Chapter 30: The Journey Home from the Valley

The fifth day had arrived, and as expected, the tide of baleful energy swept through the Abyss of Sinking Swords. It was not a true tide, but rather the periodic eruption of chaotic sword intent and accumulated malevolent force within the valley at a specific hour. The gray mist thickened, visibility shrank rapidly, and the air was filled with a piercing, maddening hum and an intangible sense of being sliced.

Ordinary cultivators would choose to hide at such a time; to face it head-on was sheer folly. Yet this natural peril became the perfect cover for Bai Yue’ning’s return.

Her figure darted through the ever-thickening fog and malice, her steps precise and swift. Since advancing to the peak of the sixth level, her perception and adaptability to the environment had grown far beyond her former self; she could always find the pockets of relatively calm airflow a half-step ahead of danger.

The longsword in her hand, though wrapped in gray cloth, exuded a subtle but dense aura, parting the encroaching sword malice and lightening the pressure upon her.

“This accursed place—at last, we’re leaving,” came Ye Ming’s voice, tinged with relief and greater anticipation. “We’ve eaten well, but the atmosphere here is absolutely revolting. Let’s hurry back and find somewhere safe to digest it all.”

Ye Ming’s tone was lighthearted. Clearly, after his power had surged, he no longer cared much for the dangers of the valley.

Bai Yue’ning, however, dared not grow complacent. The closer she drew to the mouth of the valley, the greater the chance of encountering other cultivators. The spying outside the stone cave still lingered in her mind; she needed to be all the more cautious. Amid the tide of malice, sight was hindered and spiritual senses dulled, making it the perfect stage for shadowy maneuvers.

Ahead, from a forest of strange rocks, faint ripples of spiritual power and low, urgent shouts could be heard—evidently, cultivators were clashing.

Bai Yue’ning instantly halted, slipping quietly to the side, unwilling to be drawn into trouble.

“Left, take the long way around,” Ye Ming advised. “There’s more than one group, and the fighting is fierce. Nothing but dogs biting dogs—hardly worth our time.”

But just as she was about to skirt the area, a disheveled figure staggered from the mist, nearly colliding with her.

His clothes were torn, blood stained the corner of his mouth, and he clutched a withered spirit herb in his hand, panic etched across his face. Upon seeing Bai Yue’ning, he started in alarm. But when he realized she was alone and apparently not powerful, a flash of malice and greed lit his eyes. Without hesitation, he lunged for her, clearly intending to rob her or use her as bait to distract his pursuers.

Bai Yue’ning’s gaze turned cold; she was about to strike.

But someone was faster.

Almost the instant the man reached out, before Bai Yue’ning could so much as think to move, the longsword in her hand gave a slight tremor!

A thin but unyielding invisible barrier formed instantly before her.

The man’s hand struck the barrier with force, but far from budging it, a surge of rebound energy flung him back. His entire arm went numb, and shock and fear filled his face. He could not fathom how she had struck so quickly.

“Where’d this blind fool come from, thinking he can lay a hand on us?” Ye Ming’s voice dripped with disdain. “Perfect—let’s test the sword on you!”

Sensing Ye Ming’s eagerness, Bai Yue’ning did nothing to restrain him. With a flick of her wrist, the longsword, still shrouded in gray cloth, darted with uncanny swiftness toward the man’s exposed chest.

The attack was not the fastest, but the angle was cunning and carried a unique, heavy force.

The cultivator hastily summoned his defensive aura. Yet as the sword’s tip touched his barrier, it sliced through as if it were mere paper!

The weight of the blade crashed into his chest; he grunted, then flew back like a severed kite, slamming into a rock with a dull thud before falling unconscious, the spirit herb tumbling from his grasp.

Bai Yue’ning did not spare the herb a glance. Without pausing, she sped away, vanishing into the dense fog.

“Weak as ever,” Ye Ming remarked with smug satisfaction. “It feels like I barely used any strength before he fell. This new body is marvelous!”

Bai Yue’ning ran a hand along the sword’s length, her heart stirring. Ye Ming’s power after his breakthrough had far exceeded her expectations. In that strike, she had used almost no spiritual energy—merely the sword’s own sharpness and heft—yet she had effortlessly defeated a mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator.

And this was only a preliminary test.

Her journey home continued. The nearer she drew to the valley’s mouth, the more cultivators she encountered. Most hurried along, bearing wounds and fatigue, though a few wore looks of joy, clearly having profited well. All were wary, eyeing one another but not daring to provoke a conflict.

Bai Yue’ning kept a low profile, her aura masked at a modest sixth level—neither high nor low, unremarkable. The sword on her back, swathed in gray, looked utterly ordinary.

But to the observant, she was anything but.

The exit was in sight now: a warped portal of light standing amid the gloom, the sole path out.

Just then, from a nearby cliff, three unfriendly gazes locked onto her solitary figure heading for the portal.

The leader’s eyes flickered with resentment and greed. He murmured to his two companions, who nodded and grinned menacingly.

The trio moved like shadows, silently encircling Bai Yue’ning—their intent unmistakable.

Perhaps they thought her alone and weak, easy prey for a final extortion or plundering of her spoils.

Bai Yue’ning did not break stride, feigning ignorance.

“Look at that—a sandbag delivered to the door,” Ye Ming chuckled, more amused than alarmed. “I didn’t get my fill earlier!”

“The one on the left has a weak stance, the one on the right’s breath is unsteady, and the one in the middle looks like he’s wasting away. All easy targets.”

The three drew close, spiritual energy already surging. But just as they were about to strike, Bai Yue’ning suddenly looked up, her gaze sweeping over them.

At that moment, the gray cloth around her sword stirred as if caught by an invisible wind. A blade intent of overwhelming sharpness erupted, unrestrained.

The aura she exuded was utterly beyond any ordinary sixth-level Qi Refiner, and it carried a suffocating pressure.

The faces of the trio changed instantly. Their charge faltered, their eyes filled with shock and disbelief.

They felt as though they were about to collide with a peerless, unsheathed blade, not a mere outer-sect girl they could toy with.

The leader’s scalp tingled—he knew he had messed with the wrong person.

The three exchanged glances, dared not make a move, and retreated hurriedly, faces pale, ceding the path, fear and uncertainty in their eyes.

Bai Yue’ning did not spare them a glance. Calm and indifferent, she strode steadily forward and passed through the twisted portal of light.

The instant her figure vanished, the chilling sword aura vanished as well, as though it had never existed.

Only the three by the valley mouth were left, exchanging glances, sweat beading on their foreheads, hearts pounding in fear.

Beyond the portal, daylight broke suddenly.

The oppressive air of the Abyss of Sinking Swords vanished, replaced by the crisp spiritual energy unique to the sect’s mountains.

Bai Yue’ning narrowed her eyes, adjusting to the outside light.

Behind her, the secret realm’s entrance still shimmered and twisted; before her, the familiar scenery of the sect greeted her.

The trial within the valley was officially over.

She emerged with rich gains, her level firmly anchored at the peak of the sixth stage.

Ye Ming, meanwhile, had been utterly transformed—his strength now beyond compare.