Returning to the Mysterious Era-Chapter 303 - Southern Dipper Sonic Snake Fist

"If it's true, then nothing could be better..." Cassius immediately elevated the importance of the Book of the Devil in his mind, placing it almost on par with the Rune of Wisdom.

Acquiring critical information at the right time, in the right place, and under the right conditions was as effective, if not more so, as the Rune of Wisdom, which could extract the Blood of the Spirit. .

His gaze became increasingly reverent. Cassius calmed down and carefully read through the contents on the second page. It mentioned the Southern Dipper Covert Martial Inheritance repeatedly as it detailed the technique known as the Southern Dipper Sonic Snake Fist!

Cold, ruthless, lurking... From stillness to movement, a final strike in one blow! The technique’s philosophy of combat was centered around exploiting the opponent's weaknesses.

It was like a soundless serpent hidden in the underbrush, waiting for prey to pass before it would strike to seal the kill. Compared to the aggressive nature of the Southern Dipper Red Falcon Fist, the Sonic Snake Fist was more passive, waiting for the opponent to make an opening before seizing the chance to kill. Thus, describing it with the image of a snake was not misplaced. In essence, it was a cold-blooded viper.

Much like the Southern Dipper Red Falcon Fist, the Southern Dipper Sonic Snake Fist corresponded to the Star Python constellation. Practitioners would attune to the image of a venomous serpent with open jaws, composed of sixty-six stars in the night sky. It was similar to the Southern Dipper Red Falcon Fist representing the Giant Falcon constellation.

Additionally, the Book of the Devil noted that the Southern Dipper Sonic Snake Fist focused on cultivating specific acupoints and unique force, with each technique designed to maximize destructive power.

The Red Falcon Fist's essence was Death's Fang Force, which was specializing in tearing apart and breaking down. In comparison, the Sonic Snake Fist's essence was Reverberating Force, an energy that generated explosive shockwaves. Simply put, Death's Fang Force caused cracks upon impact, while Reverberating Force made the struck areas explode.

The force could not only explode on the surface but could penetrate within an object. Imagine a Covert Martial Artist who suddenly had to deal with a grenade detonating within their chest during combat. That would be highly perilous for combat artists. Although their internal organs were much more resilient than those of ordinary people, they were still too delicate to withstand an explosion.

Cassius continued reading and gained further information. The second page of the Book of the Devil noted that the Southern Dipper Covert Martial Inheritance was a grand culmination of various ancient assassination arts, each with internal thematic connections but also inherent contradictions. If someone attempted to train in two types of Southern Dipper Covert Martial Inheritance, it would either lead to bodily destruction or produce a resonance effect.

To put it in simpler terms, it was impossible to train in two Southern Dipper Covert Martial Inheritance without some form of consequence. Either things would worsen and one would overuse their Qi, which may even lead to self-destruction, or they would improve, with the two arts resonating and accelerating cultivation. Everything depended on the practitioner's compatibility.

Cassius committed these words to memory and continued reading. The contents primarily described the location of the ancient relic containing the Southern Dipper Sonic Snake Fist, along with a map of the ruins.

Sitting on the tan sofa, he studied the map of the relic's location and felt an odd sense of familiarity grow stronger the longer he looked at it. It was rendered in a medieval style, with ancient names of major regions, rivers, and mountains. The scale was far from realistic.

Isn't this the Akaba Ruins?!

During his last time-travel, Black Rain Manor had punished him with a final task: locating the Akaba Ruins within one hundred and eighty days. Cassius had even hired a professor from Wemmington University for assistance.

He had finally pinpointed the location in the northern part of the Hongli Federation. It was at the Alphama mountains in Shire County, situated between Mirror Lake City and Bright Mountain City.

Cassius now had his next target. He had gathered some relevant information a few days ago at the antique exhibition, and he had begun to suspect the ruins were located in the Alphama Mountains. However, some additional details about Black Rain Manor made it difficult for him to be completely certain.

Now, it seemed his initial intuition had not been wrong. The location of the Southern Dipper Sonic Snake Fist was indeed the ancient ruins he had visited during his last time-travel in the Alphama Mountains.

Cassius's eyes gleamed as he pondered the connection between the map in the Book of the Devil and the fragmented map provided by Black Rain Manor. The styles and illustrations were almost identical.

Another little mystery to unravel.

