Chapter 25: Dancing with the Storm

“Hurry up!” Ye Ming urged.
“Those people behind us won’t give up so easily!”
“And this treasure’s energy fluctuations are spreading too far—it could attract even more trouble.”
He hardly needed to remind her; Bai Yue Ning was well aware of their perilous situation.
She channeled her spiritual power to its fullest, unleashing every bit of her sixth stage Qi Refining cultivation, her figure darting and flickering unpredictably.
She deliberately chose areas with complicated terrain, places where it would be easier to hide.
Yet, the “treasure” cradled in her arms was like a beacon drawing pursuit.
Within moments, she felt several powerful auras locking onto her from afar, closing in at even greater speed.
Clearly, Song Kui and his companions had resolved the trouble in the underground chamber or dispatched part of their group to give chase.
“They just won’t let go!” Ye Ming cursed.
“Go into the rocky forest to the left—the sword energy there is chaotic and dense, it’ll disrupt their spiritual sense lock!”
Bai Yue Ning didn’t hesitate, plunging headlong into a stone forest bristling like blades.
Here, the sword energy was indeed wildly disordered, remnants of sword intent from various attributes and ages clashing and tearing at each other, severely interfering with spiritual perception.
Guided by Ye Ming’s extraordinary senses, she slipped through the gaps in the raging sword energy, always evading mortal danger at the very last moment.
Her pursuers slowed, their frustrated shouts and the explosive roar of sword energy echoing behind.
Clearly, someone had triggered dangerous sword intent and suffered for it.
“Just keep them running in circles!” Ye Ming watched with delight.
“Oh, that big fool just hit another stream—his clothes are shredded, ha!”
But Bai Yue Ning had no time for amusement; all her attention was focused on handling the imminent crisis.
The stone forest was far more dangerous than expected; even with Ye Ming’s guidance, she had to give her utmost, her spiritual energy draining rapidly.
But among the pursuers, there were skilled ones.
A fierce aura lingered behind, neither close nor far, gradually adapting to the environment and picking up speed again.
“Tsk, someone’s sticking close. Looks like Song Kui.”
“That one’s got some skill.”
Bai Yue Ning’s gaze grew cold; this couldn’t go on, she’d soon be caught.
Her eyes swept the storm of sword energy around her, a bold idea taking shape.
“Ye Ming, can you find the most chaotic, most unstable eye of the storm nearby?”
“Not to avoid it—but to go straight through!”

“What? Are you mad?” Ye Ming was startled, then understood her intent.
“You want to let the sword energy deal with them? But that’s way too dangerous! One misstep and we’re torn apart first!”
“It's a gamble.” Bai Yue Ning’s tone was resolute.
If Song Kui caught up, the outcome would be grim.
Better to risk everything for a slim chance at survival!
“…Alright!” Ye Ming hesitated only a moment, then focused his mind intensely.
“Front right, about a hundred yards—the energy conflict there is at its fiercest.”
“Be careful, it’s extremely unstable!”
Bai Yue Ning immediately changed direction, heading straight for the area.
The closer she got, the more she felt the destructive power.
Countless remnants of sword energy of differing attributes and ages collided, exploded, and annihilated each other like mad beasts.
A dazzling, deadly storm raged, beautiful yet filled with fatal danger.
Song Kui, still in pursuit, realized her intent. His expression changed and he shouted, “Are you trying to die?”
He dared not charge in as Bai Yue Ning did, slowing his pace.
Bai Yue Ning took a deep breath, merging Ye Ming’s perception with her own spiritual senses.
Instead of retreating, she pressed forward like a moth to flame, plunging into the edge of the sword energy storm.
Immediately, countless streams of violent sword energy attacked from all sides, far more powerful than before.
Bai Yue Ning pushed her movement technique to its limits, her body twisting, turning, and gliding with incredible flexibility and precision.
She no longer resisted directly, but floated like a leaf in a gale, riding the storm’s force and weaving through it.
Sword energy grazed her sleeves, cut a few strands of hair, sliced through her robe.
Yet each time, as it neared a vital spot, she narrowly evaded by the smallest margin.
Her actions seemed perilous to the extreme, as if she would be torn apart the next second, but she always found a thread of life at the most critical moment.
She was dancing on the blade’s edge, a waltz with death.
“Three inches left—duck!”
“There’s a collision above—use the force to slide right!”
“There’s suction in the crack below—don’t step there!”
Ye Ming’s guidance burst forth with unprecedented speed and precision, feeding her real-time updates on the storm’s energy flow.
Their cooperation reached a level of seamless unity in that moment.

Bai Yue Ning executed every instruction flawlessly, her mind intensely focused.
Her spiritual energy was consumed at an unprecedented rate, but under this extreme pressure and her insight into power, it grew more refined.
She actually managed to find a fleeting, ever-shifting “safe” path through the death storm.
Song Kui and the others could only watch helplessly as her figure flickered amid the destructive tempest, unable to cross the threshold.
Someone, unwilling to concede, tried to send a sword beam after her, but the moment it entered the storm, it was shredded and obliterated by countless chaotic streams.
“Madwoman!” Song Kui’s face was livid, cursing through clenched teeth, powerless to act.
Bai Yue Ning used a surge from a violent energy collision to propel herself like an arrow, stumbling out of the storm’s far edge.
Her face was pale, her breath labored, her robe tattered—she looked battered, but her eyes shone brilliantly.
She had succeeded!
Not only had she shaken off her pursuers, but in that brush with death, she gained deeper understanding of her own power and the Way of the Sword.
Looking back, the terrifying storm still raged, completely blocking those who chased her.
“Thrilling, absolutely thrilling!” Ye Ming let out a long breath, trembling with exhilaration and lingering fear.
“You have guts—let’s see how they catch up now!”
Bai Yue Ning calmed her turbulent energy, not daring to pause. She immediately sped off in another direction.
After changing directions several times to ensure she had evaded all possible tracking, she found a hidden crevice among the stones to conceal herself.
She laid a simple concealment barrier, then began breathing heavily.
That brief passage through the storm had cost her more than a fierce battle.
But the rewards were immense.
Her strength and mastery over “power” had become smoother and more instinctive through this extreme ordeal.
She looked down at the items in her arms—the jade bottles and Flameheart Grass were safe and sound.
The scorching energy seemed to have calmed a bit, now that she was far from the Earthfire veins.
Wealth found in peril, dangers everywhere, but in the end she was the one who smiled last.
“Alright, hurry up and recover,” Ye Ming urged.
“And then let’s properly savor that Earthfire Spirit Nectar—I can hardly wait…”