The Peculiar Flying Swords and a Master’s Concern

Huangfu Ming successfully acquired the extravagant blind box, from which he drew a ‘flying sword that looked inherently swift’.

Upon witnessing the flying sword beneath Huangfu Ming’s feet, Huangfu Liu and Huangfu Hui silently retracted the skills they had been poised to unleash, then, with an unspoken understanding, sealed their lips.

They each opted for the ordinary blind boxes on either side.

“Hahahaha, I accept your deference, my family!”

Oblivious to his narrow escape, Huangfu Ming, his expression alight with excitement, activated his flying sword.

Instantly, he transformed into a streak of light, hurtling across the racetrack at a terrifying speed that rivaled even a Core Formation cultivator’s sword-riding prowess.

Yet, as Huangfu Ming shot forth with incredible velocity, Huangfu Liu and Huangfu Hui unhurriedly began to examine the flying swords they had opened from their own boxes.

“Huh? Eldest Brother, Fourth Brother, why aren’t you chasing him? Second Brother has already flown so far ahead.”

Huangfu Jiashu finally caught up, opening the last remaining blind box.

“Ah, Third Sister, do you know…”

“Actually, your Second Brother’s flying sword…”

“It can’t turn.”

Huangfu Jiashu: “?”

As if to confirm the words of Huangfu Liu and Huangfu Hui, the swiftly accelerating Huangfu Ming discovered, to his horror, just before the first right-angle turn, that his flying sword was simply too fast to make any turns.

Having entirely failed to anticipate such a predicament, Huangfu Ming, riding at a speed comparable to a Core Formation cultivator, crashed straight into the racetrack’s first bend and was sent soaring off.

He vanished entirely, a fleeting meteor disappearing into the secret realm’s distant reaches.

Only a bewildered string of ‘Holy crap!’ echoed through the secret realm.

Huangfu Ming, out.

It was no wonder that Eldest Brother and Fourth Brother, typically cunning and sly, had so readily allowed Second Brother to claim the first pick.

Learning from Huangfu Ming’s unfortunate precedent, the remaining three individuals meticulously examined their own opened flying swords for any peculiar issues.

A short while later, Huangfu Hui, having figured out his sword first, set off; however, he was flying backward.

This meant facing the hilt with his backside pointed towards the sword’s tip, as only in this position would the flying sword propel forward.

Immediately after, Huangfu Liu also comprehended his sword and began his journey, though he was lying down as he rode, appearing utterly serene, much like a hearse.

Huangfu Jiashu: “…”

‘What kind of bizarre flying swords are these? Which insane designer conceived of such creations?’

Huangfu Jiashu, meanwhile, researched for ages without finding anything amiss with her own flying sword.

Watching her Eldest Brother and Fourth Brother drift further and further away, she grew impatient.

Huangfu Jiashu simply gave up on researching, leaping directly onto her flying sword to begin riding it.

Yet, no matter how Huangfu Jiashu manipulated it, the flying sword remained utterly motionless.

Angered, Huangfu Jiashu felt an urge to smash the wretched sword.

As the flying sword passed over Huangfu Jiashu’s head, she felt the sword in her hand stir.

A disconcerting thought then bloomed in her mind:

‘This cursed sword can’t possibly only fly when placed on one’s head, can it?’

Embracing this peculiar notion, Huangfu Jiashu placed the flying sword atop her head and slowly activated it.

The flying sword, just as she had suspected, began to slowly move.

In that moment, Huangfu Jiashu felt as though the prestige of being a direct disciple wasn’t quite as appealing as she had once believed.

However, seeing her Eldest Brother and Fourth Brother becoming increasingly proficient at riding their swords in such bizarre postures, Huangfu Jiashu gritted her teeth.

She used her own silk ribbon to bind the flying sword to her head, executing the legendary ‘hanging-style’ sword-riding technique.

She swore that if she ever discovered the designer behind this ‘hanging’ flying sword, she would undoubtedly string them up and whip them!

****

Xia Yi, who was currently dispelling the malevolent cold yin fire from Pei Yunxiang’s body, suddenly sneezed again.

“What’s wrong, Yi’er?”

The successive sneezes prompted Pei Yunxiang to cast a worried gaze upon him, suspecting that perhaps her ‘beloved disciple’ had become weakened from overexertion recently and caught a cold.

