Chapter 1 A Seed Takes Root

A tiny barrier took root in the Si Ji Wasteland.

It expanded "slowly".

No one knew what lay within this barrier.

Grandmaster Qianye resumed control of the great array, while Gu Shen came to the wasteland, attempting to advance towards the "other shore" in the distance, to reach the edge of the "Fire Seed Barrier" he had seen... but the wasteland of the Inner Mausoleum was too vast. He trekked for a long, long time, yet the distance to that "point" of the mental marker seemed to be separated by an insurmountable chasm.

Gu Shen knew.

The appearance of this Fire Seed in that place was no accident; it was probably deliberately done by Mr. Gu Changzhi.

For the sake of preventing anyone from touching it.

Clearly, to truly see the scene within the "Fire Seed Barrier," one had to wait for it to expand to one's front...

Was this good news?

Gu Shen didn't know.

But after waiting for twenty years, Gu Changzhi's Fire Seed had finally appeared, and was consciously drawing upon the extraordinary source matter of the Qing Tomb. Perhaps the mound spirit's initial calculation was correct.

"Gu Shen..."

The gravekeeper spoke softly, "For some reason, I cannot find peace in my heart."

She had previously left the Si Ji Wasteland to perform divination at the graveyard.

This was a very rare occurrence.

For Grandmaster Qianye, it made no difference where she sat.

She held the whole world in her heart.

Even in the Inner Mausoleum, she could divine the affairs of the Five Continents.

Yet this time... an unprecedented unease arose in her heart, and she could not calm down no matter what. She simply left the wasteland to go to the outside world, to restore her serenity.

And the result of her divination... in the end, it was blurred, only a small part could be seen clearly.

"I always feel... that the Qing Tomb is being targeted. The appearance of this [Fire Seed] is probably not a coincidence, but I haven't figured out the specific reasons and the subsequent response plan yet." Grandmaster Qianye rubbed her forehead, saying wearily, "The other party is very cautious, targeting the Qing Tomb, but not rushing to act. If there is any sign of wind, then it is probably because they are fully prepared."

Gu Shen understood the gravekeeper's meaning.

He carefully asked, "Did you divine anything?"

"This will all begin with the Five Great Families..."

The gravekeeper said in a low voice, "The Five Great Families of Changye may encounter an unprecedented disaster."

An omen!

Gu Shen's heart skipped a beat.

He had come to the Qing Tomb precisely because of his unease, seeking answers... and Grandmaster Qianye's divination seemed to have pointed the way.

Li Quhu's passing away was the beginning of everything...

After the death of the Li Clan Head, the Elder Council, which had been accumulating power for a long time, had already launched its attack. Storms were brewing, and judging from the posture, it was clear that they were preparing to reshuffle the deck, remove Li Qingsui from the position of Clan Head, and usher in a new era!

And the Li Clan was only one of the Five Great Families.

The Gu, Bai, Gong, Mu, and Li Clans had always adhered to principles over the years, and had always banded together on external matters... but in reality, even the most solid wall would develop cracks over time.

The slumber of the Divine Seat of the Eastern Continent was too detrimental to morale.

The Fire Seed within the Qing Tomb was the root cause of all these cracks—

The turmoil of the Li Clan was only a visible shadow, but on the towering mountain peaks of the Snow Forbidden City, there were many invisible shadows, growing, spreading, and expanding piece by piece.

"Someone's coming."

The gravekeeper frowned slightly, "Gu Shen... I don't want to see him. Stop him outside the mist of the Inner Mausoleum."

Gu Shen was surprised to hear this.

He wondered if there was anyone within the Qing Tomb whom Grandmaster Qianye did not want to see, but had to see.

When he left the Inner Mausoleum and stood on the mist-shrouded hilltop, he immediately understood.

In the distance, many people were escorting a figure towards the Inner Mausoleum. The figure was not old, a middle-aged man, but he was sitting in a wheelchair...

The Gu Clan was still the number one family in Changye today.

But the eight-year-long internal struggle had torn apart and divided the Gu Clan, forming the so-called New and Old Factions.

The Old Faction was the Gu Clan disciples who adhered to the divine mandate and guarded the Qing Tomb.

They firmly believed that Mr. Gu Changzhi was still alive... and would one day come out of the Qing Tomb.

The transcendents of the Gu Clan's Old Faction regarded the gravekeeper as a divine oracle. Nine years ago, they experienced a huge blow, sending Gu Nanfeng, the future young master of the Gu Clan appointed by the oracle, away from the Eastern Continent to the Northern Continent Fortress.

