Tao Chi Megathread

Tao Chi: Literally meaning "Air Path" but more figuratively "Path of material energy", "life force", or "energy flow". As it sounds, Tao Chi revolves around the mastery and enhancement of one's physical energy into supernatural heights. From humble beginnings, one might rise until they maybe dictate the flow of rivers and sunder mountains with their actions. Though, such power does not come free or easy, and much work goes into this. Detailed below is most (I'm lazy and unmotivated and create cool new shit on the fly) of the culture, undertakings, rewards and assistance of a Cultivator who might step onto the Tao Chi.


Wudang-an-han: Translating as 'Body and Soul', Wudan-an-han is a unique Martial Art Form that teaches the practitioners how best to direct their force. Interlining the concept of Reiki, the idea of internal physical energy, it allows for superior freedom on the battlefield, and is also the stepping stone to Tao Chi. Wudang-an-han has several varying kata to slowly bring the user into the art of controlling one's energy distribution about the body. When learned, Wudang-an-han allows for the user to appear more powerful than they were before, to have discovered new strength in the forms. However, this is technically incorrect, as they are as strong as they where when they started, they simply are able to strike with pristine efficiency, losing nothing from their movements to the point of impact, and able to deliver a strike in it's entirety without the loss of a single drop of force.

First Kata -The Breath of Life: Before controlling one's Reiki, they must be aware of it's existence. This Kata introduces the pivotal breathing exercises and basic movements required to become aware of the energy within your own body. A mixture of slow, methodical movements and sudden, rapid strikes can be adapted to use in a fight, but the main use is to propagate the flow of Reiki and in doing so, eventually allow the user to become aware of it.

Second Kata - The Exhale: Once a person has sharpened their senses to their internal energy, then they may begin the lesson of controlling it. This involves a great deal of flowing movement, that is unsuited for the battlefield, unlike the First Kata. The new understanding of how their Reiki flows allows them to slowly become adapted to the movements of it. And then, once the user has adapted, they can begin to manipulate it as they desire, making it flow towards their target, or away, if they wish a strike that is weaker than it appears. Controlling their own ebb and flow allows for the user to take control of the ebb and flow of the fight itself, keeping the enemy off guard with their expectations of what is coming, compared to what actually came.

With these two martial techniques learned, the user can apply this concept further. The Reiki control allows one to use the concept in Cultivation, as detailed below. Without the expertise granted in controlling your Reiki, you can't use the same concept to draw in your Jing.



Dantian Cultivation: The basis of Tao Chi is the energy gathered within Dantian, the energy centre of the body. Cultivation begins with drawing Jing [raw energy] into the Dantian and compressing it, slowly processing it into a refined form, Qi [refined energy]. The drawing in of Jing is similar to the manipulation of Reiki, which is why the user needs to be skilled in the use of his Reiki before he can manage to draw in Jing. Once within the Dantian, the process is either by Stoic Meditation, Martial Meditation, or a combination of the two, depending on the person in question.

The refinement of Jing to Qi is slow, to begin with, but certain herbal elixirs can stimulate the Dantian and allow it to refine Jing at a quicker rate for a limited time. Overuse of elixirs can rupture the Dantian and cause intense spiritual pain for the user, as well as causing them to lose considerable progress in their cultivation, as the Jing escapes, and the Qi leaks out. On it's own, Jing can allow the usage of the Rank 1 technique, The Hundred Armed Fists. However, once refined to Qi, It can grant the user access to Ranks 2 through to 6, depending on the level of cultivation. Each rank requires a greater level of Qi to function. Experience allows for faster cultivation, and with a few months of experience, then the user can fill the Dantian with Qi within a few hours. Eventually, should one keep at it, their Dantian will swell and grow, accommodating more and more Qi until it reaches a level of compression and all the impurities are squeezed out, creating Shen [Pure Chi, or Perfected Chi]. Filling and emptying, filling and emptying, filling and emptying, this cycle continues eternally, the Dantian growing every time, strengthening the body and the user.


The techniques ranked 7, 8 and 9, require Qi to be refined into Shen [perfected energy] which first becomes apparent when the user masters Rank 6 technique, Dantian Exploding Penetration Strike. With the explosion of their Dantian and the focus of the massive degree of Qi to a singular point, the intense pressure compresses a small amount of this Qi into Shen, which the Dantian will instantly adapt to accommodate. The cultivation requires great effort to compress Qi to Shen, but this allows access to a much more potent energy source, reducing the need to cultivate constantly, and allowing much more powerful techniques to be used. Shen is much slower than Qi to begin with, but effort and tenacity will eventually reward them with a Dantian of incredible size and power, allowing the epitome of Tao Chi, Breaching Heavens Gates, to be used.

There exists three Forms of Dantian, each one with it's own traits and nature. These are the Twelve Lightning Bolts, the Five Fire Pillars, and the Great Ocean Beast. Determining your nature is easy with the right knowledge, and it allows you to cultivate in the most efficient manner, as well as determine how to use one's techniques.

Twelve Lightning Bolts is a Dantian that has the power of it's name sake, crackling Qi powering the user's techniques, but it has the longevity of a lightning bolt as well, and empties quickly in the heat of battle. However, it's small size means that it can also be filled quickly, allowing them to strike a balance between Martial Meditation and Tao Chi use in the heat of battle. It also allows them to compress Jing into Qi rapidly, allowing them to refine in battle, as long as there is Jing to refine.

Five Fire Pillars is a Dantian that spits heated Qi that warmed the body and burns the foe with it's strikes. The depth of it is decent, and so a user may fight a pitched battle and not worry that their supply will run dry unless it becomes extended, or they are thrust into battles beyond the first with no time to rest. Compression of one's Jing requires some effort, it does not happen at a running pace like the Dantian of Twelve Lightning Bolts, and with the sizeable storage, it is not something that can be done in a snap.

Great Ocean Beast is a Dantian that grants the power of it's namesake, the Ocean. Raging seas and crashing waves allow for a might beyond the usual of Qi, and also grants a Dantian the scope of the very seas themselves. Vast, and broad, the usage of techniques is not a thing that should be paid any mind to one with a full Dantian, however, like the Ocean it is a long and arduous process to fill once emptied. The cavernous size also hampers compression of Jing and results in a slow process from raw energy to purified energy. The work of many continuous hours, those who possess this Dantian develop a strong sense of patience.

The level of a person's Dantian is measured in stages. Bronze, Silver, Gold, Black Gold, and finally Yu-Shan. Each stage is split from 1, to 5, denoting how strong your cultivation has become within this stage. Once you reach rank 5 in a stage, diligent cultivation will allow you to ascend to the next stage, with your store of Dantian and it's potency increasing and allowing the user to compress a larger degree of Jing in one sitting. The usage of Shen, however, requires at least Gold 1 Dantian, as a Dantian below this will not have sufficent power to compress Qi sufficiently. One's Dantian does not just allow them to power the following techniques, but also invigorates the body and sharpens their movement, allowing them to be stronger and faster than they otherwise would be. This enhancement increases the stronger their Dantian becomes. (In essence, one trades the ability to have Spiritual Powers for enhanced Physical Capability as their tier increases)


Bronze Realm: Considered the Realm Of Children, there are very few Bronze Realm cultivators because it takes maybe a year or two for even the most simplistic of Cultivators to break through. It has the physical power of a 5 tier, with it's ranks mimicking sub-tiers in reverse [1 is 5, 2 is 4, 3 is 3, 4 is 2 and 5 is 1]. people who join Wulin late are met with some sneering while in this realm, and others are far to helpful, as if you would be to a baby attempting to toddle.

Silver Realm: The Realm Of Teens, this is the most common realm. It is here you start to ascend your human limits and start to be a real Wuxian Protagonist. It has the physical power of a 4 tier, and is treated with a general air of equality. Because everyone either is Silver, or was Silver, and that finally makes you a Brother, or Sister. At this point it doesn't matter where you came from, because Wulin's traditional culture is that everyone is the same Family.

Gold Realm: The Realm Of Maturity. So called because you are a mature, middle-aged man by the time you reach it in this day and age. There are some with greater talent, greater resources, and greater opportunities to be able to reach this younger, like Ci Lan Tsu who reached it at the age of 21. But the average person will see here when they are far out of teenhood. And here is where time starts to slow down. Since Cultivation gives you many more years of your prime - or as Prime as the age you reach Gold can be. Here, people below you give respect to their brother or sister. Occasionally terms as Senpai or Hyang are used depending on ethnicity, but others simply use different inflection on the word Brother to get across the same concept. It has the physical power of a 3 tier.

Black Gold: The Realm Of Elders. By this point, the average person with average talent and average advantages has cultivated a long white beard, or hair as well as a strong physical body. While the people here might look like old people, and generally are old people, they can not be underestimated in the slightest, because they are some of the most powerful people in Wulin. They are the 1%, and with that comes great respect from those below them. They have the physical power of a 2 tier, and are the Wise Old Men and Women of Wulin.

Yu-Shan: The Realm of Gods. By this point, you have quite the disparity. Either there are decrepit people that are exceptionally old looking, or you have middle-aged people, as either a vast abundance of time or an equal abundance of talent has gone into reaching this realm. The true Rulers of Wulin, every Yu-Shan Cultivator is treated with exceptional reverence, many of which have solidified their position in history as the origin of a mythological God. If Black Gold is the 1% of Wulin, then Yu-Shan are the 0.1% of Wulin. In the Age Of Sorrows, there are very few of these, and those are either the most talented people in Wulin, those with a vast array of tricks and abilities, or venerable multi-millennia elders from the Golden Age. It has the physical power of a 1 tier.

