The White Beast and the Black Beast seemed to only appear for a brief showing; after a few roars, they returned to their respective seals. Meanwhile, Huang Quan and Kagura had not awakened. Purifying the world consumed an immense amount of power from the Black and White Witches, and even with the support of the Heart of the World, a quick recovery was impossible.

To facilitate their rest, Lin Luo transported them into the Fourth Dimension. It was precisely at that moment he suddenly heard an aged voice from behind him, "The world has begun to change now."

This startled Lin Luo; he hadn't sensed anyone approaching at all.

He spun around sharply to see an old man with a long white beard standing nearby, observing him. At first, he wondered who could be so powerful as to elude even his sense domain, but now he felt a sense of relief. The man before him was the local Earth God of this world, an entity equal to or even superior to the Black and White Witches.

"What business brings you here, Earth God?" Lin Luo asked, maintaining neither subservience nor arrogance. The Earth God must be immensely powerful, but he posed no immediate threat. It was just peculiar that he hadn't appeared during the world's destruction, only showing up now.

"Nothing of great importance, merely stopping by for a look. Thanks to you, this world will no longer have Black and White Witches," the Earth God shook his head, seemingly having made his brief appearance. As he finished speaking, his figure began to blur. "The next world-ending catastrophe will likely require the World Mother herself to intervene..."

"What was that old man even doing?" Lin Luo scratched his head, utterly perplexed. Appearing only to vanish—was it just to tell him the Black and White Witches could no longer pass on their lineage? And what in the world was this 'World Mother'? Ah, never mind, never mind.

There were too many points of contention, and digging into them would be troublesome. If he pursued it further and dragged out something like Gaia, that would be disastrous. So, Lin Luo promptly cast the entire encounter to the winds.

Everything that needed solving was solved. Although the humans of this world were extinct, it wasn't the first time; the World Mother would surely bring about new humanity eventually. There was no need to dwell on it. The only task remaining was to rendezvous with Arthur and then return to their own respective worlds...

Bang!

Just as Lin Luo was thinking this, he heard a loud crash from behind him, as if something heavy had fallen. Turning back, he saw a naked man sprawled on the ground—it was Arthur.

Lin Luo blinked in disbelief. The moment he snapped back to reality, he hurriedly pulled a set of clothes from his storage space and tossed them onto Arthur. "I say, what in the world are you doing?"

"Heh heh." Arthur chuckled foolishly as he hastily put on the clothes, explaining, "Well... it was too far, and my mobility was lacking, so on the way back, I found a small nuclear bomb and blew myself up, letting my spiritual energy drift directly here..."

"...You're incredible," Lin Luo was thoroughly dumbfounded. This guy really was one of the Nine Knights—committing suicide to return. This wasn't an online game!

Although he inwardly "admired" Arthur's "decisive action," there was an old saying that idiocy was contagious. Talking too much about the Nine Knights might turn him into one, so Lin Luo chose to ignore it. He took out the Book of Ghost Arts that belonged to You Ming and asked, "Do you want this?"

Lin Luo already possessed more than enough abilities; adding one more or one less didn't matter. However, Arthur lacked significant power. Paired with his immortality, the abilities of the Book of Ghost Arts might give him a better chance of advancing to LV3. Arthur was a trustworthy Walker who, like himself, would protect other Hosts. Therefore, giving the Book of Ghost Arts to him was more beneficial than keeping it, serving as an indirect way to aid other Hosts.

"No, Big Brother, I do not wish to rely on any external power," Arthur decisively shook his head, refusing without hesitation. "The Book of Ghost Arts is You Ming's relic, carrying his resentment and hatred. My chivalry cannot bear such things, so I appreciate your kind offer, Big Brother."

Unexpected yet logical. Although Lin Luo had anticipated this response, he still felt a slight disappointment. But since Arthur refused, there was no need to press the issue. He nodded and tucked the book away. "Very well, then I look forward to seeing you reach the pinnacle of Walkers through your own strength."

"Yes, I will not disappoint Big Brother's expectations," Arthur affirmed solemnly.

Seeing his resolute expression, Lin Luo felt that perhaps a second Dark King might truly emerge in the future.

"Then I shall depart first, Big Brother." Finally, Arthur used the Starlight Avenue to leave this world. Subsequently, Lin Luo also activated the Starlight Avenue. As he departed, he took in the current state of the Devouring World. Although the entire world was reduced to ruins, bearing marks of destruction everywhere, with hardly any living creatures remaining, new vitality was beginning to sprout...

