With a flicker of his brow, Bai Cheng brought the index and middle fingers of both hands tightly together. He casually slashed a few lines in the air before him and roared, "Release!" The bone casket instantly shot upwards, and two bone swords immediately flew out, striking directly toward Ye Xiu.

"So you've evolved the Art of Bone Control into longswords!" Ye Xiu sneered, stepping forward rapidly and brandishing the Tianmiao Sword toward Bai Cheng. But things, of course, would not proceed so smoothly. As Bai Cheng incessantly twisted and rolled to evade Ye Xiu's strikes, he controlled the twin swords to attack Ye Xiu's rear. In this exchange of offense and defense, Ye Xiu clearly felt disadvantaged.

"Release!" At this moment, two more bone swords flew out from the bone casket, rushing toward Ye Xiu. Ye Xiu had initially intended to parry the two swords and find an opening to lunge at Bai Cheng, but he never expected the situation to reverse so drastically. Four bone swords were now attacking him from four cardinal directions in the sky. He immediately realized things were dire, rapidly flipping forward to evade one attack, then bracing himself with one hand on the ground and sweeping sideways to dodge another.

"Die!" Bai Cheng's voice was low, his posture ferocious. He directed the other two swords to stab downwards sharply, aiming straight for Ye Xiu.

Ye Xiu's body had not yet stabilized when the other two bone swords struck simultaneously. Even as he planted his feet and lunged sideways into the air, he couldn't match the speed of the blades. Caught off guard, he was stabbed and sent tumbling to the ground, black blood gushing out.

"Ah, why is his blood black!" The audience, having watched the preceding flurry of action in near silence, finally erupted into gasps and exclamations once Ye Xiu fell injured.

Jia Nan, observing the battlefield coldly, sensed something amiss. He questioned Jia Ye, "Big Brother, would normal blood be black?"

Jia Ye certainly knew Ye Xiu was the Death God, but such a comment would surely incite unrest in Huanggu City. Moreover, having seen Ye Xiu in the Mortal Realm, this Death God seemed oblivious to everything: "The Wujian Realm is vast; there are many strange cultivators you and I have never encountered."

"Exactly, why is Ye Xiu's blood black?" Yun Xin also pulled on Jia Luoluo's arm, seeking an answer.

Jia Luoluo offered a faint smile, "Ye Xiu possesses the strength of the Corpse Demon Forest; it's not surprising for the demonic insects or foxes to have blood like that."

"Bai Cheng's Seven Long Bones Sword truly lives up to its name. This is only the fourth stance, and Ye Xiu already seems unable to cope," Jia Nan clapped his hands in applause. The matter of the black blood would be set aside for now; his subordinate's performance deserved praise.

"Heh, how will you counter this?" Jia Ye was also amazed by Bai Cheng's skill, yet he held boundless hope for Ye Xiu. "Legend says the Seven Long Bones Sword involves one person controlling seven Jade Bone Swords. Although it merely applies the traditional ability of controlling white skeletons to longswords, the variations within it are truly inscrutable."

"It seems Big Brother has also studied the Seven Long Bones Sword?" Jia Luoluo remained relaxed. Ye Xiu was his hidden trump card. Though the situation was unfavorable, he felt no worry because he trusted the power of the Tianmiao Sword and Ye Xiu's combat experience, which even Jiu Lian Sheng couldn't match. It was this ceaseless fighting experience that kept him alive until now.

Jia Ye closed his eyes, a plan forming. "The Seven Long Bones Sword belongs to the masters of swordsmanship in the Wujian Realm. Legend states that Seven Long Bones doesn't simply mean the ability to attack with seven bone swords. When the seven bone swords unite, they can form a whip, create a sword array, separate, combine, break, or stand firm. While I have never witnessed the true Seven Long Bones Sword myself, I know it would be the nightmare of all who encounter it."

Ye Xiu gasped for air as he staggered up. Those two swords had severely wounded his thigh, but these injuries were far from the pain he had endured before. He wiped at the wounds and challenged him, "Guard Captain Bai's ancient swords are indeed full of variations, surprising me greatly, but..."

"Hmph, what more is there to say at this point? Are the swords in your hand merely ornaments?" Bai Cheng recalled the crimson glow of the strike Ye Xiu had unleashed earlier.

"Since that is the case, I request you reveal all your remaining bone swords," Ye Xiu raised the Tianmiao Sword high, activating the Tianmiao Divine Consciousness technique again. That strike was naturally formed, shaking heaven and earth.

Bai Cheng knew the terrifying power of this move and immediately retreated several steps, murmuring a few incantations. Two more bone swords burst from the casket. Now, six bone swords descended from the sky, encircling him, forming an impenetrable shield wall: "White Bone Sword Shield!"

"Clang!" The Tianmiao Divine Consciousness was faster than lightning. As Ye Xiu struck, his phantom already appeared behind Bai Cheng. Unexpectedly, although this strike knocked away the six bone swords, it didn't inflict a single scratch on Bai Cheng.

"So this move is nothing more than that." Bai Cheng raised both hands again, and the six bone swords scattered on the ground flew up once more, circling in front of him. "If you wish to injure me, you must break through this White Bone Sword Shield first!"

