Four Axis

Description

The Four-Axis stage is where one builds the Heavenly Circle and Earthly Bearings (天圓地方). However, the name 'Four-Axis' is a misnomer. Its genuine name is the Earth Axis (地軸).[1] Entering this stage increases the cultivator's lifespan by 10,000 years, and each Axis built gives 10,000 more for a total of 50,000 years. Ascending to the Integration stage is called Heaven and Earth Unity. The massive increase in lifespan compared to the earlier stages comes from the fact that this is the first stage in which attraction force is created from the soul, allowing resonance with the heavens.[2]

The Heavenly Circle is the state of encapsulating the Heavens within the body (Heaven and Man Unity; 天人合一), representing the cycling of the four seasons. The Earthly Bearings refers to the four Axes of Four-Axis, representing the Four Divine Directions (四神四方), creating the directional bearings (方位) of 'Earth'. Upon completion, one builds a miniature world within oneself.[3]

The Four-Axis stage is divided into the following sub-realms:

• Early - no Axis built
• Mid - 1-2 Axes built
• Late - 3 Axes built
• Grand Perfection - all 4 Axes built

Possessing at least three Axes allows a cultivator to use them as pillars to open their Canopy, within which one can control the environment and freely exert their power.[4]

The Four-Axis stage where the body of a Heaven Tribe cultivator's true form (本身) begins to transform to best suit their cultivation method.[5] For example, Seo Eun-hyun became a Ghost King with various heads on his shoulders, as many as his deaths, to suit his Ghost Path cultivation, while Jeon Myeong-hoon became a lightning giant with six arms and two heads because of his Taiji Quaking Lightning Body method. This becomes their true form, after which they can return to the convenient human form with a transformation spell.

Earth Tribe cultivators do not do this, only becoming more massive in size with every passing realm, as their bodies are already best suited to their Earth Path method. On the contrary, Heart Tribe members do not transform at all. Great Mountain Supreme Deity oversee this realm.

Heavenly Circle

The Heavenly Circle is stored inside of the Nascent Soul, which is within the Golden Core. It is built during the Grand Perfection of Heavenly Being stage and is called Acceptance at Fate's End (考終命) (one of the Five Blessings; see below). This formula interprets the life of a person from birth, youth, maturity, and elderly up to the point of death as the four seasons.[3]

Vast Cold's formula offers an alternative Heavenly Circle called None Are Beyond The Merits Of The Four Seasons (無非四時之功也).[6] In contrast to Acceptance at Fate's end, this formula does not accept that life ends, but rather death is a transformation, continuing on in a never-ending cycle.[7] It has to do with the Heart and wholly replaces the 'Acceptance at Fate's End' formula. It is complete by itself, thus it does not harmonize with the Five Blessings Axes. Furthermore, the Vast Cold Heavenly Circle formula transforms one's own Nascent Soul into an Axis, allowing a cultivator at the stage of Heavenly Being to wield attraction force one stage early.[6] This formula also resonates with the six Divine Powers of the Integration stage.[8]

The Vast Cold Heavenly Circle formula can be obtained by blessing the marriage of In and Yeon.[9] Not everyone is compatible with this Heavenly Circle.[10]

Earthly Bearings

An Axis is a kind of Nascent Soul. However, unlike the Nascent Soul created during the Nascent Soul stage, which imprints one's very self, an Axis is a Nascent Soul imprinted with a specific attribute.[6] The Axis building of the Four-Axis stage is shrouded in multiple layers of misconceptions which obscure the knowledge of the genuine Earth Axis.

It is currently unknown why the truth of the Earth Axis is so thoroughly hidden.

The first misconception — an Axis can be stolen

This gave rise to two widespread methods of Axis building:[11]

• Heterodox Axis Foundation - where one kills other cultivators, either to steal their Axis (in the case of Four-Axis) or to compress their Nascent Souls into an Axis (cost to build one Axis: 1 Four-Axis / 100 Heavenly Beings / 10,000 Nascent Soul cultivators).[6] This is the more common method.
• Orthodox Axis Foundation - where one builds the Axis on their own. This method requires precious materials, but the Axis binds to the soul, which makes them impervious to being stolen. An Orthodox Axis enacts a stronger attraction force than a Heterodox Axis.

The second misconception — the four Axes are based on the Five Elements

The standard method to build an Orthodox Axis Foundation is to gather a large amount of an attribute's energy, perform a ritual at the Plane of Qi, elevate it to the Plane of Soul, and connect it to one's own Nascent Soul.[6] The Axis can be either built from a dharma treasure corresponding to one of the Five Elements (e.g. a sea demon beast's demon core for Water) or by conducting a ritual at a Middle Realm corresponding to the element:[11]

• Bright Cold Realm corresponds to Earth (土/토)
• True Devil Realm to Fire (火/화)
• Purple Gold Realm to Metal (金/금)
• Nether Ghost Realm to Water (水/수)
• Ancient Force Realm to Wood (木/목)

The True Orthodox Axis Foundation passed down from ancient times builds the Axes based on the Five Blessings: Longevity, Health, Wealth, Love of Virtue, and Acceptance at Fate's End. Information on the Five Blessings Axis is incredibly obscure. Five Blessings Axes are overwhelmingly stronger than Five Elements and will produce a more stable domain later at Integration stage.[12] They are built by conducting rituals at the Middle Realm symbolizing their respective Blessings:[13]

