Raw Power / A Duel Not Worth Mentioning

The two attacks clashed, generating a powerful shockwave. The residual force swept across the area like Storm, clearing away the dark clouds above and affecting the sea below, which spun along with the rampaging spiritual energy, creating a spectacular vortex.

The blinding light from the opposing waves obscured the figures of both sides, making it difficult for outsiders to determine who had the upper hand.

"Such a powerful surge of spiritual energy!"

Yuan Ying wanted to help, but found that she couldn't get close. She forced the spirit forward, but feared that it would be blown apart by the spiritual energy fluctuations before it even made contact.

Who will win?

Marik hurriedly asked his sister, who possessed precognitive abilities.

"I don't know, but powerful divine force could change the course of the battle," Isis observed the situation using the power of the Millennium Necklace. "Right now, the two sides are evenly matched and the battle is still at a stalemate."

Marik said with a solemn expression, "The essence of the God of Orichalcos is the dark side of humanity and the planet, which means that the opponent will receive a continuous supply of energy. If the stalemate continues, the Chaos Phantasm will be defeated due to insufficient spiritual power."

Isis understood this as well, but then exclaimed with delight, "The Obelisk the Tormentor attacked the God of Orichalcos from the side, affecting his performance, and the Chaos Phantasm has gained the upper hand!"

Yuan Ying and Marik quickly confirmed this as well, because the light source generated by the wave was moving closer to the God of Orichalcos, and the figure of the Chaos Phantasm reappeared.

"Damn it! A mere illusion demon, nothing more than a replica of Egyptian Gods..."

Dartz was unwilling to accept this.

"Disappear! Humanity doesn't need you to purify it!" You Zhi declared, his voice trembling with the fluctuations of spiritual energy.

The point of impact from the opposing waves pushed all the way to the God of Orichalcos, instantly creating a tremendous explosion that transformed into an endless pillar of light that stretched from the heavens to the sea, clearly visible even to people a hundred miles away.

The Obelisk the Tormentor had no time to dodge and was also engulfed by the pillar of light. You Zhi immediately felt a violent backlash of spiritual energy, his forehead veins bulged, and he almost vomited blood on the spot.

"The existence of the God of Orichalcos represents the planet's resentment towards what humanity has done. As long as darkness remains in humanity's hearts, the God of Orichalcos will not be destroyed."

Within the pillar of destructive light, the massive sea serpent's form gradually disintegrated. Knowing he was powerless to reverse the situation, Dartz left behind a remark that would make his opponent's victory unpleasant, and then vanished as well.

When all the commotion subsided, the dark clouds that had blotted out the sky disappeared, and the world was bathed in light once more.

You Zhi didn't rush back. He knew that the God of Orichalcos still harbored the deepest evil thoughts, which even the combined attack of the Three Egyptian Gods couldn't destroy in the original story. In the end, the Pharaoh sealed it away using himself as a vessel.

Sure enough, a dark serpent several meters long gradually emerged from the void, radiating intense hatred for humanity, and stared intently at You Zhi.

"Whether it's hatred, gratitude, or faith, when you choose to solidify it into a form, using energy as a carrier, you give others the opportunity to connect with it. Come on, let me see just how deep your hatred really is!"

You Zhi opened his arms, adopting a welcoming posture.

Without hesitation, the dark snake pounced on him.

In an instant, an extremely dark emotion surged into his heart, You Zhi suddenly felt that humans were the most filthy things in the world, the cancer of the planet, and must be eliminated!

The next moment, the Strength-Weakness Mimicry was activated, attempting to forcibly refine the opponent.

Whether good or evil, as long as it's energy, Strength-Weakness Mimicry, it accepts everything without discrimination.

The hatred from the planet was transformed into pure spiritual energy, propelling his cultivation to new heights. After breaking through his current realm, there was no sign of it slowing down...

After an unknown amount of time, when You Zhi opened his eyes, he saw Yuan Ying looking at him with concern and immediately asked, "How are you feeling?"

"I'm so tired, maybe I should take a break."

(End of this volume)

7

Chapter 226 Hard Power

New Bark Town.

"It's another beautiful day."

You Zhi stepped out of the room, breathed in the fresh air, stretched his arms, and then started doing calisthenics on the spot.

