Chapter 394: A Glimpse of the Extreme Combat Artist Realm

Nearly ten hours had passed.

It was night in the real world, but in the World of Calamity, it was day. The sky had dimmed to its deepest shade, and the thick, black-grey clouds above wept snow-like ash.

Two figures stood amid the ruins in the southwest corner of Ash City, close to the city gate. In front of them, swirling patterns on the heavy wall gradually became distinct, forming the beginnings of a mysterious tunnel.

The mission intelligence from Black Rain Manor had been transmitted from the real world to the World of Calamity through the Calamity Tunnel, signaling that marked individuals would arrive in Ash City. Twelve hours later, after day and night interchanged once again, the Calamity Tunnel would reappear in Ash City, allowing marked-ones to return to the real world.

This was the standard method of travel between the surface and deeper layers of existence. Cassius, who now bore the Mark of the Spirit Bearer, enjoyed a much safer entry process. Once he arrived in the World of Calamity through his Mark, he would always materialize at the revival altar in the Tower of Refuge, ensuring a safe entry without immediate danger or the risk of hostile encounters.

Whoosh...

A gust of wind stirred the ruins, carrying a faint, scorching smell. Suddenly, the world turned dark as day and night crossed paths. The Calamity Tunnel emerged.

Ghost-Man glanced at Cassius beside him, and they exchanged nods before he moved toward the wall and disappeared into the tunnel. Cassius silently watched him leave, then turned to walk toward the Tower of Refuge.

In a sense, he had gained an ally from Black Rain Manor. Cassius and Ghost-Man had shared a great deal over the last few hours. Ghost-Man was surprised at how well Cassius understood Black Rain Manor, even knowing that marked-ones were restricted from sharing detailed internal information. Their conversations danced around these limitations, with each using indirect terms, almost like code within a gang.

Soul Power, for instance, was referred to as "sacred spring water," while Decaying Knights were jokingly called "tin cans." The Baptism Chapel became "the sacred bath." This seemingly nonsensical exchange was perfectly decipherable with a bit of careful thought.

Cassius had two primary requests. First, he wanted the qualification mark from Black Rain Manor; second, he sought access to Soul Power.

Ghost-Man said the first request would be difficult, but not impossible. It would merely take some time to procure. For the second, he assured Cassius that he could manage it. Soul Power didn't necessarily have to be absorbed within the Baptism Chapel; Ghost-Man had a way to transport it out of Black Rain Manor. This usually required a small price, but Ghost-Man's mark authority had just been upgraded after completing a recent mission, making the task much easier now.

Additionally, they discussed other collaborative prospects. At its peak, Black Rain Manor differed from Twilight's period, both in form and function. Now, in the late era of the Hongli Empire, top-tier marked-ones in Black Rain Manor could freely hunt dark creatures without being restricted by specific missions, although routine tasks still had to be completed. For those willing to risk their lives, Black Rain Manor offered an alternative path of danger and reward through the Hunter's Badge.

The Hunter's Badge could absorb the dark essence of fallen dark creatures, allowing one to amass large quantities of essence in a single outing. Once the hunter returned, the badge could be exchanged for Soul Power.

Cassius planned to have Ghost-Man acquire a Hunter's Badge from Black Rain Manor for him. Cassius would then use it in the World of Calamity, hunting dark creatures with the freedom and strength of a top-tier combat artist. This would allow him to maximize his gains. After all, he already intended to take on the dark creature clans of the World of Calamity.

Upon reflection, dark creatures were indeed valuable in every sense.

Dark essence could be exchanged at Black Rain Manor for Soul Power. The essence of calamity could be distilled into the Blood of the Spirit using the Rune of Wisdom. Mutant magnetic fields could be transformed into life vibration energy using the Golem Covert Martial Arts. It was a three-way win for Cassius, gaining threefold benefits.

Of course, the latter two methods were his unique abilities; only the first required collaboration with Ghost-Man. Although Ghost-Man owed him a debt of gratitude, it wasn't sustainable to monopolize the benefits alone. Cassius decided on an 80-20 split, with 80% for himself and 20% for Ghost-Man. After all, Ghost-Man only had to enjoy the rewards without taking on any risks, so Cassius considered the 20% to be fairly generous.

