"Boom~~~"

The monstrous waves churned and burst forth.

The Traveler crashed back into the Furnace, the torrential fiery waves flung hundreds of meters outward. Remnants of the spray struck the steel cliffs, extinguished, and scorched, releasing scalding fumes.

"Hiss hiss hiss..."

The once lively atmosphere on the cliffs instantly fell silent.

A deathly stillness.

The Northern Continent dignitaries, who had been chatting and laughing, were now ashen-faced and ghastly. Several were trembling like sieves, unable to stand without support… It wasn’t exactly that they were timid.

Rather, the pressure of a “god” was simply too overwhelming. Even if the Traveler hadn't transmitted a single wisp of spiritual energy, the mere momentary eye contact was enough to make mortals prostrate themselves!

"Now… do you still want to go down?"

The deputy director, clad in a white coat, emerged slowly with his hands in his pockets. His face betrayed no sign of panic, suggesting that the recent “incident” had already occurred when the Traveler was first placed into the Furnace.

He asked calmly, "If any important personage still wishes to go down for a 'closer look,' I can apply for permission. However, the protective measures down there are not as secure as they are here…"

This time.

No one suggested going down for a look.

The dignitaries could no longer force a smile. Their expressions were pale and defeated, aware that they had lost face. Several rose to their feet and excused themselves… They didn’t even bother to look at the remaining research results, departing straight away.

Go down for a look?

Another look… and they’d lose all their dignity!

"Deputy Director… I need to speak with you."

On the other side, Lu Zhe took a deep breath and glanced, with lingering fear, at the underground Furnace. Suppressing the shock in his heart, he floated over to the deputy director.

The two of them went to a corner.

Lu Zhe asked in a low voice, "Do situations like that happen often?"

The deputy director considered the question for a moment.

He glanced at Lu Zhe, then at Fisher in the fish tank above, and the blond dwarf Zhong Yuan.

If he wasn't mistaken, these three should be the strongest team leaders in the restart mission.

During the recent crisis.

Their reaction speed was the fastest, and their courage the greatest!

Facing the impact and pressure from the Traveler, these three captains had actually dared to stand up!

"No…"

The deputy director said meaningfully, "In fact, the Traveler has been much more stable these past two days. It only struggled violently a few times when it was first thrown into the Furnace… We were prepared for a long battle, but after several unsuccessful attempts to breach the Furnace, it resorted to resisting by curling up. That’s why we had tonight’s dinner demonstration."

Lu Zhe nodded, indicating his understanding.

If the Traveler were extremely unstable, the underground research institute probably wouldn’t have issued the invitation.

"That's strange…"

Lu Zhe murmured, "I felt like the Traveler was smiling when it fell."

"Smiling?"

The deputy director was stunned.

When the Traveler leaped out of the magma, it stirred up a large amount of hot mist. At the time, he was in the observation post, far from the steel cliffs, and all the Sky Eyes were obscured by the heat… As for "eye contact," aside from the captain-level experts who dared to look at the Traveler, everyone else was frightened and fell.

This news was a bit unsettling.

"Captain Lu, are you saying that the Traveler had a smile on its face… is that right?"

Just imagining that bronze face covered in blood and fire, displaying a smile, sent a chill down the deputy director’s spine. So he carefully confirmed.

"Yes."

Lu Zhe's voice was also uncertain. "Or maybe… I was mistaken?"

He thought it was probably his imagination.

"In any case, it should be noted."

Lu Zhe took a deep breath and said, "Please record this incident and report it… The Traveler is a divine being with extremely high intelligence. Its current state may not be as stable as we think. The research institute must be careful in the work ahead."

"Yes."

The deputy director said solemnly, "Thank you for the reminder."

Lu Zhe shook his head. "It's nothing… thank you for your hard work."

……

……

Above the steel cliffs, waves surged.

Gu Shen slowly recovered from his trance.

He had been lost in thought for nearly a minute.

When the Traveler leaped out of the Furnace, the torrential heat almost engulfed him. Besides the three captains, he was one of the most forward-standing transcendents… And the other one was Mu Wanqiu!

A terrifying thought emerged in his mind.

That the Traveler's jump just now was for him!

It had "targeted" him!

This thought, once it appeared, spiraled out of control… spreading in Gu Shen's mind.

Dimly.

He actually felt a tinge of palpitations!

Thinking about it… from the moment it broke out of the Old World, the Traveler’s target seemed very clear!

It had always been him!

Gu Shen's expression was complex as he looked at the flames churning in the core of the Furnace. He quickly shook his head, wondering what was wrong with him. This big guy had clearly been thrown into the Furnace by the Empress, so why was he still so worried? Was he afraid the Traveler would jump out and eat him?

Circulating the Spring Breathing Technique, Gu Shen calmed his mind.

Beside his ear, came a slightly trembling voice.

"So, you… sensed it too?"

It was Mu Wanqiu's voice.

