Chapter 1 The Red Lake's Chill

Although Red Lake was shrouded in myriads of radiant lights, it suddenly turned cold at this moment.

Gu Shen looked at the old man reclining in the chair and said with a smile.

"You wouldn't be thinking of killing me, would you?"

The brilliance of starlight could not compare to the sun. Although the old man sitting by Red Lake was nearing the end of his life and terminally ill,

Gu Shen still didn't have the slightest chance of winning, or confidence.

Gu Shen felt the change in the temperature of the surrounding radiance, so his smile at this moment also carried a hint of coldness.

The old man replied with a smile, "I considered it."

Of course, Gu Shen knew the Guang Ming Shen Zuo (Light God Seat) had considered it, but he didn't expect the God Seat himself to answer the question so frankly.

His expression was somewhat complicated.

"An uncertain factor like you, growing so fast... If you can't be controlled, it's better to destroy you early." The old man leaned back, languidly saying, "If you were me, would you show mercy?"

Gu Shen was silent for a moment.

"You can't kill me tonight."

He looked at the old man in the reclining chair, saying each word clearly, "Tonight, there are many people at Red Lake. The events in Guang Ming City are being watched by millions of eyes... The Empress and Bai Shu-xiansheng are also watching."

"That's very reasonable... Since you know I'm just talking, why be so nervous?"

The old man said with a smile, "And why didn't you mention the King of the Underworld just now? Isn't he among your backers?"

"I told you, I'm not familiar with him, and I hate him as much as the Temple does."

Gu Shen shrugged, trying to remain calm.

He was indeed very nervous. No one could face a God Seat without feeling nervous.

Because reason is reason, and rules are rules—

The God Seat is the one who makes the rules!

If the Guang Ming Shen Zuo really attacked him in front of millions of people, then a divine war might break out tonight.

But... the matter of a divine war was no longer his concern.

The moment the chessboard was overturned, the chess pieces lost due to misfortune could never be retrieved.

"Alright, relax... Forgive my joke just now. I just wanted to see your reaction."

The Guang Ming Shen Zuo lowered his eyes and smiled, "Promoting the confluence of the Five Continents is a good thing for everyone. You shouldn't have any reason to refuse, right?"

Gu Shen narrowed his eyes and said, "If it's good for everyone, of course no one will refuse."

"Gu Shen..."

The old man said seriously, "Do you know? In recent years, many people have said you are the second Gu Changzhi."

"I can't compare to Gu Changzhi-xiansheng."

Gu Shen said calmly, "I am a selfish person. I can't be the 'sun.'"

"In my eyes, you and Gu Changzhi are two different kinds of people. Even if you can't be the 'sun,' you can still emit a bright and lasting radiance."

The old man smiled, "I don't need you to deliberately do anything. I only hope that you... don't disrupt the confluence of the Five Continents."

Gu Shen fell into silence.

After a long while.

He raised his head, "I'm sorry, I can't give you any promises. If the 'confluence of the Five Continents' is beneficial to all of humanity, then of course I won't disrupt it, and I will raise both hands in agreement, and at the same time use all the power around me to promote it... But if what you want to do violates my cognition and will, even if you kill me a thousand times, I will not change my will."

"You're really tough."

The Guang Ming Shen Zuo said plainly, "That's very similar to Gu Changzhi back then."

The words contained neither praise nor sarcasm.

Gu Shen turned to leave.

"Are you just leaving like that?"

The Guang Ming Shen Zuo's voice stopped him.

The old man, enveloped in radiance, extended a hand, palm up, and gently crooked his fingers.

All the freely dissipating radiance from the entire Red Lake surged toward his location with this gentle gesture.

"Hmm?"

Gu Shen stopped and turned back to look.

The Guang Ming Shen Zuo stretched out his palm, clearly wanting something from him.

"Is there anything else?"

Gu Shen's expression did not waver as he faced the old man by Red Lake again.

The dazzling sun was silent for several seconds after these words were spoken.

The Guang Ming Shen Zuo asked gently, "Don't you have something to give me?"

"Should I...?"

Gu Shen smiled slightly, "Perhaps I should have picked up Jia Wei's corpse when I passed the first half of Red Lake, and by the way, gathered the fragments of the Ming Guang Kai (Bright Light Armor)?"

"..."

Receiving this answer, the Guang Ming Shen Zuo stared at Gu Shen meaningfully, but the latter showed no fear or timidity.

The two maintained eye contact.

Red Lake fell silent again.

After a long while, the Guang Ming Shen Zuo sighed softly.

"Meng Xizhou just secured an opportunity for you and Gu Nanfeng to enter the Jin Ji Shu Lou (Forbidden Book Tower). Tomorrow, I will personally lift the Book Tower's restrictions."

The Guang Ming Shen Zuo said calmly, "Before that... think carefully if there's anything you need to give me."

"Then I must think about it carefully."

Gu Shen slowly bowed, retreating step by step, and left Red Lake.

...

...

Gu Shen walked out of the mist.

A mental message floated over.

"You brat, you're finally back?! What did the Guang Ming Shen Zuo say to you?!"

Song Ci pressed his knees, forcing himself to sit on the lake, but he couldn't calm down. Seeing that it was almost dawn, but there was no movement from the other side of the lake, he was anxiously waiting.

Seeing Gu Shen come out, he quickly got up, his face full of anticipation.

Gu Shen just said expressionlessly via mental transmission, "Let's talk about it when we get back."

At the same time, he saw many expectant faces.

"Thank you for the invitation, Great God Seat. Gu Shen has benefited greatly."

In front of millions of people, Gu Shen bowed to the end of Red Lake again and said loudly.

