Awakening:
Except for beasts who born naturaly awakened, each races have a chance to have a space formed inside their bodies called spiritual world. Inside this spiritual world there a crystal seed who can be awakened when reaching adulthood which are 18 for humans. The crystal seeds, once awaken, develop a special ability who can be one of these five types : Manifestation, Transformation, Elemental, Reinforcement, and Mental. There are case of double awakening resulting in having two crystal seeds and two ability, but it's a rare case.
Cultivation:
Once a crystal seed was awakened, it would begin to transform, gradually becoming a crystal tree with roots. The crystal tree represented a cultivator. It represented their cultivation, their state of mind as well as their ability. Once the crystal seed is awaken, cultivator need to gather the energy of the universe called crystal essence through their bodies into the spiritual world to help the crystal seed to grow into a crystal tree. During this process, the gathered crystal essence can be used to strengthen the body through the cultivation by forming a path that circulate into the whole body and end in the spiritual world.
Evolution and Evolution Paths:
Once a crystal tree couldn't absorb any more crystal essence, the cultivator had to try to breakthrough those limits and cross the last 'barrier' that separates them from the next rank. Depending on a cultivator's talent, the barrier that separates them from the next rank could be breakthrough in a matter of hours, while others might not succeed even after several years.
Once the last barrier was crossed and the next rank reached, the crystal tree need to absorb a catalyst that allow the crystal tree to evolve. If the crystal tree did not undergo any evolution once a cultivator had reached a new rank for a full week, the cultivator would see their crystal essence escape from their spiritual world before their rank start to regress. If their rank regress, they could never progress through the ranks again in their entire life if they.
The catalysts used to evolve a crystal tree could be found in different forms, a natural treasure, equipment, etc... Once a crystal tree absorbs the catalyst, if it is compatible with it, it will transform into a crystal connected to its roots, becoming part of the tree. If the catalyst were incompatible with the crystal tree, it would reject it.
During the evolution, the crystal tree could greatly improve their ability, acquire new abilities, or even add a new effect to the current ability. It was not uncommon for a crystal tree to evolve to possess abilities belonging to several types, even if its foundation did not change.
Due to the need to find a good catalyst for a crystal tree in each breakthrough, Evolution paths have been created during ages to direct the evolution of a crystal tree in the desired direction. The Evolution Paths are rare ressources that common people have hard time to find and are not spread by the human government.
Mortal Realm:
The cultivation are divided into three realms which are divided into five ranks. The Mortal Realm being the first one is divided by the ranks Iron, Bronze, Silver, Gold and Diamond. Cultivation start at rank Iron and with each breakthrough, the crystal tree evolve, enhancing the ability it awaken. During the cultivation of this realm, if a cultivator had a double awakening, there a chance of a Heavenly Tribulation to appear in each of it's breakthrough. The Heanvely Tribulation is created by the laws of the universe and target the cultivator elemental weakness (explained later) during it.
Transcendant Realm:
Second Realm of the cultivation, The Transcendant Realm is divided by the ranks, Lord, King, Emperor, Sovereign and Saint. Same as the previous realm, with each breakthrough, the crystal tree can evolve. Once reaching this realm a cultivator just need to cultivate to sustain itself without the need to eat or breath. The cultivator can use their crystal essence to fly and even move in space.
To breakthrough into this realm, a cultivator need to undergo two to three steps depending on it's choice for it's future cultivation.
The first step is to survive the Heavenly Tribulation and refine the energy of the Heavenly Tribulation. There are several methods to successfully defend itself from a Heavenly Tribulation, such as the use of defensive treasures or formation array. Using the help of another cultivator make the Heavenly Tribulation more stronger.
The second step is to separate one’s consciousness, while one party confront the Heavenly Tribulation outside one’s body, the other party must enter the spiritual world in order to divide a part of its soul to transfer it inside the crystal tree in order to feed the spirit to awaken it.
The more the spirit receives an important part of the soul of the cultivator, the more powerful it will become when its awakening is finished.
Unlike any other soul injury, feeding the spirit with our own soul has only a temporary effect on the cultivators, the spirit being a part of the cultivators and the soul always being in the same body, The recovery of the cultivator's soul will be much simpler.
Once the spirit is fully awakened and the Heavenly Tribulation is complete, the cultivator will have reached the realm of the transcendent.
