Chapter 140 Farewell to the Disaster Zone

“Greetings, seniors. I’ve kept you waiting.”

Gu Shen leaped down from the snow cliff.

He knew that his meditation had lasted…probably several dozen hours.

During this time, these three titled powerhouses had waited here, never leaving, protecting him.

This kind of treatment was probably something even the "S-level" of the Northern Continent had never enjoyed.

After Gu Shen came down, he quickly bowed.

“It’s nothing.”

Rustbone spoke, his gaze toward Gu Shen carrying a hint of tenderness, “It’s rare for transcendent beings to experience ‘enlightenment’ in their lives. Even if you sat for three days and three nights, we would wait patiently.”

Gu Shen was flattered and said, "Thank you all."

General Rustbone seemed to think that his dozens of hours sitting on the snow cliff were spent in enlightenment?

Gu Shen didn’t dare to elaborate.

He had actually spent most of that time immersed in the spiritual images of the black gem.

Only the latter part was spent in spiritual comprehension of Reverse Breathing.

“Mr. Gu, you’re too polite.” A’ Liu’er also smiled, “We came at His Majesty’s command. Doing these things is our duty.”

Although the Disaster Zone of Piercing Moon City was perpetually silent,

this place was, after all, a Disaster Zone. No one knew what might happen next.

Gu Shen thanked them again.

He said sincerely, "What I’ve been doing is actually just trying to see the traces left behind by my teacher… I wanted to try my luck in the Piercing Moon City Disaster Zone, to see if there might be a miracle…"

In truth, this choice was somewhat capricious.

But Gu Shen was an S-level, so perhaps he could really see something?

Failing all else.

The towering tree and Tian Tong were his teacher and older sister. For both sentimental and rational reasons, he was qualified to come here and take one last look.

“Now… it’s over.”

Gu Shen's voice was a little lonely, but his expression held no regret.

He smiled and said, "It's a pity that a miracle didn't happen. I don't need to continue waiting and wasting your time."

“Gu Shen, there’s something I need to remind you. If you choose to leave… the Fourth Legion will enter the Piercing Moon City Disaster Zone.”

Zi Yu said softly, "For a long time, this fortress will be sealed off. Before the black hole is removed, no one can enter. Once the Disaster Zone is controlled… the rules and order here will probably change as well.”

Gu Shen understood what the Legion Commander meant.

He wouldn't be able to wait for that door now.

And he'd be even less likely to wait once the Fourth Legion conquered the Piercing Moon City Disaster Zone.

“I understand.”

Gu Shen calmed his mind. He bowed and said softly, “Please, the three of you, send me out of the Disaster Zone…”

…

…

After leaving Piercing Moon City Fortress, Gu Shen returned to Central City.

He didn't delay and went straight to the Queen’s Castle.

The Legion Commander accompanied him.

Their previous conversation…had lasted only a few tens of minutes before being hastily interrupted. She could tell that the conversation between Her Majesty and Gu Shen was not yet over.

Soon, Gu Shen arrived back at the pavilion.

Under the Legion Commander’s guidance, he once again stepped into the Queen’s Divine Realm!

Within the Divine Realm, countless snowflakes floated. Perhaps because he had comprehended "Great Cold," Gu Shen no longer felt the throne emitting a biting chill…

He even felt a warmth that resonated with his own source.

Perhaps Her Majesty had also cultivated the "Spring Breath" left behind by Mr. Gu Changzhi to embark on her path of cultivation?

These were questions that couldn't be verified.

The moment the Legion Commander closed the door,

Gu Shen took a deep breath and looked up.

He looked directly at the ice and snow-covered throne and the cold figure sitting upon it, casting all irrelevant thoughts aside.

On the way here, or rather, after calming the fluctuations in his heart… Gu Shen had been thinking about how to conduct the conversation after returning to the pavilion.

Those fragmented, unconnectable clues wandered aimlessly in his mind.

And now,

he was ready to have a new "conversation" with the Queen.

“Your Majesty…”

Gu Shen walked forward slowly and arrived before the throne.

He did not ask a question.

Instead, he spoke calmly.

“I killed Meng Xiao.”

…

…

Many people were interested in this conversation between Gu Shen and the Queen.

At this moment, Zi Yu in the main hall on the first floor, Lin Chou working in the study, and… all the Dukes and Generals who knew about this news were all guessing what Gu Shen would say to Her Majesty and what Her Majesty would say to Gu Shen.

These two questions seemed similar, but their meanings were actually different.

However, probably none of them would have imagined that after Gu Shen returned to the pavilion… the conversation would begin in this way.

“…Oh?”

The Queen sat on the throne, propping her elbow up and looking at the young man below the throne’s steps.

She revealed a very faint smile.

Unfortunately, hidden beneath the ice and snow, Gu Shen couldn't see this smile.

So Gu Shen repeated himself, “Your Majesty, I just said… I killed Meng Xiao.”

“Mm.”

The Queen responded softly, smiling as she asked, “And?”

“I chopped off his head.”

Gu Shen did not directly answer the Queen’s words.

"Then I burned his body, destroyed all the sealed items, and threw everything… into the Doru River."

These words seemed meaningless,

but quite the opposite.

This was Gu Shen’s carefully considered opening statement.

He confessed the secret of killing the Favored Son. Perhaps it wasn't much of a secret. In many people's minds, Meng Xiao had been killed by Gu Shen… At least, that was certainly what the Arbitrators thought.

However, no one had any evidence.

