Jian Dan opened her eyes and carefully observed the teleportation process. She stood on a vibrant, multicolored band of light, which carried her forward as streaks of meteors with long tails flashed past her. The surroundings were bathed in a kaleidoscope of glowing hues, like a painted scroll.
Suddenly, the light band seemed to break, and a black vortex appeared. Propelled by inertia, Jian Dan was sucked into it, plunging into darkness.
She didn't dare let her guard down. The moment she entered the vortex, she wrapped her spiritual sense around herself and activated her defensive formation disk.
Yet, the instant she landed, a black mist-like mass shot straight toward her, aiming unerringly for her sea of consciousness.
Her defensive formation shattered under the assault, the formation stone at her waist cracking into five pieces. The black mass, having broken through her defenses, wasted no time and lunged again for her mind.
This time, Jian Dan had no chance to react. She clutched her head and collapsed to the ground as a sharp pain tore through her consciousness, as if something had been ripped away. Without hesitation, she directed her spiritual sense inward, confronting the dark energy in her own mind.
"Hehehe! It was worth waiting ten thousand years—finally, a young girl arrives!"
A sultry laugh echoed from the black mass, and a woman's figure emerged, licking her lips as if savoring a long-awaited feast.
Jian Dan, now a glowing orb within her own mind, saw the woman materialize from the black mass—twice her size. The woman was shrouded in dark mist, her features exquisitely alluring, especially her upturned phoenix eyes and the peach-blossom mark between her brows, enhancing her seductive charm. Even her voice dripped with honeyed temptation.
But Jian Dan didn't dare relax—this was a Yuányīng, the escaped spirit of a cultivator whose body had been destroyed. At the very least, this woman had once been at the Nascent Soul stage.
Though the Yuányīng now seemed unstable, it was still dangerous. Jian Dan knew this was a trial she had to face. As a newly formed Golden Core cultivator, she still had a fighting chance. If she failed, her body would be stolen—and after coming this far, she refused to surrender.
The shadowy figure seemed to read her thoughts and giggled lightly.
"Naïve little girl, I, Mei Ji, never fight unprepared battles. Consider it an honor that I'm taking your body today. Don't struggle pointlessly—it'll only bring you pain."
Jian Dan knew there was no room for negotiation. Without another word, she condensed into a table-tennis-ball-sized orb and charged straight at the black mass.
Since this was her own sea of consciousness, Jian Dan had the advantage—her speed was unmatched.
"Come at me, little girl!"
Mei Ji's seductive laughter reverberated through Jian Dan's mind, causing her glowing orb to waver slightly. Seizing the moment, the black mass surged forward, and Mei Ji—now in her Nascent Soul form—opened her cherry-like mouth and viciously bit down on Jian Dan's orb.
A sharp scream of pain erupted as Jian Dan's orb trembled violently.
But she couldn't afford to retreat. Gritting her will, she lunged forward, attempting to bite back—but missed as Mei Ji flickered away, darting unpredictably through her consciousness.
Black mist spread from Mei Ji's form, staining Jian Dan's sea of consciousness wherever it touched.
Horror struck Jian Dan—this was demonic energy! This Yuányīng was a demonic cultivator!
It wasn't that Jian Dan feared demonic cultivators. Her past life's experience told her that orthodox (Dao) and Demonic cultivation were merely different paths—one refined spiritual energy, the other demonic energy. Demonic techniques were simply more ruthless, but in the end, both led to the same destination. After ascension, there was no difference.
But she had trained as an orthodox Daoist from the very beginning. Demonic and orthodox energies were two sides of the same coin—light and dark, yin and yang—fundamentally incompatible.
Her white orb shot forward with renewed speed, catching up to the black, egg-sized demonic Nascent Soul. With a fierce determination, she bit down, tearing off a wisp of its energy.
But even that tiny fragment began corrupting her own orb, turning it gray. Panicked, Jian Dan stopped chasing and instinctively activated the Primordial Chaos Sutra.
Her spiritual sense merged with the orb, and under the influence of the technique, the demonic energy slowly transformed into spiritual energy, nourishing her consciousness.
"So this is the true essence of the Primordial Chaos Sutra!"
All things in existence were born from chaos and could return to chaos. Since demonic energy also originated from chaos, it could be converted. Freed from fear, Jian Dan rampaged through her own mind, chasing Mei Ji's Nascent Soul with relentless fury, determined to devour it whole.
"IMPOSSIBLE!!!"
