Returning to the Mysterious Era-Chapter 359 - Terrifying Aura

Moreover, the fabric was comfortable yet durable, making it very suitable for movement or stretching. These were casual clothes uniformly issued by Cloud Dog Fist. Besides these, there were also meditation robes and practice uniforms. Summer, autumn, and winter outfits were all available.

Even suits for certain important occasions could be custom-made. Though there were different types of clothing for different seasons, the one thing they all had in common was a logo printed over the left chest.

It was a ferocious hound baring its fangs.

The design was artistically exaggerated, with intentionally disproportionate imagery. The vicious dog's head was enormous, almost covering half its body. Its eyes seemed to spit fire, and its jagged fangs were menacing, like the gaping maw of a crocodile.

At a glance, it left a deep impression. In fact, this emblem had existed since the time of the Hongli Federation, akin to a family crest representing a mythical beast.

Later, it was artistically refined in modern times and adopted as the symbol of Cloud Dog Fist. Cloud Dog Fist deliberately consulted several master painters to provide suggestions and modifications to achieve the desired effect.

In the last row of the carriage, by the window, a black-haired young man sat quietly. One hand rested on the window sill, the other held a cigarette. Listening to the chatter around him, his expression remained impassive. His whole demeanor was lazy, as if he didn't care about anything. His gaze rested on the rows of roadside trees flashing past the window, his eyes empty, covered with a faint gloom.

Tap, tap, tap...

A series of footsteps slowly approached.

An elderly man, appearing in his fifties or sixties with graying hair, walked over and plopped down beside the languid youth. He glanced at the youth whose state and temperament were clearly different from usual, sighed, and said, "Simone, stop smoking so much. Although it doesn't affect you much, it's still not good..."

"Hu..." Simone exhaled a puff of smoke, which was quickly carried away by the cool breeze blowing in from outside the window, swirling slightly before disappearing.

"Uncle Fes, tell me, why does the Holy Spirit give someone a flawed body when creating them, and then bestow upon them astonishing talent and comprehension? Aren't these two contradictions gathered in one person just to make him suffer?" He flicked off the ash, letting it fall onto his clothes.

"..." Fes opened his mouth but ultimately said nothing.

Simone was a child he had picked up—a boy with a physical disability, born with a crooked spine and abandoned.

With such a body, it was hard to do heavy labor, let alone practice martial arts. Yet, Simone happened to have an extremely high talent and comprehension in Covert Martial Arts. He possessed an almost photographic memory and could sometimes infer other things from one instance. So Fes went with the flow and taught him the path of Covert Martial Arts.

From the Cloud Dog Basic Combat Technique to explosive Secret Techniques, and then to the Cloud Dog Fist Covert Martial Arts—nothing was too difficult for Simone. His talent was so high that it shocked all the elders of Cloud Dog Fist at the time, and he naturally became the first core disciple.

However, his physical disability was ultimately difficult to overcome.

Simone endured excruciating pain for over a decade, continuously training his body, performing fist techniques despite his deformed spine. His forged willpower was undeniably steadfast. Yet, when facing the threshold of becoming a combat artist, even he was disheartened.

That threshold was something Simone couldn't cross, nor did he dare to. Once he fully condensed his Qi, his body would collapse. A series of chain reactions could even leave him paralyzed.

In fact, he had attempted to break through the threshold of a combat artist two years ago. He had one foot halfway in but was severely injured as a result. He lay weakly in bed for six months before barely recovering.

As for the so-called Eastern Three Stars, Simone disdained being grouped with those two. In fact, the strength of Moon Fist Shaq and Death Soul Sword Hugo was at most comparable to him four years ago. If Simone truly unleashed his full power, he could defeat either of them within ten moves. The reason he always displayed only seventy percent of his strength to the outside world was because his body couldn't bear more. He could occasionally burst out with full power once or twice, but doing so frequently would harm his health.

Simone's current level was, to be honest, at the critical point between being a pugilist and a combat artist. He had been at that point for two years, and because of the previous lesson, he didn't dare to take the next step. He feared that a slight misstep would result in death.

It was truly too difficult for him to break through to the level of a combat artist.

However, Simone was a warrior with firm will and grand ambitions. Fes had known him since he was young; he was a strong-willed and stubborn child. Once he chose a path, he would stubbornly follow it to the end, even if he hit a dead end and was battered and bruised.

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In other words, Simone would sooner or later attempt again to break through the bottleneck of becoming a combat artist. And that time would be a life-and-death ordeal...

Fes had always stayed by Simone's side. Since that attempt two years ago, Simone seemed to have two faces. In front of the sect elders and his fellow disciples, he remained the same as before.

But when he was alone, or only with Fes, he would reveal a decadent and lazy demeanor.

The blow from that failure had indeed been significant.

"Muika, wait just a bit longer. You're still young, your vitality is still strong. There's still time. The sect has been helping you find ways to treat your body. Take this Eastern Martial Arts Exchange Tournament as a chance to relax," Fes called Simone by his childhood nickname, a phrase he often repeated when he was young.

