Chapter 376 - Dominance of the Body

Barely a minute had passed from the moment Cassius completed his warm-up to the total defeat of the five combat artists of the Eastern Nine Sects. The so-called suppression from before had been nothing but an illusion. The tides had turned in an instant, and those who were arrogant found themselves prisoners the next moment. The Eastern Nine Sects had suffered a miserable defeat.

In the corner of the first floor of Black Pupil Tower, the spectators from the Eastern Alliance stood stunned, especially the elders who had regretted not stepping in when Cassius appeared to struggle earlier. They now felt a lingering fear, realizing that if they had stepped in, they might have been in a worse position than the five combat artists sprawled across the floor. They had underestimated the terrifying power of the Golem Sect Master.

Some elders even suspected that Cassius was not merely a top-tier combat artist, but perhaps had reached the very limits of combat. There was a possibility he had touched upon the legendary Holy Fist.

Cassius's dominant performance had been far too effortless and destructive. His imposing physique demonstrated a combat ability that matched that of top-tier combat artists.

It was unheard of. A group of people attacked Cassius as if he were a final boss, yet their strikes were as feeble as tickles. Cassius had sent his opponents flying with almost casual ease. He slapped combat artists away as if they were mere flies.

His overwhelming strength left a deep impression on the seven combat artists from various Eastern Alliance sects, solidifying the image of the Golem Sect Master as powerful and domineering—a name they were loath to oppose.

This man was absolutely invincible.

Additionally, the sudden rise of the Golem Sect, who dared to oppose the Eastern Nine Sects, had left a lasting mark. Cassius had eliminated two members of Evil Eye Fist upon his arrival and indirectly killed a third. The remaining five combat artists of the Eastern Nine Sects had been beaten into submission and were severely injured.

The Golem Sect showed no fear of the Eastern Nine Sects. The battle prowess of the Golem Sect Master alone was a pillar of support. Moreover, Cloud Dog Fist's first core disciple, Simone, a top talent who had recently broken through to the combat artist realm at the Eastern Martial Arts Exchange, was secretly affiliated with the Golem Sect. Recruiting someone from Cloud Dog Fist, the leading sect among the Eastern Nine, only underscored the Golem Sect's strength. Only a powerful force unafraid of Cloud Dog Fist could have such appeal.

Adding to this, the Black Ops Agency's administrator Amos had repeatedly interacted with elders of various Eastern Alliance sects, clearly signaling the support of the Hongli Federation for the Golem Sect. It was apparent that the authorities were backing the Golem Sect Master, allowing him to openly challenge the Eastern Nine Sects.

Cassius’s top-tier martial arts strength allowed the Golem Sect to gain influence and win over the core talent Simone. They had the resources and support in the form of the Black Ops Agency, representing the official stance of the Hongli Federation. Furthermore, they had already garnered a reputation, stirring up discussion by causing such a disruption at the Eastern Martial Arts Exchange. This buzz would linger in the Eastern Covert Martial Arts circles for months to come.

What was once a mere fantasy of the Golem Sect had now, piece by piece, become a formidable force, standing against the fleet of battleships represented by the Eastern Nine Sects.

This was a good development for other sects in the Eastern Alliance. The Eastern Nine Sects' half-century-long monopoly had suppressed the survival space of smaller sects, and the decline of the Covert Martial Arts community had made it difficult for other sects to flourish. Now, with the rise of a force aiming to challenge the hegemony of the Eastern Nine Sects, the ordinary sects finally saw some breathing room.

At the very least, they had more choices. Or rather, they felt they had choices.

𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

At Black Pupil Tower, all the combat artists from the Eastern Nine Sects had been defeated. Simone had intercepted the elder from Red Arm Fist, and the two were engaged in fierce combat. After kicking a combat artist from Void Sun Sect aside, Cassius simply stood by, observing without making any moves.

Although he didn't intervene, just his silent presence emanated an unmatched aura of danger. It was as if a savage beast had fixed its gaze on its prey. The elder of Red Arm Fist felt chills all over his body and his hair stood on end, but he had no choice but to keep grappling with Simone.

Simone, understanding that this was the Golem Sect Master's way of honing him, took advantage of the opportunity for a one-on-one duel. There was no better opponent than a combat artist already weakened by injuries. And with Cassius watching over him, he felt secure.

