Chapter 1 Of Course, These Are All Things of the Past

Bai Shu smiled.

At this moment, when he spoke of this past event that he was unwilling to mention, there was still a faint sadness in his tone, but it was no longer a sadness for himself.

He had lived in obscurity for twenty years.

If Zhou Jiren hadn't appeared in his darkest hour, perhaps he would still be in the underground tavern, far away from the disturbances and clamor of this world. As for the Dou Zhan Huo Zhong, it would have nothing to do with him forever.

Some things can only be picked up after they are put down.

"Is hope the most useless thing?"

He looked at Gu Shen, and at this moment there was no need for an answer, it was already clear.

Bai Shu reached out and waved towards the sky above the wilderness. A crack was torn open in the sky above the divine realm, and a dark Huo Zhong slowly leaped out of the crack in the sky, like a vertical pupil, constantly overflowing with dark and ominous aura.

Within the Qingzhong Cemetery, the wind and clouds changed.

With the appearance of this vertical pupil, a faint black color was plated on the golden divine glow of the entire cemetery.

The transcendents walking in the outer mausoleum might not feel it.

But Gu Xiaoman, Song Ci, and Chu Ling, who were waiting outside the mountain mausoleum at this moment, all captured this strangeness.

"There is a dark and evil aura appearing..."

Gu Xiaoman clenched her sleeves and murmured, "This aura is even more unsettling than the Dou Zhan Huo Zhong."

...

...

"Pluto Fire Seed..."

Looking at the dark vertical pupil that appeared in the sky, Gu Shen looked solemn.

He took a deep breath.

What had he been cultivating so hard for all this way?

It was for the sake of fusing the Huo Zhong...

Now he finally saw the "Ming Huo". The feeling was different from the last time he saw it. At that time, he felt that the power contained in this Pluto Fire Seed was too powerful, and it was extremely difficult to even look at it.

Compared with the Huo Zhong at that time, he was like a small boat in the rolling waves.

To fuse the Huo Zhong was simply a fool's dream.

But now, it was different.

He felt the guidance of the "Ming Huo" in his heart lake, and felt the cleansing of the Jingtushanmu. Although this majestic power was terrifying, he had already gained the approval of the "Huo Zhong."

Perhaps, trying to control it wasn't impossible?

"Among the seven divine Huo Zhong, the most difficult to control is this Pluto Fire Seed. This Huo Zhong not only includes the power of life and death, but also absorbs most of the disasters and ominousness from the Gospel Box... The divine seat who inherits the position of 'Pluto', although he can control the life and death of living beings, will be entangled in disasters throughout his life."

Bai Shu looked at this ownerless Huo Zhong and said to Gu Shen, "In the eyes of the world, this Huo Zhong means 'despair', but in fact... it is also a kind of hope."

The reason why he was willing to come out of the underground back then was because he saw the last ray of hope.

If this young man named Gu Shen could take charge of the "Ming Huo" and reorganize the order of life and death.

Perhaps...

Li Rou, who was mentally out of control, would have a chance to return to normal.

Bai Shu stood beside Gu Shen, looked up at the dark sky torn apart by the Ming Huo, and asked softly.

"Do you want to give it a try?"

Gu Shen stared straight at the Ming Huo.

He didn't give an answer immediately, but slowly asked, "What kind of person can successfully fuse the Huo Zhong?"

This was a question that countless people in the Five Continents were curious about.

But this question had no answer.

In the world's perception, the prerequisite for fusing the Huo Zhong is that the transcendent must be strong enough.

But some supreme experts, after experiencing countless hardships in fusing the Huo Zhong, might not have good results.

Back then, the Crimson Emperor, whose talent was the best in the Northern Continent, spent his whole life without gaining the approval of the "Huo Zhong", while Lin Lei, who was still young, completed the fusion of the Huo Zhong in less than a month.

The Crimson Emperor was also of royal blood and had unparalleled talent above tens of thousands of people.

