Hua Min'er's Little Thoughts

"Min'er, congratulations on breaking through to the Qi Solidification Stage and condensing your Spiritual Sense." Not far outside the house, Ling Tian stopped, gazing at Hua Min'er with affection.

"Hehe, Brother Ling Tian, Min'er has finally reached the Qi Solidification Stage and can finally fly on her own." Hua Min'er was overjoyed. Every cultivator harbored a dream of flying freely, and she was no exception.

"Mhm, try it and see if you can fly." Ling Tian was also happy for her and urged Hua Min'er impatiently.

"Not yet, I haven't communicated with my Flying Sword. You're in such a hurry, Brother." Hua Min'er teased him, but still took out the Flying Sword from her Storage Ring. As soon as the small sword appeared, it seemed to rejoice as if it knew it was about to officially become Hua Min'er's weapon.

"Uh, I was too eager and forgot. Hehe." Ling Tian scratched his head and chuckled sheepishly. However, he quickly composed himself and urged, "Then hurry up and communicate with it."

"Mhm, okay." With that, Hua Min'er sat down cross-legged, and a wisp of her soul power moved towards the Flying Sword, presumably communicating with it.

Seeing this, Ling Tian casually set up a few defensive Formations before also sitting down cross-legged. He released his Spiritual Sense to monitor the surroundings, guarding her in case of any unforeseen circumstances.

They didn't wait long. With a clang, the Flying Sword stopped jumping and began to circle Hua Min'er obediently. It seemed their communication was complete.

"Phew!"

Hua Min'er exhaled a long breath. It seemed she had consumed a significant amount of soul power in this short time.

"Alright, Min'er?" Seeing Hua Min'er open her eyes, Ling Tian felt it immediately and asked anxiously.

"Mhm, it was just a simple communication, just imprinting my soul mark onto the Flying Sword. I haven't even 'asked the artifact' yet, but I still feel so drained, I can barely take it." Hua Min'er looked a bit weak, but couldn't help but say excitedly.

"Hehe, the greater the consumption, the greater the power of this sword. No one else can envy this, so be content." Ling Tian smiled slightly and comforted her.

"Mhm, that's true, hehe." Hua Min'er smiled charmingly.

"How is it, can you fly with the sword yet?" Ling Tian was even more anxious than Hua Min'er.

"Although I haven't 'asked the artifact' yet and don't know the Flying Sword's name, just flying with it is naturally possible," Hua Min'er said after sensing the Flying Sword.

"Mhm, you've almost used up your soul power. Let's 'ask the artifact' after your Spiritual Sense has fully merged. Why don't you rest for a while?" Seeing Hua Min'er looking a bit weak, Ling Tian felt a pang of concern and asked her.

"No, I want to try flying with the sword! It's my first time, I'm a bit impatient, hehe!" Hua Min'er pouted slightly, stubbornly saying, but this stubbornness quickly turned into excitement.

"Alright, but only for a little while, understand?" Understanding Hua Min'er's stubbornness, Ling Tian reluctantly gave in, but still cautioned her.

"Mhm, I know, hehe." Hua Min'er said, forming hand seals and controlling the Flying Sword.

The Flying Sword **responded, instantly growing to about ten feet long. Hua Min'er leaped onto it. The Flying Sword immediately dipped and began to sway, but after Hua Min'er's efforts to control it, it gradually stabilized and began to move slowly. Although the speed was extremely slow, it was indeed moving.

"Hehe, I can fly with my sword!" Hua Min'er chuckled and cheered.

Unexpectedly, as her concentration wavered, the Flying Sword became uncontrollable. After a few shakes, it began to fall from the sky, about to crash to the ground.

"Ah!" Her laughter turned into a scream. Hua Min'er closed her eyes in fear.

However, the expected pain never came. Hua Min'er felt her body soften as she was caught in an embrace. Opening her eyes, she saw that it was none other than Ling Tian holding her.

"Yes, yes, you can fly now, but you almost flew straight to the ground, haha." Holding Hua Min'er, Ling Tian couldn't help but tease the lovely girl in his arms.

"Hmph, Brother, you're making fun of me. I'm not talking to you anymore." Hua Min'er's pretty face flushed. She felt that Ling Tian's embrace, though not particularly broad, was incredibly reassuring. However, hearing his teasing, she couldn't help but chide him playfully.

"Alright, alright. You've just broken through. You should go back and cultivate to consolidate your realm properly." Ling Tian held the soft form in his arms, and though reluctant, he had to let go.

"Oh."

Hua Min'er felt a wave of disappointment, her voice a little low. After a moment of anxiety, her heart suddenly lit up as if she remembered something. She stubbornly declared, "No, I must practice flying until I can do it! Then we'll see if Brother still makes fun of me, hmph."

With that, Hua Min'er leaped onto the Flying Sword again and began to try. The Flying Sword still trembled slightly, but it was much better than last time. It fell from the sky after a few minutes, and without a doubt, Ling Tian, who was prepared, caught her.

"Hehe, I knew Brother Ling Tian would catch me. Brother Ling Tian's embrace feels so warm and safe," Hua Min'er thought sweetly to herself.

