Xiūshēn

Known in Imperial common as self-cultivation or personal cultivation is a philosophy that focuses on the development of one's mind or capacities through one's own efforts. Self-cultivation is the cultivation, integration, and coordination of mind and body. Although self-cultivation may be practiced as a form of psychotherapy, it goes beyond healing and self-help to also encompass self-development and self-improvement. It is associated with attempts to go beyond normal states of being, enhancing and polishing one's capacities, and developing innate human potential to become capable of feats normally thought impossible. The philosophy started in the ancient Dragon Empire, the empire that predates the modern Twin Dragon Empires in Uxal, where human monks with little or no dragon blood wanted to achieve similar power to the dragon-blood humans, chiefly among them a longer life span and potentially even immortality. Like almost all of the mortal races followers of this philosophy are at odds with demons, their supernatural abilities make them especially suited to hunt them, and so with time the cult has taken the role of demon hunters. Followers of this cult can be found all over Uxal, but most of them reside in the southern region of The Western Dragon Empire, protecting the southern border against demon incursions from the Southern Demonic Wastes.

Religious hierarchy

Although the philosophy does not require a hierarchical structure to function, and many individuals practice it on their own there are still hierarchical structures in the philosophy. There are sects, that evolved from the first group of monks that gathered together to follow similar doctrines, many sects following this religion exist, differing slightly in beliefs but only five are of major importance.

• tiān rén, meaning "celestial being" focuses on light and radiance, although mostly proficient in the arts of healing members of this sect are not to be underestimated in combat.
• jué xīn, meaning "determination", training in many arts, members of this sect hold the conviction that with the force of will nothing is impossible to achieve, and have been described as stubborn by those outside the sect.
• Yin, meaning "to oversee" planning everything in detail and never deviating from those plans, members of this sect are diligent and methodical and make for excellent logisticians.
• fēng, meaning "mountain peak" accepting only excellence as a valid result, members of this sect strive for perfection and can be seen as pedantic and idealistic by outsiders.
• Hui, meaning "circle" believing that everything is part of cycles, big and small, members of this sect can seem ominous or creepy to outsiders, they are the only sect that has experimented with necromancy or shēng mìng de xún huán (the cycle of life and death) as they call it.

Though almost all members of the sects are commoners, their organization reflects those with hereditary nobility such as the feudal noble of The Eastern Dragon Empire or those in the Kingdom of Aurum and the Merovingian Kingdom. The major sects are like important noble families who train young warrior monks in the way of immortality through martial arts and meditating on the laws of the universe. The numerous minor sects act like minor noble houses affiliated with major sects, similar to how a baron is affiliated with a count. The sects have no proper form of centralized governance among them but often hold conferences with representatives, usually the leaders and other important members, of all the sects. Legally the sects have no political power recognized by The Immortal Dragon Empress or other dragon-blood nobles in The Western Dragon Empire, but this is not true in practice, the sects and their important members hold influence on many of the people living in the southern region of the Empire, they have also access to many powerful warriors that would cause major instability should they decide to rebel against the Empire's nobility, so their opinions is still taken in high regards. Many dragon-blood nobles view the sects, especially their more powerful members as fools who toy with power beyond their comprehension, or peasants who wish for power they do not deserve by blood, this has given rise to political and social conflicts, thankfully none that led to major violent or military actions.

Naming conventions

Like the rest of the Twin Dragon Empires, the family name comes before the personal name, but since followers of Xiūshēn belive that true names hold power, they choose or are given a courtesy name keeping their true personal name secret only known to their family and close friends.

Type

Religious, Organised Religion

Alternative Names

Self-cultivation or personal cultivation

Parent Organization

The Western Dragon Empire

Notable Members

• Wei Tianlan

Related Ethnicities

• Humans of the Eastern Dragon Empire
• Humans of the Western Dragon Empire