Inside the barren world bubble, on an expansive black metal platform, Zeke hovered effortlessly, holding the Petroglyph Core aloft amidst intense scarlet radiance, his gaze calm and indifferent.
On the opposite side, Senti, equipped with a weapon case resembling a giant sword, warmed up by twisting his waist, saying: "No need for hesitation, attack already! I can't wait any longer!"
Indeed, crushing that obnoxious face underfoot was something Senti had dreamt about numerous times, eagerly anticipating this moment.
Zeke wasted no words, channeling the immense Honkai Energy from the Herrscher Core into his body along with the power of the Key of Judgment ring.
While using gravity manipulation or abilities derived from Divine Keys would have been more convenient, leaving a lasting impression on Senti required straightforward brutality, a direct clash of fists.
"Come." Amidst the overwhelming energy suffocating the air, Zeke's expression remained composed as he casually beckoned with his hand.
With one swift step, Senti bent her knee as a flying sword, long spear, and chain blades emerged from her weapon cache.
"Hmph! Wanting to engage me in close combat? Zeke, you're courting your own demise! True martial prowess isn't just about computational power!"
"Boom!!"
The metallic ground shattered, leaving a massive crater as Senti swiftly traversed space, her spear moving like a dragon.
"Crash!"
A deafening explosion echoed through the void, with the tip of the spear, emanating red Honkai Energy, pressed against Zeke's palm.
Simultaneously, Zeke retreated slightly before fully absorbing the impact. Looking up, he acknowledged, "Not bad force."
The human body has limited capacity for accommodating Honkai Energy. Even for a Herrscher, there is a threshold to the intensity of Honkai Energy their physical form can sustainably output.
However, Taixuan Sword Qi and Inch Heart Fist Technique transcend this limit.
Fu Hua's martial essence transforms the human body from being fundamentally dependent on Honkai Energy to merely serving as its conduit. Consequently, the previous bodily limits can be ignored; provided there is surrounding Honkai Energy, nearly any amount can be channeled through martial techniques without an upper bound.
Thus, what would require immense effort for a typical Herrscher to achieve, becomes a mere casual strike for Senti.
This strike transcended the Herrscher level; it belonged to a realm above, attainable only by few surpassers like Zeke, Kevin, and Fu Hua.
"Hah! Not over yet!" Senti anticipated her initial attack's ineffectiveness. Her chain blade lunged like a soaring serpent, while flying swords pierced the air like meteors, unleashing relentless assaults from every blind angle.
Zeke's gaze shifted briefly without any change in expression. With a casual motion, he grasped Senti's spear tip, sidestepped, and thrust out his fist with his other hand.
Unwilling to yield, Senti released her grip on the spear shaft and countered with her own punch.
"Boom!!"
A deafening explosion echoed, marking both the impact of their fists colliding and the massive burst as countless flying swords and chain blades struck Zeke simultaneously.
Amidst the thunderous noise, Senti was sent hurtling backward, crashing onto the metal surface and leaving a massive trench kilometers long in its wake.
After dissipating the shockwave, Senti executed a backflip, landing steadily on her feet. She shook the hand that had clashed with Zeke, her face grimacing.
"Damn! It's completely numb! How can you be so strong?"
In the next moment, amidst the settling dust, Zeke held one flying sword firmly by its blade with one hand and gripped a continuously vibrating chain blade with the other.
"Clang!"
Senti's weapons twisted under Zeke's grasp, falling limp before being casually tossed aside.
Zeke patted his self-repairing clothes and shook his head. "As a massage, it's still lacking some force."
"A mere plant!" Senti gritted her teeth from the ground.
While she knew Zeke must be similar to Kevin, possessing extraordinary physical strength far surpassing hers, this level of power seemed unreasonable. Could it be due to enhancements from fusing two Herrscher Cores?
Senti snorted coldly, holding her long spear at an angle with one hand while donning crimson arm gauntlets on the other. With a swift kick off the steel-like earth, she propelled herself skyward, concealing the heavy sword-like scabbard strapped to her back as she ascended amidst shattered debris.
Facing the heavy sword swiftly approaching, Zeke raised both hands, absorbing the full impact without stepping back.
