### Book Two: The Lexicon of Power (The Grading Systems)
This section details the universal standards by which power is measured in the Seventh Heaven.
#### I. The System of Cultivation Realms (The Ladder to Immortality)
This is the universal measure of a cultivator's quantitative power—their energy reserves and base physical augmentation. Each major realm is often subdivided into nine minor stages (1st to 9th layer). The realms are:
| Tier | Realm Name | Description | Approx. Lifespan |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| **1** | **Qi Condensation** | The foundation. The cultivator learns to sense and draw Qi into their body, purifying it. They can perform minor feats of strength and cast simple spells. | 150-200 years |
| **2** | **Foundation Establishment** | The Qi is compressed and solidified into a liquid "Foundation Pool" in the dantian. This allows for vastly more power and the ability to fly on artifacts. | 300-500 years |
| **3** | **Core Formation** | The liquid foundation is compressed into a solid, spinning "Golden Core." This core acts as a nearly limitless power reactor. The cultivator can now manipulate energy on a local scale. | 800-1,500 years |
| **4** | **Nascent Soul** | The Golden Core cracks and births a "Nascent Soul," a miniature spiritual double of the cultivator. If the body is destroyed, the Nascent Soul can flee and find a new host or rebuild its body. This is the first step towards true immortality. | 2,000-5,000 years |
| **5** | **Soul Integration** | The Nascent Soul fuses perfectly with the physical body, making the flesh as durable as the spirit. The cultivator begins to grasp the laws of Heaven and Earth, and can manipulate reality in a small area around them. | 6,000-10,000 years |
| **6** | **Void Transcendence** | The cultivator's existence becomes partially independent of the universe. They can "transcend" the void, stepping through space and beginning to manipulate time on a minor scale. They are no longer truly "mortal" in any sense. | 15,000-30,000 years |
| **7** | **Great Ascension** | The peak of standard cultivation. The cultivator is a "Half-Immortal," possessing boundless power and a perfect understanding of a single Dao. They are preparing for the final tribulation. | Up to 100,000 years |
| **8** | **Immortal** | After surviving the "Heavenly Dao Ascension Tribulation," the cultivator sheds their mortal shell and becomes a true Immortal. They are now a citizen of the Immortal Realms, their power no longer measured in raw energy, but in their comprehension of laws. | Effectively Infinite |
| **9** | **Primordial God / Heavenly Emperor** | A being who has fused with a fundamental law of the universe or inherited the legacy of an Old God. They are the rulers of the Heavens. Their power is to say "let there be light" and there is light. | Eternal |
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#### II. Cultivation Aptitude & Meridian Quality (The Innate Potential)
Not all are born equal. These systems grade a person's natural talent before they even take their first pill.
**A. Cultivation Aptitude (Spiritual Root Aptitude)**
This measures the body's natural affinity for absorbing and refining Qi from the world.
- **Defective Spiritual Root:** Barely any affinity. Will likely die in Qi Condensation. Can only cultivate with extreme resources and effort.
- **Mortal Spiritual Root:** The standard for most cultivators. A slow, steady path.
- **Earth Spiritual Root:** A rare talent. Attracts twice the Qi of a Mortal Root. The foundation of a genius.
- **Heaven Spiritual Root:** An extremely rare, single-element root (e.g., Pure Fire). The cultivator has an innate, near-perfect connection to that element. Cultivation speed is terrifyingly fast. This is the mark of a destined power.
- **Immortal Spiritual Root:** A root that has been blessed by an Immortal or born from a powerful bloodline. It has a consciousness of its own and actively seeks out Qi, even while the cultivator sleeps.
- **Divine Spiritual Root:** A legendary root, said to be a gift from the Old Gods. It can absorb and perfectly harmonize *all* elements simultaneously, without conflict. It allows the cultivator to comprehend any Dao with ease.
