The short distance from Hong Gate to Bawang was traversed by Liu Bang with agonizing slowness. To forestall any shift in circumstances, he immediately veered onto a side path. This lesser road, however, proved treacherous. A chilling, mournful wind tore through the shadowed woods, and Ying Bu stood directly before Liu Bang and his two companions, positioned against the wind.

“General Ying Bu.” Liu Bang recognized the man and knew the purpose of his presence. “Has General Xiang Yu gone back on his word? He loudly proclaimed a misunderstanding, yet in the end, he still sends men to execute me.”

Ying Bu held his sword aloft, meticulously inspecting the blade. “My killing you has nothing to do with Xiang Yu.”

“Then it’s on the orders of Fan Zeng, that cunning old fox.” Liu Bang felt a lingering fear of Fan Zeng; that old man was certainly no easy opponent.

Ying Bu gave a cold laugh, lightly drawing his sword, Qi Shuo. “My killing you has nothing to do with Fan Zeng either.”

“What? You?” Liu Bang was thoroughly confused by Ying Bu. At this moment, the man resembled a vengeful ghost come to claim a life. If not for Xiang Yu, if not for Fan Zeng, what reason could there be?

“Cease your arrogance, Ya!” Just then, Liu Bang’s two escorts charged forward with their blades drawn toward Ying Bu. “My lord, make haste!”

“You two…” Though reluctant to abandon them, Liu Bang knew self-preservation was paramount. He immediately spurred his horse, turning to flee back toward the camp via another route.

“Overestimating your own meager strength.” Ying Bu launched himself forward. The instant his sword was drawn, he cut both men down from their horses. He didn't stop there, but instead placed a foot upon a horse's back and sped toward the direction Liu Bang was fleeing.

“Why should Duke Pei panic?” In a flash, Ying Bu was once again blocking Liu Bang’s path. “Duke Pei can rest assured, I have no immediate interest in you.”

“What do you want?” Liu Bang was astonished. Ying Bu was Xiang Yu’s man; if he didn't intend to kill him today, what other objective could he possibly have?

“I am merely waiting for someone. When he arrives, Duke Pei, you may leave.” Ying Bu confidently spun his sword continuously in the air.

Liu Bang pondered every possibility but could conceive of no reason. Just then, he heard a rapid rush of wind approaching from behind him. He turned, realizing it wasn't mere wind, but a streak of blade light that grazed past him, aimed directly at Ying Bu.

“Qiang…” Ying Bu lightly parried with a swift draw of his sword, deflecting that streak of light onto the stone slabs below, instantly kicking up clouds of dust. “Hmph! The one I was waiting for is here. Duke Pei, you may go.”

Liu Bang was terrified. He had only heard of Ying Bu as a ferocious general, never knowing he was also a swordsman. With equal curiosity, he turned to glimpse the person Ying Bu awaited. Emerging from the dark forest was a man clad in dark crimson cloth, a long sword belted at his waist, and a peculiar blade strapped to his back.

“Ye Xiu, brother-in-law.” Liu Bang could scarcely believe his eyes. Several years had passed since they parted ways in Pei County, and the once reckless Ye Xiu now carried a noticeable air of composure and calm.

“Brother-in-law, you should leave first. Leave this fellow to me.” Ye Xiu understood Ying Bu’s intent, and he was aware that this was his destined confrontation. “Ask Xu’er how she is for me, and tell her I will return.”

Liu Bang nodded, unable to adequately express his gratitude. Knowing the gravity of the situation, and despite his reluctance, he knew he had to consider the larger picture. Finally, he resolutely turned, carefully guiding his horse past Ying Bu, and then, whipping his reins, he sped away like the wind.

“I didn't guess incorrectly after all. I knew you would come,” Ying Bu said, gripping his sword with one hand, angling it toward the ground. “I hope no one will disturb us today.”

“As you wish.” Ye Xiu settled into his stance, simultaneously drawing his demonic blade, Yao Dao, and his Heng Chen. He had reverted to wielding one blade and one sword—an unfamiliar configuration, yet undeniably cool given the circumstances.

A cold wind swept horizontally through the woods; the autumn moon cast a chilling gleam, ancient and present. Suddenly, a flurry of sand erupted, and the two men vanished simultaneously into the trees. The only visible evidence was the endless cascade of fallen leaves and severed branches; the only sounds were the clang of colliding steel and the long howl of the north wind. These two men, with their two blades, had achieved a unity of heaven and man; the very fabric of time and space was saturated with killing intent. Flashes of varied sword and blade light were recklessly cast across the earth as the fierce battle began in a spark of fire and flint.

“Flicker Absolute: Soul Beneath the Blade.” Ying Bu opened the fight with his ultimate sword technique. Though their forms were indistinct, the countless cold glints flashing back and forth across the sky could be clearly felt. A continuous series of metallic Bing Dang sounds rang out, revealing that Ye Xiu was countering with his Myriad Slash technique, unleashing innumerable crescent arcs of blade light that intercepted Ying Bu’s sword intent head-on.

