Chapter 740 - 725: Fishing in Troubled Waters

Shen Lang couldn’t even be bothered to deal with Monk Bu Se; he just wanted to enter the Dragon Scale Divine Hall alone.

But as it turned out, that guy had already recognized him and was now clinging to him relentlessly.

That would have been one thing, but the troublemaker’s single sentence had caused a woman from the Imperial Dragon Sect to come after them.

An attack was an attack, but this woman was completely unreasonable. She lumped Shen Lang in with Monk Bu Se and kept launching lethal strikes!

Shen Lang’s temper flared.

Provoked to fury by Shen Lang’s words, the woman, from a great distance, swung her sword at him again!

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Shen Lang pushed off the wall, leaving an afterimage as he swiftly dodged the woman’s strike.

The moment he landed, Shen Lang slammed his right palm into the ground before him!

"Ice Spike!"

With a sharp CRACK, a ring of frosty white mist, two meters wide, erupted from the ground and surged madly toward the woman!

It was as if a python were slithering rapidly beneath the earth.

The next moment, horrifying, two-zhang-tall ice cones shot up from within the cold mist with a continuous HISS!

The sharp sound of them piercing the air echoed continuously, and a bone-chilling cold spread out!

In this place where flight was impossible, this Earth Spike technique, typically favored by low-level Martial Artists, seemed even more terrifying than the woman’s sword strikes.

Sensing the tyrannical power surging from the ice spikes, the woman’s expression changed slightly, and she immediately retreated.

"Cyan Origin Sword Technique, Sword Shadow Splitting Light!"

With a sharp cry, the woman braced her right foot against the ground behind her, bent her left knee, leaned forward, and unleashed a horizontal slash!

Though she had only made a single slash, tens of thousands of streams of Sword Qi appeared in the air, clustering together to form a bolt of energy no more than a zhang wide but over thirty zhang long!

This sharp and domineering Sword Qi instantly crashed against the pointed ice spikes!

A series of ice spikes were immediately sheared in half, then shattered in mid-air, dissipating into mist.

The long trail of cold mist on the ground vanished at a visible rate, leaving only a damp, curved line.

A mocking smile touched the corners of the woman’s lips as she said coldly, "I just saw you fight Blood Gun Mu Feng and thought you had some skill. I didn’t expect you to be so weak... With such pathetic strength, you dare to provoke me?"

Shen Lang rolled his eyes repeatedly.

’Damn it, did I provoke you?’

’I was just standing here, doing nothing, and you came at me with your sword. If my cultivation were any weaker, I’d have been blasted to bits by you already!’

’And you have the nerve to say I provoked you?’

Shen Lang felt a headache coming on.

This woman’s cultivation was on par with Blood Gun Mu Feng’s. If they really fought, he wouldn’t be able to beat her in a short time without revealing his trump cards.

Even if he could win, she was from the Imperial Dragon Sect, so Shen Lang couldn’t be too ruthless.

’And reasoning with her? She’s clearly not a reasonable person, is she?’

Suddenly, Shen Lang’s eyes lit up. "Wait, stop! We’re on the same side! We can talk this out!"

"Same side? Who’s on the same side as a lecher like you?" the woman sneered, raising her longsword as if to strike again.

Cold sweat streamed down Shen Lang’s back. ’I haven’t done anything, haven’t even had a chance to look, and I’m already being called a lecher?’

’What a raw deal!’

Shen Lang cleared his throat and announced loudly, "I am... the one appointed by the Jade Emperor, Tathagata Buddha, and Bodhisattva Guanyin to retrieve the Western Scripture, the special envoy, the Monkey King from Huaguo Mountain Water Curtain Cave, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, Sun Wukong, so handsome it’s... criminal!"

The woman had been listening intently, but upon hearing this, she flew into a rage. "How dare you! Are you making fun of me?"

As Powerful Qi surged, the longsword in her hand flashed with Spirit Light, and she slashed out once more!

Shen Lang spun around, leaned back, and shot away diagonally along the corner of the wall, dodging the attack.

After steadying himself, Shen Lang waved his hand. "It was just a joke. Don’t you have a sense of humor?"

At this, Shen Lang chuckled and lowered his voice. "Actually... I’m Nanfeng Yao!"

"Hm?" The woman froze for a moment, then broke into a smile. "So it’s you, Xiaoyao! What are you doing here? I almost hurt you!"

As she spoke, the woman lowered her longsword and walked toward Shen Lang, smiling all the while.

Shen Lang was about to walk over, but he suddenly realized something was wrong...

In his perception, a tyrannical power was gathering frantically in the longsword in her hand!

It was far more ferocious than her previous attacks!

’Still fighting? I can’t take this anymore!’ Shen Lang turned and ran, shouting as he fled, "Even if that monk and I are partners in crime, you can’t just attack me, can you? It’s so damn unfair! The monk’s cultivation is weaker than mine. If you’ve got the guts, go kill him first! Once you’ve dealt with him, I won’t have a helper, right? Idiot!"

After saying this, Shen Lang picked up speed and plunged directly into the chaotic battle zone.

There, experts from various factions were locked in a relentless battle with Demon Beasts.

If this woman from the Imperial Dragon Sect still wanted to attack, she would likely injure someone else by accident.

Watching Shen Lang’s back disappear into the dust and smoke, the woman ground her teeth in frustration and turned her gaze toward Monk Bu Se, who was hugging the corner of the wall, trying to flee.

When Monk Bu Se saw her looking at him, he was shocked. "Holy crap, Martial Uncle-Ancestor is a real genius! He pushed the woman onto me with a single sentence! The thing is, this humble monk is a man of the cloth. I can’t touch women!"

Without a second thought, Monk Bu Se copied Shen Lang and charged directly toward the chaotic battle zone!

