First I want to clear up some confusion. In this world it is mentioned that not only cultivators live in it, but also various other forces. In this fanfic I will add two additional power systems, but I will not go into detail about them.
The first of them was mentioned in the novel, the Western Holy Paladins. The background and everything else about them was added by me. They are a Western based influence that holds more direct control over the mortal world with three large factions (introduced in Chapter 44). They seek to dominate the world and want to exterminate those that do not belong to their own system.
The second are the Witches, they were also mentioned in the novel, but since witch more sounds like female only I renamed them to the Witch Doctors. I made them to be an influence that lives all over Africa with many different tribes among them. They are a neutral organization that does not care the slightest about the mortal world. (also introduced in Chapter 44)
All these power systems work slightly different, but have the same goal. At the start they are completely different in how they work, but as they advance through the ranks they become more and more similar. At the Eight Stage barely any difference can be seen, only the method they try to comprehend laws is different. Finally, at the Ninth Stage and higher they are the same, they only call the stage with another name.
Timeline Explanation:o+
I will start at the earliest point in time and go up to the current point. This timeline is based on the novel with some of my assumptions added to it, you may correct me if I'm wrong and I will correct it.
Important: This does not include the events that happen in this fanfic as I do not want to spoiler anything beyond that of the auxiliary volume.
«Black Dragon Wold Era»
Black Dragon Wold had Nine Heavenly Ways (here called Immortal Gods), just like any other World preceding All Heavens and Myriad Realms
╠ They realize that the world will collapse after the Ninth Imperishable Body leaves office and decide on a plan as countermeasure. This plan has a long-lasting impact, even on the later incarnation of the world. They wanted to create an emotionless ball like Immortal God as eight the Eight Imperishable Body.
╠ The plan fails and Kunna takes over as the Ninth Immortal God.
╠ They know their world is doomed, but still want to save the next world.
╠ Skylark is most likely born somewhere around here, as she is chosen to execute the plan to safe the next world.
╠ The world collapses and Kunna takes sacrifices her own body, using it to save the remains of the Black Dragon World. Up to this day the actual Black Dragon World is her body.
╚ All people reaching the Ninth Stage get transported to the world succeeding this one.
«First Heavenly Way Era»
╠ Either after the destruction or slightly before it All Heavens and Myriad realms gets created as the next cycle, succeeding Black Dragon World.
╠ The First Heavenly Way takes office, it is implied that he is a dragon, perhaps a survivor from the Black Dragon World. One of the reasons implying this are the Giant Turtles of disaster, which were most likely created by him.
╠ He establishes the Sermon system
╠ Before abdicating he erases anything about him.
╚ It is implied that Scholar Drunken Moons, scholar lineage is related to him.
«Second Heavenly Way Era» (>10^16 years ago)
╠ The second Heavenly Way is an eye obsessed man with three eyes.
╠ He creates the Nine Serenities, based on the Ancient Serenities of the Black Dragon World, making him the first Heavenly Way to create a Serenities Ruler. From this moment onward every
Heavenly Way will create a Serenities Ruler after ascending.
╠ He creates the Eye Looking Planet
╠ He creates the Throne of Wealth dispersal and forces his ruler counterpart to live inside it from the moment he abdicates.
╠ He and the Third Heavenly Way hate each other.
╚ Before he abdicates he imitates the First Heavenly Way, but he is not quite as thorough in the way he does it, leaving some knowledge behind.
«Third Heavenly Way Era» (>10^16 years ago)
╠ The time is based on the statement that competed for this position more than 10^16 years ago.
╠ He creates the Evil Lotus World and the Golden Lotus World and plans to use them to escape the
restriction of the Heavenly Way.
╠ After meeting Song Shuhang through his talent, he abandons the plan and begins to create the
Lotus Core World and the Nine Paths Phoenix Sabre.
╠ Sometime during his reign he creates the Ghost Divinity Fragment.
╚ He fails to successfully abdicate
«Fourth Heavenly Way Era»
╠ He too fails to abdicate, but has a contingency plan
╠ He tries to usurp every Heavenly Way starting with the fifth using the Tyrant's Usurpation Secret
Art he created
╠ He manipulates his ruler counterpart to do to his bidding and occasionally possesses him
╚ Exploiting his ruler he creates the Star Destroying Virus, that he plans to unleash after usurping a
Heavenly Way.
