Chapter 1265: with translation of chapter title

This is all we can do.

Upon hearing that, the two black-clothed elders exchanged a glance and could only sigh helplessly.

But shortly after, one of the elders comforted the elder called Lei Kuang: 'Elder, rest assured; if this was truly done by the Ancient Clan, even if the opponent is powerful, our Soul Clan will not choose to swallow our anger and let our ally die so pointlessly.'

Considering the current clan policy, that elder also did not forget to reassure the Thunder Clan Elder.

After all, if the Thunder Clan were to see the Stone Clan's fate and become frightened, directly doing something rash would not be good.

'Exactly, if this was truly done by the Ancient Clan, our Soul Clan will certainly seek justice for the Stone Clan. Moreover, according to my estimate, it may not be only the Ancient Clan involved. If they truly refuse to give us an explanation, our Soul Clan, even at the risk of war with the Ancient Clan, will retaliate by wiping out one of their allied clans, to back up the Stone Clan!'

Upon hearing that, the other black-clothed elder also hurriedly continued to reassure the Thunder Clan's Elder Lei Kuang, and in passing gave him a shot to justify his subsequent actions.

Speaking of this, the two Soul Clan experts couldn't help but exchange a glance.

Since the atmosphere has reached this point, although they don't know who exactly destroyed the Stone Clan, they firmly assert it was a joint effort of the Ancient, Flame, and Medicine Clans, in order to maximize the matter.

Of course, later they will surely continue to investigate the details of this matter.

Mm, you Soul Clan have good intentions.

Hearing the indignant appearance of the two before him, the Thunder Clan Elder called Lei Kuang immediately nodded in satisfaction.

Regardless of the truth of their words, the Soul Clan's attitude toward the Stone Clan's annihilation is beyond reproach.

Moreover, the Stone Clan's silent disappearance now has basically been confirmed as being caused by someone.

Although the Thunder Clan is much stronger than the Stone Clan, they still feel insecure inside.

If the Soul Clan still shows utter indifference, they would truly have to consider leaving themselves a retreat.

As for the Soul Clan expert's earlier statement about wiping out an Ancient Clan ally, this Thunder Clan Elder also finds it quite normal.

After all, he also knows that with the Ancient Clan having a Nine-Star Peak Fighting Saint-level absolute expert holding the fort, the Soul Clan could not rashly go to a life-and-death battle with the Ancient Clan.

Therefore, the Soul Clan's said method of retaliation—wiping out an Ancient Clan ally—is the standard procedure.

If the Soul Clan claims they will help destroy the Ancient Clan, regardless of truth, the Thunder Clan could no longer trust the Soul Clan.

However, Elder Lei Kuang, upon recalling the earlier disappearance of the Spirit Clan, narrowed his eyes slightly.

'It seems the previous Spirit Clan and this Stone Clan's annihilation are most likely the work of that Ancient Clan.'

Thinking this, his heart involuntarily felt a hint of relief, fortunate that his Thunder Clan had chosen the right side.

Otherwise, who knows what life-threatening danger they might encounter.

Of course, while his mind was filled with myriad thoughts, Elder Lei Kuang also did not forget the matter at hand.

He then summoned the two Soul Clan members to call upon the Soul Clan expert who had seen the Ancient Clan's 'Golden Hammer' Elder, to go inside his own clan and examine that elder's relics to confirm whether it was the Ancient Clan's doing.

As the few began their actions, the Stone Realm, which had just experienced a brutal slaughter, fell silent once again.

Of course, while the Soul and Thunder Clans were investigating the Ancient Clan's 'misdeeds,' the other side, the Ancient Clan, was similarly engaged.

Because they, in their own territory's border region, likewise discovered the aura and relics of their own clan's Golden Hammer Elder having fought someone.

Furthermore, from the aura on those relics, it appears that the Ancient Clan's Golden Hammer Elder, in life, had once battled a Thunder Clan expert.

However, the Ancient Clan people naturally would not think the Thunder Clan would dare to act against their own.

Thus, their gaze naturally fell upon the Thunder Clan's ally, the Soul Clan.

To this end, the Ancient Clan specially invited the Flame and Medicine Clans' people to discuss this matter.

And the final result, naturally, was that everyone unanimously agreed the mastermind behind this was the Soul Clan.

'Master, you're back.'

However, while those people were mutually suspecting each other, Lin Feng at this moment beautifully returned to his long-absent Forest Realm.

The moment he returned, without needing to say more, Han Shu immediately led a large group of the women Lin Feng and Zhao Ran had once rescued from Wu Chunsheng's grasp to greet him.

As for Lin Feng, under the enthusiastic guidance of those dozens of beautiful women, he came to a towering ten-thousand-zhang-high giant peak at the center of the Forest Realm, amidst the newly constructed vast pavilion complex.

