Strongest War Emperor

The Nine Immortals Lingzhi was an opportunity that rarely came by; it was difficult to buy even with immense wealth. The fact that the man in the black cloak and Ye Xiao Zheng had colluded and waited here for several years was proof enough.

Lastly, Shen Lang had unintentionally discovered the hidden power of the Tai Chi Diagram.

It could not only devour things like Spirit Stones, but also had a powerful devouring effect on human bodies and Demon Beasts.

This point alone was enough to make Shen Lang overjoyed.

Shen Lang closed his eyes slightly and circulated his Spiritual Power through his body for three full cycles. Only then did he stop and begin to silently "observe" the slowly rotating Tai Chi Diagram within him, studying it.

’This Tai Chi Diagram is truly a heaven-defying artifact. It can instantly devour the arm of a Spirit Martial Realm Sixth Heaven master. It’s so powerful it’s almost unbelievable.’

Currently, the Tai Chi Diagram could only extend less than two meters from his body, and the area it covered was pitifully small. If it were to grow to a certain point in the future, wouldn’t he be able to act like a peerless powerhouse such as the War Emperor, even when his own Cultivation was still lacking? To take a person’s head from a thousand miles away, killing without a trace?

’The Black and White Qi it transforms into instantly devoured the flesh and blood of that man’s arm. Not only is its attack formidable, capable of Breaking Ten Thousand Techniques, but it can also devour the opponent’s Cultivation to strengthen my own!’

Even in the War Emperor’s memories, a Martial Soul as heaven-defying as this had never appeared on the Star Continent!

This was far stronger than the legendary Demon Cultivation Methods that also devoured flesh and blood.

Demon Cultivation Methods often required one’s Cultivation to be stronger than the opponent’s. One had to break through their defenses and could only devour their flesh and blood after they had lost the ability to resist.

Moreover, the amount of Energy that could be absorbed was extremely limited, and the final Refinement of the differing Spiritual Power was a very time-consuming and exhausting process.

But the Tai Chi Diagram directly ignored Realm and Level. It could even absorb and break through a Spirit Martial Realm Martial Artist’s Spiritual Power Gauze Clothing in just one or two seconds, absorbing the opponent’s Cultivation into itself and converting it into the purest Spiritual Power for Shen Lang.

It had also completely absorbed and converted the medicinal power from all the Elixir Pills that Shui Qingwu and Cai Ying had anxiously stuffed into his mouth over the last three days!

Every medicine has its toxins. To swallow so many Elixir Pills at once, come out unscathed, and even raise one’s Cultivation to the Qi Martial Realm Eighth Heaven—only a freak like Shen Lang could pull that off.

’With this thing in hand, the world is my oyster. I can go anywhere!’

After staying in Shui Qingwu’s private chambers for a full three days, Shen Lang’s injuries had not yet fully healed, but his Cultivation had skyrocketed to the Qi Martial Realm Eighth Heaven, and he had finally regained his mobility.

He changed his clothes and walked out of the room...

The bamboo forest was silent. It seemed neither Shui Qingwu nor Cai Ying were around.

’I should go find my Celestial Water Blade first,’ Shen Lang thought. ’No matter what, it was my first Profound Artifact.’

With that thought, Shen Lang started walking towards the Phoenix River.

"Hey, you’re just leaving like that?" Shui Qingwu’s charmingly petulant voice suddenly came from a nearby bamboo building.

Shen Lang turned around, slightly embarrassed, and saw her slowly descending from the bamboo building, her gaze a mixture of feigned anger and delight.

Her jet-black hair was casually draped over her shoulders. Her limpid eyes shimmered, her elegant nose was perfectly sculpted, and her skin was fairer than snow. She was as beautiful as a celestial fairy.

It was as if all the beauty in the world was concentrated in her alone, a beauty so breathtaking it could suffocate you.

"Oh, I forgot to say thank you. Thank you for saving me... I’ve been freeloading here for three days. It would be rude to stay any longer," Shen Lang said with a smile.

"Who... who cares about your thanks," Shui Qingwu said, standing at the bottom of the bamboo building without coming any closer.

Shen Lang spread his hands helplessly. "Then what do you want? For me to pledge my life to you?"

"You... I want to see the face behind your mask."

"I’m very ugly. I’m afraid I’ll scare you..."

"Really?"

"No, it’s a lie. The truth is, I’m so handsome I’m afraid you’ll fall for me the moment you see my face."

"Such a smooth-talker. Are you going to take it off or not?" Shui Qingwu said, deliberately putting on a stern expression.

Shen Lang fell silent for a moment before saying in a serious tone, "The mask... it doesn’t really mean anything. I originally wore it because my Cultivation wasn’t strong enough, and I didn’t want to involve my family or cause them any trouble... You could have easily taken it off while I was unconscious, but you didn’t. I’m very grateful for that... If you really want to see, I can take it off."

"You..." Shui Qingwu turned to the side and pouted. "I ask you to take off your mask and you make such a big deal out of it. Fine, fine, just keep it on. I’ll find out who you are on my own soon enough anyway."

"That confident? Alright, let’s make a game of it. If you can figure out who I really am, I’ll grant you one request..."

"It’s a deal!"

"A promise is a promise," Shen Lang said, turning to leave.