«Fifth Heavenly Way Era»
╠ She is the only Woman among the Heavenly Ways
╠ She hates the Fourth Heavenly Way, due to most of her reign being forced to clean up the mess
he left
╠ She improved the reincarnation system and created the Six Paths of Reincarnation
╠ The Heavenly River's Su Clan is implied to have been created by her
╠ She created the Reincarnation Blade
╚ After failing to successfully abdicate she reincarnated into all kinds of races using her own
reincarnation system, with Lady Onion being her last reincarnation.
«Sixth Heavenly Way Era»
╠ Originally Heavenly Way White should have been the Sixth Heaven, but he sold it to Daoist
Karmic Virtue in exchange for the Piercing All Heavens And Myriad Realms Flying Shuttle.
╠ After White sold his position to him, he became a Half-Heavenly Way
╠ Daoist Karmic Virtue has no ruler counterpart, due to White already condensing his when he sold
the position
╠ He creates the Karmic Virtue Network
╚ He fails to abdicate like his predecessors
«Seventh Heavenly Way Era»
╠ White once again suppresses All Heavens and Myriad Realms and becomes Heavenly Way.
╠ White gets nicknamed the Willful Heavenly Way
╠ Skylark teaches the Holy Man
╠ The Holy Man creates Ruism
╠ Before he abdicates he tells his counterpart that he creates a sister for him (a brother in this
fanfic, due to me not wanting to write about incest between Heavenly Way White's son and Soft
Feather)
╚ He partially succeeds when he abdicates, but ultimately fails. This however results in him
becoming a Half-Transcendent. From this moment forward he's traveling to the future. For
example, he once meets Song Shuhang in the present time, and it is known that he was there
when White arrived to All Heavens and Myriad Realms.
«Vying for the Eight Heavenly Way»
╠ The Holy Man competes for the position of Heavenly Way
╠ Due to the plan of the Black Dragon World this time to a ball comes into existence that
competes with the Holy Man in the finale.
╚ The Holy Man realizes that someone is trying to usurp the body of the winner of this final battle.
He uses his devouring talent and devours part of the ball's existence, while giving up the battle
and allowing the now incomplete ball to become the Eight Heavenly Way.
«Eight Heavenly Way & Heavenly Court Era»
╠ The Heavenly Way is incomplete and wants to complete itself.
╠ At an unknown point in this timeframe he makes an alliance with the Fourth Heavenly Way
╠ He studies all Legacies left behind by the previous Heavenly Way's
╠ He decides to use the cultivators in his final plan and plans the Heavenly Court Project.
Less than 10 000 000 years ago:
This is based on Ah Chang's lifespan. It is known that he is older than the Heavenly Court and a Tribulation Immortal only lives up to 10 000 000 years.
╠ The Eight Heavenly Way takes a big fragment from the Ghost Divinity Fragment and reincarnates
it with the mission to establish the Heavenly Court.
╠ The original Heavenly Emperor (male) is born as a human and gets taught by Monster Hunter Eternal Life Being under the order of the Eight Heaven
╠ The original Heavenly Emperor lacks inspiration for the final stroke of his gold core and prays to
the Gods. Song Shuhang, who at that time happens to be watching due to his talent suggests
that he should seal his cultivation and jump from a cliff. The original Heavenly Emperor does so
and ends up in a vegetative state due to it, but while he does so he also manages to complete
the Gold Core.
╠ Now either the Eight Heaven reincarnates another soul, this time a female one (less likely) or
somehow the Spirit Ghost that the Heavenly Way reincarnated as a human detaches herself from
the male body (more likely as the Heavenly Emperor has the memories of the time she spent as a
man), resulting in the creation of the Heavenly Emperor known in the story.
╠ The man in the vegetative state later awakens. (Apparently with amnesia as he does not
recognize Song Shuhang while the Heavenly Emperor does) He becomes the Heavenly Emperor's
disciple Ah Chang.
╠ The Heavenly Emperor creates the Heavenly Court
╠ Blockhead Song tries to usurp the Heavenly Emperor, but gets defeated, his body and Way of
Eternal Life shattered.
╠ Cheng Lin takes his soul into her body and later causes the Heavenly Court to collapse overnight
╠ The Heavenly Emperor gets sealed in the Path of Trials.
╚ The collapse of the Heavenly Court takes place over 100 000 years ago. This can be inferred from
a statement from someone from the doomsday church that asks how a Venerable (100 000 years
lifespan) can still be alive. If it were much more than that he would simply conclude that this is
impossible, but him still being doubtful could mean that it should not be that much above it.