Returning to the Mysterious Era

Chapter 299 - No More Blade Demon in This World

A red mist rose from Feng Liusi's back as he assumed the basic stance of the Southern Dipper Red Falcon Fist. His right hand pushed forward in a claw shape, while his left hand, slightly angled to the right, rested as if it were placed on the crook of his right arm and clenched into a fist.

His powerful arms extended like the wings of a seagull. The upper half of his clothing, shredded by the blades during the earlier battle, revealed his well-honed body. His muscles were not exaggerated like stone boulders but were instead long, refined strips sculpted through rigorous training. Occasional bloodstains, remnants of the wounds he had taken, were visible on his body.

Feng Liusi seemed to be slow, yet fast as he stretched. But as he stretched, a mysterious force seemed to ignite various parts of his body: his waist, abdomen, chest, back, arms, and neck.

Red starlights began to twinkle one by one, sparkling like stars against a thick night sky, forming a chain of dazzling light that was both mesmerizing and filled with hidden danger.

There were exactly forty-four crimson stars. Each group of eleven stars seemed to reflect one another, connecting across Feng Liusi's robust body as if forming an intricate web of meridians. At a glance, it seemed like a chain tattoo running through his entire body.

But it also looked like a venomous scarlet-scaled viper, baring its fangs. There were four in total, their heads locked onto Garoro, who charged forward like an unsheathed sword, his eyes flashing with Qi.

A more refined, more powerful, and more destructive Death's Fang Force surged through Feng Liusi's body, roaring within his veins. In an instant, Feng Liusi's entire body blurred, the air around him distorting and crackling from the raw force. Red arcs of light flashed like lightning, coursing through the air like a lightning tree growing upward from the dense clouds.

Then, all of this moved toward Garoro like the entire world collapsing in on him.

Clang!

A brilliant stream of blue and purple light raced across the ruins, plowing into the ground and leaving a long, destructive crack in its wake. It collided violently with the crimson world ahead.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

A long blade, wrapped in eerie Scale Fire, struggled to slice through the air. The blade continued to be hammered by the terrifying crimson world, emitting sparks of gold and red as if it were being reforged with each strike.

Clang!

A violent explosion sent air blasting outward, creating spinning white rings in rapid succession.

Boom!

A figure was thrown backward from the center of the clash. He was one-armed, gripping a blade, and coughing blood.

As the mist dispersed, Feng Liusi opened his right hand, his expression complex. The webbing between his fingers had cracked, as a diagonal cut was etched into his palm. It wasn't deep but not shallow either, and oozed thick blood.

"You've weakened to this extent... I didn't even use Blood Vulture's Beak. I only relied on the fifth stage of Death's Fang and a few other secret techniques." His words carried a hint of pity, his tone hesitant as if he was contemplating something.

Across from him, Garoro was leaning on his sword, blood flowing down his chest. A deep, bone-crushing fist mark had appeared on his chest. The blow had injured his internal organs. The deadly energy of Death's Fang was spreading in a radial pattern, as though it wanted to tear his body apart, but it was being temporarily held back by his Qi.

It had yet to erupt like an unstoppable explosion. His hair was a mess and his eyes were bloodshot. His sharp features hung low, like a severely wounded, dying beast.

Garoro trembled slightly, blood trickling from his eyes and nose as he looked at his former opponent. His voice was hoarse and weak.

"Feng Liusi, I didn't lose to you alone. I lost to the three of you." He took a deep breath. "Now, as a practitioner of pure Covert Martial Arts, I'll ask you one question—do you want to face my final strike..."

His tone carried neither question nor request, merely a statement of fact. He reached behind him, and a long, refined blade was thrown toward him from a member of the Gate Organization in the distance.

The Blade Demon Garoro naturally had spare weapons, but his Shock Blade had been broken when he and the Purple General had been attacked by a barrage of rockets. He fought Blood Fist Feng Liusi almost immediately after that.

There was no opportunity to retrieve a blade in the heat of battle against an opponent of this caliber. And now, it was no different.

As the sword was tossed in the air, Feng Liusi could easily break or deflect it. If he chose, that blade would never reach Garoro's hand. But Garoro still reached out, gambling that Feng Liusi, as a fellow practitioner of Covert Martial Arts, would want to see his complete Triple-Blade Style.

