Strongest War Emperor

”I’m fine. Get back inside the Protective Shield with the people from the Twin Dragon Sect.”

Shen Lang’s voice was as calm as ever. He tapped a few points on his body with his right index finger, then tore off his tattered sleeve and began to wrap it around the wound on his left arm.

Elsewhere, Xia Yu growled, almost hysterical. ”This is impossible! How can there be a Sixth Level Netherworld Wolf on the Tala Prairie? And the Wolf King rarely leaves its territory! In its eyes, we’re nothing but ants. Why would it lead so many Netherworld Wolves to attack us?!”

Xu Lianyou gently shook her head. ”There’s no point in saying that now. This Netherworld Wolf King is not only shockingly fast, its fur is as hard as iron, giving it incredible defense. Even if we wanted to help, I’m afraid we’d be useless... It’s all up to him now.”

As she spoke, she nodded at Shui Qingwu, opening a gap in their protective barrier to let her inside.

The other four swallowed nervously, their gazes fixed on Shen Lang in the center of the clearing.

Shen Lang stood proudly, as immovable as a mountain. His long saber hung at his side, his long hair danced in the wind, and his Battle Intent surged!

His unparalleled Battle Intent continued to climb, as if it could suppress the ages and scour the heavens and the earth!

The Wolf King seemed not to have expected that a mere human in the Qi Martial Realm could strike its head twice in a row. The second slash had sent it tumbling across the ground, leaving it in a wretched state before it could regain its footing. It instantly flew into a rage.

This rage was far greater than what it had felt when its pack was slaughtered.

A puny human had first slaughtered its pack, then snatched away its captured prey, and now had even sent it tumbling through the grass...

This was an absolute, thorough humiliation for it, the Netherworld Wolf King!

This was a challenge to its very honor as the Wolf King!

”GRRRRR!”

The Netherworld Wolf King slowly rose from the ground. Its gleaming green eyes, brimming with savagery and malice, fixed on Shen Lang with a hint of mockery.

Shen Lang gripped the hilt of his saber with both hands, his powerful aura surging ever higher.

”Let’s battle!”

Pointing his long saber at the Netherworld Wolf King, Shen Lang let out a roar that boomed like thunder.

”AWOOOO!”

The Netherworld Wolf King threw its head back and howled, then left an afterimage in its place as it charged Shen Lang with ferocious speed.

The surrounding weeds flattened in Shen Lang’s direction, as if blasted by a gale.

In the blink of an eye, Shen Lang gripped his saber with both hands, the blade blurring into an illusion!

”SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!”

Fierce slashes of light erupted like a hurricane, moving with unimaginable speed. The peerless edge of the blade cut through the air as if it were water.

As the long saber chopped down, lightning flashed through the air with a terrifying sizzle.

”CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG!”

In less than the span of a single breath, Shen Lang had already slashed with his Celestial Water Blade toward the four cardinal directions!

Had Shui Qingwu and the others not been watching with rapt attention, they would have thought he had only slashed a single time.

Endless slashes of light filled the sky, and the rumbling of wind and thunder was incessant!

Each slash struck the Netherworld Wolf King with unerring accuracy, parrying the Wolf King’s attacks!

But the Wolf King was astonishingly fast, as if it had Ten Thousand Incarnations. Its form flickered in and out of existence under the sun, pouncing on Shen Lang from all directions. It opened its maw to unleash terrifying Wind Blades, and with every swipe of its claws, fierce streams of energy shot straight for Shen Lang’s face.

The entire area was filled with Powerful Qi and flashes of light from the blade. The battle between man and wolf had grown impossibly fierce.

The Wolf King let out a low, human-like sneer, and the stench of blood emanated from its body, instantly filling the clearing.

”WHOOSH!”

Suddenly, a low roar erupted from the Wolf King’s throat. It leaped into the air, its body shooting forward like an arrow loosed from a bow, and reappeared in front of Shen Lang. Its claws, shining with a blinding light, carried a sharp, air-rending stream of Powerful Qi as they swiped viciously downward.

The Wolf King’s swipe created a continuous, ear-piercing sonic boom.

