Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

Qing Ming City.

 In the shop.

 Lu Ming stared at the screen in a daze.

 He was not surprised that Xiaoyan was beaten up… After all the other party was very powerful and was a peak four-star! However, why would Li Haoran get beaten up as well?!

 He was a four-star Sword Card Master!

 He had a card spirit!

 It had dyeing properties!

 He should not have lost even if he fought head-on with a Swordsman. How could he be considered a Sword Card Master if he was not invincible among his peers?!

 There was a problem!

 Lu Ming frowned and he continued to scroll downward.

 Well…

 Both of them discussed other trivial stuff and how they should cultivate and improve. There was also a short discussion about Lu Ming.

 “Should we tell the master about it?”

 “Forget it. Master is busy with the more important matters of the Sword Card Master.”

 “You're right.”

 “Anyway, after all, it is not a spirit body…”

 Well… Afterward…

 There was nothing else.

 What did this mean?!

 Lu Ming frowned.

 He suddenly felt that things were not that simple.

 “Li Haoran!”

 Lu Ming was on the phone, sounding angry. “Who beat you up?”

 “Master!”

 Li Haoran was alarmed and his voice became very soft. “No one…”

 “Tell me!”

 Lu Ming's voice was low.

 “A teacher from Zi Yang Combat College.”

 Li Haoran told the truth.

 “A teacher?”

 Lu Ming frowned. Why would a teacher fight with him?

 “Okay.”

Li Haoran felt somewhat embarra.s.sed. “They said that I am not their student, but I beat up their students and this was considered a provocation. Therefore they had to teach me a lesson. However, I understand that the teacher seemed to be the master of the senior…”

 Oh.

 Lu Ming understood now.

 They were master and disciple…

 “DId you fight the so-called senior?” Lu Ming asked.

 “Yes.”

 Li Haoran sounded very confident but he felt ashamed the next instant. “But his master was a five-star, I… I'm sorry.”

 Li Haoran felt guilty.

 He knew that the Sword Card Master vocation was very powerful!

 His master was at a three-star level and he could win against a five-star. But what about him? He was a four-star but he lost to a five-star. He had shamed the Sword Card Master vocation!

 “Oh…”

 Lu Ming completely understood now.

 Li Haoran had beaten the senior…

 His master had made the move.

 They also gave Li Haoran a round of beatings, saying that he had stirred up trouble in another school.

 Lu Ming knew why Li Haoran did not mention this incident. This was because the strongest opponent that Lu Ming had dealt with by far was only a five-star!

 Lu Ming was still at a three-star level!

 It was already legendary to be able to skip two levels to fight a five-star!

 Furthermore…

 The other party had many teachers. What if he was defeated?

 Therefore…

 The two of them thought about it and decided to not tell Lu Ming.

 They knew that the Sword Card Master was very powerful and they knew that Lu Ming was still very young. Sooner or later he would be able to defeat them. Therefore, there was no hurry to take revenge.

 Revenge was a dish best served cold!

 Since they believed in the potential of the Sword Card Master, it was alright to wait for another year or so.

 One year's time!

 They would be able to defeat everyone in Zi Yang Combat College!

“Master,” Li Haoran said in a low voice, “we will seek revenge next year.”

 “Hehe.”

 Lu Ming simply smiled.

 Zi Yang Combat College…

 He looked through the information regarding the school. Among the nearby cities, it was one of the stronger colleges. He seemed to have defeated them in the School Champions.h.i.+p Compet.i.tion.

 “Why did those people make trouble for Xiaoyan?”

 Lu Ming suddenly asked.

 “Because he switched his cultivation.”

 Li Haoran was very honest. “The school invited Xiaoyan to join the school as he was a genius. The school provided him with specialized training and spent a lot of resources on him… Some people felt that he had taken up a lot of resources. In the past, they did not dare to voice their dissatisfaction, but now that he has re-cultivated…”

 So, that was what happened.

 Lu Ming completely understood now.

 Heh.

 They attacked Xiaoyan as he seemed weak.

 However…

 They did not expect that Xiaoyan who was a three-star was able to defeat a four-star. Therefore, the people who made trouble for him suffered defeat…

 They then sought help from their senior and Xiaoyan sought help from his senior as well…

 They were defeated again.

 In the end…

 They sought help from their master.

 “These teenagers have a lot of tricks…”

 Lu Ming sighed.

 This was the typical situation of defeating the junior and then facing the senior, and defeating the senior and then facing the veteran.

 However…

 The other party had his master to stand up for him, while Xiaoyan's master… was Lu Ming!

 Xiaoyan's former master could not be bothered with him now that he had transferred to a Sword Card Master.

 “I have a question.”

