Strongest War Emperor

Dugu Zhange never would have thought...

Shen Lang, having just successfully broken through to the King Martial Realm, had immediately sought him out, wanting to use him to test his new power!

The shock Shen Lang had delivered during the Nine-Nine Thunder Tribulation had completely shattered his confidence.

If it were possible, Dugu Zhange wanted nothing more than to avoid fighting Shen Lang ever again.

A freak of nature who could clash with Purple Tribulation Thunder using his physical body, who could induce a change in the tribulation itself, causing the remaining bolts to merge into Golden Tribulation Thunder, and still emerge completely unscathed...

It was simply unheard of!

He had never heard of such a thing, not in the countless legends or the endless volumes of Classics...

To face a monster like that was simply asking for humiliation!

Dugu Zhange was now sick with regret.

But regrets aside, the most critical thing now was... Shen Lang had bluntly called him out in front of so many people. Under these circumstances, he had no room to refuse!

Any reason for refusal would seem feeble and pathetic at a time like this...

Besides, he could tell from the look in Shen Lang’s eyes that whether he refused or not no longer mattered.

Even if Dugu Zhange refused, even if experts from other factions tried to intervene, Shen Lang would probably charge over, drag him out, and give him a savage beating anyway!

Many who knew Shen Lang knew this... he was definitely capable of it!

In that case, fighting or not fighting would probably lead to the same outcome!

At this thought, Dugu Zhange’s blood boiled. He shot up from his seat. ”Shen Lang, you’re too arrogant!”

Shen Lang grinned. ”Arrogant? I’ve earned the right to be.”

”...” Dugu Zhange was so stunned by this retort he was practically choking, utterly at a loss for words.

’He’s right. Shen Lang really has earned the right to be arrogant!’

’If he doesn’t have that right, who does?’

In this place, the only one who originally had the right to be arrogant was him, Dugu Zhange.

Whether it was his background from a Hidden Noble Family, his astonishing talent, or the incomparably powerful Magical Treasure Secret Artifacts in his possession...

Any one of these things was earth-shattering, an existence to be looked up to in the small Purple Chu Country.

But Shen Lang’s appearance had completely suppressed him.

Everything Dugu Zhange had been proud of now seemed dim and lackluster!

The muscles on his face twitched uncontrollably. Dugu Zhange roared, ”You want a fight? Then let’s fight! I, Dugu Zhange, have even slain a King Martial Realm Third Heaven powerhouse. I hope you won’t regret this!”

The pride of a Hidden Great Noble Family made it impossible for Dugu Zhange to admit defeat.

However, his roar sounded to the onlookers like he was all bark and no bite.

WHOOSH!

The Third Prince beside him tried to grab Dugu Zhange, but with a flicker, the man had already shot sideways off the high platform.

Five hundred meters to the right was a huge valley, the most suitable place nearby for King Martial Realm experts to fight.

BANG!

Dugu Zhange stomped his feet heavily on the ground, sending shattered stones flying.

At this moment, he raised his head, his gaze fixed on Shen Lang high in the sky. Battle Intent surged in his eyes, and the aura around him erupted like a tidal wave!

Facing a formidable opponent like Shen Lang, although Dugu Zhange felt fear in his heart, he also grew excited.

’A character like this could be my stepping stone!’

’Defeating someone like him will spread my, Dugu Zhange’s, fame even further!’

’Even if Shen Lang is truly powerful, I, Dugu Zhange, am no weakling!’

’No matter how strong Shen Lang is, he just broke through to the King Martial Realm. In this state, even if his power is immense, his control over it is probably only a sliver better than a Xuanwu Realm Ninth Heaven Martial Artist’s!’

’And I, Dugu Zhange, have not only cultivated the Dugu Family’s secret Sunflower Water Demon Technique to the Fourth Floor.’

’I’m also wearing the Fourth Grade Emperor Artifact, the Fire Refining Star Divine Armor; hanging around my neck is the ”Heart of the Ocean” pendant, which can withstand three full-powered strikes from a King Martial Realm Fifth Heaven powerhouse; and in my hand, I hold the Fourth Grade Emperor Artifact, the ”Scythe of Death,” forged from a Celestial Demon Skull!’

’Even against a King Martial Realm Fifth Heaven powerhouse, I absolutely wouldn’t be at a disadvantage in a short time!’

’Why the hell should I be afraid of him!’

With that thought, Dugu Zhange finally suppressed the fear in his heart.

His burgeoning Battle Intent soared, his heroic spirit piercing the clouds!

”Shen Lang, I hope your strength can match your arrogance! No one can be this insolent in front of me, Dugu Zhange, and you are no exception!”

The deep voice that came from Dugu Zhange’s mouth carried a sharp, domineering tone.

It echoed through the valley like a clap of thunder.

”Someone from the Dugu Family certainly has some skill. Heh, I hope you don’t disappoint me.”

Shen Lang smiled nonchalantly and took three steps forward, treading on the empty air.

These three steps were neither large nor particularly fast.

But each step he took in the air created ripples, and each step crossed a distance of over a hundred meters, as if he were Shrinking Inches.

It gave off a feeling of profound mystery.

However, this feeling of profound, unfathomable mystery was only what the spectators above felt...

For Dugu Zhange, who was locked onto by Shen Lang’s Divine Thought, the feeling was completely different!

In Dugu Zhange’s eyes, Shen Lang was like a man carrying a mountain on his back. Every footstep made the surrounding space tremble and shake!

What looked like three simple steps to outsiders felt like they were stomping right on Dugu Zhange’s heart.

It made the hair on his neck stand on end, and his whole body began to tremble.

