ã€ŠReturning to the Mysterious Eraã€‹


 Chapter 1 - Wind Elephant Tusk Pendant

    <h4>Chapter 1 - Wind Elephant Tusk Pendant</h4>

    <i>My name is Cassius, and I''m about to die...</i>

    It was June 3 of the 156th year of the Hongli Federation¡ªthe twenty-fifth year since I had arrived in this foreign world. Having just graduated from the University of Jersey, I was participating in an archaeological operation for the first time. It was located at a steep mountainous area about twenty kilometers north of Fengnan City.

    The operation was led by the municipal government, in coboration with the Archaeology Department from the University of Jersey and thepany Huolu Antiques. Together, they dispatched a ten-person team that arrived at the Camorra Mountains at noon.

    The archaeological operation progressed extremely smoothly, and the team quickly entered the inner part of the ruins to explore. Inside, there were architectural styles and decorations from the Kalenka era, along with damaged murals and some parts of ancient documents.

    Just as everyone was fully immersed in the archaeological work, an unexpected incident urred.

    The three antique specialists from Huolu Antiques suddenly took out guns and started shooting! One after another, the teacher, a senior brother, and a senior sister died. The remaining four resisted and barely managed to kill one of the shooters. However, only one survivor remained.

    And this survivor was also facing certain death.

    As the shback faded, Cassius trembled while taking a deep breath.

    <i>Click. </i>

    The pitch-ck muzzle of the gun was pressed against his head.

    "Trying to run?! Try running again!" The expression of the man wearing a red and ck antiquemissioner uniform became increasingly ferocious.

    With the pistol pressed heavily against Cassius''s forehead, the man took several steps forward.

    In the dark and narrow rectangr passageway, Cassius slowly retreated one step at a time, his boots creaking every time they came into contact with the gravel beneath.

    Cassius leaned against a pir behind him, but the weathered pir suddenly copsed.

    <i>Crash! </i>

    Cassius stumbled awkwardly and fell backward.

    He grunted and nced at his right hand. The ivory pendant left behind by his senior brother had pierced his skin, leaving a trail of fresh blood in his palm.

    All he could feel was his mouth going dry and a bitter taste on his tongue.

    He feared that all seven members of the University of Jersey Archaeology Department might perish here. As for him... It had been twenty-five years since his reincarnation, and yet he hadn''t aplished anything significant. And now, he was about to be reincarnated all over again.

    <i>Crack! </i>

    A ck boot stepped on his chest.

    The pistol in the man''s hand never stopped aiming at Cassius''s head.

    The sound of footsteps echoed through the passageway, signaling the arrival of another Huolu Antiques employee. He also had a handgun, just like his colleague.

    <i>Might as well fight back. At least I''ll die with some dignity.</i>

    As this thought crossed Cassius''s mind, he suddenly noticed that the bitter taste in his mouth was growing stronger. After a moment, he realized that the bitter sensation wasn''t originating from his mouth.

    Instead, it came from the bleeding wound in his right hand.

    In the next moment, Cassius''s entire arm went numb and painful. A rush of cold air began to pour out of the ivory pendant, swirling like a fish swimming around on his hand.

    The icy sensation spread from his arm and enveloped his entire body in an instant.

    Cassius trembled uncontrobly.

    "<i>Haha</i>, look at you! Weren''t you brave when you were with your brothers just now? Now you''re scared like this?"

    The man stomped hard on Cassius''s chest.

    Cassius didn''t say anything. He simply clenched his right fist.

    The man sneered and mocked him, "What''s wrong? Are you so scared that you wet your pants?"

    The othermissioner walked over. "Stop talking nonsense and just kill him, William. We don''t have time to waste here..."

    "I know, I''ll send him to see Grand Duke Hongli right now."[1]

    The man named William slightly adjusted the muzzle of the gun.

    "Farewell, pitiful one from the ivory tower¡ª" His voice halted abruptly, as if the entire world had been paused.

    Cassius''s gaze darted around. The dim passage, the crumbling murals, and the two men holding guns all blurred at once. It was like seeing the world through frosted ss, even the turbid and foul air seemed filtered.

    He plunged into the inevitable void.

    The entire world spun around. In the silence and blur, changes were happening quietly. The air surged, the earth trembled, the dome rose, and Cassius''s brain trembled wildly.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    The boy''s head ruthlessly hit against the wall.

    "Fuck!" He couldn''t help but curse in pain.

    "Li Wei, are you having nightmares again?" A tired voice came from the side. "Sleep early, we have to train tomorrow..."

    <i>Li Wei? Training? What in the world?</i>

    Cassius sat up in confusion and saw that he was in a narrow, gray stone room. Beside him, there was a window from which faint moonlight seeped in. Inside the room, there was only a table, a chair, and two extremely wide beds that took up most of the space.

    On each bed were three teenagers.

    The bed he wasying on was close to the window. Beside him was a chubby boy, the one who had just muttered those words. Cassius stared nkly at his youthful hands, momentarily lost in confusion.

    Amidst his chaotic thoughts, he suddenly noticed something.

    Above his field of vision, a strange symbol hovered in midair, apanied by a long bar scale resembling a thermometer.

    Cassius''s heart pounded as he stretched his hand to grab it.

    <i>Is no one else seeing this? Could this be the legendary system that I¡¯ve only read about in novels?</i>

    Suddenly, a tidal wave of information flooded his mind.

    Ten minutester, Cassius abruptly opened his eyes.

    Although it was twenty-five yearste, he finally understood the real principle behind his transmigration, as well as the function it was supposed to fulfill¡ª<i>Collect Legendary Antiques and time travel back to that mysterious era.</i>

    Each antique was associated with a story of the past, and these antiques that harbored the strong lingering attachment of the owners were called Legendary Antiques. Cassius was able to absorb a certain kind of energy from these lingering attachments, substitute their previous owners, and return to the most memorable moments of their lives.[2]

    These unforgettable moments could be filled with joy, hatred, sorrow, or regret. Any emotion worked as long as it was intense enough.

    Of course, most lingering attachments are fueled by hatred and regret, or other negative emotions like sorrow.

    Cassius''s role was to resolve the source of the original owner''s lingering attachment, and this was what allowed him to exist in that period of time. During this time, everything he learnt and experienced could be brought back to his reality. If he failed, he would gain nothing.

    Taking a deep breath, he looked forward.

    Upon closer inspection, one would notice that the strange symbol was actually a simplified pattern of the ivory pendant. Cassius had absorbed the energy of the previous owner''s lingering attachment from the pendant and activated his ability at a critical moment.

    The long bar scale next to the pendant symbol represented time.

    Currently, Cassius was witnessing the first unforgettable experience of the pendant''s owner, Li Wei. It was also Li Wei''s first lingering attachment.

    With a single thought from Cassius, the strange symbol instantly unfolded.

    Lightning that streaked across the sky, a damp rainy night, screams of a maiden, and a cowardly boy that hid and shivered in the corner.

    This was a tragic story of a boy and his older sister who were selected to attend the youth training camp for martial arts from the Wind Elephant Sect. One night, his sister was on the way to the toilet when three delinquent students who had secretly been drinking blocked her way and started tearing off her clothes.

    His sister''s screams for help had reached the ears of the boy but he could only look on by the window as he was too cowardly to step forward.

    The incident only ended when the other students were startled awake.

    The incident quickly spread throughout the entire youth training camp. In this era where women were rtively conservative, the boy''s sister soon became the subject of criticism, and no one cared that she was the victim.

    A few dayster, news of his mother''s unexpected death had arrived from the boy''s hometown. His sister was already under great stress, and after this final blow, shemitted suicide. This became Li Wei''s lingering regret.

    <i>Why did you hide in the corner like a coward on that rainy night?</i>

    <i>Why did you not dare to rush out and beat up those assholes?</i>

    <i>Why did you not even think offorting your sister after the incident?</i>

    These were the thoughts that lingered in his mind.

    Was it weakness? Was it fear? Was it a young man''s strange and disgusting pride? Perhaps it was all of it...

    Li Wei wanted to make amends, but it was toote. Heforted himself time and time again but realized even he could not forgive himself for being cowardly. And so this became his lingering attachment.

    "So that''s what happened, huh..." Cassius murmured to himself as he opened his eyes once again.

    <i>Rumble... </i>

    Thunder reverberated from the clouds in the sky.

    Cassius looked out the window, unaware of when the night rain had begun to fall. The raindrops turned the air hazy.

    "<i>Ah!</i> Help...<i>mmmph</i>..."

    Amidst the sound of the rain, a girl''s screams faintly echoed.

    "Fuck! Don''t tell me it''s happening now?!"

    Cassius stood up and rushed out barefoot.

    1. Hongli was the fifth emperor of the Qing dynasty in the 1700s. ?

    2. Lingering attachment: The original term is "Ö´Äî" which describes a feeling of longing and attachment towards something. Cassius is able to absorb the emotional energy of these lingering attachments to activate his transmigration powers. ?

 Chapter 2 - Venting

    <h4>Chapter 2 - Venting</h4>

    The light rain was ttering on a white rooftop.

    The strong wind made the rain look like waves as it fell through the fog. The curtain of rain was thick, slightly blurring the surrounding trees and houses.

    "Where are they?"

    Cassius stood in the rain with his hair drenched, squinting tightly as tiny water droplets hung from his eyelids.

    "Help¡ª"

    The moment he heard a noise, he ran frantically toward it. His bare feet left behind one muddy puddle after another.

    The rain continued to fall steadily as if it wouldn''t stop all night. Ayer of gray mist floated back and forth on the path.

    <i>Pat, pat, pat</i>... A series of footsteps shed past.

    Under the roof of a building that was near the martial arts training ground, three drunken teenagers were tearing at a girl''s clothes. Their roles were clearly divided. One covered the girl''s mouth, another mped her arms, and another pulled at her clothes. Li Wei''s sister, Li Chu, was shivering violently and struggled desperately.

    However, against the three boys, her strength was simply not enough.

    During her desperate struggle, she had suffered two ps. The bright red palm marks were clearly visible on her beautiful, fair face.

    "I dare you to move again!" The freckled-faced redhead with a face full of anger ruthlessly pped Li Chu again.

    "Hold her down properly! Otherwise, this will go on until next year!"[1]

    The redhead viciously pulled at her clothes and Li Chu screamed as arge piece of fabric was torn off. A patch of fair skin was exposed to the air, teasing the three boys.

    "Her face is so white, of course the rest of her is too!" The redhead''s eyes reddened, his hormones stimted by the alcohol.

    Finn''s resolve strengthened; it was a rainy night, perfect for his actions to go unnoticed.

    The thought of any consequence flew over his headpletely. He was driven by sheer impulsiveness.

    Finn fiercely grabbed the tear in her clothes and pulled on it, gradually exposing the girl''s tender figure.

    "<i>Ah!</i>"

    The boy covering Li Chu''s mouth suddenly yelled. A deep bite mark appeared on his right hand.

    Li Chu took a sharp breath and was just about to let out a scream. However, at that moment, she saw something behind Finn and her eyes widened. "Little Wei?!"

    "Little Wei?" The redhead was puzzled and turned his head back.

    The image of a fist rapidly erged in front of his eyes until it filled his entire field of vision. Finn staggered back several steps, clutching his face in pain. He then looked at his palm to discover that it was full of blood.

    Blood continued to flow from his nose.

    For a moment, the surroundings grew quiet. The white clothes of the young man in front of him were soaked by the rain, and his scrawny figure was not at all intimidating. Wet locks of ck hair clung to his forehead just above his eyelids, perfectly obscuring his gaze.

    "Little Wei! Quickly run away and find an instructor! There are three of them!" Li Chu struggled again, nearly breaking free from their hold.

    "<i>Ptui!</i>" Finn spat out saliva mixed with blood. "You think you can run after hitting me?!"

    The brown-haired boy next to him moved behind Li Wei without a word and blocked the path to the dormitory area.

    To their surprise, Li Wei had no intention of retreating.

    He charged straight at Finn, closing the distance of several meters in an instant. The two immediately twisted into a tangle, wrestling each other with no particr technique, just sheer instinct.

    Both boys swung at each other, throwing and taking punches. They hit each other in the face, chest, shoulders...wherever they could.

    The sounds of muffled groans and thumps were masked by the pouring rain.

    "Fuck!" Finn took another punch to the bridge of his nose. He pulled back and shouted at his friends, "You two! Why are you standing there like idiots?! Help me fuck him up!"

    The two boys immediately reacted, charging directly over and throwing punches and kicks at Li Wei.

    Li Wei groaned in pain, his steps faltering. Still, he made use of the momentum and charged forward, pinning Finn to the ground.

    The two fell onto the muddy ground in the heavy rain.

    "<i>Cough, cough, cough!</i>"

    Finn shook his head vigorously as arge portion of muddy water entered his mouth. His eyes were also covered by ayer of foggy rain.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    Fractured lightning lit up the sky, tearing apart the clouds with its brilliant light. The thunder roared like cannons hidden in the gray mist.

    The loud explosion numbed Finn''s scalp, almost as if something hard had struck his heart. He sobered up considerably and at the same time, felt an intense fear that could not be exined.

    The boy in front of him was silent like some kind of machine. Despite being hit until he was bleeding, he barely let out a grunt. The boy simply kept pummeling Finn, wordlessly yet relentlessly.

    <i>Ruthless!</i> This single word that shed through Finn''s mind.

    <i>Thud! </i>A fist smashed hard into his face.

    Finn''s head swayed, ripples reverberating through his cheek. Two teeth covered in blood fell out the side of his mouth.

    He groaned in pain and his fear intensified.

    Although he could hazily see that his twockeys were hitting Li Wei with all they had, Finn''s heart was still filled with fear. He feared pain and the relentless ferocity of his opponent.

    "Stop, stop! I give up! <i>Umph</i>!<i> Ack</i>!" Finn begged to stop fighting but Cassius was not about to listen to his pleas.

    In an instant, another two or three punches were thrown. The numerous punches he had received caused him to lose his bearings and his head and cheeks went numb with pain.

    At this point, Cassius was no longer just fighting to save Li Wei''s sister, Li Chu. It was more of a form of venting.

    Was it the humiliation and fear of having a gun pointed at his head? The helplessness of not being able to save his seniors and mentor? Was it confusion, worry, anger...?

    Perhaps it was all of that.

    All of those emotions were mixed together and solidified in every punch Cassius threw at Finn. He looked like a ferocious madman.

    For every punch received from the twockeys behind him, Cassius returned one to Finn. The blood from their open wounds dyed the surrounding rainwater red.

    Pinned beneath Cassius, Finn could no longer speak. He could only snort and groan on the muddy ground, unable to move his body.

    Simrly, Cassius''s world was spinning from the aftermath of the hits he suffered. The already hazy rainy day became even more blurry. His face was covered with bruises and blood flowed from his cuts and scratches.

    Heavy rain poured from the sky furiously, gathering into gray puddles of water on the ground. The dark sky seemed as if it were about to copse.

    "What are you guys doing?!"

    Several instructors quickly approached through the iron gate, shouting.

    "They''re fighting..."

    "Three against one?"

    "It''s those three troublemakers... They often go out drinking."

    Not far away, about a dozen students got awoken by themotion. They gathered to watch the scene, undeterred by the rain.

    The two youths beating Cassius were startled by the fierce voice and immediately ran when they saw the instructors.

    "Stop! Don''t run!"

    <i>Rumble!</i>

    The thunder roared hoarsely, as if it had umted thousands of years¡¯ worth of resentment that had to bepletely let out at this moment.

    A blue-white arc of lightning briefly illuminated the entire world.

    Everyone, including the three instructors, saw it clearly.

    A young man with a face full of blood was straddling another person, wildly swinging his fists and causing the rain to stter chaotically. He looked like a madman.

    1. The original idiom here is "until the Year of the Monkey and Month of the Horse meaning for an impossibly long period of time. ?

 Chapter 3 - Four Months

    <h4>Chapter 3 - Four Months</h4>

    "<i>Ah...</i>"

    The second he woke up, Cassius¡¯s hands flew up to clutch at his pounding head. His face felt numb and swollen. It wasn''t just his head; his whole body was throbbing with pain.

    Teeth gritted, he dropped his bandage-wrapped hands and lifted his head.

    He was in an empty, spacious white room. It was extraordinarily simple with in walls devoid of any decorations. On his right, a yellowish-brown bedside table with a vase atop¡ªone red and one yellow wildflower in it. On his left, there was a half-open window with embroidered curtains pulled to one side. Rectangr rays of golden sunlight streamed in andnded on the bed.

    His gaze wandered to the window where he saw a sea of green pine trees swaying in the breeze like waves in an ocean. Cassius caught a whiff of a pleasant fragrance when he sniffed it. Their delicate green leaves glistened in the sunlight.

    He shook his head vigorously, his bewilderment clearing.

    <i>I didn''t beat anyone to death, did I?</i>

    When Cassius recalled that rainy night, all he could remember was the rage in his heart flooding his mind and his fists meeting Finn''s head with a relentless viciousness.

    It was entirely possible that he had beaten someone to death!

    <i>Heh. Here I am, about to die myself, and the only thing I''m worried about is whether I''ve killed someone or not. Ridiculous. </i>Upon remembering that his real body was on the brink of death, Cassius cursed himself silently.

    He took in a deep breath in an effort to suppress the pain coursing through his body.

    Cassius nced at the pendant symbol floating above and noticed that it lookedpletely different from before. It had turned a light gold.

    <i>Does this mean Li Wei''s lingering attachment has been resolved? </i>Cassius wondered.

    His gaze shifted to the right, where his eyes instantly honed in on a long scale resembling a thermometer. There were actually four of them, all ratherrge, with twenty-nine smaller markings on each.

    At present, one of the small markings had disappeared.

    "Is this supposed to mean a day has passed?" Cassius muttered to himself. "Then do these 120 small markings represent 120 days?" Little by little, his eyes lit up.

    He had Li Wei''s memories in his mind so he knew that the Wind Elephant Sect was a martial arts sect that focused on surpassing the limits of the human body. If he could be proficient enough in martial arts, he might even win against small firearms.

    One hundred and twenty days... Four months. It was unlikely he could reach the level of mastery he desired in that period of time, but learning some quick explosive or evasive techniques should still be within his grasp. Not to mention, if he could somehow bring Li Wei''s physical prowess back to his reality... His predicament might just be resolved.

    While he was lost in thought, the door suddenly opened.

    A pretty girl wearing grayish-white training attire walked in. Although she was modestly clothed, one could still see that she was a well-developed teenage girl. She had soft, fair skin, a straight nose, and her ck hair was draped over her shoulder in a ponytail.

    The moment she locked eyes with Cassius, tears welled up in her eyes. She walked over, sobs oveing her.

    "Little Wei, I''m sorry..."

    Seeing Li Chu''s apologetic expression, Cassius realized she felt guilty seeing him looking halfway to being a mummy.

    "Why are you saying sorry? The ones who should be apologizing are those three bastards. Oh right, what happened to them?" Cassius casually threw out the question, intending to change the subject.

    "That Finn guy¡¯s been crying all day because of how swollen his face is from the beating. In fact, that wailing just now was him," Li Chu said. She stole a nce at her brother and inexplicably felt a sense of pride.

    Li Chu originally felt a bit of schadenfreude after the incident, but upon seeing Li Wei''s injuries, her mood plummeted again.

    After all, she had been too slow to call for help.

    <i>Not dead yet, huh? Guess this body''s too weak...</i>

    Cassius raised his slender hands. Li Wei''s originally weak personality was due inrge part to his frail physique. Even in one-on-one fights, he couldn¡¯t win against girls whose bodies had matured early.

    Finn, who had taken a beatingst night, was at least half a head taller than Li Wei and much stronger. Him getting pummeled to the ground could be boiled down to two reasons. Firstly, he had been thrown off-kilter right from the get-go because he had been taken by surprise. Secondly, and more importantly, Li Wei had seemingly been possessed by a ruthless madman, sending Finn¡¯s heart quivering in fear!

    When picking a fight, it¡¯s crucial to appear imposing to your enemy, especially when fighting against opponents that outnumber you or are stronger than you. If you charge straight for the gang leader and beat the hell out of him, anyone who sees that will think twice about messing with you.

    <i>Even if someone else punches me, it won¡¯t stop me from hitting you!</i> was a kind of mentality that would make anyone¡¯s blood freeze.

    Soon after, Li Chu sat on the chair next to the sickbed. As she chatted with Cassius, her hands busily peeled some fruit. She couldn¡¯t help feeling a bit sentimental. In the past, she had to take care of her naive younger brother. Now, the roles were reversed and it was her brother protecting her.

    Relief, gratitude, warmth, and a myriad of other emotions flooded through her.

    Thanks to Li Chu''s descriptions and Li Wei''s memories, Cassius was able to gain a rough understanding of this era.

    Cassius lived around the time of World War II, where airnes, cannons and tanks were the norm but missiles and nuclear bombs had not yet been developed. People¡¯s living standards were roughly those of the mid-twentieth century.

    The world that Cassius was visiting through the ivory pendant was about seventy years back, during the 1880s, when cold weapons and firearms coexisted at the start of the Second Industrial Revolution.

    In this era, martial arts could still be found in various areas like assassinations, hand-to-handbat, and deadly duels. Even sharpshooters had to surrender to close-range attacksunched by martial artists.

    Of course, this was only possible because of the poor development of guns in this era.

    Cassius could count the number of martial arts gyms left in his world on one hand. Moreover, calling them "martial arts gyms" was probably a stretch as most of them only touted slogans of physical fitness.

    When faced with the rise of modern firearms, the decline of martial arts was inevitable.

    And the Wind Elephant Sect was one such martial arts sect that was staring demise right in the face. Its headquarters was located in the suburbs of Oak City and they also had several martial arts academies set up all over the city.

    In addition, they ran a youth training camp on the outskirts of Oak City, where they hand-picked young talents from the entire Beiliu County. Li Wei and Li Chu were two such apprentices.

    <i>Knock, knock, knock. </i>A series of knocks echoed from the outside the door.

    A female instructor wearing beige training robes strolled in. She had long, attractive legs and a sensual figure that could turn heads. Her facial features were also not too bad, but a scar on the left side of her face marred her overall beauty.

    There was a rectangr brass badge on the instructor''s chest, inscribed with a single word: Lisa.

    "Li Chu, step out for a moment." Instructor Lisa''s voice was somewhat hoarse but not unpleasant.

    Li Chu nced at her brother and then at the instructor. A moment¡¯s hesitationter, she said, "Alright, I¡¯ll be waiting outside."

    The door closed with a gentle click.

    Instructor Lisa moved closer to Cassius, her eyes roving over him as if assessing his injuries. She nodded.

    "The injuries aren¡¯t too serious. Apply some medicinal wine and you should be fine in a few days. Perfect timing too. I¡¯ll make an example out of you for the others. You¡¯ll be training double for a week. If you have anything to say, now''s the time." Lisa crossed her arms in front of her chest.

    A faint fragrance lingered around the edge of the bed.

    Cassius was momentarily stunned, but he immediately understood Instructor Lisa''s meaning. ording to the rules of the youth training camp, in the case of a fight or something simr, both parties involved received "special care," typically being forced to train at double the intensity for seven days, regardless of the reason.

 Chapter 4 - Madman Li Wei

    <h4>Chapter 4 - Madman Li Wei</h4>

    "No objections here. I ept my punishment," Cassius readily acquiesced. After all, there was still a gun pointed at his head back in that cave. Even if the youth training camp opted not to punish him, he would still sneak out and train on his own.

    "Oh? You''re much more easygoing than I thought." Lisa smiled slightly, somewhat surprised. Her initial impression of the young man was that he was impulsive and prone to anger. Lisa was sure that he would haveints, especially since he, the obvious victim from that night, was being punished, but Li Wei''s temperament was unexpectedly quite calm.

    Tucking her short hair behind her ear, she said, "Don''t worry, Finn¡¯s punishment is much more severe than yours, but with him being Instructor Sean¡¯s rtive, he won¡¯t be expelled. But here¡¯s an idea: why don''t you and your sister study under me?"

    Upon hearing this, the gears in Cassius''s head started turning.

    Instructor Lisa was helping him, even going so far as to point out Finn''s hidden connections. There was nothing for Cassius to gain by stubbornly acting tough.

    "That sounds good. Thank you, Instructor Lisa."

    "You''re so polite." Lisa smiled faintly. "You know, news about you beating up Finn yesterday has spread like wildfire throughout the entire training camp. The new batch of students have even given you a nickname..."

    Cassius lifted his head.

    "Madman Li Wei."

    ***

    In the blink of an eye, four days hade and gone and it was time for Cassius to be discharged from the hospital.

    The Wind Elephant Sect¡¯s special medicine was much more effective than Cassius had anticipated, and his wound healed remarkably quickly. The only downside was that applying the medicine was agonizing beyond imagination, like throwing salt on a wound.

    Every application of the medicine would result in Cassius lying prone on the ground, groaning for half a day, his nket half-soaked in sweat. Li Chu¡¯s heart would ache every time she bore witness to this.

    But,pared to Finn on the second floor, Cassius''s reactions were minor. Every time Finn dabbed on the medicine, it sounded like a pig being ughtered. His wails could even attract people from the faraway yground.

    Finn apparently fainted five times while applying the medicine. At one point, the pain was too much for him to bear, and he emptied out both dder and bowels. He became aughingstock in just a day.

    However, this was also normal. After all, a fourteen or fifteen-year-old boy had only so much willpower. Not to mention, his injuries were much more serious than Cassius''s.

    That morning, the skies were clear and bright. The clouds drifted slowly across the azure sky, and the sunlight scattered through the gaps in the clouds. Dewdrops on the tips of the leaves shimmered with colorful light. Cassius left the window slightly ajar and inhaled deeply, savoring the fresh air.

    Last night, news came from their hometown, revealing that their mother had passed away the day before yesterday. Li Chu cried for a long time in the ward when she heard.

    Cassius had been abandoned at the door of an orphanage in the other world, and so he was at a loss on how tofort her. He just silently listened to Li Chu sobbing and reminiscing all night.

    Though memories of his previous life were gradually fading, "parents" still remained a somewhat distant concept to him.

    However, Cassius did his best to awkwardlyfort Li Chu. His main fear was that in Li Chu¡¯s despair, she would seek to end her own life, like in Li Wei¡¯s original memories.

    Fortunately, Li Chu found sce in "Li Wei" and eventually, her emotions stabilized.

    Cassius turned his head and nced over at the bedside table and saw a loaf of bread, two eggs, and two cups of milk. The standard meal for the training camp was a single loaf of bread, an egg, and a cup of milk. The extra items were probably from Li Chu scrimping on her portion.

    Cassius sat back on the edge of the bed and finished the bread and milk before tucking the two cooked eggs into his pocket.

    <i>Knock, knock, knock...</i>

    No sooner than the knocks sounded, the door opened and a short-haired Instructor Lisa confidently strode in.

    Since this morning''s training consisted mainly of basic martial arts and physical exercises, she had the assistant temporarily take the reins.

    "It seems you''ve finished your breakfast. Good, let''s go. It''s only the start of the youth training camp and you''ve already missed four days of lessons. I''ll have you make it up this morning," Lisa said, jabbing her thumb toward the door. The admiring glint in her eyes was clear as she fussed over Cassius, like she had a good feeling about him.

    "Okay. Instructor, could I give something to my sister first?" Cassius asked. "It¡¯ll just be ten minutes."

    "Sure." Lisa raised her eyebrows slightly before nodding.

    "Thank you, Instructor."

    Cassius walked out of the ward, through the corridor, and down a flight of stairs. The warm sunlight shone overhead, causing him to squint as he looked into the distance. The dormitories, canteen, training ground, and all sorts of buildings with their pointed and domed roofs were enveloped in a golden hue. The scene in front of him looked just like a miniature of a school. A warm breeze blew, bringing with it an inexplicable sense ofziness to everyone it brushed across.

    Cassius followed the gravel path and headed straight toward the training ground.

    A boying from the direction of the toilet walked alongside him. He kept shooting him looks, a peculiar expression on his face.

    Cassius stopped and, resigned to his fate, asked, "Can I help you with something?"

    "No, nothing..." The boy in blue and white practice clothes shook his head hastily but ultimately decided to probe timidly, "Are you Li Wei? The madman..."

    Stunned, Cassius didn¡¯t know how to respond. "Madman." How unpleasant to the ears.

    "Ah, I didn''t mean anything by that." The boy started to sweat a little at Cassius''s silence. "They say that, you took on three guys by yourself that night, in the rain, and you even beat up the leader until his brains spilled out! You''re ruthless!" He gave a thumbs-up in admiration.

    "Uh..." Cassius was at a loss for words. Wasn¡¯t that all hearsay?

    "Alright, brother, I''m off. See you when I see you." The boy waved his hand and walked towards the queue.

    After taking a deep breath, Cassius hurried over to the iron gate.

    A young man sitting on a stool beside the gate stopped him. He looked eighteen or neen and wore a light yellow outfit, the standard attire for the Wind Elephant Sect¡¯s official disciples who served as teaching assistants.

    "Name and squad?" the young man asked.

    "Li Wei, just discharged from the hospital. I''m here to see my sister."

    "Madman Li Wei?" The young man looked up in surprise.

    "So that nickname¡¯s reached you too, huh, senior brother?" Cassius felt a little embarrassed. Lisa wasn''t wrong when she said that he was famous. Well, rather, <i>infamous</i>.

    "Of course. Everyone in the training camp knows who you are." The young man stood up and patted Cassius''s shoulder. "Go on in."

    He waited for Cassius to walk through the iron gate before remarking, "You¡¯ve got guts. Well done."

    Cassius paused, not because of the young man''s words, but because he noticed that the Wind Ivory Pendant''s symbol floating at the top of his field of vision had brightened. For some reason, the faint golden hue was richer than before. There were also flickering specks of light dancing above it.

    Sweeping his gaze to the right, Cassius¡¯s eyes caught on to something.

    The scale on the timeline had abruptly jumped, with ten more small marks added on the right.

    A hundred neen days had be a hundred twenty-nine days!

    Cassius instantly understood. Protecting his sister on that rainy night was just the bare minimum of resolving his lingering attachment. If he demonstrated bravery or did something contrary to the original owner''s weak and cowardly self, he could also be rewarded.

    This meant that not only could he stay in this era for four months, but he could also extend his time through other means.

 Chapter 5 - Basic Combat Arts

    <h4>Chapter 5 - Basic Combat Arts</h4>

    When Cassius arrived at the edge of the training ground, Li Chu¡¯s training squad was coincidentally taking a break. The two of them walked over to a corner.

    "Sis, eat these." Cassius pulled out the two eggs from his pocket, slightly warm from his body heat.

    His sister immediately rejected the eggs, but Cassius had expected this. The two siblings argued back and forth like they were ying a game of tug-of-war.

    The game finally ended when Cassius whipped out his trump card by mentioning that Instructor Lisa was waiting for him. Only then did Li Chu lower her head and start peeling the eggs. Li Chu''s eyes were tinged red, but she didn''t want her bad mood to affect her brother so she forced herself not to cry. Although their parents were no longer with them, her brother still managed to mature into a sensible young man.

    They were still young¡ªshe was only fourteen, her brother thirteen¡ªand had promising futures ahead of them. The two of them had to live well from here on out. Giving up was simply out of the question.

    Li Chu swallowed down her emotions along with a mouthful of egg.

    Cassius left only after Li Chu finished both eggs. His philosophy on life was very simple: if someone was good to him, he would respond in kind. It was only fair. Of course, the opposite was true as well.

    "<i>Huff, huff, huff</i>..." Cassius dashed up the stairs, panting heavily. This body, with its thin arms and legs, was just too weak and frail.

    He pushed open the door. "Instructor Lisa, I''m back."

    "Catch."

    There was the sound of an egg flying over. Cassius caught it, slightly surprised.

    The Wind Elephant Sect¡¯s hospital was a hundred meters away from the training ground. Had Instructor Lisa seen what had happened from that far away? Strange.

    "Let''s move, we''re going to the small training field next to the hospital." Lisa walked slowly toward him, reaching out with a rough hand to pat Cassius''s shoulder.

    "Yes, Instructor."

    Cassius followed Lisa and they soon reached a rectangr field. Bathed in sunlight, the field appeared pale yellow, with a running track that circled around the edge. In the distance were two gray-white buildings used as warehouses for exercise equipment.

    The duo walked toward the leftmost part of the field¡¯s center, where several wooden training dummies awaited.

    Lisa leaned against a tree next to the dummies, her arms crossed. Her hair, styled in a pixie cut, gleamed in the sunlight that filtered through the leaves, casting mottled golden spots.

    Cassius stood opposite her and waited silently.

    "Li Wei, this is all I can really do to help you catch up after you¡¯ve missed four days of sses. You¡¯re to join the usual training with the other members of our group tomorrow morning."

    "Thank you, Instructor," Cassius said gratefully.

    "No need, it''s my job." Instructor Lisa shook her head lightly. She stared at Cassius for a moment before asking, "Do you know what martial arts are? Have you ever learned any?"

    Cassius thought for a moment and said, "Martial arts are arts of killing. I can use them to kill someone, and maybe even take on ten people at once."

    "You¡¯re right. Crude, but you¡¯ve got the rough idea. But the main thing I want to point out is that with martial arts, you can take on not only ten people at a time, but also a hundred, a thousand, or even ten thousand!" Lisa gazed deeply into Cassius''s eyes. "Do you think that¡¯s possible?"

    "I..." Cassius suddenly realized that this world was not like the one he had lived in for twenty-five years, where life was simple. There were some things thaty beyond the superficial activity of this world.

    Supernatural things that were out of ordinary people¡¯s reach.

    Being made of flesh and blood, martial artists obviously stood no chance against firearms. But what if they trained their body to be fast enough to dodge bullets? Or perhaps toughened their skin to be imprable like steel?

    Nothing was impossible, especially in a supernatural world.

    Cassius thought for a moment before nodding slowly. "Yes, I do."

    Lisa smiled. "Look at this." She opened her hand.

    Cassius lowered his gaze and saw a hand with thick knuckles and a palm full of calluses. Other than it looking nothing like a girl¡¯s hand, there didn''t seem to be anything special about it.

    Just as Cassius was puzzling over this, Lisa stretched out her other hand and lightly flicked a branch.

    An oval leaf slowly drifted down into her palm. But the leaf didn''t touch her at all; instead, it started spinning like a top, hovering just five centimeters above the center of her palm, as if it were the de on a fan.

    "This..." Cassius widened his eyes.

    The next second, the leaf transformed into what looked like a green boat. It swiftly shuttled back and forth between Lisa''s fingers. She raised her hand slightly and flicked her fingers. The leaf instantly exploded into powder.

    "Give me your hand," Lisa said calmly.

    Cassius hesitated for a moment, but still offered his hand. Lisa suddenly extended hers to him and he froze in ce.

    The reason was simple. Ayer of air flowed in the space between their hands like quicksand. The way it rubbed against Cassius''s palm in different directions felt like sandpaper. Sometimes, the current was fast; sometimes it was slow. At times, it flowed left; other times it went right.

    Had the pressure been just a little stronger, his skin would have been rubbed raw.

    "Alright, you can let go now."

    Cassius quickly did as he was told. When he looked down at his hand, he saw that it was somewhat red and his palm burned.

    "That was just a taste of what you can do with martial arts. Make this your goal, but be sure you¡¯re not overly ambitious. When ites to practicing martial arts, being steadfast and diligent is the most important. Sweat doesn''t lie, and diligence can make up forck of talent. The road ahead is long."

    Lisa then began to introduce the basics ofbat.

    In simple terms, there were three aspects: Martial Stances, Combat Techniques, and Explosive Techniques.

    Martial Stances were the foundational stances of martial arts; simr but with some slight differences from the horse stance he was familiar with in his previous life. Martial Stances activated the muscles in one¡¯s entire body, refining their body control and coordination.

    Combat Techniques, as the name suggested, were the technical parts of fighting. Simply put, it was the basics of striking techniques: splitting punch, swinging punch, extracting punch, straight punch, drill punch, copsing punch, and many more. With enough mastery, you could use any part of the body to strike in the same way.

    It was all about learning the fundamental techniques ofbat. Once a solid foundation was built, the techniques could then bebined to create a martial artsbination.

    The third aspect was Explosive Techniques, but it was best to learn this after the first two aspects were mastered to a certain extent, otherwise, injuries could ur. Explosive Techniques enabled practitioners to better exert force.

    How would one strike faster? How would one hit with more power? The answer to these questions was Explosive Techniques.

    Besides these three aspects, there was also physical fitness. It was important to train one¡¯s body by doing exercises like push-ups and squats, as well as build up one¡¯s stamina through running. Being physically fit would help the practitioner¡¯s usage of Basic Combat Arts and speed up their improvement.

    Cassius spent the entire morning with Lisa, watching as she demonstrated the Basic Combat Arts of the Wind Elephant Sect for him several times. In the end, he was able to somewhat imitate the stances. As for the Combat Techniques, he could only remember one.

    The swinging punch!

    That was just how deep of an impression Instructor Lisa¡¯s demonstration of the technique had left on him. Instructor Lisa said the swinging punch was the essence of the Wind Elephant Sect. A real swinging punch would emte an elephant swinging its trunk.

    As soon as she finished talking, she swung her fist.

    <i>Thud! </i>

    There, on the wooden training dummy that was as thick as half a man¡¯s torso, was a deep indentation of about five centimeters.

    If that had hit a person... Would their ribs fracture? Would it pierce through their heart and lungs?

 Chapter 6 - Playing a Role

    <h4>Chapter 6 - ying a Role</h4>

    It was June, the beginning of summer.

    The sunlight was particrly strong and the weather was hot. As noon approached, the sun and sweltering heat only grew harsher.

    After spending all morning practicing Basic Combat Arts with Lisa, Cassius was drenched in sweat and his limbs felt like cooked noodles.

    He was a thirteen-year-old boy who had never trained a day in his life. No wonder his body was so weak. Every fiber of his muscles felt sore.

    However, he had the mind of an adult and, with his second chance in life, the strong will of an orphan. For the whole morning, he neitherined of fatigue nor cked off.

    And Lisa was secretly observing all this.

    While she liked talented students well enough, she much preferred those who were diligent and determined. At the moment, Li Wei fell into thetter category for her.

    ncing at the sun high in the sky, Lisa took out a silver pocket watch from her shirt pocket and snapped it open. The ck hands on the white dial indicated it was half past eleven.

    "Let''s stop here for now. Looks like it''s almost mealtime; the kitchen should be about done preparing. Head on over to the canteen. You can continue practicing on your own this afternoon and join the team again for tomorrow morning''s training." Lisa slipped the pocket watch back into her pocket.

    "Understood."

    Cassius straightened up from his horse stance, but as soon as he brought his feet together, they wobbled and nearly crumpled underneath him. He almost fell t on his butt. When he went to wipe his forehead, he discovered his back was soaked with sweat. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Lisa had already walked away.

    Cassius exhaled a hot breath and made his way over to the canteen. Every couple steps, he was forced to stop and p some life back into his legs. They were painfully sore and numb, feeling as heavy as lead.

    Martial arts training was never child''s y. Fatigue, hardship, and sweat were all necessary sacrifices. And Cassius knew that the greater the effort, the greater the reward.

    After a quick break, he staggered toward the canteen. It was located in the northwest corner of the youth training camp, about a hundred meters from the hospital. Cassius limped along the road beside the small training field.

    As soon as he stepped inside the canteen, the rich aroma of food assaulted his nose. Severalrge wooden barrels were neatly lined up at the entrance. There were three or four older women leaning against the wall, chatting with each other.

    "Someone is here," one of them remarked to the rest upon seeing Cassius.

    Cassius swallowed his saliva and picked up a te. He requested a portion of every dish, including the meat and vegetable soup of the day. Maybe it was because he was the first one in line; the servingdies gave him very generous portions.

    After thanking them, he carried his overflowing te to a corner by the window. On his tray was cauliflower soup, a few slices of white bread, stewed tomatoes and onions, and two mysterious pieces of meat, onerge and one small, with an enticingyer of fat on top.

    One major perk of joining the Wind Elephant Sect''s youth training camp was not having to worry about an empty stomach. Not only could one eat their fill, but the food was also delicious, with meat in every meal. Unfortunately, there were many poor people in this era who starved to death.

    The Wind Elephant Sect''s youth training camp did not charge admission fees. All one had to do was pass the constitution examination and they were guaranteed meals. If the trainees¡¯ training results were up to standard, they could even be a well-paid formal disciple. Many poor families who couldn¡¯t support their children would try their luck by registering them for the camp.

    Li Wei and Li Chu were examples of such children.

    In the second row on the right, seated by the window, Cassius kept his head down and devoured his food. Exhausted and ravenous, he was single-mindedly focused on replenishing his energy.

    Momentster, the sound of hurried footsteps could be heard from outside the canteen. Many students in gray and white training attire were beginning to arrive.

    Cassius paid them no mind, simply lowering his head to drink his cauliflower soup.

    In no time, the once spacious canteen was soon packed with students. The smell of sweat and noisy chatter filled the space.

    "<i>Ah!</i>" A slight cry came from the front.

    Brows furrowed, Cassius looked up.

    Li Wei''s sister, Li Chu, was at the front of a long line. A sturdy-looking boy, half a head taller than Li Chu, had forcibly squeezed himself in front of her. He casually chatted andughed with the boy in front.

    "Why don¡¯t we sit in our old spot by the window?" the robust boy asked.

    "Sure," the boy in front responded. His appearance was extraordinarily in. Peering into the barrel, he said with some surprise, "There''s ham."

    "Awesome! That¡¯s my favorite dish..." The sturdy-looking boy stopped mid-sentence when he felt someone watching him from the left.

    He turned his head and saw a small boy with ck hair. The boy had both hands on the table and was staring expressionlessly back at him.

    <i>Who is that? I don''t know him</i>...<i> </i>The robust boy was a little bewildered.

    Hispanion, who had followed his friend¡¯s gaze, whispered, "Madman Li Wei."

    "Who?"

    "The one who bashed someone''s brains out. Remember how we passed the hospital on our way to the washroom the other day? Some dude named Finn was screaming like a lunatic, babbling nonsense for half an hour. I heard his brain was damaged beyond repair, all thanks to that guy."

    Hispanion''s eyes wandered behind the robust boy. "Linden, did you just cut in line? The girl behind you is Li Chu, Madman Li Wei''s sister." He looked at Linden, dumbfounded.

    "Oh, shit!" Linden immediately whipped around and fired off a hasty apology to Li Chu before bolting to the back of the line.

    Li Chu was stunned for a moment, then stepped forward in the line. She subsequently saw her brother by the window and smiled in greeting.

    Li Wei nodded and waved back.

    As he was about to leave, he suddenly noticed that the time scale in the upper right corner of his periphery inexplicably had a few extra lines.

    He counted carefully; he now had five additional days.

    <i>Does that mean the opposite of cowardice is not just courage? Could it also be something more extreme...like viciousness?</i>

    Cassius mulled it over.

    All the rumors around the training camp said he had bashed Finn''s brains out and turned him into an idiot. In those people¡¯s minds, he was not simply brave. Rather, he was vicious!

    <i>Who knew such an image could also satisfy Li Wei''s lingering attachment? Perhaps this is about more than just resolving the incidents that he regrets. Maybe this was what Li Wei was hoping for all along.</i>

    A vague idea was forming in Cassius¡¯s mind.

    <i>It''s like I''m acting.</i> <i>If I can create an imagepletely opposite to what Li Wei was before, such as Madman Li Wei, would that further satisfy Li Wei''s lingering attachment?</i>

    Cassius wasn''t sure if his theory was correct, but there would be plenty of time to test it outter. The chair ttered as he stood up to return his te.

    He walked back to the small training field next to the hospital. After resting for a short while, he resumed practicing Basic Combat Arts.

    In the hot afternoon sun, Cassius alternated between practicing and resting. cking off wasn¡¯t an option, but he also wouldn''t overexert himself.

    Cassius went over his stance under the shade of the tree. His feet were spread shoulder-width apart, knees bent in an almost ny-degree squat, not extending past the toes. His back was bent and slightly rounded like a turtle shell, with his hands naturally forming a circle. He kept his head high and gazed straight ahead, his upper body moving up and down like he was riding a horse.

    His martial stance was beginning to take shape.

    Sweat dripped from his eyelids. As his body rose, Cassius took a deep breath. Suddenly, in the upper right corner of his vision, lines of text slowly materialized below the simple pendant symbol.

 Chapter 7 - Progress Bar

    <h4>Chapter 7 - Progress Bar</h4>

    [Martial Stance (Part One): 0.1%]

    Two nk bars, approximately as long as one knuckle, were stacked atop each other next to the writing. A red dot, so small it was practically negligible, filled up approximately 0.1% of the top bar.

    <i>I can see how much progress I¡¯ve made in my martial arts?! Are there any other functions?</i>

    Shocked by this revtion, Cassius began to explore further.

    Unfortunately, it didn¡¯t look like it did much else. The bars were truly there just to show his progress on their martial arts. They didn¡¯t have any other strange abilities like adding points. Other than that, Cassius learned that 0.1% was the smallest unit of progress disyed.

    Since he got the hang of the martial stance the fastest, naturally, the progress bar for that move was disyed. As for the Combat Techniques and Explosive Techniques of the Wind Elephant Sect¡¯s Basic Combat Arts, Cassius hadn''t even crossed the threshold.

    "And here I was thinking I could cheat my way up the levels, but it looks like I still have to put in the work." Cassius shook his head, frustrated, and sighed. Regardless, having the progress bar was going to be really handy.

    The scariest thing about routine basic training was not having a goal. Confusion and worry about making progress weremon; who knew how many martial artists had thrown in the towel halfway into this seemingly endless path? The daily grind of routine exercises would inevitably bore them to death.

    That was why perseverance and diligence were so important in martial arts training. Some would even say these traits were no less valuable than natural talent.

    Cassius considered his own perseverance to be above average, and his willpower fairly strong. But now that he had the progress bar, he might be able to oust even those who ranked at the top in perseverance.

    With a tangible goal in mind, any sign of progress would bring joy. One¡¯s motivation to train would also increase significantly.

    Indeed, the progress bar was very useful for Cassius.

    "<i>Hu...</i>" He let out a long breath. His previously sore and numb muscles seemed to be filled with strength again. "Well then, time to continue training..."

    ***

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    Several blue magpies with red bills flew across the azure sky. Cassius''s gaze followed them, unbidden.

    "Li Wei... Li Wei... Li Wei!"

    "Huh? Yes!" Cassius snapped back to reality and took a step forward.

    Instructor Lisa stood in front of him, hands casually ced behind her back, as she said, "First things first, I want to introduce this person." She reached out and patted Li Wei on the shoulder, her gaze sweeping over the Group Four trainees.

    "Most of you probably already know him. That''s right; this is <i>the </i>Madman Li Wei, the one who sent someone to the hospital on his second day in the youth training camp."

    The trainees below immediately burst intoughter.

    "What''s so funny? He can take on three people by himself. Can any of you?" Lisa paused for a moment before continuing, "Don¡¯t get the wrong idea; I''m not praising him. My point is that if you join the Wind Elephant Sect¡¯s youth training camp, camp rules must be strictly followed!

    "Anyone who fights, regardless of the reason, will be training double for a week as punishment! And if you don''tplete all your training for the day, you¡¯ll get no food!" Lisa''s volume rose up a notch as she spoke.

    She looked down at Li Wei. "Do you have anyints?"

    "No, ma¡¯am!" Li Wei shouted.

    If there were no rules, there would be no boundaries. Cassius knew that Lisa was merely enforcing the rules, and it had nothing to do with whether she liked him or not.

    "Very well. I¡¯ll be supervising you, starting from today!" She patted Li Wei on the shoulder again. "You can return to your team."

    "Yes!" Li Wei took two steps back.

    As soon as he stood with his teammates, he sensed a worried gazeing from his left, seemingly from the girls¡¯ team where Li Chu was.

    "Now, on to the physical training!" Lisa walked over to stand beside the team and then said to Li Wei, "You don''t get any rest time. After the team finishes running, you have another set ofps to do."

    "Yes, ma''am."

    "Very good. You can start now."

    It was early in the morning. A faint mist wrapped around the distant mountain peaks. The sunlight seemed to draw arcs through the air, casting its rays on the training ground.

    The training ground of the youth camp was evenly divided into five sections, each with a group of twenty people. From a bird''s-eye view of the training ground, twenty small ck dots, resembling a long snake-like train, ran along the edge of the five pale yellow grid blocks that were allocated to each section.

    After a while, neen of them stopped and gathered under the shade of trees beside the training ground. Only one ck dot continued to run around the edge of the block.

    "<i>Huff... huff... huff...</i>"

    Sweat gradually formed on Cassius''s forehead and back. After a few moreps, his cheeks were burning.

    <i>Breathing like this saves more energy...</i>

    Strange thoughts began popping into his mind, unbidden. His brain had a strange way of finding humor in pain.

    Five minutester, Cassiuspleted the double distance.

    "Not bad. You can have a two-minute break as a reward." Instructor Lisa nced at her pocket watch, her chin dipping in a slight nod.

    Two minutester, the next phase of physical training began.

    Whatever the Group Four trainees did, Cassius had to do it twice. Honestly, he found it a little overwhelming, mainly because of his physical condition. Li Wei¡¯s body was simply too weak.

    The morning came and went. The other trainees had already gone to eat. Only Cassius remained, still struggling, on the training ground. He had fallen behind on thest two training exercises, halfway into his punishment.

    Lisa watched quietly as she stood under the tree beside him, asionally shooting a nce at her pocket watch. Lunchtime was almost over. Most of the trainees would have already returned to their dorms for an afternoon nap.

    "<i>Ha...!</i>"

    Cassius dragged himself up from the ground with difficulty. He looked drenched, as if he had just been fished out after a long soak in the water. Sweat not only soaked his clothes but also matted his ck hair in thick locks.

    Eyes squinted against the bright sun, Cassius looked over to where Instructor Lisa appeared to be waiting for him by the tree. He slowly staggered over.

    "How are you? Need a hand?"

    "No, no need." Cassius shook his head, flinging three or four drops of sweat from his forehead. His voice was slightly hoarse.

    "You¡¯ve got spirit, I¡¯ll give you that! Let''s go. We¡¯re heading to the canteen to eat. I asked Assistant Yapon to leave some food for you." Lisa started walking, leaving Cassius to follow silently behind her.

    Ten minutester, they were seated in the corner of the canteen by the window. Lisa leaned back in her chair, quietly staring straight ahead.

    Cassius ate and drank as if he¡¯d spent his past life starving.[1] He didn¡¯te up for air once as he shoveled food into his mouth, nonstop. As he ate heartily, a fork with a palm-sized piece of meat was offered to him. Cassius looked up and met Lisa''s gaze.

    "Thank you, Instructor," he said after swallowing his bite of food.

    Lisa shook her head lightly. "No need to thank me. I¡¯m only letting you eat your fill now for lunch because I''m worried you won''t have anything to eat for dinner. Given your build and current progress, it¡¯ll be veryte at night by the time you finish this evening¡¯s training."

    "I''ll try to finish earlier..." Cassius mumbled. He lowered his head and did not say another word.

    When he eventually returned to the dormitory after lunch, half of the afternoon break was already gone. There were five trainees in his room spread out across two beds, all of whom were snoring like dying pigs. The whole room stank, filled with the foul stench of sweat.

    Cassius nced at his own bed, where two people were already sleeping. There was an empty spot at the edge of the bed that was the perfect fit for one person.

    He looked down at the chubby face sleeping soundly, silently thanked him, andy down as well. He fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

    1. The original here is ¡°reincarnated hungry ghost.¡± The hungry ghost is one of the six paths of reincarnation, specifically one of the three lower paths (animal, hungry ghost, and hell) that are considered punishments. The name is pretty self-exnatory. ?

 Chapter 8 - Single-mindedness

    <h4>Chapter 8 - Single-mindedness</h4>

    <i>Dong! Dong! Dong!</i>

    The ear-piercing sound of a gong came from the center of the dormitory area.

    "Li Wei... Li Wei... Li Wei...!"

    Cassius was awakened by someone repeatedly calling his name right into his ear. He opened his eyes, a little confused.

    A chubby face slowly came into view. "It¡¯s time to assemble. The afternoon training is about to start."

    "Who are you?" Li Wei got up, puzzled. He had only slept in the dorm for one night and couldn¡¯t remember his roommate''s name.

    "Jovani Joestar, but you can call me Jojo.[1]" The chubby face beamed innocently.

    Li Wei paused in the middle of putting on his shoes and looked up. It was a good name, strangely giving off an aura of strength.

    "I''ll remember that. Jojo..."

    ***

    Sunlight nted down on the training field. Several trees swayed with the wind, casting dark shadows. Light hovered over the dome-shaped buildings, creating a goldenyer.

    "Do not ever underestimate the straight punch just because it looks simple. Mastering the straight punch is mastering half of the basics of Combat Techniques! It''s the simplest and most direct form of attack. A well-mastered straight punch is extremely fast and dangerous, making your opponents think that a needle is about to pierce them!" Lisa suddenly swung her arm.

    Her fist stopped, her knuckles a mere centimeter away from Li Wei¡¯s eyes.

    "It does feel like I¡¯ve been pricked by a needle." Li Wei squinted.

    "In fact, the straight punch can be further ssified into multiple types," Lisa slowly enunciated her words as she withdrew her fist. "The ssic straight punch is a basic throwing action from a basic stance. Like this!"

    She suddenly thrust her arm out, her front foot rapidly advancing. As she pulled her forearm back, she brought her other foot forward, resuming her stance.

    "This is the basics. Besides this, there are other types of straight punches like the light straight punch, heavy straight punch, long-range straight punch, counter straight punch, and many more. You¡¯ll naturally get the hang of these variations once you familiarize yourselves with the basic straight punch."

    Lisa returned to her original position and continued exining the punching techniques¡¯ key points. Combat Techniques weren¡¯t just about the upper body. They often required coordination with the practitioner¡¯s feet, so doing the motions correctly was much harder than any of them imagined.

    "Alright, today¡¯s practice will be on the wooden training dummies." Lisa pped her hands and asked the teaching assistant to take a group of students to fetch the props. A few minutester, twenty wooden training dummies were neatly ced on one side.

    The dummies were about 1.6 meters high and half the width of an adult. They were covered with a pale yellowyer of who knew what kind of leather, with straw and sponge stuffed underneath.

    "Practice with some basic punches first." With that, Lisa left the trainees and joined a middle-aged man, who was also wearing a Wind Elephant Sect training attire, under the tree. They chatted and asionally pointed at the surroundings here and there.

    <i>Wham! Wham! Whoosh! Whoosh!</i>

    The trainees in gray and white attire each selected a dummy and started punching, showcasing their best form. Although enthusiastic, their movements were somewhat clumsy and stiff, nowhere close to the standard. Seeing this, the teaching assistant would then demonstrate the correct form beside them and sometimes step in to personally punch the dummies.

    At the outer-edge of the group, Cassius was hitting the pale yellow dummy repeatedly, like the others around him. If there was one thing he did differently from the other trainees, it was that his eyes would subconsciously flick upward every few punches. He kept doing this until, finally, he heaved a long sigh of relief.

    [Combat Technique (Beginner): 0.1%]

    It was finally out. Seeing the progress bar was somehow really reassuring.

    <i>Li Wei has an average constitution, whereas Li Chu''s is slightly below average. The siblings are somewhat talented in martial arts. Once their bodies develop and their foundation improves, there should be a period of rapid improvement. The progress bar should increase rather quickly then...</i>Cassius thought as he threw a straight punch, making the dummy shake a little.

    <i>For now, my goal is to eat more, train more.</i>

    "Raise your hands higher! Are you hitting the enemy''s chest or their kidneys?" Lisa wound her way slowly through the crowd.

    "Weak! And you call yourself a man?"

    "Footwork! Footwork! I''m not asking for perfection, but you could, at the very least, have the right attitude. Coordinate your fists and footwork!"

    Dressed in her beige training attire, Instructor Lisa walked through the group of trainees, each step bringing her closer and closer to Li Wei.

    Li Wei did not say a word; he just punched faster and harder. From the moment they began, he had a feeling Lisa wasing over for the sole purpose of giving him trouble.

    As it turned out, Li Wei''s premonition was correct.

    Instructor Lisa stayed by his side for ten whole minutes. Whenever Li Wei¡¯s moves were slightly off, he would immediately receive a series of harsh scoldings, followed by a correction. The trainees around him couldn¡¯t help gloating at his misfortune as they watched. Some even felt embarrassed for Li Wei.

    However, Cassius felt differently.

    Cassius understood that Lisa¡¯s scolding, though unpleasant, allowed a beginner like him to learn quickly and effectively. The deeper the impression, the less likely he would make the same mistakes next time. She was <i>helping</i> him.

    As the recipient of Lisa''s "enthusiasm," it didn¡¯t feel like she was an instructor teaching twenty people at once; it felt like she was his personal master. She seemed to treat him like her own disciple, after all.

    So he listened very carefully. Whenever Lisa pointed out an improper action that was not meeting the standard, Cassius would try his best to correct it.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    A straight punch mmed into the leather surface of the training dummy. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the text change.

    [Combat Technique (Beginner): 0.2%]

    In less than ten minutes, it had increased by 0.1%. In contrast, the first 0.1% that he had achieved by himself without any help had taken him nearly an hour. Who knew having the proper form and guidance from an experienced master could improve training efficiency so much?

    Cassius became more motivated after seeing his visible progress. Each punch made the top of the training dummy tremble slightly.

    Lisa nodded imperceptibly. She valued Li Wei¡¯s determined and steadfast mentality, but with the youth training camp barely just beginning, she still had a long way to go before she could truly understand his character.

    The sun inched closer to the horizon. The evening sky was full of clouds that spread out like a sea of golden waves, a vibrant orange line of fire extending beneath them. The distant horizon was ringly red, causing the mountains under the sunset to appear blurry. The rays of sunlight bounced off the mountains and slowly descended upon the youth training camp.

    "Dismissed. You can all go eat," Lisa said as she snapped her pocket watch shut.

    The trainees around her immediately dispersed, all of them rushing toward the canteen. Only a thin figure remained behind on the training field, striking at the training dummy without pause. No matter how hard he tried, he still couldn¡¯t achieve the perfect form.

    "Train well and monitor yourself." Lisa nced at the panting Li Wei but didn''t stay like she had at noon.

    "Yes," Li Wei replied after taking a deep breath.

    <i>Dong! Dong! Dong!</i>

    Once lively, the only sound that filled the training field was now the echoes of constant punching. Apanying Cassius were the cool evening breeze, the swaying green trees, and the progress bar in the corner of his eye.

    The orange sky soon darkened, and the clouds embraced a bright white moon. Stars dotted the night sky, joining the moon to cast its brilliant jade moonlight. Everything was gentle, serene, and quiet.

    Cassius threw hisst punch, his heart and mind as clear as day. He was starting to understand the meaning of single-mindedness.

    [Combat Technique (Beginner): 1.0%]

    "Wrap it up!"

    1. loool... JOJO? ?

 Chapter 9 - The Sun, The Rain, and The Bread

    <h4>Chapter 9 - The Sun, The Rain, and The Bread</h4>

    <i>Rustle, rustle</i>...

    The evening breeze gently caressed the ground, yfully swirling the leaves around.

    Cassius looked up at the moon. The hunger that he had been suppressing suddenly reared its head. He wiped the sweat off his face and trudged out of the rectangr training field and along the dimly lit road.

    A shadow, hidden in the corner of the building, left unhurriedly.

    "Of <i>course</i>, it''s closed." Cassius stood before the tightly secured door of the canteen. The soft white moonlight coated the building''s spire with a thinyer of frost.

    Helpless, he had no choice but to return to the dormitory area along the path.

    The door, slightly ajar, creaked open a little wider, hitting Cassius with a scent of damp clothbined with soap. He pushed it all the way open and went in. He found his roommates, all five of whom he had briefly met, already asleep. There was a vacant spot on the bed beside the window. Next to it, the chubby Jojo and another person were sound asleep.

    Cassius tiptoed around the room, picking up his toiletries and a clean apprentice uniform from the floor before quietly leaving. Twenty minutester, he came back, freshly showered and in clean clothes. After tidying up his belongings a bit, heid down on the bed.

    A wave of soreness spread through his body. His arms, thighs, waist, back¡ªevery single part of his body ached. Some muscle groups were especially painful and numb, almost like he was constantly pricked by needles.

    Next to the window where moonlight streamed in, Cassius found a brown bottle among a pile of items. As soon as he popped the cork off, a pungent and moldy stench instantly enveloped the room.

    This medicine was distributed to all trainees in the Wind Elephant Sect¡¯s youth training camp. Simr to a healing salve, it was to be applied directly to the body. It was especially useful for muscle soreness and bruises; just apply it to all affected areas before sleeping, and they would feel as good as new the next morning. A single bottlested a month.

    Cassius poured out some of the light purple contents, rubbed his hands vigorously, and then massaged it into his sore muscles.

    As soon as the medicine touched his skin, a shing sensation of heat and coolness spread through his entire body and shot straight to his brain. Cassius''s arms trembled, and fine goosebumps erupted over his skin.

    It was hot and painful, like he was being burned. After a moment, coolness reced the heat and spread over arger area of his skin. He felt like he had been set on fire and submerged in ice at the same time.

    Cassius leaned against the wall and waited. Five or six minutester, some of his muscle soreness subsided. The medicine was indeed quite effective.

    He capped the bottle and put it back in ce. He lightly pressed his stomach; the muscle pain was gone but the hunger remained. With the canteen closed, he had no choice but to endure until morning.

    Taking a deep breath, Cassiusid down. A wave of fatigue spread from his limbs to his brain like a tide. For a fleeting moment, he could no longer feel how sore his body felt. His vision gradually blurred and his eyelids grew heavier and heavier.

    "Little Wei... Little Wei... Little Wei..." A faint sound came from outside the window.

    "<i>Huh?</i>" Cassius rubbed his tired eyes and scrambled to his feet. He shuffled a few steps alongside the bed and quietly opened the window.

    Under the wooden window frame, the moonlight illuminated a familiar figure. Li Chu was looking up, her pale face slightly nervous. But as soon as she saw Li Wei open the window, her expression lit up and she quickly scurried forward.

    "Sis? What are you doing here in the boys'' dormitory..."

    ording to the tenth rule of the youth training camp, boys and girls were not allowed to enter each other''s dormitory areas after 7 p.m. If caught, there would be a public reprimand followed by expulsion from the camp.

    "You didn''t eat dinner, did you? Here." After casting a nervous nce at the surroundings, Li Chu pulled out a piece of white bread out of her pocket. She tiptoed over to Cassius and handed it to him.

    Before Cassius could utter a single word, Li Chu took a few steps back, waved, and retreated back to the girls'' dormitory.

    Cassius stood by the window, watching over Li Chu until she had safely left the boys'' dormitory area and disappeared from his line of sight. Only then did he slowly close the window.

    He sat back on his bed, looking at the still-warm bread in his hand. He blinked a few times, trying to process what had just happened. The bread was split down the middle, with a big piece of light brown meat inside. Cassius took a huge bite.

    "Delicious," he mumbled to himself.

    ***

    On the first day of double training, he was exhausted. Cassius was introduced to basic Combat Techniques, but his moves and strength were still below average. By the time he finished the morning and afternoon sessions, it was way past the scheduled training times. Fortunately, Instructor Lisa had asked the assistant to set aside lunch for him, and at night, Li Chu brought him a meat sandwich.

    On the second day, he was still exhausted. Due to the extremely hot weather, Cassius almost got a heatstroke during the morning training. Instructor Lisa had to call for a five-minute break in the shade every now and then. In terms of progress, Cassius stillpleted the morning and afternoon training wayter than the rest so his lunch and dinner were simr to the first day''s.

    The third day wasn¡¯t much different. He was still exhausted and the sun was still scorching. In the evening, Cassius discovered that he had been sunburned. Thankfully, the Wind Elephant Sect¡¯s medicine was effective on sunburns as well.

    On the fourth day, he was once again drained, but with the cloudy weather and strong winds, it was the mostfortable day so far. Although he was still tired, his condition was much betterpared to before and he was able toplete the morning training twenty minutes earlier than usual. For this aplishment, Instructor Lisa rewarded him with an extra half portion of lunch.

    Then on the fifth day, in addition to his fatigue, he felt depressed. There was also a heavy downpour on this day, making training efficiency much poorer than usual. Cassius¡¯s performance dropped by a third. By the time he finished his lunch, the afternoon break was already over. Compared to the scorching sun, Cassius detested this kind of weather even more. When night fell, Li Chu once again came by with dinner but after almost getting caught, she deemed it too risky and stopped for a while.

    By the sixth, he had grown ustomed to the exhaustion. On the bright side, the weather was cloudy and suitable for outdoor training and Cassius was in peak condition. For the first time in a long while, he got to eat dinner with the rest of the trainees.

    He returned to the dorm early and listened to Jojo¡¯s ns for the future. He said if he got eliminated and was sent home, he would work hard to earn a lot of money. Not only would he be able to support a family of eight, he could also buy a noble title and make a name for himself as a noble with arge estate. Afterward, he would marry a beautiful, virtuous, and kind girl. He had even decided on a name for his child, George Joestar.

    On the seventh day, Cassius opened the window. A single nce at the skies and he could already tell that the weather would be miserable. It was currently somewhere between cloudy and rainy, making him wonder if it would suddenly rain in the middle of training.

    As usual, he put on his apprentice uniform and left the dormitory. Today''s breakfast at the canteen was quite good but Cassius still felt a bit unsatiated even after finishing his milk. Regardless, he followed the cool breeze to the training field.

    Only half of the trainees had arrived. They chatted with each other as they waited for Instructor Lisa. Nearby, the teaching assistant leaned against a big tree, eyes narrowed.

    Cassius nced around and caught sight of a familiar figure in the formation on the right. The red hair, freckled face, and the roguish look between his brows; it was unmistakably Finn. It looked like he had rejoined training after his injury had healed.

    Sensing someone¡¯s stare, Finn turned his head. As soon as he realized it was Li Wei, he avoided his gaze. Thissted only for a moment before his eyes suddenly widened as if he remembered something. He shot a vicious re, filled with fury and a hint of resentment, at Li Wei.

    Cassius frowned and looked away.

    Finn had been bedridden for ten whole days; no wonder he was so energetic. Hopefully, he kept this upter...

 Chapter 10 - A Slight Difference

    <h4>Chapter 10 - A Slight Difference</h4>

    Finn was about to die from exhaustion!

    His ears buzzed and his heart felt like it was about to explode out of his chest. Golden stars flickered before his eyes. A dense cluster of snowkes bounced in a circle in his peripheral vision.

    His limbs no longer obeyed him. It felt like his bones would break with each step forward he took.

    As part of the daily mandatory physical training, the trainees had to do long-distance running. Ordinarily, each trainee was required to run fiveps around the field. Cassius and Finn, on the other hand, had to run tenps each.

    It was difficult not just because they had to do double the amount, but because the further they went, the less stamina they had, making it increasingly strenuous the longer they ran. This was a test of sheer perseverance.

    <i>Huff, huff, huff</i>...

    Finn felt like his throat was about to catch fire. The burning sensation surged from his nostrils through his windpipe and straight into his lungs.

    <i>Tap, tap, tap</i>...<i> tap, tap, tap</i>...

    He heard footstepsing from his left and a slender figure appeared in Finn''s peripheral vision.

    Cassius, who was in the same boat as him, was running steadily in the other trainee formation. Though he was equally drenched in sweat, his steps seemed much lighter and he was visibly faster than Finn.

    At first, Finn forced himself to go faster so he wouldn¡¯t look bad running next to Cassius, but as they ran more and moreps, his strength left him and all he could do was run with his head down.

    Just as Finn was about to start his eighthp, Cassius, who was on the left side of the field, had already stepped off the track and was in the shade. Using the tree as support, he massaged his legs, asionally ncing in Finn''s direction.

    <i>He''s finished already?!</i> No sooner had that thought sprang into Finn''s mind than the overwhelming fatigue from his limbs instantly dispelled it. He was so tired at that point, he could care less about anything else. Hot sweat oozed from his pores and dripped continuously from his forehead all the way to his chin.

    "Ninthp... I really can''t do this anymore..." Finn''s hands began to flop around. With each wavering step, his chest heaved violently, almost like a panting ox.

    "Get back onto the track!!! Keep running! You still have two moreps!"

    A towering figure, nearly 1.9 meters tall, with a crew cut and a very stern face walked over from the nearby shade. It was Instructor Danton whose rigid and serious reputation preceded him. Of the five main instructors, he was the strictest and followed the rules to a tee.

    Finn''s drunken harassment of a female trainee had left a terrible impression. Although some instructors interceded in his punishment, the official in charge of the youth training camp couldn''t just let it slide. So, after Finn recovered, he was sent directly to Instructor Danton for ten days of double training who would ensure that Finn was strictly abiding by the terms of the punishment. In other words, Instructor Danton would never save food for Finn like how Instructor Lisa did for Cassius.

    "Get back to the track right now!" Face coldly apathetic, Instructor Danton raised a muscr arm and pointed.

    "Instructor, I can''t run anymore... I... <i>Kukh, huk, huk...</i>" Finn coughed, gasping for breath. His mouth tasted bitter and his throat was so dry he couldn''t speak properly.

    "I''m only going to say it one more time! Get back right now!"

    Finn looked up. Instructor Danton¡¯s tall shadowpletely covered him. The trainees under the nearby tree started pointing and whispering.

    "I''ll count down from three. I don''t have a good temper, so don''t make me personallye over there and teach you how to run!" Instructor Danton lowered his head slightly to stare at Finn.

    "Three..."

    "Yes!" Finn instantly folded and sprinted back. There seemed to be faintughtering from the shade.

    Finn gritted his teeth and resumed running.

    After a whole morning of physical training, Finn was ready to copse. Him hitting puberty early gave him a stronger physiquepared to his peers, allowing him toplete his training. Otherwise, he would¡¯ve cried for his mom a long time ago.

    Lunch time soon arrived. All five trainee groups left for the canteen. Aside from the two teaching assistants who were supervising them, Cassius and Finn were the only ones left still training.

    "<i>Aish</i>, what bad luck. I wanted to sleep a bit more at noon but now our lunch break is going to be shorter." Finn''s teaching assistant stood at the boundary line dividing the groups, hands on his hips. He nced at the other teaching assistant.

    "It''s alright, I''m not that sleepy," Cassius''s teaching assistant replied with his arms crossed, looking somewhat bored.

    "No cking off, Finn!" Group Three''s teaching assistant suddenly turned and shouted.

    The weather was cloudy so it was quite cool. The two assistants passed the time by chatting intermittently for over an hour while supervising.

    Cassius ran up and stood before the Group Four teaching assistant. "I''ve finished thest set of squats, sir."

    "Nice, you finished pretty quickly today. It only took you a little over an hour, half an hour earlier than usual." The Group Four teaching assistant nced at the pocket watch he borrowed from Instructor Lisa and patted Li Wei on the shoulder. "Not bad. Let''s go eat."

    He turned around and said, "We''re leaving."

    "Okay." The Group Three teaching assistant nodded slightly and watched the two leave the field. All of a sudden, he whipped around and red at Finn.

    "Hurry up! You still have three sets of squats, two sets of push-ups, and one set of pull-ups left! So damn slow... Are you nning on training until tomorrow?! You still have Combat Techniques training this afternoon!!"

    "Yes." Finn gritted his teeth and continued the exercises.

    In the afternoon, everyone was training basic Combat Techniques. The most exhausted of them all were, of course, Cassius and Finn. However, there was a slight difference. One was unwilling and indignant, while the other was being proactive, and even...seemed like he was enjoying it?

    The sun gradually moved through the clouds, and unfortunately, it started to rain.

    Cassius stretched out his hand to catch a few raindrops, inwardly cursing the lousy weather. Then he raised his arms and forcefully struck the wooden stake.

    [Combat Technique (Beginner): 9.2%]

    [Martial Stance (Part One): 8.7%]

    He had hoped to reach 10% in Combat Technique today, but his training efficiency was likely going to be significantly reduced due to the rain.

    "Why are you doing this to me?"

    "What do you think this is? You¡¯re being punished! If Li Wei over there can do it, what makes you think you can avoid training in the rain?"

    In the distance, the faint sound of arguing could be heard.

    Cassius squinted and looked over. The trainees on the field had already dispersed. Tiny raindrops fell from the gray sky, gradually growingrger andrger before eventually soaking the ground.

    Over in Group Three, Finn was arguing, or rather, receiving a one-sided scolding from Instructor Danton. It was too far away for Cassius to hear clearly, but his name seemed to pop up every now and then.

    The sky grew darker, the clouds condensing into a massive ocean of ck waves. The rain intensified.

    Under the eaves of the building next to the field, Cassius and Finn continued striking their respective wooden stakes, fifty or sixty meters apart from each other.

    Raindrops hit the ground, asionally sshing onto the hem of their pants. This was where Li Wei had pinned Finn down that night. Finn''s expression stiffened slightly as he recalled that particr scene. His gaze asionally swept toward Li Wei, an inscrutable expression on his face.

    It had been about an hour and a half since dinner time.

    Cassius lowered his fists and requested leave from Instructor Danton as he was done training for the day. He walked briskly through the rain toward the dormitory.

    As for Finn, he probably still had another hour or two to go.

 Chapter 11 - Striking First

    <h4>Chapter 11 - Striking First</h4>

    Cassius walked briskly down a cobblestone path, the sound of rain echoing in his ear. He pushed open the dormitory door.

    "Brother Li Wei, you''re back."

    "We saved some food for you."

    "Sit here."

    The five boys in the dormitory greeted him enthusiastically. Ever since Li Wei had regaled them with a thrilling tale about a beauty and a vampire the night before, the friendship between the six of them had developed rapidly.

    Cassius¡¯s roommates used to go straight to bed as soon as they returned to the dormitory since there was nothing else to do, but now all five of them would wait up for Li Wei so he could tell a scary story before they went to sleep. They were even willing to eat less to scrimp together a portion of dinner for Li Wei. It was their way of paying Li Wei for telling them two stories each day.

    "Come eat! Brother Li Wei, why don''t you change your clothes first? Aaron and I will help you take them to be washed." A boy with a slightlyrge head came over, holding a metal box.

    "Sure, thanks." Without thinking too much of it, Li Wei changed his clothes in front of everyone. After all, they were all boys so there was nothing to be embarrassed about. His shower could wait until after the story.

    Therge-headed boy opened the metal box, revealing some bread, vegetables, and meat. It was unclear where the box hade from.

    "Brother Li Wei, you should eat. Aaron and I will be back soon." Arms full with the clothes, he and a skinny boy had barely taken a few steps forward before suddenly turning back to warn the others, "You guys better not get Brother Li Wei to tell the story first while we¡¯re gone!"

    "Don''t worry, I''ll eat slowly," Li Wei assured them. They nodded and rushed off.

    Entertainment in this era was scarce, and the youth training camp was also under strict management. Day after day, if they weren''t training, they were sleeping. And so, in the minds of the five boys, Cassius''s scary stories were like rare and addictive treats.

    Cassius had no idea that the story he casually cooked up would bring him a steady dinner every day.

    Cassius lifted the metal lid to attend to his growling stomach. After fifteen minutes, under everyone¡¯s eager gazes, he picked up his story of the hunter Van Helsing from the night before.

    An hourter, the room was filled with snores. Cassius nced at the dreary sky outside; it was still drizzling. Eyes narrowed, he crossed his arms over his chest, lost in thought. Then he got out of bed, grabbed a towel, and walked out of the room.

    In dormitory room 7 of the boys'' dormitory area, a faint wail echoed.

    Finn was lying in bed. A boy beside him was applying the contents from a brownish-yellow bottle onto Finn''s body, a little at a time.

    "Hey, gentle! Fuck! Get someone else! Someone with a gentler touch!" Finn furrowed his brows, his eyelids twitching. The soreness in his bodybined with the burning sensation of the medicine was too much to bear. The double training could kill a grown man.

    He felt miserable when he realized that he still had nine days of this. And when Li Wei and Instructor Danton''s faces shed through his mind, his mood worsened. The cherry on top was when he recalled the pointed looks and hushedughs from the Group Three and Four trainees. Finn wanted nothing more than to beat them all into the ground.

    "Wasn''t this all just a little drunken mistake? It¡¯s not even a big deal, so why do I have to suffer like this?" Finn snorted angrily.

    Despite the fact that genuinely drunk people wouldn¡¯t have the energy tomit such dirty acts, Finn still felt wronged. What happened that night revealed that Finn usually had sordid thoughts and that he intentionally took advantage of being drunk to do the things he normally couldn''t do.

    "Apply more under my shoulders, and open the door a bit," Finn instructed the two boys beside him. "I''m feeling a little hot."

    He endured the stinging pain all over his body, and gradually, the cooling sensation of the medicine soothed his aches.

    "I definitely won¡¯t let this go..." Finn muttered, clenching the towel in his hand. "He beat me until I was ck and blue; I was in the hospital for over ten days! Just seeing his stupid face pisses me off!"

    The two or three boys next to him exchanged nces while Finn ranted in a frustrated voice. With Finn being a close rtive of Instructor Marn, one of the instructors in the youth training camp, he naturally had the highest social status in the dormitories.

    "We need an opportunity. Best-case scenario is if we can lure him outside the camp, then we can beat him up. Or else, I can never let this go," Finn said.

    "We''ll follow whatever you decide," the others exchanged nces and agreed without hesitation. As expected of hisckeys.

    Finn thought for a moment and then began to exin his n. He thought it was wless even though, in actuality, it was full of holes. As wed as it was though, the n had all of the vicious and malicious intention of an adult.

    "That''s all. When you think about it, we have nothing to be scared of. We were simply caught off guardst time. Plus, our minds were all muddled because we were kind of drunk. It was only normal that we were tricked by that scum. But this time, we''ll strike first. It¡¯ll be a piece of cake to deal with him..." Finny on the bed, arms spread wide. A boy beside him was gently massaging his muscles.

    "When tomorrowes, I''ll¡ª"

    <i>Creak</i>.

    The door, left slightly ajar, mmed all the way open from outside. Someone burst in.

    "Fuck! Li Wei?!" Finn whipped around, eyes bulging. He tried to prop himself up with his hands but Li Wei shot straight toward him like an arrow and mercilessly sat on him, firmly pinning him to the bed. A barrage of punches rained down.

    "Trying to mess with me?!"

    "<i>Ah!</i>"

    "Haven¡¯t had enough yet, huh?!"

    <i>"Ah!</i>"

    "Still want to mess with my sister?!"

    "<i>Ah!</i>"

    With each punch, Finn let out a wail.

    "Christ¡¯s sake, help me!!!" Finn struggled to prop himself up several times, but his sore and weak arms wouldn''t allow him.

    The other boys finally shook themselves out of their temporary shock and began punching and kicking Li Wei, who wasn¡¯t the least bit deterred as he relentlessly pounded on Finn. They managed to yank him off several secondster.

    By then, Finn was already beaten senseless. He couldn¡¯t speak; all he could do was blink. Meanwhile, two or three boys surrounded Li Wei, a flurry of punches and kicks raining down on him.

    Cuts and bruises quickly appeared on Li Wei¡¯s body. He red viciously at the surrounding boys and spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva. Then, in his loudest voice, he hollered, "They''re hitting me!! Help, they''re hitting me! Instructors! Someone is fighting in dormitory room 7!"

    His voice was both loud and shrill. Themotion woke up many of the trainees who sprinted over to see what was happening.

    What they saw was a group of boys surrounding and attacking a bloodied Li Wei, who was retreating backward on unsteady legs.

    Some trainees with a strong sense of justice rushed in to help. Soon, a chaotic fight broke out. It wasn''t until the instructor on night duty arrived a few minutester that it stopped.

 Chapter 12 - Insidious

    <h4>Chapter 12 - Insidious</h4>

    Three kerosenemps were ced in the corner of the small, enclosed room, their dim yellow light flickering.

    "Li Wei, be honest: who started it?" A horse-faced male instructor stared intently at Li Wei.

    "It was them."

    "Alright, tell me what happened." The male instructor nced at Instructor Lisa beside him before turning back to Li Wei.

    "Okay." Li Wei nodded. "I was in my dorm talking to my roommates, and went to the washroom to shower. When I passed by dormitory room 7, a group of people suddenly rushed out and dragged me in. Finn was the ringleader and he ordered the other boys to gang up on me and shut me up.

    "I struggled and fought back as hard as I could..." Li Wei recounted the ''facts'' with genuine emotion. He even appeared slightly nervous.

    Speaking too smoothly wouldn¡¯t align with the scenario he was painting. He even made sure to pitifully show off his wounds and bruises.

    In another room with a simryout, Instructor Marn, Instructor Danton, and another bald male instructor were questioning a boy from dormitory room 7. The three-on-one dynamic was overwhelming, and the boy looked visibly anxious.

    "So what you¡¯re saying is, Li Wei suddenly burst into your room like a crazy person, climbed on top of Finn, and began ruthlessly hitting him up," the bald instructor stated.

    "Yes." The boy nodded.

    "Then why did he rush in to beat Finn?"

    "Well..." The boy was momentarily stumped. His first thought was, Li Wei must have heard Finn''s yelling from outside. But it wasn''t like he could risk revealing Finn¡¯s evil n.

    Should he say that Li Wei had a grudge against Finn? But Li Wei had beaten Finn up before, and Finn had also been punished at that time. Besides, Li Wei was doing well with his seven days of double training, and the punishment was almost over. Why would he cause trouble now?

    After thinking it over, the few reasons the boy coulde up with all seemed far-fetched and unrealistic. Moreover, he had to consider his and Finn''s current positions.

    After a moment of silence, the boy could only say, "I don''t know."

    "Alright, you can leave," the bald instructor dismissed him.

    One by one, the instructors questioned each of the five boys from dormitory room 7. All of their responses varied. Some said they didn''t know, some said Li Wei went crazy, and some med Finn''s foul mouth.

    The three instructors then questioned the boys who were first on the scene. Their answers were quite consistent. All of them testified that Li Wei, face bloodied, had been attacked. He had also shouted loudly for help.

    Instructor Marn''s expression grew darker.

    Half an hourter, the instructors exchanged their findings.

    Instructor Marn''s expression was stormy. Based on the current evidence, the facts seemed to be as Li Wei said. Finn had acted recklessly and done something extremely foolish.

    Although the instructors had not yet questioned Finn who was still recovering in the hospital, they had alreadye to a verdict by eleven at night. After all, the Wind Elephant youth training camp was not a police detective agency.

    The punishment for dormitory room 7 was soon announced. First, they had to work in the cafeteria for a week, followed by ten days of double training. Finn, who was still bedridden, received the same punishment.

    Amongst the other boys, Finn''s twockeys got the short end of the stick; their new punishment would double their already existing one. The two had already spent a week working in the cafeteria, and now they had to be there for another week. After that, they had twenty consecutive days of double training.

    The boys from dormitory room 7 were reluctant, but there was no point in resisting. Arguing any further would result in immediate expulsion. Moreover, they were also prohibited from acting against Li Wei. If they did, they would be sent home immediately.

    It went without saying that, as the other party in the fight, Li Wei was also punished, and received seven days of double training. Instructor Lisa pulled him aside and said she could speak to the camp director on his behalf. She¡¯d just owe the director a favor for bending the rules for Li Wei.

    However, Cassius refused. He had already gotten used to the double training routine and extending it for another seven days would be good for habit-building. More importantly, Cassius didn''t want Instructor Lisa to owe the director favor because of him. If those were the camp rules, then those were the camp rules.

    With that, a noisy night passed, and the sky gradually lightened.

    On the third floor of the youth training camp¡¯s hospital, a boy was awake in the leftmost ward.

    Finny in the familiar hospital bed, staring at the familiar ceiling, with a familiar white bandage wrapped around his face. He sat up gingerly and picked up a teacup to drink some water. His swollen lips throbbed painfully, causing his hand to tremble so badly he spilled some water on the bed.

    Just then, the wooden door creaked open. Instructor Marn, dressed in a beige training attire, walked in with a stern face.

    Finn''s eyes lit up, and he asked eagerly, "Uncle, how did it go? Has that bastard been expelled?"

    "Who are you talking about?" Marn walked slowly to the bedside.

    "Who else? That bastard Li Wei!"

    "..." Marn shook his head silently. "The one who almost got expelled wasn''t him, it was you! If it weren''t for my somewhat good rtionship with the camp director, you¡¯d have already been kicked out the doorst night!"

    "No, that''s not... What¡¯s happening?" Finn was bewildered but with his face wrapped up in white bandages, it was hard to see what kind of expression he was making.

    "You dare ask me that? What are you putting up a front for! I''m your uncle; you think I don¡¯t know the kind of person you are?"

    Marn picked up the cup of water beside him and took a sip. "Tell me everything that happenedst night. Down to thest detail. Don''t try to leave anything out. The truth wille out sooner orter."

    Five minutester, Finn recounted everything.

    "What do you want me to say?" Marn looked down at Finn. Finn avoided his eyes, his ck eyelids twitching.

    "Even if what you''re saying is true, it''s useless. We have eyewitness testimonies and evidence fromst night. The oue of our investigation has already been set in stone. You can either keep your head down and train for twenty days or pack your bags and go home."

    Seeing that his nephew was still somewhat unconvinced, Marn continued, "I advise you not to mess with Li Wei again. If Li Wei''s telling the truth, then it would be in your best interest to swallow your pride and not cause any more trouble. If you get caught going after him again, you''ll be expelled immediately.

    "Even if Li Wei <i>was</i> lying, that¡¯s all the more reason to not mess with him! He''s much smarter and much craftier than you. Don''t embarrass yourself by ying into his hands like a fool."

    He paused, then quietly said, "Don''t make a fool of the two of us."

    Marn turned around and left the ward, leaving a dazed Finn in bed.

 Chapter 13 - Beginner Basic Combat Arts

    <h4>Chapter 13 - Beginner Basic Combat Arts</h4>

    "<i>Umph, ugh</i>..." Other than a few whimpers, Cassius didn¡¯t let anything else slip past his teeth. He forced himself not to turn his head away.

    A nurse at the hospital held a brown bottle filled with a ck liquid, pungent enough that the smell alone could poison someone.

    Having used this medicine before, Cassius was fairly familiar with it. While extremely effective, it had the unfortunate side effect of being extremely painful to apply. It felt like someone was rubbing salt into his wound.

    Cassius raised his head slightly and timed his breathing with the nurse''s application of the medicine. Most of the wounds this time around were just dark bruises and a few small cuts so the medicine didn¡¯t sting as much asst time.

    "Alright, no spicy food for the next two days and don''t get your wounds wet. Remember toe by every morning and evening to apply the medicine."

    The nurse with a blonde ponytail capped the bottle, then looked curiously at Cassius. "What? Got into another fight with the guy in the next ward?"

    Cassius thought for a moment. He chose his next words carefully, "No, he and hisckeys ganged up on me..." He needed to keep his story consistent regardless of who he was talking to.

    "Alright, so you took on six guys by yourself and somehow, you came out of the fight with less serious injuries than Finn. Impressive." The nurse put the bottle back in the medical kit.

    Cassius shook his head. "I guess I¡¯m better at taking a beating."

    "<i>Umph, ack! Aahh! Aahh!</i>"

    Suddenly, the sound of someone screaming could be heard from the corridor. One wouldn¡¯t go so far as to say it was heart-wrenching but it was definitely hysterical.

    The nurse rolled her eyes helplessly. To think that someone would scream so loudly to something as simple as applying medicine. Anyone who heard would think someone was being murdered in the hospital.

    "Parin! Parin! Are you done with your patient? Get over here quickly! We''re shorthanded right now and we can''t hold him down!" a male doctor in a white coat shouted as he mmed open the door.

    "Yes! I''ming!"

    Parin apologized to Cassius, telling him that he could leave. Then she hurried down the corridor to Finn''s ward.

    A cool breeze blew outside, the curtains gently swaying by the window.

    Cassius slowly stood up, a smile unconsciously spreading across his face. In the upper right corner of his vision, fifteen more marks appeared. He added them all up; he had gained an extra month.

    The hospital¡¯s medicine worked its magic, doing exactly what Nurse Parin said it would do: all his wounds and bruises healed within two days.

    Li Wei returned to Group Four and resumed training. After two rounds of fighting, the name "Madman Li Wei" had spread throughout the training camp. Everyone recognized him wherever he went.

    Even the canteen auntie would sneak Li Wei a few extra nces. Her hand tremors, which had been a long-time illness of hers, seemed to have been briefly cured as she served him his food.

    As time passed, Cassius gradually adapted to the double training. It used to take him an extra hour or two to finish each noon and night training session. But now, he could do it in a half hour. On the days when the weather was good, his efficiency would improve and he¡¯d even be able to finish on time.

    Whether it was lunch or dinner, Cassius always managed to eat a full meal before the canteen closed. Plus, with his five roommates also cobbling together a simplete-night snack for him every night, he was getting ample nutrition and energy every day.

    Cassius was starting to see the benefits of getting enough nutrition, training, and sleep. Li Wei¡¯s body was currently in a stage of adolescence of rapid growth and, as a result of his training, was gradually starting to change.

    His body was no longer frail. His arms and abdomen showed faint muscr lines. His pale skin had darkened to a bronze color. He had even grown taller.

    Cassius''s dreams every night consisted of either going down the stairs and suddenly missing a step, or being unable to run as someone chased him. Both dreams were signs of rapid bone growth.

    As his body developed, the effects of his Basic Combat Arts training naturally improved. In addition, Cassius had gotten so used to the double training that he continued to do extra training even after his punishment had ended. In a month and a half, he had made a breakthrough.

    A warm gentle breeze blew, causing the white clouds to sway quietly. Intense rays of sunlight pierced through the thin white clouds and shone upon the mountainside.

    The square training field was divided into five sections with a bunch of small ck dots moving around as the sun zed above.

    <i>Thud! Thud! Thud!</i>

    The pounding sounds rang incessantly. In a corner of the training field, a group of boys in gray and white training attire relentlessly swung their arms around, the surface of the leather-covered training dummies denting and rebounding underneath the force of their punches.

    A boy, standing in front of one of the stakes, took a few quick steps forward. A powerful aura emanated from his waist up as he swung his arm. His fist struck the leather with a <i>thud</i> and the base of the training dummy shook slightly, scattering some loose dirt at the bottom.

    "<i>Whew, </i>finally..." Cassius panted heavily.

    [Combat Technique (Beginner): 100.0%]

    [Combat Technique (Advanced): 0.1%]

    He had alsopleted part one of the Martial Stance progress bar five days ago.

    [Martial Stance (Part Two): 3.8%]

    Cassius had reached the second stage in both Martial Stance and Combat Techniques.

    In the upper right corner of his eye, a line of text suddenly jumped out.

    [Basic Combat Arts: Beginner (Stage Two)]

    Cassius had already anticipated this since he had asked Instructor Lisa about the specific stages before. The Wind Elephant Sect¡¯s Basic Combat Arts was formed bybining the three aspects¡ªMartial Stance, Combat Techniques, and Explosive Techniques.

    Martial Stance and Combat Technique each had two stages, and once the second stage of both aspects was mastered, the beginner stage of the Wind Elephant Sect¡¯s Basic Combat Arts would bepleted. The next step to moving on to the advanced stage would be to learn Explosive Techniques which had no stages.

    Once the trainees mastered the advanced stage of Basic Combat Arts and passed the exam they''d be able to ess the true secret of martial arts: how humans can fight against firearms with only their bodies.

    <i>Whoosh...</i>

    A light breeze gently blew across Cassius''s back. He shivered, arge patch of goosebumps erupting on his back. He rxed his arms and shook them vigorously.

    Cassius felt that his body had undergone some subtle changes ever since the second stage of the beginner Basic Combat Arts progress bar appeared. If he had to describe it, it was almost like his perception had sharpened and all of the power in his whole body hade together.

    He thought for a moment, then punched the stake.

    <i>Thud!</i>

    Cassius''s eyes lit up. That punch wasn''t solely from a Combat Technique; he had also instinctively used Martial Stance to exert force.

    When he finally, slowly retracted his fist, a couple hours had already passed.

    [Combat Technique (Advanced): 0.5%]

    [Martial Stance (Part Two): 3.9%]

    Both had increased with Advanced Combat Technique increasing by 0.4%, and the second part of Martial Stance increasing by 0.1%. Despite the fact that Cassius had been solely focused on practicing Combat Techniques all afternoon and did not touch Martial Stance at all, it still managed to jump up by 0.1%.

    Was it because both aspects had entered the second stage and had merged into a unified stage of the Wind Elephant Sect¡¯s Basic Combat Arts?

    What a pleasant surprise. This was going to save Cassius a lot of time.

 Chapter 14 - Special Training

    <h4>Chapter 14 - Special Training</h4>

    "Instructor, I want to learn Explosive Techniques."

    Lisa looked at Li Wei. She raised an eyebrow.

    It was around two in the afternoon, and Lisa had just instructed the Group Four trainees to do some self-practice under the teaching assistant¡¯s supervision. She seemed to be using some kind of technique to train her body as she was standing in a rather unusual stance underneath the shade.

    "Explosive Techniques? What''s the rush? You should get the basics like Martial Stance and Combat Techniques down first. I''ve told you before, young people like you shouldn''t aim too high too soon."

    Lisa shook her head and stood up. However, she reconsidered when she remembered that Li Wei wasn''t a conceited person, and that he had, in the past month and a half, shown remarkable steadfastness and diligence.

    "Alright, how about this? I''ll give you a chance to punch me."

    Lisa¡¯s tone shifted and she moved to stand about three meters in front of Li Wei, giving him just enough room to generate power.

    "Go on,e at me with your full strength." Lisa beckoned him.

    "Excuse me." Li Wei sped his fists in respect.

    He spread his feet until they were shoulder-width apart. Using one foot to push off, he hurtled forward, arms raised, intending to deliver a standard straight punch.

    <i>Smack!</i>

    A palm shot out from the side and smacked the left side of his fist, instantly deflecting his punch. His fist veered off, far from its intended target.

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    At the same time, a blurred shadow struck like a viper from his left. Fortunately, Li Wei managed to dodge in time, blocking Lisa''s fist with his arm.

    "Oh?" Lisa quickly withdrew her palm.

    Li Wei stumbled back three steps. His footwork was light and he quickly lunged once more. He first punched Lisa''s side and when that was blocked, he spun around and delivered another sweeping strike. His arm drew a blurred arc in the air, the knuckles on his fist aimed straight at Lisa''s forehead.

    <i>Smack!</i>

    A palm stopped his fist midair.

    Lisa pushed, forcing Li Wei to stumble back several steps once again.

    "Let''s call it here. It looks like I¡¯ve underestimated your progress. You''ve achieved remarkable progress in the Wind Elephant Sect¡¯s Basic Combat Arts in just a month and a half. I''ve told you this before, but steadfastness and diligence are the most important and fundamental aspects of martial arts training. Hard work doesn¡¯t deceive people. Keep it up." Lisa nodded and walked up to pat Li Wei on the shoulder.

    It was only then that Cassius realized Instructor Lisa hadn''t moved her feet at all during their entire exchange. All she had done was defend.

    "Let''s go over to the corner to chat."

    Cassius followed Lisa to the designated spot.

    Half an hourter, he had a rough understanding of what Explosive Techniques inbat were. Simply put, it involved a special way of generating force that made the next attack faster, stronger, and much more cunning.

    For example, in the Wind Elephant Sect''s Basic Combat Arts, there were two Explosive Techniques. One increased the speed of the attack, and the other increased its power.

    Mastering the speed-based Explosive Technique could boost the attack speed by almost one and a half times. The power-based Explosive Technique could also increase strength by 150% and this alone was extremely effective in closebat.

    However, practitioners needed to remember that they shouldn''t use Explosive Techniques too often, otherwise, they could easily wear out their joints and overstrain their muscles. Explosive Techniques should be used instantaneously and with caution.

    "Alright, starting from today, I want you toe find me after dinner. I¡¯ll be waiting at the small training field next to the hospital," Lisa said after a moment''s consideration.

    "Thank you, Instructor."

    And so now, in addition to his double training, Cassius now had extra training in the abandoned small training field. Lisa went through the Explosive Techniques of the Wind Elephant Sect¡¯s Basic Combat Arts with Cassius, step by step, and even weaved in the insights she had gained from many years of practice. In the evening, she would spar with Cassius, identifying and correcting Cassius''s ws as she did so. Not only did this help him get rid of any bad habits he might have had in closebat, it also helped him train for realbat.

    Lisa didn¡¯t hold back during their sparring sessions which allowed Cassius to get a taste of real fighting. The wide variety of training also helped to quickly improve hisbat experience. The only downside was that he needed copious amounts of the camp-issued medicine, often using up a month''s supply in half a month. When that ran out, he had to rely on his roommates'' leftover medicine to get through the remainder of the month.

    The days passed by until e September day.

    Dusk arrived, turning the horizon a dazzling red. The mountains blurred in the twilight, and rays of sunlight reflected from the mountains to the training camp. The rooftops glowed brilliantly in the red light. The tree on the training field and the small house beside it painted a beautiful picture, almost like it was frozen in time.

    Two figures stood opposite each other on the orange training field.

    Cassius took a deep breath, stepped back slightly with his right foot, and clenched his fists at his side. His expression was dead serious and he seemed like a tightly coiled spring, ready to release at any moment.

    "Excuse me..." He had barely finished speaking before charging forward.

    Power surged from his waist, and his right fist aimed straight. His fist was much faster than it was a month and a half ago.

    However, Lisa simply sidestepped to the left, her shoulder tilting slightly to dodge the blow. She even countered with a backhand, smacking Li Wei squarely on the chest.

    Li Wei grunted, his body folding inward. Half of his body careened forward and was seconds away from crashing into Lisa. Lisa spun around with her knee thrusting upward, waiting for Li Wei to collide with it.

    <i>Smack!</i>

    Li Wei had had dozens of realbat bouts by now. He immediately changed tactics, kicking to deflect Lisa¡¯s knee while sweeping with his left fist. Lisa''s hand moved like a shadow, swiftly intercepting and countering.

    To her surprise, Cassius had another trick up his sleeve. Out of nowhere, his right fist, using an Explosive Technique, came in and swung fiercely.

    Although Lisa managed to quickly block it, she was forced to take a tiny step back. In the dozen or so sparring matches against Li Wei, this was the first time she had been pushed back.

    "Not bad, your Explosive Technique is taking shape. It¡¯s a pity itcks some impact. If you had executed that a little better, I would''ve had to retreat a few more steps." Lisa released Li Wei''s fist, nodding slightly in approval.

    Cassius nced at his right hand. There were five red fingerprint marks on it.

    "Oh right, there''s abat ranking match tomorrow. Remember, you need to hold back in your matches; just focus on putting on a show. You''ll have morebat experience than the others since I''ve given you some special training. Participating in the ranking match won''t be really meaningful for your training so it''s best if you pull your punches a bit. If you rank somewhere between twentieth and thirtieth ce, that''s good enough. Don¡¯t get too excited and get carried away likest time; that person had to stay in the hospital for a day. Think about it."

 Chapter 15 - Combat Ranking

    <h4>Chapter 15 - Combat Ranking</h4>

    "Got it," Cassius replied.

    "As long as you understand," Lisa said as she turned and walked away, shooting a fleeting nce at the distant warehouse. A smile flitted across her face before she quickened her steps and left.

    Cassius watched Lisa''s figure gradually disappear, then turned to the corner of the warehouse. "Sis, you cane out now. The instructor''s gone."

    A fair and pretty face peeked out from the shadows of the building. She scanned the field and after confirming they were alone, she stepped out cautiously like a wary cat.

    "Little Wei, maybe we should stop doing this. If Instructor Lisa finds out I''m secretly learning from her, will she do something to you?"

    "Actually, she already knows."

    "<i>What</i>?" Li Chu''s worried expression ckened to shock. She couldn''t seem to immediately process Cassius''s words.

    "Instructor Lisa had already noticed since the first day you came. She hasn''t actually said it outright but she''s given us permission to do this."

    Cassius rolled up his sleeve to wipe the sweat from his forehead. "Don''t worry about it, sis. I''ll practice practicalbat with you for another half hour. Hopefully, you can rank in the top fifty at the training camp tomorrow."

    "Oh...okay." Li Chu was still a little shell-shocked from learning that Instructor Lisa had known about this little secret all along. It was only after some time had passed that she seemed to revive herself.

    The two shadows continued their boxing practice in the dusk.

    The next day, the warm rays of the sun shone down on the training field.

    There were five square sections in total, with a designatedbat area in the center of each. Trainees sat along the sides. Presently, two people stood in the middle of one square.

    Instructor Lisa, dressed in a beige uniform, shouted for the match to begin.

    The two trainees, who had been practicing the Wind Elephant Sect¡¯s Basic Combat Arts for three months, instantly lunged at each other. They threw out some punches and hooks, feeling each other out as they moved around.

    During their skirmish, the trainees searched for their opponent''s weak points. When they sprang apart, they''d raise their arms for either a collision or a strike.

    It was evident that after three months of formalbat training, the trainees at the camp no longer relied solely on their instincts to fight but had now incorporated martial artsbinations andbat techniques. They had built a rudimentarybat framework. Although still looking immature and a bit stiff, they had made significant progress from their bygone days of street brawling.

    The fight continued until a winner emerged. The taller trainee narrowly defeated his opponent, and both left the field to return to their seats.

    The assistant instructor stepped forward and, in a loud voice, announced, "Next group is Jose and Li Wei."

    "Goddamn," the brown-haired boy sitting in the corner cursed under his breath. Li Wei had ced fifth in thest ranking match. Plus, he was Group Four''s best performer. He really had to have some pretty shitty luck to be paired up with Li Wei.

    On the training field, the two stood facing each other. The sunlight was intense, causing Jose to squint slightly as he looked at his opponent.

    Madman Li Wei... Everyone at the training camp knew who he was. He had beaten Instructor Marn''s nephew Finn twice early on in their training. He was fierce, didn''t balk when he was outnumbered, and his wild fighting style often left his opponents walking away with more injuries than him.

    Moreover, he seemed to be a martial arts fanatic. Even after his double training regiment punishment ended, he continued training by himself every day, rain or shine. People often saw him on the training field, where he would practice until he was bruised and battered at night. When he ran out of medicine, which was often, he''d have to borrow more from his roommates, on a daily basis.

    As a fellow trainee, Jose had some respect for Li Wei. But as an opponent, he didn''t have high hopes about the fight.

    The sunlight shone on Cassius''s head, his hair standing like steel needles. His expression was serious, his posture upright. His two exposed muscr arms showed a bronzed hue. An inexplicable aura emanated from Cassius.

    "Begin!"

    As soon as Instructor Lisa''s words left her mouth, Cassius shot out like a leopard, his feet rapidly hitting the ground.

    A twinge of fear shooting through him, Jose immediately thrusted his hands up to defend himself.

    <i>Thud, thud, thud!</i>

    Cassius''s fists shed like lightning and in just a few dull blows, he broke through Jose''s defenses,nding a sharp punch on his shoulder.

    Jose stumbled backward, stepping out of the field''s boundary, pain shing across his face. He could already tell, just from holding his right shoulder, that he was going to have a bruise.

    "Li Wei wins. Next group..."

    The sunlight grew stronger, but fortunately, the white clouds in the sky asionally blocked the hot sun.

    "Julio wins. Next group is Li Chu and Martha."

    It seemed like a coincidence that the two girls were paired together. At the assistant instructor''s announcement, Li Chu and a tomboyish girl named Martha stepped onto the field and cupped their fists respectfully.

    Cassius lifted his head up to watch.

    In the field, the two had already started their fight. It was clear that Li Chu was dominating her opponent in terms of momentum. Her moves and reactions were skillful and adept. In no time, Martha was forced back by a single punch. She tried to adjust, but to no avail. She was ultimately defeated.

    Cassius nodded. Li Chu would likely make it into the top fifty this time.

    As trainee group after trainee group fought, the rankings within each group were roughly determined. Afterward, the five groups, with more than a hundred trainees, gathered together.

    Next, they would mix the groups to determine the overall rankings.

    Cassius was familiar with the process from thest time. What he didn''t expect was that his third opponent would be Finn. What a coincidence.

    As the assistant instructor called out their names, Finn and Cassius walked out onto the field.

    "Finn''s done for. They actually ended up matching together again! Madman Li Wei is going to take this opportunity to beat him up, for sure," one trainee said.

    "Yeah, this is going to be <i>good</i>.¡±

    On the field, Cassius looked up after bowing in salute. A faint, cold smile tugged at the corner of his lips. He clenched his hands, his knuckles cracking.

    "Begin!" the instructor''s voice rang out.

    Cassius rushed out in the blink of an eye, his arm whipping forward.

    "I surrender!" Finn quickly raised his right hand.

    Cassius''s calloused fist froze three inches from Finn''s chest. Cassius looked bewildered.

    Finn smirked and he sneered, "You thought you could use this match to beat me up again? You won''t get your way."

    Since Finn surrendered, Cassius was quickly announced as the winner. The assistant instructor began calling the names for the next group.

    Cassius frowned as he returned to his spot. He couldn''t help but turn and look back at Finn''s retreating figure. "Why¡¯s he acting so cocky even though he surrendered... It''s like he thinks he won."

 Chapter 16 - Tactics

    <h4>Chapter 16 - Tactics</h4>

    Thebat training continued from morning until the afternoon.

    Over a hundred trainees showcased the fruits of months and months ofbor. Some of them were excited, and others tasted disappointment. Eachbat ranking was recorded in their scores. Though it didn''t have too much of an impact in the overall evaluation, it was a chance to demonstrate progress, validate training oues, and build confidence.

    Cassius found the practicalbat ranking to be easier than before. He barely broke a sweat in the matches he won and ended up ranking twenty-fifth.

    He, of course, intentionally held back, following Instructor Lisa''s advice perfectly in aiming between twenty and thirty in the rankings; he ended up exactly in the middle.

    His opponents were somewhat baffled by their victories against him.

    No one wanted to do poorly, especially when they were perfectly capable of performing well. At the end of the training camp, their overall scores would be tallied, and only the top fifty would be official disciples of the Wind Elephant Sect. Those who didn''t make the cut would be eliminated. The top ten even had the chance to be epted as disciples by the Wind Elephant Sect''s fist specialists, a significant advantage over the remaining forty.

    However, Cassius didn''t have to worry. Half a month ago, Instructor Lisa had already affirmed that she wanted him as her disciple. Once the training camp ended, his dream of bing her disciple would turn into reality.

    Compared to an instructor whom he''s never met before, which meant he didn''t know their character and temperament, Lisa, whom he knew very well, was a much better fit. Moreover, Instructor Lisa had been teaching Cassius for a long time, and was essentially already his master.

    Cassius knew exactly what needed to be done.

    Nothing was more important to him than addressing the crisis that was happening in the real world. During his time here, Lisa was the obvious choice in helping Cassius achieve this goal. To be more exact,there was no other option!

    As usual, thebat ranking results were announced around two in the afternoon. The training camp granted a rare few hours off because of it. Before long, the training field was deserted.

    In a corner, Li Chu excitedly shared her joy with Li Wei. She managed to rank forty-eighth this time. She had improved by twenty ces sincest time!

    Cassius naturally encouraged her, advised her not to ck off, to continue working hard, and urged her to ensure she remained within the top forty, as being in the bottom ten would be too risky.

    After chatting for a while, Li Chu took her leave. Cassius then began training diligently in a corner of the training field.

    This was how he was capable of ranking in the training camp''s top ten. He worked doubly hard, and he had no shortage of cultivation talent either. Sweat and talentbined made such results inevitable.

    After a while, Cassius stopped training and looked at the golden pendant symbol in the top right corner of his vision. The Time Scale representing the time he had left hadn''t increased. He knew why: there was a limit to fulfilling the original obsession of the owner Li Wei.

    In the past three months, Cassius had extended his time here by sixty days, which meant he could stay for a total of six months. Three months had already gone by, but there were still three more to go.

    In the original ending, a humiliated Li Chu hadmitted suicide and the culprit had never been caught. The cowardly Li Wei lived the rest of his days in fear and shame.

    But Cassius chose to do the opposite. When Li Chu wanted tomit suicide, he saved her. He not only treated her well but he also helped trained her so that she could join the Wind Elephant Sect.

    As for Finn, the culprit who was still walking free? Cassius would just beat him up so many times that he would automatically turn tail and run the moment he saw Li Wei!

    Cowardly? Fearful? Seen as a wimp in everyone''s eyes? He would step up and rip off thebel that had been forced on him. He would be bold and show grit. Everyone would respect him! He would much rather paint himself as a martial arts fanatic than a coward.

    Because he managed to fulfill that part of Li Wei''s obsession, Cassius gained an extra sixty days. But that number hadn''t increase since then.

    Even with a mature adult soul, it hadn''t been easy for Cassius to reach that point. He had been acting in the beginning but it had gradually turned into a personal habit of his. That bold demeanor and fierce determination to fight five opponents by himself seemed to have unconsciously changed Cassius.

    Fragmented thoughts shed through his mind. <i>Maybe the madman isn''t Li Wei, but it''s actually me...</i>

    His thoughts shifted, and he opened his eyes again. As he exhaled deeply, his mind suddenly cleared again.

    [Combat Technique (Advanced): 42.1%]

    [Martial Stance (Part Two): 41.3%]

    [Explosive Technique (Speed): 50.5%]

    [Explosive Technique (Power): 43.7%]

    He still had a long road ahead of him to fully master Basic Combat Arts!

    ***

    The trainees at the youth training camp could distinctly feel the change of seasons between September to November. Although no snow fell, the weather gradually turned colder, and the leaves slowly yellowed and drifted down. The trainees unconsciously began wearing more clothes.

    During that time, nothing major happened, and all the trainees continued their training as usual. Li Chu made significant progress under Cassius''s training, consistently ranking around the fortieth ce in each practicalbat session.

    Cassius had also been helping Jojo, whom he had a good rtionship with. Every afternoon, during their practical sparring sessions, he would have a few bouts with Jojo, then Cassius would exin some essentialbat principles afterward.

    Unfortunately, talent truly was a key factor. Some people were quick studies and could master the Combat Techniques promptly, while others struggled for three to five days. Jojo wasn¡¯tcking in diligence or willingness to learn, but his progress didn¡¯t match the effort he put in. In each practicalbat session, his rank hovered around the eighties or nies. He had been near the bottom, somewhere in the nies, before, but after Cassius''s guidance, he moved up to the eighties and remained there.

    However, after two months of hard work, that was the extent of his progress.

    <i>Creak.</i>

    Cassius pushed open the dormitory door, revealing a world swathed in silver. A lightyer of snow covered the ground, rooftops, and branches, making the distant flowers appear even more vividly red. He stretched out his hand and caught a crystal-clear snowke in his palm. Within moments, it melted into a drop of water.

    "<i>Huu...</i>" Cassius exhaled a long breath, the air turning white from the cold.

    <i>It''s already November. Five months gone. Twenty days left.</i> He took a few steps forward, and the snow beneath his feet crunched softly. The road was slightly slippery but Cassius walked with steady steps.

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    He heard somethinging from behind him. With his keen senses, Cassius spun around and reached out to catch a fist-sized snowball. loose snow falling as a chill ran through his hand.

    He looked up to find Li Chu smiling and waving at him. "Stop looking all serious and teacher-like! Come on, let''s have a snowball fight!"

    <i>Do I really look that serious?</i> Cassius subconsciously touched his chin, noting that there wasn¡¯t even a hint of stubble.

    "Training is starting soon, maybe next time," he said. He took a few steps forward, then suddenly hurled the snowball in his hand.

    It hit Li Chu squarely. "Ouch!"

    She shook the snow from her hair and then chased after him. "Alright, Li Wei. How dare you ambush your sister! Stop right there!"

    "That wasn''t an ambush; it¡¯s called tactics."

    "And you still have the guts to argue back!"

    Two sets of small footprints, imprinted in the snow, stretched into the distance.

 Chapter 17 - Covert Martial Arts

    <h4>Chapter 17 - Covert Martial Arts</h4>

    Cassius was unusually excited that day.

    In the corner, a figure kept punching the pale yellow wooden post. The thuds echoed across the empty training field, creating fine wrinkles on the tough leather surface.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    All of a sudden, the sound got louder, and the post shook violently! The sound of leather ripping mingled with the dull thud of wood.

    Cassius withdrew his fist, and the tall post, which was originally fixed to the ground, tilted forward. The base that had been buried in soil was torn from the ground, pulling up arge clump of yellow dirt in the process. He had tore through the surface, and he could see an indistinct fist mark at the very center of the brown leather target.

    "One hundred percent!" Cassius clenched his fist.

    [Combat Technique (Advanced): 100.0%]

    [Martial Stance (Part Two): 100.0%]

    [Explosive Technique (Speed): 100.0%]

    [Explosive Technique (Power): 100.0%]

    The hardest Explosive Technique of the power type had also reached fullpletion. A new line of text appeared in the top right corner of his vision.

    [Wind Elephant Basic Combat Arts: Advanced (Stage Two)]

    "<i>Ha.</i>"<i> </i>Cassius looked up at the dusky sky and exhaled a long breath. He was very happy at the moment, but also a little confused.

    He had spent over five months mastering the Wind Elephant Sect¡¯s Basic Combat Arts and managed to conquer what once seemed like an insurmountable mountain. Cassius felt a rush of aimlessness and fatigue flooding his mind.

    "Right, I better ask Instructor Lisa." He quickly shoved the post back in ce before rushing to the canteen for his meal.

    Ten minutester at the small training field behind the hospital.

    Cassius sat cross-legged on the ground, listening intently to Lisa''s exnation. Soft red light filtered through the branches, casting faint patterns of irregr patches of light red mesh on their faces

    "I talked about some concepts in passing before, but since you want to learn them now, I''ll exin in more detail." Lisa thought for a moment and said, "The Hongli Federation dividesbat into five general stages. Whether it''s boxing, wrestling, sanda, or even swordsmanship, and archery, they all range from stage one to five."

    "Yes." Cassius nodded as he listened attentively.

    "However, this five-stage division isn''t really applicable to us. While the fivebat stages can be used in realbat, they''re mostly done forpetition purposes. What we focus on is pure killing techniques.¡± Lisa paused for a moment before continuing on, "If I had to exin the Federation¡¯s fivebat stages, it would be in three major tiers. The first of three tiers is what we call the amateur or hobbyist tier which is obviously also the first of the Federation¡¯s fivebat stages. If trained well, a person can easily take on multiple opponents."

    Cassius nodded again.

    "The second tier is the fistfighter stage, otherwise known as the professional tier. Our trainees in the youth training camp can be considered a part of this tier. We provide special training for disciples to master all basic Combat Techniques which will then get them closer to learning the sect¡¯s Covert Arts.¡±

    Lisa smiled at Cassius, and added, "Because you''ve mastered the basics of Combat Techniques but not the sect''s Covert Arts, you are now a mid-tier fistfighter. As a side note, there are definitely some oveps between the amateur and professional tiers. I would say your current stage is roughly at the top of the amateur tier."

    Cassius nodded again, a thought forming in his mind. Could he dodge bullets in his current state?

    Lisa, who was still standing in front of him, kept talking.

    "The third tier is where one clearly begins to surpass human limits; the pugilist! Experts at that stage start to master the core technique of the Covert Martial Arts, using the core technique of the Covert Martial Arts to refine the body to a certain extent. Not only are they able to sense the flow of blood within them, they can also control it and make their blood flow faster through their veins. We call this elerated blood flow. There are three nodes in the body and once they''re fully opened, elerated blood flow can increase fourfold, allowing one to produce strength beyond human limits."

    "Beyond human limits?" Cassius murmured.

    "That''s right. At that stage, one can fight a hundred enemies alone. Their fists will be able to prate metal armor as thick as a finger joint. Their senses will be a lot sharper than ordinary people''s and their reflexes so fast they can even catch a sparrow mid-flight.¡±

    As Lisa spoke, she raised her hand, slowly closing her fingers. A visible white stream of energy poured out from between them and ripples started to form in the air.

    "And the core of all thises from the Covert Martial Arts..." She stood up slowly, cing her palm lightly on the tree trunk beside her. The tree trembled, and what few leaves there were fell from above with a loud rustle.

    Cassius also stood up, ignoring the withered leaves falling on his head, his eyes fixed on the surface of the trunk she touched.

    The impression of a palm print was embedded about four or five centimeters deep. It looked deep enough to bury a wrist. The insides of the indentation were extremely smooth, as if it had been polished.

    Cassius did not even try to hide his intense desire. "Instructor, I want to learn Covert Martial Arts!" [1]

    Lisa smiled and shook her head. "I can''t teach you just yet. The sect rules require you to formally be an apprentice and swear an oath. You will only be allowed to ept your master''s teachings after they assess you for a period of time.

    "This is the core technique passed down in our sect. They are not the basic Combat Techniques which I can teach whenever I want. But don''t worry, in seven days, the final assessment of our training camp willmence. I¡¯ll teach you after that and the apprenticeship ceremony are done. How does that sound?¡±

    "Thank you, Master."

    Knowing that he couldn¡¯t force it any more, Cassius didn''t press further. He pondered for a moment before he asked, "Master, can you do me a favor?"

    ***

    "Is this what you needed help with? Why does it feel so awkward?" Lisa shifted her foot slightly, feeling a bit embarrassed.

    Underneath the setting sun, Cassiusy t on the ground. Lisa stood beside him, one foot pushing down on his chest.

    "I''m being serious, Instructor." Cassius maintained an earnest gaze. He was simting the life-and-death moment he was facing. In his real life, an antique specialist from the Huolu Antiques Company was pinning him down, ready to fire his gun at any second. "Also, Instructor, could you press a bit harder?"

    "Alright." Lisa nodded helplessly and stomped down much more forcefully.

    For the next half hour, they carried out their discussion in their awkward positions. Cassius kept asking Lisa about ways to counter enemy attacks in his current situation, creating a scenario where he was pinned down by someone with a crossbow aimed at his head. He wanted to know what he should do.

    Lisa gradually became less ufortable about the entire situation and earnestly exined what he could do. She even demonstrated for him.

    As the sky turned dark, their special training session for the day ended. Instructor Lisa left, leaving Cassius lying under the tree, exhausted. His clothes were covered in shoe prints.

    Footsteps sounded in the distance.

    Cassius opened his eyes to see Li Chu''s face staring at him upside down. She wore a strange expression.

    He could live with some embarrassment if it means he''d survive!

    "Sis, you''re just in time. Practice with me a few more times."

    1. Covert Martial Arts are unique techniques that are passed down in each sect. For example, what Lisa is teaching now is the Wind Elephant Covert Marital Arts. In the future, there will be other sects with their own Covert Martial Arts. ?

 Chapter 18 - To Be A Man

    <h4>Chapter 18 - To Be A Man</h4>

    Seven days flew by, and in a blink of an eye, the day of the training camp''s final assessment had arrived. The assessment was divided into two parts. The first part was the usualbat ranking, and the second was conducted by the assistant instructors. As the name suggested, the trainees would fight against the official disciples during the final assessment.

    The day was clear and the sky looked like it had been polished. Sunlight fell unobstructed on the training camp''s building rooftops, casting a glistening reflection onto the fields.

    Two figures were on the field, entangled together, with one of them already defeated. Another figure backed away several steps before stopping.

    "The winner, Li Wei."

    After hearing the announcement, Cassius casually left the arena. Ten minutester, he returned to the center of the field. Five secondster, he defeated his opponent and returned to his spot after the announcement.

    His sharp and efficient performance drew the attention of many present. The people at the training camp naturally knew who he was. Sitting among the five instructors, a thin old man sporting a snowy-white beard nced over, interested.

    Momentster, Cassius returned to the field and defeated his opponent again.

    "Well done." The old man nodded approvingly, then asked the instructors, "What''s the name of that boy over there? He''s quite good at basic Combat Techniques. His moves are very clean and decisive." He paused for a moment before he concluded, "With such a fierce fighting style, he must have already reached the second stage."

    "His name is Li Wei, and he''s under my guidance. You''re right; he''s reached the second stage in basic Combat Techniques. I n on taking him as my disciple after the training camp ends," Lisa said a bit nervously.

    "What''s the hurry? Don''t worry, my hands are already full with four disciples; I won''t try to fight you for him." The old man shook his head, a faint smile on his face..

    "I''d be a fool to believe you," Lisa muttered to herself. Sam, the deputy master of the Wind Elephant Sect, was a fourteenth generation disciple and was considered a martial uncle to the fifteenth generation disciples like herself. He loved selecting disciples with excellent potential.

    Li Wei''s potential was above average, which should be rtively safe. But after his remarkable performance, there was a chance Sam might take a liking to him. Although Lisa believed that Li Wei would still choose her as his teacher even with Sam in the picture, it would be best to avoid making things tooplicated.

    In the end, Sam didn''t try to fight with Lisa for Li Wei. He had already chosen someone well before he arrived. To no one''s surprise, it was a genius with excellent potential and who had ranked in the top five in everybat ranking.

    The final assessment of the training camp began in the morning and took them into the afternoon. Cassius perfectly maintained his rank at twenty-five. In the second phase, his fights with the assistant instructors were satisfactory. Once his previous scores were added up, he came out to ranking between twenty to thirty in the final assessment. Li Chu ranked thirty-nine in thebat ranking, demonstrating a stable performance in the second stage. Her final estimated ranking was around the lower thirties.

    However, Jojo, whom Cassius had been helping, had no hopes of passing the assessment with an estimated final ranking between seventy and eighty.

    Two dayster, in a spacious white hall in the Wind Elephant Sect.

    Fifty boys and girls who passed the assessment stood quietly in the center. Golden, warm rays of the sun shone down on them through the window above.

    At the very front of the hall, an old man with a goatee loudly recited an oath, about being loyal to the Wind Elephant Sect, how they were prohibited from revealing the core technique of the Covert Martial Arts, and the consequences that would happen should they rebel. Every time he said something, the students would echo after him.

    "You have inherited the legacy of the Wind Elephant Sect, making all of you a part of the sixteenth generation of the sect. The sect''s continuity relies on a constant influx of new blood. You are the future of our Wind Elephant Sect!" The old man ended with an emotional encouragement and immediately dismissed them.

    Cassius followed Instructor Lisa to a quiet room. It was rtively narrow but very bright. The sunlight streaming in through the window created a golden square on the floor. Lisa and Cassius sat cross-legged next to it. The two faced each other, both wearing the light yellow training attire with blue wind and cloud patterns encircling the edges of their sleeves.

    Lisa spoke slowly, "Now that you are officially a sixteenth generation disciple of the Wind Elephant Sect. I will teach you our core technique of the Covert Martial Arts." She pulled a book from her chest pocket.

    Cassius''s breathing picked up unconsciously.

    Lisa''s tone was exceptionally cold and serious. "Before we begin, let me state that our core technique of the Covert Martial Arts are absolutely not to be shared! If discovered, the traitor will be dealt with by the Wind Elephant Sect. There will be no mercy for even their parents and friends."

    "I understand."

    "Good, take it." Lisa ced the book on Cassius''sp, then stood up to leave the quiet room, closing the door behind her.

    Cassius took a deep breath and opened the nameless book.

    Drawings of human postures filled the yellowed pages, apanied by lengthy annotations. When he flipped to the end, he found an introduction of a set of boxing techniques. Each move had illustrations and even diagrams of human meridians. It gave off an inexplicably mysterious vibe.

    Cassius forced himself to calm down and started from the beginning, flipping through it, page by page.

    This was the core technique of the Covert Martial Arts, the Wind Elephant Covert Martial Arts. It was divided into training methods and fighting methods.

    Called the Elephant Soul, the training method was designed to train one¡¯s physique and break through their physical limits. It included special movements, breathing techniques, and ointments which had to be used in tandem. Depending on the level of training, the users would experience three different sensations on their skins: Prickling, Bug Bite, and Burning Wind.

    Those were also known as the three levels of the Elephant Soul. Each time a practitioner moved to the next level, there would be a significant leap in their physical qualities, like in their strength, speed, and defense .

    Besides the training methods, the attacking techniques were also known as fighting methods. The Wind Elephant Fist also had three levels and were called Gale, Elephant Herd, and Wind Elephant. Each level had different characteristics. The airflow that emanated from Lisa''s palm, for example, was a characteristic of the Gale level of the Wind Elephant Fist.

    "I wonder what level of the Wind Elephant Covert Martial Arts is needed to reach the elerated blood flow stage that Instructor Lisa mentioned?" Cassius closed the book, a look of wonder in his eyes. After 160 days of hard work, he had finally earned himself the chance to touch the extraordinary.

    The doors to another world had finally opened a crack! It was extremely tough, butpletely worth it.

    The sunlight outside grew stronger, warming Cassius''s back. He took a deep breath and exhaled.

    The next day, at the entrance of the Wind Elephant Sect training camp.

    Li Chu stood in the shade, watching Li Wei and Jojo in the distance. Li Wei patted Jojo''s shoulder, seemingly saying something to him. Jojo carried his belongings in arge bundle for his journey home. Momentster, Jojo smiled and waved as he left.

    Li Wei stood in ce until Jojo disappeared from view.

    "Little Wei, what did you two talk about?" Li Chu curiously came over after seeing Li Wei hand something to Jojo.

    Li Wei shook his head. "I gave him the watch that Instructor Lisa gave me. I told him to do whatever he wanted with it. Sell it for money if he needed to. He has eight people in his family, and his father recently got pneumoconiosis while working in a factory. He said he wants to go home and take on the family''s responsibilities.

    "Obstacles can''t stop a brave person, much less a real man. I wish him the best of luck."

 Chapter 19 - Farewell

    <h4>Chapter 19 - Farewell</h4>

    Afternoon, in a familiar quiet room.

    A strong smell of ointment permeated the room as Cassius applied a ck paste all over his body. ording to the Wind Elephant Covert Martial Arts book, he could not let a single area go without ointment. Though it was a bit awkward, he followed the instructions to the letter.

    In no time, Cassius''s skin turned a light shade of ck, and a cooling sensation spread to his mind. It felt soothing, but it had really unpleasant stench, like ck riverbank mud being unearthed after the water receded. Pungent and earthy.

    "Are you done?" Lisa''s voice suddenly came from outside the door.

    "Wait a moment, Teacher, I haven''t put on my clothes yet!" Cassius quickly grabbed his light yellow training attire from the ground and put them on.

    "Okay!" he shouted.

    Lisa pushed the door open with a creak and walked straight in. "Open the windows and ventte the room for five minutes. Otherwise, you won''t be able to maintain mental focus during your breathing exercises."

    "Yes." Cassiusplied immediately. A cool breeze blew in from the window, and after five minutes, the stench in the room and on Cassius dissipated.

    "Today is officially the day that I, as your master, will teach you the Wind Elephant Covert Martial Arts," Lisa said, "Tsk, why are you standing so far away? Come closer. We all started the same way, there¡¯s nothing to be embarrassed about. By the way, did you cover your whole body with it?"

    "I... I covered it..." The ointment had turned Cassius''s face entirely ck. He forced a smile. It was getting cooler, like he had applied menthol balm on himself.

    "Is the medicine starting to take effect? Then let''s skip the small talk and start with the special breathing techniques."

    Lisa did exactly that. She threw out a book containing the Covert Martial Arts from her bosom and began exining the moves and key points to Cassius.

    Fifteen minutester, in a corner of the quiet room.

    Cassius stood in a half-squat horse stance. He leaned forward, his toes slightly raised and his head slightly lowered. His hands were sped together as if in sincere prayer.

    "<i>Hoo, hoo, hoo</i>...<i> hiss</i>...<i> hoo, hoo</i>...<i> hiss</i>...<i> hoo</i>...<i> hiss</i>..."

    He inhaled and exhaled rhythmically, his breathing following the rhythm of "Three-one, two-one, one-one."

    He repeated this cycle over and over again.

    Cassius felt like he was soaking in a hot spring. The initially cool ointment now radiated warmth, which spread through his skin to his muscles, bones, and meridians, and creating arge patch of heat.

    "Hmm?"

    He suddenly felt a subtle sensation, as if the heat on his body''s surface had turned into countless stars which were gathering towards his heart. In an instant, it formed a vortex before exploding.

    <i>Boom! </i>

    Cassius''s mind buzzed once before his vision went ck and he lost consciousness for a second. When he woke up, he found himself still standing in the same position. However, blood poured down his face from his nostrils in two streams.

    "This is..."

    Cassius looked up in confusion as text suddenly appeared in the upper right corner.

    [Elephant Soul Iplete: Prickling 5% (Total Three Stages)]

    <i>The progress bar had jumped directly to 5% of the first stage! And what does the "iplete" mean?</i>

    Cassius carefully thought about it and received some remaining information.

    Iplete, as the name implied, meant that the Elephant Soul he had learned was notplete. Theplete technique had three stages¡ªPrickling, Bug Bites, and Burning Wind.

    He hadpleted the first two stages, Prickling and Bug Bites, but the third stage, Burning Wind, was iplete at 55%; that was the third stage''s maximum. It would not go any higher than that.

    Many thoughts crossed Cassius''s mind at once.

    <i>Is this to prevent the most crucial secrets from leaking out? A way to ensure the loyalty of the core disciples? Or does the Wind Elephant Sect only have two and a half stages of the Elephant Soul to begin with?</i>

    Lisa walked over. "How do you feel? The first time that you practice the Elephant Soul is the most stimting for the body, and it has a lot of significant benefits. You''ll experience a period of rapid progress for ten days. Cherish this time."

    Cassius stood up, still looking a bit dazed.

    "Alright, wipe off the blood on your nose and let''s go eat."

    "Okay." Cassius walked to the washroom and cleaned up his nosebleed. He discovered the ointment on his skin had disappeared, leaving behind a thin, faintly scented transparentyer. It was like the sunscreen that the beauty-conscious girls used in his previous life. No one would notice the film if they didn''t look closely.

    "This is quite convenient..." Cassius muttered to himself.

    He stripped off the clothes on his upper body and stood before the clear and smooth mirror. Pectorals, abs, trapezius, biceps... Lean but not exaggerated, muscr but not bulky. Overall, he had a streamlined physique, with firm and stic muscles.

    Cassius had taken almost six months to go from a skinny stick to his current state of a lean, panther-like body.

    He patted his solid chest and felt a deep thumping within. He felt inexplicably confident about the crisis waiting for him in the real world.

    "No one will kill me now."

    "Li Wei!"

    "Coming!"

    ***

    The days passed, and indeed, as Lisa said, the first ten days went by fast when training the Elephant Soul.

    During these ten days, Cassius saw nearly 1% of progress each day. Every night, he dreamed of his bones growing, and every day, he felt his muscles getting tighter. His physical fitness improved bit by bit.

    During this time, Lisa also taught Cassius the Wind Elephant Fist, the fighting method of the Wind Elephant Covert Martial Arts. It was an advanced version of the Wind Elephant Sect¡¯s Basic Combat Technique and made use of all the basic moves that he had learned before.

    However, the Wind Elephant Fist''s moves were much moreplex and had higher-levelbinations, including many Explosive Techniques. It would be impossible to use for anyone without an extraordinary physique.

    One could say that the Elephant Soul was the foundation, and the Wind Elephant Fist were like its branches. Ordinarily, one had to prioritize mastering the Elephant Soul.

    Cassius trained diligently, and fifteen days passed quickly.

    [Elephant Soul Iplete: Prickling 15.5% (Total Three Stages)]

    [Wind Elephant Fist Iplete: Gale 5.6% (Total Three Stages)]

    As expected, the Wind Elephant Fist, like the Elephant Soul, was iplete, with part of the third stage missing. However, that had no effect on Cassius, who had just starting his training.

    At sunset, a splendid glow spiraled across the horizon, turning the sky deep red, and the slowly moving clouds looked like a vast red ocean.

    In the clean open space in front of the canteen.

    "Little Wei, we agreed to take leave and go home to see Mother in half a month." Li Chu sighed. "I wonder if anyone has watered the parasol tree at home."

    "Okay." Cassius stood beside Li Chu, their shadows stretching into the distance.

    "Little Wei, it seems you''re taller than me now," Li Chu said in surprise, raising her hand topare their heights.

    "Yes." Cassius looked up, his face glowing in the red light.

    "Little Wei..."

    They walked on, talking until they reached a fork in the road.

    Li Chu looked up, her pale face evidently worried. "Little Wei, is there something on your mind today? You can tell me. Don''t keep it all to yourself, otherwise it''ll feel really ufortable."

    "It''s nothing, sis. Hey, can I hug you?"

    "<i>Ha...</i> sure." Li Chu was momentarily stunned, then opened her arms and hugged Cassius. Her right hand gently patted his back, like a motherforting a crying child. Her touch was warm and tender.

    Cassius patted Li Chu''s back at the same time. "I''m sorry."

    "What did you say?"

    "Nothing."

    They pulled apart from each other and walked down the two diverging paths. Li Chu smiled and waved. "See you tomorrow."

    Cassius raised his fist. With his back to Li Chu, he said, "Goodbye."

 Chapter 20 - Explosives

    <h4>Chapter 20 - Explosives</h4>

    In a room where only official disciples were qualified to enter.

    Cassiusy on the ground, taking in the coolness from the hard stone bs. He squirmed, searching for the right sensation.

    The room was dim, the curtains already drawn.

    In the upper right corner of his vision, he could just barely make out thest remaining notch on the Time Scale. He took a deep breath.

    <i>Buzz...</i>

    <i>It''s here!</i>

    Cassius''s mind lurched, and he held his breath.

    The pale red curtains, wooden tables, chairs, and the dim room all began to fade in a bizarre fashion. It was like water had been doused on a painting perched on an easel, causing all the colors to blend and run together.

    Everything was trembling, spinning, and shaking!

    Although ufortable, Cassius forced himself to keep his eyes wide open. At the moment, he was focused on one thing.

    <i>Snap</i>.

    It seemed like something had pierced the membrane and his hazy senses became clear again.

    "Pa...thetic...worm."

    <i>Bang!</i>

    That was no gunshot; that was the sound of a fist mming into something!

    "<i>Ah</i>!"

    The antique specialist William''s face twisted as he clutched his wrist where a bulge had bloomed. His right hand had dislocated!

    A ck handguny quietly on the ground.

    "Where is he?!" He looked down, fighting through the pain, and saw that Cassius, who he had pinned down with his foot, had disappeared.

    "Shane, help me..." William turned his head. His expression changed drastically as a shadow materialized behind hispanion.

    <i>Snap!</i>

    Two lean arms shot out from the darkness. One twist, and snap went Shane''s neck.

    "Damn!" William turned sharply on his heel and sprinted. He dove, trying to grab the gun with his uninjured left hand.

    <i>Thud!</i>

    William was sent flying and rolled around on the ground. He felt his chest crackling, pain rushing from his bones to his muscles. His ribs were definitely broken!

    "<i>Cough, cough</i>!" William coughed violently. He grunted as a ck shoe stomped down on his wound. It pressed down hard, a nearly crushing weight.

    "<i>Ah</i>..." William iled his arms, wanting to curl up in agony but couldn''t. Even his pupils were dted.

    "Now, it''s your turn to be scared." He heard a deep voice echo above his head.

    William forced his eyes open, pained tears blurring his vision. All he could see was a tall, blurry figure gazing down at him. A silent killing intent suffused the hazy scene.

    <i>Is he going to kill me?! Right... I humiliated, mocked, and threatened to kill him; of course he wants me dead! This is just retribution... </i>William blinked hard.

    The moment he thought about dying, fear welled up inside him. When the gun had been in his hands, he had been arrogant and acted like a tyrant. Now that someone else was stomping on him, all he felt was terror.

    No longer in control of his body, William started to tremble.

    "Looks like the one who''s about to wet his pants isn''t me, but you, you pathetic worm. I''ll send you to meet Grand Duke Hongli now," Cassius repeated the words William had once said to him. His tone was calm but firm.

    The way Cassius said this so confidently turned William into a terrified mess. He screamed, "No, you can''t kill me! Huolu..."

    <i>Bang! </i>

    A fierce straight punch came down and found its target.

    "<i>Humph</i>!"

    <i>Bang!</i>

    Another punch.

    "<i>Umph</i>..."

    <i>Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang...</i>

    Cassius straightened up. His fists hung by his sides, blood dripping from his knuckles. Williamy on the ground, his face a bloody mess. He was no longer breathing.

    "<i>Hah</i>..."<i> </i>Cassius exhaled and smiled. The Sword of Damocles that had hung over him for nearly two hundred days had finally shattered![1]

    He walked a few steps forward and wiped off his blood on William''s clothes. Then, using a piece of cloth to pick up the gun, he fired a shot each at William and Shane. Point-nk shots to the temples. Blood spilled and pooled down onto the ground.

    Cassius threw the gun into the corner afterward. It wasn''t that he didn''t want to use powerful firearms, but he was, by no means, professionally trained. In an emergency, his fists were still a much more reliable weapon; it had taken him forever to aim properly and shoot the two bodies earlier.

    The air in the dim corridor was foul and nauseating. The dust mixed with the smell of blood was repulsive.

    Cassius weighed the elephant tusk pendant in his hand. This had saved his life.

    After putting on the pendant, Cassius surveyed his surroundings. He was at the end of a rectangr corridor and behind him was a relic hall adorned with fragmented murals. A pile of rubble from a column he had identally broken earliery scattered on the ground.

    "Hmm?" Cassius took a few steps into the hall. In the middle of a heap of loose stones, he noticed a metallic object. He cleared away the rubble and found a mask.

    "Could this be another of those antiques that contain their owner¡¯s lingering attachment?" Cassius''s heart stirred as he examined the mask and flipped it over. To his surprise, he found another face staring at him on the back. It seemed as though the mask was purely decorative and couldn''t be worn.

    Just as he was about to look more closely, the mask in his hand cracked and shattered, falling to the ground in pieces.

    "Too bad..." Cassius shook his head, not only because the mask broke but also because it contained no lingering attachment. There was no bitter taste in his mouth like when he held the Wind Elephant Tusk Pendant.

    A few minutester, a shadowy figure moved silently through the dim corridor. He stopped abruptly and nced to the left.

    A corpse with graying hair, the strands stained red with blood,y on the forked path. It was Cassius''s professor from University of Jersey, the leader of the archaeological expedition.

    Cassius stared at it for a long time but did not stop moving. His first priority was to leave this underground ruin. There was no guarantee that the Huolu Antiques Company hadn''t stationed more men outside. If they sensed something was wrong and sent people down, Cassius had very little confidence that he could fight against people with firearms. Especially not those who can fire from a distance.

    Combat Arts weren''t all-powerful and didn''t make one immortal. Flesh and blood still couldn''t withstand bullets, at least not until he mastered the Covert Martial Arts.

    He quickly ran along the dim corridor towards the surface, following whatever he remembered. His footsteps echoed off the tunnel walls.

    <i>Thud! Thud! Thud! Whoosh! Bang, bang, bang! Bang, bang, bang!</i>

    Cassius halted. He could faintly hear the sounds of gunshots and fighting outside.

    After running a bit further, he suddenly heard a man roar, "Shadow Demons! You monsters, go to hell! Amen!"

    The next moment, the ground shook violently, and the entire tunnel began to tremble. Muffled, rapid-fire explosions echoed in Cassius''s ears.

    "Someone nted explosives outside!"

    With a bang, the stone tunnel copsed.

    1. Refers to when someone is in a situation where something bad can happen at any time. ?

 Chapter 21 - Funeral

    <h4>Chapter 21 - Funeral</h4>

    The Camorra mountains were dense with foliage. The twilight glow cast a mix of red and green hues on the mountainside.

    A gust of wind swept through, causing the sea of trees to ripple like waves and the sound to resemble the waves crashing. The sound came farther then closer, closer then farther, and drowned out the birds.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    Halfway up the mountain, a series of violent explosions erupted. A clearly visible column of dirt and dust spewed skyward, reaching several meters high before falling back into the forest. About halfway up, a steep slope suddenly copsed, as if a chunk had been bitten out of it.

    "What was that? Was that thunder?!"

    "Seems to be from the other side of the mountain..."

    In a vige several miles away at the foot of the mountain, some vigers heard the reverberating explosion and stopped to look toward the sky. A minuteter, dirt and stones covered the ruins.

    The air was filled with the unpleasant stench of burning due to the explosion. All of the trees around the area had fallen, with some blown apart. The explosion and subsequent copse had cleared away nearly seven or eight acres of ground.

    At the edge of the st zone, several broken bodiesy on the ground or hung in trees. Their tattered clothes were distinctly scorched and had turned slightly ck from the blood and dirt.

    The area was silent. Even the frequent bird calls in the forest were absent because the explosion had scared away all of the wild birds.

    <i>Crack</i>...<i> crack</i>...<i> crack</i>...<i> snap!</i>

    Suddenly, a hand broke through the dirt.

    Two minutester.

    "<i>Cough, cough</i>...<i> cough, cough</i>..."

    Cassius knelt on the ground, hands dangling by his side, hair caked with dirt. His chest rose and fell heavily as he panted.

    The copsing ruins hadn''t crushed him to death, but it had nearly suffocated him. The tunnel copse buried arge part of the ruins in dirt. He had been lucky that a corner of the wall had created a small space for him to hide in. Using every ounce of energy he had, he dug his way out.

    Moreover, Cassius had to thank his extremely durable and strong body. Six months of hard training had not been in vain.

    The sky was faintly yellow at the horizon, and the ground had a faint reddish hue.

    Cassius stood by arge tree, gazing down at the corpses on the ground. He squatted and picked up a nearby badge.

    It was a pure white shield-shaped badge, with a pale gold wheat pattern decorating the edge. In the center was a ck cross sword, its tip piercing a horned demon''s head. On the back, there was a string of small letters neatly arranged.

    "Hunter?" Cassius read out the word softly.

    He reced the badge and nced at the handgun the corpse held with a death grip. It was arge-calibre gun, ck as ink with edges that weren''t streamlined but rather heavy and angr. It was nearly as long as half a forearm. On the right side were several silver cursive letters: "Ebony."

    "An organization, either the Shadow Demons or the group that nted the bombs, must have done this," Cassius muttered, frowning as he stood up. Things were bing more and more confusing. This government-led archaeological project seemed far moreplex than it appeared.

    Shadow Demons, Huolu Antiques Company, even the Fengnan City Government... Cassius scrutinized them all as countless questions filled his mind.

    <i>Never mind, I need to leave this ce first</i>. He scanned the area, feeling a twinge of dread. He knew he wouldn¡¯t be safe if he stayed in here. Cassius turned to leave.

    Half an hourter, the dirt-and-stone-mixed ground suddenly cracked open, and a twisted human figure crawled out.

    "Just a little more... A little more."

    The figure transformed into a robust adult male. Everything looked normal, except for the wriggling shadow on the ground. The horrifying thing about it was that the shadow looked almost alive.

    The man stayed there for a while before preparing to leave.

    "Hmm?" He paused and nced at the ground.

    A smile suddenly appeared on his face. "Nice... Anotherpanion is about to emerge..."

    ***

    It was the fourth of June in the 156th year of the Hongli Federation calendar. The weather was windy and it was lightly drizzling. Arge funeral was being held in the North District Cemetery of Fengnan City where seven coffins would be buried.

    The sky was gloomy as gray clouds concealed the skies. The sun was nowhere to be seen, and everything was a dull gray as if the sky had been wiped with a dirty rag. The roads in the North District Cemetery were muddy, with a few tire tracks here and there. Scattered trees lined the roads.

    In the distance was a vast green cemetery dotted with gray tombstones, thest marks left by the deceased. Hymns were being sung in a moderately sized steeple chapel located in the heart of the cemetery. The chapel had gray walls and a red roof. The surface of the drainage tiles were wet.

    <i>Dong!</i>

    The chapel''s bell rang out, resonating over the cemetery.

    The process of praying, bringing out the cross, and sprinkling holy water waspleted and the seven coffins were ced into their respective graves, with family members crying andforting each other.

    Momentster, white flowers were ced in front of each tombstone. The priest, holding the scriptures, slowly prayed with his head bowed.

    At the very edge of the seven coffins stood two lonely figures. One was the priest and the other was an elderly man with snow white hair and holding a cane. They stood at the final tombstone and the atmosphere was very somber.

    The old man looked at the tombstone three meters away.

    "Cassius Carneige. Born in the 131st year, died in the 156th year."

    The priest continued reciting the scriptures in a low voice, "Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdome, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

    "Cassius... <i>cough, cough</i>..." The white-haired old man coughed a few times.

    Behind the chapel''s wall, a figure in a dark coat and wide-brimmed ck hat looked on from afar.

    "I can''t believe I''m watching my own funeral..." Cassius muttered to himself. His gaze followed the hunched figure stumbling through the muddy road in the distance. His teeth unconsciously clenched.

    The elderly man with the cane suddenly slipped and fell to the ground. Cassius wanted to rush over, but he restrained himself. Momentster, someone came to help. The group continued forward until they disappeared from Cassius''s sight.

    "Damn it!" he swore, punching the wall in frustration. Cassius wanted to reveal himself to the old dean, to tell him he wasn''t dead, and that he didn''t need to be heartbroken over him.

    However, everything was just too confusing at the moment. The bizarre archaeological incident, the Huolu Antiques Company''s sudden betrayal, the battle between two unknown organizations, and Fengnan City Government''s lightning-fast funeral arrangements. Everything was too suspicious.

    Until he had everything figured out and thoroughly investigated, Cassius didn''t dare reveal himself. He feared this would involve the old dean. Since everyone thought he was dead, it was better to let Cassius Carneige remain that way.

    Cassius lowered his hat and silently turned away.

    <i>From today onward, I shall be called Li Wei</i>...

 Chapter 22 - Shadow

    <h4>Chapter 22 - Shadow</h4>

    Cassius had some money, but not much. He had taken most of these yellowishrge denomination federal bills from William the antique specialist. Obtaining the cash did admittedly solve some immediate problems for him like food, lodging, and transportation.

    After a busy morning and afternoon, he finally managed to find and settle in a remote inn that didn¡¯t require identification.

    Cassius stood by the second floor window and nced down at the wet street below. Two to three men in cheap shirts were chatting and joking while holding umbres. On the left side of the avenue, he could vaguely make out a girl in a white dress. She lifted the hem of her longce skirt as she walked in small leather shoes. Her slender, fair legs, wrapped in thetest trendy stockings, were especially eye-catching. Some green moss piled up in the corners, and climbing ivy, covered in dew, upied a small part of the wall.

    Cassius felt the breeze brush against him as he took a bite of his sandwich. It was his first meal of the day despite it almost being evening.

    Cassius had spent the entire afternoon getting a fake ID in the form of a small brown paper booklet. Given the era he was currently in, it wasn''t too difficult to obtain a fake identity. This was especially the case if one had a pocket full of money. If they ordered it by noon, it would usually arrive by the evening. Every city had people who specialized in things like that.

    Cassius polished off his sandwich in two bites and nced at the brown wooden box on the bed, which contained some daily necessities he had bought.

    After a night in the inn, he would use his fake ID to purchase a train ticket to Baichuan City the next day. Baichuan City was over 600 kilometers from Fengnan City, crossing about two-thirds into Beiliu County. Even by train, his journey would take a day and a half.

    The Jersey University had organized a trip to Baichuan City before so Cassius had been there and even stayed for more than two weeks so he was rtively familiar with the city. Regardless, the first step was to leave Fengnan City.

    He walked over to the bed and poured himself a ss of water, ncing at the cheap secondhand watch on his wrist. It was twenty-one minutes past five. Nine minutes until 5:30 p.m. It was almost time.

    He walked to the coat rack, shrugged on a ck coat, and donned a hat. Just as he was about to open the door, he paused and grabbed the umbre next to it. Now ready, he headed downstairs.

    A bald old man was dozing off at the front desk. Cassius nced at him, opened his umbre, then walked out.

    The rain outside wasn''t heavy, but it fell like sticky silver-gray spider webs. The sky was also dark like old, peeling roof tiles, giving a strangely oppressive feeling.

    The rain pelting off the umbre made almost no sound. Cassius turned four or five corners down the street and finally stopped in a remote alley, where a man holding an umbre was already waiting for him.

    "You''re here?" The man lifted the edge of his umbre slightly, revealing a stubbled face with thick sses perched on his nose.

    "Yes, did you bring the stuff?" Cassius got straight to the point.

    "Yeah. Where''s the money?" The man reached into his coat and quickly pulled out a new brown fake ID.

    "This is the other half." Cassius took out somerge bills from his pocket, and they swiftly made the exchange.

    "Take a look and see if it meets your requirements." The stubbled man flicked through the bills, checking for any counterfeit marks.

    A few minutester, Cassius nodded in satisfaction. "Pleasure doing business."

    "Likewise."

    The two shook hands and left.

    Indeed, professionals work quickly. As Cassius walked through the alley, he took out the ID again. The brown leather cover was embossed withrge letters with five pages of durable yellow paper inside. It smelled faintly of fresh ink.

    The first page bore a familiar name. Li Wei...

    Cassius closed the ID and tucked it back in. The street was full of water puddles, so he quickly moved onto the sidewalk. The ck streetmps on his right were already doing their job as they emitted a gentle yellow light.

    There were no pedestrians on the road, only a few wet stray cats shivering and meowing under the eaves.

    "It¡¯s so quiet." Cassius''s heavy heart felt a bit lighter.

    He didn''t notice that, at some point, the shadow that had been cast on the wall to his left began to squirm. ck whirlpools resembling blinking eyes materialized.

    A strange, eerie atmosphere gradually filled the space around them.

    The shadow had been moving in sync with Cassius up until then, but it started twitching haltingly, as if it couldn''t keep up. When he walked past a corner with no streetmp, his shadow vanished and a figure took its ce. It followed closely behind him.

    When the figure lifted its head, it revealed a face identical to Cassius''s. It wore the same clothes and held the same umbre.

    The shadow hade to life! It was a clone of Cassius!

    In the dim light, two identical figures walked at the same pace, one after the other, on the dark road. Neither of them cast shadows under the light from the streetmps.

    The figure at the back trembled, as if it was trying to break free from mimicking the original body, and hurtled forward. Its face, which was a carbon copy to Cassius''s, twisted into a ghostly snarl.

    "!!" It was only then that the real Cassius noticed someone charging at him from behind. Using an Explosive Technique, he spun around and punched hard.

    <i>Thump!</i>

    The punch smashed into the shadow man''s face, severely crushing his mouth and his cheek rippled from the impact. He spat out a mix of saliva and blood along with three or four teeth.

    The shadow man was sent flying, spinning in the air, eventuallynding in a puddle and sshing water everywhere.

    "<i>Ah!</i>"<i> </i>He howled in pain on the ground. "How are you so much stronger?! We''re supposed to be the same!"

    "What?" Cassius threw his umbre aside and rushed over. He seized the person on the ground and lifted him up. With the two standing upright, they finally got a good look at each other.

    "Impossible!" they spoke in unison, both in disbelief.

    Cassius''s heart skipped a beat. The thing in front of him was identical to him in appearance, expression, and even build! It was an exact copy of his old self!

    On the other side, the shadow man felt his heart skip a beat as well. That was because he realized a serious problem! The owner of the body in front of him was half a head taller, much more muscr, if the bulging trapezius muscles near his neck were any indicator. His clothes hid a lean, well-trained body, typical of someone who worked out regrly.

    "Did I not copy himpletely?!" The shrunken version swallowed the blood in his mouth, subconsciously backing up under the real Cassius''s re.

 Chapter 23 - A Free Cheat Code

    <h4>Chapter 23 - A Free Cheat Code</h4>

    "Who are you?!" Cassius yelled, eyes wide.

    Without warning, the impostor in front of him bolted to the side. Five secondster, Cassius had him in a chokehold, forcefully dragging him into a street corner. The imposter wheezed.

    "Talk! What exactly are you?!" Although Cassius had subdued the impostor, he couldn''t suppress his horror. He just noticed his shadow was missing!

    "<i>Hehehe</i>..." The impostorughed coldly.

    Cassius felt the other self in his grip grow taller and more muscr. The imposter struggled violently before fiercely jabbing its elbow straight into Cassius''s stomach. He grunted.

    A vicious glint shed in his eyes. He tightened his right hand, the muscles in his arm, honed through months of training, turning as hard as steel. His left hand wrenched in the same direction. Hard.

    "<i>Ugh</i>!" The impostor''s eyes widened. He abandoned his attack in an instant and focused on desperately trying to pry off the arm locked around his neck. Fingernails broke through skin and sunk deep into Cassius''s flesh, as blood mixed with rainwater dripped onto the street.

    "Never thought I''d end up killing myself!"

    Cassius viciously yanked his arm up. The impostor''s body kicked twice before going limp.

    Still not reassured, Cassius held on for another minute until he was certain the impostor wouldn''t revive.

    "<i>Huff</i>!<i> Huff</i>!<i> Ha...</i>"

    In the corner of the alley, a man and a corpse slumped against the wall. Rain fell like spider webs on his dark hair.

    Cassius lifted his head, staring nkly at the dark gray sky above.

    He had killed someone, albeit it had been another version of himself, but it was still a person! Panic rose within him, but it subsided a few momentster, fierce determination quickly recing it.

    He was far from safe. Cassius needed to get stronger! Anyone who tried to harm him would pay the price, human or otherwise.

    Cassius came back to his senses aftering to a clear decision in his head. He quickly scanned his surroundings and discovered that the street was empty due to the rain.

    "I need to get rid of the body quickly!"

    He looked down and saw that the body was eerily melting, turning into a writhing ck shadow. In a sh, the shadow reattached itself to Cassius and information instantly flooded his mind.

    He had been parasitized! It had happened in that ancient ruin, right when he had been forced to break the stone pir.

    The parasite was called a Shadow Demon. Cassius didn''t know where it came from. Nor did he know why or how the parasite came to be. The only thing he did know was that the Shadow Demon had some strange rules and strange uses.

    A Shadow Demon, as the name implied, was a monster that resided in the shadows. Every once in a while, it would copy the host from the previous day¡ªtheir physical strength, trained muscle memory, andbat techniques. The one advantage the host had was an extra day ofbat experience and techniques.

    When the Shadow Demon appeared, the two would engage in a deadly battle. If the host died, the Shadow Demon would take over the body, but if the Shadow Demon was killed, the host would gain everything the Shadow Demon copied, including theirbat skills, experience, and even a stronger physical body, essentially doubling their effort.

    It sounded fantastic on paper, but losing meant certain death with the Shadow Demon taking over the host''s body, memory, and personality.

    Most importantly, a Shadow Demon wouldn¡¯t die after being killed once; it had nine lives. And it was only by defeating it nine times in a row could they get rid of its parasitism once and for all. Assuming that the host had a 50% chance of winning each time, the probability of winning 9 times in a row was 1 in 512.

    In fact, it was lower. Most people wouldn''t realize they had been parasitized by a Shadow Demon and by the time they did, the Shadow Demon would have ambushed and killed them in its first manifestation. The Shadow Demon''s ferocity and cunning made it better suited forbat than normal people.

    If he thought about it on arger scale, only one in five thousand or even ten thousand people would be able to escape the parasitism of a Shadow Demon. An utterly despairing probability.

    However...

    Cassius touched the Wind Elephant Tusk Pendant, a strange expression crossing his face.

    If he remembered correctly, when he entered the mysterious era, time in the outside world would freeze. When he returned to reality, his body reflected all of the months and years of training he did. Just like what happened in the ruins.

    In that case...could he be considered the Shadow Demon''s natural nemesis?

    From the moment the Shadow Demon first manifested, the times for the next few urrences had already been fixed; the second manifestation would take ce a monthter, the third two monthster, and so on.

    In total, the manifestations would happen over the course of thirty-six months. Three years.

    For example, Cassius''s next Shadow Demon manifestation would be at 6 p.m. on the fourth of July. He could choose a point between 6 p.m. on the third of July and 6 p.m. on the fourth of July¡ªnot too early and not toote¡ªand time travel.

    That way, when the Shadow Demon manifested at 6 p.m. on the fourth of July, it would be facing apletely different Cassius; one with several months or even years of additional training!

    Using his new strength to overpower an overall weaker version of himself... The Shadow Demon didn''t have a chance in hell against him.

    Cassius blinked gently as he arrived at this thought. Didn''t it seem as though he gained a free cheat code out of nowhere?

    Cassius took a deep breath, feeling cautious again. That was only if everything went well, but there were still some ring holes.

    First of all, the time-travel ability he had just awakened could absorb the lingering attachment from the legendary antiques and reverse time. However, the time-travel ability consumed solely lingering attachment energy and could only be used once.

    The lingering attachment energy in the Wind Elephant Tusk Pendant was already gone which meant Cassius needed to find new antiques containing this kind of energy!

    Secondly, when entering the memory of the owner, Cassius had to resolve the original owner''s lingering attachment, or he wouldn¡¯t be able to bring the fruits of hisbor back. If he failed, he would have to face off against the Shadow Demon with only a fifty-fifty chance of winning.

    The future was not all bright, and there were many pitfalls and falling rocks along his way. He couldn''t becent.

    While he needed to steel himself against what was toe, he still wanted to able to appreciate life.

    In the rainy alley, Cassius looked at his arm. The scratches from before werepletely gone. "It''s healed."

    Moreover, he could feel his skin bing tougher, his muscles growing stronger and more powerful than before. He also seemed to have grown a few centimeters taller.

    He calmed himself down, and a stream ofbat techniques flooded into his brain. It was from someone identical to him, with six months of training memories. In that moment, he gained everything.

    [Elephant Soul Iplete: Prickling 27.6% (Stage Three)]

    [Wind Elephant Fist Iplete: Gale 9.9% (Stage Three)]

    [Wind Elephant Basic Combat Technique: ...]

 Chapter 24 - Baichuan City

    <h4>Chapter 24 - Baichuan City</h4>

    [Wind Elephant Basic Combat Arts: Extreme (Stage Three)]

    The Wind Elephant Sect¡¯s Basic Combat Arts, which originally only had two levels, had unexpectedly increased to three and had grown to the extreme level.

    If he thought about it in passing, numerous basic moves flowed through his mind like water, as clear as a mirror. If he thought more carefully, images of basic movements would sh before his eyes.

    His mastery of the Wind Elephant Sect¡¯s basic Combat Techniques had skyrocketed, reaching a whole new level.

    Cassius had a hunch that if he used the the extreme stage of the Wind Elephant Sect¡¯s Basic Combat Arts to learn the Wind Elephant Covert Martial Arts with, it would yield twice the result with half the effort. A tree with strong roots and stems would allow its branches and leaves to grow faster and more lushly.

    It continued to drizzle. By the time Cassius came back to his senses, his clothes were already soaked through. He stared up at the sky, the rain falling like spiderweb threads. Cassius followed their trajectory and saw an endless expanse of deep ck clouds. Thunder was rumbling like cannon fire, and a bolt of lightning streaked across the sky.

    <i>Time to head back to the inn.</i> Cassius checked the fake documents in his inner pocket, then picked up his wide-brimmed hat and the umbre that had flown away. He turned around and his figure blended into the light rain.

    A dayter, at the train station in the northern suburbs of Fengnan City.

    The tall, gray-white t roof building loomed in the morning mist, a gray rectangr tform in front. Dozens of passengers with luggage waited for the train to arrive.

    A shrill whistle sounded from afar as a ck-green train spewing ck smoke approached the tform. The train''s headlights shone like an oing meteor and cut through the mist.

    All the passengers took a step back, and a bald middle-aged man bumped into something. He spun around.

    A man, nearly 1.85 meters tall, stood behind him. He looked like an ordinary morning passenger with amon ck coat and wide-brimmed hat. In one hand, he held a travel wooden box, a serious look on his face.

    "Sorry about that," the middle-aged man quickly apologized.

    "It''s okay," Cassius said, taking a few steps to the left, revealing a ck rectangr iron pir behind him.

    "Over here! Over here! Come aboard!" a train attendant in a blue uniform disembarked and shouted loudly. The passengers in coats and windbreakers quickly gathered around and started lining up to board, luggage in hand.

    The train attendant shouted a few more times, "Check your tickets carefully, don''t get on the wrong train! And watch your luggage and kids!"

    In the crowd, Cassius nced at his watch. It was five minutes past seven.

    "All aboard," the train attendant patted the painted train body and yelled for thest time.

    Cassius picked up his suitcase and stepped onto the train. His seat was by the window, allowing him to gaze at the scenery outside. The white curtains were tied to one side, and the ss was wet from the condensation.

    <i>ng, ng, ng...</i>

    White steam spewing from above, the train began elerating as the wheels started to spin quickly. The train gradually gained speed. He reached out and wiped the ss clean.

    In front, rows of guard trees rushed by like fleeting shadows. Behind, the scattered lights of Fengnan City gradually got farther and farther away. Cassius took a long look.

    He would be back...

    ***

    Half a monthter, in Beiliu County, Baichuan City.

    Edelweiss Middle School ranked fourth in the province and first in Baichuan City. It had both junior and senior high school divisions. Its faculty members were skilled and many students enrolled there.

    Edelweiss Middle School was dedicated not only to improving academic performance but also actively expanding the students'' extracurricr interests. The streets around the school were lined with food and entertainment shops along with various sporting venues for basketball, baseball, swimming, and even archery and fencing.

    In addition to the multiple sports fields, Edelweiss Middle School covered arge area, with numerous tall, new buildings that were all the same style and all used for teaching. There were many simr buildings behind the teaching area. Out of all the middle schools, this was the most well-equipped and boasted the best education for students in all of Baichuan City.

    A towering teaching building with white walls and a blue base stood next to a circr flower bed. The sounds of the teachers'' lectures along with the asional student being called to answer questions could be heard from outside.

    In the first ssroom near the stairs on the third floor, a middle-aged teacher with sses ced his textbook on the desk. "Alright, now let''s turn our books to page 107 to the next chapter, ''International Situation and World Structure.'' Everyone, please take a look."

    He turned and picked up a piece of chalk, quickly sketching something on the ckboard. Before long, a fairly standard world map was created, with some major countries marked and several oceansbeled in the empty spaces. The teacher dragged the chalk across the board, snapping it in the process.

    "The Hongli Federation has been established for 156 years and, right from its inception, is one of the three major powers in the world! Look here!" The middle-aged teacher pointed to a section of the map, which represented arge coastal country. The overall shape resembled a hand grenade, with a small indentation in the center.

    The Hongli Federation upied a vast area of the map. It was almost two-fifths of a continent called the Northern Reef Continent. The Southern Reef Continent, another continent of simr size, was just below it. The eastern part of the Southern Reef Continent was also upied by arge, t country called the United States of Yana.

    To the east of the Southern and Northern Reef Continents was an exceptionallyrgendmass. Called the Blue Star Continent, thisndmass was about four-fifths the size of both continentsbined.

    Marked on the map was thergest country in the world, the Blue Star Empire. It was about a fourthrger than the Hongli Federation and a thirdrger than the United States of Yana. Dotting around the Empire were some smaller inds.

    The teacher used up half of the ss time just to introduce them one by one.

    In the ssroom, by the window, in the second-tost row, a handsome boy with brown hair and attractive eyebrows was carelessly flipping through his textbook. His eyes flicked asionally at the ckboard and then out the window. His mind was clearly not on the lesson.

    "Phil, the teacher is calling you." His deskmate suddenly nudged him with his elbow.

    Phil snapped out of his daze and shot to his feet. With his deskmate''s whispered reminder, he managed to muddle his way through the question.

    "Whew... Thanks Milo," Phil said as he sat down.

    "Why have you been so absent-mindedtely?" Milo, a freckled-faced boy, leaned over and asked Phil quietly.

    "Ah, I''m about to be kicked out of the Combat Club. I was in the bottom three against time. Two more times, and I''ll have to quit." Phil sighed, feeling regretful about being kicked out of the Combat Club and disappointed at not being able to see Senior Sister Tifa anymore.

    After all, that was the whole reason he joined the Combat Club in the first ce!

 Chapter 25 - His Name Is Li Wei

    <h4>Chapter 25 - His Name Is Li Wei</h4>

    "Oh, that''s easy. Just get some of the instructors outside the school to teach you a few moves and you''ll see immediate results¡ªas long as you''re willing to pay the price," Milo said.

    "Hongta Street?"

    "Yes."

    "Are you familiar with that area? I''ve never been to Hongta Street."

    "I can get familiar with it if you treat me to dinner."

    "Asshole!" Philughed and punched Milo.

    "No talking, pay attention to the lesson!" The teacher on the podium continued writing on the ckboard, not even bothering to turn his head. "<i>Ahem.</i>"

    The two looked up, pretending to listen to the lesson.

    Behind his textbook, Phil signaled an "okay" sign to Milo. On his left, Milo gave him a thumbs up.

    The school bell rang, echoing throughout the campus. Students in various colorful clothing poured out of the school almost immediately. Edelweiss Middle School certainly had a stylish uniform, but since the school didn''t enforce a strict dress code, everyone simply dressed as they pleased.

    "Phil, want to go for some barbecue? Oh, Milo, you''re here too? Come join us for some barbecue, we have about eight people."

    A red-haired boy with a ck backpack, standing not too far away, waved his hand. Beside him were some other ssmates, around three boys and four girls. One of them was the beautiful ss belle Euphy.

    She wore ake-blue dress that highlighted her slender waist and her fair skin looked as delicate as cream. Her ck hair was braided to one side, exuding purity and elegance. She asionally tucked the loose strands of hair behind her ears as the wind blew.

    Needless to say, many boys of her age found Euphy attractive. Everywhere she went, they would shoot discreet nces in her direction as they passed.

    The red-haired boy waved. "So, what do you think? Want to join us?"

    "Forget it, Milo and I have something to do. We¡¯ll join next time, yeah?" Phil pushed Milo''s shoulder as they walked away. They passed through the avenue lined with trees and once they circled around a flower bed, they were finally outside of the school gate. Milo couldn''t help speaking up.

    "Phil, why didn''t we go for barbecue with them? Do you know how rare it is for Euphy to hang out?" Milo asked. He ran his fingers through his hair, ncing back at the avenue where a small group of eight people were chatting andughing in the distance.

    "Euphy? What''s so special about her? She''s no Senior Sister Tifa," Phil said, switching his ck shoulder bag from his left to right.

    "But Euphy is much prettier than Senior Sister Tifa."

    "Yeah, but I never said I liked Senior Sister Tifa because of her looks... <i>Ai</i>, anyway, you wouldn''t understand, let''s go."

    The two ate dinner at a ce nearby before making their way to Hongta Street. Phil and Milo were both sixteen years old and first-year students at Edelweiss Middle School; Phil was in the Combat Club while Milo was in the Fencing Club.

    Milo''s family was neither rich nor poor, a typical middle-ss family. But Phil''s family owned a business with operations in several nearby cities so it was usually him who paid for their meals and outings.

    "We''re here. Finally." Phil took a swig of his cold drink and threw it into the trash can. He looked in front of him.

    The afternoon sunlight nted onto the cobblestone road, creating a slight reflection. The roadside was gilded with ayer of golden-red grass, and a few people hung rows of small gs on the trees, seemingly preparing for an uing event.

    Milo and Phil walked along one side of the sidewalk, traversing deeper into Hongta Street. A few pedestrians walked back and forth and, after passing through an archway, the buildings up ahead became more packed. There were asional signs of a martial arts gym or training hall.

    Finally, Milo stopped at a corner.

    Phil looked up and saw a sign¡ªGray Seal Martial Arts Hall. The wall beside it had two posters; one with exaggerated bold ck letters that said "Combat!" and the other simply depicted arge fist with an explosive effect around it. Below were some notices about enrollment and fees.

    "How is this martial arts hall different from all the others?" Phil asked.

    "<i>Hehe</i>, I only found out two or three days ago. Ten days ago, this Gray Seal Martial Arts Hall hired a new instructor. Very skilled and capable, plus he offers the service I told you about:bat techniques that are easy and quick to master. It¡¯s expensive, but very effective."

    Milo took a sip of his drink and continued, "Yesterday, I came here with Xina from the Fencing Club, and we saw him knock Coach Kosia back in just three moves during a sparring match."

    "Coach Kosia?!" Phil was a bit stunned. Coach Kosia was one of the threebat coaches Edelweiss Middle School had officially hired. He was undoubtedly skilled; Coach Kosia liked to visit nearby martial arts halls to spar with the other coaches in his spare time. He rarely lost and the most he''d concede would be a tie. To say that it was surprising that he suffered a defeat here yesterday would be an understatement.

    "Let''s go in and take a look." Milo led Phil straight through the door. The only person in the hall was a receptionist who was quietly sitting and holding a gray-white copy of the Baichuan Evening News.

    The newspaper lowered, revealing a slightly wrinkled elderly face. His hair was bald in the middle but red dramatically on the sides, like a pair of gray-white bat wings. "Hello, are you here to learn martial arts or to find an instructor?"

    "Ah, we''re just looking around for now," Milo said.

    The two left the hall and walked along the stone road. A public exercise area was just ahead, with a paid gym further in the back. In the public area, many men and women in tight workout clothes were sweating profusely. Some were punching sandbags nonstop, some were doing squats, and others were using the equipment.

    Everyone here, regardless of gender, seemed to be quite fit. They all had prominent muscles and most of them had a white towel hanging around their necks. The atmosphere here was much better than that of the school''s Combat Club.

    They continued walking and reached a training field. A crowd had gathered around, whispering and pointing.

    "Look, it¡¯s Coach Kosia," Milo quickly pointed out.

    Phil also looked up in surprise.

    On the field, two figures were facing off. The short-haired, burly man on the left was Coach Kosia from the Combat Club, and the tall young man with ck hair on the right was wearing a beigebat attire.

    At this moment, the atmosphere between thebatants was charged, with both continuously adjusting their positions. Kosia watched his opponent warily. He took a deep breath, and his leg muscles tightened.

    Coach Kosia made his move!

    A fierce straight punch was thrown! One! Two! And in three moves, Coach Kosia was defeated!

    "Impressive! Have you formally trained in Combat Arts?" Kosia said, clutching his shoulder and wincing in pain. His face twitched slightly.

    "You could say that." The ck-haired young man raised his hands in a fist salute.

    "Ah, no wonder." Kosia also saluted with his fists and sighed.

    "That''s amazing! Milo, is this the instructor you were talking about? What''s his name?" Phil excitedly patted his friend''s shoulder.

    "Li Wei. His name is Li Wei."

 Chapter 26 - An Instructor

    <h4>Chapter 26 - An Instructor</h4>

    "I concede." In the center of the training field, Instructor Kosia cupped his fists and walked off the field. The crowd had been on their edge of their seats and, upon seeing this, made way for him.

    "That Instructor Li Wei was really something! He managed to push Kosia back in just a few moves," someone whispered.

    A young man, who was in the middle of his workout, turned around and said, "You weren¡¯t here yesterday, were you? This is the second time Kosia''s lost. Last night, he was beaten in just three moves."

    "That''s pretty impressive. I remember that Kosia is the head instructor at Edelweiss Middle School''s Combat Club and is quite skilled, but it looks like Gray Seal Martial Arts Hall''s Instructor Li Wei is on a whole different level," someone remarked to theirpanion, their expression eager.

    "How about we sign up for his ss?"

    "Let''s go, let''s go."

    A few people beelined for the front desk.

    "Let''s go too or else we''re going to miss out," Phil said hurriedly. This Instructor Li Wei was definitely the real deal. If he could get some more lessons, he might avoidnding in the bottom of the Combat Club''s next sparring ranking.

    "Instructor Kosia seems to be looking at you." Milo patted Phil, who was half excited and half anxious, on the shoulder.

    "..." Phil awkwardly peeked over to his right and indeed found Instructor Kosia looking back at him, aplicated expression on his face. It seemed he had heard what Phil said and was a little jealous.

    At Edelweiss Middle School''s Combat Club, the three main instructors each had a group of students they taught, and Phil''s instructor was Kosia. Because Phil always ranked at the bottom, he had left a pretty big impression on Kosia.

    Having heard Phil''s words, Kosia felt somewhat angry and embarrassed that a longtime student of his wanted another instructor. It felt like someone had just stolen the crops that he had carefully been growing right from under him.

    But who could me them when the other side was indeed more skilled? He had lost to the other instructor twice, and the gap in skill was obvious.

    If Phil wanted extra lessons, then so be it.

    Kosia looked away and was about to leave when Phil softly called out, "Instructor."