He was no less inferior than Lin Lei.

It was just that he failed, but Lin Lei succeeded easily.

Those transcendents who chase the Huo Zhong and the divine position need to experience the trial of the Huo Zhong's dream and then express their piety to the power of the Huo Zhong...

But these countless rules do not exist in front of some "chosen ones."

Gu Shen was directly selected by the Pluto Fire Seed.

Gu Xiaoman had already reserved the seat of "Lord of Wine" the moment she awakened.

"Everything else is easy to say."

Bai Shu slowly said, "But Huo Zhong fusion... in my opinion, luck outweighs effort. Some geniuses work hard their whole lives, but they are destined to not become the 'Lord of Huo Zhong'. Such geniuses also include me."

If Gu Changzhi hadn't died early, the Dou Zhan Huo Zhong wouldn't have changed hands.

"So, I think the element that determines whether the Huo Zhong can be successfully fused... may be fate."

"If it is destined to be yours, it will be yours eventually. If it is not destined to be yours, don't force it."

Bai Shu said this meaningfully.

Although he wanted to comfort Gu Shen, his own experience was not convincing.

"The factor that determines whether the Huo Zhong can be fused is... fate..."

Gu Shen looked at the dark vertical pupil in a daze.

"You seem to be worried about your own fusion failure?"

"No..."

Gu Shen smiled and said, "On the contrary, I'm worried that I'll succeed in fusing it directly."

"What's wrong with succeeding in fusing it directly?"

Bai Shu smiled and said, "We are in urgent need of a third divine seat now. If you become the Pluto, the Five Continents can change."

"During this period of time, I have gained a deeper understanding of 'Ming Huo'."

Gu Shen sighed softly, "This Huo Zhong contains much more ominousness and disaster than other Huo Zhong. Not just anyone can withstand this thing..."

At this point, Bai Shu understood.

"The previous Pluto died strangely, so you are worried that a large amount of disaster has accumulated in this Huo Zhong, waiting for a new master to descend and settle the accounts together..."

"Yes."

Gu Shen said, "I'm worried that this 'Huo Zhong' is not pure. The Pluto lineage doesn't have good things. I've been schemed against several times."

He narrowed his eyes and stared at the vertical pupil in the sky.

Ming Huo also narrowed its "eyes" and looked at Gu Shen——

Some things, even if you know there is trouble, you still have to bite the bullet and go on.

Gu Shen swept away all distracting thoughts. He floated into the air and came before this dark and gloomy Huo Zhong, and said in a deep voice, "I'm going to touch 'Ming Huo', please protect me, senior!"

Bai Shu nodded solemnly.

His figure shook, and he transformed into three...

The Daoliu Shenyu completely enveloped the inner mausoleum, and countless golden divine glows surrounded Gu Shen and Ming Huo.

Not to mention that Gu Shen has not yet refined the Huo Zhong, even if Gu Shen has already refined the Huo Zhong, he still has absolute control in this divine realm!

Bai Shu only uttered four words.

"Go ahead without worry."

These four words made Gu Shen feel extremely at ease... He knew too well what the Daoliu Shenyu meant. There was no more powerful protection field than this divine realm, and there was no better protector for himself at this moment than Mr. Bai Shu.

He stretched out his five fingers and directly pressed them into the Ming Huo!

"Since you have already chosen me as the 'master'... then you should also pay some sincerity at this moment!"

Gu Shen was not polite with Ming Huo. He let out a low roar, and his five fingers were like hooks, grabbing fiercely at the main body of this Huo Zhong that exuded a dark aura!

At the same time, his two Great Accomplishment Domains appeared at the same time and crushed down!

The reflection of Jingtushanmu of the Pure Land appeared!

The disaster aura emitted by the Pluto Fire Seed floated in the air like an ocean. This aura formed a domain of its own, and even without recognizing its master, it was by no means something that ordinary mortals could touch.

