After absorbing the particles from the stone monster, Leng Chen felt a surge of energy within him. Without hesitation, he dashed toward the direction of the phoenix. Along the way, countless craters of various sizes dotted the landscape, some still emitting faint smoke. In the depths of several craters, shattered remains of stone monsters were scattered.
Leng Chen narrowed his eyes slightly, thinking, "Incredible... This must be the phoenix's doing. The gap between us is still immense."
As he contemplated, the ground ahead cracked open abruptly. Several stone monsters emerged, their towering forms rising from the earth. They varied in size; the tallest stood five meters, while the shortest was at least two meters. Their bodies, marked by glowing fissures, radiated an oppressive aura as they blocked Leng Chen's path.
Leng Chen stopped, clenched his fists, and looked at them with a calm yet sharp gaze. Golden light flickered in his eyes as he spoke coldly, "I'm in a hurry. Can you make way for me?"
The stone monsters remained silent, their response clear as they charged toward him in unison. Their thunderous steps shook the ground, sending plumes of dust into the air.
Without another word, Leng Chen's body emitted a brilliant golden glow as he rushed toward the largest of the stone monsters. Their fists collided with a deafening boom, a shockwave blasting outward from the impact, scattering debris and shaking the earth. Yet, before Leng Chen could follow up, the other stone monsters lunged at him from the sides, swinging their massive arms in coordinated attacks.
Leng Chen twisted his body to evade the strikes, narrowly avoiding being crushed. He scanned his surroundings quickly and locked onto the smallest of the group. In a swift movement, he darted forward and delivered a powerful punch to its head, shattering it into pieces. Just as he landed, another stone monster's fist struck him from the side, sending him flying.
Spinning mid-air, Leng Chen forced himself to redirect the impact, twisting his body to absorb the force. Just as he steadied himself, another stone golem's attack followed immediately, leaving him no time to evade. With no other option, he crossed his arms over his chest to shield himself. The strike landed heavily, sending him hurtling into a rocky wall. Dust and debris erupted around him as his body crashed against the solid surface.
Looking up at the stone monsters advancing again, Leng Chen frowned, his mind racing. "I can't waste any more time. Who knows what's happening with the phoenix right now."
He glanced at his fists and began channeling the golden energy into them. The light grew brighter, pulsing with intensity. He gritted his teeth and muttered, "Not enough… I need to focus it more!"
The energy converged further, reshaping itself around his fists. Slowly, the golden light solidified, transforming into a set of flaming gauntlets. The blazing gauntlets shimmered with golden fire, exuding a fearsome aura.
Leng Chen looked at his new weapon with a sly grin. "Now this is more like it. Come on! Let's see who shatters first!"
With that, he launched himself at the stone monsters. This time, his punches obliterated them effortlessly. Every blow smashed through their rocky bodies as if they were brittle clay. Their sizes no longer mattered—whether towering giants or smaller figures, they all crumbled under Leng Chen's fiery fists.
"Ha!" Leng Chen laughed as he punched through another monster. "Come on, send more if you dare! I'll break every last one of you, you rock piles!"
As if the valley had heard his taunt, the ground began trembling violently. Cracks spread across the terrain, and an overwhelming number of stone monsters surged forth from the depths. The sheer quantity blanketed the horizon, their numbers seemingly endless.
Leng Chen's grin froze, his face darkening. He muttered bitterly, "I was just joking. You didn't have to take me so seriously…"
Faced with the sea of stone monsters, Leng Chen clenched his fists, the flames on his gauntlets burning brighter. Though his resolve remained firm, he couldn't help but think, "Sorry, phoenix. It looks like I might not make it to you after all..."
Meanwhile, in another part of the valley, the phoenix was locked in a fierce battle.
Surrounded by five towering lizardmen, each standing over ten meters tall, the phoenix flapped its blazing wings. These lizardmen, wielding massive weapons and donning reinforced armor, coordinated their attacks flawlessly, keeping the phoenix from gaining the upper hand.
"Enough of this!" the phoenix roared, its voice echoing like a thunderclap. Its body erupted in a dazzling inferno, the flames spreading out like an unstoppable tide.
The phoenix unleashed a fiery explosion, incinerating everything within a massive radius. The scorching heat reduced the nearby landscape to ash, turning the battlefield into a wasteland.
But the lizardmen had anticipated this move. They raised enormous shields and formed a defensive formation, their shields locking together to create an impenetrable barrier. The flames clashed against the shield wall, unable to break through.
Far off in the distance, Leng Chen noticed the explosion. The intense heat and brilliant light drew his attention immediately. Squinting toward the fiery glow, he muttered, "What the hell happened over there?"
Before he could dwell on it further, the horde of stone monsters surged toward him, their sheer numbers threatening to overwhelm him. Leng Chen took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, and charged forward.
"This is going to be one hell of a day..." he sighed, readying himself for the fight ahead.