Profound Saint

Profound Saint was an eighth stage in cultivation for practitioners from All Heavens and Myriad Realms and considered as a big shot-level character in the Cultivation World. During ancient times, prior to the Ancient Antiquity Era, this stage was only known as the Profound Saint Realm. Only since the Ancient Antiquity Era this stage was known as the ‘Eighth Stage’ (八品; *Bā Pǐn*).

The equivalent for this stage are

* Profound Demon for the Nine Serenities World;
* Ancient Saint for the Black Dragon World; and
* Ancient Demon for the Ancient Serenities.

A battle of Saints normally held in outer space due to the destructive might of their attacks that can destroy the world they are fighting on. A single strike may destroy a small city and after a battle, some smaller countries could end up in ruins.

All Saints are expected to be fluent in the Ancient Language, with some leeway for newly promoted Saints.

## Term of Address

Different from any other stages, the title and term of address for an Eighth Stage cultivator differ based on the location of their respective Eighth Stage Tribulation, whether All Heavens and Myriad Realms, Nine Serenities, Black Dragon World, Ancient Serenities or Demon Sea.

A Profound Saint may be addressed as Saint Monarch (圣君; *shèng jūn*) and considered as a ‘big shot’ everywhere in All Heavens and Myriad Realms and Nine Serenities World.

## Eighth Stage Tribulation

### Requirement

The requirement to be naturally promoted to this stage was to have a gold core with seven dragon marks or higher during the Fifth Stage and achieving the Eighth Layer of Heaven or higher during the Sixth Stage.

### Transcending the Tribulation

Any practitioner from All Heavens and Myriad Realms who will transcends the Eighth Stage Tribulation will be taken to the Heavenly Tribulation World (天劫世界; *tiān jié shìjiè*) or its Nine Serenities’ counterpart, the Demonic Tribulation World (魔劫世界; *mó jié shìjiè*). It's due to the strength and might of the tribulations that can destroy the world.

During Ancient times, every ten years there would be a Spirit Venerable attempting to breakthrough to this stage. However, on average, only one in 100 – 200 years will succeed. Moreover, even during the ancient period there would be only 3 – 4 Profound Saints in a year manifesting their presence at most.

### Nascent Soul

When a practitioner is transcending the Seventh Promote Eighth Tribulation, the tribulation transcender’s nascent soul will open its eyes for the second and last time. The nascent soul will erupt its accumulated strength, promoting to higher realm and starting the next round of evolution.

### Tribulation of the Mourning Death

Tribulation of the Mourning Death (衰死之劫; *shuāi sǐ zhī jié*) is the most unique and powerful tribulation during the Eighth Stage Tribulation. This tribulation is non-physical, non-magical, and non-Heart Demon. It is an attack on the level of a ‘principle’. This tribulation has a hidden perquisite, that the tribulation transcender must already have made contact with his own Way while still in the Seventh Stage.

## Manifest Presence In Front Of Human

A newly promoted Eighth Stage Profound Saint will Manifest Presence In Front Of Human (人前显圣; *rén qián xiǎn shèng*) to All Heavens and Myriad Realms’ practitioners or its Nine Serenities counterpart.

During the manifestation, a cultivator’s true face will be shown. For beast cultivators, they can choose either their human form or beast form. This iron rule has been set by the First Heavenly Way.

Song Shuhang was the only one who managed to break this iron rule, by using a mask created by Heavenly Lord Silver Trigram to assume Demon Emperor Hezhi’s appearance.

## Seal

### Condensation of Seal

Each Eighth Stage cultivator will condense their own seal bearing their unique title. There are five type of seals;

1. Saint Seal
2. Demon Seal
3. Dragon Seal
4. Way Seal
5. Immemorial Demon Seal

For a Dao Name to have a chance of appearing on a Seal, the Dao Name must be used by the newly promoted Saint before or have compatibility with the said Saint.

Should the newly promoted Saint was unable to choose their own Saint Title due to being unconscious or sleeping, the new title will be chosen automatically from the Saint’s Dao Name or real name.

