Ancestral Rune

Biodata

Overview

The eight Ancestral Runes are the most powerful runes in existence, formed from the laws of the plane and possessing heaven-defying authority over their respective principles. Their wielders are regarded as peak existences, while the runes themselves are major weapons against the Strange Demons. 18 38 259

Each Ancestral Rune has an independent spirituality, an Ancestral Rune Spirit, and a distinct disposition. Refinement requires both the spirit's recognition and the ability to endure the rune's power. 247 276 277

Known Ancestral Runes

Properties

Supreme rule-based artifacts

• Ancestral Runes are condensed from the laws of the plane rather than created through ordinary forging or cultivation. 18 38
• Each represents a fundamental source of power, such as thunder, flame, life and death, or Great Desolation. 236 250 255
• Their power is sufficient to move mountains, fill seas, and shake heaven and earth. 259
• They can be used to contend with and eliminate King-Rank Strange Demons. 247 248

Ancestral Rune Spirits

• Every Ancestral Rune possesses an Ancestral Rune Spirit and its own rules for accepting a wielder. 276
• The Thunder Ancestral Rune Spirit can take the form of a colossal Nine-Headed Thunder Serpent when its power is fully invoked. 247
• The Great Desolation Ancestral Rune is characterized as steady and “immovable as a mountain,” unlike the explosive thunder or scorching flame runes. 277

Refinement and recognition

• A cultivator must gain an Ancestral Rune Spirit's recognition and survive the rune's corresponding trial to refine it. 276
• Lin Yiqing gained the Thunder Ancestral Rune's recognition only after his body was forged by one hundred thousand bolts of lightning. 250
• The Great Desolation Ancestral Rune responded to Lin Yiqing after he forged the Great Desolation Divine Body. 276 277
• Ancestral Runes may be incompatible: the Thunder Emperor judged that Mo Luo's Flame Ancestral Rune could not safely coexist with the Thunder Ancestral Rune due to their similarly domineering natures. 249

Origin and replication

• A strand of an Ancestral Rune's origin can be separated while the rune is ownerless through the power of another Ancestral Rune; losing one strand does not constitute a major defect, though it leaves the rune incomplete. 250
• The Wordless Heavenly Book can replicate an Ancestral Rune's laws, Dao patterns, and powers from the rune itself or, potentially, from an Eight Ancient Master's body. 89 90 229
• A replicated rune retains the original's abilities but lacks the vast energy accumulated by the original since ancient times. 90
• Replication does not necessarily take the source's origin: when the Life and Death Ancestral Rune was copied from Mu Lingshan, her origin was not stripped and she was unharmed. 236
• The Wordless Heavenly Book keeps each replicated rune on a separate page, allowing their powers to be balanced without conflict. 90

History

The Devouring Ancestral Rune served as the core of the Demon-Sealing Great Array beneath the Great Wilderness Sect, where it maintained the seal on a Strange Demon. Old Man Black Pupil required it to remain in place for three years rather than allowing Lin Yiqing to take it immediately. 88

Lin Yiqing nevertheless had the Devouring Ancestral Rune replicated by the Wordless Heavenly Book. This established his method of pursuing the eight runes: replicate their rules and obtain or negotiate for portions of their origins rather than necessarily stealing the originals. 89 96

In the Thunder Realm, the Thunder Ancestral Rune, Mo Luo's Flame Ancestral Rune, and Lin Yiqing's Devouring power were combined to annihilate a King-Rank Strange Demon that had been sealed for a thousand years. 247 248 Lin Yiqing later replicated the complete Flame and Thunder Ancestral Runes, opened the Eye of Ancestral Runes, and refined the original Thunder Ancestral Rune. 250

Lin Yiqing located the Great Desolation Ancestral Rune in the Far North Wasteland by using an incomplete Great Desolation pattern within the Wordless Heavenly Book to resonate with the buried original. After completing its trial and forging the Great Desolation Divine Body, he received the rune. 275 276 277

Relationship to Strange Demons

• The Ancestral Runes are crucial weapons in the plane's struggle against Strange Demons. 247 248
• Strange Demons and the Demon Prison actively hunt holders of divine artifacts and potential Ancestral Rune masters. 248 249
• Thunder Emperor advised Lin Yiqing to conceal his Ancestral Rune power until he had grown stronger. 248
• The Ancient Masters and ancient divine objects fought against the Strange Demons in the past war; many were severely damaged in that conflict. 275

Related Entities

• Eight Ancient Masters — Ancient wielders assimilated with their corresponding Ancestral Runes and described as “human-form Ancestral Runes.” 229 275
• Wordless Heavenly Book — Divine artifact that copies Ancestral Rune laws and powers onto its pages. 89 90
• Ancestor Stone — An artifact capable of balancing multiple Ancestral Runes; the Wordless Heavenly Book can similarly keep copied runes from conflicting. 90
• Strange Demons — Major enemies of Ancestral Rune wielders and the plane as a whole. 247 249