    Kosia paused slightly before hurrying off, pretending he couldn''t hear. He mentally noted down this incident with Phil.

    <i>Phil... making me lose face on purpose. I''ll put him in the "death group" at the next sparring session. I bet he''ll be wailing in the first round.</i>

    "I don''t think Instructor Kosia remembers me." Phil sighed in relief.

    "Rx." Milo patted Phil''s shoulder, then pointed ahead. "We should hurry and sign up; there seems to be quite a few people already."

    Phil pped his forehead. "Right, right." He jogged over.

    The elderly man with the gray bat-wing hair at the front desk rolled up the newspaper and set it aside. He took out a notebook to start recording.

    "Name? Age? Instructor you want to book? What time and for how many hours? Andstly, the deposit. It''s not much; just fifty Hongli Federation dors."

    The elderly man didn''t seem to take a single breath, quickly jotting down the information in the notebook as he talked. He repeatedly stuffed the fifty dors into the wooden desk drawer and called people up one by one.

    Finally, it was Phil''s turn. He immediately gave his information and a green bill to the old man. Fortunately, Phil managed to snag thest appointment slot with Instructor Li Wei for tomorrow at six in the evening.

    "Alright, Milo, we''lle back tomorrow," Phil said to his friend as he stepped out of the line.

    Right at this moment, the front door of Gray Seal Martial Arts Hall was pushed open. A tall girl with neat, ear-length hair, wearing long clothes, and carrying a backpack, strolled in. Although her features were not delicate, they were deep and appealing, evoking an air of heroism around her.

    A little taken aback, Phil eximed, "Senior Sister Tifa!"

    "Phil?" Tifa was also a bit surprised. She adjusted her backpack and walked over. Phil caught a faint scent. It didn''t smell like perfume but ofundry detergent. "Are you here to train at the Gray Seal Martial Arts Hall too?"

    "Yeah, I heard the new instructor here, Li Wei, is really good, so my friend and I came to check it out," Phil said.

    Next to him, Milo, the aforementioned friend who apparently had no name, sighed. Phil wasn''t usually the type to freeze at the sight of a woman, but for some reason, he always got inexplicably shy around Tifa and acted like some lovestruck teenager.

    Phil and Tifa made some small talk before the topic quickly shifted to Instructor Li Wei.

    "You''re in Instructor Li Wei''s ss tomorrow? What a coincidence. I''ve signed up for all of his sses for the next month." Tifa nced at her watch. "Sorry, it''s almost time for my ss. We can talk more tomorrow afternoon."

    With that, Tifa turned and left. Tifa had a very well-toned figure since she had been at the Combat Club all the way back in middle school. Her back was also simrly impressive.

    Phil watched from afar until her figure disappeared.

    "Hey, it looks like your soul left your body." Milo nudged his friend. "Come on, let''s go home."

    "Wait, let''s hang out here a bit longer. We can take a look around the facilities here. The atmosphere feels better than the Combat Club."

    "Don''t give me that crap. You just want to see more of Senior Sister Tifa." Milo knew his friend all too well. "Fine, let''s go in."

    The two of them walked through the corridor to a public area. On the right side near the white wall, a row of eight ck sandbags hung from poles. Students with their hands wrapped in white bandages were working out nearby, asionally throwing punches left and right. The sound of punches kept echoing in the area. It may have been a public area, but it was essentially a ce for professionals. Everyone training in this area were seasoned enthusiasts.

    Phil looked to the left, where a space had been sectioned off. Dim sunlight streamed in through the windows, casting light on a tall young man demonstrating specificbat moves to Tifa. The process was slow, with a lot of exnations in between.

    "Power doesn''te from your hand, but from here." Cassius patted his waist. "You need to learn how to quickly generate power from your waist. By engaging all of your muscles there, you''ll be able to make each punch powerful."

    He stepped a couple steps back, moving to his right. "Give it a try."

    "Okay." Tifa, dressed in a white training attire, immediately took her stance, spreading her legs until they were were shoulder-width apart. She raised her arms at her sides and showed no signs of wavering. Twisting slightly, she slowly pushed her fist forward.

    Cassius nodded and opened his mouth to speak when his heart suddenly skipped a beat, and a familiar bitter taste began spreading in his mouth.

    "A legendary antique?!"

 Chapter 27 - Legendary Antique

    <h4>Chapter 27 - Legendary Antique</h4>

    He looked in front of him. Tifa showed no signs of abnormality as she punched, so the legendary antique probably had nothing to do with her.

    Cassius shuffled over to the right and nced outside. Almost immediately, he noticed Phil and Milo standing not far from the hall entrance.

    <i>Could it be them?</i>

    Perhaps sensing Cassius''s gaze on them, Milo and Phil turned their heads, pretending to be thoroughly engrossed by the students hitting the sandbags on the right.

    "Is my form correct, Instructor?" Tifa''s crisp, but slightly hoarse, voice came from beside him.

    Cassius turned back around and said, "It''s fine, but you should exaggerate your movements a bit more to fully utilize your muscles."

    "Like this?" Tifa demonstrated again.

    "Yes, that''s good. Keep practicing like that while I go to the bathroom. Don''t you ck off," Cassius instructed before leaving. Tifa continued practice her punches by herself in the left partition.

    As soon as he stepped out of the partition, the bitter taste in Cassius''s mouth intensified. Compared to the Wind Elephant Tusk Pendant he sensed in the ruins, the taste was about one-tenth as strong. But it was there and Cassius could clearly taste it.

    As he moved closer toward the door, the bitterness grew stronger, making Cassius all the more certain that one of these two boys had a legendary antique.

    In the hallway, Phil and Milo were beginning to sweat. Instructor Li Wei was walking straight toward them. He must have realized they had been spying. Phil scratched his back and was about to speak when Cassius unexpectedly beat him to it.

    "Are you two here to learn martial arts at Gray Seal Martial Arts Hall?"

    "Huh?" Phil was taken aback, but then nodded. "Yes, Instructor Li Wei. I saw you sparring with Instructor Kosia earlier, so I signed up for a ss for tomorrow at six. I saw you teaching Senior Sister Tifa just now so I came to watch. She''s from our school''s Combat Club."

    "I see." Cassius stood still. "Since you''re both going to be my students, why don''t youe over and familiarize yourselves with the training? Maybe watch how your Senior Sister Tifa practicesbat moves?"

    Naturally, Phil happily agreed. Next to him, Milo nudged his arm and turned his head to whisper, "Phil, I didn''t sign up for a ss. Should I wait outside for you or go home?"

    "It''s alright. I''ll go up to the front deskter and help you sign up for the ss the day after tomorrow," Phil whispered to Milo as he trailed after Cassius. "Besides, I''m going to sign myself up for a couple more days. Come and keep mepany. It¡¯s a little awkward doing this by myself."

    "What''s the point in me learning hand-to-handbat when I use a sword to practice?" Milo had a dark look on his face. "You little rascal, you only want there to be your wingman. You really..."

    "A month''s worth of dinners."

    "...know how to negotiate!" Milo instantly did an about-face and beamed, shaking Phil''s hand firmly. "Deal!"

    Cassius, who was ahead of them, had sharp hearing and caught most of their conversation, despite Phil and Milo''s lowered voices. <i>So these two kids are only here to pick up girls, huh...</i>

    Ten minutester, on the left side of the hall.

    By evening, the sunlight had turned into yellow blocks, casting a grid pattern on the floor through the window ss. The shadows of two boys sitting in the corner, one tall and one short, gradually elongated.

    "I told you yesterday¡ªstay within the framework of basicbat. You''re here to perfect your foundation and not to learn a quick technique like the others. Once your foundation is solid, everything else will fall into ce," Cassius said.

    He nced out the window. He had crammed a ton of modernbat knowledge into his mind in the past ten days. That, plus his memories of double training, meant he had no problem teaching a student at the non-professional level.

    "But if you''re curious, I can demonstrate an Explosive Technique." He regarded Tifa. "Come at me."

    "Yes, sir." Tifa immediately took a basicbat stance, with one foot in front of the other. It was the best position for generating power.

    She took a deep breath and charged. Waist and shoulder twisting, she punched straight at Cassius''s right shoulder. It was so fast that it looked like a blur to Phil and Milo.

    <i>Swish!</i>

    A ck shadow suddenly shed through the air.

    "<i>Ah</i>!" Tifa cried out, her brows furrowing in pain. She staggered back four or five steps, quickly pressing her right hand against her left shoulder. Sharp pain shot up from her joint. She stared up at her opponent.

    Instructor Li Wei hadn''t moved at all from his original ce. One of his arms was extended into the air, his five fingers pinching together to form a pointed cone. It was this finger cone that had struck her joint.

    <i>When did Instructor Li Wei throw that punch? </i>Tifa thought back to what had happened. She hadn''t seen iting.

    "Amazing..." Phil sniffed excitedly as he looked around from his corner. This was why he hade to Gray Seal Martial Arts Hall¡ªto improve hisbat skills and learn that thing Instructor Li Wei called an Explosive Technique!

    Nothing much changed in the remaining time that they had; Cassius taught, Tifa learned, and Phil and Milo watched. This went on until the sky outside gradually darkened.

    Edelweiss Middle School finished at 3:30 p.m. which gave students plenty of time for club activities. It was now past 5 p.m., and the clouds were tinged with red as the sunset gradually approached the horizon.

    "<i>Huff... huff... huff...</i>" Tifa panted heavily, her chest rising and falling rapidly. Instructor Li Wei''s Combat Techniques drained a significant amount of her stamina.

    "Alright, that''s enough for today." Cassius cracked open the window. He nced at Phil and Milo, who were practically drilling holes into his back from the corner, and asked, "Have you had dinner?"

    "No," Tifa said, wiping the fine sweat from her white neckline.

    "No," Phil said decisively, looking up.

    <i>...? Then what did we just eat?</i> Milo swiveled around to stare, wide-eyed, at Phil who stared back at him. Milo coughed twice. "No."

    "Dinner''s on me. Let''s go."

    Cassius learned more about Milo and Phil over dinner, and they gradually grew morefortable around each other. Tifa''s presence seemed to bring out an earnest and straightforward side of Phil. Whenever Cassius brought up a topic, Phil would blurt out everything that came to mind.

    At this point, Cassius was certain that the person with the legendary antique was Phil. His brother, Matthew, had recently collected some antiques and had given Phil a Purple Wood Cane to y with. This was the only antique Phil hade into contact with recently.

    The only thing was, Cassius couldn¡¯t figure out if Phil wanted to show off or appear magnanimous. When he revealed that he was somewhat of an antique enthusiast and asked if he could take a look at the cane, Phil unexpectedly offered to give Cassius the cane tomorrow, and that he also wanted to book a month''s worth of sses.

    Was he doing this to impress a girl? Or had he genuinely been enticed by thosebat techniques earlier? Was this him showing his sincerity before bing a disciple? Cassius couldn''t tell.

    But he wasn''t going to refuse a legendary antique brought right to his doorstep. It didn''t really matter what Phil''s intention was.

    "Thanks, Phil. I appreciate it."

 Chapter 28 - Attack

    <h4>Chapter 28 - Attack</h4>

    "It''s no big deal. It''s just an old cane." Phil brushed his hair back, his eyes unconsciously darting to Tifa.

    The four of them stepped out onto the street where it was gradually getting darker.

    "I''m going home now, Instructor." Tifa waved. Her route home was different from Cassius and Phil''s.

    Cassius nodded. "<i>En</i>, go ahead. Be careful on your way back." Beside him, Phil waved, face nk.

    The streetlights winked on, casting a faint yellow light on the dark gray cobblestone ground. An old newspaper, carried by the cold wind, drifted past the few ck garbage bins lining the side of the road. The three of them walked along the small street, which stretched all the way toward the city¡¯s main road. asionally, they could see car lights flickering in the distance.

    There weren¡¯t many people left on the street at this time. The three of them were silent as they walked but various random noises filled their ears; from the meowing of stray cats, to ssical music, to the screeching sounds of furniture being moved. Every now and then, there were people angrily cursing at each other.

    "Phil, Instructor Li Wei, I''m going this way." Milo separated from the two at an intersection and headed home, leaving Phil and Cassius alone.

    The two of them walked beside each other and, perhaps to avoid the awkward silence, Phil said something. Peeking up at him, Phil asked curiously, "Instructor Li Wei, if you train hard enough to be a good fighter, can you beat people who have knives or other weapons?"

    "It depends on the situation. Fighting barehanded isn''t an issue as long as you''re a hundred percent confident in your abilities. But if you''re someone who''s just casually learningbat, you should definitely run in the opposite direction if you see thugs or knife-carrying criminals. The faster, the better. It''s only natural that people who fight with weapons are more likely to win. After all, you''re pitting someone who fights with their bare hands against someone who fights with a firearm. Unless..." Cassius paused.

    "Unless you''re able to train your body to be harder than steel, your punches to be faster than bullets, and your blows to be as powerful as bombs. Otherwise, people with weapons will always have the edge over those who don''t."

    "Doesn''t that kind of thing only happen inics? Like the one that''s really popr now...''Captain Hongli''?" Phil scratched his head. "Superheroes like that don''t exist in the real world..."

    "Perhaps not."

    Cassius didn''t sound so certain. He had only just lifted a corner into the Dao of the Covert Martial Arts; there were still so many mysteries shrouded in the deep fog. If he didn''t rip the cover offpletely, Cassius would never know what the limits of martial arts were, like whether it could counter guns, bullets, or even...nuclear weapons.

    Oh right, this world hadn''t developed nuclear weapons yet.[1]

    The two of them continued walking, engaging in small talk until they reached a section of the road where the streetlights were considerably dimmer.

    <i>Crunch.</i>

    A ck shoe stepped on a small pebble. Phil slipped, but Cassius quickly caught him.

    "Thanks, Instru¡ª" Phil''s words were cut off as his eyes widened.

    <i>Ziing!</i>

    A shiny silver daggerunched out from the corner of the alley, its tip gleaming lethally in the light like a viper. Behind the dagger were a pair of cold, indifferent eyes.

    "<i>Ah</i>!" Phil screamed. It wasing straight for his neck!

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    A calloused fist swept through the air like a violent gust of wind, striking the man''s elbow with a crisp crack.

    <i>Ding!</i>

    The dagger flew out of his hand and ttered to the ground.

    The attacker stumbled to the right, his face ghastly pale. His arm iled like a windmill and droplets of blood spurted from his sleeve. He was in agony, breaking out in a cold sweat. That single hit had broken the man''s arm.

    "Kill them!" the man shouted. He threw himself forward, using his other hand to draw another dagger from his waist at the same time.

    "There¡¯s more of them?!"

    Cassius''s heart tightened. It was like a switch had just flipped inside of him. He sprinted toward them, his agile body making him look like a nimble leopard. He faced the dagger head-on. His robust arms mped down like two steel pirs and twisted at an incredible speed.

    <i>Crack, crack, crack. </i>

    The sound of bones breaking in quick session echoed. The arm holding the dagger now looked like a pretzel. Its red muscle fibers were snapped in half, exposing the white bone inside. Blood sttered all over Cassius''s hands.

    "..." Cassius took a deep breath. The air tasted metallic. Rage bubbled from within him, and his iron fist swung like a steel pir.

    <i>Thud!</i>

    The man''s head was hit with the force of a heavy hammer and his whole body flew diagonally to the left. He smashed against the garbage can with a loud bang, and blood spurted out of his head uncontrobly. The surface of the iron garbage can had a noticeable dent.

    "<i>Haah...</i>" The man exhaled once. And that was it.

    <i>I killed someone again</i>.

    Cassius felt inexplicably calm. While the darkness hid his expression, it could not hide how his fists trembled with excitement. Every muscle in his arms seemed to be twitching. Bright red blood continued to drip down his knuckles.

    <i>What''s happening to me? </i>Cassius thought.

    In that moment, killing didn''t fill him with fear like usual. Instead, an irrepressible thrill surged through him. His dark primal instincts were buried deep inside his heart and it was almost as if a blood-red balloon had been punctured, releasing those desires from within. His blood was boiling to the point of evaporation. An invisible hand squeezed his heart and it seemed to have taken control of his brain.

    Somewhere deep inside of him, a bloodthirsty beast had awakened.

    <i>It''s the Shadow Demon! It must be because of that inhuman monster''s influence!</i> Cassius nced at the elongated shadow behind him. The shadow seemed to squirm, as if in protest.

    "You guys asked for this." Cassius whipped around, his legs muscles tensing up like a pair of springs. It released and he hurtled at the three iing attackers with his bloodstained fists.

    Phil stood at the side, dumbfounded.

    All he could see was Instructor Li Wei charging straight for the assants. In the next second, the leader was mmed directly into the gray wall. His sinister face caved in, his nose ttening from the impact, and one eyeball had exploded. Blood mixed with shattered bone ran down his face inrge volumes.

    <i>Ding! </i>

    Cassius spun and delivered a side kick, sending the dagger in the attacker''s hand flying. Then he crashed into the attacker''s body, squeezing himself right below their noses. His hands shot straight up like a lotus blossom.

    The second attacker''s jaw made a cracking sound as his head snapped up so hard all they saw was the sky. His eyes were filled with shock and blood spilled from his mouth.

    <i>Thud! </i>

    His body slumped down.

    Cassius kicked off the wall, using the momentum to throw himself in the opposite direction like a tiger pouncing on its prey. His fists came together, one on top of the other, mming into thest attacker''s chest like a javelin.

    Immediately, the man staggered back, and his body trembled violently. He continued backing away until he hit a wall. It didn''t take long before blood,bined with chunks of his shattered organs, gushed out of his mouth.

    1. Author casually narrating a mental note to himself. ?

 Chapter 29 - Ace of Spades

    <h4>Chapter 29 - Ace of Spades</h4>

    Phil was stunned. As was the woman hiding in the dark nearby.

    "There''s an expert..." She held her breath, cautiously sidling along the wall until the shadows swallowed her up.

    "Those were assassins just now. They were sent here to kill you," Cassius said, ncing at Phil who had gone deathly pale. "What kind of business does your family actually do?"

    The yellow light of the streetmps and shadows blended together under the night sky.

    ***

    "Is this your home?" Cassius gazed before him.

    A gray and white estate with tall walls and wrought iron gates sprawled before them. They could vaguely see the tops of trees and the hazy outlines of rooftops. A quick scan told him that this was a vi area. Most wealthy people in Baichuan City had property here.

    "Yes, but I don''t usually live here. I live closer to school, on Honeysuckle Street. It''s my brother who usually stays here, but my momes over from time to time."

    Cassius picked at his fingernails. There was ayer of dried blood on them. "Let''s go then."

    Half an hourter, they were in a brightly lit and cozy hall. Phil sat on a brown leather sofa, sipping hot coffee from a white porcin cup. He seemed to have calmed down quite a bitpared to his previous panicked state.

    The hall''s decor was simple but luxurious, with a glistening crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling and a variety of wooden furniture, velvet cushions, and ss coffee tables ced inside. Golden thorn flower-patterned wallpaper stered the walls, where brightly colored, abstractndscape oil paintings hung above. Several pretty young maids served tea and water.

    Phil was clearly not from an ordinary family. ording to him, both his father and brother ran severalpanies that operated in multiple cities.

    Cassius sat next to Phil, a transparent coffee table with three white coffee saucers trimmed in gold in front of him. A handsome young man with a refined and elegant aura sat on the opposite sofa.

    He was Matthew, Phil''s twenty-six-year-old older brother.

    He had his brown hair swept back, showing off bold and refined features. He had a broad forehead, a pair of half moon gold-rimmed sses perched on his nose. Underneath his white shirt, his skin glowed a healthy light bronze. A silver pocket watch chain peeked out from his shirt pocket.

    "I''ve already sent someone to deal with the bodies. We were really lucky that Mr. Li Wei was there this time, otherwise, Phil would have been in serious trouble." Matthew gently set his coffee cup down.

    "It''s nothing, I barely lifted a finger." Cassius took a small sip of coffee and swallowed slowly.

    "Brother, why would anyone want to kill me? It was really terrifying! The second I saw that knife, my mindpletely nked out; I was that scared. Thankfully..." Phil nced at Cassius beside him, his eyes shining with gratitude.

    "Since you asked, there''s no point in me hiding this from you anymore." Matthew nced at Cassius and continued, "Mr. Li Wei can listen as well."

    What Matthew said next was an incredible load of information.

    In short, Phil''s family didn''t run an ordinarypany; it operated in the morally gray, between ck and white. Thepany''s main business could be summed up in one word¡ªalcohol.

    You see, the Hongli Federation imposed aw from February of the 130th year whichst until June the following year, known as the Trent Prohibition Act, which prohibited alcohol. Thisw was enacted on February 18.

    ording to thisw, manufacturing, selling, or even transporting beverages with an alcohol content over 0.6% was illegal. While drinking at home wasn''t a crime, people who drank with friends or held banquets that had alcohol there would be fined.

    The maximum penalty was a 3,500 Hongli Federation dors fine and six months of imprisonment. And only people over twenty years old with proof of age could buy alcohol from specifically designated ces.

    Thisw was supposed to advocate against drinking and reduce cases of social crime. All it did, though, was give rise to rampant bootlegging with many profiting from illegal alcohol sales, and to the rise of some criminal organizations that profited greatly.

    The Federation Government repealed thisw, lifting restrictions on private alcohol sales after June of the 151th year.

    In theory, anyone could now start apany and sell alcohol as long as they had a license. But the reality was that some organizations had spent twenty some years entrenching themselves in the alcohol trade, their influence extending into the dark corners of the cities.

    Therefore, a newly formed liquorpany looking to sell in a county or city couldn''t just bypass these organizations; they had to negotiate profit sharing with them. There was no way to avoid these organizations as they were also involved in other trades.

    Phil''s father founded the Connan Company which had the backing of the Ace of Spades, arge criminal organization. One of thergest organizations in Beiliu County, they had a wide range of interests. On the surface, they handled legitimate businesses like alcohol, tobo, and transport. But behind closed doors, they dealt in contraband goods like firearms, shady antiques, and drugs. They also offered things like protection or assassination services¡ªall for a steep price.

    Normally, no one would dare mess with a big shot like Ace of Spades. But a group called Duststorm had popped up in the past few months in Beiliu County. Their presence grew stronger as they had very aggressive andbative members.

    Other major organizations in Beiliu County had suffered losses at the hands of Duststorm. And now they had set their sights on Ace of Spades.

    As a result,panies like Connan Company, who had business dealings with Ace of Spades, were caught in the crossfire. They specifically targeted the weak and the vulnerable, which unfortunately, included Phil.

    "I see." Cassius sipped his coffee.

    Phil was even more shocked than Cassius. He had always thought that his family ran a transport and beveragepany. Never did he dream that their main business would be alcohol, not to mention getting involved with certain organizations.

    Ten minutester, Phil went to his room in the vi and found the Purple Wood Cane in the corner.

    Phil wasn''t very interested in antiques, so after Matthew gave him the cane, he hadn''t really paid much attention to it. Since Instructor Li Wei, the antique enthusiast, saved his life, it only seemed right that he give him the cane.

    <i>Thud, thud, thud...</i>

    Phil came down with the Purple Wood Cane in hand. It was as long as his arm. He handed it to Cassius without hesitation.

    Cassius clicked his tongue, a familiar taste spreading over it. He took it, a solemn expression on his face. The moment his fingers touched the cane, the bitterness in Cassius''s mouth intensified. The harsh taste was stronger than unsweetened coffee.

    <i>It''s finally mine</i>...

 Chapter 30 - In His Hands

    <h4>Chapter 30 - In His Hands</h4>

    The Purple Wood Caney across his knees. It was as thick as an adult¡¯s thumb.

    A golden eagle head adorned the top of the cane, the border iid with pearls and carvings encircling the cane. Pale silver acanthus leaves clustered around the eagle head. The cane looked modestly luxurious.

    Cassius tried to restrain his excitement. First, he sat on the sofa and yed with the cane for a while, maintaining the persona of an antique enthusiast as he conducted a thorough inspection. After six or so minutes of chatting with Matthew, all the while admiring the cane, he excused himself and went to the restroom.

    Both sides of the carpeted rectangr hallway had bronze wallmps ced equidistant apart. Themps emitted a faint glow, enveloping the entire hallway in a cozy, soft yellow light.

    Cassius headed for the restroom. Upon seeing no one around, he bit his thumb hard. It instantly started bleeding.

    He pressed his thumb against the cane and an icy stream of air instantly wrapped around his thumb. It was a strange sensation, like an octopus licking his wound.

    In the next moment, the cold air rushed into his wound, numbing Cassius''s entire right arm and spreading up to his mouth. A biting chill apanied it.

    It was June, clearly early summer, but Cassius felt like he was in an ice cer. His face was numb from the cold, like he had just swallowed arge piece of ice on a hot day. The cold shot straight to his brain, numbing his entire body.

    Fortunately, both the numbness and iciness passed as quickly as they came. In just a few seconds, Cassius absorbed the freezing sting, and the cane stopped emitting the cold energy.

    "<i>Hu...</i>"<i> </i>He braced one hand against the wall, exhaling a long breath. When he raised his head, numbers began to appear in his view.

    [Lingering Attachment: 1.1]

    As a standard measurement, a single instance of time-travel required one unit of lingering attachment. With the Purple Wood Cane containing 1.1 units of lingering attachment, this had a bit more energy than what was required for one time-travel.

    "I see, the lingering attachment contained in different antiques varies. I wonder what determines the strength of this energy..." Cassius muttered to himself, rubbing the cane in his hand.

    Once again, his eyes flicked to the upper right corner, where a Wind Elephant Tusk Pendant symbol hung alone above the lingering attachment disy. There were no other symbols beside it like, say, a wooden cane with a golden eagle head, for example.

    Cassius narrowed his eyes and gently probed around with his senses. He understood.

    Not all legendary antiques could generate symbols like the Wind Elephant Tusk Pendant. Most of them just contained lingering attachment.

    Which meant there were two types of antiques.

    The first type was what Cassius called legendary antiques.

    Like the Wind Elephant Tusk Pendant, these antiques contain lingering attachment and the owner''s time-travel nodes, which was how Cassius got to train. For instance, the Wind Elephant Tusk Pendant¡¯s original owner, Li Wei, had three key nodes: the youth training camp incident, the ruthless battle, and the path of vengeance.

    The second type was what Cassius called antiques with lingering attachment.

    As the name suggested, these antiques only had lingering attachment and did not have the time-travel nodes like the Wind Elephant Tusk Pendant. For example, the Purple Wood Cane he just absorbed only provided the lingering attachment energy.

    He collected himself and looked at his thumb. The wound had already scabbed over.

    He nced at the wall on his right. A small blood spot marred the smooth surface from when he had steadied himself earlier. Cassius casually swiped his hand over it. He turned and walked toward the restroom.

    Cassius washed his hands briefly and cleaned the blood-stained cane for good measure. Then he turned and retraced his steps. Once he left the hallway, he arrived at the vi''s hall. He stepped on the marble floor in his ck shoes and froze.

    A familiar taste spread over his tongue.

    Cassius clicked his tongue, nced at the cane, and clicked again. It instantly clicked in his brain. There were other antiques with lingering attachment in this vi besides the Purple Wood Cane!

    As expected of a wealthy businessman owning several multi-citypanies. His house was full of antiques!

    This was turning out to be quite a fruitful day for Cassius. With such a delightful surprise, a genuine smile spread across his face.

    <i>It makes sense. The reason why I didn''t notice anything while walking from the living room was because I had the Purple Wood Cane. The bitterness of the other antiques with lingering attachment from afar wasn''t noticeablepared to the bitterness of the cane I was holding.</i>

    <i>Since I¡¯ve already sensed it, there''s no reason to let this pass me by. I just need the lingering attachment energy. Even if it''s not a legendary antique, I can just absorb its energy and return it afterward,</i> Cassius thought.

    He hadn''t specified to Matthew whether he was going number one or a number two, so if he spent a few extra minutes in the restroom for a number two, nobody would bat an eye.

    With this in mind, Cassius quickly scanned his surroundings. No one was around, not even the asional servant passing by.

    He immediately walked into the hall and used his tongue, not unlike how a search-and-rescue dog might use its nose, to track down the source of the bitterness. The closer he got to the antiques with lingering attachment, the more bitter his mouth tasted.

    After about three minutes of wandering through the hall, he became increasingly certain the source was on the second or third floor. He spotted a spiral staircase with bronze railings and a spherical handle on the hall''s right.

    Cassius nced up, then leaped up the stairs on light feet like a fast and agile leopard. A few secondster, hended on the second floor, all without making a single sound.

    To be frank, a Covert Martial Arts Practitioner wasn''t stupid enough to starve to death. His muscle control made him quite an exceptional thief. He could scale walls easily and move silently, and should he get discovered, he could quite easily make his escape.

    However, no Covert Martial Arts Practitioner would stoop to stealing. They had other ways to make money.

    Standing at the second-floornding, Cassius heightened his senses briefly. The source of the bitterness was on the second floor.

    Ahead of him was a spacious hall like the one on the first floor, with cabs, coffee tables, and sofas. Several oil paintings simrly decorated the walls, with potted nts and decorative antiques in the corners.

    Further down, two hallways diverged into opposite directions, leading to different areas of the second floor. Rooms dotted along the hallway and at the end of one of the hallways, asional sounds could be heard from behind one of them with a dark red wooden door. The brassbel above read one word: study.

    "White Bird, Duststorm''s people attacked my son..."

 Chapter 31 - 1.9

    <h4>Chapter 31 - 1.9</h4>

    "It''s not this one..."

    Cassius slowly walked down the second-floor hall, touching objects that looked like they could be antiques. Three minutester, he removed his hand from a painting at the corridor''s corner, then turned to look at the nearby study.

    His shoes made no sound as Cassius walked up and stood before the study''s door. He could hear a man''s muffled voice from inside.

    There seemed to be two people talking about Ace of Spades and Duststorm. One of them was the two brothers'' father, who was on the phone, and the other was the vi''s butler.

    Cassius caught a key piece of information from their conversation.

    Ace of Spades was nning to retaliate against Duststorm in theing few months, with one of the locations being Baichuan City.

    Duststorm had secured a batch of dubious antiques from an outer district and had ns to transport them to Baichuan City for an exhibition and auction this month. Some of these antiques had tragic backstories, but whether they were real orpletely fabricated by Duststorm was a different story. Regardless, they were the auction''s centerpiece.

    Given therge number of antiques, Duststorm was going to make a considerable profit from reselling these to wealthy individuals in Baichuan City and nearby towns. And, well, Ace of Spades wasn''t going to let that happen. Ideally, the interception would happen during the transfer. That would teach Duststorm a lesson they would never forget.

    "July 25, after midnight. Warehouse on 118 Beika Street, Baichuan City. ck Fotte transport vehicle, usually with three men escorting it. Possibly armed..."

    Cassius noted the information down. He wasn''t sure if it would be useful, but nobody could predict what would happen in the future. Who knew? This could save his life one day.

    <i>It¡¯s here.</i> The source of the bitterness.

    It was an antique vase used as decoration at the study''s entrance. Predominantly white with a retro blue-green hue, the vase''s rim had a faint gold edge with patterns extending down to the base.

    Cassius pressed his thumb against it. A familiar sensation washed over him as cool air rushed into the wound.

    [Lingering Attachment: 1.1¡ú1.2¡ú1.3¡ú1.4...]

    <i>So cold</i>. Cassius felt the lingering attachment rapidly increase as he endured the chilling sensation that made his muscles stiffen and shiver.

    <i>Thud... </i>

    The vase trembled slightly. The conversation inside stopped.

    <i>Click!</i>

    The study door suddenly opened.

    A burly middle-aged man in a white shirt and brown vest stepped out. He had a stern demeanor, meticulously groomed hair, a brown beard, and sharp eyes. With his chiseled features, the man''s overall air gave the impression of an eagle in flight.

    The man nced around the corridor but saw nothing out of the ordinary. He closed the door, and resumed his conversation with the butler.

    "Put fifty thousand Federation dors in an envelope. I need to properly thank that Mr. Li Weiter. Wait, add another twenty thousand. Seventy thousand Federation dors should be good..."

    Back in the first-floor living room.

    Cassius walked in from the hallway. "Sorry, my stomach was suddenly acting up. Thanks for waiting."

    "It''s alright." Matthew smiled slightly. "I was just talking with Phil about the Gray Seal Martial Arts Hall. He wants to learn some realbat techniques for self-defense. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to trouble Mr. Li Wei to teach him these next few months."

    Phil swivelled to look at him, hope brimming in his eyes, from beside his brother.

    "Not a problem. As long as he genuinely wants to learnbat techniques and trains with me, he will definitely see results." Cassius returned to the sofa, cane in hand.

    The three of them continued talking for another five minutes until a burly man in a white shirt descended the stairs and entered the living room.

    "Father." Phil and Matthew got to their feet.

    "Mr. Jason." Cassius politely stood up as well.

    The man before them was Jason Hudson, Matthew and Phil''s father. He had an imperceptible aura of authority, with strong eyebrows and a gaze that left an impression.

    "<i>Haha</i>, we can drop the formalities. Let''s sit and chat," Jason said to Cassius with a smile, gesturing for everyone to sit down.

    When Cassius sat down, he was handed a bulging brown envelope. Something seemed to be stuffed inside.

    "I want to thank you for your help earlier, Mr. Li Wei. If it weren''t for you, I might not have been able to see my Phil again," Jason said, ruffling Phil''s head. "This is a small token of my gratitude. I won''t have you refusing this." He ced the envelope firmly into Cassius''sp and withdrew his hand.

    "Then...thank you."

    Cassius wasn''t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. He had left Fengnan City for Baichuan City and applied to be an instructor at Gray Seal Martial Arts Hall to make money, after all. If he wanted to continue practicing the Wind Elephant Covert Martial Arts, he would need an assortment of special medicines and ointments¡ªall of which required a lot of money.

    Moreover, Cassius needed to find legendary antiques and antiques with lingering attachment whenever possible. Having the right connections and enough funds were also important. Perhaps establishing a rtionship with the Hudson family would be beneficial.

    More than half an hour had passed. A cool breeze blew over.

    Cassius took a deep breath of the night air and turned back around to gaze at the brightly lit gray-and-white vi.

    He looked at the upper right corner, and he couldn''t help the hint of joy appearing on his face.

    [Lingering Attachment: 1.9]

    He had absorbed two antiques with lingering attachment: the Purple Wood Cane which provided 1.1 units, and the white vase which provided 0.8 units.

    He was well-prepared for his next time-travel.

    Cassius spected that the lingering attachment required for the different time-travel nodes probably varied since they represented different periods of Li Wei''s strength. The first time-travel to the youth training camp incident required 1 unit, and it was very likely the ruthless battle required more, but no more than 2 units.

    Either way, he had more or less secured his next time-travel which gave Cassius some breathing room.

    Of course, this didn¡¯t mean that he would stop searching for antiques with lingering attachment. He still visited various antique shops in Baichuan City every other day, hoping to find something valuable.

    <i>A very generous seventy thousand dors. </i>Cassius walked down the avenue toward his residence, opening Jason''s "token of gratitude" along the way. There were seven thick bundles of yellow bills, each bundle containing one hundred Hongli Federation dor notes, inside the brown envelope.

    Hongli Federation was notably one of the world''s three powerhouses, making its currency quite valuable with good purchasing power.

    "I''ll go to the pharmacy for herbs tomorrow morning, visit antique shops in Baichuan Cityter, and then head to the Gray Seal Martial Arts Hall in the afternoon..." Cassius muttered to himself. Although his packed schedule meant he was going to be busy for some time, he felt fulfilled which was rare for him.

    Strolling along the avenue, he soon arrived at a rectangr bus tform with a brass sign.

    <i>It''s half-past seven. There won''t be anymore buses, but I wonder if there are any horse carriages?</i> Cassius walked further down the tform, leaning on his cane.

    Horse carriages were practically extinct in the major cities of the Hongli Federation and even in first and second tier cities, and only asionally appeared in smaller cities like Fengnan City and Baichuan City. A decade ago, horse carriages were amon mode of transport, but they had gradually been reced by cars and buses.

    A leaf fell from a roadside ornamental tree.

    <i>Jingle, jingle.</i>

    In the distance, a ck-canopied, two-horse carriage approached.

 Chapter 32 - From the Heart

    <h4>Chapter 32 - From the Heart</h4>

    There were no pedestrians left on the road, and only the dim yellow lights from the buildings on the opposite street could be seen in the distance. Pale moonlight filtered through the clouds, barely illuminating the hazy shadows in the corners.

    The ck-canopied carriage soon stopped at the elevated tform, and Cassius took a seat.

    He leaned against the brown leather seat and noted that the sides were quite minimalistic in its varnishings and carvings since this was for normal passengers. It was nothing like the luxurious Baroque style. <i>Those</i> carriages were extremelyvish with spacious andfortable canopies, dazzling golden statues at the rear, and even gilded and embossed wheels. They were symbols of wealth and status of the past.

    With the rapid advancement of technology, small cars gradually reced the old carriages, and stretch limousines took the ce of luxurious carriages.

    "Where are you heading, customer?" An old man with a head full of white hair asked, reins raised.

    "25 g Street, Jessica Apartments."

    "Alright, sit tight."

    The horses started moving, and the vehicle lurched forward.

    Sitting in the carriage, Cassius surveyed the somewhat deste street scenery on both sides. There were rows of light yellow houses lined like building blocks. Combined with the ck European-style candbra streetlights and the asional tall grayish-white spire buildings that looked like they were either apartments or churches, it looked simultaneously familiar and unfamiliar, making Cassius feel a bit sentimental.

    He took the stacks of bills from the envelope and tucked them all into therge, buttoned inner pocket of his coat. Finally, he tossed the envelope out and remarked to the coachman, "What are you nning to do by taking me to a secluded ce?"

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    A straight fist suddenly came from the front!

    Cassius was about to punch back when a cold glint between the knuckles of the attacking fist caught his eye. He quickly dodged to the left and threw himself out of the window and into a roll.

    "You must be with those guys from this evening." Cassius used his hand to push lightly off the rough bricks of the gray and white road and sprang upright.

    <i>Thud!</i>

    The coachman jumped down from the carriage, his sturdy ck leather boots pping the ground. His originally hunched body straightened up and his initial medium build expanded inch by inch. In the blink of an eye, he became a powerfully built man. Height-wise, he was half a head taller than Cassius.

    "Don''t lump me in with those trash." His voice was hoarse. He soundedpletely different from the old man''s tone from before.

    Under the moonlight, the coachman tore off his disguise, revealing a fierce and chiseled face. He looked about thirty and his light green eyes emitted a venomous, snake-like savageness. His temples bulged, and the veins on his neck prominent. He had short hair that stuck up like steel needles and he wore a silver ring on his right index finger. A silver needle gleamed faintly from between his index and middle fingers.

    "You''re pretty skilled. Did you train in boxing? Sanda? Or street fighting?" The man chucked the needle to the ground. The tip of the needle seemed to be coated in poison.

    "I was going to make it look like an assassin had killed you, but I''ve changed my mind," he said, cracking his neck with a series of pops. He spread his arms, his bulging muscles clearly visible.

    "Kill me? Don''t make meugh." Cassius hated arrogant enemies the most, especially those who had no fighting ethics.

    "Hope you''re this mouthy when you''re begging for mercy."

    No sooner had he uttered those words than the man charged wildly. Cassius quickly took his stance, readying himself to use the Wind Elephant Sect¡¯s Combat Arts to face his foe.

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    A quick hook cut through the air with a faint whooshing sound. Cassius immediately retaliated with a punch, his shoulder muscles swelling. He stepped forward, switching from defense to full offense.

    With a smack, the man''s arm was knocked aside. He swung with his right fist, aiming at his shoulder. The man quickly dodged to one side, but as soon as his foot hit the ground, he countered with a knee strike.

    A calloused palm and knee collided fiercely in midair. Both parties jumped back. Cassius shook his slightly numb hand while the man rotated his right foot. After one sh, neither had the edge over the other.

    <i>A third-stage professional at least, or maybe fourth-stage. Not bad, but I''ve killed fifth-stage experts before...</i> The man narrowed his eyes, and a murderous aura exuded out of him.

    <i>Bang, bang, bang!</i>

    The sound of punches mming into flesh echoed in the secluded alley. Two figures fought fiercely, using various body parts as weapons¡ªfists, feet, knees, arms, and even elbows. Every strike targeted a vital point and if they reacted even just a little slower, it would be lethal.

    This was no regted match; this was a true fight to the death.

    At first, Cassius struggled to keep up with the man''s vicious rhythm. After all, the man seemed to be a professional killer with rich abundance ofbat experience. But thanks to Instructor Lisa relentless real-lifebat training, he quickly adapted.

    He, too, had fought hundreds of battles and therefore had a rich foundation. Guided by his memories, he was able to quickly find countermeasures against the killer''s cunning attacks. He was able to skillfully connect his attacks and his movements became more polished.

    <i>Smack!</i>

    Cassius''s fist struck the man''s arm. The immense force caused his muscles to tremble, forcing the man to stagger backward.

    <i>That</i> <i>was a powerful Swinging Fist!</i> The man couldn''t help feeling slightly impressed as he wondered where this young man''sbat style came from. The boxing framework was perfect, practically wless. The arm swing was also exceptionally fast and powerful, and came at tricky angles.

    <i>I might''ve misjudged his skill level; maybe he''s actually at the fifth stage. I''ll have to use other moves...</i> The man shook his hand and narrowed his eyes.

    He suddenly stepped back, dodging Cassius''s swinging arm. His steps shifted slightly as he moved to the right.

    Under the hazy moonlight, a dark shadow suddenly darted close.

    "Mand Explosive Technique..." The man inhaled and exhaled quickly. A series of pops came from his right arm as his muscles swelled, his arm growing at least 40 to 50% stronger than usual. He advanced with heavy steps, and threw a punch at Cassius.

    <i>Thud!</i>

    Two fists,rger than usual, collided ferociously, both of their thick arm muscles rippling from the impact. The force was so great, their sleeves exploded with a ripping sound.

    "Explosive Technique?" Cassius murmured.

    <i>He knows how to do that too?!</i> The man''s eyes widened instantly. His eyes zed with a murderous light as his left hand shot out like lightning, a cold gleam shing between his knuckles.

    <i>Smack!</i>

    Like a steel whip, an arm shot out and instantly struck the man''s wrist, forcing him to drop the steel needle with a <i>ding</i>.

    <i>Another Explosive Technique?!</i>

    The man''s pupils contracted as he kicked at Cassius''s groin. While forcing Cassius back, he twisted around and fled.

    "Don''t run!"

 Chapter 33 - Holy Bath Festival

    <h4>Chapter 33 - Holy Bath Festival</h4>

    One after another, the two figures dashed into a dark alley, the sound of their rapid footsteps echoing in the narrow space. The man tried to duck around a corner, but Cassius pursued him aggressively.

    A cold gleam shed before his eyes, the de tinted red.

    <i>Thud!</i>

    Cassius kicked, sending the burly man flying. His clothes scraped against the rough ground, making a rustling sound. Face twisted in pain as he got to his feet, he first looked briefly at the dagger that was now far out of his reach, before wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. The man quickly leaped over the wall and disappeared into the darkness of the neighborhood.

    At the corner of the street, Cassius decided not to go after him. He nced at his right arm. His forearm''s sleeve had been shed open, blood oozing out in a line that was as long as his palm, and gradually dying the surrounding fabric red.

    It was a superficial wound, however...

    Cassius hurried forward and picked up the silver dagger from the ground. The de was slightly curved and looked very thin, with an edge that was polished to an exceptional smoothness. But it was not poisoned.

    <i>Phew...</i> He exhaled deeply, his pounding heart slowly calming down, and his breathing gradually returning to normal.

    While it was possible to be immune to lethal poison, Cassius, in his current physical condition, was not quite there yet. He would need to train the Wind Elephant Covert Martial Arts to a highly advanced level to be able to suppress and be partially immune to some toxins. Because once those toxins invaded the body, it would be hard for any living being to not be affected, and experiencing detrimental symptoms was basically inevitable.

    But if he looked at it another way, if he couldn''t be immune to the poison from weapons, then he might as well not try. If he trained his muscles and skin to be as hard as iron so that the weapons'' des wouldn¡¯t be able to cut through his skin, the result would be the same.

    In the Wind Elephant Covert Martial Arts, the Elephant Soul had three levels¡ªPrickling, Bug Bite, and Burning Wind, and unlocking each level would improve the practitioner''s physicality significantly.

    Although Cassius had not even reached 30% of the first level, Prickling, his physical fitness and strength had seen remarkable improvement.

    Despite the fact that the assassin was half a head taller than Cassius, he had actually been at a slight disadvantage during their fight. His physical advantage had beenpletely nullified by Cassius''s Elephant Soul, and Cassius even managed toe out on top. Cassius''s muscle strength was also likely much higher than the burly man''s.

    If he could master the first level of Elephant Soul, Prickling, or even the second level, Bug Bite, not only would daggers no longer be an issue, maybe a small-caliber handgun...

    Cassius lightly patted the dust off his hands, putting a stop to his daydreaming. With one hand pressed to his wound, he rushed off.

    <i>Next time,</i> <i>I''m bringing a dagger</i>...

    ***

    White clouds floated in the azure sky the next day. A ray of sunlight shone through the golden-edged gap, making the rooftops of gray-white buildings and the leaves of low trees sparkle.

    In Baichuan City, at 25 g Street, Jessica Apartments. On the fourth floor, in a sunlit room.

    A light blue embroidered curtain blocked most of the sunlight, with a single beam nting through the gap. A rectangr strip of golden light divided the room on the white floor tiles. The sunlight slowly lit upon the brown bed sheet, making it warm to the touch.

    An angr facey on the bed, eyes closed. He wasn¡¯t particrly handsome, but there was an inexplicable aura of determination in his brows.

    A series of crisp bird calls suddenly sounded from outside the window.

    "Hmm?" Cassius opened his eyes, his expression somewhat confused.

    He had been dreaming that he had turned into the original Li Wei. On that rainy night, Finn and his two thug buddies were tearing at Li Chu''s clothes while he hid in the corner like a coward, trembling alongside the rumbling thunder.

    "Damn it!" Cassius cursed softly, getting up.

    He wasn''t the original Li Wei. The things that the original cowardly Li Wei was too afraid to do, Cassius did them all during his transmigration. He beat people up! Saved his sister, and beat people up again! And Cassius would have killed them all, had it not been for the restrictions.

    He has always held the belief that people were not born to be submissive. If one kept blindly giving in, they would only push themselves to the edge of the cliff.

    Back in the youth training camp, Cassius lived the way Li Wei wanted to live, and he did what Li Wei most wanted to do. But these weren''t just Li Wei''s desires; Cassius wanted to do them too. Even if the time-travel was a mere illusion and he was ultimately unable to change the past, Cassius still wanted to get back at those people¡ªfor Li Wei, for Li Chu, and for himself.

    Of course, all of this was only possible if he had strong fists. The day before, he had made seventy thousand Federation dors, which was just enough to buy medicinal herbs.

    He got up and strolled over to the window, pulling open the curtains. The bright sunlight immediately illuminated the white room, sweeping away any shadows. He opened the window and took a breath of fresh air. The sunlight fell on the sparse green vegetation below, revealing a verdant sheen. Next to Jessica Apartments was a camphor road with two rows of tall, sturdy trees, rustling in the wind.

    In the parking spaces around the edge, there were about five parked ck goldfish-mouth cars, their roofs buried beneath fallen branches and leaves that had umted from the night before.

    "Happy Holy Bath Festival!"

    "Happy holidays!"

    "..."

    Down in the street, a long procession slowly approached. The leaders wore traditional costumes, and the women, draped in ck gauzy headscarves, were all young and beautiful. They carried flower baskets in one hand and scattered petals with the other.

    Amongst the crowd, some held religious symbols like crosses, some carried white ribbon flowers, and others yed musical instruments. There were about a hundred people in total. Residents on both sides lined the street in wee, with some even standing deliberately in the path of the falling petals and letting the white petalsnd on their heads.

    This was the Holy Bath Festival, a nationwide festival in the Hongli Federation. Originally a religious festival, it had became much more widespread.

    The women scattering white petals on people''s heads was meant to mimic the ritual of pouring holy water all over the body and washing away sin and impurity. In general, it carried a positive connotation. Adults liked the festival. Children even more so, because the Holy Bath Festival meant they had a day off from school and had no homework.

    Cassius quickly freshened up in the bathroom at Jessica Apartments. Then he got dressed and walked down the stairs.

    A chubby olddy with white hair shuffled toward him. She wore a floral dress, reading sses, and leaned on a cane.

    "Good morning, Madam Jessica." Cassius waved to thendy of the apartments.

    "<i>Ah</i>... Good morning <i>ah</i>... Mr. Demetrios." There was a slight hesitation in Madam Jessica''s voice before she responded. She turned to watch Cassius''s back, seemingly frowning in thought.

    Everyone in the apartments knew Madam Jessica had a poor memory, which was why Cassius didn''t care what name she called him.

 Chapter 34 - Advantage of the Era

    <h4>Chapter 34 - Advantage of the Era</h4>

    <i>Let¡¯s eat breakfast first...</i>

    Cassius nced at the white petals on the ground before walking down the camphor tree road. A fragrant scent wafted from afar.

    There were numerous breakfast shops along the north side of g Street. Their cast-iron gates were already drawn up, with the shop owners and their helpers busily preparing various types of hot food¡ªgrilled meat sandwiches, oatmeal porridge, and sausage and bacon. Next to the breakfast shops, some bakeries were also open, with customers already buying goods. The air was filled with the fragrant scent of freshly baked bread.

    Cassius''s martial arts training consumed a lot of energy so naturally, he had arge appetite. He ordered a bowl of oatmeal porridge, three grilled sausages, and two grilled meat and vegetable sandwiches, and finished them all in just a few bites.

    Under the scattered golden spots of sunlight, Cassius stood by a camphor tree, holding a stack of newspapers in his left hand that was wrapped snugly around a mouth-watering dish of freshly fried fish and chips. In his right hand, he clutched a cup of steaming hot milk.

    "Smells good." He was about to chow down, when it dawned on him that he probably shouldn''t eat seafood since his wound hadn''t healed yet.

    It was a bit frustrating, but he didn''t have much of a choice. All he could do was tilt his head back and drink the milk in one shot before heading to the pharmacy in the distance. As he passed by the Purple Lake Park, Cassius ced the fish and chips on a ck bench. If the park cleaners didn''t take it, a homeless person would.

    <i>Ding, ding, ding</i>...

    A series of crisp bells rang from the front. A mailman in a hooded cap and a striking blue uniform rode his bicycle down the path, a bluish-green cross-body bag, filled with mail from distant ces at his waist.

    <i>Ring, ring</i>...

    Cassius and the mailman passed by each other.

    In just one morning, he had spent ten thousand Hongli Federation dors. This was truly the epitome of spending money like water. If anything, it proved that practicing martial arts required some family assets. Someone truly poor and without any support wouldn''t be able to even take the first step in learning martial arts.

    At 11:30 a.m., with tworge bags on his shoulders, Cassius walked back to Jessica Apartments. Each bulging bag was the size of a small child and weighed almost fifty pounds. It would be impossible to carry them so far back without some strength.

    With a creak, he closed the door and put down the two bags.

    <i>Thud! Thud!</i>

    Folding open the bag''s mouth, he took out packet after packet of herbs wrapped in newspaper. A strong herbal aroma immediately filled the room. After half an hour, Cassius finally got up from the floor.

    On his right was arge area of sorted herb packets, each representing one herbal bath dose. On his left was a pile of various herbs of different sizes, used for making ointments and could be stored for a long time. Usually, they would be stored in bottles to make it easier to carry.

    As for the training method... Naturally, a daily herbal bath was the best¡ªprovided one had the money. Because herbal baths used a lot of herbs every time, it would inevitably waste some herbs, the sight of which could really make one''s heart ache.

    But ointments were a different story. They wasted little to no herbs, were portable, and had a long shelf life. Their only drawback was that they produced less effective training results. Members of the Wind Elephant Sect had the luxury of choosing their preferred method. Generally, the sect provided them with a monthly amount of ointment.

    But times have changed. The Hongli Federation of seventy years ago was vastly different from the Hongli Federation of seventy yearster.

    The rapid development of technology meant that the once rare and precious herbs were now more readily avable. Moreover, with the revolutionary development of transportation and vehicles, it didn''t cost as much to transport herbs. The origin of herbs expanded from a single county to the entire Hongli Federation, and even reached all of the countries along the sea routes.

    Cassius looked at the seventy or eighty packets of herbs for herbal baths at his feet and nodded in satisfaction. These wouldst him about three months.

    Being able to take an herbal bath everyday was something that even the Wind Elephant Sect leader''s son could only dream of doing. As every single herb in the concoction was crucial, the production of these baths was dependent on the rarest herb in the form called Lanxin Grass. Only two ces in Beiliu County produced it.

    However, seventy yearster, a province in the Blue Star Continent of the Blue Star Empire managed to mass-produce this herb and transported shiploads of it to the Hongli Federation. As a result, it wasn''t as expensive; not dirt cheap but rtively affordable. In fact, the price of Lanxin Grass was even cheaper than other herbs.

    Thus, this was the advancement of an era.

    From noon until 1:30 p.m., Cassius busied himself with making the ointment needed for Elephant Soul. The heavy scent of fire and herbs wafted through the windows and up to the sky.

    Luckily, Cassius lived on the top floor of Jessica Apartments and had no neighbors above him, otherwise, he was likely going to getints as the brewing medicine had an extremely strong smell. Even he couldn''t stand it.

    <i>Forget four months, there must be half a year or even a year''s supply in here.</i> Cassius ced two diamond-shaped ss jars, each the size of a normal person''s head, filled with ck ointment, in the cab.

    The ointment still needed to be sealed and fermented for a week before use. Once it smelled like riverbank mud, it was ready. Cassius would then divide these tworge bottles into numerous small ones for future use.

    He quickly went to the living room and packed all the herbs into arge bag, cing it in a cool, dry ce. After that, Cassius went to take a cold shower.

    Five minutester, in front of the mirror, he looked at his right forearm. The scab on the wound hadpletely fallen off, leaving only a white outline of newly grown skin. His martial arts training seemed to give him a much more powerful healing ability than that of an average person''s. At the very least, minor injuries healed faster.

    Cassius dried himself and got dressed. He then pulled the curtains aside and tied them with a ck cord, hoping the smell would disperse. The herbal smell in the room was too strong and probably wouldn''t dissipate for an entire afternoon.

    As he opened the door, Cassius grabbed the ck wide-brimmed hat from the coat rack. He twisted the cold metal handle and strolled out.

    He walked down the stairs, turned right, and found himself on the camphor tree road. Some vendors were pushing their stalls and getting ready to return during dinner time.

    Cassius stared at the buildings across the street. Most were grayish-white, Victorian style buildings. Above the dormer windows were gables that were decorated with carvings orce outlines. The walls were made of red bricks, with many intricate corner carvings. As he walked, he saw that the houses here all had iron railings outside, with metal decorative tes on the arch railings. He could see small trees decorated with hanging ribbons behind the railings.

    The owners of these houses were not poor, nor were they wealthy businessmen like the Hudson family. They were middle ss and rtively well-off with respectable jobs. In some industries in Baichuan City, they could, at least, be considered elites.

    Cassius hailed a carriage by the roadside and left g Street. About ten minutester, he arrived at a crossroad tform. After paying the fare, he got off the carriage.

 Chapter 35 - Old Mans Antique Shop

    <h4>Chapter 35 - Old Man''s Antique Shop</h4>

    The buildings nking the street were quite different from before¡ªthese were obviously quite a bit shorter and the street was rather empty. The only things on the streets were ck streetmps that looked like candleholders, each with two protruding brackets beside the bulbs.

    Cassius followed the checkered brick sidewalk, passing by the pale yellow buildings, and turned right at the intersection. He walked further down and spotted a dense forest hiding behind the ck mountain face at the end of the secluded road.

    No one would have guessed that a small antique shop had opened its doors in this area. A rectangr metal sign hung above the shop: Old Man''s Antique Shop.

    <i>Well, that''s an odd name,</i> Cassius thought.

    Most people who named their shop like this would still p a name onto it like "Old Man Charlie''s Antique Shop," but the owner of this shop seemed quite capricious.

    Cassius had actually visited the day before. The shop was owned by a thin old man with round sses and who had a very strange temper. Despite this, Cassius quite liked the shop. Theck of patrons was strangely appealing.

    He pressed a hand over his bulging left chest. He had a good feeling about his antique shopping adventures this time. Hopefully, he would be able to find some antiques with lingering attachments, or maybe even legendary antiques. Otherwise, all the gold and silver in the world wouldn''t be enough to buy what he needed.

    After a brief pause, he pushed open the door and entered.

    "Wee to Old Man''s Antique Shop," an aged voice sounded from behind the red counter at the entrance. An old man in a white shirt and yellow vest raised his head slightly.

    "Hey, old man." Cassius waved.

    He wasn''t someone who made friends easily; in fact, he was quite indifferent. But for some reason, Cassius felt a close affinity with this old man. Maybe their personalities just naturally clicked? Either way, this antique shop gave him a sense offort.

    Thest time he was here in the shop, he stayed sote it was dusk by the time he left. The old man had treated him to a soybean sandwich, which was a rather odd choice of food, but admittedly quite tasty.

    "Li Wei, have you had lunch?" The old man slowly put down what he was holding. He shuffled around the counter and picked up a te.

    "Not yet, I was going to eat on Nington Street." Cassius had no time to eat earlier because he was busy sorting herbs and making ointments.

    "This soybean sandwich will hold you over for now." The old man handed over the te where there was, indeed, a sandwich.

    Cassius didn''t stand on ceremony and quickly grabbed it. "Thanks, old man."

    "<i>Haha</i>." The old man chortled happily, his white eyebrows twitching. There was a kind twinkle in his small eyes as he squinted at him.

    "Are you giving customers those weird soybean sandwiches again, old man?" a mischievous voice came from the door. A little girl wearing a children''s T-shirt was clutching arge ice cream cone. Her eyes shifted from the old man then to Cassius.

    "What''s weird about it? Soybean sandwiches are clearly the best sandwiches in the world!" the old man retorted, looking annoyed. "On that note, did you skip school, Little Yu?"

    "Old man, you''re confused again. Today is the Holy Bath Festival so there aren''t any sses," the little girl shouted, seemingly afraid that the old man couldn''t hear her. She walked all the way upstairs without turning back.

    "<i>Aiya</i>, how dare you lecture this old man?" The old man brandished the empty te in his hand.

    "By the way, when will Uncle Yun be back?" The little girl peeked out from atop the stairs, the cowlick on top of her head quivering.

    "At least another month. He''s on a ship,ing back from the United States of Yana," the old man said, setting down the te. "And don''t change the subject. You still haven''t answered my question, you little rascal."

    Cassius couldn''t help smiling as he watched the scene before him. The little girl and the old man were quite cute together. In terms of personality, of course.

    He had known since hisst visit that the old man and Little Yu were not from the Hongli Federation, but from the Blue Star Empire. Their Uncle Yun''s overseas business seemed to be rted to antiques as every now and then, a small shipment of them would be sent to the old man in Baichuan City. But none of these antiques were of particr value, except of the peculiar kind.

    Watching the old man storm up the stairs, Cassius shook his head helplessly. Maybe they were actually simr when it came to throwing tempers. What was the saying? "The older a person gets, the more their temper resembles a child''s"? Maybe they also became purer at heart?

    Cassius turned his attention to the shelves in the antique shop.

    From the outside, the Old Man''s Antique Shop looked tiny, but the space inside was quiterge. More than a dozen light yellow shelves were clustered in the shop''s center. One could tell, just from a first nce, that these were probably handmade as the edges showed wood grain and the points of rivet nails. The shelves held a myriad of odd little trinkets like music boxes, old pocket watches, thick books, parchment paper.

    Beside the shelves, there were low counters covered in yellow cloth that hadrger antiques on disy, like bust sculptures, broken iron swords, old oil paintings, and ceramic pots that could either be teapots or chamber pots.

    In short, peculiar. And definitely not professionally categorized as one might see inrger antique shops. However, the variety was absolutely staggering.

    Cassius did his usual thing. He started inspecting from left to right, then from the front rows to the back of the shop.

    Although his "golden tongue" had the ability to detect bitterness, it wasn''t always urate. The first time Cassius approached the senior brother with the Wind Elephant Tusk Pendant, he didn''t taste any bitterness.

    Touching the antiques directly was still the most urate way to find them. If they contained any lingering attachment, his arm would tingle and a bitter taste would spread in his mouth.

    But if some antiques with lingering attachment were hidden too deeply and could only be detected if his arm was wounded, Cassius would have no choice but to give up. After all, it wasn''t like he could go around pressing a bloody thumb on everything. Getting kicked out of every store aside, he also wasn''t too keen on the rust and contracting a bacteria infection.

    He walked along the shelves, touching the antiques from one side to the other but found nothing out of the ordinary.

    Putting down the goblet in his hand, he picked up a nearby bronze coin. Its surface was rough and old, and though it felt like metal, it was heavily oxidized and wasn''t sturdy. Cassius rubbed it lightly with his thumb, and his eyebrow instantly shot up.

    <i>There''s a very familiar bitter taste... Is today my lucky day?</i> His mouth curved up involuntarily.

    Hallelujah! The coin in his hand was an antique with lingering attachment!

    After checking his surroundings, Cassius started rubbing it more forcefully. The bitterness grew stronger but it seemed like there was something obstructing the absorption of lingering attachment on the coin''s surface, like it required closer contact.

    He bit his fingertip decisively and pressed against it lightly. A stream of icy air stabbed into his skin. The number in the top right corner of his vision jumped twice.

    [Lingering Attachment: 1.9 ¡ú 2.0 ¡ú 2.1]

    It was a bit low, but Cassius didn''t mind. He was plently satisfied with having just the lingering attachment.

    One quick nce at the shelf and he immediately found around eight simr coins. On one side of the coin was a crown with a crooked cross on top, the other side was inscribed with arge number "fifty."

    Cassius picked up the coins one by one and repeated his trick. Surprisingly, he actually found another one containing lingering attachment!

    [Lingering Attachment: 2.1 ¡ú 2.3]

    Squeezing the coin in his palm, he shouted toward the counter, "Old man, how much for these coins?"

 Chapter 36 - Crown Stars

    <h4>Chapter 36 - Crown Stars</h4>

    "What did you say?" The old man''s voice came from somewhere around the counter.

    "I <i>said,</i> ''how much for these coins''?!" Cassius raised his voice so the slightly deaf old man could hear.

    "Oh, now I can hear you. Let mee and take a look." The old man walked over and Cassius handed him the eight coins in his hand.

    With the sunlight filtering through the antique shop''s window, it gave the copper coins a slightly reflective quality. The two of them could clearly see that the coins were engraved with a raised emblem of a crown that had gemstones with intricate markings embedded in, and a cross sitting atop. Except, the cross was tilted slightly to the right.

    "These are Crown Stars. I''ll charge you ten bucks apiece. They''re not really worth anything unless you''re a coin collector," the old man exined as he put the magnifying ss down.

    Ten bucks apiece and at eight coins, this woulde out to a total of eighty. It was pretty cheap.

    Cassius actually had principles when it came to things like these. He''d usually buy the antique after absorbing the lingering attachment energy. It wouldn¡¯t sit right with him, otherwise, even if the shop owner was none the wiser.

    Now if he came across an antique he couldn''t afford, Cassius wouldn''t pretend to be the good guy. After all, he was the only one who could absorb the lingering attachment from the antique and once he did, it wasn''t like the antique would change! No one would be able to tell the difference and the shop could still make a profit by selling it to other people.

    And when it came to making reasonable usage of his special ability to enhance his strength... Cassius¡¯s principles became a little more flexible.

    "I''ll buy them all," he said. He pulled out a pale yellow Hongli Federation banknote from his pocket. The front showed the number "one hundred," and the back depicted a middle-aged man with thick hair and a prominent hooked nose¡ªGrand Duke Hongli from over a century ago.

    "Wait a moment, let me go to the counter and get your change."

    "No need, old man. Consider the extra twenty as payment for the soybean sandwich. I actually quite like the taste."

    The old man beamed when he heard that Cassius liked the soybean sandwich. "I''ll get a box for you to put them in then." He picked up a beautifully exquisite wooden box from the shelf. The box alone looked like it cost more than the twenty dors.

    Cassius''s generosity had backfired on him. But he epted it in the end, because he found it a little difficult to refuse the old man when he clearly meant well. Plus Cassius wasn¡¯t fussy about such small matters. Elderly people sometimes did this as a sign of respect. Excessive humility might make them feel like their goodwill was not appreciated.

    Once the exchange waspleted, Cassius took the opportunity to ask the old man about the coins'' origins. These copper coins all had the same design and were clearly from a series.

    Although the old man was forgetful, he had a sharp memory when it came to his antiques. The tilted crown emblem on this coin was called the Crown Star, originally named the St. Basiway Crown.

    Several hundred years ago, in the Northern Reef Continent of the Hongli Federation, there existed the Duchy of Lante which was originally under the Puka Dynasty''s rule. Of course, the Puka Dynasty no longer existed in the present.

    Back then, Grand Duke Basiway inherited his father''s position to be the Duke of Lante, and waster crowned king. During this time, he crafted the first crown in Lante''s history, which became known as the Crown Star Coin. Being the pious person that he was, he ced a golden cross at the top of the crown, making for quite a luxurious appearance.

    Two hundred years ago, much to everyone''s shock, the crown identally fell to the ground, bending the golden cross on top. The king at the time, and the ones after, didn''t bother straightening it and simply wore the crooked crown during their coronations. Later on, the fifty dor Lante coins featured the crooked crown.

    One hundred and fifty years ago, just after the Hongli Federation was founded, the Duchy of Lanteunched a revolution, and the king was sent to the guillotine. During the execution, the crowd threw coins and Wally IV''s blood, the blood of the king, turned the coins red.

    Yearster, many people collected these coins because of its historical significance. But no one really knew which ones truly had the emperor''s blood on them since plenty fifty dor Lante coins existed, which meant these coins weren¡¯t very valuable. During the antique craze twenty years ago, they were quite popr because you could buy one for cheap and boast about its story to friends. Nowadays, they were only popr amongst some coin collectors.

    As for where the coins in the shop came from, the old man himself was not sure. Most of the strange antiques in the shop were sent by Uncle Yun, who was a big traveler. If Cassius wanted answers, he¡¯d have to wait at least a month for Uncle Yun to be back.

    <i>A month... Hopefully, I''m still here in Baichuan City then</i>. Cassius bid farewell to the old man, picked up the box, and left the antique shop. There were hardly any pedestrians on the street now.

    <i>There probably won''t be any buses or carriages passing through here. Looks like I''ll have to walk to the main road myself</i>... Cassiusmented.

    ***

    Cassius hit up most of the antique shops in Baichuan City between 2 p.m. to 3:50 p.m. Most of his time was spent traveling as he hade up with quite an efficient routine when scouring the shops; he only needed to check the new antiques that had arrived in the past two days.

    Aside from the unexpected finds at the Old Man''s Antique Shop, the day was just like any other. He ended up spending over a hundred bucks on transportation.

    <i>Thud</i>.

    His shoes hit the hard ground. A tall young man with a wide-brimmed hat stepped off the tram, surveyed the nearby Hongta Street, and then started walking, casually tossing his ticket into a trash can.

    <i>Krrrk.</i>

    The door of the Gray Seal Martial Arts Hall was pushed open.

    The old man with bat-like hair was sitting at the counter and was thoroughly engrossed in his newspaper. In fact, he was concentrating so hard, he didn''t even notice Cassiusing in until his shadow blocked the page.

    "..." Cassius had barely looked down before he averted his gaze. He was speechless.

    Hidden behind the Baichuan Morning News was a thick porn magazine featuring seductive women in suggestive clothing,plete with descriptive introductions and measurements.

    "<i>Ahem, ahem</i>..."

    The old man quickly shoved the magazine underneath the counter, coughing awkwardly. "Oh...you''re here, Instructor Li Wei. Your students are waiting. Here''s the key to the training room."

    Cassiusughed, grabbed the key, and turned to leave.

    "What are you, some kind of ghost? Waltzing in here without making a sound..." The old man grumbled. Once he was assured that no one else was around him, he resumed his little scheme. He lowered his head, hunched his shoulders, and squinted his eyes, concentrating on the task at hand. He looked very much like a pervert with his lecherous expression.

 Chapter 37 - Tryout

    <h4>Chapter 37 - Tryout</h4>

    In the main hall of the Gray Seal Martial Arts Hall public area.

    "Hope you guys didn¡¯t wait too long." Cassius nced over to his right as he entered.

    Four boys and one girl, all in their Gray Seal Martial Arts Hall student attire, were in the midst of warming up. Some were punching sandbags, while others were adjusting the gym equipment.

    Cassius recognized three of the upturned faces from the previous night. Tifa, Milo, and Phil, whom he had taken out to dinner. The other two were new students who had registered the day before.

    "It''s okay, Instructor Li Wei. There were still five minutes before ss starts, so we were just warming up," Tifa said, lowering her fist from the sandbag. Her pretty figure was obvious even in workout clothes.

    "<i>En</i>." Cassius nodded. "By the way, Tifa, can you open the training room for me? I¡¯m going to the locker room to change." He tossed the key over to her. "The room number is on it. The rest of you can follow her."

    "Yes."

    "Okay."

    "..."

    Cassius watched the five of them leave before he walked down the corridor to the instructor''s locker room. He opened his personal locker and quickly changed into a sturdy beigebat attire. After chucking his clothes and hat inside, he locked the locker and walked back out, the pale yellow light shining down on him.

    Ten minutester, in training room B-15.

    Phil was in a lunge position, his back straight, left fist tucked at his waist, and right fist extended forward.

    As Cassius continuously corrected his posture, he exined to the four onlookers, "It''s important that your punching stance is correct since it''s a fundamental aspect of martial art. If your basics are even just a little off, everything you learn afterward will be skewed and you''ll be at a significant disadvantagepared to others."

    Two minutester, Phil''s forehead was dripping with sweat. His body was trembling, and his joints felt numb. Exhausted as he was, he felt less tired when he sensed Tifa gazing at him from the side. Emotionally, at least, he wasn''t tired.

    "Alright, Phil, take a break." Cassius patted Phil''s shoulder. There was a fine line between persistence and overexertion; one was good and the other not so much.

    Cassius had replicated Instructor Lisa''s teaching method from the youth training camp. By publicly pointing out every mistake a student made, it would leave asting impression on them. Afterward, the students would stand in the correct posture for three to four minutes. The student would remember about half of the correct stance in a single session, barring any issues with their mental fortitude, which would help them a lot for future training.

    Of course, there were also students who were extremely prideful and sensitive to criticism. Cassius made sure that he understood Phil''s personality before doing this.

    "<i>Whew</i>..." Phil rxed with a sigh and nced over at Tifa, who was listening to the lesson with rapt attention. He discreetly shifted closer.

    "Alright, let''s demonstrate the next move. Milo,e up here."

    Phil looked at his friend. Milo got up with great reluctance and walked over. As he passed Phil, he seemed to mutter under his breath, "Why should a swordsman learn how to punch?"

    Time flew by. Two hours was the perfect amount of time for training. Cassius nced at his watch and saw it was exactly six.

    "Alright, let''s stop here for today. See you all tomorrow."

    Cassius opened the door of the training room and made his way over to the public area. A group of students who were also headed in that direction to change, followed behind.

    Back on Hongta Street, the sky in the horizon was turning a ming red. Pale yellow clouds blended with the sunset, creating a peculiar mix of colors. A flock of ck birds flew from west to east and the cold wind rustled the fallen leaves and torn newspapers on the ground.

    A man wearing a ck jacket and jeans stood tall under the twilit sky. He wore sunsses and held a cigarette, slowly exhaling a smoke ring.

    "Here we are. Gray Seal Martial Arts Hall. Li Wei..." The corner of his mouth curled into a cruel smile.

    <i>Sshh</i>.

    His big hand crushed the cigarette butt. The tall figure strolled toward the martial arts hall. Once he entered the hall, the man asked, "So, you''re Li Wei?"

    "And you are?" Cassius looked curiously at the man in sunsses. The man was around his height, and a strong smoky smell seemed to cling to him.

    "Never mind that. I heard you''re pretty good at martial arts. Let''s have a match!" The man slicked back his thick hair, a cocky grin stered over his face.

    Out of habit, the man pulled a cigarette out from his pocket, smirking. "What''s the matter? You afraid?"

    "Martial arts hall rules; you need to pay a challenge fee first," Cassius said calmly.

    Needless to say, there was a fee for challenges. If there wasn''t, he''d have been harassed to death. Why should he waste time dealing with random hooligans when he could spend that time training his Covert Martial Arts?

    "Ah, really?" The man in sunsses looked around. Some curious students nodded in affirmation. "Alright."

    He cracked his neck nonchntly and marched over to the front desk. Just as he was about to speak to the old man engrossed in his magazine, a voice interrupted him.

    "Martial arts hall rules, no smoking inside."

    "Ah, really?" The man in sunsses looked up and saw the "no smoking" sign behind the old man. Coughing twice, he quietly put the cigarette back into his pocket.

    "I want to challenge that guy named Li Wei." The man pulled out his ck wallet. "How much is it?"

    The old man nced up, then returned to his magazine. "Instructor Li Wei? That''ll be a thousand."

    The man in sunsses froze with his wallet open. "How much?!"

    "A thousand!" The old man''s voice was loud. He sounded profoundly irritated that his reading had been interrupted.

    "That... that much?" The man in sunsses coughed awkwardly under the heavy stares around him. "Let me see. One, two... seven, eight, nine."

    That was all he had.

    "Damn, I''m a hundred short!" the man cursed.

    "It''s alright, nine hundred will do. I''ll cover the rest," Cassius said, unexpectedly handing over a bill.

    "Thanks, man!" The man in sunsses smirked. He handed the ten bills to the old man at the counter.

    Five minutester, under the evening sky, the man in sunsses stood frozen on the street, staring nkly at the door of the Gray Seal Martial Arts Hall in front of him.

    Ten moves. Hested only ten moves.

    All he had gained for his efforts was a bruised cheek. Plus, he was now short nine hundred Hongli Federation bills that he usually reserved for cigarettes.

    "Couldn''t block his punches at all... He¡¯s definitely a stage five inbat moves. Maybe, he''s even an expert at the peak of stage five..." The man in sunsses''s words unconsciously slipped out.

    In the vi''s main hall, two men sat on two soft,fortable sofas. A refined young man in a white shirt sat on the left while the burly man in sunsses and leather jacket sat on the right.

    "He¡¯s really at the peak of stage five?" The young man lightly propped up his gold-rimmed sses, the half-moon lenses reflecting slightly.

    "Why would I lie? Look at me." The man in sunsses jabbed at the white medical patch on his left cheek.

    It hardly hurt, but what did hurt was being humiliated in the martial arts hall. Kieran was used to handling shady business for Matthew. He wasn''t normally a restrained person and would''ve blown up in such a situation, but he had to hold back since Matthew¡¯s brother, Phil, was there. It just pained him that he had lost the nine hundred for his precious cigarettes...

    "Peak of stage five, huh? There''s some value in befriending this Li Wei!" Matthew¡¯s handsome face broke into a smile as he snapped his fingers. "I''ll pick my brother up after school tomorrow afternoon."

    "<i>Ahem, ahem</i>... could you cover my travel expenses?" The man in sunsses rubbed his chin.

    "How much is it?"

    "Nine hundred."

    "What kind of ride costs nine hundred dors?!"

    "...In any case, it¡¯s nine hundred. Are you gonna pay up or what?"

 Chapter 38 - Gratitude

    <h4>Chapter 38 - Gratitude</h4>

    The next day at Edelweiss Middle School. It was 3:30 p.m.

    The quiet campus came alive at the sound of the bell signaling dismissal. Soon, a tidal wave of students surged out. They headed home once they found their parents waiting at the school gate.

    Most of the students separated into smaller groups to go to their extracurricr clubs. Some of them were held within the school and some without, with the club instructors being teachers or professional coaches hired by the school.

    "What are you doing here, Brother?!"

    Phil had just walked out of the dark green iron gate and was shocked to see his brother there. Matthew was always busy with business and the only time he had picked him up was at the beginning of the semester.

    "Phil." Matthew stood to the side and waved, a smile on his face. He wore a white shirt paired with a brown striped tweed jacket and thetest style of dark red loafers. A gray and white bowler hat was perched on his head, and the same gold-rimmed sses rested on the bridge of his nose. Every inch of him screamed elegance.

    The afternoon sun cast a golden glow on Matthew''s face. A sliver of a silver watch chain peeked out from his shirt pocket. ompared to the other parents, Matthew was dazzling, radiating the aura of a sessful businessman and social elite.

    "Is that your brother, Phil? He''s so handsome!"

    A group of five girls from his ss chattered behind him. From the curious nces they shot at Matthew, it was clear what they were discussing. Phil ignored the fangirls.

    "Why is your brother picking you up?" Milo, who was standing beside him, asked. He fiddled with his backpack.

    "I don''t know, maybe something happened." Phil shook his head, then scurried over. "Brother, why are you picking me up today?"

    "Hey, what''s with your tone? Can''t a brother show he cares every once in a while?" Matthew said exasperatingly, tilting his hat down to block the sun. "Come on, I''ll treat you to some good food."

    "I still have to go to Instructor Li Wei''s ss at four." Phil scratched his head, a little conflicted.

    "Oh, that''s no problem. I''ll drive you to the Gray Seal Martial Arts Hall for yourbat lesson first, then pick you and Instructor Li Wei up at six, and we can all have dinner together. I''ve always thought that Father''s handling the other day wasn''t very proper. It seems insincere to just give money. At the very least, we should have a meal together to show our gratitude. What do you think?"

    "Yeah, that sounds good. I''ll invite Instructor Li Wei once we get to the Gray Seal Martial Arts Hall," Phil immediately agreed to Matthew''s n.

    At this time, Milo, who had been behind them, also walked over.

    "Come on, Milo. My brother''s giving us a ride," Phil said.

    A Heitz Nauya car drove slowly on the streets of Baichuan City, the ornamental trees and ck streetmps on both sides blurring past.

    Sitting in thefortable back seat, Milo admired the luxurious dark gold stripes, the spacious interior, and the fluffy, expensive carpet. He felt like he gained a new understanding of just how wealthy Phil''s family''s was.

    Five minutester, on Hongta Street.

    "We''re leaving now, Brother." Phil waved from the roadside.

    "Go on." Matthew gestured toward the Gray Seal Martial Arts Hall.

    "I know." Phil nodded and walked over with Milo.

    At 6 p.m., the sky at dusk changed dramatically. The wind was strong and blew through the clouds, spreading a gradient of red and yellow through the sky. Patches of the setting sun would asionally peek through.

    The door of the Gray Seal Martial Arts Hall swungd open, and Phil and Cassius stepped out, chatting with each other. After a few steps, they spotted a ck car parked by the roadside. Unlike the bulky, turtle shell-like cars that weremonce, this one was elongated. If one had to make aparison, it was like a stretched Lincoln. Its corners were rounded, and it had silver decorations along the bottom edge. On the hood was a light gold crescent moon emblem.

    The driver''s side window rolled down a couple inches, revealing a handsome face. Matthew gently patted the car door. "Get in."

    Cassius and Phil quickly slid into the back seat, a flurry of the usual pleasantries and courtesies echoing back and forth in the car.

    Matthew had reserved a window seat on the fifth floor of the Purple Sky Restaurant. The view there was supposed to be nice, and the food was quite delicious, but the biggest selling point was the pleasant andfortable atmosphere, making it perfect for friendly conversations but not for formal business discussions.

    The reservation was set for 6:30 p.m. but a few appetizers were alreadyid out by the time the three of them arrived at the table. Matthew and Cassius were talking happily with each other in no time, while enjoying the food.

    Whether they were putting on an act or it was genuine, it seemed like they got along very well. The two of them had clearly only met twice over a span of four hours, but they had already dropped the formalities and were calling each other by their first names.

    Dinner began drawing to a close. Matthew seemed to have downed a few too many drinks, and was drunk enough to address Cassius as "Brother." He even made an enthusiastic promise to him: if Cassius came into any trouble, he would definitely help, as long as it was within his capacity.

    The alcohol also seemed to be talking for Cassius as he wasted no time in asking for two favors. The first was to find coins. The second was to find herbs.

    Matthew readily agreed, saying that he would help Cassius with these tasks starting tomorrow and promising to get them done within two weeks.

    Meanwhile, when Cassius wasn''t throwing back drink after drink, he was expressing his gratitude profusely. With the constant toasting, the mealsted a full three hours. By the time they finished, it was almost 10 p.m.

    At 10:10 p.m., on g Street, at Jessica''s apartment.

    "No need to send me off, my apartment is just ahead." Cassius reeked of alcohol as he lumbered out of the car. He walked toward the building, waving as he left.

    "Take care." Matthew, by the car window, waved back. He didn''t stop waving until Cassius''s figure rounded the corner. He then rolled up the window.

    He blinked, and the drunken cloudiness in his eyes instantly cleared. It didn''t look like he had been drinking at all at dinner.

    He rested in the driver''s seat for a while. Matthew nced at his sleeping brother in the back seat, took a sip from the teacup beside him, then stepped on the gas pedal. The long car soon disappeared into the night.

    At Jessica''s apartment, on the top floor, by the bedroom window.

    A tall figure stood silently like a statue in the darkness, looking down at the street. As soon as the ck car drove off, the figure closed the window and drew the curtains. The bedroom light clicked on, the soft yellow glow bing the only light in the apartment building.

 Chapter 39 - Origin of Lanxin Grass

    <h4>Chapter 39 - Origin of Lanxin Grass</h4>

    More than a week had flown by and in the blink of an eye, it was already June 28.

    In an empty room on the fourth floor of Jessica Apartment.

    The air was filled with the pervasive pungent smell of steaming medicinal water. A light yellow wooden barrel filled with hot water and a packet of herbs was nestled in the corner of the room. The herb packet continually released ck substances into the hot water, making the water darker and murkier as time went on.

    <i>Creak.</i>

    A naked Cassius walked in. Although the curtains were drawn shut and the room was dim, his strong, bronze body was still visible.

    He took a quick whiff of the pungent medicinal water, picked up the ointment from the nearby cab, and smeared a ckyer of it all over his face. Then, he stepped into the wooden barrel and sat cross-legged with everything below his neck immersed in the medicinal water. Only his ointment-covered head remained above the water so he could breathe.

    Cassius emptied his mind, allowing himself to feel the burning sensation on his skin, and adopted the special posture of Elephant Soul. It was designed toplement the medicinal bath. The cross-legged position, the curve of the waist, and the cement of the arms all had specific requirements. Moreover, he had to stay in this position for at least half an hour. There was also a corresponding breathing method.

    "<i>Hoo, hoo, hoo... hiss... hoo, hoo... hiss... hoo... hiss...</i>"

    With the special posture, breathing method, and medicinal water all in ce, it only took five minutes of Cassius sitting cross-legged for him to feel a liquid-like substance seeping into his muscles. A burning sensation and a increasingly strong prickling feeling quickly followed.

    It felt like every part of his body was being lightly pricked by steel needles. It started off as a gentle poke at first before progressing to a light jab. It was stimting but not painful, simr to a needle merely breaking the skin''s surface and not going any deeper.

    His Elephant Soul was still far from perfect. Completing the first level, Prickling, should feel like a thousand needles piercing all over his body.

    Cassius spected that this sensation was due to therge amount of medicinal nutrients prating the skin and being absorbed by the muscles. In other words, the greater the stimtion, the more intense the prickling. The higher the level of training, the better results of Elephant Soul he was going to see.

    In this way, Elephant Soul was essentially a form of extreme hardship training where perseverance and willpower held the primary advantage. Talent and constitution were obviously still important, but they were not the sole determinants. Cassius felt a bit of rity rising within him.

    Half an hourter, the medicinal liquid in the barrel had cooled, and the prickling sensation had all but disappeared. Cassius ended his training and took a quick shower in the bathroom. Then he emptied the medicinal water, cleaned the barrel, and got dressed.

    He pulled the curtains from the living room window aside, letting in the morning sunlight and fresh air. Cassius nced at the text in the upper right corner.

    [Elephant Soul Iplete: Prickling 32.7% (Stage Three)]

    [Wind Elephant Fist Iplete: Gale 14.8% (Stage Three)]

    He was making good progress; Elephant Soul had surpassed 30%. Progress had slowed for Wind Elephant Fist, but that was understandable. The best way to train martial arts was through realbat, but Baichuan City didn''t have manybat experts. If he wanted to improve quickly, he''d have to train using his time-travel ability.

    "Hmm?"

    Cassius peered down at the street below the apartment. A ck car with a silver bottom had just parked in an empty spot by the road, and a woman with fringed blond hair got out. She was holding something and walking toward Jessica Apartments.

    <i>That''s Matthew''s car... Is there news?</i>

    Cassius raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised. That day, he had thought to test his luck with Matthew and made two requests. It seemed like there was already a response.

    A few days ago, Cassius had asked Matthew for two favors over drinks. One of them was to find Crown Stars.

    Each of these antiques only provided about 0.2 lingering attachment, but the upside was that they were rtively easy to find. Any coin stained with the real blood of that unfortunate beheaded emperor contained lingering attachment, making it a reliable and traceable source.

    Cassius''s second favor was about herbs. Specifically, the Lanxin Grass.

    Cassius obviously wanted to take full advantage of the fact that he was currently living seventy years after Li Wei¡¯s era. If things went ording to n, the rewards he''d reap would be enormous. Naturally, he set his sights on the precious Lanxin Grass.

    Seventy years ago, due to the climate and production environment, there were only two ces in the entire Beiliu County that Lanxin Grass grew in. It was avable only in specific seasons, and with supply being so scarce, this made the Wind Elephant Sect''s training medicine all the more precious. Ordinary disciples wouldn''t even have the right to a single soak. Many of the core members and elders even had to scrimp and save.

    But things were different for Cassius. He soaked once a day and used a whole barrel each time.

    <i>Knock, knock, knock.</i>

    A knock on the door interrupted Cassius''s thoughts.

    "Is Mr. Li Wei there?"

    "Coming."

    Ten minutester, Cassius sat on a soft sofa near the balcony, his back facing the sunlight as he flipped through the documents in his hand. There was bad news and good news.

    The bad news was that the Crown Stars Coins'' poprity had dwindled in recent years. All of the major antique stores andpanies didn''t seem to have many, making them difficult to find. It would take quite some time for them to reach Cassius¡¯s hands, but once Matthew had collected a sizable amount, he would get them delivered.

    And now the good news.

    Using the information Cassius gave him, Matthew had asked a friend in the herbal business to get data on Lanxin Grass cultivation fields in Beiliu County and two nearby counties over the past seventy years.

    Luckily, the documents stated that the third Lanxin Grass cultivation field was in Beiliu County! It had flourished sixty-five years ago. Prior to it turning into an artificial cultivation field, wild Lanxin Grass clusters had grown there, but no one had ever discovered it.

    And then someone had stumbled across this cultivation field hidden deep in a remote mountain forest. Beginning as early as sixty years ago, the Lanxin Grass from this field had taken over the market because they were able to produce good quality Lanxin Grass inrge quantities. To this day, it still produced and sold affordable Lanxin Grass.

    <i>Phew... I wonder if the era I time travel to replicates the entire world? If that''s the case, then my n is possible.</i> Cassius ced the documents on the coffee table, knowing that once he revealed this Lanxin Grass cultivation field''s information, it would likely shake the entire Wind Elephant Sect.

    More Lanxin Grass meant more training potion, which meant faster martial progress, which meant a prospering sect!

 Chapter 40 - The Second Time-Travel

    <h4>Chapter 40 - The Second Time-Travel</h4>

    Even if the higher-ups of the Wind Elephant Sect didn¡¯t worship Cassius with the same fervor they did their ancestors, they''d, at the very least, give him a substantial reward once he revealed the existence of the Lanxin Grass cultivation field.

    It wouldn''t make sense to leave someone to freeze out in the snow after they had just gathered firewood for people, just like how it wouldn''t make sense to abandon someone trapped in the thorns after they had cleared the path to freedom.

    Of course, he needed to think carefully about how he was going to reveal it, through what means, and through whose mouth. Cassius wasn''t stupid enough to go up himself and speak directly to the higher-ups of the Wind Elephant Sect. Once the time came, he''d assess the situation before he made any kind of decision.

    His eyes caught on the address: ck Sand City, Jianmu Town, Beierna Mountain. He was hit with an inexplicable sense of familiarity and his eyes lit up.

    <i>What a coincidence! Isn''t this Li Wei''s hometown? Flower Road Vige in Jianmu Town, ck Sand City!</i>

    He sprang to his feet, muttering to himself, "What day is it today? The twenty-eighth."

    Cassius nodded slightly. "The shadow manifestation is going to happen at six o''clock in the evening on July 4. There''s enough time. I need to go to ck Sand City and see for myself... If all goes well, I might even find a reason to exin how I discovered the Lanxin Grass cultivation field. It''s the perfect time to go back home!"

    Four dayster, Cassius stood at the train station tform in Baichuan City.

    A travel-worn and weary young man in a coat stepped down from the tform. Despite the exhaustion in his face, his eyes were bright and sharp. He left the train station, hailed a carriage, and returned to his apartment.

    It was July 2. He still had one more day left to prepare.

    The items Cassius borrowed from Matthew arrived on the morning of July 3. A young man handed him a bulging bag and reminded Cassius to use it carefully. Or better yet, not at all.

    In the afternoon of July 3, at an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of Baichuan City.

    The light was dim in this vast and secured space. A rotting smell from a pile of junk at the edge of the warehouse pervaded the air. On the far side of the warehouse door, a young man sat on a redwood chair, ying with a ck pistol in his hand.

    After checking that the magazine was fully loaded and ready to fire, Cassius tucked the pistol back into his waist holster.

    He was no fool. And he wasn''t foolish enough to sit around and wait for death toe knocking.

    The time-travel ability was useful, but there was no guarantee that he could resolve the original owner''s attachment each and every time. If he failed to do so, Cassius would have to return to reality and fight the shadow with his original ability.

    While the time-travel ability was a fairly stable trump card, the more safeguards he had, the better. He nned to run some tests to figure out the rules of the shadow and thereby find some loopholes.

    For example, would Cassius face a weakened duplicate if he ingested a poison that would weaken him the day before and then take the antidote when the shadow manifested?

    What if he weakened himself by fasting for two days? Or chose not to sleep for two days to make himself neurotic? Or how about now, where he was carrying an extra modern weapon? Surely, the shadow couldn''t possibly duplicate weapons...could it?

    Maybe, if he was lucky, he could shoot the shadow in the head as soon as it manifested and it would die instantly, but there were too many uncertain variables...

    With this vague expectation in mind, time slowly ticked to 6 p.m. on July 3. At this point, Cassius himself was the shadow he would face a dayter. As convoluted as it was now, it would be more clear once he actually experienced it.

    <i>Click.</i>

    The minute hand on the watch pointed straight at 6 p.m.

    Cassius did not move. He continued waiting.

    The best time to time travel was 7 p.m. This way, not only would Cassius have enough time to deal with the shadow duplicate, it would also minimize the chances of someone bearing witness to Cassius killing Cassius.

    <i>Hopefully, everything goes smoothly.</i> He exhaled and continued to wait.

    Finally, just as the sky outside the warehouse turnedpletely dark, the ck hand on the silver watch pointed to seven.

    Cassius squeezed the Wind Elephant Tusk Pendant on his neck tightly. <i>It''s starting</i>.

    The familiar bitter taste filled his mouth, and streams of icy air invaded his mind, making his head tingle and swell. In the upper right corner of his vision, the stored lingering attachment decreased a little at a time, and the icy feeling throughout his body gradually subsided.

    [Lingering Attachment: 2.3 ¡ú 0.8]

    <i>Buzz</i>...

    Cassius''s head roared as if he had a a diesel engine running at high speed inside. He slowly scanned around his surroundings as a vague sensation gradually spread throughout his consciousness. It was like vast swathes of mysterious and unknown gray mist were billowing around him.

    The rotting smell in the warehouse gradually dissipated. The whole world started spinning. Faster...and even faster! He felt like he was being flung to the ceiling. Just as his vision started to clear...

    <i>Bang!!!</i>

    A bandaged fist mmed into the sandbag. The bag swung back, and the metal stand fixed to the ground creaked. The sandbag eventually stopped swaying wildly.

    "<i>Phew...</i>"

    Cassius exhaled and looked around.

    It was a sunlit room with a gray floor, white walls, and a few windows that faced the sun. In the corner, several brown sandbags hung on fire iron rods and all varied in size and weight from left to right. A white towel hung in the empty space on the far right of the rods.

    "This is...the Wind Elephant Sect''s training room?"

    <i>Puff, puff</i>.

    Cassius could faintly hear the sound of fists hitting the sandbag in the next room. It seemed like two or three people were chatting. In the upper part of his vision, a Wind Elephant Tusk Pendant symbol floated in midair, with a thermometer-like progress bar next to it.

    It looked exactly the same as the first time-travel.

    With a single thought, a flood of information rushed into Cassius''s mind. He closed his eyes and stood in a corner of the training room.

    The afternoon sunlight streamed through the windows at the top of the wall. Cassius stood bare-chested, his strong bronze muscles rising and falling with his breathing. Beads of sweat trickled down the ridges of his muscles, gradually soaking his gray training pants. It was unclear how much time had passed.

    Suddenly, he opened his eyes, a mix of frustration and anger shing through them.

    "Damn it!" Cassius couldn''t help but curse.

    He knew that humans were highly adaptable beings and could possess a high level of endurance. Some heroes were even able to watch their entire family die without batting an eye.

    But a sharp de hung suspended above their heads and once they reached the limits of what they could tolerate, they would draw that de for the kill. Heroes were like venomous snakes, coiled tightly so that when the time came, they could deliver a devastating strike.

    But Li Wei was different; he had endured too much. The de inside him had rotted and rusted, turning him into someone who passively epted everything. He became submissive, his heart filled with futile rage.

    "Li Wei, you don''t deserve any sympathy..." Cassius grabbed the white towel hanging on the nearby railing.

    The training room door crashed open with a bang.

    A man and a woman, both wearing graybat attire, came in. The man immediately frowned upon seeing Cassius and, in a loud and presumptuous voice, said, "Li Wei, where is the training equipment I asked you to get from the warehouse?"

 Chapter 41 - The Predetermined Path

    <h4>Chapter 41 - The Predetermined Path</h4>

    Cassius looked up, shooting him a cold re.

    Li Wei''s instructor was still Lisa in the original timeline, but he was not her only disciple. He also had a junior brother named Damien and a junior sister named Sharon.

    Although the three were fellow disciples, their rtionship was very strained, especially between Damien and Li Wei. Damien would always look for ways to trip Li Wei up, stemming perhaps from a need topete.

    The irony was that despite Li Wei''s higher mastery of Elephant Soul and better proficiency in Wind Elephant Fist, he could never beat Damien in their sparring sessions. Something in his personality seemed to be holding him back.

    This was why Cassius, after probing Li Wei''s memories, felt so frustrated. Li Wei was clearly strong, and yet a weaker person was bullying him. Howughable and absurd.

    While Cassius was in the middle of reminiscing, the blond-haired Damien frowned and walked over. "I''m talking to you!"

    "If I remember correctly, the instructor told <i>you</i> to get those training tools. Do your own job," Cassius replied indifferently, wiping sweat from his forehead with the white towel in his hand.

    "Ooh, got a little temper today? What''s up? Had a personality change?" Damien rubbed his stubbly chin andughed.

    Previously, whenever Damien told Li Wei to fetch something, Li Wei would do it without uttering a single word orint. Any chores Lisa assigned to Damien would be passed on to Li Wei and Damien would always take the credit once Li Weipleted them.

    Over time, it became a habit, even an unspoken rule. When bullying bes a norm, any resistance from the bullied, even a slight one, is unreasonable, evoking shock and anger from the bully. This was how Damien felt now.

    After a momentary bout of surprise, he was immediately filled with fury. "You better do as I say and get the training tools. You have ten minutes!"

    "Get it yourself." Cassius didn''t want to deal with him at all. He would have pped Damien long ago if the conditions had allowed him to. Cassius turned around and walked toward the light gray clothes hanging on the wall.

    "What did you say?!" Damien''s tone was clearly heated.

    "I said, get it yourself," Cassius repeated.

    He wasn''t like Li Wei; he was no coward. The only way he''d ever bow his head was if it was someone he respected or someone he wanted to amodate. Otherwise, even if there was a gun glued to his head, he wouldn''t beg for mercy. This had been evident since the archaeological site incident.

    "Hey, you''re really getting into it, huh?!"

    Damien nced at Junior Sister Sharon; his pride was at stake here. He took two quick steps forward, and swung his right fist, performing a move from the Wind Elephant Sect¡¯s Basic Combat Arts. His fist cut through the air, aiming straight for Cassius''s left shoulder.

    <i>Thud! p!</i>

    The sound of a punchnding came first followed by the crisp p of a hand hitting Damien''s face.

    Cassius whipped around. He had somehow maintained his punching posture, his refined muscles flexing with power.

    Damien, who had initiated the attack, staggered back several steps on the opposite side. He shook his hand, stunned at the fact that Li Wei was stronger than him. Then he touched his cheek, confused. It burned.

    He had been hit...by a mute coward? His brief moment of bewilderment morphed into rage.

    "Stop right there!!!"

    Damien charged toward the door, using an Explosive Technique as he swung his fist. Cassius, on the other hand, didn¡¯t seem particrly concerned. He slung the towel around his neck and grabbed his clothes to leave.

    Hearing the rushing sound approaching from behind, Cassius whipped off the sweat-soaked towel from his neck, smacking Damien in the face. Then, with a slight turn of his body, Cassius used his left foot to block and his shoulder to shove forward. Damien, whose eyes were mped shut, grunted as he was forcefully knocked to the ground.

    Footsteps approached. Cassius looked down at the dumbfounded Damien.

    "I want you to remember this: the old Li Wei no longer exists. He''s going to live a new life. Don''t ever let me see that arrogant look on your face again, or I''ll hit you every time I see it. Understand, bedwetter?"

    Cassius nced at Damien''s lower body. For some reason, a dark spot was blooming over his crotch.

    "You!" Damien''s eyes widened in shame and anger. He had just woken from a nap and had been holding in his dder. He had nned to relieve himself after checkning out the training room, but he unexpectedly ended up fighting Li Wei and got knocked down, losing control of his dder in the process.

    Beside him, Junior Sister Sharon was looking at him strangely, which was a massive blow to Damien''s pride.

    "<i>Ahh</i>!<i>" </i>He roared in grief and indignation. He tried to get up but Cassius kicked him away with a thud. A long, wet trail was left on the floor.

    "Take your time peeing." Cassius flung the towel over his left shoulder and turned to leave. He suddenly turned around when he got to the door. "Remember to mop up your pee on the floor and open the windows to air the room out."

    Cassius heard a frustrated roar echoing behind him as he left the training room. He smiled and hurried out of the gray building. Cassius gazed at the azure sky at the entrance.

    The clouds floated rapidly in the wind and bright sun rays scattered a dazzling golden light over the buildings. The ornamental trees lining the gravel path rustled in the cool breeze.

    Taking a deep breath of fresh air, Cassius looked at the upper right corner of his vision. The original sixty day time scale had suddenly increased by about half, jumping to ny days!

    "Li Wei, it feels wonderful to be brave for once, doesn''t it..." Cassius lowered his head slightly, muttering to himself in a voice only he could hear. "You must''ve really wanted to be a man, more than I expected, for there to be this much of an increase at once..."

    <i>Whoosh...</i>

    A flock of white pigeons pped their wings, slicing through the sky.

    A tall young man walked down one side of the tree-lined path from the training room to the canteen. He asionally looked at the buildings on either side, appearing somewhat unfamiliar with his surroundings.

    The breeze rustled the treetops, and sunlight dappled the ground.

    Cassius suddenly turned his head, looking into the distance. A curvy figure with eye-catching long legs and short, neat hair was approaching. She looked admirable even from afar.

    She still wore the familiar beigebat attire, but instead of calling her "Instructor Lisa," Cassius now called her "Master."

    "Li Wei, are you going to the canteen for a meal?"

    "Yes, Master."

 Chapter 42 - Solemnity

    <h4>Chapter 42 - Solemnity</h4>

    "That''s perfect, let''s go together." Lisa sounded slightly tired.

    <i>Yes.</i> Cassius nodded silently.

    In the original timeline, Li Wei abhorred his cowardly self. He was constantly dreaming of that stormy night. Theplexbination of anger, shame, and guilt hadn''t been enough to push him to take revenge against Finn, but it, at least, fueled his motivation to train.

    Li Wei had barely passed with his ranking of forty-nine. And after being in the Wind Elephant Sect for a little over a year, he became Lisa''s first disciple by chance. Damien and Sharon hadn''t been part of the same recruitment batch as Li Wei in the youth training camp, and had joined in theter batches.

    A gentle breeze rustled the branches, and a leaf fell.

    There were only a few people in the canteen. Lisa and Li Wei sat in a corner by the window, facing each other. They stayed quiet.

    Lisa gazed at Li Wei across from her.

    Why did she take Li Wei in? Out of pity? Though she loathed the boy''s cowardice andck of ambition, Li Wei truly had no one left in this world. He had no family, no friends...

    After taking him in, she saw the boy train in silence, eat in silence, and daydream in silence. It was as if that ident had rendered him mute.

    She took in two more disciplester on and while they were much more normalpared to Li Wei, their personalities and temperaments were just as useless. Both of them werezy and feared pain; one was a spoiled girl, and the other hung out with riffraff all day. They were even worse than Li Wei!

    Her eye for disciples was simply too poor...

    Lisa sighed inwardly. She really couldn''t think of anyone who could inherit her skills in a few years.

    After a moment of silence, Lisa spoke first, "Li Wei, how has your training beentely?"

    Cassius swallowed his bite of bread. "It''s alright."

    What he said was indeed fair. Li Wei, as cowardly as he was, hadn''t cked off in his training. His level in the Wind Elephant Covert Martial Arts was not much different from Cassius''s.

    [Elephant Soul Iplete: Prickling 35.1% (Stage Three)]

    [Wind Elephant Fist: Gale 12.7% (Stage Three)]

    Li Wei''s level in Elephant Soul was 2.4%higher than Cassius''s, while his Wind Elephant Fist was 2.1% lower, but they were, overall, about the same.

    Li Wei was now eighteen, and he had joined the Wind Elephant Sect''s youth training camp when he was almost fourteen. It seemed like Cassius''s six months of training was the equivalent of four years of Li Wei''s hard work.

    There were significant contributing factors to both sides.

    Li Wei hadn''t trained with the same level of single-mindednessas Cassius, nor did he have a serious mentor like Instructor Lisa giving him specialbat training every day. By the time the Wind Elephant Sect''s youth training camp ended, Li Wei had only reached the beginner level of Basic Combat Arts.

    It took him over half a year to reach the advanced level of Basic Combat Arts, and another half year to be Instructor Lisa''s disciple. He couldn''t have trained as quickly in the Covert Martial Arts, as Cassius did.

    Plus, with the double experience boost Cassius gained from the shadow and the ample herb resources in the real world, Li Wei managing to match Cassius''s training results was already impressive in its own right.

    Of course, this was only in terms of their level of Covert Martial Arts. In an actual fight, Cassius would undoubtedly dominate. Their ruthlessness andbat experience were on twopletely different levels. It went without saying that Cassius already had experience with killing people.

    And there was also the extreme stage of the Wind Elephant Basic Combat Arts...

    "By the way, Damien and his gang haven''t been bullying youtely, have they? You have toe to me if anything happens. Don''t keep it bottled up. I don''t want my first disciple to..." Lisa suddenly realized something and fell silent.

    Most teachers had strong feelings for their first disciple. They were more enthusiastic and had higher expectations for them than the others. Usually, the first disciple represented a new beginning¡ªthe teacher''s first time being a teacher and the disciple''s first time being a disciple. Over time, the two would ovee their awkward beginnings and grow close, making this an undoubtedly special experience.

    Damien''s bullying of Li Wei likely had something to do with this. He waspeting for attention.

    "I understand." Cassius nodded. He left out the detail that he had made Damien wet himself just a few minutes ago.

    He suddenly noticed that Lisa had a small tuft of white hair on her head. The teacher was only in her thirties, how could she...

    Noticing Cassius''s gaze, Lisa changed the topic. "Do you have enough ointment? Come by to my ceter and grab a bottle.Take two if your training gets intense." When she smiled, the scar on her face looked less intimidating.

    "Thank you, Master." Right as Cassius expressed his thanks, he realized something. Lisa used the same training ointment as her disciples. If she gave this to him, wouldn''t she run out? He decided to ask her directly.

    Lisa smiled and shook her head, saying it was fine and that she didn''t need that much so Cassius could take it all if he wanted. She jokingly tacked on a condition at the end: if he wanted to take all the ointment, he should fight Damien to a draw in the next internal monthly test; the ointment would be his reward. The monthly test was in five days.

    Lisa had high hopes for her first disciple, Li Wei. His talent was above average and he trained diligently. Unfortunately, his personality hindered him inbat. Despite clearly having the strength, he seemed bound by invisible chains, leaving him unable to perform.

    Maybe one day, when the right moment came, he would figure it out, reconcile with himself, and it would spark his desire to change. Then, everything would be different...

    Lisa hoped she could witness it when that day came.

    After Cassius left the canteen, he decided to visit the back mountain where Li Wei''s sister, Li Chu, was buried. She hadn''t formally joined the Wind Elephant Sect and he didn¡¯t have the money for a proper burial plot, so the most he could do was dig a grave nearby for her.

    Cassius was hit with a disorientating feeling as he thought of the beautiful girl in his memories now lying in cold soil and rotting away. As he walked past a flower bed, he secretly picked a few white flowers, wrapping them gently in an old newspaper.

    Unfortunately, Li Wei didn''t have a ck formal suit, so Cassius wore a gray-whitebat attire. It seemed somewhat inappropriate for the asion.

    He walked along the path, feeling nostalgic. The buildings became sparser, and the path more remote.

    Suddenly, three or four young men jumped out from the shadows of a nearby building with mocking expressions like they were eagles hunting rabbits. They fanned out and had Li Wei surrounded in an instant.

    "Li Wei! I''ll beat the crap out of you!" Damien, who was at the forefront, gritted his teeth and screamed hysterically, "Get him!" At his signal, everyone charged.

    Half a minuteter, three or four peopley curled up like lobsters, unconscious on the ground. On the far left, Damien was beaten to a pulp, an unknown liquid pooling beneath him.

    On the path leading up the mountain, Cassius straightened his somewhat wrinkled clothes and checked the white flowers in his hand. Once he confirmed that everything was in order, he silently continued on.

    <i>Let¡¯s be solemn to express my sincerity...</i>

 Chapter 43 - The Tiger and the Monkey

    <h4>Chapter 43 - The Tiger and the Monkey</h4>

    The weeds on this gentle slope halfway up the back mountain were dense with thorns. The branches, tangled with green vines, trembled slightly in the breeze. The only open space was a small, low grave, with a tombstone only half a person''s height.

    The tombstone was gray and made of rough, uneven stone with Li Chu''s name on it. A thirteen-year-old Li Wei had used a sharp stone to make crude markings.

    More than four years had passed. The engravings were smudged and practically unreadable. The tombstone had a few patches of green from the vines and moss growing on both sides.

    Cassius stood silently in front of the tombstone for a while, thenid the bouquet of white flowers in front of it. He picked up some stones and started scraping the moss off the tombstone inch by inch. He yanked off various parasitic nts, clearing all the nts within a three-meter radius of the tombstone before chucking them far away. The area around the grave was cleared in no time.

    Holding a long and sharp stone, Cassius squatted in front of the tombstone, carefully recarving Li Chu''s name and dates. This time, the characters were neat and tidy.

    Cassius stood in front of the tombstone again, ced his right hand over his chest, and imitated a priest. "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdome, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven..."

    He may not have been religious but he still wanted to say a blessing for the deceased.

    After a while, Cassius turned around. He was suddenly hit with a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu and paused slightly.

    "Goodbye..." He slowly raised his fist in a salute and walked away.

    ***

    Five dayster, within the buildings of the official disciples of the Wind Elephant Sect.

    In a small white stone house, Cassius was holding a strange and awkward posture. He was half-squatting in a horse stance with his body leaning slightly forward. His toes were slightly raised, and his head was slightly lowered toward the ground.

    The posture was strange, requiring good bnce and strong body control to maintain it consistently. Needless to say, it was very exhausting.

    Cassius''s chest rose and fell in time with his breathing. Slowly, theyer of ck covering his body became transparent. The stench of river mud on his body gradually dissipated, turning into a faint fragrance and revealing his well-defined, strong muscles.

    "<i>Hu</i>..."<i> </i>He let out a heavy breath and opened his eyes, returning to a standing position.

    <i>The ointment''s effectiveness is too weak... It''s only about one-third to one-fourth of the medicine bath</i>. Cassius clenched his fist, his skin as slippery as an eel.

    He could see the difference in the effectiveness of the ointment and the medicine bath through his progress bar, but he could also feel it during normal training. The medicine''s sting on his skin and muscles was many times more intense than the ointment.

    The more painful it was, the more effective. And the more medicinal nutrients it had, the faster the progress.

    Having grown used to soaking in whole barrels of medicine in the real world, Cassius could barely tolerate the slow grind of the ointment. Maybe it was time to execute the original n.

    He nced outside the window and picked up a graybat attire embroidered with wind and cloud patterns on the sleeves. After he carelessly tidied up his room, he walked out the door.

    Today was the day of the monthly test. This monthly test wasn''t a big event for the whole sect since it was just a monthly martial arts progress check for the three disciples under Instructor Lisa. Essentially, it was a match between the three of them.

    Although Li Wei was the senior brother, having joined the training camp a batch earlier than Damien and Sharon, he always rankedst in the monthly tests; he even lost to a girl like Sharon. His inability to get over his mental hurdle meant that he could never demonstrate his full strength.

    As a martial artist, personality was crucial as it basically determined one''s fighting style. A timid person would never be able to unleash their full potential, while a domineering and arrogant person always seemed poised to strike.

    In fact, practicing martial arts could effectively change a person''s physique and spirit. However, this change had its limits. It varied from person to person and wasn''t absolute.

    Cassius could clearly feel that he had changed. He became more courageous, calmer, and more confident. He wasn''t averse to killing; on the contrary, he felt faintly excited, although, he suspected that this somewhat inhuman mentality was brought on by the strange and eerie shadow.

    Ten minutester, Cassius arrived at a spire-topped building. He turned right and walked down a long corridor beforeing to a stop at a door near the end. He knocked lightly. "Instructor, I''m here."

    "Come in." A familiar raspy voice came from inside.

    "Okay." Cassius pushed open the door.

    It was a spacious meditation room, with gray and white tiled floors. Sunlight came in through the two high windows, making the space bright and clear. Lisa sat cross-legged on the floor in the center of the room, wearing a pale yellowbat attire. Sharon and Damien sat cross-legged in graybat attire about four meters across from her.

    The two looked over when they heard the door open.

    Sharon''s eyes had aplicated and uncertain look, as if she no longer recognized Senior Brother Li Wei.

    Damien''s eyes were filled with three parts anger and seven parts fear. His whole demeanor looked somewhat timid. At Cassius''s nce, Damien quickly ducked his head down. He squirmed around, his butt shifting restlessly, as if there was a roasting fire beneath the floor. If he had to be honest, he was scared of this somewhat unfamiliar Li Wei.

    The scene resembled a monkey provoking a sleeping tiger. It was only when the tiger was asleep that the monkey could show off and pull at its fur. But once the tiger woke up, the monkey was in trouble.

    Damien felt like that monkey, except he had two legs bitten off, and was now clinging helplessly to the treetop with its hands, trembling as it watched the tiger climbing the tree. This was undoubtedly an ordeal for him.

    "Close the door. Come sit down here," Lisa instructed.

    Cassius nodded and closed the door. Then he walked over to Damien and Sharon and sat down.

    As luck would have it, Damien was on his right, a mere ten centimeters away. Cassius could clearly see the way Damien''s body tensed up the moment he sat down. He warily snuck nces in Cassius''s direction out of the corner of his eye.

    It seemed that beating him into wetting himself twice was a very effective deterrent to any future annoying scenarios. Cassius found this very gratifying.

 Chapter 44 - Not Afraid Anymore

    <h4>Chapter 44 - Not Afraid Anymore</h4>

    Instructor Lisa nced at the three disciples in front of her.

    On the left was Damien. Average in terms of talent, he waszy and quick-tempered, and spent his days idling with a group of bad friends. Upon closer inspection, his face was bruised, suggesting that he had been in a fight.

    Sitting in the middle was Sharon, who came from a wealthy merchant family. Her talent was above average but perhaps due to her pretty appearance, she had a delicate and feminine air in the way she carried herself. Not only was she afraid of pain and exertion, she was even worried that training too much might affect her figure and skin. In fact, the only reason why she was even at the youth training camp was to gain prestige since the Wind Elephant Sect had a long-standing heritage with its influence spread across several nearby cities.

    On the right was Li Wei, who had an above average potential. As the only one left in his family, he was diligent and eager to learn. He even made decent progress in martial arts. However, his timid and meek personality shackled him, rendering him unable to even use half of his strength. As a result, he often lost to his junior brother, Damien.

    In summary, a bunch of ipetent people.

    The only one with potential was Li Wei. If only he could ovee his mental barrier...but who knew when that would be?

    <i>Aish.</i> Lisa sighed in her heart. Her expression remained unchanged as she silently stared at the three.

    She skipped the pleasantries and dove straight into it. "It''s almost time. Let''s start the monthly test. First match, Li Wei and Damien. Second match, Li Wei and Sharon. Third match, Damien and Sharon. Focus your minds! We will start now."

    Upon hearing that the first match was him against Damien, Cassius gave Damien a peculiar look. Seeing that Damien also seemed to be looking at him, the corner of Cassius''s lips couldn¡¯t help turning up.

    Damien''s mouth twitched. He gingerly touched the bruises on his face. It had been five days and none of them had healed despite him using a healing salve. The humiliating memory of being beaten so badly that he wet himself reyed itself vividly in his mind...

    He was already traumatized and he could feel his dder loosen just at the mere thought of it. Seeing Cassius smile worsened his anxiety.

    "Alright, Li Wei and Damien, stand up..."

    Damien suddenly stood up, interrupting Lisa, "Instructor!"

    "What''s wrong?" Lisa frowned and looked over.

    "Instructor, I need to use the bathroom! My stomach hurts." Damien dashed toward the door.

    "Stop right there!" Lisa shot to her feet and shouted furiously, "I already told you two to use the bathroom before we started the monthly text. Don''t make excuses in front of me! No matter what your rtionship with Li Wei is, or who is stronger, Li Wei is your senior brother! Damien, can''t you even show some respect? Come back!"

    The truth was that using an excuse to avoid a duel right before it started was indeed disrespectful. Moreover, Damien often secretly bullied Li Wei. Knowing this, Lisa naturally came to the conclusion that Damien was humiliating Li Wei.

    But the reality was, Damien was afraid of thispletely different and ruthless senior brother.

    "Instructor... I..." Damien stammered, frozen. He wanted to tell Lisa it was a misunderstanding but couldn''te up with an excuse. It wasn''t like he could say he was psychologically traumatized from being beaten by Li Wei until he wet himself twice in a row and was now afraid to face him one-on-one.

    Cassius wasn''t sitting too far away and he nced over with a somewhat mocking gaze. Damien sensed it too; he gritted his teeth.

    "Instructor, I really can''t hold it!" He shoved the door open and sprinted out.

    "<i>Aish</i>..." Lisa looked coldly at the closed door. She turned to Li Wei, who was sitting cross-legged on the floor, andforted him. "Li Wei, don''t take it to heart. Your junior brother has been led astray by those bad friends. I''ll discipline him in the next couple days."

    "Instructor, I didn''t take it to heart," Cassius replied.

    Lisa nodded and, seemingly wanting to change the subject, asked, "How is your practice of Elephant Soul goingtely?"

    "I''m making some progress," Cassius responded.

    "And the Wind Elephant Fist?"

    "Same thing."

    "Have you been practicing Basic Combat Arts as well?"

    "I''ve been keeping at it."

    Lisa gazed curiously at Cassius. His demeanor today seemed different from the past few years. He seemed inexplicably much more confident andposed. Had he finally made a breakthrough?

    <i>Let''s have a match and see!</i>

    "Sharon, Li Wei, get up..."

    A minuteter, Sharon and Cassius stood five meters apart from each other. The floor on which they were standing on was illuminated by scattered sunlight from the window

    They bowed to each other as a sign of respect, then instantly assumedbat stances. They bounced back and forth on the balls of their feet, poised to fight.

    "Hmm?"<i> </i>Lisa raised an eyebrow. Why wasn''t Sharon attacking first? She usually started off aggressively.

    The two silently faced off for a while longer. Seemingly impatient, Cassius warned, "Junior Sister, be careful."

    Sharon''s heart skipped a beat, and her body tensed. After a few quick exchanges, she couldn''t counter back and was swiftly defeated.

    "Thanks for the match," Cassius said, retracting his fist.

    Next to them, Lisa, who had witnessed the entire bout, slowly brightened.

    Li Wei was different! His fighting style had undergone a drastic transformation and he waspletely different from before! The formerly weak punches were quite powerful now. His fighting style was highly aggressive, and his moves were swift and aimed at vital points.

    Since it was such a one-sided match, Lisa only managed to observe these few points in their short exchange. Suppressing her excitement as an instructor, she praised Cassius and encouraged Sharon.

    She then indicated that the monthly test was over so Sharon left first, leaving Li Wei behind. The room became quiet, practically silent.

    Cassius sat cross-legged on the floor while Lisa stood next to him, scrutinizing him with a strange, bright-eyed gaze. Although he felt a bit uneasy under her gaze, Cassius had a fairly strong mental fortitude. He sat quietly, waiting for Lisa to speak first.

    Finally, several minutes passed. Lisa''s voice broke the silence in the room.

    "Did you have some kind of epiphany?"

    "Sort of," Cassius responded. Li Wei''s soul being reced by his own could indeed be considered a unique epiphany.

    "Have you made peace with yourself?"

    "Mm."

    "You''re not scared anymore?"

    "No."

    "Good!!!" An inexplicable sense of pride shone through Lisa''s smile. She felt a bit emotional.

    In this world, no one was closer to the solitary Li Wei than herself. As her first disciple, Lisa had invested a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into Li Wei. She truly hoped Li Wei could one day step out of the shadows, unleash his potential, and prove himself to everyone.

    Lisa paced back and forth in the meditation room, joy radiating out of her being. Li Wei''s "enlightenment" seemed to give her quite a surprise. She suddenly stopped and stared at Li Wei. She said in a loud voice, "Stand up and spar with me. Let me test your skills!"

 Chapter 45 - Wait Here

    <h4>Chapter 45 - Wait Here</h4>

    She chose the simplest method to test him. It also happened to be the most effective.

    "Yes."

    There was no reason for Cassius to refuse to fight. In fact, he was nning on using his full strength topletely overturn Instructor Lisa''s view of Li Wei. He wasn''t doing it just because he wanted to extend his stay in the time-travel era; he was doing it because he wanted to.

    During his previous time-travel whichsted six months, Cassius and Lisa''s rtionship wasn''t simply just master and disciple. They had been friends, and he wanted that kind of rtionship in this timeline as well.

    Cassius jumped to his feet.

    A faint smile yed on her lips as she faced him. She took a few steps to the side and raised her fists in a salute. Cassius did the same in a show of respect.

    "Watch out!"

    Lisa''s eyes shed, and she lunged like a cheetah. She closed the distance between themselves in an instant and was within a meter of Li Wei.

    <i>Whoosh! </i>

    She swung her fist like a whip, aiming straight at his chest. She had no intention of holding back.

    Luckily, Cassius was already mentally bracing himself. He didn¡¯t dare to rx even a little against an expert like Lisa. He took a quick step back and raised his right hand to block her punch with a bang.

    <i>Oh?</i>

    Not only did Li Wei¡¯s reflexes exceed her expectations, the way he intercepted her attack was decisive. Not a move was wasted.

    <i>Very impressive</i>, Lisa thought, her eyes lighting up.

    "Once more!" she eximed sharply and rushed forward again. Despite her small frame and weight, her footsteps produced a dull thud every time it hit the ground. Her movements faintly resembled an elephant charging wildly with its trunk. Her Swinging Fist cut through the air like a swift shadow.

    Cassius''s pupils constricted. Every inch of his muscles tensed, and a surge of strength flowed into his arm. He snapped his arm forward. It was so fast, all it left in its wake was a blurry afterimage and a gust of wind. In that instant, he simultaneously used two Explosive Techniques.

    Speed Explosive Technique and Power Explosive Technique,bined!

    <i>Bam!</i>

    A distinct muffled sound echoed in the room. Air exploded outward, causing the sleeves of Lisa and Li Wei¡¯sbat attire to p violently before ripping off.

    "Good!"

    Although her attack had been blocked, Lisa was absolutely delighted. Such a solid mastery of the Wind Elephant Sect¡¯s Basic Combat Arts! One needed to be proficient in their fundamentals in order tobine both Speed Explosive Technique and Power Explosive Technique!

    "Continue!" Lisa deflected Li Wei¡¯s arm and went all out. Herbat suit inted all of a sudden, as if ayer of air was rapidly flowing between her skin and the fabric. As her body temperature rose so did the temperature in the air around her.

    <i>Bam, bam, bam...</i>

    A series of punches came at Li Wei at lightning speed, tirelessly pursuing him. It was almost like he was fighting against a thousand fists.

    Cassius frantically blocked and countered, his body twisting and turning. He switched rapidly between Speed Explosive Technique and Power Explosive Technique, sometimes using the former in conjunction with thetter during critical moments.

    A relentless assault ensued and soon, Cassius was panting and drenched in sweat. He was giving it his all but the punches seemed endless, with fistsing from all directions and sometimes from extremely tricky angles. Though he managed to block a couple, he couldn''t block all of them.

    Punches continued to rain down on Cassius, weakening his stance. A stinging sensation spread from the areas he was hit, draining his stamina until he could no longer keep up with Lisa''s movements.

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    Cassius caught a glimpse of a hand chop and saw his chance. He backed up to make some room before taking a few quick steps forward and striking fiercely. A fist and a palm met, colliding with each other. Cassius¡¯s right hand went numb immediately.

    He sensed a sh of a shadow on his left. In the next breath, a sharp pain red in his shoulder.

    His face turned stark white and he gritted his teeth. He stumbled several steps back, gasping heavily, struggling to steady himself. He nced briefly at his right hand. His fingers were trembling uncontrobly. The force of the collision left his hand red, numb, and painful. He looked up and saw Lisa clenching her fists tightly.

    Shock and joy filled her heart.

    Such quick reflexes! Lisa hadn''t held back in the least during their intense fight just now, nor did she try to match her disciple''s strength by deliberately suppressing her own. That was the only way she could move so fast andpletely overpower him.

    However, despite being outssed, not only had Li Wei kept up with her, he even managed to block at least half of the attack. He had even tried tounch a counterattack, albeit an unsessful one. Given Li Wei¡¯s current physical ability and level, his reflexes were above average.

    Unlike constitution, which pointed to a natural aptitude to learn martial arts, reflexes was abat talent. It was an extremely important skill that was rtively hard to improve.

    Lisa was pleasantly surprised that Li Wei''s overall potential was even higher than she originally expected. He was definitely going to go far in martial arts!

    But,pared to Li Wei''s reflexes, she was even more impressed and amazed by his incredibly solid foundation of the Wind Elephant Sect¡¯s Basic Combat Arts.

    The evidencey in his frequent use of Explosive Techniques.

    In that short exchange, Cassius had used Explosive Techniques dozens of times. He could quickly switch between two Explosive Techniques and even use them simultaneously!

    Even Lisa wasn''t at that level of proficiency in the Wind Elephant Sect¡¯s Basic Combat Arts. Only seasoned martial artists in the sect, who had lost hope of ever advancing their skills and consequently spent all day honing the basics could achieve this level.

    "Li Wei..." Lisa exhaled heavily. "Your performance today really exceeded my expectations! I¡¯m not going to put on a dignified front right now; I just want to tell you, my first disciple, I¡¯m very happy... No, I''m extremely happy right now!"

    She stood in the sunlight, beaming joyfully. He wasn¡¯t sure why, but she reminded him of honeysuckle growing on a rocky cliffside.

    Cassius, on the other hand, could barely manage a smile. He was happy too, but his whole body ached too much for him to properly feel it. He hadn''t felt much of the pain due to the adrenaline thrumming inside him as they fought, but once the adrenaline died down, Cassius felt stinging pain all over.

    His joints also felt intensely sore and numb. His mastery of the Wind Elephant Sect¡¯s Basic Combat Arts may have reached the peak of the third stage, but there were still some significant side effects from frequently using Explosive Techniques.

    "I¡¯m d you''re happy, Instructor..." Cassius''s smile ended up being a grimace.

    "<i>Hahaha</i>, your whole body must hurt, right? I might have went a bit too hard earlier. Wait here. I''ll go get some medicine." Lisa pushed open the door and strolled out.

 Chapter 46 - Hundred Herbs Body Refining Paste

    <h4>Chapter 46 - Hundred Herbs Body Refining Paste</h4>

    The afternoon sunlight was strong, with golden beams streaming through a window at the side of the quiet room. Dust particles floated around like tiny insects under the light.

    Cassius leaned against the wall in a corner of the room, grimacing for a while. Thankfully, the soreness was gradually fading away.

    The wooden door opened with a bang. Lisa walked in and was about to speak before she realized something and went to quickly shut the door. She pulled out a small wooden box as she walked briskly over.

    The square box was only half the size of a palm, with a faded redcquered coating on its surface. The wood seemed to be quite dense and solid, giving the box an exquisite finish.

    "Instructor, this is..." Cassius was a bit puzzled. This didn¡¯t seem like a regr healing salve.

    Lisa didn¡¯t say anything; she just opened the box. Wrapped in a piece of fine white cloth, a crystal-clear, jelly-like pastey inside. The paste was in the shape of a cube and upied about two-thirds of the box. A strange fragrance wafted out, making one''s blood rush with just a whiff.

    "This..."

    "Eat it!" Lisa handed the box over to him. "In one bite!" she added upon seeing Li Wei¡¯s confused look.

    Cassius immediately obeyed. He picked up the soft paste and swallowed it in one. The soft texture slid down his throat instantly and into his stomach. He didn¡¯t believe Lisa would harm him. Since she gave it to him, it must have some benefits. Perhaps it was an excellent healing medicine?

    As Cassius swallowed the paste, Lisa¡¯s eyes seemed to darken for a moment. There was aplicated look in her gaze and there seemed to be a trace of regret. She even seemed to age slightly.

    "Do you feel it?" Lisa asked.

    "What?"

    As soon as he opened his mouth, Cassius¡¯s eyes widened. A coolness that he had never felt before washed over him.

    Something seemed to be continuously releasing medicinal nutrients in his stomach, and it felt like an invisible, warm liquid was seeping directly into his organs, bones, and muscles. The cooling sensation circted throughout his body in waves.

    "Now do as I say!" Lisa shouted. "Go into the seventh stance of Elephant Soul and hold it!"

    Cassiusplied immediately, crossing his arms and holding them in front of his chest. He took up a horse stance with his feet apart and back arched, keeping his center of gravity low. With his head held high, he bobbed up and down.

    "Keep moving, don¡¯t stop even if you¡¯re tired!" Lisa said as she walked toward the door of the quiet room. "Not until I tell you to stop!"

    The door snapped close. Cassius was alone in the room.

    His heartbeat was pounding quicker and harder and his breathing was getting heavier. The effects of the paste hit him like a truck. The cooling sensation soon turned into a burning heat.

    It felt like there was a furnace inside of him and baking his internal organs. His body temperature soared, and sweat began to pour out from his nds.

    Soon, his whole body was dripping in sweat. His bulging muscles started to expand and contract rhythmically. Some sweat ran into his eyes and blurred his vision. In his befuddled state, he swore he could hear his flesh sizzling as if he were being roasted.

    Half an hourter, Cassius, with his fiery red skin, looked like he had juste out of an oven. There was a pool of sweat on the floor, and the room¡¯s temperature seemed to have risen.

    <i>Crack, crack, crack...</i>

    Crackling noises erupted from his bones. It sounded like fried beans popping from the heat. Pain, soreness, and itchiness... A myriad of sensations crashed into his mind.

    Cassius remained in his stance, a little dazed. An unknown amount of time passed when he suddenly opened his eyes.

    <i>Hu</i>... He exhaled a long, hot breath from his nostrils whichsted a full twenty seconds before it stopped.

    "You can move now."

    He didn¡¯t know when Lisa had returned but she was studying him from where she stood at the door. Cassius straightened up, his joints popping in quick session. The noises blended together.

    He looked at his hands, power welling up within him. His muscles had became thicker and more defined, and his skin grew tougher and deeper in color.

    The change wasn''t just in his arms. Cassius felt like all of his muscles had swollen up slightly and even his entire body had grown bigger. His sleeves which used to fit snugly around his arms were now stretched tightly over his biceps, seemingly ready to burst with very little force.

    He blinked and when he looked in front of him, his vision was much clearer. He jumped lightly to test out out his now unfamiliar body. Despite hisrger frame, he was moving more agilely and nimbly. The paste had transformed himpletely.

    The most straightforward way to disy his growth was in the the upper right corner of his vision.

    [Elephant Soul Iplete: Prickling 35.1% (Stage Three)] ¡ú [Elephant Soul Iplete: Prickling 63.1% (Stage Three)]

    [Wind Elephant Fist Iplete: Gale 12.7% (Stage Three)] ¡ú [Wind Elephant Fist Iplete: Gale 24.4% (Stage Three)]

    His mastery of Elephant Soul had increased by nearly 30%!

    Wind Elephant Fist also improved significantly under the influence of Elephant Soul, almost by double. This was a tremendous leap forward!

    This was the equivalent ofpressing years of one¡¯s blood, sweat and tears into two hours. Where would martial arts be without medicine?

    Seeing Li Wei standing there delighted and amazed, Lisa smiled. Cassius looked over, seemingly remembering his master.

    Lisa said bluntly, "I know what you want to ask. I once contributed a great service to the sect and was rewarded with that Hundred Herbs Body Refining Paste. It''s extremely precious, but due to some unfortunate circumstances, it¡¯s useless for me to eat it. So, today''s your lucky day, kid..."

    She shook her head and walked over slowly.

    "Thank you, Instructor!"

    Cassius cupped his fists in respect, feeling genuine admiration for Lisa. It wasn¡¯t just because of the extremely precious paste but also because of Lisa¡¯s attitude as a teacher. Being able to share such a valuable item with a disciple, regardless of the reasons, was worthy of his utmost respect.

    "No need to thank me. If you really want to thank someone though, thank yourself for being good enough! Otherwise, this paste wouldn¡¯t have ended up in your hands," Lisa spoke nonchntly but Cassius understood the hidden meaning. Lisa gave the paste to Li Wei because the other two disciples were too disappointing.

    "Still! Thank you, Instructor," Cassius thanked her again, a newfound desire surging through him. Could he exchange the source of Lanxin Grass with more of this paste from the Wind Elephant Sect? He could eat a few more pieces, return to reality to take down the Shadow Demon, doubling its effect...

    If he could do all that, would he surpass the ordinary then?!

 Chapter 47 - A Friendly Agreement

    <h4>Chapter 47 - A Friendly Agreement</h4>

    Cassius couldn''t calm down; he was that excited. Everyone wanted power, but he seemed to crave it so much more.

    "By the way, Li Wei, you should train for another week after using the Hundred Herbs Body Refining Paste. There''s still a bit of medicinal nutrients left in your body so training during this time can produce resultsparable to months of training. Don''t waste it," Lisa reminded.

    "Yes." Cassius naturally understood this principle.

    Eight days passed quickly. The weather became swelteringly hot. Clouds hovered at a low altitude, like they were melting from the sun, and the sun, hanging in the blue sky, was more fireball than anything else. In summer, the world became arge steamer. The floor gleamed white from the sunlight, and the reflected light heated the room, making the air stiflingly hot.

    "<i>Huff, huff, huff</i>..."

    The heavy breathing in the training room continued rhythmically, but the interval between breaths was getting shorter. The striking sounds and shuffling footsteps on the floor apanied the breathing.

    On the right side of the training room, a figure full of vigor shuffled around in front of a ck sandbag hanging from an iron road, his feet moving in an unpredictable manner. His fists struck like rebounding springs,nding blow after blow on the sandbag.

    <i>Thud, thud, thud...</i>

    Explosion after explosion echoed in the training room as the sandbag swung wildly like a pendulum. The rod above creaked sharply, and the connecting part groaned.

    <i>Thump! Thump! Thump!</i>

    Cassius''s heart was beating like an inhumanly fast drum. The ventricles pumped powerfully, moving hot blood from his heart through his body. His newly gained explosive strength had quite an effect on his high-functioning internal organs.

    His calloused fists silently bombarded the sandbag, one after another, creating craters on its surface until...

    <i>Bang!</i>

    An unrestrained force burst out of him like a tide and the iron rod swung wildly. The ck sandbag exploded in midair.

    A massive cloud of grayish sandbined with shredded cloth fragments descended upon the training room in an instant. A single piece of cloth remained and drifted slowly down from the rod.

    Cassius pulled his fist back and took a deep breath, sweat dripping from his refined muscles.

    [Elephant Soul Iplete: Prickling 63.1% (Stage Three)] ¡ú [Elephant Soul Iplete: Prickling 68.2% (Stage Three)]

    [Wind Elephant Fist Iplete: Gale 24.4% (Stage Three)] ¡ú [Wind Elephant Fist Iplete: Gale 34.2% (Stage Three)]

    In eight days, Elephant Soul had increased by 5 percent, which was around the same amount as the first time he trained it.

    It wasn''t too surprising since the difficulty level of any form of martial arts or training method increased as one gained proficiency over it. The first five percent of progress was vastly different from thest five percent of progress, practically multiplied by tenfold. As such, the Hundred Herbs Body Refining Paste was extremely effective.

    Additionally, the Wind Elephant Fist had also improved. Each aspect of the Wind Elephant Covert Martial Arts were closely interlinked with each other so when Elephant Soul made a significant advancement, Wind Elephant Fist also improved by ten percent.

    Overall, Cassius was very satisfied with his training results over this period.

    <i>Knock, knock, knock...</i>

    Afamiliar voice immediately followed the knocking.

    "Senior... Senior Brother, have you finished training? I... I came to clean the training room..." Whoever it was sounded a little nervous.

    Cassius picked up a white towel nearby and wiped his sweat. "Come in."

    The training room door opened, and a young man in a grayishbat attire walked in, carrying cleaning tools in both hands. It was the same arrogant Damien from a few days ago.

    Damien nced at the gray sand all over the floor, then at the single piece of cloth which was all that remained of the sandbag. He swallowed hard. He nced once at Cassius''s muscles and couldn¡¯t bear to look any longer.

    "I identally used too much force and the training sandbag burst open," Cassius said, slinging the towel around his neck and walking over. "Sorry to trouble you, Damien."

    He patted Damien''s shoulder. Hard.

    Damien''s body trembled slightly.

    "No trouble, no trouble, <i>hahaha</i>." He could only shake his head. The forced smile on his face seemed more like a cry for help.

    This past week, Cassius had trained Damien, no less than five times, under the pretense of "helping" his junior brother improve in theirbat skills. His "training" once took ce in front of Damien''s gang, who naturally scattered as soon as they faced a strong enemy, leaving Damien to get beaten by himself.

    After a period of this "training," Cassius decided that he didn''t want to push it too far, and struck up a verbal friendly agreement with Damien: Damien would do the tasks that Li Wei used to do, respect his seniors, not mix with badpany, and not disappoint Lisa. In exchange, Cassius promised to not beat Damien without reason.

    No ordinary person would be able to survive getting beaten up every time they met. In short, Damien made apromise, and Cassius was left satisfied. The original Li Wei was also very satisfied.

    The stay extended from three months to six, with at least fifty days gained from beating Damien.

    The door closed with a bang.

    Cassius walked out along the corridor until he left the training building. The sun was still scorching like it had been for the past several days. The trees nted by the roadside were drooped, their leaves already wilted. He followed the path back to his dormitory room.

    The first thing he did was scoop some water so he could take a refreshing cold shower. Then he changed into hisbat attire, opened the door, and went out again.

    Cassius didn''t need to take an afternoon nap. He was normally energetic but this was especially so after consuming the Hundred Herbs Body Refining Paste and gaining an explosive mastery of Elephant Soul. As long as he didn''t overtrain, Cassius could stay energetic all day.

    Additionally, he could sleep anytime he wanted without any insomnia issues. What a benefit of training martial arts...

    "It''s time to go home."

    Cassius walked along the shaded path, and he couldn¡¯t stop thinking of the location of the Lanxin Grass.<i> I wonder how many good things this information can be exchanged for...</i>

    Suppressing his excitement, he first went to the canteen for a hearty lunch, then headed northeast to Lisa''s residence. Five minutester, Cassius paused. He looked up at the tall, pointed building ahead before entering. Soon, he was standing in front of a wooden door.

    He heard a string of violent coughsing from inside. It was Instructor Lisa. Did she have a cold?

    Cassius paused for a moment, then raised his hand and knocked.

    <i>Knock, knock, knock...</i>

    "Who''s there?"

    "Instructor, it''s me. Li Wei."

 Chapter 48 - Memory

    <h4>Chapter 48 - Memory</h4>

    "Little Wei, <i>cough, cough</i>,e in."

    Cassius pushed the door open and entered. Ten minutester, he came out and stood silently for a moment in the spacious hallway. Was Instructor Lisa sick?

    <i>I''ll ask for more details when I return from Li Wei''s hometown...</i>

    ***

    The next morning, Cassius packed up his bags and descended the mountain.

    The Wind Elephant Sect¡¯s headquarters in Oak City was not far from Li Wei''s hometown in ck Sand City, about a hundred kilometers away. But a hundred kilometers meant different things in this era. Cars were rare, and train tracks were not widelyid out. Taking a passenger train was next to impossible. However, if a passenger train was out of the question, one could always catch a freight train.

    True to its name, Oak City was rich in timber so a few train tracks had beenid out, although most of them were purely for freight.

    The speed of steam trains in this era was extremely slow and sometimes, a good horse would even beat it. There was supposedly even a group of bandits in the western desert of the Hongli Federation who specialized in mounting horses to rob trains.

    With Cassius''s skills, he could run as fast as a galloping horse; he''d barely have to break a sweat jumping aboard a moving train. The other option would be to sneak into the train station and wait for the right moment to board.

    An average person would find this difficult, but for martial arts practitioners like Cassius, it was as easy as eating and drinking.

    Of course, the first thing he had to do was find the right train. Otherwise, if he jumped on and fell asleep, he might just wake up outside of Beiliu County. Cassius had spent a lot of money in Oak City to get the urate train details and because the intelligence came from an insider, he could feel reassured that it was correct.

    As for where the money came from... It was all thanks to his good Junior Brother Damien.

    Damien was particrly quick to pay up, especially when he heard that Li Wei was going back to his hometown for a while. He even cheerfully offered to help pay for some travel expenses.

    The sky was a clear, brilliant blue and the grass rolled out like a green carpet, undting with the slopes of the hills. A river winded from east to west, cutting through the in fields. From above, it looked like a silver, reflective ribbon extending deep into the woods.

    <i>Woo...</i>

    Thick ck smoke billowed toward the sky.

    Amidst the smoke, a coal-fired steam train chugged along the tracks. It looked like a ck serpent slithering at a steady pace. Just as the train passed a small hill, a nimble figure dashed forward and jumped onto the train. The whole process was as smooth and fluid as water.

    <i>Alright, I''m on.</i>

    Cassius was perched atop a small, metal tform protruding out from the rear of the carriage. It wasn''t veryrge, but it was big enough to fit one person. He threw his bag to the side and looked down at the ck train tracks moving backward. He then surveyed his surroundings.

    Everywhere he looked, he sawrge patches of green and blue. It was a scene straight out of an artist''s oil painting, the colors blending beautifully together like watercolor strokes. The blue sky and green fields intertwined, with the asional tree passing by.

    A scene like this was a novel experience for Cassius, so he sat down and took out his unfinished lunch from his bag. After he was done, he practiced hisbat moves.

    While trains in this era weren¡¯t much, they did provide an "immersive experience." Every connecting section of the track caused the train to jolt. The constant jolting and noise greatly impacted his efficiency. But he didn''t have a choice. He''d take wasting four or five days on a bumpy ride over the twenty days he''d need to trek home.

    Yes, it really did take that long to travel a hundred kilometers in this era. The most efficient mode of travel was actually boarding a train.

    It was soon night. Using his bag as a makeshift pillow under his neck, Cassiusid down on the tform and quietly gazed at the sky.

    The sky was clear save for ayer of faint, misty clouds hiding the mysterious moon behind them. There were no clusters of stars, just a few lonely ones scattered around that struggled to shine. They looked like lonely, broken marbles that were abandoned.

    Like a curious child, Cassius spread his fingers in front of his eyes, looking through the gaps to gaze at the fragmented night sky. His gaze was slightly out of focus and looked a little lost.

    Or was it mncholy? Perhaps, but who wouldn¡¯t feel lost, especially in such lonely circumstances?

    Cassius was gradually lulled to sleep by the rhythmic bouncing of the train. When he opened his eyes again, it was already dawn. A line of pale yellow light slowly rose on the horizon.

    The morning air was particrly chilly but Cassius could handle it due to his strong physique. The temperature would gradually rise alongside the sun.

    At noon, Cassius jumped off with his bag when the train once again crossed a in, and rolled a few times on the ground. When he stood up, he was covered in dust. He watched the ck train disappear into the distance, then followed the tracks.

    After a few hours of trekking, Cassius spotted ck Sand City in the distance. He didn''t enter the city though, and instead followed Li Wei''s vague memories to the eastern suburbs. On the way there, Cassius encountered an ox cart that was coincidentally heading into Jianmu Town. After paying a small fee, he found himself a new ride.

    As with any animal-led vehicle, the ox cart swayed violently on the uneven stone roads. Thankfully, the sun was strong enough to dry the hay on the wooden cart. It became soft and fluffy, like afortable bed that Cassius could sink into.

    After a while, the ox cart entered a dirt road in the woods. The swaying stopped, and the shade from the trees blocked the sunlight. Cassius got himselffortable, crossing his arms to take another trip to dreand.

    An unknown amount of time passed before the bearded old driver said in a slightly ented voice, "We''re here, young man."

    Cassius jolted awake.

    The ox cart was moving down a dirt road on a small hill. Both sides of the road was lined with luscious green meadows interspersed with yellow and red flowers, filling the air with a faint fragrance. Ahead of them, the outline of a human vige was visible.

    It was Jianmu Town! Flower Road Vige was less than two kilometers away. Cassius thanked the driver and quickly got off the cart.

    His hazy memories guiding him, he walked down a rural path.

    After about ten minutes, Cassius stopped to look around. The dpidated walls bordering Flower Road Vige came into view. They were covered with moss and climbing vines that spilled chaotically over.

    As he ambled slowly and deeper into the vige, the dichotomy of familiarity and unfamiliarity grew stronger. Thest time Li Wei returned to the vige was when he repaired his mother''s grave. That was years ago.

    "Stop! Don''t run! I am Sir Knight and I¡¯m going to cut off your evil dragon head!" A child''s voice was close by.

    Two little kids, barely up to Cassius''s waist, chased each other down the vige road. One of them waved a slender branch around like a knight''s sword.

    Cassius adjusted his bag and stepped aside to let them pass.

    The two kids shot nces at Cassius before resuming their game, chasing each other until they disappeared into the distance.

    Cassius shrugged and continued his journey.

    Five minutester, he came to a secluded house on the side of Flower Road Vige near the mountain. It was low, dpidated, and simple. There was a wall around it, but one side had already copsed.

    Cassius walked in silently. Perhaps some of the things there struck a familiar note because Li Wei''s vague memories gradually became clearer.

    The ce where the farm tools were, where the tables and chairs were, where they ate, where they slept, and where he yed with his sister...

    This house held most of Li Wei''s memories from childhood to adolescence. Everything looked just as it did in his memories. The only difference was the three people in his memories were now gone.

    Cassius pushed the door open and walked in. The house was covered in cobwebs, and the floor was caked in dust. Some of the wooden furniture had even started to mold.

    He set his bag down and spent an hour cleaning the entire house but didn''t move the furniture around. Cassius wouldn''t stay here for long. It was best to leave the decaying furniture and house untouched so they could remain as memories.

    He could tell just from a nce at the sky, it was about 3 p.m. Cassius stood up to head back toward Beierna Mountain.

 Chapter 49 - In the Mountains

    <h4>Chapter 49 - In the Mountains</h4>

    Cassius followed Li Wei''s vague memories down a narrow path behind Flower Road Vige, where it led directly into the mountains. There was an uphill slope close by, and it was covered in blooming yellow wildflowers. Their petals spread open like little umbres, swaying gently in the breeze.

    Two small gravesy close together in the center of the sea of flowers.

    Cassius searched for a while before carefully picking a few white flowers from the grass. Tiny ck rice-like insects, drawn in by the strong fragrance, crawled around the centers of these roadside wildflowers. They were likely nectar-feeding insects.

    He walked deeper into the flowers, squeezing through a narrow path until he arrived at the two tombstones. He ced one bouquet of white flowers on the left and another on the right.

    With the flowers covering the slope, it looked like a soft yellow and green nket. A ck dot moved slowly northward.

    The Beierna Mountain had an average elevation of about three thousand meters and spanned across two counties. The climate ranged from continental humidity to southern Eurasian subtropical humidity, which was ideal for producing many rivers in Beiliu County. All kinds of typical high-altitude sightings such as forests of broadleaf, sclerophyll, conifers, and even meadows were on the mountain.

    The site Cassius was looking for was not high, located just below five hundred meters in the Beierna Mountain. The climate may have changed over thest seventy years, but the site should still exist.

    On the path shaded by greenery, the sunlight casted mottled shadows through the leaves. asionally, there was an intermittent mountain breeze in the forest that would gently brush away the summer heat.

    Before his time-travel, Cassius had conducted a field survey in the real world and had someone draw a map for him to memorize. Since the mountain roads might change in the span of seventy years, the map hadndmarks like waterfalls, rivers, and peaks marked instead of paths or signs. These kinds of natural features were unlikely to change much over seventy years.

    <i>Shhh, shhh...</i>

    Cassius¡¯s eyes lit up when he heard the distant sound of water. He hurried over.

    Although the forest was seldom visited and not maintained, Cassius was still able to move nimbly around the paths that were overgrown with weeds. Sunlight shone directly on Cassius''s upper body as he climbed atop a massive tree trunk, creating an aura of blinding white light around him.

    The water from a nearby cliff waterfall created a rainbow arc before plunging into the pool below, spraying mist everywhere. A few white water birds asionally circled overhead.

    Yaga Waterfall was one of the scenic spots in the Beierna Mountain that helped Jianmu Town¡¯s tourism development in theter years. It looked almost the same as it did seventy yearster.

    Once he found Yaga Waterfall, everything else would fall into ce. All he had to do now was follow the downhill stream to find the creek where the Lanxin Grass grew.

    Cassius nced at the waterfall and quickly mapped out a route. For the average human, walking without a path was somewhat dangerous. But Cassius fearlessly flipped straight down from the edge.

    <i>Thud.</i>

    A perfectnding from about five or six meters high.

    Cassius continued along the clear stream, maneuvering through trees and wading through water. Halfway through, he encountered a brown-haired wild boar drinking by the stream. Solid as a young bull, it looked like a seven hundred pound wild boar king with its white tusks slightly yellowed at the tips.

    The two stared at each other.

    The wild boar king seemed to sense danger as he drank two more sips of water before retreating into the forest. Cassius rxed a bit and continued along the stream.

    Finally, at a bend in the creek, he found what he had been searching for¡ªpatches of Lanxin Grass!

    He carefully walked over to a t area by the creek. The soil was fertile and moist, with stones scattered on the ground. Poking out in between the stones'' crevices were green patches of Lanxin Grass. A quick nce told him that therge patch of wild Lanxin Grass covered a considerable area, with more growing on Cassius''s side of the creek.

    "There''s so much! There might even be enough to supply the Wind Elephant Sect for several years!" he remarked. He felt a little emotional.

    Realistically, the Wind Elephant Sect would not harvest them to the point of extinction. These wild Lanxin Grasses were precious, yes, but what truly mattered was thend on which they grew on.

    The climate, water source, terrain, and soil¡ªall of that was important. With the right environment, the Wind Elephant Sect could mass cultivate it and have an endless flow of Lanxin Grass. Even the youth training camp''s trainees could use the medicine!

    With such abundant training resources, it would be hard for the sect not to thrive.

    Cassius could already imagine how overjoyed the Wind Elephant Sect''s leaders would be once they discovered this vast field of Lanxin Grass.

    He plucked a leaf and scrutinized it under the sunlight. The leaf was shaped like a miniature peach and resembled a ginkgo leaf. It was green with a bluish hue, with veins shooting out in all directions. This small precious thing made up half the cost of the Wind Elephant Sect''s training medicine.

    Cassius also noticed that these wild Lanxin Grasses looked very healthy and full, indicating that it was likely more potent than usual. The Beierna Mountain was indeed perfect for growing Lanxin Grass, proving that Matthew¡¯s data was urate.

    Once he checked his surroundings and found no signs of human activity, Cassius didn¡¯t hesitate to dig up several Lanxin Grass from their roots. By the time Cassius returned to Flower Road Vige, night had set. Thankfully, there were some old flower pots littered around Li Wei''s house that he could use to nt the Lanxin Grass.

    After a quick dinner, Cassius fell into a deep sleep.

    The first thing he did when he woke up early the next morning was check on and water the Lanxin Grass. Afterward, he scarfed down a tasteless breakfast consisting of the bread he had packed solely for sustenance.

    When dawn finally broke, he headed into the mountains once again, a rusty machete in hand. He was going to mark the path since thest time he came, he hadn''t had time. And if possible, he was also going to explore some other routes to the site as well. Ideally, he wanted a path leading directly from the mountain''s base to the Lanxin Grass site.

    Cassius spent the whole morning wandering and marking routes. During this time, he encountered a small wild boar that suddenly charged at him. With his rusty machete, he ended its pitiful life, securing his dinner for the night.

 Chapter 50 - Lisaéˆ¥æªš Astonishment

    <h4>Chapter 50 - Lisa¡¯s Astonishment</h4>

    As Cassius wasn¡¯t nning on staying in Flower Road Vige for long, there was no point in carrying the heavy wild boar down the mountain since the leftovers would just rot. So he just cut off a leg as his prize.

    At noon, smoke slowly rose from the courtyard of a small house on the edge of Flower Road Vige. Cassius cut the boar leg into long strips before threading them on sticks and cing them on a rack.

    The mes licked at it, cooking the meat evenly. A deliciousyer of fat began to melt, pale yellow grease dripped, tantalizingly slowly from the meat and into the fire with a sizzle. A faint aroma of roasted meat soon filled the yard.

    Cassius had packed some spices, perfect for seasoning his dinner. The salt dusting the top of the meat quickly melted into the juices in the heat, running along the red veins of the meat. He lightly sprinkled some pepper as a finishing touch.

    Ignoring the steaming off the meat, Cassius tore off a piece without waiting. It tasted good albeit a bit tough and quite chewy. He took a few more bites before washing it down with some bread and water.

    The meat was gone in less than a half hour. As Cassius required a lot of energy to sustain his strong physique, his appetite was muchrger than that of an average adult male.

    After finishing his lunch, he made an effort to tidy up Li Wei¡¯s home again before heading out. With his bag and newly obtained Lanxin Grass in hand, he left Flower Road Vige as silently as he hade.

    He left in a hurry, mainly out of fear that the delicate Lanxin Grass might die, which would weaken his case with the Wind Elephant Sect. In the end, it might not be a huge deal, but it was better safe than sorry.

    This time, Cassius didn¡¯t have a cart to hitch a ride on so he had to walk to ck Sand City. Fortunately, he had excellent speed, stamina, and endurance and he reached ck Sand City twice as fast as a leisurely moving cart.

    As usual, he first headed into the city to gather information.

    ck Sand City was reminiscent of the 1880s, and not that much different from Oak City. Aside from the main streets, the rest of the side roads were dirt tracks.

    The most popr mode of transportation was the horse-drawn carriage. In the bustling city center, a woman wearing a feathered hat and ck dress sat gracefully in a carriage with her hands folded demurely on herp. Beside her, a well-dressed old gentleman in a top hat and suit used a sturdy cane to step slowly down from the carriage and enter the grand theater.

    A strange vehicle approached from a distance. It had four wheels, was made entirely of steel, painted pitch ck, and had a boxy, crate-like front. The seats in the middle looked simr to a carriage, and there was even a small seat at the back.

    Cassius stopped to watch, listening to the chugging mechanical noise. This automobile was the first of its kind...

    Cassius spent all afternoon gathering the information he needed. From there, he realized that there would be a train heading towards Oak City the next day at noon. Cassius paid for a room at an inn and also bought a few sturdy flower pots and arge box.

    The next morning, at around 10 a.m., Cassius waited at the predetermined spot for the train. Finally, just as it was getting close to 12 p.m., a steam lotive spewing ck smoke appeared on the tracks. Cassius skillfully climbed aboard and started his journey back.

    ***

    "What did you say?! Is it really true?!"

    In the quiet room, Lisa looked at Cassius in shock. "You can''t joke about this kind of thing! If I report it and it turns out to be false, you could even be expelled from the Wind Elephant Sect..."

    Cassius had anticipated Lisa¡¯s reaction. He didn¡¯t say anything and merely opened therge box beside him, revealing four greenish-blue Lanxin Grass before Lisa''s eyes. Afaint earthy scent wafting out.

    Actions spoke louder than words. No amount of talk could be more convincing than presenting the actual items: four full pots of live Lanxin Grass.

    Cassius had originally brought back seven or eight nts, but half of them had died along the way. The delicate herbs couldn¡¯t withstand much jostling.

    Fortunately, because Cassius had taken the train, he had managed to return fairly quickly. If he had been any slower, all of the Lanxin Grass might have died by the time he returned.

    "Teacher, I brought back a few nts. Why don¡¯t you see for yourself?" Cassius ced the box on the ground and gently pushed it over.

    Lisa¡¯s breathing quickened as she stared intently at the four herbs. Sitting cross-legged, she gingerly took out one pot. In the sunlight, the peach-shaped leaves looked full with clear veins that extended outward, and the green surface also had a slight bluish tint¡ªall of which were characteristics of Lanxin Grass.

    Everything was correct and of excellent quality to boot!

    Lisa brought it up close and sniffed, detecting a faint fragrance.

    "It¡¯s real!!!" She was overwhelmed with indescribable shock and joy. Lisa knew very well what a Lanxin Grass site meant for the Wind Elephant Sect. The cost of precious training medicine would be halved. Plus, they wouldn¡¯t have to worry about trying to purchase it in Beiliu County''s already limited annual production of Lanxin Grass.

    The Wind Elephant Sect¡¯s medicine supply each year was small and was used solely by the high-ranking members and teachers. The disciples had to rely on their teacher''s generosity to share some of their monthly supply.

    If what Cassius said was true, and he had discovered a Lanxin Grass site, Wind Elephant Sect was going to experience an earth-shattering change. The higher-ups would be astounded by this news.

    "<i>Cough, cough, cough!</i>"

    Lisa couldn¡¯t stop coughing, her cheeks flushed with excitement. She stared at Cassius with tiger-like eyes, as if she wanted to devour him.

    "Tell me the story again! Don''t leave anything out!" The usuallyposed Lisa was practically bursting with excitement. She hadn''t felt this thrilled in years. "Come sit here..."

    Cassius had anticipated this and recounted the story again.

    Lisa interrupted halfway through, "You mean there¡¯s a whole area covered with Lanxin Grass? Both sides of the stream?! Over a hundred meters of it?!"

    "Yes," Cassius confirmed with a nod.

    Lisa¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°This... Such arge area...¡± After a moment, she asked, "Is it a simr quality to what you brought back?"

    "Yes." Cassius nodded again, pausing to add, "It''s actually probably better. Because of how delicate the herbs are, the leaves wilted a bit after two days in the box."

    "<i>Hu...</i>" Lisa took a few deep breaths, struggling to contain her cough. "Give me a moment to gather myself."

    The room fell into an eerie silence for a few minutes.

    Once Lisa had caught her breath, she broke the silence. "We can''t dy this matter any longer. I¡¯ll report it to the higher-ups right away! Give me the box."

    Cassius quickly reced the pots into the box and passed it over to Lisa.

    "I''m being dead serious. Keep this to yourself, do not tell anyone else. The sect will definitely reward you handsomely, I promise. Don¡¯t worry!" Lisa picked up the box and patted Cassius on his shoulder.

    "I need to find my master, your grandmaster, first. Once he gets involved, the higher-ups will undoubtedly give you the rewards you deserve!"

 Chapter 51 - Enlightenment

    <h4>Chapter 51 - Enlightenment</h4>

    "What did you say?! Is it true?!"

    In the courtyard, a skinny old man with a goatee gawped at Lisa. "You shouldn¡¯t joke about this sort of thing!"

    Lisa had already anticipated he would react this way. She opened the ck wooden box in her hand, revealing the four Lanxin Grass nts inside.

    "!!!" The old man¡¯s eyes nearly popped out of his head. He nced at Lisa before half squatting down to pick up a pot of Lanxin Grass. His breaths quickening, he carefully examined it under the sunlight.

    Lisa was hit with an eerie sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu as she watched him. Wasn''t this how Li Wei presented the Lanxin Grass to her? But who could me him? A Lanxin Grass site would be life-changing for the Wind Elephant Sect!

    "It¡¯s real!!!" After a moment, the old man raised his head, staring intently at his disciple. His eyes were brimming with excitement and uncontroble joy.

    "Why are our reactions exactly the same..." Lisa muttered to herself.

    She had already prepared for this. Without waiting for her master, Oumai, to ask, she began recounting the story Cassius had told her.

    It covered everything with minute detail, from Cassius returning to his hometown to pay his respects to his parents, hopping on a train, to identally discovering a wild Lanxin Grass site in the mountains.

    In the brilliant sunlight, the courtyard with some flowers nted around the white wall edges seemed quite spacious. The old man with the goatee paced back and forth, muttering excitedly to himself.

    "There''s more than a hundred meters of this...and such good quality..." He froze and stared at Lisa. "Your disciple, my grand-disciple, is truly a blessing for the Wind Elephant Sect!

    "Moreover, he¡¯s <i>your</i> blessing!" Oumai stepped forward. "Such a great achievement warrants a Wind Elephant Pill from the sect; taking it might heal your old ailments. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"

    Oumai¡¯s eyes shone as he looked at Lisa. His gaze was filled with fatherly affection and a hint of worry. "I¡¯ll go discuss this with him immediately!" He started walking.

    Lisa, who had been silent for the entire time, suddenly called out, "Master!"

    Oumai stopped in his tracks.

    "I can''t lie to myself anymore. I don''t want to waste Li Wei¡¯s precious achievement. Who doesn¡¯t want to live? I do! But I know my body. The injury from ten years ago has already damaged my foundation, and any medicine I take will be useless within a few days. My life and martial path have been severed a long time ago..."

    Lisa shook her head, eyes downcast and resigned. "Master, don¡¯t waste any more time and resources on me. I know you see me as a daughter, but I''m afraid this is my fate..."

    "Lisa..." Oumai opened his mouth, at a loss.

    "Don¡¯t worry about me, Master." Lisa¡¯s smile was sincere. "I¡¯ve found my purpose for the remaining years of my life. That child is different now¡ªreally different! I can feel it. I''m going to put everything I have into teaching him while I''m still able to move around. You taught me martial arts, helped me grow, even treated me like a daughter, and I''m going to do the same with him. He will continue my dreams, my martial legacy, and my values. I will teach him my Azure Wind Flow and he will perfect it."

    Speechless, Oumai stood there for a moment. His fists clenched tightly before weakly releasing. "I didn¡¯t realize you had alreadye to terms with it..."

    "eptance? Perhaps, but I see it more as a master passing down her legacy to her disciple. You know about this. After all, wasn''t the Wind Elephant Sect built through such legacies over the centuries?"

    Lisa sped her hands behind her back and skipped a few steps toward the flower bed, looking uncharacteristically like a little girl. She picked a small white flower, smelled it, and gently tucked it behind her ear.

    Oumai watched silently from the side. The Lisa in front of him seemed to ovep with the little girl from his memories. She used to have a childish and mischievous side to her and, once upon a time, was someone whoughed openly and without restraint. But all of that disappeared because of that incident ten years ago...

    That heartless traitor!!!

    Oumai didn''t realize how heavy his breathing had gotten. He gradually calmed down. "So, you¡¯ve made up your mind?"

    "Yes," Lisa replied with a smile, nodding.

    "Are you sure? This is your only chance." Oumai couldn¡¯t help asking again despite knowing what her answer would be.

    "I¡¯m sure." Lisa nodded again.

    "Alright!" Oumai¡¯s goatee twitched, and a strained smile appeared on his wrinkled, age-spotted face. "I¡¯ll take care of this myself. I can, at the very least, get my grand-disciple a Wind Elephant Pill! Give me the box! I¡¯m leaving!"

    He snatched the box out of her hands and marched away. It wasn''t until he was quite a distance away did he stop and look back. His aged eyes were red, and two cloudy tears fell, which he quickly swiped away with a rough hand.

    "Why am I getting more emotional as I get older? Damn it!"

    In the distance, at the entrance of the white-walled courtyard.

    Lisa, with a white flower tucked behind her right ear, blinked and gazed up at the sky. It was unusually blue and especially pure, like it was made up of the souls from heaven.

 Chapter 52 - Wind Elephant Pill

    <h4>Chapter 52 - Wind Elephant Pill</h4>

    It was July 2 of the 97th year in the Hongli Federation Calendar.

    Three people in greenbat attire¡ªInstructor Lisa, Lisa''s teacher, and her master Oumai¡ªvisited Cassius in the training room during his punching practice.

    All three of them had a very serious expression on their face, the words "Cassius, you''re in big trouble," written on their faces. Fortunately, the skinny old man with a white beard who was walking out in front, managed a smile and said, "Li Wei, you are the Wind Elephant Sect¡¯s lucky star!"

    Cassius recognized him as the man from the practical ranking in the first time-travel: the deputy head Sam who oversaw the Wind Elephant Sect''s medicinal materials and logistics.

    Their tones were friendly and pleasant as they probed Cassius for details about the site. The process was smooth, especially as soon as Cassius mentioned that the area was uninhabited. The atmosphere then became even more congenial.

    The senior members in greenbat attire hadrge smiles on their faces as Cassius described the Lanxin Grass site. It sounded perfect; an untouched and fertilend just waiting for the Wind Elephant Sect. Currently, the sect only had one or two branches in ck Sand City, but with a precious Lanxin Grass site in their hands, that would surely grow. From this day on, the sect''s influence would gradually extend throughout ck Sand City. Moreover, ck Sand City would grow stronger with time, bing second in importance only to the headquarters in Oak City.

    These developments were already in the early nning stages.

    In the afternoon, Sam, Master Oumai, Cassius, and the other two senior members hurried down to Oak City and, through their connections, managed to board a freight train.

    After three days, at the Oak City train station.

    "Oh, these old bones of mine can''t take much more of this..." Sam stood on the rectangr tform, tapping his back andining. Contrary to his words, however, his face glowed with excitement.

    Cassius had spoken the truth. There really was arge patch of undiscovered wild Lanxin Grass, nestled deep in the Beierna Mountains of ck Sand City!

    There was enough to provide medicinal supplies for the entire Wind Elephant Sect for roughly two years! But this was only a small part of it. What made it truly valuable was thend as Lanxin Grass was only able to grow due to its environment. As long as that was protected, Lanxin Grass could be artificially cultivated to no end!

    Once you learned how to fish, you''d never have to worry about not being able to catch a meal!

    In Oak City, the five weary travelers enjoyed a hearty meal that nourished their tired spirits. They didn''t return to the Wind Elephant Sect until the afternoon of July 5.

    The next day, Cassius received his long-awaited reward. He was usually quite calm but when Lisa ced four boxes in front of him, he couldn''t control the wave of excitement washing over him. He knew that Instructor Lisa and Master Oumai had done everything in their power to secure the best possible rewards for him.

    "Open them up and take a look. These are rightfully yours," Lisa said, pushing several red boxes of various sizes across the table. Cassius solemnly epted them and opened the boxes from left to right.

    The first box contained a pale yellow sponge pad that held a light blue pill in the center''s depression. The smooth surface of the pill gleamed in the bright sunlight. The air was instantly filled with a rich medicinal aroma.

    The second box held a familiar, perfectly cut, translucent square paste that Cassius had used before. The third box carried a small bottle that, when shaken, he could hear liquid sloshing from inside. The fourth box was long and narrow. Inside were five purple incense sticks that were about as long and thick as chopsticks.

    Cassius only recognized one of the four items, but he guessed that the other three were likely no less valuable than the Hundred Herbs Body Refining Paste. He looked up at Lisa, who was smiling slightly at him.

    "I''ll exin how to use these items. First, this pill." She pointed to the one in Cassius¡¯s left hand. "This is called the Wind Elephant Pill and it is the most valuable of the four items. Every five years, the Wind Elephant Sect spares no expense and resources to make these pills. If we fail to make these, we lose everything, but if sessful, we get three finished pills. It is exceptionally difficult to make this.

    "Its purpose is simple. It enhances the constitution of anyone below the realm of a pugilist. It¡¯s especially effective for those under twenty, like you, Li Wei. Your constitution is above average but after taking the Wind Elephant Pill, they might be exceptional! But this, of course, varies from person to person."

    Lisa paused, then continued, "Diligence determines the lower limit of a Covert Martial Artist''s path, while the quality of their constitution determines the upper limit. If you have great ambitions in martial arts, your constitution being just above average isn''t enough. So, I asked my master to get you a Wind Elephant Pill."

    "Thank you, Instructor. Thank you, Master."

    Cassius was grateful, knowing that without Instructor Lisa and Master Oumai, he might not have gotten this Wind Elephant Pill. It was important to remember that after fulfilling Li Wei¡¯s lingering attachment, all of his improvements could be brought back to his reality.

    Lisa smiled and nodded, continuing to exin, "You¡¯ve had the Hundred Herbs Body Refining Paste before, so I won¡¯t exin it in too much detail. Just remember it''s most effective the first time you take it. Be prepared for the effects to diminish with each subsequent use. Also, if you want to take full advantage of its benefits, it''s best to take it after consuming the Wind Elephant Pill."

    Cassius nodded. Lisa pointed to the third item.

    "This is Fire Oil. It¡¯s a special potion used to break through barriers. Once you reach the limits of the first stage of Elephant Soul, you¡¯ll hit a bottleneck, and oveing it can vary from person to person. It might happen as quickly as the next day for some, while others will be stuck there.

    "Fire Oil is designed for such a situation. Once you drink it, your blood and qi will be extremely vigorous for the next seven days, greatly increasing your chances of breaking through a bottleneck. The only downside is that the excess qi and blood might cause insomnia."

    Lisa then pointed to thest item.

    "Calming Incense can really help with training, specifically for Wind Elephant Fist practice. Light a small piece before training, inhale for a while, then put it out. This will improve your rity of thought, memory, and learning ability. You¡¯ve got five sticks of Calming Incense. If you use them sparingly, they¡¯llst six months to a year."

    After she finished exining, Lisa couldn¡¯t help emphasizing, "Make sure you use them sparingly and don¡¯t waste them. This Calming Incense isn¡¯t made in the Hongli Federation. The Wind Elephant Sect only imports about a dozen sticks a year, and now you have almost half of them..."

    Her tone soured when she remembered that her annual supply was only a thumb¡¯s length, and all of a sudden, Cassius had five sticks.

    Perhaps out of courtesy or because he sensed Lisa¡¯s bitterness, Cassius said, "Instructor, why don¡¯t you take some? I don''t think I''ll use all five."

    To his surprise, Lisa didn''t look happy at Cassius''s offer. She frowned and said coldly, "The things you earn are for you to use, and you alone. Keep the good stuff for yourself! I''m warning you: don¡¯t share these with anyone. You better take them in front of me, or I¡¯ll beat you up!"

    "Yes!" Cassius immediately straightened up. As harsh as Instructor Lisa''s tone was, he could sense the affection threaded through it.

    Yes, affection. Ever since their intense sparring session, Cassius felt that Lisa had been paying more and more attention to him, almost as if he was her sole focus.

    Time traveling wasn''t some game; Cassius had his goals, but the people around him were real people with real feelings. Lisa¡¯s dedication to Cassius was evident, and Cassius fully respected her as his master.

    "Good. I¡¯m d you understand." Lisa nodded. She told Cassius to wait in the meditation room, and five minutester, she came back with a round wooden bucket filled to the brim with hot water. She set it down in the corner, some water inevitably sshing on the floor.

    She turned to Cassius. "Take the Wind Elephant Pill."

    "Okay." Cassius immediately did just that and swallowed it down.

    "Take off your clothes. All of it."

    "Huh?!" Cassius blinked.

    "What do you mean ''huh''? Hurry up and strip! Don¡¯t make me do it for you!"

 Chapter 53 - Superior Aptitude

    <h4>Chapter 53 - Superior Aptitude</h4>

    Cassius felt a bit awkward. After all, he was over forty years old with both livesbined. It was somewhat embarrassing to undress in front of a woman. But he had no hopes of winning an argument with Lisa, so he obediently took off his clothes.

    While Cassius was embarrassed, Lisa remained unperturbed. She even nodded approvingly. "Nice muscles. You¡¯ve been training regrly. Keep it up. Now, get in."

    Cassius sat down in the wooden tub, sshing some of the water. The boiling hot water immediately enveloped him. The intense heat continuously seeped through his skin into his body.

    <i>Is this just a regr bath? It doesn¡¯t seem like anything was added to the water...</i>

    Just as Cassius thought this, a surge of heat rushed up from his stomach, traveled up his spine and engulfed his head. His brain buzzed loudly, his vision blurred, and he was momentarily dazed. When he regained his senses, he felt as though a strong current was coursing through his body, rushing along his veins. Every time it passed through his heart, it received a powerful push, circting faster and faster throughout his body without stopping.

    Suddenly, a voice shouted, "Steady your breath and focus! Elephant Soul ninth stance!"

    Cassius could barely see through his blurry vision and his hazy consciousness, but he instinctively followed themand and positioned his body in a special stance. With this, the flow inside his body seemed to elerate. Cassius gradually felt hotter and hotter.

    The burning sensation in his throat grew stronger, as if fire was climbing all the way up from his stomach to his mouth. Time seemed to be frozen. He didn¡¯t know how long he stayed in that state.

    Until...

    When the burning current of heat passed through his heart again, it suddenly exploded. Heat surged through every single inch of his body before scattering like a shower of stars. Cassius could feel something in his body was being nourished and reinforced, while other things were being expelled from his skin.

    He drifted off. When he opened his eyes again, he saw two beams of dim light shining through the open window in the meditation room. Fresh air gently blew in through the gaps. Lisa, dressed in yellow training attire, was sitting cross-legged across from him.

    Cassius could tell his senses had sharpened. If he concentrated, he could detect tiny dust particles in the air and hear every little movement in the training field over a hundred meters away from the meditation room.

    Instinctively, he sprang to his feet, and water cascaded down. Upon remembering he was stark naked and Instructor Lisa was <i>right there</i>, Cassius awkwardly sat back down.

    Sitting cross-legged, Lisa opened her eyes. "Are you done? If you are, why are you still sitting in there? Look at how filthy the water is. Go shower now."

    Cassius looked down at the tub. The once clear, boiling water was now murky and cold. It had turned into a mix of ck and red as if it had dissolved many impurities. Ayer of dirt-like scum floated on the surface.

