Lei Dong let out a dismissive snort, clearly prepared. As the other raised his finger, Lei Dong’s figure flickered sharply aside. Aided by his Mid-Grade Cloud-Ascending Boots, he truly left behind a faint shadow. The deep-blue pillar of light grazed past his body, only colliding with the arena’s restrictive barrier at the edge of the platform, exploding into a halo of light that sent ripples across the transparent protective wall. Simultaneously, Lei Dong subtly raised a hand. The Rank Four Bloodthirsty Spirit Ghost, the moment it materialized, entered its bloodthirsty state, rushing toward Zhou Minghua with continuous howls.

Zhou Minghua was annoyed that his finger strike was easily evaded, but the Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldiers were already charging, forcing him to raise another Profound Yin Shield. A crystal-clear pill appeared in his hand. With visible reluctance and heartache, he popped the pill directly into his mouth.

Lei Dong was slightly startled. The pale complexion of the other cultivator, already drawn from continuous spell casting, was visibly recovering at an astonishing rate. It was clearly a special pill designed for mid-battle recovery of true essence, very likely something like a Minor Yuan Restoration Pill. But the cost of such an item far surpassed pills like the Qi Condensation Pills, which only accelerated meditation. The ingredients for a Minor Yuan Restoration Pill involved several herbs that were decades old, with the cheapest pill selling for tens of spirit stones. Thus, it was only used in the most dire emergencies.

This particular pill Zhou Minghua had was a gift from his ancestor, intended for his direct disciples should they face unforeseen trouble, allowing them a chance to recover vital energy and save their lives at a critical juncture. Zhou Minghua hadn't consumed a Minor Yuan Restoration Pill during his fight with Zuo Chao; it would have been useless, as Zuo Chao also possessed one—a desperate struggle that Zhou Minghua would have lost anyway.

However, Lei Dong’s expression did not change because of this. For Zhou Minghua to dare sign a life-and-death contract with him, he certainly couldn't be without some trump cards. Seeing the Minor Yuan Restoration Pill now out, Lei Dong actually felt an unusual sense of calm. Wei Hua, however, turned ashen, believing Lei Dong had fallen into Zhou Minghua's trap. This one pill was enough to completely restore Zhou Minghua's true essence. Yet, Chen Ge remained impassive, watching without haste or agitation.

Clang! The Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldier’s blade violently struck the Profound Yin Shield, sending out a wave of ripples. Given its current strength, it was impossible to shatter the shield in one strike, but persistent application of force would eventually break it down.

Feeling his nearly depleted Profound Yin True Essence rapidly regenerating, Zhou Minghua retrieved a chillingly cold flying sword. As he formed the required hand signs, the sword transformed into a streak of cold rainbow light, arcing like a swimming fish straight toward Lei Dong.

Lei Dong immediately activated his Cloud-Ascending Boots and darted to the side. However, under Zhou Minghua’s guidance, the cold rainbow clung to him like maggots to bone. No matter how Lei Dong twisted and dodged, he couldn't shake it off. Several times, he narrowly avoided being sliced. Even Chen Ge, who had some faith in Lei Dong, showed a flicker of anxiety.

Ding! With a crisp clash, a patch of dark-green light flashed and fiercely met the cold rainbow, causing the rainbow’s speed to momentarily stall. But the dark-green light dimmed considerably, wobbling precariously, barely able to maintain its position in the air. The small sword given at the sect entrance truly couldn't compare to a genuine Low-Grade offensive artifact. But Lei Dong only needed that split second of respite. Lei Dong performed a hand seal, but nothing seemed to happen. He performed another, and then, a flying artifact emitting dark vapor materialized out of thin air before him.

Unlike offensive flying swords designed for killing enemies and monsters, this sword, Phantom, belonged to the category of flying artifacts. There was a vast divergence in their original design philosophy. Although both could fly and were shaped like swords, their fundamental natures were worlds apart. Offensive artifacts were not limited to swords, and neither were flying artifacts—it was merely that the sword form was commonly adopted by both categories.

Taking just one small step, Lei Dong landed squarely on Phantom. With a flash of thought, Phantom immediately erupted with intense energy, carrying Lei Dong hurtling around the arena. Since barriers surrounded the platform in all directions, Lei Dong could not simply ascend to the highest heavens.

