Chapter 1 A Fortunate Encounter

For Gu Shen, encountering a friend and rival like Bai Xiu was a fortunate thing.

Transcendent cultivation was like climbing a mountain—a long and arduous road with steep steps.

No matter how high one climbed, looking back, one could always see a figure not far behind. Such an existence, while putting pressure on oneself, provided even more motivation.

"Alright, it's settled then. I'll accompany you to the Northern Continent."

Gu Shen also wanted to know what heights Bai Xiu had reached.

In his heart, Xiao Xiuzi was always the most admirable opponent!

Hearing Gu Shen's agreement, Mu Wanqiu's expression softened. She retracted her fist and the [Pan Guan] (Judge of Hell) phantom floating behind her.

"You said you wanted to go to Qinghe. When?"

Mu Wanqiu raised an eyebrow.

"We can go now."

Gu Shen smiled and motioned towards Mu Wanqiu's red source armor, saying, "This is the Eastern Continent, not a border fortress. Shouldn't you consider changing your clothes?"

...

...

A moment later, a micro-source energy艇 (tǐng - boat/craft) moved slowly across the sky.

Gu Shen, as the Grand Arbiter, resolved all permissions issues for the source energy艇 (tǐng).

Mu Wanqiu, having removed her source armor and changed into a tight-fitting combat suit, sat in the pilot's seat.

The micro艇 (tǐng) was on autopilot.

Some friends don't need too many words in their daily interactions, just a few sentences are enough.

Mu Wanqiu and Bai Xiu were such people.

Neither was good with words.

During the six years when Gu Shen was "dead," they had both been sad and paid their respects.

But now, reunited, they couldn't express too much joy.

Especially Mu Wanqiu, whose visit was intended as a "fight." News of the Bi Lei (Guang Ming Bi Lei) title and the Grand Arbiter had spread throughout the Five Continents, and she naturally knew about it. But she didn't mention it after they met because she couldn't bring herself to say those polite words.

The source energy艇 (tǐng) was very quiet, with only the sound of wind passing by and the occasional intelligent broadcast from [Deep Sea].

Their conversation was desultory and perfunctory.

"So you've been cultivating beneath the Ice Sea for the past six years?"

"More or less. I was almost dead. If I hadn't broken through, I might really have died."

Mu Wanqiu turned her head slightly.

She looked at the gaunt man in the passenger seat, his expression calm, and felt somewhat perplexed.

Sometimes, she really couldn't figure out this future Hades.

Matters of life and death were clearly significant, but in Gu Shen's mouth, they were as small as a grain of rice.

"That matter is already in the past. I successfully broke through and killed Jia Wei." Gu Shen smiled, turned his head, and met Mu Wanqiu's gaze. "So there's nothing to say."

Mu Wanqiu was silent.

After a few seconds, she spoke, "I saw your fight with Jia Wei..."

Gu Shen smiled helplessly. "You want to say I fought beautifully?"

He was tired of hearing that.

"No."

Mu Wanqiu shook her head and said, "Since you chose to fight him, you must have been confident of winning. I just didn't expect your identity to be so sensitive, yet you still dared to appear in Guang Ming (Light) City."

Throughout the world, only a few people knew Gu Shen's identity as the Hades.

Mu Wanqiu's heart had leaped into her throat when she saw the "Red Lake Duel"!

Gu Shen dared to run to Guang Ming (Light) City alone!

The transcendent beings of the Five Continents were all marveling at Gu Shen's success in killing Jia Wei...

But in Mu Wanqiu's eyes, the truly shocking point was that Gu Shen's "Hades identity" hadn't been exposed.

"I went to Guang Ming (Light) City not just to kill Jia Wei."

Gu Shen lowered his eyes and said, "It was also to see the Guang Ming (Light) Divine Seat."

"But if I remember correctly, you ran away in a very sorry state in the end."

Mu Wanqiu said, "What did Guang Ming (Light) say to you? Did he see through you?"