"Huu..." Simone took one last puff and flicked the cigarette butt out the window. Turning to look at Uncle Fes, who had raised him since childhood, smoke slowly wafted from his nostrils. "Uncle Fes, tell me, if a mysterious person suddenly appeared and said he could solve all your problems, and at this time you've hit rock bottom with nowhere to turn, would you believe him?"

"..." Fes felt that Simone's words had a deeper meaning, as if referring to something. So he took a bit longer to ponder.

Just as he was halfway through thinking, Simone spoke again. "After this Eastern Martial Arts Exchange Tournament, I should attempt once more to break through the threshold of becoming a combat artist. Uncle Fes, please inform the sect to start selecting a new first core disciple..."

He looked over, meeting Fes's suddenly turned gaze. As their eyes met, Fes seemed to see a blazing flame burning in Simone's dark pupils.

No decadence, no disheartenment.

Instead, he had regained a goal and made a decision.

Fes opened his mouth but was silent. He knew that Simone was someone who wouldn't change his mind once he'd made a decision.

Thus, a thousand words didn't have time to be spoken and remained unsaid. He nodded silently and extended a hand.

Just like when Simone was a child, he gently patted his head to comfort him. During the next half-hour of the journey, Fes simply sat quietly in his seat without speaking. Simone didn't need consolation.

Or rather, letting him quietly digest the decision he had just made was the greatest comfort.

呜~~~

Woo~~~

The long whistle of the train echoed far into the air. The entire platform could clearly hear this sound.

A steel serpent shrouded in white steam roared into the station, inch by inch coming to a halt. The conductors got off to maintain order. With a puff, the train doors opened, and in the steamy airflow, passengers swarmed out like sardines packed in a can. Some carried wooden travel cases, others wore sun hats for a vacation.

A moment later, from the fifth carriage, a group of Cloud Dog Fist disciples in combat attire disembarked. At the very end was a handsome young man who, unlike the other disciples who were eagerly looking around, lifted his head boredly, gazing at the sky.

It was sunrise. On the pale horizon, a red flame bloomed brilliantly between the gaps in the clouds and mist, dyeing the clouds thousands of strands of blood-coloured rays that splashed in all directions.

It gave a feeling of surging vitality and exuberance.

"Today's weather is quite nice..." Simone murmured, but suddenly all his muscles stiffened. It felt as if a gust of wind brushed past his back. The hairs on his body stood up, goosebumps rising densely. His heart pounded as if tightly gripped by a large hand.

Tap... tap... tap...

It seemed as if a figure walked past behind Simone. The edge of a swinging trench coat lightly brushed against his trouser leg.

The suffocating feeling came quickly and left just as fast. He shuddered on the spot, suddenly freed from that fear of being targeted by an apex predator.

He turned sharply, catching sight of a tall figure disappearing into the crowd—black pants, trench coat, hat, white gloves.

Screech!!!

From that back, a vague turbulent aura roared out, transforming into a blood-colored giant falcon emitting a ferocious aura. Its wings almost covered the entire platform, blocking out the sunlight.

Blood-red eyes projected down like two beams of light! This illusory afterimage flashed across his retinas.

By the time Simone came to his senses, the surroundings were still filled with passengers, chattering and laughing as they walked outside.

He swallowed dryly. "A master, a true master, the most formidable I've ever seen..."

Simone was a genius. Though he had physical problems, his mind was particularly sensitive and intelligent, which was also the reason for his high talent and comprehension. After his failed breakthrough two years ago, Simone had idly studied many Secret Techniques, including those related to sensing auras.

His mind was naturally sensitive, and with high talent and comprehension, he quickly delved one of these techniques to an extremely profound level, using it as an aid and supplement to his martial arts. Simone originally thought that perhaps one day he could cultivate this Secret Technique to a level comparable to a combat artist’s Qi.

If so, maybe he could attempt to challenge higher levels...

Therefore, his attainment and level in this Secret Technique of aura perception were very high. As long as others weren't deliberately hiding, even those at the level of a combat artist could be easily sensed by Simone.

He had sensed the existence of two combat artists in Cloud Dog Fist before, so he had a simple gauge of strength. One was the sect master, the other was the second elder. The great elder had been in seclusion, so Simone hadn't had a chance to meet him. He had also later come into contact with combat artists from other sects, forming a ranking of auras in his mind.

The strongest was a mysterious man in a black robe whom he had suddenly encountered half a year ago. That person's aura was extremely formidable, unfathomable like a black abyss.

He came from a mysterious organization and was attempting to invite Simone to join that organization.

Unexpectedly, today he had inadvertently encountered an even stronger master. In terms of aura alone, this person surpassed that mysterious black-robed man. He carried an indescribable dominance and ferocity!

As if nothing could block his path forward.

It was unparalleled confidence!

"Sure enough, that’s the Eastern Martial Arts Exchange Tournament for you. Even masters of this level have appeared in Mia City. I wonder if I'll encounter him during the tournament. A strong individual of this level should be sitting in the VIP seats. When the time comes, I must pay attention..." Simone thought secretly, his expression still somewhat dazed.

"By the way, I promised that mysterious man to meet again when I arrived in Mia City. It should be tonight. He will probably come to find me. If I promise to join, that mysterious man should reveal some specific information about their organization. 'Can solve all your difficulties and problems'? Such big talk... I wonder how much they can actually deliver..."