Strongest War Emperor

Everyone in the tavern turned to look their way.

Flames began to burn in Nalan Ziyun’s eyes. She was on the verge of exploding with rage.

"Don’t be angry. Getting worked up over scum like this will just take a toll on you," Shen Lang hurriedly said, trying to placate her.

SMACK! The man who had spoken first slammed his palm on the table. "Little bastard, who are you calling scum?" he said sinisterly. "Say it again if you’ve got the guts!"

"You’re courting death. How dare you curse us?" another man beside him said coldly. "Let this little chick keep us company for three nights, and we’ll let you off the hook!"

The remaining two men cracked their knuckles, looking ready to strike at a moment’s notice.

Shen Lang’s gaze turned cold. He lightly tapped the tabletop with the palm resting on it.

TAP!

With a soft sound, four chopsticks on the table flew into the air.

As everyone watched, without even lifting his head, Shen Lang whipped a chopstick in his hand, striking the four that were now airborne.

WHOOSH-WHOOSH-WHOOSH-WHOOSH!

Following four soft sounds, everyone in the tavern gasped.

The four young men were still standing in their original poses, but now, a chopstick was embedded in each of their necks.

The chopsticks protruded from both the front and back of their necks, with fresh blood dripping down from them.

"Waiter, my apologies for the mess. These Spirit Stones are for compensation. Please find a few people to move these four outside," Shen Lang said calmly, as if he had done nothing at all, let alone killed anyone. He placed four Spirit Stones on the table.

The people inside the tavern immediately erupted in discussion.

"That kid is no pushover. My Divine Thought senses he’s at the Qi Martial Realm Fifth Heaven, but after a move like that, there’s no way his Cultivation is only at the Qi Martial Realm Fifth Heaven!"

"Those four were also at the Qi Martial Realm Fifth Heaven, but this kid broke right through their Body-Protecting Light Shields with a single chopstick. He was so fast they didn’t even have time to react. How could he possibly be at the Qi Martial Realm Fifth Heaven?"

"Serves them right for getting killed. A bunch of scum from who-knows-where. They didn’t even bother to figure out who they could provoke and who they couldn’t."

After a few moments of discussion, the crowd went back to their food and drink, as if such matters were completely ordinary.

Once the four bodies had been carried away, Nalan Ziyun smiled sweetly. "Didn’t you say you wanted to keep a low profile? That was a little conspicuous, don’t you think?"

"It was alright. When I do it, it’s clean and efficient. When you do it, it’s apocalyptic," Shen Lang said without looking up.

"..." Nalan Ziyun gritted her teeth.

Shen Lang suddenly added, "We’ll leave separately tomorrow morning. You go first, and I’ll follow behind."

"Why? Are you sick of me already?" Nalan Ziyun shot him a glare.

Shen Lang rolled his eyes. "The first stage of the Profound Dao Sect’s disciple selection is a physical examination to check one’s aptitude. The second stage is the Wooden Man Alley. It’s quite challenging to pass that with the Cultivation of the Qi Martial Realm Fifth Heaven, because you might face more than one opponent, and their Cultivation could even surpass the Qi Martial Realm Fifth Heaven. If I’m there with you, it won’t be much of a test. Besides, the Wooden Man Alley is a good form of Cultivation in itself."

"Also, you should wear a mask for the Wooden Man Alley. A face like yours, beautiful enough to topple nations, is bound to attract trouble. If a swarm of admirers surrounds you to ’protect’ you, there’ll be no point in even trying the trial."

"Fine, fine! Stop nagging, you don’t sound like a man. If it’s for Cultivation, so be it... Hmm? Wait, was that last part a compliment or an insult?" Nalan Ziyun said, slapping the table.

"I was complimenting your looks," Shen Lang said, at a loss for words.

"Hmph... Worried someone will sweep me off my feet?"

Nalan Ziyun huffed softly, giving Shen Lang a sideways glance.

The flirtatious charm in that one glance left Shen Lang stunned for a second, and he hurriedly averted his gaze.

Seeing his flustered expression, Nalan Ziyun began to giggle, drawing the attention of many others nearby.

Just then, a young man walked past their table. His right hand inconspicuously made quick contact with the tabletop before he continued on his way.

A small, wadded-up ball of paper now sat on the table.

"Hm?"

Shen Lang paused for a moment, then picked up the paper ball from the table. He unfolded it and saw three lines of text: *Leave quickly! The four you killed were from the Feng Family of Zhong Nanshan—attendants of the young master. He has several Spirit Martial Realm experts in his retinue, and someone has already gone to inform them!*

"What is it?"

Nalan Ziyun asked, eyeing the note in Shen Lang’s hand with suspicion.

Shen Lang shook his head. "It’s nothing. The men we killed had some powerful backing, and someone is warning us to leave quickly... I’ll have the Ghost King follow you later. But try not to have him make a move unless you’re in real danger."

As he spoke, Shen Lang’s eyes narrowed, replaying the moment the young man had walked past.

The young man was handsome, but his gaze was shifty, and he seemed timid, with a hint of sorrow in his eyes.

He looked to be around twenty, dressed in a blue robe and holding a longsword in his left hand. The fingers gripping the sword were slender and fair, not like those of a well-traveled Martial Artist, but more like a young master from a Noble Family.

A vicious glint flashed in Nalan Ziyun’s eyes. "They’d better not come looking for death," she said fiercely, "or I won’t mind sending them on their way!"