This was considered an answer to the waiting of these people.

After it was over.

Gu Shen bowed to Meng Xizhou again, and said in front of everyone, "Also, thank you, Shen Nü (Goddess), for your concern, and for deliberately requesting a place to comprehend the 'Forbidden Book Tower' for me."

There were many sounds of admiration and envy from the lakeside.

Envy was envy.

They knew... if they really had to choose someone to visit the Forbidden Book Tower, Gu Shen would be the one without a doubt.

"You're welcome."

Meng Xizhou frowned slightly. She didn't quite understand why Gu Shen wanted to talk about the Forbidden Book Tower in front of everyone.

"It's just a pity..."

Before Gu Shen finished speaking, he immediately changed his tone and said with regret, "Gu Shen is in a hurry this time, and there is still a pile of trivial matters to deal with behind him. It would be a pity to waste this opportunity to visit the Forbidden Book Tower... May I ask, Goddess, can Gu Shen transfer this opportunity to someone else?"

Meng Xizhou was silent.

She immediately sent a mental message, "Gu Shen, what do you want to do?"

This message did not receive a reply.

Meng Xizhou could only sigh softly and ask, "Who does Little Gu-xiansheng want to give this opportunity to?"

"My close friend, and also the current young master of the Gu family, Gu Nanfeng."

Gu Shen smiled slightly, "I hope the Goddess will grant my wish."

Gu Nanfeng... was originally a member of the Forbidden Book Tower observers!

Meng Xizhou was stunned. She didn't expect Gu Shen to have this kind of operation, and she couldn't refuse.

So Meng Xizhou could only slowly respond, "... Okay."

"If that's the case, then I won't bother you."

Gu Shen left Red Lake in a nonchalant manner. Before anyone could react, he patted Song Ci on the shoulder. All these actions seemed light and understated.

But in fact, at the moment when Gu Shen patted Song Ci on the shoulder and sent the mental message, he uttered a word with extreme force.

"Withdraw!"

The two left the Temple just like that.

No one dared to stop them, and no one could stop them.

Those standing by Red Lake were still somewhat unresponsive at this moment.

"It's over?"

"It's over just like that?"

Everyone hadn't reacted yet, and Gu Shen had already disappeared!

The Red Lake drama tonight was indeed very lively. First, there was the life-and-death duel between Gu Shen and the Holy Arbiter, then the Goddess stepped on the lake to meet the Light, and finally the internal cleansing of the Temple to purge the remnants and wipe out the Great Elder's lineage.

It was just that so many people were still waiting by the lake, waiting for Gu Shen's return.

In their impression.

After Gu Shen met the Guang Ming Shen Zuo, he would always say a few words.

Now... Gu Shen did say a few words.

But it was really too little!

"Gu Shen left like that? Why didn't he say a few more words?"

Luo Yu, standing at the forefront of the Gu family's delegation, was also dumbfounded. He didn't expect the final development of the matter to be so "anticlimactic."

He was also Gu Shen's friend of many years!

Even if he was in a hurry to leave, he shouldn't leave without even saying hello, right?

"Xiao Gu-xiansheng left too quickly. I was still waiting for him to come and recognize the Gu family delegation..."

Zhong Fan's expression was complicated.

He was a new member of the Gu Wen Hui (Ancient Script Society) who had just been recruited in recent years. Lu Nanzhi had already told him part of the truth.

The Gu Wen Hui's ability to have what it had today was all thanks to the "key," Gu Shen.

Therefore, the person Zhong Fan respected the most was this "short-lived genius," Mr. "Key."

Later, there was also a ghost senior.

When he saw Gu Shen reveal his identity by Red Lake, Zhong Fan was uncontrollably excited.

There was nothing more gratifying than the unification of the identities of these two respected people.

He sincerely felt happy for the news that Mr. Gu Shen was still alive!

"I feel a little strange."

Luo Yu calmed down and muttered softly, "I know Gu Shen too well. This guy is very affectionate. He didn't even look at the Gu family delegation when he left, which means he left in a very hurry."

Zhong Fan frowned when he heard this.

"And—"

Luo Yu continued, "Given the relationship between Miss Meng and our family's young master, if she asked the Guang Ming Shen Zuo to open the Forbidden Book Tower, there's no way she would leave out the young master..."

With this reminder, Zhong Fan also realized the problem.

"So the transfer of the quota just now... was acting?"

"It shouldn't be acting. Didn't you notice that the Goddess's expression was also surprised? She shouldn't have expected Gu Shen to say those words."

At this moment, the Red Lake drama had completely ended.

The Holy Arbiters began to drive away the onlookers.

The major delegations withdrew one after another.

As for the "Sky Eye," it was also closed at this moment, which meant that the observers in the deep water area could no longer see the scene of Red Lake at this moment.

"These words were said for everyone in the Five Continents to hear."

Luo Yu paused for a moment and said in a deep voice, "Gu Shen is determined to leave here. If he doesn't say these words, Guang Ming City is very likely to stop him... Did something unpleasant happen during the meeting with the Guang Ming Shen Zuo? Why is he so anxious to leave Guang Ming City?"

He couldn't understand.

The "Jia Wei" matter had come to an end.

The Guang Ming Shen Zuo had chosen not to pursue the matter in front of so many people, so there would be no subsequent storms because of this in the future.

He didn't understand why Gu Shen was in such a hurry to leave Guang Ming City...

"Now that you mention it, it's true."

Zhong Fan rubbed his chin and asked seriously, "Luo Yu-daren, didn't you feel that Xiao Gu-xiansheng's appearance when he left Red Lake at the end looked like he was escaping?"