Chapter 1262

While Lin Feng and others were acting, in a small world of a lush green, undulating mountain range and an endless grassland, countless people whose skin was stone-colored, unlike ordinary folk, lived peaceful, tranquil lives.

Here, children played and roughhoused, while youths diligently practiced the clan's inherited martial arts techniques on training grounds scattered across the mountain peaks and plains.

Unlike outsiders who must devote all their thoughts and exhaust all means to acquire cultivation resources.

Even the lowest people in this small world possess unrestricted use of cultivation resources of grade five, up to grade six elixir level.

Moreover, these resources need not be obtained at personal risk; upon reaching a certain age and battle qi level, one may freely draw them at specific times and places.

Yet the life of even the lowest persons in this world, if placed outside, would be comparable only to the core disciples of powers wielded by Dou Zun experts.

However, this place is the Stone Realm of the Stone Clan, one of the ancient six clans that now dominate the Majestic Shock Continent.

Those living here are either not members of the Stone Clan's main line, or are descendants of the Stone Clan.

Thus, even their lowest members can enjoy a life comparable to the core disciples of Dou Zun powers outside, which is hardly surprising.

However, judging by the size of this small world and the number of heavenly treasures it produces, it is clearly insufficient to support everyone in the Stone Realm living such an exalted life.

Because within the Stone Realm alone, the descendants number in the millions.

Compared to the Medicine, Thunder, and Ancient Clans, they are far more numerous.

After all, the Spirit Clan has existed much longer than those three families.

Therefore, the descendants have been reproducing for a longer time, and their numbers are naturally even greater.

And the Stone Realm's resources are clearly insufficient to sustain such a huge population, so the source of these resources needs no explanation.

Apart from the Stone Clan's strongmen using force to extract resources from the territories they rule, there is no other way.

However, this colossus that is nearly invincible in the eyes of outside cultivators, with none daring to provoke it, today their stronghold, the Stone Realm, is somewhat unsettled.

At this very moment, the sky over the vast Stone Realm, unbeknownst to everyone, suddenly began to darken.

The once bright sunshine quietly vanished from the doubtful gazes of the people.

Then, as the Stone Realm's people below looked up in bewilderment, they discovered that thick black flames had silently enveloped the entire realm's sky.

"Who dares to come to my Stone Clan and cause chaos!?"

Soon after those black flames spread across the sky, a thunderous shout echoed throughout the Stone Realm.

Wherever that sound reached, space itself trembled violently for a moment.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

Of course, at the same time that sound rang out, everyone else in the Stone Realm was not idle; before the shout faded, countless warning bells mounted on mountain peaks throughout the realm nearly all rang out with urgent clangs.

"Clan Warrior Army, all units, assemble immediately! Each company, proceed to your assigned defensive positions, quick!"

And just as the alarms sounded, a series of urgent shouts rang out, continuously echoing in the sky and then spreading far away.

All members of the Stone Clan Martial Army A Battalion are present; rush at full speed to the East Point One gathering point to defend!

All members of the Stone Clan Martial Army B Battalion are present; rush at full speed to the North Point One gathering point to defend!

All members of the Stone Clan Martial Army C Battalion are present; rush at full speed to the West Point One gathering point to defend!

All members of the Stone Clan Martial Army D Battalion are present; rush at full speed to the South Point One gathering point to defend!

At the very moment the initial assembly order sounded, urgent shouts rose from all directions of the Stone Realm.

And as these orders were issued, in an instant, endless gray-armored soldiers surged out from the buildings everywhere, then hurriedly and orderly rushed toward the assembly points.

Moreover, while those soldiers were assembling, a large number of people who looked like officers were frantically urging them from the side.

It seemed as if they thought even if these people were just above the assembly point and then jumped straight down to assemble, it would still be too slow.

A Battalion should have ten thousand, actually has 9136, now assembled at East Point One!

"B Battalion should have ten thousand, actually has ten thousand, now assembled at North Point One!"

C Battalion should have ten thousand, actually has 9866, now assembled at West Point One!

A Battalion should have twenty thousand, actually has 19156, now assembled at South Point One!

