Chapter 425 - Already On A Path To Doom

He counted silently all the way to seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, as the red acupoints across Cassius's body lit up one by one like glittering stars.

At the same moment, several purple acupoints flared to life. If someone connected all these acupoints into a three-dimensional diagram, it would have seemed like a colossal bird and serpent entwined in fierce rivalry. The blood falcon spread its steel wings while the sonic snake bared its fangs. They seemed antagonistic, yet there was a subtle hint of mutual accord between them.

Cassius swept his left hand through the air, his palm emitting a string of explosive vibrations that sounded like firecrackers bursting. He clenched his right hand into a fist, and crimson rays gleamed between his fingers, producing a faint hissing in the air. It felt as though something invisible was being gnawed and broken down in the process.

He exhaled a warm breath and sensed the flow of force coursing through his body. He was still three acupoints away from the third stage of the Southern Dipper Force. Cassius had diverged entirely from Feng Liusi's path. He nurtured battle skills through battle itself, actively provoking the ferocious drawback of the Southern Dipper Fist.

He intended to use numerous combat artist-level Dead Spirits as fodder to refine his Southern Dipper Force, elevating it to considerable heights. It differed from Feng Liusi's decades-long tempered approach and leaned toward a more unorthodox edge. Of course, he believed it worthwhile, for Cassius did not have the luxury of that much time.

Besides, he happened to have the right circumstances. Howling Canyon offered a wealth of combat artist-level Dead Spirits that he could challenge one by one.

The resurrection altar in the Tower of Refuge also ensured Cassius could keep at least one life safe. He studied two Southern Dipper Fist techniques simultaneously, allowing them to balance each other out. That prevented him from indulging the savagery of one technique to the point of losing control.

Since time, place, and people were all in his favor, this canyon had become his training ground. If Feng Liusi had known about this kind of location, he would have been immensely envious of Cassius.

The Blood Fist loved a good fight, and had roamed extensively in his prime to challenge masters. Unfortunately, there were too few combat artists at that time. Moreover, sparring typically did not allow for lethality since high-level battles always ended in life or death. Since it had been an era of peace, that limitation indirectly held Feng Liusi back from further progress in the Southern Dipper Fist.

Only in a chaotic age could practitioners of the Southern Dipper Fist sing their praises on the battlefield and advance by leaps and bounds. The World of Calamity where Cassius found himself was undoubtedly chaos of the highest order, a savage land where the strong devoured the weak. Training there felt like a true homecoming for his Southern Dipper Fist. Only blood could forge the framework of the Southern Dipper Fist, and the more unyielding one's fighting spirit, the more powerful it became.

Cassius could feel the Southern State of both of his Southern Dipper Fist techniques becoming astoundingly active with each battle. It stirred up endless bursts of insight in his mind. When he was in that kind of mindset, breaking through acupoints or creating new moves usually yielded twice the result with half the effort.

He opened his eyes, and the Qi surrounding him had already dissipated. Since Cassius had crushed a Dead Spirit, he also absorbed some of its lingering combat experiences. It did not yet seem to grant him any stark advantage, but over time, small gains would accumulate into something considerable.

Tap, tap, tap...

Cassius headed toward the cave that had been opened. The interior was spacious enough for five people, so it did not feel cramped. In a corner along the edge, a thumb-sized piece of dark green jade had sprouted from the cave wall. The jade emitted a cloudy green glow, reminiscent of cotton, that stretched radially into the mountain's interior like plant roots.

He reached out and snapped it off. According to Ghost-Man's mission details, this Soul Jade born in Howling Canyon possessed the ability to nourish Qi, though its exact effects remained uncertain.

Qi instantly flowed into his right hand as he grabbed the jade. The dark green fluid inside the stone was instantly drawn out. He absorbed only about half of it before stopping. He frowned slightly, finding the results less than satisfactory. Its greatest flaw was its poor quality. Instead of replenishing his Qi, the dark green fluid seemed like impurities after merging with his Qi, diminishing its original potency. Though it increased volume, it polluted the purity and refinement of his Qi.

Cassius glanced around. Nevertheless, he did not feel disappointed or discouraged. He knew that the Soul Jade definitely varied in quality. Since more powerful Dead Spirits occupied superior caves, the Soul Jade within them would definitely be purer.

Cassius walked out at a leisurely pace. Casually, he tossed the piece of jade to Ghost-Man, who was approaching him.

"See how it works," Cassius said.

