“Hoo…” Wan Jian Cang Long truly lived up to his title as the City Lord; no matter what incredible event unfolded, he maintained an aura of majesty. Yet, even he was slightly agitated now, the hand gripping the Jue Tian Jing Hong trembling, not from fear, but excitement.

“You really went too far, didn’t you? Didn’t we agree not to expose your true strength?” Jian Hong Chen had long sensed the shift in the air currents above him, but he hadn't anticipated Ye Xiu having so many clones. He then realized those figures wielding swords weren't clones at all, but Ye Xiu himself captured at various points in time during his high-speed movement.

“Whoosh… Whoosh…” Ye Xiu unleashed a torrent of sword moves, and all the clones, pulled down by gravity, simultaneously charged toward Jian Hong Chen in the center of the arena. Jian Hong Chen, meanwhile, swayed his hands, controlling the flowing sword light into two circular barriers protecting him.

“Thud… Boom…” Each time a Ye Xiu clone stabbed toward Jian Hong Chen, it collided with his sword light at close range before crashing heavily onto the ground. Immediately following, another clone descended with the same speed and trajectory, slamming down. After hundreds, even thousands of clones had launched their assaults, the entire Myriad Sword Square was thoroughly engulfed in shimmering sword light, flames, and flying debris.

“Cough… Ah…” The blinding dust storm assaulted everyone like a cyclone. No one could bear the intense haze, and complaints and coughing soon erupted ceaselessly.

“You’ve certainly overdone it a bit,” Jian Hong Chen remarked lazily toward Ye Xiu, who stood beside him. “Wasn’t the point to keep your power hidden? With this grand display, you must have exhausted all your techniques by now.”

Ye Xiu stood smiling amidst the swirling sand: “Didn’t you say we needed to put on a good show? I’ve been quite considerate of you; I didn't just defeat you with a single, ordinary sword thrust. You should actually thank me for holding back. Besides, don’t you think this commotion has ensured no one truly knows what we’re doing here?”

“Heh, you are rather interesting. How exactly do you plan to secure the victory?” Jian Hong Chen retracted the flowing sword light from his palms, preparing to surrender.

“That last move was already me being generous. For the next part, just move your neck a little closer,” Ye Xiu declared arrogantly, tilting his head back as he slowly brought Heng Chen beside Jian Hong Chen’s neck, smiling. “When the dust settles, everyone will see the truth: Soul-Draining Youth, Jian Hong Chen, is defeated.”

Jian Hong Chen let out a long sigh, glaring at Ye Xiu: “If I ever get the chance, I will certainly learn the prowess of these clones of yours. Who wins and who loses then remains to be seen.”

Ye Xiu nodded and gave Jian Hong Chen a provocative look: “Alright, Child, don’t move anymore. People can almost see what we’re up to in the middle now. Oh, and one more thing—even that move didn’t reveal my true strength.”

“Hmph!” Jian Hong Chen gave a cold laugh and ceased all movement. He knew the royal family members on the Myriad Sword Pavilion and several experts outside the plaza had already pierced through the obstructions and were focused on the two of them.

“The Soul-Draining Youth is actually defeated. It seems nothing is absolute.” Wan Jian Cang Long straightened his robes and walked away, leaving behind Xuan Hu, whose face was etched with astonishment atop the pavilion, and Qing Lin, who remained silent.

“I never expected Young Master Ye Xiu to be such a master. I truly treated you poorly yesterday.” Wan Jian Chen Ying fluttered her sleeves in front of her, her bright eyes fixed only on the commanding and imposing figure of Ye Xiu as he pointed his sword at his opponent.

“To think the Soul-Draining Youth lost to a nobody!” Yi Tian Nan of the Winged Clan, standing high above with his arms crossed, looked utterly displeased. “I expected the first match to be without suspense. Hmph!”

“You should worry about yourself,” Zhan Feng Yue hissed from below the tall building. “I don’t fancy having you eliminated before I even get my turn. The battle between the Beast Clan and the Winged Clan in the South Sea is still unresolved; we should settle it at this martial arts tournament.”

“You’d better not get cut down before then,” Yi Tian Nan glanced dismissively at Zhan Feng Yue, flapping his brown wings as he slowly departed. He hadn't expected Zhan Feng Yue’s goal in the tournament to be him; it seemed there was some information he needed to report to a certain someone.

The smoke gradually dispersed, and as the flying sand and stones settled, only Ye Xiu remained standing in the plaza, his sword pointed horizontally at the Soul-Draining Youth, Jian Hong Chen.

“Wow… this guy actually won!”

“Jian Hong Chen lost! The top master of the Three-Sword Realm, Jian Hong Chen, has been defeated!” The audience was stunned by the outcome, but after a moment’s thought, recalling the intimidating, world-destroying aura of Ye Xiu’s previous move, they realized how it could have been otherwise.

“Wow, Ye Xiu is amazing, Ye Xiu is amazing!” A Jiao cheered and hopped with excitement. At this moment, Ye Xiu was a hero in her eyes; she had never idolized him so much.

“Brother Ye,” Lang Tao Tian stood by the edge of the stage, clenching his fist. Ye Xiu’s victory surprised him greatly. He was up next, and his opponent was the old man holding the strange gourd—if he wasn’t mistaken, he was from the Beast Clan.

“Ye Xiu wins the first match!” At this moment, Yuan Wen Cheng on the high platform put his screeching voice—like a strangled chicken—to full use, giving Ye Xiu an urgent need to use the latrine.

“Since there’s nothing else, I think I’ll head back to the Star Gazing Pavilion for a good rest. You said the Three City Lords were so wonderful, making me fight so desperately and get injured.” Ye Xiu sheathed his sword and walked toward the elevator of the Myriad Sword Pavilion.

“Oh, you’re just leaving? Not interested in watching the performance of your future opponents?” Jian Hong Chen considered himself arrogant but understood the principle of knowing one’s adversary; he hadn't expected Ye Xiu to be so haughty.

“Rather than watching others’ moves here, you should go back and think about your Flowing Sword Light,” Ye Xiu made a gesture toward Jian Hong Chen before turning and stepping onto the elevator. “I don’t believe the rest of these contenders stand a chance against you. Perhaps one day, we two truly will have a decisive battle.”

“Hmph, very well, let’s find a time!” Jian Hong Chen accepted Ye Xiu’s challenge, though he knew there were more important matters to attend to before their final showdown.

“The second match begins: Lang Tao Tian of the Water Clan versus Jue Yan Lao of the Beast Clan.” The guards quickly tidied the arena and retreated; if this pair was as formidable as the last, they were in for a long day.

“Go, Big Brother!” As soon as Lang Tao Tian leaped onto the stage, A Jiao began cheering, continuously pulling at those around her: “That’s my Big Brother, that’s my Big Brother!” Then, feeling that wasn't convincing enough, she changed her proclamation: “Ye Xiu is my husband, Ye Xiu is my husband!” Tragically, no one understood what ‘husband’ meant, and no one gave her any reaction.

“So, you are the Wave-Uprooting Spear, Lang Tao Tian?” Jue Yan Lao lifted his gourd and took a swig of wine. “Have you ever heard of this old man before?”

Lang Tao Tian raised his spear with one hand, tossed it into the air, and gently caught it with his arm, mimicking Ye Xiu as he spun the spear endlessly on his arm: “Forgive my ignorance, but I do not recognize who you are.”