Strongest War Emperor

The selection tournament for the Yumu Cave Blessed Land was an unprecedented event. After an anxious wait, it had finally begun...

With the inclusion of several factions from the Celestial Defying Demon Realm, the number of participating sects and factions had reached a staggering eighty-nine.

The number of disciples from the various sects set to take the stage also exceeded ten thousand.

On average, each Profound Iron Level Sect had around one hundred disciples participating.

However, there were only three thousand slots available to enter the Yumu Cave Blessed Land, meaning less than a third of the participants were qualified to enter!

The opportunity presented by this selection tournament was significant, but it was also exceedingly cruel.

At this moment, atop Cangxia Mountain, clouds swirled in from all directions as the wind surged.

The various factions occupied their own corners of the spectator stands around the Martial Arts Arena in an orderly fashion.

A massive army was stationed around the perimeter, its killing intent soaring to the clouds. From the high viewing platforms, a vast, unfathomable, and subtle pressure radiated downward, suppressing the entire scene. Even the ferocious Demon Martial Artists from the Celestial Defying Demon Realm were trembling in their boots, not daring to cause any trouble.

After three chimes of a bell, an elegantly dressed old man materialized out of thin air above the central platform of the Martial Arts Arena.

The old man’s gaze was incredibly profound, cold and resolute, as if he could see through and control everything.

Anyone caught in his gaze would feel a chill run down their spine, the hairs on their body standing on end!

”Be silent!”

The elegantly dressed old man stood with his hands clasped behind his back as two words escaped his lips.

His voice was very soft, yet it detonated like a thunderclap in everyone’s hearts, causing the faces of many Martial Artists with weaker cultivation to turn pale.

With a grand wave of his hand, the old man sent a sky full of fist-sized orbs of light scattering in all directions.

These orbs of light seemed to have a mind of their own, spinning as they flew directly toward the disciples of the various sects.

”The eleven thousand participants will be divided into two hundred groups, with fifty-five people in each. The groups are random. Through a series of arena matches, fifteen slots will be decided for each group. Right now, numerous orbs of light are floating before you. All competitors are to take one.”

”Inside each orb is a group number and a sequence number. Which group you’re in and what your number is will be completely random.”

The disciples from each sect suppressed their excitement, one by one channeling their Spiritual Power to grab at the slowly floating orbs of light before them.

As soon as the orbs were in their hands, the light faded, revealing the numbers on them.

This type of arena tournament was highly efficient and fast-paced, but it also involved a certain element of luck.

A Martial Artist at the Fourth Heaven of the Spirit Martial Realm might face someone with a weaker cultivation than their own in the first round and emerge victorious.

Meanwhile, a master at the Eighth Heaven of the Spirit Martial Realm could encounter an even more powerful opponent right at the start and be eliminated.

Like they were on steroids, the disciples from the various factions were fired up and spoiling for a fight.

In the stands, Su Wenxuan’s brows were tightly knit. He was fidgeting, his gaze darting toward the eastern section from time to time.

Over there, the Third Prince and Dugu Zhange sat side by side, looking down on the masses with disdain.

One was dressed in snow-white robes, looking dashing and elegant;

The other was clad in battle armor, with an extraordinary air about him.

Although they had restrained their auras, their every glance held a seemingly innate pride.

However, they indeed had the capital to be proud.

Not long ago, the Third Prince had been forced to slap himself in front of Shen Lang just to save his own life, a great blow to his reputation;

And Dugu Zhange’s sneak attack on Shen Lang had also been repelled by him...

But this did not at all affect their status as peerless geniuses in the public eye, drawing everyone’s attention.

In fact, even in the Snow Domain and the Piaomiao Domain, reaching the King Martial Realm before the age of one hundred was an unprecedented and almost unimaginable feat!

The Star Continent was rich in Spiritual Qi, and even ordinary merchants, vendors, or commoners could live for more than 150 years.

And the more a Martial Artist advanced their cultivation, the more their lifespan would increase.

A Xuanwu Realm Martial Artist, from the First Heaven to the Ninth Heaven, had a lifespan of roughly five hundred to eight hundred years.

If one broke through to the King Martial Realm, their lifespan would immediately double, reaching over fifteen hundred years.