And not long after, a series of explosive shouts immediately spread from all directions of the Stone Realm, then echoed in the sky above.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

At the instant those explosive shouts rang out, three figures suddenly shot out from the city at the heart of the Stone Realm, and in the blink of an eye appeared in the sky.

These three figures were extremely burly; just considering height, one of them was under three meters, while the middle-aged man in the center stood even over five meters tall, looking terrifying!

However, at this moment, their expressions were extremely solemn, even somewhat fearful.

Because they sensed waves of an unsettling aura within the black flames in the sky above.

What further left them doubtful and uncertain was that they now could not even contact the Soul Clan or the Thunder Clan.

In short, the Stone Clan has been completely isolated from all external contact!

This situation undoubtedly reminded them of the previous incident with the Spirit Clan.

"Chief, look at the shape of this flame; it seems quite similar to the seed fire of Wu Nie Tun Yan that the Soul Clan gave us!"

After a moment of silence, a burly man immediately turned his head toward the tallest figure in the middle and spoke in a low, heavy tone.

Upon hearing that, the figure in the middle, who from the address appeared to be the Stone Clan's chief, slightly lowered his head, revealing the image of a middle-aged man in his forties with a square face and ordinary features.

After thinking briefly, he then shook his head and said, "Similar, but it is not Wu Nie Tun Yan; I have seen its true form, and while this flame's aura is somewhat similar, it is clearly different from Wu Nie Tun Yan. However, given this situation, the opponent is clearly hostile; prepare to defend!"

As he spoke on, his tone grew even more solemn.

At the same time, his voice, unbeknownst when, quietly carried a hint of tremor.

He could faintly sense that this enemy might be the strongest he has faced since taking office.

Thinking this, he immediately exploded in a shout: "No more waiting; immediately activate the clan's great formation and simultaneously call for aid from the Soul Clan and the Thunder Clan!"

And while he was speaking, the middle-aged man, without caring about face, immediately decided to call for outside help.

"Yes!"

Upon hearing this, the two Elders behind the former, although stunned speechless by the clan chief's words, still, due to years of ingrained instinct, quickly took out a jade tablet from their spatial rings and swiftly crushed it.

And at the moment the jade tablet shattered, a surge of spatial fluctuation instantly shot forth, piercing straight through space!

However, just as these spatial fluctuations were about to burst through space and coalesce into a spatial passage, they suddenly seemed to encounter some obstruction, and in an instant the partially formed passage began to fluctuate violently.

As for the roughly outlined spatial passage that had just formed, it vanished at that moment with a "Boom" like rippling water.

Seeing this scene, the Stone Clan chief and the two people behind him felt an instant, sharp sinking in their hearts.

Immediately after, the Stone Clan chief hurriedly took out the token linking his clan with the Soul and Thunder clans and crushed it.

Unfortunately, just as before, the spatial force spun a few rounds around before it instantly dissipated with a "Pop".

"Quick, the chief commands—activate the Heavenly Gang Stone God Formation!"

Witnessing this terrifying sight, one of the people behind the Stone Clan chief quickly reacted, immediately mustering all his strength, and his thunderous shout rang across the entire Stone Realm at once.

"Martial Army Camp A, activate the Heavenly Gang Stone God Formation!"

"Martial Army Camp B, activate the Heavenly Gang Stone God Formation!"

"Martial Army Camp C, activate the Heavenly Gang Stone God Formation!"

"Martial Army Camp D, activate the Heavenly Gang Stone God Formation!"

"."

Receiving the orders, the other Stone Clan members dared not be careless; successive shouts rose like waves, crashing over the Stone Realm's sky one after another.

The numerous soldiers clad in gray armor also sprang into action, gathering densely in the four cardinal directions of the Stone Realm, then each channeling their entire Qi into the formation beneath their feet.

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

"."

Accompanying the swift actions of the Stone Clan's martial army, in the blink of an eye four gray energy pillars, each several hundred zhang in diameter, suddenly rose almost simultaneously from the four directions of the Stone Realm.

But as the pillars rose, almost every Stone Clan member felt a sudden shock in their hearts.

The Heavenly Gang Stone God Formation is their Stone Clan's protective grand array.

Since the ancient Dou Emperor ancestor first built it, in nearly a hundred thousand years, although their martial army has rehearsed this scenario countless times, this is the first actual activation.

