Chapter 50: Battle III

Le Kai did not give chase, for at this moment he too was nearly spent—if the giant ape had not fled, it would have been Le Kai who needed to escape. Though he could now be called a true martial artist, Le Kai was still young, his stamina not yet at its peak. The recent battle, relying solely on physical strength, had drained him immensely.

Once the ape had gone far enough, Le Kai let out a muffled groan and slumped onto the disordered ground, sweat pouring down his face, his complexion deathly pale, feeling as if his very bones were about to fall apart. What he wanted most was to collapse into a deep sleep, but instead, he sat cross-legged and began to circulate the “Oneness Mind Method.”

Practicing at the limits of exhaustion, he was certain, would push his power even further. With his internal energy and physical strength depleted to the point that even a three-year-old would have surpassed him, he had no choice but to recover at once.

Indeed, after two hours of meditation, not only was his spent inner energy replenished, but it had subtly increased, and the fatigue that had gripped his body was swept away. The “Oneness Secret Manual” was truly worthy of the reverence his teacher had shown it.

Running through the previous battle in his mind once more, Le Kai quietly summarized his experience, reminding himself never to take anything for granted. In all things, there are no absolutes; only by preparing thoroughly can one truly be invincible.

This time, Le Kai did not rush to find the giant ape again; instead, he chose a secluded cave and settled in for focused cultivation. The intense battles of these past days had strengthened him greatly, but all things must be balanced; the lessons learned needed time to be properly absorbed and transformed into genuine personal experience.

Other than sitting in meditation, he used his mental strength to study the “Oneness Secret Manual.” He did not force himself to skip ahead in the text; progress should come naturally. Ambition without foundation would only make his mind restless and unstable. Even the simplest sections, upon each reading, brought new insights—every time, it was as if the scales fell from his eyes, his understanding growing deeper.

Ten days later.

Le Kai emerged from his cave and strode toward the volcano. His steps brimmed with confidence, his expression resolute—he seemed no longer a boy, but a mature man. This time, his objective was clear: to slay the giant ape.

These ten days had not only made him more familiar with the use of his inner energy—he had also fully digested the lessons of his recent battles, integrating them into the marrow of his being. Both his mental force and inner energy had grown at a remarkable pace. In the ancestral aperture and the dantian, it felt as if two tangible points of power had formed—each breath and circulation made them tremble, as if endless strength was rising from within.

The sulfurous mist was thicker than ever, the giant ape’s aura still perched at the volcano’s summit.

Le Kai paused in surprise. Wasn’t the ape gravely wounded? Why did its presence seem undiminished? What was going on?

Sensing its old enemy, the giant ape was instantly enraged. Though it spent most of its time in a fury, the reappearance of this particular aura nearly drove it mad.

A thunderous roar echoed through the sky, as if the ape were swearing an oath to the heavens.

Le Kai burst out laughing and called, “Giant ape, I’ve returned! Come down and meet your death!”

His voice rang out as loudly as the ape’s own, neither giving ground.

The ape seemed to understand his words, growling ferociously as if cursing him. Yet to Le Kai’s surprise, though it was clearly furious, it did not leap down to attack as before. Instead, it stood motionless where it was.

“Is its leg still injured, making it hard to move? That’s a bit much,” Le Kai muttered in confusion, then gaped in astonishment.

There, halfway up the mountain shrouded in mist, the giant ape stood tall, showing not the slightest sign of difficulty. What shocked Le Kai even more was that in its massive hand, it now gripped an enormous club, looking for all the world like a figure straight out of legend.

Could a beast truly wield a weapon?

Le Kai had never even heard of such a thing, much less seen it.

The giant ape’s blood-red gaze was filled with hatred, nearly dripping with venom as it glared at Le Kai, who could only stare, mouth agape.

Was this truly his old nemesis, the giant ape? Its eyes showed no sign of injury at all—how was this possible? Did it possess some kind of self-healing power?

Le Kai was certain he’d destroyed that eye. His alloy arrow had struck almost the exact spot twice in succession; when the ape plucked it out, he’d seen the shattered eyeball himself. And yet, in little more than ten days, it was as good as new. Even with advanced technology, such a recovery was impossible. Could this creature truly be a mythical demon-ape endowed with divine power?

Stranger still, the giant ape now looked down on Le Kai with a cold, imperious gaze, club pointed at him in challenge, as if to say, “Come up if you dare, and let us fight to the death.”

Le Kai could only laugh in disbelief.

“Heh, who would have thought a mutant beast would mimic humans and demand a duel? Very well—every past encounter, you flew into a rage the moment you saw me and chased me down the mountain. This time, let us fight a true battle!”

The volcano was not especially large: a hundred meters or so in a straight line, yet it took Le Kai over ten minutes to climb. The giant ape seemed almost contemptuous of Le Kai’s speed. On its own, it could reach the base in a few bounds, hardly more than a few seconds.

Le Kai had already chosen a massive boulder level with the ape’s position. Standing atop it, he called out, “I hadn’t expected you to regrow a ruined eye, so you must have quite the talent. I truly don’t wish to kill you, but fate has made us enemies. Now come—let me see just how much potential you possess.”

Drawing his curved blade, Le Kai seemed diminutive next to the giant ape, but his aura was not the least bit weaker—in fact, it was steadier and more formidable. One was a wild beast, coiled and ready to strike, exuding a suffocating ferocity. The other was calm and unshakable, like a towering mountain. The clash of these two opposed presences sparked something in the air—a blaze of battle intent. Man and beast locked eyes, as if about to ignite the long-dormant volcano itself.

The giant ape wasted no words. It swung its massive club with a flourish, slamming it into the ground. The club bent under the force, then rebounded like a spring, launching the ape’s enormous body ten meters into the air. It soared overhead, blotting out the sky, the pressure overwhelming—a mountain flying through the air, inescapable.

“What power—well done!” Le Kai’s eyes flashed. Even as the ape leapt, he crouched and sprang upward like a rocket, soaring even higher than the beast by a narrow margin. This, too, was the result of anticipation—placing himself perfectly to strike. Had he been beneath the ape’s assault, he would have lost the initiative in a single move.

In battle, momentum and timing are crucial.

Once more, Le Kai seized the advantage. A cold, determined smile curled his lips as his curved blade slashed downward—not flashy or intricate, but stark and direct, carrying all his strength with it.

Three thousand anke!

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Though it was but one stroke, three sharp sounds rang out in quick succession. The giant ape’s combat instincts were astonishing. Though its abilities were not as freakish as Le Kai’s “Strategy of Play,” its sense for danger far surpassed that of ordinary mutant beasts. It had anticipated the dazzling strike, and with perfect timing, raised its massive club to block the blow.