Chapter 469 The Book Tower

The Dragon Tomb Fire coiled and spread as the Legion Commander pushed open the secret door at the end of the second-floor閣樓 (gé lóu) and gestured for Gu Shen to enter.

Gu Shen nodded and stepped inside.

The door to the second floor of the閣樓 (gé lóu) closed.

Snowflakes swirled, but this time, there was no coldness in the Empress’s Divine Domain.

What came into view was a closed world resembling a “book tower.”

The Ice Throne was located in the very center of the book tower. Her Majesty the Empress was standing before a wall of books, hundreds of ancient texts flipping through the air. Figures at the God Seat level used their mental power to “read.” It only took a few minutes to finish a book. If one’s state of mind was strong enough, they could enter a multitasking “flow state,” reading several books at once.

Gu Shen was stunned.

The last time he was here, the second floor of the閣樓 (gé lóu) was filled with sealed objects and melting furnace arrays.

This time, it had changed.

Clearly, the injection of the “Traveler’s Tinder” allowed the Empress to be free from the 【Melting Furnace】. While upholding Central City, she could spare mental energy for a different kind of cultivation.

But this book tower was beyond Gu Shen’s expectations.

The moment he saw these “ancient books,” he thought of the “blessed opportunity” he had missed.

At the bottom of Red Lake in Guang Ming City, there was a world-famous “book tower”!

“You’ve arrived?”

The door opened, but the Empress didn’t turn around.

Her voice echoed in the Divine Domain, like a warm spring breeze, “…Sit.”

Gu Shen looked around. There were no seats here. The only seat on the entire second floor of the閣樓 (gé lóu) was the empty throne.

Of course, he couldn’t sit there.

So Gu Shen just sat on the ground.

Wind and snow swirled around Gu Shen. He reached out a finger and gently touched the snowflakes. A slight resonance came from the 【Pure Land】 world in his mind.

This was the power of “Origin”!

According to Mr. Bai Shu, after advancing to the God Seat, one could come into contact with two types of Origin: the “Authority Origin” belonging to the Tinder, and the “Life Origin” belonging to one’s own abilities.

The ice and snow floating in the Divine Domain should be the Empress’s own awakened ability Origin.

The extreme cold the Empress used to kill the “Traveler” was somewhat similar to the “Intent of Silent Extinction” in Mr. Gu Changzhi’s last volume of breathing technique.

The 【Pure Land】 resonated with the Empress’s ability Origin.

Gu Shen’s mind also trembled.

“You knew I was coming.”

Gu Shen looked up and stared directly at the Empress. The woman who had been standing before the giant book wall reading ancient books appeared before Gu Shen in the next instant, about ten meters away.

Unexpectedly, the Empress didn’t choose to sit on her throne.

Like Gu Shen, she sat on the ground, facing each other.

This time.

Gu Shen finally saw the true face of Her Majesty. The wind and snow dissipated, revealing a stunning face frozen at the peak of her beauty. The Empress’s eyes and brows were extremely dignified. Even when smiling, she still inspired awe and reverence.

Sacred, solemn, inviolable.

“Of course.”

Lin Lei smiled slightly. “I knew you were coming a long time ago.”

Hundreds of ancient books flipped through the air, the pages rustling like branches falling from a canopy.

She had窥伺 (kuīsì) “fate.”

Theoretically, nothing that could happen in this閣樓 (gé lóu) could escape the Empress’s prediction and perception.

Gu Shen subconsciously straightened his back. He said solemnly, “Then you must know what I’m here to do…”

“You want to ask me how to kill Qinglong.”

The Empress said calmly, “Even though you’ve already asked Bai Shu the same question, you still haven’t given up.”

Gu Shen sighed.

As expected.

Even though he now stood at a very high position, he was still not enough compared to a great figure like the Empress.

Although his intention had been seen through, Gu Shen wasn’t discouraged.

He had already come, and he still had to ask what he needed to ask.

“As you said, that’s indeed why I’m here.”

Gu Shen said sincerely, “I want to know, is your answer the same as Mr. Bai Shu’s?”

The Empress shook her head.

“No.”

“Although Bai Shu and I are comrades, brothers-in-arms, after all, our Tinder abilities are different, and our own good fortune and opportunities are different… He is better at combat, while I am better at planning.”

Lin Lei said gently, “So what I see, he may not be able to see.”

Gu Shen was slightly nervous. “You… what did you see?”

The Empress slowly waved her sleeve.

Before her, a mental projection of the Golden Divine Domain of the Four Seasons Wilderness appeared. The images of Gu Shen and Bai Shu were prominently displayed within.

“Bai Shu has already transmitted your conversation in the cemetery to me mentally.”

The Empress comforted him, “Your idea is very interesting, so after that conversation, Bai Shu also began to think… If we can grasp a God Seat’s ‘weakness,’ is there really a chance to kill them?”

Gu Shen held his breath.

“Gu Shen, I can only tell you… you’re not the only one with this idea.”

