"Going from the Seventh Rank to the Eighth is a leap in quality. Only great Aristocratic Clans can gather all the precious materials it requires. But going from the Eighth Rank to the Ninth is a journey to the heavens, harder than you can imagine. You can't make that leap without the aid of a Star Core," Feng Feitian explained.
"What's a Star Core?" Luo Qian had never heard of one. "It's the soul of a planet. Extract it, and the planet dies. Destroying a planet is easy for a Saint, but only the Saint Court can extract its Star Core. That means every Ninth Rank expert comes at the cost of a planet. Every planet in the Saint Realm is linked to the others in strange ways, and destroying one could have unpredictable consequences. Even the Saint Court thinks it over again and again before deciding to extract a Star Core. Right now, there are only nine Ninth Rank experts in the entire Saint Realm."
"Because Ninth Rank experts are so scarce, the Eighth Rank is divided into nine levels. I've reached level five. I may not be able to stir up much of a storm, but I can protect myself."
"So there's all that tangled up in it." Luo Qian thought of Bai Zisheng and added, "Anyway, be careful. Dodge him if you can. Don't let that fellow take advantage of you, or I'll be the one losing out!" Feng Feitian found his possessiveness funny, but it warmed her heart.
His wife had a band of Saint Soldiers to protect her, but Luo Qian had to spend money to secure his own safety. He went to the Private Professionals' Guild at Rhinoceros Sky Saint Market. The mercenaries here were in another league from those at Black Iron Saint