Strongest War Emperor

Naluo King hadn't expected Shen Lang to leave so decisively. He had countless questions he wanted to ask, but before he could say a single one, Shen Lang had already vanished from sight.

His outstretched hand remained in the air for a long while, as if trying to pull Shen Lang back.

"Huh? My lord, what did you just call that kid?"

Yan Bing, who had been cautiously scanning their surroundings, paused and asked.

Naluo King fell silent for a moment. Then, his vast Divine Thought instantly blanketed a three to four-hundred-mile area.

However, Shen Lang, who had just left, had completely vanished without a trace, as if he had never been there at all.

Seeing Naluo King remain silent, Yan Bing's expression suddenly turned to one of horror. "Holy shit! That kid is clearly only at the First Heaven of the King Martial Realm, yet he managed to conceal his form from an Emperor Martial Realm expert like me. That's truly unbelievable!"

"It's not just you who can't find a trace of him. In fact… I can't find him either," Naluo King said with a bitter smile, opening his eyes.

"…" Yan Bing's eyes went wide, and he was speechless for a long time.

Naluo King said no more, but countless thoughts surged through his mind.

'Judging from his temperament, his tone, and even his style, he's practically a carbon copy of the Emperor! Even though he's deliberately trying to hide it, I can still see it clearly.'

'In this world, there are people with similar looks, and people with similar temperaments. But for their eyes to be so alike, and even their tone of voice… and he knows so much about the War God Hall and the Demon God Hall. Besides the Emperor, who else could it be?'

'But that's not right either. Donghuang was very clear. Eleven years ago, in the battle between the War God Hall and the Demon God Hall, the Emperor fell. He used the power of his self-destruction to send the War God Hall into a Space-Time Rift… If the Emperor was reincarnated, he should only be eleven or twelve years old right now. But this young man looks to be seventeen or eighteen… The timeline doesn't match up!'

'If he were merely a successor, it's impossible he'd be so uncannily similar. And yet, there isn't the slightest sign of Possession!'

'Regardless of who he is, since he's unwilling to reveal his identity, I should help cover for him a little.'

Naluo King's thoughts raced. Having reached this conclusion, he sighed and said, "Yan Bing, regarding that… young brother, you must keep your lips sealed. Don't leak a single detail, even if Zi You asks! Understand?"

Yan Bing froze, then a pained look crossed his face. "I wouldn't dare disobey your command, my lord. But with Lord Zi You's temper, if he asks and I don't answer, I'm afraid…"

Naluo King snorted coldly. "If Zi You asks about this young brother, tell him to come see me… Alright, let's go to Chaotic Cloud Peak to rendezvous with Zi You and leave Yumu Cave Blessed Land as soon as possible."

Yan Bing paused, then nodded silently. "Yes, I understand."

Although he didn't much like Shen Lang's tone, the man had a point. Unless Naluo King and the Asura King themselves were to arrive in person, they no longer had any part to play in this game.

The two of them transformed into a whirlwind, shooting toward Chaotic Cloud Peak at an astonishing speed.

In reality, Shen Lang hadn't gone far at all. He had directly entered the Heaven-Sealing Cauldron.

Using the Energy within the Tai Chi Diagram, converting it into Candle Dragon Black Flame, and then matching the frequency of the Candle Dragon Black Flame Barrier… this method seemed easy, but in truth, it was extremely taxing for Shen Lang, and it placed a huge drain on the Tai Chi Diagram.

It might have been manageable before, but now the Energy in the Tai Chi Diagram was depleted, and the World Tree was still desperately trying to refine the Tribulation Thunder, requiring an immense amount of Energy to be replenished.

Inside the Heaven-Sealing Cauldron, Shen Lang sat cross-legged.

In the empty space before him, thirty-six Death God Nails floated motionlessly.

Duanmu Xie, meanwhile, was hiding far away, watching but not daring to get any closer. He could clearly sense how formidable the Death God Nails were.

If Zuo Wentian hadn't intervened, these Death God Nails, controlled by a wisp of Candle Dragon Divine Thought, would have been truly difficult to subdue.

