Strongest War Emperor

After Shen Lang and Nalan Ziyun’s departure, Ye Juexin dropped to one knee, asking to be punished. At the thought of what had transpired, the two men in the leopard and tiger masks flew into a rage.

For assassins on a mission, this sort of behavior was the greatest taboo.

When a team wasn’t united, when someone deliberately withheld information, it could easily lead the entire squad to a point of no return.

These two knew so much about the target, yet they failed to mention it or give any warning beforehand. Then, when their leader made a move against the other person, they even stepped forward to interfere. Such actions could almost be considered treason.

No Sect or power would tolerate the appearance of traitors.

And Shadow Tower’s methods for dealing with traitors were especially vicious...

Unexpectedly, Xu Ziyang waved his hand. ”Ten and Eleven did nothing wrong. On the contrary, if it weren’t for Eleven, I fear none of us would have survived. Did you really think Mr. Ghost spared our lives out of respect for me? The truth is, it was because Eleven is friends with Nalan Ziyun. I was just an afterthought. Given his temper, the fact that he didn’t cleave me in two for attacking Nalan Ziyun is a stroke of sheer luck.”

The others exchanged glances, their eyes filled with utter shock.

Xu Ziyang continued, ”This mission is to be filed as a failure. I will submit a detailed report to our superiors and have them cancel it. As for anything else, you two are not to bring it up again, and you must not let a word of it get out. Do you understand?”

”Uh... Understood.” The two men glanced at each other and nodded hastily.

As he spoke, Xu Ziyang helped the Ye Juexin sisters to their feet. ”We’ll pretend we didn’t see what you two did this time. But I can only cover for you once. There won’t be a second time. When you work for the Shadow Tower, you must never, ever act like this again. It won’t just get your comrades killed; you’ll get yourselves killed too.”

”We understand,” the Ye Juexin sisters replied in unison.

Xu Ziyang nodded and began to examine the other two men’s injuries.

”Thank goodness. Luckily, he had no intention of killing us from the start, so your injuries aren’t too severe. Number Two, you have some external wounds. Number Three, you’re a bit more serious; your Pill Sea was nearly shattered... That was far too close.”

Xu Ziyang said with lingering fear, wiping a bead of cold sweat from his brow.

The man in the tiger mask removed it, revealing a handsome face. ”Big Brother, who in the world is this Mr. Ghost? How can he be so powerful? And you’ve known him all along? He doesn’t look a day over seventeen!”

Xu Ziyang sighed. ”Mr. Ghost, you ask? To the people from that era, he was a legend. Honestly, even I didn’t expect him to be this young. But seeing how young he is only makes me realize how much more terrifying he is. In fact, it goes beyond that. During our fight, forget the Bone Demon, he didn’t even draw his blade. Otherwise, how could any of us still be alive?”

”Furthermore, his current Cultivation isn’t his true Cultivation. He seems to have used some Secret Technique to Seal his power, which is why at first his speed felt even slower than ours... I’ll tell you more about him when we get back. If we were to truly face him, forget us—even the Shadow Elders would likely be utterly crushed. If Mr. Ghost weren’t so merciful, we’d have died without even a grave to mark the spot!”

”What? Is Mr. Ghost really that powerful? The Shadow Elders have reached the Xuanwu Realm in their Cultivation! They’re our mentors in the art of assassination...” The young man who had been wearing the tiger mask revealed a look of dread, speaking in disbelief.

Ye Juexin opened her mouth as if to speak, but then hesitated.

The man in the leopard mask spoke up. ”Big Brother is absolutely right... If I’m not mistaken, this Mr. Ghost has already comprehended Sword Intent. And it’s very likely his Sword Intent has already reached the minor success stage!”

”Impossible!” the young man from before cried out. ”Is something like Sword Intent so easy to grasp? Even a Xuanwu Realm Martial Artist might not be able to get a feel for it!”

The man in the leopard mask sneered. ”I’m a blade-user myself. You think I can’t tell the difference? Earlier, when Big Brother attacked Nalan Ziyun, he flashed forward and struck at me with a Hand Saber. He can generate Sword Qi from his bare hand! And that seemingly insignificant burst of Sword Qi instantly shattered three of my strikes, with enough force left over to send me flying!”

”If this long blade in my hand hadn’t been forged from Snow Domain Cold Steel, my head would’ve likely been sliced in half...”

Everyone present gasped, rendered speechless for a long moment.

It was the kind of thing you’d never believe unless you experienced it firsthand.

...

Under the cover of night, Shen Lang and Nalan Ziyun walked further and further, guided by the moonlight.

After Shen Lang gave her a quick demonstration of the Water Dragon’s Roar, Nalan Ziyun perked up, chattering away without a pause.

”Aren’t you exaggerating? You can use a High Tier Technique like Water Dragon’s Roar without forming a Hand Seal or even Cultivating your power? Not even Xuanwu Realm Powerhouses can do that!”

She had practiced the Water Dragon’s Roar before and even cast it, so she knew just how powerful and complex the Cultivation Technique was.

