Ranking/Beast Rank

## Levels

Beasts have a method to gain power and that is through level. If beasts gain enough experience in battle, they would gain a level (ranging from 1-10) and gain a power boost. The higher the levels get, the greater the difference of power between them. Between level 1 and 2 it isn't that much but from 3-4 onwards it starts to become several times the difference in power. At level 5-6 the gap is a factor of 10

## Ranking

Beasts have another method of gaining power and that is through ranking. Beasts are capable of increasing their ranking if they were given special medicine or finding a concentrated dose of energy. Beasts above the normal rank are also referred to as Elite Beasts. The difference between each rank is consistent with levels.

Rankings themselves are completely independent of levels and as such raising a gold level 1 beast to platinum level 1 is about the same as raising a gold level 1 beast to gold level 2

Beasts are not always born as normal ranked beasts, but some are born as higher ranked beasts. Beasts themselves are born at level 1 but due to different ranked beings needing the exact same amount of xp to level up, different ranked monsters often reach a certain level of power before maturing.

In exceptionally rare cases, an evolved beast might drop in ranking but not drop in power after attaining a human form, allowing it to rank up again, gaining the same boosts in power once again.

Once a monster reaches level 6, it won't be able to rank up.

* Normal-ranked Beast
	+ Normal Ranked Beasts are common beasts. Within the Soaring Dragon Continent it is largely believed they cannot reach Levels 8 and above, however, this is because a Level 8, 9 and 10 Normal Ranked Beasts don't look like beasts, one of them for example is described as being a massive whale-like creature that, by size alone, uneducated people would assume it was actually an island. Normal Rank Level 10 Beasts are the limit for their kind in the wild and have no natural predators, however there are also no accounts of one of these beasts actually fighting in the first place, mainly because those who can reach that level often evolve before reaching that. For a Normal Ranked Beast to evolve into a Holy Beast is noted to take at least tens of thousands of years.
* Bronze-ranked Beast
	+ Bronze Ranked Beasts are rare beasts, though not so rare that lucky warriors can't get a hold of them. They are extremely attractive to such warriors. Bronze Ranked Level 9 Beasts are noted to be the strongest kind to naturally exist in the Soaring Dragon Continent, as they have no natural predators at that level. For a Bronze Ranked Beast to become a holy beast is remarked to take anywhere from thousands to tens of thousands of years. All bronze monsters attain level 3 by adulthood.
* Silver-ranked Beast
	+ Silver Ranked Beasts are very rare beasts. It is often remarked that if a beast manages to evolve from the Bronze Rank to this rank, then it's likely it will be able to evolve again to Gold Rank. The strongest naturally occurring Silver Ranked Beasts are noted to be of the 8th Level, as they have no natural predators at that stage. For a Silver Ranked Beast to Evolve into a Holy Beast is remarked to take anywhere from a thousand to tens of thousands of years, but chances are likely it's on the faster side of that scale.
* Gold-ranked Beast
	+ Gold Ranked Beasts are an extremely rare and powerful breed amongst beasts and are considered the best naturally available in the Soaring Dragon Continent. Gold Rank Level 7 is the known limit for Gold Ranked Beasts in that continent's natural environment, because at that level they're powerful enough to dominate their environments and have no natural predators. Exceptionally strong ones, Level 6-7, are called Gold King Beasts because of this. Gold Ranked Beasts can take around 2-3 centuries to evolve into a Holy Beast, meaning any non-Innate who tries to raise one will not likely live long enough to see it reach that stage unless they can evolve it into a Platinum Ranked Beast. Innates and clans backed by them seem to have quite a bit of access to these beasts, but they are otherwise extremely rare creatures. Tong Tian Tower's third level had Gold King Beasts in abundance reigning over any territory not ruled by the humans or the demons. Monsters that are born at this rank are prized between several thousand and ten thousand of gold coins (1 gold = 1,000 USD) Monsters born at this level often reach level 5 at adulthood and sometimes reach level 2 while in larvae form.
* Platinum-ranked Beast
	+ A Platinum Ranked Beast is the rank where a beast can truly be reborn as a holy beast. While it's possible for lower ranked beasts to do so, it could take thousands or even tens of thousands of years, meaning a beast must at least be of this rank to achieve the task in a non-innate human's lifespan. It should only take few decades for a Platinum Ranked Beast to assume human form, from there it should only take a few years for it to learn and raise its wisdom to fully become a Holy Beast. In comparison a Gold Ranked Beast can take 2-3 hundred years to achieve the same making this the only rank where a non-Innate human can hope to achieve it. They do not appear to occur naturally in the Soaring Dragon Continent.
* Diamond-ranked Beast
	+ Diamond Ranked Beasts are astonishingly rare and powerful beasts. The few examples seen have all had a humanoid form and, more importantly, have displayed a certain level of intelligence, likely indicating that if they are not automatically a holy beast, they are likely only a single step away from it.

## Description

**Non-contract:** Some low level summoners might own a non-contracted beast. This is because their low level prevents them from summoning their beasts as often as they want and being faced with a threat while having run out of chances to summon is a genuine possibility. Non contracted beasts are simply wild monsters that have agreed out of their own volition to follow the summoner and need to be cared for like normal pets rather than having the grimoire take care of them.

**Summoning Crystal:** For those who can't contract a grimoire, they can still contract with other monsters and they can store their summons inside crystals and they can summon or de-summon their contracts at will.

**Intelligence:** A monsters intelligence can have a direct effect not just on their skill, but also their power. A reasonably intelligent (for a monster) monster was considered a hundred times more powerful than a gold rank level 5 despite only being a gold rank level 6 and was deemed superior to a Platinum rank level 5 monster.