And the end of that escort battle also marked the end of the civil war.

The New Faction was the group of people who opposed the Qing Tomb Act.

They believed that the Gu Clan needed to step out, needed greater reforms, and they did not believe... that Gu Changzhi was still alive. With the power of a god, as long as he had not died, he would have made a sound. Moreover, when the New Faction gained absolute advantage in the struggle, the Divine Seat remained silent, which showed that he might not be as great as the world admired and imagined.

What the New Faction did... was to explore the Qing Tomb to the end.

They wanted to see the Inner Mausoleum with their own eyes.

They wanted to personally verify... the whereabouts of the Fire Seed.

In that war back then, the transcendents of the New Faction had tried to "attack" the Qing Tomb, but it did not cause any waves.

The gravekeeper, who had comprehended all the array patterns, activated the Inner Mausoleum's great array, directly trapping all the attackers, and forced the New Faction to reach a final "peace agreement."

The New Faction had to accept this outcome.

As long as the gravekeeper was there, no one could enter the core of this mausoleum.

Thus, the New and Old Factions of the Gu Clan began a long "division of governance." The leader who led the New Faction against Old Master Gu Qilin's forces was named "Gu Lushen."

It was precisely the man sitting in the wheelchair at this moment.

Gu Lushen was a "genius" born in the same era as Gu Changzhi, but in that era, all geniuses were eclipsed. Even Bai Zhu, the S-rank transcendent who was cultivated and supported by the Bai Clan with all its might, lost to Gu Changzhi.

Gu Lushen was no exception, of course.

It was not until he stirred up a great civil strife in the Gu Clan that people in Changye remembered his past deeds.

In that era, he was the fastest genius in the Gu Clan's cultivation speed besides Gu Changzhi.

However, no one would remember the second.

Unless... the first was gone.

When the internal strife had just broken out, many transcendents in the Snow Forbidden City believed that Gu Lushen's actions were no different from those of a clown. Before long, these transcendents who had launched the conflict would be sanctioned one by one by Gu Qilin with iron-blooded methods... However, the subsequent result was unexpected. The Gu Clan's internal strife was actually dominated by the "New Faction," and it was a great advantage.

The "New Faction staff" gathered by Gu Lushen were extremely united and unafraid of death.

This was a "war" that had undergone long-term consideration, and after it broke out, the Old Faction was suppressed everywhere without warning, and eventually it was almost impossible to reverse the situation. When Gu Lushen directly pointed to the core rules of the Clan Head system, wanting to abolish Gu Nanfeng and establish a new Clan Head... the Old Faction could only resort to the worst policy of "sending away the young master."

So the New Faction turned to attack the Qing Tomb. Unfortunately, this "miracle land" that had consumed countless manpower, gathering the right time, place, and people, was not afraid of this level of transcendent impact at all.

The final "peace" could not even be considered a "pyrrhic victory."

This was just the "compromise" of the initiator of the battle, the New Faction.

……

……

Gu Shen stood on the mountain.

The transcendents of the Gu Clan's New Faction stood at the foot of the mountain.

Gu Lushen sat in a wheelchair. He raised his hand, signaling that others did not need to continue forward. He turned the wheels alone and slowly came to the foot of the mountain, into the mist.

Standing on the top of the mountain.

Gu Shen could see Gu Lushen very clearly.

And he had an illusion.

The man sitting at the foot of the mountain, through a layer of thick fog, could also see himself very clearly.

"Gu Shen."

Gu Lushen raised his head. He directly said the name of the person on the top of the mountain at this moment, and asked with a smile, "This should be our first meeting, right?"

The voice was not loud.

But it clearly extended along the small mountain and spread to the mist-filled summit.

Last year, Gu Shen's reputation in the Snow Forbidden City was extremely loud. For a time, the Five Great Families came forward one after another.

And this whole year had passed.

The only force that had not had any contact with Gu Shen, or even any intersection... was the Gu Clan's New Faction.

"I'm sorry."

Gu Shen was not polite and responded directly, "Grandmaster Qianye doesn't want to see you, please go back."

He didn't say much to Gu Lushen.

Gu Shen and Gu Nanfeng stood in the same camp and had a very deep friendship with the Old Master. No matter how you looked at it, he was standing on the side of the Old Faction... For Gu Lushen, it was already very cultivated for him to treat him politely.

