The metallic sound of two blades colliding echoed through the silent clearing. Sparks cut through the air with each impact, and the ground was already full of cracks and craters, marks of an intense fight.
Li Shang slid to the side, his body moving with supernatural fluidity. The sword cut through the wind, narrowly deflecting the blade that had almost hit his neck. In front of him, his shadow clone, a perfect replica of himself, smiled with the same coldness as him.
But there was a difference.
That clone carried a fragment of his soul — a part of his own consciousness and will, something far beyond a simple chakra copy. This was what made the duel so difficult. The enemy in front of him thought like him, reacted like him, and, worse, knew his intentions before they were even materialized.
The next impact made the ground tremble.
"You're getting slower," the clone mocked, spinning his sword and unleashing an arc of compressed chakra.
Li Shang dodged with a short spin, his feet gliding over the ground.
'This level of control... it's as if he's evolving with me.'
The clone advanced again, and the blades clashed in a flash. For a few seconds, the sharp sound of steel echoed through the forest until both retreated, panting.
The clone's speed was absurd, as if the air around him bent to make way. Li Shang took a deep breath and, in response, his blue eyes glowed.
'Then it's time to test this.'
With a single step, the space around seemed to fold. The ground cracked beneath his feet, and the air trembled as if distance itself had been compressed.
In the blink of an eye, Li Shang disappeared from the clone's field of vision and appeared behind him, his blade already in motion.
"Steps Between the Void."
The blow was precise. The clone barely had time to turn before being hit, being thrown against a tree and disintegrating into dark particles.
Silence took over the field.
Li Shang sheathed his sword, observing the air where the enemy had been seconds before.
'It's still unstable. The displacement consumes a lot of spiritual energy, but the effect... is perfect.'
The Steps Between the Void was an ancient technique from his previous world — a complicated art that distorted the space between the user and the desired destination. Complete mastery allowed crossing miles with a single step, but this required a level of cultivation far beyond.
'Now that I've passed the first realm, my body finally supports part of the spatial compression. There's still a long way to go until total mastery.'
He raised his sword, observing the reflection of light on its blade.
'Time to test the next one.'
Concentrating the flow of Yuan Qi around his body, he moved the sword in a horizontal arc. A thin bluish line formed in the air — subtle, but sharp as the void.
The wind broke in silence, and, a hundred meters away, a colossal tree split in half.
"Serene Sky Cut."
The sound came later, a dull roar that echoed through the entire forest.
Li Shang took a deep breath, feeling the heat of power flow through his body.
'The body resists. Finally, I can start bringing the arts of my old world into this one.'
The air around still vibrated with the remnants of the previous blow. Li Shang held his sword aloft, his body tense, his eyes fixed on the luminous trail that dissipated on the horizon.
The power of the Serene Sky Cut had exceeded his expectations — but what came next was even more surprising.
As the energy dispersed, a strange sensation ran through his body. It was as if an ancient, dormant force within him slowly awakened, intertwining with his chakra and spiritual energy. His vision blurred for an instant and, when clarity returned, a word appeared in his mind.
"Kinrin Tensei Baku…"
The voice escaped his lips unintentionally, soft, almost like a whisper.
"Golden Wheel Reincarnation Explosion."
He didn't know where those words came from. It was as if something had been engraved in his soul, knowledge inherited directly from the eyes he now possessed.
'This is one of the powers of these eyes…'
A wave of understanding washed over him. It wasn't a learned jutsu. It wasn't a taught technique. It was heritage.
A power that belonged to the blood itself, to the celestial lineage of the Hyuuga, connected to something that transcended the mortal world.
'The Tenseigan... it's not just a mutation of the Byakugan. It is the pure manifestation of soul and life. A complete cycle... the fusion between the human and the spiritual.'
Li Shang lowered his gaze to the sword in his hands. The common metal now seemed heavier, as if sensing the energy that was about to be channeled.
'I still don't have enough energy to show all this power.'
Even so, the temptation to try was irresistible.
He took a deep breath and raised the sword before his face. The Yuan Qi began to flow from his meridians, a golden river spiraling inside his body. The air around him curved, and the spiritual pressure increased brutally.
Li Shang's crystalline blue eyes turned liquid gold. The glow of the Tenseigan grew until it overshadowed the surroundings.
"Let's see..." he murmured.
The blade began to change. Energy flowed to it, and the common iron transformed into an intense golden glow, pulsating as if alive. A dense aura emanated from the weapon — warm, but serene.
For a brief moment, Li Shang felt something indescribable. His body, his soul, and the space around him seemed synchronized, as if everything was part of the same flow.
'This is... incredible!'
But the sublime sensation lasted only a short while. The power, too vast to be contained by his still-developing body, began to destabilize. The light trembled, the energy became chaotic.
And then, the collapse came.
The blade extinguished in an explosion of golden wind, and the impact made the ground give way beneath his feet. Li Shang was thrown backward, falling to his knees, his chest heaving.
"Hmph... hmph..." He held the sword stuck in the ground, sweating profusely. "This is... incredible."
The air around still trembled, and small golden sparks floated, slowly disappearing. He looked at his own reflection in the extinguished blade and saw the golden eyes of the Tenseigan pulsate one last time before returning to translucent blue.
The energy within him was almost exhausted.
'I only used a fraction of the power. Even so, the body barely resisted. If I push it further... these eyes could consume me.'
He closed his eyes and let his breathing calm, feeling the energy flow stabilize again. Gradually, the pain disappeared, replaced by a feeling of pure ecstasy.
'This power... it's not something you learn. It's something you awaken. As the Byakugan is to the Hyuuga clan, the Tenseigan is to the soul of a descendant of Hamura. A spiritual mark.'
A slight smile formed on his lips.
'So, this is just the beginning. If this technique was engraved in me, how many others are still waiting to awaken?'
Curiosity gnawed at him, but also fascinated him. He knew that, with the advancement of his cultivation, more secrets would be revealed. The Heart of the Celestial Devourer made him capable of assimilating any energy, and the Tenseigan seemed to respond to this, absorbing and converting spiritual power into a pure form of existence.
'These eyes... what a divine gift. All the accumulated karma from my past life was worth it.'
He stood up, leaning on his sword, still feeling the weight of the effort.
"Kinrin Tensei Baku..." he murmured again, the sacred name echoing in the clearing. He looked at the sky above — a deep blue, serene, but distant.
'One day... when I completely master this power, I will be able to transcend everything. Neither gods nor destiny will be able to stop me.'
The wind blew gently, carrying the last golden sparks through the air.
Li Shang sheathed his sword, his gaze firm and determined.
'Until then... I will cultivate without rest.'
And with that thought, he took the first step — the sound of his Steps Between the Void resonated in the forest. In an instant, he disappeared.