“There's something I've been curious about…”

Gu Shen glanced back at Li Qingsui, who was fast asleep in the car, and asked softly, "The Li Clan is, after all, a giant among the Jiangbei families, with no shortage of talented and extraordinary individuals. Why make a young girl shoulder so much at this age?"

He knew that the internal competition within the Five Families was fierce.

Even a genius like Gong Zi had to work hard to maintain her position.

Yet… Li Qingsui was only around fifteen years old.

To place the burden of supporting the Li Clan on the shoulders of a young girl seemed too heavy.

“This… it’s actually the Family Head’s decision.”

Gao Tian shook his head.

He lowered his gaze and said, “The Family Head has been bedridden for years, his body extremely weak… You know how many people covet the position of Family Head within the Five Families. The initial decision to appoint Li Qingsui as the heir caused a great uproar within the Council of Elders. Only with the joint intervention of the Family Head and the previous Guardian of the Shrine Mountain was this matter settled.”

If it were possible, the Family Head of the Li Clan would also want to give his daughter a wonderful childhood.

But.

There aren't so many 'ifs' in this world.

If you desire the crown, you must bear its weight.

If Li Qingsui, this young bird, couldn't spread her wings before her father's protection disappeared, then her ultimate fate… would likely be a fall from the cliff.

It was tragic, but also very real.

“For six hundred years, the Five Families have controlled this place, and the Five Families have also been controlled by this place…”

Gao Tian smiled and looked at Gu Shen. "Have the Five Families become the masters of Nagano, or… has Nagano trapped the Five Families in a cage?"

Some things, seen from a different perspective, yield completely different answers.

“If Shrine Mountain is a prison, so is Nagano outside of Shrine Mountain.”

Gao Tian slightly tilted his head, looked at the young lady sleeping in the car, and said softly, “We are all caged birds, living under the great wall of the Northern Continent. Perhaps only by finding the route to the 'Oasis' can we truly see 'freedom'?”

Gu Shen was silent.

“Your teacher is a very great person.”

Gao Tian smiled. “I wish him success.”

Gu Shen also smiled.

He always felt that Uncle Gao was waiting here for more than just saying these things.

“Gu Shen…”

The sky was dark and gloomy.

Gao Tian lit another cigarette.

He slowly exhaled and smiled, "I know that you and the Li Clan only have a 'cooperative relationship'. I'm not qualified to ask you to do anything for the Li Clan… but this isn't a request, it's a plea. I want to ask you for a favor."

Gu Shen was taken aback.

He didn’t expect the word 'plea' to come from Uncle Gao's mouth.

Gao Tian’s strength, placed in Nagano, was among the most powerful titled experts.

He was definitely a top combatant among the Five Families.

“If…”

“If one day… I can't give Miss the care she needs, I hope you can… help out.”

Gao Tian took a drag on his cigarette and coughed heavily.

He was one of the most powerful titled experts in Nagano. No matter how down on his luck he was, he wouldn't need to ask a junior whose supernatural strength was less than Tier 3 for help.

Although Gu Shen was different from other "Tier 3 Transcendants" in Nagano.

“Uncle Gao…”

Gu Shen vaguely sensed that something was wrong.

What was happening in the Li Clan?

Why would they suddenly come to him and say these things?

Gao Tian smiled, relaxing. “Don’t be nervous… judging from my age and the degree of my physical exhaustion, if I'm just a law-abiding driver, that day is still a long way off.”

He sat gracefully in front of the car and said slowly, “I have almost no friends in Nagano. The reason I stayed in the Li Clan is to repay a debt. The Family Head has done me a great kindness, and I will repay that kindness with my whole life. Not having friends is a good thing, which means I have no worries… but it's also a bad thing. If I need help, not having friends means no one will come to help me.”

If he just wanted to protect himself.

Then, reaching Uncle Gao's level of strength, basically nothing could trap him.

But… beneath even the toughest armor, there hides a soft heart.

