Chapter 202 - Preparing To Be Strong

Simon took several steps back in the ring to steady himself. He raised his head and glanced sharply at the white-haired man standing in the center of the ring, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. Just minutes earlier, the man in front of him had arrived at the newly opened Singing Water Martial Arts Hall to issue a challenge. Several instructors had already been defeated.

Simon arrived at the martial arts hall only a few minutes earlier to stop the other instructors who wanted to step in. He was going to defeat this arrogant warrior personally. As the leading Covert Martial Arts sect in Beiliu County, Singing Water Sect couldn't have just anyone come and challenge it. He intended to crush the opponent with overwhelming force!

But from the moment their fists first clashed, Simon sensed something was wrong. This white-haired man wasn't just some reckless fool unaware of the situation—he was confident and strong. In their last exchange of punches, Simon had been at a severe disadvantage. You could say he had already lost by half a move.

Simon scrutinized the man before him as if reassessing him. He couldn't afford to hold back against such a formidable opponent.

"Be careful," Simon warned before immediately assuming the standard fighting stance of the Singing Water Covert Martial Arts. Unlike the Wind Elephant Covert Martial Arts, which favored a sturdy and powerful stance, the Singing Water Covert Martial Arts focused on agility, with hands positioned to strike at any moment.

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh...

Simon stepped forward, fiercely charging at Cassius. His fingertips sliced through the air, tracing faint trajectories in their wake.

Void Water was the second stage of the Singing Water Sect's fist technique. The first stage was known as Solid Water. Solid and a void, real and illusory—it wasn't hard to grasp. The Singing Water Sect's fist technique at this stage was known for its complex changes, using rapid shifts in moves to confuse the enemy before striking the fatal blow.

After over a decade of being immersed in the Void Water stage, Simon was able to flawlessly execute his strikes, his hands swiftly changing positions like a flurry of blooming flowers, aiming at his opponent's vital areas.

Cassius, with his hands guarding his head like a boxer, remained calm. He wasn't fazed by Simon's dazzling techniques and continued to strike at his own steady pace.

His fists swung wide, relying primarily on straight punches and swinging punches. His arm snapped like a whip with each strike, forcing Simon to block each punch quickly. After several exchanges, Simon's ability to switch moves became increasingly strained, and he began to feel the pressure.

Cassius's fighting style was different from most Covert Martial Arts Practitioners. Every move was filled with an almost uncontrollable killing intent, a brutal ferocity. If Simon had to compare it to another style, it would be the assassination fist.

But since this man wasn't using the assassination fist, that meant the opponent had personally developed and honed this fighting style after making little changes throughout the long process.

Thud!

Another rapid exchange of punches followed as Cassius's fists struck Simon's joints repeatedly. Taking advantage of Simon's arm going numb and his strength dissipating, Cassius's next punch pierced through his defenses like a spear, going straight toward his chest with brutal precision.

With a

whoosh

, the force of the punch sent ripples through Simon's clothes.

Both men froze. Simon shook his numb right hand and looked grimly at the fist halted just in front of his chest. One more inch, a little more force, and he would have been seriously hurt. And had he been even more unlucky, he might have even died.

Simon stared intently at Cassius. While there seemed to be some issues with Cassius's physique and his strength wasn't as great as Simon's, his combat techniques were incredibly concise, almost completely devoid of unnecessary flourishes. He pursued pure killing power, pure aggression.

𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

It was as if he had honed those techniques in the space between life and death. Simon watched Cassius slowly withdraw his fist and asked, "With such strong killing intent, just how many people have you killed?"

Cassius was silent for a moment before replying, "I don't remember." He then added, "You don't always have to kill people to have killing intent. Killing other things works too."

The fighting style Cassius had just displayed was a blend of his and Li Wei's. In previous time-travels, the original owners of the antiques weren't particularly skilled. However, this time, Li Wei had been through countless battles for more than a decade.

Li Wei's technique and efficiency in utilizing power were so refined that he even surpassed Cassius in some areas. Over time, Cassius had absorbed Li Wei's memories, gradually integrating their styles. He had now reached a high level of mastery in Elephant Soul and was steadily advancing toward eighty percent completion.

