Different cultures have different interpretations of dragons, with differing roles, nature, and status in the world. In western cultures, dragons are more seen as monstrous or demonic beasts of great power that bring disasters wherever they go. In eastern cultures, specifically in Chinese culture, dragons are known as 龍 (Long) and are often treated as divine existences on the same level as gods and immortals.
According to Chinese legend, both Chinese primogenitors, the early Shennong and the Yellow Emperor (Huangdi), were closely related to ‘Long’ (Chinese dragon). At the end of his reign, the first legendary ruler, the Yellow Emperor, was said to have been immortalized into a dragon that resembled his emblem, and ascended to Heaven. The other legendary ruler, the Yan Emperor, was born by his mother’s telepathy with a mythical dragon. Since the Chinese consider the Yellow Emperor and the Yan Emperor as their ancestors, they sometimes refer to themselves as "the descendants of the dragon ".
Dragons (usually with five claws on each foot) were a symbol for the emperor in many Chinese dynasties. In the Yuan dynasty, the two-horned five-clawed dragon was designated for use by the Son of Heaven or Emperor only, while the four-clawed dragon was used by the princes and nobles.
As you might guessed by now, for this project, the Dragon in the title specifically refers to the Chinese Dragons, the Longs.
Chinese dragons are strongly associated with water and weather in popular religion. They are believed to be the rulers of moving bodies of water, such as waterfalls, rivers, or seas. The Dragon God is the dispenser of rain as well as the zoomorphic representation of the yang masculine power of generation. In this capacity as the rulers of water and weather, the dragon is more anthropomorphic in form, often depicted as a humanoid, dressed in a king’s costume, but with a dragon head wearing a king’s headdress.
While Chinese Dragons (Long) are a specific group of dragons in itself, it is further divided into sub species such as the Flood Dragon (Jiao long or simply Jiao) and the Torch Dragon (Zhulong) among many others. According to one source ( Ren Feng’s Shuyi Ji (Record of Strange Things)), a water snake (hui 虺) after 500 years transforms into a jiao (蛟); a jiao after a millennium into a dragon (long ), a long after 500 years a horned dragon (角龍), a horned dragon after a millennium into a yinglong (a winged dragon).
The project consists of 2 important elements:
1. 龙变 (Dragon Transformation)
- Everlasting source of 龙’s blood essence ((blood containing the vitality, Qi, and the defining characteristics) for below uses
- Transplantation of blood essence from a 龙 into the user’s body
- Consumption of blood essence to nourish, strengthen and revitalize user’s Qi, Jing and Shen
- Medicinal bath containing 龙 blood (in various interpretations, soaking in dragon’s blood grants the users traits such as invulnerable skin as well as enhanced physical capabilities)
- Bone marrow transformation to produce new blood cells containing the traits, characteristics, abilities and power of a 龙’s blood. Information on the standard blood production process: The bone marrow produces stem cells, the building blocks that the body uses to make the different blood cells – red cells, white cells and platelets. The erythropoietin sends a message to the stem cells telling more of them to develop into red blood cells, rather than white cells or platelets. Your body makes about 2 million new red cells every second, so it only takes a number of weeks to build up stores of them again.
- Abundant and Everlasting source of Draconic Qi for users to utilize in their Cultivation process
- Longmen (The Dragon Gate) baptism: In Chinese mythology, Longmen is located at the top of a waterfall cascading from a legendary mountain. The legend states that while many carp swim upstream against the river’s strong current, few are capable or brave enough for the final leap over the waterfall. If a carp successfully makes the jump, it is transformed into a powerful dragon. The legend is so famous that throughout China, a common saying is that “a student facing his examinations is like a carp attempting to leap the Dragon Gate.” The fish’s jumping feature is set in such a proverbial idiom as “Liyu (Carp) jumps over the Dragon Gate” (鲤跃龙门) an idiom that conveys a vivid image symbolizing a sudden uplifting in one’s social status, as when one ascends into the upper society or has found favor with the royal or a noble family. This element here seeks to provide users with a similar qualitative transformation boost via the auspicious symbolism of the Longmen.
2. 修仙 (Immortal Cultivation)
Goal: To achieve an immortal body (physically) as well as build up a permanent base of power which can be utilized according to users’ will, that increases exponentially as they progress. Refine the body through (Draconic) Qi, meaning that one has to refine one’s organs and bones to the point that it becomes tough and thoroughly washed. Every interaction with the project leads to permanent cultivation gains that build up.
