Strongest War Emperor

No one could have possibly predicted Shen Lang’s ruthless efficiency.

The Third Prince had tossed Feng Xiaoyao over, and Shen Lang had spoken only a single sentence.

The next second, the Immortal Celestial Saber slashed out!

With a flash of saber light, Feng Xiaoyao, still sailing through the air, was sliced in two and fell from the sky.

The scene was utterly horrifying, but what was strange was that not a single drop of blood appeared, as if at the moment of being split in two, all of Feng Xiaoyao’s blood had been completely drained...

Down below, the female disciples from the various sects who were watching screamed instinctively, even though there was no blood.

They all turned their heads, unable to bear the sight!

Killing Demon Beasts was one thing, but killing a person was something else entirely.

Even the male disciples from the sects felt their hearts pound with fear at such a scene.

"I can’t be bothered with your petty squabbles, but this is the fate of anyone who tries to kill my people!"

Shen Lang stated flatly, his eyes fixed coldly on the Third Prince.

His tone was calm and his voice wasn’t loud, but the words struck the hearts of the disciples from every sect like a clap of thunder!

A powerful, cutting presence and overwhelming momentum swept across the entire area!

The Third Prince gave a slight smile and a nod, then turned as if to leave.

Even at a time like this, he could still maintain such composure. The spectators below were secretly amazed.

But the Third Prince’s calm demeanor didn’t last long.

A single sentence from Shen Lang, transmitted via Divine Thought, made his expression change drastically and shattered his composure!

"This is just a lesson. If there’s a next time, I’ll crush you outright!"

"Don’t think you’re qualified to seek revenge just because you used some fragment to raise your cultivation. Even if you reached the Emperor Martial Realm, killing you would still be as easy as flipping my palm!"

These words were a Divine Thought transmission from Shen Lang; they rang only in the Third Prince’s mind, unheard by anyone else.

The Third Prince’s body instantly went rigid.

’Fragment...’

’Revenge...’

These two words exploded in the Third Prince’s mind like a clap of thunder.

The shock was so great he faltered, nearly plummeting from the sky!

Seeing this, the crowd immediately began to speculate what Shen Lang could have said to make the Third Prince lose his composure so completely...

The Third Prince was seen staggering forward a couple of steps, then vanishing from the spot, utterly crestfallen.

He didn’t even spare Shen Lang another glance.

The blow from those two sentences was far more devastating to the Third Prince than the humiliation of slapping his own face.

Whether it was the Elemental Power Fragment or his true identity as Xu Daolin, these were top-secret matters that should have been impossible for any outsider to know.

And yet, Shen Lang—the man he feared and hated to his very core—had just revealed them so casually...

’He had thought his great fortune—being favored by the Candle Dragon and receiving the opportunity to use an Elemental Power Fragment to raise his cultivation to the King Martial Realm—would allow him to finally get his revenge...’

But he never expected that his first move—an attempt to kill Shen Lang’s subordinates and sect-mates outside the Imperial Capital—would be foiled by Shen Lang’s sudden appearance, forcing him to flee in terror.

This time, he had only come to watch the show, but he ended up being ganged up on by four King Martial Realm experts, forced to apologize in front of thousands, and then made to slap his own face!

Utterly humiliated, his hatred soared to the heavens...

Such circumstances would have been enough to shatter the spirit of most Martial Artists, leaving them unable to ever recover!

But Xu Daolin had endured it all...

He was able to endure because he knew how powerful the Candle Dragon was, how powerful the Elemental Power Fragment was, and that he would have more opportunities to frantically raise his cultivation.

As long as he obediently followed the Candle Dragon’s orders, he could raise his cultivation to an incredible degree.

’If I can’t beat Shen Lang at the King Martial Realm, then I’ll do it at the Emperor Martial Realm!’

’If the Emperor Martial Realm isn’t enough, the Candle Dragon will help me reach the Quasi-Emperor Martial Realm!’

’To deal with Shen Lang, I, Xu Daolin, have already sold my soul. What are a few slaps in comparison?’

’No matter how humiliating it was, it was the Third Prince losing face, not Xu Daolin!’

And so, having reasoned all this out, Xu Daolin had gradually calmed down, his gaze growing steady once more.

’Revenge is a dish best served cold.’

’I’ve already been patient for so long after reaching the King Martial Realm. What’s a little more waiting?’

However, things were not as perfect as he had imagined...

He had imagined snatching Xue Dangdang away and crushing Shen Lang completely.

He had imagined torturing and killing all of Shen Lang’s family and friends, then finally revealing his true identity as Xu Daolin right before his eyes...

He could even picture himself standing before Shen Lang, revealing that he was Xu Daolin, and seeing the look on Shen Lang’s face...

But none of it had even begun, and now it was all a joke!

On two separate occasions, both inside and outside the Imperial Capital, he had been utterly humiliated.

Without any warning, without him slipping up in any way, Shen Lang somehow already knew about the Elemental Power Fragment and his true identity!

It had all happened too quickly, too suddenly—it was downright savage.

So savage that Xu Daolin simply couldn’t accept it!

The confidence he had built after reaching the King Martial Realm had been utterly shattered by Shen Lang in an instant!

Not a single shred remained...

Xu Daolin couldn’t understand... He couldn’t understand what kind of monster Shen Lang was.

Just how powerful had he become?

In just one year, not only could he fight King Martial Realm experts, but he even had several of them as his own subordinates!

And on top of that, his two deepest, most hidden secrets were completely exposed before Shen Lang!

