Chapter 240: Martial Art
The cavern was a square, completely sealed chamber, its floor paved with heavy stone bricks.
*Buzz!*
The moment Priam stepped inside, runes on the walls lit up in perfect sync, flooding the chamber with a brilliance as intense as the midday sun.
The next instant, a deafening roar tore through the air, making Priam’s eardrums vibrate and the entire structure shake. He instinctively jumped backward, taking a guarded stance.
Out of absolute nowhere, a colossal three-meter-tall ape materialized in the center of the chamber. Its entire body was covered in golden fur that seemed to crackle with energy, with eyes as red as burning embers and a long tail whipping through the air. The monster slammed its massive fists against its own chest, letting out a savage roar that sent dust raining down from the ceiling.
"Wait a second... I know this. Is that... a Golden Great Ape?!"
Priam’s eyes widened. The creature was an exact replica of the legendary beast from an Eastern animated series on Earth.
*ROAR!!!*
The earth-shaking roar compressed the air inside the cavern. The physical pressure radiating from the beast was simply overwhelming; Priam had no doubt that the primate’s body was on par with his own.
In his home world, beasts were weak because they couldn’t control Ether—the beast side of Dandara was the very reason for her limitations. However, in this world ruled by Qi, beasts could develop terrifying physical constitutions and become truly powerful.
The primate’s crimson eyes locked onto Priam, overflowing with killing intent so dense it was almost tangible.
’This is a test,’ Priam realized in a flash. ’To earn the highest score in the Temple of the God of Fists, it’s not enough to simply win... I have to prove my mastery of the path this place honors. Pure brute force. Fists against fists... PERFECT!’
The primate charged like a meteor. Its massive fist tore through the air, generating a shockwave that cracked through the chamber.
"Come on, Golden Oozaru!"
*BOOM!*
The wind exploded into a vortex.
Priam blurred to the side, dodging as the beast’s massive fist slammed straight into the stone wall. The impact, powerful enough to flatten a hill, made the entire structure shake violently, but the cavern’s defensive Inscriptions flared to life, absorbing the shock without allowing even a single scratch.
The Great Ape roared in fury as a golden light radiated from its body. Runes engraved into its flesh began to pulse, raising its aura to an even more insane level.
Priam flashed a crooked grin. He chose not to activate his full Elemental Physique. Instead, he pushed Ether to its absolute limit within his muscle fibers, igniting his raw physical strength.
This would be a genuine clash of flesh, bone, and violence. Exactly the kind of brawl that made his blood boil!
*BOOM!*
The two fists collided head-on in midair.
The impact wave erupted with a deafening blast. Priam was hurled backward by the collision, his feet skidding across the floor and cracking the stone bricks until he slammed into the opposite wall.
The impact made his chest burn, and his blood churn, but the primate also staggered back, shaking its numbed arm. Neither side gave an inch.
Priam felt a surge of pure adrenaline race through his veins. That beast’s greatest strength was raw power—and he had just matched it head-on.
Enraged that his attack had been stopped, the golden ape charged once more, unleashing a relentless barrage of devastating punches.
Priam didn’t retreat. He accepted the challenge head-on, answering every blow with the same ferocity.
No flashy magic. No elements. No graceful dodging. Just two monsters exchanging punches at a deafening speed.
A manic, exhilarated grin spread across Priam’s face. The feeling of pouring all his strength into the impact of bone against flesh was terrifyingly addictive.
*BOOM! BANG! CRASH!*
The cavern shook with every collision, sending razor-sharp gusts of wind blasting in every direction.
Even after exchanging over a hundred direct blows, with his ribcage creaking and his stomach burning from the pain of the impacts, the flame of Priam’s excitement only kept growing.
"COME ON!"
Despite the overwhelming size difference between the boy and the three-meter-tall primate, the power radiating from both of them clashed in terrifying balance.
There was no elegance or refinement in either of their attacks. In terms of raw power, Priam soon realized he was at a slight disadvantage, being just a little weaker than the golden beast.
Even so, he didn’t give up a single inch. He accepted the pressure and kept trading blows head-on.
