Strongest War Emperor

The exit of the fifth trial was a small Teleportation Array. After passing through it, Shen Lang and the others were all transported to the halfway point of Heaven-Reaching Peak.

As soon as they appeared, Shen Lang and the others immediately felt a strange sensation, as if they were vegetables at a market, about to be picked over by countless shoppers.

This final group initially had over sixty people, but with others trickling in behind them, the total came to more than seventy.

But the Profound Dao Sect had Ninety-Nine Eighty-One Peaks, and with all the Peak Masters, Elders, and the disciples they brought with them, there were at least five hundred people in total!

Having over five hundred people staring at this group of seventy-plus was enough to make one’s skin crawl.

”Looks like the previous groups have all been assigned. We’re the only ones left,” Shang Xiaoran said, nudging Shen Lang with her elbow.

”Oh,” Shen Lang responded.

Shang Xiaoran added, ”The Profound Dao Sect has a total of Ninety-Nine Eighty-One Peaks, but only nine of them are for the Inner Sect. The rest are all Outer Sect. Getting into one of those nine peaks is harder than ascending to heaven. I wonder if I’ll have a chance?”

Shen Lang said proudly, ”Don’t worry. I know someone in the Profound Dao Sect. Worst-case scenario, I can pull some strings...”

”For real?” Shang Xiaoran and the others next to her, including Zheng Donghong, were all taken aback.

”Of course it’s real...” Shen Lang said, then his head drooped as he added, ”The problem is, she’s not in this crowd.”

”Tch!” Shang Xiaoran rolled her eyes at him.

Shen Lang was telling the truth. He had been hoping to see if Leng Hui was among the crowd, but after searching for a long time, he couldn’t find her.

’Looks like not all the Peak Masters of the Ninety-Nine Eighty-One Peaks showed up.’

”Hm?”

Just as Shen Lang sighed, he sensed something and looked up.

He saw that the gazes of the Peak Masters and Elders, who were seated in several rows before them... were all fixed on him!

And every single one of them had a very strange expression!

’I wanted to enter the Profound Dao Sect low-key, but it looks like I was still too conspicuous in that last trial.’ Shen Lang rolled his eyes.

It was at this moment that the whispers of the Profound Dao Sect disciples reached his ears.

”Look, isn’t that Shen Lang? The one who placed third in the fifth trial?”

”He’s the one who was identified as ’one-in-ten-thousand’ trash in the aptitude test? The pretty boy who was protected by a woman the whole way and squandered a ton of Talismans? I heard that after he lost his Celestial Profound Order, he didn’t even have the right to enter the Wooden Man Alley?”

”Don’t say that. His aptitude might suck, but he’s rich. Is that any of your business?”

”I heard from a senior brother over at the Wooden Man Alley that during the fifth trial, he single-handedly fought two Spirit Martial Realm Second Heaven Martial Artists and won with incredible ease?”

”That’s probably because those two were careless. They were too confident and actually sealed their Spiritual Power to fight him... They didn’t expect his physical strength to be pretty good, and it seems his combat skills were better than theirs too, which is why he beat them.”

At the same time, voices inaudible to the crowd were circulating above the plaza.

It was the Peak Masters and Elders of the various peaks, using their Divine Thought to constantly communicate about Shen Lang.

”The Star Continent reveres strength, and the source of a Martial Artist’s strength is Spiritual Power. Combat Techniques are just supplementary. Although this kid’s combat skills are exaggerated to the extreme, without power, no matter how he cultivates, he’s just an empty shelf. I can’t teach him, anyway. Whoever wants him can take him,” an aged voice said.

”To be honest, the way he used Talismans to defeat so many people, handle the wooden men, and finally battle Xiao Tong and Liu Hai... seeing all this was quite shocking, even for an old man like me. But that aptitude... The Inner Sect is impossible, but surely among you Outer Sect peaks, there’s at least one willing to take him?” a dignified, middle-aged voice said.

”It seems none of the Peak Masters are interested in him. In that case, let’s just hand him over to one of the other martial brothers. He did pass the Wooden Man Alley, after all. You’re not seriously thinking of kicking him out, are you?” someone said.

