Cultivation

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Cultivation is divided into nine ranks - Gu Master (rank one to rank five) and Gu Immortal (rank six to rank nine) cultivation. Mortals are those who haven't yet started cultivating. Those who manage to open their aperture are, henceforth, called Gu Masters. They nourish their aperture walls and destroy them repeatedly until reaching the peak of mortal cultivation. They can decide to attempt immortal ascension and become an incomparably more powerful Gu Immortal.

## Cultivation Realm (Mortal)

Mortal Gu Masters have 5 realms, from the bottom (rank 1) all the way up to the top (rank 5). Every rank is considered as a big realm and is divided into 4 smaller realms – initial stage, middle stage, upper stage, and peak stage. The rank a mortal Gu Master can achieve is primarily dependent on their cultivation aptitude. Mortal Gu Masters cultivate by refining the walls of their mortal aperture with the help of their primeval essence. Once the walls have reached a certain point, they can't be refined any further, at this point the Gu Master uses their primeval essence to break and destroy their aperture walls. The broken aperture walls would give way to that of the next minor realm, or in case of a rank up, to that of the next rank. Their aperture would from now on produce primeval essence of the corresponding rank.

In a Gu Master’s cultivation, it was easy to advance through small realms, they only needed enough time and patience. However, every large realm had a barrier, and the higher you go, the harder it is to cross. But that's not the case with the ten extreme physiques, they can continue to advance without obstacles.

For more complementary information please consider visiting Gu Master and Primeval Essence.

* Middle
* Upper
* Peak
 Rank 2 | * Initial
* Middle
* Upper
* Peak
 Rank 3 | * Initial
* Middle
* Upper
* Peak
 Rank 4 | * Initial
* Middle
* Upper
* Peak
 Rank 5 | * Initial
* Middle
* Upper
* Peak

## Immortal Ascension

Becoming a Gu Immortal is extremely hard, it depends not only on resources, talent or determination but also on luck and meticulous preparation. To advance to a Gu Immortal, the mortal Gu Master needs to gather and fuse the **three elements of immortal ascension**, the elements refer to the **qi** of **heaven**, **earth**, and **man/human**. If either of the three aspects is insufficient or out of balance, the mortal Gu Master would die and their soul would dissipate. Because of this most mortal Gu Masters decide to remain at the peak of the mortal realm (rank 5) or at least postpone their breakthrough until they have sufficiently prepared. The Gu Master can obtain the inspiration of heaven and earth if they concentrate and formulate a specific question during their ascension (a question that is too broad or unspecific, will likely yield a generalized or unspecific answer rendering this opportunity wasted and the now ascended Gu Immortal not (much) smarter than before).

**Breakthrough Mortal realm to Immortal realm (Three Elements of Immortal Ascension) :**

1. The mortal Gu Master must completely crush their mortal aperture, accepting the nurturing of nature's **heaven qi** and **earth qi**, the more **heaven qi** and **earth qi** is accepted, the higher chance of succeeding. The **Heaven Qi** and **earth qi** must be balanced and must be equal to each other.
2. Accepting the mortal Gu Master's own accumulation and life's experiences, the deeper the understanding of the mortal Gu Master in regards to his accumulations and understanding of his own path is, the more **human qi** mortal Gu Master would generate. (Note: **Human qi** is the sum of the Gu Master's own accumulation. The Gu Master's battle strength, toughness of their physical body, the depth of their soul, familiarity with Gu Worms, understanding of heaven and earth, awareness of their own nature as well as luck, talent, aptitude, fortuitous encounters, insights and so on would transform into **human qi** when advancing to Gu Immortal.).
3. After balancing the **heaven qi** and **earth qi**, the mortal Gu Master must also balance the **human qi** as well together with **heaven qi** and **earth qi**. Once the three elements have gathered and are equally balanced, the mortal Gu Master would have a higher chance of advancing to Gu Immortal.
4. During the ascension, the Gu Master has to undergo an earthly calamity and a heavenly tribulation.

If the mortal Gu Master successfully passes the earthly calamity and heavenly tribulation, the Gu Master's previously crushed space of the mortal aperture would give birth to an immortal aperture, where a blessed land would form. The Gu Master's primeval essence would be replaced by beads of immortal essence. Any leftover heaven and earth qi can be used to refine mortal rank 5 Gu to immortal level, depending on the volume of the remaining qi, one or more Immortal Gu can be refined.

It's recommended that one only ascend to immortality when they have refined their vital gu to rank five, especially if their attainment in their path wasn't deep enough, otherwise during the third step of putting in gu within lump of three qi, there was a chance that the immortal aperture formation would fail.

## Cultivation Realm (Immortal)

Gu Immortals have 4 realms, from the bottom (rank 6) all the way up to the top (rank 9). Every rank is considered a big realm, and Gu Immortals no longer advance through the 4 smaller realms as mortal Gu Masters do. The prowess of Gu Immortals depends on the total number and strength of calamities and tribulations undergone, for example, if a rank 6 Gu Immortal has successfully passed two heavenly tribulations and a total of 27 earthly calamities, it's considered that the Gu Immortal achieved the peak of rank 6.

For more complementary information please consider visiting:

* Gu Immortal
* Immortal Essence
* Calamities and Tribulations

* 100
* Heavenly Tribulation
 Rank 7 | * 10
* 50
* 100
* Heavenly Tribulation
* Grand Tribulation
 Rank 8 | * 10
* 50
* 100
* Grand Tribulation
* Myriad Tribulation
 **Stopping Point:*** After 300 years (aperture time) and a total of the 3 myriad tribulations at rank 8, the first 2 myriad tribulations succeeded, and before the last myriad tribulation, the Gu Immortal would reach the peak of rank 8. (Battle prowess of Half/Quasi/Pseudo-Venerable).

**Next Realm (The Four Conditions to Become a Venerable):**
1. The Gu Immortal must be at rank 8.
2. The Gu Immortal must have successfully passed all three myriad tribulations.
3. The Gu Immortal must have at least an attainment level of supreme grandmaster in any path.
4. The Gu Immortal must break through the Heavenly Dao's three blockades.

```
    1. A heavenly dao tribulation far greater in might than the myriad tribulation.
    2.The Longevity Gu, which restrains even a Venerable's lifespan and cannot be refined by Gu Masters.
    3.The Fate Gu, which restrains the Gu Immortal destiny and fortune.

 Rank 9 | * 10
* 50
* 100
* Myriad Tribulation
* Chaos Tribulation

## Trivia

* As shown by Red Lotus Demon Venerable's past, Gu cultivation isn't the only cultivation system to exist in this world. There are secret manuals that mortals who hasn't or couldn't awaken their aperture can use to produce supernatural effects. However, such cultivation are very minor compared to Gu Cultivation.
* Experience has shown that those who have photographic memory at a young age, or those who possess strength that could rival an adult, or had other great inborn talents, all had outstanding cultivation qualifications.
* Not everyone has the natural talent to be a Gu Master. Generally speaking, it is not bad if five out of ten people have talent.
* Rank nine is the limit in the whole world, it is the highest summit, this world cannot have rank ten, so rank nine is the strongest

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 ch. 647
2. ↑ ch. 1676