"Hey, your injuries were so severe before. How are you now?" Seeing him about to leave again, Shui Qingwu called out to him once more. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Seeing the concern in her eyes, a warm feeling rose in Shen Lang’s heart. He smiled and said, "I’m not fully recovered, but it’s nothing serious anymore. Cai Ying stuffed so many Elixir Pills into me; it would be a disservice to her if I wasn’t doing better."

Shui Qingwu sighed. "You... your Cultivation is clearly formidable, yet you always love to take such risks. I’ve only known you for a couple of days, and you’ve already gotten yourself into this state twice..."

"Don’t worry, I practice a divine technique for taking beatings. The worse I’m beaten, the faster my Cultivation rises. Go on back." Shen Lang didn’t turn around, simply raising a hand and giving another wave.

Watching him wave, the corners of Shui Qingwu’s mouth curled up slightly as she called out, "The Thorn Valley trial starts in four days! Come back early."

"Mm."

Shen Lang grunted in acknowledgement subconsciously, then spun back around with a strange look. "Hey, you’re trying to trick me!"

"Since I said I’m going to find out who you are myself, I have to do *something*, don’t I? That’s right, I was trying to trick you. What are you going to do, bite me?"

Shui Qingwu said, a little defiantly, a faint blush appearing on her fair, delicate cheeks.

This petulant, girlish display was completely different from her usual calm and ethereal fairy-like demeanor, but it made her all the more charming and captivating.

Staring at her, Shen Lang was momentarily stunned and couldn’t help but blurt out, "If I really did bite you, would you hit me?"

"You... Watch your mouth!" Shui Qingwu huffed and turned away abruptly.

"Hahaha..." Shen Lang laughed heartily as he departed.

Leaving Shui Qingwu alone, staring blankly at the bamboo forest before her, her eyes flickering as she was lost in thought.

After Shen Lang’s figure had vanished into the distance, a black shadow silently materialized within the bamboo forest, taking on a human form and standing before Shui Qingwu.

"Phantom greets you, Young Miss."

The newcomer was shrouded in a black mist, their face obscured, but their voice sounded like that of a young woman.

"Sister Phantom, you appeared so suddenly. Did you discover something?" Shui Qingwu asked lightly.

Phantom replied respectfully, "I was dispatched here to investigate after you encountered danger upon your arrival in Celestial Phoenix City, Young Miss."

She seemed to be organizing her thoughts, pondering for a moment before continuing, "Three days ago, I sensed the aura of powerful experts fighting in the Black Wind Ridge area. I followed the trail and found the young master whom you later rescued being pursued. His pursuers were a Demon Martial Artist and... the Heavenly Phoenix City Lord, Ye Xiao Zheng."

"Ye Xiao Zheng! The City Lord’s Mansion is actually colluding with Demon Martial Artists? How audacious! No wonder... I was wondering why I would encounter a Demon Corpse in a place like this. So someone was providing them with a hiding place... Sister, why didn’t you save him at the time?" Surprise showed in Shui Qingwu’s eyes.

"Please forgive me, Young Miss. Phantom was only following the Old Marquis’s orders to investigate the Demon Corpse matter and did not dare to interfere in other affairs. At the time, I did not know he was the one who had saved you, and the situation was extremely chaotic..."

"I don’t mean to blame you, Sister... Chaotic? That Ye Xiao Zheng is only around the Seventh or Eighth Heaven of the Spirit Martial Realm, and the Demon Martial Artist is even weaker. The City Lord’s Mansion has no one with stronger Cultivation. And you are a Xuanwu Realm Fourth Heaven powerhouse, are you not?" Shui Qingwu said, a little astonished.

A fight of that level, while certainly thrilling, shouldn’t be considered chaotic for a Xuanwu Realm powerhouse, should it?

Phantom sighed, her voice grave. "What drew me over was not the fight involving that young master, but people from the Imperial Dragon Sect! At Black Wind Ridge, I saw five Xuanwu Realm masters, and even a King Martial Realm powerhouse who only revealed a sliver of his aura..."

"King Martial Realm? This... Celestial Phoenix City is but a tiny speck of land. Why would a powerhouse from the Imperial Dragon Sect appear here? He seemed to say he was being hunted because he stole something from that Demon Martial Artist. What does any of this have to do with an expert from the Imperial Dragon Sect?"

Shui Qingwu’s expression changed drastically...

What did King Martial Realm even mean?

That was the Level of a Supreme Elder or Elder Ancestor of a Profound Iron Level Influence!

With a wave of their hand, they could cause mountains to collapse and the earth to split. They held the power to shape the world as they pleased.

The Shui Family’s famous Divine Marquis Mansion in the Purple Chu Empire had the reclusive Old Marquis, who was a King Martial Realm expert. But even for an ancient family like the Shui Family, including the Old Marquis, they currently only had two King Martial Realm powerhouses in total.

Powerhouses of this Level rarely appeared in the world. So how could one show up in a small place like Celestial Phoenix City?

And what were the odds they were connected to the Ghost-faced People?

The Young Miss of the Divine Marquis Mansion encountered a Demon Corpse in Celestial Phoenix City. If this was merely the result of collusion between Demon Martial Artists and the Celestial Phoenix City’s Mansion, the Divine Marquis Mansion could flatten the City Lord’s Mansion with a single word. Not even the Evil Wind Valley could protect Ye Xiao Zheng!

But if the Imperial Dragon Sect was involved, with multiple Xuanwu Realm masters and a King Martial Realm powerhouse appearing, then the matter was no longer so simple.

The question was, why would powerhouses from the empire’s guardian sect appear in such a small place?