CHAPTER 171: CONTROLLING THE SWORD UNDER THE MOON

After Mu Wanxuan's breakthrough, the two stayed in the house for another day, but not for the sake of cultivating.

Rather, Wang Sheng spent it helping his senior sister practice the habit of using two words per sentence and getting her used to speaking in that format.

They moved two sofa cushions onto the balcony. Under the sunlight, they sat cross-legged facing each other. Wang Sheng typed out a series of common words on his phone to show Mu Wanxuan and then instructed her to read them aloud with expression and feeling.

"Let's start with this one."

"Junior Brother!"

"Good, next. These words."

"Handsome Man!"

"Mm, this one."

"Charming Junior!"

"Very nice! This one now!"

"Self-obsessed!"

Wang Sheng glanced at the two large words on his phone screen. He initially thought his senior sister didn't recognize the words "Unrestrained Junior." However, seeing her suddenly laugh so hard that she rocked back and forth, he could only purse his lips.

This was absolutely necessary practice for commonly used vocabulary. After all, as her junior brother, he had to be patient and caring. Having his senior sister praise him every day could also help strengthen their unity as members of the same sect.

After half a day of speech practice, Mu Wanxuan had already adapted to the changes in pronunciation. Hence, Wang Sheng seized the opportunity to begin practicing the sword-flying technique.

Unable to practice outside since it was broad daylight, he settled for practicing in the house instead. Considering he wasn't helping the Special Investigation Unit all the time, it was better not to cause any trouble for them.

The principle of controlling an object to fly was actually quite simple. One just had to use their essence and spiritual consciousness to suspend the object and allow it to bear their weight, thus achieving flight.

Before cultivators reached the Rebirth Realm, most had to control objects to fly. Those with the means would obtain an artifact specifically meant to be stepped on, but even an old plank of wood could do the job. The speed, agility, and comfort would differ significantly, though.

For most cultivators, achieving flight through object control required reaching the Golden Core Realm first. Only then would they have sufficient true essence and spiritual consciousness to bear the massive qi cost of flying. However, even Illusory Core Realm cultivators could fly using a sword if they knew the Sword-Controlling Art and had a flying sword nurtured with their lifeblood.

Wang Sheng's celestial-grade flying sword had even more advantages: lower true essence consumption, faster takeoff speed, and better flight stability.

Wang Sheng's cultivation realm had already stabilized, and after undergoing grueling training, his true essence had become quite refined. When he stood atop the celestial-grade flying sword, he felt as though the sword had become one with the soles of his feet—as though it had become an extension of his body and meridians.

True essence flowed from the soles of his feet into the flying sword. In turn, the sword channeled the true essence back into him, allowing him to stand firmly on it.

With the flying sword hovering thirty centimeters off the ground, he tried moving forward in the living room. Responding smoothly to his will, it glided forward at walking pace.

Wang Sheng felt an undeniable thrill. He began drifting around the place atop his flying sword. Beside him, Mu Wanxuan's eyes sparkled with admiration, genuinely happy that her junior brother had learned to fly before she had.

Wang Sheng practiced indoors for two hours. Finally, once the sky outside had completely darkened, he tidied up their home, packed their luggage, and brought Mu Wanxuan up to the rooftop of the apartment building. From that point on, they could roam freely on his sword, a pair of siblings capable of both fighting and flying.

He let the precious celestial-grade flying sword float in front of him, then used a thick rope to tie the two suitcases together and fasten them to the hilt. With the sword case on his back, he leaped onto the sword first, balancing on one leg. Mu Wanxuan then followed nimbly. She grabbed onto his shoulders and stood on one foot atop the flying sword.

Finally, Wang Sheng made a sword finger with his left hand and pointed it forward. True essence rapidly flowed into the sword, making it accelerate. Soon, the rope tied to the hilt went taut, and the two suitcases suddenly pulled them downward. The flying sword wobbled from the imbalance and nearly yanked them out of the air.

This method was clearly too dangerous. More importantly, it wasn't stylish at all. Now more experienced, Wang Sheng realized that the words his master once said were filled with deep meaning.

"What matters most when traveling around? Style."

"Why fly with a sword? For the coolness, of course."

After a brief discussion, Wang Sheng and Mu Wanxuan sought out members of the Special Investigation Unit nearby and asked them to help ship their luggage. They also sent word to Mou Yue that they had completed their seclusion and were available for any tasks that required extra hands.

Wang Sheng and Mu Wanxuan returned to the rooftop with undiminished excitement. This time, Wang Sheng had Mu Wanxuan jump on first while he steadied the longsword.

Landing delicately and lightly, she gracefully stood tall on one foot. With her pale white gown fluttering gently, her beauty at that moment became otherworldly.

Wang Sheng jumped onto the sword right behind her. He placed his feet sideways, the rear of his foot pressing on the hilt. They perfectly maximized the full surface of the sword.

If the elders of the Shu Sword Sect saw him treating such a precious celestial-grade flying sword this way... the consequences would be unimaginable.

Using a technique of the Sword-Controlling Art, he made the flying sword steadily accelerate and gradually ascend into the sky. Under the cover of the rising moon, they soon vanished into the night and soared northwest.

Before long, Wang Sheng became more adept at the sword-flying technique. He learned to gauge his true-essence consumption rate more accurately and began flying faster and faster.

Thankfully, Mu Wanxuan was light, and Wang Sheng's true essence was refined. At this pace, he could fly several hundred li at once.

As they flew beyond the edge of the city, a full moon hung in the sky like a jade disc, suspended above the night's curtain. It perfectly resembled the idiom, "A lonely moon wheel shines bright in the sky."

