The Flight

Zhao Baiwan knew the Flying Sword's flaw was outrageous. In fact, he had already recommended this Phantom Flying Sword to quite a few people, yet not one of them was willing to accept its drawback. The reason was simple: those who didn't mind spending twice as many Spirit Stones would rather pay more for a genuine Middle Grade Flying Magic Item, while those with less money who wanted a bargain couldn't stand a sword that guzzled Spirit Stones. So, even though this Flying Magic Tool was indeed effective, Zhao Baiwan still hadn't managed to sell it. The highest offer so far had been only a hundred and twenty Spirit Stones, but Zhao Baiwan wouldn't accept that price.

"Junior Brother, it's precisely because of this flaw that the sword is worth only three hundred Spirit Stones. Otherwise, would I have priced it at a thousand five hundred?" Zhao Baiwan struck a grand, swaggering pose. "How about this, Junior Brother? I'll do you a favor today. Two hundred and fifty, and it's yours."

You're the two-hundred-and-fifty fool! Lei Dong grumbled to himself, rolling his eyes. "Senior Brother, that's not quite right. It costs one extra Spirit Stone for every thousand li. Once you've flown a million li, every additional thousand li means losing another Spirit Stone."

"Junior Brother, you're joking. By the time you've flown a million li, you'll already be a Foundation Establishment Realm senior. Why would you still use a Low Grade Flying Magic Item?" Zhao Baiwan returned the flattery without missing a beat, but still refused to let the price drop.

"One hundred Spirit Stones. I won't take it if you ask for even one more." Lei Dong picked up his teacup and took a small sip, calmly beginning to bargain.

Zhao Baiwan's cheek twitched. He looked both exasperated and amused. "Junior Brother Lei, don't joke around. This treasure cost your foolish elder brother two hundred Spirit Stones. How about this: I'll be generous and see this through to the end. Two hundred. If you think that's fair, take it. If not, we can do business another time."

"I only have a hundred and twenty Spirit Stones on me. If you're willing, sell it to me. Otherwise, I won't come here again. Next time I need to buy something, I'd rather go all the way to our sect's main marketplace. It's only a few extra steps." Lei Dong shifted as if to stand up and leave.

"Don't be angry, don't be angry. Sit down and let's talk." Zhao Baiwan wore a bitter smile. "It's not that I don't want to sell it; you're just driving too hard a bargain. Fine, fine. A hundred and eighty Spirit Stones. I'll take a small loss and make a friend of you, Junior Brother."

The two of them then haggled back and forth in a grueling tug-of-war. After a full hour, they finally settled on a price of a hundred and fifty Spirit Stones. Each knew in his heart who had come out ahead.

After taking the Phantom home, Lei Dong spent several days refining it. He was still nowhere near achieving a bond of mind and spirit, or the unity of man and sword. But he had imprinted his Mind Power on it, and could just barely control it well enough to fly.

On a mountainside platform in Myriad Ghost Cave, Lei Dong looked solemn and a little nervous. As he murmured an incantation, part of his Mind Power gradually settled onto the Phantom. At the same time, the skull-shaped mouth of the Phantom Flying Sword began drawing energy from the Spirit Stone embedded inside it. Its color, a green so dark it was nearly black, seemed to devour all the light around it, forming a dim, shadowy shape.

Its flowing energy sent out faint ripples, leaping and flickering like flames, ever-changing yet mysterious and beautiful, with a noble elegance amid the darkness.

Now came the time to fly on his sword. Even someone like Lei Dong, who had lived twice, couldn't help feeling stirred. It wasn't as though he had never flown in either life. In truth, whether he was on an airplane or aboard the Withered Bone Flying Boat that the Yin Sha Sect used to ferry large groups of new disciples, he had never felt the joy of flight—let alone the freedom to soar wherever he pleased.

He took a deep breath, doing his best to calm himself. At his command, the Phantom immediately slipped from his hand. It traced a perfect arc through the air and floated lightly to his feet, hovering there in complete stillness. He gave a small leap and landed on it with both feet, but failed to keep his balance and wobbled twice. Fortunately, Lei Dong was already a cultivator at the second layer of the Qi Refining Stage,

and his abilities far surpassed those of an ordinary person. He quickly found his balance and stood firm.

