Chapter 736: Peerless Fox Immortal

Memories drifted through my sea of consciousness. This was easily the most vital and vulnerable part of my body; my thoughts, my emotions, and my entire past resided here.

Black threads formed by the obsession pierced my scattered memory fragments, polluting my mind and spreading like a plague.

I looked inward, completely powerless against the encroaching black threads.

The charred, bite-marked figure was merely one form this obsession could take. At their core, these entities were forged from deep-seated human resentment, condensing and fermenting over countless years into highly aggressive monsters.

The situation inside my sea of consciousness was dire, but right now, my primary concern wasn't the obsession. It was the Blood Fox.

Judging by its tone a moment ago, it was hiding something incredibly important from me.

"Xue Zhuo! You and I have been in the same boat for a long time. Now that I've entered the sea of consciousness today, aren't you going to let me see your true face?" I shouted toward the spirit platform. Before long, the black threads there began to fade, and a faint crimson glow emerged from the very peak.

It wasn't obvious at first, but as the black threads thinned out, the red glow revealed its sharp brilliance.

"It's absorbing the black threads! It's seizing the energy within the obsession!" I stared blankly at the sight before me; though this was my own mind, I was completely powerless to intervene.

The crimson light flared, absorbing the darkness faster and faster until it devoured it in massive gulps. The black threads and even my own memories were churned by this immense power.

The crimson light gathered strength for a long time before finally erupting. Before me, half the sky in my sea of consciousness was suffused with a blood-red hue!

"Greed, resentment, gluttony! Such an ugly obsession could only be born in the hearts of your kind!" An ancient voice echoed, carrying a hint of majestic grandeur. The aura it gave off was entirely on par with Daoist master Wan.

The black threads were swept away, leaving behind a strange spectacle in my sea of consciousness: the sea and the sky met, but they were painted in two entirely different colors.

Memories drifted beneath my feet while blood-red light permeated the sky above. This scene persisted for a long time before finally fading away.

"The Blood Fox devoured all the obsession in my sea of consciousness the moment it struck. This old fox is showing off its power, deliberately waiting until I entered to make a move." Looking at where the red light had vanished, I saw dense, vein-like threads emerge in the sky. They wove together into a midair staircase, and atop those steps, a bloody shadow walked toward me.

It looked like a deity descending to the mortal realm, carrying a heavenly might that made one want to drop to their knees and submit.

"Xue Zhuo! You'd better behave yourself inside my sea of consciousness! I might just be a mortal, but I have never bowed to any of you gods, buddhas, or demons!" Neither haughty nor humble, I drew strength from my sea of consciousness and looked the bloody shadow straight in the eye.

The stench of blood radiating from it was incredibly heavy. Even before it drew close, the memories near it were already being affected. A murderous intent materialized out of thin air, faintly combating the hunger in my stomach.

"You're just a mortal?" Hearing my words, the bloody shadow revealed a playful smile. It turned to look at the four heaven-reaching pillars wrapped in giant locks. Retracting its gaze shortly after, it said nothing more, simply stepping down the heavenly staircase and walking right up to me.

"A will like steel, tempered a thousand times. I didn't misjudge you after all." The bloody shadow was blurred, its features indiscernible, but its height and build were identical to mine. This was likely just a phantom Xue Zhuo had constructed using my memories. This old fox was naturally suspicious; its true body was probably still hiding in some corner of my sea of consciousness.

"Did you let me in just to put on a show of force? To let me see the former glory of the Turbid Blood Ancestor?" Back in the rental apartment, the Old Granny and the others were hanging by a thread. I could withstand the obsession's invasion, but Junsheng might not be so lucky. As a result, I had zero patience for Xue Zhuo's unnecessary theatrics.

The bloody shadow didn't reply right away. It scrutinized me for a long time before speaking. "I'm not deliberately showing off. I just want to tell you that from the moment you entered, I had the chance to kill you and take your place, but I didn't."

"Are you threatening me? By that logic, I suppose I should thank you for sparing my life?"

"When I first entered your body, my goal was to seize everything you had. However, during my time possessing you, I discovered something much more interesting. At the same time, I realized a certain truth, which is why I changed my mind."

Xue Zhuo spoke in riddles, and I didn't fully understand what it meant. "I knew you were up to no good from the start, but I don't blame you. You did save me back then, after all. What we have is mutual exploitation."

"Aren't you curious why I changed my mind?" The bloody shadow faltered slightly. It was trying to steer the conversation, but I refused to take the bait.

"Whether you change your mind or not is your business. Whether you can actually pull it off is another matter entirely." I sneered, silently tallying up the trump cards I still had left to play.

"Well said. You're the most interesting person I've met in a great many years." The bloody shadow waved its hand, and the steps beneath its feet dissipated. The sky full of crimson completely vanished, merging back into its body. "My original body was torn apart and hidden away within the Five Great Upper Sects. My soul is incomplete and mostly annihilated. Of the three souls of heaven, earth, and man, only this earth soul managed to survive by a stroke of luck because it anchors my boundless killing intent and obsession. Speaking of which, it seems we share a bit of destiny. After all, not just anyone has the ability to offend the Five Great Upper Sects all at once."