    It must have stunk, but he had been in there long enough to get used to the smell so he wasn''t really sure. Although, it looked like Instructor Lisa had opened the window...

    "Go on," Lisa repeated. Seemingly aware of Cassius''s bashfulness about his nudity, she closed her eyes to rest again.

    Cassius stepped out of the tub, grabbed his clothes from the corner, and dashed to the washroom for a cold shower. As he cleaned himself, he nced at the top right corner of his vision.

    [Elephant Soul Iplete: Prickling 68.2% (Stage Three)] ¡ú [Elephant Soul Iplete: Prickling 74.0% (Stage Three)]

    [Wind Elephant Fist Iplete: Gale 34.2% (Stage Three)] ¡ú [Wind Elephant Fist Iplete: Gale 37.5% (Stage Three)]

    While the uptick in progress was small, it was equivalent to several months of hard work and practice. After all, enhancing his physical strength and improving his mastery of Elephant Soul was just a side effect of the Wind Elephant Pill. Its main purpose was to purify and improve his innate talent and constitution.

    This miraculous pill was probably exceedingly rare in the martial arts world. Cassius had been incredibly lucky to acquire one.

    After rinsing with cold water, he clenched his fist. His strength hadn¡¯t increased much, but it seemed... Cassius suddenly punched. His fist jabbed forward, then froze midair.

    The water droplets on his arm flew off due to inertia, sttering the wall. From punching to retracting his fist, his movements had been smooth and without hesitation. His control over his body and strength had greatly improved!

    Suppressing his joy, Cassius dressed and returned to the meditation room; Lisa wasn¡¯t there. After a few minutes, he saw here back in with a clean wooden bucket, which she gently ced to the side.

    "Come here, let me check your constitution," Lisa said, smiling. She looked even more eager than Cassius.

    "Okay." Cassius immediately walked over. After a thorough five-minute examination, Cassius stood there dumbly. Lisa circled him, nodding.

    "Not bad. Not bad at all! I originally thought that your aptitude would improve one level to upper-bottom constitution after taking the Wind Elephant Pill, but you¡¯ve gone an extra step to reach upper-intermediate constitution! Well done!" Lisa patted Cassius firmly on the shoulder encouragingly.

    <i>It looks like the efficacy of the Wind Elephant Pill is dependent on luck and not effort...</i> Cassius thought to himself. But he seemed pretty fortunate; the pill''s effects were excellent.

    Li Wei''s aptitude had always been decent, hovering around middle-advanced. Cassius¡¯s real body was worse off; at best, it was lower-middle.

    If he could bring the results from the Wind Elephant Pill back with him, could his real body''s aptitude also improve to an upper level? At the same time, Cassius wondered if he would encounter any bottlenecks in his martial arts progress in his real body. After all, whatever effects his body underwent in this era would transfer directly to his real self.

    But there was also a possibility he wouldn''t teau at all, and his strength would grow the more he trained.

    He didn''t have a clear answer. However, what was obvious was that he should continue improving his aptitude, and that he needed to spend more time in his real body.

    Cassius snapped back to reality. Lisa was gazing at him proudly.

    "Even though your constitution has improved to an upper level, don''t even think about cking off in your daily training. Talent alone won¡¯t make you great, you still need to work hard! Starting tomorrow, you''ll be under a different training regime than your junior brothers and sisters. You''re going to train with me, and I¡¯ll teach you what I know."

    "Yes," Cassius said. That seemed to be all Cassius could say as he wasn''t the expressive type to begin with. That being said, he always remembered those who treated him well and would repay them tenfold when he could.

    "Alright, that¡¯s it for today. Go back and get a good night¡¯s sleep." Lisa waved her hand.

    Cassius nodded. Just before he left, he heard Lisa say, "Oh, by the way, prepare yourself. The sect''s elders are likely going to promote you to a core disciple in the next few days, and there¡¯s a process to go through."

 Chapter 54 - Six Months

    <h4>Chapter 54 - Six Months</h4>

    The core disciple promotion ceremony that Lisa had mentioned took ce on July 5. Vice Sect Master Oumai brought Cassius to meet the reclusive sect master of Wind Elephant Sect. He was a tall, robust middle-aged man with bronze skin and muscles that looked more like cement pirs.

    Cassius felt an intense pressure just being in the presence of the sect master. It was like being mentally and spiritually oppressed.

    Fortunately, Sect Master Belon didn¡¯t seem to be as stern and rigid as Cassius thought. He smiled at Cassius often, inquired after his training like a concerned elder, and constantly praised his contributions to the Wind Elephant Sect, thetter being the main reason behind Belon''s favorable attitude toward Cassius.

    The sect master wasn''t doing this just because of the herbs'' importance, but to set an example for the others. He probably wanted the disciples to see that contributions to the sect would be rewarded, and had hopes that this would encourage more disciples to follow Cassius''s lead.

    Sect Master Belon also inquired about Cassius¡¯s constitution, specifically after using the Wind Elephant Pill. Learning that Cassius had an above average constitution, his enthusiasm grew. The ceremonies to pay respects to the sect master and the founder proceeded smoothly thereafter.

    Ten core disciples from every generation would eventually grow up to manage the sect. There were currently four core disciples; with Cassius joining, he would be the fifth. The core disciples had priority ess to all resources, including the usual precious medicines and pills. But in a few months'' time, these medicines may not be so rare.

    After the ceremony, Cassius received two pale blue garments made of fine, durable fabric. The clothes were not designed forbat and merely as an identifier for his status as a core disciple, putting him at the same level as a senior member of the Wind Elephant Sect.

    In the evening, he ced the two garments and the Wind Elephant Tusk Pendant on Lisa¡¯s desk, but the pendant looked different. The end of the tusk was painted cyan and not ivory. Only core disciples had these.

    There seemed to be a wistfulness to Lisa as she studied the Wind Elephant pendant for a long time. Cassius decided to give Lisa a set of core disciple clothes, and surprisingly, she epted them withoutint.

    It felt simr to parents collecting their child''s awards for good grades. Almost but not quite.

    Yes, there was pride, but there also seemed to be something else. Something deeper, more hidden. Cassius saw a faint trace of regret in Instructor Lisa¡¯s eyes.

    The weather on July 15 was clear with a light breeze.

    Under Lisa¡¯s guidance, Cassius began using the Calming Incense for training. As expected of a rare item, even a small piece packed a punch in terms of advancing his Wind Elephant Fist training progress. He was filled with motivation thatsted from morning until night, and, as a result, he couldn''t stop training. Eventually, Lisa had to knock him out to get him to sleep.

    He had to rely on Instructor Lisa''s fists to sleep for the first few days of using the incense because he would not have been able to rest given how active his mind was.

    It was cloudy on July 20 with heavy rain expected to hit that night.

    In the morning, Cassius was called to the meditation room by Instructor Lisa to take an oath. The general gist was vowing to devote himself to martial arts, and to inherit and strive to improve and promote his teacher¡¯s path. At the end, he swore to never divulge this knowledge to anyone, not even his junior brothers or sisters. And if he ever broke this oath, Lisa would personally deal with him.

    Afterward, Lisa taught Cassius a magical technique called Azure Wind Flow. At his current stage, all she could impart were the basics. If he wanted to actually use it, Cassius needed to master the first stage of his Wind Elephant Covert Martial Arts at least.

    To pique Cassius''s interest, Lisa demonstrated the power of Azure Wind Flow. She pressed her palm gently to the top of a wooden dummy, and in an instant, its head ttened under her touch. And this piece of solid wood was as thick as a person¡¯s head!

    The area where she had touched was incredibly smooth. If this had been done to a person...

    It was cloudy on August 5.

    Cassius trained so frequently in these twenty days that he used up a stick of Calming Incense, earning him a scolding from Instructor Lisa.

    But he had made some significant progress. His Wind Elephant Fist mastery increased by 15%, reaching 55% and breaking the halfway mark. The effects of the Wind Elephant Pill was bing more and more apparent. With thebination of the Calming Incense and his superior constitution, Cassius¡¯s training progress was huge.

    On August 10, the weather was clear and the sun strong.

    After more than a month, the effects of the first Hundred Herbs Body Refining Paste and Wind Elephant Pill dissipated so, after obtaining Lisa''s permission, Cassius decided to consume the second Hundred Herbs Body Refining Paste.

    [Elephant Soul Iplete: Prickling 77.1% (Stage Three)] ¡ú [Elephant Soul Iplete: Prickling 91.2% (Stage Three)]

    [Wind Elephant Fist: Gale 54.3% (Stage Three)] ¡ú [Wind Elephant Fist: Gale 62.3% (Stage Three)]

    As he expected, the effect was halved. Progress for Elephant Soul had increased by less than fifteen percent, and Wind Elephant Fist had only moved up by a mere eight percent. However, Cassius did not feel disappointed. After all, theter stages of the Covert Martial Arts were harder. The fact that he could maintain half the original effect of the Hundred Herb Body Refining Paste was already quite good.

    He still had another week of rapid growth ahead of him. If he worked hard, Cassius might just save several months of arduous training.

    It was storming on August 20 with strong winds and thunderstorms.

    During his morning training, Cassius noticed a tuft of white hair on Instructor Lisa¡¯s head. In the afternoon, he heard violent coughinging from the training room. Cassius found an opportunity to ask when evening came, but she brushed it off, saying it was just amon cold.

    September 5 brought overcast skies and rain.

    Lisa¡¯s coughs worsened. There were times she couldn''t stifle it while teaching Cassius the Wind Elephant Fist. She even coughed up blood in the afternoon. Again, Cassius asked, and again, Lisa brushed it off, this time saying it was an old respiratory problem. It didn''t matter how many questions Cassius threw at her, Lisa stuck to this exnation.

    It was sunny on September 15.

    It was Li Wei¡¯s eighteenth birthday and also hising-of-age ceremony. Instructor Lisa and Master Oumai brought Cassius to Oak City for a simple but heartfelt birthday banquet. Although there was nothing fancy about it, Cassius was delighted. He also received gifts from them both: Master Oumai gave him a string of sandalwood beads he had worn for many years, and Lisa gave Cassius a pocket watch for the second time.

    This silver pocket watch seemed to be special to her.

    The weather was overcast on October 8. Lisa fainted in the middle of her lesson with Cassius. Fortunately, he was nearby and quickly took her to the hospital. While an unconscious Lisa was being treated, he shifted gears and asked Master Oumai.

    At first, Oumai tried to avoid the topic, but under Cassius¡¯s persistent questioning, he finally revealed the reason behind Lisa¡¯s gradual decline.

    Someone had betrayed Lisa more than a decade ago. That incident had also taken the life of Lisa¡¯s senior brother, and severely injured Lisa. The traitor escaped, went into hiding, and has been missing ever since.

 Chapter 55 - Core Disciple

    <h4>Chapter 55 - Core Disciple</h4>

    Lisa had been injured so severely, her foundation had been directly damaged, and effectively cutting off her path to martial arts. Her senior brother Natsu¡ªan even greater talent¡ªunfortunately died.

    Sam had tried various methods to heal Lisa¡¯s injuries, but nothing worked. Any medicine she took lost its potency within a day or two. It was a miracle that Lisa hadsted this long.

    But she was barely clinging on now. At most, she had one or two years left.

    Sam recounted the story with great sorrow. Gaze burning, Sam looked at Cassius and repeated Lisa''s words from two months ago.

    Cassius finally understood why Lisa put so much effort and sincerity into training him.

    Lisa had ced her endless longing for martial arts and her lifelong hope of perfecting the Azure Wind Flow on Li Wei. In her heart, Li Wei was probably more important than herself. Because her dreams were now his.

    The silver pocket watch was actually a relic of Lisa¡¯s senior brother. Lisa hoped that by giving the watch to Li Wei, he would be just as outstanding, brave, and strong as Natsu.

    Sam told Li Wei all this so that he would understand that there was someone who valued him more than their own life. He wanted Li Wei to work hard and not let Lisa down.

    It was sunny on October 18.

    Lisa was about to be discharged from the hospital and Cassius went to apany her. During their walk, Lisained like a nagging mother that Li Wei was neglecting his training.

    Moreover, Li Wei, a man of few words, was being so enthusiastic that it felt unnerving. It was like watching a muscr man wear a dress.

    Cassius felt a bit wronged. In his forty-odd years across two lives, he was ustomed to being silent and reserved. Maybe it was because he had been alone for so long; Cassius wasn''t very good at expressing his feelings. Sometimes, he was even afraid of people being affectionate with him. But he took that step forward today and what did he get in return? A scolding.

    But it didn''t matter if he felt wronged or not. He had to do what needed to be done.

    He wasn¡¯t the kind of person who knew how to sweet-talk others and make them happy. He could only learn by taking one step at a time, fumbling and stumbling through it, until he got better at it. That was Cassius.

    The weather was clear on November 4.

    Cassius finished his third stick of calming incense, but Lisa didn''t scold him this time because he had made some significant improvement in the Wind Elephant Fist.

    In thest ten days, Cassius was making progress much faster than before. He was giving it his all now. He learned and understood the concepts faster, and his movements became more precise so that Lisa didn¡¯t have to repeat her instructions over and over. She would then have more time to rest and with how quickly Cassius was moving in his training, Lisa also felt happier.

    In the past, Cassius had to asionally rely on other people to whip himself into shape, but now he was the one holding the whip. No one wanted to improve more than he did.

    ***

    Two months passed, and it was January 7 of the 98th year of the Hongli Federation.

    The strong and unpleasant smell of medicinal water filled the air in the meditation room. In the corner was arge pale yellow wooden tub. Only Cassius''s head peeked out of the water.

    His eyes were closed, and his body assumed the special posture of Elephant Soul, which he had practiced countless times. Invisible medicinal nutrients slowly prated his skin and pierced right to his bones. Intense stinging pain crashed down and spread throughout his entire body. It was like he had a thousand needles stabbing into him.

    The pain signified he had reached 100% in the first level of Elephant Soul. He''d have to endure this agony every time he trained Elephant Soul in the future.

    It took a full six months but he had finally raised his training progress to its peak. Safe to say, it was not an easy process. Especially thatst few percent. Without extensive time and intense effort, it refused to budge. Fortunately, he achieved his goal.

    In the upper right corner of his vision, a string of text appeared.

    [Elephant Soul Iplete: Prickling 100.0% (Stage Three)]

    [Wind Elephant Fist: Gale 99.5% (Stage Three)]

    He was only 0.5% away from mastering the first level of the Wind Elephant Basic Combat Arts. But it looked like thisst 0.5% still required half a month of training.

    Taking a deep breath of the herbal air, Cassius went to the nearby washroom to take a shower. When he came back, he poured out the medicinal water and cleaned the tub. Finally, he ced the tub neatly in the corner and put on his clothes.

    Cassius was now around 1.88 meters tall and was bigger than before, thanks to the marrow-washing effects of the Wind Elephant Pill.

    Sunlight gleamed off the bronze skin on his bare upper body where his powerful muscles were evenly toned from top to bottom. Although muscr, Cassius had a well-proportioned physique. It was not instantly obvious how muscr he was with his clothes on. When he took off his clothes, however, it was a different story. Hisrge frame and bronze muscles made him look incredibly strong.

    He twisted his neck slightly to put on his clothes, his bones making a series of cracking sounds when he stretched his limbs.

    When he opened the window, cool air gushed in from the outside, quickly recing the warm indoor air. It was already January. Though there was no snow outside, the temperature was near freezing.

    Suddenly, someone pushed the door open and entered. Cassius turned around. It was Instructor Lisa.

    "Instructor..."

    "Quick, pack your things! Come with me to Oak City! Oh, and wear the core disciple attire and the pendant." Lisa sounded a bit hurried.

    "Instructor, what¡¯s going on?" Cassius asked.

    "Your senior brother has returned. The other two core disciples have gone to wee him and will hold a banquet in Oak City," Lisa exined. Cassius immediately understood.

    The aforementioned senior brother wasn¡¯t Lisa''s disciple but the senior brother of the entire generation in the Wind Elephant Sect and ranked the highest amongst all core disciples.

    Once an ordinary disciple became a core disciple, they automatically moved up a level with core disciples addressing their fellow peers as either a senior or junior. All ordinary disciples, regardless of age or seniority, would address core disciples as a senior brother or sister.

    "I¡¯ll get it right away," Cassius said, immediately returning to his room to change into the outfit.

    Momentster, Lisa appeared and walked quickly on a distant path. She hadn¡¯t changed her clothes, but she didn''t need to. Lisa was just there to show Cassius the way. At ten in the morning, the two headed down the mountain.

 Chapter 56 - A Silly Bear

    <h4>Chapter 56 - A Silly Bear</h4>

    White clouds restlessly drifted with the wind across the vast light blue sky was vast with a few ck birds slicing through the horizon as they flew past.

    In Oak City, the wide main roads were paved withrge stone bricks, creating a grid-like surface. The roadsides were rtively clean, unlike some narrow alleys filled with garbage and asional piles of waste. The Oak City government had taken measures to clean up the city, including hiring workers to regrly sweep the main streets.

    Carriages sped along the road. Some carriages belonged to established families with wealth that sustained multiple generations. With their golden carvings, decorated reins, and drivers dressed in suits, they looked luxurious. These families maintained several carriages and professional drivers for the sake of keeping up appearances.

    At the crossroads, two middle-aged men in blue police uniforms chatted andughed. One handed the other a cigarette, and they smoked while they watched the passersby.

    Police were still a rtively new concept in this era. In the 71st year of the Hongli Federation, the Federal Government passed a securityw to establish police forces in each region to maintainw and order, with the Minister of Internal Affairs as the highest authority.

    A ck carriage slowly came to a stop along the sidewalk, and a man and a woman stepped out.

    "What time is it?" Lisa asked Cassius beside her.

    Cassius took out the pocket watch Lisa had given him. "11:05 a.m."

    "Good. We''ll make it in time then. The banquet should start at 11:30 a.m. It''s quite an affair; besides the core disciples from the sect, there will be dignitaries and powerful merchants from Oak City and nearby cities. After all, our Wind Elephant Sect is quite influential." Lisa smiled. "Come closer, let me fix your outfit."

    Cassius took two steps forward, his back straight. He stood tall. As she straightened his clothes, Lisa said, "Look sharp, you guys are the stars of the banquet. The other core disciples of the Wind Elephant Sect have some connections with the powerful and wealthy, but you only became a core disciple recently. Not to mention, you¡¯ve been holed up in the sect practicing non-stop without having met anyone. Most of the attention at today''s banquet will likely be on you and your senior brother." She added teasingly, "There will probably be many beautiful girls at this banquet. If any of them catches your eye, just let me know. I''ll help you out."

    She smiled, appraising the tall and handsome Li Wei with satisfaction. Ever since that gloomy air had dissipated, there seemed to be a confident aura of masculine charm around Li Wei.

    Lisa patted the light blue buttons on Cassius''s chest. "Very handsome! Don''t embarrass me now. Go on."

    "I won''t," Cassius said quietly. He walked forward slowly but looked back after a few steps. A figure squatted on the ground, coughing. They were wracking, making her back tremble as if she was coughing her lungs out.

    Cassius paused and looked on, an inscrutable look in his eyes, until Lisa seemed to notice. He then turned and continued walking.

    He knew he couldn''t save her. He knew she practically had one foot in the grave. There was no point in being mired in helpless sorrow.

    So what did Lisa want to see the most? A confident, determined, brave, diligent, and bright Li Wei. Cassius decided he was going to be that person, at least until this journey ended. It wouldn''t hurt, right?

    Ten minutester, Cassius stopped and looked up.

    A tall, theater-like building with a high spire loomed in front of him. Its exterior was intricately and grandly decorated. It had a huge sign at the main entrance that said Ferrole Hall in golden letters. Pure white walls surrounded the building with some ornamental trees peeking over the top. Two burly men dressed in ck stood guard at the entrance.

    Cassius nced at them and walked over confidently. They didn''t stop him and even respectfully called him "Senior Brother" as he passed through the gate. It turned out these two were fellow disciples of the Wind Elephant Sect.

    "Stop right there! Where''s your invitation?" one of the burly men suddenly called out.

    A pale young man dressed in a suit and high hat froze at the entrance, his ck cane held aloft. "Didn''t that person just go in without an invitation?"

    "Don''t be ridiculous. You''re not like our Wind Elephant Sect''s fifth senior brother. This banquet is for the senior brothers! No invitation, no entry. Don''t waste our time." The burly man crossed his arms, his bulging muscles looked especially intimidating.

    "..." The young man opened his mouth but had no choice but to step back. He didn''t dare announce his family name at such arge banquet. It would only bring trouble instead of respect.

    Inside the estate, Cassius followed a path made of tiny cobblestones. When he reached the midway point, two servants dressed in white shirts, ck vests and blue bow ties caught sight of him. One of them instantly brightened and approached him.

    "Are you Mr. Li Wei?"

    "Yes." Cassius nodded.

    "Then please follow me," the person said respectfully. He turned to whisper to the other servant who quickly ran off.

    Led by the servant, Cassius walked past the hall and headed for a towering building that had a ck base and white walls. At the entrance, the servant stopped, unable to proceed further.

    Cassius walked up the steps alone and pushed open the gilded doors. A spacious hall stretched out before him with a marbled pattern floor and square columns holding the ceiling up with the asional green potted nt beside them. Landscape paintings hung at regr intervals on the wall.

    The most striking of all was therge set of antlers installed on the wall directly opposite the door, with two axes wedged into it. Standing in front of the antlers was a burly bald man with arm muscles as thick as a tire and a bear-like build. He turned his head.

    The burly man''s fierce face was heavily scarred. One eye was covered by an eyepatch, adding to his aura of wild, animal-like ruggedness. This person not only looked like a bear but also had the demeanor of one. As the two stared at each other, the air thick with tension, the burly man spoke.

    "You must be the little junior brother! I''m Moses. You should call me..." He paused to scratch his shiny bald head. "Fourth Senior Brother."

    Ah. Guess he was a silly bear...

 Chapter 57 - Senior Brothers

    <h4>Chapter 57 - Senior Brothers</h4>

    Moses¡¯s local ent instantly diluted his threatening aura, making him seem more likable.

    "Hello, Fourth Senior Brother." Cassius didn¡¯t know why, but he felt that this bear-like, honest fourth senior brother was easy to get along with.

    "<i>Hehe...</i>" Moses chuckled twice, strolling quickly toward him. "No need to be so formal. Just call me Moses, or Senior Brother Moses."

    "Senior Brother Moses," Cassius corrected himself.

    Moses seemed to be sizing him up. His one brown eye glinted slightly. "You have quite a sturdy build, Junior Brother! Do you follow a straightforward fighting style?"

    Cassius hesitated for a moment, then nodded. A student''s fighting style was often influenced by their teacher and since Lisa had always followed the brave and aggressive path, naturally, he, too, engaged directly inbat.

    He nced at Moses, who had an even more exaggerated physique than him, and said, "You must follow a simr style then, Senior Brother."

    Surprisingly, Moses shook his head. "My fighting style is a bit different from yours. I can withstand hits better and like to punch hard."

    Cassius nced at Moses''s tire-like muscr shoulders. That sounded about right. With such muscles, he''d certainly be resilient against other people''s punches. Just the thought of his forceful punches was terrifying.

    Noticing Cassius''s stare, Moses deliberately flexed his arm, making his already thick biceps bulge even more. This Fourth Senior Brother seemed particrly pleased with his muscles.

    "In that case, Junior Brother, both our styles should be rather manly, but the only way to see if that''s true is through a fight! There''s a ring behind the hall. Why don''t I test your skills out in a sparring match?" Moses suggested. He had a friendly smile on his face.

    Cassius hesitated, but this seemed like amon urrence for senior brothers to appraise their junior brothers'' skills. Moreover, Moses seemed to be a defensive type, and Cassius had never faced this type of opponent so he was itching to try.

    He was just about to agree when he heard a gentle voiceing from the staircase.

    "Don''t be fooled by that big bear, Junior Brother!"

    A beautiful person, tall and slender, descended the brass spiral staircase. They had tea-green short hair, a prominent fair face, and slender, enchanting eyes. But there was a hint of sharpness in their expression.

    Seeing Cassius, the beauty smiled slightly and said, "Nice to meet you, Junior Brother. I am your Third Senior Brother, Gordon Lance."

    "Third...Senior Brother?" Cassius was stunned for a moment and looked closer. He immediately noticed the prominent Adam''s apple in the center of Lance''s swan-like neck. Upon closer inspection, besides his feminine appearance and voice, Lance''s expressions, demeanor, and posture were all masculine.

    "<i>Hahaha</i>! You¡¯re surprised too! When I first met this sissy, I thought he was a woman too! I¡¯m dying!" Moses guffawed heartily. His naive demeanor from before waspletely gone.

    "<i>Hmph</i>!" Ignoring Moses, Lance snorted coldly and sauntered to Cassius. "Did Moses try to act all innocent and try to spar with you as soon as he met you?"

    Cassius nodded truthfully.

    "I knew it! Don''t be fooled by this big bear! When the three of us¡ªme along with the First Senior Brother and Second Senior Sister¡ªfirst met him, we all thought he was honest and simple, but this big bear disguised himself well. Later on, he couldn''t hold it in anymore, it was like he was addicted or something, and came to spar with me. I never expected..."

    With Lance''s description, the image of a bear, honest but cunning as a fox, came to life. Clearly, Moses''s guileless countenance when he met Cassius had all been an act to set up a sparring match.

    Moses was twenty-four years old and bore the nickname "Big Bear." He was a martial arts fanatic who loved to fight. Actually, to be more precise, he liked getting beat up. He relished being able to hold up against hits using his tough body and steel-like muscles, often pestering his opponents to hit him harder.

    Not only did he like getting hit but he also liked tearing his clothes. Oftentimes, in the middle of a fight, he would flex his muscles until his clothes ripped apart, resulting in him wearing nothing but his shorts. The purpose? To show off his muscles.

    "Hey, hey, hey, Sissy! Don''t spill people''s secrets like that on the first meeting!" Moses stoppedughing, looking annoyed. "And what''s this about me having a thing for showing off muscles? Are there any men in this world who don''t like muscles?"

    He cast a hopeful nce over at Li Wei as he said this. He seemed to think the two had a shared kinship over their muscles.

    "<i>Ahem</i>...<i>ahem...</i>"<i> </i>Cassius coughed awkwardly a few times.

    He didn''t know if it was his imagination, but both senior brothers were unusually warm and friendly even though they had only just met. Was it their natural disposition? Or was it because of the Lanxin Grass?

    It turned out Cassius was right. It was indeed because of the Lanxin Grass.

    Imagine a scenario where the core disciples of the Wind Elephant Sect receive a monthly supply of only three bottles of medicine, which is barely enough for three days of training. One day, a message arrives, saying some lucky guy had found a Lanxin Grass site for the sect. Suddenly, their medical supply went from three bottles to thirty¡ªa tenfold increase thatpletely reced the need for ointments.

    Moreover, the wild Lanxin Grass from that site was full and rich, making each bottle more effective than before.

    Training their body and martial arts were of utmost importance to the core disciples so naturally, even without having met Cassius, Moses, and Lance already thought quite highly of him. Especially after seeing the difference in their martial arts progress after receiving thirty bottles of medicine.

    While they didn''t see much progress in the first half of the year, it quickly went up in the second half. The source behind all this was obvious.

    In the first-floor hall, Lance and Moses suddenly started arguing with each other. One dered that a well-proportioned body was best. Plus, people with an exaggerated muscr body, who even had muscles in their faces, were hideous. The other retorted that muscles were the best and everything else was an aberration. Furthermore, only sissies who were as skinny as bean sprouts broke with a single punch.

    They continued bickering as they made their way to the ring behind the hall. Cassius could only follow helplessly, a little bewildered.

    Five minutester, Cassius understood what Lance meant when he said tearing one''s clothes until only a pair of shorts remained. Senior Brother Moses was like a muscr wall as he aborbed hit after hit without flinching.

    Senior Brother Lance moved like a swallow, bing a series of afterimages as he dodged and attacked around Moses. He also seemed to have a quirk simr to Moses, as he seemed to enjoy using his hands to strike at the kidneys...

    Cassius watched from the side, his eyelids twitching and his kidneys aching in sympathy.

 Chapter 58 - Sparring

    <h4>Chapter 58 - Sparring</h4>

    This was no sparring match. These two were fighting for real.

    Senior Brother Lance''s hand strikes collided solidly with Moses''s muscles, producing a series of loud smacks. At a closer nce, one could even catch Senior Brother Moses''srge, hard muscles rippling like jelly.

    As painful as it looked, Moses seemed to delight in it. Lance was right; Fourth Senior Brother truly enjoyed being someone''s punching bag.

    Standing ringside, Cassius could see the differences in their styles. One had great strength, strong defense, but slower attack speed. The other had fast attack speed, high agility, but was weaker.

    Of course, things like "slow attack speed" and "weaker strength" were all rtive. If one of Lance''s hand strike were to hit the average strong man, he''d likely be done for.

    After another two to three minutes, the two in the ring eventually stopped.

    Wiping the sweat from his forehead with a reddened hand, Senior Brother Lance muttered, "Stupid thick bear skin..."

    "<i>Hehehe</i>" Senior Brother Moses grinned cheekily. His skin-tight clothing had ripped apart, leaving him in only his gray shorts. His bulging muscles looked like a fortress, giving off an inexplicably oppressive aura. Moses''s build was akin to those steroid-using bodybuilders Cassius had known in his previous life.

    He really did look like one with the way he posed this way and that, disying the muscles in his arms. His upper body was impressive, resembling an inverted triangle, though his muscles were somewhat red. There was a smattering of handprints all over his body.

    Moses turned and caught Cassius''s eye. Raising an eyebrow, he then switched to posing like an ape.

    Cassius shook his head, amused. This senior brother really had a simple-minded charm and an extreme obsession with muscles.

    "Want to give it a shot, Junior Brother?" Senior Brother Lance said as he walked down from the ring.

    "Sure, why not?" Cassius didn''t refuse. He had been itching to spar with a big guy like Senior Brother Moses.

    "Good man!" Moses, still in the ring, gave a thumbs up.

    Cassius shrugged off his outer garment, not wanting to damage the clothes that denoted him as a core disciple. He had a white tank top underneath, entuating his broad frame and defined muscles.

    Moses''s eyes lit up when he noticed. "Great muscles! I can''t wait."

    Cassius flipped onto the stage and respectfully greeted Moses before assuming a solid fighting stance. "Please."

    "Careful!" Moses smiled slightly. He opted to go for the attack first, rather than defend, as he wanted to test out his junior brother''s skills. Below the ring, Lance watched with interest.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    The ground shook as Moses charged like a wild bear, transforming into a huge ck shadow as he rushed at him.

    Cassius''s eyes shed excitedly. He took a step forward and threw a solid straight punch.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    Two powerful fists collided in midair with a dull thud. The muscles in their arms rippled and trembled from the staggering impact.

    "Good!" Mosesughed heartily. In a sh, his left hand became nothing but a shadow, like a terrifying giant snake poised to pounce on its prey. Cassius''s arm shot out like a spring, whistling in the air.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    It was a sh of strength. A contest of pure power. Neither of them wanted to yield, as if determined to sh fists endlessly.

    <i>Boom, boom, boom, boom</i>...

    A series of dull thuds sounded as Cassius''s hands turned into a rapid-fire barrage of punches¡ªstraight punch, swinging punch, piercing punch, and more. Moses kept his hands to his sides to protect his vital areas. asionally, he threw out some heavy counterpunches.

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    An arm whipped out, aiming viciously at a joint. Moses countered with a backhanded p, knocking the fist aside with a loud smack. Leaning his full weight into the attack, he barreled forward. Cassius swiftly sidestepped and, channeling power from his waist to his arm, he fiercely chopped down.

    <i>Smack!</i>

    His handnded squarely on Moses''s muscles, eliciting a grunt from Moses.

    Swinging his arm, he retaliated with a punch and it met Cassius¡¯s. His arm trembled from the impact as he took a small step back. The two exchanged several more heavy blows.

    Eyes locked on the fight, Lance nodded slightly. Both of his junior brothers had bold, aggressive styles¡ªone was focused on offense, the other on defense. Li Wei¡¯s fighting style leaned more toward actively seeking opportunities to attack whereas Moses preferred to defend, waiting for his opponent to slip up and reveal a weakness.

    Aside from fighting style, Lance also gauged Li Wei''s overall strength. He was likely nearing the peak of the first level of the Wind Elephant Covert Martial Arts, making him on par with Moses and himself. Li Wei was probably around the stage where he would meet a bottleneck.

    There was still a gappared to the First Senior Brother and Second Senior Sister, who had reached the second level of Wind Elephant Covert Martial Arts. Those two were more or less on the same level as most elders.

    In the ring, the two tall figures suddenly sprang apart.

    Cassius huffed out a heavy breath. His arms felt sore and numb. Senior Brother Moses truly was incredibly strong. Each punch felt like he was being hit by heavy artillery. On the other end, Moses was equally shocked.

    Born with great strength, he was naturally several times over stronger than the others. His usual style wasto defend then usually overwhelm his opponents with power.

    However, his junior brother had exchanged heavy punches with him¡ªat least five times! Yes, Li Wei wasn''t quite as powerful, but he was already much stronger than others of the same level. There was only a notch or two difference between the two of them.

    Even Senior Brother Lance hadn''t had the guts to exchange blows with him. He could tell that Li Wei was about as strong as Second Senior Sister, who was at the second level of the Wind Elephant Covert Martial Arts. Strength wasn''t her specialty, so this said a lot.

    "Junior Brother, your punches are really quite something." Moses grimaced, rubbing his muscr limbs which were red and swollen from Cassius'' punches. Compared to Lance''s "sissy" hand strikes, Cassius''s punches were extremely powerful; Moses couldn''t help feeling some pain.

    "Senior Brother is also very powerful," Cassius said. He lifted his hands up, showing off his bright red fists.

    "Not bad, really not bad." A strange voice came from afar. Cassius turned and saw a white-haired young man strolling over from the first-floor hall.

    He was of a medium build and not overly muscr. He had quite a in face with no distinguishing features. The only notable thing was his calm demeanor andposed confidence. The way he carried himself gave off a schrly air. It was rare to see such a refined martial artist.

 Chapter 59 - Banquet

    <h4>Chapter 59 - Banquet</h4>

    It wasn''t until the young man got closer that Cassius noticed something.

    His left shoulder was empty. This man had only one arm.

    "Senior Brother."

    "Senior Brother."

    Lance and Moses both greeted him respectfully.

    "Senior Brother," Cassius echoed, quietly observing the white-haired young man.

    The young man looked rather ordinary. He imitated Cassius, sizing him up as well. After a few seconds, he said, "You must be Junior Brother Li Wei. Nice to meet you, I''m Hykal." His tone was slow, almost gentle.

    "Hello, Senior Brother Hykal," Cassius responded smoothly.

    "Want to have a match?"

    "Huh?" Cassius was stunned. He stared at Senior Brother Hykal, unsure if it was really him who said it.

    "I asked if you wanted to fight with me." Hykal squinted and smiled. He was emitting apletely different aura now. The slender bamboo from before had now transformed into a sharp sword, just waiting to be unsheathed!

    <i>Here hees... Squinty Eyes...</i> Lance gloated inwardly as he watched from the sidelines. The senior brother''s daily sparring had begun.

    If Moses was born with physical prowess, then Senior Brother Hykal was born with the ability to grasp concepts easily as he was able to learn anybat technique quickly. He was one of the few who had reached the bottleneck of Wind Elephant Fist beforepleting the first stage of Elephant Soul.

    Despite having only one hand and an average physique, his boxing technique was as refined as a veteran who had been practicing for decades, if not better. Hykal had defeated some elders using just Wind Elephant Fistbat.

    This seasoned boxing technique was honed through countless instances of real-lifebat. Hykal loved sparring and he had fought almost everyone he knew at least once. Moses, who also liked to spar, liked to fight everyone¡ªeveryone but Hykal.

    Back when he was still an arrogant and unruly young man, he had faced off against Hykal and lost to him too many times. His thick skin and tough muscles were no match against the invincible iron fist. Even if Hykal only had one of them.

    Seeing Senior Brother Hykal''s smile, Moses couldn''t help recalling those past events and he involuntarily shivered. He wanted to warn Li Wei but was toote.

    "Okay," Cassius agreed eagerly. He regretted it five minutester.

    Senior Brother Hykal seemed to have perfected the Wind Elephant Fist and seamlessly integrated it with his one-arm condition, creating a sharp and peculiar one-arm boxing style.

    Every time the two shed, Cassius found himself suppressed. Hykal saw through every single one of his moves. Cassius couldn''tnd a single punch on his senior brother throughout the entire fight. Instead, he was poked several times and felt pain all over.

    Frustrated, he cupped hands, admitting defeat. Hykal''s smile never left his face as he regarded Cassius with narrowed eyes.

    This senior brother was rather sly.

    "<i>Haha</i>, don''t be mad, Junior Brother. This is just how I fight. If you still feel down, why don''t you go fight Moses? He''d be the first to volunteer as your punching bag." Hykal smiled slightly. His fist clenched, still unsatisfied.

    <i>"Hehe</i>, any day, anytime, anywhere," Moses said gleefully. His chest muscles bounced in invitation to Cassius.

    "How about a fight with me now?" Hykal rotated his shoulder, already warmed up.

    "Please, Senior Brother! I was talking to Junior Brother." Moses shook his head rapidly, changing the subject. "Hey, it''s almost noon, right? We should get ready and head to the banquet."

    Ten minutester, at the entrance of the tall Ferry Hall, several ck-d burly men shouted as one, "Hello, Senior Brothers."

    Cassius followed Hykal and the others inside, and they soon arrived at a grand domed hall. The space inside was vast and the floor was covered in soft red carpets. The hall was divided into multiple areas, with the center upied by several long tables draped in fine white tablecloths. The surface was decorated with silver candbras andden with various foods. To the side was a lounge area with sofas, coffee tables, and potted nts. A band yed music in the corner, the soothing sound of the saxophone adding to the elegant atmosphere.

    As they walked in, Cassius saw many men and women dressed in suits and evening gowns. Most held wine sses and chatted with one another, smiles on their faces. Everyone was wearing their best and exuded an air of refined elegance.

    "They''re here!" Someone with sharp eyes spotted Cassius and his group, their hushed voice alerting the people around them.

    The once tranquil atmosphere instantly became lively. Some beautiful youngdies with fair skin adjusted their dresses, yanking their low-cut tops even lower, before sauntering over with dazzling smiles.

    But they weren''t fast enough. A few gentlemen in suits, wine sses in hand, got there first; their goals couldn''t be any clearer.

    "Mr. Hykal, long time no see. You¡¯ve returned..."

    "Mr. Moses, about the goods you mentionedst time..."

    "Mr. Lance..."

    In an instant, the hall was filled with the sound of various conversations and voices, like a dense swarm of flies had appeared.

    "Are you Mr. Li Wei? It''s such a pleasure to meet you for the first time!" A bearded gentleman''s eyes lit up. He extended his hand, leaving Cassius no choice but to shake it.

    "Li Wei? The fifth core disciple from the Wind Elephant Sect Li Wei?!" People said in hushed voices. Businessmen in suits crowded over, blocking Cassius''s exit.

    Cassius followed what his senior brothers were doing. He helplessly shook their hands and greeted them all one by one. Despite how different they were, in situations like these, they all wore identical fake smiles. They knew how to manage themselves in a formal setting.

    Twenty minutester, Cassius finally managed to extricate himself from the mass. In the corner, Lance looked at him, a faint smile teasing his lips. "It seems our handsome junior brother is quite popr."

    Moses and Hykalughed. Cassius smiled wryly. "Senior Brother Lance, please don''t tease. I like being by myself; I can''t handle these types of situations ."

    "Just take it one step at a time. I couldn''t handle it at first either, but it got better over time," Hykal said, patting Cassius on the shoulder with his sole hand. "Some things are unavoidable when you''re a core disciple."

    Cassius sighed and shook his head. "Compared to this luxurious banquet, I still think hitting the punching bag in the training room suits me better."

    "I feel the same," Senior Brother Moses suddenly agreed.

    "Me too," Lance said, smiling and shaking his head.

    "Who doesn''t?" Hykal helplessly shook his head and pped his hand over his face.

    "<i>Hahaha</i>!" For some reason, the four brothers all burst intoughter.

 Chapter 60 - Confusion

    <h4>Chapter 60 - Confusion</h4>

    "What are theyughing about?" a merchant wearing a top hat asked. He was standing a little ways away.

    "Maybe business is booming and they''ve recentlye into a windfall of cash?" someone next to him replied.

    "In that case, we should ask them about itter," the merchant said, turning to look at the respondent. Both men smiled to themselves at the topic of money.

    Merchants had their joys; so did martial artists. Wealth wasn¡¯t the only source of happiness in this world.

    ***

    It took a long time for noon to finally arrive.

    Hykal wore a specially tailored blue suit that, without a left sleeve, looked like a waistcoat. This way, it wasn¡¯t so obvious that he was missing an arm.

    He quickly walked to the center of the hall and with his ss goblet raised, loudly announced the start of the banquet before downing the contents in one go. Everyone else followed suit.

    Some people lingered at the long tables full of food, cing a few things on their tes, but it was all for show. Others couldn''t be bothered to go through that effort and simply scouted around for conversation partners, never letting go of their wine sses. The main purpose of the banquet was not to fill their stomachs, but towork.

    At one nce, the entire banquet of around eighty people was divided into several circles. One of the circles consisted of older men who were mostly owners of manufacturingpanies, gathered together to discuss serious business. Another group wasposed of charming noblewomen who spoke andughed quietly with their hands covering their mouths, mostly gossiping about high society or thetest luxury items. Thest circle was full of attractive young men and women who chatted andughed with asional exmations and boastful remarks.

    On the other side of the long table, Moses and Cassius were inhaling the food, each armed with a fork and a te overflowing with various delicacies.

    Moses ripped off half a juicy smoked pork leg in a single bite. He chewed contentedly, ncing approvingly at Cassius who was also gnawing on a leg. Cassius seemed to sense his senior brother''s gaze, and when theiir eyes met, they shed a smile at each other.

    "Hey, you gluttons, stop eating ande help," Lanceined jokingly, his face weary from the neverending conversations.

    "At least let us eat our fill first!" Moses looked up.

    Lance was speechless. "<i>Hmph</i>, being a little hungry won''t kill you."

    Moses chuckled. Meanwhile, Cassius was focused on chewing on arge piece of meat. He had always eaten in the canteen, and while it was good, it definitely paled inparison to the banquet''s dishes. His mouth was smothered in oil and grease.

    Cassius called over a waiter and took a ss of wine from the tray to make his food go down smoother. The banquet had at least a dozen waiters walking around, all of whom were tall and handsome young men wearing ck and white uniforms with ck armbands around both sleeves. The armband''s purpose was twofold: it could adjust the sleeve length by fixing it on the upper arm and pulling it up to the desired length, and it could also hold the rolled-up sleeves in ce. Many gentlemen wore such armbands in the summer.

    A soft and pleasant voice came from his left. "Mr. Li Wei, may I have a word with you?"

    Cassius gulped down the wine and turned to look.

    A beautiful girl stood in front of him. She had delicate features with reserved yet charming eyes. Her light red silk gown entuated her long legs with a waistline that seemed deliberately cinched to make her figure appear slender. Her red-wine hair was piled high, further highlighting her pale neck and snow white chest.

    "Nice to meet you, my name is Michelle Romero." The girl''s smile had a hint of elegance.

    Five minutester, Michelle returned to her small circle, looking visibly frustrated. Some of the girls who were close by moured over to inquire about the encounter.

    "I don''t even want to talk about it. The one thing I''ll say is that he''s a unique guy." Michelle murmured to herself, "A peculiar loner..."

    For the next ten minutes, the girls went up to him, one after another, to talk but all failed unequivocally.

    A wise man once said that a refined gentleman could always enliven the atmosphere when he was speaking withdies. Unfortunately, Cassius was anything but and always ended up killing the mood.

    "Mr. Li Wei, you seem so tall and strong!"

    "Yes."

    "Mr. Li Wei, you look like you enjoy gourmet food!"

    "Yes."

    "Mr. Li Wei, your martial arts must be impressive!"

    "Yes."

    <i>???</i>

    Wouldn¡¯t a normal person borate after answering?

    For example, when onepliments another¡¯s build, a good conversationalist might show off their muscles for a bit beforeunching into talking about how difficult training was, and how dedicated they were. Or when one mentions another¡¯s preference for food, a person with adept social skills would probably bring up their favorite dishes. The girls'' questions were not yes-or-no questions; they were open-ended that required boration.

    However, there was no need to exin what kind of person Cassius was. This was his way of doing things, and he wasn''t going to change for irrelevant people.

    In Cassius''s opinion, flowery words and pleasantries could never beat a good punch.

    Soon after, no one bothered to approach Cassius anymore. Thrilled to be free once more, he spent his time gnawing on ribs with Moses and enjoying the sight of Hykal and Lance bustling around.

    Time went slowly until it was around two in the afternoon.

    The music changed, and the customary ballroom dance finally began. Pairs of luxuriously dressed men and women danced to the lyrical music, with the man gently touching the space below the woman''s left shoulder de rather than her waist. The woman would rest her hand on the man''s right shoulder, with their left hands sped together.

    "Junior Brother, don''t you think our Third Senior Brother and his partner there look like two women dancing?" The bear-like Moses sprawledfortably on the sofa in the corner, raising his eyebrows at Cassius.

    Cassius, who was sipping his drink next to him, turned to look.

    He could see, from afar, Senior Brother Lance dancing gracefully with a girl with an innocently cute face. However,pared to the girl, Lance seemed much more beautiful and refined. To the left, Senior Brother Hykal was also dancing with a beautiful noblewoman. He had an aristocratic air about him as he danced, graceful despite having only one arm.

    "Senior Brother Hykal''s a pretty good dancer," Cassius remarked.

    "He is, isn''t he? He''s very perceptive and good at picking things up. One practice and he gets it," Moses said, snatching a bright red cherry off the coffee table and tossing it into his mouth.

    Five minutester, Cassius grabbed a ss of wine and headed toward the long table to get some dessert. He was osted by a tall and thin middle-aged gentleman on his way there.

    "Good day, Mr. Li Wei. My name is Negri, owner of Sunset Antiques. I''d like you to have my business card. Here."

    As Cassius epted the proffered card, a question popped into his mind.

    If he found legendary antiques or antiques with lingering attachment during his time-travel journey, could he absorb the lingering attachment within them?

 Chapter 61 - Eastern Exchange Tournament

    <h4>Chapter 61 - Eastern Exchange Tournament</h4>

    To be honest, the spection was absurd. It was like searching for a shortcut to be a genius.

    Cassius knew the possibility was next to zero, but he couldn''t stop thinking about it. After all, if such a thing were possible, the rewards would be incredible.

    After shooting a pleasant smile at Negri, he pocketed his business card. There was no harm in trying anyway, even if nothing came out of it. After the banquet, he could visit Sunset Antiques and explore their warehouse. It wasn''t like he was going there to buy anything anyway, he was just going to look around. Thoughts still roiling, Cassius grabbed some dessert before sitting back down next to Moses.

    Time passed at a snail-like pace before it was finally almost 4 p.m.

    As the banquet ended, the number of guests trickled down. Only the four brothers of the Wind Elephant Sect remained in the hall. Moses and Cassius sat on the sofa, while Lance, who was wearing a blue suit, perched casually on the armrest. Hykal, on the other hand, was on his feet, holding a wine ss as he stood on the red carpet.

    "Actually, the reason why I came back from the East Sea County this time was to share some important news with all of you," Hykal said. He paused when he realized that not everyone was present. "Your second senior sister is in seclusion. I''ll tell her when shees out."

    As soon as Moses heard "East Sea County," he rushed to ask, "Senior Brother, tell us what it''s like over there. Is it really as prosperous as the newspapers say? And what about the martial artists..."

    "The news I wanted to share is rted to that." Hykal smiled slightly. "All of you probably know that the East Sea County has a famous Covert Martial Arts force called the Mountain Crushing Sea Roaring Cloud Dog Fist. The Cloud Dog Sect will unite with two other second-tier Covert Martial Arts forces in East Sea County to host the first ever Six Eastern Counties Martial Arts Exchange Tournament!

    "When that happens, the entire eastern Covert Martial Arts world of the Hongli Federation will be turned on its head. Close to a hundred Covert Martial Arts sects will be invited, more than half of which I am certain will participate."

    Cassius blinked. He had heard of the Cloud Dog Sect from Instructor Lisa. It was one of the top sects in the eastern martial arts world of the Hongli Federation; some people even recognized them as the top Covert Martial Arts sect in the six eastern counties.

    Due to the Hongli Federation''s vigorous development of maritime transport in recent decades, the number of ships traveling the ocean had multiplied several times over. As a result, many sea routes had been opened, allowing travel to different countries around the world.

    The East Sea County had an elongated shape with a very long coastline and multiple bustling harbors. Because most of the trade between the Hongli Federation, Blue Star Empire, and the United States of Yana had to go through the East Sea County, East Sea County was very economically and culturally developed.

    Originally considered a second-tier force at best, the Cloud Dog Sect also rose to prominence because of the economic boom. The sect managed to expand their influence significantly and quickly became the top sect in the east.

    Hykal took a sip of wine, giving everyone some time to digest the information. Half a minute passed before he continued, "Since this is the first Eastern Exchange Tournament, they aren''t considering participants over thirty for now. This means the people there will be our age and each sect''s top talents."

    Cassius could feel Fourth Senior Brother Moses''s breathing quickening when he heard this, his whole body trembling with excitement. Third Senior Brother Lance also seemed eager to try it out.

    Was it because of the inherentbative nature of martial artists? Or perhaps their desire to win?

    In Li Wei¡¯s era, travel information wasn''t very sophisticated. In fact, it was actually quite inessible. Some people never left their home counties for their entire lives. Covert Martial Artists rarely had an opportunity to interact with the others. Even talented martial artists like Moses and Lance had, on a few asions, sparred with some Covert Martial Arts sects in Beiliu County. Sometimes, there wouldn¡¯t be any opponents and they''d have to settle for practicing with their own sect members.

    This tournament gave them the opportunity to enter a broader world of martial arts and personally experience dozens of different Covert Martial Arts styles. The air was suffused with excitement and anticipation.

    Hykal proceeded to detail the tournament rewards. Those in the top ten would be awarded prizes with the top three receiving special awards. While the prize, which was training resources, for the remaining seven were indistinct from each other, it was still quite a handsome reward.

    Cassius couldn''t help being swept along when he heard the prizes.

    As expected of a top sect from a wealthy region¡ªthe rewards for the top four to tenth participants were only slightly lessparable to what he received for discovering the Lanxin Grass site. It went without saying that the top three would receive prizes graded several levels higher.

    Plus, ording to Senior Brother Hykal, the top ten participants'' sects would also benefit. It seemed the Cloud Dog Sect nned to engage in economic resource cooperation with those sects, bringing benefits not only to the individual but the entire sect.

    "The Cloud Dog Sect wants to make the Eastern Exchange Tournament a huge event because it would help to solidify its position as the top sect in the east," Cassius spected.

    "Exactly." Moses snapped his fingers beside him. "But this Eastern Exchange Tournament suits my tastes perfectly! I can''t wait." He twisted his thick neck, producing a series of crisp cracking sounds.

    "Don''t worry. As core disciples of the Wind Elephant Sect, we''re guaranteed a spot in the tournament. Just be patient," Hykal reassured with a smile. "Before we head on over to East Sea County for the Exchange Tournament, there will probably be an internal rankingpetition in the county where participants will be grouped ording to their rank."

    Cassius fell silent as he recalled something.

    The Wind Elephant Sect had been annihted after the county rankingpetition, when some high-ranking members took the participants and spectators to the East Sea County. They had been ambushed on their way there. The entire sect had almost been wiped out.

    He vividly remembered the battle, where the sect leader and elders fought desperately to hold off the enemies. One by one, they fell, with many instructors sacrificing their lives to protect their disciples.

    The memories in Li Wei''s lingering attachment were like a movie. Only major scenes were clear and detailed, while there wererge gaps and time jumps in between them.

    Numerous questions flooded his mind: why had they been ambushed? Was there something fishy about this Eastern Martial Arts Exchange Tournament? Was it rted to the Cloud Dog Sect?

    He took a deep breath, shifting his focus back to the external world where Senior Brother Hykal was sharing his experiences in East Sea County at Moses''s request, particrly about the prosperity of martial arts there.

    The four of them left Ferrole Hall at around 4:30 p.m. They didn''t need to worry about cleaning up after the banquet as the attendants and cleaning staff would handle it. Since the Wind Elephant Sect was thergest shareholder behind the Ferrole Hall, Hykal naturally didn''t have to spend a single penny to host the banquet here.

 Chapter 62 - Killing Intent

    <h4>Chapter 62 - Killing Intent</h4>

    Hykal stopped at an intersection. "There''s something I need to deal with first so I won''t be heading back."

    "I need to go home too. It''s been almost six months since I saw my parents," Lance said, running his fingers through his dark green hair.

    The Wind Elephant Sect had four core disciples before Cassius. The first senior brother went to the East Sea County for a year-long exchange study, while the third and fourth senior brothers were at two important branches in Beiliu County. As for the second senior sister, she was at the Wind Elephant Sect headquarters and lived in seclusion most of the time so she rarely engaged in the sect¡¯s activities. As such, it was normal for them to go about their own activities when they returned.

    "I don''t have much to do, so I guess I''ll just go back to the main sect with Junior Brother. It''s been a while since Ist visited," Moses said, scratching an itch around his ck eye patch.

    The four went their separate ways, leaving Cassius and Moses to wait for a carriage. Five minutester, they were in one, then a half hourter, they arrived at the gate of the Wind Elephant Sect.

    Moses looked wistfully at the slightly rusty ck iron gate. Back when he was in the youth training camp, he had been so hungry that, at one point, he had climbed the gate to sneak into the city to buy food.

    Unfortunately, he had been caught, and in his panic, he ended up dismantling the entire gate. In the end, he got his food, but he also ended up getting punished with a month of doubled training which he had nearly died from exhaustion. Fortunately, he was stronger than the average human and always managed to finish the training before each meal. Ultimately, he never went hungry.

    Cassius felt a deep affinity with him when Moses recounted his experience. In his first time-travel, he had also been punished with two weeks of double training. However, unlike Moses, he hadn''t been strong enough toplete it in the beginning, so he couldn¡¯t finish in time for meals. As a result, he had to rely on his roommate and his sister, Li Chu, to bring him supper every night.

    The two continued chatting as they walked, although, it was mostly Moses who did the talking as he reminisced about the past. He seemed to be a closet chatterbox.

    On the way there, Cassius made a quick stop at his house to change into morefortable clothes.

    A cobblestone path lined with trees slowly came into view and soon enough, Cassius and Moses arrived at the official student residential area. Moses was clutching arge bag that emitted a faint medicinal scent, that likely came from some body-strengthening medicine. He was going to catch up with some old friends and give them some gifts.

    It seemed like this shrewd and cunning "bear" also had an unexpectedly tender side.

    Of course, it was just as possible that this was all a prank.

    As the Wind Elephant Sect had not yet publicly disclosed the discovery of the Lanxin Grass site, medicine was still only supplied to their core disciples. In six months'' time, the artificial cultivation of Lanxin Grass would be close topletion and eventually, whether it be in a day or a month, all disciples would have ess to it. But since that hadn''t happened yet, any disciple not in the know would be deeply moved, possibly even brought to tears, at receiving medicine from Moses.

    Core disciples were only allowed three bottles a month and yet, this man was freely and unconditionally giving out a preciousmodity. How could they <i>not</i> be grateful to him?

    They were going to have to suck those tears of gratitude back up in a few days because little did they know, the sect would announce they had a mass supply of medicine. This was surely going to be a sessful prank.

    But this was all guesswork on Cassius''s part. Maybe Moses really did have a soft spot for old friendships.

    As Cassius pondered, he heard sobbing from a nearby house, intermingled with Moses''s humble reassurances. A truly touching and emotional scene.

    Shortly after, he saw Moses walking out with his bag of medicine and entering another house. This cycle repeated four or five times, with continuous cries of gratitude filling the air.

    Cassius was a little puzzled. Hadn''t Moses mentioned earlier that he didn''t have many friends in the training camp and that, on the contrary, he had many enemies? Where did all these friendse from?

    When it finally dawned on him, Cassius rubbed his forehead, feeling a headacheing on. He walked a few steps down the stone-paved path and away from the residential area, to avoid being seen by the "friends" who mighte out to thank Moses.

    It was a little past five in the evening. Arge thin ring of reddish gold clouds gradually dispersed in the wind against a twilit sky tinted a rustic brown.

    Cassius nced at the upper right corner of his vision. There were only about thirty ticks remaining on the Time Scale.

    He was originally given about six months, but after "working" with Damien, he had managed to squeeze out an additional thirty days. It was about time for him to fulfill some of Li Wei''s lingering attachment to gain more time.

    Without warning, the Wind Elephant Tusk symbol next to the Time Scale flickered erratically. A swell of intense emotions suddenly crashed down on his mind.

    Cassius quickly turned around. He could see a red-haired young man in a coat with a wooden suitcase walking down a gray stone path in the distance.

    "Finn!" Cassius blurted out through gritted teeth.

    If one were to ask when Li Wei felt the most pain, the answer would be right now. In this very moment.

    He hated his cowardice, hated the culprit responsible for his sister''s death, and hated himself for being too weak to avenge her.

    It was said that reclusive people were psychologically twisted. Li Wei had a deeply ingrained hatred of Finn, not just because of his sister, but also because of his current pathetic and miserable state. Although much of the situation was due to his cowardly nature, people rarely med themselves.

    Li Wei¡¯s deep-seated rage was unimaginably intense. If he were to measure it in terms of days he could stay in this era, eliminating Finn would give him more than a year''s time¡ªequivalent to draining away four Damiens.

    Cassius silently watched Finn from where he stood on the stone-paved path.

    Finn had also noticed the somewhat familiar young man staring at him. Memories that he had almost forgotten from five years ago once again resurfaced in his mind.

    <i>I think that girlmitted suicideter on. Didn''t people call her brother a coward for years? Li Wei, wasn''t it?</i> Finn recalled.

    Smirk on his face, he walked up to Cassius and sneered mockingly, "Out of my way, crybaby Li Wei. Oh wait, that''s not right. Your nickname is Coward, isn''t it? <i>Haha</i>."

    It was the exact same tone, the exact same expression. Li Wei had run into Finn several times over the course of the past five years, and he had been provoked every single time.

    Finn did all this to unt himself. Some people liked to oppress others for the simple reason of proving that they were stronger and better. The more the oppressed didn''t speak up, the happier the bullies were. They would think, <i>I''m so powerful! </i>

    "Why aren''t you saying anything? <i>Hehe</i>."

    Just as Finn was about to continue, a tall figure radiating a huge wave of heat appeared behind him. He felt a massive, violent aura directed right at him.

    The hairs on his back stood on end, and his knees nearly buckled.

    "S-Senior Brother Moses!" Finn stuttered respectfully as a fierce face appeared before him.

    "Is this how you talk to your senior brother?" Moses said expressionlessly.

    "Huh?" Finn was stunned. "What...?"

    "I said, is this how you talk to your Fifth Senior Brother Li Wei?!" Moses''s face twitched violently. His eyes had a murderous look which only added to his already imposing physique. Anybody would feel an overwhelming pressure just by ncing at him.

    "Fifth senior brother? Li Wei?!" Finn''s eyes almost popped out of their sockets in utter disbelief.

    <i>When did Li Wei be a core disciple? Impossible! Absolutely impossible! That coward?!</i>

    Finn turned to look and immediately locked eyes on the Wind Elephant Tusk Pendant hanging around Cassius''s neck. It was not white but a beautiful cyan, identifying him as a core disciple.

    "It''s... it''s true..." Finn was ck-jawed.

    "Call him your senior brother. Now." Moses towered over him, blocking out most of the sunlight. It looked like his shadow hadpletely swallowed up Finn.

    "..." Finn stared at Cassius. He opened his mouth but no words came out.

    "I''ll say it again. Call him your senior brother," Moses repeated. His domineering tone left no room for argument.

    "S-Senior Brother," Finn stammered.

    "Make it sound more natural."

    "Senior Brother." His voice was small.

    "Louder."

    "Senior Brother!" Finn shouted.

    "Good, now go." Moses¡¯s "go" sounded more like "scram." But how could Finn dare to defy him? He quickly tucked his tail in and scurried away.

    Under the crimson sunlight, only Moses and Cassius remained on the gray stone path. The atmosphere around them was slightly tense.

    Moses broke the silence abruptly. "You wanna kill him, don''t you?"

    He might have said it with a questioning tone, but it seemed more like a statement.

    Cassius was silent for a beat. "How did you know?"

    "The killing intent is practically oozing out of you. You can barely hide it," Moses said with a smile, snapping his fingers crisply. "Don''t do anything when you''re still on sect grounds. Wait until he''s outside. There will be plenty of chances." Moses shot a meaningful look at Li Wei. "I can help you. After all, we''re brothers."

    Cassius said, "Isn''t Finn also your brother? You¡¯d be punished for killing him ording to sect rules." So he said, but he didn''t seem particrly concerned.

    "Brother? What brother? I only have two senior brothers, one senior sister, and one junior brother. Just tell me if you want to cut him down. I already know the whole story; do you think I can stand such scum?" Moses chuckled.

    Cassius smiled, narrowing his eyes. "<i>Hehehe</i>."

    Moses bared his teeth in a fierce grin. "<i>Hehehe.</i>"

    The two brothers were united as one, ready for murder and mayhem.

 Chapter 63 - A Murderous Night

    <h4>Chapter 63 - A Murderous Night</h4>

    "This can''t be real! When did Li Wei be..." Finn raced back to his room, still in disbelief. He had only been at the branch for half a year, so how did that coward Li Wei be a core disciple in that small window of time?

    "Impossible, this can''t be happening! But... but..." Finn shuddered when he recalled Moses''s vicious expression.

    Everyone knew Moses, the fourth core disciple of the Wind Elephant Sect. His past nickname had been "Evil Bear¡± because he was known for his violent temper, brutal fighting style, and for breaking many fellow disciples'' limbs. His notorious reputation was a known fact amongst the disciples in the sect.

    It was this same Moses who proimed that Li Wei was the fifth core disciple of the Wind Elephant Sect. Plus, there was that Wind Elephant Tusk Pendant which basically confirmed his identity as a core disciple. He couldn''t have possibly faked it.

    "<i>Hu</i>..." Finn stood at his door. He let out a heavy breath before grabbing the door handle with sweaty palms and opening it. The inside of his room looked the same as it did half a year ago. A cloud of dust and a faintly rancid smell assaulted his nostrils. Finn walked in and hefted his suitcase onto the bed.

    He felt uneasy. In a single night, someone he used to bully had turned into his fifth senior brother. There was no guarantee that Li Wei wouldn''t seek revenge. What¡¯s more, Finn had just provoked him again!

    No, Finn couldn''t stay here anymore. He had to leave for the branch tonight!

    Finn''s throat went dry. He forced himself to swallow. If Li Wei really wanted revenge, not even his connections with his uncle would save him. Moreover, a core disciple in the Wind Elephant Sect was directly equivalent to that of the high elders!

    It wasn''t just him; not even his uncle would be safe from Li Wei.

    Finn started pacing around the room as his anxiety skyrocketed at the thought of this. He stopped and pulled back the curtain to look outside. The sky had grown dark and dim. In half an hour, the moon would rise.

    "No, I have to leave tonight! I''m getting out of here as soon as soon as it gets dark!"

    Seemingly making up his mind, he quickly returned to his bedroom and opened his suitcase. He changed out of his clothes and chose a ck outfit he had rarely worn from the suitcase.

    Finn hadn''t had dinner since he returned, but there was no time for that now. He had to leave the Wind Elephant Sect headquarters first.

    Time ticked by. A ck veil gradually shrouded the entire sky. Huge dark clouds stretched across the sky, blocking the moonlight.

    <i>Creak!</i>

    A young man in ck with a suitcase stood briefly in front of a wooden door before hurrying down the stone path.

    Five minutester, at the Wind Elephant Sect gate.

    A gatekeeper was leaning against the ck iron gate. He must have finished dinner as he had a yellow toothpick wiggling in his mouth. "Heading out sote, Junior Brother?"

    "Yeah, I''ve got urgent business at the branch. Goodbye."

    Finn quickly walked out the gate and down the mountain path. It had been hot during the day but the temperature had dropped sharply as soon as the sun disappeared behind the horizon. A chilly wind blew from nowhere, making the dense trees on his right rustle. The shadows of the swaying branches mimicked wing demons. Rubble and withered grassy on his left, with a cliff stretching out before him.

    It looked pleasant during the day but once night fell, the same scenery became a frightening sight. Dark clouds obscured the moon, only the faintest of light seeping through. A few scattered stars quietly embedded themselves in the sky.

    Finn''s steps were quick. Since he was a martial artist, even a brisk walk was faster than an ordinary person''s jogging pace. He heard a hollow whistling sound as the cold wind blew against his ears, apanied by the hooting of an owl in the forest.

    A strange sense of urgency filled his heart. He wondered if it was because Moses''s terrifying aura had scared him an hour ago.

    All Finn could think about was leaving the Wind Elephant Sect headquarters as soon as possible. His legs worked hard, and the suitcase in his hand swung back and forth.

    Suddenly, a bear emerged from the nearby woods.

    Wait, not a bear, but a tall, sturdy man who resembled one. At night, he wore only a vest, his exposed arms looked as solid as granite. The eye patch made his already fierce face more ferocious.

    "S-Senior Brother Moses, what are you doing here?" Finn swallowed. His bad premonition hit an all-time high, and his heart pounded wildly.

    "<i>Hehehe</i>..." Moses didn''t speak. He just grinned, baring his white teeth. They looked both ugly and terrifying.

    Finn had only one thought in his mind: <i>run!!!</i>

    Abandoning his suitcase, he dashed into the woods on his right, swerving between the shadows of the branches.

    <i>Thump, thump, thump...</i>

    Footsteps of varying speeds echoed through the dense forest. Teeth clenched, Finn sprinted wildly. The violent aura behind him kept getting closer and closer, like a vicious bear was hot on his heels. He felt nervous¡ªthe kind of anxiety that made him want to pee his pants.

    Adrenaline surged through him. When he heard heavy footsteps approaching from behind, his heart just about leaped out of his throat. His back was drenched in sweat.

    At some point, Finn realized he could no longer hear footsteps behind him. He nced quickly behind him, his legs still carrying him forward.

    They really were gone! Had he shaken off Moses? Finn didn''t dare rx.

    Another ten seconds of running and another downhill path appeared. This was a side path down the mountain from the Wind Elephant Sect. Had he been chased around the mountain?

    "It seems safe for now." Finn breathed a sigh of relief and continued down the path. He froze.

    A young man, not too far away, stood right in the middle of the downhill path. His strong body looked like a sculpture in the dark, with the sparse moonlight giving him an eerily terrifying appearance.

    "Li Wei!"

    Finn gasped for breath. He never expected revenge toe so quickly. He had been marked right from the start!

    <i>Thump, thump, thump!</i>

    A series of distant footsteps reverbrated from the forest behind him.

    "Moses!" Fear surged in Finn''s heart, but it was quickly squashed by a burst of determination. "I might not be able to win against Moses, but there''s no way in hell I''m going to lose to you, Li Wei! I''ll fucking fight you today!"

    He quickly twisted around and shot out like an arrow, hurtling toward Cassius.

    In the moonlight, the statuesque figure suddenly moved. His sleeves rippled in the wind and he seemed to transform as his muscles swelled and his whole body erged.

    Cassius stomped on the ground, creating a sizable dent in the dirt. Using the force of his kick, he propelled himself forward, his cold eyes filled with a frigid killing intent.

    "I''ve been waiting for you for a long time."

 Chapter 64 - Rest in Peace

    <h4>Chapter 64 - Rest in Peace</h4>

    Finn rushed forward. All he saw was a blur before Li Wei, who had been standing far away, appeared right in front of him. His gaze was so cold, it felt like it could see right into his soul.

    When Cassius met Finn¡¯s eyes, an intense wave of killing intent surged over him. Finn felt his ruthlessness falter. Just as he threw a hasty punch, he heard bones crunching. The next instant, an indescribable pain shot through his left hand at the elbow.

    "<i>Ah</i>!!!"

    It broke! His elbow had been shattered! His forearm dangled uselessly at his side, the skin pulled taut from clinging onto the broken joint. A piece of white bone, dripping with crimson blood, protruded from the tear.

    Finn''s eyes bulged, face contorted in pain. When had Li Wei hit him?!

    "<i>Arghhh</i>!" Finn roared. He swung his right fist quickly. Suddenly, a shadow shed through the air like a whip.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    A mixture of blood, tendons, bone fragments, and pieces of skin exploded in midair. Finn''s forearm spun like a propeller.

    <i>Crack! Crack!</i>

    His bones cracked. He crumpled to his knees, blood gushing slowly down from his arm and into a small but quickly forming puddle underneath him. Pain radiated through his entire body in intense waves and the tear in his arm was so agonizing he felt like his heart was being crushed.

    "<i>Ha...</i>"<i> </i>Finn''s mouth gaped open. There wasn''t a single spot on his face not covered in blood.

    A tall figure walked over, and stared down at him coldly.

    "It hurts, doesn''t it?" A deep voice came from above. "To the point where it feels like your heart might stop?"

    Trembling, Finn lifted his head. Fear gripped his heart so tightly he couldn''t speak.

    "Do you feel helpless now? Afraid?" The voice, tinged with sadness, paused. "Five years ago, a girl named Li Chu felt even more helpless, even more scared than you do now! She was raped by a beast, and even though she was clearly the victim, she didn''t get any justice. Her brother was weak, her mother died, people pointed fingers at her, and the culprit was never caught.

    "She killed herself... she <i>killed</i> herself! Damn it!" Rage, the kind of fury felt when someone ruined something beautiful he''d saved, surged through Cassius.

    A strong hand shot out, seizing Finn like a small chicken. He lifted Finn up by the neck, ignoring the blood dripping down from his swinging legs.

    Finn could see Cassius''s bloodshot eyes and bulging veins running from his neck to his temples. The two boys locked eyes, the silence around them so thick that it seemed like it could solidify.

    Cassius suddenly grinned. "Here''s a thought: why don''t you see how it feels like to die while your body and soul are slowly being devoured by despair and fear?"

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    Like giant, roaring pythons, his tworge hands suddenly shot out. Finn''s body plummeted but was caught in Cassius''s strong embrace before he hit the ground. Cassius¡¯s muscles instantly swelled, turning slightly ck. Inch by inch, his arms tightened until, like iron pirs, he began closing in on Finn. Like a dam that suddenly broke, a torrent of immense power surged from Cassius¡¯s body and encased Finn.

    "<i>Ugh</i>!"

    Blood vessels spiderwebbed across the white of his eyes which already seemed like they were on the verge of popping out of their sockets. His breathing grew weaker under the pressure.

    <i>Crack, crack, crack...</i>

    Every one of Finn''s bones screamed in agony.

    "<i>Haa</i>..." A sound like a punctured bag squeezed out from his throat.

    "I... I... I..." Finn wanted to say something, but he choked on the blood bubbling in his throat. He could only stare wordlessly at Cassius as blood streamed from his orifices. In a daze, he seemed to see himself falling into the depths of an ocean. There was a huge ck whirlpool that spun around madly, with countless pale arms reaching out from the water to grab him.

    "No¡ª" Finn struggled, ast spurt of energy rocking through him as he sensed his end was near.

    "I won''t be seeing you again."

    <i>Crack!</i>

    Under the moonlight, a tall figure bent over in an embrace, while the person in that embrace had their waist broken, forming an exact "greater than" symbol.

    <i>Tap, tap, tap</i>...

    The pitter-pattering of footsteps became louder as Moses ran over. As soon as he saw the scene, he slowed down and walked over. Cassius raised his blood-spattered face. The shadows were dark, and in the faint moonlight, it threw his nk, rigid, and cold expression into sharp relief.

    "It seems your killing intent surpasses mine, little brother." Moses smiled with satisfaction. They were indeed the same type of person.

    "I was just killing a beast who should''ve died a long time ago," Cassius said, slinging Finn''s body over his shoulder. "Should I throw him in theke? Feed the fish?"

    "Do whatever you want." Moses surveyed the bloodbath. "I''ll clean this up for you." He extended his palm forward and felt a cool sensation on his palm. "Look, even the heavens are helping you. It''s starting to rain..."

    He didn''t even finish speaking before lightning shed through theyers of dark clouds in the sky, and rain poured down in torrents. The dense rain gradually formed a thick curtain across the sky. Cassius looked up at the hazy sky.

    Thunder rumbled deep in the clouds like cannons while the relentless rain washed away the blood on his face. Even his heart, which had previously been in a state of turmoil, returned to cold stillness.

    "Rest in peace, amen." This was directed to a girl lying in her grave.

    Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, half a month had already passed.

    It wasn''t until the tenth day after Finn became fish feed in theke that the Wind Elephant Sect finally realized his disappearance. The sect quickly sent people out to investigate, but they came back empty-handed.

    Not to mention, ten days had already gone by. Even if they had searched right after the heavy rain, any traces of Finn would have been washed away.

    Technology in the 1880s was a far cry from what Cassius remembered from the 21st century. There were no cameras, no specialized equipment, and no witnesses; they couldn''t even figure out if Finn was missing or dead.

    In a situation like this, the possibility of Cassius and Moses''s ndestine actions being detected was near impossible. Cassius suspected that if the higher-ups of the Wind Elephant Sect ever figured out what he did, they would choose to cover it up and give him a p on the wrist.

    It was this confidence that made him act so decisively. With those worries out of the way, killing was a very simple matter.

    The day after Finn sank to the bottom of theke, Cassius went to the back mountain again and ced a bouquet of white flowers in front of Li Chu''s tombstone. He had meant what he said before: he hoped Li Chu could rest in peace.

    ***

    It was January 22, and the weather was clear.

    Cassius sat cross-legged in the corner of a private room, expression solemn. Sunlight shone on his bare upper body. He looked like a bronze statue.

    [Elephant Soul Iplete: Prickling 100% (Stage Three)]

    [Wind Elephant Fist Iplete: Gale 100% (Stage Three)]

    The final 0.5% wasplete.

    Cassius opened his eyes and exhaled. Stretching out his right hand, he ced a ck bottle filled with liquid on the ground.

    It was Fire Oil, a medicine specifically for breaking through thresholds!

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 65 - Wind Elephant Covert Martial Arts, Stage Two

    <h4>Chapter 65 - Wind Elephant Covert Martial Arts, Stage Two</h4>

    <i>Let''s begin.</i>

    Cassius adjusted himself until he was in his optimal condition. Without hesitation, he grabbed the bottle and unscrewed the cap.

    A pungent smell wafted out from the bottle. The smell was simr to something in his past life, a diesel truck''s exhaust. The smell wasn''t very awful, but it wasn''t pleasant either. He paused for a brief moment and took a huge gulp. He didn''t finish the entire bottle, only downing about half of it.

    Cassius clicked his tongue; the pungent liquid had a surprisingly sweet taste. That and the smooth texture made it a rtively easy drink to go down.

    He exhaled an exhaust-smelling breath and inhaled slightly. Instantly, a spicy sensation surged from his mouth, rapidly spreading down his esophagus and to his stomach.

    While Cassius''s face turned slightly red, his entire body heated up. His back and forehead were beaded with sweat and it wasn''t long before his tight-fittingbat pants were drenched.

    At that moment, he looked like he had been exercising intently all afternoon, his skin as red as a boiled lobster. Sweat poured down in rivulets, gradually wetting the floor around him. Scorching heat radiated from his body, causing dense white steam to slowly rise up. The steam was particrly noticeable in the winter sunlight.

    <i>Thump, thump, thump...</i>

    Pounding like a drum, his heart pumped blood throughout his entire body faster than usual. Cassius recalled what Instructor Lisa told him.

    <i>Calm your mind and focus. Cycle through the ten stances of Elephant Soul: Prickling.</i>

    He immediately began the movements. In the sunlit room, a tall, bare-chested young man sweated profusely, striking various peculiar poses in silence.

    Cassius trained from dawn until noon, meticulously following Instructor Lisa''s teachings. He only took three breaks through the entire process, eachsting only five minutes, which he used to hydrate and recover his stamina.

    The room was sealed shut, with only a small crack in the window allowing some air flow in so it stunk of sweat.The gray floorboards in the corner dried and dampened over and over again, almost as though salt crystals were forming in the gaps.

    At that moment, Cassius stood on tiptoe, his calf and thigh muscles tense and trembling. His hands were sped behind his back, his chest held high. He was exhausted and hot. The whole thing was getting more and more unbearable.

    But how could one achieve progress without enduring pain? He considered himself extremely lucky as he had gotten the Fire Oil, a supplementary item that could help him achieve a breakthrough. Other ordinary martial artists might never achieve this level, no matter how hard they trained for the rest of their lives. Cassius was incredibly luckypared to them. This psychological boost helped with maintaining a steady focus.

    He endured the fatigue, searching for an opportunity for a breakthrough amidst the chaotic sensations. He waited for that sh of inspiration.

    <i>Creak.</i>

    The door opened. Lisa tiptoed in, carrying a lunch box in her left hand and threerge cans of salted water in her right. She moved silently, setting the items down and collecting a few empty cans from the corner before leaving.

    Cassius knew that in a critical moment like this, Instructor Lisa would stay outside the door, waiting until he either seeded or failed.

    Ten minutester, he exhaled a breath of murky air and stopped moving. He opened the window to ventte the room before opening the lunch box to eat. Even if one possessed an extraordinary physique, it was still important to replenish energy. In addition, Covert Martial Artists needed to consume more food than ordinary people.

    For a while, the only sound in the room was chewing.

    His muscles were so sore and tired that he couldn''t grasp the knife and fork properly. Fortunately, his thumb and index finger were fine, so he ate the sausage and meat with just those two fingers. After finishing, he ced the lunch box in the corner and drank a can of salted water.

    Cassius paced around the room for twenty minutes to stretch and rx his tense muscles before sitting cross-legged on the floor for another ten minutes to rest. He then repeated his morning routine.

    Just like that, an entire day passed. From morning all the way to evening, he worked on breaking through his limits. Although he had yet to seed, Cassius could feel that he was getting ever so closer which was a good sign.

    In the evening, he showered and changed his clothes to get ready for bed. However, due to the Fire Oil''s side effects, his vitality was extremely vigorous, rendering him unable to fall asleep.

    After tossing and turning for an hour, Cassius finally sought help from Instructor Lisa''s sleep-inducing hand chop. A single strike to his neck and he was out like a light.

    The next day, he repeated the previous day''s routine. Cassius was inching closer to the barrier between Stage One and Stage Two of the Wind Elephant Covert Martial Arts. By the third day, he was very close to the bottleneck.

    It was noon on the fourth day. Cassius had entered a meditative state since the morning. He sat there with his eyes shut and his head bowed, and his breathing was even and steady. He hadn''t touched the lunch box or the salted water in the corner.

    Lisa hade in once while this was happening but immediately left upon noticing the situation. She ced her items aside and waited outside the door. She knew that Cassius was on the verge of a breakthrough. No one could be allowed to disturb him!

    <i>Thump, thump, thump...</i>

    <i>Huff, huff, huff...</i>

    The only audible sounds were his heartbeat and breathing. The frequencies of the two were different. A normal adult at rest breathes twelve to twenty times per minute, with a breath-to-pulse ratio of one to four. But right now, Cassius was breathing faster, while his heartbeat was slowing down. Until they fully synchronized.

    <i>Ffft...</i>

    Cassius''s nose emitted a sound like a leaking bellows. Inexplicably, a pressure came out of nowhere and engulfed him. His skin tightened and it was getting difficult to breathe. His cheeks swelled and turned a purplish-red.

    He felt an increasingly painful sensation on his left chest. Cassius''s heart felt like it was about to explode. His muscles and veins pulsed violently, his blood pumping frantically. Though his heartbeats had slowed, each contraction was only getting stronger and faster, causing his blood vessels to feel like they were about to burst. Overwhelmed, his chest made a noise.

    "<i>Pfft</i>!" Cassius spat a mouthful of blood. A faint creak came from the door, as if someone had opened it slightly.

    He spat another mouthful, staining his clothes and sttering the floor with blood in the process. After spitting out that blood, Cassius felt somewhat relieved. As he rxed, a sound of muffled thunder suddenly exploded in his ears.

    <i>Boom!!!</i>

    His heart contracted violently, sending thick, viscous blood shooting throughout his body like bullets, forcing it into every vessel.

    Cassius looked horrifying as droplets of blood the color of red grapes seeped out and hung from his pores. The blood slid along the contours of his muscles and dripped to the ground.

 Chapter 66 - The Pugilist

    <h4>Chapter 66 - The Pugilist</h4>

    Under the golden sunlight, a blood-soaked figure sat cross-legged on the ground. With how still he was, he looked like a statue. Or rather a dead man. His breath was so weak that he didn¡¯t even seem like he <i>was</i> breathing. Gradually, the blood started to clot and formed scabs.

    An hour passed, and nothing changed. Two hours passed, and still, there was no movement. After three hours...four hours...five hours...

    Suddenly, a crisp cracking sound was heard. The scabs on Cassius''s body began to crack.

    A series of fine cracking sounds immediately followed. The scabspletely shattered and ked off his body as the tall figure rose from the ground. His skin had a warm bronze luster when light reflected off it, resembling tough leather.

    The boy who was originally over 1.8 meters tall had grown to 1.9 meters. And that wasn¡¯t all! His bones and muscles had been enhanced, making them more optimal for movement. Though he was much stronger than before, his body was leaner and his muscles were morepact, which granted him greater agility. Every time he moved, his well-defined muscles would bulge and sway, evoking a sense of strength and power.

    Cassius''s eyes were bright and spirited. His senses had heightened to the extreme and he was in the best condition he had ever been in. He felt extremely satisfied and fulfilled.

    "I think I made it... Wind Elephant Covert Martial Arts, Stage Two."

    [Wind Elephant Covert Martial Arts: Stage Two (Total Three Stages)]

    [Elephant Soul Iplete: Bug Bite 5.8% (Total Three Stages)]

    [Wind Elephant Fist Iplete: Elephant Herd 5.1% (Total Three Stages)]

    When he clenched his fists tightly, he felt unprecedented power gathering in his palms. It feltpletely different from before! Cassius had a vague sense that the breakthrough wasn¡¯t the only change he had undergone.

    As he tried to get a sense of his internal state, he could see his blood flowing within him. Starting from the upper chambers of his heart, the warm blood circted through his entire body, before finally returning to its original ce.

    "Huh?!" Cassius''s eyes widened. When he focused just then, his blood seemed to flow faster in his veins. He tested it again.

    He was right! It really elerated!

    Cassius felt like he knew what he had to do. Following his heart''s faint guidance, Cassius instinctively sucked in a quick breath, his whole body bent like a bowstring. His chest puffed up, and the quick flow of air formed a vortex at his nose and mouth as he breathed in.

    <i>Huuu...</i>

    <i>Thump, thump!!!</i>

    His heart started to pump violently, and his blood went on a rampage, traveling through his veins at twice the usual speed. As heat surged within, Cassius felt an immense power gushing out like a tide in his body. He had never experienced this before.

    "<i>Ahhh</i>!" As if he was releasing all of the rage inside, he roared and swung out his fist! A huge ck shadow swept through the air, and with a fierce whistling sound, his fist mmed into the wall with immense speed and power.

    <i>Thud!</i>

    The high wall trembled from the force of his fist crashing through the brick wall, leaving behind arge hole that looked like it was created by an iron rod. With a crash, rubble crumbled to the ground in a cloud of dust.

    Cassius withdrew his arm and looked incredulously at his palm. Not only was his punching speed twice as fast as before, his strength had also doubled! He had punched right through the wall!

    The walls in the Wind Elephant Sect''s training rooms and private rooms were made of the best and hardest bricks in the market, joined together by extremely adhesive y. Even if it wasn''t as strong as modern concrete or steel walls, it was still undoubtedly hard. Yet, he managed to break it with a single punch.

    <i>p p p.</i>

    He heard ppinging from the doorway.

    "Congrattions, Li Wei. Today, you have finally stepped into the true beginnings of martial arts: a pugilist!" Instructor Lisa walked over slowly, smiling. "You have surpassed human limits. You should have felt it when you punched just now. That power you felt from the elerated blood flow? That''s proof that you¡¯ve done it!"

    Lisa strolled over to the wall and picked up a piece of rubble. She pressed firmly, turning the stone into powder which trickled through her fingers.

    "Pugilist..." Cassius murmured.

    "Yes, this is a whole new level. Only by reaching the realm of a pugilist can one be called an expert in martial arts It requires diligence, superior constitution, insight, and luck," Lisa said slowly. "Not everyone can reach this level.

    "Although ordinary humans can still achieve the amateur and professional levels, they operate within human limits. All they can do is hone their boxing skills to perfection or their bodies to its peak condition. However, no matter how refined their techniques or how strong their bodies are, they still won''t be able to reach the supernatural."

    She looked at Cassius, a satisfied expression on her face. "A pugilistpletely surpasses their level. Their physical fitness, recovery ability, and strength control are far beyond human limits and they can perform all kinds of actions that were previously impossible for the human body. I''m talking about powerful moves that were once thought to be impractical being able to control the flow of blood in their bodies.

    "Did you know there are only about fifteen pugilists under the age of thirty in the entire Beiliu County, Li Wei? And within that, there are only three under the age of twenty!" Lisa''s tone was somewhat agitated. "The earlier you be a pugilist, the greater your advantage because you''ll have enough time to break through the remaining two nodes in your body! At this rate, you have a good chance of reaching the sect master stage before forty which is when your vitality starts to decline... <i>Cough, cough... cough, cough...</i>"

    Lisa began coughing violently from being overexcitement. It took some time for her to regain herposure. "If you can reach the stage of a sect master, then it will be easy to perfect the Azure Wind Flow. You can incorporate it into your practice to create your own Covert Martial Arts." She clutched Cassius''s hand in a vice-like grip. "If that day everes, I can die without regrets."

    Cassius immediately promised that he would do his utmost to perfect Lisa''s Azure Wind Flow. If possible, he wanted to integrate and elevate this iplete technique to the level of Covert Martial Arts. Might it then be called Azure Wind Covert Martial Arts?

    Lisa was clearly deeply moved when she heard the term "Azure Wind Covert Martial Arts." She was increasingly pleased with Cassius.

    "Since you have broken through to the pugilist level, you can start officially practicing the Azure Wind Flow. Also, given your current physique, you can now start learning the two killing moves of the Gale stage of the Wind Elephant Fist." Lisa paused. "If you can master the Azure Wind Flow and the killing moves, thebination of these two will definitely exceed your expectations."

    Cassius felt a bit excited hearing this. When it came to the Dao of the Covert Martial Arts, he possessed a seeker''s curiosity and hunger.

    <i>Instructor Lisa didn''t touch on everything. There''s also the elerated blood flow. That power boost from elerated blood flow was absolutely terrifying! If I can use these three simultaneously...</i> Cassius was busy daydreaming when Lisa, who was about to leave, spoke.

    "Open the windows and sweep the floor. Also, remember to find some bricks to fix the wall tomorrow."

    Cassius was stunned for a moment. "Huh? Doesn''t the sect have someone responsible for that?"

    Lisa paused at the doorway. "The sect''s maintenance does not cover intentional damage."

    "But I didn''t do it on purpose!" Cassius said indignantly.

    "You punched a hole in the stone wall. Who''s going to believe it was an ident? Just pay for it and fix it yourself." Lisa''s voice faded away in the distance.

 Chapter 67 - Azure Wind Flow

    <h4>Chapter 67 - Azure Wind Flow</h4>

    While Cassius fixed the wall early the next morning, an old, wrinkled face suddenly popped up in the the hole in the wall.

    "My dear grand-disciple, did you seed on your first try?!" It was none other than Lisa¡¯s teacher, Master Oumai.

    "Yes," Cassius replied. There was no point in hiding it. Since Master Oumai had asked, Instructor Lisa must have already told him.

    "Good, good, good!" Immediately, the old face outside the hole beamed like a blooming chrysanthemum. His wrinkles and age spots bunched together when he smiled. "Good boy! You truly have good fortune!" Oumai said, feeling rather emotional.

    Breaking through the bottleneck of the Wind Elephant Covert Martial Arts was half effort and talent, and the other half luck. Decades ago, it had taken Oumai four attempts to break through the bottleneck. Lisa had failed twice in session before she saw sess.

    If a breakthrough attempt failed, the internal disruption of blood and energy required at least two to three months of recuperation before another attempt could be made. Generally, a martial artist had, at most, seven chances to attempt a breakthrough. By the eighth time, the probability of sess was next to zero. Additionally, not many had seeded on their first try. Cassius and First Senior Brother Hykal were the only ones in the Wind Elephant Sect to achieve this feat in the past forty years.

    As he stood in the private room, brick in hand, Cassius smiled. He tended not to think of luck as a talent or strength. To him, luck was simply an unpredictable element that he had to be cognizant of.

    Oumai sighed. "Luck is also a part of one''s strength. Come on, hand me that brick, let me give you a hand."

    With Master Oumai''s help, Cassius took only half an hour to repair the white wall of the private room. Though it looked a bit ugly now, as long as he applied whitewash on itter, it would look as good as new.

    He looked at the smooth wall and nodded in satisfaction. Beside him, Master Oumai pulled out a silver rectangr snuff box that was decorated with floral carvings and iid with a few opal stones that had a colorful and warm luster.

    "Want some snuff?" he asked.

    The box did not contain cigarettes but snuff, which was made from high-quality tobo leaves, borneol, and mint. The three ingredients were grounded together into powder, sealed, and then aged. The box itself was a masterpiece of exquisite craftsmanship. There were times that people treated it more as a collectible rather than for its actual use.

    "No, I''m not used to it." Cassius shook his head. His sharp eyes noticed a line of small characters engraved on the metal of the snuff box: "To my dear Oumai McKinsey."

    "Is this a gift from a friend?"

    "No, my wife." Oumai smiled. There was a far-off look in his eyes. "She gave it to me forty years ago. Back then, I took her all around the Hongli Federation. Sometimes we even traveled abroad, and we managed to taste cuisines and experienced customs of more than ten countries. <i>Aiya</i>, why am I telling you all this? I''m off now!" Oumai took a snuff and quickly dusted the powder off his hands before walking out of the newly repaired private room.

    Almost as soon as Oumai left, Lisa arrived. She wore a pure white outfit, and herplexion seemed much better than before. At the very least, her cheeks seemed rosier.

    Lisa nced at the newly repaired wall on the right. "That was some quick work; you took less than an hour to get it done."

    "<i>Hehe.</i>" Cassius scratched his head and smiled.

    "Good, let''s finish it off then." Lisa lifted the wooden bucket in her right hand, which contained whitewash.

    "Teacher, let me do it." Cassius jogged over, grabbed the bucket, and applied an even coating of the whitewash over the all too conspicious patch on the wall.

    Master Oumai had helped him with the bricks, and Instructor Lisa with mixing the whitewash. That was quite nice. Fueled by this thought, he applied the whitewash with renewed enthusiasm.

    The birds chirped crisply as the morning sunlight streamed through the windows, casting long golden rays on the floor where Cassius was on his knees and applying the whitewash. Lisa quietly watched beside him, leaning against the wall with her head slightly tilted.

    Time passed slowly in silence.

    "Teacher, what''s Master Oumai''s wife''s name?" Cassius asked.

    "My master''s wife? You should call herdy grand-master."

    "No, no, that''s not what I meant. I was asking for her name." Cassius applied two moreyers of whitewash as he spoke.

    "Her name? Isabel Cassini." Lisa thought for a moment. "Technically, your Master Oumai doesn''t have a formal wife. Yourdy grand-master died when she was twenty-six so she never had the chance to marry Master Oumai." She paused. "From that day on, Master Oumai swore never to marry."

    <i>So Master Oumai is also someone with a story... </i>Cassius thought. He didn''t say anything more and focused on applying the whitewash.

    The newly repaired private room still had a strong smell by the time it was the afternoon so Lisa and Cassius went to the training room for their lesson. They both sat cross-legged on the spacious floor.

    Lisa pondered for a moment and then spoke slowly, "Every martial art has its own framework. For instance, the Basic Combat Arts form the foundation for the Wind Elephant Sect. Any kind of Wind Elephant martial arts, whether it¡¯s the Wind Elephant Fist''s first stage, Gale, or the second stage, Elephant Herd, evolve from this foundation. Like a branch growing into a lush tree, this progression from simplicity toplexity is the proper path!"

    "In addition to this proper path, there are auxiliary techniques that, at a certain point, suddenly spread out. These techniques are like thorny vines wrapped around the tree¡¯s branches. The upside is that they increase the tree''s lethality and resistance to enemies. However, these vines willpete for nutrients with the tree and if one were to focus too much on the vines, the tree would wither."

    Lisa nced at Cassius, who was listening intently. "The Azure Wind Flow I am about to teach you is such a vine. You must stick to your true path and tread cautiously when mastering this double-edged sword. Do not delve too deeply! You should only get a small taste of it before you''re forty. It won''t be toote to attempt it again when you advance to the stage of abat artist. A year of effort at that stage will be more effective than ten years of hard work right now."

    Cassius nodded so Lisa would know that he had taken her words to heart. He had actually been exposed to the techniques of the Azure Wind Flow for a long time but he had been limited to only practicing the basics. He had not been qualified to truly practice the Azure Wind Flow because he had not yet reached the stage of a pugilist.

    "<i>Cough, cough.</i>"<i> </i>Lisa coughed twice and took a sip of water.

    "I''ve spoken to you about this before, but the Azure Wind Flow is a technique I derived from the main principles of the Wind Elephant Fist''s Gale stage. It follows the principle, ''When your mind bes as clear as a stream, the wind bes unstoppable.'' Since this technique is still iplete, it won''t follow the step-by-step progression of the Wind Elephant Fist. You won''t be able to tell whether you are on the right track, but once you do seed, you will instantly master the Azure Wind Flow. So, you still need to be patient moving forward..."

 Chapter 68 - The Exchange Tournament Begins

    <h4>Chapter 68 - The Exchange Tournament Begins</h4>

    "Because I won¡¯t know how much you''ve progressed or how long it will take you to grasp the Azure Wind Flow..." Lisa said. Her heart felt heavy.

    While diligence and persistence were certainly rted to one''s disposition, but receiving positive feedback as a result of that diligence was far more important. When one trains, they be stronger; when one studies, they gain more knowledge. These are all examples of positive reinforcements.

    However, the Azure Wind Flow had no such things because Lisa was the only one who had mastered it. Unlike the Wind Elephant Fist, where practitioners could gauge their progress by looking at andparing with their peers, the Azure Wind Flow didn''t have this feedback. As such, it could get very lonely and monotonous, making for an extremely tough process.

    How long would it take for Cassius to master it? Perhaps a year. Or three years. Or maybe even ten years...

    Could Cassius endure for that long? Probably not.

    If Lisa were to ask herself the same question, she had to admit that she wouldn''t be able to do it either.

    "Don''t worry, Teacher. I may not be good at many things, but I am patient," Cassius assured her while he flicked a nce at the upper right corner.

    [Azure Wind Flow: First Stage 59% (Total Two Stages)]

    It didn''t matter what Covert Martial Arts or technique he was attempting because so long as there was a progress bar, Cassius would grind it out until the end of time. After all, when he time traveled, the time in his real world woulde to a standstill. Theoretically, if he umted a lot of time, Cassius could push himself and train all the different kinds of Covert Martial Arts to the extreme levels.

    Regardless of his talent or constitution, he had excellent perseverance. He received positive feedback every morning when he woke up!

    "Good!" Lisa nodded in approval. She had an acute understanding of Cassius''s immense patience over the past six months.

    "I envisioned the Azure Wind Flow as having five stages. So far, I have only perfected two. The remaining three stages will be up to you in the future," Lisa said with a sigh. Her expression turned serious.

    She meticulously began teaching Cassius the Azure Wind Flow''s various characteristics and key points. asionally, she would personally demonstrate the Azure Wind Flow on a wooden dummy for Cassius.

    The wooden dummy was in a sorry state by the time the afternoon transitioned into evening. At noon, the head was ttened. Next came its hands, then its torso, and by the end of the session, the support column was gone too. The training room was covered in yellow sawdust with the culprit, Lisa, standing in the middle of it like an automated wood cutting machine.

    "Alright, let''s stop here for today. Go back and practice more on your own. <i>Cough, cough</i>." Lisa got up and nced outside. The sky was already turning to dusk, and the white clouds looked like they were on fire.

    She picked up the cup of water beside her and walked out. Cassius also stood up and followed. As he pushed the door open, a familiar person was standing outside. He had blonde hair and blue eyes, and held a broom and a mop in his hands. It was his second junior brother, Damien.

    "Senior Brother, I''m on duty today!" Damien smiled happily, the sunset shining on half his face. If one didn''t know any better, they would think that he was the very picture of a bright, sunny boy.

    "Mm." Cassius stared at him strangely.

    When did Damien be so chipper? Did he develop Stockholm syndrome as a result of Li Wei beating him up for the past six months?

    It was weird, but Cassius still needed to eat, so he ignored Damien and headed to the canteen to fill his stomach up.

    Damien remained standing there, a polite smile still on his face.

    Of course, he didn''t have Stockholm syndrome. He had other reasons for why he was behaving this way. Ever since the core disciples'' banquet ended half a month ago, nobody could keep the news of Li Wei bing the fifth core disciple a secret and soon everyone knew.

    What did a core disciple entail? As long as they didn¡¯t die a premature death, they were bound to be elders!

    Who cared how Li Wei became a core disciple, or how he used to employ his fists to discipline Damien? A core disciple was a core disciple, and everyone was to call him Senior Brother! So what if Damien was trying to curry favor with Li Wei? They shared the same teacher, after all!

    Those close to the well naturally got the first sip. None of that fertile water would be allowed to flow to outsiders.

    As for their past little tiffs and disagreements, those were nothing in Damien''s mind. Obviously, Senior Brother was testing him. Senior Brother was clearly expressing how much he valued him when he chose him to be his sparring partner! Others wouldn''t get this opportunity even if they tried to!

    Damien smiled proudly at this epiphany and muttered to himself, "I should find some time for Senior Brother Li Wei to beat me up again."

    The training room door creaked open and Damien walked in. The smile on his face instantly froze as soon as his eyesnded on the floor.

    Did they open a sawmill in here?! How long was it going to take to clean this up?!

    ***

    Two dayster, on January 28.

    That morning, Cassius knocked on Senior Brother Moses''s door where he was temporarily staying at the headquarters. He heard heavy footsteps from within before a burly, muscr man opened the door. The two exchanged a nce before heading into the room.

    "How''s it going?" Moses took out a tea set and brewed two hot cups of red tea as he stood near the sofa in the second-floor hall.

    Cassius leaned against the balcony, the sunlight warming one side of his body. He gazed at Moses, smiling faintly, and said, "Want to give it a try?"

    "Sure. Full power?" Moses grinned.

    "Full power."

    "Alright, let''s do it!"

    "Let''s go!"

    No sooner had the words been spoken, a boom echoed in the living room. It was like a muffled thunderp. Waves of air pressure dispersed out inyers, blowing away the gray newspaper on the shoe rack downstairs. More than half of the red tea spilled out onto the coffee table.

    Moses backed up three steps, looking in amazement at his slightly numb fist. "This power, this speed¡ªa pugilist!"

    "That''s right." Cassius clenched his hand, confirming it.

    "When did you breakthrough?"

    "Two days ago." Cassius reached into his coat and suddenly tossed over a ck bottle to Moses whose sharp reflexes allowed him to catch it midair.

    "Fire Oil. I used about half and there''s half of it left." Cassius turned his head around. "You won''t let me down, right, Senior Brother?"

    "Rest assured! I was already quite confident going into my third attempt to break through to the realm of pugilist, but I''m practically guaranteed sess now that I have your Fire Oil!" Moses couldn''t help butugh heartily. "<i>Hahaha</i>, I''m already excited at the thought of achieving a breakthrough before that sissy. I can''t wait to see his face. He''s going to be shocked, <i>hahaha</i>..."

    Cassius''s expression was a bit odd. The way Fourth Senior Brother Moses and Third Senior Brother Lance were always trying to one up each other made it seem as though they were a pair of happy rivals. It certainly exined why Moses was so delighted now.

    "Thanks, Little Junior Brother! I''ll go into seclusion now." Moses wrapped Cassius up in a bear hug. He gazed longingly at the ck bottle in his hand, the yearning in his eyes seemingly stronger than when he had his eyes on a beautiful woman.

    On February 1, Moses emerged from seclusion. The first thing he did was spar with Cassius where they fought to their heart''s content. Just as Moses said, his breakthrough had been within his reach and he had finally seeded!

    That day, Moses made Cassius promise to keep their breakthroughs a secret. They were going to reveal their full strength once the Eastern Exchange Tournament started. Lance was going to be dumbstruck when he found out that four out of the five core disciples were pugilists.

    Surprised, Lance? Didn''t expect this, did you?

    Regardless, Cassius didn''t want toment on Moses''s twisted sense of humor.

    Time flew by, and a month and a half passed. On March 15, the temperature rose, signaling the arrival of spring.

    Senior Brother Hykal, who had been traveling around the Beiliu County, suddenly returned to the Wind Elephant Sect headquarters and summoned the sect''s core disciples.

    In the hall, he uttered his first words, "The Six Eastern Counties Martial Arts Exchange Tournament has begun!"

 Chapter 69 - Drill Punch

    <h4>Chapter 69 - Drill Punch</h4>

    "More specifically, it''s happening in about two weeks, starting with the county-levelpetition in Beiliu County. Because each martial arts sect can only send ten disciples topete, they would need to hold its ownpetition to decide who to pick. However, we don''t need to waste time doing that since the five slots have already been reserved for the core disciples."

    Senior Brother Hykal nced at everyone before his gaze settled on Cassius. "This county-level exchangepetition will gather dozens of martial arts sects from all over Beiliu County. Some with only a few members, while there will be others bigger than our sect.

    "We need to keep a close eye on three in particr: Golden Fist Sect, ck Crane Sect, and Singing Water Sect. All of them are top third-tier Covert Martial Arts sects,parable to our Wind Elephant Sect. They have formidable techniques and numerous talented experts," Hykal said as he walked to the window, drawing back the curtain to let the sunlight in.

    "Do not lose just because you underestimated your opponents, thinking they''re inferior to you. You are representing the Wind Elephant Sect."

    "Understood," the core disciples responded in unison.

    Half an hourter, the four of them left the three-story building where Senior Brother Hykal lived. The morning sun shone across their faces.

    Cassius walked on the far left, sneaking nces at Senior Brother Moses and Senior Brother Lance who were up ahead. They seemed to be excitedly betting on the number of opponents they would defeat in the countypetition. If Lance lost, he would have to call his junior brother Moses "Senior Brother." If Moses lost, he would have to call Lance "Third Senior Brother" every time they met.

    The stakes seemed lopsided, but the fact of the matter was, Moses never called Lance "Third Senior Brother" and always called him things like "sissy" instead. This annoyed Lance to no end and sometimes, he secretly gritted his teeth in frustration, therefore Lance thought the bet was quite fair.

    <i>This is the perfect opportunity to make Moses acknowledge the dignity of the Third Senior Brother!</i> Lance chuckled to himself.

    Meanwhile, Moses shot Cassius a sly smile. He was determined to have thestugh this time!

    Cassius shook his head and nced to the right.

    Twenty-seven-year-old Second Senior Sister Jadice was silent and loved seclusion. Perhaps because of her long years in seclusion, her skin was very fair. She wore a bluebat attire that highlighted her well-proportioned and graceful figure, particrly her long legs.

    Her looks were above average, with deep and formidable facial features that gave the impression that she was a cool, older sister from the royal pce. Her ck short hair was neatly trimmed, grazing just below her ears.

    Noticing Cassius looking at her, Jadice nced back. Herke-blue eyes seemed to inquire, "Is there something you need?"

    Cassius quickly shook his head and looked away, sighing. He wasn''t good at socializing with the opposite sex. A few fights here and there brought him closer to Third and Fourth Senior Brothers, but there would always be some kind of barrier with Second Senior Sister.

    Although, to be honest, he wouldn¡¯t be able to beat Second Senior Sister in a fight.

    Cassius was quite satisfied with his current rtionship with the Wind Elephant Sect''s core disciples. There was no insufferable scheming or hypocrisy here, and everyone was friendly.

    The current atmosphere allowed him to direct all his attention to martial arts and experience the sense of fulfillment that came from making incremental progress. He didn''t have to waste precious time on pointless infighting and forming cliques.

    <i>Let''s have breakfast first, then go to the training room. </i>Cassius''s figure gradually disappeared down the cobblestone path.

    Ten dayster, in the afternoon although it was nearing dusk.

    In the twilight, the sky transformed into a canvas dotted with red and yellow, and turned into a mysterious pce filled with various splendid and enigmatic colors. Red sunlight streamed in through the training room, showing a shirtless young man punching, his fist cutting through the air with piercing sounds.

    Cassius was breathing heavily as sweat ran down his bronzed body, soaking his tight training pants. The weather had been getting hottertely.

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    A fist the size of a small sandbag suddenly stopped midair.

    "Alright, time''s up. Let''s stop here for today and continue tomorrow," Lisa said, looking at Li Wei as she stood up.

    "Teacher, you go eat first. I want to keep practicing a bit more; I feel like I''m on a roll today and I don''t want to lose momentum," Cassius said, turning around.

    "Alright, I''ll leave the key on the table. Remember to lock the door when you leave," Lisa dropped a brass key on the table before she walked out. Hearing the door creak shut, Cassius exhaled heavily. He nced at the top right corner and slowly stretched his hands. Then he resumed his stance and continued practicing his punches.

    [Azure Wind Flow: First Stage 99.9% (Total Two Stages)]

    As he delved deeper into the Azure Wind Flow, Cassius felt that he had a natural aptitude for it. The proofy in how he managed to achieve such results in just seven to eight months. With only 0.1% left, he wanted toplete it in one go so he was prepared to miss dinner tonight.

    It waste at night, past eleven. The only spot of light in the training room was the area near the window where it was bathed in bright moonlight. Under the moonlight, Cassius stood with his fists in front of his chest.

    [Azure Wind Flow: First Stage 100.0% (Total Two Stages)]

    The text flickered gently, and the numbers gradually blurred and changed.

    [Azure Wind Flow: Second Stage 0.1% (Total Two Stages)]

    He opened his eyes and looked down at his calloused hands. It felt like there was ayer of liquid seeping in from every inch of his palms. A stream of air that rapidly moved in all directions enveloped Cassius''s hands like flowing sand.

    "What a marvelous feeling..." Cassius didn''t even have to think as he controlled the appearance and disappearance of this stream of air. It was almost like he was moving instinctively.

    <i>Let''s test its power. </i>He nced up and strode over to the wooden dummy in the distant corner.

    Without hesitation, he struck his palm outward. The moment his palm touched the wood, ayer of wind about a centimeter thick rapidly moved, creating friction in all directions, and instantly enveloping his hand in a mass of wood chips. When he released his hand, the wooden dummy had a palm print about five or six centimeters deep.

    <i>That wasn''t my full strength. Let''s try it with full power.</i>

    Cassius took a deep breath and clenched his palm into a fist. The muscles in his entire arm swelled. As his fist sliced through the air, it released a burst of energy, and smashed into the wooden dummy.

    "Drill punch?!"

    Wood chips flying everywhere, Cassius pulled back his fist. At the center of the wooden post which was half the width of a man, there was a ck hole which had almost prated through to the other side. This was what a full burst of power could do. His fist had drove through the tough wood like a drill.

    <i>This power is much greater than I imagined.</i>

 Chapter 70 - Beiliu County

    <h4>Chapter 70 - Beiliu County</h4>

    <i>It''s not without its side effects, though.</i>

    Cassius squeezed his hand, feeling the soreness climb up his entire arm. His muscles felt numb, and he had no strength. He tried to perform Azure Wind Flow again but all he could muster was a light breeze in the center of his rough palm.

    <i>Looks like I still need to keep training and getting stronger.</i> Cassius sighed. After cleaning up the training room, he left.

    The next day, Cassius told Instructor Lisa that he had mastered the Azure Wind Flow. Lisa was overjoyed and, after they finished training for the day, took him out for a big meal in Oak City. She even invited Master Oumai to join them.

    From that moment on, Cassius became Lisa''s inheriting disciple where, unlike a regr disciple, he was responsible for carrying on her legacy.

    There was a heaviness behind that word, "inheriting." A passing down of one person''s philosophy, ideals, and achievements to another in the hopes that, even after death, a part of the master''s spirit could live on, flourishing and expanding, in their disciple. As grim as it sounded, the moment Cassius mastered the Azure Wind Flow, Lisa had no more regrets.

    Five dayster, the dull thuds of sandbags being hit resounded in arge, rarely used training area within the Wind Elephant Sect. The elders had specifically prepared a fully equipped, well-lit, and spacious training room for the core disciples. Unfortunately, half of the core disciples did not stay at headquarters and the remaining half either preferred seclusion or training at their instructors'' ces. And so, thergest training room was left unused.

    <i>Bang, bang, bang, bang...</i>

    A burly man as strong as a bear was furiously punching a ck sandbag in the corner. The heavy bag rose and fell with each punch as if it were filled with air rather than iron sand, and the base of the sandbag frame creaked. There were three other figures beside him, also training. One slender figure was punching the bag at such an incredible speed, their hands blurred into a hazy cloud.

    Next to them, Cassius grabbed a bottle of water and tilted his head back to chug it. Excess water trickled down his chin and joining his already sweat-drenched white tank top.

    He nced at the two people on his left who seemed to be happilypeting. Senior Brother Moses seemed reallymitted to his act, as he was only exhibiting the same strength he had pre-breakthrough. Was it really that fun to mess with Senior Brother Lance?

    At that moment, footsteps sounded from the outside and Senior Brother Hykal walked in. "Alright, everyone, it''s time to get ready. Go shower and gather your things. We have a 2 p.m. direct train to Beiliu County to catch today. When you meet the junior brotherster, act like a real senior and be kind and friendly. I''m talking to you, Moses! You hear me?" Hykal pointed at the person in question.

    What could he say? The name "Evil Bear" was too deeply ingrained into people''s hearts, and it didn''t help matters that Moses also looked...menacing.

    "How could you call me out like that, Senior Brother? I''m always very well-mannered. Those are all baseless allegations..." Moses slipped back into his signature local ent, that one made him seem like a naive and clumsy bear.

    "<i>Heh.</i>" Lance sneered beside him.

    "<i>Heh,</i>" The other three echoed.

    "Fuck!" Moses pped his forehead.

    It was 1 p.m. in Oak City, and the disciples stood on the train tform.

    Close to twenty people were waiting for the train that would take them into Beiliu City. Besides the ten participating disciples, several elders and spectating disciples were also tagging along.

    Oak City only had trains that carried cargo and not passengers, but the Wind Elephant Sect had such an immense influence, securing a train ride wasn''t a problem. In total, it would take about two days and nights to reach Beiliu City.

    Soon, a ck square-head train appeared before them, spewing steam and pulling along a line of cargo. The Wind Elephant Sect group boarded the two carriages they were assigned to. The conditions were a bit rough, but they couldn¡¯t afford to be picky. The fact that they could squeeze over twenty people on the train was already a big win.

    The journey was uneventful, with the most memorable sounds mainlying from the nking of the steam train. Two dayster, Cassius and the others finally arrived in Beiliu City.

    Beiliu City was the administrative, economic, and cultural center of Beiliu County, and it was the most prosperous in terms of urban development. Apanied by the shrill train whistle, the group disembarked and found their attention immediately drawn to the many tall buildings in the distance. Cassius raised his head and gazed far ahead where he spotted huge chimneys piercing the sky, spire-topped clock towers that glinted with a metallic sheen, and a vast array of buildings of varying heights.

    stered on one of the high-rise buildings was arge ck-and-white poster of a beautiful actress from an opera house. With her hands bracketing her hips and her back exposed, she showed off astunning profile.

    Some people in the group eximed in admiration, but Hykal shook his head. Beiliu City¡¯s development was impressive, but it was still far behind the East Sea County''s center, Cloud Sea City.

    The group from the Wind Elephant Sect stepped off the tform and joined the other passengers as they exiting the train station. There were around five strong men waiting at the entrance, and upon seeing the group from the Wind Elephant Sect, the leader quickly approached and greeted the three leading sect elders.

    They were from the Wind Elephant Sect''s Beiliu City branch. Unlike other smaller sects who had to find their own amodations, the Wind Elephant Sect''s team could stay in the branch''s building and use their facilities. When the group left the train station, they found threerge carriages waiting outside, roomy enough that it could amodate quite a lot of people.

    As the carriages started moving forward, Cassius pulled back the curtain to look outside.

    The streets were bustling with people, the poption density at least several times that of Oak City. Some pedestrians were dressed particrly formally, with their high hats and bow tied suits, looking somewhat aloof as they carried fancy canes. Theirdy partners were also fashionably dressed, wearing seductive fox fur coats that showed off their fair legs.

    The carriages sped up, gradually leaving the bustling area behind. When they reached a building that looked like a martial arts gym, the carriage stopped and everyone disembarked.

    Cassius squinted against the intense sunlight. In front of the building''s entrance, two gray wooden bulletin boards were hammered into the ground, with some enrollment brochures disyed. Above the entrance, a striking silver-white sign stood out: Wind Elephant Martial Arts Hall.

 Chapter 71 - Senior Sister

    <h4>Chapter 71 - Senior Sister</h4>

    "Brothers, please." The leading middle-aged man gestured.

    A group of over twenty people walked in. Cassius got to see just how wealthy the Beiliu City branch was through the Wind Elephant Martial Arts Hall. The area had all the appropriate facilities and was about two or three times the size of a regr branch. The hall was even adorned with decorations like white stone fountains, low archways, and flowerbeds.

    It was understandable since Beiliu City was the center of Beiliu County. The Wind Elephant Martial Arts Hall in Beiliu City was essentially the face of the Wind Elephant Sect so naturally, it had to be grand and impressive.

    The Beiliu City branch was the Wind Elephant Sect''srgest branch but that may change with the ck Sand City branch eventually overtaking it due to how important the Lanxin Grass site was.

    As they proceeded along the main road, the group gradually split into two. The martial arts hall disciples led the spectators and ordinary participants, which numbered about a dozen, to their amodations.

    Meanwhile, the three elders and five core disciples followed the middle-aged man to another hall where an old man with white hair and beard was drinking tea. On the back of his light green martial arts uniform was the character that said "Wind."

    "<i>Haha,</i> Lucas, long time no see!" One of the elders in the group smiled broadly as he walked up and gave the old man a hug. They pped each other''s backs loudly.

    "It has indeed been a long time. Almost five years since west met, right? How has retirement in Fengnan City been treating you?"

    "Not bad, but nothingpared to yourfortable life in Beiliu City. I must admit, I''m really envious of you. <i>Haha</i>..."

    The two walked inside, chatting as they went. It was obvious that the old man was also an elder of the Wind Elephant Sect. He had been sent to oversee the Wind Elephant Martial Arts Hall in Beiliu City a long time ago so Cassius had never met him before.

    "Please sit down, I''ll have someone make tea for you." Lucas stroked his snowy white goatee and invited the core disciples to sit where there were two sofas pushed together for them. He sat on a nearby sofa with the three elders, reminiscing.

    A few disciples soon arrived with tea.

    "Senior Brother." A pretty female disciple handed over a white porcin cup. Cassius nodded and quickly reached out to ept it.

    "Senior Brother." A male disciple gave the freshly brewed tea to Moses, who had a friendly mien. He even went a step further and pretended to take a reserved sip of tea.

    Next to them, another female disciple passed a teacup over to Lance. "Senior Sister."

    "<i>Ptuu</i>!!!" Moses spat out a mouthful of tea and exploded inughter, pping his thigh with his right hand.

    "<i>Hahaha</i>! Did you hear that, Li Wei? Senior <i>Sister</i>! <i>Haha</i>, I''m dying! I can''t... I need to catch my breath. <i>Whew</i>..." He clutched his stomach, looking like he was about to barf out his intestines with how hard he wasughing.

    Cassius couldn''t help but chuckle as well. He asionally rubbed his nose to hide his smile, but unfortunately, Moses''sugh was too contagious, and he ended up joining in too.

    "<i>Hahaha... Gah</i>!" Moses was cut off midugh when a slender hand forcefully twisted the hard flesh at his waist.

    "<i>Sss</i>..." Moses winced, hissing. Lance, who was on his left, red at him coldly, delicate face resentful.

    "Did I... did I say something wrong?" The female disciple who had given the tea stood frozen,pletely bewildered.

    Moses coughed twice and pointed at Lance. "That''s not your Third Senior Sister, that''s your Third Senior Brother."

    "Oh. Oh! I''m sorry, Third Senior Brother!" The female disciple quickly apologized. Lance waved it off.

    Moses''s loudughter had caught Elder Lucas''s attention, who had been busily strolling down memoryne with the others. He walked over with a kind look on his face, his aged eyes roving over everyone.

    "Hykal, you look more and more like a First Senior Brother," Lucasplimented Senior Brother Hykal with a smile.

    Hykal shook his head, holding a teacup in one hand. "Not really, I''ve just seen more because I travel a lot."

    "Jadice, you''re much more cheerful now. That''s good," Lucas said as he looked at Jadice who was smiling.

    Jadice didn''t bother trying to exin she wasn''t smiling because she was cheerful. She merely nodded.

    Lucas shifted his gaze to Lance. "Lance, your charm has only grown with age. But as martial artists, we shouldn''t be too concerned with beauty. Learn more from your senior brothers and sisters. How can you manage with no muscles and such a frail figure?"

    "I..." Lance was bbergasted. "Elder Lucas, I understand what you''re saying, but I still want to rify that I''m not a girl, I''m fully, one hundred percent, a man!"

    "A boy?" Lucas was somewhat skeptical. He had only seen Lance once, during the sect''s centennial ceremony.

    "I take after my mother, that''s all," Lance said gracefully. He had been well-educated since childhood, so he usually didn''t get angry¡ªunless he couldn''t help it.

    "Alright, it seems I was mistaken in my old age." Lucas pped his wrinkled forehead softly.

    "It''s not your fault. I do look a bit... uh... pretty," Lance said reluctantly, flushing a little at the word.

    "Hmm." Lucas nodded and moved onto the next person. His eyes lit up immediately. He strode over and patted his shoulder. "Goodd! You have quite a solid build! Like a bear! You have seventy percent of my vigor from when I was young! <i>Hahaha. </i>Are you the fourth or fifth? What''s your name?"

    Moses, who had been sitting on the sofa trying to suppress hisughter, looked up in confusion. He immediately introduced himself, "I''m the fourth, my name is Moses."

    "Moses? Good name! Great muscles!" Elder Lucas patted Moses''s tire-like shoulders with a ringing thud. At the same time, Moses shot Lance a somewhat provocative sideways nce.

    "You''re the fifth, right? Your build is also good!" Lucas shifted his focus to Cassius.

    He wanted to interact with all five core disciples since, in a decade or so, as long as nothing unforeseen happened, they would be the official leaders of the Wind Elephant Sect. It was a good time to get acquainted.

    "It¡¯s alright, but I''m still not as good as Brother Moses," Cassius said humbly. It was the truth though; not everyone was talented enough to build steel te-like muscles. He even had a sneaking suspicion that onlyrge-caliber weapons would stand a chance against Brother Moses''s muscles. Brother Moses would be able to face off against small firearm, like a pistol, easily.

    Afterplimenting Cassius, Lucas chatted with the young people. Finally, he extended an invitation to the five.

    "There are a few brats in my martial arts hall who insisted on sparring with you as soon as they heard that the core disciples from the main sect wereing topete. What say you?"

 Chapter 72 - The Difference

    <h4>Chapter 72 - The Difference</h4>

    Ten minutester, at thebat arena of the Wind Elephant Martial Arts Hall.

    A couple young men in yellowbat attires were having a discussion below the ring. They were the elite disciples of the Wind Elephant Martial Arts Hall.

    "Do you think Senior Brother Reed can beat the fifth-ranked core disciple? What''s his name? Li... Li Wei..." a freckled-faced young man whispered.

    "He should be able to. After all, Brother Reed is the face of our martial arts hall. Just recently, he defeated all the experts at the Golden Fist Martial Arts Hall all by himself," another young man said.

    "Right? Hykal and Jadice might be tough, but Senior Brother Reed should have no problem handling the other three core disciples." After making some reasonable assumptions, the disciple announced his analysis confidently, "Even if he can''t pull off the win, he probably won''t lose either. Worst case scenario, it''ll be a draw."

    "I think Senior Brother Reed will definitely beat that core disciple Li Wei. I heard he became a core disciple less than a year ago. He may just be talented, but not strong in actualbat," a pretty female disciple with a ck ponytail said. She seemed to greatly admire the elite disciple named Reed.

    The group of elite disciples from the Wind Elephant Martial Arts Hall weren¡¯t very friendly toward the core disciples from the main sect, with some being openly disgruntled. Because this was the first time the Eastern Exchange Tournament was being held, the Wind Elephant Sect had rushed the selection, only choosing those from the main sect. It was normal for the other branch disciples to harbor such opinions.

    On the tform, Cassius looked down at his opponent.

    Reed stood about 1.85 meters tall and wore a tight-fitting set ofbat attire. He was muscr, tall, and handsome, with bright golden hair that just flopped down over his ears. He exuded a calm and confident air, with sharp eyes that made whoever he was looking at feel an intense pressure.

    "You may begin," an elder''s voice sounded beside them.

    Cassius cupped his fists and announced his name, "Li Wei."

    "Reed." His opponent did the same. "I¡¯m starting!" His eyes narrowed, and a powerful aura rose from him. Reed immediately took an offensive stance.

    <i>What a strong desire to attack.</i> Cassius raised his eyebrows slightly.

    <i>Wham!</i>

    Reed''s foot hit the ground. Using it as a springboard, he charged forward, fists raised and ready to strike. He shot right at Cassius, and yet Cassius remained in his original stance.

    "Not defending, huh? Are you underestimating me?!"

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    Reed''s fist struck out lightning fast and mmed into a palm with a sharp pop. A broad, calloused hand pushed down on Reed¡¯s fist. Power rushed into his arm like a flood and Reed''s eyes widened as he was forced back by this tremendous force. His entire arm trembled and tingled.

    "This strength!!!"

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    A strong air current hit him, causing his golden hair to dance about wildly. Cassius suddenly stepped forward, a strong body cutting thorugh the current. Just that movement made the ground tremble, and even Reed''s feet went numb. His right hand darted out like a snake, the fist aiming straight for Reed, looking magnificent and imposing.

    <i>He''s strong! Block his punch and move away quickly!</i>

    An idea shed through Reed''s mind like lightning. He instantly threw a punch, channeling all the power from his waist, hips, shoulders, and arms into his fist. He swung his palm like an elephant''s trunk.

    <i>Bam!</i>

    But the iron fist didn''t budge an inch! Despite all of the power Reed had put into that blow, he wasn''t able to redirect it! In the next second, the snake-like fist bit hard into Reed''s shoulder. It seemed to be restraining itself because Reed didn''t fly backward and instead was forced to back off step by step.

    As he retreated, Cassius lunged forward. He quickly caught up to Reed and threw another punch. The air whistled as it tore apart.

    Reed''s eyes widened as a ck fist quickly filled up most of his vision, the approaching threat freezing him in ce.

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    The wind generated from the punch roared as it hit Reed''s face. His golden hair flew up to reveal his forehead, and the fierce wind burned his nose.

    "Thanks for the win." The voice was not too far away.

    Numb, Reed opened his eyes, panting heavily. After the shock had passed, bitterness surged through his heart. The gap was too big! Hested only five seconds before he waspletely crushed! If his opponent hadn''t held back when he hit his shoulder, he would have lost his ability to fight and have suffered an even quicker defeat!

    "I... I lost." Reed''s lips were dry, but he still cupped his fists.

    "Senior Brother Reed...lost? That was too fast..." An elite disciple couldn''t believe it. That had taken all of five seconds. Reed, the strongest senior brother in the martial arts hall, had lost. Just like that?!

    The entire fight had basically ended in three moves. Senior Brother Reed''s punch had been blocked. Reed didn''t block Cassius''s punch. And when Cassius punched again, that had sealed the deal for Reed.

    "This..." The female disciple gaped, not knowing what to say. The tall and dignified image of Reed in her heart had copsed.

    Cassius quickly stepped off the stage. Reed was actually quite strong, and was probably equivalent to someone who had made 80% progress in the first stage of the Wind Elephant Covert Martial Arts. If Cassius hadn''t broken through that threshold, Reed would havested a few more moves. But he had and now there was an insurmountable gap. Plus, the only reason why Reed had made it past a single move was because he had held back his strength. They were still fellow disciples so he should let Reed save some face.

    That was Cassius''s line of thought, but Moses was different.

    As soon as he got on stage, Moses pulled off his shirt, revealing a body as imprable as a tank. His big hands pounded on his chest like a drum, making a loud booming sound.

    "Those who want to challenge me,e on up! I won''t dodge!" The elite disciples hesitantly exchanged nces with each other, before going up, one by one, to announce their names.

    "Sofia."

    "Brian."

    "Norman."

    "..."

    "Alright! Come at me, all of you!" Moses grinned menacingly, showing his terrifying white teeth.

    A few elite disciples instantly surrounded Moses andunched a barrage of attacks using their fists, elbows, and feet. A string of thumping sounds echoed out, interspersed with Moses''s grunts. Who knew if it was out of pain or enjoyment? His iron muscles swelled and bulged, withstanding the attacks that came from all directions. His skin was slightly red.

    The punches jolted the sweat, sending droplets flying into the air. Each collision just made Moses more excited and joyful. He was even guffawing heartily as he absorbed each hit.

    <i>Here we go again</i>...<i> </i>Cassius was speechless.

    "Damn bear, don''t expose your kinks in public!" Lance hid his face, acting as though he didn''t know him.

    On the other side where the elders sat, Lucas nodded in satisfaction. He was indifferent to Reed and the others even though they were his hall¡¯s disciples but he showed great interest in Moses.

    "This physique... Our Wind Elephant Sect has found a treasure..."

 Chapter 73 - Pretending

    <h4>Chapter 73 - Pretending</h4>

    Five minutester, both parties stepped down from the tform.

    Despite the faint redness on Moses''s muscles, he looked rejuvenated like he had just released some stress. He epted the clothes Cassius handed him and put them on.

    On the other side, four elite disciples from the martial arts hall walked away on wobbly legs. They were drenched in sweat as if they had just been pulled out of water.

    The four of them couldn''tnd a single attack on Moses in that five-minute fight, resulting in an imprable defense and broken disciple spirits. The little bit of resentment in their hearts hadpletely vanished.

    Seeing the dejected looks of the few, Lucas, who had been watching from a distance, stroked his beard with a satisfied look. As a Wind Elephant Sect elder, how could he not understand the standards for selecting core disciples at the headquarters? They would, at the very least, need to be on the verge of breaking through the Wind Elephant Covert Martial Arts.

    In the Wind Elephant Martial Arts Hall in Beiliu City, at 80%pletion, Reed had made the most progress in the Covert Martial Arts. He still had a long way to go if he was going to be on the samepetitive level as the core disciples. The moment the elite disciples requested sparring with the main sect''s core disciples, Lucas knew they were aggrieved and proud.

    These disciples had too easy of a martial arts path due to theck of strong opponents in Beiliu City. Since the core disciples'' visit came at such an opportune time all he had to do was sit back and watch as they crushed the youngsters'' arrogant spirits. Only by humbling themselves could they see their shorings. People with an attitude like that were the ones who would eventually achieve great things.

    For the next five days, Cassius and his group trained and prepared themselves in the Wind Elephant Martial Arts Hall while they waited for the exchange tournament to begin. Reed woulde up to challenge them from time to time and would get beaten up two to three times a day, usually by Cassius, Moses, and Lance in rotation. Since each fight usuallysted less than a minute, the three very generously epted Reed''s challenge requests.

    Reed was sensible enough to not challenge the First Senior Brother and Second Senior Sister who had obviously reached the pugilist stage. Battles with such a big gap had very little reference value. That was Reed''s mindset even though Cassius and Moses had also reached the pugilist stage. Unbeknownst to Reed, what he thought was a smaller gap was actually a chasm.

    Despite him losing every single fight, he still kepting and still kept challenging. Cassius couldn''t help admiring him a little as he watched. A person''s mindset and attitude often determined how far they could go, and it was clear that Reed had a good mindset.

    Two days passed quickly.

    The Wind Elephant Martial Arts Hall received a ck and gold invitation with a very thick cover. Hykal opened it in front of everyone to reveal a pale yellow sheet that had unique wax edges, and filled with aesthetic writing in ck ink.

    After the opening ceremony in the morning the next day, thepetition would be held in the afternoon at the Verdes Manor in the eastern suburbs of Beiliu City. Below the text was the list of the disciples that would represent the Wind Elephant Sect.

    "Sleep early tonight, everyone. The exchange tournament starts tomorrow."

    The next morning, Cassius woke up at the crack of dawn and he went to wash up. He opened the door and walked along the corridor. When he reached the courtyard, he came to a halt.

    Senior Brother Lance was practicing in the courtyard, flitting around. His long hands resembled steel knives that shot out like springs. The air in front of him whistled for a split second, and suddenly, there were afterimages of his hand des around him.

    The burst in that instance was clearly indicative of someone at the pugilist stage!

    Cassius''s eyes widened, his thoughts instantly jumping to Moses and Lance''s bet. Wow, birds of a feather really do flock together. They had all been faking it, even though they had clearly already broken through!

    He originally thought that the honest Brother Lance would be fooled by the cunning Moses. Who would''ve expected that with age, came wisdom? The more handsome the man, the better he was at deception.

    "Li Wei?" Lance noticed Cassius at the arched gate, his delicate eyebrows raised. He red murderously.

    Cassius raised his hands, ying dumb. "Senior Brother, I didn''t see anything. I don''t know anything. I''m just going to go eat."

    He started walking away. Lance squinted and his beautiful lips curved into a charming smile. With a perfect smile on his face, he dragged Cassius over.

    Cassius, who stood at 1.90 meters, dared not resist so he bent slightly, lowering his head. He let Senior Brother Lance jump up and drape an arm around his shoulder. His amber eyes bored into him.

    "Senior Brother, I really didn''t see anything..." Cassiusined.

    "Come, let¡¯s go to the canteen!" Lance''s voice pitched up.

    "I definitely can''t."

    "Let''s chat. Let''s get closer with each other~"

    "Let''s not..."

    Half an hourter, Lance delicately wiped away the leftover cream at the corner of his thin lips. A dejected Cassius trailed behind, pping his outer thigh. His wallet was empty.

    Naturally, the Wind Elephant Martial Arts Hall provided food for free but delicacies like cream cakes were usually in limited supply. Since Lance really liked sweets, Cassius had no choice but to buy four.

    Under the warning of his senior brother, he was forced to promise Lance that he would not say a word to Moses about his breakthrough. Cassius was also too principled to do such a thing. A few days ago, Lance had taught him a special agile step and Cassius wasn''t going to backstab him after that. This was simply just some brothers being rough with brothers.

    As the sun rose into the sky, all thepeting disciples gathered at the main road in front of the Wind Elephant Martial Arts Hall to wait for the carriage.

    "I¡¯m here, I¡¯m here." In the distance, a tall, burly figure jogged over, holding two pieces of bread. Moses bit into one of them and tossed the other. "Catch."

    Cassius raised his hand and caught the white bread.

    "The bread here is really good, much finer than in Oak City. Try it." Moses walked up to Cassius.

    "I''m not going to eat it now. I''ll save it forter when I get hungry since I ate quite a bit in the canteen this morning." Cassius said, feeling slightly guilty.

    But then it struck him that he hadn''t revealed Moses''s breakthrough to pugilist. Why should he feel guilty? Lance and Moses just need him not to tell the other party about their respective breakthroughs. Wasn¡¯t he doing exactly that?

    With that in mind, he felt cheerful. Cassius nced at Lance on his left and then at Moses on his right. He was suddenly hit with an indescribable feeling. The two thought their breakthroughs would absolutely crush the other, but instead, they were evenly matched. What a sight it would be if these two, who had been doing their utmost to keep their strengths under wraps, ended up drawing lots against each other in the exchange tournament.

    A few minutester, three ck carriages drove up the road from the distance. Everyone jostled into the carriages, and soon they started picking up speed along the road. The carriages formed a ck line toward the Verdes Manor.

 Chapter 74 - Black Crane Sect

    <h4>Chapter 74 - ck Crane Sect</h4>

    Cassius peeked through the curtain from his seat in the rocking carriage. The road was nked on both sides by carpets of green fields dotted with colorful flowers that smelled faintly of spring. A gently sloping terrain with pale white buildings and the asional silhouettes of people could be seen up ahead. They were in a small and simple town. He could see a tall building with a spire that reflected faintly in the sun a little further ahead; it was probably the manor.

    As the convoy entered the town, a young man in a blue uniform approached. There were many others like him, all in identical uniforms, in front of the manor and guiding people; he was clearly a staff member for the exchange tournament. With the young man leading the way, the convoy drove up the gentle slope.

    Halfway there, Cassius spotted uniformed policemen patrolling the roadside where nearly a hundred people were meandering over to the manor. The exchange tournament was quite arge-scale event. It seemed that part of the Cloud Dog Sect¡¯s group took the lead in organizing the event, together with the help of some local martial arts sects and the Beiliu County Government.

    Soon after, the convoy arrived in front of the manor.

    Tall ck walls surrounded the entire manor. The dark wrought iron gate opened to reveal a road that led straight inside. Bronze cast-iron oilmps hung on the stone pirs that stood on both sides of the gate. It was quite an old manor.

    After giving a cursory nce at the invitation, the guards at the gate immediately cleared the way for the convoy from the Wind Elephant Sect to drive in. They stopped at an open area with a white canopy.

    Cassius stepped out of the carriage and looked around. It wasn''t the old-fashioned historical building he imagined but a very exquisite and beautiful manor. To his right was arge area that had short grass that had been deliberately nted. He could see people in the distance ying a trendy sport that had been recently introduced from abroad called "golf." Just a little past the grass, sunlight reflected on an artificialke, creating a canvas of white and green.

    "Everyone, please follow me," said the young man beside them.

    The group immediately followed him to the left, stepping on solid, clean, white stone bs. The scent of fresh grass lingered in the air. Every few meters, there were ckmp holders simr to candlesticks lighting up the night.

    Two more staff members joined them at an intersection and from there, the Wind Elephant Sect team temporarily split into three groups: the elders, the ordinary disciples, and the core disciples. Each group went their separate paths and into different buildings.

    A minuteter, Cassius followed the group into the corridor, ncing at the vast white building beside him. They climbed up the spiral staircase to the fourth floor, then walked through a corridor, taking several turns before they reached their destination.

    It was a hall over thirty meters long and wide with dark brown wooden floors. One side hadrge grid floor-to-ceiling windows, where sunlight could shine in and illuminate the room. Crammed full of seats and tables that were organized into roughly twenty separate areas, more than half of the chairs were already upied by formidable Covert Martial Artists.

    "The Wind Elephant Sect is here!"

    Numerous pairs of eyes swiveled around to look. It didn''t matter what their original personalities were; in that moment, the five core disciples all showed a cold and dignified front. Their expressions were serious and calm, and they gave off the aura of the strong. They sat down by a window. Some people were still talking about them.

    "That''s One-Armed Hykal. He''s back from East Sea County."

    "Who''s the one built like a bear?"

    "There are two unfamiliar faces..."

    "Doesn''t the Wind Elephant Sect only have one female core desciple? Why are there two? Was the information wrong? Or did they..."

    As one of thergest Covert Martial Arts forces in Beiliu County, it was natural for there to be so many eyes on the Wind Elephant Sect. Plus, this exchange tournament was held only in Beiliu County. If it were the Eastern Exchange Tournament, there probably wouldn''t be this much attention.

    "Atmosphere''s not bad," Moses said, leaning back in his chair, staring through the nearby window at the grass below.

    "They obviously had to make it a huge spectacle for their reputation''s sake since this is the inaugural event," Cassius chimed in.

    Teams from various Covert Martial Arts sects, led by the staff, strolled in in continuous streams through the hall''s many entrances. Many robust men in gray uniforms walked back and forth in the hall, either talking to the sect heads or bringing them food and water.

    Hykal also requested five cups of brewed tea for them. They sipped their tea to pass the time as they waited for everyone else to arrive. Ten minutester, there was amotion on the right side of the hall.

    "The ck Crane Sect is here."

    "It''s Mendi!"

    "..."

    Hearing themotion, the disciples from the Wind Elephant Sect looked over, not out of curiosity, but because they held a small grudge.

    As major sects within Beiliu County, the headquarters of the Wind Elephant Sect and the ck Crane Sect were rtively close, like they were neighboring cities. As such, the two frequently shed due to ovepping territories. When the Wind Elephant Sect discovered the Lanxin Grass site, they poured their investments into expanding their influence in ck Sand City. This happened to be the location of the ck Crane Sect''srgest branch. Therefore, conflicts were inevitable.

    The group from the ck Crane Sect hurried along the path between the segmented areas. Leading them was a young man with a paleplexion and short ck hair that was long enough to cover his eyebrows. His sharp, cold eyes gave the impression of a bird of prey examining its prey. He wore ck gloves and had an unapproachable air.

    The man immediately noticed Senior Brother Hykal. "Hykal."

    "Mendi." Hykal smiled faintly and sipped his tea.

    The ck-haired youth nced at the other members of the Wind Elephant Sect in turn before finally pausing on Cassius. "Your Wind Elephant Sect has managed to gather five core disciples? And a newly promoted little guy..."

    "Who are you calling little?<i> Shorty</i>." Cassius jumped to his feet, his 1.90 meter frame towering over his opponent and hisrge build stretching his clothes. He emanated a cold and powerful feel. Cassius didn''t look kindly on those who were so tantly unfriendly.

    "<i>Hehe</i>. You wanna die?" Sneering, a tall, skinny man behind Mendi made to step forward.

    "Fifth Brother, the exchange tournament hasn''t started yet." Mendi stopped him and then nced casually at Cassius. "Let''s sit down first."

    The ck Crane Sect''s five disciples turned and found their area, each taking the seat with their name on it.

    In the sunlight, Cassius grinned coldly, eyes were locked on the tall, skinny youth. His white teeth sent chills down one''s spine.

    "The fifth core disciple of the ck Crane Sect, Guro Kisinia..."

 Chapter 75 - Enchanting Star

    <h4>Chapter 75 - Enchanting Star</h4>

    Cassius finally sat down after glowering for some time.

    "We''ll probably fight with the ck Crane Sect this time. Let''s teach them a lesson," Moses said, a faint cold smile on his beefy face.

    "Of course." Cassius dragged his gaze away.

    "I¡¯ll take this opportunity to tell you guys about a few notable opponents in this Beiliu County Exchange Tournament," Hykal suddenly spoke up. "First, there''s the ck Crane Sect. Comparable to our sect in terms of strength, they excel in the crane technique. That means they''ll be striking extremely fast and will have strong finger techniques, so be careful.

    "Second, the Golden Fist Sect," Hykal jabbed a finger diagonally behind them. Cassius looked over to find five burly men, all with tanned skin and terrifyingly strong muscles. Three of them were bald just like Moses.

    "Their sect specializes in physical training to the point where their muscles, bones, and skin can even withstand cold weapons. Just look at Moses and you¡¯ll know what I¡¯m talking about. When you''re up against these types of enemies, don''t prolong the fight. Find a weak spot and immediately go for the kill."

    Hykal paused before continuing, "Another sect that has yet to arrive is the Singing Water Sect. They''re more powerful than the ck Crane Sect, Golden Fist Sect¡ªeven our''s. Some say that they''re the top Covert Martial Arts sect in Beiliu County. Needless to say, their Singing Water Covert Martial Arts are incredibly powerful.

    "Their area of expertise lies in using gentleness to ovee strength, simr to jiujitsu. They specialize in closebat. I once fought their senior sister and she had the ability to concentrate most of her strength on her opponent''s specific weak spots, forcing them to fight with only a fraction of their power. In such cases, their opponent could be incapacitated if they continue to exert strength."

    "Did you win, Senior Brother?" Lance asked curiously.

    "No." Hykal smiled. "But I didn''t lose either.

    "In recent years, the Singing Water Sect has produced a top genius who has already realized the second stage of the Singing Water Covert Martial Arts although her physique hasn''t reached the pugilist level yet. She may act as the Singing Water Sect''s representative in thispetition forbat experience so we may encounter herter."

    "Is that her?" Moses suddenly turned his head to the ruckus happening at the entrance. The others imitated him.

    A group of five, dressed in identical bluebat attires, walked over. Composed of two men and three women who all looked serene, there was a girl noticeably shorter than the others near the back of the group. She had delicate features and fair skin, but her facial features hadn''t fully matured yet so she still possessed a youthful cuteness. Her big, watery eyes scanned her surroundings curiously.

    "Is that Heidi, the first prodigy of the Singing Water Sect in a hundred years?"

    "She''s said to be only fifteen this year. Such talent..."

    "She''ll probably reach the pugilist stage by next year. I''m really envious. I might not ever reach that level in my lifetime, yet this little girl has a chance of doing it by the time she''s sixteen..."

    The hall was momentarily filled with chatter.

    Hykal then shared with his four junior brothers and sister information and the current affairs of the Covert Martial Arts world. He had traveled far and wide these past few years and experienced all sorts of things. Cassius found it very enlightening.

    Additionally, Hykal reminded the four of them that although it was called an exchange tournament, it was possible forbat to sometimes get out of hand. If they couldn''t defeat their opponents in the ring, they shouldn''t stubbornly hold on, and instead, surrender immediately.

    After all, everyone at the tournament was a Covert Martial Arts practitioner; many were pugilists with physiques beyond the human limit. The damage caused by a heavy blow to a vital area was no less than being shot. It would not be easy making the other side pay if someone ended up crippled or dead.

    Cassius understood what Hykal meant. The Wind Elephant Sect''s real opponents would be the other three sects who were at the same level as them. How could they make the other sects'' precious core disciples pay if there were casualties? The most likely scenario was that it would end inconclusively unless the sects were ruthless enough to start a war with each other directly.

    By the time the morning passed, most of the Covert Martial Arts sects had arrived. Only about a fifth were still missing.

    Due to how inconvenient transportation was in Li Wei¡¯s era, the gathering time for the exchange tournament was stretched to an entire day to amodate the sects who were traveling from remote areas.

    At noon, Cassius and the others went to arge dining room in the manor to eat. More than twenty people from the Wind Elephant Sect sat at a long white table filled with rich and delicious delicacies.

    After lunch, some chose to return to the hall to continue chatting while they waited. Cassius, Moses, and Lance, on the other hand, decided to stroll around the manor, and even tried their hand at the newly popr sport of golf. The game ended up being not much of a challenge. After they got the hang of the feeling, the three people with superior muscle control and vision often won within two strokes. Sometimes, they would even hit a hole in one.

    Everyone finally arrived at around eight in the evening. It turned out that the original n outlined in the invitation about a morning opening ceremony and afternoonpetition was wholly idealistic.

    After dinner, all the participants were taken to a luxurious hall in the manor. It was set up like an opera house, with a red curtain blocking everyone''s view. The crowd sat on the tiered steps that stretched upward in a spiral.

    After a while, the host of the exchangepetition appeared to give a speech. Like any other official talk, the whole process was tedious and boring. After half an hour, the speaker finally stepped down.

    Suddenly, the lights dimmed. When they came back on, the curtain on the stage had been pulled open from both sides revealing arge group of vibrant, young, and sexy girls in tight dresses that entuated their curvy figures. Instantly, they attracted the attention of many Covert Martial Artists.

    The beautiful figure leading the group of dancers seemed familiar. After a moment of pondering, Cassius remembered therge poster he had seen when he first arrived in Beiliu City.

    She seemed to be an opera star who had recently risen in poprity. The organizers of the exchange tournament had surprisingly invited her to perform. Cassius recalled that a junior brother at the Wind Elephant Martial Arts Hall was especially fond of the dignified and elegant actress.

    There was nothing dignified about the star tap-dancing onstage with makeup caked on her face and moving suggestively. Cassius scratched his head helplessly. It turned out that the goddess of elegance and aloofness in the young man''s eyes had a gaudy side.

    Someone that was cold to one yesterday, but turn into a sycophant the next day... All he could say was, having power, influence, and strength was truly great.

 Chapter 76 - Wipeout

    <h4>Chapter 76 - Wipeout</h4>

    The opening ceremony ended in the evening. Early the next morning, all the Covert Martial Arts sects gathered in arge and spacious warehouse. Two rings stood in the center of the warehouse, each about half a meter above the ground with a ck over covering the edges. The area around the rings was arranged simrly to the hall from the previous day, with a designated area for each sect.

    Staff members in blue uniforms stood waiting at the edges of the warehouse. On both sides of the warehouse, medical personnel dressed in white had stretchers, bandages, and medical kits at the ready.

    The Wind Elephant Sect''s area was right at the front on the left. The ck Crane Sect was right next to them. After a quick scan around the warehouse, Cassius estimated there were at least a few hundred people present. Therge sects, like the Wind Elephant Sect, alone had over a hundred people, making the ce rather rowdy.

    "Quiet!"

    Suddenly, an old man leaped onto the ring. Despite his small stature, his voice was incredibly loud and resonated throughout the warehouse. Everyone gradually quieted down.

    "The Beiliu County Martial Arts Exchange Tournament has officially begun. ording to thepetition rules and procedures that were exined yesterday, the first core disciple of each sect wille up to draw lots in order." The old man took out a ck box with an opening in the middle for drawing lots.

    Hykal stood up without hesitation and walked over to draw a lot. Momentster, he returned with a yellow cardboard square in his hand. A number was written in ck: eleven.

    Cassius nced at the other ring where a simr process was happening but with the ordinary disciples.

    Five minutester, the skinny old man was back on the tform again. "Thepetition will now officially begin! Number Twelve, Number Seven! Dicake Pugilism versus Frozen Light Martial Hall!"

    Upon hearing this, Cassius recalled thepetition rules.

    In this exchange tournament, the core disciples and ordinary disciples of each sect separated into different fights and different rights.

    The core disciples had two events: a teampetition and an individualpetition. In the teampetition, five core disciples from each sect would form a team. The sect would send the first person in the lineup to challenge the other sect¡¯s team. Whoever won would stay to challenge the next person in line until all five opponents were defeated. A victory earned one point, draws earned zero points, and a loss resulted in a point deduction.

    In the individualpetition, they drew lots again but would now be divided into five groups. The top two from each group would advance to the finals.

    As this was the inaugural tournament, the rules were still rough around the edges.

    Cassius nced up at the tform, where representatives from both sects were already standing. They introduced themselves, and then, at the referee''s signal, began to face off, gradually shuffling their feet around.

    After a half a minute of them in a stalemate, the ck-haired man representing Dicake Pugilism suddenly struck, punching and kicking with lightning speed. In a matter of seconds, the Frozen Light Martial Hall''s representative was defeated. The battlested only six to seven seconds!

    In reality, this was how actual fights were supposed to happen¡ªas soon as the opponent made a mistake, seize that opportunity to make a decisive strike. As fights with no rules generally ended quickly, it was rare for battles tost more than five or ten minutes.

    The victor, a ck-haired man, took a quick break ringside. Momentster, another Frozen Light Martial Hall representative stepped up.

    Soon after they introduced themselves, they began the next round. They circled around each other slowly, searching for an opening. Twenty secondster, both sides hurled themselves at each other simultaneously, trading blows. They''d asionally fire off some Explosive Techniques, allowing them to attack extremely quickly.

    After switching positions a few more times and another couple shes, the ck-haired man fell off the edge of the ring and rolled on the floor before getting up. He had been pushed out of thepetition area and lost. Frozen Light Martial Hall had taken this round.

    Another series of fights followed. The match only took about seven to eight minutes and, in the end, Dicake Pugilism emerged victorious.

    Momentster, the skinny old man stepped back onto the ring. "Next up, Number Eleven, Number Eighteen! Wind Elephant Sect versus Meditative Fist Sect!"

    Cassius and Senior Brother Hykal exchanged nces. ording to the order, Cassius was the first to represent the Wind Elephant Sect.

    Cassius stood up, took off his ck coat, and threw it onto his seat. "I''m going up."

    He walked steadily up to the ring. The many windows on both sides of the warehouse let in a gentle morning sunlight, ensured the tform was well-lit. Cassius stood quietly in one of the beams of light.

    Despite being both expression and speechless, Cassius''s imposing 1.90 meters stature and his sect''s reputation was enough to make the Meditative Fist Sect''s representative extremely nervous. The man kept adjusting his breathing and wiping the sweat on his palms.

    "Meditative Fist Sect, Cuesta."

    "Wind Elephant Sect, Li Wei."

    As soon as they finished talking, Cassius¡¯s aura burst forth like zing mes. It was as if a a terrifying giant python had broken through the surface of a calm, deep pool. Cuesta felt a formidable pressure wrapping around him.

    <i>What a terrifying presence...</i> Cuesta''s breath stopped for a moment.

    In that moment when Cuesta had been distracted, Cassius¡¯s massive figure appeared before him as if he had just teleported. His face was cold and emotionless.

    Cuesta panicked.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    A muffled sound echoed from his left shoulder.

    His eyes widened. He staggered back several meters and fell off the ring. Cuesta hadn''t even touched Cassius. He lost in a mere three seconds.

    "<i>Ah...</i>" He groaned, clutching his left shoulder in pain.

    "The gap is too big. We''ll need to employ a tactic of having several people take turns fighting him to tire him out," a strong young man from the Meditative Fist Sect said resignedly while squinting his eyes.

    Half a minuteter, a pretty girl was on the ring. She sped her hands in greeting. "Meditative Fist Sect, Farah."

    "Wind Elephant Sect, Li Wei."

    Right after they finished speaking, Cassius vanished, moving like a shadowy blur. In an instant, a ck streak shot out from the dark shadow, through the air, and mmed into the girl''s shoulder.

    <i>Thud!</i>

    Like being struck by a heavy hammer, Farah was sent flying out of the ring. Shended on the ground and rolled a few times before she fell unconscious.

    <i>It seems I used too much force. I should hold back a bit.</i>

    Half a minuteter, the same scene reyed itself.

    This disciple from the Meditative Fist Sect was a strong man. He started off in a defensive stance, feet firmly nted and arms guarding his chest, seemingly trying to stall time. Unfortunately, Cassius¡¯s powerful punch shattered all his defenses. The strong man soared out of the ring, skidding five meters on the ground.

    Another half a minute passed, and the fourth person seemed to have learned a thing or two. He moved nimbly, trying to keep his distance and tire Cassius out. But Cassius had cornered him in an instant. With a single sh, he was quickly thrown off the ring.

    Thest one was a young man with a bitter expression. Desperate, he tried tost a few more moves but couldn''t escape the same fate his predecessors had fallen to. With a single punch, Cassius broke his stancepletely.

    The Meditative Fist Sect''s senior brother seemed to see a giant elephant charging forward, unstoppable and majestic as it crushed all its enemies.

    This was the difference between small sects andrge sects; this was the difference between ordinary martial artists and limit-breaking pugilists!

 Chapter 77 - Individual Match

    <h4>Chapter 77 - Individual Match</h4>

    "Winner, Wind Elephant Sect¡¯s Li Wei!"

    As the referee''s announcement rang out, Cassius squeezed his fists and casually nced at his opponents before walking off the stage.

    Moses met him in the Wind Elephant Sect''s area and punched him yfully. "Why didn''t you leave one for your senior brother? You just had to take all the fighting for yourself, didn''t you?"

    Unsure of whether tough or cry, Cassius just plopped down on his seat.

    "Don''t mind him, Old Five. This big bear isn''t looking to enjoy the fight; he just wants to get beaten up. It''s a good thing you took out the opponents, otherwise he would''ve embarrassed us up there," Lance interjected, shooting a disdainful look at Moses.

    "Hey! Don''t nder me without reason! I know how to behave appropriately for different asions. I know this exchange tournament isn''t the same as our usual sparring," Moses defended himself.

    "Give it a rest. Everyone knows you can''t change your nature."

    "You damn sissy, always trying to undermine me, aren''t you? I..."

    In an instant, the two started bickering again. Eventually, Senior Brother Hykal intervened by rearranging the order of appearances. Everyone would take turns going first. With this new arrangement, each person, starting from Cassius, would be able to go roughly twice.

    This obviously did not include Hykal. ording to the rules, the first core disciple of each sect had to gost. This was to prevent any sect from wiping out the other teams by cing their strongest member first. That would be much too disrespectful.

    However, if the opposing sect¡¯s strongest core disciple was already scheduled to gost and the first fighter, who was supposedly not the strongest, still managed to take out the entire team... Well, there was nothing much to say.

    The teampetition continued. Cassius sat in the resting area, sipping tea while he observed the fight on the stage. The difference between smaller sects andrger sects was very apparent, their level of martial arts varying greatly. Disciples fromrger sects had much betterbat experience and skillspared to those from smaller sects. This was a clear demonstration of how impactful having resources and influence was.

    During this time, Cassius carefully observed the fighting styles and movements of sects like Golden Fist Sect, ck Crane Sect, and Singing Water Sect. He found that their movements had fewer ws and theirbat techniques were extensively developed. Though, there wasn¡¯t really anything useful that stood out in his observations. Ultimately, it came down to his own strength.

    Outside the window, the sun rose inch by inch amidst thin clouds until it shone directly above the arena. It was nearing noon.

    "Next up, Number Eleven and Number Two! Wind Elephant Sect! Stone Elbow Sect!"

    Cassius cracked his neck and stepped onto the stage again. The person from Stone Elbow Sect also came up. He was a red-haired youth with calloused fists and elbows that gave off a steadfast demeano. He seemed to be the strongest person in the Stone Elbow Sect after their senior disciple.

    It seemed Cassius''s earlier one-on-five victory over the Meditative Fist Sect had left a strong impression, prompting his opponent to make some tactical adjustments.

    However, such tactics were futile in the face of absolute strength. Cassius being a pugilist was his biggest trump card. Even if his opponent used any underhanded tricks, he was confident that he would still be able to defeat them.

    Cassius remained calm andposed from start to finish, from the first person the Stone Elbow Sect sent up all the way to their first core disciple.

    Heeding Senior Brother Hykal''s advice, Cassius didn''t finish them off in one punch like before; instead, he grappled with his opponent a little longer, shed a few more times, and traded a few more hits. The purpose was twofold: give the opponent some face, and disy the magnanimity of a major sect.

    Slowing the pacing of the fight allowed Cassius to discover a few interesting points. Each sect had its own unique characteristics. For instance, the Stone Elbow Sect practiced both fist and elbow techniques, switching quickly between the two such that theyplemented each other. Some of their short-range rapidbos were also quite impressive. Cassius got a different experience from fighting with them, broadening his previously limited understanding of fist techniques. It was one of the purposes of the exchange tournament¡ªdifferent sects showcasing and learning each other''s techniques, and broadening their horizons.

    After the referee''s announcement, Cassius walked off the stage again. Winding between the various sects, Cassius asionally heard people talking about him. Some were amazed by his strength and age, while others saw him as a formidable opponent.

    As he walked past the ck Crane Sect''s area, a tall, skinny youth casually remarked, "This Li Wei is too weak, only knowing how to bully small sects. If we match up against him in the next match, I''ll make sure to take him down."

    Cassius nced back. The youth also turned toward Cassius, his eyes glinting provocatively. Cassius sneered, slicing a hand across his neck. The intention behind it couldn''t be any clearer: <i>Don''t let me catch you, loser</i>.

    "Idiot..." he muttered, striding back quickly.

    The morning points matches paused a half hourter, allowing the sects to enjoy a hearty lunch at the dining hall and rest until 1:30 p.m.

    In the afternoon, the tournament switched from the teampetition to the individual matches. Participants were divided into groups and drew lots to determine the order of their bouts. Cassius was assigned to Group B, Number Thirteen. This number was engraved on a thumb-sized brass identification namete and was pinned to their chests.

    Thepetition venue didn''t take ce in the same location as before but in another warehouse next to the white building. The warehouse was divided into more than a dozen areas, allowing multiple matches to take ce simultaneously to save time.

    At the warehouse entrance, Cassius parted ways with his senior brothers and sisters, and headed down the path to the right by himself. Every so often, a staff member pointed the way for him.

    "Walk a bit further down, then turn right."

    Cassius nodded, continuing along the tiled path. A momentter, he stopped and nced around. There were a few people who looked like spectators gathered at the entrance of thepetition area.

    After confirming he was in the right ce, Cassius pushed his way through the crowd. Initially annoyed at being shoved aside, the crowd fell silent upon seeing his tall, imposing figure.

    The setup of the room was simple though the space was quite open. A small elevated stage was set in the middle with a referee standing on it. There was a whole row of red wooden seats next to the stop. As Cassius sat down, the referee asked, "Are you a contestant? This area is for contestants to rest. What''s your number?"

    Cassius paused, then pulled out his namete and pinned it to his chest. "Group B, Number Thirteen. Li Wei from the Wind Elephant Sect."

 Chapter 78 - Four Ultimate Moves

    <h4>Chapter 78 - Four Ultimate Moves</h4>

    "Alright." The middle-aged referee nodded. "Just sit there and rest for a while. Your opponent hasn''t arrived yet."

    Two minutester, a lean and muscr young man, about 1.85 meters tall, walked in. He also had a namete on his chest, denoting him as Group B, Number Four. After confirming their identities, the referee announced that the match could begin.

    The young man leaped onto the stage. Cassius followed suit, vaulting over.

    "Wind Elephant Sect, Li Wei," he introduced himself.

    "Iron Bone Sect, Nino," the young man said slowly.

    Cassius squinted at him under the sunlight. His short sleeve shirt and shorts revealed arms and ankles wrapped in alternating red and white bands. His muscles were visibly strong, and his skin had a bronze tint. Some parts of his skin, like his knees and elbows, had a darker hue. Those ces had a thickyer of calluses and unusuallyrge bones.

    "The match will now begin," the referee announced as he jumped off the stage.

    Immediately, two auras rose up. One was the majestic grandeur of the Wind Elephant, the other was like a silent underwater volcano poised to erupt. With one side tall and magnificient, and the other side lean and fierce, the two faced off.

    Cassius looked at him, slightly surprised. This disciple from an unknown small sect had an impressive aura and seemed quite strong.

    To test just how strong his opponent was, he took huge strides forward, breaking into a sprint once he got close enough. The muscles in his right shoulder bulged, channeling a formidable force into his arm. Cassius swung his right hand fiercely, a whistling sound tearing through the air.

    <i>Dong!</i>

    Nino took a step back.

    <i>Oh?</i> Cassius raised an eyebrow in surprise. The opponent had blocked him with his elbow rather than his fist. His elbow seemed to be made of very hard bone as it was solid and heavy as a rock.

    <i>Let''s try again!</i> Cassius stepped forward, his tall body pushing forcefully ahead. At the same time, he threw a piercing punch.

    Nino swiftly dodged to the side, using his elbow to deflect his fist. He then stomped his right foot before thrusting his hard knee forward!

    Cassius''s eyes gleamed as he shoved hisrge hand down and mmed into Nino''s darkened knee.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    A loud sound exploded on the stage.

    Nino winced as he hopped back on one foot. His right leg had gone numb after being forcibly pushed back by such a tremendous force.

    At the same time, Nino grew increasingly vignt. The Iron Bone Secret Technique he trained in was aimed at making bones and joints as hard as iron. Thanks to the sect¡¯s ointments and a decade of relentless bone training, he could break a banana tree with a kick or a knee strike.

    However, the man standing before him had barely flinched.

    Nino looked over and saw the tall figure re-assuming the Wind Elephantbat stance, his hands slightly raised at his sides. Thatposed and majestic posture remained steady.

    "You''re pretty tough! I''ll have no choice but to give it my all." He rotated his ankle slightly to ease the numbness in his foot. Without warning, he darted forward, his body swaying as he charged straight at Cassius''s waist.

    Perhaps Cassius had been taken aback by Nino''s attack because he didn''t react until Nino got very close.

    Nino stomped his foot, channeling all his power into one of his iron legs. His darkened leg sliced fiercely through the air, aiming right for Cassius.

    <i>Perfect time to test the Gale stage''s ultimate move.</i>

    Cassius took a deep breath, his muscles bulging, and the outline of his entire hand tinged ck. "Severing Flow!!!"

    In an instant, a ck line tore through the air.

    <i>Crack!</i>

    The hand de struck the iron leg. There was a sharp cracking sound. Nino screamed as he flew backward. Hended heavily, rolling several times along the stage. His brain was engulfed in a maelstrom of pain from his muscles tearing apart.

    His leg was broken! What a strange yet familiar feeling. Nino had not broken his leg since mastering his Covert Martial Arts. But here he was, experiencing that intense pain once more.

    "Number Thirteen wins," the referee announced.

    Soon, a few medical team members in white coats came in and lifted Nino onto a stretcher. As Cassius stepped down from the stage, he nced at his hand.

    During the battle, he had kept his strength below that of a pugilist. Still, the Wind Elephantbat moves were well-rounded enough that he could suppress the Iron Bone Sect opponent. The finishing move was from the first stage of the Wind Elephant Fist, Gale, which emphasized speed.

    To be so fast that the opponent couldn''t even reactt! While the primary purpose was speed rather than dealing damage, it still managed break his opponent''s leg.

    The Wind Elephant Fist consisted of four ultimate moves. Gale Stage: Severing Flow (hand de), Wind Owl (ultra-fast swinging punch), Elephant Herd Stage: Elephant''s Roar (straight punch), and Wind Elephant Torrent (swinging punch).

    These four represented the pinnacle of the four basic techniques of Wind Elephantbat. One had to be at the pugilist level in order to master and use them however they wanted.

    Cassius had already mastered the two moves of the Gale stage and was now learning the Elephant Herd stage. As expected, the two ultimate moves did not disappoint. The speed and power of Severing Flow''s explosive hand de were astonishing. If hebined that with the Azure Wind Flow and the explosive power from elerating his blood flow, one hand de could potentially split a person in half!

    Cassius¡¯s next opponent came from a small sect again but this opponent was much weaker andsted only one move. While he waited, Cassius realized he had fought a total of four battles in the arena. Only two opponents remained.

    After sitting for less than three minutes, a familiar figure appeared at the entrance. Cold smile on his face, Cassius immediately stood up, a strong and domineering aura expanding outward.

    ck Crane Sect¡¯s fifth core disciple, Guro.

    They truly lived in a small world...

    "<i>Heh</i>..." At the entrance, the tall and thin Guro also sneered when he saw Cassius. He made a slicing motion across his throat, seemingly in response to the morning''s gesture.

    Cassius felt inexplicably excited. He rubbed his thumb and forefinger together, his palms sweaty. When was thest time he felt like this? When the Duststorm assassins ambushed him in the real world?

    At that time, Cassius, who had believed that he had been acting under the Shadow Demon''s influence, had killed all the enemies. What would be Guro''s fate?

    The referee announced that the match could begin.

    "Group B, Number Thirteen and Number One. Wind Elephant Sect! ck Crane Sect!"

    As soon as the sect names were mentioned, the surrounding spectators started to buzz with excitement. A fight between the core disciples of two major sects in Beiliu County obviously drew quite a lot of attention and interest. Three more people squeezed in from outside amidst the chatter.

 Chapter 79 - Surrender

    <h4>Chapter 79 - Surrender</h4>

    One was a sinister man wearing ck gloves¡ªthe ck Crane Sect''s first core disciple, Mendi. The other two were young girls in distinctive bluebat attire. One was in her twenties, and had exquisitely beautiful features and a voluptuous figure. Her blue hair was tied up into a ponytail, draped lightly over one shoulder. She was the second core disciple of the Singing Water Sect. As for the other girl, her distinctly youthful teenage face was a dead giveaway: the Singing Water Sect¡¯s prodigy, Heidi.

    "Senior Sister, what''s so interesting about this? Let''s go watch our First Senior Sister''s match." Heidi blinked.

    "Don''t underestimate the core disciples from the major sects, Heidi. They are all close to the level of a pugilist." The second senior sister shook her head. "Their strength should be simr to yours, and they all have an abundant amount of practicalbat experience. Let¡¯s watch closely."

    The air was thick with tension as the two opponents, both of simr heights, stared each other down.

    "Don''t think that breaking two small sects'' teams is something to be proud of, kid. Let me teach you a lesson in humility." Guro sneered, remembering yesterday''s events.

    "Careful. You don''t want me to beat you to deathter. I might not be able to hold back," Cassius said, clenching his fist and grinning broadly.

    "Begin!" the referee announced, jumping off the stage.

    In the sunlight, as Cassius twisted his neck, a series of cracking sounds echoed. He said calmly, "Try not to die from my punches."

    There was apletely different meaning when he calmly repeated it for the second time.

    Sneering, Guro was about to retort when he felt an extremely menacing aura lock onto him, akin to suddenly being targeted by a tiger while trekking through the jungle. His heart skipped a beat.

    "Remember the name of the person who''s about to defeat you! Li Wei from the Wind Elephant Sect!"

    As soon as he finished speaking, the entire round stage shook violently. Cassius''s robust figure suddenly materialized in front of Guro. Layer byyer, the outline of his ck muscles all over his body became increasingly defined.

    "Wind Owl!"

    A strange bird call suddenly came from the wind. Cassius''s right hand instantly blurred into a huge ck shadow. The shadow rushed toward Guro''s head at high speed through the air.

    "Cranes Draw!"

    Guro''s adrenaline surged in response to the impending danger. He forcibly used all his might to execute the ck Crane Sect''s ultimate move. His five fingers pinched into a point, and his crane hand shot out like a drill, a shimmeringyer of ck light on the surfacesurface.

    <i>Ding!</i>

    <i>Crack.</i>

    "<i>Ah</i>!!!"

    The sounds of impact, bones breaking, and screams merged into one.

    Guro''s face twisted as he quickly retreated, the five fingers on his right hand now irregrly extended like chicken ws. The red muscles at his joints were torn, three of his fingernails had flipped up, and blood streamed down from his palm.

    "My hand!!!"

    In the midst of his excruciating pain, Guro suddenly held his breath as a tall figure appeared in front of him like an apparition.

    <i>Swish!</i>

    A massive ck shadow descended on him like Mount Tai.[1] Guro''s eyes nearly popped out, and he raised both hands to block.

    <i>Dong!</i>

    The entire stage shook violently.

    In the sunlight, Guro was on his knees, trembling. His arms were still crossed and raised above his head. He could acutely feel the bones of his forearms fracturing painfully. It was the kind of shuddering feeling of bone fragments piercing into his muscles. Blood from his wounded arms dripped onto his face.

    Completely stunned, Guro had just managed to take a breath when he felt an overwhelming force press down on him again.

    Inch by inch... Bit by bit... It was as if a steamroller was ttening the ground; heavy and absolute, and without any care of what was underneath it. He trembled; he could practically hear his muscles and bones groaning. Guro''s whole body was forced down, his spine bending inch by inch while his head shook like a leaf.

    Cassius''s bloodshot eyes shed before him.

    <i>elerated blood flow!!! A pugilist!!!</i>

    He roared, "I surrender! I surrender!"

    The humongous arm that was pressing down on Guro paused for a moment, and then it pulled away. Cassius shook his head expressionlessly. "I thought you''dst longer than that. You shouldn''t act so arrogant when you''re only at this level."

    For a moment, the entire stage fell into an eerie silence. Then the audience erupted into a frenzy. Despite both parties being core disciples of major sects, the actual gap inbat was astonishingly vast!

    Guro''s opponent had crushed him like a child, forcing him to surrender in just two moves.

    "It''s actually a pugilist!" Mendi squinted at Cassius below the stage, ignoring Guro''s serious injuries. He muttered to himself, "Wind Elephant Sect really lucked out with three pugilists. Seems like I''ll have to adjust the order..."

    On the other side, Heidi couldn''t bear to look at the stage due to Guro''s terrifying bloody appearance. Her second senior sister patted her shoulder.

    "This is why I wanted you to watch the others'' matches. It''s impossible to not get injured or bleed when you''re in realbat. You''re still too young and don''t have enough practicalbat training. Every Covert Martial Artist must ovee this, Heidi."

    The second core disciple of the Singing Water Sect gazed at Cassius standing on the stage with her beautiful eyes. "But I never expected the Wind Elephant Sect to have another pugilist! And an eighteen-year-old at that! No wonder that guy from the ck Crane Sect was beaten down in just two moves. A pugilist and those below are like night and day, so it''s normal for the results to be this crushing."

    "That person looks quite scary when he''s being ruthless," Heidi said, ncing at the stage. The image of the formidable figure with the terrifying statue on that stage was deeply etched in her somewhat still immature mind.

    Guro had already been taken down for treatment, leaving only Cassius and the referee. The referee dered Cassius as the victor. Cassius nodded slightly, then said, "Let''s start the next match right away. I don''t want to waste any time. I saw my opponent..." He stopped talking. The young man who had just been sitting in the row of red wooden chairs to his right was suddenly gone! Had he been seeing things?

    "Uh, Contestant Number Thirteen? Contestant Number Five told me he forfeited just now. He''s already left." The referee beside him had a strained smile.

    "He forfeited?"

    "Yes."

    "Then I''m leaving," Cassius said, flipping off the stage and walking towards the door. Since he had no opponent to fight, he had the gift of time back.

    The crowd blocking the door parted fearfully, creating a path for him as he walked past.

    Five minutester, Cassius headed to a distant arena, on a staff member''s directions, where his Fourth Senior Brother Moses waspeting. Bored, Cassius decided to take a look.

    As soon as he squeezed through the crowd and saw what was happening, a peculiar smile appeared on his face. "Third Senior Brother and Fourth Senior Brother are fighting each other..."

    He had definitely jinxed it!

    1. A mountain of historical and cultural significance located north of the city of Tai''an. It is the highest point in Shandong province, China. ?

 Chapter 80 - Abnormal

    <h4>Chapter 80 - Abnormal</h4>

    Two figures stood opposite each other on the stage. A subtle tension gradually suffused he air. One was tall and strong. The other was short and thin.

    "Stupid bear, I didn''t expect us to run into each other," Lance''s thin lips parted as he spoke pleasantly.

    "Stupid sissy, I also didn''t expect to meet you in the second round." Moses grinned, his tone equally sharp.

    "Perfect, shall we have a go?" Lance tilted his head slightly.

    "I was thinking the same. We haven''t sparred for months; thest time we fought was at thest banquet. Just so you know, I''ve improved a lot so I hope you won''t disappoint me." Moses puffed his chest chest out slightly which made his body look evenrger.

    "What a coincidence, I''ve improved a lot too. I hope I don''t make you cry with my hand chopter." Lance slowly raised his right hand.

    Hearing this, Moses sneered inwardly. Improved a lot? Had he improved to the point where he could achieve a breakthrough and be a pugilist? That wasn''t an easy threshold to cross. Moses himself only made it through with the help of the Fire Oil. There was no way Lance could be that lucky.

    A pugilist fighting against someone at a lower level? That was like a father fighting a son. Lance wouldn¡¯t be able to break through his defense even if Moses didn''t move!

    "<i>Heh</i>, you better not start crying from my hits. I don''t want to see a man in tears." Moses shrugged.

    Hearing this, Lance sneered inwardly as well. Moses''s bear-like skin was indeed tough. Prior to his breakthrough, Lance could barely hurt him even at full strength. But now...with elerated blood flow, his strength and the damage he could dole out would multiply. Fighting Moses would be like an adult fighting with a child.

    Cassius squeezed to the front of the crowd. Moses and Lance, who hadn''t started their match yet, noticed their junior brother. Moses turned his head and smiled at Cassius, showing his neatly arranged white teeth.

    "Junior Brother! Just wait there and see me thrash this sissy."

    Next to him, Lance also smiled and nodded, winking his beautiful left eye at Cassius. It wasn¡¯t just about thrashing the bear. Having someone in the audience who knew his secret made it that much more fun!

