Chapter 281 - Breakthrough of the Veteran Combat Artist

Clashes, annihilation, tremors, feedback...

This was how the Golem Covert Martial Arts operated—simple in its process, yet incredibly domineering. Though he was the creator of the technique, even Cassius himself wasn't entirely sure of its limits. However, it had been proven since its inception that the life magnetic field generated by the technique was effective against all dark creatures, regardless of their strange nature or immense power.

Adam, a third-stage Indestructible-Rank Dead Blood and the second-in-command of the Blood Spirit Society, still could not control the drain of his vital energy. This energy was an essential, invisible part of all living beings, something that even he, with his powerful form, couldn't retain. Despite his crazed state due to the Berserk Serum, he still felt his organs and cells crying out, as though something terrifying was devouring him from the inside. Just like dark creatures fed on humans, there was a predator out there that fed on dark creatures. It was as if blood-red eyes were watching everything from beyond the shadows. Dark creatures, thinking they were the predators, didn't realize they were nothing more than prey themselves.

Adam trembled all over, as he instinctively sought to pull away from Cassius' grip. However, he had already been severely wounded by the trio’s combined assault, and his regenerative abilities had been suppressed by Death's Fang. He had no strength left to resist and could only let his head be forcibly pinned to the ground.

Cassius, half-kneeling, reached out with a cold, detached expression. Saint Feinan and Feng Liusi stood on either side of him like bodyguards, constantly vigilant of any potential threats.

Time passed by slowly.

As the cool night breeze whisked away the last fallen leaf from the passageway, Adam’s body gave up the last trace of resistance.

Cassius slowly stood up, feeling something stir within him. His mind felt unexpectedly lucid under the clear moonlight. He gave in to that slight impulse and sat cross-legged on the broken street, resting his hands on his knees.

Feng Liusi immediately realized that Cassius was on the verge of a breakthrough. He quickly backed a few steps away with Saint Feinan, as they kept a watchful eye on their surroundings. The Qi around Cassius surged, and Feng Liusi tensed, ready to strike at any moment should anyone come within fifty meters of the alley.

Kura City, situated on the plains, was blanketed in the night sky, where stars twinkled like silver specks. The stars were sometimes wreathed by wisps of pure white clouds. A luminous full moon hung high in the sky.

Cassius adjusted the Golem Covert Martial Arts, synchronizing his breathing, heartbeat, and blood flow, gradually aligning them towards a unified rhythm. He felt the overwhelming, turbulent energy of life vibrations within his body, selecting the most vigorous stream, which was Adam's Indestructible-Rank life vibration energy.

"Come, let me see where your limits lie!" Cassius muttered to himself. It seemed like he was speaking both to Golem Covert Martial Arts and to his own, battle-hardened physique.

"Enhance!"

He shouted inwardly, and immediately, the Indestructible-Rank life vibration energy surged through his body like it had been struck by an iron hammer. The next second, Cassius felt energy rapidly course through every nook and cranny of his body, from his bones, muscles, organs to his skin.

The searing heat surged, swirling through his muscles, blood vessels, and joints. It created a prickling, slightly painful sensation that cycled repeatedly, causing Cassius' life magnetic field to activate instinctively and collide with the unique frequencies of the life vibrations.

His chest felt both hot and cold as the two opposing streams of energy intertwined. It was as if needles were pricking beneath his skin, intensifying the pain. This time, the sensation was clearly different from the last time he absorbed Indestructible-Rank life vibration energy. Cassius' Qi was on the verge of reaching the level of a veteran combat artist, and the bottleneck he had struggled to break through was being slowly but surely conquered.

In the upper-right corner of his vision, the status bar of his martial arts technique flickered.

[Golem Covert Martial Arts: Qi Embodiment 32.4% (Total Three Stages)]

The decimal point jumped, the number blurred, and then rapidly shifted to another.

[Golem Covert Martial Arts: Qi Embodiment 32.9% (Total Three Stages)]

A 0.5 percent increase; a satisfying boost. His body ached slightly as the number blurred once again. Cassius remained focused on the status bar, unaware of the changes happening to his body. He could no longer suppress the turbulent Qi surging through him, and crimson steam billowed uncontrollably from his pores.

