Strongest War Emperor

Abandoned by Lan Mengling in the mountains with his cultivation sealed, Shen Lang was at a loss for what to do.

After standing dumbfounded for a moment, Shen Lang’s eyes suddenly lit up. ’The Heaven-Sealing Cauldron is mainly controlled by Divine Thought,’ he thought. ’I’ve always been able to communicate with it... which means...’

With a flash of light and shadow, Nalan Ziyun appeared before him, holding Little Crystal.

Nalan Ziyun saw Shen Lang’s filthy state and froze for a moment. Her eyes immediately reddened, and she threw her arms around him!

Unlike before, she didn’t start shouting at him. Instead, she began to sob quietly.

When Little Crystal saw Nalan Ziyun crying, she started to cry too, tears streaming down her face.

Shen Lang sighed softly, pulling the two of them into an embrace and gently patting their backs.

A man and a woman, with an exquisitely beautiful little girl between them—it was a surprisingly heartwarming scene.

"There, there, I’m fine. See? I’m alive and well, aren’t I?"

Shen Lang offered a word of comfort. But as he looked up, the smile on his face froze...

There, at the very top of a towering, ancient tree ahead, Xue Dangdang stood perched on the leaves, staring at him coldly.

"Enjoying your sweet little life as a family of three?" Xue Dangdang’s tone was explosive. "A monk? Since when can monks take a wife and have a daughter? So you’re just a smooth-talker, and not a single word you say is true... To think I rushed here in a panic to find you... I should have just killed you from the start!"

After saying this, Xue Dangdang turned and vanished into the distant sky.

"Wait, Dingdang, let me explain..."

Shen Lang reached out, but before he could finish his sentence, Xue Dangdang’s figure had already vanished.

...

「Purple Chu Imperial Capital.」

「Wo Long Slope, ten li outside the city.」

The scenery at Wo Long Slope was magnificent. Green streams meandered along the banks, punctuated by the occasional cry of wild geese. In the distance, red cottages dotted the verdant hillsides—a soothing, refreshing sight.

A group of people was swiftly flying through the area on Flying Spiritual Artifacts.

Among them were Su Shi, Zhan Wuji, Zheng Donghong, and Shang Xiaoran, who had entered the Profound Dao Sect with Shen Lang.

Also present were Kou Xiaotian, Xia Xiaoting, and Shu Lan, who had accompanied Shen Lang on his first training mission.

Hao Fengliu, who had been defeated and given a sound spanking by Shen Lang in the Wooden Man Alley, trailed behind them with her characteristic charm.

The one leading the group, a man with a handsome, jade-like face, was none other than Feng Xiaoyao! He was the very same person who, back at Yunxi Valley, had colluded with Profound Dao Sect disciples to block the valley pass and rob travelers, only to be crippled by Shen Lang.

After being crippled by Shen Lang, Feng Xiaoyao had used his connections to get into the Profound Dao Sect, where he had remained obscure and kept an extremely low profile ever since.

This was a stark contrast to his past arrogance and tyranny, when he had bribed other disciples to block the valley pass and extort tolls.

Now, as Feng Xiaoyao flew at the head of the group, the corners of his mouth curled higher and higher.

The smiling expression in his eyes grew more and more pronounced.

"Wait!"

Just then, Su Shi, who was in the group, suddenly called out and came to a halt.

Feng Xiaoyao paused, turning around with a puzzled expression. "What’s wrong?"

Su Shi swept a cold gaze over Feng Xiaoyao and asked in a low voice, "Junior Brother Feng, you said the people of our Profound Dao Sect are being ostracized and provoked by the other sects, and that you were leading us out to find reinforcements. But we’re already over ten li from the city. Where is there any sign of these reinforcements?"

"And you’ve refused to tell us from the very beginning which power these reinforcements belong to or who they are. That doesn’t seem right, does it?"

The moment he finished speaking, Shang Xiaoran and Zhan Wuji moved to flank Su Shi, forming a triangle to surround Feng Xiaoyao.

Shang Xiaoran sneered. "Treating people like they’re idiots... isn’t a very clever thing to do."

