Chapter 456 A Low-key Battle.
Looking at Lu Ming, An Mingdong was somewhat frightened.
This guy…
When did he get here?!
They crossed the battlefield, surpa.s.sing Meng s.h.i.+san and the rest to arrive before them. They waited around for their prey, but they did not expect Lu Ming to be there!
“You…”
An Mingdong tensed up.
However…
At that moment…
Buzz—
An Original Card flashed across the sky like lightning.
The men in black who were about to attack Meng s.h.i.+san and the rest felt a s.h.i.+ver and they retreated instinctively, barely escaping from the attack.
“Are you okay?”
Lu Ming helped Meng s.h.i.+san stand up.
“You shouldn’t have come.”
Meng s.h.i.+san sighed. “Since you managed to survive, you can avenge us. Now that you are here, I am afraid all of us will die here!”
He was touched and helpless at the same time.
Lu Ming, this child…
He was too kind-hearted!
That was too dumb!
At times, giving up was the only choice left!
As for them…
Shus.h.!.+
Shus.h.!.+
Meng s.h.i.+san stared helplessly at the men in black who surrounded them.
Lu Ming’s cool appearance gave them hope. However, he joined them and was trapped in the middle as well…
This…
Meng s.h.i.+san stared silently into the sky. He even imagined something that never happened.
Meng s.h.i.+san: “Go!”
Lu Ming: “No! I can’t give up on all of you!”
Meng s.h.i.+san: “Run!”
Lu Ming: “No! Let’s die together!”
Meng s.h.i.+san: “There is no hope for us!”
Lu Ming: “No! I won’t leave you in the lurch!”
Meng s.h.i.+san: “Go! Go! Go!”
Lu Ming: “I’m not leaving! I’m not leaving! I’m not leaving!”
Look.
The ludicrously unrealistic television dramas were like this!
What could he do about it?
He was desperate too!
Perhaps…
This was the problem of kind-hearted people?
“Kill them!”
The men in black gave the orders in a cold and aloof manner.
“Wait a minute.”
An Mingdong waved his hands. “There is no hurry.”
“Boss.”
The man in black whispered. “I feel that this person is strange and mysterious, things might change if we drag for too long.”
“This is what you feel?
“I don’t need you to tell me, I will make the judgment.”
An Mingdong glared at him. “I don’t think there is any problem. He is too kind-hearted that he turns out to be a fool, coming by himself to save them. Why should you be afraid of a fool like him?”
“He probably arrived ahead of us.”
The man in black had some concerns.
“I don’t think that’s a problem.”
An Mingdong was very calm.
He looked at the Sword Embryo next to him.
Well…
It was still there.
The ancient Sword Embryo was quietly plunged into the ground. Only half of it was exposed. As long as it was still around, it meant that Lu Ming did not arrive before them!
Otherwise, he would have taken the Sword Embryo!
The men in black were silent.
He wanted to use simple words to explain to his boss that there were many cases of villains who died in the midst of their missions due to being too talkative. But he thought about the possibility of being refuted…
And he thought about An Mingdong favorite phrase ‘listen to me!’ and he gave up.
Forget it.
Since the leader had said so, there was nothing he could do.
Hence…
He waved his hands and the men in black surrounded them quietly, lest anything happened.
“How did you make your way here?”
An Mingdong cast interesting looks at Lu Ming.
“From the top…”
Lu Ming pointed to the sky. “I have a Soaring Card.”
An Mingdong suddenly looked embarra.s.sed.
He suddenly thought of what he said to Meng s.h.i.+san when he argued with him. d.a.m.n it…
He was slapping his own face!
However…
He was after all a senior Swordsman. He was very thick-skinned and he calmed down right away, looking at Lu Ming. “I remember you are a president of an a.s.sociation, is that so?”
“Yes.”
Lu Ming nodded.
“In that case…
An Mingdong finally revealed his hidden intentions. “How do I control your a.s.sociation?”
Yes.
This was his goal!
Rumor had it that the Sword Card Master a.s.sociation was very strong but they did not have any seven-star! Therefore, if it was suitable, perhaps he could bring them under his control?!
Snort…
The ancient Sword Embryo was the Swordsman a.s.sociation!
If he could control the Sword Card Master a.s.sociation, it would benefit him a lot!
This…
He understood it very well.
