The moment Shi Feng chose to replace his original mana body within the secret chamber, the density of mana throughout the entire room plummeted to virtually nothing. It wasn't just the mana in the chamber—even the mana from the deep void surged into the mana body all at once.
The new mana body was like a starving beast, ravenously devouring the surrounding mana and continuously filling itself.
This phenomenon lasted for over a full minute before finally subsiding, and the mana in the secret chamber gradually returned to normal.
"Fifth-tier!"
"Is this the power of a fifth-tier Class?"
Only after feeling the terrifying power that accompanied his every movement and the indescribable sense of omniscience that came with it did Shi Feng fully understand why even a fourth-tier expert capable of creating a Thought World could not defeat a true fifth-tier Class.
He also came to truly comprehend just how powerful and terrifying fifth-tier Classes were!
Compared to fourth-tier Classes, the mana within a fifth-tier Class's body was far denser by orders of magnitude—in total mana reserves, it exceeded the fourth-tier by more than tenfold, to the point where the very world itself could barely withstand such power.
Even the entire Divine Realm struggled to contain this overwhelmingly potent mana, let alone the Thought World that fourth-tier Classes could manifest.
Moreover, the strength of a fifth-tier Class wasn't limited to just this.
System: Congratulations, player, on becoming a fifth-tier Sword Saint! All attributes +5,000. All magic resistance +500. Mana regeneration speed +300%. All sub-fifth-tier magical, physical, and mental attacks reduced by 40%. All attributes +150%. Constitution +200%. Thought and reaction speed +100%. Legacy Skill Points awarded: 200.
When he had been a fourth-tier Class, all attributes increased by only 2,000 points. But at fifth-tier, all attributes increased by 5,000 points. And these were only base attributes—without any weapon or equipment bonuses, let alone the absolute gulf in constitution.
It could be said that even a fifth-tier Class clad in nothing but Bronze Equipment could easily crush a fourth-tier expert decked out in full Epic-grade gear. Even if a fourth-tier expert possessed several Legendary-grade fragment items, their base attributes would still likely fall short of a fifth-tier Class in full Bronze Equipment.
Only a Legendary-grade weapon could bridge that gap. Legendary-grade armor would still fall slightly short, but it would at least bring one roughly in line with a same-level fifth-tier Class. If one's combat skill was high enough, it was indeed possible to fight a fifth-tier expert of modest skill.
"With this power, I can now truly hold my own against fifth-tier NPCs from here on out." Shi Feng examined his various stats and felt a genuine sense of confidence regarding Zero Wing's future development.
Right now, his Strength and Agility alone had already broken past the 60,000 mark. For reference, a fourth-tier Berserker in full Epic-grade weapons and armor, stacking all Strength, would only reach around 15,000 Strength at level 150. Even one wielding an exceptional Legendary-grade fragment weapon would cap out at roughly 22,000 to 23,000 at most.
As for a level 180 fifth-tier NPC, according to research conducted by players in his previous life, their estimated base attributes were only around 70,000 to 80,000.
The gap between 60,000 and 70,000 or 80,000 was certainly real, but it wasn't an insurmountable chasm. Moreover, after advancing to fifth-tier, the base attribute gain per level would be substantial. With his current equipment, reaching level 180 and hitting 80,000 Strength would pose absolutely no problem.
On top of that, his combat skill surpassed those fifth-tier NPCs by a notable margin. With what he had now, he could definitely fight a level 180 fifth-tier NPC head-on.
Of course, Shi Feng wasn't so arrogant as to go seeking out fifth-tier NPCs on his own initiative.
The level 180 fifth-tier NPCs he could currently fight were only the most ordinary ones. If a fifth-tier NPC happened to be equipped with even a single piece of Legendary-grade gear, he would have to give them a wide berth.
"Legendary-grade weapons and equipment! It looks like I'll need to have Fire Dance and the others work on getting more divine crystals."
In an age when gods did not walk the earth, fifth-tier Classes were undoubtedly the pinnacle of the Divine Realm. But there was a vast difference between fifth-tier experts, and whether or not they possessed Legendary-grade weapons and equipment was the key deciding factor.
Only a fifth-tier Class wielding a Legendary-grade weapon could be considered a first-tier fifth-tier powerhouse—one who could roam the Divine Realm's continent with impunity, virtually invincible so long as no sixth-tier god-tier expert appeared.
Without Legendary-grade weapons and equipment, no matter how heaven-defying one's combat skill, one could only aspire to the near-first tier—capable of fighting the true first tier, but never truly belonging to it.
That was precisely how large the gap was.
In his previous life, every single fifth-tier expert who had been able to fight across tiers had possessed Legendary-grade weapons and equipment—and often more than one piece.