Jin Empire - A World of Qi Cultivation

Jin Empire - A World of Qi Cultivation

The Jin Empire is an ancient and vast world of cultivation, comprised of 108 provinces, each representing a distinct landscape, unique sects, and varying cultivation arts. The empire’s name reflects its history, and its people are deeply immersed in the pursuit of immortality, power, and enlightenment through Qi cultivation. Demonic beasts roam the wilderness, increasing their strength much like human cultivators, creating a dangerous yet rich ecosystem of constant evolution.

The empire is structured around a delicate balance of power, and cultivation arts range from Daoist and Buddhist teachings to the Demonic and Ghostly arts. While some arts tread darker paths, no sect or technique is inherently good or evil; it’s the cultivator’s intent and action that determine the consequences of their cultivation. All paths seek to transcend mortality, whether through righteous methods or ruthless ambition.

Below is a description of each province, the dominant clans, and the unique features of their cultivation methods.

Heaven’s Summit Province (天峰省)

Dominant Clans: Heaven’s Summit Clan (天峰宗), Frost Moon Sect (霜月门)

Landscape: High mountain peaks with a sky often veiled in mist.

Cultivation: Specializes in Daoist techniques, focusing on cultivating through stillness and absorbing the pure Qi of heaven and earth.

Notable Aspect: The rare Heavenly Jade Orchid, which boosts cultivation speed, is found only in the frozen cliffs of this province.

Red River Province (赤河省)

Dominant Clans: Red Dragon Clan (赤龙宗), Blazing River Sect (烈河门)

Landscape: Fiery mountains and lava rivers.

Cultivation: Focuses on fire-based demonic arts, where cultivators temper their bodies and souls in volcanic forges.

Notable Aspect: Known for the cultivation of Fire-Tempered Demonic Beasts, which the Red Dragon Clan uses to guard their borders.

White Lotus Province (白莲省)

Dominant Clans: Lotus Bloom Sect (莲花宗), Snow Peak Monastery (雪峰寺)

Landscape: Serene lakes and mountains, known for its reflective waters and ethereal beauty.

Cultivation: Buddhist techniques that focus on the purification of body and mind through meditation and introspection.

Notable Aspect: The White Lotus flower, when consumed, allows the cultivator to enter a state of profound inner peace and enlightenment.

Ghost Valley Province (鬼谷省)

Dominant Clans: Valley of Spirits (灵谷门), Nightshade Sect (夜影宗)

Landscape: Dark, eerie valleys shrouded in mist, where the spirits of the dead are said to roam.

Cultivation: Ghostly cultivation that strengthens the soul and allows for the manipulation of spirits and attacks on the enemy’s soul.

Notable Aspect: The legendary Spectral Orchid, a rare flower that enhances soul cultivation, grows deep within the province’s haunted forests.

Black Iron Province (黑铁省)

Dominant Clans: Iron Heart Sect (铁心宗), Stoneforge Clan (石锻宗)

Landscape: Rugged, mountainous terrain filled with rich mineral deposits.

Cultivation: Focuses on body cultivation and the enhancement of physical strength, using minerals and metals to temper their bodies.

Notable Aspect: Black Iron Province is home to some of the toughest body cultivators, and their techniques are as impenetrable as iron.

Azure Cloud Province (青云省)

Dominant Clans: Azure Cloud Sect (青云宗), Wind Whisper Clan (风语宗)

Landscape: Rolling hills and dense forests often hidden in low-lying clouds.

Cultivation: Specializes in wind and cloud techniques, with a focus on speed, evasion, and mastering the element of wind.

Notable Aspect: **Heavenly Breeze Grass, found only here, allows cultivators to enhance their agility and perception.

Dragon’s Spine Province (龙脊省)

Dominant Clans: Dragon’s Spine Clan (龙脊宗), Thunder Fist Sect (雷拳宗)

Landscape: A long mountain range that resembles the spine of a great dragon, with frequent thunderstorms.

