Strongest War Emperor

Shen Lang wasn’t afraid of others finding out about these things.

If he were truly afraid, he wouldn’t be carrying the Immortal Celestial Saber on his back.

This included coming to the Profound Dao Sect. He just wanted to keep a low profile and avoid trouble as much as possible; it wasn’t that he was afraid of anything.

Revealing the Immortal Celestial Saber’s power wasn’t his intention, but back at Wuling Creek, he’d had no choice if he wanted to deal with the people from the Beast Emperor Palace.

Carrying his Lifebound Magical Treasure on his back instead of storing it in his Sumeru Ring was, in fact, a form of cultivation.

Only through constant, prolonged contact with his body could the Immortal Celestial Saber merge with him more quickly, more stably, and ultimately fall under his complete control.

Whether a Magical Treasure Secret Artifact had an Artifact Spirit or not, it still possessed a spirit of its own.

Through long-term physical contact, combat, and other methods, the Magical Treasure Secret Artifact could attune to the Martial Artist’s mind, reaching a state where it could be controlled perfectly, moving as the user willed.

Since Shen Lang had chosen the Immortal Celestial Saber over the Limb Order as his Lifebound Magical Treasure, keeping the blade in physical contact with his body was a necessary part of the process.

...

"Alright."

After a moment of silence, Shen Lang spoke just that one word before untying the Immortal Celestial Saber and placing it on the table.

Freed from his suppression, the simple, ancient aura of the Immortal Celestial Saber was instantly released, filling the entire stone chamber.

Su Wenxuan’s expression changed drastically as he felt the incomparably powerful aura of death emanating from the Immortal Celestial Saber!

"So strong!"

The four Elders’ expressions also changed dramatically, and they locked their Divine Thought onto the Immortal Celestial Saber.

The saber’s sheath was a grayish-green, simple and unadorned, yet with a hint of something demonic, as if narrating the passage of countless eons.

The blade had not yet been drawn, but a sharp, domineering aura washed over them.

The aura of death contained within it was enough to chill one to the bone!

The Elders exchanged a glance, each seeing the same indescribable shock in the others’ eyes.

An aura of death so dense it was almost tangible not only proved the saber’s power but also implied that the number of people who had died by its edge was likely beyond count.

"Wenxuan, let me. Your cultivation is still a bit lacking," said the Elder to Su Wenxuan’s right, grabbing his arm.

Su Wenxuan withdrew his hand and nodded respectfully. "You’re right, Martial Uncle."

Under Shen Lang’s calm gaze, the Elder picked up the Immortal Celestial Saber and slowly drew the blade from its sheath!

The blade was ancient and weathered, with several terrifying cracks running across its surface that were not immediately obvious at a glance.

In the very center of the blade’s body was the imprint of a slender palm, and the cracks radiated outward from it.

The body of the blade shimmered like water, engraved with the sun, moon, mountains, and rivers, as well as flowers, insects, birds, and beasts. It was also inscribed with clusters of converging lightning patterns, making it both brilliant and marvelous.

The Elder stared at the blade, trying to recall any famous Divine Weapons he knew of that matched its description.

Before he could think of a Divine Weapon that fit, he turned the blade over, his gaze falling upon its spine.

There, inscribed on the spine of the blade, were a few small words: "Immortal Celestial Saber."

CLANG!

Even for an Elder of his prominent status and profound cultivation, the sight of those three words made him jump in shock, his hand trembling so badly that he dropped the Immortal Celestial Saber onto the table!

"Martial Uncle, what’s wrong?" Su Wenxuan exclaimed in astonishment.

The other three Elders on either side of him immediately shot to their feet, their eyes fixed on the Immortal Celestial Saber.

"Fifth Elder, what in the world is going on?" one of them couldn’t help but ask.

Among the four Elders, the Fifth Elder had the highest cultivation and the strongest composure.

For even he to be so frightened showed just how heaven-defying this object was!

