Chapter 1011: Shi Tiangang

Chapter 1010 – Shi Tiangang

Inside the Sword Debate arena, the forest was dense and lush.

Shi Tiangang was in pursuit, Mo Hua was fleeing.

Mo Hua’s escape was hurried, his back showing panic, like a small deer whose life was hanging by a thread, darting about in desperation.

Shi Tiangang, however, wore a cold smile. His expression was stern, his Vajra body tall and imposing, his stride swift as the wind—like a fierce tiger hunting down prey.

Countless spectators outside the arena watched this scene with delight.

“Hateful Mo Hua, so you have this day too.”

“Good and evil will be repaid—not that it won’t be repaid, but that the time has not yet come.”

They could all see that as long as Shi Tiangang closed in on Mo Hua, with just a light squeeze, he could crush him to death.

And this was exactly the scene they had been waiting for.

Within the mountains and forest—

Shi Tiangang truly was closing in on Mo Hua step by step. He was a body cultivator tempered through thousands of trials, and his movement technique was clearly faster than Mo Hua’s.

But Shi Tiangang was not careless.

He knew Mo Hua was absolutely not as simple as he appeared, and certainly would not sit and wait for death.

Moreover, Mo Hua was the leader in the Dao of Formations.

Even if in the Sword Debate he relied on “spells” to make a living, he would surely keep some formation methods in reserve.

Sure enough, after not going far, the ground’s rocks rose up and the soil collapsed, forming a trap that trapped Shi Tiangang.

Second-rank mid-grade formation: Flowing-Sand Mountain-Lock Formation.

Shi Tiangang didn’t take it seriously.

He swept his arm horizontally, shattering chain after chain of stone, while blood energy surged beneath his feet, scattering the flowing sand. With a leap, he broke free of the formation trap.

The Sword Debate had restrictions on formations, so even Mo Hua could not unleash much of his formation power.

A second-rank mid-grade formation could not hold Shi Tiangang for long.

But that delay was enough for Mo Hua to widen the distance again.

Shi Tiangang resumed the chase, striding like a meteor. With a few flashes, he was closing in on Mo Hua again.

Mo Hua was startled and pushed his movement technique to the limit.

He used a water-element movement technique, his steps practiced and quick, streams of water swirling around him as he fled.

The origin of this movement technique was something both Shi Tiangang and many Daoist elders outside could see at a glance—

Flowing Water Steps.

A rare, yet not especially profound water-element escape technique.

It matched perfectly with Mo Hua’s low-level Five Elements, jack-of-all-trades approach.

And Mo Hua wielded it with great proficiency.

But to Shi Tiangang, it was laughable.

How could a mere basic Five Elements movement technique compare to his Vajra Sect’s Metal Steps?

Shi Tiangang strode after him. Along the way, there were more formations, barricades, talisman tricks, but none could slow him.

Mo Hua soon exhausted his options.

Formations and talismans were spent, low-level spells useless.

His methods were all used up.

With no choice, Mo Hua could only run for his life. But his sole remaining movement technique was still slower than Shi Tiangang’s.

His thin back carried a hint of despair.

The spectators applauded and cheered.

And soon, the scene they had been waiting for appeared—

Shi Tiangang closed in, eyes sharp, body like a tiger or wolf. Golden light swirled over his large hand, like a Buddha reborn seizing a villain, and he reached to grab Mo Hua.

Everyone tensed.

But in the next instant, water-light flashed at Mo Hua’s fingertips, and Shi Tiangang’s grab came up empty.

Shi Tiangang looked closely—Mo Hua had stumbled to the ground, dodging his Vajra hand. Rolling with the momentum, he slipped into a nearby thicket, vanishing in the dense undergrowth.

Shi Tiangang didn’t hesitate. He punched forward.

The fist wind plowed through the earth, shattering rock, reducing trees to powder.

But behind the bushes—empty. No sign of Mo Hua.

Shi Tiangang frowned.

Sweeping out with his divine sense, he suddenly turned to look behind him—and there, not far away, Mo Hua once again leapt out from the forest like a startled deer, running off in panic.

Shi Tiangang gave chase. When he closed in, he punched again, golden light surging.

But Mo Hua seemed to sense it early—slipping away as if foreseeing the strike, diving into another thicket.

Shi Tiangang stomped down, Vajra power spreading from his feet, cracking the earth toward the bushes—

And blasted the whole patch of shrubs into the air.

Stones and dirt mixed with wood chips rained down.

Still no sign of Mo Hua.

A breath of aura came from behind. Shi Tiangang turned—there was the sneaky figure again, running away.

Shi Tiangang gritted his teeth and pursued. Just as he was about to catch up, Mo Hua darted behind a boulder.

