Chapter Text
Spiritual Swords in my AUs are very complicated things.
After forming a golden core, a cultivator needs to spend a few months actually maintaining and supporting it until doing so is second nature for the body. And few actually manage to do so the first time.
Once they have however, they (are supposed to) spend the next year strengthening the foundation of their core and learning how to use/manipulate their spiritual energy to enhance their bodies via circulating their spiritual energy through it. Once at a satisfactory level they are given spiritual wooden swords to learn how to safely circulate their spiritual energy through another object and also begin to learn how to manipulate objects with their energy too.
(Note that before forming a core most trianing is physical conditioning and meditation. They are also typically taught how to wield a sword during this time as well as a clan’s sword stance and techniques without actually cultivating the sword path.)
Before long they will be given a metal spiritual sword to officially start on the Sword Path and behind practicing Sword Cultivation. These spiritual swords are referred to as “basic spiritual swords” which are swords that support the circulation of spiritual energy providing a base connection that allows for easier manipulation of the sword, due to being unable to bond with a cultivator they do not have spirits and can be used by any cultivator without much difficulty (mostly). These swords are not named.
When it is believed one’s core is strong enough to withstand bonding with an individual sword, one is either gifted a spiritual sword of their own or in the case of rogues commission one to be made for them. (Not everyone can manage to bond with a sword, so some cultivators do just continue to use basic spiritual swords forever, and while it is a near impossibility on occasion a well cared for basic sword can develop a spirit of its own and thus act as a pseudo individualized sword.)
Named Spiritual Swords are personal swords that were raised by their wielder’s spiritual. Unlike basic spiritual swords, these personal swords are in-tuned to a cultivator’s energy and thus making them far easier for said individual to control.
Contrary to the belief of many, all such swords have spirits, this does not mean those spirits are strong or even coherent though. The type of sword and methods of raising it can also affect the spirit. Given the nature of these swords it can extremely difficult to basically impossible to wield another cultivator’s sword, not to mention extremely uncomfortable, and doing so is only really possible if one manages to force the sword spirit to submit or if it gives them permission.
(Note when I say wielding another cultivator’s sword I mean using it as an actual spiritual sword, being able to cultivate with it, fly, and manipulate it. It’s still entirely possible to use it as a plain old sword but without the spirit submitting or giving permission it won’t accept spiritual energy. Even with total submission or permission using another’s spiritual sword can be dangerous as it’s molded to fit a single individual’s energy and style, so doing so could actually end up receiving backlash or end up qi-deviating. And if one isn’t careful, without total submission, the sword spirit may even try to sabotage you. At a certain level of strength and will, a sword spirit can not only seal itself but prevent others from using it as a normal sword too by “burning” them or attacking them with its own cultivated energy.)
Example, Wei Ying manages to use Wen Chao’s sword as he easily overwhelms it with his energy making it submit. Meanwhile, the resentful sword (Yin Tiger Sword) fights Wei Ying’s control and even tries to make him submit.
When bonding with a sword, one is basically accepting it as part of their body and thus a small fraction of the wielder’s golden core transfers to it to empower it (this transfer of power is why those with weaker cores often can’t bond with a sword, it’s also why destroying a cultivator’s sword can weaken/injury them), this also gives birth to the beginning of the sword’s spirit, whose personality is often based on their wielder. These infant spirits are then raised form the continued infusion of their wielder’s spiritual energy, and in some cases using the power lent by their wielder a sword can cultivate a “core” of its own. Due to this close connection with their wielder and unlike the passive growth with a basic spiritual sword, an individual spiritual sword provides an ease in cultivating, even assisting in the circulation and manipulation of spiritual energy thus giving a significant boost in cultivation speed and strength (basically their dual cultivation with their swords).
There’s a few other things but either update this later or I’ll save those for another note as I’m still figuring it all out myself.