Chapter 1030: The Five Steps Of Eternity, Legend Of The Heavenly Venerable (2)
"Wu Yuan, we shall now share some truths with you," the white-robed boy Bai Sui slowly began to speak. His voice was childish, but his eyes held a reminiscent look. "It was a very, very long time ago... Throughout the passing of samsara cycles of heaven and earth, the vast cosmic sea remained eternally unchanging, while the Dao Masters always stood at the pinnacle.
“The strength of the Dao Masters was equivalent to the Dao Zenithels, Fourth-step Eternals. They were also the first batch of Dao Zenithel existences. You should know this," Bai Sui said.
Dao Zenithel? Wu Yuan nodded slightly.
He had some understanding of this information from the Taiyuan Divine Court's intelligence archives after his qi refiner self became an Overlord. However, the descriptions were rather vague.
There were five stages of the Overlord level.
Eternal lifeforms were similarly divided into five stages by numerous eternal beings over many samsara cycles. These are also known as the five steps of eternity.
The first step of eternity was the Perennial stage. Those at this stage were the weakest eternal beings. The vast majority were naturally-born eternal lifeforms, or universe-born lifeforms who achieved eternity through Stowing Away. Fourth-stage Overlords could generally match them.
The second step of eternity was the Dao Pioneer stage. This was a stage that 99.9% of eternal beings could not reach. It represented truly forging one's own unique Dao based on the foundations of the Great Dao one comprehended. Legendary fifth-stage Overlords could barely compare to eternal lifeforms at this stage.
The third step of eternity, the True Saint stage, represented perfecting one's Dao to an extremely powerful degree. The rulers of various Saintdoms across many universes, such as True Saint Bu Xiu, True Saint Taiyuan, True Saint Hui Mie and others, were all at this stage. They could already be considered peak powerhouses of the boundless megaverse, reaching heights unattainable by countless eternal lifeforms. Those who could be called Saints among Eternals were extremely rare. [1]
The fourth step of eternity, the Dao Zenithel stage, represented advancing one's Dao to an inconceivable degree. It also represented a limit for eternal lifeforms that could hardly be surpassed or exceeded. The Dao Masters, as well as Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu, Eldritch Progenitor Di Jiang, and the Heavenly Imperator of the Immortal Court were all at this stage.
The fifth step of eternity? Some powerhouses called it the Origin stage, signifying the beginning of all things. Some called it the Heavenly Venerable stage, signifying walking alongside heaven and being equal in status to the Primordium. Some called it the Apex Strength stage, signifying an invincible level.