Chapter 973: Ling Feng's Strength

The next day, Ling Feng's troops completed their stationing in the southwestern corner of Tianmang Fortress. Together with the thirty thousand Black-Armored Cavalry, these now formed the core forces under Jingwang's command.

Jiang Xiaofan, Li Bufan, and the others had not expected to reunite with Ling Feng again so soon.

In fact, they had not held much hope for Ling Feng to establish his own military force within Tianmang Fortress. Yet to their surprise, he had done so faster and more decisively than anyone could have predicted!

Once word spread, even Li Yunting and a few others abandoned their original posts in the Golden Flame Cavalry and came to join Ling Feng. While they were still considered new recruits for now, their talents would soon allow them to grow into powerful generals!

After organizing his forces, Ling Feng gathered his comrades from Tianwei Academy in the command tent along with Mo Feng.

Nominally, their mission was to help Jingwang secure a foothold in Nanjiang and establish his rightful place in the region.

For Ling Feng and these passionate young warriors, this was an ambitious and challenging task.

"Big Brother, I hadn't even warmed the bench in the Frontline Camp and you're already making a dominant comeback.

Hahaha!

"

Jiang Xiaofan scratched the back of his head and chuckled.

"Yes, dominant comeback is the perfect phrase!"

Li Yunting laughed and nodded. "Brother Ling—no, I should say General Ling now. You command an army and hold real military power. You are a true general!"

"I owe it all to the support of my brothers!"

Ling Feng gave a relaxed smile.

"Only your brothers?"

Lin Xian'er pouted and gave Ling Feng a sideways glare. With a faint tone of grievance, she said, "Are you saying us girls can't help? Don't you think so, Junior Sister Mu?"

Mu Qianxue smiled gently. "Senior Sister Lin, Big Brother Ling didn't mean it that way."

Lin Xian'er shot her a look of frustration. "You always defend your Big Brother Ling!"

Laughter echoed through the command tent.

Mu Qianxue's cheeks flushed a deep red. She glanced at Ling Feng with a hint of reproach, then quickly looked away.

Ling Feng could only smile bitterly and lifted his wine bowl. "Come, let's drink. We've only achieved a small beginning. My real goal is to slay the demon emperor!"

"

Hiss!

"

A sharp gasp ran through the tent. That kind of goal was no small matter!

"Alright. If Brother Feng wants to slay the demon emperor, then we'll follow him and slay the demon emperor!"

Mo Feng jumped to his feet.

Only now did he truly understand what Ling Feng meant when he spoke of going all out. If they could resolve the demon crisis in Nanjiang, the merits would be enough to command the respect of every general in the region.

That included even Yuan Tiangang, the commander-in-chief of the Three Armies.

"

Haha!

Strike them all down!"

Jiang Xiaofan did not care about the details. In his heart, whatever Big Brother decided to do, he would follow.

Next, Li Yunting, Mu Liufeng, and the others all raised their wine bowls and drank in one go.

Though Ling Feng's goal sounded outrageous, for someone who had achieved the impossible time and time again, anything could become reality.

"Ling Feng, we never asked, but what is your current strength?"

Li Bufan fell silent for a moment, then suddenly posed the question.

Indeed, ever since the final battle of the Royal Sword Team challenge, more than two months had passed. Everyone had trained and grown in their own way.

Jiang Xiaofan and Li Bufan had made significant progress, but Ling Feng, the undisputed top talent of the Tianfeng Sword Team, had yet to reveal anything about his current strength since reuniting with them.

His aura did not seem much stronger than when they last parted, but something about it felt unfathomable.

He had already broken through to the Transformation Realm at the hundred-meridian limit and later condensed his Mark of Brilliance on Tiansheng Peak.

So now, two months later, what level had his strength reached?

This was not only what Li Bufan wanted to know. Jiang Xiaofan, Li Yunting, Mu Liufeng, and the rest turned to look at Ling Feng.

After disappearing for two months, what kind of progress had this "monster" made?

Ling Feng grinned. "I recently had a stroke of luck and broke through to the Spiritual Element Realm."

"

Hiss!

"

Another wave of sharp gasps swept through the tent.

Even though they had prepared themselves mentally, hearing it directly from Ling Feng still made their eyelids twitch in disbelief.

He really was a freak!

Although these genius-level cultivators could break through to the Spiritual Element Realm fairly quickly after reaching the Transformation Realm, most did not rush it.

Condensing a Mark of Brilliance required the right opportunity. Nurturing it was even more difficult.

Only when all preparations were complete should one step into the Spiritual Element Realm to ensure a solid foundation and stable cultivation.

While this process was easier than opening more meridian gates, most talented martial artists still took at least half a year, sometimes a full year.

Yet Ling Feng had done it in just two months. Given his personality, it had surely been a flawless breakthrough with no imperfections.

From this angle, his advancement to the Spiritual Element Realm was no simple matter.

Back when he was still in the Transformation Realm, Ling Feng could already go head on with top experts like Xuanyuan Pozhen. Now that he had advanced, his combat power was terrifying to imagine!

"It was just a bit of luck."

Seeing everyone's stunned expressions, Ling Feng rubbed his nose and gave a sheepish laugh.

"I wish I could be lucky just once..."

Lu Qingshan smiled wryly, which set off another round of hearty laughter in the tent.

"By the way, Brother Ling, what about your soul manifestation? Have you awakened it yet?"

Li Yunting asked the question. Among the group, he had only recently awakened his soul manifestation and had just reached second-refinement in the Spiritual Element Realm. He understood well how difficult soul awakening could be.

In fact, having greater talent did not make awakening a soul manifestation easier. Sometimes, the more gifted one was, the harder it became.

Moreover, he had heard that the Mark of Brilliance Ling Feng had condensed was said to be of mythic rank!

"My soul manifestation hasn't awakened yet. I only broke through to the Spiritual Element Realm a few days ago."

Ling Feng shrugged and gave a bitter smile. "Awakening my soul manifestation may still take some time."