Ghost-Man nodded and did the same. His eyes widened in delight. "This is good stuff. Quite a rare resource..."

Cassius let him continue examining it and proceeded on his own toward the canyon's depths. Roughly a hundred meters ahead, he shattered another cave entrance with a single punch.

An elderly figure inside was startled awake and opened his ash-colored eyes. He spread his feet apart, stabbing them into the ground like sharpened blades. Both arms lifted with his palms slightly tilted upward. He looked like a massive, humanoid mantis, as his eyes fell on Cassius.

Bang!

The ground shook and dust rose in a cloud. Before Cassius realized it, the old man had appeared behind him, bending his two arms and hacking down fiercely. They resembled two enormous curved blades, with dark green Qi bursting from his back. A single glance could confirm that it looked exactly like the wings of a dark green mantis.

Clank!

Both arm-blades cut into Cassius's nape and shoulders, hurling him away. He flipped in the air and drove his fist into the earth, carving a narrow trench over a dozen meters long.

When Cassius steadied himself, he murmured. "Blazing speed with moderate strength. Yet, that moderate strength, boosted by blazing speed, still delivered an extremely powerful slash..."

His eyes shone with fascination. The caves of Howling Canyon were like mystery boxes, never revealing which sort of Dead Spirit, what kind of Covert Martial Arts it had mastered, or how formidable it was until one opened it.

The old man's sudden, ferocious onslaught had been nearly impossible to guard against. Even an almost peak veteran combat artist might have died in that first exchange. Yet, in overall strength, the old man might have been just at the level of an ordinary veteran combat artist.

Cassius twisted the muscles in his upper back, and the two bloody gashes gradually wriggled and closed before disappearing entirely. He locked onto the humanoid mantis in the distance, and assumed the fighting stance of the Southern Dipper Sonic Snake Fist. His five knuckles twitched slightly, resembling the open-and-shut motion of a constricting python's jaws.

Boom!

The ground quaked, and the old man vanished from where he stood. Cassius spun instantly and struck with a punch, his arm swinging like the mighty tail of a python.

Thud!

Blade-like arms collided with the punch, and layers of shockwaves rippled outward. He had blocked the old man's right arm, but he immediately swung his left arm downward with a piercing screech.

Cassius snaked his other arm upward, firmly trapping the old man's attacking path. He let out a sudden chuckle, a fierce light flashing in his eyes. His right foot drove into the ground, launching his knee upward like a shell, enveloped by a translucent bowl-shaped airflow. It smashed directly into the old man's chin.

Bang!

The humanoid mantis soared backward as its body bent into an arch and its head snapped straight up. Its entire jaw got crushed at an awkward angle. Cassius strode forward and unleashed a fierce elbow, bending the old man forward again as he was flung backward.

After only five meters of flight, Cassius's figure appeared behind him without warning. He punched like a meteor hammer, sending the old man hurtling in the opposite direction. Mid-flight, Cassius used his brute strength to catch up again, turning into a phantom that intercepted the airborne figure. He struck yet another punch.[1]

Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang...

The old man seemed like a baseball, as he was slammed around at Cassius's whim. Finally, he burst apart in midair, dissolving into a mass of dark green Qi. Cassius stood in the shower of Qi, showing neither joy nor sorrow.

If a Covert Martial Arts path excelled in a certain area, it inevitably had weaknesses elsewhere. This old man's mantis-like technique was indeed swift, especially in an opening strike. He was practically a terrifying assassin at close range. However, that weakness was glaring in a direct confrontation. The old man possessed two arms, giving him two ferocious attacks in total. Should the opponent defend against those two strikes, he had nothing to follow up and would soon be defeated. After two chops, it was either kill or be killed.

"That fist technique was extreme! I've learned something new today..." Cassius was starting to realize masters of Covert Martial Arts were not to be underestimated. Even with his level of strength, the old man had seized an opening the moment he broke open that cave and briefly let his guard down.

Though he could have dodged if he wanted, he had chosen to tank the two strikes to gauge the force of the attack. Nevertheless, it already proved the merits of that mantis-style fist technique. It was a savage style that lets the weak strike down the strong.

"Phew..."

Having absorbed the lingering combat experience in the old man's Qi, Cassius entered the cave. Inside was another Soul Jade that was about half the size of his palm. After absorbing a bit of it, he found it lacking and tossed it to Ghost-Man on his way out.

