"Plane Guardian?"
Hearing this name, Lin Lei immediately understood. Guardian meant watchful protector. No wonder Hodan possessed such terrifying strength.
"Lin Lei, you haven't answered yet. Are you willing to go to another plane?" Hodan prompted.
Whether a Saint-level powerhouse was willing to travel to a higher plane was entirely their own decision. A Plane Guardian's role was simply to inform them of the possibility.
Lin Lei, however, was remarkably calm.
"Mr. Hodan, to be honest, I know almost nothing about other planes. Could you please tell me more in detail?" Lin Lei asked humbly.
Derinkoort actually knew of the Plane Guardians' existence, but Lin Lei had been too weak back then, so Derinkoort hadn't been in a rush to tell him. He had, however, mentioned the four Supreme Pianes.
"Material planes like the Yulan Plane are extremely numerous. They are fundamentally similar, differing only in whether they are dominated by Magic Beasts, other races, or humans... Their essential nature is much the same." Hodan explained these basic facts, well-known knowledge in the Higher Planes.
"Above these material planes lie the four Supreme Planes and the seven Divine Planes," Hodan continued with a smile. "The seven Divine Planes were created by the Seven Elemental Highgods. The four Supreme Planes, however, were created by the four Supreme Gods."
Lin Lei nodded.
"What's the difference between the seven Divine Planes and the four Supreme Planes?" Lin Lei pressed.
Hodan scoffed. "The seven Divine Planes correspond to Earth, Fire, Water, Wind, Lightning, Light, and Darkness. Since you walk the path of comprehending Earth laws, entering the Earth Divine Plane would allow you to cultivate with twice the result for half the effort."
"However, the seven Divine Planes are inferior to the four Supreme Planes. You'd be better off entering a Supreme Plane," Hodan enticed. "Lin Lei, you must understand, the Supreme Planes were created by the Supreme Gods. The four Supreme Gods are beings who transcend even the Highgods."
"Supreme Gods? Can someone cultivate to become a Supreme God?" Lin Lei suddenly asked.
Hodan stared at Lin Lei in astonishment.
"Haha..." Hodan burst into laughter, as if he'd heard the greatest joke in the world.
Lin Lei looked at him, confused.
"Lin Lei, you really are quite ignorant," Hodan said, still chuckling. "You have no idea, the Supreme Gods are not beings cultivated to by humans. Let me tell you, ordinary gods, for instance, any race has a chance to cultivate into a god. The probability is just very, very low..."
"How low?" Lin Lei asked.
"For example, among a hundred million ordinary gods, there might not even be a single Highgod," Hodan explained. "Like in the Light Divine Plane, there are countless Lowgods, Midgods, and Highgods. Yet even over tens of millions of years, it's rare for a Highgod to appear among them."
Lin Lei fell silent.
"Lowgod, Midgod, Highgod?" Lin Lei frowned, puzzled.
Grandpa Derinkoort had only mentioned gods, not these distinctions.
"Of course, divine sparks also have grades," Hodan said seriously. "When your comprehension of the laws reaches a certain level and receives acknowledgment from the elemental laws themselves, a divine spark descends, and you become a god. At first, you're only a Lowgod. As your comprehension increases... once it reaches a certain threshold, you step into the Midgod realm."
Lin Lei finally understood.
"What level of god is the Martial God?" Lin Lei asked curiously.
Hodan gave Lin Lei a look and said with a smile, "For the sake of your ancestors, I'll tell you. The Martial God... is merely a Lowgod."
"A Lowgod?" Lin Lei blinked.
Heavens! The Martial God had entered the god-level over five thousand years ago. With his talent, he should be terrifyingly powerful by now. How could he still be a Lowgod?
"Haha, Lin Lei, did you think advancing from Lowgod to Midgod was easy?" Hodan shook his head.
"But the Martial God was a Lowgod five thousand years ago," Lin Lei pointed out.
"Back then, he was a Lowgod. But even among Lowgods, the gap can be immense. Let's say comprehending one percent of the elemental laws makes you a Lowgod, while comprehending ten percent makes you a Midgod. Even if he comprehended nine percent, he'd still be a Lowgod. Tell me, is comprehending one percent the same as nine percent? Even though they're both Lowgods," Hodan explained simply.
Understanding dawned on Lin Lei.
"Lin Lei, don't be too greedy. Every step forward on the path of godhood is incredibly difficult. In the four Supreme Planes, there are countless beings who spend hundreds of thousands or even millions of years without advancing from Lowgod to Midgod."
Hodan sighed. "The 'Highgods' above all gods are invincible."
"Aren't there the Supreme Gods?" Lin Lei immediately countered.
"The Supreme Gods?" Hodan burst out laughing again. "Didn't you just ask if a person could cultivate to become a Supreme God? Now I tell you—"
"The Supreme Gods..." Hodan looked at Lin Lei with a smile. "Lin Lei, the Supreme Gods are not cultivated by humans. They have no gender, not even their own physical bodies."
"What?" Lin Lei stared at Hodan in shock.
"The four Supreme Gods are actually the manifestations of the four Supreme Rules. They are the very rules that govern the operation of countless planes! The God of Death is the rule of Death, the God of Destruction is the rule of Destruction, the God of Fate is the rule of Fate, and the God of Life is the rule of Life!"
Hodan looked at Lin Lei with a smile. "Tell me, can a Supreme God be cultivated to?"
Lin Lei finally understood.
The four Supreme Gods were fundamentally part of the world of all planes. They were the sky, they were the earth... They stood above all living beings, for they themselves were the rules!
"The Supreme Gods themselves are rules. They have no emotions like love or hatred; they are indifferent. You can curse the Supreme Gods, and they won't pay attention. You can flatter them, and they won't reward you. However... if you attempt to disrupt the functioning of a plane, the Supreme Gods will punish you."
Lin Lei smiled.
The Supreme Gods, though they existed, were manifestations of the rules themselves. There was no need to worry about or cater to them.