"I'll grant you your wish! I will beat you to dust again and again, and see how many times you can resurrect!"
Tenth's roar echoed throughout the flattened forest. His rage, originally accumulated from his jealousy of Zeros, had now found a perfect target to vent on.
He charged at Lam Minh like a wild beast. Punches, kicks, elbows, knees. Every single one of his attacks carried the destructive power of a Nascent Soul expert. He no longer used divine abilities or skills, just the most primitive violence to torture his opponent.
But his opponent was Lam Minh in the [Immunity] state.
POW!
A devastating punch landed on Lam Minh's face, enough to shatter a mountain. But Lam Minh's head only tilted back slightly before returning to its original position, without a single scratch.
"Too weak!" Lam Minh pouted. "You punch like a girl. That Zeros guy of yours probably punches much harder than you, huh?"
"YOU!!!"
That sentence was like adding fuel to the fire. Tenth became even more frenzied. He grabbed Lam Minh and beat him senselessly.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The surrounding ground trembled continuously. New giant craters were formed. But Lam Minh, the most perfect punching bag in the universe, remained completely unharmed.
"What's wrong? Are your hands tired?" Lam Minh taunted while casually dodging. "Or should I teach you how to punch? First, you have to tense up, that's right, like that. Then, you shout really loud, something like 'Long live Zeros!' for example, and then you punch. The force will be much stronger that way."
"SHUT YOUR MOUTH!!!"
Tenth had completely lost his mind. He was no longer thinking about killing Lam Minh. He just wanted to hit, to vent his anger, to shut that insolent mouth.
The situation on the battlefield became incredibly comical.
On one side was a Nascent Soul expert, one of the pinnacle existences, frantically punching and kicking, his face red with anger.
On the other side was a Golden Core cultivator, calmly taking the blows, occasionally offering "guidance" and "provocations" that were full of damage.
"You incompetent three-eyed freak! Can't even handle the simple task of killing me, no wonder Zeros is going to take your seat!"
(Translator's Note: Another taunt based on the previous guess.)
"Hey, punch the left side, my right side is tired."
"Honestly, you should take a course from Zeros on 'How to Be Scary.' Because you look so pathetic right now."
And so, Lam Minh's 30 minutes of [Immunity] passed.
In the final moment, just as the buff state disappeared.
BOOM!
One of Tenth's punches, though much weaker from exhaustion, still had enough power to make Lam Minh's normal body explode into a cloud of blood mist.
"Ha... ha... finally... dead..." Tenth panted, leaning on his knees, exhausted.
But his joy didn't last for 10 seconds.
[Host has died. Received 150,000 Immortality Points.]
[STATE [IMMUNITY] ACTIVATED. TIME REMAINING: 29:59]
Lam Minh once again regenerated from the void.
He stretched, a look of refreshment on his face. "Ah, that free 'massage' felt great. Another round?"
Tenth looked at the scene, nearly coughing up blood. He... he's alive again? And he looks... healthier than before?
"No... no... what kind of monster are you?"
"I'm your grandpa, you unfilial grandson!" Lam Minh cursed. "Come on! Continue serving your grandpa!"
And so, the "beating" resumed.
Tenth charged in again to punch and kick.
Lam Minh calmly took the blows and hurled insults.
One 30-minute session ended, and another began.
Dying once, twice, ten times...
Lam Minh couldn't even remember how many times he had resurrected. He only knew that his Immortality Points were increasing at a dizzying rate. And he felt that getting "scratched" by a Nascent Soul expert like this was a kind of enjoyment.
He was farming points in the most cheerful way ever.
As for Tenth, he went from anger, to bewilderment, to helplessness, and finally, to a state of soulless numbness.
...
The chase and "beating" had gone on for an unknown amount of time.
From the dense forest, they had fought across mountains and plains. The trail of their battle left behind flattened mountains, dammed rivers, and ravaged lands.
If someone were to fly in the sky and look down, they would see a trail of destruction stretching for thousands of kilometers.
Tenth no longer had any of the imposing presence of a Holy Messenger. His anger had long been spent, replaced by an extreme exhaustion and helplessness.
He had tried everything. He used divine abilities, magic treasures, his strongest attacks. But the result was always the same. That kid would explode, then resurrect, and then resume his barrage of damaging insults.
"Hey, are your hands tired yet? Need a break, old man?"
"Honestly, if Zeros saw you like this, he'd probably laugh his ass off. You're a disgrace to the Saintly Way."
"How about you kneel and beg for mercy, maybe I'll spare your life? Ah, never mind, your face is too punchable, sparing you would just pollute the earth."
Tenth felt humiliated. It was the greatest humiliation of his entire cultivation life. He was a Nascent Soul expert, an existence that could destroy an entire planet, yet he couldn't kill a Golden Core cockroach.
This feeling of helplessness was even more unbearable than being surpassed by Zeros.
He looked at Lam Minh, who had just resurrected for the nth time and was stretching refreshingly, and an indescribable annoyance welled up in his heart.
"What... in the world are you?" he asked wearily.
"I'm your nightmare," Lam Minh grinned from ear to ear. "What's wrong? Want to play some more? I'm still full of energy."
Meanwhile, Lam Minh was also secretly calculating. This mental torture was fun, and the points from the system were very generous. He estimated he had farmed several million Immortality Points. But he knew he couldn't keep this up forever. The [Immunity] state was strong, but it only prevented him from getting hurt; it didn't help him defeat a Nascent Soul. He couldn't just stand here and take hits forever.
He needed a way to escape from this reluctant "punching bag."
Just then, they had fought their way to the coast. The sound of waves crashed, and a salty breeze blew in.
The East Sea.
And when Lam Minh's spiritual sense swept across the vast sea, he suddenly froze.
He sensed, deep under the sea, not far from here, an extremely powerful, enormous, and ancient aura. It was dormant, but its presence still created an invisible pressure.
This aura... was also Initial-Stage Nascent Soul, but it seemed even stronger and more primal than Tenth's.
A crazy idea, a "pass the buck" plan, suddenly flashed in Lam Minh's mind.
He looked at Tenth, who was still panting, then looked out at the sea.
A cunning smile appeared on his lips.
"Hey, old man," he said. "Playing on land is getting boring. How about we go for a swim to change things up?"