The wind and rain from last night were utterly incapable of quelling the fervor at the Soldier-Forging Platform; the broken steps of the plaza had barely been mended before the flames of battle were relit today.

Directly beneath the Celestial Ladder Pavilion, the battlefield of the Celestial Gate remained ablaze. Jiu Liansheng stood drinking, dressed lightly in white, his unbound white hair flowing in the gentle breeze, revealing an expression of relaxed ease.

"Heh, why is this fellow so dedicated to his liquor?" Ye Xiu stood atop the Celestial Ladder Pavilion, feeling, from his elevated position, that all mortals were but ants.

Jia Ye also expressed admiration for such grand spirit: "Everything in this world is taxing; a pot of wine is the only true release. Does the Third Brother know the origins of this Jiu Liansheng?"

Jia Loulu shook his head and shot Ye Xiu a knowing glance. "I don't know much about this eccentric either. From the looks of it before, he seems to have mastered Bone Control techniques. But where is Second Brother? Why don't we see him?"

"The city has been in chaos these past few days; he's out patrolling with the guards," Jia Ye said, highly confident in his brother’s efficiency, though he still felt Jia Nan was acting rashly.

Ye Xiu certainly understood Jia Loulu's meaning; Jiu Liansheng was one of the trump cards he had kept hidden for many years.

"Hush..." Yellow sand fell like raindrops, accumulating on the ground until it solidified into sharp, long blades that rushed forward. Yan Shangcheng's figure suddenly appeared, charging toward Jiu Liansheng alongside the blades with a fierce cry: "Die!"

"Chh..." Jiu Liansheng tossed his wine flask and slid to his knees to dodge a sweeping horizontal strike. As he turned, he summoned a giant skeletal behemoth that struck Yan Shangcheng in the abdomen, hurling his entire body into the air.

Yan Shangcheng’s expression was grim, betraying no emotion. His long saber dissolved into flowing sand, which settled near Jiu Liansheng. The sand churned, forming a hunter's trap that snapped shut toward Jiu Liansheng’s legs.

"Clang!" Jiu Liansheng blocked at his feet with a bone shield, then leaped upward into the clear air. Crossing his arms, he unleashed several bone throwing knives. "Is that all you have?"

Yan Shangcheng obviously had more than one move, but he wasn't foolish enough to use his Bone Sword at this juncture. He twisted the hilt of his saber, causing the surrounding wind and sand to spiral down like two fluttering ribbons, tightly binding Jiu Liansheng in their midst.

Jiu Liansheng was a master of the typical Bone Control technique, but his most prized skill was the Bone Sword. His Heavenly Bone Sword Art was derived from Jia Loulu, but due to the nature of fighting an assassin, he found it inconvenient to use that move. Thus, both men sparred back and forth, unable to escalate to their ultimate confrontation techniques.

Jia Ye found the two men's sparring rather dull. He turned to Ye Xiu and smiled. "Ye Xiu, do you know that winning the Celestial Gate battlefield contest grants more than just a treasured sword?"

Ye Xiu was lost in watching the fight; had Jia Loulu not pulled him aside, he would have missed Jia Ye’s words entirely. "Can one also attain the status of the Desolate Bone City royalty?"

"That is only one aspect; there is a second," Jia Ye said, glancing at his younger sister, Yun Xin, whose cheeks were already slightly flushed. By her own standards, she was quite satisfied with Ye Xiu.

Jia Loulu added with good humor, "If you marry the little sister Yun Xin, you naturally marry into the Desolate Bone City royalty. What do you think, Brother Ye?"

"As a sword practitioner, entering the royal family grants the right to learn the Heavenly Bone Sword Art," Jia Ye affirmed loudly, believing this aspect held far greater allure for Ye Xiu.

Ye Xiu’s mind was preoccupied with the great matters of the Death Kingdom and the Chaotic Realm, so he naturally paid no mind to romantic entanglement. Seeing that little sister Yun Xin held favorable feelings for him, he replied delicately, "The victor is not yet decided, how can we rashly speculate? I must first appreciate the kindness of the Sect Masters."

