Chapter 691 - Golem Sect's Master Is A God! Forth Rune Obtained

As the Fifth Prince of the Blue Star Empire, Omai naturally had access to information the common people could not know. He was far from ignorant regarding matters of the supernatural realm and the Covert Martial Arts world. He could even be considered deeply knowledgeable.

He could also understand his royal swordsmanship teacher's heartfelt fanaticism. A Holy Fist sounded grand and imposing. To be named with the word "holy" already signified godly might. It was precisely these layers of grandeur shrouded further in mystery that made the Fifth Prince Omai so interested in the Golem Sect's master.

He wished to try to see Golem Sect's master just once during his visit to the Hongli Federation. What did this figure, hailed in the Covert Martial Arts world as a holy being walking among men, truly look like? What disposition did he have? Was he as divine and enigmatic as the rumors claimed?

A bearded councilor of the Hongli Federation shook his head helplessly. "Forgive us, Your Highness Omai, that is not for us to decide...”

The councilor suggested tactfully, "If you wish to tour the Hongli Federation, we'll assign personnel to protect and host you. Perhaps you can visit the Golem Sect headquarters at God's Tears Lake when passing through East Sea City. It's said that the Golem Sect's master Cassius has long been in seclusion on the lake's island, though he sometimes emerges and visits the sect. If fortune smiles, you should be able to meet him..."

As for inviting Golem Sect's master out specifically to meet the Blue Star Empire's Fifth Prince Omai, the councilor had no such ability. He himself couldn't even get an audience. Not to mention a councilor, even the council speaker might not be able to meet him. Likely only the king or a few top leaders of the Black Ops Agency who happened to visit the Golem Sect headquarters at the right time could obtain a meeting.

"I see..." The Fifth Prince Omai's eyes dimmed, showing slight disappointment.

"Even if I can't meet Golem Sect's master himself, visiting the Golem Sect that rose to fame within months is fine. I'll likely remain in the Hongli Federation for over half a month, starting in Florence and heading south all the way to East Sea City..." He sipped his red wine and spoke with a faint smile.

Opposite him, the bearded councilor glanced at the Fifth Prince. Only after a moment did he retract his gaze. As an experienced politician, he instinctively felt that the Fifth Prince Omai's aim might not be so simple. Perhaps he wanted to connect with Golem Sect for support and build capital for the future. Of course, it could just be his own cynical thinking. Perhaps the young prince simply idolized the Golem Sect's master. That wasn't impossible...

After all, Golem Sect's master held that much status and fame in the Covert Martial Arts world. As the sole Holy Fist of this age, he had drawn countless pilgrims from afar to worship him! Such fervor was beyond the imagination of ordinary people outside the Covert Martial Arts world.

After pondering a moment, the bearded councilor nodded in assent. "Very well, I'll inform the council speaker of Your Highness's request."

The banquet proceeded as usual, and the Fifth Prince Omai and Sixth Princess Sharo naturally became the focus. They were constantly surrounded by poised, mask-like smiles. Halfway through the banquet, Omai and Sharo finally had a moment to breathe, huddling to one side to whisper about the same topic.

"Brother, is that Golem Sect's master you spoke of truly so divine?" Princess Sharo asked, holding a wine glass.

"To those in the Covert Martial Arts world, the Golem Sect's master is a god!" Prince Omai lowered his lids and said earnestly, "Father is old. He has long protected and loved us but at this moment, that form of love will become a dagger... Eldest Brother, Second Sister, Third Brother, and Fourth Brother all have powers behind them that are eyeing us. We cannot protect ourselves..."

He fixed his eyes on his sister as his mother's dying words echoed in his mind. He was resolved to protect Sharo no matter what. The Fifth Prince Omai and Sixth Princess Sharo were real siblings. Their mother was the most beloved consort of the Blue Star Empire's king but she had died young, leaving Omai and Sharo to rely on each other. Still young and pressured by their four elder siblings, they had never amassed power. Hence, they were the easiest two to eliminate.

"So, we need a backer in this sensitive period. Inside the empire, the factions are mostly divided among the four. Outside the empire, we'd be treated as defectors. Only a world-class force, an organization with enough prestige and power, can overwhelm them..." Prince Omai continued, "The Golem Sect is the best choice. The Golem Sect's master's great name carries across the seas to our Blue Star Empire. The Golem Sect is immensely strong, and its recent development is blazing. If we have a great tree at our back, we'll enjoy the shade."

He looked at his sister Sharo, and she nodded obediently.

"Alas, the Golem Sect's master is hard to meet. As the only Holy Fist of this age, our royal identities won't matter. He likely wouldn't think anything of them..." Omai sighed.

No sooner had he finished than more attendees approached. Fifth Prince Omai helplessly pasted his smile back on and stepped forward. Princess Sharo straightened her attire and walked in another direction, where several ambassadors' wives, in elegant dresses with classical hairstyles, chatted and laughed.

She reached out with her left hand to rub her necklace, the only keepsake left by her mother. "Mother, please bless my brother and me with safety in what comes next..."

Taking a deep breath, the Sixth Princess Sharo stepped forward with a smile.

Tap, tap, tap...

The slightly dull sound of shoes on carpet faintly echoed. Sharo looked up to see several noble ladies covering their mouths in a light laugh, seeming to discuss something amusing. Someone leaned back slightly, revealing a larger gap ahead. Through it, Sharo suddenly saw a burly figure in a black trench coat.

He stood silently, like a rigid, fearsome statue. He clashed with the White Rose Hall's luxurious high-society atmosphere, like a cold and silent mountain.

