Redemption of a Born Demon-Chapter 37: The Way of Corpse Dissolution, an Immortal Hidden in the Vast Sea of People (Part 1)
A two-handed thrust to sweep the world cleanโthe Destruction Killing Tribulation!
As a Descent Celestial Demon, Yi Beidou transformed himself into a living killing tribulation to test every art in the world. ๐ป๐๐๐ฆ๐ธ๐๐ท๐โด๐ฃ๐ฆ๐.๐ธโด๐ฎ
Only the arts that were not destroyed in this killing tribulation would be worthy of surviving in the new world.
Without demons, how could there be gods?
The killing intent and Evil Qi within this technique were ferociously potent; it was a move designed purely for killing, through and through.
Even Fang Xiuyuan and Tao Zihong were shaken by the techniqueโs killing intent and Heart Intent. In their eyes, Yi Beidouโs figure seemed to be growing taller, rising to become level with the Big Dipper in the sky.
They dared not show the slightest negligence.
"Hah!"
Fang Xiuyuan let out a low shout. His feet stepped in the pattern of the Nine Palaces, the major acupoints of his body shining like stars, his blood surging like the Dragon Veins that coursed through mountains and rivers.
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
As he moved, a hazy aura of power exploded from his body. Winds suddenly howled and clouds gathered throughout the mountain forest. Even the color of the sky seemed to shift, and the Dragon Veins deep underground trembled.
Treading Gang and Stepping on the Stars, bringing forth Clouds and Rain.
This was the Fengshui Dao: the manipulation of natural magnetic fields. When the field grew dense enough, it attracted water vapor, which coalesced into clouds and mist that swirled around Fang Xiuyuan.
At that moment, he looked less like a man and more like a True Immortal wreathed in clouds and mist.
BOOM!!
He threw a punch, unleashing his Spiral Force. The Fist Technique stirred the air, driving the magnetic field and the mist, making it seem as if numerous Divine Dragons were coiling around his arm.
However, these Divine Dragons were formed from condensed Evil Qi. They lacked true vitality and divinity, which only made them seem more sinister and treacherous.
The name of this technique was "Corpse Dragon Coiling"!!
Meanwhile, Tao Zihong fiercely thrust out a palm. The arcs of electricity crackling around him were instantly drawn in, gathering in his palm.
Palm Thunder!
BOOM!!
As their four palms collided, the electric arcs on Tao Zihongโs body vanished for a moment, as if blown away by the terrifying force of the blow. He was driven back three steps, his viscera churning and the circulation of his Qi and blood growing sluggish.
Fang Xiuyuan, on the other hand, staggered. He seemed on the verge of retreating but instead gave a sudden shudder. His Gang Qi erupted as he channeled the force into the ground. Though he stood his ground, he too felt his Qi and blood stagnate, a deeply unsettling feeling.
He knew this was caused by the Will of Destruction embedded in his opponentโs technique.
Martial Artists at the Realm of Mighty Spirit could already use Soul Capturing and Soul Stealing to Transform Illusion into Reality and affect a personโs physical body, so what to speak of the True Intent from a Saint Expert?
If Yi Beidou pressed his attack now, Fang Xiuyuan would certainly be at a disadvantage. Such an overbearingly powerful technique could not be met head-on.
However, Yi Beidou did not pursue. After that single strike, he lowered his arms and reined in his aura of Qi and blood.
"What a potent Will of Destruction. A Celestial Demon sweeps through the world, and only what survives is considered a true art. You intend to use yourself as the measure for every Taoist Skill in existence?"
Fang Xiuyuanโs eyes narrowed as he stared at the young man before him, as if seeing the monumental waves this person was about to unleash upon their era.
โBut is this a blessing or a curse?โ
He made no move to attack again, also reining in his Qi and blood and returning to his normal state.
The Martial Arts True Intent had already told him everything.
He had wielded the Silent Heart Sword for many years. Although he hadnโt experienced Synesthesia on as deep a level as Yi Beidou, he was still very familiar with the True Intent it contained.
That nameless swordsman killed his enemies, his kin, and even himself, but his was merely the paranoid Taoist Skill of Theravada Buddhism. How could it possibly compare to the magnificent, world-devouring aura Yi Beidou had just displayed?
