First Battle, Victory

Chapter 29: Victory in the First Battle

Ding Wanyan gave a polite nod in return.

The dark-faced referee glanced at Wei Hua and said coldly, "I won't repeat the rules. The match begins."

The moment the last word left his mouth, Wei Hua threw up his hands and screamed, "I admit defeat! I surrender!"

Even Ding Wanyan was taken aback. The speed of his surrender was truly unexpected. A wave of boos erupted from the surrounding crowd. However, Wei Hua, looking rather pleased with himself, cupped his hands to the crowd and shamelessly jumped off the stage. Lei Dong and Wei Hua exchanged glances. Wei Hua's thick skin was truly beyond expectation.

Thus, Ding Wanyan won the first point without even summoning her main offensive artifact.

Next was Lei Dong's match. The three of them moved to the adjacent Arena C. The first match featured two cultivators at Qi Refining Stage three, both having learned only ordinary spells and equipped with entry-level gear. They were like unfortunate brothers commanding their Ink Green Small Swords, clashing like ping pong balls. Occasionally, one would unleash a ball of fire, and the other would counter with an ice spell – all common, basic spells. The level of this fight was so low that even the referee on the side was struggling to stay awake.

After a full fifteen minutes of fighting, with both of their True Qi running low, one of them finally seized an opportunity. He cast an ice spell, creating a layer of ice on the ground. The other combatant slipped and stumbled, taking a sword strike to the arm. He could only cry out in surrender. The winner was full of excitement, while the loser was dejected.

Soon, the tall, thin referee called out Lei Dong's and Wu Qianqiu's names. Wu Qianqiu was tall and handsome, and he gracefully leaped onto the stage using a movement technique.

Lei Dong, not bothering to rush, walked up the steps one by one.

Since neither of them was particularly formidable, there weren't many spectators.

"Senior Brother Lei, please go easy on me," Wu Qianqiu said with a smile.

Lei Dong nodded indifferently.

As the referee announced the start of the match, Wu Qianqiu's expression turned fierce, a faint, dark green hue spreading across his face. He immediately thrust his left hand forward, and a phantom-like ferocious ghost, twisted and shrieking, lunged at Lei Dong. Its momentum was immense, and its speed was like lightning.

"Ghost Sha Palm!" the surrounding crowd exclaimed.

Malevolent energy, in a sense, was a form of spiritual energy. Some malevolent energy was naturally formed, while some was formed postnatally. There were various types and numerous names, such as lightning malevolence, yang malevolence, yin malevolence, and so on. Since the Yin Sha Sect was named after yin malevolence, they naturally possessed a profound understanding and application of it.

There were many techniques and methods related to yin malevolence within the sect. And within the Yin Sha Sect's sphere of influence, places with yin malevolence were common.

It was clear that what Wu Qianqiu had infused into his Profound Yin True Qi was yin malevolence. Of course, even yin malevolence was divided into dozens of different qualities. Lei Dong hadn't researched this aspect extensively and wasn't entirely clear on the details.

However, the power of the Ghost Sha Palm, as one of the Yin Sha Sect's signature spells, was undoubtedly extraordinary. Lei Dong's expression shifted slightly. He vaguely felt a chilling aura surrounding him, realizing that Wu Qianqiu's Ghost Sha Palm had been cultivated to a high level, to the point where he could use his Spiritual Sense to lock onto its target and guide its flight path. Lei Dong knew that if he tried to escape, the ghost would surely pursue him under Wu Qianqiu's spiritual guidance. Although his speed was not slow, it couldn't outpace the ghost's flight.

Having no intention of directly confronting the Ghost Sha Palm with his body, Lei Dong raised his hand slightly, placing his level four Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldier in front of him. The Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldier immediately spread its shield and condensed its ghostly form into a ball.

Boom! The materialized ferocious ghost collided fiercely with the Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldier. Malevolent energy shot out in all directions like a gust of wind. As the Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldier was sent flying backward, its translucent shield shattered. Simultaneously, its ghostly form showed signs of scattering and losing cohesion. This demonstrated the immense power of this Ghost Sha Palm strike.