With every step, Shen Lang’s figure grew much taller in Dugu Zhange’s eyes!

The oppressive feeling Shen Lang gave him multiplied several times over in just those three steps!

By the time he had taken the third step, Shen Lang’s imposing figure seemed like an ancient Giant, filling Dugu Zhange’s entire field of vision!

An overwhelming, irresistible pressure, as vast as a mountain, swept towards Dugu Zhange.

It seemed as if it would crush him outright!

”Damn it!”

Knowing that this was an illusion caused by Shen Lang’s powerful Divine Thought locking onto him, Dugu Zhange was overcome with rage.

”Don’t think for a second you’ve already won!”

Dugu Zhange’s face was twisted in a ferocious snarl. His own vast, almost tangible Divine Thought surged upward like an inverted tsunami to clash with Shen Lang’s.

The two immense Divine Thoughts collided before the battle had even begun!

Neither of them moved, but a hurricane suddenly whipped through the valley. Countless rocks and trees exploded, flying outward with Dugu Zhange at the center.

The scene was utterly terrifying!

Shen Lang slowly descended from the air, landing on a green stone two hundred meters away from Dugu Zhange. He watched the ill-faced Dugu Zhange with indifference.

”To dare face me, you do have some skill,” Shen Lang said coolly.

”More than just ’some’! You’ll soon regret this!” This arrogant, domineering, and insolent tone nearly made Dugu Zhange faint with anger.

’An elite disciple from a great Hidden Noble Family, someone who could slay a King Martial Realm Third Heaven expert in under twenty moves, is reduced to having just ”some skill” in his presence?’

’This is the height of arrogance!’

’Lines like that were always what I, Dugu Zhange, used to say! I can’t believe Shen Lang has stolen them all!’

’This is utterly intolerable!’

...

With Shen Lang’s arrival, the atmosphere on the mountaintop instantly grew feverish.

Everyone had already been speculating about Shen Lang, so the atmosphere was already lively.

Now that Shen Lang had arrived and directly challenged Dugu Zhange, the excitement was pushed to its absolute peak!

One was a genius from a Hidden Great Noble Family who had reached the King Martial Realm in less than a hundred years.

He cultivated a powerful technique that only Legendary Sects would possess, and in his hand, he wielded the ”Scythe of Death,” forged from a Celestial Demon Skull!

It was said that with his Cultivation at the King Martial Realm First Heaven, he once slew a King Martial Realm Third Heaven powerhouse in under twenty moves!

The other was wildly domineering, causing a ruckus in the Imperial Capital the moment he appeared. Not only did he kill the Hall Master and son from the Spirit Copper Level Demonic Dao Sect, the White Bone Hall, but he even beat a King Martial Realm Fifth Heaven powerhouse from the Secret Silver Level influence, Celestial Sword Mountain, so badly that his physical body collapsed and his Nascent Soul fled!

Moreover, in just half a month, his Cultivation had leaped from the Xuanwu Realm Sixth Heaven to the King Martial Realm!

Finally, he had calmly faced the unimaginable Nine-Nine Thunder Tribulation of legend, put away his Defense Armor and Immortal Celestial Saber, and directly confronted the Tribulation Thunder with his physical body, emerging unscathed!

A battle like this... never mind the crowd of Spirit Martial Realm and Xuanwu Realm Martial Artists...

Even those old fogeys at the Emperor Martial Realm were now filled with anticipation!

On the mountaintop, the Third Prince watched the two men below with a dark expression, his thoughts unreadable.

Over with the White Bone Hall, several King Martial Realm old-timers were communicating via Divine Thought, their faces grim. They were clearly terrified by Shen Lang.

As for the Spirit Martial Realm disciples of the White Bone Hall, their previously fierce and violent demeanor had become much more subdued...

Before Shen Lang attempted his breakthrough to the King Martial Realm, they had plotted to teach the Profound Dao Sect a lesson, planning to cripple their disciples during the selection tournament without mercy!

But now, that idea seemed utterly laughable.

If Shen Lang’s previously displayed Cultivation wasn’t enough to intimidate them...

...then the methods Shen Lang was now revealing had thoroughly chilled these Demon Martial Artists, born of slaughter, to the bone.

Even Demonic Cultivators, who loved to fight, knew to avoid calamity and respect the strong.

They all knew now that with Shen Lang’s Cultivation and methods, crushing them would be as easy as crushing an ant... Who would still dare to act insolent in front of him?

As for the other Sects that had only minor grudges with Shen Lang, they had all cast aside their former hatred and were now starting to pity Dugu Zhange.

When a person became so powerful that he was irresistible, even if he ran amok, many people would see it as perfectly normal.

Whether it was respecting the strong or the law of the jungle, the prerequisite was always immense power!

Besides, while Shen Lang’s actions were arrogant, he wasn’t just causing trouble for no reason... After all, others had always been the ones to start things.

Before this, when Shen Lang had beaten up the disciples of the major Profound Iron Level Influences, many people held great resentment towards him.

And the people from the Imperial Dragon Sect and the other two major sects also disliked, envied, and refused to submit to Shen Lang.

But not only had a character like the Zombie Emperor appeared by Shen Lang’s side, Shen Lang himself had ultimately revealed an unimaginable level of strength... To still look for trouble under these circumstances would be truly suicidal.

At this moment, the hearts of everyone watching on the mountaintop, young and old, were filled with complex emotions.

All eyes were focused on Shen Lang, wanting to see just how powerful he had become.

This battle was destined to be recorded in the annals of history!

Missing even a single detail or moment would be unforgivable.

Everyone stared with wide, unblinking eyes, watching the two men on the field...