Free Web NovelChapter 520: Chapter 513: Slaying the Self
Beichuan Xuanxin formed a blade with his hand and brought it down sharply on his own brow.
To fight Zhou Yuanjue’s immense power—a force nearly unrivaled below King Level—he had to push his own physical abilities and magnetic field to their absolute peak.
And there was only one technique capable of achieving this.
This technique was one he had mastered during the decades he was frozen solid. It was a profound understanding of life and will, forged from decades spent trapped in a state between life and death, sinking into a timeless limbo.
This technique was also the ultimate state of the Destruction Stream—a realm he had conceived of in his previous life but never truly attained.
Destruction — Sever the Self!
This time, the Sharp Sword in his heart was aimed not at another, but at himself.
Within his mind, inside the vast, empty sea of consciousness, a ball of light as brilliant as a Scorching Sun floated in an endless, dark void.
This was the seat of human will, and that sphere of light was the human "self," or what one might call the "soul."
It was born from the brain and resided within the Niwan, infinitely small yet infinitely large.
It was the source of all thought, the origin of all preconceived notions.
The "self" exists, on one hand, to help us better perceive the world, allowing us to survive and grow within a framework of concepts and rules that align with it.
At the same time, however, the inherent cage formed by this brain-bound "self" obstructs our nearly infinite imagination and creativity.
By thinking with the brain, one remains trapped in this cage, forever unable to see the true nature of life and the world.
And at this moment, within Beichuan Xuanxin’s sea of consciousness, countless rays of light spilled forth from the Scorching Sun-like sphere, coalescing into a brilliant, ancient Tianhe-style longsword.
The longsword was raised high, then brought down with fierce intent upon the sphere of light that represented human consciousness and soul.
BZZZZZZT!!!
The sphere representing the "self" instantly shattered under the sword’s blow. It exploded like a supernova, turning into countless motes of light and dust that began to disperse wildly.
At that very moment, Zhou Yuanjue was charging rapidly toward Beichuan Xuanxin. Just as he was about to close the distance, his pupils suddenly contracted.
In his spiritual perception, he could clearly see a star-like light flicker at Beichuan Xuanxin’s brow, in the location of his Niwan Palace. The next moment, this stellar light suddenly exploded, shattering into a sky full of Star Points.
’What is this...’
’His consciousness... shattered?!’
Zhou Yuanjue instantly realized what had happened to his opponent.
Beichuan Xuanxin’s consciousness had shattered. At that moment, his brain and all conscious activity seemed to have ceased.
Such a phenomenon typically only occurred when a person’s will was completely crushed. Ordinarily, without the fluctuations of consciousness, a being with a shattered self would become one of the Living Dead—a person in a vegetative state.
Their body would remain sound, perhaps even able to function, but their brain would have ceased all operation.
’Did this man just kill himself?’
In the brief moment of Zhou Yuanjue’s hesitation, a brilliant light suddenly flashed in his eyes. His Spirit had sensed something incredible.
The Star Point at Beichuan Xuanxin’s brow that represented his consciousness had exploded, but the countless fine motes of light formed from its destruction did not vanish. Instead, they rapidly dispersed from his brow, expanding to encompass his entire body.
A strange sensation came over Zhou Yuanjue. His opponent’s "self" had shattered, but his body was more active than ever.
He had abandoned thinking with his brain and chosen instead to think with his entire body.
His greatest "self" had shattered, but the "self" within every cell, every inch of his flesh, and every vital tissue in his body had been completely activated.
A nation is composed of millions of individuals.
The human body is composed of trillions of cells.
A nation has a supreme government and a supreme leader who directs and determines the country’s entire operation.
The human body has a brain, which nurtures a great "self" that commands the entire body’s functions.
But even the most brilliant national leader cannot fully understand the situation of every "grassroots organization" across a vast territory. Thus, from ancient times, deceiving superiors while feigning compliance has been common. This causes the nation’s operations to stagnate and the implementation of decrees to slow.
Therefore, it is necessary to mobilize and rely on the power of the nation’s countless individuals, selected through various levels and gradually centralized.
Likewise, no matter how powerful the brain and the self, they cannot fully understand the condition of every "cellular organization." The ones who best understand the body’s true nature are always those "cellular organizations" themselves.
A domineering regime and leader lead to dictatorship; a powerful brain and self can likewise lead to cognitive bias.
Only when every individual within a vast organization becomes active and contributes their crucial strength can that organization’s potential be maximized, allowing for constant innovation and growth.
At this very moment, Beichuan Xuanxin was in just such a peculiar state.
He had unleashed the potential of every tissue in his body.
’This state...’
A complex and hazy understanding began to dawn on Zhou Yuanjue, causing his eyes to grow increasingly bright.
However, he had no time for further contemplation. He wanted to experience the mystery of his opponent’s state firsthand.
SWOOSH!!!
His figure shot forward. He drew back his hand, shaping it like a bird’s beak, and struck fiercely at Beichuan Xuanxin.
SCREEEEEEECH!!
The intense friction of his hand against the air produced a piercing screech. Wielding the force of a falling comet, he continuously struck his opponent at a terrifying speed that surpassed sound.
Meteor Shower!!
Spurred on by an immense sense of crisis, Beichuan Xuanxin’s body suddenly tensed. In that instant, Zhou Yuanjue could have sworn he heard countless mighty roars erupting from within the man’s body.
It was as if a nation faced the threat of annihilation, and every single citizen risked their all, uniting as one to resist the foreign invader.
In this state, Beichuan Xuanxin’s physical abilities reached a terrifying level. It was the result of every single one of his cells working in concert, squeezing out every last drop of their potential—something that even Zhou Yuanjue himself was currently incapable of.
WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH!!
Zhou Yuanjue’s countless, devastatingly powerful fists were about to land on Beichuan Xuanxin, but at that exact moment, Beichuan Xuanxin moved.
His eyes were blank and unfocused, yet he struck without any warning and with ultimate speed.
His arms became a blur, as if they had vanished, swinging out at a speed that surpassed his physical limits.
Chaotic Sword: Three Thousand Hanging Willows!
BANG BANG BANG!!
Zhou Yuanjue’s pupils contracted sharply. His every punch was met by a near-perfect strike from his opponent, neutralizing all of its Attack Power and impact.
Ever since he had mastered the Meteor Shower technique, this was the first time anyone had been able to block his entire barrage without a single miss.
’Without a single miss?’