[Note, that these techniques are written thematically and a character's overall stats and abilities factor into both the user and the target for the final outcome]

Rank 1: The Hundred-Man Armed Fists: With the basis of Reiki control, the user can focus their Jing to their fists. Being a technique entirely based on it's strength and resistance this allows them to throw a punch as it if were from a hundred men with gauntleted fists. The style itself focuses on basic but solid fist strikes that are easy to throw, and lack any level of straining nature on the body or the energy supply, making it a good opening technique, or a technique best used against someone you are trying to exhaust. It does not stand well against those highly skilled in Martial Arts, however, as the basic nature of the technique makes it easy to see through. Basic does not mean it is a lacking technique, and those without considerable Martial Prowess will still be overwhelmed by it, it is simply in comparison to the other techniques of Dantian.

Rank 2: Circling Nine Cranes: Focusing one's Qi to their feet, the user's manoeuvrability increases, allowing them to slip around a target many times with ease, throwing them off with a constantly moving target and striking out with their nails, clawing skin and drawing blood to debilitate and eventually defeat their enemy. A technique suited to the slow crippling of the enemy, it bleeds them over time until they can no longer stand, and as such, can be passed over by some who wish more immediate results, or against targets with strong defensive abilities or explosive offensive abilities.

Rank 3: Illusionary Palm: Focusing their Qi to their arms, the power allows them to make movements that are not entirely truthful to the naked eye, causing a scattered delay in the ability to see the strike coming, and making the enemy perceive several palms for every one that is thrown. This rank is focused on palm strikes, the stunning and disrupting of the target's stance and flow, or in more dramatic cases, their organs and bodily functions. The degree of Qi put into the palm dictates how many are seen alongside the real one, and so a true fighter will judge their opponent, and adjust accordingly.

Rank 4: Three Thunder Fists: A master of Hundred-man Armoured Gauntlet decided that he needed something greater, something more powerful if he was going to continue in Wulin. And so, he cultivated, trained, and partook in elixirs until one day he broke through into Three Thunder Fists. An advanced form of Hundred-man Armoured Gauntlet, the user focuses their Qi to their fists, and then strikes with such might, their impact creates a thunder clap. It retains it basic roots, but enhances the use of Qi and the technique of the strike, allowing it to be superior in strength, but also more draining.

Rank 5: Shrieking Mountain Wind: A technique designed for those who would rather avoid being in close quarters, Shrieking Mountain Wind focuses Qi to the arms and then allows the user to strike out, with palms similar to Illusionary Palm. However, the culmination of the technique is radically different, as the Qi and the focused palm strike allows the user to fire compressed balls of air at the enemy, striking them without stepping into range. This is not something that is best used on a person more comfortable at range, nor does it hit as heavily as the other techniques, and so it is more a technique to fill in a gap, or keep a target at bay.

Rank 6: Dantian Exploding Penetration Strike: The apex Qi technique, Dantian Exploding Penetration Strike gathers all the Qi the user has cultivated to their fist, and then makes a swift and strong forward thrusting punch, resulting in an explosive attack of incredible destructive power. It is here that the Qi is put under such pressure it is compressed into Shen, and so this technique is the gateway to the profound lands of Shen manipulation.

Rank 7: Soul-Crushing Strike: Drawing their Shen to their fists, or feet, the user then strikes a targeted location with such delicacy it could be considered the caress of a lover. However, with the enhancement of Shen, even such a caress holds dark connotations, as the power of Shen passes through the obstacles of skin to splinter bone and impact organs, sometimes rupturing them entirely, based on the degree of Shen in opposition to the sturdiness of the target.

Rank 8: Wulin Spliting Legs: Channelling their Shen to their legs, the user becomes empowered by the raging energy, that they may split Wulin asunder with their power. The technique revolves around a lot of leg work, with immense power and precision, granting superior range to the fist, and allowing the user to smash through any obstacle they are confronted with in their goal to bring about their target's defeat.

Rank 9: Breaching Heavens Gates: The epitome of Shen Manipulation, this technique is highly draining to use, and so only Great Ocean Beast masters can use it for more than a short burst. It channels the power of Shen to the entire body, and fills it with unparalleled strength, striking with a vicious, but focused power from every point of their body, and overwhelming their target until it lays defeated before them, and they have triumphed.




Shinmeiryuu


Shinmeiryuu: Translating to God’s Cry School, this sword style is an extremely famous sub-set, similar to Taiju Snake Style for Blood Fists. Over three thousand years old, Shinmeiryuu was created by Futsunushi in a bid to aid the warriors of Wulin in fighting off the Great Black Giants - what the ancient people called Hollows.

However, what what makes it different from Tao Chi, is that ranks one, four, and seven are not standalone techniques that require Qi. Instead, they are “stances”. These are ways of holding the weapon that grants the user access to the two other techniques that require that prerequisite.
[Author's Note: These techniques are written thematically and a character's overall stats and abilities factor into both the user and the target for the final outcome]

Rank 1 - Ryote (Art of Two Hands): Ryote is the first of the three stances. The art of two hands is rather simple, simply by grasping the sword with the two hands, has one entered it. A fitting start point, for it is the first thing most learn about swordsmanship in general.

Rank 2 - Blade of Nought: A Swordsman without a Sword is like a fireplace without a fire. It is a deem shame that no man is able to have a sword all the time, and so Blade of Nought was designed. By flowing energy into a held object, they can enhance that object's strength and power, to better stand the use of Shinmeiryuu.

Extremely high level practitioners have been shown to be able to create a "sword" from the very air itself, though this is a rarity due to the amount of power required to keep air in form and durability.

Rank 3 - Blade of One’s Self: One of the more spectacular techniques of Wulin, Blade of One's Self fills the sword with the energy from within, giving the blade the properties of your Dantian. Whether it be through Five Flaming Pillars and heating the blade to a glowing thing, Twelve Lightning Bolts and electrifying the object, or through Great Ocean Beast in which the density and thus force increases considerably.

This can be used with Blade Of Nought, but one must keep their head about them when using it. Lighting a wooden sword on fire is not going to do it any favours, nor will channelling electricity through it actually really do anything.

Rank 4 - Hakai (Art of Destruction): This is the second stance of Shinmeiryuu. As a continual progression of the first stance, Ryote -- the art of two hands -- Hakai is the art of three hands.

While many would be left scratching their heads after the mention of three hands, this is not something that is literal. Instead, the third "Hand" is the Dantian, executing a cousin-technique of Blade Of Nought, absorbing the sword into your energy flow so that the sword is part of your body, as much as an arm or foot.


Rank 5 - Demon-Stopping Slash: Hollows suck.

Tao Chi and it's cousin techniques are profoundly enlightening, so most Cultivators are spiritually aware, and have perceived Hollows from as far back as the Age of Might.

Demon-Stopping Slash, as it's name suggests, "Stops" the Hollow from being an irritating Demon that can recover from blows that you rain upon it, distorting their energy flow and negating their High Speed Regeneration for 1 post ever tier you are above them, to a minimum of 1 post.

Rank 6 - Stone-Rending Hew: The second anti-hollow technique, “Stone-Rending Hew” creates a ripple effect across the edge of the blade. The rippling Shen across the blade allows the sword to act like a chainsaw and slice through empowered defences. When used along with Demon-Stopping Slash, one can become an effective Hollow Slayer.

Rank 7 - Keihatsu (Art of Enlightenment): The third stance of Shinmeiryuu, and a window into how glorious the Golden Age was. With this stance, one must let go of their weapon. What one learns from Hakai applies here, as a person can't just let go of their arm or leg, so obviously the sword stays hovering in the air. While this seems telekinetically manipulated, the limitation is that the sword needs to stay close to the wielder, or the connection to their Dantian is severed and the sword drops out of the air by the same logic that keeps it floating in the first place; if your arm is twenty foot from you, it's obviously been cut off.

Rank 8 - Silent Night Wind: The great towering Hollows that appear sometimes, can shoot beams of death that are problematic to deal with. Thus, Futsunushi created this technique off the back of Stone-Rending Hew. The blade aligns with the energy that comes into contact with the edge of the sword, and the two violently repulse each other as if opposing magnets, smashing both into splinters.

Rank 9 - Caress of a Thousand Hells: Known as "The most arrogant technique in all of Wulin" by how it announces it's intention to the target before cutting them down. By emitting a thick, murderous intent, a a psychosomatic vision of the future is created. With Keihatsu, the user is able to use the thought-swinging speed to simultaneously attack three places at once -- the neck, the chest, and the legs. If one can overcome the sudden shocking fact you are about to die horribly, then it is easy enough to avoid, having nothing special about it other than a swift "Three In One" strike.

Kyōka

Not all Cultivators cultivate the same way. There is more than the original Tao Chi in the world of cultivation. Such is the way with the so-called ‘Japanese Tao Chi’, known as such because it’s creator was born in Japan. It’s Dantian operates the same, but is called by a different name, instead it is called Ling. One’s Realm is measured in a grade, from First Grade, at the start, to Fifth Grade at the current apex. The rank within the realm is also changed. 1 is Dim, 2 is Glowing, 3 is Shining, 4 is Lusterious, and 5 is Ascendant. These are merely cultural differences, and have no impact on how the Dantian acts. The only difference in how a Dantian acts, is the form. Every cultivator of Kyōka has the same Dantian, which grants no special properties and is slightly larger than Five Flame Pillars, and fills slightly faster as well.

What does have an impact, is how the Dantian manifests. It does not have nine Dantian-powered martial techniques, but instead has one ability, and seven stages of that ability. Kyōka’s Step, is a technique that circulates Ling through the body to enhance its physical activity. It is rated from the First Step, which is on par with a Rank 1 Tao Chi technique, to the Final Step, which is the equal of a Rank 9 Tao Chi technique. This lack of offensive techniques has led the cultivators of Kyōka to become superior martial artists to other Cultivators, as they make up for their lack of force, with skill.

