Chapter 357 - Two Legendary Antiques

"Yes."

The subordinate responded immediately, waiting for the person on the other end of the call to hang up. He gently placed the receiver down, turned, and left with his team. Only two men in black, who had been stationed to guard the warehouse, remained at the entrance. Their movements and expressions were as still as statues, but their eyes were sharp as eagles. They carefully scanned their surroundings, not missing the slightest sound or movement.

Beiliu City, the newly established headquarters of the Ace of Spades organization, was heavily guarded at every outpost. The security at the two antique warehouses—one in the suburbs and one in the city—was especially tight.

First, all the antiques acquired by the Ace of Spades throughout Beiliu County were transferred to these warehouses, which served as a crucial hub. Second, Master Wind Elephant had a strong fondness for antiques. Occasionally, he would select a few pieces from each batch for his personal collection.

As such, the security level at the antique warehouses was extremely high. Although only two guards were stationed outside, there were at least a dozen hidden eyes constantly monitoring the area. Any unusual activity would trigger a piercing alarm, summoning the entire combat unit of the headquarters in an instant.

A soft breeze carried a slight chill through the air. A yellowed leaf, swaying as it fell from an ornamental tree planted nearby, fluttered in the wind before lightly landing on the shoulder of a blond man. As he moved, the smooth fabric of his coat swished and fell into a puddle of rainwater on the ground.

"Sir! Sir!"

The two guards by the warehouse entrance bowed respectfully. Both men were towering figures, nearly six foot three, with bulging muscles that strained against their suits, making them look more like bodybuilders than security personnel.

The blond man glanced at them, his gaze then sweeping over the shadows by the warehouse and the flowerbeds concealed by tree branches. He shook his head almost imperceptibly and entered without a word.

Cassius had been planting Demon Seeds since he had destroyed the Duststorm two months ago. Over the span of several weeks, his efforts had yielded remarkable results. The Ace of Spades had seen a substantial improvement in combat strength, with its gunmen, enforcers, and assassins advancing from ordinary levels to elite, and in some cases, to the elite of the elite.

Of course, this was in comparison to regular humans.

The assassins of the Ace of Spades had begun to push the limits of human physical capabilities, growing stronger and more formidable. Some had become incredibly accurate marksmen, while others had developed such rapid reflexes that they could dodge bullets. Others were masters of close combat, striking with lethal precision. These were only the initial changes.

Cassius had envisioned that only by breaking the limits of the human body would they be able to assist him in the larger conflicts ahead—against Covert Martial Arts sects, against the Gate organization... But for now, dealing with ordinary underground forces was as easy as slicing through butter for the Ace of Spades.

Since taking control of Beiliu County's underground world, the Ace of Spades had immersed itself in a frenzy of training. Assassins, gunmen, and even high-ranking members were obsessed with gaining more power. Some practiced breathing techniques, some focused on Demon Blood Combat Techniques, while others pushed their bodies to the limit, engaging in fierce sparring.

The atmosphere was charged with a zeal for martial arts, even turning competitive—people would boast about who could sustain their breathing exercises the longest. It was an intense, if somewhat twisted, environment.

This was to be expected, though. After all, Demon Seeds were addictive.

Training became a compulsion; a day without it left one feeling restless. It was fair to say that at this rate, the entire Ace of Spades would eventually reach the level of martial arts fanatics.

However, just because they were obsessed with training didn't mean they were foolish in their actions. On the contrary, the Demon Seed subtly influenced their personalities. Some grew more domineering, more aggressive, and even more arrogant.

Overall, the Demon Seeds made them more ambitious, more extroverted.

This was a common trait among Demon Seed cultivators. Oddly enough, these characteristics bore a resemblance to a certain blond man. Yet, there was no direct connection—it was likely just a coincidence. The Demon Seed was simply designed this way. What did it have to do with Cassius? Even though he was the source of the Demon Seeds, and they were formed from the Qi of the golem, which, in turn, represented aspects of a combat artist's essence—personality, identity, and willpower—it didn't matter.

In the end, the Demon Seeds brought positive changes to the Ace of Spades. For an underground force like theirs, ruthless and domineering members were far more valuable than timid and cowardly ones.

In this regard, the influence was overwhelmingly beneficial.