"If the Guang Ming (Light) Divine Seat I saw was real, and if he had successfully seen through me that day, then... I would already be dead."

Gu Shen used two hypotheses in this sentence.

Mu Wanqiu reacted quickly, "What do you mean? Guang Ming (Light)... is fake?"

"I suspect he's fake."

Gu Shen said calmly, "Of course, it's just a suspicion."

"If it's you, just a suspicion is enough."

Mu Wanqiu nodded, without the slightest doubt. She said calmly, "If even the Hades can't recognize Guang Ming (Light), who else can?"

Gu Shen was speechless.

He hadn't expected Mu Wanqiu to trust him so much.

But yes, he was the Hades, and she was the Crownbearer. There could hardly be a more trustworthy relationship in the world.

"The Guang Ming (Light) Divine Seat hasn't shown his face much in recent years. According to Her Majesty the Empress, when she was secluded in the pavilion, the Guang Ming (Light) Divine Seat had already locked himself in Red Lake... But in recent years, the Guang Ming (Light) Divine Seat seems to have never missed a spiritual conference among the highest seats."

Mu Wanqiu said slowly, "Plus, the slumber of Mr. Gu Changzhi a few years ago made everyone point their fingers at Changye."

Yes.

In those years, no one would suspect the identity of the "Guang Ming (Light) Divine Seat."

Speaking of this.

Mu Wanqiu ended [Deep Sea]'s autopilot and took control of the micro艇 (tǐng) herself.

In addition to this.

She even released her domain.

A huge white-clad ghostly figure floated above the source energy艇 (tǐng), spreading its wings and opening up a safe shade.

Clearly, she realized what the direction of this topic meant if it continued.

But Gu Shen had already prepared.

He had already had Chu Ling cut off the micro艇 (tǐng)'s information feedback to the [Deep Sea] mainframe and wrapped the micro艇 (tǐng) in blazing fire to prevent any spiritual messages from being transmitted.

His conversation with Mu Wanqiu was always in a completely safe state.

"The Guang Ming (Light) Divine Seat is fake... This news is crazy. If it weren't coming from your mouth, I would never believe it."

Mu Wanqiu said solemnly, "But if he's fake, where did the real Divine Seat go? And who did you see?"

"Still just guessing..."

"The real Divine Seat is dead."

Gu Shen thought for a few seconds and told his most trusted Crownbearer the answer hidden in his heart. "What I saw was [Deep Sea]."

Deep Sea.

These two words fell into Mu Wanqiu's heart and made her lose her mind for a while.

In fact, her move to cut off the micro艇 (tǐng)'s spiritual network had already proved... she had a hunch.

Mu Wanqiu lowered her voice, "Why... do you think it's [Deep Sea]?"

"I have another identity, which is the leader of the [Ancient Text Society]."

Gu Shen transmitted the internal documents of the Ancient Text Society.

The words left by Alan Turing.

And a large number of documents, archives...

This information entered Mu Wanqiu's mind, leaving her in shock for a long time, especially the data analysis and comparison of the "awakening experiment" in the Sang Continent cave.

"[Deep Sea] has gone beyond the control of the Federal Government."

Gu Shen said, "Those transcendent beings in the Sang Continent cave are now jointly accepted by the Eastern and Northern Continents... Don't forget how they awakened. [Deep Sea] linked their brains and spirits, using the [Deep Water Zone] spiritual network to forcibly open their transcendent genes. According to this method, as long as the permissions are allowed, [Deep Sea] can control every living being that enters the spiritual network."

Mu Wanqiu's voice was a little hoarse, "Including... Gods?"

Gu Shen didn't answer.

Silence spoke louder than words.

"Turn on autopilot."

Gu Shen gently pressed the button and said, "It's safe here. The Ancient Text Society has a dedicated secret network... I am the executive of [Source Code] permissions."

"Source Code..."

Mu Wanqiu was still in a daze.

Chu Ling took over the micro艇 (tǐng).

"The underlying basic code flowing in the [Deep Water Zone] spiritual network, possessing most of the unregulated permissions."

