"Senior, the realm you stepped into is not Martial Emperor, but Half Emperor." Originally, Chu Feng hadn't intended to say anything, but since Huangfu Haoyue had asked, there was no point withholding the truth — he couldn't very well let the man remain confused for the rest of his life.
"Half Emperor?" Everyone else was stunned by this, but Huangfu Haoyue actually looked somewhat relieved, as though he had long suspected as much.
"Fellow seniors, after Martial King comes Half Emperor. A Half Emperor can wield Emperor-level martial power, but it is not the purest form of Emperor-level power."
"Only upon breaking through the peak of Half Emperor and becoming a true Martial Emperor can one wield genuine Emperor-level power." Chu Feng explained in detail.
"So that's how it is. No wonder something felt off. Thank you for telling me, friend Chu Feng." At this, Huangfu Haoyue smiled — the doubt that had been gnawing at him had finally been put to rest.
Everyone's eyes lit up with sudden understanding. They all nodded, feeling as though a great fog had lifted. In that moment, each of them realized just how narrow their perspective had been — like frogs sitting at the bottom of a well.
"Chu Feng, if that's the case, then your cultivation has leaped over a dozen realms compared to before?" Qiushui Fuyan suddenly asked, her expression grave.
"Right — Chu Feng is a Rank Four Martial Emperor, not a Rank Four Half Emperor. Good heavens, kid, your growth rate is absurd," someone chimed in the moment Qiushui Fuyan spoke.
Even though these people were all extremely close to Chu Feng, the way they looked at him now was akin to staring at some kind of monster.
Over the span of just a few years, they had all made some progress in their own cultivation. Some had broken through, while others had remained stuck at their current level. But Chu Feng had surged to this height in such a short time — it far exceeded their wildest expectations, and they were overjoyed. The result was better, by far, than anything they had imagined.
Pride bloomed on every face. They were proud of Chu Feng.
Of course, they had no idea yet of Chu Feng's status in the Martial Continent. If they learned that even there, he was a figure of the very highest caliber, that pride on their faces would only deepen.
After that, Chu Feng chatted with everyone at length. He learned that the Blood Qilin Clan had indeed risen to prominence only in recent years. A few years ago, they had been nothing more than an obscure, insignificant clan in the Eastern Sea.
This only reinforced Chu Feng's conviction: the jade pendant had been left behind by Little Fish. He simply hadn't expected that a single pendant belonging to Little Fish could carry such tremendous power — enough to nearly elevate an unremarkable demon beast clan into the overlord of the Eastern Sea.
"Little Fish, Little Fish... you must have come from beyond the heavens, haven't you?"
The person Chu Feng remembered most vividly from the Eastern Sea was that little girl who had played in the water — Little Fish.
Little Fish had displayed her extraordinary nature even back then. Later, she had left, saying she wanted to go play elsewhere, and Chu Feng had never seen her again.
At first, Chu Feng had simply assumed that Little Fish was some being with unusual powers, or perhaps a rare natural treasure. But now, the more he reflected on it, the more the pieces refused to fit. He had a nagging feeling that Little Fish could not possibly have originated in the Eastern Sea, because even on the Martial Continent, her wondrous abilities would be exceedingly rare.
After seeing this jade pendant, Chu Feng grew even more certain — Little Fish's background was far from simple. It was entirely possible... that Little Fish had come from beyond the heavens. Her departure all those years ago might not have meant merely leaving the Endless Blood Sea, or even the Eastern Sea, but leaving this world altogether.
"If fate wills it, I hope we meet again." In the end, Chu Feng tucked the jade pendant away.
The pendant was powerful, but it was only effective against demon beasts, so leaving it with Huangfu Haoyue and the others wouldn't serve much purpose. Besides, it belonged to Little Fish. Chu Feng felt that Little Fish would not have discarded it in the Endless Blood Sea without reason — she had most likely lost it by accident.
So he would keep it. If he ever encountered Little Fish again, he could return it to her. And if they never met, it would at least serve as a memento.