Chapter 115 The Truth of Xin Yang

The ultimate goal of the two Divine Seats is the Abyssal Sea.

But how to wage war against the Abyssal Sea?

What would it even mean to defeat the Abyssal Sea?

Mr. Bai Shu didn't provide answers to these questions… In the end, he only left Gu Shen behind.

The empty inner mausoleum was covered in golden divine light, the Divine Realm descended, and Gu Shen arrived on the Four Seasons Wilderness. He saw the sealed coffin lying on the open ground.

"New Calendar 628, Tu Ling flees north."

"This was supposed to be a quiet, silent escape, but the Abyssal Sea obtained the precise route of the northern flight and arranged a meticulous interception plan."

Bai Shu stood before the sealed coffin and said slowly, "That night, the Ancient Text Society team escorting Tu Ling north was intercepted at Xinyang Fortress, on the northwestern frontier. A fierce battle erupted."

This was a past unknown to anyone.

Gu Shen listened quietly.

He really wanted to know what had caused the number one genius of Nagano, second only to Gu Changzhi, to fall into such despair.

This past, sealed beneath the earth, was finally brought to light today.

"I didn't participate in that battle."

Bai Shu chuckled softly and said, "Because I was never really one of the Ancient Text Society. Before the Ancient Text Society was wanted by the entire world, I only knew of the organization's existence… Li Rou invited me more than once, but I always shrank back."

"Because… of Zhou Jiren."

Bai Shu said leisurely, "Zhou Jiren hadn't received his title at that time. He wasn't the so-called 'Sky-Reaching Tree.' That old thing was a good-for-nothing back then, a lazy bum, but he was also capable of doing some good things. The establishment of the Tribunal went so smoothly because of his strong recommendation. Gu Changzhi was at his peak at that time and decided to change the structure of East Continent. Under Zhou Jiren's persuasion, he mobilized the power of Nagano to establish the Three Ministries, and under the name of 'Fighting Warfare,' he forcibly spread the Three Ministries system throughout the nine districts of East Continent."

"The first Grand Arbiter was Zhou Jiren, the Grand Commander was Gu Qilin, and the Grand Inquisitor was Jing Shanyan."

Bai Shu smiled and said, "You should know all three of them. They're all on our side, right?"

Zhou Jiren was "031" of the Ancient Text Society.

Jing Shanyan was a hidden spy of the Ancient Text Society.

There was no need to say more about Grandpa Gu Qilin. He was older than everyone here, so he knew everything long ago and transcended it all.

"I don't understand, is there any necessary connection between these things and your not joining the Ancient Text Society?" Gu Shen asked, confused.

"The original position of 'Grand Arbiter' was mine."

Bai Shu said calmly, "Gu Changzhi invited me more than once. He believed that with my strength, I would be the most convincing person to sit as the Grand Arbiter, and as long as I was there, I would be able to suppress all the chaos within the Three Ministries system."

Gu Shen understood instantly.

Bai Shu back then… did indeed have the strength to sit as the Grand Arbiter.

Who would dare to disobey him?

"I was too young back then. I was still fixated on the fate of the 'Fighting Warfare Seed,' and I still stubbornly believed that I had a chance to surpass Gu Changzhi in the second half of my life…"

Bai Shu laughed mockingly, "How could a firefly unwilling to be extinguished by the sun's radiance be willing to become the Grand Arbiter? Moreover, that was Zhou Jiren's position."

Gu Shen was silent.

He could probably understand Bai Shu's pain.

This was a true genius who transcended eras. No matter which era he was placed in, he would be worthy of the name "Fighting Warfare."

But he had to meet Gu Changzhi.

Seeing Gu Changzhi melt the Seed, he still didn't give up. How strong would his confidence have to be?

But alas.

The gap between the two would only widen.

Gu Shen murmured, "You were unwilling to take the position that belonged to Teacher… so you gave up the 'Grand Arbiter' position?"

Bai Shu said indifferently, "Perhaps these are all just excuses… At that time, I wasn't interested in anything other than surpassing Gu Changzhi. My heart was only set on defeating him and regaining the Seed's approval."

"At that time, I was carrying the hopes of the entire Bai family. Losing to Gu Changzhi, losing the Seed, my life was already bleak."

"I couldn't see any light."

"Only Gu Changzhi, this suffocating sun, was clearly in front of me, only a little bit away… yet always out of reach."

To make a Divine Seat say such words.

How despairing must that be?

Gu Shen sorted through his thoughts. He still didn't understand… what all this had to do with the woman in the coffin.

"The Bai Clan Hall has a rule that every generation's top three most talented individuals are entitled to a dedicated 'Path Protector'."

Bai Shu looked at the woman in the coffin, his voice softening, "Li Rou's father was my 'Path Protector.' He lived in the Clan Hall with his daughter, guarding me. So Li Rou and I grew up together, studying and reading, practicing and competing, inseparable. However, I progressed too quickly and soon no longer needed the 'Path Protector' thing… After the Path Protector left the Clan Hall, she still stayed by my side."

"The family paid a heavy price for me."

"At first, I just thought that Li Rou and I were childhood sweethearts, like plum blossoms and bamboo horses."

"Later, I learned… that a genius like me must never have accidents. The family arranged many 'Life Offerers.' Some guarded in the shadows, while others were integrated into my life."

