Returning to the Mysterious Era-Chapter 321 - Five Months

Cassius' movements were still somewhat immature, but he had grasped at least two or three parts of the technique's essence. His five fingers curved and extended forward, transforming into the fangs of a man-eating python. His fingers subtly flicked at the air.

He stood with his legs firmly planted, his center of gravity sinking. It was not an aggressive stance, but a purely defensive one. When facing an Ultimate Fist practitioner, it was best not to be overly arrogant.

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Cassius had learned his lesson from the first two encounters. Though he still wanted to experience the old man's Sonic Snake Fist, he now understood the gap in their strength. It was a difference that couldn't be overcome by brute force.

He decided to still his movements and cautiously test the waters first. As his thoughts swirled, the white-haired old man assumed a stance much like the previous two times. It was clearly one of the opening forms of the Sonic Snake Fist. His left foot was forward, and his right foot was pulled back diagonally. His waist was slightly bent, like a drawn bow, and his arms slowly crossed in front of his chest.

By the pond, amidst the mist, the old and the young man locked eyes in a deep stare. At this moment, their auras were strangely similar. Both carried a cold, mechanical feel, devoid of any human warmth.

Neither moved, like two vipers locked in a final confrontation before striking, as the atmosphere gradually thickened.

Whoosh!

Finally, the old man moved! He lunged forward in a large step, closing the distance to within a meter.

"Retreat, dodge, advance, elbow strike..." In an instant, Cassius' Cold Persona calculated the steps required and executed them precisely.

Cassius' muscles twitched slightly as he immediately stepped back. He used the strength of his spine and waist to shift his body sideways to avoid the punch he had predicted.

But then he felt a blow land on his left waist! A dull pain spread from his side, and his body instinctively dodged to the right. A sudden hand blade sliced through the air like the tail of a snapping python, viciously striking his right side! His tough muscles rippled beneath his clothes, as Reverberating Force drilled into him.

Cassius felt a trace of shock. The old man had predicted both his movements and position. The old man's fist and hand blade had awaited him as if he knew where Cassius would be in advance.

Had he been out-calculated?

In that moment when he stepped back, the Ultimate Fist practitioner had already determined his position through Cassius' muscle movements and gaze.

No! It had been even earlier than that. It wasn't a passive calculation either, it was active.

When the old man took that large step to close the distance, everything that followed had already been set in motion! He was forcing Cassius into the next move, a move he had already anticipated.

This one-meter distance was neither too long nor too short. It was just on the edge of being threatening. Cassius had judged that he needed to retreat, and in doing so, he suffered for it.

Bang, bang, bang!

The two collided three times in rapid succession. They matched elbow against fist, knee against palm, hand blade against hand blade.

The old man's mastery of fist techniques was clearly far superior to Cassius', but both used basic moves. Cassius wasn't so weak that he couldn't fight back at all.

Bang!

Their palms touched and separated. The blonde youth steadied himself with a spinning step. "So blocked moves won't trigger Reverberating Force?"

He frowned slightly as he realized something. This must be the old man's method of testing him. First, the inheritor had to use the basic forms of the Sonic Snake Fist. Second, in the exchange of basic moves, every time the old man landed a hit, Reverberating Force would accumulate within the body until it reached a point of explosion.

Third, the elder never repeated any of his basic forms during his attacks. Each move was different as he cycled through the complete set of the Sonic Snake Fist's basics. Therefore, the test was limited in time.

A few seconds later.

Bang!

Another collision erupted, sending mist swirling through the air. This time, Cassius' guard was broken, and a hand landed lightly on the vulnerable spot on his chest, sending Reverberating Force surging through his body.

Boom! Crack!

His tall frame was sent flying backward for over ten meters before crashing heavily into a tree that required two people to encircle.

"Cough, cough... Eight moves... I didn't even last ten."

The blonde youth clutched his collapsed chest, blood spilling from his mouth like a fountain. Inside his body, Reverberating Force raged like boiling magma, on the verge of erupting as it delivered devastating secondary damage.

In the brief moment before the explosion, Cassius shifted his body backward slightly, raising his spine until he found a somewhat comfortable position. Just as he settled, his chest burst open. The internal pressure shattered his blood vessels and skin, causing a hundred streaks of crimson to bloom.

His Qi World rebooted for the third time after another ten minutes. The blonde corpse on the ground suddenly flipped over and sprang to its feet.

Stretching his limbs, Cassius' eyes darkened slightly.

He had come to understand the Sonic Snake Fist's most prominent features.