Simone gradually tapped into his innate potential, fighting with unrestrained aggression. Meanwhile, the elder from Red Arm Fist, who was constantly on edge due to Cassius's oppressive stare, fought cautiously. Though he occasionally found chances to severely wound Simone, Cassius's sharp, dangerous gaze forced him to stay his hand.

As the fight wore on, Simone grew more adept, while the elder from Red Arm Fist became increasingly frustrated. Despite his extensive combat experience, the elder found himself suppressed by the newly broken through combat artist Simone. The battle, which nearly drove the elder to spitting blood in frustration, lasted fifteen minutes, ending only when his injuries overwhelmed him and he collapsed, unconscious.

On the other hand, Simone gained greatly from the fight. Not only did he adapt to the strength and combat style of a combat artist, but he also built a measure of self-confidence. At this rate, it wouldn't be long before Cassius had another reliable helper.

A combat artist could stand alone in any situation, and though Cassius was powerful, he couldn't always fight alone. Training and nurturing subordinates was necessary to strengthen his own position. That was why he patiently assisted Simone.

Cassius stroked his chin under the fractured sunlight, recalling the despair and breakdown on the elder of Red Arm Fist's face just before he passed out. He realized he might have unintentionally humiliated the man.

The Eastern Martial Arts Exchange ended that morning, though not with a satisfactory outcome. Rather, it concluded with a shocking twist, as the Golem Sect disrupted the entire event.

The biggest loser was Evil Eye Fist, the organizer of the exchange. They had lost two combat artists, who had died under the gaze of thousands of spectators.

The Golem Sect Master's fearsome presence and the chilling power of Blood Vulture's Beak had left an indelible impression on everyone present. As members of each sect returned home, the events of the exchange began to spread widely.

Rumors of this dominant combat artist circulated everywhere: the Golem Sect Master, Blood Fist, the Avenger, the Dominant Body. The first two titles were straightforward; the third implied his connection to the legendary Blood Fist, Feng Liusi, from fifty years ago, making Cassius the second Blood Fist. He had annihilated Evil Eye Fist in honor of the Red Falcon Fist's destruction. The final title came from the seven Eastern Alliance elders, who spoke of Cassius's terrifying physique.

He had endured the siege of five combat artists without budging, and struck back with the concentrated force of a mountain, effortlessly crushing his opponents with single-minded blows.

In the end, the events of the final day of the Eastern Martial Arts Exchange Tournament spread quickly.

The Evil Eye Fist sect had been wiped out, permanently removing one of the Eastern Nine Sects. Simone had defected, leaving the top executives of Cloud Dog Fist in a frenzy of impotent rage. Five combat artists from the Eastern Nine Sects had been gravely injured and captured; they were now held by the Golem Sect. Cassius, representing the Black Ops Agency, had started talks with the Eastern Nine Sects to negotiate some benefits and stall for time.

The other sects within the Eastern Alliance had become either anxious or restless. Some sects, who had been previously subdued by the Eastern Nine Sects, joined them in condemning the Golem Sect, calling for unity within the Eastern Covert Martial Arts community to eliminate the Golem Sect. However, many other sects remained silent—some possibly maintaining a neutral stance, while others sought to find ways to reach out to the Golem Sect in secret.

Aside from these major sects, the world of Covert Martial Arts included various master-disciple traditions and fortunate individuals who had stumbled upon unique encounters. These practitioners did not form organized sects; some ran martial arts gyms, some lived as ascetic wanderers, and others used their skills in assassination or protection work. Though numerous, they lacked cohesion and held little influence, existing at the very bottom of the Eastern Alliance's hierarchy.

The Golem Sect valued these individuals and extended an olive branch to them. Thus, many skilled fighters had joined them during the last two weeks, gradually filling out the Golem Sect's once-empty shell.

The skies were clear, warm, and sunny on October 18.

A tall figure sat cross-legged beside the French windows on the top floor of Black Pupil Tower. He was resting on a soft black mat with a cup of tea on a nearby coffee table. Sunlight filtered through the tinted glass, gently illuminating the figure's broad and powerful silhouette. His stone-gray physique appeared even more formidable and muscular.

Cassius slowly opened his eyes and exhaled a long breath. He felt refreshed, as he did at the end of each day's training.

