Strongest War Emperor

Xu Daolin had ganged up on Shen Lang with the Netherworld Wolf King and Long Fong before, so he knew the outcome of their previous clash.

Although the Netherworld Wolf King was incredibly powerful, he certainly didn’t expect it to finish off Shen Lang in just a few moves.

What he really wanted was to use the Netherworld Wolf King’s speed to tie up Shen Lang, then strike and kill Shen Lang himself!

In any case, this battle stage was tiny, completely different from fighting in the wild.

With the Netherworld Wolf King’s speed, coordinating a pincer attack on Shen Lang gave him a very clear advantage.

Conversely, for Shen Lang, any counterattack would be severely limited.

But Xu Daolin never could have imagined that in just the first exchange, Shen Lang would stop him with a casual kick that sent rubble flying, and then use Chain Rapid Slash to heavily injure the Netherworld Wolf King!

After all, just a short while ago when he and the Netherworld Wolf King had ganged up on Shen Lang, the beast had managed to injure Shen Lang several times!

And Shen Lang’s long saber had never managed to inflict any serious damage on the Netherworld Wolf King!

How could it be that after just a few days, the Netherworld Wolf King couldn’t even last a single exchange against him?

And this was while he, wielding a Profound Artifact, was keeping Shen Lang occupied...

’If I don’t risk it all now, I’ll definitely die by his hand! This guy is an absolute monster!’

A tremor ran through Xu Daolin as Spiritual Power from within him surged like a raging river, crazily gathering into the Flame Demon Spear.

Then, the Flame Demon Spear shot out like a venomous dragon emerging from its cave, emitting a piercing sonic boom as it tore through the air, stabbing toward Shen Lang’s upper, middle, and lower body.

The spear’s momentum was like a thunderbolt, seeming to want to pierce through everything. The tip quivered and swayed erratically, releasing terrifying bursts of Celestial Fire—up, down, left, and right. Under the cover of the flames, it was impossible to discern the direction of the attack.

"Is that all the power you can muster, even when relying on a Profound Artifact?"

Standing at the edge of the battle stage, Shen Lang couldn’t help but sneer.

Thunder Power rapidly gathered in his palm before he violently channeled it into the Celestial Water Blade.

The Celestial Water Blade flickered with electricity. Without yielding, it slashed through the air, cutting right into the flurry of spear-lights.

CLANG!

The Celestial Water Blade and the long spear clashed violently once more. With a deafening BOOM, both men were forced back three steps!

At that moment, the furious roar of a Fierce Beast suddenly rang out, shaking the heavens.

’So it’s a Senluo Celestial Fire Python. No wonder this Celestial Fire is so hot and its power so immense!’

Sensing the will of the Beast Soul sealed within Xu Daolin’s long spear, Shen Lang’s eyes narrowed slightly.

The Flame Demon Spear itself was already terrifying enough, blazing with roaring flames.

The Artifact Spirit sealed within it was a Fire Attribute Demon Beast, the Senluo Celestial Fire Python, which made the Flame Demon Spear’s power even greater.

Moreover, the Senluo Celestial Fire Python’s original body was enormous and possessed immense strength. While the long spear looked nimble, it was in fact incredibly powerful.

However, the onlookers couldn’t perceive much of this power; they were instead captivated by the sky-filling Celestial Fire, assuming the Flame Demon Spear’s greatest strength lay in its flames.

"Flame Demon Celestial Fire!"

The moment Shen Lang retreated, Xu Daolin’s face twisted into a savage expression. With a furious roar, he attacked once again.

His Flame Demon Spear was just two meters from Shen Lang when it suddenly swerved with the uncanny movement of a giant python. The spear tip scraped across Shen Lang’s Celestial Water Blade, creating a shower of sparks as it swept past.

Plumes of Celestial Fire drifted down, incinerating the very air!

Not daring to touch them, Shen Lang immediately sidestepped to the right!

’I have to seize this opportunity!’

Xu Daolin was overjoyed, and he poured all his Spiritual Power into the Flame Demon Spear, wanting to use absolute power to force Shen Lang off the edge of the stage!