Precaution and Beginning to ensure a smooth process :
Chiropractic adjustment of the relevant skeletal structure (encompassing the whole) in the user’s body to resolve any misalignment in the body that affects the smooth flowing of Qi and energy within the body.
A backup feature that scans and activates when necessary to ensure that the meridians in the body (commonly known to be 12 standard/principal meridians and the 8 extraordinary vessels) and the dantian are in working condition and can function perfectly, heal, restore and strengthen them if necessary for users. If the meridians are damaged or broken, they will be healed and restored to perfection. If the meridians are blocked or closed, they will be opened. Same for the dantian. Considering that the meridians are the pathway for Qi to flow and the dantian is an important storage area for Qi, without them working the project’s effects might be hindered (with regards to the qi aspects of the body refining).
(Adding this because I don’t want to take the risk of assuming we all have a functional and healthy energetic/meridian system and dantian. More likely than not those of us with health issues might have some issues with this system as well)
General info on meridians:
The meridian network is typically divided into two categories, the jingmai (經脈) or meridian channels and the luomai (絡脈) or associated vessels (sometimes called “collaterals”). The jingmai contain the 12 tendinomuscular meridians, the 12 divergent meridians, the 12 principal meridians, the eight extraordinary vessels as well as the Huato channel, a set of bilateral points on the lower back whose discovery is attributed to the ancient physician Hua Tuo. The collaterals contain 15 major arteries that connect the 12 principal meridians in various ways, in addition to the interaction with their associated internal organs and other related internal structures. The collateral system also incorporates a branching expanse of capillary-like vessels which spread throughout the body, namely in the 12 cutaneous regions as well as emanating from each point on the principal meridians. If one counts the number of unique points on each meridian, the total comes to 361, which matches the number of days in a year, in the moon calendar system. Note that this method ignores the fact that the bulk of acupoints are bilateral, making the actual total 670.
There are about 400 acupuncture points (not counting bilateral points twice) most of which are situated along the major 20 pathways (i.e. 12 primary and eight extraordinary channels). However, by the second Century AD, 649 acupuncture points were recognized in China (reckoned by counting bilateral points twice). There are “12 Principal Meridians” where each meridian corresponds to either a hollow or solid organ; interacting with it and extending along a particular extremity (i.e. arm or leg). There are also “Eight Extraordinary Channels”, two of which have their own sets of points, and the remaining ones connecting points on other channels.
12 standard meridiansEdit
The 12 standard meridians, also called Principal Meridians, are divided into Yin and Yang groups. The Yin meridians of the arm are the Lung, Heart, and Pericardium. The Yang meridians of the arm are the Large Intestine, Small Intestine, and Triple Burner. The Yin Meridians of the leg are the Spleen, Kidney, and Liver. The Yang meridians of the leg are Stomach, Bladder, and Gall Bladder.
Eight extraordinary meridiansEdit
The eight extraordinary meridians are of pivotal importance in the study of Qigong, Taijiquan and Chinese alchemy.[8] These eight extra meridians differ from the standard twelve organ meridians in that they are considered to be storage vessels or reservoirs of energy and are not associated directly with the Zang Fu, i.e. internal organs. These channels were studied in the “Spiritual Axis” chapters 17, 21 and 62, the “Classic of Difficulties” chapters 27, 28 and 29 and the “Study of the 8 Extraordinary vessels” (Qi Jing Ba Mai Kao), written in 1578.
The two “most important” extraordinary vessels were the conception and governor vessels.
The Conception and Governor vessels are likened to vast reservoirs or seas of energy, and using points on these vessels is essentially tapping into such huge reservoirs. The Governor vessel is more yang predominant than the Conception vessel, which is more yin predominant.
The position of the conception and governor vessels is in the central axis line of a person, and will be seen as a straight line from the front.
The conception vessel is located in the front, while the governor vessel is in the back. The two lines circle into a bundle in a person’s body, passing through the dantian and huiyin. Like two ropes that passed through a person’s crotch, they held up a person’s body.
