Light Fortress Chapter 1994 - 47: Gu Shen’s Arrangement

Has it rebooted just like that?

"Hoo..."

Zhou Jiren sat up silently. He originally thought this exploration beyond the frontier would go smoothly, but he didn’t expect the reboot to happen so abruptly.

And judging by the final burst of fire, it seems this was a "reboot" initiated by Gu Shen?

Zhou Jiren took a deep breath, eyeing the extra newspaper in front of him...

The newspaper detailed the fire incident in the suburbs of Da Teng City that occurred last night.

According to the inertia of the "world track," after the reboot, he would maintain the action he was performing a second before, and at this moment, he should habitually close the newspaper.

But this time, the "world track" had changed.

Just as Zhou Jiren was about to close the newspaper, a sweet metallic taste surged from his throat.

"Cough, cough!"

He couldn’t suppress his muffled cough. Although he covered his mouth with his hand just in time, some blood still splattered onto the newspaper.

Zhou Jiren stared hard at the crimson hue on the newspaper, his face somewhat pale.

What’s going on?

Is it because there have been too many reboots?

Isn’t it that with each reboot, the state of one’s body is reset?

A wave of dizziness washed over his mind.

Just then, the communicator beeped.

"Teacher, it’s me."

The call was from Luo Er, who sensed something unusual in the sound from the other end of the communicator: "Are you... alright?"

"... It’s nothing."

Zhou Jiren’s voice was hoarse, and he silently took out a handkerchief to wipe the blood clean, then neatly folded the newspaper and set it aside at the corner of the car window.

"Did little junior brother trigger the Blazing Fire?"

After a moment’s silence, Luo Er said, "This reboot was initiated by him."

"... Hmm."

Zhou Jiren leaned against the back of the carriage seat, also somewhat puzzled.

The airship had been attacked, clearly indicating that the negotiations with the traveler Gu Shen were unsuccessful...

But before the "reboot," they had already seen the figure of the Rust Bone, suggesting that the previous journey hadn’t reached its "end."

Silence fell on both sides of the communicator.

Luo Er hesitated for a moment, then bit her lip and said, "Zhong Wei’s condition is very bad."

Zhou Jiren was stunned.

"Perhaps because he was attacked by the Source Material Storm at Gu Castle, his spirit shows signs of collapsing..."

Luo Er had already guessed the reason behind Gu Shen’s actions.

She said quietly, "The ’damage’ from rebooting acts directly on the spirit. Little junior brother actively ended the previous ’exploration’ to prevent us from suffering psychological harm."

"Teacher, we’ve rebooted 140 times now."

Luo Er paused for a moment.

Her voice sounded hoarse: "Have you felt... any mental discomfort?"

"..."

Zhou Jiren silently looked at the pile of newspapers he had set aside in the corner.

"What I mean is..."

Luo Er said heavily, "The number of reboots we have left is probably not many."

...

...

After hanging up from the call with the teacher, Luo Er looked worriedly at the man sleeping fitfully beside her.

Zhong Wei’s expression was extremely pale, his spirit like a candle that could extinguish at any moment.

Several hypnosis calmatives had been applied.

Only then did the signs of Zhong Wei’s "mental collapse" gradually improve.

The communicator rang again.

This time it wasn’t the teacher calling, but Nan Jin.

"Hello..."

Luo Er answered the call, and a familiar youthful voice came through.

"Senior sister, it’s me, Gu Shen."

Gu Shen was in the hospital room, stretching his body. The self-inflicted reboot by triggering the Blazing Fire had caused him some psychological harm, but it was still within tolerable limits.

After this reboot,

the Blazing Fire had grown stronger again.

Clearly, this spiritual world could not prevent the "Blazing Fire" from permeating; his strength was recovering.

Gu Shen glanced at Lu Nanjin, who was put to sleep by Blazing Fire Hypnosis on the hospital bed, and frankly stated, "I actively ended the last exploration and initiated a new round of rebooting."

Luo Er didn’t expect Gu Shen to wake up so quickly. She was preparing to question him in person about this matter.

"During the last reboot, some ’unexpected situations’ occurred."

Gu Shen slowly began, sharing the negotiations with the traveler and the results of the ancient text comprehension with the Skytop senior sister.

Luo Er listened silently, her expression unchanged.

Gu Shen’s reason for actively initiating the reboot aligned with her assumptions, to ensure the safety of everyone on the airship.

"If the ’deciphering’ fails, we will eventually face the next reboot sooner or later."

