Chapter 529 - Southern Dipper Cross! Seven-Seven Acupoints

Cassius had once seen Xiadu inside the Qi memories of that Ultimate Fist elder during his fourth time‑travel in the Ao Yin Ruins. It had been an ancient battlefield, a land of blood and corpses where sinful inhuman monsters marched openly in formation across the earth. Clad in a black robe, Xiadu stood at the heart of the monster ranks as though he were their king.

The monster host had advanced without restraint until it was intercepted! The interceptors were two Holy Fist‑level masters: one the Ultimate Fist elder who was the corpse, the other a Dominator Fist. They had charged into the ranks, cleaving through the monsters and intent on slaying Xiadu.

Cassius, observing from the future, had already seen the outcome. Xiadu had not been killed; instead he had gone on to found the Gate Organization that now had tendrils in everything. The Ultimate Fist elder had been left with nothing but a corpse, and the Qi that bore his Will had vanished.

Perhaps it was eternally confronting the Ultimate Dark Form, True Progenitor of Blood Yumila, within the underworld, much like the Dominator Fist Cassius had met who opposed the Totem King.

In short, Xiadu, whom even two Holy Fists could not kill, ranked at the highest danger level in Cassius's mind, making him extremely wary.

And now, he—or rather it—had appeared! He exuded an almost suffocating presence, an aura like the very source of evil. An ordinary person would have turned and fled without a moment's delay.

But Cassius was different; he had long wanted to witness the might of Xiadu, the uncrowned emperor of the underworld for centuries. What exactly was he? Curiosity was one reason. Another was that Xiadu's body was clearly abnormal. His skin was phantasmal, not flesh and blood. He appeared more like an avatar, a split‑off portion of his true power, just as Cassius had entered the underworld in a Qi state.

At least, Cassius sensed none of the overwhelming lethal danger his true body would carry with the keen perception of his Golem Covert Martial Arts. That meant this Xiadu had surely not surpassed the extreme combat artist realm into Holy Fist or become an Ultimate Dark Form.

As long as it remained within that range, Cassius would have room to maneuver. He started to think quickly. Could the surface world impose some limit preventing beings beyond a certain threshold from emerging or lingering long? Ultimate Dark Forms were barred, and even Holy Fists of the Covert Martial Arts community had remained secluded for years.

When their bodies reached the end of life and their fully awakened Qi vanished, it likely entered the underworld. In any case, this Xiadu was, in all probability, not the true body!

Third, Cassius had a final safeguard. Even if he died in this time‑travel, he would not truly lose his life. That made him far bolder. Together with the Dominator Fist path's drive to strike at those stronger, he now felt eager to try, not inclined to retreat.

"Come on. Even if the Qi backlash harms me today, I will still fight you properly..." Cassius had made up his mind and altered his original plan.

His plans could not keep up with the changes. Holy Fist Demon Phoenix had actually summoned Xiadu. He had meant to throw only one punch, but that was clearly far from enough. Since that was now insufficient, he would have to go all out.

Therefore, he would have to endure the internal injuries from overusing his Qi. Fortunately his physique, trained through Golem Covert Martial Arts, could absolutely withstand it for a while. That was the advantage of Golem Covert Martial Arts, giving Cassius an abnormally solid foundation. He could ignore all manner of concerns during battle. All he needed was to fight and win single‑mindedly.

A whirl of thoughts flashed through his mind and was instantly withdrawn. Cassius dived from the sky, falling alongside the Sonic Fang Force cascade.

His tattered black coat ripped apart, fluttering upward. The already‑rugged muscles all over him swelled until his sleeves burst. His rock‑hard skin looked thick and tough, like heavy fitted armor.

The right hand stretched backward grew to twice its size, veins crawling over it like writhing snakes. Hot blood surged beneath the skin as Qi billowed at his shoulders, streaming with his high‑speed descent like a crimson cloak.

Scree!

The Blood Vulture glided in, its talons that could rend metal aligned in an instant with Cassius's swinging arm.

Buzz!

A flood‑like force blasted the air and crashed straight into Xiadu.

Bang!!!

The entire mountaintop shuddered as thick cracks spread along the cliffs. Rocks burst everywhere, and only two blurred figures stood opposite.

Bang!

Another huge blast. The earth was swept away by the shockwave, revealing the scene. Cassius's punch was blocked by Xiadu's right hand. The power to destroy a mountain had been stopped by a few jade‑white fingers.

Boom!

Cassius's right leg shot up to launch a kick.

Dong!

His leg was intercepted mid‑air, as Xiadu's right leg met it. A cold gleam flashed in Cassius's eyes. He spun suddenly, swinging down his right arm like a fierce cleaver!

Bang!

Xiadu raised both arms to parry, catching the blow with perfect precision. At the same time, he threw a savage straight kick into Cassius's chest.

Dong!

Cassius's whole body shook. The fabric on his back tore apart as the force pierced through him. However, he did not retreat a step. He kept his bloodshot eyes on Xiadu as his hand slashed out, carving a sharp arc through the air.

It was aimed at Xiadu's knee. If it landed, Cassius was intent on crippling the entire leg.

Whoosh!

A sharp crack sounded as Xiadu's riposting fist was unleashed at terrifying speed. Accelerating from slow to fast, it lunged like a rapier to pierce Cassius's throat.

Cassius could only abandon his strike. The hand‑blade's path angled slightly, clashing with Xiadu's punch. Both retreated one step, leaving footprints sunk deep in the rock. The whole exchange had finished in a single breath; an ordinary person would have seen only blurred after‑images.

