Returning to the Mysterious Era

Chapter 246 - The Realm of Dominance

Standing beyond the black iron railing, Luen, the sect master of the Red Falcon Fist, murmured, "The Southern Dipper Red Falcon Fist..."

As he watched the battle between Cassius and Justin, he was almost certain that the fist techniques Cassius had used were indeed his father's Southern Dipper Red Falcon Fist! Though the style seemed slightly different, the foundational movements were strikingly similar.

Luen's suspicions were slowly hardening into certainty. The young combat artist in the arena was most likely a disciple of his father. It was an inexplicable instinct, but as he grew more certain, he refocused on the combat in the arena.

Cassius continued to press Justin back, displaying an overwhelming combat ability, while Justin appeared somewhat disheveled. Luen couldn't help but feel a surge of relief in his heart. Subconsciously, he already regarded Cassius as one of his own. Justin had been making things difficult for the Red Falcon Fist gym for the past half month, so Luen had long been simmering with anger.

Watching Justin being taught a lesson by his own man gave Luen a indescribable sense of satisfaction. He pressed his hand against the cold, black iron railing, the chill counteracting the heat in his palm.

In the center of the arena, the two figures had clashed once again.

After all, Justin was the sect master of Evil Eye Fist and had been a veteran combat artist for years. The difference in his combat ability now that he was completely serious was quite noticeable, as his attacks became significantly more aggressive.

His body moved in perfect coordination, his muscles contracting and expanding with each movement, providing him with formidable strength. The Evil Eye Fist was noteworthy Covert Martial Art, and naturally had its unique characteristics. Every time Justin threw a punch, his hand wasn't clenched like a normal person's fist. Instead, his pinky, ring finger, and middle finger were tightly closed, while his thumb and index finger were pinched together like a bird's beak.

The oval-shaped gap between his fingers looked like an eye. When his fist collided with Cassius's, his index finger would quickly retract, while his thumb clamped down, turning the knuckle of his index finger into a sharp spike that stabbed into Cassius's fist like a nail.

This pinpoint technique made his strikes look incredibly strange. If an ordinary person were to fight using Justin's Evil Eye Fist technique, they would undoubtedly be courting death. The bones of their index fingers would likely shatter upon impact after a few punches. However, the Evil Eye Fist had a training regimen for the bones of the fingers, which had made Justin's fingers as hard as iron. His knuckles were wide and covered in calluses.

Earlier, Justin had unleashed all his strength as he rotated his arms and swung them into Cassius's body like massive hammers. The shadows of his punches roared like a fierce wind, posing a serious threat.

Whoosh!

Justin suddenly leaped five meters into the air, his right hand becoming a blur as it pierced through Cassius's afterimage. Justin’s fist landed on the iron railing with a loud bang. The impact reverberated through the entire circular fence until it reached all the way to Luen.

The railing was unmistakably dented deep enough at the point of impact to fit half a person's head. It was important to note that the iron railing used in the Evil Eye Fist combat arena was as thick as a person's wrist and remarkably solid. Yet, Justin's flesh-and-blood hand had managed to nearly break it with one strike.

"Huff!"

Justin exhaled a breath of hot murky air.

Sensing the sudden shift in the atmosphere, he quickly spun around, slamming his elbow into an incoming fist. But the impact caused him to stagger. He quickly stomped his left foot down to pivot while he threw his right foot out as a counterweight.

He stared intently at Cassius, as a serious look appeared in his eyes. He had just unleashed his full strength, barring the killing moves of the Evil Eye Fist's Secret Techniques. Yet, despite his over thirty years of combat experience, he still hadn't gained the upper hand. It was as if Cassius had an even deeper well of combat experience to draw from! His offense and evasion had been honed to an extreme edge.

There were no deceptive feints or time-wasting tricks. His style was pure, single-minded speed, precision, and ruthlessness. He moved like lightning and his strikes were accurate and deadly. He was as direct and straightforward as a sword. Although every move was predictable, Cassius had still managed to pull off this style.

After all, if a sharp sword were coming at you, would you block it? Block it, and you might be killed. Don't block it, and you'll suffer the consequences of injury.

Justin found himself growing increasingly frustrated with this relentlessly aggressive fighting style. Though he had previously boasted about the Evil Eye Fist’s aggressiveness of targeting the body's weak points, even an aggressive style shouldn't be this extreme.

