Guding was quickly transported onto the platform, where his opponent, a tall and skinny man, was already waiting. His ID was "Being Tall is Not My Fault."
"Why is a kid ranked over eighty thousand sent for me to snipe?" The tall man was somewhat puzzled, but he had sniped newcomers a couple of times in the past. Mostly, it was when newcomers had too many consecutive victories, earning too many points at once. So when he saw Guding with only ten consecutive wins, he was curious if Guding had offended someone high up in the arena's hierarchy.
In the Beginners Arena, players ranked within ten thousand were mostly Third Rank Gene Body; not only had they awakened abilities, but some had even undergone a second enhancement, and a few had awakened two types of abilities.
The tall man's ability was called "Iron Block," which wasn't particularly special. When his ability was activated, his body's defensive power would increase several times, making his muscles hard as iron. Even though his rank was around ten thousand, he didn't lose often, but he had a fair number of draws. Most of these draws were because his opponents couldn't break through his defense, and he couldn't defeat them either.
Once "Iron Block" was activated, the tall man's defensive power could compare to a Fourth-order Gene Body. In such a place as the Beginners Arena, where the Cell Comprehensive Index was limited to 100 points, his defensive power was equivalent to someone with a Cell Comprehensive Index of nearly 300 points. Under these circumstances, there were indeed few who could break through his defense.
"This guy has formidable defensive power; he has a special ability called Iron Block. Once activated, his body becomes as hard as iron." Sea Emperor quickly accessed the information on the opponent. This opponent standing before them was strong, leading him to remind Guding. Although it took only a few seconds, it was enough for him to access all the information about the tall man, including video materials. "He has participated in over five thousand battles, with less than two hundred losses and more than a thousand draws. His low points are due to too many draws."
"Strong defensive power?" Guding grinned after hearing this. "Just the right time to test my moves."
Guding performed a Dark Step, his figure flickering several times as he closed in on his opponent.
"Such speed!" The tall man was genuinely surprised by Guding's movement technique and immediately set aside any underestimation of him, activating his ability—Itron Block. "My ability can greatly restrain close-combat experts of the same level. I don't believe a fifteen-year-old kid can break my defense."
At that moment, Guding's Iron Fist resolutely slammed into the opponent's chest, one of the strongest defensive parts of the human body due to the ribcage's protection. Guding chose this striking point mainly to test how strong his opponent's defense really was.
With a clang, it sounded as if a sledgehammer had struck a massive bell, creating a metallic resonance. Guding just felt his fist hit something as hard as an iron block—indestructible, with a recoil force returning to him.
He quickly backed away, his right hand, which had just launched the punch, trembling slightly from the recoil.
"Give up your struggle; you can't break through my defense," the tall man shouted at Guding, though inwardly he was slightly shocked. He clearly felt the destructive power in Guding's punch. Although it didn't break through his defense, Guding had struck his strongest defensive point, his chest. If it weren't for the increase in his weight from activating Iron Block, he might have been knocked away. Moreover, the dull sensation in his chest showed that the attack was not ineffective. If the strike had landed on a vulnerable point, he might have been injured.
Guding stayed silent; the opponent's formidable defensive power indeed posed a dilemma for him. The test of his previous strike had already told him that his attack would find it hard to penetrate the opponent's defense, and the opponent wouldn't just stand there letting him attack at will.
On the viewing platform, someone finally recognized the tall man.
"This guy seems to have incredible defensive power. I've watched his matches before."
"I have too. Once, I saw him let his opponent attack him for three hours without even moving his feet. Eventually, the opponent admitted defeat due to exhaustion."
"Isn't this contestant just a kid? He looks so young, probably not even an adult. How can they pit someone ranked over eighty thousand against someone ranked within ten thousand?" Some people who hadn't watched Guding's previous matches began to feel sympathetic for him.
"You haven't watched his previous matches. He's small yet overwhelming in battle, taking down opponents with one decisive strike in previous matches." Someone who had watched Guding's previous battles explained.
On the platform, Guding moved once again, now fully unleashing the third level of Extreme Body Technique, the Iron Fist. After a moment of thought, he decided to use this opportunity to break through himself. Since the attack power of his third level of Extreme Body Technique wasn't enough to break the opponent's defense, he would strive to break through to the fourth level. Although it was challenging to achieve this with a Cell Comprehensive Index of just 100, it wasn't entirely impossible. This short-term exertion on his body shouldn't be an issue.
Seeing Guding charge with an even more fierce momentum, the tall man dared not allow him to attack freely and went to confront him.
Fist met fist!
With a clang, both retreated several steps.
Guding put power into his legs and charged forward again.
The tall man, however, felt somewhat bitter. His combat skills could only be described as proficient, and faced with a real combat master, he would mostly take the hits. Although the opponent was young, his battle techniques appeared impressive.
The developments afterward were predictable. Guding's myriad of moves continuously pounded on the tall man, essentially suppressing him. Most of the time, the tall man guarded his vital parts with his arms, his occasional attacks not affecting Guding significantly.
"Is this kid really that fierce?!" someone couldn't help but exclaim from the stands.
In the monitor room, the short-haired woman who had previously dyed her hair red, wore an open leather jacket revealing a thin black patterned bra underneath. Her lower half was clothed in a black short leather skirt, showcasing her long legs. She still donned the black thigh-high boots, sitting in a swivel chair watching Guding's battle live stream, sucking on a lollipop.
"That skinny tall guy is about to lose." The short-haired woman soon made her assessment. "Send in someone ranked around five thousand, preferably with a special ability, like invisibility or something, and see how he handles it."
"Miss, to make him lose, it would be much easier to send someone with a Natural Element ability." Suggested the tall man in a black suit beside her.
"Who said I want him to lose? I just want to see how well he can perform this strange body technique, and perhaps I can learn a few moves myself." The short-haired woman laughed confidently. "I've secretly watched my dad practice Extreme Body Technique before and felt like this kid's moves are similar to his, but with many differences, making me suspect it might be a different version of the Extreme Body Technique."
"Miss, Extreme Body Technique is not meant to be practiced." The tall man's brows furrowed slightly.
"I'm just researching, why are you so anxious?" The short-haired woman pouted. "Don't forget I still have an identity as an interstellar pirate. If I encounter a Federation Government Hunter, I need to know a bit about Extreme Body Technique to not be taken out easily."
"Miss, the old master used to be the captain of the Hunters. They hold him in apprehension and wouldn't harm you." The tall man tried to dissuade her.
"That's in the Dragon Ascension Universe Country, and Dragon Ascension Universe Country is just a two-star Cosmic Country. Dad once said that even a member of a Four-star Universe Country's Hunter is no weaker than him, let alone a Five-star Universe Country. Someday, I will have to step out from under my father's protection. He can protect me for a while, but not forever. So I want to venture into a bigger sky, and someday, I'd hope to protect my dad too." Her words left the tall man completely silent.