Because Lin Feng rarely returns here, as the master of this small world he is actually the most unfamiliar with it.

However, with these women accompanying him along the way, they also enthusiastically introduced everything about this place.

After all, Lin Feng initially helped them escape the devil's clutches, took them in, allowing everyone to live this peaceful life while also gaining vast cultivation resources, so the women are extremely grateful to this master of theirs.

Even just a word from Lin Feng, and one could immediately hold a naked party of dozens in the Forest Realm.

'Han Shu, how has the Forest Realm been lately?'

Not long after, under the women's guidance, Lin Feng sat in the chief seat of a wooden hall, gazing at this beautiful mature woman beside him and inquired.

Upon hearing Lin Feng's question, she promptly bowed, presenting the beautiful scenery of her northern hemisphere before his eyes.

After all, since there are no outsiders here, the women's attire is also very cool, basically seven-tenths sheer gauze.

Even if you just focus your gaze a moment, you can clearly see the wonderful scenery beneath the women's sheer gauze, endlessly alluring.

However, unfortunately, because outsiders cannot enter the Forest Realm, this beautiful scene cannot be enjoyed.

Only Lin Feng, as the master of the Forest Realm, can openly behold all of this.

Cough cough, getting back to the point, after Han Shu performed the salute, she immediately replied in her soft, watery voice: 'Master, the Forest Realm is now completely fine; the buildings and medicinal herbs have been excellently managed by all the sisters. As for the size of the Forest Realm, since our subordinate recently broke through to Fighting Saint, this space-expanding ability hasn't been used much—only opening up about a hundred li.'

Having said that, Han Shu cautiously glanced at him, fearing reproach from her master.

However, as her gaze shifted, Han Shu noticed her master's physiological reaction and quickly gave a glance to the two beautiful women not far away.

That expression seemed to say, 'You haven't seen the master's need? Hurry up and let the master relax; otherwise, when the master sees you lacking vigor, he'll kick you out, and you'll have nowhere to cry.'

As for the two women who received the signal, upon following the gaze downward in doubt to see what was beneath their master, they were suddenly startled.

The next moment, the two women, amidst the bouncing of a large rabbit, ran forward with panicked expressions and then adeptly knelt down.

'You two, don't continue.'

Feeling the two women's formidable ability, Lin Feng gasped coldly, the words he intended to make them stop also unconsciously swallowed.

And Han Shu, seeing that he did not refuse, instantly flashed a hint of joy in her eyes.

After all, these sisters have received such great kindness from the master, yet in battle or otherwise they are utterly unable to help him even a bit.

And after thinking it over, she and the others could only help the master relieve worries and ease pressure.

But unfortunately, Lin Feng had rarely returned to the Forest Realm before; they just wanted to help their master relieve stress but had no chance.

However, now the master has finally come back after great difficulty; she cannot let the opportunity just slip away in front of everyone for nothing, must grasp it firmly!

Thinking of this, Han Su immediately walked over slowly, stayed by Lin Feng's side, pressed her ample bosom against Lin Feng's shoulder, and said softly: "Master, today our sixty-six sisters happen to all be here; how about we hold a gathering of sixty-seven people to let you relax?"

Swish!

As the former's words echoed slowly in the hall, the other maids composed of mature women, young women, and girls instantly felt their spirits lift, their bright eyes full of anticipation gazing at their own master.

Good

Hearing this, Lin Feng glanced over these maids who were all considered top-tier beauties in the outside world, subconsciously preparing to agree, but remembering he still had important matters, he quickly changed his tone, saying: "Um, I'm currently returning to the Forest Realm to advance; once I succeed in advancing, definitely, definitely. Hiss, good thing my body has been tempered by countless heavenly treasures and body-tempering techniques."

Feeling that the two maids' skill far surpassed that of his several wives, Lin Feng couldn't help but sigh in his heart: "This Wu Chunsheng truly lives up to being a veteran who has studied dual cultivation techniques for so long; the women he has carefully trained are impeccable in both appearance and skill!"

However, upon hearing Lin Feng's refusal, the maids in the hall instantly felt their spirits drop a bit.

Originally, upon seeing their master return alone, the sixty-six sisters still had a chance to serve the master together at night.

But looking at it now, at least for the time being it's impossible.

And seeing the maids' disappointed appearance, Lin Feng immediately reassured again: "Don't be discouraged; once I, the master, succeed in advancing, I guarantee to fulfill the promise."

"The master's achievements are unrivaled among peers on the continent; this advancement will surely be no problem, and I, your humble concubine, will await your favor together with the other sisters."

