The mages with enough talent in both the absorption and comprehension might only need a few years to reach the 3rd fusion rank
However, to breach the gap between the 3rd and 4th fusion rank, most mages would spend more than a decade
After that, every advancement would once again take years but it does not mean that it would be easy
In fact, even if a mage is given a long period of time, as long as they don't have enough talent and resources, they might still not advance in rank
Since mages at the mortal rank don't have an increase in lifespan, 5th fusion rank mages are mostly middle-aged people in their thirties or even fifties
As for Claude, he reached that rank in his early to mid-twenties. His terrifying talent and also fortune could be seen in that
In the history of mages, he has the fastest cultivation speed. He was far above his peers
As such, although there are also other talented mages in the younger generation of the current era, they are still far below him