A fierce gale swept through Ash City's high skies, and black snow drifted down. A strange red moon appeared overhead, casting a blood-red glow across the city. The entire area took on an ominous hue, as a wild, chaotic energy, almost embodying a frenzied willpower, began to saturate the air. This aura roused the calamity around them from its daytime inertia, filling the air with heightened activity.

Cassius felt his eyelid twitch as his Mark of the Spirit Bearer indicated a spike in madness levels. The calamity's corrosion of his vigorous body had reached the third stage. A quick calculation told him that he could remain in the World of Calamity for about fifteen hours before his mind would begin to succumb to irrationality.

Tap, whoosh...

Cassius started to move across the city, bounding from one rooftop to the next. After about ten minutes, he reached a corner of Ash City, where a three-story white tower stood, half-collapsed.

Suddenly, a faint glow emanated from the tower's surface, and a semi-transparent membrane, like rippling water, slowly coated the walls. The membrane hissed as it made contact with the air, as if reacting violently with something unseen.

Inside the Tower of Refuge, Cassius placed his hand on a blue crystal on the third floor, draining a unit of Blood of the Spirit. The defense array activated, clearing away all traces of calamity.

As he stepped back, he noticed a hazy artifact symbol hovering above the crystal. Though he had never seen it before, he instantly understood its meaning: the number twenty. This meant that a single unit of Blood of the Spirit could keep the defense array active for twenty hours.

The energy consumption was substantial, but Cassius could control the array twice daily, once when entering and once when exiting the World of Calamity. This feature ensured he wouldn't waste energy when not present, making the array's upkeep more manageable.

After a few seconds, Cassius returned to the first floor. The calamity invading his vigorous body was gradually dissipating, surrounding him with a faint, misty haze.

He approached the Five-Pointed Star Altar at the center of the first floor and positioned himself in front of the metal column inscribed with the Rune of Wisdom. Then, he transmitted another unit of Blood of the Spirit into it.

The altar began to glow steadily. A small flame the size of a fist ignited atop the column, floating in the air. Cassius suddenly felt a pull from the altar; he could resist it, but chose not to.

The altar forcibly extracted a portion of his Qi, weakening him slightly. In the altar's center, a heart-shaped Qi core began to beat in sync with his own. He could sense a clear connection with this Qi heart, reassuring him that, should he die in the outside world, he could rely on it to resurrect.

Breathing a small sigh of relief, Cassius stepped down from the altar. With two units of Blood of the Spirit spent, he had 1.5 units left in reserve.

He waited about five minutes, letting the last of the calamity within his body dissipate, bringing a sense of lightness to his heart.

"It's time to leave..."

Cassius activated the Mark of the Spirit Bearer, and the world hummed. There was a flash of white light, and he took a step forward, landing solidly on the ground.

When his vision returned, he found himself in a dense forest. Behind him, the same withered old tree still stood lifeless. The sky was beginning to lighten, with the first hints of dawn casting a soft, warm hue over the scattered clouds. Beams of morning light filtered through the mist, illuminating the forest floor with a gentle, greenish glow.

Cassius took a deep breath, savoring the fresh, damp air. Seven streams of Cataclysmic Spirit-level life vibration energy flowed steadily within his body. A faint smile appeared on his lips as he began his descent down the mountain.

He found an empty carriage near the abandoned village, but there was no sign of Rose. Cassius frowned slightly, and just then, he heard hurried footsteps approaching from the village. When he turned, he saw a pale-faced Rose.

"Master White Aster, you're finally back," she said with a hint of relief.

"Just call me White Aster or Mr. White Aster," Cassius corrected, "What happened? You seem unsettled."

"I ran into a top-tiered marked-one from the Black Rain Manor..."

Rose was still somewhat shaken as she began to recount her experience.

Last night, Rose had dutifully waited as Cassius instructed, but as dawn approached with no sign of his return, she decided to search for him up the mountain. That's when she had unexpectedly encountered Ghost-Man, who had just returned from the World of Calamity. The moment he looked at her, she felt a shadow of death descend upon her, as if a giant hand were clutching her heart.

A top-tier knight-level marked-one and a Shadow Hunter were in the same league. So, for Ghost-Man, taking Rose's life would be as simple as a swing of his scythe.

