Chapter 332 - 325: Fail and Die

Chapter 332: Chapter 325: Fail and Die

The Monkey’s arms trembled slightly. From the web of his hands to his elbows, both arms were numb.

If he hadn’t forcefully blocked that punch with his rod at the critical moment, he suspected he’d be half-crippled by now.

’So Baru had never fought me seriously before. He’d never used his true strength!’

Even now, the Monkey couldn’t be sure if Baru had used his full power just then.

’This was the terrifying power of the Silent Knight Order’s leader!’

Although Baru always referred to their Mentor as "Master Sage," leading many members of the Silent Knight Order and even many association members to be unaware of the truth, the Monkey knew that Baru was also one of the Mentor’s students.

The water at the edge of the island wasn’t too deep.

After sinking diagonally for dozens of meters, the Monkey’s feet finally touched the seabed, allowing him to dissipate the force of the previous blow.

However, he quickly sensed Baru entering the water as well.

He was tense. This spar was different from all the previous ones. It felt like Baru was trying to kill him.

Just as he had that thought, the water in the distance was violently pushed aside by a savage figure.

As if kicking up a terrifying, bubble-filled torrent, Baru actually started running along the seafloor. His immense density counteracted the pathetic buoyancy, and his powerful physique ignored the water’s resistance to a certain degree.

’You’ve got to be kidding me! It’s just a suit! I’ll buy him ten more for two hundred bucks each!’

...

BOOM~~

It was as if a bomb had gone off on the seabed, sending a column of water dozens of meters high erupting from the distant surface.

BOOM~ BOOM~

Two more explosions erupted from the surface nearby.

A circle of men from the Silent Knight Order lay comically prone on the cliff’s edge, like Soldiers hiding in trenches or shelters during wartime, as if terrified a stray bullet would shoot up from the sea.

The difference was that Soldiers in that situation would be tense, anxious, and terrified, while these men from the Knight Order were filled with tension and excitement.

Although they could only see the constant explosions of spray and columns of water on the surface and watch the waves in the windless coastal waters grow increasingly violent, each of them possessed impressive Perception, allowing them to sense a large part of the confrontation happening underwater.

Of course, calling it a confrontation might be an overstatement. After all, the Monkey had little strength to fight back. But being able to hold out for this long under such conditions was already incredible.

On the seabed, the Monkey could truly feel the pressure of death.

Though it had only been a few minutes, his stamina was being drained at an alarming rate, far outpacing his recovery. He didn’t even have a moment’s respite to take out a Vermilion Fruit or a Flower of Life.

He, who could normally hold his breath underwater for half an hour without issue, now felt severely deprived of oxygen after just a short time.

"I won’t hold back!!"

Underwater, Baru didn’t open his mouth, but a powerful vibration erupted from his throat and vocal cords, creating the distinct illusion for the Monkey that he had heard those words.

The explosions on the water’s surface grew more distant and weaker.

But all the spectators knew it wasn’t because the intensity had decreased. The fight was spreading out toward the open sea where the water was deeper, so the underwater struggle naturally had less and less effect on the surface.

The Monkey was exhausted just trying to defend himself. The surrounding water was filled with bubbles from his and Baru’s movements, and sediment from the seabed was stirred up into a cloud.

His Perception felt sluggish in these conditions, or perhaps it was because his own state was deteriorating.

SWOOSH~

Swifter than a fish, Baru suddenly appeared before him. His fist was already glowing red, and the surrounding water seemed on the verge of boiling.

He once again used his life-saving technique; unable to keep up with the large-scale movements, he could only reduce the scope of his own actions.

The Magic Steel Long Rod was precariously placed in the path of the fist.

This time, however, the instant the fist made contact with the rod, it transformed into a palm. Like a phantom serpent, it slid under the rod and, in a flash, opened up before the Monkey’s chest.

The golden pupils contracted violently!

’A slithering serpent, transforming into a palm!’

’How is this possible?!’

In that instant, the Monkey saw what looked like mockery in Baru’s eyes. If the Celestial Travel Association acknowledged the merits of the Silent Knight Training Camp, how could Baru possibly be ignorant of the effectiveness of Martial Arts?

THUD~

"GACK..."

The Monkey took the full force of the blow. He couldn’t hold in his last breath, which erupted from his mouth along with stomach acid.

It wasn’t just a Palm Technique; the force penetrated deep into his body, churning his internal organs.

Before his body could be sent flying by the immense force, the palm slid up his torso. In the same instant, immense pressure closed around his neck as a huge hand, like an iron vise, locked him in a chokehold.

The agony of suffocation was the last straw. The Monkey, already covered in injuries both internal and external, could no longer hold on.

His eyes bulged as he clawed at Baru’s arm, trying to pry it off.

"Gasp..."

Bubbles escaped his lips. His jaw was clenched so tightly that the fangs at the corners of his mouth protruded past his lips.

It wasn’t just his neck; the pressure on his entire body was increasing.