Shi Tiangang smashed the boulder to powder—

But nothing behind it. Not even a trace of aura.

Moments later, Mo Hua popped out from somewhere else, glanced at him, and bolted.

Even Shi Tiangang’s steady temperament was now inflamed with anger.

His Vajra-like gaze shone, his breath roaring like a tiger. He drew upon the Qi of his sea, pushing his Vajra Indestructible Power to the extreme, channeling it into his Foot Three Yang meridians.

He stomped hard, the earth cracking, golden light flaring—then shot toward Mo Hua like a cannonball.

Mo Hua’s steps were light as he slipped behind a large tree—

The next instant, the tree exploded into powder beneath Shi Tiangang’s golden body.

But behind the tree—still no Mo Hua.

Shi Tiangang turned, only to find Mo Hua once more behind him, Flowing Water Steps carrying him further away.

Shi Tiangang finally sensed something was wrong.

“This brat’s movements are elusive, strange… What kind of bizarre movement technique is this?”

Shi Tiangang was lost in the moment—

But the spectators outside could see clearly.

Mo Hua wasn’t using some profound movement technique at all.

It was still the most basic Flowing Water Steps—

But paired with Concealment Technique!

Shi Tiangang would chase, Mo Hua would flee. Whenever escape seemed impossible, Mo Hua would slip into bushes, hide behind rocks, or duck behind a tree—

Using natural cover to block line of sight, then quietly cast Concealment Technique, vanishing right under Shi Tiangang’s nose, circling around to his back—

Then canceling the concealment, showing himself again, and luring Shi Tiangang to chase.

Not exactly brilliant—just basic Flowing Water Steps plus some sneaky Concealment Technique.

Spectators could see it at a glance—

But Shi Tiangang, in the thick of it, was like a headless fly, unable to see through Mo Hua’s ploy.

“Concealment Technique!”

“How can he not see such a simple trick?”

“Being led in circles by concealment—he’s just a big golden fool…”

Most cultivators were both angry and exasperated—angry at Mo Hua’s cunning, and anxious at Shi Tiangang’s ineptitude.

But some Daoist elders furrowed their brows—especially those who had practiced and studied Concealment Technique deeply.

They knew this wasn’t so simple.

It wasn’t that Shi Tiangang couldn’t think of it—it was that Mo Hua’s concealment was far beyond the norm.

Normally, casting concealment—whether entering or exiting—took casting time and a gradual fade.

Mo Hua was different.

His concealment was almost instantaneous, fading so fast it could be ignored.

And every time, he used rocks or trees to obscure vision—

Leaving no trace at all.

It was perfectly normal for Shi Tiangang to miss it.

Without the Fang Tian Hua Ying projection to show Mo Hua’s every move, even some elders present might not have noticed in time.

“This one’s spell use… truly flawless.”

“Mm. Sharp mind, high comprehension—a natural Daoist talent.”

“Fortunately his spiritual roots are poor and his spiritual power shallow. If he learned one or two superior Daoist arts—with that absurd divine sense and this mastery of spell usage—it would be terrifying…”

“Yes…”

The elders exchanged secret voice transmissions, secretly impressed.

One elder remarked:

“Still, Shi Tiangang should notice something by now…”

“No matter how tricky a concealment is—it’s still a concealment. If Mo Hua’s running hidden, there will always be some trace.”

“Missing it at first is understandable—”

“But after playing hide-and-seek for so long, still not figuring it out? That’s just hard to excuse…”

Or perhaps… the Vajra Sect’s body cultivators really were strong in limbs, weak in thought?

Of course, that thought could only remain unspoken—

The Vajra Sect’s body cultivators were all towering brutes with fists like cauldrons. Not people one could afford to offend.

Meanwhile, in the arena—

Shi Tiangang’s mind still hadn’t caught up.

Because there was one detail that even most Daoist elders watching via the projection had missed.

Mo Hua’s concealment was not a simple Concealment Technique—

But the Minor Five Elements Stealth Technique.

Minor Five Elements Stealth—merging into the Five Elements, hiding within Heaven and Earth.

It was once the signature art of the Five Concealments Sect, one of the Hundred Sects of Qianxue.

But the Five Concealments Sect had long declined, moving out of Qianxue Province centuries ago, their whereabouts unknown—possibly extinct.

Their only surviving member, Hidden Second, had fallen into Mo Hua’s hands after committing crimes.

Mo Hua had knocked out his teeth and gained this stealth art.

With his unique advantages, Mo Hua’s version of the Minor Five Elements Stealth Technique was several times more refined than the original sect’s.