Without hesitation, he turned and headed off to the next cave. Ghost-Man and Iron Knight watched in awe, their gazes flickering in astonishment. Covert Martial Arts indeed possessed a captivating force if it could push the human body this far beyond its limits.

The two Dead Spirits Cassius had just defeated were foes neither Ghost-Man nor Iron Knight felt certain they could overcome. Especially that mantis-fist old man; his first slash was so swift and brutal that one might die before even having time to react.

As per the Black Rain Manor's assignment, completing the Howling Canyon mission required at least defeating one Dead Spirit. It was basically a gamble with one's life. At most, one could gather five Soul Jades, meaning five life-threatening battles, which was extraordinarily difficult. Had it not been for Cassius's formidable partnership, Ghost-Man would never have dared undertake this mission. Alone, it would have been tantamount to suicide.

Hence, Ghost-Man and Iron Knight merely served as onlookers, watching Cassius challenge cave after cave. Of course, there were moments when even spectators faced danger. Cassius might sometimes knock the Dead Spirits in their direction by accident. As a result, Ghost-Man and Iron Knight suffered some misfortune and were left bruised by the wounded Dead Spirits.

Iron Knight's armor ended up dented and cracked in places, while Ghost-Man's treasured scythe got bent from repeated pummeling. Only when Cassius returned to drag the Dead Spirits back into the fight were the two men saved.

That night, Cassius fought with fiery intent, unleashing a truly exhilarating display. He challenged six caves in a row, testing himself against six combat artist experts. He did not stop until his Qi was running low. Once he sensed his strength slipping below the stage of a peak combat artist, he paused, rested for a bit, and decided to head back to the tower.

After all, no one knew if a top-tier combat artist-level Dead Spirit might suddenly emerge from a cave, so he needed to leave some safety margin at least. However, Cassius gradually discerned a pattern along the canyon walls through these battles. The deeper one went, the higher the cave was located, and the stronger its inhabitant became.

Theoretically, if he ventured to the farthest area of Howling Canyon and climbed to the highest cave, he might encounter an extreme combat artist, or possibly even a Holy Fist master?

However, Cassius was not entirely sure whether a Holy Fist-level Dead Spirit actually existed here. After all, on that expedition to the Akaba Ruins, that Ultimate Fist elder had sealed his Qi in his own body even after death, containing feelings of lingering attachment within it for a millennia.

Moreover, he could still create what felt like a real Qi trial realm as a result. A level of that sort was beyond Cassius's ability to fathom. Regardless, that night's exploration of Howling Canyon had yielded generous rewards. He fought six combat artists consecutively, gained battle experience, and even broke through three acupoints.

Both his Southern Dipper Red Falcon Fist and Southern Dipper Sonic Snake Fist had reached twenty-one acupoints. He only needed a bit more time to absorb it all, and both Southern Dipper Forces would advance to the third stage, raising his might to another level.

When he opened his eyes, morning had arrived in the real world with a refreshing air. Cassius had just returned from the World of Calamity but showed no inclination to move. He remained calm and steady, planning to fully digest the night's gains. He would also see whether he could also break through the twenty-second acupoint.

Training worked best at the initial stage of learning, and expecting to break through another three or four acupoints in one night of fighting in Howling Canyon was likely infeasible. Cassius sat cross-legged and circulated the force within his body.

At the same time, the Hunters' Association's public venues bustled with activity. It was obvious that the news from the previous night had spread that morning, igniting discussions among the hunters. Most discussions were regarding White Aster, the surprise dark horse who had burst onto the scene. Of course, people also mentioned how Solomon and Soss had their missions reset, calling them two unlucky souls.

The setting and surroundings of the Hunters' Association hall were all too familiar. Radiant Hunter Deleshart handed a dossier to the two young men before him, offering some words of advice to Solomon the Thorn.

"You only have three opportunities at most for the first-stage mission, regardless of the cause. This is already your third attempt. If you fail again, you'll be disqualified..." Deleshart remarked earnestly.

Solomon clenched his fists, his gaze turning grim. Both of these unexpected setbacks were tied to White Aster, which truly felt like he was pushing his luck too far. While he had to scurry around for a third mission, his rival woke up that morning as the talk of the town. However, White Aster would not prance about for long.

After last night's events, Zhu Hun had informed him that he intended to make an early move. It appeared that he could not even wait for the second stage of the mission and planned to kill White Aster outright. Indeed, taking center stage so boldly tended to invite disaster. White Aster was already on a path that led to doom!

1. No mercy to the elderly found here. ☜