Their Cultivation aids are also different. Instead of herbal Elixers and Qi Alchemy, they use Lingshi. Crystals that follow the grade of the Dantian and have a unique ability to propagate Ling within themselves. Given a mote of Ling, they can fill themselves to the brim, and this energy is then drawn out by the Cultivator, giving a boost depending on the grade of Lingshi. Equal Grade Lingshi can fill themselves in twenty-five hours, from mote to full capacity. Lower Grade Lingshi have this time for every grade below, making filling lower Lingshi a profitable business for high level Cultivators. Higher Grade Lingshi triple the time needed to fill, for each rank above. This is compounding, so it can take twelve weeks for a First Grade Cultivator to fill a Fifth Grade Lingshi. While they have some drawbacks from their Elixer counterparts, they also have no limit on how many times you can draw from them, unlike Elixers. And they are able to be used consistently, without becoming exhausted. Wither they work with a Dantian’s Jing, Qi and Shen is not something that has ever been answered. Maybe, it is time to remedy that…




Blood Fists


Far from the Orient, the secrets of Tao Chi were unlocked by Western Druids in an attempt to breed mighty warriors for battle. Much like a lot of The West, Blood Fists is crude, practical, and to the point, dramatically deviant from the flowing, majestic forms of Tao Chi and Kyōka. It also has a lot less techniques, possessing only three. Two of which are wide-spread, the third being rare. This ‘European Tao Chi’ is made for battle and killing, so it does not have the same beauty and felicity that the others possesses. It’s Dantian, known simply as ‘The Center’ is slightly smaller than Great Ocean Beast, but fills faster. The energy is known as Meln, a bastardized word that used to be longer and mean something, but has since been lost. It effects the blood, most of all. Heavily spiked with Dantian-powered Adrenaline and other chemicals to promote vigorous activity, it grants a passive ability of enhancement, and an active ability that can be toggled, trading stamina for increased activity. Its Realm is measured in Blood, going from Blood of Man, to Blood of Trolls, Blood of Giants, Blood of Dragons, and currently ending with Blood of Gods. Each rank in this Realm is a drop. One Drop Blood of Trolls, Three Drops Blood of Giants, and so on. The three techniques, are as follows;

First Technique – Blade-Deflecting Body: Getting stabbed can ruin your day, regardless of how good a fighter you are. This was the first thing that the Western Druids thought, and so it was the first thing that was remedied, with this technique. Channelling Meln through their body, they are granted a temporary protection against bladed instruments, and so do not risk the loss of life or limb with every moment of a fight against a bladesman.

Second Technique – Armour-Crushing Fist: While those with the Blood of Dragons find little issue punching through the sheets of metal that lesser men adorn themselves with, not everyone can reach such a level, and for those below it, the sheets of metal pose a greater issue to break through and hit the man beneath. So the second technique was created shortly after the first, allowing the Cultivator to channel Meln to their fists, and then punch with great might, smashing through the meagre defences of the lesser creatures, and to smash the man beneath. With this, the legends of an unarmed man felling a fully adorned Knight spread through the lands of Europe.

Third Technique – Dragon-Felling Blow: While the first two techniques were made by the Western Druids, and sufficient for a time, there was a third made later on, in a climactic battle. The Great Hero, Siegfried, came across a Dragon. A monster he could not slay with fist or sword. And so he reached inside, dragged everything he had in him to the front, and unleashed a blow of momentous proportion, blowing a hole in the Dragon’s hide, and allowing his mighty blade Garm to end the beast’s life.

Later, this was perfected, and then taught to those who had ascended to the Blood of Dragons. A final technique for the grim times when nothing else worked. And so it became the rare, ace for those in the upper echelon of Blood Fists.


They possess a unique Cultivation aid, which involves punching the ground with Meln. From this hole, a tree will grow rapidly, And then the man will return and punch the tree with Meln. The next day, it will blossom plump fruit, with the man can then eat and draw in the potent energy within, or continue to punch the tree with Meln. The fruit starts at the same Realm and rank as the puncher, and grows from there, without limit – to a point, each day the tree demands more, and eventually it will have more power than the person, and so he can no longer enhance it any more. This makes these Affrechia the most versatile and potentially powerful elixier in the world, should a man have the patience to punch for weeks. These fruit can be eaten by any Cultivator, but one’s Affrechia is a personal thing, and so it is rare to hand them out to another.



No one man is an Island, and so Cultivators quickly came to realize that they needed some form of support if they were going to get anywhere. Detailed below, is the information about all the Cultivation Support in Wulin, be it places or objects.



Zian-Zi – The Continent of Cultivation

Zian-Zi was originally in a massive valley, the location of which since lost to the sands of time. It was the centerpiece of Wulin, where every supporter and nearly every cultivator came to engage with each other. They would talk, spar, trade techniques, trade secrets, form societies, make plans, and generally deeply play into the idea that every Cultivator, is a Brother or Sister. But after a fight for dominance between two Yu-Shan warriors, it was heavily damaged, and many innocent supporters were heavily wounded.

As such, this prompted two things to happen. One, was Shaka creating the Spiritual Lords to ensure that the Cultivators were kept in check, and two, was that Zian-Zi itself was moved to somewhere else. Some believed it had been sunk to the bottom of the ocean, prompting the legends of Atlantis. Others believed it was hidden within the Earth for the worthy to find, giving birth to the legends of Shangra-la. But wherever it was, Shaka laid a vast Array powered by his still peerless prowess, and hid it from the world. After this Array was laid, nobody ever again knew where Zian-Zi was. Wulin was still kept in with the produce from Zian-Zi, but as to its actual location, it was was a mystery. However, during World War 3, refugees found the entrance while exploring caves to determine how well they would suit their needs. Not one of them could tell the other where they were exactly, or even how long it took them to arrive. But deep in the bowels, they arrived and beheld Wonder. Shaka had consolidated in this secret world beneath the world, and there was not just herbalists and Qi Alchemists. But also those who grew Lingshi, and men who taught the art of creating one’s Affrechia, as well as Soulforgers and Brewers of Souls. Every supporter of any Cultivator existed here. They had even kept an eye on Wulin and adapted as the size was reduced, storing great libraries of everything a man could dream and far more literature than he could read in one life time, even a Dantian-enhanced lifetime. The refugees decided to keep the secret, to avoid the problems of why they had moved in the first place.

Having kept up with Wulin, and seeing these refugees as a sign to once again open their doors properly, and once again accept those who called themselves Brother, and Sister, of Wulin. And fortunately, With three World Wars and the near-extinction of Humanity, Yu-Shan cultivators had disappeared into the annuals of history, and even Black Gold cultivators were of such a rarity that one ruled all that remained of Wulin. The Art of Support exploded back into the world, and they even made an intelligent move with the creation of The Wandering Bazzar. Obviously named, it was lead by The Queen Of Wulin, and kept in direct contact and supply with Zian-Zi. So that they may know much better without revealing their own hand directly. They also sent out many Seekers, to bring back the lost artifacts of Wulin's Golden Age.

The Wandering Bazzar

Zian-Zi can not move, and this becomes an issue for those too far away to reach it regularly. And so, the Queen Of Wulin suggested a great Caravan, ladened with the goods of Zian-Zi, to wander the world and deliver it's supplies to those who were in need and to far away. Thus was born, The Wandering Bazzar. A hotspot for meeting up with Cultivators outside of Zian-Zi, The Wandering Bazzar has mostly everything a Cultivator could need to enhance himself and improve his journey through Wulin. They operate on both currency exchange, and the exchange of labour and services for those without the purse required to buy the wares. Due to the size, and the amount of people it is catering too, there is always work to be found here, and many a Cultivator has kick-started their life in the service of the Wandering Bazzar. While physical labour is always needed, the Bazzar is also interested in those that will supplement it's stock, and allow it to maintain a self-sufficient status, rather than having to return to Zian-Zi to resupply. Anything and everything a chap can unload, is sold of a barrow in The Wandering Bazzar.

Cultivation Techniques

Two basic ways to cultivate, Martial and Stoic. However, this falls to become less than is needed in high Gold to low Black Gold. Stoic Meditation demands years to break through from Gold to Black, and then as much as decades for each Black Gold. By the time people have spent the time to get to Black Gold in the first place, they don't have decades to spend getting up.

This, led to the creation of a Cultivation Technique. Starting at Silver Rank, and ending with Yu-Shan rank. Each Cultivation technique allows for a specific movement or activity to increase the speed at which you cultivate. A Technique below your dantian by one rank is inefficent, but still a little bit faster than without. Two below, and you might as well not bother. The reverse is true, with one rank above granting an increased speed of development, and two ranks above granting highly improved rates.

There are issues, with Cultivation Techniques above your Dantian, however. One rank above makes a person's body ache and feel nauseous as the increased amount of power fills their Dantian. Two ranks above, and they feel incredibly bloated, eliminating their appetite - people have been known to starve to death using two ranks above, as they can't get anything to eat - and their body is filled with severe aches, pains, muscle strain, and heart plantations. It is generally considered more trouble than it is worth, unless you are desperate. Three ranks above leads to a grotesque death.

Soulforging

Soulforging is a manner of crafting weapons and armour that are imbued with the crafter's Dantian energy [Refer to Tao Chi thread linked above]. The most common equipment found are bracers, but with the right crafter and enough money, you can comission anything. Soulforged gear comes in three levels. Inscription, Engraving, and Gestalting. Each level is rated the same as a Dantian, from Bronze to Yu-Shan, with the mythically rare Yu-Shan Engraving lingering somewhere between rumor and reality.




Inscription is the most common, as it is easy to create and has low energy demands. Such that the crafter can create equipment of one rank higher than his Dantian, allowing a Bronze rank Soulforger to create Silver rank Inscriptions. They are considerably more durable than the mundane counterparts, espeically when broaching the ranks of Gold and Black Gold, and they make excellent weapons due to the pristine edge and incredibly solid nature. They are made by inscribing symbols onto the face of the equipment, and imbuing your Dantian energy into the inscription as it is being written. The cartographic synergy allows the energy to be enhanced to a degree determined by the complexity of the inscription. With Bronze-rank inscriptions being the most simple, and Yu-Shan Inscriptions being masterworks of a virtuoso.

