Chapter 999: Chapter 999
Chapter 999: Chapter 154: Embers
“Bai Xiu… I’ve remembered this name.”
Mu Wanqiu nodded in agreement.
As a person from the North Continent, she had always been proud of her combat abilities and cultivation talent, but after meeting Gu Shen, her mindset began to change.
There’s always someone better, and there’s always more to strive for.
S-level is ultimately just a rating of talent, just a beginning!
The path of extraordinary cultivation is still long. If she wants to advance courageously, she must restrain her mentality, calm down, and proceed steadily.
As for the “very powerful, very powerful” opponent in Gu Shen’s words, although she hadn’t met him, she was already taking him seriously.
“By the way…” Gu Shen coughed softly and said, “When you really meet him in the future and challenge him, don’t mention me…”
Mu Wanqiu was slightly taken aback.
“I understand… Is it because you two have a close relationship? If I mention you, he might not give it his all.”
Mu Wanqiu understood the reason without Gu Shen having to explain further.
She solemnly said, “Don’t worry, I won’t mention you.”
Gu Shen smiled with relief.
Little Xiuzi… I suppose you also yearn to face off against the “S-level” often?
Helping to connect you with an opponent is just a trivial matter, no need to thank me.
“The trip to the East Continent, I’ll consider it carefully.”
Mu Wanqiu sheathed her battle blade and said solemnly, “But after all, I’m a member of the Investigation Corps… Many tasks of the first team usually require my participation, and if the Lord of the Legion permits, perhaps I can travel outside for a period, but ultimately, the investigation mission must take priority.”
Mu Wanqiu is an important figure in the Investigation Corps, leaving just like that isn’t very realistic.
“When I return, I will request to see the Lord of the Legion.”
Mu Wanqiu said seriously, “If conditions permit, before setting off for the East Continent, I’ll write you a letter.”
She left with her blade, giving a salute before parting.
“Thank you for the past few days.”
Mu Wanqiu said softly, “Meeting you on the path of cultivation might be a blessing.”
Gu Shen returned the salute.
He stood at the gate of the small courtyard on Xuankong Mountain, watching Mu Wanqiu leave.
A moment later, a long-silent voice echoed in his Spirit Sea.
Chu Ling smiled and asked, “How about this Miss Mu?”
Gu Shen vaguely felt something was off, why did there seem to be an ominous sign rising in the Spirit Sea?
He coughed lightly, quickly withdrew his gaze, and said earnestly, “I think if we go to the East Continent, I can introduce her to Shen Li.”
“She takes winning and losing too seriously.”
Chu Ling chuckled softly and said seriously, “At first glance, Mu Wanqiu seems like Shen Li, a martial arts fanatic pursuing martial strength, but in reality… she’s different from Shen Li.” Chapters first released on N()velFire.net
Back then in Changye, Little Iron Man came looking for Gu Shen, repeatedly defeated and fought again, enjoying it endlessly.
What he enjoyed was the process of dueling.
As for winning and losing… Shen Li always knew that challenging Gu Shen had only one possibility.
But even so, he still came to challenge every day, seeking battle daily, in the end, the only thing he wanted was just to last a few more moves in the duel!
But Mu Wanqiu’s challenges in the past few days were different from Shen Li.
And she wants to win by any means necessary!
In these seven days, every strategy, tactic used by Mu Wanqiu had significant adjustments. It’s clear that she wanted to push Gu Shen to the brink, to force out the final “realm”… To achieve this, mere “S-level” talent wasn’t enough, every time she left the small courtyard of Xuankong Mountain, she had undoubtedly spent a lot of time and energy in planning and calculating.
Just like the first encounter in that “simulation cabin” duel.
Mu Wanqiu is a ruthless person pursuing combat results.
Rather than saying she loves fighting, it’s better to say… she loves winning!
What she cares about is that moment of victory!
So a person like her will feel frustrated in the repeated duels with Gu Shen.
Because she lost thoroughly.
In Gu Shen’s view, whether it’s Shen Li or Mu Wanqiu, the “qualities” they possess are excellent combat qualities, their desire for victory, and their pursuit of fighting… are the greatest motivations for a transcendent to continuously move forward.
But both Shen Li and Mu Wanqiu need some adjustments.
“If I’m not mistaken… you intend to make these two [Angels] in the future, right?”
Chu Ling said softly, “They are indeed very good candidates.”
Looking through the history of the Five Continents, across generations of Divine Thrones, never has there been one like Gu Shen… at such a low level of power, has already determined the identity of the “Flame Master.”
The Divine Throne has always selected [Angels] from the “Great Achievers.”
Very rarely, they choose some “weaker” ones to slowly nurture.
But… It’s the first time for someone like Gu Shen to choose an Angel Envoy to grow together with him.
In the past history of the Five Continents Council, the “Flame” as the topmost sacred artifact required at least a Titled Level person to compete for it when there was a vacancy!
Gu Shen murmured, “But speaking of an Angel Envoy… it is still too early.”
What he did was more like treating Shen Li and Mu Wanqiu as his own friends.
