Returning to the Mysterious Era-Chapter 234 - Possibility of Three Types of Qi

Cassius's clothes fluttered despite the lack of wind. The air several meters around him did swirl, but it was in response to his breathing.

Cassius stood, deep in thought, in the middle of the forest clearing. After a moment, he raised a finger to touch the cross-shaped indentation on his forehead, which glowed faintly at his touch.

Instantly, his eyes shifted from a faint red back to their original black as he switched from the Killer Persona to his Main Persona.

"Huu... Huu... Huu..."

Cassius had been enveloped in a red mist-like aura, but when he switched out of the Killer Persona, the mist swiftly returned into his body and started to circulate within him like a warm current.

"Southern Dipper Red Falcon Fist..." Murmuring to himself, Cassius quickly dropped into the fighting stance of the Southern Dipper Red Falcon Fist. His feet spread apart as he leaned forward with his hands stretched back like the wings of a raptor diving for its prey—just as Feng Liusi had taught him.

He held the stance for five seconds. However, his combat artist's aura unexpectedly remained dormant within his body. He tried again, transitioning from stillness to motion as he unleashed the Southern Dipper Red Falcon Fist with all his strength. He moved even faster, until he was a blur of fists, palms, and elbows.

But it was still useless...

Cassius paused, and then switched to his Cold Persona. He ran through the same tests again. Still ineffective. He stopped entirely, standing between two large trees as the wind rustled through the branches and fallen leaves.

He finally understood.

He had painstakingly crafted the Golem Covert Martial Arts by consuming nine units of the Blood of the Spirit. Its true value didn’t lie in the obvious aspects like the Golem Heart, the Golem Blood Circulation, the Golem Breathing Technique, or even their combined creation of the Golem life magnetic field.

Rather, it lay in the three core principles of Golem Covert Martial Arts!

That made sense. When Cassius first created Golem Covert Martial Arts, his primary goal was to solve the problem of dark creature transformation, and the three core principles were clearly the key to addressing that. In those life-or-death moments, Cassius had poured the most Blood of the Spirit into crafting and refining those core principles. However, since the physical enhancements from the Golem Covert Martial Arts were so apparent, Cassius hadn't delved deeper into the core principles' full potential. He had been satisfied by knowing the three core principles could control the dark creature transformation and balance his two distinct personas. But in reality, they held much more potential.

The three core principles corresponded to three distinct personas. Each persona was separated by Golem Covert Martial Arts, and in theory, they could learn different combat techniques and approach the same situation with completely different judgments.

If that were true, it would only be natural for each persona to possess its own combat artist's aura.

The Killer Persona had studied the Southern Dipper Red Falcon Fist, and once its Qi reached the level of a combat artist, it developed an aura specific to that technique. The red mist that swirled from Cassius earlier had formed a faint image of a massive bird of prey.

That was the aura of the Killer Persona. However, since Cassius's Main Persona and Cold Persona were separate from it, they couldn't use the Killer Persona's Southern Dipper Red Falcon Fist aura. In other words, the two other personas could still develop their own auras, ones that aligned with their respective martial arts styles.

This meant that, theoretically, Cassius could possess three different combat artist auras!

Cassius’s eyes began to shine thoughtfully. His forehead flashed as he re-assumed his Killer Persona. He then unleashed his Qi, allowing it to radiate outward.

In the distance, the wolves that had cautiously risen to their feet and started to retreat, were once again forced to the ground under the pressure of his aura, to the point where they wet themselves in fear.

Cassius ignored the animals, focusing solely on the wonder of his aura. It was an unmistakable symbol of a combat artist. Now that he had an aura that matched a body that had reached the combat artist level, he had officially ascended to that tier.

It was the same level the former head of the Wind Elephant Sect, Belon, had achieved.

There were only a little over a hundred true masters of Covert Martial Arts in the Hongli Federation who were combat artists. They represented the pinnacle of Covert Martial Arts practitioners.

They wielded abilities that were born from their bodies but transcended physical limitations. Where it was pistols, heavy machine guns or artillery, they posed no threat to the practitioners. Only high-powered explosive weaponry could challenge such monsters. They were also categorized as B-level threats by the Black Ops Agency, a pillar of the Covert Martial Arts world.

Cassius took a deep breath and slowly extended his hands to either side. His aura felt like an extension of his senses as it emanated from his core. His awareness had sharpened to such an extreme degree that he could perceive every movement within the range of his aura.

He could sense the gentle swaying of leaves in the breeze, the tiny black ants crawling through the cracks in the dirt, and the frightened heartbeats of the wolves cowering on the ground. Every movement, no matter how small, was crystal clear to him. It was as though a third eye had opened above him.

He observed everything within his aura's reach with a certain detachment. It was like he had an omniscient viewpoint, allowing him to anticipate an opponent's next move in combat, assess their condition, and detect their weaknesses.

Cassius then activated his Magic Eye. His eyes snapped open, even brighter and more keen than before. As he had expected, Magic Eye did not lose its effectiveness after becoming a combat artist. Though it was no longer as potent, it still enhanced his aura, giving him even greater control over it.

The air around him pulsed in sync with his breathing, visibly rippling like the heat waves that rise from a sun-scorched plain. He extended a finger, and the red mist coiling around his arm immediately started to spiral around his fingertip.

"This is Qi?"

Cassius studied it for a while, but he quickly realized he couldn't figure it out on his own. He decided to return to the waterfall and consult Feng Liusi. He turned and vanished into the forest.

Flies soon descended on the giant bear's mutilated corpse as it lay in the clearing.