"This isn't too bad, perhaps. At least there's a chance to start over, for both the world and humanity," Lin Luo sighed silently, then closed his eyes, allowing himself to be transported through the dimensions.

...

Lin Luo had anticipated that after this anomaly with the Starlight Avenue, he would be met by a welcoming crowd upon his return, eager with questions. To his surprise, however, when he materialized over the Sky City, the central courtyard was completely empty. Not a single maid or any of the other girls was in sight.

Moreover, the entire Sky City was eerily quiet, permeated by an unusually heavy atmosphere.

"Did something happen?" A faint sense of unease arose in Lin Luo's heart. His brow furrowed, and he rushed toward the main hall at maximum speed. When he pushed open the great doors of the hall, he heard a loud crash—the main hall's door had collapsed!

This shocked Lin Luo greatly. The main hall's defenses were absolute; even he couldn't break them. Yet, the door was now damaged. How was this possible? For a moment, he suspected the Dark King or the Evil King had breached his world, but then he heard a voice that was both familiar and strange.

"Oh my, you're back already? You certainly made me wait."

Lin Luo quickly looked up toward the source of the sound. Seated high above the center of the hall was a stunningly beautiful woman, appearing to be in her late twenties, dressed in white—the ultimate Yujie (mature older sister type). However, this Yujie possessed none of the maturity or authority expected of her kind; instead, she lounged like a vagrant, propping her head with one hand, leaning lazily in her chair without a trace of energy.

"Gui Qu Lai Xi!" Upon seeing her, Lin Luo exclaimed instinctively. He had never expected to meet Gui Qu Lai Xi at a time like this. If Arthur hadn't mentioned proxy gods earlier, he would have almost forgotten this irresponsible woman existed.

Yet, beyond the shock, the stone in Lin Luo's heart settled, because Mikoto, Iva, and the other girls were all in the hall, standing or sitting, occasionally glancing toward Gui Qu Lai Xi with subtle apprehension. Even Long Wanxuan and her group were present, seated below Gui Qu Lai Xi with extremely respectful expressions.

The girls also saw Lin Luo and their eyes immediately lit up with joy. However, seemingly constrained by the pressure from Gui Qu Lai Xi, none of them rushed over. Instead, they kept signaling to him with their eyes, though Lin Luo couldn't decipher their meaning.

Lin Luo considered initiating a mental conversation but decided against it; whispering in front of Gui Qu Lai Xi would be pointless.

"Why are you here?" Lin Luo couldn't help but ask. Gui Qu Lai Xi appearing in his world at this moment was inexplicable, considering how utterly irresponsible she usually was.

"Nothing much. Just passing by, thought I'd drop in on you. You are, after all, my agent, aren't you? Hmm, let me think, what should I say at a time like this..." Gui Qu Lai Xi mused while gazing at the ceiling. After a moment, she suddenly declared, "I have it."

"You have..." Lin Luo didn't know what she had "gotten," but before he could react, Gui Qu Lai Xi was already in front of him, her slender jade hand darting out like lightning toward his neck.

Lin Luo's expression changed, and he instinctively resisted, but to his horror, teleportation failed. Gui Qu Lai Xi's sharp gaze locked onto him, rendering him completely immobile, utterly incapable of resisting as she gripped his throat.

"This is a private matter between him and me. None of you approach, or I will not be polite."

At this, all the women instantly prepared to rush forward, but Gui Qu Lai Xi's single sentence froze them all. They stood rooted, unable to move or stay still... Clearly, they understood Gui Qu Lai Xi's identity as well.

Gui Qu Lai Xi flashed a malicious smile, suddenly accelerated, and in an instant shot out thousands of miles, disappearing completely from the girls' sight.

Gui Qu Lai Xi's speed was indescribable; it nearly surpassed the speed of light. Even Lin Luo's physique couldn't handle it. Feeling the sharp gale whipping past him, his stomach churned, and he almost vomited.

Finally, with a thud, Lin Luo felt a sharp pain in his back. When he recovered his senses, he realized he had fallen to the ground, and Gui Qu Lai Xi was now sitting on top of him, her right hand still clamped around his neck. "LV3, peak Spirit Rank, just a hair's breadth from Earth Rank. You have indeed grown significantly in such a short time, but you are still far too distant."

