Strongest War Emperor

Seeing this, Tian Hao, who had a clear view of everything, almost fainted again. He bobbed his head emphatically and said, ”Junior Brother, don’t you worry. Your business is my business. Your house... just leave it to me! I’ll take some men over right away! It won’t even take a day. Give me one night, and I guarantee it will be bigger, better, and sturdier than before...”

”Mm, then I’ll have to trouble you,” Shen Lang said, patting Tian Hao’s shoulder again with feigned ”gratitude.” Then, he very naturally lifted Tian Hao’s hand.

Tian Hao froze. Before he could even figure out what Shen Lang wanted, he felt a coolness on his finger as Shen Lang plucked the Sumeru Ring right off it.

Seeing Tian Hao’s dumbfounded expression, Shen Lang gave a slightly sheepish smile. ”My time is money... oh, wait, I mean Spirit Stones. You refused to listen to my advice and insisted on causing me trouble, wasting a good deal of my time. You won’t mind if I take back a little interest, will you?”

Tian Hao started crying again. ”N-no... I don’t... I don’t mind.”

’This isn’t taking interest, this is bankrupting me! ...Still, good thing I’m much smarter than Yan Qi. A crafty rabbit has three burrows, and my real valuables are with my grandfather!’

”So, do you mind, or don’t you?” Lightning flickered in Shen Lang’s palm as he placed it on Tian Hao’s shoulder again.

”I don’t mind! I mean it, I don’t! You deserve it!” Tian Hao would never forget that bone-deep agony.

It wasn’t just the pain; he was completely paralyzed.

He couldn’t even scream. It was as if his very soul was being seared in agony.

Just then, a cold snort echoed. ”Unbelievable, simply unbelievable. To think my old rival, Tian Hao, has fallen so low, forced into such a state by a newcomer. Wagging your tail and begging a rookie for mercy in front of so many people! Songdu Peak truly has no one left!”

Liu Feng’s face was full of gloating satisfaction. A triumphant smirk spread across his lips as he said, ”Kid, your name’s Shen Lang, right? I’ll admit, you have some skill...”

”Since you know this is an internal matter for Songdu Peak, what right does someone from Blood Spirit Peak have to interfere?” Shen Lang said coldly. ”If you don’t want to die, scram back to your peak!”

The entire crowd froze for a moment. Then, the group from Blood Spirit Peak below the stage roared in anger.

”How dare you! Who do you think you are, talking to our Senior Brother Liu Feng like that! You’re the one who should get lost!”

”Does this guy think he’s invincible just because he injured Hua Zheng and Yan Qi? What a joke! When Senior Brother Liu Feng uses his Seven Spin Chain, I bet he won’t even be able to take a single blow!”

”Senior Brother Liu Feng, this kid basically defeated Hua Zheng. If you beat him now, we’ll firmly put Songdu Peak in their place! Go and crush this arrogant brat!”

On the stage, Liu Feng broke into a vicious grin. After snapping out of his initial shock, he had already decided to defeat Shen Lang, which was precisely why he hadn’t left.

With his current Cultivation, defeating Hua Zheng would be no easy task.

His chances of victory were fifty-fifty at best, perhaps even lower.

What he truly relied on, besides the Yin Yang Three Talents Stealer in his hand, was his Seven Spin Chain.

As long as he could execute the Seven Spin Chain to its final ninth slash, even Hua Zheng at the Spirit Martial Realm Fourth Heaven would undoubtedly be defeated.

Now, this kid—whether because of his great Physical Strength or some other reason—had knocked a careless Hua Zheng unconscious. If he could defeat this kid, it would be equivalent to defeating Hua Zheng!

Whether Hua Zheng admitted it or not, that was the simple fact.

From now on, the disciples of Songdu Peak would have to bow their heads to those from Blood Spirit Peak.

In a way, this was a huge opportunity handed to him on a silver platter.

