Cultivation of the Godly Manual: Immortal Realm Common Knowledge and Observations-A Compendium of Materials (Heavenly Dao Xiao Hua)

The first nineteen chapters of Cultivation of the Godly Manual: Immortal Realm had already been uploaded. A cruel, vast, and fantastical Immortal Realm unfolded before us one piece at a time beneath Tan Hua's brush. So what exactly had Tan Hua explained in the first nineteen chapters of Cultivation of the Godly Manual: Immortal Realm? This article would analyze them one by one.

I. The Immortal Realm's Environment

The Immortal Realm was a false Immortal Realm. This could be judged from the Thirteen Great Gods whom Xiao Hua faced during his tribulation, who used Pangu's Axe to split open the Heavenly Gate of Ascension: the Immortal Realm had originally been the Witch Realm. From the conversation between the Purple Gold Ship sisters and Mount Moban, it could be determined that a struggle for foundations existed within the Immortal Realm. The losers were the ancient True Immortals. One of their representatives, the force behind the Purple Gold Ship, had already gone into hiding, and their hiding place was the Ancient True Immortal Realm.

False Immortal Realm: It consisted of thirty-three heavens, like the tiers of a Buddhist pagoda—for instance, the Heaven Beyond Heaven, Tai Ming Yu Wan Heaven, and Tai Huang Huang Zeng Heaven. The higher one went, the greater the immortals' strength had to be. Low-level immortals could not cross their own realm to reside above it. For example, Tai Huang Huang Zeng Heaven was the lowest of the thirty-three heavens, a bottommost layer where immortals and mortals mingled. This layer was divided into several Immortal Domains: the Mingdao Immortal Domain, Purple Profound Immortal Domain, Tianwu Immortal Domain, and the Immortal Domains where Ye Jian and Huang Tong resided. Each Immortal Domain contained several continents. The lowest administrative unit within an Immortal Domain was a prefecture, with kingdoms being somewhat larger. Realms below the Immortal Domains were star systems, such as Star Moon Fairy's Rainbow Cloud Star System.

II. The Immortal Realm's Powers

The Heavenly Venerate Mansion, which governed different star systems and even Immortal Domains, with various palaces under its command, such as the Palace of Law Enforcement and the Palace of Punishment; the various aristocratic clans, large and small, with smaller clans relying on larger ones; and the various cultivation sects, likewise large and small, with smaller sects depending on larger ones. A sect's territory might be part of a continent, a single prefecture, or even stretch across star systems.

III. Time in the Immortal Realm

The Immortal Realm's chronology: yuan, corresponding to a mortal day; yan, corresponding to a mortal month; shi, corresponding to a mortal year—one year in the Ruins of Shenzhou where Xiao Hua was amounted to 360 days—followed by tribulation, zhou, generation, and era. Three hundred and sixty yuan made one yan, 360 yan made one shi, and so on.

One yuan consisted of six suns and three moons, fifty-four double-hours in all, equivalent to 4.5 mortal days.

The six suns were: the crimson Crimson Sun, the fiery yellow Jiaotu Sun, the golden yellow Guijing Sun, the flame-colored Yanxi Sun, the silver-white Tengshe Sun, and the glazed-gold Shuquè Sun. Each sun had six double-hours.

The three moons were: the Autumn Hair Moon, dark green in color, which rose at night; the Osmanthus Moon, ice-crystal in color, which appeared at midnight; and the White Gazing Moon, bright white in color, which appeared at dawn. Each moon had six double-hours.

IV. Classifications of Immortals in the Immortal Realm

1. Standard classifications:

a. Ascended Immortals: Ascended Immortals had to undergo lightning tribulations. Low-level immortals had to pass through the Immortal Realm's Black Qi Kill, while high-level immortals had to endure both the Black Qi Kill and White Light Kill. Thus, Ascended Immortals were extremely powerful. They accounted for five-thousandths of the Immortal Realm's immortal population.

b. Native immortals: Native residents of the Immortal Realm, descendants of those of the Immortal Realm. They spanned different realms, and most were weaker than Ascended Immortals of the same level. They accounted for more than 95% of the Immortal Realm's immortal population.

c. Smuggled immortals: Immortals who entered the Immortal Realm through the Feather Immortal organization, by irregular channels.

