Chapter 237 - Holy Fist, Dominator Fist, Ultimate Fist

Feng Liusi smiled faintly and shook his head. He absentmindedly reached up to stroke his beard, but quickly realized that he had already shaved off his thick beard. He took a deep breath to cool off his body from the intense sprinting.

"The Loka Mountains enter a period of intense activity from July to September; we just descended the mountain a bit early and caught its tail end. If we had waited another week, there would've been fewer obstacles."

Feng Liusi scanned the dense forest. Various animals and poisonous insects occasionally crawled through the thick underbrush, and if one listened carefully, they could even hear wolves howling and bears roaring during the day.

"I suspect it has something to do with the poisonous fog that frequently appears in the dense forests of the Loka Mountains from July to September." Feng Liusi handed a clean cloth to Cassius. "The path out of Death Canyon is more difficult than I anticipated, so we may have to spend the night in the forest. The poisonous fog usually comes in the early morning. If the need arises, soak the cloth in the river, wring it out until it's damp, and cover your nose and mouth with it."

Cassius accepted the cloth and nodded. The two continued on their way.

The route from Death Canyon to the Loka Mountains was fifty kilometers as the crow flies, and was notorious for its treacherousness. They encountered various ferocious beasts along the way. Some were mutated giant creatures, while others were a variety of strange venomous insects and snakes. The danger only grew during the period of intense activity. Despite being experienced combat artists, Cassius and Feng Liusi were forced to travel together for safety. Even then, they found it difficult to leave the Loka Mountains within a day.

They traveled until nightfall, but only managed to cover a few dozen kilometers. They had fought off five attacks from wild beasts and had been relentlessly pursued by a highly coordinated murder of mutated crows. These crows harassed them for several kilometers, swooping down to slash at them with venomous claws. It wasn't until they killed nearly a thousand crows that the horde finally gave up.

The most dangerous encounter, however, was with the toxic mist.

Cassius had experienced a similar mist when he first stepped foot in Death Canyon. Just inhaling it caused his respiratory tract to burn. Even with his robust physique, he had still ended up bleeding. This time, the mist was much more potent. Not only did it start burning his throat upon inhalation, but it quickly started raising itchy, burning rashes on his skin. If they stayed any longer, blisters would start erupting all over their bodies.

Cassius caught sight of a bear carcass lying in the mist, covered in huge, festering blisters. The blisters were a strange, semi-transparent red, and since they were about the size of eyeballs, it looked as though the bear's body was covered in blood-red eyes. It seemed as though the bear had died recently, since the blisters were still popping and splattering pus on the ground. The ground sizzled as the toxic pus ate away at the earth.

Cassius and Feng Liusi sprinted full tilt through this fog-shrouded area of the forest. Once they broke through to clean air, their rashes, which had been on the verge of turning into blisters, disappeared. Cassius snagged a mutated ape and used its life magnetic field to trigger a vibration that healed both himself and Feng Liusi. However, this delay allowed night to catch up to them.

The two chose a clearing and started a fire. They had no need for tools as even striking a stone with their hands could produce sparks. If they wanted to build a wooden shelter, they could easily make one on the spot.

Cassius used the Azure Wind Flow technique, his hands moving like electric saws as he quickly cut down several trees and trimmed the wood to create a simple shelter to shield them from the wind and rain. The weather had been poor all afternoon, and there was a good chance that it would rain at night. He then inserted several branches between nearby trees to create a pair of makeshift beds. In no time, they had two suspended beds.

Feng Liusi caught two wild chickens, which they roasted over the fire. The two made do with a simple dinner, and as soon as they finished eating, droplets began to fall from the sky.

Thunder rumbled in the dark clouds like cannons going off in the distance. This terrifying display of nature's power would fill anyone with dread.

A flash of white and purple lightning struck the Loka Mountains. It resembled a lightning tree that reached for the sky. Cassius felt his hair stand on end as numbness spread across his body.

It was said that the more one advanced in martial arts, the more sensitive and keen their physique and Qi would become, and the stronger their fear of the overwhelming power of nature. The rapid development of steel and machinery, the terrifying forces of nature, and the boundless starry sky all highlighted the frailty of human flesh and blood.