And Gu Shen at this moment was going to directly drag the "Ming Huo" into his spiritual world!

There, he was the supreme master!

"Boom——"

The two domains crashed into the dark Ming Sea.

This was the first time Gu Shen had failed. He wanted to forcibly fuse the Huo Zhong in this way, but he failed. The Ming Huo hovered in the sky above the golden divine realm, without moving at all.

It was impossible to shake it with two Great Accomplishment Domains!

But Gu Shen was not without gain...

His attack also managed to pry open a corner of the Ming Huo, and a wisp of dark aura swept out from the Huo Zhong.

"My 'power of authority' has increased. Does this count as a successful fusion?"

Gu Shen clearly felt that his weak aura of authority had increased sharply!

A wisp of black flame ignited between his eyebrows.

It was dozens of times more than when he gave Mu Wanqiu the power of authority back then!

The power of authority at that time was too weak, as small as a strand of hair... but now it has condensed into a distinct flame.

Immediately afterwards, a strong sense of ominousness struck!

As expected.

It was far from as simple as imagined to fuse this "Ming Huo".

Gu Shen quickly sat down cross-legged, circulated his breathing technique, and after a few seconds, his whole body was shrouded in a majestic scarlet mist.

The ominousness that had just erupted once during the Ice Sea breakthrough struck again this time, and its ferocity was not inferior to the last time at all——

Bai Shu said in a deep voice, "Do you need Daoliu?"

"No... no need!"

Gu Shen quickly opened his mouth. He took out the Jiezhi and held it in his palm. At the same time, he used a three-times accelerated mental flow to begin to confront the ominous disaster.

When disaster descends, the spiritual sea of the transcendent will often suffer a huge blow.

Once resistance fails.

They will directly lose control!

But Gu Shen's spiritual sea was extremely powerful. He sat under the Jingtushanmu, and the visions of the three seasons constantly alternated on one person...

The red mist surrounding Gu Shen was constantly shattering and being reborn.

A large amount of disaster wanted to take advantage of Gu Shen's unpreparedness to invade the Pure Land, but the moment these disaster powers squeezed into Gu Shen's heart sea, they were absorbed by the Jiezhi!

Bai Shu in the golden divine realm quietly watched this scene.

Gu Shen had pulled out a faint wisp of Ming Huo... Could this be considered a successful first step in fusion?

It was just that the scene in front of him was completely different from when he fused the Dou Zhan Huo Zhong!

The weirdness, madness, and darkness of Ming Huo was really uncomfortable...

If Gu Shen hadn't spoken, he would have just activated the Daoliu Shenyu and forcibly returned everything to before the contact.

Bai Shu was very worried that Gu Shen would not be able to resist such a large amount of ominousness.

But fortunately...

This young man was stronger than he imagined, much stronger!

A large amount of red mist continued to grow, almost filling the sky above the entire inner mausoleum. Gu Shen did not ask for help, so Bai Shu pressed down the Daoliu Shenyu and waited patiently, his expression quite solemn.

Just taking out a wisp of the power of authority required him to suffer such a large amount of ominous attacks?

Gu Shen's skin was eroded, and the wisp of vitality he had finally cultivated in his black hair turned withered and white. In just a few seconds, his whole body was shrouded in ominous disasters, becoming dark and eerie.

This was the price to pay for becoming a "Pluto".

Of course.

This was just the first step.

"Does fusing the Pluto Fire Seed... really require such a price..."

Gu Shen opened his eyes and stared at the black flame in front of him. In that endless darkness, Ming Huo leaped, as if it was a cold and ruthless vertical pupil.

Gu Shen was no stranger to this look.

At this moment, the aura emanating from this Huo Zhong was too familiar.

The Pure Land, the Doluo River, the maze of the old world.

Although Gu Shen had not met the previous Pluto, in a sense, he had actually met the previous Pluto many times.

"Or rather..."

"Is this actually a pit you left for the next successor?"