On any given peak, aside from the Peak Master and a few Elders, there were also many Stewards.

However, disciples with decent aptitude would generally never fall into their hands.

”His physical strength far surpasses that of Martial Artists of the same age or tier, and his combat skills are so good even I feel inadequate. It’s a pity our Profound Dao Sect is not a Sect that focuses on body cultivation. Even if we wanted him to walk the path of becoming a Saint of the Flesh, we don’t have the relevant Cultivation Techniques to support it.”

This voice belonged to Zhang Tianyue, the Peak Master of Luoyan Peak.

Zhang Tianyue continued, ”His meridians are rigid and difficult to expand, and they are blocked everywhere—abysmal to the extreme. Whether it’s absorbing Spiritual Qi or circulating Spiritual Power, it’s incredibly difficult. He’s worse than even the janitors in our Sect. The path of Martial Arts is completely closed to him... I don’t even understand how he managed to cultivate to his current level. What a shame, alas!”

”Junior Brother Zhang, are you sure this child’s aptitude is really that poor? His combat skills are completely at odds with his cultivation and aptitude! Strictly speaking, the ’aptitude’ tested by the Demon Stone should really be called ’physique.’ It’s impossible for it to test a person’s mind.”

This person continued, ”The Demon Stone merely tests a Martial Artist’s meridians, Mystic Gates, Attributes, and Pill Sea. If you ask me, that seemingly innate combat skill is what should truly be called aptitude, right? I find it hard to believe that someone with such astonishing talent could have such horrendously poor meridians.”

Zhang Tianyue was silent for a moment before replying, ”I had my doubts about that later as well, so I checked him several times with the Void Mirror. Moreover, the two grand-uncles from Luoyan Peak were right beside me. With their cultivation and the Void Mirror, none of us discovered any abnormalities.”

Just then, another aged voice suddenly spoke up, ”There’s little point in discussing this now. If you’re unwilling to accept this child, then let me. Don’t forget, the Profound Dao Sect’s most powerful Cultivation Technique is the ’Thunder Control Divine Technique’! When it comes to Body Forging, can you find a more suitable power than Thunder Power in this world? Leave him to me. I’ll guide him down the path of becoming a Saint of the Flesh. If we don’t even try, how will we know it’s impossible?”

Everyone fell silent.

The ”Thunder Control Divine Technique” could indeed be used for Body Forging, and its effects were incredibly potent. The key issue was that a disciple like him would likely not have the qualifications to access the Profound Dao Sect’s strongest Cultivation Technique.

Apart from a few elite disciples, other disciples could at most learn the very beginning of this ultimate Cultivation Technique. Delving any deeper was exceedingly difficult.

While everyone was silent, an old man with white hair and a white beard, his wide sleeves fluttering, walked straight out of the crowd toward Shen Lang.

”Child, I am Wang Dashu, Peak Master of the Outer Sect’s Songdu Peak. Are you willing to become my disciple?” the old man, who called himself Wang Dashu, said kindly to Shen Lang.

Shen Lang was slightly taken aback. He saw that Wang Dashu was dressed in simple robes. Although his hair and beard were white, his complexion was ruddy with few wrinkles, and he had a robust look that wouldn’t lose to a younger man. Furthermore, his gaze was sincere, and a smile hung on his face.

Shen Lang said politely, ”I ranked dead last in the aptitude test. Senior must already be aware of this, so why are you still willing to accept someone like me as a disciple?”

”The path of Martial Arts requires aptitude, but it also requires effort and serendipity,” Wang Dashu said, still smiling. ”I don’t need to lecture you about effort. Your physique is unique, yet you not only cultivated to the Qi Martial Realm Fifth Heaven, but your combat skills are also astonishingly powerful. You’ve clearly endured countless hardships and understand these things better than others. As for serendipity, no one can say for sure; that will depend on your own fortune. I am not one to give up easily, and neither are you.”

