In the cultivation world, formal titles carry great significance. They are official designations granted to cultivators who have reached specific milestones or ranks within their path. Unlike casual nicknames or sect ranks, these titles recognize a cultivator's true standing, strength, and achievements in the grand hierarchy of cultivation.
Formal titles often reflect the cultivator's stage of progress. They serve not only as marks of honor but also as social currency, influencing respect, authority, and sometimes even political power.
For example, a cultivator who breaks through the foundational levels of cultivation may receive a title that formally acknowledges their new status and sets them apart from novices. These titles become part of their identity and are used by others to address or reference them respectfully.
Formal titles are typically used starting from the Golden Core stage and onwards. In cultivation worlds, the most common basic cultivation stages are generally five: Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, and finally, the stage just before ascension known as Mahayana.
As I mentioned before, stages beyond Nascent Soul can vary a lot depending on the author or story, so it's hard to generalize formal titles after this point. Because of that, I won't try to cover every variation. Instead, I'll share some examples of formal titles from novels I've read or translated.
What's certain—and most widely used—are three formal titles corresponding to the Golden Core, Nascent Soul, and Mahayana stages.
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First, Golden Core cultivators (金丹, Jīndān) hold the formal title of "Real Person" (真人, Zhēnrén).
Nascent Soul cultivators (元婴, Yuányīng) carry the title "True Monarch" (真君, Zhēnjūn).
For Mahayana cultivators (大乘, Dàchéng), several formal titles exist depending on their status and affiliation:
"Great Ascendant" (大乘天尊, Dàchéng Tiānzūn)
"Supreme Ancestor" (太上祖师, Tàishàng Zǔshī)
"True Venerable" (真尊, Zhēnzūn)
Specific Mahayana Cultivator Titles
Tiānzūn (天尊): Used to respectfully address Mahayana cultivators from other sects or lineages. It shows honor without implying close personal connection.
Tàishàng (太上): Reserved for Mahayana cultivators within one's own sect, clan, or lineage. It conveys respect and a deeper, familial bond. Often paired with "Elder" to form titles like "Elder Tàishàng."
Zhēnzūn (真尊): A formal and neutral title for Mahayana cultivators, sometimes used when neither close ties nor affiliations exist. It is appropriate for formal address, third-party references, or juniors showing reverence without belonging.
Analogy
Tiānzūn is like calling someone "Excellency" or "Your Grace."
Zhēnzūn is like saying "True Master" or "Venerable Sage" without assuming loyalty.
Tàishàng is like "Grand Elder" or "Patriarch" within your own family or house.
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Beyond the commonly known titles, many novels introduce formal titles for higher or variant cultivation stages. Here are some examples I've encountered in various stories:
Divine Transformation cultivators (化神, Huàshén) often hold the title "True Sage" (真圣, Zhēnshèng). This is a fairly common and general title used across multiple novels.
Another title for Divine Transformation cultivators, especially in the Jian Dan story I'm translating (True Heir of Chaos: From Villainess to Empress), is 君上 (Jūnshàng), which roughly means "Lord" or "Sovereign."
Divine Soul cultivators (分神, Fēnshén) are often called "Venerable" (尊者, Zūnzhě). This term is also from the same novel mentioned above.
Returning to Void or Crossing Tribulation cultivators frequently bear the titles "King" (之王, Zhīwáng) or "Sovereign" (之主, Zhīzhǔ). These are generic titles you'll see often in cultivation stories.
For Void Refinement cultivators (炼虚, Liànxū) in the Jian Dan story, the formal title is 尊主 (Zūnzhǔ).
Unity cultivators (合体, Hétǐ) are often honored with the title "Exalted One" (尊上, Zūnshàng), another somewhat generic title seen in multiple novels.
Regarding other variations, I don't have extensive knowledge, but I've noticed some authors use 尊者 (Zūnzhě) for Divine Transformation cultivators, or even 道尊 (Dàozūn) as a title for Mahayana cultivators.
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When I write about the Golden Core and Nascent Soul stages, I usually use the terms Jīndān Zhēnrén and Yuányīng Zhēnjūn. The reason is simple: Jīndān and Yuányīng are widely recognized terms in cultivation circles. Most readers instantly know that Jīndān means Golden Core and Yuányīng means Nascent Soul when we're talking about cultivation stages.
Another reason is that these terms have a nice ring to them and remain consistent with how authors usually write them in Chinese texts, like 金丹真人 and 元婴真君. Keeping the original Chinese alongside the title preserves authenticity and feels natural in the cultivation genre.
This logic also extends to other formal, culture-specific titles. For example:
Fózǐ (佛子 - Buddha Son): This is a special title within Buddhist cultivation sects, not just a description.
Dàrén (大人 - Great Person): This is a key honorific in the Underworld/ghost cultivator hierarchy, used to address someone of a much higher rank and cultivation stage.
I write these with tone marks to signal that they are official titles within the world of the novel, much like Zhēnrén or Zhēnjūn.
However, for other cultivation stages, I prefer to use the English translations instead, such as Divine Soul Zūnzhě or Unity Zūnshàng. Unlike Golden Core and Nascent Soul, these stages aren't as universally fixed or "generic" across novels. Many translations also lean toward using the English terms rather than the Chinese names.
To make it easier and clearer for readers—especially those who might be less familiar with the original Chinese—I've decided to stick with the English versions for these less common stages. This way, the meaning is more accessible without losing the respect and flavor of the original titles.
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The term "本尊" (běn zūn) is a first-person pronoun, but it is far more specific and loaded with meaning than a simple "I" or "me."
本 (běn): Literally means "origin," "root," or "this." Here, it signifies "this one" or "the one who is speaking."
尊 (zūn): Means "venerable," "honorable," "respected."
Together, 本尊 translates to something like "This Venerable One." It is a majestic, arrogant, and supremely self-important way for a very powerful individual to refer to themselves.
However, for the sake of consistency within my translation and to avoid any potential misconception with the title 尊者 (Zūnzhě), the term 本尊 will be rendered as "This Lord."
This choice serves two purposes:
It uses the same root word for both 尊 in 本尊 and in the title 尊者, creating a clear and coherent system of honorifics for the reader.
It prevents you from potentially confusing "This Venerable One" as in 本尊 (Běnzūn) with the title "Venerable One" as in 尊者 (Zūnzhě), which, while related, are used differently (one is a self-reference, the other is a form of address).