"The situation with the Third Rank?"
The Ancestor of the Moon Spirit said with a hint of laughter, "Well, unless something unexpected occurs, the only one from the Human Race who should ascend to the Third Rank of the Celestial Stairs would be you. Since that's the case, revealing a bit in advance wouldn't hurt."
"The Celestial Stairs, known as stairs, are in fact each a different world."
"But to call it stairs is not incorrect."
"Because there is a corresponding relationship between each Rank of the Celestial Stairs, you can think of the Third Rank Celestial Stairs as three completely overlapping different worlds."
"The strength from two adjacent worlds can be cast in a special way, forming a projection of strength, that is, the so-called 'descent'."
"But between the First and Third Rank, separated by a Second Rank, strength is obstructed, unable to be cast in any way, only messages can be transmitted, as we are doing right now."
"Compared to the bursting vitality of the First Rank, the Third Rank is desolate," sighed the Ancestor of the Moon Spirit. "Here, there are no plants, insects, or fish; no mountains or rivers, only an expanse of nihility."
"There are too few creatures here, only the Ancestors that the various Clans manage to send."
"We divide territories among ourselves, standing off against each other before the true onset of the Clan wars."
"Just standing off, with no battles having occurred?" Qin Chuan asked with a flicker in his gaze, as if asking casually.
"Battles, naturally, have taken place," the Ancestor of the Moon Spirit spoke slowly. "Especially when a new Clan ascends, breaking the balance of power, all Clan forces reshuffle."
"Even the Ancestors stir amidst the new turmoil."
"Almost every millennium, it is so, until the scales of balance are restored, and the Ancestors of the different Clans cease their aggression."
"At times of intense warfare, even Ancestors have fallen!"
"However, every Clan has at least one Second Realm powerhouse who possesses the strength to ascend to the Third Rank at any time, so as to take the place of an Ancestor immediately should they fall."
"Does that mean, the most recent reshuffle occurred one thousand years ago?" Qin Chuan seemed to ask unintentionally.
"One thousand years ago..." The Ancestor of the Moon Spirit fell silent for a moment, his voice unusually grave, "Indeed, one thousand years ago there was not only a reshuffle among the Clans but a major event as well."
"Could you elaborate?" Qin Chuan's heart skipped a beat.
He had a hunch that the major event mentioned by the Ancestor of the Moon Spirit was likely related to the mysterious Seventh Ancestor.
Thinking it over, that mysterious Ancestor involved the Crystal Clan and Half-demon Clan, and as the Moon Spirit Clan were mere observers, they indeed had no need for secrecy.
"In the Third Rank, each Clan only has one seat, meaning a Clan can have at most one Ancestor," said the Ancestor of the Moon Spirit slowly. "This is an iron rule of the Celestial Stairs."
"But one thousand years ago, this rule was broken."
"The Seventh Ancestor appeared."
"The ninth selected of the Lan Clan, their strongest had not even ascended to the Second Rank, so this Seventh Ancestor could not be him."
"No one knows which Clan the Seventh Ancestor comes from; his power system, appearance have been deliberately obscured."
"And the one time he took action, it was to aid the Ancestor of the Crystal Clan, severely wounding the Half-demon Ancestor."
"So, the Seventh Ancestor comes from the Crystal Clan?" Qin Chuan followed up, prompted by the words of the Ancestor of the Moon Spirit.
"No, the least likely he could be from is the Crystal Clan," affirmed the Ancestor of the Moon Spirit calmly, negating the conjecture.
"Every Ancestor is clear on this point."
"By comparison, the Half-demon Clan is the most suspect."
"...Hmm?" Qin Chuan blinked.
"Because before the Seventh Ancestor first intervened, the Ancestor of the Crystal Clan was merely at a disadvantage, not in mortal peril," explained the Ancestor of the Moon Spirit softly. "After their joint effort, the Half-demon Ancestor, who ought to have died without a doubt, only sustained severe injuries."
"This..." A look of astonishment flashed in Qin Chuan's eyes.
He was genuinely taken aback.
On one hand, Qin Chuan was surprised by the true nature of the battle a millennium ago, which turned out to be so bewildering.
The Half-demon Clan, as the aggrieved party, was instead the most suspect.
On the other hand, Qin Chuan was surprised by the Ancestor of the Moon Spirit's unexpected frankness, even sharing his speculations.
There was no need for the Ancestor to lie about such matters, as the other Ancestors were witnesses as well, and Qin Chuan could always find a way to verify it.
Perhaps it was this reason that made the Ancestor of the Moon Spirit particularly candid?
"As for what you want to know, which of us Ancestors is stronger or weaker..." The Ancestor of the Moon Spirit laughed, "That's a bit difficult to say, considering racial advantages, the Dragon Ancestor should be the strongest."
"But ever since ascending to the Third Rank, they rarely intervene and often choose to watch from the sidelines, staying quite low-key."
"Among those who often intervene, the Half-demon Ancestor should be the strongest, but having been severely wounded a thousand years ago, whether they have fully recovered yet is still an unknown."
"As for me..." The Ancestor of the Moon Spirit paused slightly, pride creeping into his voice.
"It's quite difficult for my Clan's abilities to defeat the other Ancestors, but it's equally difficult for them to defeat me."
"I understand," Qin Chuan showed a look of realization, "Thank you for clearing up my doubts."
"It's nothing," the Ancestor of the Moon Spirit chuckled. "Talking with a new friend is also a delightful diversion from my longstanding ennui."
"I look forward to the day the Human Race truly ascends to the Celestial Stairs."
"No matter the outcome of the Clan wars, at least I can be freed from an eternity of desolate sitting."
As his voice trailed off, the Crystal Ball gradually dimmed.
Qin Chuan stared at the Crystal Ball intently, then after a moment of reflection, he rose, pushed open the door of the quiet room, and stepped out.