Chaos erupted throughout the combat platform. Disciples immediately turned on those around them. A fireball flew through the air as weapons clanged against one another in the sudden battlefield. A few disciples—undoubtedly friends—formed groups to attack lone combatants, swiftly overpowering them.

  Ishin didn’t have time to watch the events unfold. The moment Zhu Rhee announced the start of the selection process, a heavy-set male disciple wielding a sword charged him from the right. Ishin spun to meet his attacker, and thanks to his spear’s superior reach, struck the swordsman in the chest, knocking him off balance and onto the floor. Before Ishin even had to follow up his attack, a second nearby disciple carrying an axe lunged at the downed swordsman. Ishin left the two to fight, not planning to waste any more energy than was necessary.

  He didn’t have to wait long. An unarmed female spotted Ishin and used a technique to conjure and launch sharp crystals at him. Cycling qi to enhance his reflexes, Ishin deflected the projectiles, realizing they were sharp enough to take out an eye.

  Seems like the school didn’t consider the damage of techniques when they blunted our weapons. Although...

  Ishin aimed his fingers at the earth cultivator. Lightning qi cycled through his arm, and a moment later, a bolt of indigo lightning shot out. The female disciple was caught off guard by the technique’s speed and failed to dodge. She was struck in the stomach, the force knocking her back until she collided with a pair of disciples fighting behind her. All three ended up falling to the ground. Once more, Ishin didn’t bother pursuing his adversary.

  “Did you see that?” he heard a disciple say.

  “That was a lightning technique!”

  “He’s a lightning cultivator?”

  Ishin turned and found an allied group of five second-layer disciples assessing him. Their apparent leader, a tall, staff-wielding woman with curly hair, pointed in his direction.

  “That’s our next target. Attack!”

  Her four comrades advanced on Ishin, letting out a roar. Each carried a weapon of some kind, and from their speed, it was clear they were using qi to enhance their physical capabilities. Fortunately for Ishin, the spear was well-suited for fighting multiple enemies.

  Before the first adversary could reach him, Ishin jumped forward, covering more ground with qi-enhanced movement. The eyes of his target—a saber-wielding man—widened in surprise. Ishin thrust his spear at the man’s forehead. Due to the sudden shift in distance and the saber wielder’s momentum, he failed to parry or dodge. The strike landed cleanly, knocking the man backward. His weapon dropped from his hand as he collapsed unconscious, a dark bruise forming on his forehead.

  Now in line with the others, Ishin pivoted and brought up his spear to block the swing of a dulled axe blade. His weapon vibrated from the impact, and he knew that had it not been blunted, the blade might have cleaved through the shaft. But it hadn’t!

  Ishin cycled qi through his arms and pushed the axe blade off. Then, with a pivot, he spun and used the momentum to empower his next strike. The spearhead collided with the axe wielder’s face, sending him to the ground—out of the fight.

  “Attack him together!” the staff wielder commanded. She remained in the back, clearly intending to let her allies do the work.

  Her two remaining comrades carried daggers and a mace, respectively. To Ishin’s surprise, they heeded her order and prepared to attack him in tandem. Ishin didn’t bother pointing out their leader’s cowardice. It won’t matter in a few more seconds.

  “Take the left. I’ll take the right,” the dagger carrier barked.

  “Understood!”

  Ishin in turn extended the pointer and middle fingers of his left hand, keeping it angled downward.

  The two disciples closed in. The dagger wielder raised his weapons above his head, ready to strike, while the mace wielder swung low from the left.

  A flash of indigo light erupted just before the mace landed. A black scorch mark appeared on the chest of the mace-wielding disciple, and his weapon clattered to the floor from limp hands. Simultaneously, the dagger wielder was hoisted into the air by the spear driven into his gut. A cry of pain and the sound of coughing blood followed.

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  Ishin grinned savagely up at his victim. The beast inside growled in approval. This was combat. The thrill of battle.

  With a flick of his spear, the helpless disciple was flung over the platform's edge. Ishin flexed his fingers—the numbing sensation was negligible—and turned to the open-mouthed staff wielder.

  She would be next.

  *                 *              *

  Zhu Rhee watched the battle unfold. As she expected, it had quickly devolved into chaos. It had been nearly impossible to follow any single combatant at first, but after five minutes, the numbers had begun to thin.

