Chapter 60: Lost Mind Madness

“Master Fang Can, a large crowd has gathered outside the martial arts academy to watch the spectacle.”

“We hope you’ll stay home today to rest and recover from your injuries.”

Several academy heads tried to persuade him, knowing that even ants can kill an elephant when they swarm.

Yesterday, Fang Can had already reached his limit after enduring a wheel battle from over thirty Heart-Phase martial artists.

Now martial artists from multiple surrounding regions are rushing here, including many treacherous types who might surround and ambush you—this poses a serious threat.

“No need to worry.” Fang Can stretched his newly restored body beneath the morning sun: “I just leveled up—perfect time to test my capacity.”

As he spoke, Fang Can walked out into the open, ignoring the worried glances of those around him, and shoved open the heavy door to roar at the noisy crowd: “I am Fang Can! Whoever wants to die, come fight me!”

“Boom!”

In the instant he roared, five hidden figures lurking in the crowd leapt up simultaneously, wielding different weapons and striking at Fang Can.

In an instant, the ground exploded beneath their stomps; flying stones pierced the air and struck bystanders, injuring them.

Immediately, the five masters unleashed their Heart Phases, crushing down on Fang Can—any moment of hesitation would see him torn apart by blades.

But in the next moment, what startled them was that their full-power Heart Phases struck like they’d hit a rock—utterly still, no ripple.

“How is this possible?” the martial artists, experiencing this for the first time, were filled with terror.

Since awakening their Heart Phases, they’d never encountered this—unless this man had no heart at all.

This was Fang Can’s greatest gain from yesterday: the Stone Stillness Contemplation.

By completely sealing his thoughts, he achieved a deathlike stillness; in this Stone State, an opponent’s Heart Phase struck his mind like waves against a rock—its effect weakened by dozens of times.

Of course, in the Stone State, Fang Can could not unleash his own Heart Phase.

But for Fang Can, this was already a massive advantage—he stood invincible in mental combat.

Yet then, Fang Can abandoned his defense and actively unleashed his Heart Phase, crushing toward the five.

“Boom!”

In silence, thunder roared—in the battle of Heart Phases, Fang Can alone held firm against five minds.

“How is this possible! Isn’t he just at Xuanguan First Stage?”

Disbelief rose in the five hearts—this moment felt longer than a lifetime.

As if sensing their astonishment, Fang Can silently replied in his mind:

“Because inside my body… there are two hearts!”

In the next instant, a white light flared from the scabbard on his back. Facing the five attackers, he drew his sword without hesitation and struck back.

“Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!”

Amid a rapid series of weapon clashes, Fang Can’s longsword spun so tightly not even a needle could pierce through, not a drop of water slip past—alone, he used his footwork and technique to deflect all five attacks.

Unnoticed, his eyes had turned crimson—he had entered the Demon Tiger Possession state.

In this burst state, his strength, previously his weakness despite crossing Xuanguan Third Stage, now firmly surpassed these martial artists.

“How is this possible! How can he be this strong!”

“They said he was Xuanguan First Stage! Tianji Tower, when did you learn to lie?”

Disbelief surged in the five—what they’d thought was an easy target had turned into a spike they’d stepped on.

Watching their aged faces, Fang Can parried their blows and mocked: “You pathetic fools, think having a Heart Phase makes you great?”

“No secret techniques, average talent, no ancestors who ascended the Path to Heaven—you’ve trained for decades in some backwater town just to reach Heart Phase.”

“Even at Xuanguan Seventh or Eighth Stage, you’re among the weakest. You think you can change your fate by hunting geniuses? Dream on!”

As Fang Can spoke, the five martial artists’ faces flushed with rage—they were truly broken.

“Damn you! Keep talking!”

“Aminuos, die!!!”

“Today, even if I lose my life, I’ll cut you down, you bastard!”

As their mental resolve shattered, their martial skill immediately weakened by twenty percent.

Fang Can, spotting the opening, became a blur of motion, darting swiftly between the five with his sword.

In one breath, he severed the tendons in all five men’s hands—they collapsed screaming, unable to believe what had happened.

Fang Can sheathed his sword again, turned, and looked at them: “Go back home. Your talent is too poor—you don’t even have the potential to serve as my cultivation fuel.”

“This isn’t possible! You’re Xuanguan First Stage—how could you defeat us?” one martial artist shouted, clutching his severed tendons.

Fang Can sneered: “Three full days have passed—if I were still stuck where I was, what use would this legendary talent be?”

“Is this… what a genius is?” one martial artist knelt on the ground, despairing—his mental resolve had collapsed, his Dao heart nearly shattered.

“Genius is merely the threshold to see me—I’m cheating.” Fang Can silently thought.

But in the next instant, sensing sharp sword qi behind him, Fang Can’s expression turned cold—he spun and struck back.

“Clang!”

With a clear ring, Fang Can looked at the sword now slipping from his grip.

“What’s going on?”

Fang Can frowned at the martial artist before him—his right hand tendons severed, now wielding a knife in his left hand, eyes filled with murderous intent, utterly devoid of reason.

“Strength roughly doubled, speed increased by twenty percent—and this strike wasn’t even delivered with his dominant hand.” Fang Can assessed.

“It’s… it’s Lost Mind Madness! He’s suffered a Dao heart collapse and gone berserk!” nearby Heart-Phase martial artists cried out.

“Lost Mind Madness?”

He vaguely recalled hearing the term from Ye Qingshi when Ye Yonglie had bowed to him as a god.

“In this mind-centric martial world, a shattered Dao heart equals Lost Mind Madness? Some kind of cyber-psychosis version of martial arts…”

Fang Can muttered, then swung his sword violently as the mad martial artist charged, ignoring his own life.

“Hiss…”

With a soft sound, the mad martial artist froze—his legs buckled, and he collapsed into unconsciousness.

“You think being a lunatic means I won’t hit you?”

Fang Can muttered, turned, and walked away, leaving behind the stunned Heart-Phase martial artists.

Because the battle ended too quickly, the onlookers hadn’t even taken a few steps before seeing it over—they instinctively parted to let Fang Can pass.

“Let’s put up a sign here,” Fang Can said to Ye Yonglie.

“From Chen Hour in the morning to You Hour in the afternoon, any Heart-Phase martial artist is welcome to challenge me—whether single combat or mob attack, I accept all.”

“Oh, and I’ll rest for one hour at noon—so four hours of sparring per day.” Fang Can added casually.

(End of Chapter)