"Why you?"

"Because you solved the mental toxin of Gu Fort."

The Empress said leisurely, "This answer should be fine, right... Zhong Yuan has already informed Central City of what he saw and heard in Gu Fort. Since you can solve the mental toxin of Gu Fort, then perhaps there is also a chance to eradicate the 'river poison' of the Duolu River from its source."

Gu Shen smiled.

He shook his head and said solemnly, "No... Your Majesty, you should also be clear that these two mental toxins are not on the same level at all."

The river poison of the Duolu River is a powerful weapon that consumed a considerable portion of the Divine Seat's mental power!

The mental toxin of Gu Fort is, at best, a "casual spell" of the Golden穗 Flower. There is no comparison between the two.

He didn't believe that was the reason.

After thinking it over, Gu Shen couldn't understand the Empress's true intentions in assigning him.

The Empress sighed softly.

Whether it was an illusion or not, Gu Shen seemed to hear a faint sigh from the direction of the wind and snow.

"You're really not easy to fool..."

Gu Shen: "???"

It wasn't an illusion. The Empress didn't intend to hide her voice at all. She looked at Gu Shen helplessly and asked, "Do you really want to know the reason?"

Gu Shen was silent for a moment, then nodded slowly.

"Since you want to know, then I'll tell you..." The Empress said calmly, "Those thoughts in your heart are all correct. With the strength you've shown so far, you're completely unworthy of my personal invitation. Don't mention your current third-tier strength. Even if you were a transcendent fourth-tier titled powerhouse, even the most powerful kind, I wouldn't personally invite you."

Hearing this... Gu Shen felt inexplicably relieved.

That's how it should be.

What was the Empress's status? He wasn't worthy!

The more he interacted like this, the more Gu Shen felt that the existence of the "Pluto Fire Seed" hadn't been seen through, and that he was safe.

The frost and snow swirling in the center of the Furnace suddenly changed.

Those wind and snow turned into meteors, revolving around the throne, seemingly operating according to some strange ritual... Looking closely, they were not meteors, but extremely square ancient characters.

Gu Shen's expression became serious.

"Inviting you to North Continent, and carrying out the maze mission, are both the result of 'divination.'" The Empress said slowly, "You are a disciple of Qian Ye, and you also know that divination exists. And I can also perform a premonition technique similar to divination... This time, for the mission to restart the Duolu River, my divination direction fell on you, so I hope you can go to the disaster zone and carry out the mission."

So that was it.

The Empress was following her divination guidance.

Gu Shen was completely relieved: "So you don't really expect me to eradicate the poison of the Duolu River... right?"

"Of course."

The Empress smiled: "With the power of that river, how could you possibly eradicate it?"

Gu Shen also smiled: "That's good, that's good."

If it was really left behind by the former Pluto, he would collect the river poison no matter what!

"Thank you for your Majesty's invitation, I may need to consider it."

After a moment, Gu Shen coughed softly and said sincerely, "There's no disrespect intended to your Majesty... but for such a high-risk mission, I always have to get something."

The Empress narrowed her eyes.

She had been observing Gu Shen for a long time, how could she not know this young man's character.

The highest-seat authority could mobilize all of this S-class's files in the Deep Sea Database!

Gu Shen's footprints, from entering the Capital to Changye, had been reviewed by the Empress... This wasn't an "honest" guy. He had fooled all five great families when he first entered Changye!

Had he adapted to the Divine Might within the Furnace and was now starting to bargain?

"What do you want to get?"

The Empress didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point.

"I want... a guarantee, a safety guarantee."

Gu Shen held up a finger and said seriously, "Since your divination guidance has fallen on me... then my participation in this mission will greatly increase the probability of finding the [Door]. But in any case, the Duolu River is an extremely dangerous disaster zone, so I hope to get a safety guarantee."

He had the "Protection of the Goddess of Fate" on him.

There was also a "devil" waiting for him in the ruler, who could be traded with as long as he paid the price.

This was double insurance.

Even so... Gu Shen was still cautious, and he always remembered what Chu Ling had said to him.

Survive!

In the world of transcendents, survival was the first priority.

The reason why Gu Shen made this request was because he knew that the Empress of the North Continent controlled the entire Duolu River disaster zone... Her mental power wasn't casually consumed. Being able to remove the river poison for the people of the two legions, she must be able to infiltrate her power into it!

After hearing this, the Empress was thoughtful.

She flipped her palm, and the wind and snow condensed into the scene of the Duolu River disaster zone: "I will be watching you, does this count as a safety guarantee?"

"I need your promise, Your Majesty."

Gu Shen stared at the pair of eyes in the wind and snow.

Anyway, all his secrets had been seen through, and he didn't mind making eye contact.

The cross pendant that had been tightly held suddenly reacted. An indescribable guidance emerged in Gu Shen's heart. He followed the prompt given by the pendant and said slowly, "I believe you have the ability of 'precognition', so I want to hear you personally guarantee my safety."

