Chapter 60 - 60 60 Sword Drawn Soaring High

60: Chapter 60: Sword Drawn, Soaring High 60: Chapter 60: Sword Drawn, Soaring High The woman’s gaze finally shifted from the page, her eyes coolly turning toward him. A faint, ethereal smile curved the corners of her mouth, and her demeanor remained indolently indifferent as she said, “Ah, it’s you. No need for thanks. I didn’t intend to save you; I wanted to save the little deer by your side. When I rescued it, it was tightly clinging to your body, so I ended up dragging you up too.” Baili An offered a wry smile. It seemed that in this girl’s eyes, a human life was actually less important than that of a little deer. Searᴄh the Nôvel(F)ire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He composed himself and asked again, “Miss, where is this ship heading? May I trouble you to carry me along for part of the journey? I am caught in a pressing matter, and if you could help me, I would be deeply grateful.” The girl lifted her gaze to scrutinize him, her expression serene as she inquired, “And what might this pressing matter be?” Baili An replied earnestly, “A matter of life and death.” The girl raised an eyebrow and said, “How coincidental. The place I am heading to is also for a life and death matter, so I cannot accommodate you. Please leave.” Her light tone carried an amicable ruthlessness. Baili An, looking distraught, protested, “But…” “I’m going to sleep now, remember to close the door.” The girl’s eyes grew tired as she slowly rose, unfastening the green jade hairpin from her hair, allowing her black locks to cascade down past her neck, a breathtaking sight. With that, what choice did Baili An have but to hastily leave the cabin? By the time he returned to the deck, the group of strong men who had been moving cargo had also retired to rest. The sea was silent and clear, with only this sand ship sailing, unknowing of its destination. Baili An rubbed his temples, a headache forming at the thought of what to do if this ship took him further from his destination. He looked up at the vast starry sky, wishing to himself that he could travel by Sword Flight like Miss Li Jiujiu. Regrettably, to control a sword with spiritual energy required at least the level of the Open Yuan realm, and he, who was but a newly awakened corpse demon… Wait a minute! The Open Yuan realm! Baili An suddenly looked at his palm, his hand trembling slightly. He remembered… he remembered that when he inherited the Mountain Seal, he seemed to have successfully broken through. If that wasn’t a dream… He immediately retrieved the Autumnwater Sword from the waters of pure jade. He unsheathed the sword and used it to harness spiritual energy. The Autumnwater Sword hung suspended in the air, issuing a clear ringing sound as Baili An infused it with his spiritual energy. More spiritual power surged into the sword body, causing the Autumnwater Sword to slowly enlarge. A look of delighted surprise spread across Baili An’s face. It was indeed possible. He leaped onto the sword, his entire figure wobbling precariously atop it, extremely unstable. Within moments, a loud clang resounded, and both he and his sword crashed back onto the deck. Just as Baili An was feeling defeated, a light laughter emerged from the cabin. The sound was extremely pleasing to the ear, light and ethereal, like the mist curling around springs and stones in the mountains, elusive and unfathomable. Following the laughter, Baili An saw a woman slowly walking out of the pitch-dark cabin. She cradled a longsword wrapped in white cloth, wearing a pure white dress that fluttered uncertainly in the sea breeze, adding not a hint of disarray but instead lending an effortless grace to every movement she made. Her slender hand toyed with the green jade hairpin, her black hair untied and flowing freely. Although she had the appearance of a delicate woman, she somehow gave off an aura of grandeur that would awe even men, as if the fairy standing before him amidst the winds bore the profound mysteries of both heaven and earth within her breast. Her bright eyes fixing upon the Autumnwater Sword beside Baili An, now devoid of spiritual energy, she laughed lightly, “That is not how one controls a sword.” Baili An rose from the ground and asked with a hint of surprise, “I thought you had gone to sleep, Miss?” Her naturally intrinsically sharp and interested eyes smiled as she responded, “In the midst of the boundless sea, it is rare to hear the clear ring of a sword blade, hence I came to see.” Baili An couldn’t help laughing and said, “So the Miss is someone deeply enthralled with swords.” The woman nodded slightly, her snow-white chin sculpted into an elegant arch, admitting nonchalantly, “Many say so.” Baili An smiled and picked up the Autumnwater Sword from the ground, once again channeling his energy into the sword. Then he heard the woman saying, “Swords begin as mortal iron, achieve spirit through grasp, move with heart, live with blood, and perish without thought. Form and spirit must match, embracing the primordial and maintaining singularity, drawing upon the intrinsic chaotic energy of the universe, gathering the Five Elements, encompassing all, controlling the sword with energy, achieving flight.” Her light and melodious voice punctuated each word as they flowed powerfully yet smoothly from her well-defined lips. “You don’t even know the basic incantations for Sword Control, yet you wish to traverse the seas by stepping onto your sword. Isn’t that a bit naive?” The woman in white leaned lightly against the door frame of the cabin’s entrance, the mournful moonlight casting a gentle glow upon her pale countenance. Baili An looked at her dumbfounded, but saw a small smile play upon her lips as she said, “Have you memorized the incantation? I’m in a good mood tonight; if you haven’t, I can teach you again.” The unexpected kindness bewildered Baili An, but he still replied, “There’s no need, I’ve memorized it.” With the Sword Control incantation in his mind, he pointed his sword finger towards the Autumnwater Sword on the ground. “Sword, arise!” The Autumnwater Sword, responding to the call, instantly grew to a length of two meters. Under the alternating incantation and flow of spiritual energy, there was no need for Baili An to intentionally jump onto the blade; a gentle force arose beneath his feet, effortlessly pulling his figure onto the Autumnwater Sword. The woman’s eyebrows raised slightly in surprise. Successfully in one attempt, this young man’s talent for sword cultivation was something to note. More rare was that… Baili An stood excitedly atop the Autumnwater Sword, stable without a trace of wobble, as the spiritual energy within his body flowed seamlessly into the sword. At that moment, he achieved Heart and Sword Unity, needing only a thought to ride the wind and return by Sword Flight. Standing on the Longsword, he offered the woman a broad and radiant smile, “Thank you, Miss!” With that, he initiated Sword Flight. The woman remained languidly leaning against the door frame, one hand gently supporting her chin, murmuring to herself, “Has the young man forgotten about his deer?” Just as she was about to turn back to the cabin, the sound of the distant sword cutting through the skies returned, this time much closer. She lifted her head and saw that the young man on the sword, gasping for breath, had landed back in the same spot, as if he was out of strength. Bent at the waist, he braced himself on his knees and said, “This ship… moves so fast… whew…” The woman glanced at him with a look that was both mocking and amused, but she said nothing. Baili An, unable to help but smile at his predicament, said, “Excuse me, I am not very familiar with the marine environment and routes. Could the Miss tell me how to go to Kongcang Mountain in the Endless Sea?” How embarrassing it was. He had just learned how to travel by Sword Flight, forgot himself in his excitement, and flew off in a random direction without thinking. It took a while to realize he had no idea how to reach Kongcang Mountain. Amidst the vast sea, desolate and without a soul in sight, he had no choice but to return, a bit sheepishly, to ask for directions.