Lava Immortal Palace.
Room Three.
The puppet Meng Chong was surrounded by flashing electric light as he charged toward the Golden Blood Battle Ape Dasheng like a thunderbolt.
In the instant they crossed paths, Dasheng seized a fleeting opportunity, grabbing Meng Chong's arm with his large hands and delivering a swift over-the-shoulder throw.
Bang!
Meng Chong was smashed into the floor tiles, his vision spinning wildly.
Then, he saw Dasheng's broad foot coming down toward him, bringing with it a powerful gust of wind.
Meng Chong's heart trembled, and he screamed inwardly, "Wild Sprint Thunderclap!"
The lightning surrounding him surged, and he vanished from his spot.
In the next instant, Dasheng’s right foot stomped down hard, shattering the tiles.
Meng Chong pulled back to a safe distance, his spiritual power surging, his expression tense.
He had been thrown over Dasheng’s shoulder twice in a row.
"This is a formidable opponent!" Meng Chong quickly adjusted his mindset.
Having missed his mark, Yuan Dasheng stood his ground, unmoving.
The scene fell into a temporary stalemate.
Outside the Immortal Palace.
Ning Zhuo sat cross-legged on a meditation mat in his underground workshop. His eyes were closed, mind entirely focused on this battle within the Immortal Palace.
On one side was Meng Chong; on the other was Yuan Dasheng. Both of them possessed Immortal Talent!
"With the puppet body, Meng Chong’s materials and structure fall far short of the Golden Blood Battle Ape Dasheng, limiting his combat potential."
"However, his Immortal Talent—Wild Sprint Thunderclap—still makes him a significant threat."
"After all, he’s a living person, giving him an edge in battle intelligence over Dasheng’s mere spirituality."
"The Golden Blood Battle Ape Dasheng’s advantage is its mechanical body crafted by the Lava Immortal Palace, far superior in materials and construction to Meng Chong’s puppet."
"Its flaw is its eight-tenths spirituality, which means it isn’t truly alive and lacks the flexibility in thinking that Meng Chong possesses."
"According to the Lava Immortal Palace, eight-tenths spirituality should be enough to unleash the Immortal Talent Unyielding Gold Bones. I wonder what that will look like when fully manifested."
Ning Zhuo silently analyzed their combat abilities, giving this battle his full attention.
The outcome would greatly influence his future decisions.
"Wild Sprint Thunderclap." Meng Chong murmured in his heart and suddenly launched a third assault on the Golden Blood Battle Ape Dasheng.
Meng Chong rapidly closed the distance, almost reaching Dasheng.
Seeing Dasheng extend his hands, Meng Chong's spirit surged, and he went all in.
In an instant, the electric light around his puppet body flared, causing his speed to increase further!
This was the result of his recent intensive training.
In a blink, he moved behind Yuan Dasheng.
"Success!" Meng Chong was elated and prepared to strike Dasheng's back.
But in the next moment, his legs were yanked, and his entire body lost balance, his attack crumbling.
As he tumbled to the ground, he saw the culprit that had caused his trouble. "Damn it, it’s the monkey’s tail!"
Yuan Dasheng's tail had wrapped around Meng Chong’s left leg like a whip.
With a roar, Yuan Dasheng turned, striding forward with a raised fist, bringing it down on Meng Chong.
In midair, Meng Chong saw his vision darken, and Yuan Dasheng’s mountainous figure filled his sight, descending swiftly.
Yuan Dasheng's raised fist descended like a falling meteor, slicing through the air with a fierce wind, making Meng Chong’s heart pound.
"Wild Sprint Thunderclap!" Meng Chong exerted all his strength, activating his Immortal Talent.
The electric light burst forth, breaking free from the tail's grip, allowing him to dodge just in time.
Bang!
In the next instant, Yuan Dasheng's fist, like a steel hammer, smashed into the ground, shattering the floor tiles.
The electric light dissipated in a corner, revealing Meng Chong’s puppet.
He couldn’t help but take a quick breath when he saw Yuan Dasheng’s fist embedded in the floor tiles.
If that had hit him, his fragile puppet body would have been obliterated.
The danger only fueled Meng Chong’s fighting spirit.
"Hahaha!" He laughed aloud, "Now this is a challenge; this is fun!"
Enveloped in azure lightning, he launched another attack.
Meng Chong continuously channeled his Immortal Talent but refrained from getting too close to Yuan Dasheng.
He became a streak of lightning, darting back and forth across Room Three.
The electric light moved at high speed, leaving streaks of lightning residue in Yuan Dasheng’s gaze.
As time passed, the lightning streaks in the room multiplied, interweaving to form what seemed like a giant net, aiming to trap Yuan Dasheng within.
Ning Zhuo observed and felt a slight tremor in his heart. "Meng Chong has withstood the pressure, achieving a breakthrough mid-battle."
"He can maintain top speed, even slightly exceeding his previous limit."
"This is supreme talent!"
Witnessing this firsthand, Ning Zhuo couldn’t help but feel admiration for Immortal Talent.
Within Room Three, lightning zigzagged, while Yuan Dasheng stood as still as an ancient tree.
It could only defend passively.
Meng Chong’s speed was beyond its reach. Its spirituality guided it to stay still and counter any moves.
Suddenly, the lightning veered, heading straight for Yuan Dasheng.
Yuan Dasheng raised his arm to block.
With a bang, the impact forced it back a step.
Meng Chong’s lightning form ricocheted off the wall, quickly regaining lost speed and continuing to zip across the room.
Meng Chong occasionally launched surprise attacks, but Yuan Dasheng’s slower reaction led to accumulating injuries under constant defensive posture.
Meng Chong laughed, feeling his upper hand.
"This mechanical ape’s close-combat skills are exceptional!"
"At least at the level of a martial arts master—no, likely a martial arts grandmaster."
"But it can’t match my speed. As long as I can keep sprinting, I’ll eventually wear it down!"
Just as he thought this, his expression changed drastically.
Creak.
The electric light on his body flickered twice, then weakened significantly.
He had exposed a fatal flaw.
In almost an instant, Yuan Dasheng roared and charged forward.
After just two or three steps, it closed in on Meng Chong.
Yuan Dasheng’s shoulder struck forward, catching Meng Chong off guard. He couldn’t evade, taking the full brunt.
Bang.
Puppet Meng Chong was hurled like a massive projectile against the wall, with his right leg detaching from his body.
His entire puppet form bounced forward slightly after colliding with the wall.
As Meng Chong looked up, a strong gust swept through, and Yuan Dasheng’s towering figure pressed down like a black mountain.
Yuan Dasheng lifted his knee, like a steel spike piercing through the air, whistling towards him!
Meng Chong instinctively raised his hands, crossing them over his chest.
Bang.
In the next instant, his puppet hands and forearms shattered under Yuan Dasheng’s strike, completely destroyed!
Meng Chong’s chest took a massive blow, half his body breaking apart, sending him crashing into the ceiling.
His back hit the ceiling, causing numerous cracks to appear.
Meng Chong gritted his teeth. Despite the fierce beating, his anger and fighting spirit surged.
But alas, he couldn’t activate Wild Sprint Thunderclap.
In midair, he flipped, adjusting his posture.
He kicked off the ceiling with one leg, propelling himself diagonally to evade Yuan Dasheng’s next attack.
Yuan Dasheng stood firm, watching Meng Chong shoot away diagonally.
Yuan Dasheng’s chest rose visibly, as though taking a deep breath.
His right hand trembled slightly, the engraved runes within it beginning to emit a radiant glow.