The Netherworld Wolf King’s speed was inconceivable, pushed to the absolute limit. None of those present could follow its true trajectory with their naked eyes.

Shen Lang could only rely on his powerful Divine Thought to sense its movements and react in time.

’Too fast!’

Shen Lang shot backward as his Celestial Water Blade swept upward in a rising slash. The ferocious light emanating from the blade was so condensed it looked solid as it clashed heavily against the Wolf King’s claws.

”CLANG!”

The sound of metal on metal rang out amid a shower of sparks. Ripples of Energy, crackling with thunder and lightning, radiated out from where the blade and claws met.

The violent Powerful Qi instantly scoured away several feet of earth from where Shen Lang stood.

With that one swipe, the Sixth Level Netherworld Wolf finally revealed its tremendous power.

Shen Lang retreated in a series of rapid, rhythmic steps, his long saber a blur as he blocked, parried, and countered, finally managing to completely dissipate the force of the attack.

A mocking glint appeared in the Netherworld Wolf King’s eyes. The light around its body wavered, and it vanished on the spot once more.

’This is no good. The difference in strength is too great, and I can’t keep up with its speed at all... What’s more, the Wolf King doesn’t even seem to be using its full strength. I’m in serious trouble.’

Feeling his nearly numb arms, Shen Lang’s placid expression wavered for the first time.

’As expected of a Sixth Level Demon Beast, equivalent to an expert at the Spirit Martial Realm Late Stage. This kind of power is just too immense.’

’If I hadn’t comprehended the Great Dao and touched upon ’Momentum,’ I doubt I could have even blocked one or two of its attacks.’

’The fact that I’ve lasted this long on the defensive is already an incredible feat.’

’I still can’t fully unleash the power of the Celestial Water Blade. If I can’t break through the Wolf King’s defense, everything is pointless...’

’My Silver Eyes of Truth can see through its stealth and track its speed, but the drain on my Divine Thought is too immense to sustain a protracted battle.’

’If I can’t break through its defenses the very instant I spot a weakness, it’s only a matter of time before I die by its claws.’

Shen Lang’s mind raced, the thoughts flashing by in an instant.

He gripped his long saber, his Divine Thought radiating out to cover a forty-meter radius as his cold gaze swept the area.

’My strength is far inferior, but if I combine the Thunder Control Divine Technique with the Celestial Water Blade to strike its weakest point, I can definitely wound it severely!’

’If I can’t keep up with its speed, then I won’t use my eyes!’

At this thought, Shen Lang suddenly closed his eyes and let his long saber droop, giving the onlookers a terrible fright.

’Heart as pure as ice, unshaken should the heavens fall. Unwavering amidst myriad changes, spirit serene, qi at peace.’

’Forget the self to guard the One; the six senses are firmly settled. Qi Cultivation at the Precepts Stage, selfless and without contrivance.’

’Upper and lower in harmony, spirit and form in accord. Gather intent at the Mystic Gate, and conquer all stray thoughts.’

With his eyes closed, Shen Lang’s mind grew more focused than ever before. The memories of the War Emperor hidden deep within his mind surfaced once more, and all the perilous experiences of that past life flashed through his consciousness like lightning.

The War Emperor’s priceless experiences, his consciousness, and his comprehension of the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth manifested in Shen Lang’s mind during this most dangerous moment, merging with him on an even deeper level.

At that moment, a strange ’Momentum’ began to radiate from his body. Different from Divine Thought, this elusive Momentum vaguely imprinted all his surroundings onto his mind.

The aura of the War Emperor, who once battled the world and looked down upon the universe, manifested around him once more.

With a move of his right hand, Shen Lang brought the Celestial Water Blade up horizontally before his chest.

Quietly stroking the blade, which shimmered with an otherworldly light, Shen Lang stood as firm as a boulder while his Battle Intent surged around him.

The Spiritual Power that had been surging around his body was completely withdrawn. Not a single wisp leaked out as it slowly concentrated between his hands.

Suddenly, the entire world seemed to fall silent!

Everything in his surroundings—the gurgling of the nearby stream, the chirping of birds and calls of beasts, even the whistling of the wind—suddenly seemed to cease to exist!