 Lu Ming suddenly asked. “I am surprised that the teacher from the Zi Yang College would dare to beat Xiaoyan.”

 “Uh…”

 “They did not dare to beat him.”

 Li Haoran scratched his head.

 “So… their teachers only beat you up. Is that right?”

 Lu Ming was between laughter and tears.

 “Okay.”

Li Haoran was silent.

 It was alright if the students beat Xiaoyan, but the teachers would not do that!

 The teachers were not stupid. Therefore, they only gave Li Haoran a round of beatings. They were very crafty.

 So what if his sister was here?

 The other students had their parents to stand up for them!

 So what if his master was here?

 The other students had their masters to stand up for them as well!

 “I am serious, Master.”

 Li Haoran smiled bitterly. “You don't have to be involved in this.”

 He was truly worried.

 The Sword Card Master had a bright future. It was alright to be beaten up…

 He would exact revenge sooner or later!

 However, if Lu Ming made the move and he was beaten… It would spell trouble! It would result in a battle of who had a stronger background and they would look like fools…

 “Are you worried that I will lose?”

 Lu Ming felt amused.

 “No.”

 Li Haoran felt aggrieved.

 His master might be talented and das.h.i.+ng…

 But he was too young!

 If he remembered correctly, his master was only sixteen years old. If they ended up provoking the other party's masters or other big-shots, how would they resolve this mess?

 Li Haoran knew the seriousness of the matter.

 “Don't worry.”

 Lu Ming looked calm. “Leave it to me. Tell Xiaoyan to come along as well.”

 “Okay.”

Li Haoran had no choice but to obey his orders.

 He could only make suggestions, but he could not go against his master's decision.

 Bam!

 Lu Ming ended the call and squinted. Although his two disciples were being very considerate by telling him not to get involved, as the founding master of the Sword Card Master vocation, how could he watch by the side?

 Hehe.

 Well, Zi Yang Combat College…

 Well…

 Lu Ming was silent for a moment before he called Old Jiang.

 “Princ.i.p.al.”

 “Yes,” Jiang Feng spoke in a low voice.

 “Ever since the School Champions.h.i.+p Compet.i.tion, the college at the crossroads has been keeping a low profile. I have decided to be the freshman representative of the school to challenge Zi Yang Combat College in a friendly exchange…

What do you think?”

 Lu Ming was serious.

 “Challenge?”

 Jiang Feng was silent for a long time before he spoke up. “Did you have any feud with the school?”

 Lu Ming looked serious. “What nonsense is that? This challenge is for our school's development.”

 “Oh.”

 Jiang Feng understood. “It seems that you have a feud with them.”

 Lu Ming was speechless.

 What was the logic?

 “I will get An Mufeng to arrange it for you.”

 Jiang Feng pondered for a moment. “When you are there, pay attention to safety. Remember to send a message to your sister. If things go out of hand, be sure to go to the police. If you're ever in danger, remember to run. Also, I have a good relations.h.i.+p with one of the teachers over there. I will give you his contact number later.”

Lu Ming was speechless. “Princ.i.p.al, this is only an exchange.”

 “Hehe.”

 Jiang Feng merely smiled. “Also, this is these are the numbers for the ambulance and the police department in Zi Yang… Oh, I still have a friend who is good at handling corpses…”

“This is an exchange…”

 Lu Ming was speechless.

 He was merely challenging the students!

 A challenge between freshmen!

 An exchange between colleges!

 It was a friendly match!

 The princ.i.p.al was too much…

 “Alright, this will be enough for now,” Jiang Feng said. “Pay attention to safety.”

 “I am really not…”

 Lu Ming made feeble attempts at arguing but he had already ended the call.

 Lu Ming was speechless.

 Where was the trust between humans?!

 This time…

 He was truly going for an exchange match…

 …

 Hence…

 The compet.i.tion was arranged.

 “Master, I want to go as well,” Xiaobai suddenly said.

 “Huh?”

 Lu Ming was surprised.

 “I am the senior sister.”

 Xiaoyan said proudly, “Xiaoyan has been beaten. As the senior sister, I must help.”

 Lu Ming swept his gaze over her. “You are still young…”

 “Age doesn't matter for cultivation!”

 Xiaobai was serious.

 “I am not talking about age…”

 Lu Ming sighed.

 “Then what is it?”

 Xiaobai was dazed.

 “You are still not powerful enough.”

 Lu Ming touched the young girl's head. “Rest a.s.sured, when you are stronger in the future…”

 “But I am a three-star.”

 Xiaobai pinched the corner of her s.h.i.+rt.

 “So what if you are a three-star? Three-star… c.r.a.p, you are a three-star?”

 Lu Ming was dumbstruck.

 “Yes.”

 Xiaobai nodded seriously. “I reached three-star a few days ago.”