There was no fear of getting hurt. Mirra—resting within the inner space, passively absorbing the Ether from the resources Priam had purchased—was quietly activated.
Thanks to that, as long as the attack wasn’t fatal, his torn muscles and cracked bones regenerated almost instantly.
...
...
...
After six uninterrupted hours of nothing but an all-out slugfest, Priam was breathing heavily, but he was undeniably satisfied. Adrenaline surged through his veins; it had been a long time since a fight had given him such genuine, primal pleasure.
It became clear to him: this wasn’t just a battle; it was a forge. The fight had been designed to teach him through pain and impact. If Priam had previously relied too heavily on his evasive speed, those six hours of direct confrontation forced him to refine his offensive instincts and bodily defense.
When the Ape charged again, Priam didn’t dodge.
He blocked the titanic punch with one arm, taking advantage of the opening to deliver a sweeping low kick that knocked the beast’s footing away, sending it crashing down to its knees.
The very next instant, he launched himself into the air and, twisting his waist, drove his heel with brutal precision right into the middle of the creature’s nose.
The strike carried all of Priam’s strength. The golden beast was sent flying like a ragdoll, smashing into the cavern wall before bouncing back onto the ground.
To his disbelief, Priam realized the creature hadn’t suffered a single visible scratch from the impact. Roaring in defiance, the ape got back up and charged once again.
But the tide had already turned.
Priam had already mapped out every microexpression and muscle pattern of his opponent. Despite the primate’s overwhelming power, Priam’s Transcendental Soul wasn’t just for show: the longer the fight dragged on, the more predictable the Ape became. Since the beast relied on wide, straightforward attacks, its offense no longer posed any threat.
As the primate’s punch tore through the air toward him, Priam intercepted its massive wrist with both hands.
Skillfully redirecting the attack’s momentum, he used his legs as leverage and threw the monstrous creature over his shoulders, slamming it into the stone bricks with astronomical force.
*BOOM!*
*BOOM!*
*BOOM!*
Mounted on the chest of the beast, paralyzed from the impact, Priam unleashed a storm of punches, surgically targeting its nerve clusters and most vulnerable joints.
At last, the Great Ape stopped moving, and its figure began dissolving into light.
Priam stood up with shining eyes, feeling refreshed.
’YES! Nice one, Pry!’
Mirra was the most excited. She watched everything from inside the inner space as if she were watching an action movie. It was way more fun than absorbing Ether all by herself.
’I wanna try too!’
Priam snorted. "When you master wood and can defend yourself against anything on your own, then it’ll really be worth learning hand-to-hand combat. For now, just watch and learn."
Mirra pouted, but didn’t argue. She knew Priam was very careful about her safety, which was why she wanted to make sure she wouldn’t put herself in danger.
At that moment, the same glowing particles emerged from the void before him, forming new words:
Congratulations on your victory.
Your growth during the battle was exceptional.
Score: 100/100
Priam let out a deep breath, wiping the sweat from his face. So, the secret behind this trial was twofold: defeat your opponent using your own body strictly, but above all, absorb what you learned and evolve your techniques throughout the battle.
Without a doubt, it was an elite training regimen worthy of the mind of a Deity.
Reward: Divine Martial Art — Emperor’s Steps
As soon as the message dissolved, a brilliant Rune of pure knowledge materialized in the air. It floated gently toward Priam’s forehead, passed through his skin, and merged with his mind in an explosion of information.
His eyes widened in amazement.
He immediately understood the fundamental concept of a "Martial Art" in this world.
Unlike "Magic Arts," which relied primarily on the manipulation of energy, a martial technique revolved around body mechanics and internal control. It was a system of offensive stances, defensive stances, and footwork, teaching exactly how to channel one’s own power through tendons and muscles to maximize destructive impact.
An excited smile spread across his face.
In his world, fighting purely with the body was a rarity. Mages usually relied on weapons, catalysts, and elemental manipulation to dictate the flow of battle.
Now, with the knowledge of this Martial Art engraved into his mind, Priam had just obtained exactly what he needed most to evolve.