Strongest War Emperor

The torrential rain that had lasted for a day and a night finally stopped, and the atmosphere in the Shen Family’s Martial Arts Arena began to liven up again.

However, this time the liveliness was different from before, feeling a bit strange.

Word of what had happened at the entrance to the Martial Arts Arena had spread inside, and now, the gazes of most of the thousand-plus people present were fixed on one spot—the seats where Shen Lang and his three companions were sitting.

Many were discussing in hushed, suppressed voices.

Without exception, the focus of their discussion was Shen Lang.

"I can’t believe it. That piece of trash, Shen Lang, actually managed to get involved with three figures like them. No wonder he dares to be so arrogant!"

"I was wondering about that earlier, too. Why did the Elders suppress the matter after he killed several servants in the Shen Family, even forbidding anyone from seeking retribution? So it’s because he has this kind of backing..."

"So what if he has backing? Trash is trash! What do you think the Celestial Vein Sacred Body is? It’s a Physique that makes Cultivation fundamentally impossible. Even if his backers are powerful, they can’t change the fact that he can’t cultivate!"

"Exactly. So what if he has some connection to a Noble Family? Would a Noble Family actually want a piece of trash like him? Can they protect him for his entire life?"

"Right, right. He can’t cultivate, so how strong can he be? And he still dares to participate in the martial competition! Once he’s on the tournament stage, we’ll make him regret it!"

In the crowd, Shen Fengxiao—who had a three-day agreement with Shen Lang—had a brilliant light in his eyes, like a flash of lightning. They concealed a terrifying Sword Intent and a pride that was as imposing as a mountain over a still abyss, making hearts palpitate.

’That piece of trash actually dared to show up. Today, I’ll cripple you and have you carried back home!’

Meanwhile, his younger brother beside him, Shen Fengyun, was quietly explaining what had happened that night at the Celestial Phoenix Tavern...

Even now, the fear in Shen Fengyun’s eyes had not dissipated. Despite talking about Shen Lang, he didn’t dare to glance at him even once from beginning to end.

"Fengyun, you’ve already told me this once, but I still find it hard to believe," Shen Fengxiao said in a low voice. "Even if that trash could defeat Shen Jianfeng, his Cultivation shouldn’t be that high... You said he broke the Xiao Family’s Plum Blossom Sword Intent, so maybe he’s impressive in terms of Realm, but you have to understand, combat isn’t just about one’s Realm! It also depends on strength, on Martial Techniques, and on Spiritual Artifacts! If I were to lose to Shen Moran, that would be one thing, but for you to advise me not to face him? That’s absolutely impossible!"

"Big Brother, how could you... Sigh!" Shen Fengyun let out a long sigh.

He wanted to persuade his older brother to abandon his unrealistic ideas. He should avoid a monster like Shen Lang if he could and not get into a fight just to prove a point.

Facing a monster like that wasn’t a simple matter of winning or losing.

He and his brother had done their fair share of bullying Shen Lang in the past. Who could guarantee that if his brother fought Shen Lang now, the monster wouldn’t leave him missing an arm or a leg?

That bastard even crippled Tang Chaotian...

And then there was what just happened at the entrance to the Martial Arts Arena...

Only someone like him, who had personally experienced that terrifying scene at the tavern, could know just how frightening Shen Lang was.

He remembered with perfect clarity the way Shen Lang had looked at him that day. He had even dreamed of that gaze several times, waking up in a cold sweat.

’Thankfully, while I bullied him growing up, I never did anything too extreme to him or his family... But Big Brother is so stubborn, this is going to be trouble!’

The mere thought sent a chill down Shen Fengyun’s spine, a cold that seeped into his very marrow.

As the crowd was buzzing with discussion, the Third Elder walked onto the large tournament stage in the center and announced in a clear voice, "Everyone is familiar with the rules. As in previous years, opponents will be decided by drawing lots."

After he spoke, he gave a light wave of his hand, and someone immediately pulled a black cloth off an object on the stage. A stone platform, previously shrouded by the black cloth, was revealed to the crowd.

