Hello everyone! Before reading my novel, I just wanted to take a second to set up how the Sacred Land works. I know that in a lot of cultivation novels and comics, it can get extremely confusing when it comes to how the rankings and levels work. So that’s why this chapter will just explain everything for you, but you don’t have to read it, for it has nothing to do with the actual storyline. I just wrote this chapter for your reference, so read it if you want to or go and skip up to the prologue. :)

In cultivation, there are three different types of cultivation: Soul Cultivation, Genuine Qi Cultivation, and Body Cultivation. Most cultivators choose either genuine qi cultivation or body cultivation, for each one goes along a different path. On top of that, most, if not all, cultivators also participate in soul cultivation because it is extremely important to protect one’s soul when cultivating. Soul cultivation is directly influenced by willpower, and the stronger the soul, the stronger spirit attacks it can produce and withstand.

All cultivators must achieve “Imperfect Aura Realm”, “Pure Body Realm”, and “Refined Soul Realm” before they branch out into body and genuine qi cultivation. Within each cultivation realm, one’s progress can be split into beginner stage, intermediate stage, late stage, and peak stage.

For body cultivators, once they reach the peak stage of refined soul realm, they will break through to “Core Exposure Realm”. After that, they will go through the following realms: “Steel Heart Realm”, “Titanium Body Realm”, and “Iron Fist Realm”. Once they reach the peak of the iron fist realm, a body cultivator can break through to the immortal stage.

For genuine qi cultivators, once they reach the peak of refined soul realm, they break through to “Earth Realm”. After this, they enter the following realms: “Sky Realm”, “Star Realm”, and “Divine Realm”. Once a genuine qi cultivator reaches the peak of the divine realm, they can break through to the immortal stage.

For cultivators who practice both genuine qi cultivation and body cultivation, it is much harder for them to break through to the immortal stage. This is because once they break through to the immortal stage of one form of cultivation, they are only half-immortal until they also break through to the immortal stage of the other form of cultivation, as well. This is the main reason that most cultivators only choose to practice one form of cultivation, in order to increase their chances of achieving immortality. However, immortals who had cultivated both forms of cultivation can be up to 7 times stronger than other immortals, depending on the strength of their foundations.

For soul cultivation, on the other hand, there are only 3 realms of cultivation. Before stepping into the first realm of soul cultivation, one would be in a stage called “Intangible Soul”. Although there are only 3 realms within soul cultivation, each realm is 10 times harder to achieve than the one before it. The realms of soul cultivation are “Soul Spark Realm”, “Soul Flame Realm”, and lastly, “Soul Fire Realm”. Like the 2 other forms of cultivation, each realm within soul cultivation is split into 4 stages: beginner stage, intermediate stage, late stage, and peak stage.

Alchemists are highly valued within every cultivation world, with the best of them at soul fire realm in their cultivation. Alchemists are able to control the fires within the furnace using their soul power, so they are able to carefully control the heat and intensity of the flame, in order to ensure the best quality of the pill. Alchemists are ranked from a Level 1 Alchemist to a Level 5 Alchemist. The higher the level, the more skilled the alchemist should be. There are also Alchemy Masters who are often senior alchemists that are extremely knowledgeable. For a level 5 alchemist to become an alchemy master, they have to undergo 2 tests. One test is a written test that tests their knowledge of herbs and pill-making methods. The last test is where they have to create a very high grade pill by following a pill formula.

Pills are ranked according to the percentage of their purity, for the purer the pill, the more effective it will be. Pills lost within the pill-making process are called “Lost Pills” with a 0% to 5% purity level. Low grade pills range from a 6% to 20% purity level, medium grade pills from 20% to 60% purity level, high grade pills from 60% to 90% purity level, very high grade pills from 90% to 99% purity level, and pills of the top grade at a 100% purity level. Most level 5 alchemists can make high grade pills, and even very high grade pills, but it is extremely rare for an alchemist to make a top grade pill. Last of all, herbs are split into 8 grades. The higher the grade of the herb, the higher its effectiveness and the rarer it is. Grade 8 herbs can be worth hundreds of thousands, or even millions depending on their rarity.

Runemasters are also very valued among cultivators, for they make up multiple important professions. Runemasters are able to become Talisman or Inscription Masters, both of which can enhance things and create very protective items. Talisman masters can write runes on objects, in order to create things like barriers. Inscription masters, on the other hand, can inscribe runes into weapons and armor, increasing their durability, protection, or attack. Runemasters are divided into 5 levels, like alchemists, based on their understanding of runes and their ability to write runes. Runemasters who are Rune Reciters, are people who have a deep knowledge of even high level runes and are able to execute them. Just like alchemy masters, runemasters must pass their tests in order to become a rune reciter.

