Facing the Battle

Terrifying hammer force condensed into a dark-gold pillar of light that shot skyward, as though it meant to smash a hole through the heavens.

"Hm?"

Before the hammer force even reached him, True Lord Mountainrend felt an invisible pressure rushing toward him.

"Such... such terrifying hammer force!"

"What kind of technique or Divine Ability is this?"

True Lord Mountainrend marveled inwardly.

He could clearly feel that as the hammer force approached, it was as though the entire sky were collapsing upon him.

Shocked, True Lord Mountainrend hurriedly came to his senses.

"Mountain Sundering Sword Art, Severing Peak!"

The next moment, he gripped his sword with both hands and swept it across.

Boom!

A terrifying blade of sword energy had become a curved arc of light, hurtling toward the oncoming dark-gold hammer force.

Bang!

To True Lord Mountainrend's astonishment, the strike he had unleashed shattered the instant it met the dark-gold hammer force.

The terrifying hammer force surged onward and was already upon him.

"What?"

At the sight, True Lord Mountainrend was shaken to his core, disbelief written across his face.

With no time to think, he hastily brought his sword down again.

Bang!

A deafening roar followed.

Under the dark-gold hammer force's impact, True Lord Mountainrend staggered nine steps backward.

Once he steadied himself, he felt the blood and energy in his body churning uncontrollably. A metallic taste rose in his throat as blood surged upward, but he quickly forced it back down.

"Huff, huff..."

After a brief pause, Mountain Sundering gulped down air, his expression one of utter shock.

"How is this possible?"

"How can the hammer technique this clone uses be so powerful?"

"That last blow was clearly stronger than the first!"

"And it isn't merely a simple increase in strength. The hammer force is... stacking!"

At that