Strongest War Emperor

When the crowd peered over the cliff’s edge, they all jumped in fright.

More than ten meters down, a bluestone outcropping barely a meter long jutted out from the cliff face. And there sat Shen Lang, cross-legged!

The stone was tiny and covered in incredibly slippery moss. There were no other handholds nearby, nor were there any ropes or safety lines in sight.

One careless slip would mean a fall to certain death, leaving not even a complete corpse behind!

Even a Spirit Martial Realm Martial Artist, capable of briefly forming Spiritual Wings, would be courting death in a place like this...

This newly arrived group hadn’t seen Shen Lang hunt down Sun Hongwen. They didn’t know he had run straight up the cliff face to chase and cripple him.

Although they had seen Shen Lang easily defeat Liu Feng from Blood Spirit Peak the previous night and knew he was strong, they were still utterly astonished.

To practice Cultivation on the edge of a near-vertical cliff with no safety precautions... an ordinary Spirit Martial Realm Martial Artist truly wouldn’t have such guts.

Shen Lang rose to his full height, grabbed a rope dangling from above, and dashed up the cliff face as if it were level ground.

Before him stood a courtyard-style house built from Songdu Peak’s unique, durable Copper Steel Rock.

The courtyard covered an area many times larger than his previous wooden cabin. It was mostly complete, just awaiting the finishing touches.

By the looks of it, Tian Hao had really put his back into the work.

"Oh, so that’s what happened!" Fang Hongfeng exclaimed in sudden realization after hearing Sun Hongwen’s explanation. "Then I didn’t hit the wrong guy, did I? This bastard really was bullying Junior Brother Shen Lang! Well, whatever. I already sent the Sound Transmission Talisman. Master will be here any moment. You all can figure out how to explain this to her yourselves."

WHOOSH! The surrounding crowd scattered in all directions.

The limping Sun Hongwen ran the fastest of them all, even tossing aside the crutch he had just made.

Only Yan Qi remained, standing there dumbfounded. He still hadn’t figured out what was going on.

Shen Lang looked at Fang Hongfeng and frowned slightly. "What do you want? If this is about more Artifact Refining, don’t bother. I’ve already done everything I was supposed to."

Shen Lang’s words completely shut down the speech Fang Hongfeng had been mentally rehearsing. His face flushed red as he wrung his hands. "This... uh..."

’This really is going too far,’ he thought.

’He didn’t ask for a single thing in return. Not only did he complete all of my master’s recent assignments, but he even refined a Spiritual Artifact and a Profound Artifact for us.’

’And now Master wants to work him like a mule? The nerve!’

’What’s more, even if Shen Lang was holding back, he was at least a Profound Level Third Grade Artifact Refining Master!’

’A sixteen-year-old Profound Level Artifact Refining Master... he’s not someone to be provoked.’

’For now, the two of them had kept this matter quiet and hadn’t yet had a chance to report it to the Sect Leader.’

’If the higher-ups found out the Profound Dao Sect had produced such a monstrous talent, who knew what kind of uproar it would cause!’

’Even if the higher-ups didn’t know yet, and even with how shameless his master could be, trying to make a Profound Level Artifact Refining Master toil like a slave for her... that had to be impossible, right?’

Fang Hongfeng’s expression turned serious, and he spoke in a righteous tone, "Junior Brother, you’ve misunderstood. I’m actually here on my master’s behalf to thank you. She wanted to invite you to a meal to express our gratitude!"

"A meal? We can talk about that later when I have time." Shen Lang’s expression softened slightly. He then turned to Shu Lan. "Junior Sister, what did you need?"

Shu Lan said timidly, "My Phoenix Feather Bow was damaged and still hasn’t been repaired, so I haven’t been down the mountain for an expedition in a long time. Yesterday, a few senior brothers and sisters invited me to join them on a trip to Shuiyun Stream today, and... well, I thought of you, Senior Brother..."

"Shuiyun Stream? Where is it?" Shen Lang asked pensively.

Shu Lan hurriedly explained, "It’s not far from the Sect, just over a hundred li from the Mountain Gate. There aren’t any high-level Demon Beasts, and we have a senior brother at the Spirit Martial Realm First Heaven leading the group."

Shen Lang glanced at the house still waiting to be finished, then nodded. "Fine. I could use a trip out to clear my head."

’According to the War Emperor’s memories, the Elemental Power Fragment was somewhere in the Profound Dao Sect, but he didn’t know the exact location.’

’Theoretically, the several hundred li surrounding the Profound Dao Sect could also be considered its territory.’

’For instance, a place like Shuiyun Stream.’

Shen Lang slung the Immortal Celestial Saber onto his back and followed Shu Lan without a moment’s hesitation.

Fang Hongfeng and Yan Qi were left behind in the clearing, staring at each other and twisting in the wind...

"Senior Brother, for the next two days, there’s a market being held in the valley between Heaven-Reaching Peak and Songdu Peak. We’ll meet the others there and pick up some necessities before we head out."

Shu Lan slowed her pace to walk beside Shen Lang. As she spoke, she subconsciously glanced at the saber on his back.

"A market? As in, a fair?" Shen Lang raised an eyebrow in surprise.

Shu Lan nodded. "Yes. The disciples of our Sect started organizing it themselves many years ago. People can go there to trade their Elixir Pills, treasures, or Cultivation Techniques."

"Take Cultivation Techniques, for example. Even after becoming Inner Sect Disciples, many advanced techniques are impossible to obtain without making significant contributions to the Sect or having enough Contribution Points..."

