The room was silent, save for the faint crackle of lightning echoing across the stone floor.
Shadow opened his eyes.
Stormlight shimmered in his pupils before fading into a calm glow. He exhaled, long and steady, the scent of ozone clinging to the air.
"A week passed... too fast."
He uncrossed his legs and slowly stood, body rippling with reawakened energy. In his hand rested his sword—not drawn, but alive, humming softly.
His retreat into seclusion hadn't been for rest. It had been war.
And in that war, he had forged advancement.
**Thunder Step**—once raw and instinctual—had transformed into a flowing, wood-element infused movement art. It now moved like the wind weaving through branches, silent and sudden, adaptable and refined. His footsteps were lighter, faster, more evasive, and explosive.
**Flash Blade Art**, honed under crushing pressure, now carried both speed and precision. Each strike echoed with layered sharpness, bending light like curved steel under the sun. He no longer wielded it—he *became* it.
But the crowning breakthrough was **Thunder Slash**.
Where once it consumed him, burning everything in its path—including his control—it had now been mastered, reconstructed through pain, spiritual compression, and resonance with the tribulation lightning buried in his meridians.
It was no longer a single-use gamble.
It had become a **low-grade iron technique**, the first in his arsenal.
Controlled.
Deadly.
His.
Shadow smiled faintly.
He turned to the side and slipped into a clean dark robe, tying it across his chest with calm precision. Then, without another word, he stepped outside into the light of dawn.
Today was the beginning.
---
But before the matches could begin, all attention turned to the ten towering presences standing apart from the rest.
The **Top Ten Inner Court Disciples**—those who ruled the inner sect with strength, prestige, and legend—stood lined at the highest terrace overlooking the arena.
They didn't blend with the crowd.
They commanded it.
---
**1. Ren Shun** – The current top disciple. A direct heir of the feared Ren Family, Ren Shun was known for his cold stare and the brutal efficiency of his **Heaven-Dominating Fist**. He possessed the **Steel Bone Physique**, granting him defense unmatched among his peers. His reputation was ruthless—he had not been touched in battle for the past three years.
\*\*Xue Mei\*\* – Silent, poised, and elegant, Mei Rong cultivated the **Silken Blade Art**, slicing with invisible threads of Qi that few could see, let alone block. She was known for never wasting a movement and rarely drawing her weapon, yet leaving her opponents helpless.
**3. Lu Fan** – The wind-hearted swordsman. Always grinning, always carefree. But those who faced his **Wind Step Swordplay** knew better. His sword flashed like bird wings in a storm, light and untraceable.
**4. Yun Qiang** – The beast summoner. At his side stood **Baihu**, a thunder-furred white tiger bound by spiritual contract. Yun Qiang's **Summoner's Domain** created chaotic battlefields, turning every duel into a warzone.
**5. Jiang Fei** – The Iron Staff Demon. Loud, brash, and infamous for breaking bones. His **Heavy Mountain Staff Style** was raw power refined through relentless training and fury.
**6. Bai Lian** – Mistress of Ice Veins. Her **Frigid Bloom Technique** could slow a man's heartbeat, lock his limbs, and freeze his Qi. Her cold gaze was said to paralyze with fear alone.
**7. Han Yu** – Firestorm Maniac. With volatile flame arts and a temper to match, he often burned arenas to the ground in frustration—or glee.
**8. Xun Tai** – Master of illusion and fear. His **Dream Mirage Arts** created layers of false realities, trapping enemies in their worst nightmares.
**9. Lei Zhong** – Twin Axe Titan. A berserker who wielded two massive axes like paper fans. Known for his roar that shook bones and shattered focus.
**10. Lian Hua** – The mysterious time-variant cultivator. Her **Petal Drift Technique** allowed brief flashes of spatial-temporal shifts. None had seen her go all out and remained conscious long enough to describe it.
---
As they stood overlooking the rest of the participants, their presence alone was suffocating. Everyone below them knew—these were not just inner disciples.
They were gatekeepers to the core realm.
And soon, every one of them would face challengers from the ranks below.
---
The **Verdant Moon Tournament Grounds** roared with life.
Disciples filled every tiered platform around the central arena. Murmurs and shouts danced in the air like thunderclouds swirling overhead.
The outer sect watched from the distant cliffs, whispers of awe passing through their ranks. Inner disciples, dressed in the sect's finest battle robes, stood in lines—ten wide, ten deep.
Only one hundred would enter.
All aiming for three seats.
High above, beneath a majestic pavilion draped in golden banners, the **Sect Master** stood flanked by eight **Core Elders**, their robes adorned with the insignias of ancient achievements.
The bell rang.
A hush fell across the grounds.
The Sect Master's voice boomed like divine thunder.
"Disciples of the Verdant Moon Sect!"
"Today begins the Inner Court Elimination Trials. This tournament shall decide who among you dares rise to become our next **Core Disciples**."
He gestured toward the assembled one hundred.
"You have been chosen. Only the top one hundred inner disciples may compete. One-on-one. Elimination. No excuses."
Eyes glinted. Weapons were gripped tighter.
"The **Top Three** will earn the right to observe a **Low-Grade Iron Martial Technique** from the sect's ancestral vaults—for five breaths."
Gasps broke out.
"But that is not all."
He raised his hand.
"The **Champion**—the disciple who rises above all—shall receive three full days within the **Spirit Pool of Verdant Origin**. Even our core disciples are not granted this honor lightly."
The crowd erupted.
Shock.
Envy.
Determination.
Only one would stand at the peak.
Among the participants, a black-robed figure stepped onto the platform.
His presence wasn't explosive.
But the air around him bent subtly—like thunderclouds gathering at the horizon.
**Shadow**.
He said nothing.
But his aura whispered one truth:
He had returned.
---
**End of Chapter 67**