Returning to the Mysterious Era-Chapter 373: The Instant Killing of Three Combat Artists

A terrifying aura had locked onto both Hugo and Archid from a distance, like the gaze of a ferocious beast. The oppressive force felt almost tangible, bearing down with intense weight.

The atmosphere in the Black Pupil Tower shook, air currents slamming violently against the tinted French windows, filling the space with an ominous clatter. A powerful column of energy erupted upward, causing every heart in the room to skip a beat, as if tightly clenched.

"!!!"

The combat artist who had originally charged towards Evil Eye Fist froze in horror, sensing the overwhelming power roaring toward him. He knew he couldn't withstand it—he couldn't even handle the aftershock! Even if all four of them joined forces, it wouldn't be enough.

In this life-threatening moment, he unleashed a Draining Secret Technique. He stomped the ground fiercely, leaving a half-meter crater in his wake, leveraging the impact to halt his own rapid advance and even forcefully propel himself back.

Switching from extreme movement to an abrupt halt, he even managed a reverse maneuver. However, the effort caused him internal injuries, and he coughed up a mouthful of fresh blood. At that moment, Blood Vulture's Beak sliced past him as if by teleportation, shattering and vaporizing the blood he had just spat out.

"AAH!" A shrill scream rang out from his right—another combat artist elder from the Eastern Nine Sects. He had hesitated a split second too long, and as Blood Vulture's Beak shot past, half his body was bitten into oblivion, leaving him with only one arm, one leg, and part of his head. The scene was gruesome; intestines hung loosely from the cross-section of his mangled torso, and a peculiar energy began to spread like electricity, disintegrating his muscles and bones.

This combat artist elder's fate was sealed.

"That was close!" The man exhaled deeply, feeling an overwhelming sense of dread. Had he hesitated even slightly, he would likely have shared the same fate as the elder, now twitching on the floor. He thanked his own quick reflexes, although in reality, it was Cassius who had deliberately slowed his ultimate killing move. Hugo and Archid were already trapped by his aura; they had no escape. Cassius wanted them to feel the terror of their predicament, to witness the deadly power closing in, to struggle desperately—and still die helplessly.

Had he executed the move instantly, it would have been over too quickly, sparing them even the chance to feel pain—too merciful for his liking.

Just as Cassius anticipated, Hugo and Archid were stricken with terror. They immediately unleashed all their Qi and strength, conjuring a dense, dark barrier overhead, their pupils blazing with fury, casting a shadow that stole all light, creating a pure darkness domain around them.

Yet Blood Vulture's Beak tore straight through it, plowing an unaltered path forward, the fierce beak widening to reveal a pitch-black throat, as if leading into a hell that disintegrated everything in its wake.

"An ultimate killing attack right from the start! No room to recover!" Hugo was near his breaking point. Feeling the same mortal danger, Archid also attempted to flee, but Blood Vulture's Beak seemed to detect their intention, accelerating its path with a ferocious roar.

"Fight with everything we've got—together!"

"Eye of Darkness!"

In unison, Hugo and Archid pushed their Qi to its peak, channeling every ounce of strength into two consecutive punches. Their bodies flushed red from exertion, combat attire ripping to expose lean muscle and bulging veins, thick as old tree roots, coursing with hot blood.

This was Evil Eye Fist's final struggle.

Darkness fell upon them, and from the shadows, a fierce one-eyed beast emerged, limbs thick, body massive, with an enormous eye as black as night that consumed all light.

This giant one-eyed beast, as large as a wild elephant, leapt from the darkness below with a furious roar, only to be swallowed whole by Blood Vulture's Beak, its gaping maw as massive as a locomotive.

"Ugh!" "Ugh!"

Hugo and Archid coughed up blood, eyes bloodshot with terror as they watched the monstrous beak closing in.

Have you ever been hit by a speeding train?

Boom!!!

Hugo felt as if his soul had left his body, his mind blank, spirit detached. Ambition, desire, emotions—all meaningless in that moment.

No matter how cunning or determined, death rendered all equal. Death was the one constant, unaffected by identity, status, or wealth.

On the first floor of the Black Pupil Tower, a thunderous crash shattered the windows, shaking the entire building's structure. Dust filled the air, as if an explosion had torn through.

