Chapter 53 Veiled Intentions and Shifting Bonds
As Long Tian made his way towards the villa, in a cozy cafe across town, Ye Chen glanced around. He had an appointment with his friend here, who had mentioned something important to discuss.
His eyes caught sight of a young man about his age waving in his direction. A quick recognition revealed that it was Xiao Lin, his friend.
Ye Chen made his way over to him.
"Finally, what took you so long, Ye Chen?" Xiao Lin exclaimed as Ye Chen approached.
Taking a seat in front of him, Ye Chen replied with a smile, "I ran here."
"What? You ran?" Xiao Lin exclaimed in surprise. "Ye Chen, your house is almost 30 kilometers from here. That's like a 40-minute drive."
"Well, let's consider it extra exercise. Besides, I am a cultivator, even if only at the Body Tempering realm. Running for a few minutes doesn't tire me out," Ye Chen answered.
"Man, being a cultivator sounds nice. I wish I had the talent for it," Xiao Lin sighed.
"Come on, don't lose hope, Xiao Lin. Even though you're not cultivating, you have a good family, unlike me, who's an orphan," Ye Chen said, smiling.
"Now I feel bad. Anyway, let's get to the serious topic. Ye Chen, break up with Liu Qian as soon as possible," Xiao Lin said earnestly.
"What? Why?" Ye Chen asked, puzzled.
Xiao Lin took out his smartphone and showed Ye Chen a photo. "Here, take a look. This is your girlfriend, looking quite happy with another guy," he said seriously.
Ye Chen studied the photo, taken aback. He took Xiao Lin's phone to examine it more closely.
In the photo, he saw Liu Qian, his girlfriend, walking alongside another young man around their age. They were both still in their school uniforms.
Ye Chen couldn't believe it. "Where did you get this?" he asked to confirm.
"At the market... I forgot its name, but I saw your girlfriend hanging out with that guy. I followed them for a bit and saw them chatting and laughing together," Xiao Lin explained, his tone genuine.
Ye Chen fell silent upon hearing this. Looking at the photo again, he felt a sense of discomfort in his heart.
Liu Qian was his girlfriend. While he didn't know her well yet, he believed she was a good girl who wouldn't cheat on him.
But looking at the photo shook his confidence. The guy next to Liu Qian looked... well, he admitted that guy was more handsome than him, and judging from his style, he might come from a wealthy family.
Xiao Lin, on the other hand, noticing Ye Chen's expression, quickly gave advice. "I don't know what kind of girl Liu Qian is, but she's stunningly beautiful. Many guys would be after her, probably wealthier ones than you. It's better to confront her and ask for an explanation."
Ye Chen sighed and handed the phone back to Xiao Lin. "Thanks, Xiao Lin. If you hadn't told me, I would have never known. I'll try to reach out to her," he said.
With that, he took out his smartphone from his pocket and dialed Liu Qian's number.
He could only hope that Liu Qian wasn't cheating on him. If she answered honestly, he could find some peace.
At that moment, the call connected, and Liu Qian's gentle voice greeted him, "Hello?"
Ye Chen immediately responded, "Liu Qian, it's me. I've just changed my number."
"Oh, Ye Chen, it's you. No problem, I'll save your new number," Liu Qian replied.
"Liu Qian, I want to ask you something," Ye Chen inquired.
"Go ahead," Liu Qian answered.
"Where were you after school today?" Ye Chen asked.
There was no immediate response from Liu Qian, but he waited patiently. Ten seconds, twenty seconds, thirty seconds passed, and there was no response from Liu Qian.
'Why isn't she answering?' Ye Chen thought, suspicion rising.
"Liu Qian, are you listening?" he asked again.
But there was still no reply from Liu Qian. He glanced at his phone and realized the call had been disconnected.
His expression changed in an instant. Liu Qian hadn't answered his question and had even ended the call.
His suspicions grew stronger, but he still wasn't entirely convinced whether Liu Qian was cheating on him or not.
"Did she just hang up on you?" Xiao Lin asked.
"She did. I can't believe she did that. Is she avoiding my question?" Ye Chen wondered, furrowing his brows.
"Ye Chen, didn't you see? That's the first sign she might not be a good girl, a red flag. But if you're not sure, ask her tomorrow at school," Xiao Lin advised.
Ye Chen sighed, replying, "Well, I'll ask her tomorrow."
He couldn't hide his disappointment. Over this past month, he had fallen deeply in love with Liu Qian. He hoped that tomorrow, he would get the answer he wanted...
************
Meanwhile, within the villa, Long Tian found himself in a spacious room adorned with marble floors and walls. This room was usually reserved for his training; its soundproof quality made it convenient.
He shed all his clothes, standing completely bare. With that, he retrieved the evolution potion from his spatial ring.
"Here we go. Evolution potion, may you bring something good to me," he said, raising the large bottle and downing its contents like one would with a glass of beer.
He saved a small portion of the potion for later. The taste was strange, unlike anything he had experienced before—neither bitter nor salty nor sweet; it was entirely unique.
And there was no immediate effect after consuming it. He sat cross-legged, his mind focused.
After five minutes, a white mist began emanating from his body, and his body temperature soared.
Long Tian could feel an intense, searing burn encompassing him, originating not only from within but also from outside.
But he endured it, concentrating as he sat in meditation. Within his dantian, the stars seemed to respond to the heat, absorbing and strengthening themselves in its presence.
*************
As morning dawned, for many people, time slipped by unnoticed. But for Long Tian and Liu Qian, those 7 hours felt like hundreds of years.
During this time, both of them were tormented by the heat within their bodies. Particularly for Long Tian, within his training chamber, the scene was quite grim.
The floor had melted and sunk into the ground up to 2 meters, where Long Tian lay unconscious. Despite feeling an immense heat, his body showed no signs of burning; in fact, it appeared better than before.
Suddenly, Long Tian's eyes fluttered open, and he took in his surroundings—only darkness and a chilly aura greeted him.
He slowly rose, realizing that he was buried in the ground. He promptly leaped to the surface.
Surveying his surroundings, he couldn't help but be surprised. Almost the entire chamber had melted, even the punching machine in the corner, a little distance away from him, had melted into a few iron scraps.
"This is exactly like in the original plot. But I guess the effect is stronger, perhaps because I consumed more of the evolution potion," Long Tian mused aloud, a smirk forming on his lips.
Though the evolution potion didn't affect his cultivation base, it did impact his foundational cultivation and soul strength.
"At the very least, my spiritual power has surged fivefold. At this stage, I needn't concern myself with absorbing the soul rings of wild beasts," he remarked, gazing at his outstretched hands.
From the outset, the evolution potion had not been intended for cultivation; rather, it was meant to enhance the martial spirit. Long Tian held hope that his martial spirit was that of a legendary dragon.
Exiting the room, a surge of enthusiasm coursed through him. His excitement was palpable, as today marked the day of the martial spirit awakening at his school.
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