Returning to the Mysterious Era-Chapter 239 - Blood Hand Fist—Flame Serpent

Navigating with only a map could be challenging for someone with a poor sense of direction. Fortunately, Cassius met several other kind people who helped him apart from the enthusiastic young man he first approached.

The process went smoothly with so many cooperative people abound. The passersby were all friendly; most of them were quite gentlemanly after mistaking Cassius for a woman. He had bulked up during his two months of training in Death Canyon. His features had become more chiseled, and looked more rugged. His body had nearly reached perfection after hitting his second puberty in the Black Cocoon. Unfortunately, it came with an unfortunate side effect. His face looked almost inhumanely exceptional. The two months of training had not done him any good in altering his appearance.

Cassius followed the directions he had been given, checking his map as he went, stopping by a clothing store along the way. He had been wearing the same outfit for the past two months in Death Canyon. It was time for a change.

He picked out a loose-fitting, all-black trench coat, a simple white undershirt, and a hunting hat similar to a flat cap. The hat suited him well, with the front brim easily shading his eyes and covering a portion of his face. The clothes fit him perfectly as well. The black coat had a thick silver chain at the collar, about the width of a thumb. It looked pretty heavy for an ordinary person and seemed to be part of some trendy, alternative fashion design.

"Not fond of this style, sir? We can find you something similar, if you’d like," the shop assistant suggested as she approached.

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"That won't be necessary. I like it," Cassius replied.

He put on the coat, adjusted his hat, paid for his purchases, and continued walking. After two long months of training in the remote Loka Mountains, far removed from human society, even the typically aloof Cassius felt a bit bored. Now that he was back in a human city, he decided to walk instead of taking a carriage or tram so that he could soak up the sunshine.

As he made his way down the busy streets that were lined with a variety of shops, Cassius was unexpectedly hit by a feeling of contentment. The black cars parked in a neat row under the sycamore trees only added to the ambiance. It gave him a renewed sense of living an ordinary life, softening some of the cold, sharp edges within him.

Half an hour later, Cassius reached his destination.

"Cassius of the Wind Elephant Sect, here to see the Blood Hand Fist sect master! As a fellow combat artist, I humbly request your guidance!"

He used a unique technique to amplify his deep voice until it rumbled like thunder.

He stood quietly at the entrance of the Blood Hand Fist hall. The few disciples who had been standing guard at the gate were immediately overwhelmed. They collapsed to their knees with a thud, panting heavily as sweat started dripping down their bodies. Their spines seemed to buckle under an invisible pressure, bending lower with each passing moment. The weakest among them could only hold himself up with his hands, as he nearly collapsed face-first into the ground.

The people in the hall rushed to the entrance, but those who tried to approach the gate found themselves paralyzed by an invisible force. It felt as though the air around them had turned to glue, making every step incredibly difficult.

"Hnng!"

A young man grunted as the veins in his neck bulged and darkened. His forehead was drenched in sweat as he barely managed to escape the oppressive aura. Once he was free from the pressure, he gulped in air, casting a fearful glance at the distorted air around him and the frozen figures of his senior brothers trapped within. He immediately turned and rushed deeper into the hall to inform the sect master of the powerful intruder. He couldn’t help sneaking another glance behind him once he was halfway down the hall.

The utter arrogance! This isn’t a visit—this is a challenge!

***

Ten minutes later, inside the Blood Hand Fist hall.

A group of disciples gathered in the hall and corridors, whispering among themselves as they shot frequent glances toward the end of the passageway where two instructors stood guard in front of a spacious training ground.

Combat artists of their caliber couldn't spar like they normally would in a ring. The mere shockwaves from their unleashed auras could affect the spirits of nearby disciples. Those with weaker wills might even die. Moreover, the ring was too small for combat artists to fight without holding back. If they used all their killing techniques, they might completely decimate the ring.

The training ground was sizable. It had a large gravel filled area in the center, and was bordered by greenery. Two solitary figures stood in the center, facing each other.