"Alright."

The Empress agreed cleanly and neatly. She said calmly, "I promise that if you encounter a situation where you are bound to die in the Duolu River disaster zone, I will step in to save you at a critical moment... Are you satisfied with this promise?"

The cross pendant slowly returned to calm.

This "old thing" was really working...

Judging from the reaction, it should be satisfied.

Gu Shen also nodded, expressing his attitude.

There was no problem with this promise. Although he was wearing the Fighting Golden Hoop, if he really encountered a desperate situation, Bai Shu was sitting in Changye City, and no matter how fast he was, he couldn't arrive immediately.

But the Empress was different.

If he guessed correctly, the mental power in the Empress's Furnace Divine Domain, although concentrated on the second floor of the ancient castle, was actually sent to all parts of the North Continent along with the large copper furnace underground... At this moment, the Duolu River disaster zone condensed by the wind and snow was basically under her control!

"One more thing."

Gu Shen said seriously, "Is it just me on this mission?"

That would be really creepy.

"The mission to restart the Duolu River is not just you alone." The Empress shook her head and said, "In addition to finding the [Door], you also need to explore the resources in the disaster zone and the remaining source substance... I will dispatch elites from the Investigation Legion and the Third Legion, but this time the restart mission will have very few people, because I want to carry out a second removal of the 'river poison'. Too many people will consume a lot of mental power."

Gu Shen nodded...

If they entered in large numbers again, then removing the river poison would require a lot of mental power again.

"The initial scale is within one hundred people. The meeting held in Zhuxue this time is also planned around the combat mission of 'restarting the Duolu River'... All the dukes and generals are gathered, and Central City will select the most outstanding elites to explore in teams. The Duolu River disaster zone is very large, with more than a dozen different branches. The exploration mission will last for about two weeks, and this time is enough to investigate the corners of the disaster zone that were not previously understood."

The Empress said slowly, "You are not fighting alone. In addition to the assistance provided by the legions, you also have exclusive authority. This time, you have the independent right to act without command. If you insist on leaving the disaster zone, no one will stop you... but in that case, you will not be able to get the reward you want."

A very sincere offer.

Gu Shen listened carefully, and was suddenly struck by a word: "...Reward?"

He coughed lightly again.

How did they suddenly talk about rewards...

He hadn't had time to talk about this matter, but the Empress took the initiative to mention it, which made him a little embarrassed!

But since they had already talked about it, it would be a little disrespectful to the other party if he didn't continue.

Gu Shen asked innocently, "Your Majesty, I want to ask what my reward is..."

"Not vulgar objects, not sealed items, not mithril... you already have those."

The Empress sat on the throne surrounded by ice and snow, raising her hand to support her chin. The corner of her lips seemed to curl up in a meaningful smile: "Going to the Duolu River, although you will encounter terrible dangers, but if you complete this mission, you will naturally get what you want. It will be a generous and satisfactory reward."

This posture had a somewhat sleepy meaning.

After saying this sentence.

The Empress waved her hand.

The wind and snow howled, and the temperature on the outer edge of the Furnace also dropped sharply... The second-floor room suddenly became like an ice cellar. Gu Shen's robe was covered with a large amount of flying snow. If he stayed for a few more seconds, he would probably be frozen into an ice sculpture.

He quickly walked outside, and before pushing the door, he did not forget to look back.

The Empress in a sitting posture was really like an ice sculpture.

It was impossible to imagine what kind of bone-chilling cold was at the core of the Furnace.

At the moment of pushing the door.

The majestic source substance ignited in the corridor, and the raging flames instantly burned away the snow on Gu Shen's body, destroying all traces of his stay in the ice and snow world...

The Legion Commander, burning with fire, closed the door for Gu Shen again, and asked lightly, "How do you feel?"

"A little cold, and a little hot." Gu Shen smiled. His mind was not at all on the burning of the Furnace. Following the Legion Commander, he left the Empress's location, and he silently thought about the final conversation on the second floor.

"..."

If someone else had given such a reward, Gu Shen would not have paid much attention to it at all. It was a classic pie in the sky.

But the person who opened his mouth was the Empress.

The Empress who created a "premonition technique"!

Thinking of the figure on the throne, Gu Shen felt a little guilty.

He felt that many of his things had been seen through by the Empress... Perhaps only the identity of the Pluto was left as a trump card that had not been revealed.

For example.

In the entire Changye, all the people in the five great families and the three great institutes believed that he possessed "divination."

But from the Empress's words, Gu Shen clearly felt that she knew that he only knew of the existence of "divination," and was not the true possessor of "divination."

It was precisely because he had been seen through that Gu Shen felt shocked and trusting in the Empress's abilities.

So... was her saying that the "reward was generous" because she had seen with her own eyes the scene after he completed the mission to restart the Duolu River disaster zone?

……

……

(ps: Asking for monthly tickets~ There is another chapter around 12 o'clock in the evening~)