However, Ghost-Man had ignored her and had instead hunted the stragglers from the night's battle. The Knights' Fortress was built midway up the mountain, with more abandoned structures at the peak, where many Undead Knights still lingered. Ghost-Man went up there and cut them down one by one.

After spending about ten minutes clearing the area, he descended swiftly, leaving Rose alone, bewildered, amidst the bodies of dark creatures scattered across the mountainside. She cautiously made her way down and hid.

As Cassius listened to her story, he quickly deduced that Ghost-Man had done him a small favor by eliminating any unwanted elements from the area. After all, the Knights' Fortress was also the agreed rendezvous point for their mission. The calamity tunnel here would remain open for a period, so Ghost-Man had made sure to clear the area of unnecessary threats.

Around noon, Cassius and Rose returned to the capital, Florence, from Farr County. Rose submitted their team mission. They had completed it in less than a day despite the original twenty-day deadline. As a reward, they received the full twenty units of sacred spring water. Rose kept 2.5 units for herself, while Cassius received 17.5 units. This generous reward was equivalent to what a White Dazzling-ranked hunter would earn from completing seven missions, which would normally take over half a year, including rest periods. So Cassius had reaped the rewards of nearly a half-year's work in one day.

By two in the afternoon, Cassius was in a private room designated for Hunters to rest. He had eaten, cleaned up, and adjusted his state to its optimal condition. He had not just acquired seven streams of Cataclysmic Spirit-level life vibration energy in the World of Calamity but also multiple sources of Wild and Savage Beast level life vibration energy.

While these two levels of life vibration energy wouldn't significantly benefit a combat artist, they served as potent enhancers for the average physique, comparable to the Body Refinement Ointment and Wind Elephant Pills Cassius had consumed during his first two time-travels. The effects were immediate and highly beneficial.

In his White Aster form, his awakened energy leaned more towards mental strength, and his physical body was no more robust than that of an average adult male.

Cassius's combat style, Phantom Aster Illusion, relied on plunging opponents into illusions so they couldn't locate White Aster's true form. However, from Cassius's perspective, this approach essentially placed his life in his opponent's hands. It hoped that his opponent would be confused by the illusion, unable to break free, and too mentally weak to resist. But any opponent with area-of-effect attacks would put him at a disadvantage.

In Cassius's view, the path of the illusionist had developed abnormally. If an illusionist could already block an enemy's five senses, why not train the physical body to be equally strong?

Imagine a battle where, upon meeting an opponent, one simply obscured their senses with a coarse illusion. Then, you go in with fists raised, landing blows directly on vital spots. After a few punches, the enemy would either be dead or gravely injured!

Elegance and style meant little; what mattered was defeating the opponent. In a modern context, pairing illusionists with heavy firearms would be ideal. A snap of fingers to induce hypnosis and a machine gun could mow down anything below combat artist level!

Though this era lacked firearms, one could still build muscle! Most enemies wouldn't stand a chance against a muscular juggernaut who wielded fists, swords, or blades once their senses were compromised.

This approach even adds an element of surprise. Opponents would assume a frail body since illusionists were typically weak in physical combat. Yet after they struggle to break free of the illusion and finally close in, they'd be met with a bodybuilder's physique that would gleefully beat them senseless.

This should be the ideal path for illusionists: a balance of mind and body. Cassius intended to encourage Rose to consider this approach in a few days, guiding her on the right path.

Plop...

A large jug of sacred spring water, containing approximately 875 milliliters, nearly a liter, was placed on the mahogany table. Its light golden liquid shimmered faintly in the sunlight, giving off an unusual radiance.

First, Cassius planned to consume the Wild and Savage Beast level life vibration energy, followed by seventeen units of sacred spring water. He intended to wait until his strength was fully restored to use the seven streams of Cataclysmic Spirit-level life vibration energy.

[Golem Covert Martial Arts: Qi Embodiment 64.1% (Total Three Stages)]

Cassius planned to advance this core technique to at least 80%. Then, he would no longer be a twofold top-tier combat artist but would ascend to the fourth stage of a combat artist—the extreme combat artist!

This was the level Blade Demon had barely touched upon before his death, in the brilliant flash of his final Rainbow World attack!

The extreme combat artist realm, just one step away from the realm of a Holy Fist...