130: What is your price?

Heaven's Mystery Arena.

The arena was bustling with people, and the atmosphere was scorching hot.

There was still an hour before the second round of matches began, but the entire arena was already packed.

Everyone's gaze was fixed on the most prominent names displayed on the central light screen.

【curse sword — Zou Feng VS Indestructible Stone Buddha — Shi Gandang】

"They're here, they're here! Today's most anticipated match!"

"The sharpest spear against the strongest shield! Who do you think will win?"

"Is that even a question? It's definitely Shi Gandang! The Immovable Acala Body (Technique) of the Vajra Sect is known as the number one defense in the Golden Core Realm; that's no exaggeration!"

"But that curse sword's methods are extremely sinister! The Blood Hand Butcher, Li Feiyu, died without even knowing how!" Someone next to him retorted.

"Sinister? Hmph!" The burly Cultivator scoffed, curling his lips. "In front of absolute defense, all those flashy tricks are nonsense! Senior Brother Shi even declared yesterday that if he retreats even half a step within a hundred sword strikes, he loses!"

"A hundred sword strikes? That arrogant?"

"Arrogant? That's confidence! I bet ten thousand Spirit Stones, Senior Brother Shi will definitely win!"

Discussions, arguments, and betting merged into a tumultuous torrent of noise.

Almost ninety percent of the Cultivators had placed their bets on Shi Gandang.

After all, he was a renowned defensive Genius with an impressive track record... In the VIP section.

Yao Xi, dressed in a moon-white palace gown, sat quietly, the steam from her tea rising gently.

She paid no attention to the surrounding clamor, simply gazing calmly at the waiting area for the contestants below.

"Your Highness Saintess, do you also believe that Shi Gandang will win?" Her maid asked curiously.

Yao Xi gently shook her head.

"Shi Gandang will lose."

"Ah?" The maid was stunned. "Why? His Immovable Acala Body (Technique)..."

"Any power comes with a price."

Yao Xi picked up her teacup, her gaze piercing through the crowd, landing on the black-clad young man sitting quietly in a corner.

"Ordinary Cultivators cannot see the price."

"But that Zou Feng... can see it."

"He can even make others pay the price in advance."

The maid was utterly confused, completely unable to understand what the Saintess was saying.

Yao Xi did not explain further.

She just watched quietly, a strange anticipation in her heart.

Time was up.

"Dong—!"

A long, echoing chime resounded throughout the arena.

The noisy arena instantly fell silent.

"Second round, thirteenth match!"

"curse sword — Zou Feng!"

"Versus!"

"Indestructible Stone Buddha — Shi Gandang!"

The referee's voice, amplified by spiritual power, spread to every corner.

Boom!

As soon as the words fell, a burly, mountain-like figure leaped from the contestant area and heavily landed on Platform Number Ten.

The entire platform trembled!

The person who arrived was Shi Gandang!

He was shirtless, his bronze muscles bulging, exuding a sense of explosive power.

He looked around, enjoying the thunderous cheers, an undisguised arrogance on his face.

"Zou Feng! Get up here and die!" He roared towards the contestant area.

Under the gaze of all.

A figure, neither fast nor slow, rose from the corner and slowly walked onto the platform, step by step.

He was still wearing an ordinary black robe, his expression calm, his Aura restrained, forming the sharpest contrast with the domineering Shi Gandang.

"Is that the curse sword? He looks unremarkable."

"In terms of Aura, he's completely suppressed!"

Shi Gandang heard the discussions from the audience clearly, and the smile on his face grew even more sinister.

He scrutinized Zou Feng from head to toe, then grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth.

"Kid, you're that curse sword? You look like a woman, with delicate skin."

"I won't bully you either."

Shi Gandang extended a thick finger.

"A hundred sword strikes!"

"I'll stand here motionless and let you strike me a hundred times!"

"If you can leave even a white mark on me, I lose!"

The atmosphere in the arena instantly ignited to its Peak!

Zou Feng raised his eyelids, looking calmly, as if watching a clown.

The referee saw that both were in position, took a deep breath, and raised his hand high.

"Match... begin!"

The moment the sound fell.

"Hmph!"

Shi Gandang suddenly let out a roar, shaking his arms!

Buzz—!

A layer of dark golden light permeated from beneath his skin, instantly covering his entire body!

At this moment, his body became like a golden-cast divine statue, exuding an indestructible, impenetrable, and profound Aura.

Immovable Acala Body (Technique)!

Having done all this, he crossed his arms over his chest, chin raised high, looking down at Zou Feng with his nostrils.

"Come on, curse sword."

"Let me see how fast your sword truly is!"

Zou Feng moved.

He didn't use any movement technique, but simply held his sword, walking slowly, step by step, towards Shi Gandang.

Everyone in the arena held their breath.

Finally, Zou Feng stopped in front of Shi Gandang.

He raised the Bewitching Heart sword in his hand.

Then, he thrust it towards Shi Gandang's chest.

Clang!

A crisp sound of metal clashing.

The sword tip accurately struck Shi Gandang's chest.

Sparks flew.

