It appears to be chasing someone.

  The thought was a simple observation. Cade felt a second, much smaller source of life force flare within his senses, moving rapidly toward his position with the larger one in hot pursuit. Suddenly, less than three hundred feet from the cave, both figures halted.

  Unwilling to wait passively for the situation to unfold, Cade rushed out from the cavern. A quick glance at the stone wall above the cave’s entrance confirmed his path. He launched himself at the two-hundred-foot cliff, his claws finding purchase in the ice-slicked rock. In a series of powerful leaps, he scaled the sheer wall as if it were a set of stairs. He felt no vertigo, no hesitation, none of the familiar tendrils of human fear. There was only a cold, thrilling excitement.

  Standing at the cliff’s edge, his pupils narrowed, magnifying the scene below. He saw a huge, black-furred ape, its dark form a blot against the patches of snow, trudging toward a much smaller figure wielding a massive broadsword. The ape stood nearly twenty feet tall and was built like a fortress, its thick muscles contracting under its shaggy fur with each measured step.

  “A man-eating ape,” Cade breathed, his voracious heart giving an excited thump against his ribs.

  Verdant Sea was home to a myriad of animal species, and the man-eating ape ranked among some of the most dangerous. One in the middle of Rank 1 was, in theory, a match for a cultivator in the middle stages of Qi Condensation, but its ferocious, berserking nature could easily threaten those far more advanced. Even a master at the great circle of the ninth stage would treat such a beast with caution.

  Among the six books left behind by his father, the old bestiary was one Cade often returned to. He had read the thick tome dozens of times, eventually memorizing the hundreds of species described within its yellowed pages. He had no idea this knowledge would prove useful so soon.

  Cade’s eyes shifted to the humanoid figure swinging the huge sword in wide, defensive arcs. Dressed in dark, reinforced leather armor with a high neck protector, the man stood around seven feet tall, with a powerful build that would put the largest human body cultivators to shame. His skin was the color of dark ash, and his eyes were a bright, luminous white that seemed to glow in the twilight, giving his gaze a piercing, inquisitive quality.

  What was most striking, however, was his hair - unruly, long, and pure white. It matched his irises and contrasted sharply with his dark armor.

  The gray-skinned warrior handled the enormous blade—a monster of steel nearly eight feet long and a foot wide at its base—with an unnerving, fluid grace. The sword cut the air with a low, chilling whoosh, a sound that seemed to carve a zone of respect around him, keeping the berserk creature at bay. The ape roared in frustration, but it dared not enter the greatsword’s killing zone, resorting instead to launching probing strikes with its clawed left hand. Its intelligence was low, but the creature still understood the gray swordsman was a dangerous opponent.

  Only now did Cade notice the beast was missing its right hand, the wrist a freshly severed stump. Curiously, it was barely bleeding—a testament to the ape’s powerful blood qi, which was already working to knit the wound. This explained its hesitation; it was not yet so desperate that it was willing to risk an even more serious injury.

  Gazing upon the fresh crimson staining the snow, Cade’s mouth began to water as his voracious heart pulsed with a deep, rhythmic thrum. The creature’s blood was brimming with life force, and a primal certainty rose within him: he needed to have it.

  Without further delay, he fearlessly leaped from the cliff toward the peak of a tall pine tree thirty feet below, his claws sinking easily into its thick trunk. The feeling of power was intoxicating. It felt as if nothing on earth could stop him. From there, he sprang between the trees like a wildcat, closing the distance with each leap. In less than two breaths, Cade was crouching on a thick branch some fifty feet above the ape.

  The gray-skinned man’s glowing eyes flashed as he registered Cade’s dark silhouette. The young Asura pressed a finger to his lips. Understanding lit the stranger’s face, and he offered a slight nod in return just as he parried another swipe from the ape’s claws.

  The huge creature, however, was lost in its own world of pain and fury. Burning with hate, it was focused solely on the man before it. Not used to its quarry fighting back, and likely having never before suffered such a grievous wound, the ape roared, yet still retained enough sense to cautiously eye the massive broadsword.

  Cade had to decide how to attack, and do it fast. A single misstep by the towering swordsman could tip the scales, provoking the ape into a frenzied, all-out assault. After briefly examining the situation, he chose to take a risk. He would drop directly onto its back. Taking a deep breath, he drew his sword, only to realize how insignificant the three-foot blade looked against the beast’s enormous size. Gripping the hilt with both hands, Cade silently swallowed a curse. He couldn’t understand why Lao Ren gave him such a tiny weapon.

  Just as the ape’s swipe met the warrior’s blade, causing the creature to pause for a fraction of a second, he jumped.

