Shadow Wraith

The moment the words left his mouth, he shot out another Spirit Slaying Finger.

Lei Dong gave a disdainful snort. He seemed to have been ready for this; the instant Zhou Minghua raised his finger, Lei Dong's figure flashed sharply to the side. With the help of his Middle Grade Cloud Ascending Boots, he left behind a faint shadow. The blue beam grazed past his body and continued straight to the edge of the arena, where it slammed into the arena's restriction. A halo burst out, and ripples shivered across the transparent barrier. At the same time, Lei Dong lifted his hand slightly. The Level Four Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldier had barely appeared before entering its bloodthirsty state, howling as it pounced at Zhou Minghua.

Seeing his attack so easily evaded, Zhou Minghua was deeply frustrated. But with the Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldier bearing down on him, he had no choice but to raise a Profound Yin Shield. He also produced a glistening pill, seeming reluctant and pained as he tossed it straight into his mouth.

Lei Dong was slightly taken aback. The pallor that had washed over Zhou Minghua's face from casting spell after spell was fading at a visible pace. This was clearly a special pill that could restore one's true essence during battle, most likely something like a Minor Return Origin Pill. But its price was nowhere near comparable to pills like Qi Condensing Pills, which only sped up recovery while cultivating through meditation. The ingredients for a Minor Return Origin Pill included several herbs that were a hundred years old, and even the cheapest went for dozens of spirit stones apiece. No one would willingly take one unless the situation was truly desperate.

The pill Zhou Minghua had taken was a reward from the Ancestor, meant for the Personal Disciples to restore their true qi and save their lives in a pinch if anything went wrong. That was why Zhou Minghua hadn't used a Minor Return Origin Pill during his fight with Zuo Chao. It wouldn't have helped; Zuo Chao had one too, and if they fought to the bitter end, Zhou Minghua would still lose.

But Lei Dong's expression didn't change. Zhou Minghua had dared to sign a Life and Death Contract with him, so he must have had some trump cards up his sleeve. Now that the Minor Return Origin Pill had appeared, Lei Dong actually felt even more at ease. Wei Hua, however, turned pale, thinking Lei Dong had fallen for Zhou Minghua's trick. That one Minor Return Origin Pill was enough to restore all of Zhou Minghua's true qi. Chen Ge, on the other hand, remained calm as still water, watching without haste.

Clang! The Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldier's blade crashed into the Profound Yin Shield, sending ripples shuddering across it. With its strength, it couldn't possibly shatter the shield in a single strike, but if it kept pounding away, the shield would eventually break.

Feeling his nearly depleted Profound Yin True Qi rapidly recover, Zhou Minghua took out a Cold Yin Flying Sword. With a hand seal, he sent it shooting toward Lei Dong like a streak of cold light, tracing a graceful arc like a swimming fish.

Lei Dong immediately urged his Cloud Ascending Boots and darted to one side. But under Zhou Minghua's command, the streak of cold light clung to him like a maggot, and no matter how he dodged and weaved, he couldn't shake it off. Several times, it nearly cut him. Even Chen Ge, who had some faith in Lei Dong, couldn't hold back his anxiety as he watched.

Clang! A flash of ink-green light collided violently with the streak of cold light, slowing its flight for an instant. But the ink-green light dimmed considerably, wobbling as if it could barely stay aloft. The Small Sword gifted to new disciples was indeed no match for a genuine low-grade offensive Magic Tool. But Lei Dong needed only that brief respite. He formed a hand seal, though nothing seemed to happen. Then he formed another, and a flying Magic Tool wreathed in Black Qi appeared out of thin air before him.

Unlike an offensive Flying Sword used to slay foes, Phantom was a flying-type Magic Tool. The two had been designed with completely different purposes in mind. Though both could fly and both were swords, they were worlds apart in essence. Offensive Magic Tools weren't limited to swords, and flying-type Magic Tools weren't limited to them either. The sword shape was simply a form both types often happened to take.

He took just one small step and landed squarely on Phantom. With a rapid flick of his Mind Power, Phantom immediately released a surge of energy and carried Lei Dong darting all over the arena. Since restrictions enclosed every side of the arena, he couldn't simply fly up into the heavens.

