Invincible Starts From Dao Fruit-Chapter 201: After the modification - 162 Final Battle At the Summit, Breakthrough at the Critical Moment?! [Vote for Recommendation!]

Chapter 201: After the modification: Chapter 162 Final Battle At the Summit, Breakthrough at the Critical Moment?! [Vote for Recommendation!]

The Sect Leader of Lion Mountain, ’Cloud Building Hand’ Zhang Zhishen, looked pale, blood staining the corner of his mouth. Without revealing a trace, he cast a subtle glance at Dong Qing, Yang Xiong, and Liu Hengbo. Suspicion and shock surged within him.

Dong Qing, Yang Xiong, and Liu Hengbo were similarly in a state of terror, seemingly shaken by the overwhelming might of the Iron-Arm Monkey King.

"What on earth—"

Zhang Zhishen remained outwardly composed, burying his doubts deep within.

Dong Qing, gripping a fish-head saber, was the first to regain his composure. Glancing about, he shouted swiftly, "The Iron-Arm Monkey King’s strength is beyond expectations. Should we continue with the original plan, or make new arrangements?"

The original plan was to subdue the Iron-Arm Monkey King.

But now—

"No question about it, we push forward!"

"No matter how formidable the Iron-Arm Monkey King is, he’s still just one beast! Are we supposed to be afraid with so many Grandmasters on our side?!"

Zhu Zhi Ning and Suo Zongtang immediately echoed their support.

These two were Sect Leaders of the Overlord Sect and Cangshui Sect, two amongst the Three Counties and Thirteen Sects.

Zhu Zhi Ning was nicknamed ’Thunder Blade,’ with saber strikes resembling thunderbolts.

Suo Zongtang, famed as the ’Heartbreak Palm,’ could deliver a strike that stirs the soul and plunges the heart into despair.

The strength of both was undeniably impressive.

In the previous exchange, both had narrowly escaped with their lives, suffering only minor injuries.

Recalling the brutality of the Iron-Arm Monkey King, others hesitated briefly. Yet, upon hearing these words, their unwillingness was reignited.

"Let’s go for it!"

"The cave restricts us too much. Once we’re outside, with the help of other Grandmasters encircling together, we’ll teach that Iron-Arm Monkey King to submit obediently!"

The crowd joined in agreement.

Upon hearing this, Dong Qing immediately declared, "In that case, proceed with the original plan!"

The exchange lasted but a fleeting instant.

As their consensus was reached, the Iron-Arm Monkey King happened to emerge, leading two leaders and over a dozen captains in pursuit.

"Lead them upward and fight there!"

Liu Hengbo shouted and leapt toward the mountain peak.

Staying in this half-assed position made falling into the encirclement of the Iron-Arm Monkey Group all too easy. Facing thousands of Iron Arms was a death sentence; they’d surely be torn limb from limb with no hope of survival.

Thankfully—

Before taking action, they had already scouted the perfect location, a place where ordinary Iron-Armed Apes wouldn’t be able to assist, nullifying the numerical advantage of the monkey troops.

Liu Hengbo led the way.

Dong Qing and Yang Xiong followed close behind. Zhu Zhi Ning, Suo Zongtang, Zhang Zhishen, Chu Qiuyu, Fang Chuan, and even Chen Jichuan rushed after.

It was a mad dash for their lives, and soon they reached a platform atop the mountain peak.

This was the highest point of Iron Arm Monkey Mountain, the terrain filled with jagged rocks and treacherous footing. Even thousands of Iron-Armed Apes charging in would find themselves restricted by the landscape, unable to form an effective siege, giving Dong Qing and the top Grandmasters a better chance to display their full strength.

As soon as Liu Hengbo and the others arrived, figures began to emerge from various corners.

They were all Grandmaster-level martial artists.

Some were elders from the Three Sects, others were Grandmasters from the Thirteen Sects.

With a rough count, there were at least fifty or sixty of them.

"The Iron-Arm Monkey King is far stronger than anticipated. Brother Li, Brother Zhang, and several others have already tragically fallen. Everyone must be extra cautious later!"

Dong Qing spoke with both heartache and severity to the gathered Grandmasters.

These words instantly stirred up the crowd of over fifty martial artists. Among them, twenty-one particularly found it hard to believe their own Sect Leaders had perished.

But there was no time for questions.

Boom!

The Iron-Arm Monkey King followed closely, arriving on the scene.

"Focus your energy and handle the Iron-Arm Monkey King first!"