  The wind tore at the hem of his red longcoat as Cade’s body fell through the frigid air like a bloody meteor. The ape’s bulky figure grew rapidly in his vision, and its rancid stench—a mix of wet fur and rot—hit his nostrils. Just before impact, Cade threw all the strength of his upper body into the attack, stabbing viciously down into the left side of the beast's neck.

  He slammed his heels into the ape's upper back to arrest his fall, while the sword sliced into the creature's flesh with surprising ease, lodging itself deep near the collarbone. He didn’t dare to strike the skull, worried the weapon would glance harmlessly off the thick bone. The neck, near the beast's only working arm, was a much better target. Worst case, the wound would at least hinder its ability to swing.

  The injured creature howled in agony as it lost its balance, the unexpected force of Cade’s impact driving it closer toward the ground. Unable to keep his footing on the ape’s lurching back, the young Asura was thrown forward.

  Cade tumbled silently across the frozen earth, his ribs creaking from the impact. After eighteen months of torture in the blood coffin, his resistance to pain reached monumental levels. This was a soft massage by comparison. He extended his claws, digging them into the frozen ground and arresting his momentum in a spray of upturned soil. As he rose, he felt the last fumes of blood qi vanish from his voracious heart. It began to thump madly, demanding more.

  “Well done!” the stranger laughed, his voice deep and resonant. He immediately dashed forward, launching a powerful overhead strike at the ape's exposed skull.

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  The ape was choking on its own blood, trying to push itself up just as the powerful strike landed squarely on its forehead. Surprisingly, the massive blade failed to split the thick bone, but the sheer force of the blow slammed the creature’s ugly mug back into the ground with a wet crunch.

  “Damn, this bastard’s skull is tough!” the man cursed, ripping the jammed weapon free. But just as he was about to swing again, a red blur shot right past him.

  Cade’s vision was drowning in crimson. The whites of his eyes had turned scarlet, his entire world narrowing to the widening pool of blood spreading beneath the ape. Still on all fours, he lunged toward the beast, a guttural snarl tearing from his throat.

  Leaping onto the beast’s left shoulder, Cade instinctively gripped his sword’s hilt with one hand, using it as an anchor. The maddened animal roared as the deeply embedded blade sliced further through its soft tissues. It thrashed, trying to throw him off, but the sword held him firm.

  His fangs extended, moving with a will of their own. Muscles and tendons shifted in his skull, his jaw widening with a nauseating chorus of pops until he could have swallowed a small dog. The warrior below drew a sharp gasp. With bone-crushing force, Cade bit down.

  He tore a huge, bloody chunk of flesh and fur from the roaring beast’s neck, revealing glistening, spasming muscle beneath. He immediately spat the foul mouthful onto the snow, the taste of coarse hair and raw meat a vile coating on his tongue. The infuriated creature flailed, its remaining hand clawing desperately for him. Another attack from the giant arrived at the perfect moment, slicing clean through the ape’s other forearm. The beast cried out, a sound that was shockingly human—the sound of true fear.

  Cade’s jaws clamped down on the mutilated neck once more. A fountain of arterial blood exploded into his mouth. His voracious heart clenched, pulling with a desperate hunger, dragging the hot flood down his throat and consuming every last drop.

  A final blow from the gray warrior landed less than two feet from Cade’s head, striking precisely where the skull was weakened. It split halfway through like a ripe melon. The ape went rigid for half a breath, then its knees buckled, and it slammed into the ground with a resounding thud.

  Cade’s senses gradually returned. As he finished draining the last of the precious liquid from the twitching carcass, the red hue faded from his vision, replaced by the muted colors of the pre-dawn. He could feel the powerful blood qi surging through his body, bringing with it a wave of warmth and overwhelming strength. He felt his blood beginning to transform, and an involuntary, bestial roar of exhilaration escaped his lips, echoing into the distance.

  Unknown to him, deep within his bloodstream, a few tiny, prismatic specks of energy materialized. Though less than a trace, each minuscule spherule contained terrifying power.

  “Uh… friend? Are you all right?” The gray giant took a few cautious steps back, his broadsword held ready.

  Cade, now fully recovered, began wiping the blood from his face, only to find the cold air had already dried most of it into a crust. He sighed internally, unhappy with his loss of control.

  “My apologies, Fellow Daoist,” he said, cupping his fist. He could sense the giant’s spiritual fluctuations were around the fifth stage of Qi Condensation. “I seem to have helped myself to most of the creature’s blood. That was not my intention. I assure you, I am not a monster, nor a thief. My name is Cade Ward. Please, let me know if I can make it up to you.”