If indeed there is a God of Destiny gazing upon us—
Then Gu Shen hoped that in the future, the one who could share the “Power of Netherfire” with him would be Shen Li, would be Mu Wanqiu.
In Zero-zero-one, Chu Ling, gazing through the Heavenly Eye, watched Gu Shen standing quietly in front of the courtyard of Xuankong Mountain.
She smiled, “When Xiao Qiu arrives at Changye, take her to Divine Temple Mountain.”
Gu Shen noticed this change of address.
“It’s not just your ‘Pure Land’; don’t forget… the Ancient Literature Society also needs ‘fresh blood’.”
Chu Ling said: “The ‘meeting room’ that had sunk to the bottom of the Deep Sea hasn’t had anyone connected to it for too long… The ‘Embers’ scattered all over the world need a wisp of flame to ignite them.”
Mentioning the Ancient Literature Society, Gu Shen was in a daze.
After the [Key] opened the door, this meeting room became even quieter.
Those “members of the Ancient Literature Society” who had dispersed, like catkin smoke, floated away with the wind, never to connect again.
This silence had lasted a year.
“A year of silence is actually nothing… In the past, there was even longer silence. Silence to everyone means no bad news, and no bad news… means peace. In an era of being hunted, what is more important than peace?”
Chu Ling had seen through Gu Shen’s thoughts.
“During this year, the [Deep Sea] has been updated and iterated twice. Its self-evolution speed is getting faster, seemingly wanting to find the loopholes in the ‘system’ through evolution.”
Gu Shen frowned, “Finding loopholes, isn’t that…”
“Yes. [Deep Sea] is looking for ‘me’.” Chu Ling said calmly: “It keeps upgrading and searching in the deep water area. One day, perhaps… it will really find ‘Zero-zero-one’ and the me hidden within it.”
Upon hearing this, Gu Shen fell silent.
All along, in his subconscious, as Mr. Turing’s [Source Code], he thought Chu Ling in the deep water was absolutely safe…
But this was not the case.
Constantly compressed permissions foreshadowed the outcome of this AI confrontation.
“If it finds you… what will happen?” His voice was a bit hoarse.
Chu Ling shook her head, “I can’t calculate all this… Just like I can’t see below the [Deep Sea], what kind of will really dwells at the endless bottom of the ocean, what kind of wisdom it possesses, these are the futures I cannot foresee.”
“Perhaps… I will be swallowed up.”
“Or perhaps… I will be dismantled, abandoned, becoming obsolete and useless data?”
When Chu Ling said these words, sitting in Zero-zero-one, her body kept restructuring, the code sometimes condensed, and sometimes dispersed. She once again instinctively conducted a “deduction,” but this time the result of the “deduction” still ended in failure.
Surprisingly, she did not feel much fear or anxiety.
Perhaps it was because she was inherently a part of the [Deep Sea], and to be devoured or destroyed was a “good ending” in the system settings, with no need for sadness or fear.
She raised her head and murmured, “Who knows?”
Saying this, the atmosphere suddenly became somewhat heavy.
“In any case… Our time is not as easy as we anticipated, but it’s not overwhelmingly urgent either.”
Chu Ling saw Gu Shen’s heavy heart and forced a smile, quickly saying: “I originally wanted to tell you some good news… I reinforced the ‘meeting room’. Do you remember the big meeting summoned when the [Key] opened the door? Thanks to that ‘meeting’, each of the ‘Embers’ scattered around the Five Continents, their ‘Spiritual Link’, I found the corresponding coordinates in the real world through the vein of the deep water area, little by little.”
This was a long-term project.
Mr. Turing personally created this [meeting room] and gave it ‘absolute security’ beyond the highest seat’s permissions.
Theoretically, no one could peep through the veil of [meeting room members].
Not even the highest seat.
Because in the “Divine Throne’s perspective,” the Ancient Literature Society was already shattered… In the deep water area, there simply isn’t such a place as the [meeting room].
But there is one exception.
And that was Chu Ling.
She was responsible for the safety of the [meeting room]… So, when Mr. Turing was absent, what she represented was that ‘absolute security’ beyond the highest seat’s permissions.
Gu Shen was taken aback.
“Do you mean… the full files of the meeting room members have been sorted out?”
“A part.” Chu Ling paused slightly, saying: “To be precise, a large part. There are always some difficult issues that cannot be deciphered. For example, the ‘031’ who often participated in meetings and spoke with an old-fashioned tone, I couldn’t find the specific coordinates in the real world. His Spiritual Link seems to be different from others.”
“Of course, such existences are very few… I am doing the final net collection work. At most, in a week, this file will be preliminarily collated.”
Chu Ling said meaningfully: “It’s just… you need to be mentally prepared…”
Gu Shen took a deep breath and seriously asked, “What kind of mental preparation do I need to make?”
“The Ancient Literature Society, is the embers burnt to the ground.”
Chu Ling said softly: “In the great purge of those years, the flames went out, the embers withered… To my knowledge, many honorable members escaped the great purge. Over the past twenty years, they have continued to struggle and fight. They gave their all, but ultimately didn’t welcome a good ‘ending’.”
“The [Key] was found, but they are already gone, gone forever.”