Total Breathing
Humans commonly focus on breathing through their nose or mouth only, though we do possess the capacity to breathe through the pores on our body as well. It is called cutaneous respiration. We can use our skin to breathe in much more than just air. We can use our pores like mini chakras to pull non-physical energy (Primarily Draconic Qi here) into our embodiment. Our skin also exhales. It helps the body release toxins. It sweats. This is wonderful on an energetic level because it means we can use our pores to inhale any positive vibration such as the Draconic Qi or True Qi in this project and exhale any negative vibration such as turbid, stagnant Qi or impurities (energetic and physical) in our bodies.
Example of a Pore Breathing Method (For inspiration):
The baseline technique for pore breathing is to begin by watching your breath as it is drawn in and out of the lungs. Then gradually, shift your conscious focus to your skin. Begin to intend that your skin take on the quality of a sponge. See the breath coming in as energy. Consciously focus on your skin beginning to soak in that energy with every inhale so your whole body is breathing it in, not just your lungs. Feel it accumulating inside you. This is a Prana practice. You can keep the practice like this. Or you can add the element of exhalation.
To add exhalation to your practice, intend that with every exhale your skin exudes whatever energy is stagnant, negative or unneeded within the body. Alternatively, you can imagine that you inhale energy through your skin which accumulates and with each exhale, the un-needed, negative or stagnant energy is exhaled like a channel through just your your lungs, throat and mouth.
- Strength Training: The very first step in cultivation; in this step, a cultivator will strengthen their mortal bodies as a foundation. Drawing inspiration from the Agoge of the Spartans where warriors engage in harsh physical combat and training daily that pushes them to the brink of survival mechanisms, Recreate an individualized (Personal most efficient and effective) physical stimulation of muscles, bones, tendons to strengthen, toughen as well as increase flexibility and fine control.
- Flesh Training: Flesh Training is the first realm where true essence flows from the body to temper it. Flesh training as the name implies tempers the flesh using true essence from the dantian, surroundings or pills to increase one’s strength above the normal capabilities of humans. Strengthens the outer parts of the body. The epidermises of the skin can be infused with true essence/Qi.
- Viscera Training: Viscera Training is when true essence finishes tempering the flesh and flows into the organs. Those in viscera training experience true essence flowing into the organs to temper it and have more durable organs than ordinary individuals.
- Altering Muscle: Altering Muscle is when true essence overflows from the organs and begin to temper the muscles. This allows those at altering muscle to have a greater strength, speed etc. compared to those of a lower boundary by a large margin.
- Bone Forging: As the name states. This is when a cultivator permeates their true essence in the bones, strengthening it comprehensively.
- Qi Condensation: Qi Condensation (凝气 níngqì) – also known as Qi Refining (炼气 liànqì) or Qi Gathering (聚气 jùqì). An initial stage of cultivation which involves absorbing Qi from the natural world and refining it inside the body. This was mainly to revolve True Essence inside one’s meridians.
- Overall Mechanism: True essence flows from the body into the organs, from the organs into the bones, and from the bones into the meridians, where it began to revolve through every inch of flesh, making a full revolution and nurturing the body before returning to the organs and muscles, completing a full circle. As true essence flowed into the meridians, it created a circulation that revolved within the body.
- True Essence Manifestation: Energy and mass came from the same origins. Once mass was burned, it would turn into energy. And once energy was highly compressed, it could also similarly evolve and gain a substantive quality.
This was the so-called ‘True Essence Manifestation’
True essence manifestation was an ability within the realm of Pulse Condensation Period martial artists and above.
Martial artists were able to release magnificent and awe-inspiring martial skills; but, this was not true essence manifestation. True essence manifestation referred to when a martial artist casually attacked, and was able to realize true essence and condense it into reality. Like so, every free strike they made would be comparable to a martial skill from an ordinary martial artist.
The requirement for this was that a martial artist’s true essence must be incomparably thick.
Houtian & Xiantian (后天 hòutiān / 先天 xiāntiān) – the names of two cultivation stages which appear in several novels, with the Houtian stage preceding the Xiantian stage. Houtian can mean Posterior Heaven / Postcelestial / Acquired. Xiantian can mean Anterior Heaven / Precelestial / Innate. Very roughly, the idea is that something “Xiantian” is primordial and thus close to the Dao, while something “Houtian” is degraded or further away from the Dao.