  Many defeated disciples lay unconscious on the platform. After all, it was easier to knock someone out than to drag them off. Still, a dozen had been forced over the edge. To her surprise, Disciple Long Coi—one of the more capable third-layer cultivators—had suffered such a fate. A daring group of six had assaulted him together and, through sheer numbers, pushed him off. Two of them had tumbled over with him, prompting Hou Lei to erupt with laughter.

  A similar tactic had been attempted against Nie Hai and Ouyang Xue. The result had been disastrous. Nie Hai, a blood cultivator like Hou Lei, had used a technique that increased his muscle mass and height. Now towering above even Hou Lei, he gripped a massive iron hammer in one hand and flung it at three attackers. The swing knocked all of them back, leaving them crumpled on the ground. Rhee doubted they would rise again.

  Rumors had circulated that Nie Hai and Ouyang Xue had struck a pact to eliminate the other contestants before fighting each other. From their proximity and lack of hostility, it seemed true.

  Rhee felt a nudge from her right. Hou Lei pointed excitedly.

  “Look! There he is!”

  Following his finger, Rhee spotted Ro Ishin locked in battle against two opponents—one with daggers, one with a mace. Curious, she watched how he’d handle the pressure.

  A moment later, a flash of indigo light filled the air. The mace wielder dropped instantly, and the dagger wielder was impaled, then flung from the platform like a rag doll.

  How did he—?

  Ishin turned and faced a female disciple with a staff.

  “Did you see that?” Hou Lei roared, pounding his leg. “He just threw that guy out of the platform!”

  “He’s certainly strong,” Wan Bo commented. “But what was that light earlier?”

  “It must have been a lightning technique,” Rhee said, eyes locked on Ishin.

  “I thought he wasn’t allowed to use his technique,” Wan Bo replied.

  “He has a new one,” Hou Lei said proudly.

  Rhee watched as Ro Ishin overwhelmed the staff wielder with a flurry of thrusts. After five strikes, he broke through her defense and forced her to drop her weapon with targeted blows to her arms and shoulders.

  “You knew about this, didn’t you?” Wan Bo grumbled. “That’s why you were so confident in your wager.”

  The staff wielder said something Rhee couldn’t hear. A moment later, Ishin struck her across the head with the butt of his spear, knocking her out cold.

  “What can I say?” Hou Lei laughed.

  Rhee ignored her friends, more interested in how the contest was progressing. Fewer than ten disciples remained. Several were clearly exhausted. Only three showed no signs of slowing—Nie Hai, Ouyang Xue, and Ro Ishin.

  I doubt many of the masters even know who he is.

  Four disciples repositioned to surround Nie Hai and Ouyang Xue. Rhee guessed they were forming a temporary alliance. They attacked together, targeting Ouyang Xue.

  Rhee couldn’t blame them. Nie Hai looked monstrous in his current form. Still, it wouldn’t help. Ouyang Xue had trained under Master Guoqiang.

  Two whips of water, fifteen feet long, appeared in her hands. Nie Hai stood idle, letting her handle the threat.

  The whips lashed out so quickly they were nearly invisible. Three of the attackers were struck violently—one across the face. All were left groaning.

  Good thing Physician Hui is onsite.

  The fourth disciple, who had dodged the first lash, pressed forward. But Ouyang Xue whipped around, striking them from behind. The blow flattened the disciple face-first against the stone tiles.

  Ouyang Xue let the whips dissolve and said something to Nie Hai, who nodded. The defeated group limped off the platform.

  Can’t say I’m surprised.

  Turning back to Ro Ishin, Rhee noted he had defeated two more disciples while she wasn’t watching. A third—another spear user—stood in front of him. The duel was short. Both thrust forward, but Ishin struck first, disarming his opponent mid-charge. The other disciple stumbled, and a follow-up strike to the back of the head ended the match.

  His skill is impressive. I wonder how he compares to Dong Jing.

  “Looks like they’ve entered the final phase,” Wan Bo said.

  Rhee saw he was right. Only three remained.

  Ro Ishin rested his spear on his shoulder and turned toward Nie Hai and Ouyang Xue. Both looked calm.

  She leaned back in her seat. Rhee hoped that Ro Ishin discovered a way to win. Without him, her own plans would be far more challenging to achieve.