"Okay, you've improved a lot. It's time to rest now, right?" Ling Tian put Hua Min'er down and asked again.

"Not at all." Hua Min'er secretly blamed Ling Tian for being unromantic. She just wanted Ling Tian to hold her a little longer, so she deliberately fell. Ling Tian, however, was like a block of wood. Thinking this, she became even more annoyed.

Ling Tian was helpless. How could he know what the young girl was thinking? He could only watch as Hua Min'er flew up again, then fell, and was caught by him once more.

After repeating this a few times, Hua Min'er finally gave up, pouting and saying, "Brother Ling Tian, you're a big idiot! Can't you hold me a little longer?"

After saying that, Hua Min'er blushed shyly, her face as red as an apple. She then stomped her foot and quickly ran into the house.

Ling Tian was bewildered, completely clueless.

"Hold her longer?" Ling Tian scratched his head, utterly confused.

"Oh! I get it." A flash of inspiration struck Ling Tian, and he finally realized that Hua Min'er had deliberately fallen so he would catch her. However, when he looked back, the beauty had already disappeared from his sight.

"Sigh, I'm so stupid." Ling Tian blamed himself but could only reluctantly give up the idea of entering the house.

After a slight sigh, Ling Tian jumped back onto the tree branch and continued cultivating Formations in his self-reproach.

Time flew by, and unknowingly, night had fallen. The sky was dotted with stars, and a crescent moon was surrounded by them. Yet, that crescent moon spoke of its endless loneliness and desolation.

Everyone envied the moon being surrounded by stars, but who knew its loneliness?

Suddenly, Ling Tian awoke from his cultivation of Formations. It wasn't that his will was weak, but the atmosphere around him gave him a sense of intense pressure. A layer of gray mist enveloped him, carrying a pungent smell of decay. He looked into the distance, where the mist was even thicker and converging towards him. Occasionally, low roars and the mournful cries of crows could be heard from the wilderness, making the land appear even more gloomy and oppressive. Gradually, this pressure intensified, the roars around him became more frequent, and they were closing in on him.

"Could it be that the Zombies are starting to move?" Ling Tian's heart stirred, thinking to himself. He had never seen a Zombie before, so his judgment was uncertain.

"Ling Tian, the Zombies are coming. You need to be careful." At this moment, Yun Ying and the others also sensed something was wrong. They had come out of the house, and from a distance, Yun Ying warned Ling Tian.

"Mhm, I know, Senior Sister Yun Ying." Ling Tian's expression was somewhat solemn as he responded to Yun Ying and the others walking towards him.

"I didn't expect we wouldn't go find them, but they've come to find us. Hmph, they're courting death." Yao Yu's almond eyes flashed with coldness and a hint of Sha Qi.

"This is a bit unusual. There are so many zombies this time. We should be careful," Yun Ying said with a slight frown, her voice laced with worry.

"Senior Sister, don't worry. They're just some low-level zombies. With our late Qi Solidification Stage cultivation, are we really afraid of them?" Yao Yu said dismissively. With her cultivation at the Qi Solidification Stage, she certainly had the right to say such a thing.

"That's true, but it's still better to be careful." Yun Ying felt slightly reassured, yet a cloud of unease still lingered in her heart, impossible to shake off.

"Don't worry, don't worry. It's not my first time out, I'll be careful," Yao Yu mumbled, her voice trailing off towards the end.

"Min'er, your Spiritual Sense has completely fused successfully?!" Ling Tian asked in surprise as the graceful figure approached him. Although he was asking, his tone was affirmative.

"Yes, hehe. My Spiritual Sense can now reach so far! It feels so refreshing," Hua Min'er said, overjoyed and unconcerned by the eerie and terrifying environment around them.

"Good, that's good." Although he could have known with a sweep of his Spiritual Sense, Ling Tian was still happy for her to hear it from her directly. He then continued, "Have you rested well? We're likely in for a tough fight soon."

"Mhm, I've fully recovered, and I even 'asked the artifact'!" Hua Min'er replied, her face beaming with joy. "I can communicate with her very well now, hehe."

"Oh?" 'Asked the artifact'? "What's the Flying Sword's name then?" Ling Tian asked curiously. He had never 'asked an artifact' before, as it required not only Spiritual Sense but also injecting one's own Spiritual Energy into the artifact to awaken the Artifact Spirit.

"She's a girl. Her name is 'Lian Ying,' meaning 'shadow of the beloved.' " Hua Min'er lowered her head slightly, a hint of shyness on her face, as if her heart had already been pledged.

"A girl? Lian Ying? Shadow of the beloved? What a beautiful name." Ling Tian mused, a deep affection rising within him.

"Mhm, Lian Ying. I really like that name," Hua Min'er said meaningfully.

"Mhm, I like it too," Ling Tian smiled slightly, fully understanding the unspoken sentiment behind Hua Min'er's words.

"Stop being lovey-dovey, you two. The zombies are coming. Be on guard," Yao Yu said irritably, seeing how the two of them were oblivious to the tense atmosphere.

"Uh, got it, Senior Sister." Ling Tian's face flushed slightly, and he then gazed into the distance, becoming vigilant. Seeing this, everyone else also took up their defensive stances.