Gui Qu Lai Xi shook her head before lifting herself off Lin Luo's body.

"Cough, cough, cough..." Lin Luo, pale-faced, clutched his throat and coughed violently. After a long effort, he managed to sit up from the ground, looking at Gui Qu Lai Xi with extreme dissatisfaction, tinged with a hint of anger. "What exactly do you want? The other proxy gods aren't like you; they don't start fighting the moment they meet!"

Lin Luo's anger was justified. He was Gui Qu Lai Xi's agent; relationally, if one stretched it, he could almost be considered her child... Fine, a child is a child. Yet, apart from that one instance during the God War, she had never offered him any assistance, not even the most basic information. On top of her constant mockery, she resorted to physical violence immediately upon meeting. He had almost died just now!

And the proxy gods of other Walkers—not only did they receive the basic information for the God War, but they were also told secrets known only to the proxy gods... Compared to them, he felt like an adopted child raised by a stepmother. It was truly unfair. He strongly demanded a change of proxy!

Of course, that last thought was just Lin Luo venting internally.

Gui Qu Lai Xi seemed to sense what he was thinking, leaning close and looking at him with a knowing smirk. "What, feeling wronged? Want my affection that badly?"

Lin Luo’s face went green. Alright, this woman probably had mind-reading abilities. Better to try and keep his mind placid.

"No, I just want to know the reason," Lin Luo said seriously.

"The reason..." Gui Qu Lai Xi smiled faintly, then her expression hardened, becoming solemn. "Little brat, 'The tall tree catches the wind,' and 'A common man is blameless, but possessing a treasure is a crime.' You understand the meaning of these two sayings, don't you?"

Lin Luo’s expression changed; he began to grasp the situation. "You mean..."

"Your Heart Codex is unique; it is the core of all Heart Codices. You have obtained it. This is a transgression in the eyes of most other proxy gods. So, it's not that I refuse to help you, but that I cannot. All I can offer you is the greatest possible fairness."

"Fairness?" Lin Luo was slightly stunned, then recalled Arthur's words, crying out involuntarily, "Did you kill those two cheating proxy gods?"

"Oh? You even know about that now. It seems this trip of yours was quite fruitful," Gui Qu Lai Xi did not answer directly but implicitly admitted it with a smile. "While I cannot provide you with any information, if you collect it yourself, then the other proxy gods have no grounds for complaint."

"...Alright, I misunderstood you." This answer brought Lin Luo some relief. It seemed Gui Qu Lai Xi wasn't entirely irresponsible, and wiping out a proxy god with a single slap demonstrated how much she valued him and the God War. Then again, he recalled she had slapped him in the first chapter too. Close call!

"Then what are you doing here this time?"

"Didn't I say? Just passing by to take a look. Since I've seen everything, I should go now..." As she spoke, Gui Qu Lai Xi suddenly looked at him with seriousness. "Brat, get stronger quickly. You are the weakest right now."

"Are you referring to the Three Kings? Where is the gap between me and them?"

"Yes. How should I put it? With your current strength, you can barely fight the Dark King. As for the Evil King, you and the Dark King combined might barely be able to challenge him."

"What?" Lin Luo's face changed drastically. Arthur's assessment might have had some margin of error since he didn't know Lin Luo fully, but even Gui Qu Lai Xi said that—and only barely a fight. This demanded his full attention.

Seeing Lin Luo's fluctuating expression, Gui Qu Lai Xi suddenly smiled and moved right up to him, her breath fragrant as she spoke, "So, if you don't work harder, things will get very troublesome for me too."

"Of course, I know that." If this had been the case in the past, such close contact would have made Lin Luo agitated, but now he had no appetite for flirting.

"Your foundation is not solid. Overly powerful strength also breeds overly powerful desire, little brat..." Gui Qu Lai Xi said with a smile, as if joking, "How about you go die once? How does that sound?"

"Nonsense!" Lin Luo glared back.

"Heh heh." Gui Qu Lai Xi didn't mind. The next moment, her figure vanished from Lin Luo's sight. "Little brat, remember my words well."

P: Many people are asking for fan service side stories. I am currently preparing for ten chapter updates, so side stories are impossible for now. At least this month, I will focus entirely on the main story. However, I won't stop writing them entirely; I'll chip away at them when I have time. The Tōsaka Aoi arc already has over two thousand words... Ah, I shouldn't have said anything.