Ferocity and exploitation of flaws. Calculation and prediction.

It attacked from stillness, like a venomous viper. It wasn't like the aggressive and domineering Southern Dipper Red Falcon Fist. It had a calm and rational aura in every aspect, with every strike considering multiple escape routes.

It didn't feel like fighting, but more like calculating. A fist would find the gap in his defense, a hand blade would strike the point where his stance was weakest, and the footwork would lock in his position, preventing escape.

It was like a spider weaving a web, gradually pushing its prey into a corner, leaving no room to retreat. It didn't make mistakes, didn't leave flaws, and offered no chances.

"I've only learned fifty percent of the Sonic Snake Fist's basics, which is not nearly enough. After mastering them, I'll need to improve my proficiency step by step, to the point where I can hold out until the time runs out under an Ultimate Fist practitioner... But how many lives will I need for that?"

For the first time, a feeling of anxiety crept into Cassius' heart. He took a deep breath and walked step by step to the edge of the pond.

Then, he initiated the fourth inheritance.

***

Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom...

Green leaves fluttered through the forest as two figures moved at extreme speed. Their legs were terrifyingly powerful, able to burst forward dozens of meters in a single dash or twist sharply in an instant. Deep footprints and craters dotted the ground where they passed.

The blonde figure and the white-haired figure chased and fought, colliding with fists and feet. Knees, toes, elbows, shoulders—every part of their bodies was a deadly weapon. At that moment, both unleashed all their combat skills.

"Entwine Form!"

Cassius dodged a fist and instantly closed the gap. His strong arms slammed together, ferociously striking forward. They stirred the air into a vortex like two giant ivory pythons entwining.

Bang!

An aged fist met the strike mid-air. Perhaps it couldn't stand against the overwhelming force, but the elder's fist was shaken loose, leaving an opening at his chest. Cassius' remaining strength struck home.

"Even if I don't pass this time, it was still worth it!"

A cold gleam flashed in Cassius' eyes. He kicked off a giant tree, using the rebound to leap forward.

"Dance Form!"

He spun in mid-air, his arms whipping like wind blades. His limbs moved swiftly and flexibly, like the tail of a serpent swinging in a wide arc.

Bang!

A palm shot out from below, colliding with the incoming punch. The two attacks clashed, one from above and one from below, creating a violent explosion. The air rang out from the impact, and the surrounding trees shook violently, with leaves falling like rain. The old man's feet sank deeply into the ground.

"Piercing Form!"

Cassius spread his arms wide, suddenly appearing beside the old man. His feet moved forward inch by inch, while his arms unleashed a rapid series of straight punches.

Fast, short, and fierce!

They exchanged more than ten strikes in just a brief moment. The surrounding forest was shattered, leaving behind broken tree stumps.

"Biting Form!"

Gathering strength in his feet, the blond-haired youth shot forward like a cannonball, colliding with the old man whose white hair fluttered wildly.

But a moment later...

Bang!

The youth was sent flying backward. However, this time he managed to maintain control, spinning three times in the air and covering a distance of twenty meters. His arms reached behind him, his knees bent slightly, and his back pressed against the bark of a tree.

He landed firmly on a ten-meter-high tree. He had managed to stabilize himself by using his outstretched arms and the friction of his feet. Cassius narrowed his eyes slightly, as if sensing something within his body. After a moment, the corner of his mouth curved into a smile.

The Reverberating Force in his body hadn’t exploded, but had been dissipated.

His dark pupils looked down at the old man, who remained motionless, showing no intention of continuing the attack as before.

Cassius glanced at the top right corner, noticing the scale had decreased by thirty units.

It had been thirty whole days—an entire month. He had finally passed the test of the Sonic Snake Fist's basic techniques from the old Ultimate Fist practitioner!

Cassius had lost count of how many times he had been beaten to death. The sensation of Reverberating Force exploding inside his body was indescribably excruciating. Just thinking about it was enough to make one cry out in frustration.

Even though he had died numerous times, the life vibration energy inside him hadn't been completely exhausted. In fact, he still had quite a bit left ever since he learned how to conserve it.

The life vibration energy he stored was only enough to sustain a few hundred lives, but that was assuming he was fully restored each time. If he only recovered enough to move and practice, he didn't need nearly as much Life Vibration energy, drastically reducing its consumption.

Since he would die anyway, using an entire dose of life vibration energy would be a waste. Instead, he divided it into three parts, allowing him to become three heavily injured versions of himself. In a way, this increased his chances of survival.

