Chapter 628 - Holy Fist Is Indeed A Holy Fist!

"The ultimate prize!"

"A single instruction session from Golem Sect's master?"

"I've never heard of anyone who can grant another person enlightenment..."

"One bout of guidance can let a veteran combat artist break through to top-tier?"

The rest areas of the various sects immediately burst into discussion, and inevitable clamor rose. People looked at one another in momentarily bewilderment. Unlike the unified fervor when nearly a hundred Covert Martial Arts manuals had appeared, skepticism now surfaced instead.

The Golem Sect's master had shown up at the Eastern Exchange Tournament held by Evil Eye Fist and defeated many sect masters and elders joining forces. He had seemed overwhelmingly powerful, sweeping aside opponents with unmatched might. Yet afterward, many experts estimated that Cassius ranked somewhere between a top‑tier and an extreme combat artist. He was formidable, but not exaggeratedly so.

There were similar top‑tier combat artists and even figures approaching extreme combat artist within the Hongli Federation's Covert Martial Arts world. The Golem Sect's master stood on par with those elites and was certainly remarkable, but could a single instruction session from him truly grant someone instant enlightenment?

A pugilist breaking through to combat artist was somewhat plausible, since the contestants came from everywhere and were all exceptionally gifted. The lone victor would surely be a pugilist who had honed that realm to its limit and was already poised to cross over. Guidance from a top‑tier combat artist like Golem Sect's master would certainly help.

However, claiming a veteran combat artist could leap to top‑tier sounded a bit too grandiose. A veteran combat artist was already a mainstay of the Covert Martial Arts scene worldwide, and was typically the sect master of a major sect.

As for top‑tier combat artists, they were rarer still. Only a handful existed worldwide. Whenever such a powerhouse appeared, he served as an anchor that steadied an entire martial community. Yet the host claimed that a single session with Golem Sect's master could transform a veteran combat artist into a top‑tier one.

He even said the road ahead would be carved out, promising future progress. That description sounded downright flamboyant. If the sect master himself was only top‑tier, could he really create another of equal rank? Nonsense...

So thought many experts present.

"Golem Sect is getting a bit carried away..."

"Has hosting one grand tournament made their ego balloon?"

"Where is the Golem Sect's master, anyway?"

The commotion below the stage continued as countless doubtful eyes searched the venue. Some even wore cold smirks, as though eager to see the sect make a fool of itself. Yet certain major sects and powerhouses were unusually silent. They were the ones who had received special invitations from Golem Sect and had felt that terrifying wisp of the sect master's Qi.

Though it had vanished in a flash, it was still extraordinarily frightening. The Eastern Nine Sects camp in particular had a strange contrast in silence. The elders and sect masters were very silent. Meanwhile, the disciples and teachers below fumed and nodded vigorously, suggesting aloud that they wait for Golem Sect's embarrassment. It was a most curious spectacle.

A favored core disciple of Void Sun Sect, within the Eastern Nine Sects, spoke with a mocking smile. "Master, it seems Golem Sect has gotten swollen with pride. They think that they can rank among the world's greatest powers after a month of crazy expansion. And naming the sect master's guidance as the tournament's ultimate prize is even funnier. He thinks because his moniker is 'Dominator Body,' it reads 'Dominator Fist'. Little do they know that before true global sects and true experts, Golem Sect and its master are just upstarts without a foundation."

He was the grandson of a Void Sun elder, gifted and privileged. His path had been smooth all his life so his temper was poor and his tongue blunt.

"I'd say this time, Golem Sect's master is in for embarrassment... Why not let us Void Sun strike now? Question Golem Sect and tear off their mask so they can't save face..." The core disciple blurted the idea out, as if offering a treasure. His expression brimmed with eagerness, ready to stand and rail.

"Lucas! Shut your mouth." The long‑silent Void Sun sect master suddenly spoke, eyes fixed on his second core disciple Lucas. His gaze was grave and carried a master's authority.

The chill doused Lucas's inner fire, leaving him shivering speechless. A master was still a master. Though this one was Lucas's uncle and could joke normally, once he turned serious...

Lucas fidgeted, feeling as though he was seated on needles. "I... did I say something wrong?"

"Not a single word was right." Void Sun's master spoke heavily with weary brows. "Look around you... Look at the Eastern Nine Sects' masters and elders. Look at those world-famous sects and powerhouses. Look at how they're reacting..."

Lucas quickly glanced around. Everyone was sitting with solemn expressions, their silence tinged with fear. There was none of the uproar that the minor sects and lower disciples displayed. Two completely opposite scenes had formed.

A possibility leapt into Lucas's mind at once.

"This... could it be!?"

Suddenly, the sky shuddered.

"Silence!"

A rumble like heavenly thunder rang out above everyone. It produced a resonance that made every body tingle and quake.

"The ultimate prize of this Federal Combat Championships is a single session with me. The final victor may spar with me for three days on God's Tears Lake at Golem Sect headquarters and may train within my Qi World...

"A veteran combat artist breaking into top‑tier, or even a top‑tier reaching extreme is not impossible. It all depends on your insight. I will hold nothing back. Every fist theory, every realization, and every technique will appear in the Qi World, opened for you alone..."

At that moment, every major Covert Martial Arts sect and powerhouse on earth stared around them in shock as the ground shook wildly. The immense Radiance Hall was quivering as though caught in an earthquake. Yet what happened was a far more frightening phenomenon.

A gigantic, terrifying hand thrust from the earth, five fingers clutching Radiance Hall and lifting it into the sky. The wind roared, the blue sky stretched above them, and white clouds gathered. Radiance Hall now hung a kilometer in the sky, borne on a giant's palm.

