Gu Venerable

Bo Qing is publicly recognized as second only to rank nine Gu Venerables. ^{ch. 1228}

Over more than three million years, ten Gu cultivators stand at the peak. They are the ten rank nine Gu Immortals, each like a sun among stars, and they are the ten great venerables. Venerable at rank nine is the cultivation level those figures occupy. Venerable is that rank nine level, not a step past it. Two kings do not exist at the same time: each great era has only one venerable. ^{ch. 2085}

Lu Wei Yin states four conditions that must all be satisfied to become a Venerable. First, the immortal aperture origin core must produce white litchi immortal essence. Second, the main cultivation path needs at least three hundred thousand dao marks. Third, the main cultivation path needs at least supreme grandmaster attainment. Fourth, after those three, the Gu Immortal must break through the Heavenly Dao blockade; then the origin core changes qualitatively and produces rank nine yellow apricot immortal essence. ^{ch. 2085}

Calamities and tribulations are part of that blockade. Before becoming a Venerable, the Heavenly Dao sends a tribulation far greater than any myriad tribulation. Lifespan Gu is another blockade: natural production of lifespan Gu falls while a Venerable exists. Fate Gu is named as a third blockade in that teaching. ^{ch. 2085}

The wider rank ladder is covered on ranks and realms. Gu Immortals at rank six and above are covered on Gu Immortal. Historical placement of the ten is on the eras index.