Death

"Contestants, please stop wasting time and hurry up with rock-paper-scissors to decide who goes first!" the referee urged. Damn, it was hotter than hell out here. Who wanted to sit around listening to you two trade insults? Hurry up and fight so we can wrap this up!

The two of them snorted in unison and began playing rock-paper-scissors.

Xian He had thrown scissors both yesterday and the day before, so today he decided to throw paper.

Just as he'd expected, Li Zhen threw rock.

"Xian He wins!" the referee immediately announced the result.

Li Zhen reluctantly used the table to steady himself as he stood up. He hadn't expected Xian He to change his throw today.

"Hmph! Any scheme or trick is nothing before absolute power—"

Before Li Zhen could finish, Xian He's big palm slapped across his face.

A crisp smack rang out, and a bright red handprint appeared on Li Zhen's face. Blood spurted straight from his left nostril.

Li Zhen stood there, stunned for a moment, then wiped away the blood with his sleeve.

"Good! You've succeeded in making me angry!" Rage swallowed Li Zhen whole, like a fire qilin.

He formed a sword-finger gesture and tapped at the major acupoints across his body, one after another.

As he tapped, Li Zhen let out strange moans that made everyone's skin crawl.

Xian He's expression turned strange. Could this guy be gay?

No wonder he was always following Xiao Yang around. So that was his thing!

Come to think of it, could the Blazing Sun Hunting Team have done that sort of thing with lizard demon beasts, just like those guys in the neighboring country?

Below the ring, a crowd of onlookers stared at one another, unable to figure out what Li Zhen was doing.

"What the hell is he doing?"

"He sounds so lewd~ I can't help getting hard."

"Referee, what the hell are you doing? A contestant's being lewd in the ring and you're not going to do anything?"

"Maybe the referee's gotten hooked on listening."

The referee on the ring came to his senses and cleared his throat. "Contestant Li Zhen, please don't stall for time or do anything unrelated to the match. Otherwise, I'll disqualify you."

Li Zhen shot the referee a contemptuous glance and kept moaning as he pleased.

The referee was just about to disqualify Li Zhen when someone from the event organizers came over and whispered something in his ear.

The referee's expression shifted slightly. He lowered his raised arm and advised, "Contestant Li Zhen, please hurry up. The audience is getting impatient!"

"Okay, that's enough!" Li Zhen didn't give the referee any trouble. He set himself in position, ready to slap.

He activated the Blood Burning Secret Method, sacrificing ten years of his life to increase the force of his next attack by a thousand points.

Xian He steadied himself with one hand on the table and stared at Li Zhen contemptuously.

Protected by the Lion Aspect Iron Head Skill and the Thirteen Grand Protectors Horizontal Training Technique, he wasn't worried in the slightest, even if Li Zhen tried some trick.

"Die, you piece of trash!" Li Zhen roared and swung his palm with all his might, like a boulder rolling down a mountain.

"Smack!"

[ Ding! The host's head has been attacked. The damage-reduction effect of the Thirteen Grand Protectors Horizontal Training Technique has been triggered. Physical damage from enemies is reduced by 10% for the next duration of one incense stick.]

The system notification rang out.

Xian He stood there completely unharmed. His slapped left cheek hadn't changed at all.

"How is this possible?" Xiao Yang sprang up from his chair in shock.

Li Zhen had sacrificed ten years of his life for that attack, and he hadn't even managed to create a single flaw?

What a joke!

Why hadn't Xian He's head been smashed to pieces by Li Zhen? How could this be?

Li Zhen clutched his wrist, staring in horror at his badly swollen right hand. That last blow had felt like he'd struck a solid stone wall.

"That attack had over two thousand points of force. Even a five-star Obsidian-level martial artist could get hurt if they weren't careful. How could he be completely fine? I must be dreaming. Yes, I must be dreaming!" Li Zhen muttered to himself.

Xian He rubbed his left cheek, which felt like it had been bitten by a mosquito, and coldly urged him, "Hey! Quit playing dead. Stand up straight. It's my turn!"

"Smack!"

One slap, and the flaw on Li Zhen's left cheek rose to level two.

The scorching pain set off the sensitive nerves in Li Zhen's face, making him tear up involuntarily.

"If ten years of my life aren't enough to take you down, then I'll use twenty!" Li Zhen bit the tip of his tongue, curled his knuckles, and tapped his acupoints with a series of sharp strikes. "Boss Xiao Yang, I'll help you take Xian He down! I swear!"

"Li Zhen, stop! Don't do anything rash!" Xiao Yang shouted.

Last year, when they'd hunted demon beasts in the Endless Jungle at the foot of the mountain, Li Zhen had sacrificed twenty years of his life to kill an Obsidian-level demon beast.

At most, he had only twenty-odd years left to live. He'd just sacrificed ten years, so now he had barely more than ten.

If he forced himself to activate the Blood Burning Secret Method again, he would definitely die!

No matter how Xiao Yang shouted, Li Zhen was as stubborn as a mule, determined to die together with Xian He.

As Li Zhen frantically tapped his acupoints, his black hair turned white one strand at a time, until it was completely white.

An astonishing aura radiated from his body.

"Gulp!"

Xian He swallowed, not daring to underestimate him.

"Die—you piece of... Urgh!" Li Zhen suddenly collapsed to the ground, foaming at the mouth.