Their entanglement looked merely like combat moves between pugilists, not the grand spectacle of extreme combat artists colliding. Yet this was where the true danger lay. Cassius had condensed vast Qi into his limbs. He controlled his Qi perfectly, wasting not a shred. If his earlier momentum had been a surging tide, now that tide was compressed into a steel column. It seemed less imposing and less oppressive, yet the lethality had skyrocketed.

That earlier kick Xiadu landed on Cassius's chest could have punched clean through a mountain if it had struck the rock instead. Only his Golem body with extreme combat artist strength could bear it. Any normal top-tier combat artist would have exploded on the spot and their death would have been unimaginably gruesome.

On the summit, the wind roared as two figures faced off. Cassius suppressed the turbulence within and stared at his foe.

Xiadu remained cloaked in black, cold and still like a puppet of pure instinct. Was the true body still asleep? Did this avatar lack consciousness? Relying on instinct alone, it had fought Cassius to a stand‑off in close quarters.

That shocked Cassius at first, but then it was understandable. Over a thousand years of accumulation could turn even a talentless fool into a master, let alone Xiadu. This avatar clearly carried numerous techniques and abilities branded from its true body.

When Cassius threatened it, the avatar would naturally reveal its strength.

"This is an opportunity!!!" Cassius immediately realized this was a once‑in‑a‑lifetime chance. He could glimpse Xiadu's true abilities and peel away some of the mystery through this limited‑threat avatar.

That would be hugely significant when he returned to the surface world to end everything in the future. At least Cassius would not charge blindly at Xiadu without knowledge and meet a tragic end.

For a moment, Cassius's gaze grew solemn and profound. He exhaled two winding streams of white air and dropped into a combat stance. One foot forward, one back. His spine arched slightly like a praying mantis ready to strike. Meanwhile his arms swept back like the wings of a bird of prey, hands shaped into talons.

"Southern Dipper Red Falcon Fist..." Behind him, surging blood‑red Qi formed a gigantic vulture.

The vulture's wings spread as fierce feathers overlapped. Forty‑four acupoints lit across Cassius's body, turning into scarlet stars. They resonated, forming a Blood Vulture totem matching its constellation.

"Come. Show me what other first-rate Covert Martial Arts you possess." He kept his eyes on Xiadu, watching his every move.

However, the next second, Cassius's eyes widened in disbelief. His roar carried astonishment. "Impossible! Southern Dipper Covert Martial Inheritance!?"

Opposite him, the puppet‑silent Xiadu had adopted a fighting pose. He spread his feet, soles sunk deep into the rock, forming an extremely stable stance. His spine stood straight like a great dragon; his left arm stretched across his chest, right hand held vertical before him. It presented a cross‑shaped guard.

Pale‑gold acupoints lit on his phantom body in response like fairy lights on a sign. One row horizontal, one vertical, together forming a cross.

Counting closely, there were seventy‑seven of them!!!

"What is this? A Southern Dipper fist technique? Why are there seventy‑seven acupoints? The limit is sixty‑six, isn't it? A cross? Southern Dipper Cross? It's unlike any other Southern Dipper inheritance!" Cassius's breath stalled a fraction. He locked his eyes on Xiadu as though to pierce the dark cloak and see the mysterious form beneath.

An ancient fist technique... the Southern Dipper's inheritance. Was Xiadu a Southern Dipper heir—or even its founder? No, impossible! The Southern Dipper art had been created to solve the dark‑creature problem. It was utterly opposed to them!

How could a Southern Dipper practitioner be followed and hailed like an emperor by dark creatures?

"Betrayal? Is it betrayal? Or perhaps something I know nothing of occurred in that mysterious ancient era! I refuse to believe any Southern Dipper heir would betray its Will of the Fist; that would collapse their entire Covert Martial Arts path..." Cassius drew a sudden breath, his chest burning hot.

An inexplicable fury seemed to surge up, scorching his mind.

"Kill!!!"

The scarlet Blood Vulture shot forward and merged with his body. He glided through the air as he charged toward Xiadu.

Zing!

Xiadu leaped as a hazy pale‑gold giant cross loomed behind him. It resembled the sword of judgment held by an angel. He swung in a cross‑slash, and the seventy‑seven golden stars flashed out.

Bang!

The Blood Vulture collided with the golden cross, triggering a chain of explosions and thunderous booms. Shockwaves rippled like fierce waves. The two immense forces clashed rapidly, even causing the mountain to vibrate. Fine fissures extended both inside and outside the peak.

Those seventy‑seven stars finally revealed their true form during the clash. The first eleven stars faded, leaving sixty‑six. Then, a deep inky mist covered them, leaving only forty‑six. It was only two more than Cassius's forty‑four. Cassius's eyes sparkled as he grappled with Xiadu, a grim smile curling at his lips.

Whatever the case, the opponent was definitely no authentic Southern Dipper heir. Otherwise, the inheritance would not have been repeatedly weakened and shrunken in power.

"This Xiadu is only a shell... A facade! So where is its true form hidden?!" Scarlet fire burst from Cassius's eyes. He drove Xiadu back with one punch and flung both arms wide.

The three frequencies of Golem Covert Martial Arts merged, and the strongest Golem state descended. A huge Golem phantom appeared behind Cassius, arms spread like a guardian, bone armor heavy and grim.

Above its head, a scarlet blood‑moon hovered.

Roar!!!

The Golem howled skyward with the fury of an ancient beast. It charged forward and merged with Cassius. Feet smashed the summit as the colossus barreled toward Xiadu.

Surging black Qi transformed into explosive flames that burned the sky.

"Reveal your true form! What exactly are you?!”