- **Primordial Spiritual Root:** A theoretical root that has not been seen since the First Heaven. It does not absorb Qi; it *generates* it from the void, making the cultivator a self-sustaining engine of power, independent of Heaven and Earth.
**B. Meridian Quality**
Meridians are the pathways Qi travels. The quality determines how much Qi can flow at once (power output) and how efficiently (speed of techniques).
- **Defective Meridians:** Blocked, thin, or damaged. Qi flow is a trickle.
- **Mortal Meridians:** Standard pathways. Unremarkable.
- **Earth Meridians:** Thicker and more durable. Can handle powerful techniques without strain.
- **Heaven Meridians:** Incredibly wide and perfectly smooth. Qi flows like a raging river, allowing for instantaneous technique execution.
- **Immortal Meridians:** Forged by heavenly tribulation. They are not just pathways but are integrated into the cultivator's flesh, making their entire body a circuit for Qi.
- **Dragon Meridians / Phoenix Meridians:** Bloodline-based. They pulse with life, granting immense vitality and regenerative properties alongside raw power.
- **Primordial Chaos Meridians:** A myth. These meridians are not fixed paths but a constantly shifting network of pure chaos energy within the body. They can adapt to any technique, any energy, making the cultivator impossible to predict or counter through normal means.
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#### III. The Grading System of Techniques
A technique's Tier is not about the power it *contains*, but the **level of Dao it accesses**. A Tier 1 fireball and a Tier 9 fireball are both flames, but the Tier 9 fireball burns the concept of "combustion" itself.
| Tier | Name | Description |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| **1** | **Mortal Arts** | Simple Qi manipulation. Basic martial arts, fireball spells, talisman crafting. Common and easily learned. |
| **2** | **Spiritual Arts** | Techniques that require a Foundation Establishment base. Can manipulate elements on a larger scale. Standard sect techniques. |
| **3** | **Earth Arts** | Techniques that begin to interact with the environment. Summoning a localized storm, shaping the earth. Rare and valuable. |
| **4** | **Heaven Arts** | Techniques that draw upon the power of the stars and the laws of Heaven. Flight, spatial manipulation on a small scale, predictive combat arts. The core techniques of major sects. |
| **5** | **Immortal Arts** | Techniques that require an Immortal's comprehension of a law. They can petrify time in a small area, create life, or sever a concept from a target (e.g., severing the "heat" from a flame). Extremely rare. |
| **6** | **Dao Arts** | Techniques that are the direct embodiment of a specific Dao. A cultivator of the "Sword Dao" using a Dao Art would not just swing a sword; for that moment, they *are* the Sword. Only Soul Integration and above can comprehend these. |
| **7** | **Ancestral Arts** | Techniques passed down from the Old Gods or the founders of the great sects. They often require specific bloodlines or sacrifices to activate. Their power is on a dynastic scale. |
| **8** | **Primordial Arts** | Techniques that predate the current laws of physics. They operate on "Old Logic." For example, a Primordial Art of Healing might not fix a wound, but simply state that the wound "never happened," rewriting the target's personal history. Only found in places like the Tang treasury. |
| **9** | **Genesis Arts / Annihilation Arts** | Techniques of absolute creation or absolute destruction. To use a Genesis Art is to create something from absolute nothingness. To use an Annihilation Art is to erase something from existence so completely that it never was, and can never be again. Attributed only to Heavenly Emperors. |
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#### IV. The Grading System of Pills & Elixirs