Such demands for size and complexity generally means that higher rank gear is larger, such as breastplates or arm-sleeves. Once the inscriptions have been imbued with the energy, they latch onto the object, and can not be scrapped off despite being merely ink. Sufficiently powerful blows such as extreme heats or mighty winds, can damage the ink, however. And once the ink is damaged, the object is merely an object. Micro-inscriptions can be found, but are dramatically more expensive than their standard-sized brothers. These Micro-Inscriptions are very small versions of the originals, and means that there can be higher ranking gear while retaining a smaller, more manoeuvrable sizes, such as daggers for weapons, and wrist-guards for armour.




Engraving is more complex, as it is carving into the item itself, rather than simply drawing on it. The energy demands are considerably higher, and so the crafter can only make equipment rated equal to his Dantian level. The complexity ruling remains, and so with the increased effort, the superior energy demands, and failure being harder to rectify than simply rubbing out the ink, Engraving equipment is a lot more expensive than Inscription equipment, but the power is of a higher level, which makes it much more desirable, and with the fact that it is engraved rather than simply inked, it is impossible to damage without breaking the equipment itself. Not something that can't be done for Bronze Rank equipment, but slowly becoming such as it approaches Gold and Black Gold.




Gestalting is the apex of Soulforging. In Modern times, Gestalting rare, only practiced by one Forger in a hundred. The incredible skill required to make anything more than the absolute basic equipment puts most Soulforgers off, despite the lucrative gains they could achieve. Unlike the other two styles, Gestalting requires equipment forged specifically for the enhancement, by the Soulforger in question and glazed with a thin layer rare herbs used for
Elixiers by Cultivators. And then the combination and entwining of both Engraving and Inscribing, with the blood of the Soul Forger being used instead of ink. This creates an decadently greedy piece of equipment, demanding such energy that a Soul Forger can only craft equipment one rank below their Dantian. This makes Gold Gestalt equipment relics that are rabidly sort after, and Yu-Shan equipment literally impossible for the modern crafter, much to the despair of many.

The final result of this colossal task, is nothing short of perfection itself. The raging power that is contained within a Gestalt equipment can cause the user to be able to crush their opponents without fear, as the blade never dulls, the Armour never breaks, and the gauntlet hits like the hammer of the gods itself.




However, while these pieces of equipment work perfectly fine for anyone who wields them, they are truly designed for those who cultivate, those who practice Tao Chi. These people can activate the inscription, engraving, or Gestalt with their own power, and be temporarily invigorated in body and spirit [4 posts]. They can only draw from one piece of equipment at any one time, however, so it is best to draw from the most potent source available, unless you want to hide your strength. Also, for the rich man, it is cumbersome to carry such equipment about with him all the time, and so you can absorb it into your Dantian for later use, but only if you are the same rank as the equipment. Even if Inscribed equipment was made by a Bronze Rank, you would need to be a Silver Rank to absorb it, giving a good balance between power, and versatility.

Soul Rice Wine

Sometimes, a cultivator wants to get drunk. But at the same time he thinks that getting drunk would waste a lot of time that he needs to spend on his Cultivation. And so, instead of being sad, that man went and did something about it, and invented Soul Rice Wine.

Somewhere between Soulforging and Qi Alchemy lies the art of creating Soul Rice Wine.While it requires some skill as a brewer, it is not nearly as complex as the construction of soulforged equipment, and so the lower and medium level beverages are much more prolific. Occasionally they are the preferred method of advancement, eschewing Elixers for the comparatively unlimited imbibement of Soul Rice Wine. It comes in the same ranks as one's Dantian, as their energy must be imbued into each vat, and higher ranked drinks have more that can be absorbed. It is easy enough to infuse, as the brewer has to be one rank below the rank he is trying to create. The increase in rank also increases the potency of the drink, and it is the smoothest alcohol on the face of creation. This, means that it is well sort after and drunk by many who are not Cultivators at all. This demand creates great supply in the Bronze and Silver realms, to the point that it can be sorted relatively cheaply and relied upon to advance one's Cultivation.

However, while enjoyed with gusto and great for the Soul, it is still alcohol at the end of the day. Excessive overindulgence will still turn someone into a drunken fool, and drinking to much of the beverage, especially that which is higher than your Dantian ranking, can lead to alcohol poisoning. It is preferred despite it's weaker power of enhancement because overdosing does not rupture the Soul, and activates immediately, rather than assisting in speed of Cultivation. Drinking Soul Rice Wine considerably higher than your Dantian rating [2 ranks above] will induce severe nausea and intense inebriation that will last for days. This causes a dramatic spike in the cost of Soul Rice Wine above the rank of Silver, since the demand sharply drops as non-cultivators avoid the hellish effects of drinking such. And with the distinct lack of Black Gold Cultivators in the world, both to brew and to consume, Yu-Shan level drinks are phenomenally more expensive than their brothers, since it is not made commercially, and must be ordered specifically.

Finally, despite it's name, it is not made with rice, nor is it really a wine. It is brewed from fermented Spirit Grass and other miscellaneous ingredients, and stands alone in the realm of booze. Each rank requires a few more ingredients, But only Black-Gold and Yu-Shan level drinks require esoteric ingredients. While Bronze realm Soul Rice Wine is delectable, and tantalises the taste buds of even the most jaded connoisseur, each realm tastes considerably better than the Realm before. And yet, it is not really the taste or texture of anything else. It can only be described, as itself. It's name derives from the dark red, wine-like colour, and the claim that it is 'like rice, for your soul'.

Qi Alchemy

When a Cultivator reaches Gold, Elixers lose their grasp, and become less helpful for progression. Rather than just bare it, the denizens of Wulin adapt, flex around their needs, and create something new. This new, is Qi Alchemy. While also encompassing Shen, it’s name stuck, and so is referred to Qi Alchemy, rather than Shen Alchemy. Still, despite the name, it allows a Cultivator access to higher powered elixers and other aids. To consume these elixers, one has to be Gold Rank, or else they will immediately suffer the effects of an overdose. But for Gold and Black Gold cultivators, they are salvation from the neigh-uselessness of usual Elixers.

These Qi Alchemy pills are ranked by the alchemist that makes them. Their Dantian is not brought into consideration, but rather a different ranking that allows them to imbue pills with greater potency and efficiency. They are Bud, Root, Stem, Leaf, and Flower. Anyone can learn Qi Alchemy, but it is complex and None-cultivators cannot rise above Root, needing Silver to become Stem, Gold for Leaf, and Black Gold for Flower. There is claim of a rank above Flower for Yu-Shan alchemists, but no such thing existed in the Golden Age. All Alchemists were far to busy learning their trade to Cultivate to such extremes.

Natural Oddities

Natural Oddities are oddities, found in nature. Nobody is entirely sure where they come from or how they are made, but they exist in the world and are good supplements for people trying to enhance their Tao Chi, as long as one pays attention to the limits and restrictions that each oddity has.

The Frozen Bolt

The Frozen Bolt is a low-level Natural Oddity found in the depths of the Amazon Rainforest. This Natural Oddity takes the shape of a bolt of lightning, complete with the intense crackling energy that can be seen within, but is made exclusively out of ice that seems to resist all attempts at melting it. While low-level, it is still very valuble to Tao Chi Cultivators, as the power that has built up inside is a great deal of natural Qi that can be used for a great boost to silver ranked cultivation, and a decent boost to Gold rank cultivation. Bronze Rank cultivators can not use this because it will produce too much energy, and cause their Dantian to rupture. Black Gold cultivators can use this, but they will barely see anything worth the money spent.

For Silver Dantians, they can grow two ranks with this item. Gold Dantians of the first Rank can grow one rank with this item. The only problem is, once it has been used, it is merely an interesting ornement, and doesn't even have the crackling lightning effect inside it. As such, it is only really used by rich Cultivators.







Man of Magma

Found in the heart of Volcanos, Man of Magma is just as it sounds. A solidified lump of magma in the perfect shape of a man, even detailing his hair, eyes, teeth and muscles. Some have been known to have leg hair, or dimples. While their uncanny appearance is unnerving to some, they are still highly sort after for the incredible stores of Natural Energy that can be found within them.

They are Silver-Excluding, as a Cultivator with such a rank would burn to death as if submerged in Magma were he to try and use it, melting a most gruesome death. To touch, it is very warm. A warmth that is confusing, as the person is pretty sure anything that warm should burn his fingers to the bone in seconds, but it doesn't.

For a Gold Realm Cultivator in their first Rank, it grants two levels. A Second rank will gain one level. Beyond that, they will see diminishing fractions of their rank gained. Black Gold Cultivators will see more of a boost than with the Frozen Lightning Bolt, but still not anything major.






The Screaming Shell.


Found in places of extreme darkness, where the Sun never shines, the Screaming Shell looks like an ordinary conch shell. However, unlike most shells which, when placed to your ear grant the sounds of the sea, this shell grants the blood-curdling shrieks of a thousand banshees. As such these shells are kept in locked, metal boxes until sold.

These are Gold-Excluding, for the first Rank. A Cultivator who tries to use them before the second rank of Gold will have their mind shattered into a thousand pieces, and forced into a short stint of hysteria as their organs shut down one by one. Choking, retching, and clawing at their skin in a disturbing display before their heart finally stops, and they pass from the mortal coil.

For a Gold Realm Cultivator in their Second Rank, it grants three levels. A Third rank will gain two levels. A fourth rank will gain one level. A fifth rank gains a little more than half the progress to breaking through, roughly 60%. A Black Gold Cultivator in the First Rank will see one level increase. Further levels will see decent gains, albeit not truly a full level.







Broken Wing Crane.


