The Strongest Mythical Emperor
Chapter 114: Star Lodge

Chapter 114: Chapter 114: Star Lodge

"The identity information of the Demon King’s master?"

Qin Jun, who sat inside the carriage, raised an eyebrow before standing up and stepping out to approach Wang Kun.

As soon as Wang Kun saw Qin Jun, he guessed that he must be the recently notorious Little Overlord in Canglan Kingdom, for Qin Jun’s handsome features and extraordinary demeanor clearly set him apart from ordinary men.

"Could it be His Highness Yue?" Wang Kun asked as he bowed in salute.

Qin Jun nodded and said, "If City Lord Wang is aware of the other party’s identity, why not let him come and capture the Demon King himself?"

He wasn’t just putting on airs; his status was indeed higher than Wang Kun’s, and coming from a different kingdom, it would seem inappropriate for Qin Jun to bow in return, as it might suggest that Qianyue Kingdom was inferior to Canglan Kingdom.

Upon hearing this, Wang Kun couldn’t help but smile bitterly, "I’ve sent messages, but the other party is a hall master of Star Lodge, and my people simply can’t reach him."

Star Lodge?

A puzzled expression crossed Qin Jun’s face. Seeing this, Wang Kun hurriedly explained, "Star Lodge is one of the Seven Major Sects of the Nanzhuo Dynasty. Any one of its hall masters has the power to destroy a kingdom with a wave of a hand, as mighty as Earth Immortal gods."

Upon hearing this, Qin Jun suddenly understood, then couldn’t help but sigh in realization.

This is the hierarchy!

Because of insufficient status, one cannot even meet with Star Lodge, thus can only watch as a hall master’s pet rampages through one’s city at will.

It’s sad indeed, but this is the stark reality of the survival of the fittest.

"Star Lodge."

Zhu Yanqing muttered, while Ye Xuan and the others also showed expressions of longing. The Hidden Dragon Martial Arts Competition was not just for fame; the greatest reward was the chance to enter one of the Seven Major Sects of the Nanzhuo Dynasty and thus leap through the Dragon Gate.

The disparity between Star Lodge and the Yan Qing Sect was not marginal; the elders of their Yan Qing Sect were nothing within the Seven Major Sects of the Nanzhuo Dynasty, the difference in foundation was simply too vast.

"Here are ten thousand first-grade spirit stones. I hope Your Highness will accept them as a token of gratitude for saving the city," Wang Kun said, pointing to a large box that the soldiers were carrying.

He was aware of Qin Jun’s conflict with Canglan Kingdom, but during the time of crisis, Canglan Kingdom had failed to provide support; it was Qin Jun’s subordinates who had turned the tide. He could distinguish gratitude from grievances.

And hearing the soldiers’ description of Li Yuanba, he had a feeling that Canglan Kingdom would eventually be annexed by Qin Jun.

First Guan Yu struck down Xiao Beilong in a single second, then Li Yuanba killed the Demon King in an instant.

Both of these peerless powerhouses belonged to Qin Jun. If Qin Jun were to ascend the throne, Canglan Kingdom would stand no chance against the might of Qianyue Kingdom’s forces.

So this was him showing goodwill in advance.

Ten thousand first-grade spirit stones?

Qin Jun’s eyes lit up. Spirit stones were the condensed essence of spiritual energy, used for cultivation and as the currency of the cultivation world. Spirit stones were graded in ten levels, with the spiritual energy of a second-grade stone being ten times that of the first-grade, and accordingly so was its value. A third-grade stone’s value was ten times that of a second-grade, and the level continued upward, with the increase of spiritual energy growing exponentially.

A single first-grade spirit stone was equivalent to an hour of cultivation in an ordinary environment, whereas absorbing a first-grade spirit stone took only a few minutes; such was the allure of spirit stones.

"Thank you, City Lord Wang, for the generous gift," Qin Jun said with a nod and a smile. As he spoke, he approached the box of spirit stones and promptly stored them in his storage ring.

The box of spirit stones was heavy and not suited for constant transport, just like their food and water supplies.

"Well, I won’t bother Your Highness any longer. I wish Your Highness world-renowned success at the Hidden Dragon Martial Arts Competition!" Wang Kun moved aside and said with a smile, doing so not only for the reasons he mentioned but also for fear that observant individuals might discover and spread the word.