    Cassius smiled stiffly at the enthusiasm expressed from both sides. He swallowed hard. Before their breakthroughs, his Third and Fourth Senior Brothers were around the same level in terms of strength¡ªone was tough and resilient, the other agile and elusive. Now that they''ve both broken through to pugilists, they were probably still evenly matched. The fight would likely end in a draw.

    When they discovered each other''s hidden strength during the fight, they wouldn''te looking for him, the one in the know, right...?

    "Match start!" The referee jumped off the stage.

    Immediately, the two auras shed. One was agile and sharp, the other heavy as a mountain. The two faced off, both assuming the standard stance of the Wind Elephantbat.

    Lance stepped forward, disappearing in an instant. A blurry figure shed past. He appeared right beside Moses, and chopped his hand down heavily like an iron rod.

    "So what if you hit me?!"

    Moses took a deep breath, creating a white vortex at his nostrils in the process. He spread his arms wide and his clothes exploded off. Exaggerated, bulging ck muscles rose, with green veins spreading like branches underneath.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    The hand chopped down. The hard muscle trembled slightly but fully absorbed the impact. At the same time, Moses threw a punch, while Lance swiftly sidestepped behind him, delivering a quick piercing punch to the kidneys!

    Moses''s body swayed slightly, then he struck hard behind him. Lance blocked it with both hands, retreating backward to create some distance.

    "Your skin is really thick. Seems like I have to get serious," Lance said, assuming his stance again, squinting his eyes.

    "Same here. I''ll finish you in one move!"

    Moses grinned brightly andunched an attack. The stage shook with every step as he advanced like a tank, crushing everything in his path. Lance took a step and moved swiftly around Moses,unching quick attacks. The hand chopsnded squarely on Moses¡¯s muscles.

    <i>An opening!</i> Moses''s eyes widened. He threw a fierce, lightning-fast punch. "Wind Owl!"

    Lance''s eyes reddened as he shed down with his hand chop. "Severing Flow!"

    <i>Boom!!!</i>

    After a dull thud, both looked up to stare at each other. At such close range, they could see how bloodshot the other''s eyes were¡ªa clear sign of elerated blood flow.

    "You!" They said at the same time. "Fuck!"

    Their reactions were unbelievably synchronized.

    "I don''t believe it!"

    Both gritted their teeth and lunged at each other in a flurry of fists and feet. One moved gracefully and elegantly, hands shing continuously like a dancing ballerina. The other stood tall and firm, striking steadily like a dedicated partner in a ballroom dance. They looked like a graceful ballroom pair, with one person moving fluidly while the other was strong and steady.

    After the "dance," Moses had a twisted expression on his face, and his muscles were red and swollen. On the other side, Lance was panting heavily and drenched in sweat. Yet, the match still did not have a clear winner. The referee had no choice but to dere the match a draw.

    "When did you break through to pugilist?"

    "I should ask you the same question!"

    Moses and Lance bickered as they walked off the stage, heading toward Cassius. The corners of Cassius¡¯s mouth twitched. How should he phrase his words?

    Suddenly, he shuddered. His heart skipped a beat. It felt like he was being watched by a predatory beast.

    He quickly turned his head, scanning the surroundings. There seemed to be a pair of blood-red eyes watching him from within the shadows of the crowd. They were filled with inexplicable greed and evil.

    That feeling... It was just like facing the Shadow Demon for the first time where he was filled with a horrifying, shivering, inexplicable fear.

    Cassius stood frozen in ce, but in the blink of an eye, the sense of impending crisis was gone. Calm returned to him as if nothing had happened. He took a deep breath and scanned his surroundings but found nothing.

    Since being parasitized by the Shadow Demon, Cassius had noticed his senses bing much sharper. He could detect hostile nces and murderous intent so the chances of it being an illusion of some kind was very low.

    "Li Wei, what''s wrong?" Moses, who had just approached, asked with concern when he saw Cassius''s pale face.

    Lance also rushed over. "Junior Brother, are you too tired from the match? Talk to First Senior Brother about itter. Go rest in your room first."

    "Yes, I think I am a bit tired. I''ll talk to First Senior Brotherter," Cassius said, holding his forehead.

    Ten minutester, on the cobblestone path in the manor, a tall figure walked toward the rest area.

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 Chapter 81 - Five Pugilists

    <h4>Chapter 81 - Five Pugilists</h4>

    On the way there, Cassius sat on a bench by the man-madeke to rest. He also chatted with a few people ying golf. He then returned to the Wind Elephant Sect''s rest area. It was the first white building at the back of the manor where Cassius and the other core disciples were staying on the third floor.

    After a cold shower in the bathroom, he moved a chair to sit on the curved balcony. At 3 p.m., the sun was still strong, turning the tiles on the balcony a shiny white. Cassius slumped in his chair, his gaze drifting past the pure white wall in the distance.

    A vast greenwny on the left, and he could seerge expanses of yellow farnd further down. A lush green forest stretched out on the right. With the sunlight warming his body, he felt quite cozy.

    Cassius gazed up at the blue sky, feeling somewhat better. His previously uneasy heart had calmed down, allowing him to begin thinking about the brief sense of crisis he had felt earlier. Even though there was no clear evidence, he immediately connected that feeling to the Wind Elephant Sect''s massacre. But his intuition told him that the two were likely rted.

    He rubbed his temples and tried to recall Li Wei''s vague memories, hoping to dig out specific information about the massacre. Unfortunately, Li Wei had only been a novice at that time. While he had mediocre strength, he was actually not too far off from the core disciples. He had been taken to the East Sea County, mainly to gain some experience as a spectator disciple.

    Most of his memory was vague fragments of panicked running. Just running nonstop. The only relevant information he had about the enemies urred the moment the sect was ambushed, when arge group of tall figures in ck cloaks came rushing in from both sides.

    "How troublesome..." Cassius said, helplessly patting his forehead.

    He didn''t have any information about the enemies¡ªtheir appearance, strength, or identity. Nothing. All he knew was that they were tall, which was useless. The only thing he could do was proceed cautiously, and go one step at a time.

    Time flew by and before he knew it, it was evening.

    Lance almost spat out his rainflower tea. He stood up abruptly. "What?! Junior Brother, you''re a pugilist too?! Damn! Doesn''t that mean our sect has five pugilists now?!"

    There were three people in the room: Cassius, Lance, and Moses. Hykal and Jadice were still at the banquet, interacting with the other core disciples from various Covert Martial Arts sects.

    "Indeed," Moses said, rubbing his chin. Then he pped the table, displeasure coloring his tone. "How did you also break through to pugilist? Junior Brother and I barely made it through, and we needed Lady Luck on our side as well. I wasn''t going to say anything so I could mess with you, but the match still ended in a tie."

    "<i>Heh</i>." Lance sneered. "You said it yourself; it''s luck, and when ites, you can''t stop it. I broke through the day I got home from that banquet."

    His exquisite green hair swayed as his narrow eyes bored into Cassius. "By the way, did you just say that Junior Brother broke through around the same time as you, and you both kept it a secret from me?"

    Cassius coughed awkwardly and opened his mouth to speak when his ipetent teammate Moses snapped his fingers. The look on his face seemed to praise Lance for being so smart. "Yes! But too bad you also broke through..."

    He sighed regretfully, seemingly disappointed that he couldn''t beat up Lance.

    "<i>Hmph</i>..." Lance smirked. "You stupid bear, did you know that Junior Brother identally found out I had broken through to pugilist back at the Wind Elephant Martial Arts Hall, and he didn''t tell you?"

    "<i>Hmm</i>?" Moses raised an eyebrow. He stood up to his full height and plopped down next to Cassius. Then he ced his calloused hand on Cassius''s back, asking in a "gentle" tone, "Is that true, Junior Brother?"

    "Uh... If I said no, would you believe me, Senior Brother?"

    "<i>Hehehe</i>, what do you think?"

    Ten minutester, Cassiusy sideways on the sofa.

    Under pressure of his two senior brothers, he was forced to agree to the terms ofpensation, which included twenty practice matches with Fourth Senior Brother Moses and getting the recipe for rainflower tea from the organizers for Third Senior Brother Lance.

    Speaking of which, those two were normally at each other''s throats, but had suddenly colluded against him. What a real headache.

    Twenty minutester, First Senior Brother and Second Senior Sister returned and reacted the same way as Lance. To be precise, they were extremely shocked.

    After all, all three of their junior brothers had be pugilists and they had gone from being an ordinary team to a dream team overnight. There were no weaklings here, only formidable fighters!

    Hykal understood the implications of having five pugilists better than they did. The top four third-rate sects in Beiliu County usually had a team of five core disciples, with two of them being pugilists, like the Golden Rock Fist, ck Crane Sect, and the former Wind Elephant Sect. The Singing Water Sect was the only sect to have three pugilists on their team.

    If they were to look more broadly at the East, Lance had seen only the top second-rate sects having five pugilists in the younger generation. Ordinary second-rate sects had no chance of gathering even five.

    Having the current Wind Elephant Sect team participate in the Beiliu County Exchange Tournament was akin to throwing a wolf into a flock of sheep. A top second-rate sect bullying a bunch of third-rate and unranked sects. Bullying people from another tier could prove fatal; Hykal could already imagine the other three sects being collectively crushed.

    "<i>Hmph</i>." Lance chuckled.

    "<i>Heh heh</i>." Moses also chuckled.

    <i>Pa!</i> Cassius snapped his fingers. He couldn''t wait to have some fun with the ck Crane Sect.

    The next day came very quickly. The format was the same as the first day, with the teampetition in the morning and individual matches in the afternoon. During the morning teampetition, Cassius felt there were more eyes on him. Even when he wasn''t on stage, many were looking his way, likely because the results of the individual matches had spread.

    However, people didn''t look any differently at Moses and Lance, because none of the spectators the day before were pugilists so they couldn''tprehend just how intense their fight had been.

    As luck would have it, Cassius ran into the ck Crane Sect''s first core disciple, Mendi, and Singing Water Sect¡¯s second core disciple, who had watched his fight. The three sects on par with the Wind Elephant Sect were probably under the impression that the Wind Elephant Sect had three pugilists. Little did they know, it wasn¡¯t three, but five! It was all of them!

    A day passed, and the Wind Elephant Sect did not encounter any strong opponents, and only fought some smaller sects that copsed in a single blow. That is, until the third day of thepetition right as it was nearing noon, where the eleventh team match was about to take ce.

    The referee stepped onto the stage and announced the opponents for the next match. "Match begin, Number Nine and Number Thirteen! Wind Elephant Sect versus ck Crane Sect!"

 Chapter 82 - Various Skills, This is the Azure Wind Flow

    <h4>Chapter 82 - Various Skills, This is the Azure Wind Flow</h4>

    "I''m going up." Cassius rose to his full height.

    Across from him, a young blond man from the ck Crane Sect approached swiftly. With a strong and vigorous body and a well-proportioned physique, he looked rather difficult to fight against.

    Just as the two were about to step onto the ring, a group of people, led by someone in a blue uniform, appeared at the warehouse entrance. It was the subsequent members of the Wind Elephant Sect.

    At the conclusion of the Beiliu County Exchange Tournament, the qualified teams for the Six Counties League would, instead of returning to their sect headquarters, take the train directly to the East Sea County. Therefore, the disciples and masters who wished to go to East Sea County to broaden their worldview would have to take the train to Beiliu City and wait there.

    "<i>Ahem</i>, is that Little Wei?"

    In the group, a slight figure nced at the ring and immediately noticed Cassius who had just stepped onto the tform. She stood on her tiptoes; that really seemed to be her disciple!

    The group headed toward the Wind Elephant Sect''s designated area.

    "It''s Senior Uncle Lisa! Senior Uncle Lisa, over here!"

    Moses, who had met Lisa several times before, waved at her from the core disciples'' resting area. In Covert Martial Arts sects, all fellow masters were generally addressed as Senior Uncle, regardless of gender.

    Lisa also recognized Moses as the core disciple who often dragged Cassius away to spar. She walked over and sat on the wooden chair.

    "Senior Uncle," Lance and Jadice also greeted her.

    Hykal did not. As the eldest senior brother of the sect, he was naturally at a higher seniority level than her. Even if he did greet her, the most he''d address her as would be Senior Sister, making it rather awkward between them. It was best if they just did not greet each other based on their seniority and treated each other as equals.

    Smiling, Lisa nodded and said, "Did Little Wei just step onto the ring? Who is our sect''s opponent this time?"

    "Yes, the referee just announced it. Junior Brother will be fighting against Samuel, the second core disciple of the ck Crane Sect, this time."

    "Both of them are pugilists so this will be a good fight." Moses looked highly entertained as he sipped his tea. Not only did he enjoy fighting, but he also liked watching two masters brawl.

    "Mm." Lisa nodded, looking toward the nearby ring.

    "ck Crane Sect, Samuel," the blond young man introduced himself. He had muscr, but slightly gangly arms, and his skin was painted with ck mystifying patterns. His fingers were long and thick with veryrge joints. The tips of his fingers were faintly white.

    <i>The ck Crane Sect''s crane technique.</i>

    Cassius had a pretty good idea of what was toe. "Wind Elephant Sect, Li Wei."

    He immediately took a stance, his strong arms spread out vertically at his sides. One foot stepped forward, while the other remained firmly nted behind him.

    "Begin!" As soon as the referee finished speaking, he jumped away. He had no desire to stand in the middle of a fight between two pugilists and get identally injured.

    <i>Boom, boom, boom...</i>

    Samuel attacked first. He came at Cassius fast, his right hand cutting through the air and shing toward Cassius''s side.

    <i>Swish!</i>

    The rapidly thrusting fist collided fiercely with the hand chop. Both felt their palms go numb and retreated.

    Cassius stomped his back foot on the ground, pushing him quickly in the opposite direction. His arms were at his sides, positioned for punching. Therge muscles on his shoulders bouncing and writhing, he fired off some rapid punches in quick session.

    <i>Bang, bang, bang... bang, bang, bang...</i>

    Samuel''s hands swung, his powerful arms colliding continuously with Cassius''s. The fists blurred into shadows between them.

    "Moon Crane Saber!"

    Samuel suddenly slid to the side, his arm shing through the air like a steel de. A sh, and an afterimage resembling the hazy moonlight under a ck cloud appeared.

    "Severing Flow!" Cassius turned rapidly, his hand chopping furiously.

    <i>Boom! </i>

    The two men''s fast and powerful shes collided, the muscles on their arms rippling in visible waves. The fabric from their wrists to their upper arms were shredded into pieces.

    With a muffled groan, Cassius struck with his left hand, his muscr arm imitating a ck python lunging at its prey.

    To his surprise, Samuel''s other arm swung over like an iron rod and pushed hard, deflecting Cassius''s "python''s fangs." At the same time, he moved closer. His knee popped up like a spring, and he shot forward like a cannonball.

    Cassius countered by pressing down with his palm and thrusting his right elbow forward, smashing right into Samuel''s left shoulder. Samuel''s shoulder went numb, causing the left arm that he had swung to wobble and missed its target.

    <i>Bang! </i>

    Their arms collided, and both withdrew a couple steps back. Samuel stretched out his sore left shoulder, while Cassius shook his numbed, aching fists loose.

    <i>As expected, pugilists are tough opponents, </i>Cassius thought. He suddenly noticed a familiar figure in the Wind Elephant Sect area¡ªInstructor Lisa was sitting next to a few senior brothers, smiling faintly as she watched.

    "It''s a bad habit letting yourself get distracted in the middle of a fight!" Samuel rushed over and attacked with a flurry of fists, hand chops, elbows, and knees. The blood vessels in his eyes condensed; he had activated his elerated blood flow ability.

    "Let''s see how my Azure Wind Flow fares against you!" Cassius''s face hardened, his heart thudding. Hot, viscous blood surged through his body, bringing with it a wave of powerful energy.

    "elerated blood flow: Azure Wind Flow!"

    He stomped his foot, and his sturdy cloth shoe exploded from the force. Cassius charged, turning into a gray blur. His fist, apanied by an eerie bird-like sound, struck like lightning.

    Samuel''s pupils dted as he quickly raised a hand to block. The moment his hand touched Cassius''s fist, high-speed air currents sliced his palm and it began bleeding profusely. The punches continued its relentless assault, striking Samuel''s shoulder like a wind-wrapped iron rod.

    "<i>Ah</i>!" Samuel screamed. He stumbled and tumbled off the stage. When he got up, his face was pale, and his forehead was peppered with cold sweat. There was an exposed bloody fist imprint on his left shoulder. The skin had scraped off, revealing red muscles beneath. Blood dripped down the edges, soaking his clothes.

    "Good fight," Cassius said from the edge of the ring.

    "What technique was that?" Samuel panted.

    "I suppose there''s no harm in telling you. It''s called Azure Wind Flow." Cassius spread his fingers out slightly, and a high-speed rotating air current flicked off all the blood on his skin. Right hand clean once again, he let it hang lightly by his leg.

    At this moment, the referee climbed onto the tform and announced, "The winner is Wind Elephant Sect''s Li Wei!"

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 Chapter 83 - Defeating the Black Crane Sect

    <h4>Chapter 83 - Defeating the ck Crane Sect</h4>

    Cassius locked eyes with Lisa on the stage before turning to look at his next opponent. The ck Crane Sect had only two pugilists, one of whom had just been defeated by Cassius. The other, Mendi, was the final opponent which meant Cassius would have to fight against those at the fistfighters'' level.

    It was no different from a wolf among sheep. Despite how much energy Cassius expended in the first round, he defeated the next two opponents handily. He could have continued fighting, but knowing Moses was next in the lineup, he decided to leave some opponents for him. He did not want to hear himiningter.

    Thus, after defeating his third opponent, Cassius raised his hand to signal his intention to swap out. After the referee''s announcement, he stepped off the stage.

    "You finally came down, Junior Brother. At least you left two for your senior brother." Moses shrugged off his coat and threw it on a seat.

    "Keep bragging. Don''t tell me you think you can beat Mendi. Just wear him down a little and leave the rest to me," Lance mocked from where he stood on the side, arms crossed.

    "<i>Hmph.</i>" Moses snorted and walked onto the stage.

    In the rest area, Cassius walked over and sat down next to his master, Lisa. He asked, "Teacher, why are you here?"

    "Am I not allowed to be here?" Lisa gave a sideways nce at him. "The sect wanted to take some elite disciples to the East Sea County to broaden their horizons and we needed some fist masters to apany them. I''d rathere out and see the world instead of cooping myself up in the Wind Elephant Sect and dying there. And it''s also nice to see my good disciple showing off his prowess."

    Lisa smiled and patted Cassius''s shoulder, as if her death was already certain and there wasn''t anything special about the word itself.

    Cassius opened his mouth but didn''t know what to say. After a long pause, he finally squeezed out, "Teacher, you''ve lost weight."

    Lisa ruffled Cassius''s hair for the very first time. Cassius didn''t attempt to dodge it. "Brat, you really don''t have the right personality tofort people. Don''t say such mushy things. As long as I see you progressing in Covert Martial Arts, I''m more than happy. Seeing results with my very own eyes is far more powerful than any kind of ttery.

    "What you did just now was great. Azure Wind Flow should be used in actualbat. This technique still has its ws so the best way to improve it is through constant practice. The Azure Wind Flow wasn''t originally created to be some kind of trump card, but rather as a regr move that can be used consistently. The problem is that it hasn''t been perfected yet and uses up too much energy." There was a hint of regret in her voice.

    Once upon a time, she had been a genius with exceptionalprehension and constitution but it all came to a screeching halt when her foundation was damaged, leaving her unable to perfect theter stages of the Azure Wind Flow.

    Hence why Lisa took Cassius in as her disciple and treated him like family, even going as far as to gift him the Hundred Herb Body Refinement Paste. There was an old saying: "once a teacher, forever a father." Whoever coined the saying hadn''t been joking.

    This was especially so when the teacher had a terminal illness and a martial arts legacy that had yet to be fulfilled. She could only leave her hopes in her disciple and fortunately, Cassius gave her that hope.

    "Let''s stop chatting and watch the match." Lisa and Cassius turned their attention back to the stage.

    As expected, Moses fought the core disciples of the ck Crane Sect with little fanfare, rendering them senseless with a single swing as if they were his children. Even a martial artist nearing the physical limits of a human body was easily toyed with by Moses.

    The clear disparity made the audience realize that the Wind Elephant Sect''s fourth core disciple, Moses, had also surpassed human limits! The Wind Elephant Sect had four pugilists!

    It was unfathomable. Even a second-rate sect wouldn''t be at that level.

    For a moment, the entire venue buzzed with chatter. Various gazes swept toward the Wind Elephant Sect''s rest area¡ªsome surprised, some envious, some fearful, and some hateful.

    On the stage, the young man who Moses had been toying with stumbled onto the ground. A livid Mendi stormed onto the stage. His slightly pale face was filled with frustration as he stared at Moses, removing his gloves as he spoke.

    "I''ll make you understand that there are differences even among pugilists!"

    His arms wrapped in white bandages were exposed to the air, and an imposing aura locked onto Moses. Moses whistled nonchntly, his right hand beckoning contemptuously as if taunting Mendi toe at him if he dared.

    Truthfully, Moses wasn''t actually looking down on Mendi; he merely wanted to anger him. Moses understood that he hadn''t been a pugilist for long and was likely not a match for Mendi. Although they were at the same level, he was exceptionally resistant and could tire Mendi out and then have Lance handle the rest.

    On the surface, Moses looked like a big oaf, but he was actually very cunning.

    Sure enough, he demonstrated this in the ensuing fight. Using his strong physique, he tussled with Mendi but not recklessly. Finally, when the two of them were somewhat out of breath, Moses calmly raised his hand and conceded.

    Having fought until his clothes were in tatters, he walked down the stage bare-chested. His strong body was covered in scratches, but he didn''t seem hurt. On the contrary, he looked rather pleased. The sunlight on his upper body made him look like a golden muscr statue.

    Moses returned to the rest area and cocked his eyebrows at Lance. "It''s your turn. I''ve worn Mendi down to this point so surely you can take him down now, right?" He flexed his right arm muscles.

    "Don''t worry, I''ll take care of him. No need to trouble Second Senior Sister." Lance elegantly took a sip of his red tea from a white porcin cup. He stood up and brushed past Moses, poking his wound with a finger as he walked by.

    "Hey!" Moses turned his head, eyebrows shooting up in pain. "<i>Hmph</i>, whatever I don''t argue with women." He shook his head and sat down with his arms crossed.

    After five minutes, an eerie silence descended on the stage as everyone from the various Covert Martial Arts sects quietly watched. Even those who had been watching the ordinary disciples'' matches turned to look.

    In the sunlight, Lance, panting, raised his right hand.

    The referee beside him bounded onto the stage and shouted loudly, "The winner is Lance of the Wind Elephant Sect!"

    A team of medics in white uniforms rushed up with a stretcher and carried the unconscious Mendi away.

    elerated blood flow wasn''t without its side effects. Once the immense power faded, intense fatigue would take its ce. If Mendi had fought both of them at the same, he might have been able to utilize the short burst of energy to defeat both Lance and Moses.

    But he had fought Moses and then Lance in a tag team battle; one was tough and the other agile. Both were incredibly exhausting to fight against so in the end, Mendi still lost and at the hands of the third core disciple.

    Wind Elephant Sect, five. ck Crane Sect, two.

 Chapter 84 - Rise of the Wind Elephant Sect

    <h4>Chapter 84 - Rise of the Wind Elephant Sect</h4>

    Five pugilists had popped up one after another like bamboo shoots after rainfall. Was the Wind Elephant Sect destined to rise against all odds? Why were there so many geniuses? At this rate, nobody would even bat an eye if a pugilist suddenly appeared among the ordinary elite disciples of the Wind Elephant Sect!

    Someone once said, "Barring any unexpected events, the Wind Elephant Sect, with itsrge fields of Lanxin Grass, will rise." That phrase indeed came true. It had only been a matter of time for the sect to be a second-tier Covert Martial Arts sect, although the team of five pugilists hadn''t been a contributing factor. This had happened due to a series of fortunate coincidences.

    The Wind Elephant Sect likely would not be able to assemble such a dominating team for several generations toe even after rising to the level of a second-tier Covert Martial Arts sect. It was but a matter of luck.

    "The Wind Elephant Sect is sure to win the Beiliu County Exchange Tournament this time around! Five monsters who have surpassed human limits¡ªthere''s no doubt about it."

    "If the three pugilists from the Singing Water Sect and the two from the Golden Fist Sect came together as one team, they might be able to be a match for the Wind Elephant Sect''s team. Otherwise, the gap is just toorge..."

    "Did you notice the Wind Elephant Sect''s youngest core disciple is only eighteen? It''s crazy that he''s already surpassed human limits. Even more than that little girl from the Singing Water Sect."

    "Yeah, and not only that, Lance and Moses, the third and fourth, are both under twenty-five. Compared to them, I''m practically useless. Fuck, I''m twenty-nine and haven''t even mastered the first stage of our sect''s Covert Martial Arts."

    "..."

    The entire venue was abuzz with chatter, the majority of which were of envy and shock. The current Wind Elephant Sect was simply dazzling.

    On the other side of the arena, many elite disciples of the Wind Elephant Sect puffed out their chests. Even the veteran instructors leading the team were smiling and chatting with their old friends from other sects, looking very proud.

    Their conversation went something like this: "See? These are the genius disciples of our Wind Elephant Sect! This is our Wind Elephant Sect!"

    Meanwhile, the three elders from the Wind Elephant Sect, who hade to thepetition as apaniment, looked on dumbfoundedly. They didn''t understand what was happening. <i>Wasn''t our team supposed to have only two pugilists?</i>

    Why were pugilists suddenly popping up like moles? First Li Wei, then Moses, and finally Lance...

    The elders were utterly baffled. Could some elite disciples also suddenly turn into pugilists? When did the Wind Elephant Sect be a top second-rate sect?

    "Wow! Igor, your Wind Elephant Sect has certainly hid your secrets well! Five pugilists in one team? You sure know how to train your disciples!" A bald old man in a bluebat attire chortled. He was the seventh elder of the Singing Water Sect.

    "Uh...yes. But it''s all because of those kids'' efforts," replied Igor, the third elder of the Wind Elephant Sect had a head full of white hair. He was still a bit dazed despite how overjoyed he felt.

    "You''re too modest. Great is great, no need to be humble. Our Singing Water Sect is really envious. How about we find some time to exchange teaching experiences between our sects?" The bald old man enthusiastically patted Igor on the back.

    <i>I''m telling the truth! Those kids were the ones who worked hard. I''m still confused and </i>I''m <i>the elder.</i> Igor silentlyined in his heart but since he couldn''t say it aloud, he simply nodded. "Sure, sure..."

    "Hmph, you were just lucky," a sour voice interjected from the side. Igor turned his head and was not surprised to see it hade from an elder from the ck Crane Sect, d in all ck.

    Ignor was immediately displeased. Being confused was one thing and being humble was another. But he wouldn''t stand for belittling the efforts of the Wind Elephant Sect''s hardworking disciples by calling it luck!

    "Oh, and here I was wondering who left their sour grapes behind. Turns out it''s Elder Daryl, whose ck Crane Sect was beaten into the ck Chicken Sect by our Wind Elephant Sect disciples," Igor sneered. He brought up the recent fight results, going straight for the jugr. "Has your first core disciple Mendi has woken up yet? Oh, and what about Samuel, who also got knocked down?"

    Hearing this, Daryl''s face turned red with anger. For martial artists, victory and defeat were the most straightforward and convincing things. Their disagreements were always settled with a fight, not an argument and whoever emerged as the winner was always right. Fists always trumped words!

    But the embarrassed Daryl still insisted on stubbornly arguing, "That... that was just pure dumb luck."

    "Yes, yes, a five to two score is pure dumb luck."

    "I said it was dumb luck!"

    "Yes, five to two."

    "Dumb luck..."

    "Five to two."

    In the end, Daryl''s face turned green and white from the jealousy he had to swallow. He could only curse the Wind Elephant Sect to fail in the next match! But the reality turned out to be the exact opposite.

    The Wind Elephant Sect forged ahead, utterly unstoppable. In the teampetition, no one could match the Wind Elephant Sect when they were at full strength. The Golden Fist Sect and Singing Water Sect were defeated five to two and five to three, respectively. The gaps for the rest of the sects were even more dramatic.

    The Wind Elephant Sect also performed remarkably in the individualpetition. After all, they had double the number of pugilists than the other major sects with five. In the end, Hykal ranked second in the individualpetition, Jadice fourth, Moses eighth, Cassius ninth, and Lance tenth. They also scored the highest points overall.

    Once the scores for bothpetitions and the scores of the ordinary elite disciples, who performed decently, werebined, it showed the Wind Elephant Sect topping the leaderboard. The Singing Water Sect, who used to have an edge, found themselves falling behind in the rankings.

    On the sixth day of thepetition, the busy sect master of the Wind Elephant Sect, Belon, arrived at the venue. He was immediately overwhelmed by the other sects'' enthusiasm, who bombarded him with a barrage of praise for the Wind Elephant Sect''s core disciples. They apuded the core disciples'' unparalleled talent, the Wind Elephant Sect''s extraordinary luck and their invaluable teaching methods. In short, it was a lot of things that Belon didn''t quite understand.

    He understood the part about extraordinary luck; had they discovered the location of the Lanxin Grass fields, which had been hidden for half a year?

    Finally, Belon made his escape by excusing himself to the bathroom. It wasn''t until he carefully asked Elder Igor what had happened that he understand the whole story.

    <i>Well, it turns out that cheesy ttery wasn''t exaggerated at all! My Wind Elephant Sect truly has extraordinary luck, and its poprity will continue to rise!</i>

    That evening at the banquet, Belon wholeheartedly yed the role of the main character, continually toasting with the others. He looked like a shrewd sect master who had been preparing for this moment.

    Seeing him so calm, the elders of the other sects were even more convinced that the Wind Elephant Sect''s teaching methods was unparalleled. They immediately requested for exchange opportunities, and Belon agreed to all of them. It was a great chance to elevate the sect''s status.

    Meanwhile, at the Wind Elephant Sect''s core disciples'' residence, a small birthday party with six people began with Lisa being the prtagonist.

 Chapter 85 - Practice Is The Best Teacher

    <h4>Chapter 85 - Practice Is The Best Teacher</h4>

    In the medium-sized parlor, the candlelight flickered intermittently. The moonlight outside the tall arched windows shone in, passing over the dark green silk curtains andnding on the cake on the mahogany table. Lisa smiled softly at the five people around the table.

    In Li Wei''s era, there was a belief that the soul was most vulnerable to demon invasion on their birthday. Therefore, family and friends would gather together on that day, bearing cake in order to give blessings to ward off evil and bring good luck. As the five core disciples of the Wind Elephant Sect were now also her close friends, they came bearing blessings.

    Lisa''s gaze finally settled on Cassius. "I''m surprised you remember my birthday."

    "I asked the Grandmaster so he told me," Cassius answered honestly.

    "<i>Hahaha</i>." Lisaughed, pping her forehead. "Don''t talk like that in the future or no girl will like you. But anyway..." Lisa stood up from the mahogany chair and hugged Cassius. "Thank you, my disciple Li Wei."

    The small birthday party was extremely lively for the next few hours. Thanks to Lance and Moses, the twoedic rivals,ughter often filled the room. Cassius also gave Lisa the gift he bought, a delicatedies'' pocket watch. She was ted.

    "<i>Hmm</i>, you chose well this time. I really like the watch," Lisa said, rubbing the pocket watch''s delicate cover.

    "I''m d you like it."

    Of course, Cassius didn''t choose the gift by himself; he had sought help from his brother, Lance, who had an impable taste. Although, he had been the one to decide on the pocket watch because Lisa had once given him a pocket watch that had been special to her.

    All in all, Lisa was quite pleased with her fortieth birthday. Even though her master wasn''t there, at least her disciple was, right?

    The next day was the Beiliu County Exchange Tournament''s closing ceremony. There wasn''t much to say. It was almost identical to the opening ceremony, with just some people dancing in the theater.

    Since this was the first time an exchange tournament was held, both the people from East Sea County and the local coborating sects were inexperienced, resulting in a rather simple and crude event. Even so, they managed to make do.

    Finally, at around three in the afternoon, the Beiliu County Exchange Tournament came to an end. All the eliminated small sects left and returned to their hometowns. The four major sects of Beiliu County, however, stayed for a few more nights, ranging from one to six days, before taking the train to East Sea County in batches.

    The Wind Elephant Sect was rtively lucky as they didn''t have to wait long. After just two nights at the estate, the organizers informed them that they could take the train the next morning. They had several carriages prepared to amodate everyone.

    With Lisa at his side, Cassius didn''t get toze about during this time. Oftentimes, the two of them could be found in the estate''s training room where Lisa would be teaching him the next set of fist techniques, specifically the next few moves in Wind Elephant Fist.

    The reality was, with Cassius surpassing human limits and reaching the realm of a pugilist, he didn''t need a teacher anymore. Since all of the training methods of the Wind Elephant Fist were inherently the same, he could systematically train the Elephant Herd stage by following the methods of the Gale stage.

    Jadice and Hykal, who had be pugilists early on, didn''t need much instruction. What they needed most was continuous seclusion and constantbat practice¡ªthe first was to steadily temper the body, and the second was to continuously grow their knowledge andbat skills.

    So after two days of teaching, Lisa looked at her disciple helplessly. "You have already mastered all the basics of the Wind Elephant Sect Covert Martial Arts. I have taught you everything I can. What you need to do now is be adaptable when you''re applying the things you''ve learned, and follow the path of the Wind Elephant Sect Covert Martial Arts to its limits."

    "But Teacher, I still have many questions."

    "Then do realbat. Your opponent will always be your best teacher. I can''t be with you much longer. You''ll need to find a new master."

    Early the next morning, it began to lightly drizzle. Like a silvery spider web, the rain weaved a heavy that covered the entire world''s spring. The sky over Beiliu City was also dark and gloomy like an old house''s cobweb-covered roof, giving everything an unusually old and dreary look.

    <i>Pa!</i>

    Arge hand unfolded the gray newspaper. Since Beiliu City Daily Newspaper was fresh off the printing press, it still smelled strongly of ink. A small line of text was tucked into the far corner of the newspaper: "Expect rain on April 15th of the 99th year of the Hongli Federation."

    "Damn, it''s been raining nonstop for the past three days." Moses, slightly irritated, closed the newspaper. He preferred sunny weather and disliked this current drizzly rain, which made his joints feel rusty and stiff.

    "Sunny days can be too hot. A cool rain to lower the temperature is better," said Lance, who obviously liked the rain.

    "Yeah, it was nice at first, but it''s been raining for three days!"

    Sensing that Lance and Moses were seconds away from bickering again, Cassius interjected, "Hurry up and finish eating. We only have an hour before we need to head to the train station in the western suburbs."

    He looked up at the sky, where the gray clouds had umted to look like broken tiles on a roof. Cassius took a bite of the crispy, delicious toast and then picked up the white porcin cup filled with hot milk. The food at the estate was delicious, much better than what they had at the Wind Elephant Sect''s canteen and Oakwood City. After all, Beiliu City was the central city of Beiliu County.

    <i>Click.</i>

    The wooden door of the parlor suddenly opened. Hykal, who was closing his umbre with one hand, stomped on the doormat outside, shaking the water off his ck boots.

    "Senior Brother," all three of them said in unison.

    "Hey, enjoying your meal? Did you save me something?" Hykal left the umbre outside and quickly walked in.

    "Yes, we did." Cassius gently pushed a porcin cup a white te and over which had the standard breakfast fare¡ªtoast, sausage, and buttered eggs.

    "So you guys do have some conscience. Guess me getting up early to run this errand for you wasn''t in vain." Hykal smiled and sat down at the mahogany table, using the knife and fork in one hand to eat breakfast.

    "Thank you, Senior Brother. My master''s health isn''t good enough for her to endure a seven to eight-day train ride to East Sea County." As Cassius spoke, he pushed a te of sausage with sauce over. He hadn''t touched this dish since it had been served. It was still warm. He knew Senior Brother Hykal''s favorite food was Turkey-style grilled sausages.

 Chapter 86 - Enemy Attack

    <h4>Chapter 86 - Enemy Attack</h4>

    Hykal shook his head and took a sip of hot milk. "Hey, no need to thank me. This was nothing."

    Sitting opposite from him, Cassius felt as if a weight had been lifted off his chest. Ever since he had that eerie feeling of being watched a week ago, he had been anxious about when the massacre would ur.

    ording to the original timeline, the Wind Elephant Sect''s team would be ambushed five days after the exchange tournament, right as they arrived in East Sea County by train. The original Li Wei''s memories were vague and filled with scenes of death, ferocious fighting, and blood everywhere.

    It seemed only Li Wei managed to escape. However, things were different now. The Wind Elephant Sect was leaving on the third day instead of the fifth. Surely that would alter the subsequent events.

    That experience of being watched filled Cassius with such a profound sense of unease that as soon as the opportunity arose, he expressed his concerns and suspicions to the elders and the sect master. However, it didn''t seem to have much of an impact because all they did was advise everyone to be more vignt.

    Cassius felt helpless, but he refused to give up. The train to East Sea County would take seven or eight days, which gave him a week to convince the Wind Elephant Sect''s higher-ups to change their attitude. Even if they still had to go to the Eastern Exchange Tournament, they could take a different route or travel with multiple sects for safety. There was still hope that the oue would change. After all, hadn''t he already altered many things during his first rewind?

    Now, as a core disciple and an eighteen-year-old genius who had broken through to the level of a pugilist, his status and voice carried much more weight with the Wind Elephant Sect''s higher-ups. If push came to shove, it wouldn''t be too hard to force the team to make adjustments even if he had to be unreasonable.

    But before that, Cassius had to send his teacher back home first. Lisa was already quite weak and he could see distinct strands of white in her originally ck hair. If they really encountered an ident on the way to the Eastern Exchange Tournament, then...

    Cassius couldn''t bear to imagine such a scenario.

    Perhaps one would say that it was just a past that didn''t exist anymore¡ªa predetermined shadow. The massacre of the Wind Elephant Sect had already happened, and Lisa was a ghost from history. What was the point of being so sentimental?

    Because humans are inherently sentimental creatures, and Cassius was a living person with feelings. He wasn''t a cold, violent machine that only sought power.

    This piece of time-travel may be history to others, but these were all his real personal experiences. He joked and yed around with his brothers, felt the weight of Lisa''s expectations and care, and was even showered with praise from the crowd in the arena.

    This wasn''t a game to Cassius. It was a chapter of his life, albeit a special one. The current Cassius wasn''t cold-hearted enough yet since it was only his second time-travel. Perhaps after a few more years and a couple dozen more time-travels, he would turn into a cold machine, willing to do anything to be stronger.

    Pushing aside the strange thoughts in his mind, Cassius downed his hot milk in one gulp. He pushed open the wooden door and went to grab his luggage. An hourter, there were several ck carriages lined up at the estate''s entrance, with drivers in raincoats asionally calming the horses. The ck horses snorted and pawed at the ground.

    "No need to see us off. We''re leaving." Sect Master Belon waved to the masters of several sects who hade to send them off. These were the sects that had recently reached cooperation agreements with the Wind Elephant Sect. Clearly, the Wind Elephant Sect''s outstanding performance in the Beiliu County Exchange Tournament had already borne fruit.

    Recently, many originally neutral small and medium sects had been showing goodwill toward the Wind Elephant Sect with some even wanting to exchange disciples or teachers so they could learn from each other.

    Without anyone realizing it, the Wind Elephant Sect''s status had been elevated. Originally on the same level as the Golden Fist Sect and ck Crane Sect, the Wind Elephant Sect was beginning to approach the status of the Singing Water Sect. While, yes,paring different sects'' renown was a hollow measurement, the Wind Elephant Sect was different. It was umting strength through the production of arge amount of Lanxin Grass. It only needed a bit more time before it would make a substantial breakthrough.

    Severalrge carriages swayed on the open road. Cassius and his four senior core disciples were squeezed inside the rightmost carriage, with his master Lisa sitting next to him. Their carriage was actually already quite spaciouspared to the one next to them, where ten ordinary elite disciples were crammed into one carriage.

    Two minutester, everything was ready. The driver snapped the reins, and the ck carriages shuddered forward, gradually elerating. Sshing through muddy puddles, they moved farther away. Since the train station was in the western suburbs, the convoy had to cross the entire Beiliu City. A hazy mist of rain enveloped the rainy and foggy cityscape.

    Raindrops fell through the heavy clouds, sshing onto the gray street. Tall buildings emerged in and out of the rain, with chimneys like cannon barrels pointing straight into the sky, the smoke mingling into the rain. It was a scene exactly like one would expect of the industrial revolution.

    The carriage wheels rumbled forward, leaving everything behind. Finally, at around ten in the morning, the Wind Elephant Sect''s convoy arrived at the western suburb station. Since the western suburb station was newly built, the area around the station hadn''t yet developed into a neighborhood. The station stood alone, at least one or two kilometers away from the outskirts of Beiliu City. Holding umbres over their heads, the Wind Elephant Sect members waited on the rectangr tform for the train that would arrive in half an hour.

    In a corner of the tform''s edge, two solitary figures were talking.

    "Listen to me, Teacher. Go home and take good care of yourself. When I return, I''ll bring you good news from the Eastern Exchange Tournament."

    Lisa had a smile on her pale face. For a moment, she seemed twenty years older, and looked like a nagging sixty-year-olddy. "Come closer, let me fix your clothes."

    Cassius took two steps forward. Because he was so tall, he had to bend down slightly so Lisa could reach his cor.

    "Chin up, chest out, look sharp and don''t slouch." Lisa patted Cassius''s chest and smoothed out the wrinkles on his clothes.

    "Yes." Cassius obediently straightened up.

    Lisa stood on tiptoe to straighten Cassius''s messy cor and tucked the silver watch chain back into his chest pocket. "Don''t lose this."

    "Don''t worry, I won''t," Cassius assured her. He studied Lisa''s graying hair without a word. "I''lle back from East Sea County with good news."

    "That would be ideal." Lisa smiled. She took two steps back and nodded in satisfaction. "Very handsome. Alright, <i>cough, cough</i>... I should head to the other tform." She coughed twice and made to step away.

    Cassius''s eyes widened as he was suddenly hit with an intense sense of danger that surrounded him from all directions, like raging mes of murderous intent.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    A muffled thunderp roared like a cannon, and gray rain poured down furiously from the sky. It looked like it was about to copse. He turned abruptly to look around.

    Surrounding the station under the pouring rain, arge group of ck-cloaked figures rushed in with menacing and terrifying auras. The leader suddenly stopped and looked up. Underneath the hood, a pair of greedy, evil, blood-red eyes gleamed from within the shadows, and like cold arrows, etched themselves into Cassius''s heart.

    "Enemy attack!!!"

 Chapter 87 - A False Advantage

    <h4>Chapter 87 - A False Advantage</h4>

    With a monstrous roar, a mass of ck cloaks surged forward, like crazed piranhas pouncing on their prey in the water.

    "Who are you?!" roared Belon, the Wind Elephant Sect''s sect master. No one on the opposite side responded, like they were beasts that didn''t understand human speech. Belon whipped around to look at the four elders beside him. The five of them exchanged nces, their auras gradually intensifying. A powerful martial aura burst from their bodies.

    "Take them down!!!"

    The high-ranking members of the Wind Elephant Sect charged forward as one, emitting a terrifying and powerful aura. The energy radiating off their bodies were like boiling cauldrons, creating deep craters in the ground with each step that they took. Mud and water sshed everywhere, the ground constantly rumbling.

    "How dare you provoke the Wind Elephant Sect! You are courting death!" Belon''s clothes exploded off his body, and his muscles rapidly swelled. His muscr bare upper body resembled a ck suit of armor, raindrops evaporating instantly upon contact.

    He stomped on the ground, the explosive thud creating a deep pit in the soft mud. In an instant, Belon appeared in front of a cloaked figure, casting arge shadow with his arms spread.

    <i>Boom!!!</i>

    Like a battering ram, a fist came crashing down in the rain. The cloaked figure suddenly shrunk by half. The upper half of his body folded in, turning the clothes andcerated muscle into a bloody mess.

    Blood sttered all over Belon''s upper body, but the torrential rain soon washed it away. His bloodshot eyes locked onto another target and he shot forward like an arrow.

    "Severing Flow!" Twin ck arcs sliced through the rain. The two cloaked figures in front of Belon froze, then copsed to the ground with a thud. Blood gushed out like fountains from their severed bodies.

    With Belon swinging his hands around like des, no one dared to get close to him. He was like a sharp and powerful war weapon as he and the other four elders pierced through the enemy formation.

    But it wasn''t enough; there were too many cloaked figures. One after another, they charged out of the rain, attacking wildly.

    Immediately, many fist masters from the Wind Elephant Sect rushed to meet their assault, engaging the cloaked figures inbat. Some of the stronger elite disciples even joined forces to fight against the sudden onught of attackers.

    "Shall we join in?" Moses panted hard like a bull, hisrge eyes fixed on Hykal.

    "Let''s go then!" Hykal tore off his casual suit. He was already off like an arrow before the tattered pieces could touch the ground.

    "Let''s go!" Lance and Moses looked at each other briefly before also charging forward. Jadice flung her ck umbre away, her amber eyes burning with vicious battle intent. She sprang forward like a leopard in full sprint.

    Meanwhile, on the other side of the rectangr tform, Cassius and Lisa found themselves surrounded by seven or eight cloaked figures. Cassius stood in the center, face as dark as iron.

    He never imagined that these cloaked figures wouldunch a preemptive strike. Instead of waiting for the Wind Elephant Sect to head to East Sea County, they attacked right in Beiliu County! Why were they in such a rush? Cassius''s heart felt heavy.

    He lunged forward, dodging an attack from behind. He then delivered a powerful uppercut that sent one cloaked figure flying, knocking two others down in the process. Beside him, Lisa unleashed a flurry of punch and elbow techniques, breaking the arms of two cloaked figures who had been attacking her, forcing them frantically retreat.

    "<i>Cough, cough</i>! Li Wei, let''s move over there."

    At Lisa''s words, Cassius turned to look into the distance. The recent skirmish and entanglement put them seventy to eighty meters away from the main group of the Wind Elephant Sect.

    Since he was at a higher elevation, Cassius could clearly see the situation below the tform. On one side was Belon, who, along with the other four powerful elders, was like a spear piercing through the cloaked figures'' encirclement. They had made quick work of dozens of cloaked figures, disying the terrifying strength befitting a sect master.

    During one of his shes with the cloaked figure, Cassius discovered something. The cloaked figures'' strength were at the level of a human being at their peak, with some even surpassing it. However, their crudebat skills meant their overallbat effectiveness was diminished, which, in turn, showcased just how formidable the old veterans from the Wind Elephant Sect were.

    On the other side, four core disciples and the other instructors from the Wind Elephant Sect formed a defensive, protecting all ordinary and elite disciples below the level of pugilist.

    Outside the defensive, cloaked figures were going down one by one, with over a dozen corpses already strewn on the ground. At the same time, the Wind Elephant Sect''s core disciples remainedrgely unscathed. With the injuries they sustained being minor, they were fully capable of continuing the fight.

    At least half of the roughly one hundred cloaked figures in the ambush were already incapacitated and lying in the mud. It seemed like the massacre wasn''t too difficult to deal with. With some effort, might the Wind Elephant Sect be able to kill all of their attackers?

    "<i>Huff, huff, huff...</i>" Wheezing sounds echoed in the rain.

    Cassius quickly turned his head, scanning behind him. The cloaked figure was trembling slightly from where hey prone on the ground, a gaping hole in his chest. The light red blood began to coalesce, squirming like mud, and crawling back into the body.

    Bubbles gurgling from the yawning chasm in his chest, the cloaked figure suddenly lurched back to life. He pped a palm on the ground, flipping himself upright. His cloak was half destroyed, the rain soaking into therge swaths of white bandages underneath.

    Instantly, the bandages were dyed red like paint. The cloaked figure began to swell rapidly, his bones making cracking sounds as he grew to two meters tall. Although his entire body was wrapped in bandages which made it hard to see his exact appearance, the tightly wrapped cloth entuated twisted and menacing bones, along with steel needle-like bristles poking through.

    "<i>Roar</i>!!!" He bellowed toward the sky. In the next moment, he lowered his head, locking his evil, blood-red eyes on Cassius. They were filled with a wicked hunger.

    "I... I will eat you! Eat you!!!"

    In a sh, he shot forward like a cannonball. Cassius instantly vanished from where he was standing, and the two collided fiercely in the pouring rain.

    <i>Boom!!!</i>

    The two equally sturdy arms shed like steel.

    "elerated blood flow! Wind Owl!"

    Cassius''s eyes instantly turned blood-red as he roared and punched, the immense force mming into the cloaked figure''s chest. It was like a cannonball ripping through, shattering his ribs and heart before finally prating through his back like an iron rod, and spraying arge amount of blood everywhere.

 Chapter 88 - Third Senior Brother

    <h4>Chapter 88 - Third Senior Brother</h4>

    "..." The cloaked man glowered before copsing to the ground without another word.

    Then, one after another, the cloaked men who had been killed or suffered heavy injuries stood up. They roared like undead spirits, resembling a pack of wolves celebrating a hunt.

    Cassius panted heavily. Now he understood why the Wind Elephant Sect had been annihted. They hadn''t been fighting humans at all; they had been fighting a group of monsters from who knows where!

    A group of powerful monsters with super healing abilities and who could transform for a second time. Once the cloaked men turned blood-red, they were at the level of novice pugilists¡ªthose who had just broken through human limits but had yet to consolidate their strength.

    Although they were no match for Cassius in a one-on-one battle, there were over a hundred of them here. Cassius had to use his elerated blood flow ability and the deadly moves from the Wind Elephant Fist to fight just one. Even at full power, he knew he could only handle three blood-red cloaked men at once. Facing five at the same time would mean certain death, regardless of how hard he fought.

    His breathing turned erratic at the thought of this.

    Suddenly, screams rent through the air. Some blood-red cloaked men had caught a few disciples of the Wind Elephant Sect. They held them aloft and ripped them apart, their blood blending in with the rain as it sshed to the ground. Some teachers were overwhelmed by four or five cloaked men. One of them tore off a teacher''s arm, and then, unable to fend off the rest with the remaining arm, brutally dismembered the teacher.

    The scenes matched Li Wei''s memories perfectly. That horrifying nightmare surfaced, little by little, in the rain, bringing a suffocating despair that devoured everything up.

    "<i>Ah</i>!!!"

    From the depths of the cloaked men''s encirclement, an elder roared, sweeping his arms horizontally. His immense power briefly created a clearing around him, cutting down four or five cloaked men who fell to the ground.

    However, the surrounding "beasts" showed no fear. Instead, they rushed forward even more ferociously. They utilized their bodies as weapons and didn''t even bother dodging. Momentster, a scream erupted from the densely packed center. The Wind Elephant Sect elder had been piled to death by "pugilists."

    On the other side, Moses roared, "Lance!"

    His strong, bear-like body crushed forward as he swung his arms, knocking down the cloaked attackers.

    Lance, who was being attacked, stood trembling in the heavy rain. His slender body was covered in blood, his right hand pressing hard against his left shoulder. His left arm had fallen somewhere to the ground, blood gushing from the open wound. Lance looked up. His tea-green hair was stered to his forehead, a huge sh across his face that ripped his once delicate and beautiful features apart. He was an agile fighter, but everywhere he looked, he was surrounded by cloaked figures. Just a slight hindrance to his movement, and it had led to this oue. The intense pain made Lance''s body shake to no end.

    He forced an ugly smile at Moses. "Forget about me. Maybe you can still escape."

    "There''s...no way out...anymore..." Moses turned slightly. There was arge wound, a twisted mess of red muscle and fabric, on his waist.

    "Alright. Okay. I never thought we''d end up dying here together. What a stupid way to die!" Lance and Moses stood back-to-back, assuming the Wind Elephant Sect''s fighting stance.

    They scanned around and spotted arge group of cloaked men rushing toward them. Despite how dire the situation was looking, they still bickered.

    "Sissy, since we still have some time, hurry up and fulfill your promise. Call me Third Senior Brother! And no joking around," Moses said cheekily, a smile on his face.

    "In your dreams." Lance''s voice was hoarse, air leaking through his punctured lips and part of his mouth.

    "nning on breaking your promise, huh? <i>Hiss...</i> And here I thought you were someone who kept their word, Sissy." Moses furrowed his brows, the pain in his waist already affecting his thoughts.

    Lance was adamant. "You damn bear, don''t even think about it. You''ve never called me Third Senior Brother before. If you want me to call you that, then you''ll have to wait until the next life to hear it!"

    The dozens of cloaked men were closing in. Their evil, bloody aurapletely overwhelmed the two of them.

    Moses squinted his eyes. "Sissy, I think this is really it for us this time."

    "Yeah. You''re about to turn into a dead bear." Lance attempted to smile.

    A faint murmur came from behind. "Third Senior Brother..."

    Lance''s eyes widened. "What did you say, you damn bear?!"

    "I said! Third! Senior! Brother! <i>Ahhhhh</i>!"

    The two figures roared and charged toward the horde of monsters.

    Nearly a hundred meters away, the protective around the Wind Elephant Sect''s team had been torn to shreds. There had originally been over a dozen masters; now there were only three or four left. Half of the elite disciples they had been protecting had also fallen. At the vanguard, a single figure was fighting madly.

    Hykal was holding off ten blood-red monsters with just one arm. Every inch of his body was covered in wounds. The muscles of his fighting arm were torn, revealing the white bones underneath. Out of his five fingers, only his thumb remained. Despite all this, Hykal continued to fiercely repel the enemies with the palm of his hand.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    Using his one palm, he flipped over a cloaked man. His vision drifted over to where the Wind Elephant Sect''s high-level members were battling from afar. Originally, there had been five people; now only Belon remained, desperately fighting to hold off at least half the enemy''s firepower.

    "Hykal!!!" A roar echoed from afar.

    Hykal couldn''t help smiling bitterly to himself. He understood Belon''s intent. They had already tried to flee several times, but none of the attempts proved sessful. Still, he turned his head to Jadice who was beside him. "Jadice, grab whoever is still alive and get out of here! I''ll clear the way for you!"

    "Yes." Jadice''s punch went clean through an enemy and she rushed over.

    Thus, Hykal stood at the forefront like a steel de with a group of people following like the de''s body and handle. However, even the sharpest de can wear down, especially a de with missing parts, and Hykal''s entire hand had been worn down to a bloody mess. All that was left were a mangled wrist and the white bones of his forearm. But he still charged ahead.

    Suddenly, a cloaked man who had been sneaking aroundunched a surprise attack from the side, forcibly ripping off Hykal''s remaining right arm.

    Now, Hykal was left with just his legs. He snarled and shouted for the others to leave immediately. He then went after the cloaked men who were in hot pursuit of them, his figure gradually being torn apart.

    On the other side, the number of cloaked men was rtively sparse. Blood and severed limbs were scattered all over the path, filling the muddy pits created by their footsteps with pink rainwater. The puddles on the dirt road reflected the light filtering through the slivers in between the dark clouds. Countless raindrops descended like sharp needles, piercing painfully into the skin.

    The rain fell around a tall, strong, but severely injured, young man desperately protecting the small figure behind him. He fought back like a mad dog and endured the attacksing at him from every direction.

    He swung his fists wildly. His vision was a sea of red; all he saw were enemies. The warmth from the figure behind him kept his nerves taut.

    <i>Get out! Get out! I have to get Teacher out! We will definitely escape! Definitely!!!</i>

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 89 - Escape

    <h4>Chapter 89 - Escape</h4>

    "Out of the way!!!" Cassius barked. He put everything he had into his punch, his arm transforming into a powerful elephant''s trunk striking his foes. He smashed a cloaked figure storming in from the right into the ground. The cloaked man coughed up blood, his chest caving in.

    <i>Thud!</i>

    A tall figure mmed into him from the left, making Cassius stagger. He nted his right foot firmly into the ground, burying it into the mud. Blood trickling from his mouth, he spun around and shattered his opponent''s arm with a backhand strike.

    "Teacher! Stay close to me!"

    Cassius leaned back and sucked in a deep breath like a giant vacuum cleaner. Visible white vortices of air formed around his nose and mouth. Instantly, his muscles bulged, his skin turned blood-red, and his veins popped out in sharp relief.

    "Die!!!" He stomped on the ground with both feet and hurtled out like a cannonball. The terrifying power from his elerated blood flow caused Cassius to erge until he looked like a towering wall.

    He crossed several meters in the blink of an eye, and smashed his huge fist into the cloaked figure''s face like a battering ram. A loud, exaggerated explosion cut through the rain as the enormous impact behind his strike distorted the figure''s cheeks, and it sprayed out a huge amount of blood.

    The cloaked figure''s tall and sturdy body soared through the air, crashing into a pir about five meters away. Cassius''s hit had practically obliterated its entire jaw, with at least a third of its facial muscles disintegrated.

    "Run!" Cassius shot forward like a sharp arrow, carving a bloody path through the cloaked figures. Lisa followed closely behind.

    Cassius dealt with the enemies in front, while Lisa defended against those surging in from behind. The master and disciple worked in perfect harmony, and it seemed like they had a good chance of escaping to safety.

    "Azure Wind Flow!!!"

    Cassius flung his arms out and shot into the air like a waterbird. A dense stream of air extended from hisrge, sturdy palms like des. As he swung his arms rapidly, the white air sliced through the rain, cutting through droplets.

    A cloaked figure in front lunged but was repelled back by eight of Cassius''s hand strikes. It instantly froze in ce. As Cassius and Lisa sprinted past, the figure trembled violently from the dozens of bloody gashes all over its body; the hand strikes had cut its blood vessels clean off.

    "I can still keep going! We still have a chance!"

    With his life at stake, Cassius was hyper focused. All the sounds around him¡ªthe pitter-patter of rain, the squishing of footsteps, the roars of the monsters, the heavy breathing¡ªhad vanished. It was a peculiar state to be in.

    In that moment, all he could hear was his pounding heart. All he could think about was the Wind Elephant fist techniques. The previously difficult and unclear parts were alling together, bing one with his desperatebat moves.

    When a Covert Martial Artist finds themselves in a life-and-death struggle, they would, driven by an intense desire to fight, be able to fully unleash the things they had learned, and move however they wanted. Cassius felt like he had been set free; his body, mind, and techniques were all liberated! If he wasn''t so agitated, he would have noticed that, in the upper right corner, the progress bar for Wind Elephant Fist was rapidly moving up.

    But Cassius had no time to think about that. Only three words consumed his thoughts: <i>protect! Escape! Fight!</i>

    <i>Bang!</i>

    Like a shadow, his arm smashed into a bandaged head and it exploded like a watermelon. The blood was quickly washed away by the rain. Cassius collided hard with a cloaked figure, and the two immediately started fighting. Finally, he punched hard into the figure''s jaw, sending him flying into a wall which copsed, burying the figure under rubble and pouring rain.

    "<i>Ah</i>!!!" Cassius let out a pained holler. He whipped around, a cold and fierce wolf-like look in his eyes, and seized the cloaked figure attacking him from behind, snapping his neck. ncing at his injured left shoulder, he saw his bleeding arm hanging limply. The bone felt broken, the only things holding it together were two-thirds of the muscle and ayer of skin.

    He turned sharply and noticed Lisa who was a short distance away, struggling to stand, with blood streaming down from the corner of her mouth.

    "<i>Cough, cough, cough...</i>" Violent coughing echoed around.

    "Damn it!" Cassius cursed himself. Lisa was no longer the same as she was six months, let alone a year ago. The injuries that had gued her for ten years had taken their toll, turning her hair gray and her body frail in just a few months. How could she withstand such intense fighting?

    Cassius raced back frantically and hoisted Lisa onto his back. "Hold on tight to me, Teacher! I''ll get us out of here!"

    "<i>Cough, cough, cough...</i> I believe in you! I believe in you, Li Wei!"

    Lisa didn''t say anything like, "Put me down! I''ll only be a burden to you." She knew her disciple better than that. Such words would only distract and worry Cassius who may be taciturn but was determined to aplish whatever he set out to do.

    However, Lisa''s back was in excruciating pain and she could feel the deep wound in there. Her strength slowly drained away with each drop of blood that fell. She feared she wouldn''t make it and would soon die. In that case, she might as well stay on Cassius''s back. In a critical moment, she could perhaps shield Cassius from a fatal blow with her body. Her only sessor must survive!

    Lisa gritted her teeth as she came to this realization and tightened her hold around Cassius''s neck. Droplets fell from her eyes¡ªwhether they were rain or tears, she couldn''t tell.

    "<i>Huff, huff, huff...</i>" Cassius moved like a ck shadow along the path, breathing heavily like a bull. The rain poured down in thick sheets amidst the strong wind while a dozen ck figures continued to lunge at him like hyenas.

    Cassius was like a lone bull on the prairie, his stamina draining with each relentless pursuit and ambush. Fortunately, he was a little faster than the cloaked figures. Despite repeated attacks, he was putting more and more distance between them and the train tform. The endless cold rain shrouded everything in a gray mist.

    <i>Thud!</i>

    A figure wrapped in bandages was struck and sent rolling, spinning like a tumbling box across the muddy ground.

    Cassius nced over his shoulder and saw that they had shaken off all their pursuers. "No one''s behind us anymore! Let''s go!" He sprinted into the depths of the rain.

    After what felt like an eternity, with only the sound of rain hitting the ground, Cassius dashed into a forest with Lisa still clinging onto his back.

    They had sessfully escaped. Maybe.

 Chapter 90 - The Conclusion

    <h4>Chapter 90 - The Conclusion</h4>

    In the dense forest, a scarred, muscr leg wearing rotting boots stomped heavily into the mud.

    Cassius darted through the forest, utterly exhausted. His expression was dazed as pain coursed through his body. He could hear his bones groaning under his muscles. With every step, his wounds burned as if they were being torn open. The pain was sharpest in his left arm which dangled uselessly from a scrap bit of flesh. Now, he looked just like his senior brother, Hykal.

    Sometime during their recent tussle, a cloaked figure had wed into his muscles. Perhaps pieces of it had fallen into a puddle, soaking until it disintegrated. Or perhaps those monsters had eaten them. Either way, Cassius didn''t care; they had been extremely lucky to even break out of the encirclement. Unlike Li Wei, Cassius had fought his way out alive, and his numerous scars was a testament to his efforts.

    "Let''s run a bit further! Get far enough away so we can rest and recover some of our strength, then..." Cassius gritted his teeth. He soon realized something was wrong¡ªhe hadn''t heard Lisa cough for a very long time.

    He rushed over to arge tree and gently set Lisa down with one hand. His shoulder trembled as soon as he touched her back. He could see Lisa''s closed eyes and pale face in the dim light. She looked more dead than alive.

    Using his body to shield her from the rain, Cassius ced his fingers under her nose. Thankfully, Lisa was still breathing, albeit faintly.

    He took a deep breath before looking at Lisa''s back. Three w marks ran down her back, skin waspletely decimated. Even the blood from her wounds had turned pale. To make matters worse, her left side was severely wounded; he could see the white bone beneath the red muscle.

    "Li... Li Wei..." someone croaked.

    "Here, Teacher, I''m here!" Cassius fell down on one knee, breathing hard.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    Lightning rent the misty sky. The rain and wind from the fierce storm pounded everything below, shrouding thend in a transparent haze. In that brief sh of light, Cassius saw Lisa''s unnaturally pale face. Her dark eyes were piercing as she stared at him.

    "Teacher, I''ll take you back to Beiliu City to find a doctor now! If I go as fast as possible, I should still..."

    "No,<i> cough, cough</i>, I... I know my injuries. You already know this: every pugilist has the ability to gauge the condition of their body. Don''t do anything risky." In between her gasps for air, Lisa coughed. She was breathingboriously, like an old bellows.

    "..." Cassius was silent like he had turned into a statue. The rain continued pouring down, soaking his bare upper body.

    "Don''t... don''t be sad for me. I already knew this day was going toe ten years ago; it''s just arrived a bit early. I''m ready. Death doesn''t scare me. I''m just sorry I won''t be able to see you truly shine." Lisa smiled wryly, her expression pained.

    "Remember, don''t seek revenge on those monsters until you''re strong enough to do so!" Her tone suddenly turned serious. "<i>Cough, cough</i>... Run as far as you can! Leave Beiliu County! Do not... I repeat, do not, under any circumstances, go back to the Wind Elephant Sect! Not even any of its branches! Just get out of here, and heal those injuries first."

    Cassius nodded silently, his lips pressed into a thin line.

    "<i>Cough, cough, cough...</i>" Lisa had another terrifying coughing fit, blood spewing from her mouth. She took two deep breaths and spoke again, her voice as dry and hoarse as scorched wood. "And... and! Live on for me. For our lineage; for the Wind Elephant Sect! And do not lose the pocket watch I gave you..."

    Lisa''s breathing slowed, like a person who had drowned. With a final burst of energy, she clutched Cassius''s right hand in a death grip. Then, her hand went limp.

    "Teacher? Teacher... Teacher! Teacher!" Cassius''s eyes widened. It felt like there was a void in his chest where his heart used to be. Like he had freezed something precious and beautiful, before a storm had shattered it.

    Dark clouds swallowed up the remaining light, and the raucous rain blocked out all sounds. Cassius looked coldly in the direction he hade from. A silent scream erupted from the depths of his heart.

    <i>Wait for me, you monsters! I will get my revenge!!</i>

    He took a deep breath, swallowing and burying all his hatred deep inside, then reached out with trembling fingers. Just then...

    "Huh?" His eyes widened. Without a word, he picked Lisa up and he sprinted, like he never ran before, toward Beiliu City.

    Three monthster, at the Blue Woods Sanatorium in East Sea County, the sun shone brightly after a night of heavy rainfall. The sky looked clear, as if it had been scrubbed clean, with only a few cloudy wisps driftingzily in the breeze.

    The Blue Woods Sanatorium was quite high-ss, withrge gray stone tiles forming a grid on the ground. Large flower beds, filled with vibrant flowers with small insects clustered around them, stretched out on the sides of the path. Tall, sturdy ornamental trees blocked the sunlight, casting wide shady patches. Beside the shade, a white stone hexagonal fountain continuously spouted clear water, a few butterflies asionally fluttering about.

    A tall one-armed young man slowly pushed a wheelchair where a white-haired woman down the path by the fountain. She had a scar on her rtively youthful face and looked as though she had just recovered from a serious illness.

    A little kid holding a pinwheel trotted by. "Hello, Mr. Cassius."

    "Hello, Martin. Here''s a piece of candy for you." The man took a red candy from his pocket with his one arm and handed it to the child.

    "Thank you." The child happily skipped away.

    "You''ve changed a lot, Li Wei." The woman smiled despite her wan face. Li Wei had once been a reticient student, but he had be more outgoing as ofte. Perhaps losing an arm had been the catalyst.

    "People change all the time, Teacher." Cassius took another piece of candy from his pocket and popped it into his mouth. It tasted sweet. Not bad.

    Three months ago, on that rainy night, everyone in the Wind Elephant Sect had been wiped out. All except Cassius and Lisa.

    That''s right, Lisa didn''t die! At the time, Lisa had been certain she was as good as dead, and Cassius likewise believed that she had been too severely injured. But to everyone''s surprise, she had clung on!

    Cassius had sprinted to the Beiliu City hospital at breakneck speed, nearly copsing when he arrived. The doctors did everything in their power during surgery, and had been close to dering it a failure, but perhaps fate had given Lisa another chance. Although she was in aa for three days, she had survived!

    Three dayster, when teacher and student met, Lisa was a bit bewildered. She had uttered her final words, and yet here she was. Still alive.

    Afterward, she went through nearly a month of treatment. During that time, the cloaked figures never showed up, seemingly having forgotten about Cassius and Lisa. However, Lisa still worried so, two months ago, she choked down the pain and came to East Sea County with Cassius.

    Cassius used his real name "Cassius" to admit Lisa to the sanatorium, and they spent two extremely peaceful months there. Lisa sat in her wheelchair by the fountain, scooping up some cool water with her hand. Cassius stood beside her like a tree.

    Out of the blue, he blurted out, "Teacher, I''m going to start practicing Covert Martial Arts again tomorrow."

    "Good!" Lisa nodded emphatically. "But promise me that you won''t investigate those monsters for at least five years."

    "Of course."

    Cassius squinted. He wouldn''t do anything during this time-travel this time around. He''d suppress his hatred for now. When ites time to activate the third time-travel node, that would be the time for him to take revenge.

    He hoped the double enhancement from the Shadow Demon wouldn''t disappoint him. What was going to happen if his mastery of the Wind Elephant Fist in its second stage doubled?

 Chapter 91 - One Year

    <h4>Chapter 91 - One Year</h4>

    The summer sun shone down warmly, casting the white fountain''s shadow over half of Cassius''s body. He gazed up at the exceptionally blue sky. It was so pure, Cassius thought this must be how the skies looked when souls went up to heaven.

    From that day on, Cassius resumed his days of relentless training at the Wind Elephant Sect. Except this time, there was no one left to instruct him. He had to rely solely on his own understanding to practice. As for Instructor Lisa, she needed rest. A very long rest.

    Lisa was quite obedient while Cassius made these arrangements. It was like the roles of teacher and student were reversed. Just like parents with their children, the child listened to their parents when they were young, but once they grew older, their parents would be the ones listening to them.

    Perhaps Lisa didn''t object to Cassius''s ns because she wanted to prolong her life, drawing out whatever time she had left so that she could stay by her student''s side longer.

    When summer began, Cassius did recovery exercises and Covert Martial Arts training. Although he was initially awkward with only one hand, he gradually got used to it. Six monthster, Cassius was only beginning to understand just what his First Senior Brother Hykal went through.

    During this time, he started working on mastering the true essence of the second stage of Wind Elephant Fist known as the Elephant Herd. Leveraging his pugilist''s physique, he began to practice the two ultimate moves of Elephant Herd. He had fully mastered one of them, the straight punch called Elephant''s Roar, and had also almost mastered the other one, the swinging punch called Wind Elephant Torrent.

    [Wind Elephant Covert Martial Arts: Stage Two (Total Three Stages)]

    [Elephant Soul Iplete: Bug Bite 25.9% (Total Three Stages)]

    [Wind Elephant Fist Iplete: Elephant Herd 47.5% (Total Three Stages)]

    This was the fruits of his year-long cultivation: the second stage of Elephant Soul went from about 5% to 25%, and Wind Elephant Fist increased from about 32% to 47%. The reason for thetter starting at 32% was due to the frequent fights between Covert Martial Artists in Beiliu County coupled with that rainy night where their lives were hanging in the bnce.

    In fact, it was evident from his progress that it was bing increasingly difficult to gain each and every percentage of Wind Elephant Covert Martial Arts''ter stages. Talent alone was useless for many things in life; he would still need time, and a lot of it, to perfect things. Fortunately, there was a sort of cheat or "experience pack" waiting for Cassius toe collect in the real world.

    Cassius got up right on schedule, made breakfast for himself and Instructor Lisa, then took a cold shower to wake himself up. After breakfast, he went on a walk with her, going to a nearby garden close to the city center to chat. When he got back, he went into the basement to practice Covert Martial Arts until it was almost noon before taking a shower and making lunch.

    After lunch, Lisa took a nap while Cassius continued practicing the Wind Elephant Covert Martial Arts. Around 2 p.m., he packed up and went to work at the neighboring martial arts gym as an instructor. When it was nearing dinner time, Cassius returned to cook, then they went for another walk.

    After the walk, Cassius did not go into the basement to practice Covert Martial Arts as usual, and instead went into Lisa''s bedroom. He found a chair to sit on and kept chatting. Lisa was quite curious about Cassius''s unusual behavior that day, but Cassius shook his head, brushing it off as nothing.

    That was, until a certain moment. His brain shook, and the entire room began to tremble and spin, with everything around him slowly fading away in a peculiar way.

    <i>Snap!</i>

    It was as if a membrane had been punctured.

    As soon as Cassius''s blurred senses became clearer, he realized the faint floral scent was no longer there. Instead, all he detected was the smell of decaying wood. He opened his eyes to a familiar scene. It was a dimly lit abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city. Cassius sat in a chair next to a pile of goods stacked in a corner.

    <i>Crack, crack, crack</i>...

    His body groaned, bones cracking, as he stood up abruptly. His clothes, which used to fit him, exploded due to his robust muscr frame and tall stature, leaving strips of fabric hanging on his body.

    Cassius moved his body slightly. He had also brought along the power he gained from his time-travel. He lifted his left hand awkwardly, a familiar yet strange sensation surging in his heart. He clenched and unclenched his fist, before finally letting it hang by his side. After over a year of being ustomed to having only one hand, having two again felt strange. It seemed he would need a few days to return to how he used to move around.

    ncing down at whatever scraps of fabric were on his body, Cassius picked up arge box from the corner and quickly changed into a set of casual clothes which he had prepared in advance. He took out an oilmp, lit it, and ced it on the ground.

    ncing at his watch, the silver hand pointed to 7:05 p.m. It was July 3; the Shadow Demon manifestation would ur on July 4 at 6 p.m., so there was still a day to wait.

    Waiting one more day wasn''t a problem for Cassius''s patience. He didn''t n on sleeping. Instead, he went straight into practicing Covert Martial Arts in the warehouse. Daylight flickered until dawn lit up the entire sky.

    It was July 4. Same old, same old. He remained in the warehouse to train, with the only times he went out was to eat.

    <i>Tick</i>.

    The hand moved. It was 5:30 p.m. After a short nap, Cassius opened his eyes. He was practically bursting with energy, eager to enjoy the enhancement from the Shadow Demon.

    "Hey, White Wolf, we have the key. No need to climb through the window," a middle-aged man''s voice came from outside the warehouse.

    "Then let''s go in through the door and wait inside for the ck Fire gang. They should be here in fifteen minutes with that shipment of goods," another slightly hoarse male voice said.

    "<i>Hehe,</i> those goods are worth quite a lot. A good chunk of that money is going into our pockets once the boss sells them," The owner of the voice spoke as he opened the door.

    As the iron door creaked open, a smell of decay mingled with a faint scent of sweat wafted out. The man holding a key waved his hand in front of his nose. "Damn, that really stinks."

    A gang member with dyed hair was carrying a box. "Who cares about that? Let''s go in."

    The two had just stepped inside when they felt a piercing gaze from the darkness. The next second, arge, imposing figure appeared before them. It was like he was a ghost and he had teleported.

    White Wolf looked up stiffly. A pair ofrge hands turned into a blurry shadow. Their heads collided with a loud <i>bang</i> like an explosion. The unfortunate gang members instantly lost consciousness, copsing onto the ground with a <i>thud</i>.

    "What a nuisance..." Cassius''s imposing figure was shrouded in the darkness as he gazed down at the two bodies on the ground. His eyes darted around briefly before being drawn to a small box nearby.

    When he picked it up, he opened it to find a whopping 150,000 Hongli Federation dors inside!

    "Never mind." Cassius flicked through the bills, smiling.

 Chapter 92 - Test Over

    <h4>Chapter 92 - Test Over</h4>

    It wasn''t hard to guess what those two gang members intended to do. Many gang transactions took ce in abandoned warehouses on the outskirts of the city.

    These individuals were from Baichuan City''s local gangs, so it was not unusual for them to have one or two trading spots. They just so happened to run into Cassius who had been waiting for the Shadow Demon at the same ce. It wasn''t his fault that they hade likembs to ughter.

    As for the 150,000 Hongli Federation dors, there would be no hemming and hawing about keeping it. After all, it was gang money so it was likely that it did note from the cleanest of sources. He wasn''t exactly wealthy in the real world, so he considered this an act of robbing the rich to aid the poor¡ªhim being the "poor."

    Cassius disposed of the two bodies by simply stacking them in a corner. He left the main door ajar and waited quietly for the aforementioned trade members of the ck Fire gang.

    At 5:45 p.m. on the dot, footsteps sounded outside. Right on time.

    "This should be the warehouse, let''s go in and check."

    The warehouse door swung open, and two members of the ck Fire gang entered. Sporting ck leather jackets, me tattoos the size of a thumb on their wrists, and their hairbed into spiky and strange styles, they were the very picture of gang members.

    They nced inside but only saw an empty area with a vacant chair there. Cargo blocked their view on the right side.

    "Where are they?" one of the gang members holding a briefcase asked.

    "Right here." A deep voice suddenly came from behind them.

    Immediately, the two men felt an oppressive heat radiating from behind them. Whoever was there had a presence that inexplicably made their legs go weak. One of the men reached for his waist with shaky hands.

    "<i>Heh heh</i>." A coldugh drifted by. The crisp sounds of bones cracking resounded once, then twice. The two heads in Cassius''s hands "turned" to look at him before dropping to the floor. He might have used a bit too much force. A mere twist of the neck and it had rotated a full 180 degrees.

    It took him five minutes to clear the "trash."

    At 5:50 p.m., he opened the ck Fire gang''s briefcase, curious to see what remarkable items it contained. But all it had was a small bag of flour, which didn''t interest Cassius, so he tossed the briefcase aside.

    <i>Ticktock, ticktock.</i>

    The hands of the clock moved incrementally, and finally pointed to 6:00 p.m. Cassius sat on a chair, observing his shadow on the tiled floor. The shadow jerked sporadically like it was having a fit. The frequency and amplitude of the twitching increased until finally, at a certain point, it became a blur.

    A living person appeared exactly where the shadow had been¡ªa figure identical to Cassius from twenty-four hours ago.

    There was no difference in appearance, stature, or clothing, though there was a much colder aura. Cassius, with his sharp eyes, quickly zeroed in on the handgun at the Shadow Demon''s waist. He patted his own side; the handgun was still there.

    What was this rationale? Even the weapons were replicated?!

    What if Cassius created the precious Hundred Herbs Body Refining Paste in the real world and carried it with him next time? Would the Shadow Demon replicate that too? After all, the paste had short-term healing and strength-enhancing effects, which could arguably be considered a weapon. What if Cassius captured the Shadow Demon and consumed the replicated paste? Would that work?

    As far-fetched as it sounded, Cassius couldn''t help ruminating on it. When it came to the Shadow Demon, he had a very rough idea of the rules. He wasn''t too clear on the specifics, which was also why he carried a firearm this round for experimentation purposes. From this, Cassius learned that the Shadow Demon could replicate weapons.

    He was, of course, confident that he could deal with it. A handgun posed no threat to a pugilist who had broken through the limits of the human body, even if it was Cassius himself from twenty-four hours ago holding it.

    <i>Let''s tie it up first and deal with it in an hour,</i> Cassius thought to himself. He was about to move when he heard someone unlocking the door from the outside.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    The iron door was kicked open, and seven to eight gang members with tattoos on their right hands stormed in.

    "So we''ve got a pair of twins messing with my ck Fire gang, huh? You got a death wish?!" The leader was a burly man with a mohawk wearing a ck shirt with a skull print. He wore an arrogant, angry expression.

    Six or seven subordinates stood behind him. Some were armed with baseball bats, others with steel pipes, and some were clutching daggers. They looked fierce, and each of them had a bizarre hairstyle.

    "Boss, they seem to have guns!!!" a keen-eyed subordinate near the right side blurted out to the burly man. "Fuck!"

    "Damn!" The burly man instantly drew his gun, and bullets whizzed toward the two figures.

    Cassius vanished in an instant, while the Shadow Demon was a step slower. The bullet shot right through its right hand, but it seemed ineffective. The bullet did indeed pass through but it was like shooting into water. The surface would shatter, creating ripples across its reflection. But it would calm in the next instance, and the reflection would return back to normal.

    A simr thing was happening with the Shadow Demon. Its wrist formed ripples before returning to normal in the blink of an eye.

    The Shadow Demon turned its cold gaze towards the gang members, its eyes filled with icy killing intent. It seemed that their attack had triggered some mechanism in the Shadow Demon. It stood its ground and drew its gun, pointing it straight at them and pulling the trigger.

    <i>Bang, bang, bang!</i>

    A series of gunshots rang out, and the Shadow Demon engaged in a quick shootout with the burly man. Even though the Shadow Demon was hit by three or four bullets, its body merely formed ripples like it was made of liquid. Meanwhile, gang members were falling one by one, each bullet a critical hit, causing them to drop to the ground without even uttering a scream.

    "So that''s how it is..."

    Cassius stepped forward from where he was hiding in the shadows nearby. The Shadow Demon immediately turned the gun on him and fired. By the time the bullet left the gun, Cassius had already vanished from where he stood.

    The Shadow Demon quickly scanned its surroundings, but found nothing but a wide expanse of shadows. It was past 6:00 p.m., and the sun was currently descending below the horizon.

    Inside the warehouse, it was dark with an obstructed view. The door was flung wide open, letting in the evening light. Instead of leaving, the Shadow Demon, grasping its handgun, opted to head toward the back of the warehouse where the goods were stored. It moved like a trained detective, treading lightly with its legs bent to lower its center of gravity. The handgun was always held aloft and level with its line of sight.

    The area was dead silent all around. The Shadow Demon proceeded cautiously, ying the part of a detective hunting down criminals in a warehouse perfectly. The main parties to the transaction had been dealt with, leaving only one offender left. Where might the most dangerous culprit be hiding?

    <i>Bang!</i>

    A humongous figure charged out at lightning speed, knocking squarely into the shorter Shadow Demon and sending the figure flying.

    <i>Thud.</i>

    The handgun and the person hit the ground together.

    "The test is over." A tall figure appeared next to the Shadow Demon, pressing a heavy foot down on its back until he almost cut off its breathing.

 Chapter 93 - A Surge of Power

    <h4>Chapter 93 - A Surge of Power</h4>

    Five minutester, the Shadow Demon was tied to the only chair in the warehouse. To prevent any kind of idents from happening, Cassius broke its limbspletely and stuffed its mouth with a cloth.

    Cassius discovered, through his experimentation, that the Shadow Demon couldn''tmunicate. The Shadow Demon wouldn''t reveal anything about its origins or any details about its rules. It wasn''t that it wasn''t unwilling, but it was more like it didn''t know.

    It was a killing machine designed to act instinctively once manifested. Its sole purpose was to kill Cassius, its host. Shooting another look at the terrified Shadow Demon, Cassius lit a kerosenemp nearby, crossed his arms, and leaned against the wall.

    The Shadow Demon couldn''t disclose the information Cassius wanted, but after his recent experiment, Cassius had already gained some intel.

    First, intangibility. Nobody could interfere in a fight between the Shadow Demon and its host. If external forces tried to help the host, the Shadow Demon would be intangible. It was like what happened earlier: the gang leader''s bullets passed through the Shadow Demon''s body like it was made of air. The only person who could touch the Shadow Demon was the host and only the host could harm it.

    Second, the Shadow Demon would automatically eliminate external factors and attack anyone interfering in the Shadow Demon and host''s battle. That was what happened when the Shadow Demon drew its gun and shot at those eight gang members earlier. This meant that if anyone tried to interfere in Cassius and the Shadow Demon''s battle, they would likely be attacked by both.

    Third, the Shadow Demon could replicate weapons. This part was pretty obvious.

    Fourth, the Shadow Demon could only replicatebat techniques from the owner''s memories, but would not be able to perfectly replicate Cassius''s personality, nor ess his other memories.

    Fifth, the Shadow Demon wouldn''t run away in the middle of a battle and instead would fight the host to the death. This was seen earlier, when the Shadow Demon chose not to leave even though the warehouse door was open. Instead, like a moth to a me, it traversed deeper, searching for Cassius, with a gun in hand.

    The gang members who had identally intruded had given their lives to hash out the rules'' finer details. With his strength, Cassius could have easily broken the Shadow Demon''s limbs the moment it manifested, but he deliberately stepped back to observe its behavior.

    Cassius was quite curious about such a strange phenomenon. This was, obviously, just a small experiment. Cassius had many more strange ideas he wanted to try. For example, would the Shadow Demon manifest as someone on the brink of a nervous breakdown if he stayed awake for three to four days until he was mentally exhausted, before falling asleep for the next twelve hours?

    Or what about greatly weakening his body by taking a non-lethal poison, and when the time came, quickly take the antidote within that day? Or how about ramming a truck into the Shadow Demon? What would happen if he stood on the edge of a cliff, casting his shadow onto the rock wall so that when the Shadow Demon manifested, it would materialize midair and fall to its death?

    There was no end nor limit to Cassius''s wild imagination. They were not absurd ideas, nor were they useless. He couldn''t guarantee that he could fulfill the owner''s lingering attachment every time he time-traveled. If he failed, Cassius wouldn''t get any stronger, and he would have to face the Shadow Demon on equal footing. In that case, it would be much better to have some underhanded tricks up his sleeve. It might not be ethical, but who cared as long as it worked? Why should he waste any good qualities with a monster?

    Time passed slowly until the clock hands reached seven in the evening. The Shadow Demon''s body on the ck chair suddenly swelled. Its muscles grew bigger, and it also grew taller, stretching the clothes inch by inch. Even the ropes binding it was pulled extremely taut.

    However, there was no point for the Shadow Demon to grow stronger. Its limbs had all already been dislocated and broken. Only its head remained intact, and now a strong handtched onto its neck.

    Cassius crouched behind the Shadow Demon. His right arm curved around to grip the neck, while his left hand pressed down on the Shadow Demon''s head.

    Cassius''s gaze remained icy as ever. "Goodbye."

    <i>Crack!</i>

    Cassius exerted all his strength, twisting the Shadow Demon''s sturdy neck a full 180 degrees to ensure its death.

    <i>It''s over.</i>

    He looked ahead, and the limp corpse on the chair began to melt pecrily, turning into a writhing shadow.

    <i>Swish!</i>

    The shadow shot out and attached itself behind Cassius. A torrent of information flowed into his mind in an instant, flooding it with an endless stream ofbat techniques, including numerous insights into the Wind Elephant Fist Gale and Elephant Herd stages, as well as the application of the four ultimate moves.

    Originally, Cassius had only learned half of the fourth ultimate move, Wind Elephant Torrent, but with this, he instantly grasped the concept. It was like he had mastered it a long time ago.

    Two years of training in the time-travel era shed before his eyes like a movie. Every key point and w of the Wind Elephant Covert Martial Arts was etched into his memory.

    In the upper right corner.

    [Wind Elephant Fist Iplete: Elephant Herd 67.1% (Total Three Stages)]

    The second stage of Wind Elephant Fist was perfected, saving Cassius about two or three years of time. His level of pugilist now matched, and maybe even surpassed, that of the old fist masters at the Wind Elephant Sect headquarters.

    Cassius opened his eyes and moved around a little. Immediately, a series of cracking sounds came from his joints, and a strong force seized his heart. His physique hadn''t changed much, but his muscle density had significantly increased. Cassius could feel he was much heavier than before.

    He was about to look up at the upper right corner when a thunderous sound exploded by his ear, shaking him to the core.

    <i>Bathump, bathump...</i>

    His heart beat hard and rapidly, pumping hot, thick blood through every vessel in his body. Cassius''s body stiffened, and his muscles trembled slightly. In an instant, arge amount of heat radiated from his body and his skin turned red like a cooked lobster. Sweat poured out from his pores and soaked his clothes. It even dripped onto the ground, forming a puddle.

    Cassius could feel a vortex of heat forming around his navel. As soon as the blood reached his navel, the vortex flung it back out where it raced to the heart like a bullet. The heart fiercely squeezed, sending the blood quickly back to the navel.

    The two parts worked hand in hand, up and down, elerating the cirction of blood and forming a crimson thread along his body.

    <i>This is...the body''s second elerated blood flow node!</i> Cassius''s eyes widened, sweat dripping from his eyshes and blurring his vision. In the pitch-ck warehouse, the only thing he could hear was the beast-like thumping of his heartbeat.

    In the next instant, there was a drum-like <i>thud</i>.

    Cassius''s body quivered, the movement making his muscles shake off all the sweat on his body and onto the walls. He opened his eyes and exhaled a breath of hot air.

    "Pugilist second realm, second-level elerated blood flow!"

 Chapter 94 - Tornado Sphere

    <h4>Chapter 94 - Tornado Sphere</h4>

    Instructor Lisa had once told him that a pugilist could use the core techniques of the Covert Martial Arts to train their physique beyond human limits, allowing their spirit to sense and control the eleration of blood flow within their body.

    There were three main nodes: the heart, the navel, and the forehead.

    Each time a node was opened, the speed of the elerated blood flow would double, and in turn, the burst of strength and speed would also double. As a pugilist who had achieved a breakthrough, Cassius could already double his blood flow eleration, but with this, he could elerate it threefold!

    At this moment, Cassius''s physique had already surpassed human limits, and he could easily punch through a car''s metal body. Now, what if he tripled that strength? If he were to punch a human body with that level of strength and speed, it would be like punching a water-filled balloon. The balloon would explode, scattering its contents everywhere.

    Cassius could already imagine what a blood scene that would make. He had taken yet another step toward an inhuman path.

    In the shadows, Cassius clenched his right fist, and his knuckles emitted a creaking sound.<i> </i>

    <i>Boom!</i>

    A massive ck shadow surged like a roaring serpent. His clothes rippled like waves and stered itself to his back from the force of the intense gale.

    His muscr arm halted abruptly in midair, and ayer of white smoke slowly dissipated from his fist. Cassius smirked. He hadn''t even used Azure Wind Flow in that punch; he had solely used the threefold explosive strength from his own body. The air in front of him hadpressed into a barely visible white mist in front of his swiftly advancing fist.

    <i>Let''s try Azure Wind Flow, </i>Cassius thought, as he stretched out his right hand, his five fingers forming a w. Instantly, air currents, discernible to the eye, squeezed through his fingers, gradually enveloping his palm. His pupils turned crimson as he entered the second stage of elerated blood flow.

    <i>Whoosh...</i>

    The white mist in his palm began to spin rapidly, its edges forming spiral-like ripples. It spun faster and faster, forming a t white sphere in his palm. Just before the sphere could bepleted...

    <i>Boom!</i>

    The air mass exploded, and a strong wind swept through a ten-meter radius. It sounded like a basketball had burst.

    "Did I almost create a Rasengan?! No... wait, that''s copyright infringement. Uh... Tornado Sphere![1]"

    Cassius was astonished. He hadn''t expected the power of Azure Wind Flow to increase that much in the second stage of elerated blood flow. The spiraling airflow generated a tremendous grinding force.

    If he pressed it against a wall, he would likely break through. It might even be powerful enough to punch through concrete. Unfortunately, the air bullet had failed. Cassiuscked the control to be able to use the air current properly.

    To truly seed, Azure Wind Flow would need to reach the second stage, and Cassius was not far from getting there.

    [Azure Wind Flow: Stage Two 69.1% (Two Stages)]

    This achievement wasrgely thanks to the Shadow Demons'' generous gift.

    Cassius clenched his fist tightly. He felt like he could now defeat several of his former selves. He even suspected that Senior Brother Hykal, who had been a pugilist for five to six years and was constantly on the lookout for strong opponents to spar against, might not even be his match.

    In other words, if he participated in the Beiliu County Exchange Tournament again, he might emerge as the champion in the individualpetition, which would deem him as the strongest under thirty among all Covert Martial Arts sects.

    "Strength is the foundation of everything," Cassius murmured. He was brimming with joy and satisfaction for being able to wield a greater power.

    <i>Phew</i>... <i>Don''t get ahead of yourself.</i> He exhaled deeply, chastising himself. Instructor Lisa had drilled this into his mind over the past few years.

    Confidence is strength; arrogance is foolishness! Embarking on the Covert Martial Arts path meant finding the way forward for one''s fist.

    Cassius turned to look at the pile of bodies in the corner. It was going to be troublesome cleaning up those gang members'' bloody bodies. The Shadow Demons'' method of killing was too crude. Firearms were messy and inconvenientpared to the clean efficiency of snapping a neck.

    Despite his disdain, he still had to deal with the aftermath. Yes, these were all despicable gang members, but too many dead bodies would surely prompt an investigation by the Baichuan City Police Department and Cassius had no desire to be hounded by pesky detectives.

    While disposing of the bodies, he found something on the gun-carrying leader, and pocketed it for the time being. Under the cover of night, he tossed all the bodies into the suburbs where he carelessly dug a pit and buried them all.

    Cassius had finished cleaning the warehouse at nine in the evening, and was extremely meticulous in not leaving a trace behind. He gathered all his belongings and ced them neatly to the side. He then lit an oilmp, sat down on a chair, and took out a notebook.

    The notebook had a brown cover and stiff yellow pages. Something was tucked in between them. When he cracked it open, a colorful photograph slipped out from the first page. Cassius caught it in midair instantly, thanks to his reflexes.

    ncing at the photo under the light of themp, he frowned.

    The image depicted an antique¡ªarge brass and redwood enamel wall clock. Its design was intricate, with fine details carved on its edges. It looked remarkably well-preserved.

    Cassius ced the photo back into the notebook and began to carefully flip through the pages under the soft yellow light; he was extremely interested in antiques. As he flipped the pages, Cassius¡¯s eyebrows raised. A particr keyword caught his attention: "Duststorm."

    This rising power was currently challenging the Ace of Spades in Beiliu County. Their operations were extensive, covering things like contraband, antiques, "flour," and murder, among other things. ck Fire Gang, the local gang in Baichuan City, had secretly allied with them, providing various services to the organization.

    This notebook contained a list of antiques to be transported to Baichuan City. The gun-wielding leader he encountered earlier was the ck Fire Gang member responsible for handling these transactions. Cassius recalled the conversation he overheard at Phil''s family estate, where Phil¡¯s father mentioned Duststorm¡¯s n to hold an antique exhibition in Baichuan City.

    The notebook detailed the warehouse address in Baichuan City at 118 Beika Street, with the transport scheduled for midnight on July 25. The vehicle was a ck Fotte transport truck and it would have three armed escorts.

    It matched everything that Cassius had heard at the estate. All except for the timing. The notebook indicated that the exhibition would be on July 5, which was tomorrow at midnight, putting it twenty days earlier than what he had previously hard. The information he gathered from the notebook firsthand was clearly the most urate.

    Cassius was greatly intrigued by this serendipitous discovery. He continued flipping through the pages and found numerous photos. Some depicted singlerge antiques and others disyed collections of smaller items. Near thetter third of the notebook, one particr photo made him pause.

    "It''s a pocket watch," he murmured to himself. "Like the one Instructor Lisa gave me."

    1. We added this part because the word used in the raws is, in fact, the Japanese term for Rasengan ?

 Chapter 95 - Shadowless Clan

    <h4>Chapter 95 - Shadowless n</h4>

    A pile of antiques upied most of the colored photograph, the silver pocket watch lying in the corner of the frame. The silver pocket watch was somewhat old, but it was well-kept. Arge acanthus leaf was embossed on the underside of the watch lid with two blurry letters engraved on its surface: NZ.

    NZ, Natsu. Lisa''s senior brother, and Cassius''s martial uncle.[1]

    The pocket watch used to belong to Senior Brother Natsu and Lisa had given it to Cassius in the hopes that he would be just as outstanding, brave, and strong as him. The watch was very special to Lisa. On that rainy night, as Lisay dying from that ruthless battle, her final words were to beseech Cassius not to lose the watch¡ªit was a symbol of their legacy.

    <i>Didn''t expect to find this here.</i>

    Cassius frowned deeply. All the more reason for him to intercept the shipment.

    Initially, Cassius had felt a bit excited when he heard the news that Duststorm intended to transport many antiques to Baichuan City since he could absorb their lingering attachment. But after discovering that this batch of antiques contained Martial Uncle Natsu''s pocket watch, he was determined to take it at any cost.

    "July 5th. Tomorrow night at Beika Street..." Cassius muttered softly. He hoped the ck Fire gang members'' disappearance wouldn''t affect Duststorm''s operation tomorrow. Otherwise, he might have to massacre the ck Fire gang to find what he wanted.

    "Don''t die before I get to you first." Cassius tucked the notebook in the crook of his arm and picked up the red suitcase beside him.

    Under the dark canopy of the sky, he walked toward the city. The white and gray buildings contrasted perfectly with the endless darkness, with a few pinpricks of light twinkling from a few sparse stars. The crescent moon was half covered by clouds. A thinyer of white frost shrouded the ground.

    The ck streetlights lined both sides of the path shining a light on a few staggering drunks. A couple of stray cats rummaged through the trash cans for food. The wind blew, scattering the tattered newspapers.

    Cassius sucked in the cool evening breeze and headed for his residence at 25 g Street, Jessica Apartments.

    "Huh?!" Cassius whipped around. His senses were exceptionally sharp after his recent breakthrough.

    Someone was running in the alley on the right.

    <i>Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud...</i>

    A man in a jacket with radical-looking metal chains appeared. Was he a gangster?

    "You here for me?" Cassius sensed the man was focused entirely on him. He nced down at the heavy wooden suitcase in his right hand where a hundred fifty thousand Federation dorsy.

    "You..." The man rushed up to Cassius.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    Cassius''s kickunched the man into the air, his butt scraping against the alley floor before rolling around several times.

    "Damn. A thug robbing me this close to Wright Street? Baichuan City''s security is going down the drain." Cassius spat, picked up his heavy suitcase, and hurried away.

    He didn''t want to kill here; it was too close to the city. Besides, he needed to ease up on the number of dead bodies he had been collecting. He had been killing too muchtely.

    In the silent gray and white alley, a many curled on the ground, coughing, under the dim moonlight. Hey there for a while before shakily using the wall to stand up.

    "Fuck, why didn''t he let me finish talking!" The man wasn''t handsome, and in fact, could even be called somewhat sleazy. He had thick sideburns and his hair framed his ears. A shiny metal chain hung around his neck. He wiped the saliva from his mouth that had dribbled out when Cassius kicked him.

    "He didn''t mistake me for a thug, did he?" The man nced at his attire and felt it was highly likely. He never thought his fashion sense would one day make him look like a thug! What a huge insult to Wolfdog Hugo!

    He walked a few steps to the intersection and found the main street empty.

    "Fuck!" he eximed as he retraced his steps.

    In a house in the Wright Street residential area.

    "Hugo, someone kicked you so hard you were sent flying?!" a beautiful woman in a ck dress said teasingly, ncing over. She couldn''t help feeling a little surprised.

    Hugo was not an ordinary person, nor an ordinary thug. He was an elite member of the Shadowless n, one of the top experts among the parasitized.

    Having defeated the Shadow Demon three times, Wolfdog Hugo''s body was more than double the size of an ordinary person''s. He was also skilled in variousbat moves, making him a core member of thebat group. And yet, someone had been able to kick him like that? Perhaps he had been careless, but the other person was clearly a martial arts expert.

    Such a master must be recruited into the organization! Those Shadow Demon''s minions were not allowed to touch even a hair on that man.

    "Don''t bring it up," Hugo said irritably. "Hmm... he is quite strong. It may have been a surprise attack, but he''s likely quite skilled in martial arts. Not as good as me when ites to one-on-one battles, but he should have seventy to eighty percent of my strength."

    Hugo and the woman came from an organization called the Shadowless n. In Cassius''s current era, technology advanced rapidly and every day was different. Big cities gradually rose in power and influence due to the thriving economy. However, every bright and shiny ce had its filthy and dark sewers. The monsters lurking in the sewers would greedily peer through the gaps of the bustling city and prey on humans...specifically, fragile humans.

    Born in the darkness, the Shadowless n was the offspring between those monsters and humans. All of its members had been parasitized by the Shadow Demon and all had survived each Shadow Demon manifestation. In searching for a way to avoid assimtion with the Shadow Demon, their collective desire to survive brought them together.

    Shadowless n members were all hosts of Shadow Demons. Not only did they have to fight off the threat that was the Shadow Demon, but they also had to fight off the minions drawn in by their scent. Therefore, they formed an organization to help each other survive and find ways to recruit newpanions.

    They came to Baichuan City this time because they had tracked down the gathering of Shadow Demons'' minions. The Shadowless n had special detection tools to find people simr to them in the crowd.

    Unfortunately, when Hugo found Cassius, Cassius mistook him for a robber and kicked him away before he could exin.

    In the room, Hugo let out a slow breath. "I won''t hold a grudge against him for that kick. I''ll look for him again in a few days. Hopefully, his assimtion level doesn''t exceed seventy percent."

    Yes, "assimtion." It was a term Cassius had never heard before.

    Hugo''s understanding of the Shadow Demon''s rules was vastly different from Cassius''s. At its root, both of them understood that the Shadow Demon manifested a replica of the host. However, everything after that waspletely different. As far as Hugo was aware, losing to the Shadow Demon didn''t mean it would directly rece the host, but it would partially assimte with them.

    The first time he lost to the Shadow Demon, he had been about five percent assimted with the Shadow Demon, with each subsequent defeat increasing the assimtion amount. The host would have to lose about nine times for the Shadow Demon to fully assimte and rece the host. In other words, there were nine chances to fail.

    Cassius was flummoxed. <i>???</i>

    1¡Á9=9.

    Why would he need nine lives when he could use one to be a legend?

    There seemed to be an enormous gap between nine lives and one life.

    1. NZ is the short form of Natsu. ?

 Chapter 96 - Memorial

    <h4>Chapter 96 - Memorial</h4>

    Of course, with different levels of danger, the rewards after victory naturally varied. Hugo and the others could only gain about one-third of the Shadow Demon''s physique andbat skills after each victory.

    After winning three times, Hugo''s physique was about 2.3 times that of an ordinary person, but he was still nowhere close to being a pugilist. He hadn''t even reached the threshold of human limits. Cassius, on the other hand, had advanced by leaps and bounds. Either way, both had their pros and cons.

    Because there were so many opportunities to parasitize Hugo, it carried less risk which naturally yielded fewer benefits, but Cassius''s parasitization was extremely risky. If he failed even once, he would instantly die and be reced by the Shadow Demon. However, as the saying goes, "Fortune favors the brave," so naturally there would be a slew of benefits.

    "The organization just sent over some information. At least five Steel w-level Shadow Demons have arrived at Baichuan City, plus a Red Eye-level!" the woman in ck''s voice dipped gravely when she spoke thest half of the sentence. Hugo frowned. His expression wasplicated upon hearing this.

    Steel w and Red Eye were two categories of Shadowless n''s ssification of the Shadow Demons'' strength.

    Steel w, as the name suggested, referred to Shadow Demons that had ws as sharp as carefully honed des. With bodies that neared human limits, supplemented by the original host''sbat skills, each Shadow Demon was a top assassin. Even humans at the same level as the Shadow Demons were of no match.

    While Hugo was fairly strong, he could barely hold his own against a Steel w-level Shadow Demon, and that was if the others helped him. If he were to face one solo, he would surely die.

    The Red Eye-level Shadow Demon was even more formidable, havingpletely surpassed human limits. There was once a case where a Red Eye-level Shadow Demon had killed a hundred gang members armed with guns in the dark. The name "Red Eye" was also self-exnatory: the Shadow Demons'' eyes burned like fire in the dark as they ughtered their prey.

    "Why are so many Shadow Demons gathering in Baichuan City? And all of them high-level!" Hugo widened his eyes. "Could there be other hosts in Baichuan City besides that man? Or are these Shadow Demons just passing through?"

    Hugo shook his head. He couldn''t see how the Shadow Demons'' grand maneuvers were connected with the somewhat-trained-in-martial-arts Cassius. The Shadow Demons likely had a bigger n in store.

    "They must have some other operation nned. Something major. The organization has already been alerted and ns to send some people over in a few days to monitor their movements." The woman in ck tapped the table with her finger. "As for our futurepanion, find an opportunity to warn him in the next two days. Otherwise, if any of the five Steel w-level Shadow Demons take notice of him, I''m afraid..."

    Hugo shook his head. "You don''t have to tell me ''otherwise''; he''ll be doomed! Even I would be dead if I ever encountered a Steel w-level by myself. How about this? I''ll find some time to exin it to him in the next couple of days."

    The woman in ck''s beautiful eyes lingered on Hugo''s clothes and hairstyle. She sighed. "On second thought, I''ll go. I don''t want you to get kicked by him again."

    ***

    The next morning, the sun streamed through the clouds in the clear sky, draping Baichuan City''s tall spires in a golden, gauzyyer. Glistening morning dew tumbled over the tender green leaves of the ornamental trees and plopped onto the soft muddy surface.

    <i>Ring, ring, ring, ring...</i>

    On the yellow wooden nightstand, the metal rm clock rang incessantly.

    <i>Thud.</i>

    A calloused, heavy hand mmed down on it. Cassius, who was never one to stay in bed, lifted the pure white sheet, got up, and stretchedzily. He opened the curtains carelessly, letting in a stream of bright sunshine. Most of the gray road was obscured by the ornamental trees lining the path, but he could still spy ck cars driving by through the gaps in between the leaves.

    After standing by the window for a while, Cassius walked into the bathroom to wash up and change. In truth, everything around him felt a bit foreign, considering he had spent two years in an era from seventy years ago.

    The sudden shift in setting left him somewhat dazed. Fortunately, Cassius was a very adaptable person. After washing up, he quickly shook off the vague sense of unfamiliarity. However, he soon encountered another problem. His clothes were too small and none of them fit.

    Standing in front of the wooden cab mirror, Cassius tugged at the ck-and-white-striped casual shirt he wore. Even though he had managed to put it on, the shirt around his shoulders and upper arms was stretched tight. Moreover, it was too short. If he zipped it up, it likely wouldn''t even cover his belly button.

    "A crop top?!" Cassius''s expression instantly became strange, and he shook his head to dispel the awkward image from his mind. He stripped off the ill-fitting clothes and rummaged through the wardrobe again.

    It wouldn''t be wrong to say Cassius was clever. He had anticipated that returning to the present with hisrger build from his time-travel would render his old clothes too small so he specifically brought a suitcase packed withrger clothes.

    However, Cassius hadn''t thought of everything. He had only bought one set of clothes and that was all. During the battle with the Shadow Demon, the gang''s blood had sttered all over that outfit and since it was still washing, Cassius had nothing to wear.

    Ten minutester, after some digging, the only thing he could properly fit into was the instructor''sbat attire issued by Gray Seal Martial Arts Hall. Cassius had no other choice and he put it on.

    After tidying up the bedroom, he opened the door and ttered downstairs. He ran into Madam Jessica halfway down.

    "Good morning, Madam Jessica."

    "Oh... good morning... Mr. Azimbek."

    Cassius nodded, shing a smile, and quickly left the apartment. Madam Jessica had called him Mr. Dimitriosst time, and now, it was Mr. Azimbek. In short, one shouldn''t hold grudges against someone with severe amnesia.

    A row of camphor trees blocked the strong sunlight, leaving golden flecks dancing on people''s faces. Cassius reached the north side of g Street, where the breakfast shops were already open. The air was filled with the smell of grilled sausages.

    He randomly chose a breakfast shop, sat down, and ordered some food. While eating, he watched the constant flow of people and vehicles zooming past on the avenue.

    Year 156 of the Hongli Federation was drawing closer, while the world from seventy years ago was gradually fading away.

    <i>Illusions are ultimately illusions... I can''t change anything in that era. All I can do is just watch silently</i>...

    Cassius scratched the corner of his mouth before sinking his teeth into a juicy sausage. He chewed once, twice, then swallowed.

    He extracted the colored photo from his pocket and gazed at it, deep in thought. The old pocket watch in the corner looked so inconspicuous.

    "Maybe I can stillmemorate that era. Just a little..."

 Chapter 97 - Outvillain The Villain

    <h4>Chapter 97 - Outviin The Viin</h4>

    He did, of course, have another reason. Duststorm''srge batch of antiques was somewhat different from regr antiques. Many antiques on the inventory list came with gimmicky descriptions about their original owners. Some of the more expensive ones had backstories attached to them, probably done to justify the antiques'' inted prices by making them seem more valuable.

    There were actually quite a few antiques in the batch that had genuine stories, which was what Cassius was interested in. Perhaps the proportion of antiques with lingering attachment here would be greater.

    He came back to reality. After scarfing down his breakfast in a few bites, he then walked toward Baichuan City''s central district. Coincidentally, after just a hundred meters of walking down g Street, there was a tram heading straight to the central district.

    Cassius bought a ticket and sat on one side. Theyout of this tram wasn''t much different from modern subways, with long seating areas on both sides. Except, the seats weren''t metal in this era; they were wooden, like armchairs, with a dark red, soft leather seat, reminiscent of a sofa cushion. It made for quite afortable ride.

    The tram doors opened at around eight in the morning. Cassius alighted from the train, checked his location, and started walking.

    He spent the entire morning rushing around. First, he went to a tailor shop to order a closet full of clothes and even went so far as to order two more batches ofrger-sized garments based on his estimated measurements. Cassius had learned his lesson. He wasn''t going to allow himself to make the same rainy day mistake again. Otherwise, unless he had amnesia, it would just be too stupid.

    Cassius''s era already had specialized stores forrger clothing. However, Cassius was a special case. At about 1.9 meters tall, he was a giant, and the clothes that fit him were few and far between. If his physique got any bigger after another time-travel, he would need evenrger clothes, so it made sense to have them tailor-made all at once.

    At the same time, Cassius didn''t think he''d grow any taller. His next physique enhancements would likely focus more on muscle and bone density. For example, after his physical enhancement from the Shadow Demon the day before, Cassius stopped bulking up and instead, his overall weight shot up, although his body shape didn''t change much. His muscle density and his physical defense capabilities increased in tandem,plementing each other.

    Aside from clothes, Cassius was also searching for another ce to live since he had quite a bit of money now and wanted to move. As nice as Jessica Apartments was, there were too many people around so it was quite crowded. Moreover, with neighbors in such close proximity, it wasn''t easy for Cassius to install workout equipment or do any kind of heavy exercise because if he did, his neighbors would likely file aint. Therefore, finding a small house to live alone in was the best option.

    Cassius had quite a bit of money. A hundred fifty thousand Hongli Federation dors from the gang, plus the seventy thousand from Phil''s father, plus around twenty to thirty thousand dors from Gray Seal Martial Arts Hall. Even after subtracting his expenses, he still had over two hundred thousand dors in his hands, which was enough for a small house.

    Unfortunately, after spending the morning searching and visiting two to three real estatepanies, Cassius couldn¡¯t find a ce that was to his liking. Then, he thought of his student, Phil. Maybe he could visit the Gray Seal Martial Arts Hall in the afternoon, and ask Phil and his brother Matthew. After all, their family ran apany and had a widework, so they might have connections in the property business.

    Cassius decided not to waste his time and energy searching blindly. After eating lunch in the central district at noon, he boarded the tram, wearing the new ck jacket and baseball cap that he had just bought.

    Since it would take some time for him to receive the tailor-made clothes, Cassius went to the famous Green Lotus clothing store in the central district and bought a few sets to wear until the custom ones were ready in half a week.

    Time flew by, and before he knew it, it was the afternoon.

    A tall, strong figure pushed the door of the Gray Seal Martial Arts Hall open, and walked in, toting a shoulder bag. Cassius nced at the counter by the door where the bat-haired old man was as focused as ever, thoroughly engrossed as he perused a colorful magazine with a lecherous expression.

    He walked over and thrummed the table with his fingers. "Old Mike."

    "Oh, Coach Li Wei. Your keys are right here." The old man looked up abruptly and wiped the drool from his mouth. He then opened the drawer of the counter, yanking out a bunch of keys. Each key on the keyring wasbeled with Cassius''s name, including the coach''s room, the training room, and the lockers.

    Cassius picked them up. "Thanks." He remembered to add, "Take care of yourself."

    "Hey, all I''m doing is looking. This, here, is a feast for the eyes. Besides, when you get to my age, it doesn''t matter how much the spirit wants. Nothing can be done when you don''t have the energy for it." Old Mike sighed. "Coach Li Wei, I envy how strong and tall you are. You haven''t noticed it but you''ve had a lot of pretty female coaches and students in the martial arts hall watching you."

    "Is that so?" Cassius raised his eyebrow slightly. He picked up his bag of clothes, grabbed a white towel off the wall rack, and draped it around his neck with a flick.

    As he walked along the corridor, people kept greeting him on both sides. He was quite the popr guy in Gray Seal Martial Arts Hall.

    "Hi, Coach Li Wei!" A pretty girl wearing gym clothes that hugged her figure waved at Cassius, beaming. Her ck hair was tied into a ponytail. Her tight top entuated her curves, while her skintight pants perfectly showcased her long, toned legs. Her name was Hannah, a frequent visitor of Gray Seal Martial Arts Hall who had recently been booking Cassius''sbat sses.

    "Ah, hello, Hannah." Cassius nodded.

    He must''ve been influenced by Old Mike''s reminder earlier because he found himself scrutinizing Hannah''s gaze. He noticed her eyes lingering on his firm chest and toned waist, before asionally drifting to his strong inner thighs.

    "..." Cassius''s sturdy frame shivered. He could now somewhat understand what it felt like for pretty girls to be ogled by men on the street. It was aplex mix of shyness and anger.

    "I didn''t expect Coach Li Wei to remember my name." Hannah smiled so wide she squinted. Her lips glistened like a juicy peach and there was an alluring hint in her face. Her subtly aggressive gaze swept over him. "Huh? Coach, you seem taller and stronger than before."

    <i>Fuck! </i>Cassius cursed inwardly and quickly walked away, pretending not to hear a thing. That woman was trying to seduce him, although that word was maybe a bit of an overkill. Perhaps "lure" was more appropriate.

    Afterward, many people greeted Cassius from the foyer to the locker room. Arge proportion of them were female, and at least half had strange glints in their eyes. Cassius hadn''t realized before how popr he was.

    He finally reached the locker room where he opened the locker and changed into the yellowbat attire of the Gray Seal Martial Arts Hall. He then pushed open the door and strolled out.

    Cassius washed his hands in the restroom next door while he stared at the mirror. The man opposite him wasn''t handsome, but he had deep and defined features, and his cold, silent demeanor gave off a cool vibe. Together with his tall stature and strong figure, Cassius had unconsciously developed a unique male charm. Was he considered a hottie in women''s eyes?

    "<i>Heh</i>." He smiled helplessly and sshed a handful of water onto his face. He left the restroom and headed toward the training room.

    <i>Click.</i>

    Cassius turned the doorknob and walked in. The room was quite spacious, and in fact, was muchrger than his living room in Jessica Apartments. The floor was evenly covered with gray tiles, and the white walls were quite in. There were no extra decorations other than the two or three pots of green indoor nts in the corner. The rest of the furniture consisted of exercise equipment.

    Pulling open the window a crack, Cassius nced outside at Gray Seal Martial Arts Hall''s training field where he could see several students jogging. Upon checking the time, he saw he was half an hour early. Since he had some leisure time, he immediately started working out.

    Many habits from his time-travel continued to make its mark on Cassius. His desire to not waste a single moment gradually increased. He felt incredibly ufortable when he had a moment of free time and he wasn''t practicing the Wind Elephant Covert Martial Arts. If practicing martial arts were a disease, he was definitely terminal.

    Half an hourter, the sunlight nted into the room. A dozen students werebat training under Cassius''s guidance, and among them were three familiar faces: Phil, his friend Milo, andbat enthusiast Tifa.

    "Next, I want you to pair up and practice thebat techniques I''ve taught you from previous lessons," Cassius said. He took a few steps forward until he stood next to Phil. "Let''s begin."

    Immediately, everyone started looking for their partners. Very soon, some familiar pairs began sparring with each other.

    Next to Cassius, Milo nced at Phil who was staring at Tifa, a faraway look in his eyes. He was about to make his way over to her when Cassius, who standing by the rectangr window, called out, "Tifa, Phil, and Milo,e over here."

    The four of them gathered together in the corner.

    "How has it been practicing the Explosive Techniques I taught you?" Cassius stroked his chin and nced at the three of them.

    "Not bad," Phil said.

    "Same here," Milo echoed.

    Tifa stood very straight and admitted somewhat reluctantly, "It''s difficult, I''ve only just started to get a feel of it..."

    Cassius chuckled inwardly. It might sound like Milo and Phil had a better grasp of the technique than Tifa, but that wasn''t the case at all. Tifa was undoubtedly much more proficient with the techniques Cassius taught than those two.

    None of them were wrong though. Phil and Milo imed they were doing well because they, in their somewhat clueless minds, thought they''d made decent progress. In contrast, Tifa, who had been diligently practicingbat for years, had a much clearer understanding and knew the progress she''d made was seemingly negligible inparison to fully mastering the Explosive Techniques. The reason why she said she''d only begun to get a feel for it was because she had only used a small portion of the technique.

    Tifa could tell her coach was truly skilled. The Explosive Techniques he''d recently taught her alone were far superior to what she''d learned at the Edelweiss Middle School Combat Club.

    Hence why Tifa was eager to take her studies more seriously and nned to formally ask Cassius to be her teacher after she familiarized herself more with the techniques. She wasn''t going to bring it up right away since they hadn''t known each other long and Tifa was worried that Cassius might reject her request to be his student.

    "Phil, you said you were doing well, right? Then spar with Tifa so I can see just where you''re at," Cassius said, a slight smile ying on his mouth.

    Previously, he had taught the three teenagers an Explosive Technique. It wasn''t theplete version from the Wind Elephant Basic Combat Arts, but a watered-down version.

    The technique was limited to increasing someone''s speed by about 1.3 times. While 0.3 appeared like an inconsequential number, it shouldn''t be underestimated; in closebat, even an extra 0.1 could be lethal. Moreover, this 0.3 improved the user''s basic physical capabilities. As long as they trained their bodies to be stronger and more powerful, the Explosive Techniques would naturally be more effective.

    Cassius watched the two spar. Phil started enthusiastically enough, but he was beaten down like a wilted eggnt within seconds. He could no longer hold himself up, all of the energy he had moments ago was gone. He waspletely and thoroughly beaten.

    His so-called Explosive Technique was clumsy, and he was clearly inferior to Tifa who had be quite skilled at it. Phil couldn''t help feeling a little frustrated.

    "Don''t be discouraged. You''ve only just started learning it." Cassius patted Phil on the shoulder.

    The next few hours went by without too much incident. When Cassius heard that the Edelweiss Middle School Combat Club would soon be holding an internal ranking match, he encouraged Phil to give it a try. Smiling, he said that if Phil''s ranking improved significantly, other people would definitely notice. It couldn''t be more obvious as to who the "other people" were.

    Cassius did this not only to encourage Phil but because he knew that the Explosive Techniques he taught were effective. If Phil participated in the ranking match, he would surely make remarkable progress. This would, in turn, significantly increase Cassius''s value as a martial arts teacher.

    Being closer to Phil''s family also had its benefits since Cassius still needed Phil''s brother and father''s help. Cassius asked Phil to pass a message to Matthew, asking for thetter''s assistance in finding a suitable new residence. Phil agreed without hesitation.

    After finishing his work at the Gray Seal Martial Arts Hall, Cassius had dinner near Hongta Street, before returning to Jessica Apartments to prepare for his real job.

    On July 5 at around 10:30 p.m., someone wearing ck boots stepped onto the street corner of Baichuan City''s main district on Beika Street. His steps made a snapping sound on the gray pavement, breaking the silence surrounding Beika Street. The streetlights cast a yellow glow on whoever was approaching''s chest. A tall, burly figure silently surveyed the street, with one or two goldfish-mouth cars parked by the roadside.

    The evening breeze blew, rustling the leaves. A matted stray cat was curled up on the lid of a bronze trash can, sleeping. asionally, leaves fell and scattered across the road.

    The area he was in was neither amercial area nor a residential district so foot traffic was sparse, especially after 10 p.m. It could be half an hour before a single person would walk by. The environment suited Duststorm''s antique transport truck. Likewise, it was also perfect for Cassius who was hankering to cause a bit of trouble.

    He was nning to outviin the viin.

    Time ticked by, and the massive clouds soon swallowed up the round moon, with only a few stray stars twinkling in the sky. Suddenly, bright lights turned on, shining in from the street in front. A ck square-roofed Fotte truck drove into Beika Street.

 Chapter 98 - Three Antiques with Lingering Attachment Energy

    <h4>Chapter 98 - Three Antiques with Lingering Attachment Energy</h4>

    <i>Beep.</i>

    The Fotte vehicle honked softly as it turned onto the street, the pale yellow light shining on one side and making the trash cans gleam. The wheels crunched over a newspaper on the ground as the ck, box-like vehicle sped past. Seated in the driver''s seat on the right side, a cruel-looking young man chewed on a cigarette. A guny between his legs.

    Narrowing his eyes slightly, he exhaled a puff of smoke. This mission to transport these antiques was highly important; any suspicious individuals who approached the moving Fotte vehicle were to be shot on sight.

    "<i>Huh</i>?!" The man in the driver''s seat suddenly widened his eyes.

    The Fotte vehicle''s tworge headlights shone a huge yellow halo, illuminating the darkness on the road just ahead. At some point, a tall figure appeared in the middle of the crosswalk, waiting silently like a stiff statue. The light from the car''s headlights stretched his shadow out diagonally, and as the light came closer, the shadow seemed to shift and squirm.

    "Idiot!" The man floored it, and the car roared forward. He grabbed the gun from beside his thigh and cocked it.

    <i>Boom!!! Crash!!!</i>

    The man jerked his head up, only to see a massive ck iron fist smash the ss. The fist grew rapidly before his eyes like a cannonball.

    <i>Boom! Crash!</i>

    A head exploded. Red and white matter sprayed across the seat in a fan-like arc, covering it with a thickyer of goo.

    <i>Thud.</i>

    The man slumped¡ªnot headfirst since his head was gone¡ªin the driver''s seat. His right hand, which he had raised seconds ago, fell limp and the gun dropped with a tter between his legs.

    "Now where are the other two?" Cassius emerged from the darkness, shaking his arm to get rid of the disgusting "tomato sauce." One step forward and Cassius instantly appeared at the rear canopy of the Fotte vehicle. He ripped the curtain open.

    It was an open space inside with no one stationed on either side. There was only a pile of antiques covered by a ck cloth on the floor.

    <i>Did they run?</i>

    Cassius quickly turned to scan behind him, but Beika Street waspletely empty. Not a single person in sight. Even the stray cat that had been napping on the trash can had disappeared. Confused, he returned to the front of the vehicle, opened the door, and threw out the Duststorm member''s corpse to the side. He then started the vehicle and drove into a secluded alley.

    <i>Vroom, vroom, vroom...</i>

    A heavily damaged Fotte vehicle came to a stop. The hood was warped from a long and deep dent, making the two headlights slightly askew.

    <i>Click.</i>

    The driver''s side door opened, and Cassius quickly stepped down. He nced at his strong right leg. His muscles and skin were intact but his pants from his knee down were shredded.

    <i>Looks like I''ll need to buy another pair of pants tomorrow, </i>Cassius thought to himself. He turned off the headlights.

    He lifted the curtain and entered the rear of the Fotte vehicle. Turning on a small shlight, he pulled the ck cloth off of the antiques, and a bitter taste immediately flooded his mouth. Cassius''s eyes lit up, and a smile crept across his lips. He started to quickly inspect each antique.

    Cassius soon found what he was looking for. There were three items: arge brass clock, andscape painting, and a small porcin vase. A cold current seeped into his arm, inch by inch, and spread through his body like steam.

    In the top right corner, the numbers began to jump incrementally.

    [Lingering Attachment Energy: 0.8 ¡ú 0.9 ¡ú 1.0...]

    It was slow but steady and continued until Cassius''s arm felt frozen and stiff and the lingering attachment energy finally stopped increasing. Cassius looked again at the top right corner.

    [Lingering Attachment Energy: 2.4]

    It went up by 1.6 in one go! Relief rushed through him. If Cassius remembered correctly, his lingering attachment energy had been at 2.3 before his second time-travel, but was now higher by 0.1. It might be enough for a third time-travel, though there was still a chance it would fall short.

    Regardless, he figured he was not far off from the required amount after the recent increase. Cassius estimated that the energy needed for the third time-travel node was probably between 2.0 and 2.5. Anything more than 2.5 would be too much.

    Exhaling slowly, Cassius studied the various antiques in thepartment. He realized something was amiss.

    The pocket watch. Where was it? He immediately pulled out the antique catalog from his pocket and began checking it against the items in thepartment. He very quickly deduced that at least half of the antiques were missing. The Fotte vehicle he was in was transporting only half of the collection.

    If he considered the information he had previously received, there should have been three Duststorm members escorting the antiques, and yet there was only one. Had the ck Fire gang leader''s death yesterday scared Duststorm into changing their ns at thest minute?

    Cassius frowned deeply. He wasn''t very good at unravelingplex plots. He was better at solving problems with his fists.

    A word sprang to mind: ck Fire gang.

    Dustorm had secretly taken over the ck Fire gang which meant if there was any change on Duststorm''s end, they would likely inform the ck Fire gang especially since thetter was likely their only underground asset in Baichuan City. The other half of the antiques must be with them.

    On the surface, Baichuan City was Ace of Spades'' territory, so Duststorm did not dare to have too many of its members in the area, as they would easily be discovered. Hence why the ck Fire gang acted as their front, or perhaps more aptly, their "ck hand."

    <i>Should I go?</i> The thought had barely formed in Cassius''s mind before he dismissed it. Why let a duck that was already in his mouth fly away?

    Being able to activate the second-level elerated blood flow gave Cassius unparalleled confidence. With his speed and reflexes, dodging bullets was just another day at work and if he was shot? Not a big deal as long as it wasn''t being fired from a machine gun.

    If he passed up this chance to secure arge amount of lingering attachment energy when it was right in front of his eyes, Cassius wouldn''t be able to sleep at night at all.

    "The ck Fire gang''s territory is in the western district and their most famous establishment is the Famica Strip Club on 17 Brightlight Street," he muttered to himself. He knew not because he''d been there before, but because the Famica Strip Club had made quite a notorious name for itself. He''d heard many male instructors at the Gray Seal Martial Arts Hall talking about it in the locker room. With their spittle flying and lecherous grins, in those moments, they looked just like Old Mike at the front desk.

    "Brightlight Street is about three blocks away and isn''t far from here. Looks like I''m going to have a busy night..." Cassius stepped down from the Fotte vehicle, walked to the driver''s seat and grabbed the ck pistol before vanishing into the night.

    ***

    "Wow!"

    "<i>Whoo-hoo</i>!"

    "Shake it harder for me, baby! Here''s a reward!"

    "<i>Hahaha</i>, nothing beats this ce!"

    Excited shouts rose and fell in the faintly lit hall. The air was thick with hormones. A single spotlight shone down on a T-shaped dark red stage in the center of the round hall. About seven silver poles adorned the stage at an equidistance apart where five voluptuous dancers twisted their bodies alluringly like snakes.

    Under the dim yellow light, their wet, honeyed bronze skin drew the eyes of everyscivious onlooker. Their gazes were fixed on certain parts of their bodies, inwardly shouting for them to strip faster. Each time a piece of clothing was removed, cheers erupted from the crowd below. Wealthy patrons threw money into the air to reward the dancers.

    In the underground circr hall, customers came and went, keeping the crowd consistently at over a hundred. There was a bar on one side of the hall where thirsty patrons could order drinks. Even though prices were considerably higher, the bar''s sales rivaled those of a regr pub. The excited patrons, enthralled by the strip show, couldn''t care less about spending a few extra Hongli Federation dors. After all, the Famica Club boasted the highest quality exotic dancers and the alluringdies were all dangerously skilled at raking in money.

    A man with slicked-back hair and wearing a ck vest sauntered in through the entrance. He was about 1.8 meters tall. His muscr arms were exposed, revealing a ck tattoo with a me emblem on his bicep. As the man walked, his attention was immediately drawn to the dancers moving seductively on the stage. He whistled and headed toward the bar.

    "Hey, Rona''s here." Several gang members sitting on ck chairs nced over, raising their sses in a cheery salute.

    As soon as Rona arrived at the bar, he excitedly pped the table. "Drinks! Drinks!" He was quite the old drunkard.

    "What''s it going to be today? Blue Blood, Persian Cat, or Lemon Sunrise?" the bartender in a ck vest spoke, leaning over as he wiped a ss with a white cloth. Naturally, he was talking about the different types of cocktails.

    "None of that stuff, give me a Burning me!" Rona handed over arge denomination bill.

    "Whoa, you sure know how to pick the good stuff, Rona. You''re really something." A gang member next to him sipped his drink.

    The Famica Strip Club was an enterprise controlled by the ck Fire Gang. All members paid only half of the price for drinks but were limited to only five drinks a day. Additionally, Burning me was one of the most expensive cocktails at the bar. It was very strong, and had a fierce kick, but was extremely tasty.

    "What''s it to you?" Rona said, plopping down onto a chair. The gang members began drinking merrily.

    "<i>Ho ho ho</i>! Well done!!!" The entire strip club roared with excitement as the dancers on stage had finished removing their clothes, exposing their bodies. This immediately led to a wave of cheers and tips from the audience below.

    Rona whistled at the stage and then stood up. "I''ve had a bit too much to drink. I''m gonna hit the restroom."

    "Yeah, right. You just want to jerk off!"

    "<i>Hahaha</i>..." Several gang members nearby burst intoughter.

    "Get outta here, if I''m going to jerk something off, it''ll be a cannon, not a pistol like yours." Rona burped and meandered over to the restroom.

    After some twists and turns, he finally reached the restroom. It stunk of urine, alcohol, and a hint of vomit. It seemed the bar''s drinks were selling very well.

    Comining under his breath, Rona stepped up to the urinal. Just as he started, he heard heavy footstepsing from outside. Shortly after, a tall figure quietly stood next to him. When Rona nced over, the first thought that came to his mind was to remark how tall the man was at nearly 1.9 meters. Not only that, the man had a strapping figure and looked like a bodybuilder.

    Rona sniffed, seemingly catching a whiff of blood, but the other odors were too strong for him to be sure. A momentter, Rona shook off and zipped up.

    Suddenly, a deep voice came from beside him. "Finished?"

    "Huh?" Confused, Rona turned his head. The barrel of a ck gun was aimed directly at his head.

    "<i>!!!</i>"

    Back at the bar, the gang members were still drinking and chatting. One of them said, "What''s taking that drunkard Rona so long? Did he pass out in the urinal?"

    "Or maybe he''s still in there going at it?"

    "<i>Hahaha</i>..."

    It was a lively atmosphere. If Rona were here, he''d look bitter, especially since his trip to the bathroom wasn''t for what they thought.

    With the gun pointed at him, Rona had no choice but to follow the man out of the restroom, acting all buddy-buddy as they left the club through another passage.

    Under the moonlight, in a dark and narrow alley.

    "I ask the questions, you answer. Understand?"

    "I... I understand."

    "If I find out you''re lying to me, I won''t hesitate to pull the trigger. Life is valuable so you should cherish it, hmm? Understand?"

    "Yes, I understand!"

    "Good. First question, where is the ck Fire gang''s headquarters? I want the exact address and area."

    "..."

    Five minutester, Cassius got what he came here for. It turned out that guns could be more effective than fists¡ªat least for ordinary people who didn''t know any better. Pointing a ck gun at someone''s head was much more terrifying than threatening someone with their fists.

    "36 Ferrin Street," Cassius murmured to himself.

    "Yes... yes!" The way Rona was nodding his head so hard, it looked like how one might sift to loosen chaff. "I''ve told you everything I know so please don''t shoot!"

    "Of course." Cassius looked coldly at Rona, then tucked the gun into his waistband. He stood silently.

    Rona let out a sigh of relief. He took two steps forward.

    <i>Crack!</i>

    Under the moonlight, Rona''s head instantly twisted 180 degrees. Just as he was about to fall, a big hand caught him. Cassius never intended to shoot; blood stters were too messy. It was much cleaner and more convenient to snap his neck.

    Furthermore, gangs were the least trustworthy entities in the world. It was best not to expect those filthy sewer rats to adhere to any kind of honor code, especially those from small-time gangs. Cassius wasn''t going to discuss things like morals or ethics with them. It would fall on deaf ears since the onlynguage they understood were fists and guns!

    After dealing with Rona''s body, Cassius had a clear goal in mind. He was going to the ck Fire gang''s headquarters. With his current skills, no small-time gang could stand against him. And if any members from Duststorm were there, then all the better! He wanted to see just how bold this newly emerging group, who was causing trouble in Beiliu County, really was.

 Chapter 99 - How Could Firearms be so Inconvenient?

    <h4>Chapter 99 - How Could Firearms be so Inconvenient?</h4>

    At the northeast side of a moderately sized mansion at 36 Ferrin Street, a rectangr warehouse stood wide open. A ck limousine was parked at the entrance where a man and a woman were gingerly transporting items.

    A dozen members of the ck Fire gang waited nearby with several handcarts beside them and came closer as the two unloaded the goods. They held the smaller antiques while therger antiques were ced on the carts where one person would pull the cart from the front while another steadied the antiques with both hands¡ªjust to be safe.

    All of them were moving extremely carefully due to how valuable the antiques were. If any were identally damaged or broken, Boss Edward would have their heads.

    "Careful with those!" Boss Edward, a middle-aged man about 1.75 meters tall, warned from where he stood nearby. Like all the gang members, he wore a ck jacket, with a white skull emblem printed on the right side. A tattoo of a ck me was burned into the skin of his arm¡ªthe ck Fire gang''s mark.

    A tall, slender man hurried over from a side road around the mansion and whispered a few words into Edward''s ear.

    "What! You still haven''t picked up the other Fotte vehicle! What''s going on? Didn''t they say it was over on Beika Street?" Edward raged. These useless subordinates couldn''t even handle such a small task?

    A minor leader from the ck Fire gang and his team had disappeared yesterday, probably to goof off who-knew-where, which had forced him to personally make an appearance. Moving things in the dead of night was not particrly pleasant.

    Duststorm''sst-minute decision to split their antique transport trucks into two routes actually had nothing to do with what Cassius didst night. The slow-witted Edward hadn''t reported those disappearances to anyone. It would take five, maybe six, days without seeing them for him to start sensing something was wrong. Edward''s brain had long been fried from snorting powder. He had been high all night and was still buzzing in the morning.

    While Duststorm had informed the ck Fire gang, they had deliberately withheld some information. They had intended right from the start to transport the antiques via two routes to the ck Fire gang. Half of the antiques went directly to the ck Fire gang''s headquarters at their warehouse on 36 Felon Street, while the other half went to 118 Beika Street, to prevent them from losing everything in one go.

    After all, Baichuan City was ostensibly still Ace of Spades'' territory. There was no harm in being a little more wary. It turned out to be the correct decision because if the three had not split up, Cassius would have eliminated them all at once.

    "What''s going on?" Over by the Fotte vehicle, a man with curly brown hair approached, wearing ck gloves despite the heat. The pair of half-moon gold-rimmed sses perched on his nose made him look less like a gang member and more like a schr.

    "Mr. Gilia! Here¡¯s the situation." Edward quickly recounted what he had just heard.

    Gilia furrowed his brows and did not say anything Something didn¡¯t feel right. He immediately went back to inform hispanion.

    Meanwhile, a tall masked man stepped out from a dark alley by the mansion, cold eyes peering through the holes in his mask.

    "This is the ce," Cassius muttered to himself. He wasn''t wearing the mask to look cool but to hide his identity. ording to Rona''s confession, there were quite a few people in the ck Fire gang''s stronghold, but that wasn''t what worried Cassius. The problem was that he might not be able to kill them all, and one or two might slip through after having seen his face.

    Cassius had no desire to see a wanted poster with his own face all over the walls the next day. He didn''t want to leave Baichuan City again.

    Standing in the alley, Cassius looked up at the tall wall. The white wall was about two and a half meters high, topped with ck spiked railings. He took two steps back, then bounded three big strides forward before finally springing up like a coil.

    <i>Thud.</i>

    His feet hit the ground.

    "Who''s there?!" a voice called out from not far away.

    <i>An expert?</i> Cassius quickly scanned his surroundings. He hadnded in a flower garden somewhere at the back of the warehouse. There was a white stone pathway along with a row of ornamental trees nted in front of the garden.

    On the white stone path, tens of meters away, a young man wearing ck gloves came sprinting like a leopard.

    <i>That speed probably means he''s not with the gang.</i> Cassius narrowed his eyes slightly. The man across from him was likely from Duststorm and just happened to be at the ck Fire gang''s base.

    Since he had already been discovered, Cassius didn''t bother hiding anymore. He jumped out from the flowerbed and stood on the white stone floor.

    "Are you from Duststorm?" Cassius asked calmly.

    "Go to hell!" Gilia didn''t waste any words with him. He immediately charged, his feet sliding as his hands swung straight ahead. His fists looked like sharp spikes with how quickly he was moving.

    The punch was fast, but the palm that shot out was even faster. It pped the fist away with a loud smack.

    Gilia staggered, shocked. The opponent''s strength seemed much greater than his. He needed to tread carefully. Just as Gilia thought this, rm bells started ring in his brain. He shrank back and dodged.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    A fist mmed into an iron streetmp as thick as a regr person''s thigh. It snapped. The top half of themp post flew out with a <i>swoosh</i>, then stuck into the ground at an angle.

    <i>Fuck!!! He''s way stronger than I thought!</i> Gilia''s pupils contracted, and he scrambled to dodge again. A hand chopped down like a knife. It brushed past his face and shed into the ornamental tree beside him with a <i>whoosh</i>. Wood chips exploded outward from the trunk, leaving behind a white fist-sized gap. The leaves trembled violently before raining down.

    "<i>Hah</i>..." Gilia gasped. He now understood that he and his opponent were not at the same level. Fortunately, he had been in excellent condition just now, allowing him to dodge danger twice. Otherwise, a single hit would have left him with broken bones. The scratch on his cheek reminded Gilia once again that he was fighting an unbeatable opponent.

    "Why aren''t you making a move?" A deep male voice came from beneath the mask, and Gilia turned to look. The masked assant stood calmly, arms crossed. His powerful build resembled a mighty bear, with cold eyes behind the mask. The man''s massive shadowpletely smothered his own.

    <i>Could it be that it wasn''t because of my quick reflexes? He deliberately held back?</i> The thought sprang to mind, unbidden, especially since his opponent seemed so calm. It felt like a cat ying with a mouse.

    <i>Damn it all!</i> Gilia cursed inwardly, his Adam''s apple rolling. He wanted to shout for help, but fear seized his heart and throat. His heart pounded uncontrobly as if a wild beast had set its sights on him. He broke out in a cold sweat, his back mmy.

    <i>If I yell, I''m a dead man. </i>Gilia trembled as he took two steps back. It felt like the other person was toying with him, and when he looked up sharply, those fierce eyes beneath the white mask were fixed on him. Like a predator marking its prey.

    "<i>Ahhh</i>!" Gilia screamed and charged forward, feet scrambling to push off the ground. He snapped his right shoulder forward and punched straight.

    Cassius mirrored him, deflecting Gilia''s fist sideways. Then he stormed ahead and lunged with his right fist.

    Gilia twisted, changing his footwork momentarily. He spun like a top, came up behind Cassius, and punched viciously at his spine.

    <i>Thud.</i>

    Cassius felt just how powerful that punch was. His face remained expressionless as he pivoted on his heel and swung. His strong arm whirled around like a windmill, fingers turning into des that shed across Gilia''s chest, leaving five bloodied gashes.

    Gilia dodged sideways, pouncing at Cassius again. Hebined his hands into the semnce of a knife. He threw outbat move afterbat move as he circled Cassius.

    <i>So it really is a style... Duststorm might have a Covert Martial Arts expert, hiding in the shadows, who is skilled at teaching disciples. Or maybe an entire Covert Martial Arts school. </i>

    Cassius deliberately held back so he could fight Gilia longer and gauge the specific skills of Duststorm''s members. If he didn''t, Gilia would have died from the first punch!

    Cassius could sense the faint outline of aplete framework from his opponent''s martial arts. It was a technique that transcended ordinary martial arts.

    "It''s about time." He pped away Gilia''s iling arms, before stepping forward and flinging out a fierce straight punch.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    It was silent except for the echo of a gunshot lingering in the air. Gilia calmly held a ck pistol in his right hand, a small wisp of smoke still rising from the muzzle.

    "Times have changed! You think it''s still like the old days when you can just punch someone to death? No, all you need is a single bullet!" A corner of Gilia''s mouth pulled up into a slight sneer.

    "..."

    Cassius stood still, a ck bullet hole having punctured the pectorals of his tower-like chest. He slowly raised his hand, pressing it against his chest.

    "It''s useless to struggle! I shot right for your heart!" Gilia crowed, firing another shot. The bullet hit right next to the previous one, also at the heart. He was performing a righteous coup de grace just to be safe!

    With a tear, the fabric easily pulled apart. Cassius looked down at his chest under the moonlight. The two bullets were lodged in his powerful muscles, but it only broke the skin. A drop of blood graciously dripped from the shell.

    "So this is a handgun?" Cassius gently flicked, knocking the bullets into his palm. The only evidence that showed they were ever there were two slightly red dots on his chest.

    <i>How could firearms be so inconvenient!!! What kind of monster is he?! He actually took the bullets like they were nothing! Damn it!</i> Gilia''s jaw dropped in shock, his eyesrger than ornaments.

    "Fuck, fuck, fuck..." Gilia''s face twisted as he pulled the trigger, firing dozens of bullets frantically at Cassius. Sparks flew quickly from the muzzle. The casings ttered on the white floor tiles.

    "Are you done shooting? It''s my turn." Cassius lowered his arms, no longer shielding his face. With a flex of his muscles, he squeezed all the bullets out and they fell to the ground crisply.

    "No¡ª" Gilia didn''t get to finish his sentence. His head was wrenched around 360 degrees, lifted like antern, then tossed onto the road far away by Cassius.

    Their fight seemed tost a long time, but it was actually a matter of seconds. Members of the ck Fire gang were just starting to rush over.

    A head suddenly hit Edward in the face with a p, blood sttering all over. Edward jumped like a rabbit, frantically wiping at his face. A strong smell of blood pierced his nostrils.

    "<i>Ah</i>! <i>Ah</i>! <i>Ah</i>! What is this? What is this?!" Edward scrambled back a few steps, bumping into two armed subordinates.

    A woman from the Duststorm immediately darted over, snatching the head from the ground, and examining it in the moonlight. Her pupils constricted instantly, and her mouth trembled.

    "No...no! Gilia! Gilia!" She shook her head in disbelief, unable toprehend what was happening. The woman seemed to have a special rtionship with Gilia. They were likely lovers or, at the very least, harbored affection for each other.

    And now, her beloved''s head had been twisted off!

    Unbridled rage crushed her rationality. Her bloodshot eyes locked on the towering figure rushing toward her from a distance away. She looked like a madwoman as she sprang from the ground and sprinted right for him, like an arrow.

    "I''ll kill you! I will kill you!" She snarled as the distance between the two rapidly closed. "I''ll kill you! I will..."

    <i>Boom!!!</i>

    Her upper body exploded as a brutal iron fist barrelled into her without hesitation, flesh and blood exploding into the air. Cassius shoved her broken body aside, hard.

    <i>Bang bang bang!</i>

    Edward kept firing at Cassius, but it seemed to have no effect. Arms up to shield his face, Cassius charged, his movements savage and fast.

    "Shoot! Shoot! Shoot! Shoot¡ª<i>Ahhhh</i>!"

    Four or five guns fired simultaneously and a barrage of bullets lit up the scene. Some bullets embedded in tree trunks, others ricocheted off walls, and a few hit streetlights, sparking a cascade of lights. Most of them peppered Cassius''s body in a dense array.

    <i>How exhrating!</i> Though he was being shot at, Cassius felt an indescribable thrill and a long-lost excitement. His nostrils red, seemingly stimted by the blood on his own body. A bloodthirsty indifference crept over him.

    Cassius''s head shot up, bloodshot eyes wide. He leaped like a cannonball, crossing several meters tounch himself into the crowd. What followed was a cold-blooded massacre.

    Limbs were torn apart, heads kicked like balls. A mighty hand swung down like a baseball bat, smashing a man''s head into his chest.

    Cassius pulled his arm back and gazed around. The moon''s pale reflection, tinged with crimson blood, seemed to be swirling about strangely.

    All the members of the ck Fire gang and Duststorm were dead!

    He looked down at his bloodied hands and was inexplicably reminded of the brutal hooded men from that ruthless battle. His current behavior seemed eerily simr.

    Cassius turned abruptly, his blood-red eyes ring at the shadow behind him like a ravenous demon. He said through gritted teeth, "You again! Shadow Demon!"

 Chapter 100 - "An Ordinary Person"

    <h4>Chapter 100 - "An Ordinary Person"</h4>

    It was happening for real this time.

    He could feel himself being influenced by something else, and it wasn''t because of the Covert Martial Arts he practiced. Cassius had suspected this before; his sensory acuity had increased slightly after every victory and absorption of the Shadow Demons. It seemed he had acquired some of the Shadow Demons'' traits.

    And now there was another side effect. He was bing much more savage and bloodthirsty.

    The benefit to this was when Cassius activated his killing intent during battle, it could demoralize his enemies and disrupt their fighting techniques. Like with Gilia and his twisted-off head. However, there were also downsides. Cassius''s killings were getting bloodier, as if all he was doing was releasing pure, unadulterated violence. It wasn''t an ideal situation because Cassius wanted to kill rationally.

    Acting impulsively always reveals one''s ws. It was only by staying calm could he remain undefeated.

    "<i>Huff... huff...</i>"

    Under the moonlight, as the cold wind blew around him, Cassius''s chest heaved as he tried to suppress his excitement. He needed to be rational in most circumstances, and not impulsive. Unless he absolutely couldn''t help it.

    He exhaled heavily, ncing at the tattered rags hanging from his body like a beggar''s clothes. He gave it a good shake, and a dozen bullets ttered onto the floor, bouncing and rolling with a melodious sound.

    "I''ll need to put some ointment on these..."

    The Wind Elephant Covert Martial Arts he practiced wasn''t particrly focused on physical defense. Cassius''s resilience primarily came from the two levels of elerated blood flow he had achieved. That meant the gangsters'' bullets would have still torn through the firstyer of skin. If he had practiced a hard Qigong technique, he might have been bulletproof.

    Setting his thoughts aside, Cassius surveyed therge mansion. No one seemed to be charging in despite all of that gunfire.

    Presumably, these were the only ck Fire gang members left in the stronghold thiste at night, all of whom had been called in by Edward to carry a load of antiques.

    <i>This may be remote and isn''t in a residential district, but I should still quickly absorb the energy, just to be safe.</i>

    Cassius pushed off the ground. The blood and bodies became a blur as he dashed past and arrived in front of the ck Fotte truck. As he approached, a faint bitter taste rose in his mouth. Overjoyed, he sprinted over.

    The truck''s canvas was already lifted up, revealing a dozen antiques that hadn''t been moved yet. The legendary antique he sought was likely among them. Cassius began probing each item eagerly. By the sixth, his eyes lit up as cold energy flowed up his arm.

    Initially cool, then bitingly cold, and finally cool again, Cassius absorbed 0.5 units of lingering attachment energy.

    He continued checking the other antiques but none of the others had any energy. However, there were still some more antiques piled up in the warehouse.

    Cassius entered the rectangr warehouse where all the antiques were stored for the time being. Well, that, at least, saved him the trouble of looking for them. He checked each one; Lisa''s pocket watch was the only one that had lingering attachment energy.

    From there, he absorbed a total of 0.7 units of lingering attachment energy.

    It was unclear whether the energy belonged to Lisa or the watch''s original owner, Lisa¡¯s senior brother Natsu, but that didn''t matter. Regardless, Cassius wanted the pocket watch to remember Lisa.

    He exhaled a gust of cold air and slipped the old silver pocket watch into his chest pocket. The cold metal quickly warmed against his skin. He checked his energy level.

    [Lingering attachment energy: 2.4 + 0.5 + 0.7 = 3.6]

    That was plenty. Cassius estimated the third time-travel would require, at most, 2.5 units of lingering attachment energy.

    He had been very lucky to find the Duststorm¡¯s antique transport truck as soon as he had returned to the real world. He grabbed five legendary antiques at once; this was more than enough energy cumtively. When was he ever going to get such an opportunity again?

    Sighing, Cassius chose not to dwell on it anymore and took an antique makeup box from the truck. He left the way he came in by leaping over the wall. On the way back, he took a ck bag and filled it with the antiques from which he had absorbed the energy.

    Under the cover of night, he returned to Jessica Apartments. As he started walking up the stairs, a middle-aged man rushed down, nearly colliding with him. Cassius stepped aside.

    <i>I really need a ce of my own where I can live by myself. This constanting and going in the apartment is a hassle</i>.<i> And given the danger I bring, living alone is best, </i>Cassius thought.

    He went up to the fourth floor, unlocked his door, and entered. He turned on the light, plopped down on the couch, and took out the antiques from the bag one by one. A wall clock, andscape painting, a white porcin vase, and a makeup box. The silver pocket watch was still in his coat pocket.

    He had brought these antiques back with him not because he wanted to make a quick buck but so he could do some experimenting. Could the energy in these legendary antiques be replenished? Previous experiments suggested they couldn''t, but then again, the sample size had been too small.

    Cassius wanted to conduct more tests to see if there were exceptions. If there were, he would have an additional way of gaining energy. His need for lingering attachment energy remained high. There was never going to be a situation where he would have "too many" legendary antiques.

    Under the light, Cassius noticed the four antiques had simr designs on them, in particr, the fine thorny patterns. It was like they were part of a furniture series.

    <i>Could they be old items from the same mansion or castle? Why do they all contain energy? Where did Duststorm get them?</i> Questions filled his mind as he pondered.

    After a while, he checked the time. It was already 2 a.m. Cassius set the items aside and went to brush his teeth and take a bath. He didn''t want to disrupt his years-long sleep schedule. Sleep was paramount; everything else could wait. A good night of rest would give him the energy to train his Covert Martial Arts during the day.

    Time flew, and before he knew it, it was morning. Birds chirped outside the window, and a beam of sunlight slipped through the curtain and onto the white bed. Cassius''s eyes snapped open, and he sprang out of bed. When he checked the clock, it was already 9:30 a.m.

    He quickly brushed his teeth and washed his face, before preparing a simple breakfast. After a brief break, he pulled out a pre-packed herb mix from the cupboard. He filled a wooden tub with hot water and tossed it in. Soon, a strong medicinal aroma filled the room. He couldn''t miss even a day of soaking in the herbal bath.

    Cassius jumped in, the heat immediately engulfing his body. Soon, a biting pain, like bugs were stinging him, spread across his skin and muscles. At times, it became intensely itchy. Initiating his breathing technique, he assumed a specific posture to begin absorbing the medicinal nutrients.

    Training the Covert Martial Arts was a dailymitment. Absorbing the Shadow Demons was a bonus, but diligent practice was the foundation. In less than half an hour, Cassius had absorbed all the medicinal nutrients, the hot water turning cold and clear.

    Five minutester, he was taking a cold shower in the bathroom. Cassius stepped out, wrapped in a white towel and his hair still wet. He plopped down on the sofa.

    The weather was beautiful today. Through the open window on the right, he could see clear blue skies and fluffy white clouds. The wind blew in, constantly making the curtains billow.

    It was already 10:30 a.m. After freshening up and eating, Cassius headed over to the downtownbat gym where he was an annual VIP member there.

    Cassius much preferred thebat gym over the Gray Seal Martial Arts Hall. Not only were the equipment sets moreplete, the gym more spacious, and the service better, but more importantly, there were fewer women with ulterior motives ogling his body.

    In fact, this era leaned more toward a rugged aesthetic with people highly favoring deep-set features and a well-proportioned muscr body. Men who weren''t popr with thedies might be popr with other men.

    While waiting for his hair to dry, Cassius made himself a cup of ck tea. He took a few sips and then, feeling bored, picked up the bag next to the sofa, and took out several antiques one by one. He fiddled with them for a bit before he frowned.

    Was he feeling cool because his hands were wet from the shower or from the breeze blowing in? Or had the lingering attachment energy really been restored? Instinctively, he nced at the top right corner.

    Nothing.

    Cassius closed the window and then reached out to touch each item individually. There really was a coolness in his palm and yet the number in the top right corner didn''t budge. He was puzzled until he touched the fourth one. Cassius''s right hand paused, and he blinked.

    The number in the top right corner had changed!

    [Lingering Attachment Energy: 3.7]

    It increased by 0.1. Was the energy a single antique could restore so little that it took four to make up 0.1?

    Cassius thought this was likely the case. He nced around and touched the antiques with lingering attachment energy that he had previously absorbed. Unfortunately, they didn''t restore any energy.

    He then touched the silver pocket watch, but that didn''t work either. It seemed only these four antiques could restore energy. There must be a hidden secret behind their origin.

    For now, Cassius concluded that some antiques could restore lingering energy, but he''d have to continue experimenting to see how much energy these four antiques could restore and what their limits were. In any case, it was a pleasant surprise.

    Cassius was feeling pretty good. He stuffed his things into his shoulder bag and then changed into a white T-shirt with a skull emblem in the center and casual pants.

    He opened the door, walked down the stairs, and went to the northern part of g Street for lunch before taking a tram to Baichuan City''s downtown area.

    First, he found a jewelry store to have his silver pocket watch cleaned and maintained. He also bought a fine alloy chain to hang the silver pocket watch around his neck. It was sturdy enough that it wouldn''t break under normal circumstances. The jewelry store also gave him a bottle of cleaning solution, so he could do some simple maintenance at home.

    This era was roughly equivalent to the 1950s which meant themercial shops were quite developed. Cassius found a green newsstand by the roadside, went in, and bought a newspaper.

    Sure enough, the headline emzoned on the front page of the city paper read, "Gang Conflict on Ferren Street Yesterday Night Leaves Over Ten Dead or Injured."

    The article described the incident in great detail, apanied by some not-too-gruesome photos. It included a forensic expert''s evaluation where they concluded two gangs had fought over territory, with one gang taking advantage of the night to wipe out the ck Fire gang.

    "<i>Hehe</i>." Cassius chuckled.

    Naturally, Cassius, the reason behind this headline, knew exactly how the ck Fire gang members died. The evidence at the scene was likely too unbelievable that this was the only exnation the forensic expert coulde up with.

    Punching someone''s head off, slicing someone in half with their hand, taking bullets head-on, and easily crossing over ten meters in a single step. One could probably make a few guesses as to what had transpired based on the evidence.

    But the Baichuan City government had never encountered such things, and the police were absolutely clueless. The report naturally couldn''t describe the actual situation and had to fabricate a usible story.

    Without any surveince cameras in this era, the Baichuan City police had no way of tracking down Cassius. After reading the newspaper, he casually dumped it in a trash can.

    Pulling out his VIP card from his pocket, Cassius ambled into the Baichuan Citybat gym where he trained there until the afternoon.

    When it was nearly time for him to start working at Gray Seal Martial Arts Hall, he took the tram to Hongta Street. He was no longer that concerned about earning money when he taughtbat techniques at the hall. It was more about screening talent and noting which young people were worth training like Tifa and Phil''s friend Milo who had great potential.

    Back in the time-travel era, Instructor Lisa always talked about inheritance. Maybe Cassius could select a few disciples to train for fun in the real world, nting a seedling for the Wind Elephant Sect that disappeared seventy years ago. That was the least he could do.

    With a tter, the rear door of the tram opened. A few minutester, Cassius, bag in hand, strolled into the Gray Seal Martial Arts Hall.

    "He''s definitely a skilled fighter. I heard he''s quite well-known around Edelweiss Middle School. But it doesn''t matter how famous he is; he''s still just an ordinary person. Once he faces the ws of the viciously inhumane Shadow Demons, it''s only a matter of time before he gets killed," Hugo muttered to himself.

    He watched Cassius push the door and walk into the martial arts hall. Shaking his head, he walked away. He needed to handle the Shadowless n''s deployment of forces to Baichuan City.

 Chapter 101 - The Way of the Sword is Not So Convenient

    <h4>Chapter 101 - The Way of the Sword is Not So Convenient</h4>

    "Old Mike." Cassius gently tapped the table.

    "Here you go." A set of keys was tossed over.

    Cassius caught them and nodded. He was about to walk down the inner passage when he noticed Old Mike reading the Baichuan Morning Post. He leaned over to take a look. Oh, it really was the paper.

    Old Mike noticed Cassius''s gaze and lowered the newspaper. "The world''s been chaotictely. Apparently, there was a gang fightst night and at least a dozen people were killed."

    "It was the ck Fire gang, right?" Cassius remarked with a faint smile.

    "Yeah, that''s what it says in the paper." Old Mike shook his head. "It''s for the best since the people who died were all gang members anyway. Just let them fight each other to death."

    "..." Cassius fell silent for a moment and coughed twice.

    "What''s wrong? Are you catching a cold?"

    "It''s nothing, I''ll go in first. See youter." Cassius picked up his shoulder bag, grabbed a towel from the wall, and walked into the passage.

    Half an hourter, in the empty training room.

    Seven to eight teenagers were practicingbat techniques under Cassius''s guidance. After several lessons, they were starting to show some proficiency. Although they hadn''t fully grasped the techniques, they were nearing the beginner level.

    "Keep going. I''m going to walk around and correct your movements."

    Cassius stopped demonstrating and walked around to the side, counting out loud as he studied each person''s posture and movements. Tifa''s movements were undoubtedly the most standard. This girl had both talent and diligence and showed promise.

    As for Phil and Milo, although they weren''t impressive at first, they were starting to show improvement. They were diligent students and didn''t ck off. Their good constitution also caught Cassius''s eye, but he was going to continue observing them for a while longer.

    Over the past half month, more than a hundred people hade to learn from Cassius. Only five demonstrated some talent. Two of them were too old, and the remaining three were Phil, Milo, and Tifa. Tifa was the most talented, followed by Milo, and then Phil. But even then, Phil''s constitution hovered around the middle-bottom level, while Tifa''s constitution was around the middle-advanced level.

    Cassius''s current approach was to have them practice some simple Explosive Techniques for a while, see where their progress was by testing them, before deciding whether to teach them more advanced skills. He hoped whatever progress they made would be satisfactory. Thebat training session ended at dusk.

    "Goodbye, Coach."

    "See you tomorrow, Coach."

    "..."

    The teenagers waved and left.

    "Coach, I''m leaving too." Tifa waved her hand.

    "See youter." Cassius nodded. He noticed Phil waving back as if Tifa was saying goodbye to <i>him</i>.

    <i>That kid is still in puberty, I guess...</i>

    Cassius shook his head. "Let''s leave, Phil. Your brother''s car should be waiting outside. Thanks for the ride, by the way."

    "It''s no problem, Coach. Let''s go." Phil scratched his head and whispered a few words to Milo.

    Cassius and Phil pushed open the door and walked out. A long ck sedan with silver frame decorations was parked on the street. The car''s hood had a pale gold crescent emblem, marking it as a high-end car from the Heitz Nauya series.

    The window rolled down, and a young man in a tweed jacket, ck bowler hat, and gold-rimmed sses waved. "Phil, Mr. Li Wei! Over here."

    The two quickly slid into the back seat.

    "Phil, how''s your training with Mr. Li Wei going?" Matthew asked his brother from the driver''s seat. He slowly pressed down on the elerator.

    "It''s going alright. I''m doing my best," Phil said. He scratched his head, feeling a bit defeated as he had lost to Tifa yesterday.

    "Okay." Matthew didn''t probe any further and quickly changed the topic. "Mr. Li Wei, I found a nice detached house for you. Since it''s still light outside, we can drive over to check it out."

    "Thanks, Matthew." Cassius nodded. "But you don''t have to be so formal and call me Mr. Li Wei. We were brothers when we were drinking the other day. Calling me ''Mr.'' makes us sound so distant."

    Matthewughed. "<i>Haha</i>, alright then...Li Wei."

    The ck sedan sped by.

    On the other side, Milo walked home. He carried arge backpack, its zipper partially open to amodate the light yellow wooden sword handle sticking out. Most of Milo''s time had been taken up by boxing practice at the Gray Seal Martial Arts Hall with Phil, leaving him less time for the kendo club.

    For instance, he had nned on skipping the martial arts gym today but was pulled back by Phil after less than an hour.

    Honestly, Milo wasn''t very interested in boxing; he much preferred swordsmanship. Having a weapon made him feel cooler. He imagined drawing his sword swiftly against his enemies and whipping out a couple random shes, before sheathing the sword back elegantly. His enemies would have no choice but to flee in defeat!

    Lost in thought, Milo couldn''t help mimicking shing motions with his right hand. Despite his love for the kendo club, Phil''s offer had been too tempting to refuse. What boy would turn down aplete set of Captain Hongliics, especially when you throw in a limited edition?

    Milo, the "sword enthusiast," was easily bribed. After all, thatplete set of Captain Hongliics wouldn''t just be for him; if the boys in his ss found out, they would go crazy for it. Milo could already imagine his elevated status in ss in a few days. Soon, he would be surrounded by dozens of "loyal followers."

    "<i>Heh heh</i>." Milo chuckled to himself.

    At 6:30 p.m., there were a few remnants of light in the sky as the sun gradually set. Milo walked along the gray street toward Beiluo Street. He skidded to a halt.

    Two thuggish young men emerged from a dim alley ahead. One had dyed yellow hair, the other a nose ring. Their eyes met, and Milo instantly sensed danger.

    He had heard stories at school about thugs lurking around Edelweiss Middle School extorting money from students, and beating them if they refused or had no money.

    Milo didn''t have any money on him now. He gulped, turned on his heel, and ran.

    "Hey, where are you going?"

    A thug blocked his path. Smoking puffing from the cigarette in his mouth, this guy wore a blue jacket with metal chains draped over his shoulders.

    Milo froze. Three of them surrounded him: the one in the blue jacket, the one with yellow hair, and the one with a nose ring who was blocking the way.

    "What are you waiting for? Hand over the money."

    With each step they took, they closed in on him, with the guy in the blue jacket pulling out a pocketknife and spinning it in his hand.

    "I..." Milo hefted his backpack. "I don''t have any money."

    "No money? Then you know the drill. We''re gonna beat you up!" The guy with the nose ring cracked his neck, smirking as he lurched forward.

    <i>Crap!</i> Milo cursed inwardly. He suddenly remembered the wooden sword in his backpack. Unlike the bamboo sword used in sports, that was a wooden sword used in kendo practice, capable of causing real harm.

    With his skills in kendo, he might be able to take out these three thugs. Fired up, he quickly pulled the wooden sword from his bag. It was about 120 centimeters long.

    ¡°Wow, a kendo student!¡±

    The guy with yellow hair rushed forward, and Milo brought the long wooden sword down with both hands. But with a snap, the wooden sword was kicked out of his hands.

    "<i>Pfft</i>. What a joke."

    The wooden sword hit the ground, and the three immediately pounced on Milo. Since he had dared to resist, they hit him even harder. Punches and kicks rained down on him.

    Milo instinctively protected his vitals, several ces on his body screaming in pain. As he blocked two punches with his forearms, he discovered he was using the defensive techniques Cassius had taught him.

    <i>I might not have a sword anymore, but I still have my fists!</i>

    Milo was struck with a realization. He charged forward, squeezing through the gaps between the three thugs. He ducked, his shoulder lowered, before whipping around and punching the guy with yellow hair square in the chest.

    "Ugh." The guy grunted, clutching his chest.

    "What the fuck? How dare you fight back! Damn you!"

    The guy in the blue jacket charged, pocketknife unfolded and out, the de gleaming in the sunlight. Enraged, he started stabbing recklessly.

    "Knife!" Milo''s eyes widened in fear, but he quickly remembered the moves Cassius had taught him.

    He twisted his body, dodging to the side, and then pped the attacker''s wrist, forcing him to drop the knife on the ground.

    Without him realizing it, Milo had used an Explosive Technique, a simple speed-based one Cassius had shown him. It was surprisingly effective!

    Adrenaline surged through Milo. He roared and charged at the thugs, fists flying.

    If Cassius had been there, he would have shaken his head. Sometimes, Milo used properbat techniques, but he was mostly throwing punches helter-skelter. Against a more skilled opponent, he would have been beaten in the blink of an eye.

    But his opponents were just a few teenage thugs, not real gang members, and far less capable than Milo. Without the knife, the three thugs were quickly overpowered.

    Milo''s ferocity and his flurry of punches, along with the asional sharpbat move,pletely intimidated them. Faces ck and blue, they ended up running away, shouting as they went.

    Milo even chased after them for over a hundred meters before stopping, out of fear that he might get hurt if he continued. He picked up his ck backpack from the ground. Breathing heavily from the adrenaline rush, he held the wooden sword in his left hand as his right hand was slightly scraped. A rush of exhration he had never felt before rushed up from his tailbone to his brain. He shivered excitedly as he stood on the street.

    Milo felt just like Captain Hongli from hisics. One punch to defeat a rascal, one kick to dispatch an enemy. Having each punchnd, and hearing the satisfying thud of a kick gave him a much more exhrating thrill than kendo sparring sessions!

    Looking at the long wooden sword and his red clenched fist, he was hit with an epiphany.

    "How could the way of the sword be so inconvenient? From today onward, I''m going to train hard in martial arts!"

 Chapter 102 - Antique Appraisal Convention

    <h4>Chapter 102 - Antique Appraisal Convention</h4>

    "What about this ce? It''s a bit out of the way." Matthew pointed at a detached house up ahead.

    Cassius got out of the car and looked up. The house, surrounded by a low gray-white wall, upied a significant area. There was a solid iron gate circling the residence with a shiny metal mailbox standing by it.

    The three of them walked closer and noticed a stone path leading from the gate all the way to the house. They pushed open the gate and entered a small courtyard with green grass, flower beds, and a few ornamental trees around the edges. A three-story house, alight in gold from dusk''s glow, stood in the center of the courtyard. Its tile roof had a mix of different warm tones.

    Cassius nodded slightly. He liked its warm reddish-brown color.

    "The owner of this house is moving to East Sea County soon and since they''re in a rush, the price is quite low. They''re looking to sell quickly, so the whole ce is just a hundred fifty thousand Hongli Federation dors," Matthew exined as they walked.

    Cassius nodded again, clearly satisfied.

    "Oh, and there''s a pretty big basement here too. It used to be a storage room, but I think it''ll clean up quite nicely," Matthew added. He mentioned there were some drawbacks, like how it was pretty isted with very few neighbors, transportation wasn''t very convenient, and it was far from Baichuan City''s central district.

    But Cassius didn''t mind. He needed some quiet ce, and the fewer neighbors the better. As for transportation, the distance from Jessica Apartments to Hongta Street wasn''t that much farther from this house to Hongta Street. Plus, the house was still within city limits, with a bus stop a few hundred meters away.

    They went in to check out the inside. Cassius liked theyout so much, he immediately decided to take it. "Thanks a lot."

    "No problem. We''re friends, aren''t we?" Matthew said with a smile.

    At this point, they really were friends.

    Cassius had saved Matthew''s younger brother, and Matthew had helped Cassius find information on the coin antique and the Lanxin Grass. Now, he had found a house that suited Cassius''s tastes perfectly. Their mutual assistance had brought them closer together.

    Standing in the empty living room, Matthew said, "I have some reliable contacts in a few renovation and furniturepanies. I''ll give you their details. Just give them my name, and they''ll give you a good discount."

    They left the house and walked into the courtyard, still chatting. Matthew had some news about the Crown Star Coin Cassius had asked him to find. A White Rose Antique Appraisal Convention was going to take ce in the central district museum tomorrow. It was aprehensive exchange convention hosted by the externalpany White Rose Antiques.

    The White Rose Antiques was well-known in the eastern six counties. The appraisal convention would include exhibitions, charity donations, auctions, and a banquet. It wasn''t a regr antique exhibition but a novel concept borrowed from abroad.

    Over a hundred of the Crown Star Coins Cassius wanted would be disyed there. The White Rose Antique Company had collected them because even though they did not have significant antique value, they were good enough for disy.

    As Connan Company''s general manager, Matthew had received an invitation and could take Cassius to the exhibition.

    Cassius was intrigued. This was an excellent opportunity. With so many antiques in one ce, one or two of them might have lingering attachment energy. Whether he bought it or stole it, he wanted them in his hands.

    Cassius had never struggled with obtaining legendary antiques; he had difficulty tracking them down. He used to wander through various antique shops, hoping to stumble upon one by chance. But with such a good opportunity in front of him, he readily agreed.

    Three minutester.

    "See you tomorrow," Matthew said at the door, with Phil beside him.

    "Uh..." Cassius hesitated.

    Matthew yfully tapped his hat. "Get in."

    Cassius shook his head wryly, opened the car door, and got in. Matthew had been joking; he wouldn''t leave Cassius to spend the night in an empty house.

    Settling into the soft backseat, Cassius crossed his arms and closed his eyes. He could sense Matthew''s goodwill. Matthew genuinely wanted to be friends, otherwise he wouldn''t have gone to such lengths, and Cassius needed his connections. A friendship which they mutually benefited from was just perfect.

    A few minutester, the car arrived at the entrance of Jessica Apartments on g Street, and Cassius stepped out.

    The driver''s side window rolled down, and Phil waved lightly. "See you tomorrow, Coach."

    "See you tomorrow," Cassius replied, turning around and heading toward the apartment building.

    Phil had just arrived at ss with his backpack the next day when Milo mysteriously pulled him aside and solemnly dered, "I''m done with sword training!"

    "???" Phil stared wide-eyed. "Why?"

    "Because I''m going to train martial arts!" Milo grinned proudly and recounted the events of the previous evening¡ªwith some embellishments. Then he crossed his arms, wearing a cool expression.

    Phil eagerly yed along. "Dang, that''s impressive! Did you really beat up those three punks all by yourself?".

    "Of course! Look at this." Milo pulled Phil into a corner and secretly reached into his pocket.

    Phil panicked. "Dude, it''s broad daylight! Why are you being so sketchy?"

    "What on earth are you thinking? Look at my prize!" Milo triumphantly presented a pocketknife.

    The three punks had fled so quickly the previous evening that they had left the knife behind, which Milo had brought home as a trophy.

    "Whoa, you really fought off three guys!" Phil shed a quick thumbs-up. He greatly admired superheroes and was simrly influenced by the popric "Captain Hongli."

    "But seriously, why did you stick the knife in your pants?" Phil looked skeptically at Milo.

    "Well, I need to have it on me, right? Besides, it''s not like it''s in my underwear."

    Milo''s clothes had shallow pockets, except for one long inner pocket in his pants which he used to keep his pocket money safe from being lost or stolen. Now, it served as the pocketknife''s sheath.

    The two friends chatted in the corner, and the topic gradually shifted to the recent ranking matches in the school''s Combat Club.

    Phil wanted to participate to see where his progress was at, while Milo nned to quit the Kendo Club and apply to join the Combat Club. If that didn''t happen, then he''d simply remain clubless.

    Ever since that incident, Milo was fueled with determination. If he wanted to learn real skills, he needed to train with Coach Li Wei. The fact that all those years of kendo practice had been rendered useless by a punk''s kick had been a significant blow to him.

    <i>Ring... </i>

    The clear sound of a bell rang out. Arge hand pped down on a metal rm clock. Cassius quickly sat up and nced at the clock. 7:05 a.m. He was back on track with his routine.

    As per his usual routine, he brushed his teeth, washed his face, and made breakfast. The only difference was that Cassius skipped his herbal bath today because Matthew had told him that the White Rose Antique Appraisal Convention would start early, leaving him no time for morning exercise.

    Twenty minutester, Cassius finished his milk.

    He nced out the window. The car hadn''t arrived yet. He turned back to stare at the ck bag beside the sofa. As usual, heid out the four antiques on the coffee table.

    Touching them lightly, he felt a cool sensation seep into his skin. Cassius let his fingers glide across each antique, keeping an eye on the top right corner of his vision. The lingering attachment energy had increased by 0.1.

    [Lingering Attachment Energy: 3.8]

    The energy was still replenishing even on the second day.

    <i>If this keeps up for another five days, I¡¯d essentially get an extra legendary antique for free,</i> Cassius thought, satisfied as he reced the item.

    <i>Honk, honk, honk...</i>

    A series of honks sounded outside. Cassius looked out the window and saw a long car parked by the roadside. He quickly pulled on his suit jacket from the sofa, grabbed the pocket watch pendant from the coffee table, and headed downstairs.

    "Coming," Cassius called out as he strode toward the car.

    The driver''s window rolled down, revealing Matthew''s handsome face and another striking profile in the passenger seat. A graceful ck-haired woman with an impressive figure sat by Matthew''s side. She gazed deeply with herrge, enchanting eyes. A prominent ck tear mole at the corner of her elongated eye added to her allure.