Lu Ming waved his hands. “It is impossible.”
“Really?”
An Mingdong sneered, lifting his hands. “If you don’t tell me, I will kill the Swordsman one by one until you agree to it.”
Wasn’t he the Virgin Mary?
Wasn’t he kind-hearted?
This method was most suitable for this kind of person.
Lu Ming, (〃’▽’〃)
He really felt like telling him to go ahead to kill him. If he ever frowned, he would take An Mingdong’s surname. However, considering his public persona, he spread his hands innocently.
“It’s impossible.
“I saved everyone in the Sword Card Master a.s.sociation.
“The reason why they are willing to stay in the Sword Card Master a.s.sociation is solely because I saved them.”
Lu Ming sighed.
“Understood.”
An Mingdong came to his senses. “That is to say, if I want to conquer the Sword Card Master a.s.sociation, I have to conquer you.”
Lu Ming turned sullen.
He kept having a strange feeling about what he said.
“Conquer…”
An Mingdong stared at Lu Ming who was right in front of him.
He was no longer young. He might be experienced but he had never conquered a man… He thought for a long while and felt that this might be a tiring task.
As such…
An Mingdong gave up.
“I know that you are trying to buy time for them to recover.
An Mingdong shook his head. “You won’t have the chance. Kill them.”
He waved his hands.
Shus.h.!.+
The aura of the men in black surged.
“d.a.m.n it!”
Meng s.h.i.+san struggled to get up.
The battle just now had exhausted almost all of their strength. Although Lu Ming spent some time talking nonsense with An Mingdong, they only managed to recover a little bit of their energy.
However…
They still stood up.
Shus.h.!.+
The Swordsmen stood in front of Lu Ming.
Although…
They knew that it was useless.
“Leave.”
There was determination in Meng s.h.i.+san’s gaze. “We will be able to hold them off for a few seconds. It is enough for you to leave. There is no need to die here for us.”
“Exactly.”
Xiaowu broke into a smile. “Go back and remember to check the lady who sells tea leaves.”
With that…
He slowly stood up as well.
It was painful.
He touched his wound and the angle of the injury, he was still able to take a few more stabs.
Shus.h.!.+
The men in black attacked.
The sword gleam flashed.
The Swordsmen used their bodies to block their attacks, protecting Lu Ming.
“Heh.”
Lu Ming chuckled. ” I think it’s better for you to say it yourself.”
With that…
He raised his hand gently.
He arrived way before them. In this energetic place, he had been cultivating and creating cards. He did all this to wait for this moment to arrive…
Well…
Let’s go!
One by one, Lu Ming threw out the cards in his hands.
Swoos.h.!.+
Swoos.h.!.+
Dozens of cards dissipated in the air, turning into countless crystal light particles before disappearing. They appeared next to the Swordsmen, locking them.
Well?!
The Swordsmen were puzzled. This was…
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Beams of glaring light exploded.
In the air.
Many frosty blue moonlight ran through the Swordsmen, landing on their burly bodies, instantly filling their tired and weak bodies with energy.
“Argh—”
The Swordsmen were stunned.
This was…
They stared incredulously at their bodies.
They had restored their strength.
Furthermore…
They were more powerful!
“You’ve been powered up, get in there[1]!”
Lu Ming gave a small yell.
Bang!
Meng s.h.i.+san punched out.
A man in black who attacked him fell right on the spot!
Cras.h.!.+
Blood splattered everywhere.
Shus.h.!.+
The surroundings were silent.
This force…
The Swordsmen were thrilled, while the men in black looked horrified. This strength… This was why Lu Ming dared to come by himself?!
True enough…
He was indeed the president of the Sword Card Master a.s.sociation!
Although he was kind-hearted, he had brains as well as looks.
Very well.
An Mingdong closed his eyes slightly.
He clearly sensed that not only had Meng s.h.i.+san and the group restored their strength, their abilities had been enhanced. They could compete with the men in black!
Bang!
Bang!
A battle erupted!
Dozens of burly men who were glowing in blue lights fought with the men in black.
This time…
This was a close fight.
“What’s the name of that card”?
An Mingdong looked at Lu Ming.
He felt that he had underestimated the president after all.
“Moonlight Card.”
Lu Ming replied.
“It is very powerful.”
