"Look at this guy giving up, hah! Coward." Someone in the stands began to jeer, though Ye Xiu's movements and demeanor genuinely suggested he was on the verge of surrender.

"Hmm, that killing intent!" Perhaps only Jian Hongchen could sense it at this moment. He was a genius at manipulating qi, and the most ferocious force between heaven and earth was human killing intent; only with such intent could a swordsman truly claim the title of a master swordsman.

"Ah!" Ye Xiu cried out, lowering his body and rushing toward Jian Hongchen with a speed that startled everyone watching. Jian Hongchen raised an eyebrow and smiled, waving his hands to keep the Sword Splendor Flowing Light controlled before him. He charged forward, intending to meet Ye Xiu’s momentum head-on. Just as the myriad beams of light surged forward, about to envelop Ye Xiu, Ye Xiu silently recited a phrase and vanished again from sight.

"Hmph..." Jian Hongchen could accurately feel the presence of qi. No matter how fast Ye Xiu moved, he already knew his opponent's position. With a turn and a flick of his wrist, he grandly whipped this current of qi, shaped like a lash, toward his own back. With a sharp clang, Ye Xiu's figure appeared before the crowd, accompanied by a spark of clashing steel. Knowing he had succeeded, Jian Hongchen sidestepped, bracing himself on one hand, and lunged forward in a swift, arrow-like motion, savagely scattering the light of the Sword Splendor around Ye Xiu. Ye Xiu knew the potency of the qi stream and immediately employed the Ghost Step, intending to vanish once more. Yet, along every escape path he considered, the overflowing, radiant light had already been deployed. A mere brush against his body left behind deep, bloody gashes.

"Good! Impressive! As expected of Jian Hongchen." Apart from Ah Jiao below, watching with a worried heart, everyone else erupted in cheers. In Jian Hongchen's hands, the Sword Splendor Flowing Light was hardly a sword anymore; it was clearly a soul-snatching banner. Within the Three Sword Realm, he had no equal.

"Alas, Jian Hongchen really is the superior fighter," Wan Jian Qinglin adopted the expression of someone who had lost a bet. "To think I banked on an upset by betting on this Young Hero Ye of unknown origin. It seems I miscalculated."

"Third Brother speaks too hastily," Wan Jian Canglong’s attention remained fixed on the arena. "Don't let Jian Hongchen’s advantage fool you. His eyes simply cannot keep up with Ye Xiu’s speed. A swordsman who relies purely on qi perception loses his edge the moment that qi becomes chaotic. I wonder if Ye Xiu has noticed this point."

"Heh heh, it seems the first match will force me to use my ultimate techniques," Ye Xiu sneered while wiping the blood from his body. "Jian Hongchen is certainly a peculiar swordsman, but even you must admit you aren't confident you can defeat me."

"Oh? On what grounds do you base that assumption?" Jian Hongchen’s expression held a touch of surprise at Ye Xiu’s insight. In truth, he lacked the certainty of winning. Although the current situation seemed overwhelmingly favorable, it was all superficial. In just a few moves, the full advantage of his Sword Splendor Flowing Light was completely exposed. Moreover, Ye Xiu had not used a single sword technique since the beginning—nothing more than a barely conceivable form of footwork.

"How about doubling the speed?" Ye Xiu frowned deeply, once again channeling the Quick Draw Technique into his Hengchen Treasure Sword before leaping and vanishing into the air. Jian Hongchen slowly closed his eyes, relying on qi flow to enhance his perception. This time, however, he clearly felt the strain. Ye Xiu suddenly flashed right in front of him with an arrow-like step. He forcefully swung his sword light to guard his front, and Ye Xiu’s draw-and-slash attack had already stirred sparks in the surrounding qi field. But as he prepared to blanket Ye Xiu’s escape routes with myriad sword lights, he froze. Ye Xiu's aura was no longer singular.

"Hah..." Ye Xiu’s steps didn't halt. He leaped again, appearing behind Jian Hongchen to stab downward, only to be solidly intercepted by the sword light. He had missed piercing the Taoist robe by a hair’s breadth. Ye Xiu didn't relent; after that single contact, he vanished again, only to reappear shortly after, plunging down from above Jian Hongchen’s head in an attempt to end the fight decisively.

Clang! Jian Hongchen felt his perception growing increasingly muddled. With Ye Xiu’s devastating strike descending upon him, his only recourse was to use both hands, transforming two streams of sword light that spun above his head. This immediately created a dazzling burst of radiance and caused non-stop explosions around the plaza.

"Whew..." Some of the surrounding high-level spectators could no longer remain composed and knelt down. It was fortunate they hadn't been matched against these two; what meaning would a competition like that have, when it clearly devolved into someone else’s exhibition?

"This Ye Xiu is truly something. If the opportunity arose, I would genuinely like to spar with him," Wan Jian Canglong adjusted his collar. The explosion of qi from moments ago had even reached the Imperial family high above the Wan Jian Pavilion. "I only wish to compete against one kind of person: one whose mastery of the single sword has reached the realm of perfection. Although Jian Hongchen can use qi as his sword, that no longer qualifies him as a true swordsman—at best, he’s a qi master."

"Big Brother, have you noticed that Ye Xiu hasn't truly used any sword techniques yet?" Xuan Hu also held a high opinion of Ye Xiu, but he was puzzled. He was confused that Ye Xiu's method of wielding a sword seemed different from others. "This Ye Xiu only uses the 'draw sword' move; even when attacking with high speed, it’s limited to hacking and slashing. A sword is not meant to be used this way."

