Chapter 197: Chapter Five: Staying Behind Alone

The sword in Wu Xin Shenwang's hand suddenly split into twelve swords, forming a sword array that simultaneously attacked the Stone Giant leader and the three super-strong Stone Giants!

Gui Xu Di Jun and Wu Xin Shenwang were perfectly coordinated; seeing his friend activate the sword array, he immediately unleashed his full power, his primordial bloodline exploding completely, surging crimson flames spreading outward.

Regardless of the damage to his body, Gui Xu Di Jun activated one of his two ultimate-level secret techniques: "Heaven and Earth Great Annihilation."

"Boom! Boom! Boom!!!" Gui Xu Di Jun's eight arms wielded eight weapons, twisting heaven and earth.

His first strike was a heavy hammer, cracking the massive Stone Giant's body. His third strike was a black great axe, cleaving the Stone Giant in two with a cry of agony.

In an instant, a continuous barrage of devastating techniques made all things seem to return to chaos, reducing the Stone Giant to a vortex of primordial energy.

This scene stunned the other Stone Giants.

"Gui Xu Di Jun's outburst is truly ferocious," Luo Feng thought in surprise. That Stone Giant rivaled the power of Tiankun Guozhu, its body as resilient as Tiankun Guozhu's primordial bloodline flesh—yet it was reduced to dust after over a dozen strikes.

"Brilliant!" Wu Xin Shenwang exclaimed. "Gui Xu, quickly eliminate the smaller Stone Giants—I'll handle these three stronger ones!"

Now, merely restraining the Stone Giant leader and two super-strong Stone Giants, Wu Xin Shenwang's burden had lightened considerably—the sword array could easily manage it.

"Roar~~"

The Stone Giant leader roared in fury, and the other two super-strong Stone Giants also slammed violently.

Wu Xin Shenwang's sword array was unbreakable, like a cage trapping all three, forcing them to watch helplessly as Gui Xu Di Jun, in full fury, charged toward the other Stone Giants entangled by Luo Feng.

More than three hundred Stone Giants were being held back by over three hundred of Luo Feng's clones.

"Boom!" "Boom!" "Boom!" …

Wherever Gui Xu Di Jun passed, the ordinary Shenwang Second-Stage Stone Giants varied slightly in strength—slightly stronger ones required three or four strikes to kill; weaker ones shattered into dust with a single hammer blow.

In the blink of an eye, over a dozen Stone Giants perished.

The entire Stone Giant clan began to stir. Though their intelligence was low, they felt anger, fear, and attachment to their companions.

"Regroup!" The enraged Stone Giant leader roared, its voice carrying its will.

Previously, this Dream Realm creature clan had sought to trap Luo Feng and his group, preventing escape—but now, at the leader's command, they ceased dispersing and began actively converging.

The Stone Giant leader, accompanied by its two powerful subordinates, also moved to join the others.

Boom boom boom~~~

Luo Feng's three hundred-plus clones could only hinder, not contain them; the Stone Giants kept converging, and once gathered, they naturally fused together.

"They can merge into one," said Gui Xu Di Jun.

Wu Xin Shenwang smiled: "They've abandoned the ambush."

Once fused, though their power seemed greater, they became a single entity—a clumsy, solitary being. Even with terrifying might, it could not stop the Lunhui Xiaolou team's escape.

"Boom boom boom~~" As the Stone Giant leader merged with its kin, the resulting "ultra-large Stone Giant" had grown immense.

"Withdraw!" Luo Feng and his group showed no fear.

Under Wu Xin Shenwang's ultimate-level escape technique, their flight was far more agile and swift than the ultra-large Stone Giant's, swiftly outpacing it and vanishing into the distance.

"Roar~~~" The ultra-large Stone Giant roared in furious helplessness, chasing for hundreds of steps—until Wu Xin Shenwang escaped beyond the Dream Realm creature domain's influence and vanished completely.

…

"They actually escaped."

Far away, members of the Two Worlds Palace felt regret.

"Though the Lunhui Xiaolou members are strong, if they'd faced nearly a hundred Shenwang Second-Stage Stone Giants, most of them would've died this time," said the winged woman, shaking her head. "But this time, they had someone skilled in clones."

"He can simultaneously control hundreds of clones, holding back eighty-nine Shenwang Second-Stage Dream Realm creatures. Though merely holding them back… it's still extraordinary."

"Another formidable presence has risen on the Origin Continent."

All watched silently.

They were all Shenwang Second-Stage tyrants, yet they understood: even among Shenwang Second-Stage, differences were vast.

Take the "Master" of the Time-Space Skiff—he cultivated only one path, the "Primordial Time Dao," yet he was the highest achiever on this path across the entire Origin Continent. Even as a peak Shenwang Second-Stage, his three incarnations across time streams… even Origin Continent's Di Jun and Jun Zhu found him a nightmare.

Di Jun and Jun Zhu, even with ultimate-level lifeforms, could only reach his "present incarnation"—they could not threaten his "past" or "future" incarnations.

Take Wu Xin Shenwang: since his one voluntary death and reincarnation, his true body had never died—not in Di Jun ambushes, nor in any perilous treasure zones.

Such Shenwang Second-Stage were vastly stronger than Tiankun Guozhu or Yu Guozhu.

"He can hold back so many Dream Realm creatures because they're stupid and their techniques are simple. If he faced Shenwang cultivators, whose techniques are far more refined, even holding back one would demand immense effort."