Although the breakthrough to the Transcendant Realm may end at the second step, there is a third step that is also the most dangerous. This one consists in opening the paths of crystal essence inside the crystal tree that are connected to the spirit.
There are twelve paths in all, these paths can only be opened when breaking through the Transcendent Realm and for each path opened, the strength of a cultivator, its cultivation speed as well as its storage of crystal essence will increase exponentially.
To open its paths, it is necessary to use the energy of the Heavenly Tribulation. Once the awakening of the spirit has begun, the energy must be directed into one of these paths. The spirit that is just beginning to awaken will see this action as an attack and will try to defend itself by creating a mirage of itself inside the spiritual world to attack the cultivator.
This step is dangerous because it requires the cultivator to defend itself against the Heanvely Tribulation, divide its soul to completely awaken the spirit, direct the energy of the Heavenly Tribulation to open the paths of crystal essence and face the mirage created by the spirit.
Divine Realm:
Third and last Realm of the cultivation, The Divine Realm is divided by the ranks, Celestial, Ethereal, Divine, Nascent God and True God. Same as the previous realm, with each breakthrough, the crystal tree can evolve.
Upon breaking through this realm, the cultivator with the help of the spirit will create a world inside the spiritual world which reflect the crystal tree ability. This world can be used outside the body as something like a domain. (The specifity of the whole breakthrough to this realm are still not finished yet.)
Elemental Affinity and Elemental Affinity Cultivation:
Every cultivator are born with one or two elements, some really rare case may have more. These affinity toward an element have an impact in the crystal tree, resulting in some evolution paths more compatible with a crystal tree. These elemental affinities are target when facing a Heavenly Tribulation by the laws of the universe, if a cultivator with a fire affinity breakthrough the Transcendant Realm, a Heavenly Tribulation made with water element will appear.
Inside the universe, there exists a special energy called elemental particles. Cultivator can use their crystal essence to use these elemental particles to attack/defend/etc...
While cultivating near these elemental particles, cultivator can cultivate their elemental affinity which are divided into 9 ranks, Elemental Perception, Elemental Core, Elemental Conducting, Elemental Domination, Elemental Manifestation, Elemental Essence, Elemental Aura, Elemental Will and Elemental Law.
Elemental Affinity Rank Description:
Elemental Perception: At this rank, cultivators can see and feel the elemental particles in the air, and they are able to attract more particles towards themselves. This increased perception allows them to sense the world around them in a way that ordinary people cannot.
Elemental Core: At this rank, cultivators create an elemental core inside their spiritual world by using the elemental particles.
Elemental Conducting : Cultivators at this rank can manipulate the elements more effectively, creating more powerful attacks. Allows the cultivator to draw energy from the element and use it to attack. Can fuse two affinity element together if it come from the same cultivator.
Elemental Domination : At this rank, cultivators can control the elemental particles, even in an enemy attack. If the cultivation of the elemental affinity is higher than the enemy's, the cultivator can completely control the enemy's attack and turn it back against them.
Elemental Manifestation: Cultivators at this rank can merge the element with their body, taking on the properties of that element. For example, if a cultivator has an affinity for fire, they may become immune to fire damage or be able to create flames from their body.
Elemental Essence: At this rank, the crystal essence merges with the element, becoming imperceptible to each other. This allows cultivators to use the element more efficiently and effectively, and they become more attuned to its properties.
Elemental Aura: Cultivators at this rank have an elemental aura that surrounds them, resembling a domain that is automatically renewed thanks to the elemental particles in the air. This aura is passive and constantly present, and it provides the cultivator with additional defensive and offensive abilities.
Elemental Will: At this rank, elemental particles move according to the cultivator's will, allowing them to manipulate the elements in ways that were previously impossible. The cultivator has achieved a state of enlightenment, allowing them to merge their consciousness with their element and become one with it. They gain the ability to control their element on a cosmic scale, influencing its properties throughout the universe.
Elemental Law: Cultivators at this rank can control the laws of the universe related to their element, giving them almost limitless power over that element. They can manipulate the element on a fundamental level, creating powerful attacks and defenses that can rival even the most advanced techniques of other cultivators.
This are how the elemental affinity cultivation are for now, I don't know how I will adapt/change it later.