"Strong wind," Mu Wanxuan said softly. She raised a hand and cast a faint yin-yang diagram beneath the flying sword. Instantly, the chill vanished. The evening winds were also deflected away and silenced.

Wang Sheng chuckled softly. Keeping his right hand behind his back, he guided his flying sword with his left sword finger.

Mu Wanxuan hummed cheerfully. Feeling inspired, she retrieved a jade flute from her Crane-Spirit Treasure Pouch and played a traditional melody. The music drifted gently, echoing in their calm hearts.

Under the moon, the two drifted through the clouds that were shimmering with frostlight.

Wang Sheng gazed at the full moon in the sky, but his mind wandered away from the beautiful scene before him. He recalled what the female corpse had once said—something he had pondered afterward but never revealed to the research institute.

"Once you enter the immortal path, you may seek the answers you desire. What you need to resolve your doubts lies within the Moon Palace."

If the Hua Republic's officials learned of this information, they could seriously consider launching a few nuclear missiles to see if they could crack open the "shell" of the moon and discover what secrets lay within.

From a technical standpoint, it wasn't entirely impossible.

While Wang Sheng was lost in thought, Mu Wanxuan came up with a new entertainment. She put away her jade flute and passed her phone to him. The screen displayed a playlist of her favorite songs.

Holding Mu Wanxuan's phone, Wang Sheng couldn't help but indulge in a mischievous idea.

If I accidentally dropped her phone in midair, wouldn't that... He shook his head. No, she'd probably toss me off the sword, too.

After all, her phone contained her meticulously curated spiritual collection, which she planned to pass down as her Daoist heritage. Hence, he just quickly selected a guzheng piece and returned the phone to her, finally feeling a weight lifted off his shoulders.

The two didn't have a specific destination in mind since they were still waiting for a response from the Special Investigation Unit. If the unit had a mission that required their help, they would lend a hand. Otherwise, they would simply make their way back to the Wudang Mountains and continue their secluded cultivation.

Though already close to reaching the Golden Core Realm, Mu Wanxuan still felt that her foundation wasn't solid enough. Lacking full confidence in forming her core, she decided to cultivate a while longer. She thought it was her best option, especially since it gave her time to wait for her junior brother too.

They flew through the night, resting briefly along the way. After covering a certain distance, Wang Sheng came up with a rather important question.

"By the way, Senior Sister... which way is the Wudang Mountains again?"

"Mm?"

Mu Wanxuan blinked and turned to Wang Sheng, their eyes meeting. After a moment, they burst out laughing so hard that they nearly shook the flying sword. Wang Sheng quickly pulled out his phone to check its navigation system, only to realize that they had already veered off course.

Back in ancient times, cultivators relied on the stars to figure out directions when flying across the vast night sky. Nowadays, things were a lot simpler. The combination of the Shu Mountains' Sword-Controlling Art, a celestial-grade flying sword, and smartphone navigation could also be seen as a tiny spark born from the friction between Daoist arts and modern technology.

Under the cover of darkness, Wang Sheng adjusted their heading and flew toward the Wudang Mountains. The Special Investigation Unit had texted him that Zhou Yinglong had returned to the Wudang Mountains before the New Year. It seemed the clean-cut sword cultivator of Wudang had fully recovered from his injuries. The Medicine God Valley had also chosen him as their "brand ambassador." Going forward, he would help promote the sect and attend public events.

Wang Sheng and Mu Wanxuan were still around a thousand li from the Wudang Mountains. If they kept flying through the night, they could arrive before dawn. Since he had a passenger, though, he didn't dare fly too fast. On his own, with the help of his celestial-grade flying sword, he could easily cover over a hundred kilometers an hour and keep flying for five or six hours straight without stopping.

It was a surprisingly eco-friendly way to travel. Of course, as his cultivation advanced, the speed of sword flight would also increase.

Wang Sheng planned to forge two new flying swords soon—one for combat and another for Mu Wanxuan to use as she pleased. Since they already had a good stockpile of rare materials in their courtyard at Wudang, he could begin forging them as soon as they arrived.

They flew for a while longer. When Wang Sheng noticed that he only had about thirty percent of his true essence left, he decided to land on a low mountain range up ahead. The mountains were covered with fruit trees, and near the mountainside, a cluster of lights indicated a village.

Wang Sheng said, "Let's rest there for a bit, Senior Sister. We'll circle the village later to avoid anyone taking photos."

"Mm..."

Mu Wanxuan looked a little hesitant, but she soon blinked and pointed at her phone. Having been playing music the entire way, she had now completely drained her phone battery. From her Crane-Spirit Treasure Pouch, she pulled out a charger and smiled brightly at Wang Sheng.

All their power banks were in their luggage. After all, she couldn't just stuff her pouch full of electronics.

"Alright, let's see if there's a supermarket nearby. We can buy a few things and charge up while we're at it," Wang Sheng replied.

He guided the flying sword toward the low mountains as Mu Wanxuan swung the charger's cable idly with her fingers, looking utterly carefree. However, just as they were about to land in a quiet spot near the village entrance, Mu Wanxuan quietly hummed and pointed behind a mountain.

"Over there."

Wang Sheng didn't know what she had noticed, but he immediately steered the flying sword in the direction she had pointed. Mu Wanxuan waved her left hand gently, and the Tai Chi diagram under them slowly dispersed, concealing both of their auras.

Soon, Wang Sheng sensed faint fluctuations of primal qi. The ripples were coming from a small valley nestled in the mountains. As they drew closer, his spiritual consciousness detected a scene that made his heart jolt.

Strands of moonlight were flowing down from the sky like a stream, gathering in the valley. Inside, more than a dozen small vortexes were forming and endlessly drawing in the moonlight.

It was absorbing the essence of the sun and moon!

Could it be a fiend cultivator?