Even though they have not yet seen an enemy, the expressions of their chief and the Elders show that the crisis facing the Stone Clan this time will be extraordinarily perilous.

"Hehe, it seems your Stone Clan's martial spirit is indeed genuine. To gather and activate a formation so swiftly and orderly in such a short time—few possess that skill."

And just as the surrounding pillars rose, a pitch‑black vortex appeared in the sky near the center of the Stone Realm, followed by a faint laugh that drifted outward, reaching every ear in the Stone Realm.

At the same time, a flash of silver light streaked through the black vortex, and numerous figures materialized in the sky out of thin air.

"These people—what formidable power!"

The moment they saw those figures appear, the Stone Clan members felt a chill, their eyes staring uncertainly at the sudden silhouettes in the sky.

The Stone Clan chief scanned the figures and finally fixed his gaze on the young man in a blue robe at the front, as well as the black‑skirted girl, the gold‑skirted girl, and the woman in white beside him.

In his perception, among those opponents, the strength of these four was among the strongest.

Even the black‑skirted girl, whose aura was the weakest, was no less powerful than him.

Of course, Xiao Ling did not know the former's thoughts; otherwise, she would probably have broken through his defense on the spot and tried to kill him.

After all, saying she is weaker than Lin Feng or Xiao Yixian is fine, but if you claim she is inferior to Xiao Jiu, then the two sides would become mortal enemies.

"Everyone, may I ask why you have come to our Stone Realm? I advise you to depart as soon as possible; otherwise, once our protective grand array is activated and the strong ones of the Soul and Thunder clans notice something amiss and come to aid, those few of you will be in serious trouble."

Even though it was clear these newcomers meant harm, the clan chief, after taking a deep breath, still chose to temporarily soften his stance and persuade them to leave.

After all, with all contact to the outside cut off and this place being the Stone Clan's own little world, if a fight broke out, they would bear the greatest losses.

When Lin Feng heard the former's words, he let out a cold laugh and mocked, "When you sent your own senior Elder to ambush me earlier, there was no such courtesy. Now that I come to your doorstep, you are far more polite than before. Unfortunately, this change still cannot sway my decision."

At that point, he gestured sharply and said to those behind him, "Attack."

"Haha, today happens to be a good day; let me see whether your Stone Clan's body‑forging technique is superior, or if the Tai Xu Ancient Dragon Clan's constitution is the better one!"

As Lin Feng's words rang out, a Five‑Star Dou Saint in the Tai Xu Ancient Dragon Clan formation behind him suddenly flashed with light, revealing a body spanning several thousand zhang; as he flapped his wings, he raised his head and let out a long howl.

"Hoo!"

When the words ended, the former's massive body surged forward like a meteor, charging straight at the Stone Clan chief.

Seeing this, the other Tai Xu Ancient Dragon Clan strongmen each followed suit, revealing their true forms and launching attacks at the Stone Clan chief.

As for the senior Elder of the Nine‑Underworld Dark Python and the Howling Demon Sky, after exchanging a glance they instantly turned into streaks of light, racing toward the gray pillars in other directions to disrupt the opposing formation.

At the same time, Yun Yun and Little Jin both vanished from their spots, darting at high speed toward the other two directions.

While the others were acting, Xiao Yixian's graceful figure slowly floated upward, then she spread her arms.

In an instant, endless gray Poison Mist seeped from her body, and, driven by bursts of Qi, it rapidly spread to envelop all directions.

"It seems the 'Heart‑Eater Bone‑Turning Haze'—the Old Dragon Emperor's high‑tier celestial poison technique—has already been mastered by Xian Er."

Lin Feng stared at the gray Poison Mist that swiftly blocked the sunlight, plunging the ground below into darkness, and a faint smile curled his lips.

"Hmph, so it's you, kid. You thought that allying with the Tai Xu Ancient Dragon Clan—a beastly race that has been fighting among itself for millennia—would wipe out my Stone Clan. How overconfident!" Seeing the actions of those ahead and the charging Tai Xu Ancient Dragon Clan, the Stone Clan chief's expression hardened, his gaze mocking the scene.