"Hmph..." Hearing Ye Xiu’s remark, Jia Yun Xin let out a small huff and turned her head away.

"Boom-thud..." Suddenly, a tremendous sound echoed, followed by billowing smoke and swirling sand across the Celestial Gate battlefield. When the dust settled, only Jiu Liansheng remained standing on the plaza.

"Eh! What happened?" Amazed shouts rose from the audience outside. Because yesterday's battle had been so fierce, the outer perimeter of the spectators was guarded by the Bone Control guards of Desolate Bone City, ready to form bone shields to deflect sword light if necessary. "Where is that fellow in blue?"

"What just occurred?" Even Ye Xiu was stunned. On the entire Celestial Gate battlefield, nothing remained save for Jiu Liansheng. Even the initial scattered sand had vanished. "Did Jiu Liansheng kill Yan Shangcheng just like that?"

"Impossible!" Jia Ye, who had been engrossed in conversation with Ye Xiu, hadn't even noticed the change in the scene. He commanded one of his nearby attendants to confirm the situation below.

Jiu Liansheng was still slightly drunk. He explained that in the last clash—one palm strike against one blade—he had used his wine flask, heated to ignition, to create the massive plume of smoke: "Yan Shangcheng fled!"

"What... he fled!" The attendant who returned with the news treated it as dreadful tidings. They summoned nearby cultivators to verify, and eventually, everyone agreed on the same conclusion.

"Jiu Liansheng wins the Celestial Gate Battlefield!" As the official announced the result, he cautiously glanced toward the arena. Only after confirming Yan Shangcheng's absence did he raise his hand.

Ye Xiu looked at Jia Loulu, genuinely surprised by the outcome. According to their arrangements, control of the Celestial Gate should have been firmly in Jia Loulu’s hands. This had all concluded far too easily.

"Preposterous..." Jia Ye was intensely dissatisfied with the result. His face darkened, and he dramatically swept his robes as he exited the Celestial Ladder Pavilion. "This competition has run for so many years, and something like this happens!"

Leaning on the railing, Ye Xiu watched Jiu Liansheng from a distance. Based on their recent exchange, both fighters had held back, appearing evenly matched. How could the situation change so abruptly? There must be a conspiracy at play!

...

At the celebratory banquet held that evening for the victors, only Jia Loulu was present. Both of his main assets were engaged in the final contest for the Celestial Gate. Meanwhile, the contest for the Heaven’s Punishment Unbowed involved the Sunblind Clan and the Demon Peak Sect, while the struggle for the Flame-Controlling Heavenly Key continued between a Daoist and a Bone Collector.

Ye Xiu approached Jiu Liansheng with a smiling face, holding his wine cup. "I hadn't realized your strength was so great; you settled the entire affair quite effortlessly."

"That fellow's capability should be above mine." Jiu Liansheng took a small sip, uneasy about this victory he seemed to have stumbled into. "Yan Shangcheng's blade techniques changed rapidly; that's merely about cultivation, but there was something else that truly astonished me."

"You mean him running away?" Ye Xiu teased, throwing his hands up.

Jiu Liansheng pursed his lips seriously. "After trading a few blows with that guy, I felt his speed and strength increased continuously. The longer the fight lasted, the lower my chances of winning became—at least, that’s how it felt to me."

Hearing this, Ye Xiu felt a flicker of confusion himself. As the sky once again dimmed, a sense of unease settled in his heart. "The night sky is quite fine tonight, but the series of assassination attempts has made me uneasy. I need to go check on my fox spirit friends."

"I fear it’s dangerous for you to go out right now," Jiu Liansheng pointed out reasonably. "Those assassins are clearly trying to frame the Great Sect Master. We can safely assume they are the same group who tried to kill him last time. What if you run into them alone? Perhaps I should accompany you."