The impact wasn't quite an explosion, but close enough. The Blood Vulture's Beak, nearly twice the size of a locomotive, had plowed through metal rings, burst through the seating aisles, and smashed through three or four thick walls. It had forced its way through the Black Pupil Tower entirely.

The destructive force did not wane, carving a hundred-meter-long path through the city, leaving a swath of wreckage behind as anything in its way was obliterated by the bird's beak.

On a balcony near the perimeter of the police cordon, two senior officers, mouths agape, stared blankly at the distant scene, too stunned to notice the hot ash falling onto their hands. What had just come barreling out of the tower? It looked like a terrifying beast, forging a straight path through the city, splitting it in two.

That savage roar echoed above Mia City, sounding almost like a bird of prey... or perhaps a monster!

Deputy Chief Marco flinched, snapping out of his shock as a cigarette burned into his hand. He felt pain, but it was a small sensation compared to the overwhelming awe. The disturbance came from the direction of the Black Pupil Tower.

Beside him, Chief Reuben took a deep breath and shook his head. "Now you see what I was talking about last week, Marco. But this time, the cleanup area might be a bit large. Be prepared—we'll be working through lunch at this rate." He patted Marco on the shoulder.

Suddenly, waves of violent air from the distant attack rolled in, creating fierce gusts on the rooftop that felt like a gale-force wind.

Reuben and Marco, barely able to stay upright, supported each other, stumbling across the balcony to head downstairs and manage the fallout.

Back at the Black Pupil Tower, chaotic sounds filled the space—shattering glass, tables and chairs scraping the floor. Shouts, gasps, and hurried footsteps could be heard throughout.

Although none present were ordinary people, each trained at least in Covert Martial Arts, the force of that attack was beyond that of any regular expert. This was the peak technique of a combat artist, an ultimate secret move!

In an instant, the various martial arts sects began to retreat, racing towards the exits of the Black Pupil Tower at incredible speeds. Being martial artists of superior physical prowess, they moved with remarkable agility.

In moments, most of the crowd had fled, leaving only the elder-level figures from each sect on the first floor, prepared to face the danger.

"Hugo, Archid... those two..."

As the dust and debris from the Blood Vulture's Beak's attack settled, two figures became visible. They were none other than Archid and Hugo, their bodies frozen mid-punch in a dynamic yet statuesque stance, unmoving as if petrified.

Whoosh...

A faint gust drifted in from the hole in the wall behind them.

Clatter...

The flesh on Hugo and Archid's bodies suddenly disintegrated like powder, scattering like dry, pale red dust into the air. Within seconds, the breeze carried away the remnants, leaving only two skeletal frames in their places, stark white and perfectly preserved.

Still locked in their attack positions, the skeletons stood upright, unshaken.

"They... they're dead!"

The combat artists around the room were struck with shock, each feeling a wave of horror wash over them. With a single strike, two high-ranking combat artists from the Evil Eye Fist Sect had been annihilated. One was nearly at the level of a veteran combat artist, and the other was an actual veteran. And Cassius hadn't just killed them; he had done so with such precision and control of his power that he left behind intact skeletons.

It was as if a bone-cleansing wind had swept over them, stripping away their flesh and leaving behind only bare bone. Archid and Hugo were left in a haunting, disturbing death pose, their skeletal remains emitting a chilling aura.

For anyone who witnessed this, a glance alone was enough to fill their hearts with cold dread.

"G-g-g..."

Lying on the marble floor was the body of the combat artist elder from the Eastern Nine Sects, now reduced to half his former self. Unable to endure the excruciating pain, he too finally succumbed, dying in agony. His remaining torso seemed to be ravaged by invisible, voracious insects, gnawing at him until only a left arm, half a spine, and part of a skull remained. The rest had dissolved into a pool of liquid.

With one strike, Cassius had killed three combat artists!

Even those who had only been grazed by the residual force perished instantly...

"A top-tier combat artist! This is the ultimate move of a top-tier combat artist!"

The realization dawned on the assembled sect elders. In truth, an ordinary top-tier combat artist might not be capable of such devastation. But Cassius, young, vigorous, with peak vitality and the dual strengths of physique and Qi, had executed the Blood Vulture's Beak with frightening precision.

His power had nearly reached the maximum threshold for a top-tier combat artist.

