Chapter 1997: Ancient Ruins
"Lin Feng, although I reside in Qi Tian Holy Capital, I am still aware of matters in Holy City Central Continent. Your name, even though I dwell deep within the palace, still rings in my ears like thunder." The Holy Empress spoke softly, exuding a strong sense of warmth and approachability. The faint smile at the corner of her lips made it hard for anyone not to be captivated by her.
She was an extremely charismatic woman, her charm manifesting in every movement, every word, or even the simplest gesture.
"The Holy Empress flatters me," Lin Feng replied with a humble smile, steadying his mind so as not to be swayed by her.
"Lin Feng, at the Mid-rank Emperor realm, you secured a top-three seat on the Emperor's List during the Questioning Day. How could that be flattery?" The Holy Empress continued to smile, saying, "Lin Feng, in your generation of Holy City Central Continent—Ying Cheng, Ji Shang, Chu Chunqiu, you, and the top ten figures on the Emperor's List—who do you think will go the farthest? Is it Ying Cheng, Chu Chunqiu, you, or someone else?"
Lin Feng was slightly startled and glanced at the Holy Empress. Her casual question seemed to carry profound meaning.
"Holy Empress, if you ask me, how could I answer for others?" Lin Feng smiled and replied casually. The Holy Empress's calm eyes revealed no emotion as she laughed and said, "You're right. If I asked Ying Cheng, Chu Chunqiu, or even Ji Shang, they would probably all answer themselves."
If one couldn't even believe in oneself, how could they contend with others?
"This time, I sent people to the War King Academy in Holy City Central Continent mainly for you, Lin Feng. My daughter speaks highly of you and hopes you can help her succeed smoothly in the Holy Land." The Holy Empress glanced at the princess, a look of maternal affection in her eyes.
"The Holy Empress honors me too much. Lin Feng will do his utmost."
At that moment, Lin Feng was somewhat surprised. The Holy Empress's words seemed unafraid of offending Ji Shang, especially since they had also invited Ji Shang here. As for Hou Qinglin, Meng Qing, and Sword Blind, she must have known about their relationships.
"In that case, as a mother, I can rest assured." The Holy Empress stood up and even bowed slightly to Lin Feng, prompting him to rise immediately and say, "Holy Empress, you are an elder. There's no need for this!"
"As a mother, this is only right." The Holy Empress maintained her bow, then looked up at Lin Feng with a smile. "I'll leave you young people to talk freely. Lin Feng, if you have any requests, you can have Piao Xue bring you to me at any time."
With that, the Holy Empress truly left, leaving Lin Feng with a sharp glint in his eyes. This Holy Empress was indeed extraordinary, making it hard to find a single flaw in her.
"Lin Feng, you must take good care of me, alright?" After the Holy Empress left, the princess smiled radiantly at Lin Feng, like a hundred flowers blooming, exceptionally stunning. Even her personal guard commander was captivated, and at the same time, he was deeply puzzled. Was Lin Feng really that formidable? How could the Holy Empress and the princess treat him with such courtesy? He couldn't imagine how a Mid-rank Emperor, even one who had comprehended the power of the Dao, could truly contend with a Peak Martial Emperor who had grasped Dao Intent.
As she spoke, the princess glanced at Meng Qing and smiled, "Sister Meng Qing, please don't mind."
"How could I?" Meng Qing replied casually. After that, they chatted harmoniously. The princess was very easy to get along with, and once she let loose, she was like a spirited young girl, without any airs. In just the span of a banquet, she seemed to have become quite familiar with Lin Feng and the others.
In the following days, Princess Piao Xue arranged accommodations for Lin Feng and his group. Occasionally, they would stroll around the ancient imperial dynasty, soaking in the timeless aura of a heritage that had never been broken over countless years.
During these days, more and more powerful figures from the eighteen main cities of Qingxiao Land descended upon Qi Tian Holy Capital. Some had already crossed paths, resulting in spectacular clashes. After all, these geniuses from various regions refused to yield to one another, eager to see how they compared to the talents of other main cities.
One day, at Lin Feng's request, Princess Piao Xue led Lin Feng and the others out of the Tianci Dynasty to explore Qi Tian Holy Capital.
"Sister Meng Qing, you won't be disappointed by your visit to Qi Tian Holy Capital. Although Qingxiao Land has eighteen main cities, the place with the most ancient ruins is Qi Tian Holy Capital. Although I invited you here to help, afterward, you can stay in Qi Tian Holy Capital for a few more years to explore thoroughly."
Over these days, Princess Piao Xue had grown close to Meng Qing first, as they were both women and found it easier to communicate. Now, Princess Piao Xue was holding Meng Qing's arm, appearing especially intimate. Lin Feng didn't pay much attention to this. To him, if others treated him as a friend, he would be a friend; if they treated him as an enemy, he would be an enemy. So far, he hadn't sensed any ill intent from Princess Piao Xue or the Holy Empress. Although they hoped to join forces, Lin Feng and his group also needed their help.
"What famous ancient ruins are there in Qi Tian Holy Capital?" Meng Qing asked curiously.
"The famous ancient ruins are all controlled by ancient dynasties or other major powers. For example, the Suspended Sword Valley, where billions of sword intents hang upside down in the valley like billions of peerless sharp swords—anyone who enters will surely die. The Dao-Breaking Mountain, where anyone who steps onto it will have their Dao shattered, forever unable to pursue martial arts—it's eerily strange and another forbidden land that no one dares enter. The Saint Dao Platform, where those who ascend are said to hear the voices of ancient saints, testing one's talent. There are many other ancient ruins, too numerous to count."
