Chapter 320 - Sonic Snake Fist? Explosive Fist!

Hiss... hiss...

A strange noise emanated from within his body, and Cassius's meticulously honed physique trembled uncontrollably. For the first time, he felt that death was right before him.

This was not like those previous life-and-death moments—this time, he was being completely obliterated. A single decisive fist had shattered his full-strength defense stance.

There was no hesitation or dragging it out. If you could withstand it, you would, and if you couldn't, you wouldn't. It carried an undeniable sense of force.

Cassius, Feng Liusi, and Saint Feinan together couldn’t withstand even ten moves from this kind of opponent. A realization began to dawn on Cassius.

At that moment, the Reverberating Force within his body could no longer be suppressed. The violent energy expanded within his body like a shockwave, tearing through his muscles, bones, organs, and blood vessels, before finally bursting out through his skin.

Boom!

The sound of a body exploding echoed through the dense forest as Cassius's skin instantly tore open in hundreds of places, his arteries rupturing. It was as though a powerful explosive had been ignited inside him, causing a simultaneous detonation!

Thick blood gushed out, drenching the ground. In the middle of it all, beneath a broken tree, lay a strong body riddled with holes, as if devoid of life.

On the open ground, the elderly white-haired man looked at the forest path cleared by the body's impact. The purple light in his eyes gradually dimmed.

He slowly turned, clasping his hands behind his back, his hunched figure moving leisurely toward the waterfall at the edge of the pond.

As he left, everything around him seemed to blur. It was as if someone had splashed water onto a freshly painted canvas, causing all the colors to blend and blur together. Gradually, they faded away, revealing the white paper beneath.

The rustling of leaves, the howling wind, the occasional chirping of insects in the soil, the birds calling from the pond, and the roaring waterfall; everything seemed to fade away at the same time.

Even the towering, verdant mountain bathed in daylight became nothing more than a black-and-white silhouette, reduced to its most basic outline.

In the end, only the old man and a stone he sat upon remained. The stone appeared dull, as though it too was about to vanish.

Just as the stone was about to disappear into nothingness—

A dying cough suddenly broke the silence. Instantly, the whole world brightened with startling speed. In the blink of an eye, the pond returned, the waterfall returned, the mountain and the dense forest returned.

Everything returned to the vivid, vibrant world. Not only that, but even the large area of forest destroyed by the waterfall's pressure returned to normal. A shadowy figure was barely visible beneath the waterfall, its posture identical to when it all began.

Sunlight cast a brilliant golden hue over the vast green foliage, creating a soft, luminous glow. Occasionally, thin beams of light broke through the canopy, scattering fragments of gold below.

In the sky, a white bird circled before descending, its wings flapping as it landed. Its claws gripped a branch as it folded its wings, raising its head, and lowered it again.

Its eyes clearly reflected a broken, blood-soaked body.

Cassius slumped against a tree trunk. He looked exhausted. Blood continued to ooze from his mouth as he coughed and heaved. Though Cassius was in intense pain, his eyes were remarkably sharp and clear.

He thought he was going to die. But somehow, he hadn’t. He had been utterly defeated, and seriously injured by the old man's punch. The Reverberating Force inside him had exploded and torn his organs apart.

But it wasn't enough.

If he had to describe it, it was like being on the verge of death, with his brain clinging to the last few thoughts, experiencing those last moments of clarity.

But that had given Cassius the chance to save himself.

He had his life vibration energy!

He had been storing it up for just such an emergency. This was the result of his careful preparation.

Cassius had been training in the Golem Covert Martial Arts for a long time, and while the Golem state didn't give him the regenerative powers of the dark creatures, it certainly wasn't weak. However, that one punch had completely destroyed his body, shutting it down entirely.

He needed an external force to activate and guide his recovery, which was where life vibration energy came in. It had stimulated his bodily functions while simultaneously activating his regenerative abilities. It forcibly dragged Cassius back from death's door, and dramatically accelerated the healing of his injuries.

It only took him a few moments to recover to a stable but heavily injured state. The gaping wounds in his muscles began to wriggle and close up, with new flesh growing over them.

Even his damaged internal organs were rapidly mending. He felt as though he was being enveloped by a warm spring, as a pleasant tingling sensation spread through his skin, bones, and muscles.

It brought an almost unbearable itchiness, yet it was also oddly satisfying.

