Chapter 1 The Fortress of Gu

The battlements of the Fortress of Gu.

Lin Lin, draped in his general's cloak, stood shoulder to shoulder with Zou Hai, the garrison of the fortress behind them.

The night in North Continent was sharply defined, with brilliant stars intertwined with the bitter wind and snow. Above the night sky hovered the [Source Energy Vessel], like a giant whale, slowly rotating and opening its hatch.

Lin Lin narrowed his eyes.

He had already listened to Zou Hai's explanation, understanding the cause and effect of this "mysterious guest" arriving at Gu Fort.

It was indeed different from what he had imagined.

"He's not someone arranged by Duke Casting Snow."

Vice Officer Zou smiled and said, "I heard he's a young hero from Changye City."

"Changye City's...young hero..."

Lin Lin's expression did not change much. He had actually heard about the great changes in East Continent, but the garrison of the North Continent fortress did not pay attention to these matters. For them, the most important thing was the change in source matter outside the fortress walls and the rate at which black holes were forming.

Even the task of cooperating with the Expeditionary Corps to expand northward was only a secondary matter.

Nothing of great importance outside North Continent.

Only because a divine seat had died...that news would reach his ears.

As for this so-called "young hero."

He didn't care.

"Set up the source energy cannons."

Lin Lin slowly raised a hand. He said calmly, "Give our guest a greeting gift."

"...?"

The smile on Vice Officer Zou's face froze slightly.

With this order.

The rows of source energy cannons arrayed on the battlements slowly lit up with brilliance.

"A'liu'er—"

Lin Lin's voice was condensed into a long line, rising straight up like fireworks, and only slowly exploded when it reached the vicinity of the source energy vessel.

The calm and indifferent voice was clearly audible within the source energy vessel.

"I hope you can give this friend heading north a sincere piece of advice: go back where you came from, and stay as far away from Gu Fort as possible. This is not a place for him."

...

...

Although this voice sounded a bit indifferent.

It was...very loud.

This sentence seemed to be telling A'liu'er to pass on a message, but in reality, it was meant for everyone in the cabin to hear.

So Gu Shen heard it too, and he heard it very clearly.

He looked at the giant wall, half-hidden in the wind and snow beneath him, and the fortress that surrounded and enveloped it...his eyes filled with awe and emotion. For six hundred years, the people of North Continent had stubbornly and forcefully guarded the highlands of the [New World].

The most important "keystone" position of the Zheng Yi Defense Line was the Fortress of Gu.

This was a solitary and dangerous fortress, like the tip of a sword thrust out, or a long whip thrown from a cliff.

If one day, the giant wall could no longer resist the "source matter," then this fortress would be the first to fall and collapse.

At this moment.

On the battlements of the fortress, hidden in the wind, snow, and darkness, circles of light lit up one after another.

Gu Shen narrowed his eyes...

These bright lights were a bit dazzling in the heavy snow, but...they were very beautiful.

He admired the neatly arrayed "large lamps" on the ground and asked softly, "Those are the legendary source energy cannons, right?"

The world-renowned great weapon.

"...Yes."

A'liu'er's voice was a little complicated.

She tried to explain, "Lin Lin, the person in charge of Gu Fort...is the youngest brigadier general in North Continent. His personality is rather...unique."

The archives of North Continent were very unique.

Chu Ling's current [Source Code] authority was suppressed by the [Deep Sea] main system. The information that could be obtained about North Continent was very limited. Every fortress on the North Continent's Zheng Yi Defense Line was extremely important, so the commanders responsible for guarding them were all "famous generals."

Among them, the three most famous generals of the current generation in North Continent, who were also the most well-known to the world, were named: Rusty Bones, White Lizard, and Silver Fox.

The strength of the three great generals far exceeded the general meaning of "titled."

Moreover.

They did not rely on the power of a "divine seat."

Gu Shen's expression was normal. He softly repeated the name "Lin Lin." This fellow's surname was not ordinary in North Continent.