    "Li Wei, this is Violet."

 Chapter 103 - The Bronze Ring

    <h4>Chapter 103 - The Bronze Ring</h4>

    Cassius narrowed his eyes slightly. "Hello."

    "Hello." Violet''s tone was so cold it practically froze.

    The car door opened, and Cassius sat inside, folding his arms across his chest. From time to time, his eyes flicked to Violet in the front passenger seat. He wasn''t looking at her because of her graceful figure or beauty, but because he could sense the killing intent emanating from her.

    This killing intent wasn''t directed at him, but was a natural aura formed over many years. Subtle though it may be, it couldn''t escape Cassius''s heightened senses.

    Violet wasn''t Matthew''s mistress or secretary; she was his bodyguard. She must be associated with the Ace of Spades.

    Duststorm''s previous assassination attempt on Phil had failed because Cassius had been there. They likely wouldn''t give up so easily, and their operations against Connan Company were probably still ongoing. Ace of Spades probably sent this woman, codenamed Violet, to protect Connan Company''s general manager, Matthew.

    The car started and soon pulled into the broad street, heading straight towards the central district where the City Museum was. The drive was uneventful, and after about ten minutes, they arrived.

    Cassius got out of the car, shielding his eyes from the sun as he looked around. They were in a gray-white rectangr za that had circr flower beds with flowers and shrubs blooming in them decorated the edges. Lampposts illuminated nearby. A circr white stone fountain was nted right in the center of the za, the tiles glistening in the sunlight. The fountain''s centerpiece was a five to six-meter-tall bronze statue of Baichuan City''s first mayor. Citizens, seated on the ck benches nearby, were either sunbathing and chatting or feeding pigeons with bread crumbs.

    <i>Bang. Bang.</i>

    The car doors closed and Matthew and Violet also got out.

    The pair seemed like a couple with one looking elegantly handsome, and the other exuding a refined beauty. Cassius, on the other hand, looked like a bodyguard.

    "Let''s go inside and take a look," Matthew said as he pulled a ck invitation trimmed in gold from his pocket.

    As they started walking, a security guard in a blue uniform approached. Upon spotting the invitation in Matthew''s hand, he quickened his steps. Once he confirmed their identities, he assured them he would have his men guard their car to prevent any damage. The security guard then respectfully watched them leave.

    This wasn''t just an antique exhibition; this was a high society gathering. With even the museum security showing such enthusiasm, the White Rosepany had probably promised some substantial benefits.

    After walking along the white stone path and taking a few turns, they arrived at arge, imposing museum withrge ss panes on the sides. A blue carpet stretched from the entrance all the way inside. There were about twenty security guards in blue uniforms patrolling the area. Some carried rubber batons.

    "Matthew!"

    "Avril?"

    "Long time no see!"

    "Likewise!"

    A young man in a suit standing near the entrance came closer, also holding a ck invitation to the antique exhibition. He seemed to be a friend of Matthew''s.

    "Didn''t you go to East Sea County with your father for business? When did youe back?" Matthew asked. He was also quite happy to see him.

    "The rubber business over there isn''t doing so well so my dad stayed to manage the branch, and I came back to handle the mainpany''s affairs in Beiliu County. I''ve been so busytely that I haven''t had time to catch up with you. I finally found some time to attend today''s White Rose Antique Exhibition. Who would''ve thought I''d run into you?" Avril said with a smile.

    "Perfect timing, let''s go together." Matthew smiled.

    They were clearly more than just ordinary friends. With how close they were, they were probably childhood friends.

    "And these two are?" Avril nced at Violet and Cassius.

    "Oh, they''re here to see the antique exhibition." Matthew introduced, "These are my friends. This is Violet, and that''s Li Wei."

    The four of them chatted at the entrance for another three to four minutes before heading into the museum. After having their invitations checked, they entered the exhibition hall without any trouble.

    The museum''s interior was spacious. The White Rose Antique Company had coordinated with the museum, temporarily renting the west exhibition hall for their themed antique exhibition. It had cost a hefty sum, but they had money and, above all, they wanted to make a grand impression.

    Baichuan City Museum had the best location, thergest area, and the mostprehensive facilities. The White Rose Antique Exhibition had to be held here in order to maintain its prestige and attract high society attendees.

    "Mr. Matthew!"

    "Matthew''s here?"

    As soon as they entered the exhibition hall, numerous pairs of eyes gravitated toward them. Connan Company was a big business in Baichuan City, making impressive profits from the liquor trade.

    Naturally, Matthew had a high status. He immediately put on a perfect smile and walked over gracefully. Avril and Violet followed him, leaving Cassius to stand alone.

    Matthew had already told him that he was here towork and that Cassius was free to explore on his own for now. Matthew would inquire with the organizers about the items on disy after the morning exhibition, because generally, they weren''t up for sale untilter; otherwise, the high society guests would have nothing to look at.

    Cassius took a moment to survey the hall. The museum''syout was indeed expansive. The main hall where he stood was supported byrge marble columns. Tall disy counters, each covered by a ss case showcasing an exhibit, was spread out over the gray-ck floor. He could tell at a nce that there were at least hundreds of items in the main hall alone.

    There were also many side halls, each with a specific theme, such as oil paintings or porcin vases. It looked like the White Rose Antique Company''s collection surpassed the museum''s. No wonder it boasted such prominence.

    Cassius quickly moved to the side and walked along the wall. About ten meters ahead, a pretty girl in a ck dress with a metal namete on her chest was in the midst of exining the story behind the ss-encased exhibit to a small group.

    "Excuse me, miss, is there an exhibition area for ancient coins?"

    "I''m sorry, sir, we don''t have a dedicated area for those. The coin exhibits are mixed in with the statues andndscape paintings and are in a single hall. If you want to see them, it''s the third side hall ahead," the girl said, smiling politely.

    "Thank you." Cassius immediately headed toward his destination.

    He quickly entered a side hall, wherendscape paintings adorned the walls. Below each painting hung a small que detailing the artist''s background and the price. Various artifacts encased in ss were disyed in front of these paintings. As he strolled around, Cassius examined each exhibit closely until he found what he was looking for: a rectangr disy next to a marble pir, showcasing antique coins neatly arranged under the ss.

    Sunlight shone on it, highlighting the embossed crown emblem with a tilted cross above it on the coin''s surface. Another coiny face down beside it, disying the number fifty.

    This was it. The Cross of Crown Star. One hundred and fifty years ago, the Duchy of Lante in northern Hongli Federation erupted in a bloody revolution. Emperor Wally the Fourth was guillotined, and the spectators threw coins stained with blood. The description beside the disy matched what the old man had told him.

    Cassius first nced at the exhibit and then at the few people in the hall, who were engrossed in the paintings on the walls. No one was paying any attention to him.

    He lightly tapped the base of the ss case. It made a muffled thud.

    His finger had acted like a bullet, breaking a tiny gap between the ss and the base. A bitter airflow began flowing out, and Cassius''s eyes lit up. He withdrew his hand quietly.

    Unfortunately, the ss case was tightly secured to the base. To open it, he would need to remove the entire case. Otherwise, he would have absorbed the lingering energy from the Cross of Crown Star first, and then considered purchasing the coin.

    Once he was sure no one was watching him, Cassius repeated his method on the other disys. His precise control allowed him to drill small holes in the adhesive without disturbing the ss surface.

    The operation was quiet and discreet. In just five to six minutes, he had examined all the disys in the side hall. However, none of the artifacts contained lingering attachment energy. Cassius turned his attention to the other side halls.

    Certain that his actions would fly under the radar, he continued his search. There weren''t any cameras, and no one seemed to take notice of his movements. Even if they did, all they would see was him touching the edge of the ss cases, and not tampering with the artifacts themselves.

    With renewed confidence, his movements became quicker. Highly efficient, he searched five side halls in short order but still found nothing.

    Cassius felt a bit frustrated. This expansive White Rose Antique Exhibition had only given him one item with lingering attachment energy, the Cross of Crown Star. Would searching for such artifacts in the future be like finding a needle in a haystack? Would he have to rely entirely on luck?

    Despite his frustration, he pressed on. Finally, in the second tost hall, hall number nine, he felt a faint tremor.

    He clicked his tongue and looked down to see a crude bronze ring in the disy. Hideous though it may be, the bitter taste in his mouth confirmed this was an antique with lingering attachment energy!

    Taking a deep breath, Cassius noted the location before moving to thest hall. Five minutester, he returned to the main hall.

    Elegantly dressed socialites wandered about the cavernous room, chatting and sipping hot tea. There were also groups of handsome young men and women dressed in stylish clothing strolling around and examining the exhibits.

    The only ones who looked like actual collectors were about the dozen balding middle-aged or elderly gentlemen. Wearing casual light yellow shirts and reading sses, they moved from disy to disy, their focus trained entirely on the artifacts.

    Cassius mimicked them and started from one corner of the hall before gradually moving to other areas. With his hunched posture, he was practically screaming to onlookers that he was someone taciturn and antisocial.

    People, still in the midst of their conversations, naturally stepped aside when he approached and scrutinized the disys. Cassius would quickly tap the edges of the cases, the soft sound allowing him to determine authenticity in seconds.

    Because the main hall had more exhibits and people, Cassius was exceedingly cautious. He acted nonchnt, waiting for the moment when no one was watching before quickly bending down to check. It took him half an hour toplete his search.

    <i>This entire White Rose Antique Exhibition isn''t even as good as the artifacts on Duststorm¡¯s transport trucks,</i> Cassius thought, somewhat sardonically.

    Only two items with lingering attachment energy turned up in this round of searching. One was the Crown Star Coin he had already identified, and the other was the bronze ring in hall nine. While it was something, the overall yield was uncertain because it all depended on just how authentic the Crown Star Coins were. Out of more than a hundred coins, who knew how many contained lingering attachment energy?

    If it was likest time, a single authentic Crown Star Coin held about 0.2 units of lingering attachment energy which was equivalent to half a regr legendary antique. Hopefully, there would be more this time...

    As he was lost in thought, amotion broke out nearby.

    "That damn bitch pped me?! Get her!" A young man with ck hair furiously clutched his left cheek, a red handprint clearly visible.

    A tall and cold figure stood opposite him. It was Matthew''s bodyguard Violet, the woman with the teardrop-shaped mole at the corner of her eye. It was indeed quite a striking feature because that was all Cassius could remember of her face.

    Without hesitation, one of the young man¡¯s bodyguards from several meters away charged at Violet. His powerful fist was aimed right for her chest.

    <i>Oh? This guy knows somebat moves,</i> Cassius noted as he walked over, narrowing his eyes.

    Violet stepped back, sidestepping the punch quickly. Her long, toned leg swung up, delivering a swift kick to the bodyguard¡¯s waist.

    <i>She knows somebat techniques too, but she''s not very advanced, probably around Combat Arts level three,</i> Cassius thought as he casually approached. <i>Seeing as how the Ace of Spades wouldn''t have such weak bodyguards, she must be more adept with firearms.</i>

    Meanwhile, two more bodyguards rushed over, joining the first. All three seemed to be around Combat Arts levels two or three. Violet was trapped.

    <i>Damn it, I couldn''t bring my gun inside. This isn''t good...</i> Violet narrowed her eyes, heart sinking.

    Suddenly, a tall figure pushed through the crowd, forcing his way in. "Make way," hemanded.

 Chapter 104 - Jackpot

    <h4>Chapter 104 - Jackpot</h4>

    Cassius came closer.

    The ck-haired young man stumbled two steps back, looking slightly nervous. "Are you with that woman?"

    One of the bodyguards stepped in front of the young man.

    "Her? I guess you could say that," Cassius deadpanned, cracking his thick neck.

    "What''s going on here?!" Not far away, three or four security guards in blue uniforms holding ck rubber batons ran in.

    "Beat both of them up before security gets here!" Emboldened by the numbers, the young man yelled, fury surging through him. Getting pped in public was something he could not tolerate!

    "That''s funny. I was thinking the same thing." Cassius sneered. He had barely finished speaking when he vanished.

    Thest thing the bodyguard in front of the young man saw was a blur before arge shadow overwhelmed his field of vision. A sharp pain shot through his abdomen, causing him to double over in agony. On the other side, the two bodyguards facing off against Violet froze. Tworge hands shot out from behind, lifting them like chickens. They didn''t even get a chance to struggle before they were knocked out.

    Cassius lowered his arms, letting the two bodies drop to the floor. He then backhanded the young man, knocking him down.

    "Y-you!" the young man stammered, cheek red. He wanted to say something tough but was afraid of getting hit again. He settled on stuttering.

    Cassius stood coldly, the murmurs around him helping him piece together what had happened. It was the ssic case of a rich kid trying to flirt with someone he found attractive, not realizing that the girl was a killer with a bad temper. She had retaliated with a p, leading to the scene Cassius had witnessed.

    It made sense. The White Rose Antiques Exhibition was more of a social gathering for the rich, with many wealthy businessmen and heirs mingling. Where there were rich people, there would be those so-called socialites. It wasmon for rich kids to chat up socialites, as both parties had their motives; one was hungry for the body and the other hungry for money.

    This ck-haired youth probably mistook Violet for one of those socialites and tried to do just that. Violet, being naturally aloof, ignored him. Mistaking her aloofness for ying hard to get, he kept pestering her, only to be pped.

    The young man, unable to contain his anger, called for his bodyguards to act on the spot. He didn''t seem to have learned social etiquette.

    If Matthew had been in this situation, he wouldn''t have acted out so brazenly. He would have restrained himself and dealt with it in privateter. He also would have never called his bodyguards to hit someone in public, especially in such a high-profile setting like the White Rose Antiques Exhibition, where many influential people were present. Such actions would lead to social ostracism and a loss of connections.

    There were rules and regtions when it came to these things. After acting rashly and arrogantly despite being in the wrong, the ck-haired youth deserved to be hit by Cassius.

    Three blue-uniformed security guards finally arrived. "What''s going on here?!"

    The young man pointed at Cassius. "He hit me in front of everyone!"

    "Hit you?!" The lead security guard raised an eyebrow, looking at Cassius and Violet. "What''s this about hitting? You just used him without any evidence to back up your ims. Does that mean that if I use you of murder, does that make you a murderer? Ridiculous!"

    The security guard wasn''t ying by the book.

    "What?!" The young many stunned on the ground. "Look at my bodyguards! And my face!" The young man gestured at the bodies strewn on the floor and then jabbed at his cheek.

    "Yeah, I see it. But how does this prove anything? How do I know you didn¡¯t get beaten because you were the ones who started it?"

    The security guard captain and his two subordinates walked over.

    "You! Y-you..." The young man was so angry his nostrils red.

    "Stop stalling and get up." The captain ordered, "Take the unconscious ones to the security office!"

    A few more security guards arrived, swiftly taking the young man and his three bodyguards away.

    Two minutester, the security captain nodded after hearing the witnesses'' testimonies, and headed to the security office.

    He wasn''t any ordinary guard; he had sharp instincts. With three bodyguards taken down in an instant, what could they possibly do with their batons? How could they fight against the tall and muscr Cassius?

    More importantly, Cassius and Violet had entered the hall with their young master Avril. Avril''s father owned a rubberpany, with a secondary business in security, making it the secondrgest securitypany in Baichuan City.

    The guards for the exhibition were the same as the ones for the museum''s security which Avril''s family business handled. If a clueless rich kid shed with the young master''s friends, needless to say, security would be on the master¡¯s side.

    Not to mention that the young man was in the wrong. Even if he had been right, between helping a rich kid and getting fired by the young master, or supporting the young master''s friend and thus securing a bright future... The choice was a no-brainer.

    The security captain smiled, touching the shield-shaped badge on his chest. Thispany''s ck emblem had never seemed so fitting.

    Pushing through the crowd, the security captain made his way to Matthew and Avril, who had just arrived. "Manager, your friend was in a bit of trouble, but not to worry, it''s been taken care of now." He puffed out his chest, showing off thepany emblem.

    "Friend? Oh..." Avril looked puzzled at first, then nced at Matthew. He patted the captain''s shoulder. "I see, thank you."

    "It was no problem. None at all. Just so you know, Manager, the ones who started the fight have been taken to the security office. I''ll be off now."

    The security captain had been around long enough to know not to hang around too long if he wanted to avoid annoying Avril. After a brief introduction, he quickly made his exit.

    Five minutester, the four regrouped.

    "So, let me get this straight. This happened because Miss Violet is just too beautiful," Matthew said with a mix of helplessness and amusement.

    "Violet is indeed beautiful," Avrilplimented.

    In the sunlight, Violet''s tall and curvy figure was pleasing to look at. Her legs and hips formed an eye-catching curve, her silky ck hair was tied in a ponytail, and her delicate, beautiful face had a seductive mole near her eye. The cold demeanor of a killer only added to her appeal.

    Even Avril, who has had his fair share of women, found himself tempted. No wonder the young man couldn''t hold back.

    While Matthew and Avril admired Violet, thetter had her eyes trained on Cassius, not for any romantic reason but because of his disyed power.

    As one of Ace of Spades'' killers, Violet was skilled in fighting with a gun and decent in closebat, and was roughly at the level of a third-stage Federal Combat Arts practitioner.

    Cassius had effortlessly taken down the young man''s bodyguards, at least one of whom was also at the third-stage level. Violet hadn''t seen how Cassius moved even as she stood on the sidelines as an observer. Simple deduction suggested he was at least a fourth or fifth-degree Combat Arts practitioner, making him an expert. Plus, his physique and muscles hinted at an even greater strength.

    Cassius noticed Violet''s gaze but didn''t acknowledge it. His mind was on the two legendary antiques he wanted. He had only helped earlier because he needed Matthew to negotiateter.

    The rest of the time passed uneventfully. Matthew mingled with various people while Cassius wandered around, killing time.

    As it approached noon, the first half of the antique exhibition came to a close.

    Matthew and hispanions went up to the organizer of the White Rose Antiques Exhibition through another contact. This was the advantage of having a widework¡ªconnections are a valuable resource.

    The two men negotiated in a spacious side hall of the museum.

    "Manager Tom, my friend is interested in the antique coin in Cab Thirty-Two of Side Hall Three and the bronze ring in Cab Twenty-One of Side Hall Nine. Is there any way to purchase them in advance?"

    "I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Matthew. The rules of the White Rose Antiques Exhibition stipte that no antiques can be sold before the exhibition ends. Only auction items are avable for purchase."

    "Is there any way to make an exception? My friend is very keen on those two pieces and is quite anxious to acquire them."

    "I understand, but we''d have empty disys if we sell those items. It''d be rather unsightly."

    "I know you have your own constraints, but I''m sure there''s room for negotiations." Matthew was not angry and instead spoke in a calm and refined manner with Manager Tom. He smiled pleasantly all the while.

    Tom initially thought to rebuke Matthew loudly with, "How dare you insult me by trying to bribe me?!" However, the money was just too tempting.

    Under the sunlight, he shook Matthew¡¯s hand with a broad smile. "Pleasure doing business with you!"

    "Thank you for your generous help, Manager Tom."

    Half an hourter, both Cassius and Tom got what they wanted.

    As for the White Rose Antiques Exhibition''s rules... Well, rules were rigid, but not people.

    An empty disy? Just move some pieces from another one that had more items. Rearrange it a little here and a little there, and it''ll look the same.

    These were minor issues. What mattered was the money in hand. How could one be sessful if they couldn''t adapt and be flexible?

    Manager Tom personally saw them off at the museum entrance. "Have a nice day."

    "Goodbye." Matthew waved.

    The three of them got into the car, and it soon merged smoothly into traffic.

    In thefortable backseat, Cassius unwrapped the tightly bundled up ck bag to reveal the two antiques he had secured. Fortunately, the coins and rings were small. If they had been fragile items like porcin vases or sculptures, they would have had to wait a day or two.

    Cassius looked up at him and said gratefully, "Thank you, Matthew,"

    "No problem. It didn¡¯t cost much. And you¡¯ve already thanked me several times. No need to make a fuss over such small matters between friends," Matthew replied with a smile.

    "I''ll drop you off at your new ce. I already informed the renovation and furniture people this morning so they should already be there. You can discuss your preferences with them."

    "Okay." Cassius didn¡¯t make a fuss. Matthew was truly a valuable friend. Who wouldn¡¯t like a wealthy and influential friend who can do things under the table like Matthew?

    As the car moved forward, Cassius began examining his antiques. First, he looked at the Crown Star Coins, which were kept in a stic bottle so he wouldn''t lose them. He unscrewed the bottle and a bitter taste spread in his mouth.

    <i>There seems to be a lot¡ªat least three!</i> Cassius estimated, based on his what he knew of authentic pieces.

    As he checked each coin, it was indeed true. There were four coins in total, each with 0.2 units of lingering attachment energy, which added up to 0.8 units of energy.

    His right hand felt a bit numb. Cassius exhaled a breath of murky air and nced at the top right corner of his interface, his face lighting up with joy.

    [Lingering Attachment Energy: 3.8 + 0.8 = 4.6]

    It had surpassed four units. And he still had one more item to absorb.

    He quickly retrieved the ugly bronze ring from the bag. As soon as he held it, his body froze.

    <i>Jackpot!</i>

    It wasn¡¯t a lingering attachment antique; it was a legendary antique!!!

    Cassius¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. Compared to ordinary antiques, lingering attachment antiques were rare, and legendary antiques even rarer. He had seen thousands of antiques, encountered fewer than ten lingering attachment antiques, and only two legendary antiques. He had really hit the jackpot this time!

    Cassius tamped down on his excitement and looked at the top right corner, where a ring symbol had appeared next to the Wind Elephant pendant.

    The two symbols were parallel to each other, but the ring symbol was slightly faint, possibly because he hadn¡¯t yet performed the time-travel.

    [Lingering Attachment Energy: 4.6 + 0.6 = 5.2]

    He had surpassed five units!

    With so much lingering attachment energy, he could perform at least two time-travels. Plus, with the newly acquired bronze ring, he might not have to wait until the Shadow Demons manifested to perform a time-travel. He could use it to enhance his strength in advance. The more he thought about it, the more feasible the idea seemed.

    <i>I¡¯ll think about what to do next once I¡¯m home...</i>

    Suddenly, the car jolted violently as if something had crashed into them. The three of them were startled, and Cassius¡¯s gaze immediately snapped to the right.

    A ck car had collided with them. At the same time, a handgun barrel extended from the gap in the window.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    A bullet shot out instantly. A massive ck shadow lunged at them from the back seat!

    Matthew started, all the color draining from his face as if his soul had left him. He peeked to his right and saw a muscr hand, veins bulging, extending from the back seat. The hand pressed firmly against Matthew¡¯s temple, solid as a rock.

    <i>Thud!</i>

    The hand opened slightly. A slightly bloodstained bullet ttered to the floor.

    Violet gaped in disbelief from where she was sitting in the front passenger seat. <i>What the hell?! He blocked the bullet with his hand! That¡¯s insane!</i>

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 105 - Time to Feast

    <h4>Chapter 105 - Time to Feast</h4>

    <i>Crash! Crash!</i>

    The left side of the car shook violently as another ck car came from behind and mmed into the rear end. Matthew quickly straightened the steering wheel, trying to control his car.

    <i>Vroom!</i>

    The ck car on the left elerated again and careened toward them. Matthew jerked the steering wheel sharply, the car door scraping by with a screech. The ck car''s window rolled down, and an arm holding a gun extended out. It was aimed right at Matthew.

    Cassius narrowed his eyes and was about to shield Matthew on the left when a gunshot echoed inside the car. Violet had pulled out arge-caliber handgun from who knew where and fired off a shot.

    The ss of the car on the left shattered with a <i>clink</i> as blood spattered across the broken window. Violet had killed them.

    <i>Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!</i>

    Gunshots rang out from both sides.

    Grabbing the back of their heads with hisrge hands, Cassius forced the two in the front seats to duck down. Bullets flew wildly, destroying the car windows, before finally hitting his strong arm with a dull thud. Blood sttered from his upper arm and forearm.

    "Damn it! Skin''s torn again!" Cassius cursed under his breath, then shook both hands. His muscr body, like twisted steel rods, forced the bullets embedded in his arm to pop out and fall to the carpet with a plop.

    He quickly scanned the surroundings. Aside from the two ck cars sandwiching them, there were also two more charging in from behind. The four cars formed an encirclement, forcing Matthew¡¯s luxury car forward.

    <i>Crash! Crash!</i>

    Two more crashes followed. The cars behind rammed frantically into their luxury car. Inside, the vehicle shook violently, and the three of them were jostled around as if they were speeding over a gravel road, their heads knocking against the hard surfaces.

    "Stop the car!" Cassius shouted.

    <i>Bang! Bang! Bang...</i>

    More bullets broke through the rear ss, hitting Cassius in the back. It wasn¡¯t very painful¡ªit felt like being pricked by needles¡ªbut it wasn¡¯tfortable either.

    "I would if I could!" Matthew had to use all his strength to keep the car steady, the steering wheel spinning like a ship''s helm. The car''s entire outer shell was deformed from the collisions. The silver framework decorations around the car were strewn all over.

    If it weren¡¯t for the fact that the Heitzenauer series was a high-end model, and Matthew¡¯s car had been specially reinforced, it would have fallen apart from the continuous crashes.

    <i>Thud!</i>

    Cassius''s head mmed into the roof again. The whole car veered and spun, making a big circle before managing to straighten out on the road. The car was heavily damaged and it could no longer drive fast. The four cars slowed down and had them tightly surrounded.

    <i>Thud! </i>

    Cassius''s head hit the roof once more. Given his tall stature, his head inevitably bumped into the roof whenever the car jolted.

    "Damn it, I''ve had enough!" Cassius pped the metal door on the right side and shouted, "Matthew, open the door!"

    <i>Swish, swish, swish.</i>

    Bullets whizzed by.

    Matthew ducked and shouted, "What are you going to do?"

    "Don''t worry about me! Just open the door!"

    "I can''t! The door''s all warped from the collisions!" Matthew frantically smashed his finger on the driver¡¯s side button, but the lock for the back door wouldn¡¯t budge.

    "Shit!" Cassius''s temper red. He refused to be trapped in this tin can, getting picked off by the surrounding gunfire.

    He took a deep breath, his muscr lines bulging. "elerated blood flow!" Cassius''s eyes turned blood red as he kicked the back door hard.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    A huge footprint protruded out from the door.

    "What the hell?"

    In the ck car on the right, two assassins in ck clothes stared at the luxury car¡¯s rear. There was another loud <i>bang</i>! With a kick, the car door flew off.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    It first hit the body of the car on the right¡ª

    <i>ng! </i>

    ¡ªThen soared backward, like a giant flying dart, and lodged itself into the hood of the car behind. At the same time, Cassius grabbed the edges of the front and rear seats, nting his strong legs on the carpet, and took a sprinter¡¯s starting position.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    A hulking shadow flew through the air like a hungry tiger pouncing on its prey. The luxury car shook violently.

    Matthew, who had been thrown around, regained control of the spinning steering wheel and looked at the now-empty back seat. "Where is he?!"

    "He should be... There!" Violet''s narrow eyes were filled with shock.

    A tall figure had materialized on the roof of the ck car to their right. Despite the car swaying wildly, his thick tree trunk-like legs remained rooted to its surface, steady as a rock.

    "What the hell is going on?!"

    "Why is there a person standing on car number two?!"

    The passengers in the other three ck cars gaped at the scene in front of them and the ck d assassins inside raised their guns, firing rapidly. Dozens of bullets hit Cassius, turning the only ck suit he had into tattered rags. The bullets broke through his skin but couldn''t get past his tough, steel-like muscles and remained embedded there.

    <i>Thud! Thud! Thud! </i>

    His heart, in the elerated blood flow state, pumped blood quickly, spreading strength throughout his body. The contours of Cassius''s muscles turned slightly ck, and a torrent of power surged out. His right hand became a ck blur.

    "Azure Wind Flow! Severing Flow!!!"

    His hand, wrapped in white gas, shed at the ck car''s roof like a high-speed cutting saw, producing a shower of sparks. He ripped off arge piece of the roof.

    The assassin in the passenger seat looked up sharply and met a pair of blood-red, vicious eyes.

    "Time to feast!"

    Cassius''s arm struck down like a ck python, grabbing, and lifting the poor, unfortunate soul in the passenger seat up by the head.

    <i>Bang! Bang! Bang...</i>

    Hispanion''s continuous gunfire identally hit him, riddling him with bullets. Blood spurted out like blooming red flowers.

    "Such fragile bodies..." Cassius gazed at the corpse in his hand. By this point, he was nothing but bullet holes and gushing blood. He tossed it backward.

    <i>Crash!</i>

    The corpse crashed through the windshield of one of the cars, coincidentally knocking out the driver. The car swerved wildly and plunged off the road and into the river.

    "<i>Ah</i>!"

    "No!"

    Cassius lifted the two assassins in the back seat and swung them out like sledgehammers. Their bodies sailed through the air and hit the ground with a st, blood oozing out. Thest assassin in the driver''s seat tried to jump out to escape, but a ck shadow mmed down like a hammer. With a loud thud, he cracked the assassin¡¯s skull.

    <i>Rat-a-tat-tat...</i>

    A string of sounds distinctly different from ordinary gunfire rang out. It turned out the car behind them had brought out a light machine gun that had been well-concealed from under the seat and started recklessly firing.

    They hadpletely forgotten about their mission to assassinate Matthew. Their only thought now was to kill that monster. Bullets from the light machine gun whizzed through the air at high speed.

    Sensing danger, Cassius dodged to the side, but two bullets still hit him. Blood poured out from the wounds.

    He wasn''t trained in hardening Qigong; his tough skin and muscles were a result of his second-level elerated blood flow. Cassius still had to avoid getting hit by machine gun bullets. While not fatal, they would affect hisbat ability.

    <i>Tat-tat-tat-tat...</i>

    A man in ck wearing sunsses stood atop the car behind them and was firing the light machine gun at them.

    "elerated Blood Flow: Second Stage!"

    The blood vessels in Cassius''s eyes spread like tree branches. He felt a powerful force circte throughout his muscles. He stomped heavily on the car''s roof and shot forward like a cannonball, his legs mped together like a pir as he aimed right for the car.

    <i>Crash!</i>

    His powerful feet mmed into the gunman''s chest and broke his ribs. The man''s chest caved in as he choked up blood.

    Cassius, at the peak of his second-level elerated blood flow state, was flexible and squeezed through the car window.

    <i>Thud! Bang!</i>

    "Noooo!"

    "<i>AAAAHHHHHHH</i>..."

    The car shook violently, with muffled sounds of struggleing from inside. The car door opened, and a panicked assassin tried to jump out, but arge hand yanked him back in.

    <i>Smash!</i>

    A bloodied head crashed through the side window, dangling lifelessly by the neck.

    The driverless car began to slow down as the rear car door was kicked open. A figure bounded out like a cheetah and raced down the road, quickly catching up to the moving cars ahead. The bright sunlight shone down on a human figure chasing two speeding vehicles.

    It was a bizarre and surreal scene to behold.

    "..." Violet nced at the only remaining car on the left, then stared at Cassius sprinting toward them. She opened her mouth as if to say something but no words came.

    In the driver''s seat, Matthew swallowed hard, wiping blood from his forehead. "What kind of ultra powerful friend did I just make?"

    As they watched, the assassins'' furious shouts and gunfire continued. Like he was some kind of tank, Cassius mmed hard into the car, causing it to slide sideways with a loud<i> bang</i>.

    The car door was distorted. ck tire marks were burned into the road.

    "<i>Ahhh</i>!"

    "Turn the wheel! Turn the wheel!"

    "Step on the gas! Don''t let that monster catch up!"

    <i>Bang!</i>

    Another m. The car grew increasingly misshapen. It spun like a top, throwing the assassins inside into chaos. They had toyed with Cassius''s car earlier, but it was now their turn to be terrified.

    Cassius stomped the ground, his muscles expanding and contracting as he charged again. He crashed through the car door, his solid arm forcing its way inside like a wall. The unlucky assassins in the back seat groaned as they had their bones cracked. Pushed out the left door, they tumbled out and rolled dozens of meters before stopping. They were dead.

    These assassins were not Covert Martial Arts Practitioners which meant their physical prowess was only slightly above normal and they had to rely mainly on firearms. Ordinary people would be severely injured after falling from a moving car, let alone these two who were already badly hurt.

    <i>Screech!</i>

    The heavily damaged Heitz Nauya car came to a stop.

    Matthew and Violet quickly got out and ran to the ck car about fifty meters away. A muffled sound came from inside, and blood sshed across the front windshield. Warm blood slowly dripped down.

    <i>Click.</i>

    The driver''s door opened. A tall figure stepped out and stood on the ck road.

    In the bright midday sun, his muscles glistened faintly like cast iron. Cassius, still in his elerated blood flow state, stood over six feet tall, with bulging veins like twisted steel bars. Hisrge frame blocked the sunlight, casting a wide shadow. He gave off an inexplicable sense of awe and grandeur.

    Several thumb-sized bullet holes on his body oozed a mixture of blood and sweat.

    "Li Wei, are you okay?" Matthew''s voice was shaky. His smooth talking persona had given way to a stuttering one. His heart pounded wildly.

    <i>This isn''t something that can be exined by the federation''s five-stage system!</i>

    Violet bit her full, wet lower lip.

    "It''s just a scratch."

    Cassius took a deep breath, his muscles shuddering. Bullets ttered to the ground, the sound ringing crisply on the hard surface.

    He brushed a hand over his chest, and the holes left by the machine gun began to close. They weren''t healing; Cassius was using his elerated blood flow to force his muscles to stop the bleeding.

    <i>This kind of power is only seen in those who have truly mastered the essence of the Covert Martial Arts!</i> Violet''s gaze lingered on Cassius''s strong physique. As a member of Beiliu County''s Ace of Spades, she was aware there were things beyond normal understanding. She knew the Covert Martial Arts existed, and there were experts in their organization. But she had never seen someone as monstrous as Cassius, who could withstand even light machine gun bullets!

    In the Ace of Spades, experts who specialized in closebat could handle four or five gunmen by themselves. But Cassius had ughtered a dozen gunmen and was even ramming into cars like a rhino!

    Cassius deactivated his elerated blood flow state and exhaled. "What do we do with all these bodies and car wreckage?"

    "Leave them. Connan Company and the Ace of Spades will take care of it. We have people in the city police department." Matthew wiped the blood from his forehead.

    "Are you hurt?" Cassius squinted at him.

    "Just a scratch. A piece of ss cut my forehead. I''ll get it bandaged at the hospital. But you, with all those bullet holes, should get checked out too."

    Despite Cassius''s formidable defense, Matthew thought it was best for him to get a thorough check-up.

    The three of them crawled back into the rather wrecked car and headed to a private hospital on the outskirts of the city: Qingteng Private Hospital, the third-best hospital in the city. Connan Company held a fifty-one percent stake there.

    "Ouch! That really hurts."

    Matthew''s face twisted in pain as he walked out with white bandages on his forehead. The alcohol disinfection had been quite painful.

    "Done?"

    Seated on a metal seat outside, Cassius casually flipped through a newspaper with his legs crossed. He looked up at Matthew.

    Matthew plopped down between Cassius and Violet. "Howe you look fine? Where are your bandages?"

    "The doctor said it was just a superficial wound. All he did was disinfect it with alcohol and put on a few band-aids." Cassius shrugged and went back to reading his newspaper.

    "You truly are a monster. You were shot dozens of times, and all you got was a superficial wound that you only need to cover with band-aids! Unbelievable." Matthew rubbed his forehead.

    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Violet, who was beside him, also shook her head helplessly, seemingly in agreement.

 Chapter 106 - Master Mad Elephant

    <h4>Chapter 106 - Master Mad Elephant</h4>

    They rested in the reclining chairs for a while. The faint scent of alcohol permeated the hospital air.

    "Duststorm really went all out today¡ªa dozen killers, four cars, and even a light machine gun." Matthew wiped his face, shaking his head self-deprecatingly. "They must think very highly of me."

    Fear still lingered in his heart as he recalled the earlier assassination attempt. If even one stray bullet in that shower of gunfire had hit something vital, Matthew would have died instantly.

    He wasn''t like Cassius, a martial artist with physical abilities beyond human limits, or even like Violet, a trained killer with some measure ofbat skills. He was an ordinary person. Finding himself at the heart of a grand assassination attempt naturally left him terrified.

    "Duststorm isn''t just targeting Connan Company; their real target is us," Violet said. "ording to internal intelligence, Duststorm has activities in eight cities in Beiliu County and has provoked many organizations, including the Ace of Spades. It seems they want to challenge all the underground forces in Beiliu County. I don''t know where they get their confidence. Today''s incident is only an example of one of their provocations."

    Violet then began to casually mention some recent underground events. Although Cassius seemed engrossed with the newspaper, he was actually listening closely. The events Violet mentioned seemed to match the numerous deaths and explosions reported in the Beiliu County newspaper, confirming that Duststorm was behind them.

    Half an hourter, Cassius put down the newspaper and asked, "How long are we going to wait here?"

    "I already called my father when we arrived at the hospital. He should be here soon." Matthew nced at his watch. It was 1:02 p.m.

    "I also informed my superior, White Bird. He should be arriving with Mr. Jason," Violet added in a soft voice.

    For the past half hour, she had been sneaking nces at Cassius from the corner of her eye. Cassius, with his keen senses, noticed but chose not to confront her.

    Violet wasn''t peeking at him because of some frivolous reason like she was checking him out. She seemed to be assessing something. Waiting for something.

    Finally, after another ten minutes, at around 1:20 p.m., a set of hurried footsteps came thundering up from the hospital stairs.

    A burly middle-aged man in a white shirt and brown vest walked up, his meticulously styled hair a bit disheveled. He spotted the three people sitting on the recliners and hurried over. "Is my son alright?!" Cassius very sensibly made room for him.

    "A head injury?!" Jason frowned at the bandage on Matthew''s forehead.

    "It''s nothing serious. I didn''t get shot; it''s just a small cut from broken ss. The doctor disinfected and bandaged me up and they said it should heal in half a month. I won''t even have a scar."

    Afraid that his father was still worried, Matthew jumped up from the recliner to show off just how uninjured he was. The Hudson family wasn''t a centuries-old wealthy merchant family. It had only been in thest couple of decades that Jason had made his fortune and Matthew had endured his fair share of hardships as a child too. Because the family had struggled together, Jason and Matthew''s bond was deep with none of that clich¨¦d "father-son" melodrama.

    The two embraced each other tightly in the hallway.

    Jason had been out of his mind with worry after seeing the riverside road on his way to the hospital. All of those scattered, tragic bodies, mangled car wreckage, and bullet marks everywhere... he knew a fierce battle had taken ce.

    Even though the Ace of Spades'' elite killer Violet had been there, she might not have been able topletely protect Matthew. He might have escaped with his life but probably not with all four limbs attached.

    Jason had been prepared for the worst but was relieved to find his son rtively unharmed, the only battle wound being a scrape.

    Feeling reassured, he turned to Violet. "Thank you, Miss Violet! If it weren''t for the Ace of Spades sending someone to protect my son¡ª"

    A cold voice cut Jason off.

    "I''m sorry, Mr. Jason. The one who really protected your son this time was Mr. Li Wei." Violet shook her head, looking over at Cassius. "He''s far stronger than I am. Without him, both Matthew and I would have perished in the Duststorm attack."

    Violet then recounted the events straight without embellishing anything. Just the truth. Jason''s eyes widened as he listened, his gaze shifting between Cassius and Violet, the astonishment growing.

    <i>Withstanding bullets...and from a light machine gun too! Is this guy even human? </i>Jason finally noticed the few bandages on Cassius, two on his arm and one on his palm, thetter of which was from catching a bullet aimed at Matthew''s temple. How incredible.

    And the cars with their shattered metal frameworks and twisted bodies... Did Cassius smash them with his bare fists?

    This wasn''t a human being; this was a walking tank!

    As shocked as he was, Jason was grateful that Cassius was their friend and ally. The stronger the ally, the better. He thanked Cassius warmly, his status already shooting up in his mind.

    A self-made businessman with a silver tongue, Jason bonded quickly with Cassius and even started calling him "nephew." The smile never left his face. It was a stark contrast from the stern and meticulous man with the eagle-like visage that Cassius first encountered.

    Cassius supposed that having a solid foundation of strength and ability allowed him to be adaptable to any kind of situation.

    "Don''t worry, Uncle. I''ll keep an eye on Phil and make sure he learns somebat skills so he can defend himself," Cassius replied in his usual manner.

    "That would be great. Thank you, Li Wei." Jason nodded. His demeanor suddenly turned serious, his voice suffused with suppressed anger. "Duststorm attacked my sons twice... This means war! We need to make them pay!"

    "Yes, we do."

    A man in a ck casual suit appeared at the stairwell. His wide-brimmed hat, trimmed in ck, obscured his entire face. He also wore ck leather boots and carried a ck cane. The only unique feature was his white gloves. Made of fine, soft fabric, they were adorned with a red heart and the letter "J" on it.

    "You''vee, White Bird," Jason said.

    "Yes. I had to deal with the car wrecks by the river, so there was a dy." The man shuffled over. His gaze swept over the four people, finally stopping on Cassius.

    Violet quickly stood up and whispered something to White Bird.

    "Sorry, everyone, I need to report to my superior." She shed a perfect smile before walking over to a corner with White Bird. All the while, as she ryed the assassination details, White Bird nodded asionally. He gazed at Cassius, expression thoughtful.

    After a moment, they returned. After exchanging a few words, they headed to the hospital''s conference room. With Jason, the chairman of Connan Company, around, there was no ce in Green Vine Hospital they couldn''t go.

    Cassius sat on the red chair, finding the soft cushion quitefortable. The spacious conference hall was bright with fresh air. The curtains were drawn aside, revealing the blue sky and a few white clouds outside the window.

    Like Jason, White Bird first thanked Cassius for his help. Without him, Violet would have been killed by the Duststorm assassins. White Bird then spoke with Jason about Duststorm.

    For twenty to thirty minutes, they discussed a n of retaliation against Duststorm, whose arrogance had only grown, as well as their recent activities. Jason was invited to join the counterattack. After all, the Ace of Spades were professionals when it came to killing and destroying things.

    They made no effort to try to hide what they were talking about despite having an outsider, Cassius, there. Instead, they spoke openly about confidential matters.

    White Bird shared some of the intel he had received. "Three days ago, the Fire Fox in Oak City was attacked by Duststorm assassins. Almost everyone was wiped out. The few who escaped were severely injured and died shortly after. We did manage to get some information from them just before they died. They said the killers were bio-engineered humans who possessed little to no fear of getting shot, couldn¡¯t feel any pain, and continued fighting even with broken limbs!"

    The bio-engineered humans were reminiscent of something that happened in theic <i>Captain Hongli,</i> where an evil scientist experimented on people, creating pain-insensitive, high self-healing bio-humans, then brainwashing them into killers.

    "Bio-engineered humans? Is Duststorm doing some secret dark technology? Is this why they''ve been so active and provocativetely?" Jason was astonished. Duststorm wasn''t as simple as they seemed.

    Beside him, Cassius frowned. He couldn''t be sure, but these bio-engineered humans seemed a little too simr to the cloaked men from the ruthless battle. The same fearlessness, pain insensitivity, and high healing ability¡ªthey were pretty much the same except they were the modern versions of them.

    Apart from the Covert Martial Arts, there were other mysterious paths in this world.

    Right now, whether Duststorm''s bio-humans and the cloaked men were one and the same was up in the air. Cassius was utterly confused and knew that he needed to learn more about Duststorm.

    While White Bird and Jason continued their discussion, Cassius pondered deeply, lost in thought.

    About five to six minutester, everyone stood up from their seats, opened the doors, and walked into the hospital hallway. Cassius was nearly at the door when a deep male voice called from behind.

    "Mr. Li Wei, a moment."

    Cassius turned. "Is there something you need?"

    White Bird smiled.

    Ten minutester, in the conference room, Cassius had joined the Ace of Spades organization. It happened quickly and without much fanfare.

    Cassius had already been eyeing Ace of Spades from the very beginning. Like Sandstorm, they dealt in antiques, making it an excellent ce to search for antiques with lingering attachments. Additionally, Ace of Spades was well-informed and a significant organization in Beiliu County, even operating in parts of the Six Eastern Counties of the Hong Li Federation. As the saying goes, it''s good to have a big tree behind you for shade.

    Now that Cassius had information linking Sandstorm and the cloaked men, it all but confirmed for him that Ace of Spades was the holder of valuable intelligence. It would be wise for him to either join or, at the very least, cooperate with them.

    Meanwhile, White Bird''s invitation was very enthusiastic.

    He knew that Cassius was a formidable man with extraordinary skills and capable of withstanding light machine gun bullets. Such talent was exactly what Ace of Spades desired. Their interests aligned perfectly.

    In addition, White Bird wanted to use Cassius''s strength to increase his own influence. After all, he had worked with Connan Company for over a decade. Since Cassius was a friend of Matthew''s, this made them natural allies, fully capable of supporting each other.

    The Ace of Spades, as an organization, also needed a distribution of power. And White Bird needed a heavyweight ally.

    The Ace of Spades, as the name suggested, was rted to ying cards. The Two Jokers were the leaders of the organization. The sixteen high-level members of the organization wereprised of the Aces, Kings, Queens, and Jacks of each suit: Spades, Hearts, Clubs, and Diamonds.

    This was an underground force with thousands of members, ranking highly among all organizations in the Six Eastern Counties.

    Excluding the Two Jokers, the remaining sixteen high-level members were divided ordingly into the four suits, AKQJ. Each group managed different aspects of the organization: some dealt with antique sales, some with the transportation of contraband, others with intelligence, and some with assassination, among many other specialized tasks.

    As the Jack of Hearts, White Bird was primarily responsible for assassination operations, making him Ace of Spades'' second-inmand in this aspect. He had led many killers and was well-known in the Eastern Federation''s underworld.

    Due to the high sess rate of his assassination missions, White Bird was quite reputable. Since the Jack of Spades was not very involved in these affairs, White Bird was effectively the head of the assassination department. He had always thrived in this role, but Duststorm''s meteoric rise in power had caused him significant trouble.

    First, there were numerous attacks targeting the Ace of Spades, followed by the sudden death of a high-ranking member. Coincidentally, the deceased was the Jack of Diamonds, the assassination department''s fourth-inmand, who died while assisting the antique sales department on a transport mission.

    Being the only killer among the four high-ranking members of the assassination department, the Jack of Diamonds was essentially the department''s face. Many suspected that Duststorm orchestrated the attack to kill the strongest assassin in the department to intimidate everyone in the Ace of Spades.

    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    And they had done it. Duststorm''s rabid dog-like actions had shaken up the Ace of Spades so badly that no one had stepped forward to fill the Jack of Diamonds'' position. That role had remained vacant for a month. What was once a coveted position had turned into a hot potato. No one dared to sit in it until Duststorm''s arrogance had been quelled.

    In hindsight, who could me them? But as the person-in-charge of the assassination department, White Bird was embarrassed. He nned to find a powerful enough external ally¡ªsomeone strong enough to stabilize the department. He had been searching fruitlessly for a month. But that was going to change today.

    "I''m looking forward to working with you."

    "Likewise."

    Standing by the open window, and illuminated by the golden sunlight, Cassius and White Bird shook hands like decades-long old friends.

    Cassius had a rough understanding of the Ace of Spades organization from their conversation and he asked, "White Bird, won''t there be objections to directly appointing me to the assassination department?"

    "Ordinarily, it wouldn''t be allowed. Traditionally, we promote high-level members from within, usually those who have served for at least ten years or have made significant contributions. But special times call for special measures. Besides, nothing goodes out of being rigid all the time." White Bird paused.

    "You have the strength, I have the position, and people keep passing the Jack of Diamonds'' spot back and forth. When I propose your appointment in a few days, most of the high-ranking members won''t object. And even if there are, you just need to beat them up. Pain has a way of bringing rity." White Bird''s cunning smile made him look like an old fox.

    "I''m good at that." Cassius nodded confidently.

    "The high-ranking members and some elite members of the assassination department will soon be arriving at Baichuan City to attend a small meeting. You might need to make an appearance, but I''m sure you won''t disappoint me." White Bird smiled faintly. "Someone will notify you before the meeting."

    "And my request..."

    "Once you be the Jack of Diamonds, it will be a trivial matter," White Bird said, pinching his thumb and index finger together. "The assassination and antique departments have always had a good rtionship; we frequently exchange personnel. What you''re asking for is a minor issue."

    "Then I feel at ease." Cassius smiled.

    His request was small. It would be normal for an antique enthusiast to want to see the antique department¡¯s warehouse in the Ace of Spades organization, right? Just like how it''d be normal to touch an item that tickled his fancy, and if he really liked it, it was only natural to buy it for a price.

    Once Cassius became a high-ranking member of the assassination department, no one in the antique department would bat an eye at such small matters. On the contrary, they might even praise him for being so diligent and proactively patrolling the warehouse to prevent theft.

    "So, are we good to work together?" Cassius extended his hand.

    "We are."

    Backlit against the sunlight, the two shook hands for the second time.

    A minuteter, Cassius and White Bird strolled out of the conference room. Violet was waiting at the door, while Jason and Matthew sat on a bench, resting. As the five of them walked together, Matthew casually asked, "What were you two talking about in there?"

    "Nothing much. Mr. White Bird just wanted to thank me. After all, however indirectly, I did save Violet''s life," Cassius replied without hesitation. Joining the Ace of Spades organization was not something that should be publicly broadcasted. He couldn''t tell Matthew. The more people who knew, the greater the risk.

    They all went down the stairs together with Cassius beside Jason and Matthew, while White Bird chatted with Violet.

    asionally, they nced over at Cassius, pointing and whispering. Violet wore aplicated expression on her face. She opened her mouth a few times as if wanting to say something but eventually just nodded helplessly.

    Several ck cars were parked at the entrance of the Green Vine Hospital. A young man in a suit, who appeared to be a secretary, approached Matthew and Jason, whispering something in their ears.

    "There''s trouble at the Jackson factory? Alright, I understand," Jason said, ncing at his son. "Matthew, you go check out the Jackson factory. I need to head to city hall; the mayor and deputy mayor want to discuss something with me."

    "What about Li Wei?" Matthew asked.

    "I can take Mr. Li Wei," a melodious voice chimed in. A graceful figure walked over.

    "Thanks," Matthew said.

    Cassius turned to look at Violet, who smiled at him, eyes narrowed. The charming mole at the corner of her eye was much more pronounced.

    Five minutester, Cassius and Violet were in the ck car as it drove off. They sat in silence.

    Cassius was a man of few words, and Violet, as an assassin, was equally aloof. With nothing to talk about, they could only listen to the car engine''s hum.

    In the soft back seat, Cassius fiddled with a bronze ring. It was crude and ugly, but in there was a node that ordinary antiques with lingering attachmentscked. As crucial as the energy from lingering attachments was, the nodes were even more so.

    Cassius wondered what era the time-travel node would take him to. He was curious but something held him back.

    At present, he had enough lingering attachment energy stored, plus he owned two legendary antiques, the bronze ring and the Wind Elephant tusk pendant. Cassius was torn between which to use first. One path led to the third stage of Li Wei''s revenge, while the other was aplete enigma.

    It was clear that Li Wei''s enemies, the cloaked men, were numerous, powerful, and challenging to kill. They were elusive, non-human entities. Without immense power, it would be difficult to make any headway against them. Even activating the second-level elerated blood flow might not suffice. After all, even Sect Leader Belon...

    Therefore, it might be wiser to first use the other legendary antique to give himself a quick power boost. Once he had a stronger foundation, he could embark on the third stage of the Wind Elephant tusk pendant. Cassius still had some unresolved feelings about the era from seventy years ago.

    Fortunately, he now had enough energy.

    While Cassius was deep in thought, the car suddenly stopped. A cold and pleasant voice spoke from the driver''s seat, "Master Li Wei, we''ve arrived at your destination."

    Cassius looked up. "What did you call me?"

    "Ma-Master Li Wei," Violet stammered, looking somewhat shy. Hearing such wordsing out of someone with a cold, beautiful face as her was rather unexpected.

    <i>White Bird must have told her...</i> Cassius thought.

    He tapped his arm and said, "Don''t call me Master Li Wei. Call me Wind Elephant. Wind Elephant will be my code name from today just like White Bird."

    "Mad Elephant?" Violet looked puzzled[1].

    "Yes, Wind Elephant," Cassius confirmed.

    "Alright, I understand, Master Mad Elephant."

    1. Violet misheard "·ç" (wind) as "·è" (mad) ?

 Chapter 107 - Spiraling Tornado Sphere

    <h4>Chapter 107 - Spiraling Tornado Sphere</h4>

    In the midday sunlight, a ck shoe stepped out of the car and onto the gray and white pavement. Cassius got out, taking a moment to survey his surroundings.

    This area was part of a residential neighborhood, though on the outskirts of the city so it wasn''t densely popted. The streets were spacious, with some moss growing on the slightly damaged bricks.

    "Let me apany you, Master Wind Elephant," Violet said as she followed suit. "Once we''re done, I can take you wherever you need to go. Mr. White Bird instructed me to be your driver from now on."

    "Let''s not be so formal. That''s too much," Cassius said, feeling awkward. "Just call me Boss when we''re out in public."

    With Cassius''s take-over of the assassination department''s "Jack of Diamonds" position imminent, this made him the fourth-inmand and Violet''s superior.

    "Got it, Boss," Violet replied, relief rushing through her. Cassius joining the Ace of Spades and then bing a boss; it had all happened quite suddenly. It felt a little humiliating for her, a cold-blooded assassin, to call Cassius "sir" all the time.

    "Alright, let''s go."

    Letting the memory of his previous visit guide him, Cassius led the way. Violet mmed the car door and followed him.

    After just a three-minute walk, they arrived at his future house. The iron gate was open, and several trucks, loaded with furniture covered by sky-blue tarps, were parked outside. A few people were standing around, chatting and smoking.

    When the workers spotted Cassiusing their way, a beautiful secretary in tow, they quickly realized he was the client.

    A bald man in a suit hurriedly stubbed out his cigarette and came over, fixing his clothes as he walked. "Are you Mr. Li Wei, Mr. Matthew''s friend? I''m from the Natural Wood Furniture Company."

    The man introduced himself, hispany, and then the furniture they were delivering. The Natural Wood Furniture Company''s main style was Rococo and they offered a wide range of items, from sofas andmps to tables, chairs, and cabs. Known for its light and delicate curves, this style often uses shell motifs, ruffles, and floral patterns. The colors were usually soft, with cream and white floral designs as the primary tones.

    When the man unveiled the furniture, it was indeed elegant and somewhat ornate, though not as fancy or mboyant as the Baroque style.

    Cassius nodded. He wasn''t particr about furniture styles, trusting Matthew''s tastes.

    Next, he met with a representative, a project manager, from a renovationpany. Thispany, which was owned by Connan Company, was the secondrgest in Baichuan City.

    The project manager brought a thick portfolio showcasing various home renovation styles, both interior and exterior. Cassius flipped through the book which had designs like floral edging around windows and intricate wrought iron decorations on rooftops. There were tile structures in square, round, fish scale, acorn, diamond, and many other ovepping shapes. While beautiful, Cassius wasn''t very knowledgeable about such details so he relinquished the project to the manager, with the only requirement being a speedypletion.

    The manager assured Cassius that, as Matthew''s friend, they wouldplete the renovations within three days. Maybe two, including today.

    Cassius couldn''t help but marvel at how efficient things were with connections. For an average person, the same job might take weeks, but three days? That wouldn¡¯t even be enough time to clean an entire house, as any other lousy renovationpany would know.

    With the house matters settled, Cassius got back into the ck car, with Violet once again as his driver.

    "Where to next, Boss?"

    "g Street... Wait, on second thought, let''s go to the central district," Cassius decided, remembering he had ordered arge batch of clothes from a tailor shop there a few days ago.

    Half an hourter, he was back in the car with a mountain of clothes in the back seat, waving goodbye to the delighted shop owner. Next, they went to Jessica Apartments on g Street. The car stopped at the corner.

    "Wait here for a bit," Cassius told Violet. "I need to drop these clothes off and then head to Hongta Street."

    He carried the clothes upstairs to his fourth-floor apartment, dumping them on the sofa. Grabbing a shoulder bag he had prepared beforehand, he went back downstairs.

    Just as he was about to leave, he paused for a second, fingers resting on the cold doorknob. He returned to his room, grabbed three small bottles of ointment from his wardrobe, and stuffed them into his bag. He exited his room and walked down the stairs once more.

    A minuteter, the car door closed with a thud.

    "Gray Seal Martial Arts Hall near Edelweiss Middle School on Hongta Street," Cassius instructed from the back seat. Ten minutester, they arrived.

    Never did Cassius appreciate how much time a car saved than he did today. The journey took half the timepared to if he walked here on his own. Sure, he could run faster than a car, but it wasn''t like he could show off his superhuman abilities in the city. Having a car was practical and he wouldn''t need to buy one himself since Ace of Spades would likely provide one.

    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Cassius preferred to drive rather than have Violet drive him around. He valued his privacy above all else and had many secrets; being alone gave him more freedom. As for Violet, she was originally a coldly aloof assassin, so she should focus on her primary job.

    Cassius was well aware that White Bird had assigned Violet to him for other reasons. A beautiful, cold, and stunning full-time secretary paired with a young, vigorous, and powerful martial artist¡ªsomething was almost guaranteed to happen between them. If there was work, the secretary would handle it. If there was no work, the secretary would be the one getting "handled".

    Violet''s current role felt much like a seductive spy. The sudden shift in her role had left her feeling awkward and shy, but once she had a few days to adjust, coupled with guidance from her former boss White Bird, it was likely that Cassius wouldn''t be able to resist her advances when the time came.

    While he wasn''t particrly vulnerable to feminine charms, Cassius didn''t want his focus diverted to irrelevant matters. It would be better to make his stance clear to White Bird early on, so Violet wouldn''t need to be a full-time secretary and driver. She could serve as a liaison instead.

    "We''re here. You can go back now; no need to wait for me," Cassius said as he got out of the car and headed into the Gray Seal Martial Arts Hall. The ck car drove off and disappeared.

    Cassius pushed the door open and entered. The gym looked the same as before. Old Mike was reading a newspaper, a recently released model magazine featuring a very provocative-looking swimsuit model sshed across the cover behind it.

    "Hey, Coach Li Wei," Old Mike said, tossing a set of keys from the drawer to Cassius.

    Cassius nodded and walked away silently.

    On the way to the locker room, various people greeted him, and some who were a little closer to him asked after his injuries. Shooting a quick nce at the bandage on his burly arm, Cassius exined he had fallen and scraped his arm against some rocks. The woman who had inquired teased him about being clumsy, tittering afterward.

    Cassius was exasperated. Should he tell her he had been ambushed by a dozen assassins, and the bandaged spots were actually wounds from getting shot by a light machine gun?

    <i>Clumsy</i>? If that were true, he would''ve been dead a long time ago!

    After making a few randomments, Cassius finally made it to the locker room. He changed intobat attire and headed to his private training room.

    Today was going to be different than usual. Instead of the usual group of seven or eight students, only Tifa, Phil, and Milo were expected. Over the past half a month, Cassius had weeded out most of the students that showed talent, leaving just these three.

    After his experiences with time travel and various other events, Cassius was considering reviving the Wind Elephant Sect''s teachings in the real world. But for now, he wanted to see if he had the ability to teach disciples. Even if it was a trial run, Cassius had some standards such as having at least the average constitution, a diligent and eager personality, and decentprehension.

    These were the only ones who managed to pass Cassius''s criteria.

    About ten minutester, one after another, Tifa and the others arrived.

    Cassius and the three students sat cross-legged on the floor in the spacious training room. Light streamed through the windows, filling the room with sunlight.

    "Coach, why is it just the three of us today?" Milo asked, scratching his head in confusion.

    <i>Because I have money now and no longer need to work as abat coach at Gray Seal Martial Arts Hall, training dozens of students, for extra cash,</i> Cassius thought but didn''t say. Instead, he coughed lightly, surveying the three of them.

    "I want to teach you some real world skills," Cassius said slowly. "From now on, the four of us will be the only ones using this training room. I won''t be taking any additional students."

    "Real world skills!" Tifa''s eyes lit up. She knew how effective Cassius''sbat and Explosive Techniques were from his previous teachings. Were those just the basics?!

    Milo''s eyes also brightened. Since his epiphany in the alley, he''d seen the light on how troublesome using a sword was and wanted to learn martial arts. He aspired to be a superhuman like Captain Hongli from hisics!

    Phil was also interested. It hadn''t been that long ago since he survived the assassination attempt, and the fear and helplessness from that time still haunted him to the point where he had nightmares about it. It would be an invaluable skill to learn some self-defense.

    "Yes, real world skills," Cassius affirmed as he stood up. "I previously taught you two Explosive Techniques: one for speed and one for strength. The most they can increase is by 1.3 times."

    He looked at Tifa, who nodded in acknowledgment.

    "But those were just the watered-down versions. The full versions of the Speed and Strength Explosive Techniques can amplify your abilities by about 1.5 times." Cassius exined further, detailing the special force-exertion technique which utilized specific muscle groups.

    "1.5 times," Tifa murmured to herself.

    "Yes. If you can master these two Explosive Techniques, and your body can handle it, then congrattions, you will have reached the peak of the Federation''s five-stagebat system." Cassius recalled his conversation with Lisa during his first time travel experience.

    Tifa knew, very well, how significant these five stages were. "Does that mean we''ll be at the Federation''s five-stage level?!"

    Someone at the fifth stage was a master inbat, a top-level practitioner who had perfected their pugilism! Thebat coach at Edelweiss Middle School was only at the second stage, and those at the third and fourth stages appeared mostly at major Federationbatpetitions. Yet, the way Cassius nonchntly spoke about reaching the peak of the five stages, he acted like it was nothing.

    "<i>Heh</i>." Cassius sneered, shaking his head. "Most of the Federation''s five-stage ssification is for the sake ofpetition. What I want to teach you is the art of killing. If you somehow master the Basic Combat Arts I teach but can''t even surpass the Federation''s fourth or fifth stage...I''d be too ashamed to even look at myself in the mirror."

    Hearing this, the three students exchanged looks of disbelief.

    Practitioners at the Federation''s five-stage level, to their understanding, were the pinnacle of martial arts. What kind of person was Cassius to be so dismissive of these practitioners? Could he really withstand bullets with his body?

    Even Milo, an enormous superheroics fan, found it hard to believe that anyone could withstand metal bullets with just flesh and blood. How could flesh be tougher than steel?

    Cassius smiled at their stunned silence. The time hade for him to show off, even if he didn''t really want to. He had anticipated this reaction since the three had no exposure to the supernatural. Who would believe in extraordinary abilities or Shadow Demons without having ever witnessed them?

    Cassius shook his head. "I know you don''t believe it now, but you''ll see soon enough!" He then clenched his fist and gently blew on it. As he rubbed his hands together, a Tornado Sphere began forming.

    <i>Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...</i>

    In the sunlight, a faint white stream of air began to emerge from his fingers, the air visibly rippling.

    The air quickly wrapped around his palm and fingers, rotating rapidly to form a top-shaped whirlpool. Tifa, Milo, and Phil looked on, astonished, as the air spun faster and faster until it formed a t, white sphere.

    The basketball-sized sphere emitted a fierce wind. Just as it seemed ready to explode, it suddenly contracted, shrinking to the size of an apple. The wind died down, leaving only a spinning white ball in Cassius''s palm.

    <i>Whoa, it worked this time!</i>

 Chapter 108 - The Grim Reaper Opens the Door!

    <h4>Chapter 108 - The Grim Reaper Opens the Door!</h4>

    Cassius was a bit surprised himself.

    Thest time he tried to perform the Azure Wind Flow, the spiraling energy ball had exploded. But, to his shock, it had worked this time!

    Ignoring the three people beside him, he closed his eyes, allowing himself to feel the changes in airflow within his palm. The rotation, the wind force, the eye of the storm...

    Numerous insights shed through his mind in quick session, firmly etched in his memory. After just a few seconds, the swirling airflow in his palm began to destabilize. The energy ball wobbled, and Cassius''s arm ached from the intense spiraling. His skin felt like it was seconds away from peeling off.

    <i>It''s still too much!</i>

    He clenched his five fingers, and a loud bang exploded out as the white Tornado Sphere burst apart, sending a strong wind sweeping within a dozen meters radius.

    The three of them had to close their eyes against the st, their clothes fluttering and sticking tightly to their skin from the gust.

    "<i>Phew</i>..." Cassius exhaled lightly, the blood vessels in his eyes receding rapidly until they looked normal again.

    This unexpected sess in condensing the spiraling energy ball had given him some important, some especially detailed, insights. His chances of sess in future attempts would be much higher, albeit not by a lot. However minimal it was, progress was still progress and just as precious.

    He looked at the three dumbfounded people standing two meters away. He held up his right palm. "Did you see that?"

    "Yes!" they answered in unison.

    "Do you want to learn?"

    "Yes!"

    "Well, too bad! No way!" Cassius shook his head. "You have to be, at minimum, a pugilist who has surpassed the limits of the human body. Otherwise, you''re not even qualified to learn it."

    "Coach, what is a pugilist?" Tifa asked.

    "Don''t call me ''coach'' anymore, call me ''Master.'' You should''ve already called me that the moment I showed you the Azure Wind Flow," Cassius said. He paused slightly before he continued, "You must have heard of the Federation''s five-stage system, right?"

    "Yes." The three nodded.

    "There''s another name we call the Federation''s five-stage system," Cassius recalled Lisa''s words. "Amateur."

    "Amateur!" Tifa was shocked. How could abat master who at the peak of the pugilist level just be considered an amateur?

    "If there''s an amateur level, then there must be a professional level, right?" Milo asked curiously.

    "Correct. The professional level is above the amateur level." Cassius began to borate, "There is some ovep between the two. The peak of the amateur level is the Federation''s fifth stage, which is about the same as the professional stage''s mid-level. In other words, if you reach the peak of the professional stage, you will be half a level higher than the Federation''s fifth stage." He gestured with his hand.

    "Like I said earlier, if you can master the two Explosive Techniques of speed and strength, you will have reached the peak of the amateur level, the Federation''s fifth stage. If you can''t beat someone at an ordinary fourth or fifth stage with this kind of strength, then you might as well quit," Cassius said as he sauntered over to the window and pulled the curtain.

    "These two Explosive Techniques are based off of a martial art I practice called The Wind Elephant Sect''s Basic Combat Arts, which has aplete framework for deadly Combat Techniques. Thebat moves I taught you in the past few dayse from there, which is the foundation for everything."

    Milo was taken aback when he heard this. When he fought those three thugs in the alley, all of those sharpbat moves he doled out¡ªthe strikes, hooks, thrusts, and straight punches¡ªwere what really hurt them.

    Cassius walked back and stood in the center so he could face the three.

    "The professional level is a process of constantly tempering the body and pushing its limits. To strengthen the body, you must master Combat Techniques, do actualbat training, and use medicinal baths on a daily basis until your physique gets stronger and surpasses ordinary people''s. Once you reach a bottleneck, you''ve reached the limits of the human body!"

    His gaze swept over the three, who stared nkly back at him. "Once you break through this limit, you can control your body''s blood cirction with your mind, doubling your speed and strength in an instant. Your perception expands, your reaction speed increases, and your dynamic vision and hearing evolve. At that point, you be superhuman."

    The whites of Cassius''s eyes suddenly turned red, and he vanished, leaving behind only a ck afterimage.

    "Where is he?! Where did he go?!" Milo shouted. Tifa and Phil, who were sitting on the ground, were just about to look around when a pair of rough hands pressed on their cheeks, and Cassius''s head squeezed in between them.

    "I''m right here."

    They jumped to their feet. Tifa was about to speak, but arge shadow loomed over them like a python and swallowed the air. There was a loud thud.

    Tifa''s bangs fluttered wildly as she stared wide-eyed. She swallowed hard and looked around her. Phil and Milo were standing at her side, looking equally shocked.

    Cassius had thrown three punches in a split second.

    "To have the strength to fight a hundred or even a thousand, with a punch that can pierce through metal armor, and movements so swift that you can catch a flying sparrow¡ªthis is what it means to be a pugilist."

    Two minutester.

    "Master! I want to learn Combat Arts!"

    Three fervent gazes from three directions fell on Cassius.

    "You want to learn, huh? Alright, let''s see if you have the resolve to walk this path first," Cassius said with a smile. He reached into his bag and after a bit of rummaging around, he procured three bottles. The bottles were transparent, containing a sticky ointment inside.

    "Take one each," Cassius shook the bottles.

    The three exchanged nces and did as they were told.

    "What is this, Master?" Tifa asked.

    "Wind Elephant Ointment, used to temper the body and stimte muscle growth. Don''t worry, other than a bit of stinging during practice, there aren''t any major side effects," Cassius replied honestly. It was true: the Wind Elephant Ointment didn''t have any significant side effects with the only drawback being the stinging sensation it caused when practicing the Elephant Soul. The first time Cassius used the ointment, the stinging wasn''t too bad because it was at the beginning of the practice when the pain was the weakest. Not to mention, the Wind Elephant Ointment from that era was too diluted and impure.

    But the three bottles in Cassius''s hands now were different. They contained sufficient, even excessive, amounts of Lanxin Grass. Because the stinging sensation from the ointment and the medicinal baths were due inrge part to Lanxin Grass, which stimted muscles and skin, Cassius wasn''t sure how strong the stinging sensation would be for the three of them.

    He figured it shouldn''t be too bad. After all, it was their first time using it, and the pain should be minor.

    Ten minutester, the training room was filled with cries and wails.

    "Ah! I can''t take it anymore! It''s itchy and painful!"

    "It feels like a hundred needles are stabbing me all over!"

    "My butt is on fire!"

    "I need to go to the bathroom!"

    "Sit down!" Cassius shouted, shoving Milo back down when he tried to stand. Milo plopped back onto the floor.

    Milo bounced up and down thrice, as if he were sitting on a bed of hot coals. "Why does it feel like needles are poking my butt?!" He was on the verge of tears.

    "What''s a grown man crying like this for? Where''s your dignity?" Cassius scolded. "When I used this ointment for the first time, I didn''t even flinch. It was actually enjoyable!"

    The truth was, when Cassius used it back then, it didn''t hurt at all. It had felt like he had been submerged in a hot spring, warmth spreading through his entire body.

    "Look at your Senior Sister Tifa. She can take it, so what''s your excuse?" Cassius pointed out.

    Tifa was indeed showing great resilience. Though her brow was furrowed and she bit her lip, she didn''t utter a single sound. Her body trembled slightly, clearly enduring the pain. She was handling it much better than Milo and Phil.

    "If Sis Tifa can do it, then so can I!" Phil said, sweat pouring down his forehead as he tried to control his breathing. He closed his eyes, trying to calm himself.

    <i>Smack! </i>

    Arge hand pped his shoulder.

    N?v(el)B\\jnn

    "<i>Ahhh</i>! <i>O</i>!" Phil jumped up as if pricked by a porcupine, his face contorted in pain, snot dripping from his nose. He collided into Milo, who was beside him. Milo quickly stepped aside, his arms trembling. He was hyperventting and his eyes were enormous.

    "Master, don''t touch me! It hurts!" Phil cried out.

    "Phil, don''t bump into me! It hurts!" Milo echoed.

    Their red eyes brimmed with tears.

    "Does it really hurt that much?" Cassius said, shaking his head. "Alright, I was just trying to tell you not to close your eyes. The next thing you have to do is mimic my movements. Watch carefully."

    He couldn''t help thinking, <i>these modern ointments are really potent!</i>

    He then guided the three through the initial steps of the Elephant Soul technique, reminding them to keep their breathing steady.

    Gradually, their expressions calmed. They now felt what Cassius once felt: the sensation of soaking in a hot spring. Warmth spread through their skin, seeping into their muscles, bones, meridians, and blood.

    After a while, they opened their eyes. The afternoon sunlight had turned to a dusky yellow, as if the sun was ten minutes away from setting.

    "How do you feel?" Cassius asked from where he stood at the window.

    "Strange. My body feels lighter." Tifa looked down at her hands and lightly jumped on the spot.

    "My vision is clearer, and my sense of smell too..." Milo said, sniffing the air like a dog.

    Phil had quite an imagination. "It''s like taking a cold shower after a hot and sweaty summer day."

    "Go home so you can get used to this feeling without any disturbances. It''ste now. I want you toe to me every day for your ointment training from now on," Cassius instructed as he collected the three bottles.

    Five minutester, the three of them walked down the hallway, a new spring in their steps.

    "This is amazing," Tifa marveled. She peeked over at Cassius''s tall figure, bag slung over his shoulder, walking behind them. In the shadows, he had an inexplicable, untouchable aura of mystery.

    "Our teacher seems to be full of mysteries..."

    The three parted ways as they each headed back home.

    From that day onward, Tifa, Phil, and Milo officially started following Cassius, practicing thebat techniques of the Wind Elephant Sect. They trained in Basic Combat Arts daily and used the ointment to practice the Elephant Soul.

    Three dayster, the renovations for Cassius''s new home were finallyplete. While the walls and floor tiles remained mostly unchanged, there were other small improvements made, and the courtyard was rearranged.

    Cassius moved in that day, leaving behind the remaining rent at Madam Jessica''s ce; he considered it a small expense for a few months'' stay. He also kept the room to use as an asional resting ce.

    That evening, Cassius drove home from the Gray Seal Martial Arts Hall in a new car he had acquired from Ace of Spades. Though not as luxurious as Matthew''s Heitznauer series, it was still a decent vehicle.

    Cassius feltfortable in it, appreciating the seat, theyout of the driver''s area, and the understated, elegant interior.

    If he were driving by the river on Sunset Boulevard as he listened to long, crooning songs, what a beautiful experience that would be.

    But even though he wasn''t by the river, he was still on Sunset Boulevard. His car, bathed in white moonlight, sped forward. The car''s radio yed the melodic tunes of an unknown band.

    <i>The sun today feels wonderful,</i>

    <i>With even the evening bringing a gentle breeze.</i>

    <i>Hair defies the wind, reaching so high,</i>

    <i>Candies and spices sway andugh.</i>

    <i>In quiet moments, everything''s full,</i>

    <i>But why can''t I feel joy in the crowd?</i>

    Cassius''s head swayed lightly to the music. He wasn''t some cold machine; he enjoyed moments of freedom and happiness when he was alone.

    If anyone dared to disturb Cassius at this moment, they would get a front row seat of what a "Mad Elephant" would look like!

    Unfortunately, there was indeed such a fool today.

    <i>Bang! Bang! Bang!</i>

    Twisted creatures emerged from the shadows, brandishing inhuman ws. They chased the car, shing at the brand-new doors and scratching off the beautiful paint as sparks flew. The windows shattered.

    Their goal was to stop the car, and announce to the parasitized Cassius, "The grim reaper hase knocking!"

    <i>Screech!</i>

    The car came to an abrupt halt, leaving ck skid marks. A pack of shadow demons surrounded the car, their ws out like hyenas.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    One excited, bloodthirsty Shadow Demon was thrown into the air, tumbling across the ground for dozens of meters.

    A strong, marble-like arm retracted from the window. With a click, a man with eyes burning red like mes stepped out. His muscr, statue-like body stood tall.

    The grim reaper had opened the door.

 Chapter 109 - Overly Cautious

    <h4>Chapter 109 - Overly Cautious</h4>

    On the silent highway, the sky was caught between dusk and night. A dark cloud, driven by the gale, pushed away thest remnants of light.

    Cassius took stock of his situation; these intruders hade out of nowhere and had him and his car surrounded. A strange sense of familiarity washed over him as he nced at his own shadow on the right. The ck mass seemed to wriggle as if provoked.

    <i>Shadow Demons.</i>

    He realized what was happening instantly.

    Under the dim light, five figures, dressed in human attire, stood on the roadside like dark statues. They looked no different from ordinary people, except their shadows wriggled like chaotic, viscous liquid under the moonlight. Their arms had mutated, with five bony fingers protruding outward that were almost twice as long and looked more like five des than appendages.

    Theirbat style was likely different as well. When they attacked, they moved more like beasts. During the chase, their twisted, savage forms exhibited movements impossible for a human body. Numerous pieces of information surged through Cassius''s mind.

    His expression turned grim; he knew dark creatures like these were not to be trifled with. Those cloaked men he had met in the ruthless massacre, for instance, had been fearless with their bodies that regenerated at incredible speeds, and explosive strength that wereparable to pugilists. The Shadow Demons standing before him probably weren''t much different. Each one was at least at the level of a pugilist, perhaps even possessing second or third-level elerated blood flow.

    Cassius understood the rules of the Shadow Demons. Every time the Shadow Demons won a battle, their physical attributes and skills would umte, bing terrifying powerful entities. If Cassius lost, they would use his body to resurrect and gain all his abilities and skills.

    Exhaling slowly, Cassius noticed the Shadow Demon he had just sent flying was getting up as if nothing had happened. With a few light jumps, it returned to the highway.

    "This is seriously troublesome," he muttered. Although the enemy far outnumbered him, Cassius, at his second-level elerated blood flow, was confident he could fight them. He immediately adopted thebat stance of the Wind Elephant. One foot stomped forward, while he lightly put his other foot a step back. He raised his strong arms up to either side, guarding like a boxer.

    Broad shoulders spread wide, every muscle in his body were like steel springs as it pulsed powerfully outward. He inhaled fiercely, his body bending like a drawn bow, chest puffed out. His body expanded violently, ripping his clothes apart and exposing his slightly dark skin. The blue veins on his muscr upper body looked like ck snakes writhing all over. A cross-shaped vein pulsed at his brow.

    Cassius opened his eyes wide as they turned bloodshot. In an instant, he adjusted his state to the second stage of elerated blood flow, unleashing his full power without any reservation. If he didn''t, facing off against these formidable dark creatures would have spelled certain death for him.

    "Come on! Let me see what you''re made of!"

    A hot, faint white breath shot out from his nose as he exhaled, and he heightened his focus to the level needed in a life-and-death battle. Any slight movement around him would trigger Cassius''s most ferocious, mercurial, lethal attack.

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    A shadow suddenly leaped toward him, charging with inhuman speed, its sharp ws gleaming coldly.

    As the first Shadow Demon moved, the others charged forward a beatter. They ran and jumped, their massive ws swinging like des reflecting in the moonlight.

    <i>Here theye!</i>

    Despite how hard Cassius''s heart was pounding, he did not assume his usual aggressive offensive stance. Instead, he adopted a rare defensive posture, something he only did against powerful foes.

    <i>Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap...</i>

    The first Shadow Demon swung its iron ws viciously.

    <i>Use only seventy percent of your strength. Save thirty percent to deal with the others, </i>Cassius thought. The more dangerous the situation, the calmer and clearer his thoughts were.

    When getting besieged by strong enemies, it was absolutely crucial to get a sense of the overall situation. The gain or loss in one opponent''s attack or defense was practically negligible.

    <i>I''ll push this Shadow Demon away first!</i>

    His right foot stomped on the ground, leaving a shallow dent in the road. His right fist shot out like a cannonball.

    <i>Crack-crack-crack-crack-crack!</i>

    <i>Boom!!!</i>

    Two meters away, a tall, inhuman Shadow Demon stood motionless. Inch by inch, its arms shattered, its de-like fingers twisting and snapping. Blood seeped through the gaps formed by muscles, skin, and bone, and dripped slowly down.

    Not only that, where there should have been a head on the Shadow Demon''s neck was an empty space, blood spurting like a fountain. The head was nowhere to be seen.

    <i>Thud!</i>

    The Shadow Demon fell straight down.

    <i>How is this possible?! I only used seventy percent of my strength! I didn''t even use the ultimate move, Azure Wind Flow. It was just a regr punch at the second stage of elerated blood flow! And somehow I killed one Shadow Demon?</i>

    Cassius furrowed his brows in disbelief, his heart filled with shock. He momentarily forgot he was in the middle of a Shadow Demons attack.

    <i>Shing! Hiss-hiss-hiss-hiss...</i>

    Several ws shed at Cassius''s chest, shoulders, and back, tearing at his skin in their attempt to disembowel him, but it seemed ineffective. All they managed to do was scratch his skin; they couldn''t even draw any blood. Their power was far less than that of a bullet.

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    A shadow cut through the air, five de-like fingers aiming quickly and urately at Cassius''s neck. But what seemed quick to an ordinary person was more like a grandma slowly lifting her arm to Cassius in his second stage of elerated blood flow.

    <i>Snap!</i>

    Cassius countered, grabbing the w midair. He squeezed hard, the sound of bones breaking audible. Thick red blood trickled out between his fingers.

    "Why are these bodies so fragile?"

    He released his grip as he frowned. The Shadow Demon''s arm was crushed into a ball of a mix of flesh, bones, and muscles.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    He kicked the Shadow Demon away, sending it flying dozens of meters. It crashed and rolled on the ground, blood spurting out.

    "Such useless opponents..."

    There must be some kind of misunderstanding. These Shadow Demons were merely at the professional level. Where were the six breakthrough pugilist-level Shadow Demons he had been expecting?

    "<i>Roar</i>!"

    A Shadow Demon came at him from behind. Cassius turned swiftly, his hands striking like pythons.

    <i>Crack! Rip!</i>

    The Shadow Demon was torn in half, blood spewing into the air. As a shower of blood came down on him, Cassius turned his head.

    He looked at the remaining three Shadow Demons, his eyes burning with anger from being deceived. Where were his formidable enemies? Were these all just a bunch of weaklings? How infuriating!

    <i>Thud!</i>

    He stomped on the road, and a pit appeared from the impact. He charged, his fist punching through a Shadow Demon, blood and flesh spraying out in a wide arc. Cassius flung the Shadow Demon aside.

    "A bunch of useless bodies that haven''t even reached the human limit!" He turned to the remaining two Shadow Demons. "How do you n to block my punch?"

    One after the other, the two Shadow Demons, sensing danger, turned on their heels to flee. They ran fast under the moonlight.

    The one at the back suddenly fell. A tall figure leaped over it. The other remaining Shadow Demon''s heart pounded as it saw the ground ahead, where arge, twisted shadow was approaching, swallowing its own shadow. It ran a few more steps before everything went ck.

    At 7:30 p.m., on the edge of the city, at Cassius''s new home.

    A ck car, battered and worn, drove out of a secluded alley and puttered into the yard. Momentster, a man came out to close the iron gate, scanning around as if afraid of being followed.

    Cassius shut the gate and locked it. He walked along the stone path to the ck car in the yard.

    Under the moonlight, he nced at his torn clothes, then went inside to change. His earlier burst of power had shredded his shirt. With only the cor remaining, he looked like he was wearing a ck choker.

    ckmp posts stood on either side of the yard, each resembling a streetmp. The soft yellow light at the top emitted a gentle glow.

    Cassius nced at the car he had just acquired yesterday. The ck paint on its body was now battered, with visible w marks carved all over. Three windows on either side were shattered, the jagged edges of ss still clinging to the frames.

    "For fuck''s sake," he couldn''t help but curse.

    N?v(el)B\\jnn

    If his attackers had been a group of superhuman monsters, it might have made sense. But the group had turned out to only have just one beginner-level Shadow Demon and five mid-tier professionalckeys. For someone at Cassius''s second-level elerated blood flow stage, anyone below a pugilist was no real challenge.

    The only notable opponent had been the single Shadow Demon he had initially punched through the window. The one with a faint red glow in its eyes.

    Cassius realized he had been overly cautious.

    His knowledge of dark creatures was limited, and the precedent set by the cloaked men, along with the misdirection from the red-eyed Shadow Demon, had led him to believe it had been a life-or-death battle. He had unleashed his full power right from the start, resulting in a fight that barely constituted as a fight where he dispatched his enemies with ease.

    Tonight''s encounter didn''t even match the intensity of the Duststorm''s assassination attempt a few days ago, where the dozen gunmen had posed a more significant threat.

    Feeling pitiful, he traced his fingers along the scratches on the car. Cassius opened the rear door and dragged out two adult males.

    He slung one over each shoulder and walked steadily toward the basement of his house.

    Out of the six Shadow Demons, Cassius had killed four in his anger and surprise, leaving two alive for interrogation. He had initially nned to load the dead bodies into his car and dispose of the evidence in the can field on the outskirts of Baichuan City. However, the four dead had started to melt before he could move them, eventually dissolving into ck liquid and then into ck ash that dissipated into the air.

    Cassius squatted down beside them and scrutinized them, noting the differences between the cloaked men and the Shadow Demons. Both were eerie and terrifying, invoking a terror from deep within his heart.

    Despite his second-level elerated blood flow state, he still felt a trace of fear when facing these rtively weak Shadow Demons. He wasn''t used to this feeling, but perhaps it was a human instinct to fear dark creatures.

    In the spacious basement, specially remodeled by the renovationpany to include a small training area as per Cassius''s request, he dropped the two Shadow Demons onto the floor with a thud.

    Using sturdy nylon ropes, he bound them to the butterfly machine and the standing punching bag. With these heavy pieces of equipment bolted to the floor, not even a pugilist could escape once restrained.

    Satisfied with his work, Cassius nced at the ropes. Those might not be strong enough to hold so he decided to buy a chain tomorrow to ensure the Shadow Demons were tightly bound.

    Closing the basement door with a bang, Cassius turned on the light by the door and walked over, his muscr frame moving with purpose.

    The interrogation began.

    "<i>Grr... Argh...</i>"

    "<i>Ouch, ouch, ouch!</i>"

    "<i>Ugh!</i>"

    Screams and roars filled the basement, but Cassius remained unmoved. After a ruthless session of torture, he washed the blood off his hands in the bathroom.

    The Shadow Demons couldmunicate, though not as Cassius had expected. The regr Shadow Demon had the intelligence of a four or five-year-old child, while the red-eyed Shadow Demon had an adult''s intellect.

    The regr Shadow Demon offered no useful information, but the red-eyed one provided some insights. Cassius understood why the red-eyed Shadow Demon had been silent during the fight. It was a natural disdain for humans, much like how humans don''t converse with their livestock.

    A predator hunting its prey only needed to do two things¡ªkilling and consuming. For the Shadow Demons, humans were nothing but food.

    When Cassius asked if Shadow Demons killed humans for their flesh, the response was negative. He tried to probe further, but the Shadow Demon couldn''t answer. It seemed any crucial information about the Shadow Demons couldn''t be disclosed, and only superficial details could be shared.

    Halfway through the interrogation, Cassius shifted his focus from the Shadow Demons to his old adversaries, the cloaked men.

    This time, the red-eyed Shadow Demon spoke freely, and Cassius learned valuable information about the cloaked men.

 Chapter 110 - Peoples Physiques Cannot Be Generalized

    <h4>Chapter 110 - People''s Physiques Cannot Be Generalized</h4>

    The cloaked men''s real name was Dead Blood. More specifically, their species were known as Dead Blood.

    Cassius, who had fought against Dead Blood, was quite familiar with their strength and characteristics. They were a kind of anomaly with dual forms, fearless, and possessed a powerful regenerative ability.

    Other than that, Cassius had obtained some other information. For instance, Dead Blood was actually a mass of blood that could enter the human body and establish a bizarre symbiotic state, providing the host with immense strength and extraordinary regenerative capabilities.

    But it didn''te without a cost. The more the host relied on and used the power, the more Dead Blood took over the host''s blood circtory system, eventually recing human blood entirely and gainingplete control over the host. The blood could even confuse and control the host''s brain.

    Some Dead Blood, after gaining full control, would drain the host dry before searching for another host. In that case, the former host would quickly shrivel up like a mummy and die. However, if they found the perfect body, Dead Blood might not want to leave. It may even try to live as a human.

    In other words, the cloaked men had attacked the Wind Elephant Sect in the ruthless battle that night for that very purpose. The Covert Martial Artists'' strong bodies and abundant vitality were precisely what they craved. A pugilist''s body was undoubtedly an excellent vessel which meant that after his Third and Fourth Senior Brothers died, their bodies would have been controlled by Dead Blood.

    Rage surged through Cassius. Death was the final fate for Covert Martial Artists, and yet, Dead Blood used its evil and filthy nature to manipte seekers of the Dao of the Covert Martial Arts. Their corpses wouldn''t be able to rest in peace! No one wanted to be treated that way after death, and there was no way that Cassius could ept having his body invaded by a lump of filthy blood, nor his brain manipted by sinister blood flowers.

    After hearing this, Cassius''s thoughts immediately went to Duststorm. Ace of Spades''s White Bird mentioned that Duststorm had a group ofbat personnel simr to the bio-humans in <i>Captain Hongli</i>ics. They seemed almost identical to Dead Blood; was that where Duststorm got their confidence from?

    Were their higher-ups a group of humans controlled by Dead Blood, and the organization a dark creature group fronting as an underground force? Or perhaps, Duststorm discovered how useful Dead Blood was and allied themselves with them to create a force of highly powerful regenerativebatants. Were the two currently still working together? Regardless, Cassius thought that they were doomed to fail; Duststorm would eventually get themselves trapped if they continued down that road.

    Well, everyone had their own opinions. Cassius may have felt that it was dangerous, but perhaps Duststorm liked taking that risk. Duststorm had originally been a small, obscure underground force and it had only been recently that they shot up to power, seizing vast territories and making a lot of money. Perhaps much of it could be attributed to Dead Blood.

    Cassius sat on the Rococo-style sofa, gathering his scattered thoughts together, and decided to buy some mercury the next day. After extracting this particr detail from the Shadow Demon, he found out that mercury had a certain suppressive effect on Shadow Demons and Dead Blood. Unlike how sunlight can turn vampires to ash in horror movies, the most the substance could do was suppress them. The dark creatures loathed mercury as it weakened them, but other than that, it didn''t y too critical of a role.

    Cassius sat in thought for a while before going down to the entrance of the basement to check. Once he confirmed it was locked, he returned to his bedroom. The light from the third floor''s window on the right glowed a pale yellow, like it was the only lighthouse amidst the surrounding shadows.

    The next morning, Cassius awoke to the crisp sound of birdsong and gently rubbed his forehead. With the bright sunlight streaming through the window, he realized that it was . He turned to check the clock on the bedside table and saw it was past eight in the morning. Cassius probably wasn''t ustomed to the recent change in residence yet, hence theter wake-up time.

    Throwing off the covers, he got up and took a cold shower. With a white towel draped around his neck, Cassius examined his muscr body in the mirror. The scratches on his arms and chest had healed, leaving only faint white scars and dots. Since his physique had surpassed human limits, his recovery from minor injuries was naturally much faster than ordinary people.

    Once he was dressed and groomed, Cassius went to the living room to make breakfast. Unlike in Jessica Apartments, where the screeching horns of passing vehicles on g Street could often be heard, his new house was tranquil. All he heard was the rustling of leaves in the breeze and the chirping of a couple of birds perched in the treetops.

    There were some obvious disadvantages though. The ce was on the city outskirts and the poption was sparse. There weren''t dozens of bustling breakfast spots like on g Street which meant Cassius had to make his own breakfast. Fortunately, he was a pretty good cook, so he wasn''t worried.

    In no time, a fragrant piece of buttered toast was on the table. Fried eggs, grilled sausages, and a vegetable sd followed a few minutester, along with a cup of hot milk. Cassius sat down immediately and started chowing down. The table was near a window, offering a view of the street beyond the low wall. There was a certain charm in eating while gazing out of a window.

    Five minutester, the tes were clean. As usual, Cassius took out a ck bag from beside the sofa and ced four antiques on the coffee table, one by one. He gently stroked them, but no lingering attachment energy surged out. As expected, he couldn''t help sighing. The four antiques could restore lingering attachment, but they were limited tosting only for four days. This gave Cassius about 0.1 lingering attachment energy each morning.

    He nced at the top right corner.

    [Lingering Attachment: 5.4]

    Not bad. 0.4 of lingering attachment energy was almost equal to one antique with lingering attachment, which meant that Cassius essentially got one for free. He put the antiques back into the bag and set it aside, then stepped into the basement to begin the morning''s interrogation. The Shadow Demons couldn''t reveal certain things, but Cassius could still indirectly question them to glean some information. It''d just take some time.

    Moreover, the information he extracted could be ambiguous. But it hadn''t been easy for him to capture these Shadow Demons so he had to make the most with what he had. He may not have such an opportunity in the future again and he was eager to know about that dark world. Thus, another round of intense interrogation began in the dungeon.

    Cassius didn''t push the Shadow Demons too far and gave them a break every now and then. During that time, he soaked in medicinal baths and practiced Covert Martial Arts until noon.

    As struggling sounds came from the basement, a car horn red at the courtyard entrance. Cassius left the dungeon and looked out from the first-floor window. A ck sedan was parked to the right of the iron gate and a tall, coldly beautiful woman was peering inside the house. It was Violet.

    Cassius opened the window and called out, "Hold on a moment." When he caught sight of his hands, which were drenched in blood, he felt he probably shouldn''t open the door, so he went back to the washroom to clean off the blood. He cleaned up the blood drops on the floor for good measure.

    <i>Click.</i>

    The bluish-ck iron gate swung open to one side.

    Cassius got straight to the point. "Is there something White Bird needs from me?"

    "Boss, Lord White Bird requested that I inform you of the small gathering in Baichuan City that the Ace of Spades assassination department is having on 158 Binan Street. It starts around 1:30 p.m. Also, it''s best not to let anyone outside of our circle know about this, as the assassins from the Duststorm have been quite uncontrobletely..." Violet nced at Cassius. She seemed to detect a faint, but familiar, scent from him. Blood.

    "A gathering? Alright, I understand." Cassius nodded slightly. White Bird had essentially organized this assassination department gathering to confirm Cassius''s high-level status. In other words, if he was acknowledged at the gathering, he would be the Jack of Diamonds. He absolutely could not miss it.

    "I''m off then, Boss," Violet said. After a few times of interacting with him, she could sense Cassius was someone who was rather cold and taciturn. She understood that her boss had a strong sense of independence and disliked having someone hovering around and disturbing him. Violet turned and was about to head for the driver''s seat of the sedan.

    "Wait, give me a second. I''ll change and ride with you." After exchanging looks with Violet, Cassius exined, "My car... uh...I identally broke it. I don''t think it''ll run."

    He coughed twice and continued, "By the way, doesn''t Ace of Spades have a car repair business? Could you help me get in touch and have my ck cloud sedan repaired?"

    "The car''s broken? Didn''t we just deliver it to you the night before? It''s barely been two days," Violet said, puzzled. The ck cloud sedan was of mid-to-high quality. How serious of a collision could it be to render it inoperable?

    "I identally flipped it over into a ditch, and broke all the ss. If it can''t be fixed, I can just get the same model as a recement, that would be fine," he said as he led Violet to the courtyard.

    On the open ground at the edge of the courtyard, a battered ck cloud sedan sat under the sun. Just as Cassius described, three of its four side windows were shattered, with jagged edges protruding out. The ck paint also had scratch marks, exposing the silvery-white metal underneath. It looked pretty badly damaged.

    "How did it end up like this?" Violet walked over, examining the rearview mirrors and ss. "Hmm? What is this?!" She crouched slightly, her white fingers slowly brushing over the car body where there were five deep and evenly spaced w marks.

    ncing to the side, she noticed many such w marks etched into the ck paint of the ck cloud sedan. Not only had they scratched the paint, but they had also seemingly gouged out the underlying metal. There were faint, but still visible, traces of ck blood around the area.

    <i>This... this was a car crash?! Who the hell would believe that!</i>

    The marks on the car clearly looked like it had been damaged in a battle! It didn''t look like it had been struck by firearms, but something like ws from arge animal?!

    Violet took a deep breath and opened her mouth to speak when Cassius stepped in to exin, "I wasn''t used to driving such a high-end car for the first time, so I identally flipped it into a ditch on the way back. I tried to pull it back onto the road, but there wasn''t a good ce on the surface to grip onto. I tried several times but nothing worked. Those w marks are actually from me."

    "You made those? What kind of joke¡ª" Violet suddenly paused. Cassius''s words sounded a bit absurd, but were they reasonable? Yes, actually!

    If a car flipped into a ditch, a normal person would crawl out and call a towingpany. But Cassius definitely wasn''t normal. Because what normal person could withstand bullets from a light machine gun? And could a normal person sprint after a car, m into it so hard that it slid sideways?

    Different people had different ways of solving problems. People''s physiques couldn''t be generalized!

    Cassius flipping the car back onto the road by himself, his fingers leaving marks on the steel could also be considered quite normal. After all, that assassination attempt had happened a scant few days ago...

    <i>Okay, maybe I just haven''t seen enough of the world yet. </i>Violet swallowed back the words she was about to say.

    "What do you think? Ace of Spades can probably fix it, right?" Cassius probed.

    Violet paused for a moment before saying, "Yes, but I don''t have connections there, so you''ll need to talk to Lord White Bird. As long as ites from him, it''ll be done." She stood up, wiping the ck grime from her fingers.

    "Alright." Cassius nodded.

    Immediately, he went back to the building and changed into a loose formal outfit. It was a ck trench coat, which looked more appropriate. ording to what White Bird had told him, the assassination department gathering was unlikely to be peaceful, and he would likely have to deal with a few troublemakers.

    The coat was loose enough to allow Cassius to move freely. If he activated the stage two of elerated blood flow, the coat would explode regardless.

    However, Cassius didn''t believe there was anyone in Ace of Spades assassination organization who could push him to his limits. After all, the previous top assassin, Jack of Diamonds, had been shot dead by Duststorm which meant they had only just became a pugilist. Maybe not even that.

    If the strongest assassin was like that, the other assassins in the organization likely weren''t much stronger. Cassius was going there to support White Bird and secure a high-level position while he was at it. He was quite interested in the Jack of Diamonds position.

    Cassius had already figured that the Ace of Spades antique department wouldn''t refuse assistance from an expert in the assassination department. After changing clothes upstairs, he went to the basement and knocked out each of the two Shadow Demons with a single punch. Then he quickly left the residence and got into Violet''s car, which drove toward the outskirts of the city.N?v(el)B\\jnn

 Chapter 111 - Intimidation

    <h4>Chapter 111 - Intimidation</h4>

    On the outskirts of Baichuan City on Xiangye Street, a ck sedan stopped by the roadside, and a tall young man in a ck trench coat stepped out. His body was bathed in golden sunlight, his coat reflecting faintly. Despite howrge the coat was, his shoulders were so broad and muscr that the corners lifted up stiffly. The white shirt underneath clung to his firm chest, highlighting the contours of his muscles.

    The young man''s nk expression gave off an unapproachable aura. He nced around at the streets.

    At the moment, Violet spoke to Cassius in a pleasant voice through the window of the car, "Boss, Binan Road is about a hundred meters ahead of Xiangye Street. It''s a riverside residential area, and the assassination department gathering is there. Someone should be there to meet you. Because it''s a meeting between the higher-ups, I won''t be able to go, but the car will be waiting here. Once you''re done, you cane back here."

    "I understand." Cassius nodded slightly.

    "Also, here''s your identification." Violet flicked her hand, and something flew over. Cassius caught it and looked down. It was a paper ying card, the Jack of Diamonds.

    "I''m off." Cassius casually slipped the card into his trench coat pocket and began walking along the sidewalk.

    He was close to the city limits where he wouldn''t be able to spot any tall buildings. There were only low, gray houses; some with yards, others were used white pickets to enclose gardens. What caught his eye were the strings of triangr gs hanging in the windows of the houses, along with wooden candle holders adorned with lights. The decorations were themed around the Holy Spirit or forest animals. Arge wooden basin was ced in the middle of the fenced areas, where it had been collecting rainwater for the past few days.

    The customs carried some religious significance and were rted to the Holy Bath Festival that Cassius had seen before. The wooden basins were prepared for the Holy Bath; citizens would ce them outdoors on the day of the festival, collecting rainwater to perform the ritual.

    Truthfully, the rainwater wasn''t particrly clean, and only those who were slightly more educated knew it contained bacteria, but traditions and customs have always had historical significance.

    Walking past Xiangye Street, Cassius turned a corner and arrived at Binan Road. There were even less people here and it looked more like a town than a city.

    The street was wide, with only the asional passerby. He slowly came to a halt before a white stone flower bed over three meters in diameter, connecting four roads in each direction. Wildflowers and grass grew in dense patches within the flowerbed.

    "Come out," Cassius said.

    "As expected from the expert who is going to rece Jack of Diamonds. You sensed my presence instantly." A voice came from behind the flowerbed, belonging to a man in a blue and white striped jacket. He lifted his head and stared intently at Cassius.

    He had an average appearance. Slightly tan, he had ssic deep-set features, a prominent aquiline nose, and bright green eyes. The most striking feature was his slightly narrow eyes, which inexplicably felt like being pricked by needles.

    The man looked at Cassius. "How did you notice me? I lowered both my breath and heartbeat to the minimum and didn''t even move."

    As a killer from Ace of Spades'' assassination department, he naturally had stealth techniques. Mastering breath-holding techniques gave one the ability to better ambush their targets. However, his breath-holding technique didn''t seem very effective.

    Judging by the oppressive aura exuding out from the tall, strong man before him, he was definitely not an ordinary person. He was likely a master of simr techniques!

    "''How?''" Cassius raised an eyebrow and said expressionlessly, "Your shadow."

    The man with the aquiline nose was taken aback. "Huh? What?"

    "Your shadow. Can''t even get that?" Cassius repeated.

    The aquiline-nosed man nced down to his left and indeed saw his shadow sticking out. He was speechless. He had thought the other party was an expert in the art of breath-holding stealth technique and had detected him, but he had made a novice mistake.

    "So that''s it..." The man''s green eyes flickered. "It''s gettingte. Mr. Wind Elephant, pleasee with me." He turned immediately, gesturing at Cassius.

    Without warning, the man with the aquiline nose shifted. He whipped around and charged at Cassius, his right hand pulling out a sharp object. He was going to stab him.

    Out of nowhere, a petite figure sprang out from behind the flowerbed, rushing quickly at Cassius''s back. Both assants closed in around him in an instant, and they were so close that Cassius could even see the excitement in the aquiline-nosed man''s green eyes.

    <i>Bang! Bang!</i>

    With two thuds, both bodies crumpled to the ground, one after the other. Cassius expressionlessly rotated his right wrist. In a sh, he had punched the aquiline-nosed man''s shoulder and then spun around, yanking and striking down the other.

    To Cassius, who had superhuman reflexes, the two assassins'' supposed sneak attacks were utterly childish.

    <i>If I can dodge bullets from firearms, what makes you think I can''t dodge human assassins?</i>

    He nced down, noticing the sharp object the aquiline-nosed man had been holding had fallen to the floor. It was a ck stic dagger¡ªa child''s toy. It had little to no lethality.

    <i>They must have been sent by the other higher-ups to test me.</i> Cassius stepped forward and crushed the dagger underfoot, then picked up one person with one hand. Just before his handnded on his shoulder though, he discovered something.

    The aquiline-nosed man in his right hand shrank. The 1.75-meter frame suddenly became less than 1.7 meters, and the muscr build turned slender.

    When he lifted the body up, it felt more like it belonged to a woman. Cassius shook his hand hard, flinging off the aquiline-nosed man''s disguise to reveal a woman in disguise. No. Judging by the age, she was but a young girl, with striking features and glossy lips.

    Cassius nced at the other attacker in his left hand. She was also a pretty girl, with soft pink lips and slightly curly brown hair hanging down to her shoulders. Her skin was like a white, translucent jelly. The two looked very simr.

    <i>They must be twin sisters, around eighteen years old?</i>

    Cassius shook his head and pped the slightly darker-skinned girl awake. "Where''s the gathering?"

    "Huh?" The girl awoke, confused. The first thing she noticed was the other assant in Cassius''s left hand. She began struggling and called out, "Brother!"

    <i>Brother?</i> Cassius looked at the cute girl in his left hand, eyebrow raised. He supposed it was normal for assassins to know a thing or two about makeup.

    "Be honest!" He gave the girl''s neck a light pinch with his right hand. "Tell me your name first. Or code name."

    "Ah! Li Guang, my name is Li Guang." It hurt, and the girl dared not continue struggling.

    "Very well." Cassius maintained a nk expression. "I don''t care which higher-up from the assassination department sent you, I just want you to take me there. No funny business. You don''t want your brother to suffer, do you, Li Guang?"

    The girl swallowed nervously as she looked at Cassius''s towering figure. Two minutester, Li Guang was lying on Cassius''s right shoulder, her little head slightly raised to give directions.

    "Take the road on the left."

    She dared not resist in the slightest since she could tell that the powerful arm gripping her waist was immensely strong. It was like solid granite and Li Guang feared her slender waist would snap if she struggled.

    "Follow this dirt road to the end. It''s the isted yard with five trees at the entrance," Li Guang reminded him as she was jostled around.

    Cassius gazed ahead, seeing the end of the gray path leading to a lush green forest. At the forest''s edge was a courtyard around fifty meters away from some yellow-white houses. Two people in the courtyard quietly guarded the entrance.

    "I see it."

    <i>Smack!</i>

    He gently karate-chopped the girl''s slender neck. Li Guang grunted softly and passed out on the spot. With one assassin on each shoulder, Cassius strode forward withrge steps.

    A single-story building in the courtyard with a spacious living room slowly came into view as he passed the entrance. Theyout was simple; four tall, light yellow chairs were ced around a long table.

    There were already three people seated. A man in a casual ck suit from head to toe sat in one of them; he was Cassius''s temporary ally, White Bird. Another was a tall middle-aged man with a thin, ck handlebar mustache above his lips, a small goatee on his chin, and sideburns that blended into his beard. Thest one sat at the head of the table. He was an elegant, rigid old gentleman wearing a ck tailcoat and a wide-brimmed top hat. His slightly squinted eyes made him look as if he were dozing off.

    Sunlight streamed through the windows, illuminating the mahogany table.

    "White Bird, where is that Wind Elephant you mentioned?" The man with the handlebar mustache suddenly spoke, tapping the table with his right hand.

    "He should be arriving soon. After all, you sent someone to pick him up. It should only take a few more minutes, don''t worry, Red Fang." White Bird gazed at the man with the mustache calmly.

    The two exchanged nces and although their expressions didn''t change on the outside, they both inwardly let out a coldugh.

    Red Fang was amused because he had specifically instructed his two subordinates to teach this Wind Elephant a lesson. He suspected that they were engaged in a skirmish right now.

    The Light and Dark twin assassins were extremely skilled in closebat and assassination. Even without guns, they were top-tier killers. Soon, they''d probably see a disheveled Jack of Diamonds, which would also indirectly humiliate White Bird.

    Meanwhile, White Bird remained as steady as a mountain, also sneering inwardly. He was well aware that Red Fang had sent out his top twin assassins, likely intending to cause trouble for Li Wei and embarrass him in the process. However, Red Fang had targeted the wrong person. Li Wei wasn''t human; he was a bullet-resistant monster wearing human skin!

    He was a powerhouse White Bird had deliberately brought in from the outside and into the assassination organization! He was looking forward to seeing the splendid expression on Red Fang''s faceter.

    "Pleasee in," a voice called from outside.

    <i>He''s here!</i> White Bird and Red Fang coldly exchanged nces.

    With a bang, the closed wooden door was kicked open. Red Fang raised an eyebrow, and opened his mouth to start reprimanding.

    <i>Thud, thud.</i>

    Two slender figures hit the ground gently.

    The neer''s tall body blocked the brilliant sunlight from outside the door, casting arge shadow over the room. He nced at his watch. "1:31 p.m. Sorry, I''m a minutete."

    "Li Guang, Li An?!" Red Fang immediately recognized his two subordinates. His heart surged with emotion, causing his brow to furrow involuntarily.

    "<i>Heh heh</i>... just as I expected." White Bird crossed his arms, ncing at Red Fang. He looked at Cassius''s strong physique and nodded in satisfaction.

    "The meeting hasn''t started yet, has it?" Cassius asked.

    "No, it hasn''t," White Bird replied.

    "That''s good. I just have a quick question before we begin." Cassius''s gaze casually swept over the other two. "Who do these assassins on the ground belong to? One of them is named Li Guang."

    He stepped forward a few paces, his towering frame exuding an intense pressure. Cassius turned his gaze to the gentleman in the main seat and asked bluntly, "Was it you?"

    The old man didn''t seem to hear him. His eyes remained closed.

    "Guess not." Cassius shifted his gaze to Red Fang. "So, they''re your subordinates, huh?"

    At Cassius''s s¨¦ tone, inexplicable anger ballooned inside Red Fang at the audacity of being belittled. He stood up with a tter.

    <i>Thud!</i>

    N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Red Fang flew back instantly, knocking over the light yellow chair behind him and rolling across the open floor. He crashed into the corner. He didn''t even get a chance to cry out in pain when he came back to his senses.

    A figure crossed several meters in a single leap,nding heavily with both feet on Red Fang. With a thud, the dust stirred and the ground shook, making his back tingle.

    "Then they must be your subordinates." A voice, devoid of joy or sorrow, came from above, the owner''s looming tall shadow swallowing Red Fang in darkness. Like dark clouds overhead, it gave off a feeling of oppressive dread.

    "I..."

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    A fist enveloped in swirling air currents came down like a pile driver. It rapidly erged in Red Fang''s vision.

    "No!"

    <i>Whoosh...</i>

    The air currents sted wildly, causing the fabric of Red Fang''s cor to ripple like waves and his ck mustache to il erratically. The fist froze just a centimeter from his forehead, but it didn''t stop the surrounding air currents from biting into his skin painfully. They split into two and shot out to either side, stirring arge patch of dust on the ground.

    "<i>Huff, huff, huff</i>..." Red Fang''s eyes widened as he gasped for breath. In that instant, he felt death''s gaze from within the dark shadow above. Every organ and every cell in his body told him that if the punch hadn''t stopped in time, he would have died! His head would have exploded like a watermelon.

    Red Fang had wanted to scare Cassius but Cassius responded in kind, making sure that his intimidation would leave a deeper, more unforgettable impression than Red Fang''s!

    "Sir, may I ask for your name or code name?"

    "I... Me? Red... Red Fang..."

    "Please get up, Mr. Red Fang. It was just a harmless, little prank tomemorate our first meeting." Cassius extended his hand with a gentle smile. "Allow me to introduce myself. Code name, Wind Elephant, assassination department''s Jack of Diamonds."

 Chapter 112 - Only a Monster Can Defeat a Monster

    <h4>Chapter 112 - Only a Monster Can Defeat a Monster</h4>

    Red Fangy on the ground. He stared up at that grinning face, and felt like he had the breath punched out of him. Just a moment ago, Li Wei had been a domineering force, but an elegant aura had quickly taken its ce. If he hadn''t just been kicked away, Red Fang might have bought into Li Wei''s bright smile and believed it had been a prank!

    He hesitated, a bit conflicted. He didn''t want to put his hand out.

    Cassius leaned slightly forward. "What''s wrong? Too embarrassed to take it?" His kind smile never wavered, though his eyes narrowed slightly.

    A familiar sense of danger swept through Red Fang''s heart again, and he swallowed hard. His right hand shot out, grabbed Cassius''s palm and, with a swish, was pulled to his feet.

    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "How about it, Mr. Red Fang? Surely, my little joke just now didn''t scare you, did it?" Cassius lightly patted Red Fang''s chest, brushing off therge gray shoe prints with his hand.

    "No... <i>haa</i>, no, just a little joke, I get it." Red Fang breathed heavily. That blow from Cassius, on the other hand, was no joke. While it didn''t break any bones, it definitely left bruises; his chest still stung faintly. Somehow, it hurt more after Cassius patted him twice.

    "I''m d to hear that. Let''s sit down." Cassius released his hand with a faint smile, ncing at the mahogany table beside him.

    The two of them made their way over to the long table. Cassius sat on the right side of the table facing the entrance, in Red Fang''s original seat, leaving him no choice but to gloomily sit in the high-backed chair prepared for Cassius.

    After sitting down, Cassius looked up to exchange nces with White Bird opposite him. The two nodded at each other slightly.

    White Bird cleared his throat and said loudly, "The two people outside:e in and carry the twin assassins on the ground to the side room."

    "Yes, sir." Two people immediately entered, lifting the two on the ground, and quickly headed back out. Red Fang turned to watch. His mouth opened, seemingly wanting to say something, but ultimately stayed silent.

    The wooden door closed again, and the sunlight streaming through the nearby window lit up the living room. The air carried a faint floral fragrance mixed with the hint of an earthy scent. At the other end of the living room, there were shadows on the floor. As the breeze stirred, the shadows followed the leaves'' movement, casting dappled patterns.

    "Everyone''s here, so let''s start the meeting." White Bird tapped the table with his gloved fingers.

    "Hmm?" The old gentleman slumped in the head seat made a nasally sound. He opened his eyes drowsily and asked, "Is everyone here?"

    "Yes, everyone''s here, Sir," White Bird replied.

    "Mm." The old man, code-named "Sir," nodded and ced his hands on the table. He wore a pair of white gloves where a Jack of Spades symbol was imprinted on the soft, delicate fabric. He was the assassination department''s hidden boss.

    Sir truly lived up to his reputation as someone who avoided getting himself involved since he seemed to have slept through the wholemotion caused by Cassius. Cassius certainly was under no illusion that the old Sir had actually been asleep.

    Lastly, seated to Cassius''s left was Red Fang, the third¡ªJack of Clubs.

    "Alright, then the meeting will now officially begin." As White Bird spoke, he reached into his pocket. He took out a rectangr ying card. He didn''t ce it on the table, and instead waited for Sir to slowly put down his Jack of Spades card. White Bird then ced his Jack of Hearts down, followed by Red Fang''s Jack of Clubs.

    Cassius also reached into his chest pocket and took out a paper card, cing it face-up on the table: the Jack of Diamonds.

    "This is the first time in a month that we have the assassination department fully assembled. The Jack of Diamonds position has been vacant for over a month. Fortunately, we now have a new member filling it." As White Bird spoke, he turned and said, "Let us wee the new Jack of Diamonds, Wind Elephant."

    White Bird immediately began to p, followed by Sir who pped slowly. Red Fang reluctantly moved his hands.

    <i>p, p, p, p...</i>

    A momentter, White Bird tossed a ck box to Cassius. cing it on the table, Cassius opened it to reveal a pile of white gloves nestled on the left, all of which had the Jack of Diamonds logo on the soft fabric. On the right was a metal card with rounded edges, featuring an intricate border design and some indecipherable patterns. It was a gold-and-silver Jack of Diamonds ying card.

    "That represents your identity, Wind Elephant," White Bird said.

    Cassius shrugged and immediately took out a pair of gloves and put them on. He then closed the box and ced it gently by his leg.

    "I''ve already exined Ace of Spades'' operations and some details about the assassination department to you, so let''s get to the situation at hand." White Bird shifted his gaze away from Cassius. "What I will be speaking to next mainly concerns Duststorm."

    He coughed twice to clear his throat. "First is our n of retaliation against Duststorm. Everyone has likely experienced it over the past few months. Those Duststorm people are as annoying as hyenas, constantly harassing our Ace of Spades operations. They''ve even cut off half of the antique department''s transport routes!

    "Our two leaders are infuriated and feel that Duststorm should pay an equivalent price so they''ve assigned this task to our assassination department and requested that other departments cooperate with us as we move out. Here is a draft of what we will do."

    As White Bird spoke, he handed over three stacks of documents which Cassius epted. He rifled through them. It was information on Duststorm,plete with images showing the areas in Beiliu County that their forces had either covered or infiltrated, getting several other counties involved as well. The document also listed out Duststorm''s military departments, with notes on some key members written out beside them, as well as their antique transport routes, contraband transport routes, weapons transport routes, and various other aspects.

    Ace of Spades was truly a seasoned powerhouse. Once they got serious about taking action, it was impossible for Duststorm to keep their secrets secret. As the saying goes, "Know thyself, know thy enemy, and you will emerge out of every battle victorious."

    Extensive information was only half the sess. Cassius raised his head and nced at White Bird. "With such detailed intelligence, we should be able to deal some severe damage, maybe even destroy Duststorm, right?"

    White Bird shook his head, looking somewhat helpless. "I''ve told you this before, but the biggest obstacle to the n''s sess is Duststorm''s bio-engineered experts."

    "I don''t know where Duststorm got this dark technology. It doesn''t matter how much you shoot at them; you can empty out a whole case of bullets into their body and they still won''t die!" Red Fang temporarily set aside his grievances to rant about Duststorm. Things hadn''t been peaceful for him either, as many of his subordinates had shed with Duststorm, resulting in significant casualties.

    Those present had to attribute the bizarre phenomenon of Duststorm''s ability to quickly regenerate powerful limbs to dark technology. At least for now. After all, in the era of rapid technological advancement, no one knew what strange things coulde out of it.

    Like the super soldier serum in <i>Captain Hongli</i>, a serum injection could turn a short, scrawny man into someone tall, strong, and handsome. Many people¡ªrational adults like scientists and politicians, and not justic-reading kids¡ªin Cassius''s era believed such technology existed in real life.

    "Duststorm''s rise to power has been nothing but swift in the past few months and in their efforts to recruit and expand, their numbers are now at over a thousand. Although the quality varies, they have scaled up to the level of arge organization. They are extremely active and aggressive in all six eastern counties. More than a dozen organizations and forces have suffered under them.

    "But we might be able to use this to our advantage. We don''t necessarily have to fight them one-on-one. Instead, we can unite with the other forces to fight against Duststorm. It''s not like they have any allies..." White Bird inteced his fingers, his eyelids drooping slightly.

    "It''s certainly a possibility. The Cyclops gang in Huaifeng County, the Sea Mountain society in East Sea County, and the ck Sword organization in Shuiyun County all seem to have personal grudges against Duststorm. They could potentially be an ally."

    Red Fang pondered for a moment before saying, "But it''s hard to say. After all, Duststorm is rtively far from them, and their grievances are minor. They might not necessarily join forces against Duststorm. On the contrary, they might even be delighted to see them drain all of Ace of Spades'' strength because they developed so quickly into a major powerhouse. Otherwise, small-to-medium powerhouses like Haishan Society and the rest would have been happy to do Ace of Spades a favor."

    "So we''re back where we started: Duststorm''s bio-engineered humans." White Bird tapped the table lightly, his frustration poorly concealed.

    Cassius saw an opening. "I actually have some information on them," he said smoothly.

    The three turned their attention to him. "Oh? Tell us more."

    "Mercury. It can weaken their regeneration ability." Cassius recounted the information he had extracted from the Shadow Demon.

    "Mercury?" White Bird gazed at Cassius, seemingly wanting him to borate and provide more information.

    "Sorry, that''s all I know. I don''t have anything more specific. You can send someone to test that theory out first..." Cassius spread his hands. As the newly joined fourth high-ranking member of the assassination organization, he was equal in status with the other three.

    Despite how the four high-ranking members might wield different powers, they were identical in terms of status. Only the King and Queen had higher positions than the other twelve high-ranking members. Therefore, if Cassius didn''t want to divulge specific information, the other three couldn''t force him.

    "Alright. Anyway, thank you for your intel, Wind Elephant." White Bird paused slightly. "As you may have noticed, there''s another matter. Not only do these documents contain information about Duststorm''s power, it also details their antique transport routes, although we''ve only got a portion of it.

    "We''ve already confirmed one of Duststorm''s antique operation warehouse locations which is north of ck Sand City. The intelligence department is still working hard to pinpoint the exact address. Once we have it, our assassination department will likely have to coordinate with them to take down the warehouse and avenge our antiques department."

    In recent months, the Ace of Spades'' antique transport department had suffered some particrly heavy losses. Many routes had been harassed or cut off by Duststorm, leaving their warehouses empty since they could not replenish their antiques. Business was rumored to have been halved.

    If they didn''t strike now and put an end to Duststorm''s arrogance, Ace of Spades'' antique transport department wouldn''t be able to recover any time soon.

    White Bird''s gaze slowly swept over the other three at the table. "Regardless of whatever conflicts we''ve had in the past, I hope we can work together when ites time to face Duststorm."

    Red Fang hesitated for a moment before finally nodding.

    "Wind Elephant, we''ll probably need you to take down Duststorm''s operation warehouse. I''ll have Violet notify you immediately once we have the details." White Bird''s gaze was serious as he looked over at him.

    They had two monsters right now: Duststorm''s bio-engineered humans who were virtually impervious to bullets and Cassius who could withstand bullets from a light machine gun with his bare body. Why not just sit back and let a stronger monster defeat a monster?

    "I''m counting on you," said White Bird.

    "Don''t worry. This is nothing." Cassius shook his head, a glint seemingly shing in his narrowed eyes. "I only have a small request. After we''ve taken down Duststorm''s warehouse, I''d like to pick a few antiques to add to my collection. You know how much I like them."

    "If that''s all, then there''s no problem." White Bird smiled. Cassius was indeed a valuable ally. Cassius also smiled, two rows of neat white teeth reflecting the sunlight. He was always up for helping others out.

 Chapter 113 - The "Terrifying" Shadow Demon

    <h4>Chapter 113 - The "Terrifying" Shadow Demon</h4>

    A few hourster, on Xiangye Street, a figure in arge overcoat walked briskly over. A ck car parked on the roadside slowly rolled down the driver''s window. Violet nced at the figure from inside the car. Cassius held a suitcase in each iconic white-gloved hand.

    Violet turned her head back. "Looks like you were sessful."

    <i>Click.</i>

    The rear door of the car opened. Cassius bent down and ced the two boxes on the carpet.

    "Congrattions, Boss," Violet said from the driver''s seat.

    Cassius didn''t answer, and merely nodded. After a moment, he said, "Take me home. No, on second thought, go to the Gray Seal Martial Arts Hall first." He raised his right hand and nced at the watch on his wrist.

    "Okay."

    The car rumbled alive and drove toward Hongta Street. In the back seat, Cassius opened the box he had previously opened which contained the pile of gloves and metal ying cards.

    He pulled out one of the cards and examined it. The workmanship was exquisite. It was scaled down proportionally so that it was fairly light and could be carried around. This item wasn''t just for show; it was meant to act as a deterrent.

    It was simr to how some major gangs, after rising to a certain level, would have a dress code. One of their requirements for their members might be for them to shout a line before they kill such as, "By order of XXX!" The cards acted like a business card for gangs, umting the organization''s deterrent power.

    Ace of Spades had a simr gang business card. The lower-level members or assassins mostly wore spade-shaped badges as a means of identification, while the twelve high-ranking members naturally had the metal ying cards and swan silk white gloves on their hands.

    Imagine a meeting where fourteen people¡ªall high-ranking members of Ace of Spades, and all with serious expressions, powerful auras, and white gloves on their hands¡ªsat around a long table. It gave off an inexplicable sense of professionalism and solemnity.

    Banishing that strange scene from his mind, Cassius opened another box, which was crammed full of Green Hongli Federation bills¡ªone million dors that White Bird gave him after the meeting. It was supposed to be Cassius''s fee for his uing actions against Duststorm.

    Moreover, this was just a deposit. If they were sessful in taking down Duststorm''s antique transshipment warehouse, then Cassius would receive an additional two million Federation dors.

    Ace of Spades operated somewhat like amercialpany. Except in certain special situations, members were paid when assigned to perform a task by the organization. As the fourth-inmand of the assassination department and the newly appointed Diamond "J," Cassius''s price for undertaking a task was naturally high, especially against Duststorm, who was currently at the height of their power. Three million Hongli Federation dors was quite normal; frankly, this was considered a small amount.

    Since Cassius was acting on Ace of Spades'' behalf, his asking price couldn''t be too outrageous. If Ace of Spades sent Cassius over to help with some other organizations, then he''d make much more money. Despite Ace of Spades taking a cut, he''d still have more money overallpared to before.

    As the saying goes, it''s good to have a big tree for shade.

    Whether it was obtaining antique resources or earning money, Cassius needed Ace of Spades as support; he had his own ns.

    A dozen minutester, the car stopped on Hongta Street.

    Cassius didn''t enter the martial arts hall and instead, waited at the entrance.

    He forgot to bring ointment when he went to the assassination department meeting at noon, and by the time it ended, Phil and the others were about to finish school. Cassius simply asked Violet to drive all the way to Gray Seal Martial Arts Hall so he could bring his three prospective apprentices to his new home. That saved him the hassle of making an extra trip back and forth.

    Five minutester, three more figures were crammed in the back seat. Cassius sat in the passenger seat.

    Tifa asked curiously, "Teacher, did you buy a car?"

    Cassius paused slightly before saying, "Sort of."

    Although Violet was driving this ck cloud sedan now, it should be his in about half an hour.

    Sitting on the side in the back, Phil seemed to be staring at Violet''s side profile in the driver''s seat. This beautiful older sister looked familiar...was she friends with his brother Matthew?

    "Let''s go to my house," Cassius said, folding his arms across his chest.

    Half an hourter, in the courtyard of Cassius''s new home, Violet stared dumbfoundedly ahead at the battered, dpidated ck cloud sedan.

    "You want me to drive <i>this </i>car back? Boss..." She turned her head to look at the side, where Cassius was leaning against another ck cloud sedan. That one was intact. His arms were crossed in front of his chest, his face maintainining a serious and indifferent expression. He gave her a thumbs up with his right hand.

    "You can do it," he encouraged her earnestly.

    <i>This isn''t about whether I can do it or not?! This car flipped into a ditch and is so busted up that it might fall apart as soon as it hits the road. If the fuel tank is leaking, it might explode as soon as I step on the gas,</i> Violetined inwardly.

    N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Cassius seemed to notice Violet''s frustration. He said, "This ck cloud sedan looks a bit worse for wear but that''s on the outside. The internal structure and engine are still fine. I remember flipping the car on Rueklin Avenue and driving it back four to five kilometers without any problems."

    Cassius paused before continuing, "I mainly need to use it to take these three students home today. You can''t possibly expect me to drive them around in this wreck, right? Or would you prefer to wait until about six or seven tonight to give them a lift?"

    "In that case, I''ll drive this car back." Violet decisively opened the broken door of the driver''s seat and plopped herself down. If there was one thing she absolutely hated it was being alone with hyperactive kids!

    <i>Thump, thump, thump...</i>

    The heavily damaged ck cloud sedan started up, its rear shuddering and the metal joints creaking. It really did look as though it was a few hundred meters away from fallingpletely apart.

    Violet''s face suddenly popped up from the shattered car window. "Boss, did you really drive it four or five kilometers without any issues?"

    Cassius nodded. "Of course."

    A momentter, Violet drove the car away, her face stormy and resentful. Cassius closed the iron gate and parked the new ck cloud sedan in its original position. Nodding in satisfaction, he turned around.

    Phil and the other two were practicing theirbat moves in the first-floor living room. They were still basicbat moves, but with some differences. There were somebos, where they used two or three moves in session, included now.

    Cassius had every intention to start teaching Tifa and the others Wind Elephant Basic Combat Arts; this was merely the warm-up.

    "<i>Ha</i>." Phil exhaled softly, his feet spreading wide to bnce himself. His left hand at his side clenched into a fist, and using about seventy percent of his strength, he thrust his right hand straight forward. With his arm hanging in the air to keep him steady, he took another deep breath. Suddenly, he heard a thud. It sounded close.

    Phil nced around. "What was that?"

    He didn''t see any tables or chairs on the ground so nothing had fallen. Cassius stood not far from the three, watching each person''s punching technique closely.

    Phil shook his head, pulled his arm back, and shuffled his feet around to change his stance. He was about to throw a punch when he heard another thud.

    "Hmm?" Phil was about to look around.

    <i>Pat.</i>

    Someone''s palmnded on his head. At some point, Cassius hade up to his side. "Focus on practicing."

    "But, Master, I only turned my head because I heard something falling down just now," Phil defended himself.

    "Probably a mouse. Don''t get distracted." Cassius nced at the other two. "Look howposed Tifa and Milo are. Don''t go craning your neck at every little noise." He looked at Phil and said with some earnestness, "If your mind isn''t calm, you won''t be able to practice any Combat Techniques well."

    <i>Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang...</i>

    A continuous series of dull thuds emitted from the basement, seemingly in response to what Cassius had just said.

    Beside him, Milo and Tifa paused in their practice ofbat moves, and looked curiously toward the source of the sound.

    Cassius''s face visibly turned livid, his thick eyebrows twitching. "Those two damn mice!"

    He turned away, right hand clenched into a thick fist. His tone was t as he said, "You guys keep practicing. I''m going to catch those mice."

    In the living room, the three exchanged puzzled nces. Half a minuteter, just as they were setting up to resume theirbat practice, two heavy thuds came from the basement.

    <i>Bang! Bang!</i>

    The dull thuds sounded like a boxer hitting a freestanding punching bag at full power with his gloves on. A momentter, the three saw Cassius''s tall figure emerge from the basement, his hands hanging at his sides, expressionless. Thick liquid dripped down from his knuckles. It looked like blood!

    The three''s eyes widened. Cassius seemed to notice their gazes and raised his hand, saying nonchntly, "This basement used to be a granary, and there were two fat mice causing trouble, but everything is fine now since I''ve killed them." He sped-walked toward the bathroom.

    Milo pursed his lips. Would killing two mice cause such amotion? He didn''t know, and he didn''t dare ask more.

    Cassius returned after half a minute of handwashing. He immediately called the three to stop and produced three small bottles of training ointment.

    "Grab one and apply the ointment for half an hour as usual. "

    Time crept by, and the once bright sunlight outside dipped below the horizon. Carried by the wind, the clouds gathered together, a faint red line visible at their base. The entire sky turned orange-yellow, with the light advancing inch by inch.

    "We''re done for the day. I''ll take you guys home." Cassius stood at the door, one eye on his watch. He strolled out, got in and started the new car. The other three slid into the back seat.

    This time, Cassius took the three to the front of the Gray Seal Martial Arts Hall on Hongta Street. He knew where Phil lived, but he hadn''t asked about nor visited Milo''s and Tifa''s homes. Rather than waste his time by driving around, it was better to let the three of them walk home themselves. Since they lived near the Edelweiss School district, it would take them long to get home if they started walking from Hongta Street.

    By the time Cassius returned a half hourter, it was pitch-ck, and the streetlights on both sides of the street had flickered on. He drove the ck cloud sedan straight in after opening the front gate.

    The car door closed shut with a click and when Cassius turned back around to close the gate, he caught sight of a beautiful woman walking in.

    She wore a ck dress, which hugged her body and nicely outlined her curvaceous figure. ck stockings adorned her legs, making her look very stylish and sexy.

    "It''s not a good idea to barge into someone''s home at night." Shrouded in the shadows, Cassius looked like a statue.

    "Sorry." The woman''s apology was polite, but her next words shocked him to his core. "You''ve been parasitized by a shadow."

    <i>Hmm?!</i> With a swish, Cassius vanished from his spot, like a phantom behind the woman, his right hand slowly reaching out.

    The woman raised her hands to prove she was non-threatening. "I know you''re well-versed inbat moves, and you''re likely very strong, but could you please let me finish talking?"

    Ten minutester, on the Rococo-style living room sofa.

    The woman and Cassius sat facing each other, with a tea table between them bearing cups of ck tea. They were already half empty.

    Cassius put down the ck tea in his hand and summarized what she had told him. "So, you''re from a secret organization called the Shadowless n, and you want me to join because most of the members are like me, humans parasitized by Shadow Demons?"

    "Yes, that''s right. You probably already know the assimtion rules of Shadow Demons: there are nine opportunities, and each time you lose to the Shadow Demon, some part of your body gets assimted. Before I invite you to join the organization, I''d like to ask what your assimtion rate is?" The woman took a sip of tea and continued, "It''s best not to exceed seventy percent. Once it does, that would¡ª"

    "Wait!" Cassius cut the woman off abruptly. He slowly raised his head, a frown on his face. "What is an assimtion rate?"

    "Ah?!" The woman wore a simr perplexed expression.

    Five minutester, Cassius finally understood. His Shadow Demon waspletely different from ordinary Shadow Demons!

    Other people had nine opportunities to get gradually assimted by the Shadow Demons. He, on the other hand, had only one chance, and if he lost, he would be instantly reced. Each of the nine manifestations was extremely dangerous!

    Any ordinary person would be deep in the pits of despair. Fortunately, Cassius had a cheat that he could use to exploit a loophole and dramatically increase his strength with the time difference. Not only did this temporarily render the Shadow Demon harmless, it even became a valuable resource, serving as Cassius''s double experience package.

    All Cassius had to say was, he was extremely lucky.

    Additionally, Cassius had a rough understanding of this Shadowless n''s strength. From what was revealed to him so far, they seemed about on par with, maybe even weaker than, Duststorm. Because ordinary Shadow Demons couldn''t all copy a hundred percent of their host''s strength like Cassius''s could, this meant their rewards for defeating the Shadow Demons were severely diminished.

    Just as Cassius was lost in thought, the woman in ck smoothly interjected, "Join us, Mr. Li Wei. I know you''re skilled and that you''ve made quite a name for yourself with yourbat moves at the martial arts hall near Edelweiss School. But we''re up against a group of ferocious monsters with those Shadow Demons.

    "These inhuman beings kill and they eat people! They see the fragile bodies of humans as mere prey, and even a trainedbat expert has no hope in fighting a w-level Shadow Demon one-on-one. This is the absolute limitation of the human body!"

    The woman in ck grew increasingly fretful. "Even the elitebat members of our Shadowless n can''t handle them in a one-on-one battle; they have to rely on support from other members with firearms just to barely hold them off. So, Mr. Li Wei, please don''t get overly confident in your own strength. If youe across a Shadow Demon, it <i>will</i> hurt you!"

    On the opposite sofa, Cassius''s expression remained unchanged. He took a small sip of tea. "Are you done?"

    The woman raised her eyebrows. She couldn''t resist adding, "There''s something I want to tell you. ording to intelligence received by the Shadowless n, Baichuan City has five Steel w-level Shadow Demons and one Red Eye-level Shadow Demon lurking around, ready to hunt humans or us parasitized ones at any given moment! The Shadow Demons'' massive mobilization has already caught the attention of our Shadowless n, and headquarters is nning to send half of the elite members from the eastern six counties to constantly monitor them! After all, they have enough power to wipe out a mid-sized organization!"

    Cassius jerked his head up. "You''re saying there are five Steel w-level Shadow Demons and one Red Eye-level Shadow Demon in Baichuan City?"

    "Yes, so join our Shadowless n!" The woman in ck looked closely at Cassius, as if trying to see a hint of fear in his eyes. Unfortunately, she found none.

    Cassius stood up. Without thinking, he blurted out, "Actually, I... Never mind. Come with me for a moment."

    "?"

    As bewildered as she was, the woman still followed Cassius. A basement door suddenly appeared before her eyes.

 Chapter 114 - Too Strong

    <h4>Chapter 114 - Too Strong</h4>

    The iron door nged open. Gazing into the dark basement, the woman hesitated, but after a moment''s pause, she followed Cassius inside.

    <i>Click! Click!</i>

    The lights on both sides of the basement switched on, and the soft yellow glow quickly chased away the darkness.

    The woman looked around. The basement appeared to be quite spacious and seemed fairly well-decorated. Cabs, desks, sofas, and other furniture, along with a few white vases filled with fresh flowers, were ced in the corners. The walls were painted light blue, with twondscape paintings framed in gold¡ªone of a forest and the other of a sunset river scene.

    Everything looked normal. His taste in furniture seemed decent. The woman didn''t know what Cassius wanted to show her in the basement. Perhaps it was some special information about the Shadow Demons?

    "Mr. Li Wei, why did you bring me to the basement?" she asked Cassius curiously.

    "To show you something good," Cassius said expressionlessly. Something seemed to ur to him as he added, "Miss Teresa, you should mentally prepare yourself. And try not to get too excited."

    <i>Something good? Could it be some kind of treasure?</i> Teresa was puzzled, but she figured Cassius wouldn''t harm her. He was abat expert, and if he really wanted to do something to her, he would''ve already done so. Why go through the unnecessary trouble of taking her to the basement being all cloak and dagger?

    "Over here,e on." Cassius pointed to a pale yellow curtain on one side of the basement. This was part of the renovationpany''s designyout: a rod attached above for the curtain to hang from where it could divide the vast space of the basement into one side for leisure and the other for training.

    As they walked over, Teresa seemed to catch a faint whiff of blood in the air. She sniffed around; she was right, and the closer she got, the stronger it became.

    At that moment, a deep curiosity arose in her heart. Was there something behind the curtain?

    "Over here." With a swish, Cassius pulled back the curtain and walked in. Teresa took a deep breath and stepped inside.

    As soon as she did, she felt a pair of evil eyes fix on her. Her heart skipped a beat, and an indescribable fear surged within her. It felt like walking through the forest alone at night and suddenly seeing a pair of blood-red eyes full of animalistic killing intent floating in the darkness.

    An instinctive fear flooded through her, sending a tingling electric sensation from her soles, up her spine, and straight to her brain. Teresa froze in ce, her neck turning inch by inch, like gears without lubrication, as she slowly looked over.

    A pair of dted light-red pupils met her own. She stood in ce, everything around her blurring and fading away until all that remained in her vision were those pupils.

    Beside her, Cassius frowned slightly at the scene. Teresa seemed to be experiencing some kind of stress response, like how some animals in nature freeze when encountering a predator. Their minds go nk and their muscles stiffen, rendering them unable to move; the automatic fear thates from their natural predator was too strong.

    In the eyes of Shadow Demons, ordinary humans were just food that could move. As a member of the Shadowless n, Teresa had naturally undergone some training and could also use firearms. Her willpower and physical fitness were certainly much better than the average person''s. And yet, after having the Shadow Demon watch her, and only her, she still showed a stress response, freezing in ce like a fish on a chopping board and at the mercy of others. If it were an ordinary person, it would likely be even worse; they might have even wet themselves as soon as theyid eyes upon it.

    In that case, even humans armed with guns might not pose a threat to Shadow Demons. Only those like Cassius, who surpassed human limits and reached a pugilist or higher stage, could suppress such fear. This was the natural hierarchy of life.

    Cassius looked at the petrified Teresa. He had no choice but to walk several steps forward and give the Shadow Demon a solid p.

    <i>Smack!</i>

    A crisp sound instantly echoed throughout the basement.

    Teresa seemed to snap back to reality, her whole body jolting as cold sweat soaked her back, drenching her ck undergarments. She couldn''t stop gasping for breath, her words tripping over themselves.

    "Sh-Sh-Shadow Demon! R-Red Eye-level!! Oh my god!" Teresa nearly screamed.

    In those few seconds, she felt as if she had traveled to hell and back. When she came back to her senses, her heart almost jumped out of her throat. It was terrifying!

    "Miss Teresa, please don''t shout. I might not live near anyone, but I can''t guarantee that there won''t be people passing by. It won''t do me any good if there''s a misunderstanding here. I don''t want the police knocking on my door in a few days to search my house," Cassius said as he yanked the Shadow Demon''s hair back.

    "Behave!" He kicked it again.

    Teresa finally reacted. "Wait! Something doesn''t seem right!" She shot a suspicious nce at Cassius before looking at the Shadow Demon on the ground.

    This was the body of a tall, strong man. The red eyes couldn''t have been faked and that terrifying aura was undoubtedly from a Red Eye-level Shadow Demon. But now, that same Shadow Demon seemed somewhat downcast and pathetic. It looked utterly defeated.

    Chained to the gym equipment, with its hands bound, it couldn''t move a muscle. Arge bump swelled on its head, with ck and red bloodstains covering half of its face. There was a ringly bright red palm print on its left cheek.

    "This... ah, this...is a Shadow Demon?!" Teresa pped a hand over her mouth, eyes wide. She could hardly believe that the tattered, beggar-like man before her was the Red Eye-level Shadow Demon that hunted in the night, danced in a sea of blood, and ughtered humans as effortlessly as crushing an ant.

    It seemed to have heard her as the Shadow Demon lifted its head to shoot Teresa a displeased look. Startled once more, she backed up two steps, fear lingering inside her.

    "What are you looking at, damn it? Behave!" Another heavy p came down, and another bright red handprint bloomed on the Shadow Demon''s right cheek. Blood trickled from the corner of its mouth but it didn''t dare look at Cassius; he was just too strong. This morning''s brutal beating and training was still fresh in its memory.

    "This... this is..." Teresa noticed a Steel w-level Shadow Demon huddled beside the Red Eye-level one. That one also looked weak and lethargic, with signs that it had been beaten.

    "Miss Teresa, didn''t you just say that there are five Steel w-level Shadow Demons and one Red Eye-level Shadow Demon lurking in Baichuan City?" Cassius turned his head, his tone calm as he recounted the facts. "If I''m not mistaken, then that team of Shadow Demons that came all the way to Baichuan City to hunt...is right here."

    Teresa inhaled sharply. Although she had vaguely suspected it earlier, hearing iting out of Cassius''s mouth still left her extremely shocked. She clutched her head in an attempt to steady herself. "Mr. Li Wei, what about...the other four?"

    Cassius didn''t answer. He just looked at her impassively.

    Teresa smacked her forehead when she saw his expression. What a foolish question! If even the leading Red Eye-level Shadow Demon had been captured, the fate of the other Steel w-level Shadow Demons were most likely...

    <i>Crack!</i>

    "Alright, alright, give me a moment to process this," Teresa muttered to herself, stepping back a little to lean against the blue wall. Unknowingly, she had started addressing Cassius with honorifics.

    Ten minutester, the two were seated on a beige sofa. The teacup in Teresa''s hand was already empty, but she kept absentmindedly raising it to her lips and then putting it down again. "So, what you''re saying is that you were attacked by Shadow Demons on your way homest night, and they severely damaged your new car. You, in a fit of rage...took down the four Shadow Demons attacking you and then caught two for questioning?"

    Cassius sipped his tea, nodding slightly. "Yes, that''s basically it." There might have been some discrepancies, but it was more or less close to the actual situation.

    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "Well... you are truly brave..." Teresa looked at Cassius''s towering physique and couldn''t help but give a wry smile.

    "I''ve just done some martial arts training and have a knack for closebat." Cassius waved it off, sounding almost modest.

    Teresa pursed her lips, as if wanting to say something but something seemed to be holding her back. Finally, she made up her mind. "Mr. Li Wei, with your skills, why don''t you join forces with our Shadowless n? Although our Shadowless n was founded by those possessed by Shadow Demons, it''s still a significant force. If you join, then wealth, status, power, and..."

    Teresa prattled on, mainly introducing the specifics of the Shadowless n, seemingly trying to highlight its strength to entice Cassius to join.

    On the opposite sofa, Cassius''s expression did not change as she talked. Having just be a top executive Jack of Diamonds in the Ace of Spades'' assassination department, Teresa''s words held little real appeal for him. If all the Shadowless n had was the superficial strength she described, it seemed rather weak.

    Teresa had previously mentioned how one Red Eye-level Shadow Demon leading five Steel w-level Shadow Demons had caused such a big stir in the Shadowless n that they had to send half of their elite members from the six eastern counties. Did that mean that the Shadowless n''s power in all of the six eastern counties of the Hongli Federation was only double that of one Red Eye-level and five Steel w-level Shadow Demons? Or did the Shadowless n have other forces and experts hidden deep within, its elite members merely acting as the front?

    Just because Cassius doubted the Shadowless n''s strength didn''t mean he was going to cut all ties with them. After all, they had all been possessed by Shadow Demons, and the greater the number of people, the greater their understanding of theirmon experiences which would help rify some rules¡ªsomething Cassius very much needed.

    While joining the Shadowless n was unnecessary, coborating and exchanging information with them could prove beneficial. It never hurt to have additional options, friends, and backup ns.

    The two continued chatting for a while with Teresa maintaining a deferential attitude, constantly using honorifics to address him. However, Cassius was clearly not the type to be easily swayed by a fewpliments. He made it clear, at the very end, that he had no desire to join.

    Although a bit disappointed, Teresa didn''t push further, and only suggested that they exchange intelligence and cooperate in the future, to which Cassius agreed. Finally, Teresa made a request. She wanted to purchase the two Shadow Demons from Cassius on behalf of the Shadowless n.

    When Cassius asked what they would be used for, Teresa said they would be dissected so they could study the Shadow Demons'' structure and to test their principles.

    It cost about two million Hongli Federation dors for the Steel w-level and ten million for the Red Eye-level. As tempting as it was, Cassius rejected the initial request, and only agreed to sell one of them¡ªnamely the Steel w-level Shadow Demon that couldn''tmunicate.

    As for the other Red Eye-level one that could, he felt it still had a lot of information about the dark world it had yet to disclose. Since Cassius wasn''t short on money, he saw no need to sell the Shadow Demon for a little cash. To be honest, he hadn''t sold the Steel w-level Shadow Demon for money either. He just wanted to do this favor for the Shadowless n since it would be easier to work together in the future.

    With the ball in Cassius''s court, Teresa had no choice but to acquiesce. If he had any inclination to sell, he would''ve. She couldn''t force him.

    "Thank you for your understanding, Mr. Li Wei. Have a good night." Teresa shook hands with Cassius in the courtyard. As the evening breeze blew, she was about to say some other pleasantries when faint voices came from outside the wall.

    "Hugo, is this the ce?"

    "Yes, it is."

    "Teresa should have gone in to talk by now. Let''s go in too. Oh, should we ring the doorbell at the entrance?"

    "What''s the point of that? Let''s just climb over the wall."

    "That wouldn''t be right though. This is someone else''s home."

    "What''s wrong with it? Five Steel w-level Shadow Demons, and a Red Eye-level are still skulking around Baichuan City. That Li Wei guy may know somebat moves, but he''d die if he encountered a Shadow Demon. We''re here to protect him!"

    "Alright."

    Immediately, there was the sound of people climbing over the wall. The four elite members were agile and leaped onto the wall with ease.

    "We''re up. Now let''s get down." Hugo was thest toe up. The other three seemed rooted in ce. They did not respond.

    "What''s wrong?" He turned his head in confusion and froze on the spot. In the courtyard, shrouded in the shadows beside the car, a man in a ck coat with white gloves stood, quietly looking over.

    Silent, eerie, mysterious. Especially those intense blood-red eyes!!! They were cold and indifferent, with a strong oppressive aura and killing intent. And... <i>and</i>! There was even an inhuman tint in those pupils, pointing to an inhuman, bloodthirsty brutality.

    <i>A Shadow Demon! Red Eye-level!! Oh my god!!!</i>

    Hugo was so scared he could hardly breathe, feeling the aura crushing his chest inch by inch. He, like the other three, were so terrified they couldn''t move.

    In that moment, the scene at the residence was a bit eerie. It resembled a frozen ck-and-white painting, with the man in the coat standing quietly in the shadows, while the four men perched stupidly on the wall, each with a dazed expression like a statue.

    "Run!" someone broke free and shouted.

    Immediately, the air exploded with the sound of feetnding outside the wall. Then three more thumps followed, one of which sounded different. One unlucky fellow had apparently fallen in fright, apanied by a pained grunt.

    "Damn! My shoe came off!"

    "Run! It''s a Red Eye-level! What''s more important, your shoe or your life?"

    "What about Teresa?!"

    "The organization will remember her brave sacrifice!"

    "Oh no, my shoe came off too!"

    "Stop dawdling... <i>Ugh</i>! Just grab it and run!"

 Chapter 115 - The Third Time-Travel

    <h4>Chapter 115 - The Third Time-Travel</h4>

    The next day, at Cassius''s new home in the pale courtyard.

    "I''m looking forward to working with you in the future."

    "Y-yes."

    Two hands sped together; one belonged to Cassius, who had a faint smile on his face, and the other to a somewhat frightened Hugo.

    Standing quietly beside them were four other members of the Shadowless n, all looking very ufortable. The only person who seemed unfazed was Teresa, who was still in her ck dress, holding a box in her hand.

    The previous night, the Shadowless n members had been scared out of their wits, even losing their shoes in the process. After returning to their base in Baichuan City, they immediately reported Teresa''s death, along with their encounter with the Shadow Demon. Before the news could spread, however, Teresa, who had supposedly died a hero, casually strolled back in.

    This caused quite a stir, as the entire base went on high alert, fearful that the Shadow Demons had forced Teresa into revealing their location. They suspected the Shadow Demons were lurking in the dark, ready to attack at any moment.

    The misunderstanding made the atmosphere tense for a time, but was soon cleared up. What Hugo and the others saw was not a Shadow Demon, but a Covert Martial Arts expert who had surpassed human limits. As for the Shadow Demons'' supposed attack on the base... that was going to be next to impossible to do since Cassius had wiped out the squad the previous day.

    Although Hugo and the elite members were embarrassed, Teresa came bearing good news: Cassius was willing to sell the captured Sharp w-level Shadow Demon for two million Hongli Federation dors, with the transaction to bepleted the next day.

    The ferocity and brutality of Shadow Demons were far beyond human imagination. Even if they were defeated, they could escape by merely vanishing into the darkness. Killing a Shadow Demon was not difficult, but capturing one alive was a different story altogether. The fact that Teresa could purchase a Sharp w-level Shadow Demon from Cassius was quite an achievement in and of itself.

    This simple achievementnded her a promotion without a problem.

    Unfortunately, Cassius had other uses for the Red-eyed Shadow Demon, so it wasn''t avable for trade. Otherwise, <i>that</i> would have been enough to jump two to three levels up, and maybe even get a middle management position at the headquarters.

    Teresa shook away the fantasies. She knew the decision wasn''t in her hands. Both Shadow Demons had been captured by Cassius, and it was up to him if he wanted to sell them or not.

    "Here is the two million, Mr. Li Wei." Teresa stepped forward and handed the box to Cassius.

    He epted it and went inside, returning with a white bup sack that appeared to contain a human-shaped object. Since the sack had been used to store herbs previously, the sack stunk of a strong medicinal herb scent. Cassius had repurposed it for the asion.

    "Take a look."

    He pulled down the sack, revealing an awkward-looking and miserable man bound in chains. He was gagged and his face and forehead were covered in bruises. Upon seeing the sunlight, he instinctively shut his eyes and lowered his head, as if it was too much for him.

    Teresa and Hugo examined the man closely. He looked like a normal human, except for his elongated hands and sharp nails. The shadow behind him squirmed and crawled under his body, exuding an evil aura in the darkness. Teresa and Hugo exchanged nces, confirming their suspicions.

    She nodded. "No doubt, it''s a Sharp w-level Shadow Demon."

    "Alright, it''s all yours."

    In the end, Cassius helped them by knocking out the Shadow Demon by chopping his hand down on its neck. Although it was bound in chains, it was better to be safe than sorry. He didn''t trust Hugo and the so-called elite members of the Shadowless n to do it themselves, fearing they might mess things up.

    Five minutester, a boxy silver van drove away from the residence. Cassius watched for a while before going back inside. He went up to the third floor, took out an herb packet, and got ready to take an herbal bath.

    ***

    "<i>Huff... Huff... Huff...</i>"

    It sounded like an ox was panting with the heavy breathing that echoed in the basement. Cassius was in a half-squat horse stance, his toes lightly touching the ground, his head hanging down, and his body slightly leaning forward with his hands pressed together.

    This peculiar stance demanded a lot out of his stamina. Sweat dripped from his upper body, soaking his gray training pants. His strong muscles were red, like he was a lobster being boiled.

    "<i>Sniff... Huff... Sniff... Huff... Sniff... Huff...</i>"

    His breathing gradually elerated; starting from normal to high-speed, like some high-end fan, eventually merging into a continuous flow. A faint white mist blew out of his nostrils.

    "<i>Ha</i>."

    Cassius''s eyes flew open as he exhaled a breath of turbid air. His raised toes settled back on the ground as he straightened his body. His muscles contracted and released, flinging off sweat in a misty spray. He nced at the top right corner.

    [Elephant Soul Iplete: Bug Bite 43.2% (Total Three Stages)]

    Since returning from the time-travel era, the progress bar of the Elephant Soul had increased by about 0.1%. It was a slow and arduous process.

    Cassius''s current level was somewhere between the second and third stage. He still had a considerable way to go before reaching 66%. He estimated that once he exceeded 66.7%, the third node of elerated blood flow would likely be activated. With three nodes circting simultaneously, his Covert Martial Arts would run automatically, even during his sleep. Though not as efficient as him actively practicing, it had the advantage of constant improvement.

    He had already experienced some of these benefits. With two nodes activated, a gentle warmth circted through his body, elerating his healing and blood supply.

    Although not as effective as activating the three nodes, it did help him recover from a gunshot wound within a day. This was the hidden benefit of the two blood nodes.

    Cassius twisted his neck and walked over to the exercise equipment. He unlocked the iron lock, removed the chains from the Shadow Demon, and tossed them aside.

    "I''m going to give you one chance to get past me and through the curtain. If you can do that, I''ll let you go." Face expressionless, he moved several steps away from the partition curtain.

    On the opposite end, the Red-eyed Shadow Demon stood up. In the dim basement, his light red eyes looked like a beast''s as he stared at Cassius. Voice hoarse and grating, he croaked, "Really?"

    "Why would I lie to you? Of <i>course</i>,<i> </i>I''m telling the truth." Cassius grinned. His white teeth sent chills down the Shadow Demon''s spine.

    <i>Thud! Bang! </i>

    "<i>Ugh</i>!"

    A few minutester, the Shadow Demon was dragged back to the exercise equipment like a dead dog.

    Cassius wrapped a metal chain around it and then squatted down. He was disappointed. "I gave you a chance, but you''re so useless..." He gently hit the Shadow Demon''s left cheek. "Better luck next time."

    Cassius slowly rose to his full height and patted his chest. His rock-hard chest muscles had two or three white crisscross marks from the Shadow Demon furiously shing its ws at him. They weren''t bleeding at least.

    The Red-eyed Shadow Demon was quite strong, at leastparable to a pugilist. The only reason why Cassius dared to let it loose was because he was confident in his higher realm. He wasn''t doing it to humiliate the demon; he just needed a sparring partner.

    He hadn''t encountered any pugilists at his level in the real world, possibly due to the suppression of the Dao of the Covert Martial Arts by technological development or some other hidden reason.

    The other reason why Cassius fought with the Shadow Demon was to understand it better. Knowing your enemy was the key to any victory. It wasn''t just one or a couple of Shadow Demon; they were arge group hiding among humans. As someone who had been parasitized by them, Cassius knew it was only a matter of time before they came for him, and he knew he needed to be ready when that day came.

    At 2 p.m., Cassiusy on a reclining chair, on a small balcony of a yellow house, basking in the warm sunlight. The sky was a pure blue. Music drifted in from the room in the distance where a ck vinyl record spun on the table. It was a newly popr record in the Hongli Federation, a twelve-inch disc capable of holding multiple songs.

    A gentle breeze brushed his face as Cassius, dressed in casual clothes, took out a bronze ring from his pocket, his eyes flickering slightly. The ring glimmered faintly in the sunlight.

    His thoughts were clear. The second manifestation of the Shadow Demon had passed, and the third was two months away, but Cassius couldn''t wait that long. He was nning to enhance his strength through another time-travel session. With sufficient lingering attachment energy and the Wind Elephant Tusk Pendant¡¯s third time-travel as a backup, he had no problem undertaking another journey.

    He eyed the top right corner of his vision.

    [Lingering Attachment Energy: 5.4]

    Feeling assured, he slowly raised his hand. A drop of blood fell on the bronze ring.

    Instantly, a cold, numbing sensation spread through his body in response to the ring. Cassius blinked, and everything around him seemed frozen, like insects trapped in amber. A falling leaf hung suspended in the air.

    <i>Buzz...</i>

    It was like being struck by a hammer. Cassius''s head shook violently.

    N?v(el)B\\jnn

    The world spun, the colors blurring together as if water had been poured over a delicate oil painting. Cassius clenched his right fist, struggling to maintain his sanity against the dizziness.

    <i>Whoosh~ </i>

    A strong gale swept through the city, leaving a twisting trail in the rain and mist. Raindrops hit the gray-bricked streets, creating a thin haze hovering above the ground. Lightning shattered the sky, thunder rumbled, and dark clouds covered Nington City.

    Fifty years ago, July 7, Year 106 of the Hongli Federation. East Sea County, Nington City, Lise Street.

    This was the bustling East Sea County. Decades ago, multiple ports were built, leading to a booming economy. This was especially the case twenty years ago when stable sea routes were established, and wealth flowed into East Sea County. All kinds of luxury goods were shipped here.

    Nington City, though not the core city of East Sea County, ranked third or fourth in economic development, making it quite prosperous. The most noticeable features of the city were its tall buildings with tea-colored ss exteriors, giant product or celebrity billboards, and towering smokestacks. It also had numerous theaters, churches, stock exchanges, and exquisite mansions. Here, the rich enjoyed their power.

    Arge ball was being held in Jasmine Mansion on Lise Street. Hosted by Charles Roche, the boss of Coflen Company, he had invited some socialites to attend. As the men and women in formal attire danced to the music, bright chandelier lights cast down on them, their shadows shifting and moving across the polished floor. The shadows of gentlemen and socialites seemed to merge together.

    Seated on a yellow sofa at the side, a beautiful girl in a red dress looked uneasily at the dance floor. She was alone tonight, and did not have a dance partner, making her feel out of ce. She nced to her right, at the edge of the dance floor.

    A young, handsome man was quietly watching ahead, a ss of red wine in hand. He wore a well-fitted casual suit that entuated his tall, strong figure. His face was fair and handsome, with slicked-back hair revealing a full forehead.

    The man exuded an air of elegance and authority. His name was Charles, the twenty-year-old millionaire and owner of Coflen Company.

    Today was his birthday party. He didn''t seem to have any family, and invited many of Nington''s elite forpany. Among the guests were many unmarried, beautiful women hoping to catch the attention of the single millionaire. However, his aloof personality made approaching him difficult¡ªor so the girl thought.

    Charles walked over and offered his hand. "You don''t have a dance partner tonight, do you, Miss Emily? May I have this honor?"

    "Oh... of course." Excited, Emily hopped up and stretched out her hand.

    Soon, the dance floor weed a new pair of dancing figures, and they became the highlight of the night. The party ended a half hourter, and the guests left, leaving only Emily and Charles behind in the hall. The two stood by the window, listening to the rain as they sipped wine. They gradually warmed up to each other.

    <i>sh!</i>

    A bright lightning bolt cut through the dark sky. In the dim hall, Charles''s shadow was cast on the floor, resembling a ck bat gnawing and sucking blood.

    <i>Rumble!</i>

    Thunder roared like cannons. In the rain-soaked night, a man holding a ck umbre and a bag walked toward the mansion.

    Dressed in a ck suit with a wide-brimmed hat covering most of his face, he gave off an enigmatic aura. His leather shoes sshed in the water as he approached the mansion''s side wall. He nced around and pulled something out of the bag.

    A bronze and silver mechanical crossbow.

    The edges were thick, with intricate patterns carved on the metal surface, and a barrel-like rotary drum hanging underneath. The drum was filled with silver bolts glinting in the light. The corner of the mechanical crossbow had a small inscription in cursive script: "Frenzy Steam."

    The man looked down, then froze.

    <i>Ssh...</i>

    Rain poured down, creating a mist that blurred everything around him. Raindrops drummed on the umbre, making a series of pitter-patters. The umbre tilted back slightly, revealing a pair of cold, indifferent eyes.

    "Hellsing, Blood Race, Hunt, ck Rain Manor..." he murmured to himself, gently weighing the crossbow in his hand. "And Frenzy Steam..."

 Chapter 116 - The Story of Twilight

    <h4>Chapter 116 - The Story of Twilight</h4>

    A torrent of information crashed into his mind.

    Twilight was the name of this body''s original owner. Unlike Li Wei, the owner of the Wind Elephant Tusk Pendant, Twilight was a man. A <i>real</i> man!

    Even Cassius found himself admiring this tough guy.

    Originally a resident of a region bordering the Hongli Federation, Twilight lived with his parents and a cute little sister. Although the family wasn''t wealthy, the four of them lived happily.

    However, ten years ago, on a certain day, a conflict arose between the Hongli Federation and a neighboring country which escted into a small-scale war. Bombs rained down, leaving ruins in their wake. Countless lives were lost in the chaos, including Twilight''s parents.

    His parents died, and his hometown was destroyed.

    At just ten years old, Twilight and his five-year-old sister became orphans. They were taken into the Tomorrow Orphanage. However, "tomorrow" did not exist in that orphanage. This was not a warm home; this was a ce filled with only filth and crime. Young Twilight had a stubborn streak and fought fiercely to protect his sister.

    Three yearster, Twilight spotted and seized the opportunity to escape the orphanage with his sister. The two wandered across the Federation, where he did odd jobs here and there. Since he wasn''t of working age, he could only take on low-paying, under-the-table work.

    They huddled in a leaky shack, gnawing on stale bread.

    Over the following years, he was extorted by thugs, exploited by shop owners, chased by dogs, and ridiculed by children. Yet, Twilight never let life beat him down. Despite his name, his heart held the light of dawn. He didn''t believe in fate; the only thing he believed in was himself. He even scrimped and saved to send his sister to school, making time to study amid his busy work schedule.

    Life was hard and exhausting, but he was hopeful.

    Eventually, Twilight got into college, working part-time to change his destiny. A few yearster, he graduated, and finally caught a glimpse of a brighter future.

    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    But fate had a cruel joke in store for him. His sister fell terminally ill, the cause of her illness going back to when they spent years as children living in that leaky shack.

    Twilight wanted to save his sister, but he needed an astronomical amount of money, far beyond what he could borrow or earn. Desperate, he tried every possible thing and just as he hit his darkest hour, he stumbled upon a piece of fantastical news. There were rumors of a ce called ck Rain Manor up in the coastal mountains of East Sea County where, as long as you found it, it would grant you anything you desired, including money.

    It sounded like an urban legend, but with no other options, Twilight went. By some miracle, he found the manor shrouded in mist and rain. It housed an organization called Hellsing, which resembled an assassin''s guild. But its true nature was far moreplex. The manor seemed to be a sentient being as it issued missions to Hellsing. Rather than killing people, these missions tasked them with hunting dark creatures that hid themselves among humans.

    If a Hellsing sessfullypleted their missions, they could choose any reward from the manor: wealth, longevity, even mysterious powers beyond human imagination.

    Twilight had no choice but to ept.

    After the Hellsings gave him basic training in using a mechanical crossbow, they sent him on his way. After half a month, Twilight returned, gravely injured but victorious, to ck Rain Manor. He had miraculouslypleted the novice mission.

    Without hesitation, Twilight exchanged his reward for arge sum of money. But when he rushed to the hospital full of hope, he was hit with a devastating blow. His sister had died while he was in the middle of his mission. From that moment on, Twilight was alone in the world.

    He held a funeral for her. There was a time when hepleted task after task for ck Rain Manor, hoping it might have the power to resurrect the dead. The period Cassius had arrived in was Twilight''s fifth mission when he was hunting the Blood Race.

    During this mission, Twilight would meet the second most important woman in his life. After getting severely wounded in his escape after killing a Blood Race member who had hidden itself among humans, a blonde woman named Julia would save him, at which point a bond would form between them. Twilight continued his missions, growing stronger in the hopes that he could revive his sister. But an old man, after hearing about his situation, informed him that ck Rain Manor, despite its mystic powers, couldn''t bring people back from the dead for he had tried and failed to revive a girl he once cared for.

    Crushed, Twilight contemted leaving ck Rain Manor. He didn''t want to risk his life on these missions anymore; he wanted to live peacefully with Julia in a remote town. However, Hellsings mustplete their missions regrly. Defiance would only bring the Decaying Knights who roamed the ck Rain Manor down on them.

    Twilight had no choice but to continue his tormenting tasks.

    During one of his missions, he learned about a potion that could induce a state of false death. The Decaying Knights would think the Hellsing to be dead and consequently leave. Twilight endured countless hardships to obtain said potion.

    He chose a secluded ce, took the potion, and entered the state of false death. As expected, the Decaying Knights left, believing he had died. A dayter, Twilight awok, ted. He hurried home to tell Julia the good news, only to find his home in ruins and Julia''s lifeless body.

    The power of ck Rain Manor had grown immensely over time. The marked-ones weren''t the ones affected; their loved ones were too. When the Decaying Knights left, they had left to kill Julia.

    Twilight fell into despair for the second time. His regret, grief, and sorrow were overwhelming, but above all, he burned with a fiery desire for revenge.

    Twilight wasn''t intimidated by the powerful and mysterious ck Rain Manor. He began targeting it, forming a team of like-minded individuals to fight against the tide.

    They battled all manner of beings, from dark creatures to Decaying Knights to the Hellsings sent by the manor. One day, he came across information in the ancient ruins which stated that killing all the Decaying Knights would shut down the manor. A massive uprising ensued. Although Twilight died in the end, the manor was gravely damaged.

    As the rainy night settled, Cassius couldn''t help admiring his bravery. Twilight endured countless hardships from childhood to death, but never bowed to fate. A true warrior loved life in spite of its harshness and Twilight was such a man. He fought his entire life for himself and his family.

    Twilight had left a simple wish in the bronze ring: destroy ck Rain Manor!

    "I understand," Cassius murmured.

    He raised his right hand, which bore an old bronze ring. This ring, picked from a garbage pile by Twilight''s sister during their struggle to survive in the leaky shack, was not valuable; it was just amon trinket found in street stalls. Yet, Twilight cherished it like it was a precious treasure.

    Cassius clenched his fist and smiled faintly.

    Thunder roared through the clouds, and rain poured heavily down. The thick rain became increasingly dense until everything became a transparent blur. A man stood in an alley beside Jasmine Mansion with an umbre held aloft.

    <i>ck Rain Mansion truly is a magical ce; it can even enhance physical quality andbat skills, so long as youplete the missions!</i> Cassius was intrigued. He wondered if there was a price to pay for such enhancements and whether he could retain these powers in the real world.

    He lifted the bag in his right hand, feeling its considerable weight. Twilight had learned to use the violent steam-powered mechanical crossbow in ck Rain Manor. It came with various arrowheads¡ªsilver-ted, poisoned, barbed, and triangr¡ªas well as a range of agile movement techniques, some closebat skills, and dagger fighting techniques.

    The current Twilight was about as strong as a third to fourth-tier in the Federation and was a shield-level Hellsing from ck Rain Manor. Hellsing was a collective term for those marked by the manor, and were ranked based on taskpletion. The ranks were divided into four levels: shield-level, sword-level, badge-level, and knight-level.

    "This body is so weak..."

    Cassius flexed his limbs. Though a third or fourth-tier body was strongpared to ordinary people, it severely limited his potential. His abilities were drastically constrained by this body''s limitations. His Wind Elephant Covert Martial Arts had originally reached the mid-second stage, but now he couldn¡¯t even bring out its full power; he was probably not even at the level of a pugilist.

    Fortunately, East Sea County had another ck Rain Manor. Cassius could quickly regain and even surpass his previous strength there. As for potential risks... he''d cross that bridge when he got there.

    His first task in this era? Eliminate the Blood Race members in Jasmine Mansion!

    Although they called themselves the Blood Race, the Hellsing members referred to them as bloodsucking ghouls due to their vampiric tendencies.

    Compared to other dark creatures, the lower-tier Blood Race members were pretty weak. For instance, the average adult man could best a blood ve. Despite their weakbat ability, Blood Race members were cunning and adept at hiding themselves within human society. Over time, they had learned to control their bloodsucking urges, taking small amounts from multiple people to avoid detection.

    Twilight''s current target hadbat abilities on par with his own. With the silver-ted arrowheads in his mechanical crossbow, Twilight stood a good chance of taking down the opponent unscathed or close to that at least. However, he had been severely wounded during this mission because a hostage had been there.

    Twilight wasn¡¯t quite the seasoned Hellsing who hade to ept the cycle of life and death. He couldn¡¯t help but try to save ordinary people. Although he hadn¡¯t been foolish enough to lower his weapon, making himself vulnerable to an easy kill, the hostage situation had significantly affected his performance, leading to injuries for both sides.

    Cassius, however, was different. Threatening him with a random hostage? Idiots, he''d eliminate both the kidnappers and the hostage without hesitation. Don''t tell him how to do his job!

    He had made up his mind. Cassius surveyed the thick rain fog around him, then stepped back two paces and bounded over the wall with a single leap, his hand lightly touching the wall for support. His leather shoes sunk into the grassy ground with a soft, wet thud, as if they were stepping onto a spongy green carpet.

    Cassius walked forward, his shoes stepping onto the gray-white garden path. He nced around, found his bearings, and moved toward the mansion.

    A rectangr building close to the center of Jasmine Mansion where a birthday party had just taken ce was dimly lit by twomps in the corners. A couple, nestled in the soft sofas near the floor-to-ceiling windows, were whispering sweet nothings to each other and kissing.

    "Charles, I¡¯m so happy today," Emily said. Her eyes were filled with joy, a blush dusting across her fair cheeks, and her lips slightly swollen from kissing.

    "I''m d to hear that. Oh right, are you still a virgin?" Charles asked casually, his hands around Emily¡¯s slender waist. Emily, head a little woozy, didn¡¯t find the question crass since this seemed like an intimate inquiry typically asked between lovers.

    Emily shyly nodded, burying her head in Charles''s broad chest. "...Yes..."

    Suddenly, a massive bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, and a thunderous boom resounded as if an explosion had urred, apanied by a faint shattering sound.

    "<i>Ah</i>!" Emily screamed and clung to Charles tighter. "I''m scared," she whimpered, her voice pitiful.

    But Charles did not move. He didn''tfort Emily nor wrap his arms around her back to hold her.

    "Charles? Charles... Charles?"

    Emily lifted her head, puzzled. Charles stood rigid like a wooden dummy, stunned. In the dim light, Emily noticed two sharp objects protruding from his head.

    "Charles, what¡¯s wrong?"

    <i>Rumble! </i>

    Another lightning sh illuminated the mansion''s edge.

    A scream ripped violently out of Emily''s throat. The sharp objects were crossbow bolts, one protruding from each temple. Blood trickled down his temples and chin and onto the floor.

    Emily stumbled back in terror.

    The sound of breaking ss came from the floor-to-ceiling window. Three crossbow bolts whizzed through the air, piercing Charles''s chest, causing blood to spurt from his chest.

    <i>Crash!</i>

    The already damaged window shatteredpletely as a man in a suit kicked it in. As a shower of ss shards rained down around him, he strolled in. Lightning shed behind him, outlining his dark silhouette.

 Chapter 117 - Cold and Ruthless

    <h4>Chapter 117 - Cold and Ruthless</h4>

    "Huh... Not dead yet, are you?" Cassius approached the sofa.

    Charles, who had just been shot in the head by an arrow, was nowhere to be seen. It was as if he had vanished into thin air.

    "<i>Ah</i>!" Emily let out a terrified shriek from the sofa.

    "Stop screaming, or I''m taking you out first," Cassius said, without even turning to look at Emily. His voice was cold and indifferent.

    Emily immediately mped her mouth shut. Her eyes were already red with fear, and her heart pounded wildly. This intruder had killed Mr. Charles, and she was scared that she was next.

    Not to mention, she was a natural beauty. Things weren''t looking good for her.

    While she was consumed by those thoughts, Cassius whipped around, raising his mechanical crossbow and pulling the trigger. Three or four bolts shot swiftly toward Emily, hitting the space around both sides of her waist. They sunk into the sofa with a soft thump, stabbing into the shadows behind it.

    The dark shadow gave a muffled groan and a figure rolled out from behind. Charles shot to his feet, yanking out the silver-ted bolts from his shoulder.

    Since he wasn''t even human, he wasn''t going to die just because of a few arrows through the head. However, the silver coating on the arrowheads weakened him, slowing his regenerative abilities slightly.

    Charles had immediately hidden, pulling out the arrows from his body. But never did he expect Cassius to shoot recklessly in Emily''s direction! Wasn''t he afraid of hurting a human? This man was truly ruthless! How could he attack such a lovely and charming woman?

    But Cassius had anticipated this. Fighting wasn''t all brawn; it also required brains. The only hiding spots near the French window were the two sofas and the coffee table in the lounge area. Charles could only hide behind one of those sofas, most likely behind Emily.

    From Twilight''s previous experience, this Blood n member was despicable enough to think hiding behind a human was the safest option. But Cassius was much more coldhearted.

    If he wanted to shoot that arrow, then he was going to shoot that arrow! It didn''t matter if a beautiful young woman was in the line of fire, he would still let that arrow fly.

    <i>Thud, thud, thud...</i>

    Cassius dashed toward the wall switch. In the dim light, his mechanical crossbow skills that he had learned from Twilight were going to be less effective and less urate.