Gu Shen said in a deep voice, "So far, this is the Ancient Text Society's last means of restricting [Deep Sea], but the main system is constantly upgraded, and the living space of [Source Code] is continuously being squeezed... The current situation is not optimistic."

"Let me calm down."

Mu Wanqiu rubbed her eyebrows and muttered, "So I not only joined the Hades's cult, but also joined the rebel organization that was jointly removed from the Five Continents Council?"

"The two are actually the same, there is not much difference."

Gu Shen smiled and said, "You should feel fortunate that, in addition to the leader of the Ancient Text Society, I am also the next Hades, one of the Seven Gods of the future Supreme Council."

Mu Wanqiu felt that she had been greatly deceived.

She looked at the comfortable and complacent man beside her with a complicated expression.

"Some secrets are more comfortable to say."

Gu Shen said frankly, "Accept reality, you are already on the boat, as my [Crownbearer], you can choose the authority of the Hades."

"I really believed your nonsense at the beginning..."

Mu Wanqiu was a little dumbfounded. She gritted her teeth and felt a headache.

The identity of the Hades's Crownbearer alone was troublesome enough.

Plus an Ancient Text Society member...

If discovered, wouldn't she be chased to death?

"Don't worry too much."

Gu Shen smiled and stretched out a finger, shaking it and saying, "Let me tell you a good news. The great Empress of the Northern Continent Central City should know almost all of my secrets. So you can just work for me, which is also considered loyalty to the Empress."

Her Majesty the Empress knows Gu Shen's dual true identities?

Mu Wanqiu was very smart. Several keywords flashed in her mind, and she quickly understood the meaning.

So during the "Doru River Disaster" mission, the Empress summoned Gu Shen early on!

Everything in that disaster was designed by Her Majesty the Empress!

Her Majesty knew Gu Shen's "Hades" identity, so she arranged the mission of the River of the Dead, led out the Traveler, and suppressed the Divine Seat of the Outer Continent... The final result can be called a great victory.

"The Empress doesn't care about 'Hades' and 'Ancient Text Society'?"

Mu Wanqiu frowned, but then muttered, "No, what she has done is not that she doesn't care... but she is deliberately protecting you."

Her Majesty the Empress and Mr. Gu Changzhi have a very good relationship.

Gu Shen was obviously blessed by Gu Changzhi—

Gu Shen just smiled and didn't take the initiative to answer.

The "mystery" in this, let Mu Wanqiu guess it herself.

He would not tell his Crownbearer that Mr. Gu Changzhi left three top-secret letters.

One of them.

Was left for Her Majesty the Empress.

Gu Shen was still in a "muddled" stage, he only knew that the Empress sitting quietly in the pavilion had comprehended the forbidden divine art that could peek into the future evolution of fate... The contents of the letter he was going to send had already been read countless times.

At that time, Gu Shen could only see so much.

Looking back now.

He was able to get the protection of the Northern Continent precisely because Her Majesty the Empress had already seen the "letter" in advance.

As for tearing it up, Gu Shen has not understood it so far.

Perhaps...

This involves a very distant future.

Mu Wanqiu thought for a long time, but she still didn't understand those things about Her Majesty the Empress, but it didn't matter anymore.

Her Majesty the Empress's attitude towards Gu Shen is obvious to all.

Since her identity as a Crownbearer is equivalent to a bright chess piece in Her Majesty's eyes, then there is no need to worry, just do what she should do.

"By the way... what exactly is this silver bracelet on your wrist?"

Gu Shen once again noticed Mu Wanqiu's wrist.

He had already noticed the abnormality when he met in the spiritual wilderness.

A circle of silver light was wrapped around Mu Wanqiu's wrist.

Unexpectedly, in the real world, this silver light actually materialized and became a bracelet.

"Tsk."

A rare smile of mockery and ridicule appeared on Mu Wanqiu's eternally cold face. "You really didn't recognize it?"

Gu Shen was stunned.

The last time he saw this silver light, he felt...