He then used his Mind Power to direct the Phantom forward. The sword instantly became a streak of black light and shot ahead at tremendous speed. Poor Lei Dong went tumbling headfirst to the ground. He got up, rubbing the sore spot, his expression caught between laughter and tears. He cursed himself for being careless and urging it on too hard.

He casually called the Phantom back from where it had flown and stood on it again. This time, Lei Dong didn't dare push his Mind Power too forcefully. Instead, he started with the faintest command he could manage, so slight it was almost imperceptible. The Phantom was incredibly responsive; it truly did begin to glide forward at a tortoise's pace. Delighted, Lei Dong didn't rush to speed up. He kept gliding along at that snail's pace, practicing turns for nearly half an hour. Only then did he gradually increase the force of his Mind Power, and sure enough, the Phantom's speed rose with it.

Next, Lei Dong spent the entire day weaving and circling at a low altitude where a fall wouldn't kill him. He hadn't mastered the technique completely, but he could at least manage to travel on the Phantom. The price, of course, was steep. Though he never reached even thirty percent of the Phantom's top speed, by the end of the day he had still used up two Spirit Stones. This Phantom really was a glutton for Spirit Stones.

His most pressing task was to head to that distant marketplace, sell off the extra Middle Grade Spirit Ghost, and buy a top-quality Soul Nurturing Pagoda. Only then could he quietly cultivate in seclusion over the next few years and catch up with everyone else.

After resting in his room for an entire day, Lei Dong set out at dusk, when the sky had already turned gray. Taking advantage of the cover of night, he rode the Phantom, which became a streak of black light, arcing up into the sky.

Since he was flying in a straight line, he gradually increased his speed. Before long, he was moving at half his maximum pace. Its leaping, deep green-black energy streamed behind it like a meteor racing across the sky, leaving a long, blazing tail. Between the darkness and his Escape Light, he drew little notice in the air. That was the main reason Lei Dong had chosen to travel at night. The area around Myriad Ghost Cave was safe enough, but once he left its territory, the other caves and estates might all belong to the same sect and be allies. Even so, there was no telling when he might run into some brutal killer. Many people couldn't be judged by ordinary standards. The Yin Sha Sect was no reputable, upright sect, either; murder and robbery were common, and Lei Dong had seen his share.

Whenever he thought of that incident, he wondered why there had been no news for months. He didn't know whether Myriad Ghost Ancestor had kept it under wraps or whether there was some other reason. But Lei Dong had a feeling it wouldn't end so easily. That was also why he had been working so desperately to capture Yin Souls, refine Soul Pearls, and nurture Spirit Ghosts. Though Myriad Ghost Ancestor currently stood over him like a protective umbrella, in this cruel and dangerous world, the only person he could truly rely on was himself. A sense of insecurity clung to him every moment.

He shook his head and put the thought aside for now. Having gradually grown accustomed to this speed, Lei Dong took advantage of the night and began to hurry faster. A moment later, he had pushed the Phantom to its limit. As his Mind Power drained rapidly, the land raced past beneath him. A thousand li in an hour—equivalent to a speed of two hundred and fifty kilometers per hour by Lei Dong's reckoning. Even though the Escape Light blocked most of the headwind, the rest buffeted him until he swayed and could barely keep his footing. He had to send some of his true qi to circle in front of him and fight the wind. At the same time, he leaned his head forward and crouched low to reduce air resistance. Only then did things become more bearable.

It took two whole nights for Lei Dong to reach a point not far from the marketplace marked on his map. There was no need to mention the heavy drain on his Spirit Stones. He himself was utterly exhausted, too tired to move even a finger. At first he had been immersed in the joy of flight, but after stupidly traveling for so long in a nearly straight line, all the fun had vanished.

Having prepared in advance, Lei Dong changed into an outfit that gave no clue which sect he belonged to, keeping it plain and inconspicuous. He wasn't skilled at disguises, but if he wasn't trying to look good, it was easy enough to make a drastic change to his appearance. Only after all this did he slowly step into the marketplace, which looked much like a country town...