He would allow the severely wounded Garoro to grasp that sword.

Whoosh...

The blade traced an arc in the air, its gleaming edge reflecting the sunlight like a dangerous, beautiful mirror.

Clack!

A powerful, sinewy hand gripped the spiral hilt. Garoro had won his gamble, but his heart remained indifferent. Whether he caught the blade or not, his fate had not changed. He merely wanted to show Feng Liusi what the true Rainbow World looked like.

He wanted to demonstrate how utterly hopeless it was to face the Triple-Blade Style.

This was the pride and obsession of a Covert Martial Arts Practitioner. They were irreverent of good or evil. This was simply a testament to the years of study and practice they both shared.

It was not some noble sentiment, and Garoro was not that kind of person. It was just something Covert Martial Arts practitioners shared. He knew Feng Liusi understood what he meant.

And clearly, Blood Fist indeed wanted to witness the Triple-Blade Style alone. Garoro was ready to grant Feng Liusi his wish.

Rumble...

A violent surge of energy swept over the ruins, spinning the air into a series of whirlwinds like a raging tornado. The ground trembled as dust swirled in spirals and smoke billowed in waves.

At the center of the vortex, Garoro sheathed all three blades. He hadn't done anything, yet the ground around him fractured into a network of cracks as though invisible blade light had sliced it apart, cutting the earth into a grid.

He was in harmony with the vast blue sky.

Garoro tilted his head slightly upward, closing his eye. His right arm swept across his waist, and a streak of purple light spun like a dragon.

"Single-Blade Style..."

He drew the sword again! A brilliant blue light flowed around him, reflecting the color of the sky.

"Dual-Blade Style..."

Another blade was drawn!

This blade light flashed like a rainbow, carrying a faint red glow.

The Slash Blade, the Pierce Blade, the Shock Blade.

Purple, blue, and red.

Garoro abruptly opened his lone eye, the burning intensity within nearly blinding. He let out a low growl.

"Triple-Blade Style, Rainbow World!!!"

His voice echoed like divine judgment from the clouds.

Buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz!

The air quaked, trembled, and resonated. The blades of his three alloy swords vibrated so quickly that it seemed as though they might shatter. Garoro leaped, striking with all three blades at once.

In that instant, the air around him expanded and distorted. Streams of blue, purple, and red light seemed to appear from another dimension, cascading like rainbow waterfalls. The world of bladelight was dozens of meters wide as it glimmered like stardust. It looked like a swarm of dazzling butterflies, their wings scattering lethal powder.

In reality, every fluttering butterfly was formed by countless fine slivers of blade energy. Garoro's fifty years of accumulated swordsmanship had been condensed into this world. It was the culmination of various techniques and expressions of energy.

The Rainbow World truly lived up to the name "world"!

For a brief moment, Feng Liusi felt like he was back in front of that old man on Eternal Island, whose imposing aura had seemingly covered the sky. Garoro's Rainbow World had, in that instant, displayed a glimpse of that majesty!

In that moment, a sudden wave of fear surged in his heart.

"Heh... hahaha..." Feng Liusi's low chuckle suddenly turned into a maniacal laugh. He was overjoyed as he laughed with the delirium of a madman.

Why had Feng Liusi taught Cassius the Southern Dipper Red Falcon Fist without reservation in Death Canyon, passing it down even without the formalities of master and disciple? He had accepted it as part of a trade of interests, and because he wanted to keep the legacy alive, but there was another reason deep in his heart.

Because Cassius was like him, even more so than he was himself!

His human facade hid an extreme madness and an obsessive pursuit of Covert Martial Arts. He relished the shivers of fear, the thrill, and the excitement brought by the unknown.

This was Feng Liusi's ultimate pursuit!

Faced with this sword, he felt fear, but even more excitement. It was as if every cell in his body had come alive.

And so, Feng Liusi laughed wildly as he planted his feet firmly. Blood-red mist surged from his arms and back, spiraling and churning into a vortex. The dangerous fluid condensed as if kneaded by invisible hands until it formed a fiery red, vicious vulture. Its wings, rippling with both flames and scales, radiated deadly power.

At the vortex's center, blood vessels wriggled through Feng Liusi's eyes like threads of hair, as dense as a spider's web.

