Yang Yu and Li Wei opened their mouths wide, looking at the wooden model covered with silk in Li Ang’s hands. "Is this a Flying Sword?"
"How could it not be? It has a blade," Li Ang pointed at the model’s belly, "and a handle," Li Ang pointed at the model’s tail, "and a Sword Spirit." Li Ang pointed at the two Fine Gold wire connecting the body and the tail of the model. "This is the Flying Sword."
"No, this, well..." Yang Yu and Li Wei were at a loss for words for a moment, then slapped their thighs and said, "But it can’t actually fly."
"Of course it can’t, not just . According to what we’ve learned in the Sword Study and Mind Study Class, the essence of a Flying Sword is actually using Telekinesis to sense and manipulate the Sword Spirit. That’s why the Dao Paths of Mind and Sword are so close in the early stages of cultivation."
Li Ang spread his hands. "I’ve heard that from the Rain Listening Realm onwards, one can nurture Sword Intent. Once you reach the Candle Cloud Realm, you can even use Sword Intent in place of Heaven’s Will, transforming your body into a sword. However, I haven’t reached the Rain Listening Realm, nor have I experienced it personally. Given our current condition in the Qi Sensing Realm, the fundamental issue for a Flying Sword to take flight is still power. So as long as we give it a small amount of power..."
He smiled faintly, took out two Clear Wind Talismans, and carefully wrapped them around the propeller at the front of the model.
Finally, it was complete.
Not far from the workshop, Pei Jing, with his sleeves rolled up, looked at the treasure sword laid on the table and breathed out a heavy sigh.
"Forged from Mountain Copper and Fine Steel, sharp enough to split hairs, the blade three feet and three inches long, the total weight six jin and four taels."
Pei Jing looked around at his classmates standing by the table and smiled. "Everyone, this sword is our collective achievement. Thank you all for your hard work."
"Pei Jing, give this sword a name."
"Yes, Pei Jing, this sword is incredibly sharp, much better than the swords we’ve seen at the Chang’an Auction House. Name it, Pei Jing."
The classmates spoke sincerely. Ignoring his notable family background, Pei Jing indeed possessed a strong charismatic personality; otherwise, these equally talented peers admitted into the Academic Palace wouldn’t gather around him.
"Then let’s call it..." Pei Jing stared at the treasure sword on the table, which reflected a hint of blue light, and slowly said, "Canghai."
"Great name." A noble young man named Dou Chi clapped his hands. "When the wind breaks the waves, it will be time to hang the clouds and sail across Canghai."
His companions around him echoed the sentiment. Standing in the corner, the Hu Ren and Desert People youths also nodded in approval. "Pei Jing, try out the sword."
"Mhm." Pei Jing nodded, held his hand over the Canghai Sword, and slowly opened his palm to sense the Sword Spirit.
Responding to Pei Jing’s Telekinesis, the Sword Spirit, constructed from Mountain Copper, made the Canghai Sword gently vibrate and slowly float upward.
One inch, two inches.
His companions subconsciously held their breath, watching the Canghai Sword ascend slowly until it touched Pei Jing’s fingertips.
An indistinct sensing caused Pei Jing to subconsciously raise his fingers. The Canghai Sword emitted a ZWING! sound, shooting out, drawing two nearly perfect arcs in the air before flying back in front of Pei Jing, who caught it with his hand.
Footsteps approached from afar. Sword Study Master Cui Yixian, wearing a Daoist robe, walked over. Showing great interest, he took the Canghai from Pei Jing’s hand. "This sword was forged by all of you."
"Yes." Pei Jing respectfully clasped his hands.
Cui Yixian supported the Canghai, making it levitate just above his palm. He gently hooked his index finger and released a vast Sword Intent.
An invisible and intangible blue flame erupted from the Canghai Sword, causing the students, aside from Pei Jing, to instinctively step back half a step to avoid its sharp, face-stabbing edge.
"The will forged into the Sword Spirit is very strong. It’s close to the Body Concealing Realm."
Cui Yixian casually retracted this mere glimpse of his Sword Intent, smiling as he handed the sword back to Pei Jing. "Not bad. Take it to His Majesty."
Pei Jing took the Canghai, exchanged smiles with his classmates, and, holding the sword with both hands, walked towards the pavilion.
"Mu Wen (Pei Su’s courtesy name), your fourth son has arrived."
Emperor Yu stopped talking and stood with a smile, as did the other ministers and Academic Palace Doctors.
Pei Jing, representing the other team members, manipulated the Canghai Sword to fly around.
The three Masters, Cui Yixian, Xi Yangyu, and Tantai Leshan, evaluated his performance. Xi Yangyu, being a Guest Elder of Pei Su’s Mansion, might not have been entirely objective. However, the assessments from Cui Yixian and Tantai Leshan were that Pei Jing was a Sword Cultivator genius, the likes of whom appeared only once a decade.
Emperor Yu nodded with a smile, praised Pei Jing and the other students, and bestowed seats for them to sit under the pavilion.
Soon, the second and third groups of students came forward, carrying their swords.
Some groups performed excellently; others were less impressive. Given that the Academic Palace had provided top-quality materials for sword casting this time, as long as one’s talent for Sword Study was not too poor, their sword could be made to fly. Besides, even if someone was truly unsuited for sword cultivation and couldn’t sense the Sword Spirit, there were other students in their group.
As time passed, the number of new students in the Forging Workshop gradually decreased. The remaining students felt increased pressure and hastened their actions—
Except for... Li Ang.
Add two more Fine Gold wire... this should solve the structural integrity.
Li Ang lifted the fully finished model and smiled at Yang Yu and Li Wei, who wore complex expressions. "Come on, His Majesty and the others are waiting."
Knowing they had no other choice, Yang Yu and Li Wei reluctantly followed Li Ang, dragging their feet and bowing their heads as they walked toward the pavilion.
Pei Jing, who had been granted a seat next to Emperor Yu, instinctively widened his eyes as he looked at the strange model in Li Ang’s hands.
Xi Yangyu stepped forward and said indifferently, "Li Ang, where is your sword?"
Li Ang smiled faintly, lifting the model. "Master, this is my sword."
"Absurd! This is just a wooden frame." Xi Yangyu frowned. "Do you know what kind of occasion this is? Step down..."
"Mr. Xi, let him finish." Tantai Leshan interrupted Xi Yangyu, then turned to Li Ang. "Li Ang, what is the theme of this class?"
"To create a sword that can fly using materials from the workshop," Li Ang replied. "I believe that as long as it possesses a Sword Spirit and can fly, it should be considered a Flying Sword."
Tantai Leshan asked with interest, "The Sword Spirit you mentioned—is it these four Fine Gold wire?"
Li Ang nodded. "Yes."
"I’m afraid it won’t fly with just four Fine Gold wire," Tantai Leshan said, "even with the two Clear Wind Talismans at the front of this wooden frame."
"Master, the Clear Wind Talismans I’ve written can, at most, create a slight breeze, enough to repel flying insects. However, this tiny bit of wind is enough to make it fly."
The study of the force characteristics of an aircraft or other object in relative motion with air or other gases, the laws of gas flow, and the accompanying physical and chemical changes. This is aerodynamics.
Li Ang stepped back half a step. After receiving a nod of approval from Emperor Yu, he gently rubbed the two Clear Wind Talismans on the nose of the model, activating the talisman paper with Spiritual Power.
Then, with a light push, he tossed the model into the sky.