Found at the apex of the Eight-Thounsanders - a collection of fourteen mountains that are at least eight thousand meters tall - on the top of a dead tree. The Crane is only found once a year, and nobody knows which mountain it will appear on until it appears on the 86th moon of the year. The tree itself has a thousand branches, stretching out for miles, but has no life upon it at all. Upon one of these branches sits a crane, with a broken wing. It is made out of wood, but so perfectly crafted it seems to be a crane that was turned into wood, rather than a statue created. Where ever a person stands, if they can see the Crane, the Crane seems to stare back. And to look at the Crane brings about a bone-deep feeling of terror and trepidation. No being is immune to the feeling, no being can shrug off the ominous stare of the Crane, and all beings feel as if the stare of the Crane is the harbinger of the End Times. There is no telling if this is true or not, but such a universal reaction must have some truth to it. They are very rare due to the fact that the Crane manifests a protector if it is pulled from the tree, and this protector has the power to make the mountain upon which it is perched tremble. Fleeing does no good. The protector will always find you. Always

The Broken Wing Crane is Gold-Excluding. If a Cultivator tries to draw from the Crane before they have hit Black Gold, they slowly turn an intensely pale colour, and drop dead. Their soul never enters the Soul Cycle, nor is it delivered to Hell. And the Crane seems to smile. For a cultivator in the first level of Black Gold, they gain three levels, in the second level of Black Gold, they gain one. The power of the Broken Wing Crane is such that even a Cultivator in the first rank Yu-Shan Realm will feel a little less than half of their Dantian filled.

The Crane is kept within an obsidian box, inside a box crafted from Ebony, with both boxes carved intricately with warding runes, and then tightly wrapped in Linen that has soaked in Holy Water for two weeks and absorbed the light of the Moon through those weeks. After that, it is stored underground in a special confinement chamber above the stall until it is sold.



The very word, set a Cultivator to salivating in a way the most glorious of banquets could never hope to. The Five Lord Tombs, refer to the Five Spiritual Lords, each of which possess their own unique tomb-manse. Where they claim to be slumbering in await of the return of their Lord, Shaka Nyorai. His absence means that they slumber eternal. The True Tombs can not be delved by anyone, for the security is far too tight to ever dream of such a thing - the tombs quite literally detonating before being pierced. Being shut away from the world, never to return, infomation is extremely scare about the Spiritual Lords. The only hope of learning anything is to ask the woman married to one of them, Matron Of The Dead, Izanami. But if she would talk, is another thing entirely. But the term has come to be used on any Cultivator's Tomb that has a Yu-Shan Dantian, or a few arrogant high tier Black Golds.

These tombs are filled with treasures to help them in their next life. Artifacts, precious metals and jewels, sometimes even Soulforged items and great tomes of techniques. They are always heavily guarded, and the denizens, are not always dead....

Martial Realm:

Beyond Yu-Shan, lies the Martial Realm. The only person to have ever reached it in the history of Cultivation is the Lord of Wulin, Shaka Nyorai. While the Golden Age had Yu-Shan Cultivators by the dozen, not a single one could glance a single speck of dust from the Martial Realm, as it lies beyond mere Kung Fu.

To enter the Martial Realm, one must be able to comprehend the Nature of Existence. It can not be taught or mentored, nor explained or written in any form. Thus, it lays beyond most, if not all. Though, Shaka proved that it can be reached, should one be able to enter the mental state required.

The power of one's Dantian once they have reached such a stage requires potent spiritual power to nourish it, and so they would need to create their own Cultivation techniques and learn entirely new methods to cultivate, else they stagnate till death. The Gap between each of the five aspects of the Martial Realm is so wide they do not have their own ranks like the other Realms, instead having unique names. Elixers and even Natural Oddities are all but useless at this stage due to the depth of power, but a side-benefit is the ability to draw in natural energy of the universe as a cultivation aid. One can only do this with Stoic Meditation, in a state of tranquillity, known as Lighting The Samadhi Flame. Cultivation Techniques can be created, but are absolutely lethal to anyone below your current stage, swelling the Dantian with such immense energy it instantaneously explodes in a grisly fashion as if one had used a Technique three ranks above themselves. This Martial Realm grants access to increasing amounts of Yuiden [Ascended energy] which occupies a different state of being to Jing, Qi, and Shen. It's power can make even the most minor of Standardized Techniques devestating, and even provides an effective means by which to power Rank 10 Techniques.

The ranks of the Martial Realm are
Dongxu [Hollow Orb]: The First rank, this encompasses the Dantian in a Hollow Orb, hence the name. The orb is then filled with Yuiden, until it solid, and radiant. This, leads to the second rank.
Jindan [Golden Orb]: The Second rank, the previously hollow Orb is filled, and shines with a brilliant luster. With nowhere else for energy to go, it simply propogates endlessly, being produced and pushing at the walls of the orb, until it is sucked back to the center. This carries on until it implodes under it's own force, creating what seems to be an endless void, and leads to the third rank.
Kongming [Void]: The third rank, this Void draws in Yuiden voraciously, with unceasing and unquenchable need. Such is it's depth that it requires considerably more spiritual energy to cultivate in any speedy fashion, causing a lag of hundreds of years if the Cultivator lacks the soul to feed it. When the Void has fed enough, it transcends comprehension, and becomes abstract, this leads to the fourth rank.
Dujie [Tribulation]: At this point, the Dantian is not an existance like those that came before it. Instead, it is a concept, the idea of Tribulation. This is the stopgap, and to pass it, one must comprehend it, in a similar vein to getting to the Martial Realm in the first place. Comprehension allows the Cultivator to fill the abstract idea, and finally reach the final rank.
Dacheng [Completeness]: The completion of the climb to the Martial Realm's apex. From here, the view is breath-taking, able to see all before you with the clarity of an eagle's eye. Having overcome Tribulation, the Cultivator is impossible to deter, since they now truly understand that their goals are simply on the other end of the current obstacle. At this point, one is enlightened to all things, and may ascend Samsara, becoming one with the Universe and all things at the same time. Though others may chose to stay to teach others with this intelligence.

Every increase in rank brings a new Divine Proclamation, as the body prepares itself for the power that comes into it. Dongxu to Jindan strikes the Cultivator with lightning from a clear sky. This is intensely traumatic and can kill the Cultivator if they are not ready for it, with the pain and sheer power of the bolt, if not by physical damage. Cultivators are generally robust beings, so this is not seen as a major problem, though it is not passed by rote either. Scouring the nerves within, they are replaced with the power of the skies.

Jindan to Kongming sets the Cultivator ablaze with a fire so ferocious that Gods Themselves have been known to bawk at it. This has the same problems as the proclaimation above it, as the fire scorches every inch of skin to the bone in a flash of fire and agony. Should they survive this, their skin is replaced with the power of the sun, giving the cultivator shocking golden skin, as they glow with an inner radiance.

Kongming to Dujie is considered it's own trial, though a subtle one. As if a deep breath before the plunge into the waters below.

Dujie to Dacheng disintegrates the Cultivator, atomising them at the most absolute level. It is at this point one can chose to remain atomised, sliding into the universe and becoming one with it, never to reincarnate and to lose all sense of Self in exchange for absolute enlightenment. Or, they can reconstitute themselves into a body of sculpted perfection, to guide those who still need it on the earthen plane.

Shinmeiryuu, while toated as the fourth style of Cultivation, is not actually it's own style, rather an exceptionally famous Subset of Tao Chi. There are many, many others about the world, lesser known due to either the user's lack of fame, or them being an exclusive to a certain family. The Taiju Snake Style is a good example of this. While it's creator, Jormun Gandr was a famous Cultivator, who's skill and strength were acknowledged by the Spiritual Lords, it is still a lesser known style as he kept it within his family, a habit that sustains to this day with a few divergences for trusted people. Thus, a Cultivator should not feel like they have to go the way of one of the Big Three. While all Subsets uses these as a basis, you can create your own style that ends up being so far from the original style that people do not realise it is not it's own thing, such is the case with Shinmeiryuu. One man even wishes to create a subset of of Shinmeiryuu by creating his own subset revolving about guns, Schuss der Länge.

Also on the table, is the discussion of using Multiple Styles. This is a point of contestation for most, since many claim it to be outrageous and an insult to both styles, not focusing your efforts and attention on the one you chose. Others enjoy the versatility it brings, having multiple ways of of striking so they can fall back to another if the first fails. You can adopt as many styles within the same Core as you would like. If you practice Blood Fists, you may use it, Taiju Snake Style, and whatever other style that uses Blood Fists as it's base. Cross-Core styles is where it gets tricky. The same person who uses Blood Fists will find difficulty cultivating Tao Chi or Kyōka styles. Each slightly different enough to have disparities between them and the main Dantian. Core Styles and their Subsets that are separate from your Main Dantian suffer a one-realm-one-step mallus [if your Tao Chi is Yu-shan 1, your Kyōka will be Gold 5]. As while they are comparable enough to work together off a single Dantian, the subtle differences between the three cause them to be less efficient.



(Willpower obviously effects this, given it's pain-related)

The progenitor of the Gandr Clan, Jormun was not born special, nor did he grow up special. But what he did have, was a surprisingly delicate aesthetic despite his mighty body and appetite. Thus, did he create Taiju Snake Style. Using palms and finger strikes, the Cultivator strikes nerve clusters with precision blows, dispersing the Tao - Material Energy - through the impact point. This causes significant pain in the attack point, as if one had been poisoned by a venomous snake, giving it it's name. The ranking of the techniques are counted in "Fangs".

First Fang - Viper's Dripping Fang: The first technique of Taiju Snake Style, it is as much energy control as it is martial precision, releasing Meln at the point of contact to severely aggravate the nerve cluster of the point that it hits.

Second Fang - Quicksilver Viper's Bite: Charging one's body with Meln, they enter a temporary state of superspeed, lashing out several strikes across the target to spread the 'venom' further and debilitate the target even further than the First Fang is capable of.

