Wang Qi stood on the deck—no, he could not be said to be standing, because his feet were not touching the deck at all. His whole body hovered in midair. At first, he could remain perfectly still, but before long, he began drifting helplessly toward the stern.
Of course, it could also be said that he was slowing down while the spirit vessel maintained its speed.
Wang Qi shook his head slightly. It seemed that the Qi Refining stage truly could not master the art of flight—not even with his computational ability far surpassing that of his peers.
The principle of flight was to use spiritual power to adjust the kinetic and potential energy within one's body, thereby generating lift. Riding the wind and driving clouds were merely auxiliary methods; the true principle lay in kinetic and potential energy.
Once this principle had been solved, flight spells had been greatly simplified. Modern Dharma Foundation Establishment cultivators could fly through the air, unlike in the ancient method, where Foundation Establishment cultivators could only fly by controlling artifacts and had to reach Golden Core before they could soar freely.
Yet even such simplification had not benefited mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators. Wang Qi's spiritual power was insufficient to sustain prolonged alterations to his body's kinetic and potential energy. He could indeed generate upward force to offset gravity, but not for long. As for forward momentum, his heart had more than enough will, but his strength fell short. Once air resistance canceled out inertia, he could no longer remain relatively stationary beside the spirit vessel.
The moment his feet touched the deck, Wang Qi felt a faint loss of balance. The Geometry Book had sharpened his perception of space, but it had also worsened his seasickness to a certain extent.
This was simply torture!