World Compendium Chapter 3: The Twenty Realms of Echo Devouring – Complete Hierarchy (In-Universe: Imperial Mana Academy Core Codex – Highest Restricted Access. Annotated by Emperor Cassian the Unbroken & Archivist Seraphine Valdorian, Year 952 Void Era. Final revision incorporating observations from the Void Tears event.)
Fundamental Principle of Power in the Devouring Path Realm and Echo Resonance Rating (ERR) provide structure, but they are not the sole — or even primary — determinant of strength.
A cultivator's true combat power, survivability, and cross-realm potential are overwhelmingly decided by the quality, rarity, synergy, purity, number, and origin of the Echoes they have devoured, combined with talent, technique mastery, bloodline resonance, and (in exceptional cases) recursion anomalies.
Core Rules of Cross-Realm Combat & Progression Ceiling
High-quality Echoes allow regular cross-realm victories Cultivators with Divine, Void, Primordial, bloodline-special, or perfectly recursed Echoes can routinely defeat opponents 1 major realm higher, and in exceptional cases 2 major realms higher. Example: A Resonant Dominion Peak (Realm 15-10) with a pure Divine Echo has historically slain Apex Sovereign Low (Realm 16 Low) in single combat. Low-quality Echoes create hard ceilings and fatal weaknesses Common or impure Echoes (Beast, Calamity, low-purity Arcane) impose strict upper limits on progression. Most cultivators stuck with only Tier 1–2 Echoes cannot breakthrough past Resonant Dominion Peak (Realm 15-10) without miracle intervention. Even with miracle medicines (e.g., Imperial Void Essence Pill, Tears of the First Calamity), the breakthrough is one-time only — the cultivator reaches the next major realm (usually Apex Sovereign Low) but then permanently stalls at that stage. Further attempts cause catastrophic soul rejection or instant death. Echo quality dictates the absolute ceiling Tier 1–2 Echoes only → maximum realistic ceiling: Resonant Dominion Peak (Realm 15-10) Tier 3 Rare Echoes (Calamity, Soul) → maximum realistic ceiling: Apex Sovereign Peak (Realm 16 Peak) Tier 4 Bloodline-Special Echoes → maximum realistic ceiling: God-Eater Ascendant Peak (Realm 17 Peak) Tier 5 Mythical Echoes (Divine, Void, Primordial) → no hard ceiling below Void Sovereign (Realm 18) Recursed or perfectly synergized Hybrids → theoretical path to Eternal Recursor (Realm 19) or beyond ERR is only a snapshot The resonance orb measures current mana density, harmony %, and Echo quantity/quality at the moment of measurement. It cannot capture qualitative advantages: recursion amplification, bloodline resonance, forbidden synergies, or the hidden potential of a single transcendent Echo.
Examples from Imperial Records
A Resonant Dominion Peak (Realm 15-10) with a pure Divine Echo killed an Apex Sovereign Low (Realm 16 Low) in single combat. A God-Eater Ascendant Low (Realm 17 Low) burdened with a cursed Echo was slain by an Apex Sovereign Peak (Realm 16 Peak) wielding a recursed Void + Divine hybrid. Valdorian prodigies using the family's secret Raven Echo techniques routinely challenge 1–2 realms above their nominal stage — even at lower realms. A famous case: General Torvax of House Kragthar reached Apex Sovereign Low via a Tears of the First Calamity Pill. He never advanced further; every subsequent attempt resulted in immediate soul implosion. Major Realms 1–15: 10 Minor Realms Each
Major Realms 1–5: Mortal Foundation ERR: 1 – 500 Power baseline: Ordinary human → elite soldier Abilities: Basic mana sense → fist-sized fireballs → chain casting → mana-enhanced physique (lift 200 kg, run 2× speed) Combat reality: A Minor 10 with an extremely pure Arcane Echo can occasionally kill Minor 1–3 of Echo Integration. Ceiling with only Tier 1 Echoes: Rarely progresses past Minor 8 without higher-quality infusion.
