Strongest War Emperor

As the saying goes, you don’t hit a smiling face. With an Emperor Martial Realm powerhouse speaking so politely, Shen Lang couldn’t very well embarrass him.

Besides, the reason he had beaten the Third Prince half to death wasn’t just because he was furious about the matter with Xue Dangdang. It was also because...

The one getting beaten wasn’t the real Third Prince!

It was Xu Daolin!

Before his own power was fully established, even with the protection of sects like the Imperial Dragon Sect, casually turning the Purple Chu Country’s Royal Family into a mortal enemy would be the act of a fool.

Shen Lang would naturally never do such a thing.

Seeing Tantai Jingming speak, Shen Lang gave a composed nod and said, "This junior is indeed Shen Lang."

When Tantai Jingming heard Shen Lang refer to himself as "this junior," his heart leaped with joy. ’This kid knows how to talk,’ he thought, secretly praising him.

’As long as Shen Lang doesn’t truly intend to make an enemy of the Royal Family, then everything can be resolved easily.’

The smile on Tantai Jingming’s face grew even wider. He glanced at the Third Prince and the crowd below, then said softly, "It’s just a few children making a fuss. Why must you, my young friend, stoop to their level?"

The area, which had already been quiet, suddenly became even quieter, eerily so...

It was so unnervingly silent that many could hear their own heartbeats, and even the sound of the wind rustling the leaves nearby seemed to grow louder.

Down below, the hearts of the Xuanwu Realm powerhouses from the various sects sank. They finally understood why none of their own Elder Ancestors had come...

’Zu Wei, a senior from the Imperial Dragon Sect at the King Martial Realm Fifth Heaven, calls Shen Lang "Young Master Lang."’

’Even Tantai Jingming, the Royal Family’s Elder Ancestor and an Emperor Martial Realm powerhouse, is speaking to him like this... There’s nothing more to be said. We took this beating for nothing, and there’s definitely nowhere we can go to complain.’

Among these hundred-plus Xuanwu Realm experts, quite a few were eighty or even a hundred years old... and in a single sentence, they had all been reduced to "children."

’For Tantai Jingming to speak to Shen Lang this way... the implications behind it are truly extraordinary!’

The group immediately made up their minds...

’Later, we have to find the Profound Dao Sect’s Sect Leader, Su Wenxuan, and a few of their Elders. We need to see if we can beg them to put in a good word for us.’

’We can’t let another fight break out and have all our sects’ disciples crippled...’

’How could we participate in the grand tournament then? How could we enter the Yumu Cave Blessed Land?’

At this thought, the crowd below wore mournful expressions, and every one of them looked toward the people from the Profound Dao Sect, hoping to find someone to plead their case.

At this moment, however, how could the people from the Profound Dao Sect possibly be paying any attention to them?

They were all standing far away, their eyes fixed on the sky!

Up in the air, seeing Tantai Jingming’s approach, Shen Lang impassively declared in a clear voice, "They may be children making a fuss, but when children make mistakes, they still need to be spanked. And the adults need to pay a price for it as well."

Shen Lang’s words once again caused the expressions of the people from the various sects to change drastically.

"Disciples from dozens of sects down there ganged up on the few, fought their way right to the Profound Dao Sect’s main gate, and even blocked it off. They’ve gone too far!"

"Senior, do you feel it was improper for me to fight back and teach them a lesson?"

Shen Lang pointed a finger toward the disciples from the various sects in the distance below.

Those he pointed at shivered, not daring to utter a word.

Tantai Jingming shook his head slightly. "Not at all improper."

As soon as he said this, the hearts of the experts from the various sects, who were watching in secret, were once again thrown into turmoil!

With that single sentence, the august Elder Ancestor of the Royal Family, Tantai Jingming, had given Shen Lang an immense amount of face!

And this was after the Prince had been brutally beaten in public!

Tantai Jingming glanced impassively at the disciples below and continued, "However, these people have already been punished and should have learned their lesson. How about this, my young friend? Give this old man some face, have the sects offer some compensation to the Profound Dao Sect, and we’ll let this matter drop. What do you say?"

