Chapter 1 The Fewer the People

The number of people in the Security Committee Building was dwindling.

Gu Shen closed his eyes and meditated.

He sat in the detention room, seemingly unhurried.

On the other side, Du Wei paced anxiously... He was very worried about the situation in the cemetery and Little Gu’s reaction. Such a major event had occurred, yet Gu Shen still wasn’t anxious.

This didn't seem very reasonable.

On the other side, Han Dang was also resting with his eyes closed, seemingly waiting for something.

The more calm the two of them were,

the more uneasy Du Wei felt.

He was afraid... that the ban would not be lifted, and then Gu Shen would take some illegal means to escape the detention room.

This thought arose, and not long after,

Chairman Zhou Wei's message arrived!

"Little Gu, the ban has been lifted!"

Du Wei's face lit up, and he quickly came to the detention room and unlocked it.

Han Dang, who had been waiting at the end of the corridor, frowned slightly at this scene. Clearly, he had also learned of the outcome of the meeting.

Du Wei whispered, briefly explaining the situation of the meeting.

Gu Shen nodded slowly, his expression calm, preparing to leave.

Han Dang, who was sitting not far away, also stood up immediately.

Du Wei sneered, "Mr. Han, weren't you going to visit Lian Zhou? He's still waiting for you inside."

"Such a big thing happened at Qingzhong... As the chief disciple of the Great Adjudicator, how can I still stay here?"

Han Dang said faintly, "Tell Lian Zhou, next time for sure."

Gu Shen entered the elevator of the Security Committee Building.

Han Dang also entered.

The elevator doors closed, and it slowly descended, leaving only the two of them alone in the entire space.

Gu Shen and Han Dang stood side by side, with the large mirror on the inside of the elevator reflecting their blurred outlines.

He didn't turn his head, looking straight ahead.

As if the person beside him was just air.

So Han Dang chuckled softly, taking the initiative to speak and break the silence of the elevator.

He said, "I thought you would be detained for a longer time."

"So you were waiting here, preparing to carry out 'righteous judgment' when I escaped?" Gu Shen said, "Your teacher seems very sure that I would choose illegal means."

"...I don't believe that you would wait forty-eight hours under these circumstances."

Han Dang said quietly, "It's a pity the Federation released you early, otherwise... today would have been a good day."

Han Dang was right.

After learning about the explosion at Qingzhong, Gu Shen was already prepared to leave... He couldn't wait for the ban to end.

He had a premonition that the so-called cemetery explosion was just a prelude.

If the Federation didn't lift the ban... then he would have to act on his own. Escaping the building wasn't that difficult, because his level of detention wasn't high, and now was the weakest time for the entire building.

He only needed to borrow the [Deep Sea] authority to do it.

However...

The most troublesome thing was Han Dang. This guy stuck to him like a plaster, obviously anticipating what was going to happen next. If he decided to escape the building, the biggest problem would be escaping this person's pursuit.

Once he violated federal law, Han Dang would have ample reason to act.

Fortunately, the worst-case scenario didn't occur.

The ban was lifted in time.

"Say what you want... The fact is before your eyes now, I am already free. If you want to make a move, you better do it now," Gu Shen said calmly. "Once I leave the building, you won't have a chance."

As he spoke, a wisp of ghostly fire slowly ignited on the brow of the young man in the mirror.

"It's just... is your determination strong enough?"

Determination?

Do I need that to deal with you?!

Han Dang narrowed his eyes and sneered.

"An extraordinary being who has cultivated for less than two years, what makes you think you can fight me?"

As the voice left his lips,

the lights in the elevator flickered.

This voice contained the power of mental hypnosis.

However, Gu Shen remained unmoved.

This scene made Han Dang's eyes narrow slightly.

A year ago, Gu Shen's extraordinary ability was probably at the fourth or fifth level... When they met in Snow Forbidden City, he only needed a moment to drag him into the [True Word Domain].

But now,

his hypnosis couldn't directly penetrate Gu Shen's mental defenses?

Did he have some powerful sealed artifact on him?

The next moment,

Han Dang pressed one hand on his brow, and then a vast amount of extraordinary source power, like a vortex, condensed at the brow, with a tendency to sweep out at any moment.

As if the [True Word] domain was about to unfold in the next moment!

Han Dang knew that this was indeed the best opportunity. Attacking in the elevator, in such a narrow space, this kid couldn't avoid his mental domain!

