Ye Xiu gasped for breath, bracing himself on the ground. The blow from Xue Nü just now had been formidable; it was clear her power surpassed that of the three major leaders. Yet, he simply could not bring himself to fight her. Why was this happening?

Xue Nü took two slow steps forward, allowing the snowflakes to drift across her brow. “If you cannot pass my trial, you will never see your Ji Jiang!”

“Ji Jiang?” Ye Xiu straightened his bent frame with effort. He knew he was here to rescue Ji Jiang, but the feeling in his gut told him that Xue'er was equally vital now. “I won’t fight you. You might as well just kill me.”

Hearing this, Xue Nü lashed out again with her whip, striking Ye Xiu directly on the leg. He collapsed heavily onto his knees. “Haven’t you always admired Ji Jiang? For me, you would give up the person you love?”

“Yes, I admire Ji Jiang, but more than that, it is the memory of my sister,” Ye Xiu confessed. This was the first time he had spoken the truth hidden in his heart to anyone in this era. All his feelings for Elder Sister Ji Jiang, from childhood onward, were rooted more in adoration and gratitude—the same applied to the young Ji Jiang before him now.

“Sister? Who are you trying to fool? You call that little girl ‘sister’!” Xue Nü shook her head, refusing to believe him.

Ye Xiu braced his legs and painfully pulled himself up, speaking with solemn conviction. “Yes. Although my experiences are difficult to explain quickly, I can tell you with absolute certainty right now: I love you, Xue'er! I love you.”

“Hmm…” Was that a confession, or what? It was the first time in her life Xue Nü had heard a man speak those words to her so directly. The critical factor was that this man was the one she cherished. For a moment, she had no idea how to react. In truth, she hadn’t been able to bring herself to strike him seriously from the start, otherwise, Ye Xiu would be far more than just bleeding right now.

“Hahahaha, ah hahahaha!” A wild burst of laughter suddenly erupted from the high precipice, followed by the silhouette of Ji Jiang, clearly visible, bound to the edge of the cliff.

“Ji Jiang!” Ye Xiu spun around and looked up. There was undeniably Ji Jiang on the opposite sheer cliff face. Without a second thought, he leaped upward, aiming to soar into the air, using tree branches and the gravitational pull of the Demon Blade to propel himself toward the abyss. However, his so-called Qinggong relied entirely on the power of the Demon Blade, and the immense height was proving taxing. At the critical moment, he felt a searing heat on his back. After a rush of furious wind, he was suddenly soaring freely through the sky. Was this Yun Ji’s legacy?

Ye Xiu rejoiced and flapped the wings, flying straight up. Yet, the sky immediately erupted with countless streaks of sword light piercing back and forth, brutally knocking him back down.

Seeing this, Xue Nü whipped up her snow-whip, catching the falling Ye Xiu. Then, with an expression of profound dread, she bowed her head toward the mass of blackness overhead. “Xue Nü pays respects to the Sect Master.”

“Hmph!” The voice from beyond the heavens sounded greatly displeased with Xue Nü. He roared once, “If Young Master Ye is unwilling to resolve Xue Nü with his sword, then this old man will resolve this woman for you.” As he spoke, several sword lights descended from the sky, striking precisely around the stone wall binding Ji Jiang. The display was clearly intended to force Ye Xiu’s compliance.

“If you have the guts, come out and fight me!” Ye Xiu was becoming irrational; the voice sounded terribly familiar, as if he had heard it somewhere before.

“Rumble.” Another volley of sword light slanted down toward the cliff face, filling Ji Jiang’s vicinity with sparks of deadly intent.

Ye Xiu’s heart jolted. He knew his provocation was useless against that person, but what could he do? How could he possibly strike Xue'er? He couldn’t.

With two swift swoosh sounds, something rapidly enveloped Ye Xiu. Before he could react, he felt the Tian Yi in his hand seemingly snatched away. Looking down, he saw Xue Nü had used her long whip to lash out from a distance, tightly entangling the Tian Yi he held, and violently yanking it back.

“No! Don’t…” Ye Xiu understood the implications instantly. He took a small hop forward, trying to intercept the tip of the Tian Yi sword, but it was already too late.

Snow fell incessantly, yet the ground was dyed a gruesome crimson. Xue Nü stood frozen where she was, but her chest had been deeply pierced by the Tian Yi, which had been violently recalled. What had that sword strike meant? Crimson blood began to flow from Xue Nü’s mouth, a small pool dripping onto the pure white snow, an extraordinary, contrasting ornament. Some snowflakes in the air seemed to gain life, slowly drifting toward her body, forming what looked like a warm arm reaching out to protect her.

“Xue’er…” Ye Xiu rushed forward and caught Xue Nü’s slowly collapsing body. His eyes widened. He knew what that sword thrust implied, but—why?

“Xue’er, why did you do this?” Ye Xiu couldn't restrain himself; tears began to surge into his eyes. At this moment, all he could do was hold Xue'er tightly in his arms. “Why did you do this? Why were you so foolish!”

