: Ning Zhuo vs. Yuan Dasheng

2024-07-31 Author: Gu Zhenren

"Don't worry, I'm human. I don't eat much to begin with and don't get hungry easily," Yuan Yi said.

He then laughed, "You're my brother! Thanks for protecting me earlier. Those gang members might still bully me in the future. I can't let you go hungry!"

The monkey, however, opened its mouth and spat out the food it was eating onto its palm, offering it to Yuan Yi.

Yuan Yi waved his hand, "No need, no need."

But his Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily.

The monkey insisted, taking a step forward and holding its palm right in front of Yuan Yi's mouth, letting out a cry.

"Hehe, then I won't stand on ceremony." Yuan Yi's eyes reddened. Holding the monkey's hand, he bowed his head and quickly finished the last handful of leftover food.

"Delicious, so delicious!" Yuan Yi laughed. He was skin and bones, his clothes ill-fitting hand-me-downs, and with his disheveled, dirty appearance, he looked just like a human monkey.

The monkey also laughed, chattering excitedly.

Man and monkey were immersed in happiness.

"Uncle Dasheng, Uncle Dasheng..."

Finally, Yuan Er woke the monkey.

The moment it opened its eyes, the monkey almost mistook Yuan Er for its old master—father and son looked so alike.

As its vision cleared, the monkey's nose suddenly twitched, and its brow furrowed immediately.

It smelled something very unpleasant.

Yuan Er swallowed hard and hurriedly explained.

Before he could finish half his explanation, the monkey stood up and walked out of the tent.

It was over ten feet tall, burly and majestic like a war elephant. The scars covering its body were its medals of honor, testifying to countless battles.

"Greetings, Lord Monkey!"

The elders all bowed in salute.

The monkey didn't even glance at them, its gaze fixed solely on the many monkey corpses on the ground. After a moment of silence, it suddenly threw back its head and roared.

The roar was deafening, the shockwave blowing many elders off their feet.

Yuan Dasheng's eyes reddened—it was truly enraged!

Every elder was drenched in cold sweat.

Yuan Er deliberately lagged behind, feeling immensely satisfied seeing the elders so cowed.

He stepped forward at the right moment, "Uncle Monkey, Uncle Monkey, with such a major incident, we will definitely investigate and find the real culprit, punishing them severely!"

Yuan Dasheng gradually fell silent, lowering its head to look at Yuan Er. The familiar face slowly calmed it down.

It slowly extended a finger and gently tapped Yuan Er's chest.

Yuan Er's heart raced. He took a small step back and nodded hurriedly, "Uncle Monkey, believe me, I won't let you down!"

"But currently, the gang is facing a major crisis. We must perform our best at the Fire Persimmon Festival."

"Right now, we're severely short-handed. We can only rely on you, Uncle Monkey."

"Please use this time to rest and build up your energy. You are our pillar!"

Yuan Dasheng remained silent, slowly turning and walking back into the tent, disappearing from everyone's view.

Yuan Er looked at the elders scattered on the ground, a faint smile appearing as he flicked his sleeve. "Everyone, rise."

From then on, every assignment he gave was met with eager compliance from the elders.

After he left, the elders began communicating via voice transmission.

"Yuan Er, relying on the monkey's influence—does he have any dignity as a gang leader?" someone sneered.

"Lord Monkey didn't kill anyone in its rage. Its temper has softened."

"What? Do you want it to go on a rampage?"

"I'm saying, maybe it's already old, its condition declining, just putting on a strong front?" pondered an ambitious elder.

The oldest elder heard this and snorted disdainfully inwardly before turning to leave.

The others hadn't seen it, but during a gang expedition to the Scarlet Flame Demon Molten Cave, he had witnessed Yuan Dasheng in battle firsthand.

"That berserk fire snake's combat power was comparable to a half-step Golden Core cultivator."

"But in the end, Yuan Dasheng tore it apart..."

"Although Yuan Dasheng is elderly now, its combat power is still terrifying. It definitely has talent, at least superior talent."

