Returning to the Mysterious Era

Chapter 272 - Golem Seed

Buzz!!!!

The three alloy blades vibrated in unison, emitting a sound like a swarm of bees. In an instant, the air around Garoro twisted violently. Purple, blue, and red lights exploded, like fragments of rainbow shimmering in the air.

A twenty-meter-wide world of brilliant blade light bloomed around him. It looked beautiful and colorful, like a bright butterfly. However, each of these vividly colored butterflies was made up of countless blade Qi that slashed, pierced, and shocked...

The different energies combined, creating a complex and dangerous field. That was the Rainbow World! It was the culmination of Garoro's fifty years of blade mastery.

Ten years ago, it was still in its infancy. Now, it had nearly reached perfection. Unfortunately, he lost an arm during a mission, and he might never witness the full glory of the true Rainbow World in his lifetime. Even so, the power of the Triple-Blade Style, Rainbow World rivaled the devastation of a missile barrage!

Garoro's three long blades danced in his hands as the brilliant, concentrated blade light illuminated most of the street. His hair whipped wildly as he unleashed the terrifying technique to kill Cassius and the others. The sharp fragments of blade light tore up the ground in its wake.

"Kill!" Feng Liusi, the first to face the onslaught, roared loudly. He could feel the terrifying threat bearing down on them. Garoro had finally unleashed the same strike that had gravely wounded him on Eternal Island.

At that moment, Feng Liusi was back at his youthful peak, and his fighting spirit soared to its zenith with the support of Cassius and Saint Feinan. The sharp cry of a raptor pierced the sky as the forty-one meridians across Feng Liusi's body lit up simultaneously.

A bold red light burst forth, penetrating his clothes. A series of lightning-like streaks coursed through his body, accompanied by crackling sounds as Death's Fang Force tore through the air. Feng Liusi clasped his hands together, and when he opened his eyes, they glowed a deep blood red.

"Unleashed." This was the ultimate form of the Southern Dipper Red Falcon Fist. Once it was activated, all his explosive Secret Techniques, including Death's Fang Force, could be unleashed without restraint. His body's limitations were completely lifted.

A inhuman, destructive aura surged from every pore of his body. It radiated a complete indifference for all living beings.

Crack!

Feng Liusi raised his arms into a strange, stag beetle-like pose. Blood-red mist rose from every part of his body, shrouding his figure. Above his head, a pair of massive, menacing wings formed. It was the Will of the Fist embodied in a giant falcon. The bird's beak aligned perfectly with Feng Liusi's outstretched arms.

On his left, Saint Feinan's eyes glowed blue. He clasped his hands in front of his chest, holding a frosty crystal cross-shaped sword. His long white hair whipped in the wind, its ends tinged with a faint blue shimmer.

On the right, Cassius used the Third Breath technique, Breathless Chain Strike—a terrifying series of relentless blows. Temporarily transformed into a smaller version of a Golem, he stood over two meters tall with his thick arms spread wide. His speed was so terrifying that it appeared as though eight arms had sprouted from between his ribs.

Bang... Bang... Bang... Bang...

The three figures charged forward, leaving behind traces of Covert Martial Arts Qi in their wake as cloud-like trails of vapor. They unleashed their most powerful techniques, rushing toward the rapidly approaching Rainbow World.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The massive noise sent waves of air rippling upward, as if it would tear the sky apart. Some sleepless citizens in the Grimm District heard the commotion and rushed to their windows. A middle-aged man, writing at his desk, also glanced outside. When he saw nothing, he looked up. He froze in place, his mouth slightly agape.

The sky above the Grimm District was lit up like the aurora, with blood red, purple, and blue, like a painter's palette with bright colors carelessly splashed across it. If one looked closer, one could see shockwaves rippling outward, causing visible layers in the air.

The man placed one hand on the window frame and the other on the wall, muttering, "Did some chemical plant explode?"

According to the Black Ops Agency's classification, a B-level threat was comparable to a rocket explosion, with destructive power that could sweep through a large surrounding area. At worst, it could level a building, and at its strongest, it could cause severe damage to an entire city block. When four veteran combat artists unleashed their most powerful techniques simultaneously, it was like explosions going off one after another.

The main road in the central area of Grimm District had been completely reduced to ruins. The decorative trees lining the road had been disintegrated by the shockwaves from the four fighters, sending wood chips and leaves flying everywhere. The entire concrete street looked as if it had been run over by a fleet of tanks.

The buildings on either side were riddled with cracks and gaps, as though they had been bombed by airplanes. All of this destruction originated from the four powerful figures at the center of the street, their bodies wrapped in terrifying Qi.