Gu Shen stared blankly at the woman in the coffin and had already guessed seven or eight parts of the truth, "So… Li Rou was actually arranged by the Bai Clan to be your Life Offerer?"

"Yes."

Bai Shu said softly, "I once ordered her to abandon the identity of 'Life Offerer' and not stay by my side. She obeyed on the surface, but later I learned that the Bai Clan Head back then used very cold-blooded methods to control the 'Life Offerers,' planting 'hypnotic seeds' deep in their mental seas, forcing them to obey their missions. As long as the Bai Clan needed it, these people would have to sacrifice their lives for the superiors to use at any time. Many Life Offerers felt despair about this, but they couldn't resist."

"Li Rou and I grew up together, cultivating in Nagano. She liked to study ancient texts, and she and Zhou Jiren could be considered colleagues with similar interests. I saw all of this."

"If it weren't for the family's heavy burden, I should have lived more freely."

"It's a bit of a regret that we gradually drifted apart, and until we parted forever, I didn't have a chance to say it."

"Of course."

"These… are all later stories."

Bai Shu reached out and gently hovered his hand over the face of the woman in the coffin.

He spoke slowly for a long time.

"In order to defeat Gu Changzhi, I visited North Continent, challenged famous generals. It was during the Red Tide War, and the fortresses of various continents were in chaos. I didn't care about the war situation. I only cared about whether I could become stronger… In order to chase Gu Changzhi, I ran around North Continent, defeating one powerful enemy after another."

"I indulged in chasing the phantom of the sun and forgot everything."

"Until one day, General Golden Ape of the First Legion challenged me. Golden Ape was the opponent I dreamed of. His strength was very powerful and he was known as the strongest extraordinary being closest to God."

"The location Golden Ape requested was not far from Xinyang Fortress."

There was a lot of information in this passage.

Gu Shen silently sorted it out.

The inevitable path of Tu Ling's northern flight happened to be "Xinyang Fortress," and the so-called First Legion was obviously the backup plan arranged by the Abyssal Sea.

There was also very important information…

General Golden Ape's name had been removed from the Abyssal Sea database.

After the end of the Red Tide War, the Empress ascended the throne, and the Lin Clan pardoned North Continent. At the same time, they conferred three extraordinarily powerful extraordinary beings who had made outstanding contributions, granting them unique control within the legions, as well as the title of "General," who stood below one person and above all others in North Continent.

Three Generals.

White Lizard, Silver Fox, Rust Bone.

They respectively led the Second, Third, and Fourth Legions.

The First Legion, which had been left over from the Red Emperor era, was not abolished by the Lin Clan.

It was just that among the so-called Three Generals, there was no leadership seat for the First Legion.

"The First Legion didn't change its designation even later… it's just that there was no so-called 'General' anymore."

Gu Shen felt inexplicably nervous.

He looked at Mr. Bai Shu, and under the golden Divine Realm, he suddenly felt a little sad.

He actually already knew the result, but he couldn't help but ask, "How was that battle?"

"I won."

Bai Shu's expression was a little numb, "Golden Ape was indeed very strong, but he was not my opponent… If I really had to say which extraordinary being in the world was closest to God, then it must be me, not him."

There was no joy on his face when he said these words.

"But I also lost."

Bai Shu lowered his eyes and said softly, "I lost because I was only a little stronger than Golden Ape, and I couldn't crush him, which led to the subsequent tragedy."

"It was a long time later that I learned that the duel at Xinyang Fortress was just a gamble, and I was just a pawn. Golden Ape deliberately released this news to attract the arrival of the Ancient Text Society…"

Bai Shu going to the challenge could create chaos.

With this factor, the Ancient Text Society decided to take the risk.

Bait.

"I never thought that Golden Ape would arrange layers of encirclement. He should have fought me fairly…"

Bai Shu clenched his fists silently.

That day, Xinyang Fortress was filled with artillery fire, and the elites of the First Legion came out in force. Golden Ape was not concerned about the duel with Bai Shu, but about how to complete the annihilation mission.

The Ancient Text Society, which wanted to take the opportunity to flee north, was led into a trap and slaughtered.

This was a fierce battle.

There was no need to say what happened next… Gu Shen could guess.

Li Rou, who grew up with Bai Shu in the Bai Clan Hall, was one of the people in charge of this northern escape mission.

Li Rou sacrificed all her spirit to the Ruler of Truth in exchange for a turning point at Xinyang Fortress…

And the price was that she completely lost control.

Li Rou became A-009.

"After Li Rou 'died,' I realized what I had missed."

"Those who chase the sun will eventually burn themselves out and end up with nothing."

Bai Shu looked at the woman sleeping quietly in the coffin and said softly, "It's not tragic to live in the same era as Gu Changzhi. The only tragic person in this era is actually me. Always having a little hope is the most despairing thing in the world."

"After the battle with Golden Ape, I had to admit that Gu Changzhi was more suitable for the 'Fighting Warfare Seed' than me. If he had come to Xinyang Fortress, then everything would have been different."

"I am willing to bear all the criticism of the Bai Clan, hide underground, and let the name Bai Shu die completely in the eyes of the world."

"From that day on, I no longer wanted to chase the sun."