Strongest War Emperor

Inside the Heaven-Sealing Cauldron, the moment Nalan Ziyun appeared and opened her eyes, she saw a huge coffin placed right in front of her. A shiver ran down her spine, and the hairs on her body stood on end.

”You bastard!”

Without a second thought, Nalan Ziyun kicked out, shattering the coffin into pieces.

”My coffin! My precious coffin...”

The Ghost King, like a wisp of smoke, emerged from Shen Lang’s body and began to wail incessantly.

His mournful voice, so full of sorrow it could make it snow in June, was enough to make even the four Bone Demons want to cry.

This was the third coffin of the Ghost King’s that Nalan Ziyun had destroyed.

The Ghost King had obediently given up on coffins after Nalan Ziyun had domineeringly smacked him into mist and warned him.

But later, the scoundrel figured Nalan Ziyun wouldn’t be entering the Heaven-Sealing Cauldron anytime soon. After thinking it over and over, he couldn’t control his desire and built another one.

And as a result, a moment of carelessness led to it meeting a vicious end once again...

Nalan Ziyun paid no mind to the Ghost King’s wailing. In just a few quick steps, she rushed to the outside of the Array where the Water Spirit Pearl was placed.

”Haha, so this is the Water Spirit Pearl! It really is something amazing!”

Shen Lang had set up an Array around the Ice Soul Water Jade. The four Bone Demons were cultivating diligently to the side, each of their bodies covered in a thick layer of ice crystals.

And on the other side of the Ice Soul Water Jade, Shen Lang had created an artificial lake, placing the Water Spirit Pearl and the green lotus in it together.

Not only was there also an Array set up around it, but he had also placed countless Spirit Stones there.

Standing to the side, Nalan Ziyun could almost see with her naked eye the Spiritual Qi from the surrounding Spirit Stones continuously converging toward the Water Spirit Pearl.

Shen Lang glanced at the pitiful Ghost King, then walked slowly over to the Water Spirit Pearl and said, ”A Spirit Pearl is different from things like Spirit Grass and Spirit Fruits. It’s formed over countless years by gathering pure Spiritual Qi and contains almost no other impurities. Moreover, it can absorb Spirit Stones or nature’s spiritual energy and convert that Spiritual Qi into the purest Water Spirit Qi.”

”If a Martial Artist who practices a Water Element Technique were to cultivate next to it, the benefits would be simply indescribable.”

”It can also be used as a Magical Treasure. Take Water Dragon’s Roar, for example. If you carried a Water Spirit Pearl on you, not only would its power be greatly amplified, but its speed would be much faster as well.”

”And if I were carrying the Water Spirit Pearl, I could even easily use the next level of the Water Dragon’s Roar technique, which I’m normally unable to execute.”

Nalan Ziyun’s face grew more and more excited. ”It really is an amazing treasure! So, can I borrow it for a few days?”

”No.” Shen Lang’s refusal was blunt and direct.

Nalan Ziyun nudged Shen Lang’s arm a couple of times. ”Hey, you’re not that stingy, are you? You said before that I’d get a share. You can’t go back on your word...”

Shen Lang rolled his eyes and said, ”This item’s value is beyond imagination. Relatively speaking, the boost it gives to the speed and power of Magic is actually of limited use for you and me at our current level. It’s not that much stronger than a few High Tier Talismans. Its greatest value lies in two things. First, as I said before, it can help open an Elements Mansion. And second, it can help a Martial Artist comprehend the ’Water Realm’—and a deep level of the ’Water Realm’ at that...”

Nalan Ziyun was a little speechless. ”How come all the good stuff falls into your lap? You said that Ice Soul Water Jade could help one comprehend the ’Ice Realm,’ and now you’re saying this Water Spirit Pearl can help one comprehend the ’Water Realm.’ If someone comprehended both Realms, how powerful would they be?”

