Chapter 54 (2): A Lesson

Li Changkong heaved a long sigh here, then continued, "I say this to tell you all that sometimes, the gap between person and person can be even wider than that between heaven and earth!"

Everyone nodded in heartfelt agreement with this statement.

Indeed, that was the way of the world.

"After the Warrior Master tier is the Grandmaster tier, which is a tier at which one can establish a sect. Let me put it this way: a Warrior Disciple is like a child in school, a Warrior is like a scholar with a decent base of knowledge, a Warrior Master is like a teacher that can begin instructing Warrior Disciples, while a Grandmaster can be likened to the principle of a school. Does that make things easier to understand?"

This was a very clear and concise analogy.

"The gap between a Grandmaster and a Warrior Master is enormous. I'll refer to Fang Che and Mo Ganyun here as an example. Prior to his breakthrough, Fang Che would always have to take some time to defeat Mo Ganyun in their sparring matches. At the very least, it would've taken twenty or so attacks.

𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

“However, following his breakthrough, he could accomplish the same feat in just a single attack, and a half-hearted one, at that. Going from Warrior Master to Grandmaster is not just a simple tier progression. Instead, it's a breakthrough on a fundamental level, granting one an unrivaled boost in power and agility."

Mo Ganyun was trying to sink into his chair as much as possible, but he could still feel everyone scrutinizing him.

"Why'd you have to make an example out of me?" he grumbled under his breath.

Everyone was rather amused by his hushed gripes, but they quickly suppressed their amusement to refocus their attention on Li Changkong's impromptu lesson.

"Remember this: there is a line between the average person and a Warrior Disciple, and also a line between a Warrior Master and a Grandmaster. Both of those lines are like insurmountable barriers firmly separating one from the other. Right now, Fang Che is the first student from the new cohort to have gone beyond this second line of separation.

“Beyond the Grandmaster tier is the so-called innate tier, which, to put it in simple terms, describes the internal breathing of cultivators. At this tier, one is able to breathe without using their mouth and nose, forming a cycle of circulation within the body. However, the duration can vary drastically, from indefinitely long to only the span of several dozen normal breaths.

“Furthermore, the innate tier encompasses a lot. Apparently, in ancient times, anything below the modern Emperor tier was considered to be part of the innate tier, but finer distinctions have since been made. Hence, a Great Grandmaster is also known as an Innate Grandmaster.

“Even though both Lesser and Great Grandmasters are referred to as Grandmasters, do not be fooled, because chasm between the two is impossibly wide. Let me put it this way: even Duan Xiyang, the current number one warrior on the Cloud Weapon Archive, would've been no match for any first-rank Great Grandmaster back when he was a Lesser Grandmaster!"

Li Changkong paused here momentarily for emphasis, then continued, "Hence, this is also known as the third line of separation for warriors. Both are known as Grandmasters, so you would think the difference is trivial, but there are countless warriors throughout history who've failed to cross this line, even after trying for their entire lives!"

This was not an unfamiliar concept for everyone present.

In particular, in eighth and ninth tiers like the Fang Clan, there were countless senior figures who were still stuck at the Lesser Grandmaster tier despite their advanced age.

"Upon becoming an Innate Grandmaster, one will have completely gone beyond the realm of an ordinary person, and in the military, an Innate Grandmaster would be able to fill the role of corps commander, squad commander, or even centurion. For warriors, this is when they can truly begin making a difference in the world.

“The next tier is the General tier. At its core, a centurion is still only just a glorified squad leader, while a general is considered fit to lead an entire army. From there, we progress to the Lord tier. That's pretty self-explanatory, right?"

Everyone nodded in response.

"There's honestly not much distinction between these two tiers as they were both formerly part of the innate tier. It's just that, as aforementioned, the innate tier has been divided up into several smaller tiers for more precise power classification. The main difference between a General and Lord is that the latter must be able to display leadership on a wider basis, seeing more than others are capable of.

“In a tangible sense, this refers to superior spirit sense. However, even though a Lord is able to sense more than others, it's still only a vague and indistinct sense, almost like superior intuition or a sixth sense that often allows them to make better decisions than others. Does that make sense?"

Everyone nodded in response once again.

