Chapter 122: Rumors and the Princess

Chapter 122: Chapter 122: Rumors and the Princess

Terror, fear...

A long, pitch-black blade reeking of death!

It was an indescribable horror. No matter how bold you claimed to be, your body would honestly tremble before this blade.

Compared to Fu Yuxiang’s previous attack—a flash of light that was both blindingly brilliant and impossibly fast.

The pitch-black blade Fang Can wielded didn’t seem to move quickly. Or perhaps time itself had slowed?

Everyone could feel the blade’s edge drawing nearer to them.

But it was precisely this unhurried strike that terrified them all the more.

You could clearly feel your body frozen in place, waiting for the black blade to fall as if you were offering your neck for execution.

The slow, grinding terror of being sliced by a dull knife was far worse than the lingering fear after a narrow escape from death.

Within that blade, infused with a Heart Image, everyone felt a faint chill on their necks, followed by the sensation of skin tearing, tracheas being severed, and necks snapping.

Death had never felt so vivid. Although there was no pain, it was not a pleasant experience to watch yourself die.

"Haa... Haaa... Gasp... Haaa..."

When Fu Yuxiang came to his senses, he was already kneeling on the ground, desperately gasping for fresh air as he recalled the last moment in terror.

When Fang Can had swung his palm, he had realized it was a pure Heart Image attack.

Only a Martial Artist with a Heart Image could fight another Martial Artist with a Heart Image!

Therefore, he had instinctively countered with his own Heart Image, only to watch in horror as it burned away as quickly as a firecracker fuse.

In the blink of an eye, as the defender, he could only watch helplessly as his Heart Image was effortlessly torn apart by that single palm strike.

’Just how many times stronger is this guy’s Heart Image than an ordinary Martial Artist’s?’

Fu Yuxiang stared at the composed Fang Can in disbelief, his sea of consciousness throbbing with pain, exhausted from his depleted Heart Image.

’If Fang Can had used a real blade just now, I’d be dead,’ Fu Yuxiang thought.

Behind him, a crowd of people—friend and foe alike—had collapsed to their knees.

The excess power from that focused slash had passed through Fu Yuxiang and struck the countless Martial Artists behind him.

They began to gasp, instinctively reaching for their necks to make sure their heads were still attached.

The sensation of death had been too real, and fear spread through them like a tidal wave.

"How does it feel? Your own move," Fang Can asked with a smile.

"My move?" Fu Yuxiang looked shocked. "Are you saying that slash was my Heaven-Soaring Shocking Wave Slash?"

"So it’s called the Heaven-Soaring Shocking Wave Slash? The name’s quite evocative," Fang Can nodded. "Exchanging an insane amount of energy for an ultimate attack... a very creative idea."

As Fang Can spoke, Fu Yuxiang finally understood.

Yes, both the rapidly burning Heart Image and the ultimate blade intent were identical to his own technique.

The only differences were the execution and the sheer volume of this guy’s Heart Image. A single slash had been enough to completely empty Fu Yuxiang’s mind and spirit.

But this realization made it even harder for him to accept.

A technique he had learned only after sitting by the sea day after day, meditating on its essence, had been completely seen through by his opponent in a single glance. The difference in their talent was almost too vast to comprehend.

"You’re Fang Can, right? I’ll remember that name." Fu Yuxiang stood up, his neck stiff. "I admit defeat this time. I lost fair and square. What do you want? Name your price."

"Weren’t you the one who came looking for me? Why are you acting like the victim now?" Fang Can said, exasperated.

"That’s why I’m talking about compensation! Do you want money or a Cultivation Technique? I’ll concede anything but my dignity," Fu Yuxiang said through gritted teeth.

"Oh? You’ve got some martial virtue, after all. In that case, you can all go."

Fang Can waved his hand dismissively. "Seeing that slash of yours was worth the price of admission. I don’t care about the rest."

"What? You really don’t want anything?" Fu Yuxiang’s eyes widened.

"What value do you have to me right now?" Fang Can said. ’I’m letting you go, and you’re still not satisfied? You want me to humiliate you before you leave?’

Fu Yuxiang looked at Fang Can seriously for a long moment before speaking. "Fine. I owe you a favor for this. If you need anything in the future, just ask. I’ll definitely help."

"You’re participating in the Grand Tournament of Nations too, right? I’ll see you in the competition then."

"You?" Fang Can said, unconcerned. "I don’t see how someone I’ve already defeated could be of any help to me."

"I’ve made my offer. Whether you accept it is your business," Fu Yuxiang said flatly. Then he turned to his grief-stricken followers and snorted coldly.

"What’s there to cry about? We weren’t skilled enough, so we’ll go back and train harder. Don’t stop anyone who wants to change their allegiance. Those who are still with me, follow me. We’re continuing on to the capital."

Watching the group rally and prepare to head for the capital, Fang Can turned his head to the Martial Artist from the Hidden Dragon Rank on the other side. "Hey, you. You’ve been watching long enough. Want to come down and spar?"

Called out by Fang Can, the Hidden Dragon Rank Martial Artist first stiffened, then said haughtily, "Hey, do you have any class? All this fighting and killing, all day long. What’s the point?"

"Oh, so you’re just a coward who got scared halfway through. Scram," Fang Can said, waving his hand dismissively. ’There’s no point in fighting someone like this.’

Exposed by Fang Can, the man’s expression froze. He then started spouting some incomprehensible nonsense like, "We were just passing by normally! Who made a rule that you have to fight whenever you meet someone?"

But the more he said, the more he looked like a clown, and the more pronounced the disdainful gazes from the surrounding onlookers became.

But the Martial Artist was cursing inwardly. ’Fuck those second-hand information peddlers! What kind of garbage rumor was that?’

’This is what they call a narrow defeat after a fierce battle with Wan Chenyu?’

He had watched the entire fight. He reckoned he’d have a hard time surviving even a single one of Fu Yuxiang’s Heart Image-burning slashes. If there were a few more strikes of that caliber, he would have been the one to die.

As for Fang Can? By his estimation, if Fang Can didn’t beat the shit out of Wan Chenyu with a single punch, it’d only be because Wan Chenyu had an empty stomach.

Muttering curses to himself, the man and his group quickly vanished, along with the other group that had been trying to block the road, revealing the remaining party of a few dozen people.

"You all are still here... looking for a fight too?" Fang Can asked, moving closer.

As he spoke, his gaze fell on the slender figure inside the sedan chair. ’She doesn’t look like she could take a single punch from me.’

Being stared at by Fang Can, the leading guard captain felt immense pressure. Drenched in sweat, he could only clasp his hands and say, "Young Master Fang, I am the Commander of the Imperial Guard, escorting the princess back to the capital. The princess does not practice martial arts and has no intention of sparring."

"The princess... doesn’t practice martial arts?" Fang Can’s gaze shifted to the sedan chair.

He couldn’t see the woman’s face through the curtains, but those two details were enough to make him connect the dots.

’No way,’ Fang Can thought. ’If this is really fate at work, then I guess I’m the one who killed her father.’

The thought gave Fang Can a strange feeling.

’Could a few words from me really have caused things to develop to this point?’