From Lin Feng's words, he had already guessed the opponent's identity.

After all, the earlier incident was his own decision; he had created a spatial seal for the senior Elder, sending him to deal with Lin Feng and to bring back the reason for the opponent's rapid promotion after becoming a Dou Saint.

He hadn't expected that the senior Elder, who had already advanced to a Six‑Star Dou Saint, would still meet a disastrous reversal and ultimately fall outside.

Realizing this, his Qi surged, and he bellowed, "Since you came knocking on our door, let old and new grudges be settled together!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, the former's body jolted violently, his skin rapidly bulging into pieces that turned into armor resembling gray boulders.

Simultaneously with his physical transformation, his aura shifted abruptly, leaping from an early Seventh‑Star Dou Saint, breaking through the barrier to a mid‑Seventh‑Star stage, and finally, under Lin Feng's slightly surprised gaze, settling at the late Seventh‑Star Dou Saint realm.

"You little bastard, I may not know whether the Spirit Clan was wiped out by you, but my Stone Clan is not those weak Spirit folk. If you plot against my Stone Clan, I advise you to kill that thought outright!"

While speaking, the former lifted a thigh the size of seven or eight ordinary people and then slammed it forcefully into the sky below.

"Boom!"

In the next instant, terrifying momentum radiated from him in all directions, striking the Tai Xu Ancient Dragon Clan members; the dreadful force hurled the three massive golden dragons violently outward.

"Tsk tsk, no wonder it's the Heavenly Stone Eternal Body used by the Stone Emperor Dou Emperor realm, and it actually has such astonishing effects. No wonder you have such confidence; if it weren't for the Yao Clan fellows whose soul power is formidable, specifically countering you cultivators who are strong in body but weak in soul, then between the two clans, who would win or lose would still be uncertain."

Seeing the Stone Clan chief's aura surging, Lin Feng couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.

Even a Seven-Star Dou Saint could directly rise two minor stages, truly terrifying.

But soon, Lin Feng suddenly curled his lips and coldly said: "Unfortunately, your talent is lacking; after cultivating for thousands of years, you still haven't managed to bring this set of battle skills to perfection. Otherwise, you should now be able to directly rise one star level in strength, and even an Eight-Star Mid-Stage Dou Saint expert would find it hard to break through your physical defense, although this state cannot last long. Tsk tsk, what a pity."

Speaking of this, Lin Feng also shook his head, wearing a regretful expression.

Frankly, the Heavenly Stone Eternal Classic cultivated by the Stone Clan chief, together with its matching battle skill Heavenly Stone Eternal Body, is in no way inferior to the secret techniques of the other major clans, and may even surpass them.

After all, body cultivators are always a very troublesome existence among peers, no matter which world.

However, it's a pity that cultivating this technique consumes nearly twice the resources of other peer-level battle skills.

Moreover, the Stone Clan is now severely weakened, top-tier body-training resources are scarce, and furthermore, the Stone Clan chief's talent is considered inferior among the leaders of the major ancient races.

Otherwise, this Stone Clan would really not be easy to deal with.

Of course, since Lin Feng is unaware of the Soul Clan's secret technique, it will not be included in this discussion for now.

"Who are you, and how do you know such secrets of our Stone Clan!?"

Upon hearing Lin Feng's words, the Stone Clan chief instantly felt his body as if plunged into an abyss, icy cold all over.

After all, only he and a few elders of the clan knew about this; how could the other side know?

However, Lin Feng naturally would not waste time answering the former's question.

While he was speaking, his hands were not idle, quickly condensing a rich yellow light.

Immediately afterward, he slammed his palm downward with force; in an instant, a massive yellow energy palm print several thousand zhang tall formed above the area where the Stone Clan chief stood, then swiftly plummeted toward the three below.

"Hmph!"

Seeing this, the Stone Clan chief gave a cold snort, then instead of meeting it head-on, he poured all of his battle qi into the ancient stone formation beneath his body.

At the same time, he formed hand seals and shouted explosively: "Heavenly Gang Stone God Formation, converge!"

As he shouted, the Stone Clan chief placed a finger on his glabella and pressed down firmly.

Immediately afterward, his essence slightly trembled and again left his glabella.

