Chapter 102 "Good Knife!"

"What a fast knife!"

Seeing Gu Shen cleanly and efficiently taking down the three Red Shadows, Afu praised him very seriously.

The Red Shadows' close combat ability was very strong.

This was already the strongest individual combat power within the Initial.

To fight three opponents at once, so easily without using any domain... this was something Gu Shen definitely couldn't have done a week ago.

"You flatter me."

Gu Shen inserted the wooden sword back into the snowfield.

Actually, it wasn't that his strength had increased again.

No matter how strong the Red Shadows were, they were still just robots.

No matter how great the God of Craftsmen was, it was impossible to create a combat machine that perfectly surpassed "humans." In other words... the Red Shadows' combat thinking was fixed. Even if there were occasional changes in formation, their "brains" were definitely not as bright as humans'. After repeated battles, Gu Shen had slowly figured out their patterns.

With each strike, each parry, Gu Shen already had a predetermined "point" in his mind.

The biggest help Gu Shen got from fighting the Red Shadows was this.

He began to try to develop "Chi Huo."

Calculating the Red Shadows' attack points... was the answer given by "Chi Huo's" computing power.

At the same time, Gu Shen also realized the "overall situation" on the long path of transcendence.

If a transcendent only wants to become a Fourth Order... then they only need to cultivate according to the trial standards given by [Deep Sea].

But if they really want to understand "life transition."

They must be clear.

What is the meaning of everything they do in each realm.

"My awakened ability is 'Chi Huo,' but because I got [Pure Land] too early... I have neglected the development of 'Chi Huo's' ability for a long time in the past."

"This is also the reason why my cultivation realm has been severely blocked after three Transcendent Realms."

"The balancing effect of the transcendent world acts on all things."

"I must make up for my own awakened abilities before I can step into 'Fourth Order'... Similarly, I can only enter the next stage if I develop the second domain of 'Chi Huo'."

...

...

Afu's childlike light flashed away, and several bamboo-armored men walked out from the depths of the snowfield and carried away the three defeated Red Shadows.

The mechanical life forms on the Initial could all be repaired.

Even the one that Gu Shen had cut open a week ago was no exception.

The God of Craftsmen left a complete production chain and repair program... As long as raw materials were consumed, they could be "newly manufactured," so Gu Shen didn't deliberately hold back when he attacked.

"The Initial's submersion will reach its 'destination' in two days."

Afu said, "We will eventually arrive in the 'East Sea' area, which is also a very deep sea area covered by chaotic source matter..."

He knew that Gu Shen's hometown was in East Continent.

Because of the exposure of the Ice Sea incident.

Afu decided to move the Initial to a relatively safe location first... He wasn't familiar with the Five Continents, so he considered transferring bit by bit first.

The five continents, except for the Northern Continent, are all surrounded by seas.

The Initial only needs to stick to the outer edge of the Southern Continent and submerge and skim eastward to reach the "East Sea."

"So fast?"

Gu Shen was a little surprised.

"It's not that fast. The East Sea is very big, and it's not like we're sending you to your doorstep." Afu reminded, "If you want to leave, you still have a long way to go. I can't leave the Initial... After the submersion is complete, the Initial will not move again."

"Don't worry, you don't need to worry about leaving."

Gu Shen smiled, "I have my own way."

With the [Ruler of Truth] in hand, there was no need to worry about going back.

If those guys from Guang Ming Bi Lei in the Tower of Origin were still alive, they would probably still be swimming halfway back to East Continent when he returned.

"You can actually cultivate on the 'Initial' for a longer period of time."

Afu hesitated to speak, but finally said, "There are enough resources here, and there are Red Shadows to spar with... It should be difficult for you to find a better place to cultivate when you return to your homeland."

"It's only two days before we arrive in the East Sea, why are you suddenly saying this?"

Gu Shen said with a smile, "Afu, are you reluctant to let us go?"

"How could I..."

Afu was stubborn, but the tone of regret between the lines was hard to hide, "So you're leaving in two days?"

"Pa pa!"

Gu Xiaoman reached out and patted the little cube's head, comforting him heroically, "We'll meet again someday. It's not like we're parting forever. As an old guy who's lived for almost a thousand years, why are you still feeling sentimental?"

This week was very short.

In Afu's life, it was just a blink of an eye.

But he did indeed perceive "happiness" from Gu Shen and Xiaoman.

"It's all the fault of the last guy!"

Afu sighed, "That guy came to the Initial and didn't play with me, didn't talk to me, just wandered around a few times and didn't say anything... Before he left, he even threatened me to keep it strictly confidential!"

"After he left, I didn't miss him at all. I thought it would be the same this time, and I wouldn't miss you either..."

Gu Shen and Xiaoman looked at each other.

This week, they had traveled to every corner of the Initial.

The previous visitor didn't leave any traces. If it weren't for the information provided in the Dream of the Lord of Love, they wouldn't have known that anyone had been here.

But the more this was the case.

The more determined Gu Shen was in his heart.

So meticulous, so seamless... but also tight-lipped.

