Chapter 174 - 173: At a Disadvantage

Chapter 174: Chapter 173: At a Disadvantage

"They’re finally going to fight!"

Watching the two Martial Artists standing opposite each other atop the Twin Imperial Towers, the Martial Artists in every capital city were filled with anticipation.

The anticipation had been building for over a month, and they were more than ready.

Meanwhile, Xiang Longtao’s fans, seeing his combat data of 79,000 towering over Fang Can’s, were going wild.

Some fans had even sent letters to the newspapers, with victory speeches already written.

To the Fang-tards:

Fang Can’s fans love to run their mouths? It just means their god hasn’t been beaten enough. But, we promised not to be the first to use a god, so... [arms_crossed_brooding_face.jpg]

The Blood Burning Divine Skill or the Celestial Slayer Pattern Map, take your pick. [arms_crossed_brooding_face.jpg]

Don’t give me that crap about "beating a dog depends on its master." If your master dares to show up, I’ll beat him all the same. [arms_crossed_brooding_face.jpg]

God Xiang just doesn’t want to fight. It’s not that he’s scared to, and it’s definitely not that he can’t win. Just so you know. [arms_crossed_brooding_face.jpg] (cracks knuckles)

...

Reaching back, Fang Can took hold of Xuanhong. He watched coolly as Xiang Longtao raised his head slightly.

Xiang Longtao understood immediately. He kicked his right leg toward the Dragon-Turning Spear stuck in the ground beside him.

The next moment, the spear’s tip scraped across the stone slabs. It spun through the air and was snatched by his arm, which then executed a flourishing spin.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Even with just a casual twirl, the spear tip broke the sound barrier. The resulting Qi Force shot across the distance, tearing a crack in the stone beneath Fang Can’s feet.

"We will not only determine who is superior, but also who lives and who dies!"

Xiang Longtao held the butt of his long spear, pointed it at Fang Can from across the distance, and said solemnly, "Xiang Longtao of Great Chu. I await your instruction."

"Fang Can of Jiejian Mountain. I await your instruction," Fang Can replied, tightening his grip on his spear.

As the two announced their affiliations, the onlookers held their breath, and time itself seemed to stand still.

It might have been the next second, or it might have been an eternity later.

The two figures stomped down on the tower building beneath them in unison. Power surged up from their feet, and amidst a vortex of air, both thrust their spears forward at the same time.

CLANG!!!

Amidst the ear-piercing shriek of metal on metal, it was point against point as the spear tips collided.

The instant they collided, a turbulent gale erupted, powerful enough to easily shred flesh and bone.

Behind them, the walls of the top four or five floors of the Twin Imperial Towers, which they had used as a launching pad, instantly crumbled beneath their feet.

Both gripped their spear shafts tightly with their right hands, engaged in a pure contest of strength.

Although both of their power levels were in the seventy thousands, raw muscle strength was one thing; the efficiency with which they utilized that strength was another.

Efficiently applying one’s power was a required course for every Martial Artist.

Xiang Longtao’s power originated from his waist. He had studied the art of the spear since he could remember, swinging it countless tens of thousands of times until his body’s use of every ounce of power had become pure instinct.

At this moment, power generated from his waist traveled to his forearms, channeling thousands of tons of force through his muscles into a full-power thrust.

Across from him, Fang Can had none of his opponent’s so-called diligent training. The total time he had actually spent holding a spear was less than a day.

But he understood one thing clearly: so-called martial arts and techniques were never anything mystical.

The moves of martial arts were no different from painting, dancing, running, or singing. They were all just a continuous series of physical movements.

His perfect battle physique, reformed over the past few days, began to exert its power.

Within his relatively slender frame, every corresponding muscle was mobilized to its maximum potential, leveraging them like force-saving levers to unleash a spear thrust with absolute power.

In this moment, 79,000 was the biological instinct of lifelong study; 70,290 was the practical physics of applied mechanics.

One was sharp and formidable, the other a genius blessed by the heavens.

Both were hidden dragons vying for supremacy, each possessing the power to overwhelm the sky.

As they clashed, they were surprisingly evenly matched.

"What a man, Fang Can! Your ability to channel power is actually no worse than mine."

Xiang Longtao laughed wildly. He pulled his Dragon-Turning Spear back to his waist, spun it in a semi-circular flourish, and swung it viciously down at the crown of Fang Can’s head.

Fang Can raised his spear to block horizontally. With a deafening roar, it felt as if a missile had exploded against the shaft, leaving his arms slightly numb.

The downward vertical chop sent his body plummeting uncontrollably.

As they passed each other, Fang Can generated force from his core, twisting his body to execute an upward "parting shot" thrust.

Longtao’s vertical chop was hard to block, but Fang Can’s parting shot also had to be guarded against.

BOOM—

With two shattering sounds, one after the other, Fang Can’s body was buried in the earth, while Xiang Longtao’s smashed through a small part of the Twin Imperial Towers, embedding him in a wall.

Without a trace of hesitation, the moment their eyes met across the distance, sparks seemed to fly.

CRACK-CRACK-CRACK-CRACK—

As the twin tower building trembled violently, a massive amount of brick and stone rained down.

The two, now fighting with true killing intent, rushed toward each other, aiming for their opponent’s life.

"Something’s not right."

While the surrounding spectators were boiling with excitement, Prince Qing stroked his beard with some concern, seeing that Fang Can was at a clear disadvantage in terms of spear technique.

After all, Xiang Longtao was confirmed by the Celestial Secret List as number one in both spear and halberd techniques, while Fang Can was a mere novice, his skills appearing somewhat clumsy.

’If this drags into a battle of attrition, he’ll definitely be at a disadvantage... right?’

The scene shifted back to the mid-section of the Twin Imperial Towers, where two figures were using the building behind them as a foothold, swinging steel spears at each other.

The instant they engaged, the two spears transformed into a thousand afterimages, unleashing a thousand shockwaves.

With bodies that now contained the power of a great dragon, a casual flick from either of them could make a human body explode from a dozen meters away.

Now, unleashed with full force, these thousand spear shadows became layers upon layers of qi blades, carving deep marks into metal and stone.

In just a few breaths, the Twin Imperial Towers behind them let out countless mournful cries, literally snapped in half by several hundred spear shadows.

As massive chunks of brick and stone fell, a collapse began. The building exploded floor by floor from the middle downward, kicking up vast clouds of dust and debris.

None of what was happening behind them drew their attention.

Even without the tower to support them, they used the very air as their foothold, striking at each other with every ounce of their formidable strength.

’Since the tower is collapsing, we’ll just have to fight our way to the ground.’

Before the power these two now wielded, everything around them was like tofu. A casual swipe would send vast showers of fragments exploding outward, turning them into deadly weapons.

Of these two, one was the Grim Reaper incarnate, the other the embodiment of Yama. The spear tip on the left glinted with a cold light; the shaft on the right glowed red. They fought until the heavens and earth grew dim, and the sun and moon lost their light.

The surrounding onlookers were left completely stunned as they watched huge swaths of ground shatter, the spear tips igniting from friction with the air. In a single breath, a dozen buildings were torn to shreds, and countless houses and structures were reduced to rubble. The cheers of their followers rang out from all directions, making everyone realize just what level of battle this was. ’Even a First Turn Martial Artist’s fight would be nothing more than this, right?’

But at the center of this spectacle, Xiang Longtao was secretly overjoyed.

Because during this continuous, fierce exchange, Fang Can’s body was already showing injuries.

’This guy’s about to break!!!’