...

In the early morning, birds chirped throughout the lush, green valley. The milky-white morning mist slowly lifted like a silken veil, revealing fiery red kapok blossoms that looked like a crimson sunrise hanging in the valley.

Groups of young men and women hurried toward the Profound Dao Sect’s Mountain Gate. Many rode Fiery Demon Wolves, some were on ordinary horses, and still more sprinted madly forward with Divine Movement Talismans attached to their legs. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

The majority, however, were those from poor families, walking step by step through the valley with packs on their backs.

Dressed in black with a long blade strapped to his back, Shen Lang did not stand out in the crowd.

Shen Lang was hurrying along with his head down when a magnetic voice suddenly came from his right. "Hey, little brother, are you also heading to the Profound Dao Sect? How about we team up?"

Two young men then strode up to walk alongside Shen Lang.

Shen Lang looked up and glanced at them, his heart stirring. ’They look to be only about twenty, yet their Cultivation is already at the Spirit Martial Realm or higher!’

Although both had used a Breath Concealing Technique, there was no way they could hide their true power from Shen Lang.

The young man who had spoken was dressed in fitted purple attire with a longsword on his back. His face was exceptionally handsome, and he wore a warm smile, but hidden within it was a trace of arrogance he himself didn’t seem to notice.

It was the kind of subtle arrogance, unnoticeable to most, that came from a lifetime of being in a position of authority.

Strangely, however, a person like him wasn’t riding a Demon Beast but was walking on foot, just like Shen Lang.

The other man was slightly more robust than the one in purple. He had short, fiery red hair, and his eyes were bright and full of spirit as he, too, grinned at Shen Lang.

"Alright," Shen Lang answered crisply.

At his response, the purple-robed youth’s smile grew even wider. "I knew you were a straightforward man, little brother. My name is Su Shi, from the Star Moon Country. This is a friend I met on the road, Zhan Wuji, from the Azure Vault Country."

Both were small countries where the strongest power was only a Profound Iron Level Influence. And though they were both in the Snow Domain, neither was part of the Eighteen Snow Countries.

"Nice to meet you!" the red-haired Zhan Wuji said in greeting, his voice strong and resonant.

Shen Lang grinned. "I’m Shen Lang, from Celestial Phoenix City in the Purple Chu Country."

"Oh, Celestial Phoenix City. I’ve heard of it. That’s quite a ways from here... Did you come all this way from Celestial Phoenix City alone, little brother?" Su Shi asked, casually glancing at the long blade on Shen Lang’s back.

’For a sixteen or seventeen-year-old to cross several treacherous mountain ranges and get here without protection... that’s no simple feat.’

"No, I had a friend with me. She already went on ahead to the Upper Profound Dao Sect," Shen Lang said, shaking his head.

Su Shi mulled it over for a moment before speaking again. "By the way, little brother, you probably don’t know this, but it’s less than fifty li from here to the Profound Dao Sect. However, those fifty li are fraught with danger. The two of us wanted to team up with you partly because you seem like a good person, and partly so we can watch each other’s backs... because it’s very likely there will be fighting up ahead."

Shen Lang looked up toward the path ahead. "You mean someone is going to intercept the people heading for the Upper Profound Dao Sect?" he asked quietly.

Su Shi nodded, his expression grave. "Exactly. According to my sources, a number of experts have already joined forces. They’re planning to intercept those heading to the Profound Dao Sect. Since we aren’t riding Demon Beasts, we’ve fallen behind the main group. If I’m not mistaken, the fighting up ahead may have already begun."

"Hmph! Let them fight. We can just go clean up the mess afterward," Zhan Wuji declared with a loud laugh. "Don’t worry, little brother. With Su Shi and me here to protect you, no one will be able to lay a finger on you!"

Su Shi secretly broke into a cold sweat. ’That blockhead is all brawn and no brains... For all we know, we might be the ones needing *his* protection!’

Shen Lang, seemingly oblivious to Su Shi’s expression, cupped his hands toward Zhan Wuji. "Then I’m in your debt, Brother Zhan."

The Celestial Profound Mountain Range stretched for tens of thousands of li, a winding chain of countless bizarre peaks and ridges.

Nearly forty li from the Profound Dao Sect was a place called Yunxi Valley, a path one had to take to reach the sect.

The valley was ringed by mountains, with a babbling stream so clear you could see the bottom. A primitive forest blotted out the sky with its lush green canopy, winding vines, and moss-covered surfaces. In the hazy distance, faint wisps of smoke drifted, making it a truly picturesque location.

However, when Shen Lang and his two companions arrived, all of their expressions turned grim.

At the mouth of the valley, several thousand people had gathered. The crowd was agitated, arguing with a group of people who were blocking the entrance.

"Cut the fucking bullshit! Hand over ten Low Grade Spirit Stones, or get the hell back to where you came from! I’ll break the legs of anyone who keeps whining!"

one of the dozen or so people blocking the entrance shouted, his voice arrogant and domineering.

The hot-headed Zhan Wuji snorted. "Fuck their ancestors! A dozen guys at the Eighth and Ninth Heavens of the Qi Martial Realm are holding back several thousand people? I’ll go up there and flatten them myself!"

’Qi Martial Realm?’ Shen Lang scoffed inwardly.

’Hidden among them are two experts at the Spirit Martial Realm Second Heaven.’