xiūliàn
Also written: xiulian; cultivation; spiritual training; refine through practice
To cultivate, train, and refine the body, mind, spirit, energy, or supernatural ability through sustained practice.
Literal meaning
to cultivate and refine through disciplined practice
Cultural context
The word has older religious and self-cultivation associations, while xianxia and cultivation fiction expand it into structured progression systems with realms, techniques, breakthroughs, and long periods of training.
How dramas use it
Characters enter seclusion to xiūliàn, advance to a new stage, repair damaged cultivation, learn a forbidden method, or discover that rapid power comes with a hidden cost.
Usage & formality
Cultivation is a useful translation in fantasy, but viewers should not assume every drama uses identical stages or rules. The story’s system remains authoritative.