“The Li Clan Family Head’s body has deteriorated to this extent?” Gu Shen sighed softly.

This wasn't difficult to guess.

The only thing that could make Gao Tian so worried was probably something like this.

"Worthy of being a disciple of Master Qianye." Uncle Gao didn't admit it, nor did he deny it, but just smiled and flicked the ash of his cigarette. "To what extent can you see the future? Can you help me see how my end will be?"

Without waiting for Gu Shen to answer.

He patted Gu Shen on the shoulder and laughed softly, “Just kidding… don’t take it to heart. I know that divination requires a huge price, just like wish-granting techniques…”

“Uncle Gao, there's only so much I can do…”

Just then, Gu Shen raised his head and said seriously, "But if that day really comes, I will definitely take action."

Gao Tian was stunned.

He slowly lit his third cigarette, revealing a faint smile.

…

…

The day Gong Zi left Snowfall Forbidden City, he didn't notify anyone to see him off.

He just disappeared like that.

Until there was one person less in the morning sunlight of the Chunyu Temple courtyard.

Everyone realized… Gong Zi had already left Nagano.

The world always rejoices in meeting, but parting is difficult.

Perhaps for Gong Zi, having a good time at the celebration banquet was already a farewell.

In the days that followed, Mu Ya came to Chunyu Temple to drink tea, asking Gu Shen if he knew Gong Zi's whereabouts. She also wanted to leave Nagano to chase after Gong Zi.

However, Gu Shen didn’t tell her that Gong Zi was traveling far to the Northern Continent to break off an engagement…

At that moment, Gu Shen suddenly understood why Master Qianye had locked himself in the Qingqiu for so many years.

The world is full of disturbances.

Having the ability of "divination" and being able to see the future may not be a good thing.

The more you see, the more troubled you become.

Many times, the world wants "answers," but the future seen by divination isn't the same as the "answer."

Gu Shen began to feel fortunate that he had never truly possessed "divination." He saw the wooden sword above the Fenglai Temple but didn't know to what extent Senior Sister Nan Jin had cultivated, or whether she would go to the Tower of Origin for revenge. He saw the busy Gu Nanfeng but didn't know to what extent the convergence of the old factions had progressed. The destinies of all beings hadn't yet converged into a single line.

What he saw were just vivid lives, the "here and now" that was unfolding, rather than lines that had already extended to the end, with the fates of countless people already determined.

The world always wants to "know."

But "not knowing" is sometimes a blessing.

The entire Nagano believed that Gu Shen was the "successor of divination."

Praise and flattery can easily lead people astray. For a time, even Gu Shen almost believed it himself… but he quickly calmed down, reminding himself not to abuse this identity, and to be cautious in his words and actions when traveling outside.

So from a certain day onwards, Gu Shen began to truly enjoy the "spectator" identity of the divination successor.

Watching the bustling crowds, watching the deserted doors.

Watching the winter snow fall, watching the spring rain drizzle.

He saw the undercurrents of Nagano, but he only watched… What he did was very simple and monotonous.

Day after day, he only focused on quiet cultivation.

Shrine Mountain, Qingqiu, black flowers, array patterns.

Whether he had cultivated divination, whether he could see the future… in such days, it became unimportant.

Gu Shen began to truly understand the tombkeeper, to understand the unseen prophets of the Tower of Origin, to understand the "seers" who were rumored to be able to look directly at the future. When you want to possess an incredible power.

First, you must ignore it.

Those who cannot resist the temptation of the future have no right to lift this curtain.

The more those who want to see far, the more shortsighted they are.

Time began to pass quickly.

…

…

In the Chunyu Temple courtyard, after the snow melted, the willow trees sprouted new buds and grew a patch of green shade.

Unknowingly, more than three hundred days had passed.

Winter went and spring came, spring went and winter came.

The green shade in the courtyard withered, leaves covered the ground, and Nagano was once again in the season of drifting snow.

