The moment Zhao Fen stepped onto the platform, the air thickened.
Known as **The Mist Blade**, he was ranked **seventh** among the outer sect disciples. Draped in silver-gray robes, his expression was distant, his steps silent, as if he were gliding across water. A curved blade hung from his back, and mist clung faintly to his skin—a visual ripple of his unique dual-element control.
Shadow climbed onto the stage without fanfare.
The crowd hushed.
Two silent blades. Two specters of motion. No flashy declarations. No threats.
Only deathly focus.
---
The judge raised his hand.
"Begin!"
Zhao Fen moved first.
Mist exploded outward from his body, spreading across the platform like a living veil. Within seconds, he disappeared from sight. The arena blurred. Visibility dropped.
Gasps rose from the crowd. Many outer disciples leaned forward, trying to glimpse something—anything.
But Shadow closed his eyes.
He listened.
The movement. The rhythm. The displacement of air.
> *He uses the mist to erase killing intent... but he still breathes.*
Shadow exhaled slowly.
**Thunder Step.**
He vanished.
In that same instant, a flash of silver erupted to his left.
**CLANG!**
Steel met steel.
Zhao Fen's blade had aimed for Shadow's heart.
But Shadow was already there, parrying. The force of the strike caused his feet to slide back.
Mist rushed to cloak Zhao Fen again, but Shadow struck forward.
**Flash Blade Art: Pulse One.**
A narrow, arcing slash flew through the haze.
Zhao Fen spun backward, just avoiding it—but his sleeve was sliced.
He hissed. "So you can track in mist... Impressive."
He raised both hands, and the mist deepened. The arena chilled. The judge squinted through the gray veil.
Shadow stood calmly.
"You're fast. But not faster than thunder."
Zhao Fen appeared behind him.
**Silent Mist Step.**
His curved blade lashed out, aiming for Shadow's neck.
Shadow dropped low.
**Thunder Step: Snap Movement.**
He spun under Zhao Fen's strike and reappeared three meters to the right.
Mist chased his movement.
Zhao Fen gritted his teeth and used his core technique:
**Mist Blade Dance** —a flurry of attacks from multiple angles, his afterimages forming within the haze.
But Shadow didn't retreat.
He surged forward.
**Flash Blade Art: Pulse Two.**
A diagonal strike clashed directly against Zhao Fen's real blade. Steel screamed. Mist hissed.
The impact staggered them both.
But Shadow advanced.
**Thunder Step: Echo Burst.**
He blurred again.
This time, he circled around.
Zhao Fen saw it coming too late.
Shadow raised his sword.
**Flash Blade Art: Kill Line.**
A clean, thunder-backed slash tore through the mist and struck Zhao Fen across the chest, carving through his defenses.
Zhao Fen cried out and fell to his knees.
The judge appeared beside him instantly.
"Zhao Fen is incapacitated! Winner: **Shadow!**"
The crowd roared.
The mist dissipated.
Shadow sheathed his blade, breathing shallow but calm.
He looked toward the pavilion, where the Sect Master sat with the core elders.
---
"He reads rhythm and breath," murmured Elder Mo. "That's how he tracked Zhao Fen through the fog."
"And he controls his power well," said another. "Not a wasted strike."
The Sect Master nodded slowly.
"He doesn't overwhelm. He ends. There's precision in his rage. I see no hesitation in his intent."
The old man's gaze narrowed.
"Keep your eyes on him. That boy is not climbing... he is flying."
---
As Zhao Fen was carried away, the bracket updated.
**Seven names remained.**
One step from the finals.
The remaining outer sect disciples, true titans of their generation.
---
### **Rank 1 – Liang Chen (Heaven's Trial)**
A swordsman wrapped in silence. He stood with arms behind his back, eyes closed. Rumors said even core disciples feared him. None had seen him go all out.
### **Rank 2 – Xun Tai (Void Fist)**
Emotionless. He stood alone, fists wrapped in bandages that absorbed light. His style erased spirit energy from his attacks, making them untraceable.
### **Rank 3 – Mei Rong (Blade Dance Fairy)**
Elegant and deadly. Her movement was choreography, her sword a ribbon of death. No one had matched her step-for-step.
### **Rank 5 – Yun Xue (Frost Step)**
A silent girl with frost-infused swordplay and formations. Once her traps activated, few could escape.
### **Rank 8 – Lu Qiang (Iron Wall)**
Built like a fortress, with arms like hammers. His defense was legendary. Many simply exhausted themselves trying to harm him.
### **The Dark Horse – Jinhai (Black Flame)**
An unknown disciple from the west branch. Clad in ash-gray robes and wielding twin black chains. He never spoke. His flames didn't burn red or blue—they burned black.
He had defeated Rank 6, Wu Lin, with a single technique that turned his spear to ash.
And finally:
### **Shadow (Unranked)**
The Thunder That Defies Heaven.
Once a joke. Now, a name carved into every heart.
The stage was set.
The storms were gathering.
And among the seven blades poised to shape the sect's future, one moved not with pride...
But with purpose.
---