Liu Hengbo shouted, unleashing twelve successive spear thrusts that shattered the boulders hurled by the Monkey King into powder. He used the momentum to execute a flip, landing himself atop the high ground.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The Iron-Arm Monkey King charged forward without care, like a wild kid throwing tantrums, while Chen Jichuan and the other Grandmasters scattered like chickens and ducks being frightened and chased, dispersing in all directions.

The Monkey King lunged but missed, realizing these humans intended to repeat their old tricks. He let out an angry roar.

Behind him, several dozen Iron-Armed Apes surged forth, each wielding two or three spear-like weapons of an unidentified material.

One Iron-Armed Ape handed the extra spears to the Monkey King. Without even glancing, he took one and hurled it viciously at a person.

This throw was fast and fierce, precise and stable.

Unmatched momentum accompanied its strike.

"Trouble!"

The Sect Leader of Cangshui Sect, ’Heartbreak Palm’ Suo Zongtang, was momentarily paralyzed by the overwhelming aura. In that instant of hesitation—

Bang!

The spear pierced his heart. The immense force embedded within exploded, blasting his body to smithereens, leaving only a severed head tumbling down Iron Arm Monkey Mountain.

In merely one exchange.

Suo Zongtang fell.

"Act fast, or we’ll all become living targets!"

Seeing the ferocity of the Monkey King, Dong Qing was startled and shouted loudly.

He was the first to charge forward, saber in hand, clashing with the Monkey King for seven or eight rounds before being sent flying, his complexion faintly flushed.

"The Iron-Arm Monkey King frequently consumes Red Fruit Wine, granting him extraordinary strength far surpassing any top-tier Transforming Strength Grandmaster. Combined with his unique talents, his arms are akin to iron, comparable to divine weapons. They offer both offense and defense with unparalleled flexibility. Dong Qing, nicknamed ’Wansheng Saber Master,’ is known for his ferocious saber technique; yet after only seven or eight exchanges, he had to withdraw, showing signs of defeat."

Chen Jichuan, with his keen insight, instantly discerned the pros and cons between the Monkey King and Dong Qing.

He held his sword at the ready, refraining from making a move.

But the others had already sprung into action.

Spears, sabers, swords—every conceivable weapon surged into battle. The Grandmasters, pairing off either one-on-one or many-on-one, alternated continuously, dragging the Monkey King into a grueling car-wheel battle to deplete his stamina and energy.

Rushing in all at once might indeed establish dominance.

But it also heightened the risk of death.

These Grandmasters weren’t ordinary soldiers, who were compelled to advance under military law. Each was intensely self-preserving, and their sects valued them too much to send them to a meaningless death.

Thus, the car-wheel strategy was perfectly reasonable.

On the Monkey’s side, apart from the Iron-Arm Monkey King, there were over twenty leaders—each brutally formidable, capable of single combat against top Grandmasters.

These leaders occupied twenty to thirty Grandmasters.

Fortunately, adequate preparations had been made.

The rugged terrain meant even minor missteps would lead to falling into the abyss and smashing into pieces, rendering ordinary Iron-Armed Apes unable to enter.

Thus—

The car-wheel battle continued, round after round.

The fight lasted from day into night, then night into day.

One day.

Two days.

Three days.

The sun rose and the moon fell; three days passed within the blink of an eye.

By the dawn of the fourth day—

Six Iron-Armed Ape leaders had perished, and twelve were seriously injured and unable to move.

On the human Grandmasters’ side, there were also casualties.

Besides Suo Zongtang, another thirteen Grandmasters had been killed after the Iron-Arm Monkey King launched devastating attacks. Five Grandmasters fell to the leaders of the Iron-Armed Apes. Six Grandmasters were forced into unstable footing by the combined attacks of the Monkey King and the leaders, falling down the thousand-foot cliff—their fates likely sealed in death.

A total of twenty-five Grandmasters had been lost.

The remaining fighters burned with fury, unwilling to retreat. No one noticed that out of the twenty-five fallen Grandmasters, most belonged to the Three Counties and Thirteen Sects.

In this assault against the Monkey King, the Three Sects had sent five Grandmasters each, including their respective Sect Masters, totaling eighteen individuals. Meanwhile, the Thirteen Sects had sent three Grandmasters each, excluding their Sect Masters, amounting to thirty-nine individuals.

Now only nineteen remained.