This year, Gu Shen finally obtained the "peace" he had longed for.

Outside the small courtyard, no more challengers came to visit.

Many geniuses reappeared in Nagano, and these geniuses stirred up waves of excitement, but these waves had nothing to do with Gu Shen.

This year, few people mentioned his name anymore.

He was like a drop of water, smoothly integrating into the vast ocean that was Nagano.

And now, when "Gu Shen" was mentioned… many people's reactions were a daze, and then they realized that there was such a person here.

S-rank? Successor of divination?

These things seemed to have passed… becoming fleeting clouds.

What was gratifying was that even without challengers coming to visit, Shen Li had become a regular in the small courtyard. The Little Iron Man would come to the courtyard every few days to "drink tea," of course, the real intention was more than that.

He often came to Gu Shen for "guidance."

Yes… it was guidance, not challenge.

This was a martial arts fanatic with extremely high cultivation talent, but his mental strength was unstable. Every time he fully used [Glutton of Iron], he was prone to falling into a state of loss of control. This year, Gu Shen used the "Breath of Spring" to help Shen Li adjust his mental state. In addition, he completely solved the biggest difficulty in Shen Li's cultivation path. Shen Li could recklessly activate the [Gluttony] state without worrying about losing control and being backlashed… This news was enough to shock the young people in the prison.

Because Shen Li's master, the Fourth Judge Li Yu, couldn't solve the drawbacks of [Glutton of Iron] and had always used a clumsy method, using powerful spiritual seals to suppress Shen Li's mental strength limit.

This was a Great Transcendent who had cultivated to the late Fourth Stage.

Even Li Yu was helpless, but Gu Shen could solve it?

In fact, solving this problem wasn't difficult.

According to Old Master Gu Qilin… [loss of control] was a manifestation of [inauspiciousness].

So Gu Shen had a whimsical idea.

He let Shen Li open his fists and feet and attack him. Then, when [Glutton of Iron] was in full berserk mode, he used the thumb ring to absorb Shen Li's furious mental strength… In the Scorching Fire Vision, it was a wisp of dark Yin Qi.

Just as he had expected.

The "inauspiciousness" that caused Shen Li to lose control was directly taken away by the jade thumb ring!

Of course, before making this attempt… Gu Shen had a foolproof response. Even if the thumb ring didn't work, he could suppress Shen Li's loss of control. In the large pit in the Four Seasons Wilderness, he had planted the first seed he had visualized.

In this year.

That seed slowly grew, took root, and sprouted underground.

Now only a small shoot was revealed.

Gu Shen didn't use the transcendent trials in the Deep Sea to test his strength, but he had a clear self-awareness. His mental strength was now several times stronger than it was a year ago.

Even without using the [Iron Throne], he could hypnotize Shen Li, who possessed a spiritual defense seal, with just one move.

This was also the reason why Shen Li would run to the Chunyu Temple courtyard every once in a while to "seek guidance"… Not only could he satisfy his itching desire to fight, but also every time he fought, he would eventually fall asleep, and after fighting, he would find that he had had a good sleep.

Now his view of Gu Shen had completely changed. This was simply a god.

The guys in the Snowfall Forbidden City always compared Gu Shen with Bai Xiu… In Shen Li's heart, these two people were incomparable.

Could Bai Xiu cure his "loss of control"?

Impossible!

But Gu Shen could!

Gu Shen in Chunyu Temple was simply his second teacher on the path of cultivation.

For Gu Shen, in these calm and uneventful days, being able to see the Little Iron Man Shen Li on time and regularly was actually a pleasing thing.

He abandoned the transcendent trials in the Deep Sea and needed to spar with people to roughly assess his strength increase.

The Scorching Fire constantly digested the black flowers on Shrine Mountain and transformed them into its own power.

And Gu Shen's assessment of his combat power… had begun to use "Shen Li" as the basic unit.

Every time they sparred, he was exploring the power of Scorching Fire and his true strength.

Putting all this aside.

