Chapter 532: Seeing Tie Ta Again (Three)
Vice-headmaster Bai En’s sword traveled like an arc of lightning in an attempt to stab Ming Dong. His speed was far too fast for all of the students there to see his movements; even the after-images of the sword were impossible to spot.
Whether it was in speed or power, a battle between Earth Saint Masters would be many times stronger than a battle between Saint Masters. For the students who were merely Saints or perhaps Great Saints, they didn’t possess the necessary strength to be able to carefully study this battle between Earth Saint Masters.
Seeing how Bai En was personally taking part in this fight, every single student let out a sudden gasp and focused their eyes on the battle in front of them. Although they wouldn’t be able to study the battle in great detail, there was still a fatal attraction to the match. In their eyes, a battle between Earth Saint Masters was all too rare. Also, none of the students had ever seen the vice-headmaster fight.
Ming Dong’s figure remained completely still where he stood while Bai En’s sword stabbed through his chest without resistance. The students in the audience let out several gasp before crying out in cheers over Bai En’s success. Those that didn’t know of Ming Dong’s strength figured that he had really been pierced through the chest by Bai En’s sword.
However, Bai En wasn’t cheerful at all. Instead, his expression grew solemn due to the fact that his sword hadn’t felt anything at all. His sword had pierced through a mirror image that was already starting to fade away.
“Vice-headmaster Bai En, you’re too slow! I’m already behind you.” Before Bai En could even turn around, Ming Dong could be heard speaking from behind him.
Bai En was startled at this. He hadn’t sensed Ming Dong make his way behind him at all, and judging from the closeness of the voice, Ming Dong was very close to his back. If Ming Dong were to strike at him, then it would be very hard for Bai En to dodge.
As a veteran of hundreds of battle, there was no hesitation in Bai En’s movements as he slid to the side while simultaneously turning around to stab at Ming Dong behind him.
Ming Dong gently kicked off the platform with his entire body surrounded by wind-attributed Saint Force. Transforming into a cyan light, he easily dodged Bai En’s strike.
However, Bai En continued to chase down Ming Dong. His legs stomped across the platform with a speed like a recently shot arrow to stab his single-handed sword into Ming Dong’s chest.
Ming Dong wasn’t angry. With a meaningful smile to Bai En, he retreated to the very edge of the platform before coming to a sudden stop. Then moving slightly to the left, he flew forward to cross by Bai En’s side from the front. Just as the two crossed paths, Ming Dong’s right palm began to swirl with wind-attributed Saint Force before gently striking Bai En’s back.
Bai En had followed Ming Dong to the very edge of the platform, but it had been hard for him to suddenly stop in his tracks. When Ming Dong had slapped his back, there had been enough forward force in the palm that Bai En was sent flying off the stage thirty meters into the air before he finally dropped to the ground. Even then, the momentum within the strike had not yet fully dissipated. It caused him to tumble across the ground several steps before coming to a miserable stop.
Ming Dong and Bai En’s fight had taken place in a split second with several exchanges, but the students hadn’t been able to clearly see what the process of the match had been. However, there was one thing that was clear. Ming Dong was still standing on the arena while Bai En had somehow flown out from the arena at some point. According to the regulations of every fight on the arena, if one were to fall from the ring, then they would lose. With Bai En like this, it was very clear to see that he had lost.
When everyone realized the results of the match, every single student could only stare with wide open eyes in disbelief. Everyone could clearly see that their vice-headmaster Bai En had completely this match lost against this unknown stranger.
At this, even the three siblings from the Ka Di clan were speechless. They could only stand there in mute shock as they looked up at the arena. Although the three of them knew that the one standing on the arena was very strong, they didn’t ever expect Ming Dong to be strong enough to the point where even the vice-headmaster Bai En would lose to him as well.
“Do… don’t tell me… is he actually an Earth Saint Master?” Ka Di Liang found himself having difficulty speaking with the amount of shock he felt in his heart. Ming Dong looked rather young, close to his own brother in age, so he did not think that Ming Dong would be so strong.
Ka Di Qiuli and Ka Di Yun chose to stare at the arena with disbelieving eyes instead of answering their brother. With that expression on Ming Dong’s face, the two of them had begun to feel a dangerous thought well up within them. Could it be that someone like their vice-headmaster Bai En was an insignificant person in comparison to him?
Like the others, Bai En looked back to Ming Dong in astonishment and complete surprise. As one of the two fighters in the match, he clearly felt that Ming Dong’s strike had been relatively light despite causing him to lose.
Squashing the shock in his heart, Bai En leaped back onto the stage. With a complicated stare, he then cupped his hands together, “Thank you brother for being lenient!”
