"Ning Beichen!"
At this moment, Luo Yingying could no longer care about anything else and charged towards Ning Beichen as if her life depended on it.
Although she was older than Liu Yilin and the others, her psychological defenses were nowhere near as strong.
The reason was simple: she had lost everything before – her sect, her fellow disciples, her friends – so she was terrified of losing Ning Beichen again.
However, nothing dangerous happened. By the time she reached Ning Beichen, he had pulled her into his arms.
"Silly girl, I'm fine. Don't worry about me. Don't ever do this again."
Ning Beichen held the woman with the incredibly fragile psychological defenses tightly and said with deep affection.
"You bad guy, I thought you were electrocuted."
Luo Yingying wept inconsolably in Ning Beichen's arms, making him comfort her for a long while.
She then recounted what had happened to her to Ning Beichen. After listening, Luo Yingying looked incredulous.
"Ning Beichen, be honest, are you God's illegitimate son? Why do good things always happen to you?"
Luo Yingying said with a tone of envy, jealousy, and hatred.
Ning Beichen was somewhat speechless. Luck was truly hard to explain. He really wanted to say he relied on his own efforts, not luck, but he couldn't bring himself to say it.
Let alone Luo Yingying, even he himself suspected if he was God's illegitimate son.
But since Ning Beichen was safe and even gained benefits, it was a great thing, and Luo Yingying was naturally very happy for him.
The two returned to the aircraft. Ning Beichen then placed the still crackling crystal in his hand into the designated position. Soon after, the aircraft began to glow again.
"Ling, are you awake?"
Ning Beichen asked loudly inside the aircraft.
"Master, I have been reawakened. I presume Master has found the crystal to replenish the aircraft's energy."
Ling reappeared before Ning Beichen, still in her ethereal form.
"Yes, I found the crystal."
Ning Beichen replied.
"Thank you, Master. It is because of Master's efforts that Ling and the aircraft can be used again."
Ling, uncharacteristically, offered words of gratitude to Ning Beichen.
"You're welcome. Since I am now the master of the aircraft, I will take good care of you. By the way, your name is too unpleasant. I will give you a new name. From now on, you will be called Xiao Ling, taking my surname. My name is Ning Beichen, so you shall be Ning Xiaoling, alright?"
Ning Beichen said to her.
"Thank you, Master. I really like this name. From now on, I will be Ning Xiaoling."
Ning Xiaoling smiled happily. She was a spirit of the artifact, and no one had ever treated her like a human, let alone given her a name.
She was called Ling because she was the first-generation spirit of the artifact, named directly as Zero.
"I'm glad you like it. From now on, you can speak to me more casually. There's no need to be so respectful. I prefer everyone to be more relaxed."
Ning Beichen said to her.
"Yes, Master."
Ning Xiaoling said excitedly.
"Right, is the aircraft's energy sufficient now?"
Ning Beichen asked her.
"Please wait a moment, I will check immediately."
Soon, Ning Xiaoling gave Ning Beichen an answer.
"Master, I regret to inform you that the crystal's energy was too little. The aircraft has only replenished less than five percent of its energy, so it is not sufficient to leave this place."
"So, more crystals are needed. Alright, I will look for crystals. By the way, can you detect where there are crystals? I don't want to wander around this godforsaken place like a blind man."
Ning Beichen said.
"Master, the aircraft can detect the presence of crystals within a certain range."
Ning Xiaoling replied.
"Good. I'll pilot the aircraft, and you'll monitor for crystals. If you find any, tell me."
Ning Beichen said to her.
"Okay, Master, I will do my best."
Ning Xiaoling responded.
Compared to her previous self, her interactions with Ning Beichen now held more sentience.
Ning Beichen navigated the aircraft through the vast vortex of lightning. However, unlike before, he no longer felt any fear towards the lightning.
He even wondered in his heart if being struck by lightning had suddenly increased his cultivation. Could this be the legendary tribulation?
But it was nothing like the tribulation he knew. He wasn't struck by lightning; he was being ravaged by it.
"Master, I've detected a crystal."
Just as Ning Beichen was lost in thought, Ning Xiaoling suddenly spoke to him.
"Where is it?"
Ning Beichen immediately snapped back to attention and asked.
"It's not far ahead."
Ning Xiaoling told Ning Beichen the precise location.
Ning Beichen left the aircraft without hesitation and rushed towards the crystal.
Not long after, he returned, with lightning emanating from him, carrying a massive crystal with both hands.
"Anything else?"
Ning Beichen asked Ning Xiaoling again, as if nothing had happened, after putting down the crystal.
"Master, a crystal has been detected about a thousand meters to the left."
Ning Xiaoling replied.
Ning Beichen nodded, piloted the aircraft over, and quickly retrieved that crystal as well.
After that, with Ning Xiaoling guiding him, Ning Beichen went to fetch crystals. In a short period, the aircraft's energy had recovered more than half.
However, the crystals became fewer and farther between, sometimes taking a long time to find even one.
At this point, the aircraft was venturing deeper into the vortex.
Just then, Ning Beichen spotted a broken sword floating in the depths of the vortex.
Ning Beichen picked up the broken sword out of curiosity, and upon seeing it, his expression changed drastically.
Because he recognized it as belonging to his master.
And he had a very vivid memory of this sword.
When he was young, he often saw his master sitting by the riverbank with this sword, and he was forbidden to touch it.
However, Ning Beichen had secretly touched the sword when his master was away, which was why his memory of it was so profound.
Ning Beichen looked at the patterns on the sword, his whole body trembling.
"Ning Beichen, what's wrong? What happened? Don't scare me!"
Luo Yingying, seeing Ning Beichen's lost and bewildered look, rushed over and asked him anxiously.
"This is my master's sword."
Ning Beichen said slowly.
Luo Yingying was stunned for a moment and asked him in disbelief.
"Are you sure it's really your master's sword?"
Ning Beichen looked at the patterns on the broken sword and nodded with absolute certainty.