Glossary

Bound Spirits
Cultivators may bond with a spirit, whether beast, elemental or pure, once they reach 2nd Realm. Bonding strengthens both parties by allowing them to cultivate together and share abilities to an extent. It also serves to humanize the spirit, making it easier for the spirit to interact and understand cultivators.

Dantian
The spiritual heart, it is the core from which one channels energies through the meridians. Ling Qi notes that it felt like it existed behind her navel, but it does not exist physically in a cultivator's body. Filling the dantian is required to awaken and begin production of one's own qi. For more information, please see Dantian. 

Meridians
The spiritual veins, meridians are the channels and gates or exit points which allow qi to flow through and outside the body. The various exit points are used in differing Arts. A practitioner has a limited amount of space in each part of their body to align for different elemental qi. As a cultivator grows in power, their body can withstand the opening of more meridians, but it becomes more and more difficult to open a meridian. For more information, please see Meridians.

Physical Cultivation
A cultivator must first awaken in spiritual cultivation in order to begin producing qi, which allows for physical cultivation. In order to physically cultivate, cultivators must exercise alongside their meditation to allow qi to properly seep into their muscles and bones. They must also keep their bodies in the peak of mundane health to properly advance.

Such maintenance of the body grows easier with time and strength because a cultivator's body degrades slower than a mortal's, especially as the cultivator grows stronger. In the beginning Realms, a cultivator cannot afford to slack at all. With enough work, an Immortal's body will not suffer sickness, disease, or starvation.

Qi
The root of a cultivator's power, it can replace food, drink, and sleep given sufficient cultivation and is used to create effects in the world through Arts' techniques. It is colored and shaped by a cultivator's experiences and personality, and how easily one can channel a given element is largely dependent on the individual and their mindset. For more information, please see Elements.

Spirit Stones
The currency of Immortals, they are more valuable than gold or silver. The energy within the stones is consumed in cultivation, and the color - and quality - of the stone maps to each spiritual realm. It has been suggested that the Mu Clan's hold on the throne is at least partially due to their control over the spirit stone mines of Mount Tai.