The words of Bai En were, to the students, like a bomb that had exploded as it brought another wave of shock to them.
Waving his hands in a carefree manner, Ming Dong spoke, “We are of the same side, and this was nothing more than for entertainment. If I were to really injure you, I’m afraid my brother would not let me off easily.”
“Hahahaha. Friends, how could you not send me notice in advance of your coming? With me leading your welcome in person, would such a misunderstanding like this occur?” Just at that moment, an elderly sounding laugh could be heard from the sky as a white-robed figure descended with a smile.
“It’s the headmaster…”
“The headmaster is here!”
Seeing the elderly figure, every single student immediately grew excited. Headmaster Khafir was an illustrious expert of the Gesun Kingdom that held plenty of prestige in the eyes of the students. However, he was very rarely seen among the students; some of the students had gone four or five years without seeing him even once. So, to see the headmaster now was an event that would cause no small amount of excitement for them.
Descending slowly onto the arena grounds, the headmaster of Kargath Academy gave a soft smile to Ming Dong.
“Headmaster Khafir, I didn’t expect to see you here, haha. This outsider seems to have violated some rule of your academy, I hope you will not grow angry over this.” Ming Dong cupped his hands and smiled back at Khafir.
“No no, how could I be? To have such a friend come sightsee around my Kargath Academy brings honor to it. I don’t even have time to welcome you properly, let alone be angry.” Khafir laughed merrily. Turning to look at Bai En, he spoke, “Bai En, your loss at the hands of my friend here is not wrong. If not for the leniency of my friend here, you would have fallen off this stage with severe wounds. Do not be as impulsive next time, understand?”
“This one understands.” Bai En gave a respectful answer and turned with a complicated expression to Ming Dong. Feeling curious about Ming Dong’s identity, he cupped his hands and asked, “Might I know what to call this brother here?”
Khafir laughed, “This friend here is called Ming Dong. He is an honored guest of our Gesun Kingdom. Bai En, you should know about the fame of Ming Dong here I presume.”
“Ming Dong?” Bai En was taken back at first for a moment, but then the pondering expression on his face became a shocked one as he exclaimed, “Is he not the very same Earth Saint Master as the one who made use of a Heaven Tier Battle Skill to severely injure enemy Heaven Saint Masters at the northern stronghold, that Ming Dong!?” Bai En had not been quiet with his exclamation; therefore, every single student had been able to hear his words loud and clear, sending them all into an uproar.
“What? He’s that Ming Dong from the northern stronghold?”
“If he’s that Ming Dong, then it’s no wonder he’s that strong…”
“I heard that Ming Dong was already extremely close to becoming a Heaven Saint Master. He only just needs a single step to become one…”
“I heard that with a Heaven Tier Battle Skill, he was able to injure several experts of the Heaven Saint Master realm…”
After the battle of the northern stronghold, Ming Dong’s name had been circulated around the Gesun Kingdom like wildfire. Practically everyone and everybody had heard of him, including the students of Kargath Academy. This battle had made him the idol of many students and a person to worship.
After knowing Ming Dong’s identity, the faces of Ka Di Yun and his two siblings immediately lit up.
“So he was that Ming Dong? Hahaha, he is the hero that I, Ka Di Yun, admire so much. To lose at his hands, I, Ka Di Yun don’t feel wronged at all. Not one bit!” Ka Di Yun gave a hearty laugh, for the bitter taste that was left in his mouth after his defeat had completely vanished.
“Eldest brother, he’s… he’s actually that Ming Dong!” Ka Di Liang’s could only stare in bafflement at Ming Dong with shining eyes. Ming Dong’s achievements were extremely known to them. Not only was he an Earth Saint Master at his age, he was also in possession of a Heaven Tier Battle Skill that could injure even Heaven Saint Masters. His militaristic achievements had long since made him a heroic figure to be worshipped in the eyes of the two and a goal that they both wished to reach.
Ka Ki Qiuli looked at Ming Dong with a flabbergasted expression as well. She didn’t think that this extremely strong outsider would actually be the famous Ming Dong.
Now that headmaster Khafir had finally arrived, Jian Chen couldn’t sit idly to the side any longer. Leaping onto the arena, he smiled and cupped his hands. “Headmaster Khafir, vice-headmaster Bai En!”
Seeing Jian Chen, Khafir let out an excited smile. “Haha, Changyang Xiangtian! From the moment I saw Ming Dong, I knew that you were here as well.” Khafir eyed Bai En, “Bai En, this is the Imperial Protector of our Gesun Kingdom and the fourth master of the Changyang clan, Changyang Xiangtian!”