Grand Empyrean

**Grand Empyrean** is the final stage of the Third Step.

## Overview

### Origins and History

This Stage's existence and the method to reach it was discovered inside the Immemorial God Realm by the Ancient and Celestial Ancestors. It was then quickly adopted by the two clans as the next level beyond their own pre-existing Cultivation Peaks, the Void Tribulant and 27 Stars.

However, as Wang Lin's case illustrates, the next realm beyond Peak Void Tribulant is still in reality Half Heaven Trampling.

The two Ancestors created Trials based on the Trial that allowed one to become a Grand Empyrean, which were used to help their descendants reach this level.

When the two Ancestors were alive, the Celestial Clan had amassed eight Grand Empyreans while the Ancient Clan only had four, when they died, however, the two clans went to war and Ancient One Guo Dao personally killed three of the Celestial Grand Empyreans, thus bringing the total number of Grand Empyreans down to nine.

### Attainment

The first known method to breakthrough to Grand Empyrean is for one to enter the Immemorial God Realm and complete the trial that exists there. There is also a second method via inheritance, as is the case with both the Celestial Emperor Lian Daozhan and the Ancient Clan's Guo Dao. Finally it is also possible to reach this level by one's own merits, as is the stated case for the late Dong Ling and was achieved by completing the Empyrean Exalt Trials. Other Grand Empyreans are noted to have achieved the level through some unknown stroke of luck after entering the Immemorial God Realm, but only Wang Lin achieved anything resembling this form of power without ever having gone to that realm at all.

#### Wang Lin's case

Because his cultivation is based on the direct division of realms, Wang Lin jumped straight to Half Heaven Trampling from Peak Void Tribulant, however he was able to manifest a Grand Empyrean Sun at Void Tribulants Late and Peak levels by combining his Essence True Bodies and he fully manifests it at Half Heaven Trampling by feeding the head of the Celestial Ancestor into it.

### Abilities

Grand Empyreans can Reincarnate themselves in order to lengthen their lifespan indefinitely. Furthermore Grand Empyreans can turn spells corporeal through their powerful faith, which can go so far as to create something from nothing. To create something from nothing therefore is the root of all Grand Empyrean spells. Only the Grand Empyreans can use these Faith Spells. Rumor has it that faith spells can’t be inherited and that therefore every Faith Spell was created by the Grand Empyreans themselves.

### Further Progression

Beyond the Grand Empyrean Realm itself is the Fourth Step's Heaven Trampling Realm. However, the gap to reach that point is a massive one. One way to achieve this is to first cross the Nine Heaven Trampling Bridges. Until one succeeds at this, or otherwise ascends, they are stuck in the Half Heaven Trampling Transitional Realm. At least one Grand Empyrean is known to be in the process of doing this. The Grand Empyrean's power increases with every bridge they cross, similar to a Nirvana Shatterer overcoming the Five Heaven's Blights or an Arcane Void enduring the Nine Arcane Tribulations. The difference however is that the nine bridges are physical objects existing in the world and were created to help bridge the massive gap between the 3rd and 4th steps, similar to the Empyrean Exalt Trial.

## Known Grand Empyreans

All of the Nine Suns are called as such because they have reached the **Grand Empyrean** level and thus generated the characteristic Sun. Gemini used to be rumored as the strongest Grand Empyrean, but has since weakened when she was split in two.

The true strongest Grand Empyrean was actually Grand Empyrean Gu Dao from the Ancient Clan, who single handedly took out 3 of the Celestial Clan's Grand Empyrean's and is said to be heavily responsible for the death of the later ascended Dong Lin. In truth, he has a Cultivation even greater than this stage and is half a step into Heaven Trampling.

Wang Lin later officially became a Grand Empyrean by completing his Grand Empyrean Sun, but did so after taking half a step into Heaven Trampling.

### Celestial Clan

* Lian Daozhen (Central Continent)
* Lian Daofei (Central Continent)
* Jiu Di (Central Continent)
* Dao Yi (Southern Continent)
* Wu Feng (Northern Continent)

* Gemini (Eastern Continent)
* Dong Lin (Deceased)
* Three Unnamed Grand Empyrean's (Deceased)

### Ancient Clan

* Xuan Luo (Dao Clan )
* Gu Dao (Ancient Clan )
* Song Tian (Shi Clan)
* Unnamed Grand Empyrean (Ji Clan)

## Note

* During the fusion with with his Slaughter Essence True Body, Wang Lin's cultivation was rising and already approaching Grand Empyrean. After an unknown amount of time and his cultivation rising further, it was mentioned that treading the bridges and being halfway into Heaven Trampling would be stepping past Peak Void Tribulant. Later, it was mentioned that Grand Empyrean is half a step below Half-Heaven Trampling. This could imply that in some ways, Grand Empyrean is still part of the Void Tribulant stage.

## Trivia

* The strongest of the Nine Suns was revealed to be already beyond Grand Empyrean and has achieved Half Heaven Trampling.
* This Stage was originally discovered inside the Immemorial God Realm, accordingly, it is achievable by both Ancient Clansmen and Celestials who have reached the end of their race specific systems.
* Because his cultivation is based on the direct division of realms, meaning each time he progresses it is an immediate jump to the next step(Early-Mid-Late-Peak-Early of Next Realm) Wang Lin jumped straight to Half heaven Trampling from Peak Void Tribulant. He then completed his incomplete Grand Empyrean Sun afterwards.