Building the great wall was not only to resist the storms.

But also... to prepare for the arrival of "kin" in the future!

No one knew what kind of monster the fragments of the Gospel Box would create. If a Throne could traverse the Old World in the flesh, then theoretically, other fragments of the Gospel Box could also create such beings.

"So you understand... why I care so much about the mind of the 'Traveler'?"

The Empress tapped the throne lightly with her fingertip again.

In the sky filled with frost and snow, one mental crystal ball after another condensed.

The Traveler's mind is the most precious treasure!

Over the years, the Traveler race has wandered through the desolate ruins of the Old World, experiencing countless disasters and witnessing countless fragments of fallen civilizations. The memories hidden in the mental sea of such a "divine being" are likely to be the sum of human exploration of the [Old World] over the years!

"These... are 'all the memories' I could find."

There were a total of twenty-three crystal balls, suspended in all directions of the Divine Realm.

Gu Shen held his breath.

His teacher's image was in one of them.

"The Traveler's memory is not complete... many memories are missing..." the Empress said, "But these twenty-three memories are almost equivalent to the investigation corps' exploration progress over the past twenty years. The area it has wandered through greatly fills the dark blank of the Old World map. Of course... in its memory, there are things more important than the map."

"For example, the whereabouts of your teacher..."

The Empress paused slightly, and then said, "And for example, the anomaly of that 'Fire Seed'."

"Anomaly?" Gu Shen frowned.

The Empress waved her hand.

"Whirr..."

As the wind and snow swept past, a familiar scene unfolded before Gu Shen's eyes.

Vast waves of magma were rising.

This was the [Melting Furnace] reactor in the underground laboratory.

The Traveler was currently imprisoned in the reactor, curled up. A layer of hard, thick skin had formed around its body, resisting the impact of the fiery waves... but the defense of this layer of skin was actually ineffective.

The Empress's Divine Realm was constantly extracting its energy.

And upon closer inspection, one would find that at the center of its brow, a complex fire-colored brand flickered faintly beneath the molten lava... flashing intermittently, emitting a dazzling, dim glow.

"That brand is the 'Fire Seed' of the Eighth Throne."

The Empress said calmly, "Theoretically speaking, even the residual heat it emits is enough to supply the entire Central City to maintain 'ascension'. At the research speed of the underground laboratory, it will take about three years for most of the main cities in the Northern Continent to complete the comprehensive laying of underground pipelines... Three years later, the 'Traveler's' heat will support more than 50% of the cities in the Northern Continent to resist the severe winter, and from then on, it will be spring all year round."

Gu Shen narrowed his eyes, carefully staring at the "fire-colored brand."

Thinking about it carefully... although he was the King of the Underworld, this was the first time he had seen the true form of the "Fire Seed."

Previously, in the cemetery, he had only glimpsed the void form of the Underworld Fire through a sliver of a gap when the gate opened.

And that was not the Fire Seed itself.

At this moment, watching the Traveler's Fire Seed in the reactor through the wind and snow summoned by the Empress, Gu Shen did not see any "anomaly"... Even from afar, he could still feel the formidable power of that Fire Seed.

The Traveler had fallen into hibernation.

The Melting Furnace was still unable to refine it.

"Is there... a problem?"

Gu Shen murmured, "I only see one thing... this Fire Seed is very powerful."

"Yes, this Fire Seed is very powerful."

The Empress smiled.

After she finished laughing, her expression became serious: "That's the problem."

Gu Shen was stunned, and then he understood what the Empress meant—

Yes, that's the problem!

Why hasn't such a powerful Fire Seed unleashed a terrifying power comparable to that of a Throne in the Traveler's hands?

In that confrontation, the Empress directly crushed this big guy!

The victory at the Toru River came too easily, so that the nobles of the Northern Continent simply didn't think the "Traveler" was anything to be afraid of... Judging from its combat performance, it was indeed suppressed by the Empress, and the gap was not small.

"Could it be that the Fire Seed is fake?"

"No... the Fire Seed is real. Absolutely."

The Empress stared at the big guy in the lava, saying each word carefully, "But it... may be fake."

"???"

After being shocked, cold sweat seeped out of Gu Shen's back.

A brief silence fell in the Divine Realm.

In this silence, Gu Shen raised his head and carefully looked at the throne...

He vaguely felt that the "bracelet" also seemed to have untargetable drawbacks.

For example, the Empress saw countless possibilities of him stepping into the attic.

But there still seemed to be something missing.

She didn't seem to know about the "black gemstone" transaction scene. So, in the countless possibilities provided by the "bracelet," he had never mentioned it... Or, in those possibilities, he hadn't triggered the accidental comprehension of the "black gemstone?"

Both were possible.

But Gu Shen was more inclined toward the third possibility...

The "bracelet's" divination could be suppressed!

This set of three fate artifacts was suppressed by the "lacquer stone"... Every divination actually required using a small amount of mental power to watch and sense. The "bracelet," the "bangle," and the "pendant" were no exception.

