Chapter 155 - 154: The Hidden Dragon Ranking Opens Again

Chapter 155: Chapter 154: The Hidden Dragon Ranking Opens Again

’Is that Prince Qing? A Third Turn expert!’

Inside the reception hall, everyone’s gaze fell upon the newcomer. He appeared to be in his prime, with a gentle, jade-like handsomeness and an extraordinary air. He wore an ornate coronet, and his mere presence exuded an aura of authority without any hint of anger.

Upon seeing the Prince enter, all the Martial Artists in the hall stood up in unison. Cupping their fists in a martial salute, they said, "Greetings, Prince Qing."

This salute was a sign of respect for the newcomer’s power. After all, on the path of the Martial Dao, the strongest take precedence.

This Prince Qing could annihilate everyone present with a single move.

In his own residence, Prince Qing had no attendants following him. He smiled and said, "All of you are the future pillars of the Great Derivation. There’s no need for such formalities. Please, be seated."

Prince Qing spoke with a bold and magnanimous air, making it difficult to imagine that he was over a hundred years old.

As the Martial Artists took their seats again, Prince Qing got straight to the point:

"I have invited all you promising new talents of the Great Derivation here today. Everyone present is a leader among the younger generation of the Great Derivation, and the reason I have chosen you is—"

"To take first place in the Grand Tournament of Nations!"

As soon as he said this, a stir went through the hall. After exchanging glances, everyone revealed wry smiles.

Looking at the confident Prince Qing, one of the Martial Artists said, "Your Highness, it’s not that we don’t want to, but the number one on the Hidden Dragon List, Xiang Longtao, is simply far stronger than us."

"That’s right. He received the blessings of twelve Heaven-Ascending Road experts when he was just one month old. The Light of the Heart he gained just from entering the Heaven-Ascending Road far surpasses ours."

Although the way of a Martial Artist values courage, one cannot be blindly reckless. One must face the gap between them.

While the Martial Artists present believed they were all destined for great achievements in the future, they had to be realistic about their current stage.

Listening to the other Martial Artists, Fang Can nodded thoughtfully. He, too, thought they didn’t stand a chance.

As for this Xiang Longtao, his reputation was so great, and he had dominated the Hidden Dragon List for a year, so even Fang Can had heard of him.

For example, he’d heard that Xiang Longtao was the first son born to the Great Chu Emperor after the emperor broke through to the Fourth Turn.

When Xiang Longtao was one month old, a grand banquet was held in the Great Chu Imperial Palace.

Then, at great cost, nearly all the high-level shamans in the world were invited.

At the one-month celebration, looking at the infant in the Great Chu Emperor’s arms, the twelve shamans each gave their blessings.

"I bless the Prince with unrivaled martial talent and a prosperous martial destiny," said the first three shamans, waving their wands.

"I bless the Prince with a will that is indestructible in the face of any setback!" said the fourth shaman, waving his wand.

Then, the fifth and sixth shamans said, "We bless the Prince with the strength of a titan in his flesh and the heart of a dragon."

"I bless the Prince with eyes that can see through the flaws in any martial art," said the seventh shaman.

"I bless the Prince with the ability to foil any secret plots and conspiracies," said the eighth shaman.

...

In short, after the blessings from the twelve shamans, which cost them immense power, the Great Chu Prince’s destiny to reach the Third Turn was sealed at birth.

From the very beginning, a vast gap was set between him and everyone else.

At three, he was as tall as his mother. At five, he was as tall as a normal adult. By eight, he had already grown to 2.2 meters.

Now, his massive 2.5-meter frame already puts him a cut above other Martial Artists.

...

It could be said that the current younger generation of all the nations has grown up in the shadow of that Great Chu Prince.

In their hearts, they had already accepted that they couldn’t get first place and could only try for second or third.

After all, he was backed by the resources of an entire nation. How could they possibly compete?

Seeing the distress of the Martial Artists, Prince Qing said with a beaming smile, "According to the latest news from Great Chu, that Prince has already successfully killed a First Turn expert with his own hands. I’m sure you will see the details in the next issue of the Hidden Dragon List."

Hearing this, everyone in the hall gasped. They found Xiang Longtao terrifyingly powerful to be able to defeat and kill a First Turn.

If he enters the Heaven-Ascending Road, won’t he be invincible among his peers?

Observing the expressions of the Martial Artists around him, Prince Qing inwardly shook his head. Then, he noticed the calm-faced youth in the corner and said, "Young Master Fang Can? What are your thoughts?"

"Me?" Not expecting to be singled out, Fang Can looked up, a bit stunned.

Even the surrounding Martial Artists were surprised that Prince Qing would speak to Fang Can individually.

Looking at Prince Qing’s warm smile, Fang Can stated, "He’s very strong. To guarantee a win against him, I’ll have to work even harder from now on."

"Excellent. Confidence is good. I hope that when the time comes, you can lead the Martial Artists of the Great Derivation to defeat the other nations in the tournament," Prince Qing said with a hearty laugh.

’Him, lead us? What a joke!’

The others instinctively wanted to object, but Fang Can spoke first. "No need. I’m enough on my own. Too many people will just get in the way of my performance."

"Besides, there’s only one first place. Even if I beat everyone else, these people will still be my opponents, won’t they?"

"We’ll have to determine who’s the strongest in the end anyway. It’s completely unnecessary."

His words immediately sparked outrage. The surrounding Martial Artists pointed at Fang Can, about to curse him out, but in the next moment, they were frozen in place by his Heart Image.

Fang Can was growing more and more fond of suppressing people with his Heart Image. It was the perfect way to deal with weaklings.

When faced with trash who loved to spew nonsense, he could just unleash his Heart Image, and the weak would shut up immediately.

Feeling the Heart Image pressing down on the entire reception hall, the smile on Prince Qing’s face deepened.

"There’s something I forgot to tell you," Prince Qing said with a smile, pointing at Fang Can. "Perhaps you already know, but Young Master Fang Can also defeated a First Turn expert a little over ten days ago."

"What!!!"

The moment Prince Qing spoke, the hall erupted in an uproar.

They had heard this rumor before, but they never expected it to be true. Wasn’t it just a baseless rumor?

But seeing a Third Turn expert himself confirm it, the Martial Artists could only look at Fang Can with complicated expressions.

Prince Qing continued, "And I believe today is the day the Celestial Secret Tower releases its new list."

"To be honest, I’m also very curious. On the Hidden Dragon List, will Young Master Fang Can come out on top, or will the Great Chu Prince maintain his top spot?"

As he spoke, Prince Qing beckoned with his hand. The steward from outside quickly ran in, holding the newly purchased latest issue of the Celestial Secret List, and presented it to him.

Looking at the Celestial Secret List, Fang Can was also taken aback.

So much had happened recently that he, too, had forgotten that today was the day the Celestial Secret Tower released its list.

All eyes in the hall were fixed on the small booklet in Prince Qing’s hands.

Holding the booklet, Prince Qing slowly opened it. The contents, however, made him pause for a moment before he read them aloud.

Hidden Dragon List:

First Place: Fang Can / Xiang Longtao

A tie for first place?