The crimson-hued mist effortlessly seeped through his clothes. It spiraled upwards from his back, shoulders, arms, and neck like invisible threads being pulled toward the sky, as though it were an extension of his own body. The surging blood-colored mist enveloped him, forming a swirling vortex several meters wide.

The Qi churned intensely, lifting dust and even small stones from the ground.

+0.5%, +0.5%, +0.5%...

The numbers jumped for the fifth time.

[Golem Covert Martial Arts: Qi Embodiment 34.9% (Total Three Stages)]

Cassius shuddered, and the blood-red Qi around him quivered in response. It started to boil like heated water. Though the mist resembled vapor, countless bubbles formed within it. These bubbles swelled and burst repeatedly, as if refining something within. Each time a bubble burst, there seemed to be less Qi, but the color grew deeper and darker.

It gradually shifted toward a black-red hue, reminiscent of Feng Liusi's Qi.

"It's happening..." Cassius abruptly opened his eyes.

In his vision, the martial arts status bar shifted once again.

34.9% → 35.4%.

[Golem Covert Martial Arts: Qi Embodiment 35.4% (Total Three Stages)]

A piercing screech echoed in his mind, drowning out everything else like the cry of a fierce bird of prey. Cassius felt his consciousness waver as his mind went blank, and his heart thudded rapidly in his chest.

The blood-red mist that had spread halfway down the street suddenly reversed course. The whirlwind of Qi rushed back towards Cassius, forming a massive vortex above his head.

Suddenly, a talon the size of half a man's body emerged from the vortex, followed by wings, a body, a neck, and a beak. In less than a second, a giant blood-red vulture hovered in mid-air, its entire body covered in metallic scales. Spikes protruded from its wings and talons, while its blood-red hooked beak gleamed with a sharp edge like a dagger. Its eyes were filled with viciousness.

Savage and terrifying; it was clearly a creature born for slaughter. This was the manifestation of Cassius' Southern Dipper Red Falcon Fist Will!

Though it was similar in form to Feng Liusi's version, Cassius' version was far more menacing, particularly with its bone spikes. It evoked the image of a beast that thrived on blood and carnage. Feng Liusi's Will of the Fist, in contrast, had an air of elegance amidst the bloodshed.

Cassius, however, was far more extreme. His Killer persona thrived on the desire to hunt and slaughter above all else.

Shriek!

The blood vulture spread its menacing wings toward the sky and let out a long, piercing cry, as if celebrating its own birth. Several sleeping residents stirred in the surrounding neighborhood, their eyelids twitching as if they had heard a bird of prey's scream in their dreams.

Cassius took three deep breaths, calming the searing heat coursing through his body, before slowly standing up. The blood-red vulture responded to his very thoughts. One of its massive talons, nearly spanning the width of his shoulders, gently closed around Cassius' left shoulder. Under the pale moonlight, the vulture's enormous and menacing shadow engulfed Cassius' slender figure.

The breeze tousled his golden hair as he was lost in thought. In the top right corner of his field of vision, the technique status bar finally stopped.

[Golem Covert Martial Arts: Qi Embodiment 36.4% (Total Three Stages]

The progress had increased by 4 percent, slightly reduced, which was expected. The fact that he could break through that bottleneck using the energy from the Undying-Rank Life Vibration was already a boon. It would take many years for a regular combat artist to break through the Qi bottleneck.

The fact that he could push through in one go was certainly ideal.

"Congratulations, congratulations..."

Saint Feinan applauded as he walked over. Feng Liusi, on the other hand, watched the Southern Dipper Red Falcon Fist Will behind Cassius, seemingly comparing the subtle differences between the two.

Since they still needed to remain hidden, the three of them quickly left the scene and drove the beat-up car back to the Flower Season Hotel. After quickly washing off the bloodstains, Cassius casually picked an open area and started sparring with Feng Liusi.

Both restrained their strength to the level of ordinary people. However, their Qi freely overlapped, as Cassius was testing the Will of the Southern Dipper Red Falcon Fist, aiming to quickly master it.

Cassius and Feng Liusi faced off in the open space. Meanwhile, Saint Feinan sat by the half-opened window, enjoying the cool evening breeze and the red tea in his cup.

