Ye Xiu looked up, utterly astonished. He finally understood why Donghai Jun would willingly serve this being called 'God'; the promise of eternal life had proven true—immortality was real, and the capabilities of a god were truly beyond his comprehension.

Lord of the East Sea seemed to sense Ye Xiu’s shock and murmured, “None of that matters now. Don’t rack your brain over the matters of the Divine. If the God has chosen you, you will meet him eventually. When that time comes, you can ask him any questions directly.”

Ye Xiu wiped a hand across his face. The recent string of blows, or perhaps shocks, had left him utterly exhausted. With Ji Jiang missing, the uncertain status of the Western Chu army’s campaign, the divine quest to find Han Xin that had completely derailed his original plans, and now Wang Long leading the entire contingent of Ghost Valley assassins into the Heavenly Realm—the sheer complexity of the situation left him completely lost.

“What you must do now is return to the Western Chu army and continue the search for Han Xin.” Lord of the East Sea had come prepared; saving Ye Xiu was never about his life, but about fulfilling the mission from the Divine.

“Mmm…” Ye Xiu had already considered it. In his current state, there was no way he could single-handedly venture into the Heavenly Realm to rescue Ji Jiang, nor could he possibly contend with Wang Long now. If Tianyi truly was an evil blade, its power in Wang Long’s hands would be something Ye Xiu couldn't even begin to fathom. “It’s just that I’ve lost my treasured sword now. I don’t know if I can establish myself in this chaotic era relying solely on this demon blade in my hand.”

“The treasured sword?” Lord of the East Sea did not appear to be a man of the martial world, yet when he heard Ye Xiu mention the sword, a flicker of joy crossed his expression. “To conquer this chaotic age, you don't need supreme martial arts that dominate the world. As long as you obtain the Three Divine Ghost Swords, you can command the Million-Strong Ghost Army. With that army’s aid, you can certainly rule the world.”

“What are the Three Divine Ghost Swords?” Ye Xiu found it ludicrous. He hadn't expected to be launched onto yet another path of adventure.

Lord of the East Sea remained unhurried as he described them: “The Three Divine Ghost Swords are the Desert Scimitar of the extinct Lin Beast Clan, the Wind-Breaking Sword of the Winged Clan from the Frigid Heaven Valley, and the Wave-Roaring Sword of the Sea Clan from Mount Cang. When unified, the three swords can summon the Million-Strong Ghost Army.”

Ye Xiu was greatly surprised upon hearing this. “Are there still Beast Clans, Winged Clans, and even Sea Clans in this age? Are they still human?”

“Of course, they are human, but they reside outside the Central Plains boundary. Living alongside beasts for so long naturally integrates them into a primal existence; living alongside flying creatures allows them the ability to strike from the void; living by the water enables them to traverse it with ease. Thus, obtaining the Three Divine Ghost Swords will not be simple.”

“The key question is, how do I find these places?” Ye Xiu was starting to grow impatient.

Lord of the East Sea still showed no haste. “The famed Central Plains sword, Hengchen, is the key to entering the Divine Ghost Realms. If you obtain the Divine artifact, it can certainly help you open the gate to the three sword realms.”

“The famed sword Hengchen!” Ye Xiu nearly spat out a curse. “Fine, fine! How am I supposed to get my hands on this sword now?”

“I don’t know.”

“What!” Ye Xiu was utterly disheartened. “Is the God so mighty that he doesn’t even know the location of a single sword?”

Lord of the East Sea was unmoved by Ye Xiu’s rising fury. He simply smiled calmly. “These are all tasks assigned by the God. You have no choice. As for when you find Han Xin, or when you locate the famed sword Hengchen—it is all up to your destiny, your Tianyi.”

“Hey… hey…” Ye Xiu couldn’t manage any more. He watched as Lord of the East Sea slowly vanished before him, desperately wanting to grab him, but the harder he tried to pursue, the farther the figure seemed to recede until the outline faded entirely from his vision.

What else could he do? Ye Xiu sheathed the demon blade into his back, shoved his hands into his pockets. The most pressing matter was to get a full meal, and then return to see what changes had occurred in the Western Chu army after the loss of Xiang Liang. Damn Han Xin—why hadn't he made his move yet?

Rumors spread across the land that the Western Chu army, under Xiang Yu’s command, was invincible. Liu Bang’s forces from Pei County were also smashing through resistance, pressing west toward Xianyang, with various warlords trailing closely behind, eyeing the Qin territories hungrily. King Huai of Chu had issued an edict: “Whoever enters the Pass first shall be King.” Although Qin’s demise was inevitable, they still fiercely defended Hangu Pass against the outsiders.

Ye Xiu traveled west alone, finally managing to track down the main encampment of the Western Chu army. But things had changed; the sentries guarding the camp didn't recognize him, despite him once being an elite among the patrol guards. They refused entry to a man carrying such a strange, long blade.

“I am a Sergeant! How dare you, whelp, block my way?” Ye Xiu had hoped for a chance to rest properly at the camp, but being stopped by a mere child naturally irritated him.

The young soldier was not intimidated by Ye Xiu’s threat; in fact, he grew bolder. “Look at that bizarre weapon on your back—you’re clearly a spy, perhaps an assassin trying to harm General Xiang!”

Ye Xiu shook his head stubbornly, wishing he could just kick the brat away. “Do you know who I am? Step aside now, or go quickly and report to General Xiang; I have urgent business!”

The soldier still stood tall, his spirit showing no concession to Ye Xiu. “Insolent spy, still daring to cause trouble! If you don't leave now, don't blame me for being impolite!”

“Impolite? How impolite can you be!” Ye Xiu was boiling mad. Truly, dogs rely on their masters’ might—even a low-ranking soldier dared to speak to him this way. Though he lacked Tianyi’s protection now, he could still sweep aside top masters with the demon blade in his hand. How could he tolerate such indignity here?

“How dare you obstruct my Brother Ye!” Just then, a clear voice called out from within the camp. The man moved with remarkable lightness, and the sword in his hand gleamed with sharp energy. This man was none other than Ying Bu.

“Greetings, General Ying.” Upon hearing Ying Bu address the man before him as ‘brother,’ the young soldier turned ashen-faced and immediately lowered his head.

Ye Xiu let out a breath and looked toward where Ying Bu had appeared, his heart involuntarily tightening. Seeing Ying Bu walk and hold his sword, he noticed that his bearing was far more composed than before. He must have gained even greater confidence in his sword techniques.

“Brother Ye, I trust you have been well!” Ying Bu stepped forward and greeted Ye Xiu. His expression was genuinely joyful, yet the slight upward curve of his lips betrayed a trace of sinister, uncanny complexity.

Ye Xiu could see through Ying Bu’s intentions instantly. He hadn't expected that after spending so much time on military campaigns, this fellow had not forgotten his pride as a swordsman. The contest between him and Ying Bu, from the very first moment until now, had never truly been settled, and their bouts were never just points of honor—they were battles fought to the death.

Ying Bu raised his head, smiled broadly, and lifted Qishuo, the sword in his hand. But as he scrutinized Ye Xiu from head to toe, a hint of regret shadowed his eyes. “Brother Ye, where is your sword?”

“Lost. There are things you would find hard to accept if I told you.” Ye Xiu had no intention of revealing the truth about Wang Long’s supposed death at Ying Bu’s hands. But at this moment, he knew Ying Bu wouldn't care about the fate of others. “Without a sword, this blade is more than enough.”