“Look, Chenying, that fellow drawing the sword is quite handsome, hehe.” Qinglin paid no further mind to Xuanhu; every time his elder brother treated him this way, a thrill ran through him.

“Speaking of which, Second Brother,” Canglong inquired while watching the martial contest, “Guard Ji seems keen to befriend you. How far do you think he can go?”

The moment Xuanhu heard Canglong’s voice, his thoughts sprang into full activity. After all, who didn't have selfish motives? The Ji Jingtian down below was his trusted confidant; he had personally arranged for him to enter this competition, intending for Ji to seize the first rank and join the royal lineage. With that achievement, his own status and power would be further consolidated. One day…

“What’s wrong? Do you lack confidence in him?” Canglong asked again when Xuanhu hesitated to answer.

Xuanhu dared not be negligent, replying steadily, “Reporting to Eldest Brother, Ji Jingtian is the sole inheritor of the Seven Swords Absolute. Wielding the Autumn Sorrow Seven Swords, in a true fight, he is likely a match for both you and me.”

“Haha, I think so too. It seems the honor of our Ten Thousand Sword City will rest on Guard Ji’s shoulders.” Canglong threw his head back and laughed heartily. How could he not know what Xuanhu was plotting? At this moment, the only person Canglong scorned yet felt reassured by was his third brother, Qinglin—such a man unconcerned with governance could simply be left to his own devices.

“This is bad, this is awful.” Ye Xiu rushed to the scene just as the matches began. He looked up to see some competitors already defeated while others glowed with pride. The Blade Guards maintaining order were continuously carrying the injured off the grounds, while the peak masters in their respective areas were clearly relishing the sport.

Ye Xiu scrutinized the announcement board and discovered his combat zone was Number Nine, conveniently situated directly opposite the Ten Thousand Sword Pavilion. The sun was viciously hot. He shielded his eyes, gazing up at the towering structure. On the Pavilion, Wan Jian Qinglin wore an expression of playful banter mixed with annoyance. Beside him was a woman; could she be Wan Jian Chenying? Ye Xiu squinted, observing closely. Wan Jian Chenying was draped in luxurious pink silks, her hair elegantly adorned with phoenix pins and jade circlets. Her exquisite face was further enhanced by large, expressive eyes. Truly worthy of being called a peerless beauty from a distinguished household. He lowered his gaze back to Zone Nine. More than a dozen individuals were engaged in a chaotic scramble of blows and dodges. The crowd consisted mostly of fierce Beast Clansmen and a few Humans armed with various weapons. Ye Xiu noted that only one person seemed to be holding back, continuously evading the onslaught.

Ye Xiu couldn't afford to dwell on this; he hadn't eaten breakfast. No matter what, he needed to finish this swiftly. Adjusting his collar and cuffs, he shot into the arena with a Ghost Step that seemed to pass through the crowd unnoticed.

“I must be the one appearing in Group Nine!” A tall, slender figure, low to the ground, zipped through the throng. He carried no weapon, tearing at enemy flesh with his sharp claws wherever he passed. “Hahahaha, you few Humans, do you truly believe those strange swords and blades can defeat me?”

“Ignorant beast, behold my sword.” A young man in purple unleashed his sharp blade in a spray, like rain hitting a sand beach, aimed at the Beast Clansman. Though the sword tips were fast, they couldn't match the tall figure’s speed. A mere inch off target, and the man’s chest was ripped open by the beast.

“Can you be faster than my Lightning Arrow?” As he spoke, a member of the Winged Tribe launched himself halfway into the air, one hand gripping a bow, the other plucking a feather from his back and drawing back sharply. The arrow leaving the string instantly transformed into a streak of lightning. With a sharp crack, it pierced the Beast Clansman’s chest. At that moment, everyone on the stage seemed to find a common target, surging forward to clash and counter in a frenzy, eventually converging on the Winged Tribe member. After another bout of chaos, the once high-spirited archer of the Winged Tribe was also brought down.

“Heh, Brother, why haven't you joined the fight yet?” Ye Xiu materialized instantly behind the motionless warrior. “Are you waiting to reap the spoils?”

The man in white was visibly stunned by Ye Xiu’s speed. However, he believed the arena was less about martial skill and more about psychological warfare; supreme martial arts alone couldn't control the outcome. Calm thinking and a keen mind were what defeated the enemy: “Heh heh, aren’t you doing the same, Brother?”

“Since we see eye-to-eye, how about we clear these stragglers out first, and then have a quiet duel?” Ye Xiu licked his lips. He certainly didn't take the flamboyant figures on the stage seriously, nor did he intend to reveal his true strength in this first match.

“Agreed.” As the white-clad man finished speaking, he finally drew the weapon hidden on his back. It turned out he was a swordsman, and what’s more, he wielded two swords, one long and one short.

“Oh, what kind of weapons are those?” Ye Xiu, unfamiliar with such uniqueness, felt a surge of curiosity.

Since the man in white had revealed his weapons, he wasn't afraid to state his name. Turning back, he left a parting remark, “I am Ling Feng of the Parent-Child Swords,” before diving into the crowd, wielding one sword in each hand.

