Returning to the Mysterious Era-Chapter 677 - Ultimate Fist Achieved!

The Dead Abyss seal lived up to its name. At that moment, Cassius truly felt the torment once suffered by White Bird Holy Fist. It was an asphyxiating darkness that was like plunging into a bottomless sea. It was like drowning helplessly, despairing as life slipped away.

This was the feeling brought by the Dead Abyss seal as it affected both Cassius's body and mind. The boundless dark waters of the Black Abyssal Sea carried a strange fluctuation that could be called a curse. Every drop crossed space to act upon the seated Cassius, opening its maw to suck madly at him.

His flesh and bones seemed teeter toward disintegration as they felt that rending pull. This kind of curse could not be stopped or resisted even by a Golem physique since the Dead Abyss seal's suction worked mainly on the target's Will. A powerful body could hold out longer, but the chief factor was the target's Will.

If one’s Will was strong and resolute enough, they could resist the seal's terrible tug. That had been the case with White Bird Holy Fist, whose Holy Fist Will had reached an unprecedented peak. He could bear the Dead Abyss seal with the Moon God's curse, force his way onto the continental plate, and split his mind to enter Eternal Island to deal with Pale Origin.

That was something Cassius absolutely could not do at his current stage. Hence, a gap between them still remained.

Cassius sat with his palms together on the seabed of the Ancient Austin Trench, ring upon ring of violet scaled python phantoms coiled around him. Suction that could not only tear flesh but rip a soul apart abounded beneath the trillions of tons of water.

At first, the Dead Abyss seal had indeed caused Cassius unimaginable trouble. But as time passed, his understanding of the Ultimate Fist realm deepened and his Will grew ever more stronger. His whole being was seamless, like one circle. Every cell was full and rounded, like a diamond polished ten thousand times. Cassius's Ultimate Fist Will was as unmoving as a mountain as it held that ubiquitous suction at bay.

The harsher the environment, the sturdier my shell and the stronger my Will!

He was like a weed emerging from a crack that could split a boulder.

As he sat there in the seabed's endless darkness, Cassius felt the Heart of the Ultimate Fist pounding rapidly. A tenacious seed began to sprout at its core. Then, a touch of green broke through and grew wantonly.

"It's here... After passing through several life-forbidden zones and facing calamity-decay, essence-stealing roots, and the Dead Abyss seal... After feeling pressure and pain tens or hundreds of times beyond what an ordinary Ultimate Fist could endure, I've finally reached this moment..."

"Ultimate Fist!"

Ding!

Above the Black Abyssal Sea, Blood Vulture Dominator Fist suddenly halted mid-patrol and hovered in the air. His gaze sharpened as he looked up.

In the World of Calamity's southern sky, a faintly violet star suddenly grew brilliant at a speed visible to the naked eye. It was gorgeous and enthralling, emanating an aura of coldness.

"Cassius... has done it!?"

Buzzz...

In the sky, a hazy silhouette faintly formed with half the stars. It was a python, winding like a dragon and coiling like a snake. A bright violet star formed the serpent's left eye.

This vast change spread at once across the entire Black Abyssal Sea region. Giant oceanic dark creatures ceased diving, glaring up at the sky.

Roar!

An oscillating serpent's cry seemed to slam into their brains. A purple-scaled giant python spanning the sky grew before their very eyes.

Roar!

The giants roared as if to answer the serpent's provocation. Yet even as they roared, they dove their massive bodies back into the sea. In a blink, the giants vanished into the depths. The danger above was too strong. It was best to lie low first.

At the same time, a violet giant egg formed by coiling python phantoms hovered over the magma on the seabed, its surface patterned with dense, sharp scales.

The violet egg flashed as if it was breathing. This special frequency seemed to resonate with the violet star above. Gradually, a hidden and powerful link formed.

Ding, ding...

Within the egg, acupoints of the Southern Dipper Sonic Snake Fist lit across Cassius's body like violet jewels. Almost simultaneously, violet stars lit upon the massive sonic serpent phantom in the sky. The Star Python Constellation grew ever more complete.

Rumble.

Heavy clouds were drawn together, forming a ringed void that spun ever faster. Trees of violet lightning spread within it, turning into a myriad crackling thunder-serpents.

At a certain point, a violet beam descended into the sea. Tens of thousands of meters of water were pierced through, and the Dead Abyss seal's dreadful pulses were forcibly shunted aside.

The egg shattered as the light pillar shone down on it, and a proud, icy figure stepped forth. He was expressionless and heedless of all else, like a ten-thousand-year stone. He was astonishingly cold, as if he cared for nothing. He cared only for his own existence and strength.

"One is all, and all is one. The Will of oneself can link even heaven and earth... Ultimate Fist, the fist of extremity!" Cassius suddenly raised both hands, and the aura around him became a violet halo.

"Self-circulating Reverberating Force..." He murmured and fell into the opening stance of the Southern Dipper Sonic Snake Fist.

His powerful arms crossed like a python's constriction.

Boom...

Torrents of gorgeous violet Reverberating Force howled around him. It was dense as it formed a squall around him. Unlike Death's Fang Force when he had attained Dominator Fist, they did not expand madly like endless laser beams in all directions. Instead, they contracted inward at extreme speed, pouring into the violet halo behind his head like an endlessly cycling ouroboros. There was so much Reverberating Force that the violet ring behind Cassius swelled crazily, bursting throughout the sea in an instant. A violet ring tens of thousands of meters wide formed in the sky.

Clang!

