"Sir, are you alright?" Ye Xiu couldn't guarantee Xiang Liang's safety, as Xiang Liang's legs were severely wounded and rendered useless, just as a dark silhouette drifted down before him.

"Flying Needle Yang Tian?" After the battle of Yongqiu, Ye Xiu recognized this mysterious figure, outwardly calm but brimming with explosive potential. He never imagined Yang Tian would intercept him right there on the battlefield.

"We haven't settled our score yet, have we?" Yang Tian was clearly targeting Ye Xiu. He spread his arms wide and laughed, "Look how perfect this place is—so open, with no one around, nothing to obstruct us. We can have a proper fight."

Ye Xiu glanced down at the struggling, pained Xiang Liang, a sigh escaping him about the cruelties of fate. Given the current situation, a rematch between him and Flying Needle Yang Tian seemed inevitable, while Xiang Yu and Long Ju were nowhere near breaking through the Qin army's encirclement, and Bu Ying’s location was unknown. At this moment, no one could save Xiang Liang.

"Why should I fight you again?" Despite his words, Ye Xiu was already turning and drawing his sword. If the battle of Yongqiu was just child’s play, he felt certain he wouldn't leave this place alive today if he didn't kill this man.

Flying Needle Yang Tian unfurled the cloak on his back and leaped into the air, chuckling, "I trust the young lady back in the farmhouse is important to you, Young Master?"

"Ji Jiang?" Ye Xiu started, a blaze of the Fierce Karma Fire instantly rising to his brow. "What have you done to her? You people..."

"Heh heh, kill me, and then go back to see for yourself." Yang Tian was supremely arrogant; in his eyes, Ye Xiu was no match for him. If not for the last encounter happening in a cramped space with too many people, his flying needles would have already pierced Ye Xiu's body.

"Hoo..." Ye Xiu drew a deep breath. At this moment, his entire form was suddenly shrouded in violet smoke. He raised his eyebrows, pointed his sword to the sky, and guided by his sword intent, sent several streaks of purple light crashing towards Flying Needle Yang Tian. "Heaven's Will • Falling Thunder."

Yang Tian knew Ye Xiu wielded the Mohist Sword Style—fluid in appearance yet immovable as a mountain in attack. He never expected that after only a few days, the sword intent in Ye Xiu's hands could actually summon lightning strikes, forcing him to duck mid-air and retreat to the ground.

"Heaven's Will • Entanglement." Seeing Yang Tian attempt to evade the lightning, Ye Xiu capitalized, closing the distance with a swift stride. A flurry of sword moves, flowing like water and blooming like flowers, trapped him tightly in place. Instantly, his figure, mixed with the wind and sand of the great river, enveloped and restrained Yang Tian's every movement.

"Needle • Eject." Yang Tian couldn't foresee Ye Xiu's follow-up move and was forced to unleash the illusory, devastating technique of his signature Flying Needle skill the moment they clashed. He detonated his own form, ejecting the needles hidden within his body along with jets of blood.

After a few sharp chha-chha sounds, Ye Xiu’s advantageous position vanished along with several needles now piercing the space before him.

"Hmph..." Yang Tian hadn't fared well either. Having mastered the art of the flying needle, his body had to merge with the needles themselves. Now, he resolved to use every ounce of inner force to kill Ye Xiu, and the entire swarm of needles shot out, hovering high above.

Ye Xiu hung his head, barely managing to support himself standing. That close-range needle attack had nearly pierced his chest; he dared not even draw a full breath.

"Hoo... hoo..." The clean, clear wind brushed against the cluster of needles hanging in the air, long overdue to fall. Ye Xiu had absolutely no strength left to look up at them, and the purple energy of Heaven's Will slowly dissipated, all the killing intent and belligerence seemingly abandoning Ye Xiu’s body.

Flying Needle Yang Tian took a moment to recover, then suddenly raised his right index finger, muttering something in an unknown language. Just then, the aimless swarm of needles suddenly pivoted its sharp tips toward Ye Xiu. Yang Tian waved his hand with great effort, drawing a circle in the sky, and the cluster of needles seemed to obey his command, tracing circles in the air.

Ye Xiu's mind was a chaotic mess. The physical pain, coupled with his anxiety over Ji Jiang, brought him close to collapse. He closed his eyes, only to see Ji Jiang smiling and waving at him. What had those assassins from the Ghost Valley done? Had they killed Ji Jiang! No, I must go back and save her, I absolutely must.

"Needle • Annihilation." Yang Tian roared the command with difficulty, then abruptly thrust his finger downward toward the stunned Ye Xiu. His entire body was saturated with blood, his face contorted to the extreme. He felt he had won, and for this victory, he was willing to employ the final move of his Flying Needle ultimate technique. The swarm of needles spun madly in the air, faster and faster, until it unexpectedly generated a small vortex. Then, with a deafening guāng..., it plummeted straight down, rushing toward Ye Xiu.

"Hmph!" At the critical moment, Ye Xiu let out a cold laugh. He actually laughed coldly. It turned out the blood covering his body had once again saturated the Heaven's Will in his hand. However, the sword in his hand was held high, and the flowing blood could not touch the Heaven's Will. But the blood surging from his own hand undeniably flowed into the Heaven's Will treasured sword, tracing from the hilt to the blade, all the way to the tip. Heaven's Will was, in fact, a bloodthirsty entity! Ye Xiu’s consciousness was somewhat blurred. He vaguely saw the chains of purple smoke on his left and right again converging with the awakening of Heaven's Will, emitting dense purple mist. As this mist permeated the Heaven's Will, it once again shone with a crimson or purple phantom glow.