This confession was a kind of evidence.

And the Queen’s response was a tacit acceptance of Gu Shen’s confession.

With her existence, she naturally wouldn’t care about a dead man from Light City… Meng Xiao? Favored Son? What was that?

Snowflakes fluttered.

When Gu Shen paused again, the woman on the throne still smiled and said, “…You can continue.”

“That’s all.”

Gu Shen shrugged. “I killed him because I completed my third breakthrough…”

"Your Majesty, you can't hide things like breakthroughs from you, can you?"

Gu Shen knew his limits. No matter how much he restrained his spiritual aura, he could only deceive fourth-order transcendent beings, perhaps fool some titled powerhouses… But for a God Seat, such concealment was meaningless.

Probably when the Queen descended upon the Doru River, she had seen through his breakthrough with a casual glance.

Seeing through his breakthrough,

in a sense, was equivalent to… seeing the truth of the Meng Xiao case.

However, what Gu Shen wanted to ask wasn't that.

He sighed helplessly and said sincerely, "Your Majesty, after I've said so much, don't you understand my real intention?"

I know that you know all of this.

The important thing is,

how do you know? Did you see it, or did you guess it?

Gu Shen did not continue speaking, piercing through this subtext… It was a kind of dignity, dignity for himself, and dignity to allow this conversation to continue. Once his biggest secret was exposed, he might face a huge storm.

The Divine Realm fell silent.

The woman on the throne said softly, "Gu Shen, you burned Meng Xiao's bones and clothes, but you still left something behind… didn't you?"

Gu Shen opened his mouth, but ultimately remained silent.

In the Pure Land World,

that jade thumb ring was still suppressing the Calamity Bracelet.

He was certain… the Queen had not used her spiritual power to invade his world.

So how did she know?

There seemed to be only one answer.

“So, you… saw everything?”

Gu Shen had nothing to hide. He ignited the wisp of fire between his eyebrows and did not conceal the hint of nether energy mixed within the blazing fire… Although there was only a wisp, once it was revealed, Her Majesty would still be able to sense it.

As expected.

The woman on the throne, even after seeing the Nether Fire, remained calm and unchanged.

“Whether I saw it or not, it doesn't matter…”

The Queen stretched out her palm, her five fingers pointing downwards.

“Clang, clang.”

A crisp, wind chime-like sound resonated, dancing in the Divine Realm.

Gu Shen was stunned.

The Northern Continent Queen wore a silver linked finger bracelet on her left hand. This bracelet covered her entire palm, and now each of the linked beads made a clear sound as they shook and collided, sounding extremely pleasant.

“What truly matters is that the two ‘Gospel Box Divine Artifacts’ on your body that can divine the future were both acquired by chance after coming to the Northern Continent.”

Amidst the gentle chiming of the bells,

Gu Shen was somewhat dazed.

The moment he saw the Queen reveal the bracelet, he knew that the pendant, bracelet… were one set. But he had never expected that Her Majesty would call them "Gospel Box Divine Artifacts?"

“If you continue searching, then one day, you will eventually find your way here. This bracelet is an indispensable ‘main component’ of the three-piece set.”

The Queen said calmly, “The bracelet and pendant are secondary, subordinate components. You already possess those two items. You should know that they are no longer complete… They have all paid the price for ‘peering into destiny.’”

She sat on the throne, placing her raised hand back down.

The bracelet actually began to dissolve along with the flying ice and snow. In this Divine Realm, the bracelet transformed into countless fluttering snowflakes, a sky full of ethereal frost.

This was the reason why the Queen could grasp everything while sitting in the pavilion.

The world believed that she had created a great art no less than "Divination"... However, all foresight in this world required a price, so she was trapped in the Divine Realm, unable to leave.

But… the truth was completely different from what the world believed.

Why would someone who held destiny in their hands need to divine it?

Wherever her gaze pointed, was where destiny would fall.

"Don't worry. You can keep those two items…"

The Queen said, “I’ve tried to retrieve them, and I’ve also tried to hide the existence of the ‘bracelet’ from you, but such actions ultimately did not lead to a good outcome. So, now I've decided to let you keep these ‘Divine Artifacts’ that shouldn't belong to you.”

Gu Shen was stunned.

What… did that mean?

“Gu Shen, don’t you understand yet?”

The Queen’s calm voice echoed in the Divine Realm, like the sound of wind and snow, striking directly at the soul.

“We have already met thousands of times.”

“In this Divine Realm.”

“In countless fragmented futures and pasts.”

Her eyes pierced through everything, landing on Gu Shen.

At this moment, Gu Shen seemed to return to the first time he had stepped in, following the guidance of his heart, he took out the pendant and the bracelet.

Then he saw countless overlapping shadows, all superimposed upon the throne…

One fragmented image after another bloomed, cracked, flowed backward, and reorganized upon the throne.

Finally,

countless overlapping shadows melted into one.

The only remaining Queen stood up on the throne and asked softly, “Think about it, why did I tear up that letter in the first place?”

…

…

(ps: 1. There's a lot of information in this chapter. It took a long time to write, but I'm very satisfied. The Traveler arc is coming to a close, so ensuring quality is the priority. Thank you for your understanding~ 2. Today is Little Gu's birthday, and also the first anniversary of the book's publication. Hooray~! I will try my best to add more chapters tomorrow while ensuring quality. There will be at least two additional chapters, but because of staying up late, there won't be an update tomorrow morning. The mass update will take place in the afternoon~)