Chapter 161 - 160: You Call This a First Turn?

Chapter 161: Chapter 160: You Call This a First Turn?

Early the next morning, Fang Can stopped his cultivation.

Men from Prince Qing’s manor were waiting at his door. They informed him that the First Turn sparring partner was ready and invited him back to the manor.

Feeling his "fortune from misfortune" talent trigger, Fang Can guessed that many people must have been secretly coveting his prize yesterday.

From what he could feel, his talent’s effect had been stretched to its maximum last night. After reaching a peak, it immediately plummeted and was now approaching the level it had been at the day before yesterday.

’This talent’s fluctuations are even more absurd than the stock market,’ Fang Can mused.

"Young Hero Fang, please follow this old servant to Prince Qing’s Manor." The head steward from Prince Qing’s Manor, whom he had just met yesterday, spoke respectfully.

"Of course." Fang Can nodded slowly. ’My danger sense has gone quiet, so what’s there to be afraid of?’

After leaving his residence, they took the side roads toward Prince Qing’s Manor to avoid attracting attention.

Halfway there, Fang Can asked, feigning nonchalance, "Did anything major happen yesterday?"

"Besides you making it onto the Hidden Dragon Ranking, Young Hero, there was one other thing," the steward said with a smile. "Yesterday, the Sect Leader of Jiejian Mountain entered the capital."

"Huh?" Fang Can was stunned for a moment. "That happened?"

"Indeed. Anything involving a Fourth Turn is a major event. In the middle of the night, all the civil and military officials of the court were roused from their beds and summoned to the imperial palace for a discussion. The main topic was the selection of the next emperor."

"After the meeting, all the officials praised you, Young Hero Fang. However, Sect Leader Liu said that you still need more experience."

The steward said with a smile. Although it wasn’t stated outright, everyone understood the importance Sect Leader Liu placed on Fang Can. He had come for a tour of the imperial palace right after the Hidden Dragon Ranking was announced.

Was his purpose the imperial selection? No, it was to back Fang Can.

A warmth spread through Fang Can’s heart upon hearing this. ’No wonder my talent plummeted so much last night. It was because Elder Liu made a move.’

He followed the steward into Prince Qing’s Manor. This time, their destination wasn’t the reception hall, but a more remote training room.

Just as he stepped inside, he saw an old man with a somewhat world-weary face, his back slightly stooped. He was dressed in plain clothes and had a serene expression.

"Are you the Martial Artist who will be sparring with me?" Fang Can asked, his expression growing a little solemn.

A First Turn Martial Artist has a lifespan of two hundred years and won’t show signs of old age until they are on the verge of death.

In other words, this man was an old relic who had likely lived for one hundred and eighty or ninety years, with only about a decade of life left.

"That’s right. Before you enter the grand competition, you’ll be sparring with me," the old man said, grinning to reveal a set of bright white teeth.

"I have brought Young Hero Fang. We’ll have to trouble Elder Yang to guide him a bit," the steward said, a trace of reverence in his eyes.

"Thank you for your trouble. Leave the rest to me." The old man stretched his limbs. "I haven’t fought in many years. This will be a good warm-up."

"Elder Yang, you had best take this seriously," Fang Can said earnestly.

"Don’t you worry. Whether it’s experience, strength, legacy, technique, or Martial Dao..." The old man grinned. "I am the strongest there is at the First Turn."

The moment his voice fell, something changed abruptly.

Reflected in Fang Can’s shrinking pupils, a withered hand blotted out the sky as it reached for him.

Fast. Impossibly fast.

His brain didn’t even have time to think. Fang Can tilted his head purely on instinct.

But it was as if the entire space was being compressed, a powerful suction force emanating from the old man’s palm.

By the time Fang Can could react, the old man had him by the throat, unable to move a muscle.

’Is this a veteran First Turn?’ Fang Can was utterly convinced. ’Compared to him, Wang Peng is like a stray dog on the street.’

