"Min'er, congratulations on breaking through to the Qi Solidification Stage and forming your spiritual sense." Not far from the house, Ling Tian stopped and gazed at Hua Min'er with tender affection.
"Hehe, Brother Ling Tian, Min'er finally reached the Qi Solidification Stage! Now I can fly on my own!" Hua Min'er was overjoyed. Every cultivator dreamed of flying freely, and she was no exception.
"Mm, give it a try and see if you can fly." Ling Tian was just as happy for her, and eagerly urged her on.
"Not yet. I still have to communicate with my flying sword. Look how impatient you are, Brother." Hua Min'er teased him, but still took the flying sword from her Storage Ring. The moment Small Sword appeared, it leaped about joyfully, as if it knew it was finally going to become Hua Min'er's weapon.
"Uh, I got excited and forgot. Hehe." Ling Tian scratched his head with an awkward grin. But he quickly recovered and urged her again, "Then hurry and communicate with it."
"Mm, all right." Hua Min'er sat cross-legged, sending a wisp of soul power toward the flying sword. It seemed she was communicating with it.
Seeing this, Ling Tian casually set up several Defense Formations, then sat cross-legged as well. He extended his spiritual sense to watch the surroundings and protect her, just in case.
It did not take long. With a ringing clang, the flying sword stopped leaping and obediently circled Hua Min'er. It seemed they had finished communicating.
"Whew!"
Hua Min'er let out a long breath. It seemed that even in that short time, she had used up a considerable amount of soul power.
"All done, Min'er?" Ling Tian sensed the moment she opened her eyes and immediately asked.
"Mm. We just had a simple exchange, and I left a Soul Mark in the flying sword. I didn't even perform 'Wen Qi,' but I still feel so drained I can hardly stand it." Hua Min'er looked a little weary, but couldn't hide her excitement.
"Hehe, the more it takes out of you, the more powerful the sword must be. Others can only envy you, so be content." Ling Tian smiled faintly, comforting her.
"Mm, that's true. Hehe." Hua Min'er smiled sweetly.
"So, can you fly on your sword now?" Ling Tian was even more impatient than Hua Min'er.
"Even though I haven't performed 'Wen Qi' yet and don't know the flying sword's name, I can definitely fly on it." Hua Min'er sensed the sword before answering.
"Mm, your soul power is nearly spent. Wait until your spiritual sense has fully fused before you perform 'Wen Qi.' Why don't you rest for a while?" Ling Tian looked at Hua Min'er's weary expression, feeling a little ache in his heart as he asked.
"No, I want to try flying on my sword. It's my first time, and I can hardly wait. Hehe!" Hua Min'er pouted stubbornly, though her stubbornness soon gave way to excitement.
"All right, but just for a little while, understand?" Knowing how stubborn Hua Min'er could be, Ling Tian reluctantly gave in, but still reminded her to be careful.
"Mm-hmm, I know. Hehe." As she spoke, Hua Min'er formed a hand seal and began controlling the flying sword.
Under her control, the flying sword instantly grew to about a zhang long. Hua Min'er leaped onto it, and the sword sank at once, wobbling as it began to move. But with Hua Min'er's efforts, it gradually steadied and started forward. It moved extremely slowly, but it was moving all the same.
"Hehe, I can fly on my sword!" Hua Min'er laughed and cheered.
But the moment she relaxed, the flying sword slipped out of her control. It wobbled a few times, then dropped from the sky, about to hit the ground.
"Ah!" Her laughter turned into a cry of alarm, and Hua Min'er was so frightened she squeezed her eyes shut.
But the pain she expected never came. Her body went limp as someone caught her in his arms. She opened her eyes—and who else could it be but Ling Tian?
"That's right, that's right. You can fly now, but you nearly flew straight into the ground. Ha-ha!" Holding Hua Min'er in his arms, Ling Tian couldn't help teasing the lovely girl nestled against him.
"Hmph, Brother, you're making fun of me. I'm not talking to you." Hua Min'er's pretty face flushed bright red. Though Ling Tian's embrace wasn't especially broad, it made her feel utterly safe. Still, she couldn't help pouting at his teasing.
"All right, all right. You've just broken through, so you should go back and cultivate for a while, to consolidate your cultivation." Ling Tian held the soft girl in his arms. Though he was reluctant, he could only set her down.
"Oh."
Hua Min'er was disappointed, her voice sinking. She felt dejected for a moment, then suddenly brightened, as if she'd thought of something. "No, I have to practice flying. Then we'll see if you still make fun of me, Brother. Hmph!"
As she spoke, Hua Min'er leaped back onto the flying sword and tried again. The sword still trembled, but she did much better this time. Several minutes passed before she finally fell from the sky, and as expected, Ling Tian—who had been ready—caught her again.
"Hehe, I knew Brother Ling Tian would catch me. His arms feel so warm and safe." Hua Min'er felt a rush of sweetness and murmured to herself.
"All right, you've made a lot of progress. Time to rest, don't you think?" Ling Tian set Hua Min'er down and asked again.