There was one humorous downside, though. Some of the Demon Seed cultivators had started bulking up excessively, their muscles swelling so much that their combat suits turned into tight-fitting clothes. On occasion, they would overexert themselves during missions, causing their uniforms to tear in embarrassing places, leading to wardrobe malfunctions. These incidents had even resulted in a few combat mishaps.

To sum it up, the rapid wear and tear on their uniforms became an issue.

In some ways, it reminded Cassius of his own reckless days.

Sometimes, when he reviewed his subordinates, it was like looking at a lineup of muscle-bound brutes. As impressive as it was, everything needed moderation. Too much was not a good thing.

Therefore, Cassius had painstakingly added some specialized moves to the Demon Blood Combat Techniques, which allowed his subordinates to regulate their muscle growth. This kept their physiques muscular but not overly bulky, preventing practical and combat-related inconveniences.

Five minutes later, a figure emerged from the warehouse, casually toying with a small antique in hand. The two guards at the entrance remained unfazed, watching the individual leave.

September 20th, 10 AM. After a heavy rain the previous night, the sun now shone brightly in the clear blue sky, which looked as if it had been freshly washed. Fluffy white clouds drifted lazily overhead, and rays of golden light streamed down through the gaps.

At the top of a villa, large, brown-tinted windows replaced the walls, letting sunlight flood inside. The light formed golden rectangles on the floor, casting warm reflections on the dark brown carpet. A pair of wine-red sofas also basked in the sun.

A blond man sat on one of the sofas, legs crossed. His fingers were interlaced and rested lightly on his abdomen. His head leaned back against the raised headrest of the sofa, as if he were napping. His handsome, serene face softened in relaxation, making his features appear even more refined and elegant.

Suddenly, his eyes snapped open, revealing dark pupils as deep as a bottomless pool. The previous calm aura was instantly swept away, replaced by cold, domineering energy, tightly controlled yet brimming with violent intent.

The man exuded a suffocating pressure, as if he could take your life in the next second.

He took several deep breaths, as if suppressing the violent emotions surging within him. His gaze shifted out the window, overlooking the villa and the bustling streets beyond. Traffic flowed along the gray-white roads, pedestrians hurried by, and shops were open, bustling with activity.

Raising his eyes to the sky, he saw a flock of black birds flying in a "V" formation, wings flapping in unison as they traveled from north to south, passing swiftly over the entire city.

"This peaceful and quiet life isn't so bad..." a deep voice muttered from the blond man's lips, tinged with a hint of regret. After a moment of silence, he added to himself, "Unfortunately, the time I agreed upon with Black Ops is almost up..."

Cassius shook his head and unbuttoned the white shirt he wore, revealing smooth, rock-solid muscles beneath. His skin, pale as marble, gleamed faintly under the sunlight.

As he activated his internal energy, red and purple acupoints lit up across his body, forming a glowing line.

Southern Dipper Red Falcon Fist: 13+1=14

Southern Dipper Sonic Snake Fist: 11+2=13

This was the result of more than a month of steady cultivation. Basically, Cassius had almost exhausted his previous foundation. The advantage of mastering two Southern Dipper Covert Martial Inheritances was that when he trained in one fist technique, the other would resonate and improve as well.

It was equivalent to spending time training one fist technique but gaining the enhanced power of two, greatly improving his training efficiency.

In theory, if Cassius could master a third Southern Dipper fist technique, it would also join in the resonance. That way, by spending time on one fist technique, he could gain the amplified strength of three.

Because of this, he was quite eager to acquire the next Southern Dipper Covert Martial Inheritance and was closely watching for relevant information.

One such example was the Eternal Archipelago. However, this place was often cut off by violent storms, with only a short period of calm in which entry was possible, and even then, it required guidance from locals familiar with the routes. The archipelago was also home to many dangers.

For now, Cassius didn't dare to act recklessly and merely kept an eye on it. He was especially wary because of the Holy Fist elder Feng Liusi had mentioned in his stories from years ago. Even after fifty years, Cassius still felt a sense of caution. Thus, he preferred to explore the Eternal Archipelago in the time-travel era rather than in the real world.

In the time-travel era, death wasn't real. In the real world, if you died, it was permanent.

Speaking of his time-travel ability, in the past two months, Cassius had collected a large number of antiques in Beiliu County and made considerable gains. Compared to his previous solo efforts, the efficiency was much greater. Taking control of the Ace of Spades organization and inserting it into the antique business was the right move.