Tantai Jingming’s voice lacked its usual authority; instead, it was remarkably gentle.

If not for the Dragon Robe he wore and his powerful aura, many who heard his voice might have forgotten... that this was the sole remaining Elder Ancestor of the Royal Family!

When the group of Xuanwu Realm powerhouses below heard the word "compensation," their hearts settled considerably.

Although getting beaten, losing face, and now having to pay compensation was a bitter pill to swallow...

...seeing how savage Shen Lang was, compensation seemed like the best option.

Might makes right. There was nothing to be done about it.

Just as they were thinking this, they saw Shen Lang’s gaze sweep over them.

His eyes, as deep as the sea, made them all shudder. They hastily scrambled over one another to declare their willingness to compensate...

Shen Lang ignored them and turned back, pointing at the Third Prince with his left hand. "And what about this guy’s business?"

As his gaze fell upon the Third Prince, Tantai Jingming’s expression instantly turned ice-cold!

For the Royal Family of the Purple Chu Country, the most critical point today wasn’t the disciples from the sects below, but the Third Prince himself!

’This damned fool! Of all people to provoke, he had to go after the Little Demon King, Shen Lang!’

’He nearly plunged the entire Royal Family into disaster because of his actions!’

Just a short while ago, Shangguan Feiyue had personally told Tantai Jingming about Shen Lang’s relationship with the Ruyi Buddha Sect and the Xue Family!

The Purple Chu Country’s Royal Family was an influence that existed by relying on the Imperial Dragon Sect, barely qualifying as a Spirit Copper Level Influence. How could they possibly afford to offend behemoths like the Ruyi Buddha Sect and the Xue Family?

In his heart, Tantai Jingming wanted nothing more than to crush the Third Prince, but his face remained impassive.

He casually glanced at the Third Prince and said flatly, "Apologize. Then, slap your own face until our young friend Shen Lang is satisfied!"

Everyone sucked in a sharp breath of cold air...

The vast majority of people had assumed that Tantai Jingming had appeared to uphold the Royal Family’s dignity and stop Shen Lang from continuing to brutalize the Third Prince.

After all, with his status, he should have been able to make Shen Lang give him that much face.

No one could have expected that he would now, in front of so many people, order the Third Prince to slap his own face!

Everyone’s gaze fell upon the Third Prince, who had almost been overlooked.

They saw the Third Prince, dressed in a purple robe with an extraordinary bearing, with blood still trickling from the corner of his mouth and his hair in disarray. Of the nine Short Swords that had surrounded him, only six were left, still rotating slowly.

Hearing Tantai Jingming’s words, the Third Prince slowly raised his head. The corner of his eye twitched, and then he suddenly broke into a smile.

He bowed to Shen Lang, an apologetic look on his face. "I, Lanshan, unintentionally offended Brother Shen earlier. I offer my sincerest apologies and hope Brother Shen will be magnanimous and not hold it against me."

After saying this, the Third Prince, Tantai Lanshan, raised his hand and slapped himself across the face.

"SLAP!"

Clean and crisp!

The surrounding crowd was stunned.

Even Shen Lang’s eyes narrowed...

’This man is incredibly cunning!’

’To be able to maintain his composure while apologizing and slapping himself in front of so many people!’

’One must remember, Xu Daolin was someone who shared a deep, irreconcilable hatred with me!’

’Facing his nemesis in front of thousands, and with the mysterious and powerful Candle Dragon as his backing, he still didn’t resist at all, choosing instead to apologize and slap himself without hesitation!’

Under everyone’s watchful eyes, the Third Prince began using both hands, his slaps echoing with a sharp "CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!"

"Don’t you think you’re... going too far?"

Xue Dangdang, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke.

Shen Lang turned to look at Xue Dangdang.

He saw her face flushed red, her small lips pouted, and tears welling up in her eyes, ready to spill over at any moment.

