Chapter 252: Chapter 246: Even the Status of an Ancient God is Not as High as Mine
It wasn’t just one person; many were thinking the same thing.
After five and a half years of development, human civilization had indeed become much stronger, but with a total population of only eight billion compared to the vast interstellar universe, the disparity in scale was still too great.
Facing a crisis that swept through the entire universe made one feel insignificant and helpless.
It was too soon.
Far too soon.
Human civilization was simply not ready to face such a crisis at this time!
“It sounds terrifying, but the possibility of passing the Trial with a high score still exists,” Shen Hao, as if perceiving the nervousness in the councilors’ hearts, spoke again.
With just that one sentence, he infused strength into the hearts of the audience.
Some people’s eyes noticeably brightened.
They were thinking about whether they could survive such a Trial.
But what the President was considering was whether they could pass the Trial with high scores!
Thinking about the miraculous feats Shen Hao had achieved, the oppressive weight that had just enveloped everyone seemed to relax considerably.
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It had to be said that in the face of the Civilization Trial, having someone trustworthy to rely on was extremely valuable.
In such a crisis, being a ruler was not a goal everyone strived for; on the contrary, the immense pressure that came with it was enough to make the majority steer clear of it!
A single slip could mean a total loss, rendering even great power meaningless.
Shen Hao paid attention to everyone and, knowing that confidence was burgeoning within them, subtly nodded in his heart.
Confidence was one of the most important forces when facing a Trial.
With confidence comes courage.
And this was what he, as the “cheat owner,” ought to bring to the entire civilization.
Shen Hao refrained from saying more; the rising confidence needed no further encouragement.
He simply began to detail the key intelligence concerning the Trial with a grave voice.
“The most dangerous aspects about the Ancient God lie in the three areas of Level, Status, and Favoured, where Level goes without saying. At the Extraordinary Fifth Stage, you can imagine.”
The Fifth Stage!
Everyone felt a heavier sense of emotion once more.
Indeed, one could imagine.
At the Extraordinary Level, each stage represented a completely different world. The President might be able to fight across stages, but even the Empress of Great Yan, despite her Golden Legendary Talent, could not achieve this!
This revealed the significance of the Extraordinary Level.
In truth, not to mention major stages, even each minor level within a smaller stage maintained substantial differences.
And their enemy was not just one stage stronger than them but two!
It was the true difference between heaven and earth, the chasm between Divine and Mortal!
“As for Status,” Shen Hao paused for a moment before elaborating, “Status is different from Level. If Level is likened to an official rank, Status would be equivalent to nobility. Perhaps those of lower status have higher ranks and are stronger, but those of higher status can use their superior positions to influence those below them. Take the Life Mother Tree, for example; Its Status is superior to most life forms on the Mother Planet, hence Its power can influence the majority, enabling faster, healthier, and stronger growth. The Ancient God is the same; Its power affects all creatures. Those Dimensional Creatures are actually beings from this universe that have been transformed by the Ancient God Power.”
Shen Hao waved his hand, projecting some images.
These were scenes he had obtained from the Basic Information Library.
Seeing intelligent beings rapidly transform into terrifying Dimensional Creatures, even the strong ones becoming insane, chilled everyone to the bone.
Despite only simple scenes, the discomfort they felt was profound.
Stomachs churned, emotions tumbled.
Only when a gentle power flowed from the Imprint on the back of their hands did these feelings instantly subside.
Yet, even so, the contents of the images left everyone terrified.
It was truly horrifying.
They hadn’t even faced the enemy directly, and merely the influence of this negligible power could lead to the destruction of millions!
And that was a destruction amid madness and distortion!
Even more dreadful than the last Trial, you didn’t need to wait for death, this power could turn companions and loved ones into fearsome enemies!
No wonder this was the doomsday of the entire universe!
“Is there a way to prevent this influence?” a councilor couldn’t help but ask.
If it was irresistible, it would be an unthinkably profound despair, and one couldn’t even imagine any possibility of surviving the Trial.
“High Status inevitably affects those with lower Status, maybe it can be reduced but not eliminated. However—” Shen Hao paused for a moment, still citing the Life Mother Tree as an example, “The Life Mother Tree can influence most of the fauna and flora on this planet but it cannot affect the Phoenix Chicken because it is equivalent to being a Favoured of the Phoenix with a Status actually no weaker than Its own.”
With that said, people suddenly understood.
Indeed, the power of the Life Mother Tree didn’t affect just plants; it had an impact on animals too.
