Calamities and Tribulations

Gu Immortals at rank six face an earthly calamity every ten years and a heavenly tribulation every one hundred years. After three heavenly tribulations, the blessed land expands and they become rank seven. Gu Immortals at rank seven face an earthly calamity every ten years, a heavenly tribulation every fifty years, and a grand tribulation every one hundred years. Gu Immortals at rank eight no longer experience earthly calamities. They face a heavenly tribulation every ten years, a grand tribulation every fifty years, and a myriad tribulation every one hundred years. ^{ch. 740}

Besides rare unique methods, the most common way to obtain dao marks is to pass heavenly tribulations and earthly calamities. Strength of the trial decides how many dao marks follow. ^{ch. 819} Earthly calamities are weaker than heavenly tribulations. Each calamity and tribulation is a difficult test filled with danger and opportunity, and newly added dao marks reform the blessed land so it can produce more valuable resources. The deeper a blessed land’s foundation and fortune, the stronger the heavenly tribulation or earthly calamity tends to be, though the rule is probability rather than absolute law. ^{ch. 826}

Earthly calamities, heavenly tribulations, grand tribulations, and myriad tribulations are ranked by increasing strength. Grand tribulations are more terrifying than heavenly tribulations and earthly calamities. Myriad tribulations are called apocalyptic myriad tribulations, and only ten people in history have passed three: the ten venerables. ^{ch. 1007}