"Not having a cultivation technique is its greatest regret, but also our gang's greatest fortune."

The sound of birdsong was close at hand.

Ning Zhuo's rest was interrupted as he opened his eyes.

He had been awakened by a mechanical parrot with a straight rod head inserted into its back.

It was this rod head controlling it, allowing it to crow at set times and wake Ning Zhuo.

"Time is about right." Ning Zhuo immediately sensed the mark on his chest, his soul entering the Immortal Palace.

He quickly assembled a puppet body and began clearing stages continuously.

Along the way, he noticed traces of someone else attempting the stages. Checking the surveillance mechanical components, he found that Zhou Zhu and Zheng Jian had started cooperating.

"In a short time, they won't pose a threat."

"The most critical one is Yuan Dasheng. Even Meng Chong is secondary."

Ning Zhuo advanced through the stages.

He was now proficient in over twenty spells, all very well-practiced. As long as his spiritual power was sufficient, clearing these stages was quite easy.

Once Ning Zhuo could progress no further, he began retreating.

He retreated all the way to Room No. 8, then stopped moving and began waiting patiently.

Soon after, the door was suddenly thrown open, and a large wooden monkey puppet squeezed in.

"It's here." Ning Zhuo thought to himself, slowly rising to face the monkey.

Their gazes met, and Yuan Dasheng immediately realized this puppet was unusual.

After sizing up the puppet Ning Zhuo, Yuan Dasheng scanned the entire room. Besides noting the obvious mechanical traps, it also tried to guess where hidden ones might be.

"It seems it has mistaken me for a stage guardian puppet, like those martial artist puppets before." Ning Zhuo nodded inwardly.

This was exactly the result he wanted to create.

In this regard, the leaderboard and his pseudonym played a key role, making Yuan Dasheng mistakenly believe it was the only one braving the Immortal Palace!

After observing for a while, Yuan Dasheng began attempting the stage.

Ning Zhuo immediately acted.

Spell—Embrace Ice.

Mechanical Component—Flying Hand.

Spell—Gust of Air.

Mechanical Component—Air Release Ring.

A mechanical arm swiftly flew towards Yuan Dasheng, a chilling frost emanating from its palm.

The frost originally only had lethal effect on contact. But the Air Release Ring spun to the front, and with a Gust of Air spell, blew the frost outward.

A fan-shaped wave of frost instantly spread out.

Yuan Dasheng immediately dodged. Although it avoided most of it, a section of its left leg was covered in a layer of frost.

A fierce light immediately flashed in Yuan Dasheng's eyes!

A stage guardian puppet that could cast spells—this was its first time seeing one.

Without any hesitation, Yuan Dasheng immediately charged forward, its momentum wild and fierce, rapidly closing in on Ning Zhuo.

Ning Zhuo leaped lightly. The Gust of Air spell activated, paired with the pair of Air Release Rings on his ankles, burst forth with propulsive airflow, pushing him backward.

Ning Zhuo quickly created distance.

While retreating, he continued attacking.

Over a dozen Flying Hands attacked incessantly. Embrace Ice, Grasp Fire, Gather Metal, Catch Wood, etc., all enhanced by Gust of Air, became mid-to-long-range attacks.

Yuan Dasheng tried its best to shrink its body, using its arms as shields to protect its face, smashing through all spells, charging straight for Ning Zhuo and ignoring everything else.

This tactical choice was absolutely correct!

But it couldn't reverse its defeat.

Moments later, Yuan Dasheng's wooden puppet body collapsed—some parts burned, some frozen into ice blocks, some with wood rapidly growing, forming huge obstacles...

Before completely breaking down, Yuan Dasheng threw back its head and roared, the sound filled with unwillingness, resentment, and helplessness.

Humiliating. So humiliating.

This wasn't its true strength at all!

"Blocked it." Ning Zhuo secretly sighed in relief.

The mechanical traps he set up had little effect on Yuan Dasheng. Only by personally taking action could he curb the latter's advance.

(End of )