Heaven

The Heavens are eternal, but they aren't static. Those at the peak can influence the Dao, and the Heavens also change on their own. An Era has a period of rapid growth as it recovers from the death of the previous one. Then follows a much-longer era of stability as the Heavens move toward their peak. We're in that stage now.

Far in the future, the universe will reach its Zenith. But the Heavens will not stop changing at that point, nor will cultivators stop imposing their wills onto the fabric of reality. This will lead to the Heavens drifting apart and the Dao growing more discordant. Eventually, the Multiverse cannot function and gets ripped apart as the Dao collapses. **Chapter 980**

The most commonly accepted model of the Heavens is Seventeen Peaks of the Grand Dao, Nine Seals and Eight Thrones. **Chapter 979**

## Known Peaks of the Grand Dao

### Heaven's Path

#### Conflict

* For example, the Dao of Axe was not part of either Life or Death, it turned out. Zac thought it a branch of Oblivion, where it was more part of the “Daos of Conflict” grouping along with other weapon Daos. **Book 8, Page 266**

* Representation
	+ Another was made from innumerable weapons, most of which Zac didn't even recognize. Just looking at it filled Zac with such pressure he was forced to look away lest his soul be lacerated. **Chapter 979**

#### Continuum

* Space and Time belonged to their own groupings as well, as did the elements. **Book 8, Page 266**
* The Peak of the Continuum is based on Time and Space, but those who follow both those paths are not Edgewalkers since Time and Space are not opposing concepts. **Chapter 853**

#### Elements

* **Mahābhūta**, the Great Element. It can both be seen as the basic building block of the universe, and it can also be the basis for inner enlightenment, the relinquishing of the material plane. It is the supreme combination of all Materia. Hers was the Dao of Heaven and Earth where the Heaven was the spiritual Ether of Enlightenment and the Earth was the Mundane World. To be clear, her Heaven is not the System or the Dao itself, but rather a form of unblemished spirituality. It is a path of Duality. Inner and outer world, Heavens and Earth, Yin and Yang. No matter what you want to call it, the peak has two facets. **Chapter 853**

#### Fantasy

* Meanwhile, Zac needed something from the Peak of Fanasy [*sic*] for his weird hammer. **Chapter 1,043**
* *Illusions, Dreams* - He had passed the mark when it came to the Dao of Shadows, but his illusory affinity was not yet up to par. This Dreamgeist should solve that problem in one fell swoop. **Chapter 1,044**

#### Grand Tapestry

* If I didn't know any better, I would have thought you hid a fourth Dao Branch from the Peak of the Grand Tapestry," Tavza commented. **Chapter 1,078**
* The Peak of the Grand Tapestry, or the Artisanal Peak as many called it, was the peak that held most of the Daos craftsmen used. Smiths, Alchemists, Formation Masters, and inscribers generally walked this path, though most used Mixed-meaning Daos. For example, a blacksmith would likely fuse the Daos of Fire and Smithing to focus on fire-attuned tools. **Chapter 1,079**

#### Nature

* The Beast Progenitor was believed to have added the Dao of Nature, which covered everything from beasts to plants to the seasons themselves. **Book 8, Page 268**

#### Order

* The codifying of the Dao. You should know it as the patterns, or fractals you see from everything from our weapons, to skills, even to your pathways. **Chapter 78**
* The Apostate of Order had obviously mastered the Dao of Order, but the others weren’t as clear. **Book 8, Page 268**

#### Taiji

* Peak of Taiji, which governed Light, Darkness, and Gravity. It wasn't as rare a path as the Peak of Impetus in the Frontier. For example, Ilvere's Fragment of Momentum belonged to this peak, as did Ogras' shadowy Dao. **Chapter 987**

### Boundless Path

#### Chaos

* Representation
	+ A pillar made from twisted steel, looking almost like a thin hurricane covered in runes **Chapter 979**

#### Earthly

* The solution could be found in the sibling Peaks of Heaven and Earth. **Chapter 1,062**
* The almost forgotten Earthly Peak was one of the rarest cultivation directions, not just because it had yet fully reformed. It was difficult to understand, and its strengths were not readily apparent. It was sometimes called the Inverse Peak due to its ability to transform other Daos, and it was a dominant force in the lower planes. **Chapter 1,062**
* Many believed that the incomplete dimensions of the lower planes were required to prop up the prime realities, but they didn't see much other use for the Earthly Peak. Even the summoners and mages using the hidden planes to power their skills or call upon familiars generally cultivated the matching Dao of the plane they connected with. **Chapter 1,062**
* The System didn't share the cultivation world's indifference to the Earthly Peak. **Chapter 1,062**
* Innumerable years of effort had yielded results, and the peaks [*Earthly and Heavenly*] were nearing completion well ahead of schedule.**Chapter 1,062**