"Oh, you look to be in good spirits."

Professor Elm, happened to pass by and greeted him.

"I finally digested it yesterday, and I don't have to endure that cacophony of screams that's like a heavy metal rock concert in my head anymore," You Zhi replied while continuing to do his calisthenics, showing no shame whatsoever for being watched.

"Haha, although I don't understand much, you do look more like a normal person today," Professor Elm said, looking you up and down. "Unlike two weeks ago, when I almost thought some legendary Pokémon had come to visit disguised as a human."

Moreover, it's Dark-type Pokémon.

You Zhi laughed heartily. After all, it was malice accumulated over ten thousand years. Even though the Strength-Weakness Mimicry Form technique was unique and had no aversion to spiritual energy, it was still very difficult to digest. He could only deal with it slowly.

Although he also found it strange— Orichalcos was clearly a meteorite that fell from space, so why was the God of Orichalcos a manifestation of the planet's malice towards humanity? Could it be that this meteorite was merely a trigger, containing some kind of supernatural power that stimulated the planet's consciousness?

After racking his brains but still not coming up with a solution, You Zhi became too lazy to investigate further. Anyway, that's how it was set up in the original Yu-Gi-Oh! Yu-Gi-Oh!, and the increased power level did indeed exist.

As for whether there will be any side effects after absorbing this energy... at least You Zhi feels that his mental state is better, and it seems that a lot of the pressure has been relieved, giving him a pleasant surprise of two negatives turning into a positive.

Of course, this does not mean that the God of Orichalcos has been completely destroyed. As long as humanity exists and darkness remains in their hearts, a new God of Orichalcos will be born sooner or later.

But that has nothing to do with You Zhi. He's not a hero reincarnated from another world, so he has no interest in being a savior. He just happened to be there.

Besides, isn't there another saying?

We should trust the wisdom of future generations!

"By the way, Doctor, I'll go to the research institute to Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder and the Uria, Lord of Searing Flames after I've had breakfast," You Zhi casually mentioned.

"No problem, the information on these two phantom demons has been almost completely analyzed, but if you say that, does that mean they've advanced to the Ten-Star?" Professor Elm asked curiously.

"No, I just advanced to the Nine-Star."

This upgrade mainly stemmed from the Dark Duel with Dartz, and had little to do with refining the God of Orichalcos.

Although Dartz's dueling skills were really not that great, and under the counter-tactics, the pressure he put on You Zhi was not as high as that of Palmer in the exhibition match, his spiritual power level was a genuine 12 stars. He also summoned two Egyptian Gods in the duel. In addition, the Dark Duel has a mechanism of doubled punishment and doubled reward. Therefore, the energy feedback from just this one duel allowed You Zhi had just advanced to the eighth star, to advance another star.

Adding to the improvement in the Strength-Weakness Mimicry, this time it can be described as a great success.

It is clear that Dartz and the God of Orichalcos both possess the noble sentiment of selflessness. If anyone speaks ill of these two again, You Zhi will be the first to object.

"So how do you plan to subdue the Phantom Demon? These two aren't the type to communicate well with people, nor are they like those Pokémon that have been raised from weakness and have a close relationship with their trainers. Only sheer strength can make them submit."

"Don't worry, I'm tough enough now."

"Uh... okay, as long as you're confident."

Professor Elm almost thought You Zhi was making a dirty joke, but then he realized that Yuchi wasn't like that at all, so he stopped teasing him, said goodbye, and left.

You Zhi finished his radio calisthenics at a leisurely pace, had a not-so-lavish breakfast, and then went to the research institute as promised to retrieve the Uria, Lord of Searing Flames and the Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder.

After the final battle that day, Marik gave him the two phantoms, but he didn't want to thank him.

With Dartz's death, the spiritual imprint he left behind dissipated, and all the captured spirits were freed from the Pokémon Card, regaining their freedom.

At that time, You Zhi was feeling unwell from being overwhelmed by the God of Orichalcos, and his mind was filled with a heavy metal rock frenzy. He simply didn't have the extra energy to care about anything else and could only watch helplessly as his beloved Dragon Master Knight left.