Seeing Shen Lang look at her, Xue Dangdang huffed and stubbornly turned her head away.

Although she had lost her memories, the fearless nature of the Little Witch remained. Only Shen Lang’s actions could have quieted her down like this.

Had it been anyone else, even the Imperial Dragon Sect, she would have likely raised hell and turned everything upside down.

Seeing the tears in Xue Dangdang’s eyes, Shen Lang’s heart twisted as if stabbed by a knife. ’I know what I said about hitting her too was a bit too much,’ he thought.

In truth, if he hadn’t already guessed that the Third Prince was Xu Daolin, Shen Lang wouldn’t have been so enraged by this matter.

Back then, when Xue Dangdang would hang on Chu Qingcheng’s arm and parade in front of him every day, he hadn’t felt a thing.

That was because they both saw Chu Qingcheng as an older brother.

Furthermore, Shen Lang could completely guess that this was all just Xue Dangdang’s way of acting out of jealousy.

Now that he had calmed down and saw the aggrieved look on Xue Dangdang’s face, he felt as if he had a thousand things to say but didn’t know where to begin...

Shen Lang glanced at the Third Prince, who was still slapping himself, and grinned. "Alright, Your Highness, no need for the self-torture. I was just joking with you. I was never angry with you to begin with. Seeing you slap yourself so hard, my heart aches for you."

The Third Prince, Tantai Lanshan, was inwardly so furious he wanted to vomit blood.

’Fuck, I’ve already slapped myself this many times, and now you say you’re joking?’

’You say you weren’t angry with me?’

’My heart aches for you, my ass!’

’Thousands of people are watching!’

The Third Prince forced a dry laugh. "For Brother Shen to no longer blame me truly shows your magnanimity. I, Lanshan, thank you. Another day, I will be the host and invite Brother Shen for drinks. I hope Brother Shen will grant me the honor... If there’s nothing else, I will take my leave."

The disciples from the various sects watched all this, sighing inwardly at how incredible the members of the Royal Family were. Each of them was as thick-skinned as a city wall.

To be repeatedly humiliated yet remain so calm and act as if nothing happened... how could an ordinary person possibly do that?

"Wait a moment." Seeing the Third Prince about to leave, Shen Lang stopped him. "You have something of mine. Please return it to me, Your Highness."

The Third Prince was stunned for a moment, then gave a bitter smile. "Understood."

Just as he finished speaking, the Third Prince waved his right hand in front of him. Amidst a hazy mist, Feng Xiaoyao—the one who had tried to ambush Zhan Wuji and the others outside the Imperial Capital—appeared.

The moment Feng Xiaoyao appeared in the air, he saw the crowd around him and froze, clearly not understanding what was happening.

The next moment, he saw Shen Lang staring at him with a glacial gaze...

"No! Your Highness, you can’t do this! You said we would together..."

Feng Xiaoyao shrieked.

But before he could finish, a vicious glint flashed in the eyes of the Third Prince behind him, and a palm struck him squarely in the back!

"PUH!"

A mouthful of blood spurted from Feng Xiaoyao’s mouth as his body was enveloped by a powerful force, slowly drifting toward Shen Lang.

Since Shen Lang had asked for the man, the Third Prince naturally didn’t dare to kill Feng Xiaoyao outright.

However, that palm strike had essentially shattered all the meridians in Feng Xiaoyao’s body, leaving him unable to even speak.

Feng Xiaoyao wanted to explain to Shen Lang, wanted to curse the Third Prince...

But with his meridians destroyed and blood gurgling from his mouth, he couldn’t form a single word.

Shen Lang shot a cold glance at the drifting Feng Xiaoyao and said indifferently, "If you have a grudge against me, you could have come to settle it with me. Why did you have to go after others?"

"Ooo... ooo..." Feng Xiaoyao saw the Killing Intent in Shen Lang’s eyes and shook his head desperately.

Shen Lang shook his head gently. The Immortal Celestial Saber carved a graceful arc through the air...

A flash of saber light flared!