But then again, the Ghost Sha Palm was indeed astonishingly powerful. Not only did it unleash tremendous force in an instant, but even more terrifying was the baleful yin energy it contained. Once it entered the body, it invaded the victim, corroding their blood and flesh. It was extremely difficult to purge.
Fortunately, Ghost Soldiers had bodies made entirely of energy. When the Ghost Sha Palm struck one, it only had to endure the force of the impact; the corrosive baleful yin energy had no effect at all.
With all eyes on him, Lei Dong produced a uniquely shaped Soul Nurturing Pagoda, wreathed in sinister yin energy and clearly no ordinary object. He leisurely stored away the injured Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldier. Even the Foundation Establishment Referee let out a soft exclamation. "An Upper Grade Soul Nurturing Pagoda. No wonder you managed to raise a Level Four Ghost Soldier so quickly."
At this, the crowd grew even more envious of Lei Dong. That was an Upper Grade Magic Item! Among his peers, the only person known to have one was Ding Wanyan.
Hearing the people around him chatter, Lei Dong calmly put away the Soul Nurturing Pagoda. He'd known all along that many people would wonder how he had obtained a Level Four Ghost Soldier. Rather than let them speculate wildly, he might as well openly reveal that he owned an Upper Grade Soul Nurturing Pagoda. Even with one, it was difficult to nurture a Low-grade Spirit Ghost into a Level Four Ghost Soldier in just two or three years. But if he worked hard to feed it the flesh and blood of Monster Beasts or Wild Ghost Soldiers, and performed Blood Sacrifice a few more times, reaching Level Four wasn't impossible.
He watched one match after another, hurrying over whenever he heard there was a good one. First, he could learn from watching other people fight. Second, he wanted to see what trump cards this person or that person had. By the end of the day, Lei Dong, whose expression had been rather solemn, felt somewhat reassured. After all, not everyone had trained in a powerful Ghost Sha Palm like Wu Qianqiu. As for Chen Ge's opponent, there was nothing worth mentioning; Chen Ge won with ease.
For ten rounds in a row, Lei Dong hadn't faced any particularly formidable opponents. Against ordinary Qi Refining Stage disciples at the second or third level, with poor equipment, he could win easily just by summoning his Level Four Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldier. Even the one Qi Refining Stage fourth-level opponent had only made him put in a little more effort. So far, no one had forced him to bring out his second Spirit Ghost. Including his first-round victory, he had won twelve matches in a row and earned twelve points.
It wasn't until the twelfth round that Zhou Minghua suddenly beamed with delight after drawing his lot. He searched the crowd, then fixed his gaze on Lei Dong, a vicious look in his eyes.
Sure enough, once the chief referee announced the draw, the pairing for the fifth match on Arena No. 1 was Zhou Minghua versus Lei Dong. Since he'd known they would have to face each other sooner or later, Lei Dong had been prepared. He'd been keeping an eye on Zhou Minghua's fighting strength for some time. As one of the Ancestor's Personal Disciples, Zhou Minghua had abundant resources. He'd reached the fifth level of the Qi Refining Stage in a mere three years, so his strength was naturally no small matter.
But in his twelve previous matches, he had won only eleven. The one who defeated him was none other than Zuo Chao, another of the Ancestor's Personal Disciples. It was clear Zhou Minghua didn't like Zuo Chao, who had always been a cut above him. He'd wanted to win decisively in their match, but had fallen just short and suffered a crushing defeat. Still, that fight had revealed the full extent of his strength.
Perhaps Zhou Minghua hadn't won the Ancestor's favor from the start; Lei Dong always felt the fellow was a tragic figure. They were all Personal Disciples, yet Ding Wanyan had one Middle Grade item and one Upper Grade item. Zuo Chao had a full set of Low Grade items and one Middle Grade item. As for Zhou Minghua, he had only a few fairly decent Low Grade Magic Items. In the eyes of ordinary disciples, that was a respectable set of gear. But for a Personal Disciple, being decked out in nothing but Low Grade Magic Items was downright shabby. It was easy to guess that the Ancestor didn't particularly favor him. Lei Dong and the other two, who had received Middle Grade items from the Ancestor, had every right to look down on this pauper.
That might well be why Zhou Minghua especially disliked the three of them. And he especially hated Lei Dong, who had used the sect rules to force him to apologize to Chen Ge.
But now, his greatest grudge was probably Lei Dong's inexplicable relationship with Ding Wanyan.
Sigh. A petty mind can be the death of a man. Before Zhou Minghua's match with Zuo Chao, Lei Dong had still paid him a little attention. But after that fight, Lei Dong could only smile. A man like this didn't warrant summoning all three Ghost Soldiers to take him down. The two spells he practiced were Spirit Slaying Finger and Profound Yin Shield, one for offense and one for defense, both excellent techniques. In terms of power, Spirit Slaying Finger was no weaker than Ghost Sha Palm.