Now that I've reached the level of a strong combat artist, I can withstand bullets, machine guns, and even cannons. But I still feel powerless against things like explosive shells and missiles...

Cassius looked uneasily up at the dark sky.

"And that's just human technology. What about the terrifying forces of nature like lightning strikes, landslides, tsunamis, earthquakes..." he murmured to himself.

How far can martial arts take me? Where is the peak of Covert Martial Arts?

Cassius didn't know the answers.

Thunder rumbled again. It sounded like two massive iron balls colliding and rolling across a ceiling. It was followed by a relentless downpour. Raindrops the size of beans pounded the tree crowns, the earth, and the river, causing a veil of mist to settle over the forest.

The rain soon slipped through the gaps in the leaves and began to beat down on the wooden roof of their shelter. Below, Cassius and Feng Liusi lay in the two wooden beds suspended in midair—one on the left, one on the right—as they listened to the sound of rain tapping against the roof.

Feng Liusi crossed his arms over his chest, his slightly weathered eyes turning to look at Cassius as he asked in a deep voice, "You seem a bit lost. If you’re willing, why not share what's on your mind?"

Cassius frowned slightly, but eventually spoke, "Is there a limit to Covert Martial Arts? How far can martial arts take me? I can't see the end."

"Are you asking about levels of mastery?"

"In a way, yes."

Feng Liusi nodded, seemingly deep in thought, before replying, "There are over two hundred million people in Hongli Federation. But only about a hundred people have reached the level of a combat artist between the Northern and Southern Covert Martial Arts worlds." He turned his gaze to Cassius. "Do you feel like you’ve reached the highest level and that there’s no more room for advancement? Is that why you’re feeling lost?"

Cassius nodded. "A little."

Feng Liusi spoke slowly, "All the Secret Techniques in the world of Covert Martial Arts ultimately point to the level of a combat artist. Even if there are any further levels, it’ll just be a few steps beyond that. It seems as though this is the ultimate limit of Covert Martial Arts..."

He paused briefly. "But that's not the case."

Cassius instantly became more alert.

"As far as I know, there are higher levels of mastery beyond combat artist. But these levels are so obscure that only a handful of people reach them in a century. These individuals push their Covert Martial Arts to the extreme, hone their physique to the point of transcending the ordinary, and transform their Qi into a solid state. At that point, they are no longer in the human realm; they have reached a level of dominance, of transcendence!"

Feng Liusi enunciated each word. "Holy Fist, Dominator Fist, Ultimate Fist!"

Cassius was struck by a thunderous revelation as he froze. It was as if a path had suddenly opened up before him.

"The Holy Fist," Feng Liusi explained, "is the harmonious union of righteousness and strategy, and embodies grandeur and majesty. Its practitioner remains unwavering, carrying the spirit of the fist in every action, whether walking, sitting, or lying down. The Dominator Fist channels Qi outward, overwhelming opponents with an unstoppable force and crushing everything in its path with sheer momentum, thus becoming invincible. The Ultimate Fist focuses its Qi inward, disregarding all else in the pursuit of technique and fist arts. That is the essence of the Ultimate Fist."

Feng Liusi's mind seemed to be far away as he continued, "Ten years ago, when I was still at my peak, the maritime trade in East Sea County was developing rapidly, with various routes opening up to distant parts of the world. Previously unknown islands and reefs were quickly being discovered and charted. Some people who had nothing better to do began exploring these places in search of pirate treasures.

"Usually, such endeavors turned out to be nothing more than mere adventures, with no real treasures to be found. However, one day, a large number of ancient artifacts, designed in a style never before seen by archaeologists, suddenly appeared in the Six Eastern Counties."

Feng Liusi turned to look at Cassius.

"Boy, do you remember that I once told you my Southern Dipper Red Falcon Fist originated from an underground ruin in the Loka Mountains? I obtained the Southern Dipper Covert Martial Inheritance there, but I could never find that ruin again after I left the mist. However, I do remember that the ruins' architecture was identical to the style of those artifacts!