This was pure offense with no thought given to defense. Every exchange offered a blow for a blow. Every strike risked one’s life. Even if you won, it would be a pyrrhic victory.

Moreover, Justin could sense Cassius' intent: he was using this vicious, bloody style to instill fear and force Justin to become hesitant and defensive. If that happened, Cassius would seize the initiative, and Justin would be forced into passivity under a storm of strikes.

If Justin had the guts, the two could enter a bloody brawl where both would be severely injured. If Justin hesitated, Cassius would immediately take the initiative until Justin’s defenses failed. The final result would likely be either his injury or his death—a simple but brutal gamble.

Swoosh!

As Justin looked into Cassius's unsettling, blood-red eyes, he couldn't help but wonder.

Is he a madman?

His thoughts raced, but Justin finally decided to let his opponent see the true power of the Evil Eye Fist's lethal techniques. Worst case scenario, he'd just need to recover for a year or so after the fight! He quickly assumed the starting stance of the Evil Eye Fist, as his right arm bent like a taut slingshot.

Swoosh!

Cassius instantly disappeared. Light flashed through Justin's eyes as he vanished in the same instant.

"Three-Ring Hammer Strike!"

Suddenly, both of them reappeared in the center of the arena. Justin was swinging his right hand in a wide horizontal arc, using his arm as the hammer's handle, his fist as the hammerhead, and his index finger knuckle as the spike.

Boom, boom, boom!

Three explosive sounds rang out as his fist accelerated through the air.

"So, you're finally getting serious? Excellent!" Cassius sneered, his mouth twisting into a sinister smile. The red veins around his eyes spread like ruffled feathers, exuding a wicked aura.

"Red Mist Finger Gun!"

Sensing Justin's killing intent, Cassius didn't dodge. His blackened hands shot out like two pythons, as his fingers acted like crimson fangs. The sharp tips collided fiercely with the blunt hammerhead of Justin's fist.

Splat!

The air around the point of impact compressed into a white disc-shaped shockwave the size of half a fist. A wave of energy exploded outward with a loud whoosh.

Crack!

The sound of bones breaking echoed audibly. Who got injured?

It wasn't just one person—both of them were hurt.

Justin quickly retreated, his right hand trembling involuntarily. The skin at his index finger knuckle had been torn open by Cassius's finger, exposing white bone. Blood flowed profusely from the wound.

On the other side, Cassius remained standing, an eerie smile on his face. He raised his right hand, the one he had struck with, revealing a single twisted finger. Both of them were combat artists skilled in deadly techniques, so they had pitted finger against fist.

Naturally, Cassius's finger had broken. He clearly had a formidable physique, but no one had expected such a reckless move from him. But clearly, his Killer Persona wasn't normal. The different approaches to the same technique could be attributed to style.

The Red Falcon Fist followed a violent and bloody path, and with Cassius' Killer Persona guiding the fist techniques, it became even more extreme. When he saw blood drip from his broken finger, Cassius's twisted grin deepened.

Justin felt a chill run down his spine.

Does this man not feel pain?

At that moment, Cassius vanished from Justin's sight. Justin's eyes narrowed as he immediately blasted his Qi outward to maximum range. He immediately sensed a high-speed, humanoid figure rapidly approaching him from behind on the left. The figure was moving at incredible speed, and was accompanied by a howling gust of wind.

Justin spun, lashing out at the oncoming figure with a fierce hand blade. However, to his surprise, Cassius didn't block or dodge the strike, allowing the hand blade to land on his neck. Cassius barreled forward like a cannonball, forcibly ramming into Justin's chest with a shoulder.

Boom!

Justin felt like he had just been charged by a raging rhinoceros as he was sent flying back. The surroundings blurred as he hurtled several meters through the air. But he could see Cassius’ black shadow draw nearer as his opponent pursued him.

Clang!

Justin's back slammed into the iron railing, causing the solid metal bars to bend around him. Some of the iron nails securing the railings to the marble floor twisted, while others were torn loose and sent spinning through the air.

"Ugh!"

A trickle of blood dripped from the corner of Justin's mouth. He frantically yanked on the iron railing with his left hand, throwing himself to the side. He was just in time, as a shadowy fist slammed into the iron railing an instant later.

Boom!

The combat arena reverberated with an explosive and deafening bang. The ten-meter-long section of iron railing was completely obliterated by a punch from Cassius. The blow sent the railing, along with five or six of its supporting posts, flying across the arena and into one of the marble columns.