"Even so, holding back seven or eight Shenwang Second-Stage should be easy."

"His true identity—who is this old master?"

All concealed their aura and altered their appearances. Naturally, they suspected Luo Feng was some old master from reality.

"He must be a peak Shenwang Second-Stage."

"The Lunhui Xiaolou team had never seen him before—looks like a new member," they said.

The White-Haired Palace Lord was surprised by Lunhui Xiaolou gaining another formidable fighter, but didn't care much—on the Origin Continent, many were more formidable than "Luo Feng." If someone like Fengdu Nühuang or Dadi Shenwang appeared, that would shake the entire Origin Continent.

"Let's go. No need to linger in this Dream Realm space—head to the next one," said the White-Haired Palace Lord.

"Let's go." The Two Worlds Palace team quietly departed this space, heading for the next Dream Realm space.

…

Under Wu Xin Shenwang's lead, Luo Feng and his group swiftly escaped the pursuit of the ultra-large Stone Giant.

"Hah! We all made it!" Gui Xu Di Jun laughed.

"Thanks to Brother Luo He," Wu Xin Shenwang said, looking at Luo Feng. "Brother Luo He, your clone technique has reached an unimaginable level—few on the Origin Continent can match you."

Luo Feng smiled.

There are still many! Di Jun and Jun Zhu-level cultivators skilled in clones exceed one hand's worth!

"That's all I'm good at," Luo Feng said. "In other areas, I'm far weaker."

"The original allocation ratio no longer fits," said Gui Xu Di Jun. "Brother Luo He isn't just scouting danger or finding treasures—he can also hold back multiple enemies in battle."

"Then let each of us give half a percent to Brother Luo He," said Wu Xin Shenwang. "That way, Gui Xu, I, and Brother Luo He each have three percent."

!.

"Luo He's clones are powerful—I'm the one benefiting," Yun Tian Shenwang chuckled.

Her share ratio hadn't changed, but with the team's overall strength increased and more treasures acquired, her portion naturally grew.

She knew her limits—earning one percent was already generous.

"Then I won't refuse," Luo Feng said without pretense.

"Good," said Gui Xu Di Jun. "We were tricked this time. That winged woman—though we don't know her real identity—she's a Two Worlds Palace member. I've encountered her multiple times in treasure zones."

"The Two Worlds Palace is scheming against us again," Wu Xin Shenwang growled. "I tried tracking them, but their concealment techniques are too strong—I sensed nothing."

Wu Xin Shenwang was equally skilled in tracking enemies.

"Two Worlds Palace teams are usually led by a Palace Lord's clone," said Gui Xu Di Jun. "The Two Worlds Palace Lord is an alien being, his realm rivaling the founders of the two ancient nations. If he wants to hide, none of us can detect him."

At that moment, Luo Feng understood why the two ancient nations targeted the Two Worlds Palace, Wanfa Tower, and Time-Space Skiff.

These three alien factions were vast, divided into many teams, each led by clones of alien elites who hunted opportunities. Alien elites had sharp eyes and targeted only the top-tier treasures—their competition was far fiercer than Lunhui Xiaolou's.

"We'll find our chance later," said Wu Xin Shenwang.

"Brother Luo He, clashes between factions are common—you'll see more," Gui Xu Di Jun smiled.

Luo Feng nodded: "Let's leave this Dream Realm space too. The Two Worlds Palace has scoured it—likely few easy treasures remain."

"Agreed."

"To the next Dream Realm space."

Immediately, the Lunhui Xiaolou team departed swiftly, continuing to explore another Dream Realm space.

…

Within this forest space.

Luo Feng left behind one World Life-form clone here—a clone holding one-thousandth of his energy reserves, which would naturally absorb energy and grow slowly over time.

"This forest space has been scoured by both Lunhui Xiaolou and the Two Worlds Palace—treasures are scarce. It should be quiet for a while," Luo Feng sat cross-legged on a patch of grass.

Dream Realm creatures usually stayed within fixed territories.

Only a few ever left under special circumstances.

"I'll try cultivating the Great Annihilation Heart Method here," Luo Feng said. He didn't rush into the deep Dream Realm for training—his companions still needed him for treasure hunting, and the deep Dream Realm's mental strain would impair his combat performance.

The forest space of the middle Dream Realm was more suitable.

"Boom boom boom~~~"

As he activated the Great Annihilation Heart Method, a dark void enveloped his mental will, crushing, grinding, shredding, and annihilating it. Meanwhile, the middle Dream Realm's illusions continuously seeped into Luo Feng's mind.

The harsher the environment, the more pronounced the mental cultivation.

Minor distractions stirred by the environment grew unstable and were swiftly shredded and erased by the dark void—Luo Feng's mental will grew purer.

"Refining the mind must be perpetual," Luo Feng understood.

For new distractions would always arise over time.

Only constant self-cultivation could bring progress.

Ceasing meant possible regression.

That's why some Qiang in Lei Thunder Nation partially lost control—they could suppress residual bloodline will for a time, but once distractions arose and their mind wavered, the residual will would surge back and shatter their control.

"The Dream Realm environment is perfect for the Great Annihilation Heart Method," Luo Feng meditated calmly, while his other clones continued accompanying Gui Xu Di Jun and the others in treasure hunting.

(End of Chapter)