Now, the majority understood, and the way they looked at Zhou Minghua was as if they were staring at a monster.

This incident had always been Zhou Minghua’s lingering nightmare. He had truly thought that upon arriving at the Yin Sha Sect, he could completely sever ties with his past. Yet, he never imagined his deepest secret would be brutally exposed in front of everyone by those three detestable wretches. His face flushed a deep purplish-red, but lacking the nerve to swear a vicious oath like Wei Hua, his face was filled with fierce hostility: "I will kill you all! Ahhh~~ Spirit Slaying Finger!"

Zhou Minghua lashed out in grief and indignation, pointing a finger that shot out another beam of faint blue light. Chen Ge merely sneered, commanding his spirit to conjure a shield. A barrier covered in black miasma abruptly materialized before him. With a crisp pa, it solidly blocked Zhou Minghua's resentful, focused strike. The Spirit Slaying Finger possessed extreme penetrating power; any ordinary defensive magic tool, faced with that single point, would, at the very least, be substantially damaged, if not completely shattered.

However, Chen Ge’s shield merely trembled slightly, the surrounding black energy diminishing a fraction. It was, after all, a mid-grade defensive magic tool; it wouldn't be so easily destroyed.

The Ancestor’s rewards back then had been distributed with remarkable fairness. Each of the three received one mid-grade magic tool, plus a pouch containing a hundred spirit stones, all tailored precisely to the cultivation methods practiced by Lei Dong and the others. Lei Dong received the Cloud-Ascending Boots, which enhanced speed; Chen Ge obtained this Fiend Ghost Shield; and Wei Hua, who excelled at defense, was delighted to receive the Fire Cloud Sword. This demonstrated that the Ancestor had put considerable thought into the bestowals.

"Heh heh, Spirit Slaying Finger is nothing impressive. Now, try my Nether Fire Pellet." Chen Ge's execution of the Nether Fire Pellet was no longer clumsy, if not yet flawless. As he formed the hand seals, a Nether Fire Pellet radiating a desolate brilliance shot out, trailing a long tail of flame. Zhou Minghua, completely unfamiliar with the Profound Yin Shield, had no time to form the necessary hand seals for defense and was forced to rely on a low-grade defensive shield to absorb the impact.

Ping! The Nether Fire Pellet struck the defensive shield head-on. Following a violent explosion, the ghostly green nether fire splashed out in all directions. The onlookers instantly recoiled in horror, leaping backward lest they be touched by even a speck of the nether fire and suffer greatly. In fact, the Nether Fire had another name: Ghost Fire. Once it adhered to a person, it would directly incinerate the soul; if not extinguished promptly, it would cause agony until death. After taking the direct blast from the Nether Fire Pellet, Zhou Minghua's low-grade defensive shield began to crack, showing signs of failing.

Lei Dong, meanwhile, began comparing the three different offensive spells he had witnessed. In terms of sheer destructive power, the Ghost Fiend Palm likely reigned supreme; its casting felt like a tidal wave rolling in, possessing extraordinary momentum, but it demanded the greatest expenditure of energy. Wu Qianqiu, a cultivator at the third layer of Qi Refining, couldn't manage a second cast after unleashing just one.

As for the Nether Fire Pellet, its power was perhaps slightly less than the Ghost Fiend Palm. However, in essence, the Nether Fire Pellet was a small-area crowd control spell, relying on the shockwave generated by the explosion to injure enemies, with the added element of splashing nether fire to ignite. When mastered, one explosion could engulf an entire area.

The Spirit Slaying Finger was the weakest among the three in raw power but possessed extremely high penetration and speed, making it virtually impossible to defend against. Moreover, the Spirit Slaying Finger was the simplest to cultivate. It required no absorption of Sha Qi or Nether Fire, relying entirely on pure Profound Yin True Qi. Most importantly, the Spirit Slaying Finger demanded the least energy consumption. Judging by Zhou Minghua’s ability to unleash it twice consecutively without pause, the True Qi drain must have been minimal.

Whether the Ghost Fiend Palm, the Spirit Slaying Finger, or the Nether Fire Pellet, all were excellent spells, each with distinct advantages and disadvantages.

Just as Zhou Minghua’s low-grade shield began to fissure, Wei Hua let out a cold laugh, rapidly formed a finger seal, and sent his flying sword, shimmering with agile flames, slicing toward Zhou Minghua like an arrow. Fortunately, having just suffered the Nether Fire Pellet, Zhou Minghua anticipated a follow-up and preemptively cast his Profound Yin Shield. The cold, semi-transparent shield instantly enveloped him and began to coalesce.

