The arena pulsed with violent anticipation. The other five contestants stood frozen at the edge of the battlefield—because in its heart, a different kind of storm brewed.
Shadow faced Ren Shun, both men silent, both gathering power.
The crowd leaned forward, sensing that this clash would be unlike anything they had seen.
Ren Shun took a single step forward. The earth beneath his foot cratered.
His body surged with golden Qi. Muscles rippled with dense power, veins glowing faintly beneath bronze-hardened skin.
> "Witness the power you'll never touch."
Ren Shun raised his hand slowly, letting his spiritual pressure unfurl.
> "Half-Step Muscle and Skin Forging Realm. My skin has already been tempered to resist blades, flame, and even thunder. The bones beneath are reinforced by a physique forged in my clan's ancestral halls. Every strike I land is a hammer from the heavens. Every blow I take is swallowed by iron."
He clenched his fist.
The air cracked.
> "You… are just a mortal with lightning."
Shadow said nothing.
Lightning coiled around him in silence.
Then they moved.
**Boom!**
Shadow launched first—**Thunder Step** brought him forward, blade striking down with a violet streak. Ren Shun's arm came up, deflecting the sword with his bare forearm.
Sparks flew.
Shadow twisted mid-air and slammed a palm toward Ren Shun's ribs—**Thunder Pulse**—but Ren Shun grabbed his wrist, spun, and threw him like a ragdoll into the stone wall.
Shadow hit with enough force to crater the surface.
He rolled to his feet, blood dripping from his temple.
Ren Shun followed, fists glowing.
> "Steel Domain – Echo Strikes."
A series of blows followed, each punch creating an echo of force that burst outward a second after the first landed.
Shadow blocked the first, only for the echo to explode against his ribs, lifting him off the ground. The second fractured his forearm. The third caved in a portion of his chest armor. His vision blurred.
He countered with **Flash Blade Art**, slicing at Ren Shun's legs. A line of blood appeared—but shallow.
Ren Shun growled. He stomped the ground.
A quake ran through the arena.
Shadow barely managed to dodge, flipping backward and landing unsteady.
His chest heaved. His left arm trembled from blocking. Blood ran down his lips, thick and coppery.
Still, his eyes were sharp.
> "You bleed."
Ren Shun touched the small cut on his leg and licked the blood from his finger.
> "And you'll drown in it."
They clashed again.
Fist against blade.
Steel against storm.
Shadow's blade grazed Ren Shun's shoulder—only to be caught mid-swing and shattered in Ren Shun's grasp. Shadow flipped backward, pulling a lightning-forged short blade from his belt and slicing upward.
Ren Shun ducked under it and countered with an uppercut that lifted Shadow off the ground. Blood sprayed from his mouth as he flipped and landed on one knee.
> "Enough," Shadow growled. He pressed his hand to the ground.
Lightning pulsed.
A field of crackling arcs expanded outward.
> **"Heaven's Conduit!"**
Thunder rained from the sky in bolts, striking indiscriminately toward Ren Shun.
Ren Shun raised both arms.
> "Steel Domain – Full Body Lock."
Golden plates emerged from his pores, encasing him in a protective aura as bolts slammed into him. Dust erupted.
When the lightning cleared—he was still standing.
Smoke curled from his back. Blood trickled from his lips.
But his eyes were cold.
> "Try again."
Shadow wiped his lip. His Qi flared wildly.
> "Gladly."
He vanished.
**Thunder Step – Chain Echo.**
He appeared above Ren Shun, slashing down. Then behind him. Then at his side. Each time, the blade kissed skin. Sparks flew. Cuts deepened. Blood splashed the arena tiles.
But Ren Shun roared, spinning in place and delivering a sweeping kick charged with Qi.
Shadow took the hit full force.
He smashed into the ground, the arena cratering beneath him. His shoulder dislocated. Ribs cracked. His leg twisted beneath him.
Still—he stood.
Blood pouring. Vision swimming. Breathing ragged.
The crowd could hardly believe it. Elders leaned forward, even the Sect Master narrowed his eyes.
Shadow inhaled deeply, then suddenly spun, planting his foot with force.
> "Crack the sky!"
He roared, slamming his fist into the earth.
Lightning erupted from below. Pillars of light burst upward, targeting Ren Shun's feet, attempting to immobilize him.
Ren Shun growled, his body pulsing gold. He leapt upward to avoid the final bolt—only for Shadow to reappear in midair.
Their eyes locked.
Shadow whispered.
> "Thunder Slash – Full Burst."
He raised his blade.
A blinding arc of lightning spiraled down from the heavens.
It collided.
**BOOOOM!**
The arena disappeared in smoke and storm.
For what felt like an eternity, no one breathed.
When the light faded…
Shadow dropped to one knee.
His arm dangled, his blade cracked. His body smoked. Bones jutted against skin. Blood soaked his entire right side.
And from the epicenter, Ren Shun emerged.
Smoke curled from his shoulders. His armor was fractured. Cuts bled freely. His right eye swollen. His stance staggered.
But he was standing.
> "You should've saved that for someone weaker," he said coldly.
Shadow tried to speak. No words came.
He was spent.
Ren Shun raised his sword.
> "Let's see how long thunder can echo once the storm is broken."
Shadow's eyes never wavered.
He rose with trembling legs.
> "Then break me."
The storm hadn't ended.
It had just begun.
---
**End of Chapter 74**