He chose not to dwell on it, instead focusing on the map of the ruins. It was highly intricate, with a vast area and multiple layers. Cassius had only scouted a small, safer portion within the upper three levels in his last foray.

The map indicated that the Southern Dipper Sonic Snake Fist manual was in the lower three levels, a far more dangerous area filled with countless traps and strange life forms, just like the swarm of scarabs Cassius had encountered. They were creatures even high-ranking Blood Race members would flee from.

Speaking of the Blood Race, Cassius speculated that these dark creatures had taken up residence in the ruins because of its strange nature. He remembered that the markings Black Rain Manor used to detect the Hellsing would be disrupted near the ruins.

After further thought, Cassius closed the Book of the Devil and left his room, informing Feng Liusi and Saint Feinan of his newly acquired information. He even let them look at the pages.

In the living room, Cassius spread the Book of the Devil open on the coffee table as Saint Feinan and Feng Liusi sat on the sofa on either side, examining it. After half a minute of silence, Cassius folded his arms and leaned back against the sofa. Two confused gazes from either side met his, each holding a touch of perplexity.

Saint Feinan took a sip of hot tea and spoke elegantly. "Cassius, the contents are still blank. Stop keeping us in suspense. Just tell us how to see it. Does it require a certain viewing angle or maybe a specific light refraction?"

"Huh?" Cassius immediately sat up straight, a bit puzzled. "I can see the contents. The pages contain a map of the ancient ruins."

When he heard Cassius be so earnest, Feng Liusi glanced again at the blank page and teased, "The emperor's new book?"

One minute later...

"It seems that I'm the only one who can see this book's contents..." Cassius reached out and picked up the Book of the Devil from the coffee table. It actually had an anti-snooping feature.

Apparently, only the one who provided Qi could see the contents. To others, it was a blank book. This meant that Cassius would have to manually copy an accurate map of the ruins.

"Damn it," he cursed under his breath. Having to pick up a pen again as a warrior was truly troublesome. Although not much time had passed in the real world, Cassius had spent years in the era of his time-travel and had long since forgotten that skill.

Yet, there was no choice. He had to draw the map. The ancient ruins were dangerous and complex, and a simple verbal description wouldn't suffice. Since Feng Liusi and Saint Feinan were going in to explore with him, they also needed to understand the various escape routes and traps. He didn't want to harm them due to a moment of laziness.

With that, Cassius asked for paper and drawing tools from the host, Cloud Dog Fist, planning to stay up all night to complete the map. Meanwhile, Feng Liusi continued to rest in his room, awaiting Cassius's scheduled meeting with the Black Ops Agency the next day to arrange for treatment.

On the other hand, Saint Feinan was in his best physical state, so he was examining the Spiral-Eye Sword, sensing that it might hold a tremendous hidden power. He planned to add the sword as a new trump card for their upcoming journey to the ancient ruins.

Meanwhile, the butler of the Black Ops Agency, Amos, was coordinating various affairs, including monitoring the activities of the Gate Organization, temporarily blocking news of the death and capture of its various core members, requesting escort support from headquarters, and liaising with eight branches about the caged dark creatures.

Amos was undoubtedly the busiest among them. Yet, he took great satisfaction in his work and was in an exceptionally good mood. He had once hinted to Cassius during a battle that he bore a deep grudge against the Gate Organization.

The casualties of the Gate organization's core members with one dead and two wounded, filled Amos with a sense of vindictive delight.

Lastly, Cloud Dog Fist was a bit ambivalent over the whole matter. On one hand, their vendetta with the Blood Spirit Society had been avenged, though not by their own hands. On the other hand, several Cloud Dog Fist disciples had been injured or killed, the reputation of the Tulip Antique Exhibition and its building had suffered, and Cassius and his companions had taken all the relics, which were suspected to hold significant secrets.

Though he felt a faint sense of dissatisfaction, the Cloud Dog Fist sect master dared not act recklessly for the time being. Cloud Dog Fist's deputy chief, Edwin, had witnessed the terrifying strength of Cassius and his two companions. Not to mention, the Black Ops Agency also stood on their side.

In short, anyone looking to stir up trouble would have to think twice. Even all the Cloud Dog Fist fighters together might not be enough!