    Charles seemed to realize Cassius''s intentions. He sprinted over, hands slightly curled. A faint red glow emanated from his skin, quickly enveloping his hands like gloves.

    Charles wasn''t some lowly blood ve; he was a true Blood Race member, adept at using low-level blood arts. His hands were coated in toxic blood energy, and highly corrosive. A single touch would burn a human''s skin off, exposing their bones.

    Agile and fast, Charles came up from behind, his hands wing toward Cassius.

    <i>Swish! sh!</i>

    A sh of cold light in the darkness.

    In an instant, Cassius turned and plunged a bright silver dagger into the bloodsucker''s stomach! It happened extremely quickly. He ducked, forcefully knocking Charles''s arms aside with his elbows before mming into him, and driving the dagger deeper into his stomach until, in the blink of an eye, the only thing visible was the handle.

    "<i>Ugh</i>..."

    Charles''s eyes widened, pain etched across his face. The dagger had a silver coating!

    Since when was Twilight so skilled in closebat?! Wasn''t he supposed to only be proficient with the mechanical crossbow? What the hell kind of twist was this to switch from long-range to closebat?

    The thoughts had barely taken form when a series of muffled thuds resounded. A sharp pain erupted in Charles''s abdomen. Looking down, he saw the cause.

    A mechanical crossbow pressed against Charles''s stomach. Cassius activated it at maximum power, triggering the berserk steam mode. A dozen or so silver arrows shot into his flesh with a sickening noise, piercing through Charles''s back. Blood sprayed explosively out. Some of these arrows were coated with poison, some had barbed tips, and others were specialized three-edged arrows designed for bloodshed.

    "<i>Ugh</i>..." Eyes wide and furious, Charles red at Cassius. Cassius stared back, cold and emotionless.

    Cassius deftly parried and dodged every one of Charles''s attacks; none of his strikes so much as even grazed his clothes. In Cassius''s eyes, Charles''s attacks wereughable, like those of a beast acting purely on instinct and were far too predictable.

    Even though Charles was much stronger, Cassius easily deflected all his attacks with minimal effort. Since Twilight''s body was still weak, Cassius relied on the destructive power of the mechanical crossbow. After a few rounds, it was clear: Cassius was toying with Charles like he was ying with a child.

    "<i>Argh</i>!!!" Charles roared. He was infuriated but it wasn''t like he could do anything to counter. He was now, in essence, a child. Born from the blood pool less than three years ago and having been in human society for less than a year, Charlescked maturity andbat skills. All he had were his strong body and the basic blood arts that were ingrained into his instincts.

    Charles''s hands, glowing with red energy, shed through the air. Cassius sidestepped, firing another volley of arrows.

    Feeling pain in his back, Charles felt mortified. Humans were just food for the noble Blood Race! How dare this lowly creature continue to hurt him!

    He panted heavily, turned around, and swiped fiercely. He hit nothing but air, receiving two to three more arrows for his troubles. Charles roared in pain and anger as one hit his eye.

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    An arrow went through his mouth and directly into his throat!

    "<i>Ugh...</i>" He had never been this humiliated!

    <i>I¡¯m Charles, a proud Blood</i>¡ª

    <i>Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!</i>

    Three arrows lodged themselves in his cheeks!

    "<i>Ahhhh</i>, damn it!" Charles raged helplessly while Cassius calmly fought and retreated. Cassius could handle this idiot easily; he was just a dumb mule.

    "What a weakling, I thought he was high-ss..." Cassius mocked coldly. He was nning to experiment further.

    "<i>Ahh</i>! You wretched human, you deserve to die!" Enraged, Charles charged at him.

    Cassius dodged, firing off three more arrows. "Alright, this guy is a real fool..."

    N?v(el)B\\jnn

    After some more entanglement and fighting, Charles started to slow, blood pooling on the floor where there were already bloodstained arrows strewn about. Cassius held his crossbow, taunting, "I''m waiting for you to bleed out. What are you waiting for?"

    The Blood Race had a critical weakness: the amount of blood they had in their bodies. The less blood they had, the weaker their abilities and healing power. The best way to kill them was to destroy their heart.

    However, the Blood Race''s bones were different from a regr human¡¯s. Their hearts were protected by tough bone armor. Thus, the alternative was to make them bleed profusely.

    Heavy breathing echoed in the hall. Charles, realizing how dire the situation was, decided to make his escape. rity returned to his mind, and he sprinted toward the French windows. Cassius followed closely behind, firing arrows and turning Charles into a pincushion.

    Emily stood paralyzed with fear by the French windows. She had considered running but the intense fight and flying arrows made it too dangerous. Terrified, she shuddered.

    As Charles ran past her, he had the bright idea of using Emily as a hostage. But three arrows shot past him, with one even tearing through Emily''s dress and only narrowly missing her thigh by a hair.

    Emily screamed in horror.

    <i>Right! This heartless human doesn''t care about strangers'' lives! Taking Emily hostage wouldn''t even be a threat to him, and would only slow me down!</i> Charles gritted his teeth and dashed out, abandoning the idea of taking Emily.

    Cassius nced at the terrified, urine-soaked Emily before stepping out expressionlessly to continue his pursuit.

    In the original timeline, Charles had taken Emily hostage, forcing Twilight into a critical fight, resulting in Charles gravely injuring Twilight and killing Emily. But due to Cassius''s ruthless approach, Emily escaped her grim fate by the narrowest of margins.

    Fate had a funny way of ying out.

 Chapter 118 - No Longer Involved

    <h4>Chapter 118 - No Longer Involved</h4>

    Two figures sprinted down the gray-white road of Jasmine Mansion.

    The one in front was extremely disheveled, leaving bloody footprints with every step. The person behind followed unhurriedly, like a seasoned hunter navigating a dangerous jungle.

    <i>Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!</i>

    Cassius quickly removed the metal cylinder, recing it with another one from a pouch at his waist; this one was filled with arrows. The mechanical crossbow Twilight used wasn''t an ordinary one; it was a specially modified tool by Hellsing, capable of rapid fire, high reload capacity, and high damage.

    "<i>Roar</i>!"

    A bellow, like a cornered beast, echoed from the front. Charles seemed desperate, as he twisted around and charged at Cassius while he was in the midst of reloading. With his face distorted and fangs bared, he resembled an ugly ck bat.

    Cassius remained calm, easily sidestepping Charles''s attack. He then turned and fired four arrows. One embedded itself in Charles''s neck. It seemed to have severed an artery as blood gushed out, quickly puddling into a small pool on the ground.

    Charlesy on the ground, trembling as his strength dwindled along with his blood. A hissing sound came from his throat as he wed at the floor. He went still, seemingly dead.

    Cassius didn''t approach. He calmly checked the mechanism of his crossbow before raising it and firing madly.

    <i>Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...</i>

    Dozens of arrows sliced through the air under the moonlight, mming into Charles''s body.

    The supposedly dead Charles sprang up, staggered a few steps, then copsed. His body was now thoroughly pierced, resembling a porcupine.

    "So he''s a little intelligent, but he''s still too inexperienced." Cassius stood where he was, reloading his crossbow with arrows from his waist pouch.

    He then cautiously approached Charles''s corpse, his steps following the trail of blood. Cassius remained vignt, knowing that with his current strength, taking risks would only waste this time-travel opportunity.

    He experienced just how difficult it was to deal with these dark creatures. These beings had an incredible ability to regenerate. Minor wounds werepletely ineffective against them; terrible injuries, like severing limbs or splitting them in half, were the only thing that worked. Cassius¡¯s Azure Wind Flow, which could cover his hands with high-speed currents, would be excellent to use, but his current body couldn''t handle it yet. Cassius knew he needed to improve his physical condition to regain his full strength.

    His immediate goal was to retrieve the vampire''s heart for the mission and then seek the ck Rain Manor in the Anta Mountains.

    His thoughts returning to the present, Cassius nced at Emily, who was trembling behind the door. Without hesitation, he drew a gleaming dagger from his waist and stabbed into Charles''s chest, sttering blood everywhere.

    After some cutting, he extracted Charle¡¯s heart. It was half the size of a human heart and slightly ckened; it was still beating vigorously. Cassius ced the heart in a bag and walked out of the mansion.

    Rain washed away the blood on the gray stone road. Charles''s body gradually turned cold, its warmth stolen by the raindrops. Holding an umbre, Emily made her cautious approach from the door.

    Breathing heavily, she looked down.

    <i>Crash! </i>

    A bolt of lightning lit up the sky, revealing Charles''s grotesque face, fangs protruding, one eye destroyed, and the other nkly staring. His face was long and ugly, and looked like a rat or a bat.

    After that rainy night, rumors spread in Nington City about vampire bats preying on beautiful young women. Likewise, tales of a ck-d hunter began circting...

    The night thundered and mist hovered above the stone bs. Using an old trick, Cassius leaped over the mansion wall andnded in a puddle.

    He scanned his surroundings. Due to the heavy rain, no one was in sight.

    Recalling Twilight''s memories, Cassius remembered renting a room at the Ivy Inn for the mission. The inn was located at 115 Baishi Street, which he could get to just by turning right onto Chenxi Street.

    Cassius walked quickly, umbre in hand. The rain was relentless, creating a constant drumbeat on the slightly trembling umbre. He walked on the right side of the street, where the houses offered some reprieve from the rain.

    The street was lined with houses, their dim lights barely illuminating the ground. The ck streetmps posted intermittently helped Cassius see any obstacles ahead.

    <i>...I didn''t expect to feel chilly just from getting a little wet...</i>

    Cassius twisted his neck, a bit exasperated. Twilight''s body was tall and slender, about 1.75 meters. He had some streamlined muscles, but wasn''t overly built. In terms of physique, Twilight was definitely fitpared to the average person, but it was a far cry from Cassius''s original physique. This body was still in the category of "an average person," which meant if it got soaked in the rain, it would probably catch a cold.

    Cassius quickened his pace.

    At a corner, the streetlight cast a faint yellow glow, and the water flowing on the ground shimmered. The left side of the street led into an alley with a brass trash can ced at its entrance, while an old boxy car parked on the right side. It looked like any ordinary street.

    Cassius had only walked a few steps forward when a familiar scene shed in his mind, ovepping with the present.

    The rain, the dim lights, the white stone street, the old car... Twilight, severely injured, lying on the street, the woman opening the door...

    Wasn''t this where Twilight, gravely wounded after a desperate fight with the Blood Race, stumbled away and was saved by Julia?

    Cassius could even hear Julia softly humming the melody that Twilight had heard upon waking after falling unconscious for a day. Twilight had fallen in love with her then.

    But Cassius didn''t care about Twilight''s love. The altered events meant Julia would no longer get entangled with Twilight and wouldn''t meet a tragic end.

    Cassius decided to quickly walk past.

    Suddenly, a creak came from ahead as the door opened.

    A blonde woman stepped out, holding an umbre. She had a bag in her left hand and a shoulder bag slung over her right shoulder. She looked around; the rain was pouring down, and the street was empty.

    A figure crouched on the side of the road, hiding by the left side of the vintage car, looking exasperated. The timing was off: Cassius had killed the vampire and rushed to Baishi Street much faster than a staggering, injured Twilight. Yet, he still happened to encounter Julia right as she opened the door...

    Was this a coincidence? Or was it destiny?

    Determination surged through Cassius. Since he had decided not to get involved with Julia, then he wouldn¡¯t.

    Regardless of whether this situation was a coincidence or Twilight''s lingering attachment, it wasn¡¯t going to change Cassius''s resolve. He had his own way of doing things, and nothing could sway him into doing something he didn''t want to do.

    <i>Tap, tap, tap...</i>

    Footsteps came closer. Julia had her keys in hand, seemingly intending to open the car door.

    "..." Cassius exhaled a hot breath from his nostrils.

    Just as the footsteps stopped, he sprang up and shot toward the left alley like a ck lightning bolt.

    "Huh? What was that?"

    Just as she had started to bend down to unlock the door, Julia straightened up, confused. She scanned the street, but all she saw was a curtain of heavy rain. Raindrops sshed on the paved stones, creating tiny explosions of water.

    She looked around again, shook her head, and put her keys back, nning to take out the trash first. She headed for the trash can.

    "Damn it! You still won''t let me go!"

    In the left alley, Cassius squinted, rain dripping from his hair, sliding down his nose, and dripping off his chin. He underestimated how strong Twilight''s lingering attachment would be and how determined he would be to meet Julia. But Cassius wasn''t one to just ept things passively. He nced around the alley.

    The walls were high and covered in moss. It was a dead end. With Cassius''s skills the way they were now, he wouldn''t be able to mber over them.

    What if he pretended to just pass by Julia? Cassius''s intuition told him that would still lead to him getting involved with her in various ways. What if he was ruthless and killed Julia right now? But that might cut his stay short and get him kicked out of this time-travel by the lingering attachment.

    The best solution was to not meet Julia at all!

    Cassius didn''t want to live through Twilight''s melodramatic romantic story. He just wanted to go to ck Rain Manor,plete his missions, and get stronger.

    <i>Rumble... Puff, puff, puff... Crash!</i>

    Thunder rumbled, and strange noises seemed to mix in the distance.

    Julia slowed her steps unconsciously as she approached the alley entrance. She threw the trash into the can and then boldly stepped inside. At the end of the alley on the right, she stopped.

    In front of her was a grayish-white wall with arge hole in it, jagged around the edges, as if something long and cylindrical had pierced through or shot out of it. She could see, through the hole, the dim street on the other side. The street was empty, save for the torrential rain pouring down. The rain continued to fall, and the thunder roared. A love story ended before it began.

    However, this was for the best.

    N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Ordinary people could enjoy ordinary, happy lives. Those living in the shadows shouldn''t yearn for an unattainable light. It was every tragic figure¡¯s fate to fight alone in the darkness until death imed them.

    ***

    The rain cleared up the next day, revealing sunny skies. A handsome man in casual clothes sat on a ck bench at the Nington train station, waiting for the train, with a suitcase by his legs.

    Those on the rectangr tform shot the asional curious nce at him. The bright sunlight illuminated his face, highlighting his delicate features and elegant demeanor. His hair was neatly styled, giving him the air of a schr.

    <i>Choo... </i>

    A distant whistle sounded, and the man opened his eyes, shattering the image of a refined schr. He slowly turned his head, scanning his surroundings with a cold, indifferent, and imposing light that was a stark contrast to his gentle appearance.

    He stood up, picked up his suitcase, and walked silently toward the tform.

    A ck smoke-belching train ttered into the station, and the conductor stepped down, calling out, "This train is from Nington to Anta City! Make sure you''re on the right train! I repeat, this train..."

    Three dayster, in East Sea County, Anta City.

    At the edge of the suburbs, on a fruit wagon returning from the city, a man in ck gazed into the distance.

    Another day passed, and in the Anta Mountains, in a remote area far from the viges, Cassius carried his suitcase, walking step by step, on a weed-covered mountain path. Sunlight filtered through the trees, casting golden beams that shone on the uneven ground. asionally, birds chirped in the distance.

    He stopped and nced to his right.

    Amidst the weeds stood a mottled bronze pir, with indistinct patterns on its surface and a roundmp-like ornament on top,beled, "Carriage."

    Cassius raised his hand, revealing a bronze bell in his palm. Without hesitation, he gently shook it. Strangely, the bell made no sound. Cassius continued shaking it, and the bright sky began to darken, turning as dark as night in the blink of an eye. Thick clouds blocked the sunlight. As the bell kept ringing, it started to rain lightly. Rain dripped through the trees, falling on Cassius''s face.

    He came prepared; he opened an umbre. Raising the edge of the umbre slightly, Cassius noticed that the narrow, overgrown path had turned into a wide, smooth road, as if the forest had moved aside to make way. It gave an eerie, mysterious feeling.

    <i>Clip-clop... Clip-clop... Clip-clop...</i>

    In the distance, the sound of hooves grew louder. Momentster, a carriage drawn by two glossy ck horses approached. The carriage was covered with ck cloth, with semi-transparent veils over the windows and strange runes carved on its body. The coachman was a mysterious figure cloaked in ck.

    <i>Ding-a-ling... Ding-a-ling... Ding-a-ling...</i>

    The bell in Cassius''s right hand rang clearly.

    His eyes flickered, and he put the bell away. He stood still, watching the carriage. Time passed slowly, and the carriage remained motionless on the road. The coachman was as still as a corpse, showing no signs of life.

    Cassius nced at his watch. More than nine minutes had passed. Just as he looked up, the carriage began to trudge slowly.

    "This carriage stays in ce for about ten minutes," Cassius concluded. He picked up his suitcase and quickly boarded.

    The ck carriage gradually gained speed as it moved along the mountain path.

 Chapter 119 - Black Rain Manor

    <h4>Chapter 119 - ck Rain Manor</h4>

    In the carriage, Cassius looked outside through the semi-transparent white curtains. The brown tree trunks blurred as they zipped past, and rain dripped from the treetops.

    The scenery remained unchanged for a long time. When Cassius looked out again, the carriage was no longer in the forest but in andscape of rolling hills. Vast fields of white flowers, like a white carpet, was on one side of the road while the other side was ckened ground, as if it had been scorched by fire, with wisps of ash asionally rising up.

    Cassius squinted slightly. Despite sitting in the carriage, he didn''t feel any bumps, as if the world was rushing at him rather than the carriage carrying him forward.

    Passing through the ck-and-white sea of flowers, Cassius saw a slowly spinning dpidated windmill in the distance. As the carriage drew closer, he saw figures moving near the windmill. Gradually, the scene by the windmill grew clearer.

    There was a grayish-white well from which white, statue-like figures continuously emerged. These puppet-like figures lined up in a queue, trudging around the cylindrical windmill house. The walls of the house had wooden handles protruding out which the puppet people grabbed onto as they moved sluggishly around the windmill. It was man-powered. The puppet people circled the house before returning to the well''s edge. Without a hint of hesitation, they jumped back in with a ssh.

    Not far from the windmill, a skinny white sheep was turning a millstone out in the open.

    "..." Cassius fell into a strange silence. The scene before him was bizarre, like a nonsensical dream.

    Next, he saw more meaningless and bizarre scenes. Palm-sized white crosses covered the side of a jet-ck house. Five people dressed in ck stood in a row, slowly opening their clothes to reveal fleshless skeletons, with rotting organs squirming inside. Half of a heart dangled, beating weakly.

    A man wearing a ck hat with horns dug into the empty ground with a shovel, surrounded by ck cows moving counterclockwise. Two identical people argued in front of arge tree. Suddenly, another identical person rushed out from behind the tree, followed by a fourth, fifth, and sixth. In no time, there were a dozen people, all identical, surrounding the tree, who stopped arguing and instead held hands, dancing in a grotesque manner. Despite the raining down, the tree''s canopy burned with transparent mes.

    <i>Death, religion, ultism, strangeness, soul and flesh, consciousness, decay, numbness, antiquity, brilliance, madness.</i> All those words ran through Cassius''s mind as he faced this chaotic dreamlike scene filled with different elements.

    A disorientating sensation hit him. For a moment, he wasn''t sure what was a dream and what was real.

    Instinctively, Cassius nced at the upper right corner, where a bronze ring symbol floated in the air, alongside a long progress bar, marked about half a year long.

    "It''s not a dream... This is reality."

    The confusion in Cassius''s heart vanished, reced by rm. Something was wrong. He scanned the carriage, his gaze settling on the thin fabric. Could that be the problem? He reached out and lifted it.

    The clear scene outside the carriage appeared before Cassius. The group of identical people were still dancing around the burning tree.

    "It¡¯s not caused by the thin fabric..."

    N?v(el)B\\jnn

    As Cassius watched, the puppet people all stopped, their heads turning inch by inch to stare at him. Then, one of them screamed and charged at him, the others following on its heels.

    "What the..."

    Cassius quickly dropped the fabric.

    The figures froze mid-charge, then slowly returned to the tree, and resumed the previous scene.

    <i>This ce is cursed...</i>

    The carriage sped forward for about half an hour beforeing to an abrupt stop. Cassius grabbed his suitcase and got out.

    His shoes stepped onto the tform surface as he opened an umbre and surveyed his surroundings. In front of him was a narrow path, nked by sparse trees that led up to the green moss-covered gray walls of ck Rain Manor. He craned his neck and saw the manor''s spire buildings standing tall in the rain. With the wet tiles and bricks, it gave off a gloomy atmosphere.

    <i>Finally, we''re here.</i>

    Cassius took a deep breath and started walking along the path toward ck Rain Manor.

    As soon as he entered through the gate, a medieval-style manor came into view. The rain didn''t seem like it would stop as it came down on the dome and spire buildings, old gray-white streets, and ancient heavy walls. He walked forward ording to Twilight''s memory, encountering several people with umbres, likely Hellsing members here to receive or submit missions.

    After a while, he passed through a gray-white archway. Cassius stood before the door and knocked lightly.

    <i>Knock, knock, knock...</i>

    "Who is it?"

    "Twilight."

    "Come in."

    The door opened, and Cassius walked in. Bronze-colored cast ironmps were lit and hung on the walls inside the hall, lighting up the space.

    A tall, slender man, about six feet tall, with freckles and deep-set features stood in front of him. A dark shield mark was branded on the back of his right hand, next to a crossbow pattern. Cassius, who had taken over Twilight''s body, also had those two marks.

    The first mark represented a shield-level Hellsing and was branded by ck Rain Manor. The second was man-made and represented the Hellsing''s Bolt Sect. ck Rain Manor was an autonomous program, and Hellsing members were its gears, each with different sizes, types, and uses. Hellsing members were divided into many sects based on the skills and abilities chosen at the Baptism Chapel.

    For instance, the Werebeast Sect injected beast blood to gain superhuman strength, transforming into a beastly creature, and significantly enhancing their abilities. The Mercury Sect sawed open the skull and added different-colored mysterious mercury to achieve psychokinesis; it looked somewhat like a downgraded version of a mage. The Dark Sect attached the organs of dark creatures to gain their powers. The Bolt Sect used bows and mechanical crossbows for long-range attacks. Its members were usually slender and agile. There were also Poison Sect, Trap Sect, Drug Sect, and more.

    Twilight had joined the Bolt Sect, and its senior members had provided basic training to him to increase survival rates. While the Bolt Sect wasn''trge, they were quite unified with members willing to help new recruits. They had a small stronghold in ck Rain Manor, which offered a resting ce for Bolt Sect members.

    "Twilight, did youplete the task?" the tall, slender man asked as they walked.

    "Yes," Cassius replied.

    "It looks like it went smoothly this time. Congrattions," the man said. It was the customary congrattions given to returning members.

    If the member was severely injured, they would say, "Great fortune follows surviving great danger, congrattions." It was a tradition among the Hellsing, as they always took a gamble with their life every time they undertook each mission. Some might never return, and the man wouldn''t have to say congrattions again.

    Hearing "congrattions" meant they were alive to hear it, and that alone was worth celebrating.

    The two walked further down the corridor, with Cassius following closely behind the man. asionally, other members of the Bolt Sect would greet them as they passed by. There were quite a few female members since the Bolt Sect required agile physiques. The male members were also rtively slender. There wasn''t a single person with a tall and muscr build; Twilight was one of the more robust members here.

    As Cassius walked through the building, he felt that the scenes resembled those of the Gray Seal Martial Arts Hall. Some empty rooms had been converted into indoor shooting ranges where veteran Hellsings taught new members how to use crossbows. Voices and shooting sounds could be heard sporadically.

    The building contained a hall, canteen, and training room. Although the environment was somewhat old-fashioned and simple, it did its job.

    The guide stopped in front of a door. "Here''s your room. Take the key." He handed Cassius a brass key. Cassius looked up at the door. A metal namete read: 201.

    "Thanks, Darkde," Cassius said, epting the key.

    "By the way, you¡¯ll be heading to the Baptism Chapel to hand over your task, right?" Darkde turned and advised, "Remember to not enhance anything else. It''d be aplete waste. It''d be more cost-effective to enhance our Bolt Sect¡¯s Deng Tingda Storm of Arrows."

    Darkde added earnestly, "<i>Especially</i> your physique. Don''t upgrade that since there''s a limit to it, and once you hit it, it''ll be useless. It''s nothingpared to dark creatures. Enhancing Deng Tingda Storm of Arrows can also indirectly improve your physique, so don''t waste your task rewards."

    <i>Don''t enhance physique?</i> Cassius frowned.

    Five minutester, he had a general understanding of the situation.

    Limits and bottlenecks. Cassius was no stranger to these terms. It was the limit of the human body, the barrier that separated human from non-human. ording to Darkde, the most the Hellsings were physically capable of was reaching the human limit. Try as they may, they couldn''t break through.

    Did ck Rain Manorck Covert Martial Arts?

    Cassius knew that for humans to elevate their essence to a non-human level, Covert Martial Arts were essential. Techniques like the breathing methods and special movements in Elephant Soul, along with the medicines, were key to achieving a breakthrough. Supplementary items like Fire Oil were also crucial.

    Without these, humans would be stuck at the limit, unable to ascend any further.

    Cassius understood all this, but why had arge group like the Hellsings, with this many sects, note into contact with or ever learned Covert Martial Arts? As he thought about the Deng Tingda Storm of Arrows, he came to a realization: it was a skill.

    If Covert Martial Arts were the orthodox path, then Deng Tingda Storm of Arrows was a heretical path. It had room for improvement and wasn''t weak in terms of power, butpared to the Wind Elephant Covert Martial Arts that Cassius practiced, it was several levels inferior.

    He pondered briefly and felt that the Hellsings'' mastery of power across various sects seemed somewhat distorted. It was unclear if this was due to natural development or some other reason.

    "Twilight, we¡¯re having a small gathering tonight. Feel free to join us if you''re interested," Darkde said, patting Cassius on the shoulder before turning to leave.

    Cassius stood there, processing the information for a while. After a moment, he entered his room, quickly unpacked, then grabbed his box and left.

    Pushing open the door to the Bolt Sect¡¯s base, Cassius held up an umbre and walked toward the Baptism Chapel. He didn''t do any kind of exploring since ck Rain Manor was absolutely not safe.

    During the day, Hellsings could visit the Baptism Chapel, the mission hall, the intelligence hall, and bars. But at night, everyone generally stayed in their rooms. Some eerie things appeared on the streets of ck Rain Manor, and almost every month, an unlucky and defiant Hellsing would meet a tragic end, serving as a warning to others the next day.

    Additionally, many streets in ck Rain Manor were off-limits even during the day. Some were inessible, while other streets were best avoided, for the same reasons as at night.

    Walking under his umbre, Cassius felt someone watching him as he passed a corner. ncing out of the corner of his eye, he saw a white figure standing at the window of the second building on the left street.

    Lowering his gaze, he noticed a somewhat old warning sign at the street corner. Faint bloodstains painted its surface. Perhaps some unfortunate person had ignored the warning and died here.

    Cassius ignored the white figure and continued on his way.

    After a few steps, he reached a circr intersection with a partially destroyed statue at its center. Only half of a leg remained standing atop the cylindrical pedestal. As he approached, Cassius saw several lines of faint poetry engraved on the stone beneath the statue''s feet.

    <i>Copsed in blue thorns, weeping with red fever.</i>

    <i>You abandoned us...</i>

    <i>But we, the dead, will wrap you in golden robes, so you can be a gilded butterfly in the next life.</i>

    <i>You are fire, enrobed in mes.</i>

    <i>Painful mes that burn the living.</i>

    <i>Ashes of the living, a love poem etched on the forehead of death.</i>

    ...

    There was more, but it was too corroded to read.

    <i>Could this statue be the owner of the manor''s?</i> Cassius wondered but didn''t dwell on it. He quickly walked into a chapel about two hundred meters down the right street. The chapel had a splendid domed hall, colorful stained ss windows, and religious murals.

    Walking past pointed arch niches and ornate coffers, Cassius sat in a chair in front of the prayer table. He was alone.

    The shield-shaped mark on the back of his right hand shed continuously. The tip of the shield began to spin, seemingly guiding Cassius. He stood up, walked to a door, and opened it to find a simple private room on the other side. After entering, the door closed automatically with a thud behind him. Cassius was about to look around when a low, hoarse voice echoed in his ear, emotionless and reverberating.

    "Marked-one, offer your tribute. In exchange for...Soul Power!"

 Chapter 120 - Body Enhancement

    <h4>Chapter 120 - Body Enhancement</h4>

    Cassius looked around but couldn''t locate the source of the voice. He looked down at the mark on his right hand and instantly understood. He immediately opened the box and took out a faintly quivering heart. It belonged to a Blood Race so it was extremely resilient. Even though many days had passed, it still had some vitality in it, though it had shrunk significantly in size and was currently about two-fifths the size of a normal human heart.

    Holding the heart in one hand, Cassius walked to the center of the private room. He stood before a chest-high stone pir with two rotating, open palms at the top. He observed it for a moment before cing the Blood Race''s heart between the hands.

    <i>Whoosh...</i>

    A gust of wind blew from nowhere, and a small vortex of ck mist materialized on the stone hands. Momentster, the airflow dissipated, and the heart had vanished.

    The deep voice echoed in Cassius''s ear again. "Two units of dark essence have been extracted. The following items are avable for exchange:

    Beast Blood (Crow): take the voucher to the Daybreak Hospital at ck Rain Manor for a blood injection. This blood enhances agility, but carries some risk for failure (1.5 essence).

    Blue Mercury (Inferior): take the voucher to the Craniotomy Clinic at ck Rain Manor for a craniotomy. This mercury affects the enemy''s blood and the user''s eyes (2.0 essence).

    Howling Mouth (1 piece): take the voucher to the Arthropod Hall at ck Rain Manor for a grafting surgery. The Howling Mouth, taken from a dead Sound Demon, can produce sonic attacks (1.6 essence).

    Tendara Burning Poison (Knowledge): administered in the Baptism Chapel, this poison causes a unique burn that water and wind cannot extinguish. It is doubly effective against dark creatures (1.2 essence).

    ...

    10. Power of the secret soul: can be used to enhance three dimensions of physical attributes. Examples of such attributes include but are not limited to strength, speed, and defense. It can also improve the Secret Techniques mastered by the marked-one simply by imagining themselves practicing the Secret Technique when using the power of the secret soul. The power will circte through the body thousands of times, elerating the process and achieving instantaneous enhancement (Reminder: two essences for one unit of secret soul)."

    Cassius was rooted in ce, processing the information in his mind. He contemted each option, from the first to thest.

    After mulling over all of his options, he came to the conclusion that the various supernatural Dao listed at the beginning weren''t the most marvelous, but thest one¡ªthe power of the secret soul! By simply imagining himself practicing the Secret Technique, the power of the secret soul would circte within his body and elerate the process!

    This was the true training elerator. The power of the secret soul could allow an ordinary person''s body to instantly grasp Secret Techniques by transforming their physique into the most suitable form for it. Althoughbat techniques still needed to be learned, the physical foundation was already there. So long as they diligently practiced, mastery of it wouldn''t be difficult.

    He considered the other rewards but quickly lost interest. In Cassius''s opinion, the Dao of the supernatural seemed somewhat deviant. While they were able to provide formidablebat power early on, they were dangerous and had significant drawbacks. Not to mention, there were risks involved with undergoing surgery to gain power.

    N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Plus, even if it was sessful, the ability would be skewed. One would only temporarily gainbat power when activating the ability, but in every other aspect, they wouldn''t be any different from an ordinary person. At the end, the drawback from using the ability also wasn''t merely inconvenient; it was crippling!

    For instance, the beast form in the Werebeast Sectsted only about ten minutes duringbat, after which, the person would be weakened and need a long time to recover. Otherwise, ordinarily, they''d also likely be shot dead before they could even move, thus begging the question: was whipping out a gun faster or undergoing a transformation?

    Then there was the Mercury Sect, with craniotomy side effects that caused daily headaches. Overusing the ability might even knock you unconscious. And don''t even bother mentioning the Dark Sect! Only one organ in the entire body could be enhanced with dark creature powers, with the additional risk of asional bacsh.

    Those Dao weren''t even in the same league as the Covert Martial Arts, which emphasized physical breakthroughs that aimed forprehensive and well-rounded power. Cassius was currently at the pugilist level which focused on physical strength but supposedly, theter stages would involve mysterious aspects of the mind, such as force, aura, and willpower.

    With such a clear and noble Dao before him, naturally, he wasn''t going to choose the other strange and perilous options. Without hesitation, he exchanged all the rewards for the power of the secret soul.

    "Exchange confirmed: one unit of power of the secret soul."

    The voice in Cassius''s ear gradually faded, reced by the sound of pattering rain. He surveyed his surroundings. At some point, ck rain had begun to fall into the chamber. Cassius looked up at the ceiling, where ayer of dark gray mist hung like low-lying clouds.

    The rain fell on his head, sliding down his hair. That iciness couldn''t be the product of some illusion; it was real rain.

    As the raindrops hit his skin, Cassius felt something burrow into his body. At first, it was barely noticeable, but as the rain intensified, more and more of that presence seeped in, bing increasingly substantial and easier to sense. It was a small, warm current.

    Its form was oddly simr to lingering attachment energy, except lingering attachment energy was extremely cold. This current felt warm and was like hot blood flowing through his veins. Was this the power of one unit of secret soul?

    The rain in the chamber abruptly stopped. Cassius opened his eyes and looked around, only to find the groundpletely dry, with no trace of the rain that had just fallen. Had that all been an illusion?

    Ignoring this, he sat cross-legged next to the chamber wall. Havingpleted the offering, the stone pir in the center slowly began to close its rotating hands, eventually sping them together. The spacious chamber then fell into silence.

    Cassius''s mind quieted as he began to think back to him practicing the Wind Elephant Covert Martial Arts. Like a reflection in a clear mirror, the memory of him practicing the special movements, breathing techniques, and stimting medicine from Elephant Soul surged in his mind.

    He reviewed them in his mind two to three times before the power of the secret soul within him seemed to sense something and exploded, spreading throughout Cassius''s body like mist. A warm feeling engulfed him.

    In the next second, he furrowed his brows tightly as a faint prickling sensation emerged on his skin. It was as if dozens of needles were piercing his body. The prickling grew stronger, and the number of needles increased until there were ten, a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand...

    Cassius''s entire body began to tremble slightly, as changes that would have taken months or even half a year werepleted in an instant. His once pale skin turned crimson, and sweat poured from his nds, drenching his ck clothes. A sizzling sound seemed to being from his flesh, like his whole body was roasting in a furnace.

    After an indeterminate amount of time, the pain stopped. Cassius immediately opened his eyes and shook his body. His skin, muscles, and bones all began to crackle, and his physique grew a full size bigger.

    He twisted his neck, his joints cracking crisply. As he examined his body, Cassius noticed that Twilight''s body had grown two to three centimeters taller, and his muscles had begun to bulge. If he was considered weak and scrawny before, his current form looked like he could at least put up a fight. Cassius instinctively nced at the upper right corner.

    [Wind Elephant Fist Iplete: Elephant Herd 67.3% (Total Three Stages)]

    [Elephant Soul Iplete: Bug Bite 43.2% (Total Three Stages)]

    Wind Elephant Fist was lit up, while Elephant Soul was dim, indicating that Cassius had not regressed from his pugilism stage, only that his physical prowess had been suppressed since he was in Twilight''s body. There was a small, flickering, illuminated entry underneath the dim Elephant Soul entry.

    [Elephant Soul Iplete: Prickling 5.1% (Total Three Stages)]

    This was where Twilight''s body was currently at in terms of his training.

    After some careful analysis, the peak of the Federation''s fifth stage was revealed to equate to the peak of the amateur stage¡ªroughly the equivalent of the mid-professional level. The current stage of Elephant Soul was slightly higher, just above the peak of the Federation''s fifth stage.

    Previously, Twilight''s physical prowess hovered somewhere between the Federation''s third and fourth stages, just above the peak of stage three. This meant that one unit of power of the secret soul had directly boosted physical prowess by two stages! It was truly the best training elerator.

    Physical prowess wouldn''t usually increase this dramatically just from one unit of power of the secret soul. The main reason it did was because Cassius had trained in the Wind Elephant Covert Martial Arts which was specifically designed to enhance physical strength. Using the power of the secret soul to elerate this training yielded surprisingly good results!

    <i>Pa! Pa!</i>

    In the chamber, Cassius stood with his feet apart. One foot was forward while the other stood firmly back. His entire body''s center of gravity lowered, he held his fists up at his sides, like a boxer. A sense of solid and powerful strength immediately welled up within him.

    With a <i>swoosh</i>, Cassius''s fists struck out like javelins and swiftly sliced through the air. A faint whistling sound could be heard. Afterpleting a simple set of boxing techniques, he retracted his fists and his breathing gradually calmed down.

    Cassius''s ability to control his sudden enhancement in physical prowess with rtive ease was because he had once mastered an even greater strength; it was just that simple. If it were an ordinary Hellsing, it would have taken them at least half a month to a month just to get used to the power. Not to mention, theirbat techniques may not even be able to keep up with their physical prowess.

    Pushing open the door, Cassius left the chamber and walked out of the Baptism Chapel. He opened his umbre and began walking back to his residence. His heart was pounding, not just because his strength had been restored, but because he had confirmed just how effective ck Rain Manor''s enhancement truly was. ording to the information he had obtained earlier, the legend of ck Rain Manor was rooted in ancient history. There might be traces of it in every era.

    Despite the fact that the ck Rain Manor would sometimes disappear, Cassius felt his mood lift. By using a legendary antique to return to the past, it was very possible the original owners that he reced were weaker. If his strength plummeted, he might not be able to handle the situation at hand. Fortunately, ck Rain Manor could prove to be extremely valuable since he could quickly regain his strength bypleting missions. The ck Rain Manor was going to prove beneficial to Cassius in future time-travel missions when he went to fulfill the previous owners'' lingering attachments.

 Chapter 121 - Stone Armor Technique

    <h4>Chapter 121 - Stone Armor Technique</h4>

    Cassius just wasn''t sure if the power gained through this method would be recognized by the external system when he returned.

    In any case, it''d be a bonus if it was acknowledged, as his strength would soar to new heights. Even if it didn''t, it wouldn''t affect the transfer of Cassius''s own trained power back into his main body.

    The reason he cared was mainly because with the ck Rain Manor''s help, he could quickly get through the period of weakness that happened right after a time-travel, and regain his original strength. It would consequently increase the sess rate of fulfilling the original owner''s lingering attachment.

    Cassius snapped back to reality and returned to the Bolt Sect''s base. On his way back to the room, he ran into Darkde again.

    "Are you done with your enhancements? Not bad. You look different... More energetic. Seems like your Deng Tingda Storm of Arrows has improved quite a bit." Darkde smiled and draped a white towel around his neck.

    "Sort of. I did have a minor breakthrough," Cassius said. He sidestepped thement about his Deng Tingda Storm of Arrows improving and brushed Darkde off casually.

    "<i>Haha</i>, no need to be modest. There''s a small gathering around nine tonight in the right-wing conference hall. You should check it out if you''re free. It''s just so us Bolt Sect folks can bond and share information. Maybe you can make a few friends there." Darkde patted Cassius on the shoulder and left.

    <i>A small gathering, you say? Might be a good chance to gather some intel. </i>Cassius walked into his room. The kerosenemp he lit on his desk brightened his surroundings considerably. He quickly tidied up the room and made the bed. Cassius had no ns to stay for very long at the ck Rain Manor. Perhaps a night or two, just enough to gather information. As such, he didn''t bother with the hassle of sweeping or mopping.

    The trip to ck Rain Manor was rushed, so he hadn''t had time to buy herbs to make medicine or ointments. He could only put on his training clothes and head to the Bolt Sect practice room to hone his fist techniques.

    <i>Bang, bang, bang...</i>

    The sandbag hanging in the corner swayed constantly, the iron rod swirling up some dust as it groaned from where it was connected to the ground.

    A fist sliced through the air and struck ferociously with a loud thud, forcing the sandbag to swing violently and brush against the wall. Cassius retracted his slightly reddened fist, rolled his shoulders back, and rxed his muscles. His lean muscle mass contracted and expanded, with sweat dripping down his reddened skin.

    With his physical prowess surpassing the Federation''s five stages, he was now confident he could take down that Blood Race without the use of a mechanical crossbow. After all, Cassius''s Elephant Herd stage of the Wind Elephant Fist when he was a pugilist was still intact. With his physical prowess enhanced by two minor stages, he strongly believed that he could kill the Blood Race ande out of it with some superficial scrapes.

    Picking up the nearby white towel, Cassius wiped off some sweat. It was already past 6 p.m. and the smell of sweat permeated the dark room. While the members of Bolt Sect also used the training room, it wasn''t often. They did, however, have an obstacle-dodging training room that was frequently in demand because the Bolt Sect ced their emphasis on two crucial skills: archery, which was the first thing they trained, and movement technique.

    Its members relied on a kite technique to hunt dark creatures where they wound through the battlefield with deadly grace like how one might dance on a knife''s edge. Learning to dodge attacks and use terrain were all part of the basics.

    Cassius wasn''t really a fan of Bolt Sect''sbat style. It was certainly aesthetically pleasing and elegant, but it was much too delicate and breakable. The margin for error was too small and simply not something he preferred.

    When Bolt Sect experts fought, they looked like elegant dancers, and they were rarely wounded. But that was because if they got injured, that meant a dark creature had gotten too close. In cases where the archers were caught, they wouldn''t even have the opportunity to get hurt because they''d be killed instantly. A low injury rate meant a high death rate.

    Cassius much preferred brutally crushing others to death than having an elegant style and being the one crushed to death!

    With a creak, Cassius pushed open the door and took a shower in the washroom. As he raked his fingers through his wet hair in front of the mirror, heid his eyes on Twilight''s extraordinarily handsome face. He had fine ck eyebrows that added a level of refinement to his eyes. Below that delicateness was a very muscr physique.

    Cassius raised his right hand to examine his muscles, recalling his original body''s strong, sturdy arms. He sighed and shook his head. Putting on some fresh clothes, he headed to the Bolt Sect canteen. Basic food like bread was free, but aside from that, everything else had to be paid. Moreover, it was pretty expensive¡ªmuch higher than prices outside. However, that was to be expected, considering no one knew where in the world ck Rain Manor was. The only way to transport goods here was by carriage.

    He had a simple dinner and dawdled around for a bit until it was 9 p.m. One of the halls in the Bolt Sect base was brightly lit.

    N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Dozens of new and old members sat around several tables, chatting in small groups. There were some drinks and snacks avable. There was no host around to entertain them; everyone was just there to get together and chat.

    Seated at a table in the corner with his arms crossed, Cassius observed his surroundings quietly. The others at the table were chatting animatedly, where an older member was exining the differences between missions to two new members.

    Hellsings had toplete missions on a regr basis. Shield-level members did one every three months, sword-level every six months, badge-level every year, and knight-level every two years.

    The higher the rank, the longer the interval between missions. The difficulty in missions clearly varied with lower-ranked missions being easier, while those at a higher rank were often extremely challenging and potentially involved battles where it was do or die.

    If theypleted the mission, all was well and they''d get stronger. If they failed the mission and the marked-one hadn''t died, ck Rain Manor would send out a Decaying Knight to kill them! If they managed to survive through sheer grit, well, congrattions! They''ve earned the chance to redeem themselves. The lucky one would then have toplete the next mission, the difficulty of which would be adjusted to the maximum. If sessful, all would be forgiven. Every marked-one had two chances for redemption.

    Additionally, if one betrayed ck Rain Manor, the manor would send Decaying Knight after powerful Decaying Knight out to kill them. It didn''t matter where you hid because they would follow you to the ends of the earth. Marked-ones were under the manor''s control for life.

    Besides the periodic missions, marked-ones could take on extra tasks from the Mission Hall. In theory, there was no limit to how many they could take; they could take them all if they so wished. However, no one would be foolish enough to do that since the deadlines for extra tasks were the same.

    For instance, if a shield-level member took two extra tasks, they''d have toplete three missions within three months. If they took five, they''d need to finish six missions in the same timeframe. The more you took, the harder it got, and the faster you''d die.

    The difficulty of the shield-grade missions may be lower rtive to the others, but they were still dangerous. Some missions could have hiddenplications or unexpected situations.

    For example, when Cassius went to hunt Charles, he ended up finding not just Charles, but also his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather at Jasmine Mansion waiting to eat together! Maybe his entire family tree was there. After all, those who spawned from the same blood pool counted as part of the same family. In such a case, tragedy was almost inevitable.

    During the small gathering, Cassius listened closely to the others'' conversation and picked up some useful information.

    For example, there was a small sect within the Hellsings called the Body Refinement Sect that specialized inbat moves and Qigong. However, the numbers were low, likely because body refinement involved closebat with dark creatures, and they tended to die quickly.

    Thebat moves they studied were, at most, on par with the Wind Elephant Basic Combat Arts, which meant they were quite inadequate. If not for a hardening Qigong manual left by an elder, the Body Refinement Sect would have disbanded long ago.

    In actuality, hardening Qigong wasn''t weak for its level but because the Hellsings'' physiques couldn''t break beyond the human limits, its full potential couldn''t be realized.

    With weak internal strength, external strength was severely restricted. As a result, the Body Refinement Sect remained a minor sect, and not a popr one. Recently, members even started selling off their core technique of hardening Qigong at a low price of only one unit of dark essence. They even offered a 30% discount when sales were bad: pay 0.7 units, and you were guaranteed to learn and master it.

    At ck Rain Manor, dark essence couldn''t be directly transferred or traded. However, when taking extra tasks in the Mission Hall, the handover involved mission tokens and target items which members could give to others so they couldplete the task in their stead. It essentially allowed for indirect transfer of dark essence.

    "Hardening Qigong? I wonder what stage that is..." Cassius''s interest was piqued. He hadn''t forgotten the time when the Duststorm group ambushed him, and his body had been riddled with holes from the machine gun. If he could have a hardening Qigong protecting his body, he might actually be able to withstand bullets without getting even a scratch!

    Half an hourter, the Bolt Sect gathering came to an end, and Cassius went back to his room to sleep. Early the next morning, he went to a simple room with a low ceiling in the Body Refinement Sect''s base where a young man greeted him.

    Upon hearing that Cassius was interested in hardening Qigong, the young man got very excited and began chattering away. Cassius asked a few questions and ended up extremely disappointed.

    The hardening Qigong of the Body Refinement Sect was called the Stone Armor Technique, and it had only two stages. Reaching the peak of the second stage would be the equivalent of a badge-level. The fact that it couldn''t even reach the knight-level showed how weak it was, suggesting that the upper limit of the supernatural Dao was rather low.

    Then Cassius thought again. Hardening Qigong was closely tied to physical prowess. Since Hellsings couldn''t break through human physical limits, the abilities of the hardening Qigong were naturally restricted as well. Perhaps, whenbined with the pugilist or higher realms, the Stone Armor Technique could shine in a different way?

    Cassius hesitated. At that, the young man gritted his teeth and offered a 50% discount. It would only cost 0.5 units of dark essence to learn it!

    It was too good an offer to refuse so Cassius didn''t wait any longer. He went back to Bolt Sect, borrowed some essence from Darkde, and acquired the Stone Armor Technique. Cassius wasn''t in any hurry to learn it, tossing the new manual into his room, and heading into the Mission Hall. Extra tasks were going to be released today at noon.

    Cassius needed to regain his strength, so he couldn''t afford to be stingy. If he had to rely on doing missions every three months, it would take him years to regain his strength. He needed to choose a faster way, which was to take on many extra tasks to earn more dark essence.

    The Mission Hall was quite crowded, with four ckboard-like panels on the walls, each facing a different direction. The shield-level panel had about twenty to thirty people in front of it, and boasted thergest number amongst the panels.

    At exactly 12 p.m., numerous white strips with ck text appeared on the panels, and the crowd rushed forward to select their desired tasks.

    Cassius, who had sharp eyes and swift hands, wasn''t picky. He swiped a handful of task strips, but when he reached for more, the area had already been cleared out. He stepped away from the crowd a little and opened his hand where five crumpled task stripsy in his palm.

 Chapter 122 - Special Service of the Charm Demon

    <h4>Chapter 122 - Special Service of the Charm Demon</h4>

    He carefully read through each task.

    Task One: kill the D-ss Charm Demon. Murders have gued the urban area of Windmill City in East Sea County, mostly involving adult men of varying ages and professions. They typically disappear in the evening and are found in an almost mummified state the next morning. It is suspected that a Charm Demon, a dark creature that uses illusions to transform into a seductive human woman, is luring and draining adult men.

    Timeframe: within three months.

    N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Dark Essence: 1 to 2 standard units.

    Note: detailed information can be obtained at the Mission Hall window using the task slip. Remember to take the task token before leaving.

    Task Two: capture the ck Pixie. Headless corpses have appeared in several fishing viges along the southeastern coast of East Sea County. The victims are of all ages and genders. It has been reported that a ck Pixie, about the size of a human head, has been seen in the coastal forests. The pixie is hideous and has a green face and fangs, identified as a D-ss ck Pixie. It is currently gathering nectar, using human heads to build its nest. The brains inside human skulls are its favorite food, also known as brain honey.

    Timeframe: within three months.

    Dark Essence: 1.5 to 2.5 standard units.

    Task Three: kill the D-ss Shadow Demon in northern East Sea County, Tingda City. Recently, victims have been dying on the streets at night. No visible injuries except the outlines of their shadows appear blurry. It is suspected that a Shadow Demon is absorbing their spirit and willpower.

    Timeframe: within three months.

    Dark Essence: 2.0 to 2.5 standard units.

    Task Four: ...

    Task Five: ...

    Five tasks all together. If Cassius couldplete them all sessfully, he would gain more than ten standard units of dark essence, greatly elerating the time it would take to recover his strength.

    Furthermore, it was clear just from the looks of these task slips, the world wasn''t as peaceful as it appeared on the outside. There were countless bizarre creatures lurking in human society, waiting to hunt down their prey.

    However, the creatures were rtively far and few between, so ordinary people had no contact with them. Even those following different supernatural Dao were unlikely to encounter them. There had been no news of such beings in at least the seventy years of the Hongli Federation''s Beiliu County Covert Martial Arts circle. That alone proved that the creatures were well-hidden.

    Only something as strange as ck Rain Manor kept close tabs on them, which was how Cassius was able to obtain such detailed information. This was probably a case of each profession having its own specialty.

    Cassius ced one of the paper slips back in his palm, his eyes slightly lowered. He hadn''t expected to see his old friend, the Shadow Demon, among the targets. Given that Hellsings were professionals in the area, perhaps he could gather some information about the Shadow Demons while he was in Twilight''s era.

    Who knows? He may just get some insights into the Shadow Demons'' weaknesses.

    While Cassius was lost in thought, someone tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around to find a burly man about 1.85 meters tall. The man had unkempt, gray-ck long hair curling over his shoulders, and deep, rugged features. His green eyes and scruffy beard gave off a kind of savage aura.

    "Can I help you?" Cassius asked calmly.

    The man said abruptly, "Could you spare me one?"

    "No," Cassius replied just as bluntly.

    "Alright." The gray-haired man didn''t argue. He simply turned on his heel and walked off in another direction, seemingly in search of others to ask for a task.

    Cassius stood there, momentarily stunned. He had expected that his t-out refusal would infuriate the gray-haired man, leading to some sarcastic remarks and a hidden grudge, with the man possibly trying to steal his taskter. To his surprise, nothing of that sort happened.

    The other guy likely didn''t hold a grudge either. Cassius''s sharp senses could usually pick up onrger emotional shifts, and the gray-haired man really had just up and left.

    "What an interesting guy." Cassius noted the gray-haired man''s features and was about to step forward when another man in a ck leather jacket intercepted him. A powerful aura emitted from this simrly burly man. A silver "V" shaped piece of metal peeked through beneath the leather jacket.

    "Can I help you?" Cassius said again.

    "I saw you grab a bunch of tasks just now. How about sharing a few with the rest of us? You can''t possibly finish them all, right?" the man in the leather jacket spoke brusquely, with a rather aggressive tone.

    Cassius smirked inwardly. He had just been thinking how the gray-haired man didn''t fit the standard mold, and now here was someone who did. "I can handle these tasks just fine, no need to worry about me."

    Cassius didn''t give the other man any chance to retort. He turned and swiftly squeezed through the crowd and headed toward the window.

    Behind him, the leather-jacketed man cursed, "Taking five tasks at once? Are you trying to get yourself killed?! Damn it, and here I was offering to help you out, and fool won''t even appreciate it! That moron is dead for sure; look at him wasting five extra tasks for nothing. These newbies really don''t know their limits."

    He ground his teeth in frustration, revealing his sharp fangs. The man was a member of the Werebeast Sect, likely a tiger or a wolf, judging by the shape of his fangs.

    Cassius had already gone to the window to register, leaving the man with the leather jacket no choice but to turn and look for someone else in the hall.

    Five minutester, Cassius walked out of the Mission Hall with five tokens in hand. He stuffed them into his pocket, and returned to his quarters.

    That night, ck Rain Manor sent him his regr three-month mission through his mark. Cassius didn''t pay much attention to it¡ªafter all, he already had five tasks toplete, so one more wouldn''t make much of a difference.

    The next morning, he returned the room key to Darkde, opened his umbre, and left the manor to return to the mundane world.

    Cassius had brought back six tasks. The task slips he had grabbed were all in the same region, with neighboring locations. Most were in East Sea County, with a few in the adjacent southern Ganang County. Fortunately, all six were within two counties; if they weren''t, he would have had to spend most of his time traveling, making it nearly impossible toplete the tasks.

    ***

    Time: July 15, year 106, Hongli Federation Calendar.

    Location: East Sea County, Windmill City, South Road Street.

    The sky was starting to get darker, and the sun left its final fiery red streak above the horizon, tracing along the edge of white clouds that looked like ocean waves. It was like a vivid and mystic oil painting.

    The tiles on the buildings lining South Road Street gleamed under thest remnants of sunlight. At the street corner, a middle-aged man who had just gotten off work at a furniturepany walked down. Tired eyes unseeing, he reached up to loosen his tie.

    Work had been exhausting the past few days, and things at home weren''t going well either. He frequently quarreled with his wife, and his teenage son''s grades in high school were pretty bad. Anxiety and exhaustion had caused the man to lose quite a bit of hair.

    He didn''t feel like heading home after work. He was going to unwind with a drink at the bar on South Road Street first. He figured he''d probably have another fight with his nagging wife when he got home. With that in mind, the man picked up the pace and walked straight into Starlight Bar.

    Two hours passed, and it was just before eight in the evening when he stumbled out the door, face flushed. As he lurched forward, he continued chugging from a brownish-yellow bottle.

    "Peter, oh Peter, you''re just too much of an honest worker! Otherwise, that dumb pig wouldn''t keep piling so much work on you!"

    Suddenly, all the fatigue and bitterness in his mind surged forward.

    "Damn it!" He hurled the bottle at the wall. Liquid sttered everywhere, and a piece of ss ricocheted and cut his face. Peter yelped and squatted down, his hand flying up to the wound. Once he realized it wasn''t bleeding, he ran his hands through his thinning hair. He patted his red face.

    "Enoughining, let''s go home, Peter..." the man mumbled to himself as he stumbled to his feet and continued walking along the street by the wall.

    As he passed a street corner, he heard a sultry voice not far away, drawing him in like a woman''s smooth and tempting scent.

    "Want to enjoy a special service? Only fifty Federation dors~" Peter turned and saw a sensual-looking woman standing to his right at an alley''s entrance where the streetlight met the shadows. A lit cigarette held aloft, she leaned against the wall in a ck bodycon dress that entuated her exaggerated, curvaceous figure. Her long, straight, honey-colored legs were eye-catching.

    Peter swallowed hard, involuntarily taking a few steps toward her. The woman seemed to sense his interest and shed a seductive smile. Her face was heavily made up, vibrant and alluring, with her fiery red lips glistening with a moist sheen. She took a drag from her cigarette and blew a smoke ring at Peter.

    "Fuck!" Peter cursed under his breath. He had never touched coin nor drug in his life, but women were his Achilles''s heel. Sometimes, he''d even sneak a peek at swimsuit magazines during work. Peter was definitely very tempted.

    Fifty Federation coins? What a steal for such a stunning woman. Peter''s private stash of money would easily cover it.

    He patted his pocket and was about to get closer, when, for some reason, his wife''s nagging face shed through his mind. His wife hadn''t always been like this. Lizzie had been beautiful when she was young, with a pair of bright, expressive eyes. Fifteen years ago, she had married a poor, struggling young man.

    The two of them had stumbled through life together, and although they asionally argued, they always had each other''s backs. Those days were particrly tough, with both Peter and Lizzie working three jobs each. Lizzie''s rough, unattractive hands and slightly hunched back were the result of washing dishes for a long time. Even aftering home, she still did the housework and put the kids to bed. The pressures of life had gradually worn her down until, little by little, she turned into the nagging wife she was now.

    Peter stopped in his tracks, his mind now filled with two images: one of Lizzie as she was now, and the other of her in her youth. One wasn''t nearly as attractive as the seductive woman before him, but the other was a hundred times more beautiful.

    <i>Peter, you coward. Are you really that scared of the old hag at home?! You''re already standing at the doorstep and can''t make thatst step in?</i> His alcohol-clouded mind seemed to be arguing with itself.

    <i>It''s not really fear, more like guilt toward Lizzie... Besides, I''m just being cautious. This woman''s price is so low, she could have some disease! Not worth it, not worth it...</i> he consoled himself. He reached a streemp on the main road, and suddenly his stomach churned. He threw up, one hand grasping onto themp post.

    A momentter, a passing thug reached the spot where Peter had just been. His eyes lit up at the seductive voice''s invitation, and he began unbuckling his belt as he ambled over.

    Soon, faint moans came from that direction.

    "You''re just going to do it in the alley? That''s too wild..." Peter, who had just finished emptying his stomach, couldn''t help feeling curious. He wiped his mouth and crept to the corner of the alley.

    Under the dim moonlight, in the shadows of the alley, two figures entangled together. It was an inexplicably eerie atmosphere. As Peter watched the scene, he didn''t feel aroused. On the contrary, the only thing rising in him was a deep sense of fear and horror.

    <i>Thud!</i>

    The thug, who had, moments ago, been so vigorous, copsed onto the ground. His entire body convulsed wildly like he was being electrocuted, and a wheezing sound escaped his throat. A cloud of white smoke began to rise from his body before he rapidly shriveled up as if all the moisture had been sucked out from him.

    "Holy sh¡ª! What the hell?!" Peter''s eyes widened. His legs refused to move.

    In the shadows, the woman adjusted her bodycon dress, then turned to gaze at him. Seemingly dissatisfied, she seductively licked her full lips with a smooth, red tongue.

    "Since you''re already here and watching, don''t you think about leaving." The sultry voice sent chills down Peter''s spine, freezing him to the core. Paralyzed, he watched the woman strut toward him, her high heels clicking with each seductive step.

    Suddenly, brisk footsteps echoed from the street. A shadow as swift as a panther darted into the alley, wielding a strange mechanical weapon. Dozens of crossbow bolts rained down at lightning speed on the seductress.

    The woman reacted in an instant and dodged to the side, only to collide with a man in a trench coat sprinting toward her. He brandished a gleaming longsword which he brought down, slicing sharply through the air.

    She quickly retreated, her eyes turning pink as she stared intently at the man, but it had no effect. Another barrage of crossbow bolts shot at her like a storm of arrows. Caught off guard, three bolts hit her. Her movements slowed and her aura noticeably weakened.

    The man in the trench coat seized his chance andunched a ferocious assault, using punches, elbows, kicks, and knees, along with a long knife coated in silver mercury.

    <i>ng!</i>

    With a powerful swing, the long knife vibrated, severing two fingers through the bone!

    The woman staggered back in disbelief and clutched at her bleeding neck. Another cold sh of light, and her head flew into the air and was swiftly caught by an outstretched hand that had a ck shield emblem on the back.

    "Charm Demon. Target item was the head. Eliminated." The man with a trench coat pulled out a ck bag and tossed in the dripping head. He flicked the blood off his long knife, then retrieved a vial from his coat, pouring half of it onto the woman''s body. Instantly, a sizzling sound burst out as her body dissolved into a pool of gurgling ck liquid that stunk foully.

    After everything was done, the man pulled a folded hat from his coat, elegantly cing it on his head. It obscured most of his face. Still holding his knife, he melted into the shadows.

    At the entrance of the alley, Peter copsed onto the ground in fear. The fight had been terrifying, but even more horrifying was the woman''s severed head.

    In that moment, he had seen her true face. It was ugly and disgusting, like a demon from hell, a gaping mouth with jagged fangs that covered a third of her face, a nose without the nasal bones, and rotting eyes. Compared to that, any woman in the world was a goddess!

    When he thought about how tempted he had been by such a creature, Peter wanted to p himself. ncing at the withered corpse of the thug on the ground, he felt a twinge of relief.

    Thank goodness he had resisted. Otherwise, it would''ve been <i>his</i> body on the ground...

    Peter recalled the man in the trench coat, whose swift and graceful movements had made him look like a whirlwind when he chopped off the monster''s head. Like a nameless wanderer, he had silently walked away. A mysterious aurabined with formidable skills... He was a true hunter of the night!

    As he scrambled to his feet and ran home, Peter carved that image of the departing figure in his memory. As his thoughts drifted to his wife''s delicious soup on the table and the sound of his child studying in the room, Peter quickened his pace.

    <i>I hope Lizzie won''t scold me too much for smelling like alcohol. Oh well, maybe I deserve it!</i>

    <i>Yeah, I''m never going to a bar again.</i>

 Chapter 123 - A Frenzied Hunt

    <h4>Chapter 123 - A Frenzied Hunt</h4>

    Date: July 25 of the year 106 in the Hongli Federation Calendar.

    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Location: a coastal area in East Sea Country called Redfish Vige.

    A moist, cool sea breeze swept through, liftingyer uponyer of waves in the ocean. It resembled rows of white egrets soaring in the distance. The waves crashed against the rocks, spraying water up to nearly ten feet before blossoming into countless white, sparkling droplets.

    The sea roared and the waves shattered into white, frothy foam, while the ck rocks stood unyielding. A man in a trench coat and wide-brimmed hat stood atop the rocks, holding a ck suitcase, as motionless as a tree.

    On the yellow beach beside the rocks, a group of fishermen were pulling their wooden boats ashore, having just returned from the sea. Each person clearly had their own tasks¡ªsome unloaded the freshly caught fish, while others began wrapping the ropes around the rocks.

    "We caught quite a lot today, almost a whole week''s worth!" said an old fisherman with dark skin as he wiped the sweat from his forehead, admiring the mountain of fish the two apprentices were holding. He smiled in satisfaction.

    "Let''s go back and have some hot fish soup!" he called out.

    The other five or six fishermenughed heartily as they gathered together and walked, leaving footprints in the sand.

    "Huh? Uncle, why is someone up there?" A young man with a buzz cut squinted into the distance, toward the setting sun where a figure stood on the rocks.

    "Probably a tourist?" the old fisherman guessed, then shook his head. "But there''s no fish to catch here."

    "A tourist?" The young man scratched his head. "Then I better go warn him. We can''t let him stay near the beach for too long. Those man-eating bees love targeting people who are alone!"

    "Alright, but hurry up and catch up with the rest of the group. We don''t want you to get left behind on your way back," the old fisherman said, rubbing his nose.

    "Okay." The young man quickly ran over.

    He made his way to the man in the trench coat''s side and said, "Sir, sir, don''t stay here too long, the beach is dangerous. There are man-eating bees the size of human heads in the coastal forest; they often go after people who are by themselves!"

    The young man spoke sincerely, but the man in the trench coat seemed indifferent. The young man scratched his head. Maybe it sounded too far-fetched. After all, who would believe in man-eating bees the size of human heads? If he hadn''t seen it himself, he would have scoffed.

    The young man reorganized his thoughts and started to speak again, "S¡ª"

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    A blur shed before his eyes, and the man who had been standing there moments ago was gone. He had transformed into a shadow, leaping from the rock''s summit and sprinting across the beach. The wildly pping hem of his trench coat resembled a dark cloud.

    "¡ªir."

    The young man scanned around and was startled to hear terrified screams in the distance. When he looked up, he saw a ck shadow the size of a human head hurtling toward his uncle and the others, leaving behind a twisting trail of gray mist to mark its flight path.

    Just as the "man-eating bee" was about to catch up with the fishermen, a figure cut in front of it. A shining silver longsword sliced through the air with a buzzing sound. In that moment, the young man''s mind was filled with the image of the powerful figure fiercely swinging the steel de.

    Date: August 16, year 106 of the Hongli Federation Calendar.

    Location: East Sea County, Purplelight Street in Tingda City.

    The night market in Tingda City was bustling, with the dim yellow lights from the tightly packed shops lining both sides casting shadows on the ground. Various street vendors sold all kinds of goods and snacks along the road, and couples were aplenty in the dense crowd.

    "Roy, this ornament is so pretty! Can I buy it?" A youthful and pretty girl stood in front of a small vendor''s stall. She showed off a bracelet of mixed gold and silver in her hand.

    "Of course!" A young man in casual clothes smiled helplessly. "How much for this bracelet, boss?"

    A pale man stood stiffly behind them, his expression wooden. Amidst the crowd, the man had eyes for nothing except the young man''s back. His eyes were filled with inexplicable greed and malice.

    <i>Shing!</i>

    <i>St!</i>

    The man''s eyes widened as a sharp line of blood appeared on his neck, and blood began to spurt out wildly!

    Arge hand reached out from behind, firmly grasping him by the hair, and yanked. A man whose wide-brimmed hat covered most of his face gazed at the decapitated head with half-lidded eyes and softly murmured to himself, "We meet again, my old friend..."

    "<i>Aaaahhhh</i>!!!"

    "Murder! Someone''s been killed!"

    "Run! There''s been a murder!"

    Screams and shouts immediately erupted, and the surrounding crowd scattered in a panic, like a school of fish fleeing in all directions.

    A headless corpse knelt in the middle of the street as blood continuously gushed from it.

    ...

    Date: October 5, year 106 of the Hongli Federation Calendar.

    Location: Mida Mansion in Ganang County, Dier City.

    A grand banquet was being held with many of Dier City''s upper-ss individuals in attendance. Its prestige was ruined by the screams echoing through the luxurious main hall.

    The main door burst open with a loud bang and gentlemen, usually dressed handsomely in suits, fled in disarray.

    A beautiful socialite in a revealing dress lost her bnce, twisting her ankle in her high heels, and tripped. Her low-cut dress revealed a soft, white curve, and her eyes welled with tears of pain. But she forced herself to get up and hobble toward the exit.

    Meanwhile, inside the splendidly decorated main hall...

    <i>sh!</i>

    Face cold and with a cigarette dangling from his mouth, Cassius kicked the man in front of him, ripping his longsword out. The corpse crumpled to the ground with a thud. He wiped off the blood.

    He spat out the cigarette and nced at his slightly ruined clothes; he could see bone from the two to three shallow wounds there. The warm blood stung as it soaked through the white shirt underneath. He made a slight miscalction, but nothing major. Cassius had managed toplete the final task.

    It took seventy-one days toplete all six tasks!

    Some were easy toplete, while others proved to be more challenging. If Cassius wasn''t in abat realm far superior to his physical prowess, he might have failed in several of the earlier tasks. Regardless, Cassius had finished the tasks ahead of schedule, leaving him with ten days to return to ck Rain Manor.

    Eight dayster, on October 13, year 106 of the Hongli Federation Calendar.

    A man wrapped in bandages, wearing a trench coat, stood on the edge of a remote town. A narrow, overgrown path led to a slender bronze pir that had stood for who knows how many years. The pir clearly bore marks of erosion from years of wind and rain.

    The man held arge suitcase and took out a bell from his coat. He shook it, but no sound came out. A hazy, dreamlike feeling engulfed him and when it faded, a light rain began to fall from the sky.

    A ck carriage charged through the mud and sped toward him.

 Chapter 124 - The Secret is Muscle

    <h4>Chapter 124 - The Secret is Muscle</h4>

    <i>Boom!</i>

    Cassius''s fist mmed into the half-leopard man''s chest like a meteor hammer, piercing through with a sickening squelch. His momentum didn''t stop there, as his arm lifted and carried the leopard man''s body, and mmed it into arge tree.

    <i>Thud! Crackle...</i>

    Leaves fell like raindrops, like a green shower.

    The leopard man''s feet left the ground, dangling midair. His arms and head drooped, and hot blood spilled relentlessly from his mouth.

    The Werebeast Sect''s injected blood was known for its instantbat power and tenacity. But now, the leopard man''s tenacity was rendered useless. When Cassius''s iron-like fist punched through him, the fist''s terrifying power spread out from the copsed chest like a shockwave.

    If one were to dissect the leopard man''s body, they would find his internal organspletely shattered. This injury was far more terrifying than having limbs cut off; his regenerative abilities were useless.

    <i>Squelch!</i>

    The crimson arm, clenched into a fist, retracted and the corpse fell, revealing a head-sized hole in the tree trunk behind it. Shattered wood chips poured out like water, and covered the leopard man''s lifeless head.

    <i>Beast blood? Hah, that¡¯s just witchcraft.</i> Cassius sneered, muttering to himself, "Only muscles! Only muscles are all-powerful! They''re bigger, denser, thicker, stronger!"

    "You... you..."

    The remaining three werebeasts immediately stopped in their tracks. In the blink of an eye, half of their group had been decimated!

    They weren''t killed by some mysterious method; the man before them had used raw brutal force to rip them apart. The sheer viciousness and power disyed were far more intimidating and oppressive than any other method, overwhelming them with fear.

    Without hesitation, the three pivoted and ran.

    The sound of their footsteps sshing through the mud echoed in their ears, and a voice suddenly appeared behind them. "Your bodies may be strong, but paired with poor techniques, your purity is far too low."

    <i>Bang!</i>

    Like a smashed watermelon, the head of one escaping werebeast exploded, the blood spraying out in front. His headless body instinctively ran a few more steps before copsing into the mixture of blood and mud on the road.

    The other two screamed and ran with all their might. A massive shadow appeared behind them in an instant. One hand shot out and grabbed their heads. One foot kicked their backs. The horrifyingly powerful force sent them flying like they were weightless. They slid more than ten meters along the muddy ground, their necks spurting blood.

    Cassius stood in ce, his face stony like iron. He held two heads in his hands.

    No one could stop him from regaining his strength. He would not allow anyone to stop him frompleting his mission, not even ck Rain Manor!

    "Damn, my pants are ripped." Cassius stood on the forest path and looked down at the fabric. There were some minor tears from the fierce fight just now.

    He squeezed the heads with both hands and they popped loudly. Blood sttered all over him. He raised his hand, letting the rain wash away the blood.

    As the heat of battle faded, a chill took its ce, taking residence in his mind. Cassius looked around at the mess of blood and flesh. The two heads he had just crushed had sunk in the mud like ttened balls.

    <i>Something''s wrong, I''ve been influenced! I normally wouldn''t be this violent even when consumed with rage! Is it the Shadow Demons?!</i>

    He nced sharply at the shadow behind him. In the pouring rain, Cassius''s shadow ovepped with the shadow of arge tree nearby, looking as though it were hiding in the tree''s shadow.

    <i>It''s not the Shadow Demons... This body is Twilight''s body from the time-travel era. I may have been partially influenced by the Shadow Demons, but it shouldn''t be this severe in reality. So then, it must be because of ck Rain Manor! Is there something wrong with the mark?</i> Cassius raised his right hand, examining the shield emblem on it.

    <i>Or is it Soul Power? </i>He furrowed his brows tightly, deep in thought.

    Twilight had never encountered such a situation before. The Werebeast Sect, Mercury Sect, Dark Sect¡ªthese supernatural paths did have some influence on the Hellsings'' consciousness, but it was primarily due to their wills being altered by the power''s source like beast blood, supernatural mercury, or dark creature organs.

    However, Soul Power, as far as Twilight knew, was a very pure energy, with no strange external factors influencing it. At the very least, Twilight had always used it without running into any issues.

    <i>How could Soul Power have no problems? There </i>must<i> be something wrong! Maybe Twilight exchanged for too little of it, while I''ve exchanged for a lot, and it''s just been collecting and building up to the point that there''s some kind of effect.</i>

    Cassius nodded slightly at this usible exnation. He turned and returned to the spot where he initially was. There was a ck cloak, a heavy red wooden box, and a steam-powered silver mechanical crossbow lying on the ground.

    Cassius stepped forward and quickly donned the specially made cloak. He still preferred wearing this kind of loose ck fabric. This way, he wouldn''t have to rip his clothes off during a fight; he could just fling off the cloak and, after killing his enemies, put it back on.

    He bent down and picked up the box; it felt slightly heavy. Cassius then picked up the mechanical crossbow, slinging the ck strap over his neck, as if he were hanging a small water bottle. He hadn''t forgotten that he was still a member of the Bolt Sect.

    Several hourster, at ck Rain Manor, in a dimly lit, silent private room in the Baptism Chapel.

    "<i>Huff, huff, huff...</i>"

    The rough, heavy breathing of a bull echoed in the space, with a faint white mist emitting out of Cassius''s mouth and nose.

    His strong body was flushed red, each muscle contracting and expanding with an stic spring, and his tendons pulsed like steel bars. The sweat on his skin continuously evaporated due to the immense heat radiating out from his body. Cassius''s back released a faint white steam.

    Just now, he had exchanged four units of Soul Power to enhance his Covert Martial Arts.

    As for his previous spection that arge amount of Soul Power would make someone more violent and bloodthirsty, Cassius temporarily put that in the back of his mind. Right now, the most important thing was to restore his strength. If the cost for rapid strength enhancement was a bit of violence and murderousness, then he was willing to pay that price!

    A pair of eyes slowly opened in the private room.

    [Elephant Soul Iplete: Bug Bite 15.1% (Total Three Stages)]

    He had surpassed human limits: the pugilist, the first-level elerated blood flow! Cassius''s recovery speed was astonishing. In just over four months, he had returned to the pugilist level.

    This was the effect of Soul Power on Covert Martial Arts. It had taken Cassius several years to reach the pugilist level the first time around and he had to use a lot of precious pills and ointments. But he had bypassed all of that thanks to Soul Power.

    It seemed to be a pure energy that aided any skills training, but Cassius felt that it was especially beneficial for Covert Martial Arts. Perhaps the two were originallyplementary?

    He didn''t know why that thought hade up. Maybe it was intuition.

    Cassius swiftly got to his feet, dressed, and opened his umbre. He left the Baptism Chapel and headed toward the Mission Hall. He wasn''t satisfied with just restoring his first-level elerated blood flow. To fully recover, he needed to reach the second-level elerated blood flow.

    Cassius''s original physique level was:

    [Elephant Soul Iplete: Bug Bite 43.2% (Total Three Stages)]

    As long as he reached 33.3% of the Bug Bite level, he could open the second node, and get the cirction going between his heart and navel which would restore most of Cassius''sbat power.

    He was still about 18% short. He wasn''t too far off but it wasn''t going to be easy either. The initial stay was supposed to be seven months, but now that four months had passed, it left him less than three months. Cassius should still have enough time to recover his strength. And once he did, he could carry out his initial ns.

    The time hade for extra tasks to be posted at the Mission Hall again.

    The wall frames in the area where the shield-level gathered were still nk. Although it wasn''t time yet and the notices hadn''t been refreshed, there was already a crowd blocking the path. All of them wanted to grab a good mission as soon as it was posted.

    "Move! Move!"

    N?v(el)B\\jnn

    A man in a ck leather jacket shoved his way through the throng of Hellsings. Exuding an air of dominance, he stood about six feet tall, with a silver "V" shaped metal embedded in his shirt under the leather jacket. There were imprints of sharp fangs in his mouth.

    "That''s Gaius from the Werebeast Sect. They say he''s already as strong as a sword-level, but since it''s not time for the annual promotion yet, he has to wait. He can only keep taking shield-level missions..." people in the crowd informed theirpanions.

    "Let''s give him some space."

    "He''s really strong. Don''t provoke him..."

    "<i>Hmph</i>." Hearing the murmurs around him, a sneer curled Gaius''s mouth. Considering he had sword-level strength, mingling with these shield-level people made him feel like a crane among chickens. If it hadn''t been for the timing, he would have...

    <i>Smack.</i>

    A hand pped down on Gaius''s back.

    "Move," said someone with a deep voice behind him.

    Gaius instinctively nced at the hand, which had a shield-level mark and a small crossbow tattoo around it.

    <i>A Bolt Sect member?! Are you fucking with me?</i> Gaius''s eyebrows shot up in rage. He spun around and was instantly met with a pair of indifferent, cold eyes.

    Gaius froze, his body trembling. The man behind him was half a head taller, and, even through the cloak, he could tell he was extremely muscr. It was like he was a wall.

    <i>Is this guy really from the Bolt Sect?! Isn''t the Bolt Sect known for their slim builds regardless of gender? How can someone this muscr practice their techniques? </i>Gaius nced at the strong arm peeking out from underneath the cloak, the muscles looking like gnarly tree roots.

    "I..." he began to introduce himself.

    An indomitable force struck him, and therge hand flung Gaius backward like trash.

    He stumbled and when he looked up, he found that he had been thrown to the outermost edge of the crowd. At that moment, the wall frames refreshed, and the Hellsing members began selecting their tasks.

    By the time Gaius squeezed back in, all the tasks had been taken. He turned to search for the cloaked figure but found that they had already left.

    "Damn it!"

    ***

    Very soon, a month and a half had gone by.

    It was January 12, the 107th year of the Hongli Federation. Winter had arrived, bringing bitingly cold weather.

    Nington City''s streets were covered in a lightyer of frost in the morning. The asional horse-drawn carriages and cars trudged by. Pedestrians on the sidewalks wore thick coats and scarves, hands stuffed in their pockets, necks hunched, and white smoke puffing out from their mouths as they breathed. The ornamental trees lining the roads werepletely bare, their branches stark against the sky. A row of ck birds flew overhead.

    A slender boy with delicate features walked briskly down the street. He was about five and a half feet tall, and wearing a very warm overcoat that made his already small frame appear smaller.

    His nickname was Lynx, his real name Leon, and he was a shield-level member. As a new member of the Bolt Sect, he had the perfect build for their agilebat style.

    Today, Leon had a task to do. A few days ago, the Bolt Sect took on a group mission for shield-level members, targeting a location in the suburbs of Nington City. Group missions were more difficult and dangerous than solo missions, but the rewards were also very generous.

    The Bolt Sect immediately started summoning their shield-level members. Being a small sect, they didn''t have as many peoplepared to therger ones. After gathering everyone, they found that even with the new members, their numbers were still insufficient. Many members had already embarked on their regr missions and were nowhere near the ck Rain Manor.

    With great reluctance, the Bolt Sect''s team had to make their way toward Nington City, summoning other members along the way. Though more members meant less rewards per person, it was ultimately safer. A smaller reward was a fair trade-off for safety.

    The target for this group mission was the Vampire n. If they didn''t have enough people, it would be impossible to handle them hence why Leon was sent to find more members.

    Bolt Sect members usually left information about their temporary residences at the outposts for easy contact and handling of belongings in case of an unexpected death. It was optional to do so, of course.

    A cold wind brushed Leon''s cheek, making him shiver. He wrapped his coat tighter around himself and pulled out a note from his pocket where there was a line of ck text: Twilight, shield-level, Nington City, Garden Street No. 29.

    Below the note was a photo of a slender young man with a gentle smile. There was an indescribable schrly weakness about him. His appearance fit the typical image of a Bolt Sect member.

    Leon studied the photo carefully, memorized the face, and quickly walked on, his steps light and agile. Soon, he stood in front of a two-story house. He took out the photo again, then knocked on the door.

    <i>Knock, knock, knock... Knock, knock, knock...</i>

    Soon, he heard someoneing down the stairs inside, the heavy footsteps swiftly heading for the door.

    "Who is it?" a deep voice called from inside.

    Leon was taken aback. Twilight''s voice was incongruous to his appearance. He shook his head and said, "Is this Mr. Twilight? I''m from the ck Rain Manor Archery Club."

    "I am. Come in."

    The door creaked open.

    Leon looked up and froze as a thick ck wall slowly moved toward him.

 Chapter 125 - Ive Been Influenced!

    <h4>Chapter 125 - I''ve Been Influenced!</h4>

    <i>Boom!</i>

    Cassius''s fist mmed into the half-leopard man''s chest like a meteor hammer, piercing through with a sickening squelch. His momentum didn''t stop there, as his arm lifted and carried the leopard man''s body, and mmed it into arge tree.

    <i>Thud! Crackle...</i>

    Leaves fell like raindrops, like a green shower.

    The leopard man''s feet left the ground, dangling midair. His arms and head drooped, and hot blood spilled relentlessly from his mouth.

    The Werebeast Sect''s injected blood was known for its instantbat power and tenacity. But now, the leopard man''s tenacity was rendered useless. When Cassius''s iron-like fist punched through him, the fist''s terrifying power spread out from the copsed chest like a shockwave.

    If one were to dissect the leopard man''s body, they would find his internal organspletely shattered. This injury was far more terrifying than having limbs cut off; his regenerative abilities were useless.

    <i>Squelch!</i>

    The crimson arm, clenched into a fist, retracted and the corpse fell, revealing a head-sized hole in the tree trunk behind it. Shattered wood chips poured out like water, and covered the leopard man''s lifeless head.

    <i>Beast blood? Hah, that¡¯s just witchcraft.</i> Cassius sneered, muttering to himself, "Only muscles! Only muscles are all-powerful! They''re bigger, denser, thicker, stronger!"

    "You... you..."

    The remaining three werebeasts immediately stopped in their tracks. In the blink of an eye, half of their group had been decimated!

    They weren''t killed by some mysterious method; the man before them had used raw brutal force to rip them apart. The sheer viciousness and power disyed were far more intimidating and oppressive than any other method, overwhelming them with fear.

    Without hesitation, the three pivoted and ran.

    The sound of their footsteps sshing through the mud echoed in their ears, and a voice suddenly appeared behind them. "Your bodies may be strong, but paired with poor techniques, your purity is far too low."

    <i>Bang!</i>

    Like a smashed watermelon, the head of one escaping werebeast exploded, the blood spraying out in front. His headless body instinctively ran a few more steps before copsing into the mixture of blood and mud on the road.

    The other two screamed and ran with all their might. A massive shadow appeared behind them in an instant. One hand shot out and grabbed their heads. One foot kicked their backs. The horrifyingly powerful force sent them flying like they were weightless. They slid more than ten meters along the muddy ground, their necks spurting blood.

    Cassius stood in ce, his face stony like iron. He held two heads in his hands.

    No one could stop him from regaining his strength. He would not allow anyone to stop him frompleting his mission, not even ck Rain Manor!

    "Damn, my pants are ripped." Cassius stood on the forest path and looked down at the fabric. There were some minor tears from the fierce fight just now.

    He squeezed the heads with both hands and they popped loudly. Blood sttered all over him. He raised his hand, letting the rain wash away the blood.

    As the heat of battle faded, a chill took its ce, taking residence in his mind. Cassius looked around at the mess of blood and flesh. The two heads he had just crushed had sunk in the mud like ttened balls.

    <i>Something''s wrong, I''ve been influenced! I normally wouldn''t be this violent even when consumed with rage! Is it the Shadow Demons?!</i>

    He nced sharply at the shadow behind him. In the pouring rain, Cassius''s shadow ovepped with the shadow of arge tree nearby, looking as though it were hiding in the tree''s shadow.

    <i>It''s not the Shadow Demons... This body is Twilight''s body from the time-travel era. I may have been partially influenced by the Shadow Demons, but it shouldn''t be this severe in reality. So then, it must be because of ck Rain Manor! Is there something wrong with the mark?</i> Cassius raised his right hand, examining the shield emblem on it.

    <i>Or is it Soul Power? </i>He furrowed his brows tightly, deep in thought.

    Twilight had never encountered such a situation before. The Werebeast Sect, Mercury Sect, Dark Sect¡ªthese supernatural paths did have some influence on the Hellsings'' consciousness, but it was primarily due to their wills being altered by the power''s source like beast blood, supernatural mercury, or dark creature organs.

    However, Soul Power, as far as Twilight knew, was a very pure energy, with no strange external factors influencing it. At the very least, Twilight had always used it without running into any issues.

    <i>How could Soul Power have no problems? There </i>must<i> be something wrong! Maybe Twilight exchanged for too little of it, while I''ve exchanged for a lot, and it''s just been collecting and building up to the point that there''s some kind of effect.</i>

    Cassius nodded slightly at this usible exnation. He turned and returned to the spot where he initially was. There was a ck cloak, a heavy red wooden box, and a steam-powered silver mechanical crossbow lying on the ground.

    Cassius stepped forward and quickly donned the specially made cloak. He still preferred wearing this kind of loose ck fabric. This way, he wouldn''t have to rip his clothes off during a fight; he could just fling off the cloak and, after killing his enemies, put it back on.

    He bent down and picked up the box; it felt slightly heavy. Cassius then picked up the mechanical crossbow, slinging the ck strap over his neck, as if he were hanging a small water bottle. He hadn''t forgotten that he was still a member of the Bolt Sect.

    Several hourster, at ck Rain Manor, in a dimly lit, silent private room in the Baptism Chapel.

    "<i>Huff, huff, huff...</i>"

    The rough, heavy breathing of a bull echoed in the space, with a faint white mist emitting out of Cassius''s mouth and nose.

    His strong body was flushed red, each muscle contracting and expanding with an stic spring, and his tendons pulsed like steel bars. The sweat on his skin continuously evaporated due to the immense heat radiating out from his body. Cassius''s back released a faint white steam.

    Just now, he had exchanged four units of Soul Power to enhance his Covert Martial Arts.

    As for his previous spection that arge amount of Soul Power would make someone more violent and bloodthirsty, Cassius temporarily put that in the back of his mind. Right now, the most important thing was to restore his strength. If the cost for rapid strength enhancement was a bit of violence and murderousness, then he was willing to pay that price!

    A pair of eyes slowly opened in the private room.

    [Elephant Soul Iplete: Bug Bite 15.1% (Total Three Stages)]

    He had surpassed human limits: the pugilist, the first-level elerated blood flow! Cassius''s recovery speed was astonishing. In just over four months, he had returned to the pugilist level.

    This was the effect of Soul Power on Covert Martial Arts. It had taken Cassius several years to reach the pugilist level the first time around and he had to use a lot of precious pills and ointments. But he had bypassed all of that thanks to Soul Power.

    It seemed to be a pure energy that aided any skills training, but Cassius felt that it was especially beneficial for Covert Martial Arts. Perhaps the two were originallyplementary?

    He didn''t know why that thought hade up. Maybe it was intuition.

    Cassius swiftly got to his feet, dressed, and opened his umbre. He left the Baptism Chapel and headed toward the Mission Hall. He wasn''t satisfied with just restoring his first-level elerated blood flow. To fully recover, he needed to reach the second-level elerated blood flow.

    Cassius''s original physique level was:

    [Elephant Soul Iplete: Bug Bite 43.2% (Total Three Stages)]

    N?v(el)B\\jnn

    As long as he reached 33.3% of the Bug Bite level, he could open the second node, and get the cirction going between his heart and navel which would restore most of Cassius''sbat power.

    He was still about 18% short. He wasn''t too far off but it wasn''t going to be easy either. The initial stay was supposed to be seven months, but now that four months had passed, it left him less than three months. Cassius should still have enough time to recover his strength. And once he did, he could carry out his initial ns.

    The time hade for extra tasks to be posted at the Mission Hall again.

    The wall frames in the area where the shield-level gathered were still nk. Although it wasn''t time yet and the notices hadn''t been refreshed, there was already a crowd blocking the path. All of them wanted to grab a good mission as soon as it was posted.

    "Move! Move!"

    A man in a ck leather jacket shoved his way through the throng of Hellsings. Exuding an air of dominance, he stood about six feet tall, with a silver "V" shaped metal embedded in his shirt under the leather jacket. There were imprints of sharp fangs in his mouth.

    "That''s Gaius from the Werebeast Sect. They say he''s already as strong as a sword-level, but since it''s not time for the annual promotion yet, he has to wait. He can only keep taking shield-level missions..." people in the crowd informed theirpanions.

    "Let''s give him some space."

    "He''s really strong. Don''t provoke him..."

    "<i>Hmph</i>." Hearing the murmurs around him, a sneer curled Gaius''s mouth. Considering he had sword-level strength, mingling with these shield-level people made him feel like a crane among chickens. If it hadn''t been for the timing, he would have...

    <i>Smack.</i>

    A hand pped down on Gaius''s back.

    "Move," said someone with a deep voice behind him.

    Gaius instinctively nced at the hand, which had a shield-level mark and a small crossbow tattoo around it.

    <i>A Bolt Sect member?! Are you fucking with me?</i> Gaius''s eyebrows shot up in rage. He spun around and was instantly met with a pair of indifferent, cold eyes.

    Gaius froze, his body trembling. The man behind him was half a head taller, and, even through the cloak, he could tell he was extremely muscr. It was like he was a wall.

    <i>Is this guy really from the Bolt Sect?! Isn''t the Bolt Sect known for their slim builds regardless of gender? How can someone this muscr practice their techniques? </i>Gaius nced at the strong arm peeking out from underneath the cloak, the muscles looking like gnarly tree roots.

    "I..." he began to introduce himself.

    An indomitable force struck him, and therge hand flung Gaius backward like trash.

    He stumbled and when he looked up, he found that he had been thrown to the outermost edge of the crowd. At that moment, the wall frames refreshed, and the Hellsing members began selecting their tasks.

    By the time Gaius squeezed back in, all the tasks had been taken. He turned to search for the cloaked figure but found that they had already left.

    "Damn it!"

    ***

    Very soon, a month and a half had gone by.

    It was January 12, the 107th year of the Hongli Federation. Winter had arrived, bringing bitingly cold weather.

    Nington City''s streets were covered in a lightyer of frost in the morning. The asional horse-drawn carriages and cars trudged by. Pedestrians on the sidewalks wore thick coats and scarves, hands stuffed in their pockets, necks hunched, and white smoke puffing out from their mouths as they breathed. The ornamental trees lining the roads werepletely bare, their branches stark against the sky. A row of ck birds flew overhead.

    A slender boy with delicate features walked briskly down the street. He was about five and a half feet tall, and wearing a very warm overcoat that made his already small frame appear smaller.

    His nickname was Lynx, his real name Leon, and he was a shield-level member. As a new member of the Bolt Sect, he had the perfect build for their agilebat style.

    Today, Leon had a task to do. A few days ago, the Bolt Sect took on a group mission for shield-level members, targeting a location in the suburbs of Nington City. Group missions were more difficult and dangerous than solo missions, but the rewards were also very generous.

    The Bolt Sect immediately started summoning their shield-level members. Being a small sect, they didn''t have as many peoplepared to therger ones. After gathering everyone, they found that even with the new members, their numbers were still insufficient. Many members had already embarked on their regr missions and were nowhere near the ck Rain Manor.

    With great reluctance, the Bolt Sect''s team had to make their way toward Nington City, summoning other members along the way. Though more members meant less rewards per person, it was ultimately safer. A smaller reward was a fair trade-off for safety.

    The target for this group mission was the Vampire n. If they didn''t have enough people, it would be impossible to handle them hence why Leon was sent to find more members.

    Bolt Sect members usually left information about their temporary residences at the outposts for easy contact and handling of belongings in case of an unexpected death. It was optional to do so, of course.

    A cold wind brushed Leon''s cheek, making him shiver. He wrapped his coat tighter around himself and pulled out a note from his pocket where there was a line of ck text: Twilight, shield-level, Nington City, Garden Street No. 29.

    Below the note was a photo of a slender young man with a gentle smile. There was an indescribable schrly weakness about him. His appearance fit the typical image of a Bolt Sect member.

    Leon studied the photo carefully, memorized the face, and quickly walked on, his steps light and agile. Soon, he stood in front of a two-story house. He took out the photo again, then knocked on the door.

    <i>Knock, knock, knock... Knock, knock, knock...</i>

    Soon, he heard someoneing down the stairs inside, the heavy footsteps swiftly heading for the door.

    "Who is it?" a deep voice called from inside.

    Leon was taken aback. Twilight''s voice was incongruous to his appearance. He shook his head and said, "Is this Mr. Twilight? I''m from the ck Rain Manor Archery Club."

    "I am. Come in."

    The door creaked open.

    Leon looked up and froze as a thick ck wall slowly moved toward him.

 Chapter 126 - I Used to Be Skinny

    <h4>Chapter 126 - I Used to Be Skinny</h4>

    All Leon saw was muscles, muscles, and more muscles.

    He gulped and looked up.

    A figure, nearly 1.9 meters tall, with arms like tree trunks and shoulders that resembled solid tires towered over him in the doorway. The muscles packed on his body looked like chunks of rock and he resembled a steel tower.

    Leon noticed that the man¡¯s upper body was bare, glistening with sweat that evaporated into a faint white mist. The heat radiating from him was like a powerful wave, and Leon felt overwhelmed by the oppressive andmanding presence.

    His legs felt unsteady. His waist was tense and his chest puffed out. He didn''t move a single muscle.

    "Why are you just standing there? Come in."

    Now that they were face-to-face without a door in between them, Leon felt like thunder was rumbling above his head. The deep, booming voice made his eardrums tingle.

    <i>What the hell! </i>This<i> is Twilight? A member of the Bolt Sect who is known for their agility? This has to be a joke!</i>

    Leon took a deep breath and forced a strained smile. "I¡¯m sorry, sir. I must havee to the wrong ce. I sincerely apologize."

    "Wrong ce?" The man frowned. "Didn¡¯t you say you were from the ck Rain Manor Archery Club? I''m a member too."

    Sensing the man¡¯s displeasure, Leon¡¯s slim waist tensed even more. "Um... Is this Garden Street, No. 29?"

    "Yeah, it¡¯s written right there on the sign," the man confirmed. He then reached up and tore down a metal que from above the door, the nails holding it in ce flying out as he pulled it off with ease.

    "This is Garden Street, No. 29. It¡¯s clearly written here." He waved the metal que, which indeed had those words engraved on it. He mmed it back into ce above the door.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    Dust cascaded down. The cement wall now had a handprint indented in there, with the metal que firmly lodged within it.

    "<i>Cough, cough</i>..." Leon had inhaled some dust because his mouth had been hanging open in shock.

    "Yes, it is. But..." Leon nced at the man''s rugged face, wild gray hair, and unkempt beard. He couldn¡¯t reconcile this image with the slim, handsome, and gentle Twilight in the photo. The difference was too great!

    Under the man¡¯s intense scrutiny, Leon pulled out a photo from his pocket. It was a full-body shot of Twilight, a standard Bolt Sect member.

    "This is the person I¡¯m looking for. You don¡¯t seem to..." He paused. "This isn¡¯t you, is it?"

    The man looked at the photo and nodded. "That''s me."

    "Really?" Leon was in utter disbelief.

    "Yes." The man held the photo up to his face forparison. "I was much skinnier back then."

    "But..." Leon began.

    "Let''s not waste time. Come in."

    Arge hand shot out, and although the Bolt Sect was known for their agility, Leon couldn''t react in time. The next thing he knew, he was inside the house, and the door had mmed shut behind him.

    <i>ng!</i>

    It sounded like the metal que outside had fallen again.

    Leon looked up at the enormous man, feeling incredibly insecure. Cold sweat soaked through his shirt. <i>I really, really hope he really is a member of the Bolt Sect... Otherwise, I¡¯m doomed!</i>

    Fifteen minutester, Leon and Cassius were sitting on a brown-yellow sofa in the living room.

    Cassius''s posture was the very definition of "casual," with his legs crossed and his massive body sinking into the sofa. The white porcin cup that he held looked tiny in his huge hands. Cassius raised the cup to his mouth and downed its contents in one gulp.

    Leon, on the other hand, was hunched into a nervous ball, his legs glued together like ady¡¯s. He took small sips of coffee while shooting the odd nce at Cassius.

    <i>Clink.</i>

    The empty porcin cup was ced on the table.

    Leon jumped, still not fully recovered from the shock. Afterparing the photo with Cassius at length, Leon finally saw the resemnce in the eyes and contours of his face. Plus, he had checked the two marks on Cassius¡¯s broad hands, confirming that he was indeed Twilight.

    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Compared to the Twilight now with his incredibly muscr frame, he looked like sticks and bones in the photo.

    At the constant staring, Cassius spoke calmly, "Don¡¯t be surprised. I was weak and sickly as a child, and I also fell very ill a few months ago. That''s why I decided to train hard so I could build a healthy, disease-free body. It would be such a great insult to a marked-one if I died from illness rather than in battle with dark creatures."

    There was a certain logic to Cassius¡¯s somewhat nonsensical exnation. Leon nodded in understanding, although he still found it hard to ept.

    Cassius didn''t just look healthier with his current physique; he looked like a bear, with an even more exaggerated form than the Werebeast Sect¡¯s high-level bloodline transformations. He was like a towering iron fortress. It didn¡¯t quite fit the image of a Bolt Sect member. It was like seeing styles from two different dimensions.

    Leon took a small sip of coffee and exhaled. "So, are you willing to join our Bolt Sect shield-level group mission? It''s just in the suburbs of Nington City so it''s not far. The mission starts tonight." He nced at Cassius, fearing he might refuse.

    "Of course," Cassius agreed immediately.

    Why would he pass up the chance for dark essence? Even though he was nning an experiment involving the ck Rain Manor, it would be fine to earn some extra rewards along the way.

    Leon was sincere as he warned, "Mr. Twilight, I must warn you that this group mission is quite dangerous, much more so than solo missions. People could get hurt."

    "No problem. I trust in the abilities of my Bolt Sectpanions," Cassius replied nonchntly.

    His confidence came from his own power, from the strength of the second-level elerated blood flow. After over nearly six months ofpleting missions without rest, Cassius had restored much of his strength, and the pace had only quickened toward the end.

    Since his strength had recovered so rapidly, shield-level missions posed zero danger to him. In thest couple of months, he had been steamrolling through missions, attacking strongholds directly, and eliminating all enemies. There were times when stronger foes unexpectedly appeared, but he took it in stride and dealt with them easily.

    Based on some estimations and information, Cassius felt his strength had surpassed the shield-level, sword-level, and badge-level, and he was now getting closer to the knight-level. It felt like he was cheating with his level of power allowing him toplete shield-level missions. Other Hellsings couldn¡¯t replicate his situation. The best they could do at the shield-level was to have the strength of a beginner sword-level, but no higher.

    Cassius had two unique advantages.

    One, the Wind Elephant Covert Martial Artsbined perfectly with the ck Rain Manor¡¯s Soul Power, working like a chain with multiple gears. With a single powerful push, an ordinary Hellsing''s low-level gears might only move forward one meter, but Cassius''s advanced gears could propel him five or six meters, maybe even more than ten meters.

    Although it was unclear why the ck Rain Manor didn''t have the Covert Martial Arts path, it worked uniquely in Cassius''s favor.

    Two, the advanced mastery of Wind Elephant Fist allowed him to control his rapidly increasing power.

    Normally, one would need to reach the third-level elerated blood flow to master such power, but Cassius could do this due to his prior high-level experience. The other Hellsings had no hope of doing the same.

    Regardless of supernatural powers or skill knowledge, they couldn''t enhance nor upgrade too much at once. There was a cost to every method from ck Rain Manor as they were both deformed and wed. If the power exceeded one''s control, it would either drive the marked-one mad or cause them to explode.

    There was an old saying among the Hellsing that had been passed down for years: "Greed is foolishness! Greed is death!"

    Besides the dangerous supernatural methods, there was also danger associated with using Soul Power to quickly master skills. Cassius had practiced enough to understand each step and situation, which allowed him to expedite his progress. Ordinary marked-ones faced a different problem: the process of mastering skills through Soul Power was, indeed, extremely fast. A slight deviation in their mental imagery or a minor w in their skill framework could lead to disastrous results; they could either explode or wake up with a deformed body.

    Training to be light on one''s feet could lead to twisted limbs; training one''s hands could fracture the bones; training bones could result in paralysis; and training the muscles could lead to severe atrophy. All these oues were highly probable.

    Every method of enhancement was a double-edged sword. As good as it was to be fast, there was also a chance that one could veer off course and be unable to course correct in time. The final result was either death or beingpletely disposable.

    Thus, the Covert Martial Arts was truly remarkable!

    Then again, the Wind Elephant Sect had still been wiped out by the Blood of Fate...

    "It¡¯s almost 9 p.m. Shall we?" Leon set down his teacup.

    "Alright, wait for me a moment. I need to grab something." Cassius stood up and walked up to the room on the second floor. A short whileter, he came down wearing arge ck cloak, carrying a bulky item beneath it. Judging by the shape, it seemed to be a mechanical crossbow.

    "Okay, let''s go."

    The two of them opened the door and headed for the outskirts of Nington City. Half an hourter, they arrived in front of a two-story house with white walls and a ck base. Two figures, one tall and robust and the other short and lean, entered.

    A low wall, white ster peeling and revealing patches of ck, wrapped around the small building. There was a lot of withered grass tucked in the corners. The ground was gray, hardened, and frozen.

    <i>Crunch.</i>

    The ck soles of their shoes crushed the clumped dirt. Cassius stood in front of the light yellow wooden door and rapped gently.

    <i>Knock, knock, knock.</i>

    A familiar voice, Darkde''s, called out, "Who is it?"

    "It''s the ck Rain Manor Archery Club, sir," Cassius said, using the code for the Bolt Sect.

    "Coming." Footsteps approached quickly from inside. Before long, the wooden door opened with a click. Darkde''s familiar face came into view.

    At first, he stared in bewilderment, then his gaze moved from Cassius''s chest upward, finally settling on his face.

    "You... Who are you?!"

    "It''s Twilight! It''s only been a few months, Darkde, and you''ve already forgotten me?" Cassius raised his right hand to show the mark on his hand.

    "Twilight?! What?" Stunned, Darkde gawked at him. But as he stared at Cassius''s serious face, he scrutinized him more closely. Gradually, the slender figure from his memory matched up with the strong physique before him.

    Holy shit! What did that elegant and handsome youth from a few months ago do to transform into such an appearance? Though, he did seem quite powerful now...

    "My old friend! Come in, let''s talk."

    Cassius and his imposing physique pushed his way in, draping one strong arm over Darkde''s shoulder and dragging him inside. Leon sighed and quickly followed.

    In a spacious reception room on the second floor, eight or nine members of the Bolt Sect sat in yellow armchairs around arge round table. Some looked hesitant to speak, creating a somewhat eerie atmosphere. Most of their gazes were fixed on a spot near the window where a burly man, clearly a head taller than the others, sat. His broad body blocked the sunlight, casting a distorted, massive shadow on the wooden table.

    The organizer of this shield-level task was Darkde, who had been at the shield-level for a long time and was a seasoned Hellsing. Finally, Darkde couldn''t resist asking, "Twilight, how did you be so, um, muscr?"

    Cassius exined his previous reasons once more. Since Darkde was familiar with Twilight''s past, he found no reason to question it.

    An orphan who had essentially raised himself and his sister, and was all too familiar with the concept of hunger. After suffering that devastating blow from losing his sister to malnutrition and poor living conditions, it was natural that he sought out ways to develop a strong physique. It was indeed reasonable!

    "Actually, I was exploring a differentbat direction for our Bolt Sect, like muscle-powered mechanical crossbows." As Cassius spoke, he reached behind him.

    <i>Thud!</i>

    The table shook.

    A mechanical crossbow appeared before Cassius. Its shape and decoration were simr to a regr crossbow, except it was muchrger¡ªabout twice the size of a normal crossbow! The arrows were simrly twice as thick. Just the sight of it gave off a heavy, menacing feeling.

    "I believe that our Bolt Sect¡¯s Deng Tingda Storm of Arrows has taken a wrong path!" Cassius looked around. "Storm of Arrows focuses on archery techniques and body techniques, but the Bolt Sect has ced too much emphasis on body techniques, resulting in many members having slender and agile figures that allow them to evade and hunt dark creatures. But this is precarious. We should reconsider and return to the primary focus of Storm of Arrows¡ªarrow damage. This means we need thicker, heavier steel arrows. To shoot these arrows, we needrger and heavier mechanical crossbows. And to handle these crossbowsfortably, we clearly need to have a robust physique!

    "Don''t get me wrong. I''m not saying just because you have a stronger physique, you should start fighting in closebat with dark creatures. That''s unrealistic. Even the most enhanced Hellsing physique can¡¯t go head-to-head with them. But we can enhance the firepower of the crossbow, and make it into a siege crossbow capable of firing massive arrows. The dark creatures will be minced meat! For this, a strong physique is necessary; my muscle training just came hand-in-hand when I was trying to improve my archery skills."

    Cassius solemnlyid out his points amidst the skeptical looks from the other Bolt Sect members, though he was just putting on a show for the sect. He was essentially saying, "I¡¯ve been building up my muscles to be a better archer!"

    "Well, what you said is one way of doing it." Darkde nodded. "My idea is slightly different. Instead, we could design a high-power,rge crossbow that requires two or three people to operate. This could provide the effective long-range fire support we need in dangerous group missions."

    Cassius paused, then shrugged with a hint of amusement.

    Afterward, Darkde and some other members of the Bolt Sect hashed out the details of their night mission. Cassius also received specific information about the target: a family of eight Blood Races.

    No wonder the Bolt Sect had been gathering members before the mission; their number was almost equal to that of the Hellsings. If they didn''t, the sect would suffer heavy losses.

    One after another, three to four more members arrived, making a total of thirteen Bolt Sect members in the hall. They were now roughly one and a half times the size of the target and could now move out. There would likely be many casualties, but that was inevitable.

    Cassius ate a simple lunch and dinner there. By the time he checked the time, it was already around 11:30 p.m.

    The reason they decided to strike at night was because although sunlight did weaken vampires, it was minimal. Additionally, the vampires scattered during the day, making it hard to capture them all at once. At least, when night fell and the clock struck at midnight, they would gather in one ce to enjoy their meal.

    In Nington City, at the Plinka Manor in the suburbs, the night was deep and the sky was pitch-ck. The wind pushed huge clouds across the sky, obscuring the moonlight. On the road outside the manor, there was the thundering sound of footsteps.

    Several shadowy figures moved quickly toward the manor, with a particrlyrge figure cloaked in ck amongst them.

 Chapter 127 - The Muscular Crossbowman

    <h4>Chapter 127 - The Muscr Crossbowman</h4>

    Inside the first floor of Plinka Manor, avish hall on the right was dripping with grandeur.

    A long table, covered with a silky blood-red tablecloth with golden palm-sized floral embroidery, stood in the center. Silver cutlery and smooth porcin tes had been neatly arranged. Light came from the lit candles in the decorative candle holder set in the middle.

    The dishes on the table smelled enticing: pan-fried ck cod, tender beef ribs, creamy baked lobster, white mashed potatoes, cauliflower soup sprinkled with grated cheese, and a side dish of figs. The rich scent of fat lingered in the air.

    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Additionally, there were sweet wines and various cakes. These desserts, usually served after the main meal, were already on the table. However, despite the sumptuous spread, the seven diners around the table showed little interest.

    There were four men and three women. The handsome men were dressed in tailored ck suits, with neat hairstyles. The women wore bright red dresses that disyed their delicate corbones and fair skin. Their red lips glistened from their makeup.

    On the right side of the table, a beautiful woman in her thirties sipped her sweet wine. She quietly asked the man next to her, "When will the main course be served? I''m starving."

    The elegantly poised man shook his head. "Lord Franz has gone to get it; it should be ready in about ten minutes."

    "Alright then." The woman took another sip of her wine, her crimson tongue licking her full lips. She had a strange allure.

    Suddenly, dozens of ck bats, the size of fists, pped over from the corridor at the back of the hall. Two human figures seemed to emerge from within the bats'' shadows. Boredom forgotten, the diners were instantly excited at the sight and the seven whispered anticipatorily.

    "The main course is here!"

    "Finally, we can eat!"

    "Hope today''s blood wine tastes better..."

    <i>Flutter!</i>

    The bats dispersed, revealing a pale middle-aged man. He was dressed like an ancient noble, with white ruffledce around his sleeves and neck.

    "Lord Franz," they greeted in unison.

    It was clear this middle-aged man held the highest status and power in this family of vampires. He could transform into bats, move at high speeds, implement curses, was able to manipte blood, and induce fear.

    Compared to him, the first vampire Cassius encountered was like an infant, possessing only slightly superior physical strength and basic blood arts, making him easy prey. Even Twilight could have defeated that vampire if he hadn''t been distracted by the hostage situation.

    Franz sat down at the head of the table, where tworge silver goblets were ced far from each other. Two young girls sat quietly beside the table. Although their breathing and expressions were normal, they looked like mute puppets with their dull and lifeless eyes.

    "The main course is here. Let''s begin," Franz dered.

    He disappeared and reappeared behind the two girls. With a swift sh of his sharp nails across their white necks, blood flowed out immediately.

    Franz returned to his seat, waving his hand lightly. Two streams of blood arced through the air and filled the goblets.

    The sound of thick liquid sshing was pleasant, and the sweet scent of blood filled the room. The vampires present grew restless, some tugging at their ties, others chewing their lips. Their eyes shone with a fervent glow. The seductive woman on the right side of the table swallowed hard.

    Suddenly, from outside the French windows on the right side of the hall, dozens of powerful crossbow bolts shattered the ss, shooting into the room.

    "What''s happening?!" Many vampires screamed. As soon as they jumped up, they were struck by bolts. They were hurt quite badly; some bolts were coated in mercury, some in poison, and some were oil-soaked and ame. One unlucky vampire''s entire upper body caught fire, but he quickly tore off his suit.

    "Is it thoseckeys from ck Rain Manor?!" The vampires soon realized who their attackers were.

    More arrows kept flying in through the French windows, forcing the vampires to hide behind load-bearing columns.

    "There may be quite a few of them, but not enough to overpower us. From the way they''re using crossbows, they must be the group of Hellsings skilled in long-range attacks!" Franz narrowed his eyes as he analyzed the situation. As a powerful vampire, he knew quite a bit about the dark world. "Let''s run in and kill them. If we can get close, these archers will be no match for us vampires!"

    Under Franz''s lead, seven to eight shadows broke through the barrage of arrows and darted into the dark, open grounds of the manor.

    <i>Whoosh... Whoosh... Whoosh...</i>

    Arrows rained down in the darkness, with some lodging into the walls, some striking the ground. Sparks flew as some hit themp posts.

    The vampires sprinted forward, using their superior physical abilities to dodge the arrows. Even when they were struck, there was only the briefest glimpse of weakness before they yanked out the bolts and continued their charge.

    Franz led the attack, moving like a leopard. He used a high-speed movement ability to enhance his speed. The Hellsings from the Bolt Sect had difficulty locking onto him precisely.

    <i>Swish... Swish... Swish...</i>

    Arrows flew toward Franz in quick session, but he dodged most of them. The few that came close, he blocked with his hands. Nothing hit his vital areas.

    <i>Thwack!</i>

    Under the moonlight, a heavy silver arrow careened toward Franz. His heart skipped a beat when he realized he couldn''t dodge it. He raised his ws to block it. A faint red energy traced a path through the air.

    <i>Thunk!</i>

    "<i>Ugh</i>!" Franz let out a roar of pain. A thick, heavy steel arrow had embedded itself a third of the way in his chest. His right hand, which he had raised to block, had its index and middle fingers severed. There was a bloody, gaping hole in his palm.

    <i>What the hell?! How could this arrow be so powerful? It''s at least three to four times stronger than the others!</i>

    Franz was shocked. He had thought he had his opponent''s abilities and strength all figured out, only to find himself caught off guard. When he halted, several Hellsings focused their fire on him. Dozens of arrows almost turned him into a pincushion.

    Franz quickly rolled behind a flowerbed to take cover. He pulled out all the arrows from his body. One of them was a steel arrow that was noticeably thicker than the others.

    "Who shot this arrow?!" He panted, looking toward the dark grounds of the manor.

    A muffled cry came from about thirty meters to Franz''s left.

    A vampire froze in the middle of his attack, his head jerking. A steel arrow as thick as a thumb had pierced his head, with the arrowhead and tail both sticking out from his temples. His brain waspletely destroyed.

    Although not fatal for a Blood Race, an injury to the brain could immobilize them for a few seconds. In those crucial moments, dozens of arrows had already buried themselves into this Blood Race, turning it into a blood-soaked pincushion. Mercury-tipped arrows, various poisons, and three ming arrows ignited its clothes. Despite their strong vitality, the Blood Races weren''t invincible.

    The mercury weakened it, the toxins invaded its body, the mes burned the surface of their skin, and the incessant bleeding from the wounds drained its strength. This Blood Race perished quickly.

    "Julio! Damn it!"

    Franz took a deep breath as red smoke emanated from his hand and chest, rapidly healing his wounds.

    "No!"

    "<i>Ah</i>!"

    On the battlefield, several more vampires were shot to death by concentrated fire, while some Hellsing members were taken down by the Blood Race in closebat. Overall, however, the vampires were at a disadvantage.

    The darkness shrouded the master Hellsing archer. Like a calm assassin, heunched countless deadly attacks on the Blood Race. His arrows were notably thick.

    "We have to take him out first!"

    Franz, having recovered from his injuries, began to observe. A few secondster, he pinpointed the master archer''s position. He was in the shadows on the left side of a house, seemingly blending into the darkness.

    Taking a deep breath, Franz dashed forward, bing a blur as he leaped rapidly. His hands turned red, covered with a strange corrosive energy. His nails grew inch by inch, forming sharp curves like scythes,parable to daggers.

    <i>Swish! Swish! Swish!</i>

    A few arrows shot out from the shadows, but Franz, who was fully focused on his goal, managed to narrowly avoid them. Within seconds, he rushed into the shadows. He immediately spotted the figure in the darkness¡ªa man about 1.2 meters tall, dressed in ck.

    "Die, dwarf!" Franz roared as he charged, a terrifying aura exuding out of him.

    Then, the "dwarf" stood up from a few meters away.

    His height suddenly increased from 1.2 meters to 1.9 meters. His burly frame resembled a bear, showcasing strong, triangr muscles. He wore a ck cloak that blended with the surrounding darkness, making him appear less conspicuous at first. He had half-crouched to get better aim which mistakenly gave Franz the impression that he was a dwarf.

    Franz was momentarily stunned but not scared.

    So what if he was muscr and burly? A human''s physique couldn''tpare to that of a dark creature. When it came to fighting in close proximity, a seemingly strong man against a slender, female-like Blood Race would undoubtedly end in the human¡¯s death!

    He stomped the ground and darted, his ws outstretched.

    <i>Swish! Swish! Swish!</i>

    A series of arrows flew through the air in the shadows. Steel arrows hit Franz''s chest, but he ignored them and kept running. The use of crossbows indicated that archery was the opponent''s only means of attack, making his strong-looking body nothing more than a paper tiger.

    "Die!"

    Franz materialized in front of the man in an instant, his eyes shing with murderous intent. He crossed his hands and shed down, his sharp, elongated red ws aiming at the man¡¯s neck!

    This strike could crack concrete!

    <i>Hiss...</i>

    There was an unpleasant scraping sound.

    Franz felt like his hands were cutting into thick, tough leather and were unable to prate. He thought it was going to be as easy as slicing through butter but that didn''t happen. The silhouettes showed Franz''s raised hands stuck on either side of the man¡¯s thick neck.

    The man looked at him calmly. "I''ve killed at least dozens like you in the past six months. Your blood will consecrate my newly made muscle-enhanced steam-powered mechanical crossbow."

    "What!" Franz''s eyes widened in shock.

    <i>Crack!</i>

    His outstretched arms were torn off. Blood spurted from the stumps, revealing disgusting muscle fibers and severed tendons.

    <i>Thud!</i>

    Before Franz could react, he was kicked away like a broken doll. His chest caved in, bones cracking. Agony surged and overwhelmed him.

    "<i>Cough, cough, cough...</i>"

    Franz''s head mmed into the wall with a thud, and he began to cough up blood. That man, that man...had such terrifying strength, how could he be an archer! This was a tant deception! Shameless disguise!

    Gathering his remaining strength, Franz tried to get up, only for a heavy foot to press down on his stomach, pinning him firmly to the ground. Franz felt like his intestines were about to be squeezed out.

    <i>Blood maniption!</i> He shouted inwardly. He made onest-ditch attempt to use his ability.

    But the man before him seemed unaffected.

    "Go join yourpanions," Cassius said coldly, aiming an oversized mechanical crossbow at Franz''s heart.

    Franz watched, terrified, as he pulled the trigger.

    <i>Thud, thud, thud...</i>

    A grotesquerge spray of blood blossomed from his chest.

    The Blood Race''s heart was protected by bones on both sides, but clearly had its limits. Under the flurry of heavy crossbow bolts, the small bones and heart were decimated. The hot liquid quickly pooled into a bloody puddle.

    To be sure, Cassius grabbed Franz''s head with his strong arm and mmed it into the side wall. A series of loud bangs echoed like firecrackers, flesh and blood sttering.

    Franz''s head was ttened into a pancake. Combined with his exploded heart, there was no way he could still be alive. Cassius twisted his neck, about to shoot more bolts when he noticed a white letter on the ground, seemingly dropped during Franz''s brutal beating. He picked it up.

 Chapter 128 - Forceful Fishing with a Willing Bait

    <h4>Chapter 128 - Forceful Fishing with a Willing Bait</h4>

    Cassius opened the letter and quickly skimmed through it. Unfortunately, he couldn''t understand a single word. The pale yellow paper was scrawled in twisted ck characters that seemed to crawl together. It didn''t look like any knownnguage; it was more like scribbles, simr to doctors'' signatures on some prescriptions.

    "What is this nonsense? Is it thenguage of the dark creatures?" Cassius flipped the paper back and forth with his blood-stained hands. It was indeed just an ordinary letter.

    However, he didn''t think it was that simple. After all, this letter was kept close to the leader of the vampire; it must contain important secrets. Since thenguage was evidently one that only dark creatures could understand, or rather, anguage onlyprehensible among the Blood Race, they were obviously trying to hide something.

    The best way to decipher it was to catch another Blood Race member!

    Cassius immediately looked toward the inside of the manor, his eyes glinting dangerously.

    There were still four or five vampires there fighting with the Hellsings. They probably hadn''t realized their leader was dead yet, making it the perfect opportunity for Cassius to strike.

    He quickly stuffed the letter into his pocket and tightened the cloak around him. It was like he turned into a shadow as he rushed out of the darkness.

    On the left side of the manor, Leon was fighting a Blood Race. With the support of a seasoned member of the Bolt Sect, he managed to narrowly avoid danger. Having just joined the Bolt Sect not long ago, he wasn''t familiar with the various archery techniques and body movements, and would likely die quickly without someone there to assist him.

    <i>Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...</i>

    Leon pulled the trigger, firing a bunch of bolts from his mechanical crossbow.

    The Blood Race in the distance dodged, but one of the bolts struck him, catching him off guard. Seeing this, a slight smile appeared on Leon''s delicate face. He had finally managed to inflict some damage on the enemy, and his confidence grew significantly.

    "Leon! Watch out!" the veteran member yelled from the shadows

    Leon snapped back to reality. That Blood Race he hit had just been an illusion. Like a ghost, the real Blood Race had already appeared before his eyes, its pale face bearing down on him. With a grotesque and ugly face like a bat, it was a terrifying sight to behold. A red hand, sharp as a de, shed down at him.

    N?v(el)B\\jnn

    "An illusion! No!" Leon''s face was drained of color.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    With lightning speed, a fist the size of a sandbag smashed into the Blood Race''s left cheek, making an exaggerated noise. The Blood Race''s flesh rippled from the force of the punch, its eyes rolling around chaotically. A puff of white mist spewed out from its mouth, and two lines of blood trickled out its nostrils. It flew backward at an incredible speed.

    A huge ck shadow shot at it even quicker. With a flick of its cloak, a strong arm snatched the Blood Race up, and then, in the blink of an eye, it disappeared into the shadows.

    "!!!"

    "???"

    Leon stood there, his emotions shifting from terror and fear to shock and confusion. It seemed like a big ck rat had just darted past, beating up a Blood Race along the way.

    Instantly, the situation that had once seemed especially dire to Leon vanished. The once ferocious and menacing enemy had been whisked away to who knew where, like the perilous scene earlier had been nothing but an illusion.

    "<i>Phew</i>!" Leon panted heavily. His back was drenched in sweat, outlining his thin and slender body.

    He had been extremely lucky, but who was that person just now? Were they from another powerhouse watching the battle from the shadows?

    Leon nced at the ground and immediately narrowed his eyes.

    There were seven to eight deep footprints on the hard stone pathway. The entire gray stone b looked as if it had been crushed under an immense force, showcasing the person''s terrifying power. Also, the footprints were huge. It must be from a strong, burly man.

    Meanwhile, Cassius appeared in the shadows behind the house, wrangling a struggling vampire in his strong, tree-like arms.

    <i>Thud. </i>

    The vampire''s foot kicked lightly at Cassius''s side.

    "Unless you have a death wish, you better stay still!" Cassius scolded furiously. He looked down to see the vampire''s face turning pale, struggling for breath. Its eyes rolled into the back of its head. It seemed he had used too much force and nearly squeezed the life out of it.

    <i>Damn, what a weakling. Is this all the vitality a dark creature has? I guess the Blood Race ranks rtively low among dark creatures.</i> He casually tossed the vampire onto the blood-stained ground.

    "<i>Huff, huff, huff...</i>" The vampire clutched its neck, wheezing and coughing. Although the Blood Race was strangepared to humans, they hadn''t evolved to being totally bizarre yet. At least they still needed to breathe.

    Theoretically, if the Bolt Sect''s crossbow bolts pierced a vampire''s lung, and it didn''t recover quickly, it would die too. Regenerative ability was the core power of dark creatures.

    "<i>Cough, cough, cough...</i>"

    The vampire on the ground faked a cough, its eyes darting around. Suddenly, it leaped up, only to be caught by arge, waiting hand. Cassius lifted it by the neck like a chick.

    "Look at who''s on the ground first. Get a clear idea of the situation right now. If you really want to die, I can easily make that happen with my fists."

    Hearing Cassius''s words, the vampire caught sight of the bloody mess of what remained of Franz''s body on the ground. It immediately stopped struggling, not daring to move anymore.

    "Good, you seem to know your ce," Cassius said, pulling out a letter from his pocket and pping the vampire''s face with it. "This letter was probably written in your dark creaturenguage. Trante it for me right now."

    The vampire looked from its leader''s corpse on the ground then to Cassius''s strong, mighty frame. It swallowed hard and nodded.

    Thirty secondster.

    "What?" Incredulous, Cassius jabbed a finger at the letter. "You¡¯re telling me this letter isn''t written in the Blood Race''s exclusivenguage, nor is it in a dark creature''snguage. It''s written in a humannguage, specifically the Hongli Federation''smon federalnguage?"

    "Uh... Maybe it¡¯s written messily..." The vampire nced at Cassius. Filled with trepidation, it swallowed hard.

    "You better not be lying to me! Otherwise..." Cassius narrowed his eyes, his right handshing out like an ominous ck serpent, and punching a big hole into the left wall with a bang. Cement and dust exploded everywhere. Some tiny fragments hit the vampire''s face. It stung painfully

    "That will be your fate!"

    The vampire holding the letter immediately shook its head like a rattle. "I wouldn¡¯t! I wouldn¡¯t dare deceive you!"

    Cassius nodded slightly. "Good, then what does the letter say?"

    The vampire coughed, then began to recite slowly:

    "Oh! Dear Madam Frini, beautiful Madam Frini, lovely Madam Frini! You are like the moon in the sky, surrounded and adorned by stars, as you bloom radiantly.

    "The crops have been harvested from the fertilend, the bubbling streams have turned cold, the lush woods have grayed.

    "I still remember our sweet encounterst time. Whether it was floating in a small boat on the shimmeringke, or under the fragrant linden tree, or in the cozy smoke-filled cabin. There are traces of our love in every moment, every ce. How I long to y with you once more..."

    "..."

    "Lastly, Madam Frini, please keep this letter safe. Don¡¯t let your husband, Viscount Isys, see it! Otherwise, he¡¯lle seeking my death even from a thousand miles away!"

    The vampire stopped reading and looked up at Cassius.

    Cassius raised an eyebrow. "And?"

    The vampire shook its head. "That''s all."

    "There¡¯s no hidden message in it? Maybe there are some words that are actually codes or encoded?"

    "Don''t think so. It¡¯s really just a love letter... Lord Franz seemed interested in Madam Frini five years ago."

    "This really is just a love letter?!" Cassius asked.

    "Yes." The vampire nodded readily.

    Without warning¡ª

    <i>Crack!</i>

    ¡ªThe vampire''s head was ripped off. It wouldn''t be able to nod anymore.

    "What a waste of my time!"

    Cassius''s right hand smashed through the vampire''s chest like a javelin, a circle of red blood erupting against the wall behind it. Anyone who bore witness to his embarrassment¡ªhuman or ghost¡ªmust die!

    A few minutester, the Bolt Sect was victorious.

    They annihted the entire n of blood-sucking vampires and suffered fewer casualties than expected. Only three Hellsing members had died in the battle, and another four had injuries of varying degrees. This was a very low loss rate.

    Under normal circumstances, Hellsings only outnumbered the Blood Race by half. Even if they managed to secure a hard-fought victory, at least half¡ªmaybe even most¡ªof them would have been killed. Today was a rare victory.

    The remaining Hellsings began to transport the bodies of the Blood Race from the darkness and into an open space in the middle of the manor. These bodies served as proof of missionpletion, and they needed to extract the hearts as evidence.

    "One, two, three...six, only six?" Darkde counted them one by one, frowning. "Where are the other two? What about Franz? The strongest one?"

    His face was grim. If the mission target''s most crucial element was missing, the final reward would be significantly reduced.

    "Here."

    A low voice came from the darkness not far away. Two bodies were thrown over.

    <i>Thud! Thud!</i>

    The group looked down and saw a vampire dressed in ancient noble attire. His entire body was a bloody sight: his head was smashed t, and his chest pierced with dozens ofrge steel bolts.

    The other body was also a member of the Blood Race. It had arge hole in its chest and its head had been twisted off. Fortunately, there were still some heart tissues and bits of the heart in the cavity, though it was barely enough for the mission.

    <i>Thump, thump, thump...</i>

    Heavy footsteps approached.

    They turned their heads and saw a tall, cloaked figure carrying a bloody mechanical crossbow. The menacing glint of its sharp curve added to its terrifying presence.

    ***

    Five dayster, on a remote mountain path deep in the Anta Mountains.

    Cassius appeared once again, wearing a cloak, and carrying a suitcase. He lifted a bell to summon a carriage. In no time, Cassius re-entered the Rainy World. The ck carriage raced along the road, its destination still ck Rain Manor.

    Sitting in the spacious carriage, he nced up at the time bar next to the ring icon in the top right corner. There were about fifty days left in the time-travel period. It had initially been seven months, and now five months and ten days had passed. Cassius didn''t have much time left. The original owner''s lingering attachment in this time-travel journey was quite unusual.

    He had only one goal in mind: deal with ck Rain Manor!

    Any other actions would not earn extra time to stay. So, if Cassius wanted to continue his stay, he had to do something about ck Rain Manor! Obviously, Twilight¡¯s lingering attachment would not ask him to deal with ck Rain Manor from the start. There had to be a process; any moves made to weaken the manor should also suffice.

    For instance, purposefully notpleting the periodic three-month task. Luring the Decaying Knights on a wild goose chase before taking them down! Or destroying the buildings andyouts within ck Rain Manor, thus disrupting its normal operation.

    Or Cassius''s current experiment: fishing!

    When the carriage entered the Rainy World, there were all sorts of strange and eerie scenes on the way to ck Rain Manor.

    Cassius had every reason to suspect that these bizarre events and humanoid creatures were rted to the manor. They were either influenced by its power, or they were simply part of the fabric of its existence.

    It seemed like a reasonable and feasible guess that eliminating these things would be tantamount to taking down part of the manor. And now that he had recovered his strength, he could give it a go.

    Though the carriage rumbled forward, it felt very stable sitting inside the carriage. Cassius looked out through the window screen on his side. The scene was different from before. The Rainy World was constantly changing.

    The rain outside was heavier than expected; it wasn''t a drizzle but a heavy downpour. Visibility was low, and it was very dim, with forests on both sides of the road. Tree trunks and branches shed by continuously. No one knew what lurked in the rainy forest; there could be rabbits, brown bears, perhaps even strange monsters.

    The ck carriage sped steadily along the path.

    Suddenly, the gauzy material on the right side billowed out as a strong arm reached out from within. It exposed itself to the air, swaying back and forth like a hook.

    If it was meant to be, they would bite.

    An alluring aura drifted by, unimpeded by the rain. Something seemed to stir in the rain.

    <i>Rustle, rustle, rustle...</i>

    In the forest, a shadow darted closer, alongside the road.

    A massive python, as thick as a barrel, slithered speedily across the ground as if it were chasing the carriage. It was at least ten meters long, its mottled scales exuding a chilling aura.

    The python quickly approached. Rearing its upper body, its serpentine eyes shining with an eerie light, it opened its jaws wide and lunged!

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    A strong gust of wind blew past.

    "It''s here!"

    The arm swiftly retracted. The python snapped at nothing but air.

    In practically the next second, two massive arms, as thick as concrete pirs, stretched out the window. The veins on them bulged like tree branches, and the muscles were knotted like steel cables. Arge handtched onto the python''s head.

    There was an overwhelming burst of power as the hands dragged it into the carriage. The ten-meter-long python was instantly yanked out of the air, like a wide cloth being frantically pulled!

    Inside the carriage, Cassius looked delighted. He braced his feet against the carriage floor, exerting inhuman, brutal strength with both hands, forcibly dragging a gigantic snakehead inside.

    "<i>Buzz</i>!"

    A high-speed spinning white aura enveloped Cassius''s entire arm as he unleashed the Azure Wind Flow to its full potential, the elerated blood flow''s immense power surging into his arm muscles.

    "Die! Severing Flow!!!"

 Chapter 129 - Another Enhancement

    <h4>Chapter 129 - Another Enhancement</h4>

    Cassius''s right hand sliced through the python''s flesh like a spinning white chainsaw, and torrents of blood gushed out and stained the entire carriage.

    Agonized, the python opened its mouth wide and tried to bite Cassius''s body, but with the carriage window and Cassius''s arm firmly holding it in ce, it couldn''t turn or retreat.

    Meanwhile, a string of thuds came from outside the carriage.

    As the ck carriage sped into a narrow forest, the python''s massive body crashed through the trees, causing a tremendous ruckus. Its tough scales couldn''t protect its body from being battered and torn.

    Inside the carriage, Cassius continued his work with methodical precision. His entire arm was now buried inside the python, having cut through about a third of its flesh. The blood had sprayed out a thin red carpet inside the carriage, sticky and pungent.

    <i>Thump, thump, thump...</i>

    He could hear heavy footsteps approaching the carriage.

    Suddenly, a huge force from outside began yanking at the python''s body. Fortunately, Cassius reacted quickly, his strong arms mping down on the wound in the snake''s head, his feet braced against the carriage.

    He sensed that themotion the python had been making had lured in the unknown presence outside. The two were now engaged in a fierce tug-of-war through the window, both extremely strong.

    At times, the muscr Cassius managed to pull the snake''s body a little further inside, while at other times, the creature outside nearly seeded in dragging the python out. Cassius knew that the creature outside was stronger than him, because not only was it also moving at a high speed, it didn¡¯t have the same leverage he had.

    As for the ck carriage, it seemed to be governed by some sort of rule. The carriage was incredibly resilient and seemed indestructible. Unaffected by the forces at y that were currently happening inside, it continued to move steadily forward.

    <i>Krrk...</i>

    The python''s scales scraped along the edge of the window. Whatever was outside was pulling it, inch by inch, out.

    "You want to take my catch?!"

    Perhaps it was due to his powerful physique enhanced by his training in Covert Martial Arts, but Cassius had a strong desire topete when it came to strength.

    He let out a furious roar, his eyes turning red as his muscles took on a hard, ck hue. His arms became as solid as iron, veins bulging beneath his skin like wriggling worms. Power flooded through him.

    His muscles swelled, stretching his skin to the limit. His pores seemed to open up, as if releasing steam. The powerful muscles in his arms turned into a mix of red and ck.

    "You want to match strength with me? Well, get in here!"

    With a mighty pull, Cassius yanked the python''s head inside the carriage.

    <i>Rip!</i>

    The recoil sent him flying backward and crashing heavily against the opposite wall of the carriage. When he looked down, he saw that he had torn off the head of the monstrous python where ity in a bloody mess. Meanwhile, the creature outside had snatched away the body. The snake''s death was undeniably tragic.

    "Damn it!"

    Cassius, his eyes still red, was infuriated; he felt he had lost the tug-of-war. Hot steam was practicallying out of his nostrils. He vented his anger by punching the snake''s head, driving his fist deep into it. As if the head wasn''t gruesome already, it now had a deep pit at the top.

    "Wait a minute. I didn''t lose. I used Azure Wind Flow to create an opening in the snake''s head, and when the two forces pulled at the same time, the break naturally urred there." Cassius gradually calmed down as he reassured himself.

    He took several deep breaths, surveying the mess inside the carriage, and reminded himself, "Don''t let ck Rain Manor or things like Shadow Demons hold some kind of sway over you. Impulsiveness, impatience, and bloodlust are the greatest enemies of progress in Covert Martial Arts!"

    He recalled one of the principles of Wind Elephant Fist. "When your mind bes as clear as a stream, the wind bes unstoppable."

    The redness in his eyes gradually faded. He scooched over to the window and looked out. In a nearby forest, a massive five-meter-tall ape was carrying a piece of the snake''s body. It ran deeper into the woods, as if afraid its prey would get stolen. Each step it took made a dull thump, like thunder pping.

    "..."

    Cassius silently pulled his head back.

    You never know what kind of monster you''re wrestling with on the other side of the window! Honestly, even though he had lost to this muscr giant ape in strength, it wasn''t something to scoff at.

    <i>Giant snake, giant ape... Suchrge creatures exist even in the Rainy World, huh? I thought there''d only be bizarre, illogically twisted monsters, but perhaps ordinary creatures in this realm have mutated under the manor''s power? </i>Cassius spected, drawing from Twilight''s bank of knowledge.

    ck Rain Manor was an enigmatic entity. No one knew its origin, its purpose, or even when it first appeared. The Hellsing only knew that the manor hunted dark creatures, and the more dark creatures it hunted, the more terrifying it became. It revived nonstop. As time went on, other mysterious areas of the manor gradually opened up.

    It hunted dark creatures not out of kindness but to revive itself. Perhaps when ck Rain Manor was fully restored, it would be thergest dark creature there was.

    Moreover, Twilight''s memories revealed that, ording to some historical spection that was kept hush-hush, ck Rain Manor had appeared more than once in history, dating back to the era of the Mokar Kingdom a thousand years ago. It would be active for a period and then fall silent, and this would happen every several decades. When the manor chose to be dormant, all marked-ones would instantly die since they were expendable.

    As Cassius pondered, the carriage wheels continued to carry him forward before finally stopping at a station not far from ck Rain Manor. Cassius got off, not bothering to open an umbre, and allowing the rain to wash away the blood on his cloak.

    A Hellsing, who was on the side waiting for the carriage, nced with some surprise at Cassius before ringing the bell vigorously. The ck carriage, which had been stationary, responded to the bell''s call, slowly turning and changing direction.

    The Hellsing and Cassius brushed past each other as the former entered the carriage. Immediately, a blood-curdling scream pierced the air.

    "<i>Ahhhhh</i>!"

    Cassius walked expressionlessly along the forest path, ncing at the upper right corner. There was good news and bad news. The good news was that the time bar had indeed increased, proving Cassius''s guess correct. The bad news was that the time bar had only increased by one day, which was disproportionate to everything that Cassius had done.

    He guessed this meant he still had to try hunting the Decaying Knights down.

    Fortunately, Cassius had prepared for this. He hadn''tpleted the three-month task, deliberately stalling so he could see whether he needed to defy ck Rain Manor based on what happened in the end. It seemed like he would indeed have to be hunted.

    ording to Twilight''s memory, the Decaying Knights were divided into several types. They were all, without exception, extremely powerful and possessed formidablebat techniques. Each of them was a master who had steeped themselves inbat techniques for centuries! Once they were dispatched, it almost certainly spelled out a Hellsing''s death!

    Without a doubt, the Decaying Knights were intimidating. If Cassius wanted to turn from hunted to hunter, he would need to do a lot of nning and preparation. Muscle wasn''t everything.

    Half an hourter, at the Bolt Sect outpost of ck Rain Manor.

    A tall figure stood in the rain, knocking on the door.

    <i>Knock, knock, knock...</i>

    "Coming,ing!" A crisp, pleasant female voice came from inside. "Hello, uh..."

    A cute and pure girl around twenty years old, with fair skin and short hair cut into a charming bob, stood in front of Cassius. Her face had a hint of naive innocence, as if she were a neer.

    At this moment, the girl wore a fearful expression.

    Cassius was clearly not a member of the Bolt Sect who boasted slim bodies. On the contrary, the heavily built man outside the door, with his strong body wrapped in a ck cloak, carried an oppressive aura and the smell of blood. A pair of cold eyes stared from under the ck hat.

    The girl swallowed nervously, taking two steps back.

    She clenched her fists and mustered up the courage to speak. "Y-you... Hello. May I help you? This is the Bolt Sect outpost... We usually don''t allow outsiders in."

    "I''m not an outsider." A deep voice sounded. Cassius stepped inside and waved his strong arms before the girl''s eyes. The Bolt Sect insignia on them was unmistakable. "Where''s Darkde? My room key is still with him."

    "I''m taking over Mr. Darkde''s duties now so I have the key." The girl rxed when she saw the insignia on Cassius''s hand. Initially, she thought Cassius was from another sect and looking for trouble. She hadn''t expected him to be a member of the Bolt Sect.

    Half a minuteter, Cassius grabbed the key and made his way to his room.

    At the door, the girl watched his broad back going down the hallway like a moving wall, and she muttered to herself, "Since when did our Bolt Sect have such a big guy?" She frowned and looked down, her pupils shrinking when she saw the ground. There were wet footprints stained with blood.

    As was routine, Cassius returned to his room to shower, then headed to the Bolt Sect canteen to eat. During this time, many eyes swiveled his way, all filled with either fear, shock, disgust, or admiration. Apparently, since the group mission five days ago, there have been rumors about Cassius.

    Not long after lunch, Darkde came to see him. He handed Cassius an extra task token and task voucher. Based on his contribution in battle, this was his due reward from the group mission, amounting to approximately 3.5 units of dark essence. It wasn''t too bad; at least, it was better than a regr shield task.

    Together with Cassius''s original task, he now had over fifteen units of dark essence. It was time to strengthen himself onest time before hunting the Decaying Knights.

    N?v(el)B\\jnn

    An hourter, Cassius walked down the gray brick street toward the Baptism Chapel. He found himself, once again, in a familiar old ce¡ªa dim private room. All tasks and item exchanges werepleted, and he had gained a total of sixteen units of dark essence.

    After the shower of ck rain, Cassius had gained eight units of Soul Power. He sat cross-legged on the private room floor. He didn''t immediately start using it and instead looked up to the top right.

    [Wind Elephant Fist Iplete: Elephant Herd 68.0% (Total Three Stages)]

    [Elephant Soul Iplete: Bug Bite 46.7% (Total Three Stages)]

    After six months of relentless ughter, Cassius had restored his power level, even improving both of them. His physique had advanced by 3.5%, which was the same amount he had increased in order to experiment with Soul Power.

    ording to the conclusion drawn by the Hellsings, if one''s strength increased too much at once in ck Rain Manor, the marked-one might not be able to control it, and the force could corrupt and damage their body. In severe cases, the body could explode and die.

    Cassius tested this phenomenon.

    He found that what the Hellsings said was true. If you enhanced your power too much at once to the point where you couldn''t control it, it could cause unknown consequences to the body.

    However, Cassius''s Wind Elephant Fist level was higher than his Elephant Soul. Theoretically, his precise control of power exceeded his physical level, meaning Cassius could increase his Elephant Soul''s Bug Bite up to 68% without harm.

    He tried it once in hisst enhancement where he increased his physique in Bug Bite by 3.5% in one go. His hypothesis had been slightly off; Cassius could indeed enhance his Bug Bite up to 68% where it reached the third-level elerated blood flow, but his body still needed time to adapt and adjust.

    He estimated that each 5% enhancement of Bug Bite required about one to two months of rest. After all, at Cassius''s level of power, he could even wrestle with giant apes. Ordinary people would be quite terrified by his 5% enhancement.

    ording to his calctions, Cassius needed roughly four to eight months to enhance his physique to the third-level elerated blood flow; it wasn''t too long nor too short, and therefore quite eptable. After all, if one went through the Covert Martial Arts training step by step, it would take years to advance from the second-level elerated blood flow to the third. Unless they were exceptionally talented.

    Setting those thoughts aside, Cassius assumed the Secret Technique stance. Suddenly, a surge of heat spread from the core throughout his body. The strong muscles and bones in various parts of his body began to rapidly change under the effects of the Soul Power. The muscles became morepact and firm, its improved shape capable of exerting force better. The bones grew heavier and broader, shining white like porcin.

    Changes that would take years urred in an instant!

    Cassius opened his eyes and clenched his palm. He could feel a powerful surge within him, a strength that grew steadily stronger.

    [Elephant Soul Iplete: Bug Bite 46.7% ¡ú Bug Bite 51.7%]

    The day when Bug Bite reachedpletion crept closer. He felt the Soul Power within him.

    He still had about 4.5 units remaining. After having used 3.5 units for the enhancement, Cassius couldn''t help clicking his tongue. It was getting harder as he progressed. Previously, a unit of Soul Power could enhance Prickling by over 10%, but now the exchange rate was nearly 1% per unit.

    Remaining: 4.5 units of Soul Power.

    Cassius couldn''t help but set his sights on a type of hardening Qigong: Stone Armour Technique!

 Chapter 130 - Light Armor Mastery

    <h4>Chapter 130 - Light Armor Mastery</h4>

    In the real world, Cassius had gained firsthand experience by personally testing it. He was a pugilist at the second-level elerated blood flow stage who could withstand small firearm shots when fully activated. He still had to dodge when it came to light machine guns; if Cassius were hit by a barrage of bullets, even he''d have a hard timeing out of it unscathed. This was especially the case when it came to more powerful weapons like heavy machine guns or sniper rifles. He''d still have to run from the ones that could easily prate his body like high-powered firearms. The further he got, the better.

    "A pugilist''s punch can prate armor as thick as a finger joint, and have reflexes quick enough to catch a flying sparrow. Each time a blood node in the body clears, one¡¯s explosive power would instantly double, continuing until the navel, heart, and brow nodes fully connect to form a loop.

    "At that stage, one would be granted a terrifying physical strength and unparalleled endurance to the point that they can survive for more than half a month without food or water. The cycle of the three nodes will continuously elerate, refining the body and nurturing a mysterious power beyond what is physically possible for a human body. This power is known as Qi. Different Qi can also be generated through practicing different Covert Martial Arts and having varied life experiences. Once Qi is activated, one¡¯s strength and will to fight would also increase at a constant rate. Qi envelops them, striking fear into the hearts of their enemies. A Covert Martial Artist may even be able to urately perceive and predict enemy movements within the scope of their Qi.

    "Mastering Qi, refiningbat skills until they are perfect, and evolving the body alongside a chosen Dao¡ªthat is the essence of a sect master otherwise known as abat artist!

    "Only at the level of abat artist can the body withstand machine gun fire and survive a sniper''s bullet without fatal injuries. However, this can only ur when one fully practices the purest state of Covert Martial Arts. It is also possible to rely on external forces..."

    Cassius''s thoughts turned to the Covert Martial Arts and techniques. To put it bluntly, techniques were a severely simplified and diminished version of Covert Martial Arts.

    While it emphasized certain areas, Covert Martial Arts wasprehensive, elevating every aspect of the human body overall. Techniques, on the other hand, focused purely on one aspect, andcked the foundational structure and the means to break through and evolve the human body.

    The effect of a technique could surpass that of the Covert Martial Arts when it came to a specific technique-focused area. For example, Azure Wind Flow, the iplete technique that Lisa had left him possessed an astonishing destructive power. If Cassius continued practicing it, he might even be able to form a Tornado Sphere!

    Simrly, the Stone Armor Technique was also a type of technique that focused on physical defense. There were rumors that, when fully mastered, one would appear to be wearing hard stone armor on their entire body, enabling them to resist various kinds of sharp and blunt attacks.

    Unfortunately, the Body Refinement Sect practitioners among the Hellsing did not perform outstandingly. The hardening Qigong did not demonstrate much power and often led to injuries, even death, during tasks, as they had to be at the forefront of battles against dark creatures. As time passed, the Body Refinement Sect practitioners deemed it a useless technique.

    However, over the past few months of reading and practicing the Stone Armor Technique, Cassius discovered one issue. The ck Rain Manor''s enhancement did not allow the Hellsing to break through the human body''s limits to reach the stage of a pugilist.

    Although the Body Refinement Sect practitioners trained in the Stone Armor Technique and trained their bodies to support the hardening Qigong, their physiques were below the human limit. The fact that the Body Refinement Sect could still pass down their lineage, even as they faced non-human dark creatures in such a state, was a testament to the quality of the Stone Armor Technique.

    Cassius believed that if the hardening Qigong was used by someone at a level beyond a pugilist, its true power might be revealed. In the chamber, he took out a manual and began reviewing it, carefully rereading the important details.

    Ten minutester, Cassius set down the Stone Armor Technique manual. He rxed his body slightly, allowing his firm muscles to pulsate while the burning blood in his veins circted steadily.

    "Let''s do this... I''ll use Soul Power to enhance the Stone Armor Technique." Cassius closed his eyes.

    In an instant, Soul Power dispersed throughout his body. The Stone Armor Technique began reying over and over at a thousandfold speed.

    Every inch of his muscle exuded a heavy airflow that suddenly rose inside of him and toward the surface. The pain was akin to being hammered a thousand times in every limb and bone. As his bones and joints started to crack, Cassius frowned but did not show any sign of pain. This was just the firstyer of the Stone Armor Technique, so the pain was nothingpared to the agony brought about from enhancing the Wind Elephant Covert Martial Arts.

    Gradually, the heavy airflow began to secrete from his muscles to his skin like an invisible liquid, coveringyer afteryer on his skin, like applying multiple coatings of sunscreen. The changes in his tendons and muscles were subtle, but the skin and muscles beneath it began to writhe and mutate. They became denser and heavier, as if his body was covered with a sheet of light armor. He suddenly opened his eyes and nced at the upper right corner.

    [Stone Armor Technique: Light Armor Beginner (Total Two Stages)]

    The first stage of the Stone Armor Technique was Light Armor, the second stage called Heavy Armor. Each stage was further divided into Beginner, Proficient, and Mastered.

    Unlike Azure Wind Flow, it did not disy a percentage, though he was unsure if it was due to the technique beingplete. Cassius reached out and pinched his skin, immediately noticing it was much tougher; his defense had been heightened. He felt relieved.

    As expected, hardening Qigong was meant to amplify the existing physique. The Stone Armor Technique wasn''tpletely useless.

    Well...he''ll keep going then.

    Remaining: 3.7 units of Soul Power

    Cassius closed his eyes again, his entire body trembling as he felt Soul Power circte inside him. A vital force gradually spread from the core of his body in the form of a heavy airflow, continuously passing through his bones and muscles to reach the skin.

    [Stone Armor Technique: Light Armor Proficiency (Two Layers)]

    Remaining: 2.5 units of Soul Power

    Cassius did not open his eyes this time. Needless to say, he simply pushed through.

    <i>Whoosh...</i>

    N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Two units of Soul Power dispersed instantly.

    Cassius''s entire body ached, and his bones cracked audibly. He stood up, showcasing his wildly bulging muscles. Unlike before, his strong muscles were covered with a faint grayyer, making him look like he was covered in marble. Additionally, his skin had the thick, solid feel of stone.

    He raised hisrge hand and hit his chest hard, producing a resounding thud. It sounded like stones shing together.

    "I can feel it. My defense has gotten stronger," Cassius said, ncing at the upper right corner with satisfaction.

    [Stone Armor Technique: Light Armor Mastery (Two Layers)]

    As he stared, a line of small ck text, resembling an exnation, appeared beneath the entry.

    "This is..." Cassius squinted his eyes.

    [Skin Hardening Level One: due to practicing hardening Qigong, the muscles and skin on the surface of the body has increased slightly in density, bing tougher and more resilient. It is now capable of withstanding shes, stabs, blunt force, and other types of damage...]

 Chapter 131 - Adequate Pre-Battle Preparation

    <h4>Chapter 131 - Adequate Pre-Battle Preparation</h4>

    "Slight increase? Just how much is this slight increase?" Cassius excitedly began experimenting, eager to see the effectiveness of his level 1 Skin Hardening.

    The chamber soon echoed with the dull thuds of blows, and after a few minutes, he came to a rough conclusion. When Cassius was in his normal state and didn''t purposefully exert or channel his energy, the Stone Armor Technique enhanced his defense by forty percent. But in a fully explosive state, the Stone Armor Technique boosted his defense by eighty percent, nearly doubling it!

    It was quite a significant feat. Prior to training in the hardening Qigong, Cassius could already withstand bulletsing from small firearms, with the only injuries he suffered superficial. But now with this 80% increase, small firearms wouldn''t be able to even break his skin, and light machine guns or automatic rifles would likely be of no threat. It would be as if Cassius was wearing a permanent bulletproof vest.

    Not only could Skin Hardening render a personpletely impervious to bullets, it could also effectively withstand shes or stabs from cold weapons as well as strong blunt force, almost like wearing an all-purpose leather armor.

    Furthermore, this was only Light Armor. If he were to master Heavy Armor, Cassius''s physical defense might improve by leaps and bounds.

    Admittedly, there were some highly effective techniques. By specializing and focusing on one aspect, one would eventually be totally unmatched. Additionally, techniques had their own unique advantages.

    In an open area, Cassius took on abat stance and performed a simple set of Wind Elephant Fist exercises. As he punched and kicked, the initial difort from the various changes to his body faded away. The side effects the Hellsings imed would arise from rapid, excessive enhancement was negligible, practically non-existent, for Cassius.

    One reason was because Cassius had spent the past six months studying the Stone Armor Technique and was well-prepared. Another reason was that, at the second-level elerated blood flow stage, his body had fully adapted to the rapid enhancements from the hardening Qigong.

    Five minutester, a tall figure in a cloak walked briskly down the gray road of the ck Rain Manor. His cloak fluttering slightly behind him, it vaguely revealed the strong muscles underneath along with ayer of gray stone.

    The next day, a conversation was taking ce in a simple, dark room within the ck Rain Manor.

    "How much do you need? Sticky Oil may not be rare, but each bottle is worth at least a thousand Federation dors. How about this? If you buy more than five bottles, I can give you a ten percent discount," a man said slowly, a ck pipe in his mouth. His hair was disheveled, and he dressed sloppily. He looked to be in his forties.

    "Give me a thirty percent discount," the customer in front of him haggled in a low voice.

    "No way, that¡¯s too much¡ª"

    "I¡¯ll buy ten bottles, thirty percent off."

    "Sold!"

    The man quickly shook Cassius''s hand. Then, he took out a small box where ten transparent bottles, each about the size of half a fist and containing a thick, dark green liquid,y. Though all the bottles were sealed, the box emitted a foul odor of swamp gas.

    "Ten bottles of Sticky Oil, a total of seven thousand Federation dors!" The man wore a shrewd smile on his face.

    The Hellsing rarely used dark essence for ordinary transactions, because it seemed like such a waste to exchange it for money or mundane luxuries.

    Ordinary marked-ones struggled even with thepulsory missions every three months, much less having the strength toplete extra tasks. Furthermore, a low-levelpulsory mission only rewarded a mere pittance of one or two units of dark essence. To survive their next task, they''d have to use most of the dark essence they had earned to enhance their abilities. As such, marked-ones usually used money to conduct ordinary transactions.

    In Twilight¡¯s era, seven thousand Federation dors wasn''t cheap. Its purchasing power wasparable to that of the British pound during the Industrial Revolution. This amount could easily buy a small estate.

    As for where Cassius got his money? Well, many of his tasks involved him madly hunting dark creatures down, some of whom had blended into high society by creating noble identities for themselves. In an effort to better infiltrate cities and hunt humans, they acquired vast wealth. Once Cassius took those creatures down, he naturally took whatever he wanted. After all, fortune favored the bold.

    He had plenty of money, so seven thousand meant nothing. epting the box from the man, he took the chance to ask, "I heard you also have..."

    In the room, Cassius reached into his cloak, quickly pulling out a stack of bills and handing them to the man. Twenty minutester, a cloaked figure holding an umbre and carrying arge mahogany box stepped into the rain. Behind him, a middle-aged man waved enthusiastically, beaming. "You''ll be the first to know when I get good stuff! Remember my brand, boss, it''s called Mncholic Rose Misceny..."

    In the afternoon, at a shop in ck Rain Manor, a marked-one was hanging a freshly crafted, sturdy medieval-style shield on the wall. It was an inverted triangle, with sides that curved outward and a menacing axe emblem in the center of the shield.

    Heavy footsteps came from outside, and a burly man walked in.

    The marked-one put down a white cloth and hurried over. "How can I help you, sir?"

    "Iron scale armor, nged mace, battle axe, il, scimitar, Tk cleaver, rapier... On second thought, give me one of each of these weapons, and have them sent to the Bolt Sect."

    The marked-one¡¯s eyes lit up at the customer¡¯s request. A big order hade in!

    Two dayster, in thergest training room of the Bolt Sect came the continuous nging of shing weapons. A scimitar shed through the air at a nt, a sh of silver light following.

    <i>ng!</i>

    Two thick fingers mped onto the de. The man wielding the de jerked it backward, but no matter what methods he employed, he couldn''t retrieve the scimitar and was forced to release the hilt. He shook his head, smiling wryly.

    "Twilight, that''s all the moves I''ve learned from the Keyumu Scimitar Technique. As for the more advanced ones, you''ll have to forgive me for myck of skill."

    "No worries, thank you for your help, Mr. Tusi," Cassius replied. He handed the scimitar back. Then he took out a small stack of bills from his pocket. "Here''s the remaining one thousand Hongli Federation dors. This is yours, Mr. Tusi."

    "Thank you." Tusi sheathed the scimitar and nodded gratefully. Marked-ones weren''t short of money, but it was situation-dependent. In just an hour of sparring and demonstrating some martial arts moves, he hadted himself fifteen hundred Hongli Federation dors. What a steal!

    N?v(el)B\\jnn

    He stuffed the bills into his pocket and pushed the door open to leave. Outside the door, four or five marked-ones holding various weapons were sitting and waiting, chatting amicably among themselves.

    As Tusi emerged, several people turned to look at him. He smiled, patted his left chest and nodded. Without a word, he walked toward the corridor. The people on the chairs also smiled and continued chatting. After a moment, a voice came from inside the training room, "Next, Mr. Bartley with the il."

    A burly man stood up. "My turn."

    Two dayster, on the outskirts of Nington City, at Joachim Manor. It was a remote ce, with the nearestndmark being a small town half a kilometer away, and was at least five or six kilometers from the city center.

    Two figures in suits embraced each other at the entrance.

    "Mr. Twilight, Joachim Manor is now yours. Use it however you wish. I also wanted to thank you for your generosity; you gave me the chance to make some extra cash. Alright, I''m off. Goodbye." The middle-aged man got into the carriage beside him.

    As the ck carriage stuttered to a start, the curtain at the left window lifted up, and the man waved with a smile.

    A tall figure in a suit stood silently at the entrance. In his hand, the man held a blueprint that detailed the structure of Joachim Manor. In addition, there were many kinds of designs within the manor that had yet to exist in reality¡ªspecifically traps, spikes, pits, stakes, explosives,ndmines, and so on.

    That evening, many young and strong farmborers in the viges nearby received news that a generous lord had arrived at Joachim Manor with ns to hire some workers topletely renovate it. The more people, the better! Moreover, they''d be paid an ample hourly rate! The more work they did, the more they earned.

    For a while, the entire vige was restless.

    A few more days passed until one night in Nington City, two boxy cars parked on the decaying floor in an abandoned warehouse under a hazy moonlight. They emitted a rotten smell. Two groups were in the midst of a deal.

    "Shall we inspect the goods first?"

    "Sure."

    One of the boxy cars opened, revealing a considerable number of smuggled arms. There werendmines, grenades, submachine guns, heavy machine guns...

    "Hmm, not bad." The tall shadow nodded.

    "Where''s the money?" the slightly shorter figure asked.

    "Here." The tall one handed over a briefcase directly.

    Ten minutester...

    "Pleasure doing business," the two said. Both satisfied parties got into their boxy cars and drove off in opposite directions.

    Late in the night at Joachim Manor, a car drove into the nearby warehouse.

    Half an hourter on the second floor of the vi, Cassius sat on the sofa, sipping his freshly brewed ck tea. He pondered for a moment and shrugged off his cloak, revealing a set of hard, silver, tight-fitting armor. The armor not only boasted strong defensive capabilities but was also fairly flexible. If Cassius were to use his full strength, it''d still hold together even with his bulging muscles. He raised the teacup and took a big gulp of hot tea.

    ncing at the pistol on the coffee table, Cassius stood up. Behind him was a counter that looked like decoration with all kinds of brand-new cold weapons and a set of metal armor.

    He walked through the living room to the balcony, ncing over the manor''s vast interior space. On the surface, it seemed peaceful, but danger lurked beneath, with various traps hidden within. Oh right, he still had a fewndmines left to bury.

    Although having prepared to this extent, Cassius was still somewhat dissatisfied. Due to the tight timeframe, he couldn''t implement many of his ideas, but it should still be enough to deal with the first assassination attempt.

    He had a magnificent gift waiting for his dear Decaying Knights...

 Chapter 132 - The Power of Technology

    <h4>Chapter 132 - The Power of Technology</h4>

    After several days, in the Anta Mountains, at ck Rain Manor.

    <i>Boom, boom, boom...</i>

    The thunder in the sky rumbled like a giant iron ball was rolling across the ceiling. The manor trembled violently as the torrential rain and fierce windshed down from the sky. ck rain was falling in a heavier and more violent downpour than usual.

    "What¡¯s going on?"

    Everyone inside the various buildings of ck Rain Manor, whether they were in the Mission Hall, sect bases, or the shops, raised their heads slightly to gaze up at the sky.

    "A marked-one failed toplete theirpulsory mission."

    "I wonder which unlucky fool it was? <i>Haha</i>..."

    "Idiot''s probably a rookie. Someone must really want to die if he''s trying his damndest to not do apulsory mission."

    "You''d have a better chance of surviving if you just force yourself to do the mission. But he''s basically signed his own death sentence by running away!"

    "Those Decaying Knights around the manor are about to move out..."

    "That kid is doomed."

    Some mist-enshrouded tall shadows who had been wandering aimlessly around ck Rain Manor suddenly trembled. As one, they turned and stepped forward.

    A ck carriage was speeding down the road leading into the manor from the outside. A Hellsing, sitting by the window, nced outside when a series of unfamiliar hoofbeats sounded ahead.

    He pulled back the curtain slightly and looked out, spotting a tall warhorse d in heavy armor galloping forward, carrying a knight with a sword on its back. The ostentatious-looking silver cross-shaped hilt of the sword protruded from behind the knight''s shoulder; the end bore a skull emblem and was stained with congealed ck-red patches. It oddly resembled a massive cross, giving off a sense of decayed metal.

    "The Decaying Knights have been dispatched?!"

    Hundreds of miles away, in Nington City at Joachim Manor, a tall figure sat cross-legged in a dim chamber. His towering and robust body looked solid with the surface textured like hardened rock. Sweat dripped from his slightly flushed body with a soft plop, resembling beads falling off a string and hitting the ground. Some of the sweat evaporated into a white mist due to the intense heat emanating from his body.

    The originally light ck shield emblem on the back of the man''s right hand burst into a bright red glow, as intense as a shlight.

    "And so it begins." Cassius felt a sinking feeling in his heart and an inexplicable sense of impending doom. It was as if there were eyes high above watching him, utterly devoid of any human emotion. There was only a cold, merciless logic, tinged with mechanical bloodlust.

    Opening his eyes, he looked down at his hot right hand. The shield emblem gradually dimmed, returning to its original brightness. However, the once ordinary medieval-style shield now had a menacing spear, shot from an unknown ce, stabbing through it. The center of the shield had been shattered, seemingly killing the person behind it in one blow!

    "Is this basically saying I''m a dead man? <i>Heh</i>..." Cassius let out a cold chuckle and closed his eyes once again.

    ***

    Two dayster, in the outskirts of Nington City, dark clouds obscured the once clear sky as twilight settled in. The asional lightning sh cut through as rain poured down.

    The rain came suddenly, and within seconds, everything was shrouded in a transparent blur. Tall and small trees alike stood staunchly in the fierce storm whilerge raindrops pounded furiously against the gray walls.

    <i>Crash!</i>

    Another sh of lightning tore through the sky, followed by thunder that roared like a crack of doom. The loud boom was enough to make one¡¯s scalp tingle and one¡¯s chest feel as if something hard and heavy had smashed into it.

    <i>Neighh!</i>

    A ck carriage stopped on the country road. Momentster, a man holding an umbre slowly meandered along. He was wearing arge ck cloak and held a huge box in his left hand, which seemed to contain a suitcase and clothes. The rain from the sky hit the umbre''s surface and burst into sparkling water droplets.

    Cassius, in his waterproof ck boots, left a trail of footprints as he walked through the muddy country road toward the manor a few hundred meters away. Slightly tilting the edge of his umbre, he nced up at the dark sky and then raised his left hand to check the time.

    <i>Click.</i>

    The minute hand moved, and the time changed to 6:01 p.m. Cassius whipped around, staring back at the road behind him, the look in his eyes sharp and cutting.

    The shadows of the trees were blurry from the rain. There was no one else besides him. A normal viger wouldn''t be wandering around in such a downpour.

    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "..."

    Cassius paused for a second, then turned back, and resumed walking. The sound of his shoes squelching in the mud echoed.

    After walking less than ten meters, an elongated, thin figure appeared in the hazy rain behind him.

    It was covered from head to toe in metal armor, with iron tes riveted like fish scales, and a conical iron helmet on its head. In its jointed metal gauntlets was a Tufa shing Sword. The cold rain fell on the brutal-looking joints of the armor, running down with a slight reddish tint¡ªit was unclear if it was rust or some dark red substance dissolving from the armor''s crevices.

    Beneath the knight''s helmet, a pair of wooden eyes opened. In the next second, an unprecedented bloodlust burst through, scattering the previously nk expression.

    The shing sword knight, driven by cruel sadism, took its first step. "Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill... kill..."

    <i>Bang!</i>

    The sound of wood shattering suddenly came from ahead.

    At some point, Cassius had turned around. He was still holding an umbre in his left hand, but in the other, he had a massive heavy machine gun called "Silver Rain," named for being able to fire off a storm of silver bullets as fierce as a deluge on a battlefield. It had a caliber of 11.43 mm, weighed 27.2 kilograms, and could theoretically fire 600 rounds per minute, or 10 rounds per second.

    <i>Click. Tat-tat-tat-tat-tat</i>...

    The machine gun bullets wildly cut an arc through the rain with its powerful silver barrage.

    The recoil struck Cassius''s firm body, with the only tremor being the umbre above his head. His expression remained unchanged. Raindrops sshed off the surface of the ck umbre, scattering onto Cassius''s shoes, coat, and face.

    Directly opposite of him, the shing sword knight was about to charge forward but the sheer force of the bullets forced it toe to an abrupt halt. Golden sparks erupted on its arms, legs, groin, chest armor, and helmet. In a single second, ten machine gun bullets struck the knight, the violent force of it pinning it in ce.

    <i>Ding-ding-ding-ding-ding</i>...

    Metal thuds rang crisply out without pause. The knight''s armor seemed to be coated with a dull gray substance, which absorbed the bullets'' fierce onught.

    "<i>Roar</i>!!!" The knight staggered back unwillingly before pushing forward with an angry roar, trying to rush at Cassius as it shed down.

    However, the heavy machine gun''s firepower easily forced it back. After a continuous flurry of bullets, the knight''s armor began to show signs of damage. Some protective force started to dissipate as the dull gray substance on its surface faded.

    In the distance, the exhausted knight raised its arms to shield its face. Sparks flew all over its body as the bullets struck.

    "You fool! You''d have a better chance at flying thaning at me right now. You really underestimate the power of human technology... <i>heh</i>..." Cassius continued to fire mercilessly. The despair that had consumed him when he imed that his death was imminent was gone.

    <i>Guess firearms aren''t as inconvenient as I thought.</i> Even with his body nearing the third-level blood flow eleration and training in hardening Qigong, he still had a hard time withstanding the ruthless onught of a heavy machine gun. The fact that the Decaying Knightsted this long was a miracle in and of itself.

    Supernatural beings certainly had their own bizarre strengths, but one couldn''t underestimate the rapidly evolving and relentless advancements of human technology. Unless it was something like a Shadow Demon where physical attacks just passed through their bodies, anything still bound by thews of the material world had to bow to thews of physics!

    Bullets, grenades, missiles, even nuclear bombs... Temperatures of tens of millions or even billions of degrees Celsius where a single explosion could vaporize everything in an instant... Regardless of how nonsensical things were, everything had its limits. Nothing could have withstanded such an unparalleled destructive force.

    <i>Ding-ding-ding-ding-ding</i>...

    The shing sword knight staggered back, then lunged to the left to dodge the bullets. However, the bullets pursued it relentlessly, striking the ground, and spraying up mud.

    The knight was shot down to the ground and desperately tried to get back up, but the bullets forced it to stay down and prevented any kind of movement.

    <i>ng!</i>

    A fist-sized, oval-shaped object was thrown through the air. It smacked the knight''s metal helmet beforending with a st in the nearby mud, creating a small crater. As the knight''s pitch-ck gazended on it, a grenade exploded!

    <i>Boom!</i>

    The explosion''s force covered a st zone of several meters.

    <i>ng!</i>

    A broken shing sword arced through the air before finally lodging itself into the muddy ground.

    <i>This Decaying Knight is kind of dumb... It seems to be driven by some kind of emotion. All it seems to know is how to attack.</i> Cassius pondered briefly, then threw another grenade.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    <i>ng!</i>

    A shattered helmet was sted off. It looked like Cassius had bested the Decaying Knight from ck Rain Manor, and who could really me it? After all, the rusted medieval knights had never seen, never mind fought against, modern weapons.

    As they were only recently developed by the Hongli Federation, the machine guns and grenades had not even been battle-tested yet. In the past few decades, the Federation had seen rapid advances in war technology¡ªnew gunpowder, automatic rifles, bombs from nes, and more. The pace at which technology in the current period was progressing was beyond imagination. Who would have thought that within just a few decades, humans would go from clumsy propeller nes tonding on the moon?

    <i>Rat-tat-tat</i>...

    Another burst of machine gun fire rang out in the distance. Cassius looked at the shattered armor from far away, thinking the Decaying Knight inside should have been eliminated. But when he nced at the top right corner, he noticed that the progress bar hadn¡¯t moved.

    <i>It¡¯s still alive?! Could it maybe...resurrect?</i> As Cassius pondered this, he heard the sound of hoofbeats get increasingly closer in the misty rain. Without hesitation, he turned and sprinted toward the manor. Each heavy footstep he took left a small crater in the muddy road.

    Behind him, a knight on horseback charged, a massive metal cross-shaped sword in its hand. The two, one fleeing and the other in hot pursuit, approached the manor gate.

    While running, Cassius had used abination of bullets and grenades to significantly obstruct the knight, allowing him to be the first to rush into the manor¡¯s entrance. His eyes shed as he vaulted over the wall with one hand.

    Behind him, the knight spurred its seemingly cumbersome warhorse over the wall, horse and rider tracing a graceful arc through the air. Its hooves touched the ground¡ªand with a st, it fell into a pit that had been dug in advance.

    <i>Thud!</i>

    The knight and its horse crashed to the bottom, where thick, arm-width iron spikes awaited. The armor collided so hard with the spikes, it folded inward. The armored warhorse let out a wail, apparently from suffering significant injuries. One of its hooves was clearly twisted and broken, and ck fluid leaked from its belly, impaled by a spike.

    Cassius coldly observed from the open space next to the pit. He wasn¡¯t trying to be ruthless on purpose, but he couldn¡¯t just let the traps he had set go to waste.

    "<i>Roar</i>!" A deafening roar echoed from the pit as a massive figure, about 1.9 meters tall, leaped out. A mere three-meter pit couldn¡¯t hold it and, with a single jump, it emerged once again.

    It immediately locked onto Cassius as it jumped, a sharp cross sword propped on its shoulder. Its body hunched slightly in preparation to roll andunch a surprise attack the moment itnded.

    But as soon as the knight touched the ground, it plummeted into another pit with a st; this time, it was a much deeper one!

    There was a loud crash as the knight collided with something in the pit. In the dim light, it could see a pile of wood heaped together there. Several transparent bottles containing a thick, dark green liquid were clustered in a corner. One of the bottles had already been broken, releasing a foul odor, the liquid spilling out and mixing with the water in the pit.

    The knight regained its footing and looked up at the thin sliver of sky. Just as it was about to roar, a round object was tossed in.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    As soon as the grenade hit the ground, it exploded, shattering several bottles instantly, and igniting the viscous Sticky Oil. The fire, impossible to extinguish even with rain, raged. Its intensity caught the stack of wood in the corner and set it on fire. The firewood seemed to have been specially coated with the Sticky Oil to be rain-resistant. In no time, the mes roared, rising up to two to three meters high.

    As if in defiance of the rain, the fire surged out of the pit, fierce and unyielding, while helpless roars and pitiful wails echoed. The highly conductive armor sizzled, emitting a scent reminiscent of roasting fat.

    <i>ng!</i>

    A towering knight struck the iron gate with its battle axe, instantly cleaving the bars in two. Standing over two meters tall, it was fully encased in a massive, cumbersome suit of metal armor, which seemed ancient and unbreakable.

    The battle axe knight gripped a double-edged axe, with each head nearly as wide as a grown man¡¯s torso. It looked incredibly heavy and formidable. It stood in the rain like a fortress, the muscles of its gray arms knotted like tree roots.

    On the stone-paved path, the battle axe knight¡¯s bloodthirsty eyes stared at Cassius, exuding an intense aura of oppression and bloodlust. A harsh growl escaped from beneath its helmet as it walked, its thick leg stepping onto a stone b ahead. Another step and...

    <i>Boom!</i>

    Andmine hidden beneath the floor exploded instantly, blowing off a leg that was as thick as a human torso. The battle axe knight lost its bnce and crashed to the ground on its left side. It retreated backward a little.

    <i>Boom! Boom! </i>

    Two more carefully cedndmines nearby exploded in quick session. As the sounds faded, a smoking piece of metal armor rolled on the ground.

 Chapter 133 - Three Types of Cold Weapon Techniques

    <h4>Chapter 133 - Three Types of Cold Weapon Techniques</h4>

    For a moment, the only thing that could be heard in the Joachim Manor was the sound of mes crackling in the deep pit. The rain continued pouring down as Cassius surveyed his surroundings. The three Decaying Knights seemed to have been taken down, but he did not rx in the slightest.

    The progress bar in the top right corner had not moved, indicating that Cassius had not yet seeded in his goal of weakening ck Rain Manor. The Decaying Knights in the storm were still a threat.

    Cassius studied the two corpses in the manor, then slowly made his way toward the building. Using the hidden markers on the ground and his mental map, he performed a series of strange maneuvers, quickly returning to the front of the main door. He ced his foot on the first step, jumped over the second, andnded on the third; he had to skip the second since threendmines were buried beneath it.

    With a mismatched stride, he moved up a few more steps. When he arrived at the door, he didn''t push it open and instead sidestepped, moving to the right until he stood before a small window. Cassius was being particrly cautious as he knew that a single misstep could cost him his life.

    He had spent a fortune on multiple batches of smuggled arms, all of which he used to heavily fortify Joachim Manor. Many seemingly ordinary spots were, in fact,den with traps.

    Once Cassius untied a thin fishing line at the window, he pushed it open and slipped inside,nding silently. He nced back over his shoulder.

