Ranks and grades.

Ace nodded at Shan Yifeng's answer but decided to break things down even more. After all, throwing out a bunch of fancy words didn't mean much if the kid didn't truly understand them.

"Alright, listen up. Cultivation has five big ranks. Think of them like levels in a game—each one makes you stronger than before."

Shan Yifeng leaned in, curious, while Liu Mei just blinked, still happily chewing on her apple.

Ace held up one finger.

"First, we have Warrior Rank. This is where all cultivators start. It makes you stronger than a normal person—kind of like training your body really hard—but it's still just the beginning."

Shan Yifeng furrowed his brows.

"So, like doing a lot of push-ups?"

Ace chuckled as he continued,

"Sort of, but it also strengthens something called soul force—a special energy inside you that lets you use techniques later on."

"So… like charging up power?"

"Exactly," Ace confirmed.

He raised a second finger.

"Next is Silver Rank. This is when cultivators start using basic soul techniques. Think of it as learning your first special moves."

Shan Yifeng's eyes lit up. "Like throwing fireballs?!"

Ace coughed. "Uh… not exactly. But at this level, you might be able to make your attacks stronger using your soul force."

Liu Mei's eyes sparkled.

"So, I can get even stronger?"

Ace gave her a wry smile.

"If you cultivate, yes."

He raised a third finger.

"Then there's Gold Rank. This is where people start becoming really strong. In small cities, being at Gold Rank means you're already powerful. Some people at this level can even tame demon spirits—which means forming a bond with a powerful beast to help them fight."

Shan Yifeng's jaw dropped.

"Wait, wait, wait—so people can have pet monsters?!"

"Something like that," Ace admitted.

Liu Mei's eyes shone.

"Can I have a bear?"

Shan Yifeng groaned.

"Of course, you want a bear…"

Ace ignored them and raised a fourth finger. "Now, Black-Gold Rank. This is where people become really, really strong. In small cities, they're considered elite. They can use stronger techniques and usually have important roles, like generals or city leaders."

Shan Yifeng frowned. "So, they're like bosses?"

Ace nodded. "Pretty much. And finally—" He held up all five fingers. "—there's Legend Rank. These people are the strongest in most places. They're so powerful that a single one of them could fight an entire army of weaker cultivators."

Shan Yifeng gasped. "Like a final boss?!"

Ace smirked. "Exactly. They're so rare that most people will never even see one in their lifetime."

Shan Yifeng clenched his fists, eyes full of determination. "Then I wanna be one! No—higher than one! Is there a rank above Legend?!"

Ace let out a short laugh. "Who knows? If there is, you'll have to figure it out yourself."

Liu Mei, who had been silently absorbing everything, suddenly raised her hand. "Teacher, can I be a bear instead?"

Shan Yifeng groaned. "That's not how it works, Liu Mei."

Ace just sighed, rubbing his temples.

"Let's focus on getting you both started before we worry about pet monsters and bears, alright?"

Ace glanced at Liu Mei, watching as she effortlessly bit into another apple. She already had enough strength to be considered a Warrior Rank, which was baffling.

He had no idea where or how she gained her strength, but one thing was certain—she was ahead of him.

That, to his dismay, meant that he himself was also still stuck at Warrior Rank.

Not everyone in life moved forward. Some were destined for greatness, while many were simply stepping stones for others.

'Admit it', Ace thought bitterly. 'That's just how the world works.'

Looking at the excited Shan Yifeng and the naturally strong Liu Mei, he suddenly felt lost. What am I even supposed to do with these two?

As if responding to his doubts, a familiar screen flashed before his eyes.

[Congratulations! You've completed a quest.]

Teach others about the cultivation world and its greatness.

Reward: 2 Custom-Made Cultivation Manuals.

Ace blinked at the notification. …That was too convenient?

Even though he had been expecting some kind of reward, this felt too convenient—almost suspiciously so. But after a moment of hesitation, he steeled himself. What's the worst that could happen?

He accepted the reward, and in an instant, two fresh books materialized before him.

Item: Custom-Made Cultivation Manual

Description: A legendary item crafted by the God of Martial Language. By offering a single drop of blood, the book will devise the most compatible cultivation technique for the owner.

Fair enough.

Ace tucked the manuals away for now. His priorities were clear—first, he needed to heal Liu Mei of whatever illness she had. Second, Shan Yifeng needed to build a strong foundation before he could even think about cultivating.

For now, they needed rest. Or atleast that's what he understood from his memory.

"You two, take a break," Ace said, pulling out two apples—one for each of them.

These weren't level 1 spirit cleansing apples.

Item: Spirit Cleansing Apple (Level 2)

Effect: Cleanses the spirit and slightly increases the cultivation talent of the consumer (approx. 0.005% increase).

A Level 2 apple was five times more effective than a Level 1, which only offered a meager 0.001% increase.

As he handed the apples over, he chew on his apple as he wondered what cultivation talent meant , and just then, another screen appeared before him.

[Cultivation Talent Rankings]

No Root (No hope for cultivation)

Common Talent

Uncommon Talent

Rare Talent

Heavenly Talent

Blessed Pride Talent (More info locked)

…

The day passed by in a flash, much faster than Ace expected.

Teaching these two… wasn't bad at all.

At first, he thought it would be exhausting, but instead, he found himself enjoying it. It was a rare balance—he taught, they learned, and somehow, even he learned something along the way.

It was oddly… harmonious.

Before they left, Ace handed each of them five Spirit Cleansing Apples. "Take these and don't eat them all at once."

Liu Mei beamed, hugging the apples like they were treasure. Shan Yifeng, on the other hand, gave them a skeptical look but still clutched them tightly.

The two darted off, their laughter echoing in the distance. Ace watched them disappear down the path before finally turning back toward his house.

Time to get back to work.

Closing the door behind him, Ace stepped into the system space once more. His hands itched with anticipation as he looked at his farm—rows of ripe and fully bloomed Moonstone Flowers, all ready to be harvested.

He didn't hesitate.

He plucked everything and immediately sold it to the system, watching his Gold Credits rise.

[Gold Credits: 1,600 GC]

It was a decent amount, but as Ace browsed the system shop, he couldn't help but sigh.

"…Still not enough."

The prices of higher-tier items were ridiculous. If he wanted to buy anything truly powerful, he needed to expand his farm a lot more.