Chapter 60: Lost Mind Madness

"Lord Fang Can, there are already many people gathered outside the martial arts academy, come to watch the spectacle."

"We hope you'll stay home today to rest and recover your injuries."

Several academy masters 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, many of them deceitful types who may band together to surround and ambush you—this poses a serious threat.

"No need to worry." Fang Can stretched his newly restored body in the morning sunlight: "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, shards of stone piercing the air and wounding onlookers.

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

But in the next moment, what filled them with shock was that their full-power Heart Phases struck like they'd hit stone—utterly still, no ripple.

"How is this possible?" the martial artists thought in terror—it was their first time encountering this.

Since awakening their Heart Phases, they'd never seen this—unless this guy had no heart at all.

This was Fang Can's greatest gain from yesterday: Stone Stillness.

By completely sealing his thoughts, he achieved a deathlike stillness—under this Stone Stillness state, an opponent's Heart Phase struck his mind like waves against rock, weakened by nearly a hundredfold.

Of course, Fang Can could not unleash his own Heart Phase while in Stone Stillness.

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

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

"Boom!"

In silence, thunder roared—in the struggle of Heart Phases, Fang Can alone held firm against the mental assault of five men.

"How is this possible! Isn't he just 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 at 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—he alone, through footwork and technique, repelled all five attackers in unison.

At some point, his eyes turned blood-red—he had entered the Evil Tiger Xiehu Shishen 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 their hearts—they'd come to pick off a weakling and stepped on a landmine.

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 climbed the Ascension Path—you've trained for decades in some backwater town just to reach Heart Phase."

"Even at Xuanguan Seventh or Eighth Stage, you're still the weakest kind. You think you can change your fate by hunting geniuses? Dream on!"

As Fang Can spoke, the 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 skills immediately weakened by twenty percent.

Spotting the opening, Fang Can's body blurred into afterimages, darting swiftly between the five.

In one breath, he severed the tendons in all five men's hands—they collapsed screaming, staring in disbelief.

Fang Can sheathed his sword again, turned, and looked at them: "Go 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'm still stuck in place, what use is this world-class talent?"

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

"Genius is just the threshold to see me—I'm cheating." Fang Can thought silently.

But then, sensing a sharp sword aura behind him, Fang Can's expression turned icy—he spun and struck back.

"Clang!"

With a clear, ringing vibration, Fang Can looked down at the sword in his hand—it was slipping.

"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 Shi Xin Feng! He's suffered too great a blow, his Dao heart shattered—he's gone mad!" nearby Heart-Phase martial artists cried out.

"Shi Xin Feng?" Fang Can's brow furrowed slightly.

He'd heard the term before—when Ye Yonglie had worshipped him as a god, Ye Qingshi had mentioned it.

"In this mind-reliant martial world, a shattered Dao heart equals Shi Xin Feng? What's this, cyber-psychosis from a martial arts novel…"

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

"Hiss…"

With a soft sound, the mad martial artist's steps came to a complete halt; his legs gave way, he knelt on the ground, and fell into unconsciousness.

"You think I won't hit you just because you're mentally ill?"

Fang Can muttered a complaint, turned, and left, leaving behind several Heart-Image martial artists frozen in a daze.

Since the battle ended so quickly, the onlookers hadn't run more than a few steps before seeing it conclude; seeing Fang Can approach, they instinctively cleared the path.

"Next, let's put up a sign here," Fang Can said, looking at Ye Yonglie.

"From the Chen hour in the morning until the You hour in the afternoon, I welcome any Heart-Image martial artist to challenge me. Whether it's a duel or a group assault, I accept it all."

"By the way, I need to rest for one hour at noon, so I'll only spar for four hours a day," Fang Can said casually.

(End of this chapter)