Chapter 1 In the Past Hundred Years

In the past hundred years, the southernmost island of the entire Southern Continent was actually in a sultry and humid climate all year round… but with the changes in the "Sea of Origin," the icy sea currents swept northward across the continent.

The Sangzhou Grotto was the first to suffer the impact of the cold currents.

The climate of this small island began to become extreme…

At this moment, a cold drizzle began to fall over the S3 living area.

Gu Shen returned to Mr. Zhuang's tombstone.

As the hero who saved the S3 living area, the transcendents here were all blessed by Mr. Zhuang.

However, no one knew his full name…

Vias and Patil stood quietly, not daring to disturb him, they didn't know what Gu Shen was going to do.

"Chi!"

A blazing flame ignited in the rain.

Gu Shen slowly squatted down, looking directly at the eulogy on the tombstone, his fingertips gently touching the wet soil, a wisp of Netherfire penetrated the soil, quickly reaching the place where the "remains" were located… Under the tombstone, a coffin was buried.

This coffin was well preserved in the soil. The rainfall in the Sangzhou Grotto was somewhat "corrosive," and it had penetrated into the soil, but it had not eroded the coffin in the slightest over the years. The surface of the coffin seemed to be engraved with some "ancient characters" possessing spiritual power.

If one only "watched" from outside the coffin, then no one could peek into the situation inside.

These "ancient characters" alone were enough to reassure Gu Shen.

Mr. Zhuang, the Neutralist, must be related to the Ancient Text Society…

Immediately afterwards, Netherfire permeated the coffin.

The heavy wooden coffin exuded an imposing spiritual suppression. This power might still have a deterrent effect on other transcendents.

But before the "Netherfire."

It couldn't even be blocked for a second –

Gu Shen's spirit, along with the Netherfire, reached the inside of the coffin. Inside lay a humanoid pile of ashes.

But it was just ashes.

The authority of the King of the Underworld could not sense even a trace of "life aura" from this pile of ashes. Maybe these were just ashes, and didn't even possess "life" before burning.

Besides that.

There was nothing else in the coffin.

"..."

Gu Shen's pupils contracted slightly.

He withdrew the Netherfire, his expression somewhat complicated.

Vias and Patil behind him sensed that something was strange. The silence in front of the tomb had been too long. Finally, Patil couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Gu, is there any problem?"

Yes.

Of course, there was.

Gu Shen turned his head with a meaningful look, looking at Patil's sincere face, and Vias who was confused. He really wanted to say… as the King of the Underworld, the result of the spiritual investigation just now was a ghost.

There was no Mr. Zhuang under Mr. Zhuang's tomb.

There was only a pile of ashes.

"There's no problem…" he said after pondering for a moment, "I'm just curious, how did Mr. Zhuang die?"

"Mr. Zhuang seemed to have contracted a serious illness, probably due to overwork?"

Patil recalled, "In short, the past few years were very difficult. Everyone built the high wall together. Before we could live a stable life, Mr. Zhuang fell ill."

"When we went to see him… his condition had deteriorated to the point where it was difficult to treat. Everyone took care of him for a long time, but in the end, he still left this world."

Patil's eyes dimmed, and his voice was low and hoarse, "Later, we followed his will, 'cremated' the body, and finally put it in a coffin for burial…"

Then there was no later.

Hearing this, Gu Shen probably understood.

Regardless of whether Mr. Zhuang was still alive or not.

At least back then, he hadn't died.

This "Neutralist" who silently dedicated himself to the S3 living area was ninety-nine percent a high-level mentalist. How could these newly awakened transcendents who hadn't even started cultivating be able to discern the truth in the "dream" of a high-level mentalist?

Mr. Zhuang left the S3 living area, that was the truth.

The clue wasn't broken.

If Mr. Zhuang wasn't dead, then no matter how powerful his "authority of the King of the Underworld" was, he definitely wouldn't be able to find useful information from the tombstone…

It didn't matter, Mr. Zhuang had lived within the S3 high wall. As long as he was alive, he would definitely leave something behind.

If he continued to investigate, there was still hope of finding the truth.

"Rest in peace."

Gu Shen also said in a deep voice, "Mr. Zhuang is a great man. Can you take me to see his 'former residence'?"

"This…"

Patil looked at Vias.

He hesitated for a moment, took a deep breath, and asked seriously, "I can, but you have to tell me why you're so interested in 'Mr. Zhuang's' affairs?"

For the S3 living area, Mr. Zhuang was their savior.

As for Gu Shen.

Currently, Gu Shen was still just an outsider.

Even with "Vias" vouching for him, they couldn't completely trust this outsider.

"Why am I interested in Mr. Zhuang's affairs?"

Gu Shen smiled and said, "If I said it was purely 'respect,' would you believe it?"

Patil shook his head.

