Eternal Life Beings (长生者; chángshēngzhě, literally means ‘one who has long life’) are Tribulation Immortals who have tread their own unique Way. This stage isn’t the Tenth Stage and actually just the next half-step of Ninth Stage.[1][2][3][4]
Once a Tribulation Immortal trod a Way, he will gain an unlimited life span, just like the title implied. However, it doesn’t mean an Eternal Life Being can’t be killed and die.[5][6]
Term of Address
Eternal Life Being [Dao Name/Saint Title]
Emperor
Powerful Eternal Life Beings may use Emperor (帝; Dì) as part of their title such as Heavenly Emperor (天帝;Tiān Dì) and Four Directional Great Emperors (四方大帝; Sì Fāng Dà Dì) .
Demon Emperor
Demon Emperor (魔帝; Mó Dì) seems to be a title for Eternal Life Beings from demon sects.
Known demon emperors are:
- Demon Emperor Hezhi – The legendary and the most famous demon emperor in the history of All Heavens and Myriad Realms.
- Demon Emperor È– The only known demon emperor of the current era.
Way of Eternal Life
Although Tribulation Immortals are already incredibly powerful with the life span of tens of millions of years, they weren’t eternal (永恒; yǒnghéng) and imperishable (不朽; bù xiǔ); Tribulation Immortals still can die. Therefore, all those ancient Tribulation Immortals started to look for a method to increase their realm of one step and become ‘long life without dying’ (长生不死; cháng shēng bù sǐ). Their objective wasn’t to become imperishable (不朽; bù xiǔ) like the Heavenly Way, but to obtain a long life.[1]
In the end, those ancient Tribulation Immortals researched many ways and those that were extremely powerful and capable of Bearing the Mandate of Heaven found their own Way of Eternal Life (长生之道; Chángshēng zhī Dào).[1]
Normally the vast majority of the Eternal Life Beings would find their own Way only after advancing to the Ninth Stage Tribulation Immortal Realm—finally grasping the concept of eternal life—there were some that would find their Way during the Eighth Stage Profound Saint Realm, or even earlier.[7]
Treading the Way
A Tribulation Immortal must tread their own Way to be an Eternal Life Being. There are many Tribulation Immortals in All Heavens and Myriad Realms, because unable to tread their own Way, can’t live forever despite possessing an extremely long lifespan.[8]
Due to the principle limitations of the Nine Serenities World, Demons of the Nine Serenities are unable to tread their own Way of Eternal Life.[9]
Upon losing her Way of the Heavenly Court, Heavenly Emperor’s cultivation instantly dropped to Tribulation Immortal Realm.[10]
Failure to Tread the Way
Failing to step onto one’s own Way brought about even graver and more horrifying consequences than failing to transcend a tribulation.[11]
Failure to transcend a tribulation would still leave the tribulation transcender with a chance of survival, albeit a small one. And then, after recovering from the injury, that same person who had failed could go and attempt to transcend their tribulation once again. However, failing to step onto one’s own Way would directly cause one to die and the Way disappear. Even if they were to prepare means of resurrection in advance, all of it would become useless.[11]
Uniqueness of Ways
Every Way of Eternal Life could only have a single owner at any given time. Hence, no two Eternal Life Beings can have the same Way at the same time.[12][13]
Ah Chang was stranded in the Tribulation Immortal Realm and unable to tread his Way due to it already being occupied by the Heavenly Emperor. Upon the Way of the Heavenly Court was vacated by the Heavenly Emperor, Ah Chang was able to tread the Way and becoming an Eternal Life Being.[14]
Despite this, a Way may and can be passed around. There are two known cases of such occurrence:
- Cheng Lin passed her Way of Nurturing New Life to Song Shuhang;[15] and
- Heavenly Emperor passed her Way of the Heavenly Court to Ah Chang.[16]
Maximum Number of Ways Per Individual
An Eternal Life Being may have more than one Way. However, it was extremely rare to the point of almost unheard of.
- Heavenly Emperor had two Ways, the Way of the Heavenly Court and the Way of Time.[10]
- As Cheng Lin was still an Eternal Life Being without the Way of Nurturing New Life, it is safe to say she has another Way.
- Tyrant Song had multiple Ways
Main Way
An Eternal Life Being can only have one Way active at any given time.
