Soaring

Zhao Baiwan knew perfectly well that this flying sword's flaw was indeed too outrageous. In fact, he had already recommended this Phantom Flying Sword to quite a few people, but not a single one was willing to accept this shortcoming. The reason was simple: those who truly didn't mind spending double the Spirit Stones would rather pay more for a genuine Middle Grade Flying Magic Item. Meanwhile, those with less money looking for a bargain couldn't tolerate a flying sword that devoured Spirit Stones. Thus, even though this flying magic item's performance was decent, Zhao Baiwan still hadn't managed to sell it. The highest offer so far was only one hundred and twenty Spirit Stones, but Zhao Baiwan refused to accept that price.

"Junior Brother, it's precisely because of this flaw that the flying sword is only worth three hundred Spirit Stones. Otherwise, I, your Senior Brother, would have marked it at fifteen hundred!" Zhao Baiwan put on a grand, generous air. "How about this, Junior Brother? I'll give you face today—take it for two hundred and fifty."

You're the one who's two hundred and fifty! Lei Dong cursed inwardly without a good temper, rolled his eyes, and said, "Senior Brother, your words are off. Every thousand li costs an extra Spirit Stone. Once the flight distance exceeds a hundred thousand li, flying an extra thousand li means losing an extra Spirit Stone."

"Junior Brother jokes. By the time you've flown a million li, you'll already be a Foundation Establishment Realm senior. Why would you still be using this Low Grade Flying Magic Item?" Zhao Baiwan shot back with a flattering remark, but still refused to budge on the price.

"One hundred Spirit Stones. Not a single more, or I'll pass." Lei Dong picked up his teacup, took a light sip, and began bargaining without changing his expression.

Zhao Baiwan's cheek twitched, and he gave a helpless, wry smile. "Junior Brother Lei, don't joke. This treasure cost me, your foolish brother, two hundred Spirit Stones. How about this? I'll be a good man to the end. Two hundred—if you think it's fair, take it. If not, we can still do business next time."

"I only have one hundred and twenty Spirit Stones on me. If Senior Brother is willing, sell it to me. Otherwise, I won't come to your place again. From now on, I'd rather go to our sect's main market—just a few extra steps." Lei Dong shifted his body, as if standing up to leave.

"Don't be angry, don't be angry. Sit down and talk slowly." Zhao Baiwan's face was full of bitter smiles. "It's not that I, your foolish brother, don't want to sell, but Junior Brother's haggling is too fierce. Forget it, forget it. One hundred and eighty Spirit Stones. Consider it a small loss for me to make a friend of you, Junior Brother."

After that, the two went back and forth in a grueling tug-of-war. A full hour later, the final price was settled at one hundred and fifty Spirit Stones. As for who profited and who lost, each knew in their own heart.

After taking the Phantom home, Lei Dong spent several days refining it. He was far from achieving a mind-to-mind connection or perfect unity between man and sword, but he had imprinted it with his Mind Power mark and could barely control it for flight.

On a half-mountain platform of Myriad Ghost Cave, Lei Dong's expression was solemn and somewhat tense. As he muttered incantations, a portion of his Mind Power gradually attached itself to the Phantom. At the same time, the Phantom Flying Sword's skull mouth began to absorb energy from the Spirit Stone embedded within it. A green so deep it was almost pitch-black seemed to devour the surrounding light, forming a faint, shadowy silhouette.

The flowing energy rippled outward slightly, like flames leaping unsteadily, shifting unpredictably, yet mysterious and magnificent—a dark elegance tinged with nobility.

Now he was about to fly on the sword. Even someone like Lei Dong, who had lived twice, couldn't help but feel a stir in his heart. It wasn't that he had never flown in this life or his past one. In fact, whether it was riding an airplane or the Withered Bone Flying Boat that the Yin Sha Sect used to transport batches of new disciples, he had never felt the joy of flight, let alone the freedom to soar as he pleased.

Taking a deep breath, he tried to calm his emotions. With a thought, the Phantom immediately detached from his hand, traced a perfect arc through the air, and lightly landed beneath his feet, hovering quietly. He gave a gentle leap, and his feet settled onto the Phantom. For a moment, he lost his center of gravity and wobbled. Fortunately, as a cultivator at the second layer of the Qi Refining Stage, his abilities far exceeded those of ordinary people. He quickly found his balance and stood steady.

