Wang Zen came to join Deng Dandan, who was on her hands and knees, breathing heavily.

“You okay, Deng Dandan?” Zen said, stepping up beside her and placing the staff beside him.

“This man, he is a monster.” She said, getting to her feet. “He hit me twice with some poison technique. If it wasn’t for that vitality pill I took earlier, I’d be goner.”

“Well, we’ll have better luck with the two of us.” He said.

There was some groaning behind them. Yun Ip Chun sat, rubbing his head. “What is going on?” He looked around in confusion. “Dandan, did you drag me out here for some personal time with me?” His eyebrows raised suggestively. “You know all you needed to do was ask and I would’ve…”

“Shut up!” Dandan shouted, with venom in her voice. “Look around you, fool! We’re on the battlefield!”

“What?” Chun got to his feet. “Why didn’t you guys tell me? Oh well, it doesn’t matter. Let’s win and go get a drink!”

Zen smirked, “Well said!”

“Oh dear,” Lei said. “Seems the odds are against me, three against one.”

“Yes, you should do what all men should do, get on your knees and prepare to die!” Dandan said.

Lei got onto his knees…

“That actually worked?” Chun said in surprise.

Lei continued to sit down in a lotus position. “You’ll find that a good Wood Elementalist is always prepared. Sadly for you,” he said as he tossed seeds around him, “I am a good Wood Elementalist.”

The earth where the seeds fell broke apart as massive tentacles made of wood burst forth and curled and grew around Lei, creating a protective dome around him.

“This is Tie Fie Wood. It is as strong as metal and will keep me protected.” Lei said from under the tangle of wood, the silver of his eyes shining through a small opening of the gleaming wood.

“Oh please, you expect us to believe that?” Chun said. “I’ll break your protection apart!” Chun slams his foot hard into the ground. A huge boulder leaps out from the ground. Shile the boulder was in the air, Chun slams his fist into it with all his might. “Boulder Crash!”

The punch sent the boulder shooting towards the wood dome. The giant boulder exploded against the wood.

Chun’s mouth fell open when his attack did not damage the wood. It had lost some of its sheen and was scratched but held firm. “I can’t believe that didn’t work.”

“Let me try,” Zen place the staff along the ground, touched his storage stone and called forth a wood cutter axe. He swung it with all his might. The edge bounced off the surface. Zen looked close at the centimetres deep cut into the wood. “Yeah, I don’t think the wood cutter is going to work.”

If we can’t go through it then maybe we can go under it!” Dandan said before opening a hole in the ground and diving in. Some time moment later, she returned back from the hole. “Those roots have formed a complex tangle underground. I can’t find a way through.”

“Too bad none of us are Fire Elementalist, else we could have burned through it.” Chun said.

“One of us might be,” Dandan said.

“Wait… you mean…” Chun’s eyes widened with his grin. “You’re a master now Zen! Well done!”

Zen nodded his thanks.

“Well, what are you waiting for, blaze him up!”

He smiled sadly and shook his head, “I’m not a Fire Elementalist.”

“Oh!” Chun said in disappointment.

“What about that staff,” Dandan gestured to the staff on the ground.

Zen shook his head. “The staff is built to channel the fire element. Its not like Captain Lao’s sword which actually create it. But I may have a solution.” Zen touched his storage stone and out came a scroll. “Lei, you asked why my eyes are the way they are.”

“Yes,” Lei said, “you told me of your… companion.”

Zen nodded, “Well, you’re about to meet him.”

“Oh, how exciting!” Lei said.

Zen opened the scroll and it began to glow. “I invoke the Zen-Shibi contract!” He slammed the scroll on the ground. A giant rune circle, made of light appeared behind Zen before it exploded into a pillar of light. The light bent, compressed and formed a giant body and when it vanished it had left behind a giant orange and red Gorrilla.

Shibi’s eyes were had the same silver section that was in Zen’s, however, instead of being a majority of hazel like Zen’s, Shibi’s were a dull amber colour. His eyes were alert as they took in the scene before him, then they drooped and he collapsed to the ground, facing away from everyone. His head was lazily propped on one hand while the other scratched his butt.

“Shibi, what the hell are you doing?” Zen said.

Shibi looked over his shoulder lazily. “Oh, it’s you. What do you want?”

Chun burst out laughing at this.

Dandan rolled her eyes at annoyance, “Boys are so stupid.”

“What an interesting Scorch Ape!” Lei said.

“Why are you being like this, Shibi?” Zen said.

“I’m not being anything, you said you didn’t need me and now you’ve summoned me.”

“I didn’t say I don’t need you,” Zen said. “I said I wanted to do this alone without your help to test myself but if I did need you I’d summon you. Well, I’ve summoned you!”

Shibi scoffed.

“Please Shibi!”

The Scorch Ape remained quiet.

“I’ll give you an extra portion of peaches.”

Shibi looked at him, clearly intrigued.

“And meat.”

Shibi smirked, “Fine, I can never stay mad with peaches and meat.” He leapt up to action. “What does Zen need.”

Zen pointed at the wood structure. “We need to get through that. Burn it for us.”

Shibi nodded. His muscles clenched and tightened as he gathered fire energy. His fur began glowing and so did his eyes. The air around them began to ripple with heat. “Raging Flame Roar!”

The Ape threw his head forward and a stream of powerful fire shout out from his mouth and engulfed the wood structure. The dome of wood tentacles began to snap and crackle under the heat of the raging fire.

The dome collapsed, revealing nothing.

“Did he get him?” Chun said.

Dandan shrugged.

“Well, let’s just take the win and go get a drink.” Chun said, as he began walking away.

“You’re going to have to delay that drink,” Zen said as they could hear a rumbling thunder in the distance and rising in the horizon was a dark cloud. “This might not be over.”