"Ha... ha... ha..." Cassius lifted his head, his throat producing a raspy sound like a broken bellows. "I think I finally understand..."

His eyes burned with intensity as he recalled what had happened earlier. The white-haired old man could have easily killed him; there was no need for a second strike. When the Reverberating Force exploded, Cassius could feel that part of the energy had dissipated, failing to deliver the final blow. In other words, the old Ultimate Fist practitioner had actually held back!

He wasn't trying to kill Cassius as part of the inheritance; he was merely pushing him to the brink of death, slowly separating him from this world of Qi. This may have been some underlying logic to the existence of this place.

From his observations earlier, Cassius felt that the old man didn't seem to possess any real intelligence. He appeared more like a puppet, carrying out the last instructions of his former self.

He performed the basic forms of the Southern Dipper Sonic Snake Fist and tested the progress of the inheritor's training. The inheritor could only use basic fist techniques. Any deviation would result in being beaten into a near-death state and gradually expelled from the world of Qi.

It was a sound concept.

However, Cassius was a crafty one. If the old man had truly killed him in the Qi world, that would have been the end of it. But he had come just short—just short enough that Cassius only needed ten minutes to be in fighting condition!

First, he had hunted down the Blood Race branch line members in Bright Mountain City, then he had slaughtered his way through the Blood Race direct bloodline members in the Alphama Mountains. Afterward, he fought through four layers of Akaba Ruins. All along the way, he had been quietly storing a vast reservoir of life vibration energy within his body using his Golem Covert Martial Arts technique. Although the energy's quality was too low to improve his combat strength, it was unparalleled when it came to healing!

As long as Cassius didn't die on the spot, he had a hundred lives to spare. He could fully revive himself every ten minutes.

Prepared, always prepared—this was exactly what he had planned for.

Eight to nine minutes passed. His body, which had been on the verge of giving out, stood up again, completely unharmed. The only difference was that its skin had become much paler. There was no trace of the brutal punch it had taken earlier.

Cassius dusted off the dirt from his body. His limbs and nerves still ached slightly. He adjusted his stance and took two to three deep breaths.

"Maybe the guess is right, maybe not. I need to verify it again." Cassius headed toward the waterfall.

After a close brush with death, his Qi had refreshed.

The old Ultimate Fist practitioner remained seated on the stone, still enduring the immense pressure of thousands of tons of water crashing down from above.

Cassius stood at the edge of the pool, watching the old man show off again. Just like before, the waterfall slanted and flew outwards, destroying a stretch of trees. It was an exact replica of the earlier scene.

Then, the old man leaped to an open area near the pool and silently started to practice the basic techniques of the Sonic Snake Fist. Cassius didn't want to waste this opportunity and focused intently, studying the moves once again.

After an hour, he had mastered about eighteen percent of the techniques.

When the white-haired old man reached the final move, Cassius tensed. The muscles beneath his skin twisted like steel cables, and his body transformed into his Golem state. Veins as thick as small snakes crawled all over his body.

The surrounding air suddenly swirled back as he inhaled, forming a spiral of white vortex. The intense heat radiating from his body roasted the air around him.

"Come on! I'm ready!" Cassius grinned wickedly. Although he was facing the formidable Ultimate Fist, he refused to accept being defeated by a single punch. It hurt his pride and confidence. He wanted to give it his all and withstand two or three moves under the terrifying pressure.

Whoosh!

The white-haired old man completed his final move.

A fierce glint flashed in Cassius's eyes, his pupils tinged with red. He launched himself forward with such force that his body scraped against the air, creating a deafening sonic boom like a falling meteor.

"Bring it on!"

The ground cracked with a thud, his power unleashed like a flood.

He charged, attacked, and was instantly knocked out by a single punch!

Boom!

Cassius flew backward and slammed hard into the mountain, creating a person-shaped crater that couldn't be pried loose. He was stuck there, limbs and head dangling.

It seemed as if the punch had shattered all his bones.

The old man's Sonic Snake Fist was more like an explosive punch. The suppressed sound from the previous movements had all been concentrated into the final echoing explosion. Its power was astonishing.

"What a domineering strength,

cough cough

..." Cassius lifted his head slightly, blood seeping from his seven orifices, his breath weak. He barely managed to open his eyes as he endured the pain.

He glanced up at the rainbow in the sky. "It's coming..."

Crackle, crackle... Boom!

History repeated itself.