Another highly valued type of person within the Sacred Land are Spellmasters. Spellmasters can create objects with spells on them, such as talismans with an escape spell. On top of this, spellmasters are able to create arrays and manipulate them. Spellmasters are also divided into 5 levels, based on their understanding and performance of spells and their ability to create arrays. Once passing the spellmaster test, a spellmaster is known as a Senior Spellmaster.

The last highly valued profession is weapon forgers. Weapon forgers are different from blacksmiths because they specialize in magic weapons and armor. Weapons forgers are divided into 10 levels because of the vast differences in their workmanship. If a weapons forger is able to pass the forging test, they will become a Weapons Master. Once a weapons master is able to pass the refining test, where they create high quality weapons from low quality materials, they reach the level of a Refining Master.

Magic weapons and armor within the Sacred Land follow a ranking system, in which they can each fall into 1 of the following 5 levels (They are ordered weakest to strongest): Fantasy, Heavenly, Celestial, Legendary, or Divine. On top of this, all items within the Sacred Land can fall into a maximum of 2 out of 3 categories: Regular Item, Magical Item, or Soul Item. The first two are extremely self explanatory, but you might not know what a soul item is. If you don’t know what soul items are, they are items that you must fuse your energy and soul with, in order to become their master. Once you are recognized by the item, you can summon it at will. The item will then leave an emblem tattooed on your body, as proof of ownership.

The reason items can fall into two out of three of the categories is because any item can be: a regular item, a regular soul item, a magical item, or a magical soul item. So in sense, being a soul item is like a sub category. Oftentimes, items are also referred to as artifacts, especially when they were forged hundreds of years before they were found.

There are two different types of beasts within the Sacred Land: Demon Beasts and Spirit Beasts. Both of them can cultivate in their own way, increasing their strength. In the same way, their strength can fall into one of the 7 Heavenly Realms. Once a demon beast cultivates to the peak of the 7th heavenly realm, they can break through to the Demon Lord Realm, which can match the immortal realm for humans. In the same way, once a spirit beast reaches the peak of the 7th heavenly realm, they can break through to the Spirit King Realm.

There are various martial arts and methods, with them split into 15 grades. The higher the grade of a martial art, the more complex and strong it’s bound to be. In the Sacred Land, even within the biggest and richest families, there are no more than 2, grade 15 martial arts methods. The 15 grades of martial arts also applies to the methods of cultivation for beasts.

Anyways, that’s all of the information I have for you all. I know that it was probably really boring to read all of that, but do know that it’ll help with the overall understanding of the set up of the world in which this story takes place. Thank you for choosing to read my novel and showing me this support. I will always welcome constructive criticism and suggestions for my writing because I’m aiming to constantly become better. I hope you will continue to support my writing journey. Now, go and enjoy the prologue! ;D

My name is August Lancaster and I’m a self-cultivator who is known as the ‘Lone Traveler’, although it’s the modern times. I’ve travelled all across the land, cultivating and learning so many new things. I have also met so many different people and beasts. People of various clans, spirit beasts, demon beasts, you name it, I’ve probably met it or seen it. My prized possession is a divine soul artifact, an artifact of the highest level (that I made myself, if I can add), and it is a journal that has an infinite number of pages and is immune to the elements. Along with the journal comes a tool that can turn into any writing utensil I wish it to be. Within this journal, I’ve stored all of the knowledge I’ve gained within my decade of travel and cultivation. This includes various martial arts and methods (even those of spirit and demon beasts), information on various herbs and alchemy methods, weapons, materials, music, art, and more. I’ve learned enough things to fill 5 lifetimes, yet I’m only 25.

Unlike many other strong martial artists, I’ve never had a master to teach me anything, rather my travels have taught me all that I know. In this way, I have learned the arts of forging and alchemy, along with the knowledge of how to paint, draw, and play various instruments. In my travels, I had found many high quality elements that I used to upgrade the set of magical soul weapons that I had forged long ago. My soul weapons went from heavenly rank to divine rank immediately after reforging them, however this also alerted many other cultivators of the weapons’ existence.

I’m an extremely strong cultivator, but I’ve been outnumbered. . . the sheer amount of people who are after me, in order to get the weapons that I have forged, is overwhelming. I can’t let the set fall into the wrong hands. I’ve been backed into the edge of a cliff. My black cloak waves in the wind and I take off my hood. My jet black hair is pulled back into two dutch braids that reach my thighs. My emerald green eyes stare as more cultivators emerge from the forest, in pursuit of my weapons. I summon my twin swords and then my bow and quiver of infinite arrows. “You want these!?!” I shout at the top of my lungs. Their eyes grow wide. “I forged these myself! What right do you have to own my stuff?” I scream again.