Seeing Shen Lang execute it so quickly and casually, yet with such astonishing power, she was momentarily baffled.

”You jerk! So you were holding out on me!” Nalan Ziyun shook her fist at Shen Lang in mock protest.

Shen Lang continued walking at a leisurely pace. ”The speed at which a Cultivation Technique is unleashed depends on several factors.”

”First, the complexity of the Cultivation Technique itself. Some techniques require you to form a Hand Seal and circulate your Power through various meridians and Mystic Gates before they can be fully unleashed.”

”Second, the user’s familiarity with the technique. For the same Cultivation Technique or Combat Technique, the results will vary wildly between Martial Artists of the same rank depending on their level of mastery.”

”Third, the Martial Artist’s control over their power. This one is a bit more complex, involving the Martial Artist’s aptitude, physical constitution, meridian strength, and so on.”

Shen Lang paused for a moment before continuing. ”There’s nothing to be done about a technique’s complexity; the more powerful the Cultivation Technique, the more complex it will be. As for the second point, there’s no shortcut—only diligent practice. You must use the technique countless times until you’ve reached the pinnacle of mastery. It should be at a point where a mere thought sets the technique in motion.”

”Practice hard until using the Cultivation Technique becomes as natural as breathing. When someone attacks, you shouldn’t have to think. You shouldn’t have to consciously guide Energy to your hands. The Energy should gather there on its own at maximum speed, merging with your physical strength to block the attack.”

”As for the third point, I touched on it briefly back at the pool. Mastering control over your power requires not just diligent practice, but also constant exploration. Use specific Cultivation Techniques or Elixir Pills to make your meridians tougher and wider, allowing your Spiritual Power to circulate more freely and faster. Then, you must endlessly refine your control, constantly improving its precision. That’s the gist of it.”

”In close combat, your enemy won’t give you time to think, nor will they give you time to silently recite a Spell and prepare, especially against an assassin like Ye Juexin. You may have learned the first move of the Water Dragon’s Roar, but you’re still a long way from the Realm of using it freely.”

”The day you can truly use the Water Dragon’s Roar at will, unleashing the first move with a casual wave of your hand, then even an assassin like Ye Juexin, who excels in speed, won’t be able to get close to you... Hmm? Are you even listening?”

”Huh?” Nalan Ziyun paused, then burst into laughter. ”I’m listening! I don’t understand a word you’re saying, but it sounds really impressive.”

”What?” Shen Lang’s face darkened, and he stopped in his tracks.

Nalan Ziyun giggled, waving her hands dismissively. ”I was just teasing you! Is it necessary to pull such a long face? Ugh, you have no sense of humor!”

”...” Shen Lang was utterly speechless.

”Oh, right...” Nalan Ziyun suddenly added. ”How did you detect them earlier? They’re all experienced assassins who have trained in the Shadow Technique for Concealing Form. Not even Xuanwu Realm Powerhouses in the Second and Third Heavens can necessarily find them with Divine Thought.”

Shen Lang pondered for a moment before replying, ”That’s not something easily put into words. It’s a concept you have to grasp intuitively, and I can only explain it properly once your Cultivation is higher. Martial Arts is the Natural Dao, the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth. When your Cultivation reaches that level, you’ll find that even without using Divine Thought, you can clearly perceive everything around you, sensing every aura. A blade has its Sword Momentum, and a sword has its Sword Momentum. Heaven and Earth also have their Momentum. When you draw close to the Trend of Heaven and Earth, you are drawing close to nature, drawing close to the Great Dao.”

”I don’t get it,” Nalan Ziyun said, shaking her head bluntly.

”You don’t get it? Good. To be honest, I don’t fully get it either. I’m still trying to figure it out.”

Chatting like this, the two of them disappeared into the distance.

The inky blackness of night enveloped the entire area.

In a remote ruin outside Illusion Mist City, a figure that had all but melted into the darkness flickered into existence.

The figure was dressed in black, a hood obscuring their face, leaving only two gloomy, ice-cold eyes visible.

With a flick of his right wrist, a dagger carrying a Storage Pouch shot out, THWACK, embedding itself in a wall that was still partially standing amidst the ruins.

He then spoke in a cold voice, ”The mission is a failure. Our superiors have canceled the contract. All payment is being returned, along with a thirty percent breach of contract fee. You’re on your own now.”

The words had barely left his mouth when a person in a black cloak scrambled out of a crater in the ruins. ”Why?” the cloaked figure asked urgently. ”Even if you failed the first time, shouldn’t the Shadow Tower dispatch even stronger masters for a second attempt? Are you saying even you can’t handle this person?”

”Your target is an ally of ours. How’s that for an answer?” The man in black said, turning away. ”This transaction is concluded. My superiors have a message for you.”

”W-What message?” The voice of the person in the black cloak trembled.

”From this moment forward, you are forbidden from making any move against that person. Ignore this warning, and we will exterminate your entire clan!” Though the man in black’s tone was flat, his voice was Gloomy and Terrifying in the darkness, saturated with the stench of blood.

Anyone hearing those words would know, without a doubt, that he was not joking...