"What the hell!"

Over twenty meters away, the onlookers couldn't help but curse in sheer shock. Their voices were tinged with awe and fear.

"Shouldn't we back up a little...?" Elder Leroy of the Blossom Sword Sect nervously swallowed as he saw the mangled marble pillars. "It feels like if we stay too close, we might get caught in the crossfire and end up dead."

"Yeah, we...we definitely need to keep a safe distance," another pugilist elder agreed.

The group from the Wenxia County Covert Martial Arts sect retreated in unison, moving several meters further back to avoid getting swept up in the two fighters' battle.

Meanwhile, Luen, the sect master of the Red Falcon Fist, had a strange look of excitement on his face. His fists were clenched tightly at his sides.

"This is the Southern Dipper Red Falcon Fist! This is my father's Southern Dipper Red Falcon Fist! Justin is completely on the back foot!"

By the railing, a middle-aged man from the Star Ring Fist sect, who had been slow to react, finally noticed the gaping hole in the fence. "Aro, we should probably move back too... Aro? Aro? Hmm?"

He turned to see Aro, with his hands wrapped in bandages, standing like a puppet.

"Has this kid been rattled?" The middle-aged man sighed. He was Aro's uncle, and had accompanied him to Wenxia County to challenge various sects.

The man tried to think of some words of comfort as he walked over and placed a hand on Aro's shoulder. But as soon as he did, Aro collapsed to the ground with a loud thud. At the same time, a bloody iron nail clattered onto the marble floor.

"Damn, he really was rattled!" The middle-aged man quickly crouched by his nephew’s side to check his condition. The nail had just left a nasty gash on his head. It might leave a scar, but fortunately, it wasn't too serious. Aro had fainted from the impact, likely suffering a mild concussion.

Who would've thought watching a fight could put the spectators in danger too?

The man dragged Aro behind a nearby marble pillar to avoid any further risks. The battle between the two combat artists had ascended to a new level of intensity, and the shockwaves were getting worse. His nephew had just been plain unlucky to get hit multiple times. It was best to stay as far away as possible.

In the center of the arena, the two fighters continued their fierce duel.

A black figure and a white figure collided like two whirlwinds, sending waves of Qi rippling through the air. The railings in their path were sent spinning through the air, one after another, as if they were caught in a tornado.

In no time, the once-sturdy circular railing was bent and twisted, with large holes appearing every few meters, while the marble floor was littered with distorted iron bars.

Bang!

Justin thrust his fist forward like a spear, driving it into Cassius's right shoulder. An unfazed Cassius retaliated with a hook punch to Justin's side, causing him to stumble.

Justin braced his left foot against the ground and threw his entire body into an elbow strike that collided with Cassius's incoming palm. Both of their arms were bleeding freely and their clothes torn to shreds.

It was important to note that throughout this fight, Cassius had only been using his martial techniques—he hadn't unleashed his Death's Fang Force. He hadn’t used it even during his previous challenges against the two combat artists from Wenxia County.

However, it wasn't because Cassius was holding back but because he wanted to maintain a good enough reputation to challenge more fighters. If he used Death's Fang Force and crippled someone with a blow, no one in the Covert Martial Arts world would accept future challenges.

For opponents Cassius felt confident against, his techniques were enough to close the gap in strength and sharpen his skills. Of course, if he faced someone he wasn't sure about, he wouldn't hesitate to go all out.

The brutal battle raged on in the combat arena.

"Demonic Hand Blade!" Justin's right arm swung down like a massive blade, slashing toward Cassius.

"Blood Flower, Thousand Palms!" The lotus on Cassius's chest suddenly bloomed, and hundreds of arms sprouted from it, leaving afterimages as they enveloped Justin from all directions.

The black and white figures collided once more in the air.

Boom!

Justin's body was violently thrown backward. The explosive impact of Blood Flower threw him clear over the railings. He slammed into a marble support column with a dull thud before crumpling to the ground. Justin was down on one knee, trembling as blood dripped from his mouth. He struggled to raise his head.

Several dozen meters away, Cassius stood quietly in the combat arena, crimson eyes staring in Justin's direction. The cross-shaped scar on his forehead glowed faintly with a bloody light. There was something strangely inhuman and demonic about him.

"Fear leads to defeat. Only those with unyielding resolve can emerge victorious in a narrow path. Feng Liusi, I think I'm beginning to understand what you meant by the 'Realm of Dominance'."