Chapter 269 - Muscle Density Three Times A Combat Artist (1)

He held a large Slash Blade in one hand, with two more strapped to his waist. He had one eye, one arm, and a black, rope-like aura that continued to wind around his body.

Feng Liusi immediately recognized the figure before him. "Blade Demon!"

His expression grew serious as he assumed the offensive stance of the Southern Dipper Red Falcon Fist. His ten fingers sliced through the air, each strike hitting the side of the blade's gleam.

A series of clashes that sounded like metal colliding rang out in quick succession.

Ding!

One final flick from his red-tinted index finger shattered the concentrated blade light like a shower of falling stars. Feng Liusi flicked his hands one last time before letting them fall back to his sides. Cassius and Saint Feinan quickly realized that this was Blade Demon Garoro, the same foe that Feng Liusi had lost to ten years ago.

Setting aside why Garoro had appeared in East Sea City, Cassius recalled Feng Liusi's account. Even with his Southern Dipper Red Falcon Fist at forty acupoints and his ultimate Unleashed state, Feng had barely managed to go three-to-seven against the Blade Demon.

Feng Liusi three, Blade Demon seven.

When they had fought in the ruins, Feng Liusi was quickly covered in injuries and almost killed. He had been saved at the last moment by a mysterious elder, the only expert Feng Liusi had ever encountered who had surpassed the level of a combat artist. Feng suspected that elder to be either a Dominator Fist or Holy Fist.

Feng Liusi had barely escaped Eternal Island, which had then been engulfed in a horrific explosion that turned the sky red. He had thought the Blade Demon had perished in the blast, but later discovered Garoro's tracks. The Blade Demon had survived, though at the cost of his left arm.

The loss of a limb would have undoubtedly affected his combat strength. Even if he hadn't weakened, he likely hadn't progressed either. However, Feng Liusi hadn't fared much better. After barely escaping death ten years ago, he had spent a long time recovering from his injuries. Five years ago, he had even practiced too excessively, which caused his Qi to plummet. Cassius had only managed to bring him back to his former state, with no significant change in strength.

He had only opened one more acupoint than before. If the two were to clash again, it would likely still be three-to-seven, perhaps four-to-six at best. However, that was in a duel. This time, Feng Liusi had two companions: Saint Feinan, an experienced combat artist, and Cassius, whose strength rivaled that of the veterans.

Even the Blade Demon couldn't handle the three of them at once! But just as this thought crossed Saint Feinan's mind...

A figure in a black robe appeared silently on the rooftop of the building to the left. The evening breeze caused the hem of the robe to gently flutter. The black robe seemed endless, blending light and shadow under the moonlight. Though the figure's face was hidden, the strange and powerful aura emanating from the body was unmistakable.

"Two of them..." Cassius’s eyes narrowed slightly. The attire was all too familiar. It was likely a high-ranking member of the Blood Spirit Society.

After all, this was a temporary Blood Nest, so it wouldn't just have Decay-Rank and Undying-Rank enemies; there had to be a powerful figure overseeing it.

The three of them formed a triangular formation on the sidewalk. Cassius took the left, Saint Feinan stood on the right, and Feng Liusi stood at the front, his eyes locked on the Blade Demon.

His Qi was boiling within him like molten lava inside a volcano, carrying an overwhelming explosive force. Some of his Qi began leaking through his pores. Mist rose from his back and shoulders, creating a veil that trailed around him like drifting clouds.

Crackle, crackle...

The air produced a sound similar to electrical static.

Feng Liusi spoke slowly, "Blade Demon Garoro, do you remember that battle in the ruins of Eternal Island ten years ago?"

Garoro, who had been walking down the middle of the road, suddenly halted. His single eye studied Feng Liusi's Qi, as though trying to recognize something. The Qi of another fighter at the same level was rather significant for a Covert Martial Arts Practitioner who had reached the level of a combat artist. It was like a personal badge—no two combat artists' Qi were ever the same, even if they practiced the same martial art.

Feng Liusi seemed twenty years younger and had shaved off his distinctive beard, making it difficult for most people to recognize him by appearance alone.

Beeeep!

A car suddenly sped toward them from around the corner on the right side of the street, shattering the tense atmosphere. Moving too quickly to stop in time, the car barreled straight toward Garoro.

Zing!

The sharp sound of metal vibrating softly pierced the air. Garoro casually flicked the blood off his blade and slowly lowered its sharp tip back to the ground. The black car screeched to a sudden halt, revealing the terrified driver's face.

Splat!

A thin red line of blood quickly ran down his nose, lips, chin, and neck...

Crack.

The driver was sliced cleanly in half, but he was not the only one. The entire car was bisected along that red line. Yet, the two halves of the car remained strangely suspended in space. .

Standing about five meters away, Garoro's deep, pool-like eye examined Feng Liusi. "Oh, I remember now. You're that defeated fighter I almost chopped to pieces with three slashes. So, you didn't die on Eternal Island. Saved at the brink of death, and you still managed to escape? You're quite lucky."

Garoro's expression darkened. The sight of Feng Liusi unharmed and much younger, while he had lost his left arm in that same mission, stirred up a storm of negative emotions in him.

