Returning to the Mysterious Era

Chapter 244 - A Single Hit Each

Lance and Aro exchanged glances. Lance stepped forward and repeated, "Sect Master Justin, there's no need to play dumb anymore. When I was walking through Evil Eye Fist's estate earlier, I happened to see a combat artist with blond hair, black eyes, and delicate features who looked quite young. I assume this is the trump card you've been nurturing in secret. Why not let him show himself openly?"

"I don't understand what you're talking about..." Justin was befuddled. When had Evil Eye Fist trained a new combat artist, and why didn't he, as the sect master, know about it? Lance and Aro, however, looked quite certain.

Justin thought carefully before replying, "Perhaps there has been some misunderstanding. Evil Eye Fist is a powerful sect in Wenxia County, and our disciples are quite capable. However, even our most talented disciple has only recently reached the peak of pugilist. How could there possibly be a newly advanced combat artist?"

Aro turned to glance at Lance. Lance frowned and said, "There's no mistake. I locked eyes with a combat artist who looked like a blonde youth. The place was halfway between the estate's entrance and the arena, by the white three-story building. I stopped there for a moment..."

"A three-story building? Isn't that where the reception area is?" Justin muttered.

He suddenly remembered that a disciple had mentioned to him that someone had come to challenge the Great Elder when he had been discussing matters with Wenxia County's Covert Martial Arts representatives in the conference room.

Since Justin had been busy at the time, he had instructed the disciple to leave that person in the reception area. Could it be him?

Tap, tap, tap,...

Out of nowhere, a figure slowly walked around the corner of the marble corridor leading to the arena's entrance. Everyone looked over and saw a 1.7 meter tall young man with blonde hair. There was a faint cross-shaped indentation on his forehead that glowed slightly red.

For some reason, the man gave off an aura that irresistibly drew others' attention. It was an eerie magnetism combined with an odd sense of approachability.

Lance turned his head and glanced at Justin. "Sect Master Justin, hiding things won't do any good. It's better to just reveal him openly, as you've just done."

Aro was even more direct. He immediately stepped out from the crowd, his competitive spirit ignited by Cassius's youthful appearance. "I want to challenge you..."

His gaze burned with fervor as his hands curled into fists. However, he was completely ignored as Cassius walked right past him. Since he had already reached the realm of combat artist, sparring with a pugilist held no value for Cassius. A pugilist couldn’t defeat him even if he fell back to the peak of pugilist, let alone in his current combat artist form.

Anger flashed in Aro's eyes at the blatant disregard. As one of the Eastern Three Stars alongside Lance of the Soul-Breaking Sword Path, he had spent months challenging sect masters and elders across an entire county. He had only lost once in the beginning, but he had remained undefeated since.

His Qi had skyrocketed in the last half month, and he believed he was on the verge of breaking through to combat artist. Even if he couldn’t win, he was confident in his ability to hold his own against a combat artist for several exchanges.

Yet he had been utterly ignored! Aro's anger surged. If Cassius was going to ignore him, then Aro would make him unable to! He stomped on the ground, his whole body trembling as his muscles swelled. His clothes and bandages strained as they struggled to contain his powerful physique.

"Star Ring Fist!" A fierce Qi erupted around him as he gestured.

Aro roared as he charged forward like an arrow, leaving a trail of afterimages behind. His right hand shot toward Cassius's back like a spear.

Swoosh!

Aro's fist sped toward its target, cutting through the air with a sharp whistle. As his vision blurred at the edges, only Cassius's back remained clear in front of him.

"Are you still ignoring me?! Secret Technique, Third Moon!"

Aro's frustration grew into a burning rage, and he unleashed the Ring Fist's Secret Technique: Sun, Moon, and Stars. The Third Moon technique boosted his speed, allowing his punch to triple in speed for a short period. It could be activated during or after throwing a punch, meaning a seemingly slow punch could suddenly accelerate and catch opponents off guard.

Aro's punch had already been fast, but with Third Moon enhancing it, it turned into a bolt of lightning. His right hand became a black shadow as he streaked through the air.

But just as his fist was about to make contact with Cassius's clothes...

Whoosh!