As for the Eastern Nine Sects, it was merely a coalition of interests in the Eastern Covert Martial Arts community, not solely controlled by Cloud Dog Fist. The other eight sects had their own judgments and stances. Without shared interests at stake, a handful of ancient relics wouldn't cause major conflict.

With all these factors at play, Kura City was inexplicably calm. It was as if all the undercurrents and turbulent waves had come to an end in the battle that afternoon. Everyone’s schemes and hidden ambitions had been buried in that clash.

Except, Cassius's continuous muttering and cursing could be heard in a study on the third floor of the antique exhibition's back building.

"Fuck! Wasted another sheet!" He picked up the sheet of white paper that had a shaky line where a straight line should have been. Cassius crumpled up the paper and tossed it into the trash bin with a grimace. Inside, a dozen crumpled paper balls threatened to spill out.

Several hours had passed as he tried over a dozen times to trace the map. He hadn’t succeeded once. This was quite normal for an ordinary person, but not for Cassius. Though he hadn't used pen and paper seriously in years, he was still a combat artist. A Covert Martial Arts Practitioner's precise muscle control should have allowed him to draw like a machine with a little practice.

Unfortunately, Cassius had been unusually unlucky that night. He couldn't get the map right, always falling slightly short. Sometimes he'd lose focus halfway, and other times he'd bump his hand just before finishing. It was a frustrating, grueling ordeal.

Taking a deep breath, he resolved to suppress his irritation and try again. After a couple of deep breaths, Cassius opened his eyes. He raised his pen and positioned the tip on the paper.

His arm moved slightly.

Snap!

The pen broke!

"Fuck!!" In his irritation, he had unconsciously exerted too much force, crushing the pen into a pile of wood shavings. It trickled through his fingers like flowing water.

"Forget it! I'll settle it tomorrow!" Cassius stood up and walked toward the window in frustration. Outside, the stars sparkled faintly in the cold night breeze. The window was half-open, and the edges of the creamy-white curtains fluttered gently. He leaned out and glanced outside.

At that moment, Cassius's entire body stiffened as his Death's Fang Force surged within him. With a soft pop, he broke through his thirteenth acupoint. Without warning, and without a sound, his unique Qi crackled wildly and began to rage uncontrollably. Cassius’s body was half out of the window already, so when he stiffened, he lurched forward and dropped straight down like a wooden peg.

Just before he fell, he tried to grab the window with one hand. However, despite touching it, he couldn't stop the fall.

Whoosh...

In the pale moonlight, a dark figure plummeted from the third floor. Unfortunately, he fell headfirst and crashed straight into the cement floor. The ground shattered like tofu under the chaos of the Death's Fang Force, embedding Cassius's head into the surface. He looked like a tree planted in the cement.

"Damn it, good thing my head's tough." Cassius managed to suppress the raging force within him momentarily, flipped himself up, and dusted the stone powder from his hair with a frown.

His gaze darkened, and he muttered to himself. "My luck seems to be getting..."

Thud!

A heavy window frame crashed directly on Cassius's head from above. The force was swift and intense, shattering the thick glass with a loud bang and scattering fragments everywhere. Under the pale moonlight, Cassius's face darkened like steel as he stood there, motionless.

A wooden window frame now hung around his neck like a collar. He reached up, removed the window frame, and looked at the hole in the glass where his head had struck, then down at the crater in the ground.

He fell into a long, contemplative silence. Every strand of Cassius's hair seemed to radiate anger.

"So, this is the so-called 'consequence' of the Book of the Devil? The book's user is cursed, and their luck temporarily worsens. Like falling from a building or getting hit by a window..."

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Suppressing his bubbling anger, he tried to analyze the matter rationally, "Yes, this is pretty unlucky. It'd certainly be fatal for an ordinary person, but for me, these incidents are still manageable..."

Shing!!!

The Spiral-Eye Sword suddenly burst through the wall with a violent slash. Its blade radiated a terrifying glow as the patterns on its surface swirled around. The sword's dazzling light was as magnificent as a supernova!

Hiss...

A streak of golden-red sparks shot across the air. Cassius's eyes widened in fury, his muscles bulging. His large hands gripped the blade tightly as if it were just a piece of steel. His muscles pulsed, winding like steel cables.

Inside the building, two familiar voices rang out. "How did it slip?"

"The sword's energy surged, and I couldn't control it. This Spiral-Eye Sword isn't just an ordinary antique, it's an ancient martial treasure!"