The old man pondered, his expression inevitably turning somewhat bleak: "Elder of the Wing Clan, that is a name so unfamiliar. I recall they used to call me Yufeng back then."

"Oh, Elder Yufeng, then." Ye Xiu was adept at reading expressions, and meeting a legendary figure from the Three Swords truly delighted him. "It is my utmost honor to meet a master of your caliber, Senior. A blessing in three lifetimes."

"There's no need for such courtesies between us. All this old man wishes to know is what exactly has befallen the Ten Thousand Swords City. Recently, myriad strange lights have pierced the Heavenly Realm. Has some great catastrophe befallen the lower world?" Elder Yufeng, though detached, still harbored concern for the mortal realm below.

Ye Xiu tidied his garments and stood up, explaining in detail: "The entire Three Swords Realm has devolved into chaos. The four races are poised for a brutal, unending slaughter. The Kuang Jingmai has resurfaced, and perhaps the Sha Jun Tian Mang is about to descend once more."

"Kuang Jingmai!" Yufeng slammed the staff he held against the ground, sighing deeply. "I feared this day would come, and it has. A meteor fell from the sky some days ago, carrying both hope and immense bloodshed—this is the variable facing the Three Swords Realm."

Ye Xiu was somewhat astonished. He never expected that in any corner of the world, there would always be some stargazer capable of grasping the rise and fall of the entire realm. Yet, recalling the terrifying power of the Kuang Jingmai, he felt frustrated by his own impotence: "That Dugu Bingchen originally possessed less power than I, yet with the Kuang Jingmai unleashed, he has become invincible. Even Hong Chen, with the Soul-Sucking Boy Sword, is no match for him."

"That is inevitable." Yufeng nodded, suddenly taking a keen interest in Ye Xiu himself. "Your ability to ascend this Ten Thousand Swords Peak proves you are destined to shoulder the mission of re-sealing the Sha Jun Tian Mang."

"What? Another mission!" Ye Xiu truly wished he could wake up and never return. No matter where he appeared, he seemed destined to be a savior. In truth, he lacked such immense capability and never desired to carry such a heavy fate. He merely wanted a simple life: chase after girls when he felt like it, and run far away when trouble arose. Why must he constantly encounter such destiny and such sworn enemies? Heavens, surely you've made a mistake!

"The world knows this old man vanished upon the Ten Thousand Swords Peak, but no one knows the true meaning behind this peak's existence."

"True meaning?"

Elder Yufeng stepped out of the room, gazing up at the sun in the high heavens as he spoke softly: "The creation of the Three Swords Realm was inherently a process of one life and one demise. The existence of Sha Jun Tian Mang is destruction incarnate, yet it also signifies the next rebirth. What lies hidden atop the Ten Thousand Swords Peak is the Jue Jingmai, which is mutually antagonistic to the Kuang Jingmai. To slay the Sha Jun Tian Mang, one must replace every single meridian in their body."

"Replacing with the Jue Jingmai!" Ye Xiu felt an urge to vomit, as if facing surgery. "You mean someone must replace the Jue Jingmai—is it me again?"

Yufeng’s expression turned solemn. He pointed to the famous sword Heng Chen beside Ye Xiu: "Ye Xiu, you are the master of the Heng Chen Sword. The critical task of replacing the Jue Jingmai naturally falls to you."

"Senior, you actually know the Heng Chen Sword?" Ye Xiu momentarily set aside the matter of the Jue Jingmai. He was astonished that someone in the Three Swords Realm recognized the treasured sword Zhang Liang had gifted him. "What is the origin of this sword? Do you know, Senior?"

Yufeng exerted a burst of force with his palm, instantly drawing the Heng Chen toward him. He drew it out, examining it left and right: "The Heng Chen Sword was originally the supreme sword of the Human Race. How could I not know it?"

Ye Xiu sucked in a sharp breath. He hadn't expected the sword in his hand to have such a profound connection. "Please enlighten me, Senior."

Yufeng held the sword in his left hand, speaking earnestly: "When the Sha Jun Tian Mang was reborn to destroy the world, Bing Ao, the first master swordsmith of the Three Swords, gathered the spiritual energy of the four races of heaven and earth to forge four swords: first, the Human Race's Heng Chen Sword; second, the Wing Clan's Pofeng Sword; third, the Water Race's Xiaolang Sword; and fourth, the Beast Race's Kuangsha Sword. Unfortunately, after the four swords were forged, no one could wield them. In a fit of anger, Bing Ao cast the four swords onto the earth. For so many years, only the Human Race's Heng Chen Sword never reappeared, gradually fading from memory."

"But weren't the Water Race and the Wing Clan said to have never used swords?" Ye Xiu was confused again. He had met members of both races and certainly never saw them with swords.

"Hahaha, of course you wouldn't see them." Yufeng used his staff to pivot, placing it steadily before Ye Xiu. "The Wing Clan's Pofeng Sword has been in my hands for hundreds of years. That’s why those descendants have no idea this sword even exists."

"You mean you've had it for hundreds of years? But..." Ye Xiu felt a surge of surprise. He hadn't expected the second sword he sought to appear so effortlessly before him. "Senior, the staff in your hand is the Pofeng Sword!"

"Tsssh..." Yufeng decisively flung the staff into the air, then scooped up the Heng Chen with one hand, lightly circling it. He directly stripped away the red casing of the staff, and a delicate, slender sword instantly spun into visibility in mid-air. The blade, seeing daylight once more, shone with an exciting, almost sentient cold light.

"We have three of the four swords now, don't we?" Yufeng’s expression was now particularly animated. "As for the Water Race's Xiaolang Sword, I have indeed never seen it, but I firmly believe we will find something if we travel to Cangshan Sea."

