At the moment Nan Xi gripped the hilt of the Spirit Sword, the Pressure around him surged once again, further manifesting into a fierce gale that swept through the entire third floor of the Sword Repository.
Nan Xi stood firmly at the center of the storm, allowing the winds to cut across him as his pure white Peak Master robes fluttered loudly.
Compared to Nan Xi, Xia Xia was not nearly as fortunate.
The instant the storm erupted, her small, thin frame was blown back. Fortunately, she managed to grab the staircase railing just in time to keep from being tossed down to the lower floor.
Using the railing as a buffer, Xia Xia managed to steady herself.
The petite girl shrank behind the stairs, poking her small head out from beside the railing to look worriedly at Nan Xi in the center of the room.
“Master…”
Xia Xia murmured softly, a faint light flickering in her beautiful eyes.
However —
Xia Xia’s worry seemed a bit redundant.
The current situation looked dire, but in reality, Nan Xi did not feel any pressure at the center of the storm.
Nan Xi’s only concern was whether such a strong wind would mess up his hair.
But letting it blow like this didn’t seem right either.
Nan Xi’s gaze sharpened. He raised his left palm, and as his Spiritual Power poured in, a vortex rotating in the exact opposite direction of the gale began to take shape.
In the next second, Nan Xi slammed his left hand downward, driving the vortex into the floor.
“SUPPRESS!”
Buzz —
The once-howling gale was instantly neutralized upon contact with the vortex Nan Xi released, transforming into a gentle breeze as its power vanished.
The wind stopped.
As for that Heaven-grade Spirit Sword, it now lay quietly in Nan Xi’s hand, looking like a most loyal servant.
“Hmm?”
Nan Xi’s brow suddenly furrowed as he picked up the Spirit Sword to examine it closely.
His thumb brushed over every pattern and every notch on the Spirit Sword.
A wisp of Spiritual Power even surged from his arm, flooding into the blade to circulate through its internal veins.
Something wasn’t right.
This did not seem to be a Heaven-grade Spirit Sword.
Whether in terms of craftsmanship or Spiritual Power compatibility, this was simply not the quality a Heaven-grade Spirit Sword should possess.
It couldn’t even be considered an Earth-grade Spirit Sword.
At most… it was a Peak Mortal-grade Spirit Sword.
“Master! Master!”
Xia Xia ran over to Nan Xi, grabbing the corner of his robes and looking him up and down.
She checked his sleeves, his palms, and even his cheeks.
“What… what are you doing?”
Nan Xi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He firmly held Xia Xia in place, stopping her from trying to climb onto his back to check the back of his head.
“I’m seeing if Master is hurt…”
Xia Xia’s large, emerald-green eyes were filled with worry.
The wind was blowing so hard just now; what if Master got hurt!
“Relax, your Master isn’t that weak.”
Nan Xi let out a short laugh and reached out to rub Xia Xia’s small head.
As he spoke, he casually handed the Spirit Sword to her.
“There was a bit of an accident. Use this Spirit Sword for now.”
“Eh?”
Xia Xia blinked, staring blankly as Nan Xi placed the Spirit Sword into her hands.
It was heavy.
Compared to the petite Xia Xia, this Spirit Sword seemed a bit too heavy.
Unlike Nan Xi’s own sword, which was entirely black and lacked any luster, the Spirit Sword in Xia Xia’s hands was a sharp silver-white.
It had no complex patterns or exquisite carvings.
However, it was polished to a mirror finish. Through the reflection on the blade, Xia Xia could even see her own slightly dazed expression.
“Is… is this really a Heaven-grade Spirit Sword? It’s fa-fa-far too precious.”
Xia Xia lowered her eyes and made a gesture to hand the Spirit Sword back to Nan Xi.
“Just take it. It’s not a Heaven-grade Spirit Sword.”
Nan Xi sighed helplessly, his gaze sweeping across the eight high platforms that stored the swords.
He had misjudged it after all.
But for now, it would have to do.
“B-But…”
“Take it. This isn’t some rare Spirit Sword; it’s just a nameless Mortal-grade sword.”
Nan Xi shrugged with an air of indifference.
“On the market outside, it would sell for five Spirit Stones at most.”
“Five Spirit Stones!?”
Xia Xia’s eyes widened, her mouth hanging open wide enough to fit an apple.
“Then… then that could buy half of a Xia Xia!”
What a strange comparison.
Nan Xi was stunned for a moment.
But before he could ask, Xia Xia had already looked up. From her expression, it seemed she could accept a Mortal-grade Spirit Sword.
“Master, is this sword really for me?”
“Of course. Use it for now, and I’ll find you another one later…”
“Yay!”
Unfortunately, Xia Xia didn’t seem to hear the second half of Nan Xi’s sentence.
As soon as she heard “Of course,” she sat down on the floor, cradling the nameless Spirit Sword and began to wipe it clean.
Haaa —
She blew a puff of warm air from her cherry-red lips, causing a layer of mist to form on the blade.
Then, Xia Xia retracted her small hand, using her oversized sleeve as the perfect cleaning cloth.
Rub, rub, rub.
The already mirror-like blade became even brighter under her care.
The moonlight was as gentle as water, spilling through the high windows of the Sword Repository and onto the girl’s focused profile.
There was likely no one in the world more focused than she was at this moment.
Nan Xi did not disturb her again.
He silently searched the high platforms and, after a moment, pressed a tiny hidden switch to retrieve a scabbard stored beneath.
Walking through the moonlight, he leisurely sat down cross-legged beside Xia Xia.
“Here.”
The girl was startled for a moment, but when she saw the scabbard in Nan Xi’s hand, her eyes instantly lit up.
“Thank you, Master!”
It appeared she really liked the sword.
Nan Xi smiled faintly.
When he had first received his current sword, the expression on his face had probably been just as excited.
Click —
Having finished cleaning the Spirit Sword, Xia Xia slid it smoothly into the scabbard with a crisp click.
Turning her head, the excitement in her eyes remained undiminished.
“Master, Master, can I give it a name?”
“Of course,” Nan Xi said with a casual wave of his hand. “It was originally a nameless Spirit Sword. Now that it belongs to you, you naturally have the right to name it.”
However, naming a Mortal-grade Spirit Sword was a rare occurrence.
For the vast majority of disciples, Mortal-grade swords were consumables. If they broke, one simply went back to the Sword Repository to sign for another.
Only after being promoted to an Inner Sect Disciple and obtaining a higher-quality exclusive Spirit Sword would someone bother naming it.
But since Xia Xia had asked…
“What do you want to call it?”
“Hmm…”
Xia Xia tilted her small head and thought for a long while. Suddenly, her eyes brightened.
“Can I call it Ban Xia?”
‘Ban Xia?’
Nan Xi couldn’t help but chuckle.
‘Is she calling it Ban Xia because the Spirit Sword is worth half of a Xia Xia?’
Looking at the girl who was grinning foolishly while clutching the Spirit Sword, the corners of Nan Xi’s mouth curled into a mischievous smirk.
“Dummy.”
He reached out and lightly flicked the girl’s smooth forehead.
“You are Xia Xia. Half of you should just be called Xia.”
“Eh!?”
Xia Xia clutched her forehead and blinked her eyes cutely.
“That… actually makes sense.”