Simultaneously, Senti emerged behind the heavy sword, delivering a precise and powerful kick that flipped the weapon, propelling it through the gap between Zeke's arms directly towards his chest.
"Thud!"
The collision of the heavy sword with Zeke's body echoed like a dull clang of thick metal.
In almost the same instant, Senti lifted her long spear high and swung it forcefully down towards Zeke.
Feeling the immense force from the heavy sword against his chest, Zeke frowned and reached up to intercept Senti's long spear.
However, the spearhead shimmered momentarily in mid-air, evading Zeke's grasp, and struck squarely on his shoulder instead.
"Boom!!!"
The fabric on Zeke's shoulder ripped apart, and blood began to drip from the wound.
Zeke frowned, meeting Senti's manic grin.
"I calculated your move, yet still couldn't block it?"
"Martial Dao Immortals achieve what others deem impossible! Combat is inherently unpredictable, and I am the strongest who masters every twist and turn! If you believe sheer calculation ability grants invincibility, then your defeat was inevitable from the start. Don't equate my current self with the irrational fool I once was, idiot!"
"I see, thank you for the lesson."
Zeke nodded slightly, and simultaneously, at his shoulder wound, the flowing blood reversed direction, swiftly healing him back to perfection within moments.
Senti's smile froze. "What?"
"That concludes our opening remarks; let's get down to business," Zeke declared, pushing aside both the heavy sword and the long spear. He leaned forward, catching Senti off guard, and forcefully slammed his head downward.
It was a straightforward headbutt—Zeke collided forehead-to-forehead with Senti. It's worth noting that given Zeke's mastery over most techniques of the Inch Heart Fist and Taixuan Sword Qi, for him, a headbutt held similar potency to a punch.
"Crash!"
Senti once again plunged into the metallic ground, tumbling several times before clutching her head and writhing in pain.
"Owwww... Is this bastard's skull made of Soulium? No wait, it must be ten thousand times harder than Soulium itself!"
"Whoosh!"
As she rolled on the ground, a sharp sound pierced the air.
With a swift flip, Senti dodged just in time.
"Clang! Clang!"
The long gun and heavy sword struck the earth beside her, leaving two deep craters side by side.
Senti forcefully smacked her forehead, then kicked both weapons back with force.
In a fluid motion, she leaped onto the swiftly flying heavy sword.
"Sword Control Art!"
Though a physical version, it was essentially the Sword Control Art nonetheless.
Senti clashed with Zeke anew, now engaging in close-quarters combat.
Neither the heavy sword nor the long gun were held directly but instead followed Senti's astonishing movements, repeatedly striking Zeke alongside her relentless punches and kicks.
Zeke parried sporadically, focusing more on Senti herself, frequently marking vulnerable spots like her face, chest, and abdomen.
The intense battle raged from sky to ground, scattering countless metal debris before returning aloft, with their movements now too swift for the naked eye to follow.
After a prolonged skirmish, their fists collided once again.
Zeke stood firm without retreating, while Senti flew backward hundreds of meters, flipping multiple times before landing. Both adversaries locked eyes, and an abrupt silence filled the air.
"Pant... pant..."
Senti wiped her bleeding nose, caught her breath, and burst out laughing wildly:
"Hahahaha! Yes, this is it—the exhilarating intensity I crave! This is the kind of fight I've been longing for! Come, continue witnessing my immense power!"
Zeke dusted off his clothes, which were automatically repairing themselves. In moments, he looked no different than when he arrived, maintaining his initial composed demeanor as he said:
"Yes, you're indeed strong. Although I haven't fought Fu Hua directly, I suspect our strengths are quite comparable now. Alright then, let's move on to the next phase."
"Huh? What next phase?"
"Both possessing martial arts mastery, you hold one portion of Herrscher energy, whereas I possess over three portions. Surely you don't think our gap is that minimal?"
As he uttered his final word, Zeke abruptly materialized before Senti's eyes. Leveraging their height difference, he looked down at her expressionlessly.
"The educational phase begins now. Remember to brace yourself," Zeke warned as his fist rapidly enlarged in Senti's view.
"BOOM!!!"