Chapter 711 - An Endless Crusade, Farewell(2)

Cassius's departure lasted more than sixty years.

The war in year 157 of the Hongli Federation deeply altered the order of the world. People had never imagined that Covert Martial Arts Practitioners could train to such godlike heights. The Golem that had stood a hundred kilometers tall between heaven and earth shattered all normal understanding.

The terrifying battlefield across nearly a thousand kilometers of Blue Star Continent was uninhabitable after the war. Yet, between years 157 and 160, Blood Vulture Dominator personally acted, filling up huge rifts bit by bit and pressing rivers of magma back into the mantle. It was a grueling project but it was possible with Blood Vulture Dominator's perfected power reshaping nature. Even so, it took him three full years, which showed just how devastating the final battle between Cassius and Xiadu had been.

Nonetheless, the battlefield was an opportunity for greater things. Mountains had been scoured to become vast plains. The magma that had gushed from the earth and cooled in the ravines now filled these plains with rich fertile soil. Thus, the area became abnormally rich in mineral veins.

Such immense wealth soon attracted the Blue Star Empire and smaller nations, who resettled and built cities in the area. Half a century later, the once hellish battlefield had become the most prosperous urban cluster of the entire continent.

It was currently the year 219 of the Hongli Federation, or year 62 of the global common calendar. As the era advanced, the world entered globalization and a unified calendar emerged. The starting date? It was the day of the second calamity tide, when the God of Covert Martial Arts defeated the King of Calamity!

It was set to commemorate Cassius and his protection of humanity. The supernatural institutions of major world powers began to fully understand the existence of calamity and the corresponding World of Calamity. According to hints from a mysterious being, Cassius, the Golem Sect's master, had charged alone into the depths of the World of Calamity to eradicate the root of all darkness.

This drew widespread attention from supernatural organizations. Some tried to enter the World of Calamity using various means, but were repelled by chaotic violent currents. That world was undergoing a massive upheaval that would alter the entire landscape. Even extreme combat artists dared not enter. Hence, what Cassius was doing within the World of Calamity remained a mystery.

However, the God of Covert Martial Arts's strength still shook everyone. Martial arts, Covert Martial Arts, Secret Techniques... These systems of training the human body toward transcendence became a topic of interest for every major world power! Nations and organizations alike recognized the importance of Covert Martial Arts. Though they were previously aware of it, they were never as fervent in their pursuit. The presence of Golem Sect's master made them realize true strength.

Thus, the gradually growing Covert Martial Arts world erupted inevitably into the largest martial craze in history. Enthusiasts multiplied worldwide, regardless whether they were training for fitness, strength, or transcendence. Global martial tournaments sprang up like saplings after a rain.

After sixty years, the martial society had become a vast circle. A schism had also appeared between the surface world's martial arts and the deeper Covert Martial Arts world. The surface world had athletes, boxers, and wrestlers, but were all within human limits. Within this world, there was another smaller world consisting of those who surpassed the limits and touched on Covert Martial Arts.

After all, Covert Martial Arts training consumed huge resources and involved bloody life-and-death combat. It could never be truly universal. Yet, by year 62 of the common era, the Covert Martial Arts world had expanded more than tenfold from sixty years ago. The surface world's martial community also had hundreds of millions of participants.

Meanwhile, humanity’s population surged into the tens of billions. Countless new sects arose and advanced ceaselessly. Many new fist styles were even created and cemented their own foundations.

Of course, Covert Martial Arts progress was inseparable from technological innovation. Ever-evolving technologies were not suppressed by evolution, but complemented it. This was especially true for biomedicine involving genes, human structure, drugs, hormones, and more. These developments even produced a branch of modern medicine called Inner-World Medicine, focusing on the bodily evolution of Covert Martial Arts Practitioners. They sought to make humanity stronger and even more perfect. And indeed, in decades, they had achieved results.

Global technological progress had also exploded. Humanity had gone from the first airplane to landing on the moon in barely sixty years. A year later, everything advanced boldly into modernity. There were skyscrapers and glass buildings everywhere. Broad urban roads and sleek vehicles raced to and fro on the streets. Shops of every kind, from desserts, luxury, ornaments, cosmetics, fashion, electronics, to supermarkets, prospered.

Travel was also convenient and fast. High-speed trains, passenger planes, buses, and taxis were invented. Sharp white-collar elites carried briefcases in bustling city business districts, working or sipping afternoon tea. Women wore exquisite makeup, bright lipstick, and perfume on their necks. Men wore suits with electronic devices in their ears as they hurried about.

And that wasn't even the peak of the bustle. At night, giant billboards flashed dazzling images and dreamy neon lights. Rows of streetlights stretched into the distance, blending in with the orange lights of skyscrapers. The modern city at night was resplendent and mesmerizing, like a glamorous lady in a diamond gown smiling alluringly.

The world had changed... Even nations had changed, but one thing had remained constant. The Golem Sect!

The famed headquarters of Golem Sect, the holy ground for all Covert Martial Arts Practitioners, was still located at God's Tears Lake.

The Golem Sect's grounds still had colossal statues and the splendid God's Tears Lake. Of course, there was also a Holy Fist Palace that had begun construction three months earlier and was nearly complete! Though it was called a palace, it was actually a colossal mountain range behind the sect, moved there by unknown means.

It was a mountain rich in metals, carved by machinery and sect elders. Even the Four Kings joined in, carving enormous statues of humans. Some were fierce, some dignified, or even mad. Some were carved in a fighting stance, some stood still, and others sat cross-legged. All radiated an overwhelming presence. It was sacred, domineering, and cold...

This Holy Fist Mountain contained all the human Holy Fists ever known! Their faces, stances, and emotions were recorded so every Covert Martial Arts Practitioner would remember them forever! Without the generations of Holy Fists who had sacrificed themselves against calamity, the surface world would have never lasted until the day Cassius ended everything.

One could see that the many statues on the Holy Fist Mountain had dim eyes. It meant those Holy Fists had fallen and were remembered only in stone. Those with lit eyes signified that those Holy Fists still lived.

There were three older statues near the mountain’s peak: one shouldering a vulture, one entwined by a purple python, and one with a white bird flying in his eyes. All three had a brilliant constellation beside them. Blood Vulture and Sonic Snake's eyes glowed brightly while White Bird's were dim.

At the mountain's very peak, a large space had been cleared on both sides for a single statue. The towering statue wore iron armor with a battle cloak sweeping the ground. Three Gates of Heaven floated on its shoulders and head, radiating majesty and holiness. Its face snarled at the darkness ahead, as if it would leap into battle and plunge the world into chaos in the next moment.

It was the very image of Cassius charging into the rift between realms. This was the statue of Golem Sect's master, taking its rightful place. All who came to the sect saw the towering statue of Cassius, the King of Qi and God of Covert Martial Arts! To bow and worship was the only right action!