Chapter 220 - 219: White Tiger Earth Venerable

Above Li Shui Lake.

The moonlight was obscured by dark clouds.

Four figures drifted in from the north, south, east, and west. Their auras condensed as they instantly arrived at Qin Yang’s side.

Array Patterns hummed as an ancient, profound Array locked down the space. The Vermilion Bird, Cyan Dragon, Black Tortoise, and White Tiger—the Four Great Divine Beasts—roared.

With each roar, the surrounding space grew more solid.

"It’s the Beast God Sect again!"

Qin Yang sensed the Star Force blockade.

Recalling Liu Wushuang’s departure just moments ago, he instantly understood what was happening.

Their timing was perfect, catching him right after his duel when his Star Force was at its most depleted, making it difficult to fight at his full strength.

These Demons from the Beast God Sect had calculated everything perfectly!

They were striking while he was vulnerable!

...

「Meanwhile, on the Li Shui Lake Shore.」

The citizens watched the figures drifting in from the horizon.

They were stunned at first, but they all quickly realized what was going on.

Four figures gathered around Qin Yang, ripples of Star Force spreading out and disturbing the very air.

They sealed off all eight directions, trapping him securely in the sky!

"Oh no, the Arrow God is in danger!"

Lin Mofeng sensed the four auras and said worriedly, "He just finished his duel. This is when he’s at his weakest. These Demons came prepared."

"Quickly, assemble everyone."

Hearing this, Elder Li’s white brows knitted in concern. He pulled a sword from his Star Ring. "Commander, please give the order."

"All teams, get in position! Prepare!"

The Commander took out his walkie-talkie and switched to the all-hands channel. "As per the drill—"

But before he could finish, a hand suddenly pressed down on his shoulder, stopping him.

"Don’t be reckless, Commander. It’s not wise to assemble our forces now."

Lin Mofeng shook his head, pulling his hand back from the Commander’s shoulder as he gazed at the sky. "We can’t help Elder Arrow God."

"What do you mean by that?" The Commander lowered his walkie-talkie.

"Commander, anything at the Venerable Realm or above is a level of power we can’t even touch. Rushing our men forward will only be a burden to Elder Arrow God."

Lin Mofeng explained in a low voice, looking in the direction Liu Wushuang had left. "Elder Wushuang must have sensed something was wrong, too. If I’m not mistaken, he’s on his way back right now.

What we need to do now is evacuate the crowd and minimize civilian casualties!"

"Alright, I understand."

The Commander nodded, then switched on his walkie-talkie and directed his entire team to change their focus to evacuating the lakeside citizens in batches.

The panicked citizens shoved past one another, surging toward the exits of Li Shui Lake Park, but many were still trapped in place.

The crowd of spectators tonight was far larger than usual!

And amid the uproar—suddenly! A blazing streak of light came speeding back!

In an instant, the dim night sky brightened. All the citizens looked up, raising a hand to shield their eyes as they recognized the figure.

"Elder Wushuang is back!!"

Up in the sky, Liu Wushuang had returned. He rode the moonlight, his magnificent robes rustling as he raced back toward the Li Shui Lake Shore, like a cloud-piercing arrow weaving between the skyscrapers.

「In a matter of breaths.」

He was already at the edge of the lake!

"These Cult Demons! How dare they make a move the moment I left!"

Liu Wushuang gripped his Profound Bow, his gaze falling upon the scene before him.

He saw Qin Yang surrounded high in the air.

A Profound Mysterious Array was woven overhead, crackling with purple lightning. The surrounding space was compressing, squeezing his room to move bit by bit. Illusory images of the Four Great Divine Beasts roared as the Beast God Sect Demons, positioned in four directions, chanted a strange scripture.

With every verse they chanted, the Array trapping Qin Yang grew stronger, offering him no hope of escape.

"Jianghai Arrow God!"

Seeing this, Liu Wushuang shouted and prepared to break the Array.

But just then, a sinister voice suddenly emerged, echoing in Liu Wushuang’s ears.

"Liu Wushuang, you stinking archer! You actually dare to come back?"

The White Tiger Earth Venerable took a step forward, blocking Liu Wushuang’s path. He rebuked him, "This has nothing to do with you anymore. Stop right there, or don’t blame me for being merciless!!"

As his voice fell, Liu Wushuang’s brows furrowed. "White Tiger, what is the meaning of this?"

His hand on the Profound Bow trembled slightly as he turned to look at Qin Yang, who was trapped in the Array. "To take advantage of someone in a moment of weakness... The Arrow God just finished a duel. You’ve been planning this for a long time, haven’t you?!"

"Hmph!"

The White Tiger Earth Venerable scoffed. "This man violated the Blood Spirit Contract and killed an Earth Venerable of my Beast God Sect. He deserves to die a thousand deaths. I advise you not to meddle in affairs that don’t concern you.

Otherwise, we’ll trap you in this Array as well."

"*I’m* meddling?"

Hearing this, Liu Wushuang laughed in fury. He looked down at the evacuating citizens. "This is the middle of the city. If you go on a killing spree here, you will be in violation of the Blood Spirit Contract.

Then, he looked at the other Cult Demons and said, "Once that contract is broken, all of you will be hunted down by the Venerable Alliance!"

"Heh heh, you can rest assured about that."

The White Tiger Earth Venerable sneered, glancing back at the Heavenly Intent Four Symbols Formation. "This Array gathers the Four Symbols Star Force to trap only the Jianghai Sword and Arrow God. As long as you don’t interfere, we won’t slaughter the innocent."

His tone then shifted. He looked down at the citizens below and licked his lips.

"But if you continue to get in our way, don’t blame us for what happens next."

His threatening words hung in the air. Liu Wushuang fell silent, looking down at the citizens below, his heart torn with indecision.