  He hadn’t expected to deplete his blood qi so quickly, or to fall into a bloodrage—a state where an Asura’s body begins to burn its own lifeblood for power, shattering all conscious limitations. Master Lao Ren had warned him of this. His strength and speed could double, but at great risk to his own body. His control, given his inexperience, had been minimal. He had only managed to direct his primal hunger toward the ape.

  Luckily, the rage had passed before he could harm himself, or anyone else. Still, he understood what a disturbing sight it must have been.

  To his surprise, the large man waved the matter off, a nonchalant grin spreading across his face. “Don’t worry about it! You saved me from a long, grinding fight with this foul thing. I am Gorgo. I have no surname, but some merchants in Kettle call me Gorgo the Gray. A pleasure, Cade.” Gorgo reached out without hesitation, gripping Cade’s forearm in a firm warrior’s greeting. “I couldn’t care less about the blood. I just want its core. As long as you don’t mind, let’s call it even.”

  “Not at all.” Cade gave a small nod, watching with morbid fascination as Gorgo’s forearm disappeared up to the elbow into the ape’s ruined skull. His father's bestiary mentioned beast cores—small beads of condensed spiritual energy that formed inside a spirit beast's head, the source of their power.

  Gorgo’s face was a mask of concentration mixed with disgust. “Not to pry, but I can’t sense any spiritual fluctuations from you. And besides, the eyes, the fangs, the jaw that could swallow a whole meal, including the plate… you see where I’m going with this.”

  “It’s fine. I’d be suspicious if you didn’t ask,” Cade replied, a wide smile flashing his teeth. He watched as Gorgo's forearm squelched around inside the cranium. “Let’s just say it’s complicated. But I can guarantee I’m not a vampire, or some blood-drinking savage. I need the blood for my cultivation art. I suppose the best proof is that we’re still talking, and I’m not screeching wildly, trying to hide away from the sun.” He glanced meaningfully towards the first orange rays piercing the horizon.

  “That makes sense,” Gorgo chuckled. “Wait… got it!” He exclaimed, pulling out a small, white bead that pulsed with a soft light. His face fell a moment later. “Damn. It’s cracked.”

  “Is a cracked core worthless?” Cade asked, remembering a small note in the margins of his father's book.

  “Mostly,” Gorgo replied with a deep sigh, tossing the dimming core over his shoulder. “A whole one like this could fetch a hundred spirit crystals in Kettle, maybe more. Alchemists pay a fortune for them—they're a key ingredient for cultivation pills. But once it's cracked, the qi dissipates too quickly. It's pretty much useless.”

  Spirit crystals. The main currency of the cultivation world. Master Lao Ren told him about them, but this was the first time he understood their tangible value. A single fight could be worth a small fortune... if you were lucky.

  Gorgo straightened, a look of realization on his face. "Sorry, I should have asked if you wanted it." He turned to pick it up.

  “Don’t worry about it,” Cade gestured. “I have a better idea. Why don’t we team up? We kill more beasts, I take the blood, you get the cores. We share anything else of value equally. What do you think?”

  Gorgo stood with a thoughtful expression for a couple of breaths, weighing the proposition, before his face split into a broad grin. “Good idea! I’ve never teamed up with a vampire before.”

  “But… I’m not a vampire,” Cade said carefully, unsure if his new companion was being serious.

  “That’s exactly what a vampire would say,” the gray swordsman pointed out, laughing loudly. “Alright, jokes aside. I like your offer, not only because it'll be me pocketing the expensive stuff. It’s always good to have someone watch your back while deep in the Verdant Sea,” Gorgo stated in a serious tone. “That stubborn ape chased me for miles. All I did was step on it’s… Bah, nevermind. Accidents happen. Good thing you showed up. Do you have a decent map of the area?”

  “It’s probably not bad, but definitely not great. Likely the best my… old vampiric servant could procure,” the young Asura answered with a crooked smile.

  Gorgo snorted with laughter, giving him a thumbs-up.

  Cade could feel his blood growing richer with every passing moment, his entire body rapidly strengthening. He was like a dried patch of land finally welcoming the bliss of rainfall. His voracious heart was already burning through the new reserves, but that was to be expected. He pushed a tiny bit of qi into the map slip, and a detailed image of the terrain condensed in the air above it.

  Gorgo grunted in appreciation.

  Cade looked down at his hands, at the black claws that could retract into his fingertips, then at the massive, blood-soaked ape at his feet. Less than two years ago, his greatest ambition had been to condense a single qi sphere. Now, he stood beside a seven-foot giant, captivated by his veins singing with the life force of a slain monster.

  He had lost everything, but in this violent, savage encounter, he discovered something new: a path. And he felt ready to walk it.