"Suspended Sword Valley, with billions of suspended sword intents; Dao-Breaking Mountain, capable of breaking one's Dao; Saint Dao Platform, with the voices of saints!" A sharp glint flashed in Lin Feng's eyes. These places intrigued him greatly.
"Sister Piao Xue!" At that moment, a voice rolled in from afar. Lin Feng and the others looked up toward the Tianci Dynasty, where a group of figures drifted over. The group wasn't large, but each person exuded an extraordinary aura. The leader was elegant and handsome, with an air of royalty—a prince of the Tianci Dynasty, equal in status to Princess Piao Xue. The people beside him all radiated powerful, surging auras, tinged with a wild, untamed energy.
"Brother, these must be the geniuses from the Demon Soul Academy. Truly extraordinary," Princess Piao Xue said, smiling at the young man and his companions.
At that moment, the geniuses from the Demon Soul Academy fixed their gazes on Lin Feng and his group. The Tianci Dynasty had always maintained good relations with three major powers, and each time, they divided into three factions, inviting members from each: the War King Academy, the Demon Soul Academy, and an Ancient Saint Clan.
"The geniuses of the War King Academy are equally extraordinary," the young man replied with a smile. Then, a powerful figure from the Demon Soul Academy stepped forward, sweeping his gaze downward and shouting, "War King Academy! Then Lin Feng must be here. Which one of you is Lin Feng?"
Lin Feng looked up toward the void. The man had eerie, demonic eyes, and his entire body exuded a wild, domineering demonic aura that rolled downward like a crashing wave. The untamed power made their steps feel incredibly heavy.
Lin Feng took a step forward, his body slowly rising into the air. A terrifying, overbearing will surged upward, clashing against the descending pressure. He refused to be crushed by this momentum.
"Indeed, Mid-rank Emperor realm. I heard you defeated the enfeoffed king Ji Shang. I'm very curious about how strong you really are. Watch yourself!" The man stomped his foot in the void, and in that instant, it felt as if an endless wave of demonic energy surged toward Lin Feng. Lin Feng sensed that the vast void seemed to be filled with countless wild, ferocious demonic bulls charging at him with iron hooves, a torrent of hooves threatening to drown him.
"Let me test your strength first!" The man flipped upside down, descending from the sky like a falling star, pressing straight down on Lin Feng.
"Boom!" Lin Feng stomped the void, and terrifying demonic energy shot up into the sky. His unyielding aura was incredibly fierce. His not-so-strong body charged toward the opponent, and their fists collided in the void. For a moment, the space seemed to freeze, followed by a thunderous roar as a storm of destruction erupted.
Countless destructive demonic energies surged into Lin Feng's body. Within him, a thread of deathly power emerged, erasing those demonic energies. His arm felt slightly numb, and his bones emitted cracking sounds. His physical body was already extremely powerful, but his opponent, who cultivated a demon soul specializing in brute force—seemingly of the demonic bull lineage—also possessed terrifying strength.
"Haha, not bad! A Mid-rank Emperor can actually match my strength. No wonder you defeated an enfeoffed king!" The man laughed arrogantly. His pitch-black hair suddenly began to whip wildly, each strand like a sharp blade fluttering in the void.
"For this next punch, I'll use seventy percent of my strength, and I'll add the power of the Dao. Be careful!" As his words fell, an even more terrifying force pressed down. Lin Feng once again experienced that illusion: on a barren plain, millions of maddened bulls charged with iron hooves, their unstoppable momentum forcing any living being to retreat.
"Lin Feng, don't be careless. He's the ace of the Demon Soul Academy, enfeoffed as a king much earlier than Ji Shang." Below, Princess Piao Xue transmitted her voice to Lin Feng, making his expression turn serious. Lin Feng was confident in his strength but never arrogant. He knew his strengths and weaknesses. His weakness was his cultivation realm, while his strength lay in his diverse techniques, which could compensate for the gap in realm. However, in such a direct and violent clash, his realm would clearly put him at a disadvantage, so he had to go all out.
"Boom!" The void trembled. The iron hooves trampled the sky, and Lin Feng felt as if he had been trapped in a strange Dao realm, unable to dodge. The countless ferocious demonic bulls roared simultaneously, merging into a single, massive, terrifying demonic bull that charged at him, intent on destroying everything.
"What Dao Intent is this?" Lin Feng's expression stiffened. An endless surge of power erupted from him, and in front of him, an array formation rapidly evolved. The pressure from his opponent's power was too intense. The Celestial Terrace Array appeared, and Lin Feng gathered boundless power into a single explosive strike. At this moment, the Floating World Seal seemed to contain infinite power—a heavy, terrifying ancient mountain, a tsunami-like torrent of destruction, ever-changing yet ultimately merging into one. The unchanging was the ever-changing.
PS: Today, four chapters to make up for yesterday's one. Tomorrow, I'll add another chapter to reach 2,000 fans. Many brothers say it's hard to gain followers without Weibo, but everyone uses WeChat, right? I've set up a public WeChat account. Just search for the account: jingwuhen888. From now on, after finishing the day's chapters, I'll send a group message via WeChat to notify everyone. Brothers, please add it, so you won't have to wait anxiously and then complain at me. Also, if we break 10,000 followers, I'll explode with ten chapters. The Tieba check-ins exceed 10,000 people daily. For something everyone uses like WeChat, as long as you're willing to move your fingers, this number really isn't much. As for Weibo followers, the extra chapters still count!
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