Chapter 880

Yan Buji's consciousness drifted in endless darkness, the excruciating pain from his limbs and bones felt like countless steel knives stirring inside his body. Immortal Essence and magical power collided wildly in his meridians, each impact like two rabid beasts tearing at each other. Fine beads of blood began to seep from his skin, instantly staining him into a Blood Man.

"Really... seeking death..." The illusory figure of Daoist Tianling shook his head and sighed beside him, yet did not lift a hand to help. He knew that any external intervention now would only hasten Yan Buji's demise.

Yan Buji threw his head back and let out a howl not of a human, blood beads oozing from every pore. His skin began to split, revealing the twisted, writhing flesh beneath. Immortal Essence and magical power raged wildly within his body, each collision exploding into an energy storm that tore his meridians to shreds.

Moreover, at this very moment, the chaotic Dao Marks inside his body turned the battlefield into mincemeat, as if tens of thousands of troops had trampled over it—disordered, chaotic, relentless fighting.

"Am I... going to die...?"

As his consciousness began to blur, Yan Buji felt no regret for his actions today.

He was simply unwilling to accept it!

Why must everything be done at the mercy of others' expressions?

How could I, Yan Buji, not wish to ascend smoothly to the pinnacle?

Having endured countless hardships and failures, I still remain neither high nor low, unable to compare with those heaven‑favored prodigies, the destined...

Could it be that this world truly has no place for me?!

"No!"

Yan Buji jerked his eyes open; the mutant Dao Mark in his left eye seemed to sense something at that moment, and the Mutant Force erupted accordingly.

Daoist Tianling hastily retreated dozens of meters, watching the Mutant Force bursting from Yan Buji's left eye join the fray inside his body, his expression shifting involuntarily.

"Interesting, the path to sainthood?!"

Daoist Tianling knows how to become a saint.

First, a Great Vehicle Stage cultivator, after enduring ten myriad tribulations, will finally go to the Dao Realm, cultivate a mutant Dao Mark, and through the Mutant Force further advance his own magical power.

This is the road once walked by all sages, and a path proven feasible.

Although no one knows why it is so, for Great Vehicle Stage cultivators in this world, those who have survived more than five myriad tribulations are exceedingly few, so naturally no one would spread this method across the world.

And Daoist Tianling himself had once survived seven myriad tribulations, which could be said to place him above the Great Vehicle Stage but below the sages—in the Tribulation Crossing Stage—where cultivators can already prepare for their path to sainthood.

Therefore, Yan Buji, who possesses a mutant Dao Mark even at the Nascent Soul Stage, is clearly a pawn in someone's hand—and a rather important one at that.

Even if Daoist Tianling does not know who values him so highly, he still knows Yan Buji might have a background, so he did not immediately shout for a fight; instead he told him many secrets, hoping to learn about his background while seeing if he could be of use.

But he never expected this kid to be so resolute, even to the point of madness!

Smashing the stone tablet, letting Martial Dao power and magical power clash, causing the Dao Marks to repel each other, and then adding the aftermath of the mutant Dao Mark...

Isn't this an alternative path to sainthood?

Perhaps Yan Buji has not yet met the conditions for sainthood, but if this road allows him to proceed...

"If he succeeds, there will be a great show in this world!" Daoist Tianling narrowed his eyes and said.

This world is not lacking in lunatics; many seek to fuse Martial Dao True Origin and magical power, but without exception they all end up exploding to death.

But right now, Yan Buji has something different about him—perhaps...

"I cannot die!"

I have not yet achieved my ambition, my desire!

After enduring so many years, must I die here?

Absolutely not!

"Mutant Force, Mutant Force! Devour! I will turn everything into nourishment for the Mutant Force; even if I die, I could never remain so lowly!"

Yan Buji's body began to mutate; this mutation was not merely of the flesh, but also the magical power and Immortal Essence within him were affected by the Mutant Force.

From the moment the Mutant Force entered, it began to frenziedly devour his magical power, thereby mutating Yan Buji's flesh.

The Immortal Essence derives from Yan Buji's union of spirit and flesh; thus, when his flesh mutates, his Immortal Essence is also greatly affected.

At this moment, Yan Buji resembled a swelling mass of flesh, no longer human in shape, yet the Mutant Force did not cease; even after devouring all his magical power, countless sharp spines sprouted from the mass, like a sea urchin incessantly devouring the surrounding spiritual energy, from which vast amounts of Mutant Force emanated, continually spreading outward.

This is the Mutant Force!

Uncontrolled mutation had no effect on Daoist Tianling; he needed only to extend his magical power to resist, and the Mutant Force could do nothing to him.

But now, Daoist Tianling almost instinctively sensed a danger; he could not pinpoint its source, yet he felt that if he were carelessly touched by the Mutant Force emanating from that mass of flesh, an irreversible situation might arise.

"Failure." Daoist Tianling sighed, continually retreating.

And at this moment, Yan Buji's consciousness also came under the influence of the Mutant Force.

This was the first time, under the corrosive influence of the Mutant Force, that he gradually lost reason and all emotion.

When instinct outweighs reason, one can no longer be called human, but beast.

But the Mutant Force is not an instinct to expand living beings; rather, while affecting the flesh, it mutates everything.

Yan Buji could no longer stay conscious in this state, but rather, due to his survival instinct and immense desire, his Martial Dao Immortal Essence sustained the last fragment of his flesh.

The last trace of his consciousness clung to that unmutated piece of flesh, striving to resist, continually expanding his thoughts to generate more ideas.

"This is mutation...."

Flesh, soul, power....

The power of mutation?

A blade of spiritual light split the chaos like lightning!

"Wrong... all of it wrong..."

"It's not about making power adapt to me... but I must... contain them!"

The mass of flesh emitted a humming sound; at this moment, Yan Buji suddenly realized something.

The Martial Dao of spirit‑flesh union preserved his final trace of consciousness, yet the Mutant Force mutated everything he had—but the essence's source was his flesh!

It had nothing to do with the soul!

"Is this the key to my retaining this fragment of divine awareness?"

But he could not hold out much longer.

In the fleeting moment between life and death, Yan Buji made a mad decision. He actively released his hold on Immortal Essence, letting the Mutant Force rage wildly within his body, consuming his last remnants.

At the same time, Yan Buji condensed all his divine sense to the extreme, beginning an unprecedented practice of "Micro Refinement".

His consciousness sank, sank further... passing through the shattered meridians, surpassing the collapsed dantian, and finally arrived at the most basic essence that constitutes his physical body.

Here, he saw a shocking sight: each cell was painfully struggling under the tearing of the Mutant Force, some already ruptured and dead, others stubbornly resisting.

What's more miraculous, deep within the cells, he faintly sensed a weak, uniquely his own primal Qi.

"This... is it!"