"W‑what!"

"Heavens, we're above the clouds!"

"Where's Golem Sect's master? Was that voice just now his?!"

The world's sects exploded into chaos. Masters and elders of once‑calm great sects sprang up in shock, their Qi nearly surging uncontrollably as their survival instincts kicked in.

However, a terrifying pressure filled the air, suppressing everyone. The Qi of many combat artists could not burst forth at all. They could not contend with their surroundings. At the moment, heaven and earth themselves oppressed them.

Even top‑tier or extreme combat artists were powerless.

"Golem Sect's master, Cassius!"

"It's Golem Sect's master..."

"It's him!"

Many invitees who had received the special letters spoke up in shock. They had expected the sect master's strength to be terrifying, but they had never imagined it to reach such an extent!

"Holy Fist! He must be a Holy Fist! There is no other possibility..." A white‑haired elder at top‑tier combat artist rank muttered. He had met extreme combat artists before and even sparred with one. No extreme combat artist could possibly achieve what he now saw!

"Golem Sect's master..."

"Golem Sect's master!"

"Golem Sect's master?"

Voices of every tone and feeling called Cassius's name. Some gasped in awe, while some were dumbfounded and others still doubtful. The Federal Combat Championships had reached a boiling point. Surely everyone would remember this to their graves.

"It is I."

High in the sky, a deep, majestic voice answered their calls. The voice echoed like a full orchestra in unison.

In the next instant, a colossal face slowly appeared, blotting out the blue sky. The contours of its mountain‑sized features were hard and deep, casting vast shadows and exerting extreme pressure. It was a head bearing the features of Golem Sect's master. He had become a giant whose feet stood on the ground while his shoulders and head pierced the clouds. With his fiery blonde hair whipping in the wind like blazing flames, he easily held up Radiance Hall with one hand.

The bustling East Sea City looked like a tiny ant hill between his legs. Its tallest building was not as thick as his heel.

Golem Sect's master, Cassius!!!

"The Federal Combat Championships, from this moment forth, officially begins."

The proclamation rang out in every ear. Next, the giant suddenly released his palm. Instantly, the hall started to plummet.

"Aaahhhhhh!!"

The crowd's screams trailed in a vertical path as they dropped over a kilometer.

Thud! Boom!!!

After a tremendous crash, everyone clenched their fists and looked around, still shaken. They were not dead, and Radiance Hall had not shattered. The hall was firmly embedded in the ground, surrounded by East Sea City's dense skyline just as before.

"An illusion?"

"No, it was real... Only beyond our comprehension. It surpassed our realm and reached the legendary Holy Fist level..."

As everyone reeled, the white‑haired top‑tier combat artist elder extended a hand. In his palm was a bird he had caught when the hall had risen to the clouds earlier. The bird was flapping desperately, struggling for its life. It was so vividly alive.

Under everyone's gaze, the elder suddenly closed his fist. The bird burst with a pop, turning into an extremely pure strand of Qi that hovered in mid‑air. The Qi danced like a tiny flame. The air surrounding the Qi warped, faintly forming an air vortex.

"Qi creation! A Holy Fist's domain..." A well‑traveled expert muttered, shaking his head.

The white‑haired elder began testing the Qi strand before everyone. No matter what kind of punches, kicks, or techniques he struck it with, the Qi remained as unbreakable as iron wire. It quickly broke free of his restraint, turning into a scarlet feather that pierced the air and shot off. Its destination was a villa deep within Radiance Hall.

"Golem Sect's master... truly terrifying..." The white‑haired elder gazed far away and murmured, his face dazed.

Inside Radiance Hall, all the great sects stayed silent for a full five minutes before recovering from the shocking scene. Once they did, the hall erupted into a boiling roar.

Holy Fist! A living Holy Fist! Another Holy Fist had appeared in today's Covert Martial Arts world!

They had just witnessed the tip of the iceberg of a Holy Fist's strength. That giant was simply astonishing! They had thought gathering famous domestic and foreign sects was already the biggest possible event. They never expected an even greater event to occur during the tournament. The Golem Sect had produced a Holy Fist whose power neared deities!

It was as though a bomb had been dropped into water. The noise was audible in several areas in Radiance Hall. Some police beside the yellow tape turned for a moment, thinking a major incident had occurred inside. Then they turned back, ignoring it.

Their superiors had warned them beforehand not to act rashly no matter what happened in the hall. Even if the entire hall blew into pieces, they were to stay at their posts and think nothing else.

Inside the hall, at Void Sun Sect's rest area, the second core disciple Lucas was nearly petrified. He had finally understood what was happening. That was... He was about to wet himself.

Bad‑mouthing a Holy Fist to his face? Was he going to be alright?

Meanwhile, many who had doubted the ultimate prize now felt uneasy, their faces tinged with fear. They really had the balls to mock a Holy Fist. Hopefully he would let it slide and treat them like a passing fart.

Besides, if Golem Sect's master was a Holy Fist, didn't that mean the ultimate prize was real? Sparring three days with a Holy Fist at the end of the tournament, and entering his Qi World to cultivate!

Every fist theory, every insight, every technique... Completely open to study from. One would have to be cursed not to gain enlightenment! It was absolutely the dream prize of every Covert Martial Arts Practitioner!

Disciples and masters alike caught on. Their eyes turned fervent, hearts blazing as though magma flowed within. The tournament champion would reap endless benefits! Even the eyes of some hoary elders started to burn. They began loosening stiff joints and tossing around their wild hair.

"This old man wishes to break through to top tier combat artist and glimpse the extreme combat artist realm too. Not to mention discussing the Dao with a Holy Fist! What an honour... The highest of honors..."