Light Fortress Chapter 1706 - 376: Forging Inheritance

"Turing is still alive, and... within the Five Continents?"

This conjecture is truly shocking.

"Without evidence, it will always remain a guess."

Gu Shen put away the thoughts in his Heart Lake. He looked at Xie Zheng with a complicated expression and asked, "That man didn’t tell you his name?"

"He said he didn’t have a name."

Xie Zheng shook his head and said, "He also said if I really wanted to call him something, I should address him as teacher, so I did."

"I... want to see the place where you buried him."

Gu Shen said, "So many years have passed, can you still find it?"

Xie Zheng was taken aback and hurriedly laughed, "Of course, I frequently go to pay my respects. Without the teacher, I might have already died in a snowy night on the tundra."

"Wait..."

After speaking, he looked at Gu Shen, his expression a bit strange.

"Sir, you won’t want to go now, will you?"

"Yes, right now."

Gu Shen nodded and said, "Liu Quan has already entered meditation. I gave him a wisp of Chi Huo; it will take him at least half a day to wake up."

"Half a day... but the teacher’s tomb is on the tundra..."

Xie Zheng murmured, "Is there enough time?"

Gu Shen calmly waved his sleeve, and countless rays of iron scales and silver light flashed across the sky, transforming into a smooth long sword.

"Half a day is more than enough!"

With his current spirit and source quality strength, summoning [Truth] to hasten their journey, even traveling to a distant continent across the sea would only take one night.

Half a day is ample time for a round trip from Changye to the tundra.

"These iron scales..."

Xie Zheng’s eyes suddenly lit up, "Sir, do you have so much meteoric iron?"

Meteoric iron?

Gu Shen’s heart trembled.

The nameless iron excavated from the tundra tomb, which had been tested by the five families, could not be identified by anyone; it was known only to be incredibly hard and of peculiar quality.

Yet, Xie Zheng had called out its "name"!

Chu Ling immediately reported, "Meteoric iron... there is no such item recorded in the database."

Gu Shen quickly beckoned Xie Zheng onto the sword, then activated the Iron Throne, soaring upward, directly breaking through the barrier above the Dojo, and speeding northward into the changye skies.

The raging wind howled, and the cold assailed him.

Xie Zheng sat at the tip of the iron sword, unable to open his eyes against the wind. He marveled inwardly at the powerful spirit of this Mr. Gu whom he just worshipped. The speed of this sword flight must be many times faster than a source energy boat! At this speed, a half-day round trip to the tundra is absolutely sufficient!

Gu Shen’s voice echoed in Xie Zheng’s Heart Lake: "The existence of meteoric iron, was that also told to you by your teacher?"

"Yes."

Recalling the scenes from those years, Xie Zheng slowly said, "The teacher taught me to identify many strange and peculiar items back then, all of which were rare and strange materials. For more than a decade while I traveled in the tundra and Jiuning District, I haven’t encountered many... this is the first time I’ve seen so much ’meteoric iron’."

Turing.

It must be Turing!

Hearing this response, Gu Shen felt another confirmation in his heart...

Back then, the Late Bell Church had dug up a "living corpse" coffin in the Tundra Mountain.

The coffin had already been opened.

The owner of the coffin seemed to have left silently, leaving only a stone stele carved with ancient text and a coffin full of rare iron.

That stele was later stolen by Xiao, who studied it, and it turned out to be the genuine interpretation of the Longevity Technique!

As for the exotic iron in the coffin, it was exactly what Xie Zheng referred to as "meteoric iron"!

No matter how you look at it, it all matches... The sleeper in this mountain was a "Possessor of the Longevity Technique," reborn after death, who left behind these items!

Gu Shen equated the tomb owner directly with Turing.

Ian lived for nearly a hundred and twenty years and could only grasp the wedge of the true interpretation of the Longevity Technique. Achieving "resurrection" was simply not possible!

In this world, the only one who could master this most powerful forbidden ancient technique is just one person.

Allen Turing.

"Rumble——"

The Truth Iron Sword pierced the clouds and broke the sky, transforming into a silver light, rapidly shooting towards the north.

The Changye Territory is a crucial area of Jiangbei, with many source energy boats patrolling.

The beam of silver light, upon exiting the Snow Forbidden City, was instantly detected by the [Wind Eye]. However, Gu Shen swiftly employed his "Grand Judge" authority, verifying his identity with [Deep Sea]. This ensured a smooth and unimpeded passage, causing the energy source boats to withdraw and the Transcendent on duty to watch in awe.

