The destruction wrought by pure physical strength was not enough.

The difference between a Knight and a Knight’s Attendant was their ability to condense and wield Life Energy within their bodies through arduous training.

The fundamental divide between a Great Knight and an ordinary Knight, however, lay in the release and control of their Life Energy.

Once Life Energy could leave the body, it was no longer just a force for self-enhancement; it became a lethal weapon in its own right.

The Attack Power of a Great Knight at the Peak of Mortality could consistently reach 3.0.

This level of power already surpassed some Third-Class Wizard Apprentices.

At this level, physical strength itself was more like an auxiliary system, providing incredible speed and agility for evasion and positioning, and granting the body the resilience to withstand the recoil of its own energy.

It was like the thruster on a missile.

The true power came from the warhead itself.

But upon breaking through to the Extraordinary realm, the level and quantity of Life Energy would undergo a drastic transformation. A Great Knight at the Peak of Mortality would leap directly from the apex of 3.0 to the domain of 6.0.

Yes, not 3.1 or 3.2. Not 4 or 5. Not even 8. Just 6.

But even at 6.0, this level of power was enough to crush any mortal existence, making one a powerhouse second only to an Official Wizard.

Going a step further, reaching 7.0, was the power domain typically occupied by the Archbishop-level Sacred Professionals of the Church Court.

The different cultivation systems were never a one-to-one correspondence.

It was impossible for corresponding ranks in different systems to have the same level of power.

The Church Court’s system of Sacred Professionals was vastly different from the secular Path of Knights. They served a God, drawing upon Holy Power through faith and rituals.

A formally ordained Priest wielded Divine Magic with a power level starting at roughly the equivalent of a Second-Class Wizard Apprentice.

The Bishop level was solidly equivalent to a Third-Class Wizard Apprentice, capable of using more powerful Holy Energy for healing, defense, and purification.

Once promoted to Archbishop, however, their understanding and control of Holy Power reached a new height. Their power level would begin to consistently surpass the 4.0 limit of an ordinary Third-Class Wizard Apprentice, placing them in the 7.0 power domain of an Official Wizard.

In the symbolic system of the Church Court, the number "7" represented divine completeness and perfection. An Archbishop was the symbol of having initially touched this "perfect" power.

The most outstanding among them could even reach the 8.0 or even 9.0 level of an Official Wizard who possessed a legacy.

As for the Cardinals, they were beings at the apex of the Continent’s pyramid. The Holy Power they commanded was unfathomable, and they were powerhouses on the verge of reaching the next level.

They were powerful enough to crush the vast majority of Official Wizards.

This was why only Saint Cyril Cardinal and Valkendu Metropolitan Bishop had taken action in the battle at Eagle’s Beak Peak.

Because even one of them would not fear facing five Official Wizards.

They were the pillars supporting the Church Court and the Shepherd Headquarter District. Their power was second only to the legendary Pope and Great Shepherd Leader, making them one of the ultimate powers that held the entire Continent in check.

In comparison, a First-Class Wizard Apprentice, relying on their newly formed Magic Models and flexible use of Spiritual Power, could easily kill an ordinary Knight who lacked any means of Energy Release.

The Magic mastered by a Second-Class Wizard Apprentice was already quite powerful, enough to pose a serious threat to a standard Great Knight.

Upon reaching the level of a Third-Class Wizard Apprentice, especially one at the peak, they could often easily kill a Great Knight at the Peak of Mortality by relying on more refined magic formations, stronger Spiritual Power, and a wider array of tactical options.

Murphy’s Path of "Qi Refining," however, was different still.

In the initial "Breathing Realm," one strengthened their "Qi" through breathing techniques. Their overall strength was roughly between that of a Knight’s Attendant and an Official Knight.

But upon breaking through to the "Qi Refining Realm"—guiding the Spiritual Qi of the world to temper one’s body—the quality and quantity of "Qi" underwent a qualitative change, and their combat power would firmly step into the domain of a Great Knight.

Furthermore, although Murphy had not yet reached Qi Refining Perfection, even without using his mysterious Black Light Mana or his Flying Sword, his Attack Power had already reached a solid 3.9 based on his condensed and potent "Qi" alone. This had already surpassed the scope of a Great Knight at the Peak of Mortality.

His Spirit had also reached 2.4, surpassing that of a Wizard Apprentice.

...

At that moment, faced with Murphy’s question—’If I used the Starlight Healing to break through to the Extraordinary realm, would that mean evading tomorrow’s mission?’—the wrinkles on Knight Armand’s face seemed to deepen.

He fell silent for a moment before speaking slowly, his voice low. "Your question, perhaps, contains its own answer. If I were truly able to break through and step into the Extraordinary realm... I would naturally no longer need to participate in tomorrow’s journey. Otherwise, why wouldn’t the Church Court seek out those few Knights on the Continent who have already entered the Legendary Realm? It is precisely because they are already Extraordinary. Their life forms are different, the costs and constraints are different, and they can no longer enter that Plane Passage."

Murphy, of course, knew what it meant to be Extraordinary.

Being Extraordinary wasn’t just a leap in power level; more fundamentally, it was a difference in one’s form of life.

This involved a transformation in the state of one’s "Spirit Root."

The different cultivation systems were like various nurturing methods, each guiding the "Spirit Root" to grow in a specific direction. Their developmental stages and final forms differed, but they all shared the same crucial junctures. One of these junctures was becoming Extraordinary.

In other words: Legendary Knight, Archbishop, Official Wizard, and the Foundation Establishment Realm.

Even though Murphy’s Attack Power could exceed 7.0 when he used his Flying Sword, his essential life form had not yet completed that ultimate leap. He was still a "mortal" of the Qi Refining path—merely a mortal who had grasped extraordinary power.