A person with a pure heart wouldn't survive a week in the Sangzhou Grotto.

Living within the high wall meant thinking the worst of people. In these three years, there had been incidents of "high wall collapse," not because of the attack of transcendent creatures, but because they had mistakenly trusted "extremists."

"I suspect 'Mr. Zhuang' isn't dead. I want to try and see if I can find him."

After Gu Shen spoke, Patil's whole body was struck by lightning, and he stood there in a daze.

Mr. Zhuang isn't dead?

"Of course, I want to find him just to meet the legendary 'Neutralist'." Gu Shen said calmly, "There's no need for me to lie about this… because with my strength, if I wanted to do something to you, I would have done it already."

"..."

Patil was speechless because Gu Shen was telling the truth.

Gu Shen, by himself.

Could completely crush the entire high wall.

In the S3 living area, there were also talented people, good fighters, but compared to Gu Shen, they were far too inferior.

This was a small and medium-sized area that had just entered the awakening era.

No resources, no guidance, no good breathing techniques…

Even if the environment was good, and the void was filled with a considerable amount of rich origin, it wouldn't be of much use.

What's more, the [Deep Sea]'s awakening experiment didn't care about the level of ability awakened by the transcendents. Many awakened mentalists, after three years of cultivation, could only achieve telekinesis, and could only retrieve stones about the size of a fist.

This kind of combat power was only slightly stronger than ordinary mortals.

But a high-level transcendent who had advanced to the fourth level, possessing a "domain," couldn't be defeated by these crooked gourds relying on numbers.

If Gu Shen was willing.

Then, taking out the [Snuff Bottle] he had plundered from the Poison Ghoul, he only needed to pour out the poison of the River Styx, and in less than half a day, all the transcendents in the entire S3 living area would be killed!

To put it nicely… they would all be sent to the Pure Land.

"Yes…"

Patil's voice was complicated, "You do have this strength."

The strong will win respect wherever they go.

"The entrance permission to the Sangzhou Grotto has been opened, and it won't be long before the strong from other continents will flood in. These three years of 'closure' have come to an end."

Gu Shen didn't hide the current situation.

He said to Patil, "In this joint operation, there are many transcendents who, like me, possess 'fourth level' strength and control a 'domain'… Not everyone is willing to show respect to the 'residents within the wall' like me."

Patil's eyes showed the past tragedies.

Although the Sangzhou Grotto was closed, and various living areas began to build high walls to resist transcendent creatures, these three years… were precisely the most comfortable three years he had spent. Guarding the night shift on the high wall, lighting the [Lantern], the bright radiance and hot candlelight would scare away those beasts.

More dangerous than beasts.

Were the "people" who weren't afraid of light and fire.

"You mean…"

Patil's voice trembled, "The Church… will also return?"

Gu Shen uttered two words: "Perhaps."

If the people in the high wall were unfamiliar, wary, distrustful, and unwilling to approach Gu Shen, an outsider…

Then for the Church, those "high-ranking people" who once dominated this place… all that remained in their hearts was fear.

On the surface, no one from the Southern Continent was participating in this Sangzhou Grotto mission.

But in reality.

The Southern Continent had already implanted "faith." They didn't need to participate; they were everywhere.

"Whoosh!"

Gu Shen waved his sleeve.

The images of the Four Divine Envoys, as well as the newly appointed Light-Blessed Child and Jia Wei, appeared in the rain.

"These are the opponents I will face."

Gu Shen said calmly, "This is also the reason why I am looking for the 'Neutralist'…"

He didn't hold back, using his mental power to simulate the spiritual pressure of these four people as much as possible.

Just looking at each other.

Patil's spiritual sea tightened to the extreme.

He swallowed.

Anyone in this mental image gave him a suffocating sense of oppression.

During the previous rest, Patil excitedly asked Vias about his transcendent realm because Mr. Zhuang had said that Vias was the most talented and powerful genius in the S3 living area.

Indeed.

Becoming a fourth level at the age of forty was already a miracle in the Sangzhou Grotto.

After learning that Vias was a fourth level, Patil excitedly asked about the difference between him and Gu Shen and others.

So Vias used his mental power to let this silly boy personally immerse himself in the battle scene of the top fourth level battle against the "Empress Birdwing Butterfly" in the F area.

Since then, the excited smile on Patil's face had completely disappeared… He originally thought that Vias's return was the key to the S3 living area's revival, but now he realized that this abandoned island could not catch up with the gap in this world no matter how many years passed.

It was too much of a difference.

Gu Shen, a person like him, actually had enemies.

In other words, any one of them could destroy the S3 living area with a single move.

"I can represent the Eastern Continent and make a promise that as long as the S3 living area is located within the Eastern Continent's garrison area, no one will force you to believe in any religion."

