Strongest War Emperor

Su Shi held out a hand to stop Zhan Wuji, saying grimly, "Don’t cause chaos. Let’s watch first. Most of the people coming to the Profound Dao Sect to become disciples are young and have low cultivation. Their companions are mostly not Martial Artists, and they’re completely disunited. How can they fight against Martial Artists at the Peak of the Qi Martial Realm? Those people knocked down up ahead who still haven’t gotten up are probably an example."

"Besides, this matter isn’t so simple. Yunxi Valley is the only way to get to the Profound Dao Sect, so there must be disciples from the Sect guarding it. In theory, the Profound Dao Sect would never allow them to do this. The reasoning is simple: many of the young aspirants from poor backgrounds have low cultivation. They can’t afford the Spirit Stones and can’t defeat these thugs, but they might have excellent aptitude. This group’s actions could very well block some promising young talents in Martial Arts from getting into the Profound Dao Sect. The Sect’s upper echelons would never permit this."

"The only reason they’d dare to do something like this so brazenly is that they probably have Profound Dao Sect disciples backing them! Someone is colluding with the Sect’s disciples... Sigh, this is such a hassle!"

Shen Lang and the other two looked toward the areas behind and above the valley. Sure enough, they could faintly make out a few figures moving in the forest.

These figures had to be the Profound Dao Sect disciples stationed here.

Zhan Wuji’s eyes widened in anger. "It’s not like I can’t afford ten Low Grade Spirit Stones, but paying them under these circumstances is humiliating! As a man, if I give in and pay, it will affect my very state of mind for Martial Arts. I say we stop talking. Let’s just fight our way through!"

"How about I team up with you two, and we charge through together?" a woman said in a cold voice, having silently moved to their side.

Zhan Wuji jumped. With his current cultivation, he rarely encountered anyone who could match him in a place like this, yet someone had gotten right next to him without him sensing a thing!

Shen Lang and Su Shi both turned, their eyes widening slightly in surprise.

The woman who approached was clad in light green martial attire, her face obscured by a thin veil. She had a graceful figure, and her eyes were as clear and deep as autumn pools.

A woman who should have been dazzlingly conspicuous somehow managed to blend into the vast greenery of the valley, drawing no attention whatsoever. It was unclear if this was due to her light green clothing or the Cultivation Technique she practiced.

’At least Spirit Martial Realm Third Heaven or higher. She’s an expert!’ Su Shi’s pupils constricted for a moment before he broke into a smile. "Miss, you wish to team up with us? But there are three of us, you know."

As he spoke, Su Shi glanced at Shen Lang, only to find his expression was impassive, showing no change at all.

There was no hint of a smile in the veiled woman’s eyes. Without even a glance at Shen Lang, she simply took a step forward to stand beside Zhan Wuji.

Then, she said softly, "Among that group at the valley mouth, two Martial Artists with cultivation at the Spirit Martial Realm or higher are hiding. Behind them, there are dozens of concealed archers. And on the cliffs flanking the valley above those archers, there are at least four disciples from the Profound Dao Sect."

As Su Shi and Zhan Wuji stared in shock, the woman continued, "Every one of those Profound Dao Sect disciples has a cultivation of at least Spirit Martial Realm Fifth Heaven. Even if we give it our all, we could never defeat them. But..."

Su Shi grinned. "Go on, miss. Don’t worry about us. I’m not afraid of a little trouble."

A mocking glint appeared in the woman’s eyes. "But we’re not here to fight them to the death, are we? We just need to get past this valley! I’ll use a Smoke Bomb to obscure their vision, then incite these thousands of people to charge all at once. We can cut our way through in the chaos. I’ll handle the archers, and you two can take care of the thugs at the valley mouth."

Su Shi frowned. "The people at the valley mouth have archers ready; they’re clearly not the reasonable sort. If you incite thousands of people to charge, and chaos breaks out, I’m afraid many of them will be seriously injured or killed."

"What do their deaths have to do with me?" the woman said coldly. "This has always been a world where the strong devour the weak. If they can’t survive, they have only themselves to blame."

Su Shi and Zhan Wuji fell silent. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Shen Lang’s eyelashes twitched, but his expression remained impassive.

Seeing their silence, the woman huffed. "There are plenty of skilled fighters among these thousands of people. I know for a fact that there are several experts hiding their cultivation. Once the chaos begins, they will be forced to act. With them helping, the thugs up front won’t be able to stop us. And once we break through their lines, you won’t have to worry about those children being implicated or killed."

"In that case... fine. Let’s do it your way, even if it is a bit of a hassle!" Su Shi exchanged a look with Zhan Wuji, and they both agreed.

Zhan Wuji shot the woman a look of disgust before turning to Shen Lang. "Brother Lang, make sure you stay right behind me. I’ll keep you safe, don’t worry!"

"Okay." Shen Lang gave a slight nod.

"He’s offering to protect you, and you can’t even say thanks?" the woman said, seeming irritated when she saw Shen Lang’s blank expression and heard his terse reply.

’Based on my observation,’ she thought, ’Shen Lang is only at the measly Qi Martial Realm Fifth Heaven, while his two companions are at least in the Spirit Martial Realm. It’s one thing for him to travel with them, but in a situation like this, he’s nothing but a burden.’

’If you’re going to be a burden, you should at least have the decency to act like one, shouldn’t you?’

’They’ve clearly only just met; it’s not like that man has any obligation to protect you.’