A palm sliced audibly through the air. Cassius's arm blurred as he gracefully stepped backward and to the side, effortlessly dodging Aro's high-speed punch and stepping right into the latter’s space. The palm that had been cutting through the air seemed to be slow, but was actually incredibly fast. It drew a compact arc through the air as it impacted Aro’s chin.

Bang!

Waves of qi exploded outward as Aro’s entire body was lifted off the ground by the blow. His cheeks rippled from the blow as blood, teeth and saliva shot out from his mouth. He was sent spinning through the air like a flying top.

At almost the exact same moment...

Zing!

Bright silver light flashed like shards of a shattered mirror floating through the air. Lance was a blur as he darted forward with lightning speed, the hem of his light-colored trench coat flapping loudly in his wake. He had already launched his strike the moment Aro charged Cassius. Both he and Aro were at a rank disadvantage against a combat artist. A two-on-one fight would give them a chance to maneuver.

Like Aro, Lance wasted no time once he decided to act. He immediately unleashed the Soul-Breaking Sword Path's killing move, the third-stage of Setting Moon: Full Moon Arc! There was no point in holding back against a combat artist. The only option was to go all out.

Even though it was somewhat impolite for Lance and Aro to attack without warning, they figured that Evil Eye Fist wouldn’t hold it against them. After all, the blonde youth belonged to Evil Eye Fist, and both of their sects were among the top sects of the Eastern Nine Sects.

Lance charged toward Cassius at an angle, perfectly aligning himself so that Cassius would be pincered between him and Aro. When Cassius effortlessly dispatched Aro, Lance seized the opportunity and leaped into the air. His entire body rotated with his rapier, drawing a terrifying circular arc about a meter off the ground. Both hands closed around his rapier as Land slashed down with all his strength.

Bang!

Lance shot backward like a cannonball. His shirt tore open at the chest, revealing a bright red handprint.

Crack!

The rapier, which had been Lance's companion for many years, shattered into pieces as two fingers pinched it.

Thud! Thud!

Two bodies hit the ground in quick succession. Behind Cassius, the muscular, fair-skinned Aro hit the ground headfirst, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. His sweat-drenched arms trembled as he tried to push himself up, but he fell again and again before finally giving up, panting heavily.

Fifteen meters in front of Cassius, Lance's body was curled up like a shrimp. Since his constitution was weaker than Aro, he had already fainted. The hilt and shattered pieces of his Swift Sword lay scattered around his coat.

Everything had happened in two seconds.

Two of the Eastern Three Stars, Aro and Lance, had been defeated by a single strike each. One had even been completely knocked out. The fight had ended in the blink of an eye.

"Hyuuk!"

The crowd gasped collectively, as the tension in the arena suddenly spiked. The Covert Martial Arts representatives from Wenxia County were especially shocked. They had just fought Aro and Lance, and had been easily defeated. Yet, these two seemingly invincible figures had been brought down in an instant by the blonde youth.

Both Aro and Lance had truly lived up to the title of the Eastern Three Stars. Their strong foundation in Covert Martial Arts, powerful Secret Techniques, rich combat experience, and overwhelming Qi placed them in a league of their own. They were nearly unrivaled in the pugilist realm. The representatives from Wenxia County's Covert Martial Arts community couldn't match them at all. Yet, these formidable fighters had been taken down by this unfamiliar blonde youth with just one move each—no, not even one move, just a single blow each!

Even with a coordinated attack, Lance and Aro couldn't last more than one exchange against their opponent.

"The precision in his Combat Technique, the way he immediately found fatal flaws that could kill you in a single blow, combined with his terrifying reflexes and powerful physique..."

"So, this is what it's like to face a top-tier combat artist in the world of Covert Martial Arts?"

"There truly is an insurmountable gap between pugilists and combat artists!"

"Evil Eye Fist was hiding a newly advanced combat artist of this caliber? Evil Eye Fist is sure to make a huge splash at the next Eastern Nine Sects gathering and rise several ranks!"

Whispers of shock and amazement spread throughout the crowd.

Justin's face remained expressionless, though his eyebrow twitched slightly. Instantly defeating two of the Eastern Three Stars without even using any Secret Techniques or killing moves was far beyond the average combat artist. Justin realized that even he wouldn't be able to finish the battle so cleanly. If he had been sparring against Aro and Lance, it would take at least a minute or two of careful maneuvering before he could find the right moment to strike with a finishing Secret Technique.

