Great Sage

Biodata

Power Progression

Jiang Zhu’s Documented Advancement

Rank and Standing

• Authority over lesser sages: Primordial Lake’s Ancestor Kings bow to its Great Sage. Even Ancient Emperors’ children, including Huo Lin’er and the Golden Heavenly Maiden, salute him 198.
• Faction-defining strength: Lin Han’s successful advancement allows the Lin Family to eliminate its enemies and secure its position on its ancient star 311.
• Not an assured path to emperorhood: Di Que’s cultivation stagnates in the Great Saint Realm after his defeat by the future Fighting Saint Emperor 202.
• Early talent does not guarantee this rank: A cultivator who became a Saint in his twenties ultimately stopped at Saint King, while late bloomers are recorded among Great Sages and Quasi-Emperors 294.

Abilities & Skills

Union with the Great Dao

Great Sages can merge with the Great Dao and draw the laws of heaven and earth into themselves 321.

• Their true bodies can appear above the sun and moon or descend into the depths of mountains and rivers 321.
• The Golden Crow Great Sage manifests Divine Chains of Order and concentrates numerous laws into a lethal attack 321.
• A Great Sage’s command can affect a collapsing space: a single order nearly halts the destruction of the Taiqing Sacred Realm 177.

Stellar Destructive Power

Great Sage battles can destroy celestial bodies and devastate surrounding space 203 237 317.

• Dao Yi’s Protector shatters a planet with a punch 237.
• The Fighting Saint King destroys an asteroid while pursuing Kun Zhou 203.
• A Great Sage unleashing magical power is described as capable of destroying an Ancient Life Star 317.
• Blood spilled during Jiang Zhu’s battle in Purple Mountain annihilates a patch of void and creates an area of Dao Dissolution 317.

Saintly Pressure

A Great Sage’s released aura can overwhelm far weaker cultivators without direct physical contact 171 235.

• Dongfang Taiyi’s pressure spreads across the world and makes living beings’ souls tremble 171.
• The God Organization Great Sage’s laughter injures listeners and causes some weaker Kings to burst into blood mist 235.
• This pressure can be concealed: Primordial Lake’s Great Sage initially appears with his aura completely withdrawn 197.

Physical and Spiritual Cultivation

Advancement strengthens the body, primordial spirit, and understanding of the Great Dao together 306.

• Close combat between Great Sages carries destructive power in every movement 317.
• A preserved Great Sage corpse can retain considerable vital essence and Dao traces long after death, although the ancient giant encountered on the Mythical Ancient Road also used a special preservation art 295.
• Physical destruction alone need not immediately end a Great Sage’s resistance; the Golden Crow Great Sage continues fighting through his primordial spirit while holding a treasure fan 330.

Limitations

• Quasi-Emperor power: Emperor-related power presents an overwhelming barrier to ordinary Great Sages. Even a wisp of imperial aura can annihilate them 303 330.
• Extreme Dao Emperor Weapons: Great Sage bodies cannot withstand their fully awakened might. A graze from the Devouring Heaven Demon Jar’s power destroys a Great Sage despite his attempt to abandon his damaged body 201.
• Heavenly Tribulation: Great Sage cultivation does not guarantee safety against exceptional tribulations. Cang Yan dies beneath the emperor phantoms within Jiang Zhu’s Saint King tribulation 278 279.
• Unequal strength within the realm: Dongfang Taiyi overwhelms opposing Great Sages and breaks a lifelong Great Saint Weapon with his White Bone Club 169 170.
• Finite lifespan: Ancient Great Sages can approach death from old age. Imperial lineages preserve some of them in Divine Source until they are needed 201 328.

Notable Holders

Weapons and Equipment

• Great Saint Weapons: The silver-haired Great Sage’s scale weapon was refined throughout his life and developed an internal spirit. Dongfang Taiyi nevertheless shatters it 170.
• Great Sage Battle Armor: Jiang Zhu uses a suit to breach the Saint Spirit Race’s Tenth City while still below Great Sage himself 267.
• Extreme Dao Emperor Weapons: Possession is not standard among Great Sages; only a handful have access to them. At faction negotiations, this advantage makes otherwise comparable opponents drastically unequal 329.
• Suitable personal weapons: Even Great Sages may spend their entire lives searching without finding a divine weapon that suits them 362.

Role in Major Conflicts

• Hidden faction reserves: The Ji Family awakens a Great Sage sealed more than a hundred thousand years earlier. Great Sages from the Jiang Family and Jade Pool also emerge during the Qinling confrontation 201.
• Protection of younger cultivators: Dongfang Taiyi and Old Madman secretly guard Jiang Zhu and Yan Ruyu, while Human Clan Great Sages defend the ancient road 182 277.
• Road to Immortality negotiations: Great Sages represent their races and lineages, debating access, quotas, and rules for Big Dipper. Jiang Zhu judges that these arrangements will become meaningless once the Forbidden Zone Supremes emerge 329.