But perhaps Zhou Minghua was too fixated on advancing his cultivation. He'd neglected practicing his spells and gaining combat experience. He performed both techniques clumsily, to the point of being painful to watch. He could only rely on his high cultivation and a body full of Low Grade Magic Items to bully ordinary disciples. Against a true expert, he'd be finished for sure.
After quietly watching Chen Ge and Wei Hua fight their respective opponents, the three of them headed together for Arena No. 1.
Perhaps desperate for revenge, Zhou Minghua had already been waiting there with a few lackeys. The moment Lei Dong showed up, he couldn't help sneering. "Senior Brother Lei, are you planning to use the sect rules to bully me again today?"
"With cultivation at only the third level of the Qi Refining Stage, he thinks he can be Senior Brother Zhou? Dream on."
"He's got no idea how high the sky is. Senior Brother Zhou is the Ancestor's Personal Disciple. Who does he think he is?"
The lackeys took turns hurling insults. Lei Dong found it amusing. Wasn't this a feeble way to provoke him? They were just afraid he might refuse to fight. What a childish temper.
"Lei Dong, be careful. Don't fall for his trap." Though Chen Ge knew Lei Dong was far more mature and steady than ordinary young disciples, he still offered a cautious reminder. Then he shot Wei Hua a meaningful look and was the first to sneer back. "Junior Brother Zhou, which waistband came undone and let you out to make a fool of yourself?"
Zhou Minghua froze for a moment before realizing Chen Ge was calling him a bastard. His face flushed red, and he glared furiously at Chen Ge. Before he could retort, Wei Hua grinned wickedly. "Senior Brother Zhou, I heard about your family when I was in Fan City last time. The neighbors all say you call your own father Grandpa, don't they?"
Even Lei Dong needed a moment to understand what Wei Hua meant. Amused, he playfully thumped Wei Hua. "Don't make things up. He'll accuse you of disrespecting your senior brother."
"Senior Brother Lei, I'm telling the truth. That's what the neighbors said." Wei Hua wore a solemn expression. "If I'm lying, may the heavens strike me down and turn me into a Soul Lamp, where I'll be slowly burned to death. If you don't believe me, we can go ask around in Fan City."
The onlookers who understood sucked in a sharp breath. Wei Hua had sworn such a vicious oath that there was probably an eighty- or ninety-percent chance it was true. They looked at Zhou Minghua again. His face had turned from red to green, and his whole body was trembling. He looked ready to tear Wei Hua apart. Well, there was no need to doubt it now. It was practically certain to be true.
Those who understood looked at Zhou Minghua with added curiosity and a strange glint in their eyes. Those who didn't understand were simply bewildered.
Lei Dong understood now, too. The two of them had probably contacted their families because of Zhou Minghua's hostility, and sent people to investigate his past. Exposing his secret at such a critical moment would probably drive Zhou Minghua out of his mind. Lei Dong kept a close eye on him, afraid he might strike with poison without warning.
But Chen Ge clearly had no intention of letting Zhou Minghua off so easily. He put on an innocent, guileless expression and asked, "Junior Brother Wei, what do you mean? I don't understand. What happened to Junior Brother Zhou's family? Why are you talking about his father and his grandpa?"
"Shut up!" Zhou Minghua hissed through clenched teeth. He abruptly jabbed his right hand, and a beam of deep blue light shot from his fingertip toward Wei Hua. It was none other than the devastating Spirit Slaying Finger.
Wei Hua gave a cold snort and almost simultaneously formed a spell seal. A transparent Profound Yin Shield instantly covered his entire body. He focused its defensive power with his spiritual sense, concentrating it in front of him into a thick, clear shield.
Smack! Spirit Slaying Finger collided head-on with the Profound Yin Shield. Perhaps because Zhou Minghua had only practiced it without honing it in real combat, his Spirit Slaying Finger failed to pierce Wei Hua's shield despite his higher cultivation. Instead, the two techniques annihilated each other.
"Well, well, Zhou Minghua! In broad daylight, under the clear heavens, you dare try to murder your fellow disciple?" Wei Hua shouted in feigned grief. "You're a bastard born of a man who sleeps with his daughter-in-law! Anyone who doesn't believe me can go ask around in Fan City. If I, Wei Hua, am speaking nonsense, may I die with my soul in a Soul Lamp! Zhou Minghua, you bastard—dare you swear the same oath as me?"
Though both men came from distinguished families, that was precisely why they were so knowledgeable. Their insults were backed by evidence and logic, making them far more effective than the childish taunts of those lackeys.
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