Third Fang - Taiju Snake Palm: The Eponymous technique of the style, the open palm and thrusting power behind the blow causes intense pain in the point of contact, even to the point of impacted organs spasming should the blow be landed well enough.

Forth Fang - Rock-Snake Venom: Clenching your fingers inwards so the second of three knuckles are pointing towards the foe, step in and strike with all force into the target. The result of this is a release of 'Venom' - the physiological reaction of pain when hit with Taiju Snake Style - that causes such pain the muscles contract to become hard as a rock, temporarily reducing the person's flexibility.

Fifth Fang - Twin Taiju Snake Palm: The "Hissatsu" or "Killing Strike" of Taiju Snake Style, the Twin Taiju Snake Palm requires two cultivators at parallel points to the target. Both striking with Taiju Snake Palm at the same time, in the same moment, devestates the impacted organ, shredding it from the converging forces.

Obviously, there are problems here. The first being you need a second guy, and the second being that you need to be absolutely in sync with your second person to pull off the kill strike. If you mess up the timing, it is still far from pretty for the target, but they will not die from it. As such, the technique is somewhat depreciated and learned for posterity rather than practicality.

Fifth Fang - World-Wrapping Snake: Requiring a Finishing Move to end fights in style, the Gandr Clan experienced for a long time trying to replace Twin Taiju Snake Palm. Eventually, this was fixed by the genius cultivator, Noctis Gandr. This ascended the "Young Snake" to "Lord Of Snakes", and put him firmly at the head of the Gandr Clan.

The effective capabilities of World-Wrapping Snake is the use of an exceptional amount of Meln, struck into center mass. This disperses the force through out the target's body, causing the 'venom' of the snake to spread to every part of the body like a fire lit inside them.


While the nine Standardized Techniques are the ones that are most well known, there are many others that are lesser known without being true Personal Techniques. These are found listed here (and are exclusively player made, so the list might be short for a while)

Standardized Technique - Rank 6 - Thousand Blooded Threads: A strong technique created for Shinmeiryuu, It manifests the Shen used to power it as shining spiritual threads, that wrap around the target and then pull tight, restraining them or even slicing into their skin if their durability is low enough in relation to her Dantian. This technique is exhausting beyond usual Rank 6s because it extrudes the energy outwards, rather than being on an internal cycle, and so is used sparingly, as if it were Rank 9 [currently the threshold is Advanced. This is a standalone technique, and is not required to be in a stance]

Standardized Technique - Rank 7 - The Caress of Hell: A technique for the Keihatsu stance, it is a weakened version of it's mighty brother, Caress of a Thousand Hells. It is merely a single cut as opposed to three, but strikes without the arrogant forewarning of a Thousand Hells, making it a good trump card to play in a heated battle.

Standardized Technique - Rank 8 - Heaven Thunder Hammer: A superior variant to Three Thunder Fists, this is the epitome of brute force in Wulin. The explosion of Shen that comes from the fist in this technique is capable of blowing many things away, and is used by those who focus their force and strength above all other things, as well as those who want a massive kick to their versatile armory.

Warstriders:

Better Than Sex. You want that pleasured, lustful look in a woman's face that you just don't have the skill to call forth on your own, just mention Warstriders. A group of four robotic suits designed to feed off a Cultivator's Dantian and carve out a large piece of the world for the creator, who saw the coming of the Great Despair and commissioned these four titans created. Faaram Warcaller, The Magnificent Moonlight Dancer, Demon-Smiting Warlord [destroyed in the Great Despair, parts of it can still be found in archaeological digs] and the creator's personal Royal Warstrider, Star-Plucking Devastation. These four great machines stood against everyone who could come after the creator's wealth. He was eventually killed, and the Warstriders fell to whoever could claim them the fastest. Eventually, the machines were put away, sealed inside tombs and left dormant. If they were to return to the World, you could count the number of people who could stand against you - at least within Wulin - on one hand....but be careful not to use it too long, for the Warstriders have a voracious appetite, and no safety feature exists to stop it from sucking you dry.

Hybridisation

Only a Tao Chi Human can learn this powerset, as the Dantian is an ancestral mutation from many who came before you. Though the Bloodline in the modern day is spread across the vast oceans of humanity, roughly 80% of people can claim some kind of heritage towards Wulin, and awaken their Dantian with work. However, additional spiritual powers of any description causes the Cultivator to lose Tao Chi Racial Masters. This is the equivalent of Vizards losing Shikokai, and other such hybrid systems. Every other race can not Hybrid into Tao Chi Humans because their spiritual nature - or half-spiritual nature in the case of half-breeds - does not properly interface with the genetics of the Dantian.


The World Is Vast. In a world before automobiles and airplanes, to cross it was a work of many many months. This, did not suit the cultivators of Wulin, and so a technique called Lightfoot was created.

At it's core, this sends energy to the feet and allows the user to kick off in a rapid flash of movement, moving rapidly, with speed scaling off the energy, off one's Dantian. This is the Tao Chi Human's movement technique, equal to Sonido, Shunpo and Hirenrenyku.

The advanced version of "Lotus Stepping" is used to cross otherwise unstable surfaces, such as rickety bridges, water, and the air.


The general Culture of Wulin, the traditional culture, is one of family. Every Cultivator is your brother, every Cultivator is your sister! Families may feud and fight, they may clash for many a reason, but they never betray another, they are never cowardly or vindictive, and they always respect one another, even in defeat and death. "Brother" or "Sister" is the general way to address a Cultivator you do not know, and some like to keep this long after they have gotten to know the person. Be "Brother Henrex" or "Sister Ulv" but just as commonly, these are simply "Henrex" and "Ulv". The culture is not all pervasive these days, and some people are less than stellar in the Age Of Sorrows, leading to lesser prevalence with the respect and familial ties.

What is not ignored, however, is deference due to ability. Even if you consider yourself better or more talented than the other, it is still a heavily regulated to show respect to the effort they have put in to reach Realm higher than you are currently. A Cultivator can sense the Realm and Rank of another Cultivator by looking at them, and focusing as long as they are in the same Realm. Any higher, and one can not sense the power of the person accurately. Instead, they are shown a glowing light equal to the distance between them, the further the distance, the brighter the light. Such is the gulf between Black Gold and Yu-Shan, even a Black Gold 5 will see a Yu-Shan 1 as a glowing, shiny being. Silver to Yu-Shan find it hard to see more than the general shape of the person as they are blinded by the sun-like visage of the being in front of them. Fortunately, this is a personal choice to sense a person's Cultivation, and so you are not permanantly blinded looking at another.

Heavenly Mandate

When a Cultivator is 3 realms above another, they may speak with a great weight that forces the other to his knees to accept the words that are being spoken as if by the very Celestial Bureaucracy itself. Generally, this means that only those in the realm of Yu-Shan can command Silver ranks, as the realm difference is to small for any others. But occasionally it is used by Black Gold Cultivators to cowl unruly Bronze realm children.



(Gonna be lazy here and just copy from my solo)

The World is saturated in Natural Qi. Not something you can really feel most of the time, but it is there anyway. No Natural Jing or Natural Shen, but I digress. Large currents of this Natural Qi are spread across Dragon Lines, and sometimes these Dragon Lines intersect. At these points, the Qi gathers and collects, to a point you can absorb it with your Cultivation. Easier if there is something you can immerse yourself in, like a pool, but doesn't have to be. Now, there is method for altering these Dragon Lines, making them intersect where you want rather than relying on nature. Which is what these pools are. Zian-Zi's Dragon Lines are all intersecting here. While doing Dragon Lines is not hard, you need quite the broad expanse of land to make them worth it, and few people have the control over such broad a land to do it. There are a few personal Dragon Line Pools, but Zian-Zi is continental, so they have the best. If one could alter the Dragon Lines of another continent, it would be very good for them, but nobody has yet managed to get control of an entire continent that they want to stay in. Plus, Dragon Lines degrade over time and you have to do upkeep. Upkeep over an entire continent, is hard and isn't really worth it"



In ten thousand animals, one might have the mentality to see beyond the veil that is draped across the rest of their kin. To ascend beyond instinct and pack mentality to grow into something more. It is these animals that become aware of the world around them, and have a path to Cultivation. Animals cultivate dramatically differently to people, as they draw in the light of the Moon, and the natural Qi of the world, which they are highly attuned to. They have often been noted to create their own Pools of Cultivation which they bathe in.

However, even for a Cultivating animal, the world is still dangerous, and so only a few ever make it out of the Bronze realm. The world is less dangerous for Silver Realm animals, since their speed and strength, as well as intelligence, allows them to avoid most dangers. And when they reach Gold Realm, they are gifted with a magnificent metamorphosis, known as Man-Beast Metamorphosis. Half animal, and half human, these beings are a rarity in the world, but also interesting to the extreme. Not only for their peerless ability to do Dragon Lines, but also for their very nature. The most famous of these, is Sun Wukong, Grand-Student of Shaka Nyorai. These Man-Beast Metamorphs always have a vestige of their origins, as with Sun Wukong's tail and monkey-like agility, and King Uma's horns and oxen strength.

Personalized and Ancestral Techniques

While the core of Cultivation is taught to everyone, some people create their own unique abilities that fit their niche. These abilities are hard to create and take more power than usual to sustain, but are generally more potent that what most can get their hands on. Examples are Sun Wukong's Jin Dou Yun, Xuanzang's Shaka Nyorai Palm, and Shaka Nyorai's Dukkha Samudaya - The accumulation of the noble truth of suffering. Generally they can be taught to others, but are mostly kept them themselves for additional support and a card to play when things turn bad.

The big brother to these, are Ancestral Techniques. The Tsu Clan are well known for possessing these, and Ci Lan Tsu ardently practices them. Cho Ken Tsu's Demon-Suppressing Palm and Divine Asura War Form are the most famous of these. Handed down from father to son, mother to daughter, Uncle to nephew, they are refined over many life-times to become fantastical techniques, with somewhat equally fantastical costs of power. Divine Asura War Form demands a Yu-Shan Dantian for how much it can drain a person in a short space of time.