"Other than a few allied sects like Evil Wind Valley, the Profound Dao Sect doesn’t have any other allies. You’re just a cultivator at the Spirit Martial Realm Fourth Heaven. On what grounds do you claim to be able to find reinforcements? Did you really think you could fool us?"

A sharp glint flashed in Zhan Wuji’s eyes as he chimed in, "And even if we were looking for reinforcements, we wouldn’t need this many people to do it! I’ve suspected you for a while now, Feng Xiaoyao. We’ve already seen through your act, so stop pretending!"

"Spit it out! What are you really up to?"

Hearing what the three of them said, the expressions of Shu Lan, Xia Xiaoting, and the others in the back changed drastically.

One by one, they drew their Spiritual Artifacts and stood on high alert.

In terms of worldly experience, many Martial Artists from Major Sects were like flowers in a greenhouse, lagging far behind someone like Shang Xiaoran who often wandered outside.

Hao Fengliu, bringing up the rear, quickly scanned the surrounding forest. She saw that beyond the downward slope ahead lay a large hollow, flanked on both sides by steep cliffs.

The forest here was also very different from what they had passed through earlier; there was an eerie silence, devoid of even the chirping of birds.

Hao Fengliu immediately snorted. "Everyone, be careful! That hollow up ahead is a perfect place for an ambush. There are no birds or insects in these woods, which means people are obviously hiding here. This bastard is up to no good!"

Feng Xiaoyao glanced around at them, a crazed look spreading across his face as he broke into hysterical laughter. "So what if you figured it out? All of you are going to die today anyway!"

"BANG!"

With a soft pop, a cloud of thick smoke suddenly burst from Feng Xiaoyao’s body, instantly shrouding his figure.

A strange fragrance spread through the air, causing anyone who smelled it to instantly feel dizzy and disoriented!

Through the thick smoke, Feng Xiaoyao’s figure could be seen dropping rapidly toward the ground.

"Careful, it’s poison!"

Su Shi bellowed, but instead of retreating, he shot forward, catching up to Feng Xiaoyao in an instant like a phantom.

His right hand, encased in the ink-black Cyan Demon Hand, shot out in a punch aimed squarely at Feng Xiaoyao’s back.

Feng Xiaoyao never expected that Su Shi would pursue him so relentlessly under these conditions. When he felt the surging Demonic Qi from the Cyan Demon Hand, he was scared out of his wits!

"Senior, save me!"

Feng Xiaoyao kicked out hard with his right foot, propelling himself forward like an arrow as he slapped a Profound Armor Talisman onto his body.

Feng Xiaoyao wasn’t too concerned about Su Shi’s cultivation, as their levels were more or less evenly matched.

However, the Cyan Demon Hand was a Fourth Grade Profound Artifact, and its power was unstoppable. A single blow would leave him maimed, if not dead.

Although Feng Xiaoyao didn’t know the origin of the Cyan Demon Hand—that Shen Lang had acquired it after killing the Holy Light Sect’s Elder Ancestor, He Zongdao, in the Dark Moon Abyss—the mere fact that it was a Fourth Grade Profound Artifact was enough to scare him half to death!

As the black smoke billowed, the others all covered their noses, activated their Spiritual Artifacts to protect themselves, and hastily retreated.

Su Shi pursued relentlessly, the Cyan Demon Hand wreathed in a gloomy and terrifying black qi. His fist was just about to strike Feng Xiaoyao.

Once it struck, even with the protection of a High Tier Profound Armor Talisman, Feng Xiaoyao would likely not escape with his life!

At this critical moment, a figure appeared between Feng Xiaoyao and Su Shi as suddenly as a gust of wind.

Seeing this speed, Su Shi’s heart tightened. He shielded his body with his left arm while changing the trajectory of his right fist, which now struck out like a python lunging from its cave toward the person who had just appeared.

"Hmph!"

The newcomer snorted. Apparently recognizing the power of the Cyan Demon Hand, he dashed in at an angle. With a flick of his wrist, a longsword coiled around the Cyan Demon Hand several times like a roaming dragon!