Mei Ji's voice turned into a shrill shriek as she realized her demonic energy could no longer corrupt Jian Dan's consciousness.
A thin layer of gray mist now permeated Jian Dan's sea of consciousness, neutralizing any demonic energy it touched. After a few clashes, most of the corruption had been purified, leaving Mei Ji's unprotected Yuányīng exposed.
===
Understanding Basic Cultivation Stages (for New Readers)
If this is your first time reading a Xianxia-themed novel and you're unfamiliar with basic cultivation stages, here's a concise overview of the commonly used progression system seen across many such stories:
1. Qi Refining (气炼)
This is the foundational stage of cultivation, where a practitioner begins drawing in and refining Qi—the spiritual energy of the world—within their dantian. At this stage, Qi exists in a gaseous form and slowly fills the dantian like vapor gathering in a vessel.
Upon first absorbing Qi, the body expels impurities (杂质, zázhì) through the skin. This black, sticky sludge is the result of worldly pollution—residues from mortal food and life. The process may repeat over time, especially:
—After consuming mortal food,
—When ingesting low-grade pills (with residual toxins),
—Or during breakthroughs within a realm (e.g., early to mid-stage).
Each time impurities are purged, the cultivator's body subtly changes. Their skin clears, scars fade, and they appear more refined and youthful. This is more than vanity—it marks their gradual detachment from mortal limits.
Qi Refining also enhances the senses. Cultivators gain sharper vision, keener hearing, and heightened awareness. Their divine sense (神, shén)—akin to spiritual perception—is awakened. With practice, divine sense can be used to:
—Observe the environment over long distances,
—Communicate telepathically with others,
—Sense spiritual fluctuations.
However, divine sense can be intercepted by stronger cultivators, turning private thoughts into vulnerabilities.
2. Foundation Building (筑基)
Once a cultivator reaches the peak of Qi Refining and their dantian can no longer hold more Qi, they must compress it into a denser, liquid state. This marks the transition to Foundation Building.
This stage forms the "spiritual sea", (this is different with sea of consciousness) and its size and depth depend on both the quality and quantity of your Qi. A strong, stable foundation is crucial—it determines how far a cultivator can go in the future. Without a solid base, progress beyond this realm becomes difficult, or even impossible.
3. Golden Core (金丹, Jīndān)
When the spiritual sea reaches its limit during Foundation Building, cultivators begin compressing the liquid Qi even further. This process forms a golden core within the lower dantian, also called the Golden Stove (金炉, jīn lú).
The resulting golden core becomes the source of a cultivator's power and longevity. Its purity, color, and toughness reflect the cultivator's potential. This stage is highly revered—forming a true golden core is a major milestone.
4. Nascent Soul (元婴, Yuányīng)
At the peak of Golden Core stage, when even the core can no longer absorb more Qi, cultivators attempt to shatter the core and give birth to a Nascent Soul, or Yuan Infant (Yuányīng)—a miniature spiritual self formed from highly refined Qi.
This process is dangerous and painful. If the core is damaged before the breakthrough, it can cripple a cultivator's progress, requiring rare materials and immense effort to recover. In some cases, the cultivator must start over from Qi Refining—if their body and meridians survive.
Upon success:
—Amputated limbs can regenerate.
—The cultivator can reshape their appearance once, choosing a new form that becomes their true self from that point forward.
—They gain a "second self"—as long as the Yuányīng survives, they can rebuild their physical body using rare resources.
—They may also create doppelgangers, powered by split divine sense and soul. Most cultivators can only form one, but stronger souls can create more. The body used for the doppelganger determines its strength and can range from rare treasures to unique constructs. (Note: This is distinct from puppetry.)
Cultivators in this realm are much harder to kill. Destroying the physical body is not enough; the Yuányīng must also be annihilated.
I usually call this stage as Nascent Soul and the 'infant' as Yuányīng.
5. Post-Nascent Soul Stages
After reaching Nascent Soul, the progression varies depending on the novel or author. Some examples:
Common in many Xianxia novels:
Divine Transformation; Returning to Void; Unity; Mahayana
In Su Min's story:
Divine Transformation; Dao Comprehension; Unity; Mahayana
In this novel:
Divine Transformation; Divine Soul; Void Refinement; Unity; Mahayana
These stages serve as a general framework, though their names and exact breakthroughs may differ across sects or worlds. But the principles—refining the body, mind, and spirit—remain central to nearly all cultivation systems. For more detailed information about cultivation stage you can visit the link on the comments.