Glossary
Glossary
Warning! This list may include spoilers. I will try my best to include only terms and characters that appear in the publicly available chapters. If you’re not caught up, proceed at your own risk!
Cultivation Levels:
The Four Daos: Martial, Origin, Spirit, and Profound. The difference between each Dao is vast and qualitative. Each is further subdivided into Realms, which are further subdivided into stages.
Martial Dao (武道): The first of the four Daos. Within this Dao, cultivators are still well within the confines of mortality and still require food, among other basic necessities. In the Wilds, geniuses can breeze through the Martial Dao, but in the Great Zhou, few ever make it beyond this level.
The Four Realms of the Martial Dao (武道四境): The Blood Circulation Realm, the Qi Accumulation Realm, the Inner Furnace Realm, and Anāsrava
The Blood Circulation Realm (搬血境): The very beginning of a cultivator’s journey. Focuses on cultivating the body. Subdivided into four layers: Refining Skin (炼皮), Refining Muscle (炼肉), Refining Sinew (炼筋), and Refining Bone (炼骨).
The Qi Accumulation Realm: The second realm of the Martial Dao. Subdivided into three levels: Unblocking Acupoints (通窍), Opening Meridians (开脉), and Astral Manifestation (化罡 ).
The Inner Furnace Realm: The third realm of the Martial Dao in which one refines the innards. Also called the Grandmaster Realm. This realm is subdivided into five levels, which can be completed in any order. Experts in this realm are often called Grandmasters.
Anāsrava: Experts of this level are called Xiantian Martial Ancestors. At this level, the body is free of impurities.
The Three Realms of the Origin Dao (元道): The second of the four Daos. Only after reaching this level can someone truly call themselves a cultivator. In the Great Zhou, such experts are known as Earthly Immortals.
Grain Avoidance (辟谷): The first realm of the Origin Dao. Upon reaching this realm, a cultivator can subsist on sunlight and dew alone; there’s no longer any need to consume mortal sustenance. (They can still eat and drink; it’s just optional.)
Origin Palace (元府): The second realm of the Origin Dao, in which cultivators establish an Origin Palace within their dantian.
Gathering Stars (聚星): The third and final realm of the Origin Dao, in which cultivators condense origin power stars. The more they condense, the better.
The Three Realms of the Spirit Dao (灵道): The third of the four Daos. This is the pinnacle of power in the modern Azure Continent, and such experts only exist in legends in the Great Zhou as of chapter one. At this level, one is considered an “advanced” cultivator. Upon reaching this level, a cultivator’s soul can live on even if their body is destroyed.
Spiritual Manifestation (化灵): The first realm of the Spirit Dao.
Spiritual Incarnation (灵相): The second realm of the Spirit Dao, in which one condenses a spirit incarnation.
Spiritual Revolution (灵轮): The third and final realm of the Spirit Dao. The pinnacle of power in the Azure Continent as of chapter one.
The Three Realms of the Profound Dao (玄道): The last of the four Daos, and the pinnacle of power in the Wilds and associated worlds. Experts of this level, regardless of their specific cultivation, are known as Emperors.
Profound Illumination (玄照): The first realm of the Profound Dao.
Profound Serenity (玄幽): The second realm of the Profound Dao.
Profound Unity (玄合): The third realm of the Profound Dao.
The Imperial Apex Realm (皇极境): The pinnacle of the Profound Unity Realm. Peak Profound Unity cultivators are known as Imperial Apex experts. This is as strong as it gets in the Wilds, and this is the cultivation Su Xuanjun had before undergoing reincarnation.
The Path of Heaven’s Ascension: The path beyond the Profound Dao, the thing Su Xuanjun sought for tens of thousands of years and failed to achieve. Experts of this level, World Kings (界王) are powerhouses even by the standards of entire star realms.
Heavenly Longevity (同寿): The first realm of the Path of Heaven’s Ascension. Although Emperors live a long, long time, their lifespans are still ultimately limited. Upon reaching Heavenly Longevity, a World King can endure as long as the heavens themselves.
Oneness (归一): The second realm of the Path of Heaven’s Ascension.
Cosmic Enlightenment (洞宇): The third and final realm of the Path of Heaven’s Ascension.
