However, thinking back on it, the Ghost Fiend Palm was indeed exceptionally potent. Not only was its instantaneous burst of power immense, but more terrifyingly, the Yin Malevolence it contained, once driven into a person's body, would invade the internal system, corroding the blood vessels and physique, making it extremely difficult to eradicate. It was only fortunate that the Ghost Soldier possessed a body made purely of energy; the Ghost Fiend Palm striking it only delivered its explosive force, with the corrosive nature of the Yin Malevolence having no effect whatsoever.

In full view of everyone, Lei Dong leisurely took out the uniquely crafted, eerily spectral Supreme-Grade Soul Nurturing Pagoda—clearly no ordinary item—and carefully collected his injured Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldier. Even the Foundation Establishment stage referee let out a soft gasp: "A Supreme-Grade Soul Nurturing Pagoda. No wonder you managed to cultivate a Fourth-Grade Ghost Soldier so quickly."

This remark only fueled the jealousy of the onlookers toward Lei Dong. That was a Supreme-Grade magical artifact! Among their peers, the only other person openly known to possess a Supreme-Grade artifact was Ding Wanyan.

Hearing the murmurs around him, Lei Dong calmly put away the Soul Nurturing Pagoda. He had known all along that many would wonder how he managed to acquire a Fourth-Grade Ghost Soldier. Rather than letting them guess wildly, it was better to be open about possessing a Supreme-Grade Soul Nurturing Pagoda. Although even a Supreme-Grade Pagoda made it difficult to nurture a Low-Grade Spirit Ghost to the Fourth-Grade in just two or three years, it wasn't entirely impossible if one diligently fed the Ghost Soldier more monster beast flesh and blood, or perhaps through a few more blood sacrifices involving wild ghost soldiers.

Next, he watched the rounds of matches, instantly moving closer whenever a fight became exciting. First, it was to absorb experience from watching others battle. Second, he mostly wanted to see what trump cards others possessed. By the end of the day, the somewhat solemn Lei Dong felt a slight easing of his nerves; after all, not everyone had cultivated a Ghost Fiend Palm with such formidable power like Wu Qianqiu. As for Chen Ge’s opponent, it was hardly worth mentioning; he secured an easy victory.

Through ten continuous rounds, Lei Dong hadn't encountered any truly formidable opponents. Against ordinary disciples at the second or third layer of Qi Refining whose equipment was not strong, Lei Dong could win effortlessly simply by summoning his Fourth-Grade Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldier. Even the single opponent at the fourth layer of Qi Refining only required him to exert a little extra effort. To date, he hadn't been forced to deploy his second Spirit Ghost. Thus, including his first match, he now stood at twelve consecutive victories, accumulating twelve points.

It wasn't until the twelfth round, after drawing his lot, that Zhou Minghua suddenly erupted in elation. He scanned the crowd, finally locking his gaze onto Lei Dong, a savage look flashing in his eyes.

Indeed, as the head scribe announced the result of the draw, the fifth match on Arena A was set: Zhou Minghua versus Lei Dong. Since an eventual clash with Zhou Minghua was inevitable, Lei Dong was mentally prepared. He had been keeping tabs on Zhou Minghua’s combat strength in recent days. As one of the Patriarch's direct disciples, his resources were abundant, allowing him to reach the fifth layer of Qi Refining in just three years—his strength was naturally not insignificant.

However, in his previous twelve matches, Zhou Minghua had only won eleven; the one who defeated him was the Patriarch's other direct disciple, Zuo Chao. It was evident that Zhou Minghua held no affection for Zuo Chao, who had consistently overshadowed him. He had likely hoped for a decisive victory in that bout but ultimately fell short by a single maneuver, suffering a humiliating defeat. Nevertheless, this contest also exposed the peak of his true ability.

Whether it was due to Zhou Minghua failing to immediately win the Patriarch's favor, Lei Dong sensed that this fellow was destined for tragedy. While they were all direct disciples, Ding Wanyan possessed a Middle-Grade artifact and a Supreme-Grade one. Zuo Chao, however, had only a full set of Low-Grade artifacts and one Middle-Grade. As for Zhou Minghua, he only possessed a few decent Low-Grade magical artifacts. To ordinary disciples, this collection might seem good, but for a direct disciple, being outfitted entirely in Low-Grade artifacts was rather shabby. This suggested that perhaps the fellow was not held in high regard by the Patriarch. Lei Dong and the other two who had received Middle-Grade gifts from the Patriarch were fully qualified to look down on this pauper.

It was highly probable that this very disparity was why Zhou Minghua harbored such intense dislike for the trio. Especially Lei Dong, who had once forced him to apologize to Chen Ge by citing sect rules, was now hated to the bone. But now, the greatest source of hatred was likely the inexplicable connection between Lei Dong and Ding Wanyan.