Boom!

Another collision compressed invisible air into tangible ripples that radiated out from the battlefield through the sky, pushing dust and debris along.

If an ordinary human had passed through the area at that moment, they would likely feel like they had been hit by a level-eight gale. Of course, it was even more likely that anyone stepping onto the ruined street would be knocked unconscious by the overwhelming Qi that the four fighters were blasting out without restraint.

At the center of the battlefield...

Swoosh!

An alloy blade pierced through the air, only to be caught by a pair of hands as large as millstones. The two forces struggled in midair, producing a low, grating sound as sparks flew from the edges of the palms.

Clang! Clang!

A flash of purple and red light streaked past Cassius and the others as Garoro's ghostly figure forcibly broke through the encirclement. Despite taking a blow to the back from Feng Liusi, he staggered away, leaving a trail of bright red blood in his wake.

"I'll chase him!!! Cassius, take care of Saint Feinan!" Feng Liusi roared, his bloodshot eyes wild, as he leaped forward with his arms outstretched like a bird of prey soaring through the sky.

Cough, cough!

Cassius coughed twice, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. His body was covered in deep cuts that exposed the bone, far more severe than when he had charged through Garoro's Dual-Blade Style Scale Fire. He had barely any unscathed flesh, and some of his skin and muscle were barely hanging on. However, Saint Feinan's condition was even worse.

A massive cut ran across his chest, nearly slicing him in half. His internal organs were visible, and his intestines were on the verge of spilling out. If not for the strong physique of a combat artist, such an injury would have been fatal without question.

The Blade Demon was powerful, but after unleashing his full strength without regard for the consequences, he was even more terrifying!

Cassius wasn't sure if the claim that Feng Liusi and Garoro's fight ten years ago being a three-to-seven split in Garoro's favor was accurate, but he knew for sure that the three of them had underestimated Garoro. They initially thought that since Garoro had lost an arm and Feng Liusi had regained his peak form, they would have tipped the balance to somewhere between three-to-seven or four-to-six.

However, when Garoro revealed his full strength, Cassius estimated the ratio was closer to two-to-eight or three-to-seven with Garoro still holding the upper hand. Otherwise, there was no way Garoro would have been able to escape while fighting against Feng Liusi, Cassius, and Saint Feinan.

It seemed that even if Feng Liusi reached the fifth stage of Death's Fang Force and perfected the fourth move of his Southern Dipper Fist, Garoro would likely still have the upper hand.

"The Gate Organization... just what kind of existence is it..." Cassius's thoughts drifted as he considered that Garoro, the Blade Demon, was one of the core members of the Gate Organization. If he had such terrifying strength, it meant that there were likely other formidable fighters within the organization.

No wonder the Gate Organization was classified by the Black Ops Agency as the only S-level threat among supernatural groups. What kind of person was the leader of this organization? Could they also be a Covert Martial Arts Practitioner?

Cassius calmed his thoughts slightly and released his grip on the purple long blade. The blade was stained with blood, some from earlier and some from the injury Cassius had sustained when holding it.

The steel blade clattered as it hit the ground. Cassius turned to look at Saint Feinan, whose face was pale. He slowly helped the latter lean against the crumbling wall.

"Hehehe... that blade strike really packed a punch," Saint Feinan muttered, beads of sweat on his temples as he forced a smile.

"It sure did. My whole body feels itchy from the cuts," Cassius replied, running his right hand over his chest, which was covered in deep pits and scars. The wounds were starting to itch.

Despite the severity of his injuries, Cassius didn't seem to care, his expression calm and untroubled. Saint Feinan forced another smile. "Cassius, you go ahead and heal yourself first... once you're good, give me some of that healing too..."

"Hehe." Saint Feinan gave an awkward laugh before suddenly cursing in frustration, "Shit, my damn intestines are spilling out! Cassius, help me shove them back in!"

Watching his own intestines slip out was not a pleasant experience, and Saint Feinan was visibly annoyed. The injury was serious, and normal healing would likely affect his future strength. The scar on his abdomen would definitely be a weak point compared to a healthy combat artist.

Fortunately, Cassius, their temporary healer, was there to help. The vast reserves of life vibration energy Cassius possessed could produce remarkable healing effects. He still had seventy portions of Decay-Rank life vibration energy, so healing Saint Feinan wouldn't be an issue. Cassius immediately placed a hand on Saint Feinan's shoulder and began transferring energy.

Seventy streams of life vibration energy flowed like water into Saint Feinan's body. At the same time, Cassius began to absorb the Indestructible-Rank life vibration energy from Dino, the vice president of the Blood Spirit Society. His progress bar appeared naturally in his vision.

