In the Hidden Fog Sect, inner elders had the same status while the core elders were ranked. Not all core elders had the same status.
Tu Feng, the disciple who had come to the Hidden Fog Academy to extend an invitation to Duan Ling Tian join his master, was the disciple of the Hidden Fog Sect's second core elder. The second core elder's status in the sect was rather high even though he was not the strongest. There were many old core elders in the sect who were known as supreme elders as well, but they were not ranked.
"I understand," Duan Ling Tian nodded and said with a smile, "Elder Tang Chun, in fact, there's no need for you to explain this matter to me. I understand your situation. After all, from the sect's point of view, I can't compare to the Zhong clan."