Gripping the Monkey like this, Baru charged rapidly toward the deep sea. His immense body density, combined with the Magic Steel rod he now held in his left hand, meant the deep-sea buoyancy had little effect.

"You want to break through?"

The sound of Baru’s vibrating vocal cords was bizarre in the water, completely unlike before, sounding somewhat shrill.

"I’m giving you this chance. If you can’t do it, then die!"

He didn’t know how deep they were, but the Monkey’s struggles were growing weaker and weaker.

Baru’s gaze didn’t waver, and his speed didn’t decrease in the slightest.

’I’m going to die! I’m really going to die!’

’Knowing Baru’s resolve, it’s more than likely he’s not joking.’

His head began to ache and spin. He had neither awakened his Magic Power nor reached the Soul Burning Tier, and the effects of oxygen deprivation were growing ever more severe.

His consciousness was already blurring. The arms that had been desperately clawing at Baru’s wrist had long since gone limp, twitching faintly like his legs.

Even his clenched jaw had gone slack, and small bubbles trickled out from between his teeth.

Baru paid it no mind and continued his descent. They had long since left the boundaries of the Secret Realm.

A shark, drawn by the scent of blood constantly leaking from the Monkey’s mouth and body, spotted its target from a distance.

However, when Baru glanced at it with his calm, indifferent eyes, the shark dared not approach. It hesitated, circling them once, unable to comprehend the source of its unease.

In the end, it chose to trust its instincts, fleeing in a panic even faster than it had arrived.

The Monkey was now only twitching occasionally. Baru could even feel his body starting to go completely limp.

Because his goal was self-awakening, his body contained no foreign Magic Power, so as to prevent any interference with his soul and body.

In other words, there was no Magic Power to spontaneously protect him at this critical juncture.

Over ten minutes had passed since they’d plunged into the sea. Baru finally stopped.

Even he wasn’t sure of their current depth. He only knew that the light from above was extremely faint.

The Monkey before him had lifeless eyes. The intervals between the twitches of his limbs were long and very weak.

He had likely been unconscious for a while.

"I overestimated you. I thought you were another one of the Mentor’s incredible students!"

The somewhat shrill audio vibrations in the water formed these sounds.

BA-DUMP~

Baru frowned, feeling the Monkey’s heart give a violent thump.

’His blurry consciousness cleared, overlapping like a double image. Memories flooded in: evolving from animal to human, learning to speak, understanding justice and purpose, being given the name Sun Wukong...’

His golden eyes, which had started to turn white, slowly rolled back to their proper golden hue.

His nose twitched and trembled. The Monkey’s expression gradually became ferocious. His jaw clenched shut again, and at this moment, his fangs seemed to grow longer and sharper.

"Hrrngh..."

A trembling sound emerged from the depths of the Monkey King’s throat.

A ball of golden flame was born from the depths of his body and soul. In that instant, a wave of Magic Power spread throughout his entire body.

"I’m not..."

THWACK~ A single blow from Baru’s left arm cut off the Monkey King’s attempt to speak through the water with his new Magic Power and knocked him unconscious.

Then, he swam rapidly toward the surface, carrying him.

His objective was achieved. It didn’t matter if the Monkey had a sudden power-up on the seabed; the small amount of Magic Power he had just awakened was of little use.

On the island’s cliff edge, there were now more than two hundred members of the Knight Order lying prone.

At first, some newcomers passing by didn’t know what the people in front were doing, but after learning the situation, they chose to stay and watch.

"Hey, it’s been quiet for a while, hasn’t it?"

"Yeah. Who’s keeping time? How long has it been?"

"Almost twenty minutes, I think!"

"Holding your breath during a fight is different from doing it normally. Can that Monkey survive?"

No one thought Baru couldn’t handle it; in their minds, their leader was already equated with a monster.

"I don’t know... I think he’s probably dead, right?"

The men whispered amongst themselves, growing worried for the Monkey.

After a while, a splash erupted from the distant sea surface. Baru emerged, one hand shouldering the long rod, with the unconscious Monkey slung over one end of it.

He swam swiftly from the distance toward the shore. He looked leisurely, but his speed still surpassed that of a speedboat.

As he neared the shore, Baru gave a powerful heave, flinging the Monkey up onto the high cliff. Two recruits quickly leaped up to catch him.

Everyone’s attention was subconsciously focused on him.

His brownish-yellow fur was sopping wet. In many places where it was plastered to his skin, traces of bruises were visible. A single touch was enough to tell that he had broken bones in several places.

A gentle press on the right spot on his chest made him immediately open his mouth and vomit a large amount of seawater, after which his faint breathing resumed.

"Whew... He’s tough. He didn’t even die from that!"

THUD~

Baru had leaped up from below, landing steadily on the cliff’s edge.

"He’s not that easy to kill. Feed him a petal of the Flower of Life, then take him to the lounge."

After speaking, he strode away first, heading for the castle to change his clothes.

Yet his Perception remained focused on the Monkey behind him.

’Golden Magic Power! A self-awakening, without any ritual!’

’Another incredible student for the Mentor!’