The air around Shen Lang’s body began to distort as a ripple of Powerful Qi spread out, sending blades of grass and leaves scattering into the air.

Abruptly!

Shen Lang’s eyes snapped open!

A violent Sword Momentum, immense enough to blot out the sky, erupted and soared into the heavens!

”SHHH-SHHH-SHHH!”

The blades of grass in all directions were instantly diced by a million phantom cuts, shattering into dust!

And yet, the Celestial Water Blade lay motionless in Shen Lang’s hand; he hadn’t moved an inch!

Countless glints of blade light flickered within Shen Lang’s eyes, and a fierce, wild, and incomparably sharp aura surged forth from him!

A continuous ”SHHH-SHHH-SHHH” echoed as if countless phantom blades were hacking through the air around Shen Lang, carving innumerable gashes into the ground!

A peerless Sword Intent radiated from Shen Lang’s body.

A Sword Intent that even masters of the Spirit Martial Realm had yet to comprehend!

Furthermore, this Sword Intent had reached an extremely high level. As it radiated from Shen Lang, it gave off the wondrous sensation of the Unity of Man and Blade!

As blade light radiated from him, Shen Lang’s eyes became like those of a Demon God, and he projected an aura of absolute worldly domination!

’The Sword Intent is formed. Even with no blade in my hand, a blade resides in my heart.’

’In the War Emperor’s hands, even an Earth Level Technique like the Prison Guardian Blade Technique could slay an expert who possessed an Emperor Level Technique. I was too fixated on the ranks of Cultivation Techniques before. No wonder I couldn’t find a single technique in the War Emperor’s memories worthy of his status as a supreme expert. It was because he had already reached the stage of studying the rules of the world and the great trend of the Celestial Dao...’

’However, trying to comprehend this Sword Intent now presents many problems... A moment ago, I clearly could have raised the Sword Intent another notch, but my body couldn’t bear it. If I had forced it, my body would have been torn to shreds by the Sword Intent before I had even fully comprehended it. It looks like when I get back, I’ll need to go to the Gravity Chamber and work on increasing my physical strength.’

All of this transpired in but a brief moment.

Once his Sword Intent took form, Shen Lang sneered. ’With this Sword Intent alone, breaking the Wolf King’s defense shouldn’t be a major issue. Hmph!’

Just then, the grass to Shen Lang’s right flattened, and the space there distorted and blurred, followed by an incomparably fierce gust of wind.

’I was waiting for this exact moment!’

Shen Lang turned slightly, his Silver Eyes of Truth having already seen through all illusions.

He saw the Netherworld Wolf King, already airborne and pouncing toward him with ferocious momentum!

But under the gaze of his Silver Eyes of Truth, the lightning-fast scene seemed to break down into countless frames, slowing to a crawl.

’The very center of its abdomen is its weak point, the place where its defense is weakest!’

Shen Lang’s gaze fixed on the Netherworld Wolf King’s abdomen; his Silver Eyes of Truth had pinpointed the weakest point in its defense in a single glance.

’Burst!’

Instead of retreating, Shen Lang advanced, leaning forward and shooting out like an arrow.

The light from the Celestial Water Blade in his hand was completely withdrawn, as if it had become an Ordinary Weapon.

But at that moment, Shen Lang’s entire Sword Intent was completely focused onto the Celestial Water Blade. The formless Sword Intent caused Shui Qingwu and the others inside the Protective Shield to feel a stinging pain on their cheeks—the Sword Intent had actually penetrated the Protective Shield and fallen upon them!

”Die, you beast!”

Just as the Wolf King leaped into the air, Shen Lang calculated its position, stepped forward, crouched, and slashed upward with his long saber!

After the Burst, his strength surged to its absolute peak. Wielding his unparalleled, tyrannical Sword Intent and all the Power of Thunder and Lightning from the vortex of Thunder Power within him, Shen Lang’s Celestial Water Blade created a sound like an explosion as it viciously slashed upward, striking the very center of the Netherworld Wolf King’s abdomen!

”SCHLICK!”

A spray of fresh blood erupted, blooming in the air like a flower...