An Mingdong sighed. “However, do you think you can turn the tables with this card alone? You are too naive! You must know that…
“They are too weak after all. Even if they could compete with the men in black, you have forgotten about me!”
With that…
He took a step forward.
Bang!
There was an eruption of mental strength!
Peak six-star!
It was as terrifying as Meng s.h.i.+san’s power!
“I will kill you!
“I will join the fight.”
An Mingdong rested his gaze on Lu Ming. “The result is very obvious.”
“Really?”
Lu Ming smiled faintly.
“You’re too weak.”
An Mingdong sneered.
His advanced five-star combat abilities were useless in the fight between the peak six-stars! No matter how powerful Lu Ming was, he could only a.s.sist by the side!
Bang!
He took out his Sword Embryo.
An Mingdong used a lethal move as soon as he struck!
A chilling sword gleam and a frosty mental strength swept over him.
“Lu Ming, be careful!”
The expression of Meng s.h.i.+san and the rest changed drastically.
However…
Lu Ming maintained a calm expression.
Buzz—
The Original Card appeared in his hands.
At this moment, the strength within him had been condensed.
After becoming one with the sword, when he used the Lunar Shadow Sword, he was able to release the power of a peak six-star. If he used the Moonlight Card to strengthen himself…
Bang!
A ray of moonlight perforated Lu Ming!
Bang!
Another ray of moonlight perforated Xiao-Xiaojian.
Lunar! Shadow! Sword!
Buzz—
There was a blooming brilliance on the Original Card. It turned into a touch of amazing brilliance and collided with An Mingdong’s Sword Embryo, and many afterimages were instantly superimposed.
Bang!
There was a deafening sound.
An Mingdong’s sword was bounced away.
Pfft!
The man and the sword were being bounced back!
“It has been blocked!”
Lu Ming’s heart skipped a beat.
True enough.
The full release of the Lunar Shadow Sword was able to defend a peak six-star! And Lunar Shadow Sword + Moonlight Card were able to defend the sword of An Mingdong who was considered as a powerful Swordsman among peak six-stars!
One could tell that it was very powerful!
“This guy…”
An Mingdong widened his eyes in terror.
How could that be possible…
Lu Ming was only a five-star…
He moved his wrists. It felt numb. The tremor just now… He prided himself on having a powerful sword, but he was bounced back by Lu Ming!!
However…
He could tell what was going on.
Lu Ming had almost exhausted all his energy casting the sword.
Well…
Even if it was a phenomenal swordplay, he had to pay a high price for it…
Heh.
So what if he could skip the levels? He could not do so multiple times!
Hence…
An Mingdong launched another attack.
However…
Cras.h.!.+
He was being bounced back once again.
An Mingdong stared at Lu Ming who was once again drained of his energy. He was dumbstruck. Wait a minute. Did it mean that Lu Ming recovered his energy within that short moment?!
On, he remembered…
The Energy Cards that they pa.s.sed to Lu Ming previously…
Heh.
Did he use them here?
It was okay.
There would be an end to the cards!
Hence…
An Mingdong launched another attack.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
There were many crisp sounds.
An Mingdong was bounced back in all his attacks. His combat abilities had hit the limit, he struck out with one sword after another, trying his best to perforate Lu Ming.
However…
The Original Card appeared next to Lu Ming. Afterimages flashed and they fended off An Mingdong’s attacks!
There were airtight defenses!
Cras.h.!.+
An Mingdong fell silent after being sent flying again.
It was true.
Because he had used up half of his energy…
Opposite him.
Lu Ming still smiled at him. He seemed to have an endless amount of energy!!! How was that possible?! Where did Lu Ming have so much energy?!
He would consume his energy every time!
It would not be enough even with hundreds of Energy Cards!
Obviously…
He had no idea how much energy Lu Ming absorbed using the Whirlpool Cards!
“This guy…”
An Mingdong was wary of him.
At this very moment…
There was a loud sound in the distance.
An Mingdong swept his gaze across it and his heart jumped a beat.
Over there.
Meng s.h.i.+san who had taken off his clothes released amazing abilities. He cut through another man in black once again. The scale was beginning to tilt! They were showing signs of winning the battle!
The men in black…
They might lose anytime!!!
“An Mingdong!
“If you don’t kill him, we can’t hold off any longer!”
One man in black could not help but yell.
“Sigh.”
An Mingdong sighed. “I guess I have no choice but to use this after all?”
