Chapter 979: Chapter 979

Underground Research Institute.

As the name implies, it is a "research institute" hidden underground... However, Central City is a floating city, with numerous buildings suspended in the air, so to reach the "underground," one needs to take the exclusive "Earth Core Secret Stairs."

The airship stopped at a floating building.

After Gu Shen and Fisher verified their identities, they entered the secret stairs on the top floor... Although there was no sense of vibration inside, Gu Shen released his "spirit" and watched the rapid descent of the secret stairs from outside!

"First time seeing this thing?" Fisher asked with a smile.

"Yes, the technology of North Continent... always manages to surprise people." Gu Shen replied earnestly, "A ’secret stair’ nearly a thousand meters long, leading directly to the underground... this is no simple engineering feat."

Fisher’s response was quite intriguing: "Compared to Her Majesty the Empress’s ’Furnace’, these are nothing."

Gu Shen sighed, "That’s truly a ’divine miracle’!"

The banquet at the underground research institute tonight was quite elegantly arranged.

After all, the attendees were influential figures in North Continent... And this invitation was officially conducted in the form of a "banquet."

The nobles and generals, upon arrival, were guided by the attendants to take their seats.

"Teacher, he has arrived."

Amidst the crowd, Li Bing quickly spotted the figure he had been anxiously waiting for and hurriedly approached Duke Xiang Chen, leaning in to speak softly.

North Continent’s Four Dukes.

Zhu Xue, Xiang Chen, Zhen Yue, Duan Yang.

To be exact, there are only three dukes left now... The obituary issued by Light City not long ago announced that the hereditary title of the "Zhen Yue" line in North Continent had come to an end.

Duke Xiang Chen responded lightly.

He was of an advanced age, and due to his privileged lifestyle, his complexion appeared rosy, yet time spares no one, and a touch of white had appeared at his temples despite his well-maintained appearance.

"The invitation you sent three days ago?" Xiang Chen asked gently.

"Yes. I wrote that letter with utmost seriousness, totaling over a thousand words." Li Bing chuckled wryly and admitted, "But I’ve heard that as soon as Mr. Xiao Gu returned to Central City, he found a place for seclusion and cultivation, and I’m not sure whether he has read it or not..."

Xiang Chen shook his head and said, "Do you know how many people want to meet him?"

Li Bing sighed deeply.

How could he not know?

"It’s not that Mr. Xiao Gu is rude, but there are too many letters, and invitations come like clouds. Even if he sees them, how could he possibly reply to them all?"

Xiang Chen kindly instructed, "Consider this: if he were to easily agree to meet you, what about the others? Writing a letter of over a thousand words, what’s so difficult about that?"

Li Bing nodded quickly.

Helplessly, he said, "Actually, I have no choice, I truly wish to meet Mr. Xiao Gu, so in my letter... I also slightly mentioned your name."

Xiang Chen laughed and said, "You’re not foolish... you know how to leverage your backing."

Li Bing touched his nose.

"It’s just... Mr. Xiao Gu is from East Continent."

Duke Xiang Chen slowly said, "My title doesn’t carry much weight outside North Continent. But if you indeed wish to meet him, there’s no need for such complexity, you... just follow me."

Fisher had a complex expression as he raised both hands, carefully protecting his "fish tank," and squeezed through the crowded "throng," clearly, the crowd wasn’t aimed at him.

But rather, the person behind him.

Fisher sat down at his seat, letting out a sigh of relief.

"Why is Xiao Gu so ’popular’?" he said, looking at the crowd behind him as if he had seen a ghost.

Next to Fisher, Zhong Yuan raised his glass leisurely, slowly swirling it, as he watched the spectacle, "It’s simple... he is a powerful ’outsider.’"

"I understand the outsider part, but what do you mean by powerful?"

Fisher had anticipated that with Gu Shen entering the venue, many interested parties would stop him.

But he hadn’t expected this.

It wasn’t stopping... but surrounding.

"Huazhi Group has close cooperation and ties with all four continents," Zhong Yuan said calmly. "Mrs. Lu of Da Du is now the absolute controller of the group. After the legislative ideology conflict two years ago, the relations between many families in North Continent and Huazhi have become delicate... At such times, having a ’buffer’ is very much needed."

Fisher seemed to understand; he knew that Gu Shen and Mrs. Lu had a very good relationship. Huazhi had publicly declared their full support for Gu Shen’s development... It was precisely this support that allowed this S-class to quickly rise to fame in Changye and establish his footing.

"This is just one of the ’cards’ behind Gu Shen."

Zhong Yuan looked at the young man surrounded by the crowd and said meaningfully, "The Gu family, the Bai family, the newly appointed Battle God Throne, the divination skill inheritor, Qingzhong Cemetery Array Pattern Master... Every card this young man holds is worth the major families in North Continent engaging with him. And greeting, sending invitations, is the cheapest means, isn’t it?"

The nobility of North Continent, along with the Investigation Corps and other corps, adhere to two sets of rules.

Their battlefield is not on the frontier but between one floating building and another.

The Empress supports Central City, some fight bloodily, some bury their heads underground, and others weave a massive net of worldly matters... Without any one component of this world’s construct, it would no longer be perfect.

