Chapter 314 - His Fist Hardened (1)

Hiss...

Air currents converged around him, transforming into streams of white swirling vortices that encircled his nose and mouth. Cassius's entire chest swelled as his Golem lungs operated at high speed, extracting the inhaled oxygen and continuously supplying it to his capillaries.

Both his hearts pounded violently in unison as a sharp gleam flashed in his eyes. The muscles on his back and arms suddenly took on a stony white hue, bulging inch by inch.

Third Breath Technique, Breathless Chain Strike! Ultimate Move, Hundred Palms Thousand Hands!

Both were Secret Techniques to enhance attack speed, but once combined, they made him even faster. Cassius's arm muscles surged forward powerfully, and his forearms vanished into thin air. They formed a hazy, indistinct dark cloud in front of him.

Spiral wind blades swarmed him and collided madly with the cloud formed by his fists and knife-hand strikes. Each clash emitted a muffled

boom

, sending out ripples of shockwaves around them. However, the howling winds and violent fluctuations vanished for an instant.

"Shatter!" Cassius's robust deltoid muscles suddenly swelled as his veins bulged. His knife-hand strike swung out like a mantis's leg, slashing fiercely at the wind blades with immense force. The wind blades shattered instantly, exploding into bursts of white light.

Behind him, Saint Feinan noticed a trace of crimson swiftly passing through the air on both sides. He asked, "You're injured? Should we switch?"

Cassius glanced down at his forearms, which bore crimson gashes. It was the price of the earlier collision. He flexed his surrounding muscles, forcing the wounds to close so that only thin lines of blood were visible.

"No worries, it’s just a few minor injuries. These wind blades are so sharp and fast that they could go straight through you," Cassius stated matter-of-factly. He had been cut even though his muscles were three times denser than a typical combat artist's. An ordinary combat artist would likely be maimed.

Feng Liusi and Saint Feinan's physiques were certainly much stronger than ordinary combat artists, but still several levels below Cassius. Their movements were restricted in this howling wind; the best choice to lead was the physically robust Cassius. His eyelids drooped as the vibration energy within him circulated.

A warm, liquid-like energy quickly enveloped his injured arms, rapidly healing and nourishing the damaged areas.

𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

"They're coming again!" Feng Liusi warned from behind. A swarm of spinning wind blades appeared amidst the howling winds like a flock of swift swallows.

"At full speed, let's push through in one go!" Cassius quickly made a decision. Rather than advancing slowly and getting worn down by the wind blades, it was better to endure the damage and force their way through the tunnel with Feng Liusi and Saint Feinan to reach the next level. After all, his body was tough enough, and he had ample vibration energy.

"Stay close to me!!!" Cassius roared loudly, spreading his fists forward. The robust muscles on his back contracted, forming a sharp, straight groove along his spine.

Bang!

His arms snapped together like doors, forming a solid shield around his face, neck, and chest. The muscles of his forearms swelled beneath his skin, merging into two thick metal-like plates.

The ground beneath him trembled with a

thud

. Cassius exerted force through his feet, channeling his beast-like strength into the ground. He accelerated, forcing his way forward.

Feng Liusi and Saint Feinan matched his pace seamlessly. They followed closely, neither slowing nor rushing.

Crackle... Crackle... Crackle...

Muffled sounds emanated from Cassius's body surface, with ripples in the airflow and fleeting shreds of clothing. The swarm of wind blades slashed violently at his sturdy physique, exploding into puffs of white mist.

"Go!" Their figures shot swiftly through the passageway, the terrifying howling winds forcefully parted by immense strength. Like a steadfast reef splitting the sea, they pressed forward boldly.

Masses of tangible white air currents howled over Cassius's shoulders, neck, facial features, and head, like streams of flowing sand, pulling out long white trails. Behind him, a transparent cavity was forcefully created where the wind speed dropped to a minimum. Even ordinary people could survive there.

Crackle! Crackle!

Firecracker-like explosions echoed as the three advanced against the current. They followed the map's directions and left the straight corridor to finally reach a circular cavity.

There, the storm was so intense that everything was a vast expanse of white. Their eardrums could hardly perceive any sound because all they could hear were deafening

booms

!

"Stay close to me!!!" Cassius roared loudly as he forcefully squeezed into the terrifying tornado within the cavity. The three of them struggled to find the huge hole in the ground, from which horrifying winds were continuously spewing. The inner walls of the hole were made of a special obsidian-like material.

"There's a staircase leading down! Let's go!" Feng Liusi noticed a long ladder made of some unknown material affixed to the inner wall of the hole.

The three rushed over and descended the ladder against the wind. Why against? Cassius and the others were climbing down headfirst, gripping the handrails tightly. If they weren't careful and let go, they'd be instantly blown upward at the speed of a cannonball. They'd be splattered against the ceiling with a

bang

.

When they entered the eye of the storm, the winds became even more terrifying as it started to become a milky white.

Cassius led the way, with Saint Feinan in the middle. Saint Feinan vaguely heard Feng Liusi behind him saying something.

"Saint...nan, can you... damn you...!"

"What the hell are you saying!?" Saint Feinan exclaimed.

After descending a bit further, Saint Feinan finally understood what Feng Liusi was saying. His long hair had been completely blown loose by the wind, and was covering Feng Liusi's face above him like seaweed. Feng Liusi couldn't dodge but had to keep up with their pace. Still, he couldn't help but express his gentlemanly frustration.

That was but a small interlude. Cassius faced the greatest pressure. As he fought his way through the wind, he felt as if his scalp was loosening, and the resistance pushing upward was increasing.

Just as they reached a critical point, the resistance suddenly lessened, dropping by an order of magnitude. The three advanced a few more meters and the wind resistance weakened noticeably. After progressing another thirty meters, the vast whiteness before them abruptly cleared, and the air became clear again. The air currents around them decreased from inhuman levels to a normal strong wind. The three of them breathed a sigh of relief.

Two minutes later, at the bottom of the wind vortex, the second level of the ruins...

Cassius raised his head, gazing at the rumbling cylindrical dome above. The dome's surface was adorned with strange, religious-looking patterns, giving off a complex and grand aura.

A multitude of translucent flowers grew amid the creases of these patterns. The leaves and petals of the flowers wrapped together to form spout-like cavities. A faint white gust of air would gush from the spouts every second, merging into the surrounding air. The entire cave wall was covered with these transparent flowers.

All the faint white gusts of air gathered and rose upward. The cylindrical dome seemed to be some kind of special ritual instrument. The strange engravings on its surface lit up inch by inch with the rising air, as if storing energy and accelerating the white air currents.

The closer the air was to the top of the vortex, the faster and stronger the wind. It was like a white waterfall flowing upward against gravity.

Additionally, the dome's surface had special vine-like plants. Every so often, these plant stems would split open, releasing crescent-shaped, semi-transparent wind blades. These wind blades didn't ascend immediately but swayed and spun like leaves within the white air. Their rotational speed and kinetic energy would then accumulate during this process. Once they reached a certain point, they ascended together, delivering a terrifying slash at any intruders.