Cruel and Ruthless

Chapter 33: Ruthless and Merciless

Bang bang bang~ The Profound Yin Shield trembled violently, ripples spreading as it twisted and warped. With all three master and servants attacking together, in merely seven or eight breaths, Zhou Minghua's Profound Yin Shield was viciously shattered, the dissipating energy stirring gusts of cold wind. The two semi-transparent ghost soldiers surrounding him were so ferocious in appearance that Zhou Minghua could already feel a chill creeping up his neck. His despairing face was pained and regretful—why had he provoked Lei Dong? Why had he signed the Life and Death Contract? Why was Lei Dong's heart so ruthless? Unwilling, so unwilling—my talent is better than yours...

A massive head tumbled endlessly through the sky amid the Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldier's ghastly howls. The two ghost soldiers immediately shrieked with excitement, transforming into a dense mist that swept up Zhou Minghua's corpse along with his scattered, ethereal Living Soul.

Squeak squeak~ Sizzle sizzle~ The two ghost soldiers gleefully devoured the flesh, blood, and Living Soul. A cultivator at the fifth layer of the Qi Refining Stage, after several rounds of Marrow Cleansing and Hair Washing, was vastly different from ordinary people or wild beasts. To these ghost soldiers, this was a great tonic. Even without Lei Dong's orders, their instincts would drive them to consume the enemy's flesh, blood, and Living Soul after battle.

But among the onlookers below the arena, some faces turned pale. Especially considering that Zhou Minghua had spent the last seven or eight breaths before his death begging and pleading for mercy—the wisp of Living Soul being devoured still seemed to show his agonized form. One moment, he was a revered Personal Disciple; the next, he had become a meal in the belly of a ghostly monster. For a time, a chill crept into everyone's hearts as they lamented the vicissitudes of life. In particular, Zhou Minghua's few lackeys, looking at Lei Dong standing coldly on his flying sword with hands clasped behind his back and an arrogant gaze, couldn't help trembling uncontrollably, their teeth chattering. At the same time, the contemptuous and disdainful looks from before the arena had now turned into something like awe.

The ghost soldiers devoured quickly. From start to finish, it took only a few dozen breaths. The flesh, blood, and bones were all digested cleanly. What remained was a set of clothes, the Cold Yin Flying Sword, and the Storage Belt. Lei Dong unceremoniously collected the Cold Yin Flying Sword and the Storage Belt. As for life-and-death duels, Lei Dong had naturally read about them in the sect rules. The victor had the right to possess everything of the loser—not just these external possessions, but even his status as a Personal Disciple could be inherited.

In a sense, as long as the Ancestor did not object, then Lei Dong would become the new Personal Disciple. Of course, becoming a Personal Disciple meant gaining many resources, but it would also inevitably attract jealousy from many. If someone truly coveted his position and believed themselves stronger, they could challenge him to a life-and-death duel. Though he had the right to refuse, repeatedly rejecting such challenges from ordinary disciples as a Personal Disciple would not only damage his reputation but also displease the Ancestor.

In fact, this was also a form of incentive and discipline. As a Personal Disciple, with abundant resources, one must advance faster and become stronger than ordinary disciples. Otherwise, the law of survival of the fittest would eventually take effect. This was also why Zhou Minghua, after becoming a Personal Disciple, reacted so violently when mocked for being inadequate.

Indeed, Personal Disciples had many advantages, but the pressure also multiplied.

"Round Thirteen, second match of Arena No. 1: Zhou Minghua versus Lei Dong. Lei Dong wins, gains one point." The Foundation Establishment Referee seemed almost indifferent to such matters, patiently waiting for the ghost soldiers to finish devouring before announcing the final result.

Only then did Lei Dong recall the two ghost soldiers, now flushed red from consuming flesh and blood, and slowly walk down the arena.

"Senior Brother Lei, Senior Brother Lei." Those fellow disciples of the same year who had rarely spoken before now crowded around one by one, respectfully calling him Senior Brother. But there were also many more who only watched Lei Dong from a distance with reverence.

Lei Dong merely gave a slight nod and walked to a spot not far from Chen Ge and Wei Hua. The two looked at Lei Dong with surprise and delight. Though they had long known Lei Dong was extraordinary, now that he had actually killed Zhou Minghua, their hearts were filled with immense emotion.

"Senior Brother Lei, congratulations." Chen Ge suddenly became solemn, even addressing him as Senior Brother.