• Nether Ghost Realm signifies Longevity (수/壽)
• Purple Gold Realm is Wealth (부/富)
• Ancient Force Realm is Health (강녕/康寧)
• Blood Yin Realm is Love of Virtue (유호덕/攸好德)[14][15]

There are two ways to build a Five Blessings Axis:

• One method is to conduct a ritual:
  • Using a Void Spirit Pond — holes in the dimension of the Middle Realms[16] — a Four-Axis cultivator would descend to Lower Realms where they spread their influence across many worlds.
  • A mortal would then build an altar to summon the cultivator's attention in request of their aid, and in exchange, they shall pay with their lifespan, the amount being determined by the higher being.[17]
  • The chosen Middle Realm serves as the intermediate in this ritual. Once 10,000 years of payment have been offered to the Middle Realm, an Axis will be fully built and 10,000 years will be granted to the cultivator.[17]
• An alternative method is by consuming a Ritual Worship Scripture. Written in the Ghost Souls language of the Netherworld,[18] these are elixirs in book form. Consuming a Ritual Worship Scripture of a chosen Blessing will build a complete Axis.[19]

It is possible to mix Heterodox with Orthodox Axes in one's Foundation, as well as Five Elements with Five Blessings.

The third misconception — ignorance of the Six Extremes

However, the Five Blessings Axis ritual does not end there. By simply collecting the 10,000 years of payment, one only gains comprehension over the Five Blessings. Like a shadow is simply the absence of light, 'suffering' is merely the indication of the absence of blessings.[20][21] To feel the Six Extremes (Violent Death (橫死), Disease (疾病), Anxiety (憂), Poverty (貧), Hatred (惡), and Weakness (弱))[22] one must cast away their blessings — their very lifespan. Comprehending both the Five Blessings and the Six Extremes is the essence of the Earth Axis.[23] The proper Axis building ritual is as follows:

1. Collect 10,000 years of lifespan by contracting mortals to exchange blessings.[24]
2. Build the Blessing Axis using the 10,000 contracted years and infuse the energies symbolizing the twelve hours (時) of the chosen Middle Realm into the Axis.[25]
3. Deconstruct the Axis and return the contracted lifespan, the blessings, of the mortals, thus depriving oneself of blessings.[24]
4. Rebuild the Axis by sacrificing 10,000 years of one's own lifespan.[26]

By building an Axis, Heaven grants that cultivator 10,000 years of lifespan. To reconstruct an Axis, 10,000 years of lifespan are needed. The net result equates to zero.[27] Should one build an Axis through the Ritual Worship Scripture, expending one's own lifespan is not necessary.[28]

Throughout this ritual, attraction force is utilized.

• Between the mortal and the cultivator — to offer provision is to bestow a blessing; by bestowing blessings to each other, a connection is formed between people. This connection is how the cultivator can be summoned to the location of the mortal.[29]
• Between the cultivator and the Middle Realm — the true ritual works similarly: a cultivator bestows their lifespan to the Middle Realm, and in exchange, the Middle Realm bestows a Blessing Axis. Since the Middle Realm symbolizes their respective Blessing Axis, the direct attraction force between the cultivator and the Middle Realm would produce the true Axis.[30]

The Earth Axis also signifies the axis of a star: the North and South of a star, end to end, that connects Pole (極) to Pole (極).[31]

The fourth misconception — incorrect Heaven and Earth Unity

To complete the Earth Axis, one requires all three: Five Elements, Five Blessings, and Six Extremes. The Six Extremes Axes form upon completion of all the true Five Blessings Axes.[32] One additional Axis must be chosen to represent the Five Elements. In total, twelve Axes make up the completed Earth Axis.[33]

A cultivator must prepare all twelve Axes before ascending to Integration stage to complete the genuine Earth Axis. However, it is possible to ascend with just four Five Elements/Five Blessings Axes.

Vitality

Starting from Four-Axis, even if you are killed, and your nascent soul is collapsed when all your resurrections have been exhausted, those with a strong desire for life or unresolved fragments may leave behind leftovers (also called remnants, fragments, etc. for a less derogatory term). These are their spirits, partially revived, thanks to their immense life force.[34] Notable characters are Gyu-baek, leftover of the near-Integration stage Yellow Dragon, Gyu-ryeon, who only existed in the 15th cycle;[35] and Blood Yin, leftover of True Immortal Yu Hao Te, who was Chief Judge of the Netherworld.[36]

At the Four-Axis stage, one's vitality is so tremendous that even if they are split in half, they will fuse back together. There is only one way to fatally wound a Four-Axis stage cultivator. Within the Golden Core sleeps a Nascent Soul. And inside that Nascent Soul is either the Heavenly Circle or Earthly Bearings that one has to destroy. Even if they are killed, a Four-Axis stage cultivator can be resurrected at least once. [37]

Trivia

• In Bright Cold Realm, the Dragon Race calls their Four-Axis stage cultivators by the title Prince.
• In other Heavenly Domains, cultivators form their Axes by performing rituals to True Immortals.
• The advancement ritual and the Four Axis realm itself is overseen by the Great Mountain Supreme Deity.