In the Age Of Might, where the Strong Eat the Weak's Meat, Wulin was unruly. Personal powerbases were the core of Wulin, and a powerful Cultivator was a King. And as most turned out, a Tyrant. Zian-Zi - at this point simply a very big market and meeting place - tried to remain neutral in this age, but eventually two Yu-Shan cultivators clashed here, in an attempt to own Zian-Zi. This fight was brought to an end by the sudden appearance of a man. Many identities have been attributed to this man, but at this point in time, he was known as Shaka Nyorai. Overwhelming power flowed from this man and he struck down both Cultivators and ended not only the fight, but the Age Of Might itself. His pure, unrivaled power made many deem him Envoy Of Heaven, here to set them on the right path after straying so far from it.

Seeing how the world was, he walked the world gathering the strong who have great moral conviction. The first he found, was a serene woman, who had no other name than Luna. This woman, the Shadow Across The Moon, became the first Spiritual Lord under Shaka. The next to join this group, was a man who led the Tsu Clan. One of the powerful Cultivation families that had a powerbase in Wulin. They were somewhat unique in their selfless assistance of lower graded Cultivators, and so while they had a lot of people under them, they were constantly fending off the more tyrannical clans. The appointment of Cho Ken Tsu, the Heavenly Demon, quickly eroded the willpower of these hostile clans, and allowed the Tsu Clan peace and prosperity.

By this point, the Spiritual Lords were gaining fame in Wulin, and many people applied to join them. Not among the applicants, but trying to force his way in with his skill and stature, was Ma Kensei, Dragon As Man, and head of the Ma clan. Not wishing to antagonise the Ma clan with a flat refusal, he suggested that Kensei fight with an applicant for the spot. Accepting the offer with great arrogance, Ma Kensei was humiliated when he was defeated by the applicant, Izanagi. He was accepted, as the Fourth Spiritual Lord. Shortly after this point, a strange new man appeared. Tall, powerful, and with a unique art under his belt, which he called the Crying God School, or Shinmeiryuu. This new warrior got into a fight with Izanagi's wife, Izanami, and severely wounded her. This prompted Izanagi to come down and rescue her.

The two fought, and Izanagi proved to be a peerless genius by unleashing a skill of unparalleled force, the first Rank 10 Standarized Technique: Falling Divinity - Heaven Shattering Thunder. The man's chest, seeming invincible before this point, was smashed concave, and he nearly died. It was here that Izanami earned his title "The Man Who Shakes Heaven". But, rather than let him die, Izanagi acknowledged his skill and praised his creation of Shinmeiryuu, allowing him to recover from his wounds and then getting Shaka's permission to invite him, to the Spiritual Lords. The man was called Chuluun, although later known as Futsunushi. After his recovery, he showed pride equal to skill, and challenged Cho Ken Tsu to a fight. Shaku, who wanted the greatest warriors as well as the most honorable, agreed to this fight, and it was a spectacular display of skill and prowess. It ended when, channeling the power that had defeated him, Chuluun made his own Rank 10 technique on the spot. Rain From Heaven: Tears Of A Thousand Gods. This technique smashed through the protection of Cho Ken Tsu's Demon Surpressing Palm, and also cut the mountain the where fighting below in half. To this day, if one looks closely, they can still see the split in Mount Fuji.

Peace reigned in Wulin, or rather not open conflict, as Wulin was the land of combat and Martial Prowess. Eventually, however, a man came from more miles west than any believed to have existed. This man was greeted by Chuluun, who was by now going by the name Futsunushi so as to fit in with his friends, Izanami and Izanagi. Futsunushi realized that neither could understand the other, and so quickly spoke with the language of fists! It turned out the man was fluent in such a language, and the two clashed. Both with unparalleled physical durability, both paragons of endurance and determination, The sun kissed their battle and the moon grace her light upon it five times before it was over in a draw. Shaku, a venerable and learned sage, then arrived and through intent and bodily langauge, managed to invite him to rest. Once the rest was over, a week was spent where Shaku learned the man's language, and invited him to the Spiritual Lords, believing that his insight and great strength would be invaluable.

After learning the native tongue of Shaku and Futsunushi, the man - Bjorn Ironside - followed in the footsteps of Futsunushi and challenged Luna to a fight. The most beautiful of Cultivators gracefully surrendered before the fight even began, and took his position as Fifth Spiritual Lord. Izanagi felt awkward being superior to the first Spiritual Lord that Shaku had recruited, and so changed places with her, accepting Fifth so she could be Fourth. Futsunushi and Bjorn then had another week long fight for the position, in which Futsunushi eventually collapsed of exhaustion when Bjorn was able to survive his Rank 10 technique. Bjorn celebrated for all of five seconds before collapsing of his own wounds and exhaustion. Thus, the legends were passed down of the Five Spiritual Lords.

The Man Who Shakes Heaven, Fifth Spiritual Lord Izanagi.
The Shadow Across The Moon, Fourth Spiritual Lord Luna.
The Crying Diety, Third Spiritual Lord Futsunushi.
The Mountian That Moves, Second Spiritual Lord, Bjorn Ironside
The Lord Of Wulin, First Spiritual Lord, Shaka Nyorai

The Three Buddha

The Five Spiritual Lords were not the only Wulin-Renowned Cultivators. There was also a group known as The Three Buddha. Starting with Shaka Nyorai, The Enlightened Buddha, for his tutorage and the creation of Buddism. The second, is attributed to Shaka's most brilliant student, Xuanzang Sanzang. Her skill was only surpassed by her zeal for Shaka's teachings, and she became known as one of the greatest Buddha Priests to have ever lived, even after she became the Buddha of Sandalwood Merit, for her ability to coax friendship and loyalty from the Sandlewood Dragon, Bai Long (Unfortunately Bai Long left with the majority of the Dragons at the end of the Golden Age). The third, is given to Xuanzang's own student, and one of the Man-Beast Metamorphs, Sun Wukong. A fantastic student of a fantastic student and teacher, Sun Wukong journeyed To the West, to find Shaka Nyorai and understand the profound source of his teacher's wisdom.

It was here, in India, where the two crossed fists. Sun Wukong's Jin Dou Yun granting him speed surpassing even the Enlightened Buddaa. After a long conflict, Sun Wukong used his Master's most treasured technique: Five Element Mountain - Shaka Nyorai Palm. Proud to see such a technique made in his image, and amused it was used against him, Shaka Nyorai returned the blow with Dukkha Samudaya - The accumulation of the noble truth of suffering. A powerful technique that took the blow of an enemy and returned it. The power of Shaka Nyorai Palm was enough to break the defensive capability of his Heaven-Sculpted Perfection, and severely wound him. Sun Wukong avoided the counter-attack with God-Deceiving Trickery, the greatest of damage negation powers.

Both however, were exhausted by this point, and so they agreed to a draw and Sun Wukong thanked Shaka one thousand times for the honour of such a bout. Here, two names sprung. The first, Victorious Fighting Buddha, and the second, Great Sage Equalling Heaven, the second he was not to enamoured with, but he took the title of Buddaa with great enthusiasm. For his contributions to Shaka's endless progression, he was gifted the Ruyi Jingu Bang, As-You-Will Gold-Banded Staff, which could expand and retract as he willed. While offered a place in the Spiritual Lords, Sun Wukong was too adventurous and free-spirited to police Wulin, and declined, going on to other exploits that eventually earned him the moniker 'The Monkey King' for how his antics seemed to mimic the mischievous and energetic nature of Monkeys. Here came the culture that the strongest Man-Beast Metamorph of a certain race would be called 'The (Race) King'. In modern times, Man-Beast Metamorphs are rare, and so there is only King Uma, The Ox King.

The Nine Mountain Thrones

In the Age Of Might, Warlords were akin to sand in the desert. But even those with the greatest of hubris could not step up to the Nine Moutain Thrones. These were Mount Meru, Mount Fuji, Mount Tai, Mount Buzhou, Mount Penglai, Kunlun Mountain, Feather Mountain, The Jade Mountain, and The Inverse Mountian. Upon each mountian sat a Warlord of extreme power, and between these nine were the Wan Xian, the Ten Thousand Heroes. While the Immortal Sovereigns of the Mountians were terrifying in their own right, true might sat at the feet of the 1,111 Wan Xian that each Sovereign possessed. (And the one final Wan Xian that travelled between the nine every year). These could truly be considered to Rule All They Surveyed, and with great understanding of the other's power, there was never any war between them. Every Sovereign knew that the others would simple watch the war and then sweep in when both sides were week and obliterate them both, as such, war never occurred between them. Each Sovereign's thrown was carved from the skull of a Dragon they had beaten alone, which went great lengths to intimidate any who came to them.

Rulership was unhindered until the arrival and Shaka Nyorai. All Nine Sovereigns descended from their Thrones and met Shaka Nyorai, and stood across the field from him. A fierce battle then occured, and at it's end, the Nine Sovereigns left to their Mountians, and Shaka Nyorai returned to his humble shack, for the battle had occurred inside the hearts and minds of all who were present. Shaka then later visited all nine Sovereigns and ensured their cooperation in keeping the relative peace of the Golden Age, each one enticed and bound with terms unique to them.

At the end of the Golden Age, when Wulin collapsed in on itself, The core of their power, the Wan Xian, were enticed to betrayal by the others of Wulin, and were henceforth cursed as the Wan Kuei, the Ten Thousand Demons. Some Sovereigns showed that their Wan Xian guard were a deterrent, not a necessity, by smiting them. Others, were overwhelmed by their guard and died with curses in their lips. All 10,000 of the betrayers were given crippling curses, however, almighty Onmyōdō Magic long since lost to the world of Wulin. Every descendant of the Wan Xian, now the Wan Kuei, would be cursed to forever starve, and yet unable to die of starvation. It was a well deserved curse.