This lifespan also illustrated the difficulty of advancing through cultivation levels like the Xuanwu Realm and the King Martial Realm.

Even in a Spirit Copper Level Sect like the Imperial Dragon Sect, which of those who managed to break through to the King Martial Realm wasn’t an old codger who had lived for six or seven hundred years?

But the bone ages of both the Third Prince and Dugu Zhange were under one hundred!

Shen Lang, despite his breathtaking talent that captured everyone’s attention...

In the eyes of the public, he had relied partly on the help of powerful experts like Yuan Bupu and Duanmu Xie, and partly on a powerful Imperial Artifact like the Immortal Celestial Saber.

And most importantly, Shen Lang had not yet broken through to the King Martial Realm!

Therefore, here on Cangxia Mountain, with Shen Lang not present, the Third Prince and Dugu Zhange were basically cranes standing among chickens, drawing everyone’s gaze and becoming the objects of envy, jealousy, and hate for the disciples of the various sects for a long time.

...

Seeing Su Wenxuan constantly glancing over at Dugu Zhange and the prince, Mei Yingxue, the Sect Leader of the Xiu Hua Sect, couldn’t help but ask in surprise, ”Wenxuan, just half a day ago you were full of confidence. Why the long face now?”

”With Xiaolang’s help, the strength of our Five Sects’ disciples has more than doubled, hasn’t it? Even if they run into the genius disciples of the Imperial Dragon Sect, there’s no reason to be afraid...”

”As for that Dugu Zhange, reaching the Peak of the First Heaven of the King Martial Realm at his age is indeed a mark of peerless talent, but he’s still not qualified to threaten Xiaolang. Why are you so worried?”

The other three Sect Leaders nearby were taken aback and also looked at Su Wenxuan with some confusion.

It was normal for many of the other sects not to be optimistic about Shen Lang’s chances.

Because according to common sense, that was indeed the case.

No matter how powerful Shen Lang was, his cultivation was still only at the Xuanwu Realm...

And everyone knew that the Xuanwu Realm and the King Martial Realm were two completely different levels.

A King Martial Realm expert, if they so wished, could crush dozens of Ninth Heaven Xuanwu Realm Martial Artists in minutes!

So in their eyes, a battle between Shen Lang and Dugu Zhange had no suspense whatsoever!

But Su Wenxuan and the other leaders of the Five Sects were different.

They knew quite a bit about Shen Lang’s methods...

Not to mention distant events, just a short while ago in the Hidden Moon Tomb, Shen Lang had heavily wounded Duanmu Zheng, an expert equivalent to the Fifth or Sixth Heaven of the King Martial Realm.

In the end, he even managed to completely seal and subdue the Emperor Martial Realm expert, Duanmu Xie...

Mei Yingxue and the others were perfectly aware of these matters.

Shen Lang’s great battle with Duanmu Zheng had been a genuine, head-on confrontation.

This was a completely different concept from when he had set up a Grand Array in the Dark Moon Abyss to trick those old geezers from the Holy Light Sect and the Beast Emperor Palace.

Extrapolating from these events, even if Shen Lang were to face an expert at the Second or Third Heaven of the King Martial Realm in an arena battle, he shouldn’t be at a disadvantage in a direct confrontation.

So, seeing Su Wenxuan’s expression, Mei Yingxue and the other sect leaders were quite puzzled.

Su Wenxuan shook his head and sent a Divine Thought transmission, ”There’s something you don’t know...”

”Not long after arriving at Cangxia Mountain this morning, I received a Sound Transmission Talisman from that elder of the Xue Family.”

Mei Yingxue and the others were startled. ”The one from the Xue Family? What did she say?”

In the Purple Chu Imperial Capital, the only person from the Xue Family who could be addressed as ’elder’ was naturally the Quasi-Emperor Martial Realm expert, Xue Shiyin.

Su Wenxuan continued via Divine Thought, ”She told me some information about Dugu Zhange... In fact, we already knew a little about this before. This Dugu Zhange comes from a Hidden Noble Family, right?”

Mei Yingxue nodded. ”An elder from the Imperial Dragon Sect mentioned that once, but shamefully, I know nothing about any Hidden Noble Families... I’ve never even heard of a noble family named Dugu.”

