Several days later, Ye Xiu's injuries had significantly improved under the care of the group of children. Although the Snow Woman was an executive of the Ghost Valley assassin organization, her heart wasn't entirely without goodness; she hadn't slain the children. However, her objective was clear: by capitalizing on the favorable situation that day, they killed Ye Xiu's companion and abducted Ji Jiang specifically to force Ye Xiu to travel to Ghost Trace Island.

"You must take good care of yourselves while I'm gone, you hear?" Ye Xiu felt reassured leaving the children; the Mohist mechanism array was in place, and ordinary grunts and soldiers couldn't harm them. The children tearfully saw Ye Xiu off, hoping that one day their big brother would bring their older sister back. Ye Xiu shouldered his sword and headed south. He knew the Celestial Realm Ghost Trace Island lay on the shores of the South Sea, and danger was inevitable on the Island of Assassins. For Ji Jiang, he had to go. Moreover, he wanted to uncover the identity of the Ghost Valley Master and ascertain the other motives behind luring him to the island.

The overall situation in the realm began to shift following the disastrous defeat of the Western Chu army at Dingtao. The death of Xiang Liang caused earth-shattering changes within the Chu forces. Although Xiang Yu could manage things alone, his seniority was shallow, making it difficult to command universal respect. King Huai of Chu, installed as a puppet, also sought to establish his own authority, plunging the entire anti-Qin resistance into a passive deadlock.

Traveling along the route, Ye Xiu passed through Pei County, but it was no longer the Pei County he remembered. Everywhere was deathly quiet, surrounded by scattered bones. Upon inquiring, he learned that his brother-in-law, Liu Bang, had raised an army against Qin in Pei County, engaging the Qin forces in repeated skirmishes. The entire city had endured the baptism of war no fewer than five times. Ye Xiu hurried to the former Lu family estate only to find it a ruin of broken walls and shattered foundations.

"Xuer!" Ye Xiu stood amidst the rubble and softly called out Lu Xu's name. Several years had passed since their parting, and the changing era had not made him forget his wife, Lu Xu, but at this moment, he struggled to accept the reality before him. Though a careful thought suggested Liu Bang would certainly look after the entire Lu family, he truly didn't know where his Xu'er was now or how she fared. Ye Xiu sighed deeply. His own relentlessly curious nature had led to this outcome. Xu'er had never blamed him, but within his heart, he carried a profound sense of self-reproach towards Xu'er, towards Ji Jiang, and towards Wan'er. Bidding farewell to Pei County, Ye Xiu strengthened his resolve and journeyed south. The only thing he could do now was rescue Ji Jiang, even if it meant walking through mountains of blades and seas of fire.

The shores of the South Sea remained sparsely populated. Jagged reefs and sandy beaches revealed nothing but profound desolation.

"Hah..." Ye Xiu tilted his head back, closed his eyes, and inhaled a deep breath of the fresh air. He had been too exhausted lately. Although he had managed to vanquish enemies at critical moments by relying on the power of Heavenly Will, he was beginning to perceive the ominous strangeness of that power. Whenever this bloodthirsty sword was activated, it filled him with a violent aura, always bringing endless calamity to the mortal world.

Ye Xiu cautiously stood at the water's edge, gazing into the distance. The sea merged seamlessly with the horizon, appearing vast and expansive. Vaguely, the outline of an island shimmered—presumably the rumored Ghost Trace Island. But there wasn't a single boat in sight; how could he possibly reach it? Ye Xiu patted his pocket. Just as he expected, the 2B pencil had somehow returned to him again. "I wonder if the Divine could help me?" Ye Xiu whispered. He recalled using the 2B pencil to blast the Divine's island last time; perhaps this time he could just obliterate the Celestial Realm Ghost Trace Island with one strike. Then, remembering Ji Jiang was still held captive, he quickly tucked the pencil away.

Ye Xiu idled along the coastline for several days without seeing any sign of passing vessels. However, one discovery piqued his curiosity: every time the tide surged and receded, a specific depression on the shore would be revealed. He wanted to approach that peculiar spot and wait for the tide to ebb again. The place was too deep; the water already reached his shoulders.

"Damn, good thing it's summer!" Ye Xiu felt fortunate about the season, but the tragedy was that he couldn't swim, preventing him from diving down to investigate. The only option was to wait for the precise moment the tide turned from rising to falling to discern the secret of that low-lying area. However, this wait was agonizingly slow. He remained submerged in the seawater for several hours until the night reached the moment of the full moon.

"Swish-swash," the sound of the seawater suddenly intensified, finally stirring the drowsy Ye Xiu into alertness. He knew that the ebb and flow of the tide were caused by lunar gravity, which was strongest during a full moon.

"Whoosh..." At this moment, the tide rushed in like a ravenous beast opening its jaws. Ye Xiu straightened his body, gripping his precious sword, awaiting the fierce assault of that gaping mouth. His heart trembled slightly, as the oncoming waves were already quite large. He genuinely feared that one wave might crash him against the rocks and kill him instantly.

"CRASH..." The roaring wave struck Ye Xiu's body heavily. Before he could react, he was violently swept into the sea.

Damn it! Ye Xiu had intended to take a deep breath before entering the water, but the wave arrived too quickly for him to respond, forcing him to grit his teeth and endure the impact. Underwater, he could barely open his eyes. He managed to find a strand of life-saving seaweed and clung to it tightly, preventing the receding wave from dragging him into the ocean. But the tide surged in fiercely and retreated just as violently. Ye Xiu knew his chance had come. He relaxed his hands, used the rocks on the beach to push off, and stood up. Only then did he notice he was no longer on the original stretch of sand. He was now standing exactly within the deep depression, and the next wave was already charging toward him at full speed.

"Blast it!" Ye Xiu frantically searched all around for the secret mechanism. He knew this depression couldn't have appeared randomly; there had to be a reason. But the surroundings were nothing but seaworn rocks—where could the mechanism be? The sound of the waves roaring near his ears was growing closer, yet he was still investigating the peculiarity of the hollow. If this next wave hit him, there would be nowhere to hide. What should he do? Driven by desperation, Ye Xiu darted his eyes back and forth, finally spotting a peculiar stone nestled among a pile of rocks behind the depression.

He crouched down to examine the stone closely. Although years of seawater erosion had polished its surface smooth as a mirror, there was a regular groove in the center. This could not have been caused by the sea! Ye Xiu glanced back at the spray behind him; it was almost upon him. But this groove, this groove... hadn't he seen it somewhere before?

"Token, Ghost Valley!" In that critical moment, inspiration struck Ye Xiu. He remembered that he, as a master of the Ghost Valley himself, possessed a Ghost Valley Token. He quickly pulled it out and compared it; unexpectedly, the size of the groove perfectly matched the Ghost Valley Token he carried.

"Splash!" Just then, another violent wave crashed down upon Ye Xiu. He felt as if he were instantly swallowed by something, yet he still clutched the Ghost Valley Token tightly, striving to fit it into the groove.