Returning to the Mysterious Era

Chapter 296 - Absorbing Until Satisfied

Blood spilled from the bodies like water bursting from a broken pipe. The sticky, life-filled fluid escaped from their once-living shells, drawn irresistibly toward the call. From the sky, one could see a red figure at the center of the plaza, surrounded by layers of crimson petals unfurling outward. Life withered, and souls seemed to blossom in an eerie display.

Many disciples of Cloud Dog Fist, locked in close combat with Blood Spirit Society members, hadn't even had the chance to react when their opponents collapsed. Regardless of whether the bodies of the Dead Blood were already dead or not, the Dead Blood drained all life from its host when they left. The hosts’ skin turned pale and lifeless, like that of the deceased.

Many humans coexisting with Decay-Rank Dead Blood screamed in fear as they tried to flee. However, the very things within them killed them as they tried to run. Every ounce of their strength was absorbed and became part of the blood.

They froze for a moment. Then, blood poured from every orifice and moved towards the source of a particular resonance. The eerie scene left everyone in stunned silence. A deep, instinctive revulsion stirred within their hearts.

Of course, the fight had to go on.

All the members of the Blood Spirit Society had dissolved into blood, leaving only the invading Gate Organization. Meanwhile, the defense line held strong with numerous disciples of the Cloud Dog Fist and operatives of the Black Ops Agency.

The Gate Organization members were quickly overwhelmed. Though they were elites in their own right, they were facing multiple powerful opponents in close combat who were supported by firearms from afar, so they were quickly pushed back.

However, the core members of the Gate Organization showed little sign of urgency, since the true outcome of the battle depended on them. If their top fighters prevailed, they could turn the tides and eliminate the opposing forces.

The Blood Spirit Society's president, Lotus, had clearly used a powerful forbidden technique. In his restored form, he was more formidable than all the members of the Blood Spirit Society combined.

The gathered blood had already formed a semi-liquid pool around Lotus. A rich, sweet metallic scent permeated the air, making everyone dizzy. Several nearby disciples of the Cloud Dog Fist fainted away into the winding trails of blood. Their bodies started to shrivel at a visible rate.

When Oro rushed over to pull them away, they had already stopped breathing and had been reduced to skin and bones. Every bit of their vital energy, essence, and spirit had been drained.

"Damn it!" Oro roared, "All Cloud Dog Fist disciples, retreat from the west side of the plaza!"

Just as he finished shouting, a figure with gray hair appeared by his side. Sect Master Tom of the Cloud Dog Fist gazed solemnly into the distance. The two exchanged a look, immediately understanding each other's intentions. With two booming steps that left deep footprints on the ground, Tom and Oro, the two combat artists of the Cloud Dog Fist, charged straight toward the source.

Power erupted from their waists, transmitted through spines as sturdy as dragons to their hands. Their left arms extended forward as their right shoulders drew back. Muscles swelled as compressed joints built up immense force.

Their speed was astounding, accelerating further as they closed within ten meters of Lotus. They thrust forward their outstretched arms like spears. Their fists sliced through the air, creating compressed trails of white mist, like two white beams streaking forward in the blink of an eye.

Boom! Boom!

The beams exploded on the armored figure in the center of the blood pool one after the other with the force of rocket launchers. The pool churned and sprayed, forming a cloud of blood mist mid-air. The shockwave rippled outward, stirring up dust and debris.

Tom and Oro didn't hesitate, fully demonstrating the mastery of seasoned combat artists. Their attacks flowed seamlessly, one punch after another, one kick following the next. Their bodies weaved like phantoms as they unleashed a powerful assault on the Blood Spirit Society's president.

This continued for several seconds, during which Tom and Oro executed well over a hundred strikes in rapid succession.

Bang!

A cloud of blood exploded, billowing outward like a mushroom cloud. Two muffled groans rang out from within the mist as Oro and Tom were sent flying backward. They spun mid-air, landing on their feet, but they stumbled back several steps after, cracking large sections of the ground before steadying themselves.