    Two grenades hung behind the window. Had he recklessly pushed it open, the fishing line would have triggered an explosion.

    The grenades were only the beginning. Even the walls of the hall had explosive charges ced at intervals, done in a way that ensured if the Decaying Knights tried to breach the walls, they''d be met with a deadly surprise, and yet wouldn''t trigger a chain reaction that could make the entire building copse.

    Cassius nodded slightly at the setup, then turned toward the door. There were no grenades there; instead, five or six heavy machine guns were pointed directly at the entrance, rigged to fire the moment the door opened. If anyone dared enter through the front door, they would face a barrage of fifty bullets per second¡ªa storm of metal that would tear through even the thickest steel in an instant!

    Cassius headed for the second floor. This space was just a ce for him to temporarily live in, and had no additional defenses.

    He quickly entered one of the storage rooms filled with various smuggled weapons and restocked his grenades. He also grabbed a bandolier, and even secured a military shotgun on his back. Cassius then retraced his steps swiftly. By the time he returned outside, only two minutes had passed.

    Cassius nced at his watch. It was 6:06 p.m; five minutes since he encountered the first Decaying Knight.

    "Nothing''s changed... Was my intuition wrong?" Cassius frowned slightly. The cold rain continued falling on his head.

    Suddenly, he heard the sound of a de slicing through the air from behind. A sharp sword shed across Cassius''s back, causing him to stumble forward before quickly rolling to face his attacker.

    When he looked back, he saw a Decaying Knight fully d in metal armor. It wore a dull, cone-shaped iron helmet and wielded a sharp Tufa shing Sword.

    <i>It revived.</i>

    Cassius wasn''t surprised; he was more concerned about something else.

    When did the shing sword knight appear behind him? And how did it manage to get there? Even with Cassius''s heightened senses, he hadn''t detected the danger in time. Did it teleport? Or did it possess some other strange ability?

    The shing sword knight in front of him stomped its feet and charged with a fierce momentum.

    There were no traps set in the small area as it was a safe zone that Cassius had established. As a result, the shing sword knight rushed forward, unimpeded. In an instant, only a scant few meters separated him from Cassius.

    Cassius quickly reached back and whipped out the heavy machine gun, but the thick barrel had nearly been severed by a deep sh mark. There was no time to switch weapons.

    <i>Shing!</i>

    The Decaying Knight viciously swung its shing sword, cutting through the air at a deadly angle.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    The sword struck the heavy machine gun and sliced it in half instantly, sending metal fragments flying in all directions.

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    A massive figure forced its way through the debris raining down, mming into the Decaying Knight¡¯s chest armor like a cannonball.

    Wearing a specially designed iron glove, Cassius''s fistnded explosively in the knight''s iron armor, leaving a fist-sized dent in his wake. The shing sword knight had to stagger back several steps to regain its bnce.

    In the pouring rain, Cassius ripped off his ck cloak, revealing his strong, towering frame. Underneath the cloak, he wore a tight-fitting, gleaming silver armor that clung to his powerful physique.

    "Guns aren''t the only thing I know how to use." A sinister curve formed at the corner of his mouth. With a powerful step forward, the ground beneath him cracked with a loud bang. In an instant, Cassius vanished from his spot, reappearing beside the shing sword knight.

    He unleashed a ferocious spinning kick, the massive shadow of his leg shing through the air and into the knight¡¯s arm. There was a resounding metallic ng and both parties were blown back from the impact. However, they wasted no time in shing again in a fierce melee.

    The Tufa shing Sword drew a sharp crescent in the air as it sliced through the rain. His right foot nted firmly on the ground, Cassius sidestepped quickly to dodge the strike, while simultaneously delivering a powerful Wind Elephant Fist.

    The Decaying Knight yanked its sword back, and awkwardly raised its weapon overhead before swinging it down in a brutal strike. It felt like the sword, and not the figure, was in control.

    <i>ng!</i>

    Fist met de. Cassius forced the sword back as his entire body trembled and his muscles bulged beneath the armor, thick veins throbbing as his blood surged. His body swelled in size, and one powerful stomppletely shattered the ground beneath him into smithereens.

    "Elephant''s Roar!" It was a lightning-fast straight punch delivered in a state of elerated blood flow!

    His massive fist smashed into the Decaying Knight''s chest, causing the surrounding gray substance to immediately darken. The already dented iron chestte copsedpletely and cracked open. ck liquid reeking of decay oozed out from the several fissures that appeared.

    <i>ng! ng! ng!</i>

    Cassius unleashed a flurry of punches, each as heavy and powerful as thest, as he hammered the knight''s chest. The knight''s armor trembled from the force of his strikes, causing the rainwater clinging to it to explode into mist.

    <i>Shing!</i>

    The shing sword swung sharply in from the side.

    "Die!"

    Cassius ignored it, raising his thick, ckened arm and smashing it forward, taking out countless cold raindrops midair before finally meeting the knight''s head. With an enormous crash, the blow knocked the helmet and head clean off.

    <i>Boom.</i>

    The iron-d figure copsed heavily to the ground. Cassius frowned; the shing sword was still lodged in his side where it protruded out of his armor. He pulled it out, noticing a tiny bit of blood trickling from the hole. Despite his close-fitting metal armor and having mastered stage one of the hardening Qigong, Stone Armor Technique, he hadn¡¯t managed to fully withstand thatst strike.

    The Decaying Knight was indeed exceptionally strong, with razor-sharp closebat techniques and a wealth of battle-hardened experience. It was like facing a sword master who had honed his skills over centuries and possessed an unparalleled level of aggression. The shing sword knight¡¯s physique was equally inhuman, roughly at the level of someone who just achieved the first-level elerated blood flow. Coupled with its formidable movements, it managed to endure Cassius''s attacks for quite some time.

    Unfortunately for it, relying solely on skill left it at an extreme disadvantage in the face of Cassius''s mastery of Covert Martial Arts. Moreover, it seemed to be driven by some kind of emotion as its movements were somewhat stiff andcked fluidity in its transitions betweenbat moves. Cassius had used less than fifty percent of his strength to kill it.

    He nced at the left side of his waist, where his muscles contracted and stopped the bleeding immediately. Just as he was about to move, a stream of gray mist shot out from the ground and was instantly absorbed by the shield emblem on the back of his hand. Fragments of decayed memories flooded his mind.

    Cassius quickly looked down and saw that the shing sword knight¡¯s body had vanished. He frowned as he noticed something pop up in the top right corner of his vision.

    [Tufa shing Sword: First Stage Entry Level (Total Three Stages)]

    As he focused, more detailed exnations flowed into his mind.

    [Tufa shing Sword is an ancient shing sword technique, often used on the battlefield and known for its highly aggressive killing moves.]

    Cassius had received a memory imprint which had been directly absorbed by the shield emblem, granting him a portion of the shing sword knight''sbat skills.

    He couldn¡¯t help wondering why he hadn¡¯t gained anything the first time he killed the three Decaying Knights. Perhaps pre-arranged traps didn¡¯t count, and he had to be the one to actually kill them? But this only led to another question: if the ck Rain Manor had sent the Decaying Knights to hunt, why did killing them give the hunted experience?

    Cassius quickly used his Covert Martial Arts to probe around his body, and immediately noticed something was amiss.

    A faint decayed aura clung to him, eerily simr to that of the shing sword knight he had just defeated.

    <i>This can''t be good. Is this some sort of tracking mechanism?</i> Cassius pondered for a moment, growing increasingly difited.

    While the decayed aura was faint now, if it increased a thousand or ten thousand times, it could be a real problem. But if he kept killing the Decaying Knights, who seemed to have the ability to revive infinitely, the aura would likely intensify very quickly and strengthen ck Rain Manor''s ability to track him.

    Was there a limit to ck Rain Manor¡¯s powers of perception? Or did their ability weaken with distance? If he were far enough away, it might take ck Rain Manor months, maybe even half a year, to find their target even with the Decaying Knights.

    The decayed aura was supposed to prevent such situations, though it also, ironically, increased the hunted''s strength in the process...

    At first nce, it seemed incredibly illogical, but it actually made sense ording to ck Rain Manor¡¯s own twisted logic. The manor seemed like it was a rigid, unrefined AI system, strict in following predetermined rules. Because why wouldn''t it assign other Hellsings to hunt the traitors down? That approach would have a higher sess rate than relying on the seemingly powerful Decaying Knights!

    After all, humans had the ability to develop their own initiatives, and with enough incentive, they''d be terrifying; sniping, setting traps, nting bombs, poisoning, honey traps¡ªthe possibilities were endless. So long as the ck Rain Manor regrly updated the target¡¯s location, the rebel would, at the very least, be harassed to death. That would be far more frightening than the predictable pursuit of the Decaying Knights.

    ck Rain Manor was simply following its own set of operational logic. When a marked-one failed toplete their regr mission, they werebeled a traitor. Once their mark changed, the manor would dispatch the Decaying Knights from the Rainy World. Finally, rain would begin falling around the traitor, activating the Decaying Knights'' hunt. That was the logical sequence.

    Cassius shook his head. ck Rain Manor¡¯s efforts to enhance their tracking on him were futile as he had no intention of running away. He only needed to kill this wave of Decaying Knights to buy himself some more time since his deadline was fast approaching. Once he was done, Cassius would shamelessly return toplete his mission.

    ording to the ck Rain Manor¡¯s rules, every traitor had two chances to repent. After surviving the Decaying Knights¡¯ pursuit, they''d be assigned to an extremely difficult task upon returning to the ck Rain Manor. If theypleted it, their record would be wiped clean. If they failed, they would be hunted down to the ends of the earth. That was, if they didn''t die trying toplete the task first.

    Other than that, Cassius wasn¡¯t too concerned about the decayed aura that came hand-in-hand with thebat techniques, because when he returned to the real world, he''d only bring back the essence of his growth. Things with hidden dangers like the decayed aura would most likely be purified.

    N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Did this mean he had essentially gotten the technique for free?

    Although the cold weapon techniques weren¡¯t particrly useful to Cassius who specialized in Covert Martial Arts, there was never any harm in knowing a few more things. Additionally, umting experience from different sects might help his own Covert Martial Arts progress through analogy.

    <i>Ta-ta-ta-ta-ta...</i>

    The sound of rapidly approaching hoofbeats jerked Cassius back to reality.

    Cassius turned sharply and saw the Decaying Knight on horseback charging toward him. The cross sword knight, which had been burned to death by fire, had revived once again. The horse stumbled and fell into a pit, its legs iling and kicking up dirt.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    The explosives detonated. A smoking iron helmet flew into the air.

    <i>Damn it, don¡¯t die now!</i> Cassius cursed internally. Deaths caused by external forces and traps didn¡¯t count! He clenched his iron fists and charged forward, igniting another fierce battle near the manor.

    Two and a half hourster, Cassius, after numerous trials, finally discovered a pattern.

    Firstly, the shing sword knight took five minutes to resurrect, the cross sword knight seven minutes, and the double axe knight ten minutes. Upon revival, they would instantly vanish into the ck rain, reappearing randomly within Cassius¡¯s vicinity.

    Secondly, Cassius needed to use forty percent of his strength to kill the shing sword knight, fifty percent for the cross sword knight, and seventy percent for the double axe knight. And if he used explosives and firearms, he only needed ten percent of his strength for each.

    Third, the Decaying Knights didn''t seem to ever get tired, with unlimited revivals, and a power seemingly linked to the rain falling from the sky.

    Another ten minutes passed. Around nine in the evening, the rain suddenly ceased. The dark clouds drifted away, revealing the vast, empty sky once more. The Decaying Knights did not revive again, their resurrection ability having disappeared along with the rain.

    Inside the ruined manor, there was evidence of explosions and burn marks everywhere. Countless craters dotted thendscape, and the walls and buildings were heavily damaged and partially copsed.

    A tall, battered man stood amidst the craters, his once-sturdy armor now shattered. His gray, rock-like skin was coated in blood. Cassius exhaled two streams of hot air from his nostrils; it smelled faintly of blood. He was severely injured, but he seemed rather pleased.

    In the top right corner, the progress bar had made a significant jump forward.

    Other than that, Cassius had killed the shing sword knight over thirty times, the cross sword knight around twenty times, and the double axe knight fourteen or fifteen times in the span of three hours. The decayed aura on him had grown so thick it was practically overflowing. In contrast, the three lines ofbat techniques in the top right corner had made some rapid advancements.

    [Tufa shing Sword: ...]

    [Midak Storm Cross Sword: ...]

    [Yaka Blood Battle Axe: ...]

 Chapter 134 - Midak Balance Disruption Technique

    <h4>Chapter 134 - Midak Bnce Disruption Technique</h4>

    [Tufa shing Sword: Second Stage Mastered (Total Three Stages)]

    [Midak Cross Sword: Second Stage Proficient (Total Three Stages)]

    [Yaka Blood Battle Axe: Second Stage Beginner (Total Three Stages)]

    The list looked impressively neat. All three cold weapon techniques had reached the second stage, a level that would typically take a skilled veteran years, even decades, of focused practice to achieve. As for the third stage, that was the equivalent to a master''s level in that weapon. Even after repeatedly killing the shing sword knight more than thirty times, Cassius still hadn''t reached that level.

    Cassius wasn''t too concerned since it''d just be an added bonus. His true foundation of powery in the Wind Elephant Covert Martial Arts, specifically the Wind Elephant Fist and Elephant Soul.

    Cassius clenched his fists, feeling the significant progress his Wind Elephant Fist had made during the intense three-hour battle. After all, he hadn''t been fighting dark creatures that relied on instinct or strange abilities; he had been up against Decaying Knights who had masteredbat techniques.

    When his fists shed with various styles ofbat, each encounter made him consider different ways to evade, strike, and defend¡ªall of which enriched his Wind Elephant Fist. His skills sharpened every time he fought against different styles, different sects, and even different weapons. Battles that were a matter of life or death also pushed a person''s limits, teaching them how to punch faster, connect moves better, and unleash more powerful strikes. All of this benefited a Covert Martial Arts Practitioner''s Dao of martial cultivation.

    Cassius''s previous training had been too smooth of a ride; crushing weaker opponents didn''t enlighten him with the true essence ofbat insight. It was those evenly matched, back-and-forth, life-or-death struggles against proficient opponents that brought him profound benefits.

    Humans were creatures that held abination of the past, present, and future. However, in extremely perilous situations, past and future would be discarded to focus on the here and now.

    Earlier, Cassius had only one question in his mind: <i>where should my fist go?!</i>

    He found this straightforward, pure sensation almost intoxicating. Cassius took a deep breath.

    [Wind Elephant Fist Iplete: Elephant Herd 68.0% (Total Three Stages)] ¡ú [Wind Elephant Fist Iplete: Elephant Herd 71.2% (Total Three Stages)]

    In just three hours ofbat, his progress bar increased by at least three percent.

    More broadly, Cassius realized that if he fought just ten more of these battles, he''d break through to the third stage of the Wind Elephant Fist. Unfortunately, he''d essentially have to pay for this kind of progress with his life.

    No one would ever enter a life-and-death struggle of their own volition unless they were a martial arts fanatic who had trained themselves to madness. Cassius preferred battles where he could easily crush his opponent with his own two hands.

    N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Fighting with opponents close to or above his realm was impressive, but it felt like walking a tightrope¡ªfrustrating and dangerous. It was nowhere near as satisfying as Cassius''s preferred approach of using power in a higher realm to crush a lower one. When your fists and muscles were bigger, all you''d need is a single punch. Period.

    Thus, his attitude toward martial arts advancement was simple: break through when it was time to break through, get stronger when it was time to get stronger.

    It was pointless to constantly hold yourself back¡ªwhat good was there to spend three to five years building a foundation? While you''re still meandering at the professional level, I''ve already undergone my third-level elerated blood flow! One immensely powerful punch, and your head would explode. The greater the strength, the stronger the body, and the more it nurtured an unbeatable momentum.

    Was rapid advancement akin to building castles in the air?

    Absolute nonsense!

    <i>Every rock-hard muscle on my body is tangible and visible. You can''t possibly tell me that''s fake. Keep talking, and I''ll crush you with these muscles!</i>

    Cassius decided to return to ck Rain Manor first toplete his mission, collect dark essence, and push himself to the third-level elerated blood flow.

    Once that happened, with all three nodes connected to create a self-sustaining cycle, he''d be able to enter a whole new realm within the pugilist stage. Then, Cassius would have the strength to double-cross ck Rain Manor once again. In his current state, it was still risky to activate the second-level elerated blood flow.

    He nced at the progress bar¡ªthere were six months left, or about one hundred eighty days.

    Even though killing three Decaying Knights extended his time, it hadn''t been easy. Never mind the fact that they could constantly revive themselves; each was a master ofbat techniques in their own right.

    Even among the highest ranks of the Hellsings, there were probably few knight-level members who could stand their own against them. The fact that the rank was called "knight-level" likely had something to do with the Decaying Knights.

    Under the moonlight, Cassius staggered back to the small building.

    First, he used the military medical kit he had specifically bought to bandage and treat himself. Afterward, he began dismantling some of the setups inside the building, ording to what he remembered and his blueprints. Once done, Cassius rested for a few hours before resuming his dismantling and inspection.

    Most of the traps had already been triggered, but there were still some that needed to be disarmed, and it took Cassius several hours toplete. After finishing the final touches, Cassius drove the fully loaded vehicle out of the manor under the cover of darkness. As he stood at the gate, he threw a match into Joachim Manor.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    The fire instantly roared to life, the special Sticky Oil of the Hellsings producing an unimaginable heat. The wildly dancing golden-red mes quickly engulfed the entire manor. Amidst the enormous mes, a ck car sped down the road.

    ***

    It was February 7, Year 107 of the Hongli Federation in Anta City of East Sea County.

    With the vigorous expansion of overseas routes, the ships not only brought resources and goods from other countries but also introduced unique historical cultures, along with martial arts gyms from various countries. In particr, this sword gym, hidden in a secluded alley, belonged to a sword sect in the northern country of the Hongli Federation that specialized in using a cross sword.

    ording to the gym master, he taught a knight''s sword technique that had been passed down through his family for centuries. It was a highly practical andbat-focused technique. The master wasn''t talking out of his ass either.

    Half a year ago, Anta City held an inter-martial arts gym exchangepetition where masters of each gym participated for a chance to win prize money and fame. Many confident gym masters had joined so thepetition was filled with experts.

    It didn''t matter to Ramon, the master of Coldflower Cross Sword Gym; he brutally took down many opponents and advanced to the top three, ultimately finishing in second ce.

    The cement was well-deserved and the news brought in a steady stream of students to Coldflower Cross Sword Gym, despite being in a remote alley. Ramon held a high status within Anta City''s circle of cold weapon enthusiasts, and he often yed the role of a stern instructor.

    However, on that fateful day, he was almostpletely obliterated by an even colder man, and to add salt to the wound, in the very field of cross swordbat that he excelled in!

    Two figures faced each other in the open space, one tall and one short. A few disciples of the Coldflower Cross Sword Gym watched from a distance as Ramon, fully armored, gripped a long metal cross sword tightly with both hands. The sword''s cold hilt was soaked from his sweaty palms.

    Ramon''s eyes under his mask were fixed on his opponent, not daring to look away for even a second. He was breathing quickly and heavily, his mouth dry, and his heart raced uncontrobly. The tall man across from him was exerting such immense pressure that it felt as if a mountain loomed before him.

    Every time Ramon tried to strike, his opponent seemed to know in advance and he countered with astonishing techniques. Ramon felt as if he was standing naked and exposed before the man''s gaze,pletely seen through. The feeling of being overpowered was unbearable.

    It reminded Ramon of when he sparred with his father when he was young. A simr thing had happened back then when his father had effortlessly anticipated every single one of his moves.

    He cautiously took a few steps on the field, but couldn''t find the courage to strike. However, with his disciples watching, his decades-honed resolve in swordsmanship wouldn''t allow him to back down without a fight.

    Ramon gritted his teeth and lunged forward, putting everything he had in thrusting his cross sword.

    <i>ng!</i>

    The sh of metal rang out with a hum as the two long swords collided. Ramon''s sword was deflected. But that was quickly followed by a silver de cutting through the air with incredible speed and at a tricky angle.

    The long sword shed diagonally, forcing Ramon to quickly parry with a sidestep. As the des shed, he lowered his body to absorb the force then swiftly slid forward. His sword followed his movements and shed horizontally.

    <i>ng!</i>

    A long sword flew toward him, striking hard at his cross sword''s point of bnce.

    Ramon''s eyes widened in disbelief as his palm went numb. The force distorted his grip, and the cross sword flew out of his grasp,nding on the ground with a crisp ring.

    <i>He struck right at the bnce point of my force! What kind of technique is this?! I''ve never seen anything like it...</i> Ramon gasped, his hands numb and mouth agape.

    "Thank you for the match," the man across from him spoke in a low voice. He handed his cross sword to a student and turned to leave.

    "Wait!" Ramon hurriedly removed his mask. "May I ask what swordsmanship you used just now? What technique is it?"

    The man didn''t turn around and continued walking toward the door. His voice was faint as he tossed out, "Midak Bnce Disruption Technique."

    It wasn''t until the man''s figure disappeared through the gym''s door that Ramon snapped out of it. He began removing his protective gear. His white shirt underneath was glued to his back from the sweat.

    "Midak Cross Sword... Bnce Disruption Technique... Impressive..." he murmured weakly, feeling a bit drained. After a while, Ramon picked up the fallen cross sword, only to notice something unusual.

    He casually swung it a few times, executing a few moves. He''d been stuck in this particr realm for a long time but he had finally made some small but crucial advancements.

    <i>Had he been guiding me all along? Well...thank you.</i>

    Elsewhere, on the bustling streets of Anta City, Cassius walked expressionlessly along the sidewalk toward his residence. Contrary to what Ramon thought, Cassius had no intention of instructing him at all. Ramon had umted enough experience, and it was due to the immense pressure Cassius brought that he made a slight breakthrough.

    Over the past few days, Cassius had challenged many halls that used cold weapons in Anta City, familiarizing himself with thebat techniques of the three cold weapons he had recently acquired, and honing them. Every sect had its own essence and advantages leading to some remarkable results.

    For instance, there was a small technique in the Midak Storm Cross Sword style called the Bnce Disruption Technique that was quite practical in that it could destroy an opponent''s bnce point in their attacks.

    The technique could potentially be applicable for sword and fist techniques, and surely the effects for thetter would be significant. However, Cassius would have to be the one to figure out how to absorb and adapt this technique into the Wind Elephant Fist.

    He walked all the way back to his temporary residence after a simple lunch at the hotel. His suitcase in hand, he went around inspecting various carriage points in Anta City.

    Cassius had encountered a significant problem over the past few days. ck Rain Manor was targeting him! Cassius''s bell could no longer summon carriages at the carriage points!

    This was likely one of ck Rain Manor''s punitive measures; there was no change for marked-ones, but there would be no kindness for traitors. Even if Cassius managed to survive the Decaying Knights pursuing him, the shield mark on the back of his hand still had a piercing spear. His identity as a traitor weighed him down.

    "A traitor. Then, so be it." Cassius didn''t care much. He had already thought of a way to enter the Rainy World.

    In the suburbs of Anta City, a few hundred meters away from the train station, a muscr middle-aged man carrying a suitcase walked briskly along the crossroads of a dirt road. Seeing a slender bronze pir by the roadside, he stopped, took out a bell, and began shaking it vigorously. No sound came out.

    In no time, a ck carriage rumbled toward him. The carriage stopped, and the middle-aged man was about to step onto it, when a ck shadow shot over like a whirlwind and leaped onto the carriage ahead of the middle-aged man. The man''s clothes clung to his back as the wind blew.

    He stared nkly ahead. The carriage curtain lifted, revealing a cold face, and a heavy envelope was tossed at him. "Sorry, something urgent came up. Here''s yourpensation."

    The middle-aged man caught it and opened it to find a thick stack of Hongli Federation dor bills inside. After a careful count, he saw it was quite a substantial amount.

    "This much? A bit over the top just to save time, isn''t it?" He shook his head but epted it with a smile. While others liked to save a minute or two of time, he much preferred money. It was a perfect exchange.

    The ck carriage began to move forward. After racing along the road for a dozen meters, it suddenly vanished. A tall figure tumbled down from midair, rolling awkwardly on the ground.

    The middle-aged man widened his eyes at the scene. He had never encountered such a situation before. "The carriage can disappear? That''s something new!"

    On the other side, Cassius stood up with a grim expression. "Damn it!"

    He mmed his heavy fist angrily into a roadside tree, wood chips exploding like rain. A trunk as thick as a thigh flew straight out and nted itself into the ground. The man stood just half a meter in front of the trunk. His eyes were wide. "I saw the whole thing. I won''t get eliminated, right...?"

    In the end, the man wasn''t eliminated. He worked with Cassius in summoning the carriage a few more times, but all attempts failed without exception. Half an hourter, Cassius allowed the man to leave. Cassius stood at the crossroads, looking up at the azure sky.

    <i>No one, not even ck Rain Manor, can stop me frompleting my mission!</i> When he left, his expression was steely.

    Cassius did have another idea in mind but it was rtively dangerous. First, though, he needed to catch another unlucky fellow for his experiment.

 Chapter 135 - Smuggling into the Rainy World

    <h4>Chapter 135 - Smuggling into the Rainy World</h4>

    An afternoon passed, and he tracked down the poor, unfortunate soul. Correction: he found his partner in crime. Cassius and hisrge stack of cash were quite persuasive. Mr. Jiri Hradik, the recently inducted Hellsing, immediately agreed to work with him.

    For Jiri, this was nothing but an extra day of work in exchange for five thousand Hongli Federation dors. Despite some misgivings of the potential risks, it didn''t take much for him to agree to the coboration. He was a neer who had just be a Hellsing and found himself bncing on the precarious edge of life and death. With thisrge sum of money, he could at least enjoy a little bit of happiness during his missions. If he could asionally indulge in the extravagant life of his dreams, even if he was killed by a dark creature, he''d die without regrets.

    Cassius spent five thousand dors to hire Jiri; naturally, he conducted some more experiments that afternoon. He also sketched the specific shape and structure of the ck carriage, then went directly to apany specialized in making carriages to ask them to modify one ording to his design.

    Thergest carriagepany in Anta City was called Sr Steed, whose carriages were well-known in several nearby cities. They offered a range of styles from high-end to low-end. Clients needed to present their identities if they wanted a custom design and if the request wasn''t respectable enough, Sr Steed would t-out refuse to do business with them. They wanted to preserve an old-fashioned aristocratic style, which meant even custom orders had to adhere to thepany''s overall style. A fine carriage could take a month to half a year to make.

    All of a sudden, saidpany weed a mysterious customer who asked to modify an iron-framed carriage and stack it with steel tes. He didn''t need it to look good; he just needed it to be durable. Work around the clock if need be to finish the modifications by tomorrow.

    "Does he take us for some cattle cartpany?! We''re Sr Steed! A prestigious high-end carriage manufacturer in Anta City, known throughout East Sea County! He thinks he can just wave a few stinkin'' dors and order us around? Ridiculous!!!"

    The owner of Sr Steed originally wanted to rant like this in his office, but the customer was offering far too much.

    A little money smells stinky, but when there''s a lot of it, the scent turns sweet.

    Customers had to present their identification? Custom orders had to follow thepany''s overall style? It took up to six months toplete a custom carriage? Those were merely excuses. The current owner of Sr Steed had long been dissatisfied with the old rules left by the previous generation; it had just been a coincidence when he agreed to take Cassius¡¯s order to modify the carriage. Yes! That''s right! His main goal was to break those outdated conventions.

    To break these old rules, Fred, the owner of Sr Steed, personally oversaw the work, supervising the employees through the night as they modified the carriage,yering sturdy steel tes as per the customer''s request.

    "Put one here, yes, right there. And another one there. Just pile it all up like we¡¯re making an armored vehicle." Fred waved his handmandingly, one eye on the design in his hand.

    An old employee wiped his brow. "Boss, if we put this much steel on it, I¡¯m afraid the horses won¡¯t be able to pull it."

    "Who cares? We''re just working with what he gave us. Maybe he''s got it all figured out." Fred shrugged it off. Adding steel tes to a carriage didn¡¯t break any federalws.

    By the next evening, the armored carriage waspleted.

    Cassius paid a hefty sum with gusto. He got exactly what he wanted. While his reckless spending wasn¡¯t necessarily wise, nothing could buy thefort he desired. In any event, he still had plenty of money left, and this currency couldn¡¯t be taken back to the real world, so he might as well spend it.

    On the night of February 8, Year 107 in the Hongli Federation calendar, two of the strongest horses pulled a heavy armored carriage to the edge of Anta City¡¯s suburban train station. The horses were exhausted, so Cassius led them back. When he returned, he had arge ck bag filled with heavy items.

    With the horses out ofmission, Cassius threw the items into the carriage and used his extraordinary strength to push the carriage forward. The wheels left deep tracks on the ground. He soon arrived at a carriage stop set up by the ck Rain Manor.

    A somewhat anxious young man waited beside a mottled bronze pir. He looked about twenty years old, with delicate features and golden curls. His demeanor and appearance looked very simr to Twilight before Cassius reced him.

    Cassius looked up at the starry sky. "We can start now, Jiri."

    "Okay." Jiri nodded and took out a bell from his pocket. He shook it.

    Out of nowhere, clouds obscured the bright moonlight. Half-hidden behind the clouds, the stars eventually disappeared as a light drizzle nketed the grounds

    At some point, a bizarre path reced the surrounding dirt road, leading the ck carriage over to them. ck cloth draped over it, the windows hung with a semi-transparent gauze, and the wheels and carriage surface were carved with iprehensible twisted symbols.

    "Wait." Cassius squinted. "Jiri, sit in the front carriage as usual. Remember, no matter what you hearing from behind, don¡¯t try to look out the window. If you die midway, the carriage is done for."

    "Got it, got it." Jiri nodded vigorously.

    Cassius got to work; he had about ten minutes before the ck carriage started moving again. He pushed the modified armoredpartment to the back of the carriage, securing it with special mps at the front of thepartment, with levers on the sides. He then took out several thick iron chains, linking parts of the ck carriage with the armoredpartment.

    Cassius gave the chains a yank, and they tightened under the immense force. These specially made chains were of excellent quality and exceptionally strong; they would not break.

    "Great, that should do it." He nodded in satisfaction and instructed Jiri to get in the carriage. As for Cassius, he settled into the armoredpartment.

    Through his experiments, he discovered he couldn¡¯t touch the manor¡¯s ck carriage. If his fingers lingered on the carriage for some time, it would disappear, seemingly recognizing him as a traitor, which meant his original n of lying down on top of the carriage was rendered moot.

    Thus, Cassius had to use this method of one carriage towing another to avoid contact. But this was extremely risky; the Rainy World had many strange phenomena, including mutated giant creatures and the Decaying Knights. Without the ck carriage to shield his aura, Cassius would be like a giant piece of fish bait, practically begging for dangerous monsters from the Rainy World to attack him.

    Thus, building an armored carriage to protect himself was necessary. When it came to his own life, Cassius was rtively cautious. There was no such thing as being<i> too</i> safe.

    As Jiri got into the carriage, the two sleek ck horses in front began to move forward on the path. The mysterious coachman, cloaked in ck, remained as calm as ever.

    <i>Clop, clop, clop...</i>

    At first, the horses had to trot in ce a few times, likely due to the weight of Cassius''s specially armored carriage. After a few more steps, the ck carriage began to move sluggishly forward, and the armored carriage followed suit.

    N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Cassius felt the slight sway of the carriage and nodded approvingly. The ck carriage, after all, was a supernatural creation and must have some special abilities. Despite his fierce game of tug-of-war with the giant ape through the window, the high-speed carriage had remained intact. Pulling the armored carriage was evidently not a problem.

    With a jolt, the ck carriage gradually picked up speed on the road, dragging the heavy, dark armored carriage behind it.

    The ck carriage took them on a different road in apletely different environment.

    The ck carriage entered a vast expanse of eerie gray grass covering the entire in. A thin, winding yellow line stretched out in the midst of the gray where a small ck dot was moving rapidly.

    <i>ng!</i>

    Cassius lifted the iron te outside the carriage window and looked out through the sturdy bars. There were no strange scenes, no mutated giant creatures. It was quiet all around him with only the soft patter of rain and the rumble of the wheels breaking the stillness.

    The silence made Cassius uneasy. He would have felt better if there were one or two strange attacks. Instead, the situation reminded him of the calm before a storm, like the danger was gathering together, just waiting for a moment to erupt like a volcano.

    Fortunately, Cassius was prepared.

    He opened a ck bag he had ced near him, revealing an array of military weapons. There was a silver Storm heavy machine gun, P11 grenades, a Tiger shotgun, and a Type-46 assault me thrower. Yes, Cassius managed to get his hands on a methrower.

    Although he didn''t know why the arms dealer had such high-powered weapons, maybe someone in the military of a rtively high rank was selling them out the back door.

    Cassius also had a batch of sticky incendiary oil, perfectly paired with a methrower that could shoot mes over ten meters. Obviously, he didn''t want to use it if he didn''t have to.

    The carriage continued forward for about ten more minutes.

    Cassius suddenly heard the chaotic sound of hooves mixed with the rain. He looked out toward the distant ins. Raindrops fell in a dark drizzle, slightly obscuring his vision, but not enough to prevent Cassius from seeing a squad of knightsing right at him.

    One, two, three... six, seven, eight!

    Eight Decaying Knights!

    Some held spears, others wielded giant swords, some carried battle axes, and some swung ils. They all rode ck warhorses and wore old, rustic armor with sinister spikes protruding out at the joint with their crimson cross-patterned knight''s boots resting on the stirrups.

    The lead knight raised his weapon, a conicalnce, and roared as he stormed toward the carriage. His eyes, cold and cruel, glinted from beneath the snake-belly helmet.

    <i>Rat-ta-ta-ta-ta...</i>

    The helmet, along with the head, exploded.

    Dozens ofrge-caliber bullets drilled into the head of thence-wielding knight. ck liquid stted. The knight fell from his horse with a thud.

    A ck machine gun muzzle was mounted on the armored carriage''s window, and behind it were Cassius''s cold eyes. He held the heavy machine gun, with a nearly five-meter-long fabric bullet belt beside him. The smell of gunpowder filled the air.

    "Taste the power of technology, you fossils." Cassius pulled the trigger, and the machine gun trembled violently.

    <i>ng, ng, ng, ng, ng...</i>

    Golden sparks burst from the surface of the charging Decaying Knights'' armor. The machine gun bullets were much stronger than the arrows of ancient times in terms of pration, power, and firing rate.

    Cassius continued shooting, sessfully suppressing the Decaying Knights. But the machine gun quickly overheated from the continuous fire, and the knights seized that brief moment when he switched to another machine gun to quickly close in on the carriage.

    <i>ng!</i>

    A massive axe struck the window guardrail. It jolted violently and sparks flew, but the sturdy rail held firm. Cassius took the opportunity to fire off a rapid and wild round of bullets, shooting down another Decaying Knight off his horse. Now, the group was down to five.

    <i>ng! </i>

    A cross sword shed.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    A battle axe collided.

    <i>Ding!</i>

    A spear thrusted.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    A il swung.

    The entire armored carriage resonated with the raucous sounds of weapons striking iron tes from all directions, rumbling like thunder. Jiri, sitting in the ck carriage ahead, felt it too. But he obeyed Cassius''s instructions, merely gritting his teeth and curling up in the corner of the carriage, trying not to look or think about what was happening outside.

    Inside the armored carriage, Cassius was steady as a mountain. Before setting out, he had tested the thickness of the carriage''s iron tes and knew it could not be prated by continuous shelling. The Decaying Knights had almost no chance of breaking through with their melee weapons.

    Since the defense was impregnable...

    <i>Boom!</i>

    A grenade exploded midair, smashing half of a Decaying Knight''s helmet. Machine gun bullets followed, destroying the other half, and the headless corpse tumbled from the horse.

    A ss vial shattered on a knight''s armor, sticky ck liquid sttering all over it, which was soon followed by a searing jet of fire, instantly engulfing the Decaying Knight in mes. The mes and incendiary oil reacted violently, creating an intense heat that even the rain couldn''t extinguish; it burned ever more fiercely.

    The metal can of a knight, now rendered a man on fire, toppled to the ground, ck smoke billowing from his body.

    The dark gun barrel spewed fire, and the shotgun roared...

    This only went to show that until supernatural powers reached a certain level, human technology still had a crushing advantage. Because even if it weren''t Cassius in the armored carriage but an experienced soldier, it would likely have been the same oue.

    The ughter of the Decaying Knights by firearms!

    It wasn''t clear how long the whole fightsted. The Decaying Knights died in batches, then revived in the rain and it went on and on like this. The machine gun roared hoarsely until it finally fell silent, as if it had jammed.

    ...

    There was a rectangr carriage tform near ck Rain Manor. Two mysterious figures, a male and a female Hellsing walked, fingers linked together. The man was handsome, and the woman was beautiful; they appeared to be a couple. They looked a bit fresh-faced, likely having just be marked-ones not too long ago.

    While chatting, they strolled to the tform. The man reached into his pocket to take out a bell and was about to ring it when a ck carriage rumbled toward them from a distance.

    "Perfect timing," the man said, exchanging a smile with the woman, then eximed in surprise. "Hmm? Why is there an extra carriage behind?"

    They saw a heavy carriage tied behind the ck carriage with chains. The surface of the carriage looked harsh and menacing with the entire surface covered withrge ck iron tes. Dense scratches from cold weapons and explosion marks that looked like blooming flowers scored the top. The area around the windows was scorched ck like it had been burned by extremely hot fire for a long time.

    The pungent smell of gunpowder lingered in the air, even in the rain. It seemed that the carriage had just been through a fierce battle.

    "This is..." The couple on the tform couldn''t help but gape.

    A white-faced Jiri quickly stepped out from the ck carriage, breathing a sigh of relief. The series of collisions and explosions from earlier had been absolutely terrifying. Through the gauze, he had vaguely seen a group of knights charging through the rain, besieging the armored carriage behind. Hopefully, Mr. Twilight was unharmed.

    Under the astonished gazes of the couple, Jiri swiftly walked to the armored carriage and knocked on the scorching iron te.

    <i>Knock, knock, knock...</i>

    He took a deep breath. "Mr. Twilight, are you alright?" There was no response. Jiri knocked again. "Mr. Twilight?"

    <i>Creak!</i>

    The front door of the carriage swung open.

    "I''m fine, everything went well..." A tall, dark figure stepped onto the tform. His gaze swept past Jiri and to the distant manor''s spire, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

    The smuggling had been a sess.

 Chapter 136 - Your Daddy Is Here

    <h4>Chapter 136 - Your Daddy Is Here</h4>

    This smuggling trip had been fraught with danger. ck Rain Manor had deployed a team of Decaying Knights specifically against Cassius. If he hadn''t customized the armored carriage as a precaution, he might have been entangled in a bloody battle with the Decaying Knights. Three Decaying Knights, with the ability to revive over and over again, had taken turns attacking, pushing Cassius to the point of severe injury. If all eight had attacked at once, his chances would have been grim.

    Cassius dispelled his thoughts and patted Jiri on the shoulder. "Don''t worry, I''m fine."

    He then walked to the ck carriage and unfastened the scratched-up iron chains, detaching the armored carriage from the horse-drawn one. With Jiri leading the way, Cassius began pushing the carriage. The two slowly made their way along the path, one in front and one behind.

    On the tform, the couple exchanged puzzled nces. The young man looked at the carriage stopped in front of them and finally said, "Osana, let''s wait for the next one..."

    The blonde girl beside him nodded dazedly.

    Meanwhile, Cassius pushed the carriage up the gray-and-white path and into ck Rain Manor. The old stone bs were incredibly hard, and despite how heavy the armored carriage was, it couldn''t leave any kind of dent as it rolled over them. The only evidence of it being there were the two faint white track marks.

    Jiri was quite reliable. "Five meters ahead, turn right."

    Cassius''s strong arms strained, and the armored carriage slowly rotated, changing direction without stopping. Halfway through the turn, he suddenly heard Jiri exim. "Huh? Mr. Twilight, the mark on the back of your hand is glowing!"

    "Hmm?"

    Cassius frowned slightly but continued to push. Under his powerful muscles, dark blue branch-like veins bulged and contracted. His immense strength pushed the armored carriage forward, changing direction beforeing to a stop.

    He withdrew his arms and nced at the back of his broad hand. The shield mark was indeed glowing, or rather, the spear piercing the shield was glowing, emitting a red light.

    <i>What the hell is ck Rain Manor up to now? They won''t let up on me...</i> Cassius narrowed his eyes. There was a strange and pervasive sense of malice around him, like every brick and tile in the manor seemed to be pressing down on him.

    Reflecting briefly on Twilight''s past, it seemed he hadn''t been targeted as relentlessly as Cassius. He couldn''t figure out what made him different from other traitors.

    <i>Oh, right! </i>Cassius pped his forehead.

    He had killed three Decaying Knights!

    Ordinary traitors were hounded by Decaying Knights. Since they couldn''t fight them head-on, the most they could do was set traps to dy the Decaying Knights as they ran for the edge of the Rainy World''s boundary.

    Yes, they didn''t have to endure three hours of hard fighting like Cassius. Normally, it''d count as a sess if they ran and fought, all whilst evading the Decaying Knights and sprinting out of the Rainy World''s range.

    But Cassius was different. He deliberately didn''tplete ck Rain Manor''s regr missions just so he could kill a few Decaying Knights. It wasn''t like he could leave the Rainy World''s coverage either because if he did, the Decaying Knights would retreat. And if they retreated, how would he kill them and earn more time to stay?

    For example, ordinary traitors were like petty criminals being chased down by Decaying Knights who acted as enforcers. If the traitors managed to escape during the chase, the boss would give them an opportunity to live.

    Cassius, on the other hand, was like a vicious criminal who purposefully broke thew to bait the enforcers. As soon as the Decaying Knights gave chase, he turned around and killed them! This was undoubtedly a p in the boss''s face. Three loud ps to be exact.

    The boss was bound by the rules and still had to give Cassius a chance. But during this process, they would definitely set traps, hoping to kill him before hepleted his atonement task. Logically, that made sense.

    After he figured it out, Cassius shook his head without anger. He was naturally on the opposing side of the ck Rain Manor. It made no difference to him whether they attacked sooner orter. Eventually, he would have to fight them.

    N?v(el)B\\jnn

    It would be best, of course, to postpone this fight. Cassius nned to enhance himself to the utmost and drain ck Rain Manor''s resources before backstabbing them. He had his strategy all thought out.

    "Don''t worry about this for now. Let''s keep going." Cassius waved his hand, and although Jiri was curious, heplied. Not just because of Cassius''s generosity, but also because Cassius had promised to introduce him to the Bolt Sect. Though small, the Bolt Sect was decent. Jiri felt he was well-suited to thisbat style.

    On the gray-white street, one person led the way while the other pushed the heavy carriage. The only sounds were the patter of rain, their footsteps, and the rumble of the carriage wheels. Five minutester, they arrived at the entrance of the Bolt Sect''s residence. Cassius knocked on the door.

    "Coming..." A clear, pleasant voice of a girl came from inside.

    The door opened, revealing a cute and innocent-looking girl with short ck hair falling around her ears and fair skin.

    "Hello, oh...it''s you again."

    The smile on her face froze upon seeing Cassius. Her eyes slowly roved from his chest to his face before finally meeting his cold gaze.

    Rachel remembered this man¡ªthe cold-faced muscr guy covered in blood fromst time. The oddball in the Bolt Sect. After thest group mission, Little Leon hadined to many people about a mysterious muscle man who had joined them during the mission. Their nighttime mission against the bloodsuckers felt like a bear lurking among rabbits; he had turned many physically strong Blood Races into mush.

    Hisbat style waspletely different from how a typical Bolt Sect member fought, supposedly originating from a new branch he had created: the Muscr Mechanical Crossbow!

    Names had reputations, and after everything that Rachel had heard about Cassius, she thought his stories were bloody and violent.

    Although she knew he was a fellow Bolt Sect member, she still felt a bit scared. She stepped back cautiously and stammered, "Mr. Twilight. Come in. Ah, here''s your key..." Rachel hurriedly found the room key from her waist and handed it to Cassius tremulously.

    "Mm." Cassius took the key and said, "Is there a secluded yard or any other ce to park a carriage?" Seeing Rachel''s confused look, he shook his head slightly. "Never mind, I''ll ask Darkde."

    He then turned and called Jiri inside. The two walked toward the oval passage, one after the other. Half an hourter, under Darkde''s guidance, Cassius pushed his precious armored carriage inside a secluded courtyard beside the Bolt Sect''s outpost. He still needed this to return home.

    In the gray-white courtyard, Darkde nced at the carriage, covered in knife and axe marks, and pursed his lips. He very wisely didn''t ask questions; Cassius had paid for his services.

    "Is your hand injured? We have doctors within the sect," Darkde said, noticing the ck bandages wrapped around Cassius''s hand.

    Cassius nodded slightly. "I''ll go see one if I need to."

    Returning to the Bolt Sect''s outpost, Cassius washed up and introduced Jiri to the Bolt Sect. Several hours passed, and after a meal, Cassius decided to visit the Baptism Chapel. It issued the traitors'' atonement tasks which were different from regr missions and extra tasks.

    When he arrived at the entrance, Cassius was surprised to find Darkde and Jiri there as well, each holding an umbre and looking ready to go out.

    The three exchanged nces. It turned out they were all nning to go to the Baptism Chapel, so they decided to head over there together. They walked under their umbres while chatting about mundane things or the oddities of Hellsings.

    Despite his fierce appearance and cold demeanor, Darkde turned out to be quite talkative. At the sight of Cassius''s strong and tall figure, he began waxing nostalgic about his past. He used to be strong himself, Darkde imed, and had once worked as a sailor on a merchant ship where there had been a cowardly, beautiful little guy with golden curls who often had his ass yed around with. Unfortunately, Darkde never tried it himself, but he heard that the weakling had a nice "sheath."

    Hearing this, Jiri, who also had golden curls and was rtively weak, felt a chill run down his spine. The simrity was too much, and it scared him a little.

    The conversation soon shifted, and Darkde began talking about a recent event that happened at ck Rain Manor.

    Not long ago, the sky had suddenly exploded with a p of thunder, followed by a torrential downpour. This was a sign that someone among the marked-ones had betrayed ck Rain Manor, with the manor consequently sending out the Decaying Knights to hunt them down. Darkdemented that the traitor would probably die a very miserable death.

    ording to him, even the top-level knight-level marked-ones didn''t dare to betray ck Rain Manor, because a marked-one at that level would be doomed as anyone else when facing the Decaying Knights.

    Recently, the Hellsings had been discussing this matter, and the drunks at the Iron Blood Tavern were all carousing that the guy was definitely dead.

    Hearing this, Cassius''s expression didn''t change. But Jiri who was beside him widened his eyes. He had only recently be a marked-one and didn''t know much about ck Rain Manor or its rules. Now, after Darkde''s exnation, Jiri instantly thought of the Decaying Knights closing in on Twilight.

    Could it be that the daring person that Darkde mentioned, the man who betrayed ck Rain Manor, was none other than Twilight? It had to be! But Twilight didn''t end up dead by the Decaying Knights''s hands as everyone thought; instead, he was alive and well¡ªeven seemingly unscathed.

    Just now, Darkde had said that even a knight-level marked-one couldn''t escape the Decaying Knights. But Twilight did! Did this mean Twilight was even stronger than a knight-level? The continuous explosions and booming sounds from before...

    Shocked, Jiri''s heart pounded and he found himself breathing heavily. He nced at Cassius''s tall figure with sparkling eyes. His delicate face couldn''t hide his astonishment.

    The young and naive Jiri thought to himself, <i>Twilight must be incredibly powerful...</i>

    The three of them walked at a steady pace, their shoes sshing the thinyer of water on the ground. The moss on the roadside was a dull grayish-white color.

    "Wait!" Cassius, who had been silent, stopped in his tracks. The other two on his right also paused.

    "What''s wrong?" Darkde asked.

    "Don''t you feel like we''ve been walking around in circles? We were just here on this path," Cassius said. His expression was cold as he scanned around.

    "Have we?" Darkde wasn''t entirely sure either.

    Many areas in ck Rain Manor were very mysterious, but during the day, as long as they didn''t enter areas with warning signs, nothing unusual would happen. They had walked all the way here without seeing anything. It was just an ordinary path, so it should be fine.

    After a moment''s thought, Darkde said, "Let''s keep walking¡ª" His sentence abruptly stopped, and goosebumps rose all over his body. He quickly looked up at the building on the left.

    About a meter above the ground, a dark square window embedded into the pale white wall, was wide open. A dwarf stood there, only revealing its ugly big head. No eyes, no nose, the face smooth like a white porcin surface, all it had was a hideous big mouth at the bottom. A strange and terrifying aura filled the air.

    The big mouth opened slightly, showing a blood-red cavity that extended inward like gears, and a sharp voice sounded, "Mommy, mommy, where are you? I¡ª"

    <i>Boom!!!</i>

    The nursery rhyme cut off abruptly. Bricks and stones flew out uncontrobly, and the entire wall with the square window disappeared. It was as if a gigantic monster had taken a bite out of it, leaving a jagged hole.

    A nearly two-meter-tall little giant grabbed the edges of the hole with both hands and squeezed its strong body through.

    "I don''t know where your mommy is... But herees your daddy!" With that, Cassius flung himself straight in like a cannonball.

    A demolition-like noise immediately came from inside, as if a bulldozer, roller, and pile driver were operating simultaneously. The entire three-story building shook violently, as if hit by an earthquake. One moment, the first-floor walls were being torn down, the next, the second-floor windows were blown out, and then the next second, objects were falling from the third-floor roof.

    <i>Crash!</i>

    A section of the white wall, several meters wide, fell and broke apart. A tall figure followed after.

    "I thought it was too dangerous and pitiful for this kid to live alone at home, so I sent him off to see his mommy. Let''s go." Cassius coldly spat out a few words. He didn''t sound like an affectionate big brother helping a child find his mother. On the contrary, he sounded more like a vicious robber breaking in and smashing everything.

    After a long time, the stunned Darkde finally eked out a single word, "...Okay..."

    He was outwardly dazed but inwardly cursing. <i>Was that a child? It was clearly one of ck Rain Manor''s eerie entities! A terrifyingly eerie entity, for sure! Oh heavens...</i>

    On the right, Jiri didn''t say a word because he had to keep spitting out wall dust. He had been so shocked that his mouth had fallen open, and when the wall fell, he identally swallowed a mouthful of dust.

    Facing the pervasive malice around him, Cassius''s lips curled into a cold smile. He walked in front of Darkde and Jiri. His tall figure was like a wall blocking the wind and rain.

    "Let''s go, I''ll bring you out."

 Chapter 137 - Ruins of Akaba

    <h4>Chapter 137 - Ruins of Akaba</h4>

    <i>Bang!</i>

    A dark, massive fist swung like a meteor hammer,nding heavily on the jaw of a humanoid monster. The creature flew backward, crashing into a wooden door on the side of the street. With a crack, the door smashed into yellow and white splinters.

    Cassius strode over with a cold expression. His waterproof boots stepped on the door frame.

    <i>Swish!</i>

    A withered, wrinkled w resembling a tree branch, shot out from the darkness, its five sharp points aiming straight at Cassius''s neck.

    <i>Crack!</i>

    Arge, strong hand grabbed the w, five fingers wrapping around it and unleashing a torrent of power like a mountain flood.

    "<i>Ah</i>!!!" A piercing scream, like that of a baby''s, tore out from the shadows. The sharp w that had reached out was nothing but pulp now, with bones, tendons, and skin twisted and mashed together.

    <i>Whoosh.</i>

    A fierce wind whistled as Cassius swung the monster in the darkness like a meteor hammer.

    The creature, as pale as a mummy, shrieked as it zipped through the air before crashing heavily to the ground with a thud. Almost immediately, Cassius picked it up again and smashed it through a wall. The sound of continuous drum-like impacts echoed.

    <i>Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang...</i>

    <i>Crack!</i>

    The creature¡¯s arm broke off, and its entire body flew out like a cloud. It bounced across the ground like a skipping stone, leaving a long trail. Finally, with a st, its bloody head hit the hard base of a wall.

    A shudder ran through its body like it had been electrocuted. It died just like that, with its head tilted and legs syed out.

    <i>Whoosh.</i>

    A withered arm arced through the air,nding precisely in the crook of the dry corpse''s remaining arm. From a distance, it looked like a drunk had copsed and fallen into a deep sleep on a street corner.

    Far away, Cassius had already turned and walked off. Darkde and Jiri trailed after him, not daring to fall behind.

    They understood that they had entered a mysterious and dangerous area of ck Rain Manor that they had never traversed before, likely one that originally had warning signs. ording to Hellsing lore, getting lost in such ces meant the chances of finding your way out were nearly zero, regardless of if you were alone or in a group.

    On the gray-white street, nked by square, gray-white residential buildings that looked like sharply angr building blocks.

    ck Rain Manor was dim even during the day, with oilmps being lit inside some of these buildings. Slivers of faint yellow light illuminated the shadowy figures through windows and door cracks. The air was filled with sounds of old men coughing, couples arguing, babies crying, furniture being moved, and footsteps on stairs. This street was both silent and bustling, like a real, livingmunity, filled with the ambiance of everyday life.

    But Jiri felt a chill run through his body.

    This was no prosperous city or town; this was the Rainy World. This was ck Rain Manor! The more normal it seemed, the more abnormal it was. The calmer it appeared, the more terrifying it became. The more ordinary it looked, the more eerie it felt. Where were the ordinary people in the manor?!

    <i>Tap, tap, tap...</i>

    The three walked with steady, powerful strides, Darkde and Jiri matching Cassius''s pace. If they didn''t, they would have bolted like scared rabbits as soon as they encountered these eerie sights. Jiri''s heart was pounding wildly, and he swallowed hard.

    Suddenly, a drunkard with a bottle burst out of a nearby shop. Jiri almost had a heart attack.

    The drunk grabbed Jiri''s arm. "Kind sir, lend me some money! Let me buy another bottle of wine! I..."

    <i>Bang!</i>

    The drunk''s head exploded like a watermelon.

    Arge hand reached over, shoving the bottle into the drunk''s neck, then hammering it in like a pile driver. The ss bottle was forced into the gushing wound.

    "Shit!" Jiri''s eyes were as wide as saucers upon witnessing the gory scene up close. He stuttered as he pointed at the corpse.

    A shadow whipped past, flinging the corpse dozens of meters away in an instant. "Don''t just stand there and look like an idiot. Keep up." Cassius''s cold voice snapped Jiri back to reality.

    Jiri quickly wiped the blood off his face and ran to catch up.

    Five minutester, at the entrance of a store.

    A tall figure blocked the door frame. Every monster that roared out was grabbed and mmed into the wall like a hammer. The entire building shook constantly from the heavy impacts. Before long, four to five half-human, half-bull monsters were nailed into the gray-white wall, their lifeless limbs slightly swaying.

    "These monsters are popping up way more frequently."

    Cassius brushed the dust off his hands. This could either mean he was nearing the edge of the normal area of ck Rain Manor, which exined why more monsters had appeared to block the way, or he was going the wrong way and was now entering an even more dangerous, eerie area. But surely his luck couldn''t be that bad.

    Cassius turned around. Confidence oozed out of him as he said, "We''re almost out, stick close to me!"

    Darkde and Jiri nodded like chickens pecking at grain, fully aware that their survival hinged on their proximity to Cassius.

    Faintly sensing the danger at the next intersection, Cassius slowly exhaled, then pulled off his cloak, and tossed it to Jiri.

    "<i>Hiss...</i>"

    He inhaled sharply, his chest heaving. Power flowed into his muscles and bones like air inting a balloon. He spread his arms, his muscles swelling. He was the very embodiment of a ssical sculpture of strength and beauty with his strong, upright upper body and pebbly texture of his gray-white skin.

    "Go!"

    A powerful, savage aura burst forth. Jiri and Darkde trembled, quickly following.

    Five minutester.

    <i>Snap!</i>

    A ck shadow shot forward like a cannonball, leaving a gray footprint on the ground. With one punch, he sted apart the monster leaping at him in midair. He whipped around, delivering a swift roundhouse kick that flung a tentacled monster into a building.

    His massive iron fists struck continuously, moving with such extreme speed that the raindrops in his path exploded into mist. It looked as though ayer of fog was wrapped around Cassius''s fists, forming a half-circle shield.

    In the rainy alley, the numbers grew as monsters swarmed from both sides like dumplings being dropped into boiling water. Cassius unleashed his full power, using fists, feet, elbows, and knees to fight. With his superhuman physique, each strike was incredibly powerful. The air was soon filled with airborne figures.

    Cassius was like an indestructible spearhead, plunging deep into the horde of monsters, his powerful fists carving a path while two small figures, Jiri and Darkde, followed behind, gritting their teeth and trembling as they struggled to keep up. Perhaps because most of the monsters'' focus was on Cassius, the two did not face much resistance.

    "Get out of the way!!!" Cassius''s punch sent a blocking monster flying.

    Yep, the manor was determined to eliminate him. As if misleading him into unknown territory wasn¡¯t already bad enough, it also decided to summon a horde of eerie creatures to kill him. But this small obstacle was far from enough.

    Another three minutes passed.

    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    At the edge of a wall, a strange woman in white with long ck hair was muttering a nursery rhyme.

    "Son, son, my son is..."

    <i>Boom!</i>

    "Stop singing. You''ll reunite with your son soon."

    A female corpse was flung into the air like a kite,nding with a st on a rooftop.

    Cassius cracked his neck and brushed off the numerous white marks on his body; it sounded like rocks knocking into each other. He looked around. Houses lined both sides, with a high wall blocking the way ahead: a dead end.

    Cassius thought this was likely another trick by ck Rain Manor. Using a dead end to make him think he was going in the wrong direction so he''d turn back, exhaust his stamina, and fight until he died of exhaustion. But he trusted his own judgment more.

    As he moved along, the number and strength of the monsters increased, and the path became more perilous. At the most dangerous point, a wall appeared ahead. There was no doubt about it. The normal area that Cassius sought after was behind that wall.

    "We''ve arrived." He turned to Darkde and Jiri, both of whom had suffered some small injuries. "As usual, stay close behind me. The other side may not be safe either!"

    Darkde and Jiri nodded vigorously.

    "<i>Huff...</i>"

    Breathing heavily like a bull, Cassius''s right arm muscles suddenly swelled. In a sh, he disappeared and transformed into a huge ck shadow, crashing through the wall with Darkde and Jiri following closely behind.

    "Finally. We''re back in the normal area." Cassius lowered his arms, which he had used to shield his face from debris, and opened his eyes with a smile, but it quickly froze as he looked ahead. "Huh?"

    There was a sparse grove of trees, with patches of grass beside them. A winding path ran through the middle, with a carriage station at one end and the manor entrance at the other. On the left path stood Leon who was holding an umbre. His delicate, pale face was filled with shock.

    "Huh?" Twin exmations of surprise came from behind Cassius.

    Darkde was bewildered. Weren''t they supposed to be in the normal area of ck Rain Manor beyond the wall? How did they end up outside the manor?

    Cassius frowned as well. This was not what he expected. The path had be increasingly dangerous, implying ck Rain Manor was blocking their way to the normal area.

    Unless...

    ck Rain Manor hadn''t been blocking them at all, and had merely misled them into a dangerous unknown area. Cassius, being overly aggressive, had believed the more dangerous the path, the more correct it was, eventually breaking through the entire unknown area and charging out of ck Rain Manor.

    <i>Impossible, absolutely impossible! </i>Cassius decisively rejected this idea. He trusted his intuition. This was undoubtedly because ck Rain Manor couldn''t fully execute its scheme due to his overwhelming strength.

    <i>Rumble, rumble, rumble...</i>

    A sound came from behind. The three turned to look.

    The broken gray wall started emitting mist, slowly repairing the uneven edges of the hole. Some strange repair mechanism of ck Rain Manor seemed to have been activated.

    Cassius took a few curious steps forward to take a closer look. Unexpectedly, the wall trembled violently, as if fearing Cassius¡¯s approach. A massive amount of mist erupted, quickly shrouding the hole, and restoring it to its original state.

    "That''s no fun." Cassius patted the cool wall with hisrge hand and shook his head.

    "Mr. Darkde, and Mr. Twilight... what are you doing here?" Leon, who had been startled, walked over from several meters away. He had indeed been quite frightened. Having just taken a carriage back to ck Rain Manor, he had been walking toward the entrance when the wall beside him suddenly exploded.

    Out came a towering, muscr man with a bare torso. One couldn''t help but fear this muscr giant might suddenly go berserk like a rhino, pounding people into a pulp with just a few punches, or crushing them into mush with a bear hug.

    Behind him, Darkde heaved a sigh of relief and casually concocted an excuse for Leon. He vaguely said that the three of them had gotten lost in ck Rain Manor, and ended up wandering through various twists and turns until they reached a dead end. Twilight had been forced to break through the wall.

    "Mr. Twilight, your cloak." Having just narrowly escaped death, it took a while for Jiri to approach Cassius. He returned Cassius''s still-intact cloak.

    "Thanks." Cassius took it and put it back on.

    "We should be the ones saying that, Mr. Twilight." Jiri wiped his forehead; he was drenched, but he wasn''t sure if the moisture was rain or sweat.

    Cassius didn''t respond. Darkde and Jiri were merely coteral damage in ck Rain Manor''s quest to target him. He didn¡¯t feel deserving of Jiri¡¯s gratitude.

    "Let''s go back to the Bolt Sect base."

    With that, the four of them returned to the manor. During the return, Jiri and Darkde were on edge, as if anticipating something to jump out at any moment. Leon found their behavior strange, while Cassius remained calm.

    A few minutester, they arrived at the Bolt Sect base.

    Cassius immediately wanted to visit the Baptism Chapel again, but Darkde and Jiri waved their hands, saying they needed at least two to three days to recover before daring to go out again. So, he left the base alone.

    Walking down the familiar gray road with an umbre, Cassius felt someone''s gaze from above on his left. He looked up sharply, seeing a girl in ace dress peeking from a window. She froze, her hollow eyes streaming with tears. Just as she was about to scream, a hand quickly pped over her mouth. An old woman hoisted the girl onto her shoulder, spanking her while running away like the wind. As if Cassius were some heinous monster.

    For the rest of the walk, he encountered no strange incidents, arriving at the Baptism Chapel without anything happening.

    In the grand hall, under the ornate ceiling, Cassius''s tall figure stood in front of a prayer table, nked by two elegant metal candlesticks, where rows of ck chairs had been ced behind it.

    The task for his atonement was scrawled on the surface of an old, yellowed scripture: "Find the Akaba Ruins..."

 Chapter 138 - Peak Strength

    <h4>Chapter 138 - Peak Strength</h4>

    "Akaba Ruins?"

    Cassius''s heart skipped a beat. Search missions were much more difficult than assassination missions. With an assassination mission, you at least had a specific target and location, then all you had to do was kill the target however you wanted. But search missions relied heavily on luck and had a high degree of uncertainty.

    If you were lucky, you might find it in a day or two. If you were unlucky, you might never find it even in ten years.

    Cassius would have preferred an assassination mission, but he didn''t really have the luxury of choice. He had to ept the atonement task of finding the Akaba Ruins. He was already prepared for the possibility of failing the mission and running away.

    His thoughts still in turmoil, Cassius kept reading. The atonement task''s details spanned several pages. He scanned each page, pausing slightly when he reached key information, especially the one that was time-sensitive.

    Mission Time: 180 days.

    Six months wasn''t long, but it wasn''t short either. Cassius had a feeling that ck Rain Manor had deliberately assigned him an extremely tough task; finding the Akaba Ruins in six months would be incredibly challenging. Then again, he had killed the three Decaying Knights sent by ck Rain Manor. The six-month deadline was extremely short for such a task, but Cassius could begrudgingly ept it.

    His Elephant Soul technique was fifteen percent away frompletion. Each enhancement using Soul Power improved it by about five percent, plus he needed to rest one or two months in between each enhancement.

    This meant he could enhance himself at least three times beforepletely betraying ck Rain Manor. He''ll reach the third-level elerated blood flow, and he might even be able to perfect his Stone Armour Technique by then. But this also depended on whether he could ept extra tasks during the atonement task.

    If he couldn''t take on extra tasks, then Cassius would have to find some way to fool the other Hellsings into giving a considerable amount of dark essence. He had originally nned to scam arge amount of dark essence from ck Rain Manor anyway before severing ties with thempletely. This way, he wouldn''t have to repay itter.

    Cassius had no qualms about doing this. He had only one goal ining to this historical period, and one goal only: to shut down ck Rain Manor.

    Burying those sinister thoughts back inside him, Cassius continued flipping through the book. A map was tucked between the pages. He carefully pulled it out and found an old piece of parchment.

    The parchment was slightly yellowed, showing signs of age and brittleness. Fearing he might tear it if he used just a little too much strength, he cautiously spread it out. It was a medieval-style map with abstract drawings.

    The various regions, rivers, and mountains were written in ancient names, and the distances and proportions were inurate. Some areas of the map were damaged, with key information covered by reddish-brown stains that looked suspiciously like blood.

    Cassius shook his head. He couldn''t make head nor tail of it. He needed to find a linguist who studied the ancientnguages, preferably from a university with an archaeology department. This way, an archaeologist could restore the map, and the linguist could trante the information.

    Fortunately, these matters could be solved with money. It would just take time.

    Cassius wasn''t in any hurry. He nned to spend the next few months enhancing his strength to the maximum before attempting the mission. This way, even if he failed, it wouldn''t be aplete and total loss.

    With a solid n in ce, Cassius carefully took the map and left the Baptism Chapel. He didn''t stop for dinner and headed directly to the Mission Hall to test if he could ept another task.

    The answer was, yes.

    ck Rain Manor was quite magnanimous, or maybe it had no choice but to follow the rules.

    From that day on, a cloaked figure appeared in the Hellsings'' gathering spots in ck Rain Manor, such as the Iron Blood Tavern.

    This ce was a mixed bag in ck Rain Manor with all kinds of people and sectsing and going. Consequently, news traveled fast. Over the past few days, Cassius made some acquaintances and gathered some intelligence, especially regarding dark essence loans, because, that''s right, even Hellsings had loan sharks.

    Although marked-ones weren''t ordinary people, they still had ordinary needs. Hellsings often faced difficult missions, and rather than risking their lives, they could borrow dark essence to enhance themselves and get through tough times. This was amon trait among both ordinary people and marked-ones.

    There were formal loan services within the Hellsings, as well as underground ck market loans. These ck market loans were essentially high-interest loans with low barriers to entry. One could borrow at anytime and even in exorbitant amounts.

    Cassius aimed to contact several of these ck market lenders. Once he set his n in motion topletely betray ck Rain Manor, he was going to borrow arge amount from each lender, using it to enhance himself. It didn''t matter if he didn''t use it all up, as long as he reached the peak of physical control.

    Once enhanced, he''d make a quick exit. If the lenders were sensible and didn''t pursue him, then that would be good. If they sought revenge, Cassius wouldn''t hesitate to get rid of them.

    As the saying goes: eliminate the lender, then you eliminate the debt.

    Another day, in the eastern region of ck Rain Manor, in a secluded corner near the back door at the Iron Blood Tavern, a tall man in a cloak sat drinking. He seemed mysterious and quiet, his cold demeanor at total odds with the lively and rowdy atmosphere around him.

    Cassius nced at a burly man nearby, who was drinking heartily, beer drenching his tangled chest hair. He mmed his cup down and shouted in satisfaction. In a farther corner, a man and a woman, both marked-ones, were getting intimate, heedless of how they were in front of everyone. Others were ying drinking games.

    Hellsings had their own ways of coping with the pressure of facing death: drinking, fighting, or women.

    Cassius took a sip of his drink and tapped his fingers on the table. He was waiting for someone.

    A short, red-haired man walked in. He looked around the bar before making a beeline for Cassius. Cassius stood up without a word and headed for the back door. The two of them stepped into a quiet alley behind the bar.

    "I''ve made contact for you. The ck Wolf Society, a branch of the Werebeast Sect, does this kind of business, and so does the Reaper''s Eye, a branch of the Mercury Sect, though they operate on a smaller scale. If you want to borrow dark essence from them, you might only get a little..." the red-haired man said in a low voice.

    "Anything is fine. I don''t mind," Cassius replied expressionlessly.

    "Here are their addresses for transactions and their business hours." The red-haired man handed over two slips of paper.

    Cassius epted and put them in his pocket. He then pulled out a wad of federal currency and handed it to the man. "It was a pleasure doing business with you."

    The red-haired man smiled as he pocketed the money. "Yes, it was."

    Cassius shook the man''s hand. With his help, Cassius had obtained contact information for five high-interest lenders. He was confident he''d be able to borrow arge sum of essence eventually.

    Scamming wasn''t really that satisfying. Cassius preferred to scam loan sharks. But there was no rush. He wasn''t nning on running just yet. With the contacts in hand, he could borrow the essence at anytime.

    The next day, Cassius brought Jiri along in the same manner as before. However, unlikest time, ck Rain Manor did not target Cassius again. Perhaps it was because he had taken on the atonement task. In any case, until he left the Rainy World, Cassius encountered no danger and smoothly returned to the real world.

    This time, not only did he bring back a six-month atonement task, he also brought back numerous extra tasks. As Cassius¡¯s strength increased,pleting shield-level tasks became as easy as eating and drinking and posed no challenge at all.

    Time flew by, and four months passed in the blink of an eye.

    June 10, 107 of the Hongli Federation calendar.

    In a secluded and dark private room of the Baptism Chapel, a burly man with a bare upper body was slowly practicing his fist techniques. His leg, which was raised high in the air, stepped onto the ground.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    The floor shook, and a ck shadow shed across his arm, followed by a sharp whistle as the airflow surged wildly. A powerful straight punch stopped midair. The wall from two to three meters away snapped from the force of the punch just thrown.

    Cassius slowly retracted his fist, his chest rising and falling rhythmically like a drum. This was the breathing technique of the Elephant Soul. A faint white mist hovered around his nose, and a deep, elephant-like roar emanated from his chest, creating a sense of heaviness.

    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    <i>Huff...</i>

    Cassius opened his eyes. His Wind Elephant Fist technique had improved after over four months of training, achieving a slight enhancement.

    [Wind Elephant Fist Iplete: Elephant Herd 71.2% (Total Three Stages)] ¡ú [Wind Elephant Fist Iplete: Elephant Herd 74.8% (Total Three Stages)]

    Assuming that the Elephant Herd stage was divided into five steps, Cassius had only one step left. He was getting close to thebat artist level.

    In the dim light, he reached out and patted the muscles on his shoulder, producing a rasping sound like two rough stones rubbing together. Cassius''s tall body seemed to be covered in a faint white stone-likeyer, giving off a robust and tough aura.

    This was his normal state. If Cassius exerted his full effort in hardening Qigong, his body would appear to be d in armor. Although his flexibility decreased, his defense had seen a significant uptick.

    [Stone Armour Technique: Light Armor Major Culmination (Total Two Stages)] ¡ú [Stone Armour Technique: Heavy Armor Major Culmination (Total Two Stages)]

    In four months, his hardening Qigong progressed from Light Armor Major Culmination to Heavy Armor Major Culmination.

    This twoyer technique had reached its peak. Cassius had now reached the extreme state of the Stone Armour Technique.

    Skin Hardening level 2: Due to his hardening Qigong practice, his muscles were tougher, and his skin harder. His defense and resistance to blows had significantly improved and could now withstand...

    With this hardening Qigong, if Cassius used his full strength, even a machine gun couldn''t break through his defenses!

    His breathing gradually calmed. He finished his warm-up and adjusted himself to his optimal state. Sitting cross-legged, Cassius nced at the upper right corner.

    [Elephant Soul Iplete: Bug Bite 61.7% (Total Three Stages)]

    He felt the abundant Soul Power within him. Without hesitation, he calmed his mind. A surge of Soul Power power erupted, enveloping every inch of Cassius''s body. The familiar strengthening process began anew.

    In a certain sense, practicing Covert Martial Arts was a continuous process ofmunicating with and tempering the body. In this process, the physique continually grew stronger, akin to a general training a motley crew into a disciplined and formidable army, like forging weapons to increase their physical strength; equipping them with armor to enhance their defense; training them to be disciplined in having control over their strength.

    Cassius now felt like a general, striving to coordinate both the overall situation and optimize the structure of his army. Most importantly, he was ensuring every soldier was well-fed to make a robust army.

    In the private room, the burly man was bare-chested. His powerful, reddened muscles surged and rolled like waves. Sweat dripped down like a broken line, hitting the ground with a plop, creating a wet circle around him.

    As he breathed through his nostrils, a small white vortex formed. His heaving chest emitted a trumpeting-like sound.

    Cassius closed his eyes. His body felt like it was alternating between cold and hot. One moment felt like bathing in icy water, the next like falling into a volcano. The extreme cold and heat frantically stimted his senses, making the process torturous. The most unbearable points were in three ces: the navel, the heart, and the brow.

    At this moment, a hot current was rampaging between these three points, each acting like a slingshot, continuously elerating the current. Each time the current passed through a point, it moved faster through his bones and organs, leaving a knife-like pain in its wake.

    Besides the current, his blood was also elerating between two points: the heart and the navel. The thick red blood rushed through his veins at an incredible speed. Without him entering the elerated blood flow state, his blood had already sped up to three times its normal rate and continued to rise.

    Cassius''s body was wracked with a splitting pain. But he could feel something happening¡ªa sense of unification and transformation.

    Blood eleration. Airflow eleration. Loop after loop, the speed increased little by little. Until a certain moment!

    The blood eleration broke through three times and hit four times!

    <i>Buzz!!!</i>

    His brain roared as if struck by a hammer. An invisible vortex unfolded from his brow. The paths of the hot current and blood flow ovepped, and merged frequencies. A massive force erupted like a lit bomb, sweeping through his entire body!

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 139 - I, Cassius, Had Come This Far

    <h4>Chapter 139 - I, Cassius, Had Come This Far</h4>

    <i>Crack, crack, crack...</i>

    A series of crisp sounds like deep-fried beans erupted, as Cassius''s bones and joints made popping noises all over his body. A muffled groan of unbearable pain escaped from his throat.

    Cassius''s muscles rippled like waves, resembling fish swimming in the sea. The heat from his body radiated outward, transforming him into a scorching hot furnace. Sweat flowed from his nds, immediately evaporating into white steam.

    In just a few minutes, his tall and robust frame was enveloped in steam, obscuring his figure. Only the subtle sounds of muscle movement could be heard, asionally apanied by the crisp sound of bones cracking.

    <i>Boom, boom, boom...</i>

    At some point, the faint sound of a heartbeat joined in as well and grew louder as time passed. Initially, it sounded like light pping, then a drumbeat, and now it thundered like a roaring storm.

    The dull thumping echoed throughout the private room, making the entire space tremble. Fine white dust silently fell from the corners of the room.

    All the sounds vanished in an instant. One moment it was noisy, the next it was dead silent. Faint white steam continued to rise from Cassius''s bare upper body, wrapping him in a swirling vortex.

    A pair of sharp eyes flew open from within.

    <i>Whoosh...</i>

    Hot air spurted out from his nose and mouth in a long stream, splitting the white steam in two to make way for the tall figure from within. He took two steps forward and stood quietly in the private room.

    His strong, perfect body, which had red and white interwoven throughout, was exposed to the air. The white was the rock-like membrane running along the surface of his skin, while the red was the hot blood flowing through his veins.

    His heart was filled with an unprecedented sensation that his strength was now at its peak. Power coursed through his body¡ªhis skin, muscles, bones, and blood¡ªall teeming with unimaginable energy.

    Cassius felt like a balloon, an endless stream of air being pumped in and swelling him rapidly.

    N?v(el)B\\jnn

    He instantly threw himself into practicing the Wind Elephant Covert Martial Arts, assuming thebat stance of the Wind Elephant Fist. He punched and retracted his fists, kicked and pulled back his legs continuously. He then threw in his elbows and knees,bining various attack methods.

    The private room echoed with the sound of raindrops, and the ground trembled with each step.

    In the dim light, a figure moved frantically, each movement exuding an aura of grandeur. With his robust body nourished, Cassius never felt ufortable despite his vigor increasing as he trained. The muscles all over his body, including his forehead, seemed to be visibly bulging.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    The ground shook violently.

    A forward charge! A punch!

    "<i>Roar</i>!!!"

    Cassius dazedly felt like an elephant was rampaging through the private room, roaring and trampling, causing the air to solidify and tremble. The airflow roared past, forming a vortex in midair.

    He froze mid-punch. Very slowly, he retracted his fist. He reyed the incredibly powerful punch in his mind. Had that been Qi? Momentum?

    Though he tried his best to recreate that move, unfortunately, he couldn''t. The punch required a specific condition. Because he had just broken through the third elerated blood flow cycle, it formed a loop at three nodes. With his physique rapidly enhancing, his energy had overflowed and was primed to erupt. But after that punch, the momentum was gone, and his state went back to normal. Recreating that realm was unrealistic.

    "Is this the power that only abat artist can wield?" Cassius murmured to himself. He wasn''t too discouraged. With his cheat ability, he knew thebat artist level was within his grasp.

    And yet, he still longed for that power¡ªa realm beyond humanity''s reach, a deeper development and refinement of the body, a transcendence beyond the flesh.

    Amateur, professional, pugilist,bat artist...

    The path of Covert Martial Arts was still a long one; Cassius was merely standing at the first significant threshold. When he looked back, he could see the steps leading up to thebat artist, but the mysterious and long staircase ahead was shrouded in mist, just waiting for every devoted Covert Martial Artist to climb.

    Every Covert Martial Artist had one opponent: themselves. The process of cultivating Covert Martial Arts and developing the body was a long and arduous struggle with oneself. Most people fell, defeated by their own hands.

    From the moment Cassius started practicing Covert Martial Arts, he wasmitting himself to an eternal fight against blood, sweat, and tears, binding himself as a form of self-imposed restraint. But, even if he was bound for life, what did it matter? It was worth it. If he could still look ahead, then every step he took had a unique significance!

    Fighting against the heavens was an endless joy, fighting against the earth was an endless joy. Fighting against oneself was also a type of endless joy.

    A pugilist, and even more so abat artist, would not find the long and arduous path of Covert Martial Arts discouraging; on the contrary, it fuelled Cassius''s determination. After all, Cassius has never fought alone¡ªthe mysterious and unfathomable time-travel ability was also a part of him.

    Although Cassius''s achievements werergely due to his diligence and hard work, with the time-travel ability merely serving as a catalyst or auxiliary factor, he still had to admit that the ability had significantly helped him. If he had to quantify it, the ratio would be roughly nine to one, with him being the nine and the ability being the one.

    So, if Cassius imed that his progress was primarily due to his own efforts, it''d be a realistic and convincing statement.

    In the private room, he looked up at the upper right corner.

    [Elephant Soul Iplete: Bug Bite 66.7% (Total Three Stages)]

    He had reached the pinnacle of martial artists, the third-level elerated blood flow.

    This was Cassius''s unprecedented peak state¡ªand he could control it. Since his Wind Elephant Fist level was still higher than his Elephant Soul technique, he didn''t have to worry about losing control.

    The level of a Covert Martial Artist''s strength was determined by their Covert Martial Arts, physical condition,bat skills, and additional techniques. As the foundation, the most crucial factor was undoubtedly the physical condition, with the other factors being influenced by it.

    For example, Cassius previously used Azure Wind Flow, but couldn''t control the formation of a spiral airflow. Now, with his third-level elerated blood flow, he might even be able to seed at forming a Tornado Sphere with his hands.

    [Azure Wind Flow: Stage Two 85.7% (Total Two Stages)]

    From the end of the second time-travel, to the time Cassius spent back in the real world, to his experiences during the third time-travel until now, he hadn''t stopped training Azure Wind Flow. This iplete technique could only be honed over time.

    Soul Power couldn''t elerate the Azure Wind Flow, and even if it could, Cassius would never risk it. Iplete techniques were unstable, powerful techniques were dangerous, and Azure Wind Flow was thebination of both. He feared that using Soul Power to elerate it might cause his arms to explode! Not just maybe; it was highly likely!

    Soul Power was best suited for enhancing techniques that had a stable framework, a rich historical background, and a proven track record. Using it to improve these techniques at least minimized the risk of encountering unforeseen dangers. Cassius wasn''t going to make that kind of unnecessary risk.

    He opened the door of the private room, the door creaking, and stepped out. At the same time, the door of the adjacent private room also opened. A beautiful woman with blue hair strolled out, her eyes fixed on Cassius. Even as they left the Baptism Chapel, Cassius could still feel her gaze.

    He paused on the gray-white street, and turned around to ask, "Do you need something?"

    "N-no," the woman stammered, then shook her head.

    Cassius turned away coolly and walked quickly into the distance.

    The blue-haired woman watched his tall figure disappear, recalling the tremors and muffled sounds from the private room. The strong movements had been palpable even through the sturdy walls.

    "That ruckus must have something to do with this cold-faced muscle man..."

    ***

    In the blink of an eye, three days passed. On June 14, 107 of the Hongli Federation calendar, in East Sea City, at Wenmingda University.

    As one of the top universities in Donghai City¡ªnot the best, but certainly among the top three¡ªWenmingda''s campus was well-equipped, had flexible policies, ample funding, and had gathered the top talents across various fields, including ancientnguages, archaeology, and cultural heritage preservation.

    A few months ago, a professor at Wenmingda University, specializing in ancientnguages, received amission request. The task was to decipher information on a map as well as restore the map itself, and he would be given a handsome reward.

    The client was quite generous and paid half of the reward upfront. Professor Tennessee had never seen such a thick stack of cash before. This one payment was enough to make him financially independent. And there was still the other half toe!

    As a result, Tennessee was very dedicated to thismission. Money aside, he was genuinely interested in the map. He had majored in ancientnguages because he had been passionate about it, and though the me of curiosity had dimmed over time, he felt it reignite with thismission!

    Toplete the task and receive the remaining reward, Professor Tennessee worked tirelessly. He scoured the library for relevant documents and hired several colleagues to assist. He also enlisted the help of the university''s archaeology experts for professional artifact restoration. Despite the challenges, the decoding process was ultimately sessful.

    Professor Tennessee sent a letter to Mr. Twilight over a week ago, informing him that the decoding wasplete. He guessed Mr. Twilight was already on his way.

    At noon, the sky was clear, without a trace of cloud, as if it had been cleansed of all impurities. The sun shone brilliantly, and a light breeze swept away some of the heat from the campus.

    Many students sat in groups on the ck benches along the shady avenues, either being yful with one another or chatting cheerfully. Couples were amon sight. University students were in the prime of their youth¡ªfull of enthusiasm, confidence, and curiosity.

    A gray-white fountain stood at the entrance of the avenue, forming a roundabout leading in different directions. Water gently flowed down the entirely white fountain while a marble statue, depicting what was likely a former principal, stood on a stone pedestal in the center.

    Next to the fountain were several benches, where a couple was currently sitting, whispering sweet nothings and discussing recent campus gossip. The boy leaned in for a kiss.

    Suddenly, a tall shadow loomed over them. "Excuse me, could you tell me where the No. 3 administration building is?"

    The deep, indifferent voice startled the boy, squashing his earlier romantic intentions. He spun around angrily. "You¡ªah."

    The boy was stunned. A tall man in a casual suit towered over him. Despite the formal attire, his 1.9-meter frame exuded a powerful presence. The expressionless look on his face seemed to say someone owed him arge sum of money. His overall aura conveyed a domineering, indisputable authority.

    The boy felt that if he didn''t answer right now, the man might punch him the next second. So, he quickly and politely gave directions.

    "Thank you." Cassius adjusted the wide-brimmed hat on his head and walked away.

    He had tried to be as friendly as possible, but since his Covert Martial Arts training had enhanced his life essence, the gap between him and ordinary people had grownrger. This gave him an inexplicable aura, making strangers feel like rabbits before a tiger when they first saw him.

    With a slight shake of his head, Cassius headed toward the No. 3 administration building. He passed the fountain statue, walked along the shady avenue, through a training field, and several teaching buildings. Once he arrived at a rtively secluded area in the eastern part of the campus, he stopped to observe.

    A stone with engraved characters stating "No. 3 administration building" stood in a flower bed. He looked up at the yellow and white building and hurried in.

    Half an hourter, on the right side of the third floor of the administration building, Cassius sat at a desk by the window where sunlight was streaming in. He sipped tea while he read some documents.

    A bald, bespectacled middle-aged man with an ordinary, if not slightly shifty, appearance sat on the opposite end. Academic prowess could not be judged by appearance alone. Despite his unremarkable looks, Professor Tennessee was a well-known schr in ancientnguages and had significant expertise in the field.

    At the moment, he was nervously sipping tea, ncing asionally at Cassius and the bulging yellow envelope in Cassius''s suit pocket, usually used for holdingrge amounts of cash.

    He squinted slightly, putting down the documents. "So, Professor Tennessee, you determined the name and location of a mountain range on the map, and then inferred from that?"

    "Yes, one of the mountain features on the map you provided was quite distinctive. After consulting the Wenmingda University library and with the help of some geography colleagues, I gathered a lot of information forparison''s sake and finally pinpointed the location." Professor Tennessee took a deep breath. "It''s in the northern part of the Hongli Federation, up in Shire County and in the Alphama mountains where there are two cities there: Mirror Lake and Bright Mountain."

 Chapter 140 - Fake-death Pill

    <h4>Chapter 140 - Fake-death Pill</h4>

    "I''ve already investigated the situation over there," Professor Tennessee said. He stood up, opening a ck drawer, and pulling out a thick stack of documents.

    Cassius grabbed and quickly skimmed through them. They contained information on the history of the two cities as well as specific details about the Alphama mountains. It was quite detailed, and he nodded in approval.

    "Professor Tennessee is very thorough."

    Tennessee sat back down and smiled. He wasn''t some half-baked schr! He had real expertise, which was why he was a professor at Wenmingda University. As long as money was involved, no problem was too difficult for him to solve.

    He picked up his tea and took a small sip. Before he could swallow, he noticed a bulging yellow envelope on the table. Arge hand slid the envelope across, stopping just in front of the porcin cup tray.

    "Here''s a small token of my appreciation, Professor Tennessee."

    "<i>Gulp.</i>"

    Professor Tennessee quickly swallowed, a smile spreading across his face as he very naturally slipped the envelope into his pocket. Just from the feel, he knew the cash inside was more than sufficient.

    Fifteen minutester, Professor Tennessee stood at his office door, warmly calling out to Cassius''s departing figure, "If you need anything, Mr. Twilight, feel free toe to me again."

    Tennessee didn''t move from his spot until Twilight disappeared round the stairway. He patted his bulging pocket, a smile reappearing on his face before shutting the door with a click. A cheerful whistle could be heard faintly from inside the office.

    ***

    On June 18th, in the Year 107 of the Hongli Federation, the weather was clear.

    Shire County, located in the northern part of the Hongli Federation, was arge county with nearly twenty million people. In topographic terms, Shire County was t and resembled what an oval-shaped egg would look like if it were lying on its side on a table.

    Bordering the Alphama mountains to the west, while the east connected to the ocean, Shire County was home to several medium-sized coastal cities. Economic development naturally decreased from the coast progressing ind, with the least developed cities being Mirror Lake City and Bright Mountain City, both of which were near the Alphama mountains. But calling them the "least developed" was only in rtion to the other cities in Shire County. Inparison to the rest of the nation, Mirror Lake City and Bright Mountain City were still considered above average.

    The two cities primarily supplied timber and developed tourism. During the summer, they were popr destinations for escaping the heat. As such, ensuring tourist safety was quite the concerning matter. Both Mirror Lake City and Bright Mountain City had consistently done well in that regard, with a decent and admirably efficient police force. Due to thebination of those factors, the number of tourists have steadily been on the rise, leading to the flourishing of various tourism-dependent industries.

    In a police station at Mirror Lake City, Sheriff Burton sat in an office, reading the Mirror Lake Morning News while sipping his scalding coffee.

    "Which bored tourist pulled a prank this time?" He shook his head in exasperation. In the corner of the newspaper was a lengthy report reading "Mysterious Symbols Found at Croxton Farm in Southern Mirror Lake!" apanied by a ck-and-white photo.

    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    The photo showed an isted area at a farm with iprehensible ck symbols on the ground. The circr design had chaotic lines inside that resembled teeth or ws, and some inscrutable tadpole-like characters. The article included expert analysis, stating that the symbols were drawn using ck charcoal mixed with some nt ash.

    Burton couldn''t help chuckling. This was all part and parcel of Mirror Lake City¡¯s rapidly growing tourism; there''d always be one or two attention-seeking, risk-taking tourists.

    Just half a year ago, there had been the Purple Lake incident.

    Many tourists had imed that they had seen parts of theke¡¯s surface turn into a stunning and magnificent magenta early in the morning. At the time, there was much spection which caused a huge stir. Some imed it was a divine sign, while others thought it was a mystical scientific phenomenon.

    In the end, it turned out to be a group of visiting university students who had been dumping purple dye into theke every dawn just for fun. The students were eventually caught and detained at the police station for several days for damaging theke environment.

    That nonsense in the Mirror Lake Morning News about mysterious symbols was likely a simr thing. Plus, if it really was some sort of cult ritual, wouldn''t they use blood to draw the symbols? Using charcoal and nt ash to fool people... It was probably some folks that had too much time on their hands and nothing better to do.

    Burton shook his head and put down the newspaper.

    <i>Knock, knock, knock.</i>

    A series of urgent knocks sounded at the door. Burton raised his head slightly. "Come in."

    A young officer immediately walked in, his face concerned. "Sheriff, another disappearance was reported this morning."

    "What?" Burton frowned. He could already feel a headacheing on.

    The past half month had been a nightmare for the police station. There had been a string of disappearances in Mirror Lake City, with many tourists perfectly fine one day, only to vanish without a trace the next.

    It seemed like it was happening again.

    As he expected, Burton was soon called into his superior''s office. Five minutester, he was out and he speedily headed over to where the criminal investigation team was stationed.

    "Criminal Investigation Team, follow me. We¡¯ve got another case."

    A little over half an hourter, a small town between the Alphama Mountains and Mirror Lake was brimming with officers in dark blue uniforms. They questioned the townspeople while they jotted down notes.

    "Nothing unusual happenedst night. It was just like any other evening. A few of us went out to town with Sarah so we could try some of Mirror Lake City¡¯s local delicacies. She was still here this morning and said she wanted to go for a walk. Then she just up and vanished. We searched everywhere for her and all we could find was the ne her mother gave her near theke."

    "Are you talking about that blonde college girl? I saw her heading toward theke around 6 a.m when I was walking around town this morning. Later, I saw her friends asking around, looking for her..."

    ***

    At the edge of town, Burton turned to ask an officer. "Any useful leads?"

    "None yet, but the other teams are searching around theke. We¡¯ve mobilized more officers than usual this time, so we should be able to find something."

    Over an hourter, in the dense woods of eastern Mirror Lake, floating white clouds dotted the blue sky and sunlight bathed the treetops, making the green leaves glisten. The wind rustled through the trees, the leaves whispering overhead like a gentle rain, sometimes from the east, and other times from the west. Sunlight, simultaneously warm and cold, filtered through the leaves of some sparsely grown trees to cast long, dappled shadows in a clearing. The surrounding scenery looked peaceful and serene.

    If you ignored the corpse on the ground, that is.

    The slightly overweight Burton, dressed in his blue police uniform, periodically wiped sweat from his chubby face. A tall, thin man with a hooked nose stood beside him, puffing on a ck pipe. It was the Special Task Force''s Sheriff Randy.

    Randy took a drag from his pipe and said to Burton, "Strange, isn¡¯t it? It looks like she was taken by a wild animal, but there are no bite marks, just these puncture wounds on her neck."

    They looked at each other then back at the female corpse on the ground. Her clothes were neat and showed no signs of struggle. Her face was pale and judging by the expression on her face, it looked like she had died somewhat confused. Three pairs of puncture marks resembling snake bites marred her slender neck.

    A few minutester, their colleague from the forensics department provided an initial assessment.

    The woman had died from severe blood loss, though not from the wounds itself. It was as if some creature had drained her blood. The three pairs of punctures on her neck were likely left by whatever had fed on her.

    "Wolf? Bear? Tiger? Or maybe some kind of bat?" Burton¡¯s mind raced as he read the report, though he couldn¡¯t fathom what kind of creature could drain all the blood from an adult using only a few small punctures. "Let¡¯s head back first and file the report with the chief."

    Three dayster, on June 21, Year 107 of the Hongli Federation...

    "Another disappearance?! This is the fifteenth one this month!" Burton rubbed his throbbing head and set the newspaper down before hurrying to the chief¡¯s office.

    Two minutester, Chief Keh sighed. "There¡¯s nothing more we can do about this. Let''s just do our jobs well. After all, something else is involved in this..." He paused, then continued, "I reported this to our superiors three days ago, and they said they¡¯d send someone to handle it. By my calctions, they should be here soon."

    Keh and Burton chatted for about ten minutes longer. Then, a soft knock sounded on the door.

    "Come in," Keh said, looking up.

    An officer rushed in. "Chief, there¡¯s an oddly dressed man outside who wants to see you. We¡¯ve put him in the lobby for now."

    "Oddly dressed?" Burton couldn¡¯t help but ask.

    "Yeah, it''s a scorcher today and he¡¯s dressed all in ck. Wide-brimmed hat, trench coat, sunsses, face mask, and gloves, the works," the officer said. They had a strange look on their face, clearly having never encountered such an oddity before.

    Meanwhile, a steam train came to a hissing stop at the Mirror Lake City¡¯s train station.

    "Passengers, please disembark. This is Mirror Lake City," the conductor called out as he stepped off the train, guiding the crowd. One by one, the passengers grabbed their luggage and quickly left the tform.

    The conductor called out into the carriage, "Is there anyone still on board? We¡¯ve reached Mirror Lake City!"

    A few secondster, a tall, handsome figure emerged from the carriage. His long, golden hair flowed like a lion¡¯s mane and shone brightly under the sunlight.

    The surrounding passengers nced over but kept their distance, seemingly awestruck by his statuesque physique and extraordinary looks. The conductor, struck by the passenger¡¯s remarkable appearance and indescribable aura, was rendered momentarily speechless as well.

    The golden-haired man, however, paid no mind to the attention. He gazed up at the azure sky where fluffy clouds partially covered the sun as a flock of white birds flew by.

    "What wonderful weather. It''s no wonder my martial uncle chose to retire here," he murmured to himself. Suitcase in hand, the man squeezed through the crowd as the conductor watched on.

    Later that afternoon on the same tform, the sky turned into a blend of yellow and red as if it were straight from an artist¡¯s palette. The floating clouds looked like a golden field, or perhaps a shimmering sea.

    Another train arrived at the tform, hissing as it released steam. Amidst the conductor''s calls, numerous tourists disembarked in small groups, with clear destinations in mind.

    <i>Click.</i>

    A ck shoended on the tform and a man who was around 1.9 meters tall stepped down. He wore a light gray T-shirt and ck pants, and although he carried arge suitcase that was at least twice the size of everyone else''s luggage, it didn¡¯t look out of ce. Perhaps it was because of his enormous size that even the suitcase seemed so small in such a well-built man''s hand.

    The man nced at his watch, then quickly walked forward, blending into the crowd of tourists.

    The next morning at Lillian High-End Apartments, Cassius opened his eyes from his bed. A sliver of sunlight flooded in through the gap in the curtain, splitting the white sheets in two. He quickly washed up and waited in the spacious living room.

    A knock sounded at the door. "Mr. Twilight, your breakfast is here," a sweet, pleasant female voice came from outside.

    "Coming." Cassius went to open the door.

    A young woman with a lovely visage and graceful figure stood outside, dressed in a uniform. She waited quietly, holding a tray in her fair hands.

    "Come in." Cassius walked back inside, and the waitress followed, cing the breakfast on the table before respectfully leaving.

    Lillian High-End Apartments provided some services simr to hotels. Cassius sat at the table and began eating his first breakfast in Mirror Lake City. It tasted pretty good.

    As he ate, he thought back to the information he had roughly memorized. It wouldn''t be easy finding the Akaba Ruins with those clues. After all, they only narrowed down a region. Progress was minimal. Whether he could find it in just over a month was still up in the air, and Cassius was ready to bail at any time.

    After finishing breakfast, he casually picked up theplimentary Mirror Lake Morning News from the tray, and his eyes instantly zeroed in on the bold headline: "Series of Disappearances Shock Mirror Lake City!"

    The article detailed the situation, citing over twenty disappearances in Mirror Lake City within a month, involving both locals and tourists. The police had found three bodies, all dead from blood loss, and all seemingly drained by something!

    "Vampires?" Cassius shook his head indifferently. He had seen his fair share of these kinds of reports; sometimes they were true, most times they were false. It wasn¡¯t unusual for them to make the papers.

    He read further. The article mentioned that nearly all the missing persons had disappeared somewhere by Mirror Lake where it was closest to the Alphama mountains. Based on the evidence, it seemed that the victims had been taken there.

    "Wait! Mirror Lake, mountains, a dense forest, vampires, ruins..." Cassius muttered to himself as several elements began to piece together. A vague image started to emerge in his mind. A piece of Twilight''s memory.

    "Fake-death pill?"

 Chapter 141 - I Hate That Youéˆ¥æª™e Like A Stone

    <h4>Chapter 141 - I Hate That You¡¯re Like A Stone</h4>

    There was a particr node in Twilight''s original memories where he stumbled upon a ruined site in one of his missions and acquired a secret elixir recipe that could induce a state of feigned death. The elixir was so potent it could deceive the mark on a marked-one''s hand and even trick the Decaying Knights.

    Twilight''s mission had brought him to a tourist city nestled between a mountain and ake where he was supposed to hunt down vampires, as the area seemed to be quite a significant vampire nest.

    Cassius''s eyes were nearly closed as he sat at the yellow table, deep in thought. He struggled to recall Twilight''s hazy memories. From what he could remember, Twilight had undertaken the ck Rain Manor mission in the summer. The city he visited had just celebrated a grand local festival, and it seemed that Mirror Lake City and Bright Mountain City had simr traditions.

    On that day, citizens of both cities would gather water from Mirror Lake. Carrying their wooden buckets or basins, they would then fling water onto the streets using a leafy branch. Passersby, regardless of their status, would be warmly greeted so it was best to stay indoors if one didn¡¯t want to get soaked.

    The festival, known as the Wood Rain Festival, took ce every year on July 1 and seemed to have evolved from being a religious custom. It bore some resemnce to the Holy Bath Festival observed in many southern counties. Residents of Mirror Lake and Bright Mountain staunchly believed theke¡¯s water had magical properties and sprinkling it on oneself would bring good fortune for the entire year.

    While hunting vampires in the mountain forest, Twilight had stumbled upon a dim cave. Inside, he discovered a ruined site where he found the secret elixir. He had intended to explore further but was forced to retreat because he sensed danger.

    Cassius strained to recall more, but all he could grasp were vague images and fragmented sequences.

    Finding a small cave in the vast mountains based on such little information was going to be near impossible. Moreover, he couldn¡¯t be sure if the ruined site in the cave was indeed the Akaba Ruins that ck Rain Manor had tasked him with finding.

    Twilight¡¯s memories were still too blurry, like a dream he couldn¡¯t fully remember. If not for a few key terms coincidentally aligning, Cassius might not have been able to trigger that memory at all.

    "I¡¯ll get familiar with the area first before hiring a local guideter and using a map to search for clues in Twilight''s memories." Cassius squinted his eyes and downed thest of his milk.

    The next day at the Mirror Lake City Police Department, Keh was in the chief''s office, massaging his temples with a frustrated look on his face. He was about to lose his mind with all of these disappearances in Mirror Lake City. Naturally, as the chief, he was under immense pressure.

    He hadn¡¯t been sleeping welltely. Every morning, he woke up to see his already thinning hair falling out. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before Keh wentpletely bald. However, there was some relief in the fact that the "specialists" sent from the county had arrived the day before.

    The leader of the group had a private conversation with Chief Keh in his office yesterday, revealing some shocking and terrifying dark secrets.

    An unimaginable underworld, hidden beneath the surface of the peaceful human society, harbored man-eating dark creatures, bizarre and unknown entities, and Mercury Hunters wielding extraordinary powers. And that was just the tip of the iceberg; countless more chaotic and dark phenomena lurked deep in the abyss.

    As the saying goes, let professionals handle professional matters. The group who called themselves Mercury Hunters had already begun investigating the string of disappearances in Mirror Lake City. Keh could only hope that they could help get this mess resolved as quickly as possible.

    Rubbing his eyes with a sigh, he picked up a small stack of files from the right side of his desk and prepared to get to work.

    <i>Knock, knock, knock...</i>

    The door promptly opened after the three knocks. Keh immediately knew who it was: his niece, Cathy. She had just graduated three months ago and had joined the Mirror Lake City Police Department as an intern.

    Keh sighed. Laying his pen down, he raised his head and asked, "What is it, Officer Cathy?"

    A tall, fair-skinned young woman dressed in a deep blue police uniform stood in front of him. Cathy had neat, short hair, clear ck eyes, and sharp eyebrows that looked like they had been etched into her face. The expression on her face exuded confidence andposure.

    "Chief Keh, I would like to request a transfer to the Criminal Investigation Team or the Special Task Force," the girl said as she closed the door behind her.

    "What do you want to do in those ces?!" Keh¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.

    "People have been disappearing in Mirror Lake Citytely, and I want to work on the front lines with the Criminal Investigation Team to bring the criminals to justice! If not there, then the Special Task Force will do, Uncle." Cathy smiled as she took a few steps closer to the desk.

    "Stop joking around! Neither of those things are happening. You better stay put in the office and not do any kind of funny business for the remaining three months of your internship. Go back to your work." Keh frowned and waved her off. "And don¡¯t call me ''Uncle'' while we¡¯re here."

    Cathy visibly deted. "Alright...Uncle."

    "Off you go, don¡¯t disturb me while I''m working." Keh shook his head. These were dangerous times, and frontline officers like those in the Criminal Investigation Team and Special Task Force would likely have to cooperate with the Mercury Hunters sooner orter. If they found the vampires that the Mercury Hunters spoke of, even armed officers might not be able to escape unscathed. He certainly didn¡¯t want his niece to return with a missing arm or leg. Not to mention his sister would surely storm the police station with a knife if anything happened to her daughter...

    Time flew by, and soon it was past four in the afternoon, almost close to five. Cathy finished up interning at the office for the day. With her uncle being the police chief, she wasn¡¯t assigned too much work, and the moderate pace of the office was just right.

    Feeling a bit down, Cathy declined her colleagues'' invitation to dinner, and changed into her casual clothes so she could head directly home. She considered talking to her mother over dinner, hoping that her mom could help persuade her uncle, but she had a feeling her mother might side with her uncle and not want her to join the Criminal Investigation Team.

    As such, she was feeling torn and distracted, and without her realizing it, she had wandered into the corner of an unfamiliar alley. Cathy came back to her senses and was about to retrace her steps when she noticed a man and a woman strolling down a quiet road on the corner. They both appeared to be tourists.

    They didn''t seem to know each other and kept a fair distance between them. However, the man walking behind suddenly sped up, and in just a few steps, caught up to the woman. Cathy¡¯s eyes widened, and she was about to rush over when she realized that the man wasn¡¯t trying to rob or assault her. Instead, he gently tapped the woman on the shoulder.

    The woman turned around, confused, and froze in ce. Cathy was too far away to hear what they were saying, but she did see the man turn and head down an alley, with the woman dazedly trailing after him. Walking hand in hand, they looked like a close and intimate couple.

    <i>Is this something I should be seeing at my age?</i> Cathy was dumbfounded. She thought she had been about to witness a criminal case, only to find herself in the middle of a civil one.

    ording to Hongli Federationw, such behavior typically resulted in ten to fifteen days of jail and a fine of up to one hundred Federation dors. For less severe cases, it could go up to five days of jail or ten Federation dors. If it urred in a public ce, like on the streets, the offender would have to sit an additional three days in jail.

    Though a bit taken aback, Cathy thought, <i>a small catch is still a catch.</i>

    Fueled by fifty percent responsibility, thirty percent curiosity, and twenty percent thrill, Cathy began quietly tailing them. She didn''t notice that a man in a ck coat and sunsses had peeled himself away from a shadowy corner and was following them as well. The man¡¯s movements were more surreptitious, as if he had professional training.

    Somewhere in the outskirts of Mirror Lake City, on an open field near a small town, Cassius squinted and looked up at the distant mountains. Rays of light from the setting sun shone through the gaps between the clouds, transforming the sky into a deep red, like a vast, turbulent ocean.

    The evening glow spread from the mountains to the dense forest, giving the mountains a hazy gleam, before finally reaching theke. It shimmered with a misty light. The sparklingke surface captured the reflection of the forest foliage and nearby white-walled town, creating a beautiful oil painting. With such a beautiful scenery, it was no wonder people came out in droves to visit Mirror Lake City. Spending the summer here as a tourist would have been delightful.

    However, Cassius was not a tourist. He had important business in Mirror Lake City.

    Since yesterday afternoon, Cassius had been searching for the cave from Twilight¡¯s memories. He had even hired two local guides and seasoned hunters who frequently ventured into the Alphama mountains who split into two groups to search. Unfortunately, the Alphama mountains were simply too vast; even the forested areas near Mirror Lake and Bright Mountain cities were expansive. Despite having a lead that the cave was somewhere near theke, Cassius and the others had spent two full days searching without finding any useful clues.

    Moreover, one of the guides had identally injured himself during the search and had to be sent back to his home in Blue Lake Town to recover. Things were off to a rough start, and Cassius was feeling a bit disgruntled.

    He picked up the map and nced at it again,paring it with the vague images in his mind. Cassius began walking along the edge of Mirror Lake, and after a few hundred meters, he noticed two figures by thekeside heading toward the forest.

    A couple? No, both were men. But who else would venture into the woods at this hour? Well, maybe they <i>were</i> a couple. Upon arriving at this conclusion, Cassius decided not to interrupt their activities, and continued down his nned route,paring the map as he went.

    As Cassius walked past where the two men had been standing, he caught a whiff of a familiar scent and frowned. Dark creatures. After countless missions where he had personally in many such beings, his senses were sharp. He reacted instantly, like a wolf catching the scent of prey. It was the perfect chance to blow off some steam by killing something that was never meant to exist. He followed the trail.

    Tall trees loomed above. The area was close to theke and tourist zone, so the trees weren''t very dense. Litter asionally dotted the ground, indicating that tourists often wandered nearby.

    Two figures made their way through the uneven clearing. The burly man brought up the rear and asked impatiently, "Is it good enough now, babe? Let''s just do it here."

    "Don''t be so hasty." In the dim light, a slender young man turned around. His face was fair and cute, with curly, soft brown hair that fell to his shoulders. His features were stunning, even more delicate than most girls, and he carried a certain noble elegance.

    "Don''t worry about it." The burly man walked over, and the two began to act all lovey-dovey.

    Under the dappled shadows of the trees, the burly man leaned down slightly, then stiffened. The young man had sunk his sharp teeth into the man''s neck, drawing blood. At the same time, a paralyzing toxin flowed through the bite, rendering the burly man motionless. He wanted to struggle, but the venom had already spread throughout his body, leaving him utterly immobilized.

    The burly man was now nothing more than a blood bag. Eyes forced wide open, he watched as the small figure sucked voraciously on him. The surroundings grew quiet, the only sound was the gulping noises. In no time, the man''s face turned white. A short whileter, his eyes rolled back, and his drained body copsed to the ground with a thud.

    "Delicious..." the young man said with a sweet smile, licking his lips. In the dim light, his lips were painted a bright, vibrant red and looked like ripe cherries. Blood dripped steadily from his extended fangs. He retracted his fangs in the next moment and the slender figure soon began walking back toward Mirror Lake.

    After about a hundred meters, he suddenly noticed a tall figure approaching from the distance. The young man rubbed his stomach; he could still eat. His mouth began salivating again. Smiling, he walked forward to meet the figure. Ten secondster, the two were in a clearing.

    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    <i>What a muscr man!</i> The man before him was several times bigger than the burly one he had just drained. The two were like night and day! The young man was secretly startled, but above all, he was delighted. The more muscr the person, the stronger their physique, and the more satisfying their blood tasted, going down like a fiery liquor.

    Thirsty for another sip, he didn''t bother with any pleasantries and immediately used his mental domination on the man. It was a vampire specialty that sent out waves of fear to the human race. The tall man opposite him stood by a tree. He didn''t move.

    "<i>Hehe</i>, got him~" The young man whistled, his wless face delighted, and his eyes sparkling like amber. He bounded forward lightly, and as soon as he got close to the muscr man, he leaped up, sinking his fangs into the man''s neck. The fangs dug deep into the grayish-white skin.

    <i>Ding!</i>

    The two sharp fangs snapped off and ricocheted through the air. Blood spurted out from the broken ends.

    "<i>Ah</i>!" The young man clutched his mouth in pain.

    "Hard enough for you?" A voice suddenly came from above.

    "It''s like stone..." the young man muttered angrily, then froze. "Huh?!" He instinctively tried to leap back, sensing something was off.

    A firm, strong hand reached out and yanked the terrified youth back to Cassius''s side. A towering figure blocked the rays of the setting sun, casting an enormous shadow that instantly enveloped the young man.

    "Tell me something useful¡ªanything that you think is worth your life. You could, of course, choose to struggle and resist, which would entertain me even more. I could use a stress ball today..."

 Chapter 142 - Three-Eyed Mad Lion Sect

    <h4>Chapter 142 - Three-Eyed Mad Lion Sect</h4>

    Ten minutester, Cassius got what he wanted. What started as a casual question unexpectedly yielded some very valuable information. Terrified of death and evidently still just a child, the young Blood Race was interrogated into spilling everything. And, of course, the information was rted to the Blood Race of Shire County.

    Firstly, the Blood Race in Shire County was a vast and powerful force, consisting of both direct and branch lines. Rumored to be one of their birthces, the Alphama mountains held extraordinary significance, with the Blood Race across the northern region of the Hongli Federation having some connections to that ce.

    The direct lineage of the Blood Race that were active specifically in the western Shire County''s Bright Mountain City and Mirror Lake City were different from ordinary vampires. Those vampires could not only wield various blood arts but also undergo a bloodline transformation, morphing into massive, bloodthirsty and bestial half-human, half-bat creatures. The ability was known among them as the "Blood Gift."

    The Blood Gift significantly reduced a Blood Race¡¯s regenerative abilities, but dramatically increased their physical strength. Their overall power would at least double from their untransformed state.

    That advantage granted the direct descendants from the Alphama Bloodline dominance over other ordinary Blood Race branches. However, they preferred to keep a low profile and had no desire to expand their influence, choosing seclusion. They even avoided cities like Mirror Lake City and Bright Mountain City, preferring to stay hidden in the dense forests of the Alphama mountains. They were rtively primitive and isted.

    The direct descendants from the Alphama Bloodline emerged in droves every ten years for a sacrificial ceremony. Many branch bloodlines from across the northern Hongli Federation would send their elite members to participate. The young vampire Cassius captured was from one of those branches, a mere infant that was recently born from the blood pool. He was just one year old and still in his developmental stage.

    During that phase, vampires had an intense craving for blood but their strength was limited. They often resorted to using charm or seduction, which had a high sess rate, and even if it failed, it''d go undetected. Unfortunately, the young vampire had chosen the wrong target. As a result, he was easily captured and tormented, spilling all that he knew in a single breath.

    The recent series of disappearances and murders in Mirror Lake City were clearly linked to the influx of vampires. The direct descendants from the Alphama Bloodline were nning a Blood Chalice Ritual on the first of July called the "Night of No Moon."

    They were selective and only sent sacrifices of the highest quality to a specific ruin in the Alphama mountains. The goal was to gather ny-nine sacrifices and offer them at a ritual altar near the Lusa Falls. If they did it at precisely the right time, the ceremony ran wlessly, and the sacrifices suitable, the direct descendants from the Alphama Bloodline would receive the "Burning Blood." The Burning Blood was immensely beneficial to the Blood Race.

    Cassius wanted to delve deeper into the benefits, but the young Blood Race couldn''t provide any specifics. All he knew was that it was advantageous, but he didn''t know anything else aside from that, likely due to his age.

    Many of the deeper details had not been divulged to the young Blood Race; he only needed to understand that the Burning Blood was extremely helpful. That also hinted that the young Blood Race held a significant position within his branch, indicating he was not an ordinary member.

    After hearing all this, Cassius naturally focused on the ruins. The direct descendants from the Alphama Bloodline upied an area that included a ruin. Could this be the Akaba Ruins he was searching for? It was definitely possible.

    Cassius pressed the young Blood Race for more details about the ruins. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t know which specific part of the Alphama mountains the direct descendants from the Alphama Bloodline upied. Reclusive and xenophobic, they rarely interacted with the other Blood Races, and when they did, it was only within Mirror Lake City or Bright Mountain City. The only time they appeared inrge numbers was on July 1, the Night of No Moon, for the sacrificial ritual.

    In addition, branch line Blood Race could interact with the direct descendants from the Alphama Bloodline when they were helping to capture sacrifices. Once they found suitable targets, they would take them to small outpost huts scattered throughout the Alphama mountain forests. Members of the Alphama Bloodline would receive and inspect the sacrifices each night. The quality of the sacrifices would then determine the benefits the branch line Blood Race received.

    In fact, the young Blood Race had been to one of those outposts before. Cassius decided to check it out that night.

    The clouds were gathering over the uneven clearing in the forest. The sun hadpletely set, allowing the partially obscured moonlight to cast a dim, white glow through theyers of trees.

    The young Blood Race trembled beside arge tree, eyes full of fear as he stared at Cassius. Having been ripped off and pinned on his bloodied shoulder stumps, his arms dangled in the air by the fingertips. Despite the excruciating pain, the young Blood Race bit his lip to keep from shaking, remembering Cassius''s warning: if his arms fell off, his legs would follow.

    The man was more ruthless and brutal than any other dark creature¡ªkilling someone was just as easy as eating a meal.

    "By the way, I¡¯ve been asking you questions for a while, but I don''t know your name," Cassius said serenely, casually shaking the blood off his hands.

    "Jian... My name is Jian," the young vampire stammered. The young vampire¡¯s voice quivered with fear.

    "Alright then, Jian. I¡¯ll allow you to use your healing ability to mend your injuries now," Cassius said. He pped the tree trunk behind him, leaving two bloody handprints on the bark. The leaves shook as if in a rainstorm.

    After wiping his hands on his makeshift towel, Cassius brusquely asked, "Do you have any guards from the Fagoli family with you? Did you bring them here?"

    Jian appeared to have not heard him. He trembled all over as his arm stumps rapidly regenerated and the flesh grotesquely knitted itself back together.

    "<i>Heh</i>..." Cassius sneered. "So all that stalling earlier was just so you could buy some time, huh? One, two, three..."

    <i>Bang!</i>

    The ground shook violently as the spot where Cassius had been standing caved in; he was suddenly standing above a deep pit. In the dim moonlight, a blurred shadow shot across the forest floor, racing toward Mirror Lake.

    Three more shadows came from that direction, swift and determined. They moved with a light yet rapid pace, their hands glowing with a strange red energy as if they were wearing crimson gloves.

    The lead Blood Race bared his fangs as his face twisted into a fearsome snarl. "Human! You really..."

    <i>Bang!</i>

    A figure¡¯s head exploded in midair, blood spewing in all directions. The headless body fell to the ground like a bird with broken wings, dropping from a height of more than a meter. The body twitched uncontrobly as blood spurted out chaotically, its strength gone in an instant. Even though the heart, which was a vital organ, remained intact, it had no time to recover.

    "What the hell! Shit!"

    The other two Blood Race witnessed the scene from several meters away. Their eyes widened in shock, and their hearts nearly stopped. Had Stephen, the strongest among them, just been taken out by a single punch?! No tricks, just raw power!

    The same thought shed through both Blood Races'' minds.

    "Retreat!" they screamed in unison. Just as they were about to turn on their heels and flee, a dark figure materialized behind them, radiating an intense heat that wrapped around them both.

    Meanwhile, Jian was running for dear life, using all his strength to flee into the depths of the dense forest. His once-cute face was now twisted in fear and his breaths came in heavy gasps.

    "Thank goodness I was smart enough! The family guards near Mirror Lake rushed over as soon as they noticed something was off. I would''ve been dead for sure if that man got a hold of me!" It felt like Jian''s heart was bouncing around his chest, convinced as he was that Cassius would kill him once he was done with him. That icy, fierce killing intent was almost impossible to conceal. If he stayed any longer with that man, he would surely die.

    Luckily, he had barely managed to escape. Now, he just needed to keep running into the forest and make sure that man didn''t catch up...

    <i>Boom!</i>

    A bloody mass of flesh shot through the air like a bird crashing into a mountain, mming hard into therge tree trunk in front of Jian.

    The immense force caused the mass to burst apart, scattering chunks of red and white flesh over the entire area like a shower of stars. A round object arced through the air andnded squarely on Jian¡¯s chest.

    He instinctively caught it and looked down.

    "Le-Leandro?!"

    In his hands was the severed head of Leandro, one of his three guards, a skilled Blood Race fighter.

    "Did all my guards just get killed? No...impossible, absolutely impossible! They''ve been through hundreds of..." Jian froze as he felt his back press against a body as solid as a wall. A wave of intense heat radiated from behind him like a powerful maic field, ensnaring and making him unable to escape its pull.

    "I..." Jian felt his legs give out and his head spin into a dizzy nkness. His entire body trembled violently as if it were about to crumple. A killing intent as chilly as the autumn wind loomed from behind.

    "You know, I didn''t have any ns on killing you just yet." Contrary to the heat radiating from the wall, the voice was cold and merciless.

    Jian stiffened, forcing himself to stand tall. "I-I..." he saw a shadow cast on the ground by the moonlight. The tall figure behind him extended arge hand, like a terrifying ck serpent ready to devour his head in the next second!

    "No!" Jian cried out in despair.

    The giant serpent lunged, a sharp whistling sound apanying it. Jian felt a gust of wind brush past his head as a massive fist smashed right through the tree trunk before him.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    A loud crash echoed from behind the tree.

    "<i>Haah... haah... haah...</i>"

    Jian gasped for breath with wide eyes. <i>I¡¯m alive, I¡¯m still alive, thank goodness! That man wasn''t trying to hit me, he was...</i>

    An enormous handnded on his shoulder and flung him three to four meters to the side where he crashed into a tree trunk.

    Cassius squinted. "A direct descendant of the Alphama Bloodline?"

    His right arm swelled instantaneously as a whirlpool of white airflow spun around his hand. Huge chunks of yellow wood splintered away from the hole and the entire tree shook uncontrobly before it crashed onto the ground with a loud crack.

    <i>Swish!</i>

    The person behind the tree moved. The falling tree trunk shot toward Cassius as they kicked forcefully.

    <i>Interesting, what impressive strength... Is this the transformed state of an Alphama direct bloodline Blood Race after using the Blood Gift?</i>

    Cassius positioned his feet, one in front of the other, stance as steady as a mountain. He swung his right arm back and unleashed a fierce chop with his hand.

    <i>Swish!</i>

    A dangerous white line sliced through the air and the tree trunk as thick as a human torso was cut cleanly in half. A massive fist sted out from the darkness and right at him.

    Cassius practiced the Wind Elephant Covert Martial Arts, which was a style known for its powerful and broad attacks. As such, his strategy was always to start with a strong, direct sh. Taking a powerful step forward, he channeled force from his tightly coiled muscles and swung his fist with tremendous momentum.

    <i>Thud!</i>

    The fists collided with a resounding impact, wood splinters careening through the air.

    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Cassius was slightly taken aback¡ªthe opponent¡¯s strength was formidable. Cassius, in his usual state, was only slightly superior; he couldn''t underestimate the other¡¯s power.

    <i>Rustle!</i>

    Their arms whipped through the air as they shed once again. A loud bang echoed and the fine pieces of fabric from their clothes ripped and flew off in an instant.

    Cassius charged forward, his elbows and fists striking quickly. The various stances and techniques of the Wind Elephant Fist unfolded fiercely and the two exchanged blows like a typhoon, their limbs colliding with relentless intensity.

    <i>Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang...</i>

    The heavy sounds echoed throughout the area, startling the birds in the forest into fleeing.

    Jian watched with his mouth agape beside arge tree. His eyes couldn¡¯t keep up with the speed of their battle and all he could see were afterimages. It seemed like they had exchanged hundreds of blows in just two to three seconds. The surrounding trees shook constantly from the shockwaves, with a couple even copsing. The ground was covered in small craters from their rapid footwork.

    As Jian heard the exaggerated crashes and terrifying impacts, never had he felt such a strong desire to survive. He got to his feet, intending to escape while the two were engaged inbat. Just then, a shadow flew toward him, brutally stabbing him through his chest.

    It didn''t stop there; the object embedded itself in the tree trunk behind him,pletely impaling it. Jian looked down in disbelief. Blood gushed out of his chest where he had been pierced by a tree branch as thick as a calf. His strength steadily drained away, along with the flowing blood. His chance to escape had slipped out of his hands.

    Dozens of meters away, the two figures shed and jumped away from each other.

    Under the moonlight, Cassius, on the right, assumed a stance from Wind Elephant Fist. His feet were firmly nted with his center of gravity slightly forward. His strong hands were raised on either side of his head, with bulging veins running across his iron fists.

    On the other side, a burly blond man who was almost as tall as Cassius also took his stance in the clearing. His knees were slightly bent and his muscles tensed. One hand was in front, the other behind. Bothrge hands were shaped like tiger ws, the tendons on the back of his hands vibrating.

    The two stood opposite each other, locked in a deadly stare-down. Their powerful and dangerous auras mmed together like waves, nullifying the other¡¯s and making the air around them feel as solid as resin.

    The cold night wind glided over the treetops as pale frost filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting a speckled pattern on both men.

    The blond man spoke abruptly, "You¡¯re strong. State your name."

    Cassius narrowed his eyes. "Wind Elephant Sect, Cassius. And you?"

    "Duomo, Three-Eyed Mad Lion Sect!"

 Chapter 143 - Taking One Punch

    <h4>Chapter 143 - Taking One Punch</h4>

    "Three-Eyed Mad Lion?"

    Cassius had never heard of that Covert Martial Arts sect before, but since Shire County was in the northern part of the Hongli Federation, the Three-Eyed Mad Lion Sect was likely a northern sect. His previous two time-travels had taken ce in the southeastern part of the Federation, so he wasn''t familiar with the northern Covert Martial Arts sects.

    "It''s quite surprising to find such a hidden gem while touring Shire County. You look to be around thirty years old, a few years younger than me," the blond man named Duomo spoke slowly. "With your strength, you could easily rank among the top three of the younger generation in the northern Covert Martial Arts circles. Is the Wind Elephant Sect a reclusive sect based in Mirror Lake and Bright Mountain? I''ve never heard of it."

    "The Wind Elephant Sect is not a northern Covert Martial Arts sect." Cassius seemed to recall unpleasant memories. "I am the fifteenth-generation disciple of the Wind Elephant Sect. I am also itsst surviving member." His eyelids drooped slightly. "That was the wrong question to ask; I feel worse now. Get ready for a beating."

    "What?" Duomo was slightly taken aback. He knew he''d probably just identally poked a sleeping bear with his question, but how was he supposed to know anything about Cassius''s past? Why was this guy...

    "<i>Tss</i>!"

    Like a snake ready to strike, Cassius bent backward like a bowstring as white airflow swirled around his nose and mouth. He bared his neat white teeth at Duomo in an inexplicably menacing grin.

    <i>Crack... crack...</i>

    His muscles and bones started to tremble frantically. In an instant, Cassius''s entire muscr frame expanded, his whole body swelling several times its size. His upper garments burst until they were hanging like rags, revealing his body that now stood over two meters tall, like a giant made of rock. The thick, throbbing, wriggling veins were so prominent under his iron-hard muscles that the hot red blood underneath could be seen through his skin.

    "Holy..."

    As Duomo watched in shock, Cassius lifted his head. His red pupils, glowing like a pair of headlights, had a hint of violence.

    "I know you didn''t mean to, but it still puts me in a bad mood. To soothe my hurt little heart, just let me hit you. Take this punch, and I''ll forget you ever asked that question," the voice said.

    Duomo''s gaze shifted downward to Cassius''s giant arm hanging at his side, asrge as a battering ram. Beneath the rock-like muscles were worm-thick veins, like pulsating tree branches. The diameter of the arm wasn''t much smaller than the tree beside it. If a punch like that hit him, he''d surely die.

    Sensing Duomo''s stare, he tried to hide his arm behind his torso, as if hoping to avoid detection. But its massive size was impossible to conceal! Realizing this, Cassius showed his arm without hesitation. He clenched his fist and held it in front of his chest. "I''m not one to hide anything; I''m pretty straightforward. I just feel like hitting someone right now. My fist might be a bit big, so bear with it."

    <i>Bang!</i>

    Cassius''s leg musclespressed and swelled, generating a massive burst of forward force. He shot out like a cannonball, rapidly closing the distance, each step leaving deep craters in the ground. His fist tore through the air viciously, like a spear prating its target.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    His fist mmed into arge tree, causing yellow splinters to shoot out like water. The thick tree trunk, as wide as a grown man''s torso, snapped violently with a loud crack and was left on a diagonal angle.

    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Duomo quickly dodged to avoid the strike, his brows furrowed at the overwhelming power he sensed behind that punch. Even if he got hit and lived to tell the tale, he''d still be suffering some seriously grave injuries.

    <i>This Cassius guy... His strength is beyond what I imagined.</i>

    <i>Buzz!</i>

    A swift hand chop, wrapped in white Qi, sliced through the air like a de. Duomo quickly sidestepped, crouching low to dodge. The tree behind him wasn''t so lucky; there was a clean cut across half of its trunk and it trembled, on the precipice of falling.

    "Why are you dodging around? I can sense you walk the righteous Dao as well. Too afraid to take even one punch from me?" the voice taunted.

    Duomo didn''t know how to respond to Cassius''s insult, so instead, he nted his feet firmly on the ground and sped off in the opposite direction. That guy was far too battle-hungry, possibly even mentally unstable. He should not stay here any longer.

    Duomo''s footsteps struck the ground rapidly as he darted into the darkness like an arrow loosed from a bow. A raging figure was hot on his heels, each step echoing with a thunderous boom.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    A fist, surrounded by white airflow, rushed after him again.

    "Are you a freaking battle maniac?!" Duomo yelled as he ducked and spun, whipping his leg around like a steel bar.

    <i>Thud!</i>

    His shin collided with an elbow in midair, the impact shredding Duomo''s pants. Both men''s muscles rippled like waves at the sh.

    "Stop hounding me. I saw nothing and I asked nothing. I''ve got my own things to do; I don''t have time to join you in your madness," Duomo said while swiftly counter attacking. His fists, palms, and feet blurred as they continually deflected Cassius''s heavy strikes. His movements carried a subtle technique and charm. Strangely, theirbat styles seemed toplement each other.

    "What is this technique?" The more Cassius fought, the more thrilled he got. Duomo seemed to possess an incredible intuition, able to discern the blind spots in his opponent''s attacks and break their power just as it was being gathered.

    "If I tell you, will you stop pestering me?" said Duomo in exasperation as he parried one of Cassius''s heavy punches with a reverse palm strike.

    "Alright!" Cassius agreed heartily and charged forward, arm swinging and slicing through the air in a curved white arc.

    <i>Bam!</i>

    Duomo twisted his body, instinctively lifting his arm to strike Cassius''s wrist as his punch came in at high speed. It was strong enough to disperse the force of the swing. Any other Covert Martial Arts Practitioner would have had their wrist shattered by that blow; Cassius would have met the same fate had he not trained in hardening Qigong and perfected the Stone Armor Technique. Cassius''s wrist mmed into Duomo''s fist at a breakneck speed. It was as if the enemy had used his own power against him.

    "This technique is called Heart Eye, or simply the Third Eye. It temporarily enhances dynamic vision, reflexes, and some sort of intuition that I can''t quite exin," Duomo said as he stepped forward, his body instantly dodging Cassius''s interception. His punchnded on Cassius''s solid chest, creating a loud bang as the impact forced him back. He quickly pivoted,unching himself forward, and disappearing into the shadows in just several quick leaps.

    Cassius stepped back and lifted his right foot, bringing up arge clod of dirt and grass. He reached out to touch his chest¡ªno injury, but a tingling sensation lingered as if some special force had been applied.

    Shaking off the dirt from his shoes, Cassius nced into the dim forest, muttering to himself, "Heart Eye... so that''s where the ''Three-Eyed'' in the Three-Eyed Mad Lion Sectes from. What a powerful Secret Technique."

    During the series of shes, he could feel the framework of his opponent''s Covert Martial Arts seemed moreplete than that of the Wind Elephant Sect. Though their styles couldn''t be any more different from each other and their techniques varied, Duomo''s Covert Martial Arts was overall a notch above Cassius''s Wind Elephant Covert Martial Arts. It was at least a second-tier Covert Martial Arts, possibly even first-tier, though Cassius couldn''t be sure. He stood there, pondering for a while.

    Cassius hadn''t actually been going berserk just now. He was merely trying to force Duomo to demonstrate his true capabilities. Moreover, it had been a long while since he had met a master of Covert Martial Arts, and a simple exchange had left him itching for a real fight. Wouldn¡¯t it be more unreasonable for him to not have one?

    In that brief period when fist collided with fist, Duomo could sense that Cassius held no killing intent. It was a sparring match where both parties suppressed a certain level of their abilities. They had to restrain themselves, otherwise, it would evolve into a battle to the death, at which point it''d be a full-on sh between masters of Covert Martial Arts which they''d no longer be able to stop even if they wanted to.

    Cassius had held back at least half of his strength, and Duomo had likely restrained himself quite a bit as well. He couldn''t be sure if the other was a master pugilist, but at the very least, Duomo also had second-level elerated blood flow. The Three-Eyed Mad Lion Sect behind Duomo must be very strong.

    Cassius''s heart stirred; he was quite interested in the Heart Eye Secret Technique that Duomo mastered. But considering his opponent''s Covert Martial Arts sect, he thought it best to y the long game. He was curious whether the collision between the Midak Bnce Destruction Technique and Heart Eye Secret Technique would spark something new. If the two werebined, could they create a deadly punch?

    A part of him was fervently eager, but Cassius tempered his emotions. He nced at the torn strips of cloth on his body, annoyed that he hadn''t brought his cloak this time. Arge hand extended out and casually tore them off. His pants were also mostly gone; there was no fabric left at the lower legs, just jagged ck rags around the knee area.

    <i>It''s not cheap to buy new clothes after every fight</i>, Cassius chastised himself, then turned and took a step forward. His robust, towering figure was instantly swallowed up by the darkness.

    Several hundred meters away, the entire uneven clearing was a mess with remnants of a fierce battle having taken ce. There were broken and fallen trees everywhere, and the ground was pockmarked with footprints and holes. Additionally, arge amount of sawdust was scattered across the soil.

    A deathly pale Jiany beside a tree, his lips tinged purple. His legs kicked out, but each attempt to crouch or stand failed; all he managed to do was leave evidence of his struggle on the ground. Blood flowed everywhere, most of it already absorbed by the soil. Jian was drained of strength. Any movements he madepletely exhausted him, to say nothing of mustering the energy to pull the trunk piercing his chest.

    As time passed, Jian''s situation became not just about whether he could free himself or not, but about potentially dying from weakness. "Help... Save me!" Jian kept shouting, but the forest did not answer him. Growing more desperate, his eyelids grew heavier.

    Just as Jian was about to lose consciousness, he heard dull footstepsing over. Jian raised his head weakly and saw a tall figure about three meters away. He murmured, "Save... save me. I... I need blood... Blood..." The next second, a vast shadow covered up Jian''s entire form.

    "Blood, blood!" His eyes lit up, and he looked up with a pleading, almost dog-like expression. Jian''s mouth opened wide, his tongue crazily secreting saliva as it stretched outward.

    "You want blood? I can give you that." Cassius lowered his head. "But can you even bite it?" Even if he didn''t activate the Stone Armor Heavy Armor technique, his skin would feel like it was d in a suit of tough, formidable armor.

    "I can bite, I can bite! Let me try... <i>Mmm</i>!" Jian''s eyes widened as he felt a finger shove into his mouth. A sweet, bloody taste burst out from the broken skin.

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 144 - Hes Harder Than Iron

    <h4>Chapter 144 - He''s Harder Than Iron</h4>

    An indescribable delicacy!

    The blood seeping from Cassius''s fingers was like the ultimate delicacy to the weakened Jian. Honey at its finest¡ªa nectar and ambrosia. It wasn''t just because of his extreme thirst for blood, but also because Cassius''s blood, the third-level elerated blood flow of a pugilist, was of an exceptionally high quality.

    It was as if he had taken three small steps into the superhuman realm, the essence of his body experiencing a subtle yet profound change. It was especially evident in the blood flowing through Cassius''s veins, which was heavy and viscous like lead and mercury.

    If a vampire were blood experts, they''d ascertain that one drop of Cassius''s blood was equivalent to half a liter of a normal person''s. An average adult male weighing about 70 kilograms had about 4.5 to 5 liters of blood in his body; ten drops of Cassius''s blood would equal the full volume of an adult!

    The starving Jian uttered a soft, nasal sound at being able to taste such high-quality fresh blood. Hummingfortably like a suckling puppy, he adopted a submissive posture. Suddenly, the finger in his mouth was pulled out.

    "Eh?" Jian was very reluctant but dared not defy Cassius''s intent. He''d only just begun and what blood he had sucked from the finger puncture had been very little. It was barely enough to fill even half his hunger, plus he was still injured. Not to mention, he''d be hungry again after healing his wounds.

    And that was exactly the state Cassius hoped to see. The only good Blood Race members were the extremely weak ones, since they, under threat of his fists, would not have any ulterior motives and obey hismands.

    Beside the tree trunk, Jian smacked his lips, still unsatisfied, his amber eyes somewhat longing as they followed Cassius''s retracted fingers. "Be good now, or next time that stake isn''t going to hit the right side of your chest; it''s going left, right where your heart is." Cassius expressionlessly reached hisrge hand out and tore off the branch as thick as a calf''s leg. With a casual flick, the straight branch shot out, nailing directly into a nearby tree trunk. The tail of the branch buzzed, quivering back and forth.

    Jian leaned against the rough tree bark, his weak legs scrabbling against the ground before he got to his feet, trembling. Then he pressed his right hand on his chest wound, and the little remaining blood energy he had began to gather there to elerate the healing.

    On the other side, Cassius wasn''t watching Jian. Instead, he moved toward Mirror Lake, blending into the darkness. Even after seeing that, Jian dared not run away again. Docile, he simply leaned against the tree trunk and continued healing his chest injury.

    Minutester, a figure emerged from the darkness. Cassius was dressed in a white shirt and ck suit trousers, a beige tie hanging around his neck¡ªa typical office worker''s attire. However, the set of clothes did not quite fit him as it was several sizes too small. Cassius had managed to squeeze into them, but two buttons on the shirt remained undone. His bulging chest muscles and pronounced abs were faintly visible.

    He had gone to find something to wear as his fight with Duomo had left him with ripped clothes and trousers turned into shorts. Thus, Cassius tracked down the three Blood Race guards he had killed earlier. One''s chest had been pierced through by a steel fist and another severed at the waist. Both of them didn''t have much in the way of clothes and whatever was left was stained with blood. Only the first one, whom he had killed by blowing off the head, had his office attire intact. Undeterred, Cassius put them right on.

    "..."

    Jian, whose injuries had nearly healed, silently nced over. Cassius didn''t feel any malice in the young man''s gaze; a tiny bit of regret, but more or less a sense of submission and fear. Perhaps he had managed to tame the young Blood Race member through a mix of kindness and intimidation? Or maybe it was Stockholm syndrome. He shrugged dismissively, then adjusted the somewhat blotchy cor of his shirt and rolled up his sleeves.

    "Since you''ve almost recovered, lead the way."

    Pale-faced, Jian opened his mouth. "If I do, could you let me drink a bit more blood?"

    "Are you giving <i>me </i>orders?" Cassius raised an eyebrow. "You''re a prisoner, your life is in my hands. What makes you think you have the right to negotiate? Come here!" His voice was steely.

    "I..." Jian wanted to say something more but felt a gust of wind from behind. His world spun wildly, and by the time he regained his senses, he was already draped over Cassius''s shoulder, a firm hand gripping him. Jian panicked and tried to struggle, but the hand pressing on his slender waist suddenly tightened, and he felt an intense pressure as though with just a little more force, he would be split in two. He did not move again and could onlyply.

    "Lead the way. I want the location of the Blood Race outpost." Cassius''s tone left no room for negotiation as he melted into the darkness.

    Meanwhile, in a suburban area near Mirror Lake City close to the forest, a man in a ck jacket moved swiftly through the woods, carrying a slender figure on his shoulders. His pace was neither fast nor slow, but he seemed quite familiar with the terrain of the night forest.

    "<i>Hoo-hoo</i>..." a few owls hooted overhead.

    The man came to a sudden stop and turned his head, quickly scanning left and right. Upon finding no one, he resumed walking. Dozens of meters away, behind a cedar tree, Cathy pressed her back tightly against the trunk. She tried to keep her breathing steady even though her heart was pounding uncontrobly. Her sweaty palms made it difficult to grip the pistol firmly.

    Half an hour ago, Cathy had thought it was a consensual civil case¡ªthat was until she followed them and realized something was wrong. The man had taken the woman to a remote suburban area and carried her on his shoulders and into the forest. It was like the woman was a mannequin; she did not resist at all which was how Cathy knew something was amiss. This was not a case of prostitution but of human trafficking! Although the woman seemed cooperative, something was clearly off about her. She was probably drugged and controlled by the man.

    Yes, that was likely it! Honestly, Cathy was excited. During her three months as an intern at the Mirror Lake Police Department, all she had been exposed to was paperwork and no front-line duties. Moreover, with an uncle who was the chief of police, she was even less likely to be put in a situation where she could be in danger. That frustrated Cathy, who had a strong sense of justice and pride. Compared to the safe and dull office work, she much preferred to be on the front lines with the Criminal Investigation Team or the Special Task Force. Unfortunately, her uncle would never allow her to transfer roles.

    Cathy had already thought about how to discreetly bring this up through her mother, but she hadn''t expected to encounter such a case on her way home. Her senses were keen; she felt this case might be connected to the recent series of disappearances in Mirror Lake City. If she could solve it, her uncle would be astonished, and her colleagues would look at her with newfound respect.

    But she wasn''t an idiot. She''d act ording to the situation. If it turned out to be a criminal gang, she would naturally fall back and report the information to the Mirror Lake City Police Department.

    The most pressing task right now was locating the criminal gang''s hideout; everything else couldeter. Cathy''s heart pounded as she silently counted a few seconds. The footsteps in the distance were bing fainter so she cautiously peeked out, looking ahead in the dim moonlight. About sixty meters away, a man''s silhouette gradually moved further away.

    Cathy immediately followed, treading carefully. Not long after she left, a rustling sound came from a nearby bush. Then, a shadow d in a ck trench coat emerged and leaned against a tree.

    That person was evidently far superior at concealing him than Cathy. Despite being only a few meters away, she had not noticed him at all.

    The dim moonlight filtered through the leaves, forming a patchy design on the trench coat man''s head. He removed his sunsses, revealing a pair of ocean-blue eyes, deep and tranquil.

    The man in the trench coat reached into his chest pocket. The next moment, he pulled out a dagger and left a triangr mark on the tree trunk behind him. Afterward, he crouched slightly and peered out, before quickly and lightly walking down the path.

    The moon hung high in the sky like an oval white porcin te as wisps of clouds drifted around it like waves. The pale moonlight spilled onto the ground and the shadows of the cedar trees fell diagonally on the soil, turning into ttened dark masses. In the forest, an old, dpidated, pale yellow wooden house stood atop a gentle slope covered in wild grass.

    The house appeared to have been built by a forest ranger or a hunter who had ventured into the mountains. However, it seemed to have been abandoned for a long time. ck mold crept over some of the wooden walls. Cold wind constantly blew through the few holes in the walls, creating eerie, whistling noises.

    <i>Crack.</i>

    A ck boot crushed a white wildflower underfoot.

    A man with curly brown hair stopped less than two hundred meters from the cabin, shaking his head as if ncing toward the distant hut. Suddenly, he chucked the woman from his shoulder down and whirled around, covering several meters in a single step. White fangs jutted out from his lips and he seemed to be wearing a pair of red gloves. In the time it took for her to blink, Cathy watched with bulging eyes from her hiding spot behind a tree as the man, who had been dozens of meters away, leaped forward. His pale vampire face grew rapidly closer, his pupils filled with hunting intent.

    <i>Bang! Bang! Bang!</i>

    Almost unconsciously, the startled Cathy immediately pulled the trigger. Bullets flew from the gun barrel.

    <i>Thud, thud, thud...</i>

    The bullets prated the man''s body and blood sprayed from his wounds. However, he didn''t seem affected. On the contrary, the injury seemed to activate his bestial nature. His face grew even more fierce and monstrous. The curly-haired man''s right hand, covered in red energy, swiped across a tree trunk, leaving a dark corrosive trail.

    Just as Cathy was about to be grabbed by the neck...

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    A crossbow bolt shot out from the darkness beside her, aiming for the left side of the curly-haired man''s chest, straight at his heart.

    However, the curly-haired man seemed to sense the attack and quickly shifted his body to the side. The crossbow bolt still struck him, but not in the heart. Instead, it hit just above the left side of his waist.

    "Who?!" The man roared in pain but was greeted by several more crossbow bolts flying toward him.

    The curly-haired man quickly sidestepped but realized something was wrong with the area around his wound. A feeling of weakness and difort rapidly spread from the left side of his waist to the rest of his body, like a numbing anesthetic. He quickly reached out and jerked the crossbow bolt out. A blood-stained silver arrowhead glinted under the dim moonlight, its metallic surface seemingly coated with something.

    "Those damned Mercury Thorn hunters." The curly-haired man''s brows knitted together as he looked at the bleeding wound.

    A figure in a ck trench coat emerged from the shadows. He appeared to be about twenty-five years old, with a defiant demeanor. He had a crew cut, pale face, and deep blue eyes. While he held a semi-automatic crossbow, he also had a yellow quiver slung on his right side, and a sharp long knife hanging by his left side.

    The man in the trench coat moved steadily, each step bringing him to a still-shaken Cathy''s side. He did not look at her but spoke as if he were talking to himself, "Using guns against the Blood Race is futile... To deal with these monsters who hold onto life tenaciously, we must be the ones to make a move..." The man in the trench coat''s voice was loud as if he were showing off to someone. He quietly reached into his quiver to retrieve another crossbow bolt, and pricked his finger on the sharp point, dripping blood onto the arrowhead.

    "Step back, this is not a battle suitable for ordinary people," the man in the trench coat continued to talk to himself as he took another arrow and dripped blood on it. He did the same for the long knife at his left side, smearing it evenly with the corner of his coat. These weapons were coated with a special kind of mercury, but that alone did not make them Mercury Thorn. Only when the mercury was mixed with the fresh blood of a blue-eyed Mercury Hunter could it be called Mercury Thorn.

    The mixed mercury''s potency had a short life, so it could not be prepared in advance and had to be made on the spot. Should a Blood Race member be struck by Mercury Thorn, they would be greatly weakened. Their entire body would be numb and feeble, the speed at which they''d react would drop, and even their self-healing abilities would be significantly reduced. That was the foundation upon which the Mercury Hunters dared to fight the Blood Race.

    The man in the trench coat had followed covertly, keeping an eye on Cathy while also using her as bait. While the Blood Race member ahead was distracted by Cathy, he''d be able to expose a weakness sooner orter and the man in the trench coat could then seize the opportunity to strike.

    It proved to be the correct approach. The Mercury Thorn on the arrowhead had prated the Blood Race member''s body, and its effects should be manifesting, making him exceptionally weak. The man in the trench coat was calm and collected as he dashed forward. He charged toward a tree trunk ten meters away, his semi-automatic crossbow held steady at chest level. At the slightest movement, a powerful arrow would be released.

    One step, two steps, three steps! The man in the trench coat abruptly pulled the trigger, sending a volley of arrows flying at once, but they dared to hit nothing. Some were embedded in the tree trunk while others burrowed into the distant bushes.

    "Watch out!" a scream from Cathy echoed from behind.

    "Not good!" The man in the trench coat quickly rolled on the ground, a gust of wind slicing past him. He felt a pain in his back and stumbled forward. When he turned back sharply to look, the curly-haired man with primitive bat-like traits wasing right at him, his right hand dripping with blood.

    <i>Is that the Blood Gift?! Wait, it''s not! He''s just using a high concentration of bloodline, some of his ancestral traits showing when he''s at full strength. </i>The man in the trench coat''s thoughts raced. The effect of Mercury Thorn was far superior to that of regr mercury, and was the best tool for blue-eyed hunters to hunt vampires. A typical Blood Race member would be paralyzed and extremely weak with just one arrow with Mercury Thorn, draining their strength until they''d be just slightly stronger than a normal human.

    However, this only worked on ordinary Blood Race members. The more advanced and pure the bloodline, the stronger their resistance to Mercury Thorn. Those with the strongest resistance were the direct descendants of the Alphama Bloodline. Upon activating Blood Gift and turning into half-human, half-bat formidable creatures, those direct lineage members could even temporarily ignore the effects of Mercury Thorn. Only arge amount of Mercury Thorn invading their bodies could do anything, and this was only slightly better than using regr mercury...

    The Blood Race in front of him was not a direct lineage Blood Race member, but he could be regarded as a close elite branch. If he used all his strength, his body, which had characteristics from the direct lineage bloodline, would be quite resistant to thorns and mercury.

    "Shoot more arrows and make more shes to inject enough mercury..." The man in the trench coat had a clear goal in mind and retreated sharply, using rapid crossbow fire to impede the vampire''s advance. The man used his crossbow and long knife in tandem as he navigated the forest. The crossbow suppressed the opponent''s movements, while the long knife dealt close-range shing strikes. Since the Blood Race member had been initially injected with a good amount of Mercury Thorn, his reflexes were slower. Thus, the two entered a standoff, leaping back and forth through the shadows, with frequent collisions echoing through the dark.

    Cathy immediately followed, wanting to take shots from a distance to help the man in the trench coat distract the creature. However, the fight was too intense, and Cathy feared she might identally hit the man in the trench coat or her bullets would get in the way. Therefore, she hadn''t made her move yet. Unknowingly, whether intentional or not, the two fought their way toward the cabin, and within minutes, the trio had reached the edge of a grassy area.

    At that moment, the man in the trench coat sensed something amiss. He swung his de fiercely, forcing his opponent back. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw two figures rushing out from the cabin. Both were clearly Blood Race members, each stride covering more than three meters. They looked almost like they were gliding. Their figures moved swiftly, the distance closing with each second.

    <i>Three Blood Races! Is this supposed to be the recent gathering point for the Blood Race in Mirror Lake City?!</i> The man in the trench coat was horrified. His gaze slid, his eyes drawn to another figure in the distant woods.

    <i>Another one! And he looks very powerful...</i> The man in the trench coat felt as if he had plunged into the depths of the ocean. All he tasted was death. It seemed he had foolishly poked the Blood Race''s version of a ho''s nest!

    "<i>Hahaha</i>..." A coldugh came from the opposite side. The curly-haired Blood Race member had spotted his threepanions storming toward him. He recognized the twoing from the cabin, and though he did not know the one rushing from the woods, he also seemed to be a formidable Blood Race expert. His build was like a towering iron structure, moving with incredible speed despite him carrying a victim. He was clearly a strong reinforcement!

    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    <i>Bang! Bang! Bang!</i>

    Cathy immediately fired, and the man in the trench coat also pulled the trigger of his semi-automatic crossbow. Both aimed toward the direction of the cabin, as the area around the cabin was a clearing, unobstructed by dense trees. With the numerous trees blocking the Blood Race membering from the woods, their uracy with their bullets and arrows would be significantly reducedpared to the other side.

    The two Blood Race members moved swiftly on the grass. When it came to projectiles, they were virtually untouchable, which was why the man in the trench coat had initially opted for an ambush. The Blood Race were extremely agile and light creatures of darkness so it was hard to hit them with long-range attacks when they were on high alert.

    "Follow me!" the man in the trench coat shouted. He dug his feet into the ground as he prepared to make a quick retreat. However, the curly-haired Blood Race member, although bleeding severely, closed the seven or eight-meter distance swiftly. Despite his injuries, his strength still surpassed that of a normal strong adult man.

    The man in the trench coat immediately found himself entangled by the wildly swinging bloody hands. "Damn it!" He gritted his teeth, preparing to retreat at the cost of injury.

    Suddenly, his heart skipped a beat as if a huge boulder was pressing down. Out of the corner of his eye, the towering figure in the distance had, within a few seconds, gotten close, moving even faster than the Blood Race members on open ground.

    The curly-haired Blood Race member''s face lit up as he shouted, "Brother! Stop him!"

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    His massive chest squeezed in the air, and the figure moved like a crazed bull, each step on the ground sounding like muffled thunder.

    "Let''s get him together!" the curly-haired Blood Race member crowed. "Eh?!" He paused. The air rushed at him, parting his hair down the middle, as a fist, cast like iron, glided toward him. The curly-haired Blood Race member could even see the fist''s veins, twisted like steel wires.

    <i>Aren''t we on the same side? </i>was thest thought in his mind.

    <i>Boom!!!</i>

    His head exploded under the tremendous force, spraying out blood in a wide arc. Cathy and the man in the trench coat, who were about to shoot, widened their eyes in disbelief. Infighting among the Blood Race?! One of their own killing another? No, the strong man who had attacked was a real, pure human, and the captive he was carrying on his shoulder was the actual Blood Race member!

    The man in the trench coat keenly recognized what was happening. "Put down the gun, they''re on our side. We''ll intercept the other Blood Race members!"

    "Next." A calm voice arose from beside him. The man in the trench coat felt himself being pushed aside as the strong man stepped past him. The trench coat man''s shoulder sank under the weight of a young, unconscious Blood Race member being draped over his shoulder.

    He suppressed his revulsion and shouted a warning to the figure in front, "Don''t be reckless, my friend! That''s a formidable elite Blood¡ª"

    <i>Thump! Thump!</i>

    The dull sounds seemed to be in response to the trench coat man''s caution. He suddenly saw two figures flung backward in the air. Like birds with broken wings, they crashed to the ground and bled. One hit the ground and slid nearly ten meters across the grassy field, leaving a long trail. The other flew straight toward the cabin, not unlike how a bird might crash into a mountain. With a crash, an oval-shaped hole was smashed open.

    "<i>Roar</i>!"

    A beast-like roar came from the cabin. The door shattered instantly, and wood chips cascaded down like rain. A monstrous creature that appeared half-human and half-bat broke out. Its face was grotesquely hideous, with fierce fangs protruding outward. Its body was covered in bulging pale red muscles that seemed exceptionally powerful, with ayer of dark red mane over its skin.

    "Blood Gift! That''s a direct descendant of the Alphama Bloodline! We''re no match, my friend, hurry..."

    <i>Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang...</i>

    The half-man, half-bat creature materialized in front of the man, its fierce ws and fists attacking like a violent storm, each strike carrying immense and corrosive power. The dull collisions sounded like drum beats as sparks flew from its ws.

    The man''s white shirt was instantly torn apart, revealing a terrifyingly muscr and marble-like gray-hued torso beneath. It looked like a set of heavy armor. The man stood his ground with his legs nted like a tree, his whole figure towering and immovable. He watched motionlessly as the bat creature furiously pounded him.

    "This is just..." The man in the trench coat stood frozen in ce. "He''s harder than iron..."

    Cathy was stunned, lowering her pistol. She continually pressed her dry lips together, afraid to even breathe too hard.

    The air swirled violently, dust and leaves rising in the vortex. The bat creature seemed to regain some of its sanity and looked up, a little puzzled to see a broad grin on a ''kind and friendly'' face. Only, this was the god of Death smiling at him.

    "Done tickling me? It''s my turn now." His fist tore through the air with a roar, smashing toward the creature. For a moment, the bat monster was overwhelmed by such majestic power. Its spirit felt like a frail boat tossed about in a terrifying storm.

    The air continued to churn chaotically as a deep voice resonated, "You don''t have to pay for the shirt you ruined..." As the bat creature''s vision darkened, losing consciousness, thest thing it heard was, "Your life will suffice."

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 145 - The Eerie Call

    <h4>Chapter 145 - The Eerie Call</h4>

    <i>Bang!</i>

    The grotesque, bat-like face of the Blood Race member from the Alphama direct bloodline caved in. The massive figure flew backward like a cannonball, crashing directly into a dpidated yellowish wooden house.

    Cassius calmly retracted his fist. He wiped his chest with his right hand, the faint white marks on his skin having already disappeared. With a firm tug, he ripped off the tattered white shirt from his body and tossed the rags to the ground.

    In just half an hour, Cassius had wrecked two shirts, courtesy of his mboyant and aggressive fighting style. The Wind Elephant Covert Martial Arts was a power technique for closebat, while the Stone Armour Technique was a form of hardening Qigong. The intery between martial arts and personal temperament made it very easy for Cassius¡¯s clothes to be nothing but shreds in every battle¡ªeither torn by his opponents or ripped apart by his own explosive physicality.

    Had he practiced a sword-based Covert Martial Art, his movements would have been more graceful, his attacks swift, leaving his clothes intact. If a sword practitioner¡¯s clothes were ever torn in closebat, it would be because they''d be near death because an enemy capable of touching their clothing could reach their vital points. Most weapon-based martial artists had rtively fragile bodies.

    <i>Swish.</i>

    Cassius pulled his boots free from the ground where they had been deeply embedded, and shook off the dirt. He then turned and spoke to the man in the trench coat beside him.

    "Hand the person over to me."

    "Huh?" The man in the trench coat was momentarily dazed. "O-oh..." He quickly walked over to Cassius''s side. Arge hand reached over, lifting the young Blood Race member off the trench-coated man''s shoulder and cing him on Cassius¡¯s shoulder.

    The trench-coated man hesitated for a moment before opening his mouth to speak, "Please... May I ask..."

    Acting as if he didn¡¯t hear him, Cassius walked toward the distant small house, his expression t. He wasn''t going fast, but each step covered a significant distance to the point that he looked like he was jogging.

    "<i>Sigh</i>..." The man in the trench coat sensed that Cassius had no intention of talking to him. He opened his mouth, then closed it again. He touched the wound on his back. While not severe, pain still twinged when he touched it. Enduring the sting, the trench-coated man forced himself to follow Cassius.

    Meanwhile, Cathy, the female police officer who had been standing awkwardly by the headless corpse, finally snapped out of her daze. Seeing the two heading toward the small house, she dared not linger there any longer.

    The eerie presence of the headless, bleeding corpse sent a shiver down Cathy¡¯s spine. She took a deep breath, steeling herself before taking off, fumbling to reload her handgun as she did so.

    One minuteter, beside the partially copsed small wooden house.

    The trench-coated man gazed at the pitiful state of the half-man, half-bat creature from earlier. Its skull had copsed, its facial features twisted, with red and white fluids oozing from the cracks. At least half of its ugly head had been smashed t by a tremendous force.

    Currently, the creature looked half-dead, with the only thing sustaining it was its pure, primal energy. The Alphama direct bloodline Blood Race could transform through the gift of blood, but on the other hand, it significantly reduced their recovery ability. This monster was a prime example of that.

    The trench-coated man blinked as he stared at the trembling, struggling bat creature on the ground. He recalled something an elder in his family had once said.

    "Although our Blue-Eyed Family considers the Blood Race our greatest lifelong enemy, they do not see us that way. This is especially the case with the Alphama direct bloodline of the Blood Race, who possess the power of the Blood Gift and are capable of unleashing true dark blood. When they''re in their bat form, they''re incredibly strong with an extremely high bloodlust. You''d need an entire hunter squad to keep even a single Alphama direct bloodline Blood Race member at bay when they''re in this state. Never fight an Alphama Blood Race member one-on-one; you''re practically signing your death sentence!"

    With the elder¡¯s advice still echoing in his ears, it contrasted sharply with the scene before him. Someone had gone one-on-one with an Alphama direct bloodline Blood Race member, and the Blood Race member had been knocked out with a single punch despite being in their strongest Blood Gift state.

    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Seeing the vast difference in strength, the trench-coated man realized that even a group of Alphama direct bloodline Blood Race members in their Blood Gift state wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against this muscr man.

    The Alphama Blood Race had gone all out just now, but it was like a gentle scratch because he had failed to even break through the man¡¯s skin.

    There was more than just the supernatural power of the Blood Race in this world.

    "There are people here! And..." Cathy''s voice came from the other side of the small house.

    A few minutester, two pretty women stood before the trench-coat man, their expressions wooden. They were evidently two of the missing victims.

    "The two victims seem to be drugged." Cathy frowned.

    "It¡¯s not drugs." The trench-coated man shook his head. "This is a form of mental control or intimidation the Blood Race uses on humans. It¡¯s simr to how herbivores in the wild freeze when theye across a top predator and enter a state of paralysis. These two are in something like that. If the Blood Race doesn¡¯t continue to exert mental control, this paralysis will onlyst about ten hours before they gradually recover." As a Mercury Hunter, he naturally knew a bit about this.

    Seeing the trench-coated man seemed more friendly, Cathy cautiously asked, "And you are?"

    "I''m from the Blue-Eyed Family, trained specifically as a Mercury Hunter to hunt the Blood Race. Recently, the Blood Race across the northern Hongli Federation has been gathering in the Alphama Mountains area, and scores of people have gone missing in Mirror Lake City and Bright Mountain City. We Mercury Hunters have always had some ties with the authorities, and after learning of the Blood Race gathering, we came here to investigate the situation."

    The trench-coated man shared some basic information. He wasn''t worried about revealing anything he shouldn''t. This woman was a police officer from Mirror Lake City. The Mercury Hunters had just reached an agreement to cooperate with the Mirror Lake City Police Department. Once they figured out the situation at hand and decided to move against the Blood Race, they''d undoubtedly need the police¡¯s cooperation. Everyone in the know would sign confidentiality agreements.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    As the two were talking, an explosion came from the ruined wooden house nearby. Cathy and the trench-coated man immediately rushed over.

    They caught sight of Cassius, covered in blood, his face dark as iron. On the groundy a Blood Race corpse. Its head had healed, but its chest had a gaping hole where the heart was. The football-sized wound bore signs of an explosion.

    When Cassius hadnded the critical hit on the Blood Race member, he originally intended to kill him, but he held back, in consideration of the need to extract informationter. He waited for the Blood Race member to recover, hoping to get some useful intel from them, but the opponent decisively self-destructed on the spot. The heart exploded, spewing foul-smelling blood all over Cassius.

    Now, <i>he</i> was in a foul mood.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    A fist the size of a sandbag smashed the Blood Race corpse¡¯s head into the ground. The earth shuddered, the broken wooden boards sliding down.

    <i>Bang! Bang!</i>

    Two more punches. The ground now held a bloodied, pulpy mess of flesh.

    Cassius slowly rose to his full height, his muscles twitching and trembling, and instantly flinging the blood droplets on his skin away. His upper body was clean once again, except for the two drops on his face.

    He turned to the two people rushing over. "I''m going to stay at this outpost for a while. If you have nothing else to do, you can leave. Take those two normies with you as well."

    The meaning was clear¡ªCassius was sending them away. He intended to use this small wooden cabin outpost as a battleground and lie in wait for the Blood Race toe. Cassius was curious to see if all the Alphama direct bloodline Blood Race were as stubborn as this one.

    "Alright," the man in the trench coat agreed without hesitation.

    Cassius''s confidence in his skills made him capable of executing such a bold move. The man in the trench coat, on the other hand, knew his own limitations. Though he was considered quitepetent among the Mercury Hunters, the best he could do in a one-on-one fight with an elite Blood Race was to hold them off, and that was only if he weakened the creature in advance with Mercury Thorn. Since this was a Blood Race outpost, the frequency and number of Blood Race passing through would undoubtedly be high. The man in the trench coat didn¡¯t want to meet a grim end in the mountains at such a young age. Not to mention, Cassius had no obligation to protect him.

    "Miss Cathy, grab those two ande with me," the man in the trench coat said, turning to the female police officer beside him.

    Half a minuteter, they emerged from the cabin. Just as they were about to quickly depart, the man in the trench coat frowned and looked around.

    A pale white mist began to drift up from all around the forest, moving like a living being as it spread rapidly along the ground in a peculiar, flowing manner. In the moonlight, it looked like soft white gauze hanging from the trees, swaying gently with a strange, hazy hue.

    "Is it fog?" Cathy asked, somewhat puzzled.

    The man in the trench coat reached out and casually grabbed at the mist. It felt like flowing liquid like it could lift a person off the ground.

    "This fog is so thick," he muttered to himself, ncing back at the cabin. It didn''t seem like the harmless kind of fog that might cause someone to lose their way¡ªit was much more dangerous. He had been periodically marking trees earlier, so if they walked cautiously and slowly, they could get out without much trouble.

    "Let''s go!" The man in the trench coat immediately led Cathy and the other two away.

    As the mist swallowed up their figures, Cassius stepped out of the cabin. He nced around, a bit surprised¡ªseeing this thick fog at night was quite unexpected. His vision was filled with waves of white mist, rolling and swirling like whispers. The grass and tree trunks appeared as vague shapes through the fog, as if seen through ayer of gauze.

    <i>Rustle, rustle</i>...<i> </i>

    It seemed like something was slowly drifting through the fog. Cassius shot a sharp nce in that direction, but everything returned to normal as if it was just the shadow of the trees. <i>Stop with the tricks...</i>

    He began walking in that direction, his fists clenched, muscles tense. He distributed his power throughout his limbs, ready to unleash a storm of attacks at the slightest hint of movement. He was quite cautious, but he didn''t detect any signs of danger despite his sharp senses.

    After walking nearly a hundred meters, Cassius ced a hand on a tree trunk, frowning as he scanned around. For some reason, he felt faintly ufortable. Maybe it was because of the strange fog. Or maybe because there was something in the fog watching him.

    His surroundings were quiet, with only the dense mist swirling around. Cassius thought he heard something and held his breath.

    At first, all he heard was the rustling of wind through the treetops, the distant chirping of birds, and the sound of his heartbeat and breathing. And then...a faint voice calling out to him.

    "Cas...si...us... <i>hiss</i>...e... <i>hiss</i>... here...

    "<i>Hiss</i>... here<i>...</i> this way... <i>hiss, hiss, hiss...</i>"

    The voice came intermittently, like an old cassette tape was ying, but it was mixed with chaotic noise and whispers, like the background murmur of numerous people.

    At first, Cassius just found it eerie, but his eyes widened as he realized something. How did that voice know his name? Could it be Duomo? Or was the young Blood Race back at the cabin in danger and calling for help?

    He whipped around. A ck shadow shed past, and Cassius''s skin prickled. He charged forward aggressively, his fists bursting with power.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    A treerge enough for a man to hug was punched straight through, leaving a gaping hole. Cassius retracted his fist and scanned the surroundings.

    The thick white fog seemed like a massive, shifting, indistinct wall, or like a towering wall rising from the ground and dividing worlds. Everything was silent. It felt as if he had been put in another realm by himself¡ªempty, nk, deste, and hazy.

    <i>Swoosh!</i>

    Another ck shadow shed close by.

    Cassius struck out again, swiftly entering the third-level elerated blood flow, and swinging his iron fists wildly through the air. The air streaming around caused the surrounding fog to form a swirling vortex. And yet the owner of that shadow remained elusive.

    "Stop hiding ande out!"

    Cassius grabbed onto a tree with his right hand, his fingers crushing the trunk as if he were ready to rip it out and sweep it around.

    The area fell silent once more, save for Cassius''s heavy breathing which was akin to an ox panting. He was inexplicably irritated. It felt horrible when things were out of his control!

    Just as Cassius was about to lose his temper, he remembered the Wind Elephant Fist''s principle. He took a deep breath, constantly reminding himself to stay calm. Slowly, he began to regain hisposure.

    That creepy voice echoed in Cassius''s ears once again. "Follow... <i>hiss, hiss, hiss... </i>me... <i>hiss... </i>here<i>...</i> <i>hiss, hiss...</i>"

    Suddenly, he saw a blurry figure in the fog ahead, walking ahead as if it were leading the way. Cassius''s eyes narrowed, and he exploded into action, charging forward. But after sprinting several hundred meters, the figure was still in roughly the same position, hazy and faint as if it could disappear at any moment.

    <i>It was so fast...or was this just an illusion?</i>

    Cassius clenched his fists to check himself. As a pugilist with mastery in Covert Martial Arts, he could tell he hadn¡¯t been poisoned.

    <i>Whatever,</i> he thought. His instincts told his brain that this entity had no ill will, so Cassius decided to check out where this fog-shrouded figure would lead him.

    Half an hourter, a Blood Race member was carefully navigating the trees in the steep forest. The sudden thick fog blurred the mountain paths and made it difficult to see.

    <i>Tap, tap, tap...</i>

    A series of quick footsteps came from the left. The Blood Race nced over, but a ck shadow seemed to teleport right in front of him.

    "Get lost!"

    The Blood Race was ripped in half in a single motion by an incredible force, the blood mist swelling and rising.

    A massive figure surged past, the air current it created forming a half-red, half-white vortex in midair, resembling a suspended eye. It was dripping blood.

 Chapter 146 - Its the Scarabs, Run!

    <h4>Chapter 146 - It''s the Scarabs, Run!</h4>

    The mist was thick, making it impossible to see the road ahead. Cassius followed the shadow deeper into the dense forest.

    <i>Where is it leading me?</i> Cassius squinted, a pale stream of air swirling around his nose.

    Five minutester.

    <i>Tap! </i>

    A ck boot stepped onto the clearing.

    Three adult men in ordinary clothes turned their heads sharply toward the iing person. The strongest of them looked him up and down. "A hunter? Nah, looks like it''s just an ordinary human."

    <i>Tap, tap, tap...</i>

    The iing person charged straight ahead, showing no signs of stopping. "Get out of the way! Don''t block the path!"

    After hearing this, the three members of the Blood Raceughed in anger. The strongest man in the lead frowned. "How dare you speak to me like that, puny human? I wasn''t nning on having an extra meal today, but..."

    "<i>Roar</i>!"

    A high-pitched roar erupted from the man''s mouth, and his entire body instantly transformed, expanding in size. His face became beast-like, and his clothes ripped apart, revealing a powerful, ck-red body covered in bristly fur. The man''s bat-like face twisted into a cruel grin; he loved seeing the terrified expressions on the humans'' faces when they encountered the true form of the Blood Race.

    "Die!" The man rushed forward in a sh.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    The next second, a shadow was sent flying back. Blood arced elegantly through the air.

    "What!" The other two members of the Blood Race were stunned, and in their shock, they quickly transformed using their Blood Gift. In an instant, they became monsters, half-human and half-beast, with enormous ws asrge as a human head.

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    In a split second, a massive shadow darted past the two. Cassius didn''t even nce back, the white mist around his hands dissipating quickly. Without a word, he rushed deeper into the fog. Two heads were thrown into the air behind him, blood shooting out from their necks.

    In the dense, white mist, Cassius was highly focused. He could sense that the shadow who was leading the way was elerating, no longer concerned with whether he could keep up or not. If he wanted to see where it was taking him, he couldn''t slow down.

    Any Blood Race or humans blocking his way had to move aside. And if they didn''t, the only oue for them was death.

    Another ten minutes passed in the seemingly endless fog. Cassius''s hands dripped with blood, and his steps were swift and light. Each powerful stomp left a deep crater in the ground, propelling him explosively forward.

    As he continued, the environment remained unchanged. The only difference was the increasing number of Blood Race members. These secluded bloodsuckers had no concept of stepping aside. Cassius was just a blood bag running around, and their first reaction was to intercept him. And, well... he didn''t need to exin what the consequences of blocking his way were. Cassius had already ughtered nearly a dozen Blood Race members.

    <i>Ssh... Ssh...</i>

    In the distance, the faint sound of water could be heard.

    Momentster, Cassius stopped at a grassy area. Despite the foggy surroundings, he could still make out the outline of a waterfall ahead. The waterfall cascaded down into an oval-shaped pool, with a small stream flowing from the pool''s outlet.

    Before Cassius could catch up, the shadow disappeared. The area around was all green grass with some gray-white stones covered in moss. Beyond this clearingy the forest.

    Cassius looked up. "The shadow stopped."

    The shadow that had led him here had slowed down, pacing back and forth in the mist as if searching for something. A few secondster, it headed straight, finally stopping beside arge tree. Without waiting for Cassius to get near, the shadow vanished.

    Standing beside the tree, Cassius slowly leaned down. The old tree was tall and massive, looking like it had been growing there for ages, the wrinkles on the bark not dissimr to an old man''s face. The roots on the ground were thick and strong, resembling enormous gray-white pythons writhing through the earth.

    Cassius squatted beside one of therge roots, using his hands to brush away the leaves and soil in the gaps. A short whileter, he uncovered some gray stones. He wiped off the dirt and discovered that they weren''t ordinary stones; they looked like part of a wall or perhaps tiles. He dug a bit more with his hands.

    More stones appeared before Cassius''s eyes, showing signs of extensive weathering. However, they still retained traces of civilization, with carvings and markings on them.

    Cassius held the tile in his hand, deep in thought. Suddenly, his hands were enveloped in a white mist, and he started digging furiously into the gap between the tree roots, tossing up arge amount of soil beside him. Before long, the ground beneath Cassius felt empty as if there was a space underneath.

    He pulled hard and a dark hole appeared before him, its depth unknown. Cassius noticed that the hole had a rock wallyered around the edge, showing clear signs of human construction.

    <i>A tomb? Or a ruin?</i> Cassius furrowed his brows tightly, recalling the shadow that had guided him here. For a moment, he hesitated, unsure if he should go in and explore.

    He moved closer to the entrance; the air inside seemed fine. Taking a deep breath, Cassius stepped directly into the hole and began to slide downward. It was a gray-white slope at about a sixty-degree angle. Inside, it was dark, making it nearly impossible to see anything.

    <i>Shh! Shh! Shh!</i>

    A mechanical hissing sound echoed from the surrounding walls. Cassius felt something hit his body and quickly closed his eyes, raising his arms to shield his face and neck.

    <i>Ding, ding, ding...</i>

    A series of impacts reverberated all the way down. About fifteen secondster, Cassius regained his footing, firmly nting his feet on a solid, stable passageway floor.

    <i>Phew~</i>

    A faint me suddenly appeared along the edge of the tunnel walls, spreading inward in a line. The pale white me was not very bright, giving off a dim, eerie glow.

    Cassius was slightly surprised. He then reached up and pulled a ck arrow from his hair. These small projectiles had been attacking him earlier. He looked at his right forearm, noticing small white spots on his skin. Some parts had nearly been pierced through, showing just how strong these arrows were.

    Cassius had mastered the Stone Armour Technique, which allowed him to withstand bullets. These arrows were as powerful as bullets in terms of prative power. With a forceful press, he snapped the arrow in his hand with a loud crack.

    Wary of further traps ahead, Cassius deliberately slowed down, cautiously making his way deeper into the passage. After about two minutes, he came to a corner.

    He stepped forward. Suddenly, the ground ahead cracked open. A trap!

    A neatly arranged set of spikes appeared at the bottom of a pit that was about two meters deep. Cassius fell straight into it. He twisted midair and his right hand shot out, digging into the edge of the pit.

    Using both hands, he swung himself back up. He returned to his original position, his hands clenched into tight fists. Stepping decisively, he leaped over the entire trap.

    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Then,<i> crack!</i>

    The ground opened up again. Caught off guard, Cassius fell right into it. The bottom of the pit echoed with a thud.

    "Damn it! How sneaky!" Cassius hadn''t expected to be outwitted.

    Hey on a pile of spikes, his face gloomy. Although he didn''t react as quickly as he had the first time, he managed to control his body by flipping midair andnding on his muscr back. The more spikes that made contact simultaneously, the less pressure they exerted individually, making it harder for them to enter Cassius''s body. He had made the right move.

