Chapter 35: Infusion of Obsession, Unleashing the Divine Sense to Attain a Technique (Part I)

The moment that mangled body looked toward him, Yi Beidou’s pupils constricted sharply, and a sense of foreboding rose instinctively within his heart.

The next instant—

Boom!

His mind felt as if it had been shattered; his consciousness underwent a violent transformation. The human spirit is a remarkably delicate existence; a minor stimulus can trigger a massive shift in mindset, and if the stimulus is sufficiently powerful, it can make a person feel as though they have become a completely different individual overnight. Ancient legends are filled with accounts of "soul possession" and "divine empowerment"—such tales would not persist through the vast expanse of history without some shred of truth.

What, in essence, is a human being? Is it this fleshly vessel destined for decay, or the ethereal, unprovable soul and spirit that resides within? Neither. The essence of a person is their unique thoughts, memories, and distinct personality. If a personality were to be reborn in a new vessel, would that be equivalent to gaining a second life?

Yi Beidou was now encountering something akin to this. The spiritual imprint left within this peerless, malevolent sword by its nameless ancient master—a figure unrecorded in history—was far too profound and deeply ingrained. Yi Beidou finally understood why those who resonated with this blade were almost invariably driven to distorted mindsets, becoming violent and bloodthirsty.

For ordinary people, who lacked deep empathetic capability, the sword’s malevolence would at most cause unease, palpitations, or physical discomfort. But those capable of even a slight resonance could perceive portions of the former master’s experiences and emotions, their spirits swayed by his obsessive madness. Even masters who had achieved a "saintly physique" would discern the obsession within the blade and find it difficult to master or wield. Throughout history, perhaps no one had ever resonated with the sword as deeply as Yi Beidou, as if his spirit had transcended time and space to personally relive a chapter of history. Consequently, he was the most susceptible to the nameless master’s will—a will that now threatened to erode his own ego, allowing the ancient personality to resurrect within him.

"Today, I borrow your body to reappear in this world!"

A voice resonated out of nowhere, thundering inside Yi Beidou’s mind. The various memory imprints of the nameless swordsman flickered, growing increasingly clear. It seemed they were about to be etched into his consciousness, becoming the new self within this vessel.

Meanwhile, in the outside world—

Boom!

A fierce, murderous aura erupted from within Yi Beidou. Every function of his demonic physique was fully mobilized; his bones cracked like thunder, his muscles swelled, and his height increased by nearly twenty centimeters.

Hiss! Hiss!

His blood surged like a raging river, his heart hammered like a war drum, and his very breathing dispersed the lingering mountain mist. Every strand of his hair stood on end, and his eyes, now webbed with crimson capillaries, snapped toward Fang Xiuyuan, radiating intense malice. In this moment, Yi Beidou seemed to have completely descended into demonhood.

Roar!

Yi Beidou let out a long, heaven-shaking howl that shattered the mist for a radius of over ten meters, the sound carrying far into the distance.

"This is?!"

In an instant, stimulated by this malice, Fang Xiuyuan felt the hair on his body stand on end and leaped off the boulder.

"This is bad! The resonance was too deep; has the malevolence of the sword seized his mind?!" Fang Xiuyuan’s expression shifted.

However, Yi Beidou gave him no time to react.

The next moment—

Bang!

Yi Beidou shot forward like a cannonball, discarding the Heart-Severing Sword, and struck out with a palm toward Fang Xiuyuan. There was no technique, only the raw, explosive power and savagery of a wild beast.

Boom!

The palm strike hit with such force that the air seemed to cave in. Fang Xiuyuan moved like a dragon, dodging just in time, and Yi Beidou’s palm slammed into the massive boulder.

Crack!

The hard stone, nearly two meters high, three meters wide, and over a meter and a half thick, developed shocking fissures before splitting into several pieces. To shatter stone like that—the power of that blow was truly terrifying.

*This guy...*

Watching Yi Beidou rush toward him again like a beast, Fang Xiuyuan took a deep breath. It was no simple task to subdue a maddened "saintly" master without causing irreparable harm, let alone a maddened Heavenly Demon—one gifted with a natural dharmic body, fierce physical prowess, and now infused with the terrifying malevolence of the Heart-Severing Sword.

"Master Tao! Come assist me!" Fang Xiuyuan shouted.

Elsewhere, Tao Zihong was waiting with several Maoshan disciples. Hearing the roar and the thunderous impact deep in the forest, followed by the overwhelming murderous aura, he sensed something was wrong. When he heard Fang Xiuyuan’s call for help, his expression changed drastically.

Rip!

Without hesitation, he tore off his Taoist robes and activated the "Thunder Garment" he wore underneath. He surged his blood, his arm muscles bulging like runic lightning veins, revealing his own dharmic body.

"Wait here, do not move!"

With that, Tao Zihong vanished like a bolt of lightning into the mist. Upon arriving at the scene, his pupils contracted. The ground within twenty meters looked as if it had been plowed; smaller trees were snapped in half, and the larger ones bore craters that were hard to imagine were caused by human hands. He then saw the two men locked in a chaotic struggle.

"He resonated with the true intent of the malevolent sword and his mind has been seized! Use your thunder arts to restrict his movement; I will find a way to bind him and suppress the malevolence!" Fang Xiuyuan said quickly.

"Agreed!"

Tao Zihong channeled his thunder arts, pointing his fingers as he pushed his Thunder Garment to maximum output, electric arcs dancing over his palms. Fang Xiuyuan exhaled in relief. He knew that with the power of lightning, their combined efforts could paralyze their opponent and weaken his mobility, making it possible to subdue Yi Beidou, who was currently fighting purely on instinct.

However, the moment Tao Zihong joined the fray, Yi Beidou’s combat style changed instantly. His movements became ghostly and erratic; he stopped using his palms and instead pressed his fingers together like a sword.

He unleashed a sword technique.

Kill! Kill! Kill!

Sever emotion, sever desire, sever all living things!

If the self is a hindrance, then strip the flesh and gouge out the heart. It was a style bordering on madness and paranoia. The terrifying aura around Yi Beidou was no longer chaotic; it was condensed by this obsessive intent, focused entirely onto his fingertips.

Danger!

Fang Xiuyuan and Tao Zihong felt their hair stand on end. To them, it seemed as if a light had gathered at Yi Beidou’s fingertips—a light capable of severing all sentient existence.

*This is not his original intent!*

Swish, swish, swish!

Yi Beidou struck repeatedly with his fingers, forcing them back until they finally had to step away to gain distance.

"Hahahaha! I have returned to this world to perform the Dao once more!" Yi Beidou laughed, his voice sounding strangely distorted.

"This is terrible. Possession through obsession—he has returned from the dead! The master of that malevolent sword had such a realm that he could hide his spirit within an object?! This person is no longer Yi Beidou! In this state, it is impossible for us to subdue him safely," Tao Zihong said with a grave expression.

"I didn't expect this either; perhaps it was triggered by his own unique spirit. At this point, we must have the resolve to kill, or the world will suffer greatly from this monster!" Fang Xiuyuan’s eyes turned cold. He abandoned the thought of a bloodless victory.

"Younger generation, let me teach you my Dao..."

"Yi Beidou’s" face was full of murderous intent, but suddenly, his words were cut short.

A voice echoed thunderously within his mind:

"That is enough. I have learned your Dao and your techniques. You may now vanish."