"Ghost Taming Art, a Level Four Ghost Soldier?" Those among the onlookers who recognized its value cried out in surprise. A Level Four Ghost Soldier was basically as powerful as an ordinary Qi Refining Layer Four cultivator. If nothing unexpected happened, this single Level Four Ghost Soldier could sweep through more than half of the disciples in the same batch. Looking at Lei Dong again, their expressions had changed significantly. After all, someone who possessed a Level Four Ghost Soldier couldn't be measured by the mere cultivation of Qi Refining Layer Three.

As everyone knew, the Ghost Taming Art was relatively easy to cultivate, but to become truly powerful through it, one needed the luck to capture a spirit ghost. Of course, one could also spend ten spirit stones to buy a spirit ghost. It was a pity that new disciples who had only been in the sect for three years had how much spare money to buy spirit ghosts? Even if they bought spirit ghosts, they would need a very good Soul Nurturing Pagoda to nurture them, and they would have to take them out for a stroll from time to time to absorb flesh and blood or something. Therefore, although the Ghost Taming Art was powerful, it was extremely difficult to cultivate.

Seeing that his sure-win, full-power Ghost Sha Palm had been blocked by a Level Four Ghost Soldier, Wu Qianqiu's ashen face turned pale. The Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldier, which had almost been dispersed, let out a hiss, its entire body turning red as it charged forward with its saber, also letting out ferocious ghostly howls, incomparably savage. Although the Ghost Sha Palm was not weak, Wu Qianqiu was, after all, only at Qi Refining Layer Three. It was absolutely impossible for him to cast the powerful Ghost Sha Palm twice in succession. However, he was unwilling to concede, so he could only take out his Ink Green Small Sword and command it with his Spiritual Sense to slash at the Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldier.

Lei Dong felt a pang of heartache for the injured Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldier and naturally couldn't stand idly by. He also controlled his Ink Green Small Sword, which transformed into a green light and fiercely stabbed towards the other person. With a "clang," the Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldier withstood the opponent's attack and was the first to fiercely slash Wu Qianqiu with its saber. Immediately, a dark shield carved with ferocious monsters appeared on Wu Qianqiu's body, blocking the ghostly saber.

Both of them had unleashed formidable sect signature techniques, which invigorated the Foundation Establishment Realm referees who had initially thought this would be another boring match. The onlookers from other stages, upon hearing about the appearance of the Ghost Sha Palm and the Level Four Ghost Soldier, also gathered around.

With a crisp "ding," Lei Dong's Ink Green Small Sword was also blocked. Wu Qianqiu weaved and dodged the continuous onslaught of the Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldier in a sorry state, though he was still occasionally cut. The magic artifact shield could block the saber at critical moments, but it was not a long-term solution. With a hardened heart, Wu Qianqiu shifted most of his attention to Lei Dong, commanding his Ink Green Small Sword to stab at Lei Dong, gambling that Lei Dong didn't have a defensive magic artifact.

Indeed, Lei Dong did not have a defensive magic artifact. But were the mid-grade Cloud Ascending Boots personally bestowed by the Ancestor just for show? With a slight movement of his body, the opponent's small sword only struck an afterimage. At the same time, he urged his Ink Green Small Sword to slash fiercely at Wu Qianqiu. A turtle shell was still a turtle shell; no matter how hard it was, it couldn't block endlessly.

For a time, Wu Qianqiu was in an extremely disadvantageous position, seemingly unable to hold on. However, Lei Dong remained vigilant. After all, the bloody comeback he witnessed three years ago during the sect's once-in-a-decade Grand Competition had left an unforgettable impression on him.

"Bang~"

With a heavy blow from the Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldier, the shield immediately shattered. The spiritual energy that had been faintly flowing within it dissipated completely.

"I concede." Wu Qianqiu's expression changed drastically. Though he seemed unwilling, he knew that if he continued fighting, he might lose his life. He could only blush and surrender.

Lei Dong immediately stopped his attack. The Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldier obediently turned and flew back, standing guard beside him.

"Myriad Ghost Cave Small Competition, Arena C, Second Match. Lei Dong versus Wu Qianqiu. Match result: Lei Dong wins, gaining one point."

As the referee announced the result, Lei Dong breathed a slight sigh of relief, cursing inwardly. Wu Qianqiu, this kid, hadn't shown off his skills, but not only had he mastered the Ghost Sha Palm very well, but he also had a defensive magic artifact.

Chen Ge and Wei Hua, seeing Lei Dong win, were the first to shout and cheer. The rest of the crowd, after witnessing this exciting match, also followed suit with loud cheers.