With that…
He glanced at Lu Ming.
“Wanna know something?
“Meng s.h.i.+san’s and my combat abilities are at the same level.
“So…
“The higher-ups are worried that something unexpected might happen, and hence they taught me a swordplay that I am not qualified to learn and it is also supposed to be the reward of this mission…
“However…
“if possible, I don’t wish to use this move.
“After all…
“I would have to go all out.”
An Mingdong was somewhat helpless.
Suddenly…
He lifted both hands and landed a hard smack on his chest.
Pfft!
He vomited fresh blood.
He spat mouthfuls of red and black blood clots. However, the blood clots suspended in mid-air and formed a blood red long sword!!!
It had a strange and mysterious red and black color.
“This is…”
Lu Ming squinted.
Blood sword?
“This is a surmounting swordplay.
“Its level is not as high as yours, but it is still a peak six-star swordplay.”
An Mingdong smiled. “Besides, its advantage is that it could be stored any time. One could hide it in the body. It is interesting, isn’t it?”
Buzz—
The blood sword suspended in the air.
This was the blood sword that An Mingdong nourished.
At the critical moment, it could release the blood sword to kill the enemy instantly.
“However…
“It is such a pity.
“After using this sword, I have to spend a long time nouris.h.i.+ng it.”
An Mingdong felt regretful. “I am not a woman. Unlike them, I could not nourish the swordplay monthly.”
Buzz—
The blood sword suspended, locking in on Lu Ming.
Lu Ming was silent.
There was a lot of information in his words.
However…
This was not the main point.
Lu Ming tensed up at the flash of the blood sword.
“Xiao-Xiaojian?”
“Yes.”
“Can you block it…”
“This may be hard.”
Xiao-Xiaojian had a headache as well.
The most terrifying part about the sword was not its power but the red and black blood clots! The layer of suspended glow was like a curse!
This blood sword…
It was filled with curses and filth.
Once someone touched it, it was likely that one would die.
This was not a problem of blocking it or not, one should never touch it!
“Alright.”
Lu Ming took a deep breath.
It seemed that…
It was a little troublesome now…
Although he really felt like throwing a SOFY sanitary pad and plastered it on the blood sword, this was after all a legacy site, there was no such thing!
Therefore…
What to do?
Swoos.h.!.+
The blood sword was coming.
Lu Ming tensed up and he searched around in the Sea of Consciousness. He lifted his hand and plastered a card on it, colliding with the blood sword in the air…
Buzz—
Red lights flashed.
Lu Ming clearly saw that the blood red color eroded the Original Card and corroded it, turning into blood lights…
Cras.h.!.+
The Original Card cracked!!!
And it was gone…
Ss——
Lu Ming’s heart trembled. The blood sword was so terrifying!!!
“My child…”
Xiao-Xiaojian had tears in its eyes.
Xiao-Xiao-Xiaojian was personally condensed by it! It condensed energy and built it bit by bit! It was hard work!
Oo… Oo…
It was still hoping that Xiao-Xiao-Xiaojian could develop a card spirit!
But, look at the outcome!
The card spirit had yet to be developed and it had to witness its junior’s death…
Ooo—
“It’s alright…
“You can have a second child when we are back.”
Lu Ming consoled.
Xiao-Xiaojian was speechless.
This did not sound like words of comfort!
…
Right then…
An Mingdong watched as the Original Card exploded in the air, revealing a perverted smile.
“In that case…
“What else do you have?”
An Mingdong smiled faintly.
The vocation core was gone!
What else did he have?!
The strongest part of the blood sword was that it could lock in on the vocation core, corroding and taint it. However, unfortunately, Lu Ming was too weak…
His vocation core was only advanced five-star!
As such…
Once hit…
Cras.h.!.+
It would explode like fireworks.
“Go to h.e.l.l!”
An Mingdong prepared to attack Lu Ming.
In front of him…
Lu Ming pulled out Xiao-Xiaojian.
An Mingdong’s expression froze.
Wait a minute…
Why did he still have another vocation core?!
“A while ago…”
An Mingdong stared at the exploded card, looking dumbstruck. He then looked at the card in Lu Ming’s hands. He was suddenly reminded of what he heard from the rumors.
He remembered that…
It was the news from The First Academy…
He understood…
“Dual cards…”
An Mingdong took a deep breath.