The Fifth Elder let out a long breath, his lips trembling as he said, "The Immortal Celestial Saber... It’s the Li Hen Sect’s Immortal Celestial Saber! No wonder it looked a little familiar. I never imagined it would be this Divine Weapon..."

"What? The Immortal Celestial Saber!" The other Elders and Su Wenxuan were instantly frozen in place.

This was no joke...

An Outer Disciple of the Profound Dao Sect was holding the Lifebound Emperor Artifact of Shark’s Kiss, the Elder Ancestor of the Li Hen Sect!

The Treasure of the Sect of the mighty Li Hen Sect, a Spirit Copper Level Influence, was being carried around so casually on Shen Lang’s back!

The Elders had made all sorts of guesses and worried about all sorts of possibilities, but none of their speculations had come anywhere close to this...

Originally, Su Wenxuan had planned to use the information from Leng Hui to persuade them, revealing that Shen Lang had likely comprehended "Momentum"—the highest realm of Martial Arts—which had been what made them start taking the young man seriously.

Now, it seemed Su Wenxuan’s entire attempt at persuasion was unnecessary.

The moment the Immortal Celestial Saber appeared, they knew all their suspicions were baseless!

’Would the Li Hen Sect really send a spy armed with a shocking Divine Weapon like the Immortal Celestial Saber?’

’The Li Hen Sect would be giving the Profound Dao Sect far too much credit.’

’If he were really up to no good, Shen Lang would surely have kept it hidden, right?’

’Why would he carry such a Divine Weapon on his back and willingly show it to them?’

At that moment, another Elder reached skeptically for the Immortal Celestial Saber, saying, "You’re sure you’re not mistaken? Can this really be the Immortal Celestial Saber? How is that possible?"

However, the moment this Elder grasped the Immortal Celestial Saber and felt the surging, tyrannical aura within, he fell silent.

With their level of cultivation, and by comparing it to the legendary descriptions of the Immortal Celestial Saber in Shark’s Kiss’s possession, a single touch was enough for them to know that this was, indeed, the real thing!

Seeing that he had achieved the desired effect, Shen Lang took the Immortal Celestial Saber back from the Elder and slid it into its sheath.

Only then did he speak. "I know the Sect Leader and the Elders must be wondering why someone who possesses something like this would come to the Profound Dao Sect, and why I would hide my cultivation to enter the Outer Sect."

"To be honest, I don’t have a reason that will fully convince you. My motive is actually very simple: to avoid trouble."

"To me, time is priceless, and time is what I lack right now. I need time to cultivate. Therefore, I’m unwilling to deal with too many problems. I don’t want to be so bogged down by trouble that it affects my cultivation."

"As for why I chose the Profound Dao Sect instead of the Li Hen Sect or any other sect, the reason is also simple..."

Su Wenxuan and the others pricked up their ears, afraid to miss a single word.

But Shen Lang said nothing. Instead, he opened his palm and held it out before the five of them.

Su Wenxuan and the others paused in surprise. A small Thunder Ball materialized in the palm of Shen Lang’s right hand, then slowly began to grow!

"The Thunder Control Divine Technique!" Su Wenxuan cried out. "The incident at Yunxi Valley..."

Shen Lang nodded. "The complete Thunder Control Divine Technique. My ancestors had a deep connection with the founder of the Profound Dao Sect, which is why I know the complete technique. And because of that connection, I chose the Profound Dao Sect. It’s that simple."

"I was the one responsible for what happened at Yunxi Valley. When Feng Xiaoyao bribed Profound Dao Sect disciples and brought a group to rob people on the road, I was the one who intervened."

Understanding dawned on Su Wenxuan, and he nodded repeatedly. "I see! When Du Ziyi, the Hall Master of the Punishment Hall, told me you had arrived at the Profound Dao Sect, I suspected it was you. I never expected... HAHAHAHA, it really was you!"

