Valky's Guide To Creating A Cultivation System

Valky’s Guide To Creating Cultivation Systems

First: the keyword for cultivation is “progression”. The system should in some way involve growing. Whether this be in body, Qi, comprehension etc.

Cultivation Creation can be split into several aspects. The Energy, The Source, The Method, The Progression, The Speed, The Struggles, and The Peak.

The Energy: You need to figure out exactly what is being cultivated in particular. There are many different forms of cultivation out there, and what is classified as cultivation is quite broad. Which Xianxia is somewhat niche, it still has hundreds of different examples to pull from. Most cultivation methods involve taking in Qi in some form for Internal Cultivation. This could be elemental qi, spiritual qi, worldly qi, and so on. Varients of this cultivation include cultivation of your Soul, your Genes, your Mind, your Blood/Body, and so on. Many cultivation systems move on in the later stages to focus less on energy consumption and focus more on comprehending the aspects of reality. Figuring out their Dao or "Way" or "Path".

The Source: Now that you know what is BEING cultivated, now you need to figure out what is being USED to cultivate it. What exactly is the origin of your cultivation ability. Are you drawing in ambient energy from the world? Strengthening your body to generate more from within? Maybe you are resonating with a specific type of element or beast. Some worlds have the cultivator train and use Soul bonded spiritual beasts who provide a symbiotic relationship. It doesn't even necessarily have to be terrestrial, with cultivators taking the energies of the stars and celestial bodies.

The Method: You need to decide how this cultivation takes place. What methods are used in order to progress? Do they need to practise specific arts? Meditate in a cave? Consume external objects? How much do these methods vary in efficiency and potency? And so on.

The Progression: Perhaps the most substantial part of creation process. You will need to decide what actually happens as you progress. Is the system as simple as basic cultivation stages where each subsequent level is a stronger version of the prior stage. Perhaps you will make use of Dantians and Meridians, form Qi lakes within your body, steadily condense Qi into denser and denser states? As previously mentioned, the cultivation doesn't have to stay the same the entire time. Many systems switch entirely from taking in energy to gaining enlightenment. Others have that as a mere side ability in parallel with standard cultivation. As an example you could start with mere training of the body until it reaches a point where it can produce its own energy. Then you condense that energy into liquid Qi, then solid Qi. This solid Qi could then be used to form foundations in your body to connect to the universe, allowing you to comprehend its secrets and thus influence the world around you in turn.
It should be noted that to be a more authentic "Xianxia" (immortal hero) rather than a "Xuanhuan" (fantasy) cultivation, this system should involve some form of progression towards the idea of immortality. This immortality is not necessarily true immortality, as many systems require going through numerous different "immortal" stages before one becomes truly ageless.

The Speed: One thing to consider when making this system is just how FAST people will be able to progress in this system. This is an aspect of cultivation that can vary as much as the system itself. Some types of cultivation are limited to little more than a normal human lifespan. Others can take millennia to progress, while the more extreme examples can measure time in the lifespan of universes.

The Struggles: A common idea is the concept that to cultivate is to challenge the Heavens themselves. As such, cultivation will often involve some form of struggle for the cultivator as they progress. These are essentially Gateways that separate those with luck and talent from those without. These struggles can take many different forms. The most gentle form is merely the idea that to break through a big realm is far harder than simply cultivating. In these cases the cultivator must reach the right state of mind or take in a large amount of energy at once in order to break through that barrier. A common form of struggle is the idea of Heavenly Tribulations, a challenge from the heavens that the cultivator must overcome at risk of injury or even death in order to progress. These could come with every realm, or only on particular landmark realms.

The Peak: The End Goal for this cultivation system. What has it all been building up towards? Is there even a peak that can be reached? Do you simply keep progressing to higher and higher levels with no end seemingly in sight? Or perhaps you become a Sage or Saint who is above the worldly laws that bind all beings. Maybe you reach such a connection with the world that you are its ruler, able to command and change it in its totally as you wish? Or perhaps you will eventually create a universe of your own, separate from the original, that you claim sole ownership of.