Tycoon War God

External Strength, Inner Strength, Grandmaster, and Reaching the Divine. These are the four great realms that have been passed down for a thousand years in the Martial Arts World, unchanging through the ages. Even the historical records of the Jiuli Tribe, the oldest of clans, mention only these four realms.

Lin Mu said, ”It’s not hard to guess. The Dragon Protection Hall was established to guard Huaxia and contend with the Ancient Land Sects.”

”The Worldly Walkers of the Ancient Land Sects are already Martial Arts Grandmasters, or even Deity-like Strong Individuals.”

”In that case, if someone like Ao Guang from the Celestial Northern Dipper Pavilion, a so-called Foundation Building Immortal, were to descend to the Human Realm, how could the Dragon Protection Hall possibly resist?”

”If it cannot stop a Foundation Building Cultivator, the Dragon Protection Hall would be a complete laughing stock.”

The disciples finally understood.

”And...” Lin Mu pointed forward. ”Up ahead, there is a Martial Artist beyond the realm of Reaching the Divine waiting for us.”

The disciples were shocked.

”Master, is it an enemy?”

”Could it be someone from the Dragon Protection Hall?”

Leng Feng and the others grew wary.

Lin Mu simply smiled. ”Let’s go. Accompany me to meet the pinnacle of the Martial Way in this Human Realm.”

With a single step, he was a hundred meters away. The disciples hurried to keep up.

…

「Suburbs of the Capital City」

On the East Mountain, atop the Great Wall.

A man in white robes stood on the ancient and majestic ramparts, his clear eyes gazing out into the sea of clouds. His very figure was as sharp as a sword; just by standing there, he seemed capable of piercing the heavens.

By his side were three others. One was a one-eyed man with a single saber, his gaze filled with a chilling murderous intent. Another, with eyebrows like hooks, held a longsword and stood by the white-robed man’s side, his head bowed in utmost respect. The last man, however, was lounging lazily against the crenellations, sipping wine while tossing peanuts into his mouth one by one.

”Shen Lang, it’s not my place to lecture you, but I advise you not to meddle. Lin Wudi’s invincibility is his business. What does it have to do with us? Isn’t it better to just cultivate in seclusion and strive for a higher realm?” the languid middle-aged man said listlessly, his eyes fixed on the wine jug in his hand, never once looking at the others.

Shen Lang, Master of the Dragon Protection Hall, the Huaxia Sword Deity. Fifty years ago, he had already reached the Peak of Divine Communion. To this day, no one knew his true cultivation level.

”Thirteen, my battle with Lin Wudi is not a matter of pride, but a chance to take that final step,” the white-robed Shen Lang said, looking out at the sea of clouds. His expression was somewhat melancholic, yet it seemed to blaze with fighting spirit. Two completely opposite qualities were intricately fused within him.

Neither Shen Lang nor Lin Mu had publicized their intentions. However, even with a hundred miles between them, the pull of their auras was already shaking the world.

「Dragon Protection Hall, Capital City Branch」

Including Zhen Yuanzi, fifty-four members of the Capital City branch and twelve Elders of the Dragon Protection Hall were gathered in one hall. As the strongest organization in Huaxia, the minimum cultivation level for a Dragon Protection Hall member was Martial Arts Grandmaster. Those like Shen Cheng, who had not yet reached the Grandmaster realm, were merely reserve members.

This time, half the members of the Dragon Protection Hall had gathered to address Lin Wudi’s sweeping victory over their Capital City branch.

”If you ask me, this is all on Zhen Yuanzi. And you, Liu Zongyu, and the rest of you trash! Venerable Elders of the Dragon Protection Hall, yet you lost to Lin Mu’s disciple,” said Deng Yuanjue, one of the Elders from the southern six provinces. He was a member of Vice Hall Master Mo Ran’s faction, the very one that had insisted on barring Lin Mu.

Zhen Yuanzi raised his eyes but said nothing.

Liu Zongyu scoffed, ”Deng Yuanjue, if you think you’re so great, why don’t you go test the edge of the Lightning Sword for yourself!”

Deng Yuanjue was rendered speechless. The fame of the Zeus Tri-God Artifact was legendary; how could he not know of it? The Divine Race had relied on these three Divine Artifacts to contend with the Ancient Land Sects for hundreds of years.

”So, are we just going to let it go? The resignation of nine Elders is no small matter,” another person, Li Siguang, a direct subordinate of Vice Hall Master Jin Shisan, spoke up.