Her Majesty the Queen also shared the surname Lin.

However...this young man did not seem like a direct descendant of the Lin family. If royal blood truly flowed through his veins, he should be stationed in the Central City, and not guarding this place, right?

"Setting up source energy cannons to welcome a guest...is this North Continent's unique welcoming ceremony? It's quite special."

Gu Shen smiled, leaned against the window, and admired the beautiful scenery.

A'liu'er's expression was a little unsightly.

It was difficult for her to explain to Gu Shen...that today's situation was a bit special.

In other fortresses, this kind of scene would not occur.

As Her Majesty the Queen's [Apostle], A'liu'er was revered wherever she went...because she was the embodiment of the Queen's will!

But Brigadier General Lin Lin was different.

"He probably won't fire..."

A'liu'er thought for a moment and said seriously, "Wait a moment, I'll have him withdraw the source energy cannons."

"No need."

Gu Shen said softly, "Three hundred meters above the ground...that's about right."

He stood up, stretched his muscles, and the newly replaced red exo-armor on his body made a slight crackling sound.

"I just want to try out the rumored Source Armor."

Gu Shen stood at the stern of the cabin, facing the open sky. At the last moment, he turned his head and smiled slightly at A'liu'er, as a greeting: "I'm going down first...see you later."

...

...

Before him was the roaring gale.

He leaped down.

The sound of the wind rushing towards him was extinguished.

The three-hundred-meter night sky above Gu Fort was surprisingly quiet. The moment the Source Armor closed, a transparent visor covered Gu Shen's face, and his entire being instantly became light...the Source Energy Core activated in the night sky, bursting forth with scarlet flames.

The force of Gu Shen's fall was greatly reduced.

For most transcendents...they did not have the ability to "fly on their own," and the birth of the Source Armor was a miracle.

As long as they wore this armor, they could have the freedom to soar like birds.

However, for Gu Shen, the significance of the Source Armor was not here.

He possessed the "Ruler of Truth." As long as his mental power was sufficient, then three hundred meters above the ground was the same as one thousand meters above the ground for him...like walking on flat ground.

This was the first time Gu Shen had experienced the power of "Source Matter Technology," a new generation product born from the fusion of transcendent power and existing technology. This was the hope that the North Continent fortress could rely on to resist the collapse of order.

This was a power that humans completely held in their hands!

The quiet of the long night did not last long.

The silence of the fall.

Was broken in just one second.

The large lamps lit on the ground spewed out dim flames at this moment...

Gu Shen felt the power of "Source Matter Technology" for the second time.

The "Source Energy Cannons" of Gu Fort had been activated.

In an instant, the earth-shattering roar tore through the firmament. Laser cannonballs shattered the wind and snow, shattered the flowing clouds, and grazed past Gu Shen, releasing like a series of salutes, rushing straight into the sky. Even though they were tens of meters apart, the scorching high temperature still penetrated the Source Armor and acted on his skin.

The view before Gu Shen's eyes was covered by a heat wave.

He smiled.

These source energy cannons were not aimed at him. Otherwise, with Brigadier General Lin's military command ability, the bombardment of these cannons firing in formation would be enough to engulf him in an instant.

This was a "fireworks" display, with himself as the audience.

And himself...as the performer.

With his mental power imprisoned by the golden circlet, Gu Shen's state of mind was even calmer. He manipulated the Source Armor, trying to find the "trembling" sensation of [Perfect Flash]. In this instant, time seemed to slow down, the roar of the source energy cannons was like a series of bursting balloons, and the falling Gu Shen turned into a scarlet shadow.

He resisted the rising heat and scorching wind on the ground, and drove the Source Armor, like a falcon, shuttling through these source energy cannonballs that soared into the sky. He brushed past the cannonballs, moving away before the fire and heat waves exploded...in just a few seconds, the third-tier Source Armor could not bear this high-difficulty aerial maneuver, and burst out with a mournful wail.

