Strongest War Emperor

The Death Realm was a special kind of Realm.

It worked from the inside out, endlessly amplifying the negative emotions within a person’s heart—frenzied killing intent, fear, and more—until their consciousness descended into madness and utterly collapsed.

Everything one saw within it felt completely real.

When flames engulfed a Martial Artist, they would feel the full, excruciating agony of being burned alive.

When a blade slashed across their arm and blood spurted out, the Martial Artist could feel the pain. The sensation of blood loss and everything else was indistinguishable from reality.

Even those with the strongest will, who knew full well it was an Illusion Realm, couldn’t escape. Unless they could perceive the Realm’s weakness or counter it with a more powerful Realm of their own, they could only sink deeper until they were completely lost.

But Shen Lang was completely unconcerned. He was actually using this Realm to ignite his Battle Intent and hone his Sword Skill!

He was treating the Death Realm, which he had already seen through, as a desperate, real-life battle!

He wanted to use this combat, along with the unique aura of death from the Death Realm, to ignite his Battle Intent, condense his Sword Intent, and even comprehend the Death Realm itself!

As the Master of War God Hall, the War Emperor had dabbled in and researched Realms like the Death Realm and the Ice Realm.

However, he had only focused his Cultivation on the Battle Realm.

Even though Shen Lang possessed the War Emperor’s complete memories, there were many things he still had to explore and comprehend on his own.

Aside from things like Cultivation Techniques, a Realm was something profound and mysterious. The War Emperor’s memories could only serve as a primer; it was up to Shen Lang to use that foundation to achieve a thorough comprehension.

Otherwise, he would never be able to truly make it his own.

The Death Realm was indeed terrifying.

But Shen Lang’s heart was like a boulder, his willpower incredibly firm.

Moreover, the Star Moon Bodhi Prayer Beads within his body guarded his mind, so none of this had much of an effect on him!

Now, all he faced were the endless Demon Corpses and Skeleton Monsters, which he was simply treating as real.

’These Demon Corpses and Skeleton Monsters are endless; charging forward blindly is not the way. While the Tai Chi Diagram has a lot of Primordial Power stored, I haven’t used it for Cultivation for very long. Apart from the significant Energy from that Evil Spirit in the Yin Yang Inverted Qimen Formation, its own reserves are too small to be inexhaustible. Faced with this situation, I must be brave when I need to be, and evasive when I must. I need to advance and retreat at will, balancing long-range and close-quarters combat. Only then can I survive.’

His murderous gaze swept over the waves of approaching Demon Corpses. Shen Lang swung his saber, and a burst of Sword Qi erupted forth!

”Prison Guardian Blade Technique, Fourth Form, Divine Blade Prison Guardian, Celestial Demon Subduing!”

Shen Lang had used this move many times before against Yuwen Huaji.

But now, as he used it again, there was a major difference.

This Sword Qi was no more than ten feet long, its power a far cry from the sky-rending might it had possessed before.

But the moment this Sword Qi appeared, outside the Death Realm, Shark’s Kiss, Nangong Yan, and their companion, along with the eight King Martial Realm experts on the Flood Dragon in the sky, all narrowed their eyes!

”Sword Intent! Such powerful Sword Intent! He actually condensed his Sword Intent directly into Sword Qi!” one of the men on the Flood Dragon exclaimed.

”At the Small Success Realm of Sword Intent... not only can one stir the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi to form Sword Qi for attack, but one can also directly materialize Sword Intent into Sword Qi, capable of severing all things and shattering the void! For his Sword Intent to improve so drastically in such a short time... this... this kid is an absolute freak!”

”This kid isn’t just using the Death Realm for Cultivation, he’s raised his Sword Intent Realm by a huge leap in such a short time... Aside from that young master of our Xue Family who’s been in closed-door training, who else could possibly compare to him?”

Amidst the shocked discussions of the surrounding experts, Shen Lang burst into wild laughter!

Before him, that seemingly unremarkable saber strike had carved a massive chasm through the endless, tide-like horde of Demon Corpses and Skeleton Monsters—a chasm as wide as a canyon!

Along the edges of this chasm, Sword Qi raged, dicing countless Demon Corpses and Skeleton Monsters into fragments!

’When I risked everything to unleash the Water Demon Saber, I finally absorbed and comprehended all of that rampant Sword Intent! By exhausting all my Spiritual Power without using the Primordial Power from the Tai Chi Diagram, I pushed my body to its absolute limit... This battle in the Death Realm has truly yielded great rewards!’

’After my life-and-death battle with Yuwen Huaji, the number of Divine Beast Particles containing the phantoms of the Ten Divine Beasts in my cells increased by six. I never thought that facing the suppression of death in this Death Realm would actually create two more!’

’It seems Li Su was right. Though the Chaos Divine Body ultimately needs the Essence Blood of the Ten Divine Beasts to reach its complete form, using Thunder Power Body Forging or stimulating my potential under the threat of death can also increase the number of Ten Divine Beast Particles and further strengthen my physical body! I get it now, I get it!’

Overjoyed, Shen Lang immediately sheathed his saber and stood tall!

In that moment, he radiated an unparalleled, world-conquering aura!

And in that same instant, the endless swarm of Demon Corpses and Skeleton Monsters lunged forward, submerging Shen Lang’s body.

Countless Demon Corpses latched onto Shen Lang’s body and bit down fiercely!

Blood flew everywhere!

Yet Shen Lang remained completely unmoved. He simply stared straight ahead, allowing his arm to be ripped off and then devoured by a Demon Corpse!

