The Dark King's statement was clearly contradictory; how could he eliminate the Evil King if he couldn't defeat him? Only someone with a fractured mind would utter such nonsense, but Lin Luo caught the underlying meaning and sneered, "So that's how it is. It seems you've gathered quite a bit of intelligence on my situation."

Of course, he couldn't defeat the Evil King, but with so many monstrously powerful girls in Gensokyo, enlisting their aid would make dealing with the Evil King an effortless task... As for the Dark King's talk of hating violence, Lin Luo simply disregarded it.

The Dark King smiled faintly, offering no explanation, then suddenly produced an object in his hand, flicked it with a finger, and sent it flying toward Lin Luo.

"What is the meaning of this?" Lin Luo’s expression immediately soured, fixing the other with an unfriendly gaze, because the object the Dark King had flicked over was none other than... the World Heart!

"I obtained this from another Walker," the Dark King said, recognizing Lin Luo's hostility. "I know you don't trust me, but I'm counting on you to destroy the Evil King."

"Why give it to me?" Hearing this, Lin Luo's expression softened slightly, but his confusion only deepened. Even if the Dark King had no intention of killing the host, surely taking the World Heart from another Walker wouldn't violate his principles. Giving it away freely like this felt entirely dissonant!

"Because I don't need it. I don't rely on external objects; this is the path I've set for myself," the Dark King chuckled lightly. Although his tone was flat, it carried an unmistakable air of solitary self-assurance.

"..." Lin Luo was speechless, not because he lacked a counter-argument, but because the Dark King's methods were too bizarre. He was his enemy; even if the Dark King wouldn't use it himself, there was no need to empower his foe. What game was he playing? Lin Luo couldn't quite figure it out.

The World Heart hovered in mid-air, and Lin Luo made no move to take it. The Dark King seemed uninterested in watching him accept it, turning his back on Lin Luo. "Very well, everything I needed to say has been said. I will be leaving this world next... Oh, yes." At this point, he suddenly seemed to recall something, turned back, and spoke with gravity: "One more piece of news while I’m at it: when facing the Evil King, never attempt to flee. No matter when or where, if you run, you are guaranteed to die!"

"What do you mean?" Lin Luo's face instantly changed.

"Then... farewell." But the Dark King offered no further explanation. His actions were utterly decisive; he left the moment he spoke, and as the words faded, he vanished from Lin Luo's sight.

Lin Luo activated his Perception Domain and detected no trace of his aura; he must truly have departed.

"That fellow..." Lin Luo frowned deeply. The Dark King's actions were completely outside his expectations. He had anticipated a fight, not the delivery of vital intelligence... The impending arrival of the Evil King placed immense pressure on Lin Luo, especially that final warning.

Lin Luo pondered it endlessly but couldn't grasp the meaning of that statement: no running... why?

At the same time, he didn't entirely believe the Dark King had truly left this world. While sharing information about the Evil King might stem from a mutual fear of destruction, Lin Luo suspected the Dark King's greater objective was far more Machiavellian: when the snipe and the clam lock jaws, the fisherman profits!

The Dark King had gauged the capabilities of both himself and the Evil King, then orchestrated their confrontation. Regardless of who won, the result would likely be mutual crippling damage. This would allow the Dark King to rise in the ensuing chaos and strike. Furthermore, gifting him the World Heart was a deliberate gesture of goodwill, intended to lower Lin Luo's guard against him...

"A magnificent open scheme!" Even as an enemy, Lin Luo had to admire the Dark King's intricate setup. If the Evil King truly arrived in this world, Lin Luo couldn't possibly stand idly by and be slaughtered. An unending, fierce battle with the Evil King was inevitable, thus playing perfectly into the Dark King's trap.

"Then let me show you whether your intellect prevails, the Evil King’s brute force wins, or whether my influence... overwhelms you both!" Lin Luo suddenly seized the World Heart in his palm and sneered darkly.

In terms of strategy, the Dark King was superior; in terms of raw power, the Evil King was strongest. But when it came to influence within this world... drawing upon external support—he was confident the influence he commanded in Gensokyo would astonish his enemies!

Lin Luo pushed the thoughts of the Dark King and the Evil King aside and proceeded toward Muzunoka at full speed.

Soon after, reaching the end of the Path of Second Thoughts, Lin Luo found a small grove of trees. Besides the trees, specters occasionally drifted aimlessly. The ground was carpeted with purple cherry blossoms, creating a scene of arresting beauty, yet as the petals drifted down, they instilled a feeling that the entire forest was weeping, causing Lin Luo an instinctive sense of oppression.