A giant bell seemed to toll between heaven and earth. At some point, a huge round-arched phantom gate appeared upon the ring, dyeing the clouds pure white. A Gate of Heaven... The white stone arch was covered in tiny sigils of religious motifs like writhing golden tadpoles.

Mountains and rivers, the sun and moon, flora and fauna, clouds and waves... It contained all manner of information. It was supremely complex. A solemn feeling of a sacred secret descended.

"Though this is the third time I've pushed open this door, my heart still trembles strongly. Even with the Cold Persona's frigid personality, it cannot be suppressed..." Cassius murmured, gazing skyward.

Shoosh!

He lightly jumped up, leaving a beautiful violet blur in the air as he shot toward the Gate of Heaven. All insights and experiences of the Ultimate Fist streamed through his mind like a revolving lantern. His eyes grew ever brighter and somewhat lucid.

Boom!

Cassius slammed into the Gate of Heaven, causing golden light to bathe the sea. Blood Vulture Dominator Fist walked the waves of the Black Abyssal Sea. With his hands lightly behind his back, his aged face was lifted to look at the sky, excitement mingled with anticipation.

He muttered, as if to no one. "Look, the Southern Dipper Covert Martial Inheritance has been mastered by a single person, and raised to the Holy Fist by that same one. The three Southern Dipper fists as one.... An unimaginable feat... I hope to see the day Cassius perfects all three fists."

Ding, ding...

In the dark night sky, the sixty-six violet gems of the Star Python Constellation lit up one by one, forming a lifelike starry giant python with jaws agape. The serpent seemed to come alive when the last star lit up. Its huge phantom dove from the night as if to swallow the land.

A thunderous boom resounded as purple stardust swirled across the sky, drifting like mist and rain. A violet afterimage tapped the sea with his toe and stood unmoving. Suddenly, a ring of shockwaves swept out in a mysterious cadence.

"Qi hidden within oneself, eyes on nothing else but the fist art and techniques... Such is the Ultimate Fist." An icy voice sounded as Cassius's indifferent eyes fell on the sea.

He looked at his palm, closed five fingers, and suddenly cut straight down. Energy hissed through the sky, pierced the sea, and slammed into the seabed. Rock layers shattered and magma gushed forth. Extreme cold and heat collided with a deep sizzle.

"Such power condensed beyond imagination. Compared with the Dominator Fist and Holy Fist, the techniques do not shake heaven and earth, yet they are more ancient and lethal. Among the three Southern Dipper fists, the Southern Dipper Sonic Snake Fist most resembles an ancient assassination fist art..."

Cassius unclenched his fist and let it fall to his side. A blood-colored figure appeared beside him from the distant sky.

Blood Vulture Dominator Fist offered his congratulations. "Cassius, you've succeeded."

Cassius's eyes flickered, his words thick with feeling.

"I've waited for this day a very, very long time..." He said.

Indeed, Cassius had waited far too long for this day. He had contemplated this idea ever since the fourth time-travel, when he had inherited the Southern Dipper Red Falcon Fist from Feng Liusi.

Three core principles, three personas. What if he cultivated the three Southern Dipper Covert Martial Inheritances and walked three paths of the Covert Martial Arts? When the three personas and the three Southern Dipper fists reached perfection, he would fuse it as one!

That was his ambition, only dared through reliance on his time-travel abilities! Now, most of that ambition was complete. Only one thing remained: to unite the arts!

"Last time, I said if you advanced further, you'd reach the strength I had at my peak. Now, you have indeed." Blood Vulture Dominator Fist looked at Cassius and stated the fact calmly.

He did not, as before, test Cassius's strength. There was no need. Three terrifying auras echoed within Cassius's formidable body, forming an inner cycle. It was like the great wheel of life and death that could grind everything away.

"As you are now, you can match the Totem King at his peak."

Cassius's frosty mask broke into a pleased smile. "Each increase in strength brings me immense satisfaction. There's no need to compare with other mighty beings..."

To be frank, the gap between perfected and non-perfected paths was truly vast. Even for a freak like Cassius, who stood at 85% progress with a powerful Golem body and all three Southern Dipper fists at Holy Fist, he only barely reached the level of the peak Totem King. He had only just entered the ranks of the strongest six beings.

Xiadu was a special case. The remaining beings with a perfected peak path were the three Southern Dipper Holy Fists, Totem King Kassares, and the True Progenitor of Blood Yumila—five in total. Now, Cassius was the sixth.

He had not reached perfection, yet he held ultimate power! Now Cassius could truly roam the World of Calamity unimpeded. In Xiadu's current state, he would not be able to stop Cassius's rampage.

"A pity... This time-travel is nearly over. I can't linger long."

Breaking into the Ultimate Fist realm had crossed another threshold. Cassius's killing intent was already stirred as he yearned to unleash a great catastrophe. However, the long ascetic training had nearly exhausted the time-travel, especially while he was in the final life-forbidden zone, the Black Abyssal Sea.

Blood Vulture Dominator Fist and Cassius had toiled in the Black Abyssal Sea for a full year. The price of such a powerful Golem body was that the grind to break through to Ultimate Fist had to be even more extreme. By the time his training ended, little of the full three years of time-travel remained.

He checked the progress bar at the upper right of his vision to see that there were about ten days left in his time-travel.

"Only ten days remain? Time is truly tight... If Blood Vulture and I join hands, could we capture a few more Ultimate Dark Forms and push the Golem Covert Martial Arts progress to ninety percent?"