Sigh. Petty minds lead to ruin. Before his fight with Zuo Chao, Lei Dong had paid him a modicum of attention. But after that bout, Lei Dong could only smile; this sort of caliber didn't require deploying all three of his ghosts to subdue him. As for the two spells he cultivated—the Spirit Slaughtering Finger and the Profound Yin Shield—they represented excellent offensive and defensive techniques, respectively. In terms of sheer power, the Spirit Slaughtering Finger was not inferior to the Ghost Fiend Palm.

However, this man perhaps focused too heavily on advancing his cultivation realm, neglecting the refinement of spells and practical combat too much in his daily life. When employing both techniques, the execution was crude and unpolished, barely presentable. He could only rely on his high cultivation and set of Low-Grade artifacts to pressure ordinary disciples; facing a true master, he would certainly collapse.

Without showing any outward emotion, Lei Dong finished watching the fights involving Chen Ge and Wei Hua against their respective opponents. The three then converged toward Arena A.

Perhaps consumed by a desire for revenge, Zhou Minghua was already waiting there with a few followers. The moment he saw Lei Dong approach, he couldn't resist mocking him: "Senior Brother Lei, are you planning to use sect rules to suppress Junior Brother today?"

"With his mere Third Layer Qi Refining cultivation, he dares to call himself Senior Brother Zhou's senior? Dreaming!"

"I say he doesn't know his place. Senior Brother Zhou is the Patriarch's direct disciple; how could he be worthy?"

The followers chimed in one after another with sarcastic jabs. Lei Dong found it amusing; this method of provocation was too weak. They were clearly just afraid he wouldn't show up for the fight. What a childish temper.

"Lei Dong, be careful. Don't fall for his tricks." Although Chen Ge knew Lei Dong was far more mature and steady than the average young disciple, he still offered a few cautious words. He then shot a look to Wei Hua and, with a cold sneer, counterattacked first: "Junior Brother Zhou, which belt is loose that you’ve been let out to disgrace yourself?"

Zhou Minghua froze for a moment before realizing the implication of the insult. His face instantly flushed crimson as he glared furiously at Chen Ge. Before he could retort, Wei Hua interjected with a wicked grin: "Senior Brother Zhou, I heard something about your family when I was in Fancheng. The neighbors all said you call your own father 'Grandpa,' is that right?"

Even Lei Dong paused for a moment before grasping the meaning, then chuckled and playfully slapped Wei Hua’s arm: "Stop talking nonsense, lest you be accused of disrespecting your senior brother."

"Senior Brother Lei, I speak the truth! That’s exactly what the neighbors said," Wei Hua declared solemnly. "If I speak falsely, may I be struck by lightning and forged into a soul lamp to suffer eternally. If you don't believe me, we can go to Fancheng and ask around."

Those in the surrounding crowd who understood the insult gasped audibly. Wei Hua had sworn such a vicious oath; the matter likely had eight or nine-tenths certainty of being true. Looking at Zhou Minghua, his complexion shifted from red to green, and his body trembled violently, as if he wouldn't be satisfied until he tore Wei Hua apart. There was no more room for doubt; it was one hundred percent true.

Those who understood the insult looked at Zhou Minghua with increased curiosity and scrutiny. Those who didn't understand remained utterly bewildered.

Lei Dong also figured it out. These two likely had already contacted their families due to Zhou Minghua's hostility, sending people to investigate some details of his past. Exposing such a hidden scandal at this critical juncture would probably cause Zhou Minghua to lose his composure. Lei Dong subtly watched him, wary that the man might lash out with a surprise poisonous blow.

But clearly, Chen Ge had no intention of letting him off lightly. Feigning an expression of pure innocence, he asked, "Junior Brother Wei, what did you mean by what you said? I don't understand. What's going on with Junior Brother Zhou's family that involves both a father and a grandfather?"

"Shut up!" Zhou Minghua ground out the words through clenched teeth, his right hand suddenly pointing forward, shooting a beam of dark blue light toward Wei Hua. It was undeniably the highly destructive Spirit Slaughtering Finger.

Wei Hua snorted coldly. Almost simultaneously, he activated his hand seals; a transparent Profound Yin Shield instantly enveloped his entire body, its defensive power concentrated in front of him, driven by his divine sense, forming a thick, translucent barrier.

Crack! The Spirit Slaughtering Finger met the Profound Yin Shield head-on. Perhaps due to Zhou Minghua’s practice methods, even though his cultivation was higher than Wei Hua's, the Spirit Slaughtering Finger failed to pierce the shield, instead destroying itself and the shield in a mutual annihilation.

"You fiend, Zhou Minghua! In broad daylight, under the heavens! You dare attempt to murder a fellow sect disciple?" Wei Hua clearly dropped all pretense of civility, crying out with feigned grief and rage, "You bastard, you spawn birthed from incestuous coupling! Anyone who doubts me, go ask around in Fancheng! If I, Wei Hua, utter a single falsehood, may my soul light be extinguished and I die! Zhou Minghua, you wretch, do you dare swear the same oath as me?"

Although both these men came from notable backgrounds, it was precisely because of this that they were well-versed. Their insults were logical and grounded, far superior to the casual taunts of those earlier youths.