"Release..."

He muttered to himself, breaking free from the shackles on his body. His arms rose with the force of a waterfall. His left hand was in front and right hand behind like a giant rhinoceros beetle. Red mist cascaded from his head like a veil.

"Southern Dipper Red Falcon Fist, ultimate secret move—Blood Vulture's Beak!"

Screech!!!

The piercing cry of a bird of prey rent the air.

Boom!!!

From behind Feng Liusi, the enormous head of a bird of prey, its beak wide enough to swallow him whole, emerged from the thick mist.

The bird's head was ferocious and covered in scales. Its eyes were fierce and brutal. Its terrifying beak gleamed with a metallic luster, drenched in a blood-red hue!

The gigantic head swallowed Feng Liusi, dragging his entire body through the rubble, like a tank crashing into its opponent.

From a distance, it looked as though the world had split in two. On the left, blood mist surged. On the right, the sky was filled with rainbow light!

Ding!

In that moment, the world fell into complete silence. The sounds of the battle in the square, the explosions of rockets, the howling of the gale; everything was drowned out. All that remained was a blinding white light.

The backdrop of heaven and earth blurred, like a filter slowly smudging everything. The azure sky, soft white clouds, black and gray ruins, scarlet mist, and the three-colored blade energy were all indistinguishable from one another.

Until that very moment. The buzzing sound gradually became clearer, like a person waking from a coma, regaining their perception of the world.

Boom!

A black tornado shot straight up, violently connecting the ruins to the cloud layer high above, extending into the unknown.

In the next second, the tornado disintegrated. Debris and stones that had been swept into the sky rained down.

It was like a sweeping Black Rain. Amid the ruins, within a deep crater embedded in the ground, two figures stood out—one kneeling, one lying down.

Debris scattered across his hair as the kneeling figure stood up.

He turned, revealing Feng Liusi's chiseled face. He remained silent, expressionless. The falling rubble that touched his body was automatically pulverized by the Death's Fang Force that enveloped him, turning to fine sand that was swept away by the wind.

A faint black feather cloak appeared on his shoulders and the edges of his clothing, along with the warm blood dripping from his fingertips to the ground.

Feng Liusi quietly gazed at Garoro, lying on the ground, both arms lost. Beside him were two broken blades, the purple Slash Blade and the blue Pierce Blade. About a meter away from his right shoulder, the substitute purple blade hadn't broken.

It stood slanted on the ground, with a severed arm still tightly gripping the hilt. A true blade master never let go of their sword.

Garoro had achieved that. He lay there like a corpse, his Qi unable to suppress the overwhelming damage. His entire body was on the verge of splitting apart. Blood flowed from the cracks in his body, soaking the surrounding earth until it became damp.

Garoro stared upwards, his one remaining eye gazing at the sky, as if admiring the torrential black rain.

Heavy footsteps approached him. Garoro didn't need to look to know who it was. He made no movement, only muttered with cracked lips.

"How was that last strike?"

"Not bad." A deep voice came from above.

"Not bad?"

"Yes, not bad. Close enough to almost split open my chest and tear through my heart. Very, very good..."

Feng Liusi lightly pressed his chest, where a grotesque scar ran diagonally across his torso, nearly cutting him in two. The red wound exposed the white of his bones and his still-beating heart. If it had gone just a bit more, that would have been it.

The blade energy would have split his chest and shredded his heart to pieces.

This was the price Feng Liusi had paid to witness Garoro's final strike. The two had nearly fought to mutual destruction.

Lying on the ground, Garoro suddenly began to laugh, blood spilling from his mouth and nose.

"Hehe... good, good. That was not bad afterall."

After a brief silence, Feng Liusi spoke again.

"You asked me a question earlier. Now I have one for you. Why is your nickname Blade Demon?"

Garoro coughed up more blood but still replied, "It's just a title. Every generation that can condense and comprehend their own Triple-Blade Style Covert Martial Arts, after death, is called a Blade Demon.

"Cough... cough... I haven't quite earned the name Blade Demon yet, but I will soon... Too bad, the legacy ends with me. If I had known, I would've fucking grabbed a disciple earlier."

He cursed as his voice grew weaker and weaker.

Until, at last, it was barely a whisper.

"After... my death, there will be no more Blade Demons in this world..."