Cohabitation with Sword Spirit-Chapter 180 - 150: Persistently Upholding a Service-Oriented Mindset

November 20, 2017, Clear

More than a month before the Qingyun competition, Qingyun City was already immersed in the atmosphere of the event.

Although in the eyes of many cultivators, this so-called grand event, which occurs once every ten years, often fails to live up to its name. For example, it only allows participants under 20 years old, and since it's held once a decade, it mainly filters the elite from the 18-19 age group every year... For example, several champions, after winning, quickly fade into obscurity, far from the glory at the time of their victory.

But anyway, these issues cannot shake the status of the Qingyun competition in Qingyun City.

Even if it's an event leaning more towards entertainment, it is the most important entertainment activity in Qingyun City, with both immortals and ordinary people across the city participating and enjoying it.

Outside in the city, in every alley, restaurant, and teahouse, there's essentially only one topic of discussion — the Qingyun competition. People discuss the states of the seed players, speculate on the dark horses hidden in the qualifiers, and talk about the shady deals orchestrated by the three major families, and so on.

Even the Spirit Cat Team, which was wildly popular recently, had to bow down under this trend.

In fact, at the company level, only a pre-competition joint performance was arranged for Shen Qingming and Li Wanqing, and no further activities were scheduled — of course, both will still perform as guests at the opening ceremony of the main competition. As participants, their main focus has already been on cultivation and training.

Even Li Wanqing, who once declared the championship was already in her grasp, has relaxed her daily banter with Shen Qingming these days, seriously adjusting her condition to face new challenges.

Five days ago, the duel between Qian Ye and Ling Sheng, although suppressed at first by the strong influence of the Spirit Cat Team, eventually spread through the media channels of the Qian Family. The power Qian Ye displayed after Marrow Cleansing was astonishing, leaving many professional commentators on-site flabbergasted. Even experts like Li Jinglun directly ranked Qian Ye at the top of his personal Cyan Cloud List.

After the battle, the video of the duel was widely promoted by the Qian Family. Li Wanqing watched the entire process that night, noticeably more serious. Although when Shen Qingming asked, she claimed she was engrossed in cultivation and needed hugs and kisses due to a lack of beautiful girl energy, even with Shen Qingming's intelligence, it was evident she felt real pressure.

During the monotonous closed-door cultivation, taking a day off to watch the qualifiers may also be a way to relax...

——

In the morning, after breakfast, the group from Shen Garden left the East City District, trying to move towards the city center along with the crowded stream of people.

"Wow, so many people..."

Shen Qingming looked at the surging crowd beside her, expressing her aversion.

"Wow, so many people!"

Li Wanqing looked at the various beautiful women hidden in the crowd around her and exclaimed with excitement.

Theoretically, as cultivators, one privilege is to be able to fly above the ground, avoiding congestion. Although Shen Qingming's cultivation is only at the Wind-Rising Realm, she has learned the simple Qi Manipulation Flight Technique, though she can't travel a thousand miles a day, she can fly slightly faster than a kite with its string cut.

It's just that now in Qingyun City, there are simply too many people coming to watch the event. Besides the local cultivators, there are many idlers like Yu Zishen who came from Shen City, Heaven-Reaching City, and even Golden Jade City to spectate. Moreover, sects and families from across Xiangzhou have sent representatives.

No matter how others discuss the decline of the Li Family and Qingyun City, it is after all one of the most prosperous areas in Xiangzhou.

With so many spectators, near the entrance of the martial arts arena, due to limited entrances, even the air is crowded with cultivators from all directions. Shen Qingming instantly experienced the feeling of rubbing shoulders, and her petite figure was easily submerged in the wave of people, needing to fly a foot higher than others to stick her head out. Standing next to the tall Wang Jiu and Li Wanqing, she looked like a child riding on their shoulders...

Of course, it wasn't too bad until Shen Qingming, while queuing to enter, distinctly overheard a passing group exclaiming, "Wow, look at that family of three, their average attractiveness is so high, and the daughter is so cute."

Your damn family of three! Cute, my foot! You all go to hell!

And just as Shen Qingming was biting her teeth in line, suddenly a call came from not far away: "Is that Miss Shen Qingming? Please come this way, we have a VIP passage."

Looking over, a young man in volunteer attire was stepping on a floating green brick, loudly beckoning them.

Shen Qingming was puzzled and turned to Li Wanqing: "Did you book VIP tickets?"

Li Wanqing said: "No, I didn't even go to buy tickets these past few days, and the VIP ticket window happened to be run by a familiar girl, so I didn't even plan to buy VIP tickets... wait, could it be?"

Before she could finish, Shen Qingming also saw the young man with a gentle smile next to the staff member...

"Oh my, let's go home!" Shen Qingming immediately turned to leave, only to bump into Li Wanqing, finding herself embraced by warmth... 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

"Did you do that on purpose!?"