Cultivation: Thunder and lightning techniques, harnessing the power of the storms that rage across the mountains.

Notable Aspect: The Thunder Pearl, a rare natural treasure formed in the heart of a storm, is said to drastically increase a cultivator’s strength.

Golden Leaf Province (金叶省)

Dominant Clans: Golden Leaf Clan (金叶宗), Earthroot Sect (地根门)

Landscape: Forested hills filled with golden-leafed trees that glow in the sunlight.

Cultivation: Focuses on wood and earth cultivation techniques, allowing the manipulation of plants and the solidification of one’s Qi.

Notable Aspect: The Golden Leaf Tea brewed from the leaves here is known to calm the Qi, providing clarity during breakthroughs.

In the ocean, near the western coast of the Jin Empire continent, a mysterious fog appears once a century. People and other living things caught in this fog disappear without a trace. No one knows what lurks in this fog. Rumor has it that a giant ghostly monster lives in this fog and eats everyone caught in the fog. According to other rumors, this fog may lead to another dimension from which there is no way back.

Heavenly Treasure Hall Auction House: this building is entirely made of white warm jade and star silver and is 300 meters tall and located on a large island to the east of the Jin Empire continent. It is unknown who owns this auction house and what forces are backing it. At the Heavenly Treasures Hall auctions, one can find incredibly rare items and materials from existing in this world, and sometimes even things that are rumored to have disappeared from this world can be found there. All the most powerful people of this world flock there for the auction. Chief auctioneer of the “Heavenly Treasure Hall” Auction House is Yinyue.

Qi Cultivation: The foundation of all cultivation, with practitioners absorbing Qi from the environment to refine their bodies, minds, and souls.

Stages: Cultivation progresses through stages such as Qi Condensation, Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul, Soul Ascension, and Immortal Ascension.

Special Techniques: Cultivators can switch cultivation techniques as they grow stronger, though changing paths requires intense focus and could lead to setbacks.

Demonic Beasts

Beasts’ Cultivation: Demonic beasts cultivate much like humans, absorbing spiritual herbs and consuming other beasts to gain strength.

Beast Core: The core inside a demonic beast contains their essence and Qi, which humans often seek to refine into pills or treasures.

Types of Cultivation Techniques

Daoist Techniques: Focus on balance, harmony with nature, and the manipulation of natural elements.

Buddhist Techniques: Revolve around mental cultivation, purity, and karma, often leading to profound insights and enlightenment.

Demonic Techniques: Based on the absorption of other beings’ Qi and often involve ruthless methods of achieving power.

Ghostly Techniques: Revolve around the soul and spirit, enabling practitioners to attack souls or enhance their spiritual perception.

Landscapes and Spiritual Influence

The geography of each province greatly influences the Qi flow and cultivators’ abilities. Mountains are often the best locations for cultivation due to their high concentration of Qi, while valleys and forests often harbor mysterious treasures and dangerous beasts.

Cultivation Realms and Breakthroughs

Breaking Through Realms: Each breakthrough comes with risk. A failed breakthrough could lead to Qi deviation, madness, or even death.

Heavenly Tribulation: At higher stages, cultivators face the Heavenly Tribulation, where lightning strikes test their worthiness to ascend to the next realm.

The Heavenly Pill Pavilion: A sacred location in the center of the empire where alchemists gather to create rare and powerful pills.

The Nine Rivers Sect: A floating island sect that controls vast amounts of water-based Qi techniques.

The Scarlet Sands Desert: A vast desert in the far south, filled with demonic beasts and ancient relics of lost cultivators.

There are artifacts in Jin Empire world.

Artifacts are divided into three types: magical, ancient, and divine.

Magical Artifacts:

Common artifacts for cultivators in the early stages.

Enhancement Elements: magical artifacts often have a connection to natural elements (fire, water, earth, wind). Magical artifacts can be enhanced through special rituals or by absorbing natural elemental energies.