He simply stood there on the red carpet amid the crowd, yet no guest beside him noticed. People came and went, unable to stir even the slightest emotion in him.

Sharo, carried by momentum, took two steps forward with widening eyes. "You..."

The ladies' soft laughter, ambassadors' chatter, wine sloshing in glasses, and the mellow saxophone all turned hazy. They slowly faded like blurred paint on a canvas.

The only clear silhouette was the man not far away, quietly watching her.

"Th-this... this is..." Sharo felt some fear, and the necklace at her neck suddenly trembled. No, it wasn't the necklace, but the pendant upon it: a resin sphere encasing an unknown bud. The congealed resin slowly shone with a limpid amber light that drew the eye.

"Come here." The tall man in a black trench coat spoke in a deep voice. The plain tone was not addressed to Sharo, but to the pendant at her neck. The necklace flew upward, flying into the man's hand. His palm lifted slightly, letting it float in midair.

"My necklace! That's what my mother left me! You..." Sharo panicked and feared, clenching her right fist tight.

"I know. I saw and heard everything just now." The man’s eyes seemed to lack even the slightest hint of human emotion. As he spoke, he extended two fingers to pinch the amber pendant.

The spiral bud like lotus petals flared with scorching light, pulsing with mysterious waves as it was slowly extracted. Soon the light vanished, and the pendant dimmed.

The man in black seemed satisfied and nodded, then slowly opened his palm to suspend the necklace again. A second later, a warm, springlike golden energy poured into the amber, turning the entire pendant golden. Next, two seed-like black grains floated from his palm, rotating and tugging each other as they sank into the pendant's center.

In a blink, the floating pendant necklace vanished and Sharo felt a slight weight on her neck. Reaching up, she found the keepsake necklace had returned. Grasping the pendant, she scrutinized it. It had become a teardrop of semi-transparent liquid gold with two floating black dots in its center, with plant-like roots spreading beside them.

"What... what is inside?" She looked up, mustering courage to ask the man in black.

The man glanced at her. "That is a Golem Seed granted by my own hand. It's a pure power only first-generation disciples can possess. Those infused with the seed can cultivate the Golem Heart Codex and step fully into the Covert Martial Arts cultivation world." He continued, "Apart from the seed, the rest is pure energy. You can think of it as a single drop compressed from many medicinal herbs. For ordinary people, it prolongs life. For Covert Martial Arts Practitioners, it can greatly accelerate cultivation..."

Sharo seemed thoughtful, though her eyes were still somewhat puzzled. The black-clad figure slowly turned, as if to leave.

Sharo grew anxious and hurriedly asked, "So, who are you really?!"

The man in black turned away, leaving only a burly back.

"Golem Sect's master, Cassius."

Buzzz...

The black-clad figure in Sharo's eyes gradually dissipated, as if an illusion had vanished. Around her, the noisy sounds, the luxurious lights and the delicate fragrance all slowly returned.

"The Golem Sect's master! The very god my brother said walks in this age!" Her heart thumped. A dazed shock of great serendipity filled her mind. Just as the sense of separation from her surroundings faded entirely, a deep voice echoed in her ear.

"You two, go to Golem Sect and present the pendant. You may bear the title of my named disciples. In the Blue Star Empire, no matter who sits the new throne, they absolutely will not dare touch my people..."

The venue's noisy details rushed back in all at once. Sharo swayed slightly and pressed a small hand to her forehead. From afar, Prince Omai, ever watchful of his sister, hurried over and asked in a low voice, "What's wrong? Do you feel unwell?"

After a while, Sharo took a deep breath and shook her head. Her slightly pale face turned flushed with excitement, her eyes sparkling. "Brother, from now on we needn't live in fear!"

She lifted the pendant with a fair hand to show Omai. The teardrop pendant seemed to contain warm liquid gold, with two uncanny black seeds at the very center.

"It truly is Mother... Look, brother! Mother is truly blessing us from heaven..." Tears seemed to brim at Sharo's eyes as she murmured every word.

***

Elsewhere in Florence, on a mountaintop near the outskirts.

A black figure stood quietly as the hem of his black trench coat snapped in the night wind.

Cassius turned slightly to glance at his left shoulder, where a bud-shaped Ao Yin rune had formed. The ghost emblem representing Black Rain Manor that had been there had been chased over to the right shoulder. It had no choice; the newly arrived "guests" were each fiercer than it.

"Judging by its effects, this fourth Ao Yin rune should be the Rune of Nature. It consumes some mental power to merge into any environment, creating a resonance state. It not only grants the bearer the ability to survive any harsh environment, but also brings a hidden epiphany state. The senses and minds of ordinary people become keen to the point of being gifted. Covert Martial Arts practitioners can comprehend complex Secret Techniques and highly difficult Covert Martial Arts. This is both a survival rune and a cultivation rune..." He nodded slightly, somewhat satisfied.

Cassius lacked only the final Ao Yin rune. Its location was exactly where a Golem Sect force had gone to investigate. This team was led by Holy Lion Simu, one acclaimed in the Covert Martial Arts world as one of Golem Sect's Four Kings. Unless there were any unexpected events, Cassius shouldn't need to go himself. After all, he still had to help Blood Vulture Dominator Fist recover.

It had been a little less than a month since returning from the World of Calamity. He had been helping Blood Vulture Dominator Fist exorcise calamity energy from his origin.

He also had to prepare to use the Rune of Spirit. Once Blood Vulture Dominator Fist was mostly recovered, Cassius would immediately deduce the Southern Dipper Covert Martial Inheritance, melding the three fist arts into one!