Life and Death Contract

Now, most of the people understood. They looked at Zhou Minghua as if he were some kind of monster.

This had always been a nightmare Zhou Minghua couldn't escape. He had thought that after joining the Yin Sha Sect, he could leave his past behind for good. But he never imagined that these three hateful bastards would expose his most private secret in front of everyone. His face turned a purplish red, yet he didn't dare swear a vicious oath like Wei Hua had. His face twisted with rage. "I'm going to kill you all! Aahhh—Spirit Slaying Finger!"

Zhou Minghua jabbed a finger out in grief and fury, sending another streak of blue light shooting forth. Chen Ge sneered and controlled his shield with his mind. A shield wreathed in Black Qi abruptly appeared before him. With a sharp smack, it blocked Zhou Minghua's furious, hate-filled strike. The Spirit Slaying Finger had tremendous penetrating power. Against an ordinary defensive Magic Tool, that single strike might not shatter it outright, but it would at least inflict severe damage.

Chen Ge's shield, however, only trembled slightly, and the Black Qi swirling around it thinned a little. After all, it was a Mid-grade defensive Magic Tool. It wouldn't be destroyed so easily.

Back then, the Ancestor had distributed his rewards with great fairness. Each of the three had received a Mid-grade Magic Tool and a hundred Spirit Stones, each reward tailored to their Cultivation Method. Lei Dong had received the Cloud Ascending Boots, which increased his speed; Chen Ge had gotten this Evil Ghost Shield; and Wei Hua, who excelled at defense, had been given the Fire Cloud Sword. Clearly, the Ancestor had put some thought into his rewards.

"Heh, that Spirit Slaying Finger was nothing. Now try a taste of my Netherflame Bullet." Chen Ge had become extremely skilled at casting the Netherflame Bullet—not quite perfect, but close. He pinched a hand seal, and a Netherflame Bullet, glowing with a ghastly light and trailing a long tail of fire, shot toward Zhou Minghua. Unfamiliar with the Profound Yin Shield, Zhou Minghua didn't have time to form the hand seals and cast it. He could only rely on a low-grade defensive Dharma Shield to take the hit.

Bang! The Netherflame Bullet struck the defensive shield head-on and exploded violently, sending Ghost Fire splashing in every direction. The onlookers were horrified and immediately leaped away, terrified that even a little Ghost Fire might land on them and cause them terrible suffering. In fact, Nether Fire had another name: Ghost Fire. If it touched someone, it would burn their soul outright. Unless extinguished in time, it would torture them to death. After taking the Netherflame Bullet's blast head-on, the Low-grade Defensive Dharma Shield began to crack, showing signs of giving way.

Lei Dong began comparing the three offensive spells he had seen. Judging by sheer power, the Ghost Sha Palm was probably the strongest. It came crashing down like an avalanche, with tremendous force, but it also consumed the most energy. Wu Qianqiu, a Qi Refining Third Layer cultivator, had cast it once and couldn't manage a second attempt.

The Netherflame Bullet was probably a little weaker than the Ghost Sha Palm. But in essence, it was a small-area attack spell, relying on the shock wave from its explosion to injure its target. It also sent Nether Fire splashing around to ignite anything it touched. Once mastered, it could blast an entire area at once.

Of the three, the Spirit Slaying Finger was the weakest, but it had incredible penetrating power and speed, making it difficult to defend against. It was also the easiest to cultivate: there was no need to absorb Killing Intent or Nether Fire. It made complete use of refined Profound Yin True Qi. Most importantly, it consumed the least energy of the three. Zhou Minghua had just unleashed the Spirit Slaying Finger twice in a row without difficulty, so it was clear the technique didn't use much of his True Qi.

The Ghost Sha Palm, Spirit Slaying Finger, and Netherflame Bullet were all excellent spells, each with its own strengths and weaknesses.

Just as Zhou Minghua's Low-grade shield began to crack, Wei Hua sneered, formed a hand seal, and sent a Flying Sword wreathed in lively flames shooting toward Zhou Minghua like an arrow. Fortunately, Zhou Minghua had realized there would likely be more to come when the Netherflame Bullet struck, and had cast the Profound Yin Shield in advance. The cold, translucent shield immediately enveloped him and gathered close around his body.

Boom! The first to suffer was Zhou Minghua's Low-grade shield. Already cracked, it stood no chance against the Mid-grade Fire Cloud Sword. After punching through the Low-grade shield,

the Fire Cloud Sword kept right on going and slammed into the Profound Yin Shield.