’These Demon Corpses and Skeleton Monsters are realistic, but their strength isn’t that great. My Celestial Demon Body has already awakened, and my Chaos Divine Body is supreme. Even without activating the Chaos Divine Body’s power within my cells, my physical body is already incredibly tough. Do they think they can just bite through it?’

’No matter how real, an Illusion Realm is still just an illusion. It merely invades the Sea of Consciousness and affects the six senses; it can never be perfectly real.’

’The ancient beast’s skeleton in this Death Realm is terrifying. That kid Xue Jingyuan most likely comprehended this Death Realm on some ancient battlefield. It’s a pity he only scratched the surface, so that massive skeleton lacks any corresponding power. It’s all show and no go.’

’What a pity. If his comprehension of the Death Realm were more advanced, I could have used it to suppress him and then copied the Death Realm for myself!’

Watching his other arm get ripped off like a piece of straw, Shen Lang actually managed a slight smile amidst the heart-rending pain.

’Heart like clear ice, unmoved as the heavens fall. Calm amidst ten thousand changes, spirit serene and qi tranquil.’

’Forget the self and guard the One; the six senses are pacified. Cultivate qi at the precepts stage, selfless and without strife.’

’Upper and lower attend to each other, spirit and form in harmony. Gather intent at the Mystic Gate, subduing all wandering thoughts.’

’Nothing within, nothing without, as the turbid becomes clear. Untouched by dust, unstained by the mundane.’

This ”Ice Heart Technique” was a Dharma Gate specializing in cultivating one’s mental state. The moment it activated, the crimson in Shen Lang’s eyes receded, revealing deep, flawless pupils.

At the same time, the Star Moon Bodhi Prayer Beads in his Pill Sea trembled slightly, releasing a ray of Buddha Light that instantly coursed through Shen Lang’s body.

Shen Lang’s consciousness fully returned, and his frenzied state vanished without a trace.

The next moment, Shen Lang’s entire body shattered. His head fell to the ground, and the overwhelming tide of Demon Corpses lunged down upon it!

”Silver Eyes of Truth, open!”

The eyes on Shen Lang’s disembodied head snapped open!

The Silver Eyes of Truth—capable of seeing through the Sun and Moon Profound Void, piercing all Illusion Techniques, and discerning truth from falsehood anywhere between heaven and earth—finally activated...

Everything before him instantly receded like a frantic tide!

The Demon Corpses, Skeleton Monsters, and the Sea of Blood all vanished completely!

Shen Lang’s gaze met the horrified eyes of Xue Jingyuan...

”No... This is impossible!”

Xue Jingyuan shrieked.

The Death Realm was his ultimate killing move, an ace in the hole that could slay experts above his level. Yet not only had it failed to destroy Shen Lang’s spirit, it had even allowed him to advance his Sword Intent to the Small Success Realm...

Furthermore, his opponent had completely seen through the Death Realm, able to awaken from it whenever he pleased!

”How can such a monster exist in this world!”

Sweat poured down Xue Jingyuan’s face like rain, and his whole body began to tremble uncontrollably.

Even though Shen Lang was still technically shrouded by the Death Realm, an irrepressible fear bloomed in Xue Jingyuan’s heart!

Moreover, the moment Shen Lang had pierced through the Realm, the backlash had thrown Xue Jingyuan’s Sea of Consciousness into chaos. It was as if a hurricane had struck the ocean, sending monstrous waves surging violently!

”Even if you’ve recovered your senses, it’s useless!”

”You can’t possibly escape the space manifested by this Realm!” Xue Jingyuan roared hysterically.

The Death Realm was one of the most profound and mysterious types of Realms, vastly different from the likes of the Ice Realm.

The Ice Realm was more tangible than the Death Realm; it could instantly entomb a person with Cold Power. The most direct and simple way to break the Ice Realm was to overwhelm skill with brute force—that is, to bombard the Cold Power with superior strength!

But the Death Realm blended illusion with reality. It was mostly filled with Death Qi, along with the bloody horrors manifested from that same qi.

Even if one saw through the illusions, breaking free from the entanglement of Death Qi to escape the Realm’s space was as difficult as ascending to heaven!

Although Xue Jingyuan saw how powerful Shen Lang’s newly comprehended Sword Intent was, he simply refused to believe it could slice his Death Realm right open!

Despite his words, Xue Jingyuan’s breathing grew heavier, and the fear in his eyes intensified.

”Excellent, Shen Lang’s awake!”

Seeing Shen Lang awake, the crowd’s eyes filled with delight. They all held their breath, afraid of disturbing him as he attempted to break through the Death Realm.

”This kid... he’s not actually going to use his Sword Intent to slice the Death Realm open, is he?” Nangong Yan’s composure, unshaken for a thousand years, wavered slightly in that moment.

Shangguan Feiyue stared intently, sending a Divine Thought transmission: ”From the looks of it, his understanding of Realms is likely beyond even our own, which is simply incredible... If that’s the case, then he must know that if he uses his Sword Intent to tear open this Death Realm, Xue Jingyuan will be either killed or crippled. At the very least, he’ll suffer a backlash from the Death Realm that will destroy his Cultivation forever. To cripple a genius of the Xue Family in front of so many people... I’m afraid...”

”If that happens, the great personage in the sky will be furious, and all of Celestial Phoenix City will suffer! And it would become impossible for Dingdang and him to ever be together... Shen Lang, you mustn’t do anything foolish!”

For the first time in several thousand years, Nangong Yan felt truly nervous!