"Yes, it feels great."

This situation of a tiger in front and a wolf behind forced Shen Qingming to seek help from the person she never wanted to rely on.

"Ah Jiu, help me..."

"Okay." Wang Jiu nodded, then with a cheerful smile, walked over to Yu Zishen, "Mr. Yu, long time no see, would you like an autograph? Freshly signed..."

"I didn't mean for you to help me serve the VIPs!"

Shen Qingming was a bit devastated, but since Wang Jiu had already struck up a conversation, she had no choice but to approach like a martyr, "Mr. Yu, I..."

Yu Zishen merely smiled, "Don't misunderstand, it's just that I happen to have a few extra VIP tickets, and in QingCyan Cloud yun City, you all are the only ones I know. To avoid being too bored alone in the VIP box, I thought of inviting you all to watch the competition together. Would you be willing to join?"

Of course, Shen Qingming wasn't interested in watching the match with such an obnoxious fan, but given his polite invitation, it was hard to refuse too directly, so she considered how to reasonably decline.

Before Shen Qingming could think up an excuse, Wang Jiu smiled and said, "Of course, no problem, you are a VIP after all."

As he spoke, Wang Jiu accepted the VIP tickets and two Spirit Stone Coupons handed over by Yu Zishen...

Hey, did you just get bought off like that?! Shen Qingming was both dumbfounded and resentful of her own IQ, thinking that if she were a little smarter, she could have come up with an excuse to decline this annoying invitation promptly. It's really exasperating!

——

Regardless, due to Wang Jiu's impulsive decision, the three of them from Shen Garden had no choice but to follow Yu Zishen through the VIP passage to enter early.

While walking halfway, Li Wanqing suddenly remembered, "I recall you said you're from Shen City?"

"Yes." Yu Zishen replied, "Shen City Yu Long Manor, have you heard of it?"

"Yu Long Manor?!" Li Wanqing showed a surprised expression and then said, "Never heard of it and not interested. I just wanted to know, as an outsider, how did you buy the VIP tickets? Although today is just the preliminary matches, VIP tickets are hard to come by. Even in our Li Family Mansion, these tickets are quite scarce. The girl selling tickets even planned to trade my VIP ticket for watching me wear a little skirt..."

Yu Zishen laughed, "It was indeed quite difficult to buy; I spent a large sum to get them from someone. However, this issue contradicts the rules a bit, so I can't disclose who sold me the tickets."

"Oh, scalped tickets, huh? You're really something."

"Being an outsider, sometimes I have to take some unconventional routes."

As they spoke, the group followed the guidance of volunteer workers and arrived at the arena box. Upon entering, a refreshing fragrance breeze greeted them, and in front of them, behind the door, was a vast, clear blue sky, with several cushions shaped from white clouds appearing on the smooth cloud layer.

Yu Zishen sat down first, glanced around, and praised, "The venue facilities are truly astonishing; the VIP box incorporates such comprehensive Cave Mansion Secret Technique—must be quite costly."

The volunteer worker behind them smiled, "Indeed, this Aozora Martial Arts Arena was just built six years ago, jointly by the Li Family, Lu Family, and Qian Family, using the best techniques and materials available in Xiangzhou. Though from the outside, the arena seems like a small area, it can hold up to a hundred groups of contestants competing simultaneously inside. Furthermore, your VIP box allows free viewing of any group. In addition..."

As the volunteer spoke, she entered the box and activated the magical techniques inside using a talisman, revealing multiple images in the blue sky, showing contestants warming up for the event.

"Please observe the group with the highest True Essence Realm among the current entrants."

As the volunteer's words settled, a certain image enlarged on the right side, spreading throughout the space. Not far ahead stood two burly men helplessly exchanging wry smiles.

Beside them appeared a textual description.

Shi Gang and Shi City, twin geniuses freshly recruited by Unity Hall, at the tender age of 19, already possessing mid-stage Cloud Surge Realm cultivation; quite remarkable for non-family background cultivators. They brought their sect's hopes but ended up drawing each other in their very first preliminary match... it's just like a plot from Zhou Wenjun's novel.

The volunteer continued, "Please observe the group with the highest cultivation in the women's category."

The box screen shifted, revealing a crimson figure; a tall woman in a bright red dress, warming up at the martial arts arena's edge. As the view adjusted, they soon saw her face.

"Whoa, that beard is too realistic!?"

"The stubble is like a cactus!"

"My heavens, it's really a low-cut outfit with chest hair? I thought it was black velvet..."

Shen Qingming restrained the churn in her stomach and turned to ask the volunteer, "This—is the women's group!?"

The volunteer, equally astonished, quickly opened her guidebook, checking for a long time before confirming, "The gender confirmation for preliminary match participants employs both psychological and physiological assessments. This Oriental... lady was indeed judged as a female."

"Whoa!"