“Well then, Wan Jian Peak is right before your eyes. Is there a secret you need to share with me?” When alone with Ye Xiu, Shen Ying became like a young girl, innocent and brimming with curiosity about the unknown.

Ye Xiu looked up at the sky choked with black clouds. Wan Jian Peak was impossibly high; he wondered what secrets lay at the summit. “The night is beautiful, isn’t it? And the lake’s reflection, the fragrance of the flowers.”

Following Ye Xiu’s gaze, Shen Ying looked out. The bright moonlight reflecting off Xuan Tian Lake at night was wonderfully pleasant. “I rarely come here alone at night. I never knew it could be this beautiful.”

“Actually, this place isn’t beautiful at all,” Ye Xiu suddenly made a complete 180-degree turn, leaving Shen Ying staring at him in bewilderment. He smiled faintly, leaning close to her lips, and whispered softly, “This place truly isn’t lovely, because only with your presence here does it become intoxicating.”

Shen Ying was startled once more. Such rare romance could move anyone, and she instinctively pressed her soft lips against Ye Xiu’s.

Ye Xiu embraced Shen Ying, tilting his head back to gaze at the heavens, asserting, “Shen Ying, I want to go up Wan Jian Peak to see what’s actually up there!”

“You want to go up? How will you get up? And why are you going?” Shen Ying followed his line of sight upward. The layers of black clouds covering Wan Jian Peak made it impossible to discern anything.

“The Great City Lord said that since ancient times, only one Elder of the Winged Clan ascended and never returned. So, I want to try it too, to see if I possess that ability.” Ye Xiu had carefully studied Cang Long’s words: since Wan Jian Peak was situated above the Wan Jian Pavilion, it must conceal the secret of the entire Wan Jian City or perhaps the Three Swords Realm. With the whereabouts of the Po Feng Sword and the Xiao Lang Sword still unknown, he couldn't afford to let any clue slip by.

Shen Ying still felt this undertaking wouldn't be easy. She tightly gripped Ye Xiu’s arm. “Ancient texts do record a Winged Clan Elder ascending, but they never clarified if he successfully reached the summit or died there. You shouldn't take such a risk, especially since a human could never possibly reach it.”

“That’s why I need to tell you a secret.” Ye Xiu released her hand and stepped back a few paces. “I am indeed, without a doubt, a human. But during a battle, my body was invaded by a swarm of bats, so…”

Shen Ying looked at Ye Xiu, her eyes filling with tears, a look of profound surprise on her face.

Ye Xiu closed his eyes, forcing the memory forward to the scene where Yun Ji entrusted him with the bat wings. Above them, the sky immediately darkened with oppressive clouds; one could hear the vast expanse of the starry sky itself trembling with bursts of lightning. And then, following a sharp bolt of thunder, a pair of enormous bat wings materialized behind Ye Xiu, accompanied by a flurry of rushing bats that gave them form.

“Hoo…” Ye Xiu’s body slowly floated into the mid-air. This was the first time he had summoned these wings using only his will, without being in combat. The wings, as if starved for darkness, flapped wildly.

“Could you be of the Winged Clan?” Shen Ying felt a wave of disbelief at what she witnessed, yet she completely trusted Ye Xiu’s words. “Is this what you meant by being invaded by a swarm of bats?”

“Yes.” Ye Xiu slowly descended, embracing Shen Ying before soaring straight into the sky. “How could the Winged Clan possess wings like these? Look closely; these are bat wings, without any of those so-called feathers.”

Shen Ying was both shocked and delighted. Her beloved man was indeed extraordinary, truly a dragon among men, always possessing something unique. She held Ye Xiu’s waist tightly and laughed, “Now I can fly too! Can you take me for a spin or two in the sky?”

“Of course, but you must promise me you won't tell anyone, not even the City Lords.” Ye Xiu swept Shen Ying up and shot toward the heavens. The bat wings seemed to possess the instinct of real bats; not only was their speed incredible, but they navigated every dangerous patch with uncanny ease, gliding past peril effortlessly.

“Hoo…” After circling a few times with Shen Ying, Ye Xiu slowly descended and placed her back on the ground. Soaring through the night sky with a pair of bat wings possessed a unique flavor.

“With these wings, can you safely reach the summit of Wan Jian Peak?” Shen Ying’s worry lingered. “Legends say Winged Clan members have tried to ascend, but they all plummeted to their deaths for unknown reasons. I am still deeply uneasy about you going like this.”

Ye Xiu fanned his wings and reached out to stroke Shen Ying’s forehead. “How can those Winged Clan members compare to me? Don’t worry, I’m just going to try; I’m not going to sacrifice my life. You don’t need to worry.”

“But…” Shen Ying still felt it was unwise, yet she found no other arguments to persuade Ye Xiu.

