CHAPTER 55: CHAPTER 55: MY PANTS GOT SOAKED

Celestial Heart Arena, competitors’ training room.

The semifinals start the day after tomorrow, and Liu Dingjian is practicing extra hard in the training room. It’s clear he is a diligent person, able to withstand loneliness.

Liu Yiming walked into the training room, his expression stern and aloof, like a dragon lying atop a high mountain, calmly seated within a sea of clouds.

"Big brother!"

"Do you have confidence in the semifinals the day after tomorrow?"

Liu Dingjian’s face remained unchanged, but the hand gripping the sword hilt suddenly tightened: "I will definitely win."

Liu Yiming shook his head, "Having fighting spirit is a good thing, but there’s no need to force yourself. Remember, victory and defeat are common in the military family. What’s important is not to be proud in victory or discouraged in defeat. As long as you proceed steadily, you can reach the finish line even if you walk slowly."

"But big brother, you’ve never lost."

"You are not me."

After saying this, Liu Yiming turned and left.

Liu Dingjian grasped the Thunder Dragon Sword in his hand once more, his fighting spirit burning fiercely: "I must win!"

The name "Thunder" itself implies strength and hardness. Named after Thunder Dragon, it represents his parents’ and elder brother’s expectations of him—steadfast and unwavering, like a carp leaping through the Dragon Gate!

After leaving the training room, Liu Yiming followed behind Liu Jianmin. The two of them took the elevator down to a hundred meters beneath the Qian Character District arena.

The outside world does not know that the Mingjian Group has been secretly constructing a massive underground project here for the past fifteen years.

The so-called Cyan Wave Sword Fighting Competition was never about making money or enhancing the influence of the Mingjian Group. Those were all just side matters.

"Father."

"Yiming, you’re here?"

Standing in front of Liu Yiming was the current patriarch of the Star City Liu Clan, and also the founder of the Mingjian Group, Liu Haoci, who had wielded a powerful sword across Xiangnan eighteen years ago.

The father and son stood before a giant altar, where eight chains, arranged according to the Bagua configuration, connected with eight competition districts on the ground surface and extended deep underground, all to lock a pitch-black great sword at the center.

This sword had a dark undercolor, with golden dragon patterns on its surface, exuding a sense of majesty and grandeur.

Liu Haoci waved his hand at Liu Jianmin, who, understanding the gesture, bowed and retreated.

It was not until then that Liu Yiming frowned and asked, "Has Dragon Abyss’s Sword Spirit awakened early?"

Liu Haoci shook his head, "Dragon Abyss’s Sword Spirit is severely damaged. Over the years, we have been hosting sword fighting competitions, allowing the Sword Spirit to continuously absorb the vigorous and vibrant sword intent of young swordsmen. But according to estimates, it should take at least three more years to fully repair."

"When did the Dragon Abyss Sword start showing signs of activity?"

"Three days ago."

Liu Yiming frowned again, "Did someone’s sword intent resonate with the Dragon Abyss Sword? But how could that be possible?"

Emperor Sword Dragon Abyss!

The Star City Liu Clan had lost two master-level martial artists in battle years ago just to seize this unparalleled divine weapon from the hands of Heart Evil Stream’s strongmen.

Based on the recorded contents of the Divine Sword Bamboo Scroll, Liu Haoci finally confirmed that this was indeed the sword once wielded by the Divine Feather Sword Emperor!

Even with a damaged Sword Spirit, the Emperor Sword Dragon Abyss couldn’t casually acknowledge a master.

Liu Haoci was still puzzled at this point, "Yes, I also think it’s impossible, but at that time, Dragon Abyss’s Sword Spirit did briefly awaken for a moment."

"Increase manpower and strictly guard the Sword Nurturing Pool to prevent any accidents."

"That’s all we can do for now, which is why I urgently called you back."

Liu Yiming possessed the cultivation foundation of a professional ninth rank, and having mastered the essence of the Liu Family’s Five Mountains Sword Technique, he had the formidable strength to face master-level martial artists, making him Liu Haoci’s right-hand man.