"En." Ye Xiu nodded. He suddenly saw a glimmer of hope. If this were true, wouldn't he be able to return to the Central Plains quickly, summon the Divine Ghost Three Swords, and command the Million Divine Ghost Army? Why should he stay in the Three Swords Realm to be a savior and face the unfathomable Sha Jun Tian Mang?

"That alone is far from enough. The four swords must be united to achieve their maximum potential. I imagine you’ve noticed the pattern upon the Heng Chen," Yufeng continued his explanation. "Upon the Heng Chen are birds, beasts, and swimming fish—in other words, the Heng Chen Sword is the Mother Sword. It must assimilate the powers of the Pofeng, Kuangsha, and Xiaolang swords to unleash its true strength."

"We have three swords now; can't we complete the merger?" Ye Xiu picked up the Kuangsha Sword beside him but felt an unsettling weight. "Senior, do you have a way to merge them? If so, we could slay Dugu Bingchen before Sha Jun Tian Mang is reborn, thus averting a catastrophe!"

Yufeng shook his head, whispering: "The unification of the four swords requires obtaining the True Essence of the four races. The Human Race's True Essence lies within the Tenth Level of the Wan Jian Jue. The Beast Race's True Essence lies within Elder Xie's sinister energy. The Water Race's True Essence resides in pure kindness and genuine emotion. As for the Wing Clan’s True Essence..."

"The Wing Clan's True Essence?" Ye Xiu noticed Yufeng's hesitation and felt a jolt of shock in his heart. Could the Wing Clan's True Essence be related to him?

"Precisely." Yufeng, as expected of one who understands people so well, seemed to see through Ye Xiu's thoughts. He stated firmly: "The Wing Clan's True Essence lies within the Immortal-like Aura of myself, Elder Yufeng."

"How can these four True Essences be obtained?"

"By slaying Elder Xie with the Heng Chen Sword, and then slaying me, you can directly acquire the True Essences of the Wing and Beast races. The Human Race's True Essence requires breaking through the Tenth Level of the Wan Jian Jue. The Water Race's True Essence must be sought out yourself." Yufeng seemed to feel his own destiny weighing upon him. "My Immortal-like Aura stems from the Jue Jingmai. In the three days you were unconscious, I completed the meridian replacement for you. Therefore, my fate has entirely transferred to you."

"What? Senior, you mean I now possess the Jue Jingmai!" Ye Xiu curiously touched his own body but found nothing outwardly different. Yet, new questions arose. "Since you possessed the ultimate technique, why didn't you descend the mountain to slay the fiend yourself, instead transferring the Jue Jingmai to me?"

"The Jue Jingmai can grant a life of several hundred years, but the longer one lives, the more painful it becomes for the body. This is because the Jue Jingmai will backlash; if contained within the same body for too long, it causes cultivation deviation, turning one into a demon just like Sha Jun Tian Mang. This has been the reason I haven't descended the mountain these past few centuries," Yufeng revealed his hardship.

"Hoo..." Ye Xiu had absorbed so much information that he didn't know where to begin. "Then how does the Jue Jingmai operate? I don't feel any stronger!"

"The Jue Jingmai is governed by emotion; it requires no special cultivation. If one must practice, they should focus on controlling their emotions. If control falters even once, there is the same danger of cultivation deviation," Yufeng stressed, holding up his hand. "With your current strength, you still cannot contend with the yet-awakened Sha Jun Tian Mang. Therefore, the four swords must be united."

"But, but where do I even begin?" Ye Xiu clutched his head in agony, utterly lost. "I know nothing of the Heng Chen Sword techniques, let alone facing the Kuang Jingmai or having any chance against the Beast Race's Elder Xie, not to mention the hidden masters throughout the Three Swords!"

"That's why..." Yufeng had already arranged everything for Ye Xiu. "I found the Wan Jian Jue manual on your person. That is an item only the royal family of Ten Thousand Swords City is entitled to possess. Regardless of your connection to the royal family, you must cultivate the Wan Jian Jue quickly and advance your realm."

"It was Big Brother who gave it to you!" At this moment, Shen Ying, who had been silent, suddenly produced the sword manual and placed it before Ye Xiu. "As Senior says, since you now possess the Jue Jingmai, cultivating the Wan Jian Jue should yield twice the result with half the effort."

"But, but I can't even reach the First Level." Ye Xiu was usually confident, but carrying so much responsibility made him feel immensely burdened.

"One more thing: Kill me! Then you can obtain the power of the Pofeng Sword." Elder Yufeng was utterly serious. He had long prepared to sacrifice his remaining life for this world.

"This, this I cannot do!" Ye Xiu had killed many, but only on the battlefield. He could not bring himself to kill a good man. "Is there no way to defeat Sha Jun Tian Mang without relying on the power of the four swords united?"

Yufeng shook his head, spreading his arms to face Ye Xiu. "This old man is already steeped in sin. Ever since the Jue Jingmai caused me to deviate, countless lives across the races of the Three Swords have been lost by my hand. I have long wished to end my own life, waiting only for the right moment—for someone capable of inheriting the Jue Jingmai and meeting the variable of the Three Swords."

"But..." Ye Xiu kept his head down, still unable to accept such a demand. At that moment, he felt a warmth in his palm. Shen Ying was weeping silently as she clutched his hand.

"Shen Ying, do you also think I must do this?" Ye Xiu looked at Shen Ying's resolute face. Even a woman could clearly distinguish right from wrong. Why was he, who had always remained aloof from the world, still hesitating?