After all, Qin Jun was a prince from a neighboring country.

Qin Jun nodded, then took the letter from the hands of the captain of the guard.

After returning to the carriage, Qin Jun opened the letter to read it, while Li and Daji also peeked in to look.

The procession continued forward, soon passing through the city gates.

Watching their departing figures, Wang Kun couldn’t help but lament, "If only this young man were born in our kingdom, how wonderful that would be."

The soldiers behind him did not respond, as their gazes were all fixed on Li Yuanba, who had transformed into a voracious eater.

...

"Li Mengjia, the Sixth Hall Master of Star Lodge, ranks in the top five in terms of strength within the sect."

Qin Jun murmured, as Star Lodge, being one of the Seven Major Sects of the Nanzhuo Dynasty, certainly belonged to the top echelon of power. Li Mengjia’s ranking within the top five of Star Lodge meant he was more than just at the Transforming Void Realm.

He might have reached the Earth Immortal Realm.

Otherwise, it would have been impossible for him to tame the fifth level Transforming Void Realm’s Demon King of Tiger as a pet.

Daji couldn’t help but tease with a playful laugh, "Are you scared?"

"Brother Qin Jun, don’t be afraid, Li will protect you," said Li, hugging Qin Jun’s arm gently.

Look at that!

This is the difference!

Qin Jun glared at Daji resentfully and then said irritably, "How could I possibly be scared? When I ascend to the throne, I will definitely lead Qianyue Kingdom to surpass the Nanzhuo Dynasty. By then, it won’t just be one Star Lodge, bring six of them on and I’ll easily wipe them out!"

"Your talent for bragging seems to grow faster than your cultivation," Daji scoffed with a laugh, striking right at Qin Jun’s heart, causing him pain.

Damn, the woman has learned to be wicked!

She even knows how to twist the knife!

Qin Jun felt like crying without tears; Daji hadn’t picked up any of his good points but had become adept at the art of insulting others, a skill he had mastered.

"Cultivate! Cultivate! True strength lies in one’s own power!" Qin Jun huffed, and with that, he closed his eyes and began to cultivate, while Daji and Li shared a smile and followed suit by absorbing energy and cultivating.

The carriage fell into silence as the convoy left the city and advanced into the wilderness.

...

Cliff Pass.

This was the border of Canglan Kingdom; beyond it lay the territories of the Nanzhuo Dynasty.

At this moment, a young man in green clothes sat atop the sentry tower, drinking wine with a slight flush on his handsome face, leisurely reciting a short poem.

The cultivators on the street below were pointing and discussing among themselves.

"Isn’t that Su Liejie? What’s he doing here?"

"Isn’t it obvious? He’s waiting for Qin Jun. After Song Lang lost to Qin Jun, it’s natural for Su Liejie to step in."

"After all, Su Liejie is our Canglan Kingdom’s number one talent, and the only one listed among the geniuses of the heavens."

"Look carefully, there are other well-known talents around. It seems they’ve all come to watch the battle."

"Su Liejie’s swordsmanship has reached the point of understanding the essence of the sword. Among his peers, he is truly invincible. Now that he’s making a move, Qin Jun is bound to be defeated!"

The majority of the cultivators spoke highly of Su Liejie. His reputation as the number one talent wasn’t just granted — he had climbed there by stepping on countless other talents.

As Su Liejie on the sentry tower eaves listened to their conversations, a wicked smile appeared on the corners of his mouth.

"Qin Jun? I hope you don’t disappoint me," Su Liejie said, raising his wine bowl as he murmured. At that moment, a mystical bird passed through the sky, a giant eagle with a wingspan of five meters.

Seeing this, Su Liejie leaped up, flipped his right hand, and a white jade longsword magically appeared in his grasp. He lifted his sword and slashed toward the sky, void of flashy moves or impressive displays of spiritual power, a seemingly ordinary strike that appeared almost like a juggling act.

But two seconds later, the giant eagle in the sky let out a pitiful screech, its wings snapped off, blood sprayed across the sky, and it plummeted down. The sight left the cultivators below in an uproar.