Upgrading a power from First-Rank to Second-Rank is anything but simple. First, you need a sufficient number of Core Formation Stage experts. Merak Palace meets that requirement; the gap lies with its disciples!
The disciples of Merak Palace are mostly at the Body Refining Stage, with very few reaching the Spirit Refining Stage. Female Cultivators are already a rarity, which makes the number of those at the Spirit Refining Stage even smaller. This is the crux of the matter: a power needs over fifty Spirit Refining Stage disciples to be considered Second-Rank.
These disciples are the pool from which Core Formation Stage experts emerge; they are the faction's backbone, so their numbers must reach a certain threshold.
