studying the laws of the universe, although they may only gain very basic attainments in them. Soul Foundation cultivators are exceedingly uncommon with Yutian Country, and as a result Liu Zhu is unsure of their lifespan.