Life and Death Contract

Now most of the people understood, and the looks they gave Zhou Minghua were as if they were staring at a monster.

This matter was originally a nightmare that Zhou Minghua couldn't shake from his heart. He had thought that after coming to the Yin Sha Sect, he could completely bid farewell to his past. But he never expected that his greatest secret would be brutally exposed in front of everyone by these three detestable fellows. His face flushed a deep purple, yet he dared not swear a poisonous oath like Wei Hua. A fierce and vicious expression spread across his face: "I'll kill you all, aah~~ Spirit Slaying Finger!"

Zhou Minghua, in grief and fury, pointed his finger, and another streak of deep blue light shot out. Chen Ge sneered, controlling his shield with his mind, and a shield full of Black Qi suddenly appeared before him. With a crack, it forcefully blocked Zhou Minghua's enraged strike. The Spirit Slaying Finger had extremely strong penetrating power; if it were an ordinary defensive magic tool, it might not have burst apart under that finger, but it would at least have been mostly damaged.

However, Chen Ge's shield only trembled slightly, and the surrounding Black Qi diminished a little. After all, it was a Mid-grade Defensive Magic Artifact, so it couldn't be destroyed so easily.

Back then, the Ancestor's rewards were extremely fair. Each of the three received one Mid-grade Magic Artifact and a packet of a hundred Spirit Stones, all tailored to the Cultivation Methods that Lei Dong and the others practiced. Lei Dong got the Cloud Ascending Boots, which increased speed; Chen Ge received this Evil Ghost Shield; and Wei Hua, who excelled at defense, was delighted to obtain the Fire Cloud Sword. This showed that the Ancestor had put some thought into the rewards.

"Heh heh, the Spirit Slaying Finger is nothing much. Let me show you my Netherflame Bullet." Chen Ge's mastery of the Netherflame Bullet, while not yet perfect, was already quite skilled. He formed a hand seal, and a Netherflame Bullet radiating a ghastly light shot out with a long tail of flame, speeding toward its target. Zhou Minghua, unfamiliar with the Profound Yin Shield, had no time to form a hand seal and cast a spell, so he could only rely on a Low-grade Defensive Dharma Shield to take the hit head-on.

Bang~ The Netherflame Bullet struck the Defensive Dharma Shield head-on, exploding violently, sending ghostly green flames splattering in all directions. The onlookers were greatly alarmed and immediately leaped back, terrified of getting even a trace of the Netherflame on them and suffering greatly. In fact, the Netherflame had another name: Ghost Fire. If it touched a person, it would directly burn and refine their soul. If not extinguished in time, it would cause the person to die in agony. After taking the direct explosion of that Netherflame Bullet, the Low-grade Defensive Dharma Shield couldn't hold up and began to crack.

Lei Dong, meanwhile, started comparing the three different types of offensive spells he had witnessed. In terms of pure power, the Ghost Sha Palm was probably the strongest, unleashing with overwhelming momentum and extraordinary Aura, but it also consumed the most energy. Wu Qianqiu, a Qi Refining Third Layer cultivator, couldn't even use it a second time after one cast.

As for the Netherflame Bullet, its power might be slightly inferior to the Ghost Sha Palm. But in essence, the Netherflame Bullet was actually a small-area attack spell, relying on the explosive shockwave to injure enemies, with the added effect of splashing Netherflame to ignite. At higher levels of mastery, it could explode and cover a wide area.

Among the three, the Spirit Slaying Finger had the least power, but it possessed extremely strong penetrating power and speed, making it hard to guard against. Additionally, the Spirit Slaying Finger was the simplest to cultivate; it didn't require absorbing Sha Qi or Netherflame, relying entirely on pure Profound Yin True Qi. Most importantly, its consumption was also the lowest among the three. Seeing Zhou Minghua unleash the Spirit Slaying Finger twice in a row without any hindrance showed that its True Qi consumption was definitely low.

Whether it was the Ghost Sha Palm, the Spirit Slaying Finger, or the Netherflame Bullet, they were all excellent spells, each with their own strengths and weaknesses.

Just as Zhou Minghua's Low-grade shield began to crack, Wei Hua let out a cold laugh, formed a hand seal, and a flying sword brimming with lively flame shot straight at Zhou Minghua like an arrow. Fortunately, Zhou Minghua, having just been attacked by the Netherflame Bullet, knew there would be more to come and had already started casting the Profound Yin Shield. A cold, semi-transparent Profound Yin Shield enveloped him and began to condense.

