"No, no! This..." Chen Ying had never encountered such a wild and fierce Ye Xiu. Her body at that moment had entirely become an instrument for his release; his relentless pounding left her barely able to cope. She began to yearn to escape, to break free from his embrace, but it was all in vain—Ye Xiu used his other arm to pull her back against him.

"Chen Ying, Chen Ying, don't go!" Ye Xiu squeezed his eyes shut, striking into her fiercely while affectionately calling her name. He could no longer control himself. At this moment, he lifted Chen Ying and pinned her against the wall, a wall that had to bear the force of his almost inexpressible eruption. After only a brief moment, Ye Xiu cast Chen Ying back onto the floor, lunging upon her like a predator, pinning her down once more. Yes, he wanted nothing else right now; what he craved was pure release!

"Ah..." Finally, Chen Ying went completely limp beneath Ye Xiu's weight, and Ye Xiu, perhaps sensing his roughness, gently collapsed beside her.

"I apologize," Ye Xiu whispered, brushing back Chen Ying's disheveled hair, his mouth close to her ear. "I truly need to leave for a while, so..."

Chen Ying nodded, tears in her eyes. Everything Ye Xiu had done tonight was what she had longed for; only he could bring her such pleasure. Her tears stemmed only from the impending separation. She began to feel that this man carried many missions and heavy historical burdens, and she could not selfishly claim him for herself alone.

"May I carry you to bed?" Ye Xiu murmured, scooping Chen Ying up in his arms and slowly walking to the bedside, gently placing her body upon the sheets.

"Hold me again, please?" Chen Ying's emotions had not yet receded from the intense ecstasy of moments before; she longed to fall back into Ye Xiu's embrace.

Ye Xiu let out a breath and lay down beside Chen Ying, pulling her close: "Don't worry, I'll return quickly. The City Lord just needs me to scout intelligence on the Water Tribe."

"I know what you must find. I overheard Elder Yu Feng's words too," Chen Ying was astute, even when facing her feelings for Ye Xiu, she was always so passionately proactive. "You need to find the true essence of the Third Sword, and you must go to the Water Tribe."

Ye Xiu lightly kissed Chen Ying and nodded in acknowledgment: "There are things I'm unsure if I should tell you. It’s best not to speak of what happened between us atop Ten Thousand Sword Peak to anyone, especially your second brother, Wan Jian Xuanhu."

"What do you suspect him of?" Chen Ying stared at Ye Xiu, a chill creeping through her. "He doesn't seem to have the capacity to concern himself with my affairs, and my second brother doesn't seem to care for me much either."

Ye Xiu looked thoughtful, laying out his points one by one: "By my instinct, I believe Wan Jian Xuanhu harbors the Raging Meridians. Dugu Bingchen hasn't appeared these past few days, and I suspect Xuanhu, like me, has swapped his meridians."

"You mean Second Brother possesses the Raging Meridians!" Chen Ying gasped. "If so, why hasn't he told us that he killed Dugu Bingchen?"

"This is merely speculation, but every time Xuanhu unleashes his inner power, I feel a vibration within my own Absolute Meridians. In this world, only the opposing Raging Meridians can provoke the Absolute Meridians," Ye Xiu held Chen Ying tighter, for he had one more crucial point to make. "Wan Jian Canglong died by the Ten Thousand Sword Eight Directions technique. At that time, perhaps only Dugu Bingchen within all of Ten Thousand Sword City could execute it. However, during the siege of Ten Thousand Sword City, Xuanhu's Ten Thousand Sword Jue sword energy was clearly superior to mine. Calculating this, if I have reached the Eighth Stage, he must have broken through long ago."

"You mean..." Chen Ying’s voice hitched; she could likely guess what Ye Xiu was about to say next. "You mean Big Brother's fatal blow came from Second Brother Xuanhu!"

"Hah..." Ye Xiu drew a sharp breath. The fraternal strife within this royal lineage was something he had seen often enough in the history he knew.

"How could this be? No! I must go and ask him clearly, how could this be? How could Second Brother possibly..." The more Chen Ying thought, the more agitated she became, but no matter how she struggled, she could not break free from Ye Xiu's arms.

"Enough, Chen Ying. Enough. This is all speculation," Ye Xiu rested his head against her soft chest, gently licking across her skin. "You must stay here and wait properly for me to return, understand?"

"Ah!" All of Chen Ying’s turmoil was suppressed by Ye Xiu’s embrace. She tilted her head back, languidly enjoying the attention he bestowed upon her.

"No matter what, Chen Ying, you are the dearest person to me. I hope you wait well for my return; don't concern yourself with anything else." Ye Xiu lowered himself, moving slowly over Chen Ying’s body. This time, though not as fierce as before, it was enough to convey the feeling of their souls merging—warm and romantic.

Before dawn broke, Ye Xiu hastily changed into a fresh set of clothes and quietly slipped away from the sleeping Chen Ying. It wasn't that he was leaving without a word; he simply couldn't bear another scene of parting. He had witnessed such moments before—the hot tears welling in Ruer's eyes had pained him deeply.

Alone, with one sword and one horse, Ye Xiu began a new journey. However, his first stop was not directly south, but rather to the Hidden Waters of the Ancient Forest Ravine outside Ten Thousand Sword City. The morning air was exceptionally fresh, dew still clinging to the trees, and the Hidden Waters of the ravine seemed particularly tranquil at this hour.

No one here? Ye Xiu sat coldly by the lake shore. Had his estimation been wrong? Was Qing Lin not actually here?

"Swish..." Suddenly, a barrage of sharp darts descended from above, flying straight towards Ye Xiu. Without a thought, Ye Xiu caught Heng Chen and swept it in an arc behind him, effortlessly blocking the assault.

"It seems I haven't come to the wrong place. Call out your master," Ye Xiu knew those men in black were Qing Lin's trusted confidants; that meant Qing Lin must be nearby.

"Sword Color Flowing Light!" From the towering mountain cliff, Jian Hongchen’s sharp cry rang out, accompanied by three streaks of flowing light sword energy, soaring with the might of a rainbow.

"Heh heh, you think this can stop me?" Ye Xiu drew Heng Chen and struck toward the sky with a move like Ten Thousand Swords Descend Upon the City, instantly cleaving apart Jian Hongchen's three streaks of flowing light sword energy.

Jian Hongchen started in shock, never imagining Ye Xiu's Ten Thousand Swords Descend Upon the City could be faster than anyone else's deployment of the technique. Though only one beam of sword light flew towards him, it effortlessly suppressed his three streams of flowing light, and moreover, it broke through them, rushing straight towards him. "Ah..." Cold sweat broke out on Jian Hongchen's forehead as he swiftly flipped and descended, coming to a stop before Ye Xiu.