A monstrous, clawed hand shoved aside the final branches of nearby trees, revealing the fanged primate spirit beast. Dull, dark eyes surveyed the area, as though the dimwitted animal were trying to comprehend the sight before it. Soon, though, it realized the only fact that mattered: there was food before it. Lots of it. Isho Nel, Chen, and the wood cultivator lay dead, blood flowing from their wounds. Even the dying flute cultivator lay bleeding, but he was the only one smiling.

  A terrifying roar emanated from the Vampire Ape, so loud that it shook the surrounding branches and sent a shiver through the leaves. Ishin even winced from the ferocity of the sound.

  “You’ll die with us,” the flute cultivator laughed before coughing up more blood. “None of us will make it off this cursed island.”

  Long swiftly loosed an arrow at the Vampire Ape, striking it cleanly in the left pectoral. The Vampire Ape let out a grunt and considered the arrow before ultimately ignoring it.

  He must be out of qi. Ishin noticed that Long was down to a single arrow left in his quiver. And arrows too. Great.

  The Vampire Ape charged at Long, seeking to punish the foolish prey who had pricked it. Long moved back, avoiding the spirit beast’s swipe from its sharp, clawed hand.

  Mei was next closest to the beast and also quickly moved away. She then conjured half a dozen shards of ice and launched them at the Vampire Ape. They struck its exposed left flank, creating a jagged vertical line up its side. The monster cried in pain, clearly feeling this technique more than Long’s arrow.

  However, the success of Mei’s attack drew the Vampire Ape’s fury. It pressed its long, bony fingers into the ground and then propelled itself forward at the ice cultivator with impressive speed. As it descended upon Mei, the Vampire Ape brought its hands up and smashed with full force upon her. Mei summoned a shield of ice overhead, but it was immediately smashed apart.

  Fortunately, the ice shield shifted the Vampire Ape’s attack, causing its combined fists to strike the earth right in front of Mei. Splinters of ice and clouds of dirt exploded from the blow, temporarily obstructing Ishin’s vision. He couldn’t see Mei, but he could see the hulking form of the Vampire Ape, who towered over all.

  Ishin aimed at the Vampire Ape and quickly released his Indigo Sky Bolt. Thanks to being at the sixth layer now, he could cycle more qi into the technique. It soared through the clearing and shot cleanly into the center of the beast’s chest. Another horrific shriek came from the beast, this one forcing Ishin to cover his ears. Even the surrounding dust cloud parted from its force. Ishin saw that his technique had struck deeply into the ape’s chest, but hadn’t punctured cleanly through.

  Mei used the opportunity to scamper away from the Vampire Ape, but it tried to pursue her fleeing form with its long hand. A hand of darkness equal in size to the ape’s met it, the two briefly clashing in a battle of strength. The hand of darkness quickly lost, but it lasted long enough for Mei to get away. When it finally crumbled, it did so under the crushing power of the Vampire Ape’s grip.

  I forgot how strong these were.

  Last time it had taken eight of them fighting together to achieve victory. Now there were only four of them, and they were tired and low on qi.

  But we’re stronger than last time.

  Ishin’s inner beast stirred at the challenge. Like him, it wasn’t ready to die here.

  He ran over to Isho Nel’s corpse and, pressing a foot against his enemy’s dead chest, yanked out the upper half of his spear. The weapon’s reach was less than a sword now, and none of the spear stances that Ishin had learned could be properly utilized with just half a weapon. But it was still a weapon.

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  Turning around to face the Vampire Ape, Ishin twirled the half spear in his hand. With a single chop, the Vampire Ape removed the shards of ice still stuck in its left side. It then turned its attention toward Ishin.

  I could use my Indigo Sky Bolt again. Maybe take out one of its eyes.

  The meridians in his right arm still tingled from his last technique, but he had enough qi to use the technique three more times. His meridians would hold too, but afterward Ishin doubted he’d be able to use his arm efficiently.