”I don’t know exactly how powerful. Historically, there have been those who comprehended multiple Realms simultaneously. The fusion of multiple Realms results in a level of power that is hard to imagine.”

Nalan Ziyun’s eyes went wide as she stammered, ”Just helping someone open a Water Element Mansion already makes it an incredibly rare Exotic Treasure... To think it can also help one comprehend the Water Realm, I can’t even imagine such an Exotic Treasure exists! Quickly, quickly, I want it, I want it!”

Lines appeared on Shen Lang’s forehead. ”Please! When a woman just says ’I want it, I want it’ all the time, it’s both alluring and terrifying... Just go into the Array and sit to the side to cultivate. But you’re a long way from opening an Elements Mansion; you’ll have to wait until you break through to the Xuanwu Realm. The Water Realm is profound and mysterious. It’ll depend entirely on your comprehension ability and your luck.”

As he spoke, Shen Lang walked over to the Array around the Ice Soul Water Jade and began to cultivate himself.

”Oh, right...” Nalan Ziyun suddenly opened her eyes and asked strangely, ”I’ve been meaning to ask you, why do you want to go to the Profound Dao Sect instead of one of the Major Sects like the Imperial Dragon Sect or Li Hen Sect? As a Profound Iron Level Influence, even though the Profound Dao Sect is much stronger than the Evil Wind Valley, there’s no way it can compare to a Spirit Copper Level Sect, right?”

”Go cultivate. The Profound Dao Sect has something I need,” Shen Lang replied with his eyes closed.

”I knew you’d say that!” Nalan Ziyun glared at him.

After a moment of silence, Shen Lang suddenly tossed a Jade Scroll in front of Nalan Ziyun and said, ”This is a Breath Concealing Technique. It can conceal your aura and hide your Cultivation.”

Nalan Ziyun was taken aback. ”Concealing my aura, hiding my Cultivation... That’s not a bad idea, but why do I need to do that?”

Shen Lang rolled his eyes. ”My Heaven-Sealing Cauldron, the Ice Soul Water Jade next to me, the Water Spirit Pearl next to you... which one of these things can be shown in public? If word about items like the Ice Soul Water Jade and the Water Spirit Pearl got out, forget King Martial Realm experts, even Emperor Martial Realm masters would come to steal them!”

”With my current Cultivation and the Magical Treasures I have, I can at most deal with a few Martial Artists below the Xuanwu Realm Middle Stage. If any more than a few showed up, I’d be in trouble... If a King Martial Realm expert came, I wouldn’t even have a chance to run...”

”Alright, alright, I get it now that you’ve put it that way.” Nalan Ziyun waved her hand. ”It just means I have to be a little more low-key. Simple enough. Besides, I’m not the type to stir up trouble... You, on the other hand, how much trouble did you cause in just a few days in Celestial Phoenix City? Hmmph. But you’re right to do this.”

”...” Shen Lang was speechless.

「Six days later, in Celestial Palace City.」

Celestial Palace City was one of the largest cities in the northwest of the Purple Chu Country. It was situated at the foot of the Profound Dao Sect’s mountain, located in Jinzhou, one of the fifteen major prefectures of the Purple Chu Country, and was close to the Barbaric Lands.

Besides the Profound Dao Sect, there were several other Profound Iron Level Influences in the vicinity, such as the White Rainbow Sect, the Mahayana Sect, the Xiu Hua Sect, and the Holy Light Sect.

These influences each had their own territory and a major city comparable in scale to Celestial Palace City.

This was a massive city with a population of over a million, known as the most prosperous city in the northwest of the Purple Chu Country.

Because of its proximity to the Barbaric Lands, the inns and restaurants here did surprisingly good business. Individuals or teams heading to the Western Wilderness or its outskirts would all make a temporary stop here to rest.

The streets and shops were bustling with people, creating an exceptionally lively atmosphere.

Of course, Shen Lang and Nalan Ziyun weren’t intimidated by a city of this scale.