But... why was Gu Shen's expression in the mirror so calm?

As if he didn't fear him at all?

Did he have a backup plan?

Or... did he have other trump cards?

Amidst the mixed thoughts, Han Dang heard a crisp sound.

"Ding-dong."

The elevator arrived at the first floor.

"Senior Brother Han, it seems your determination isn't enough," Gu Shen said faintly.

The elevator doors slowly opened.

Several Security Committee specialists stared at the two of them with strange expressions.

"What are you talking about?"

Han Dang adjusted his glasses, shook his head, and smiled softly, "Junior Brother Gu, I just came to see you off. I wish you all the best in the cemetery."

Leaving the elevator,

he suddenly felt a powerful aura sweep over him.

Han Dang's pupils contracted slightly, and some cold sweat seeped out of his back. This strange feeling of being watched didn't slowly disappear until he left the building... Just like he guessed in the elevator.

This kid has someone behind him, so he is fearless...

As long as this kid doesn't escape the building on his own, then he has no legitimate reason to attack.

And just now, if he had chosen to attack,

I'm afraid... the one who would suffer would be himself!

...

...

"What a pity."

Gu Shen left the building and said softly with some regret, "He didn't make a move in the end."

"Expected."

Chairman Zhou Wei appeared from the shadows and came to Gu Shen's side, slowly saying, "Han Dang is a well-known sly fox. I've been paying attention to Zhu Wang's reaction at the meeting... In the end, when we took the joint vote, he didn't express his opinion, but after observing everyone's reactions, he chose to agree. Obviously, they are prepared to abandon their original plan."

After the incident at the cemetery, Zhou Wei immediately established contact with Gu Shen.

Yes.

It wasn't Gu Shen who found Zhou Wei.

It was Zhou Wei who found Gu Shen.

This was the reason why Gu Shen had been sitting quietly in the detention room earlier... If the voting result at the meeting wasn't passed, he would have directly escaped the Security Committee Building. It's just that at that time, Chairman Zhou Wei would have personally taken action, distracting the others and creating an environment for him.

Gu Qilin had "disappeared" in Qingzhong.

Zhou Wei couldn't sit idly by.

And the only person who might be able to contact "Master Chino" was Gu Shen.

No matter what, he would rescue Gu Shen and send him to the cemetery.

"The current situation is very complicated."

Zhou Wei waved his hand, and a puddle of water immediately swept over from afar. Under the powerful mental strength of the Chairman, the puddle of water became extremely smooth and thin, actually turning into a water blanket.

Zhou Wei stepped onto the water blanket.

Gu Shen then stood on it as well... This thin water blanket slowly levitated, and then rose from the ground, flying towards the Qingzhong Cemetery.

Zhou Wei said in a deep voice, "The Five Great Families have decided to form a team and enter the cemetery. Compared to repairing Qingzhong... I think the real purpose of most of the extraordinary beings in the team is to find the 'Seed of Dreams' that was lost in the cemetery."

Gu Shen nodded slowly.

He had already heard about the return of the Seed of Dreams to the cemetery.

"The team is currently being mobilized, and in at most an hour... a large number of extraordinary beings will flood into the cemetery."

Zhou Wei's expression was grave, "I will send you directly into Qingzhong... There is one thing that needs to be specially explained. No one knows what the situation is inside the cemetery, so you must be careful after you go in."

Gu Shen nodded again.

He sat on the water blanket, constantly adjusting his aura,

to restore his mental state to its most full.

And a few minutes later, the two arrived at the location of Qingzhong. From several miles away, they could see the huge blazing light barrier, suspended over Qingzhong, with boundless radiance falling down, illuminating the cemetery as if it were a divine realm.

Gu Shen had previously seen the grand scene of the "Golden Gate" opening from Chu Ling.

But seeing it with his own eyes, he still felt a huge shock.

A "Golden Gate" as tall as several hundred meters was opened right in front of the cemetery. Compared to this Golden Gate, extraordinary beings were like tiny ants.

"We suspect that the inside of the cemetery might be a Mystic Realm..."

Zhou Wei said seriously, "Because we sensed a powerful mental force in the blazing light barrier, that is the vast power that only a god possesses, so... once you step into the cemetery, you might be stepping into another world."

The water blanket slowly landed.

Zhou Wei took out a wolf-hair brush and an old parchment from his bosom.