Gu Lushen smiled.

"I came to the Qing Tomb this time, not to see Qianye..." The man shook his head and said, "I want to talk to you."

Gu Shen frowned upon hearing this.

"As you said... this is only our first meeting."

He pondered for a second.

Then, in front of many Gu Clan's New Faction transcendents at the foot of the mountain, he directly refused.

"So, we have nothing to talk about."

Gu Lushen was not annoyed.

This was the answer he expected.

He said gently, "It won't take too long, five minutes is enough."

As he spoke, a wisp of breeze, wrapped in mental power, slowly rippled in the mist on the top of the mountain.

These words were only spoken to the Inner Mausoleum of the Qing Tomb.

Not only could Gu Shen hear it.

Grandmaster Qianye, who was far away in the wasteland, could also hear it.

"I know that the art of divination is incomparably wonderful, able to divine the secrets of heaven, but all the causes and effects in this world cannot take effect on [divine objects]... No matter how you divine, you cannot calculate why that [Fire Seed] appeared."

As soon as this was said.

Gu Shen's expression changed drastically.

He had only just learned the news that a [Fire Seed] had appeared in the Qing Tomb... and Gu Lushen had already come to his door?

How did he know!

Sure enough... after this voice dissipated, Grandmaster Qianye's response also came out.

"What do you want to say?"

Gu Lushen, who was sitting at the foot of the mountain, slowly proposed his request, "Of course I want to enter the Inner Mausoleum, but you won't agree... In that case, let Gu Shen come forward on your behalf and have a chat with me."

The gravekeeper was silent for several seconds.

She transmitted her voice and asked, "Gu Shen... are you willing to come forward?"

Gu Shen was naturally willing, but he was vaguely worried in his heart.

With the New Faction's style of doing things.

Would there be a conspiracy?

"The entire Qing Tomb is under control, so don't worry about Gu Lushen having any tricks... I will invite him into the Inner Mausoleum, and you can have a chat on the top of the mountain." The gravekeeper said softly, "That way, I can hear your conversation as well."

"Okay." Gu Shen pondered slightly and nodded in agreement.

A wisp of breeze wrapped the gravekeeper's voice and echoed in the Outer Mausoleum.

"Gu Lushen, if you want to have a chat, climb the mountain alone."

Those few transcendents of the New Faction frowned upon hearing this. They wanted to step forward and lend a hand.

But Gu Lushen waved his hand.

He turned the wheels and slowly moved towards the top of the mountain.

The breeze caressed his face.

His speed was not fast.

But it was exceptionally stable. For so many years... the wheelchair seemed to have become his original limb.

Gu Shen narrowed his eyes as he watched this scene.

The technology of bionic prosthetics had become very advanced, and there were also many auxiliary devices... but this man insisted on using an "old and inconvenient" wheelchair.

Chu Ling had investigated Gu Lushen's information.

His legs could not touch the ground.

But... it was not a "disability" in the true sense.

Gu Lushen was once one of the best martial arts masters in Changye, with amazing bone density, but after a tragic battle, he suffered his current injuries. This was a side effect of overusing "abilities." His lower body's muscles and bones were damaged and were destined to never heal. Most of the time, he needed to rely on this wheelchair to move around.

But Chu Ling's analysis result was... if Gu Lushen was willing, he could stand up from the wheelchair at any time.

However, it would come at a price.

This wheelchair was a tool he used to "show weakness."

Some people, with three points of strength, want to show seven points.

Some people, with seven points of strength, pretend to be three points.

Gu Lushen was the latter.

"It's been a long time since I've been to the Inner Mausoleum..."

The man who slowly climbed to the top of the mountain looked around.

His eyes were only filled with a thick fog, but his pupils were still full of smiles.

Gu Lushen said with a smile, "If I remember correctly, the last time I climbed the mountain, I was miserably repaired by Grandmaster Qianye."

He knew that the gravekeeper, who was far away in the depths of the mausoleum, could also hear these words.

But Grandmaster Qianye did not reply to him.

The top of the mountain was empty and silent.

Gu Lushen looked up at Gu Shen and asked softly, "I heard that there is also a second successor of divination in the Inner Mausoleum, and she is a woman. I wonder if Gu is fortunate enough to open his eyes?"

Gu Shen said lightly, "Mr. Lushen has come at the wrong time. I'm afraid you have no chance today."

"It doesn't matter," Gu Lushen smiled undiminished, "I can come again tomorrow."

