A new entry for eighth rank Basic Wilderness Demon Taming appeared in Li Yuan's skill list, and hovering over it was a line of red subtext.1

「Requirements: Any ninth rank taming skill at Master level.」0

This note once again confirmed Li Yuan’s earlier suspicions and also taught him something new. Skills that came from a complete legacy, one aligned with an overarching cultivation method, were far easier to train.0

Take Spring-Autumn Blade, for example. All he needed to learn Spring Awakening was to raise Spring Thunder to the Advanced level. That was relatively straightforward.0

In this world, fully developed sects held a clear advantage. Those who learned in a piecemeal, pick-up-as-you-go fashion either stalled at a low rank or met a dead end entirely. 0

After all, Li Yuan understood how hard it was to reach the Master level. Beyond constant training and real combat, one needed moments of true insight or guidance from someone already at that pinnacle.0

For most people, insight might still be reachable, but guidance from an expert was completely reliant on luck. And time itself was an enemy. Human lifespans were limited. A cultivator had to break into the sixth rank while their body was still strong; once...1