Support me and be 30 chapters ahead of webnovel:
patreon.com/Draco_
*****
Early the next morning.
Tang San woke up at dawn to absorb the morning's purple qi, after which he quietly packed some belongings and went to find Yu Xiaogang. The Grandmaster was going to take him to the Spirit Hunting Forest to obtain his first spirit ring.
Only after Tang San had left the dormitory did Xiao Tian's eyes snap open. He first glanced at the doorway, then at the still-sleeping Xiao Wu in the adjacent bunk.
Pat, pat, pat!
Pat, pat, pat!
Xiao Tian gently patted Xiao Wu's soft, delicate cheeks. They were so tender that he couldn't resist giving them a couple of light pinches and a soft squeeze.
"Get up, the sun is already shining on your butt! Didn't you say you were going to cultivate diligently? The morning is the key to the whole day, so get up quickly!"
"Time to eat!"
Xiao Wu sleepily rubbed her eyes and mumbled, her words slightly slurred, "Huh? Is it time to eat? Is it that late already?"
The moment she heard there was food, Xiao Wu's little ears even twitched.
Xiao Tian smiled helplessly. Last night, she had claimed she would wake up to cultivate even earlier than him, yet here she was, still fast asleep at this hour. He glanced outside at the already risen sun.
Xiao Wu got up very reluctantly, and after a quick wash, she followed Xiao Tian outside.
'Hmm? Why haven't I heard the system's warning today?'
"System, check if Tang Hao is nearby."
[Ding! Host, the God of Slaughter, Tang Hao, is not in the vicinity.]
A slight curve formed on Xiao Tian's lips. His own spiritual power wasn't very high yet, but he could use this idiotic system as a perfect detector to see if Tang Hao was around. Tang Hao had likely followed Tang San and Yu Xiaogang from a distance, protecting his son in secret. This meant that in the original story, even if Tang San hadn't revealed his hidden weapons, Tang Hao would have most likely intervened to save him anyway.
Originally, he had wondered if Tang Hao would ignore Tang San and stay near the academy to monitor Xiao Wu. But on second thought, this was the more logical course of action. Xiao Wu didn't know that her identity as a hundred-thousand-year-old spirit beast had been discovered, and now that she was enrolled, she was unlikely to run off. On Tang San's side, however, Yu Xiaogang was being a real blockhead. With practically no combat power of his own, he was stubbornly taking Tang San to hunt a spirit beast all by himself, without seeking any help. Wasn't that just asking for trouble?
The thought of how Yu Xiaogang had turned a Golden Saint Dragon whelp into a pig that could only fart made him laugh. And this guy was supposed to be a "theory master"? Any Spirit Master with even a shred of common sense, if they had such a Spirit with low innate spirit power but a chance to improve, would surely try to hunt a spirit beast as close to their own limit as possible for their spirit rings!
Then again, not everyone had Yu Xiaogang's background. To be able to cultivate from a mere half-rank of innate power all the way to rank twenty-nine was already a miracle in itself!
Since Tang Hao was secretly protecting Tang San and Yu Xiaogang, he could finally begin his own operation. After all, he was also at rank ten spirit power; it was time for him to find a suitable spirit ring for himself. While it was possible to accumulate spirit power without absorbing a ring for a while, absorbing one would enhance all of his attributes, which in turn would make his cultivation speed relatively faster. Moreover, only after absorbing a spirit ring could his total spirit power capacity increase. Many of his sword techniques required a continuous drain of spirit power, making his total capacity extremely important to him!
He had decided. First thing tomorrow morning, he would head to another nearby Spirit Hunting Forest to obtain his first spirit ring!
For the first hour, Xiao Tian practiced his sword swings and other techniques as usual. Then, he set his iron sword aside and summoned his Spirit, Sword Fifteen. Xiao Wu watched him with a puzzled expression, wondering what he was up to.
"Fifteen, today we're going to practice a new technique: flying on a sword! Can you use your own strength to help me fly?" Xiao Tian asked, making a seemingly impossible request.
Clang...
Sword Fifteen's entire body suddenly went limp, its tip pointing灵性ly towards Xiao Tian and swaying from side to side.
Sword Fifteen: "This servant is incapable of such a feat!"
Xiao Wu couldn't help but speak up. "Xiao Tian, I've been meaning to ask. Your Spirit seems very sentient... but isn't your request a bit too much? Fifteen is just a sword. If you want it to carry you, it would need to be supported by your spirit power, right?"
Xiao Tian smiled. "My Spirit is rather special; it possesses a certain degree of sentience. I prefer to call it a Wisdom Spirit, or you could think of my Sword Spirit as having a sword soul. But are you sure my request is too much?"
Xiao Tian looked at the limp Sword Fifteen, and a glint appeared in his eyes.
"Oh, Fifteen, are you sure you won't even try? Look at Xiao Wu here beside me. Her figure might be lacking, but her face is quite pretty, don't you think? A little baby fat, sure, but how about you take her for a spin?"
Ding!
The previously limp Sword Fifteen instantly straightened up. The entire sword flew out of Xiao Tian's hand and hovered in front of Xiao Wu.
Xiao Tian: "..."
Xiao Tian was utterly speechless. So, Fifteen really did have such a fickle, dog-like personality. As long as it was a beautiful girl, the sword's entire attitude would do a complete one-eighty. Couldn't it be a little nicer to its own master?
This was truly a case of... a sword... with double standards... Fifteen!
Xiao Wu looked at Xiao Tian hesitantly. To be honest, she was a little scared. Even if Fifteen could really carry her into the air, if she were to accidentally fall from a great height, she would probably be going to see her mother.
Xiao Tian shot a harsh glare at Sword Fifteen below him and waved his hand. "You can try standing on it. Just have Fifteen lift you a few centimeters off the ground and carry you around at a low altitude first."
Seeing that Xiao Tian wasn't angry, Xiao Wu breathed a sigh of relief. The fact that Fifteen was willing to carry her but 'unwilling' to carry Xiao Tian felt strange to her. After all, a Spirit should be completely under its master's control.
What Xiao Wu didn't know was that if Xiao Tian had felt even the slightest bit of genuine displeasure, Sword Fifteen would never have done such a thing. The reason it had flown over to her was actually due more to the suggestions in Xiao Tian's own words.
Then, Xiao Wu tentatively placed her feet on Sword Fifteen, trying her best to maintain her balance as the sword carried her slowly around the lawn. Meanwhile, Xiao Tian felt his spirit power consumption suddenly accelerate. So, it wasn't Fifteen's power being consumed, but his own spirit power!
However, Xiao Wu only experienced it for a short while, as she was still not used to the feeling.
Afterward, under Xiao Tian's control, Fifteen reluctantly returned to Xiao Tian's feet. Now, it was his turn to try!
Xiao Tian brought his right index and middle fingers together. A burst of Sword Intent suddenly appeared, pointing at Fifteen below him. The blade of the sword became much sharper, enveloped in a faint layer of Sword Intent.
Xiao Tian planned to use his Sword Intent to reduce his spirit power consumption. He didn't know if this was just a wild fantasy, but in his past life, whether he was watching TV dramas or other things, the people who flew on swords always had their blades shrouded in a faint aura. Perhaps that was one of the reasons why flying on a sword looked so incredibly cool.
(End of chapter)