Strong divine sense, Minor Five Elements spiritual roots, mastery of Five Elements formations, borrowing the world’s Five Elements to mask his aura—plus a wealth of “dancing with death” experience honing his concealment skills.

Shi Tiangang had no chance of spotting him.

Even an early Golden Core cultivator might struggle to see through Mo Hua’s stealth.

If Mo Hua truly wished to escape, he could simply vanish—and Shi Tiangang would never find him.

He only revealed himself occasionally to keep Shi Tiangang chasing him—

So Xiao Xiao and the others could kill more Vajra Sect disciples.

Thus the two continued their chase through the forest.

After several more exchanges, Shi Tiangang still hadn’t uncovered Mo Hua’s concealment—he didn’t even realize it was concealment.

But he did sense something was wrong.

Mo Hua’s movements were bizarre, ghostly—appearing ahead, behind, to the left, to the right.

Moreover, once his aura vanished. It didn’t feel like a movement technique at all.

It felt like… a magic trick.

And he was the one being “toyed with.”

Stone Tiangang’s heart was filled with irritation.

He simply stopped chasing Mo Hua, instead adopting a “fortress defense and scorched-earth” tactic—golden light turned into armor around his body, blood qi surging like golden threads, destroying every boulder, tree, and shrub along the way, trying to force Mo Hua out.

But this approach backfired.

With the forest collapsing, the qi of earth and wood from the Five Elements mixed together, providing even better cover for Mo Hua’s Little Five Elements Concealment Technique.

Mo Hua simply hid nearby, quietly watching Stone Tiangang rampage through the forest.

Once Stone Tiangang was done, Mo Hua would occasionally poke his head out, toss a few words to provoke him, then lure him into another rage.

Stone Tiangang’s strength surged, fists and kicks wrapped in dark-golden blood qi brimming with killing intent, power unmatched.

If he could just touch Mo Hua, even the wind from his punch could crush him to “death.”

But the infuriating part was—he couldn’t touch Mo Hua at all.

He didn’t even know where Mo Hua was.

This powerful senior brother of the Vajra Sect felt exactly like someone trying to swat a mosquito with a cannon.

He clearly had overwhelming strength, but was utterly helpless against Mo Hua.

After circling like this for some time,

Stone Tiangang suddenly realized something was wrong.

He had wasted far too much time on Mo Hua—Linghu Xiao’s group must be under tremendous pressure by now, their situation surely dire.

With that thought, Stone Tiangang no longer cared about his hatred toward Mo Hua, turned, and left.

Mo Hua tried to stop him, tossing a few spells, but they had little effect, so he couldn’t be bothered to keep attacking.

Stone Tiangang left the forest and arrived at the chaotic battlefield between the two sides, only to see his fears confirmed—one Vajra Sect disciple had already fallen.

Now, Linghu Xiao and his four allies were pressing the remaining three Vajra Sect disciples hard.

The situation was perilous.

Stone Tiangang roared and charged forward, joining the fray.

The moment he clashed, he noticed something unusual—

every Taixu Sect member except Linghu Xiao was wielding spirit tools that countered metal or broke armor.

The deep luster flashing on the spirit tools came from special formations that infused them with spiritual light.

As for who made these formations, Stone Tiangang knew instantly—

Mo Hua.

The Taixu Sect’s leader in formation arts.

A Sword Debate was all about calculated moves.

While he had been plotting against Mo Hua, Mo Hua had been plotting against him.

These metal-countering, armor-breaking spirit tools were deliberately prepared by Mo Hua.

It was just a question of whether he could kill Mo Hua first,

or Linghu Xiao could kill his comrades first.

Now it seemed—he had fallen into Mo Hua’s trap.

Stone Tiangang gritted his teeth.

This Little Senior Brother from Taixu Sect was far more insidious and unpredictable than he had thought.

And had plenty of hidden cards.

Just then, Mo Hua also arrived, and as expected, with the Vajra Sect down one man, it was now five against four.

That gave them a huge advantage.

Mo Hua began supporting with Five Elements spells.

Against Vajra Sect’s body cultivators trained in the “Diamond Indestructible Body,” his spells alone didn’t do much damage.

But this was a team battle—

His spells could create openings, exploit flaws, harass the enemy, and give Linghu Xiao’s group more chances to deal damage.

Even a little space was enough.

Before long, Vajra Sect’s disciples were sent out one by one by Linghu Xiao’s sword qi.

In the end, only Stone Tiangang remained.

On Taixu Sect’s side, Cheng Mo and Situ Jian had already burned too much blood qi and spiritual power earlier while holding back Vajra Sect disciples, and Stone Tiangang seized the opportunity to shatter their Debate Jades with a single punch each, forcing them to withdraw.