The Profound Yin Shield truly deserved its reputation as one of the strongest protective spells for the Qi Refining Stage in the Yin Sha Sect. It held firm against the strike, stopping the Fire Cloud Sword just inches from Zhou Minghua's chest. But the shield he had raised rippled and flickered, its light dimming and brightening. Clearly, even though it hadn't shattered on the spot, it wouldn't hold for much longer.

"Stop!"

The Ghost Servant drifted over with his hands behind his back, sweeping his cold, gloomy gaze across the crowd. Everyone, Lei Dong included, felt a chill wash over them and shuddered. At last, he fixed his eyes on Zhou Minghua. Seeing that he was not only disheveled but also looked awful, the Ghost Servant furrowed his brows slightly. "Zhou Minghua, explain."

Zhou Minghua was clearly terrified of the Ghost Servant who served the Ancestor. His face was stricken with fear. Yet there was no way he could bring himself to expose his humiliation and private secret all over again in front of the crowd. But he also didn't dare lie in front of the Ghost Servant, not with so many witnesses present. His face flushed red, then pale, as he stammered helplessly.

"Hmph." The Ghost Servant grunted in displeasure, then turned to Lei Dong. "Lei, you tell me." Judging from the way he addressed them, the Ghost Servant was clearly a little more familiar with Lei Dong.

"Yes, Senior." Lei Dong remained calm. He bowed and recounted what had happened from beginning to end, word for word, without telling a single lie.

The Ghost Servant listened with an impassive expression, giving no hint of what he was thinking. He merely glanced around at the crowd. "Anyone who dares to fight outside the arena during the Small Competition will receive a hundred lashes. Continue the match at Arena No. 1."

The Foundation Establishment Referee was clearly wary of the Ghost Servant too. He hurriedly called for Zhou Minghua and Lei Dong to take the stage.

"If you get a chance, win. If you don't, surrender. That's all we can do," Chen Ge whispered to Lei Dong. Clearly, everything had been planned in advance. Even if Zhou Minghua hadn't provoked them first, Chen Ge would have found an opportunity to stir up trouble. First, they wanted to drive Zhou Minghua out of his senses; second, they wanted to wear down his True Qi and Magic Tools before he even got onstage.

The plan had worked fairly well. In a short time, Zhou Minghua had cast the Spirit Slaying Finger twice and the Profound Yin Shield once. His True Qi was probably already less than half its original amount. And destroying his Low-grade shield had been an unexpected bonus.

"Don't worry. You've all gone this far and risked so much for me. If I still can't win, I might as well go home, get married, and have children. What's the point of cultivating?" Lei Dong smiled with confidence.

"Lei Dong, get up here and die!" Zhou Minghua had already leaped onto the arena and shouted in grief and fury.

"Zhou Minghua, even if you're in such a hurry to die, there's no need to rush." Lei Dong walked onto the arena with his hands behind his back, looking perfectly at ease. He gave Zhou Minghua a disdainful glance, then slowly shook his head.

"Lei Dong, all you're good for is running your mouth. If you've got the guts, don't surrender today. You and I will fight to the death right here on this arena." The three of them had driven Zhou Minghua out of his mind today. Now, all he wanted was to wash away his humiliation with Lei Dong's blood—not only Lei Dong's, but also that of those two despicable men, Chen Ge and Wei Hua.

Lei Dong was delighted. You're asking to die. Don't blame me for what happens next. But to be safe, he turned to the Foundation Establishment Referee and respectfully asked, "Senior, is there a rule that allows this?"

"There is such a rule. If two disciples have an irreconcilable grudge, they can fight on the life-and-death arena, and the fight will continue until one of them dies. But both sides have to agree to it..." The referee hesitated and glanced at the Ghost Servant floating not far away. "But the Small Competition is—"

"Let them sign," the Ghost Servant said coldly.

The referee immediately took out a document, filled out the Life and Death Contract, and handed it to Zhou Minghua. Zhou Minghua signed his name without hesitation, then looked at Lei Dong with a sinister, vicious expression. "Lei, don't tell me you're too scared. Why don't you go home and suckle at your mother's breast for a few more years before you come back to fight?"

"Lei Dong..." Chen Ge frowned slightly. From below the arena, he said gravely, "There'll be another chance later."

Lei Dong gave him a reassuring look, then smiled as he picked up the pen and signed his name on the Life and Death Contract.

"Zhou Minghua versus Lei Dong. The Life and Death Contract is now in effect. Either may die, and the fight will continue until one of them does." After reading the declaration, the referee immediately stepped back. "The match begins."

"Lei Dong, this time next year will be the anniversary of your death!"