Strongest War Emperor

As our story continues, Shen Lang stood perfectly still, yet had severely injured Situ Tianyu, a cultivator at the Fourth Heaven of the Qi Martial Realm. The surrounding crowd was instantly stunned.

Furthermore, he had bluntly revealed Situ Tianyu’s affiliation with the Li Hen Sect, causing the hearts of everyone present to pound wildly.

Situ Tianyu was a member of the Li Hen Sect, a Spirit Copper Level Influence!

No wonder that bastard could do as he pleased in Celestial Phoenix City. If he were to reveal his identity, who in the entire city would dare to provoke him?

But this Ghost-faced Person, despite clearly knowing his identity, still attacked and severely injured him!

This meant that the Ghost-faced Person didn’t give a damn about the Li Hen Sect at all...

”You like to cripple people, so I’ve crippled you! Your Li Hen Sect is wealthy and powerful; I’m sure they can find some Elixir Pills to heal you. But let me give you a piece of advice: if you want to heal this injury, you’d better get your hands on a Withered Wood Revives Spring Pill or something similar within three days. Otherwise, your journey on the path of Martial Arts is over... Now you can experience for yourself what you’ve inflicted on others.”

”What! Situ Tianyu was crippled?”

”So powerful! Who on earth is he?”

”This year’s Celestial Phoenix City tournament is going to be a good show! To think such a powerful figure would appear!”

The surrounding crowd erupted in a clamor of disbelief.

In a place like Celestial Phoenix City, the appearance of a disciple from a Major Sect like the Li Hen Sect was shocking enough.

And now, that very disciple from the Li Hen Sect had been crippled right before their eyes...

This was no small matter!

What they didn’t know was that Shen Lang had only chosen to severely injure him because they had no prior enmity, and he hadn’t seen the man commit any truly wicked acts.

If Shen Lang had truly wanted him dead, that single move would have been enough to turn Situ Tianyu into a corpse.

”You... Who the hell are you! I’ve never seen anyone like you in Celestial Phoenix City! Who are you?” Situ Tianyu roared, his face contorted as blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

”You talk too much.”

Shen Lang didn’t even spare Situ Tianyu a glance. With his back still to him, he spoke with indifference, then lifted his foot and began walking toward the empty seat.

The fourteen people around that seat all stood up in unison and nodded at him in acknowledgment.

The strong earn respect, no matter where they are!

However, before Shen Lang could reach the empty seat, he was blocked by two men.

One of these men was a steward for the Xu Family; the other, a steward for the Ye Family from the City Lord’s Mansion.

They were responsible for handling contestants from factions outside of the Fourth-Level noble families.

”Stop! You cannot participate in the Celestial Phoenix City tournament!”

The two men said in unison, their expressions grim.

They had been sitting separately, their eyes filled with mutual hostility, looking as if they were about to start a fight on the spot.

But when it came to stopping Shen Lang, the two were in surprising agreement!

”What? What’s the meaning of this? They’re not letting him participate?”

”That makes no sense. They’re the ones who made the Rule. No one dares to challenge the Ghost-faced Person now, so by right, that spot should be his, shouldn’t it?”

The people were utterly bewildered, unable to understand why the Ghost-faced Person was being stopped.

Shen Lang raised his eyes, glancing at the two men with indifference.

’I don’t even need to think to understand what these two are up to.’

’The Xu Family has clearly already taken the City Lord’s Mansion, yet they’re deliberately giving the Ye Family this chance. It’s nothing more than a ploy to elevate the Xu Family’s prestige to its absolute peak.’

’The Xu Family has Xu Daolin, who’s already in the Spirit Martial Realm, as well as experts like Long Fong at the Sixth and Seventh Heavens of the Spirit Martial Realm helping them. How could the mere Ye Family possibly stand against them?’

’So, they want a legitimate reason to drive the Ye Family out of Celestial Phoenix City, while at the same time allowing Xu Daolin to display his might and use his overwhelming power to completely dominate the city.’

’The disciples of the various noble families mostly have a Cultivation at the Fifth and Sixth Heaven of the Qi Martial Realm. The idea of them fighting Xu Daolin, a Spirit Martial Realm cultivator, is a complete joke.’

’The only one who poses even a slight threat to Xu Daolin is Nalan Ziyun. According to the information the noble families have, her strength is around the Eighth Heaven of the Qi Martial Realm.’

’But that level of strength isn’t enough to contend with Xu Daolin. Besides, Xu Daolin personally saw Nalan Ziyun and me fall into the Abyss.’

’Meanwhile, the people from Tayun Academy and Celestial God Academy are still locked up in their respective academies, so there’s almost no chance Xu Daolin considers her a rival.’

’The other is Chu Qingcheng, but she never enters the ring, so there’s no need to worry too much. Besides, the Xu Family still has people from the Imperial Dragon Sect as their backup.’

’If someone from another Noble Family actually shows some skill, Long Fong and his men can just go up, knock them off the stage, and then Long Fong can lose to Xu Daolin. Simple.’

’All in all, this is just a show put on by the Xu Family. The entire point is for Xu Daolin to make a grand debut and become the center of everyone’s attention.’

’Everything is just a backdrop to make Xu Daolin shine.’

’And the Ye Family is oblivious to all this. They still think they’re the stronger side and can take Celestial Phoenix City back.’

’That’s why neither side gives a damn about the other Noble Families right now. Everyone from the other factions is just here to be part of the background.’

’But now, the sudden appearance of a mysterious Ghost-faced Person has introduced an unpredictable, destabilizing factor into what both sides thought was a guaranteed victory!’

This Ghost-faced Person had crippled Situ Tianyu, a Fourth Heaven Qi Martial Realm cultivator, without even moving. This move completely stunned the people from both the Xu and Ye Families...

