"En," Ye Xiu responded, though even he knew it was utterly impossible. He held Chen Ying tighter, spreading the bat wings on his back and flapping them lightly. A gentle breeze lifted the two of them, and the dense, dark clouds swirling around them closed in. At that moment, without hesitation or lingering thought, he dove straight down. The deluge of sword attacks, raining down like water, could not match his superhuman speed. The endless, vicious fireballs from the mountainside couldn't withstand the malevolent aura generated by the bat wings; they were sliced into pieces. The ice layer on the final mountain cliff actually melted into water droplets as Ye Xiu swept past. In an instant, the two were back on the Aotian Tower of the Myriad Swords Pavilion.

Traces of the battle still lingered on the Aotian Tower; countless cracks and debris from the structure were clearly visible. Yet, the Myriad Swords Pavilion, slightly askew from the previous slicing by Dugu Bingchen, still stood firm in the center of Myriad Swords City.

"Why are the entire city draped in white banners? This is..." Ye Xiu was unfamiliar with the customs of the Three Swords, but white or black cloth inherently carried an ominous feeling.

"Someone important in the city has passed away. Could it be..." Chen Ying murmured lightly, pulling Ye Xiu's hand as she hurried toward the main hall downstairs. "Who is it? Let's go down and see quickly."

Along the way, every Blade Guard and Sword Guard who saw the return of the Commandery Princess was overjoyed, yet they couldn't manage a true smile.

"Big Brother, Second Brother, Third Brother." Chen Ying shouted as she rushed into the main hall, nearly knocking Zuo Wencheng over.

"Ah, little sister, you've finally returned." Xuan Hu was performing rites for Cang Long when he suddenly heard Chen Ying's voice, a wave of sorrow washing over him. "Where have you been these past few days? Second Brother was terribly worried about you."

"Who is it? Who is here?" Chen Ying shook her head, pacing slowly forward. She knew the person lying in the magnificent coffin in the hall must be one of her kin. Who? No! It couldn't be any of her kin; it couldn't be Big Brother, and certainly not Third Brother.

"Little sister." Xuan Hu grabbed Chen Ying's arm, his voice breaking with grief. "It's Big Brother."

"Big Brother! Big Brother!" Upon hearing this, Chen Ying felt on the verge of collapse. She broke free from Xuan Hu's grasp and threw herself next to Cang Long, weeping bitterly. "Big Brother, why? Why did you leave Chen Ying? Didn't you say you still had so many dreams to fulfill? You wanted to give all the people of the Three Swords a good life, to create a harmonious world without war?"

"A harmonious world?" Xuan Hu muttered, his heart filled with contempt. The greatest flaw of Myriad Swords Cang Long was his feminine benevolence; this predetermined that he could never achieve great things as Xuan Hu could.

"Second City Lord." Ye Xiu paid his respects quietly, also looking toward Cang Long's remains. He knew how formidable Dugu Bingchen was but never expected the Great City Lord to die so suddenly.

"You are Ye Xiu, the champion of the Three Swords Martial Arts Tournament!" Seeing Ye Xiu, Xuan Hu felt as if he had seen a glimmer of hope. This was a time when manpower was critically needed, and he felt Heaven had blessed him abundantly. "According to the tournament rules, you are to be granted a royal status; in other words, you will become Chen Ying's husband. As for the marriage, we will discuss that later. Our immediate great task is to repel the siege of the Beast Race and the Wing Race upon Myriad Swords City, and you are indispensable to this effort."

Ye Xiu raised his sword and bowed. "Ye Xiu awaits the Second City Lord's commands. However, why do I not see Third City Lord Qing Lin here to mourn the Great City Lord?"

"Third Brother." Xuan Hu had been consumed by his own grand plans and rarely paid attention to Qing Lin. "After the battle, Third Brother vanished without a trace. Now that I am solely holding command of Myriad Swords City, I hope Brother Ye will assist me with all his might."

"I understand. Please command Ye Xiu as you see fit, Second City Lord." Ye Xiu slowly walked to Chen Ying's side and helped her up. "Don't worry, Chen Ying. I will surely avenge the Great City Lord for you."

"Avenge him? Heh." Xuan Hu felt a surge of private satisfaction. He knew Ye Xiu possessed extraordinary skills, but that was in the past. Now, with his Feral Meridians protecting him, no one stood a chance against him in a one-on-one duel. "Ye Xiu, take Chen Ying downstairs first. I don't want her to be too exhausted. Come to my study tonight; we have matters of importance to discuss."

"Yes, Second City Lord." Ye Xiu replied listlessly, sensing that Xuan Hu was not entirely pleased.

"Now, I am the only City Lord in Myriad Swords City." Xuan Hu glanced sharply at Ye Xiu. "Brother Ye, you two should rest downstairs first."

Ye Xiu looked up, slightly surprised, but he should have realized Xuan Hu's ambition long ago. Supporting Chen Ying, he bowed respectfully. "Yes, City Lord!"

Xuan Hu nodded, turning with his hands clasped behind his back toward the remains of Myriad Swords Cang Long. He stared intently at Cang Long, a silent roar erupting in his mind: Myriad Swords Cang Long! Your history ends here. A new chapter will be written by me. I will make my name renowned throughout the entire Three Swords Realm. You chose a good husband for Chen Ying. Tomorrow, I must test this fellow's strength. Wish me success.

The night was deep. Ye Xiu gazed at the moonlight outside the window, a touch of melancholy in his heart. He recalled the single sword strike he exchanged with Myriad Swords Cang Long at Profound Heaven Lake. He had always considered Cang Long a true monarch, possessing courage beyond the ordinary and a calm intellect. But why must Heaven take him away?

"Wuu..." Chen Ying sobbed softly against Ye Xiu's chest. Although her relationship with Third Brother was the closest, she had always known—she knew the boundless affection Cang Long held for her, an affection that now could never be possessed again for eternity.

"The Great City Lord is dead; no amount of sadness will help now." Ye Xiu patted Chen Ying's back, soothing her like a child. "Don't worry, Chen Ying. I will avenge the Great City Lord. I will personally kill Dugu Bingchen."

Chen Ying did not look up; instead, her cries grew louder. Vengeance and war were too distant, too abstract for a young woman like her. She didn't want to face them.

Ye Xiu held her tightly, endless worries surfacing in his mind. In his heart, perhaps only the deeply calculating Third City Lord, Myriad Swords Qing Lin, possessed the capability to replace Myriad Swords Cang Long. Now, in this age of chaos, there was no news of Qing Lin. Could it be that he had once again retreated into the mountain streams and hidden waters, still plotting some new stratagem? Regardless, he needed to go and see what Myriad Swords Xuan Hu was planning first.

Xuan Hu stood motionless in his study, flanked by Sword Monarch Yi Zi, Night Wind Bei Ming, and Zuo Wencheng.

"City Lord, Ye Xiu is late." Ye Xiu kept his head bowed; there was an unspoken barrier between him and Xuan Hu that was hard to articulate.

"It doesn't matter. Since you are here, let us begin." Xuan Hu turned, starting to lay out his plans. "Scouts report that the Beast Race and the Wing Race have allied. Elder Xie intends to use the poisonous mist of the Eight Desolations Profound Pearl to assault Myriad Swords City. This mist is an ancient, profound poison for which there is absolutely no antidote."