One had fused with the memories of a War Emperor, and the other had spent a considerable amount of time in the Purple Chu Imperial Capital.

However, as the two walked along the streets of Celestial Palace City, they couldn’t help but feel a little puzzled.

There seemed to be far too many people coming and going.

They casually picked a restaurant and walked in, only to find there was just one table left.

The moment they sat down, Nalan Ziyun eagerly waved at a waiter. ”Excuse me, waiter! Is there some kind of celebration happening in Celestial Palace City? There are so many Martial Artists coming and going; it seems so lively.”

Seeing such a beautiful woman speaking to him, the waiter’s face bloomed into a wide smile. ”You may not know, miss, but tomorrow is the day the Profound Dao Sect opens its Mountain Gate to accept new disciples. Starting last month, many young disciples from Noble Families who came here for its reputation have already been staying in Celestial Palace City, just waiting for tomorrow to go to the Profound Dao Sect.”

”You may not know this, but because of this, things haven’t been very peaceful in Celestial Palace City lately...”

Nalan Ziyun was taken aback. ”Heh, what a coincidence... The Profound Dao Sect opening its gates to recruit disciples should be a joyous occasion. How could it be related to things not being peaceful?”

The waiter glanced at Shen Lang, who was sipping his tea, and replied, ”The reason is actually quite simple. It’s because far too many people have come this time, and the number of disciples the Profound Dao Sect accepts is limited. So, the competition among those who’ve come is incredibly fierce. How fierce, you ask? If you’ll permit me to be nosy, you two absolutely must not go out at night. And if you run into anyone looking for trouble, you must immediately make it clear you’re not here for the Profound Dao Sect. Otherwise, you’ll be in for a lot of trouble...”

The waiter subconsciously glanced at the street outside the window and continued, ”Celestial Palace City has always been a place with a mix of all sorts of people. And because it’s the only city in the northwest that leads to the Western Wilderness, many Martial Artists heading to the Western Wilderness stop here... And you know, those who dare venture into the Barbaric Lands are all formidable characters, right? But now, the Profound Dao Sect’s once-every-three-years recruitment assembly has also begun. For some reason, several times more people have shown up this year than in previous years!”

”Among them are some desperate fugitives with ill intentions. These people want to get into the Profound Dao Sect, and anyone else who wants to get in is their enemy!”

”The people heading to the Barbaric Lands and the people heading to the Profound Dao Sect are all mixed together, and it’s absolute chaos. In the last half a month alone, many outsiders have mysteriously lost their lives... As long as these fights and killings between Martial Artists don’t affect the interests of the locals, even the Profound Dao Sect can’t be bothered to intervene. You two must be extremely careful...”

Just then, a brawny, thick-waisted young man with a face full of menacing flesh walked over.

He propped one foot on an empty chair next to Shen Lang and said in a strange, mocking tone, ”That’s right, that’s right, you really must be careful! Especially when you’re with a beauty like this. If she gets snatched away in the middle of the night... what a pity that would be!”

The moment he finished speaking, his three companions who were behind him also walked over. The four young men stood in a neat row, winking and leering at Nalan Ziyun.

”Honored guests, fighting is forbidden inside the restaurant. This is the Profound Dao Sect’s property. If you want to fight, please take it outside,” the waiter sighed and said.

One of the four men showed a look of feigned surprise. ”Fight? Who said we want to fight? We just saw this pretty little lady and came over to give her a friendly reminder... Right, brothers?”

”Hahahaha, that’s right! Look at this little lady, a real devastating beauty. And look at that skin, so tender it looks like you could squeeze water out of it... This lord here visits brothels every day, and I’ve never seen goods of this quality!”

”If I could get to sleep with her for one night, I could die happy... Hahaha!”

The four of them roared with laughter as if no one else was there, their unrestrained and arrogant behavior drawing stares from everyone.