That damned Marik, instead of helping, took advantage of the situation and stole the Obelisk the Tormentor, saying that the Egyptian Gods's mission was complete and that You Zhi was welcome to capture it through proper channels, offering these two Phantom Demons as compensation.

What a joke! With the Three Egyptian Gods, who cares about the Three Sacred Beasts?

Hmph, next time we meet, he'll definitely be in for a world of hurt!

With various revenge plans flashing through his mind, You Zhi summoned the Three Sacred Beasts on a patch of grass and asked bluntly, "From now on, I'm the boss, and the three of you will have to obey my orders. Any objections?"

The Three Sacred Beasts exchanged glances, and finally, it was the leader, Phantom Emperor, who spoke up, "Young trainer, you led us to victory against an unprecedentedly powerful enemy, achieving a feat surpassing the Three Egyptian Gods. We greatly admire you and acknowledge your strength. However, rules are rules. Once you advance to Ten-Star, we are willing to serve you as our master."

In other words, not now.

You Zhi nodded and used a communication method that everyone could understand.

"God Hand Crusher!"

The phantom of the Obelisk the Tormentor flashed by, and You Zhi threw a punch, causing the air to explode. He unleashed the full power of his Egyptian Gods Technique, sending the Phantom Emperor flying.

Immediately afterwards, he assumed the Kamehameha stance, pushed his hands forward, and the phantom of the Slifer the Sky Dragon appeared behind him.

"Thunderforce!"

The raging Raigeki cannon roared out, striking the still-recovering Phantom Emperor, causing a violent explosion. Plasma flew everywhere, lightning snakes danced wildly, and a crackling sound filled the air.

With only one of the Three Egyptian Gods remaining, it's no surprise that it won't be absent.

You Zhi clasped his hands together in front of his chest, his fingers touching, striking a pose resembling a qigong cannon.

"God Blaze Cannon!"

A blazing pillar of fire struck the Phantom Emperor, who was still lying on the ground. With a deafening explosion, a magnificent Immortal Phoenix rose up, seemingly interpreting the true meaning of life and death.

Both the Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder and the Uria, Lord of Searing Flames were stunned. Was this something a human could do?

You Zhi turned his head, his gaze making the two phantom demons shudder, but his voice was gentle. "You two can speak your minds. Forced relationships are never sweet. These things are all about mutual consent and a two-way street. I don't want to be the only one making decisions. Everyone is welcome to speak freely."

Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder and Uria, Lord of Searing Flames quickly shook their heads.

"Hey, don't hold back. I'm not someone who can't listen to dissenting opinions. I'll say whatever comes to mind. Don't make it sound like I'm threatening you two. Show some of the might of a Phantom Demon!"

The Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder and the Uria, Lord of Searing Flames exchanged a glance, then looked at the Phantom Emperor who was still suffering from the torment of thunder and fire, and hurriedly said, "We are willing to obey your orders. From now on, your enemies are our enemies."

"Really? You have to tell the truth, this kind of thing has to be voluntary."

The Uria, Lord of Searing Flames hurriedly replied, "It's my choice! I sincerely want to follow you. When you led us in the final battle against the God of Orichalcos, I was deeply impressed by your valiant figure and had the idea of following you. Now that my wish has been fulfilled, I have no other desires. I will not recognize anyone else but you!"

The Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder said, "Me too."

"That's good."

You Zhi nodded with satisfaction, glanced at the Phantom Emperor, shook his head and sighed, "It seems the Phantom Emperor isn't in good spirits today. I'll have a heart-to-heart talk with him another day; he'll surely feel my sincerity."

Chapter 227 A Trivial Duel

You Zhi, who was good at accepting advice, waited patiently for the Phantom Emperor to recover before having a heart-to-heart talk with him without any reservations.

The Phantom Emperor was furious at the two brothers for their lack of loyalty, as they had agreed to advance and retreat together but had left Him alone. This caused a minor sullenness, but You Zhi was full of sincerity and moved the other party with his enthusiasm, thus resolving the other party's grievances.

Finally, the moved Phantom Emperor said that rules are dead, but elves are alive. Star ratings and such are just bad habits that hinder elves from pursuing progress!

He swore to follow You Zhi wholeheartedly without the slightest complaint.

You Zhi reiterated the principle of voluntariness. Because of his neck injury, the Phantom Emperor waved his hand vigorously to show that he made the decision willingly and was not coerced in any way.