| Tier | Name | Description |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| **1** | **Mortal Pills** | Basic healing, minor Qi recovery. Common and cheap. |
| **2** | **Spiritual Pills** | Aids for Foundation Establishment. Cures common spiritual ailments. |
| **3** | **Earth Pills** | Aids for Core Formation. Can regrow lost limbs if taken quickly. Start to have minor side effects or impurities. |
| **4** | **Heaven Pills** | Aids for Nascent Soul. These pills can have a "pill spirit" within them, a faint consciousness that makes them more effective. They are priceless to a cultivator at that stage. |
| **5** | **Immortal Pills** | Refined by Immortals, using immortal flames and ingredients. They can forcibly elevate a cultivator's comprehension of a law, or allow a Nascent Soul to survive without a body indefinitely. They are almost always intelligent and must be convinced to be consumed. |
| **6** | **Dao Pills** | A pill that *is* a Dao. Consuming it allows a cultivator to temporarily *become* that law. A "Pill of the Setting Sun" would turn the eater into a living, dying star for a few minutes. Extremely unstable. |
| **7** | **Reincarnation Pills** | Pills that affect the soul and destiny. A "Reincarnation Pill" allows the user to recall their past lives. A "Karma Pill" can sever or create karmic ties. It is said the Tang treasury has a pill that, if taken, will make you the reincarnation of a specific Old God. |
| **8** | **Primordial Pills** | Made from ingredients that no longer exist. They operate on a different biological logic. A Primordial Pill might "grow" a new organ inside you that no human has ever had, granting you a new, unknown power. |
| **9** | **Genesis Pills** | Myths. A pill that, when consumed, doesn't just heal you—it resets your entire existence to a "perfect state" of your choosing, as if you had lived your life over again with perfect knowledge. |
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#### V. The Grading System of Physiques
A physique is a unique bodily constitution, often a gift of bloodline, mutation, or heaven-defying机遇. They grant innate abilities.
| Tier | Name | Description |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| **1** | **Mortal Physique** | The standard human body. No special traits. |
| **2** | **Spiritual Physique** | Naturally attuned to a specific element. A "Spiritual Flame Physique" runs hot and is resistant to fire. |
| **3** | **Earth Physique** | A body that is one with the earth. An "Adamantine Physique" grants skin as hard as rock. |
| **4** | **Heaven Physique** | A body blessed by the heavens. A "Starlight Physique" passively absorbs starlight to cultivate, even while sleeping. |
| **5** | **Immortal Physique** | A body forged from immortal heritage or heavenly tribulation. An "Immortal Battle Physique" makes the body a perfect weapon, with strength and regeneration that rivals magical beasts. |
| **6** | **Divine Physique** | A physique that is a lesser copy of an Old God's form. A "Solar Divine Physique" (like Tang Liu's original) grants dominion over solar laws and immense vitality. |
| **7** | **Primordial Physique** | A physique that predates the division of yin and yang, of elements. It is a body of pure, undifferentiated potential. It can mimic any element, any bloodline, but is unstable and difficult to control. |
| **8** | **Chaos Physique** | The body is a vessel of living chaos. It cannot be harmed by elemental attacks, as it simply absorbs them into its own chaotic nature. It is a void that hungers for all energy. |
| **9** | **Null-Void Physique** | The body of "what is not." The user exists so lightly in reality that laws and attacks pass through them. They are immune to soul attacks because they barely have a soul in the conventional sense. They are an absence. |
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#### VI. The Grading System of Soul Cultivation
This measures the strength, purity, and enlightenment of the cultivator's spirit. It is separate from raw power.
