Chapter Forty-Six: The Great Battle

In the distance, the mercenaries gazed in shock at the spectacle before them. A figure descended from the heavens, his hand reaching out, and three enormous palm imprints suddenly formed, each radiating a surge of vital energy. Those mercenaries closest could sense that each palm imprint was stronger than the last. With relentless force, they pressed down upon the silver-haired demon ape below.

A guttural roar echoed out. Confronted by Old Wu’s terrifying strike, the silver demon ape sensed the threat descending from above. It let out a low growl, waves of black vital energy surging from its body like a tide. Its massive silver palm pushed upward, transforming into a dark sheet of light that unfolded from its hand, forming a semi-circular shield above its head.

Boom, boom—

The first two palm imprints fell swiftly, slamming into the demon ape’s head and striking the black shield above it with earth-shattering force. The impact was like an explosion; within a radius of ten meters beneath the silver demon ape, the ground sank deeply.

A sharp cracking sound resonated. All eyes turned from their own battles with lesser demon apes to this confrontation, joy flickering in their expressions. As the first two palm imprints struck, a crack appeared in the black shield atop the silver demon ape’s head, and the fissure quickly spread.

Boom!

The third palm imprint crashed down, shattering the black shield with a loud crack, breaking it into countless fragments that vanished into the air. With the shield destroyed and the palm imprint’s energy not yet spent, it fell with renewed speed, unimpeded.

A wild, violent roar burst from the silver demon ape’s mouth. It raised its fist, glowing with dark energy, and swung it upward like a mountain toward the giant palm imprint overhead.

Boom!

Under countless gazes, a terrifying wave of energy exploded outward, accompanied by an indescribable thunderclap. Many nearby felt as if their ears had gone deaf. The earth trembled, and massive fissures spread from beneath the demon ape's feet.

“Damn humans.”

Even the silver-haired demon ape struggled under Old Wu’s mighty strike. Its body was forced down, back bent, blood and flesh torn from its huge silver palm.

Another furious roar erupted. The agony in its hand unleashed its full rage, its crimson eyes blazing with madness. Ignoring its wounds, it struck again with its mangled hand, launching another dark-glowing fist at Old Wu, who hovered above.

From afar, Ye Cheng watched the ferocious battle, gasping in awe, his eyes wide with astonishment. “Incredible!”

“The martial skill used by this Yongle City expert is impressive. Such power must transcend ordinary martial arts—it’s a spiritual martial art. But it’s a shame; these three palm imprints seem formidable but lack the spiritual essence that true spiritual martial arts possess, greatly reducing their power,” Old Mu’s voice echoed in Ye Cheng’s mind, tinged with regret.

“Spiritual martial art?” Ye Cheng exclaimed in shock.

“Yes, it should be a spiritual martial art, but the man only unleashed three palm imprints, none imbued with spiritual essence. Their power is only comparable to the most advanced martial arts of the mundane world, far from the true might a spiritual martial art should display. I suspect he only possesses a fragment of the technique,” Old Mu replied slowly.

“What a terrifying martial art. If even a fragment holds such power, imagine a complete one…” Ye Cheng fell silent, his gaze filled with yearning. He remembered Old Mu often saying that the mundane world was too lowly for his standards, so surely Old Mu must have some spiritual martial arts in his collection.

“Teacher, you must have such martial arts, right? When will you let your precious disciple practice a few?” Ye Cheng rubbed his hands together in anticipation.

“Ah, you’re scheming against me again,” Old Mu said, amused yet faintly exasperated. “Don’t worry. When the time is right, you’ll have them. But you’re not ready yet—if you tried now, you’d only hurt yourself. Wait until you reach the Yuan Realm.”

At these words, Ye Cheng’s face fell.

Meanwhile, on the battlefield—

After Old Wu unleashed the three powerful palm imprints, his face grew pale, and the vital energy surrounding him thinned noticeably. Clearly, using that martial skill consumed a great deal of energy.

He gasped for breath, his expression grave as his pupils fixed on the enlarging black fist before him. Determination flashed across his pale face. Flipping his hand, he produced a white porcelain bottle, which he promptly shattered. Countless droplets of red liquid sprayed forth, but instantly, Old Wu drew them toward himself, swallowing them all.

On a distant slope, clad in flowing white, Nangong Xue watched as Old Wu consumed the liquid. Her elegant brows furrowed and her rosy lips parted. “That silver demon ape is truly troublesome.”

Boom—

After Old Wu swallowed the liquid, an energy surge even stronger than before erupted from his body. Vast vital energy gathered in his fist, which he swung fiercely at the black fist.

“That’s a fourth-grade potion—Berserk Qi Potion!” Among the crowd, the knowledgeable Captain Wang exclaimed when he saw Old Wu swallow the red liquid and his power soar.

The other mercenaries, hearing Captain Wang’s cry, drew sharp breaths. They all knew Berserk Qi Potion was incredibly rare, priceless—something that could boost a warrior’s strength by a full level for half an hour, with minimal side effects, only making it impossible to fight for several days afterward. For those who risk death daily, it was a lifesaving treasure, though nearly impossible to obtain.

Before the crowd’s eyes, the two fists—one large, one small—collided. In an instant, the black fist was obliterated. Old Wu’s hand shifted again, and three more palm imprints crashed down onto the silver demon ape below.

Boom, boom, boom!

The earth quaked relentlessly. This time, the three palm imprints fully pressed the silver demon ape’s massive form into the ground. When the imprints settled, the earth collapsed, dust billowed, and a giant palm-shaped crater appeared. From the depths of that pit, a huge silver figure slowly emerged…