"A flying Magic Tool? And it looks like a pretty good one." Some people began to cry out, their voices thick with envy. More and more spectators had gathered around Arena No. 1; nearly everyone who wasn't taking part in the duel had come to watch this fight to the death.

Zhou Minghua was taken aback as well. He hadn't expected Lei Dong to own such a swift flying Magic Tool, one fast enough to outrun his Flying Sword. Irritated, he recalled his sword and began using the Cold Yin Flying Sword to attack the Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldier. I'll take out your Level Four Ghost Soldier first, then deal with you. Let's see how you fight me then.

The Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldier raised its shield. The impact of the blow rang out with a violent crash.

The Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldier continued hacking at the Profound Yin Shield, and the already unstable shield finally shattered. Zhou Minghua used his Flying Sword to block the attack as he quickly retreated, forming hand seals to raise another Profound Yin Shield. But just then, he suddenly felt a gust of Yin Wind behind him. Before he could react, the crowd below cried out in alarm.

Thud! Zhou Minghua felt something slam hard into his back, pitching him forward. A searing pain flared across his back.

His attacker was naturally the Ghost Servant that Lei Dong had first revealed when he made his debut, which he had named the Shadow Ghost Soldier. Though it was only at the peak of Level Three, that heavy blow to Zhou Minghua's unguarded back had badly wounded him. He was fortunate to have reached the fifth level of Qi Refining; his physique was far stronger than an ordinary person's, and his true qi had instinctively protected him, blocking most of the damage.

Even so, the Shadow Ghost Soldier had left a huge, bone-deep gash in his back. If the Profound Yin True Qi in Zhou Minghua's body hadn't automatically sealed the blood vessels, that one blow alone would have made him bleed to death.

Seeing Zhou Minghua stagger toward him, the Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldier wasted no time raising its hand and bringing its blade down in a fierce chop. Zhou Minghua's face filled with terror. He immediately recalled his Flying Sword to block the blow, then flashed to one side and rolled away. Ignoring the injury to his back, he sprang up and broke into a desperate run.

Whoosh! Lei Dong's unsteady, ink-green Small Sword arrived right on cue and stabbed him in the thigh without the slightest mercy. Zhou Minghua nearly tumbled head over heels as he ran.

"Spirit Slaying Finger!" Zhou Minghua jabbed out twice in succession. Two beams of eerie light shot toward the two relentless Ghost Soldiers, and in an instant, his already pale face was drained of all color. The two Ghost Soldiers each raised their shields and took the attacks head-on. The Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldier fared well; it was forced back a couple of steps before charging in again. But the Shadow Ghost Soldier was blasted away, its hand shield instantly shattered. Almost at the same time, its body swayed and gradually vanished from most people's sight.

Naturally, Invisibility Technique at the Shadow Ghost Soldier's level could only deceive low-level cultivators. The Foundation Establishment Referee and the Ghost Slave floating in midair, for instance, had noticed it the moment Lei Dong secretly summoned it.

However, Zhou Minghua had used that opening to force up another Profound Yin Shield. By now, after his fierce expenditure of energy, his true qi was nearly spent. He could only barely control his Flying Sword to repeatedly fend off the Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldier's attacks. As for the Shadow Ghost Soldier, no one knew where it had gone after vanishing.

By this point, the outcome of the battle was clear: Lei Dong had the absolute advantage. It was only a matter of time before he finished Zhou Minghua. The spectators also found the duel truly gripping. At first, nearly everyone had thought Zhou Minghua was certain to win after taking the Minor Return Origin Pill. But events had quickly taken a sharp turn. Lei Dong not only had a powerful flying Magic Tool, he had also kept a Level Three Ghost Soldier with Invisibility Technique in reserve. With a sneak attack, it had completely turned the tables.

Zhou Minghua knew the situation was lost. While the Shadow Ghost Soldier still hadn't made another move, he hurriedly called out as he fended off the Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldier's attacks, "Lei Dong, I surrender! I surrender! I won't ever fight you again!"

A cold smile tugged at Lei Dong's lips. He formed a hand seal, directing the ink-green Small Sword to help the Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldier press its attack. At the same time, the Shadow Ghost Soldier appeared behind Zhou Minghua and brought its blade down in another vicious chop.

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