Chapter Fourteen: The Spirit Rank (Please Bookmark and Recommend)

Another bright morning dawned. Lu Zhe stepped out from the dilapidated temple, everything as usual. He made his way to the creek to wash his face, then hurried down the mountain toward Qingxi Wharf.

Upon arriving at Qingxi Wharf, Lu Zhe suddenly recalled what Oil Sixth had told him yesterday. Without delay, he headed for Oil Sixth’s room, where the old man had already been waiting for quite some time.

“Uncle Six,” Lu Zhe called as he pushed open the door.

Oil Sixth slowly turned, his face grave as he looked at Lu Zhe.

“What’s the matter, Uncle Six?” Lu Zhe felt uneasy under Oil Sixth’s gaze and asked.

“Lu Zhe, I have something to tell you,” Oil Sixth sighed, speaking in a subdued tone.

“What is it?” Lu Zhe asked, bewildered by Oil Sixth’s demeanor.

“Lu Zhe, do you know that each of us possesses a special ability?” Oil Sixth gestured for Lu Zhe to sit and spoke slowly.

“What?” Lu Zhe asked, still confused.

“It’s the cultivation of spiritual power,” Oil Sixth explained.

“Spiritual power? What is that?” Lu Zhe asked.

“It is the process of gathering the spiritual energy of all things under heaven and earth and transforming it into one’s own strength,” Oil Sixth continued, pausing before adding, “There are ten spiritual gates within the human body. Every time one is unlocked, you advance to the next level.”

“Advance?” Lu Zhe was thoroughly perplexed by Oil Sixth’s words. He shook his head and said, “Uncle Six, I really don’t understand what you’re saying.”

Upon hearing this, Oil Sixth was momentarily stunned, realizing that Lu Zhe had never encountered any of this before. Telling him about it was akin to speaking in riddles.

After a moment’s thought, Oil Sixth said, “Remember when I invited you to dinner—the assassins, do you recall?”

“Yes,” Lu Zhe nodded. Though he couldn’t remember the events that followed, the earlier moments were still clear in his mind.

“Weren’t they formidable?” Oil Sixth asked calmly.

“Yes,” Lu Zhe nodded in agreement.

“Didn’t they seem incredibly strong?” Oil Sixth pressed on.

“Yes,” Lu Zhe had sparred with one of them, so he knew firsthand their strength.

“In truth, none of them could match you in raw strength alone,” Oil Sixth remarked quietly.

“Huh? But their strength really was impressive,” Lu Zhe responded, surprised.

“That’s because they cultivated spiritual power,” Oil Sixth explained. He paused, then continued, “Every time you break through a spiritual gate, the benefits are immense.”

“What sort of benefits?” Lu Zhe’s interest was piqued. If there were advantages, he was certainly inclined to pursue them.

“Before I tell you about the benefits, let me explain the levels of spiritual cultivation,” Oil Sixth diverted the topic.

“What levels?” Lu Zhe was still at a loss.

“They are the boundaries determined by the ten spiritual gates within the human body,” Oil Sixth explained.

“What boundaries?” Lu Zhe repeated, confused.

“There are ten gates. Each one you unlock, you advance a level,” Oil Sixth elaborated.

“What are the levels?” Lu Zhe was beginning to grasp the concept.

“Spiritual power is classified according to the gates,” Oil Sixth said. He took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, and explained, “There are ten ranks: Spirit Practitioner, Spirit Master, Grand Spirit Master, Spirit Warrior, Spirit King, Spirit Sovereign, Spirit Lord, Spirit Venerable, Spirit Saint, and even Spirit Emperor.” As he spoke the last few titles, reverence filled his expression; clearly, those ranks were held in high esteem.

“Uh…” Lu Zhe was silent. For someone who knew nothing about any of this, it all seemed rather incomprehensible.

“It’s alright if you don’t understand. Let me tell you about the benefits these ranks bring,” Oil Sixth saw Lu Zhe’s confusion and went straight to the point that would interest him.

“Oh?” Lu Zhe was immediately intrigued.

Chuckling gently, Oil Sixth went on, “Spirit Practitioner is the lowest rank. Its benefit is the ability to gather spiritual energy from heaven and earth, nourishing the body, strengthening it, and forming a spirit core.”

“Spirit core?” Lu Zhe asked, surprised.

“A spirit core is essentially a vessel for storing spiritual power. All the spiritual power you cultivate is stored within it. During combat, you draw power from the core, while in daily life, you must use special hand seals to absorb spiritual energy and replenish your power,” Oil Sixth explained.

“That’s all?” Lu Zhe was puzzled—how was this different from physical exercise?

