Showdown with Zhou Minghua

Chapter Thirty: Showdown with Zhou Minghua

That said, the Ghost Sha Palm was indeed extraordinarily powerful. Not only did its instantaneous burst of force strike hard, but what made it truly fearsome was the yin sha it drove into a person's body upon impact, corroding the blood vessels and physique from within, making it extremely difficult to eradicate. Fortunately, the ghost soldier's body was purely energy-based; when the Ghost Sha Palm struck it, it only endured the explosive force, while the corrosive yin sha had no effect at all.

Under the gaze of the crowd, Lei Dong calmly produced the uniquely shaped, sinister-looking Soul Nurturing Pagoda—clearly no ordinary item, but an Upper Grade one—and leisurely stowed away the injured Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldier. Even the Foundation Establishment Realm referee let out a soft exclamation: "An Upper Grade Soul Nurturing Pagoda. No wonder you managed to train a Level Four Ghost Soldier so quickly."

At those words, the crowd grew even more envious of Lei Dong. That was an Upper Grade Magic Item, after all. Among their peers, the only one known to possess such an item was Ding Wanyan.

Hearing the murmurs around him, Lei Dong calmly put away the Soul Nurturing Pagoda. He had long known that many would speculate about how he had a Level Four Ghost Soldier. Rather than letting them guess wildly, it was better to openly reveal that he owned an Upper Grade Soul Nurturing Pagoda. Although even an Upper Grade Soul Nurturing Pagoda would struggle to nurture a Low-grade Spirit Ghost up to Level Four within two or three years, if one diligently fed the ghost soldier more Monster Beast flesh, or Wild Ghost Soldiers, and performed a few more Blood Sacrifices, reaching Level Four wasn't impossible.

Next, he watched match after match, stepping closer whenever something exciting happened. On one hand, he absorbed experience from observing others fight. On the other, he wanted to see what each person's trump card was. By the end of the day, Lei Dong, who had been somewhat tense, relaxed a little—after all, not everyone had trained a formidable Ghost Sha Palm like Wu Qianqiu. As for Chen Ge's opponent, there was no need to mention him; Chen Ge won easily.

For ten consecutive rounds, Lei Dong faced no strong opponents. Against ordinary Qi Refining Stage two or three disciples with weak equipment, summoning his Level Four Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldier was enough for an easy win. When he encountered a Qi Refining Stage four opponent, it only took a bit more effort. So far, he hadn't been forced to reveal his second spirit ghost. With that, including his first match, he had achieved twelve consecutive wins, earning twelve points.

It wasn't until the twelfth round that Zhou Minghua, after drawing lots, suddenly burst into wild joy. He scanned the crowd, finally locking his gaze onto Lei Dong with a vicious look in his eyes.

Sure enough, when the referee announced the draw results—Platform A, fifth match, Zhou Minghua versus Lei Dong—Lei Dong was mentally prepared, knowing he would eventually face Zhou Minghua. Over the past few days, he had been keeping an eye on Zhou Minghua's combat ability. As one of the Ancestor's personal disciples, Zhou Minghua had abundant resources, advancing to Qi Refining Stage five in just three years, so his strength was naturally considerable.

However, in the previous twelve matches, Zhou Minghua had only won eleven. The one who defeated him was none other than Zuo Chao, another personal disciple of the Ancestor. It was clear that Zhou Minghua held no fondness for Zuo Chao, who always seemed to be a step ahead. He had hoped to win their match but fell short by a single move, losing bitterly. Still, that fight had revealed his full strength.

Perhaps because Zhou Minghua hadn't won the Ancestor's favor from the start, Lei Dong felt the guy was a tragedy. All personal disciples, yet Ding Wanyan had a full set of Middle Grade items and one Upper Grade. Zuo Chao had a full set of Low-grade items and one Middle Grade. As for Zhou Minghua, he only had a few decent Low-grade Magic Items. In the eyes of ordinary disciples, that gear was respectable. But as a personal disciple, being decked out in Low-grade Magic Items was truly shabby. From this, Lei Dong inferred that Zhou Minghua probably wasn't too favored in the Ancestor's eyes. Lei Dong and the other two, who had received Middle Grade items from the Ancestor, were fully entitled to look down on this poor wretch.

It was likely for this reason that Zhou Minghua held a particular grudge against Lei Dong and the others. Especially Lei Dong, who had used sect rules to force him to apologize to Chen Ge—that had earned his deep hatred. But now, the greatest source of resentment was probably the inexplicable relationship between Lei Dong and Ding Wanyan.