Ten minutes later, Cassius climbed to his feet, feeling refreshed. He quickly loosened his joints, twisted his neck, and stood at the edge of the pool, gazing through the mist at the figure beneath the waterfall.

He murmured to himself, "Great, so now I have hundreds of lives..."

Cassius felt no sense of sneaky satisfaction or joy at having found a shortcut. After all, this was part of his strength, so there was no need to feel like he was taking advantage of something. The energy of life vibration came from his Golem Covert Martial Arts, a technique he had created himself. It all made sense now.

Taking a deep breath, Cassius walked a few steps to the pool's edge, once again marveling at the terrifying power of the Ultimate Fist.

He found the best spot, a large tree, with a stone two meters away and a wide, flat area in front of him, and quietly waited. It was ideal for practicing movements.

Tap.

The white-haired old man lightly leaped over, pausing for a moment before beginning the basic techniques of the Sonic Snake Fist again.

Cassius's eyes were fixed on him, and a thought suddenly arose in his mind.

Feng Liusi had once told him in Death Canyon that the Southern Dipper Red Falcon Fist was an ancient Covert Martial Art distinct from the contemporary Covert Martial Arts. It highly depended on the practitioner's compatibility with the fist techniques. If one didn’t have a certain degree of compatibility, even a veteran combat artist couldn't master it.

The higher the compatibility with the fist's characteristics, the faster the practitioner could train, and the more terrifying the power would be. Cassius was a prime example.

His Main Persona had never been bloodthirsty by nature. In essence, he was gentle and refined, adhering to a philosophy of "If others don't provoke me, I won't provoke them." The deviation had come from the Shadow Demons possessing him, which had allowed him to be influenced by the dark traits of these creatures.

That's why, at times, he appeared somewhat violent. Later, when he created the Golem Covert Martial Arts, he divided his personality into three emotional aspects. The Killer Persona came from the residual dark traits of the Golem, which inherently craved slaughter. It made him the ideal candidate for practicing the Southern Dipper Red Falcon Fist, which was suited for brutal individuals.

The results had been evident in recent times. The Cold Persona, on the other hand, originated from the extreme cold rationality of the Demon Worm. Cassius speculated that his Cold Persona might have a certain level of compatibility with the Sonic Snake Fist, as both shared a calculating nature, much like a viper lying in wait for the perfect moment to strike.

He had already tried using his Main Persona twice, but the efficiency wasn't high. The Killer Persona was clearly incompatible and rejected it entirely. Only the Cold Persona seemed like a good candidate to test for the third attempt.

The cross-shaped scar on his forehead glowed faintly, and Cassius's gaze grew cold, as if he had been carved from ancient ice. His previously fluctuating breathing naturally steadied, with every breath spaced at regular intervals. His muscles moved fluidly, and every ounce of strength was used with exact control. His footsteps were so precise that they could be measured with a ruler.

He moved like a machine, executing his task.

In the daylight, the soft clouds covered the green mountains with a golden hue. Thin beams of light extended from the mountaintop down into the dense forest. The mist from the waterfall rose into the air, casting a glowing haze over the scene. It was blurry yet bright, as if illuminated by the golden clouds.

Near the semi-circle pool, beneath a green tree and beside a stone, two figures slowly stretched their limbs. Cassius, in his Cold Persona, was far more compatible than his Main Persona. He was like the perfect mimic as he replicated the old man's movements.

Raising his arms, circling his body, kicking, turning, punching...

A series of basic moves combined into one fierce technique. After an hour, Cassius had mastered fifty percent of the moves, a stark contrast to his previous efficiency. Not only had his visible progress tripled, but the difficulty increased exponentially toward the end as the techniques became more complex.

The Cold Persona and the Sonic Snake Fist had excellent compatibility. Although Cassius didn't know how high this compatibility was, he was sure it was substantial.

He was completely certain of this.

Whoosh.

The white-haired old man finished his routine—the test had begun.

Cassius remained expressionless, flexing his palms, which made a faint creaking sound like steel grinding against steel. He decided to spar with the old man using the Sonic Snake Fist, now at fifty percent mastery.

With equal strength, equal speed, and equally simple techniques, even if Cassius couldn't beat the Ultimate Fist, surely he could last a dozen or even twenty moves?

"Let me experience it once more... the power of your explosive fist."

He assumed his stance, like a coiled snake ready to strike.