In any case, Liu Feng refused to believe this boy could truly defeat Hua Zheng. After all, Hua Zheng hadn’t put up any defense or even used his ultimate technique!

”Very well. Since you’re so arrogant and conceited, and we’re both on this stage, do you dare fight me? I will represent Blood Spirit Peak, and you will represent Songdu Peak!” The menacing glint in Liu Feng’s eyes was completely undisguised as the aura around him steadily intensified.

The disciples from Blood Spirit Peak immediately erupted into a frenzy of shouts, their momentum even greater than before.

Meanwhile, the disciples of Songdu Peak exchanged glances, completely at a loss.

On the one hand, they couldn’t just dismiss Shen Lang. He had knocked out Senior Brother Hua Zheng of the Spirit Martial Realm Fourth Heaven with a single slap, crippled the famously strong Yan Qi with one kick, and reduced Tian Hao to a weeping, begging mess with barely a touch.

On the other hand, how could they believe in him? He looked to be only sixteen or seventeen. How powerful could a boy that age possibly be?

Even though he had knocked out Senior Brother Hua Zheng, it was true that their senior had been far too careless. He likely hadn’t anticipated Shen Lang’s speed.

Furthermore, Senior Brother Hua Zheng hadn’t used his Spiritual Artifact or any of his signature techniques. It was completely plausible to say Shen Lang had just exploited a momentary weakness!

Given all that, who could possibly know how strong Shen Lang truly was?

What if his only advantage was his speed, and he was about to be defeated by Liu Feng?

The disciples of Songdu Peak all fell silent, not daring to make a sound.

This only fueled the fervor of the Blood Spirit Peak crowd, and their shouts grew even louder.

”You really want to fight me? To represent Blood Spirit Peak?” Shen Lang couldn’t help but laugh.

Liu Feng smirked arrogantly. ”That’s right. I originally came for Hua Zheng, but since you’ve already taken him down, I’ll just have to make an example out of you!”

”Hmph, you lot from Songdu Peak are nothing but trash! You may have more people than the other Outer Sect peaks, but you don’t have a single respectable fighter. Today, I’ll show you all just how capable the disciples of Blood Spirit Peak truly are!”

”I, Liu Feng, at the Spirit Martial Realm Third Heaven of Cultivation, challenge anyone from Songdu Peak to face me!”

Shen Lang scoffed. ”It’s just a fight. No need for such a dramatic speech. I don’t particularly enjoy fighting, but when I do, I can be quite ruthless. Make sure you don’t regret this.”

Feeling looked down upon by Shen Lang, the arrogant smile on Liu Feng’s face vanished. He roared in fury, ”You little brat, you’re all talk! I’m going to knock all your teeth out!”

”Junior Brother, Liu Feng has cultivated his Seven Spin Chain to the Fourth Floor. It has seven slashes in total, each one stronger than the last. You must repel his assault within the first few slashes. Otherwise, even an expert at the Spirit Martial Realm Fourth Heaven might not be able to withstand the final one...” Tian Hao, having finally recovered enough to stand upright, offered this piece of advice.

It wasn’t that he particularly wanted to offer a reminder; in his mind, he was absolutely certain Liu Feng was no match for Shen Lang.

The only reason he spoke up was because he wanted to ask Shen Lang, ’Can I go now?’

”The Seven Spin Chain, huh? Barely presentable, I suppose.” Shen Lang waved a dismissive hand, signaling for Tian Hao to leave the stage.

As if granted a royal pardon, Tian Hao immediately scrambled down from the stage.

When he reached the edge of the stage, he turned and called out again, ”Junior Brother, be careful of his Yin Yang Three Talents Stealer! Not only is it a Second Grade Spiritual Artifact, but the steel spikes under the handguard can be used to lock and steal an enemy’s weapon! The tip is a duck-billed spearhead, slightly concave on both sides. Once it draws blood, it lets air into the wound—it’s an exceptionally vicious weapon!”