In the middle of the stone platform was a long groove, filled with numerous bamboo slips.

"In the container, there are one hundred black-backed slips, one hundred white-backed slips, one hundred red-backed slips, and one hundred blue-backed slips. They are each engraved with numbers from one to one hundred. If you draw white-backed slip thirty, then your opponent will be the holder of black-backed slip thirty. The same applies to red and blue. There are two stages in the Martial Arts Arena, so the black-and-white and blue-and-red matches will proceed simultaneously. Anyone who loses ten consecutive matches will be disqualified from the finals."

The Third Elder briefly explained the rules for drawing lots. It wasn’t complicated, and this wasn’t the first or second time the Shen Family had held this year-end grand competition.

There were about 1,500 people present, but only those with a Cultivation at or above the Power Martial Realm Fifth Heaven were eligible to compete. This amounted to only about four hundred people.

Still, for a single Shen Family to have four hundred respectable Martial Artists was a fact to be proud of.

Although many still remembered that Shen Lang possessed the Celestial Vein Sacred Body and couldn’t cultivate, with his Cultivation only at the Power Martial Realm Second Heaven, no one dared to speak up now after what had happened at the entrance.

"Alright, the drawing begins! Line up and come forward!"

The participating members of the Shen Family ascended the stage in an orderly fashion.

They then drew a bamboo slip from the stone groove, read aloud the number on it, and stepped away.

Shen Lang was in no hurry to draw. He remained calmly seated in the VIP section, chatting with Yin Kuang and the others while practicing Talisman Making.

Although the four-hundred-person limit had caused a bit of a commotion among those at the front, he wasn’t worried.

Yin Kuang had made a move earlier, injuring at least ten or twenty people. That group wouldn’t be getting out of bed for ten days to half a month, which meant that many spots had just opened up.

Besides, if the bamboo slips really were all taken, he could just knock someone out and take theirs.

Shen Lang’s brow suddenly furrowed. He glanced up and saw a pair of venomous eyes on the stage staring at him. It was Shen Fengxiao, who had suffered a hidden loss that night.

"Idiot," Shen Lang muttered before burying his head to resume his Talisman Making.

Despite Shen Fengyun’s explanation, Shen Fengxiao still refused to believe that Shen Lang’s Cultivation could be that high. He believed that Shen Lang had only defeated the likes of Shen Jianfeng and Tang Chaotian by exploiting some loopholes, and that his true strength was definitely not that great.

Seeing Shen Lang glance at him, Shen Fengxiao’s lip twitched. He gave a cold snort, walked over to the stone groove, and fumbled around for a moment before finally pulling out a white-backed bamboo slip. In a chilling voice, he read, "White-backed, thirteen."

After reading it, he stepped aside, then suddenly waved the bamboo slip at Shen Lang and declared, "Didn’t you say you came here to count how many pieces of trash there are in the Shen Family? I hope we meet soon, so I can make you pay for your words!"

The entire Martial Arts Arena immediately erupted, and countless people began to cheer.

"Take down that trash! Let him know the Shen Family isn’t to be trifled with!"

"Go, Cousin Feng Xiao! Destroy that idiot Shen Lang! He’s just got someone backing him up. Once he’s on the stage, he’ll be less than worthless!"

"Kick that clueless bastard out of the Shen Family! We don’t want trash like him in our family!"

"A piece of trash we’ve been beating up since we were kids dares to act so arrogant? He’s practically courting death!"

Shen Lang let out a cold snort. With a casual wave of his hand, a Talisman in his palm flared with light and shot out in an instant. A massive fireball slammed directly into the crowd that had been shouting the loudest.

BOOM!

"AGH..."

The fireball exploded, and the scattered flames sent that group of people screaming for their mothers and fathers.

Before anyone could react, Shen Lang waved his left hand as well. A flash of azure light flickered past, and another group of people was instantly frozen into blocks of ice!

Everyone in the arena was dumbfounded. Where did this Demon come from? He actually dared to do it! To smash people with such a huge fireball right in front of so many Shen Family Elders!

