Chapter 167: War Among Believers

Following the gathering of Wu Lin competitors on Fangcun Mountain several days ago.

Under the watchful eyes of all, the duel agreed upon by Fang Can and Xiang Longtao became widely known.

With Fang Can and Xiang Longtao tied for first place, rumors began circulating in the Wu Lin about their nicknames.

Some martial artists began referring to them as "Southern Fang, Northern Tao."

Now all nations know that, at the Grand Competition, the two contenders tied for first agreed not to break through, but to fight purely with their mortal martial strength—this became an explosive rumor.

Amid the massive public attention, countless gambling dens have opened betting markets, letting people wager on the outcome.

Beyond gambling, the followers of both sides have been locked in fierce combat.

For instance, within Dayan, Fang Can's followers form the core base, while within Da Chu, most are Xiang Longtao's followers.

In other nations, the two factions' followers are clashing.

On one side is the established deity who has held the Hidden Dragon List for years; on the other, a rising newcomer.

At this critical juncture where both deities are about to fight to the death, their followers will not stand idle.

When they meet, at best they exchange sarcastic barbs; at worst, one word out of place and they immediately fight.

In just these two days, crime rates across nations have skyrocketed, mostly due to the contributions of scattered followers from both sides.

Today you burn my banner, tomorrow I smash your deity's statue—each side refuses to yield, even when utterly without reason.

But ultimately, Xiang Longtao has held the Hidden Dragon List for over a year; his underlying strength far surpasses Fang Can's, and his number of followers in foreign nations crushes Fang Can's.

Under this fan-voting scenario, Fang Can's side has gradually fallen behind.

The continuous days of overwhelming dominance in similar newspapers have left Xiang's followers ecstatic, prompting them to publish mockery across all nations.

【Jianwen Daily】: How dare that pitiful Fang Can challenge our Xiang Army? Let the whole world come.

【Dayan Daily】: What Grand Competition? What "Southern Fang, Northern Tao"? There is only one true deity—our Dragon God.

【Dazhou Morning News】: If necessary, we'll sink the Grand Competition—your worshipped demons will be crushed beneath the feet of the true gods.

【Da Chu Daily】: A bunch of newly risen demons—how could they match our divine heritage?

【Chih Nation Daily】: This Grand Competition is nothing less than a War of Gods—Xiang Longtao, the true deity, crushes countless demons. This year is truly the Year of the Dragon.

With massive support from followers, Da Chu's believers have forged their own slogan: "Time is a blade that cuts down prodigies; on the martial path, one sighs at the beauty."

"Xiang is the number one Hidden Dragon, destined to crush all enemies."

"The dragon of the Hidden Dragon List is Xiang Longtao's dragon!"

……

Just as Fang Can's followers were crushed and unable to rise, the scope of mockery grew so vast that the situation began to shift slightly.

Due to their excessive arrogance, Xiang's followers no longer targeted only Fang's devotees—they now attacked everyone on the Hidden Dragon List.

These Xiang followers' remarks, compared to the modern gaming world, were like issuing a universal declaration of war against "Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, Steam, DOTA, LoL, Origin, Monkey Fan, Farmer Fan, Porridge Beast, Bilibili Cloud Brats, Single-Player Brahmins…"

The first turning point came from a simple headline in 【Dazhou Morning News】:

"Though our Wang family lacks Hidden Dragon heritage, when faced with demon mockery, someone must stand up—better to bring about the Twilight of the Gods."

After this message, the discourse power once monopolized by Xiang's followers began to slip away, as more and more newspapers were seized by different voices.

【Dayan Daily】: Evil Dao must use evil methods—watch as our Cult of Evil instantly refines you.

【Da Chu Daily】: Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west—don't look down on the poor youth.

Apparently, due to their earlier arrogance, followers of other Hidden Dragon List competitors could no longer tolerate it, and several worship groups began opposing Xiang's faction.

This battle was incredibly fierce, the greatest fan war in a century, so intense it wore away the Dao itself.

Alleyways and streets were filled with followers engaging in live, in-person PK.

Yet despite these followers fighting until their brains spilled out, the official authorities of all nations were delighted to witness this.

At least these people truly spent money to boost rankings, stimulating each nation's economy.

As for the deities worshipped by these followers, they remained completely unaware.

With the Grand Competition imminent, all are in seclusion, striving to refine themselves further—real people don't waste time arguing online daily.

These followers dare not disturb them—even amid the fiercest battles, it's purely a fan-circle matter.

……

Late at night, in the Da Chu imperial palace, Emperor Xiang Hongtu gazed up at the bright moon above and sighed: "Only a few days remain until my son competes in the Grand Competition."

Beside the Da Chu Emperor, a handsome man dressed in white robes and scholar's attire said: "Your Majesty, are you still worried about the curse from eighteen years ago?"

"After all, it was a curse from a fourth-transformation adept—even with a solution, stability is not guaranteed," Xiang Hongtu sighed.

All know that eighteen years ago, on the day of Xiang Longtao's full-moon celebration, twelve shamans bestowed blessings upon him—but there was another hidden truth.

After eleven shamans completed their blessings, an uninvited guest arrived at the banquet.

A fourth-transformation shaman whose entire clan Xiang Hongtu had personally annihilated decades earlier for rebelling against the court.

After the eleven shamans finished, the intruding shaman sneered and cursed: "I curse Xiang Longtao: eighteen years hence, he shall be defeated by a fate-chosen one, then, unable to accept it, descend into madness and die!"

As the shaman spoke the curse, the twelfth shaman immediately spoke his own blessing.

Though unable to cancel the fourth-transformation curse, he could attempt to circumvent it.

And the twelfth shaman's blessing was: "The prince has indeed died—but he shall perish during the Grand Competition eighteen years hence, and even in death, he shall be reborn."

……

Recalling all from eighteen years ago, lost in thought, Xiang Hongtu's cup had been crushed into a handprint.

"Your Majesty, rest assured—the twelfth shaman has already circumvented the curse through word-spirit; the Imperial Prince's life is assured," the White-Robed Scholar soothed, yet Xiang Hongtu's brow remained furrowed.

"Very well. I hope, as the shaman claimed, my son's life will be spared."

"If not, I shall mobilize troops against Dayan, level Ducheng, and personally take Fang Can's brat's life as my son's funeral offering."

Xiang Hongtu spoke with absolute certainty, knowing that, in the current Grand Competition, only Fang Can could threaten his son.

Thus, Xiang Longtao must lose this battle—but what he desired was for his son to survive.

On the other side, Fang Can, who was in the residence, was stretching his body.

Feeling the endless vitality surging within his body, after this month of transformation, his Perfect Body Transformation was complete.

(End of this chapter)