Within the vast world of cultivation, across galaxies—lesser, greater, or of an even higher standard, there existed the concept and power of Oaths. Oaths existed as a regulatory device to keep cultivators honest or to restrict certain unwanted behaviors, such as traitorous acts or cowardly retreats, punished by varied yet devastating punishment.
They were:
Spirit Oath; Spiritual Consequence.
Heavenly Oaths; Heavenly Tribulation.
Mythical Oath; Mythical Punishment.
However, Spirit Oaths were far too weak and carried a strong risk of loopholes, all determined by the interpretation of the oath itself. For example, if a Knight swore to protect a princess, and he felt that protecting her from suitors was forcefully impregnating her, then his Spirit Oath would not activate.