Today, my hands tremble; today, my heart aches

Quiet, a deathly silence.

The entire stone grotto fell into a bizarre silence, even quieter than when they learned the spiritual fire was fake.

Ye Shu's ruined body staggered, finally tumbling off the reef and falling into the magma, churning up only a few bubbles.

The grand Child of Destiny, dead just like that.

Everyone stared blankly at this scene, as if unable to believe their eyes.

"Kid!!!"

Bingxuanzi's eyes nearly split open in grief. He abruptly flashed to the reef to salvage Ye Shu's corpse, but could only pull out a charred, unrecognizable remnant.

"How could this be? How did it turn out like this?!"

He cradled Ye Shu's ruined body, his voice trembling.

"How can you die? You promised me you'd cause a huge uproar, that you would unseal this old man! Where have all your bold ambitions gone?!"

"You brat!!!"

No response, only silence.

In the face of Ye Shu's death, everyone's reaction was different.

Even Medusa, who treated him as a mere nobody, couldn't help but feel a sense of disbelief.

Even though she didn't take him seriously right now.

But, this was the person the little booklet said would become the co-ruler of the world in the future.

Dead, just like that?

Yet, it was surprisingly reasonable. A Soul Formation expert attacking with full force, and a sneak attack at that, even they hadn't reacted in time. How could a nobody at the Foundation Establishment stage possibly have time to react?

She was silent for a moment, then merely sighed.

Such was the way of the world.

Even with unmatched talent, if one did not grow up, it was nothing but an illusion of flowers in a mirror and the moon in the water.

That was why she never believed in depending on others.

She only believed in herself.

Only one's own strength was real.

On the other side, looking at Mu Yunxi sheathing her longsword, the disciples of the Azure Profound Sect were also stunned.

Ye Shu was dead.

The usually lively Qin Ke'er was uncharacteristically silent. She stared at the charred, unrecognizable body in Bingxuanzi's arms, a bowl-sized hole blown through its chest, taking a long while to process it.

"Master... Master, you... killed him?"

Her voice trembled, her pupils quivering violently.

"I said before, if we encounter him, I will just conveniently kill him." Mu Yunxi's expression was indifferent, without the slightest fluctuation, as if she had merely killed a nameless pawn.

"Master is right. Killing a menace like him is just getting rid of a problem; there's nothing to pity." Zheng Yunshu and Lu Qinghuan beside her also reacted and chimed in.

"But..."

Qin Ke'er opened her mouth, but swallowed her words.

The person was dead, what was the point of saying anything more?

It was meaningless...

On another side, Master Mochen sat back and watched, observing everyone's reactions, clicking his tongue in wonder.

This kid's identity was not simple.

Clearly just at the Foundation Establishment stage, yet he caused so many people to sigh for him. No wonder he caught the Holy Maiden's attention.

What a pity, he was dead.

Only Wu Tianxing was still looking completely bewildered.

What... what just happened?

It was just a Foundation Establishment cultivator dying, why such a huge reaction?

Those who didn't know would think some big shot had died. Would the sky fall just because this guy died? He completely couldn't understand.

Just like he couldn't understand why Mu Yunxi had targeted Ye Shu.

Meanwhile, Su Xiao, who had been ecstatic just moments ago, looked at the ruined body and instantly fell from heaven to hell. He collapsed to his knees, his eyes locked onto the lifeless Ye Shu, his eye sockets nearly tearing open in shock.

You've got to be kidding me!!!

The male protagonist actually died just like that?!

And he was killed by his own master, the male protagonist's future pillar of support in the Azure Profound Sect, one of the female protagonists, Mu Yunxi, with her own hands.

This isn't right!

Shouldn't the male protagonist be like an unkillable cockroach? No matter what crisis arises, shouldn't someone bail him out, or some special powerhouse show up?

How could he be dead!!

The plot is going to completely implode!

"You've got to be kidding me!!!!"

"I do not accept this!!!"

Su Xiao howled at the sky, his face written with despair. He felt as if he had just watched ten billion slip away with the magma.

His voice was so sorrowful that it brought tears to the listeners' eyes.

Everyone turned to look at him.

Even Bingxuanzi, who was in absolute agony and had managed to squeeze out two tears, was momentarily stunned.

Wait, why did this kid look even more heartbroken than he did?

In contrast to Su Xiao's breakdown was the System, which had just been somewhat shocked and disappointed.

It couldn't help but burst into maniacal laughter in the shadows.

"Jiejiejie!"

"As expected of an excellent female protagonist, decisive in killing! She easily accomplished what the host could never do."

After this battle, its ideas were even more solidified.

In future invasions of other worlds, it would still use this low-cost, high-reward process. It was the epitome of using four ounces to deflect a thousand pounds. Using the female protagonist to deal with the male protagonist was indeed the correct path!

Taking down a world without breaking a sweat.

Could other systems do this?

"Jiejiejie, since the Child of Destiny is dead, all that's left is to seize the luck on his body, and this world will become my nourishment..."

The System laughed sinisterly, reaching out an invisible hand from the void, stealthily extending towards Ye Shu's corpse.

However...

It reached out and grabbed, but caught only nothingness.

"Empty?! How is that possible!"

The System's eyes widened. Refusing to believe it, it grabbed again, but it was still completely empty. No luck, no fate.

Inside that ruined body, there was absolutely nothing.

It was just like... a puppet.

That's right, a puppet!

The System suddenly realized that the Ye Shu before it had no life aura at all. This was merely a puppet devoid of life and luck!

Fake!!!

It was fake!

But it clearly felt the luck in the beginning.

Wait!

The System paused, suddenly realizing something, and gritted its teeth.

"Damn the Heavenly Dao!!!"

It was the Heavenly Dao isolating its perception and forging traces of luck on this puppet to deceive it.

Damn it, damn it, damn it!!!

To think it was so smart all its life, yet it got played.

The System cursed inwardly, but another question followed. If this corpse was fake, then where did the real Child of Destiny go?

This feeling of things slipping out of control was terrible.

Just as the System was lost in thought.

Bingxuanzi finally snapped out of his long sorrow.

With trembling hands, he gently laid Ye Shu's ruined body on the ground. He tilted his head up, two lines of clear tears slowly falling, his voice filled with absolute anguish.

"Today, my hands tremble."

"Today, my heart aches."

"Why did it end up like this? I gave everything to accompany you, kid, to cause a massive uproar here. Yet, before anything even began, you have already died... I finally found a kindred spirit who suited my tastes, only for you to leave in the blink of an eye... Little friend..."

"Little friend..."

"I... I... I..."

He abruptly stood up, his gaze sweeping across the crowd. "Today, I will slaughter all these animals to avenge you!!!"

A terrifying chilling aura erupted instantly, sweeping through the entire grotto. The magma lake froze in a flash. Bingxuanzi's aura climbed steadily, finally stopping at the Half-step Void Return stage, causing the other experts to simultaneously shiver.

What... what is going on?

Countless ice dragons twisted and roamed throughout the cave, indiscriminately attacking everyone in their path.

Although their main focus was Mu Yunxi.

This did not stop the ice dragons from trapping Wu Tianxing and Master Mochen, who were both trying to leave.

"Are you insane?!"

Desperate to escape this place, Wu Tianxing roared in exasperation, "I wasn't the damn one who killed him! If you want revenge, go after that woman! Why the hell are you attacking me too?!"

Bingxuanzi, however, completely ignored him.

Spreading his arms wide, he declared in a resounding voice, "My young friend Ye Shu is dead. I no longer have the heart to distinguish right from wrong!"

"Frost Over a Thousand Miles!!!!!"