While Foundation Establishment cultivators rarely fell ill, it was not entirely impossible, especially when they indulged excessively.

“I’m fine, Master, let us continue.”

“No, come here and let your Master examine you.”

Unable to resist Pei Yunxiang, Xia Yi was pulled from behind into her soft embrace, her fair, smooth forehead pressing against his own.

“Hmm… indeed, you’ve been indulging a bit too much.

From today onward, Yi’er, you are forbidden from frolicking with Miaoyun and Yingying until dawn.

You must rest and recuperate for a period.”

“…Understood.”

Xia Yi couldn’t tell if it was due to the dispelling of the malevolent cold yin fire, but he felt his Master’s delicate body growing increasingly warm.

Simply holding her brought a sense of comfort and warmth.

“Husband, I’m back.”

As Pei Yunxiang held Xia Yi, diagnosing him, Bing Yingying and Fei Miaoyun entered from outside the door.

“What did Senior Brother Li want with us?”

Bing Yingying, also eager to join Xia Yi and Pei Yunxiang’s ‘play,’ found herself gently fended off by Pei Yunxiang’s beautiful, silk-stockinged foot.

“Senior Brother Li came to inform us that we should prepare to go to the Skill Cliff in three days to select cultivation techniques.

He said it’s one of the benefits for inner disciples.”

Feeling wronged after being rejected, a pouting Bing Yingying could only gaze enviously at the affectionate master and disciple pair.

“The Skill Cliff, then.

I understand.”

The Skill Cliff was also mentioned in the original novel, considered a major unique feature of the Azure Feather Immortal Sect.

While others stored their cultivation techniques within scripture repositories and similar buildings, the Azure Feather Immortal Sect’s techniques were kept within the Skill Cliff.

More precisely, it was a Sea of Techniques, where disciples in need of cultivation methods could only use fishing rods provided by the sect to ‘fish’ for them at the Skill Cliff.

Whatever they managed to reel in, they could learn, and each technique was said to be perfectly suited to the individual.

This Skill Cliff, rumored to have been arranged by the Azure Feather Immortal Sect’s founding Grand Elder, was truly miraculous.

In the original novel, Zhen Aoyu also gained the opportunity to fish for techniques at the Skill Cliff immediately upon joining, even reeling in two highly practical cultivation methods in one go.

It was quite the face-slapping plotline.

However, Xia Yi was currently unsure whether Zhen Aoyu had actually arrived at the Azure Feather Immortal Sect and become an inner disciple.

It seemed he would only discover the truth three days from now.

“What about Martial Aunt Miaoyun? What did Senior Brother Li say?”

Xia Yi, idly caressing Pei Yunxiang’s delicate hand, looked towards Fei Miaoyun, who exuded natural charm.

“That Li Junying said he’d have to go back and report to his superiors before he’d know.”

“That’s true; becoming an Azure Feather Immortal Sect Deacon is certainly not something an inner disciple can decide on their own.”

“Hehe, once Martial Aunt becomes a Deacon, how about I give you, my naughty disciple, some special tutoring?”

“Cough, cough, perhaps that won’t be necessary.

It wouldn’t look good, and being a Deacon is quite tiring.”

Xia Yi, feeling a bit awkward, gently pushed away Pei Yunxiang’s silk-clad leg from his face, a hint of worry in his expression.

“It’s alright, Yi’er, Martial Aunt isn’t afraid of hard work.

Besides, becoming a Deacon would more or less provide some conveniences for our family, wouldn’t it?”

“But…”

“Enough, Yi’er, have you forgotten what Master told you?”

“I surrender, I surrender! Your disciple hasn’t forgotten, hasn’t forgotten.”

Having barely managed to break free from Pei Yunxiang’s ‘suffocating’ assault, Xia Yi’s face still bore a worried expression.

This concern, however, did not linger for long, as he recalled Pei Yunxiang’s words from that night.

The worry on Xia Yi’s face transformed into unwavering support.

“Alright, Martial Aunt, I believe in you.”

“Hehe, I knew Yi’er was the best.”

With that, Fei Miaoyun pounced, joining Pei Yunxiang to form a ‘two-sided grilled cheese’ of marshmallow softness, leaving Xia Yi momentarily breathless.

After their playful antics, Xia Yi watched the two women, whom Pei Yunxiang had pulled aside to admonish against excessive indulgence, and simply smiled faintly, saying nothing further.