Now, the Candle Dragon's Divine Thought within the Death God Nails had been completely wiped clean by Zuo Wentian, leaving them ownerless.

With a beckoning gesture from Shen Lang, one of the Death God Nails immediately flew into his hand.

The moment the Death God Nail landed in his palm, an incomparably frigid aura instantly enveloped his entire body!

The Spiritual Power formed from countless resentful souls and malevolent spirits stabbed directly into Shen Lang's Sea of Consciousness!

The intense negative emotions carried by these resentful souls and malevolent spirits made contact with Shen Lang's Sea of Consciousness in an instant, forcing him to experience their suffering as his own!

If Zuo Wentian hadn't placed a Restriction on it beforehand, anyone else—even someone with a strong will—would have likely been driven mad or turned into an imbecile by that single moment of inhuman agony.

Shen Lang had actually experienced something similar once before, after obtaining Yuwen Huaji's Ten Thousand Beasts Circle.

However, these Death God Nails were clearly far more terrifying than the Ten Thousand Beasts Circle!

"Hmph!"

Shen Lang was already prepared. The instant the spiritual wills of those countless resentful souls and malevolent spirits came crashing down, he met them head-on, crushing them with his supreme Battle Intent and Emperor's Will!

"REEE!"

The spiritual wills of the countless resentful souls and malevolent spirits came quickly and retreated just as fast. The moment they sensed Shen Lang's peerless Battle Intent and his world-conquering Emperor's Will, they shrieked in terror and receded like a tide!

'Without this supreme Battle Intent, the Emperor's Will, and Wentian's defensive Restriction, even an Emperor Martial Realm Middle Stage expert would probably have their Divine Soul knocked unconscious in an instant… The things Candle Dragon possesses are truly extraordinary!'

Shen Lang ran a finger gently over the Death God Nail and sighed in admiration.

The item looked identical to the Death God Nails used by many Martial Arts experts—no more than half a foot long, pitch-black, and utterly unremarkable.

But the materials used for Candle Dragon's Death God Nails were anything but ordinary. They were forged and refined from a fusion of the extremely rare Earth Yin Essence and Ten Thousand Year Cold Marrow.

Moreover, after being forged, they were tempered for at least a thousand years with the souls and spirits of countless humans or Demon Beasts, along with the Evil Qi of the Nine Netherworld Prison!

𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Finally, they were placed at an exceedingly rare Yellow Springs Earth Crust Opening to absorb Netherworld Qi year after year, imbuing each Death God Nail with a terrifying amount of it!

Their viciousness and strange poison were simply inconceivable!

When used, they were silent and traceless, invisible and formless, controlled entirely by the wielder's will.

Once they pierced a person's body, they would wear down the will and corrode the Divine Soul. Not only could they completely lock down the Divine Soul and physical body in a short time, but they would also quickly obliterate the victim, body and soul!

'A being like Reincarnation Marquis must be the only reason Candle Dragon would need to use these Death God Nails. But for all his plotting, he never calculated that they would end up in my hands!'

'Candle Dragon… thanks for the gift.'

Shen Lang chuckled softly and flicked a finger against the Death God Nail.

'It's a pity. I have too little time here in Yumu Cave Blessed Land, and my Divine Thought isn't nearly strong enough. I'm afraid I'll only be able to successfully refine three of these Death God Nails in the time I have.'

'Since Reincarnation is already safe, there's no need to be hasty. I'll wait for Taotie's and Candle Dragon's people to fight to the death, then look for an opening to enter the Dragon Scale Divine Hall!'

'Three days, plus my travel time… that should be just about right.'

Having made up his mind, Shen Lang let the Death God Nail float before him.

His hands flew, and with a continuous series of THUMP THUMP THUMP sounds, he quickly used over a thousand Spirit Stones to set up an Array.

Even the number of Spirit Stones he had used to help Lan Mengling conceal her form back then was nothing compared to this.

Clearly, this was an extraordinary undertaking.

"Activate!"

Lines of light shot out from the Array, crisscrossing as they locked onto the Death God Nail in the air.

Shen Lang waved to the distant Duanmu Xie. "Come here and be my Protector."

"OOROO OOROO!" Duanmu Xie shook his head like a rattle.

