My Auto Cloning System-Chapter 83: Great Sword and the Mountain

Over in Arena 02, the air was cold and it smelled like wet stone. When the judge had yelled out his name, Ren Tie had stood up from his seat. He looked at his friend Bao Zi, who was shaking like a leaf. Ren Tie patted him on the shoulder with a heavy hand. (Thump!) "Stay here and keep your eyes open, little Bao. I'm going to show you what a real noble can do," Ren Tie said with a confident smirk. He turned himself around and then he walked toward the stage, his long black hair flowing behind him.

He climbed the stairs and stepped into the arena. The sound array hummed to life, as he went through. (Vinnnnnn!) Instantly, the noise of the thousands of screaming fans disappeared. It was just him and his opponent now. Standing at the other end was a young man named Zhao Fei. Zhao Fei looked very serious. He wasn't wearing much armor, but he was holding something that made everyone's eyes go wide. It was a Great Sword. This wasn't a normal sword. It was as tall as a man and wide as a person's chest. It was made of dark, and heavy iron that looked like it could crush an entire house.

Ren Tie crossed his arms and looked at the giant weapon. "That's a big piece of metal you've got there, Zhao Fei. Why carry something so heavy? Doesn't it kinda slow you down like a turtle?"

Zhao Fei gripped the leather-wrapped handle of his giant blade. (Creak!) He swung it gently, and the weight of the sword cut through the air with a deep whistle. (Whirr!) "A Great Sword is not for the weak, Ren Tie," Zhao Fei replied. his voice was deep. "It is for those who want to end a fight in one swing. My fighting style is about power. I don't need to be fast if I can break everything you use to block me. It's kinda like the ultimate weapon for someone who wants to crush the world."

Ren Tie nodded. He liked how honest his opponent was. "Fair enough. Since you told me about your sword, I will tell you about my hands. I use a technique called the Mountain Fist. I don't need a sword. I turn my own body into a peak that cannot be moved. My fists carry the weight of a thousand rocks. If you hit a mountain, the mountain doesn't break. The thing hitting it does."

"Your Mountain Fist versus my Great Sword," Zhao Fei said, with a small smile appearing on his face. "That sounds like a pretty fair match, don't you think. Let's see which of us is harder. Time to get hard"

Ren Tie closed his eyes for a second. He began to pull Spiritual Essence from his core. He could feel the energy bubbling up like hot lava. Then He channeled it into his feet and his hands. His skin began to take on a dull, and grey shine, making him look like he was made of granite. Zhao Fei did the same. He poured his energy into his giant sword. The dark iron began to glow with a faint, blue light. The sword had now felt even heavier, while buzzing with power.

Zhao Fei cultivation level was at the Root Awakening Stage 9. He was one whole level higher than Ren Tie, who was only at Stage 8 of the same Root Awakening. In the world of cultivation, one level could actually be the difference between a win and a trip to the medical center.

The judge for this arena was an old man named Elder Feng. He wasn't standing on the ground. He used his power to fly above the arena, hovering like a bird inside the sound barrier. He looked down and raised his hand.

(BONG!)

The drum struck once. The sound vibrated through the floor. (Tremble!)

"Begin!" the judge yelled.

Ren Tie took a low stance, his feet digging into the stone. Zhao Fei didn't wait. He quickly stepped forward and swung the Great Sword in a massive horizontal arc. (SHOOOOOO!) The wind from the sword was so strong it blew Ren Tie's hair back.

Ren Tie quickly dived under the blade. (Whoosh!) He tried to get close to punching Zhao Fei in the ribs, but Zhao Fei was faster than he looked. Zhao Fei pulled the heavy sword back and used the flat side of the blade like a shield.

(CLANG!)

Ren Tie's fist hit the iron blade. It sounded like a hammer hitting an anvil. Ren Tie felt the strong vibration travel all the way up his arm. (Ouch!) "Tch! You're very fast for a guy with a giant toothpick!" Ren Tie grunted.

Zhao Fei didn't answer. He twisted his body and slammed the pommel of the sword into Ren Tie's chest.

(THUD!)

"Gah!" Ren Tie gasped. He flew backward, his feet skidding across the stone. (Screech!) He had managed to stop himself before he hit the edge, but his chest was currently burning with pain. He looked down and saw a dark bruise already forming. (Sigh...) "It's clear that He really is stronger than me."

Zhao Fei chased after him. He jumped high into the air, while holding the Great Sword with both hands. He brought it down in a vertical smash. (WHAM!) Ren Tie rolled to the side just in time. The giant sword hit the arena floor, and the heavy stone actually cracked. (Cr-ack!) Dust and tiny rocks flew everywhere.

Ren Tie grabbed a handful of dirt and threw it toward Zhao Fei's eyes to distract him. (Fling!) It had hit, and While Zhao Fei blinked, Ren Tie lunged forward. "Mountain Fist: Crashing Rock!" Ren Tie yelled. He punched Zhao Fei three times in the stomach-fast and hard.

(BAM! BAM! BAM!)

Zhao Fei stumbled back. (Ugh!) He spat out a little bit of blood. "You... you actually hurt me," Zhao Fei said, looking surprised. {He gazed at his stomach the spot where the blue light of his spiritual defense energy was flickering. (Flicker...) "But that's not enough to stop a Stage 9 warrior!"

High above on the elders platform, the elders were watching closely. Elder Chen Niao leaned forward a bit, with his silver mustache twitching. "Look at Ren Tie's footwork. He's moving like he's part of the ground. That Mountain Fist technique is very well-trained. But Zhao Fei's raw power is too high. If Ren Tie somehow takes one direct hit from that sword, it's going to be game over."

The entire crowd was going crazy, even though the fighters couldn't hear them through the array. The crowd was jumping up and down. "Go Ren Tie! Crush him!" "No, Zhao Fei! Slice him in half!"

Meanwhile Back in the fight, Ren Tie had started to get the upper hand. He moved in circles, while dodging the heavy swings of the Great Sword. Every time Zhao Fei missed, Ren Tie would land a quick punch or a kick to a joint. (Crack!) He hit Zhao Fei's elbow. (Thwack!) He kicked Zhao Fei's knee.

Zhao Fei was getting frustrated. his breath was coming in loud gasps. (Huff... huff...) "How is this possible?" Zhao Fei thought to himself. "I am a level higher than him! My energy is thicker! My sword is bigger! Why can't I hit this annoying fly? He's moving like he knows exactly where my great sword is going to land!