Ye Xiu exhaled, momentarily flustered. This White Bone Sword Shield was incredibly solid, capable of blocking even the attack of the Tianmiao Sword. This rendered the Tianmiao Divine Consciousness useless. Growing anxious, he thought of his second move, Tianmiao Falling Shadow. Moving one hand, he sent the Tianmiao Sword soaring into the heavens. Following Jia Luoluo's sword technique, numerous phantom images of himself suddenly materialized across the plaza.

"Whoa!" The cheers and gasps from below shook the heavens. "That guy... what is that..."

"What! Are those illusions?" Jia Nan stood up, steadying himself against the white bone railing, his eyes wide with disbelief. "That person is Ye Xiu, right? What kind of technique is that?"

"Third Brother, look, Ye Xiu he..." Yun Xin supported Jia Luoluo's arm. To her, this level of martial arts was already inconceivable.

Jia Luoluo remained silent, though he was happy for Ye Xiu. He hadn't expected Ye Xiu to grasp the essence of the technique after only demonstrating it once. If Ye Xiu hadn't been deliberately concealing his identity as the Death God, the effect of this move would have been even more extraordinary. Death Gods were truly battle machines.

"What a swordsman... person!" Jia Ye clenched his fists. Though he knew Ye Xiu was the Death God, such swordsmanship ignited a fervor within him. If possible, he wished to duel Ye Xiu once.

"Go! See that? Did you see it?" Qi'er watched Ye Xiu deploy his ultimate move and pulled Abi, cheering wildly. "I told you I believed in him! This guy is incredibly strong."

Abi smiled faintly, her worry noticeably easing. She thought it must have been presumptuous of her to challenge Ye Xiu so often before; with his cultivation level, even the Demon Queen would probably show him some deference.

In the arena, Bai Cheng was not as shocked as the common folk. He revealed his final sword, incorporating it into the sword shield. The sword formation moved at high speed, leaving no opening: "No matter how flashy the sword move, what good is it if it cannot injure me!"

"Ah!" Hidden within the afterimages, Ye Xiu had already clearly discerned the movement patterns of the seven circling swords. He suddenly lunged forward, thrusting his sword in an attempt to strike Bai Cheng's abdomen. Unexpectedly, just as the Tianmiao was about to touch Bai Cheng, the flying seven swords seemed to gain eyes, instantly changing direction to block his attack.

"Clang, crash..." A sudden burst of explosions flashed across the arena. In an instant, Bai Cheng laughed wildly and roared, "Finally found you!" The seven swords then began wildly assaulting everything within the area, using the point where they had just blocked the Tianmiao attack as the center, with the length of one sword as the radius.

"Clang, clang, clang..." Sensing the danger, Ye Xiu retracted the Tianmiao and brandished it frantically in front of him, parrying numerous attacks. However, the speed of the seven swords was no less than the Tianmiao in his hand. Due to his momentary carelessness, he hadn't prepared his defense. Where the sword light flashed, countless droplets of blood were scattered.

"This still can't break the Seven Long Bones Sword?" Jiu Lian Sheng, hiding in the loft, continued to drink his wine, worried about Ye Xiu's safety.

Ye Xiu was relentlessly encircled by the seven swords, moving from the sky to the ground, and then around the four sides of the plaza. He finally managed to catch a breath. Although he hadn't sustained any fatal injuries, his entire body was crisscrossed with deep lacerations from the seven blades: "Hoo... ha..."

"Brother Ye, how do you find the taste of my seven swords!" Bai Cheng continued to control the seven swords with his hands, looking down at Ye Xiu arrogantly. At this moment, the seven swords had aligned into a single line, looking like a restless venomous snake poised in the air, staring down at Ye Xiu. "If you don't show some real strength soon, I'm afraid you will die by my hand."

Ye Xiu calmed his breath and rose coldly. With the Tianmiao Sword in hand, he combined his two sword techniques and soared into the sky: "I don't believe I can't break your sword array!"

Bai Cheng knew Ye Xiu was provoking him, and he had no need to hold back his true strength. He danced wildly, constantly changing his hand signs, flicking his fingertips as he roared. The snake formed by the bone swords also surged upward without mercy.

"Is this some kind of One-Character Long Serpent Array?" Ye Xiu tilted his head back slightly, somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected anyone to control seven swords with such precision. He let out a breath, positioning the Tianmiao Sword before his chest, and once again conjured countless afterimages.

"..." Bai Cheng didn't know the specifics of Ye Xiu's moves; he only knew that when the seven swords appeared, blood must be drawn. What surprised him was that Ye Xiu's target was not him, but the seven swords directly overhead.

"Clang!" With a deafening sound, Ye Xiu's true form appeared among the seven swords, engaging them in rapid clashing. His figure darted like a shuttle, revolving with the seven swords in the sky. Occasionally, he found an opportunity to sever a blade, only to be swept away by a powerful swing of the tail behind it, dissolving into a puff of smoke—it seemed only one among the many afterimages was real.

"Always dodging, what's the point? Can you win like this!" Bai Cheng danced alone on the platform, like a performer whose seven swords were his best dance partners.

"Falling Shadow Divine Consciousness!" Ye Xiu roared from mid-air. The numerous residual shadows that had been suspended in the air all surged toward Bai Cheng. This strike, merging two sword techniques, descended with such power that the entire ground trembled—it was overwhelmingly magnificent.