Chapter 106 – Ranking
Barring certain special circumstances, there was only one way for countries below rank 5 to rise in rank. A person’s cultivation progress from Core Formation, Nascent Soul, Spirit Severing, and Soul Transformation would raise a country’s rank. If someone in a rank 1 cultivation country reached the Core Formation stage, that country would automatically rise to rank 2.
If they have a Nascent Soul cultivator, then the country will rise to a level 3 cultivation country. After that, when someone reaches the Spirit Severing stage, the country will rise to a level 4 cultivation country. With Soul Transformation, a level 5 cultivation country.
Promotion requires a great deal of luck. The higher the rank, the more difficult it is. Ranks 2 and 3 may take thousands of years. For ranks 3 to 4 and 5 to 6, tens of thousands of years are sometimes insufficient.
Although the process is difficult, it is the only way. As time goes by, there will be people who are talented enough, lucky enough to have some kind of encounter, or receive help from others. Someone who meets the requirements for their country to rise in the rankings will eventually emerge.
These are the people who will undoubtedly become leaders in their home countries.
Once a cultivation nation reaches rank 4, they are eligible to participate in foreign battlefields. However, in terms of strength, a rank 4 cultivation nation cannot compare to a rank 5 cultivation nation at all.
The gap in cultivation levels wasn’t something that numbers could compensate for. For example, the strongest cultivator from a rank 4 cultivation country was at the late stage of Spirit Severing. If you placed them in a rank 5 country, they would instantly become second-rate and would appear like a fragile child in front of a Soul Transformation expert.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that without any special circumstances, a Soul Transformation cultivator could annihilate a rank 4 country. This kind of thing had happened more than once before.
So in reality, the role of the rank 4 cultivation countries in the foreign battlefield was simply to fight for the rank 5 cultivation countries that supported them.
The real and decisive battle must be fought by the 5th ranked cultivating nations.
Once a cultivator nation reaches rank 5, the first major problem they face is a lack of resources and materials. A large nation must nurture a large number of cultivators. If they cannot resolve this issue, the nation will collapse.
Raiding countries with low cultivation levels won’t solve the problem of material and resource shortages. The only real solution is to rise to a country with cultivation level 6.
To rise from rank 5 to rank 6 is not as easy as increasing one’s cultivation level. To rise as a high-ranking country, the only way is through overseas battlefields.
The foreign battlefield is a place filled with cracks in space. An endless battlefield filled with cracks in space and void winds that can easily kill a Spirit Severing cultivator.
Once someone is hit by the void wind, if they are not a Soul Transformation cultivator, they will turn to dust.
Besides the void winds, the most dangerous thing was the cracks in space that could randomly appear anywhere. Once caught, even a Soul Transformation cultivator wouldn’t be able to easily deal with them. Only experts from rank 6 cultivation nations could move freely in the foreign battlefield.
Every few hundred years, there is a major war on the foreign battlefield between rank 4 cultivation nations. This battle is permitted and promoted by the cultivation union.
Anyone who could win 1,000 times in a row would have their cultivation country promoted to Rank 6 and receive a large amount of resources and cultivation methods. Furthermore, the winning country could send one person to the Cultivation Union to learn a special cultivation method. That person’s cultivation level would be raised to a level above Soul Transformation. Of course, the most important reward that all Rank 5 cultivation countries craved was that they would be given their own planet by the Cultivation Union to use as their new home.
Cultivators care deeply about the spiritual energy of the land and the treasures that naturally form within it. It could even be said that the foundation of cultivation is spiritual and material energy.
Having one’s own planet was a symbol of a rank 6 cultivation nation, but the cultivation union was very strict about the requirements for becoming a rank 6 cultivation nation. The first step was to win 1,000 consecutive victories in the foreign battlefield to obtain their own planet. The second step was that within a certain period of time, there had to be several rank 1 to 5 cultivation nations on the rank 6 cultivation nation’s planet.