Cultivation-related Terms:
Clones (分身/大道分身): High-level cultivators can create clones. Although weaker than the original, they are connected to the original, and share an awareness. The original knows what happens to the clone, and is harmed when a clone dies. Prominent examples include the Fisherman’s clone.
Avatars of Will (意志法相): A body manifested of the consciousness. Characters in confinement can use them, or they can be used to insert one’s consciousness into a treasure. They can be controlled actively, in which case they maintain their connection to the original. An example of this is the Denglong ancestor trapped in the Bureau of Adjudication.
Imprints of Will (意志印记): A subset of avatars of will. The key difference is, this kind of imprint is no longer connected to the original in any way; even if it does, the original won’t sense it. They can linger long after the original has died. Examples include the awareness the Temple Master left in the Sword of the Human Realm, and the imprints the Painter leaves in his sect members’ souls.
Primordial/Origin Spirit Avatars (元神): (These are the same thing, but the terminology might not be consistent). These haven’t appeared in newer chapters, but during the onset of the Radiant Epoch, geniuses of the ancient era often carried the Origin Spirit Avatars of their elders with them. These elders no longer have physical bodies, but their souls and consciouses remain, and can manifest to aid their descendants.
Types of Cultivators/Schools of Thought
In addition to Buddhists, Confucianists, and Daoists, FIOTS features:
Yao Cultivators, practitioners of the Yao Path (妖道): Yao cultivators are, as the name suggests, yao. However, the yao path is also a school of thought with its own techniques and abilities. Human cultivators (like Su Yi and Ge Qian) are also capable of learning from it.
Yao: Non-humans (plants and animals). Come in several types, including spirit beasts, nature spirits, and full-fledged yao cultivators.
Demonists (魔道): Also sometimes known as demonic cultivators. Demonism is a school of thought, and although it’s demonic in nature cultivating Demonist techniques does not require a demonic lineage. Some Demonists are demons, but not all.
Ghost Cultivators: A subset of soul cultivators. Human soul cultivators specialize in the soul, but ghost cultivators only have a soul, with which they condense a soul body. At high levels, a soul body is indistinguishable from a body of flesh, but it retains the abilities of a ghost. (ie Qing Wan can still hide in the Soul-Nurturing Gourd.)
Ghosts: Divided into ranks, starting from Yin Souls (阴魂), Haunts (鬼魅), Specters (鬼怪), and Phantasms (鬼灵). Yin souls are weak and mostly harmless, while phantasms can pass for humans.
Soul Cultivators: Cultivators who specialize in techniques using and/or targeting the soul.
Aberrant Cultivators (巫族), practitioners of the Abberant Dao (巫道): Cultivators descended from, or who use techniques learned from, the Twelve Aberrant Lineages. These are creatures of ancient Chinese myth, and they’re explained in more detail here.
Heretical Cultivators: People who practice unorthodox, often brutal, cultivation techniques not associated with demons.
Su Yi’s Titles, Cultivation Techniques, Weapons, Treasures, and Abilities
Su Yi (苏奕): Our protagonist!
Su Xuanjun (苏玄钧): Our protagonist, prior to his reincarnation.
The Swordmaster of Abstruse Force (玄钧剑主): Our protagonist’s title, prior to his reincarnation.
Third Young Master: Su Yi is the third son of Su Hongli. People affiliated with the Su Family call him by this title.
The Outer Sect Sword Chief: A relatively high-status position within his former sect, Blueriver Sword Manor.
Moocher: Self-explanatory. Most often used by his mother-in-law.
Imperial Preceptor: A title Su Yi receives after defeating his father. Zhou Zhili grants it to him upon becoming crown prince.
The Temple Master (观之主): -redacted-
Other titles include: the Head of the Wilds, a Sovereign Among Emperors, the Master of Ten Thousand Daos, Mama Bear Su Xuanjun, Master Su, Master, Mystic Master, and Young Lord Su
The Sword of the Nine Hells: The intangible sword floating within his soul. It seals nine divine chains.
Mortal Edge: The first sword Su Yi forges post-reincarnation. A mundane weapon, albeit with a hint of spirituality.
Bluejade Spirit Bamboo: Mortal Edge’s sheath. Doubles as a walking stick.
Guiding Mysteries: The second sword Su Yi uses post-reincarnation. He forged it in the Cloudriver Prefectural Capital.