However, as the Stone Clan chief's finger left the spot, a drop of essence blood rich in energy was also drawn out.

Afterwards, he flicked his finger lightly, sending that essence blood into the stone formation below.

"Ha!"

At the moment the formation was activated, the Stone Clan warriors from the four directions all shouted in unison, shifting the gray light pillars formed by condensing their entire bodies' battle qi, and then those light pillars shot at an angle of about twenty degrees toward the position of the Stone Clan chief in the center.

At the same time, the two elders behind the Stone Clan chief likewise poured their entire battle qi into the stone formation below, merging with the light pillars coming from other directions, ultimately forming a super-large light pillar with a diameter of nearly ten thousand zhang.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

As the super-large light pillar formed, it seemed to possess some kind of magic, instantly causing nearly all the mountain ranges within the Stone Realm to burst apart almost simultaneously.

At that moment, Yun Yun and Qing Lin behind Lin Feng finally realized that beneath the soil and vegetation covering the mountain ranges of this Stone Realm lay an enormous gray boulder.

"Rumble—"

After being revealed, those boulders that had lain underground for who knows how many ages, upon feeling some kind of attraction, instantly floated up into the air and shot toward the direction of the Stone Clan chief, then plunged into the super-large light pillar at the center of the formation!

As those boulders collided within the super-large light pillar, they then, as if possessing consciousness, began to interlock in an orderly manner.

Finally, in Lin Feng's interested gaze, they assembled into a stone giant several thousand zhang tall.

At the very moment the stone giant took shape, a terrifying and barbaric pressure awoke, like a dragon that had slept for tens of millions of years, stirring silently.

When this pressure spread, the super-large light pillar at the formation's center instantly began to tremble violently.

Next, the light pillar, which almost condensed the battle qi of the entire Stone Clan people, continuously poured vast energy into the stone giant inside.

"No wonder it's a super clan that once produced Dou Emperor experts; even though it has declined now, the pressure of this great formation is likely comparable to that of an Eight-Star Dou Saint."

Yun Yun saw the stone giant within the gray light pillar, her lips slightly parting, and then she exclaimed in astonishment.

Hearing that, Qing Lin beside her nodded in agreement, astonished: "This aura is even stronger than that of the Elder of the Flaming Fire, let alone the depths of the Dou Emperor clan; it's truly terrifying."

"Hehe, this formation itself could probably be dealt with by the Elder of the Flaming Fire; the biggest problem is that it can absorb and merge the battle qi of the entire Stone Clan. And the current formation is so powerful precisely because it has absorbed the battle qi of millions, including the Stone Clan chief; if we didn't have Qing Lin this time, it might indeed be rather difficult."

Seeing the two women's surprised looks, Lin Feng immediately gave a light smile and explained.

While explaining, Lin Feng's gaze toward the Stone Clan's Heavenly Gang Stone God Formation ahead also carried a hint of curiosity.

Frankly, this is the first time he has seen an ancient race deploy a complete grand formation, both in the original work and in reality.

As for the Soul Clan's annihilation of the Yao Clan in the original work, because Wu Nie Tun Yan interrupted the Yao Clan's full-power release of the grand formation ahead of time and forcibly extracted the Dou Emperor bloodline of millions of Yao Clan descendants, it directly shattered the grand formation that was gathering energy.

Therefore, that Yao Clan protective grand formation was not considered complete.

"Grand formation rise, ancestral spirits descend!"

And just as Lin Feng and the others were amazed by the aura of the Stone Clan's protective grand formation, the Stone Clan chief in the distance suddenly shouted again.

"Whoosh!"

Following his stern shout, the space above where the Stone Clan chief stood suddenly wrinkled out of nowhere, then a vortex slowly began to spin, emitting a heart-pounding whooshing sound.

At the same time, an extremely ancient aura that made even souls tremble with dread slowly seeped out from within the vortex.

The vortex did not last long; after just a few breaths, it quietly dissipated.

However, at the moment the vortex vanished, a male figure appearing to be only about thirty years old, his body filled with strong and powerful muscles, appeared before the eyes of countless people in this heaven and earth.

"Hum!"