Facing the man who had knocked the Netherworld Wolf King off the stage in the blink of an eye, Xu Daolin had lost all courage. He no longer dared to hope he could defeat him, let alone kill him.

He only hoped to use this chance—with Shen Lang already at the edge of the stage from his fight with the Netherworld Wolf King—to unleash his strongest attack and push him off!

As long as Shen Lang was off the stage, Xu Daolin would be the victor!

’Even if I can’t beat him, can I not even make him retreat a few steps? I refuse to believe it!’

Xu Daolin was furious, and coupled with his irrepressible fear, every move he made was with his full strength.

WHOOSH!

The Flame Demon Spear was parried by the Celestial Water Blade, but before it could be withdrawn, it was suddenly swung like a staff, sweeping horizontally toward Shen Lang with a fierce gust of wind.

"Fire Dragon Tail Swing!"

As soon as the long spear moved, Xu Daolin let out a low shout.

Instantly, the spear, wreathed in roaring flames, suddenly seemed to become flexible, lashing viciously toward Shen Lang like a dragon’s tail!

The powerful Senluo Celestial Fire Python was sealed within the Flame Demon Spear, and the spear itself was infused with all of Xu Daolin’s Spiritual Power. Therefore, even a casual swing carried a formidable force that no one would dare to underestimate.

If it hit, forgetting the deadliness of the Celestial Fire on it, the force alone was something an ordinary Martial Artist’s body could never withstand.

The intense pressure of the wind made Shen Lang’s long hair whip about.

Yet, his expression remained unchanged by the dragon-tail-like strike of the long spear.

He watched impassively as the Flame Demon Spear drew closer. Only when it was just two feet away did Shen Lang casually take a light step to the right.

And then... the jet-black Celestial Water Blade, wreathed in the Power of Thunder and Lightning, erupted with a soul-shaking Thunderbolt Blade Aura as Shen Lang swung it with all his might, viciously slashing down on the rapidly sweeping Flame Demon Spear.

CLANG!

Under the nervous gazes of the people in the surrounding stands, the Celestial Water Blade and the Flame Demon Spear violently collided!

Instantly, the crisp sound of metal on metal, the roar of a thunderstorm, and what seemed to be the furious howl of a Demon Beast from within the Flame Demon Spear, all rang out at once!

The shockwave of sound made the people in the stands instinctively cover their ears. Many Martial Artists with weaker Cultivation even showed expressions of pain, struggling to endure it.

CRACKLE...

The stone slabs where Shen Lang and Xu Daolin stood were both covered in a dense web of cracks that spread outward.

PSSSH!

The moment after the Flame Demon Spear and Shen Lang’s Celestial Water Blade collided, the spear was violently knocked away. However, the few plumes of Celestial Fire it had released now shot towards Shen Lang’s entire body at an incredible speed!

If he were hit by the Celestial Fire, even a Spirit Martial Realm expert would have a layer of skin peeled off!

Shen Lang’s figure retreated as he opened his mouth and let out a long cry!

"ROAR!"

He once again unleashed the Dragon Roar Tiger Howl Technique, which he had used once before when fighting Ye Juexin.

A violent gust of wind immediately blew away all the plumes of Celestial Fire that had enveloped him!

At this moment, Xu Daolin once again used his long spear like a staff. As it was parried by the Celestial Water Blade, he swung it in a wide circle, sweeping it toward Shen Lang again with a fierce gust of wind!

A spear thrusts in a line, but a staff sweeps a wide area!

Shen Lang was standing at the edge of the battle stage. If he met this staff-like blow head-on, he would inevitably be forced back again and fall off the stage!

This was exactly what Xu Daolin was aiming for.

"Hm?"

Shen Lang was momentarily stunned. He, of course, understood that Xu Daolin was trying to force him off the battle stage.

However, his opponent clearly knew that even with the added power of the Senluo Celestial Fire Python sealed within the Profound Artifact, it wasn’t enough to defeat him. For him to repeatedly use the spear as a staff... ’Something seems off...’

Shen Lang didn’t have time to overthink it. Even though he knew Xu Daolin’s plan, he still didn’t dodge the attack!