However, both he and Shen Lang had been hiding in the corner. Since Shen Lang had already pulled this trick, the woman was now prepared!

Seeing that Monk Bu Se was indeed using the same move, a sky full of sword shadows immediately descended, sealing off his escape route!

"Go on, run. Let’s see you escape from the palm of my hand!" the woman said with a cold laugh.

With his back to the city wall and a fierce woman blocking his path, Monk Bu Se had no way to retreat. He had no choice but to brace himself and take a few hits from her Sword Qi.

The Undying Golden Body was formidable, but the gap in their cultivation was enormous. Monk Bu Se was hit so hard his qi and blood roiled uncomfortably. He immediately jumped three feet in the air and started cursing loudly!

"Damn it, Nan Wan’Er, are you sick in the head? This humble monk didn’t steal your underwear... I was just being my optimistic self and joking around with the Demon Beasts. Did I provoke you or something?"

Dodging the endless stream of Sword Qi in the air, Monk Bu Se was furious. He adopted a hooligan-like posture and yelled, "This humble monk is warning you, back off right now! If you keep pestering me, I’ll tell everyone that you’re clinging to me because I stole your underwear!"

Nan Wan’Er’s vision went black, and she almost fainted on the spot.

An unreasonable person meeting a shameless rogue—there’s still a world of difference between them.

Monk Bu Se, pushed into a corner, adopted a shameless, nothing-to-lose attitude. If he truly decided to make a scene, it would be an absolute tragedy for Nan Wan’Er.

She didn’t dare to truly harm someone from the Ruyi Buddha Sect.

Attacking Monk Bu Se was just to vent her anger; she would never actually go for the kill.

But if Monk Bu Se rushed out—he wouldn’t even have to go far, just do a lap on this platform—and announced that Nan Wan’Er was hunting him down because he stole her underwear...

Nan Wan’Er didn’t dare to imagine the consequences!

Her fame in the Purple Chu Country would probably surpass that of several of their Elder Ancestors...

"You damned Lustful Monk, get the hell out of my sight!"

Nan Wan’Er was furious, but her only option was to let Monk Bu Se go.

"He who understands the times is a wise man. Take care of yourself, Reverend Abbess!" Monk Bu Se sighed in relief and quickly headed in the direction Shen Lang had gone.

Watching Monk Bu Se’s back disappear, Nan Wan’Er’s hand gripping her sword hilt made a CRACKING sound, her knuckles turning white.

’One lecher, one Lustful Monk... Since you’re both in the Dragon Scale Divine Hall, we’re bound to meet again. When we do, I’ll make you suffer! You’ll soon find out that I, Nan Wan’Er, am not to be trifled with!’

’One pretended to be my nephew, and the other dared to threaten me like that! I’ll cripple you both!’

With a flick of her longsword, Nan Wan’Er turned and walked back toward the rest of the Imperial Dragon Sect members.

...

Meanwhile, Shen Lang, having shaken off Nan Wan’Er, carefully moved through the battle groups where chaotic powers raged, and once again began to extend his Divine Thought toward the Stone Gate.

Within the fray, experts from the various sects relentlessly unleashed their Magical Treasures and Secret Techniques, blasting away at the powerful Demon Beasts pouring out from the Teleportation Gates on either side.

A group of experts at the Seventh or Eighth Heaven of the King Martial Realm were fighting fiercely—a battle that could truly make the heavens and earth change color. Shen Lang... was impressed.

The surrounding Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi was in complete chaos, and an unimaginably immense amount of energy surged wildly.

One careless mistake could get him caught in the crossfire and beaten half to death!

Shen Lang’s cultivation had just advanced to the King Martial Realm Second Heaven, strengthening him once again, but moving through a place like this still made him curse his luck and break out in a cold sweat.

What was worse, he had to spy on the seven Emperor Martial Realm experts in front of the Stone Gate, which almost made Shen Lang want to curse out loud.

’If Monk Bu Se hadn’t stirred up trouble, would I have to work this hard?’

After being hit twice by stray attacks from the various experts, a frustrated Shen Lang once again turned his gaze to the edge of the city wall.

’By the wall, at least I don’t have to worry about my back. Out here, there’s danger from all sides...’

He spread his Divine Thought, confirming that the shrew-like woman from before had moved far away from the wall. Like a cat, Shen Lang carefully crept back toward the wall’s edge.

Activating his Breath Concealing Technique, Shen Lang’s figure vanished from sight. He hid in a corner and began to spy on the seven Emperor Martial Realm experts near the Stone Gate.

Everything in front of the Stone Gate appeared clearly in Shen Lang’s mind.

And almost inaudible voices immediately rang in his ears.

From the east, the woman in the Silver Armor spoke grimly, "Qin Mengxue, have you made up your mind? No matter the grudge between you and I, Dong Chengyue, we are both from the Demon God Hall. Jun Tianyu is from the War God Hall’s Five-Colored Banner. Shouldn’t we join forces and kill him first?"

To the south, a woman in a snow-white dress showed a faint smile at the corner of her lips and said lazily, "The two of us alone can’t do anything to him. And those four over there are just staring each other down like fighting cocks. I doubt they have the time or inclination to help."

"There’s still over an hour until the Stone Gate opens. Why don’t you go help Ren Xudong and Zheng Tianfeng first? They’re from the Candle Dragon, same as you."

Dong Chengyue’s brow furrowed, and she retorted coldly, "A joke! Who was it that interfered and tied me up when I was trying to help those two? If I make a move now, will you just stand by and watch?"

Qin Mengxue smiled sweetly and said, "Well... probably not. I was mainly just bored and stopped you because you all seemed to be having such a vigorous fight. You don’t need to pay me any mind."

"You!" Dong Chengyue was seething with anger.