As the two stare at one another, it is the beast who strike first. The Giant Tree Ape slammed its fist into the ground, a verdant glow on it's fist as it did so. Soon, the ground erupted from massive vines and trees, heading towards his direction.
Ryker returned the favor as his fist covered with Fire qi, causing the surrounding to heat up.
"Monkey Chief Fist!" he roared, using his main Martial Technique and combining it with his Fire qi for extra firepower.
The fist and masses of trees collided, causing a powerful explosion that pushed both sides away, the impact strong enough to tear some of the nearby trees if it was not in the blast radius.
As fire burned the plants, the plant continue to be replace though it did cause the attack to be weaker. By the end of the clash, it was a draw, though if one with sharp eyes see it, they could tell the fist is slightly weaker than the Giant Tree Ape's attack.
As the dust and ashes was cleared, the Giant Tree Ape leap towards Ryker, fist ready to have in his face. Activating the Great Mountain Demon, Ryker was able to block the attack, though he was sent flying, soon crashing into a boulder.
"That hurt a bit," he muttered before jumping towards the beast, his body covered in metallic sheen. As the Giant Tree Ape did not expect his sudden appearance, Ryker was able to hit it in the face, sending it flying in return.
Though, it did not last long as the Giant Tree up get back on it's feet, more ferocious than before.
"Raaawwrr!" it roared before it leap on the human, it's hand moving in to clap the smaller being. Ryker dodge backward, and while he avoid from being turned into a splatter, the shockwave push him slightly to the back.
Able to stay on his feet, Ryker jump on top of him, close enough to it's head to unleash another Soul Echo, causing the beast soul to reverberate, causing it to scream from pain once more.
As much as Ryker would like to kill the beast with his Soul, Soul Echo used a lot of his Soul Power, making it hard to kill a beast stronger than him, as it's body could take much of the effect of the Soul Echo.
Clutching it's head like it's head about to split open, the beast was preoccupied by the pain to realize another fist heading towards it chest.
"Monkey Chief Fist!" the beast yelled as the fist was empowered by Fire qi, burning it chest at the same time it cave into it's gut.
The beast roared from the pain, turning it's attention towards it foe. However, because of the massive pain in it's soul, the beast was unable to think calmly, it senses went haywire from the pain.
As it began to swing it's arm around like a maniac, Ryker took the chance to prepare a final sure kill move.
"Let's make you see things you want to see," the second branch of Sin Desire Art is to grant the desire of someone, even through illusion. The beast would be the first one to suffer from the Lore of Granting Wish.
Covering it's eyes with illusion, Ryker took the chance to get further away, as he will need full concentration to complete his strongest attack.
The beast soon swing it's arm opposite to where he is, chasing after something that is not there. As it focused on its imaginary foe, Ryker called upon his mastery of the Law of Fire and Metal.
Unlike when he fused both Earth and Fire, he could not do the same with Metal and Fire, as the two Law is not compatible in such way. However, while true fusion is impossible, resonating both Law should be possible.
He circulate the Elemental Resonance Art, allowing the Fire and Metal qi to combine while not letting the Fire qi to destroy the Metal qi. He keep control over the two different qi knowing how hard it is to keep them from destroying one another.
Thankfully, the experience with fusing the Law of Earth and Metal allowed him to control the two different qi more easily. Soon, the Law of Metal began to resonate with the Law of Fire, granting it the property to burn through anything standing in it's way.
"With the sharpness of Law of Metal, and the burning ability of Law of Fire, I should be able to kill the beast," with no hesitation, Ryker swing his blade, a ray of Metal and Fire qi cutting the air, heading straight towards the beast.
As it focused more on it's front, it was unable to detect it until it was too late. Still, it's instinct allow the beast to jump forward, giving it time to prepare its defense. Tree grows, trying to slow down the sword light.
However, the Metal qi cut through the plants while Fire qi burnt it. As the sword light headed straight towards the Giant Tree Ape, it could only watch as the attack hit it on the chest, soon finding itself being cut in half.
-x-
"T-that, huh, was hard," Ryker admitted. Despite him winning with little injuries, it still taxing for him, as he fight against a late-stage Tier 4 Genesis Beast. Still, it allow him to gauge his current strength.
For now, he could hold his own against 7th to 8th Stage Genesis Foundation experts, with 9th being his limit. Of course, he could kill them but it will take him sometime before being able to kill them in a single strike that did not take half an hour to prepare.
"My Qi reserve is drained significantly, but at least I can still move," he muttered before heading towards the agreed meeting point. The corpse of the Giant Tree Ape is already inside his storage ring, as Ryker is ready to claim his prize.
-x-
"Hhmmm, looks like they don't come back yet. Then again, the missions they pick is hard for people at their cultivation realm," Lisha muttered, eying the door. For some reason, she expected it open but she knew it was only a pipe dream.
After all, with how the sun is already touching the horizon, they likely will not return until tomorrow morning.
"I should ge-" she stopped herself, eying the group that entered the building. All five of them walked towards her counter before putting their storage rings in front of her.
"I want claim our rewards, and you, for the night," the smug grin on Ryker's face would be etched into her head from today.