Chapter 6 Uncrowned King

The young man chuckled, his voice echoing calmly through the valley.

Indeed, this young man, Feng Zichen from Earth, had transmigrated three years ago. His demeanor, once youthful and inexperienced, had undergone a remarkable transformation.

When he first arrived, Feng Zichen was an ordinary fourteen-year-old high school student marked by a perpetual trace of sorrow. Now, three years later, his demeanor no longer carried the previous panic, even in the presence of Fell Woods' overlord. Always wearing a serene smile, he exuded a sense of calm and worldly understanding.

The catalyst for such a profound change in Feng Zichen's demeanor within a mere three years was his rapid increase in strength. Setting ambitious goals upon his arrival, Feng Zichen devoted himself to cultivating Chakra.

Given his innate talent, his cultivation speed was nothing short of astonishing. Breaking through to Genin level within three days, reaching Chunin level in March, and advancing to Jonin level within ten months, he subsequently entered the quasi-Kage level one and a half years later. Dissatisfied with merely roaming the outer domain, Feng Zichen ventured into the treacherous Cultivation of Fel Woods. Finally, half a year ago, he successfully attained the Kage Level, experiencing a significant enhancement in strength.

Yet, Feng Zichen wasn't solely focused on Chakra cultivation. Alongside this, he recognized the importance of actual combat training. Understanding that battle strength was determined by various factors, he regularly engaged with Demon Beasts to hone his combat skills, gain practical experience, and earn redemption points—a strategy that provided dual benefits.

Over the next three years, Feng Zichen's transformation was truly remarkable. Through battles with Demon Beasts, he learned to maximize his strength. The accrued redemption points enabled him to exchange for numerous Ninjutsu and even Kekkei Genkai. For instance, the Ice-Style Kekkei Genkai he utilized against the Three Eyed Vajra Ape was just a glimpse of his repertoire.

Presently, Feng Zichen was a far cry from the boy who, three years prior, had relied on an Explosive Tag to overcome a fourth-order Demon Beast unicorn fire pig.

During this time, his continuous battles with Demon Beasts not only accelerated his strength but also heightened the caliber of his sparring partners. Since reaching the Kage Level six months ago and undergoing a substantial enhancement in strength, Feng Zichen had set his sights on Ninth Order Demon Beasts.

Ninth Order Demon Beasts in Fell Woods were absolute powerhouses—formidable in strength, possessing diverse innate talents, and extremely challenging to confront with Arcane Arts. Roughly equivalent to Master Magi, Martial Venerables, and Phantoms among humans, Ninth Order Demon Beasts, in reality, held a slight advantage over their human counterparts.

Nevertheless, Feng Zichen harbored confidence in his abilities. Armed with dozens of B-Rank and A-Rank Ninjutsu, he had amassed an arsenal of formidable skills.

Over the past six months, Feng Zichen's strength had steadily risen. Initially on the losing end, his battles against Ninth Order Demon Beasts gradually shifted in his favor, resulting in no defeats and even gaining the upper hand.

Moreover, the Demonic Cores of Ninth Order Demon Beasts contained immensely rich energy, yielding hundreds of thousands of redemption points, if not more, which greatly augmented his Cultivation.

This wealth of redemption points facilitated exchanges for more potent Ninjutsu and Kekkei Genkai, thereby propelling his strength to new heights. Not long ago, Feng Zichen triumphed over a team of five-headed Ninth Order Demon Beasts, a victory that signaled his invincibility within Fell Woods' territory.

With newfound confidence in his current strength, Feng Zichen realized it was time to bid farewell to Fell Woods and rejoin human society. At 17-18 years old, in the most vibrant stage of life, he understood that lingering in the deserted Demon Beast forest was no longer conducive to his growth. Recognizing the bottleneck in his current strength, he knew that without a significant influx of redemption points or a breakthrough moment, further improvement would be challenging. Hence, the time had come to depart.

Before bidding farewell to Fell Woods, Feng Zichen had one last objective—to challenge the uncrowned king of the Inner Land, the Three Eyed Vajra Ape.

Locating the resting Three Eyed Vajra Ape, Feng Zichen roused it abruptly, though the method employed was far from cordial.