Shi Gandang's body remained motionless.

Where it was struck, not even a white mark was left.

The entire arena was silent for a moment, then erupted in deafening laughter!

"Hahahahaha! Is that all? I thought he was so powerful!"

"This sword, it's too weak even for a massage!"

"curse sword? I think 'Massage Sword' is more like it!"

Shi Gandang lowered his head to look at his chest, then at Zou Feng, laughing so hard he was bent over, tears almost coming out.

"Kid! Didn't you eat? Put some effort into it!"

"Is this your full power? You've disappointed me greatly!"

Zou Feng ignored the taunts, silently retracting his sword.

Then, he thrust it out again.

Clang!

Another crisp sound.

Still the same spot.

Still completely ineffective.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Zou Feng seemed to have become a tireless blacksmith, striking Shi Gandang's chest mechanically and repeatedly, sword after sword.

Each sword strike was soft and weak.

Each sword strike provoked a burst of laughter.

"Ten strikes!"

"Twenty strikes!"

"Fifty strikes! He hasn't even broken the skin! I'm dying of laughter!"

The smile on Shi Gandang's face had turned into pure mockery and impatience.

"Kid, are you tickling me? Can't you launch a proper attack?"

He even started to feel bored.

But Zou Feng still maintained his expressionless demeanor, striking sword after sword, neither fast nor slow.

In the VIP section, the maid looked on with a puzzled expression.

"Your Highness Saintess, what... what is he doing? He can't break through the defense at all."

Yao Xi said nothing.

She felt pity for the still-laughing Shi Gandang.

Because she "saw".

With each sword strike, although Shi Gandang's body remained unharmed, a trace of green light, representing "life essence," was forcibly extracted from the depths of his Divine Soul Origin and then solidified into the dark golden defensive layer on his body.

Once, twice, perhaps it was nothing.

But what about fifty, sixty times?

Clang!

When the seventy-third sword strike landed.

The smile on Shi Gandang's face suddenly froze.

He suddenly felt a strange fatigue surge from the depths of his bones.

"What's going on?"

He frowned, assuming he was just tired from standing too long.

Clang!

The eighty-first sword strike!

That sense of fatigue became even stronger, mixed with a chilling coldness that penetrated to his bones.

The smile on Shi Gandang's face completely vanished.

He felt his physical strength rapidly draining away!

He looked down at his hands.

Those large hands, originally full of power and bulging veins, their skin seemed... a little slack?

An illusion!

It must be an illusion!

Clang!

The ninetieth sword strike!

In Shi Gandang's dark short hair, a dazzling strand of gray-white had appeared at some point!

The skin on his face also lost its original luster, becoming somewhat dull, and even a faint wrinkle appeared at the corner of his eyes!

"What's going on?!"

"His hair... turned white?"

"Oh my God! Look at his face!"

Everyone's eyes widened, watching this extremely bizarre scene.

Shi Gandang also heard the exclamations from below the stage, and the ominous premonition in his heart instantly reached its Peak!

He suddenly raised his hand and touched his face.

The rough, slack sensation made him feel as if struck by lightning!

"No... impossible!"

He let out a terrified roar.

And Zou Feng stopped the sword in his hand.

Looking at the panicked "strong man" in front of him, he spoke calmly, his voice not loud, but it clearly echoed throughout the silent arena.

"The ninetieth sword strike."

"Ten more strikes."

Shi Gandang trembled all over, staring intently at Zou Feng, fear appearing in his eyes for the first time.

"You... what exactly did you do to me?!"

"I didn't do anything."

Zou Feng slowly shook his head, stating a fact in a soft voice.

"Your Immovable Acala Body (Technique) is very strong."

"But what is its price?"

Shi Gandang's mind went blank.

Yes... Master had said that this Cultivation Technique would burn life force!

But that was a price that would only manifest a hundred years later!

"No! I'll kill you!"

Shi Gandang's psychological defenses completely collapsed!

He abandoned his defense, roared, gathered all his strength, and punched fiercely towards Zou Feng's head!

But his raised arm had become thin and withered.

The thrown punch also became weak and powerless.

In just a few breaths, he transformed from a burly man with bulging muscles into an old man in his twilight years!

Zou Feng sidestepped, easily dodging the weak punch.

Then, the Bewitching Heart sword in his hand gently thrust forward.

Pfft.

This time, there was no obstruction whatsoever.

The sharp longsword easily pierced through the old man's shriveled chest.

Shi Gandang's movements came to an abrupt halt.

He lowered his head, disbelievingly looking at the sword tip piercing through his chest, his cloudy eyes filled with endless despair and confusion.

Life force rapidly drained away.

Zou Feng withdrew his longsword, letting the rapidly aging corpse fall heavily to the ground.

Everyone was stunned.

They had witnessed a strong man in his Peak state transform into a withered old man's corpse within dozens of breaths!

This visual impact was ten thousand times more terrifying than any bloody slaughter!

"curse sword..."

Someone, in a trembling voice, uttered the name.

From then on, this name would become the deepest nightmare in the hearts of all Geniuses on the hidden dragon ranking list.