Ming Ze's eyes widened at Yuan's congratulations. For a moment, he stood there, dumbfounded, as if the words hadn't fully sunk in. When he finally snapped out of his daze, he mumbled under his breath,almost too quietly to hear.
"Revenge…?"
Seeing Ming Ze's confused expression, Yuan realized something important. Ming Ze wasn't nearly as consumed by his desire for revenge as Yuan had assumed. The thought of avenging his mother's clan… it hadn't really crossed his mind,even though Yuan reminded him.
"Has he been too blinded by his greed for merit points? Or maybe he had simply forgotten why he started all of this…" Yuan though silently. But he kept his thoughts to himself.
Perhaps his words from earlier would push Ming Ze to rediscover his true goal and drive him to cultivate even harder.
A few seconds passed before Ming Ze's expression shifted. An ashamed, bitter smile crossed his face.
"Yes… Thank you, Boss, for the reminder."
Yuan let out a low chuckle, amusement flickering in his eyes.
"Always keep your goal before your eyes. Because if you lose sight of it… one day, deep down in your heart, you'll regret never chasing after it."
Ming Ze nodded, like a child being lectured by a wise elder. The look in his eyes told Yuan everything he needed to know.
Ming Ze's respect for him ran deep,perhaps deeper than Yuan had realized. And as it stood now, the chances of Ming Ze betraying him were slim. It would take something extreme,like Yuan stealing all his wealth or betraying him first,to break that loyalty.
Yuan smiled and took a sip of the spiritual tea. It was the same blend he had tasted last time, but now it was of a much higher quality.
The spiritual herbs used in its preparation were clearly superior, and the recipe itself seemed to have been refined. The tea's aroma was richer, its flavor smoother, and its effects more potent.
This particular brew was especially useful for cultivators around the 20% in the Blood Purification Stage, enhancing their sensitivity to the blood flowing within their bodies.
For an average early layer Blood Purification Stage cultivator, this kind of tea was exceptionally valuable,aiding them in deepening their connection to their spiritual blood.
But Yuan wasn't an average cultivator. He possessed the memories of Basilisk,a rising old monster whose knowledge far surpassed anything Ming Ze could hope to understand.
Even so, Yuan could tell that this spiritual tea was likely the very blend Ming Ze used for his own cultivation. Which meant…
Ming Ze was offering something precious.
This tea was valuable to him, perhaps even critical to his own progress. And yet, he was sharing it with Yuan. That alone spoke volumes.
But Yuan wasn't naive.
He understood there was another layer to this gesture. The tea wasn't only a gift,it should be a test.
Ming Ze had grown stronger since the last time they met. Although Yuan could easily crush him if they were at the same stage, Ming Ze wouldn't be aware of that.
No, Ming Ze was probing him.
By offering Yuan this particular spiritual tea, Ming Ze intended to gauge his progress.
If the tea had no effect on Yuan, it would suggest that his spiritual blood had surpassed the 20% ,perhaps even well beyond it. But if Yuan responded to the tea's effects, Ming Ze would know Yuan's cultivation level was still below that threshold.
This knowledge would help Ming Ze determine Yuan's true strength and, more importantly, how much he could rely on him.
If Yuan was below 20%, then Ming Ze would likely keep him at arm's length, repaying past favors with cultivation resources before eventually cutting ties and focusing on his own rise.
But if Yuan's progress surpassed that threshold…
It would mean Yuan was truly worthy of Ming Ze's trust and reliance,possibly even more so than his own master. After all, his master only took notice of him after he had achieved success. Yuan, however, had helped him rise when he was at his lowest.
That was the difference between the elder… and Yuan.
At least, that was what Yuan thought.
After all, Ming Ze had walked a difficult path toward wealth and influence. He couldn't possibly be a brainless fool. In business, those who couldn't scheme or plan ahead never rose to prominence.
"Clever," Yuan mused, his lips curving into a faint smile.
He took another sip of the spiritual tea, then set the cup back on the table. "Continue. Tell me what else has been happening in the sect."
Ming Ze coughed a few times, clearing his throat before regaining his usual demeanor. He began to speak, and to Yuan's mild surprise, he started with the biggest change,the rise of many new inner disciples.
According to Ming Ze, the sect had recently established an Inner Sect Ranking System, which was divided into four parts.
The lowest tier was known as the Ashes,this included all disciples who had only recently become inner disciples. It was essentially the starting point for everyone.
As for how to advance beyond the Ashes, the sect's method was simple but effective. They had organized a series of tournaments held at different intervals monthly, half yearly, and yearly.
In each tournament, disciples competed to earn ranking points, which were awarded based on their performance and the rank they achieved. The higher their ranking points, the more their status would rise.
And the true incentive lay at the top.
If a disciple managed to break into the Top 10, they would receive numerous cultivation benefits. More importantly, they were granted access to one of the forbidden areas on the peak mountain, a place known for its concentrated spiritual energy.