#### Heavenly

* The solution could be found in the sibling Peaks of Heaven and Earth. **Chapter 1,062**
* In contrast, the Heavenly Peak had quite a few followers, thanks to it encompassing the Daos of Wind and Lightning. **Chapter 1,062**
* The Heavenly Peak represented the System more than any other, evidenced by its purpose and the Tribulation Lightning. Even the Apostate of Order only helped streamline its methods. Since the Peaks of the Heavens and Earth could be considered part of the same coin, the Heavens couldn't reach perfection before the Earth was restored. **Chapter 1,062**
* As such, it was another broken peak, one that the System was most interested in mending. Innumerable years of effort had yielded results, and the peaks were nearing completion well ahead of schedule.**Chapter 1,062**

### Unknown

#### Faith

* "The Dao of Faith is one of the Seventeen Dao Peaks, and it's not limited to the consecration of a leader. It's just that this method has proven most effective for many similar species," Zac offered. "You can have faith in things, concepts, or even your ancestors. ... **Chapter 1,083**

#### Impetus

* The peak governing emotions and desires. It was extremely rare to see Dao belonging to the Peak of Impetus in the Frontier. The only one he knew with such a Dao was Vilari, who had been influenced by the Crown of Despair inheritance. **Chapter 986**
* The Daos of the seven emotions and six desires could greatly empower a cultivator if their mental state matched their Dao. **Ch 1,111**
* When your emotions were in sync with your Dao, it held unmatched power. But the moment your heart failed you, so would your Dao. If fear took hold in the heart of a warrior cultivating Daos like Fortitude or Valor, it could break their path altogether. **Ch 1,111**

#### Stellar

* The Stellar Peak, also called the Unattuned Peak, because it governed most of the basic Dao of energy. The Stellar Peak didn't specifically refer to stars, but stars were included in the list of Stellar Objects that generated the Cosmic Energy planets later absorbed. **Chapter 986**

## Seal and Thrones

* Take the Seals and the Thrones, for example. The Peaks was whatever they said it was, and massive wars had been waged over the direction of Dao. **Chapter 1,091**
* Theoretically, he could push this theory to the very limits, where all Daos under the Heavens became an aspect of Death. **Chapter 1,091**

### Seals

If there is an Eternity, it can only be found by perfecting the Heavens and fusing with them rather than destroying the Dao. The Zenith of an Era is the key. If they can seal the Heavens at that moment by taking control of it, they have a chance at Eternity. **Chapter 980**

#### Absolute Seal

* Even the Absolute Seal came out on the losing end when she invaded the Sea of Tranquillity. And I hear she's been plagued by misfortune since, barely holding onto her title." **Chapter 1,077**

#### Supreme Seal

* Akaniṣṭha **Chapter 1,112**
* If the Supreme Seal could lose their position, it wasn't fated to begin with. The Kalpa would turn in accordance with the laws, and what would be would be. **Chapter 1,112**

### Thrones

The thrones represent the will of the greatest Emperors, those who have levied their swords at the Terminus. **Chapter 980**

## The Four Eternal Laws

The Four Eternal Laws are Truth, Balance, Cosmos, and Impermanence. They are rules which cultivators are required to follow on their path to the peak. Some examples exist of cultivators near the peak who have managed to circumvent these laws, just as they have gained the ability to twist the heavens in their favor. The most obvious example is the Primo, who seems to have avoided the Law of Impermanence and avoided the end of his lifespan.

* "Truth," Zac muttered, his eyes turning to the zen temple on the other side. "Balance." **...** Zac's eyes turned to the main shrine, his instincts telling him it represented the Law of the Cosmos. That left one side and one law; Impermanence. **Chapter 983**
* "Bah," Sendor scoffed. "The Dao is the Dao. Why can't it be applied the way those people want to? They're not breaking the four laws. Usually not, anyway. But who doesn't cheat now and then? **Chapter 1064**
* The Law of Truth governed Dao and how it shaped the world, while the Law of Cosmos governed energy. **Chapter 1,149**

### Tribulation Throne

* Now, the four truths were forcibly aligning his body with the Cosmos. **Chapter 1,148**

#### Truth

* It was like the Tribulation Lightning had become the arbiter of the Law of Truth, and it was judging everything heterogenous as unlawful. ... The attack on his heart was deflected, but the twice-evolved lightning was deadly enough that it didn't need any tricks. **Chapter 1,148**

#### Balance

* The Tribulation Throne was replacing his essence with lightning in a twisted act of equal exchange. **Chapter 1,148**
* The unbearable levels of destruction that the nineteenth spike and the Law of Balance levied were brought to balance as the Void accepted what Zac could not. **Chapter 1,148**

#### Cosmos

* Zac's newfound confidence almost shattered as a wave of navy-blue lightning swept through his bodies, turning Miasma, Cosmic Energy, and Divine Energy into more lightning. Not even the Mental Energy was spared, and his Soul Cores dimmed like dying suns. **Chapter 1,149**

#### Impermanence

* A fourth wave of extermination descended, compressing and darkening the lightning. Zac felt himself rapidly wither in a way that would scare any cultivator witless. It was his life force being targeted, the very thing cultivators fought so desperately to seize. Zac could feel his longevity become lightning and his providence scattered by thunder. **Chapter 1,149**