Daoism is a system of ascending the Pathways followed in the Western Continent.
Overview[]
Daoism is a school of thought that venerates the natural laws and the corresponding philosophy that shapes them into unique deities for worship. Their leader is called the Celestial Master, which essentially means a teacher who comprehends the world's operating laws and spreads that knowledge. The Ways of Heaven refers to the operating laws and corresponding philosophy of the world mentioned above.[1]
An Imperial Conferment is equivalent to a Boon, where one was granted a position within the Church or a deity's kingdom. Through this role, they gained the corresponding powers. It's not a direct gift from a deity but rather a ceremonial act performed by the leader of that school of thought, acting on behalf of the deity and bestowing a specific title. This more structured boon system not only linked the power of boons to a specific role but also emphasized the role of the deity's proxy.
In Daoism, the position of Celestial Master is akin to leaders like pontiffs, popes, chief shepherds, and matriarchs, with different titles depending on the denomination. Lumian and Franca also believe that a Celestial Master and an Underworld Daoist are on a similar level.
The following terms mentioned by Franca are also related to the topic of Daoism: the Heavenly Court, the Netherworld, Ritual Protocols, Receiving Scriptures.
History[]
In the First Epoch, the Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings sealed all 7 Sefirot (except the Sefirah Castle and the Chaos Sea) and the Western Continent from the rest of the world.[2] In the Western Continent, there are only Sequence 9 to Sequence 2 Beyonder Characteristics, but using them is regarded as a heretical advancement (Demonic Sect) system by the people there.[3][4] Instead, the orthodox way to level oneself is by praying to the Sefirot. This follows the concept of (Taoist) Registrations, which represents a form of authentication and certification in which the Heavens (the Sefirot) authorize the prayer to use certain abilities and authorities. Each Sefirah represents one Heaven; those who believe in different Sefirot can obtain corresponding authorities and abilities through the use of “Registrations”, which would in turn create each respective organization.[3]
This system of prayer is comparable to praying to living Gods and Outer Deities for Boons in Book 2. The difference is that praying to an eastern style "Dao" and "Heavenly Court" (semi-active Sefirot posing as "Heavenly Court" and "Dao") can be done in a special way to avoid some negative effects. On the other hand, when praying to living Gods and Outer Deities, there are no shortcuts or tricks that can be used to lessen the price, unless if there are corresponding powers who are providing support to the person praying.[5]
In the Western Continent, there are 3 Sect Systems:[4]
- The Orthodox Sect System with the Sefirot as the core.
- The Demonic Sect System that uses the Sequence 9 through Sequence 2 Beyonder Characteristics as the basics and foundation.
- The Lower Sect System who has to use a mix of Sefirot and Beyonder Characteristics to level themselves.
The power level ceiling of the Western Continent is “The Unity of Heaven and Man”. Because the people of the Western Continent never advanced step by step through drinking potions, this so-called Unity is just the cultivator being devoured by the Sefirah. The people on the Western Continent may not know the true nature of Sefirot, or even the term “Sefirot”. To them, the Sefirot are just different deities that they worship. They believe that they are growing stronger step by step by practicing and cultivating within this “system”, and eventually reach “The Unity of Heaven and Man”.[3] This is revealed in Book 2 as the Dao Integrators, sect leaders that can utilize the respective Sefirah.
Dao Integrators[]
| Haoli Sect | Underworld Daoist |
|---|---|
| Celestial Master's Sect | Celestial Master |
| Luo Sect | Holy Maiden |
| Heavenly Court | Celestial Thearch |
| Buddhism | Holy Monk |
| Shadow Cottage | Master of the Shadow Cottage |
Sects[]
Haoli Sect[]
| Leader |
|
|---|---|
| Sefirah | River of Eternal Darkness |
| Pathways |  Darkness Death Twilight Giant
|
| Domain(s) | |
| Affiliations |
Celestial Master's Sect[]
| Leader | Celestial Masters |
|---|---|
| Sefirah | Knowledge Moor |
| Pathways |  Hermit Paragon
|
| Domain(s) | |
| Affiliations |
Luo Sect[]
| Leader | Holy Maidens |
|---|---|
| Sefirah | Brood Hive |
| Pathways |  Mother Moon
|
| Domain(s) | |
| Affiliations |
Heavenly Court[]
| Leader | Celestial Thearchs |
|---|---|
| Sefirah | Nation of Disorder |
| Pathways |  Black Emperor Justiciar
|
| Domain(s) | |
| Affiliations |
Buddhism[]
| Leader | Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Arhats, and Wisdom Kings |
|---|---|
| Sefirah | Key of Light |
| Pathways |  Wheel of Fortune
|
| Domain(s) | Mount Sumeru |
| Affiliations |
Shadow Cottage[]
| Leader | Masters of the Shadow Cottage |
|---|---|
| Sefirah | Tenebrous World |
| Pathways |  Abyss Chained
|
| Domain(s) | |
| Affiliations |
Known Practitioners[]
- Celestial Master
- Underworld Daoist
- Holy Maiden
- Celestial Thearch
- Holy Monk
- Master of the Shadow Cottage
- Armored Shadow
References
[]
| Beyonder | |
|---|---|
| Sequence | |
| Mysticism | |
| Realms | |