As soon as Lin Feng's words fell, Han Su, who had just recovered from disappointment, immediately regained her spirits, speaking in that voice that makes people feel tingling and numb.

"Hiss, rest assured, I never break my promise."

Upon hearing that, Lin Feng, while enjoying the meticulous service of the two maids, replied on the side.

However, he also didn't forget his purpose of returning to the Forest Realm; thus, after temporarily relieving the pressure, he promptly went into the training chamber to seclude himself, despite the maids' reluctant gazes.

"Ah, just a few cores left; I also don't know if this attempt will succeed." Inside the training chamber, Lin Feng lightly rubbed the space ring, gazing at the small handful of cores floating before him, feeling somewhat lacking confidence.

Although his soul power had already surpassed the ordinary Heavenly Realm's great perfection long ago.

Furthermore, over the past few years, he has accumulated training from the Heaven-rank Soul Cultivation Technique given by the Medicine Emperor, plus the assistance of the Heavenly Realm souls of some ancient Dou Saint experts he slew, the purification of over twenty Soul Cleansing Fruits for the soul, and the enhancement from the vast majority of Purple Soul Cores.

But for the soul to break through the barrier of the Heavenly Realm's great perfection and step into the legendary Emperor Realm, the difficulty is simply explosive.

Therefore, now he, gazing at these remaining Purple Soul Cores, feels somewhat lacking confidence.

"Ah, forget it, why think so much? If it really doesn't work, just use the soul origin refined from the soul collected during this Stone Clan trip."

Thinking back to when he was in the Stone Realm, Xiao Ling had collected the Stone Emperor's remnant soul, together with other Stone Clan experts, several million descendants of the Stone Realm, and the souls of Rock City; Lin Feng's heart involuntarily hardened.

He simply couldn't believe that with such vast resources, he could still fail.

At the same time, he clearly knows that if he secludes himself here to break through, it will surely let Gu Xun'er wastefully guard her chambers alone in Facing-the-river City.

And he would also be wasting the usage rights of the remaining roughly one month of the continent's number one beauty.

But he knows that since he told the other party he is breaking through, he absolutely cannot hastily leave seclusion.

Otherwise, although he could temporarily deceive the other party,

but if Gu Xun'er leaves Facing-the-river City, she will learn the news of the Stone Clan's demise.

Afterward, there is an eighty or ninety percent chance she will suspect that it's Lin Feng's fault.

And then, once Gu Xun'er reports to her family, drawing the attention of the senior members of the Ancient Clan to himself, he would be in big trouble.

And he still knows how to choose between beauty and safety.

Thinking of this, Lin Feng had no hesitation whatsoever; he directly opened his mouth and gulped down the remaining purple soul cores in one go.

In the face of increasing strength, what could beauty possibly amount to?

As these cores entered his mouth, Lin Feng instantly sensed that, at the moment they touched his throat, they burst with a bang into vast pure energy, which surged like a flood over his mind.

However, although this energy was tremendously massive, for him—a veteran who had consumed many purple souls—it amounted to nothing.

With his rich experience, he immediately began to adeptly absorb this massive and pure energy.

However, this energy differed from ordinary energy; what it strengthened was not his fighting qi realm, but his soul.

And in this continual refinement, a month's time passed in the blink of an eye.

However, during this month, the maidservants of Lin Realm noticed no sign whatsoever that their master had made any breakthrough.

At this very moment, above Lin Feng's cultivation chamber, everything was exactly as it had been a month ago, with no heavenly phenomena produced by any expert's breakthrough.

Seeing this situation, the women within Lin Realm could only silently pray for their master's breakthrough to succeed.

After all, in this matter they could not help at all.

Of course, while some prayed for Lin Feng's success, naturally others would curse him for a failed breakthrough.

And Gu Xun'er, who was left behind in Linjiang City, was the one who spent all day cursing Lin Feng's breakthrough failure, and thus directly suffered a backlash that killed her.

Don't look at how she used to spend every day with Lin Feng, doing loving things day and night.

But in her heart, she felt no affection for Lin Feng; on the contrary, she harbored endless hatred.

If Lin Feng were to truly perish, she would certainly be the most excited person.

After all, that way she would no longer need to suffer Lin Feng's threats, and the seal within her body would automatically dissipate upon his death.

Thus, she could then seize the opportunity to be the first to rush to Lin Feng's secluded cultivation place, sweeping away his Strange Fire and hoard.

And perhaps because she harbored such thoughts, even though the time Gu Xun'er now spends in Linjiang City has already exceeded her agreement with Lin Feng, she feels no anxiety at all, merely continuing to wait quietly.

However, whether Lin Feng's breakthrough succeeds or fails will not change because of anyone's curses or blessings.

After several more days passed in this manner, the weather above Lin Realm suddenly changed dramatically; the previously cloudless skies gave way to rising winds and surging clouds.

