Chapter 2456: Pressure
Lin Feng looked at the old Daoist's lecherous expression and felt utterly speechless. This old fellow had changed his title from "I, the Emperor" to "I, the Saint," yet he still carried that same sly and cunning demeanor—truly, a leopard never changes its spots.
With a thought, Lin Feng took out several Sacred King Weapons and handed them to the old Daoist. "Old immortal, take these. Now that you've stepped into the Saint Realm, what are your plans from here?"
"Hehe." The old Daoist chuckled, not being the least bit polite as he stowed away the Sacred King Weapons. "This Saint trained you well back in the day; you do have some conscience after all. These Sacred King Weapons are enough for me to rebuild the Tian Yan Holy Clan. As for my plans, once the Tian Yan Holy Clan stands tall again in the Sky-Gazing Ancient Capital and becomes the number one force, I'll wander the world, travel through various realms, and see if other worlds differ from the Nine Heavens."
"Mm, that's good. The Tian Yan Holy Clan is a long-cherished wish of yours; it's only right that you fulfill it first," Lin Feng said. Although Yan Di had never truly spoken of reviving the Tian Yan Holy Clan, Lin Feng knew he had always been working toward that goal. Now, with the old Daoist's strength, heading to the Sky-Gazing Ancient Capital in the lower realm would be enough to reestablish the clan.
"Alright, I waited here just to see you one last time. Now that I have, it's time for me to go." Yan Di smiled, causing Lin Feng's expression to freeze slightly. "So soon?"
"Are you going to keep chatting with this old Daoist?" Yan Di chuckled, then turned around, flicking his whisk, and said lightly, "Fate brings us together and tears us apart; meeting is but a dream. We walk different paths under the heavens, so parting is only natural. If you have free time, pass by the Sky-Gazing Ancient Capital and come see this old Daoist."
His voice echoed through the void, and the old Daoist's figure gradually blurred. Lin Feng let out a long sigh. Meeting was indeed like a dream. Now, the old Daoist could no longer help him in any way, so he left alone to revive his clan.
"Old immortal, I hope you truly live forever. If anything comes up, remember to find me," Lin Feng shouted toward the path ahead.
"Don't worry, this old Daoist won't hesitate to trouble you if something comes up," a distant reply came back, bringing a smile to Lin Feng's face. He turned to look at the Prophet and said, "Teacher, I'm off."
The Prophet nodded slightly. Lin Feng stepped away, while the Prophet looked into the distance, then shot into the air. Lin Feng needed to go into seclusion to prepare for the agreement two years from now, and so did he—he would travel the Nine Heavens to make preparations for that agreement. It wasn't just a game between Lin Feng and the other four; it was also a game among the various forces of the Nine Heavens.
Time always slips away when you least notice it. The more pressing it becomes, the faster it seems to fly.
These days, Lin Feng trained madly without a moment's rest, occasionally spending time with his family during breaks. Before he knew it, over half a year had passed. In the starry sky world, Lin Feng and the Golden-Winged Great Ape were locked in battle, shaking the void with their clashes.
At that moment, the Golden-Winged Great Ape clenched his hand, and the space around them closed in, trying to envelop Lin Feng. But Lin Feng sensed the pulse of heaven and earth, and with a thought, his figure appeared in another space like a shadow, as if teleporting—extremely fast.
"Earth Burial," the Golden-Winged Great Ape shouted coldly. The earth beneath Lin Feng's feet surged up, trying to bury him.
"Whoosh!" Lin Feng's body turned into a wisp of air again, vanishing from the spot, as if he could predict the future. He dodged the moment the attack came, moving with a speed akin to teleportation.
"Not bad. You can now barely dodge my attacks. Your hard work these days hasn't been wasted." The Golden-Winged Great Ape stopped attacking and spoke to Lin Feng.
"But it's still far from enough. The opponent you'll face might be a terrifying existence with multiple elemental essences at great perfection, capable of fusing them. With your current ability, the gap is still too large. Take your attacks, for instance—they simply can't compete with his." After praising him, the Golden-Winged Great Ape unceremoniously struck Lin Feng down.
"Earth and Void—both at great perfection. I've refined them both, and by using Wind Essence and Speed Essence, I can almost achieve teleportation. But it's still far from enough." Lin Feng felt frustrated.
