Another heavy collision—both sides unleashed their full strength in that instant.
A terrifying shockwave crashed through him; the Monkey King felt his organs lurch painfully. His throat tasted of blood, and a mouthful of crimson sprayed forth, splattering across General Skyler’s face.
With all his power, Skyler swept his axe in a wide arc, sending the Monkey King hurtling like a meteor into the mountainside, bursting rock and sand into the air.
The Heavenly soldiers erupted in cheers.
The demons stared wide-eyed in shock.
His body slid down with the rubble to the base of the cliff. When the dust finally settled, that battered figure, seemingly ready to collapse at any moment, braced himself against the Cloudwalker Staff and shakily, stubbornly rose to his feet.
The demons watched in stunned silence.
His blood-soaked body was now covered in dust; hunched over, he seemed to have aged decades in an instant. Yet he still gritted his teeth and forced himself upright.
“Does he truly mean to save us to the very end? Even if it costs his life…” Leo murmured, never having seen a demon like the Monkey King before.
But Big Bull had seen it before.
“White Ape…” Big Bull seemed to understand at last. Tears welled up in his wide eyes.
With one last effort, another mouthful of blood sprayed out. The Monkey King had to grip the Cloudwalker Staff with both hands just to remain standing. He lifted his head and gazed up at the sky.
Two Skylers?
His awareness was slipping away. Trembling, eyes unfocused, he jerked his head and forced his eyes open—everything before him was now a blur.
He could no longer summon a shred of spiritual power, no longer muster any strength. At this moment, his whole body shook, even breathing seemed to exhaust his last reserves.
He coughed endlessly; drops of blood seeped from his lips and fell to the ground.
His ears rang; the whole world fell silent. The sky above spun, the earth beneath spun—everything in existence seemed to blur and twist in this moment.
His face caked in dust, eyes vacant, he longed to fight on, but had no strength left.
His body had reached its absolute limit.
All that remained was the will to keep standing—head held high, clinging to his last shred of dignity.