It was simply lawless...

Shui Buyu and the other two, sitting in front of Shen Lang, were also stunned.

’Holy crap, the kid was actually making Talismans! He wasn’t kidding!’

’A fireball that big has to come from a Tier Two Talisman at least!’

’And that execution... so clean, so crisp, so damn satisfying!’

"Shen Lang, you’ve gone too far! What do you think you’re doing?!" the Grand Elder shouted, leaping to his feet.

Shen Lang said faintly, "It’s nothing. I just found it a little annoying hearing a bunch of flies buzzing down there. Some idiots are just asking for a beating day and night... Instead of wasting your time on me, you’d be better off telling them to shut up. Otherwise, I’ll make them shut up in my own way."

"You, you, you..." The Grand Elder was trembling all over, unable to utter another word.

In truth, there was no need for him to intervene. The area below had already fallen deathly silent.

If there was any sound at all, it was the wails of those who had been burned half to death.

Shen Lang didn’t care at all if he caused public outrage. In this world, the strong were revered. People who enjoyed insulting and bullying others were mostly cowards who picked on the weak and feared the strong. Once they realized their opponent’s methods were vicious and unyielding, they wouldn’t even dare to fart in their direction.

Of course, if they did dare to let one loose, Shen Lang wouldn’t mind making a group of them unable to care for themselves before he even stepped onto the stage.

He came here today to crash the party!

"Shen Lang, if you’re going to participate in the competition, you must follow the competition’s rules!" Clan Leader Shen Haoxuan said, his eye twitching. "During the internal family competition, Spiritual Artifacts are permitted, but Talismans are not!"

"I know. But... the matches haven’t started yet, have they?" Shen Lang’s single sentence left Shen Haoxuan half-dead with anger.

"You, you..." Shen Haoxuan almost coughed up a mouthful of old blood.

Without even looking up, Shen Lang added, "Besides, a bunch of trash like them can’t even block a Tier Two Talisman. Letting them get on stage would be a waste of everyone’s time. I’m just helping them out, saving them from making a fool of themselves... Oh, I forgot to mention, these Tier Two Talismans are quite valuable. Remember to reimburse me later. If you don’t, I’ll just go for broke and throw a few more."

...

It wasn’t just Shen Haoxuan; most of the people present who weren’t on good terms with Shen Lang’s family were so angry they could spit blood.

Too arrogant, too insolent!

He was utterly contemptuous of others, completely lawless!

"Beat him! We have to beat this bastard on the stage! Let’s see what he has to say then!"

"What kind of hero injures people with Talismans! He’s just a piece of trash! In a moment, I’ll show you what I’m made of!"

"He just found a few people to act as bodyguards! If you have any real skill, don’t have others fight your battles for you!"

Many people started shouting, but after just a few cries, they were silenced by several Elders.

Some of the injured were carried away, and the competition resumed, though the atmosphere had become even stranger.

What Shen Lang had done was even more outrageous and terrifying than beating people at the entrance to the Martial Arts Arena.

But despite his arrogant actions, only the Grand Elder had rebuked him, and the Clan Leader had only said something irrelevant. The matter was simply dropped.

This was far too abnormal...

What on earth had happened? Why was Shen Lang, who had always been bullied, now the one bullying them at their own doorstep, while the Shen Family’s upper echelon could only swallow their anger and not dare to act?

Was it just because of the three people sitting beside him?

But that didn’t seem to be the whole story either...

While everyone racked their brains over these questions, the competition finally continued in its intended order.

Two stages were running concurrently. One stage hosted the matches between the blue-backed and red-backed slips, while the other hosted the matches between Martial Artists with the white-backed and black-backed slips.

"Red-backed slip number Eleven, Shen Lang! Blue-backed slip number Eleven, Shen Changjun!"

The moment many had been waiting for had finally arrived. Shen Lang was finally going on stage.

Just as all eyes turned to Shen Lang, waiting to see him ascend the stage and find out what was so special about this wild and domineering guy who had come to crash their event...

Without even looking up, Shen Lang said, "I forfeit. I concede."