* Seven Lives’ Talisman
* Always Far
* Faraway Place
* Li Yinzhu

Song Shuhang was the first person in the history of All Heavens and Myriad Realms and Nine Serenities World to have more than one seal. He also the one and only who have all types of seals.

Aside from Song Shuhang, those who survived the group transcending tribulation such as the 5 + 1 Heavenly Tribulation and the 4 + 28 Black Dragon Tribulation will also obtain another seal when successfully transcending their own true Eighth Stage Tribulation.

#### Saint Seal

A Saint Seal (圣印; *Shèng Yìn*) will be condensed by a Profound Saint (玄圣; *Xuán Shèng*) from the All Heavens and Myriad Realms.

#### Way Seal

Currently, in the entire history of All Heavens and Myriad Realms and Nine Serenities, Tyrant Song was the one and only individual known to have condensed the Way Seal (道印; *Dào Yìn*). Condensed during the Collapse of the Heavenly Way, the seal contains the principles involved in its collapse.

### Seal Abilities

#### Absolute Command

Absolute Command (言出法随; *Yánchū Fǎsuí*) is a function that can affect the surrounding world. This function is similar to a verbal command. When the Profound Saint opens his mouth, he can increase the power of his command through the Saint Seal and have what he says happen in real life.

Anyone with strength lower than an Eight Stage Saint will adhere to the Absolute Command.

#### Dignity

“*Don’t worry about being lonely on the road ahead, nobody under the heaven who doesn’t know the gentleman*„
— ***Say Farewell to My Friend Dong*, Gao Shi**

For a year after the Profound Saint Sermon, everyone (mortals included) who looks at a Saint Monarch will know his Saint Title due to the effect of *Nobody Under the Heaven Who Doesn’t Know the Gentleman* (天下谁人不识君; *tiānxià shéi rén​​​​​ bù shí jūn*).

In theory, this function can be turned on and off at will. However, Fake Eighth Stage will have difficulty in controlling the function since their realm was not high enough.

#### Energy Converter

A Seal will automatically and continuously absorbs the Heaven and Earth’s energy and converts it into the Saint’s own Profound Energy (玄能; *xuán néng*). This function isn’t that big of a deal for an actual Eighth Stage. However, it is a major benefit for fake Saints, since the consumption of spirit stones will be lessened.

#### Energy Transfer

Long range with high fidelity energy transfer, with almost 99.9999% efficiency.

#### Translation

Automatic language translation. Language barrier will no longer be a problem for Eight Stage Saints. However, Seals of parallel import Saints don’t have this function.

## Sermon

A tradition set by the First Heavenly Way. A newly promoted Eight Stage will give a sermon to the All Heavens and Myriad Realms’ practitioners or its Nine Serenities counterpart. The sermon is unique to this stage only.

It was said that in ancient times, some Eighth Stage Profound Saints will sell their sermon drafts to Seventh Stage Spirit Venerables that were about to transcend their tribulation, and easily made some money in the process.

Unfortunately, after the end of the Ancient Heavenly Court era, Profound Saints and Tribulation Immortals retreated into seclusion. As such, its no longer possible for Venerables to buy the drafts even if they wanted to.

Based on the sermon quality, the newly promoted Eight Stage will receive strength of Karmic Virtue of varying degree.

Originally, only All Heavens and Myriad Realms’ practitioners can watch the Profound Saint Sermon. However, ever since the Thousand Years’ First Saint’s sermon, All Heavens and Myriad Realms’ practitioners were able to watch the Profound Demon Sermon, Ancient Saint Sermon and Ancient Demon Sermon.

## Heart Demon Tribulation

Heart Demon Tribulation (心魔劫; *xīn mó jié*) will occur upon the completion of the Profound Saint Sermon. Insufficient Karmic Virtue obtained during the sermon will cause the newly promoted Eight Stage to succumb to the Heart Demon Tribulation.

Unless he obtained a Strength of Karmic Virtue buff, his body and soul will be destroyed by the incoming Tribulation Fire (劫火; *jié huǒ*). Although the buff can save his life, his seal will dissipate, and leaving behind a non-metal and non-rock block.