A flying artifact? Its quality seems rather good. Some people began to exclaim, their voices clearly laced with intense jealousy. The crowd watching the Alpha Stage was growing steadily, almost every non-combatant having flocked to witness this fight to the death.

Zhou Minghua was also surprised, not expecting Lei Dong to possess such a swift and agile flying artifact that even his own flying sword couldn't catch. Annoyed, he recalled his sword and began attacking the Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldiers with the chillingly cold blade. He thought to himself: first, eliminate your Rank Four ghost soldier, and then I’ll deal with you slowly. How will you fight me then?

The Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldier blocked with its shield, and the collision of forces created a violent sound.

The Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldier continued hacking at the Profound Yin Shield, strike after strike. The already unstable shield finally shattered. Zhou Minghua blocked with his flying sword and quickly retreated backward, rapidly forming hand signs to summon another Profound Yin Shield. But just then, Zhou Minghua suddenly sensed a cold wind behind him. Before he could react, he heard gasps from the crowd below.

Thwack! Zhou Minghua felt something strike his back violently. His body staggered forward, and a searing, intense pain shot through his back.

The attacker was, of course, the ghost servant Lei Dong had introduced during his first appearance, named the Shadow Ghost Servant. Although it was currently only at the peak of Rank Three, that heavy blow to the back severely injured Zhou Minghua, who was completely unprepared. It was fortunate he was already at the Fifth Level of Qi Refining, granting him far superior physical resilience, allowing his true essence to instinctively protect him and deflect the bulk of the damage.

Even so, the Shadow Ghost Servant left a gaping, bone-deep wound on his back. If the Profound Yin True Essence within Zhou Minghua hadn't automatically sealed the blood vessels, this single blow would have caused him to bleed to death.

Seeing Zhou Minghua forced closer by the attack, the Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldier naturally raised its blade for another ruthless chop. Zhou Minghua, his face filled with horror, immediately recalled his flying sword to parry, and in a flash of inspiration, rolled sideways to dodge. Ignoring the wound on his back, he deployed his movement technique and fled at top speed.

Hiss! With a light sound, Lei Dong's flickering, unstable dark-green little sword arrived right on schedule, stabbing his thigh without hesitation. Zhou Minghua, mid-sprint, nearly tumbled head over heels.

"Spirit-Slaying Finger!" Zhou Minghua rapidly fired two fingers, sending two beams of faint light toward the two relentlessly pursuing ghost soldiers. The color instantly drained from his already pale face. The two ghost soldiers raised their shields to tank the attack. The Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldier only staggered back two steps before pressing forward again. But the Shadow Ghost Servant was knocked flying, its shield instantly shattering. However, almost simultaneously, the Shadow Ghost Servant flickered and gradually vanished from the sight of most observers.

Naturally, the invisibility technique employed by a Rank Three Shadow Ghost Servant could only deceive lower-level cultivators. For instance, the Foundation Establishment referee floating mid-air had noticed its presence the moment Lei Dong secretly summoned it.

However, Zhou Minghua used this moment to desperately conjure another Profound Yin Shield. At this point, due to the intense exertion, his true essence was nearly exhausted. He could barely control his flying sword, using it repeatedly to block the Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldier’s attacks. As for the Shadow Ghost Servant, it had disappeared and no one knew where it had gone.

The battle between the two sides had become quite clear by now; Lei Dong held the absolute advantage. Defeating Zhou Minghua was merely a matter of time. The spectators felt the match had become truly gripping. Almost everyone had been certain that Zhou Minghua was guaranteed victory after he consumed the Minor Yuan Restoration Pill. But the situation had suddenly reversed; not only did Lei Dong possess a powerful flying artifact, but he also kept a Rank Three ghost servant capable of invisibility. Using a sneak attack, he had completely overturned the situation.

Zhou Minghua also knew the tide had turned against him. While dealing with the Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldier’s attacks, he urgently shouted, "Lei Dong, I yield, I surrender! I’ll never dare fight you again in the future."

Lei Dong couldn't help but show a cold smile curling his lips. He urged his spell formula, commanding the dark-green little sword to assist the Bloodthirsty Ghost Soldier in intensifying its assault. At the same time, the Shadow Ghost Servant reappeared behind him and brought its blade down fiercely once more.