"Feng Zichen, I remember… Finally, I must ask, are you here to challenge me?" Three Eyed Vajra Ape growled, its voice resounding like thunder, deafening the surroundings.

"Yes, I've achieved a few milestones in Cultivation within Fell Woods in recent years. Therefore, I'd like to request your assistance in assessing the results of my Cultivation, and…" Feng Zichen began politely, pausing before concluding with a hint of arrogance, "I'm also intrigued by the Demonic Core of a Ninth Order Demon Beast that has been Cultivating for thousands of years. I wonder how its energy differs from that of a regular Ninth Order Demon Beast…"

Startled, Three Eyed Vajra Ape swiftly turned furious. Known for its fiery temper, it found Feng Zichen's words insolent. Previously, it had merely sensed a hint of strength from Feng Zichen's actions, which prompted further inquiry. But this arrogance was a step too far.

"Interested in my Demonic Core? Isn't that akin to challenging death itself? Are you asking me to prepare for your demise?" Three Eyed Vajra Ape bellowed, eyes flashing with fury.

"Hateful human, you're courting death!!!" With a thunderous roar, the Ape lunged at Feng Zichen, delivering a punch filled with terror and oppression.

Feng Zichen's smile remained, but caution flickered in his eyes. Employing the Body Flicker Jutsu once again, he evaded the attack.

The impact of the Ape's punch shattered a nearby cliff. Observing Feng Zichen's disappearance, Three Eyed Vajra Ape scornfully assumed he was attempting to deceive it.

Without hesitation, the Ape turned and lashed its tail towards a large tree behind. Simultaneously, Feng Zichen reappeared atop the tree, seemingly intentionally drawing closer.

"Wow," Feng Zichen marveled inwardly, but swiftly took action, performing hand seals. Utilizing an Ice-Style secret technique, he created an "Ice Shield" for defense.

The Ape's tail swung, shattering the Ice-Style shield and sending Feng Zichen flying several dozen meters. Regaining his balance, he leaped to another tree, rapidly forming hand seals. With determination, he unleashed a Ninjutsu— "Fire-Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"

Three Eyed Vajra Ape smirked, casually smashing the large Fireball. Feng Zichen observed with keen interest. Though a C-Rank Ninjutsu, his extensive Chakra reserves imbued the attack with the power of a B-Rank Ninjutsu. While it might not injure the Ape, breaking it would prove challenging.

The Ape then revealed its immunity to Fire-Style attacks, taunting Feng Zichen. Surprised but undeterred, Feng Zichen understood he needed more than Fire-Style Ninjutsu.

Seizing the moment, he performed another hand seal, unleashing a "Water-Style: Water Shockwave!" The high-pressure water column collided with the Ape's fiery punch, and both attacks dissipated in the sky.

Three Eyed Vajra Ape, bewildered by Feng Zichen's use of Water Element Arcane Arts, was momentarily at a loss. Unbeknownst to it, Feng Zichen was not only proficient in Water and Fire but also adept in Wind, Thunder, and Earth Arcane Arts.

Employing a B-Rank Ninjutsu to counter the Ape's hot punch, Feng Zichen displayed he wasn't merely avoiding confrontation.

Swiftly forming over 40 hand seals, he exhaled and released a colossal attack— "Water-Style: Great Waterfall Jutsu!"

The colossal waves surged towards Three Eyed Vajra Ape, forcing it to grab onto branches and sway like a pendulum. The deluge transformed the entire valley into a massive lake with a radius of 1000 meters.

Amazed by the colossal display, Feng Zichen, despite the substantial Chakra depletion, remained unperturbed. Retrieving a dark pill from his Ninja Tool Pouch, he consumed it. Witnessing the swift Chakra restoration, he was impressed by the System-produced military grain pill—a Chakra-replenishing pill that restored 30% of his peak Chakra within seconds.

"Military grain pill, a System-produced Chakra-replenishing pill, impressive," Feng Zichen thought. "Though costly—requiring 200,000 exchange points, equivalent to an A-Rank Ninjutsu—it's worth it for a Ninth Order peak Demonic Core."

Gazing at the Ape with a quizzical expression and a hint of a smile, Feng Zichen prepared for the next move.