2. Immortal Mark classifications: Immortal Marks resembled the spiritual roots of the Cultivation World and were one means by which a god of the God Realm harvested Power of Faith.

a. Those without Immortal Marks were Mortal Immortals. They could not be entered onto the Immortal Roster and were the lowest-ranked immortals in the Immortal Realm.

b. Immortal Marks, from low to high, were divided into Human Marks, Earth Marks, Heaven Marks, Yellow Marks, Mysterious Marks, and Starry Sky Immortal Marks. Xiao Hua's was the supreme Immortal Mark, a Starry Sky Immortal Mark. The qualities of Immortal Marks were further divided into Virtual Marks, Illusionary Marks, Shadow Marks, Bright Marks, Solid Marks, and so on.

3. Realm classifications: Dao cultivation and Confucian cultivation.

a. Dao cultivation: Low-level immortals cultivated mainly through Immortal Spiritual Energy and were also called Qi Immortals. From high to low, they were Spirit Transformation Immortals, Essence Gathering Immortals, Two Qi Immortals, Five Elements Immortals, Evolving Immortals, and Leaking Immortals.

b. Dao cultivation: High-level immortals cultivated mainly through Immortal Spiritual Light and were also called Light Immortals. From high to low, they were demi-gods, or Virtual Gods; Heavenly Venerates, or ancient mighty beings; Immortal Venerate-level Primordial Immortals; Primordial Immortals; Taiyi Immortals; Daluo Immortals; Nine Palaces Immortals; Golden Immortals; Heavenly Immortals; and True Immortals. For example, Xu Zhi entered the realm of Light Immortals after consuming Xiao Hua's Sacred Lotus Seed.

c. Confucian cultivation, namely the Heavenly Court: Book Immortals, Chanting Immortals, Jade Purity Human Immortals, Supreme Purity Earth Immortals, Great Purity Heavenly Immortals, and so forth.

V. The Grading of Immortal Pills in the Immortal Realm

The Immortal Pill descriptions in this Ink Immortal Pupil might contain rumors passed from mouth to mouth, but the general realms should not be far off.

Immortal pills in the Immortal Realm were divided into seven grades. From high to low, they were Grade One, Grade Two, Grade Three, Grade Four, Grade Five, Grade Six, and Grade Seven. There were also ungraded pills for low-level immortals, such as the Residue Cleansing Pill.

1. Grade Seven Immortal Pills, such as Dust Dissolving Pills and Calamity Dispelling Pills, were suitable for newly ascended immortals.

2. Grade Six Immortal Pills, such as Spirit Nurturing Pills, Tranquil Ease Pills, and Nature Illuminating Pills, were suitable for low-level immortals.

3. Fifth-grade Immortal Pills, such as Star Plucking Pills, were suitable for immortals with Golden Immortal cultivation or above.

4. Grade Four Immortal Pills, such as Divine Restoration Pills, were suitable for all Daluo Immortals and those below them.

5. Grade Three Immortal Pills, such as Immortal Fusion Pills, were suitable for newly ascended Taiyi Immortals or Primordial Immortals to consolidate their realms and Immortal Spiritual Energy.

6. Grade Two Immortal Pills, such as Demon Slaying Pills, were suitable for those facing a Great Tribulation to resist attacks by extraterritorial heavenly demons.

7. Grade One Immortal Pills, such as Divine Returning Pills and Divine Attaining Pills, were suitable for mid-level Primordial Immortals, Taiyi Immortals, or ancient mighty beings.