If the newly promoted Saint already has a massive Strength of Karmic Virtue before he start transcending the Eighth Stage Tribulation, he or she would not have any problem regarding the Heart Demon Tribulation. The most famous example in the history of All Heavens and Myriad Realms is Tyrant Song, whose Strength of Karmic Virtue can be said as unrivalled.

## Minor Realms

At the Eighth Stage Realm, regardless of their system, practitioners would begin to come in contact with the principles of the Heaven and Earth. It was precisely for this reason that those of this realm were recognized as ‘Saints’.

In order to get promoted to the Tribulation Immortal level, an Saint must experience the stages of:

1. Contacting a principle (接触法则; *jiēchù fǎzé*);
2. Adapting a principle (适应法则; *shìyìng fǎzé*); and
3. Assimilating a principle (融入法则; *róngrù fǎzé*).

These three are colloquially known as the Three Unavoidable Stages (三个无法避开的阶段; *sān gè wúfǎ bìkāi de jiēduàn*).

Normally, the time needed to complete these three unavoidable stages uses ‘*ten thousand years*’ as the unit of measurement. However, if a Saint can ‘experience principle’ in advance, he can omit several thousand or even tens of thousands of years from his penance.

Eternal Life Beings used several thousand years to complete the Three Unavoidable Stages when they were an Eight Stage.

### Contact Principle

Normally, a newly promoted Profound Saint will need more than a hundred years just to have opportunity to contact a principle.

## Sterilization

Upon becoming an Eighth Stage, the practitioner will be sterile. However, it isn’t due to actual sterilization, but instead caused by reproductive isolation.

An Eighth Stage realm’s cultivator mainly has contacted a principle and adapting the principle. The principle’s attribute will affect the cultivator’s life nature. Because the principle of each cultivator comprehension is special, exclusively belong to own. Due to the influence of the principle, the cultivator’s life nature can also change alone comes together.

If an Eighth Stage manages to find a partner that has the same genes, the pairing still can have children. However, the chance of find such partner is close to 0.

## List of Known Profound Saints

1. Bewitching Dream
2. Blue Luan
3. Eat Melon‡
4. Faraway Place≠
5. Kerria
6. Mountain of Su≠
7. Scholar Drunk Moon
8. Seven Lives Talisman≠
9. Seventh Path
10. Spirit Butterfly
11. Tall Wind
12. Three Weeks
13. Tyrant Song‡
14. Saint White‡
15. Winter Melon

Note:

* †: the character is deceased
* ≠: parallel import Profound Saint
* ‡: the character has broken through to a higher realm.

## Trivia

1. Song Shuhang was the youngest individual to become a Profound Saint in the history of All Heavens and Myriad Realms and Nine Serenities World, at the tender age of 18 years old.

## Links and References

1. ↑ Chapter 2509
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Chapter 1364
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Chapter 1736
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Chapter 1747
5. ↑ Chapter 1312
6. ↑ Chapter 1448
7. ↑ Chapter 1258
8. ↑ Chapter 1665
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Chapter 1028
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Chapter 2447
11. ↑ Chapter 1354
12. ↑ Chapter 2068
13. ↑ Chapter 1020
14. ↑ Chapter 1063
15. ↑ Chapter 1148
16. ↑ Chapter 1031
17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Chapter 1061
18. ↑ Chapter 2402
19. ↑ Chapter 2148
20. ↑ Chapter 2155
21. ↑ Chapter 1027
22. ↑ Chapter 2170
23. ↑ Chapter 1367
24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 24.2 24.3 Chapter 1029
25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 Chapter 1741
26. ↑ Chapter 1366
27. ↑ Chapter 2626
28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 28.2 Chapter 1071
29. ↑ Chapter 1072
30. ↑ Chapter 1426
31. ↑ Chapter 1030
32. ↑ Chapter 1175
33. ↑ Chapter 1176
34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 34.2 Chapter 1445
35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 Chapter 2330
36. ↑ Chapter 3060
37. ↑ 37.0 37.1 Chapter 2908