The Sect Master's face was stone.
Below, the arena trembled with whispers of awe and disbelief. Two victories—two strikes—and Shadow had brought down opponents ranked far above him, including one on the cusp of advancement.
But in the highest pavilion, silence reigned.
Until the Sect Master slammed his hand against the jade armrest.
"Trash," he muttered through gritted teeth. "They're all useless!"
Core Elder Min flinched.
The Sect Master's eyes burned. "Zhao Yan couldn't even stall him. He's dismantling the inner court's face in front of the entire sect."
He turned to Elder Gai. "Assign another fight. Rank **9**. Peak Ninth Foundation Layer. No mercy. No more games."
"…Understood."
Elder Gai bowed and vanished.
---
The next bracket shimmered above the arena. Murmurs turned to shouts as names appeared.
**Match 37: Shadow (Rank 100) vs Lei Zhong (Rank 9)**
The crowd gasped.
"Lei Zhong?! That's the Twin Axe Titan!"
"He's peak Ninth Layer! They're really trying to kill this guy!"
"Shadow's good, but Lei Zhong? He crushes people!"
Even Jian Wu tensed. "Damn it. He's not ready for this one. This isn't a battle—it's war."
---
On the arena platform, Shadow stood, blood still damp on the hem of his robe from the previous fight.
Across from him, **Lei Zhong** cracked his neck, flexing both arms.
His dual axes—each taller than a man—were slung over his back, carved from volcanic iron, their edges still stained from his last three matches.
"Didn't think I'd be called so early," Lei Zhong muttered, voice like gravel. "But I've been waiting for you."
Shadow's fingers curled around his blade. "Then you'll get your answer."
Lei Zhong grinned. "Let's dance, thunder boy."
The bell rang.
---
Lei Zhong exploded forward, an avalanche of force wrapped in flesh. His axes came crashing down with brutal momentum, each strike carrying the weight of his cultivation and sheer physicality.
Shadow moved—fast.
**Thunder Step** shimmered beneath his soles, his body blurring from sight just as the first axe struck.
A crater formed where he once stood.
He reappeared at Lei's side, swinging his sword in a sharp horizontal arc—**Flash Blade Art**—only for Lei to pivot and bring his second axe upward, intercepting the blow mid-swing. The clash rang across the arena.
Shadow backstepped. Lei chased him relentlessly.
A flurry of strikes followed. Lei Zhong's twin axes carved deep lines into the jade flooring, slicing through air with the force of small hurricanes.
Shadow blocked one, parried another, ducked under the third—but the fourth grazed his ribs, drawing blood.
The pain was sharp, but he didn't falter.
He moved in closer.
They were nearly chest-to-chest now, weapons a blur.
Shadow aimed low, slicing toward Lei's thigh. Lei countered with a brutal knee, slamming into Shadow's forearm and knocking him back several feet.
Shadow rolled, regained footing, and surged forward again.
Their next clash sent sparks raining across the platform.
Axe met sword. Shoulder met shoulder. Power met precision.
The crowd was on its feet now.
"Is this guy human?!"
"Shadow's injured, but he's keeping up with Lei Zhong!"
"No one's ever fought Lei head-to-head like this without losing a limb!"
---
Lei let out a bellow, slamming both axes together and activating his technique.
**Titan's Roar!**
A pulse of raw force blasted outward. Shadow crossed his arms and skidded back ten meters, his boots digging deep trenches into the floor.
He exhaled.
Blood trickled from his temple, but his eyes sharpened.
He was learning.
Every clash. Every trade.
Lei was powerful—but brute strength lacked refinement.
"Still standing?" Lei snarled. "Good. I hate one-sided fights."
He rushed again.
Shadow activated **Thunder Step**—his body zigzagged, impossible to track.
He appeared at Lei's left.
**Flash Blade Art – Crescent Fang!**
A sweeping arc of light crashed into Lei's upper arm, slicing through cloth and biting deep. Lei roared and retaliated, spinning with his full weight.
The axe struck Shadow's shoulder—he flew across the arena.
He hit the wall with a grunt.
Blood coughed from his lips.
"Shadow!" Jian Wu stood, fists clenched.
Shadow's hands trembled as he pushed himself up.
The crowd had gone silent.
But Shadow rose.
"More?" Lei asked, breathing hard.
Shadow nodded, eyes glowing.
"I see you now."
He drew in his breath. Lightning crackled across his shoulders.
He shot forward—**Thunder Step: Second Pulse!**
A burst of power doubled his speed—he phased past Lei Zhong's guard.
Sword slashed.
Lei caught it with one axe—but Shadow vanished mid-strike.
He reappeared behind him.
**Flash Blade Art – Twin Crescent!**
Two slashes crossed Lei's back—he stumbled forward, bleeding.
Lei Zhong roared in fury.
He turned and swung both axes downward with all his might.
**Heaven-Crushing Descent!**
Shadow's blade pulsed.
His Qi surged.
"Thunder Slash!"
A silver line split the world.
It crashed into Lei Zhong's chest as the twin axes fell.
The impact threw both men away from each other.
Lei Zhong landed hard, both axes falling from his hands.
Shadow landed on one knee, bleeding, panting.
For a moment… nothing moved.
Then Lei Zhong's head fell forward. He didn't rise.
The referee's eyes widened.
"**Victory — Shadow!**"
Silence, then an eruption of cheers.
Shadow stayed kneeling, one hand pressed to his chest.
He was hurt—badly—but standing.
Above, Ren Shun's expression was unreadable.
The Sect Master sat frozen.
No words passed his lips.
But his eyes said everything:
This boy… would not be allowed to rise any further.
---
**End of Chapter 70**