"This sealed artifact is called 'Ten Million Miles'... As long as you write on this parchment, I have another piece of sheepskin here that can display the contents of the paper in real time." He said solemnly, "The Qingzhong Cemetery is currently shrouded by a powerful mental force, and the [Deep Sea] signal cannot be connected. Perhaps this sealed artifact can help us establish contact. If you can transmit effective information in advance, the Three Great Institutes and the Five Great Families will change their strategy at any time. If you don't have any news in an hour... then the extraordinary beings who have completed their gathering will enter the cemetery."

Gu Shen accepted the [Ten Million Miles].

Zhou Wei retreated... The old Chairman stood in the distance with a complicated expression, looking at the young man.

The young man stood in front of the Golden Gate, slowly raising his head.

The blazing aura blew over, causing the young man's robes to flutter, as if he were submerged in dragon's breath.

He didn't directly enter the cemetery, but stood quietly for a minute.

Anyone who enters this Golden Gate needs courage.

Zhou Wei thought that Gu Shen was no exception.

In fact,

this minute,

Gu Shen was talking to Chu Ling.

"Next... I'm afraid the connection will be broken for a while."

Gu Shen said with some apology.

He looked up at the huge outline of the Golden Gate. This door was really big, compared to it, he was as small as an ant.

Not just himself.

Even the "giants" inside the Colossus Ruins seemed small.

The vast and hot mental aura overflowed, and every moment it felt like heat waves were erupting, washing over the body.

"I've been listening."

Chu Ling, who had been silent from just now, also spoke. Her voice was very soft, with a smile, "Breaking the connection... it's not the first time, we will meet again soon."

"This time... is a bit different from before, I'm afraid it will be longer?"

Gu Shen smiled.

Standing in front of the Golden Gate,

he felt the "awe" and "fear" surging from the depths of his heart.

Yes.

This was a familiar feeling.

This was... the feeling of facing a "god".

"Longer, it doesn't matter."

Chu Ling said softly, "If you don't come out, then I will come find you."

"...Okay."

Gu Shen nodded slowly.

He no longer hesitated, taking a step forward.

At this moment, rolling blazing fire ignited on Gu Shen's brow. Compared to the heat waves of the Golden Gate, the blazing fire seemed extremely "small", but it was purer and more dazzling.

Zhou Wei, standing in the distance, watched Gu Shen enter the Golden Gate.

Next,

was... waiting.

...

...

All the sounds in his ears disappeared.

The hot wind was gone.

The hot breath drifted away in an instant.

The whole world was extremely silent.

And most importantly... even Chu Ling's voice disappeared instantly.

There was no "beep" sound when the mental link was broken.

The moment he stepped into the Golden Gate, the whole world seemed to have changed its appearance. Gu Shen looked back, and old Chairman Zhou Wei, who was staring at him in the distance, had disappeared... The entrance of the door had disappeared out of thin air, leaving only a few drifting, withering leaves.

The towering Golden Gate, after taking a step in, was completely gone.

This was the Qingzhong Cemetery that he was "familiar" with.

However, the scene was unprecedentedly desolate.

Silent mountains and forests, sleeping tombstones, and silent wandering souls.

A faint cold wind swept through the cemetery.

Gu Shen walked towards the inner mausoleum.

The "array patterns" seen along the way were all in a solidified state. Gu Shen checked a few array patterns and found that they were in a "about to start but not started" state, as if they were directly interrupted by a more powerful force at the moment of activation.

The array patterns... were frozen.

The entire cemetery was plunged into a deathly silent "freeze".

As for those "cemetery entrants" mentioned in the federal report, Gu Shen didn't see any of them. He tried to release his mental power to expand the search range... But the terrible thing was that even the "blazing fire" was suppressed at this moment.

In the frozen air of the cemetery, a very powerful rule seemed to be solidified.

Gu Shen's mental power couldn't overflow at all.

For extraordinary beings, losing mental power... was like becoming a "blind man."

However, not being able to use mental power had very limited impact on Gu Shen.

He remembered the map of the entire cemetery very clearly.

He had walked this road hundreds of times, thousands of times in the past year... Two thousand five hundred and sixty extraordinary array patterns were buried here, and he had comprehended nearly 90%.

In the entire Snow Forbidden City, there was no other extraordinary being more familiar with Qingzhong than him.

...

...

(There is another chapter tonight)