Chapter 627 - 612: Dugu Zhange’s Challenge

Noticing the look from Nangong Yan, Nalan Ziyun pouted, walked over, grabbed Shen Lang’s arm, and started to pull him away, showing him no deference at all.

"Stop it, I’m busy!" Shen Lang protested, gently patting the back of her hand.

Nalan Ziyun glared. "What could be so important? Haven’t you had your fill of showing off?"

As she spoke, Nalan Ziyun sent him a Divine Thought transmission, "Show mercy where you can. Leave the rest to Sister Nangong and the others; it’s better than you just standing here. If you don’t give them a way to back down gracefully, they’ll hold a grudge even if they do submit. That’ll just make things difficult."

Although it was a Divine Thought transmission, how could it possibly escape the notice of Yin Shanhan, whose Divine Thought was far more powerful than that of an ordinary Emperor Martial Realm expert?

Yin Shanhan glanced at Nalan Ziyun. The more he looked, the more he liked this young woman.

Just then, Nalan Ziyun pointed at Duanmu Xie and Duanmu Zheng. "You two, scram! How many years has it been since you bathed? You’ve made this whole courtyard stink to high heaven!"

"..." The Duanmu Brothers were utterly dumbfounded.

The people around them were also stunned. Nalan Ziyun was probably the only person who would dare to point a finger at a Zombie Emperor and speak to them that way.

"That’s Corpse Qi, not a stench..." Duanmu Zheng couldn’t help but weakly protest.

Bone Two popped his head out from the crowd and chided, "Idiot! If the Boss Lady says it’s a stench, then it’s a stench! You dare talk back?"

Duanmu Xie turned his head and saw the Bone Demon in the crowd, and a wave of fury washed over him...

’A mere Xuanwu Realm Bone Demon is acting this arrogant!’

’Using me as a stepping stone to suck up to her?’

’Forget it. She’s the Boss Lady. I’d better just back down.’

The Duanmu Brothers hung their heads and sank into the ground.

Shen Lang stood up with a helpless sigh. Just as he did, his eyes suddenly turned cold, and he yanked Nalan Ziyun close!

WHOOSH!

A blurry figure charged forward with the speed of a thunderclap.

A faintly visible palm, wrapped in a strange, spiraling gale, tore through the air. Its ferocious, twisting Powerful Qi enveloped all of Shen Lang’s vital points!

The attacker’s speed was simply inconceivable; most people could only see a blurry silhouette.

Aside from a few Emperor Martial Realm experts, no one present could even tell if the attacker was male or female, let alone what clothes they were wearing!

During this recent period, thanks to his insights from within the Tai Chi Diagram, Shen Lang’s understanding of the world’s "Momentum" had increased many times over.

Even though his back was to the sudden attacker and his Divine Thought wasn’t spread out, his body naturally sensed the attack, reflecting a complete picture of his opponent in his mind.

In Shen Lang’s perception, the attacker was young, but his Cultivation had already broken through to the King Martial Realm.

Seven major acupoints on his body resonated with the Big Dipper in the sky, forming a Spirit Array Map that covered his entire body via a Supreme Secret Technique.

Within this Spirit Array Map, the seven stars of the Big Dipper were dazzlingly bright, his Spiritual Power flowing in an endless, incomparably fierce torrent!

From top to bottom, his shoulder, hand, waist, hip, abdomen, heel, and the tip of his foot corresponded to the Big Dipper, constructing a perfect and ingenious Spirit Array Map.

Drawing on the pulling and explosive Power of this Spirit Array Map, all the man’s Mystic Gates were connected. His movements were as fast as a phantom, and his Spiritual Power cycled like an endless tide, each wave stronger than the last!

Though his speed was incredible, he was completely silent!

’Seven-Star Soaring Clouds, Shifting Form and Shadow?’

’To think that these legendary Hidden Noble Families are all starting to appear now!’

Shen Lang snorted coldly. His palm circled in a spiral, and he casually thrust it out to his side!

The phantom-like attacker had originally been directly behind Shen Lang, but at the exact moment Shen Lang’s palm shot out, the man appeared out of thin air at his side!

But the palm he thrust at Shen Lang was intercepted, and his Vein Gate was instantly seized!

It was as if the man had offered his own wrist right into Shen Lang’s grip!

’How is this possible?’

His Step Technique and Palm Technique had never failed him before, yet on his very first move, he was utterly countered. With his Vein Gate seized, an excruciating wave of pain, numbness, and weakness spread through his entire body, causing his face to pale in shock!

This man was truly no ordinary foe. Even with his Vein Gate seized, he activated his Spiritual Power and used a Secret Technique to forcefully shift the acupoint in his arm by an inch, escaping the awkward predicament of being controlled!

Then, Powerful Qi surged through his arm as he wrenched it violently, trying to pull free!

At the same time, in a bid to force Shen Lang to release him, he thrust his left palm toward Shen Lang’s waist!

A sharp Wind Blade materialized at close range and sliced toward Shen Lang!

At that moment, Shen Lang spun around to face his attacker!

He lifted his right leg and drove his knee into the Wind Blade, instantly shattering it into countless pieces.

Then, Shen Lang’s right hand tightened abruptly, his fingers digging into the man’s wrist like a Vajra Iron Wrist.

"Hmph!" The man grunted, the power in his arm surging as he prepared to meet Shen Lang head-on.

However, that didn’t seem to be Shen Lang’s intention.

He grabbed the man’s arm and yanked him forward, pulling him right up close!