Most notably in this great betrayal, was the was the rage of the Ninth Mountain Throne, Yuexian. It was so great that her Throne was sundered, becoming barely a hillock as Yuexian struck down the Wan Kuei, and then sealed them all within Mount Tai, cursing them with imprisonment as well as eternal starvation. Over the next few thousand years, Mount Tai regained some of it's luster, but one can still clearly see the impact of Yuexian's rage if they climb it.

Great Body and Great Mind

Cultivation Techniques, Cultivation Resources, Natural Oddities, Soul Rice Wine, a fight with an equal level Cultivator. None of these things suffice to drive a Yu-Shan far enough for them to see improvement at any speed worth mentioning. Lacking a handful of unique powers that sped up your Cultivation and allowed others to Cultivate for you, something needed to be done. And so something was. Bodhidharma, Third Generation Student of Shaka Nyorai, meditated under a tree for a dozen times a dozen nights, and was enlightened at the edge of starvation. Blossoming in his mind, was the Sam-Hwa-Chui-Jung, The Three Lotus Petals. A Mindset of Supernal beauty, this allowed Bodhidharma to cultivate more efficiently than any man in the world, surpassing even his great grand-teacher, if only in efficiency. Every Cultivator has one of two problems, too much energy or not enough energy. With The Three Lotus Petals, Bodhidharma fell firmly in the latter, almost unheard of in Yu-Shan Cultivators except by those that neglected their Physique in favour of speed and efficiency. Bodhidharma did not, and quickly rose to be a great being.


Much later, after Bodhidharma put his technique to paper and his bones were now but dust, the second technique would be developed. A Man who looked to the future and saw his slow decline did not want to simply wait for it to come, and so he set about with physical training unlike any other. Every Mountian in the World, big or small, was graced by his feet, and he travelled between them with no aid or mount. In a Post-Great Collapse era, Cultivation was poor and he was not a powerful being, but supplemented what he needed with guts and tenacity. He conquered the mountains in order of height, and at the top of Everest, he let out a scream of victory that was heard across the world. It was here, that he caught fire and fell down the mountain as his sudden panic to put himself out caused him to lose his foothold.

Cultivators are hardy, especially The Man, who's name was never recorded by is remembered as the Lord Of All Mountains in recognition of his feat. Once calming and realising he was not on fire, The Lord Of All Mountains suddenly felt that these black flames kindled the raw energy in his Dantian to such a degree he never thought a body could possess such energy. The rest of his life was spent seeking better techniques to Cultivate this energy, faster and more efficent. He died a hair's width from the Realm of Heaven, and never managed to scratch his endless energy. This, was Yeonhon Yeongi Yeonshindan, the Black Blazing Body. He allowed it to be researched and documented in Zian-Zi, but never actively taught another.

Bone Metamorphasis Technique

A crazy technique that has been known to kill the unprepared with the sheer scale of pain, and cripple even the most durable of mental bastions for hours. It is a technique that removes a person's skeleton and replaces it with the energy of their Dantian, which means that even if they can survive the pain of the skeleton's sudden explosion, if their Dantian is too weak, they will collapse under their own weight and die as a puddle of person.

Gold 3 is the minimum, but Black Gold 3 is where one really sees some advantages over their normal skeleton. As their Dantian grows, the skeleton also grows. It's benefits, are an increased Cultivation as Jing can be brought into the Dantian faster due to the bones being pure energy rather than energy and bone and the energy being cycled through the body is enhanced by the energy of the bones. At higher levels, the skeleton is also notably (although not considerably) stronger than a normal skeleton due to the density of the energy with no increase in weight. This doesn't change the strength of the skin, fire will still burn and blades will still cut down to the bone, but the bone itself is more durable. This increase in density allows the skeleton to hit harder than it would normally, as the solidly packed energy makes for a much less forgiving surface to be hit with than normal. This can even transfer through Soul-Forged wrappings, as the bone's energy fills the wrapping with great vigor. This allows some protection to the knuckles, decreasing the skill level one needs to be at to avoid knuckle damage by one for Bronze and Silver Soulforged, and two for Gold Soulforged.

However, if the Dantian is in Yu-Shan, it can cause damage to even supernaturally hard knuckles, splitting the skin and scrapping as the powerful skeleton smashes against the object harder than the skin is able to handle. This necessitates some covering to use one's full strength. And, a person is not given the ability to control their new body immediately after use, meaning they have to practice in it's use to master it.

Scale:

Bronze - Fatal
Silver - Crippling
Gold - Increased Density (Knuckles split at Adept and below)
Black Gold - Enhanced Density (Knuckles split at Advanced and Below)
Yu-Shan - Supernal Density (Knuckles split at Elite and Below)

If your Durability is below your skeleton's durability, then care must be taken, as certain blows can still pulverise organs while leaving your harder bones intact.

Dragons:

Dracarys Majestica. Tremendous and diverse, these flying reptiles were great creatures that flew across the sky in the old world of Wulin, and ruled them. As proud as they were powerful, they viewed humans as simple creatures, and while they were wise enough to learn the language with ease, few cared to interact with them beyond the occasional terrorising for food. A few dragons claimed a village, city, or even country as their own, and ruled with an iron claw. But in this world of warriors, no Dragon was left alone.

These mighty beasts were challenged by many a Cultivator, to show their might, and to prove their worth. While some Dragons would fight these Cultivators with fairness, a test of skill against the strongest beings of nature, other Dragons were vindictive, or simply too proud to give Cultivators such an honour, and fought to kill them. While many a man fell to these Dragons, there were still more Cultivators with phenomenal power. Black Gold and Yu-Shan Cultivators had all that was required to clash on par with these scaled beasts. Tyrants were cast down and slain, their bodies becoming reagents for creation. Siegfried, a legendary Dragon-Fighter, freed the countries of England and Wales from their overlord Dragons, Albion and Ddraig. From these two beasts were forced the Left and Right Arms Of The Dragon.

Not every meeting with a Dragon ended in conflict. Sun Wukong's meeting with Ao Long, Dragon-King of the West and father of Xuanzhang's ally and confidant, Bai Long, ended with great mutual respect between the two. Apalala's meeting with Shaka Nyorai ended with the dragon becoming an adherent to Shaka's beliefs, and following him as a subject would follow his lord. However, the reign of dragons would soon come to an end, as the vast majority of them would leave this plane of existence and go elsewhere, leaving behind scant few pure-bloods and many descendants. For Dragons had physical desires like all others, and they found power and strength of will most attractive. Unfortunately, the culture of Dragon-Hunting could not be sustained in this new population, and very quickly, there were no more Pureblooded dragons left at all.

Age

As magnificent as Cultivators are to look upon, they are still human. They age like humans, they bleed like humans, they die like humans. And yet, one can not, no matter how hard they try, reach the Realm of Heaven in one life time. Therefore it was quickly found that Cultivation extends a person's time on earth with skill. Cultivators also seem to age more slowly while in deep Stoic Meditation, aging only a year for every several that pass. This has given rise to people getting older in life, going into closed meditation and racing the sands of time. If they can break through to the Gold or Black Gold, they will have many more years to come of and the benefits it comes with. Once one reaches Gold 1, the aging slows down, every 5 years that pass causes their biology to change as if it was a year older. Once a person enters Black Gold, this slows to every 10 years. Once one reaches Yu-Shan, aging effectively stops, and you will die of anything else before you die of old age. This, means that the appearance of a person is no indication of their age. A talented Cultivator could keep their looks of thirty and be hundreds of years old. A poor Cultivator could look seventy, and be seventy. Or be thousands of years old.

Five Great Metals:

In Wulin, there exists five unique metals that are used in Soulforging. Not everything Soulforged has any of these five as each is hard to create and requires a decent investment, but when they do, they are marvels to behold, as each metal possesses a special, unique property. Melded together, each metal can provide it's unique property, but it is weakened considerably, and so most Soulforged items are monometal if they have one at all.

Aurichalcum: Glittering Gold Of Atlantis. This an alloy of Gold and other unknown ingredients, made in Zian-Zi and liberally used for Soulforging in the Age of Might and Golden Age. It's hardness is unparalleled, but it's creation is expensive and time consuming - being made out of Gold the least of it's worries - making it a poor armour as the plate often beggers a man and then weighs him down when he needs to be lithe. Instead, it is often used for weaponry, to give it the durability to survive earth-sundering strikes.

Moonsilver: Link Liquid Metal Of The Moon

Jenhu: Blood Of The Earth. Jenhu is found deep within the earth, and is a deep red colour when found, giving it's name. When harvested and refined into ingots, the metal can cool to a deep, jade-green colour, or retain it's blood-red colour. Superstition dictates difference between "red Jenhu" and "green Jenhu" but nothing has been proven. What is known, is that Jenhu allows considerable conductivity between the wielder and the weapon, making the enhancing properties of Soulforged items much more potent.

Zaoho: Essence-Pool spawned metal. This is metal that is harvested in Essence Pools, coming from the pool itself, it collects as sediment in the bottom, and then can be gathered and refined into metal. It is not a very hard metal, nor a very tough one, so is usually made into bangels, bracelets, and earrings. This metal allows the user to essentially carry an Essence Pool around with them, assisting with Cultivation when worn.

Soulsteel: Yu-Shan manifested metal, Grand Emperor of Metal. This metal is the most expensive thing in Wulin, even beyond the Broken Winged Crane. By having a Yu-Shan cultivator imbibe a special concoction, he will over the next week, sweat out liquid metal that can be refined and made into metal. While Zian-Zi has a store of this metal, the lack of Yu-Shan cultivators makes it most limited, and thus prohibitively expensive. But when something is made out of Soulsteel, it is truly the Grand Emperor of Metals, for it is all of it's subjects (the previous four metals) combined.