Chapter 73: The Undying Dark Wukongmon

In the center of the blasted crater, the Dark Wukongmon lay quietly, its left arm vanished without a trace, its body covered in a dense tapestry of wounds.

A ragged breath rasped from its throat, and its once crimson eyes had grown dim. The Tree Spiritmon’s recent assault had indeed dealt it a grievous blow, but the black collar around its neck pulsed with formidable energy, continuously mending its ravaged form.

A guttural snarl rumbled from its chest. Power was returning to its body, yet at the same time, the collar ceaselessly transmitted a will bent on utter destruction.

“How is it?” Gong Yingjie, looking weary, rubbed his brow and inquired about the Wukongmon’s condition from the Tree Spiritmon at his feet.

“Its life force is fading. It won’t survive.”

Vines crept forward beneath the earth, and the Tree Spiritmon soon brought back this promising news.

“That’s a relief.” Gong Yingjie let out a deep breath and gazed at the distant crater with a heavy heart. Because of this Perfect-level Wukongmon, the hidden realm had erupted into chaos, and fifteen outstanding Digi-Tamers had perished here.

“Wait… something’s wrong!”

“The Wukongmon’s life force is recovering—it’s regaining strength rapidly!”

What!?

At the Tree Spiritmon’s words, Gong Yingjie’s expression changed. In a flash, he sprang from the Tree Spiritmon’s back.

Thoom! Thoom! The ground trembled with each sound emanating from the crater below, each shockwave striking at their hearts.

A piercing roar erupted from the depths, filled with rage and madness. Hearing this, Zhao Jie felt his heartbeat nearly stop.

Another, even shriller roar followed, and the one-armed, battle-scarred Dark Wukongmon leapt from the crater.

“Cherry Bomb!”

Sensing the danger, the Tree Spiritmon instantly summoned its signature move.

A barrage of cherry bombs exploded around the Dark Wukongmon, pulverizing the earth into dust that vanished into the air.

But the black collar at its throat gleamed, radiating a mysterious digital energy that cloaked its body.

The explosions could no longer halt its advance.

Kill! Destroy everything! Annihilate humanity!

That singular urge echoed in its mind, a relentless tide of destructive desire welling up from its core. The greater its urge for destruction, the more the collar’s power swelled—its very function was to draw out and amplify the innermost desires without end.

Another roar erupted, and its eyes shifted from crimson to an inky black. All reason had left it.

A membrane of dark energy enveloped its form, shielding it completely as it strode from the chaos, unscathed.

Swish! Swish!

The Dark Wukongmon moved with impossible speed, leaving only blurred afterimages in its wake.

“Spirit of Darkness!”

A small black sphere appeared, instantly orbiting its form in a rapid dance.

Thud!

Vines lashed from the ground, but the Dark Wukongmon didn’t even bother to defend—it simply ignored the Tree Spiritmon’s attack.

It wasn’t arrogance; it was the Spirit of Darkness at work, rendering any substance it touched into nothingness. Under its masterful control, the attacking vines faded into oblivion.

With eyes black as ink, the Dark Wukongmon fixed its gaze on the massive Tree Spiritmon before it. Defeat this foe, and the spectators would amount to nothing.

Crack!

It gripped its iron staff tightly, channeling all its strength into the weapon, and hurled it with lightning speed toward the front.

A series of sonic booms rattled the air, the staff transformed into a bolt of pure black lightning, hurtling straight toward the colossal Tree Spiritmon.

This was its other signature move: Reverse Flow Throw.

Splat!

As the Wukongmon charged once more, both Tree Spiritmon and Gong Yingjie’s faces turned grim. No matter how they fought, this Wukongmon simply would not die—was it immortal?

Clang!

The instant that black staff shot forth, a chill ran through both Gong Yingjie and the Tree Spiritmon.

Fast.

Far too fast.

By the time they reacted, it was already almost too late.

“Growth!”

In desperation, the Tree Spiritmon unleashed its swiftest and most familiar skill.

Towering trees surged up from the earth, forming a barrier in front, hoping to blunt the force of the Dark Wukongmon’s strike.

Boom!

The black lightning pierced the trees effortlessly, and, under everyone’s gaze, smashed into the Tree Spiritmon’s body.

Splurt!

The iron staff, carrying unstoppable force, tore through the Tree Spiritmon’s chest like a black bolt of lightning, leaving a gaping hole two meters wide.

Through the wound in its chest, one could see clear through to the other side—a chilling sight, indeed.

A pained expression flickered across the tall, Perfect-level Digimon’s tree face, and under the impact of that tremendous force, its body slowly toppled.

“Tree Spiritmon!”

Gong Yingjie’s face turned ashen as he gazed, near despair, at the Dark Wukongmon stalking ever closer.

For a being as mighty as the Tree Spiritmon, such a blow wouldn’t normally be fatal, yet now it had to draw power from the earth to mend its wounds, leaving it unable to fight any further for the moment.

It’s over.

Gong Yingjie’s eyes closed in despair. If even a Perfect-level like Tree Spiritmon was no match for the enemy, how could the remaining Champion-level Digimon stand a chance? And in all of Wuling City, there was only this one Perfect-level Digimon.

If this Wukongmon were to break into the human world, he dared not even imagine what would follow.

“We lost? The chairman and the Tree Spiritmon actually lost!”

At the moment the Tree Spiritmon crashed to the ground, everyone who thought the crisis had been resolved fell into stunned silence.

This was Wuling City’s number one Digi-Tamer. If even he was defeated, what hope was left for the rest of them?

With every step the Dark Wukongmon took, it was as if it trampled on their hearts, sending shivers through their bodies.

The Dark Wukongmon looked at the fallen Tree Spiritmon and roared in triumph.

Unparalleled power!

This—this was its true self.