“Is that all you have?” Ying Bu suddenly manifested, shouting loudly. “What about that thing on your back? Why not show it again? Let me see it clearly.”

Ye Xiu leaped into manifestation as well, his single sword transforming into several shimmering light projections that danced toward Ying Bu. Seeing this, Ying Bu broke into a cold sweat, realizing the formidable power of the blade in Ye Xiu’s hand. The sword’s edge, regardless of raw power, already blurred with countless illusions, making it difficult for him to defend. He twisted, using his left hand to block a fatal strike, but the sword energy accompanying Heng Chen as it passed was viciously strong, forcing a muffled groan from Ying Bu and causing him to spit out a mouthful of blood.

“Pfft…” “What is this sword?” Ying Bu gasped repeatedly. “This isn't the wooden sword from before!”

Ye Xiu tumbled, landing and steadying himself. He too felt a strange sensation; the sword in his hand possessed no apparent extraordinary quality, yet as he swung it, it felt incredibly heavy, as if he weren't holding a sword at all.

Ying Bu stood up, steadying his breath. A swordsman should not display excessive emotion. Regardless of the weapon, a sword is merely a tool for the swordsman to kill: “This strike claims your life.”

Ye Xiu observed Ying Bu’s posture, knowing that Ying Bu’s confidence was not unfounded. He crouched low, gripping his sword backward, holding Yao Dao horizontally, prepared to meet Ying Bu’s technique.

“Flicker Absolute: Mountain of Ten Thousand Edges—World Annihilation!” Ying Bu roared suddenly. His entire body was slightly lifted by a surging current of air. He slowly drew his sword in a sweeping arc before him, like an open fan. Instantly, the very essence of heaven and earth seemed to concentrate upon that faintly visible arc in the air. Gradually, not just airflow, but the pulverized grass, wood, and stones began to converge there.

“What in the world is this?” Ye Xiu couldn't help but roar. He felt his footing slipping, his body sliding toward that point. He hastily jammed Heng Chen into the ground to stabilize himself. But what was that move? How could it generate such earth-shattering killing intent?

“Hahahaha, hahahaha!” Ying Bu’s booming laughter echoed across the desolate lands. Before him, that fan-shaped arc had accumulated into a dazzling mass of crimson light. The pitch-black forest was instantly submerged in a thick, blood-like fluid. Was this strike meant to annihilate the entire wilderness?

“Release!” Ying Bu cleaved downward with his sword, and the whole world trembled in fear.

The world shook, and Ye Xiu’s body trembled with it. All he saw before his eyes was deep scarlet; there was no other color. All he could manage was to weakly use Yao Dao to ward off the stray wisps of malevolent energy flying toward him.

“Boom…” Ying Bu’s ultimate annihilation technique surged forward like a churning sea of blood. Wherever it passed, the earth, vegetation, and massive stones seemed to have been consumed by raging infernos, all turning to dust. The scope of this dust cloud was immense; virtually everything within his line of sight was obliterated. Ye Xiu was forced into a desperate corner; the sea of blood was clearly about to engulf his position.

At that critical moment, the Yao Dao in his hand erupted violently. A chilling, ethereal white light shot straight into the sky. Ye Xiu was completely unresponsive; his mind was flooded with a scene of Gui Yin wielding the Yao Dao to cleave a waterfall. Gui Yin stood solitary beneath the towering cascade, holding his blade coldly, breathing evenly without a single stray thought. Then, in an instant, he raised the Yao Dao and swept it lightly above his head, casting forth a blade edge that rose like a sheer mountain, driving straight into the summit of the waterfall, batting away the heavenly water—tens of meters wide and hundreds of meters high—all the way to the edge of the rainbow clouds. “Hualala…” Those waters, weighing hundreds of tons combined, hung suspended in the vast sky for a brief moment before crashing down heavily onto Gui Yin’s head. This single strike conquered the heavens and shook the world.

“Ya!” Ye Xiu’s eyes were now filled with an ocean of blood. He regulated his breathing uniformly, each inhale and exhale attuning him to the natural rhythms around him. As the sea of blood finally rushed to meet him, he exhaled gently, slowly holding the Yao Dao with his right hand, supporting the tip with his left, and bringing the blade level. Then, with a slow push, a streak of ghastly white radiance shot out, meeting the surging sea of blood head-on.

“Rumble… Woo…” The sound of collision and friction was like the prolonged wail of ten thousand trains. Ye Xiu gritted his teeth, holding his ground. For the first time, he felt the true power of swords and blades—that these weapons possessed life. Even the strongest swordsman could not fully control the weapon in his hand; the weapons themselves were the murderers.

“Ahahaha!” Ying Bu’s momentum was not dampened by Ye Xiu’s ability to withstand his initial attack. Ye Xiu’s performance instead ignited his latent fighting spirit. “Die!”