A few kilometers away, Feng Liusi sat atop a boulder by a small waterfall. The steady sound of water splashing filled the air. Shimmering beams of sunlight shone through the water in the air to create a small rainbow that hung peacefully above the pool.

Feng Liusi was practicing the Southern Dipper Red Falcon Fist. It had been a long time since he had trained like this. A few years ago, his mental state had deteriorated along with his body, and he could no longer suppress the side effects of the Southern Dipper Red Falcon Fist.

The constant risk of going berserk had haunted him until Cassius came to challenge him. Now, there was no need to fear.

Feng Liusi truly treated Cassius as his disciple and imparted to him various insights and techniques. In return, Cassius repaid him by using a strange Secret Technique every few days to repair Feng Liusi's body.

The massive beasts near Death Canyon paid the price, as the two practitioners eradicated nearly every beast within ten kilometers.

Feng Liusi felt his body getting better with every day. At first, the changes were obvious. The wrinkles on his face disappeared, and his white hair darkened to coal-black. Although the effects were less evident later on, the gradual improvement was still steady and satisfying. He only stopped seeing the changes about a week ago.

Seated on a moss-covered boulder, Feng Liusi opened his eyes and looked down at his reflection in the clear pool of water. His height had increased from 1.75 meters to 1.80 meters, as his previously hunched body had straightened. His thin arms were now filled out with firm, strong muscles.

The most significant change, however, was in his face. He had transformed from a nearly seventy-year-old man into a middle-aged man in his forties. Apart from the slight wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, he had a smooth and handsome face, with a sharp nose and eyebrows as strong as a seagull's wings. His black hair hung low, covering one sharp eye, giving him an air of wild power. The only thing that seemed out of place was his braided beard.

Feng Liusi could feel vitality surging through his body, in stark contrast to his previous decaying state. He felt like his body had been completely reborn.

"It's time to say goodbye to the past." Feng Liusi reached up to scrape across his chin. With one swift motion, his one-pound heavy beard fell away.

He swiped a few more times with his right hand, shaving off the rest of his beard and revealing skin that hadn't felt fresh air for decades. Feng Liusi gazed silently at the familiar yet strange face reflected in the lake for a long time.

"I've become younger, and my strength has returned. I'll go down the mountain to settle the trivial matters of the Red Falcon Fist, and then... it's time to tie up a few loose ends," he muttered to himself as he slowly rose to his feet.

Suddenly, a figure darted out from the dense forest, hurtling toward Feng Liusi like a cannonball!

Feng Liusi recognized the familiar aura and wasn't the least bit surprised. He immediately clenched his fists and his entire body coiled like a spring before exploding outward.

His hands spread wide like the wings of a great bird as he began a furious assault. He met Cassius’s charge at the water's edge. The impact of their collision sent large waves rippling out from the shore.

Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!

The two exchanged a relentless combination of strikes. Feng Liusi's strong arms spun like wheels, launching massive punches as his joints moved in perfect harmony. His fists, feet, elbows, knees, and shoulders all responded in unison.

He was now far stronger than he had been two months ago!

Every punch Feng Liusi threw with his newly restored body was swift and powerful. He no longer had to rely solely on experience and technique, but could now bring strength into the mix. This was the true, near-perfect form of the Blood Fist at his peak!

Swoosh!

A fist whistled sharply through the air.

"Good one!" Feng Liusi's eyes gleamed as he stepped forward, blocking Cassius's fist while slamming a palm into the latter’s right armpit, causing Cassius to stumble backward.

Feng Liusi followed up swiftly with a forceful spin. His elbow sliced through the air delivering a spiraling strike at Cassius.

Boom!

Feng Liusi's elbow was blocked by a punch, while another punch came flying at a tricky angle. The fist slammed into Feng Liusi’s chest, forcing him to stagger back onto the scattered rocks of the shore.

Feng Liusi planted one foot firmly behind him to regain his balance, but his heel almost dipped into the pond behind him. He glanced back, chuckled lightly, and spread his arms wide. His clothes billowed in the wind as pale red steam surged out, and a wave of Qi expanded from him.

Visible ripples enveloped Cassius instantly. Feng Liusi didn’t hesitate to take advantage as he confidently stepped forward. His hands, which had been spread wide, suddenly came together at his chest like a blossoming lotus flower.

No matter what you do, you'll have to eat this! Blood Blossom Fist!

Five meters, three meters, two meters, one meter... The two closed the distance rapidly until only half a meter separated them.

Cassius fought through the overbearing Qi field and suddenly lifted his head. A knowing smile flashed across his face. The air around him stirred as blood-red steam erupted from his body. Then, an aura filled with murderous intent and bloodlust blasted outward, clashing violently with Feng Liusi's.

"This is...the Qi of the Southern Dipper Red Falcon Fist!" Feng Liusi was shocked as he was enveloped by Cassius’s Qi and his charge stuttered.

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They were only separated by half a meter. Cassius mischievously mirrored Feng Liusi's Blood Blossom Fist, and hundreds of arms exploded out in a flurry of strikes. As the dense flurry of strikes enveloped Feng Liusi, the technique’s creator experienced his own creation's effect for the first time. Oddly enough, it felt novel.

Crack, crack, crack...

A shadowy figure shot through the dirt and dust that was kicked up and into the pond, throwing water everywhere. Cassius straightened up and slowly walked to the edge of the pond.

Suddenly, an arm emerged from the water, followed by Feng Liusi's head . He had a profoundly mysterious look on his face as he opened his mouth.

"Good lad, you've got thirty... No, fifty percent of my former glory!"