Chapter 187 - 185: The Kill-Fang Conference

Chapter 187: Chapter 185: The Kill-Fang Conference

500!

The two from the Chess Pavilion and Dou Pai Tower stared with wide eyes.

The total number of Martial Artists participating in the Grand Tournament of All Nations was only a thousand. And half of them were coming together just to target Fang Can?

What kind of grudge was this?

Had Fang Can committed some unforgivable sin?

Understanding their surprise, Xuan Yuanhua explained with a slight smile, "This is just a small token of respect for the number one on the Hidden Dragon Ranking."

"Aside from the Martial Artists of Great Derivation, most of the others from various nations have accepted the invitation."

"After all, who wants to see a genius from another nation rise to prominence, right?"

"If Xiang Longtao had been the one to defeat Fang Can, then these 500 people would be targeting him instead."

Xuan Yuanhua beamed. "We’ll fight whoever wins."

"Then what happens after these 500 people defeat Fang Can?" asked Ye Yun Peak, the young man from the Chess Pavilion.

Upon hearing that 500 people were ganging up on Fang Can, they had already written him off as a dead man walking—no longer a threat to be feared.

"Well... the most capable will naturally be rewarded first."

Xuan Yuanhua flicked his sleeve and said softly, "Once these 500 people are done with their crusade against Fang Can, a fierce internal struggle will soon break out."

"And those five championship spots will go to the most capable among them."

"What do you two think? If you agree, I’ll take you to the Crush-Fang Assembly!"

...

"Despicable! Utterly despicable!"

Inside and outside the Great Derivation Imperial City, the spectators were filled with righteous indignation.

Just to beat a single First Turn cultivator, everyone was being a sore loser and forming a massive alliance. They were dragging the name of the Grand Tournament of All Nations through the mud.

Besides, only they knew that Fang Can wasn’t even close to breaking through; he was still stuck at the Profound Gate Tenth Layer.

Their Great Derivation hadn’t taken first place in over a hundred years, and now, in their most promising year yet, their champion was being ganged up on.

Holy shit! Why are the other nations so damn malicious!

How the hell is anyone supposed to compete with that?!

"It seems Fang Can is fated to lose this tournament," Prince Qing said, shaking his head helplessly. "His luck is just awful."

’Awful luck?’

Over at the Jiejian Mountain contingent, a subtle smile touched the lips of the master and her disciple.

After all, when it came to luck, it was truly on *their* side.

Meanwhile, within the tournament grounds, Ye Yun Peak and Qian Lanyou, having agreed to join, were led by Xuan Yuanhua to the gathering place for the First Turn cultivators.

Passing through a long underground tunnel, the three of them arrived at a massive subterranean plaza within the Great Zhou’s designated area.

’So these are our future opponents.’

The two looked around with grave expressions, surveying their surroundings and the people present.

No one at the gathering was disguising themselves. They were worried about the potential fiasco if Fang Can somehow snuck in.

With just a quick glance, they spotted many familiar faces.

There was Li Yunhuai, second on the Hidden Dragon Ranking, Ye Kaishan, fifth on the ranking, the sixth-ranked cultivator...

The two felt no sense of camaraderie toward these future allies.

Everyone was perfectly aware that as soon as Fang Can was dealt with, this "alliance" would immediately turn on itself. These people were their primary rivals for the championship.

In the back of everyone’s mind was the same selfish prayer: ’I hope Fang Can puts up a good fight and takes out a few of my "teammates." It’ll make things easier for me later.’

With such a fragile, plastic sense of fellowship, there was naturally no warmth between them.

Simply refraining from backstabbing each other during the coming fight would be a mark of considerable restraint.

"Everyone... I have something to say. Please listen."

A young man on a high platform began to speak, drawing everyone’s attention. Someone recognized him: Ye Kaishan, fifth on the Hidden Dragon Ranking.

Seeing the fifth-ranked cultivator speak up, everyone was curious to hear what he had to say.

Ye Kaishan’s tone was grave. "Everyone here should be well aware of what happened one hundred years ago. Those madmen from the Great Derivation rashly started a war, inflicting tremendous harm upon all our nations."

"Nearly every Sect and faction lost Martial Artists in that war. It’s likely that among the parents and masters of those of you from major Sects, some were participants in that conflict."

"We might tolerate a tyrant from Great Chu becoming number one in the Grand Tournament of All Nations, but we can never accept a madman from the Great Derivation taking the top spot."

"Those scum from the Great Derivation are rotten to the core. No one from that land is a good person, and Fang Can is the perfect example—an evil demon born of the Great Derivation."

"To prevent history from repeating itself, we must unite and defeat that devil from the Great Derivation!"

"That is why I have convened this Kill-Fang Assembly."

As Ye Kaishan spoke, people in the crowd subconsciously thought of the elders from their own Sects whom they had never met.

They recalled stories of a senior uncle they’d never met—only their master and grand-uncle—who, upon inquiry, was revealed to have died in that war over a hundred years ago.

Now, they had another reason to unite.

"Brothers from every nation, can we tolerate the Great Derivation rising again, becoming the strongest among nations, only to launch another great purge?"

"No!"

"War!"

"Revenge!"

"The only good Great Derivation is a dead Great Derivation!"

...

Outside the tournament, within the Great Derivation Imperial Palace.

Hearing the impassioned cries of the younger generation of Martial Artists from other nations, the Great Derivation royal family found themselves the focus of a collective stare from all the martial powerhouses present.

They had been wondering why an alliance had suddenly formed when the tournament was proceeding normally.

There had been no hint of this in previous years, so they’d assumed it was simply because Fang Can was too powerful.

Turns out, the real reason was you guys.

If it weren’t for the fact that a Great Derivation Martial Artist was the target, they’d want to join in too.

After all, the older generation of Great Derivation had suffered the most deaths in the great war a hundred years ago.

Facing the crowd’s stares, even Prince Qing could only manage an awkward yet polite smile.

The ancestors sin, and the descendants pay the price. The war they started had long been settled, yet now their descendants were the ones receiving the scorn.

Back on Fangcun Mountain, just as righteous indignation filled the underground plaza, a massive figure slowly strode in from the tunnel.

Sensing someone approaching from behind, a few Martial Artists glanced back, only to freeze where they stood.

The number floating above the newcomer’s head—[130,700]—left them speechless.

As more and more people noticed the disturbance, they turned in unison, only to be silenced by the number floating above the newcomer’s head.

Everyone present had just broken through to the First Turn and was currently in the metamorphosis phase, a period of rapid growth.

If they could get through the next hundred days safely, their strength would increase by at least tenfold.

But at this moment, not even two full days had passed since their breakthroughs.

Aside from a few who specialized in physical body cultivation, the standard power level of most people here hadn’t even surpassed ten thousand.

Yet this young man before them had a standard power level that broke one hundred thousand!

Stunned, everyone stared at the approaching young man.

He stood two point six meters tall, with a bald, protruding crown like a Buddhist monk. He wore a dazzling black battle robe and carried a long, jewel-encrusted spear!

Though his appearance had changed drastically, the crowd still recognized him. "Xiang... Xiang Longtao!"