During the recent shock, Mu Wanqiu, like Gu Shen, was practically at the forefront!

Gu Shen slightly turned his head, saw Mu Wanqiu who also looked pale. The latter used mental transmission, her voice sounding somewhat hoarse, "I feel like… I've been targeted by that thing."

"..."

Gu Shen was silent for two seconds, and then calmly said, "Don't worry, it can't get out."

The Traveler indeed could not get out.

If this fellow’s true target was him, then it should have displayed its great abilities in the disaster zone long ago.

Now that it had been thrown into the Furnace, it was truly "doomed forever"!

"Yes…"

Having experienced the recent shock, Mu Wanqiu’s spirit was somewhat dazed, but she soon regained her composure, asking with confusion, "I don't understand, is this a hallucination, or… has it really targeted us?"

The Traveler had targeted the King of the Underworld, and the transcendents tainted with the King of the Underworld’s aura.

This was the answer that immediately surfaced in Gu Shen's mind.

However… he thought about it again, and felt that something was wrong.

It was reasonable for the Traveler to target him, after all, he held the Underworld Fire, and was a successor of the same origin and bloodline as the "former King of the Underworld" who had deceived the ancient humans… but it shouldn’t be targeting Mu Wanqiu, she hadn't accepted the power of the Underworld Fire yet, she was just traveling with him.

The scenes in the River of the Underworld reappeared in his mind.

The moments reversed.

Gu Shen recalled the freeze-frame of the Traveler bending down to gaze at him—

This fellow.

Revealed a “smile”… more than once.

Earlier, in the Underworld Palace, it had shown that familiar smile!

So, was it possible that its “smile” wasn’t because it saw him, or Mu Wanqiu at all.

But because…

It saw the "black gemstone" inlaid in the Traveler’s stone statue!

At this moment, Gu Shen linked all the difficult puzzles he had buried deep in his heart when exploring the disaster zone together, and arrived at a chilling guess—

The transactions between gods always required some kind of "token."

And this black gemstone was the token!

On one hand, it gathered the power of the King of the Underworld, and on the other hand, it stored the Traveler's divine thoughts.

After the transaction was completed, this black gemstone was inlaid on the statue, acting as the scales to balance the deal. The Traveler could use the gemstone to view the Underworld Palace, and the King of the Underworld could use the gemstone to control the ruins.

But in fact, both sides of the transaction harbored ulterior motives.

The Traveler's original plan was to rely on the power of the statue to destroy the palace, killing all the souls raised by the King of the Underworld, both completing its descent and achieving a thorough extermination… The greatest reliance they could depend on was this statue with the black stone inlaid in its brow. This was not only a measure of the transaction, but also the clearest coordinate that the Traveler race could obtain in the Old World!

Thinking of this, cold sweat seeped out of Gu Shen's back.

In that case… The mental toxins hidden by the King of the Underworld in the "black stone" were not actually aimed at outsiders?

But aimed at… the Traveler after its descent!

He could almost imagine the scene after both sides’ plans were successfully implemented—the Traveler descends, the Underworld Palace is emptied, countless souls are swept away by the statue, and then a large number of winged creatures fill the entire disaster zone.

Just as the Traveler was about to rush out of the River of the Underworld.

The "river poison" left behind by the King of the Underworld would erupt violently… In the brow of this statue, the King of the Underworld buried the most fatal blow, and all who entered the game would die!

That black gemstone, symbolizing the source of the Underworld's mental toxins… was currently stored by Gu Shen in his own "Pure Land Domain."

If there were no accidents.

A wisp of the Traveler's "divine thought" was also lurking within!

Was this the reason why the Traveler had always been "盯" watching him?

Gu Shen felt the "madness" of both sides in this game.

It was just a pity that the cruelest one in this deadly game was not the Traveler.

But… the King of the Underworld!

……

……

After such a farce, the banquet and tour were disrupted.

The guests left one after another.

After all, no one knew when the Traveler's next riot would occur…

The underground research institute did not try to keep them.

Everyone boarded the Deep Earth Elevator together, rising to the top of the Suspended Tower. Here were parked one airship after another. Those who received invitations today and could attend the banquet were either rich or powerful.

Just as everyone was preparing to leave, "boom"!

A muffled explosion suddenly erupted in the night sky above Central City!

It was a firework.

Rising with the wind, soaring straight to the dome, burning everything at the highest point, exploding in a magnificent burst.

The embers of the fireworks scattered and fell.

Falling into the darkness.

Falling back into tranquility.

The Northern Continent dignitaries, following the scattered ashes of the fireworks, retracted their gazes one after another. Only then did they realize… that someone had been "waiting" on the roof of the Suspended Tower.

A group of people, silently standing in the darkness on the top floor of the Suspended Tower.

They emanated a faint light, their gray and white linen robes fluttering slowly in the night wind.

The person in the lead, wearing red armor, rested both hands on a long sword.

The Holy Adjudicators of Light City.