"Not yet." Hua Min'er silently blamed Ling Tian for being so clueless. She had only fallen on purpose because she wanted him to hold her a little longer, yet he was as thick as a log. The thought made her even more annoyed.
Ling Tian was helpless. How could he know what a little girl was thinking? He could only watch Hua Min'er fly up again, then fall and get caught by him once more.
After this had happened several times, Hua Min'er finally gave up. Pouting angrily, she said, "Brother Ling Tian, you're such a big fool. Couldn't you hold me a little longer?"
As soon as she finished, Hua Min'er blushed as red as an apple. She stamped her foot, then hurried into the house-treasure.
Ling Tian was utterly bewildered, unable to make heads or tails of it.
"Hold her longer?" Ling Tian scratched his head, just like a monk with a two-foot-long head who couldn't figure it out.
"Oh! I get it." A flash of inspiration struck Ling Tian, and he finally realized Hua Min'er had been falling on purpose so he would catch her. But when he turned to look, she had already disappeared from sight.
"Ah, I'm such an idiot." Ling Tian blamed himself, but could only abandon the idea of going inside.
After sighing for a while, Ling Tian jumped back onto the tree branch and continued practicing formations, consumed by endless self-reproach.
Time slipped by, and before anyone knew it, night had fallen. Stars dotted the vault of heaven, surrounding a waning moon. Yet the waning moon seemed to tell of its boundless loneliness and desolation.
Everyone envied the moon ringed by stars, but who understood its loneliness?
Suddenly, Ling Tian woke from his cultivation of formations. It wasn't that his will had wavered; an oppressive atmosphere had settled around him. Gray mist shrouded the area, carrying a pungent stench of corpses. He peered into the distance. The mist grew thicker farther off, gathering toward him, while low roars and the cawing of ravens sounded now and then across the wilderness, making the land feel even more gloomy and oppressive. Gradually, the pressure grew heavier. Roars sounded more and more frequently, and the creatures were closing in around him.
"Could the zombies be making their move?" Ling Tian wondered, a thought rising in his mind. He had never seen a zombie before, so he wasn't sure.
"Ling Tian, the zombies are coming. Be careful." Yun Ying and the others had also sensed something amiss and came out of the house-treasure. From a distance, Yun Ying called out to Ling Tian.
"Mm, I know, Senior Sister Yun Ying." Ling Tian answered, his expression grave as he watched them approach.
"We didn't even go looking for them, and they've come to us. Hmph, they're courting death." Yao Yu's almond-shaped eyes turned cold, a faint Killing Intent rising around her.
"Something's not right. There are so many more zombies this time. We'd better be careful." Yun Ying furrowed her brows slightly and gave them a worried warning.
"Senior Sister, don't worry. They're only low-level zombies. With our cultivation at the late Qi Solidification Stage, what is there to fear?" Yao Yu was completely unconcerned. With her cultivation at the Qi Solidification Stage, she had every right to say so.
"True, but we should still be careful." Yun Ying felt somewhat reassured, though a dark cloud still lingered in her heart, impossible to dispel.
"Relax, relax. It's not my first time out. I'll be careful." By the end, Yao Yu was muttering under her breath.
"Min'er, has your spiritual sense fully fused?" Ling Tian asked in delight as he looked at the graceful figure before him. Though he phrased it as a question, his tone was certain.
"Yeah! Hehe, I can extend my spiritual sense really far now. It feels like seeing and hearing everything anew." Hua Min'er was overjoyed, completely unbothered by the eerie, terrifying surroundings.
"Mm, good." Though one sweep of his spiritual sense had already told him, hearing Hua Min'er say it herself still made Ling Tian happy for her. Then he asked, "Have you rested enough? There'll probably be a fierce battle soon."
"Mm, I'm completely recovered. And I've performed 'Wen Qi' too, so I can communicate with her really well now. Hehe." Hua Min'er was beaming.
"Oh? You performed 'Wen Qi'? What's the flying sword called?" Ling Tian asked curiously. He had never performed Wen Qi before. It required not only spiritual sense, but also that he pour his own spiritual energy into the weapon to awaken its Artifact Spirit.
"She's a girl, you know. Her name is Lian Ying—'Loving the Shadow of One's Beloved.'" Hua Min'er lowered her head, slightly shy, as if she had secretly given her heart to someone.
"A girl? Lian Ying? 'Loving the Shadow of One's Beloved'? That's a good name." Ling Tian seemed to ponder this, a deep affection rising in his heart.
"Mm, I really like the name Lian Ying." Hua Min'er's words carried a hidden meaning.
"Mm, I like it too." Ling Tian smiled faintly. How could he not understand what Hua Min'er meant?
"Stop making eyes at each other. The zombies are coming, so watch your defenses." Seeing the two of them act as if the tense atmosphere didn't exist, Yao Yu said irritably.
"Uh, got it, Senior Sister." Ling Tian's face flushed slightly. Then he stared into the distance, on guard. Seeing him do so, the others also readied themselves.
Before you continue