"Pū..." The long string of needles instantly converged into one mass, rapidly approaching Ye Xiu's abdomen.

"Heaven's Will • Vertical Glaze." Now, Heaven's Will had taken the lead, and Ye Xiu merely followed its actions. He lifted his sword and began to spin and slash it with a speed that defied human comprehension. After several sharp dāng dāng dāng sounds, the endless flying needles were completely blocked. But he wasn't finished yet; instead, he swiftly launched himself into the air to proactively meet the remaining falling needles. Another flash of cold light illuminated the sky, wind and thunder raged, and the sheer murderous aura was enough to strike terror into the hearts of mortals. In a short span, Ye Xiu struck down every single needle. Yet, he did not cease his sword posture. To Yang Tian's utter disbelief, when his needles were knocked away, he found himself swept into a sudden, unexpected whirlwind by Ye Xiu’s sword edge. Ye Xiu executed his movements with grace, firmly controlling the trajectory of the needles until the purple energy in the sky reigned supreme.

"Yaah!" Ye Xiu roared, grinning ferociously. In an instant, all the flying needles scattered as if exploding, violently assailing everything in their surroundings.

The barren earth was carpeted with countless needles; wherever one looked, not a single blade of grass remained. The figure of Flying Needle Yang Tian had vanished, leaving behind only a single foot firmly planted on the ground. The entire swarm of needles had directly pierced through and shattered his body.

Ye Xiu collapsed heavily onto the ground, the sword in his hand and the killing intent radiating from him still unrestrained. "Ji Jiang, Ji Jiang!" He gritted his teeth and shouted with all his might, a voice in his heart urging him not to stop, not to yield. "Ah!" He had to go save Ji Jiang; no matter what, he had to return for her. Forgetting everything else, he shot off like an arrow loosed from a bowstring, disappearing into the great river basin.

"General Xiang, retreat quickly!" Long Ju's troops could barely hold their ground any longer.

"Alas!" Xiang Yu understood the gravity of the situation. Seeing the main Qin force, personally led by Zhang Han, storming out of the city gates, he could only suppress his unwillingness and reluctantly ordered the retreat with a swing of his sword.

"Hahahaha, hahahaha!" Zhang Han let out a loud laugh, raising his sword and shouting, "Don't pursue a cornered dog!"

Xiang Yu galloped back to find Xiang Liang, but at the end of the main avenue, he encountered an unspeakable tragedy. The stretch of land was littered with countless flying needles and pools of blood, and beneath those needles lay the mutilated corpses of Chu soldiers. Only one corpse caused Xiang Yu to immediately tumble from his horse.

"Uncle!" Xiang Yu knelt on the ground, clutching Xiang Liang’s body, weeping uncontrollably.

"General!" The soldiers behind him knelt as well, their grief palpable.

It turned out that in this desolate, hellish landscape, no living soul remained. When Ye Xiu’s final strike scattered the needles, not only Flying Needle Yang Tian and the Western Chu soldiers, but even Xiang Liang, who lay prone on the ground, had already met his demise.

September, 208 BC: Xiang Liang, Marquis of Wuxin of Western Chu, was defeated and killed by Zhang Han at Dingtao.

Heaven and earth grew dim, heavy with the scent of death. Beneath the rolling black clouds, a streak of purple light swiftly pierced through the mountains and forests, stirring up clouds of dust along its path.

"Ji Jiang!" Ye Xiu swung his sword, striking at a patch of white mist before the farmhouse. "Ji Jiang, are you still here?"

"Hmph!" A cold, aloof voice echoed through the firmament. As the white mist dispersed, Xue Nu descended lightly, twirling the snow whip in her hand. "Even Flying Needle Yang Tian could not stop you."

"Hoo... hoo," Ye Xiu gasped rapidly, his eyes filled with hatred as he stared at Xue Nu floating down from the sky. This woman, wrapped in soft white upper garments, her blue skirt dotted with glistening emerald gems, presented a dazzling and moving figure with every flicker.

Xue Nu smiled and flicked her long whip, wrapping it around Ji Jiang behind her and pulling her close. "Young Master Ye, aren't you very interested in our Ghost Valley?"

"Ji Jiang!" Ye Xiu raised his sword. It was clear Ji Jiang had already fainted. Though furious, he dared not make any sudden move; his severe injuries prevented him from achieving his optimal sword-fighting state.

"If Young Master Ye is interested, you are welcome to visit Ghost Valley," Xue Nu’s voice was soft and sweet. "This humble woman, Xue Nu, will certainly treat you well."

"Heaven's Will • Ten Thousand Swords Across." Ye Xiu couldn't afford hesitation, weakly raising his sword, attempting to use the lingering killing energy left by Heaven's Will to conjure a streak of cold light to strike Xue Nu.

With a guāng sound, Xue Nu’s whip shot out with equal speed. With a flash of white light in its horizontal and vertical sweep, she neutralized Ye Xiu’s technique into nothingness.

"Young Master Ye, I shall take this young lady away first." It turned out Xue Nu's true objective was to lure Ye Xiu to Ghost Trace Island by taking Ji Jiang. "Farewell!"

"Ji Jiang..." Ye Xiu tried to charge after them, but the brutal fight with Flying Needle Yang Tian had entirely drained his combat strength. Helpless, he reached out as if to grasp the hem of Xue Nu's beautiful skirt, but just then, crystalline snowflakes suddenly filled the sky, slowly enveloping Xue Nu and Ji Jiang. A hazy, indistinct scene instantly flooded Ye Xiu's vision—everything vanished. Neither Xue Nu nor Ji Jiang remained.

"Ji Jiang, don't..." Ye Xiu cried out and collapsed into the falling snow, utterly despairing.

...