Chapter 131: Fu Yang Goes Berserk

Master Xiong, despite being a foul-mouthed, shameless, and incredibly obese cat, possessed a background and identity that were profoundly mysterious.

In all the recorded history of the Taoist sects, there had never been a single account—at least none made public—of a demon capable of speaking human language. While a demon’s intelligence and cognitive abilities typically matured alongside its cultivation level, reaching a state approaching that of a human, the ability to actually speak was beyond the reach of even those at the Demon King level.

Yet, this obese, talking cat was remarkably weak; a single finger from a Demon King could crush it. And now, not only had it instantly recognized that Fu Yang carried the "Desolate Devourer" and was the sole true heir to the Ghost Path, but upon seeing Fu Yang collapse to his knees, it had even blurted out the words "Second Awakening."

The Ghost Path was mysterious, unfathomable, and peerlessly tyrannical. Since the Three Kingdoms period, although its followers had been few, they had consistently surpassed all other Taoist sects in terms of peak combat power. Because its disciples were often aloof and eccentric, acting solely on their own impulses without regard for worldly conventions, their reputation had always been poor. This was precisely why, when a mysterious faction had besieged and annihilated the sect, the leaders of other Taoist schools had deliberately delayed their rescue.

The power of the Ghost Path did not grow through leaps and bounds via ritual ordinations. Instead, it was achieved through what was known as "Awakening."

With each Awakening, the power of the Ghost Path would increase dramatically, strengthening both the physical body and the soul. If one were lucky, even their talent for cultivation would be enhanced. Such heaven-defying potential—no wonder they were eventually wiped out; perhaps it was simply Heaven’s will.

Although the Ghost Path lacked its own specific techniques and martial forms in the early and middle stages, forcing its practitioners to "borrow" spells from other sects, its raw power was immense. It was, in a sense, like a unique form of internal energy lacking corresponding external martial arts.

"Fu, you lucky bastard, has your Second Awakening really started already? That old friend I knew hundreds of years ago took a full five years to go from the first to the second awakening... Did Queen Vike do something to him? I, your Grandpa Xiong, have never seen what a Second Awakening looks like. Today, I’ll just treat it as a rare spectacle."

Master Xiong stood on its hind legs like a human, its small, furry paws folded over its chest, seemingly lost in thought.

Meanwhile, the Iron-Armored Dark Puppet, now missing both its arms, had been thoroughly enraged by Fu Yang. Though it was an unfinished product without much intelligence, it could still distinguish who had inflicted the greatest damage upon it. Consequently, Fu Yang became the target of its next frenzied attack.

The Iron-Armored Dark Puppet charged toward him.

"Hrrgh... glug, glug..."

Fu Yang was now crawling on all fours, his limbs twisted into bizarre, unsettling angles.

He lifted his head; veins bulged across his face, and his eyes had turned pitch black, devoid of even a hint of white. He exuded a terrifying, violent aura. Even more chilling was the center of his forehead, where a large, tumor-like black mass slowly pulsed and writhed.

Was this appearance not a bit too evil? Even Master Xiong was shocked.

"Is the Ghost Path’s Second Awakening always this eerie? It doesn't look like the work of the righteous..."

Just as it felt uncertain about Fu Yang’s current state, the Iron-Armored Dark Puppet reached him. It lifted a leg, and with a whistling rush of air, slammed it down toward Fu Yang’s head.

"Watch out! Fu, you idiot, why aren't you dodging?"

Seeing the corpse puppet's strike, Master Xiong grew deeply concerned. But the scene that followed nearly made its jaw drop.

Fu Yang did not dodge or parry. He took the blow head-on, completely unscathed. Then, emitting a chilling, low growl, he thrust upward with his head, sending the nearly two-meter-tall, powerful corpse puppet flying backward.

*Boom!*

With a thunderous crash, the Iron-Armored Dark Puppet slammed into the wall of the cold storage room, causing the iron shelves against the wall to rattle violently. Glass bottles and jars tumbled down, shattering into pieces.

"My goodness! Is the Ghost Path’s Second Awakening some kind of 'Iron Head' technique? This..."

Before Master Xiong could finish its exclamation, Fu Yang tilted his head back and let out a roar that made even the cat’s fur stand on end. Devoid of any human emotion, like a savage beast, he sprang into the air.

*Whoosh!*

He left a black trail behind him, moving like a flash of lightning, and slammed down onto the Iron-Armored Dark Puppet. As the creature struggled to rise, Fu Yang extended his legs, pinning its ankles firmly to the ground. The corpse puppet, now stripped of its ability to resist, could only writhe and thrash on the floor.

Fu Yang’s arms, resembling the claws of some monster, gripped the puppet’s head from both sides; his nails were dark and gleaming, seemingly sharper than Master Xiong’s own.

And then...

Fu Yang opened his mouth and bit down on the Iron-Armored Dark Puppet’s head!

Master Xiong’s mouth hung open, forming an "O" shape.

*Crack...*

With a crisp sound, Fu Yang tore a chunk right out of the puppet’s head.

With eyes as black as ink, Fu Yang truly resembled a demon god crawling out from the deepest pits of hell, using the most brutal, savage, and primitive means to tear apart and slaughter the corpse puppet. His jaws and teeth gnashed, producing a crunching sound as he swallowed the puppet’s skull.

*Squish...*

A sharp sound of something piercing skin rang out.

The black, tumor-like mass in the center of Fu Yang’s forehead burst open, and a slightly curved, sharp horn protruded from within!

With jet-black eyes and a single horn growing from his head... this appearance would likely terrify an ordinary person into a dead faint.

"Damn, are you a Dragon-Man now? Growing a horn on your head... that’s a bit much, isn't it?" Master Xiong muttered to itself.

Fu Yang opened his mouth wide again and took another bite from the puppet's head. This time it was even more gruesome, with black slime—likely the puppet’s brain matter—splattering everywhere.

"My brother, you're incredible! Are you the reincarnation of an EVA from those Japanese animations? You go berserk at the slightest provocation and tear your enemies apart in such a bloody, savage way?"

Even Master Xiong was awestruck by Fu Yang’s frenzied state. It felt that this did not resemble a standard Ghost Path Second Awakening; rather, something had gone wrong, leading to a terrifying, runaway transformation.

The entire cold storage room was filled with the sickening crunch of flesh and bone being torn apart, a sound that made one’s spine tingle with dread.

The Iron-Armored Dark Puppet’s body was incredibly tough, as hard as steel, yet it was being consumed by Fu Yang, bite by bite.