“All you need to do is wait obediently below for me.” Ye Xiu raised an eyebrow at Shen Ying and let out a sly laugh. “It won’t take me long to return. If I don’t see you here when I get back, I’m going to be angry, you know.”

“Sigh, I really can’t do anything about you,” Shen Ying sighed, saying no more.

The night wind was already sweeping across the high platform. At this very apex of Wan Jian City stood a towering peak whose majesty and mystery had drawn countless challengers over the ages; now, it was Ye Xiu’s turn.

He took a deep breath, fanned his wings, and slowly lifted himself. He gripped the Heng Chen Precious Sword tightly in his hand, resolved to break through whatever danger lay in the Nine Heavens. “Boom…” At this moment, Ye Xiu resembled a rocket blasting skyward. The bat wings unleashed their maximum velocity as he shot upward, heading directly for Wan Jian Peak.

Ye Xiu flew close to the cliff face. Initially, he could only vaguely make out the moss clinging to the rock. This Wan Jian Peak was peculiar: though a massive mountain, there was no path leading up. Ye Xiu circled the mountain several times before realizing it was essentially one enormous cylinder. There was no vegetation or animal life on it—if one had to name anything present, it was moss; the entire surface was almost entirely covered in it.

After flying for quite some time, the monotonous scenery made Ye Xiu feel somewhat weary. He looked down beneath him, only to find nothing visible beyond the dark clouds. Looking up again, he saw only dense black clouds. He felt entirely suspended in a deep abyss of despair, unable to see his path forward or return the way he came. Suddenly, a chill penetrated his very core. Ye Xiu knew this was fundamentally a physical phenomenon: the higher one got from the ground, the thinner the air and the lower the temperature. But the current cold was inexplicably extreme. The moss-covered cliff face had abruptly frozen over with a thick layer of ice. He tentatively touched it with a finger and found the ice impossibly hard.

“Ah… Hoo…” Ye Xiu began to feel his body losing control. The frigid air seemed to be affecting the wings on his back as well. No wonder even the Winged Clan couldn't easily cross this boundary; their wings could barely withstand such harsh environments. Fortunately, his wings were those of a bat—creatures accustomed to relatively cold caves—so while uncomfortable, it was bearable.

Ye Xiu couldn't afford to hesitate, continuing his ascent through the dense black clouds. He had been traveling for some time, but judging by the situation, reaching the summit seemed impossible. At that moment, sharp cracking sounds began to emanate from within the black clouds. He halted his flight, staring coldly upward. Several clusters of red objects were rapidly approaching him.

“Fire…” Ye Xiu exclaimed, instantly dodging a fireball descending from above. Before he could regain his composure, several more bursts of flame shot down toward him. In a critical situation, Ye Xiu acted without thinking, drawing Heng Chen and slashing toward the incoming projectiles, cleaving them in half so they slid past either side of his body. Though he wasn't hit directly, he could feel intense heat radiating around him. What was happening? Was this a volcano? Ye Xiu flew left and right, dodged front and back, ascended and descended. Each time he flew higher, the number of fireballs increased. When a large number of fireballs plummeted vertically toward the icy mountain surface, they were instantly frozen solid and shattered.

Was this the legendary Ice and Fire Double Heaven? Ye Xiu’s heart pounded. Thankfully, his bat wings protected him, allowing him to endure both the extreme cold and the scorching heat. He didn't slow down; instead, his desire to reach the summit intensified. His bat wings moved with lightning speed, and the Heng Chen in his hand was more than adequate for dealing with these mindless fireballs. Finally, after a period of intense struggle, he burst out of that scorching zone and plunged back into the dense black clouds.

“Damn it!” Ye Xiu was so angry he wanted to curse the mountain. This mountain was so perilous; what treasures lay at the summit? And such treasures were clearly not meant for humans. Who among humans could fly this high purely on lightness skill? And those standard Winged Clan wings couldn't endure the extreme cold, and even if they barely passed the ice layer, they couldn't contend with those fireballs. Furthermore, this mountain was called Wan Jian Peak—what exactly did 'Ten Thousand Swords' refer to? Could it be…

“Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh!” Before Ye Xiu could fully grasp the meaning, what he understood as ‘Ten Thousand Swords’ instantly filled the entire sky. That oppressive darkness was no longer cloud but thousands of sharp blades, their tips pointed earthward, rushing toward him like a ravenous flood.

“The summit!” Ye Xiu felt an immense, crushing pressure. He could clearly see the flat expanse of Wan Jian Peak’s summit; the final, thin layer of clouds seemed right above his head, and vaguely, he sensed a human silhouette gazing down upon him.

“Boom…” Time waited for no one, and the sky-raining swords arrived all too promptly. Ye Xiu’s vision suddenly darkened. That pressure from the Nine Heavens was the falling swords themselves, as if the very sky was collapsing. Ye Xiu knew he couldn't make it to the top. With regret, he had no choice but to turn his body and use his wings to drive hard back toward the ground.