Light Fortress Chapter 1709 - 377: Black Folding Knife

His might erupted with a single stomp, violently cracking the obsidian, icy pool.

Jagged black fragments flew outwards, accompanied by piercing shrieks.

The so-called "Disaster" seemed to stir, attempting to flee, but Gu Shen's expression turned grim. With a casual flick of his wrist, a torrent of blazing fire engulfed the entire dark calamity!

Tear it asunder once more!

The low-grade disaster born from the Netherworld Fire was annihilated...

Gu Shen slowly stepped into the genuine memories of Liu Quan from that fateful day, perceiving the true "scenes" of that night.

It was indeed a rain-drenched night.

The town where Liu Quan resided faced the Qing River, nestled against the mountains. The young man ventured into the peaks late at night and stumbled upon a staggering figure.

The [Black Folding Knife] was passed from the mysterious man.

Liu Quan accepted it with a bewildered gaze, then a flash of lightning illuminated the sky, and Liu Quan spun around in a stupor. This moment signified his spirit being purified by the [Folding Knife]...

This was the authentic recollection.

The [Folding Knife] had been bestowed upon Liu Quan by someone.

Within the fractured, dark recollections, Gu Shen could not clearly discern the man's face, yet he noted several key details.

This unsteady man was clad in garments bearing dozens, perhaps hundreds, of tears.

He was thoroughly drenched in blood.

It appeared he wouldn't survive much longer.

"Coordinates: Qinghe District, Frost Iron Mountain."

Chu Ling stood by Gu Shen's side, observing the somber visions within Liu Quan's memory. From these mere glimpses, she precisely identified the location in the real world.

"Frost Iron Mountain."

Gu Shen recalled it vividly; he hailed from Qinghe Five Elders Mountain, a place where an extensive mountain range was vigilantly guarded by the [Deep Sea].

Frost Iron Mountain was situated within this very range.

...

...

Upon withdrawing from Liu Quan's Spirit Sea, Gu Shen fell into deep contemplation.

He had never anticipated.

That this "spiritual examination" would yield such crucial intelligence.

The calamity residing within the [Black Folding Knife] shared an identical genesis with the Netherworld Fire.

And the source of the [Black Folding Knife] was located in his homeland!

Could this be mere chance?

Gu Shen felt it was far from it.

Liu Quan was still immersed in experiencing the "Awakening" Dream, with several more hours required before he roused. Gu Shen rose and observed Xie Zheng in the distance, diligently working with the "Sky Shattering Hammer."

His emotions were intricate.

In the past, when confronted with perplexing circumstances, his usual recourse was to dismiss them with a simple phrase.

"It's the result of Divination."

But now, it was his turn to be caught in the maelstrom.

If all of this wasn't unintentional, then it was the machinations of fate... or rather, an unseen hand manipulating destiny, having ensnared him within this vortex from the start.

Had the timing been sooner, he might not have encountered these "coincidences."

Liu Quan continued his earnest cultivation.

Xie Zheng toiled alone in the desolate, remote Tundra, forging artifacts.

Yet now, Qinghe District was veiled in an ethereal mist, clearly... this fog had been deliberately set in place long ago, awaiting his discovery in the present.

Gu Shen stepped outside the dojo, exhaling a deep breath.

"Sir, your demeanor suggests considerable unease?"

A voice message preceded his arrival.

Inside the dojo, Liu Quan remained in the process of realizing his Awakening.

Xie Zheng, having finished refining and mending several sealing artifacts within the designated Silent Barrier, swiftly approached Gu Shen.

"It is nothing of consequence."

Gu Shen waved his hand, brushing aside the concern.

A sudden recollection prompted him to retrieve a pendant, snapped in two, and inquire, "Is it possible to repair an item like this?"

Xu Fang generously offered the fractured half of the cross pendant.

At this juncture, the [Goddess of Destiny’s Sanctuary] appeared complete.

But...

This particular sealing item lacked any self-repairing capabilities, nor would it instantly reform by locating and rejoining its missing sections.

Gu Shen had initially planned a journey to the North Continent.

These two destiny-bound sealing items were essentially "gifts" from Her Majesty the Empress; perhaps the Empress possessed methods for its "restoration."

Having discovered the complementary piece, it also served as a gesture of gratitude.

Should the Empress behold the complete pendant and desire it, it would be a favorable outcome.

Gu Shen no longer placed significant reliance on these two destiny-infused sealing artifacts.

"This item... heavens..."

Upon observing the pendant fractured into two segments, Xie Zheng gasped audibly, "This sealing artifact is no ordinary object!"

He practiced the Divination Skill, sensing the potent Power of Destiny.

These two sealing items, though appearing plain, harbored a surging force of destiny—

So overwhelming that Xie Zheng's scalp tingled.

He lifted his head, directing a complex gaze toward Gu Shen.

Undeniably the most formidable support in Changye.

Sealing artifacts intertwined with destiny; to merely glimpse them, let alone possess them, was beyond anything Xie Zheng had ever encountered!

The principles within the 'Forging Inheritance' that Xie Zheng carried clearly elucidated that the power of destiny was an elusive and unattainable force of nothingness.

Any endeavor to grasp it would invariably demand a steep price.

To imbue it into a sealing artifact seemed akin to a miraculous, divine feat beyond comprehension.

"If restoration proves impossible, that is perfectly acceptable,"

Gu Shen declared, his hand closing around the [Goddess of Destiny's Sanctuary] as he retracted it.

"Wait, sir... kindly grant me one more moment to examine it,"

Xie Zheng urgently pleaded, carefully accepting the two fractured pendants.

It was abundantly clear that the pendant had been sundered for an immense duration; the break lines exhibited distinct signs of 'aging' from exposure. Yet, now reunited, they fused together as if they had never been separated.

The union was not merely visually seamless.

It was genuinely restored to its pristine state.

The uneven nature of the fractures implied that, over the countless years, not a single fragment had detached from the broken edges.

What extraordinary fortitude must it possess?

"Well? What do you ascertain?" Gu Shen inquired after a significant pause.

"Perhaps... its repair is indeed achievable."

Xie Zheng studied the artifact intently before remarking with disbelief, "If I were tasked with forging such an item, even over a hundred—or a million—years, it would remain an impossibility... without so much as a hairline crack, I could never complete such a repair."

Nevertheless, these two shattered pieces had converged into an unbroken 'whole'.

The very existence of the pendant was itself a testament to divine intervention.

Given these peculiar circumstances, the possibility of repair seemed almost a logical conclusion.

Gu Shen then posed the question, "Regarding the repair... how long would such a process necessitate?"

"Swiftly. Approximately one week's time."

Xie Zheng stated with profound solemnity, "A maximum of one week, during which I shall harness a portion of the 'Power of Destiny' to serve as the 'bonding agent'... following this week, the pendant will be fully restored."

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(Another Chapter is slated for tonight! If you choose not to stay awake, there’s no need to wait up!)