“Let me finish,” Oil Sixth waved his hand to halt the interruption, then paused before continuing, “Spirit Master—at this level, the force of nature awakens within your spiritual power. You can transfer your spiritual power to objects, making your attacks fiercer.”

“What is the force of nature?” Lu Zhe asked, bewildered.

“It’s the elements—wind, water, fire, and so on…” Oil Sixth gestured.

“To wield these natural forces is to harness the force of nature. Of course, each person has their own spiritual attribute,” he explained further.

“What about the next level?” Lu Zhe steadied himself and asked.

“Grand Spirit Master,” Oil Sixth continued, “At this level, your spiritual power becomes visible as an aura.”

“Pressure?” Lu Zhe was utterly lost.

“Pressure is the transformation of your spiritual power into an aura that radiates from you, intimidating others. Those of lesser strength might even feel fear because of it,” Oil Sixth clarified.

“Oh,” Lu Zhe nodded thoughtfully.

“Spirit Warrior—the benefit here is the ability to solidify your spiritual power into objects,” Oil Sixth began explaining the next rank.

“Solidify objects? What does that do?”

“Solidification allows you to shape your spiritual power into whatever you imagine. Unlike armor, which can only attach to your body, these objects can leave your body and be used for ranged attacks,” Oil Sixth explained. He then added, “This rank also has another name—the Watershed.”

“Watershed?” Lu Zhe echoed, confused.

“Exactly, the Watershed,” Oil Sixth affirmed. “Why is it called that? Because many people who reach this stage can’t break through to the next gate. They remain at this rank.”

“Why is it so difficult to advance?” Lu Zhe asked, astonished.

“Because the ranks above are revered by all,” Oil Sixth smiled. “The next is Spirit King.”

“Spirit King?” Lu Zhe remembered the earlier explanation and blurted it out.

“Yes, Spirit King! It’s the first truly difficult gate among the ten. Once you break through, you receive the title ‘Spirit King Strong,’ revered by thousands.”

“Hmm?” Lu Zhe was surprised. Why did the title have ‘Strong’ added? That alone showed how much respect the Spirit King commanded.

“What benefit does it bring?” Lu Zhe asked the most important question.

“It allows you to fly,” Oil Sixth replied.

“What? Fly?” Lu Zhe exclaimed.

“No, no, let me clarify,” Oil Sixth hastily explained. “At this rank, you can form wings from your spiritual power.”

“You want to ask what spiritual power wings are, right?” Oil Sixth preempted Lu Zhe’s question.

Lu Zhe nodded.

“It’s simple. You use your spiritual power to form wings behind you and fly through the air. It’s just another form of solidification,” Oil Sixth shrugged.

“Why can’t Spirit Warriors do this? Isn’t it the same as solidification?” Lu Zhe asked.

“That’s the difference in ranks. Forming wings requires vast amounts of spiritual power, which Spirit Warriors simply don’t possess. By the way,” Oil Sixth tapped the table, explaining further, “At this rank, you can also recover your spiritual power without forming hand seals. In other words, you can replenish your power as you walk, even in the midst of battle. This gives you a tremendous advantage, which is why only Spirit Kings can form spiritual wings.”

“That’s indeed a great benefit,” Lu Zhe nodded thoughtfully.

“Spirit Sovereign—spiritual power becomes tangible,” Oil Sixth moved on as Lu Zhe pondered.

“What do you mean?” Lu Zhe asked.

“Your spiritual power takes physical form. For example, if you have fire attribute power, you can create flames at will; water, you can summon water, and so on…” Oil Sixth explained.

“Oh,” Lu Zhe didn’t ask further; he wouldn’t understand anyway.

“Spirit Hero can use spatial techniques and hover briefly in midair, also manipulate external spiritual power of the same attribute within a small range,” Oil Sixth began to droop, looking sleepy. Explaining all this was tedious, especially with so much to cover.

“Uncle Six!” Lu Zhe slapped the table.

“What?!” Oil Sixth jumped up from his chair. Seeing Lu Zhe’s rolling eyes and disdain, Oil Sixth quickly straightened his clothes and hair, coughing before sitting upright, “Alright, what comes next is important. You must remember it well.”

Lu Zhe ignored him, “Uncle Six, what is spatial power?”

Upon hearing the question, Oil Sixth frowned, scratching his head as if faced with a difficult problem. He gestured as he spoke, “Well, it’s quite abstract. I’m not good with words, so I can’t explain it properly. When you reach this rank, you’ll naturally understand.”

“Spirit Lord—can manipulate vast amounts of external spiritual power of the same attribute, no longer overtaxing your own reserves, can resonate with the force of nature, controlling materials in nature that share your spiritual attribute. The sky becomes your walkway, and you can use spatial techniques for extended periods,” Oil Sixth glossed over the previous topic and continued the explanation.

