The old man gazed at the empty space ahead, silent for a long time, his eyes seeming to ponder something, or perhaps to reminisce about something…
Chen Shu did not speak again, his eyes filled with even deeper respect.
The elder before him was, in his heart, the undisputed Human Emperor!
The centuries of solitude and despair he had endured in the starry sky alone were more than most people could bear.
Back then, only he and Lao Qiao, who was still an infant, remained of humanity on the entire Gu Yu Continent.
But Lao Qiao and the others were in a deep slumber.
For over a hundred years, the old man didn’t even have a single person to talk to. The mere thought of it sent shivers down one's spine.
After a while,
The elder's body gradually began to fade. He then suddenly realized that he was merely a wisp of soul power and would not exist for much longer.
"I apologize, I seem to have lost my composure for a moment…"
The old man smiled slightly, regaining his usual calm demeanor.
"No, not at all…"
Chen Shu waved his hands repeatedly, his eyes filled with respect.
Currently, in the entire world, he was probably the only one who knew how much the elder had gone through and how much he had carried…
"Alright, most of your doubts have been cleared now, haven't they?"
The old man smiled, having revealed everything he knew.
He himself didn't know if he was still alive, so there was no need to hide any secrets.
Chen Shu nodded, no longer as lost as before.
Although the elder's words did not directly affect his strength, if his heart was not clear, and he remained bewildered about everything, such a state would naturally prevent him from breaking through to the Legendary realm.
"You said just now that your strength back then was High Legendary?"
Chen Shu spoke again, "Are there different levels of strength among Legendaries as well?"
"Of course!"
The old man chuckled and said, "I explained it to Xiao Ning before. Even Black Iron has minor divisions, and Legendaries are no exception."
"The Legendary realm also has three minor levels: Lower, Middle, and Upper…"
"Meaning, like one-star, two-star, and three-star in other realms?"
"Precisely."
The old man nodded, saying,
"However, breaking through the minor levels of Legendary is far more difficult than you imagine! Most Legendaries cannot break through even one minor level in a thousand years. The Golden Dragon Emperor is the best example; despite living for so many years, he is only at the peak of Lower Legendary."
"Apart from the Fierce Emperor, most of the Beast Emperors you've encountered are only Lower Legendaries." Da Feng Novel Network
"Is that so?"
Chen Shu nodded and said, "But surely there are Middle Legendaries among them?"
"That little shark was a Middle Legendary; otherwise, it wouldn't have been able to occupy the entire Blue Star Sea Domain on its own."
The old man smiled and said, "As for the remaining Beast Emperors, they are all Lower Legendaries. However, there are still differences in strength. After all, there's a clear distinction between someone who has just entered Lower Legendary and someone at the peak of Lower Legendary."
"Are the Sky Knights of the Death Altar also like that?"
Chen Shu asked instantly, instinctively feeling that the other party was somewhat different.
"It is a bit strange…"
The old man stroked his chin and said, "Based on the strength it displayed, it is indeed a Lower Legendary. However, you should still be cautious."
"Understood."
Chen Shu nodded. Even the old man found that individual peculiar, so it was highly likely there was something amiss.
"As for Middle Legendaries, their strength undergoes a qualitative change, and they can even kill Lower Legendaries!"
The old man explained, "The Forbidden Mist Great Fiends that we sealed were at least at this level."
"At least?!"
Chen Shu's heart stirred, and a hint of seriousness emerged.
"Indeed."
The old man said calmly,
"For example, the Purple Moon Great Fiend you encountered was a Middle Legendary, and that deranged Nine-tailed Fox was actually an Upper Legendary. However, its mental state was somewhat unstable, which significantly reduced its combat effectiveness."
"I see…"
Chen Shu nodded, a realization dawning upon him.
It seemed that the elder had expended considerable effort in killing the Nine-tailed Fox back then, as evidenced by the Vermilion Bird's injury.
After all, no matter how deranged the Nine-tailed Fox was, the instinct for survival would kick in when someone tried to take its life, making it not so easy to deal with.
"As for the strongest Upper Legendaries, they are even rarer and more scarce."
The old man continued,
"Even in the Gu Yu era, an Upper Legendary could be considered an ultimate powerhouse, as only the Human Emperor and the Beast Ancestor could absolutely crush them!"
"Ultimate powerhouse…"
Chen Shu murmured, immediately thinking of that chaotic ape. It must have been at the Upper Legendary level!
The old man smiled, "But you don't need to worry. Even among the Forbidden Mist Great Fiends, there won't be too many beings of this caliber."
"Old man, I'm not worried about that at all."
Chen Shu shook his head indifferently.
"Good temperament…"
The old man's eyes were filled with admiration. He truly was the prodigy he had his eye on!
"No, it's not that…"
Chen Shu rubbed his nose and said, "I mean, I can't even defeat a Lower Legendary. Why should I worry about Upper Legendaries…"
"…"
The old man was taken aback. Did I misunderstand?
"The classification of Legendary strength is basically like this."
He smiled and said, "As for what lies beyond Legendary, don't ask me. No one can answer you now."
Chen Shu, who was about to ask, suddenly choked back his words.
He really wanted to ask, just to satisfy his curiosity…
"Old man, what are these three seeds…"
He extended his right hand, revealing the seeds that Lao Qiao and the other two had given him earlier.
Based on his experience, they appeared ordinary, lacking even a trace of spiritual energy, much like regular crop seeds…
Perhaps they wanted him to retire and till the land in his later years?
"I've answered this before…"
The old man shook his head and said, "I truly don't know their specific uses, but I can tell you one thing: they were given by Tianwu!"
"Given by the Space Forbidden Mist?!"
Chen Shu's expression trembled, and he immediately took it seriously. That was a being beyond the Legendary realm!
"Lao Qiao and the other two probably obtained them from their ancestors."
The old man said, "According to Tianwu's last words, the seeds need to be given to the most promising celestial genius who can lead humanity to rise!"
"For the past thousand years, they have offered them many times, but they were all taken back…"
Chen Shu fell silent. Clearly, the geniuses they had chosen not only failed to lead humanity but couldn't even break through to the Legendary realm.
Without becoming a Legendary, one would turn to dust within a hundred years.
Given the immense global population base,
Over a thousand years, there must have been many outstanding individuals.
But aside from the Heavenly Mandate Ancient Emperor who took the shortcut, not a single Legendary was ultimately produced?