Chapter 94: Heroes and Legends of Qingcheng, the Perfect Sport (4K)

Chapter 94: Heroes and Legends of Qingcheng, the Perfect Sport (4K)



The car drove along the cobblestone driveway, and through the window, Xue Jing admired the elegant landscaping of the estate. His fingers tapped unconsciously on Fu Tu's sword sheath.

"Over there is the stable, Little Junior Brother. Have you ever ridden a horse before?"

Zhu Shan Ying pointed to a circular enclosure in the distance, where a row of wooden stalls, each housing a colorful horse with a gleaming coat. A servant was feeding them with a large spoon.

"How about we go for a ride later? The back door of my house leads to the northern district's hinterlands, a perfect place for horse riding."

Xue Jing shook his head. "I don't know how to ride a horse."

Zhu Shan Ying's lively eyes sparkled with a smile. "Then it's perfect! I can teach you."

Xue Jing was about to refuse when he suddenly realized something. After a moment's thought, he smiled and said, "Alright, let's give it a try."

Zhu Shan Ying exclaimed in surprise, clearly not expecting his response.

"I thought you'd be more serious and say something like, 'I'm here to practice martial arts, not to play,' and then adamantly refuse."

She poked his cheek playfully and laughed, "Looks like you're more interesting than I thought, Little Junior Brother."

The car slowly came to a stop in a small square in front of the main house, and Xue Jing stepped out.

He glanced at the beautifully crafted fountain in the center of the square and asked Zhu Shan Ying, who had just gotten out of the car, "Where are your family members, Senior Sister? I should at least greet them."

The main reason for his visit to Zhu Shan Ying's home was to find a spacious place to practice his martial arts, especially his knife techniques.

The training room at the Canglong Dojo was too confined for his practice, limiting him to basic knife techniques.

The training hall, filled with ordinary disciples, restricted his movements for fear of injuring someone, and he constantly found himself being watched, which made him uncomfortable.

With the dojo undergoing renovations, Zhu Shan Ying's offer of her spacious home, where he could practice without restraint, came at the right time. Otherwise, he would have had to find a new place to train, which would have been troublesome.

Now that he was here, it was only polite to greet Zhu Shan Ying's family, lest he be considered rude.

Hearing Xue Jing's words, Zhu Shan Ying shook her head. "My family isn't in Qingcheng. Besides the servants who take care of the place, I'm the only one living here."

"Hmm?" Xue Jing raised an eyebrow and glanced at her.

"What, Senior Sister Zhu, are you some city girl who came to experience rural life?"

Zhu Shan Ying pouted. "That's more or less it... But the way you put it sounds strange."

"Qingcheng is where my ancestors made their mark... Before my ancestor passed away, he left a will stating that Qingcheng is our 'place of dragon's rise,' and our family must spend some time here every year."

"Two years ago, when I came to live in Qingcheng, I met Master and became his disciple. I've been living here ever since to focus on my martial arts training."

Xue Jing fell into deep thought after hearing her explanation.

In the small city of Qingcheng, there were so many hidden talents.

Although he didn't know the specifics of Zhu Shan Ying's family background, the fact that her ancestor referred to Qingcheng as their 'place of dragon's rise' indicated that they were undoubtedly extraordinary.

In addition to Zhu Shan Ying, there was also Master Li Qi, the 'Dragon King' who had retired from the Inner Ring City, and Wu Youqing, whose exact capabilities were unknown but were surely impressive.

And these were just the people connected to him. Who knew how many other talented individuals were in this city?

"Your ancestor knew what he was talking about, Senior Sister Zhu. 'Place of dragon's rise' is a fitting description."

Xue Jing shook his head as he spoke.

Indeed, Qingcheng was a city of heroes and legends, and the greatest 'dragon' among them... was none other than himself.

Zhu Shan Ying waved dismissively. "It doesn't matter. Come on, Little Junior Brother, let's go in."

With that, she led the way towards the main house, with Xue Jing following close behind.

The massive black double doors slowly opened to reveal a soft, beige-toned entrance hallway.

Contrary to Xue Jing's expectations, the main house was not decorated in a high-end style but rather in a homey fashion, with a focus on comfort and practicality.

Aside from its absurdly large size, the house was surprisingly down-to-earth, devoid of pretentious oil paintings, antique sculptures, or grandiose crystal chandeliers.

Beyond the entrance hall was a small living room, but Zhu Shan Ying didn't take Xue Jing there. Instead, she turned left and led him up the stairs to the second floor.

"I'm the only one living in this house right now, so feel free to explore, Little Junior Brother. You don't have to hold back."

Zhu Shan Ying chatted as she climbed the stairs, with Xue Jing trailing behind. Their gaze inevitably fell on the girl's perky, round derriere as one went up and the other went down.

The young woman's hips swayed gently as she walked, accentuating her slender waist and exuding an innocent yet deadly allure.

Xue Jing averted his gaze, turning his attention instead to the intricate architecture and lighting design of the house.

"There's a pretty large swimming pool on the third floor, Little Junior Brother. If you ever feel like taking a break from your martial arts training, you can go for a swim to relax. It's very refreshing."

"Over there is the library, filled with rare books that you can't find anywhere else..."

Zhu Shan Ying gave Xue Jing a tour of the house, explaining the basic layout as they walked. Eventually, they reached the fifth floor.

She opened the door to reveal an enormous room, spanning dozens of meters in length and width. The floor was covered in a light gray rubber material, with only a few dozen support pillars and some equipment breaking up the vast space.

"This is the training room, Little Junior Brother. You can practice your martial arts here or in the courtyard outside. The back door also leads directly to the northern district's hinterlands, which is perfect for training."

Zhu Shan Ying smiled warmly.

"Thank you, Senior Sister Zhu," Xue Jing expressed his gratitude.

"Alright then, Little Junior Brother, you can start practicing here. I have all sorts of medicinal herbs, and over there in that corner is a room for preparing medicines. Feel free to use whatever you need."

Zhu Shan Ying pointed to an inconspicuous door in the corner of the training room.

"I still have some things to take care of, but I'll be back at noon and we can have lunch together. I'll teach you how to ride a horse then, it's fun!"

With a wave, the young woman left the training room, leaving Xue Jing alone.

Xue Jing shook his head, suppressing the strange feeling of being taken care of. He took a deep breath and began his daily cultivation routine.

...

Elsewhere, beyond the outskirts of Qingcheng, in a desolate and uninhabited wilderness...

Jiao Hongyuan opened his eyes, coughing violently.

"Cough, cough, cough—"

With each cough, he spat out thick, blackish blood that seemed almost solid. He clutched his chest, his face contorted in pain.

Sitting next to him, Li Chengxuan grew concerned and reached out to pat his back gently. "Master, are you alright?"

Jiao Hongyuan waved dismissively and lowered his head to examine his dantian area.

There was a circular hole in his clothes, revealing a three-finger-wide spiral wound on his bare abdomen.

It should have been a gaping hole, but he had managed to control his muscles to constrict the wound, forming the spiral pattern.

"A body refined through nearly sixty years of tempering, yet it couldn't withstand a single blow from that youngster."

Jiao Hongyuan sighed.

"The passage of time is relentless."

If only he were twenty years younger, how could he have been humiliated like this?

"Master, what should we do now?" Li Chengxuan asked in a low voice.

He was feeling anxious.

In his eyes, his master was almost invincible, yet now he lay injured before him...

And perhaps, maybe, possibly, it was all his fault?

No, Li Chengxuan denied this thought.

He had only gone to the Canglong Dojo to seek justice for Kaiping's death and to ask Xue Jing what had really happened.

But he never expected the people from the dojo to be so dishonorable...

Hiss... Well, they did show some honor by sending out Xue Jing, who was younger than him, to fight...

Never mind all that now, what's done is done.

Even if he was 99% at fault, didn't the people from the dojo have at least 1% responsibility?

Both sides had their issues, and arguing about who was right or wrong was pointless.

Li Chengxuan thought to himself.

Jiao Hongyuan turned to look at Li Chengxuan, his eyes filled with a mix of emotions.

There was disappointment, and something else as well.

He sighed and said dejectedly, "Chengxuan, you should go to Fengcheng right away. The elimination rounds are about to begin."

Li Chengxuan whispered, "But... there's still more than a week left, and I want to stay with you a little longer."

Jiao Hongyuan glared at him. "Can't you take a hint? I'm telling you to leave and lie low for a while!"

"The Canglong Dojo won't let this go. They won't rest until they've settled the score."

"And they know that I won't let this slide either."

Jiao Hongyuan held his stomach.

"What comes next is no longer something a child like you can handle. Go to Fengcheng, your injuries need attention too. I know a great doctor there..."

At that moment, a deep voice interrupted them.

"Enough of this nonsense."

A tall man, clad in a black windbreaker that concealed his entire body, sat on a fallen tree trunk nearby.

His elbows rested on his knees, and his large hands were clasped together. His eyes, glowing green, stared at Jiao Hongyuan and Li Chengxuan without any emotion.

The man's head was hairless, with six button-like objects embedded on the top. The lower half of his face was covered by a black mask that seemed to be sewn into his skin, rather than worn over it.

The man's stature was incredibly robust, and even in a sitting position, his upper body alone suggested an impressive height of at least two meters.

Upon hearing the man speak, Li Chengxuan immediately fell silent.

The only reason they had been able to escape from that monster at the Canglong Dojo was due to this man holding the creature back.

"Jiao Hongyuan, how's the task I assigned you coming along?"

"The 'Grand Assembly' is still two months away. Don't tell me you've made minimal progress."

The man's voice carried a mechanical chill, devoid of any emotion.

Jiao Hongyuan coughed a few more times before slowly replying, "The mature individuals have been successfully cultivated, and we're currently accumulating production numbers. What's the rush?"

The man stared at him for a while before nodding, "Best to be prepared."

"Also, this is the last time I'm helping you... The company must not be implicated in any way, you understand?"

The man spoke expressionlessly.

"You have to deal with your own problems."

Jiao Hongyuan scoffed.

"I wasn't expecting anything anyway, no need to bring it up."

The man looked at him intently.

"As long as you understand."

...

As noon approached, Xue Jing sheathed Fu Tu and stopped his knife training.

[You have completed a knife technique practice. Soldier Strike Experience +98]



Xue Jing checked the panel's information and thought for a moment before deciding not to continue his cultivation. Instead, he opened the door and stepped out of the training room.

He walked down the stairs to the third floor and made his way to the indoor swimming pool that Zhu Shan Ying had mentioned earlier.

It was a large pool, twenty meters long and ten meters wide. Xue Jing looked at the blue water, inhaling the distinctive chlorine scent that filled the air.

He removed his clothes, folding them neatly along with Fu Tu and placing them on the ground. Then, he walked over to a nearby cabinet and opened it.

Inside were unopened packages of swimsuits of various sizes. Xue Jing chose one that was slightly larger and changed into it.

Standing there in just the swimsuit, his perfectly sculpted body was on full display, resembling a work of art crafted by the gods themselves.

Xue Jing walked to the edge of the pool, crouched down, and dipped his hand into the water.

Then, with a powerful leap, he plunged into the pool, creating a loud splash.

He began swimming in a butterfly stroke, floundering a bit at first.

'I don't think I've ever swum in my life.'

Xue Jing thought to himself as he swam.

In his previous life, he had learned this stroke, and it was one of the few legacies of that life.

As Xue Jing swam, he initially felt a bit awkward, as if his body hadn't fully internalized the technique.

However, his exceptional bodily control, a hallmark of a martial artist, allowed him to quickly master the butterfly stroke, improving at an incredible rate.

"Splash, splash, splash—"

Before long, he was cutting through the water like a torpedo, moving back and forth in the pool with powerful strokes, creating huge waves in his wake.

His robust physical condition, combined with his enhanced lung capacity from the breathing technique, allowed him to swim tirelessly without needing to stop for rest.

After an unknown amount of time had passed, the panel suddenly gave him a notification.

[Conditions met. Skill unlocked: Swimming]



[Swimming Lv1 (0/300)]



Upon seeing the notification, Xue Jing pushed off from the wall with force, surfacing with a few quick strokes.

"So there are skills that can be activated," Xue Jing said with a breath.

He looked at the water's surface and felt a sense of familiarity, as if he belonged in the water.

Xue Jing pushed off from the pool wall, diving back into the water.

This time, his movements were far more graceful and natural than before, almost elegant.

He swam like a fish that had always lived in the depths, gracefully navigating the underwater currents.

He didn't even need to use his arms; his body's natural agility allowed him to swiftly move through the water with ease.

"Puff!"

Xue Jing surfaced, a look of delight on his face.

"My water affinity has increased significantly, and my physical attributes, balance, control, and more have also improved quite evenly."

He felt the enhancements that the [Swimming] skill had granted him.

"Swimming is touted as one of the best, if not the best, forms of exercise, providing a comprehensive workout for every part of the body."

"Aside from the strict requirements, it's a nearly perfect form of exercise."

"Awesome!"

Xue Jing flipped over and dove back into the water.

...

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end