"Hahaha, Lord of the One-Word Sword, Night Wind Lament!" Xuan Hu turned, spreading his arms to welcome the two arrivals. "As City Lord, I formally appoint you both as Left and Right Generals. Crushing the Three Swords in the future will fall to you two."

"Many thanks, City Lord." The Lord of the One-Word Sword had a ferocious appearance, with a scar running down the left side of his face. A sword hung at his waist, utterly devoid of a scabbard.

"Subordinates have also tracked down Dugu Bingchen's whereabouts," Night Wind Lament also stepped forward to express his gratitude. He was masked, clad in plain black robes, and the cold killing intent above his eyes was sharp enough to pierce through everything. He possessed no obvious weapon but excelled at utilizing his surroundings to overcome enemies. "May I ask what the City Lord’s plan is."

"Well done!" Xuan Hu nodded, fully affirming the merit of these two. "If I haven't guessed wrong, Dugu Bingchen’s power has been largely depleted by now. It’s a miracle that the rapidly swelling Kuang Meridian didn't kill him outright. You two shall accompany me now; I must transplant the Kuang Meridian."

"As you command, City Lord!" The two followed closely behind Cang Long. They only felt a burst of mist rise within the main hall before the figures of the three vanished. This was Night Wind Lament’s peculiar illusion technique. No one knew what profound strength these two hidden assassins, painstakingly cultivated by Ten Thousand Swords Xuan Hu, truly harbored.

At this juncture, the Beast Tribe’s Evil Elder was still immersed in fierce battle intent. He firmly believed that with the help of Dugu Bingchen and the Beast-Faced Man, it would be as easy as turning over one’s hand for the Beast Tribe to conquer the world. The Abyss Heaven Venerable of the Wing Tribe also stood commandingly on a mountaintop, observing the situation. The Wing Tribe's falcons, relying on their innate aerial advantage, could sweep through the Three Swords and create history.

By the bank of the Condensing Spirit Lake outside Ten Thousand Swords City, the former vibrancy of lush grass and playful winds was entirely gone, replaced only by a dead silence. The originally beautiful lake scenery had, in this moment, become an ocean of blood. The traces of blood originated from the lake shore; the blood flowing from a single saber and a single sword was enough to dye the entire world crimson.

"Where... where is this place?" Dugu Bingchen rubbed his head and stood up unsteadily. He looked weakly at the Half-Moon Saber and the Frost That Does Not Fall beside him. The preceding scenes of slaughter were still flashing through his mind. He had only wanted to kill Ten Thousand Swords Cang Long—why did it feel as though he held countless lives in his hands?

"So, you are here, Bingchen!" The familiar voice drifted over once more. The Beast-Faced Man—no! At this moment, Ten Thousand Swords Xuan Hu appeared before Bingchen still wearing the mask of the Beast-Faced Man. "Elder Xie and I both thought you were dead. I didn't expect you to still be alive."

"It’s you," Bingchen asked with a slight doubt, yet unsure where to begin. "How did I get here? I remember nearly killing Ten Thousand Swords Cang Long, and then I seemed to be stopped by someone."

"Ten Thousand Swords Cang Long? Heh heh, I’ve already taken care of him for you," the Beast-Faced Man said, picking up the saber and sword from the ground for Bingchen. "How will you thank me?"

"Thank you!" Hearing this news, Bingchen became explosively enraged. He snatched back the Half-Moon Saber and held it against the Beast-Faced Man’s chest. "I said that Ten Thousand Swords Cang Long was mine to deal with personally! You actually killed him!"

The Beast-Faced Man retreated a few steps, moving out of Bingchen’s striking range. He shook his head and slowly spoke, "Dugu Bingchen, have you never considered why you suffered a Qi deviation? Why you indiscriminately slaughtered the innocent?"

"This..." Bingchen lowered his head and looked at his bloody hands. "I can't worry about that much. As long as I can kill Cang Long, I’m willing to do anything else."

"Hahahaha, you think with your meager abilities you could kill Ten Thousand Swords Cang Long?" The Beast-Faced Man’s voice suddenly changed drastically, and he looked at Bingchen without reservation. "Back then, I saved you from the Dugu family only because I coveted the Kuang Meridian inside your body. Perhaps you haven't heard of this thing, but I can tell you now: it is this Kuang Meridian that increased your power."

"Kuang Meridian? Is all of this true?" Bingchen became somewhat agitated upon hearing this. A bloody scene suddenly flashed through his mind—himself slicing through crowds with Fei Guang, his Pluto Killing Aura suppressing Jian Hongchen. "Impossible! What is that thing? What is the Kuang Meridian?"

The Beast-Faced Man spoke sharply again: "The Kuang Meridian belonged to the ancient War God, Sha Jun Tian Mang. Now, it is merely parasitizing your body. With your ability, you cannot control it at all; you are merely its host. It tells you to kill, and you kill; it tells you to die, and you have no choice but to die."

"No, this is absolutely impossible. You’re making all this up!" Bingchen began to lose control. In this short time, he had first lost the motivation to live, because Ten Thousand Swords Cang Long was dead; then, he discovered he was fundamentally insignificant, nothing more than a killing machine controlled by someone else.

The Beast-Faced Man pressed him, his tone growing heavier: "I saved you back then, truly to use the Kuang Meridian within you to stir up chaos, hoping you could eliminate Ten Thousand Swords Cang Long for me. Elder Xie is also using you, because the coming of chaos gives the Beast Tribe opportunity. This entire world is using you, and ultimately, you will meet destruction."

"No, this cannot be! I learned supreme martial arts! I learned the Beast Tribe's Half-Moon Saber Technique, and the Human Race's Ten Thousand Swords Art! I am definitely not a killing machine; I have never been controlled by anyone!" Bingchen was nearly frantic, his hands gripping the Half-Moon Saber, causing it to tremble, feeling countless malevolent energies swirling throughout his body.

"What is impossible about it? You never truly mastered the Half-Moon Saber Technique, and you only barely reached the Eighth Level of the Ten Thousand Swords Art. We have all been exploiting you!" The Beast-Faced Man let out a long cry to the heavens and ripped off his mask. "Because I am Ten Thousand Swords Xuan Hu. You surely know who I am. I was involved in the annihilation of your Dugu family back then, and I wished you would die sooner. However, I felt you still held a little bit of utility, so I spared your dog life."

"Ten Thousand Swords Xuan Hu!" Bingchen couldn't catch his breath and spat out a mouthful of hot blood. He felt an unending rage boiling in his heart, raising his head to stare fiercely at Xuan Hu. The hand gripping the saber looked as if it would snap the hilt—"So everything was your conspiracy! I... I will kill you all!"

"Yes, yes, yes! It is this resentment that allows the Kuang Meridian to exert its full power," Xuan Hu gently waved the Frost That Does Not Fall in his hand, smiling. "Look at your arms, look at all your meridians—aren't they emitting a purple glow? This is the best sign of the Kuang Meridian surging. Hahahaha! I wonder what you will think as you die by your own blade. Hurry up and let me experience the power of the Kuang Meridian."

"Ah!" Bingchen spread his four limbs and roared, startling the water of the Condensing Spirit Lake, causing waves to roll and churn. At this moment, the meridians on his forehead also bulged prominently. His consciousness began to fade, and all he could see in his eyes was crimson blood. Driven by the power of fury, the Kuang Meridian once again devoured his heart.