“What little girl can forge divine soul artifacts, and weapons at that!?!” Someone yells in the crowd.

“Ha! I guess you don’t know who I am, then? Well let me tell you! I am the ‘Lone Traveler’ and I could crush every one of you with my cultivation.”

“Pah!” Another man says from the crowd “You, the Lone Traveler? That’s nonsense. If you were him, you’d be able to take us all down.”

“Forging a divine soul artifact takes a lot of time and energy, therefore I have no more energy left to play with you.” I mumble. “But let me tell you, you’re going to have to go over my dead body to get my weapons!” I yell as I jump backwards and fall into the endless chasm as people scream in rage at my actions. All is black, quiet, and serene.

I open my eyes to a starry space and hear the sound of sobbing. I thought I was supposed to go to hell and meet Yama for my judgement by now. I float towards the sound of sobbing and find another soul, one of a girl who looks to be about nine or ten years old. “Hey,” I begin to ask the poor soul, “Why are you crying?”

“Everyone calls me, Olivia Yun, a jinx.” She says as she sniffles. “They — they want to send me into the Forest of Infinite Beasts, as punishment for bringing bad luck to my clan.” She continues. “I’m so scared because I don’t know what I did to be a jinx. I haven’t even begun my cultivation because my parents gave all my cultivation resources to my twin brother and forbade me from cultivating.”

“Hey, look at me.” I tip her head up, revealing her big, sky blue eyes. “You are not a jinx, no matter what they say, for I don’t believe in luck. And let me tell you, living in a forest with beasts and demons isn’t all that bad.”

“Really, how do you know?” She replies, curious.

“Well, I’ve been a self-cultivator since I was 15, and since then I’ve travelled through and lived in big forests filled with all types of beasts.”

“Even so, I wish I could just die, for I hate being in a family who doesn’t care for me. Maybe then Yama will let me reincarnate into a loving family.” Suddenly a figure appears. It looks a lot like Yama. I think he’s looking for me.

“Hello, August Lancaster and Olivia Yun.” The figure speaks. “I am Yama and I am here to offer you an opportunity.”

“What kind of opportunity?” I ask.

“If you both are willing, I will allow Olivia Yun’s soul to pass on, receive judgement and reincarnate, as long as the soul of August Lancaster resides in her body and continues living her life.” Yama says.

“Yes! Yes, I agree!” Olivia quickly shouts.

“Wait,” I begin, “Yama, doesn’t what you’re proposing break the laws of hell? I haven’t even gone there and received my judgment.”

“You’ve heard of transmigration, correct?” Yama asks. I nod. “Well, think of this as voluntary transmigration, which would then be considered as your reincarnation for your soul. As for your judgement, you had done no major wrongs in your past life, rather you contributed a lot to society. This is why I, and the Council of Hell, have given you this opportunity.”

“Is there any catch to this offer of yours?” I ask, suspicious.

“Well, you will lose all of your cultivation. In soul cultivation, in body cultivation, and in genuine qi cultivation. But, the council will allow you to keep 4 sets of items you made with your own hands, in your previous life: The legend rank space ring that you made with a spirit vein then giving it infinite storage space, the elegant instruments you had crafted to play music during your travels, the divine rank soul journal and writing tool you had used to record all of your knowledge, and lastly the divine rank set of soul weapons you had forged. On top of that, you will retain your memory.”

“This sounds too good to be true! I agree to the proposal, as well, Yama.” I say, elated.

“However the council won’t allow you to keep 2 sets of divine rank soul artifacts, so you’ll have to choose.” Of course there had to be a catch, I thought. “Would you rather keep both of the soul artifacts at the divine rank, but have all of the information in the journal erased? Or, would you rather keep the soul journal at the divine rank, with all of the content within, intact, and have the set of soul weapons returned to the state in which you had first forged them, at heaven rank.”

“That’s easy.” I say. “I choose the second option because the knowledge within my journal is priceless, whereas I can have more opportunities to upgrade my soul weapons.”

“Well then,” Yama begins, “Olivia Yun, come with me. August Lancaster, enjoy your new life.” Olivia follows Yama, who then turns his head and says one last thing: “August, the eyes are the pathway to the soul, so I’ve put an illusionary spell on you, that will break once you enter the Forest of Infinite Beasts. Once the spell is broken, Olivia’s sky blue eyes will become your emerald green ones.” He lifts his arm towards me as a magical gold dust flies from his hand towards me. “These are Olivia’s memories, good luck on your journey.”