Xingyi

He collected his thoughts.

Wu Ming set down the metal case and looked toward the last large crate. He knew it contained the final piece of equipment for today: a full suit of metal armor.

But just as he was about to walk over and open it, Zhu Huazhi stopped him with a smile.

"Don't be in such a hurry, my friend. I haven't finished introducing the functions of this set of Flying Swords yet."

"There's more?" Wu Ming froze slightly and looked down at the metal case.

"Of course." Zhu Huazhi shook his head. "If it were merely an ordinary item, why would it be worth my personal handiwork?"

"There's actually another mechanism hidden in this case. You were so focused on trying out the Flying Swords just now that you probably didn't notice it at all."

He instructed, "Turn the sword case over. Yes, put the frosted side facing up, then stand on it."

The moment he heard that, Wu Ming immediately understood what Zhu Huazhi meant.

He stepped onto it as instructed. The next second, the sword case seemed to trigger some mechanism. The spots beneath his feet suddenly sank inward, firmly embedding the soles of his shoes.

Immediately afterward, two metal loops silently sprang out from the edges of the depressions, wrapping over the tops of his feet before snapping shut and locking them firmly onto the sword case.

"So it really is a flying tool. No wonder the sword case was designed with such a streamlined shape."

Wu Ming silently praised it. With a thought, he used his Spiritual Force to lift the sword case, carrying himself slowly into the air. Hovering about a meter above the floor, he weaved back and forth through the living room.

With both feet firmly secured, his body remained stable. If he had not been worried about drawing too much attention, he truly would have wanted to fly straight out of the villa and have some fun in the skies.

"Damn, sword flight!"

Ruan Zaixing stared wide-eyed from the side. Flying had always been humanity's dream, and now he was watching a living person drift around on a metal board. His heart immediately itched with envy.

Unfortunately, Wu Ming could fly because he was using Spiritual Force, not because of the sword case itself. Ruan Zaixing could only stare helplessly from the side.

"A-Ming looks so cool!" Ruan Qingzhu's eyes shone even more brightly. Unlike her father's simple envy, her gaze was filled more with longing.

Because Wu Ming had said that she also possessed the potential to become a Spirit Reader.

As long as she cultivated diligently, one day she too would be able to stand atop a Flying Sword, cross the heavens, and indulge in the fantasy of being an immortal swordswoman.

When the sword case came to a stop, Wu Ming still felt reluctant to get off. The living room was simply too small. Flying with Spiritual Force was meant for soaring across the open sky.

When I get the chance, I can find an uninhabited area and fly to my heart's content.

With that thought in mind, Wu Ming slowly descended. Then, under Zhu Huazhi's guidance, he sent his Spiritual Force into the sword case and lightly touched the mechanism.

With a click, the metal loops over his feet swiftly retracted into the depressions. The sunken footholds rose back into place, and the sword case returned to its original form without a trace of its hidden mechanism.

"Are you satisfied with this set of Flying Swords, my friend?" Zhu Huazhi stroked his chin, his tone faintly smug.

"I'm satisfied. Extremely satisfied." Wu Ming spoke sincerely. "Master, your craftsmanship truly lives up to its reputation."

"Since that is the case, you should give it a name. The battle blade already has one, after all. You cannot favor one and neglect the other," Zhu Huazhi suggested.

"Of course." Wu Ming lowered his head to look at the sword case. After considering it briefly, he said, "Each Flying Sword is sharp at both ends and shaped like a willow leaf. Let's call them 'Willow Inquiry.'"

"Willow Inquiry?" Zhu Huazhi mulled over the meaning of the name, then nodded. "It is rather elegant. Then, as you say, it shall be called Willow Inquiry."

Wu Ming smiled. The next second, the words Alloy Flying Swords in the Equipment Bar changed to [Flying Sword · Willow Inquiry].

After finishing this, he turned his attention to the final wooden crate in the center of the living room.

Tungsten Steel Armor!

"This armor was made entirely according to your requirements, so I will not introduce it in too much detail." Zhu Huazhi seemed somewhat uninterested in this piece of equipment.

After all, the armor's construction was simple and lacked any aesthetic design. In his eyes, it could not even be considered a true work of art.

Aside from its exceptional material and the enormous amount of resources used, it was fundamentally no different from the mass-produced products in his workshop.

But Wu Ming did not care about such things. He walked forward expectantly, lifted the lid, and finally saw the full appearance of the armor.

A humanoid iron frame stood inside the crate, with the entire Tungsten Steel Armor fitted seamlessly onto it like a two-meter-tall metal giant.

Twenty-millimeter-thick Tungsten Alloy plates gave off a cold, dark sheen. Viewed from the front, it carried an oppressive, mountain-like stillness that sent chills down one's spine.