[Golem Covert Martial Arts: Qi Embodiment, 26.2% (Total Three Stages)]

His vision flickered, and the percentage began to change.

[Golem Covert Martial Arts: Qi Embodiment, 26.7% (Total Three Stages)]

It actually jumped immediately by 0.5% , which indicated that the life vibration energy was quite high quality. Cassius eagerly continued to absorb it, feeling the tingling sensation of the vibrations spreading throughout his body, as if a source of life was wriggling deep within his flesh.

+0.5%, +0.5%, +0.5%, +0.5%...

After ten such changes, it finally stopped. Absorbing the life vibration energy from the vice president of the Blood Spirit Society had increased the progress of the Qi Embodiment stage by five percent! This was more than the combined effect of six Undying-Rank life vibration energy. Since difficulty increased with progress, one Indestructible-Rank life vibration energy might be equivalent to ten Undying-Rank ones.

Of course, this was the first time he was using Indestructible-Rank life vibration energy. The more frequently it was used, the quicker its effects would diminish.

Now, the progress bar for the Golem Covert Martial Arts showed.

[Golem Covert Martial Arts: Qi Embodiment 31.7% (Total Three Stages).]

It was approaching thirty-two percent, so based on the division of the Black Ops Agency, Cassius's Qi level could reach approximately Qi: B-level (32). He was only three points away from the standard of veteran combat artists, who typically had Qi: B-level (35). He could already sense the initial form of the Will of the Fist. Perhaps when he reached B-level (35), the initial form of his Will of the Fist would transform into a true Will of the Fist.

At that point, his fist techniques would merge with his body and become instinctive enough for him to execute them in any situation. Every move would carry a strong Will of the Fist, weakening the enemy's desire to fight. He would truly reach a state where he could move without any hindrances. He wasn't far from reaching that realm.

Cassius felt slightly warm all over. He then opened his eyes and saw the refreshed expression of Saint Feinan. The large sword wound on his chest was healing rapidly. There was only a thin black line left, which would likely disappear completely after a short while.

"Hmm?" Cassius suddenly noticed a flash of black Qi on his palm. It had silently and automatically entered Saint Feinan's body along with the life vibration energy, just like a shadow.

His gaze sharpened, and his expression became serious. Since he had now discovered this black Qi three times, Cassius could no longer consider it a coincidence. He closed his eyes and used the vibrations to sense Saint Feinan's body.

Cassius quickly found that the black Qi, which had entered along with the life vibration energy, began to gather at the Dantian in Saint Feinan's abdomen. It grew in quantity until it eventually formed a small seed. It was only half the size of a pinky fingernail.

After half a minute, the black seed took complete form, and a familiar but very weak biological life magnetic field spread out. Cassius realized that this life magnetic field was a miniature version of the Golem's life magnetic field!

So what was this black Qi? He continued to study it.

Finally, he confirmed that the black Qi was in fact, not the Qi of the Southern Dipper Red Falcon Fist, but the Qi of the Golem Covert Martial Arts! It was Qi generated by the dominance of his powerful body...

Its function was to produce a Qi Golem Seed that could be injected into others. The Golem's life magnetic field would then influence the recipient, making them feel dependent, close, and loyal to Cassius. Over time, it could even cause the body to develop a hidden second persona, making them absolutely loyal to Cassius.

This discovery shocked him a little, so he asked Saint Feinan, who had already recovered, to cooperate and observe its effects. A minute later, the Golem Seed dissipated. Cassius reached several conclusions.

Firstly, he couldn't control the Qi of the Golem Covert Martial Arts because the gap between his physique and his Qi realm was too large. If Cassius reached the level of a veteran combat artist and fully formed his Will of the Fist, he might be able to command the Qi produced by his body.

Secondly, the Golem Seed formed by his Qi could be detected and erased by other combat artists, since they also possessed Qi. In fact, once Saint Feinan's wounds had slightly healed, he sensed something strange in his body and quickly found the Golem Seed in his abdomen.

Lastly, the Golem Seed seemed to have some effect on the recipient as well, like a miniature version of Golem Covert Martial Arts. Its possible effects included increased lifespan, enhanced physique, and boosts in power...

However, Cassius wasn't entirely sure of the specifics, since Saint Feinan was a veteran combat artist and a friend. Many of the Golem Seed's functions couldn't be tested or clearly demonstrated. He thought he might need to find people to study it at a later time.

Letting out a long sigh, Cassius couldn't help but wonder. What other mysteries did this enigmatic Golem Covert Martial Arts still hold?