......

In the competitors’ rest area, Ye Qingzhou sat cross-legged, maintaining a meditative state.

Zheng~~~

"There it is again, this peculiar vibration."

In Ye Qingzhou’s mind, a faint, intermittent sword chant sounded, as if something was calling him.

But it was too weak. Once he left the Qian Character District, he couldn’t sense it at all.

"This vibration seems to occur only when I use the Sword Heart Secret Technique. What exactly is it?"

Ye Qingzhou, possessing cultivation that was innovative and subtle, was very clear that this was definitely not an auditory hallucination, nor a mere illusion.

"Ye Qingzhou, what are you doing here alone?"

Xu Yuebing originally planned to return to the hotel, but after searching for Ye Qingzhou everywhere outside and not finding him, he thought Ye Qingzhou might have gotten lost. Instead, he found Ye Qingzhou in the competitors’ rest area, daydreaming alone.

Ye Qingzhou raised a finger to signal Xu Yuebing to be quiet, "Shh, don’t speak. I’m listening."

In the end, Xu Yuebing sat down to keep him company for quite some time, but couldn’t hear anything, eventually touching his head and saying, "You’re not even running a fever. Could it be that you’re under too much pressure and hearing things?"

"Hey, Ye Qingzhou, are you even listening to me?"

"Hmph, it’s so frustrating!"

Though silently annoyed, planning not to speak to Ye Qingzhou until he realized his mistake.

Yet Xu Yuebing still didn’t leave.

The two sat like that until evening. Xu Yuebing even fell asleep on Ye Qingzhou’s lap, drooling and wetting his pants.

"Wake up, lazy pig."

"Mm~ let me sleep a little longer."

"Such a hassle."

Ye Qingzhou carried the still-napping Xu Yuebing back to the hotel. He couldn’t just leave the patron alone in the rest area.

Fortunately, good deeds are eventually rewarded. Just after returning to the hotel and tossing Xu Yuebing onto the bed, Ye Qingzhou received a call from Xu Yunxi: "Hello."

"The Bone Forging Secret Technique you wanted has been approved. Where are you? I’ll come to you."

"Xiangjiang Hotel..."

Xu Yunxi arrived quickly and handed a set of Bone Forging Secret Techniques named Rattling Iron Bones to Ye Qingzhou: "The secret technique must not be shared outside, or the Martial Arts Association’s law enforcement team will come after you."

"Understood."

When the fists aren’t big enough, Ye Qingzhou was still willing to follow the rules.

Xu Yunxi then reminded Ye Qingzhou, "The Bone Forging Secret Technique requires various rare treasures. Although the initial grade of Rattling Iron Bones isn’t high, the costs aren’t low, requiring at least fifty million. You need to start earning money well."

A tiny penny can topple a hero, let alone fifty million?

Ye Qingzhou looked at the secret technique and then at Xu Yunxi: "Suddenly, I’m starting to think about marrying into the Xu family again."

Xu Yunxi softly laughed, "Sure, get engaged to Little Bing tonight, and I’ll transfer the fifty million immediately."

Listening in while pretending to sleep, Xu Yuebing suddenly jumped up from the bed, blushing and furiously protesting, "I object!"

In the end, Ye Qingzhou still didn’t agree to marry into the Xu family.

And in his efforts to earn money for bone forging, he started taking advertisements like crazy.

After all, being a popular contender for the championship, and having successfully made it to the semifinals, there were many companies willing to find Ye Qingzhou to promote their products.

The result was that, when Ye Qingzhou took to the ring the next day, his clothes were covered in advertisements wherever there was space, making his appearance extremely eye-catching.

Seeing this, Liu Dingjian was almost disconcerted on the spot.

Is this the opponent he’s been racking his brains to strategize against these past two days, hell-bent on defeating?

How embarrassing!

If he lost to an opponent like this, he might as well bash himself to death with a block of tofu!