"Here, we've reached another line of separation. The leader of an army, whether that be a General or a Lord, is naturally expected to lead the charge in battle from the forefront, thereby placing them in great peril. Hence, there are very few Generals or Lords that survive long enough to accumulate sufficient accolades and contributions to be given the title of Warlord.

“The title of Warlord is not an official one. Instead, it's a title of nobility. A Warlord is already considered to be standing at the pinnacle of the mortal world, beneath only a handful of people, but above tens of millions of others. A Warlord possesses an aura of superiority, allowing them to crush ordinary warriors with their aura alone, and that is the fourth line of separation.

“However, there's one thing that I must make clear to all of you here: there's no way a Warrior Master can hope to contend against a Grandmaster, but it's possible for Generals and Lords to challenge Warlords. These tiers are still all encompassed within the innate tier of old, so no fundamental breakthrough has been made.

“Essentially, progression through these tiers comes from an accumulation of accolades and experience. This is why all those below the Emperor tier are considered to be in the innate tier. From here, we have the fifth line of separation in the form of the King tier."

Having spoken so much, Li Changkong was feeling a little parched, and he took a sip of wine to lubricate his throat, then continued, "What is a king? In ancient times, kings were rulers of nations! For warriors, only those who have reached a level beyond all others in a certain field can be given the title of King.

“At the very least, that used to be the case. If we go by that criterion, many of the so-called Kings of the present day are actually unworthy of their title. However, the current system is one that was born out of necessity.

“After all, just imagine how much more chaotic things would be if Great Grandmasters, Generals, Lords, Warlords, Kings, and Emperors were still collectively bundled up and thrown into an innate tier. Actually, on this topic, I have an interesting tidbit to share with you all."

Everyone's interest was instantly piqued.

"In the past, there actually used to be even more tiers, like Chancellors and Presidents, but the system was considered to have become too bloated and convoluted, so those tiers were removed."

Everyone was stunned to hear this. While throwing everyone into the innate tier had been a little too careless, it seemed that at some point in history, things had gone to the opposite extreme before being trimmed down to the current system.

"Beyond the King tier is the Emperor tier, and at that stage, one can truly become the ruler of a nation. Above that is the Sovereign tier, considered to be the very pinnacle of the mortal world. There are many empires and nations in the world, and their rulers can all be referred to as emperors. However, at times, multiple nations and empires will join forces and forge alliances to contend against formidable foes.

“Such an alliance requires a leader, and that leader is given the title of Sovereign. Even the emperors of all of the nations in the alliance must treat the Sovereign with respect, thereby making it the most prestigious title in the mortal world. At the very least, that's the case on our continent. Essentially, a Sovereign is an emperor among emperors.

“Upon reaching the pinnacle of the Sovereign tier, one's power is completely unimaginable to the average person, and a figure of this caliber is able to draw upon the power of heaven and earth. In other words, they have gleaned some of the secrets of the Great Dao of the world. It is the pinnacle of power among mortals, but also the beginning of a pursuit for a higher power beyond the mortal realm.

“You'll understand what I mean once you get there yourselves. This is the sixth line of separation. Many warriors like to say that there are nine total lines of separation, but that's only because they refer to the Lord, Warlord, King, and Emperor tiers each as a line of separation in their own right.

“Strictly speaking, that's incorrect because they all originally belonged to the innate tier, and manufacturing nine lines of separation is only a way for them to pump themselves up. Hence, do not be led astray by these unofficial concepts. "

Sheepish smiles appeared on everyone's faces upon hearing this, including Fang Che's.

Back in his past life, he had often bragged about how he had crossed the nine lines of separation to reach the top, but only after receiving this lesson did he come to realize that he had been bragging about something completely absurd.

"That's as far as my knowledge goes because I'm only an Emperor myself," Li Changkong concluded with a smile. "Chances are, you won't reach such high tiers during your time at the academy anyway. Anything beyond the Sovereign tier will be uncharted territory for you to explore."

All of the students fell into deep thought upon hearing this.

The four instructors of the eleventh class rose to their feet with their cups raised.

"As expected of one of our academy's top instructors, Instructor Li. Even we learned a lot just now."

Li Changkong burst into laughter as he downed his cup of wine.