 “You didn't mention…”

 Lu Ming was speechless.

 “I just found out.”

 Xiaobai felt slightly embarra.s.sed. “I have been reading a lot these past few days. Xiao-Xiaobai is cultivating by itself and it did not tell me that it had broken through…”

 Lu Ming was speechless.

 Oh.

 She had broken through for days and she was clueless… What was with this young girl?

 And…

 Why did the Sword Card Master vocation turn out to be so bizarre?

 In the future when the Sword Card Master vocation became more popular, the conversation between the cultivators would be: ‘Hey brother, have you broken through? I have no idea, let me ask my Original Card…'

 c.r.a.p, I am a three-star?

 c.r.a.p, I broke through a month ago…

 Look at this scene.

 Is this a joke?!

 But then again…

 Xiaoyan was a three-star and Xiaobai was a three-star as well. Lu Ming felt a sense of urgency. If he did not break through, the rest would catch up with him!

 “Master.”

 Xiaobai snuck up to him and pinched the corner of his s.h.i.+rt. “Can I go?”

 “Okay.”

 Lu Ming was helpless.

 “Yeah!”

 Xiaobai was elated.

 It had been very long since she had had fun outside.

 “Hehe.”

 Lu Ming could not contain his smile and he touched her head. “Xiaobai, do you want to partic.i.p.ate in the match?”

“Yes!”

 Xiaobai was full of antic.i.p.ation.

 “I will arrange a slot for you in tomorrow's exchange match.”

 Lu Ming pondered deeply.

“Okay.”

 Xiaobai's face was blus.h.i.+ng.

 She was going to partic.i.p.ate in a match!

 She was finally able to fight!

 Wow.

 She felt excited at the thought of it.

 “However.”

 Lu Ming thought about it. “For safety reasons, come with me to my room. Let me check your body's… fitness level.”

 …

 The next day.

 Li Haoran brought Xiaoyan with him.

 “Master.”

 Xiaoyan's eyes were bruised.

 “Master.”

 Li Haoran could not walk properly.

 “You could not recover within a day?”

 Lu Ming's expression dimmed.

 The Sword Card Master vocation required that the cultivator be physically strong. Given the fitness level of the two of them and the fact that their injuries needed more than a day to heal, it seemed that the other party was very brutal and ruthless!

 “I'm sorry.”

 Li Haoran felt guilty.

 “It's okay.”

 Lu Ming patted them on the shoulder and smiled indifferently. “Leave the rest to us.”

 “I will seek justice for you.”

 Xiaobai acted like an adult and tiptoed to pat Li Haoran's head.

 “Okay.”

Li Haoran was between laughter and tears.

 The master and senior sister…

 Sigh.

 Would this really be okay?

 …

 Right then…

 Zi Yang Combat College.

 “Lu Ming will be here soon.”

 “Hehe, since the School Champions.h.i.+p Compet.i.tion, I have been expecting him.”

 “Me too. I was busy with cultivating and I did not partic.i.p.ate in the compet.i.tion. To think that the school performed badly in the School Champions.h.i.+p Compet.i.tion. By the way…

There is Xiaoyan, the traitor as well!”

 The students felt indignant at injustice.

 The teachers smiled by the side. The so-called exchange match was… in fact a show of pride.

 A friendly match?

 No one believed it.

 After being defeated by Lu Ming previously, the students had been stifling their anger. Now that Lu Ming was here, they could vent…

 Hehe.

 They heard that Lu Ming was still a peak three-star.

 Even if he could skip levels, there was a limit to his abilities.

 How about his advantage with cards?

 Hehe.

 This was reality!

 He might have cards, but the rest had cards as well!

 Furthermore…

 They had a large amount of more powerful cards!

 …

 Hence…

 When Lu Ming arrived at Zi Yang Combat College with the rest, they could see a large number of students at the entrance! All the students crowded around the entrance, looking curiously at them.

 “Let's welcome the students from the college at the crossroads.”

 A teacher smiled. “Let's take a short rest before…”

 “No need.”

 Lu Ming waved his hands. “I will not walk through the door. I am here to forge ties between the two schools and that's why we are having this friendly match…

 First of all…

 The freshmen represent the future of the school!

 The freshmen represent the potential of the school!

 As a freshman of the college at the crossroads, Xiaobai is full of admiration for your college and wants to challenge the freshmen of Zi Yang Combat College!”

 Lu Ming said softly, “Xiaobai, you will challenge them now.”

 “I am here.”

 Xiaobai came forward.

 Shus.h.!.+

 The world suddenly turned silent.

 Even the teacher who welcomed Lu Ming was in a daze…

 Challenge…

 Freshmen?!

 “Oh, I feel embarra.s.sed to be saying this.”

