"If that is the case, then there is nothing more to say; let our swords speak!" The other man raised his blade and lunged forward.

This was the first time Ye Xiu had encountered someone from the Ghost Valley whom he did not recognize; or perhaps there were aspects of the Ghost Valley he remained ignorant of. He had no desire to make enemies of them in this canyon and quickly turned, darting toward the rocky edge, hoping to draw some of them away.

The sounds of battle roared through the canyon floor, while above, Ye Xiu coldly faced the two swordsmen, his own blade raised.

"Since we are all from the Ghost Valley, why the insistence on pressing the attack?" Ye Xiu genuinely wondered why his fellow sect members were so prone to turning upon one another.

The young man in white robes chuckled, "Since we are all assassins, naturally, the only way to settle this is with our lives."

"The Ghost Valley is a place that cultivates assassins?" Ye Xiu suddenly recalled the Ghost Valley Shura Courtyard, which was supposed to be a place utterly detached from worldly strife. Its disciples prioritized inner peace and quiet cultivation; apart from the current Ying Bu, which disciple focused their training primarily on lethal techniques?

"Oh, are you truly ignorant, or merely pretending confusion because the brink of death has stunned you?" The young man in green shook the sword in his hand before Ye Xiu. "As a member of the Ghost Valley, have you never learned the final lesson of the sect: the cruel Trial of Life and Death?"

Hearing this, Ye Xiu showed no reaction whatsoever. He was already the sect master, mastering the four ultimate skills of the Ghost Valley, yet he had never heard of a 'Trial of Life and Death.' What place were these people speaking of when they referred to the Ghost Valley?

"Junior Brother, there's no need to waste breath on a dead man," the young man in white licked his lips and raised his sword again.

"Kill!" As the young man in green shouted, he leaped onto the shoulders of the one in white. With a sharp exchange of intent, the two men charged Ye Xiu.

Ye Xiu knew this was a recognized assassination maneuver, but it was the first time he had encountered an attack where two opponents struck simultaneously from above and below with their swords. He retreated with nimble footwork, constantly searching for an opening.

The two, White and Green, assumed Ye Xiu was hesitating out of fear. They immediately unleashed the same move they had used earlier against Xiang Yu. At this moment, both leaped into the air. The lower swordsman in white slightly raised his blade before bringing it down heavily. Ye Xiu countered, using the Starlight Descent stance from the Mohist Sword Style, intending to parry the strike. He hadn't expected the junior swordsman in white to be so difficult to deal with. Just as Ye Xiu executed his sword path, the white-robed man's slash transformed into a swirling, encompassing torrent of sword energy—a deadly sweep. Ye Xiu fought and retreated, his rotational steps and blade work reaching peak coordination, completely unhindered by the attack from the swordsman in white.

"Sun Sinking Low!" At that instant, the one in green dropped from the heights like a meteor, channeling his strength through both hands, turning his thrust into a chopping strike aimed directly at Ye Xiu’s head. "Die!"

Ye Xiu had just witnessed the power of such an attack; even the naturally strong Xiang Yu couldn't fully withstand it. Naturally, he would not foolishly try to block such a strike head-on. In a burst of inspiration, he recalled the final sword technique Mo Yi had used: Crimson Maple Leaves Fall. He swung the sword in his hand with all his might. This sheer force, combined with Ye Xiu's current power level, sent Tianyi flying backward violently. But Ye Xiu didn't stop there; he darted forward like an arrow, gripping Tianyi once more, and launched himself into the air, soaring with the momentum of the sword.

"Whoosh..." The spot where the green-robed man’s sword struck the ground instantly unleashed a chaotic storm of wind and massive stones. Had Ye Xiu not swept past at such speed, the outcome would have been dire.

"Ah?" The two men, White and Green, gasped in astonishment that their ultimate move had failed to eliminate the target. However, being experienced assassins, they quickly calmed down, controlling their ragged breaths within moments.

Ye Xiu stopped his sword amidst the oncoming spray of sand and stone. He felt a surge of confidence, reflecting on the power he had absorbed from Mo Yi and the Tianyi sword. He proudly raised his blade and unleashed the Flowing Water Sword Float, scattering the dust and grit. "How about that? Your ultimate move was useless against me. Have you considered surrendering?"

"Hmph! If we die today because our skill is inferior, so be it." The one in white possessed a certain backbone. He glanced at the one in green and roared, "Junior Brother, let's go."

"Alright." The one in green seemed less assured now, but trusting his senior brother, he once again leaped onto the white-robed man's shoulders, repeating the tactic to charge Ye Xiu.

How could the same move work against a Saint of War? Ye Xiu boredly spat, silently mocking these incompetent assassins once more.

This time, the speed of their approach was indeed accelerated. In an instant, they crossed the expanse of yellow sand and arrived before Ye Xiu. Ye Xiu had long been prepared. He held his sword reversed, squatting low. The very moment the white-robed man hoisted the green-robed one up, Ye Xiu seized the opportunity, planting his foot firmly on the white-robed man's other shoulder and leaping into the mid-air alongside them.