Only then did he use his Mind Power to command the Phantom to fly forward. The Phantom instantly transformed into a black rainbow, shooting ahead at tremendous speed. Poor Lei Dong was thrown off in a nosedive, crashing hard onto the ground. He got up, rubbed his sore spots, and wore a wry, helpless expression. He silently cursed his own carelessness for pushing too hard.

He casually summoned the Phantom, which had flown off into the distance, back beneath his feet. Standing steady again, this time Lei Dong dared not push his Mind Power too fiercely. Instead, he started with the lightest possible touch, barely perceptible. The Phantom, incredibly sensitive, actually began to glide forward at a turtle's pace. Delighted, Lei Dong didn't rush to accelerate. He practiced at this snail's pace, gliding and turning, for nearly half an hour. Only then did he gradually and steadily increase his Mind Power, and sure enough, the Phantom's speed rose in tandem.

For the rest of the day, Lei Dong circled and darted at low altitudes where a fall wouldn't kill him. He hadn't fully mastered the technique, but he could barely manage to travel with the Phantom. Of course, the cost was steep. Though he never pushed the Phantom to even thirty percent of its top speed, the whole day still consumed two Spirit Stones. This Phantom truly was a glutton for Spirit Stones.

His top priority now was to rush to that distant market, sell off the extra Middle Grade Spirit Ghost, and buy a high-quality Soul Nurturing Pagoda. That way, over the next few years, he could quietly go into Closed Door Cultivation and catch up to those ahead of him.

After resting a full day in his own quarters, dusk arrived, and the sky turned gray. Taking advantage of the moment, Lei Dong mounted the Phantom, which turned into a black rainbow, arcing into the sky.

Flying in a straight line, he gradually increased his speed, soon reaching half of the maximum. The leaping, deep green-black drifting energy, at such speed, left a long tail of light like a shooting star across the sky. Thanks to the dim light and the Escape Light's nature, flying in the sky didn't draw much attention. This was the main reason Lei Dong chose to fly at night. Near Myriad Ghost Cave, it was fine, but once outside its territory, the various caves and mansions were nominally allied sects. Still, one could never be sure of running into some vicious, murderous type. Many people's minds couldn't be judged by common sense. Especially since the Yin Sha Sect was no righteous, orthodox sect—murder and robbery were common, and Lei Dong had seen it before.

Thinking of that incident, there had been no news for months. He didn't know if the Myriad Ghost Ancestor had suppressed it or if there was another reason. But Lei Dong had a premonition that this matter wouldn't end so easily. This was also why, during this period, he had been frantically capturing Yin Souls, refining Soul Beads, and cultivating Spirit Ghosts. Though the Myriad Ghost Ancestor temporarily shielded him from above, in this treacherous and ruthless world, the only one he could truly rely on was himself. A sense of insecurity constantly surrounded him.

Shaking his head, he set aside that thought for now. Gradually adapting to this speed, Lei Dong began to accelerate again under the cover of night. Moments later, the Phantom's speed was pushed to its limit. His Mind Power drained rapidly as the terrain flew by beneath him. A thousand li per hour was equivalent to about two hundred and fifty kilometers per hour in Lei Dong's understanding. At such speed, even though the Escape Light blocked most of the fierce wind, the remainder still shook his body, making it hard to stand steady. He had to divert some of his True Qi to wrap around himself, resisting the wind. At the same time, he leaned forward, crouched sideways, and minimized air resistance. Only then did it become bearable.

Two nights—two full nights of travel. Lei Dong finally flew to a spot not far from the market shown on the map. The massive consumption of Spirit Stones went without saying, and even he was utterly exhausted, too tired to move a muscle. He had initially reveled in the joy of flying, but after flying in a nearly straight line for so long, all that joy had vanished.

Prepared in advance, Lei Dong changed into an outfit that revealed no sect affiliation, low-key and inconspicuous. Though he wasn't skilled in disguise techniques, as long as he didn't aim to look good, drastically altering his appearance was simple. After doing all this, he slowly stepped into the market, which resembled a rustic town...

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