Strongest War Emperor

Shen Lang leaped like a tiger, plunging directly into the enormous wooden tub.

Once submerged, Shen Lang immediately retrieved the medicinal liquid—refined from the Ice Soul Water Jade—from his Sumeru Ring and dripped a single drop into the tub.

In an instant, an unnatural chill swept over his entire body. The water in the tub immediately froze, encasing Shen Lang completely and turning him into an ice sculpture.

Having calmed himself, Shen Lang didn’t circulate his Spiritual Power, but simply allowed the Ice Soul to spontaneously burrow into his body.

And then...

Shen Lang’s thoughts turned to Xue Dangdang and Xue Shiyin.

One was a quirky, carefree spirit;

the other, mature and calm, drowning in a sea of sorrow...

But the two strikingly similar figures kept spinning, finally merging into one until he could no longer tell them apart!

”...”

Shen Lang was left a little dumbfounded.

It was true that he had kept his distance from other people because of Xue Dangdang.

’But why is Xue Shiyin’s form appearing in my mind too? What’s going on?’

For a long time, Shen Lang hadn’t fully accepted his identity as the War Emperor, and he had also been somewhat resistant toward Xue Shiyin.

He had subconsciously believed that this relationship was a matter between the War Emperor and Xue Shiyin.

But...

Shen Lang shook his head, as if trying to clear away the chaotic thoughts.

CRACK CRACK CRACK...

The ice encasing his body shattered. Shen Lang formed a hand seal and activated his Spiritual Power, circulating it through his meridians as he prepared to break through to the Xuanwu Realm Seventh Heaven.

...

High above the Molten Rock Ancient Tomb, more than a thousand miles from the Imperial Capital, the black mist that permeated the air suddenly began to slowly converge and take form.

Donghuang’s mysterious and eerie figure was revealed.

”I’ve done what you asked of me. This time, you owe me a favor.” Donghuang’s hoarse voice drifted through the air, utterly sinister.

”But for you to insist I handle such a simple task, letting me earn a favor for nothing... that’s quite surprising, isn’t it?”

Just then, Candle Dragon’s slightly impatient voice rose from deep within the ancient tomb. ”Lord Donghuang, you don’t usually seem like one for idle chatter, do you?”

”Is it because of Taotie?” Donghuang didn’t answer, but asked another question instead. ”His people have already reached the Western Wilderness, so Master Zhulong doesn’t dare to show his face. Are you afraid he’ll hunt down and kill every last one of your avatars?”

At the mention of Taotie’s name, the entire ancient tomb shook violently, as if some behemoth had awakened deep underground and was about to burst through the surface.

However, the tremor only lasted for a moment.

A moment later, Candle Dragon’s furious voice echoed from below again. ”Lord Donghuang, why ask what you already know? Everyone is aware of the enmity between me and Taotie.”

”He meddles in everything I do, whether in the open or from the shadows!”

”Now that the Yumu Cave Blessed Land has opened, Taotie claims he’s helping Lan’Er investigate why it vanished all those years ago, but secretly, he wants to vie with me for what’s inside... If there are no Elemental Power Fragments, then so be it. But if there are, I’ll have no choice but to fight him to the death!”

Donghuang let out a soft laugh. ”It’s not that I lack confidence in you, Master Zhulong, but your true form was grievously wounded by the North Netherworld Extreme Heaven Sect, and now you’re hiding somewhere in secret to recover... Six of your All Heaven Twelve Fiends died in that battle, and of your Four Great Heavenly Kings, one fell and two were seriously wounded...”

”With your current strength, I’m afraid you’re in no position to contend with Taotie.”

”You!” Deep underground, Candle Dragon couldn’t believe Donghuang would mock him so brazenly. He was so enraged he nearly went berserk.

Donghuang, however, seemed oblivious to Candle Dragon’s fury and humiliation, continuing in a slow, deliberate tone, ”Taotie has gone to great lengths over the past ten thousand years to find where your true form is hidden...”

Candle Dragon roared, ”Lord Donghuang, what is your point in telling me all this?”

”I don’t mean anything by it,” Donghuang said with a chuckle. ”I’ve told you, we aren’t friends. But who ever said only friends can make a deal?”

”A deal?” Candle Dragon was taken aback.

Donghuang stated calmly, ”It’s simple. I’ll help you counter Taotie. You know I have the ability.”

”You’re willing to make an enemy of Taotie for my sake?” Candle Dragon was astonished.

Donghuang chuckled. ”I’m all alone in this world with nothing to lose, so I don’t care who I make an enemy of. On the contrary, Taotie should be the one thinking twice about crossing me. If he does, it’s simple. Even if I can’t kill Taotie himself, do you think I can’t slaughter his entire brood?”

”...” Even Candle Dragon seemed not to have expected Donghuang to be so utterly shameless.

After a long moment, Candle Dragon finally asked, ”Name your price.”

”An Elemental Power Fragment,” Donghuang said coldly. ”I want one.”

”Impossible!” Candle Dragon refused without a moment’s hesitation.

Donghuang fell silent. A moment later, his form dissolved into black mist and scattered, his voice left lingering in the air. ”Fine. Then I understand. I’ll just offer this deal to Taotie instead. You’d best look after yourself, Master Zhulong.”

”Donghuang! I’d advise you not to be so arrogant!” Candle Dragon’s roar sent the airborne mist churning, stirring the winds and clouds into a frenzy.