Additionally, he could choose not to trigger the inheritance at all. He could hide in the forest, reflecting on the lesson and training on his own for a while. When his inspiration was nearly depleted, he could return to the trial.

During this period, Cassius had been as frugal as possible.

It was important to note that it seemed he didn't need to eat or even sleep in the Qi World. There was a mysterious force in the air that maintained his body.

All Cassius had to do was study and fight.

Tap...

His feet landed softly as he jumped down from the tree. His eyes remained fixed on the old man, observing his next move.

After a month, Cassius, in his Cold Persona state, had mastered the basic moves of the Sonic Snake Fist. Based on the various characteristics of the techniques, along with his experience with the Red Falcon Fist, he classified them into four forms: Entwine, Dance, Piercing, and Biting.

They all carried distinct snake-like qualities. These were the foundational frameworks of a fist style. Only by solidifying the foundation could more intricate and complex structures be built.

Crunch, crunch, crunch...

The old man moved again, stepping on fallen leaves as he slowly made his way back to the clearing by the pond. He sat cross-legged on a green stone.

Cassius followed him step by step, his expression unchanged.

The roar of the waterfall echoed in his ears.

"Sit."

The hoarse voice rang out in Cassius's ears like thunder, completely overpowering the sound of the waterfall.

"So you can talk after all!"

Cassius was slightly taken aback. Over the past month, the old man had been as silent as a wooden puppet, only going through the motions without saying a word.

"Sit."

The old man uttered a single word, pointing to the ground with his aged finger.

"Well, it seems like a program's lingering attachment," Cassius muttered, rubbing his forehead as he understood. Following the old man's instruction, he sat in a crater left by their earlier battle.

There used to be a green stone there, but it had been shattered during their fight, so Cassius could only squat in the pit.

The old man froze for a few seconds, as if stuck, before slowly starting to speak about the Sonic Snake Fist.

"Sixty-six acupoints..."

"The meridians between the acupoints..."

"Reverberating Force..."

"The Star Python constellation map..."

"The Southern Dipper state..."

As he spoke, the old man occasionally used his finger as a pen, carving diagrams into the ground with his force energy. He drew images of the human body over the Star Python constellation, marking the locations of various acupoints and virtual meridians.

Since Cassius had previous experience practicing the Southern Dipper Covert Martial Inheritance, he quickly immersed himself in it. It only took him a moment to grasp the next stage of the inheritance.

First, he needed to enter the Southern Dipper state, which involved constructing the meridians within his body and activating the sixty-six acupoints on the Star Python's star map.

This was entirely different from what he had experienced in Death Canyon. This time, he would have to do it all on his own.

When he was learning the basics of the Southern Dipper Red Falcon Fist in the Loka Mountains, Feng Liusi had helped Cassius by using his own Death's Fang Force to guide and activate Cassius's force energy, leading it to the correct locations and forcefully constructing a temporary foundation.

This saved Cassius a lot of trial-and-error time. Had he been on his own, it would have taken him an incredibly long time to gradually activate all the acupoints in his body. Additionally, there was a certain level of risk involved. Improper activation could cause the force energy to riot inside him, which, given that it was within his own body, could easily lead to serious injury.

Taking a deep breath, Cassius glanced at the top right corner to check the remaining time. There were still more than one hundred and twenty days left for this time-travel—about four months.

He wasn't sure if that would be enough. He refocused on the Sonic Snake Fist. According to Feng Liusi, different inheritances within the Southern Dipper Covert Martial Arts could conflict with one another. If they were practiced simultaneously, they could either clash, causing self-destruction, or resonate with each other, leading to amplification.

The Sonic Snake Fist and the Southern Dipper Red Falcon Fist seemed to be polar opposites; one was as hot as fire, while the other was as cold as ice. While Cassius had his three personas to act as barriers, he still couldn't guarantee that there wouldn't be any issues. He felt a bit uneasy.

But at this point, there was no turning back. Relying solely on the Southern Dipper Red Falcon Fist had already begun affecting his Killer Persona and was even starting to impact his Main Persona. Cassius could lose himself in battle and become a madman at any moment.

The Sonic Snake Fist was currently the best solution. Gritting his teeth, he finally began serious training.

In the Qi World, there was no cycle of day and night, only endless daylight. The scenery remained ever beautiful—green mountains, clear water, and tranquil ponds.

Only the scale in the top right corner kept track of the passage of time.

Bit by bit, the units on the scale dwindled.

The world blurred, and four months passed...