”Perhaps I don’t have much to teach you, but as long as you’re willing to work hard, I will find a way for you to learn the Profound Dao Sect’s most powerful Cultivation Technique, the ’Thunder Control Divine Technique.’ As long as you can bear the pain of Thunder Power Body Forging, your future achievements will not be inferior to anyone else’s. This is my belief.”

Wang Dashu’s voice echoed across the plaza. Everyone stopped their discussions and stared in astonishment.

Many of those who had come to become disciples were here for the ”Thunder Control Divine Technique.” The problem was, the most powerful Cultivation Technique in a Sect wasn’t something just anyone could practice simply because they wanted to, was it?

On the other hand, using Thunder Power for Body Forging was easier said than done. How many people could actually do it, or rather, how many would even dare to try?

Any energy in the world can be used to temper the body, but the effects of Thunder Power are the most astounding.

However, the Power of Thunder and Lightning is the most Supreme Yang and Firm energy between heaven and earth. Using the Nine Heavens Thunder Power for Body Forging not only entails pain that ordinary people can’t endure, but it is also fraught with danger. A single misstep could lead to severe injury or even annihilation into dust.

Even many of the Profound Dao Sect’s Inner Sect Elite Disciples, upon reaching the Middle to Late Stage of the Spirit Martial Realm, could only rely on the faint traces of lightning power within their bodies to temper themselves. They wouldn’t dare attempt it on their meridians and bone marrow.

One careless mistake, and they would be doomed beyond redemption!

Forget about whether someone with Shen Lang’s aptitude even had the right to practice the ”Thunder Control Divine Technique” after entering the Outer Sect. Even if he did qualify, trying to use it to walk the path of becoming a Saint of the Flesh was far from easy.

While everyone was still stunned, Shen Lang bowed his head and kowtowed. ”Disciple Shen Lang pays his respects to Master!”

”Hahaha, excellent, excellent...” Wang Dashu seemed extremely pleased.

This left the crowd behind them baffled. ’It’s not like you snatched up a disciple with superior aptitude, so what’s there to be so happy about?’

Disciples of the various Peak Masters stepped forward and immediately came to claim the candidates their peaks had already chosen.

As expected, most people entered the Outer Sect. Only sixteen made it into the Inner Sect, and Su Shi, Zhan Wuji, and Shang Xiaoran were among them.

Su Shi became a disciple under Tang Zhida, the Peak Master of Ten Thousand Mountains Peak. Zhan Wuji became a disciple under Liu Zongdao of East Screen Peak. And Shang Xiaoran became the disciple of Zhang Tianyue from Luoyan Peak.

Shen Lang and Zheng Donghong both entered Songdu Peak, becoming disciples of Wang Dashu.

Just as everyone was preparing to leave, Shang Xiaoran walked up to Shen Lang, gave a dry cough, and said, ”Hey, teach me that awesome ultimate move, won’t you?”

”What ultimate move?” Shen Lang froze for a second.

Shang Xiaoran whispered, ”’Endless rustling leaves fall from the trees.’”

”Pfft!” Zheng Donghong, who was standing nearby, burst out laughing.

’What ultimate move? That was cast using four Tier Four Talismans!’

’Women are really something else, asking for a few Talismans in such a roundabout way.’

Shen Lang shot her a glare. ”They’re gone!”

Shang Xiaoran didn’t believe him. ”How is that possible? You have so many Talismans on you! Don’t be so stingy... If you give me two Talismans, I’ll lift my veil and let you see my true face!”

”Not interested!” Shen Lang refused flatly.

”Just two, come on. Just two, please?” Shang Xiaoran persisted.

”Damn it, I came to the Profound Dao Sect in good faith to become a disciple, and right at the gates, I get tangled up with your enemies and end up going bankrupt... That was my entire fortune, you know! Do you think I have a lot of Talismans? Do they just fall from the sky? Are they free? You! Stop right there! I need to have a word with you and settle this score properly!”

”Ah, I just remembered my Master told me to hurry over. I almost forgot! Talk later, talk later!” Shang Xiaoran fled in disarray.

Who would have thought that after just two steps, she would immediately stop again, her whole body on high alert.

”We’re done for. It’s her!” Zheng Donghong jumped in fright, starting to panic.