During this process, he acquired many antiques with lingering attachments. Some of these could be fully absorbed in one use, while others contained deeper energy that required multiple attempts to gradually absorb.

Altogether, Cassius had obtained the following energy:

[Lingering Attachment Energy: 35.4]

In the past, the most energy he'd ever collected at once was 5.4, a mere fraction of what he had now. Sometimes, having an organization working around you is truly beneficial, and Cassius enjoyed the experience.

With 35.4 units of lingering energy, an ordinary antique with lingering attachment typically provided about 0.5 to 0.6 units of energy. A simple calculation showed that Cassius had absorbed energy from sixty to seventy such antiques.

During August, there were ten batches, and in September, five batches. When combined, the results were right in front of him. For now, he no longer had to worry about his supply of lingering attachment energy. Cassius believed that his consumption rate should be much slower than the rate at which he could replenish it.

Aside from antiques with lingering attachment, there were also legendary antiques. These were the primary tools Cassius used to activate his time-travel ability.

Legendary antiques were far rarer than those with lingering attachment. Out of the thousands of antiques Cassius had searched through, he had only found two legendary ones, the most recent one being just acquired.

The first legendary antique was a gun, not a cold weapon but a handgun. It seemed to have been issued to a soldier of the Hongli Federation decades ago, roughly thirty to forty years back. If one were to trace it further, it would align with the time when the Hongli Federation waged war with the Western Three Nations over their interests.

The second legendary antique was a mask. Despite the wear and tear of time, it still showed traces of its once exquisite craftsmanship. Based on the patterns, it likely originated from the Hongli Empire era and was most probably a royal artifact, crafted by a master sculptor from the imperial court.

Cassius had acquired both legendary antiques in the last half month, so he hadn't rushed to use his time-travel ability. Now that he had power and access to information channels, he intended to maximize the benefits.

What Cassius planned to do was trace the origins of the two antiques, gather all relevant information on their original owners, and even investigate the historical context of their eras. This would allow him to take control during his time-travel encounters, swiftly resolving the lingering attachments of the antiques' original owners with overwhelming force.

After that, he could use the remaining time for his own pursuits, such as refining the Southern Dipper Covert Martial Inheritance, exploring the ancient ruins on the Eternal Archipelago, or further investigating the Gate organization.

Before gathering complete information, he planned to eliminate the Evil Eye Fist Sect first. The preparations were nearly done, with the Black Ops Agency having spent the past two months mobilizing resources and personnel.

Their goal was to help Cassius establish a foothold in the Eastern Covert Martial Arts world.

It just so happened that the Eastern Martial Arts Exchange Tournament was scheduled for late September to early October. Held once every four years, the tournament was aimed at honing the talents of various sects, allowing the young elites to compete and exchange skills.

The purpose was to prepare the core disciples of these sects to break through to the combat artist level. By defeating opponents of the same level during the tournament, they would cultivate an invincible momentum, tempering their willpower.

This, in turn, would make it easier to overcome difficult bottlenecks.

There had been many cases where core disciples who won the championship of the Eastern Martial Arts Exchange Tournament broke through to the combat artist level. They instantly became top-tier combatants for their respective sects.

As a result, the tournament had become increasingly popular, attracting most martial artists from the Six Eastern Counties. Young men and women, each claiming to be prodigies, geniuses, and even monsters, flocked to compete for the crown.

At that time, countless eyes would be watching, and it was the perfect opportunity to make a name in the Eastern Covert Martial Arts world.

It's worth noting that the Eastern Martial Arts Exchange Tournament was hosted in rotation by the Eastern Nine Sects. Each successful hosting brought fame and prestige to the organizers within the entire Covert Martial Arts world. After all, the tournament wasn't just followed by the East; the rest of the Federation's Covert Martial Arts world, and even foreign Covert Martial Arts worlds, paid attention, sometimes sending core disciples or elders to participate.

This year's tournament, by a stroke of coincidence, was being hosted in Wenxia County by none other than the Evil Eye Fist Sect.

If he were to eliminate the Evil Eye Fist Sect at this critical moment...

As Cassius thought this, he slowly clenched his fist, a cruel smile spreading across his lips: "This could be quite interesting."