"Cut the crap. You promised to join forces with me to deal with the obsession. Right now, that thing is running wild in my body. When are you going to make your move?"

"There's no rush. I'm much more curious about you than the obsession." The bloody shadow turned to look at the four heaven-reaching pillars in my sea of consciousness. "Do you know what those are?"

I felt a bit confused. "Are these pillars strange? Doesn't everyone have them in their sea of consciousness?"

"It seems you really don't remember anything." The bloody shadow's expression slowly grew solemn. "These four pillars suppressing your spirit platform and sea of consciousness are called Dragon-Locking Pillars. Just one of them is enough to sink dragons and calm the sea! Yet there are a full four of them in your sea of consciousness!"

It turned around and stared intently at me, as if trying to see through me from the inside out. "The four Dragon-Locking Pillars act like four massive padlocks sealing your memories. I truly cannot fathom what could possibly be hidden in your mind to warrant such extreme measures."

"Just because of these unfounded mysteries? Is that why you chose to cooperate with me?"

"Not cooperate. I originally wanted to devour your will, take over your body, and live in this world under your identity, slowly biding my time to exact revenge on the sects that besieged and killed me. But after seeing these things in your sea of consciousness, and after everything you've encountered recently, I realized you are a much more suitable candidate than I am. To be frank, even if I were in your shoes, I couldn't possibly have gone through all that completely unscathed, repeatedly taking desperate risks and growing stronger." The bloody shadow spoke very slowly, as if it had pondered each and every word for a long time before voicing them. "You've done better than I could have, so I'm prepared to help you succeed."

I sensed something off in the Blood Fox's tone. "What do you mean? Help me succeed? You want to support me with all your might, and then have me resolve your obsession for you?"

"You'll understand soon enough." It took a step forward with every word, stopping right in front of me as it finished speaking.

Before I could react, the bloody shadow suddenly exploded, swallowing me whole like a gigantic man-eating flower.

"You possess unrivaled power and potential, but you've forgotten how to use it. I can't open the giant locks in your sea of consciousness or help you recall everything, but I can teach you a few combat methods. The power I've recovered over these past days should be enough to sustain them for a few breaths. Watch closely." The Blood Fox's voice drifted erratically. My mind was forcefully pinned down within the sea of consciousness, as if enveloped by something. I completely lost control of my body and could only watch my own physical form from the perspective of a bystander.

"As long as living beings exist, they will generate obsession. It is one of the most common, yet most terrifying, forces in heaven and earth."

It took me a long time to realize that Xue Zhuo's voice was actually coming out of my own mouth. It was controlling my body, exactly like the ritual of inviting spirits!

Although a long time had passed within the sea of consciousness, merely half a minute had gone by in reality. The blind Granny shielded the panicked Junsheng as they retreated to the sofa. The old woman's hand constantly felt around the wooden table, seemingly searching for a match to light a red candle.

The scene at the doorway was somewhat beyond my expectations. The Desire Ghost was completely suppressed. Its body was mutilated, torn open with gashes both large and small, but this didn't hinder it in the slightest. If anything, the wounds only drove it into an even deeper frenzy.

Holding its ground at the door, it relentlessly attacked both the obese obsession and the bite-marked obsession. Taking on two at once, it radiated sheer ferocity!

The Desire Ghost never cared about the consequences when it fought. If the situation didn't undergo a major change, it would likely fight to the death in just a few minutes, torn apart and devoured by the two obsessions.

Watching the outside world from within my sea of consciousness, I broke out in a cold sweat. "Xue Zhuo, the Desire Ghost is about to die in battle. Are you still not going to make a move?"

"What use is there in keeping a piece of trash alive? You're good in every way, but you're far too cautious. You lack the courage to press forward against all odds and the domineering aura of absolute supremacy!" Xue Zhuo's voice rang out from my mouth. It casually plucked the Good and Evil Asura Mask from my face. My ordinary features now radiated a sinister energy, the corners of my lips curling upward to form a cruel, vicious smile.

Grabbing the collar of my shirt and ripping it open, Xue Zhuo gouged its hand into the flesh of my chest. It cut bone-deep. Blood flowed freely, painting the bright red Blood Fox Tattoo.

"Kid, today I will teach you a lesson. If you can't make the world respect you, honor you, and submit to you, then slaughter them until they fear you, dread you, and cower before you! Just like me, whose very name became a taboo no one dared mention!" It threw its head back and laughed brazenly, its unbridled laughter shaking the Red Building.

"Turbid Blood in the Mortal Realm, Nine Tails Parting the Heavens!"

Boundless bloodlust surged from a corner of my spirit platform, washing through my entire body without reservation. This was Xue Zhuo's murderous intent, and it was also its obsession!

The black threads within my body were forced out instantly, reforming into the charred, bite-marked figure. For the first time, this obsession of a tragic victim from the Red Building felt fear. It scrambled backward. But before it could crawl far, Xue Zhuo stomped its foot squarely on top of its head.

"Did I say you could leave?"