Returning to the Mysterious Era-Chapter 235 - Will of the Fist Initial Form

Three seconds later, a relaxed Feng Liusi emerged from the pool. Droplets of water scattered as he shook himself. He stretched languidly after wringing more water from his clothes.

His clothes were about seventy percent dry by the time he walked over to Cassius. He had been struck fully by Blood Flower, but the residual force within his body had been neutralized by his own Death's Fang force. As long as it didn’t detonate in his body, the damage to muscle tissue or internal organs was insignificant. At most, it left some bruising on his skin and muscles.

Feng Liusi stopped when he was about a meter away from Cassius, looking him up and down with a slightly complex expression. Finally, he sighed. "Ah, if only you had trained in the Red Falcon Fist as my disciple. What a pity!"

Cassius understood what Feng Liusi was thinking. The Red Falcon Fist was a Covert Martial Art from Wenxia County, and considered a third-rate power. This status was largely due to Feng Liusi's fearsome reputation as the Blood Fist, since his combat ability surpassed that of many veteran combat artists. If an ordinary pugilist were the sect master of the Red Falcon Fist, it might not even be considered third-rate.

The quality of the disciples within the Red Falcon Fist sect varied widely. Most were of average talent, and even the few promising ones were not anything amazing. Feng Liusi had not passed down the Southern Dipper Covert Martial Inheritance to his disciples, not even to his own son, for over a decade. This was partly because the training requirements for the Southern Dipper Red Falcon Fist were extremely stringent; no one within the sect could pass even the initial assessments. Additionally, the Southern Dipper Red Falcon Fist had significant drawbacks, since it required extensive martial arts experience and a firm willpower. Without these, training in it would likely lead to madness, causing more harm than good.

Feng Liusi had once thought that the Southern Dipper Red Falcon Fist would die with him. Unexpectedly, he had been given a surprise in his later years. However, this potential successor refused to become his disciple. He could be considered Cassius's mentor and friend, but not Cassius’s master.

In the end, he sighed and said, "Let me see your combat aura again. Although I've already taught you the key points, some things can only be fully understood by personally experiencing it."

The two sat down on some flat ground near the pool under the waterfall.

Cassius lightly tapped the center of his forehead with his right hand, shifting into his Killer Persona state, and the aura of the Southern Dipper Red Falcon Fist instantly spread out.

A visible ripple of air spread outward, eventually forming a slightly distorted three-meter-wide circle around Cassius. The boundary was very distinct from above, as the fallen leaves within his aura’s range sank into the ground while the leaves beyond his boundary were far more loose.

Feng Liusi and Cassius sat cross-legged within the circle.

Feng Liusi closed his eyes slightly, and a red mist seeped out of his body, tightly wrapping around him. At the same time, he gently pressed a hand, fingers splayed, into the soil. A moment later, Feng Liusi’s eyes opened in surprise.

"Your aura is thick with killing intent. It’s almost at the level of an experienced combat artist. The killing intent in the air is as dense as cotton, far beyond that of a typical newly advanced combat artist..."

He withdrew his hand and examined the boundary. "Even the range is slightly larger, at least a meter more."

Cassius’s expression remained unchanged as he listened. He was well aware of his deep foundations. Not every pugilist could fight a veteran combat artist to a standstill; there was a vast chasm between the two. A pugilist with such strength would naturally stand out among their peers when breaking through to combat artist.

After pondering for a moment, Feng Liusi said, "Show me your aura again."

Cassius didn't hesitate as a cloud of red mist started to form around him. The mist naturally seeped out from his pores, and drifted upward along his shoulders and neck until it formed a spinning vortex about half the size of a person above his head.

He has so much aura right after a breakthrough!

Feng Liusi was secretly astonished, but he kept his mouth shut and continued to observe. Cassius's body continued to emit red mist, which collected above him. After two or three breaths, the cry of a fierce bird echoed from the red vortex. A claw that was almost the size of a human head faintly appeared. Its surface was not covered in skin, but red scales.

"That’s the initial form of the Will of the Fist!"

Feng Liusi could barely stay seated as he grumbled inwardly.

