Strongest War Emperor

Just as Tie Feng was excitedly recounting the events, spittle flying everywhere, Qian Luo emerged from the hole in the cliff face.

Shen Lang was momentarily stunned. He saw the man crawl out of the hole, his clothes tattered and his appearance wretched. He was pointing a finger at Tie Feng, muttering a stream of curses.

"I was the one in control! I helped them kill all those bastards, and you have the nerve to take all the credit? You’re shameless! Despicable!"

"My Lord, don’t you dare believe this son of a bitch, Tie Feng! The guy has no integrity! He’s utterly shameless!"

Blood trickled from the corner of Qian Luo’s mouth as he stomped his feet in the air, fuming.

"Ahem." Tie Feng coughed dryly and scratched his head. "I thought you’d croaked. Didn’t expect you to still be alive..."

Qian Luo was livid. "You’re the one who croaked! Your whole family croaked!"

Seeing Qian Luo, Shen Lang didn’t need Tie Feng to explain any further. He already had a good idea of what had happened.

Shen Lang waved a dismissive hand. "Alright, that’s enough. You don’t even have your stories straight, what are you fighting over credit for?"

After a moment of silence, Shen Lang continued, "Why did that damn Third Prince show up here, and why did he want to kill you? What’s his connection to Feng Xiaoyao? And where is Feng Xiaoyao’s body?"

Qian Luo was about to jump in and answer, but he realized he couldn’t answer a single one of Shen Lang’s questions.

Defeated, he could only shoot a pleading glance at Tie Feng.

Tie Feng smirked triumphantly, but then his head drooped like a frost-bitten eggplant. "Feng Xiaoyao had an arm chopped off by that kid Qian Luo brought with him, then the Third Prince took him away... But that Third Prince was just bizarre. I don’t know why he wanted to kill us, or what his connection to Feng Xiaoyao is."

"Normally, why would an Emperor Martial Realm powerhouse bother with disputes between Spirit Martial Realm Martial Artists?"

"But the moment the Third Prince arrived, he just made up an excuse, saying fighting was forbidden near the Imperial Capital, and then he tried to kill us."

"When the two Commanders arrived later, not only did it fail to make him hold back, it seemed to provoke him. His Killing Intent flared, and it looked like he was dead set on slaughtering every last one of us... The man’s a complete freak."

Just then, You Yue suddenly spoke. "My Lord, judging by your tone... you don’t know this Third Prince, do you?"

Shen Lang’s gaze shifted slightly. "I have no grievance with him, and I’m certain it was our first time meeting. But there was something familiar about his eyes."

He turned to look at You Yue, his expression thoughtful. "What did you notice?"

You Yue nodded. "The Third Prince said something earlier..."

"He said, ’I’m surprised. In just a short year, Shen Lang has managed to gather quite a few lackeys.’ From that sentence alone, it’s clear this person must know you very well."

"This man is incredibly cunning, but when he faced you, My Lord, a few cracks in his facade began to show."

Shen Lang was immediately interested. "Oh? Go on."

You Yue smiled faintly. "When you appeared, My Lord, a flicker of hatred flashed through the Third Prince’s eyes. His entire body tensed up, and he seemed incredibly nervous... That’s not normal at all, because the Cultivation you’re currently revealing is only at the Xuanwu Realm."

"How could a King Martial Realm powerhouse possibly fear someone from the Xuanwu Realm?"

"To put it bluntly, an ordinary Xuanwu Realm powerhouse is nothing but an ant before someone at the King Martial Realm... Even though Evil Song and I have reached the Xuanwu Realm Eighth Heaven, and have even opened three additional Elements Mansions with your help, My Lord, our Combined Attack Technique and other Cultivation Techniques are not yet at a high enough level. If we faced a King Martial Realm expert, death would be the only outcome!"

"If he had truly wanted to kill us, and you hadn’t arrived in time, we would have been dead without a doubt!"

"So how could a King Martial Realm powerhouse like him look at an unfamiliar Xuanwu Realm Martial Artist with such apprehension and nervousness?"

"In theory, only someone who knows you well and harbors a bone-deep hatred for you would react that way... And he likely wanted to kill us precisely because he knew we have a close relationship with you, right?"

"Finally, when you provoked him with your arrogant words, My Lord, he didn’t get angry. On the contrary, he grew even more cautious... This proves that whatever you did to him in the past left such a deep, unforgettable impression that even though your displayed Cultivation was far weaker than his, he still didn’t dare to make a move!"

At that moment, Evil Song, standing beside You Yue, added in a cold voice, "I’ve had dealings with the Royal Family before. I know something... Just two years ago, the Third Prince’s Cultivation was only at the Xuanwu Realm First Heaven!"

"But the Third Prince we saw today is already at the King Martial Realm! My Lord, you see..."

Shen Lang listened to all of this in silence, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

"Your analysis is excellent. I already know who he is."

Everyone around him was startled. Shen Lang just waved his hand and said, "We’ll discuss this later. For now, take everyone and head back."

With that, Shen Lang descended and walked over to Su Shi, Zhan Wuji, and the others.

"Is everyone alright?"

The group had been terrified and on edge, but with Shen Lang’s arrival, a great weight was finally lifted from their shoulders.

A crowd immediately swarmed Shen Lang, everyone talking at once as they recounted the earlier events.

Shang Xiaoran subconsciously glanced at Nalan Ziyun, who had been standing silently behind Shen Lang. She reached out and pulled them apart, saying, "Let’s save the stories for when we get back. Junior Brother Shen Lang still has business to attend to!"

"Didn’t Feng Xiaoyao say he was leading us out to find reinforcements? Well, he was right! We’ve found our reinforcements now, so we need to hurry back!"

