Chapter 23: Sword-Flying

Hearing Lin Fan say this, the heart Zhang Nuo had been holding in suspense finally settled; since Lin Fan did not suspect him, the excuse he had prepared would not be needed, but Zhang Nuo had already made up his mind that no matter how his master asked, he would not say a single word about the Linger Insect.

Lin Fan picked up the "Nine Dragon Sword Case" again, and with a movement of his Divine Sense, he erased the Divine Sense Mark that Zhang Nuo had previously left on the sword case. With his cultivation, erasing the Divine Sense of a Qi Refining Stage Level 6 cultivator was effortless.

The moment Lin Fan erased Zhang Nuo's Divine Sense from the sword case, the mental connection between the sword case and Zhang Nuo vanished instantly; slightly stunned, Zhang Nuo cast his gaze toward Lin Fan. He saw Lin Fan holding the sword case in one hand, and with a thought, ten Flying Swords shot out from the case simultaneously; looking at him, it seemed he had not expended any effort at all.

Watching all this, Zhang Nuo finally understood the massive gap between himself and his master; he had reached his limit just by activating four Flying Swords, while Lin Fan had easily activated ten.

Looking at the ten Flying Swords hovering beside him, Lin Fan shook his head and sighed repeatedly; these Flying Swords had not changed at all compared to before, remaining just as dilapidated.

"It seems the 'Nine Dragon Sword Case' has only repaired some of its functions on its own; the Flying Swords inside the case are still the same as before!"

As he spoke, Lin Fan moved his Divine Sense again. "Swish, swish!" sounds rang out incessantly, and another thirty Flying Swords were activated; now, forty Flying Swords were circling around Lin Fan.

However, Lin Fan's expression became solemn at this moment; it seemed forty Flying Swords were nearing his limit. With a Golden Core Middle Stage cultivation, Lin Fan could only activate forty Flying Swords; it was truly unimaginable what kind of cultivation would be required to activate all eighty-one Flying Swords within the "Nine Dragon Sword Case."

After scanning the Flying Swords before him with his Divine Sense, Lin Fan retracted all the Flying Swords into the Sword Box, then erased the Divine Sense Mark he had left on the sword case. If he did not erase his own Divine Sense Mark, Zhang Nuo would be unable to use this Magic Treasure again.

Every cultivator leaves a Divine Sense Mark on their Magic Treasure; this is the mental connection between the Magic Treasure and the cultivator. Without the mark, one cannot control the Magic Treasure.

A cultivator with high cultivation can easily erase the Divine Sense Mark left on a Magic Treasure by a cultivator with low cultivation, while the reverse is extremely difficult.

With a light toss of one hand, Lin Fan returned the sword case to Zhang Nuo.

"You kid have good fortune! Cultivate well! After you reach the Foundation Establishment Stage, I will pass on a set of Sword Art to you! That Sword Art complements the 'Nine Dragon Sword Case' and will be very helpful for your future cultivation!"

"Many thanks, Master!"

Before Lin Fan had finished speaking, Zhang Nuo bowed deeply to him.

"Alright! Everyone go back and rest!"

Waving his hand lightly, Lin Fan said with a hint of weariness.

Gao Dakuan and the others did not say much and exited the hall. At this time, Qu Yuan looked enviously at the Nine Dragon Sword Case held in Zhang Nuo's arms and said:

"Junior Brother, you really have an eye for things, choosing such a Magic Treasure. When I first entered the Magic Treasure Room, I didn't even notice it!"

Listening to the meaning behind Qu Yuan's words, he was very regretful now, but how could he understand that even if he had chosen the "Nine Dragon Sword Case" back then, it probably would have been of no use. Without the White Profound Crystal Stone produced by the "Mysterious Heaven Gold-Devouring Insect," this sword case would still be a discarded Magic Treasure in his hands.

At this moment, Ye Linger slowly moved up to Zhang Nuo, and with her cherry-red lips, she whispered in his ear:

"Junior Brother, the 'Nine Dragon Sword Case' is such a good treasure; if there's a chance, lend it to me for a few days. Perhaps with its help, I could even break through to the Foundation Establishment Stage!"

Zhang Nuo had always lived in Lin Fan's Cave Abode and rarely came into contact with women. Although he often saw this Senior Sister, this was the first time the two had spoken at such close range. The scent of the young girl on Ye Linger drifted into Zhang Nuo's nose, instantly making him feel as if he had been struck by lightning; his small face turned bright red, and even his speech became less than fluent.

"Sen... Senior Sister! If you want to use the sword... case, just take it!"

After he finished saying this stutteringly, Gao Dakuan and Qu Yuan nearby laughed until their stomachs ached. It seemed this Junior Brother was still inexperienced in the world! Ye Linger's joke had made him so embarrassed.

"Haha! Alright, Junior Sister, stop teasing him!"

Gao Dakuan laughed as he helped Zhang Nuo out of the awkward situation. Zhang Nuo had already reached the Sixth Layer, fully capable of participating in the Chief Disciple Assembly. The gloom in his heart had completely vanished, so now, no matter how he looked at this Junior Brother, he found him particularly pleasing.

………………………………

The next morning, Zhang Nuo walked out of the Cave Abode. With the 'Nine Dragon Sword Case' strapped to his back, he looked up at the azure sky, his face full of excitement.

Having cultivated the "Sword Control Art" to the Sixth Layer, one could fully engage in sword-flying. Zhang Nuo had waited for this day for a long time. He took a deep breath of the fresh morning air and felt his mood relax significantly.

With a movement of his Divine Sense, a Flying Sword flew out from the sword case on his back. As his thoughts flowed, the half-foot-long Flying Sword transformed to the size of a zhang. Zhang Nuo leaped up lightly, and his feet landed on the giant sword.

With a slight movement of his Divine Sense, with a "whoosh" sound, the giant sword carried Zhang Nuo and shot into the sky. At this moment, he did not dare to open his eyes, only feeling the "whooshing" wind at his ears. When the giant sword stopped in mid-air, he slowly opened his eyes; the boundless earth was already beneath his feet!

This was his first time flying by his own power, and he was so excited he didn't know what to do! A little child from a mountain village, he had never imagined he would one day fly in the sky like an immortal.

"Haha! I can fly!"

Laughing loudly, Zhang Nuo stepped on the giant sword beneath his feet and flew toward the depths of the Divine Sword Mountain Range. Now, he had to hurry to do one thing!

The "Mysterious Heaven Gold-Devouring Insect" had been left by him in the mountains for half a year; he wanted to retrieve the Linger Insect. What kind of surprise would the Linger Insect bring him this time?