Under this devastatingly powerful move, it was no surprise that three combat artists had died. However, this didn't mean that Cassius could casually kill other combat artists. His ultimate move, the Blood Vulture's Beak, consumed vast amounts of Qi and mental focus, typically allowing only one use per fight. Following such a move, he would enter a period of temporary weakness.

However, the Qi depletion's effect on Cassius was minimal due to his exceptional physique. His combat strength remained firmly within the top-tier level, which was the benefit of developing both his physical body and Qi to the utmost limits, enabling him to maintain full output consistently.

Tap, tap, tap...

Footsteps echoed from the breach at the rear of the Black Pupil Tower. A man with brilliant golden hair and a trench coat strode forward, his hands dripping blood at a steady pace.

Drip, drip, drip...

The blood splattered onto the marble floor, the sound echoing in the eerie silence.

Gradually, the first-floor atmosphere became still and somber.

The initial shock wore off, and the combat artists from the Eastern Nine Sects regrouped, now totaling five. The Evil Eye Fist Sect had been utterly decimated, while the elders from the Singing Water Sect and Cloud Dog Fist were preoccupied elsewhere, and one elder from the Eastern Nine Sects had just perished.

Thus, the five combat artists present represented:

The Star Ring Fist Sect, the Soul-Breaking Sword Sect, the Red Arm Fist Sect, the Void Sun Sect, and the Heart Tiger Sect. Among them, the Star Ring Fist Sect and Soul-Breaking Sword Sect elders were veteran combat artists, while the Heart Tiger Style elder, the middle-aged man who narrowly escaped death, was on the verge of achieving that level.

The other two were regular combat artists who had gained recognition through past duels. The five stood together, their combined Qi surging like bright torches in the night. Their forces entwined and intensified as they confronted Cassius, who advanced steadily toward them.

This was the Eastern Martial Arts Exchange Tournament, a prestigious event in the Eastern Covert Martial Arts world. Cassius had brazenly killed members of the Evil Eye Fist Sect, the hosts of this event, in plain view of the crowd! Such arrogance!

The Evil Eye Fist was one of the Eastern Nine Sects, and Cassius's act was a blatant insult to them. The suddenness of his attack had left the others unable to react in time, resulting in the deaths of three combat artists from the Eastern Nine Sects—an unacceptable loss.

With five combat artists still present from the Eastern Nine Sects, out of a total twelve, they continued to hold an overwhelming advantage in force.

Whoosh~ Whoosh~

The turbulent airflow gushed through the opening, whipping Cassius's trench coat and wild golden hair around him.

On the other side, Elder Aro of the Star Ring Fist stepped forward, his sharp, hawk-like gaze fixed intently on Cassius.

"Young man, state your name... Destroying the Eastern Martial Arts Exchange Tournament, killing three combat artists from the Eastern Nine Sects—no matter if you're a top-tier combat artist, you'll face the relentless pursuit of the entire Eastern Covert Martial Arts world!" His voice was hoarse yet resolute.

Even with so many combat artists present, they could, at the very least, ensure Cassius would pay dearly. The strongest sects within the Eastern Nine Sects each had top-tier combat artists as their champions! Setting aside others, just the sect masters of the Star Ring Fist and the Soul-Breaking Sword stepping in would mean a two-on-one battle, leaving Cassius little chance of survival!

"Hahaha! The relentless pursuit of the entire Eastern Covert Martial Arts world?" Cassius laughed suddenly. "Why don't you ask those sect elders behind you—how many of them are actually willing to step forward and fight alongside you?"

Amos had already made contact with the non-Eastern Nine Sects elders, conversing secretly several times throughout the tournament, demonstrating the depth and promise of the Black Ops Agency's support as the Federation's official powerhouse. Adding Cassius's dominant display at the end of the tournament, with his Blood Vulture's Beak technique...

Killing three combat artists instantly!

It left a clear impression of the Golem Sect's strength.

Those willing to support the Eastern Nine Sects at this point were few and far between.

Hearing Cassius's words, Aro spun around in shock. "Don't be swayed by his words! If we all attack together, then..."

But the seven combat artists, already standing a step behind the Eastern Nine Sects fighters, all took another step back.

Their message was unmistakable.

Don't try to use us as pawns; if you want to kill him, do it yourself!