"But at the market, you might be able to get one directly from a powerful senior brother if you’re willing to pay the price. Of course, the price itself varies. You can buy things with Spirit Stones or trade items the seller agrees to. The prices are generally much cheaper than at places like the Treasure Pavilion in Celestial Palace City, since there’s no middleman, you see."

"Oh," Shen Lang replied noncommittally.

The two rode a Seven-Colored Spirit Vulture down from Songdu Peak, reaching the foot of the mountain in short order.

"Junior Sister Shu Lan!"

The moment they dismounted the Seven-Colored Spirit Vulture, a group of two men and one woman came to greet them.

"You must be Junior Brother Shen Lang, right?" asked the leader of the group, a brawny young man with a booming voice. "Shu Lan told us about you. Said you know a thing or two about Artifact Refining?"

Before Shen Lang could reply, he thumped his chest and continued, "I’m Kou Xiaotian. This here on my right is Xia Xiaoting, and the one on the end is Chen Shiyuan. We’re all from Songdu Peak, so let’s look out for each other!"

"Junior Sister, are you sure he knows Artifact Refining? What if he’s just taking advantage of your naivete and lying to you? You have to be careful! You can’t trust anything men say these days... Some guys will watch an Artifact Refining Master work once and then go around claiming to be his apprentice!"

Xia Xiaoting said, her face filled with suspicion as she looked at Shen Lang. As she spoke, she pulled Shu Lan over to her side.

She acted as if Shen Lang were some kind of delinquent.

Shu Lan blushed and glanced at Shen Lang, opening her mouth as if to speak but saying nothing.

When she had been with Bai Feifei, she had been explicitly told not to mention Shen Lang’s Artifact Refining skills to others. Shen Lang himself had requested the same, so she really couldn’t say anything.

Xia Xiaoting didn’t believe Shen Lang knew Artifact Refining. She assumed he had ill intentions toward Shu Lan and was just using it as an excuse to get close to her. Because of this, her gaze turned hostile.

Shen Lang glanced at Xia Xiaoting. She wore a light blue dress that complimented her slender figure. She had an oval face, long, elegant eyebrows, and though her skin was a bit tan, it couldn’t hide her radiant beauty.

Shen Lang just smiled and said unconcernedly, "Senior Sister’s words are wise. I truly only know a little about Artifact Refining."

His response took both Xia Xiaoting and Kou Xiaotian by surprise.

Chen Shiyuan, meanwhile, remained silent, simply watching Shen Lang with a faint smile.

Kou Xiaotian quickly waved his hand. "Alright, let’s drop it. We’ve all met now, and we’re a team. We should get to know each other better when we have time. For now, let’s go buy some Qi Recovery Pills and some support Talismans."

The five of them immediately headed for the center of the valley.

The market in the valley was no different from one in the outside world—bustling with a lively, bobbing sea of people.

Shen Lang had no interest in the market itself and simply scanned the valley’s surroundings.

The valley was encircled by mountains, with a babbling stream so clear you could see the bottom.

The dense canopy of the Primitive Forest blotted out the sky with its lush, green leaves. Vines snaked across surfaces dyed in jade-green moss, and in the hazy distance, faint wisps of mist drifted about. It was truly a remarkable place.

The market itself was held on a spacious clearing in the valley. People came and went in droves; there looked to be several thousand in attendance.

Many had spread bamboo mats on the ground and sat with their wares displayed before them.

Many of the goods had small signs stuck to them, listing their name and function. Shoppers milled about, selecting items, while others haggled animatedly at the various stalls.

Despite the crowd, it wasn’t chaotic. The stalls were arranged in two neat rows, forming several long aisles for people to walk through.

"Come and see, come and see! Genuine Tier Two Ice Talismans, right here! Huge supply, easy to use, and incredibly powerful! The perfect Talisman for home or on the road!"

"Second Grade Qi Recovery Pills! Only eight left! Selling them cheap, a clearance sale! Don’t miss this deal!"

"Spirit Level Third Grade Grain Avoidance Pills! One pill will keep you full for ten days! An essential Elixir Pill for all you brothers out on expeditions! Thirty left, get ’em while you can!"

"Selling a map of the area where the Barbaric border meets the Celestial Profound Mountain Range! Reaches as far as Qiyun Cave on Star Moon Slope! Guaranteed accurate and highly detailed!"

"Buying all kinds of medicinal herbs! Price is no object! Spirit Stones for your goods, right on the spot!"

"Three drops of Bone Marrow Cleansing Liquid for sale! Purifies the body and cleanses the marrow, with extraordinary effects! Serious inquiries only!"

The sounds of vendors hawking their wares rose and fell in waves.

Just then, a grating voice cut through the noise. "Hey, you in the black robes! Stop right there!"

Everyone subconsciously turned to look, only to see a group of people staring intently at Shen Lang. ’The one in black’... that had to be him.

Shen Lang’s gaze skipped past the swaggering figures at the front and landed on someone standing slightly behind them.

Staring at Shen Lang with a venomous glare was none other than Xiao Tong—the very same person Shen Lang had knocked unconscious during the final trial of the Wooden Man Alley!

’He had injured this guy back then. To think he’d run into him here after only a few days.’

’Judging by his pale, bloodless face and unstable aura, his injuries clearly hadn’t healed yet.’

"Are you talking to me?" Shen Lang asked, giving Xiao Tong a cool glance before turning his attention to the well-dressed young man who had spoken.

The young man had sharp, sword-like eyebrows and an air of utter arrogance, his head held high as if he were looking down on the entire world.

He paid Shen Lang no mind whatsoever, letting out a sneer before turning to the side. "Xiao Tong, this is the piece of trash that injured you?"