Gu Shen said again, "There is still no chance tomorrow."

Gu Lushen oh-ed softly, lowered his eyebrows and smiled to himself, and sensibly did not continue.

Gu Shen quietly looked at the New Faction Head on the opposite side, wanting to see what tricks the other party could play.

The so-called "one does not hit a smiling face" is a principle that is generally applicable in most parts of Changye, but unfortunately, it is not applicable in the Qing Tomb.

Neither the gravekeeper nor himself would fall for this trick.

"It doesn't matter if I don't see her."

Gu Lushen reached out and pointed to the distance of the fog, and asked with a light smile, "I just keep thinking, is there really a second successor of divination in this Inner Mausoleum?"

"……?!"

Gu Shen's expression remained unchanged.

He narrowed his eyes and looked vigilantly at the man in front of him.

Gu Lushen said quietly, "Thinking carefully, it doesn't seem difficult to fabricate a 'living person'... just like the so-called art of divination, as long as people believe it, then 'it' exists."

With just one sentence.

It had already made Gu Shen feel that this was a very dangerous character.

This guy's thought circuit was really unbelievable.

This year, no one in the Snow Forbidden City had doubted the existence of the "second successor of divination" in the Qing Tomb... not only because of the news released by Gu Shen, but also because Bai Lu of the Bai Clan had also volunteered to be a witness.

The Bai Clan's witch said that she had seen the rumored "successor of divination," who was an extremely stunning woman.

In fact, none of this evidence was needed.

When the gravekeeper announced that she was accepting a disciple, everyone had no doubt that there was a successor of divination in the Qing Tomb, following Grandmaster Qianye to cultivate.

It was just that after Bai Lu's rendering, everyone began to wonder, just how stunning was this stunning woman?

The only regret was that everyone had no chance to meet her.

Only Gu Shen could see her!

The biggest impact of this matter was that after thinking about it, everyone cursed Gu Shen, it's always this stinky brat who gets all the good things!

"Don't be nervous. I'm just saying it casually."

Gu Lushen watched Gu Shen's expression.

He did not get what he wanted from this young man's expression.

"But next, what I want to say... is serious."

Gu Lushen turned his wheelchair, seemingly looking for a certain direction.

In the end, the wheelchair settled down.

Gu Lushen turned his back to the vast cemetery outside the mountain ridge, where there were still many transcendents waiting for him to go down the mountain. He faced the central location of the tomb where the [Colossus Ruins] were located, and still accurately found the direction of the Si Ji Wasteland through the thick and majestic fog.

"Qianye."

"You must be curious... why I can sense the existence of the [Fire Seed], right?"

Although it was said to be a conversation with Gu Shen.

But in reality, he was still facing the direction where Qianye was.

Of course there was no response.

Gu Lushen smiled slowly, "Just as I said before, as long as you pay the price, divination can predict most things in this world, but there are always some things that transcend cause and effect... Perhaps, you haven't noticed an interesting thing yet."

When Gu Shen heard this, he suddenly realized something.

Divination cannot predict people, things, and objects related to the [Fire Seed].

This was something he had known a long time ago.

The affairs of the gods cannot be divined.

So... the gravekeeper was uneasy because she did not know what the appearance of the [Fire Seed] meant.

Was Gu Changzhi about to awaken?

Or……

Divination could not predict this matter, and after Gu Lushen showed up, there was one more thing that divination could not predict—

That was... why did Gu Lushen know about the appearance of the [Fire Seed]?

If he remembered correctly, Old Master had said that Gu Lushen seemed to have some kind of confidence that if Gu Changzhi was confirmed dead, then he could obtain the [Fire Seed]'s recognition and become the next Divine Seat.

These two clues were linked together...

It seemed that a bizarre answer was born.

Gu Shen looked at Gu Lushen and thought with a complicated mood, this guy who was in the same era as Mr. Gu Changzhi, wouldn't he have come into contact with the so-called [Fire Seed]?

After saying those words, Gu Lushen turned his head and glanced at Gu Shen.

This time, he was very satisfied with the expression on Gu Shen's face.

"Kid, you're smarter than I thought."

Gu Lushen laughed in a low voice, "Many years ago, I was lucky enough to touch Gu Changzhi's [Fire Seed]... After that, subtle changes occurred in my body."

……

……

(It's the end of the month, please ask for a monthly ticket~~ I hope to get 3000 tickets~~~)