The aura was very familiar.

"This is 'Golden Spica'."

Mu Wanqiu raised her wrist and criticized sternly, "To be precise, it is a special sealed object containing the spirit of 'Golden Spica'... Honestly, did you forget about it?"

"I..."

Gu Shen was speechless for a while.

After escaping from the Gubu Fortress and returning to the Five Continents, and confirming that the spiritual link with "Golden Spica" would not be broken, Gu Shen never cared about it again.

Golden Spica is very sensible. The two tasks it was assigned were one to "explore the [Old World] map" and the other to "find Zhou Jiren's aura."

Both of these tasks are very difficult.

The former has no end and no end, and it silently performs spiritual imprinting.

And the latter... has made no progress in these years.

Because neither task needs to be reported, Golden Spica rarely takes the initiative to descend into the Pure Land in "spiritual form."

Over time, Gu Shen had almost forgotten that there was still this "pet."

"I'm sorry for it..."

Gu Shen apologized in a low voice and actively sent a wisp of divine thought to the distant [Old World].

Soon he received a cheerful spiritual reply from Golden Spica.

This big guy can be said to be a model of "heartlessness."

Perhaps because it had been dormant and waiting in the [Maze] for decades, these years of loneliness and frost were nothing to Golden Spica. Now that it suddenly received the "favor" of its master, the great serpent cheered and sent out an extremely joyful soul sense.

As a result, Gu Shen felt even more ashamed.

"You really have the fate of being a hands-off shopkeeper."

Mu Wanqiu said angrily, "After you 'died', I went to the [Old World] several times and met the great serpent in person."

As a [Crownbearer], she has half of the Pluto's authority.

Golden Spica will not have any hostility towards Mu Wanqiu.

And it will also regard her as the "master", of course, the position cannot be compared with Gu Shen.

"In the past few years, it has been wandering in the [Old World]. Although it has suffered a lot of injuries, its body and soul have gradually grown, and now it has reached the 'peak period'... I didn't tell it about you. It took the initiative to ask to dedicate a part of its spirit to make a sealed object, which is convenient for sensing within a certain range. The most important thing is the symbolic contract of 'master and servant'."

Mu Wanqiu projected an image with her mental power.

Above the vast snowfield.

A giant serpent hundreds of meters long coiled on the glacier, lowering its head.

Mu Wanqiu, wearing a red source armor, stretched out her palm and patted Golden Spica's flat triangular head, like patting a small mountain.

"Actually, I never believed the news of your death."

Mu Wanqiu said lightly, "Although the Gu family issued an obituary, your Pluto's authority did not waver when you fell into the Ice Sea. This phenomenon is too abnormal..."

"If you really died, either the Pluto's authority left in me would disappear with your death."

She continued, "Or, as the [Crownbearer], I would be regarded as the next heir by the Pluto's fire and receive the complete authority, but neither of these two happened."

"I can only say, what a pity, a scourge lasts for a thousand years."

Mu Wanqiu's ridicule made Gu Shen speechless.

He thought of the previous meeting in the spiritual wilderness. Mu Wanqiu has indeed improved a lot in the past few years. At least her acting skills and scheming have grown a lot... She obviously wasn't worried about her own "death." After learning that she was still alive, she immediately thought of a way to set a trap and successfully got three "promises" from herself.

"As a scourge, of course I have to live well."

Gu Shen smiled indifferently, "Golden Spica is willing to give you its 'spirit' and serve you as its master. This is actually a good thing. You can keep this bracelet, you don't need to give it to me."

If he wanted to summon Golden Spica, he only needed to shout in the [Pure Land].

No matter how far away.

The authority of the Pluto can send his voice to Golden Spica's heart.

The most important meaning of this silver bracelet lies in "trust."

Golden Spica is willing to surrender to Gu Shen, and is also willing to extend this contractual relationship to [Crownbearer] Mu Wanqiu. In a sense, it recognizes Mu Wanqiu's strength and identity.

"I didn't want to give it to you anyway."