There were a few spectators standing next to the green border that spanned the perimeter of the training ground. Some were elders and core disciples of the Blood Hand Fist sect, while others were representatives from nearby branches of other Covert Martial Arts sects in Kangde City. Cassius had made quite an entrance, which had prompted these halls to send observers.

"Since when did Wenxia County gain another combat artist? He claims to be from the Wind Elephant Sect, but there's no such sect in Wenxia County."

"He's probably from another county. Maybe he wanted to solidify his status after breaking through to combat artist. He's so young... I wonder which major sect Wind Elephant belongs to."

"He might not actually be that young. He looks delicate, but he has quite the deep voice. Some Covert Martial Art techniques slow down aging, so he could be over fifty years old but look twenty. It’s only when they’re close to death that they suddenly start aging quickly..."

The spectators around the training ground murmured among themselves. All of them practiced Covert Martial Arts, but most were only at the pugilist level. As the top experts stationed at their respective martial arts halls, their sects wouldn't have sent them if they weren't strong.

At the center of the field, Cassius's eyes gleamed beneath the shadow of his hat. He stared intently at his opponent ten meters away.

The sect master of the Blood Hand Fist, Dietz, had reached the combat artist level five years ago. Now fifty-five years old, he was known as the Flame Serpent for his explosive, aggressive style of Blood Hand Covert Martial Arts.

He wore long pants and a tunic. While his hair was a stark white, he had a striking appearance and looked no older than thirty. There was a small piece missing from his right earlobe, likely the result of an injury.

But Cassius couldn’t care less about those details; his focus was on Dietz's hands. His palms were noticeably larger than those of an average person, yet they bore no signs of training like enlarged knuckles or calluses. Instead, they were slender, smooth, and almost perfect. They almost seemed like the hands of a seasoned pianist.

But Cassius’s keen eyes caught something peculiar: a red dot on each of Dietz’s fingernails. A faint line traced up the back of his hand from each dot and up to his wrist. It looked like a vein, or perhaps part of his bones. The red lines formed a closed loop around his wrists.

Just as Feng Liusi described, the Blood Hand Covert Martial Arts focuses on the five fingers. All his power is likely concentrated in his hands.

Cassius met Dietz's gaze evenly. The tension in the air was palpable.

"You're not from Wenxia County, are you? Which county do you hail from? I'd like to visit you afterward," Dietz spoke slowly, each word carrying a hostile edge despite his calm tone.

This combat artist stranger had come to challenge him, and his demeanor was entirely unlike that of combat artists from other Covert Martial Arts sects. He had a sharp, uncomfortably piercing presence, like a sword pointed directly at Dietz's eyes.

"No need. I'm the only one in my sect." Cassius's eyes narrowed as he fell into the starting stance of the Southern Dipper Red Falcon Fist.

The only one?

Dietz was about to reply when an intense wave of killing intent visibly rippled through the air.

"Enough with the hemming and hawing! I came to Wenxia County to fight, but if your will to battle isn't strong enough, then I'll force it out of you!"

Cassius's eyes turned blood-red, and a sinister smile lifted the corners of his mouth. His Killer Persona state made him far more arrogant than his usual persona.

Boom!

A small crater exploded in the sand and gravel as a silhouette dashed through the dust storm, his arms spread wide like a bird soaring gracefully through the sky.

What a strong killing intent!

Dietz's eyes flashed. Since his opponent had made the first move, he couldn't afford to fall behind. He immediately dropped into the combat stance of the Blood Hand Fist, his body tensing as he sprang forward.

Both fighters moved at astonishing speeds, their feet kicking up clouds of dust as they sped across the training ground.

"They've started!" The onlookers near the greenery belatedly realized what was happening.

Cassius accelerated until he hit his top speed. He suddenly punched, leaving a distorted afterimage in the air. But Dietz was not to be outdone. He spread the five fingers on his right hand, and five sharp red lights gleamed at the tips of his nails.

"Shriek! Hiss!"

A raptor’s cry rang out alongside the hiss of a giant python.

Boom! Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!