Southern Dipper Red Falcon Fist: 14 + 2 = 16

Southern Dipper Sonic Snake Fist: 13 + 2 + 1 = 16

Both Southern Dipper fist techniques had reached sixteen acupoints, with improvements in Death's Fang Force and Reverberating Force. Combat had indeed been the best training.

Additionally, his evolution and modification through Golem Covert Martial Arts had progressed steadily, day and night, without interruption. Thanks to the Black Ops Agency's support, the Golem Sect's development was now on track. The Eastern Nine Sects had also been held back due to the elders they had lost in captivity, so they were refraining from action against the Golem Sect for the time being.

At present, Cassius focused on three objectives.

First, two legendary antiques he had: a gun and a mask. These items were crucial for harnessing time-travel abilities and had to be thoroughly researched. He had already assigned specialists to investigate them and had even connected with treasure hunters through Uncle Yun to research the origins of these artifacts. Information gathering progressed quickly with Uncle Yun's assistance and might conclude within a week.

Once Cassius gathered sufficient intelligence, he planned to time-travel without hesitation. He needed time to grow stronger. He needed to at least be strong enough to be fearless in the face of the Gate Organization. Cassius lacked a sense of security, so he pursued a stability that would bring him peace. However, he had to continually grow stronger to achieve it.

Second, the changes at Black Rain Manor. According to intelligence Simone provided two weeks ago, Black Rain Manor was on the brink of resurgence. After a long period of dormancy, this eerie entity seemed poised for a comeback.

This resurgence could bring a new twist to the power dynamics in the East. Additionally, information previously disclosed by Eye Devil suggested that Gate Fragments might exist within Black Rain Manor.

This explained the fervor displayed by the Gate Organization. Cassius, who had encountered Black Rain Manor firsthand during the time-travel era, had his own theories about it. The Soul Power beneath the Baptism Chapel, the meteorite foundation...

Black Rain Manor was clearly shrouded in unknown mysteries. Cassius would have been compelled to investigate even without the Gate Organization's involvement. But with the Gate Organization in the mix, he felt even more driven to step in. Furthermore, Black Rain Manor's resurgence could also affect the neo-humans. As the descendants of Hellsings, how would the neo-human group respond when the manor awakened? Cassius thought the seeds he had planted among the neo-humans could be activated, potentially shifting the power dynamics before the manor's resurgence.

Third, the hunt for dark creatures. Cassius had been tracking the whereabouts of dark creatures in the eastern regions of the Federation and had achieved some results.

His intelligence came from Black Ops Agency surveillance, Shadow Demon proxies' investigations, and information from the Shadowless Clan. Although these channels were diverse, the overall information was not substantial, as dark creatures remained well-hidden and blended into human society. Cassius found this frustrating.

Black Rain Manor, however, was remarkable—its presence acted almost like a radar, detecting dark creatures across a wide area and issuing hunting missions to Hellsings to hunt dark creatures and obtain their dark essence.

Sometimes Cassius thought how ideal it would be if he could control Black Rain Manor. Then, dark creatures would have nowhere to hide.

Cassius highly valued dark creatures as a precious resource. The life vibration energy from Golem Covert Martial Arts, as well as the calamity essence required to produce Blood of the Spirit for the Rune of Wisdom, were all derived from dark creatures.

Dark creatures might prey on humans, but Cassius preyed on dark creatures. Fair enough; in the end, it was all a means of becoming stronger.

Speaking of the Rune of Wisdom, Cassius sensed something amiss with it. However, as he had not yet met the full conditions for using the Rune of Wisdom, he was unsure what the problem might be. He only knew that after extracting Blood of the Spirit nine times and creating the Golem Covert Martial Arts, the rune's color seemed to have dimmed, as if it had been overdrawn too quickly.

Normally, the Rune of Wisdom should have refreshed once he was back in the real world, but Cassius had an unsettling premonition. He decided to wait and see once he replenished it with calamity essence. Still, the rune's ability to store calamity essence remained, enabling Cassius to consult the Book of the Devil for vital hidden information. As long as it retained this function, the Rune of Wisdom would continue to serve a significant purpose.

Back on the top floor of Black Pupil Tower, Cassius had rested for half a month. He was feeling the urge to move, so he decided to step out and stretch his muscles. His targets this time were the dark creatures he had already tracked down.

Dead Blood, Totem Masters, vampires, Black Pixies...