Xue Nü leaned into Ye Xiu’s embrace with a faint smile and half-closed eyes. She felt a strange sense of happiness. At least, she thought, her destiny as an assassin was meant to end in tragic death. To die beside the man she loved was now a supreme fortune. She could not betray the Sect Master, nor could she bear to see Ye Xiu in anguish. If an end was inevitable, one death resolved everything.

“Wake up! Wake up!” Ye Xiu felt something wrong with Xue'er’s eyes. He knew what this meant: the Xue'er he loved was dying, leaving him. How could this be? Why must he endure such ruthless separation? Weren't things fine just a moment ago? Why did the previous second feel so real, and the next so utterly illusory?

“White Rose… Rose…” Xue Nü faintly raised her slender hand, moving it erratically in the air. She tried to say more, but the words ultimately failed to emerge. All that remained was her beautiful figure and the dazzling sweep of her skirt.

“Hoo…” Ye Xiu took a deep, sharp breath of the cold air. He felt the weight in his arms suddenly become crushing, a burden he could barely accept.

He knew Xue Nü was gone, pierced through the chest by a mere thrust from the Tian Yi. He lowered his head, intending to gently cover the wound, but at that moment, the malevolent, fatal sword suddenly radiated a heavy purple energy. It drained Xue Nü’s blood, and the sword’s malevolence seemed set to devour everything. Even the Demon Blade, resting quietly nearby, began to kaz-kaz sound in response. Finally, as if awakening, it surged violently off Xue Nü’s body, flying up into the sky.

“Ah!” Ye Xiu was thrown several yards by the sheer force. He was terrified by the bloodthirsty aura emanating from the Tian Yi. What was happening? Did this sword no longer recognize its master?

“Hahahaha, ha ha ha ha!” A wild laugh echoed from the heavens. The dark figure appeared from nowhere and shot straight toward the zenith. Amidst continuous lightning and thunder, he finally caught up with the Tian Yi and grasped it firmly in the depths of the firmament.

“Kuang Hu…” The clouds in the sky gathered instantly, churning together into a thick mass, mixed with an inexplicable darkness poised to sweep over the entire earth. The dark figure spread his limbs, riding wildly across the sky. The surrounding rock walls and trees exploded ceaselessly, causing the ground to heave and shake violently, before he finally plummeted like a brilliant meteor, landing heavily before Ye Xiu.

“Xue Nü, you did well. My efforts in training you were not wasted.” The cloaked man pulled down his hood, leaning back and glancing sideways at Ye Xiu, whose eyes were filled with hatred. He smiled. “But Ye Xiu, you did even better. You truly are the man chosen by Heaven.”

“You are…” Ye Xiu was still submerged in the pain of Xue Nü’s passing, but when he heard that familiar voice and saw the familiar face before him, his entire world collapsed. Everything crumbled. How could this be? What did all his faith and confidence amount to?

The black-clad man stepped closer, holding the Tian Yi horizontally before Ye Xiu. “What’s wrong, Ye Xiu? Have you forgotten even your Master?”

“You’re not dead!” Ye Xiu sank to the ground. He hadn't forgotten the person before him, but this person was no longer the one he once respected and revered. Yes, this man was Wang Long! The former Sect Master of Ghost Valley, the kind and benevolent old man—wasn't he supposed to have been run through by Chen Jing’s sword? How could he be the Sect Master of the Assassin’s Gate Ghost Valley, the Master of Ghost Trace Island in the Heavenly Realm, this evil perpetrator who had trained countless murderers?

“Hahahaha, yes, I am not dead. Chen Jing’s meager skill was not enough to kill me,” Wang Long sneered, raising an eyebrow, completely devoid of his former benevolence. “Not only am I alive, but I have also obtained this sword. You call it Tian Yi? Good. That is a fine name.”

Ye Xiu felt utterly bewildered. He wanted to rise from the ground, but an inexplicable evil energy held him immobile, suffocating him.

“My ability to obtain this sword is entirely thanks to your talent! I must say, I have a keen eye for selecting you to help me realize this long-cherished desire,” Wang Long gestured casually with the Tian Yi, letting it carve a streak of vivid purple light across the snow.

“Selected me…” Ye Xiu was blank. He had experienced too much talk of being 'chosen'—the messenger of the gods had also said he was chosen. Why was Wang Long saying the same thing now? Why? Was his arrival in this world destined only to make him a pawn for someone else?

“Fine, it’s no harm letting you know, so you can die with understanding,” Wang Long slowly walked closer to Ye Xiu and began to explain. “For a long time, the biggest secret of Ghost Valley wasn't the Four Ultimate Arts in the Four-Story Tower. Ghost Valley disciples inherently pursue the art of assassination, so this Ghost Trace Island is the true heart of Ghost Valley. And within this Ghost Valley lies an earth-shattering secret.”

Ye Xiu gritted his teeth, trembling. Wang Long’s evil aura paralyzed him. An earth-shattering secret—what else could there be on these three desolate islands? Wang Long was so inherently wicked; could the 'earth-shattering secret' that excited him have implications that could affect or even destroy the entire era?