Chapter 8: Ranks..
Cultivation is divided into five ranks, and three tiers each. The first rank is called the Amateur Rank, it's the beginning stage and mainly focuses on the body. The stronger the body, the higher chances of success when advancing to another rank.
The Second rank, is where Shawn is, at the moment, it's called the Scholar Rank, it focuses on blade spells and the higher the proficiency the higher chances of breakthrough to the next tier.
The second rank requires intelligence above all else, because with high intelligence a cultivator is able to comprehend blade spells easier and faster and depending on the level of intelligence a cultivator possesses he or she is able to learn extremely high level blade spells.
Blade spells are essential for the third rank where the focus comes back to the spirit the most important part about cultivation and the advancement to the forth rank.
The spirit is essential for making a blade spell part of one's body and soul. There's no limit to how many blade spells can be learned when in the second rank but when reaching the third rank, also called the Spirit Rank, you only have three blade that can be bound to the body and soul.
That's why most advanced cultivators focus on either one and two blade spells and make those spells stronger so that they have a clear path when they reach the fourth rank, also called the Concept Rank.
The fourth rank breaks down blade spells into concepts which are then comprehended into creating a new blade spell, called a divine technique.
It is said that a divine technique is essential to breaching the barrier to the last rank called the End Rank. The last rank is rumoured to being the rank that can morph a divine technique into a [Law]
A [Law] as the name suggest means, is when a cultivator's divine technique is etched into the world network and is also recognised as part of the world. Meaning a cultivator is one with the world, and literally a god among man.
Of course all of it is just rumours because only those who have claimed to have reached that rank, are classified as myths and it's believed no human can ever reach that rank no matter the talent and Intelligence they possess.
Tanaka had talent and had reached the peak of the last tier in the Amateur rank, but had been struggling with advancing to the next stage for quite some time while his twin sister had already advanced and was already learning a blade spell from their mother.
Tanaka's struggle to advance was an enigma because he clearly had more than enough talent to breach the hurdle and become a scholar and his father was left with a theory it was due to his imbalance as a half breed.
Something his other siblings never had problems with. Aiko and his older brother, took after their father in everyway possible, they took after in every human aspect of him and only took after their mother when it came their white hair.
His twin, Miu, took after their mother in everything except the skin colour and she was the only one unsuited for cultivating, {The Kata} because she truly was her mother's child, a demon in human disguise.
Her twins eyes were inhuman and was known as the dependable blind girl throughout the village town, because despite being blind she's resilient and can work well enough that people sometimes forget she's "blind."
She wears a blindfold she carries with her, but takes it off when she comes home, and it helps that their family lives a distance away from the village town itself.
Tanaka on the other hand took 80 percent from his father, and 20 percent from his mother. His mother's side gave him unique pair of demon eyes, a demons physique and white hair, but everything else comes from his father.
That's why Daichi theorised that's the reason why his faster when cultivating, but when it's time to breach the threshold to another rank he will most undoubtedly struggle and there was a chance he might stuck in the same rank forever.
That's part of the reason for the decision their parents made to take them to the empire, it was the only way to temper them, so that they can grow resilient.
Tanaka had become desperate, wanting to advance but no matter how many times he trained, it only proved to be fruitless.
That's until his very soul was overtook and his soul's consciousness shattered, leaving only a new consciousness that belongs to Shawn whose now possessing an even more powerful soul, and a will that could breakthrough to any wall that comes his way.
"Of course it's only a theory at the moment, I will have to advance to the peak of the last tier again to know for certain, but I will not get to the peak if I don't obtain a blade spell, and the worst part I barely know what is a blade spell to begin with." Shawn muttered.
He thought back to his father in his memories promising Tanaka and Miu that they will learn about blade spells when they reach the Scholar rank. At that time Daichi had given Tanaka and Miu only an abridged version of what a blade spell was.
"Urgh and the worst part Miu had disagreed to tell me about blade spell- wait! Did I say me and not Takaka? I am slowly beginning to consider myself Tanaka? That's just wrong, on many levels."
After a quiet contemplation, Shawn slowly got up from the ground, his body having healed and no longer aching by the slightest movement, but he still reeked and smelled bad from all the sweat and impurities covering his body.
'I need to go to the river bank.' Shawn thought, and hastily began matching towards the gate of this area. He left his home and walked north.
While walking, his thoughts took him back to the dinner he had with his family, and analysed which one of them picked up any oddity in his behaviour.
A single person came to mind, and that was Miu. She would normally tease Tanaka during dinner even when it's expected to be quiet when eating, but this time other than glaring at him the entire time, she never once spoke unless spoke to.
"Could she know? That's not possible, right?"
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
John_Wick_8275
John_Wick_8275 Another nonsense information that borders info-dumpy, that I also barely understand, but worry not soldiers we will take this one step at a time.
(Ugh it's my fault for trying to involve some plot in a Netorare webnovel, I hope you forgive me lads, I f-up)
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone