I became a Sword Emperor in the Martial Arts World

Chapter 153 How Did You Eat Your Neighbor?

After receiving their awards, the grand closing ceremony began.

Amidst a sky full of fireworks, the falling night sky, and a constellation of stars, the inaugural Phoenix Cup came to a perfect close.

The Linjiang team won three championships in the three events of the ring battle, small team battle and team battle, and naturally became the undisputed champion and the biggest winner of the Fengchu Cup.

Even the rewards, he received four in a row!

The champion of the ring battle received a prize.

They won another team championship.

We won the team battle championship again.

The final champion receives a reward so generous that it makes all the other contestants envious.

The divine general Qinglong carefully took out a brocade box. As soon as it was opened, what appeared before everyone's eyes were seven rings as black as ink.

Xia Yu Bao Ring!

This space storage equipment can hold 8 cubic meters of supplies, which is equivalent to carrying a small storage room with you.

Although the storage space of the Xiayu Treasure Ring cannot compare with the gilded jade gourd given by Kang Jinlong, the value of spatial storage equipment is immeasurable for current human civilization.

The Xiayu Treasure Ring was something that the Eastern Pole Kingdom couldn't manufacture in the past. It could only be obtained in small quantities through trade with the clans and forces within the cave.

Even among masters, not everyone can obtain a Universe Treasure Ring.

This shows how much importance the organizers attach to the Phoenix Cup competition, as they have allocated seven prizes as rewards for the overall champion team.

The divine general Qinglong personally handed the Xiayu Treasure Ring to the members of the Linjiang team. The atmosphere was solemn and dignified, and everyone held their breath and watched this scene intently.

Although it was a bit strange to receive a ring from a male, Ye Qingzhou still happily accepted this valuable treasure.

"Is this the championship reward?!"

"Giving away seven Universe Treasure Rings in one go? Is the official team trying to kill themselves?"

"Hey, I heard some news. Apparently, the Heavenly Secrets Research Institute has cracked the secret of the Void Stone and thus mastered the manufacturing technology of the Universe Treasure Ring. In the future, spatial storage equipment will probably be everywhere."

"Hehe, even if it's common, ordinary people still can't afford it. Given the price of the Void Stone, the Xiayu Treasure Ring can't possibly be cheap. I'm afraid even professional martial artists might not be able to afford it."

"So it's really enviable..."

"I've made up my mind. From today onwards, I'm going to start working hard..."

"Wait a minute, you're thirty years old, aren't you? No matter how hard you try, you can't participate in the Phoenix Cup."

"Ahem, what I mean is, I'm going to start pushing my son hard, making him practice martial arts diligently so he can win me a Xiayu Treasure Ring someday!"

"Hehe, you're such a good dad."

"You flatter me, you flatter me."

As the closing ceremony ended and everyone was about to leave, Qin Haoyu jumped out with a look of grief and indignation, blocking Ye Qingzhou's path: "Ye Qingzhou, give me back the Flame Emperor Sword and the Ochre Whip!"

At the same time, Wang Anyuan, the governor of the Xingcheng Martial Arts Association, also appeared behind Qin Haoyu, personally supporting him: "Student Ye Qingzhou, I heard that you snatched the treasure that belonged to Qin Haoyu in the competition. This is a violation of the competition rules. Please return the Yan Emperor Sword and the Ochre Whip."

Despite Wang Anyuan's righteous and indignant expression, as he appeared to be upholding justice for Qin Haoyu, he remained silent.

In fact, these were all Zhao Zhiyi's orders.

After all, Zhao Zhiyi had placed a heavy bet on Qin Haoyu. After abandoning the unruly Ye Qingzhou, Zhao Zhiyi devoted all his efforts to cultivating Qin Haoyu, this potential martial arts prodigy.

Qin Haoyu's performance in this year's Phoenix Cup surprised everyone.

But Zhao Zhiyi has already invested too many resources in Qin Haoyu, so he can't possibly give up now, can he?

Wouldn't that be like trying to draw water with a bamboo basket—all for nothing?

Therefore, we must retrieve the Yan Emperor Sword and the Ochre Whip no matter what.

Of course, Zhao Zhiyi wasn't doing this for Qin Haoyu; he planned to take control of the Yan Emperor Sword and the Ochre Whip and then find a way to obtain the Yan Emperor's inheritance.

From Qin Haoyu, Zhao Zhiyi now knows the detailed information about the Yan Emperor's inheritance, including martial arts, elixirs, and forging techniques. He also knows how much benefit these things can bring him.

Even Zhao Zhiyi, who had already reached the Grandmaster level, was greatly tempted.

As for Ye Qingzhou, since the treasures were already in his pocket, he naturally wouldn't take them out again. Therefore, he refused directly: "I'm sorry, I can't comply."

"Ye Qingzhou! You are breaking the law and committing a crime!"

Bearing Zhao Zhiyi's orders and backed by the behemoth that is the Martial Arts Association, Wang Anyuan, seeing that Ye Qingzhou dared to refuse him, immediately raised his voice sharply: "You used the competition to wantonly steal other contestants' treasures. According to the rules of the Martial Arts Association, I can arrest you right now!"

Qin Haoyu also looked indignant: "Ye Qingzhou, don't think you can do whatever you want just because you're a champion. The Yan Emperor Sword and the Ochre Whip are mine. If you don't return them, the Martial Arts Association's rules aren't just for show!"

"You're saying the Flame Emperor Sword and the Ochre Whip are yours?"

Ye Qingzhou gave a cold laugh, tapped the Yan Emperor Sword hanging at his waist with his fingers, then picked up the ochre whip and looked at Qin Haoyu with disdain: "Try calling out twice and see if they answer."

Qin Haoyu had only just begun to master the "Blazing Sun Treasure Seal" technique, and naturally hadn't had time to refine the two treasures, so how could he possibly respond?

So he immediately retorted, "Ye Qingzhou, that's clearly sophistry! Do you think they'll respond if you call them?"

Yes.

Ye Qingzhou nodded seriously, then pointed with his fingers: "Emperor Yan, help me!"

Clang~

The Yan Emperor Sword was immediately drawn, its blade intertwined with the fire elements of Bing and Ding, radiating intense heat.

At the same time, the Yan Emperor Sword was still circling around Ye Qingzhou, its sword spirit emitting a joyful and excited spiritual fluctuation, clearly indicating that it had recognized Ye Qingzhou as its master.

"That's impossible!"

Qin Haoyu was dumbfounded. He had obtained the Yan Emperor Sword for a whole month, but the sword spirit completely ignored him.

After only a few days with Ye Qingzhou, the Yan Emperor Sword became completely at his beck and call, following Ye Qingzhou's every command. Is this fair? Is this reasonable?

At this moment, Qin Haoyu seemed to be suffering from a crime committed by his wife.

He rushed forward frantically, trying to take back the Flame Emperor Sword, but the Flame Emperor Sword, which had already recognized its master, wouldn't let him touch it and even looked down on him, flying back into Ye Qingzhou's hand once again.

Seeing the Flame Emperor Sword being casually toyed with by Ye Qingzhou, Qin Haoyu's eyes were practically spitting fire. He said with a face full of resentment, "Ye Qingzhou, what exactly did you do to my Flame Emperor Sword?!"

"Hey, watch your mouth! What do you mean by 'your Yan Emperor Sword'? This is clearly my Yan Emperor Sword! If you keep talking nonsense like this, I'm going to sue you for defamation!"

Ye Qingzhou then turned to Wang Anyuan: "Governor Wang, is the Yan Emperor's legacy somehow surnamed Qin? The Yan Emperor's Sword and Ochre Whip are the legacy left behind by the Yan Emperor. When did they become Qin Haoyu's personal property? I do not agree with your accusations. Why don't we let the Azure Dragon General judge this?"

The martial arts community of Dongji Kingdom has long held a consensus on the ownership of the inherited item.

Especially with heirloom treasures like these, it's never a matter of whoever finds them first owns them.

Rather, the ownership of the item can only be truly determined by who first gains the item's recognition and who receives its inheritance from its owner.

After all, what the Eastern Kingdom needs is a martial artist who can fully unleash the power of the treasures, not a collector of magical artifacts.

Otherwise, if a martial artist discovers a secret realm but lacks the ability to explore it, and then puts up a sign at the entrance claiming the realm as his, are we expected to accept that?

The same goes for treasures. Qin Haoyu was at most the first person to "find" them. The fact that he couldn't refine them means he wasn't the owner of the treasure. Besides, the Yan Emperor Sword was left to its inheritor by the Yan Emperor, and it wasn't originally Qin Haoyu's.

Ye Qingzhou has clearly received the inheritance of Emperor Yan, and even the sword spirit of Emperor Yan's sword and the weapon spirit of the ochre whip have recognized it. The result is beyond doubt.

The Azure Dragon General had previously favored Ye Qingzhou, and now naturally sided with him: "Wang Anyuan, go back and tell Zhao Zhiyi to stop coveting the Yan Emperor's inheritance, or don't blame me for acting according to the Martial Arts Association's rules."

"yes!"

Wang Anyuan was taken aback by these words. He could disregard Ye Qingzhou, but he dared not disobey the attitude of the Divine General Qinglong.

After chasing away Wang Anyuan and Qin Haoyu, the Azure Dragon General turned to Ye Qingzhou: "Grow up quickly, I hope you can change the predetermined trajectory of your destiny."

Leaving behind these words, Qinglong rode his Yuanling Battle Armor straight into the sky and disappeared into the night.

Then Gu Minghui came over and extended an invitation to Ye Qingzhou again: "It seems you have truly received the inheritance of the Yan Emperor. I'm not particularly interested in martial arts, but I am very interested in forging techniques and alchemy. Consider it; the doors of the Heavenly Mystery Research Institute are always open to you."

"Okay, I'll think about it seriously."

Ye Qingzhou nodded.

He had no interest in being a lackey of the powerful and wealthy, but he was not opposed to joining an academic institution like the Tianji Research Institute and coming into contact with the most cutting-edge research results in martial arts.

Zhao Zhiyi, standing at a distance, had a very unpleasant expression on his face, especially after seeing Qinglong and Gu Minghui talking to Ye Qingzhou one after another, which made him feel extremely bad.

Qinglong represents the military of Dongji Kingdom. Although the Martial Arts Association is not under the command of the military, the Martial Arts Association cannot ignore the military's opinions.

As for the Tianji Research Institute, it is not to be trifled with either.

It should be noted that on Earth today, no researcher engaged in martial arts-related studies is an ordinary person.

Especially for someone like Gu Minghui, the saying "knowledge is power" is not just an empty phrase!

With the divine generals Qinglong and Gu Minghui protecting him, Zhao Zhiyi dared not make any underhanded moves against Ye Qingzhou for the time being. Even if he were to take action, he could only do so according to the rules.

For a moment, Zhao Zhi felt constrained and extremely regretful.

If I had known, I shouldn't have given up on befriending Ye Qingzhou in the first place. Otherwise, I wouldn't be in this mess now, being dragged into a ditch by that good-for-nothing Qin Haoyu!

Ye Qingzhou led his teammates to meet up with the main group. More than two hundred people came to the fighting center of Linjiang No.1 Middle School to cheer them on.

Huang Liwen stepped forward with a smile and teased Ye Qingzhou, "I heard you broke Qin Haoyu's heart?"

"That's utter nonsense. I just stripped him naked, I didn't bend him over."

"..."

"Why did you have to rip someone's clothes off like that?"

"I was naked at the time."

Ye Qingzhou's matter-of-fact tone left Huang Liwen speechless.

Then Huang Liwen looked at the Yan Emperor Sword hanging at Ye Qingzhou's waist, and for some reason, reached out to touch it.

As soon as he reached out, trouble ensued!

Clang~

As if responding to a stimulus, the Yan Emperor Sword was drawn three inches from its sheath, shooting out a sword aura of fire attribute that grazed Huang Liwen's flamboyant middle-part hairstyle and ignited his hair.

"Holy crap! It's scalding hot! Pighead Ye, you actually tried to kill me?!"

With great difficulty, Huang Liwen finally managed to vent his anger, and looked at Ye Qingzhou with a resentful expression: "If you have any complaints about me, you can just say so. It doesn't have to be this bad."

Ye Qingzhou shook his head: "I didn't do it."

Clang!

The Flame Emperor Sword wanted to be drawn again, but Ye Qingzhou reacted quickly and stopped it, sensing the anger and dissatisfaction emanating from the sword's spirit.

Ye Qingzhou found it strange: "The Flame Emperor Sword seems to be very dissatisfied with you. Did you offend it in your past life?"

"Damn it, a sword and he's acting so arrogantly, Ye Qingzhou, aren't you going to do anything about it?!"

"I think you'd better not touch it carelessly in the future, otherwise I'm afraid you'll be torn to pieces by the Yan Emperor Sword."

Ye Qingzhou shrugged, indicating that he couldn't help her.

In reality, the Yan Emperor Sword didn't do much to Huang Liwen; otherwise, it wouldn't have just burned off his hair, but rather shattered his head with a sword aura.

Afterwards, the group returned to the hotel to pack their luggage, rested for the night, and prepared to embark on their journey home the next day.

The next day, as Ye Qingzhou boarded the bus, he was still thinking about things at home: "I hope that during the two weeks I've been away, Yingyue and Youruo won't cause me any trouble."

Ten days ago, Yingyue called Ye Qingzhou to tell him that the Tyrant Black Serpent had successfully transformed into human form under her guidance, having mastered the basics of the Fish-Dragon Transformation technique.

The tyrant Black Serpent has now transformed into a giant loli who looks like a twelve-year-old human girl.

Yingyue also gave her a beautiful name—Youruo.

Its fragrance is subtle and subtle, spreading far and wide.

Unfortunately, Xiao Youruo can't speak yet, let alone read. She's completely illiterate and doesn't know how to use human technology. For now, she can only stay at home, being directed by Yingyue to clean, and has become a pitiful child laborer.

