Degrade from Nobility to a Humble Slave novel Chapter 77

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 thought Zen would scurry off like a frightened mouse as soon as he faced Leo, the spectators were astounded by the events.

After all, the two combatants differed significantly in refinement levels, and if Zen attacked Leo directly, he would lose.

Half of Zen's body would end up a charred, burned mangled mess if their fists met.

"Bam!"

The sound of fists slamming into each other echoed through the room.

Owing to the tremendous force of their fists slamming into each other, Zen stumbled back for four steps before he could steady himself.

Yet, Leo looked rather odd when he was abruptly knocked off balance too, floundering back for seven or eight steps before he was able to right himself slowly.

The strength behind Zen's fist shocked Leo, along with all the outer disciples watching the action.

How could a refiner not know how important it was for him to reach higher levels?

The body refining had five levels and the body strength was enhanced when a higher level was reached.

What these disciples witnessed left them wondering when the organ refining level had become comparable to the half-step into the nature level in strength.

Whether they wanted to believe it or not, it had happened in sight of all of them; Zen's fist was mightier than Leo's.

Like everyone else, there was a grave expression on Zen's face. When they collided just now, the purple light spread along Zen's arms after it came in contact with Leo's Raging Thunder Fist, leading Zen to think his Purple Fist Strength was a little too weak to be given full play.

As expected, the Purple Light Fist wasn't enough for a confrontation with an opponent of this caliber.

Leo's thunder power extended up Zen's arms like two bright snakes intertwining around his arms, snapping at his flesh frantically.

The stench of flesh burning wafted along Zen's arms.

It was shocking to Leo that the might behind Zen's blow was so great. Forcing a grim smile across his face at the sight of Zen's arms scorched black, Leo taunted, "How mighty your power is! But it seems your hand was wounded!"

"Really?" questioned Zen as a flat smile spread. He hadn't lost strength, yet, at the same time, there were numerous streaks of purple light pulsing along his arms. The life energy from flashes of purple light killed the two little snakes that were produced by the thunderbolt.

Watching this, Leo blinked rapidly. Even though Zen was only at the organ refining level, his power was impressive and his body especially unique. Leo knew better than most how difficult countering the thunderbolt of the Raging Thunder Fist was.

Nevertheless, the Raging Thunder Fist hadn't achieved the results Leo expected against Zen.

Perhaps this was somehow associated with Zen's extraordinary gift. If Zen was refining at the half-step into the nature level, Leo would have fled right away. Since Zen was merely at the level of refining organs, Leo thought even as mighty as Zen's power was, he could take him out. That thought sparked a streak of lightning from within Leo's eyes. Instantly, his figure vanished from within the battle ring.

In a flash, Zen writhed sideways, and then Leo descended from above, shooting to the floor with his Raging Thunder Fist swinging wildly at the floor. His fist slammed into the floor, like a bolt of lightning out of the blue, sending a loud booming crackle echoing in ears of all present.

"How fast's he moving...?" Zen's brow furrowed as he asked under his breath. Focused on Leo, he realized too late that his biggest weakness was his slow reaction.

There were five levels for the body refining, of which the marrow refining was the last.

In refining the marrow, all impurities 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.