One had a bruise spreading across his chest, while the other's left forearm was twisted at an odd angle. The two looked grimly toward the clearing cloud of blood. A ray of sunlight fell on a pair of massive blood-red armored hands that slowly spread open. Tangled veins were visible in the gaps, like wild grass growing unchecked. Muscles as large as a person's head bulged through the armor, its edges sharp and menacing. Each hand was half the size of a person!

Lotus's lower half was submerged in the blood pool, and his head and torso were engulfed by the liquid swirling around him. Only his hands were visible, and it seemed those were the only limbs that could move.

The massive Amalgamation was likely over four meters tall—a terrifying humanoid tank.

Even from a distance, everyone could feel the powerful Qi emanating from it. It was unlike that of a combat artist and felt more like a being’s intrinsic life force. It was as if they were vulnerable creatures wandering through a dark jungle, stalked by a mighty predator.

"The damage we inflicted was healed instantly..." Oro muttered, shaking his partially fractured left hand. "Just like that night with the Blood Spirit Society's Vice President—the same powerful immortality."

"We're in trouble!" Tom said, suppressing his turbulent Qi. He activated his Covert Martial Arts and strength quickly returned to his limbs.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Rocket launchers traced fiery red arcs in the air before slamming into the blood pool. The explosions rang out like thunder, and the flames surged and rolled, evaporating large amounts of blood. The sudden blast of hot air carried an awful, burnt-blood scent mixed with thick smoke.

Seven or eight rockets in a row could demolish a building, yet when the smoke cleared, two massive armored arms remained, tightly locked together as a shield. They bore severe burn marks, with cracked flesh and a spiderweb of fissures across the armor's surface.

Lotus spread his hands, revealing a head shaped like a snake. Twisted bone spurs grew from it, resembling a crown. His hands plunged into the blood pool, and when he lifted them again, they were pristine, completely healed.

"Ridiculous!" Tom cursed.

Even the Blade Demon Garoro and the Purple General had to pay a price to survive that kind of bombardment. Yet Lotus, though temporarily immobile, took it all and healed completely in seconds.

"We can't even stop him?" Oro's heart sank. A very ominous feeling grew in his heart.

Bang!

A purple figure was blasted past the two of them. His feet scraped the ground, skidding for over twenty meters before he stopped and fell to one knee. Blood dripped from his head and ran down his knee.

The Purple General bore numerous severe injuries. In the short time since Cassius and Amos attacked, his balance had been shattered, and the Earth Ring had nearly been broken. The strength he had prided himself on had been suppressed and broken by Cassius, leaving him to struggle in the hard-fought battle.

On the other side, Tom and Oro issued another command. The final batch of rocket launchers fired, slamming into the blood pool with a series of deafening explosions.

Tap.

A hand landed on Oro's shoulder, and a voice spoke. "It's useless. The immortality of dark creatures makes them highly resistant to ordinary physical damage, especially high-ranking ones like this. Only special powers can disrupt that immortality, so you're just wasting your effort."

A blond young man walked past Oro, accompanied by the youthful reaper with threads dancing around his shoulders.

"Switch out. You two handle that one. Amos and I will deal with the Blood Spirit Society's president," Cassius said to Tom and Oro, his tone absolute and commanding.

"Alright." Tom agreed immediately, not feeling belittled in the slightest. He knew Cassius was right—he and Oro couldn't handle the Blood Spirit Society's president on their own. On the other hand, the Purple General, though formidable, was heavily injured. Together, Tom and Oro would have a much better chance against him.

His gaze shifted to the distance. At the edge of the plaza, the figures of Blood Fist Feng Liusi and Blade Demon Garoro flickered in and out of view amidst the debris of buildings, with only the occasional glimpse of a blade's flash or a fist.