"No wonder this crate is taller than the first two combined." Wu Ming looked up at the steel body and suddenly understood.

Zhu Huazhi had deliberately displayed it this way to reveal that oppressive presence.

If all the components had been removed and stacked together, the crate would have been at least half as short. But it would have possessed no majesty at all, which did not suit this cold-weapon master's sense of artistic beauty.

Naturally, Wu Ming was not intimidated by such an imposing display. He smiled faintly and placed his hand on the chestplate's icy surface.

The next second, the Equipment Bar stirred again.

[Equipment detected: Tungsten Steel Armor]

[Talent 1: Indestructible Golden Body, skin and bone strength +150%]

[Talent 2: Bearing of a Warlord, Genetic Energy talent +150%]

[Talent 3: Martial Arts Master, fist technique talent +150%]

[Equip?]

Seeing the armor's attributes, Wu Ming could not help but smile.

These talent boosts were entirely on the level of the Dragon Sparrow battle blade—no, their effects were even better.

After all, Dragon Sparrow's boost to movement technique talent was only 100%, inferior to the Tungsten Steel Armor's boost to fist techniques.

This was the effect of piling on materials. Quantity had forcibly raised this armor's quality beyond that of the Dragon Sparrow Battle Blade, leaving it second only to the Flying Swords.

He was about to replace the Dragon Sparrow Battle Blade to form the Spiritual-Martial Dual Cultivation Set, but then he wondered whether the armor and battle blade together could form a new set.

With that thought, Wu Ming chose to replace the effects of the Flying Sword Willow Inquiry and looked again.

[Two-piece set effect: Close-Combat Grandmaster, Genetic Energy talent increased by 150%, close-combat technique increased by 150%]

This talent... is incredibly strong! Wu Ming exclaimed inwardly. The Genetic Energy talent is one thing, but it even increases close-combat technique talent?

Could this so-called close-combat technique include blade techniques, fist techniques, and movement techniques? That is absurdly powerful!

His next step was to learn Internal Martial Arts, both to train the body's power generation and to deduce a Guidance Technique. With the support of the Melee Grandmaster Set, he would certainly accomplish twice the result with half the effort.

"Right, let's check the talent boost ratio for Dual Spirit-Martial Cultivation."

He switched the battle blade back to the Flying Sword, and the familiar Spiritual-Martial Dual Cultivation Set appeared again. However, its values were now entirely different from before.

[Two-piece set effect: Dual Spirit-Martial Cultivation, Genetic Energy talent +150%, Spiritual Force talent +150%]

"The numbers really did increase." Wu Ming's thoughts raced. "In that case, if I want to cultivate both Spiritual Force and Genetic Energy at the same time, Dual Spirit-Martial Cultivation is still the best option."

"If I am studying Internal Martial Arts and various close-combat techniques, then the Melee Grandmaster Set is optimal."

"And if I want to develop both strength and Force of Will Amplitude, then Weapon Master is the best choice!"

The three sets corresponded to three major directions, allowing him to switch to the most suitable boosts when facing different cultivation environments.

In any case, there was no time limit on switching sets. As long as the equipment was nearby and easy to touch, that was enough.

"Thank you, Master. I am very satisfied with all three pieces of equipment."

After closing the Tungsten Steel Armor's crate again, Wu Ming turned to thank Zhu Huazhi. "And I appreciate you personally delivering them."

"Haha, it was no trouble. These items are so valuable that I would not dare casually ask someone else to deliver them."

Zhu Huazhi smiled and waved his hand. After pausing, he added, "However, when I saw your blade movements just now, they seemed somewhat unstructured. I wonder whether you..."

He hesitated, seemingly considering whether saying it so bluntly would be too hurtful.

"Master, are you asking whether I have learned any blade techniques?"

Wu Ming did not mind. He smiled and shook his head. "Master, you saw correctly. I have indeed never practiced blade techniques. I merely possess brute strength."

"I will not hide it from you, Master. Next, I am planning to seek out various Internal Martial Arts schools to learn from them. First, to gain control over this body and perfectly unleash its strength. Second, to learn practical weapon techniques and improve my ability to fight enemies."

"I see."

Zhu Huazhi's eyes lit up, and the hesitation on his face vanished. "Then what a coincidence. I happen to know a Xingyi Quan master. He is the owner of the Capital's Xingyi Quan martial arts hall, a third-generation inheritor of Jia-style Xingyi, and one of the strongest experts in this circle."

"Would you be interested? Xingyi Quan's core Five Elements Fist can itself be transformed into spear techniques and blade techniques. It would let you accomplish both of your goals at once."