Chapter 560: Chapter 560

In utter darkness, Cassius let his consciousness sink completely into his body. He was driving the Thorn Feather Force of the Southern Dipper Waterbird Fist through his meridians, and feeling it grow at a remarkable speed.

At first, the Thorn Feather Force was only a slender strand, as thin as a hair. But after breaching several acupoints, the Thorn Feather Force turned into a flowing stream. When the count of acupoints reached double digits, the streams converged into a brook. It washed through his body, clearing acupoint after acupoint.

Now, the Thorn Feather Force inside Cassius had become a great torrential river. Its rampage made his body ache faintly. Fifty-two white stars had been lit within the bloody holes, sparkling like jewels reflecting sunlight.

His body jolted, a powerful resonance rippling through his torso. The Southern Dipper Waterbird Fist, Sonic Snake Fist, and Red Falcon Fist all hummed in resonance. Instantly, an obscure yet subtle wave swept his whole frame, making his bones and muscles tingle.

Layer upon layer, it climbed and finally reached his mind. Cassius's brain pounded and his consciousness blurred. It felt as though something was lifting his soul out of his body.

By chance, an unusual moment of enlightenment had occurred. He pressed his palms together and an uncontrollable aura of dominance spread out. Three differently colored Qi streams twisted within his Dantian, one scarlet, one deep violet, and one dense white.

Slaughter, coldness, and calm; three distinct auras collided. Gradually the Qi took shape, forming three ancient fiends. The Giant Falcon, the Star Python, and the Cygnus coexisted, forming a stable equilateral triangle. At times, they scattered apart. Then the Cygnus would spread its wings in the center, acting as barrier and divider. The Star Python roared at the upper left, the Giant Falcon screeched at the lower right.

The whole carried an indescribable resonance.

Inside the meridians of the Southern Dipper Waterbird Fist, the river-like Thorn Feather Force surged upward, its speed leaping by several gears. It felt as if something was pushing it forward from behind.

Cassius trembled as three bloody holes burst open across his chest. Thorn Feather Force then gushed into the acupoints.

Fifty-five acupoints, fifth stage perfected.

But this was not enough! He had to reach the sixth stage, and leave deep footprints there. He would never squander this chance!

"While the first resonance of the Southern Dipper Covert Martial Inheritance still grants this opportunity, push through in one breath. Burn every bit of momentum..." Steeling himself, Cassius ignored the agony and harm to his organs.

He ferociously urged all three Southern Dipper arts to accelerate together.

A vast cloud of blood exploded from Cassius and was annihilated to nothing by the force before it could fall. A cold wind swept by, carrying away the lingering scent of blood.

On the mountaintop terrace, a figure of torn flesh sat motionless, legs crossed. His palms were joined, and his clothes had burst apart. Countless cracks ran across his burly frame like a dense spiderweb. Deep bleeding wounds gaped, and a closer look revealed organs writhing within. Cassius looked utterly wretched and nearly half-ruined.

Though his body had reached an extreme level of toughness, his recent gamble had caused him to come within a hair of exploding to death. It showed how wildly dangerous a Southern Dipper force rampage could be.

Twin streams of warm breath drifted from Cassius's nostrils, visible to the naked eye. The winding currents were tinged faintly with blood.

He snapped his eyes open. His pupils had turned completely white and were shining like spotlights.

"The Southern Dipper Waterbird Fist, sixth stage achieved..."

A white bird glided out from within!

Ding-ding-ding-ding-ding...

After the birdcall, crisp activation pops from the acupoints merged into a continuous ring.

One, ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty...

Sixty Southern Dipper Waterbird Fist acupoints—only six short of perfection!

Cassius's one-breath assault had been correct: breaching sixty acupoints in a row had saved immense time. He had not only stormed into the sixth stage but also nearly mastered it outright!

This was unquestionably an excellent outcome. As for seizing this chance to perfect all sixty-six Waterbird acupoints in one go, such a fancy remained a fantasy. It was fine to imagine, but in practice absolutely impossible.

Every Covert Martial Art grew harder the further it went, and acupoints were no exception. Opportunities for a single leap to heaven were rare, especially in the sixth stage. That Cassius had vaulted halfway through the sixth stage was due to his deep foundations and great luck. Of course, together with the nerve to push through in one stroke. All of it combined to yield this achievement.

Had he hesitated for even a moment, he could never have broken through the last five acupoints—two or three would have been the limit. Thus, when fortune arrived, it depended on one's guts to seize it for greater gain. This time, Cassius had done quite well with White Bird Holy Fist's impartation.

Another cold wind swept the summit, making his torn robe flap.

"You brat, truly bold." Behind Cassius, White Bird Holy Fist withdrew his hand, shaking his head in thought as he murmured. "Worthy of a Dominator Fist like the Blood Vulture, acting the moment the thought arrives with extraordinary nerve. Back then, Blood Vulture rushed to an origin of calamity and pinned down the Totem King, buying us time the same way..."

White Bird Holy Fist watched Cassius swiftly heal his wounds. Life vibration energy diffused through his body, continually nourishing flesh and blood. His wounds closed as they filled and new skin grew.

After an indeterminate time, he rose slowly from the ground. An inexplicable sense of fulfillment welled in his heart. Power was the richest well for a parched soul. For a madman like Cassius, it granted unprecedented satisfaction. That gratification was leagues beyond any carnal pleasure.

Words like "walking on clouds" or "transcendent" failed to capture the feeling.

Cassius's lips curled. He revealed a pleased yet inherently ferocious grin.