Boom~ The first to suffer was Zhou Minghua's Low-grade small shield. Already in a cracked state, how could it withstand a Mid-grade offensive Magic Artifact like the Fire Cloud Sword? As it pierced through the Low-grade small shield, the Fire Cloud Sword's momentum didn't stop, crashing into the Profound Yin Shield.

The Profound Yin Shield, true to its reputation as one of the strongest defensive spells of the Yin Sha Sect's Qi Refining Stage, managed to block the blow, with the Fire Cloud Sword stopping a few inches from his chest. However, the Profound Yin Shield he had raised rippled and flickered, dimming and brightening. Clearly, after blocking this strike, even if 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, his cold eyes sweeping over the crowd. Everyone, including Lei Dong, couldn't help but feel a chill, shivering involuntarily. Finally, his gaze landed on Zhou Minghua. Seeing him not only disheveled but also with an extremely ugly expression, he frowned slightly: "Zhou Minghua, you speak."

Zhou Minghua was clearly very wary of the Ancestor's Ghost Servant, his face filled with fear. But to expose his humiliation and privacy again in front of everyone was something he simply couldn't bring himself to do. Yet, he dared not lie in front of the Ghost Servant, especially with so many witnesses. For a moment, his face alternated between red and green, stammering without being able to speak.

"Hmph~" The Ghost Servant snorted in displeasure, then turned to Lei Dong: "Lei boy, you speak." From the way he addressed them, it was clear that the Ghost Servant was slightly closer to Lei Dong.

"Yes, Senior." Lei Dong's expression was calm. He bowed and then recounted the entire sequence of events word for word, without lying about anything.

After hearing him out, the Ghost Servant's face remained expressionless, making it impossible to guess his thoughts. He simply looked around: "During the Small Competition, if anyone dares to engage in private fights, they will receive a hundred lashes. Arena No. 1, continue the match."

The Foundation Establishment Referee was also clearly wary of the Ghost Servant. He quickly called for Zhou Minghua and Lei Dong to step onto the stage based on the information.

"Win if you have the chance, concede if you don't. This is all we can do." Chen Ge said quietly to Lei Dong. Clearly, all of this had been planned in advance. Even if Zhou Minghua hadn't provoked first, Chen Ge would have found a way to stir up trouble. One, to force Zhou Minghua to lose his composure, and two, to drain his True Qi and magic tools before the match.

It seemed the effect was quite good. Zhou Minghua had used the Spirit Slaying Finger twice and the Profound Yin Shield once in a short time, and his internal True Qi was probably less than half. Destroying his Low-grade small shield was an added bonus.

"Don't worry. You've all taken risks for me to this extent. If I still can't win, I might as well go home early, marry, and have kids. What's the point of cultivating?" Lei Dong revealed a confident smile.

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

"Zhou Minghua, even if you're eager to die, there's no need to be so impatient." Lei Dong, with his hands behind his back, leisurely walked onto the stage, looking at him with a contemptuous gaze. Slowly, he shook his head.

"Lei Dong, you're all talk. If you've got the guts, don't concede today. Let's fight to the death on this stage." Zhou Minghua had already lost his composure after being provoked by the three of them today. His only thought now was to wash away his shame with Lei Dong's blood. Not just Lei Dong's, but also those two bastards Chen Ge and Wei Hua.

Lei Dong was amused inwardly. You're the one asking for death, don't blame me. But to be safe, he turned to the Foundation Establishment Referee and asked respectfully: "Senior, is there such a rule?"

"There is such a rule. If disciples have irreconcilable conflicts, they can fight on the Life and Death Stage, to the death. But both parties must voluntarily agree..." The referee hesitated, glancing at the Ghost Servant floating nearby: "But this is the Small Competition..."

"Let them sign." The Ghost Servant said coldly.

The referee immediately took out a document, filled in 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 and vicious expression: "Lei, you're not scared, are you? Do you need to go home and drink more milk before you dare to fight?"

"Lei Dong~" Chen Ge frowned slightly from below the stage, speaking solemnly: "There will be another chance."

Lei Dong gave him a reassuring look, smiled, and signed his name on the Life and Death Contract.

"Zhou Minghua versus Lei Dong. The Life and Death Contract is established. Both parties fight without regard for life or death, until one falls." After the referee announced, he immediately stepped back: "The match begins."

"Lei Dong, today is the day you die!"