"It's already impressive. Mastering one elemental essence to great perfection is a major achievement. Do you know how many people need over ten thousand years to reach that? Or how many can never reach it at all? Counting the time I helped you convert, it's only been ten years, and you've already mastered two." The old ox, watching from the sidelines, said calmly. "But don't hold too high expectations for the battle a year and a half from now. The time they gave you practically guarantees your defeat."
"What if I start fusing elemental essences ahead of time?" Lin Feng asked the old ox.
"The difficulty of fusing is far greater than comprehending great perfection. Besides, training here alone has its limitations. It's good that you have sparring partners; otherwise, it would be even harder." The old ox continued, "If you really want to test your opponent, I suggest you try sparring with those three. Treat them as hypothetical foes."
The old ox's gaze fell on the last three of the nine great accomplished demon saints. The other six had all sparred with Lin Feng, but only two of these three had played around with him without truly testing his combat strength. The last one had never made a move.
Lin Feng stared at the final demon saint. He was likely the strongest of the nine. According to the old ox, he could imagine this one as his opponent a year and a half from now. Fighting him would reveal just how strong his real enemy was.
"If I defeat him, does that mean I can defeat my opponent within the agreed time?" Lin Feng asked the old ox.
"If you can defeat him, then there's absolutely no problem. But I advise you not to try. His temper isn't very good," the old ox said seriously.
Lin Feng stared ahead, then stepped forward. The other demon saints voluntarily moved aside, seemingly cooperating with Lin Feng, watching him with interest.
"Whoosh!" Lin Feng stepped out, his body as fast as lightning. His finger suddenly pierced through the void, heading straight for the demon saint's body. The demon saint's eyes burst open, and a pitch-black, terrifying demonic light seemed to drag people into the Nine Nether Cold Abyss. A cracking sound came from his joints as they shifted, and an overwhelming, domineering aura spread out. Lin Feng felt his entire body tighten as an unparalleled kingly pressure crushed down on him.
"Crack!" The demon saint punched out, and an endless domineering force seemed to strike directly at Lin Feng's bones from the sky. Lin Feng's body was covered in earth essence, but it shattered instantly. That force made his body feel like it was about to explode.
Lin Feng's forward momentum came to an abrupt halt. He stepped on the void, his body vanishing like an illusion, reappearing elsewhere. But the void tightened, and the entire space was enveloped by supreme domineering force, making Lin Feng feel insignificant, as if he were about to collapse.
"Boom!" A muffled sound rang out, and the entire void trembled, as if it were about to shatter. Lin Feng was sent flying back, his whole body feeling extremely uncomfortable. The demon saint glanced at him indifferently, then closed his eyes, returning to calm, as if nothing had happened.
"Demon Essence at great perfection, Earth Essence at great perfection, Illusion Essence at great perfection." Lin Feng's expression froze. The opponent's seemingly simple and domineering attack already contained multiple great-perfection essences. The gap in strength between great accomplishment saint kings could indeed be terrifyingly vast.
"You can still sense that many types. Not bad. But he used less than one-tenth of his power against you. If he wanted to kill you, it would be effortless." The old ox said coldly, striking Lin Feng hard. This did frustrate Lin Feng. Less than one-tenth of his power? This demon saint had been immersed in comprehending great-perfection essences for who knows how many tens of thousands of years. How could Lin Feng compare? His foundation was too shallow.
"Lin Feng, right now, you can't even force us to use fused essence attacks," the Golden-Winged Great Ape said. Lin Feng nodded slightly. If the opponent used fused essence attacks, the power would be even more terrifying. He had once witnessed the Golden-Winged Great Ape easily kill a great accomplishment saint, and that last demon saint could probably easily destroy this Golden-Winged Great Ape.
"I'll go out for a walk," Lin Feng said, then left the area and entered his martial soul world. In the Snow Moon Empire, Meng Qing was also there, staying with the family.
Lin Feng planned to rest for a few days. The mad training had left him somewhat exhausted. Perhaps a few days of peaceful, relaxed life would be more effective.
Outside, the struggle for the divine temples never stopped. At the same time, the various temples frequently interacted, appearing very harmonious on the surface. The Prophet had also visited the various temples and had now returned from the Tai Yao Realm, bringing back some news.