The "power" of the exploding source energy cannons was like an invisible sword, tearing apart the outer garment woven by this Source Armor.

Ten seconds later.

Gu Shen landed lightly. This third-tier Source Armor had already been "baked" to scrap.

He gently pressed the closing button on his forearm. With a "hiss," the close-fitting red armor disintegrated, breaking apart and falling to the ground with a clatter.

On the distant city wall, in a place hidden by the night.

A young man and a burly man stood before a layered formation of soldiers.

After Gu Shen landed, he took off the Source Armor mask covering his face and slowly bowed, imitating A'liu'er's hat-removing gesture.

There was a dead silence.

A pin could be heard dropping on the city wall.

With a "whoosh!"

A'liu'er instantly appeared on the wall. The Apostle's face was extremely unsightly. The first thing she did after leaving the cabin was to unleash the [Frost Kill] Domain, and she nervously gripped the owl keepsake. Gu Shen's performance in the sky was a spectacle. This was the first time he had come into contact with and driven a "Source Armor." A third-tier Source Armor was simply not suitable for evasive combat in this kind of scene.

Most importantly...she could see that Gu Shen had no intention of using his mental power to avoid detection in advance.

This young man's performance just now was entirely based on intuition.

This was a terrifying level of physical perception.

At least, she herself could not have done such a thing when she was in the seventh layer of the Deep Sea Zone.

However, this kind of operation was really dangerous.

If an accident occurred—

Then at the last moment, she would use the power bestowed by the "Queen"!

"Lin Lin!"

After landing, A'liu'er spoke in a low voice, and a rare hint of anger appeared on her usually gentle face.

Before she could continue.

On the city wall, the young man in the cloak began to applaud.

Not teasing, not mocking.

Lin Lin interrupted A'liu'er. He said with a smile, "It's just a routine welcome from Gu Fort...A'liu'er, no need to be angry. I went through the same thing back then. Moreover, judging from this guest's performance just now, he also enjoyed it, didn't he?"

A'liu'er was silent.

She glanced at Gu Shen beside her.

Gu Shen gently patted the dust off his body and transmitted his voice softly, "Don't worry, I'm not hurt."

A'liu'er turned her gaze to Zou Hai, the contact person before her arrival.

There was a hint of blame in her eyes.

How exactly did Zou Hai communicate with Lin Lin...how could he have arranged a show of force like the source energy cannon barrage?!

"Sorry, Sister A'liu'er..."

The tall and sturdy Zou Hai was full of apology and transmitted his voice softly and aggrievedly, "I just mentioned that this was arranged by Duke Casting Snow..."

A'liu'er was immediately silent.

Alright.

She understood the reason for Lin Lin's actions...over the years, the "visitors" arranged by Duke Casting Snow were all people with "ulterior motives," and the treatment they received after arriving at Gu Fort was more and more "grand."

"He is Her Majesty the Queen's honored guest!"

After understanding the cause and effect, A'liu'er's anger subsided slightly.

She transmitted her voice in a low voice, warning, "Don't use the methods you use to deal with the sentries from Central City on him!"

Lin Lin ignored this.

He slowly stepped forward...and shook hands with Gu Shen.

In the night sky, the brigadier general, who was not tall, looked calmly at Gu Shen and said softly, "Welcome to North Continent. This is a place where the strong prey on the weak."

...

...

"Your calculation ability...is stronger than I imagined."

Chu Ling, who had remained silent for a while, slowly spoke after Gu Shen landed.

She sat in the carriage of Zero Zero One, and a series of calculation panels appeared before her, showing the trajectory of the source energy cannonball barrage and the optimal evasion route...Gu Shen chose the most complex one. In the short ten seconds of falling, he chose to circle around the one-by-one mortar fire, enjoying the "beauty" of each cannonball's source energy disintegration up close.

This was the worst solution that only a "madman" would make.