”What else can we do if we don’t? Is there anyone here who can stand against Lin Wudi?” Elder Ma sneered.

At that moment, Vice Hall Master Mo Ran, who had been sitting silently in the main seat, suddenly spoke. ”I will report to the Hall Master and request the Hall Towns Artifact!”

The Hall Towns Artifact was the ultimate treasure of the Dragon Protection Hall. Nourished for hundreds of years by the providence of the Capital City Royal Court, it had gained sentience. Its power far exceeded that of ordinary magic artifacts. It could even be used to slay a descending Foundation Building Immortal.

With the Hall Towns Artifact, Lin Wudi’s death was certain.

Deng Yuanjue was clearly tempted.

But Zhen Yuanzi and the others urgently protested, ”Lin Wudi has already reached the state of returning to simplicity and truth! He’s just one step from Foundation Establishment. If he succeeds, he will become an Immortal on the side of our Dragon Protection Hall!”

”Lin Wudi is arrogant, domineering, and looks down on everyone,” Mo Ran snorted coldly. ”If he reaches Foundation Establishment and is no longer bound by the world’s constraints, he will become a dire threat to our Dragon Protection Hall!”

”This man must die!”

When Foundation Building Cultivators from the Ancient Land Sects descend to the Human Realm, they are suppressed by its rules and can only exert a thousandth of their true strength. If they forcibly use power that exceeds the limits of the Human Realm, they will be crushed to death by the world itself. Ao Guang was a prime example.

However, if Lin Mu were to achieve Foundation Establishment within the Human Realm, he would not be subject to this suppression. At that point, Lin Wudi would truly live up to his name—invincible.

The Elders fell silent.

”Say no more. We will do as I have decided!” Mo Ran declared domineeringly, sealing the fate of the living legend, Lin Mu, with a single sentence.

Just then, the expressions of everyone in the great hall changed in unison.

”This aura... it’s the Hall Master’s!”

”The Hall Master has come out of seclusion?”

”Why is the Hall Master at the East Mountain Great Wall?”

”Wait, that other aura clashing with his... it’s Lin Wudi!”

”The Hall Master is going to fight Lin Wudi?!”

Everyone was aghast, their faces paling. That included Mo Ran.

The Sword God, Shen Lang, was the Dragon Protection Hall’s Sky-supporting White Jade Pillar and its Sea-spanning Purple Gold Beam. Every member of the Dragon Protection Hall worshipped the Huaxia Sword Deity, Shen Lang. In their eyes, as long as Shen Lang emerged from his seclusion, slaying Lin Wudi would be a matter of a single sword strike.

But Shen Lang had been in seclusion for many years, seeking to break through the shackles of Reaching the Divine. No one had dared to disturb him.

And now, Shen Lang had actually emerged. His aura was clashing with Lin Wudi’s. This…

”Let’s go! To the East Mountain Great Wall,” Mo Ran’s figure vanished in a flash.

All the members of the Dragon Protection Hall followed close behind.

…

The contemporary War God, Lin Wudi, and the Huaxia Sword Immortal, Shen Lang, were set to battle atop the Great Wall. The world was shaken.

Lin Wudi: A living legend who had slain the Thunder God, defeated the Martial Alliance, and even killed the Foundation Building Immortal, Ao Guang of the Celestial Northern Dipper Pavilion. His momentum was unstoppable, his combat strength unparalleled.

Shen Lang: The Huaxia Sword Deity, famed for fifty years without a single defeat. In his final battle thirty years ago, he defeated the number one on the Heavenly Ranking and swept through the Worldly Walkers of the six great Ancient Land Sects. Hailed as the number one, he had never met his match.

The battle between these two immediately caused an uproar. All the powerful martial artists were drawn to it. Unfortunately, since the two had not announced their duel in advance, many experts were too far away and could only sigh in regret.

For a time, helicopters, private planes, and sports cars filled the roads and skies. There were those who used Sword Flight Across the Sky, those who left no trace in the snow, and those who crossed rivers on a single reed. The martial arts experts all showed off their divine skills as they converged on the East Mountain Great Wall.

Even the old monsters who hadn’t been stirred by the battle on Changbai Mountain came out in full force.

The battle on Changbai Mountain, between Lin Mu and Lin Wudi, had been merely a clash between juniors. This time, however, it was a formal confrontation between the new generation of experts, represented by Lin Wudi, and the pinnacle of the older generation, represented by Shen Lang.

Was the new generation’s invincible champion truly peerless, or was the older generation’s pinnacle even stronger?

Today, perhaps, the answer would be revealed.