The prerequisite to come to the Ruler stage is by leaving your last name, for example, Xiao for Xiao Yan and Lin for Lin Dong, on the Firmament Board. After this has been done, a mysterious force will engulf the person and form a rune that has resemblance to the spiritual energy/arts that were used to write the name upon the Board. For Xiao Yan it was a Fire Rune, for Lin Dong it was an Ancient Talisman Rune.[1] This bestows them honor and causes them to exude a force that made others feel like they are the Rulers of the World, thus the name of the stage. The Immortal Emperor was the first to reach the Ruler stage, but never got to the Great Ruler stage, otherwise he would not have died at the hands of the Heavenly Evil Monarch.