”It can lock and steal an enemy’s weapon, huh? Well, in that case... I just won’t use one.” Shen Lang’s single sentence made the Blood Spirit Peak disciples so furious they were practically hopping with rage.

”Damn it! He’s too arrogant, too cocky! How dare he say he won’t use a weapon? Who the hell does he think he is!”

”He’s the one who said it. When he loses, don’t you dare claim we at Blood Spirit Peak bullied him!”

”He has a death wish, trying to fight Senior Brother Liu Feng and his Yin Yang Three Talents Stealer bare-handed. Songdu Peak really is a haven for psychos and good-for-nothings...”

The disciples of Songdu Peak remained silent, many of them lowering their heads in shame.

Since Tian Hao, their de facto leader in this situation, said nothing, they didn’t dare to speak up either.

If there had been anyone at the start who believed Shen Lang could defeat Liu Feng, not a single one of them was left now.

The formidableness of Liu Feng’s ”Seven Spin Chain” went without saying; if it weren’t powerful, he never would have dared to challenge Hua Zheng of the Spirit Martial Realm Fourth Heaven while only being at the Spirit Martial Realm Third Heaven himself.

And aside from the ”Seven Spin Chain,” he was wielding a Second Grade Spiritual Artifact, the Yin Yang Three Talents Stealer!

Who would dare face him empty-handed, unless their Cultivation was vastly superior—at the Seventh or Eighth Heaven of the Spirit Martial Realm, perhaps?

Bare-handed against a Second Grade Spiritual Artifact?

It was absolute madness!

On the stage, Liu Feng himself was on the verge of exploding with rage. He had always considered himself arrogant and haughty, but today he had met someone a hundred times more so in Shen Lang!

Some brat he’d never even heard of!

”You’re bringing this on yourself, so don’t blame me for what comes next!”

Liu Feng stared intently at Shen Lang, Killing Intent flickering in his eyes as a menacing aura filled the air.

He slowly raised the Yin Yang Three Talents Stealer, pointing it directly at Shen Lang.

Instantly, the momentum he had been building for some time erupted from him, sharp and domineering, like a snake awakening from hibernation.

In stark contrast, Shen Lang merely stood there quietly, his expression as calm and unhurried as ever. He showed absolutely no sign of preparing for a serious fight.

”I had no intention of bullying a junior brother your age, but there is a price to pay for such arrogance and conceit!”

Liu Feng roared, ”First Spin: Rising Wind!”

He stomped forward, kicking up a whirlwind as his entire body, along with his Yin Yang Three Talents Stealer, began to spin rapidly, transforming into a living hurricane.

As dust and stones flew, the unparalleled momentum and immense explosive power caused the faces of all the Songdu Peak disciples below the stage to turn pale.

WHOOSH! The rapidly spinning hurricane shot directly toward Shen Lang. When it was still five or six meters away, a flash of light gleamed from within the vortex, and the entire hurricane abruptly contracted, converging upon that single point of light.

Just as the hurricane was about to dissipate and Liu Feng’s figure became faintly visible, a ferocious, unparalleled arc of light slashed down toward Shen Lang!

”AH!”

Many of the Songdu Peak disciples cried out in alarm, unable to watch.

If Shen Lang didn’t move, that single slash would surely cleave him in two.

Suddenly, as if his robes were merely stirred by the wind, Shen Lang’s perfectly straight posture shifted. He moved like a phantom—two steps to the left, then two steps forward. He lifted his right foot and kicked out viciously, striking the last vestiges of the dissipating hurricane.

BANG!

With a muffled thud, the descending slash stopped dead in its tracks.

Then, the vortex—with Liu Feng now clearly visible inside—was sent flying backward even faster than it had charged forward!

”Did... did he just shatter the First Spin with one kick?” The onlookers below rubbed their eyes, turning to their neighbors, certain they had to be mistaken.

”How is that possible?”

Hua Zheng, who had since woken up and was now standing beside Tian Hao, stared with his mouth hanging wide open—wide enough to stuff an egg inside.