He remembered that the Sword Card Master a.s.sociation had created a similar advertis.e.m.e.nt.
So…
Lu Ming had two Original Cards!
However…
It was okay.
Since he understood now, he had a way to deal with it.
Hence…
An Mingdong hit himself hard on the chest. The blood clots within him condensed and he spat mouthfuls of blood, forming another blood sword in the air once again.
Yes.
It was another blood sword!
Although…
This sword was obviously much weaker than the previous sword.
“Although it is condensed at the last minute…
“Although it is weaker…
“This is sufficient for me to deal with you,”
An Mingdong said, looking pale.
Swoos.h.!.+
He directed the sword at Lu Ming again.
Bang!
There were flashes of blood.
“Again…”
Lu Ming squinted his eyes.
This blood sword was very slow. It was so much slower compared to the previous sword, and hence Lu Ming had enough time to think. However, this sword was still able to lock in on the vocation core!
There was no way to avoid it!
If he retracted the vocation core, the sword would fall on himself!
What if he broke it?
Lu Ming tried to wield a sword.
Buzz—
The sword gleams cut through the blood sword, but did not cause any damage to the sword.
Yes.
The blood sword was condensed using blood.
It could be easily dispersed and condensed!
This was a swordplay.
It was also more like a…
Curse…
However, now that there was plenty of time, Lu Ming naturally had a way to resolve it, especially for this kind of swordplay that locked in on one’s vocation core…
Lu Ming looked through his Sea of Consciousness.
Bam!
A card was plastered onto the blood sword.
Buzz—
The blood sword integrated.
Cras.h.!.+
The Original Card exploded!
“Haha.”
An Mingdong grinned hideously. “This time round, don’t tell me you…”
In front of him…
Lu Ming took out another Original Card.
An Mingdong’s grin froze.
How could that be possible?!
Why would Lu Ming have more vocation cores?!
d.a.m.n it!
He remembered seeing that it was indeed the vocation core that was blasted by the blood sword!!! Therefore, did this mean that Lu Ming have many Original Cards?!
This guy…
An Mingdong was somewhat shocked.
However…
It was okay.
Again!
An Mingdong gritted his teeth.
Pfft!
He spat a mouthful of blood clots and the blood sword condensed, launching its attack at Lu Ming. Lu Ming cooperated by lifting his hand, pasting an Original Card on the blood sword and it exploded once again.
Afterward…
Lu Ming took out another card.
An Mingdong’s hand trembled slightly.
What happened was beyond his understanding. He was shocked.
This turn of events…
Something was not right!
This was not Dou Dizhu[2]. Where did he get so many cards?!
An Mingdong turned crazy.
Right then.
A distance away,
Another man in black screamed.
Dozens of burly Swordsmen who exuded blue lights surrounded them and one person from the men in black was killed. Their combat abilities weakened…
“Boss, we can’t hold on any longer!”
The men in black wailed.
“d.a.m.n it!”
An Mingdong tensed up.
They could not wait any longer!
He refused to believe it! Even if Lu Ming had a special ability to condense many Original Cards, he could not possibly condense so many cards?!
“Again!”
He yelled.
Pfft!
Blood sword!
Boom!
There was an explosion!
“Again!”
Pfft!
Blood sword!
…
After a long while…
Pfft!
Another blood sword emerged.
An Mingdong could barely stand still. His four limbs were shaking and he looked as pale as a piece of paper. He looked as if he had just crawled out of the grave.
He c-could not stand it any longer…
He could not hold on anymore!
However…
After the eruption of the last blood sword, he looked toward Lu Ming, harboring his last hope…
Over there.
Lu Ming took out a card silently.
An Mingdong sank into despair.
Pfft!
He spat a mouthful of fresh blood.
The blood turned translucent…
Seriously…
He can’t hold on any longer…
Before his eyes.
The world seemed to dim.
The glowing sword gleams in the distance seemed to turn green…
Hehe.
An Mingdong was in a trance. He felt ridiculous at the sight.
It was true.
He never thought that there would be a day where he was drained of all energy by Lu Ming… He was completely drained… His blood that he spat had even turned transparent and thin…
[1] Phrase used by Ana, one of the heroes in the game Overwatch
[2] Dou Dizhu is a card game in the genre of shedding and gambling. It is one of the most popular card games played in China.