Under the Candle Dragon’s arrangement, very few people, even within the mysterious Demon God Hall, knew about him using an Elemental Power Fragment to raise his cultivation to the King Martial Realm.

With the Candle Dragon personally casting the magic, he had devoured the soul of the Third Prince, Tantai Lanshan, and successfully completed the Possession. Not even the Royal Family’s Elder Ancestor, Tantai Jingming, or the old masters from the Imperial Dragon Sect had noticed anything amiss!

And yet, Shen Lang had revealed both of these top-secret matters in one go!

He had planned to secretly set his plans in motion, having calculated every step.

Then he suddenly discovered that everything, all of it, was a complete joke in Shen Lang’s eyes!

For Xu Daolin, this blow was simply too immense.

Before Shen Lang, it was as if he knew every move Xu Daolin made like the back of his hand.

Before Shen Lang, no matter how hard he tried to raise his cultivation—even with the help of a heaven-defying treasure like the Elemental Power Fragment—the result... was still utter despair!

Back when they met outside the Imperial Capital, Xu Daolin had trembled uncontrollably with anxiety just at the sight of Shen Lang.

After he finally escaped, he had managed to get that fear under control, which was why he dared to appear so arrogantly and smugly before Shen Lang this time.

But this time, the blow he suffered was nearly fatal...

What Xu Daolin didn’t know was that Shen Lang had only spared his life because he hadn’t yet ascertained the true nature of the force behind the Candle Dragon. He needed to know if this force... was the same one that had driven the War Emperor to self-destruct.

If Shen Lang had been confident in his ability to deal with the Candle Dragon, given his usual temperament, he would never have let scum like Xu Daolin live a moment longer.

Even at the risk of other complications, Shen Lang would have immediately had Zuo Wentian help him break his seal and cut Xu Daolin down.

Allowing a treacherous and vicious enemy to live, thereby creating a latent threat to his family and friends, was not Shen Lang’s style.

Knowing such a person was out there, lurking and ready to strike at any moment, was not a pleasant feeling.

After a cold glance at the spot where the Third Prince had vanished, Shen Lang turned, bowed to Tantai Jingming, and said, "I was being young and reckless, Senior. My apologies for the disturbance."

Tantai Jingming was quite pleased by Shen Lang’s words. He quickly offered a few pleasantries in return, hoping to foster a closer relationship with him.

"Since you’ve come to the Imperial Capital, young friend, you must stay for a while. Once I’ve handled a few matters, I’ll find you, and we can drink to our hearts’ content!"

After a few more polite exchanges, Tantai Jingming prepared to depart.

"Senior, please wait," Shen Lang said suddenly.

"Is there something else, young friend?" Tantai Jingming asked, slightly taken aback.

Shen Lang trod on empty air, walking over step by step.

Beneath his feet, ripples spread outward as if he were walking on water, creating a peculiar sight.

Only when he got close to Tantai Jingming did he transmit via Divine Thought, "I have no intention of making an enemy of the Royal Family. I may be arrogant, but I’m not ignorant or reckless. Still, I struck the Third Prince in front of so many people right here in the Imperial Capital. Don’t you want to ask why, Senior?"

"This..." Tantai Jingming clearly hadn’t expected Shen Lang to ask such a question.

’Under the current circumstances, this was a matter of shame for the Royal Family. By all rights, it should never be mentioned again.’

’For anyone to bring it up, in any setting, would be tantamount to slapping the face of the Purple Chu Country’s Royal Family.’

Shen Lang immediately transmitted again, "The reason I acted so brazenly is simple: the person I struck is not a member of the Royal Family."

A sharp glint flashed in Tantai Jingming’s eyes. "What do you mean by that, young friend?"

"A year ago, the Third Prince’s cultivation was only at the Xuanwu Realm, correct?"

"Are you suggesting he was the victim of Possession? To be honest, when he returned to the Royal Family with a King Martial Realm Cultivation, I had my suspicions as well."

"But neither I nor the many experts from the Imperial Dragon Sect could detect the slightest abnormality in his soul..."

Shen Lang shook his head. "Just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean it isn’t there. I mean no disrespect, Senior, but if the one who orchestrated this has a cultivation far beyond the Emperor Martial Realm, then it’s perfectly normal that you and the people from the Imperial Dragon Sect wouldn’t be able to detect it."

Hearing this, Tantai Jingming was utterly shaken. Countless thoughts flashed through his mind, and his expression grew complicated.

After a long moment, Tantai Jingming cautiously asked via transmission, "What do you think I should do, young friend?"

Shen Lang transmitted, "Do nothing. Just knowing is enough. Because neither the Imperial Dragon Sect nor the Purple Chu Royal Family can handle the force you’d be up against."

"If you trust me, Senior, then provide me with some conveniences within the Imperial Capital. I will draw this force to myself and allow the Purple Chu Royal Family to avoid getting caught in this maelstrom."

An expression of disbelief crossed Tantai Jingming’s face. "This..."

Shen Lang gave a wry smile and continued his transmission, "You don’t need to be suspicious, Senior. I’m not so noble that I’d bring a calamity upon myself for the sake of the Royal Family."

"Besides, their original target wasn’t the Royal Family anyway. More importantly, the person occupying the Third Prince’s body is my sworn enemy. It’s not in my nature to allow an enemy to grow strong enough to threaten my family and friends."

"If I see any sign of that happening, I will nip it in the bud."

"And if I can’t nip it in the bud, I certainly won’t let it mature. The moment I get a chance, I will eliminate it for good!"