Racking his brains, the only candidate he could think of was.

Turing.

...

...

The internal strife of the Storm Church has been over for a long time.

Five years of external pressure forced them to abandon infighting and unite against the enemy.

The Southern Continent has become a chessboard. If they continue to fight each other... sooner or later they won't even have the chance to be pawns, and they can only be turned into ashes and scattered.

But sometimes, even if they work together, they may not be able to change anything.

Oppression still exists.

Resistance is always weak.

Even if the Storm Throne returns, the reality is still cruel.

The decline of the Southern Continent, caused by overdeveloping faith and extracting the blood of the people, cannot be changed by short-term reforms.

And on this day, thirty-one source-energy boats suspended on the coastline of Yuanding Island made the Storm Church feel unprecedented pressure... Just a dozen days ago, the Five Continents fleet had just gone south to sea. In the church's plan, this was a one-way mission. Seventy source-energy boats would skim across the sea and never return to the mainland.

No one expected that the fleets of Central City and Nagano would return to the mainland intact.

As for Guang Ming Bi Lei and the Tower of Origin... there was currently no movement.

All the movements after returning to the mainland were difficult to hide from [Cloud Mirror], but the two commanders of Central City and Nagano launched mental conference connection signals to the Holy City Church on the inner edge of the Ice Sea.

At the same time.

The three highest seats sitting at the pinnacle of humanity also held a meeting in a private deep-water area.

Around the long table, one side was vacant.

This was a small meeting attended only by the three thrones; Sky and Light were absent.

The Storm Throne, who originally didn't want to attend, looked ugly at the moment. He had already learned the news that the Central City and Nagano fleets had returned to the mainland... This face-to-face meeting between the thrones was also held because of this.

"You must be very curious as to why the Central City and Nagano fleets were able to return to the Five Continents unscathed."

The Empress presided over the meeting. Bai Shu sat quietly as always, and his attendance already represented his position.

"You hid key information about the Ice Sea and guided the believers to launch a 'beautiful' suicide attack."

Lin Lei flicked her fingers and reflected two scenes.

It was the disaster footage captured by the ships... but she hid the figure of the giant ship in the footage and only allowed the Storm Throne to see the scene of Bishop Anila self-immolating.

The reason why she could say the word "beautiful."

Was because Central City Nagano had zero casualties.

Otherwise, this would be an internal massacre that would arouse public resentment!

"...You left behind a contingency plan in the Ice Sea?"

The Storm Throne looked gloomy. He couldn't figure out why the fleets of the two continents were unscathed, but the only thing that made him gratified was that, judging from the pictures given by the Empress of the Northern Continent, the fleets of the Tower of Origin and Guang Ming Bi Lei had been shot down.

"That's not something you should know."

The Empress waved her hand and extinguished the mental image. She said calmly, "What you need to know is... the anger of the Tower of Origin and Guang Ming Bi Lei will soon descend."

"..."

The Storm Throne was silent. From the moment he decided to坑杀the Five Continents fleet, he knew what this move would bring.

The rift between the highest seats would intensify.

Over the years, the two major alliances had long regarded each other as enemies and engaged in a game in the Southern Continent.

To change the status of the Southern Continent, one needed to join one side.

Storm would not make a decision so easily.

He knew very well that his throne status was the biggest bargaining chip in this game... Whether it was the Middle West or the Northeast, neither side in the current "equilibrium" could accept the sudden addition of the other side.

This was also why he dared to do such a ruthless thing.

坑杀the five major fleets and bury everyone in the Ice Sea... As long as this matter was handled cleanly and no evidence was left, there would be no follow-up!

As for turning hostile?

Before the current balanced situation, the Tower of Origin did not have the Lord of Wine, and Nagano did not see the Living Underworld King. Who would dare to turn hostile with him?

But it was different now.

The fleets of Nagano Central City had returned intact!

"The fleet has docked at Yuanding Island. Next, we will selectively announce some information and declare that the Southern Continent has already joined our camp..."

The Empress calmly stared at Storm.

She said word by word, "You can shake your head, but you can't change this matter. Even if you deny it, we will announce it to the outside world."

Storm's face was livid.

This news... was for the Tower of Origin and Guang Ming Bi Lei to see!

With the full return of the Central City Nagano fleet, who would believe that the Storm Church had not defected? Who would believe that there was no inside story to the Ice Sea mission?

He, the Storm Throne, had never intended to be a "spy" for the Empress and Bai Shu—

But who would believe it now?

The Light Throne would not believe it, and Qinglong would not believe it even more!

"Now, the advice we can give you is to let your saints honestly complete the internal negotiations on Yuanding Island, and then carefully scour the Ice Sea, killing as many people as possible."

The Empress said, "No matter what plans you had before, you only have one path left now. Join as soon as possible while we are still willing to take you in. In that case... the Southern Continent will not be torn to pieces by the Tower of Origin immediately. If the divine war breaks out, it's better to face the anger of two forces than to face the anger of four forces... isn't it?"

...

...

(Three updates completed, good night everyone)