Instead, with unrivaled courage, he slashed out with his saber once more!

A ferocious stream of Sword Qi erupted diagonally, moving faster than the speed of sound!

This stream of Sword Qi was like a roaring Evil Dragon, with thunder shaking the heavens and arcs of electricity crackling and exploding all over the arena!

BOOM!

Amidst the massive boom, the crowd could clearly see a violent ripple of Powerful Qi suddenly spread out from between the Flame Demon Spear and the long saber.

It only began to dissipate after expanding more than ten meters.

This time, however, Shen Lang didn’t retreat as he had before. Instead, his feet seemed to have taken root in the ground, unmovable!

On the contrary, Xu Daolin’s body trembled violently as he staggered backward! 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

After stumbling back several steps, Xu Daolin let out a muffled grunt and stabbed his spear backward, planting the butt of the shaft on the ground to finally steady himself.

"He’s too strong! Facing Xu Daolin’s full-power attack... facing a strike from a Profound Artifact with a sealed Artifact Spirit, he didn’t retreat a single step!"

"Even with Xu Daolin armed to the teeth, it looks like Shen Lang still has an overwhelming advantage!"

"I thought Xu Daolin would be an even match for Shen Lang after getting a Profound Artifact. I didn’t expect... heh heh..."

In the stands, stunned gazes were fixed on the utterly wrecked battle stage. They couldn’t imagine that Martial Artists of the Second and Third Heavens of the Spirit Martial Realm could cause such massive destruction.

After a while, people began to break into constant discussion, their voices filled with excitement.

Over by the Evil Wind Valley group, Bai Wuji and the others who had just arrived had increasingly bright looks in their eyes.

They were clearly also greatly shocked.

A sixteen-year-old boy becoming an Honored Elder of a Profound Iron Level Influence was something unheard of, even in a place as vast as the Western Wilderness Snow Domain.

No matter how incredible the rumors, how could ordinary people be convinced?

Before Bai Wuji and the other two arrived, this had been a topic of debate in Evil Wind Valley for some time.

The three of them naturally didn’t think much of this new Honored Elder. Even their greetings were just for show; deep down, they could never truly regard him as an Elder.

But the rumors of Shen Lang defeating Drunken Thousand Cups, combined with his current performance on the stage, left Bai Wuji and the other Xuanwu Realm Powerhouses astonished, even if they hadn’t completely changed their attitude yet.

"Bastard!"

On the stage, Xu Daolin heard the one-sided discussions from the crowd and was driven mad with rage.

Especially when he saw Shen Lang looking at him as if he were already dead, a wicked fire surged up within him!

He raised his left hand, put his index and middle fingers into his mouth, and bit down hard!

Then, Xu Daolin held the Flame Demon Spear horizontally and, with a SWIPE, ran his bleeding fingers along the spear’s shaft!

"With my blood, I feed your soul!"

A massive line of blood instantly appeared on the roaring, flame-wreathed Flame Demon Spear, stretching from the butt of the spear all the way to its tip.

"ROAR!"

A piercing shriek came from the Flame Demon Spear. The already terrifying flames on the spear suddenly flared up several times over, engulfing Xu Daolin’s entire body!

"Shen Lang, let’s see you take this next move!" Xu Daolin’s frenzied voice came from within the sea of fire. "Fire Dragon Roar!"

Accompanied by the heaven-and-earth-shaking roar of a Fierce Beast, the sea of fire rapidly approached Shen Lang, surging to envelop him!

Immediately after, a fire dragon, seemingly constructed entirely of flames, opened its massive maw and lunged at Shen Lang!

"Senluo Celestial Fire Python!"

Shen Lang braced his saber on the ground. He could see clearly that this was no fire dragon, nor was it a phantom created by a Cultivation Technique. It was the Fierce Beast’s Beast Soul from within the Flame Demon Spear—the Senluo Celestial Fire Python—fed by Xu Daolin’s own Essence Blood!

At the potential cost of crippling his Cultivation, Xu Daolin had used his own Essence Blood to directly summon the Senluo Celestial Fire Python!

Sensing the intense aura, the look in Shen Lang’s eyes changed slightly.