VI. The Grading of Immortal Artifacts in the Immortal Realm

The Immortal Artifact descriptions in this Ink Immortal Pupil might contain rumors passed from mouth to mouth, but the general realms should not be far off.

Immortal artifacts in the Immortal Realm were divided into four types: low-grade Transcending Dust artifacts, mid-grade Calamity Transcending artifacts, high-grade Eternal Silence artifacts, and spirit-communing Immortal Artifacts.

1. Low-grade Transcending Dust Immortal Artifacts were divided into three grades and could be used by all immortals. Their forging success rate was extremely high, and their materials were not particularly precious, making them handy Immortal Artifacts for those newly entering the Immortal Realm and becoming immortals. Thus it was said: "While among mortals, one cannot avoid karmic fruit; only after transcending dust does one become immortal."

2. Mid-grade Calamity Transcending Immortal Artifacts were divided into four grades. A Grade One Calamity Transcending Artifact could already pierce through the vast firmament, but immortals below the Five Elements and Nine Palaces realms could not use it. A Grade Two Calamity Transcending Artifact first tested the heavens, and all Golden Immortals and above could use it. Grade Three and Grade Four Calamity Transcending Artifacts differed because of the materials used in forging and the Immortal Spiritual Power they contained. Yet neither could draw upon the power of heavenly secrets, so all who had become immortals could use them. At the same time, because the materials used to forge Grade Three and Grade Four Calamity Transcending Artifacts were special, they possessed ineffable effects surpassing Transcending Dust Immortal Artifacts. Thus, for immortals below Golden Immortal, possessing a Calamity Transcending Artifact already gave them a forty-percent chance of victory. Such immortals usually called Grade Three Calamity Transcending Artifacts supreme-grade Immortal Artifacts. Thus it was said: "Who can cross the bitter calamities and tribulations? Beyond the Three Realms stands the Golden Immortal."

3. High-grade Eternal Silence Immortal Artifacts had only two grades. Superior-grade Eternal Silence knew Heaven and Earth, understood the Mysterious and Yellow. Taiyi Immortals gathered essence, refining them with the Heart God; ten thousand years and ten generations nurtured them within the Purple Palace. Such Immortal Artifacts not only required extraordinarily special materials to forge, but also required Taiyi Immortals or Primordial Immortals to spend several hundred thousand years continuously refining and nurturing them, gradually becoming one with them. Their spirituality had already awakened. The artifact moved with the heart; the art emerged with the artifact. Unless it was a battle of life and death, one was generally reluctant to use them.

There were also inferior-grade Eternal Silence artifacts, which had to be forged from heavenly materials and earthly treasures. Though they had yet to recognize Heaven and Earth, Mysterious and Yellow, they nevertheless had to be refined and nurtured over long periods by Daluo Immortals. The Immortal Artifacts already contained the ultimate principles of Heaven and Earth and the power of Mysterious and Yellow. If the soul of a spiritual creature of Heaven and Earth could then be drawn into them, their spirituality could be awakened, and they could advance toward superior-grade Eternal Silence. Thus it was said: "A single word of Dao and virtue brings eternal clarity and stillness; Heaven and Earth, Mysterious and Yellow, are true eternal silence."

4. Spirit-communing Immortal Artifacts were called Jiyuan and had no grade distinctions. Such Immortal Artifacts were also known as pseudo-divine artifacts. Thus it was said: "The origin and flow of the Ji body are fundamentally the Dao; through Spirit Transformation and Primordial Unity, one will finally break past immortality."

Addendum: These materials were far from complete, because Cultivation of the Godly Manual: Immortal Realm involved many realms—the Immortal Realm, Heavenly Court, Dragon Domain, Demon Marsh, Monster Alliance, Buddha Kingdom, Underworld, Spirit Realm, and more—as well as their cultivation methods. Restricted by the fact that the Immortal Realm had not yet fully unfolded, some things were still being conceived even by Tan Hua himself, so it was inevitable that lifting one thread would let ten thousand others slip through the net!