Path of the Immortal

The "Path of the Immortal" is the in-setting name for the various Realms, or levels of power, a cultivator will proceed through before they ascend to Great Spirit status.

All humans start out as a mortal and must Awaken before they can walk the Path of the Immortal. All people in Forge of Destiny have something called Talent, which is their ability to Awaken to the Path. If a given person's Talent is low, they may not be able to Awaken or if Awakened, they will only progress a step or two down the Path. Talent also decays with age past a certain point, though not very much is known about this specific phenomena.

Both physical and spiritual cultivation must be cultivated in order to progress down the Path, but physical cultivation cannot be improved prior to the unlocking of qi through spiritual cultivation. For most cultivators, Third Realm is the limit of what they can achieve. "...Advancing beyond [Third Realm] requires a great deal of talent and dedication, as well as significant physical cultivation to survive the strain such large amounts of qi put on the body."Based on information from the Argent Peak Sect Elders.

Spiritual Cultivation
The Spiritual Realms are as follows:
 * 1) Red
 * 2) Yellow
 * 3) Green
 * 4) Cyan
 * 5) Indigo
 * 6) Violet
 * 7) Prism
 * 8) White

Physical Cultivation
The Physical Realms are as follows:
 * 1) Gold
 * 2) Silver
 * 3) Bronze
 * 4) Iron
 * 5) Steel
 * 6) Adamant
 * 7) Orichalcum
 * 8) Divine

Realms
A Realm is essentially a level or tier of power and enlightenment, as well as self refinement, along the Path. Each Realm brings an increasing amount of power to bear, and higher Realms can open more esoteric features of cultivator life.

A cultivator is not considered a full member of a Realm until they have achieved that particular Realm in both physical and spiritual. For example, a cultivator is not considered a 1st Realm cultivator until they achieve both Red Soul and Gold Physique.

Sometimes, at least within the Celestial Empire, a cultivator is referred colloquially by their Spiritual Cultivation level. For example a 1st Realm cultivator may be referred to as a Red cultivator.

Each Realm is composed of various Stages that represent mini-steps within the Realm itself as they progress toward the Peak of that particular Realm. Peak is not listed because it is not an actual Stage, but it represents a cultivator who has reached the limit of the last Stage in a particular Realm, allowing the cultivator to begin attempting a Breakthrough to the next Realm. Like the Realm number, the Stage number is based on how many Stages it has been since Mortal cumulatively. So, an Early Third Realm cultivator would be on Stage 7. It is currently unknown how many Stages comprise the 4th Realm and higher.
 * 1) First Realm (3) - Early, Mid, Late
 * 2) Second Realm (3) - Early, Mid, Late
 * 3) Third Realm (8) - Early, Appraisal, Foundation, Threshold, Framing, Formation, Fortification, Completion

Among the features which become unlocked as one progresses down the Path, the currently known ones are the Domain, and the Way.

The Domain
The Domain is completely unlocked once a Cultivator reaches the Third Realm in full, and is an extension of sorts of what ideals or desires that particular Cultivator holds dear. It can be described as an expression of the self, laid onto the world by the Cultivator's power.

The seed of the Domain is developed in the Red and Yellow Realms of Cultivation and the choices the Cultivator makes during those Realms, as well as important events in their Mortal life, culminating in a Breakthrough vision upon successfully reaching Green Soul where the cultivator is presented with a set of symbolic choices representing things they hold dear. What choice they make determines much about how their Domain will function.

The Domain possesses multiple features and purposes. The first of these is that there is a central concept which is the core of the Domain, and the Domain provides some form of effect related to this concept. In Ling Qi's case it bolsters the spiritual defenses of all allies who she has a strong enough relationship with, as an expression of her central concept of Home. However, this is the simplest form of this phenomena.

The Domain can be host to multiple effects and all of these effects increase in potency as the Domain itself increases in power. However, the Domain is a thing which must be advanced separately alongside normal cultivation. It is much more difficult to train, as it cannot be trained like arts and cultivation arts. Instead one must train it by training arts which end somewhere in the Green Realm and through the use of a Domain Weapon.

The multiple effects of a Domain come from the slots, of sorts, which Domains possess which increase in number as it is improved. Arts which are mastered in the Green Realm provide insights which can be inserted into these slots or rejected. These "insights" provide ways to add effects to the Domain and also to modify how it manifests in the real world. As the Domain progresses the types of effects it will accept will also begin to narrow as the previous choices start to inform future ones.

Another feature of Domains is the Domain Weapon, often referred to by Mortals as "flying weapons" due to them being suspended in the air by the field of the Cultivator's Domain. These are both training tools and noble tools. As a training tool they provide another way to gain experience with and improve ones domain, with combat using them providing the most.

The other, main use is as weapons with powerful effects. Both offensive and defensive variations have been seen. In all observed cases they supplement what the Cultivator using them is trying to do with their fighting style or activity. As an example Ling Qi possesses a Domain Weapon called the Singing Mist Blade which provides bonuses to her musical arts and has its own musical area attack.

Another feature currently known about is that Domains take part in the modification and creation of Arts. "“You’ll need to settle your foundation at least before you can think about shaping arts in your image, and that would be an accomplishment.” -Ruan Shen, Argent Peak Inner Sect student."In the Green Foundation stage Art modification becomes available to exceptional Cultivators, as their Domain has become solid enough to act as a mold. From what is known about the process it involves changing elements and specific features of an art to more directly suit the Cultivator and their individual approach to Cultivation.

Art creation is still mostly mysterious, though the general consensus is that serious Art creation will have to wait until the Cyan Realm and the formation of a Way.

The Way
The Way is a mysterious and currently poorly understood aspect of Cultivation hinted at once by the Moon Spirit Xin which is central to the Fourth Realm. From the incredibly brief descriptions available it seems to be related in part to the Domain as well as Art creation and refinement, and marks the Cultivator setting off on their truly individual Path.

This is important, as by this time, most Cultivators are unique enough beings that they must make their own arts and cultivation arts in order to progress. By all indications, it is rare for cultivation arts in particular to extend this far into the Path of the Immortal.

Esoteric Requirements
Cultivation along the Path of the Immortal through the Red and Yellow Realms is usually simple, with few requirements besides time, Talent and resources such as spirit stones. However, some cultivation arts can have more strange requirements such as completing a quest and/or picking a spiritual patron from amongst the variety of Great Spirits. Since cultivation arts are a powerful aid to cultivation, most cultivators would be sure to complete these.

Moreover, it has been confirmed that once one reaches the Cyan Realm basic cultivation advancement becomes complicated. The current information points to various quests, Way advancement, and special conditions being met in order to advance. It is not known how these specialized requirements change as one leaves the Cyan Realm.

Lifespans
Reds have the same lifespan as a mortal, but they are typically in much better health.

Yellows are capable of becoming 200 years old.

Green is the point where the body starts to be replaced rather than enhanced.

Whites can live up to about 1000 years.

''Whites can physically coast along for awhile after that point, though their bodies begin to break down as well, but the ones who are getting to that age typically make certain arrangements when reaching it. Because no one benefits from ultra powerful elders descending into magic soul dementia, least of all the white themselves.''

There have been attempts (to extend the lifespan of a white.) Given the results, an imperial decree back in the second dynasty made such research illegal, and no emperor since has overturned that.