Four arms clashed rapidly as they fought. They were exchanging basic fist techniques of their respective Covert Martial Arts fist techniques, but it was a test of strength and speed!

Boom!

Cassius leaned back, and his fist shot forward like an unleashed spring. Dietz felt like he had been struck by a hammer; his arm shook violently, and he staggered back three steps.

We have similar speeds, but his strength is significantly greater!

Dietz’s eyes narrowed. The Blood Hand Fist was known for its hand speed, but it wasn’t weak. However, the first exchange had demonstrated that both of his strengths had been momentarily overshadowed.

It may have been an exchange of basic techniques and was not representative of their true abilities, but it revealed a lot of information.

Dietz took a deep breath, ten red dots on his nails suddenly lighting up. He charged across the black line, attacking with all ten fingers as he launched a barrage of strikes.

Ssss... ssss...

Scraping sounds hung in the air as Dietz's ten fingers tore through Cassius’ clothes and raked across his skin, sending sparks flying. Dietz’s fingers were razor sharp, but they only drew a thin line of blood.

Dietz yanked his hand away and retreated, narrowly avoiding a retaliatory punch from Cassius. He eyed the faint wound on his opponent as his expression turned grim.

Such thick skin. He looked so thin and weak that I didn't think he had a very strong physique; I assumed he was more of a speed and agility-type fighter. But it looks like he doesn’t just excel in speed but also in strength and defense! Did he train in some kind of powerful external hardening Qigong? My fingers were nearly scraped raw.

When Dietz had attacked earlier, it felt like striking a rock that had been layered with tiles. He had barely scratched the skin.

He doesn't seem to have any weaknesses so far!

Dietz spread his legs and tensed. His hands trembled slightly as he entered a strange state of exertion. Meanwhile, an elongated dark shadow rapidly closed in on him.

Whoosh!

A long arm, wrapped in white Qi, suddenly smashed down. Dietz had initially planned to attack but when he saw the air exploding around the arm, he decided to avoid the blow and sidestepped.

Cassius's fist impacted the sandy ground heavily. The soil erupted upward, blanketing Cassius.

Swish!

A sweeping kick sliced through the dirt in the air like a battle axe. Dietz immediately ducked away, supporting himself on one hand as he rolled sideways and spun into an elbow strike that collided with Cassius's incoming fist.

Swoosh!

The only thing the onlookers heard was something whizzing past their ears. A stone that had accidentally been kicked by Cassius’ sweeping leg shot past them like a bullet and slammed into the wall.

The middle-aged woman who had been speaking earlier fell silent. She turned to see the wall crumbling around a gaping hole. When the spectators turned back, the two figures in the center of the field had disappeared into the swirling dust storm. Two silhouettes moved at lightning speed, their fists and feet a blur.

The training field echoed with the sound of their intense collisions. Even the ground trembled as the gravel danced. The spectators felt a tingling sensation in their feet.

Swoosh!

A figure with white hair suddenly shot out of the mist, landing with one foot and skidding nearly ten meters back. He left two long ditches on the ground as he ground to a halt.

Cassius emerged from the dusty haze, his blond hair gleaming in the sunlight. His eyes were locked on Dietz.

"Feng Liusi told me that none of the combat artists in Wenxia County were worth paying attention to. I didn't believe it at first, but now I do." Cassius had a deranged grin on his face. His red eyes seemed even more intense and looked like two pure, beautiful rubies.

"It's boring to hide your true strength. Are you still refusing to use the killing moves of the Blood Hand Fist? If you don't do it now, you won't get another chance."

Cassius's dainty face was twisted into a savage smile, his fox-like eyes narrowing as they gleaned crimson.

"Southern Dipper Red Falcon Fist!"

Whoosh!

An overwhelming combat aura burst free of his body. Red mist rose from Cassius's body in waves. He was getting serious now.

Dietz took a deep breath.

Since you're pushing me this hard, I have no choice but to unleash the Blood Hand Fist. Don't blame me if you get hurt or killed!

He let out a furious roar, his powerful aura erupting as his Qi slammed fiercely into Cassius's.