Everyone knew him as someone who never grew close to another soul, inherently aloof, ruthless, and utterly merciless; once his sword was drawn, none who faced him ever survived. Yet, what the world did not know was that this solitary swordsman was once a dashing, charming, and deeply passionate young nobleman.

Even fewer knew that Ye Guhan and the current Empress, Murong Xiuxiu, had once been childhood sweethearts. However, for reasons unknown, the Ye Guhan family suffered a sudden, devastating collapse, erased from the capital. Ye Guhan was reduced to a penniless nobody. The once-mighty Murong family naturally would not permit their daughter to marry a pauper who amounted to nothing more than a Silver-grade Profound Practitioner. The Murong family's vehement opposition finally tore the deeply sworn lovers apart!

Ye Guhan departed in sorrow, while Murong Xiuxiu was heartbroken, attempting suicide multiple times before being restrained. It wasn't until news of Ye Guhan's death mysteriously spread that a despairing Murong Xiuxiu, persuaded by her parents, finally acquiesced to the family arrangement and married the current Emperor, eventually ascending to the position of Empress years later.

Ye Guhan had been gone for ten years, mastering the Way of the Sword, his Profound Energy cultivation reaching the Heavenly Profound Realm. Convinced he was now worthy to stand beside Murong Xiuxiu, he returned full of eager anticipation, only to find the world had irrevocably changed: the beauty of his youth was gone, and his former love was now the Empress, with a daughter, Princess Lingmeng, who was already seven years old! They locked eyes, tears streaming, both feeling their hearts shatter.

Once one enters the deep seas of the palace, they become strangers to the outside world!

Heaven’s machinations are unfathomable; yesterday’s reality is today’s falsehood—fate plays cruel tricks, leading to this pass.

Ye Guhan’s spirit withered. Overnight, his hair turned white, and his disposition shifted entirely, becoming solitary, ruthless, and distant. However, toward the daughter of his former love, Princess Lingmeng, he showed a father’s affection, cherishing her deeply. Though he swore never to see Murong Xiuxiu again, he often played with the young Princess, and only in her presence did the ice around Ye Guhan’s cold, silent heart show any sign of melting.

In truth, Ye Guhan had become Princess Lingmeng’s divine guardian! Anyone, even the current Emperor, who dared raise a hand against her would be met with Ye Guhan drawing his sword without hesitation! Princess Lingmeng was the sole anchor for Ye Guhan’s continued existence in this world—the greatest vulnerability of this cold-blooded, solitary swordsman.

This matter was, in fact, a deeply guarded secret of the Imperial Household, known only to a few. Thus, the true mastermind behind these assassins was unaware of it; otherwise, they surely would not have dispatched only two Gold-grade Profound Practitioner assassins, and perhaps this assassination attempt would never have occurred at all! If they were determined to strike, they would certainly have needed two or more Heavenly Profound experts.

Ye Guhan had now confirmed that the mysterious master lurking in the shadows would not intervene, but he absolutely would not allow these assassins to depart, thus revealing himself.

Anyone who sought to harm Princess Lingmeng, regardless of who they were, was, in Ye Guhan’s eyes, deserving of death without mercy!

Slowly turning, he drew his sword! The slender blade quivered like a blue serpent, its light rippling with a deep, watery azure. The tip rose slowly, pointing at the nine assassins. Ye Guhan’s face was cold: “Die!”

The nine assassins fell silent. They had earlier pressed him for further instructions precisely to test him, and he had remained mute. Now, as they attempted to leave, he materialized to block them—was he merely toying with them?

They naturally failed to grasp that everything felt wrong because there were, in fact, two people involved!

“Ye Guhan! Killing requires a sword, not just your mouth!” The two leaders of the black-clad assassins grew increasingly enraged. Even if your martial arts far surpassed ours, there’s no need to play such tricks! Knowing their fate was sealed, their courage surprisingly flared, and they dared to mock him.

Ye Guhan’s expression remained unchanged, still as cold as ice. His gaze was sharp as an arrow, his posture as straight as a pine. His ruthlessness was matched only by the chill of his sword light. Suddenly, he moved, and the pale-blue sword light exploded around him like fireworks, washing over the area as he answered the assassins' leaders’ demand to fight with blades through concrete action.

