Ye Xiu quietly took a deep breath. He knew what Shen Ying meant, and Wan Jian Qinglin had mentioned it to him too. Others might not know, but he understood that the victor of the martial competition would be positioned to marry Wan Jian Shenying, the county princess of Wan Jian City: "County... Shenying, rest assured, I will exert my utmost effort to secure victory. It's just what comes after that..."

Shenying’s heart soared; she desperately wanted to take Ye Xiu's hand right then, but her status as a princess required her to hold back.

Together they crossed the dazzling sea of flowers. Unlike Shenying, Ye Xiu was not savoring the hazy ambiguity. A conflict was slowly rising within him. Wan Jian Shenying was kind and beautiful, but his own objectives were far from pure. Even without all the complicated circumstances, facing an ordinary girl might not inspire love in him. He kept his head down, occasionally mumbling in response to Shenying, and at the very edge of the flower sea, white roses were planted. These were the white roses he hadn't seen in so long—the yearning for someone he missed. He could never forget Xue Nü, who was willing to die for him. If love truly existed in his heart, he knew the only two people he felt romantic love for were Xue Nü and Lü Xu.

"Young Master Ye, what is wrong?" As Shenying spoke, she seemed to notice Ye Xiu’s underlying displeasure. If she could, she truly wished to share some burden for him. "Are you worried about the upcoming matches? Don't fret; if even Elder Brother values you, no one else will be your match."

"Heh, you’re right," Ye Xiu listlessly raised his head. One couldn't always dwell on past regrets; the most necessary action was to look forward. And right before him appeared a towering peak that seemed to pierce the clouds. "Shenying, what is this mountain? I can't even see the summit!"

"Oh, so that's what you were thinking about. Heh heh." Shenying smiled with delight and slowly explained, "This peak is called Ten Thousand Sword Peak (Wan Jian Feng). It is the highest point in all of Wan Jian City. No one has ever managed to climb to the summit—not even the mighty Winged Clan has the ability to reach it."

"The Ten Thousand Sword Pavilion already scrapes the sky; I didn't expect there would be a mountain peak standing above it." Ye Xiu inherently possessed a spirit of exploration. If a martial artist’s lightness skill wasn't enough to reach the top, the Winged Clan could certainly use their wings. "Are you saying even members of the Winged Clan have tried to ascend and failed?"

Shenying looked up at Ten Thousand Sword Peak and said, "I only heard this from Elder Brother. Legend has it that the secrets of all Wan Jian City are hidden atop Ten Thousand Sword Peak. Thus, many human heroes have tried to climb it over the years, all without success. Out of desperation, the Human Race invited masters from the Winged Clan to help, hoping their innate wings could allow them to investigate. However, every Winged Clan member who went up failed and fell to their deaths."

"Birds can fall to their death too!" Ye Xiu was utterly astonished. "Does that mean whatever is atop Ten Thousand Sword Peak is something no one knows about anymore?"

"Indeed. It is said that only one Elder of the Winged Clan went up and never returned. No body, no trace; no one knows if he succeeded or not." Shenying was somewhat interested in such legends, but if pressed further, she would have no answer.

Ye Xiu tilted his head back, using his hand to shield against the bright light. Ten Thousand Sword Peak was immeasurably high, almost entirely shrouded in clouds. He truly wondered what the scenery at the top would be like. Didn't Jian Hongchen always tell him to hide his strength? In truth, the thing he needed to hide most were the pair of bat wings on his back. Those wings were not possessed by ordinary humans, nor did they belong to the Winged Clan.

A soft kacha kacha sound drifted over. It turned out Zuo Wen Cheng was approaching via the lift platform.

"It's Zuo Wen Cheng," Shenying smoothed her attire, adjusting the sleeves disturbed by the butterflies, and composed the recent joy on her face as she went to meet him.

"The Grand City Lord has commanded me to invite the County Princess and Young Hero Ye down to the inner hall." Zuo Wen Cheng respectfully bowed to the pair and gestured for them to follow.

"Oh, I suppose it must be time for dinner. Speaking of which, I'm hungry too," Ye Xiu rubbed his stomach, realizing it had likely been empty for a while.

"Heh heh, Young Master Ye guesses accurately. All the matches down below should be concluded by now," Shenying found Ye Xiu somewhat endearing; she never expected a grown man to openly hold his stomach and declare his hunger.

"The victors today are already waiting in the hall. County Princess, Young Master Ye, please follow me down," Zuo Wen Cheng confirmed this and led Shenying and Ye Xiu onto the lift platform.

"Princess first," Ye Xiu waved for Shenying to precede him, positioning himself slightly behind her. Shenying smiled knowingly, lowered her head, and stood softly beside him, her happiness clearly visible.

Sixteen down to eight. He wondered what sort of characters would be waiting below now. Surely A Jiao's elder brother, Lang Tao Tian, wouldn't be eliminated so easily.

Entering the Sword Unsheathing Tower again, the atmosphere was less relaxed than a few days ago. Was it because Jian Hongchen’s arrogance was missing that everyone felt more tense?

