Heart-Shaped Herb
Reaching the edge of the cliff, Eric Killmonger slowly extended his right arm, which was holding M'Baku.
With a sheer drop right beneath M'Baku's feet, if Eric lets go, he'll fall straight down. Even if he were a monkey, let alone a "White Ape," he'd be smashed to pieces.
But M'Baku's eyes showed no fear whatsoever; a true warrior is never afraid of death!
However, Eric Killmonger clearly did not intend to kill him so easily. After glancing at the solemn Jabari Tribe warrior by the pool, Eric turned to look into M'Baku's eyes.
"Admit defeat, your people need you."
M'Baku, whose face had been resolute, paused upon hearing this and looked at his tribesmen.
The Jabari Tribe currently has no other qualified leader besides him, and his people need him alive to lead them.
Thinking of this, M'Baku's expression relaxed. Looking at Eric Killmonger, who had defeated him in one move, M'Baku gave up struggling and squeezed out a few words.
"I surrender!"
Easily defeating the final challenger, M'Baku, chief of the Jabari Tribe, the challenge ceremony concluded, and Eric Killmonger officially became the King of Kingdom of Wakanda.
However, the ceremony was not completely over.
In Wakanda, the first thing a king does after officially ascending the throne is to receive the blessing of the Panther God.
He will take the Heart-shaped herb, which will strengthen his body and allow his consciousness to return to his Ancestral Plane to receive the teachings of his deceased ancestors.
Within the Vibranium mine lies a cave where Heart-shaped herb grow, and the enhancement rituals are performed here.
The whole process was no different from what Chen Mo remembered. Eric Killmonger, who was lying in the pit, was buried with yellow earth by the priests after he drank the juice of the Heart-shaped herb.
A few minutes later, Eric, who had been buried, emerged from his grave as if he had risen from the dead, panting heavily.
As a China person, Chen Mo felt very uncomfortable with their strange custom. He did not believe that the enhancement of the Heart-shaped herb required burying people. It was just a custom left over from their primitive society.
It is very likely that the first Black Panther in history took the Heart-shaped herb after being seriously injured. He was then buried as if he were dead. After his injuries were healed by the power of the Heart-shaped herb and he was strengthened and emerged from the ground, it was believed to be a blessing from the gods. The whole process was preserved as a traditional ritual, and people had to be buried again to repeat the process of emerging from the ground.
Although Wakanda's technology is very advanced, that's all it is. Their political, economic, military, and ideological systems are still very backward, as can be seen from their throne challenge ceremony.
Which country with a mature and stable system and profound heritage would use a duel to decide the succession of the throne? That would be child's play!
This is not surprising, though. Decades ago, Wakanda was just a primitive and backward tribal confederation, much like other Africa countries. They used the precious Vibranium only as a hard metal to forge cold weapons.
As the world developed, Wakanda gradually began to interact with the outside world, discovering its vastness and the power of technology.
When they unexpectedly discovered that a small amount of Vibranium had leaked from Wakanda and was regarded as a treasure by outsiders, they truly realized the immense value contained in Vibranium.
Only after that did they begin to sell Vibranium in small quantities to the outside world, using the huge wealth they earned to send the tribe's bright young people abroad to learn advanced scientific knowledge and high-end technology. After returning home, they used the advantages of Vibranium to develop technology, which is how they transformed from a primitive tribe into a high-tech country that surpassed other countries and even rivaled HYDRA in some aspects within a few decades.
Despite its advanced technology, Wakanda lacks a solid foundation, and many other aspects have not kept pace with the rapid advancement of technology, resulting in somewhat distorted development.
However, this also has its advantages. It is precisely because of this that Eric Killmonger was able to become the King of Wakanda so easily and take control of the entire country in one fell swoop. If it were any other country with a certain foundation, this would have been impossible.
In any case, Chen Mo finally completed his plan, making Eric Killmonger the King of Wakanda. As a loyal HYDRA warrior and devout follower, Eric's control of Wakanda and his becoming king was equivalent to Chen Mo becoming the de facto emperor, making many things much easier.
After consuming the Heart-shaped herb, Eric Killmonger's physical abilities, which were already five times those of an average person due to the enhancement of the Enhanced Super Soldier Serum, were further enhanced, reaching seven times that of an average person, roughly equivalent to Chen Mo's current physical abilities.
Of course, this only applies to physical attributes. Chen Mo's combat experience and skills far surpass Eric Killmonger.
Eric Killmonger a combat maniac, both as Navy SEALs and a mercenary. He was a veteran of countless battles, with thousands of lives on his hands, and was undoubtedly one of the top warriors on Earth, possessing formidable combat experience and skills.
But compared to Chen Mo, the Divine Emperor who conquered the world of Underworld, slaughtered countless people, and wiped out the werewolf Europe, he was still too naive.
Chen Mo's fighting skills have incorporated various exquisite martial arts techniques. He has refined and improved them in battle, making them extremely powerful, something that Eric Killmonger simply cannot catch up with or reach in a short period of time.
After all, he lacked Chen Mo's powerful mental strength and highly developed brain, as well as the formidable learning ability that came with it. Although Eric's brain had been developed to some extent after being modified by the Enhanced Super Soldier Serum, and his intelligence and memory had been enhanced, he was still far inferior to Chen Mo.
As for swordsmanship, there is no comparison. Chen Mo's swordsmanship is based on the Holy Cross Swordsmanship, which evolved and was created during the centuries of war in the Middle Ages. It incorporates the extraordinary swordsmanship honed by Alexander Corvinus, the progenitor of the undead, in his constant battles with powerful werewolves over the centuries. It has already reached the pinnacle, with exquisite moves and great power. Even Chen Mo himself would find it difficult to improve it further.
In close-quarters combat, Eric Killmonger could hold his own for a few moves against Chen Mo, but once Chen Mo drew the King's Sword, he could kill him in a single strike and end the fight.
The enhanced Eric Killmonger stood up, only to see Chen Mo wink at him.
"All of you, step back!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"