Chapter 46: An Even More Terrifying Presence (1)

Standing before him, shrouded in a pall of ashen mist, was a sight that would chill any heart—a small mountain, yet unlike any ordinary peak. This was a volcanic crater, a hundred meters wide, which in ages past must have spewed fire with fierce vitality. Its gaping maw, laid bare, resembled a colossal inverted bowl. Though now extinct, the suffocating heat that lingered around it was far beyond what most could endure; even Le Kai found his breath catching, each inhalation as if he were drawing flames into his lungs. Were it not for his innate resilience and the protection of inner energy, he might have long since collapsed.

What startled Le Kai even more was that the dangerous beast he sensed lurked halfway up the volcano’s slope.

But what truly stunned him was the sight of this beast—standing upright on a great boulder, regal and awe-inspiring, exuding a wild, overwhelming presence.

“Could this be the legendary ‘Golden King Kong’ my father’s old books once described?”

Before him stood a gorilla, fully three meters tall, covered in coarse fur and bursting with brute strength. Its eyes, even redder than those of the wild boar from before, glowed in the gray half-light like twin lanterns, their sweep sending chills through the heart.

At this moment, the beast’s gaze was locked onto Le Kai. With an excited roar, it thumped its chest, unleashing a howl to the heavens—its fighting spirit blazed.

This small human had clearly caught the King Kong’s attention. Anything that trespassed here was, in its eyes, an intruder to be vanquished.

So, before Le Kai could even admire its formidable figure, the beast let out a piercing shriek and leapt down from the mountainside. The roaring wind of its descent whipped up clouds of volcanic ash, rendering the world even more obscure and shadowed.

“Excellent! Let me see just how strong an opponent of pure power can be!”

Le Kai felt his own fighting spirit surge in response to the gorilla’s imposing display. Its threat level, astonishingly, was over ninety percent, with virtually no weaknesses—something Le Kai had never encountered before. Perhaps it was the sheer strength of his opponent that rendered his abilities less effective, or perhaps this creature truly was without an obvious flaw. Whatever the reason, its might was undeniable.

With every thunderous landing, the King Kong shook the earth as if a massive boulder had crashed from the sky. Rocks and dust exploded outward, the display both wild and awe-inspiring.

Though not quite as swift as the wild boar, its leap from halfway up the mountain was blindingly fast. In a few bounds, it closed in on Le Kai, jaws gaping to reveal serrated fangs, gleaming cold and exuding a suffocating stench of blood. Its hands, as broad as fans, opened wide; every golden hair bristled like a needle, and the force of its swing sent a wailing gale sweeping through the air.

The beast soared overhead, massive hands crashing down on Le Kai’s head like a mountain collapsing. His slight figure was swallowed in shadow.

Had this happened before he mastered his inner energy, not even the mystical “Returning Step” could have saved him. But now, Le Kai was confident. He mapped his surroundings with his mind, fixed nine imaginary points in his consciousness, infused his legs with inner energy, and stepped lightly in a profound pattern, instantly reappearing twenty meters away.

A deafening explosion followed—like a bomb detonating—showering the area with shattered stone.

A crater five meters wide yawned where the beast landed, half-crouched, eyes blazing with bloodlust.

Good heavens, what force!

Le Kai was startled, but he did not retreat. He stood quietly, watching the King Kong.

The beast rose slowly, beat its chest once more to dispel the pressure in its chest and belly, then turned its fierce eyes back to Le Kai, seemingly bewildered that its sure strike had failed. But since the prey yet lived, its assault could not cease.

King Kong strode forward. Though its movements seemed clumsy, its massive size meant that each step covered as much ground as a normal person’s several strides; in truth, it was incredibly fast. In a few paces, pounding the earth like a drum, it raised its mighty hand and brought it down upon Le Kai.

This time, Le Kai did not wait for death. From the moment King Kong moved, he had begun his own. Employing the “Returning Step” with effortless ease, he twisted aside and appeared behind the beast. Clenching his fist, he bellowed, channeling his inner energy into his punch and striking hard at the back of the beast’s knee.

Though his fist was tiny compared to King Kong’s massive limbs, the punch, charged with inner energy, could not be underestimated. The impact echoed like a hammer striking a drum, the sound tremendous.

King Kong roared, his gigantic body trembling as he suddenly dropped a head lower.

Le Kai had targeted the most vulnerable joint; even if made of steel, taking such a blow would cripple it.

Yet the beast’s resilience left Le Kai gaping in astonishment.

It merely bent its body without a cry of pain or struggle, its rage mounting. With a twist, its enormous hand swept out, the wind of its blow whistling past Le Kai’s forehead, stinging him to the bone.

Not only was King Kong’s body incredibly tough, but its combat instincts were extraordinary.

Le Kai had barely steadied himself when the beast rolled on the spot, rapidly closing the distance. Its pillar-like limbs cleaved the air, striking down with terrifying force. The humanoid skill of its attacks nearly made Le Kai cry out in shock—this beast was a true master of combat!

Luckily, Le Kai’s childhood consumption of mutant fruit had granted him a sixth sense for danger. He spared no inner energy, instantly invoking the Returning Step to reappear thirty meters away, his heart pounding as he gazed at the pit the gorilla’s strike had gouged into the earth—grateful, for he had narrowly escaped death.

King Kong, enraged, sprang to its feet and charged at Le Kai once again.

“Good grief, is it addicted to the fight?”

Le Kai, forced to his limits, felt a flicker of anger. Without his ability to sense danger in advance, he would already be lying flat by now. Though the gorilla was a fearsome opponent, Le Kai was himself a lover of battle.

While his inner energy lasted, he gritted his teeth and activated the Returning Step. Both fists gathering energy, he circled to the beast’s back and hammered at its knee again and again, forcing the three-meter-tall gorilla down to one knee. Though Le Kai’s strikes could not break through its defense and cause serious harm, the blows to its joint compelled it into a humiliating posture—it was forced to kneel.