Wei Hua was no ordinary Qi Refining Third Layer cultivator. After undergoing Marrow Cleansing and Hair Washing several times, his physique was naturally exceptional. He twisted himself around and tumbled through several somersaults in midair before landing unsteadily. Looking somewhat disheveled, he turned and glared fiercely at Lei Dong and Chen Ge. But when he glanced over and saw Ding Wanyan standing not far away, her expression calm as a gentle breeze and drifting clouds, his vicious look turned distinctly bitter. He took a deep breath, bowed, and said, "Wei Hua greets Senior Sister."
Ding Wanyan politely gave a slight nod.
The Black-faced Referee glanced at Wei Hua and said coldly, "No need to go over the rules. Let the match begin."
The moment he finished speaking, Wei Hua threw both hands up and shrieked, "I concede! I surrender!"
Even Ding Wanyan was stunned. The fellow had surrendered so quickly that it was genuinely unexpected. A chorus of boos rose from the crowd. Wei Hua, however, smugly cupped his hands toward those around him, then jumped off the arena without the slightest shame. Lei Dong and Wei Hua exchanged a look. The fellow's hide was thicker than anyone could have imagined.
As a result, Ding Wanyan had already won her first point without even summoning her main offensive Magic Tool.
Next came Lei Dong's match. The three of them walked over to Arena C. The contestants in the first match were both Qi Refining Third Layer cultivators, each with only a basic spell and a beginner's set of equipment. They were a pair of hard-luck brothers, clashing their Ink Green Small Swords with clanks and clatters. Every so often, one would cast a ball of flame, while the other answered with an ice spell. They were all common, run-of-the-mill spells. Even the referee beside the arena looked ready to fall asleep watching such a match.
After fighting for a full quarter of an hour, both of them nearly out of True Qi. At last, one found an opening and cast an ice spell, freezing a layer of ice across the ground. The other slipped, and a sword struck his arm. He had no choice but to shout that he conceded. The winner was thrilled, while the loser hung his head in dejection.
Before long, the lanky referee called Lei Dong and Wu Qianqiu. Wu Qianqiu was tall and handsome. He even used a movement technique, springing into the air and landing lightly on the arena.
Lei Dong couldn't be bothered with him and simply walked up the steps.
Since neither of them was particularly formidable, not many spectators had gathered around.
"Senior Brother Lei, please go easy on me," Wu Qianqiu said with a faint smile.
Lei Dong nodded indifferently.
At the referee's declaration that the match had begun, Wu Qianqiu's face instantly turned fierce, taking on a faint blue-black hue. He thrust out his left hand at once, and a savage, baleful ghost, blurred like an apparition, twisted and shrieked as it lunged at Lei Dong. Its momentum was immense, its speed as swift as lightning.
"Ghost Sha Palm!" the people around them cried out.
Like Lei Dong's Ghost Taming Art, Chen Ge's Netherflame Bullet, and the Profound Yin Shield, it was one of the signature spells of the Yin Sha Sect's Qi Refining Stage. After reaching the Foundation Establishment Realm, there were even more powerful follow-up spells. Ghost Sha Palm was one of them. When Lei Dong had once searched for outstanding spells, he had paid attention to it. There was no need to capture Yin Souls; the caster only had to absorb Killing Intent while cultivating, using it to temper the body. Then, by blending Killing Intent into the pure Profound Yin True Qi, they could meet the prerequisite for casting Ghost Sha Palm.
In a certain sense, Killing Intent was also a kind of spiritual energy. Some kinds formed naturally, while others were produced later. They came in all sorts, with a bewildering variety of names: Thunder Baleful Intent, Yang Baleful Intent, Yin Baleful Intent, and so on. Since the Yin Sha Sect was named after Yin Baleful Intent, it naturally had an especially deep understanding of it and knew how to wield it.
The sect had many spells and methods related to Yin Baleful Intent. And within the Yin Sha Sect's sphere of influence, Yin Sha Lands could be found everywhere.
Clearly, the kind of Killing Intent Wu Qianqiu had blended into his Profound Yin True Qi was Yin Baleful Intent. Of course, even Yin Baleful Intent came in dozens of different grades. Lei Dong hadn't studied that aspect much, so he didn't know the details.
But Ghost Sha Palm, one of the Yin Sha Sect's signature spells, was certainly no ordinary technique. Lei Dong's expression shifted slightly. He could vaguely feel a chill lingering around him and realized that Wu Qianqiu had cultivated the technique quite well. He had even reached the point where he could use his spiritual sense to lock onto a target and guide the ghostly attack's flight. Lei Dong knew that if he tried to flee, the ghost would pursue him under Wu Qianqiu's guidance. His own speed was decent, but he couldn't outrun a flying ghost.