    Although he had fallen to the bottom of the pit, his back didn''t hurt. He didn''t seem to be injured or bleeding. He quickly got back on his feet. These spikes were nearly as tall as his thighs. An average person would find it impossible to reach the bottom.

    He looked up at the spot where he had fallen. The tips of the spikes were all ttened. On closer inspection, it became clear that these iron spikes had been there for countless years, and were severely corroded, with rust covering their entire surface. Their piercing power was clearly not what it had been when they were new.

    Cassius thought back to the sharp arrows from earlier. Those weapons inside the walls had likely been sealed better...

    Half a minuteter, he was back on the passage floor.

    This time, Cassius was even more cautious. However, he didn''t encounter any further traps or dangers. He easily walked along the passage for hundreds of meters beforeing to a stop.

    Before himy a vast cavern, a wide cylindrical chamber. The bottom appeared to be the size of a basketball court, with gray-white walls pocked with oval-shaped passage openings, seemingly leading in all directions. As he surveyed the rest of his surroundings, Cassius saw countless dark holes extending into unknown depths, giving off a sinister, terrifying feeling.

    Cassius''s eyes flickered as he took a few steps forward until he was standing on a raised tform within the cavern. Looking to his right, he saw steps carved into the cave wall. If he jumped from one step to the next, he''d reach the bottom.

    Cassius hesitated for a moment then carefully jumped over. The steps weren''t traps, nor did they feel like they might suddenly break; in fact, they were incredibly sturdy. Step by step, he descended to the bottom.

    The air around Cassius suddenly dropped in temperature, and he could feel the heat from his body escaping. As he exhaled, a faint white mist could be seen forming in the air. He shivered, and the blood began to circte rapidly through the three nodes in his body, providing warmth to his bare upper half.

    Five minutester, Cassius reached the bottom.

    Scanning the area, he saw five enormous openings at the base, leading to who knows where. In the center of the wall, a grayish-white fountain was running, with white water flowing around the pool in a continuous cycle.

    <i>How can this fountain keep working for so long? Is someone maintaining it?</i> Cassius wondered as he took a couple of steps to the side. He felt something crunch beneath his foot.

    When he held it aloft, he found a crushed bug¡ªwhite-shelled, about the size of a thumb¡ªunderneath his shoe. The bug was dead, and a pale green liquid was sizzling on the ground.

    Cassius lightly stomped his foot, and the fountain in front of him began to tremble, the white water rippling violently. Without warning, the fountain ejected a swarm of white scarabs, their incessant chirping filling the air.

    <i>Whoosh... whoosh... whoosh...</i>

    Jets of corrosive acid shot toward Cassius. He quickly dodged, throwing his body to the side. His right hand turned pale as a spinning vortex of air rapidly formed in his palm.

    The t, spherical vortex buzzed unsteadily. Just as it was about to spin out of control, he threw it at the fountain. With a sharp pop, the air mass hit the fountain and blew up, a fierce gust of wind enclosing the surrounding area within a meter.

    Many of the white scarabs were decimated, but more of them kept crawling out, advancing in swarms. But Cassius was no longer on the bottom tform; a shadow darted into one of the openings. Half an hourter, rapid footsteps echoed through a silent passage, the white fire on the ceiling trailing along with the footsteps.

    <i>This ce is so simr in style to that ruin Twilight once visited,</i> Cassius thought as he ran at full speed.

    His figure appeared at the end of the passage as a sh. Momentster, the sound of countless bugs crawling echoed at the gray-white passage entrance. These white scarabs were relentless in their pursuit.

    After another five minutes, Cassius rushed into another passage like a whirlwind. His pupils narrowed, but he didn''t slow down; instead, he pushed himself even harder, sprinting with all his might. In an instant, he was at the end of the passage.

    Barely a secondter, twelve gray-white stone statues on either side of the passage came to life. Stone chips fell from their joints as they raised their heads, revealing bizarre human faces depicting twelve different emotions¡ªcrying,ughing, angry, roaring...

    Their stiff movements quickly became much more fluid, and theserge figures started marching toward the direction Cassius was fleeing in.

    However, just then, the sound of countless crawling insects erupted from the entrance of the passage. The statue at the back of the pack turned its head, only to see a white torrent pouring in, instantly engulfing all the statues.

    "<i>Hiss... hiss... hiss...</i>"

    It was almost like it was raining highly corrosive acid.

    "<i>Roar... roar... roar...</i>"

    Hearing the deafening roars behind him, he quickened his pace.

    Hourster, Cassius, now barefoot, was almost at his wit''s end. "Seriously, all this fuss just because I stepped on one scarab? Did they have to go all out and chase me for three...four hours?!"

    He looked to be in quite the sorry state, with corrosion marks from the acid all over his body. Besides a pair of shorts that were nearly splitting at the seams, he had even thrown away his shoes on suspicion that they were contaminated with pheromones. Yet, the swarm continued persistently tailing him. He suspected he might have pheromones on his body too, but it wasn''t like there was any water in the ruins to wash it off.

    So, Cassius could only keep running for his life, relying on the extraordinary stamina provided by the three nodes. Along the way, he encountered many other dangers in the ruins, such as bloodsucking vines hanging on the walls, mantises the size of half a person, flowers with hallucinogenic pollen, and mutated three-headed pythons...

    The white scarabs on the other hand destroyed the dangers. It looked like he had gone ahead and provoked the final boss right from the start.

    <i>Chirp, chirp, chirp... Chirp, chirp, chirp...</i>

    Cassius charged through a hall filled with nts and creatures that looked like monkeys were hanging from vines, all of whom attacked him with weapons, desperate to stop him.

    Luckily, Cassius had trained his hardening Qigong technique well and forced his way through. The annoying monkeys screeched, seemingly intent on chasing him.

    But the next second, a white torrent swept through the entire hall and when it subsided, numerous monkey skeletons fell from the vines and shattered into pieces, smokeing from its bodies.

    Ten minutester, Cassius suddenly found himself at the end of a tunnel, but to his dismay, it was a dead end! He could hear the insects had already reached the entrance behind him, and a swarm of white scarabs was already pouring in.

    "Damn it!" He punched the wall in frustration. <i>Huh?! This wall seems to be hollow?</i>

    Meanwhile, in a vast hall, the dome stretched high above, its surface covered in a mural painted with unknown ck and red pigments. An enormous pool was situated in the center of the hall, with a stone pir submerged in the center of the water.

    The space between the hall and the pool was covered in densely packed red ritual lines that extended out like a spiderweb. Strange symbols that no one could understand were etched into them. It looked like tadpoles. Now, these symbols were starting to light up one by one.

    Ten mysterious figures, draped in ck robes, knelt devoutly on the ground, chanting in a strange, twisted tongue. It seemed to be some kind of eerie and mysterious prayer. They pressed their fingers against the ground, blood continuously oozing out and seeping into the ritual lines as if they were trying to awaken something.

    "<i>Ki tu gi a ba a ba</i>..."

    The prayer grew louder, reaching a crescendo. Suddenly, all the ritual lines on the ground changed to red. The once calm water in the pool turned into a transparent, amber-like gold. A plume of steam rose, and the hall began to rumble.

    Wait, rumble? That had never happened before during the ritual. Several ck-robed figures looked up, bewildered, at the pool. Could it be? Could it really be?

    One ck-robed figure murmured excitedly, "Finally..."

    <i>Boom!</i>

    The dome shattered, and a chunk of the stone wall crashed down. Then, a shadow plunged into the water with a ssh. All the ck-robed figures jumped up, shouting.

    "What''s going on?! Who is that?!"

    "He fell into the Sacred Pool!!!"

    "How dare he?!"

    "This is bad! We can''t stop the ritual now; it''s alreadypleted!"

    <i>Shhh... shhh... shhh...</i>

    From above, a white torrent began scuttling down the walls, the sound of limbs scraping against stone ringing through the hall. In the next moment, the chaotic noise turned into unified screams.

    "Damn it, it''s the scarabs! Run!!!"

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 147 - Ding! Your Cheat Has Arrived

    <h4>Chapter 147 - Ding! Your Cheat Has Arrived</h4>

    Half a minuteter, the hall fell into utter silence, with a few white scarab stragglers aimlessly crawling across the ground.

    The amber-colored pool water gently rippled. The pool was deeper than Cassius had imagined¡ªat least five meters deep. Rather than floating, he was bizarrely anchored to the bottom, a powerful suction force holding him firmly in ce.

    <i>Thud!</i>

    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    The veins in Cassius¡¯s legs bulged as he used everything he had in him to jump out of the water. But the intense gravity felt like thousands of hands were dragging him back. His heart sank as he realized something was wrong.

    A leap that should have propelled him three to four meters into the air waspletely negated. He barely managed to jump thirty or forty centimeters before sumbing to the force and falling back down.

    After a moment of contemtion, Cassius noticed something else strange¡ªhis skin was helping him breathe. The amber liquid around him seemed to be constantly permeating his body with oxygen, allowing him to breathe freely underwater.

    <i>They''re not letting me leave, but they¡¯re also keeping me alive?</i>

    Cassius was puzzled, but he wasn''t about to sit idly by at the bottom of the pool. He began to shuffle along, his gait like an old man, as he tried to locate the edge of the pool. If he could find something to grab onto, he might be able to climb out.

    A few minutester, he touched the cold wall of the pool. Leaning closer, he was startled to see that the wall was covered with numerous mouths¡ªsome open as if speaking, some snarling, some pursed. The entire expanse of it was etched in various expressions.

    Cassius took two steps back in shock, then cautiously examined the wall again. They turned out to be carvings on the pool wall, but they were so lifelike that they looked eerie and unsettling.

    <i>Should I try climbing up?</i> He grabbed onto the indented mouths and started climbing. This time, he managed to get slightly higher than before, about half a meter above the bottom, but he still couldn''t hold on. The suction force grew stronger the higher he climbed, and his muscles began trembling. His fingers could barely grip the indentations, and he had no choice but to let go and drop back down.

    Cassius sighed in frustration and continued to circle the pool, noticing that the carvings on the walls had changed. The carvings depicted various sensory organs: a mouth, eyes, a nose, ears, and hands¡ªthe five senses humans use to perceive the world.

    Meanwhile, a hazy mist began to form in the vast hall above. The fog grew thicker by the second, and soon the entire hall and surrounding passages were shrouded in white mist.

    A shadowy figure emerged in the mist, hovering near the edge of the pool as if to peer down at Cassius. The ck runes on the ground that had previously dimmed suddenly red up again at the figure''s appearance, the intense red bathing the entire hall in light.

    Cassius noticed the red glow even from the bottom of the pool. He looked up sharply. "What''s happening up there?"

    "Survive... <i>Hiss... Hiss...</i> Survive..." A sudden static-like noise crackled in his ears.

    <i>What do you mean survive???</i>

    Cassius was bewildered, lowering his head only to see that the carved mouths on the pool wall had started to move. The expressions, once varied, morphed into a single roar: "<i>Aaaahhhh</i>..."

    <i>Buzz!</i>

    Cassius felt as though he had been struck by lightning, his mind going nk in an instant.

    Starting from the mouths, the eyes, noses, ears, and hands all began to shift, each sensory organ activating simultaneously, and overwhelming Cassius with a deluge of sensations.

    His body convulsed, blood pouring out from his seven orifices. Soon, his skin began to bleed as well, his pores oozing out thin streams of blood. At that moment, a torrent of fragmented information crashed into Cassius¡¯s mind, with images and perspectives constantly shifting. It was like watching a movie that had cobbled together other films into one, their frames jumping out of sequence.

    The chaotic images were surreal yet vividly real. All the sensory information humans used to understand the world¡ªsmell, taste, sight, hearing, and touch¡ªwere all present.

    Cassius felt as if he was living through various moments in history, experiencing them through different people¡¯s eyes. One moment, he was in one person¡¯s body, and the next, he was in another. His mind got so hot it felt like it was on the verge of exploding.

    He seemed to be everywhere at once¡ªthe past, present, and future.

    His vision kept rising higher and higher until he saw a river running through the world. But instead of water, the river carried fragments of history and images. The river''s upper reaches were narrow and thin, but at a certain point, it widened abruptly.

    An ancient and powerful civilization, mysterious and autonomous, appeared on the world¡¯s stage. Caring little for the mortals on the ground, it was focused solely on its own devices. This civilizationsted for a long time but at some point, it vanished, leaving a long period of emptiness.

    After the void, ck patches began to taint the river. It was so dark that Cassius couldn''t see anything in that segment of the river. The river took a sharp turn at a certain point, and a dense white mist covered it.

    Cold sweat drenched his back. The ck water and white mist continued to intertwine endlessly. Until just then...

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    Cassius suddenly opened his eyes, flipping over to sit up from the bottom of the pool. His chest heaved as he gasped for air. His back was covered in sweat.

    He didn''t know what he was afraid of, but a deep, inexplicable terror gripped him, sending chills down his spine.

    Cassius rubbed his throbbing head as the fragmented images he had just seen faded as fast as they hade, bing as vague as a dream.

    He sat in a daze for half a minute before realizing he was now standing on an empty pool floor; the amber-colored pool water had vanished entirely. The carved mouths on the walls were also gone, reced by smooth, cold ck stone.

    He jumped, testing the ground, and found that the suction force had disappeared. Cassius immediately leaped up, grabbing the edge of the pool, and flipping himself onto the floor of the hall. ncing down, he noticed strange lines and symbols on the ground, though they appeared damaged, withrge nk areas and lines abruptly cut off.

    "Hmm?" Cassius noticed a ck ouroboros symbol the size of his palm imprinted on his chest. The snake¡¯s eyes and scales looked realistic and reflected a ckish-purple light if he looked at it from different angles.

    "What is this?" He reached out to touch it; there didn''t seem to be anything unusual about it.

    Cassius looked up and noticed something in the upper right corner. A floating coiled snake symbol: ¡Þ.

    He hesitated, then, as he had done before, tried to focus on the coiled snake symbol. Instantly, a flood of information surged into his mind, causing his body to sway slightly.

    The symbol was called Ouroboros, the Chalice of Blood that brewed the Blood of Immortality, and the Rune of Wisdom that guided one¡¯s ascent.

    Originating from the mysterious Aoyin civilization, Ouroboros was said to be one of the five cornerstone artifacts that led to boundless greatness and endless distances. A series of iprehensible words followed, before ending with an additional sentence, "Absorb the essence of cmity and brew the Blood of the Spirit."

    <i>What exactly is the essence of cmity? And this Blood of the Spirit? Is this some sort of riddle?</i>

    Cassius could hazard a guess about the Blood of the Spirit; it was probably something that would be beneficial. But as for the essence of cmity, he was at aplete loss. Could it be the lingering attachment energy needed for time-travel? But then again, they seemed like two vastly different things, with a considerable gap between them.

    As Cassius ruminated, that vague voice urging him to survive seemed to echo in his ears again. What was the shadowy figure in the mist nning? It had brought him to this ruin and granted him an unknown wisdom rune.

    Despite it likely being a good thing, Cassius detested the feeling of being manipted and controlled by others. It made him feel like a dangerous pawn.

    Cassius felt a bit anxious, but he quickly dismissed the thought. After all, he was in a time-travel era. This was a historical scene from fifty years ago! No matter what schemes or conspiracies might be at y, they would all be rendered moot once Cassius returned to the real world. Even if he died in this time-travel era, it wouldn''t matter. At most, it would mean a failed time-travel, and he wouldn''t be able to bring back any power.

    Cassius wasn''t pressed for time this time, and he had even stocked enough lingering attachment energy for another attempt. The danger from the Shadow Demons was still within a controble range. In theory, Cassius didn''t need to worry too much.

    <i>Forget it, I''ll just get out of here first, </i>he decided. This ruin was swarming with dangerous white scarabs. It''d do him no good to try exploring now; Cassius had no intention of running into those bugs again. He took a deep breath and flitted into one of the passages.

    Half a dayter, Cassius sat down to rest in the middle of a cavern, a bottle and a tattered piece of parchment in front of him. To his surprise, he had also obtained a secret elixir that Twilight had unintentionally acquired himself. After avoiding many traps, he also found a piece of parchment in the same stone chamber. He couldn''t understand thenguage on it, but it seemed to be rted to the elixir.

    Cassius was pleased to see these items because it could only mean he was getting closer to the cave''s exit. However, the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment; Cassius was still wandering in circles in the passageways.

    This ce was like a maze with countless twists and turns, where no one could tell where they were standing or how far the exit was. In such a situation, all he could do was keep trying.

    Fortunately, Cassius had reached the pinnacle as a pugilist, allowing him to go without food or water for half a month. He wasn''t in any immediate danger, for now. He still had plenty of time.

    A few dayster, Cassius stood at a crossroads, hesitating. At this rate, he was going to develop decision paralysis. The identical environment and identical passageways looked just the same as before. The road ahead could be a trap or a ce where monsters lurked.

    After all this time, Cassius was mentally and physically exhausted, and his face had visibly grown more haggard. The constant need to wake at the slightest sound, due to the dangers within the ruins, had also made him increasingly irritable.

    Exhaling, he nced at the upper right corner. The wisdom rune showed no change, offering no feedback. It just hung there, and was simply a waste of space.

    <i>What the hell is this thing good for? I''m getting annoyed just looking at it.</i>

    With no outlet for his frustration, Cassius slowly extended his hand, using his fingers as a de to carve a cross into the wall. At the very least, this could help him figure out his way out of the ruins. It was better than doing nothing.

    He stopped carving. Holding his breath, he listened intently. A few secondster, Cassius pressed his right cheek against the wall. His brow furrowed, but his eyes seemed to gradually brighten. His pupils turned blood-red.

    <i>Boom!!!</i>

    The rock shattered and scattered as the wall shook violently. His iron fist, fully unleashed, rammed into the hard wall like a pile driver and stretched out like a ck giant python. His five fingers clutched something oval and pulled it toward him.

    A Blood Race youth''s head was stuck in the hole. His eyes rolled back, looking as if his neck was about to be torn off.

    "Good!" Cassiusughed loudly, mming the head back into the hole. Then, his rock-white muscles swelled and bulged, his massive figure charging forward like a wild bull, and smashed into the wall forcefully.

    <i>Boom! Crackle, crackle, crackle...</i>

    Dust rained down as he came out and entered a parallel passage. Three Blood Race youths, their faces pale with shock, stood beside him.

    "Finally... <i>finally</i>... What a long detour this was..."

    Relieved, a slight smile tugged at the corners of Cassius''s mouth. Seeing his arrogant demeanor and the fallenpanion on the ground, the three Blood Race youths roared in fury and charged at him, their bodies swelling and transforming until they became monstrous ck-and-red bat creatures.

    Cassius clenched his fists, eager to fight. Maybe it was because of the long and frustrating journey, but he found these ugly, blood-gifted Blood Race creatures strangely endearing now...

    Endearing enough to make him want to crush their bones inch by inch with his fists, to sever their powerful muscle fibers with his hand de. And those three round heads looked so much like fragile watermelons...

    Cassius yearned to unleash the violent killing intent that had been building inside him. It had nothing to do with the Shadow Demons this time. Probably...

    <i>Boom! Boom! Boom!</i>

    The wall echoed with three muffled thuds as the heads of those Blood Race creatures were violently mmed against the wall, leaving bloody dents and cracks. Cassius had pressed too hard on one of them, crushing them to death by sheer force against the sturdy wall.

    "That felt good."

    Shaking the blood off his hands, Cassius cracked his neck, a series of joints popping audibly. Just as he was about to pick up the two still-living Blood Race creatures, he noticed something different in the upper right corner. The wisdom rune had finally changed¡ªit was no longer the same!

    A long and thin nk progress bar had appeared on the right side of the coiled snake-shaped rune. On closer inspection, there was a small red dot at the end of the bar, indicating a minuscule bit of progress.

    Cassius was suddenly struck by a realization. <i>Is the essence of cmity rted to dark creatures?!</i>

    He blinked. There were even more changes.

    [Stone Armour Technique: Heavy Armor Mastery (Total Two Stages+)]

    There seemed to be a faint plus sign after "Total Two Stages." Cassius¡¯s heart raced.

    <i>Ding, your cheat has arrived...</i>

    He shook off the auditory hallucination. His throat felt slightly dry. Cassius then tried focusing on the plus sign, and the entire Stone Armour Technique entry began to blur in an instant.

 Chapter 148 - Big Cheat Overlays Small Cheat

    <h4>Chapter 148 - Big Cheat Oveys Small Cheat</h4>

    Meanwhile, a symbol appeared below the entry. The symbol wasposed of dense, light red patterns. Cassius''s gaze flickered slightly as he deciphered its meaning.

    "Enhancement in progress... Room for improvement for the Stone Armour Technique... Insufficient essence of cmity... Enhancement failed..."

    So that''s what it meant. Cassius immediately understood the situation. The Blood of the Spirit, as generated by the Rune of Wisdom, could be used to enhance the upper limit of techniques, such as upgrading the Stone Armour Technique from two stages to three. But this did require the technique being enhanced to have room for growth.

    Cassius wasn''t surprised that the enhancement had failed in the end, considering that he had only obtained a tiny bit of essence of cmity. If just killing a direct descendant of the Alphama Bloodline could enhance a technique, Cassius would have established a foundation of invincibility right then and there.

    But this meant all his techniques could be maxed out, thus paving the way for an unstoppable future. All he needed to do was continue gradually training, following the pathid out for him.

    Cassius exhaled slightly and shifted his focus.

    <i>Huh? Why does the Elephant Soul technique also have a plus sign? </i>He raised an eyebrow and refocused again.

    [Elephant Soul Iplete: Bug Bite 66.7%+ (Total Three stages)]

    This time, the plus sign didn''t appear next to the number of stages but next to the progress of the technique. Cassius tried adding a point. Immediately, the entry for Elephant Soul became blurry, and a light blue patterned symbol appeared below it.

    "Breaking through bottleneck... Bottleneck not reached... Insufficient essence of cmity... Breakthrough failed..."

    Wow, it can be used to break through bottlenecks too?! Cassius''s eyes widened as he began to explore further. Momentster, he discovered another function.

    In the upper right corner of his vision, the entries for the Wind Elephant Covert Martial Arts and Stone Armour Technique simultaneously blurred and flickered, even showing signs of merging. A pale yellow mark appeared at the bottom.

    "Technique fusion in progress... The natures of the two are in conflict and highly ipatible... Insufficient essence of cmity... Fusion failed..."

    Cassius decided to take back what he had said earlier. <i>What''s the point of this thing? It''s just annoying to look at.</i> On the contrary, the Rune of Wisdom was extremely useful¡ªfar more than he initially thought.

    Although it couldn''t directly enhance Cassius''s strength, its other auxiliary abilities were undoubtedly cheat-level.

    First, it enhanced the upper limits of techniques. Second, it triggered inspiration, helping to break through bottlenecks. Third, it fused together techniques with highpatibility.

    So far, these were the three functions Cassius had discovered, all of which were rted to the Rune of Wisdom and the Blood of the Spirit. But what if there were other hidden functions, just waiting to be discovered?

    Not to mention, the Rune of Wisdom still had its limitations. After Cassius obtained the first trace of the essence of cmity, he revisited the information from the Rune of Wisdom and received more feedback. ording to ancient mythology, everything went through a perpetual cycle, like a coiled snake constantly in motion. It took the entire world one year toplete one full cycle, during which the coiled snake returned to its original position.

    In other words, after the Rune of Wisdom generated the Blood of the Spirit, it entered a year-long cooldown period, which meant Cassius could only use the Rune of Wisdom once a year. After umting enough essence of cmity, he could choose any one of the three functions before the rune fell dormant once again.

    His excitement dimmed slightly, and after a while, he was calm. It made sense; since the Rune of Wisdom was a product of some mysterious civilization, it had to adhere to certain principles. It wouldn''t be reasonable for it to offer powerful abilities without any cost.

    The only ability that defied such rules was his time-traveling power.

    Cassius''s time-travel ability was incredibly abnormal, capable of manifesting a real historical era. All the progress he made in this period could also be brought back to the real world, putting it far ahead of the Rune of Wisdom for now.

    <i>Wait a minute.</i>

    Cassius suddenly had a thought. Which took precedence, his time-travel ability or the Rune of Wisdom? He leaned toward the time-travel ability having higher priority. But that raised another question: were all the time-travel eras part of the same world? What about the original real world?

    <i>In ancient mythology, everything went through a perpetual cycle, like a coiled snake constantly in motion. It takes the entire world one year toplete one full cycle, during which the coiled snake returns to its original position.</i>

    In theory, a person could only exist in one world where time was continuous. But what if someone existed in more than one world, and time skipped and had gaps? Wouldn''t that create a bug, allowing for constant refreshes?

    For instance, what if Cassius, currently in the "Fifty-Years-Ago Bronze Ring World," used the Rune of Wisdom''s enhancement opportunity? When he returned to the "real world," would the Rune of Wisdom reset? What if he entered the "Seventy-Years-Ago Wind Elephant Pendant World"? Would the Rune of Wisdom refresh again?

    It didn''t seem to align with the rules or principles, but if the time-travel ability had a higher priority than the Rune of Wisdom, then it might make sense. Lower-level abilities yielded to higher-level ones, which meant the Rune of Wisdom would have to yield to the time-travel ability. And since the time-travel ability was a mysterious cheat, it didn''t follow conventional rules.

    That sounded about right... But he needed to test that theory to confirm.

    Cassius then realized that he might have already triggered two bugs; one with the Shadow Demons, and another with the Rune of Wisdom¡ªif they worked, that was. Both bugs were based on his time-travel ability, and Cassius was quite pleased about it.

    Having a cheat ability was truly satisfying!

    "<i>Ah</i>..." A series of groans came from the rubble on the ground.

    Cassius snapped out of it and immediately went back to threatening and intimidating. Five minutester, only one cowardly Blood Race youth remained out of the four. Cassius had dealt with the other three, and the Rune of Wisdom''s progress bar increased slightly as a result.

    Cassius''s curiosity was piqued. After obtaining the essence of cmity by killing a direct descendant of the Alphama Bloodline, he had assumed that the essence of cmity was the same as dark essence. But now it seemed that this was not the case.

    The ck Rain Manor''s missions targeted various dark creatures, focusing on organs that were the richest in dark essence. For the Blood Race, this would be the heart. Cassius had experimented earlier and discovered that the essence of cmity had nothing to do with the heart. Other than these two substances seemingly running parallel to each other, they had no direct connection at the moment.

    Cassius crouched down in the corridor, feeling the hefty weight of the heart in his hand before stuffing it back into the corpse''s bloody chest cavity. He then wiped the blood off his hands onto the corpse''s clothing, leaving red handprints behind.

    A Blood Race youth was watching in horror nearby. The man before him was not only powerful but also extremely twisted! He had the audacity to y with a corpse''s organs after killing them, all while wearing an apathetic visage and moving like a curious schr.

    Watching hispanion''s body being studied and dissected left a deep psychological impression on the youth. He even felt phantom pains as if he were experiencing it himself. This man was undoubtedly a devil.

    Cassius, on the other hand, didn''t realize that his actions would instill such extreme fear in his captive. He was merely experimenting to understand where the essence of cmity came from; it seemed natural to be curious about this.

    The more he understood his cheat skills, the better off he''d be in the future, with clear ns leading to greater sess.

    Suddenly¡ª

    <i>Hiss, hiss, hiss</i>...

    Cassius quickly turned his head at the familiar sound. Fortunately, it wasn''t the swarm of white scarabs he feared. It was just a lone scarab on the ground, limping as if injured.

    Ten minutester, in the dry gray passage.

    A tall figure flickered across the ground. Cassius, draped in a gray cloak, rushed through the tunnel, the cloak billowing like a dark cloud. He was wearing the attire from one of the Blood Race he had encountered earlier.

    While the Blood Race in this world generally weren''t afraid of light, they certainly had no favorable feelings toward it. This was especially the case for the direct bloodline of the Blood Race residing in the Alphama mountains, who, unlike ordinary Blood Race who mingled amongst humans, had no social interactions and still needed to move during the day. As a result, the direct bloodline of the Blood Race despised light even more than the regr Blood Race. Some of them wore cloaks for greaterfort.

    Cassius appreciated this habit of the Alphama direct line Blood Race. He also liked cloaks; they weren''t easy to tear off in battle.

    In the passage, a series of footsteps echoed toward the end. Cassius had a Blood Race youth pinned under his arm, his expression vignt yet calm.

    "There''s a fork ahead. Which way?" he asked.

    "Right," the Blood Race youth answered honestly.

    "Good." Cassius didn''t waste any words and immediately turned right.

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    A strong arm whipped out from around the corner, its power and speed slicing through the air with a sharp whistle.

    <i>A master?!</i>

    Cassius reacted instantly. Throwing the burdened youth backward, he stepped forward and punched.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    Both arms recoiled, numbed by the impact. Cassius narrowed his eyes, a web of blood vessels quickly filling his pupils. Heat radiated from his body, and the writhing muscles of his frame exuded immense power.

    <i>Finish this quickly!</i>

    <i>Boom!</i>

    He stomped diagonally on the ground, cracking the hard stone. In an instant, he crossed several meters, running around the corner in a wide arc, swinging his arms like spears.

    The tall figure on the other side also burst forth fiercely, flinging his arms in a wide curve, and leaving a ck shadow in the air. It was like a whip, almost renting the air apart!

    Two blows collided. Power erupted from the point of contact as a straight punch met a swinging punch. Cassius''s muscles contracted sharply. His hands closed in, and his outstretched arms twisted like pythons and attacked viciously.

    <i>Smack! </i>

    A sharp elbow struck the joint.

    Cassius''s arm trembled, losing thirty percent of its strength. He immediately stepped back, looking closely at the man before him. Both were equally puzzled and spoke simultaneously, "It''s you?"

    "How did you get in?" Cassius asked first.

    "Fog, shadows."

    A tall, muscr figure stood opposite Cassius. He was handsome with a towering build and radiant blond hair. It was the same man Cassius had fought before: Duomo.

    "And you?" Duomo countered.

    "Fog, shadows..." Cassius shrugged. "Good thing I held back, or you''d be on the ground right about now." Duomo''s sudden appearance had clearly irritated him.

    "<i>Heh</i>." Duomo sneered and shook his head.

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    <i>Hoo!</i>

    Duomo''s powerful lion w stopped just short of Cassius''s chest, the fierce wind from the strike making his ck cloak ripple outward, like waves on a river.

    "That move is fast... What''s it called?" Cassius asked calmly, his eyes slightly lowered.

    "Burning Lion Mark," Duomo said slowly. "And you''re quite impressively fast too. What''s that move called?"

    Cassius''srge, iron-like fist hovered in midair, just a centimeter from his forehead. "Elephant''s Roar."

    Both men simultaneously retracted their fists when Cassius answered. They seemed to havee to an inexplicable sense of mutual understanding.

    "Your Burning Lion Mark is indeed fast, but speed alone isn''t enough. I can feel the power in that move and the most it can do is give me a small injury." Cassius acted as though he were chatting with an old friend. "But if you had taken <i>my</i> punch..."

    Duomo''s pupils shrank, and he didn''t refute. Instead, he asked, "You''ve practiced hardening Qigong?"

    "Yes," Cassius said goodnaturedly.

    The two men, standing two meters apart, sized each other up. Duomo suddenly smiled, extending his hand. "I think this calls for reintroductions. Duomo, from the Three-Eyed Mad Lion Sect."

    Cassius narrowed his eyes slightly and stretched his hand out as well. "Cassius, from the Wind Elephant Sect. I guess you really only get to know someone after you fight them..."

    He and Duomo shook hands, and Cassius''s mind began piecing together some ns. He was about to speak when they heard quick footsteps and voicesing from one of the branching paths.

    "Someone''s fighting up ahead!"

    "Let''s go take a look."

    Cassius raised an eyebrow, a faint smile on his face. He exchanged a nce with Duomo. "I have some important things to discuss with you, but we should find a quiet ce first."

    Duomo narrowed his eyes. "Of course."

    <i>Boom! Boom!</i>

    The two figures instantly vanished from the fork in the road, their shadows darting into the tunnel.

    "Who''s there?!"

    N?v(el)B\\jnn

    "Two ordinary male humans."

    "How did they get in?"

    "Doesn''t matter, kill them!"

    The voices of the Blood Race reverberated through the passage. The two figures charged in like tigers into a flock of sheep. Screams, collisions, and groans filled the air, followed by blood sttering across the ground, the ceiling, and the walls.

    "I am of noble lineage, and you, a mere human, dare to..."

    <i>Bang!</i>

    With a sh of his fist, the ugly, blood-covered head exploded. ck scalp and white solid matter sttered across the ground.

    Cassius shook his right hand. His previous punch had been too light. Instead of killing it, all it did was give the Blood Race a concussion. But then the creature started babbling nonsense, screaming that they were going to tear him apart. Annoyed by the ruckus, Cassius delivered the finishing blow. He looked up and saw at least seven or eight Blood Race corpses lying in the passage. Duomo, his hands dripping with blood, slowly walked over.

    Cassius nced at the progress bar in the corner of his vision. It had increased slightly.

    "It''s quiet now. You can say whatever you need to," Duomo reminded Cassius after noticing how he seemed to be staring off into space.

    Cassius blinked, snapping back to reality. He organized his thoughts and, under Duomo''s watchful eyes, slowly asked, "Have you heard of Soul Power?"

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 149 - Rapid Progress in Runes

    <h4>Chapter 149 - Rapid Progress in Runes</h4>

    "What''s Soul Power?" Duomo asked, clearly unfamiliar with the term.

    Cassius smiled slightly. "How old do you think I am?"

    "Thirty-five? Thirty? Twenty-eight?" Cassius shook his head slightly at each of Duomo''s suggestions. Duomo¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. "You¡¯re not over forty, are you?"

    <i>So, this Soul Power really works, huh? Does it help to maintain physical functions as well as a youthful appearance?</i> Duomo''s imagination was running wild, but it seemed like a reasonable hypothesis to him.

    Cassius shook his head slightly, exasperated. "Back at Mirror Lake, when we first sparred, didn¡¯t you say I hadn¡¯t even reached thirty? Guess younger."

    "No way. Are you saying you¡¯re under twenty-five?!"

    "Twenty-four."

    Duomo was so shocked that his eyes were practically falling out of its sockets. After theirst two encounters, he realized Cassius''s strength was on par with his, if not slightly better. Duomo himself was a prodigy, trained by the Three-Eyed Mad Lion Sect since he was a child. Now at thirty-one, he had reached the limit of the second-level elerated blood flow and was just a step away from breaking through the bottleneck and advancing to the pugilist level.

    When that happened, the three nodes of elerated blood flow would form a stable loop, allowing his energy and blood to remain robust. This prevented a Covert Martial Artist from declining with age, slowing the loss of energy and blood.

    Typically, this decline began around the age of thirty-five. A Covert Martial Artist had to reach the pugilist level before then if they wanted to continue progressing and unlocking the mysteries of even higher levels in the years toe.

    At thirty-one, Duomo had already achieved significant sess and was considered a top talent in his sect. But here stood Cassius who, at just twenty-four, was already on equal footing with him and was seven years younger than him to boot!

    This guy was no prodigy; he was a monster.

    N?v(el)B\\jnn

    After breaking through to the superhuman level, it took an immense amount of time and effort to make even one step forward. Duomo had reached the second-level elerated blood flow at twenty-five, but it took him six years to reach the bottleneck and that was with natural talent and ample resources.

    Duomo¡¯s face reflected his shock as he exhaled deeply. "Have you mutated?! Can I check your bone age?"

    <i>I haven¡¯t mutated; I¡¯ve just been given a cheat...</i> Cassius thought inwardly, but outwardly he extended his sturdy arm. Twilight¡¯s bone age indeed showed him as twenty-four.

    He wasn¡¯t lying.

    Duomo pressed his arm for a moment longer before pulling his hand back in disbelief. His eyes did not leave Cassius, as if trying to dig out some hidden truth.

    Duomo¡¯s heart burned with curiosity. "So, you managed to reach the limit of the second-level elerated blood flow at such a young age. Does this have something to do with Soul Power?"

    "Yes." Cassius nodded slightly. "But you''re wrong about one thing. I¡¯m not at the second level¡ªI¡¯m at the third!" His eyes turned blood-red in an instant, and countless tiny blood vessels spread through his pupils like a spider¡¯s web.

    Under the gaze of those blood-red eyes, Duomo felt as if he were being stared down by a dangerous¡ªextremely dangerous¡ªtop predator.

    <i>Damn!</i> He cursed inwardly. It turned out he wasn¡¯t even on the same level. The difference between them was a mere single node...

    If they were to ever fight in a life-and-death battle, Duomo wouldn¡¯t stand a chance.

    Half an hourter, Duomo¡¯s handsome face reflected five parts shock, three parts desire, one part curiosity, and one part confusion.

    Soul Power could enhance the three-dimensional attributes of a Covert Martial Artist¡¯s physique, including but not limited to strength, speed, and defense. It could also enhance the Secret Techniques the user had mastered simply by recalling how they had trained those techniques while they consumed Soul Power.

    Soul Power would circte within the body hundreds of times on its own and gradually deplete before elerating and instantly enhancing the user¡¯s abilities.

    This was a super training elerator!

    As long as one''s control over their strength was in ce, their physique could reach its peak! This was an absolute godsend for those geniuses whose fist techniques exceeded their physique. But it wasn''t them who stood to gain the most from Soul Power; it was the aging martial arts masters and elders of the sects whose energy and blood had declined, leading to a drop in their level.

    Because of their age, the three nodes¡¯ cycle could no longer prevent the loss of energy and blood. Despite decades of umted expertise in fist techniques, theirbat power had significantly diminished. Regardless of how skilled they were, their potential would be limited if they didn''t have the body to keep up. This was the sorrow that Covert Martial Artists faced as they aged.

    But now, an opportunity had presented itself. Soul Power, a miraculous force, had the capability to push the user¡¯s physique to its limits! What did this mean for those old masters? A second chance at life? A revitalization of their strength? The opportunity to climb the martial artsdder once more in their old age?

    Damn, if the elders of the sects heard about Soul Power, they''d go mad! What a terrifying prospect...

    Duomo suddenly thought of his master, who now looked like a frail old man but had been as strong as a bear twenty years ago. Dubbed the Evil Lion, he was known for his fierce, domineering personality and had been a ferocious fighter who dominated several northern counties in his youth.

    As his energy and blood began to decline, he gradually reined in his temper, bing the seemingly kind old man he was today. Duomo had personally witnessed this transformation, having received many beatings as a child.

    If his master were to use Soul Power and return to his peak, the terrifying and domineering Evil Lion would return, stronger than before! With over twenty years of self-discipline, his fist techniques had reached new heights, which meant if the Evil Lion were to make aeback now, he would be even more powerful andmanding.

    Duomo took a deep breath. He couldn''t help feeling an intense horror at the thought.

    He didn¡¯t think Cassius was lying because everything he said seemed utterly sincere. Moreover, his tone suggested a willingness to cooperate. Regardless, both sides had to verify each other''s truths and build trust in the future.

    Meanwhile, Cassius stood quietly, waiting for Duomo to digest the information while he examined the shield mark on the back of his hand. When Cassius had disclosed information about ck Rain Manor to Duomo earlier, he had noticed the shield mark on his hand kept flickering.

    Vaguely, he sensed danger was iing. But just as this feeling emerged, something blocked and severed it. It was as if some presence had cut off the connection between ck Rain Manor and the mark. Cassius considered the possibilities.

    He suspected that the ancient ruins they were in might just automatically block such connections, which may exin why ck Rain Manor had been unable to locate the Akaba ruins after all these years.

    There could be a whole host of reasons though. The shadow in the mist, the Rune of Wisdom, and so on...

    As they continued down the passage, Cassius and Duomo began discussing the details of a potential coboration. Though neither hadmitted to working together yet, it didn¡¯t stop them fromying out some terms and specific details.

    More than an hour passed.

    Two figures darted forward in a narrow passageway, their cloaks billowing out and whipping around the bend. Momentster, a pack of two-headed bone dogs with transparent manes charged in. As soon as their forelimbs touched the ground, they shed forward several meters.

    Half an hourter, in a cavern with a trickling stream, Cassius whipped around and punched a stone statue in the chest with an iron fist, sending a surge of power through it. Using the recoil, he quickly spun and darted into a nearby passage.

    There, Duomo¡¯s tall figure waited. As soon as he saw Cassius, Duomo turned and sprinted, only stopping after they had run a good distance. Duomo handed over a Blood Race member, and Cassius took it with his left hand, transferring to his right hand with a brief thought.

    "How far to the exit?" he asked, looking down.

    "Very close, no more than half an hour," the Blood Race youth mumbled, not daring to meet Cassius''s eyes.

    Cassius and Duomo exchanged a nce. "Alright, let¡¯s go."

    They set off together. Ten minutester, Duomo and Cassius halted at a corner of the passage, their eyes scanning the space around them.

    Theyout felt familiar to Cassius, reminiscent of the ce where he had encountered the sacred scarab. It was a massive, cylindrical cavity with gray-white walls with countless small triangr holes dotting its surface, all too small for a person to pass through.

    Below was a pool, inside of which were ck, elongated objects piled neatly together. On the right side, isted steps hovered, attached to the wall, and looked quite precarious. A single misstep could send someone plummeting nearly a hundred meters, resulting in nothing but a sttered goop on the ground.

    Duomo nced at Cassius, who nodded in response.

    Immediately, the two of them began to descend the gray-white tforms protruding from the wall, moving at a steady, controlled pace. A minuteter, Cassius and Duomo reached the ground.

    "Hmm?"

    They looked down to find several thick grooves running through the ground, a dark red liquid flowing inside. The liquid was extremely viscous, and though it resembled blood, it was devoid of any smells.

    Duomo crouched down, dipped a finger in, and examined it. "It¡¯s blood, probably specially treated."

    Cassius frowned, his eyes following the groove to the left. It was connected to the wall, indicating a passage within the wall itself. Looking to the right, countless grooves, resembling a spider''s web, converged toward a central square pool on the ground.

    As they approached, they realized that the ck rectangr objects submerged in the water were neatly arranged coffins. The coffins were entirely immersed in blood, with bubbles rising from the gaps as if something inside was drinking the liquid.

    "Great Immortals... followers of the blood... I beseech your response... Blood is honey, blood is a curse, blood is poison..." The young Blood Race member under Cassius¡¯s right arm was murmuring softly, his right finger dripping blood continuously. He had bitten it open.

    "What are you doing?!" Cassius reacted instantly, knocking the youth unconscious with a swift hand chop. But he couldn''t stop the strange phenomenon in the pool not far away.

    The blood within the pool started to gurgle as if it were boiling, and the bubbling sounds from the gaps in the coffins crescendoed. It felt as though a terrifying aura was awakening, giving birth to pure malevolent intent and willpower!

    Cassius and Duomo shuddered, sensing that some evil presence was watching them. They dazedly felt as if the massive shadow of a ck bat loomed over them. The hideous face, half-human, half-bat, opened its huge mouth, fangs bared. The giant mouth descended, engulfing everything from top to bottom.

    Cassius¡¯s body trembled violently. His muscles bulged ferociously in an instant, his joints cracking audibly. A massive wave of heat spread throughout his body, and his blood vessels pulsed like steel wires.

    He jerked his head up, his eyes blood-red. Thick veins crawled across half of his face like tiny serpents. The bat illusion vanished, about several dozen meters away.

    A coffin in the blood pool opened, and an elegantly dressed figure emerged¡ªa slender man with a slightly paleplexion, holding a cane. Blood-red steam constantly rose from his body, his aura rapidly dispersing outward.

    Even from afar, Cassius could smell the terrifying, dark, and evil scent¡ªa blood energy far beyond that of the direct descendants of the Alphama bloodline. It felt heavy, ancient, and decayed, like an abyss.

    "Damn it!" When Cassius felt the overwhelming pressure of the aura, he knew this Blood Race member was not someone he could fight. "Run." Cassius elbowed Duomo, waking him up.

    Duomo snapped out of his daze, blurting out, "Shit!"

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    A ck and red shadow appeared in front of Cassius in an instant. A pale, slender hand reached out, expanding and transforming inch by inch into a w as thick as a tree trunk! It was covered in ayer of thick, blood-red fur.

    "Stone Armor Technique!"

    Cassius''s entire body trembled as he quickly activated his hardened Qigong, which had reached its pinnacle. His skin seemed to be encased in ayer of stone armor, the thick, rock-like white giving him the appearance of a marble pir.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    The w smashed hard into Cassius''s chest.

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    Cassius flew through the air as if he had been hit by a speeding train, his vision blurring rapidly. He could feel his chest creaking, his muscles ripping apart in waves of excruciating pain. Finally, he crashed into the rock wall with a heavy thud, dust falling on his head.

    "<i>Ugh</i>!"<i> </i>He spat out a mouthful of blood. There were obvious signs of denting on the hard surface of his chest, with spiderweb-like cracks spreading across his skin. Cassius knew that two of his ribs were broken.

    One strike, and it nearly killed him!

    <i>Boom!</i>

    A figure was sent flying, smashing into the rock wall next to Cassius. Duomo also spat out blood.

    "Cassius, this Blood Race member doesn''t seem to have fully recovered yet, and seems to be significantly limited in what it can do. Although its physical strength far surpasses ours, it''s moving slower, and it''s not reacting as quickly," Duomo warned, blood dribbling out as he spoke. "Don¡¯t try to fight it head-on¡ªdamn it!"

    It was only then that Duomo noticed Cassius had already disappeared. Thest thing he saw was a glimpse of a corner of Cassius''s cloak vanishing into an oval-shaped passage three meters away.

    "Damn, he already ran away!" Duomo cursed through gritted teeth, but his steps were just as quick. He darted into the nearby passage, moving swiftly.

    The Blood Race member stood frozen on the spot, steam still rising from his body. Like a puppet, his expression was nk and lifeless. After a moment, he blinked, and his eyes briefly regained rity.

    "Two insignificant intruders... It shouldn¡¯t take long to deal with them." The man nced at his smoking body. "I''m losing power too quickly. I have, maybe, half an hour at most..."

    He mumbled to himself as he walked forward, casually snatching the unconscious young Blood Race member up from the ground and draining him dry, leaving behind a desated corpse. He tossed it aside and wiped the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand.

    With a powerful push of his legs, heunched himself like a cannonball, using the wall to flip back onto the ground.

    "<i>Sigh</i>..." He looked at his hand and sighed.

    The passage then echoed with the sound of cannonball-like impacts. Five minutester, at the top of a sloping passage.

    "Azure Wind Flow! Severing Flow!"

    A hand chop sliced through the air, creating a white stream that shed at the approaching w like a de. The two collided, stirring up a gust of wind, the opposing forces instantly canceling each other out.

    Immediately, several afterimages shed.

    Cassius and Duomo were sent tumbling down the slope. Coughing up blood, they fled in disarray.

    The figure stood at the top of the stairs, unmoving. After a brief tremor, his eyes cleared up and his expression darkened. "If it weren''t for..." The man narrowed his eyes and leaped down in a single bound.

    Eight minutester, three blurry figures collided. Two were sent flying far away, while the third stood motionless.

    Cassius, his body wracked with pain, struggled to his feet. He realized the scene before him looked all too familiar. ncing to the side, he saw a white fountain gushing water in the center of an oval-shaped space.

    "Those scarabs..." Cassius clutched the side pocket of his cloak, his eyes narrowing. "Duomo, I found the way out."

    "<i>Cough</i>... Where...? I feel like I''m about to die..." Duomo looked even more battered than Cassius, his body covered in wounds and scratches. There were signs of corrosion at the edges and he was bleeding profusely.

    "See those steps on the wall? We need to go up!"

    Duomo and Cassius looked up, their gazes locking onto a hole in the wall.

    <i>Buzz...</i>

    "What is that?" Duomo turned to look at the fountain. The water inside was rippling. Something seemed to be blocking the fountain''s spout, halting its flow.

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    At that moment, a figure shot out from the passage. The three of them shed in an instant, ws, fists, and legs flying about. The sound of their limbs mming into each other echoed loudly.

    "Die!"

    The man swung a w at Cassius, who countered with a palm strike. The two forces rammed into each other with a loud smack, sending tremors through Cassius''s body. The skin on his entire arm began to crack. Blood seeped out from the crevices.

    On the other side, Duomo was also struggling to breathe, with blood spurting from his nostrils.

    "Just one more moment of rity, and they¡¯ll be dead!" The Blood Race member''s eyes were gradually losing focus and turning wooden. His time was running out. He raised his hand, puzzled when he noticed something stuck to his palm from his sh with Cassius.

    In the center of his palm was a squashed scarab. The corrosive fluid reacted violently with the blood-red energy in his hand, causing steam to rise rapidly.

    <i>Shit, it''s a scarab!!!</i>

    He tried to turn, but his entire body froze. It was like he had turned into a machine that ran on instinct alone, devoid of any consciousness.

    <i>Buzz, buzz, buzz... Chirp, chirp, chirp...</i>

    A swarm of white scarabs burst out from the fountain, splitting into two groups. One group rushed toward the fleeing Cassius, while the other smothered the Blood Race member¡¯s rigid body.

    The corrosive acid they secreted rained down, eating away at the faint red energy enveloping the Blood Race member¡¯s body. A thick pir of blood-red steam erupted from the cracks, like a balloon losing air, causing the man''s right hand to wither and dry uppletely. It didn''t take long for the remaining energy shrouding his body to also get corroded and split open.

    A house-sized pir of blood-red steam shot into the sky, with terrifying, evil aura and energy leaking out endlessly, forming a mushroom cloud in the air.

    Cassius couldn''t help but look back as he leaped up the stairs.

    The figure, covered in scarabs, trembled violently, as if regaining consciousness. "<i>Aaaaaaaahhhhhh</i>...!!!" A shrill, agonizing scream resonated through the cavity. "No!!!"

    The Blood Race¡¯s body convulsed so badly the scarabs were thrown off from his shudders. He staggered toward the passage entrance, but could only make it a few steps before crumpling onto the ground.

    The blood-red steam continued to pour out of him as if an invisible demon in the air was sucking it away. The man, now shriveled like a mummy, desperately crawled on the ground, his twig-like hands feebly scraping at the floor. A hissing sound escaped his throat like a balloon leaking air. The steam rising into the sky began to copse, shrinking from a massive pir to mere wisps in mere seconds.

    This once terrifyingly powerful Blood Race member was being sucked dry. Eventually, his frantic hands stilled.

    The white scarabs swarmed over the shriveled corpse in an instant, their corrosive acid eating away at the powerless Blood Race body. Within seconds, all that was left was a ck bone fragment the size of an infant.

    Cassius, still mid-leap, felt a rush of relief. Suddenly, he noticed the progress bar in the upper-right corner had increased by a chunk.

 Chapter 150 - Blood of Immortality Ritual

    <h4>Chapter 150 - Blood of Immortality Ritual</h4>

    Cassius saw his progress bar jump up by four-fifths. With the advancements he had already previously made, only one-ninth of the progress bar for the Rune of Wisdom remained nk. It was almost within his reach!

    Joy surged through Cassius''s heart. He confirmed once again that the essence of cmity had nothing to do with dark essence. Even though he was at least several dozen meters away from the powerful Blood Race member, he still managed to absorb the essence of cmity after it had died. It had absorbed quite arge area.

    Cassius had seen the high-ranking Blood Race member chasing them was dead. He had some guesses as to how, but now was not the time to be distracted. Escaping the ruins was paramount, so Cassius immediately began forming a Tornado Sphere on the steps.

    Since achieving his third-level elerated blood flow, he had be more adept at controlling his power. The Azure Wind Flow had also been further developed to make it even more practical inbat.

    The white vortex, t and apple-sized, gradually took shape in the center of his hand, the swirling airflow rippling through the air like waves. Under Duomo''s curious gaze beside him, he hurled it forward.

    The Tornado Sphere drew an arc in the air and exploded where the white scarabs had gathered. The st rent through many of them, and the explosive billowing airflow hindered the advance of arge swarm of white scarabs.

    It gave enough time for Duomo and Cassius to catch their breaths. With a few agile leaps, they reached the opening on the wall.

    "<i>Cough, cough, cough...</i>" As soon as Duomo reached the entrance of the passage, he couldn''t help but lean against the wall, coughing uncontrobly as blood oozed from the corner of his mouth.

    Duomo''s injuries were clearly much more severepared to Cassius''s. Since Cassius was at a higher level than Duomo, in addition to practicing hardening Qigong, his physical defense was much more resilient.

    Cassius aspired to reach this exact realm. In battles and perilous situations, a body with a strong defense could withstand many attacks, greatly increasing the chances of survival.

    When the two were being chased by the high-ranking Blood Race earlier, Cassius had been the main fighter, and yet, his injuries weren''t as serious as Duomo''s. If he hadn''t used the scarabs to kill the high-ranking Blood Race, Duomo would have surely died in the next sh, and the most Cassius could have done was hold on for at least two or three more rounds.

    Despite how dangerous the situation still was, Cassius was already thinking about using his Rune of Wisdom to upgrade the Stone Armor Technique. Just in time too: the hardening Qigong had reached its limit and Cassius was eager to see what it would be like after breaking through.

    "Follow me, let''s get out of here first." Cassius patted Duomo''s shoulder and led the way deeper into the passage. Since he had already passed through the traps when he first came in, their departure was smooth and unobstructed.

    "<i>Huff... huff... huff...</i>"

    In the passage, Duomo was breathing rhythmically. Cassius shot a curious nce at him. Rather than copsing, Duomo seemed to be using some sort of breathing technique or Secret Technique.

    After a series of rapid breaths, Duomo''splexion visibly improved, and his movements became self-assured again. Cassius couldn''t help feeling a bit envious.

    Indeed, the Three-Eyed Mad Lion Sect''s foundation was much deeper than that of the Wind Elephant Sect, possessing many Secret Techniques that made Cassius green with envy.

    For instance, both the technique that seemed like blood-control breathing, as well as the Heart Eye Secret Technique he had experienced first-hand when sparring with Duomo earlier could enhance a Covert Martial Arts Practitioner''s overall strength. If Cassius ever got the chance to coborate with the Mad Lion Sect, he would do everything possible to obtain these valuable Secret Techniques.

    <i>Tap, tap, tap... tap, tap, tap...</i>

    A series of hurried footsteps echoed on the slope. In a sh, two tall figures quickly broke out of the cave.

    "We''re finally out!" Duomo couldn''t help but sigh in relief.

    It also felt like a weight had lifted off of Cassius''s chest. With the ruins full of danger and monotony, he had lost track of how many days he had been inside. But now, as soon as he burst out of the passage and took in the fresh airced with the fragrant nts, his mood improved considerably.

    "Both of us are badly injured. Let''s head back to Mirror Lake City to recover and heal. My uncle happens to be in seclusion there, so we can discuss things while we recuperate," Duomo suggested, taking a deep breath as color returned to his previously pale face.

    "Alright," Cassius agreed. Although his Rune of Wisdom was still just short ofpletion, he wasn''t in any kind of rush. With plenty of dark creatures in the world, a few more kills would likely fill the bar.

    Suddenly, both of their heads snapped up. As Covert Martial Arts Practitioners in a realm above normal humans, their senses were extremely sharp. Cassius and Duomo could vaguely hear the continuous sound of gunfireing from below. They could also hear roars and growls that didn''t sound human. Just as Cassius was about to speak, his eyes caught on a gap between the trees where a hissing sound, like something crawling, seemed to being from.

    Duomo was a step behind but he heard it too. His expression changed drastically in an instant. He looked at Cassius and uttered a single word, "Run."

    The sky was like a vast ck curtain, with no clouds drifting above. Even the moon was nowhere in sight. Only a few tiny, flickering stars reflected off one another. Under the starlight, many tall and indistinct shadowy figures stood silently by a small creek below a waterfall, their heads bowed and their right hands pressed to their left shoulders. They began chanting scriptures in a strange tone, almost like they were performing an opera. Thenguage they used was unlike any known tongue. For a moment, there was a bizarre and eerie atmosphere in the area.

    "Wo shi zai bian bu xia qu le..." The ancient scripture echoed through the forest in an increasingly fervent tone, contrasting the ck-cloaked figures'' solemn posture.[1]

    At a certain point, the lead figure pulled down the hood of his cloak, revealing an old face that was as deeply wrinkled as the bark of an ancient tree. He raised his head and shouted. Immediately, everyone else pulled their hoods down as well, revealing faces so pale that they were devoid of any color. Their expressions were eerie, and each face bore at least a few bat-like features, with white fangs protruding beyond their lips.

    "Offer the blood." The old man held an ancient ck pottery jar in his hands and stepped in front of each person. They would cut their wrist using a small knife that they were carrying around, letting the blood drip into the jar. The wound would then quickly heal, and the old man would move on to the next person.

    A few minutester, the basketball-sized jar was almost full. The old man carried it to the creek, pouring the blood in an arc. The moment blood hit the grass, it was absorbed by the ground, which suddenly began to ripple and churn.

    It trembled before a massive gray tform rose beside the creek. From a bird''s eye point of view, it looked like a circr altar covered in intricate patterns like a spider''s web. The surface of the stone was lined with numerous blood channels, with a two-meter-wide blood pool in the center. The design was somewhat simr to the ce where Cassius had encountered the hibernating high-ranking Blood Race.

    In the center of the blood pool stood a stone pir that was chest-level, with a dark gold chalice ced atop it.

    "The ritual begins. Bring forth the sacrifices!" The old man stepped toward the center of the gray altar.

    Immediately, several Blood Race members brought nine nk-faced people forward, pushing them into the inner circle of the altar''s nine positions. Other Blood Race members carried ny football-sized flesh-like bundles to the altar, cing them in ny positions in the outer circle where there were grooves to hold them in ce. The bundles were wrapped in a thinyer that resembled an animal''s stomach or more urately, water-filled balloons¡ªexcept these were filled with blood. Most of the ny humans had likely met a cruel end.

    "July 1... a moonless night... the blood of immortality..." The old man''s eyes were deep as he held the pottery jar in his left hand and a small knife in his right. He began with the first meat bundle in the outer circle, puncturing it with the knife to let the blood flow out, before pouring the Blood Race''s blood from the jar into it. Instantly, the blood spread through the patterned grooves, forming a red spiderweb design. Some of the blood overflowed, dripping nonstop into the nearby creek, turning the flowing water red.

    The old man began to chant lowly, and the tadpole-shaped ck runes on the ground started to emit a faint red glow as if illuminated. The ritual had begun, and the Blood Race members below looked on with feverish eyes.

    There seemed to be faint gunfire and roars approaching from a distance. The old man on the altar paused in his chanting. A figure quickly leaped over from a nearby forest.

    The middle-aged man briefly exined the situation, "Reporting to the Elder, it''s those damned mongrels. They''ve teamed up with the humans. The police from Mirror Lake City and Bright Mountain City are coordinating their attack and are headed this way. Our forces deployed on the perimeter are currently engaged in fiercebat with them." Head lowered, he waited for the elder''s response.

    "Damn it! How dare those blue-eyed bastards disrupt our once-in-a-decade blood ritual. Such audacity!"

    A tall, muscr man stepped forward. The man looked vicious, his eyes filled with bloodlust. "Elder, I volunteer to take a few warriors over there with me to kill them."

    "Good." The elder nodded in agreement, then resumed his chanting as he began strolling around the edge of the blood pool.

    The man respectfully took a few steps back and shouted, "Follow me!"

    Immediately, a group of silent Blood Race members on the perimeter moved, and a dozen shadows quickly vanished into the dense forest.

    Below the creek, the battle had already begun. Three factions were engaged in fiercebat with dozens of swiftly moving crossbow-wielding figures in ck trench coats in the forest. The Blood Race members snarled at them, their fangs bared and their hands coated in corrosive energy, resembling red gloves.

    Behind the two groups, more police officers in dark blue uniforms were shooting, bullets pelting without any signs of stopping, to aid the Mercury Hunters. Most officers were using pistols, but the Special Task Force from the two police departments was also equipped with shotguns.

    The firearms continuously targeted the Blood Race members from a distance away and blood sprayed out as the bullets struck the agile, ghost-like Blood Race. However, the creatures were unfazed and continued their onught. Fear gripped the hearts of all the officers.

    Chief Keh was behind a tree and had deliberately ced himself on the front lines, as he fired a ck pistol.

    <i>Bang, bang, bang!</i>

    Fortunately, even though there was no moon that night, the light from the stars and the torches was bright enough that most of the officers'' shots hit their marks.

    "<i>Ah</i>!!!" Far away, a police officer in a blue uniform was tackled to the ground and brutally disemboweled by a Blood Race member.

    One by one, the officers fell, either seriously injured or killed; the Mercury Hunters also suffered significant casualties. The Blood Race seemed to be gaining the upper hand.

    A ck-d figure in a trench coat materialized beside Chief Keh. He had a young, defiant face.

    "Chief Keh, many of the Blood Race on the other side have been injected with Mercury Thorn. We can begin our assault and break through the line!" As the man in the trench coat spoke, he nodded at a female officer who had been looking over. It was Cathy.

    "Alright, we''ll act as your support!" Keh nodded, then issued orders to the officers. Immediately, the gunfire and crossbow shots intensified in ferocity and frequency.

    Many agile figures darting through the gaps were hit by bullets, howling in pain as they tumbled to the ground. The Mercury Thorn had significantly weakened their healing abilities. Blood gushed out of their wounds.

    The Mercury Hunters and officers began to press forward, volley after volley of bullets and arrows sweeping across the battlefield. Many of the ordinary elite Blood Race members couldn''t withstand the assault and were forced to retreat, leaving dozens of corpses behind.

    "It''s the direct descendants of the Alphama Bloodline!"

    Just as the Blood Race''s defensive line was about to copse, a dozen figures charged forward with a ferocious roar. At least seven or eight of them swelled and transformed in an instant.

    ws tore through their clothing, revealing bristly ck and red bodies. The tall, half-human, half-bat monsters stormed ahead, crushing the crossbow bolts coated with Mercury Thorn, and brutally killing some of the nearby Mercury Hunters. Bullets fired at them without stopping, but the monsters rolled, dodging.

    <i>We''ve withstood the first wave and didn''t allow those Blood Race in their Blood Gift state to break into the crowd!</i> A white-haired old man among the Mercury Hunters breathed a sigh of relief, believing they''d won half the battle. Cooperating with the police departments of the two nearby cities had been the right decision.

    Bullets could prate bodies better than crossbows... The old man couldn''t help wondering if the Mercury Hunters should keep up with the times. Perhaps they should include firearms in their arsenal, along with the traditional crossbows. Maybe they could even try coating the bullets with Mercury Thorn...

    "Will! Take some of the men and the officers to the Lusa Falls! Try your best to disrupt their ritual. If the Blood of Immortality Ritual is sessful, the Blood Race in the northern part of the Federation will be practically impossible to fight against!" the old man said to the young man beside him.

    Having just delivered his message to Chief Keh, Will rushed off again. Thest group, consisting of more than thirty people, broke through the Blood Race''s defenses and took a detour toward the waterfall.

    Five minutester, on the altar beside the creek, the Blood Race elder chanted loudly, shing with his red hand de. A headless corpse fell to the ground with a thud. Blood sshed across the entire surface of the altar, making the patterns and runes glow brighter.

    "They''re here."

    N?v(el)B\\jnn

    "Over here!"

    "Stop them!"

    Suddenly, more than thirty people burst out from the other side of the creek. The Mercury Hunters and officers immediatelyunched an attack toward the altar, firing bullets and crossbow shots wildly.

    "Damn it!"

    "It''s those blue-eyed bastards!"

    "Kill them!"

    Immediately, many of the Alphama direct bloodline transformed into huge, half-human, half-bat monsters and charged across the creek. The two sides shed fiercely.

    The remaining Blood Race members stood guard by the altar, keeping an eye out for enemies who maye in any direction, while the elder continued the ritual. The blood ritual could only bepleted within a specific time frame.

    <i>Whoosh! Whoosh!</i>

    Upstream of the creek, two tall figures, one with ck hair and the other with golden hair, rushed toward the scene. Their movements were hurried as if they were running away from something chasing after them.

    "More people areing! Take them out before they get close to the altar and disrupt the ritual! Nathan, Ildan, you two go!" The elder''s eyes glinted as he calmly came up with a counterstrategy.

    "Yes, sir!" two tall, strong figures guarding the altar immediately responded. They exchanged nces before swiftly moving toward the upper areas of the creek. To expedite matters, both of them activated their Blood Gift transformations mid-run.

    Therge, powerful, ck-and-red bat-like monsters sprinted across the grass, leaving behind shallow webbed footprints. One of the bat creatures roared, their voice bloodthirsty, "Lowly humans! Prepare...to...die!"

    The approaching ck-haired figure let out an angry roar as his white arm whipped around like a terrifying serpent!

    <i>Boom!</i>

    1. The sentence in quotation is written out as in the raw. ?

 Chapter 151 - Rune of Wisdom Completed

    <h4>Chapter 151 - Rune of Wisdom Completed</h4>

    A blurry shadow swallowed up the bat creature''s head.

    <i>Crack!</i>

    Like a giant python devouring its prey, the Blood Race''s ugly head was crushed, blood spurting from between the assant''s fingers. With a wave of his arm, he flung the headless corpse aside.

    On the other side, Duomo acted with equal decisiveness and ferocity. Despite his serious injuries, he could still best the ordinary branch line Blood Race. The martial arts of the Three-Eyed Mad Lion Sect were brutal and savage, with a strong focus on killing; he ruthlessly pierced through the Blood Race member''s chest with his hand, crushing its heart.

    Amid the rain of blood, the two sprinted along the creek, heading downstream. The hazy blood mist in the air traced along their arms and profiles, leaving behind red streaks.

    "Nathan and Ildan were killed?!"

    "They''re not Blood Race, and nor are they Mercury Hunters. Could they be the Hellsings who oppose all dark creatures? But even the strongest knight-level wouldn''t have been able to take down Nathan and the others in their Blood Gift state without a fight," an elderly Blood Race muttered to himself. "It could also be those mysterious martial artists. I''ve only crossed paths with them once, then never again."

    The Blood Race Elder was about to deal with the second living sacrifice on the altar, but upon seeing the two approaching figures, he frowned. Expression darkening, hemanded, "I do not care who those two people are; don''t let them get close. The ritual must not be disrupted!"

    "Yes." After receiving the order, at least half of the Blood Race guarding the altar rushed out, their ck cloaks pping in the wind. A dozen shadows sprinted upstream along the creek.

    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    With a series of roars and beast-like howls, the direct descendant of the Alphama Bloodline transformed simultaneously. In their Blood Gift state, their muscles swelled so much that their pants and boots exploded. They all turned into a group of bat-like monsters, dark red bristles fluttering.

    "What''s happening with the Blood Race by the altar?!"

    On the other side of the creek, the Mercury Hunters and officers who were engaged in the fierce battle noticed themotion. Their leader, Will, quickly shot out a crossbow bolt, then turned to fend off an opponent with a sh of his longsword. He rolled backward,nding sturdily on his two feet. Two Mercury Hunters stepped in front of him as protection.

    "What''s the situation?" Will asked the female officer Cathy, who was standing by a tree trunk. Mercury Hunters were not ordinary humans. The adult members of the blue-eyed family were much stronger physically than the average strong man, with incredibly fast reaction times, hence why they were at the front, acting as a shield to block off the Blood Race''s powerful attacks, while the dozen or so officers in the rear provided ranged support. They could see the bigger picture and gather more information.

    "Some other people have arrived upstream. They seem to be the Blood Race''s enemies!" Cathy said quickly as she reloaded.

    "The enemy of an enemy is a friend." Will turned his head to look at the creek and was startled to see a bat monster flying through the air, its chest caved in from a punch, its heart smashed. Blood sttered across arge area of the grass and creek.

    Two dark shadows rushed down like sharp arrows, puncturing the Blood Race''s line of defense. Many of the enraged Alphama direct bloodline members who charged forward were sent flying, severely injured. Some were punched into a bloody pulp, howling in pain, while others were knocked out by an elbow strike. Their unconscious bodies tumbled into the creek, the current soon carrying them away.

    "So fierce!" Will''s eyes widened. One of the two rapidly approaching figures seemed familiar. "It''s that cold-faced muscle man I saw over a week ago!"

    Hearing this, Cathy also turned to look. But her eyesight could only see at the normal human range, leaving her able to detect only the dark silhouettes fighting chaotically.

    "The other muscle man is probably hispanion." Will narrowed his eyes. He didn''t care what the two men were aiming to do, but for now, they seemed to be helping them.

    At least half of the elite Blood Race guards by the altar had been sent to intercept those two, which constricted much of the Blood Race''sbat power. This might be their only opportunity to disrupt the ritual.

    Will quickly made an executive decision. "We''ll push across the river! Don''t worry about the casualties!" His primary mission was to break through and mess up the blood ritual; casualties were secondary.

    "Follow me!" Will shouted and charged back into the battlefield. The Mercury Hunters seized this rare opportunity and began pushing forward. With high morale surging through them, the group steadily advanced, gradually closing in on the creek. They were headed straight for the altar.

    "Stop them!" shouted one of the Blood Race guarding the altar. Several branch line Blood Race members immediately entered their Blood Gift state, transforming into half-human, half-bat monsters and charging.

    Meanwhile, Cassius and Duomo had their own hands full. The two had fought a life-and-death battle earlier with a terrifying high-ranking Blood Race member in the ruins thatsted at least ten minutes. Although they eventually killed it, both Cassius and Duomo were suffering some serious injuries, and they were finding it difficult to fend off the surrounding attacks.

    In their normal state, these dozen bat monsters would have already been killed. But as the two of them had just barely escaped by the skin of their teeth, they were unwilling to use their full strength which could exacerbate their injuries. As a result, they found themselves entangled with the numerous Blood Race members.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    Cassius twisted his body and mmed his iron-like elbow into a bat monster''s chest. The dark red muscle instantly caved in, cracking several bones. Right foot nted on the ground, he shed forward like a ck shadow and sent the creature flying with a kick.

    He exhaled, his breath smelling faintly of blood, and noticed that his clothes which had been dripping wet from the creek were almost dry due to his burning body heat.

    After escaping from the ruins, Cassius and Duomo rushed to the nearby creek, attempting to wash off the pheromones on their bodies. However, it proved ineffective; the swarm of white scarabs continued to pursue them.

    The amber-colored pool that Cassius had jumped into to evade the scarabs likely possessed unique properties of that ce, which could block the scarabs'' senses. Washing in ordinary water sources was useless.

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    From several meters away, Duomo swiftly struck a bat monster on the shoulder with a w, dislocating its joint using sheer force. He then threw a powerful left punch, and it shed with the w of another bat monster. With a powerful burst of strength, he forced it back, his face turning red. Blood trickled out at the corner of his mouth.

    Duomo was adjusting his breathing when he heard a hissing sound behind him. ncing out of the corner of his eye, he saw arge white mass made of a densely packed pile of scarabs, chasing after them and looking like a white torrent. Under the hazy starlight, it seemed as if two creeks were flowing down the forest.

    "Cassius, the scarabs are catching up!" he warned.

    Cassius had only one thing to say.

    "Run!" His eyes shed with a fierce light. He and Duomo charged forward as one, unleashing a portion of their strength that they had hidden away. His iron-forged hand reached out, an immense force seizing the Blood Race member in front of him. With a swish, he flung it backward.

    "<i>Roar!</i>" the thrown bat monster roared, trying to steady itself in the air. The world spun around, the forest, sky, and creek blending together. Suddenly, a streak of white appeared in its peripheral vision.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    A half-human, half-bat figure plummeted down from the sky, crashing into the white torrent that had been rushing from behind.

    "<i>Ahhhh</i>...!" A piercing scream tore through the sky.

    The scarab furiously sprayed corrosive liquid from their tails. The mysterious substance seemed to have a specific effect on Blood Race energy as it dealt far more damage than when it touched Cassius''s skin. With just a single touch, the skin of the Alphama direct bloodline Blood Race member waspletely corroded, leaving nothing but exposed, bloody flesh and white bones.

    It struggled to stand up, but the swarm of scarabs smothered its body. As if there was no more energy to drain, the swarm of scarabs parted, revealing a smoldering ckened skeleton on the ground. It looked like a rock amidst a stream of white water.

    Up ahead, Cassius sensed his progress bar increasing. Without hesitation, he used both hands to swat the half-human, half-bat monsters backward. The Alphama direct bloodline Blood Race members flew through the air like discarded trash and smashed into the horde of beetles.

    For a moment, all he could hear was a mix of agonized howls, creating a terrifying symphony of screams. "<i>Aaargh</i>! <i>Roar</i>! <i>Nooo</i>..."

    Large white clouds of steam rose from the small bulges of scarabs. Initially, all they did was writhe around, but they soon stopped moving altogether. Secondster, clusters of ckened bones were exposed to the air.

    The Blood Race members must have done their job of drawing the scarabs'' attention because Cassius and Duomo managed to extricate themselves from the swarm. The two''s shoes left deep imprints in the ground as they charged forward at nearly a forty-five-degree angle. In a sh, they rapidly closed in on the altar.

    <i>Bang, bang, bang... bang, bang, bang...</i>

    The two figures quickly mmed through the Blood Race members blocking their way, and dashed further ahead, showing no signs of stopping.

    "They''re noting for us?"

    "Doesn''t matter! The ritual is almostplete as long as..." The Blood Race Elder on the altar narrowed his eyes, but his thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a startled cry nearby. He quickly turned his head to see a massive white flood surging toward them. The smooth backs of the scarabs glistened faintly under the starlight.

    "This is... Scarabs! Fuck!" The elder''s shocked shout pierced through the sky. It was shrill, almost like a woman''s scream.

    In an instant, the scarab army had the entire altar surrounded. The hissing sound of their legs crawling over the ground was enough to send shivers down one¡¯s spine as acid sprayed everywhere.

    "<i>Aaahhh</i>!" The Blood Race members near the altar danced about, limbs iling, as if performing an intense, frenzied tap dance.

    On the other side of the creek, both sides noticed the situation at the altar but were momentarily baffled. Only the elders of the Alphama direct bloodline Blood Race knew of the scarabs'' existence in the ruins. The ordinary members of the Alphama direct bloodline had never seen anything like this.

    As for the Mercury Hunters and officers, they were even more clueless. The only certain thing was that the beetle army had stopped the blood ritual from progressing further and seemed to be doing some serious damage to the Blood Race. That worked in their favor.

    The elite Blood Race members engaged inbat tried to retreat and defend the altar, but Will immediatelymanded his team to fight them, and the battle continued.

    Will rolled to avoid a Blood Race attack and was about to quickly retaliate with an arrow when a voice suddenly spoke beside him, "Let them through and watch them die."

    <i>!</i>

    Startled, he instinctively swung his crossbow around.

    <i>Crack!</i>

    The semi-automatic crossbow in Will''s hands was immediately ripped into pieces by tworge hands, the force behind it so immense that it was rendered into a piece of scrap metal.

    He looked up and saw a cold-faced, muscr man wearing a tattered cloak, and a blond man who stood beside him. Though they appeared somewhat disheveled, they had an overwhelmingly powerful presence.

    Yes, Cassius had returned after rushing through the forest.

    After diverting the danger eastward, Cassius realized that the scarabs had been much more attracted by therge numbers of Alphama direct bloodline Blood Race and the blood ritual altar than him and Duomo. Now, the beetle army was focused on besieging the altar, not even sparing a nce at the two of them.

    After considering this, Cassius quietly circled back around. He still wanted to fill up his Rune of Wisdom progress bar. Seeing that there was just a tiny bit left, Cassius figured that, although he could continue hunting dark creaturester, it was best to finish it in one go today. In any case, the Rune of Wisdom could absorb the essence of cmity from corpses even if they were far away.

    "It''s you! I didn''t get a chance to ask your names," Will said, his voice noticeably less hostile. He threw the remaining pieces of his crossbow to the ground.

    "Twilight," Cassius replied.

    Duomo nced at Cassius before saying, "Duomo."

    Will quickly assessed the situation and said, "If we let these Blood Race members through, they''ll reinforce the altar. Won''t that..."

    Right at that moment, Cassius extended arge hand, grabbing the arm of a Blood Race member who had ambushed them. He lifted it with his immense strength and flung it through the air.

    "Don''t worry, those scarabs won''t be satisfied even if there were double the amount of Blood Race members here," Cassius said calmly.

    When he made his way over, Cassius had discovered a connection between the Blood Race and the scarabs. The corrosive liquid from the scarabs reacted with the Blood Race''s blood energy, producing a vapor that attracted the scarabs, which they seemed to relish immensely.

    It even overpowered their "grudge" against Cassius! Thest time he identally stepped on a scarab, the swarm chased him for half a day.

    "Well...alright." Will nodded.

    Immediately, the Mercury Hunters pulled back in their fight, focusing instead on long-range crossbow fire, just like the officers. In their Blood Gift state, the Blood Race memberscked intelligence and reason. Most of them simply charged across the creek toward the altar. A few others, driven mad by bloodlust, were tossed across the creek by Cassius as if he were feeding them to the beetle swarm.

    A dozen more anguished figures instantly appeared within the scarab swarm. Some were in such pain that they pulled out of their Blood Gift state. Once they regained their reason, they let out despairing roars. Some of them desperately struggled to cross the creek, but were kicked back by Cassius and Duomo, who were standing guard.

    "No!" The beetle-covered figure tumbled backward into the swarm.

    Cassius nced at the upper right corner and satisfaction flooded through him when he saw the progress bar was nearly full.

    Rune of Wisdom ¡Þ:¨}¨}¨}¨}¨}¨}¨}¨}¨}¨}¨}

    [1]

    1. Change in terms for Chapter 130: [Mastery -> Major Culmination], [Proficient -> Minor Culmination], [Beginner -> Entry-level]. ?

 Chapter 152 - Im Starting To Understand Everything

    <h4>Chapter 152 - I''m Starting To Understand Everything</h4>

    Yes, it was full.

    The plus signs behind the Covert Martial Arts and techniques were no longer flickering like before and had be much more solid in his vision. That likely indicated that enough essence of cmity had been collected.

    Cassius let out a sigh of relief as he continued to move closer to the creek. Almost instantaneously, another progress bar appeared beneath the full one, except this was mostly empty. Slowly, bit by bit, the red portion of the bar grew.

    As the howls grew weaker, the progress bar''s speed slowed to a crawl. Once itpletely stopped, Cassius returned to the group, his eyes fixed on the altar across the creek. If the scarab army showed any sign of moving toward them, he was going to immediately retreat. Fortunately, the scarabs seemed more interested in the altar where the Blood Race was conducting their blood ritual. As they swarmed around it, they climbed to the top, piling up on top of each other, emitting a hissing sound.

    Without any more essence of cmity to absorb, Cassius quickly lost interest. He nced at Duomo beside him and spoke in a soft voice, "Let''s go."

    "Alright." Duomo nodded immediately. Although his injuries were not fatal at the moment, they were still severe and needed to be treated as soon as possible. Without hesitation, the two of them stepped into the darkness of the forest.

    "<i>Ai</i>, you two," Will wanted to ask them to stay but upon realizing their rtionship wasn¡¯t that close, all he could do was open his mouth and swallow his words back. The female officer, Cathy, moved closer to him. Her fair, pretty face was filled with curiosity.

    "Who are these two?"

    "I don¡¯t know either, but they must be the Blood Race''s enemies."

    <i>The enemy of my enemy is a friend.</i> Will silently nced toward the altar. At least the blood ritual had been stopped. The Mercury Hunters had seeded in their primary mission! As for the secondary objective of rescuing the hostages...

    Seeing how tightly surrounded the area was, things had likely ended poorly. There should be nothing left of the hostages. Mercury Hunters, who had fought against the Blood Race for years, wouldn''t be too bothered by the oue. However, those brave officers might struggle with it, especially since the hostages had made such a big sacrifice only to perish.

    <i>Bang, bang, bang...</i>

    "<i>Roar</i>..."

    Faint sounds came from below the dense forest, indicating that the battle was still ongoing, with both sides locked in fiercebat.

    Will immediately shouted, "The window of time for the blood ritual has already passed. The Blood Race won''t be able toplete it anymore! Ourrades are still fighting the Blood Race, so follow me and let''s go back to join them! Move!"

    Immediately, the remaining group, consisting of less than twenty men, followed the original path back, with over a dozen shadows darting swiftly through the forest.

    Night had deepened, and the sky above the Alphama Mountains had turned pitch-ck. A massive cloud drifted across the endlessly dark sky, obscuring the faint stars and allowing no starlight to break through.

    ***

    On July 2, in a small blue estate within Mirror Lake City, the morning sun nted through therge floor-to-ceiling windows, casting seven or eight long golden streaks on the brown floor. The living room was extremely spacious, and had ck and white checkered sofas in the corner, and green nts in flower pots which added a touch of freshness.

    A dining table was set in the middle of the living room. At the moment, two strong men were sitting across from each other, eating. One was blond, and the other had ck hair.

    The ck-haired man cut a piece of fried egg with his knife and lifted the fork to his mouth. He picked up a ss of hot milk with one hand and reached for the newspaper lying on the left corner of the table with the other. The newspaper was hot off the press and still smelled faintly of ink, the ck text looking so fresh it seemed it might smudge with a touch.

    It was the Mirror Lake Morning News. The first thing that caught his eye was arge headline on the front page: "Ruthless Criminals Hidden in the Alphama Mountains! Mirror Lake and Bright Mountain Police Departments'' Joint Effort Still Results in Heavy Losses!"

    The headline was followed by a lengthy article. It had no photos and only included fragments from insiders about the previous night''s events, but nothing in-depth.

    After shooting a brief nce at it, he set the newspaper aside and continued eating. He was trying to fill his stomach up which hadn''t been fed in ten days. He had to admit, the garlic bread was quite delicious.

    On the other side, Duomo swallowed a piece of bread, then grabbed the newspaper and spread it out, reading it as he ate breakfast to pass the time. Five minutester, footsteps came from the stairs on the right side of the living room.

    A well-dressed old man descended the stairs. His hair was white and his frame was slender, but his eyes were sharp. He exuded amanding presence full of vitality as he moved. He wore high-waisted trousers, a nnel shirt, and a single-breasted jacket with a fine pinstripe pattern. He looked both lively and dignified, his appearance giving people a sense offort.

    "How did you sleepst night, boys?" With a smile on his face, the old man appeared very kind as he walked over to the table and sat down. He started on his own breakfast.

    "Not bad, Mr. Mi An," Cassius responded.

    "Not great, my whole body aches. I only managed to sleep for about five hours, <i>sigh...</i>" Duomo said, his face filled with exhaustion.

    "The fact that you could sleepst night at all shows my healing skills haven''t declined," Mi An said, smiling gently, as he shook his head. "When you didn''te back for over ten days, I thought you''d gone to fool around somewhere again." Mi An nced at the newspaper''s headline andunched into his question, "I didn''t ask since I was treating your injuriesst night, but I want you to tell me everything that happened in the Alphama Mountains."

    "Hold on, uncle. Let me finish my breakfast first." Duomo chugged his milk and chewed on some bread.

    "Are you really that hungry? You shouldn''t eat too much; your injuries are quite severe. Hands off thatst piece of bread," Mi An cautioned.

    Hearing this, Duomo couldn''t help but look a bit miserable. "Uncle, do you know what I''ve been through these past ten days?"

    Bug tters, moss sd, dew rain.... Duomo had tried everything under the sun. Although he had reached the limit of his second blood eleration, he wasn''t like Cassius, who hadpleted the cycle of three nodes. He still needed to eat and drink; the difference between him and an ordinary person was just that he had a bit more endurance. After being misled by the fog into a cave, he had spent ten days in the ruins'' maze, where finding food proved to be a major challenge.

    Duomo immediately jumped into recounting his experiences in the Alphama Mountains, starting with the fight he had with Cassius and ending with the two of them escaping the ruins togetherst night.

    There were many dangers and even more twists and turns. Duomo''s experiences were no less harrowing than Cassius''s, and since he couldn''t go without food or drink, he suffered even more. As Cassius listened, he felt deeply sympathetic to Duomo''s plight.

    "What a mysterious ruin! The Blood Race in the Alphama Mountains are truly not as simple as it seems. You said you saw coffins full of blood in the pool, and a Blood Race member, powerful enough to crush you both, was chasing you?" Mi An paused, his tone serious. "If that''s the case, then that must mean there are more Blood Race members sleeping in those other coffins. For such a powerful force of humanoid creatures, I¡¯ve never heard of the Blood Race back when I was at the Three-Eyed Mad Lion Sect."

    Hearing this, Cassius, who was cutting garlic bread beside them, paused, his eyes narrowing. He recalled that when he went back to the Wind Elephant Sect, he hadn''t heard anything about dark creatures either. Even during the exchange events in the Covert Martial Arts circles, where many young core disciples gathered to exchange ideas, there had been no talk about dark creatures. It was strange.

    Moreover, the Blood Race membersst night seemed shocked that Cassius and Duomo could unleash such formidable physical strength despite being pure humans. It felt as if there was a piece of frosted ss separating the two; they existed in the same world but seemed to exist parallel to each other, with each living their own lives.

    Logically speaking, two powerful forces with two different stances and of two different races should have had many conflicts and interactions. Cassius found it impossible that Covert Martial Arts Practitioners had never encountered dark creatures. And surely there would have been some dark creatures that would''vee face-to-face with the Covert Martial Arts Practitioners? But it seemed that neither side had been curious enough to delve deeper. Or had their minds made the subconscious decision to ignore the other?

    As he thought about it, the hair on the back of his neck stood up. Cassius felt as if he could see a pair of invisible hands reaching down from the clouds, manipting the coincidences and fates of the world.

    "<i>Phew</i>..." He took a deep breath, deciding, for the moment, not to delve any further into that terrifying thought. Cassius snapped back to the moment at hand.

    Beside him, Duomo was discussing with his uncle, Mi An, the temporary agreement he and Cassius had reached in the ruins'' passageways.

    "A coboration?" Mi An turned to look at Cassius. Duomo also turned his head in synchrony.

    Cassius rubbed his forehead, gathering his thoughts together. Just as he had that day, he asked, "Mr. Mi An, have you ever heard of Soul Power?"

    "What is it?" Mi An asked, his face curious.

    "Guess how old I am?" Much to Duomo''s exasperation, Cassius asked the same question he had in the cave. A minuteter, he said, "I''m twenty-four years old this year."

    "What? Don''t try to fool me, let me check your bone age."

    "You''re really twenty-four...and already a pugilist at the major culmination stage at this age..."

    Two minutester.

    "ck Rain Manor? Such a ce exists? It sounds even more bizarre than the ruins you two went through just now."

    "Yes, but it has something to do with Soul Power."

    Five minutester...

    "Damn!" Mi An, overwhelmed with excitement, bounded up from his seat and mmed his hand on the table, smashing a hole in it. Duomo, who had been drinking milk beside him, felt his elbow jolt because of the table, and the milk in his ss sshed all over his face.

    "Uncle, calm down, calm down. Let''s sit down and talk this over in detail," Duomo said as he wiped his face.

    "I''m not young anymore. How can I not be excited?!" Mi An was breathing heavily, his chest heaving with emotion. There was a mix of emotions on his aged face: five parts longing, two parts excitement, and one part shock, joy, and hope each.

    Beside him, Duomo remembered something and rubbed his head.

    His uncle Mi An, once nicknamed the "Demon Lion," loved to fight fiercely in his youth. Obsessed with martial arts, he often pushed his opponents to the brink of death. At one point, he had gone to the western Covert Martial Arts circles of the Federation, so he could constantly challenge the various masters there. A true martial arts fanatic!

    He and Duomo''s master, the "Evil Lion" Maro, were once known as the Twin Stars.

    As time passed and his abilities waned, he gradually became more of a background character. Five years ago, he even stopped managing the affairs of his sect, choosing instead to retire in a random tourist city, mainly because his vitality had declined. He lost all hope of ever reaching a higher stage in martial arts, leading to him feeling disheartened

    "<i>Phew</i>..." Mi An calmed himself down and returned to his seat. "Cassius, continue. I won''t interrupt."

    After ten more minutes, Cassius had said everything he needed to say. Mi An wore an extremelyplicated expression. He held the newspaper in his hand, the very picture of calm but his grip on the paper betrayed him, the edges of which were already crumpled from how tightly he was clutching it. His reaction was even more intense than Duomo''s, but that was to be expected. Only an old fist master who had experienced the long decline of vitality could truly understand the implications of Soul Power!

    "Take some time to think about it. We can talk more in detail at noon." Cassius wanted to return to his room to continue his healing.

    "Alright." Mi An nodded, a bit dazed.

    Two minutester, Cassius was back in a guest room in the corner of the second floor. He looked at the shield mark on the back of his hand, which had been flickering earlier. However, just like in the ruins, the mark seemed to be blocked by something. That vague sense of threat was kept at bay and didn''t have much of a real effect on him. He initially thought it was because of the ruins, but Cassius was confused again. Was it the shadow in the fog? The Rune of Wisdom? Or was it still because of the ruins? Did it not only block signals within the ruins but also cut off signals within a certain range?

    He couldn''t figure it out, no matter how much he thought about it.

    Cassius temporarily put it out of his mind and nced at the upper right corner. Since the Rune of Wisdom progress bar was already full, it was time to use it. He began immediately; Cassius had never been one to drag things out.

    [Stone Armor Technique: Heavy Armor Major Culmination (Total Two Stages+)]

    The plus sign behind the second stage looked very solid and very tempting. Cassius focused his attention on it. In an instant, the entire entry for the Stone Armor Technique began to blur and the dense light-red patterns formed runes.

    "Increasing limit... Stone Armor Technique still has room for improvement... Essence of cmity sufficient... Enhancement beginning..." Cassius shuddered violently, suddenly feeling an intense heat in his chest. It was as if something was being continuously secreted, flowing from his chest toward his brain.

    Stripping off his upper clothing, the coiled snake mark on his rock-white chest began rotating. Drop-like substances began to fill the two spaces in the infinity symbol, before gradually disappearing. Cassius guessed that it was the so-called Blood of the Spirit.

    The searing, invisible Blood of the Spirit seeped into his body, passing through bones and organs, skimming over muscles and skin. Finally, it traveled up his neck, across his face, and reached its destination¡ªhis brain!

    <i>Buzz!</i>

    The moment the Blood of the Spirit touched his brain, Cassius''s entire body jolted as if a bomb had gone off right next to his ears. Blood poured out from his eyes, nose, mouth, and ears.

    Beads of sweat quickly formed on his forehead but they evaporated into a cloud of white steam in an instant. The steam followed the contours of his face, enveloping his entire head. Cassius''s body trembled slightly, his thoughts racing at an unprecedented speed. He felt better than he ever had before. It was incredible.

    <i>I¡¯m starting to understand everything!</i>n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

 Chapter 153 - Third Stage of the Stone Armor Technique

    <h4>Chapter 153 - Third Stage of the Stone Armor Technique</h4>

    Cassius felt his mind tremble and his eyes filled with newfound wisdom. A sense of harmony spread from his head to his limbs, like a vast spider web extended outward, and covered his skin in a thick veil.

    Whether it was an illusion or reality, he couldn''t tell. However, what he could tell were his muscles and bones bing more solid, slowly trembling as some unknown change quietly took shape. Ten minutester, the white steam encasing Cassius''s head gradually dissipated, and the blood seeping from his seven orifices slowly dried up.

    He opened his eyes, calm, and nced at the upper right corner.

    [Stone Armor Technique: Heavy Armor Major Culmination (Total Two Stages+)]

    The words "Total Two Stages" began to blur quickly, as if shrouded in ayer of white mist. A momentter, it gradually cleared up again.

    [Stone Armor Technique: Heavy Armor Major Culmination (Total Three Stages)]

    The Stone Armor Technique had been upgraded from two stages to three after the Blood of the Spirit''s enhancement, but the plus sign had disappeared. It must be an indication that the third stage was the Stone Armor Technique''s max, as its fundamental structure could not support higher levels.

    The third stage was an upgraded version of the original Stone Armor Technique and was called Rock Armor. It was divided into Rock Armor Minor Culmination and Rock Armor Major Culmination. As the names suggested, the first to third stages were Light Armor, Heavy Armor, and Rock Armor. The third stage, Rock Armor, provided a rock-solid defense.

    Cassius thought for a moment as details of the Rock Armor stage surfaced in fragments in his mind. However, the details quickly became blurry, like a dream slipping away upon waking.

    Due to the Blood of the Spirit, Cassius made rapid progress in his mental capabilities but that meant that after he exited this near-sage-like state of rity, much of the information was quickly forgotten.

    He immediately went to the washroom to wash the blood off his face before hurrying downstairs to ask the manor''s owner, Mi An, for a pen and some paper. He returned to his room.

    "Continuous blunt force strikes can effectively elerate... The best training times are at dawn and dusk..."

    Short phrases filled the yellow sheet of paper. Cassius put down the pen after recording a small portion of the information in his mind. This would be useful for training at the Rock Armor stage of his hardening Qigong, but that was something to consider in the future. He wondered if the Soul Power from ck Rain Manor could further enhance his mastery of Rock Armor...

    This required further examination. Soul Power was indeed useful for elerating techniques, but it was also a double-edged sword; carelessness could take him down a dark path. Sometimes, the issue wasn''t just the technique itself but also the user''s mastery of it. Cassius didn''t want to cripple himself by training recklessly.

    Closing the notebook, he noticed some subtle changes in the upper right corner again. The entry for "Heavy Armor Major Culmination" looked slightly blurred, as if it was about to change to "Rock Armor Minor Culmination," but in the end, it didn''t, and remained clear and steady.

    Cassius began to ponder. It seemed that the Blood of the Spirit not only raised the technique''s upper limit but also helped to improve his mastery. This might have been because his broadened perspective allowed him to catch a glimpse of the higher levels.

    There was no doubt that Cassius wasn''t far from reaching the third stage, Rock Armor. With some diligent training, he might even be able to break through on his own.

    After his mind gradually calmed down, he began applying a light red ointment to his injuries. It was a special healing medicine made by Mi An and was very effective for treating external wounds. He needed to soak in medicinal baths regrly to treat his internal injuries.

    Cassius spread the ointment over his injuries, and a cool sensation immediately surrounded his body. After about a minute, the coolness turned into a fiery, stinging pain.

    Fortunately, Cassius could endure it all. After years of the increasingly painful torment of training in Elephant Soul, his pain threshold was quite high. A little sting from an ointment wasn''t a big deal.

    After applying the ointment, Cassius ced a few items on the table by the window. Golden sunlight streamed through the open window, bringing with it the fresh scent of nts and trees.

    He pulled out a bottle, a piece of parchment, and a shard of stone. Thest item, the stone shard, was the required target for his Atonement Task, which was just to grab anything from the ruins. Once he handed it over to ck Rain Manor, the chapel would verify it.

    The first two items were from Twilight''s original path when he had identally stumbled across a cave while on a mission in Mirror Lake City. It had led him to the ruins where he obtained a fake-death pill through sheer dumb luck. However, Cassius had gone a step further. Not only did he get the bottle containing the pill, he also held, in his hands, a piece of parchment that seemed to be connected to the pill. Maybe it was the recipe.

    He couldn''t read thenguage on it, so he''d have to pay a visit to his old friend Professor Tennessee at Wenmingda University in East Sea City again. Cassius was sure Professor Tennessee would be more than happy to help.

    At noon, Cassius met with Mi An again at the dining table, and surprisingly, Mi An seemed much more spirited than he had in the morning. He seemed to be in an inexplicably wonderful mood as if something good had happened. The good news being Soul Power, of course.

    The group exchanged a few words during lunch, and after eating, they sat down on the sofa by the floor-to-ceiling window to begin formally discussing. Mi An and Cassius were the ones talking mostly. Duomo, on the other hand, was more of a bystander, as he listened quietly on the side.

    Cassius once again detailed the existence of ck Rain Manor and some information about the Hellsings, including the reason why no Covert Martial Arts Practitioners existed among the Hellsings.

    It was only recently that he knew about this, but after breaking through the third-level elerated blood flow and achieving a powerful circtory system, Cassius noticed that each time he exerted his full physical strength, the shield mark on the back of his hand would blur, as if something was trying to erase it.

    Cassius spected that if he broke from pugilist tobat artist, the mark would disappear entirely.

    Upon hearing this, Mi An broke down the differences between a pugilist and abat artist for Cassius, the most crucial distinction being "Qi" or "aura." Once the body was refined to a certain level of strength, it would nourish one''s mental will. And a strong mental will could generate an aura. There was a technique in Covert Martial Arts called "Heart Eye," where one look could crush an enemy''s spirit and dissolve their will to fight. It would spike fire into their hearts, making them easier to defeat.

    This made Cassius recall how, when he reached the major culmination of the pugilist realm, he felt something stir between his brows. Perhaps it was the so-called Qi...

    The first thing Cassius did was exin the marks of the Hellsings because that was the core of ck Rain Manor.

    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    The mark was akin to a qualification; the qualification to be a dog of ck Rain Manor. It was a two-way selection process. Regardless of how much one longed to join ck Rain Manor, it wouldn''t matter if they weren''t deemed worthy; they wouldn''t even have the chance to eat dog food. The only exception would have been in the very beginning of ck Rain Manor''s resurgence, when everything had been in ruins, and the manor desperately needed arge number of Hellsings to keep it running.

    However, ck Rain Manor had clearly moved past that and was now in a period of elerated revival. By the time Twilight was around thirty years old, it had somewhat reached its peak.

    Those close to the marked ones would be infected by the manor''s power and then killed by ck Rain Manor''s Decaying Knights. Julia was one such tragic example.

    Cassius''s point was clear: aplished Covert Martial Arts Practitioners had zero chance of receiving a mark from ck Rain Manor and bing a Hellsing.

    And indeed, no one in ck Rain Manor practiced Covert Martial Arts. The only exception was Cassius, who had forced his way in, thanks to his time-traveling. Twilight''s body already had the mark, allowing Cassius to slip under the radar.

    "So, the only way for us to obtain Soul Power is through other means..." Mi An''s aged face took on a dangerous expression.

    "That''s right." Cassius nodded calmly.

    The two of them weren''t speaking in riddles. The path ahead was clear: they needed to take down ck Rain Manor.

    Once, Cassius had specifically asked the older generation of Hellsings about Soul Power. There was a rumor that there were tworge transformation pools beneath the Baptism Chapel¡ªone filled with dark essence, the other with Soul Power. The pool''s water served as the source for these two powers.

    "Based on your description of ck Rain Manor, this is a powerful and mysterious force. Its history might be deeper than that of the formidable Blood Race slumbering in the Alphama Mountains. This is going to be a tough nut to crack. I¡¯m afraid our Three-Eyed Mad Lion Sect will probably..." Mi An tapped his elbow with his fingers, narrowing his eyes.

    "Do you not want to work together?" Cassius asked calmly.

    "Of course not." Mi An suddenly smiled. "How could we stay indifferent to such a treasure? What I mean is, our Three-Eyed Mad Lion Sect probably can''t take down ck Rain Manor by itself. We''ll need to bring in some equally powerful allies. Maybe White Water Sword, or Skyfall Cross Sect... Or perhaps the entire northern Covert Martial Artsmunity."

    Mi An narrowed his eyes, a slight smile ying on his lips as he looked at Cassius. "I wouldn''t mind. After all, the more people, the less risk. But it''s up to you since this will affect your interests."

    Outwardly, Cassius''s face remained expressionless, but inwardly, he was smiling widely.

    His interests? The biggest thing he was interested in was shutting down ck Rain Manor, fulfilling Twilight''s lingering attachment, and then returning to reality with the power.

    He had already used ck Rain Manor to enhance most of his techniques. The only ones left were the ones that carried significant risks. While he could still enhance them, albeit it being a huge risk, he didn''t necessarily have to as he could simply just train harder on his own.

    If the Three-Eyed Mad Lion Sect really brought the entire northern Covert Martial Artsmunity to East Sea County, Cassius''s only concern would be the guests'' overwhelming power would make them not act ording to the host''s n.

    However, it didn''t affect his core interests. Taking down ck Rain Manor was Cassius''s goal, and on that point, they were aligned. If the northern Covert Martial Artsmunity wanted to obtain the miraculous Soul Power, they would have to destroy ck Rain Manor.

    Additionally, Cassius had some cards to y; he still had the pill that could block the manor''s perception. If the northern Covert Martial Artsmunity really intended to attack ck Rain Manor, they''d undoubtedly need the pill to enter the isted world of the rain.

    Cassius could already picture it in his mind¡ªa ck carriage leading the way, followed by dozens of steel carriages. Tightly packed inside of it like sardines in a can would be the Covert Martial Arts experts, temporarily rendered unconscious from the pill.

    <i>Brothers, we shall take down the manor together!</i>

    At that point, ck Rain Manor would be in for a headache, with hundreds of little supermen swooping in to tear down the entire estate!

    "Let''s do it your way. If the Three-Eyed Mad Lion Sect can really convince the entire northern Covert Martial Artsmunity toe south and take on ck Rain Manor, I don''t need any share of the spoils. The thing I want most is to see ck Rain Manor destroyed!" Cassius said, utterly sincere. It was absolutely true. The original owner of this body, Twilight, deeply loathed ck Rain Manor and in wanting to escape its control, it had led to this series of events in the original timeline.

    "I wouldn''t ask that of you. I''m just trying to give you a heads-up," Mi An said, taking a sip of tea.

    "So, does this mean we''vee to an initial agreement?" Cassius also took a sip of tea.

    "Yes, we have." Mi An extended his calloused hand. Cassius''s eyes flickered, and he smiled as he extended his. The two sped hands in the air.

    "Looking forward to working together,¡± they said simultaneously.

    That very evening after their discussion, the manor in Mirror Lake City was empty. The servants were all given at least a month''s leave, and Mi An and Duomo quickly returned to the Three-Eyed Mad Lion Sect''s main headquarters. They needed to deliver this news to the sect leaders and start making ns to convince the entire northern Covert Martial Artsmunity. They needed as many allies on board as possible.

    Meanwhile, Cassius took a train back to East Sea County in the south.

    He needed to decipher the recipe on the parchment and make more pills. While there was a decent amount in the bottle, it wouldn''t be enough if various sects from the northern Covert Martial Artsmunity joined. Cassius didn''t want to waste any potential power when theyunched their attack on ck Rain Manor¡ªthe more, the better.

    In addition, after returning to East Sea County. he needed to make another trip to ck Rain Manor. Even if it was going to be temporary, he still had toplete the Atonement Task to maintain his status as a Hellsing. Plus, Cassius was nning on taking out a huge loan. It didn''t matter if he needed it or not¡ªhe just wanted to enjoy the thrill of milking the system. After all, he would be turning against them soon.

    Moreover, if everything went well, he would likely have to wee a delegation from the northern Covert Martial Artsmunity. Smuggling the group into the Rainy World to witness the wonders of ck Rain Manor firsthand would be the best way to convince them. Seeing was believing, after all!

    Cassius would probably have to demonstrate Soul Power in action, so everyone could see the effects. Only by bearing witness to its powerful results would those old masters truly be moved. Whether out of desire or greed, they would then participate in the takedown of ck Rain Manor.

    The mysterious ck Rain Manor versus the entire northern Covert Martial Artsmunity of the Hongli Federation. Cassius was curious to see if it could withstand the assault!

 Chapter 154 - Borrowing From Loan Sharks

    <h4>Chapter 154 - Borrowing From Loan Sharks</h4>

    At the suburban train station in Anta City, passengers in various styles of clothes stood on the twenty-meter-long rectangr tform with their luggage, waiting silently for the train. When a whistle sounded in the distance, everyone''s heads swiveled to look.

    A ck and red steam train appeared from afar, puffing out white clouds, almost like it was breathing. The morning sun cast ayer of brilliance over it.

    As the train approached, the ground began to tremble slightly. White steam continuously billowed out along the tracks, engulfing the entire lotive. The steam carried a distinct smell of coal smoke.

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    The square-shaped front of the train approached like a meteor.

    As the doors opened, passengers from other cities stepped off the train one after another. A ck boot stepped onto the dark gray tform, and a man with a cold demeanor nced up at the sky. Then, he squeezed into the crowd and headed toward the city center.

    After half a month, Cassius had returned. He had traveled from East Sea City to Anta City, making a stop at Wenmingda University along the way to find Professor Tennessee, who had previously helped him decipher ancient texts. Just like before, everything was easy to arrange as long as he had money in hand.

    To speed up the process, Cassius added a small incentive. The idea was simple: the faster it was done, the more money Professor Tennessee would earn. With such a tempting offer, the professor would surely achieve the decoding speed that Cassius desired.

    ording to the professor, the parchment Cassius had given him seemed to be from a simr era as the map he had given him from a few months ago. Since the groundwork had already beenid when he deciphered the map, decoding the parchment wouldn''t take as long.

    Cassius left the train station and returned to the house he had purchased in Anta City, which served as one of his bases. After a brief rest and a meal, Cassius walked to a narrow, secluded path in the suburbs of Anta City, beige suitcase in hand. Along the path were piles of weeds and rubble. Among the rubble stood a slender, straight bronze pir, its surface mottled with color.

    He took out a bell and, like usual, began to shake it. The world blurred momentarily, and Cassius entered the Rainy World of ck Rain Manor. The once-clear sky was reced by dense clouds, and a light drizzle fell nonstop from above.

    A ck carriage came trudging through the mud. Cassius nced at the cloaked driver, took a cautious step toward the carriage, and then climbed inside. The two strong ck horses in front lurched, and the carriage began to roll forward. He could hear the wheels turning.

    After a minute, Cassius breathed a sigh of relief from his seat inside the carriage. ck Rain Manor didn''t try to attack him this time; Otherwise, he would have had to use the armored carriage fromst time.

    An hourter, Cassius stood in front of the wooden door of the Bolt Sect''s headquarters, an umbre over his head, and gently knocked. Someone immediately walked over to open it.

    "Hello... Ah, it''s Mr. Twilight." The person who opened the door was a young man of about twenty, with delicate features and golden curls. It was Jiri, whom Cassius had previously worked with andter introduced to the Bolt Sect.

    "Mr. Twilight, pleasee in." The young man smiled and stepped aside.

    "Mm." Cassius nodded slightly and stepped inside.

    He took the key and unlocked the door. Theyout inside was undisturbed and the floor was rtively dust-free; someone had likely been keeping up with the maintenance. Cassius made his bed, took what he needed, and then walked through the streets to the Baptism Chapel.

    This time, the chapel hall had quite a few people. After a short break, they entered the empty private rooms one by one.

    Cassius nced around the hall, walked underneath the ornate ceiling, crossed the expanse of ck benches, and stood in front of the prayer table. On the table was an old, yellowed scripture.

    As if it could sense someone approaching, the candlesticks on either side of the prayer table suddenly ignited, throwing its surroundings in a strong white light. The Hellsings watching from a distance were instantly blinded.

    Cassius, however, was barely flinched even though he was standing close by. The scripture in front of him began to flip through its pages on its own before finally stopping on the page of the Atonement Task. The text of the Atonement Task turned fluid and blood-red.

    Cassius expressionlessly pulled out a restored map from his chest, along with a pebble-sized fragment. He ced the two items on either side of the scripture.

    <i>Beep...</i>

    The blood-red text began to distort and twist, eventually spreading across the paper like blood, crawling onto the map and the fragment, and finally wrapping around thempletely.

    At the same time, it felt as if a gust of wind blew through, as the scripture''s pages began flipping wildly. The pages fluttered back and forth until several of them suddenly detached and ignited midair. The mes roared, with ck ash eventually drifting down.

    Cassius felt a chill on the back of his right hand. He raised his hand and saw that the shield mark had returned to normal. The spear piercing through it had disappeared, meaning his atonement had been a sess.

    <i>Rustle... crackle... rustle...</i>

    The scripture on the prayer table continued flipping madly, making it clear that the manor was far from peaceful at the moment.

    Cassius''s gaze remained indifferent as he decisively turned around. He didn''t care what the manor did with the information about the ruins, because, in a short while, the manor might not even be able to protect itself. Besides, everything was just a historical shback since he had time-traveled.

    Under the watchful gazes of a few, Cassius walked out of the Baptism Chapel. His next move, naturally, was to take out a loan.

    N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Cassius estimated that if all went well, the Northern Covert Martial Artsmunity would arrive soon. He needed to show them the effects of Soul Power. He didn''t have any dark essence left as he used it all up before heading to the ruins. Taking on another task now would be too troublesome, so it was easier if he "borrowed" some.

    After leaving the Baptism Chapel, Cassius didn''t return to the Bolt Sect headquarters and instead headed to the eastern area of ck Rain Manor, to a famous ce called the Iron Blood Tavern.

    The inside of the tavern was as lively as ever. Some were drinking heavily, while others boasted in loud voices. Cassius randomly chose a secluded table and ordered a drink. He scanned the bar, waiting for the information broker to appear.

    After just five or six minutes, a short, skinny red-haired man strolled in, with what appeared to be a customer beside him. The two chatted as they chose a seat.

    Not long after they sat down, Cassius stood up and walked over. The short man turned, understanding dawning on him upon seeing Cassius. The two walked toward the secluded alley by the back door.

    Cassius checked the alley before asking slowly, "Have there been any changes to the five loan channels you gave mest time?"

    "One," the short man, a professional information broker who always had thetest news, recalled. "A branch of the Dark Sect, the Arthropod group, might not be doing any loans for a while. They seem to be organizing arge-scale group mission, so they don''t have time for loan services."

    "They''re not doing it anymore?" Cassius felt slightly disappointed.

    "Yes, the Arthropod group may have stopped, however..." The man paused.

    Expressionless, Cassius handed over a stack of federation bills. The red-haired short man chuckled, his expression somewhat sly. "I have another channel, also a branch of the Dark Sect. They''re called the Ghost Face Society, and they''ve recently started offering loan services. Here''s their address and business hours."

    He handed over a piece of paper with some writing on it, and Cassius tucked it into his coat.

    "By the way, don''t say I didn''t warn you," the short man cautioned. "The people in the Ghost Face Society have some severe post-surgery effects from their dark surgeries and are pretty ill; sometimes, they lose their minds. Their debt collection methods can also be quite brutal. I suggest you think carefully before borrowing from them."

    Cassius chuckled. "They should thank you for this."

    "Huh?" the man asked.

    "Nothing." Cassius patted the short man on the shoulder, "This is for you." With that, he turned and left the alley.

    "Ghost Face Society''s crazy people thanking me? For what? For bringing them a new customer?" The red-haired short man shrugged indifferently and pulled a bill off his shoulder. He flicked the bill lightly and whistled. "Who cares, let''s get a drink..."

    Half an hourter, in the eastern part of ck Rain Manor at ck Wolf Society''s headquarters...

    "What''s the maximum amount I can borrow as an individual here?" On the other side, Cassius asked a middle-aged man with freckles.

    "Oh?" The man raised an eyebrow. "Is it urgent?"

    "It''s urgent," Cassius lied casually. He had no intention of repaying this dark essence; he just needed to get his hands on it.

    "Well...alright. Let''s take this in the back room." The man stood up and led the way for Cassius.

    A few minutester, at the Reaper''s Eye headquarters, a tall man in ck walked into the hall from outside. The first thing he said was, "Give me the deluxe loan package."

    In the southern part of ck Rain Manor, at the Dark Sect''s Ghost Face Society headquarters, Cassius looked at a paper posted on the side of the table, detailing the loan interest rates.

    Ten days, twenty percent; twenty days, thirty percent; thirty days, forty percent... It was rather usurious. It made sense that the lunatics with their mental issues were the ones toe up with such an insane interest structure. However, they did lend out quite arge amount of dark essence, so they probably weren¡¯t worried about people not paying it back.

    After a brief moment of thinking, Cassius looked up. "Give me the maximum amount a shield-level can borrow."

    By dusk, he had visited all five loan channels. His hands were now filled with an unprecedented amount of dark essence, proving that pooling resources as a group was far more effective than working alone. With a stack of mission vouchers in hand, he returned to the Bolt Sect.

    There was a purpose for Cassius''s excessive dark essence borrowing¡ªscamming the loan channels was merely a byproduct¡ªbecause once the Northern Covert Martial Arts representatives entered ck Rain Manor, they''d be able to put the dark essence to good use. Cassius using Soul Power alonecked the necessary persuasion; he needed a group of Hellsings to use it as well to make a properparison.

    On July 8, Year 107 in the Hongli Federation Calendar, Cassius left ck Rain Manor and headed for East Sea City.

    Since Cassius had arranged to meet Mi An at the famous Blooming Flowers Fountain za in East Sea City, he rented a house across from the za, near Lilun High-ss Apartments. He had to pass by the za whenever he went out, meaning Cassius would be able to spot Mi An and the others as soon as they arrived. Moreover, he wasn''t far from Wenmingda University, allowing him to pay the asional visit to check in on the professor''s progress.

    About five hundred meters west of Blooming Flowers Fountain za was a mid-sized facility called the Iron Fist Martial Arts Gym.

    The entire facility had been reserved for the afternoon. In the middle of the hall stood a strong, bare-chested man with his fists sped together at his chest. His muscles bulged and his skin had a marble-like hardness as if he was covered in armor. The sunlight that streamed in through the windows cast a whiteyer over his body.

    Cassius surveyed around, his expression indifferent. "Fight with all you''ve got. Don''t hold back."

    Seven or eight simrly muscr men nearby exchanged nces. Immediately, they raised their clubs and sticks and charged at Cassius, raining down blows on him like a storm.

    "Good, put in more strength! Give it your all." Cassius stood steady as a mountain, letting them pummel him. He even had the time to goad them. "Is that all the power you have?! You''re hitting like a bunch of women! How do you think you deserve so many Hongli Federation dors!"

    The Iron Fist Martial Arts Gym''s men, riled up by his words, immediately struck more forcefully, their sweat soaking through their vests in an instant.

    <i>Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang...</i>

    The blows sounded like raindrops as they echoed throughout the hall.

    <i>Crack!</i>

    A strong arm swung through, breaking three of the iing wooden sticks. Cassius, displeased, patted his chest.

    "That waspletely pointless. Don''t use those fragile wooden sticks, use steel pipes. If anyone''s strong enough, they can use that sledgehammer over there. Hit me hard enough, and everyone gets a tip." He crossed his arms over his chest, watching as the Iron Fist Martial Arts Gym''s men threw away their sticks, each grabbing steel pipes and sledgehammers.

    "Come on!" Cassius tensed, his muscles bulging even more. The sledgehammers pounded and the steel pipes nged against his body without ceasing. "Ah, very good, just like that! I''m starting to feel it. This is the kind of intensity I need. That feels good..."

    By dusk, in a corner of the Iron Fist Martial Arts Gym''s facility, one of the men swung his steel pipe onest exhausted time. With a <i>bang</i>, the pipe bent. He took two steps back and saw that the ground was littered with bent pipes. Three or four of his fellow brothers were crumpled on the floor, gasping for breath.

    Their white vests werepletely drenched, and they looked as if they had just been dragged out of a pool of water. Hand trembling, the man wiped away the sweat that was nearly blocking his vision. He turned to look at the center of the hall.

    The muscle-bound man called Twilight still remained nk-faced as he stood there with his arms crossed like a towering mountain. The full-force swings of the sledgehammers and steel pipes hadn''t made a dent at all! He heard that this man had trained in hardening Qigong. He''d heard of it, but never had he seen it this hard before!

    The man took a step to the left and his legs gave out, forcing him to sit down. Cassius was the only one left standing in the entire hall.

    Cassius nced at the upper right corner, his expression unchanged. "Let''s call it a day for now. Inform the next group and tell them to be ready by 3 p.m. tomorrow."

 Chapter 155 - The Visitor from the Northern Covert Martial Arts World

    <h4>Chapter 155 - The Visitor from the Northern Covert Martial Arts World</h4>

    Cassius casually patted his chest and picked up the clothes hanging on the metal rack beside him. ncing at the exhausted men around him, he walked out of the sweaty, rank gym.

    A dozen dayster, Cassius was back at the same Iron Fist Martial Arts Gym. This time, a slightly shorter figure stood in the center of the rectangr training area. Pale yellow floor tiles were divided intorge grid patterns.

    N?v(el)B\\jnn

    "Let''s begin," Cassius said as he sped his fists together in the customary martial arts salute.

    Opposite him, a man in his thirties returned the salute. He was the owner of the Iron Fist Martial Arts Gym and a fifth-stage Federal Combat Arts practitioner. In the regr martial arts world, achieving the five stages of Combat Arts was already quite impressive, enough to win awards in county-levelpetitions.

    "Go ahead," Cassius said, taking abat stance.

    "Alright."

    Normally, letting the opponent strike first during a sparring session was considered belittling, as the implication was that the other person was weaker. In most cases, this would provoke anger, the spar possibly escting into a real fight, where injuries could easily ur. But the gym owner wasn¡¯t offended.

    This situation was different. The martial artist before him, who called himself "Twilight," was not from the outer world but was instead an expert from the inner world. Over the past dozen days, the gym owner had watched Twilight very closely. His twenty or so disciples took turns attacking Twilight with various heavy blunt instruments for hours on end. Yet, Twilight always emerged unscathed. As if nothing had happened.

    In the face of such a formidable opponent, the gym owner naturally positioned himself as the weaker one. Twilight had proposed this sparring match to test and refine a new technique; he had even paid a substantial fee in advance, leaving the gym owner no reason to refuse. To be honest, he would have epted even without the fee, eager as he was to catch a glimpse into the martial prowess of the inner world. This sparring session offered a great learning opportunity for him.

    "I''ll do my best to hold back. If I identally hurt you, I apologize in advance," Cassius said, shifting his back foot slightly.

    "Bring it on," the gym owner replied, adopting abat stance simr to a boxer''s. With a powerful push of his legs, he shot forward, his figure darting left and right as he rapidly closed the distance between them.

    As he got close, the gym owner suddenly twisted his body and threw a punch. His arm swung forward, propelled by his well-trained muscles.

    <i>Swoosh!</i>

    A blur of an arm shed before his eyes. The gym owner suddenly felt a sharp pain in his right fist, followed by a numbing sensation in his elbow as if it had been struck by a small hammer.

    He grunted and quickly retreated, shaking his right shoulder to restore feeling to his muscles and nerves. Narrowing his eyes, the gym owner charged forward again. His fists flew as he nimbly jumped from side to side.

    <i>Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh...</i>

    In front of him, Cassius''s arms moved so quickly they formed blurry, dark shadows that shed through the air. Cassius matched the gym owner''s speed and power; he didn''t use any tricky angles, simply countering every move.

    Fist after fist collided, and each time the gym owner''s punches veered off course, their force weakened, their direction skewed.

    The gym owner was secretly astonished. He switched from punches to elbow strikes and asionally used kicks and body ms. Yet, every time any part of his body made contact with Cassius''s fists, a strange force would strike his bnce point, causing the trajectory of his attacks to deviate, their power diminished by at least fifty percent. None of his attacks even posed a threat to Cassius.

    Frustration rose in the gym owner, as if he couldn''t fully exert his strength. With a light grunt, hepressed his leg muscles, tucked in his neck, and aimed to m his shoulder at Cassius.

    <i>Swoosh, swoosh!</i>

    Two rapid punches struck his body, and the gym owner''s chest tightened, throwing off his bnce. Instead of colliding with Cassius, he staggered sideways toward the ground. Fast.

    <i>p.</i>

    Arge hand suddenly reached out from the side, catching the gym owner''s chest and suspending him in midair.

    His eyes widened. His nose hovered just two centimeters above the rough ground, and he was close enough to see the dust in the cracks between the tiles. With a slight jerk, the hand lifted the gym owner back to his feet. He looked astonished.

    "Is this some kind of unique force-deflection technique?"

    At the curiosity on the gym owner''s face, Cassius shook his head.

    Seeing Cassius unwilling to exin further, the gym owner didn''t press the matter. He stood aside, taking a moment for his breathing to return to normal before stepping back into the ring, saying softly, "Again..."

    An hourter, even though Cassius had held back, the gym owner was ck and blue all over, feeling dizzy and disoriented. Finally, they both sped their fists, signaling the end of the sparring session.

    Cassius had been practicing a technique he had learned from the Decaying Knights called "Midak Bnce Disruption." In his attempt to integrate this technique into his ownbat style, he had decided to conduct a small experiment by sparring with the gym owner. The results looked promising.

    The Midak Bnce Disruption technique originated from the Midak Cross Sword, a technique at the second stage of proficiency. It involved quickly identifying and disrupting an opponent''s bnce point on their sword, thus throwing off their attacks. Cassius had begun to adapt this technique to his fist techniques, and while it showed some utility, it wasn¡¯t yet ready for use against powerful enemies.

    His goal was to integrate the Midak Bnce Disruption technique throughout his entire body so that every part of him could disrupt an opponent¡¯s bnce, acting as a special kind of internal force flowing through him.

    It wouldn¡¯t be easy and would likely require a lot of time, but Cassius knew it was something he had to do. He couldn¡¯t just follow in other people''s footsteps; he needed to forge his own path, one that would eventually widen into a road that went straight to the top.

    This was Cassius¡¯s first attempt to innovate based on his ownbat knowledge, akin to swinging a pickax for the first time. There would be many more swings toe before he could clear and cultivate his own field, and nt and nurture crops unique to him.

    In the Iron Fist Martial Arts Gym, Cassius studied his fists, a thoughtful light in his eyes. Though it seemed like he hadpletely overpowered the gym owner, in reality, his performance had been riddled with ws. Transitioning between the Midak Bnce Disruption and his variousbat moves had felt awkward and stiff, and he had to rely on his superior level of martial arts to force them through.

    Mastering and integrating the Bnce Disruption technique was still challenging. Fortunately, he had the Rune of Wisdom¡¯s Blood of the Spirit to help him. As long as heid a solid foundation and grasped the principles to a certain extent, the Blood of the Spirit could extrapte and refine the techniques based on Cassius¡¯s understanding and knowledge.

    He wasn¡¯t in a rush; he was still waiting for the Three-Eyed Mad Lion Sect¡¯s Heart Eye Secret Technique. He believed this Secret Technique wouldplement the Midak Bnce Disruption, and perhaps, by merging them, he could create a brand-new Secret Technique.

    By the time he stepped out of the Iron Fist Martial Arts Gym, it was already dusk. The sky was tinged red, the clouds rolling like golden-red waves, with fiery streaks along the edges. Beams of light shot down from the horizon, illuminating the spires and domes of East Sea City, reflecting faintly off the rooftops'' neatly arranged tiles.

    Outside the gym was a road nked by blue-and-white houses, mostly two or three stories tall. Small trees were nted at intervals along the sidewalk, looking as if they had been nted recently. The asional pedestrian passed by on the street.

    Cassius headed east, walking toward the Lilun High-ss Apartments. As he passed the Blooming Flowers Fountain za, he spotted a familiar figure. A handsome young man with blond hair was sitting on a ck bench, seemingly trying to chat up a beautiful woman.

    "Miss, you may not believe it, but I..."

    A hand pped down on the blond youth¡¯s shoulder.

    He turned around, somewhat annoyed. "Who is it?"

    Cassius stood behind, silently watching him. "Let''s go."

    Ten minutester, Cassius was led to a three-story building with white walls and a ck base. Duomo walked in front, gently pushing open the door. Cassius followed closely behind. As soon as he stepped inside, he was hit with an overpowering sense of dangering from the side.

    <i>Swish, swish, swish...</i>

    A ck shadow darted into Cassius''s line of sight, and the hissing of a snake sounded in his ears. His vision blurred for a moment, and a massive ck two-winged serpent arched its body, baring its fangs. Its wings, seemingly made entirely of scales, spread wide!

    Shock instantly gripped Cassius''s mind, but no sooner than a secondter, a furious anger surged from within him, rushing straight to his head.

    Cassius let out a furious roar, his entire form expanding rapidly. His rock-white muscles swelled like armor, covering his body. Therge tendons beneath his skin writhed and pulsed like worms, the blood vessels branching out like forks with thick blood pumping and surging through them.

    In his state of rage, he instantly entered the third-level elerated blood flow, with his Rock Armor Technique driven to its peak by the violent energy and blood. His shoulder trembled, and a massive ck shadow whistled through the air, carrying immense force and speed as it struck the serpent.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    A straight punch and a swinging palm collided, and the air exploded with a tremor. Dust rippled out in a ring from the impact point.

    <i>Thud, thud, thud...</i>

    <i>Thud, thud, thud...</i>

    Two figures, one tall and one short, staggered backward. Cassius crashed against the wall with a thud, causing lime to fall. He quickly raised his head and saw an old man with a goatee in the distance, using the hand pressed on the sofa to flip to his feet. He stood steadily.

    The old man nced first at his own bright-red right hand, and then at the tall and burly Cassius. "Hey, this young man..."

    Cassius, standing at the entrance, narrowed his reddened eyes.

    The more a practitioner trained in Covert Martial Arts, the higher their level and the sharper their vision became. Experts in Covert Martial Arts could often see through the ws in their opponent''s body with a single nce, using their strengths to exploit the opponent''s weaknesses. After enduring many experiences, Cassius considered his vision to be quite keen. If he carefully observed Duomo, he''d see five or six small ws. But this old man in front of him had no ws at all! He was as smooth and round as a ball.

    Conversely, Cassius felt as if the old man''s gaze was seeing through him, hinting that the old man''s level and vision were several tiers above his own.

    Could he be a sect master bat artist)?

    "What do you think, Hardy? Didn''t get an edge over him, did you?" a familiar voice said. Mi An, dressed in a gray notchedpel coat, walked out from the side, smiling.

    "<i>Haha</i>, even Winged Serpent Hardy gets pushed back sometimes."

    A few more people emerged from the shadows of the corridor, all middle-aged or elderly men, varying in height and build. Some were tall, some short, some fat, and some thin. Their temperaments differed, and their attire was varied. The only thing they had inmon were their sharp eyes.

    Cassius exhaled slowly, sensing an unprecedented threat from these people. It was a frantic warning brought on by the mutated perception after merging with the Shadow Demons. Any of these seven to eight individuals had the potential to be a deadly threat to him.

    The experts in the Northern Covert Martial Arts world were indeed extraordinary.

    "I hope Mr. Cassius didn''t mind my small test," said Hardy, the old man with the goatee.

    "That test was quite frightening." Cassius shook his head, reaching out with his right hand to touch under his left arm. Sure enough, the fabric there was torn.

    Opposite him, Hardy smiled but said nothing.

    Mi An walked over from behind the sofa. "Cassius, let me introduce you. This is the immortal Hardy of the Winged Serpent Fist. He''s now ny-three years old, but he was once the fifteenth-generation Winged Serpent of the Winged Serpent Fist, and retired from that position over thirty years ago. He''s very good at maintaining his health, and, as a result, he looks even younger than me."

    Cassius raised an eyebrow. This old man with a goatee was actually ny-three, yet his hair was only slightly gray. He looked full of vigor, appearing at most in his sixties. It was unexpected that he was nearing a hundred years old, and as Mi An said, he was very good at maintaining his health.

    Moreover, that palm strike just now was quite powerful! Cassius''s right fist was red and hot, a burning pain emanating from it.

    Mi An paused, then pointed to a bald, muscr man beside him. "This is Xuan Jing of the Raging Sea Sect. He is also the current sect master of the Raging Sea Sect and at the level of abat artist. Unlike me, who''s an old man, he hasn''t even hit fifty yet and is already in his prime. I''m envious."

    The bald man nodded in acknowledgement at Cassius. Mi An then pointed to the next person, an elderly man with white hair and a white beard, wearing a dark blue training attire.

    "This is Elder Oro of the Skyfall Cross Sect..."

    "And this is the White Water Sword''s..."

    "..."

    After a round of introductions, Cassius gradually became familiar with these representatives of the Northern Covert Martial Arts world. It seemed that the Three-Eyed Mad Lion Sect had really pulled out all the stops this time. In just half a month, they had gathered so many Covert Martial Arts sects. Soul Power also yed a powerful role as it had been attractive enough to lure any Covert Martial Arts practitioner wanting to learn about it.

    "Since this is the first time we''ve met, let''s go upstairs to the second floor and chat." Mi An waved his hand, and everyone moved forward.

    Duomo also made to follow, but Mi An suddenly turned around and said, "Oh, Duomo, you stay on the first floor to guard the door. Cassius, let''s go." He patted Cassius on the shoulder.

    "..."

    Duomo watched Cassius''s retreating back, his mouth slightly agape.

    The group went to the second floor to begin their discussions. It was mostly casual with the asional decision being made about details concerning ck Rain Manor. During this time, Cassius gradually became more familiar with these powerful figures from the Northern Covert Martial Arts world. They gradually grew closer.

    They had dinner in the evening and spent the night there. Duomo was somewhat resentful because Mi An gave Duomo''s room to Cassius and then asked Duomo to room with him.

    The next day, the n was set in motion.

    After handling some necessary matters, the ten-person group boarded a train for the Anta Mountains on the morning of the third day. By evening, Cassius and the others arrived in Anta City.

 Chapter 156 - The Aura and Force of a Combat Artist

    <h4>Chapter 156 - The Aura and Force of a Combat Artist</h4>

    Cassius had originally wanted to rest for a day, but the representatives from the northern Covert Martial Arts world had a different idea in mind. As soon as everyone arrived at Cassius''s house in the suburbs, they quickly regrouped and followed him to a small path near the Anta Mountains. They also brought along an unusually heavy armored carriage with various weapon marks scarring its metallic surface.

    Cassius didn''t need to be the one to personally handle it this time; two burly men from the northern Covert Martial Arts world took on the task of pulling the carriage. Despite its tremendous weight, it posed no difficulty for these two representatives.

    Somehow, they seemed to have an easier time pulling it than the two robust ck horsesst time, as they kept pace with the group effortlessly, barely breaking a sweat.

    A pugilist who had reached the major culmination stage could create an autonomous cycle of elerated blood flow through the three nodes in their body. This allowed them to generate abundant strength continuously, and their stamina would multiply several times over. If this were what the major culmination stage offered, the next realms would surely be even more extraordinary.

    The wheels rumbled as the dark iron carriage was pushed into a deste wilderness. Weeds and scattered rocks surrounded them, a small, nearly overgrown path cutting through.

    A silver moon hung high in the sky, with a few wisps of clouds drifting between the stars. A thin, white veil of moonlight spread over the earth.

    "Stop. We''re here," Cassius abruptly announced. The two elders from the northern Covert Martial Arts sects who had been pulling the carriage also came to a halt, and everyone turned to look at Cassius.

    "Have we arrived?" Mi An, still in a gentleman''s attire, looked on with a faintly curious expression on his gaunt face.

    "Yes, the anchor point I mentioned earlier is right here." Cassius reached out and grasped an old bronze pir nearby, its surface marred by the wear and tear of time and weather.

    Mi An gazed deeply at the bronze pir, waiting for Cassius''s next move. He was still quite interested in this mysterious manor that had operated in a circle separate from the Covert Martial Arts circle. Whatever information Mi An had all came from Cassius.

    "Distribute these pills." Cassius took out a bottle from his pocket and poured out several ck pills. These were the fake-death elixirs he had found in the ruins of Ao Yin.

    Duomo took one, sniffing it. It didn''t smell too bad, just the faint scent of decay, as if it had been stored for a long, long time. He clicked his tongue and looked at the others.

    The old man with the goatee, Hardy, immediately swallowed his pill, smacking his lips a few times. "No poison."

    His deration reassured everyone else as they then took their pills.

    Hardy was once the sect master of the Winged Serpent Fist sect in the northern Covert Martial Artsmunity. After stepping down, he became fervently interested in herbal medicine and health, bing quite knowledgeable in pharmacology. If he said there was no poison, then there was definitely no issue.

    Seeing everyone else take their pills, Duomo also swallowed his. A salty, sour taste immediately spread in his mouth, like eating a dried sour plum.

    Once everyone had taken the pills, Cassius nodded. He waited three more minutes before pulling out a small bell. With a flick of his right hand, he began shaking it.

    The bell made no sound, but the once clear and vast night sky suddenly darkened. It was as if arge cloud had appeared out of nowhere, gathering thickly and blocking out the starlight and moonlight.

    In the blink of an eye, the sky above was covered with clouds. A light drizzle began to fall.

    <i>Pop.</i>

    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    A few of them hade prepared with ck umbres. Mi An lowered his head slightly, narrowing his eyes. The narrow, weed-filled path had somehow expanded into a wide, t road as if the weeds and rocks on either side had parted on their own. An eerie and mysterious feeling arose within him.

    <i>Ding... Ding... Ding...</i>

    Sound began emitting out of the once silent bell in Cassius''s hand.

    In the distance, at the edge of their sight, a carriage was moving swiftly toward them, before finallying to a stop beside the slender bronze pir.

    Mi An watched coldly from the side, his aura hadn''t detected any of the changes that had just urred. Everything had happened without a sound, the transitionpleted in an instant, pulling them from the original world into another Rainy World. He stretched out a hand slowly, letting a few drops of rain fall into his palm.

    Mi An quickly retracted his hand. "This rain is strange. There''s a cold aura trying to prate under the skin."

    Upon hearing this, the others began to test it for themselves. Most of them came to the same conclusion as Mi An, though Duomo looked puzzled. From the side, Cassius narrowed his eyes.

    "Why can''t I feel it?" Duomo shook the water from his hand.

    "You haven''t reached the level of abat artist yet, so you can''t use your own aura to envelop your hand," Mi An said, pausing slightly. "This raining down from the sky is dangerous. Prolonged exposure might have some serious effects on a person''s mental state, like amplifying negative emotions. A few times might not do much harm, but if it happens for a long period of time... Well, it''s best to avoid it."

    The other Covert Martial Arts experts nodded in agreement.

    Cassius felt his heart jolt. What shocked him wasn''t the fact that he''d been rained on several times, but rather the method by which the Baptism Chapel granted Soul Power! The continuous drizzle of ck rain in that private room... Could it be that the rainwater not only contained the beneficial Soul Power but also carried a cold aura that could make people go mad?

    So, ck Rain Manor had no good intentions after all. It seemed that every path the Hellsings would take would have been tampered with.

    Cassius had originally believed that Soul Power carried the fewest side effects among all the paths, but now he had to put that assumption under scrutiny!

    He stood there, quickly recalling his recent behavior. His temper had seemed more vtile as ofte; he was more bloodthirsty toward his enemies, and easily provoked by the most minor things. And his methods of killing had grown increasingly brutal. His choices had oscited between crushing his enemy¡¯s head or tearing them in half.

    So this was the reason! Damn that ck Rain Manor! They had twisted his once gentle and cheerful personality into this. Their actions were truly unforgivable!

    Cassius immediately shared his experience.

    Mi An shook his head andforted him. "Even if you''ve been affected, it doesn''t matter. As long as you can break through to the level of abat artist, all the side effects will naturally disappear. The force of one''s aura will solidify and strengthen the spirit."

    Cassius listened intently. Half a minuteter, a loud bang came from the back of the carriage.

    Mi An and Cassius turned to look, only to see that the bald, muscr sect master from the Raging Sea Sect, Xuan Jing, was pulling with his iron-like ck arms, his muscles bulging. He seemed to be wrestling with the stationary carriage.

    "It''s useless, Mr. Xuan Jing. This carriage is bound by certain rules," Cassius began, but his words were suddenly cut off.

    The ck carriage shook violently, the cast iron wheels being dragged back half a meter by a tremendous force. The ground behind the carriage cracked, the surface of the solid ck soil spreading out in a web of spider-like fissures.

    <i>It''s not a simple setup. The aura of the carriage is connected to the entire ground, and some mysterious force is at work...</i>

    Xuan Jing dusted off his hands and exchanged looks with the other northern Covert Martial Arts elders, a silent understanding passing between them.

    On the grass, Cassius held back the second half of his sentence. The level beyond pugilism, abat artist, seemed to involve mysterious mental aspects. It was no wonder these northern Covert Martial Arts experts could detect things that Cassius could not.

    Although envious, Casius wasn¡¯t discouraged. He firmly believed that he, too, could reach thebat expert level, its many wonders simply waiting for him to experience them personally.

    Cassius collected his thoughts once more and immediately began making arrangements.

    Just like what he did before when they had smuggled themselves into the Rainy World, he attached the armored carriage to the back of the ck carriage and had all the northern Covert Martial Arts experts enter the carriage, while he himself boarded the ck carriage.

    As the vehicle moved along the road, it gradually elerated, passing through various bizarre scenes: a hill half-charred and half-covered in white flowers; windmills with human arms instead of des; a group of worshippers dancing around a tree struck by lightning and fire; people devouring each other...

    Strange and twisted sights appeared before everyone¡¯s eyes. They included elements of ultism, spirit and flesh, death and life, ancient decay, vivid madness¡ªlike a series of absurd dreams without any discernible pattern.

    As Cassius watched these scenes, he couldn''t help but recall what Mi An had said about the rain affecting one''s mental state. Were these surreal scenes deliberately designed to work with the rain, creating multiple mental shocks that made it hard to distinguish between dream and reality, confusing the mind, seducing the heart, and drawing out the darkness within?

    He remembered the first time he entered the Rainy World and how he instinctively sensed something was wrong. At that time, Cassius had been very vignt, quickly shaking off the disorientation caused by the psychological darkness.

    Half an hourter, the carriage arrived near the tform. This time, the armored carriage didn''t face any attacks, clearly indicating that the fake-death pills had done its job.

    The group quickly disembarked, turning to look at a narrow road on the right. Sparse trees lined both sides, and they could faintly see the ck, moss-covered walls of ck Rain Manor in the distance. If they tilted their heads slightly, they could see the ancient-style spires and domes. The roof tiles glistened wetly in the rain.

    The surrounding light was dim, the night and rain adding to the gloom. If Cassius and his group hadn''t been trained in Covert Martial Arts which granted them extraordinary vision, they wouldn''t have been able to see the road five meters ahead.

    "Is that ck Rain Manor?" Mi An looked up into the distance, his expression shifting slightly.

    "Yes, the entire manor is quiterge, but only a portion of it is safe for marked-ones to live in. The rest of the area is quite mysterious, with asional dangerous and eerie phenomena," Cassius reiterated the information about the manor.

    Mi An nodded slightly. "Let''s tread cautiously."

    With that, the group pushed the armored carriage along the path and toward the gates of ck Rain Manor. A few minutester, the wheels finally rolled onto a gray-white stone road.

    At night, the street was empty with no marked-ones in sight. Only the sound of rain sshing in the cracks between the street bricks could be heard. Suddenly, Duomo was walking ahead, stopped in his tracks. "Did you hear that? Someone is singing. It¡¯s like they''re right beside me!"

    The others paused slightly, then shook their heads. None of them heard the supposed singing, as if only Duomo had been blessed with it. Mi An nced at Cassius, who nodded.

    "Don''t worry, just describe what you heard."

    Duomo''s eyes were somewhat dazed. "It''s a melodious, sorrowful female voice singing, but I can''t make out the lyrics. It¡¯s right beside me, like an invisible ghost, sometimes running ahead, sometimes behind. Near and far..." Duomo turned his head. "There it is again! I hear her singing again; it''s very close this time."

    <i>Whoosh!!!</i>

    Suddenly, Mi An struck, his skinny right hand slicing through the air like a roaring ck battle axe as it cut into the wall.

    <i>ng!</i>

    The thick, solid wall was sliced diagonally as if shed by a sharp sword. The wall slid and copsed, revealing an alley on the other side, where a woman in white stood motionless. A breeze blew past, and the upper half of her body fell, smashing into the ground, and turning into a cloud of ck mist.

    <i>The power of that hand strike!</i> Cassius was shocked. An outsider would have imed to have witnessed a spectacle, but those in the know perceived the deeper skill behind that action. As a fellow expert in Covert Martial Arts, he could tell just how ferocious and concentrated Mi An''s power had been in that strike. If that had hit him...

    Beside him, Mi An withdrew his arm and gently patted Duomo''s shoulder. "Can you still hear the woman¡¯s voice?"

    Duomo shook his head.

    "Good. Let''s keep moving."

    Without further dy, the group continued toward the Bolt Sect.

    The next day, at the Bolt Sect base, Jiri left the dining hall, carrying a bundle of food wrapped in ck cloth. As he walked through the wide corridors, he greeted everyone he met.

    The night before, Jiri had helped Darkde wee Cassius and his group. With such arge number of them, they had decided to use the small, unused building two hundred meters outside the Bolt Sect base as their amodations. Jiri was currently on his way to deliver breakfast to them.

    Opening the door and raising his umbre, he saw someone walking down the road. Jiri turned to go the other way. A few secondster, a man with a mohawk and a scarred face pounded on the Bolt Sect''s door, the mark of the Werebeast Sect on the back of his hand.

    Meanwhile, Jiri walked under his umbre to a gray two-story building. He knocked gently on the door.

    "Who is it?" came Cassius''s voice from inside.

    "Twilight, it''s me, Jiri."

    The door clicked open, and Cassius gazed down at Jiri''s delicate face before nodding and pulling the door wide. "Come in."

    Jiri closed his umbre and stepped inside. He nced around the room and felt a little intimidated.

    To his left, two muscr middle-aged men with bulging veins were arm wrestling, the table underneath them groaning. On another side of the room, an old man sat cross-legged on the floor, practicing his skills. A white mist enveloped him, and with each breath, vortexes swirled within the mist.

    Near the wall, another old man with a white beard was doing push-ups on a single finger, his body moving up and down effortlessly. Between the two old men, a one-eyed man repeatedly shed at the air with an invisible sword. With each swing, a sharp whistle echoed through the room.

    Behind Cassius, two shirtless, muscr men in the living room were punching each other with heavy, drum-like thuds. Heavy footsteps could be hearding from upstairs, as if several elephants were running across the ceiling.

    "..." Jiri took a deep breath and was about to speak when a hand suddenly shoved him aside. The scar-faced man with the mohawk barged in, his expression arrogant.

    "Who the fuck is this so-called ''Twilight''? Tell him to get out here!"

 Chapter 157 - Borrowed Through Skill

    <h4>Chapter 157 - Borrowed Through Skill</h4>

    For a moment, the room fell silent. The representatives from the northern Covert Martial Artsmunity paused in their activities and turned to look.

    Sharpser-like eyes trained on the scar-faced man, who suddenly felt as if he were naked andpletely exposed. The hairs on his arms stood on end, inch by inch.

    He felt like he was being watched by top predators¡ªa whole group of top predators. The scar-faced man froze on the spot.

    His mind went nk, an instinctive fear shooting through him, but then the side effects of the beast blood injected into his system kicked in. In simple terms, the scar-faced man suddenly felt a twitch in his body and continued speaking along the lines of what he had just said. "So, you''re the one they call Twilight, huh?"

    He raised his hand and pointed at the skinny old man descending the stairs in an elegant striped suit. Compared to the clearly abnormal people around him, this white-haired old man with the friendly smile appeared the most normal.

    Seeing the scar-faced man''s finger pointing his way, Mi An, who was once called the Demon Lion, smiled warmly and cheerfully. He opened his mouth, revealing a set of still-white teeth. "Do you know this person, Cassius?"

    "No, I don''t." Cassius shook his head, answering honestly.

    It was at this point that the scar-faced man realized something was off. "Wait, I''m here to¡ª"

    "Good." Mi An nodded when he heard Cassius''s words. Suddenly, a powerful gust of wind surged through the room. Somehow, Mi An appeared instantly right in front of the scar-faced man. His hands became a blur, and two dark shadows swiftly sliced through the scar-faced man''s shoulders.

    The next moment, Mi An pressed his palm against the man''s chest, and the man staggered backward. Cassius, who was standing close by, yanked Jiri inside, then reached out and shut the door with a click.

    Outside, the scar-faced man, who had been struck senseless, shook his head and cursed. Then he began coughing violently; there was a heavy pressure in his chest. He tried to lift his hand to check what was happening.

    "Wait... Where the fuck is my hand?! Where''s my hand?! <i>Aaaahhh</i>!" The dyed pain hit him like a tidal wave, his face twisting in agony as sweat poured down.

    A man stood in front of the small building as rain drizzled around him. Two severed arms, still d in their sleeves,y on the ground. The man''s shoulders were a bloody mess, with blood vessels shooting blood out.

    "<i>Roar... Roar... Roar...</i>"

    Hearing the miserable wails from outside, Mi An let out a soft sigh and patted his old waist. "Honestly, the older I get, the easier it is to lose my temper. Decades of cultivating my temperament, all gone in a single instant..."

    Duomo, who had been practicing his punches nearby, rolled his eyes. He knew his martial uncle. This was clearly his body making a valiant attempt at regaining its peak condition, and his inner restlessness ring up again. In his youth, Mi An had been aggressive and reckless, often pushing himself to the edge in martial arts practice, and he had a reputation for challenging all sorts of masters to deadly duels. Together, he and Duomo''s master, Maro, were known as the Two Demon Lions.

    Mi An''s so-called cultivation of temperament was just a result of aging, as his vitality waned and he gradually lost hope of ever reaching a higher level of martial arts. Disheartened, he had no choice but to settle down. But once his martial passion was rekindled, Mi An would never be content with obscurity.

    Cutting off someone''s arms was just an appetizer. If they weren''t in enemy territory which demanded a certain level of caution, the scar-faced man would have died a horrible death for daring to point his finger at Mi An with such arrogance.

    There was no such thing as a wrong nickname, only a wrong name. When he was young, the Demon Lion was an incredibly domineering force.

    Meanwhile, Cassius continued chatting casually with Jiri, epting the proffered food. He acted as if the scar-faced man who hade to collect a debt had never even made an appearance.

    It wasn''t Cassius''s problem that the man had mistaken him for someone else.

    Besides, why should he return the dark essence that he had borrowed using his own skills? It was hard work tracking down a source for the loan! It wasn''t like the Bolt Sect''s base was close to the Iron Blood Tavern...

    That scar-faced man was probably from the ck Wolf Society. And if the ck Wolf Society retaliated against Cassius? He wouldn''t be scared. In fact, it''d be the perfect opportunity for him to test Soul Power on a control group in front of the Northern Covert Martial Arts representatives.

    Wait... wasn''t there already the perfect test subject just outside the door?

    Cassius''s head jerked up and he went and opened the door. Outside, the scar-faced man had already transformed into a werewolf in a Hail Mary to save his life. He was bent over, trying to use his teeth to pick up his severed arms, perhaps hoping to use some strange ability to reattach them. At that moment, the scar-faced man''s face was nted on the ground, rubbing against it like a pig rooting for food, his rear end sticking high in the air.

    Hearing the door open, he raised his head fearfully, still on his knees. When he caught sight of Cassius, his face dropped in utter despair. "What the fuck do you people want from me?!"

    It turns out that when some people swore, it didn''t necessarily mean to insult; it could just be their way of speaking. It was fine amongst friends because they understood your personality, but strangers on the other hand would think you''re cursing at them.

    The scar-faced man was one such person. He had casually mouthed off as he would when collecting debts, and all of a sudden, his arms were gone. And now it seemed like he was about to be used as some kind of dangerous test subject.

    Having a loose tongue really brought down a storm of misfortune...

    Half an hourter.

    The old man with the goatee, Hardy, disyed exceptional medical skills, seemingly using some kind of special ability to reattach the scar-faced man''s arms. Despite the arms getting reattached, they were nowhere near as functional as they had been before.

    Cassius and the others weren''t acting like this out of a sudden sense of goodwill but because they intended to conduct experiments rted to Soul Power. Having a specimen that was intact was more valuable, as it eliminated variables forparison.

    Afterward, they ate the breakfast Jiri brought. It wasn¡¯t anything special, but, at least, it tasted quite good. Just as they finished cleaning up the table, there was another knock at the door. It was a familiar, impatient rhythm, followed by a familiar voice.

    "Twilight, are you in there? Open the damn door!"

    Thirty secondster...

    "The loan I took from Reaper¡¯s Eye isn''t due for another twenty days, right?" Cassius asked the visitor in a gentle tone.

    "Y-yes, that''s correct," the curly-haired man stammered in response.

    "You''re a couple days early. Is there a reason why? You seem to be breaking the rules. Don¡¯t disrupt the market order, understand?" Cassius appeared to be quite reasonable.

    "Yes... I understand."

    "Good, admitting your mistake is a good start. However, aspensation, I have a request for you. Will you agree?" Cassius looked at him with an unusually sincere expression.

    Seeing this sincerity, the curly-haired man rolled his eyes.

    "Will you? Since you¡¯re not answering, I¡¯ll take that as a yes."

    Satisfied, Cassius moved his arm, releasing the man who had been suspended in midair. The hand that had been holding his neck with a vice-like grip loosened, and the man crashed to the ground with a thud. There was an obvious ck handprint on his neck. He clutched his neck, gasping for breath.

    Cassius nced expressionlessly at Duomo, who was watching the scene with great interest. "How was that for reasoning with him?"

    Duomo, munching on nuts, scoffed. "<i>Hah</i>, even I can do that kind of reasoning."

    "Well then, care for a match?" Cassius raised an eyebrow. He was quite interested in the Heart Eye Secret Technique of the Three-Eyed Mad Lion Sect.

    This coboration with the Covert Martial Arts representatives from the North had Cassius making some requests, although he wasn''t too outrageous in his demands. Although his strength wasn¡¯t weakpared to the others, it''d be wise to affect a somewhat humble mien when facing these skilledbat artists from the Covert Martial Arts sects. So, Cassius merely requested to learn techniques like the Heart Eye Secret Technique, regenerative breathing, and hardening Qigong, rather than directly asking for their Covert Martial Arts.

    Such requests were within reason.

    Cassius believed that as long as he could prove the powerful effects of Soul Power, the Northern Covert Martial Arts representatives wouldn¡¯t be so stingy as to withhold imparting knowledge of these external techniques. After all, there were greater benefits at stake. Even if they had every intention of burning bridges after crossing the river, that would only happen after they had taken down ck Rain Manor. And by then, Cassius would have already made his escape.

    Duomo stopped eating his nuts from where he was seated on the couch. Because he''d been running around for some time, he hadn¡¯t had a proper fight in a while. And now, he was itching for one.

    Duomo stood up suddenly. "Sure."

    ***

    In the end, the two did not get to spar.

    The representatives from the Northern Covert Martial Artsmunity wanted to assess the situation at ck Rain Manor that morning, so Cassius had to act as a guide, while Duomo was left behind to guard the small building.

    The known areas of the manor weren''t terriblyplex, divided into the four regions of east, west, south, and north. Each sect had its base, and some had shops supported by their sects. All this information was marked very clearly on maps.

    ck Rain Manor''s unknown regions far outnumbered the known ones. These regions were irregr but upied at least three-quarters of the manor¡¯s total area. Cassius had ventured into one of these spaces before, encountering all sorts of indescribable strangeness. Moreover, the region inside seemed distorted and bizarre, like a surreal, chaotic dreamscape.

    The one Cassius had once entered was such a region.

    Cassius''s personal experiencebined with Twilight''s hazy memories made him all the more certain that ck Rain Manor was still in a state of awakening. Its overall power was still far from the terrifying peak it would reachter. Apart from the Hellsing-like nocturnal marauders, the other strange entities within the manor would grow stronger as the manor¡¯s power continued to awaken. When that stage arrived, the strangeness would be lethal.

    But now... let¡¯s just say, it wasn¡¯t much of a threat to pugilists who had reached the first-level elerated blood flow of their Covert Martial Arts.

    Of course, Cassius wasn¡¯t foolish enough to think that ck Rain Manor''s strength was as simple as what was shown on the surface. This behemoth, which had existed through different eras, undoubtedly had profound and mysteriousyers.

    Who would have thought that the seemingly harmless Blood Race had their truly powerful high-ranking members slumbering in the ruins¡¯ blood pools, only emerging if their sleep was disturbed or if they faced a life-and-death crisis.

    They didn''t even care about the Blood Race''s survival. As long as these ancient, near-immortal high-ranking Blood Race members existed, they could revive the entire Blood Race if it was wiped out one day.

    And ck Rain Manor, which dared to hunt all dark creatures, undoubtedly had such entities¡ªperhaps even more powerful and eerie.

    But ck Rain Manor would never reveal all its trump cards. In fact, it might only use one or two of them. If the situation became untenable, the manor might choose to conserve its strength, disappear entirely, and reemerge in a future era. Twilight had already tested this out for Cassius.

    Time passed quickly, and the morning was soon over.

    The northern Covert Martial Arts representatives now had a general understanding of ck Rain Manor and the Hellsing-like creatures within it. The group returned to the small building.

    "Werebeast Sect: injecting beast blood enables transformation..."

    "Mercury Sect: injecting mercury into the brain grants psychokinesis..."

    "Dark Sect: grafting dark organs to steal abilities..."

    "Trap Sect, Drug Sect, Poison Sect, Bolt Sect..."

    These middle-aged and elderly experts who had practiced Covert Martial Arts all their lives were astounded today. They had never imagined that so many extraordinary paths could coexist, albeit seeming a bit weak and with significant ws. And unlike the Covert Martial Arts, which grew stronger through personal cultivation and understanding, these sects relied on external supernatural objects and essentially had to borrow power.

    They could rece these external objects for upgrades, but there was no way to enhance them through personal cultivation.

    The sharp-eyed elders of the northern Covert Martial Arts sects quickly spotted the shorings. The various sects of the Hellsings might be good for expanding their horizons and sparking inspiration, but as for trying to cultivate or engage with them? Out of the question. It was simply putting the cart before the horse.

    Why take a treacherous path when a broad, straightforward one was right in front of you?

    After a simple lunch, the group left the small building and headed toward the Baptism Chapel. Along the way, they arrived at a roundabout with a statue at its center. Mi An immediately noticed something was off about the surroundings.

    He raised his hand to signal the group, then halted. Mi An pointed toward the top of a nearby clock tower.

    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Following his gaze, Cassius spotted two grayish-white gargoyles carved into the tower, each the size of a human. These gargoyles, with their grotesque and terrifying stone faces, were facing their direction, their bodies leaning forward as if they were poised to take flight.

    Mi An then gestured around them, sweeping his arm in all directions. Cassius looked around and noticed that simr gargoyle statues lined the edges of the many spires and domed buildings in the area.

    Some were standing, some roaring, while others were crouching. But all shared onemon trait: their hideous heads had all twisted toward the group, seemingly watching them.

    Cassius frowned and nced at the statue beside him, now missing its upper body. He recalled that when he first arrived at ck Rain Manor, he had assumed this statue represented the manor''s owner.

    Perhaps these gargoyle statues had always faced this direction...

    He voiced his thoughts, and the group decided to test it out by moving forward.

    After taking only a few steps, Mi An raised his hand again, signaling them to stop. This time, the gargoyles atop the roofs began to turn their heads. They weren¡¯t focused on the statue¡ªthey were watching Cassius and hispanions. Something about them had drawn the gargoyles'' attention.

    "Could it be those strange entities?" someone murmured.

    <i>If Martial Uncle is being this cautious, it must be trouble...</i> Duomo''s expression darkened as he squinted his eyes.

    "Catch." A voice suddenly came from the side.

    A few small, pitch-ck objects were tossed over, and Duomo instinctively caught them. When he opened his palm, he saw what looked like rat droppings.

    "It seems your auras have been detected. See if this medicine will help," Cassius said as he closed the bottle and slipped it back into his pocket.

    "That might be it," Mi An said with a slight nod, and without hesitation, swallowed the aged fake-death pill. Duomo also swallowed one, tasting the familiar taste of sour plum once again.

    They continued to move forward, and this time, the gargoyles'' heads didn¡¯t follow them. It was indeed their auras that had caused the reaction. The group felt like they could breathe a little easier and continued onward, but soon had to stop again.

    The gargoyles were watching them once again.

    Cassius looked over at Mi An and said, "The Baptism Chapel is likely one of the core areas of ck Rain Manor. The attention here is far stronger than in any of the other areas. The closer we get to the chapel, the harder it will be for outsiders to conceal their auras. It seems that most of you won¡¯t be able to enter the chapel. I¡¯ll have to take those experimental subjects inside and you can see the results secondhand."

    After some discussion, Mi An instructed Winged Serpent Hardy to return to the small building and bring the experimental subjects over.

    Ten minutester, six marked-ones arrived. Among them, two seemed unwilling; they were none other than the two who hade to collect a debt from Cassius, only to end up being collected themselves.

    The other four were volunteers. Cassius''s generous offer of dark essence was no small incentive. The saying "money makes the world go round" applied here as well; the promise of dark essence could do the same in motivating the marked-ones. There were plenty of Hellsing members who feared they wouldn¡¯t survive their regr missions, and Cassius could easily round up a group of them.

    Not only did participating in the experiment earn them some dark essence, but the experiment itself used dark essence to strengthen them¡ªa double benefit.

    The only drawback was that there was a small risk, but the benefits of doing this far outweighed the danger ofpleting a mission they had no chance of surviving, at least on the surface. So, these subjects were more than willing to cooperate.

    The two who were less enthusiastic didn''t pose a problem either¡ªCassius had already "reasoned" with them. For now, they didn''t dare to resist, so they could still be used.

    Cassius then took them one by one to the Baptism Chapel. The marked-ones entered the private room while he stood guard outside. Once the enhancement wasplete, Cassius quickly escorted them back to the roundabout.

    "Excellent, truly excellent!"

    "Just as we thought!"

    "Soul Power... this force is practically made for the Covert Martial Arts."

    Mi An''s face was bursting with excitement as he observed an elderly man in front of him, now with a muscr build, ck hair, and bright, sharp eyes.

    Who would have thought that before entering, this man had been thin, had white hair, and a face full of wrinkles? The old man was actually seventy-two years old and practiced the Poison Sect¡¯s methods. After enhancing his Covert Martial Arts, provided by Mi An, with Soul Power, he now appeared twenty years younger!

    The elders of the northern Covert Martial Arts sects exchanged nces, each seeing the hunger in the other''s eyes.

    Soul Power was effective¡ªvery effective!

    "Good! This couldn¡¯t get any better!" Winged Serpent Hardy, the oldest in the group at ny-three, stroked his goatee andughed heartily. Despite his long-lived health practices, he was very aware that he had, at most, another decade or so left. Decline and death were inevitable. But now... now there was hope!

    Seeing the others'' excitement, Cassius decided to enhance his own physique with Soul Power. His current level was close to these Northern Covert Martial Arts representatives, so seeing a change in him would be even more convincing.

    [Wind Elephant Fist iplete: Elephant Herd 74.8% (Total Three Stages)] ¡ú [Wind Elephant Fist iplete: Elephant Herd 76.4% (Total Three Stages)]

    [Elephant Soul Iplete: Bug Bite 66.8% (Total Three Stages)]

    The progress of his Wind Elephant Fist was about ten percent higher than that of the Elephant Soul, indicating that his physique could still be enhanced by about ten percent. With that, Cassius stepped forward and entered the Baptism Chapel.

 Chapter 158 - Heart Eye Secret Technique Acquired

    <h4>Chapter 158 - Heart Eye Secret Technique Acquired</h4>

    Cassius heard a low, hoarse voice in the cramped, private room. It was as cold and echoing as always. "Marked-one, offer up your tribute."

    <i>Whoosh...</i>

    A ck mist swirled into a small tornado, covering half of the room. Momentster, the air currents dissipated, and the offering vanished.

    "Fifteen units of dark essence have been extracted. The following items are avable for exchange..."

    Cassius didn¡¯t hesitate. He immediately chose to exchange for Soul Power. Instantly, the sound of pattering rain filled the private room.

    A thickyer of gray-ck mist covered the ceiling, resembling low-hanging storm clouds. Cold raindrops fell and hit Cassius¡¯s body, sliding off like silk. At once, a familiar sensation spread across his skin. Warm currents of air seemed to burrow into his muscles and bones.

    This was the Soul Power.

    But Cassius had his doubts. No one knew if this rain, aside from containing Soul Power, also carried the cold aura that Mi An had warned could affect one''s mental state. Cassius suspected that ck Rain Manor had manipted the rain, just as how deeply wed the supernatural paths of the Hellsings were. ck Rain Manor had no reason to offer Soul Power without some hidden drawback. Based on his own experiences, Cassius was fairly certain that ck Rain Manor had tampered with the power.

    As the rain poured down, Cassius¡¯s gaze shifted slightly. He pulled out a pre-prepared bottle from his pocket; he was nning to collect some of the rainwater infused with Soul Power to take back to Mi An for examination.

    That was easier said than done.

    The Soul Power rainwater quickly evaporated. Even if it was sealed in a bottle, it would turn intangible and disappear. Still, Cassius wanted to try. The thought of ck Rain Manor possibly affecting him was deeply unsettling, much like when he was parasitized by the Shadow Demon.

    Perhaps due to his practice of the Wind Elephant Covert Martial Arts, Cassius had always pursued a kind of single-mindedness for his body. If the Shadow Demon¡¯s parasitism hadn¡¯t been so deeply rooted, and if he couldn¡¯t find a way to rid himself of it, Cassius would have abandoned it long ago.

    The negative effects brought by ck Rain Manor were simr.

    Seconds passed, and suddenly the door to the private room swung open. A shadowy figure shed through the hall. In a few seconds, Mi An, who had been waiting near the circr intersection, received the bottle.

    He opened it as quickly as possible, but to his disappointment, the rainwater hadpletely evaporated during the journey. Cassius''s expression darkened. At that moment, his body felt like a furnace, with torrents of searing heat coursing under his skin and leaving stinging pain in its wake.

    This was why Soul Power had to be used inside the private room.

    Once the human body came into contact with this power, the bones, muscles, and fascia would be activated, making the blood flow extremely vigorous. Any slight movement would cause the blood to run wild.

    If an ordinary person made any big movements after being exposed to this power, they would bleed from all orifices and die instantly. Cassius, however, was far beyond an ordinary human. He had taken three significant steps toward surpassing humanity. But even so, the intensity of sprinting all the way here had dealt considerable damage to his internal organs. Beads of hot sweat fell from his broad back like threads, soaking his clothes.

    Cassius exhaled a breath of murky air, stabilizing the turbulent blood in his chest, and wiped away the blood flowing out of his nose.

    "If we can¡¯t extract it, let¡¯s head back to the small building."

    "Wait, there''s some residue of the aura in the bottle. It''s faint but it''s there." Mi An quietly sensed it, stretching his hand out to catch a drop of rainwater. He opened his eyes and nced at Cassius.

    "It''s as you suspected; the rainwater infused with Soul Power does contain a special aura that can negatively affect emotions." Mi An''s expression grew serious. Sure enough, not everything was going to go smoothly. The ck Rain Manor had indeed manipted the Soul Power rainwater.

    Anxiety rose slightly in Mi An''s heart, but he quickly suppressed it. Soul Power wasn''t something the northern Covert Martial Arts could afford to abandon. So right now, it didn''t matter if the rainwater infused with Soul Power had issues or not; they had to first take down ck Rain Manor. After that, they could study and separate whatever needed to be researched or isted.

    Mi An nced at Cassius''s unusually flushedplexion. Without dy, he led everyone back to the small building.

    At 2 p.m., the sky in the Rainy World remained as gray and misty as ever, with the light rain tapping against the windows outside.

    On the second floor, Cassius sat cross-legged in the center of a quiet and simple bedroom, chest bare. His crimson, bulging muscles rippled like waves, and beads of sweat the size of beans dripped onto the floor. The sweat on his skin evaporated due to his scorching body temperature, and white steam rose from his shoulders and neck, shrouding his entire face.

    Seven to eight strong men around him watched Cassius''s bodily changes with feverish eyes. Their sharp, eagle-like gazes were fixed on the shifting fibers and blood vessels of his powerful muscles.

    "The changes that usually take tens of days, months, or even years have been condensed into just a few hours! This is truly eye-opening, an absolute eye-opener..." Hardy, an old man with a goatee, marveled, shaking his head in awe.

    "Hardy, I know you''re impressed, but could you stop getting so close and blocking Duomo''s and my view," Mi An said, faintly displeased. The bald strong man beside him also looked annoyed. Hardy had positioned himself so close to Cassius that his wrinkled old face was only a palm¡¯s width away from Cassius''s solid, door-like chest. Watching those crimson muscles rapidly change and reorganize was akin to seeing a stunning beauty undress, with Hardy constantly clicking his tongue in admiration. He was just short of reaching out to feel the changes with his hands.

    Seven or eight representatives of the northern Covert Martial Arts around them shared this kind of gaze, but the oldest, Hardy, was the most excited.

    "Sorry, sorry. I just... I just had to confirm something. But I have my answer now."

    Hardy¡¯s figure shed like a phantom as he returned to his original position. He sat cross-legged, stroking his goatee. The group formed a ring around Cassius.

    Cassius¡¯s expression was slightly strained. A massive amount of scorching heat radiated throughout the room, causing the temperature to rise noticeably. There was also a faint sizzling sound, like burning grease,ing from his skin.

    Hardy¡¯s tone was deeply sincere. "Mi An, we must get our hands on Soul Power, whether it''s for us old folks to live a little longer or for the younger generations of our sects."

    Mi An remained expressionless. The elders of the northern Covert Martial Arts all had various motivations, but the old man in front of him was definitely looking out for himself. Winged Serpent Hardy was undoubtedly afraid of death; his dedication to health and healing arts made that abundantly clear. Of course, Hardy¡¯s thirst was a good thing. His high position in Winged Serpent Fist would trante to a very proactive sect. Not to mention, sending more people over would also reduce the pressure on the other sects.

    <i>Crack, crack, crack...</i>

    Suddenly, a series of popping sounds, like beans cracking, echoed through the room.

    Mi An looked up to see that Cassius had finished absorbing Soul Power. He opened his eyes and stood up.

    Standing at 1.9 meters tall with a broad frame, his muscles were now powerful yetpact, distributed in streamlined patterns across his body. His pale white skin looked as if it was covered by armor. Compared to the previous Cassius, his muscles had actually shrunk quite a lot.

    He was still robust, but he no longer had that bloated appearance which looked seconds from exploding. Cassius''s physique was now more of a streamlined bulkiness, still strong but not as overwhelmingly so. It was like the difference between a grizzly bear and a tiger.

    "His muscles look much more condensed and powerful..." Duomo nced over at the abdominal muscles, sensing that their density was likely beyond what he had imagined. The muscle strength, toughness, and defense hadn¡¯t decreased with the size reduction and instead had actually gotten stronger.

    "How do you feel?" Mi An asked immediately.

    Cassius exhaled slowly. Instead of replying right away, he nced at the progress bar floating in the upper right corner of his vision.

    [Wind Elephant Fist Iplete: Elephant Herd 76.4% (Total Three Stages)]

    [Elephant Soul Iplete: Bug Bite 66.8% (Total Three Stages)] ¡ú [Elephant Soul Iplete: Bug Bite 72.8% (Total Three Stages)]

    The Elephant Soul Secret Technique had improved by six percent, leaving only about four percent of room for further enhancement. It wasn¡¯t that Cassius didn¡¯t want to continue advancing, but if he pushed it any further, he''d most definitely burst. The safety threshold was five percent, and Cassius had already pushed it by going another percent. He had now reached the absolute limit. He couldn¡¯t go any further.

    The excess Soul Power in his body had been expelled, squeezing out of his pores, and dissipating into the air.

    "Not bad," Cassius answered Mi An¡¯s question. "But I''ve done this so many times that I¡¯m more or less used to it. Feel free to try it yourselves when the timees."

    Mi An nodded slightly. "Of course." He slowly got to his feet. "Shall we head down to the empty room downstairs for some sparring? With such a significant enhancement, you''ll need to refine your control, won''t you?"

    Cassius turned his head to look at him. Their eyes met. "Sure."

    Without dying for another second, Cassius and Mi An left the room on the second floor. The representatives of the northern Covert Martial Arts remained behind, engaging in a heated discussion.

    In a room on the first floor, off to the left, Cassius and Mi An sat facing each other in silence.

    Cassius already knew what Mi An''s intentions were. This was just a matter of handing over a deposit, for instance, the Heart Eye Secret Technique. Cassius had already proven the effects of Soul Power. Now, it was Mi An''s turn to fulfill his end of the deal.

    "Let''s skip the small talk and get straight to the point," Mi An spoke in a measured tone. "The Heart Eye Secret Technique is one of the important techniques of the Three-Eyed Mad Lion Sect. Duomo should have already told you that the ''Three Eyes'' in our sect¡¯s namees from this very technique. While important, it''s not so critical that we can¡¯t trade it away for the right price. After all, it¡¯s not the core technique of our Covert Martial Arts.

    "The Heart Eye Secret Technique is a skill that primarily trains a person''s five senses. Once these senses are honed to their utmost peak, it¡¯s possible to unlock a vague sixth sense, which allows for a certain degree of foresight in battle," Mi An said, ncing at Cassius before continuing.

    "The sixth sense is the ability to acquire information in ways beyond the usual logical patterns. It¡¯s a method of understanding things without relying on intellect or the five senses. The sixth sense manifests in many forms such as in premonitions, physical reactions, sudden insights, dreams, mental images, instincts, persistent impressions, kinaesthesia, and telepathy." Mi An paused slightly before continuing, "The Heart Eye Secret Technique that we practice focuses on premonitions, physical reactions, instincts, and kinaesthesia, but mainly on premonitions and physical reactions."

    <i>Premonitions? Physical reactions?</i>

    Cassius felt the urge toment. Mi An made it sound quite scientific as if it had been systematically explored. But if Cassius thought about it, over time, some Covert Martial Arts sects would inevitably try to exin their techniques using modern science. Maybe they could, one day, develop a mature and effective methodology, although it didn''t mean it would trante into sess. After all, many aspects of Covert Martial Arts defied scientific exnation.

    Mi An then proceeded to exin the specific processes and key points of practicing the Heart Eye Secret Technique.

    The Heart Eye Secret Technique consists of three stages. The names of these stages were quite straightforward: First Left Eye, Second Right Eye, and Third Heart Eye.

    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    The first stage, First Left Eye, trained premonitions, which involved sensing the opponent''s movements in your mind. The second stage trained physical reactions, enabling your body to follow the judgments made by your premonitions in a split second.

    There were certain risks for practitioners of the Heart Eye Secret Technique at these two stages, as the sixth sense was vague and inconsistent. Therefore, one must never be dependent on the Heart Eye Secret Technique, otherwise, you might find yourself caught off guard at a critical moment.

    Finally, there was the third stage of the Heart Eye Secret Technique. At this level, you develop the true Heart Eye. This was when it felt like you¡¯ve gained a third eye, to the point that you could even visualize images in your mind, like having a condensed and blurry god¡¯s perspective. This allowed you to analyze and counter your surrounding enemies'' various attacks.

    Cassius realized that he had severely underestimated the Heart Eye Secret Technique of the Mad Lion Sect. It was on a different levelpared to the Midak Bnce Disruption technique. If he were to integrate the two, the Heart Eye Secret Technique would undoubtedly serve as the foundation, with the Midak Bnce Disruption technique being incorporated into it, rather than the two techniques sharing equal weight.

    Additionally, Mi An also discussed some of the drawbacks of the Heart Eye Secret Technique¡ªalthough it might be more urate to say that it wasn¡¯t as powerful as Cassius had imagined. The Heart Eye Secret Technique actually originated from a characteristic state ofbat artists: an aura or Qi formed by force.

    One of the effects of this aura was that, as long as abat artist was within its range, they could instantly sense an opponent¡¯s moves and respond ordingly.

    The effect of the Heart Eye Secret Technique was not just simr; it was exactly the same because the predecessors of the Mad Lion Sect had used the basis of this very state of aura to create the Heart Eye Secret Technique.

    This meant that if a practitioner of the Heart Eye Secret Technique reached the level of abat artist, the technique¡¯s effectiveness would inevitably decrease. However, abat artist who has trained in the Heart Eye Secret Technique would certainly have stronger premonitions than one who hasn¡¯t.

    This is because if everyone reaches the level of abat artist and has premonitions through their Qi, the effect bes less pronounced. But at the pugilist level, where you have the premonition abilities and others don¡¯t, the effect is highly significant.

    Mi An¡¯s instruction greatly benefited Cassius. Not only did the old man teach Cassius the Heart Eye Secret Technique, but he also shared some of his knowledge about Covert Martial Arts, including the many experiences of the old masters.

    Listening to Mi An¡¯s lecture, Cassius nodded slightly. He also recalled the ability Duomo disyed in the Alphama Mountains, which seemed like a breath-locking technique. It seemed like a good time to ask now.

    "Mr. Mi An, I have another question."

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