Aging and deterioration: over time, magical artifacts can lose their power and deteriorate if they are not maintained by regular absorption of qi energy.

Magical artifacts are the weakest and most commonly found in weak cultivators. Magical artifacts do not require a blood mark and can be used immediately, making them ideal for weak cultivators.

Ancient Artifacts:

Artifact Awakening: Ancient artifacts are not always active. They can slumber for centuries, and sometimes require a special ritual or an infusion of large amounts of chi to activate them.

Spirits of Ancient Artifacts: some ancient artifacts have a mind and spirit of their own. These artifacts can resist their owner if the owner is not worthy of their power, or even interact with the owner, offering help or advice.

Hereditary Artifacts: many ancient artifacts are passed down through generations within clans and contain hereditary abilities unique to specific clans of cultivators.

Ancient artifacts are most commonly found among high-level cultivators and are more powerful than magical artifacts. To use an ancient artifact, cultivator must first mark it with his own blood essence so that the ancient artifact will recognize the cultivator who placed the blood mark as its master.

Divine Artifacts:

Spiritual Trials: before gaining access to a divine artifact, a cultivator must pass a spiritual test contained within the artifact itself. These trials are often linked to the past owner of the artifact or to the artifact’s very essence.

Divine Connection: after sealing the divine artifact inside the body, the cultivator must periodically “synchronize” with the artifact, maintaining a balance between their qi and the artifact’s power. If this balance is disturbed, the artifact may begin to siphon off the cultivator’s life energy.

Divine artifacts require special techniques to seal the artifact inside the host body in order to be used. Without an artifact sealing technique, a divine artifact will be useless and cannot be used.

Divine artifacts are almost impossible to find and are very few in number. Divine artifacts are the strongest of all types of artifacts and consume a great deal of qi energy to use, but their power surpasses all other artifacts. A divine artifact also requires the highest levels of cultivation stage to use. Weak cultivators will not be able to use divine artifacts.

Artifact Creation: In the world of Jin Empire, there is an ancient profession of artifact masters who have techniques for tempering materials and weaving chi into them. The craftsmen use unique combinations of rare materials such as the bones of ancient demonic beasts or spirit crystals.

Artifact Enhancement: through special rituals and the use of spirit herbs, rare crystals, precious ores and essences, magical artifacts can be improved to the level of ancient ones. However, this process is risky and requires a deep knowledge of energy balance.

Artifact Personalization: some cultivators can put a part of their soul into an artifact, turning it into a unique object that is completely in sync with their energy. Such artifacts become inseparable from the owner. Such artifacts are shattered immediately upon the death of the owner.

Qi Regeneration: certain artifacts can speed up the regeneration of a cultivator’s qi, making them extremely useful during long battles or cultivation.

Shape Changing: ancient and divine artifacts can change their shape depending on the owner’s needs. For example, a sword can transform into a shield or armor.

Dimensional Artifacts: There is a rare type of artifact that contains separate pocket dimensions within it. Such artifacts can store a huge number of items or even be used as a shelter in critical situations.

In the world of Jin Empire, ancient herbs play an important role in cultivation as well as in healing, pill creation, and even martial techniques. Each ancient herb carries the concentrated energy of heaven and earth, and has unique properties.

Restoration Herbs: help restore qi, repair internal wounds, and speed up the cultivation process. These herbs include such as Heavenly Tear Root, which instantly restores lost qi power.

Soul Strengthening Herbs: strengthen a cultivator’s soul, making their spiritual energy more resistant to ghost attacks and improving perception. For example, Spiritual Lotus of a Thousand Moons* strengthens the soul for decades.

Herbs can be gathered from wild mountainous regions or grown by cultivators. Cultivation requires special soil saturated with spiritual energy, as well as a constant balance of qi around the plant.

The longer an herb is cultivated, the stronger its effects. Some herbs can grow for hundreds or thousands of years, reaching the highest level of potency.