He had no intention of meeting Ghost Sha Palm head-on with his body. He raised a hand slightly, and his Level Four Ghost Soldier moved in front of him. The Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldier immediately raised its shield and curled into a ball.
Boom! The transformed savage ghost slammed into the Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldier. Killing Intent burst out in every direction like a gale. As the Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldier was sent flying, its translucent shield shattered. At the same time, its ghostly form began to look scattered and unstable. The power of that Ghost Sha Palm was astonishing.
"Ghost Taming Art, a Level Four Ghost Soldier?" Spectators who knew what they were seeing cried out. A Level Four Ghost Soldier was practically as powerful as an ordinary Qi Refining Fourth Layer cultivator. Unless something unexpected happened, that single Level Four Ghost Soldier could sweep aside most disciples of the same generation. When they looked at Lei Dong again, their expressions had changed. He had a Level Four Ghost Soldier; how could his combat strength be measured by his mere Qi Refining Third Layer cultivation?
Everyone knew that the Ghost Taming Art was relatively easy to cultivate. But to become truly powerful with it, one had to be lucky enough to capture a Spirit Ghost. Of course, one could also buy a Spirit Ghost for ten spirit stones. But the disciples who had just entered the sect had only been cultivating for three years. How many of them had spare money to buy one? And even if they did, they needed a good Soul Nurturing Pagoda to nourish the Spirit Ghost, and had to take it out from time to time to let it feed on flesh and blood. Thus, though the Ghost Taming Art was powerful, it was exceedingly difficult to cultivate.
Wu Qianqiu had been sure his full-force Ghost Sha Palm would hit, yet it had been blocked by a Level Four Ghost Soldier. His blue-black face instantly paled. The Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldier, nearly scattered by the blow, let out a tearing shriek. Its body turned scarlet as it charged with a blade in hand, howling fiercely and looking utterly savage. Ghost Sha Palm was no weak technique, but Wu Qianqiu was only a Qi Refining Third Layer cultivator. There was no way he could cast two such powerful strikes in succession. Yet he was deeply unwilling to concede, so he could only pull out his Ink Green Small Sword and direct it with his spiritual sense to slash at the Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldier.
Lei Dong felt a pang of concern for his injured Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldier, so he naturally couldn't just stand by. He controlled his own Ink Green Small Sword, sending it streaking like a beam of green light toward Wu Qianqiu. With a clang, the Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldier took the enemy's attack head-on and landed the first fierce slash on Wu Qianqiu. A pitch-black shield carved with savage ghosts instantly appeared over Wu Qianqiu's body, blocking the yin blade.
Both of them had unleashed formidable signature spells of the sect, rousing even the Foundation Establishment Referee, who had thought this would be another boring match. Spectators from the other arenas heard that Ghost Sha Palm and a Level Four Ghost Soldier had appeared and hurried over as well.
With a sharp chink, Lei Dong's Ink Green Small Sword was blocked too. Wu Qianqiu used his movement technique to dodge the Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldier's relentless attacks in a sorry state, but he still got slashed from time to time. His Magic Tool shield could save him from a blade at a critical moment, but it couldn't keep doing so forever. Making up his mind, Wu Qianqiu focused most of his attention on Lei Dong and directed his Ink Green Small Sword at him, gambling that Lei Dong didn't have a defensive Magic Tool.
It was true that Lei Dong had no defensive Magic Tool. But the Middle Grade Cloud Ascending Boots personally bestowed by the Ancestor weren't there for decoration. He shifted slightly, and Wu Qianqiu's Small Sword struck only an afterimage. At the same time, Lei Dong 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 attacks forever.
For a time, Wu Qianqiu was badly outmatched and seemed close to being overwhelmed. But Lei Dong remained wary. After all, three years earlier, when he had entered the sect, he had witnessed the bloody turnabout at the sect's once-in-a-decade Grand Competition. That scene had stayed with him for life.
Bang!
Under a heavy strike from the Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldier, the shield shattered at once. The spiritual energy that had been faintly flowing across it dispersed completely.
"I concede!" Wu Qianqiu's expression changed. Though unwilling, he knew that if they kept fighting, he might not survive. With his face flushed red, he had no choice but to surrender.
Lei Dong immediately stopped his attack. The Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldier obediently turned and flew back to stand guard beside him.
"Small Competition at Myriad Ghost Cave, Arena C, second match: Lei Dong versus Wu Qianqiu. The winner is Lei Dong, who earns one point."
After the referee announced the result, Lei Dong let out a slight breath of relief and cursed inwardly. Wu Qianqiu had seemed unremarkable, yet not only was his Ghost Sha Palm powerful, he also had a defensive Magic Tool.
Chen Ge and Wei Hua were the first to cheer when they saw Lei Dong win. After witnessing such an exciting match, everyone else joined in, shouting their approval.
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