"Damn it, I'm not even afraid at my cultivation level, so what the hell are you scared of?" Shen Lang cursed with a laugh. "Get over here, or I'll stick you with a Death God Nail!"

Duanmu Xie blinked his eyes—which were more white than black—and reluctantly shuffled over to Shen Lang's side.

Shen Lang pushed a single palm towards the Death God Nail. As his Emperor's Will bore down on it, a stream of Vermilion Bird Divine Fire instantly enveloped the nail!

The wails of ten thousand demons immediately erupted from within the Death God Nail. The Netherworld Qi inside it instantly transformed into an Evil Dragon that burst forth, attempting to devour Shen Lang!

The moment the Evil Dragon roared and emerged, the Array activated. Locking Chains immediately pierced through it, binding its body.

The Evil Dragon formed from Netherworld Qi struggled frantically, causing the Primordial Qi within the Array to churn violently, sending dust and stones flying!

Not long ago, when Ying Huo was struck by the Third Prince's Silent Extinction Netherworld Finger, Shen Lang had already had a run-in with this Netherworld Qi.

However, the Netherworld Qi carried by the Third Prince's Silent Extinction Netherworld Finger couldn't even begin to compare with what was inside this Death God Nail.

If the Netherworld Qi in the Death God Nail was a giant python, then the Third Prince's wisp of Netherworld Qi was, at best, a tiny loach… a tiny loach completely incapable of harming Shen Lang in the slightest!

Now, as he watched this seemingly sentient Netherworld Qi, Shen Lang's gaze was more cautious and vigilant than ever before.

'If absorbing you into the Tai Chi Diagram wouldn't greatly reduce the Death God Nail's power, do you think I'd let you be so arrogant? I only let you out to make it easier for my Divine Thought to get in.'

Shen Lang snorted. Seizing the opportunity as the Netherworld Qi emerged from the nail, his own vast Divine Thought instantly drilled into the Death God Nail.

He quickly began to alter the Spirit Array Map inside the Death God Nail!

The Death God Nail was, in essence, a house for the Netherworld Qi and the resentful souls and malevolent spirits.

And the Spirit Array Map could basically be seen as the soul of that house.

Under Shen Lang's modifications, the originally powerful and complex Spirit Array Map's restraint over the Netherworld Qi and the resentful souls and malevolent spirits was strengthened several times over.

At the same time, the central hub originally meant to house the Candle Dragon Divine Thought was modified by Shen Lang's Divine Thought to be more suitable for concealing his own!

「More than four hours passed.」

Just as the Evil Dragon formed from Netherworld Qi was beginning to struggle more and more violently, and the Spiritual Qi from the Spirit Stones surrounding the Array was being consumed at an ever-increasing rate, on the verge of giving out…

…Shen Lang, sweat dripping from his forehead, crossed his hands and pushed forward!

Two streams of Vermilion Bird Divine Fire erupted, forcing the Evil Dragon of Netherworld Qi back into the Death God Nail!

Although the Netherworld Qi was of Supreme Yin and utterly evil, it still instinctively feared something like the Vermilion Bird Divine Fire. It didn't dare to fight back and quickly retreated.

A divine light emerged from the Death God Nail. It spun once and then landed in Shen Lang's hand.

"Success!"

Shen Lang's face was pale with exhaustion, but he exclaimed with delight.

"Brilliant! My lord is truly brilliant!" Duanmu Xie gave a thumbs-up, not missing the chance to suck up.

Shen Lang glanced regretfully at the Spirit Stones around the Array. They had gone from shining with Spirit Light to a dull, lifeless gray.

Sighing, Shen Lang clicked his tongue and thought, 'What a waste. The toll on my Divine Thought was too great; it'll take at least two days to recover. And with the Energy in the Tai Chi Diagram depleted, it's hard to sustain the Spiritual Power consumed by the Vermilion Bird Divine Fire. As for the Spirit Stones for the Array… over a thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones and more than a hundred Top Grade Spirit Stones in one go. This is just burning through money!'

Just as he had this thought, Shen Lang suddenly froze. 'Dingdang really doesn't give up, does she? She actually chased me all the way here?'