"Greetings, County Princess." These men were quite polite; upon seeing the princess arrive, they all stood up to pay their respects.

"Please unbuckle your swords and follow me," Zuo Wen Cheng followed behind Shenying, instructing everyone to enter the inner hall.

"Lang Tao Tian, you're still here!" Ye Xiu was pleasantly surprised to see an acquaintance in this place. "How was it? Was today's match an easy win?"

"Brother Ye, you jest. You are the protagonist today. Having defeated Soul-Draining Boy Jian Hongchen, you can already be considered one of the top two experts among the Three Swordsmen," Lang Tao Tian’s smile was sincere, without any empty flattery.

"Hmph, perhaps it was just luck," Zhan Feng Yue, standing nearby, raised his eyebrows with disdain for Ye Xiu. "Besides, the legend of that Jian Hongchen is long past. A few years ago, maybe he was among the best, but now, it seems he's not even as good as a simple country farmer."

"Oh, so this must be that infamous Zhan... what was it, Yue?" Ye Xiu deliberately provoked him. He couldn't stand unreasonable people like this. "Why didn't you say this yesterday when Jian Hongchen was here? Were you afraid his Flowing Light Sword Slash would incinerate you!"

"You..." Zhan Feng Yue was of the Beast Clan, so his temper was naturally impulsive, but he wouldn't immediately erupt within Wan Jian City. "Fine! You’ve shown your skill today. Don't let me meet you elsewhere, or else."

"Or else I will surely sever both of your so-called great sabers one by one," Ye Xiu sneered, following Zuo Wen Cheng as the first to enter the inner hall, letting Zhan Feng Yue howl furiously behind him.

In the inner hall, Wan Jian Cang Long remained imposing. When he saw Ye Xiu enter first, he didn't forget to nod in acknowledgment: "The eight warriors, please take your seats!"

Everyone sat down, though several individuals were clearly trying to avoid Ye Xiu, unwilling to sit opposite him. Only one swordsman, dressed in guard attire, sat down firmly, focusing his gaze on him. Ye Xiu knew this man was Ji Jingtian, the Captain of the Guard for Wan Jian City.

"Heh heh, it seems some warriors are very particular about seating arrangements," Xuan Hu looked down upon those greedy for life and fearful of death the most. Seeing this situation, he couldn't help but mock, "If you're afraid to die, why come here and embarrass yourselves? It would be best to go home and rest early."

"Second Brother, why say such a thing? Everyone sitting here today is a hero who passed five trials and overcame six obstacles. Who fears life and death, success or failure!" Cang Long had also seen the subtle maneuvering, and his plan remained the same as yesterday: determining opponents by seating arrangement. Although he held Ye Xiu's strength in high regard, the one sitting opposite him was Ji Jingtian, the Captain of the Guard of Wan Jian City, whose true skill Cang Long had never tested.

Ye Xiu felt quite pleased with himself. Among the four royals sitting in the hall, three were closely acquainted with him; the entire atmosphere immediately felt much more relaxed. He casually glanced at the others, then secretly winked at Shenying, causing her to cover her mouth and stifle a giggle.

"Little Sister, what are you laughing about?" Qing Lin saw it and was delighted, though he hadn't expected Ye Xiu and Shenying’s relationship to progress so quickly.

"Little Sister is also laughing at those who dare not sit opposite Young Master Ye. How can such timid creatures qualify as royalty in Wan Jian City?" Shenying's heart was clearly already leaning toward Ye Xiu.

Wan Jian Cang Long couldn't fault her, as he too respected Ye Xiu deeply from the bottom of his heart: "Regardless, Cang Long congratulates all of you. Please exert your utmost efforts to win. Come! I toast you all."

"A toast to the Grand City Lord, the Second City Lord, the Third City Lord, and the County Princess," everyone raised their wine cups and drained them in one go.

Ye Xiu glanced around. It seemed the acknowledged masters from various clans had all advanced successfully. This suggested his final opponents would likely be one of them. He hoped he wouldn't face Lang Tao Tian; after all, he was A Jiao's older brother. If he angered A Jiao too much, she might take a bite again—her last bite had nearly dislocated his shoulder.

At this moment, Wan Jian Xuan Hu suddenly stood up and asked Ji Jingtian, "Captain Ji, your courage is indeed commendable. Why would you willingly sit opposite today's biggest favorite, Ye Xiu? After all, he only emerged after successfully defeating Jian Hongchen. Rumors outside suggest the championship of this competition is already in Ye Xiu's pocket."

Ye Xiu was inwardly delighted upon hearing this. He hadn't expected these people to read the situation so accurately. If he could place a bet on the side pool, he would put his money on himself to win.

Ji Jingtian, with an expression of cold detachment, also stood up and said to Xuan Hu, "Although Ji Jingtian is the Captain of the Guard for Wan Jian City, Ji Jingtian is also a swordsman. The dignity of a swordsman tells me that I should challenge Young Hero Ye."

"I dare not accept such praise," Ye Xiu waved his hand, shaking his head in modesty.