But, it was of little use on the Phoenix Chicken.
They had previously thought it was because the quality of the Phoenix Chicken was too high, but now it seems that it can also be explained by “status”.
Although inherently limited and lacking intelligence or potential for growth, the status of the Phoenix Chicken is indeed not lower than that of the Life Mother Tree!
If that’s the case… the President’s power can influence all beings, even the Life Mother Tree is subject to the President’s control!
All of a sudden, the group, vaguely aware of something, looked at Shen Hao with an eager gaze.
After witnessing the terror of the Ancient God, they desperately needed confidence.
“That’s right,” Shen Hao nodded in acknowledgment, “My Mythical Talent indeed elevated my status to a very definite level. I can say with certainty that the status of an Ancient God can’t compare to mine, and Their power can’t affect me, nor can it easily affect those under my protection.”
It was indeed the case!
Everyone showed a look of surprise.
They understood why the President had given each one of them an Imprint right from the start.
It was a form of protection, to prevent them, the management, from becoming insane like those strong beings in the images under the influence of an Ancient God.
This alone gave them a significant advantage!
Indeed, they still had to rely on the President!
“However, my current power may not be enough to protect everyone,” said Shen Hao again, “Protection also consumes my power. Even with a higher status, the influence of levels cannot be ignored. We’ll probably have to wait until I reach the Extraordinary Fourth Stage before I can protect the entire Human Civilization, even the Affiliated Civilizations.”
This information had to be shared, as a warning.
After all, apart from special information, the intelligence Shen Hao gathered was only from the Basic Information Library.
He could not be certain when the disaster would fully spread to Human Civilization.
He had to be cautious until he reached Level 31.
The various legislators also understood Shen Hao’s implication, each with a solemn expression.
The situation remained grave, yet it was much better than they had anticipated.
“The third difficulty—Favoured,” Shen Hao reached this point and suddenly fell silent.
Actually, there was no need to elaborate on this point.
The strength of Dimensional Creatures was evident.
What was worse, their numbers were not small either.
Without considering the number of Dimensional Creatures in Dimension Space, just the sheer number of beings in the universe was innumerable!
The Civilization Trial seems to take delight in turning friends into enemies, or in expansive proliferation.
This had been the case for three consecutive Trials.
The vast number of adversaries, sometimes even more than powerful enemies, could be more despair-inducing.
“We can’t do much about the first two problems for the time being, but for the last one, we must prepare,” said Shen Hao, narrowing his eyes slightly, “We need to understand Dimensional Creatures better, to understand Spiritual Energy more. This knowledge, the technical reserves of the native civilizations, is indispensable. We can’t keep to ourselves anymore; we must delve into the universe.”
Yes, this was actually the focus of today’s meeting.
The key to overcoming the market Trial lies in development.
The rate of development must outpace the worsening of the Trial, especially in the field of Spiritual Ability.
This was both their enemy and their opportunity.
The might of Spiritual Energy was undeniable, as was the danger. Unlike previous Trials, if they find the right opportunity, the enemy could also become nourishment!
Everyone took note, pondering over this.
Anyway, knowing the upcoming situation and what needed to be done next always brought more reassurance.
Afterwards, Shen Hao shared some important intelligence about Spiritual Energy.
What was obtained from the Basic Information Library was naturally not just images.
“Ordinary Dimensional Creatures act on instinct, posing little harm. But as the Ancient God awakens, their hunting urges will grow more ferocious.”
“Powerful Spiritual Energy will attract mutated Dimensional Creatures, like the creatures themselves, or powerful Spiritual Ability Users.”
“The first to be affected by status will be those powerful Spiritual Ability Users, while the weak serve more as food. Ordinary non-Spiritual Ability beings won’t be too affected at the start.”
“Spiritual Power Technology is important. With the status of these Ancient Gods, they can’t affect inanimate objects too much.”
“…”
As intelligence about the Trial continued to be disclosed, the legislators began to discuss in detail.
Knowing the intelligence had another benefit: they no longer needed to waste time.
They could act with a purpose.
And the most pressing matter at hand was to acquire relevant technology from the indigenous civilizations.
Fortunately, there was one not so powerful nearby.
But speed was essential.
The attack on the Black Silver Fleet by those Dimensional Creatures was most likely drawn by the creature that had been captured; it was one of the rewards they received after being hired. Yet, in the Yodora Kingdom, there were still several more!
As a matter of fact, just the day after the meeting ended, the Black Silver Fleet received a communication from Yodora.