’Good kid. If I hadn’t used True Qi just now, I might have actually missed. That would have been a huge loss of face,’ the old man thought to himself.

’If those little bastards in the army found out I couldn’t even catch a little Transcendent Body punk, they’d laugh at me for a whole year.’

Feeling his body go stiff, Fang Can asked, "Elder Yang, why can’t I move?"

"Because all the acupoints in your body have been struck by my Inner Strength." The old man gave him a light push, and Fang Can found he could move again.

’What acupoints?’ Fang Can was puzzled.

’I stopped practicing the Eighty-Eight Tiger Slaughter Grotto Heavens. Where would I even have acupoints?’

"My Martial Dao contains the acupoints of the celestial stars," the old man said, clasping his hands behind his back once more. "It doesn’t matter if you have them. It only matters that I do."

’Okay, okay. Idealistic Martial Dao. If you think it, it’s real, I guess.’ Fang Can’s lips twitched. He said resignedly, "Please continue your instruction, Elder Yang."

"Very well. Then I shall continue," the old man said. "This time, I won’t use True Qi. Let’s start with a purely physical confrontation."

As he spoke, Fang Can felt a ferocious, baleful aura wash over him. It was hard to imagine just how many people this old man in front of him had killed in his youth.

...

The steward exited the area and proceeded to the study to report to Prince Qing.

"I have already brought Young Hero Fang before Old General Yang," the steward said respectfully.

"Excellent. I believe that with Old General Yang’s guidance, Fang Can’s technique will improve immensely within the month," Prince Qing couldn’t help but smile.

The so-called "Elder Yang" was, in fact, that old Third Turn General from the Jinluan Hall.

Considering Fang Can’s track record of defeating a First Turn opponent, Prince Qing felt that he was no ordinary Transcendent Body. He had to be met with overwhelming force.

Originally, after the meeting late last night, Prince Qing had been worried that a First Turn might fail. He had planned to borrow a Second Turn from the army to act as a sparring partner.

But when he mentioned it to Old General Yang, the general, figuring he was idle anyway, offered to personally suppress his Realm to the First Turn level and "play" with Fang Can for a month.

A Third Turn General from the Martial Dao path suppressing his performance to the First Turn level would indeed be the strongest possible First Turn in every aspect: strength, speed, defense, technique, energy, and legacy—a perfect hexagon.

In such a state, an ordinary Second Turn wouldn’t be able to defeat him. Even a Third Turn with any obvious weakness would be in for a rough time.

...

’So strong! Too strong! Absurdly strong!’

With a deafening BOOM, Fang Can’s body, bent like a shrimp, was sent flying like a cannonball, slamming violently into the wall behind him.

The terrifying kinetic energy was absorbed by the specially made bricks, preventing the shockwave from leaving the training room.

’Is this the power of a normal First Turn? Then what the hell was Wang Peng? He dares call himself a First Turn?’

Clutching his stomach, Fang Can watched in shock as the dark bruises, illuminated by the sunlight, began to heal rapidly.

Even without using True Essence or his legacy, purely in terms of physical body, this near-death Martial Artist was dozens of times stronger than him. The upper limit of the First Turn was actually this high.

’If he went all out, I’d probably explode like a firework in an instant.’

’I’m screwed.’ A sense of dread grew in Fang Can’s heart.

’If all First Turns are at this level, then Xiang Longtao’s strength is probably far beyond my expectations.’

"Heh heh, kid. Can you still take it?" the old man chuckled maliciously.

Although he had suppressed his power to the First Turn, every single aspect he displayed was the strongest possible for a First Turn focusing on that one area.

Other First Turns would have to abandon a balanced build and pour all their points into a single stat to its absolute limit just to match his current performance in that one area.

’Yep, how could this *not* count as First Turn?’

"I’m fine. Let’s continue," Fang Can said, his expression grave. He had become completely serious.