Chapter 7: Preparations Before Entering the Valley

“At last, we’re out. That Uncle Li’s gaze was as sharp as a blade—it made my whole body uneasy,” Ye Ming’s voice drifted over, carrying a note of relief.

“But we managed to muddle through, and got a spot for free, didn’t we?”

“What’s the story behind the Sword-Sinking Valley, anyway? Sounds like a rubbish heap, but the rewards are pretty generous.”

“We’ll talk when we’re back,” Bai Yue-ning replied, quickening her pace.

Once they returned to the wooden hut and set up the wards anew, Bai Yue-ning released a long breath, placing her sword and token on the table.

The immediate threat had eased, yet Uncle Li’s final, meaningful gaze and the sudden ‘reward’ left her unsettled.

“Now we can talk, right? About the Sword-Sinking Valley?” Ye Ming pressed.

Bai Yue-ning gathered her thoughts, speaking slowly. “Sword-Sinking Valley is a trial ground of the sect, said to be a corner of an ancient battlefield.”

“Beneath it lie countless broken swords and shattered weapons. Sword-qi lingers through the ages, forming a unique domain.”

“The valley is divided into three zones: Alpha, Beta, Gamma. The Beta zone is the core.”

“It’s far more perilous than the outer areas, but it breeds rare spiritual materials and perhaps even insights left behind by predecessors.”

“An ancient battlefield? Broken swords and weapons?”

“That means there’re lots of materials for sword repair?” Ye Ming’s excitement was instantaneous, his focus ever so direct.

“Perhaps, but it’s more dangerous,” Bai Yue-ning frowned. “Sword-qi there is chaotic, often forming sword storms. One careless step, and a disciple in the Qi Refining stage could be wounded by sword-qi, damaging their foundation.”

“Moreover, various sword-qi-nurtured spirit creatures dwell there, notoriously troublesome.”

“Risk and reward, got it,” Ye Ming said, unconcerned. “With me here, I can sense the sword-qi flow for you, dodge the storm eyes without much trouble.”

“Spirit creatures? Wonder how they compare to that unicorn…”

His confidence bordered on blind, but it oddly dispelled some of Bai Yue-ning’s unease.

This sword spirit was unreliable, but its ability to sense danger and seek out ‘essence’ was genuine.

“The urgent task is to prepare thoroughly,” Bai Yue-ning suppressed stray thoughts and began inventorying her possessions.

She had just received ninety-two contribution points in her identity jade token, plus thirty-seven carefully saved, totaling one hundred twenty-nine points.

That was everything she had.

She took pen and paper, quickly listing her needs.

“Healing pills must be replenished—last mission used them all. Two miasma warding talismans, since the valley’s depths are rife with toxic miasma.”

“A movement talisman for escape, just in case… And I need a spare iron sword for appearances. Can’t keep wrapping you in cloth forever.”

She wrote and calculated softly, her brows knitting tighter.

Everything required contribution points, and her savings were stretched thin.

“A spare sword? Wasteful! Isn’t having me enough?” Ye Ming grumbled.

“Stand out in a forest and the wind will break you. Do you want everyone to notice there’s something odd about you?”

“A low-grade steel sword suddenly ‘restored’ to perfection would attract too much attention.”

Ye Ming fell silent, conceding the point.

“Still, get more healing and energy-restoring pills,” he suggested for once. “Your cultivation’s too low—I don’t want you running out of spiritual power mid-fight and dragging me down.”

Bai Yue-ning paused. The words were harsh but true.

At the fifth layer of Qi Refining, even with the sword spirit’s boost, her spiritual power couldn’t withstand prolonged consumption.

She settled on her shopping plan:

One bottle each of Restoration, Replenishing, and Harmonizing Pills; two miasma warding talismans; one movement talisman; and the most ordinary standard steel sword.

Her contribution points were nearly exhausted.

She stood, admonishing again, “I’ll be right back. Stay put, not a trace of your presence is to leak.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m not stupid,” Ye Ming replied lazily. “Hurry up and save some points—maybe scrape together enough to buy something tasty… I mean, something nutritious for you.”

Bai Yue-ning ignored him, stuffing the gray cloth bundle deep under the bed before heading out.

The outer market was still bustling.

Bai Yue-ning kept her eyes ahead, heading straight for the Merit Hall’s side chamber. She exchanged everything on her list efficiently.

The exchange went smoothly; the attendant gave her a couple of curious glances for her Sword-Sinking Valley token but asked no questions.

Back in the hut, Bai Yue-ning inspected the new sword.

It was ordinary, almost identical to her previous one, but without the countless cracks.

“Ugh, ugly and devoid of spirit,” Ye Ming commented.

“That’s exactly what I need,” Bai Yue-ning replied, placing the new sword in plain sight and carefully stowing away the pills and talismans.

Most preparations were done, but her mind was still unsettled.

She sat on the couch, picking up the Beta token and rubbing it thoughtfully.

The token was cool to the touch, its ancient script faintly pulsing with a trace of sword-qi.

Why was the sect so generous?

Was it just for slaying a second-tier beast?

Or was it about that ‘Ancient Spirit Cultivation Method’? Uncle Li hadn’t truly believed her, perhaps he was simply testing her?

“What’s the point in overthinking? Take things as they come.”

“For now, the benefits are real. Get into the valley, grab what you can. With me backing you, what’s there to fear?”

Ye Ming’s thinking was always simple and profit-driven.

Bai Yue-ning glanced at the bed’s underside.

This sword spirit was strange in origin and annoyingly talkative, but for now, their interests were aligned.

He needed ‘essence’ to restore and strengthen himself, and for that, Bai Yue-ning had to survive and grow stronger, to gather more resources.

Such a binding was, in its way, more trustworthy than human hearts.

The next two days, Bai Yue-ning didn’t leave her hut.

She took Harmonizing Pills, meditating patiently to reach peak condition.

Spiritual power flowed gently through her meridians; the bottleneck of the fifth Qi Refining layer seemed just a shade thinner.

She practiced basic sword techniques repeatedly, getting used to the feel of her new sword.

She deliberately mimicked the sluggishness of her old ‘broken sword’ to avoid suspicion.

Ye Ming was mostly quiet, only occasionally critiquing her sword moves with feigned expertise.

“That move’s too forceful—pull back a little, leave room for a follow-up.”

“Your footwork’s heavy, lighten up. Are you chopping wood?”

“Ugh, this new sword is awkward everywhere. My real body is still the best…”

Sometimes Bai Yue-ning would adjust as he advised, but mostly she ignored his chatter.

On the third morning, before dawn,

Bai Yue-ning finished her meditation, opening her eyes with concealed brilliance.

She packed the pills and talismans close, slung the newly forged steel sword across her back.

At last, she drew out the gray cloth bundle from beneath the bed, carefully unwrapping it.

The sword emerged, its gentle blue light subdued. The dark blue pattern along its spine was clearer now, warm to the touch.

“Ah, finally! Stifling in there. Much better outside—take me with you!”

Bai Yue-ning gazed at the sword for a moment, then took out a brand-new gray tassel, tying it carefully to the hilt, replacing the coarse hemp rope.

“Mm, that’s better—much nicer than that filthy rag.”

Next, she wrapped the blade in clean gray cloth again, leaving only the hilt exposed.

The fresh tassel hung down, swaying gently as she moved.

She strapped this ‘gray cloth sword’ to her back, alongside the new sword.

Opening the door, the morning mist still lingered, mountain air cool.

Bai Yue-ning gave the humble hut one last look, then turned and strode toward the Sword-Sinking Valley in the rear mountains.