  Or I could use the Pale Azure Lightning Force Strike. Once.

  If he did that, he would be out of qi and useless. Now that he was at the sixth layer of the Initial Realm, it might be powerful enough to pierce through the Vampire Ape’s body. But he couldn’t miss.

  The ground shook as the Vampire Ape began to approach Ishin. Saliva trickled down from its lips, accompanied by a low grumble. In a blink, the beast’s sharp claws struck at Ishin, stretching fifteen feet. Ishin dodged to the side and then stabbed his half spear at the monster’s outstretched arm. It pierced the outer portion of the beast’s limb, but barely pressed deeper than the external layer of flesh, blocked by the tight muscle beneath.

  “Grrr,” the Vampire Ape grumbled. It then swung its lightly damaged arm at Ishin, knocking him into the air and causing him to lose his spear.

  Ishin flew several yards back before rolling onto the ground near where Rhee stood.

  “You alright?”

  He quickly returned to his feet, his right side bruised but not broken from the swing. “Fine.”

  The Vampire Ape turned toward them, but then an arrow flew into its right eye. The beast howled—far worse than ever before. It shook and howled as blood streamed from its ruined eye before pressing its hands helplessly against it.

  “Last one,” Long called out from behind where Ishin and Rhee stood.

  “Nice shot, Long,” Rhee complimented.

  She lifted her fists, ready to fight. Instead of charging herself, six darkness fists appeared from her shadow and struck at the still-wailing beast. They collided cleanly, shoving the Vampire Ape back a few feet, but not dealing greater damage.

  “It’s tough,” she growled.

  Ishin rubbed at the side of his head. “If you can keep it in place for five seconds, I think I can end this.”

  Rhee glanced at her friend. “Going to use that fancy two-colored technique?”

  “Yes,” Ishin nodded. “But I can only use it once.”

  “Whatever you’re going to do, make it fast,” Long ordered as he discarded his bow. He walked over to the dead body of the wood cultivator and grabbed her staff. “I’m out of qi, but I’ll still assist as best I can,” he said, rapping the staff against his palm.

  This guy.

  The Vampire Ape yanked out the arrow from its eye, letting out a final bone-shivering scream. Pure hatred radiated from it as it glared at Long.

  “Five seconds,” Rhee uttered. She clasped both hands together. “We can do that.”

  The Vampire Ape stabbed its hands into the ground and bent its squat legs. It was about to launch itself again.

  A dozen small ice projectiles collided with its face, disrupting the Vampire Ape’s actions. They were launched by Mei, who stood away to the right of the beast—in its blind spot.

  “RAAAAA!”

  “Don’t forget about me,” Mei panted, determined.

  “I’ve got it,” Rhee shouted. Twelve tendrils quickly formed beneath the Vampire Ape, ensnaring its bent legs. “Now, Ishin!”

  Ishin immediately began cycling his qi through all thirteen of his meridians. The Vampire Ape struggled against the shadow tendrils. When that failed, it began to yank them away with its hands.

  Blue and white lightning began to crackle in the palm of Ishin’s hand. He pointed his hand at the Vampire Ape’s chest, hoping to destroy its cursed heart.

  “There are only four snares left,” Rhee grimaced as sweat poured from her face. Her fingers were still interlocked with concentration. “Hurry, Ishin!”

  A bolt of blue lightning with a white center finally materialized on his hand. His meridians ached from the strain brought on by the technique, and it drained the last of his qi. With a shout, he launched the technique at the Vampire Ape.

  The Vampire Ape removed the final shadow snare just as the Pale Azure Lightning Force Strike collided with its chest—and then managed to rip violently through. A charred hole now resided where its heart had once been, dark green blood spilling freely. The spirit beast let out a guttural cry before it fell loudly to the floor—dead.

  “Glad that worked,” Ishin managed, before he too collapsed onto the ground. His body was exhausted and his qi was gone. He didn’t try to fight it as sleep claimed him.