The Xu Family was in a slightly better position; after all, they had experts like Long Fong. But the Ye Family was different. They had no confidence that their own members could handle someone like this.

If they could handle him, fine. But what if they couldn’t?

That’s why the two stewards at the registration area acted simultaneously to stop Shen Lang!

”I need this spot to participate in the tournament,” Shen Lang said coldly, looking at the two men before him.

”Hmph, you think you can participate just because you say so? Participants in the tournament must be people from Celestial Phoenix City, and we must be able to verify their origins. You’re hiding your identity, which violates our regulations. Leave at once! Or don’t blame us for getting rough!” the man from the Xu Family snorted.

He gave Shen Lang no chance to explain.

The man from the Ye Family nodded in agreement. ”That’s right. Even if you defeated the previous challenger, you’re not qualified to participate in this tournament. Get out of here, now!”

At their shouts, groups of Martial Artists from both sides immediately surrounded Shen Lang, their gazes sinister. They all pointed their swords and sabers at him!

’Looks like I might have been a little too conspicuous. But since things are already like this... I might as well be even more ostentatious!’

Shen Lang smiled faintly. His hands shot out like lightning, grabbing the necks of the men from the Ye and Xu Families and lifting them into the air!

”GURGLE...”

The two men’s faces turned the color of beets, their previously arrogant and domineering gazes replaced by terror and despair.

The men from both families surged forward to rescue them, but with a kick to his left and another to his right, Shen Lang sent the two at the very front flying, causing them to crash into and knock down a large swath of people behind them!

”How dare you! You’ll die for daring to touch someone from our Xu Family! Let our man go, now!”

”Bastard! You have a death wish, attacking someone here!” the Ye Family members also roared.

But for all their posturing, none of them dared to step forward. That one kick had taken down a whole group of people, which was frightening enough.

Moreover, the hostages were in Shen Lang’s hands. With just a squeeze, he could instantly snap their necks!

”I’ll say it one more time: I want this last spot. Give it to me, and this all ends. Don’t, and I’ll kill you both and force my way in.”

As Shen Lang spoke, he tightened his grip, causing the two men to gurgle and cry out.

The onlookers were all dumbstruck. They never imagined someone would dare to directly challenge the Xu and Ye Families.

Control of Celestial Phoenix City belonged to either the Ye Family or the Xu Family. Who would be audacious enough to offend both at the same time?

Even if he managed to get a good ranking in the tournament, he might not be able to leave in one piece!

Just then, an old man stepped out from the crowd and said softly, ”Young man, would you be willing to listen to an old man’s words? Why don’t you put them down first so we can talk this out? As long as you explain things clearly, I believe they won’t make things difficult for you.”

”That’s right, that’s right! Put them down first and then we can talk.”

”Young man, let’s talk this out. You’re just after a spot in the competition, right? It won’t do you any good if you make enemies of them.”

People all around began trying to persuade him.

Many of these people were kind-hearted and anxious on Shen Lang’s behalf, afraid he would make a direct enemy of the two families.

Others were simply trying to curry favor with the two families.

Shen Lang glanced at the old man, recognized him as the shopkeeper of Wanyao Shop, and gave a slight nod. He then casually tossed the two men in his hands to the ground.

”COUGH COUGH... You... COUGH, to get a spot in the tournament, you must at least be a resident of Celestial Phoenix City. Your origins are unknown, and with no person or faction to vouch for you, of course we can’t let you in... We are just following the rules, COUGH COUGH!”

”That’s right, we... we’re just... COUGH, we’re just following procedure! What if you’re some kind of heretic? If we let you in and something happens, what then!” the man from the Ye Family added, though still resentful.

By now, however, their eyes held only fear, with no trace of their earlier arrogance.

When Shen Lang had reached out earlier, they hadn’t even seen his hand move clearly before he’d grabbed them by the neck and lifted them up as if they were little chicks, completely powerless to resist.

So even with a group of their family’s Martial Artists beside them now, they didn’t dare to make a rash move.

In front of an expert of this caliber, a few Guards were completely useless.

Suddenly, a figure swaggered out of the crowd and declared, ”We, the Evil Wind Valley, will vouch for him! We can guarantee that he is from Celestial Phoenix City and of proper standing. There are no issues!”

The newcomer was Zhao Qing of Evil Wind Valley—the same Zhao Qing who was always with Yi Hongchen.

Zhao Qing, Yi Hongchen, and the others had already entered the City Lord’s Mansion’s Martial Arts Arena in disguise. He had just stepped out temporarily to run an errand when he spotted Shen Lang and immediately scurried over.

He brandished a Token in front of the men from the Xu and Ye Families. ”Open your dog eyes and look closely! I’m from Evil Wind Valley! I’m vouching for this... this brother! If any problems arise, you can take them up with Evil Wind Valley!”

When the people from the Xu and Ye Families, as well as the surrounding crowd, saw the Token, they were all startled.

”Since he has the guarantee of Evil Wind Valley, then of course there’s no problem. The Xu Family has no objections.”

”Our Ye Family... also agrees...”

With someone from Evil Wind Valley stepping forward, neither of the two families dared to make things difficult for Shen Lang any longer.

Besides, they knew they couldn’t stop this strange man on their own. Now that Evil Wind Valley was involved, they were even less inclined to provoke him, so they chose to simply go with the flow.

”Any other objections?”

Shen Lang’s indifferent gaze slowly swept across the members of the Xu and Ye Families.

No one from either family dared to meet his eyes. Not a single person made a sound.

Many who bully the weak and fear the strong often act even more cowardly in the face of true power.

Now, who would dare to provoke Shen Lang, this Little Evil Star...?