He was imprisoned in Nibelungen for a thousand years, only to find out upon his release that he was

The air above the city roared and shattered, as if a high-yield aerial bomb had been dropped and then exploded violently!

The aftershocks spread out, accompanied by a strong impact, spreading horizontally like a ring of air waves. The surrounding high-rise buildings that were hit shook violently, and the upper floors at the corresponding height on the horizontal plane were all shattered in an instant!

"Wow, what a lively development!"

Amidst the swirling winds, Quetzal effortlessly deflected Lu Ming's fist with a chuckle.

Lu Ming blinked in surprise. His full-force attack in the inch-force mode was actually taken by the opponent without any effort.

"Come on, come on, don't stop! The show is about to get even more intense!"

Quetzal's passionate tone was overwhelming, and although his words might have sounded somewhat ambiguous, like courtship, his actions were actually nothing short of a fierce, hand-to-hand combat.

boom!

As the two landed, Quetzalcoatl's attack came again.

Lu Ming predicted the trajectory while thinking at high speed, and then used the elements to turn around and make his opponent's punch miss.

However, Quetzal suddenly changed his posture and rushed forward rapidly. The arm that had missed its target came close at the same time, followed by a fierce elbow strike!

Boom!

Lu Ming had also anticipated the attack, but he had no room to dodge it, and he raised his arms to meet it instantly.

This response was completed in the blink of an eye, yet the overwhelming force still penetrated through the arm and seeped into the muscles, crushing flesh with astonishing skill!

Boom!

Lu Ming crashed to the ground from mid-air, his heavy body slamming into the earth, the force of the impact creating a massive black crater in the already scarred street.

"So strong...!"

He quickly got up, completely ignoring his injuries. But he could feel his blood boiling, and the intense pain emanating from his chest muscles and internal organs.

Lu Ming came to a conclusion.

His close-combat skills are stronger than ever before.

He's at least ten times more heroic than Odin!

What followed was a fluctuating, trembling state of mind.

Although it could barely suppress Odin's puppet, this Quetzalcoatl was clearly in his true form, and if he got serious, his strength could very well surpass it.

Although he had arranged a ceremony in the rear to accelerate his spiritual regeneration and promote his transformation, his advantage had vanished under the combined attack of the two enemies!

What would happen if this situation continued? It's easy to imagine: Nibelungen, this prison-like world, him, and everything he had fought so hard to save would be utterly destroyed, becoming nothing but emptiness...

Lu Ming patted the dust off his face expressionlessly.

But why?

Why is it that whenever I make the slightest progress, the enemy retaliates with even greater pressure...?

It's as if you're relentlessly forcing yourself to admit defeat and retreat, burying yourself in an abyss where the sun never rises.

Perhaps there aren't that many "whys" in life.

Just as some people are born into the prison of fate, others are born in the clouds, only needing to choose to throw others into cages woven from the threads of fate.

He never understood any of this. All he knew was that he couldn't lose, he couldn't back down; behind him were his family and friends, innocent civilians, and the lights of countless homes.

Lu Ming recalled Quetzalcoatl's movements, techniques, and skills, and the unique energy fluctuations he had sensed, similar to those of Odin, the way his (divine) soul reacted with the surrounding elements...

The next second, the Word of Power was activated, the Inch Force Mode was fully activated, the circuits throughout the body went berserk, the muscles regenerated at high speed, and the self-time accelerated. Finally, through high-speed segmented thinking, he tried to feel the part of himself that was sublimated in his soul (divinity).

He lowered his body slightly, and then charged forward again like lightning!

Lu Ming seemed tireless, observing, learning, and imitating Quetzal repeatedly under his suppression.

After what seemed like the umpteenth time their bodies collided, the two exchanged punches once more!

A deafening explosion erupted, sending up a tsunami-like hurricane across the ground. The surrounding area, spanning tens of kilometers, was completely empty, with any obstacles shattered by the force and impact.

"what?"

Quetzal was about to deflect Lu Ming's direct attacks once again.

It failed—?

Click...!

Quetzalcoatl was shocked to see himself being forcefully pushed back, the cracks his feet had carved into the ground.

Undoubtedly, the opponent's power has changed.

The knuckles of Lu Ming's fists were swirling with intense spiritual energy.

In this way, he temporarily enhanced the divinity of some parts of his body!

So that's how it is!

The opponent keenly observed the suppression of lower-level divine power by divine power. After all, he was a supreme being, while Lu Ming was merely an incomplete god.

Since we are outnumbered, we chose to focus on a single point to break through the overall situation!

"Seriously, such an incredible rate of progress...!"

Volume 1: Chapter 126 Watch closely, this is my last dance.

The atmosphere roared, and divine energy surged, as if fists and palms clashed with radiant light. The immense force was transmitted layer by layer, impacting each other's flesh and spiritual foundation. The power was unparalleled and earth-shattering!

Namo San, what an intense gladiatorial combat! What merciless karate!

Quetzal watched the whole thing unfold, and was quite surprised to be forced to take several steps back by such a powerful punch, but he was also delighted by the sight of his prey.

Despite being a god still in the process of growing up, he learned to roughly use divine techniques within just a few moves of meeting him.

Previously, Quetzal had also learned about Lu Ming's past from the reluctant "Fate".

An indelible existence, a device of annihilation, which in just a few days emerged from a state of complete ignorance, accumulating astonishing power to reach a level capable of contending with the supreme god...