He knew that for him, the Blood Spirit Contract was unbreakable.

If he forcefully rescued Qin Yang, these citizens might be put in danger. The various constraints at play were simply too complicated.

’Should I save him or not?’

But just then, a voice suddenly called up from below.

"Elder Wushuang! We beg you to save the Jianghai Arrow God!"

It was Lin Mofeng shouting.

With Qin Yang trapped in the Array, Liu Wushuang was, without a doubt, their last hope!

"The Arrow God has been a great benefactor to Jianghai City! We beseech you, Elder Wushuang, please help him!"

"We beseech you, Elder, please act!!"

Elder Li and the others joined the shouting.

The voices swelled like a tidal wave.

The crowd cried out, some even kneeling on the ground, praying to Liu Wushuang above.

The previous Sword God was already gone. The current Jianghai Arrow God was their new hope, and no one wanted to hear that he had fallen as well.

In that instant, a thousand prayers rose as one.

Liu Wushuang heard the voices of the people. Bathed in the clear moonlight, he stared at Qin Yang trapped in the Array, his expression becoming dazed and lost.

Although his bowstring was already broken...

’But if I use my full power, I could still get the Arrow God out of there.’

’It’s just...’

’After I rescue the Arrow God, what will happen with these Cult Demons?’

’If they can’t get their revenge on Qin Yang, they’ll surely tear up the Blood Spirit Contract and fall into a mad, relentless frenzy!’

Floating in the air, Liu Wushuang clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, his thoughts a tangled mess.

Just then, the White Tiger Earth Venerable smiled. "You’d better think this through, Liu Wushuang..." Seeing his hesitation, he seized the opportunity to speak. "The Jianghai Arrow God killed a member of our Beast God Sect. Our grudge with him is a sea of blood... but you’re different.

You hold a high position in the Venerable Alliance. If you interfere, it would be tantamount to destroying the balance of the contract."

With that, the White Tiger Earth Venerable floated to Liu Wushuang’s side. "Becoming the Jianghai Arrow God’s accomplice would mean the Venerable Alliance is declaring war on us... You’d best weigh the consequences of that yourself."

Every word was like a sharp knife twisting in Liu Wushuang’s heart, the pros and cons endlessly replaying in his mind.

"I... I understand."

Liu Wushuang struggled for a long time before finally giving Qin Yang a complicated look and sending a telepathic message:

"Take care of yourself."

This was the choice he had made.

’The Jianghai Arrow God has fallen into the Array. He’s trapped in a desperate situation with no chance of escape.’

’An eye for an eye. This simply settles the score!’

’Starting a war between two major powers over a single person in the Venerable Realm... It’s simply not worth it!’

"Heh heh, ’take care of yourself,’ he says."

Qin Yang, however, just shook his head. He spread his arms wide from within the Array Patterns and sent a telepathic message back, "The Venerable Alliance is just full of sincerity, aren’t they? Weren’t you just telling me to think over your offer to join? Does that offer just count for nothing now?

The conversation between the White Tiger Earth Venerable and Liu Wushuang had been transmitted back, and Qin Yang had heard everything.

If Liu Wushuang had just left, that would have been one thing.

But based on the attitude he’d shown during that conversation...

’Even if I had joined the Venerable Alliance, I would have ended up as nothing more than a disposable pawn. How chilling... ’

’And they call that protection?’

"Good thing I didn’t agree right away," Qin Yang murmured. "When it really mattered, he just up and left me."

"I’m sorry..."

Hearing Qin Yang’s scathing words, Liu Wushuang was overcome with shame and indignation. With a defeated expression, he turned and transformed into a streak of light, fleeing into the distance.

He vanished from public view on the spot!

Seeing this, the pleading crowd fell into despair. Lin Mofeng supported Elder Li as they both stared in the direction Liu Wushuang had fled.

’Greatest Archery in the world?’

’He actually just ran away!!’

...

...

"Jianghai Arrow God, no need to take it to heart."

The White Tiger Earth Venerable looked at Qin Yang in the Array and chuckled sinisterly. "The world is full of bustling people, all coming and going for profit... You’re just a pawn. What good are their promises to you?

When it really counts, you’re nothing but a useless, discarded piece! HAHAHA!"

"Hmph."

Qin Yang ignored his taunts.

’It’s better to rely on yourself than on others.’

’In that brief moment of respite, I’ve already figured out the basics of this thing, thanks to the *True Understanding of Array Dao*.’

’This Heavenly Intent Four Symbols Formation is in harmony with the Celestial Dao. With the four cardinal directions occupied, there’s indeed no hope of breaking out of the Array directly. I’ll have to find another way.’

"What?"

The White Tiger Earth Venerable noticed Qin Yang’s movements and shook his head. "This Heavenly Intent Four Symbols Formation was set up specifically for you. You won’t be escaping today, even if you sprout wings!"

"Be smart and kill yourself. I can at least leave you with an intact corpse!"

"Are all of you from the Beast God Sect this arrogant?"

Qin Yang gently touched the edge of the Array, still trying to find a way to break it. "So confident that I can’t leave?"

After several repeated attempts revealed no openings, Qin Yang remained unhurried. A smile played on his lips as he slowly began to activate his ’self-destruct’ technique, not a trace of fear in his heart.

’If I have to blow myself up, so be it!’

’Besides, Xiaobai loves to see it.’

His only regret was...

This White Tiger Earth Venerable seemed to be fated for a short life. The system hadn’t given him a prompt, which meant the man wasn’t originally destined to live for another five hundred years anyway...

Qin Yang’s skin began to crack, brilliant starlight bursting forth.

"A short-lived ghost, are you?"

"Then this Arrow God will grant you Heaven and Earth’s Longevity!!"