Illegal or Restricted Cultivation methods

There are also illegal and restricted forms of cultivation. Two examples of illegal cultivation forms are litch-binding and slave-binding.
Litch-binding is the precess by which the cultivator migrates all three of his energy pools to the same location and binds them together. This causes the user to be able to use higher tiered energy such as aether, nether, and ether before the proper time during the cultivation process. Litch-binding is often seen by desperate and power hungry individuals as a shortcut to power. Using higher tiered energy before the body, mind or spirit is ready burns out the cultivators mind, body, or soul, or any combination of the three. Litch-bound cultivators are usually skeletal, emotionless beings who are powerful, and tend to lust for more power and don't have the conscience to keep from doing evil things to obtain it. Even if they were a good person before litch-binding, the beings usually fall into the dark arts, such as necromancy, blood and soul magics, as well as demonic dealings. Litch-binding is also commonly seen with the next cultivation method, slave-binding.
Slave-binding is another illegal type of cultivation, which sees the cultivator forcibly bind an animal, monster, or other being's energy that is less powerful than the cultivator directly to the cultivators energy pools. This leaves the less powerful being an empty husk of its old self, and directly enslaved to the will of the more powerful being. As the more powerful being takes the energy directly from the slave, the master grows in power as he amasses more slaves and more powerful slaves. This type of cultivation is a perversion of the familiar-cultivation method and the dual-cultivation method, two supplementary cultivation methods that bind two beings together as equals. These three cultivation methods (slave, familiar and dual cultivation) can be used in addition to another type of cultivation methods.

Applied Restriction

Litch-binders have a chance of burning their mind, and mind-burnt litches are the most common first step to becoming a wendigo, or cannibalistic monster. The people who are drawn to the quick and dirty power-ups that the illegal cultivation methods give are more likely to become greed dragons, or purposely contract one of the four undead diseases to gain more power no matter the cost.