Chapter 60 Losing One's Mind

"Lord Fang Can, many onlookers have already gathered outside the martial arts hall."
"We hope you will stay inside today to recover from your injuries and not go out."
Several hall masters tried to persuade him, knowing that even a colony of ants could kill an elephant.
Yesterday alone, facing a gauntlet of more than thirty martial artists of the Mind-Phase realm had pushed Fang Can to his absolute limits.
Now, martial artists from multiple surrounding regions were rushing here, and among them were undoubtedly crafty individuals who might band together for an ambush, posing a significant hidden threat.
"It is no matter." Fang Can stepped into the morning sunlight, stretching his newly healed physique. "I have just experienced a breakthrough, and this is the perfect time to test my mettle against others."
With these words, amidst the worried gazes of the crowd, Fang Can walked toward the door. He shoved the tightly closed gates open and roared into the clamorous mob: "I am Fang Can! Those with a death wish, come and face me!"
"Boom!"
Almost at the exact moment of his roar, five figures that had been lying in ambush within the crowd for a long time leaped into the air simultaneously, wielding various weapons as they slashed toward Fang Can.
In a flash, the earth shattered beneath their stamping feet, and flying shards of stone pierced the air, injuring passing onlookers.
Immediately afterward, these five experts unleashed their respective Mind-Phases, pressing down upon Fang Can all at once. A single moment of distraction would have been enough to have him hacked to pieces by a barrage of blades.
Yet the next moment, what filled their hearts with astonishment was that the Mind-Phases they had unleashed with all their might seemed to crash against solid stone, causing not the slightest ripple.
"How can this be?" The martial artists experiencing this for the first time were terrified.
They had never encountered such a thing since awakening their Mind-Phases—unless the fellow before them possessed no mind at all.
This was precisely Fang Can's greatest harvest from yesterday: the Immovable Rock Contemplation.
By plunging his consciousness into absolute lockdown, he could achieve a stillness akin to a lifeless object. In this rock-like state, the impact of an opponent's Mind-Phase upon his spirit was like waves crashing against a boulder, weakened by a factor of several dozen.
Of course, in this rock-like state, Fang Can was naturally unable to release his own Mind-Phase.
Yet for Fang Can, this was already a massive advantage, allowing him to remain invincible in spiritual combat.
Then, however, Fang Can abandoned his defensive posture and actively released his Mind-Phase, crushing it down toward the five attackers.
"Boom!"
A thunderclap echoed in the silent void. In the clash of Mind-Phases, Fang Can actually withstood the spiritual forces of all five men single-handedly.
*How is this possible?! Isn't this fellow only at the first tier of the Profound Pass?*
Incredible thoughts arose in the minds of all five. That single instant seemed longer than a lifetime.
Seeming to understand the astonishment of these people, Fang Can silently replied in his heart:
*Because within my body... there are two hearts!*
The next instant, a brilliant white light flashed from the scabbard on his back. Facing the encirclement of the five, he drew his sword and counterattacked without the slightest hesitation.
"Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang, clang!"
Accompanied by a rapid series of weapon collisions, the longsword in Fang Can's hand danced so swiftly that not even a needle could pierce it nor water splash through it. Relying solely on his footwork and technique, he single-handedly deflected the combined attack of the five.
Unawares, his eyes had turned crimson as he entered the state of the Bloodthirsty Evil Tiger.
In this berserk state, having surpassed the third tier of the Profound Pass, his strength—previously a shortcoming—was now able to steadily suppress these martial artists by a noticeable margin.
*How is this possible! How can he be this strong?*
*What happened to the first tier of the Profound Pass? Heavenly Mystery Pavilion, when the hell did you learn to peddle lies?*
A surge of disbelief rose in the hearts of these individuals. They had intended to scavenge an easy victory, only to step on a nail.
Looking at their aged faces, Fang Can launched a barrage of taunts as he parried their blows: "You bunch of losers, did you really think becoming Mind-Phase experts made you hot stuff?"
"Lacking secret techniques for assistance, possessing only mediocre talent, and with no ancestors who ever ascended the path to heaven, you spent decades grinding in some tiny town just to barely scrape into the Mind-Phase realm."
"Even at the seventh or eighth tier of the Profound Pass, you'd still be the weakest of the weak. Dreaming of changing your fate by hunting geniuses? Keep dreaming!"
At Fang Can's words, a furious flush crept up the faces of the martial artists; their mental defenses were truly shattered.
"Damn it, stop running your mouth!"
"Aminosu, go to hell!!!"
"Even if it costs me my life today, I will slay you, villain!"
With their mental states fractured, though the martial artists hurled insults back, their martial prowess instantly plummeted by twenty percent.
Spotting the flaw, Fang Can's figure dissolved into a blur as he darted swiftly among the five.
A breath later, the tendons in the hands of all five men were completely severed by Fang Can. They collapsed to the ground, screaming in agony, wearing expressions of sheer disbelief.
Re-sheathing his longsword, Fang Can looked back at them and said, "Scram back where you came from. Your talents are too poor; you don't even have the potential to serve as nourishment for my cultivation."
"This is impossible! Aren't you at the first tier of the Profound Pass? How could you possibly defeat us?" One of the martial artists clutched his severed wrist and roared in defiance.
Fang Can sneered. "Three full days have already passed. If I were still standing still, what use would I have for this peerless talent?"
" Is... Is this what a true genius is?" a martial artist knelt on the ground, speaking in despair. At that moment, his mental state withered, and his martial heart was nearly shattered.
*Genius is merely the threshold to meet me. I am cheating,* Fang Can muttered inwardly.
The next moment, sensing a fierce sword qi coming from behind, Fang Can's expression turned cold as he whirled around to counterattack.
"Clang!"
With a crisp vibration, Fang Can turned and looked at the sword he could barely hold in his hand.
*What is the meaning of this?*
Fang Can frowned as he looked at the martial artist before him—the one whose right wrist tendons had just been severed. At this moment, the opponent was holding a saber in his left hand, his eyes filled with intense killing intent devoid of a single shred of sanity.
*The strength has increased by about twofold, speed is up by twenty percent, and this strike wasn't even executed with his dominant hand,* Fang Can assessed.
*It's... It's a mental collapse! This fellow suffered too heavy a blow; his martial heart has shattered and he's gone berserk!* the other Mind-Phase martial artists blurted out in dismay.
*A mental collapse?* Fang Can frowned slightly.
It seemed he had heard Ye Qingshi use this term once when Ye Yonglie was hailing him as a god.
*In a subjective martial arts world, the shattering of the martial dao heart is considered a mental collapse? What kind of martial arts version of cyberpsychosis is this...*
Muttering a complaint, Fang Can watched as the crazed martial artist charged forward regardless of his own life, and swung his longsword with ferocious speed.
"Swoosh..."
With a soft sound, the crazed martial artist's steps came to an abrupt halt. His legs went weak, and he collapsed to his knees, plunging into unconsciousness.
"Did you think that just because you're mentally ill, I wouldn't dare hit you?"
Grumbling to himself, Fang Can turned and walked away, leaving behind a group of stunned Mind-Phase martial artists.
Because the battle had ended far too quickly, the onlookers had barely taken a few steps before it was over. Seeing Fang Can approach, they instinctively cleared a path.
"Let's put up a sign here," Fang Can said, looking at Ye Yonglie.
"Every day from the Chen hour in the morning to the You hour in the evening, I welcome any Mind-Phase martial artist to challenge me. Whether it's a one-on-one duel or a gang beat-down, I accept them all."
"Oh, right, I need to rest for two hours at noon. Let's just set aside four double-hours for sparring each day," Fang Can added casually.