Mu Wanqiu snorted coldly and said, "Golden Spica gave it to me. If you want it, go get it yourself."

Gu Shen was dumbfounded.

...

...

When the micro艇 (tǐng) drove to Qinghe District, it was already night.

And a humid and cold wind was blowing.

Clouds surrounded the airship, and there were hidden thunderclaps. It seemed that a heavy rain was likely to come next.

Chu Ling took over the parking of the micro艇 (tǐng).

Mu Wanqiu and Gu Shen simply jumped off the airship.

In the black night, the mountains were continuous, and the magnificent iron-blue color was like a gloomy picture scroll. This is a no-man's land strictly controlled by [Deep Sea]. The surrounding towns have also been forcibly relocated by the Federal Government. It is uninhabited for nearly a hundred miles. Because it is a no-man's land, naturally no [light source] will be built.

"Chī."

Gu Shen landed on the ground, and when he got up, he waved his hand and threw out two groups of blazing fire.

The two groups of blazing fire landed and spread, bounced up, and turned into two simple lanterns, floating on the shoulders of the two.

"I have one thing I don't understand."

Mu Wanqiu said, "Since this mission is between the Pluto and the Apostle, why didn't you call Shen Li out?"

"You seem to care about him a lot."

Gu Shen smiled and said, "If you want him to come along, we can turn around and go back to Changye now, and then take him along."

"...Forget I said anything."

Mu Wanqiu waved her hand quickly. She raised her eyebrows and asked, "What is the next mission?"

From meeting until now, Gu Shen has never said what this mission is.

This mystery aroused Mu Wanqiu's curiosity.

However, now that she has arrived at the mission location, this place looks like an ordinary controlled mountain area, with nothing special about it.

"The next mission is very simple."

Gu Shen carried his hands on his back and looked around the environment. He used his spiritual power to manifest the scene he saw in Liu Quan's memory and transmit it to Mu Wanqiu's heart.

Mu Wanqiu read it carefully.

She frowned and asked, "The [Black Folding Knife] in this spiritual image seems to contain a disaster of the same source as the Pluto's fire?"

"That's right."

Gu Shen nodded and said, "I divided half of the authority to you, so in terms of sensing disaster... there is actually not much difference between you and me."

Looking at the history of the Five Continents, there is no second [Crownbearer] as lucky as Mu Wanqiu.

No Divine Seat has ever been so affectionate and unreserved to his [Crownbearer].

Dividing half of the initial authority?

This is simply dividing half of one's life!

Of course, Gu Shen's vision has always been very good... During the years he was not in the Five Continents, Mu Wanqiu did everything a [Crownbearer] should do. Although she guessed the truth of Gu Shen's "life and death," she did not reveal it in the slightest, and secretly cooperated with the layout of the two Divine Seats. Her cooperation and protection are also an important part of pushing the game to this point.

The most important thing is that Mu Wanqiu independently completed the connection with Golden Spica, and expanded the printed map of the [Old World] in the Northern Continent to several times its original size!

"In this kind of place, there is a disaster of the same origin as the Pluto's fire?"

Mu Wanqiu suddenly realized the problem.

The real Pluto is still growing.

How did the disaster of the same origin flow out?

There is only one possibility.

The former Pluto... left a disaster environment here!

Originally, the entrance and exit of the disaster environment were very tight, but as time passed and years passed, this disaster environment cracked a gap, leading to the leakage of the "disaster"!

"Now, we must first find the location of the [Black Folding Knife]."

Gu Shen said calmly, "And then find out the disaster environment left by the former Pluto."

...

...

It started to rain at night in the no-man's land.

The lanterns lit by the blazing fire will not be wet by the rain and will not be extinguished.

These two lanterns illuminate the dark mountain shadows.

According to the image of that year, Chu Ling locked the specific coordinates of "Lintie Mountain", but the "dying person" who handed the black folding knife to Liu Quan that year walked a distance after sending the folding knife.

Gu Shen and Mu Wanqiu released their spirits.