And the "lacquer stone's" passive ability was to absorb all mental energy!

Just like how the Saint Arbiter couldn't find the "bangle."

The Empress's "bracelet" had divined so many times, yet she couldn't see the transaction scene recorded in the "lacquer stone!"

Gu Shen hesitated for a moment, deciding to suppress this secret for the time being. He asked softly, "How did Your Majesty come to this conclusion?"

"It... is a little too stupid."

The Empress frowned slightly and slowly opened her mouth.

Even without seeing the transaction between the King of the Underworld and the Traveler recorded in the black gemstone, she still found the correct answer based on her intuition.

This big guy was too clumsy!

Although it was a divine being, even without the help of the "Great Cold" that she had accumulated for so long, she could still steadily win the victory in a fight.

"The power of the Thrones all comes from the 'Fire Seed'."

The Empress narrowed her phoenix eyes, saying each word carefully, "And in recent years, the Thrones have begun to violate the iron law, bestowing the power of the Fire Seed little by little, creating the so-called [Apostles]."

Apostles are transcendents who hold emblems and receive divine favor!

They use their bodies as containers and their minds as bridges... wholeheartedly serving the Thrones, while accepting the power of the Thrones' empowerment, becoming almost invincible powerhouses among mortals. In necessary moments, they can even perform "Divine Advent," a kind of miracle!

But... Apostles have a major flaw.

That is, each "Divine Advent" will severely damage their bodies.

Tie Wu, who attacked Lion Lane, was unable to withstand the power of "Divine Advent," and his body was blown to pieces...

The stronger the physical fitness of a transcendent, the more "divine power" they can bear!

The more stable the mind of an Apostle, the longer the "Divine Advent" time they can perform!

"If one adds up strands of Fire Seed power... one will find that, from a certain point of view, [Apostles] are Thrones." The Empress said slowly, "They are just weakened Thrones. If an Apostle is strong enough, far surpassing mortals, then with the blessing of 'Divine Power,' they can even fight against a Throne."

After Divine Advent, one transcends mortality!

But... it is extremely difficult to maintain such a state for even a second!

It is too difficult to truly wage a divine war with this method.

If the Apostle's opponent is a Throne... then even if they can exchange a blow or two, they are destined to lose, because the "Divine Advent" they obtain by burning everything is just the Throne's permanent state!

The Empress's words were like a thunderbolt.

Gu Shen was silent for a long time before saying hoarsely, "Do you mean... the 'Traveler' currently trapped in the Melting Furnace is not the 'Traveler,' but an Apostle who has accepted the complete Fire Seed?"

He remembered that the Empress's emblem was the owl crest.

This emblem symbolized an invincible war strategy and the wisdom to govern and control people.

At this moment, Gu Shen, who had seen the "black gemstone" transaction scene, sincerely admired the Empress's "insight"... The question that had been troubling him seemed to have been answered.

The Traveler was not the Traveler.

"Lu Zhe killed an intelligent life from the Old World on Black Snow Mountain... That life once said that it would send a gift to the Five Continents."

The Empress said faintly, "Then, the door opened, and the 'Traveler' walked in."

Gu Shen already knew everything that followed.

This big guy's power was truly terrifying... How strong would its physical fitness have to be to completely accept a "Fire Seed?"

Such a being could only be born in the "Traveler race," right?

Being able to trek through the [Old World] and traverse the void in the flesh, it was probably the most physically powerful existence that had evolved in the entire race!

"Of course... these are just guesses."

The Empress said expressionlessly, "Even now, I still can't understand why, if the real 'Traveler' is someone else, it would give all the 'Fire Seed' to the Apostle? Where is its true body? What is the meaning of doing this?"

Gu Shen was a little dazed.

He suddenly thought of the cursed scene on Black Snow Mountain.

The King of the Underworld and the Traveler threw out "curses" at each other—

And at this moment, could the Empress's guess verify one thing... that the King of the Underworld's curse had taken effect!

The Traveler had really lost everything! Including the Fire Seed!

"Perhaps... this big guy itself is the answer to these questions."

Gu Shen murmured, "If it is a gift that the Traveler sent to the Five Continents, then it should want to find something..."

As soon as he said this, the woman on the throne smiled.

The soft laughter made the surrounding wind and snow tremble slightly.

Gu Shen stared blankly at the Empress: "You... what are you laughing at?"

"Perhaps it is because I made a different choice... I always feel that this meeting is a future that I have not seen in the countless predictions of the 'bracelet'."

The Empress's voice was a little emotional, "And... I am very pleased that you have this idea. And what you just said is what I am going to do next."

She stood up from the throne and looked at the image of the Melting Furnace reactor reflected by the wind and snow.

Saying each word carefully.

Her aura was terrifying.

"I am preparing... to release the 'Traveler'."

…

…

(ps: I encountered some annoying things, which delayed me for a while, sorry for the wait. There will be more later.)