’In fact, protecting you will probably make this whole operation even more difficult!’

’And you can’t even offer a simple thank you?’

The veiled woman in green shot Shen Lang a contemptuous glance before turning her eyes back toward the mouth of the valley.

"Thank you," Shen Lang said with a wry smile.

Zhan Wuji waved his hands in embarrassment. "Hey, we’re brothers. There’s no need for that."

The four of them began to move forward, each sizing up the surrounding environment.

Suddenly, an indignant voice rang out from up ahead. "You’re going too far! Didn’t you say it was ten Low Grade Spirit Stones? Why are you making me hand over another ten?"

Shen Lang followed the sound of the voice, and his eyes flickered. ’It’s him?’

The person arguing with the group guarding the valley mouth was none other than the young man in blue robes who had slipped him a note back at the restaurant...

The men standing before the blue-robed youth let out a sinister cackle. Their leader was a young man in a white robe with a long, narrow face, thin, cruel eyes, and a nose like an eagle’s beak.

The white-robed youth stopped laughing and spoke in a deeply unpleasant voice, "Zheng Donghong, oh, Zheng Donghong, do you really take us for idiots? You got away last time, but I never expected to run into you here. You really think paying another ten Low Grade Spirit Stones is enough to get by? Cough up thirty Low Grade Spirit Stones, or I’ll break both your legs and toss you in a ditch for the wild dogs to eat!"

Zheng Donghong’s face flushed crimson. His right hand clenched the hilt of his sword, his entire body trembling slightly.

"Hm? What, thinking of drawing your sword? Do you have any idea what the consequences are for drawing on me?" The white-robed youth’s gaze turned cold as he kicked Zheng Donghong squarely in the chest.

THUD! Zheng Donghong’s body shot backward like a cannonball.

The group at the mouth of the valley erupted in laughter.

Everyone in the crowd gritted their teeth in silence. Not one person stepped forward to defend Zheng Donghong.

The cultivation of the group at the valley mouth was simply too powerful. And of all the people currently blocked here, besides Su Shi and a few others who were a bit older, the majority were under the age of sixteen.

Their chaperones were mostly simple folk who had never practiced Martial Arts. How could they possibly stand up to these thugs?

Zheng Donghong staggered to his feet, his eyes bloodshot, his face contorted into the expression of a crazed beast.

"I must get through here! I must join the Profound Dao Sect! No one will stop me!" he roared, his face savage. With a sharp SHIIING, he drew his longsword. "Feng Xiaoyao, I will kill you and avenge Little San!"

"His cultivation has already reached the Spirit Martial Realm, while you’re only at the Qi Martial Realm Sixth Heaven. How do you expect to kill him?" Shen Lang said, slowly walking to his side. "You won’t kill him, you won’t get your revenge, and you won’t even make it out of this valley."

Zheng Donghong, who had been radiating Killing Intent and seemed ready to fight to the death, shuddered at these words. His aggressive posture deflated, and he reverted to his previous timid state.

He turned his head with great difficulty, his face a mask of anguish. The moment he saw Shen Lang, his expression changed dramatically. He grabbed Shen Lang’s arm and shielded him with his own body.

"What are you doing here? Go! Get out of here before it’s too late!" Zheng Donghong whispered urgently, signaling frantically with his eyes. "That Feng Xiaoyao is the young master of the Feng Family! Those four from the restaurant were his men... Hurry, go!"

Shen Lang paused, momentarily stunned. ’This guy has a good heart. He can’t even take care of himself, yet here he is, worrying about someone else...’

But it was far too late for words like that now.

Zheng Donghong was already the center of attention, like an actor under a spotlight. The moment Shen Lang walked over to him, he was immediately noticed by Feng Xiaoyao’s men.

One of the men walked up and whispered something in Feng Xiaoyao’s ear. Feng Xiaoyao had been smirking in their direction, but his expression suddenly changed, and his eyes blazed with Killing Intent!

"So you’re the brat who killed my men! You ignored the path to Heaven and came barging through the gates of Hell!" Feng Xiaoyao roared, leaving an afterimage as he shot toward Shen Lang!

His legs were like the wind, his speed like a shadow. Fast as a shooting star, he moved in a curving path, making it impossible for most people present to track his form. They could only faintly perceive the trajectory of his advance!

"So that’s the Wind God Leg of the Zhong Nanshan Feng Family? Such incredible speed!" A wary look appeared in Zhan Wuji’s eyes as he reached for the handle of the saber on his back.

Su Shi put out his right hand to stop him and shook his head slightly.

At that moment, Feng Xiaoyao had already closed to within five meters of Shen Lang and Zheng Donghong!

"Wind God Leg, Silver Flood Dragon Scissors!"

Even while charging, his body suddenly tilted backward. Planting his palms on the ground, he began to spin rapidly, his feet kicking up into the air and forming a hurricane of motion!

Just as the vortex reached Shen Lang and Zheng Donghong, it suddenly split in two, the twin torrents of wind crossing over each other like a pair of scissors.

"Dangerous!"

Shen Lang shot out a hand, grabbed Zheng Donghong’s shoulder, and shoved him aside. Su Shi, who was nearby, caught and steadied him.

Then, as if in a complete panic, Shen Lang stumbled backward again and again.

THUMP!

While rapidly retreating, Shen Lang’s heel caught a stone jutting out from the grass. He instantly lost his balance and, with a cry of alarm, toppled backward onto the ground!