"Senior Brother Chen, between you and me, do we need this?" Lei Dong shook his head and laughed. To be honest, Zhou Minghua was no weakling. Without Chen Ge and Wei Hua's earlier scheme to trick away most of his true qi and one shield, this victory would have been extremely hard-won. He might even have had to reveal the third ghost soldier. Lei Dong was quite grateful to the two of them. From the very beginning, they had set aside a portion of their meager Spirit Stones for him. Though it was clearly an investment, it still showed their goodwill and boldness. Even a hero needs three helpers; being alone and weak makes one easy to bully.

"I told you, Senior Brother Lei isn't the type to turn his back on people once he gains power." Wei Hua's expression also relaxed.

Lei Dong appeared calm on the surface, but inwardly he was very tense. After all, he had publicly killed the Ancestor's Personal Disciple. Who knew how the Ancestor would react? As the saying goes, Heavenly Might is unfathomable. How could one easily guess the thoughts of a figure like the Ancestor, who walked the Golden Core Path?

Just as he was feeling anxious, a faint voice from the Ghost Servant reached his ear: "Kid Lei, you're getting quite ruthless and merciless, aren't you?"

Just that one sentence made Lei Dong's hair stand on end, sweat beading on his forehead. From his estimation of the Ghost Servant's strength, he was definitely a Foundation Establishment cultivator. That meant, without the Ancestor lifting a finger, the Ghost Servant could easily make his soul scatter with a flick of his finger. Suppressing the terror in his heart, his face slightly pale, he turned back and looked at the Ghost Servant floating in midair with reverence.

"Scared now, are you? Quite bold, aren't you? Tomorrow morning, come with me to see the Ancestor." After saying this, the Ghost Servant drifted away, leaving Lei Dong drenched in sweat.

Chen Ge and Wei Hua also noticed Lei Dong's abnormality. They glanced at the departing Ghost Servant, their expressions turning somewhat heavy.

"Don't worry, it probably isn't anything bad." Lei Dong let out a breath and patted their shoulders. "I'll go back and rest well. I need to see the Ancestor tomorrow."

After taking his leave, Lei Dong returned to his quarters, swallowed a Qi Condensing Pill, and sat in meditation to restore his full true qi. Only then did he calmly think through the entire sequence of events. Though seeing the Ancestor tomorrow was most likely not a bad thing, until the outcome was clear, how could he not be anxious?

He spent a sleepless night reading various miscellaneous records until dawn. Then he bathed, burned incense, calmed his mind, and went to the Ancestor's palace entrance, asking someone to inform Lord Ghost Servant.

Before long, the Ghost Servant came out and led Lei Dong to the Side Hall. Along the way, he didn't say a single word to him, which only made Lei Dong more anxious.

After being kept waiting in the Side Hall for nearly half a day, Lei Dong finally received word that he could see the Ancestor. He immediately took a deep breath, forced himself to focus, and strode straight into the main hall. Catching a glimpse of the Myriad Ghost Ancestor, clad in a Black Robe, seated upright on the dais, Lei Dong dared not be careless. He hurried forward and solemnly bowed: "Disciple Lei Dong pays respects to the Ancestor. May the Ancestor soon ascend to the Indestructible Nascent Soul Realm, live as long as heaven, and be immortal for eternity."

"Rise." The Myriad Ghost Ancestor's voice was flat as he waved his hand, revealing neither joy nor anger.

"Thank you for your great grace, Ancestor." Lei Dong breathed a slight sigh of relief and stood up, but he dared not raise his head to look at the Ancestor's expression, simply standing there quietly and respectfully.

"Lei Dong, you were quite bold this time." The Myriad Ghost Ancestor's voice turned cold.

"Disciple would not dare." Lei Dong immediately knelt again, his back damp with sweat as he forced himself to calm down and said, "Disciple admits guilt." He knew that the Ancestor had likely already made up his mind about this matter. If it was a blessing, it wasn't a curse; if it was a curse, it couldn't be avoided. Thus, arguing forcefully might only provoke the Ancestor's anger. It was safer to honestly confess his guilt.

Having admonished Lei Dong and seeing that his behavior was indeed satisfactory, the Ancestor's voice softened again: "Our Yin Sha Sect is one of the great evil powers of the Cultivation World. We are not a charity. Not to mention, the strong preying on the weak is the basic law of the Cultivation World. That boy Zhou Minghua, though his talent was passable, was impetuous, impulsive, and incompetent—unfit for great matters. You replacing him is in line with our sect's principles. Rise. From today onward, you are one of my Personal Disciples."

Welcome, Book Friends, to read. The latest, fastest, and most popular serialized works are all here! Mobile Users, please go to read.