Top Soldier Pursued by a Beauty

The crowd turned toward the voice, and a burst of astonishment erupted when they saw who was speaking.

"It's Senior Brother Hai!"

"Senior Brother Hai, are you going to intervene as well?"

"Senior Brother Hai is the second-ranked prodigy disciple of our Qingyun Sect. If he gets involved, there's no way Zhao Dong could be his match."

"Wow! Senior Brother Hai is so handsome! I really love Senior Brother Hai!"

"Exactly! Senior Brother Hai truly lives up to his reputation as the most handsome man in the Qingyun Sect. He's the man of my dreams!"

"Senior Sister Ling'er is so beautiful too. They make a perfect couple, a true match of talent and beauty. I'm so envious!"

"That's right. Only a woman as beautiful and formidable as Senior Sister Ling'er could be worthy of Senior Brother Hai, don't you think?"

The crowd buzzed with excitement.

Zhao Dong followed their gazes to a tall, handsome man dressed in a white Daoist robe. He had chiseled features and was watching Zhao Dong with an arrogant expression. Beside him stood an exceptionally beautiful, tall woman, also in a pristine white Daoist robe, her expression just as haughty. Standing together, they were a perfect match of talent and beauty, looking as if they were made for each other.

Senior Brother Hai strode through the crowd to stand before Zhao Dong. "You're Zhao Dong, I presume?" he asked disdainfully. "Did beating my junior brother make you so smug?"

Am I being smug? I just fought normally, without a trace of mockery in my voice. How is that being smug? Zhao Dong was completely bewildered.

However, this Senior Brother Hai wasn't interested in any explanation. His voice turned cold. "Since you're so confident in your strength, do you dare to exchange a few blows with me, Hai Dongqing?!"

"Heh, he's not an idiot. Why would he dare to fight Senior Brother Hai?"

"That's right! Senior Brother Hai is an eighth-layer Great Grandmaster, a prodigy among prodigies. Zhao Dong wouldn't be his match even if Senior Brother Hai fought with one hand behind his back!"

"Kid, if you're too scared to fight, just concede now. There's no shame in losing to Senior Brother Hai!"

The crowd sneered incessantly. Ultimately, they were unwilling to admit they were inferior to Zhao Dong, so when Hai Dongqing stepped forward, they couldn't help but unleash a torrent of taunts and jeers.

At that moment, the beautiful woman at Hai Dongqing's side stepped closer. She shot a disdainful glance at Zhao Dong and sneered, "Hai, I think we should just let it go. People from backwater places like him have never seen anything of the real world. How could he possibly be your match, even if there were two of him? Let's not stoop to bullying him."

"Hahahaha… You have a point. Why should we, from the great Qingyun Sect, bother with someone from a backwater town?"

A backwater town? Not worth bothering with? Their words made Zhao Dong's anger boil.

"Stop!"

Zhao Dong's sharp command halted the pair as they were turning to leave.

Hai Dongqing glanced back over his shoulder, a sneer on his face. "Now what?"

Zhao Dong chuckled coldly. "You just said I'm from a backwater town and that I'm afraid of you?"

"Am I wrong? Even Ling'er, a woman, looks down on you. Why would you expect me to think any differently?" Hai Dongqing laughed, his expression full of arrogance.

Ling'er shot Zhao Dong a sidelong glance. "There, there. Let's not waste our time on trash like him."

"Do you dare to make a wager?!" Zhao Dong's challenge rang out again.

For the second time, Hai Dongqing stopped in his tracks. He turned around slowly, a playful, mocking smile on his lips. "Kid, what do you mean? You want to fight me?"

"What? Are you scared now?" Zhao Dong's eyes were ice-cold.

"Hahahaha! Me? Scared?" Hai Dongqing howled with laughter, turning to the crowd. "Junior brothers and sisters, did you hear that? He's actually accusing me of being scared?"

His words were met with another wave of derisive laughter and taunts from the onlookers.

"Kid, hurry up and crawl back home! You're shameless!"

"You dare challenge Senior Brother Hai? You must have a death wish!"

"Senior Brother Hai is the best! Don't you dare insult him!"

Zhao Dong's eyes were like ice. He glanced sideways at Dongfang Shi, and seeing the man had no intention of intervening, he decided to stop holding back.

He took a step forward, his voice grave. "You and I will fight. If I lose, you can do with me as you please. But if you lose, I want you to shout 'I am trash' three times."

"Do you dare?!"

A deathly silence fell over the entire area. The onlookers were stunned. They never imagined Zhao Dong would not only dare to challenge Hai Dongqing, but also make such an outrageous demand!

"Kid, are you out of your mind? There's no way you can win this bet!" Ling'er shouted, puffing her cheeks in anger.

Hai Dongqing, however, raised a hand to silence Ling'er. His cold, predatory gaze fixed on Zhao Dong. "Kid," he said ominously, "are you sure you want to fight me?"

"Are we fighting or not?" Zhao Dong asked, growing impatient.

"Fight? Of course, we'll fight!" Hai Dongqing sneered. "If I lose, I'll shout 'I am trash' three times. As for if you lose? I won't need to arrange any special punishment. I'll make you pay the price you deserve during the duel itself!"

"Heh, one can hope," Zhao Dong replied with a nonchalant grin.

Anyone familiar with Zhao Dong would know that when he said those words—"one can hope"—it meant someone was about to suffer.

Both men were experts, so the crowd deliberately backed away, clearing a wide space for them to fight.

"Kid, I'll give you a three-move head start, so no one can say I'm bullying you!" Hai Dongqing declared, pointing his longsword at Zhao Dong with a defiant air.

Zhao Dong was momentarily speechless. Didn't I just hear those exact words from another arrogant fool earlier today?

"You will not!" Dongfang Shi's sharp rebuke cut through the air. "If you're going to fight, fight properly. Going all out is the minimum respect you owe your opponent!"

Dongfang Shi fought the urge to slap Hai Dongqing across the face. Does this idiot not know Zhao Dong's real strength? A three-move head start? After three moves, you probably won't be able to get back up! I was looking for a whetstone for my disciples, not a rock that would shatter their blades!

"Yes, sir." Hai Dongqing didn't dare refuse. He nodded and finally adopted a serious fighting stance.

Zhao Dong smiled faintly and gestured with an open hand. "After you."

Seeing this, Hai Dongqing hesitated no longer. He once again executed the One with the Sword technique!

This appeared to be one of the core Swordsmanship techniques of the Qingyun Sect. However, the same technique, when wielded by fighters of different strength, produced vastly different results.

A massive whirlwind drill, a full three meters wide, shot directly toward Zhao Dong. Sand and rubble were swept into its vortex. The ferocious pressure was so immense that it pulverized loose stones into fine powder, creating a dusty screen that obscured Zhao Dong's vision.

Zhao Dong instinctively raised his hand to block. But just as the whirlwind was about to reach his face, his expression suddenly changed!

It's a feint!

Zhao Dong's right hand shot up in a fist, punching toward the space directly above his head. Simultaneously, his left hand formed a claw and grabbed out diagonally upward.

BOOM!

Fist met sword, and a shockwave of pressure erupted. Although the punch hadn't seriously injured Hai Dongqing, it made his eyes go wide with disbelief.

How is this possible?! How could he know I wasn't in the vortex, but attacking from above?

But before Hai Dongqing could process his shock, he felt a large hand clamp down on his calf.

The next moment, a dizzying centrifugal force flooded his senses. The world began to spin violently around him.

RETCH!

Finally, the violent spinning brought a wave of nausea surging up his throat. A foul-smelling mouthful of what looked like Eight-Treasure Porridge spewed from his lips…