"SCREEECH..."

As the longsword made contact with the Cyan Demon Hand, sparks flew, accompanied by the piercing screech of grinding metal.

Su Shi felt the Fist Force behind his punch suddenly vanish without a trace, as if it were a stone dropped into the ocean.

The longsword, however, shimmered with a ghostly light as it drove straight forward, thrusting toward his chest!

In this moment of crisis, Su Shi stomped his right foot on the ground and shot backward in retreat.

However, the longsword was viciously persistent, sticking to him like a shadow.

With a flash of sword light, the man’s longsword accelerated. The tip flicked upward in a bizarre and cunning thrust aimed straight for Su Shi’s neck!

’Such a fast sword! Such immense power!’

A look of horror crossed Su Shi’s face. Gritting his teeth, he twisted his head in a split second. He threw up his gauntleted left hand to block, barely deflecting the sword.

The longsword scraped past the Cyan Demon Hand, letting out a sharp, ear-piercing shriek of metal on metal.

In the next moment, Su Shi smashed his right fist viciously against the flat of the blade!

This punch was very different from his previous attacks. Before, any move made with the Cyan Demon Hand would be accompanied by surging black qi, resembling a black Evil Dragon.

This time, however, the punch erupted with a blinding light as brilliant as the sun!

"CLANG!"

The Cyan Demon Hand crashed against the flat of the longsword with a deafening bang.

He had finally knocked the longsword aside.

Immediately after, Su Shi felt a colossal force slam into him from the longsword. His chest tightened, a sweet, coppery taste filled his throat, and he nearly spat out a mouthful of blood!

’A Xuanwu Realm Powerhouse!’

Greatly alarmed, Su Shi didn’t dare to face the expert head-on and immediately shot backward.

The Cyan Demon Hand was incredibly powerful, but he hadn’t possessed it for long. Furthermore, his cultivation at the mere Spirit Martial Realm Fourth Heaven was barely enough to activate such a Fourth Grade Profound Artifact.

With the Cyan Demon Hand alone, there was no way he could fight against a powerhouse of this level.

As Su Shi retreated, he threw out both fists, launching seven or eight fist shadows through the air!

The man didn’t pursue. With a simple shake of his longsword, he executed several sharp flourishes that easily shattered Su Shi’s fist shadows into motes of light.

The moment Su Shi fell back, the sound of SWOOSH SWOOSH SWOOSH filled the air as countless Demon-Breaking Arrows shot out from the woods!

The majority of these Demon-Breaking Arrows were aimed at Su Shi; it was clear Feng Xiaoyao bitterly hated him for his relentless pursuit earlier.

These Demon-Breaking Arrows possessed a penetrating, Breaking Technique function that many Low Tier Spiritual Artifacts could not withstand.

However, that Breaking Technique effect only applied to Low Tier Spiritual Artifacts. The Cyan Demon Hand was the personal Magical Treasure of the Holy Light Sect’s Elder Ancestor, He Zongdao. How could it be ordinary?

Hearing the sharp whistling of arrows breaking the sky, Su Shi suppressed the churning qi and blood in his chest and punched out with both fists!

The black qi from the Cyan Demon Hand danced around him like two black Flood Dragons, forming a tight shield around his body.

"CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!"

A series of metallic clashes rang out as the incoming Demon-Breaking Arrows were shredded into pieces by the black qi and fell to the ground.

The man standing nearby with his hands clasped behind his back narrowed his eyes, murmuring in a voice only he could hear, ’So, he’s from the Su Family of the Snow Domain Great Yu Dynasty!’

’The Su Family’s Yin Wind Splitting Yang Fist... when enhanced by the Cyan Demon Hand, its power increases by at least tenfold, and that’s on top of his own cultivation activating it... No wonder the Lord gave him the Cyan Demon Hand!’

’No, I have to find a way to stay by the Lord’s side. If even a punk like this can get something so good... I’m dying of jealousy!’

As the smoke dissipated, the middle-aged man’s features were revealed. It was none other than Qian Luo of the Holy Light Sect.