 Lu Ming sighed. “This child is only twelve years old. She had just enrolled in the school not long ago and she refused to listen to me. We heard that Zi Yang Combat College has a rich heritage and is very powerful. I hope that she will learn her lesson this time. Friends from Zi Yang Combat College, feel free to join this match. As long as you are a freshman, all are welcome!

 I want this child to see the world!

 Let her know that the Zi Yang College has a rich heritage that should not be underestimated!”

 …

 Shus.h.!.+

 There was total silence at the school entrance.

 The teachers had yet to come to their senses…

 c.r.a.p!

 Look at what Lu Ming was saying!

 Where was his shame?!

 This was simply humiliating them!

 They could not take this lying down!

 …

 “What is the background of this child?”

 One teacher frowned.

 “Her name is Xiaobai. According to records, she once fought in the School Champions.h.i.+p Compet.i.tion. As a two-star, she managed to defeat a three-star. Right now, she is already a three-star…”

 Another teacher took a look at her and their expression changed.

 To h.e.l.l with it!

 Twelve years old! Three-star!

 She was much more gifted than Xiaoyan!

 Who could defeat her?!

 All of the freshmen had barely joined for half a year!

 “What is her vocation?”

 “Card Creator…”

 “Isn't that an auxiliary vocation?”

 “Yes.”

 “Therefore, she will still throw heaps of cards at her opponent?”

 “Yes.”

 “Let them give it a go. If she is the Card Creator, there might still be a glimmer of hope. I remembered there are many strong students at the peak two-star.”

 …

 Hence…

 Zi Yang Combat College sent students to partic.i.p.ate in the match.

 “I'll do it!”

 A peak two-star a.s.sa.s.sin appeared. “She is merely a Card Creator, so what if she has a fast cultivation speed?!”

 “I am a Sword Card Master,” Xiaobai explained seriously.

 “It's the same.”

 The two-star a.s.sa.s.sin joined the match in an overbearing manner.

 Swoos.h.!.+

 A Sword Aura flashed and he was defeated.

 All the students were shocked.

 This…

 What the h.e.l.l was this?

 “Like I said before… I am a Sword Card Master.”

 Xiaobai had a serious look on her face. “The Master said that the Sword Card Master could use the card as a sword. Even if one does not have cards, we can still fight!

 Also…

 I feel that…

 If there comes the time where I need to use cards, then it means that I have lost the match.”

 Xiaobai remembered her lessons well.

 Shus.h.!.+

 The whole world was silent.

 The teachers and students from Zi Yang College widened their eyes in shock. They almost exploded in anger. What did she mean by saying she would lose if she used cards???

 Regardless of whether it was the Sword Card Master or the Card Creator, weren't cards their foundation?

 But now…

 The young lady was so proud that she said that using cards would be tantamount to losing?! This was akin to a Swordsman telling their enemy that ‘if you manage to force me to use my sword, that means that you have won the match'!

 This was simply looking down on them!

 Ah…

 The students from Zi Yang Combat College had a complete mental breakdown.

 This was bullying!

 …

 “I'll do it!”

 A freshman who was burning with anger partic.i.p.ated in the match.

 Pfft!

 He was carried away from the venue.

 “I'll do it!”

 Another angry freshman joined the match.

Swoos.h.!.+

 He was carried away as well.

 Cras.h.!.+

 Cras.h.!.+

 Cras.h.!.+

 Many students were carried out of the venue.

 …

 She was very powerful!

 Everyone's heart trembled.

 They knew that Sword Card Master was unlike ordinary vocations. But they had never expected that they were so powerful! She seemed to have wiped out everyone!

 Regardless of whether the opponent was an a.s.sa.s.sin, Energy Warrior, or Elementalist…

 All it took was one strike!

 And the young girl was a three-star!

 Sword Card Master…

 What vocation was that?!

 Also…

 That young lady…

 The students from the Zi Yang College looked toward her.

 Over there…

 The Original Card was dancing in the air.

 It created multiple perfect arcs in the air and the freshmen were sent flying away one after another…

 While the young lady who was named Xiaobai stood still on the spot, a light smile on her face. She did not move at all since the match started!!!

 Suddenly…

 A breeze blew past.

 Her white dress was slightly lifted.

The young lady tried hard to press her hemline down, looking embarra.s.sed. “There's a gust of wind.”

The teachers and students of Zi Yang College noticed that their hands were trembling.

 The gust of wind that they saw was in fact created by a two-star a.s.sa.s.sin, who moved close to his opponent cautiously and tried his best to use his lethal move against her…

 However…

 The young lady did not even turn to look at him!

 Cras.h.!.+

 The Original Card flashed.

 The figure dropped to the floor and there was total silence.

 …