In front of the gate of Qingzhu Courtyard,
"Uncle Jiu is truly a big figure. He can even perform the legendary sword flight. I wonder if I will ever be able to soar through the skies like him in my lifetime," Xu Taiping muttered to himself as he watched Uncle Jiu soar away on his sword, his figure like an immortal.
"Little Taiping, why envy this old man?"
At that moment, a woman's voice sounded beside his ear.
Turning around, Xu Taiping saw the somewhat transparent figure of Ling Yue, standing gracefully in the center of the courtyard.
"Taiping, it's time for you to break through to the Opening Door realm," Ling Yue said with a determined gaze and a smile directed at Xu Taiping.
That night.
"This is everything that has happened during the time you were in slumber," Xu Taiping said as he recounted all the events that had transpired in detail to Ling Yue, including how he had planned the capture and killing of the wandering ghost.
"Also, these things were dropped by the ghost after it was killed."
With that, Xu Taiping placed a small wooden box on the table.
"I originally planned to test the little guy's adaptability by seeing if he would hide in Qingzhu Courtyard or seek help from the Western Wind Sect's cultivators. But unexpectedly, he killed the ghost on his own..."
Ling Yue glanced at the wooden box on the table, then looked back at Xu Taiping after hearing his account. There was a look of admiration in her eyes.
"Sister Ling Yue, is there... anything I did wrong?"
Seeing that Ling Yue remained silent and just stared at him without blinking, Xu Taiping was a little confused.
"No," Ling Yue smiled and shook her head. "You did very well, better than anyone could have hoped for."
"Really? I just... got lucky and met the ghost of Sister Qingmei, which helped me discover the ghost's weakness," Xu Taiping scratched his head, a little embarrassed by the praise.
"However, Sister Ling Yue, there is still a tiger demon behind that wandering ghost. It is currently recovering, and once it heals, it might come for revenge. Could you help me figure out if there is a way to deal with that tiger demon?"
Xu Taiping suddenly recalled the tiger demon.
"Little Taiping, you don't need to worry. During my slumber, I stabilized this remnant soul. Although I can't personally intervene, there are plenty of ways to deal with a tiger demon. Five-hundred-year-old tiger gall is perfect for making medicinal wine," Ling Yue said with a smirk.
The smile sent a chill down Xu Taiping's spine, and he suddenly felt that this "Sister Ling Yue" might be even scarier than the ghost or the tiger demon.
"By the way, stop calling me 'Sister Ling Yue.' Just call me Ling Yue from now on. We're on the same boat now, no need for such formality," Ling Yue said with a playful look.
"Okay, Ling Yue... sister," Xu Taiping almost made the same mistake again but quickly corrected himself.
Ling Yue was satisfied with his response and nodded.
"Open this wooden box, and let me see what the ghost was hiding on him."
She gestured to the wooden box on the table.
Xu Taiping nodded and opened the box.
"These three hundred merit coins must have been stolen from the victim cultivators, and this short sword wasn't used when he fought me. As for this small copper furnace, I'm not sure what it's for," Xu Taiping said, taking out the short sword and the tiny copper furnace, which was only the size of the palm of his hand.
"This short sword... it must be a magic weapon. The reason he didn't use it in our fight is that low-level ghost cultivators can't use magic weapons. The spiritual energy within the magic weapon would backfire on them," Ling Yue explained as she carefully examined the items.
"Sister Ling Yue, what is the difference between a magic weapon and a magic treasure?"
Xu Taiping naturally wouldn't miss the opportunity to ask Ling Yue for an explanation.
"Magic weapons are mostly used by low-level cultivators, while magic treasures can only be refined and used by higher-level cultivators. The main difference between them is the power. In terms of power, even a high-quality magic weapon may not be as strong as a low-grade magic treasure. Additionally, most magic weapons are used to store spells, and they often have a limited number of uses. Some can even be used only once. On the other hand, magic treasures are used by cultivators to cast spells, and there is usually no limit to their usage," Ling Yue explained in great detail.
Xu Taiping nodded thoughtfully, feeling that his confusion had cleared up.
"You should try injecting a bit of spiritual energy into this short sword," Ling Yue said, pointing to the short sword.
"Alright."
Xu Taiping nodded and immediately gathered spiritual energy from his dantian. Using the Qi-guiding technique he learned from Qing Niu Fist, he directed the spiritual energy into the short sword in his hand.
"Clang!"
As soon as the spiritual energy was injected, the short sword suddenly let out a sharp ringing sound. Then, with a "whoosh," it flew out of its sheath, spinning around the room on its own.
"It's... a flying sword?"
Xu Taiping was astonished.
"This kind of flying sword magic weapon is only a bit faster than ordinary arrows, not really comparable to a proper flying sword," Ling Yue said, looking at it with disdain.
"Sister Ling Yue, I've found that this sword seems to move according to my will!"
At this point, Xu Taiping was completely fascinated by the flying sword magic weapon. A rare childlike wonder appeared on his face.
Ling Yue, seeing this, couldn't help but feel a pang of tenderness in her heart. "After all, he is just a young boy of about ten years old. If he were from an ordinary family, this would still be the age for him to be spoiled by his parents."
Thinking of this, her gaze softened, and she nodded gently. She then explained,
"Magic weapons work like this. Once you inject spiritual energy into them, they will connect with your will. You will naturally understand how to use them, as well as how many times you can use them."
Xu Taiping nodded vigorously. "You're right, Sister Ling Yue. This flying sword magic weapon can only be used twice now."
He then controlled the flying sword, which had been circling in the room, and with a 'clang' sound, it returned to its sheath.
"And Sister Ling Yue, I just noticed that just by having it fly around a few times, my dantian's residual spiritual energy has already been depleted quite a bit," Xu Taiping added, looking both amazed and curious.
"Yes, the lower the level of the magic weapon, the more it consumes spiritual energy. This is one of the biggest drawbacks of magic weapons, which is why high-level cultivators usually don't bother refining them," Ling Yue explained.
Ling Yue reached out, as if to wipe away the sweat from Xu Taiping's forehead, but then realized she couldn't actually touch him.
"It's alright, Sister Ling Yue. I can wipe it myself," Xu Taiping said as he picked up a towel and wiped his face. He was very happy tonight to have gained such a magic weapon.