”You don’t mean this family is incredibly powerful, do you?”

Su Wenxuan nodded, his brow furrowed. ”’Incredibly powerful’ doesn’t even begin to cover it. They are said to be even more formidable than ordinary Legendary Sects.”

”What!” Mei Yingxue and the other three almost jumped to their feet.

The four of them finally understood why Su Wenxuan was so worried.

How could a disciple from such a family possibly be a mediocrity?

Whether it was the powerful Cultivation Techniques he had learned or the Magical Treasure Secret Artifacts he possessed, they were on a level that no one in a place like the Purple Chu Country could hope to match!

Putting aside everything else, Shen Lang’s Immortal Celestial Saber was definitely one of the top three most powerful Imperial Artifacts in the Purple Chu Country, but among Legendary Sects, it really wouldn’t be considered much.

It was true that Shen Lang possessed many peerless Cultivation Techniques, but he was only seventeen years old. Even if he had started his cultivation in the womb, that was still only seventeen years.

But Dugu Zhange, according to the information from Xue Shiyin, had already been in cultivation with the Dugu Family for a full seventy-plus years!

Even knowing how powerful Shen Lang was, Su Wenxuan was still shocked beyond measure after receiving this information.

Even now, his heart was still pounding with anxiety!

”According to the information from Elder Xue, that Dugu Zhange has an Imperial Artifact called the ’Scythe of Death.’ Legend says it was refined from a small piece of a Celestial Demon’s Skull and possesses world-shattering power!” Su Wenxuan transmitted with a bitter smile.

”A C-Celestial Demon? Which Celestial Demon?” Mei Yingxue and the others stuttered, stunned.

Su Wenxuan sighed and said, ”Thirty thousand years ago, a powerful Celestial Demon from the highest plane, the Demon Realm, appeared out of nowhere. Its slaughter was monstrous, and rivers of blood flowed in its wake.”

”All the experts of the Human Realm came forth. A million corpses fell before they finally, with the help of some Hidden Noble Families, dismembered the Celestial Demon’s body and sealed the parts in secret locations throughout the Four Desolates and the Central Province.”

”The Dugu Family is one of those Hidden Noble Families, and the Seal they are responsible for guarding is the one suppressing the Celestial Demon Head.”

”The ’Scythe of Death’ I just mentioned was refined by a peerless expert from this family using a small piece of that Celestial Demon Skull!”

”...” Mei Yingxue and the others looked at each other, their eyes filled with pure horror.

Before the sect leaders could speak, Su Wenxuan continued, ”And that Dugu Zhange is a man of immense talent. Not only is his cultivation formidable, but he has also cultivated one of the Dugu Family’s legendary Secret Skills to the intermediate stage!”

Mei Yingxue swallowed hard, her voice a little hoarse as she asked, ”Wh-What Secret Skill is it?”

”This Secret Skill is called the ’Sunflower Water Demon Technique.’ It allows the user to transform into a transparent drop of water, seep into an enemy’s body, and absorb their Spiritual Power, devouring their strength and flesh... No matter how strong one’s Spiritual Power is, it’s impossible to force it out. You can only watch helplessly as you’re brought to ruin...”

”How... How can such a vicious Demon Technique exist?” Horror appeared on the faces of Mei Yingxue and the other three.

But it seemed that wasn’t all. As if determined to shock them to death, Su Wenxuan continued, ”And what’s even more deadly is that Dugu Zhange has already comprehended the Water Realm!”

”Furthermore, this Realm has already reached the Small Success Realm! By using the Water Realm in conjunction with the ’Sunflower Water Demon Technique,’ he once killed a King Martial Realm Third Heaven expert in under twenty moves!”

”How is that possible!”

Only then did the four of them understand why the usually calm and steady Su Wenxuan was acting like an ant on a hot pan...

Against such a powerful individual, even if the Elder Ancestors of the Five Sects were to face him, they would likely be facing certain death!

Shen Lang’s power was undeniable, but his cultivation was still only at the Sixth Heaven of the Xuanwu Realm.

And as for those powerful Cultivation Techniques, Shen Lang hadn’t even had much time to practice them.

Making him fight such a powerful person in the arena... wouldn’t that be...