The Empress raised her eyebrows and said, “Since God Seats can die, why can’t they be killed by mortals? According to Bai Shu, the safest situation is to have three God Seats enter the Sky Divine Domain and then forcibly suppress it with power to achieve a ‘complete kill.’ But Qinglong has lived for so long, and his 【Cloud Mirror】 monitors the entire Five Continents. Would he allow us to achieve this situation?”

Gu Shen shook his head.

Of course not.

The reason why Qinglong wasn’t in a hurry to catalyze the “Lord of Wine” was because the situation in the Five Continents was completely under his control.

“Many years ago, I was considering how to kill figures at the God Seat level…”

The Empress said unhurriedly, “After Bai Shu advanced, I thought I saw hope, so I began detailed and meticulous planning. If there were no accidents, the first target of the ‘hunt’ would be the Storm God Seat!”

Gu Shen knew about this!

Before the 【Ice Sea Relic】 surfaced, Lin Lei and Bai Shu were already preparing to act.

Among the Five Continents, the Storm God Seat’s strength was relatively weak.

The difficulty of hunting him was also the simplest!

But… in the end, nothing happened.

Gu Shen asked cautiously, “So, an accident happened in the middle?”

“Yes… but it’s not exactly an accident.”

The Empress smiled self-deprecatingly and said, “Someone reminded me and pointed out my mistake. In the end, I decided to shelve the initial ‘hunt’ plan.”

Someone reminded the Empress?

Although this sentence wasn’t specific.

But Gu Shen had already guessed who it was—

Who else could control the 【Ice Sea Relic】 and have the qualifications and ability to remind the Empress?

Turing!

Hearing this, Gu Shen couldn’t help but change the subject. “So that person is really still alive?”

The Empress glanced at Gu Shen.

She didn’t answer, but continued, “The hunting plan was only temporarily shelved and wasn’t completely abandoned… Later, I re-entered the ‘Ocean of Fate’ to start轮回 (lúnhuí) deduction, trying to find a better solution to this matter. In the end, I realized one thing: This hunting plan chose the wrong target. Killing ‘Storm’ isn’t as important as I thought.”

“Even if he dies, the Northern Continent won’t usher in true peace.”

“It’s like Gu Changzhi killing Di Jiu… the same.”

The Empress said softly, “If killing Storm doesn’t get us the Tinder, then what’s the point of killing him?”

Some things didn’t need to be said explicitly.

Gu Shen understood immediately.

He had seen the manifestation of the Sky God Seat in Qingzhong Cemetery, and the Wine Tinder that had finally become vacant was taken back by the Source Tower with incredible ease.

Looking at it now, Di Jiu’s death even seemed like a局 (jú) set up by Qinglong.

Kill a useless Lord of Wine.

Cultivate a new one.

So, how should we respond if such a scene is replayed after killing the Storm God Seat?

No solution.

The God War would consume a lot of the God Seat’s divine power. Qinglong would descend after the battle, and the ownership of this Storm Tinder would involve a new war.

Gu Shen asked, “So you also want to kill Qinglong?”

The speed of the wind and snow flowing suddenly accelerated. The two sat facing each other, and a strong killing intent flowed between the Empress’s brows.

Her voice also turned into a sharp blade at this moment.

“It’s necessary to kill Qinglong!”

“Besides Qinglong, there’s also Guang Ming Bi Lei of the Western Continent, and the Storm of the Southern Continent… All ‘God Seats’ who have lost their original intentions and may hinder the future of mankind must be eliminated and replaced!”

Each word was like a knife, each sound like thunder.

Gu Shen’s heart was shaken. The Empress wanted to kill not just one God Seat? But three?

“If there really is help from ‘that person’…”

Gu Shen said with emotion, “Then this plan becomes reasonable. Since he reminded you, it means he supports you. But with the three of you, it seems like you already have enough top combat power. Even killing Qinglong seems enough. It doesn’t seem like you need me.”

“Him? Top combat power?”

The Empress seemed to have heard a very interesting joke and shook her head. “You seem to have a big misunderstanding about him…”

Gu Shen was stunned.

Alan Turing, the greatest criminal wanted by 【Deep Sea】, marked as class.

According to this high-risk level division, this should be “God Seat level” combat power?

Moreover, Turing also mastered the Great Accomplishment Longevity Technique, divination, and prayer techniques… Basically, the ancient texts of the 【Old World】 were within his control.

“He’s not as powerful as you think. If he really had heaven-defying combat power, would he have been wiped out to the Old World back then and fled in a sorry state?”

Lin Lei said in a low voice, “If a God War really breaks out, his role won’t be as big as yours.”

“???”

Gu Shen’s expression was extraordinarily wonderful.

On the one hand, through Her Majesty the Empress’s conversation, he completely confirmed the news that Alan Turing was still alive.

On the other hand.

Turing’s strength was completely different from what he had expected!

“The greatness of some people lies here.”

The Empress extended two slender fingers and tapped her temples gently.

Wisdom.

“Of course, his greatness isn’t just in the knowledge he carries in his brain…”

Lin Lei said with a complicated tone, “I have to admit, he is indeed a very good person at surviving, and in this world, only living long is the true kingly way.”

(There’s more tonight! Asking for monthly votes at the end of the month!!)