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How compatible is this kid with the Southern Dipper Red Falcon Fist? It’s only been two months of training, but he’s already developed the Will of the Fist.

The aura of a combat artist also had different stages. These were generally tied to the quantity and quality of the Qi within the combat artist's body, as well as the Will of the fist. An aura without the Will of the Fist was like scattered sand; it could only suppress Cover Martial Arts practitioners below the level of a combat artist by overwhelming their mental state.

However, in battles against combat artists of the same level, the same aura was much less effective. To truly be effective, it was essential to refine one's own Will of the Fist. This would consolidate one’s aura and force into a focused attack that could specifically target and dominate an individual within range.

Cassius had clearly reached this threshold; the initial form of the Southern Dipper Red Falcon Fist Will of the Fist had emerged. It only needed to be honed. Perhaps a burst of inspiration or the pressure of fighting a master might allow him to break through to a whole new level.

Feng Liusi's thoughts raced as he glanced at the dark red vortex above Cassius's head. The violent and bloody aura emanating from it made him secretly uneasy—it seemed a bit too intense.

After considering for a moment, Feng Liusi finally offered a warning.

"Cassius, I know you're thrilled about your breakthrough to a combat artist, and the coming period will be one of rapid progress for you. But you must be cautious. Consider me as a cautionary tale. The intense killing intent of the Southern Dipper Red Falcon Fist can easily lead to a backlash, or even drive you into madness. Restrain your desire to kill, and don't lose yourself..."

Feng Liusi was quite earnest. After two months of spending time together, he had come to see himself as a mentor. Certain things needed to be said and certain reminders had to be given. Whether Cassius would heed them was another matter, but Feng Liusi felt compelled to speak.

Feng Liusi’s own aura expanded outward as he showed Cassius various ways to use aura. He had picked up many useful tricks over the last twenty years.

Once Feng Liusi was done, Cassius asked him a question: if a practitioner of Covert Martial Arts possessed multiple auras simultaneously, could the repulsion between them lead to any negative consequences?

This question stumped Feng Liusi. He could only offer some guesses based on his own experience.

First, both negative and positive outcomes were possible. Auras with different natures might clash sharply, or they might transform into distinct forms, depending on the willpower infused into them.

Feng Liusi had personally seen a similar phenomenon. He had once traveled through the northern Covert Martial Arts world and encountered an elderly combat artist in seclusion. This combat artist practiced a very unique form of Covert Martial Arts, where the first half of his fist techniques were vastly different from the latter half. This actually caused his aura to transform when he switched between the two fist techniques. It was quite a marvel.

This situation was somewhat similar to Cassius's, though with significant differences.

Second, based on the conditions Cassius described, Feng Liusi believed that the coexistence of three auras was more likely than two. If there were only two auras, the likelihood of mutual destruction was greater, but a third aura could create unexpected stability. As everyone knows, a triangle is the most stable structure.

Third...

***

Time passed quickly as another two days went by. Cassius had begun to grasp the fundamentals of the combat artist level, and that morning, he expressed his intention to leave the mountain to Feng Liusi.

"You plan to leave the mountain?" Feng Liusi was standing in the door of the wooden cabin and looked at Cassius, who was standing before him with a thin wooden fishing rod slung over his shoulder.

"Yes, I have some matters to attend to," Cassius replied in his usual cold tone.

"Hold on a moment." Feng Liusi turned to enter the small cabin. Two minutes later, he emerged with a cloth bag in hand, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"Let's go together. I happen to have something to take care of as well." A cold glint flickered deep in Feng Liusi's eyes.

Cassius’s eyes flicked from Feng Liusi to the cloth bag he was carrying. He nodded succinctly. "Alright."

Feng Liusi lifted the bag slightly, as he explained, "I didn't bring much, just two cans of worms from around Death Canyon. These blood-colored worms are much larger than those I can find elsewhere. They’re perfect for fishing. At my age, I don't have many hobbies left, but I do enjoy fishing, hahaha..."

He laughed heartily, but in truth, he did not look his age at all. Instead, he looked like a middle-aged man with a story to tell—just the type that mature women might fancy.

The two experts from the Covert Martial Arts world then set off down the mountain, carrying nothing else with them.