This meant that of the twenty-five deceased Grandmasters, twenty belonged to the Thirteen Sects. Among the remainder, five included Suo Zongtang and Huang Li, both Sect Leaders of the Thirteen.

The Three Sects suffered only three losses.

This discrepancy was partly due to the differing numbers between the groups, but also hinted at subtle and undetectable schemes.

Unfortunately, with everyone caught up in the heat of battle, and the Thirteen Sects nominally united but effectively disparate, facing the threat of the Monkey King and lured by the promise of Red Fruit Wine, they failed to notice.

Seeing the Monkey King’s once-vital form now visibly fatigued, offering glimpses of vulnerability, hope of subjection rose among the humans. They envisioned reaping the endless benefits of Red Fruit Wine.

In such circumstances—

Who would care about anything else? Even if suspicions arose, who would dare relent?

Furthermore—

Though the battle seemed tragic, the Thirteen Sects were never truly united. Each contributed three or four Grandmasters, meaning only one or two per sect had perished.

Of course, there were some sects whose members were entirely wiped out, yet others endured lighter losses.

With their Grandmasters fallen—

Would it not be a waste to give up halfway?

So they gritted their teeth, holding on for dear life—waiting for the Monkey King to exhaust its strength.

Indeed—

The Monkey King was reaching its limit.

Against dozens of Grandmasters in a continuous car-wheel battle, the humans could rotate for breaks.

But the Monkey King was forced to fight uninterrupted, from dawn till dusk and dusk till dawn.

While top Transforming Strength Grandmasters could thrive on the battlefield for ten days and nights without difficulty, they merely faced ordinary soldiers—slaying hundreds, thousands, or tens of thousands with minimal effort. In truth, only a small number of those soldiers posed real threats.

Typically faced with two or three dozen opponents at most.

A Transforming Strength Grandmaster could meticulously control their muscles, allowing portions to rest while others acted in combat, maintaining their endurance.

But who was the Monkey King fighting against?

Only humanity’s best Grandmasters!

Every one of them specialized in unique techniques, attacking from all angles, from sky to earth—how could anyone defend against this?!

Constant mental vigilance, repeated bursts of full effort.

Physical stamina.

Mental endurance.

All were draining rapidly.

Even with the Monkey King’s unparalleled power and deep reserves, three days of relentless combat pushed it to the brink.

...

"Huff!"

Dong Qing exchanged moves with the Iron-Arm Monkey King before hurriedly retreating. He glanced at the Monkey King’s condition, then surveyed the fewer remaining Grandmasters nearby.

The timing felt right.

He turned to Chen Jichuan, the ’Gentleman Sword,’ and said, "It’s about to give out—we could try using beast language to negotiate surrender!"

"Finally!"

The others became invigorated upon hearing this.

After fighting for so long and losing so many comrades, they finally arrived at this moment.

Anticipation mounted.

The lengthy battle deepened their yearning for the Red Fruit Wine.

The Monkey King and the leaders of the Iron-Armed Apes were terrifying, yet awe-inspiring. Their immense strength clearly tied back to the influence of Red Fruit Wine.

Among them were martial artists at either the Third or Fourth Realms of the Innate level.

Each had reached a bottleneck, unable to advance further. Only through external means could their abilities improve. An enduring supply of Red Fruit Wine might elevate their strength to match the Monkey King’s.

If not in this generation.

Even if the wine’s quantities proved insufficient.

They could still save several generations’ worth to nurture a single prodigy. That prodigy would ascend beyond limits—a towering Grandmaster rivaling the Monkey King’s level and perhaps reaching Half-step Void Realm greatness.

"An apex Grandmaster."

"Half-step Void Realm."

With fervent ambition surging through their veins, each Grandmaster turned toward Chen Jichuan.

"Now’s the moment!"

Chen Jichuan heard Dong Qing’s suggestion and felt a stirring within, though he feigned indifference outwardly. Engaging the Monkey King, he depicted an air of mysterious breakthrough.

The sword techniques he deployed were intricate.

His duel with the Monkey King seemingly reached a stalemate.

Yet while the Monkey King’s aura waned, Chen Jichuan’s aura grew endlessly ferocious.

"Could this be—"

Dong Qing, Liu Hengbo, and others stood frozen, uneasy sensations brewing in their hearts.

Meanwhile, Yang Xiong wielded his blade slightly apart, observing with mounting delight. Seeing the unfolding scene, his brows lifted as overwhelming joy overtook his expression—

"A breakthrough in the midst of battle?!"

...

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