He took a small sip, then put the cup down. The two figures had already clashed fiercely. Even when limited to the level of ordinary people, the speed and ferocity of the two combatants were terrifying.

Two blood-red figures grappled and fought, constantly shifting positions. Every joint of their bodies became a weapon, with the room echoing with the frequent sound of fists meeting flesh.

Above them, two blood-red falcons were also brutally battling each other. Dagger-like claws and scarlet beaks entangled in a vicious struggle.

At first, Cassius felt somewhat uncomfortable, but after warming up, he found himself becoming more and more adept with his new abilities. He felt as if he had fully absorbed the Southern Dipper Red Falcon Fist, and was inexplicably empowered by its Will. Every technique carried a powerful force, as though its every aspect had been amplified. Furthermore, the various techniques of the Red Falcon Fist seemed to become one with his body, as he smoothly and instinctively determined the best move for the situation, with his muscles swiftly following suit.

It was as if it had become a form of innate muscle memory. Cassius now understood that the true function of the Will of the Fist was to enhance the basic strikes of seasoned combat artists!

The overall power was nearly double that of a regular combat artist. Cassius hadn't noticed it before because his physique was so exaggerated that he could completely nullify this gap.

An ordinary combat artist would find fighting a seasoned combat artist to be extremely difficult. Moreover, the Will of the Fist would boost one's own spirit and willpower, while continuously interfering with the opponent's desire to fight. This widening gap was almost like a massive chasm.

Bang!!!

A pair of fists collided in mid-air and quickly separated.

Feng Liusi took a quick step back to steady himself, and glanced at the wrinkles on his shoulder, left behind by Cassius's punch.

"Your movements were already fast, and after your Will of the Fist took shape, your strikes are now instantaneous, almost at the point of happening just at the speed of thought. However, you're still a bit short of absolute precision. Make sure you master it over the next period..."

He looked at Cassius, a slight smile appearing at the corner of his mouth. The two were now between master and friend, since they were the only two inheritors of the Southern Dipper Red Falcon Fist in the world. Feng Liusi genuinely wanted to see Cassius, who had an exceptional talent for this art, continue to climb higher and higher. He wanted to see for himself what the true, perfected form of the Southern Dipper Red Falcon Fist looked like, since he had already excavated all his potential.

Feng Liusi was well aware that, although he had regained his youth due to Cassius, his talent had already reached its peak. Feng Liusi felt that the fifth stage of Death's Fang Strength was essentially his limit, but Cassius had far more talent than him.

He didn't want Cassius to inherit his martial will; he was simply curious about what the Southern Dipper Red Falcon Fist would look like when it was cultivated to its peak. He wanted to see what sixty-six acupoints fully aligned, operating in perfect harmony, would look like.

The King of Strength?!

Feng Liusi didn't know, so he wanted to see. If he couldn't see it himself, it didn't matter, as long as someone could.

Opposite him, Cassius slowly stopped his technique. The large, blood-red vulture gradually disappeared into his back, as if being swallowed by his body.

His eyes narrowed, and the ruby-like hue gradually faded back to black. Cassius stood still, lost in thought for at least five minutes before finally snapping out of his state of enlightenment.

Pop.

A crisp sound lightly burst from his chest. Sometimes a breakthrough came very unexpectedly. Cassius hadn't been thinking about the sixty-six acupoints in his body, yet they had naturally opened. Eleven red acupoints flashed on his skin, and in the next second, another red dot appeared.

Twelve acupoints shone like stars in a white sky.

Cassius wasn't too focused on this small surprise. Instead, he operated the Golem Covert Martial Arts Secret Technique, his whole being entering the Golem Life Magnetic Field state. As Feng Liusi and Saint Feinan watched in interest, he slowly raised his hand. A ball of black Qi gathered in his palm, forming an egg-sized sphere. It floated in the mist, exuding a mysterious aura.

However, in Cassius's perception, this black sphere wasn't mysterious at all; rather, it radiated a sense of evil.

"What is this?"

Feng Liusi frowned slightly and stepped forward.

"Golem Seed." Cassius paused for a moment. "But it can also be called... Demon Seed."