Shen Lang grinned. "But as for my other affairs—the Immortal Celestial Saber, the ancestral matters I just mentioned—I can only say... no comment."

As he spoke, he took out a Jade Scroll. Imprinted within was the most complete and ancient Heart Method for the "Thunder Control Divine Technique"!

Shen Lang’s words were a mix of truth and falsehood, making them impossible to disbelieve.

The Profound Dao Sect currently had no treasure that could possibly compare to the Immortal Celestial Saber.

No one in this world would be foolish enough to carry a sack of gold into someone’s house just to steal scrap metal.

Furthermore, Shen Lang had already mastered the "Thunder Control Divine Technique," the Sect’s Supreme Technique, even if he hadn’t reached a very high level with it yet.

The Profound Dao Sect was currently being suppressed by the Imperial Dragon Sect and others, its glory fading like a setting sun. Besides the Thunder Control Divine Technique, it had nothing left that those Spirit Copper Level Influences would covet.

At this point, anyone who still suspected Shen Lang of having ulterior motives would have to be a little slow in the head.

Su Wenxuan took a deep breath before asking, "Then... what do you want us to do?"

With that one question, he had placed Shen Lang on equal footing with himself, his tone like he was consulting with a fellow Elder.

Shen Lang shook his head. "You don’t need to do anything. Just let things be. I don’t need the Profound Dao Sect to do anything for me. If there is one thing, it’s to let nature take its course and, if possible, minimize any trouble for me."

"And precisely because I don’t want trouble, I don’t want any special treatment or favors. That’s all."

"The Profound Dao Sect has an atmosphere that other sects lack. The people here know how to help each other, how to cherish their companions... That’s what the founder said when he established the Profound Dao Sect. While the current sect may not have completely reached the ideal he described, I think it’s already quite good."

"In this dog-eat-dog world, many people here don’t place profit or their own lives above all else. I think that’s enough. I like this kind of atmosphere, so I want to stay here."

"If the Profound Dao Sect will have me, I can lead it to prosperity."

As he spoke, he unleashed his Sword Intent. It surged through the stone chamber, once again stunning Su Wenxuan and the four Elders!

Shen Lang’s words were perfectly calm, without a hint of passionate fervor.

And yet, that final line—a statement that would have sounded outrageously arrogant from anyone else—did not sound the least bit arrogant to Sect Leader Su Wenxuan and the four Elders.

They understood that if they just nodded now, Shen Lang’s promise would absolutely be fulfilled!

A person who had already comprehended "Momentum" and begun to touch upon the Martial Arts Rules at such a young age;

A young man of only seventeen or eighteen who had already comprehended Sword Intent and even seemed to have raised it to the Small Success Realm...

Give him a little time, and he could definitely lead the Profound Dao Sect to glory!

After a moment, a smile spread across Su Wenxuan’s face.

He walked around the stone table to Shen Lang, clapped him on the shoulder, and said, "On behalf of the Profound Dao Sect disciples you saved, I want to say thank you! Shen Lang, welcome to the Profound Dao Sect!"

"Thank you, Sect Leader," Shen Lang said, neither servile nor overbearing.

On the other side of the stone table, the four Elders looked at each other and broke into smiles simultaneously.

It had been many years, so many years, since they had encountered such a happy occasion.

Although what Shen Lang had revealed so far was only the tip of the iceberg.

But combining it with what Leng Hui had said before, they understood that if there was truly one person who could lead the Profound Dao Sect to prosperity, it had to be this astonishingly intelligent, powerfully cultivated, and mysterious Shen Lang!

Su Wenxuan looked at Shen Lang, unable to hide the joy in his eyes. "What happened to those three Xuanwu Realm Powerhouses from the Beast Emperor Palace?"

"They were killed by Xue Shiyin, the Elder Ancestor of the Xue Family," Shen Lang stated bluntly.

"Which Xue Family?" Su Wenxuan asked, slightly taken aback.