Qinglin nodded, his brow tightly furrowed: "The Myriad Sword City hasn't seemed quite peaceful these past few days. I hear the Eldest Brother arranged for assassins to target all the heroes from various races participating in the martial competition, all to curb the development of the other races."

"Since the Third City Lord has heard about it, what is your take?" Ye Xiu had always suspected that Wan Jian Qinglin harbored some secret schemes; acting so directly against Wan Jian Canglong felt very much in character for him.

"What's wrong, Young Hero Ye? Do you think all of this is my doing?" Qinglin gave a wry smile. "There's no benefit to doing this. Perhaps it could target my Elder Brother, even force him to abdicate, but it is absolutely detrimental to the governance of Myriad Sword City."

Ye Xiu nodded, then reconsidered; Qinglin wasn't the type to act so crudely. Even for the position of Great City Lord, it wasn't worth giving the other races an excuse to invade the Human Race: "Then, in the Third City Lord's estimation, who is responsible for the matter of the Great City Lord's gold plaque?"

Wan Jian Qinglin picked up an ornament from the table, turning it over in his fingers as he smiled: "Anyone who has access to the Myriad Sword Pavilion could have stolen that gold plaque. I suspect my Elder Brother already has some conclusions; he's simply waiting."

"Waiting? Heh, it's no wonder the Great City Lord hasn't shown any particularly vehement reaction. I can see the Great City Lord's intent." Ye Xiu genuinely admired the two brothers of the Wan Jian family. If Canglong and Qinglin could join forces to govern this Three-Realm Boundary, it would truly be an era of peace and prosperity for the nation.

"Actually, Young Hero Ye, you really don't need to worry about these things. What you need to do is perform well and obtain what you seek." Qinglin didn't forget to remind Ye Xiu of his purpose: "I believe once the matter of the final duel is over, everything will come to light. By then, the entire Myriad Sword City might depend on you, Young Hero Ye."

"Depend on me? Third City Lord, you jest." Ye Xiu knew this situation would inevitably lead to upheaval within the Three Swords. If one race among the three were to rise up, the other two would follow suit, and then the entire Three Sword Realm would descend into chaos, birthing a new hegemon.

"Alright, you rest well. I'll be leaving now." Wan Jian Qinglin knew Ye Xiu was an intelligent man; many things didn't need to be stated too explicitly. "Remember, that fellow might find you. I just want to give you a small warning: that person is named Dugu Bingchen; he wields a common Half-Moon Blade, and his Myriad Sword Art has nearly reached the same level as my Elder Brother's. Don't let him kill you, ha ha ha!"

"Heh, please don't worry, Third City Lord." Ye Xiu took it as a joke. Even if Dugu Bingchen’s Myriad Sword Art reached Canglong's level, it would only result in a draw with himself. Moreover, that person's target was to sow discord among the four races; since he himself was not a member of the Three Swords, why should he fight him to the death?

Ye Xiu dealt with too much that day, and his dinner was just a casual affair. He actually found these ancient foods quite hard to eat. He truly wondered how they managed the seasonings; perhaps it was due to their lower levels of knowledge and culture, resulting in fewer available spices. He returned to his room early alone, afraid of running into Shen Ying again and having her launch another physical assault his body simply couldn't handle.

But what else could one do on a night like this besides let their mind wander? Ye Xiu looked at the scene inside the room—no television, no computer, not even a mobile phone to fiddle with. The only thing available to vent his depressed mood was the moon outside the window. The air in ancient times was so good; one could always appreciate a fine moonlit night. Yet, within the bright moonlight, how could there be a small black speck that slowly grew larger, expanding until it became the complete silhouette of a person landing right on his window ledge? Ye Xiu, caught completely off guard, executed a backward sidestep and retreated deep into the inner room.

"So, you are the prodigious martial artist who defeated Jian Hongchen and personally killed Ji Jingtian!" Dugu Bingchen indeed arrived unannounced. He wore plain black robes, his face was stern and cold, and the fierce saber on his back and the sharp sword at his waist all exuded an intense sense of oppression.

Ye Xiu steadied himself, knowing his purpose this time wasn't to engage in a death match. Without even drawing his sword, he stepped forward and inquired, "You must be that Dugu Bingchen. Truly, your saber and sword exude a killer aura that is hard to resist."

"Ye Xiu," Bingchen murmured lazily, then drew the Buluoshuang (Unfalling Frost). "I truly wish to test your sword. If you can withstand one move from me, I will let you go."

"Let me go? Isn't your goal to kill me?" Ye Xiu had long seen through Bingchen's intentions. The conflicts among the four races were already deep; thanks to him today, he believed the various races had begun their own plans. Since Ye Xiu was by no means one of the Three Swords people, Bingchen indeed had no need to dispatch him. Thus, his purpose for coming today was singular: to witness this genius martial artist.

"Draw your sword. Just one strike. Life or death rests entirely on your own fortune." Bingchen offered no superfluous words; his gaze already conveyed everything he needed to say. True swordsmen cared only for the sword, and he couldn't quite be called a swordsman. Ye Xiu was merely a uniquely flavored piece of scenery on his path of vengeance.

Ye Xiu shook his head, unable to do anything about the man's demand. But what could he do with just a single block against one strike? He walked over and picked up the Hengchen (Horizontal Dust); this sword was truly abysmal and offered him little help.

"Hah!" Dugu Bingchen held his sword with both hands, placing it before his chest. He began to regulate his breath, ceasing speech. Everything in the room seemed to fade away, irrelevant to him. His world contained only himself, the sword and the saber, man and vengeance; all of this coalesced into his most sorrowful sword technique, "Myriad Swords in Eight Directions."

Ye Xiu braced his sword, initially expecting that a man like this could only unleash a single, world-shattering strike akin to Canglong's Qingcheng (Overwhelming the City). Caught off guard, he suddenly felt the air currents behind him surge and converge around Bingchen, and the Buluoshuang in his hand became enveloped in layer upon layer of halo.

"What’s the matter? If you don't attack now, it won't just be you; this entire room might vanish," Bingchen was supremely confident in his ultimate sword move. His regulation of the internal energy for this strike had reached its zenith; a mere flick released a thunderous blow.

"Hah!" Ye Xiu focused his spirit to the highest degree, and the Hengchen in his hand began to swing slowly. In terms of speed, the Demonic Saber's Quick Draw Art would never lose to any martial art. With a burst of force, he channeled all his energies, summoning various clones to his side. At this moment, the Myriad Shadow Clones were no longer scattered throughout the environment but were integrating one by one around Ye Xiu—body supporting body, sword guarding sword.

Bingchen's Eight Directions strike descended once more like a massive, sharp blade chopping from above. In a flash of lightning and thunder, the wind swept through the clouds, the clouds veiled the green robes, and a sharp, piercing sound echoed through the world, followed by a bright flurry of sword blossoms dancing against the moon. Ye Xiu alone raised the form of ten thousand swords, using his blade to meet blade, squarely blocking the strike. However, he hadn't anticipated that Bingchen's sword technique had already reached the state of mastery (Huajing); in terms of sheer force, it thoroughly surpassed Canglong, the player. He managed to resist the fatal instant, but the residual force lingering after the sword’s passing instantly shook the floorboards beneath Ye Xiu, shattering them into pieces.