***

August 27, just before 3:00 p.m. Near the Loka Mountains, in Wenxia County, Mia City. At the headquarters of Red Falcon Fist, a moderately sized gym.

The training ground was trapezoidal in shape, with a new brick facade in front and an older wooden structure at the back. Dozens of youths in light green training attire were practicing their punches on the training ground. Their movements were methodical and disciplined.

Instructors in white combat uniforms paced back and forth in the shade of a few large trees around the training ground as they supervised the disciples.

A young man was training near the entrance, but he seemed somewhat distracted. His gaze kept drifting toward the door, causing his movements to falter slightly.

"Val, focus!" The instructor's voice rang out from behind him, as a light smack landed on Val's head. He quickly snapped back to attention, not daring to lose focus again.

It didn’t take long for the clock to strike three.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Right on time, there was a knock on the wooden door.

A young man's voice called out from outside, "Eastern Nine Sects, Evil Eye Fist, second core disciple Odo... here to spar."

The disciples stopped practicing as they glanced at each other. A few began whispering among themselves.

"Here we go again, every day at 3:00 p.m..."

"When will this end? It's been more than half a month already..."

"Why does Evil Eye Fist keep challenging us? Even Azure Flowing Hand and Two-Finger Stream show up occasionally. What are they after?"

"I think it has something to do with the Eastern Nine Sects, but I'm not too sure..."

The instructors couldn’t help but sigh as they listened to the disciples’ hushed conversations. Various sects from the Covert Martial Arts world, led by Evil Eye Fist, had been repeatedly challenging Red Falcon Fist over the last half month. Although they claimed they were simply looking for sparring matches, Red Falcon Fist had lost more than they had won in these encounters. The constant challenges were affecting the disciples' training and morale. Five or six had already quit the gym.

Challenges like this were hard to avoid in the Covert Martial Arts world. Losing a match was one thing, but losing face was another. Red Falcon Fist had no choice but to accept the challenges. If they refused, their reputation would be ruined.

So unless they no longer wished to recruit disciples, the door had to be opened...

The door of the Red Falcon Fist gym creaked open, and a dark-skinned young man strode inside.

Five minutes later, the sparring was over. Red Falcon Fist had sent out three fighters, and all had been defeated.

Outside the dojo, the dark-skinned young man flexed his fists before getting into a car. The driver was a man in his fifties, with bulging muscles and unusually prominent veins on his arms. A scar ran across his face, and his deep, dark eyes held a cold intensity.

The car door slammed shut.

"Teacher, it's a clean sweep," the young man reported as he took a seat in the back.

"Good, that's exactly what we want." The middle-aged man's lips curled into a cold smile. "We extended a friendly offer to Red Falcon Fist, but they didn't appreciate it, so they can't blame us for taking action. The Eastern Nine Sects' plan to unify the eastern Covert Martial Arts world cannot be stopped. Red Falcon Fist is just a small thorn in our side. We’ll make an example out of them."

"Teacher, I recall that Red Falcon Fist once had a famous combat artist, someone named Feng Liusi who was nicknamed Blood Fist," the dark-skinned young man mentioned.

"I know what you're thinking, but don't worry. That old man went mad three years ago and has been hiding out in some corner of the Loka Mountains. Nobody's heard from him in a good while, he's probably dead by now." The middle-aged man paused, then continued, "But even if the old man does come back, it won't matter. Our Evil Eye Fist has two combat artists, both the sect master and the former sect master. Plus, we have another from a different sect, and the Eastern Nine Sects can send one more. Red Falcon Fist doesn't stand a chance. With four combat artists on our side, we can easily suppress all the sects in Wenxia County."

"Red Falcon Fist is just a minor obstacle..."

The middle-aged man started the car, and it gradually picked up speed. He glanced out the window before telling his disciple, "Sha Yang Elbow, Blackwood Secret Sword, Earth Plow Blade, Mikal Combat Sect, Moon Wind Sect... We've almost finished integrating all the smaller sects in the last three months. In a few days, we'll take down Red Falcon Fist. Then, with all the resources, medicinal herbs, and fresh blood from an entire county flowing into our Evil Eye Fist, both you and I will have a chance to advance further..."