There was no point in wasting more words; engaging in needless chatter with the doomed was undeniably idiotic!

The sword light was brilliant, carrying a gorgeous, ethereal pale-blue sheen. A single sweep held an air of dreamlike splendor, yet woven within that miraculous glow was an intense flavor of heartbreak and sorrow. At this moment, the chilling sword light mirrored the lonely, desolate cast of Ye Guhan’s own expression.

Ye Guhan shifted his stance, closed the distance, and struck! The nearest Silver Profound assassin suddenly bore a faint, heartbreakingly beautiful wound across his throat, from which blood erupted instantly like mist, dissolving into the pervasive pale-blue sword shadows. Red and blue mingled, lending this act of slaughter a poignant beauty!

The sword strikes, the heart breaks; where in the world can a kindred spirit be found? Loneliness...

The assassin’s corpse slowly crumpled. Ye Guhan, his white hair flowing, his solitary figure already positioned between the other two assassins. These killers, who moments before had carried themselves with such arrogance, were now like brittle clay dogs before him—utterly incapable of resistance!

Just as a Silver-grade expert views those below the Ninth Grade as mere ants, a Heavenly Profound expert treats Gold and Silver-grade practitioners as child’s play!

Two more streaks of crimson blood burst forth in rapid succession. Ye Guhan’s expression remained cold and unchanging as he danced through the sky, traversing the space with a dreamlike pale-blue light, elusive as a ghost, swift as mist!

For Gold and Silver Profound practitioners to face a Heavenly Profound master head-on was akin to striking a rock with an egg—a fight with not a sliver of hope. This was especially true when facing Ye Guhan, the cold-blooded fanatic renowned for utterly eliminating all opposition!

“The air is tight! Scatter and run!” the assassin leader shrieked, the last sliver of hope vanishing from his heart. He was the first to bolt, shooting away like an arrow toward the distance. The remaining five assassins scattered like shrapnel from an explosion, fleeing in any direction possible!

Since the outcome was predetermined, the only remaining question was whether any of these nine assassins might miraculously escape!

Ye Guhan let out a long howl, the sound saturated with deep sorrow and chilling isolation. His murderous intent, laced with endless solitude, ripped toward the sky. The pale-blue sword light surged, expanding like a massive sapphire slicing rapidly through the air; with every surge and retraction of the blue light, an assassin screamed and plummeted earthward.

In the space of a few breaths, the four fleeing Silver-grade assassins were all dead. Before their bodies had even hit the ground, Ye Guhan had already positioned his sword to intercept one of the Gold-grade leader. These two leaders were the strongest of the group, escaping in opposite directions—north and south. Even with Ye Guhan’s singular power, after eliminating the other four Silver-grade assassins, he could only intercept one. The other had to escape his grasp!

Jun Xie lay on the ground, observing the spectacle through a narrowly opened eye. Seeing Ye Guhan’s divine might, he couldn't help but feel a deep sense of awe. If he had to face this Ye Guhan in a direct confrontation, even with his abilities from his previous life, Jun Xie knew he would be outmatched! This forced Jun Xie to reassess the Profound Energy system of this world with a higher degree of respect.

Of course, this only applied to a head-on clash. In terms of assassination tactics, Jun Xie was confident he possessed countless methods to deal with Ye Guhan, but frontal combat was certainly not his greatest strength!

That pale blue light, likely only indicative of the initial stage of the Heavenly Profound Realm, already held such destructive power. What mastery would the peak of the Heavenly Profound Realm command? And the Supreme Divine Profound? Jun Xie felt an intense, eager thrill of challenge surge within him!

Only battling true powerhouses was the fastest path to self-improvement! Sadly, in his current state, Jun Xie was far too weak to challenge such figures! If he were strong enough, he would likely leap up right then and challenge Ye Guhan to a duel!

Strength!

Jun Xie’s heart boiled with a consuming, furious yearning for it. At that precise moment, he noticed the escaping assassin leader, with terrible coincidence, fleeing desperately and directly toward his hidden position! Jun Xie’s killing intent flared!

Damn it! You brought people to put me in this state, and now you think you can just slip away? There’s no such easy escape!

With a flick of his wrist, a throwing knife appeared in his hand. Jun Xie’s face remained hidden as a savage smile twisted his lips: Die, brat!