Another, more direct criterion was the amount of Incense they received.
This concept was also very clear and straightforward: the larger the tribe worshiping a Guardian God and the more devout their faith, the longer the god was steeped in Incense. Consequently, the more Incense Fire Divine Power they would accumulate within their body. The might they could unleash naturally couldn't be compared to that of latecomers with shallower foundations.
Of course, this standard wasn't absolute.
If one became too old and their physical functions severely declined, then no matter how much Incense they had accumulated, it would be difficult to compare them to younger beings brimming with vitality.
...
Right now, Li Chang'an was stuck at the stage of achieving his Transformed Form.
He had been stuck for a full thousand years.