In the ring, Cassius clasped his fists in respect to signal the end of the fight. Immediately, the training field beneath the ring erupted in murmurs. All the spectators were students of the Singing Water Martial Arts Hall. They knew how strong Deputy Instructor Simon was, and to see him defeated by a stranger was...

"Deputy Instructor Simon actually lost... This..." Laura shook her head; the scene was unfathomable to her.

Mindy moved a little closer to the two instructors in front of her so she could listen in on their conversation.

"What ruthless techniques. Every punch was aimed directly at vital points. Senior Brother Simon had no choice but to defend. His Void Water fist technique didn't seem to confuse his opponent at all."

"Senior Brother lost fair and square. This man is really strong."

"Do you think he could last a few moves against the head instructor?"

"He probably could."

As Mindy listened, she lifted her head to look toward the ring. The challenger was chatting with Deputy Instructor Simon, and soon, the two walked briskly toward the corridor.

An hour later, at the back of the Singing Water Martial Arts Hall, three people were sipping tea in a room designated for hosting special guests.

On the left sat the white-haired Cassius, and on the right was Simon. There was also an elderly man who looked to be in his sixties, dressed in a light blue combat attire. On the back was an oval-shaped, dark swirling pattern—an emblem of the Singing Water Sect.

"You're a surviving member of the Wind Elephant Sect?!" The old man shot up from his seat, staring at Cassius in shock.

"Yes, I'm probably the only one left." Cassius lifted his head, meeting the old man's gaze. Seeing the elder hesitate, he continued, "I know what you want to ask. Yes, a mysterious force attacked the Wind Elephant Sect over a decade ago. They weren't a Covert Martial Arts sect, nor were they even from the martial arts world. They're very dangerous. Once you learn about this, it could bring calamity to the entire Singing Water Sect. Do you still want to know? If so, I can tell you..." Cassius straightforwardly laid out the risks.

This situation was different from his third time-travel. Many conditions were still lacking and the bargaining chips he had would, at most, allow him to exchange a few things with the Singing Water Sect, but weren't enough to initiate a deeper collaboration. Cassius didn't want to pass his troubles on to others either.

Hearing this, the old man fell silent. After what seemed like half a day, he finally spoke. "Then let's forget it. Let's return to the previous discussion. You said you wanted to exchange a rare Secret Technique for our sect's advanced elixirs?" The elder paused. "What specifically are you looking for?"

Cassius put down his teacup. "I need an elixir that can repair and heal potential and enhance a person's innate constitution."

The elder frowned slightly. "Elixirs of that type are among the most precious. As for healing potential, I'm not entirely certain. We do have elixirs in the Singing Water Sect that can heal internal injuries and stabilize Qi and blood, but I'm not sure if that fits what you're asking for regarding potential.

"Additionally, we do have elixirs that can enhance constitution, but most of them are only effective on Covert Martial Arts Practitioners who are still young. The only one that works on adult practitioners is called the Black Grain Pill, but the effect is quite limited," the head of the Singing Water Martial Arts Hall gave a thorough explanation. After finishing, he looked at Cassius. "Can you introduce the Secret Technique you're offering in exchange?"

Cassius nodded and said, "The Secret Technique is called Heart Eye. It primarily trains the five senses of the human body. When the Heart Eye Secret Technique trains the five senses to their peak, it produces a sixth sense that can predict an opponent's moves. It hones a person's ability to anticipate as well as their physical reflexes. At its pinnacle, it's almost like having a third eye..."

As Cassius continued his explanation, the elder's expression grew more serious. The more he listened, the more the technique sounded like the aura of a combat artist which was the instinct that revolved around Qi and premonition.

He had sparred with a combat artist once and had been easily defeated by their aura, so he was particularly sensitive to this type of ability. According to Cassius's description, wasn't the Heart Eye Secret Technique essentially a diminished version of a combat artist's signature aura?

If pugilists could master this technique, it would undoubtedly provide a significant boost to those who had reached a bottleneck in their progression, with the enhancement more in combat ability than in cultivation level.