Meanwhile, near the antique exhibition building, a blue figure enshrouded in frost was also entangled with a shadowy opponent, both moving at incredible speeds. Their motions were so swift that they left only fleeting images in the sunlight. By the time anyone blinked, they had already reappeared dozens of meters away.

Both battles seemed to be deadlocked, which left the deciding battle on their side. Tom immediately suggested, "Should I have the Cloud Dog Fist disciples provide you with firepower support? We still have a few bombs—"

Before he could finish, he was interrupted.

"No need." Cassius dismissed, as he walked toward the giant armored form of the Blood Spirit Society's president.

Tom turned, exchanging glances with Oro before they sped toward the injured Purple General in silence.

Tap.

Cassius lightly tapped the ground with a toe and a marble tile burst upwards, scattering dirt. He blurred forward, turning into a black streak. To his right, Amos followed closely behind.

"Amos, do you know the traits of parasitic dark creatures?" Cassius asked suddenly as they sped forward.

"Huh?" Amos was momentarily confused by the question, but instinctively answered, "They rely on life absorption, coexist with human hosts, and are weak when separated from their hosts."

"Exactly."

He suddenly tore off his clothing, his face breaking into a restrained yet fanatical grin as he let out a hearty laugh. "I'm going in for a soak!"

Cassius's entire body erupted with a dense black light. Mist rose behind him, forming a faint, towering shadow. The shadow took the shape of a broad, inverted triangle back with a spine lined with spikes, a tail extending down from its spinal bones, legs thick as tree trunks, and three enormous ostrich-like toes. It looked like a muscular, armored mountain with an aura of malevolence—a Golem!

Buzz!

The phantom shuddered before retracting instantly into Cassius. The four-meter-tall behemoth collapsed into his lean frame.

Crack! Crack...

Bones cracked audibly throughout his body as his bulging muscles wriggled with veins coiling around them like tiny snakes. His arms rose to form a shield, each movement exuding a terrifying Qi.

Cassius had entered the Golem state and immediately activated the Third Breath technique, Breathless Chain Strike. He was now a nearly two meters tall figure filled with veins like a web of branches.

As his feet came down, he exploded forward, silently splitting the ground beneath him.

Boom!

The crack ran ten meters outward as the Golem state Cassius harnessed the force for a second burst of speed. He charged forward like a tank at the speed of a sports car, crashing straight into the blood pool where Lotus stood.

He split the blood sea like a colossal serpent!

Cassius plunged straight in, crashing into the nearly four-meter-tall armored figure like a cannonball. Blood gushed upwards in a violent burst, raining down in a crimson mist.

The terrifying sound of the collision was heard across half the block, forcing those fighting on the plaza's edge to cover their ears. Some were so shaken that they were dazed and were instantly struck down by their alert opponents. Some escaped death only to be left with heavy injuries.

The armored giant who once held the center of the whirling blood pool was forced aside, while Cassius proudly took the other end, his strong body wrapped in the tide of Dead Blood. He spread his arms, revealing his broad chest.

Buzz...buzz...buzz...

The Golem Covert Martial Arts brought with it the life magnetic field of the Golem, which wreaked complete destruction on anything that could drain one's life force. Supernatural entities trembled, and giants crumbled within its range. Cassius was right; he was here for a soak—a soak in the pool of Dead Blood core.

The Blood Spirit Society's president, Lotus, had done well in collecting and condensing the cores of all the Blood Spirit Society members here. But Cassius could absorb power too. This battle was nothing but a competition for energy, and Cassius had never backed down from that. He decided to absorb it all until he was satisfied.

Roar!!!

The enraged armored giant let out a furious bellow, snapping out of its stunned state and bringing down its fist like a siege hammer.

"Bring it on!" With a mighty shout, Cassius raised his iron fist to meet the attack head-on.

Boom!!!

Two figures and two fists collided. Frozen in the sunlight, it was as though time and air had come to a standstill.