This was the same individual who, during the Battle of Red Lake, had eliminated Jia Wei.

Gu Shen had already earned acclaim as the Transcendent closest to divinity on the East Continent.

Furthermore, a captured image of Gu Shen traversing Changye atop the Truth Sword Light quickly circulated throughout the Deep Water Area, garnering immense approval.

Approximately four hours later.

Gu Shen, guided by coordinates, reached the very snowfield where Xie Zheng had interred his "teacher." This location remained undisturbed year-round, consistently enveloped in snow and wind, so isolated that the reserve bases of the five great families were situated far from its confines.

It bears noting.

This site was not far from the "snow mountain" marking the tundra's easternmost boundary.

Within an hour's flight, one could reach the wild eastern expanse of the tundra, the very region where Gu Shen had previously procured the "array box."

"This is the place where I laid my teacher to rest," Xie Zheng stated.

Xie Zheng expelled a plume of warm air. He guided Gu Shen toward a humble stone tablet, one he had personally carved as a child during his two years of diligent study and cultivation under his teacher's tutelage. Despite the relentless march of time, the "Restoration Engraving" on the stone tablet remained perfectly preserved, utterly unmoved by the years.

Below ground, he had meticulously constructed a stone coffin, inscribing the "Eternal Peace Engraving" to ensure that no ambient spirit or source quality would disturb his teacher’s eternal slumber.

"Every year, I would journey here to pay my respects and bow."

"To confess without fear of your ridicule, I have shed many tears upon this very spot..."

Gu Shen's gaze lingered on the stone tablet for an extended period.

If his current suspicions held true, the situation would prove quite embarrassing.

It meant Xie Zheng had been revering an empty marker all this time.

Gu Shen felt disinclined to shatter Xie Zheng's deeply held sentiments.

However, observing the young man becoming increasingly overwhelmed as he recounted his story, Gu Shen quickly steered the conversation elsewhere: "Did you undertake all of this by yourself?"

"Yes, it was far from easy."

Xie Zheng tilted his head back, a self-deprecating smile gracing his lips. "My teacher imparted the skills of coffin-making to me; his craftsmanship was superb, though I could never quite measure up..."

As he spoke, an abrupt silence fell over him.

It was rather peculiar, after all, for someone to impart skills like forging inheritance to a disciple, yet also teach such an unusual and seemingly frivolous task as "making coffins"?

"I understand you shared a profound connection."

Gu Shen inquired, a complex emotion playing on his features. "However, perhaps the reality is not as straightforward as you perceive. Would you object if I were to open it?"

"???"

Xie Zheng stood stupefied for several seconds, a nascent suspicion of something amiss dawning upon him.

"No, it cannot be?"

After a considerable struggle with his own doubts, he clenched his jaw and declared, "Mr. Xiao Gu... this burden of 'betraying one's teacher' ought to fall upon my shoulders."

*Bang!*

The stone tablet was dislodged from its place, and as the snow billowed outwards, the stone coffin, buried deep within the snowfield, lay revealed beneath.

Upon its unveiling.

It was utterly empty.

"...What in the blazes!"

Xie Zheng experienced a disorienting wave of shock, unable to suppress a coarse curse, a common expletive from the Tundra District. Had he truly been weeping over an empty grave for all these years?

"Where did the person vanish to?"

He gazed blankly into the void of the coffin, his own mind mirroring its emptiness.

Yet, clarity soon dawned.

All the forging techniques he had learned were imparted by that very individual; if the man were not deceased, then prying open a coffin from within would be a simple feat!

Merely opening the coffin, resealing the stone tablet, restoring everything to its prior state.

It was evident that he had intended for me to believe he had passed away just like that.

"Consider the brighter side; a living person is always welcome news."

Gu Shen massaged his temples, a soft chuckle escaping his lips.

With his suspicions confirmed, a palpable sense of relief washed over him.

Gu Shen re-summoned his iron sword, gesturing for Xie Zheng to join him upon it.

"Your teacher is still among the living, and there's a high probability he is thriving."

Xie Zheng remained on the iron sword, his demeanor utterly numb.

He felt the biting tundra wind, and an equivalent chill settled deep within his heart.

Gu Shen placed a hand on the young man's shoulder, imparting words heavy with unspoken meaning.

"You are not the sole individual who has been deceived..."

...

...

(PS: My sincerest apologies for the delayed update; I am utterly spent today. Therefore, only one chapter is provided.)