Even though they had just heard Jiang Yan explain quite a bit about cultivation, the sudden barrage of new terms still left Zhongli and the others struggling to catch up.
Ganyu, however, seemed more dispirited than confused. Resting her cheek in one hand, she muttered,
"I was actually planning to invite you to join the Yuehai Tower, but it turns out you already have a workplace…"
Jiang Yan smirked, amused by the dejected little qilin.
"A workplace? So that's how you see it, Ganyu?"
She blinked. "Isn't it?"
"You could say that."
Jiang Yan shook his head without refuting her, then turned to Zhongli.
"Do you have anything you'd like to ask?"
Zhongli inclined his head slightly.
"You mentioned the Realm of Spirit-Refining and Returning to the Void… Is this cultivation realm system unique to you cultivators?"
"That's right," Jiang Yan replied. "Cultivators' strength is divided into strictly defined realms."
"And your 'Spirit-Refining and Returning to the Void' is…?" Zhongli's eyes roamed over him again, confirming once more that Jiang Yan's power was absurdly formidable.
"So you're thinking that Spirit-Refining and Returning to the Void must already be very high, right?" Jiang Yan said lightly before Zhongli could speak.
After a moment of silence, Zhongli gave a slight nod.
Jiang Yan glanced at the others. They didn't admit it out loud, but their expressions betrayed the same thought — that his current power was already frighteningly great.
Jiang Yan sighed softly.
"Before I explain the cultivation realm system, I want to ask you something — in Teyvat, how do you distinguish power levels?"
The question left everyone momentarily stunned.
Power levels in Teyvat?
In truth… there really wasn't a clear or rigorous standard. Elemental power had developed for so long, but no one had ever laid down strict definitions for each tier of strength. People spoke only in vague terms.
Some Archons could match immortals or even gods in battle.
Take the Fatui Harbingers from Snezhnaya, for example — even the lowest-ranked, Tartaglia, could fight Cloud Retainer and her peers to a standstill. After all, Cloud Retainer and the others weren't dedicated combatants.
As for the higher-ranked Harbingers, rumor had it that their strength was on par with the Seven Archons. Jiang Yan found that claim rather exaggerated — they might be able to match an ordinary Archon, but to compare them to Zhongli, the God of War himself… that was pushing it.
If the Tsaritsa truly had such subordinates, why would she need to scheme or make deals with Zhongli at all?
Still, it proved that Teyvat's power structure lacked precise realms.
After some thought, Zhongli shook his head.
"In my six thousand years of life, I have never heard of a detailed system of classification. If one must generalize, there are Archons, the retainers of Archons, and the Archons themselves."
Jiang Yan chuckled.
"I see. Then tell me this — among Archons, Morax, between you and your neighbor Barbatos, who is stronger?"
This time Zhongli stayed silent, but Cloud Retainer lifted her head proudly.
"Of course it is the Lord of Geo! His Excellency has lived longer than any other Archon and is recognized across Teyvat as the God of War — a title earned in the crucible of the Archon War itself, and respected by all the Seven."
"Barbatos may also be one of the original Seven, but in battle, he would have no chance against the Lord of Geo."
Jiang Yan nodded slightly and turned back to Zhongli.
"So you're stronger than other Archons, but still considered within the 'Archon' level, yes?"
Zhongli paused, understanding his implication. Even if he was stronger than every other Archon, he was still just an "Archon" in classification. But was "Archon" a realm, or merely a type of being?
After some thought, he still had no answer, so he asked instead,
"How do you cultivators classify yourselves? And where exactly does your Spirit-Refining and Returning to the Void stand?"
A faint smile flashed in Jiang Yan's eyes.
"In cultivation, we broadly divide the path into two tiers — the Mortal Path and the Immortal Path. As I said before, humans have human realms, immortals have immortal realms."
"Spirit-Refining and Returning to the Void is merely one of the realms within the human tier — and it is not even the final one."
He was getting into the mood now.
"There are many variations in naming among different cultivation systems, but the progression is essentially the same. The simplest classification from mortal to immortal has four major realms: Essence Refinement into Qi, Qi Refinement into Spirit, Spirit-Refining and Returning to the Void, and finally Void-Refining into Unity with the Dao."
"After completing Void-Refining into Unity, one may prepare to face heavenly tribulation and ascend to immortality."
"As for me, I am only in the late stage of Spirit-Refining and Returning to the Void."
Zhongli fell silent. He had known cultivation was a more structured system with an almost unimaginable ceiling, but he hadn't expected that with Jiang Yan's current might, he was still one whole realm away from ascension.
And if Jiang Yan was only at that stage, then he…
"Late stage of Qi Refinement into Spirit," Jiang Yan supplied before Zhongli could ask.
Zhongli blinked in mild surprise.
"You can read my thoughts?"
"For now, I don't have that ability — and even if I did, I wouldn't read minds casually," Jiang Yan said with a smile. "It's just that your thoughts were written all over your face."
Zhongli didn't argue, but asked,
"So in your system, I'm only late-stage Qi Refinement into Spirit? Then what about the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles…?"
"I haven't met her," Jiang Yan said softly. "But from your description, I'd say she's in the Spirit-Refining and Returning to the Void realm — early or mid-stage, I can't be sure."
"Why not late stage?" Ganyu asked.
Jiang Yan didn't answer — he simply glanced upward. If she were late-stage, she wouldn't be hiding from what's outside; she'd be picking a fight with it.
In this system, even the most gifted rarely crossed entire realms in combat. At best, one could survive against a higher realm, not defeat it. A small gap was still enormous.
"If I'm late-stage Qi Refinement into Spirit, then…"
"In my view," Jiang Yan said, "most Archons are somewhere in Qi Refinement into Spirit."
Then he looked to Xiao.
"As for the Conqueror of Demons, I'd say you're at the peak of Essence Refinement into Qi. Your strength should be close to an Archon's, correct?"
Zhongli glanced at the dazed Xiao. He understood why Xiao was shaken — after all, he was hailed as the strongest in Liyue beneath Zhongli, the immortal closest to an Archon. Yet in cultivation terms, he had merely reached the peak of the very first realm. That sort of gap wasn't easy to swallow.
"Indeed, Xiao is the immortal closest to an Archon," Zhongli acknowledged. "What about ordinary Archons?"
"Ordinary?" Jiang Yan chuckled.
"I haven't met any others, but you can judge for yourself — in cultivation terms, Ganyu and Shenhe are no more than mid-stage Essence Refinement into Qi."
"If they're among the strongest of the Archons, then I'd wager many Archons haven't even reached Essence Refinement at all."
Everyone felt a chill at the direct comparison.
"Thank you for clearing that up," Zhongli said with a sigh, before latching on to another term Jiang Yan had used earlier.
"You said you are… the Sect Master of Mount Shu?"
Jiang Yan's lips curved upward, and he nodded decisively. Finally, they were getting to the main topic.