This one technique alone was enough to distinguish truth from fabrication.
"You spawned a second personality from the swordโs True Intent just to learn its Taoist Skill?" Tao Zihong asked, walking over. He still seemed to find it hard to believe. "Are you sure youโve completely purged that personality? And not that itโs merely lying dormant, biding its time?"
"Your actions were far too reckless," Fang Xiuyuan said. "Divine Sense and True Intent are our very foundation. They cannot be threatened in the slightest, or the consequences will be unimaginable."
"Thereโs no need for you two to worry," Yi Beidou said. "I have experience with this sort of thing. Iโve eliminated six of my own personalities before. For me, this wasnโt much of a risk."
โJust what kind of Taoist Skill does this person cultivate?โ
Fang Xiuyuan and Tao Zihongโs mouths fell slightly open, at a loss for words.
"Actually, there is something Iโd like to ask you both about."
As he said this, a sharp glint flashed in Yi Beidouโs eyes.
To be honest, this experience had gone far beyond his comprehension. He had originally thought that using Synesthetic True Intent was merely like witnessing a piece of history. He never imagined that the True Intent contained within an object could actually cause the personality of someone long dead to reawaken inside him.
Such a thing was simply unbelievable; the word "bizarre" was not enough to describe it.
It inevitably made him recall something else.
When he had discussed Hong Datongโs identity with the Killing Heart Buddha, Wei Cheng, Wei Cheng had claimed that Hong Datong was a "person from the past."
He hadnโt fully understood what that meant back then, but now he was beginning to form a theory.
"You want to ask how the True Intent contained within an object can lead to the birth of a second personality?" Tao Zihong said. "And whether that second personality is truly equivalent to the person from the past?"
"Indeed. Can you enlighten me, Celestial Master Tao?" Yi Beidou asked.
โAlthough this Celestial Master Taoโs practical combat ability was only average among Saint Experts who had achieved Body Ascension, fighting wasnโt his forte. His true value lay in research; he was bound to have some knowledge of these secrets.โ
โWei Cheng hadnโt been willing to explain the details, wanting him to experience and understand it for himself. But Yi Beidou suspected that even Wei Cheng hadnโt expected him to come into contact with this subject so quickly.โ
"This delves into a philosophical question: how do you define a person? By their flesh and blood? Or by their memories and thoughts? We generally believe that what defines a person is their memories and thoughts. Thatโs why, even with todayโs cloning technology, we canโt truly recreate a person."
"This has given rise to many hypotheticals. For example, if you could upload a personโs complete memories and thoughts to a network, would you say that person has achieved a form of digital immortality? The True Intent in this sword works on a similar principle. When oneโs cultivation reaches a certain realm and their consciousness is sufficiently potent, they can leave a powerful imprint on an object. If someone else then experiences a deep Synesthesia with that object, those memories will strongly influence their own consciousness."
"As for your question of whether the second personality you generated is equivalent to that person from the past, I believe they canโt be considered the same. First, a single sword couldnโt possibly carry the memories of an entire lifetimeโonly incomplete fragments. Second, you yourself possess a strong consciousness. The second personality can only be described as an amalgam, a fusion of your consciousness with his memories, born from his influence."
Tao Zihong explained.
Yi Beidou understood what Tao Zihong meant. Human memory is incredibly complex; the slightest influence could result in a completely different personality.
Even if the memory fragments were complete, and even if they influenced an ordinary person, that new consciousness would inevitably be altered by the hostโs own memories. It would no longer be the same person.
"So, in other words, itโs impossible for someone from the past to be truly reborn through this method? And impossible for a master to break the barrier between life and death?" Yi Beidou asked.
"That swordsman couldnโt, no. But that doesnโt mean others canโt," Fang Xiuyuan said in a low voice. "It is possible to circumvent the interference from an existing consciousness. Imagine if someoneโs cultivation was high enough, their Heart Intent strong enough, that they could imprint the most crucial memories of their life into the mind of an innocent, unformed child who had yet to develop a true personality. What do you think would happen then?"
Hearing this, Yi Beidouโs expression tightened.