…………

Jiangshan Dijing, No. 169.

Three days ago, a new family moved in. They were a young couple, a handsome man and a beautiful woman, and they immediately became the talk of the neighborhood.

But no one knew that these two were not ordinary people, but members of the Source Blood Society who had been lurking in the Eastern Pole Kingdom for a long time.

"Commissioner Smith, rest assured, we will definitely find out the truth behind Captain Cecil's death. We have successfully infiltrated the target's inner circle, but the target is not here. However, there are two women in his house."

"Su Yi'an, Tang Zhuoran, all I want is results, understand?"

"Yes, as you wish, Commissioner Smith."

Then, communication was lost. The two, who were pretending to be a couple, first played a fierce game of poker in the bedroom, and then took a shower, intending to pretend to be neighbors who came to visit.

"These two women must have a close relationship with Ye Qingzhou. To be on the safe side, let's capture them first, then threaten Ye Qingzhou into submission. We must capture him and send him to headquarters."

Tang Zhuoran, smoking a cigarette, explained his plan.

Su Yi'an, wrapped in a blanket, leaned against the headboard, smoking a cigarette: "After they caught Ye Qingzhou, what did they do with her?"

"Same old rule, play first, then kill, they're irrelevant anyway."

Tang Zhuoran revealed a cruel smile. He appeared to be a refined gentleman, but in reality, he was a demon in human skin. Since joining the Source Blood Society, he had become even more unscrupulous, using cruel methods to kill countless innocent girls from the Eastern Pole Kingdom.

Su Yi'an flicked her cigarette ash, the coldness in her eyes revealing her disregard for human life.

Despite her public identity as a journalist, she frequently uses her media persona to occupy the moral high ground online, condescendingly pointing fingers at others.

The two quickly carried some small gifts and pressed the doorbell of villa number 168.

The door opened a crack, revealing half a pretty face with slightly dark skin but an adorable, innocent expression. Who else could it be but You Ruo?

Xiao Youruo had just taken human form, so her facial expressions lacked variation. However, because of her cute appearance, she looked cold, cool, and both silly and adorable.

Xiao You Ruo couldn't speak; she stared at Su Yi An and Tang Zhuo Ran without uttering a word.

The two men, thinking she was shy, reached out to pat You Ruo's head, saying, "Little girl, are your parents home...? Oh my god!"

Click~

Xiao You Ruo slammed the door shut, nearly breaking Tang Zhuoran's right hand. He was in so much pain that he rolled on the ground, clutching his wrist, which was swollen like a pig's trotter.

Su Yi'an's eye twitched. What's wrong with this little girl?

Enraged by the injury to his hand, Tang Zhuoran exclaimed, "Damn it, I'm going to kill her!"

Worried that he might ruin the original plan, Su Yi'an quickly dissuaded him: "Don't be impulsive. Let's take the younger one into custody now. The older one is probably out and hasn't returned yet. We'll arrest the older one later. Don't forget the plan to capture Ye Qingzhou, otherwise we won't be able to explain to Commissioner Smith. You know the consequences!"

Tang Zhuoran then suppressed his anger, before suddenly kicking open the door and rushing into the room, his expression ferocious: "You little brat, wait until we catch Ye Qingzhou, then I'll see how I deal with you!"

When the two rushed into the house, they found You Ruo leisurely cleaning the living room.

Tang Zhuoran barged in from outside, wearing shoes, and dirtied the entryway and hallway that she had just mopped. You Ruo was very unhappy and turned to look at him, revealing a pair of vertical pupils.

Seemingly sensing Tang Zhuoran and Su Yi'an's malice, You Ruo immediately opened her mouth wide, her head transforming into its original form—a huge snake head—and swallowed the two of them whole.

Then, Xiaoyou Ruo touched her slightly bulging belly and let out a burp.

After consuming two humans who had been modified with intermediate-level dragon blood potion, she felt a little full.

Just then, Yingyue, who had just returned from shopping, looked at the kicked-down front door and the filthy entryway and became very angry: "Youruo, what did you do while I was away! My husband will be back soon, and he's definitely going to be furious!"

Upon hearing that Ye Qingzhou would be angry, You Ruo, who had maintained a cool expression, suddenly revealed fear and unease—the first emotion she had learned to express.

Not long after, Ye Qingzhou returned home. After listening to Yingyue's account and learning the whole story, he criticized You'an with a serious expression, saying, "How could you eat your neighbor? How many times have I told you, eating raw food is very unhygienic!"

Xiao Youruo looked very aggrieved and seemed about to cry.

This is the second emotion she has learned to express since she took human form.

(End of this chapter)