Pine Breeze Villa.
Courtyard A.
"Marquis, what does First Grade mean?" Jiang Ning asked again.
"Fifth Grade cultivates qi, Third Grade exchanges blood, Second Grade nurtures the spirit, and First Grade unites Essence, Qi, and Spirit to refine Divine Power," Shen Wenyuan said.
"Divine Power?" Surprise crossed Jiang Ning's face.
"Yes." Shen Wenyuan nodded. "That power is golden. The Honored Martial Saint named it Divine Power, and the name has endured ever since."
"So uniting Essence, Qi, and Spirit makes one First Grade?" Jiang Ning asked.
"Correct." Shen Wenyuan nodded. "Essence, Qi, and Spirit Unity is the pinnacle of the First-Rank Martial Dao."
"Then what are the Martial Peak and the Supreme Powerhouse?" Jiang Ning asked.
"The Martial Peak and the Supreme Powerhouse?" Shen Wenyuan looked at Jiang Ning, a strange expression on his face. "You've heard those terms too?"
"I heard them by chance. Could you explain them to me, Marquis?" Jiang Ning asked earnestly.
Seeing Jiang Ning's sincerity, Shen Wenyuan said, "When Essence, Qi, and Spirit merge completely, Divine Power fills every inch of flesh and blood. No distinction remains between them, and the sheer quantity of that power surges."
"The total amount of Divine Power crosses an entire threshold in an instant. Someone who reaches that level is said to stand at the Martial Peak."
"Even among First Grade Martial Artists in the Hunyuan and Unity Realms, those at the Martial Peak can reign supreme. They are the world's true apex powerhouses!"
"Across the land, fewer than twenty Martial Artists are publicly known to have reached that level!"
As he spoke, deep longing appeared in Shen Wenyuan's eyes.
"Marquis, what about the so-called Supreme Powerhouse?" Jiang Ning asked.
"Supreme Powerhouse?" Shen Wenyuan smiled. "At Ninth Rank, they temper their skin into a golden body. At Eighth Grade,