Fighting on a foreign battlefield was the only way for a rank 5 cultivation nation to advance. This rule applied to almost every cultivation planet. Generally, a rank 6 cultivation nation on a planet would not intervene in the battles of a rank 5 cultivation nation, but there were exceptions. If a rank 6 cultivation nation suppressed a rank 5 cultivation nation, then there was no way for a second rank 6 cultivation nation to emerge on the same planet. However, this situation was extremely rare. Various rank 5 cultivation nations speculated that advancing from rank 6 to 7 had something to do with the number of rank 6 cultivation nations on a planet.
The high frequency of battles on the foreign battlefield left behind a large amount of corpses and materials that needed to be cleaned up. Rank 6 cultivation nations had very strict rules regarding cleaning up the foreign battlefield. Only rank 3 cultivation nations or below could clean up. Some of the materials there could be considered heavenly treasures to lower-ranked cultivation nations.
The foreign battlefield is divided into several regions based on the various rank 5 cultivation countries that support the rank 4 cultivation countries.
Disputes arose everywhere, regardless of rank. To give Zhao the opportunity to clear the foreign battlefield, Jue Ming Valley was created.
Outside Jue Ming Valley lies a vast formation. Several thousand years ago, a Spirit Severing cultivator came and built this formation on orders. No Core Formation or Nascent Soul cultivators are allowed to enter the valley thanks to this formation.
This is why after Teng Huayuan found out that Wang Lin was inside Jue Ming Valley, he couldn’t go inside to kill him.
Jue Ming Valley is not only the location of the battle for the right to clear the foreign battlefield, but also the only entrance to the foreign battlefield in Zhao.
Besides having to be a rank 3 cultivation country or lower, the only other requirement that rank 6 cultivation countries have is that the person entering must be no higher than the Core Formation stage.
In general, once eligibility is determined, the Foundation cultivators within the valley are immediately sent in and will not leave for 50 years.
It was precisely because Teng Huayuan knew this that he killed Wang Lin’s family and used their souls to force Wang Lin out.
Otherwise, if he wanted to kill Wang Lin, he would have to wait 50 years.
Currently, almost the entire Jue Ming Valley knows that a demon-like assassin with a cultivation level beyond comprehension is roaming the valley. Some speculate that he is already at the Core Formation stage and used some unknown method to enter the valley.
Wang Lin continued to walk north through Jue Ming Valley as his spiritual energy flowed rapidly through his body. The killings he had committed over the past few days had not only not decreased his desire to kill, but had actually increased his killing intent drastically.
His mind was completely blank. He had no idea how many people he had killed, and he had no idea that the survivors in the valley would turn pale and shiver every time they saw him.
Several days later, a very confused Wang Lin arrived at the southern edge of Jue Ming Valley. This place had a very steep cliff. Once he exited it, he would leave Jue Ming Valley. Of course, under the influence of the sealing formation, anyone who tried to leave would be teleported back the moment they touched the formation.
In the past few days, whenever Wang Lin thought of his parents, his heart ached. The pain was so intense that he wanted to rip his chest open. The pain was so intense that he sometimes coughed up blood.
As time passed, his body became weaker, but the spiritual energy in his body became closer to the Ji Realm.
Standing at the bottom of the cliff, Wang Lin looked up at the sky. He suddenly knelt down and kowtowed several times. Two streams of blood flowed down his cheeks as he thought to himself, “Mother, father, Tie Zhu is unfilial…”
“Ah…” A sigh echoed in Wang Lin’s mind.
Wang Lin knelt for a long time before rising to his feet. His eyes were cold as he asked, “When did you wake up?”
Situ Nan said, “Five days ago, Wang Lin, I heard Teng Huayuan’s message. That soul flag is a Nascent Soul level flag that can seal a soul. As long as the soul is intact, there is a way to revive it.”
Wang Lin pondered for a moment and then nodded.
“Teng Huayuan killed your family because he was afraid you would escape, so he forced you to appear. Wang Lin, I don’t have much essence left, only enough for you to teleport three more times. You must use it wisely. I will continue sleeping, but I suggest you go to the foreign battlefield. Once I get there, my recovery will be much faster.” Situ Nan’s voice became softer and softer until it faded away.
Wang Lin’s head suddenly became clearer than before. He frowned and muttered to himself, “Three times…”