“Standing in midair? Manipulating spiritual power? Spatial techniques again?” Lu Zhe questioned, then seemed to recall something, “Isn’t it possible to fly? Why stand in midair? What does manipulating spiritual power mean?”

“Spiritual wings let you fly, but with many limitations. Movement in the air is clumsy, speed is slow, and evasion is difficult. Standing in midair is different. As a Spirit Lord, you can move freely in the void, greatly expanding your range and agility. Manipulating spiritual power means you can control large amounts of external spiritual power of the same attribute, thereby controlling external materials. For example, if your attribute is fire, you can control external flames; if water, then water, and so forth…” Oil Sixth explained, thumping the table.

“Oh,” Lu Zhe nodded, though whether he understood was uncertain.

“Also, at this rank, you can use spatial power,” Oil Sixth added.

“Oh?” Lu Zhe was puzzled.

“I already mentioned spatial power—it’s abstract. When you become a Spirit Lord, you’ll understand. I really can’t explain it,” Oil Sixth said, clearly troubled.

“Next is Spirit Venerable,” Oil Sixth sighed deeply, though it wasn’t clear why.

“Go on, Uncle Six,” Lu Zhe urged, tapping the table.

“You can briefly enter the second-dimensional void, but only if you’re a five-star Spirit Venerable. Likewise, only five-star Spirit Lords can use spatial techniques for extended periods,” Oil Sixth explained.

“What is the second-dimensional void?” Another new term piqued Lu Zhe’s interest.

“The space we inhabit is called the first-dimensional space. The second-dimensional space is a world accessed by breaking the barrier between the first and second dimensions with spiritual power. It’s another realm,” Oil Sixth explained.

“Uh…” This was truly incomprehensible to Lu Zhe—first dimension, second dimension, another world—were it not for his good spirits, he’d be completely disoriented. In fact, he already was.

“Lu Zhe,” Oil Sixth’s call snapped him out of his confusion.

“Ah?” Lu Zhe replied, startled.

“It’s alright if you don’t understand. When you reach this rank, you’ll naturally know,” Oil Sixth patted Lu Zhe’s shoulder.

“Whew,” Lu Zhe exhaled deeply.

“Next is Spirit Saint,” Oil Sixth continued.

“Oh,” Lu Zhe sat up straighter, though he knew he wouldn’t understand and so merely played along.

“Spirit Saints are revered by all,” Oil Sixth suddenly declared.

“Huh?” Lu Zhe blurted, perplexed.

“I know you won’t understand, so I won’t elaborate. Simply put, once you reach that rank, you’ll understand everything,” Oil Sixth said quietly.

“There’s one more,” Lu Zhe recalled Oil Sixth’s earlier words.

“Spirit Emperor, ruler of heaven and earth,” Oil Sixth said, exhaling slowly.

“Uh,” Lu Zhe muttered, baffled.

Having finished, Oil Sixth sank back in his chair, closing his eyes for a rest, ignoring Lu Zhe.

Lu Zhe sat in his chair, pondering Oil Sixth’s words. Though he couldn’t comprehend the latter part, he understood the beginning, especially the Spirit King rank—flying sounded wonderful, and he felt a surge of eagerness.

“Oh, I forgot to mention,” Oil Sixth opened his eyes and looked at Lu Zhe.

“What is it?” Lu Zhe asked.

“The benefits of each rank are impressive, but cultivation is extremely demanding. Let me tell you about the requirements,” Oil Sixth sat up.

“What requirements?” Lu Zhe asked, puzzled.

“At fifteen, you automatically unlock the first spiritual gate, becoming a Spirit Practitioner and forming a spirit core. From then on, it’s up to you—gather spiritual energy to cultivate spiritual power and unlock the next gate. Each breakthrough requires vast amounts of power. Each rank has nine stars; after passing the ninth, it depends on your fate. The opportunity to advance comes randomly. Some remain at one rank for life, others become top experts of the continent. After Spirit Warrior, each gate is harder to unlock, which is why some give up. Some are born with closed gates and can never cultivate. The path of cultivation is arduous,” Oil Sixth explained with a sly smile.

“What?” Oil Sixth’s lengthy explanation was clear to Lu Zhe—the path is harsh. Though he’d been prepared for hardship, he hadn’t expected it to be so severe. He felt some hesitation.

“You turn fifteen today. I’ve examined your bones; you’ll become a Spirit Practitioner at noon,” Oil Sixth suddenly sat up straight, gazing intently at Lu Zhe.

“What?!” Lu Zhe exclaimed in shock.