A pillar of fire shot into the sky, tearing through the heavens. It scorched the lake below dry, forming an incandescent red cord that connected heaven and earth.

It all happened in just a few seconds.

Everything within the Spatial Lock dissipated. Embers filled the sky, drifting down.

The power of the terrifying self-detonation faded.

As the aftershocks of the explosion slowly subsided, the sky was empty. The White Tiger Earth Venerable, Qin Yang, and the other experts from the Beast God Sect had all vanished.

"It’s over..."

By the shore, the citizens raised their heads, searching for any sign of the Jianghai Arrow God, trying to find that familiar figure.

But...

There was nothing.

Not a single human shape remained in the sky, not even a trace of flesh and blood. Only white ash drifted down, slowly settling on the lakeside willows, the water’s surface, and even on people’s heads.

A wave of sorrow spread, passing from one spectator to another.

"The Jianghai Arrow God... has fallen?"

Dazed and confused, everyone stared at the falling ash, the same thought consuming their minds.

Some refused to believe it, still desperately scanning the sky for him, hoping to catch a glimpse of his silhouette.

They searched and searched...

But no matter how hard they looked...

It was useless.

There wasn’t the slightest ripple of Star Force in the sky. The Demons had been annihilated without a trace, and the Jianghai Arrow God’s remains had vanished along with them, all sent to the Other Shore of the Underworld.

"Master Arrow God..."

"He took the Cult Demons down with him..."

Suddenly, a Star Martial Artist in the crowd dropped to his knees, his heart twisting in agony as he burst into tears.

The Arrow God had only been in Jianghai for a few days, but in that short time, his image had already been deeply etched into the hearts of all its citizens.

Even...

Many citizens had come to see him as the successor to the Sword God...

But now, after only a few days?

He had followed in his predecessor’s footsteps, vanishing into thin air before everyone’s eyes to repel an attack from the Beast God Sect.

"Master Arrow God..."

Elder Li and Lin Mofeng murmured, their expressions dazed and desolate. They couldn’t believe this reality, wishing it were just a nightmare from which they had yet to awaken.

They looked at their surroundings.

On the Li Shui Lake Shore, the evening breeze rustled gently. Every blade of grass and every tree was perfectly intact, with no sign of damage.

"The Arrow God saved us..."

Lin Mofeng, still in a daze, understood the implications.

If it weren’t for the Arrow God’s Spatial Lock, the aftershocks of the explosion alone would have been far more than they could have withstood.

To protect the citizens below, Master Arrow God had acted, sealing the area above Li Shui Lake and containing the full force of the self-detonation.

It was impossible to imagine what kind of agony he must have endured at the center of the blast.

The scene was hauntingly familiar.

It was as if they were back on the night of the Beast Tide.

The Jianghai Sword God had rushed to the scene to battle the Blood Path Demon, ultimately sacrificing himself in an explosion to save the city from utter ruin.

The familiar scene was playing out once again.

By Li Shui Lake, the watching citizens were all weeping, mourning the passing of the Jianghai Arrow God. They leaned on each other for support, their legs weak.

Only one person was different.

’He used this trick again...’

Li Qinghe’s beautiful eyes lit up. She looked at the clear night sky and couldn’t help but sigh inwardly with emotion.

’According to my previous deductions...’

’Since it was Grandmaster who acted, there’s no need to worry.’

’By his calculations, these Demons have suffered a huge loss, their strength completely crippled.’

’As expected of Grandmaster!’

’He handled it perfectly!’

’Wait, now is not the time to be gloating...’

Li Qinghe glanced around. Everyone was grief-stricken, wailing loudly. If she were to laugh out loud right now...

’...my reputation would be completely ruined.’

’I’ve been professionally trained. I absolutely cannot laugh!’

’I have to keep Grandmaster’s act going!’

Li Qinghe pressed down the corners of her mouth, fighting back a smile. She pulled out a handkerchief, slapped it onto her face, and prepared to start crying.

But just then,

A streak of incandescent light flared into existence!

In an instant, it illuminated the dim night, like the rising dawn.

It startled everyone!

’Are the Demons attacking again?’

’No...’

In the grieving crowd, a citizen mustered their courage and looked toward the streak of light, only to see a familiar figure.

"Liu Wushuang is back."

...

’He’s really gone...’

Liu Wushuang slowly arrived at the edge of Li Shui Lake, looking down at the scene below.

He suddenly felt an inexplicable pang in his heart.

As far as he could see, there were only crying citizens. Ash rained down, and not a trace of a Venerable’s aura remained in the air.

There was nothing.

The Jianghai Arrow God had actually self-detonated with the White Tiger Earth Venerable...

’So fiery and unyielding.’

Liu Wushuang’s expression was dazed. He gazed at the cold moonlight and reached out, catching a speck of falling ash.

Just a moment ago, he had been talking with the Jianghai Arrow God.

He just never expected...

...that in a brief instant, they would be separated by life and death.

"Arrow God, rest in peace."

Liu Wushuang’s heart was heavy. In his daze, it was as if he could hear Qin Yang’s questioning voice again.

"So this is all the so-called Venerable Alliance amounts to?"

"You actually yield to the Beast God Sect? You can’t even protect one person, so how can you even talk about protecting the common people?!"

The more he thought about it, the more unbearable his shame became.

A sense of shame spread through Liu Wushuang’s heart.

Like spreading ink.

Lost in thought, Liu Wushuang drifted down to the lake shore. The crowd parted, silently staring at his figure with gazes full of complicated emotions.

’Are they resentful of me...?’