But judging from the result of being unharmed.

This was also an optimal solution.

"Not calculation...but instinct."

At the moment of the fall, Gu Shen did not choose to use "mental link," and Chu Ling also tacitly did not pop up the link window...she sat quietly in the carriage, enjoying the first-person "fireworks display" that Gu Shen had brought for her.

A'liu'er and Zou Hai both showed nervousness.

But Chu Ling did not...

Although she and Gu Shen did not build a mental link at this moment, their hearts were firmly connected.

She could feel Gu Shen's emotions.

At that moment.

It was just extreme stillness.

"In the data I can collect...I didn't see any welcome ceremony in North Continent involving a source energy cannon barrage," Chu Ling said seriously.

Gu Shen smiled, "That's natural..."

This girl, who held the vast majority of information from the Five Continents, was sometimes extremely smart and sometimes like a little fool.

Chu Ling's eyes were a little confused.

"Gu Fort is the most important garrison point on the Zheng Yi Defense Line of North Continent. Those who can enter this fortress are true warriors of iron blood and steel bones, highly disciplined and powerful." Gu Shen said calmly, "This is also the reason why North Continent does not welcome other visitors...compared to the life-and-death experience between the fortress walls, the so-called gladiatorial cultivation in Changye City is simply a greenhouse. And the 'transcendents' who come north from other continents are naturally flowers in a greenhouse."

Chu Ling vaguely understood.

"So...you deliberately chose the worst route just now..."

"Yes."

Gu Shen smiled and said, "North Continent has its own unique survival rules. These guys won't respect me because of my 'honored guest' status. On the one hand, showing my strength can reduce unnecessary trouble. On the other hand, the appearance of those source energy cannonballs when they burst apart is really beautiful, isn't it?"

"But they are really dangerous..." Chu Ling murmured.

"Precisely because they are dangerous, they are beautiful."

Gu Shen said softly, "Many things in this world are like this, unavoidable...However, I hope that after this 'fireworks display,' the trip to North Continent will be easier."

"Mr. Gu!"

A gentle voice suddenly sounded beside him.

Looking up, it was a tall figure.

Zou Hai, the man who held the position of vice officer of Gu Fort and whose appearance was as rough as a beast, had a very delicate voice.

Gu Shen was still a little unaccustomed to it.

His height was not short, but it only reached Zou Hai's chest.

This man was really burly...almost as tall as "A-009."

"We have arranged a room for you, please follow me." Vice Officer Zou said softly, "The environment in the fortress is relatively harsh, please forgive us."

Gu Shen smiled and shook his head.

He walked forward with Zou Hai, walking through Gu Fort.

In the distance was the towering giant wall.

The reason why North Continent was able to resist the "collapse of order" was because the humans who arrived here six hundred years ago had found "strong logic materials" and used them to build giant walls. These giant walls could effectively absorb the power of the collapse of order. Because of the continuous spread of the broken power of the [Old World], "collapse tides" would arrive every once in a while. Without these giant walls, this power would probably have invaded the North Continent.

Six hundred years...enough to destroy half a continent.

In fact, the results of the [Deep Sea] calculation were far more serious than destroying half a continent.

In the face of the "collapse of order," the five continents were a community of common destiny. Once North Continent could not resist, then the power of the "collapse tide" would become stronger and stronger. After the North Continent was broken, the fall of the other continents would only be a matter of time.

In other words.

Behind the giant wall was the last home of mankind!

"Gu Fort is known as the 'throat of human destiny.'"

Zou Hai noticed Gu Shen's gaze, and he deliberately slowed down his pace, walking with this guest who had come all the way from East Continent under the giant wall. The moonlight was serene, and the wind and snow had rarely slowed their fall.

"Gu Fort is the most prominent 'keystone' of the Zheng Yi Defense Line of North Continent, and it is also the point that resists the greatest pressure when the 'collapse tide' comes...The elites of the Expeditionary Corps often avoid Gu Fort when choosing a starting point, because the environment outside the giant wall of this fortress is extremely difficult and harsh."

