At the moment Tang Zijing fell back, he heard a heart-wrenching cry.

The white-haired girl cried and rushed over to hold him, her tears flowing down her cheeks, fluttering in the wind and snow like withering snowflakes, as beautiful as they were heartbreaking.

"Ling'er..."

For Tang Ling, it was a call she hadn't heard in fourteen years.

In fact, when this man stood in front of her, all the resentment and hatred from these fourteen years dissipated, all the unwillingness and indignation were obliterated in the phantom of the past, it seemed as if she returned to her childhood, feeling that long-lost, loved sensation once again.

Yet love, to her, seemed too extravagant.

So much so that she had to pay such a heavy price.

So heavy that she could not bear it.

Gu Jianlin released the Ancient God Transformation, without hesitation converted to the Divine Path, and unleashed Life Perception.

Then he fell silent.

There was no saving him.

Because Tang Zijing's Life Rhythm had already disappeared.

It was unknown what force was supporting his existence now.

It might not even be his own power.

The terrifying vision from before was truly beyond ordinary comprehension.

At the very least, it originated from a Primordial!

Tang Ling held onto the man tightly, regardless of how much blood was on him, or how terrifying his charred body was, she just kept sobbing, tears streaming uncontrollably down her face.

Dripping onto the man's face.

At this moment, she was no longer the princess of the Order World, all the coldness and strength used to protect herself collapsed, simply unable to withstand the pain of losing a loved one.

Why did it hurt so much?

Even though she came with the resolve to kill him.

However, the truth was far more cruel than imagined, like a blade piercing through her heart.

Tearing her heart into fragments.

"Don't cry, I was over a hundred years old anyway, it's time for me to die."

Tang Zijing stared at the girl's profile, hoarsely said: "Sure enough, a Primordial is not easily fooled, and I paid a heavy price for my presumption."

Reluctantly, he averted his gaze from the girl's face, looked at the boy beside him, then raised his only remaining right hand, giving a thumbs-up: "Child, well done."

By now, the truth was self-evident.

Tang Zijing, lurking as a traitor beside a Primordial, was eventually discovered, and he paid the price for his actions, with some force forcibly implanted within him to kill his great-granddaughter.

Before this, he could not control his actions.

Nor could he speak to dissuade, or defend himself.

Gu Jianlin's arrival prevented this tragedy from happening.

For the first time, Gu Jianlin was at a loss; he came here to prevent the tragedy, yet in the end, he still could not save this man's life, leaving him with a ridiculous sense of defeat.

He tightened his grip on the knife, gritting his teeth.

"You've already done very well, what Old Gu and I couldn't accomplish, you finally did. I think Xu Fu should be at peace now? When I first saw you, I only caught a glimpse from afar; you were only four years old then, and in the blink of an eye, you've grown so much, and become so strong."

Tang Zijing then turned to look at the girl, softly saying: "In the blink of an eye, you've become a big girl too. Back when I saw you in the Returning Burial Forest, I wanted to say this... so beautiful."

Gu Jianlin fell into silence, even feeling a sense of guilt for his earlier actions, always believing these big figures kept him in the dark, stubbornly wanting to break free from all these constraints.

But never expected the final outcome to be so cruel.

In the snowy rain, only the girl's hoarse voice sounded: "So is this really the truth?"

Tang Zijing was not the traitor who, in pursuit of power and immortality, willingly sent his descendants for experimentation, and betrayed humanity to join the ranks of the Ancient God Clan.

All of this was forced.

"Yes, but not entirely."

Tang Zijing revealed a relieved smile, saying: "I am the Shadow."

Even with Tang Ling's identity and status, she was still stunned hearing the term 'Shadow'.

Gu Jianlin vaguely sensed something.

"The so-called Shadow is a special unit that only serves the President. We all have our positions in the real world, but our superior is only one person, and that's the President. The duty of the Shadow is to secretly protect this world, monitoring the movements and intentions of all major forces."

Tang Zijing coughed heavily, explaining: "In the Night Watcher, Judgement Court, Investigation Bureau, the Ying Family, Ji Family... even within the Divine Servants of various Ancient God Clans, there are our Shadows."

Gu Jianlin seemed to realize something, his eyes changed slightly.

Tang Ling stared blankly at the man before her, hearing the next words.

"Yes, our existence is to oppose The Order of the Hidden."

Tang Zijing revealed a smile so atrocious it was extreme: "But the difference is, The Order of the Hidden uses special means to control others' thoughts, whereas we are chosen by the President, relying on faith."

So that's how it is.

As the President of the Ether Association, that woman never let down her guard.