Magical Beasts – animals capable of cultivation. Some are innately magical and simply grow stronger over time, while others must actively practice a cultivation method. They tend to be much more intelligent than mundane animals, and some are capable of speaking in human languages. Magical Beasts that have reached a high stage of cultivation may even be able to take on a human form

Demons– Born when an animal, plant, or even an inanimate object absorbs spiritual energy over a long period of time and then gains spiritual awareness. Or different Demon species like Vampires Ghouls etc. Not inherently evil, although many have antagonistic relationships with humans. but can be good too, consider them Chaotic Neutral

Devils or Fiends-Evil spirits/creatures of remarkable power and cruelty, evil cultivators emulate them by practicing devilish cultivation methods and committing atrocities in their pursuit of power. Chaotic Evil.

Ghosts- I don't need to clarify this we all know what ghosts are

Cultivator– a person who trains in martial u0026 mystical arts, generally in order to become powerful and increase their longevity. Meditation and the cultivation of Qi/chi/prana are common practices among cultivators.

Rogue Cultivators or "Loose Cultivators". Independent cultivators unaffiliated with any sect, clan, or other martial organizations.

Devil Cultivators Demon Cultivators. Wicked cultivators who emulate Devils and seek power by any means necessary. They are often said to follow the Devil Path in opposition to the orthodox Immortal Cultivators.

Sect – an organization dedicated to the practice of cultivation and/or martial arts. Typically led by a Sect Leaderor Patriarch. With the help of Sect Elders, they instruct Disciples in the proper methods of cultivation or training in the martial arts styles of the Sect. The Disciples live in the Sect, which provides for their daily needs. There is practically always a strict hierarchy amongst members of a Sect, and respect for the elder generations is demanded.

The common Disciples are divided into another hierarchy of Core Disciples, Inner Disciples, and Outer Disciples – based on their level of talent and meritorious service to the Sect. Disciples higher on the hierarchy have greater status and receive more resources from the Sect.

Religious Sect– a sect with a strong religious background. If the religion being practiced is evil, then this term is translated as a Cult.

Clan– an extended family related by blood, sharing a surname. They often pass down heirlooms from generation to generation along with secret cultivation methods u0026 martial arts styles which were developed by the clan's ancestors. They tend to guard these jealously from outsiders.

Association– also k/a Union, Gang, Clan, or Brotherhood. A loose organization of people. The members may have something in common, like sharing a particular way of life, or they may simply be working together towards a mutually beneficial goal. Not religious in nature.

Society– a secret society. Similar to Associations for the most part, but cloaked in secrecy and deeply involved in rituals/traditions. Sometimes religious or cult-like in nature.

Escort Agency– a protection agency for hire. Escorts typically work as bodyguards for travelers and merchant caravans.

Cultivation– the process of improving health, increasing longevity and growing powerful. This is accomplished by cultivating Qi and training in immortal u0026 mystical arts. In many of these novels, the ultimate goal of cultivation is to become an Immortal or attain godhood.

Cultivation Method– a mystical art or collection of techniques that cultivators practice in order to cultivate.

Cultivation Base– the amount or capacity of refined Qi possessed by a cultivator.

Manual– a book containing detailed instructions on training in a cultivation method or martial arts style. Usually regarded as extremely valuable and thus kept secret (or at least, not made publicly available).

Sutras u0026 Scriptures – sacred writing. they typically pertain to cultivation or immortal arts. Used more or less interchangeably with "Manual".

Dantian- the region in the body where a person's Qi/Prana is concentrated.

Meridians– the network of vessels/channels in the body through which Qi/Prana flows. Like blood vessels, but for Qi instead of blood.

Qi Circulation– the act of controlling Qi to flow from the dantian, through the meridians, and back into the dantian in a cycle usually, it helps replenish stamina, purify the Qi, or strengthen the meridians.

Breathing Exercises- A special way of breathing which expels the turbid Qi within the body and draws in the Qi of the natural world. An essential part of cultivation.

Meditation– a practice for training or calming the mind and spirit. Cultivators spend a great deal of time in meditation, as both the cultivation of Qi and contemplation of Insights generally require it.

Closed Door Training– also called Closed Door Meditation or Closed-Door Cultivation. Training is done in seclusion, usually to focus on breaking through a bottleneck or to avoid becoming distracted at a crucial moment and suffering a backlash as a result.

Insight– related to enlightenment. Cultivators usually gain insights by meditating, engaging in life-or-death battles, or going out into the world to experience new things. These insights are often needed in order to master techniques or advance to higher stages of cultivation.

Internal Demons – literally translates as "Heart Devils". Rather than standard demons or devils, these are a practitioner's negative emotions and other mental barriers that hinder their training/cultivation. Internal Demons, in some cases, can even attack the practitioner from the inside, and failure to adequately resist them may result in Qi Deviation.

Qi Deviation– A state wherein the cultivation base becomes dangerously unstable, causing internal damage to the body and symptoms of psychosis. People who succumb to their Internal Demons, who practice cultivation/martial arts incorrectly, or who rashly use forbidden arts are all at risk of falling into this state.

Bottleneck– the term for when cultivators figuratively hit a wall in their training and it suddenly becomes incredibly difficult to proceed. When they reach a bottleneck, cultivators may require new Insights, the aid of medicinal pills, or even harsher training in order to make a Breakthrough and successfully bypass the bottleneck.

Ranks / Levels / Layers– a common way to quantify martial power or the progress made in cultivation. In many cases (although not all) where these are used, there are 9 ranks/levels/layers to each stage of cultivation, with rank 1 being the start and rank 9 being the peak. After breaking through to the next stage, the practitioner starts at rank 1 of that new stage. The number 9 has a great deal of symbolism.

Another set of commonly used terms are Early-stage, Middle-stage, Late-stage u0026 Peak

A half step to – refers to someone who's infinitely close to breaking through to the next stage of cultivation, but hasn't achieved it yet.

Qi Condensation– also known as Qi Refining or Qi Gathering. An initial stage of cultivation which involves absorbing Qi from the natural world and refining it inside the body.

Foundation Establishment– also k/a Foundation Building. The stage after Qi Condensation. Once a cultivator's Qi crosses a certain threshold (in the volume and/or density of the Qi, they'll be able to break through to this stage.

Core Formation- The stage after Foundation Establishment. It involves forming a Golden Core

Nascent Soul–The stage after Core Formation, The Nascent Soul resembles an infant or miniature person and resides in the Dantian, typically sitting in a meditative position. In some cases, the Nascent Soul can travel outside the body and is like a second life for cultivators – if their main body dies, their consciousness can continue to exist in the Nascent Soul.

Immortal Ascension– The stage wherein the cultivator becomes an Immortal and his lifespan extends indefinitely.

Spiritual Sense– also known as "Consciousness" or Divine Sense. An ability possessed by cultivators to scan their surroundings (far beyond the limits of their ordinary 5 senses) with their spirit. The distance/total area they can scan corresponds to the strength of their spirit. Also used to remotely control magical items such as Flying Swords and spiritual weapons.

Essence Blood Essence- It's basically "lifeblood" or "life force". Powerful techniques sometimes require cultivators to spend Essence, shortening their lifespan as a result.