Apotheosis

After taking a glimpse at the Purple Blue Sword, Zen nodded. He turned back to Nory and said, "Hold onto the cubic crystals for me." Having finished talking, Zen jumped into the battle ring.

Seeing Zen in the battle ring, Leo was gratified in his heart, but, he didn't show his joy. He feared nothing, except that Zen would give up before the fight started. So, Leo thrust the Purple Blue Sword into Nory and leaped into the battle ring as quickly as possible.

In the ring, Zen stood tall with his hands balled into a fist and resting on his hips. The energy within his body started to flow slowly. In the face of this, Leo, who was cultivating on the half-step into the nature level, thought Zen looked unmindful. But, deep down, Zen was vigilant. Anyone who reached the level Leo was at had a sixth sense about people.

Leo had waited for quite a long time and wished to end this fight with Zen quickly. After he entered the ring, Leo sneered, and streaks of lightning flashed at his feet accompanied by the crackling of thunder, which encircled his entire form in a streak of lightning. He rushed at Zen headlong.

The tactic Leo used was a refinement method known as the Raging Thunder Fist. In developing this skill, the speed and force that the life energy generated were equal to a thunderbolt and relatively amazing to watch.

As Leo raced forward and drew closer, Zen watched him getting bigger to his eyes. When Leo was about six feet away, Zen realized Leo's fist had metamorphosed into an enormous streak of raging lightning and in the blink of an eye; it struck Zen squarely on his head.

Leo was skilled at manipulating the vital life energy of his half-step into the nature level as well as converting that life energy into a thunderbolt. The power of his fist was so mighty that the blow dazed Zen.

Even as Zen saw Leo's fist flying at him, he didn't flinch.

Instead, he tensed his fists. On impact, streaks of purple light sparked over his body. At first, he countered the Raging Thunder Fist with the Purple Fist Strength from the Purple Light Fist.

He wanted to confront Leo head on.

As the audience watched the action, they were amazed, and their mouths fell open.

Having initially though

were extracted from the marrow of the entire body, and so it was known as Marrow Washing.

Only after a successful Marrow Washing could changes be made to the body as a whole. When that was completed, the refiner would become much faster and physically stronger. Alongside those changes, hearing and sight would be improved.

Zen recognized the skill Leo was using. Evil Lan had utilized it at one time, and Zen found himself in an unfavorable situation at that time because he couldn't see his opponent, like now.

"Thud, thump, ka-pow!"

came the sound as another Raging Thunder Fist strike slammed into Zen.

This time, Zen dodged a little, resulting in his thighs being firmly seized by a powerful thunderbolt.

Fortunately, Zen was steadfast, and his body strength allowed him to absorb the force of the thunderbolt and didn't cause him any significant harm.

"You aren't able to catch up to me, are you? Let's see how long you can hold out with me attacking like this!" boasted Leo giddy with excitement as he pummeled Zen like a punching bag.

"Bop!"

"Thud!"

"Rap!"

As Leo flew towards Zen with each blow, he yelled savagely.

"You're quite good at dodging, aren't you?"

"How long do you think you can withstand my attacks just by dodging?"

"Come on!"

Within the ring, there was a game of cat and mouse being played. Nonetheless, regardless of how artfully the mouse evaded the cat, it was only a matter of time before the cat caught it.