Liu Wushuang lowered his head, not daring to meet their eyes.

The pride he normally carried as a Venerable Realm expert was ruthlessly shattered at this moment. Even if these citizens resented him now, he would accept it.

After all, the Jianghai Arrow God’s death was inextricably linked to him...

If he hadn’t been so stubborn, insisting on seeking him out for a battle, how could things have ended up like this?

If he hadn’t challenged him, if he’d found another way to resolve things, would it have been better?

Too many "what ifs"... but reality offered no second chances. Now that the Jianghai Arrow God was gone, nothing he said could change anything.

’With his talent in Archery, he could have reached the level of a Celestial Venerable...’

Ashamed, Liu Wushuang stomped his foot and clenched his Profound Bow tightly, unconsciously putting a little too much force into his grip.

CRACK...

A faint cracking sound was heard.

Fine cracks appeared, spreading like a spiderweb rapidly across the bow’s body...

The surrounding citizens saw this and mistakenly thought he was making a show of force. They retreated in panic, afraid of being caught in the wake of a Venerable Realm expert.

The next moment,

The crowd scattered. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

It was as if an invisible wall had sprung up, separating Liu Wushuang from the crowd.

’Heh, I really deserve this...’

Liu Wushuang recalled Qin Yang’s earlier questions, and his shame deepened. ’This is the Venerable Alliance that contributes to the common people, yet we couldn’t even protect the Arrow God.’

He had to admit.

When he had sincerely invited the Arrow God to join, he had boasted that he could guarantee his safety.

But when the Demons arrived, he was worried about his position and could only leave in disgrace!

All of his actions were utterly ironic!

Liu Wushuang’s thoughts were a tangled mess. He slowly walked forward, and a glance from the corner of his eye...

...fell upon Lin Mofeng by the lake shore.

He was currently standing by the shore, supporting and comforting Elder Li.

"Xiaolinzi,"

Liu Wushuang took a deep breath, slowly walked over to them, and said, "I have something to discuss with you."

As he spoke, Liu Wushuang waved his hand, releasing his Star Force to seal the surrounding area, isolating them from the nearby crowd and preventing anyone from eavesdropping.

"Please, speak."

Lin Mofeng watched Liu Wushuang approach, his face impassive. He said in a low voice:

"We have many things to deal with shortly. We must handle them as soon as possible. Time is tight..."

His cold words hung in the air.

He looked at Liu Wushuang, his eyes completely devoid of their former respect, as if looking at a stranger!

"I..."

Hearing this, Liu Wushuang was speechless, and the guilt in his heart deepened.

It wasn’t unreasonable for Xiaolinzi to treat him with such indifference. If he hadn’t forced him to reveal the Jianghai Arrow God’s contact information, this tragedy wouldn’t have happened.

From beginning to end, he bore an undeniable responsibility for the death of the Jianghai Arrow God.

The man was already gone. The only thing he could do now was to find a way to compensate as much as possible.

With this in mind, Liu Wushuang opened his Star Ring and took out a notebook, holding it out.

"Hm?"

Seeing this, Lin Mofeng frowned and didn’t reach out to take it. "What is this?"

"This is my compensation for the Arrow God."

Liu Wushuang clutched the tome, his voice trembling as he tried to remain calm. "This book contains my life’s insights into Archery. Take it and give it to that kid, Qin Yang."

"Me? Give it to him?"

Hearing this, Lin Mofeng’s expression turned frigid.

"Elder, I’m afraid I can’t do that! If you’re truly sincere about compensating him, go and tell him yourself. I don’t have the face to see Qin Yang either!"

If it weren’t for him exposing Qin Yang’s identity, Master Arrow God probably wouldn’t have met this fate.

"..."

Liu Wushuang fell silent. Hearing this, his heart ached again. The face of Qin Yang, that stubborn young man, appeared in his mind.

As the Jianghai Arrow God’s junior nephew, he must be devastated right now.

Back then, when he had interrogated and even pressured Qin Yang, the boy hadn’t yielded in the slightest.

Now that the Jianghai Arrow God was dead, what right did he have to face his junior?!

"Elder Wushuang..."

At this moment, Elder Li, reining in his own grief, stepped forward and advised, "Your strength is profound, making you a senior, but this old man’s age comes before yours. May I say a few words?"

"Please, speak."

Liu Wushuang said in a low voice, "I’m listening."

"Alright, then this old man will speak his mind. It might be a little hard to hear... but honest advice is often jarring. Please don’t take offense."

Elder Li’s voice trembled. "What happened today was largely because of you.

"But the Arrow God is gone now, and saying more is pointless. Ultimately, it would be best for you to face Qin Yang in person... Whatever the outcome, you need to give him an explanation."

"I..."

Hearing this, Liu Wushuang’s expression stiffened. He said no more, just sighed, his mind filled with the image of Qin Yang’s face.

’If he’s watching the live broadcast right now, witnessing the fall of the Jianghai Arrow God...’

’...he must be weeping and mourning, right?’

...

「Meanwhile.」

「In Fuhai District.」

On a sofa, a little white-haired loli lay stiff as a board, clutching a small pink phone and staring at the ceiling with an expression of utter despair.

’My fox-life is over...’

She had just confirmed it: all of her secret stash was gone.

From now on, she would have to go back to being a humble little fox-slave by her master’s side...

Just then.

"Tsk, what’s with that look on your face?"

Qin Yang sat next to Xiaobai and poked her cheek with a smile. "So? How was Master’s performance just now? Pretty spectacular, right?"

"I said I’d self-destruct, and I self-destructed. I definitely wasn’t kidding you!"