Zou Hai's voice was very gentle.

Gu Shen listened quietly...He had already read the information about the North Continent fortress. Gu Fort was indeed a key garrison point, and the title of "the throat of human destiny" was not an exaggeration.

"And Brigadier General Lin has been stationed in this fortress for ten years." Speaking of this, a smile appeared uncontrollably on Vice Officer Zou's face.

"Ten years?"

Gu Shen's expression was a little surprised.

Just now when he met Lin Lin...the appearance of this Gu Fort garrison was very young, and he looked no older than himself.

"Brigadier General Lin Lin came to Gu Fort at the age of eighteen."

Zou Hai said softly, "Three years of tenure, then another three years, and another three years...This year is the tenth year. Of course, Brigadier General Lin Lin was not a fortress garrison from the beginning. He fought his way up step by step. The first explorer of the 'Maze Mission,' which ranks among the top three in importance for the Expeditionary Corps, was Brigadier General Lin Lin. So far, the planning authority for this mission is still in the hands of the brigadier general. The Expeditionary Corps that goes out to explore must listen to and respect the general's opinions."

Gu Shen was thoughtful.

The Maze Mission referred to the "Snow Mountain Canyon" north of Gu Fort.

This time, the "Maze Thirty-Eight" mission carried out by the elite team of the Second Expeditionary Corps was one of a series of missions...The number thirty-eight meant that the thirty-seven routes before this mission had all failed.

And each route exploration could be planned into several, dozens of phases.

"I believe you should understand...the general situation of this Maze Mission." Zou Hai said sincerely, "The survivor...Elite Captain Hong Zhong, his current mental state is unstable. Tomorrow we will conduct a 'mental appraisal' on him."

"Mental appraisal?"

Gu Shen frowned and asked, "Isn't this something that should have been completed a long time ago..."

Vice Officer Zou sighed softly.

"His mental state is too poor. He was in a coma for three days, so it was delayed until today."

Zou Hai said softly, "Actually, Brigadier General Lin Lin is not as cold as he seems. Your arrival at Gu Fort is a good thing for us and the Expeditionary Corps."

The evidence Hong Zhong retrieved, the lost wood chip, was judged by [Deep Sea] to possibly have come from Zhou Ji Ren's cane.

This was the reason why the North Continent military had invited Gu Shen.

"If possible, I hope you can participate in this 'mental appraisal' tomorrow to assist in our evaluation."

Zou Hai said sincerely, "Perhaps...we can discover different clues."

Speaking of this, he stopped.

Before him was an old small pavilion.

It was not easy to find such an independent residence within Gu Fort.

"Generally...this is a special residence for guests from Central City."

Zou Hai opened the door for Gu Shen, and a decaying wooden smell came over him. He said with a wry smile, "But in recent years, the guests who have rushed here from Central City have not stayed overnight here for a long time...This pavilion is the best place I could find."

"It's okay."

Gu Shen smiled. He didn't care about the environment of the residence.

He himself was not a person who coveted pleasure. In the past year, even though Gu Shen had a spacious and comfortable courtyard in Changye, he spent most of his time cultivating on the mountains of God's Shrine Mountain and Qingqiu.

In terms of living environment alone, the environment of God's Shrine Mountain and Qingqiu was not much better than here.

He would rest here tonight.

Running the breathing method to resist the golden circlet, he would soon be able to get through it.

As Zou Hai was closing the door, he suddenly paused.

"By the way..."

The vice officer's expression was solemn, and he said slowly, "Mr. Gu, there is one thing that must be made clear to you."

Gu Shen raised his eyebrows.

Vice Officer Zou said with a complicated expression, "Because this pavilion is not far from Brigadier General Lin's pavilion. At night...you may hear some strange noises outside the door, but please, no matter what, do not open the door."