When that illusory male figure appeared, the souls of all the Stone Clan people present suddenly trembled violently; a bloodline pressure accompanying the apparition's appearance instantly caused countless figures within the five small formations to nearly all kneel down at the same time.

"Stone Clan's twenty-third generation chief, unworthy descendant Shi Gang, greets the ancestor!"

After the apparition appeared, the Stone Clan chief below immediately became moved to tears, knelt down to announce his identity and name, then prostrated his body.

But his voice, bolstered by battle qi, spread throughout the Stone Realm, entering everyone's ears.

"We have greeted the ancestor!"

As soon as the former's words fell, the countless other Stone Clan people, regardless of status or position, were all extremely excited and quickly knelt toward that illusory figure.

At the same time, on the face of every Stone Clan member, there surged an indescribable fervor.

Under the pull of that bloodline within their bodies, the phantom above the formation was, in their hearts, like a supreme deity!

"This is the Stone Clan's progenitor remnant soul, right?"

Gazing at that figure in the distant sky, Lin Feng's expression also quickly turned solemn.

Beneath that figure, even his soul, which had half‑stepped into the Emperor realm, felt somewhat unable to breathe.

And emitting such a formidable pressure is merely a remnant soul left behind for who knows how many ages.

It's hard to imagine what a sight it would be if a true Dou Emperor expert descended.

"Uh, no, it's better if the Stone Clan's Dou Emperor doesn't descend, after all I still don't want to die."

But soon, after reacting, Lin Feng quickly shook his head and silently thought to himself.

And the three Tai Xu Ancient Dragon Clan experts who had been blown away by the Stone Clan chieftain, gazing at that phantom in the sky, couldn't help but fill their eyes with a hint of awe.

Even a Dou Emperor expert, if only a remnant soul, still leaves these intermediate Dou Saints unable to muster any will to resist!

"Stone Clan."

Just as those few were stunned, the phantom of the muscular man within the formation immediately whispered a sentence.

After countless ages, the mere remnant soul of him has become increasingly bewildered, with little memory left.

Fortunately, he still retains some memory of the Stone Clan, the race he himself created.

While figuring out the origins of those people below, his extremely ancient gaze slowly swept across the arena.

In the end, all the thousands of words in his heart turned into a murmuring self‑talk.

"My clan would actually one day be attacked at its doorstep."

Upon hearing the phantom man's whisper from above, the Stone Clan chieftain's face instantly flushed with shame.

Although the Stone Clan's decline is partly due to the exhaustion of the Dou Emperor bloodline, they themselves also bear an inescapable responsibility.

This cannot be excused.

However, the Stone Emperor's remnant soul above did not dwell on the Stone Clan chieftain's expression, but turned its gaze toward Lin Feng and the others in the distance.

Shortly after, he turned his head to glance at the gray poison mist spreading in the sky and the formations in the other four directions.

"Tai Xu Ancient Dragon, Nine Netherworld Earth Abyssal Python, uh, plus the Nine Mystic Golden Thunder and Calamity Toxic Body that have taken human form—what a lively gathering!"

Having surveyed the intruders within the field, the Stone Emperor's remnant soul then muttered to himself.

"Heh, senior, worthy of being a Dou Emperor expert—even with only a fragment of consciousness, your remnant soul still possesses strength comparable to an Eight‑Star Dou Saint; I, the junior, am impressed."

Meanwhile, as the former was counting the intruders within the Stone Realm, Lin Feng immediately walked forward with a light smile, speaking in a rather calm tone.

"Hmm?"

Upon hearing the voice, the Stone Emperor's remnant soul promptly lifted its gaze to the blue‑clothed young man smiling ahead.

"Strange, why does a human body possess the aura of Tai Xu Ancient Dragon and Tian Phoenix? But why is it a human?"

Seeing Lin Feng, the muscular man's brain seemed momentarily unable to keep up, his face filled with confusion as he pondered, trying to figure out the situation of this little guy before him.

"Uh, well, it seems I overestimated your intellect; after the baptism of ages, even the Stone Emperor's remnant soul of yesteryear can no longer hold a normal conversation."

Faced with the Stone Emperor's remnant soul talking to itself, completely ignoring his words, Lin Feng helplessly shook his head. (End of chapter)