Chapter 54: Clash of Heart Images
I need an ocean of enemies.
Shock filled the faces of both Ye Yonglie and Yan Zhi at Fang Can’s words.
This was the first time they had ever heard such a request. Who would actively court trouble like this?
Even with the people on the Heaven-Ascending Road who are after you being held back, there are still countless experts at the Profound Gate’s Eighth and Ninth Layers, all with awakened Heart Images, who want a piece of you.
’What does he hope to accomplish at his current Profound Gate First Layer Realm?’
’Break through their siege all by himself?’
Fang Can’s words were so arrogant that even Ye Yonglie couldn’t help but speak up.
"Lord, even with your unparalleled talent and a future destined to stand above the very heavens, I implore you to lay low for now."
"If word gets out, tens of thousands of Martial Artists, eager to slay a god, will engulf you like a tidal wave."
Against a sea of Martial Artists, even a master at the first stage of the Heaven-Ascending Road could be overwhelmed by sheer numbers.
"I understand what you mean," Fang Can said, looking at Ye Yonglie.
"However, combat experience is precisely what I lack. I need an ocean of enemies to practice on."
"Those prodigies on the Qianlong List have been fighting since they were children. They’ve faced countless opponents."
"I, on the other hand, have fought fewer than ten battles in my entire life. I need a vast number of opponents with diverse martial skills. In two months, I have to make up for the decades of experience they have."
Finally, Fang Can looked up. "So, tell me the location of every master within the Tiger Slaughter Sect’s domain who has awakened their Heart Image."
"I will pay them each a visit and defeat every last one. Within two months, I will reach the Profound Gate Ninth Layer. Then I’ll head over to that Fangcun Mountain and crush those prodigies from the Qianlong List, too," Fang Can stated.
Seeing Fang Can’s firm resolve, Ye Yonglie, unable to defy his god, could only say with resignation:
"In that case, start with the Jinmen Martial Arts Hall. It’s thirty li east of here. Their Hall Master is also at the Profound Gate Sixth Layer, and he awakened his Heart Image half a year before I did."
After carefully listening to Ye Yonglie’s introduction, Fang Can silently committed it to memory, then took the longsword from his back and walked out the door.
Leaving through the seldom-used back door of the Lieyang Martial Arts Hall, Fang Can set off toward the Jinmen Martial Arts Hall like a shooting star.
Having now reached the Profound Gate First Layer, his physical condition was more than double what it had been when he returned two nights ago. His speed was greater than ever.
With a base strength of six tons and a top speed of 25 meters per second, Fang Can could have torn a prehistoric T-Rex limb from limb.
After just a few steps, Fang Can’s body blurred into an afterimage, speeding toward his destination.
Bathed in sunlight, Fang Can had no need to conserve his stamina. He covered the thirty-li distance in a straight line, arriving in just twenty minutes.
Gazing at the gilded characters on the plaque before him, Fang Can didn’t wait for the doorman to speak and got straight to the point.
"I’m here to challenge your hall. I wish to spar with the Hall Master. I’ll leave when we’re done. Life and death will not be an issue."
Seeing that the black-haired youth before him was here to issue a challenge, the doorman snapped, "Where did this impudent brat crawl out from? How dare—"
Ignoring the doorman, Fang Can unleashed the pressure of his Heart Image. It swept toward the hall, only to crash against an unseen wall as if it had met an obstacle.
It was a Heart Image. Another Martial Artist with a Heart Image was clashing with Fang Can’s spiritual will.
An instant later, a figure soared from within the hall, tracing an arc through the air before landing with a THUD right in front of Fang Can.
A two-meter-tall, middle-aged man stood before Fang Can like an impenetrable wall.
"Young friend, you don’t come in peace." The man stroked his thick beard, his expression grave. ’To awaken a Heart Image at such a young age... he’s not one to be trifled with.’
"A spar," Fang Can stated succinctly. "I ask for Hall Master Jin to grant me a lesson."
As they spoke, disciples from the Jinmen Martial Arts Hall swarmed out. Seeing that the challenger was so young, they were shocked to realize the youth was a Martial Artist who possessed a Heart Image.
"Fine," Hall Master Jin said. Under the watchful eyes of his disciples, it would be difficult to refuse.
’And besides... you’ve come at the perfect time!’
The moment the words left his mouth, Hall Master Jin’s robes exploded, revealing his powerful torso.
"You’re the first Martial Artist to come challenge my hall since I awakened my Heart Image! I can finally have a proper fight!"
As he spoke, Hall Master Jin’s muscles bulged, and his eyes filled with bloodthirsty battle lust.
Most of the other Heart Image users in the area were fellow hall masters, and sparring with them was awkward; winning would cause offense, while losing would bring shame.
For someone to actively come and challenge him now was a delightful surprise for the Hall Master. A fight! Hell yeah!
’If he’s at the Profound Gate Sixth Layer, the strength of each of his muscle fibers is probably more than three times mine. Adding in the muscle mass, his base strength is likely about six times mine.’
Fang Can assessed silently, his eyes fixed on his opponent’s form, which was a mass of gnarled muscle.
As he made his assessment, Fang Can’s muscles began to flush red as they engorged with blood. His eyes turned a startling, blood-red.
In a single breath, though his physique was unchanged, he exuded the aura of a demon god who had clawed its way out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood!
This was the technique Fang Can had learned but never used until now: the Evil Tiger Devouring Body!
"True Strength!" Hall Master Jin boomed with laughter upon seeing Fang Can’s transformation.
To the surrounding disciples, the two figures vanished in the same instant. A moment later, a sound like a landslide ripped through the air.
BOOM!
In a flash, Fang Can’s and Hall Master Jin’s fists crashed together. A visible ring of white qi exploded from the point of impact, rippling out from their arms.
The bluestone tiles beneath their feet shattered simultaneously, and both men sank ankle-deep into the earth below.
Despite being only at the Profound Gate First Layer, with the power of the Evil Tiger Devouring Body, Fang Can’s strength was not far inferior to the Sixth Layer Hall Master’s in a direct confrontation.
’So in this powered-up state, my strength has temporarily increased fivefold,’ Fang Can mused.
But along with the increase in strength, he could also feel a bloodlust, a desire to slaughter everything under the heavens, beginning to take control of his mind.
A normal person, dominated by such a will, would descend into madness, their attacks becoming wild and chaotic, driven by nothing but brute force.
Using his extraordinary self-control to forcibly suppress the killing intent, Fang Can faced the Hall Master and continued his assault.
The first punch was merely a probe. The real fight, the battle of Heart Images, was about to begin.
In the next instant, the life of every person in the hall flashed before their eyes.
Even the slightest leak of power from a battle between two Heart Image Martial Artists was enough to induce hallucinations in ordinary Martial Artists.
This was why the onlookers, despite clearly not having taken any psychedelic mushrooms, were all plunged into a state of hallucination.
Of course, since they weren’t the direct targets of the fight, they could easily tell the illusion wasn’t real. It was like watching an out-of-control VR video.