Opening Meridians Realm

Biodata

Power Progression

Cultivation Mechanics

• A Martial Artist enters the Opening Meridians Realm by using Qi and Blood Force to locate, fix, and break through blocked meridians. 3 10
• The human body has twelve meridians available for this stage. 10
• Every opened meridian doubles the cultivator's Qi and Blood Force, producing major gains in strength and endurance. 10
• Realm “levels” correspond to the number of opened meridians; for example, Cao Yongjun's “sixth level” means he has opened six meridians. 35
• Different martial arts connect to different meridians. Cultivating additional techniques can reveal meridians that previous arts could not detect. 11 24 29
• Ordinary combat arts can gradually stir Qi and Blood Force toward the meridians, but this method is slow and demands exceptional talent. 8 10

Meridian-Opening Methods

• Meridian Opening Martial Arts — Non-combat secret techniques designed to help practitioners sense the locations of their meridians. 10
• Meridian Unblocking Pills — Spiritual pills whose medicinal force assists Qi and Blood Force in breaking blocked meridians, potentially saving more than a century of gradual cultivation. 10 22
• Martial arts connected to more meridians — Higher-grade arts make additional meridians easier to identify, though they do not remove the difficulty of actually opening them. 10
• These resources are largely controlled by aristocratic families, sects, and the Demon Suppression Bureau. 10

Advancement to Xiantian

• A practitioner may attempt to enter the Xiantian Realm after opening at least three meridians, though doing so early reduces the chance of success and can limit future potential. 8 27
• Opening more meridians before advancing produces greater combat power in Xiantian and raises one's long-term cultivation ceiling. 27
• In Qiulin County, many cultivators historically attempted Xiantian after four or five meridians; six opened meridians makes success nearly certain. 35
• Once a practitioner completes the Xiantian breakthrough, their opened meridians become fixed and no further meridians can be opened. 28
• The breakthrough requires drawing a special aura from heaven and earth into the meridians, replacing Qi and Blood Force with a higher-grade power. 28 50
• Certain advanced cultivation techniques, such as the Purple Cloud Profound Force, require all twelve meridians to be opened before they can be cultivated. 42

Capabilities and Limitations

• Opening Meridians Realm practitioners possess dense and sustained Qi and Blood Force, allowing them to overwhelm ordinary Martial Artists and fight continuously at a far higher level. 3 12
• Their aura can be sensed by other Opening Meridians Realm experts, even when deliberately suppressed. 38
• A practitioner with sufficient martial skill can defeat opponents nominally in the same realm; Shen Lin overwhelms an Opening Meridians Realm wolf demon and silently dispatches an Opening Meridians Realm treasury guard. 16 38
• Despite their strength, they remain mortal before Xiantian: even cultivators with all meridians opened can be wounded by sharp weapons and crossbow bolts. 35
• Qi and Blood Force is qualitatively inferior to Xiantian spiritual energy. Opening Meridians Realm attacks cannot break a Xiantian practitioner's True Essence protection. 50
• The realm itself grants no fixed combat technique; offensive ability depends on the martial arts a practitioner has mastered. 47

Known Practitioners

• Shen Lin — Reaches the tenth meridian while deliberately postponing his Xiantian breakthrough in pursuit of all twelve meridians. 37
• Cao Yongjun — A demonic cultivator at the sixth level of the Opening Meridians Realm, meaning six meridians opened. 35
• Hu Dongxing — Qiulin County's County Lieutenant; has opened four meridians and intends to open more before attempting Xiantian. 35
• Zi Jing — The Flying Thief and an Opening Meridians Realm Martial Artist. 27
• Cheng Yi — Qiulin County Inspector and an Opening Meridians Realm expert. 47
• Huang Xiaotian — Third Boss of Black Wind Stronghold; comparable to a Martial Artist at the fifth level of the realm. 37
• Huang Xiaotian's two brothers — Opening Meridians Realm demons who have each only opened their first meridian. 37
• Wang Yuantong — The Zhang family's guardian, known as the “Blood-Handed Monk,” and an Opening Meridians Realm Martial Artist. 21
• Mantis Demon — A demon whose strength was comparable to an Opening Meridians Realm Martial Artist after Shen Lin opened his first meridian. 3
• Enlightened Wolf Demon — An Opening Meridians Realm demon slain by Shen Lin. 17