"It truly is an uncanny place," Lin Luo murmured, his gaze fixed ahead, continuing forward. The closer he got, the stranger the environment became, as sections of nearby space flickered in and out of existence, occasionally revealing the semblance of city streets—like a mirage. Any specter that wandered into those spaces vanished entirely, never to reappear.

"Erasing the existence of specters?" Seeing this, Lin Luo dared not relax. If categorized by realm, those mirage-like spaces were on the same level as his own power of Destruction. The only difference was that they didn't attack; they merely shifted position intermittently.

Even so, maintaining one's own existence in such a place was incredibly difficult. A moment's inattention and one could be swallowed by those spaces—it was impossible to guard against, requiring twelve parts of mental vigilance even while sleeping.

Lili had been in this place for so long. Although her status displayed on the Book of Contracts seemed normal, Lin Luo couldn't help but feel a pang of worry.

Muzunoka wasn't vast. Relying on the connection he shared with Lili, Lin Luo quickly pinpointed her location and headed in her direction.

Swish!

Suddenly, a lightning-fast beam of light pierced directly toward the center of Lin Luo's brow. There was no killing intent, no malice, but in that instant, Lin Luo felt the terror of absolute death!

"Damn it! What is this one now?" Lin Luo was shocked, instinctively preparing to unleash his Black Flame of Destruction. But just as he tried to gather his power, he caught a fleeting glimpse of a white phantom vanishing opposite him.

Could it be?

Lin Luo's expression shifted. A sudden thought struck him. He suppressed the use of Destruction and instead raised his strongest shield before him.

Screeech!

The electric beam slammed into his shield but was ultimately stopped by Lin Luo. The invisible blade halted just ten centimeters from his face.

Lin Luo was greatly astonished. Although he hadn't used his full strength, a single strike had managed to pierce his strongest shield—something even the White Tiger hadn't achieved.

Sensing the invisible sword preparing to withdraw for another swing, Lin Luo immediately shouted, "Lili, it’s me!"

Crack!

The invisible sword seemed to tremble slightly, and the force instantly retracted. A moment later, Lin Luo saw the invisible blade solidify into a tangible object: a golden knight’s sword. Simultaneously, a faint, almost non-existent figure materialized out of the previously empty air.

This figure seemed to exist between the ephemeral and the real, appearing and disappearing, alternating for about half a minute before finally manifesting a solid form... It was a young girl clad in knight's armor, golden hair cascading over her shoulders, wielding a longsword of gold—it was Lili.

However, her current state was far from ideal. Her eyes were glazed and lifeless, as if she had lost consciousness, dark circles heavy beneath them, fatigue etched clearly onto her face. Her armor was heavily scuffed, and several fresh wounds marred her exposed skin, suggesting she was perilously close to collapse.

And this state was considered normal?!

"Lili..." Looking at her appearance, Lin Luo felt a surge of guilt mixed with profound pity, and he swiftly drew her into an embrace.

"I... succeeded," Lili whispered faintly, leaning against his shoulder.

"Yes, you've worked hard," Lin Luo replied softly, holding the girl tightly. Though usually quick with words, he found himself unable to utter many sentimental phrases now, yet the depth of his feeling surpassed any previous expression... When truly moved, all language feels hollow.

Sometimes, a glance or a single gesture suffices.

Lili smiled faintly and then closed her eyes, drifting into a deep sleep... She was utterly exhausted. In her nearly twenty days within Muzunoka, she had been simultaneously fending off specter attacks and desperately maintaining her own existence. She had kept her spirit perpetually primed for battle, meaning she had scarcely slept at all.

Lin Luo understood all this. Seeing the way she had attacked moments before, it was easy to guess the kind of ordeal she had endured recently. To maintain her presence, she had forcibly suppressed her very consciousness, leaving only the will to exist, and was unable to leave Muzunoka, becoming like a specter herself. The only reason she had held on this long was undoubtedly one thing... because she believed he would come to rescue her!

"I'm sorry, I came too late..."

Clutching the girl's delicate form, Lin Luo closed his eyes, filled with both gratitude and regret. He should have... come for her sooner!

Instinctively, a tear of profound emotion welled in Lin Luo's eye and fell.

And precisely as that tear landed, Lin Luo failed to notice the Night Sky Orb held within his embrace suddenly flare with a soft light before instantly vanishing.

Meanwhile, in the Eientei.

Kaguya remained seated upon her false moon. Before her rested a small table upon which were placed five identical Night Sky Orbs. One of them now pulsed with a yellow light, within which four clear characters shone forth... The Truth of Emotion.

"So, the first puzzle has been solved. Not easy at all," Kaguya smiled faintly, lifting the yellow orb and pressing it against her chest.

"This emotion belongs to me as well."

: The tenth update is finally complete!