This blond youth was far from ordinary!

"Lance, Lance, are you okay? Wake up..."

"Aro!"

"We need the medics here, now!"

The sect members from both Lance and Aro's sects finally snapped out of their shock, and ran over to their fallen first core disciple. They began using emergency bandages, medicine, and pills to assess and treat their injuries.

Some of them cast nervous glances at Cassius, their faces filled with fear. Lance and Aro had been the strongest members of their respective parties. None of the others were nowhere near their level. The silver-haired girl with a thin sword at her waist, who was part of Lance's sect, looked especially anxious.

"Senior brother, senior brother. Huh? His chest is all swollen..."

"Luckily, his bones are fine. He lost five teeth, though, and his jaw is a bit misaligned, but it can be fixed with treatment..."

On Aro's side, a professional medic confirmed his condition after a quick examination.

Meanwhile, the Covert Martial Arts representatives of Wenxia County were merely watching the situation unfold. Some of the injured elders felt a bit of schadenfreude when they saw Aro and Lance in worse shape than they were. However, their amusement was soon overshadowed by the realization that Evil Eye Fist had gained another combat artist.

Shute, the sect master of Bright Plate Martial Dao, and Luen, the sect master of Red Falcon Fist, looked especially grim. Luen, in particular, felt as if a great weight had settled in his heart.

Evil Eye Fist had gained yet another combat artist, and a young and powerful one at that. With three combat artists under one roof, how could Wenxia County's Covert Martial Arts scene possibly resist the Eastern Alliance?

Even if Luen brought his father back from Death Canyon in a few days, it likely wouldn't be enough to change the course of events. His father was an aging Blood Fist master whose vitality was waning. Moreover, he had fallen into madness due to his inner demons. It would be nearly impossible for him to face three combat artists alone...

"Sigh..."

Luen let out a deep breath but glanced at Cassius once again. The sound Cassius made when attacking had been strangely similar in tone to the Red Falcon Fist's technique that sounded like a raptor’s shriek.

He shook his head immediately. What was he thinking? How could this blond combat artist possibly know Red Falcon Fist's techniques? How utterly far-fetched...

Ding!

Cassius let his right hand drop naturally, dropping the broken rapier tip between his fingers. The metal clinked on the marble floor as it bounced away. He glanced at the two fighters he had just effortlessly defeated.

Their strength isn't bad. They can seize opportunities and have the courage to challenge a combat artist. Not bad, but I suggest they don't try to ambush me next time.

Cassius' gaze shifted toward Justin, who was standing by the black railing. He was one of Cassius's targets for the day. As Feng Liusi had once told him in Death Canyon, quickly improving the Southern Dipper Red Falcon Fist meant honing it through battle.

Cassius had consecutively challenged two combat artists from Wenxia County in the last two days. He had already broken through two meridian points after absorbing the experiences.

The red mist vortex was the initial form of Qi within his body, which was growing increasingly stronger. Cassius was just a step away from manifesting the Will of the Red Falcon Fist. Since there were two combat artists at Evil Eye Fist, a series of battles might just be the key to his breakthrough.

Opposite him, Justin's expression grew increasingly sour as he watched Lance and Aro being treated. The two Eastern Three Stars had been humiliated at Evil Eye Fist by an unknown combat artist. Soul-Breaking Sword Path and Star Ring Fist might hold Evil Eye Fist accountable for this, even if only partially, which could damage their relationship. Offending two of the top sects in the Eastern Nine Sects would be disastrous for Evil Eye Fist.

The most urgent task was to distance Evil Eye Fist from the incident. Justin took a step forward as he stared at Cassius. "I don't know which sect you belong to, but coming to Evil Eye Fist and injuring others is hardly the conduct befitting a combat artist."

"Heh..." Cassius couldn't help but chuckle. He didn't care about Justin's words in the slightest; he just wanted to test Justin's fists.

Whoosh!

A wave of Qi radiated out from Cassius, causing the air to ripple like water. Red mist began rising from his entire body and formed a slowly rotating vortex above his head. The silhouette of a fierce, menacing bird with gleaming blood-red eyes started to coalesce within it.

Screech!

The piercing screech of the bird echoed through the arena.

Cassius took a step forward. "I am Cassius of the Wind Elephant Sect, and I have come today to challenge Evil Eye Fist!"