**Holy Beast:**Beasts that have high intelligence, a humanoid appearance and the ability to speak.

There are several ways to increase a Beasts intelligence in order to cultivate Holy Beasts. Most of these are found in Tong Tian Tower, like the World Tree Quest that rewards a Wisdom Fruit, the Twelve Zodiac Temples at the first Floor or the Heaven, Earth and Humanity Halls at the second Floor that directly reward a Beast with sentience, when successfully completed. Other methods are the refining of magic pills that increase a Beasts intelligence. The weakest holy beast is as strong as a level 8 normal ranked beast.

Platinum Ranked Beasts can take a few decades to evolve into Holy Beasts on their own, meanwhile Gold Ranked Beasts can take two or three centuries and Silver to Normal beasts can take between a thousand to tens of thousands of years. Therefore if a human or Innate wants to raise a Holy Beast they will need to at least own a Gold Ranked Beast. True Innates almost always have at least one Holy Beast in their arsenal.

While it is possible for a Holy Beast to evolve into a Mythical Beast, it isn't actually known how that happens, Mythical Beasts however are remarked as owning their own Grimoire. If Hui Tai Lang's case is not the exception, but rather the norm, then the mere act of contracting a Grimnoire is what turns a Holy Beast into a Mythical Beast. But it is entirely possible that this is merely an assumption or that the difference between Holy Beasts and Mythical Beasts is the ability to contract grimoire or that the power given by a grimoire to a beast is the difference between them.

Xiao Wen Li already owned a contract grimoire back when she became a guardian beast of the protagonist while being formally ranked as an 8 star diamond rank level 1 beast, so its entirely possible that there is no real difference between Holy and Mythical Beasts.

**Mythical/Divine Beasts:** Mythical/Divine Beasts are Beasts on an even higher Level than Holy Beasts. They are very similar to Holy Beasts in a number of ways, such as possessing human forms(with the exception of Hui Tai Lang) and humanoid intelligence, however the key difference appears to be that Mythical Beasts are capable of owning their own Grimoire. Thus far six known beasts exist in the Soaring Dragon Continent that could be Mythical Beasts, and four of them are contracted to Yue Yang with Hui Tai Lang being a tag along, only Hui Tai Lang originated from there. These beasts are Empress Fei Wen Lie, her and Yue Yang's daughter, Xiao Wen Lie, Hui Tai Lang, and the Phoenix sisters living within Yue Yang's Divine Grimoire who likely originated from the Eastern Immortal Tribe on Tong Tian Tower's eleventh floor, the sixth and last is a Qilin girl Bing Yin who was sealed inside of the Demon Abyss until Yue Yang freed her, and she is currently his ally, for all intents and purposes.

It seems that a secret method exists that can turn Holy Beasts into Mythical Beasts.

Based on the power level displayed by Holy Beasts, it is likely that a Mythical Beast's power rivals that of an Innate Elder, it is unknown if, but highly likely that, Mythical Beasts have dividing ranks.

**Star Rating**: This determines the personal rating of the beast. The ratings are assigned to them by other grimoire wielders and do not represent the power of the beast. It's star rating is merely a rough indication of the potential of the summoned beast along with their intelligence and the chances to attain a human form.

* It has been stated that 1-2 stars really don't have a future for grimoire related matters, but are popular with common soldiers that can summon without a grimoire as they are still strong compared to non grimoire wielding opponents.
* 3-4 stars are simply beasts, but are reliable for simple fighting or buying time, prized among non grimoire wielders. The limit of 3 star beasts is usually bronze rank level 4
* 5 stars would show that the beast was of a good quality, the normal limit for monster of this rating is gold rank level 5.
* 6 stars beasts are of top quality and are extremely rare in the wild.
* 7 star beasts, also referred as spiritual beasts are so rare and valuable that not even kings of small countries commonly have 1.
* 8 star beasts, referred to has heavenly spiritual beasts. Only the upper echelons of large royal families, great sects and major clans might own a beast like this.
* 9 star beasts are simply referred to as holy beasts.
* 10 star beasts are known as mythical beasts, capable of forming contracts with their own grimoires.

**Tiers**: Holy Beasts, like all beasts, have their own rankings, however upon evolving into a holy beast the ranks of Normal, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum and Diamond only hold secondary significance, as the main point of those ranks seems to be to measure how long it'll take said beasts to reach this level in the first place. Holy Beasts instead have their own Ranking system consisting of Tiers 1-9, however Duo Duo, the Golden Crown Thorny Flower Queen of Yue Yang, identifies herself as a One Star Holy Beast. One Star Holy Beasts are equal to [Innate Level 1] Warriors in terms of ability.

* Tier One Holy Beast
	+ Tier One, or Rank 1/ One Star, Holy Beasts are newly awoken Holy Beasts who have undergone a wisdom revelation. They do still have typical beast ranks defining them, such as Duo Duo, Yue Yang's Golden Crown Thorny Flower Queen, who was reset to Bronze Level 1 upon evolving from a Thorny Flower Demoness, and Red, Yue Yang's Bloody Queen, who remained a Platinum Rank 5 even after ascending to become a Holy Beast. It is unknown how significant the former ranking system is to a Holy Beast overall but according to records a Rank 1 Holy Beast is easily as powerful as a warrior at [Innate Lavel 1], despite Duo Duo being only Bronze Level 1.
* Tier Two Holy Beast
* Tier Three Holy Beast
* Tier Four Holy Beast
* Tier Five Holy Beast
* Tier SIx Holy Beast
* Tier Seven Holy Beast
* Tier Eight Holy Beast
* Tier Nine Holy Beast
	+ Nine Star Holy Beasts are the strongest types a Holy Beast can become and is equal in power to a warrior of [Innate Level 9].