Boom!

Not long after the sudden change in the heavens, before the maidservants of Lin Realm could react, a vast soul phantom swiftly condensed in the firmament.

This phantom sat cross-legged upon the firmament, almost occupying the heavens and earth within a radius of ten thousand zhang.

At the same time this soul phantom appeared, it also became increasingly solid.

Eventually, that phantom nearly turned into a true giant of immense size, towering ten thousand zhang tall.

That appearance was unmistakably an enormously enlarged Lin Feng!

"Is that… a soul?"

Seeing that almost indistinguishable phantom above the sky, his heart suddenly startled, and he thought to himself: "I didn't expect the breakthrough the master mentioned to be a soul breakthrough. Moreover, from this overwhelming soul pressure that nearly makes me lose my footing, could it be that the master is breaking through the Imperial Realm Soul?!"

Thinking of his current strength, Han Su's eyes couldn't help but flash with repeated shock.

After all, at this moment his strength has even surpassed a One‑Star Dou Saint, and the soul pressure of the Heavenly Realm Great Perfection, which he has sensed on several mistresses, still cannot reach today's master's level.

However, while the maids within the Lin Realm were stunned, the giant above, as if it were ordinary, suddenly seemed to come alive and emitted a muffled, thunderous breath.

During the giant's breathing, the dense clouds high above surged in with each breath like a cloud dragon, then were forcefully exhaled, blasting out hundreds to thousands of li away.

At the same time, the giant's hair fluttered like a thousand‑zhang waterfall, and its garments billowed in the high‑altitude cold wind, producing a terrifying, thunder‑like roar!

Of course, the most astonishing thing was that the phantom of Lin Feng in the sky now faintly exuded an aura like a sovereign ruling heaven and earth, slowly rising from that massive soul body, making it seem the master of that soul!

Facing this situation, anyone with eyes could already see that Lin Feng's promotion was almost a success.

Boom!

However, after this aura had spread for several hours, under the stunned gazes of the maids, the entire Lin Realm began to shake violently and uncontrollably.

At the same moment the space trembled, an invisible wave, like the dominion of heaven and earth, raced outward from Lin Feng's seclusion spot.

Where this wave passed, all the maids, including Han Su, couldn't help but crawl down.

Under that pressure, they could not resist!

"Finally… breakthrough succeeded."

As the pressure continued to spread, a faint, ethereal sound echoed repeatedly throughout the Lin Realm.

Bang! Bang!

Soon after the sound rang out, the massive silhouette in the sky slowly rose and moved its limbs.

However, each of its movements caused the heavens and earth to erupt with a blast, making the distant maids feel their heads swell and hear a constant buzzing.

Fortunately, after the huge figure in the sky adjusted its movements a few times, it soon vanished.

But at the instant the massive phantom in the sky dissipated, in a training chamber below, Lin Feng eagerly tested his current soul power a few times.

After advancing to the Imperial Realm Soul, he felt a strange mindset rising from within.

That feeling was as if the entire world were under his control.

Although he knew this sensation was an illusion caused by the sudden surge of soul power.

Yet a boost that could make a cultivator like him experience such an illusion was clearly extraordinary.

At that time, the fact was indeed so.

Now his soul power can, with the slightest thought, spread to any corner of the Lin Realm in less than the blink of an eye!

And this speed and depth of spread, compared to his former self, is countless times stronger.

Of course, the most important thing is that within Lin Feng's perception, wherever his soul power reaches, his attacks can instantly traverse thousands of miles and strike around the enemy in an instant!

"The gap between the Imperial Realm Soul and the Heavenly Realm Great Perfection can be said to be one in the heavens, one on the earth. If the Dou Qi levels are equal, in a one‑on‑one duel, even ten Heavenly Realm Great Perfections would be swiftly annihilated by an Imperial Realm Soul cultivator."

He stretched out both hands and clenched his fists, and Lin Feng immediately exclaimed in amazement.

Only now, truly experiencing the might of the Imperial Realm Soul, could he understand that his former self, even if the realms were separated by a sheet of paper, differed in strength by an incalculable multiple.

At the same time, he also understood why the Heavenly Realm Great Perfection barrier, even if most people devote their entire lives, cannot be crossed.

Because the gap between them is simply too vast!

"Hehe, with this successful promotion to Imperial Realm Soul, the Yao Clan's Yao Cauldron expedition no longer needs to worry excessively about my safety."

Having successfully advanced to Imperial Realm Soul, Lin Feng breathed a sigh of relief when he thought of his next actions.

Now, unless he meets the Soul Heaven Emperor and Gu Yuan, even if he cannot win, surviving should not be a problem. (End of chapter)