Ascension the process by which a Cultivator transcends the World that contains them, breaking past Reality and into the Heavens themselves. Some details vary depending on the Cultivator in question and their God, but in essence Ascension has four main steps.
Connection
The first step to ascending is Connection - opening a Law channel between one's Dantian and the Heavens. At this stage, Ascension cannot truly be said to have begun; there is not yet any danger, and it is still possible to back down. In fact, the wise Cultivator will practice this step repeatedly in preparation for truly kicking off their ascension.
This step's requirements are mostly towards Law cultivation. The primary Law used here is the Law of Recursion (aka the Law of Cultivation), acting as the external shell for the Manifestation. As a secondary support, other Law comprehension can be used to "fill" the channel, lending it greater metaphysical weight. Because a channel needs to be a certain length and width to serve its purpose, there are some demands on Energy cultivation in this step as well, but that requirement is pretty minimal considering the standard energy levels of people at this level. That said, it is common for cultivators to fill their ascension channel with far more than the minimum required Qi, for help resisting Tribulation in the Transmission step.
When one is able to create a stable ascension channel of reasonable size, one is considered to have reached the "Ascendancy" stage - a mark of power and prestige, albeit one that far pales in comparison to the rewards of a fully successful Ascension.
Transmission
Once the ascension channel is formed, it can be "activated", making both the surface of one's Dantian and the Heavens permeable to the Cultivator's Will at the points of contact. This is the step of no return; once committed, the Cultivator's Will is inexorably drawn out of the Dantian and up to the Heavens.
This is also the step where Heavenly Tribulation is likely to comes down. The nature of such is determined by the World's Laws and is not a universal constant; in fact, without the explicit introduction of the Tribulation Law by a World's God, Ascension would entirely free of Tribulation.
This step is completed once the entirety of the Cultivator's Will has been severed from their former Dantian, made its way up the channel, and entered the Heavens. At this point, some might argue that the essential processes of Ascension is complete, but as far as the individual Will of the cultivator is concerned, the true trials still lay ahead.
Integration
"Heavenly Assimilation". "Usurping the Heavens". "One With God". "Divine Challenge". This step has many names, which often vary with the culture of a World and the attitude of the ascending Cultivator. However, regardless of name, this step's nature is fundamentally the same: merging one's Will with the Will of the Heavens.
If the Throne is vacant, this step is usually easy; there is nobody to contest the Ascendant, so they need merely absorb whatever sub-sentient Will remnants may be lingering on the throne.
But if the Throne of Heaven is currently claimed by a God, then this means merging with the Will of God. This is a literal merge - the two Wills mix together and produce a being that is part God and part Ascendant. The parts that are preserved in such a merger vary depend on a number of factors, with the foremost being:
- The strength with which specific ideals, beliefs, and desires are held
- The total "quantity" of Will that both parties possess (i.e. Will cultivation)
- Whether the two Wills approach the merger in an amicable or adversarial fashion
- It should be noted that Law and Energy cultivation play NO role in the face-off over the Throne of Heaven. Integration is purely a contest of Self, fought over a domain in which neither Laws nor Qi exist
The more strongly a cultivator feels about something, the more likely it is that that feeling survives the merger. The stronger one side's Will cultivation, the more of the resulting being stems from them, as opposed to their counterparty. And finally, the more the two Wills conflict, the more the loser's personality is suppressed, but the less of their knowledge and ability remains to be integrated into the composite being. That said, even in an adversarial merger where one side is entirely suppressed, the composite being is at least marginally affected by the loser, and also retains at least fragments of the loser's memories and Law Cultivation.
I should note that while I've described the merger between God and Ascendant as an equal process, in practice the God usually dominates the Ascendant in Will cultivation, with appropriate consequences for the merger. The rare genius or old monster might be able to dominate and absorb God during their Ascension, but that is the exception rather than the rule. Of course, it is possible to win merely by wanting it enough, which encourages many to try despite the low odds.
Dominion
The final step of Ascension is Dominion. This is when the Merged WIll that emerges from the Integration stage actually claims the metaphorical Throne of Heaven, getting access to the senses and controls of Reality that the Heavens grant. While this is listed as a separate step, it can sometimes overlap with the Integration step, and at the latest starts right after Integration. This is because Integration connects the Ascendant's will with the Will currently holding the Throne, and as the Wills in question merge they are naturally left in contact with the Throne themselves.
For those who merged with a God, this step is usually easy. God will have been holding the Throne of Heaven throughout the Integration process, so Dominion just consisting of patching any deficits that God's Will could have developed as part of joining the Merged Will.
For those who merge with a sub-sentient Will, the process is far harder. Without direct familiarity with the World and its Laws, claiming the Throne of Heaven is extremely straining on the soul. The Merged Will must use it's Law comprehension to familiarize itself with the Throne of Heaven, while using their Will Cultivation to resist ego-death. If successful, the Merged Will emerges as a God of the World; if not, it is torn apart into sub-sentient fragments, suitable only to decorate the Throne in wait of the next Ascendant.