It dawned on everyone at once. They let out a collective cheer and cleared a path.

Only then did Shen Lang’s gaze fall upon Xiu Ban, who was standing at the outermost edge of the group and hadn’t said a word.

Xiu Ban, who was normally cold and carried a sharp, imposing aura, now looked at Shen Lang timidly, like a shy little boy.

Shen Lang patted his shoulder and smiled. "In just over a year, with almost no resources, you managed to comprehend the ’Azure Vault Dominating Saber Technique’ to this degree all on your own. Your resolve is truly astonishing. It seems I didn’t misjudge you."

Hearing Shen Lang’s praise, Xiu Ban’s face grew even redder.

THUD. He dropped to one knee. "Everything I have was given to me by you, My Lord. I have no way to repay this debt. I only wish to go through fire and water for you and serve you with my life!"

Nearby, Qian Luo’s face grew as long as a donkey’s. He frowned and thought, ’Damn it! That brat Xiu Ban is usually as cold, hard, and foul as a rock in a cesspit. Who would’ve thought that the moment he sees the Lord, he’d start spouting such smooth-ass flattery! He’s even better at sucking up than I am!’

Shen Lang reached out, pulled Xiu Ban to his feet, and waved his hand. "Alright, everyone head back. Xiu Ban, since your and Qian Luo’s affairs are now public knowledge, you can just come directly to the Profound Dao Sect with me."

The group wasted no more time. Nalan Ziyun activated Tears of Paradise, and it carried them all into the sky, flying toward the Imperial Capital.

Aboard Tears of Paradise, Nalan Ziyun nudged Shen Lang with her elbow and asked via Divine Thought transmission:

"I met the Third Prince a few times back at Jialan Academy. He was gentle and refined, and his Cultivation was nowhere near this terrifying... What did you mean when you said you knew who he was? Who is he? Do you suspect he was a victim of Possession?"

"But the Royal Family of the Purple Chu Country is an extremely powerful force. Legend says there’s an Emperor Martial Realm powerhouse guarding the Imperial City. How could they let one of the princes..."

Shen Lang’s expression remained unchanged as he replied via Divine Thought, "If I’m not mistaken, the Third Prince who appeared earlier wasn’t the same Third Prince you knew. He was someone both you and I are quite familiar with..."

"Oh? Stop being so mysterious! I hate it!"

Nalan Ziyun shot Shen Lang a dissatisfied glare and continued her transmission. "Someone we both know? We don’t know anyone that young with such formidable Cultivation, do we?"

"Just tell me who it is. You won’t scare me, don’t worry."

Shen Lang cracked a smile. "It’s Xu Daolin."

"How is that possible..." Nalan Ziyun almost cried out in shock, instinctively clapping a hand over her mouth.

Shen Lang continued his mysterious transmission, "You know perfectly well who I’ve offended and who I share a deep-seated hatred with."

"Among my enemies who aren’t dead yet, besides Xu Daolin, Yuwen Huaji’s relatives, and Ye Xue’s family from the Celestial Phoenix City Lord’s Mansion, who else is there?"

"Someone from the Imperial Dragon Sect once told me that Yuwen Huaji had no heirs. He was completely alone."

"Ye Xue is at the Imperial Dragon Sect now. The sect hasn’t done anything to the Ye Family, and the Ye Family is now incredibly grateful to them. They wouldn’t be foolish enough to seek their own doom."

"In this world, there is only one thing that can forcibly raise a person’s Cultivation from the Spirit Martial Realm or the Xuanwu Realm First and Second Heaven all the way to the King Martial Realm in a single year."

"And that is an Elemental Power Fragment."

"Of all these people, only the faction behind Candle Dragon, the one who abducted Xu Daolin, could possibly possess something like an Elemental Power Fragment."

Nalan Ziyun stared at Shen Lang, her mouth agape in horror, her eyes filled with utter disbelief.

At that moment, however, Shen Lang’s heart suddenly sank...

Dingdang had inexplicably lost her memory, and her Cultivation had suddenly soared to the King Martial Realm. Shen Lang had already suspected that an Elemental Power Fragment was involved.

For another one to appear now was far too much of a coincidence.

Xu Daolin had been taken away by Candle Dragon, the entity that once annihilated the North Netherworld Extreme Heaven Sect.

Dingdang was with Lan Mengling, who in turn was being hunted by people from the War God Hall.

Then there was the appearance of the enigmatic powerhouse Donghuang, whom Zi You had called a "traitor to the War God Hall"...

All these fragments linked together, and a picture that was simultaneously blurry and yet perfectly clear formed in Shen Lang’s mind.

’Lan Mengling and Candle Dragon... Could they be powerhouses from the same faction? The same faction that opposes the War God Hall?’

Shen Lang’s eyes narrowed slightly.

The enormous face that appeared when the War Emperor self-destructed surfaced in his mind once more.

A faction powerful enough to be an enemy of the War God Hall;

A faction capable of possessing Elemental Power Fragments;

And a faction that could compel even Donghuang, whose Cultivation surpassed that of the Eight Celestial Kings, to betray the War God Hall...

’Just how powerful would such a faction have to be?’

The War Emperor had ultimately been forced to self-destruct just to send the War God Hall into a Space Rift, to escape the pursuit of a mysterious and powerful force...

Combining his understanding of the powers of this world with these deductions, Shen Lang immediately arrived at a conclusion. It was still a theory, but one with an extremely high probability: ’The force behind Candle Dragon and Lan Mengling is very likely that same Dark Power which forced the War Emperor to resort to self-destruction!’

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