"Enough. Since you managed to survive through some stroke of luck, I'll just kill you again." Garoro's voice was icy as he hefted the blade that was half his body in length onto his left shoulder. The sharp edge pointed straight up, glinting with a purplish hue under the moonlight.

The blade was called "Slash." It had been forged by several master blacksmiths, using a special alloy formula provided by the sect. It had taken six months of hammering and refining as well as countless materials to complete.

The Blade Demon had two more blades strapped to his waist. The blue-tinged blade was named "Stab." The other, with a reddish hue, was called "Shock." Each blade had slight differences in shape, width, and balance. They were all also made from unique alloy compositions.

Each blade served a different purpose: Slash, Stab, and Shock. In the hands of a blade master like Garoro, the three styles could be executed to their natural limits, allowing for continuous transitions between them. At his peak, Garoro wielded all three blades at once, using the Triple-Blade Style.

Feng Liusi had been severely injured by this Triple-Blade Style in their last encounter. It was unclear if the Blade Demon, who was now missing an arm, could still adequately use his Triple-Blade Style. If he was down to two or even one blade, his lethality surely wouldn't be as terrifying as before.

Across from him, Feng Liusi’s Qi didn't waver.

"Even after losing an arm, you're still so arrogant," he said, shaking his head. "It's a pity. If I had just one or two more months, my Death's Fang Force would have reached the fifth stage..."

Feng Liusi turned to Cassius. "Let's fight together! Saint Feinan, you handle the one on the rooftop!"

"No." Cassius's eyes were locked on the figure on the rooftop as he shook his head. "That one’s mine."

Feng Liusi followed Cassius's gaze. The hooded figure on the rooftop lowered his hood, revealing the face of a middle-aged man with bronzed skin. He was tall, and his body rippled with dense muscle.

Cassius muttered to himself, "Wind Elephant Sect Master Belon..."

"Fine, Saint Feinan and I will go together. The other one is yours to handle," Feng Liusi responded quickly.

He had long suspected Cassius's true origins. Cassius had claimed to be from the Wind Elephant Sect in Death Canyon and had never officially taken a master while training in the Red Falcon Fist. After what had just transpired in the casino, it wasn't hard to connect the dots.

Zing!

Garoro raised his blade with his right arm.

Boom!

Feng Liusi focused as he flexed his fists, and took a powerful step forward. Saint Feinan followed suit. Their footsteps exploded like muffled thunder, causing the sidewalk beneath them to tremble.

Meanwhile, Cassius stood quietly, staring at the man on the rooftop.

"Cassius of the Wind Elephant Sect greets the Sect Master." He cupped his fists in salute and slowly raised his head. The faint smile that appeared on his face cast a fearsome shadow under the moonlight.

Swish!

The sound of rustling fabric was sharp and swift.

Cassius immediately dropped into a combat stance. His feet spread apart in a horse stance, as his waist bent and his body arched. His hands were up like a boxer’s as he guarded his temples. It was one of the starting stances of the Wind Elephant Combat Techniques.

Smack!

He stomped down, launching his powerful body from stillness into rapid motion in one move. As he sprinted forward, his footsteps left deep impressions in the concrete.

On the rooftop, Dino, the vice president of Blood Spirit Society, stared coldly downward. He could smell the thick, bloody aura around Cassius, a killing intent accumulated from countless deaths, even from where he was standing. Clearly, this man was the main perpetrator behind the massacre of the Blood Nest in East Sea City.

He had slaughtered almost all the Dead Blood in the temporary nest. Dino had nearly become a lone general without any subordinates. How could he not be furious?

Dino dove down from the rooftop with a single tap of his feet. His cloak billowed behind him like a dense, heavy storm cloud. Two blood-red, malevolent eyes locked onto Cassius.

His already muscular right arm swelled to twice its size as he drew it back. His human hand transformed into a monstrous claw, its surface bulging with thick, pulsing veins.

He viciously slashed downward, tearing through the air with a shrieking sound.

Bam!

One from the left and one from the right, one from above and one from below—two black figures collided in the center of the street, unleashing a powerful shockwave. The shockwave blasted outward like a visible white ring.

The diving Dino was now suspended in midair. Cassius's knees bent slightly as the ground beneath his feet cracked in a web-like pattern, spreading out in all directions for several meters.

"Testing physical strength?" Cassius sharply glanced upward. His fist turned into an open palm in an instant, grabbing Dino with the force of a pouncing tiger.

Dino seemed equally confident in his own strength. He landed firmly on the ground and braced for a contest of raw strength.

His expression remained cold and unmoved, as his muscles bulged and rippled beneath his skin like thick steel cables. His body radiated immense heat, making the air around him feel warm and oppressive.

This body was already formidable as a Covert Martial Arts Practitioner who had reached the level of a combat artist. Once it was amplified by the abilities of the Dead Blood, Dino had pushed its physical prowess to the limit. He could even overclock it without worrying about the usual repercussions by relying on superhuman regeneration. The strength he could now wield far surpassed the original limits of the body.

A test of strength? He had never once lost one of those!