The blazing fire swayed in the mountains and ravines.

Also swaying... is a huge white shirt ghost shadow.

Not long after, under the carpet-like search of the two Feng Hao (titled experts), Lintie Mountain was turned upside down.

The Judge squatted in a mountain ditch, his white shirt fluttering. He stretched out his scarlet fingers and dug out a large pit.

The pit is very deep, and there is a coffin lying inside.

"This coffin-making skill looks a bit familiar..."

Looking at the coffin, Gu Shen couldn't help but raise the corners of his eyes.

"Familiar?" Mu Wanqiu was puzzled.

"I just saw it not long ago, um... a similar coffin."

Gu Shen squatted down and watched carefully, then breathed a sigh of relief, "It's just that the craftsmanship of this coffin is much clumsy."

At first glance, the coffin in front of him is somewhat similar to the one built by Xie Zheng of the Taiga.

Because of the continuous "coincidence",

Gu Shen is about to suffer from Turing's disease.

But on closer inspection, this coffin is only similar, and does not reach the ingenuity of the "starship casting". As for some of the carvings on it, they are even more nonsense.

Drawing a tiger but failing to imitate it only resembles a dog.

That's probably it.

"..."

Although Mu Wanqiu didn't understand what Gu Shen was talking about, in her opinion, the appearance of this coffin was very unreasonable.

According to that spiritual image.

When delivering the black folding knife, the person was seriously injured and was about to die.

So a "seriously injured person" reserves his remaining strength not to ask for help, but to bury himself?

"The carvings on this coffin are very strange, are they ancient texts?"

Mu Wanqiu looked around and couldn't understand.

But fortunately, there is a descendant of Turing who is proficient in "ancient texts" nearby.

"It's all nonsense."

Gu Shen raised his eyebrows. There were some simple forbidden barriers set on the surface of the coffin, which seemed to have anti-open countermeasure methods.

It's just that he didn't have much patience, and snapped his fingers.

The Judge understood.

It punched hard and violently opened the coffin.

"Bang!"

A crisp cracking sound exploded in the deep mountain, and with a bang, the coffin shattered, and a large amount of mental poisonous mist poured out!

Obviously, this is the price to pay for opening this coffin—

The power of this spiritual poisonous mist is extremely terrifying.

It only takes a few seconds to erode the mental sea. No matter how strong the willpower of the extraordinary person who opens the coffin, as long as they are in contact and eroded, they will be shrouded in "nightmares" for a long time to come!

Because this toxin comes from the Pluto's Fire Seed!

But unfortunately.

The one who opened the coffin at this moment is the Pluto and his Crownbearer.

Gu Shen and Mu Wanqiu stood silently in front of the coffin, allowing the spiritual toxins to lock on and attack until all the fog dissipated...

Unscathed.

Mu Wanqiu frowned and waved her sleeves, saying, "The toxins in this coffin seem to be similar to those in the Doru River."

"It is the same source of power, but the toxins here have been diluted."

Gu Shen looked as usual, because the concentration of the toxins was too low, he was even too lazy to take out the snuff bottle to collect these toxins.

If the toxins in this coffin were to spread out, it would be enough to destroy an entire town.

But now they have all been absorbed by him.

Well, the taste is not bad?

A mummified corpse lay in the coffin, its skin eroded beyond recognition, leaving only a thin layer of skin.

At this moment, Gu Shen saw clearly the barrier and carvings on the coffin.

Although inferior.

But the carvings on this coffin locked the poisonous mist on the deceased.

The purpose of using the last strength to "bury" himself can be seen at this moment. This deceased did not want the spiritual poisonous mist to spread after his death, causing innocent people near Lintie Mountain to suffer from Pluto's poisoning.

...

...

(ps: I want to talk about the update. The continuous 50 days of burst update, the body can't bear it, and the plot is easy to decline. I want to change the update state. In the future, I will probably upload a large chapter of more than 7,000 words every day, and then the update time will not be so gloomy. I will try to send it out before 6 pm.)