The man clearly hadn’t expected this kind of fighting style. He was just about to switch tactics when Shen Lang, moving even faster, swayed his shoulder and slammed it hard into his chest!

BAM!

The blow landed squarely!

A tidal wave of Powerful Qi blasted the man backward, his feet plowing a long furrow into the ground.

"Hahahaha, exhilarating!"

The attacker laughed wildly, backflipped through the air, and came to a stop, hovering.

A young man with a heroic and imposing aura, dressed in magnificent robes, stood with his hands clasped behind his back, looking down arrogantly.

"I am Dugu Zhange. I was just passing by when I heard from the Third Prince that a monstrous talent had appeared in the Purple Chu Country. I came to see if you are qualified to fight me."

"But fame, as it turns out, is a greatly exaggerated thing. Now that I’ve seen you for myself, this so-called monster is nothing special after all..."

"Who the hell do you think you are, talking about our junior brother like that? Get lost!" someone from the Profound Dao Sect below shouted.

"A mighty King Martial Realm expert gets knocked back by our junior brother’s palm and ends up in such a sorry state, yet you’re still putting on an act. You’ve got some nerve!"

"That’s right! You launch a sneak attack on our junior brother Shen Lang, get outplayed by him, and you still act so high and mighty? You must be sick in the head!"

The disciples from the various sects began to curse at him furiously.

’The Third Prince?’ A group of King Martial Realm old-timers remained silent, watching Dugu Zhange cautiously.

’Judging by this man’s Cultivation and bearing, he is also a stunning talent. To think he’d be so easily used as a pawn by the Third Prince!’

Meanwhile, the few Emperor Martial Realm experts seemed to have immense confidence in Shen Lang. They paid no mind to this person who had appeared out of nowhere, and even though they had noticed his arrival, they had no intention of interfering.

Shen Lang said calmly, "Whether I’m ’nothing special’ or not, shouldn’t you know better than anyone? There’s no point in being stubborn when you’ve already lost."

Dugu Zhange smirked. "I have to admit, you’re fast. Fast enough to keep up with me. And you seem to know my moves before I even make them, as if you can predict the future... But unfortunately, your Cultivation hasn’t reached the King Martial Realm. That gap in power is impossible to overcome."

"If you fight me, you will certainly die!"

After saying this, Dugu Zhange waved his palm. A divine radiance surged forth, forming a giant character for "War" in the air!

"So? I hear you’re domineering and arrogant. Do you dare accept this challenge?"

Dugu Zhange spoke with wild arrogance from his high perch, "If you dare to accept this challenge, then in half a month, at the grand tournament organized by the three great Spirit Copper Level Influences here, you and I will determine a victor!"

"If you don’t dare, then apologize to the Third Prince in front of everyone in the Imperial Capital! And then... get out of the Imperial Capital!"

His words silenced the disciples from the various sects, who had been cursing just a moment before.

At this point, how could anyone fail to understand? This was clearly a helper the Third Prince had found from who-knows-where!

He was here purely to stir up trouble!

"If you want a fight, you’ll get one!" Shen Lang replied grimly. He reached out with his right hand and made a grasping motion in the air toward the giant "War" character.

POP!

The massive "War" character seemed to be caught by an invisible giant hand, which crushed it to pieces. It dissolved into motes of light and vanished into the air.

Dugu Zhange’s eyes narrowed for a moment, then he burst into wild laughter again. "What boldness! Though I detest people like you, I must admit, I admire your courage."

"A pity. All who fight me end up either dead or crippled. You will be no exception, hahahaha!"

His laughter still echoed in the air, but Dugu Zhange’s figure had already vanished without a trace.

Aside from the few Emperor Martial Realm experts present, everyone else looked at Shen Lang with faint worry in their eyes.

This Dugu Zhange came and went like a ghost. His Cultivation Technique was bizarre, his speed was phenomenal, and he was clearly far stronger than an ordinary King Martial Realm expert.

No matter how you looked at it, Shen Lang’s current Cultivation was definitely not at the King Martial Realm.

And when he had dealt with King Martial Realm experts before, he had mainly relied on Yuan Bupu and the others.

Just as Dugu Zhange had said, there was a world of difference between the King Martial Realm and the Xuanwu Realm. The gap in power was difficult to bridge.

Moreover, Dugu Zhange’s speed was likely outstanding even among King Martial Realm First Heaven experts, with few who could match him...

’If he was at a great disadvantage in power and also outmatched in speed... wouldn’t he be completely helpless, a sitting duck?’

For a King Martial Realm expert to demand a fight was already a shameless act in itself. Furthermore, there seemed to be no great enmity between them; the man was simply trying to stand up for the Third Prince. Shen Lang could have refused.

But the moment his opponent used this Provocation Technique, Shen Lang had agreed almost without hesitation...

"Dugu Zhange... so he really is from the Dugu Family." The corner of Shen Lang’s mouth curled up. "But that kid was probably sealed away for far too long. He came out only to be immediately tricked into running in circles for someone else."

"Since he’s out now, it’ll save me the trouble of running around like a headless chicken later. When the time comes, I’ll have him lead the way so I can have a talk with the Dugu Family... The Ancient Hidden Noble Families have quite a few nice things, after all."

Shen Lang shrugged and waved his hand. "Alright, break it up. Everyone, go back to what you were doing."

"If he’s looking for death, that’s easy enough to arrange. In a few days, I’ll make him regret this completely!"