177: Chapter 177 Land Warrior: King Kong!
As Lin Qingzhi and I descended upon the summit of the tallest, most precipitous snow-capped mountain like two streaks of light cleaving the heavens, that foolhardy King of the Vajra Giant Apes stood upright on its hind legs, pounding its own chest, as hard as steel, with fists the size of sandpots!
"ROAR! ROAR! ROAR!"
It let out roars brimming with provocation and intimidation!
Its enormous eyes, like crimson lanterns, were locked firmly on us! While there was a trace of fear, born from the depths of its soul, in that gaze, what dominated was a savage, death-defying... battle lust!
Behind it, hundreds of other Vajra Giant Apes, equally massive and ferocious in aura, had gathered!
Though they trembled and prostrated under my omnipresent Bloodline Suppression...
Their eyes did not hold the pure... fear and submission seen in other demonic beasts.
Their eyes still held a sliver of their clan's pride... a pride that would rather die than yield!
They were waiting!
Waiting for their... King to issue the final... command!
"Interesting," Lin Qingzhi remarked, her cool phoenix eyes glinting with a spark of interest as she observed these "monkeys" who dared to bare their fangs at us. "The Vajra Giant Ape clan are distant blood relatives of the 'War Saint Apes' among the ancient demon races. Their bones are steeped in an... indomitable fighting spirit. Ordinary pressure has little effect on them."
"Resistance?" I chuckled at her words.
"No, that's not resistance."
"That's called courting death."
I took a step forward.
Then, I unleashed my terrifying, King Rank aura without reservation, mercilessly crushing down upon that still-raving King of the Vajra Giant Apes!
*Hum—!*
The great ape king's chest-pounding movements abruptly stiffened!
It felt as if it had been struck by an invisible, ancient divine mountain weighing billions of tons!
*Thud!*
Its massive, hill-like body lost control, its knees buckling as it knelt straight down!
It smashed two enormous... craters into the hard, ice-covered ground!
"Roar...?"
For the first time, a hint of human-like... confusion and... disbelief surfaced in its eyes!
It couldn't comprehend it!
It couldn't understand how this seemingly insignificant "two-legged creature" before it could contain such... terrifying power?!
That power did not belong to any... mighty being it knew!
It was something more ancient, more primal, an... absolute suppression that could make its proud "War Saint Bloodline" tremble and submit!
[What... what is this?]
[Why... is my blood... burning? In... fear?]
[Impossible! I, am, the King of Vajra! I, am, the sole... overlord of these snow-capped mountains!]
[I, will never, yield!]
A surge of pride from the depths of its bloodline made it roar once more in defiance!
It struggled, trying to rise from the ground!
However, would I give it such a chance?
"Kneel."
I merely uttered those two words, calmly.
But, empowered by Bloodline Suppression, those two words struck its vulnerable... soul like two hammers of creation, imbued with supreme law!
*Boom!*
The great ape king's head, which had just lifted a fraction, was slammed down!
Its huge, arrogant head was pressed with irresistible, terrifying force against the icy, hard... ground!
*Crash!*
A deafening sound!
The entire mountaintop shook violently!
A massive, half-meter-deep "kowtow crater" appeared before all the Vajra Giant Apes!
At that moment, the whole world fell silent.
The hundreds of Vajra Giant Apes, who had still harbored a sliver of "fighting spirit," watched as their once-invincible, undefeated "King" was forced to "kowtow" in such an unreasonable, overwhelming manner...
Their last, faint shreds of... hope utterly shattered!
[The King... the King was... defeated instantly?]
[With... one sentence, he made the King... kowtow?]
[Is this... a deity?!]
[It's a Demon God! The legendary progenitor Demon God of our Vajra Giant Ape clan, long lost, has descended!]
[So that's it! I understand now! The King wasn't resisting; he was testing this lord's capacity in his own way! He was assessing whether this lord possessed the qualification to command our clan!]
[Exactly! Only a supreme being who can utterly crush the indomitable fighting spirit of our Vajra Giant Ape clan is worthy of becoming our true... King!]
Endless "delusional rationalizations" played out frantically in their minds!
They looked at my small yet infinitely majestic back. The look in their eyes shifted from initial "defiance" to "confusion," then from "confusion" to "shock," finally transforming into boundless... fanaticism and... worship!
*Thud! Thud!*
They hesitated no longer!
They offered their most humble and devout... knees to me, to the supreme "Demon God" in their hearts!
And that great ape king, whose head I had forced into a "kowtow," finally abandoned all... resistance completely.
It could sense that if it dared show even the slightest hint of "disrespect" again...
Then what awaited it would be utter annihilation, body and soul!
It slowly raised its head. All the savagery and defiance in those crimson giant eyes had vanished.
Replacing it was a submission known as... "resignation."
[I... submit.]
A mental transmission, filled with "humiliation" and "helplessness," entered my mind.
I smiled.
I walked slowly up to it, reached out, and gently patted its enormous head, several times larger than my own body.
"Good."
"From now on, you shall be the first 'Commander' under my 'Myriad Demon Palace.'"
"I bestow upon you the name..." I thought for a moment, then said casually:
"...'Vajra.'"
Having done this, I immersed my will into the abilities of the Swarm Monarch.
Then, using Vajra's soul as a "relay station," I branded my supremely majestic "Monarch's Mark" deeply into the souls of every Vajra Giant Ape present!
[Ding! Successfully subdued the [Vajra Giant Ape] clan! The [Swarm Network] has undergone an epic expansion! Imperial territory +1!]
From this moment on, this fearless "Land Legion" would be utterly mine to command!
Becoming the first cornerstone of my conquest of this world!