Wang Long continued to gaze upward, rapt and lost in thought. "You are indeed the vessel destined to carry the anomaly of the Ghost Valley. The moment you single-handedly claimed the Muzi Sword, I resolved to entrust you with the task of reforging the Heavenly Will Evil Sword. Of course, you were never meant to know all this."

"Reforging the Evil Sword! You call this sword evil!" Ye Xiu’s eyes widened in shock. He knew the Heavenly Will was bloodthirsty, yet he had always refused to acknowledge it as an evil sword, given the countless lives he had saved using it.

"I have long been aware of what Chen Jing did to Wan'er. I calculated that forcing Wan'er away, coupled with my own impending death, would naturally compel you to leave the Valley. Thus, everything unfolded precisely as intended," Wang Long spoke with steady conviction, as if discussing a chess game he had already won. "You are quite the prodigy to walk the Jianghu alone using only the Four Ghosts Valley Secrets. However, you need not worry; my men have been shadowing you all along. You will be perfectly safe while undertaking the reforging mission for me."

"You... you even arranged your own daughter into this plot!" Ye Xiu struggled to accept the reality. In his heart, Wan'er had always been the most innocent and pitiable person; how could she possibly have such a father?

Wang Long shook his head, reprimanding him sharply, "Sentimentality. To achieve my grand design, what is the sacrifice of one daughter? Do you realize? If those you struck down with the Muzi Sword were mere trifles, then when you encountered the Mohist Grandmaster, I knew for certain that the Mohists were not the paragons of righteousness they claimed to be."

"You mean Senior Mo Li." Ye Xiu focused his thoughts. It was only after meeting Mo Li that he had obtained the Mozi Sword, and the miraculous fusion of the Muzi and Mozi Swords marked the true beginning of his path of slaughter.

"Precisely. That man also knew the earth-shattering secret concerning the double sword reforging," Wang Long declared, sweeping his hand dismissively, brimming with vexation. "If his destiny had not run its course, he would have surely tried to seize this Heavenly Will Evil Sword himself. Alas, fate decreed otherwise; I am the victor in the end, hahahaha!"

Ye Xiu barely managed to prop himself up, slowly asking, "Then what is your purpose in bringing me here? If you wanted the sword, you could have simply seized it. Given your power, I stand no chance against you."

"Hmph! You don't understand that the Evil Sword recognizes its master, do you?" Wang Long waved his sword again, and a faint purple energy swept over Ye Xiu's feet, forcing him back down onto his knees with crushing weight. "You witnessed it during your duel with Gui Yin—the Heavenly Will acknowledges its master. That is why I could never take the Evil Sword from your hands back then."

"You brought me here..." Ye Xiu struggled to support his body, gasping for breath, "The Four Nether Blood mentioned by Gui Yin earlier, could it be..."

"Heh heh, you are indeed sharp." Wang Long smirked with satisfaction. "The Evil Sword must have its eyes opened to recognize a new master. This Four Nether Blood comprises the Blood of Holy Light, the Blood of Gloom, the Blood of the Abyss, and the Blood of Purity. In other words, the Evil Sword requires the life force of the Three Great Helmsmen and Xue Nü."

"The Blood of Purity." The pain in Ye Xiu’s heart surged violently. Perhaps Xue Nü had known about this from the very beginning; she knew she was destined to die, which was why she hadn't hesitated at all just moments ago.

"However, the sword itself, and the power it grants, are far from enough to satisfy me." Wang Long paused here, throwing both hands up and sighing deeply. "This Evil Sword is not merely a sword; it is a key—a key to unlock another continent."

"A key, a continent?" Ye Xiu was instantly astonished. A new world was about to emerge? What kind of history would this become? Why had he never heard any mention of these things in the ancient texts?

"Indeed. The true Celestial Realm is about to surface, and I shall be its sovereign!" Wang Long raised his other hand high, and a bolt of lightning descended from the heavens, overwhelming in its might. "Not just the Celestial Realm; before long, the Central Plains Continent will also fall under my grasp. There will be only one king in the entire world—me!"

"Hah!" Ye Xiu's mind spun in confusion. Wang Long's ambition left him awestruck, yet what truly defied belief was this so-called late Qin era. What had happened to history? How could an ambitious figure like Wang Long exist, alongside this mysterious Celestial Realm? How was Liu Bang supposed to unify the land and become Emperor Gaozu of Han? Was it merely a matter of defeating Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu?

"Very well, you understand now." Wang Long slowly lowered his head, looking down sympathetically at the weakened Ye Xiu sprawled on the ground. "I shall lead Ghost Trace Island to the Celestial Realm and conquer it. With this Evil Sword, no one can stand against me. As for you, Ye Xiu, your death will serve as my send-off, for the Evil Sword cannot tolerate two masters."

"Kaka-ka." At this moment, the Demon Blade itself seemed to sense the powerful malevolence and began to tremble. Ye Xiu knew Wang Long would show no mercy, and at this point, he held only the Demon Blade. Although he had mastered its abilities, the present-day Wang Long was unfathomably powerful.

"Hoo..." Wang Long waved his right hand, and the Heavenly Will’s purple light rushed toward Ye Xiu like a stampeding rhinoceros. Ye Xiu raised his blade to block; while he repelled the first wave of sword energy, he was unprepared for the subsequent wave of killing intent that crashed over him like a tidal wave. His body was blown several feet away like a solitary snowflake in a blizzard. Despite losing the Heavenly Will, Ye Xiu was no ordinary man. He flipped, hitting the ground, and silently recited the strongest Ghost Step from the Demon Blade's Ghost Army Scripture, instantly vanishing into the vast expanse of white snow.

"Wasted effort." Wang Long scoffed dismissively, casually wielding the Heavenly Will until the surroundings were saturated with purple sword intent, fierce and haunting like a storm.

"Clang, clang, clang." The Demon Blade engaged the sword intent invisibly. Though Ye Xiu's footwork and blade techniques were swift, he struggled to withstand Wang Long's inscrutable power. In only a short time, Ye Xiu was forced out of concealment, deeply wounded by the Heavenly Will's sword energy, and collapsed.

"Enough, Ye Xiu. Stop struggling. I will see you off properly." Wang Long’s eyes were vacant as he lazily approached Ye Xiu, nudging the tip of his sword against Ye Xiu's throat.

"Can you spare that girl?" Ye Xiu knew he was outmatched. The death of Xue Nü had already left him emotionally drained, removing much of his will to resist. "I will die as you wish, but that girl..."

Wang Long paused, looked up, and sighed, "It must be said, she is about the same age as Hong'er. But the moment the Evil Sword is plunged into the heart of Ghost Trace Island, the Celestial Realm will reappear in the South Sea, and who knows how many cliffs might collapse. At that point, it will all depend on that little girl's fortune. No one can save anyone."

This time, Ye Xiu truly fell into despair. It was the first time he no longer wished to struggle or resist anything. Everything would end today. What was the point of searching for some mythical Han Xin? He would soon become another soul slain by Wang Long's blade. Were there any gods? Gods were frauds. Hadn't the divine entity chosen him? Why wasn't it appearing now to lend a hand? This whole thing was a damned setup.

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