Chapter 275 - Sword Arts
The muscles along his thighs and legs expanded by about twice their normal size. Thick veins spread along the length of his limbs threatening to pop without a moment's notice.
The ground underneath his feet cracked and then shattered as put force into his legs with gritted teeth.
"Heavenly Blare!"
*BOOOOM*
A peal of thunder resonated within the enclosed space of the chamber, taking everyone by surprise. A shockwave spread towards the platform, visible even by the naked eye.
Perhaps the most surprised and unprepared were the two men on the platform that hadn't even taken out their weapons for some strange reason.
Being the actual intended targets of the sound wave, they took the brunt of the force. Before Hao Xuan himself arrived, the aftereffects of Heavenly Blare had reached the altar.
The larger hooded man raised his hairy arms in front of him and bent his knees, trying his very best to block the coming impact using his own body.
The leaner man was much less composed than him. His knees buckled straight away from the initial shockwave and he had to dig and grab hold of the engravings on the platform to not get thrown away.
The side effects of Heavenly Blare had become much more 'firm' and 'deep' after he broke through the Spirit Realm. The shockwave produced as a result of it was stupendously powerful and could now be aimed in a certain direction, as opposed to before when it simply spread out in a circle around him.
As it stood, it could count as its own technique just from this.
But this was true for every single one of his skills and techniques. Each of them had become stronger. By how much? He had no idea himself, at least not yet.
The leaner man seemed especially weak to auditory attacks. His body shook several times as he unsteadily tried to stand back up.
"S-Stop! You'll wake them up! For god sakes, sto-"
He started speaking in a worried tone but as he raised his head to look at Hao Xuan, his heart actually skipped a beat.
The man that was 30+ meters away a second ago was now standing in front of him with a black blade pointed at his neck.
Heavenly Blare's speed even took Hao Xuan by surprise. Just now he had reached speeds of 108 km/h. This was the result of his upgraded physique and Heavenly Blare working in tandem.
This was faster than a horse from earth galloping at full speed, which was around 88 km/h maximum.
Hao Xuan could clearly see the man's face right now. The fear of death had crept in and taken hold, leaving him powerless in front of him. But instead of being delighted, Hao Xuan frowned.
'Why were they so weak? This person probably hadn't even been a real-life battle before, why was he here?'
The man saw Hao Xuan's emotionless eyes staring down at him and he almost p*ssed himself. Why was this happening to him? He was just a clerk sent to bring the altar back.
"D-Don't! Please! You'll kill us all!"
He shouted, trying to stop warn Hao Xuan, but it was to no avail.
With his brow still scrunched up, he brought the blade down and decapitated him at once.
"That is the plan you know," he murmured as the man's head rolled a few feet away.
Although all this took a while to describe, no more than 4 seconds had passed since he activated Heavenly Blare.
The burly man had managed to stand his ground, for the most part, keeping the shockwave from hitting the third man behind him who was still chanting away next to the altar with beads of sweat falling down the side of his face.
Hao Xuan glanced at them with a raised eyebrow. If the burly man had wanted, he could have done something to stop Hao Xuan from killing the 2nd man, yet he chose to stay by the 3rd man's side and protect him. For what reason?
'The chant! So it can't be stopped?'
Looking at the 3rd man who was now completely drenched in sweat, a malicious smile made its way across his visage.
It seemed like this really was a task for more people because that 3rd man was shaking like a leaf in a storm. His breathing was erratic and his Qi out of control.
Hao Xuan took a step forward, grabbing the burly man's attention.
"Whatever you're doing, it's not going to work. You won't make it till the end."
The burly man shook his hands and a pair of short daggers appeared in his grasp. He pointed the blades at Hao Xuan and stood in between him and the 3rd man.
"Kid, you don't know what you're messing with. This is not a place to fight, stop this at once!"
Hao Xuan looked over the burly man's shoulder and nodded, "Do it."
Ensis who was standing in the distance bowed with his head and looked at the remaining 10+ people gathered in front of him.
"Great Imperial Hegemony!"
7 black swords materialized above his head. These weren't just blades like before, but complete swords.
7 swords, each one slightly different than the one before. These were the very embodiment of his mastery over the sword arts. He had received these through the Dark GodFiend blood inheritance.
He bent his knees, getting into an attacking pose and raised the sword in his hand in front of him. The 7 above followed suit.
The blade of each sword started humming with a low pitch, energy building up inside them.
"First Strike: Dismemberment!"
By the time the words had left his mouth, Ensis's body had long disappeared from the original spot.
"Ahhh!"
"Argh"
*Squelch*
*Stab*
*Rip*
Like a wolf in a chickens coop, he shot forward with the blades blending in with the darkness to the point of becoming almost invisible.
The poor unfortunate souls stood no chance against his sword arts which were created by a True God.
Their screams echoed for less than a second before silence reigned over the chamber once again.
By the time his feet touched the ground, all that was left in his path was a row of torsos. No heads, arms or legs anywhere near them.
Hao Xuan's smile widened upon seeing Ensis's handy work. He turned towards the burly man.
"I only need one of you to answer my questions, chose. Him, or yourself?"