Such talent and ability are truly exaggerated, and the speed of their growth is terrifying!

No wonder their Nordic allies went to great lengths to get them to sign an alliance treaty.

With such unparalleled talent, perhaps this time, or perhaps next time, Lu Ming will grow to a point where even they cannot stop him...

What should we do then?

Inviting more competitors will only encourage them to grow stronger. But ignoring them would defeat the purpose.

Faced with this dilemma of being stuck on one thing and having nothing to do with it, "fate" must be having quite a headache, right?

This is what Quetzalcoatl thought to himself.

However, in her own opinion, this is a good thing!

As a god who protects the prosperity of civilization, Quetzalcoatl would rather see the road not be cut off and hopes it will last forever.

Originally, she wasn't very optimistic about Lu Ming's plan to modify the bloodlines of the people, but now, after witnessing his astonishing and unbelievable growth, Quetzalcoatl quietly changed her attitude and her motives for taking action.

Perhaps it is not yet time to pass the throne to the primates. The birth of a new primate will not receive the world's blessing.

Perhaps these people have a toxic contamination in their blood, and they cannot receive kindness from humanity.

But that's alright. With a leader like Lu Ming, they have plenty of opportunities to grow and plenty of ways to overcome difficulties...

Perhaps one day in the future, Lu Ming and his partners will break through the existing constraints and forge a perfect new path.

However, all of this is predicated on their ability to survive the darkness before dawn and withstand the wind and rain before the sun shines.

Therefore—

For Quetzalcoatl, today's action was a trial arranged for them.

This is a trial from the past. The growth of the new primates is about overcoming their immature past!

"Come on, let me see the limits of your growth! Let's have a high-octane, one-on-one wrestling match that gets the blood pumping!"

Quetzal laughed, waved, and stomped her foot on the ground, revealing a look of utter excitement. She was about to get serious.

If you perform in a way that satisfies her—

For example, if Lu Ming maintained the same momentum as before, he could gradually push her back until he was driven out of the city.

After that, it wouldn't hurt to do something for them in return.

(destiny:?)

Clearly, caught up in the battle and carried away by his own emotions, Quetzalcoatl seemed to have completely forgotten the alliance he had signed...

"call!"

"...I have to admit, you are very strong, so strong that you make me despair."

Lu Ming shook his head, his expression somber.

"It's not that I don't want to fight you one-on-one... but the gap between us is just too big. I've tried my best, and even just reached my limit, but I still can't compete with you!"

He was breathing heavily, trying to calm the astonishment in his heart and the pain in his body.

Despite having undergone such a profound transformation of his soul, he was still no match for the fully evolved form of the opponent.

Through repeated attempts and careful observation, he tried to imitate that special fluctuation.

He attempted to use a clever trick to gather the spiritual elements within his soul that had been sublimated during his path to godhood—that is, 'divinity'—in order to defeat his opponent by targeting one aspect of their being.

Even so, it can only barely withstand the opponent's basic attack.

However, such forced concentration can cause excruciating pain to the soul and cannot be sustained for long.

Why is that?

Lu Ming knew very well.

He did not complete the path to godhood, his soul transformation was not strong enough, and the quality and quantity of his spiritual elements were far inferior to his opponent's.

But what did he do?

He forcibly manipulated his own soul, concentrating a local area to bring the quality of that local soul closer to the other party's max-level soul.

The mental pressure created during this process will undoubtedly harm the soul.

Fortunately, the spiritual reconstruction ceremony was still ongoing. The ruptured soul was completely reconstructed and restored to its original state in the next second.

However, this cannot last. What if the battle becomes stalemate and the torn wounds of the soul cannot heal in time?

He was merely a weak and powerless beginner who had only been cultivating for a few days and hadn't even finished the path to godhood, yet he had to face such a powerful Dragon King...

Thinking of this, Lu Ming was filled with despair.

"Oh? So, you're planning to give up and admit defeat?"

Quetzal's face showed no change in expression, but he felt disappointment and uncertainty in his heart.

She sighed inwardly.

Perhaps it was because I pushed myself too hard. Were the trials I set too difficult?

Perhaps I should slow down the pace a bit and let Lu Ming grow step by step.

We can only push her back a few steps now, but there's plenty of time in the future!

After all, Lu Ming possesses exceptional talent. Perhaps, in a few dozen days, he will have enough strength to drive her directly out of the city...

If all else fails, try to reduce the water level a bit, and when he drives you back, coordinate with him to fly further away...

Quetzal hesitated inwardly. This was a passable result, and it would save face for his teammates. He would then quietly go and lend them a hand.

(destiny:??)

"I'm sorry... I fully recognize my own shortcomings!"

"Therefore, I must let go of my inner convictions, abandon unnecessary pride and self-esteem, and use some necessary means."

Even if it doesn't look like a fair one-on-one.

Lu Ming could actually sense that Quetzal wasn't as despicable and shameless as Odin. Despite their different stances, she was simply there to enjoy a thrilling battle, and such an enemy deserved a little respect.

Unfortunately...

I already carry too much on my shoulders.

He had no room to back down, nor could he harbor any hope of begging the enemy for mercy, nor could he retain any noble pride in a fair duel.

All he had was a stubborn will to persevere in the face of a ridiculous and absurd fate and an abyss of malice.