Chapter 160 - 159: The Scheduled Duel with the Prince of Great Chu

Chapter 160: Chapter 159: The Scheduled Duel with the Prince of Great Chu

"I should be first among the Hidden Dragons. How can I stand as an equal?"

Xiang Longtao looked down at Fang Can, his two-and-a-half-meter frame like a towering wall.

"I don’t plan on accepting this ranking. Once I break through to the First Turn, I’ll never have a chance to be on the list again. Therefore, we must settle who is stronger."

"So, what are you proposing?" Fang Can asked calmly, looking up at the youth before him. "A fight?"

"Of course!" A smirk played on Xiang Longtao’s lips. "At the Grand Tournament of the Kingdoms, let’s neither of us break through. We’ll decide who’s the true victor using nothing but our pure physical strength."

"So, what do you say? Do you dare to face me?"

As Xiang Longtao spoke, all the young Martial Artists in the area fixed their gazes on Fang Can, awaiting his answer.

Fang Can answered without a moment’s hesitation.

"Alright. Let’s have the duel on the tallest structure in the entire area. I will wait for you there for one day."

"There’s only room for one person at the top of the Hidden Dragon Rankings. Prepare to lose."

"Excellent!" Xiang Longtao licked his lips, a grin spreading across his face. "You’re far more interesting than I thought. I’m already looking forward to our duel a month from now. Until then!"

The moment he finished speaking, his massive figure vanished, having withdrawn from this space.

As soon as Xiang Longtao left, Fu Xiangyu came over. "Fang Can, that was foolish of you."

"You think I can’t beat him?" Fang Can asked.

"Agreeing to a duel in such a public setting means countless eyes will be on you. Barring any surprises, you two—both capable of overwhelming First Turn cultivators—are the strongest contenders for the top spot."

"But even if you win this duel, it will be a pyrrhic victory. You’ll be left weakened and vulnerable to attack from everyone else."

"He’s a Prince of Chu. He’s bound to have protectors in the shadows."

"There’s a gap between the top ten, yes, but if you’re injured, you’ll be in mortal danger once they break through."

"You’re overthinking it." Seeing Fu Xiangyu’s genuine concern, Fang Can frowned. "This competition doesn’t even carry the risk of death. If I can’t even accept a fair challenge like this, then what’s the point of training in the martial arts?"

"And what if the loser is to be... humiliated by the victor?" a crisp, feminine voice suddenly interjected.

A bewitching young woman in white approached, her appreciative gaze sweeping over Fang Can’s face.

"What do you mean?"

"Exactly what it sounds like. Since he was a child, my royal brother has modeled himself after the Overlord of Chu. He emulates the Overlord’s aura in everything he does... and he’s also picked up some of his less savory ’hobbies.’"

"For instance, in my brother’s eyes, any opponent weaker than him is ’the female,’ to be wantonly humiliated by the stronger party."

The young woman’s eyes roamed over Fang Can’s body in an almost invasive way. "Not long ago, a First Turn cultivator was defeated and subsequently... violated by my brother. A pretty boy like you, with such fine features... if you were to lose..."

Seeing Fang Can’s brow furrow in disgust, the young woman smiled. "So, I’m also advising you to reconsider. Why not back out now, while you still can?"

"That won’t be necessary. I don’t believe I will lose," Fang Can said coldly.

"My brother thinks the same thing. So, which of you has the better intuition?" The young woman smiled, only to see that the young man before her had already vanished from the space.

’What a shame...’ The young woman sighed to herself as she watched him leave. She hadn’t managed to convince him.

In truth, she wasn’t sure who would win. But if Xiang Longtao were to lose, the damage to his invincible martial heart could cause the spiritual light he needed to break through to the First Turn to recede.

So, rather than letting them fight now, she felt it would be far better to wait until after they’d broken through to the First Turn, then use their numerical superiority to crush Fang Can without any risk.

She couldn’t convince her brother, and now, unexpectedly, she couldn’t convince Fang Can either.

’What a bunch of muscle-headed idiots.’

Thinking of Xiang Longtao, the young woman felt a sense of helplessness. If he could truly dominate everyone, she couldn’t be bothered to care how he fought.

If her brother’s strength was truly enough to defeat Fang Can easily and without fail, would she even need to be thinking about all this?

With a sigh of resignation, she too withdrew from Fangcun Mountain, leaving the other members of the Hidden Dragon Rankings to gossip about the good show they had just witnessed.

’The two co-ranked number ones are going to fight it out ahead of time? I have to be there to witness such a grand event,’ thought many of the Martial Artists, who loved nothing more than a good spectacle.

However, the other top-ranked Martial Artists had no intention of getting involved.

The final stage of the competition was short. Breaking through to First Turn sooner rather than later brought greater benefits, so they had no time to waste on such matters.

Regardless, once this group of Martial Artists left Fangcun Mountain, news of the conversation and the impending duel was certain to cause a sensation in the outside world.

「Back in reality.」

Fang Can’s consciousness returned to his body. He looked down to see Ye Qingshi clinging to his waist, squirming restlessly.

"Your ’allowance’ for today is up," Fang Can said, exasperated. "Can’t you even resist my charms for a moment?"

"I’m sorry," Ye Qingshi said guiltily, wiping away a thin strand of saliva from the corner of her lips.

’You were just staring off into space, completely still. I called your name, but you didn’t answer... and once my desire took over, I couldn’t help myself.’

Then, puffing out her chest, she added, "It’s all your fault for being so alluring, Ah Can. I just made a mistake any girl would make."

"And that’s your excuse for wanting to give ’little Fang Can’ a home to stay in?"

Fang Can was speechless. "You’re just making excuses. Your willpower is too weak. As punishment, you’re forbidden for another day tomorrow."

"Aah, but I’ll go crazy from wanting it!"

Ye Qingshi hugged Fang Can, her voice on the verge of tears, but he saw right through her intentions and pushed her away. "When you feel like you can’t hold back is precisely when you must practice."

Saying this, Fang Can straightened his disheveled collar and shook his head helplessly at her.

’After all, she was ranked by Yuan Dang’s Celestial Secret Tower in his past life as one of the ’Three Thousand Beauties.’ How could her willpower be so weak, so easily overcome by desire?’

’And she’s gotten bolder ever since she started her martial arts training, even learning how to use her complaints as an excuse to grope me.’

"Please, Ah Can, no! I just want to get on the Heaven-Ascending Road sooner," Ye Qingshi pleaded pitifully. "I’m not really being lewd, I just want to cultivate!"

"Then go cultivate. Why are you clinging to me?" Fang Can replied, exasperated.

Ye Qingshi shook her head. "I don’t want to. I want Ah Can to cultivate with me."

’What a disgustingly sweet couple. To think I came all this way just to listen to this,’ Liu Qingmeng thought with exasperation from her hiding spot, listening to the commotion in the courtyard.

She had seen the Ascending Dragon Rankings, sensed trouble, and decided to come check on him, only to be hit with a face full of their public display of affection.

After all, she had to keep Fang Can alive for the Sixth Turn inheritance a year from now. Not to mention, the guy was the future husband-in-training for her own disappointing Disciple.

’Still, isn’t he involved with a few too many women?’ Liu Qingmeng thought, her brow furrowing.

’According to the records of the Joyful Union Sect’s Lust God Curse, by the time Ning An finally marries him... forget about being his first, she probably won’t even be in the first thousand... no, not even the first ten thousand.’

The image brought a flicker of amusement to Liu Qingmeng’s normally cold and detached face, and she almost burst out laughing.