"Because I already knew that the Southern Dipper Covert Martial Inheritance included more than just the Southern Dipper Red Falcon Fist, I speculated that similar ancient ruins, containing other parts of the Southern Dipper Covert Martial Inheritance, might exist elsewhere in the world."

Feng Liusi slowly recounted his story. "The appearance of those artifacts caught my attention. After some investigation, I discovered that a group of treasure hunters on a mysterious island near East Sea County had been the ones to uncover them. I was surprised and excited, because the Southern Dipper Covert Martial Inheritance, unlike ordinary Secret Techniques that include various methods for tempering the physique, consists of ancient assassination fist techniques.

"This also meant that different Southern Dipper Fist Techniques were unlikely to conflict with each other. Having mastered the Southern Dipper Red Falcon Fist, I could also learn the Southern Dipper Waterbird Fist, the Sonic Snake Fist..."

Feng Liusi took a deep breath, seeming reliving the excitement from ten years ago. "After some investigation, I pinpointed where those artifacts originated from. The location was often isolated by storms, with only a brief period of calm allowing access. It is called the Eternal Archipelago."

Cassius's eyes flashed. He couldn’t help but lift his hand up to look at the ring tattoo on his finger.

The Eternal Archipelago! The Eternal Island! Li Wei had once traveled there and acquired the Battle Magic Ring, which could unleash Avalon's Bloodthirsty Ripple. Cassius searched his memory, but he could only grasp a few vague fragments.

Li Wei's mental trauma was severe; hallucinations, memory loss, and mental blanks were common occurrences. Cassius could only extract a few broken images of storms, the sea, a fishing boat, an unknown island, a group of black-robed figures, and a bone tree covered in rings...

Meanwhile, Feng Liusi continued, "Back then, I was impatient and confident in my strength, so I set off alone in search of the Eternal Archipelago. My persistence paid off, as after two months of searching, I encountered a treasure hunter who had previously been to Eternal Island. After paying him a handsome price, he agreed to take me to the island.

"Everything went smoothly, with no unexpected events. But when I arrived at Eternal Island, someone had already beaten me to it. The island was covered in signs of battle between two distinct groups. One group wore rings imbued with unknown abilities, while the other had an eye symbol on their right shoulders.

"I followed them until we all entered an underground ruin. It was then that I realized they seemed to be there for the same reason I was! After a series of thrilling and fantastical events, I was eventually discovered. I later overheard that the group with the eye symbols came from an organization called the Gate. Their leader was an androgynous man. He looked young, but he was incredibly powerful. He was blind in one eye and wielded a long saber. I couldn’t tell if it was some strange Covert Martial Arts or a Secret Technique. The sharpness of his blade was beyond compare. I had fully developed forty acupoints, but my Southern Dipper Red Falcon Fist barely had a seventy percent chance of victory against him..."

Feng Liusi continued his recollection. "That man was named Garoro, and he seemed to be one of the core members of the Gate Organization. His subordinates called him Blade Demon. I was badly defeated in that fight. Before I could even see the Southern Dipper Covert Martial Inheritance, I was severely wounded and barely escaped the ruin with my life. Blade Demon pursued me relentlessly, intent on killing me...

"But at that moment, an old man, who looked nearly a century old and could barely walk, appeared out of nowhere. He saved me with nothing more than a glance," Feng Liusi said, his eyes reflecting the shock of the memory. "That old man simply released his aura."

Rumble!

The rain cascaded down around them like a waterfall. The sound of raindrops splashing everywhere as it hit the ground filled the air.

Feng Liusi pointed at the rain. "Just like now, that old man's aura was as overwhelming and far-reaching as a torrential downpour and as solid as a boulder. It felt like the heavens and earth were closing in. The dark night sky, the clouds gathering overhead, the thundering rain, the dense forest we stand in, the earth beneath our feet—all of it was his aura! Can you understand that feeling?" He took a deep breath. "He had surpassed the realm of a combat artist and reached a higher level within the domain of Covert Martial Arts!

"So if you're asking me whether a practitioner of Covert Martial Arts can harness the power of nature itself, I can say with absolute certainty: yes, they can! The Holy Fist, the Dominator Fist, the Ultimate Fist... The path of Covert Martial Arts is profound and obscure. You're still young. Anything is possible."