Moreover, talented individuals who were already close to the pugilist or combat artist bottleneck could, through the Heart Eye Secret Technique, gain early exposure to the combat artist's unique aura, thus giving them an advantage when attempting to break through that bottleneck.

It was hard to say for sure, but it was clear that the Heart Eye Secret Technique was indeed as valuable as Cassius claimed. However, the elder still needed to examine the actual content of the technique.

By the late afternoon, nearing dusk, in the living room, Cassius and the elder shook hands, both smiling.

"It was a pleasure doing business with you," both said at the same time.

The elder clapped his hands, and immediately, someone came over to the coffee table's side with a briefcase. They carefully placed the elixirs inside the case, then closed it tightly. Cassius, in turn, pulled out the remaining half of the secret manual from his coat. And thus their final exchange was complete.

The elder nodded in satisfaction, quickly scanning the manual to ensure its completeness before asking, "Mr. Twilight, you've only done business with us at Singing Water Sect, correct? We should have many more opportunities to work together in the future..."

His meaning was clear. Cassius smiled and nodded. "Of course."

Later on, the same scene played out at the Golden Fist Martial Arts Hall. A bald man with thick eyebrows shook hands with Cassius. The two nodded to each other.

"Mr. Twilight, we should cooperate more in the future..."

By the time Cassius finished everything, it was already early morning on June 7. He walked out of Golden Fist Martial Arts Hall, briefcase in hand.

The gray streets before him were shrouded in the morning mist. Cassius picked a direction and walked briskly onward. About ten seconds later, a figure emerged from the martial arts hall and hurriedly followed in the same direction Cassius had taken.

At 8:30 a.m., a tall, bald man slowly eased his grip in a secluded alley. Blood pouring out of her caved-in face, a woman collapsed against the wall with a thud, a knife slipping from her hand to the ground.

The woman wore a revealing red dress that showed off her pale, smooth skin and striking figure. She had likely been quite beautiful but now, her face was completely destroyed.

The bald man shook the blood off from his hands, glancing at his torn clothes and his uninjured chest, a cold sneer on his face. "You call that an assassin? She didn't even have a gun. Is this Twilight's so-called mysterious power? Nothing but—" His words abruptly cut off as he dashed out of the alley. The street was bustling with pedestrians, and the occasional car passed by.

But the trench-coated figure was nowhere in sight.

"Damn it!" The bald man punched the wall, leaving a dent. Loose rubble crumbled onto the ground. Expression dark, he walked back into the alley and dragged the woman's body away in his left hand by the hair.

At 2:30 p.m., Toma and Xiala were studying in the second-floor study of a single-family home in the city. Three wooden barrels sat in the corner on the first floor of an otherwise empty room. Each was the size of a bathtub and filled with different materials.

From left to right, the barrels were filled with hot water, ice, and sand. Next to the barrels, the only table in the room was set with two open cases. Bottles of elixirs were carefully sorted and placed on either side.

There were three elixirs in total. Two came from the Singing Water Sect: the White Healing Ointment, which cured internal injuries and chronic illnesses, and the Black Grain Pill, which slightly enhanced the constitution of adult Covert Martial Arts Practitioners. The last one came from the Golden Fist Sect and was called Bone-Devouring Water, which rapidly increased physical strength.

The elixirs were said to be their respective sects' most closely kept top secrets and were highly valuable. Even elder-level figures had to apply and make significant contributions to earn the right to use them. Cassius had obtained quite a few this time.

There were three bottles of White Healing Ointment, five Black Grain Pills, and a half-full bottle of Bone-Devouring Water, about the size of a fist. He wasn't sure how effective they'd be on Li Wei's body.

After taking the White Healing Ointment, one needed to soak in hot water to stimulate the pores, continuously expelling internal clots of blood. The Black Grain Pill required soaking in cold water, even ice, as the process of enhancing constitution caused the body temperature to rise dangerously. There was a risk of fainting if the body wasn't cooled down.

As for the Bone-Devouring Water, once the person consumed it, they would be unable to move—any motion would undo the effect. However, it also induced extreme pain, so the body had to be immobilized, usually by burying the entire person in sand from the neck down.

Cassius glanced at the three barrels, then walked over to the table on the left, reaching for one of the bottles.