Gu Shen said calmly, "I have to engage in a 'competition' with these people, one that must be decided by victory or defeat. If I lose, the Eastern Continent will withdraw from the S3 living area, and this promise will be void. As for what they will do to you, I cannot guarantee…"

Vias leaned over to Patil's ear and whispered a few words.

He explained the identities of the Four Divine Envoys and the Blessed Child… Over the years, he had been stationed at the base and had a good understanding of the situation in the Five Continents.

If these "big shots" took over the living area.

Then the peace here would definitely be broken!

After a moment of silence.

Patil took a deep breath and said, "Mr. Gu, please come with me."

…

…

The three of them went crookedly to a small house.

This was Mr. Zhuang's house.

After the awakening experiment began, some "factories" in the Sangzhou Grotto were forced to stop operating. Fortunately, the locals had mastered the technology, but even so, it took a long time to barely resume operation.

In the beginning, the materials for building the high wall were very scarce.

Not to mention building beautiful buildings, that was simply wishful thinking.

So this house was very old, built with bricks and tiles, but the quality was not bad. In the past few years, the climate in Nankou was harsh and often changed, but it still stood firm and had not been damaged.

The black tiles on the eaves dripped strings of water droplets in the rain.

Gu Shen lit a blazing flame and slowly entered the house.

"Blazing Flame Vision" was activated.

He checked every item here, while performing the simplest mental profiling of this old house… Outside the house, Vias and Patil stood nervously.

They gradually recovered from the shock of "Mr. Zhuang being alive."

That's right.

After Gu Shen said that, Mr. Zhuang's death was indeed a bit strange.

Over the years, why was Mr. Zhuang the only active person in the S3 living area?

Even Vias had never seen other "Neutralists."

If "Neutralist" was an organization… then what was the real goal they pursued? Besides saving those in distress and fighting against the Storm Faith, there must be other things to do.

Perhaps this was the reason why Mr. Zhuang left.

In the house, Gu Shen's examination was very detailed.

Because three years had passed, and Patil and others cleaned the house very diligently, there were no genetic information such as hair and body fluids left here… Even with profiling, the shadows that could be seen were very faint.

In "Blazing Flame Vision."

A faint, thin figure was busy entering and exiting the house.

According to Patil… this house was only used for resting at the beginning. Most of the time, Mr. Zhuang would go out with them to build the high wall, so Gu Shen could see very few "shadows" in the house.

But soon Gu Shen found a noteworthy detail.

"Mr. Zhuang's" shadow would often sit in front of a table.

Gu Shen followed the trajectory of the profile and came to the table, observing carefully.

Mr. Zhuang's shadow turned on the light.

Then he took out a notebook, he was writing something…

Day after day.

This habit had not changed.

Until the day the profiling ended… Mr. Zhuang lit a fire in front of the table and burned the notebook…

Ashes flew.

The profiling ended.

Gu Shen silently watched all this, he reached out his hand, wanting to capture a corner of ash in the cracks of history… But unfortunately, no matter how accurate the profiling was, it was only a profiling after all.

Wanting to peek into the dust in the historical mist was something that profiling couldn't do. Perhaps only the "Empress" who "controls fate" could do such a thing.

Just when Gu Shen was about to give up.

A flash of inspiration appeared in his mind!

"Wait for me here."

After leaving a sentence to Vias, Gu Shen quickly left the old house.

Not long after, he brought back Adam.

Adam looked blank, was dragged over, and sat on the chair that Mr. Zhuang had once sat on for a long time.

"Look."

Gu Shen said calmly, "Use your eyes, look carefully, and carefully."

There was still half a sentence that he originally wanted to say, but he stopped.

"Say whatever you see!"

This sentence was purely superfluous for Adam.

That eye that could peek into "fate" would make him reveal all his feelings.

"I…"

Adam was originally a little dazed, but at the moment he sat at the table, his Eye of Fate pupils suddenly shrank.

He saw pages of turning books.

"New Calendar January 13, 610, rain, 'Child of Divine Grace' has not awakened."

"New Calendar January 14, 610, rain, 'Child of Divine Grace' has not awakened."

Page after page was filled with records.

"New Calendar November 7, 639, rain, the Storm Church began to withdraw, the amount of origin began to increase, the Federal Government should have chosen Sangzhou Grotto as an experimental site, because the 'Child of Divine Grace' has not awakened… the Neutralist decided to give up the withdrawal and prepare to welcome the closure of the Sangzhou Grotto."

"..."

"New Calendar November 9, 639, sunny."

"The Sangzhou Grotto was completely closed, in the S3 living area of Nankou, a large number of civilians began to mutate, [Deep Sea] cut off the spiritual link, and my last contact with the 'organization' was cut off."

"The most important information was not transmitted."

"Child of Divine Grace shows signs of awakening."

…

…

(ps: This chapter took a long time to revise, so it was a bit late.)