Heavenly Emperor created the ‘seamless docking’ method, which allows the transition between the Ways without dropping to Tribulation Immortal Realm. This method was later on used by Song Shuhang at the behest of White, since realm dropping may cause some hidden danger.[17][18]
Moon Wheel Halo
Moon Wheel Halo behind Cheng Lin signifies her status as an Eternal Life Being
Moon wheel (月轮; míng lún) is the symbol of an Eternal Life Being.[19][20] It is also known as the Great Way Light Wheel (大道光轮; dà dào guāng lún).[21]
As long as a practitioner sees this light wheel, all kinds of emotions can flow into his heart. The light was like a mirror, and regardless of the level of the cultivator looking at it, the latter would come to different realizations after the radiance stemming from the ‘Way’ shone onto their body.[19][20][21]
From a moon wheel, the information of an Eternal Life Being’s Way can be obtained.[19][20][22]
Resurrection
After breaking out of the life span’s crisis … these Eternal Life Beings will do everything possible to leave behind some resurrection’s back hand for themselves. After all, long life really isn’t the Heavenly Way, really isn’t the imperishable, still can die.[5]
As long as they have some resurrection’s back hand, even if Eternal Life Beings were to accidentally lose their life, they still would have the opportunity to stage a comeback. Although they would have to pay a huge price for the resurrection, they would be able to quickly return to peak condition by relying on all the arrangements they had made beforehand.[5]
Rebirth arrays (重生的阵法; chóngshēng de zhènfǎ) or also known as array of rebirth (重生之阵; chóngshēng zhī zhèn) were methods that Eternal Life Beings or other powerful cultivators had left behind for their sake. Although Eternal Life Beings have a long life, but it isn’t imperishable without dying (不朽不死; bù xiǔ bù sǐ), so they still have the possibility of falling from the sky. As such, all experienced Eternal Life Beings would secretly leave behind a few methods they could use to come back to life. After they had carelessly died, they would have the opportunity to stage a comeback thanks to these methods.[6]
Changing Heaven
At any given time, there can be only one ‘Heaven’. The Current Heaven (当今的天; Dāngjīn de Tiān) must withdraw from the position first before a New Heaven (新天; Xīn Tiān) can replace it. Whenever the incumbent bearer about to withdraw from its position, the transition period will be known as ‘Changing Heaven’ (变天; Biàn Tiān).
During this period, Ninth Stage Tribulation Immortals and Eternal Life Beings will shun the world. Those who didn't manage to shun in time will be pursued and ultimately destroyed by the Heavenly Thunder (天雷; Tiān Léi). However, there are some time gap before their presence were noted by the Heaven.
Vying for Heavenly Way
Each Eternal Life Being was an existence that had what it took to bear the Mandate of Heaven. Whenever the position of the Heavenly Way was vacant, they would fight among themselves, and suppress all the things in All Heavens and Myriad Realms.[23]
The one who managed to bear the Mandate of Heaven would become myriad realms’ one and only Heavenly Way. From then on, they would surpass the concept of long life and undying, and become truly imperishable, undying and inextinguishable.[23]
Trivia
This stage was erroneously translated as Immortal by Godbrandy.
The only true ‘immortals’, who have a long life without death (长生不死; chángshēng bùsǐ), would be the Heavenly Ways.
Links and References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Chapter 317
- ↑ Chapter 396
- ↑ This information was omitted by Godbrandy’s translation.
- ↑ Chapter 2863
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Chapter 742
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Chapter 960
- ↑ Chapter 873
- ↑ Chapter 1178
- ↑ Chapter 2642
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Chapter 2701
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Chapter 1244
- ↑ Chapter 1246
- ↑ Chapter 1986
- ↑ Chapter 2694
- ↑ Chapter 1281
- ↑ Chapter 2698
- ↑ Chapter 3038
- ↑ Chapter 3050
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 Chapter 567
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 Chapter 919
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 Chapter 1514
- ↑ Chapter 2965
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 Chapter 872
| e • d • v | |
|---|---|
| Disciple | Foundation Building • First Stage Beyond Mortal • Second Stage True Master • Third Stage Battle King |
| Expert | Fourth Stage Inborn • Fifth Stage Spirit Sovereign |
| Senior | Sixth Stage True Monarch • Seventh Stage Spirit Venerable |
| Big Shot | Eighth Stage Saint • Ninth Stage Tribulation Immortal • Eternal Life Being |