Ye Xiu smirked inwardly, surprised at how easily this fellow had trusted him. He crossed his arms and settled in to watch the spectacle. Ling Feng spun his body, wielding the longer Parent Sword in his right hand and the shorter, dagger-like Child Sword in his left, driving directly into the center of the fray. Those fighters, already intoxicated by the battle, saw a newcomer intrude and their aggression only flared further, surging forward to quickly subdue Ling Feng. Unexpectedly, Ling Feng’s swordsmanship was superb, instantly turning the passive into the active. He raised the Parent Sword to attack one opponent but noticed a flash of blade light during his advance. Instead of panicking, he blocked the incoming blade with the Child Sword in a reverse grip, then quickened his pace, stabbing upwards—and a life vanished in an instant.

“The swordsmanship is good, but overly conventional,” Ye Xiu shook his head. From that single exchange, he could tell that Ling Feng of the Parent-Child Swords was undeniably a swordsman, but merely one who relied on set sword forms.

“You…” Ling Feng turned back, greatly disappointed. He hadn't expected Ye Xiu to trick him, but the current situation allowed no time for distractions. Two Beast Clansmen were now lunging at him from opposite directions—one from above, one from below, one from the left, one from the right. Ling Feng twisted his body, barely evading one strike, but the speed of the beasts was terrifying. The pair landed and immediately turned to charge back, intending to overwhelm Ling Feng together. At the critical moment, Ling Feng’s Parent-Child Sword technique proved its worth again. He committed his full strength to the attacker in front, using the long sword as bait, stabbing straight ahead to draw the enemy’s frantic evasion. Then, he used the momentum to thrust the short sword toward the direction the opponent had dodged—a direct hit. However, the fight wasn't over; the other beast had already pounced from behind. Ling Feng, already off-balance, felt a sickening slash as a deep wound was raked across his back.

“Heh heh, both of you will die.” Truly, the crane and the clam fighting leads to the fisherman profiting. From above, the Winged Tribe archer simultaneously drew several arrows, having already strung his bow. “Watch my Sky-Filling Feathers!”

“Too bad. Your movements are too slow, and you spent too long posing.” In a flash of light and thunder, Ye Xiu was already behind the Winged Tribesman with a Ghost Step. He didn't draw his sword, merely using the scabbard to shatter the man’s white jade bow into pieces.

“How is that possible… so fast.” The Winged Tribesman slowly hovered in the sky, Ye Xiu’s speed and explosive leap leaving him stunned for a long moment.

“Hah!” At that moment, Ling Feng on the ground managed to wound the Beast Clansman with a sharp sword move, forcing him to the ground.

Ye Xiu lightly tapped the ground with his toe, landing in the center of the platform. He pointed at the Winged Tribesman suspended in the air: “Decide whether to fight or flee. But I cannot guarantee that the next thing I shatter won't be you.”

The Winged Tribesman heard Ye Xiu’s warning and showed no defiance or anger. He knew Ye Xiu could have easily killed him. It seemed the Three Swords Realm was indeed filled with experts, and someone like him was destined to be washed away in the first round of this competition.

“And what about you? Ling Feng of the Parent-Child Swords, do you still wish to fight me?” Ye Xiu still hadn't drawn Hengchen, simply resting the tip on the ground, his expression composed.

“Ling Feng of the Parent-Child Swords, I ask for your guidance.” The man had some backbone; he didn't give up easily. He crouched low, adopting an unflinching stance aimed at Ye Xiu.

Ye Xiu felt a flicker of admiration for the man. With an almost involuntary glance, he looked toward the Ten Thousand Sword Pavilion. Wan Jian Qinglin, though sporting a smirk of indifference, was glaring fiercely at him. Ye Xiu understood Qinglin’s intent: as his trump card, he couldn't afford to show too much of his hand.

“Come then.” With a single word, Ling Feng raised both swords, leaning his body diagonally as he charged Ye Xiu. The mystery of the Parent-Child Swords lay not in the speed of the techniques, but in the illusion created by the disparity in length. Attackers typically used the long sword for successive thrusts to acclimatize the opponent to mid-range parrying, then used the short sword for an unexpected close-range assault.

Ye Xiu knew he could win easily, but he couldn't be too arrogant. Coupled with the slight respect he now felt for Ling Feng, he didn't use any footwork or complex maneuvers; he simply drew Hengchen and executed a hundred-meter sprint.

“Ah!” Ling Feng’s routine was entirely predictable. He concealed the short sword at his waist with his left hand and swung the long sword in his right, rotating his body frantically to unleash a barrage of charges upon his opponent. Ye Xiu rushed past the initial strike, nearly crashing into the blade. At that moment, Ling Feng’s rotating sword technique arrived gracefully, forcing Ye Xiu to raise both his swords in an exceptionally clumsy block.

“Where was that momentum you had? Are you looking down on me?” Ling Feng had witnessed Ye Xiu’s speed earlier; he refused to believe Ye Xiu was such a swordsman lacking technique or aggressive intent. “If you don't use your ultimate move soon, you might not get the chance.”