Chapter 200 - 198: Previous Champions and Likeness

Chapter 200: Chapter 198: Previous Champions and Likeness

Inside the Great Hall of Heroes, an illusion manifested by Fangcun Mountain.

Hearing Luo Yanmo’s explanation, Fang Can asked curiously, "Master, what is a Shadow God Scroll?"

"The so-called Shadow God Scroll is a Fourth Turn Sacrificial Artifact from the Celestial Secret Tower. With the user’s consent, it can record their relevant information."

Monk Luo explained, "Things like appearance, power, defense, heritage, techniques, memories, and personality can all be perfectly recorded."

"And every final winner of the past All-Nations Tournaments has been given the option to have their data recorded in the Shadow God Scroll."

"What’s the use in that?" Fang Can asked.

"Donor Fang, this is Fangcun Mountain. Everything here is an Illusory Bubble, manifested from falsehood."

Luo Yanmo smiled and opened his hand. At some point, a microscopic replica of the entire Great Hall of Heroes had appeared in his palm.

Fang Can saw that within the replica, miniature versions of Luo Yanmo and Fang Can were looking at each other. And in that miniature Luo Yanmo’s hand was an even more microscopic replica, layered like nesting dolls.

"Although it is an illusion, this Fangcun Mountain can simulate the power of any Fourth Turn."

"You mean, if I’m recorded in the Shadow God Scroll, you can perfectly replicate me here in Fangcun Mountain?"

Fang Can said with great interest, "So, you’re saying the winners of all the past All-Nations Tournaments are also in the Shadow God Scroll?"

"Yes. In the 5,300-year history of the All-Nations Tournament, approximately 202 winners have accepted being recorded in the Shadow God Scroll, so that future winners may challenge them."

"With Donor Fang’s abilities, you will surely be able to earn a place among them."

"Not first?" Fang Can retorted. His blatant confidence made the spectators watching from outside laugh in exasperation.

"That would still be somewhat difficult." Luo Yanmo shook his head slightly and explained,

"Among these 202 victors, some possess heritages that specifically counter physical-style Martial Artists. Others have damage reflection, and there are even those with heritages of Shared Life and Death."

’Shared Life and Death?’ Fang Can wondered. ’I wonder which is more badass, that or my own Indomitable Will.’

Seeing Fang Can fall into thought, Luo Yanmo said, "The Pavilion Master of the Celestial Secret Tower said that if you agree to be recorded, Donor Fang, you can be loaned the use of this Shadow God Scroll for ten years."

"For the next ten years, you will only need to hold the medium and focus your will to directly enter Fangcun Mountain and exchange pointers on martial arts with the past victors."

"That won’t be necessary," Fang Can said, his interest waning. "Forget ten years—I’ll definitely break through to the First Turn within a month. This Shadow God Scroll of yours is pretty useless then, isn’t it?"

"As a Fourth Turn Sacrificial Artifact, the figures recorded in the Shadow God Scroll are not limited to the First Turn. A massive number of Second and Third Turn, and even several Fourth Turn individuals have also been recorded."

Hearing this, Fang Can’s interest was finally piqued. He held out his hand and said, "Hand it over. I accept."

As he spoke, Luo Yanmo smiled, pulled a scroll from his sleeve, and gave it a gentle tug.

Fang Can’s vision blurred. The scroll before him rapidly lengthened. Though it hadn’t looked large, the Shadow God Scroll seemed capable of infinite extension, unrolling for a distance of several hundred meters.

Hundreds of thousands of figures appeared on its surface, packed densely together.

’So it’s basically the Human Emperor Banner,’ Fang Can couldn’t help but snark.

As the entire scroll unfurled, Monk Luo pointed to a blank register at the end and said, "Donor, please press your handprint here. The recording will proceed according to your will."

Without hesitation, Fang Can raised his hand and pressed it gently. He felt his entire consciousness sink into the scroll.

Name: Fang Can

Realm: Profound Gate Tenth Layer

Combat Power: 3,939,780

Weapon: Xuanhong

Heritage: None

Cultivation Technique: ...

’As expected of the Celestial Secret Tower.’ Fang Can sighed to himself as he sensed the contents within.

Opening his eyes, Fang Can asked, "Is that it?"

"That will suffice," Luo Yanmo said, retracting the entire Shadow God Scroll with another gentle tug.

"Your likeness has been recorded, Donor Fang. Now, it will be synthesized with your behavior and combat performance from the past three days of the tournament to generate a persona with techniques similar to your own," Luo Yanmo said with a smile.

As he spoke, the monk handed over an ancient Buddhist Bead. "Donor Fang, from now on, you need only hold this Buddhist Bead, empty your mind, and silently chant ’Illusory Bubble’ to connect with Fangcun Mountain and enter it from afar."

Rolling the Buddhist Bead in his hand, Fang Can thought to himself, ’I wonder if I could use this to forcibly escape mid-fight.’

Before he could react, he looked up to find the surrounding scenery changing once again.

By the time he came to his senses, his body had already left Fangcun Mountain and reappeared in the Great Derivation Imperial Palace.

He had just raised his eyes when he saw the Sect Leader of the Inversion Sect raising his cup with a smile. "Congratulations, Young Hero Fang, on taking first place in the tournament."

With a Fourth Turn expert making his stance clear, everyone else, regardless of their own thoughts, raised their cups in unison to offer their congratulations.

Fang Can accepted the congratulations from the surrounding crowd of First, Second, Third, and Fourth Turn experts with a placid expression, returning their courtesies calmly.

Alright, to be honest, Fang Can did feel a little flicker of happiness.

After all, to win this tournament, to defeat the countless geniuses who had trained bitterly for ten or twenty years since childhood...

He had spent a whole three months in arduous cultivation.

During this period, who knew how many hours he’d spent practicing his fist techniques, how much suffering he’d endured, or how many women he’d been forced to cultivate with.

Now that he had finally won the championship, proving his suffering over the past few months had not been in vain, Fang Can finally allowed himself to relax.

Prince Qing rose and said with a laugh, "This humble prince has arranged for a continuous feast throughout the city to congratulate Young Hero Fang on his victory. Though the tournament has ended, I ask that you all stay and celebrate with a grand three-day revel before you depart."

As he spoke, Prince Qing noticed Fang Can’s tattered clothes and the brilliant light still radiating from his body. He immediately called for his attendants to lead Fang Can away for a change of clothes.

...

Never mind the celebrations on Fang Can’s side; the mood in the capitals of the other nations was quite somber.

Hundreds of people had teamed up, only to be crushed by a single man. As spectators, they knew that the defeated were not to blame.

Fang Can’s stats were simply too off the charts. There was no shame in losing to him.

But understanding this was one thing; it didn’t make them any happier.

Meanwhile, in Great Chu, the moment Xiang Longtao returned, she saw her Father-Emperor standing there, waiting for her.

After a moment’s hesitation, Xiang Longtao knelt. "Reporting to Father-Emperor, your child was incompetent and failed to win the tournament."

Xiang Hongtu fell silent, looking at the girl before him. She had waist-length black hair and was draped in Xiang Longtao’s loose-fitting clothes.

Sensing the prolonged silence, Xiang Longtao looked up in confusion, only to see the complex emotions in Xiang Hongtu’s eyes.

’The resemblance... it’s uncanny,’ Xiang Hongtu thought with deep emotion.

In her current, feminized state, Xiang Longtao was now a spitting image of his long-deceased mother.

Merely looking into her eyes, Xiang Hongtu found that, for some reason, his resentment toward Fang Can for beating Xiang Longtao into this feminized state had suddenly vanished.