To refine ancient herbs into pills or elixirs, cultivators must have a deep knowledge of alchemy and martial flame control techniques.

Ancient insects are special creatures with strong spiritual energy and unique abilities that cultivators can breed and use to attack, defend, or cultivate. Some clans specialize in breeding and using these insects in battle. There are a great many ancient insects and most of them are unspecified.

Winged Spirit Scorpions: their venom is able to pierce the qi defenses of cultivators, breaking down their energy barriers. Winged Scorpions are very fast and can fly, and can infiltrate victims’ bodies, destroying them from the inside out.

Six-Winged Ice Scolopendras: these are small scolopendras with six wings. They possess ice chi that can freeze opponents and incredible speed. They will only be unable to freeze heavenly flames.

Golden Voracious Beetles: These are very aggressive omnivorous beetles that can destroy magical artifacts and have incredibly tough cover. They can only be held back by doe-weed and artifacts made of wood.

Fire Winged Ants: They are omnivorous, possess fiery chi, a very strong shell, and often hide underground in large numbers.

Insects can be bred in special areas saturated with spiritual energy. For successful breeding, it is necessary to create artificial conditions that mimic the insects’ natural habitats.

In order to control ancient insects, cultivators use special flutes or signaling techniques based on sounds and qi.

Insects require constant replenishment of energy and spiritual herbs to maintain their strength, and many cultivators use ancient techniques to strengthen their pets.

Heavenly Flame is the highest type of fire in the Jin Empire world. It has exceptional destructive power and is often the target of cultivators seeking absolute power. There are a total of 7 types of heavenly flames that interact with each other, seeking to consume and destroy the other types to enhance their own power. They are incredibly difficult to find. Attempting to own one is very dangerous, as it can burn an unworthy and weak cultivator who attempts to become its master. In the process of absorption of a heavenly flame by another heavenly flame, it is possible for it to mutate and acquire new qualities that are unknown to anyone.

A cultivator who possesses the heavenly flame can use it to enhance martial techniques, create artifacts, or even cultivate by burning impurities in their body and increasing the purity of their qi.

Heavenly Flame requires constant control. It can absorb the life energy of its wielder if the cultivator is not strong enough.

Different types of Heavenly Flames can fight each other if they meet, and cultivators possessing such flames must be careful not to endanger themselves from their mutual attraction and desire to consume each other.

Devouring Abyss Flame - It has a black color and is the strongest of all. It is capable of destroying the space around it and devouring everything within its reach. This flame is so powerful that even the strongest cultivators are unable to control it if the Abyss Devouring Flame resists the cultivator. This celestial flame has a consciousness of its own and is extremely selective in its host, requiring a special trial by fire to maintain its independence.

Phantom Flame: This flame is transparent and invisible. It burns souls without leaving a trace of physical destruction. Its attacks target spiritual energy and the soul itself, and are extremely dangerous in battles against cultivators with ghost techniques.

Immortal Phoenix Flame: a fire associated with rebirth and eternal life. Cultivators wielding this flame can regenerate their body from ashes. It has a bright red color with golden hues.

Boundless Ocean Flame: A strange azure-colored flame. It emits no heat at all and has the element of water mixed with fire. This flame is perfect for alchemy. Each time this flame is used, the sounds of the tide can be heard.

Eternal Frost Ice Flame: A pale blue, almost white flame that can freeze everything in its path, creating ice spikes and walls of eternal cold.

Thunder Dragon Flame: This flame combines the power of fire and lightning. It is destructive and has tremendous speed, attacking enemies with powerful blasts. It has an ashy color with white flashes.

Demonic Lotus Flame: This is the weakest heavenly flame in battle. It is emerald in color, with the property of protecting the wielder and healing wounds, as well as constantly absorbing qi from the surrounding air, which speeds up the cultivation of the wielder of this flame. It is said that with this flame, even a mediocre person will become a cultivation genius.