Treating Shen Li's loss of control was also a win-win situation.

Because Shen Li's "inauspiciousness" might be considered a kind of nourishment for the jade thumb ring.

Currently, Gu Shen didn't know what changes would occur after the jade thumb ring absorbed mental strength… or perhaps there would be no changes at all.

But he didn't care, because the power displayed by this object, even if it was only this little, was already powerful enough.

It could absorb the mental strength of a Throne!

It could devour the so-called "inauspiciousness"!

This was an unadulterated divine object, even more surprising than the "Iron Armor."

Gu Shen had been waiting… waiting for the shadow of inauspiciousness lurking on his body to jump out at some point, and then he would use the jade thumb ring to wipe it out in one fell swoop!

In this year, very few things happened every day.

But when gathered together, it wasn't little.

The Li Clan’s [Lamp-Seeking] plan progressed very smoothly. Two of the three copper man lamps lost outside had been successfully recovered, piecing together three corners of the ancient house in the Shrine… only the last lamp remained.

The Li Clan had used a lot of manpower and spent a lot of money, spreading news and buying antiques everywhere in the Five Continents.

These were all worthwhile.

If they could gather all four copper man lamps, the price of paying only mundane objects and manpower wouldn't be anything at all.

However, the confidentiality of the [Lamp-Seeking] plan was very high. Apart from the Family Head and the two sisters of Shrine Mountain, no one else knew… This also ensured the smooth recovery of the antiques. The transcendents outside didn't know why the Li Clan would collect those "meaningless" antiques.

In the world of transcendents, anything that wasn't a sealed object was meaningless.

In addition, Chu Ling successfully "entered" the body of the divine fetus infant again in the well water on the top of Shrine Mountain.

A very important message could be inferred.

That was that the collection of the copper man lamps did indeed have a very powerful boost to the awakening of the divine fetus.

After three copper man lamps were placed, Lingling Yi's consciousness in Chu Ling seemed to have "split."

Or, to use another word, materialized.

She often dreamed that she saw the well, breathing and sleeping in the well water.

Accompanied by clusters of fluorescent light and clusters of white flowers, her body was constantly spreading and growing.

However, in the well water, Gu Shen only saw an ordinary infant.

Chu Ling’s dream was something that Gu Shen was curious and worried about…

What if one day.

If all four lamps were really collected… then after Chu Ling "descended," would she be an infant?

With this question in mind, he subtly asked the tombkeeper for guidance.

Gu Shen’s inquiry wasn't hoping that Master Qianye would use divination to peek at the future.

It was because Master Qianye was erudite enough, and perhaps knew something.

And the master’s reply was very simple.

“If there really was a divine fetus in this world… then it would have begun to grow six hundred years ago. How could it be an infant now?”

This sentence wasn't difficult to understand.

The "infant" form of the divine fetus was ultimately just an external manifestation.

Its existence was completely different from humans.

The divine fetus needed six hundred years to incubate, while the birth of a human only took ten months… If the divine fetus was truly a life form, then what its growth trajectory would be like was also impossible to predict.

Perhaps it would take ten thousand years to grow.

Perhaps… it was born perfect.

If it was a life form born from countless "transcendent source matter," if it had its own consciousness, it might also freely choose its own body. An infant or an old man was just a physical body.

Speaking of this, the tombkeeper also lifted a corner of his robe, revealing his withered left hand.

The existence of divination and wish-granting techniques fully proved one thing.

The spirit and matter cannot be separated, and they are also opposed to each other.

When the spirit is strong enough, matter is just a carrier… that's all.

After receiving this reply, the thing that Gu Shen was most worried about was put down…

He quietly became a spectator.

Watching the black flowers on Shrine Mountain become less and less this year, the top of the mountain returning to tranquility, watching the array pattern diagrams in Qingqiu become more and more numerous, the fog gradually clearing.

The life of a spectator wasn’t bad.

…

…

(There will be another chapter before 12 o’clock)