And the "worldly matters" most despised by top transcendents are precisely the ones held by Gu Shen.

And holding a large amount of it in hand.

"Alright, I admit it’s cliche, but it’s really effective."

Zhong Yuan shrugged and said, "To be honest, I came here tonight, not just to see the traveller, but also to watch this drama unfold... Don’t look at how Gu Shen is surrounded now. Among those pretending to be enthusiastic, most have already seen the obituary from Light City. How many of them genuinely want to be friends with Gu Shen?"

A cold and quiet voice sounded faintly.

"Even if they wanted to, they don’t deserve it."

Mu Wanqiu took small bites of her steak, expressionless, focusing on her own affairs without so much as glancing at the direction of the noisy crowd.

Those surrounding Gu Shen... They are pretty much the people she despises the most in the North Continent.

"You are the unfeeling, untainted by the clamor of the world ’Judge’, with eyes only for swords and fire."

Zhong Yuan jokingly said with a laugh, "If Gu Shen were like you, those old folks in Changye probably wouldn’t be so happy."

After finishing her meal, Mu Wanqiu wiped her lips with a napkin and silently looked towards a corner of the banquet. In that direction, she sensed an extremely piercing aura, her expression turning uncertain.

Zhong Yuan was still holding Fisher and watching the commotion.

"Huh... Duke Xiang Chen is here too?"

Most of those greeting Gu Shen were ordinary nobles of the North Continent, and a large portion of them wanted to use Gu Shen to get on good terms with Mrs. Lu of the Huazhi Group.

Their purpose was simple and straightforward.

The truly high-status "famous generals" in the North Continent didn’t make a move... because they had already met Gu Shen twice.

Gu Shen was steadily declining these invitations one by one.

He had become quite adept at dealing with such matters.

Being surrounded was not a problem; just walking "slowly" for a bit would suffice... He felt both helpless and amused. Two years ago, he was a "nobody" who couldn’t even receive a free dance invitation. Now, had he become this sought-after?

Suddenly, the crowd burst into chatter, making way.

There was only one reason for clearing a path.

It was because the person coming had a more noble status than them.

Gu Shen raised his head and saw a tall and striking middle-aged man.

Gu Shen was quite surprised; logically speaking... this Duke shouldn’t appear at such an occasion.

Chu Ling’s voice sounded in the Spirit Sea.

"He’s here for that student of his." ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ novel fire.net

Gu Shen paused slightly and then noticed the young man beside Xiang Chen, who was clutching his sleeve, evidently a bit nervous.

Chu Ling pulled up the file, along with the letter from back then.

"Although this young man is stationed in Dongning City, the file shows he was born in the East Continent, and like you, he’s from ’Qinghe District’. Li Bing was sent to study in the North Continent from a young age and was noticed by Duke Xiang Chen, then dispatched to ’Dongning City’ on the eastern border of the Fortress, next to the Tundra. This time, he has completed his duty and returned to Central City to report."

Gu Shen knew that among the Four Dukes, besides Zhen Yue who fought at the Fortress and was known for his prowess, the other three stayed in Central City.

The hereditary title was just like that.

Zhu Xue now held great power in the North Continent, serving as the Empress’s "arm."

As for the other two, they held sinecures. Duke Duanyang, having performed great meritorious service in his early years, was now living idly in Central City, and Duke Xiang Chen was the same... Though it was said he rarely left his house, finding joy in reading and calligraphy—an ancient and traditional habit, usually reserved only for the Royal Family.

And Duke Xiang Chen’s students were spread throughout the North Continent; if he went out, it was to give lectures.

In the Empress’s youth, this Duke accompanied her in her studies, teaching the young Majesty to read, comprehend principles.

Therefore, Duke Xiang Chen was "the most reputable" and "least contentious" among the Four Dukes.

Zhen Yue stationed at the border carried too much killing aura; Zhu Xue held great power, and these two had, due to their positions, either directly or indirectly offended numerous nobles.

While Duan Yang, focused on maintaining his titles, has not contributed any further to the North Continent over the years, thus giving an impression of "virtue not matching the title."

Holding a high position was just like that.

"This Duke Xiang Chen... with his students spread across the world, could nearly be considered a ’Saint’."

If not for spotting "Li Bing," Gu Shen truly couldn’t think of what this Duke would intentionally seek him out for.

Now, it was very clear.

It was to arrange a meeting between himself and his student.

"Mr. Xiao Gu, Master Qianye and I could be considered old acquaintances... I even have some ’ancient texts’ stored at home, which may aid you in understanding the Array Patterns of the Qingzhong Cemetery."

Xiang Chen slightly bowed, performing Changye’s salute, sincerely saying, "If Mr. Xiao Gu is available, why not find some time to visit my courtyard and chat?"

Mentioning "ancient texts," Gu Shen understood.

He quickly returned the salute, respectfully saying, "Even if Xiang Chen weren’t an old acquaintance of Mr. Qianye, I’d still have to meet you."

In this exchange, everyone spoke with utmost decorum.

Though Xiang Chen didn’t mention his student in a word.

In fact, they both understood.

When the time for the appointment comes, there will certainly be a third person present.