The very ground emitted deep groans as thousands of fissures slowly stretched out within the clash between Ye Xiu’s blade light and the bloody sea of Ying Bu’s sword force. In the space between those two rays of light and force, no living creature could possibly exist; in that area, there was only death, for it was hell itself.

“Sou sou…” Ying Bu’s sword energy sliced past Ye Xiu’s immediate vicinity. Everything behind him, beyond the area blocked by Ye Xiu’s blade light, was scorched and devastated by the blood sea. At this moment, the radiance of the Yao Dao seemed to be overwhelmed by the sea of blood, and the entire blade began to shake unnaturally. Ye Xiu himself was operating beyond his limits, feeling only tightness in his chest, spitting out mouthfuls of blood.

“Yi ah!” Ying Bu let out a final roar, wildly slashing his sword repeatedly in the air, an action that caused the blood sea to churn and surge even more violently.

Ye Xiu fiercely ground his teeth, trying to forcibly overcome this wave of attack. But fate was against him. At this precise moment, he heard a sharp crack near his ear. He struggled to turn his eyes, and saw that a section of metal on the body of the Yao Dao had fractured, followed by the tip, and then the damage spread across the entire weapon.

“No, don't! No…” Ye Xiu was filled with despair. How could this be? The Yao Dao could no longer withstand Ying Bu’s sword technique and was on the verge of collapse. Ye Xiu could not accept this reality; he had never felt so helpless. He struggled to raise his hands to grasp the hilt, trying to steady the Yao Dao. But at this time, the power of the blood sea sword force clearly overwhelmed the Yao Dao; he felt himself losing balance.

“No!”

With a deafening “Kuang Dang,” the dazzling light of the Yao Dao was consumed by the sea of blood. The Yao Dao shattered, its blade completely vanishing before Ye Xiu. The blood sea seized the opportunity and surged forward, intent on swallowing Ye Xiu’s body.

“No!” Ye Xiu roared again, his fury igniting a desperate will to survive. A dark crimson light suddenly emanated from behind him, followed by a rapid series of wing beats—bat wings.

“What? This again!” Ying Bu, who had been basking in triumph, froze as he saw the bizarre transformation occurring on Ye Xiu’s body. This was it! He knew it was this thing. What was it? Wings! How could a person grow a pair of wings? What was this?

“Hoo…” Ye Xiu took a deep breath, and with the aid of these wings, he soared straight up, easily evading the sea of blood. However, as he looked down from the sky, the blood sea was clearly a catastrophe for the common people. Within a radius of tens of kilometers, houses, fertile fields, slopes, earthen pits, and even rivers had vanished without a trace. This was hell on earth, a calamity visited upon mankind.

“It’s not over yet!” Ying Bu gathered the last reserves of his strength, manipulating the surrounding air currents and slowly angling the attack upwards. He had not given up. The conviction of a swordsman sustained his body, redirecting the sea of blood from the ground toward the sky. Following a violent explosion, that endless crimson light fiercely assaulted the soaring Ye Xiu.

“Too bad you lost again.” Ye Xiu raised the renowned sword Heng Chen in his hand. With a gentle downward movement, he dodged Ying Bu’s desperate final strike, sending countless sword fragments disappearing into the vast firmament. He seized the moment, charging toward the weakened and grounded Ying Bu.

“Hah…” Ying Bu knew he had failed. He stood motionless with his head bowed, helpless. At this moment, he lacked the strength to make any further move. In any case, he had lost—lost completely. He had even comprehended the final move of Flicker Absolute, yet still couldn't kill Ye Xiu. Ye Xiu was a monster. He sighed in despair and closed his eyes, awaiting death.

Ye Xiu rushed down. He could care about nothing else. He ignored the historical role of Ying Bu; he cared nothing for Ying Bu later joining Liu Bang, and then being executed by him. All he could do now was descend from the heavens and strike down with his sword, granting this swordsman a dignified death befitting a swordsman.

With a thunderous “Long,” another flash of white light illuminated the space between heaven and earth. Ye Xiu’s vision swam, and he instantly lost sight of Ying Bu’s direction. What was happening?

“Do you still remember the famed sword Heng Chen I spoke of?” The voice of the Lord of Donghai suddenly echoed from all directions. “Now is the time to unlock the Three Sword Realm. You must obtain the Divine Ghost Triple Swords.”

“Lord of Donghai, Peng Zu, hey!” Ye Xiu tried to say more, but suddenly felt a dizzying sensation, his entire being stretched and compressed endlessly until consciousness faded.

The night grew deeper. Ying Bu stood alone and immobilized in the desolate field. His sword, Qi Shuo, had fallen to the ground. Ye Xiu’s figure was gone from sight. He was filled with remorse, indignation, and even tears of dejection welled in his eyes.

“Ye Xiu, wherever you have gone, I swear I will kill you!”