Thus, the two sides engaged in a heartfelt conversation that reflected the harmony between ruler and subject, Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder and the Uria, Lord of Searing Flames promptly offered their congratulations, further deepening their brotherly bond, making it a truly joyous occasion for all.

After resting and rejuvenating, You Zhi bid farewell to Professor Elm and continued his Pokémon training journey to retrieve the remaining two Gym Badges.

With the addition of the Uria, Lord of Searing Flames, You Zhi finally had a proper flying mount. He no longer needed to ride a bicycle along the main road and could go wherever he wanted. Of course, considering that the Uria, Lord of Searing Flames was too conspicuous and would easily attract the attention of passersby, as well as the impact of the city-wide coma incident in Goldenrod City, he had to choose to fly at high altitudes to avoid being seen by others.

Although the Azure River Dragonmaid can also fly, her ability is closer to hovering, and she can only fly close to the ground. In comparison, she is more adept at crossing the sea.

Actually, both the Phantom Emperor and the Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder have wings and can fly, but as mentioned before, humanoid elves are not suitable as mounts; it feels like a forced compromise.

"How come it seems like even a god-level spirit can fly?"

You Zhi shook his head, banishing the thought that seemed to insult someone from his mind, and continued looking at the map in his hand.

In terms of distance, the Dragon-type Gym is located in Blackthorn City, which is the closest. However, since the previous gyms were challenged in the order of the Yugi, You Zhi decided to finish what he started and continue following the Yugi's walkthrough, starting by challenging the Ice-type Gym in Mahogany Town.

"Oh right, there's a Pokémon-giving event at Mt. Mortar near Mahogany Town. Even though I don't need any more Pokémon right now, I'm already here, so I can't miss it just for the sake of the ritual."

Therefore, You Zhi decided to go to Mt. Mortar first to meet Nobuhiko, the karate king from the Kanto Region.

This person was originally the Gym Leader of the Sabrina Saffron City Fighting-type Dojo. After failing to become the official Saffron City Gym Leader, he decided to travel around the world to hone his skills and become stronger before challenging Sabrina again to reclaim his past glory.

In You Zhi's opinion, this guy has completely chosen the wrong direction to work on. Sabrina is the Gym Leader of the Psychic type, which gives her a natural advantage in terms of her type. No matter how much he trains, it will be difficult for him to win. Instead of improving his strength in such a wasteful way, he should focus his energy on finding Pokémon with an advantageous type. For example, the combination of Fighting-type and Dark is quite good. It can counter Psychic while also making up for his own weaknesses.

The Uria, Lord of Searing Flames moved very quickly and arrived at Mt. Mortar in no time.

Mt. Mortar has two official cave entrances, located in Mahogany Town and Ecruteak City respectively, with tunnels connecting the two cities. However, You Zhi is looking for an unofficial third entrance, located on a lake between Mahogany Town and Ecruteak City. Only through this entrance can one reach the depths of Mt. Mortar and meet the Karate King—at least that's how it's set up in the Yugi.

You Zhi first found the lake, then rode the Azure River Dragonmaid along half of the mountain wall of Mt. Mortar, and successfully discovered the target entrance.

In the Pokémon Gold and Silver Versions Yugi, players need to bring a Pokémon that has learned moves such as Flash, Surf, Strength, Waterfall, and Rock Climb to reach the depths of Mt. Mortar. In reality, it's not that complicated; You Zhi can handle it all by himself.

If you encounter a boulder blocking your path, you can smash it with a single punch. You can easily climb waterfalls and rock walls, and you can even traverse water with Lingering Wave Step Flash. At most, you can use the Strength-Weakness Mimicry ability to simulate a Pokémon's moves.

By releasing just a little bit of their aura, no wild spirits dared to bother them on the road, and they traveled smoothly without any obstacles.

A moment later, You Zhi keenly heard the sounds of fighting. Approaching the source of the sound, he saw a man dressed in a martial arts robe, with a red scarf tied around his head, dressed like Ryu from Street Fighter, sparring with an elf covered in full armor with many white crystals on his shoulder armor.

[Gem-Knight - White Crystal (7-star) Earth]

[Genealogy: Fighting-type, Rock-type]