However, access was limited.
The tenth ranked disciple could cultivate there for only one day and the first ranked disciple received ten days,all free of charge.
Though it wasn't a large amount of time, the benefits gained from even a single day in that forbidden area were enormous.
For those seeking to strengthen themselves and rise above their peers, it provided a clear and undeniable advantage.
To advance in the Inner Sect Ranking and become a Rising Flame the next tier above the Ashes,a Ashes must challenge one of the lowest ranked Rising Flames. If they succeed, they take over the rank of the defeated disciple and claim their title as a Rising Flame.
However, unlike those ranked among the Ashes, Rising Flames lose the privilege of entering the forbidden places on the mountain. Instead, they are granted other benefits.
For example exemption from sect missions. Rising Flames are allowed to fully focus on cultivation, much like Yuan had done during his nearly two year seclusion. They are provided with monthly pills of decent quality to aid their progress.
The Top Ten Rising Flames receive even greater benefits. The tenth ranked Rising Flame is allowed to cultivate in the forbidden areas for one week, while the first ranked Rising Flame can remain there for ten weeks.
But the path doesn't end there.
Just as the Ashes challenge the Rising Flames, the Rising Flames may challenge the Young Phoenixes to rank further.
The Young Phoenixes are the true elite of the inner sect disciples, and their benefits are far greater than those of the Rising Flames.
The privileges of the Young Phoenixes include access to forbidden places on the mountain once a month for an entire week,a luxury most other disciples could only dream of.
Permission to delay sect missions without consequence.
Meridian Awakening Stage pills of their choosing, provided once a month to aid their cultivation.
But the most coveted benefit was reserved for the first ranked Young Phoenix.
They were granted the right to challenge one of the Ten True Phoenixes.
Yes, according to Ming Ze, the sect had declared that only ten True Phoenixes would exist at any given time. These True Phoenixes were considered the most promising candidates for future core disciples of the main sect.
Their status was nearly equivalent to that of the elders.
Their privileges were immense:
They were allowed to move freely throughout the sect, so long as they remained within the boundaries of the sect's rules.
They were completely exempt from sect missions for the entirety of their tenure as a True Phoenix.
They could request guidance or assistance from any of the nine elders, and the elders were required to help them to the best of their abilities.
To hold the title of a True Phoenix was to stand at the very peak of the inner sect, just one step away from becoming a true core disciple.
This revelation left Yuan genuinely shocked. It was a complete restructuring of the sect's power hierarchy among the inner sect disciples,a drastic change that naturally caught him off guard.
Out of curiosity, Yuan decided to ask, "What rank are you currently at, Ming Ze?"
Ming Ze could only chuckle bitterly.
"I'm still one of the Ashes. My ranking is seventh rank, but I'm the weakest in terms of cultivation among the top ten. Thanks to the Flame Controlling Technique, I've learned a few useful tricks to improve the flow of my spiritual blood. That gives me a slight advantage in battle that helped me become the seventh ranked… "Ming ze took then a deep breath and then spoke continued to speak.
"but even then, I can probably only hold my own against a peak early layer Blood Purification Stage disciple. And even then, it would likely leave me with a few injuries or maybe even a serious one."
"Interesting." Yuan nodded thoughtfully. "It's good that you've managed to learn so much from the Flame Controlling Technique and even devised a way to control your spiritual blood better. That's impressive progress."
He paused before continuing, his eyes gleaming with curiosity. "But tell me about the other rankings. What's the minimum requirement for each stage?"
Ming Ze raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised by Yuan's interest. But he quickly shrugged it off and began explaining.
"To become one of the top ten Ashes, you generally need to be between 20% and 33% spiritual blood infusion. It always fluctuates, but currently, the number one Ash is stuck at the 33% cap and trying to break through before challenging one of the Rising Flames." Yuan nodded in understanding at ming ze's words and memories the ranking.
"As for the Rising Flames, they range from around 30% all the way to the peak of the Blood Purification Stage. Some of them are even on the verge of awakening their meridians. That's the key difference once someone reaches the Meridian Awakening Stage, they qualify to become a Young Phoenix."once again yuan nodded nothing special about this as this was the most logical thing to do.
"All Young Phoenixes are Meridian Awakening Stage cultivators. The weakest among them have only awakened their first three meridians. Anyone with only two meridians awakened isn't even allowed to be considered a Young Phoenix,they're just treated as ordinary inner sect disciples."Ming ze then stopped and then stopped for a moment and began to think and then after a moment he spoke again.
"As for the top ten Young Phoenixes, their cultivation spans all the way up to the peak of the Meridian Awakening Stage."
Ming Ze's expression grew a bit uncertainly as he continued, "And then, there are the True Phoenixes. They're the ones who have awakened all their meridians."
Then Ming ze's eyes became a bit jealous "Every last one of them is preparing to take the test to become core disciples of the main sect with the help of the entire Sect."