- “Houtian & Xiantian” are derived from Daoism and Internal Alchemy. There’s a belief that people are born with a small amount of Xiantian treasures (Essence, Qi and Spirit). By practicing Daoist cultivation and internal alchemy, they can absorb and refine the Houtian Qi of the natural world to steadily increase their supply of Xiantian treasures (which grant health and longevity benefits).
- Houtian
The sign of the Houtian realm was true essence accumulating in the dantian
- The difference between the Pulse Condensation period and the Houtian realm was that a Houtian realm master could save and condense true essence in his dantian. But, a Pulse Condensation period martial artist could only contain true essence within their meridians. Naturally, the dantian could hold a much greater amount of true essence than the meridians.
- Qi starts condensing in the Dantian. Can place essence into the dantian rather than just the meridians. Essence quality achieves a qualitative change.
- Xiantian
The sign for the Xiantian realm was true essence forming an organized system within the dantian
- Qi starts to revolve inside the Dantian. Making the dantian more organized and efficient. Can have the ability of flight.
- The difference between the Houtian realm and Xiantian realm was the Xiantian breath within oneself. With this, one’s soul would enter into a tranquil state, and they would be able to communicate with heaven and earth origin energy. They could use their soul to understand the wisdom of the world and use their true essence to move the power of the heavens and earth.
- In the martial world, those that entered into the Xiantian realm would condense pre-natal energy within their bodies, returning to a fetus-like state where they breathed in energy and remained free from the pollution of the world. This could be called the time when one truly became a martial cultivator. Below the Xiantian realm, they wouldn’t be able to clear the impurities from their bodies, and remain only a mortal.
- When a baby was still in the mother’s body, they would rely on the umbilical cord transporting blood in order to breathe; this was the Xiantian breath.
- After a baby was born, they changed to breathing from their mouths and nose. Inevitably they would breathe the foul Houtian air, and there simply wouldn’t be any Xiantian breath.
- From Houtian to Xiantian, one had to rid themselves of worldly roots and change their Houtian breath to Xiantian breath.
- Black Hole Revolving Core: In some novels, the path of cultivation eventually requires Cultivators to forge a Core within their lower dantian by using the dantian as a crucible and their Qi as raw material. This process is often called Core Formation (结丹 jiēdān) – sometimes left in pinyin as Jiedan. It is a difficult and advanced stage of cultivation, and only a small minority of Cultivators are able to succeed. The Gold Core is sometimes left untranslated as “Jindan” or is more literally translated as Golden Pellet. In scholarly articles on Chinese internal alchemy, it is translated as the “Golden Elixir“. It is somewhat analogous to the Philosopher’s Stone of Western alchemy, although there are many differences between the two.
- At the moment a user completed their Revolving (Having the trait and ability of constantly flowing, revolving the Qi within the body to prevent build up of turbid or stagnant Qi) Core, it would result in a qualitative change. It would become solid, round, and filled with a deep gravitational force. It was just like when a star of the universe collapsed into a white dwarf star or neutron star. Once it collapsed, the mass would stay the same and the size would decrease but the gravity would experience a massive leap upwards.
- When the cyclone within a martial artist condensed into a Revolving Core it was also a similar process of collapsing. The instant that a Revolving Core formed, because of the intense suction, it would completely condense all energies into the dantian. Within the void of the dantian, the newly condensed crystal core would cause a massive whirlpool, sucking in all the surrounding energy and leading the total true essence amount to have a massive leap.
- A Revolving Core was similar to a star. If the total mass was the same and the radius was smaller, then the gravitational force would be comparatively stronger. The Revolving Core will continuously increase in quality and strengthen until it attains a ‘mass’ and attraction qualities similar to a black hole, where there is absolute zero Qi/any energy leakage from the user and the speed they absorb heaven and earth origin energy increases exponentially.
The Dragon Transformation and Immortal Cultivation dual elements complement each other whereby progress in each element speeds up and strengthens the foundation for the other element’s progress and effects, which are mutually multiplicative. The project also aims towards making the entire cultivation process one that is as natural as breathing, effortlessly so, over time and repeated use such that every breathe will draw Draconic Qi provided by the project as well as origin heaven and earth qi to nourish and build up the user’s cultivation.
12 C
Mandala + Audio
Only possible because of @Captain_Nemo. Many thanks and gratitude for this amazing creation.