Boom! Zhou Minghua’s low-grade small shield was the first casualty. Already cracked, how could it withstand the Fire Cloud Sword, a mid-grade offensive magic tool? After piercing the low-grade small shield, the Fire Cloud Sword’s momentum did not cease, slamming instead into the Profound Yin Shield.

The Profound Yin Shield truly lived up to its reputation as one of the Yin Sha Sect's strongest defensive body spells for the Qi Refining stage; it managed to block the strike outright, the Fire Cloud Sword stopping several inches from his chest. However, the shield he held up rippled violently, flickering in and out of visibility. Clearly, after deflecting that blow, even if it hadn't shattered instantly, it couldn't hold for much longer.

"Stop this!"

The Ghost Servant drifted forward, hands clasped behind his back. His pair of icy eyes swept over the crowd. Everyone, including Lei Dong, felt a chilling sensation and involuntarily shivered. Finally, his gaze settled on Zhou Minghua. Seeing how wretched and utterly grim Zhou Minghua looked, the Ghost Servant frowned slightly. "Zhou Minghua, you speak."

Zhou Minghua was clearly terrified of the Ghost Servant, who served under the Ancestor, but forcing himself to recount his humiliation and exposed privacy in front of everyone was something he simply couldn't bear to do again. Yet, he dared not lie to the Ghost Servant, especially with so many witnesses present. For a moment, his face cycled through red and blue, stuttering out a word.

"Hmph," the Ghost Servant grunted in displeasure, then turned to Lei Dong. "Little brat Lei, you speak." The way he addressed the two suggested a slightly closer relationship with Lei Dong.

"Yes, Senior," Lei Dong replied calmly, offered a salute, and recounted the entire sequence of events, word for word, without omitting a single truth.

The Ghost Servant listened, his expression placid, revealing nothing of his thoughts. He merely surveyed the surroundings. "During the minor competition, anyone daring to engage in private combat will receive one hundred lashes. Continue the duels on Arena A."

The Foundation Establishment referee, clearly intimidated by the Ghost Servant, hastily consulted his records and called both Zhou Minghua and Lei Dong onto the stage.

"If you have a chance, win; if not, concede. That's all we can do," Chen Ge murmured to Lei Dong. It was evident that all this had been pre-planned. Even if Zhou Minghua hadn't provoked them first, Chen Ge would have found a way to stir up trouble. First, to force Zhou Minghua into a state of irrationality, and second, to wear down his True Qi and magic tools before they even reached the stage.

The effect seemed quite promising. Zhou Minghua had deployed the Spirit Slaying Finger twice and the Profound Yin Shield once in a short span; his internal True Qi was likely below half. Furthermore, shattering his low-grade small shield was an unexpected bonus.

"Relax. You all risked so much for me. If I still can't win, I might as well go home and settle down to raise a family—why bother cultivating?" Lei Dong offered a confident smile.

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

"Zhou Minghua, even if you’re desperate to die, don't rush it so much," Lei Dong replied, hands clasped behind his back, walking leisurely onto the stage while sweeping Zhou Minghua with a look of utter disdain. Slowly, he shook his head.

"Lei Dong, you're nothing more than quick-tongued. If you have the guts, don't concede today. Let’s fight this to the death right here on this stage!" Stimulated beyond reason by the trio today, Zhou Minghua’s only thought now was to wash away his shame with Lei Dong's blood—not just Lei Dong’s, but the shame brought by those two scoundrels, Chen Ge and Wei Hua.

Lei Dong inwardly rejoiced; this was self-inflicted doom, so he couldn't be blamed. But for added safety, he turned respectfully to the Foundation Establishment referee and inquired, "Senior, is there such a rule?"

"There is a rule, there is. If disciples have irreconcilable conflicts, they can duel on the Life-and-Death Arena, to the finish. But both parties must actively agree..." The referee glanced hesitantly toward the Ghost Servant floating nearby. "But this is the minor competition..."

"Have them sign," the Ghost Servant said chillingly.

The referee immediately produced the documents, filling out the Life-and-Death Pact, and handed it to Zhou Minghua. Zhou Minghua signed his name without hesitation, then glared at Lei Dong with vicious malice. "Leibuilding, are you too afraid? Perhaps you should go home and drink more milk before fighting again?"

"Lei Dong," Chen Ge frowned slightly, speaking with seriousness and gravity from below the stage. "We'll have future opportunities."

Lei Dong gave him a reassuring look, a slight smile playing on his lips as he took the brush and signed his name on the Life-and-Death Pact.

"Zhou Minghua versus Lei Dong, the Life-and-Death Pact is established. Both sides forfeit accountability for death or injury, fighting until one falls." The referee proclaimed, immediately stepping back. "The duel begins."

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