Sigh—petty jealousy was a killer. Before Zhou Minghua's match with Zuo Chao, Lei Dong had still taken him somewhat seriously. But after that fight, Lei Dong could only laugh. This kind of opponent didn't require all three ghosts to deal with. As for the two spells Zhou Minghua had practiced—Spirit Slaying Finger and Profound Yin Shield—one offensive and one defensive, both were excellent techniques. The Spirit Slaying Finger, for instance, was no less powerful than the Ghost Sha Palm.

But this guy probably chased after cultivation realm too much, neglecting spell training and actual combat. Both techniques he used were sloppy and unrefined, barely passable. He could only rely on his higher cultivation and Low-grade Magic Items to suppress ordinary disciples. Against a real expert, he was doomed.

After quietly watching Chen Ge and Wei Hua finish their respective matches, the three of them gathered at Platform A.

Zhou Minghua, perhaps eager for revenge, had already arrived with a few lackeys. Seeing Lei Dong approach, he couldn't help but sneer: "Senior Brother Lei, are you planning to use sect rules to bully your junior brother again today?"

"With his Qi Refining Stage three cultivation, he wants to be Senior Brother Lei's senior brother? Dream on."

"I say he doesn't know his place. Senior Brother Zhou is the Ancestor's personal disciple. Does he even deserve that title?"

The lackeys chimed in with their taunts. Lei Dong found it amusing—was this really the best provocation they could muster? Were they afraid he wouldn't fight? Such childish behavior.

"Lei Dong, be careful. Don't fall for it." Although he knew Lei Dong was more mature and steady than most young disciples, Chen Ge still gave a cautious reminder. Then, exchanging a glance with Wei Hua, he struck back with a cold laugh: "Junior Brother Zhou, which belt didn't you fasten properly, letting you out to embarrass yourself?"

Zhou Minghua was stunned for a moment before realizing Chen Ge was insulting him. His face flushed red as he glared angrily at Chen Ge. Before he could retort, Wei Hua grinned maliciously: "Senior Brother Zhou, I heard about your family last time in Fan City. The neighbors all said you call your biological father 'Grandpa'?"

Even Lei Dong paused for a moment before getting the joke. He couldn't help but punch Wei Hua playfully: "Don't talk nonsense, or he'll say you're disrespecting a senior brother."

"Senior Brother Lei, I'm telling the truth. That's what the neighbors said." Wei Hua put on a serious face. "If I'm lying, may I be struck by lightning and turned into a Soul Lamp to burn out. If you don't believe me, we can go to Fan City and ask."

Those in the crowd who understood gasped. For Wei Hua to swear such a vicious oath, the story was likely eighty or ninety percent true. They looked at Zhou Minghua, whose face turned from red to green, his whole body trembling as if he wanted to tear Wei Hua apart. Well, that settled it—it was definitely true.

Those who understood now looked at Zhou Minghua with curiosity and oddity. Those who didn't were utterly confused.

Lei Dong realized that these two had probably contacted their families long ago, sending people to investigate Zhou Minghua's past. In this critical moment, exposing his hidden secrets would likely make Zhou Minghua lose his composure. Lei Dong stayed alert, afraid the guy might strike without warning.

But clearly, Chen Ge wasn't about to let him off so easily. Putting on an innocent, clueless expression, he asked: "Junior Brother Wei, what do you mean? I don't understand. What's going on with Junior Brother Zhou's family? Why is it both 'father' and 'grandpa'?"

"Shut up!" Zhou Minghua forced the words through gritted teeth. His right hand suddenly pointed, and a dark blue beam shot from his fingertip straight at Wei Hua. It was the deadly Spirit Slaying Finger.

Wei Hua snorted coldly, almost simultaneously forming hand seals. A transparent Profound Yin Shield immediately covered his body, its defensive power concentrated in front of him under his Spiritual Sense control, forming a thick, transparent barrier.

Smack! The Spirit Slaying Finger and Profound Yin Shield clashed head-on. Perhaps because Zhou Minghua hadn't practiced enough, even with his higher cultivation, the Spirit Slaying Finger failed to pierce Wei Hua's shield, instead canceling each other out.

"Fine, Zhou Minghua! In broad daylight, under the clear sky, you dare to murder a fellow junior brother?" Wei Hua no longer held back, crying out in feigned anguish: "You're nothing but a bastard born from a grave-robbing scum! Anyone who doesn't believe it, go ask around in Fan City. If I, Wei Hua, am lying, may I die by Soul Lamp. Zhou Minghua, you bastard, dare you swear the same oath?"

Both of these guys came from notable backgrounds, and because of that, they were well-versed in the world. Their insults were grounded in reason and evidence, far more effective than the childish taunts of those lackeys.

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