"Could it be that he has never excelled with the sword, but rather with the blade all this time?" Wan Jian Qinglin responded to his elder brother with equal seriousness. He carefully recalled the moment he first met Ye Xiu in the Hidden Water Ravine. Ye Xiu’s speed was indeed fast, but the posture and manner of his rapid advance were unlike what a swordsman should possess. To be precise, it was distinctly the posture of drawing a blade.

"Third Brother means he hasn't displayed his true strength yet?" Wan Jian Canglong eyed Qinglin with some doubt, then relaxed his expression with a sigh. "It’s rare that Third Brother has also taken an interest in this person. Among us three brothers, you have the poorest swordsmanship; if a true showdown were to happen, only Second Brother and I would qualify."

"Big Brother, what do you mean by that?" Xuan Hu started, taken aback by the implication in Canglong’s words.

"Haha, why so tense, Second Brother? Watching the great battle below today has merely made me feel a bit eager. Don't take offense," Canglong laughed aloud, shaking his head at Xuan Hu.

"Big Brother’s Myriad Sword Art has already reached the Eighth Level; how could Xuan Hu possibly contend with you?"

"It matters not. Let's see how things unfold below." Canglong didn't look at Xuan Hu’s expression. His previous words were entirely meant for Xuan Hu. He had long known that Wan Jian Xuan Hu had colluded with various factions to force him from his position, and he was long prepared. The relationship between the two brothers was thin as paper; it simply hadn't been torn through due to a lack of evidence.

The atmosphere of killing intent in the plaza was thick, and the two figures in the center seemed to have deployed their full strength.

"Impressive offense and speed, Young Hero Ye has certainly opened my eyes," Jian Hongchen showed no signs of injury. He maneuvered the two strands of sword light, entwined around him, creating a defense that was utterly flawless.

Ye Xiu was thrown toward the edge of the platform by the previous explosion, blood constantly dripping from his wounds. If he had Tianyi on his side, dealing with this minor opponent would require no effort, but now he simply couldn't find another way to attack.

"It has been a long time since anyone forced me to use the second stream of Sword Splendor Flowing Light. Now, I shall let you witness what qi flow truly means." As Jian Hongchen spoke, he waved his hands outward like wings. This single motion immediately caused the two sword streams on either side to whip toward Ye Xiu with centrifugal force. Ye Xiu touched the blood on his lip, supported himself on one hand, and spun into the air, instantly dodging the attack from below. That sharp sword move, being purely a beam of light, circled back after failing to strike its target and swept toward Ye Xiu from behind. Ye Xiu’s heart tightened, and cold sweat broke out on his palm. Without hesitation, he held the Hengchen Sword sideways behind him, blocking the strike. But when he glanced toward his chest, another beam of light, flowing like water and serpentine in motion, charged toward him. With no other option, a thought flashed in his mind, and he forcibly dodged with another Ghost Step.

"Here!" Jian Hongchen shouted wildly, having long discerned Ye Xiu’s location. He spread his right hand, guiding one stream of sword flow above his head. With a thwack, blood mingled with Ye Xiu’s body as he fell heavily onto the stage, utterly motionless.

"Well? It's not too late to give up now," Jian Hongchen stepped forward, intending to urge Ye Xiu to yield, yet as he saw Ye Xiu’s collapsed form, a sliver of doubt crossed his mind.

"Jian Hongchen is that powerful!" Wan Jian Qinglin slapped his seat and stood up abruptly, startling Shen Ying beside him into wide-eyed silence.

"Third Brother, what's wrong? You seem quite concerned about this Ye Xiu fellow. Could you two know each other?" Xuan Hu’s opening words touched upon many sensitive matters. Although his Third Brother was uneducated, suspicion was warranted. He did not wish for his scheme to be ruined by a third party.

Wan Jian Qinglin gritted his teeth and forced a smile as he sat back down. "Qinglin isn't worried about Ye Xiu. I don't know this man at all. I am merely concerned about Jian Hongchen’s ability. Do you think this level of power can compare to my Wan Jian City’s Myriad Sword Art?"

"This man is merely at Two Swords; he can’t even stand against Ji Jingtian’s Seven Swords of Autumn Sorrow, let alone my Myriad Sword Art?" Xuan Hu boasted. He was inherently arrogant, and no technique other than the Myriad Sword Art captured his notice.

Wan Jian Canglong waved a hand next to him, signaling them to stop arguing. "It’s not over yet. I don't know if you noticed, but the qi surrounding Jian Hongchen shows no sign of calming down."

"Big Brother..." Wan Jian Xuan Hu looked astonished. He wasn't shocked by the environment on the competition stage, but by Canglong’s power. From dozens of meters away on the high platform, he could actually sense the qi rising from the arena. Was this the result of reaching the Eighth Level of the Myriad Sword Art?

"It’s not over yet?" Jian Hongchen stood coldly beside the body beneath Ye Xiu’s presumed blade, the two strands of sword light like intertwined snakes guarding his head. "Why is there still an aura of life?"

The overseeing Blade Guards were already preparing to step forward to ascertain whether Ye Xiu was dead or alive when they suddenly saw the sword lights above Jian Hongchen flicker violently and were scared into retreating once more.