The man in white hadn't anticipated Ye Xiu would use such a tactic. By leveraging Ye Xiu’s foot on his shoulder, he was completely thrown beneath the opponent. What shocked the man in green even more was that Ye Xiu's jumping ability was clearly superior. Both had launched from a shoulder-height position, yet Ye Xiu had already soared above his head. The man in green couldn't simply wait to die; he raised his sword to stab at Ye Xiu’s lower body. Unforeseen, however, was that Ye Xiu was directly above him, yet the tip of the sword was right before his eyes. Ye Xiu swiftly flicked his right wrist, and the reversed grip on his sword naturally deflected the green-robed man’s blade. As the two simultaneously landed, Ye Xiu’s sword was already pressed against the throat of the one in green.

"Ah!" The man in green was firmly controlled by Ye Xiu, fear instantly blooming in his heart, his face turning ashen.

"Junior Brother! You..." The man in white could do nothing but watch Ye Xiu with intense fury.

Ye Xiu looked up and smiled triumphantly at the captive, "Well, assassin, do you wish to die or live?"

The man in green was young and inherently fearful of death. Hearing Ye Xiu’s threat, he immediately thought of pleading, "Hero, spare me! We are all from the Ghost Valley, I beg you..."

"Junior Brother." The man in white was naturally fierce, but his bond with his junior brother was deep. He couldn't help but plead with Ye Xiu as well, "Esteemed hero, I implore you..."

"No matter!" Ye Xiu interrupted them with a grand gesture. He traced his sword lightly across the white-robed man's neck and chuckled, "Relax, I bear you no ill will. I only wish to know about the Ghost Valley. Answer well, and I will let you both go."

"Yes, yes, we will tell you everything." The man in green was terrified; as long as his life was spared, he would accept any condition.

Ye Xiu nodded and asked, "Where is the Ghost Valley you speak of?"

"The Ghost Trace Island of the Heavenly Realm!" The man in green spoke with a slight tremor, daring not to hide anything.

"Heavenly Realm?" Ye Xiu had never heard of such a place. "And what kind of place is Ghost Trace Island?"

The man in white swallowed hard. "The Ghost Trace Island of the Heavenly Realm is a peculiar island off the coast of the Southern Sea. Without the Ghost Valley Token held by the sect master, no one knows the route to the island. Even if you kill us, you will not learn this secret."

The Ghost Valley Token again? Ye Xiu remembered that Wang Long had given him one when he died, and he currently possessed it. Yet, the Ghost Valley he knew was situated at the foothills of Yunmeng Mountain. How could there be another Ghost Valley in the Southern Sea?

"Could I have another bowl?" To be honest, Ye Xiu had consumed quite a bit of wine before falling from the mountain, and now he was certainly thirsty, especially since this tea tasted remarkably like cola. "I'd like another bowl."

"Heh heh, certainly. Bring someone over." This small amount of tea was nothing, but Wang Long was puzzled that this young man could drink tea as if it were strong liquor. He wasn't sure if this indicated a lack of manners or a disregard for trivialities.

"Wow... refreshing!" Ye Xiu downed the second bowl in one gulp. This behavior greatly displeased Hong'er, who began to glare with narrowed eyes, as if she wished to cleave Ye Xiu with her sword.

"Right, I don't yet know which land Young Hero Ye hails from?" Wang Long had many questions weighing on his mind. "Judging by your attire, you are not from our Central Plains. Could it be..."

Ye Xiu immediately realized that during the Qin and Han Dynasties, the people of the Central Plains harbored intense hatred for the Xiongnu. Wang Long must not have mistaken him for that nomadic tribe, so Ye Xiu quickly interjected, "Elder Wang, I understand the written characters and history of the Central Plains; I am absolutely not Xiongnu. It's just that my homeland is a place called Zhongguo, which is 'above' here."

"'Above'?" Wang Long was confused again. "Zhongguo, how far is that from here?"

"There are..." Ye Xiu felt this was impossible to explain clearly to him. "Oh, never mind, this entire place is Zhongguo, just know that it is very far away."

"He's spouting nonsense again! Father, you still believe this thief?" Hong'er stood up abruptly, looking extremely displeased.

"To tell the truth, Elder Wang, I fell from a cliff. The moment I woke up, I was here." Ye Xiu decided the most straightforward path was the truth, with no need for circumlocution.

"Fell from a mountain and you aren't dead!" Hong'er was truly sharp-tongued. "Father, he is clearly lying."

"Fine, I will prove where I come from." Ye Xiu truly disliked arguing with women over trivial matters. He promptly pulled out his mobile phone from his pocket.

"Thief! He intends to use a hidden weapon!" Hong'er’s eyes were sharp; she immediately leaped over, intending to strike the phone from Ye Xiu's hand with her sword. However, this strike was intercepted midway by Wang Long.

"Hong'er, do not be rude to Young Hero Ye."

Ye Xiu didn't concern himself with this; he directly opened his phone’s photo album. Thankfully, the battery was fully charged. The pictures he took at Tiananmen were still there. He immediately tried to hand the phone over, saying, "You shrew, look! It is clearly written here: People's Republic of China! That is my country."

"Hmph, he’s just a liar." Hong'er turned her head away sharply, refusing to look at the strange object.

"What is this... chicken?" Wang Long, being an elder, considered himself well-traveled. To experience two completely unknown people and events within two hours in a single day was likely a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence.

"Mobile phone... this... well..." Ye Xiu had no idea how to explain all this; his scalp was beginning to tingle. "Elder Wang, look, this is equivalent to your canvas. Yes, a canvas—it draws whatever you look at directly onto it. It’s based on that principle."