Major Realms 6–10: Echo Integration ERR: 501 – 5,000 Power baseline: Squad destroyer → small army officer Abilities: First Echo effects → multi-Echo hybrids → domain embryo → devour weak living mana Cross-realm note: Minor 10 with 3–4 high-quality Arcane + Artifact Echoes can reliably defeat Minor 1–4 of Resonant Dominion. Ceiling with only Tier 1–2 Echoes: Usually stalls at Minor 8–10; miracle pill can force Realm 11 Low, but then permanent block.
Major Realms 11–15: Resonant Dominion ERR: 5,001 – 50,000 Power baseline: Regional warlord → one-man army Abilities: 100–1,000 m domain → echo avatars → chain resonance → reality ripple Cross-realm note: Peak (Minor 10) with Divine or Void Echo defeats Apex Sovereign Low in most cases, sometimes Mid with perfect synergy. Ceiling with only Tier 1–2 Echoes: Hard stop at Minor 10. Miracle pill can push to Realm 16 Low — one time only — then permanent stall.
Major Realms 16–20: Low → Mid → Peak Only
Major Realm 16: Apex Sovereign ERR: 50,001 – 500,000
Low (50k–150k): Rewrite gravity/time in 1 km, regenerate from near-death instantly Mid (150k–300k): 5–10 km domain, nullify weaker domains, pocket dimensions Peak (300k–500k): 50–100 km domain, temporary reality anchors Cross-realm note: Peak with pure Divine + Void hybrid can challenge God-Eater Low. Low with only common Calamity Echoes can be killed by Resonant Dominion Peak with exceptional bloodline Echoes. Ceiling: Requires at least Tier 3–4 Echoes to reach Peak; Tier 2 maxes at Mid with miracle aid (then stalls).
Major Realm 17: God-Eater Ascendant ERR: 500,001 – 5,000,000
Low: Partial godhood, summon god-puppets, rewrite elemental laws in 100 km Mid: 500–1,000 km domain, partial concept weakening Peak: Province-spanning domain, corrupt living Divine Echoes Cross-realm note: Peak is the Emperor's current stage. Peak with recursed Primordial/Void Echoes can threaten Void Sovereign Low. Ceiling: Requires Tier 4 bloodline + Tier 5 Divine/Void Echoes to reach Peak; lower Echoes stall at Low/Mid permanently.
Major Realm 18: Void Sovereign ERR: 5,000,001 – 50,000,000
Low: Eat concepts ("motion", "sound"), recursive chains across continents Mid: Continent-sized domain, stable pocket realities Peak: Eat entire pantheons, become living singularity Cross-realm note: Even Low annihilates God-Eater Peak with recursion or Primordial Echoes. Ceiling: Only Tier 5 Mythical Echoes + recursion allow entry; no known path with lesser Echoes.
Major Realm 19: Eternal Recursor ERR: 50,000,001 – 200,000,000+
Low: Infinite recursion potential, exist in multiple timelines Mid: Eat causality chains, create recursive universes Peak: Devour the concept of "limit" Cross-realm note: Any stage is a world-ender. Superior Echoes mean absolute dominance even one step behind. Ceiling: Requires perfect recursion + Primordial/Void mastery; no other path exists.
Major Realm 20: Absolute Singularity ERR: Immeasurable No subdivision. Description: Complete unification with the void — theoretical final state. No known survivors. No records. Only dread.
Final Imperial Edict "Realm is a ladder. Echoes are the wings — and sometimes the chains. A man with trash wings falls even from the highest rung. A man with divine wings can fly above the ladder entirely. A man with no wings at all never climbs past the third step — miracle pill or not."
Power is not granted by the heavens. Power is devoured, harmonized, recursed, and limited by what you are willing — and able — to consume.
Those who forget this truth die — regardless of their realm.
End of Codex – Highest Secrecy Enforced