Whispers Shock the Heart, a Palm Falls and Tears Flow; Love Entwined with Life and Death, Unsettled

The glow of the Prosperous Bell Life Array gradually faded. Tang San slowly opened his eyes, the Sea God Trident lying at his side, its familiar divine artifact texture beneath his palm. He braced himself against the ground and sat up, sweeping his gaze around, but Lin Zhixia was nowhere to be seen. He immediately asked, "Where is Lin Zhixia?"

Dai Mubai was just about to speak when hurried footsteps suddenly sounded in the distance—Gu Zhinian strode through the gaps between the tents and headed straight for a nearby bamboo grove, with Lin Zhixia following close behind. Her face was tense; he had clearly called her away under the pretense of having something important to discuss. The others exchanged glances and were about to follow when Tang San raised a hand to stop them. "Wait. It may be a private matter."

Deep within the bamboo grove, Gu Zhinian stopped. When he turned around, there was rare gravity in his eyes. "Zhixia, recently, people from the Spirit Hall Empire have been approaching me in secret. Their intentions are clear—they want to capture me to restrain you." His voice was low, each word striking Lin Zhixia's heart like a heavy hammer. "If that day truly comes, and someone uses my life to threaten you..."

He paused, then forced out the rest of his words. "I'll have to ask my fiancée to use the Star River Shattering Bow to kill me."

Smack—! The sharp slap rang through the bamboo grove. Lin Zhixia's palm struck Gu Zhinian's face hard. Her eyes were red, tears trembling on her lashes, but she bit down on her lip and refused to let them fall. "Do you even know what you're saying?!"

Gu Zhinian covered his face, but a bitter smile tugged at his lips. "I do. But