Ye Xiu glanced back at the Third Sect Master, who was heavily engaged in drinking by himself. "You still need to look after the Third Sect Master. I'll be absolutely fine alone. Besides, if I could handle someone like Bai Cheng, do you think I’d fear those assassins?"

"That's true. Be careful then," Jiu Liansheng replied. He was undeniably a loyal retainer whose first priority was Jia Loulu's safety. He bowed to Ye Xiu, not forgetting to tease, "I’ll be waiting to knock you down tomorrow, kid."

"You're asking for your own doom!" Ye Xiu chuckled lightly and walked out of the main hall alone. The night enveloped the Celestial Ladder Pavilion, yet it brought only a sense of disquiet.

"Sister, do you think Ye Xiu can win tomorrow? That Jiu Liansheng doesn't look that formidable," Qi’er asked, resting her chin on the table, looking at A’Bi with confusion. She viewed A’Bi as an older sister, feeling no master-servant distance between them.

A’Bi had removed her green outer robe; beneath the sheer gauze was her graceful, supple figure. She stroked Qi’er’s hair. "Don't worry. I believe Hall Master Ye's strength already surpasses everyone present. The Celestial Gate will certainly be his prize."

Qi’er nodded earnestly, occasionally making funny faces at A’Bi. "I remember when A’Bi Sister first met Ye Xiu, didn't you dislike him?"

"Of course. A cold and mysterious fellow trying to get close to the Demon Queen—as her guard, I naturally had to be wary," A’Bi stated the truth, though she felt a little regret thinking about it now. "Now that I look at it, this fellow isn't so stiff and heartless; sometimes, he even has a bit of dry humor."

Qi’er noticed the gentle tone in A’Bi's voice when she mentioned Ye Xiu and teased her. "Haha, so that means Sister A’Bi likes Ye Xiu too."

"You silly girl, what do you know?" A’Bi vigorously ruffled Qi’er’s hair, then somewhat self-consciously turned her head toward the bed. "Go to sleep early. We need to see tomorrow if that guy really has what it takes."

"Yes! I understand!" Qi’er deliberately misbehaved and shouted, "Why do I feel like Sister A’Bi is getting shy!"

"You..."

"CRASH!" Suddenly, the wooden wall of the adjoining room collapsed. The Fox Palace attendants residing there all spilled out, covered in blood, their deaths gruesome and absolute.

"Qi’er, hide over here!" A’Bi flew forward, pushing Qi’er behind her. She summoned her whip, batting away flying debris, while behind the ruined wall stood a masked figure in purple, gazing coldly. "Who are you?"

"I am sent by Great Sect Master Jia Ye to kill you," the figure revealed—it was Yan Shangcheng. He tossed Jia Ye's golden token aside without hesitation, proceeding with his revenge. "After searching for so long, I finally found the people of the Fox Palace. All of you must die!"

"Dream on!" A’Bi lashed out with her whip, aiming straight for Yan Shangcheng. However, the whip was caught firmly in Yan Shangcheng’s hand, and no matter how hard she pulled, she could not free it. "Ah..."

"Heavenly Bone Sword Art!" Yan Shangcheng made no move to use his saber; instead, he unleashed his signature sword art from the start. Instantly, a luminous bone sword transformed into a massive projection and charged toward A’Bi.

A’Bi panicked, dropped her whip, and rolled away repeatedly. But her speed was too slow. As the bone sword struck, it pierced her right side, pinning her against the back wall.

"Sister A’Bi!" Qi’er shot out needles toward Yan Shangcheng, but these were too easy for him to evade. She rushed to A’Bi’s side, watching the blood flowing from the wound soak through her entire garment. "Sister A’Bi, Sister A’Bi!"

"Using a long whip, was it?" Yan Shangcheng gave a single shake of his hand, taking A’Bi’s whip. He looked at the dying woman before him and ruthlessly lashed out once more, stripping the clothing from A’Bi's left upper torso.