The only ones left in the field were Mo Hua, Linghu Xiao, Ouyang Xuan, and Vajra Sect’s senior brother Stone Tiangang.

Three against one.

Mo Hua thought the win was secure.

But he never expected—the real “hard fight” was just beginning.

This “Stone Tiangang” was the toughest opponent yet.

Mo Hua finally experienced firsthand what “indestructible as diamond,” “impervious to blades,” and “unharmed by water or fire” truly meant.

Stone Tiangang pushed his Diamond Body to the absolute limit, single-handedly suppressing Linghu Xiao, Ouyang Xuan, and Mo Hua in a frontal battle.

His cultivation was near the peak of Foundation Establishment, his blood qi extremely vigorous, and his innate bones extraordinary.

He had trained the Diamond Indestructible Art to the third level—“Golden Skin and Iron Bones”—while still at the Foundation Establishment realm.

This was something unseen among Vajra Sect disciples in nearly a century.

Sword qi could not pierce his body, blocked by his iron bones.

Spells could not corrode him, nullified by his golden skin.

Stone Tiangang stepped with the Metal-Element Step, fists like vajras, every move surging with blood qi and hidden golden force, forcing Ouyang Xuan back again and again.

Linghu Xiao could only clash head-on with sword qi.

Mo Hua could only fling spells from afar.

Even though it was three versus one, Stone Tiangang made it feel like one man suppressing three.

The battle raged fiercely, dragging on endlessly—

the most exhausting match Mo Hua had fought so far.

He was even forced to consider breaking his plan and using other “trump cards.”

In the end, it was fortunate that Linghu Xiao erupted under pressure, and after great effort from all three, they finally managed to fight Stone Tiangang to the death head-on.

Stone Tiangang was a genius.

But so was Linghu Xiao.

Under Mo Hua’s arrangements, Linghu Xiao had been tempered battle after battle, growing stronger and “sharpening his edge” bit by bit.

This match, Stone Tiangang had given him immense pressure—

and Linghu Xiao had also unleashed astonishing combat power.

Of course, Linghu Xiao alone wouldn’t have been enough.

Ouyang Xuan, quiet as he seemed, bore tremendous pressure with the Tai’a lineage’s swordsmanship, contributing greatly.

And there was Mo Hua—

Using Firelight Art, Golden Flash Art, Earth Sink Art, Golden Chime Art…

a variety of petty but nasty little spells with no real damage but capable of “blinding eyes,” “deafening ears,” “dazzling sight,” and “collapsing ground,” he restrained Stone Tiangang, stoking his anger and forcing him into many mistakes.

Stone Tiangang’s earlier prediction had been right—

If he didn’t kill Mo Hua, he’d be schemed against to death.

Even if not killed, he’d be driven mad with frustration.

At last, after countless exchanges, with Mo Hua’s spiritual power spent and Ouyang Xuan’s strength exhausted, they managed to wear down Stone Tiangang’s Diamond Indestructible Body, breaking through his defenses.

Only then did Linghu Xiao, hanging on by a thread, seize the chance to activate the powerful Chongxu Sword-Dissolving True Formula in a desperate strike, cutting down Stone Tiangang.

Taixu Sect had won.

After leaving the field, Mo Hua let out a long breath, so tired he was almost drained.

He had never imagined this Vajra Sect senior brother could be this powerful.

A top-talent body cultivator with both offense and defense was truly terrifying.

And this was only Foundation Establishment—if Stone Tiangang reached Golden Core or even Nascent Soul and advanced his Diamond Indestructible Art a few more levels, Mo Hua couldn’t even imagine how strong his body would be.

Perhaps even standing still, letting someone attack, they still might not be able to kill him.

“This Stone Tiangang… will definitely be an extraordinary figure in the future…”

Mo Hua nodded to himself, fully acknowledging Stone Tiangang’s strength.

But the fight had dragged on too long—while he struggled in the arena, the audience outside only felt fatigued.

They could see Stone Tiangang was indeed very strong.

In the final moments, one against three without falling behind, even showing signs of “sweeping all three,” he earned their admiration despite losing.

Unfortunately, the earlier “hide-and-seek” in the small forest, where Mo Hua had toyed with him using concealment, looked from the outside so “stupid” it was painful.

How could anyone be that clueless?

Not even seeing through a concealment technique?

Sure enough, Vajra Sect body cultivators really were all brawn and no brains.

Everyone’s stereotype was reinforced.

In their minds, Stone Tiangang’s image shifted from the calm, powerful Vajra Sect senior brother to… A big, golden, glittering fool.

(End of this Chapter)