| Tier | Name | Description |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| **1** | **Mortal Soul** | Unawakened. Tied completely to the body's life force. |
| **2** | **Awakened Soul** | The soul becomes aware of itself. Can leave the body for short periods (dreams, near-death experiences). |
| **3** | **Lucid Soul** | The cultivator can consciously project their soul. The basis for divine sense and spiritual exploration. |
| **4** | **Nascent Soul** | The soul has taken a physical form within the body (see Cultivation Realm 4). It is a complete spiritual entity. |
| **5** | **Integrated Soul** | The soul and body are one. The soul no longer needs the body to exist, but the body benefits from the soul's durability. |
| **6** | **Radiant Soul** | The soul emits its own light, its own "Dao Presence." A cultivator with a Radiant Soul can influence the weak-minded just by being near them. |
| **7** | **Enlightened Soul** | The soul has comprehended a Dao so deeply that it has become partially one with it. The soul *is* the concept of "Sword," or "Fire." |
| **8** | **Primordial Soul** | A soul that has survived the destruction of a previous universe. It carries the indelible mark of a bygone reality, making it resistant to the laws of the current one. |
| **9** | **Eternal Soul / Dao Soul** | The soul has become a fundamental law of the universe. To destroy this soul, one would have to destroy the concept of "Time" or "Space" itself. The soul of a Heavenly Emperor. |
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#### VII. The Grading System of Artifacts & Weapons
| Tier | Name | Description |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| **1** | **Mortal Tools** | Sharp swords, sturdy shields. No magical properties. |
| **2** | **Spiritual Artifacts** | Can channel Qi. A flying sword, a cauldron that purifies pills. Common among disciples. |
| **3** | **Earth Artifacts** | Have a faint spiritual nature. Can change size, or have a single embedded spell. Valuable to core disciples. |
| **4** | **Heaven Artifacts** | Possess a true artifact spirit, a sentient intelligence. They can act independently to a degree and choose their wielders. The standard weapon for a sect elder. |
| **5** | **Immortal Artifacts** | Forged by Immortals from immortal materials. They contain a fragment of a law. A sword with a fragment of the "Law of Severance" will cut anything, including spells and oaths. |
| **6** | **Dao Artifacts** | The artifact *is* a Dao made manifest. A "Mirror of Truth" doesn't just show reflections; it shows the absolute truth of a thing, which can be a world-shattering revelation. They are often too dangerous to use. |
| **7** | **Ancestral Artifacts** | Relics from the Old Gods or the founders. They often have requirements to wield (a specific bloodline, a specific sacrifice) and their power is tied to great concepts like dynasties or entire worlds. The Tang Emperor's seal is an Ancestral Artifact. |
| **8** | **Primordial Artifacts** | Tools from the First Heaven or before. They operate on "Old Logic." A key that doesn't open locks, but "unlocks the concept of being locked." A hammer that doesn't forge metal, but forges "purpose" into an object. Utterly incomprehensible. |
| **9** | **Genesis Artifacts / World Beasts** | The highest tier. These are not made, but born. They are either the petrified bodies of World-Beasts or artifacts that have cultivated to the point of becoming a living universe themselves. To wield one is to wield a sentient cosmos. |
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#### VIII. The Grading System of Comprehension
This measures a cultivator's ability to understand techniques, Daos, and the world. It is often more important than raw talent.
| Tier | Name | Description |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| **1** | **Obtuse** | Needs direct, hands-on teaching. Can only understand the most basic, literal interpretations. |
| **2** | **Mortal Comprehension** | Standard. Can learn from manuals and instruction with repeated effort. |
| **3** | **Insightful** | Can grasp the core concept of a technique after seeing it once. Can innovate slightly. |
| **4** | **Brilliant** | Can learn techniques just by witnessing them in battle. Can deduce the underlying principles and apply them to other areas. |
| **5** | **Enlightened** | Can comprehend a technique's "Dao" just by studying its effects. They don't learn the move; they learn the *reason* the move works, and can create counter-techniques instantly. |
| **6** | **Heavenly Comprehension** | Can look at a falling leaf and comprehend the Dao of Autumn. The world itself is their teacher. They gain insights passively, from everything. |
| **7** | **Dao Comprehension** | Can converse with the Dao. They don't just understand a law; they can ask it questions and receive answers. They see the universe as a living, breathing entity that speaks to them. |
| **8** | **Primordial Comprehension** | Can understand things that predate logic. They can look at a Primordial Artifact that makes no sense and simply *know* its purpose and function, even though that function violates the laws of physics. |
| **9** | **Genesis Comprehension** | The ability to comprehend the incomprehensible: the mind of a creator. A cultivator with this can look at the universe and see the "code" it was written in. They can, in theory, write new lines of that code. The comprehension of a Heavenly Emperor. |