The Abstruse God Sword: The third sword Su Yi uses post-reincarnation. A sword forged from the sword embryo Su Yi obtained on Bloodthistle Yao Mountain.
Early Grave: A sword formerly used by his father, a cursed weapon.
Celestial Blue: The fourth sword Su Yi uses post-reincarnation. Incorporates the damaged natal weapon of the Sumeru Yao Emperor, Yuan Motian.
The Tiny Heart of the Cosmos: The sword Su Yi was most pleased with in his lifetime as Su Xuanjun, a Xiantian treasure grown of a Xiantian spirit vine.
Moonlit Shadow: The sword Su Xuanjun used in his time exploring the Netherworld. He left it in the Bureau of Adjudication prior to his reincarnation.
Wandering Spirit: A wooden sword that once belonged to the Temple Master.
The Sword of the Human Realm: The massive, cross-shaped sword the Temple Master once used.
The Soul-Nurturing Gourd: A treasure Su Yi acquired around when he meet Qing Wan. Useful for nurturing souls.
Netherworld Thunder Punishment Bell (冥狱雷刑钟 ) : A treasure Su Yi’s mother, Ye Yufei, brought with her. His father, Su Hongli, later stole it.
Su Yi’s Disciples
Pi Mo: War Emperor Pi Mo, Su Yi’s first disciple.
Jing Xing: The “muddleheaded bookworm.” Su Yi’s second disciple.
Huo Yao: A Firespirit Demon(火灵魔族) infant Su Yi found in a Demonic Womb.
Jin Kui: Su Yi’s fourth disciple. They say “her delicate hands scoop up the mist, and her clothes leave a trail of purple haze.”
Wang Que: The “Qilin son” of the Middle Province Wang Family, blessed with the Five Virtues Physique. Su Yi’s fifth disciple.
Ye Luo: Su Yi’s sixth disciple. A young man with a head of long gray hair, and a genius of the sword.
Xuan Ning: Su Yi’s seventh disciple. A Xuanwu Tortoise who used to guard the Grotto of Abstruse Force’s gates.
Bai Yi: Su Yi’s eighth disciple, a complete combat maniac with a heart as pure as a sheet of white paper (according to Su Yi).
Qing Tang: Su Yi’s ninth and final disciple. The most talented of the bunch, but what is she really after…?
Song Chai: One of Su Yi’s former honorary disciples, but Qing Tang kicked her out of the sect just a few years after she joined. She might have become his legacy disciple had she arrived earlier.
Garuda: A Golden-Winged Great Peng. One of Su Yi’s former honorary disciples, but he betrayed his honorary master and ran off with one of his treasures in chapter one.
Recurring Characters
The Wen Family: One of the most prosperous families in Guangling City as of chapter two. They have a monopoly on the city’s medicine trade, and own multiple clinics.
Wen Lingxue: Su Yi’s little sister-in-law, and the only person in Guangling City who was kind to him before he reawakened the memories of his past life.
Wen Lingzhao: His nominal wife at the start of the novel, Guangling City’s number-one beauty and top talent.
Qin Qing: Su Yi’s mother-in-law at the start of the novel.
Wen Changtai: Su Yi’s father-in-law at the start of the novel.
The Wen Family Dowager, Liang Wenbi: A former servant of the Su Family. The mother of the family head and Wen Changtai. Nominally has no power, but in truth, rules the family with an iron fist.
Wen Changjing: The leader of the Wen Family
Wen Jueyuan: The most promising member of the Wen Family’s younger generation
The Su Family: In the Great Zhou, their status is second only to the imperial family. They’re based in the Jade Capital, so they’re sometimes called “The Jade Capital Su Family.”
Su Hongli: His current body’s father and head of the Su Family
Su Boning: Su Yi’s younger half-brother, You Qingzhi and Su Hongli’s son.
You Qingzhi: Su Hongli’s fourth wife, the “fourth lady of the house.” She’s the one who suggested Su Yi’s marriage into the Wen Family.
The Ye Family: The Kunwu Mountain Ye Family. The most powerful faction of the Mysterious Blue Realm.
Ye Yufei: Su Yi’s biological mother. She died when Su Yi was just four years old.
Ye Yunlan: Su Yi’s maternal uncle, Ye Yufei’s older brother.