"Hahahahahaha..." His unrestrained laughter echoed over the summit, shooting into the sky.

As he laughed, the entire Qi world gradually faded. Like a bleached oil painting, the pigments dripped away, leaving only a black-and-white sketch. After another moment, even the sketch vanished. Only a hazy blankness remained, as though viewed through glass.

The world spun and his vision blurred.

Cassius opened his eyes and found himself back in the ashy land.

White Bird Holy Fist was facing him, with Flaming Sun Holy Fist waiting silently beside. It was plain to see White Bird Holy Fist was in dire straits. His aura was flickering like a candle in the wind. It might even snuff out any second.

With his mighty Qi field gone, decay leaked from White Bird Holy Fist's husk. It was a stench of impending death. The next instant, White Bird Holy Fist's eyes opened. They were no longer bright and sharp, but clouded with gloom.

"The Qi I forced into this domain is nearly spent... Flaming Sun, be ready. I'll take you back right away. However, be wary. I sense at least three Ultimate Dark Forms prowling around my true body, ready to strike. Their aim is clear; they want to stall me so that the Moon God curse and Dead Abyss seal intensify and wear me down on the continent. Unfortunately for them, they shall fail..." An unrivaled confidence underscored White Bird Holy Fist's tone.

"When you enter the World of Calamity, leave my side at once. I will hold off those Ultimate Dark Forms. After I shake them off, reach the Black Abyssal Sea, and reset the curse and seal, meet me at the edge of Despair Beach—there is something important..." The elder rose slowly and looked at the crimson-gold flame figure nearby.

Flaming Sun Holy Fist nodded, clearly trusting White Bird Holy Fist without question. They had worked together before and understood each other. Flaming Sun knew how terrifying White Bird was. If he vowed to hold off at least three Ultimate Dark Forms, he would surely succeed! There was no doubt.

Moreover, in his present weakened state, he would only burden White Bird Holy Fist in the World of Calamity. Since he had shed the endless drain of fighting Pale Origin at long last, Flaming Sun Holy Fist needed time to recuperate.

In the clearing, White Bird's face shifted again, his eyes going vacant. After a while, he returned to himself and turned to Cassius. "Cassius, I must go back to my battlefield. Flaming Sun will leave with me. We shall wait for you in the World of Calamity. It will not take long. Sixty Southern Dipper acupoints are not far from perfection, and once you perfect the fist, you can break directly into Dominator Fist. I have even greater faith in that than you do..."

White Bird Holy Fist walked over and went on, "Everything that could be told has been said inside the Qi world. What cannot be spoken is not because I refuse, but because you are not at that level. If I told you, you would forget it the next second. Real secrets vanish from memory below the Holy Fist realm. So break through quickly, you little rascal..."

He stretched out an aged hand and patted Cassius's shoulder with satisfaction. Clearly, after months together, White Bird Holy Fist had grown fond of this Southern Dipper heir. A bond akin to mentor and disciple now existed between them.

"I understand." Cassius nodded slowly.

In the Qi world, he had not only trained but also asked White Bird many secrets. Of course, some could be told and some could not. Or rather, once told, Cassius could not remember them.

"Is it again related to Xiadu?" He had guessed then. Thɪs chapter is updated by novel·fire.net

The Gate Organisation was already ruined. The deputy leader, the Holy Fist Demon Phoenix, was dead; the seven General Kings were almost all gone, and many core combat artist members had fallen.

At least two thirds of the Gate Organization's foundation had been wiped out, leaving only a handful alive. Yet Xiadu should still be asleep in this period. It seemed that it was time for a purge after he returned to the Hongli Empire.

The target? The globally-strong Gate Organisation. Beyond that, he also wanted to cleanse other dark forces like the Eclipse Society. Furthermore, his arrangements for the Dark Hunter Organization had to move forward. He would start by becoming the Radiant Hunter, fulfilling the host's lingering attachment. Of course, if the Chief Mechanist chose to step aside, Cassius would not refuse to head the Dark Hunter Organization.

Moreover, the Covert Martial Arts world of the Hongli Empire already owed him two favors. In truth, he now held a formidable power. Two years later, it would surely surprise whatever unknown foe awaited.

Thoughts flowed and Cassius returned to the present.

"I'm leaving." White Bird Holy Fist sat in lotus posture with his eyes shut. His aura weakened rapidly until he became a lifeless, sacred statue. After a silent moment, a sharp bird cry rang out as a white waterbird burst from his husk.

It shot skyward like a missile, trailing a pale tail-flame. Below, the crimson-gold flame giant of Flaming Sun collapsed and transformed into a human-sized black flame figure. The black flame leaped into the air, following the waterbird's path. Both moved at unimaginable speed and vanished in the blink of an eye.

Only two booms echoed as the sky quivered.

A strange ripple swept by, twisting the air into visible waves. Cassius knew the ripple well; it matched the World of Calamity. It seemed the two Holy Fists had entered the World of Calamity.

"I fear we will only meet again in the World of Calamity. Places where the borders between worlds thin are rare." Cassius looked skyward and sighed. "Even with the Mark of the Spirit Bearer, I dare not approach an Ultimate Dark Form lightly. A full-fledged Ultimate Dark Form is a different beast from a half-ruined Pale Origin. But it won't be long. Dominator Fist is near for me..."

Tap, tap, tap... tap, tap, tap...

A black figure stepped forth from the vast wreckage of the Pale Origin. He looked at the Covert Martial Arts camp and Black Rain Manor camp and said slowly, "Come... it's time for you to reap the harvest..."