Luo Er said helplessly, "Why are you in such a hurry?"

Gu Shen lowered his gaze, suddenly asking, "If I’m not mistaken, Zhong Wei senior brother’s condition is very bad, right?"

Luo Er suddenly didn’t know how to respond.

Gu Shen began to speak slowly about encountering the Origin Will.

Luo Er’s expression visibly changed.

Could such a thing as the Origin Will truly exist?

"The teacher’s condition must be very bad too..."

Among the trio, Zhong Wei was the weakest in strength, and the teacher was too old.

In these countless reboots, their spirits had already borne too much "weight."

"This time, I won’t meet up with you all, I’ve entrusted the Rust Bone General to take care of you."

Gu Shen said, "Furthermore, to protect the teacher and senior brother... I have a rather impolite request and need to trouble you."

...

...

Zhou Jiren hurriedly rushed to the rooftop, carrying a briefcase. This place had become the meeting point for the few mentors and disciples after each reboot.

After several consecutive reboots, everyone would gather here.

But this time, the rooftop was somewhat deserted.

Only one person stood on the rooftop.

"Luo Er?"

Zhou Jiren looked at his disciple in surprise. After this reboot, he couldn’t get in touch with Gu Shen...because Nan Jin’s communicator was directly cut off, obviously hypnotized by Gu Shen using Blazing Fire Hypnosis.

Zhong Wei was also not on the rooftop.

"Teacher."

Luo Er looked at his teacher and spoke seriously: "Rest well for a while."

Swish, swish, swish.

Countless strands of hair rose from the ground, like a waterfall reversing its flow, forming a cocoon. Zhou Jiren instinctively wanted to resist, but Luo Er’s voice directly penetrated into his heart lake.

She spoke with remorse, softly saying: "During this ’reboot,’ just like Zhong Wei...have a good sleep."

For a disciple to act against the teacher is a great disrespect.

But Luo Er had already made her choice...

Zhou Jiren’s [Holy Wood] did not have time to be summoned before it was invaded by the strands of hair, and the world before him suddenly turned dark, one eye after another opened and swirled.

A moment later, the strands of hair gathered in the wind, completely returning to entwine around Luo Er’s fingertips.

The large cocoon dissipated.

Zhou Jiren had already been "hypnotized."

Looking at her teacher, who had fallen asleep, Luo Er showed a complex expression on her face... She took out a communicator and said in a low voice: "Little junior brother, I’ve already taken care of both the teacher and senior brother."

...

...

At this moment, Gu Shen hadn’t left the hospital for long.

He looked up.

"Rumbleeee!"

A helicopter from the prison passed over the skytop, the rotor blades whipping up a howling wind. Gu Shen had altered the predetermined world trajectory; he left the ward ahead of time, equivalent to standing up Qinghe Judge. Without Zhou Jiren stepping in, the prison and the Security Committee would initiate an arrest on this "fire case witness"...

Actually, this incident had happened several times, but previously Gu Shen moved so fast that the prison and the Security Committee had not started acting before he had already arrived at North Continent and met with Rust Bone.

By the time they began searching Da Teng City, Gu Shen and his group had already left the frontier, reaching the [Old World].

But this time was different.

Gu Shen did not plan to leave the Five Continents immediately.

He intended to stay here for a while...to meet some people, do some things, and verify some conjectures.

Gu Shen first went to an underground tavern near Da Teng City.

Years ago, Zhou Jiren found Bai Shu here and persuaded Bai Shu to come to the surface, existing as his "shadow."

The tavern was desolate, with almost no customers.

Not to mention someone like Gu Shen, a "minor," watching this young person step into the underground tavern, Bai Shu, then full of stubble, frowned and was about to tell him to get lost.

"Elder Bai Shu."

Gu Shen spoke first, sitting at the counter, he smiled and said: "Give me the time of one drink."

"Elder... Are we familiar?"

Bai Shu merely glanced at Gu Shen before looking away, speaking coldly: "Doesn’t matter if you’re from the three temples or sent by the Bai Family Ancestral Hall, I’d suggest you go back quickly... This is not a place for you to stay. Also, you’d better be wary of that old guy who told you my whereabouts, telling you about my existence, he definitely doesn’t have good intentions."

Gu Shen laughed.

Given Bai Shu’s strength, saying these words was not excessive.

Comprehending Great Success [Reverse Flow], touching the origin power, a peerless genius, even after wasting twenty years, still undefeated below Titled rank and the first below Divine Throne.

"In some sense, we are indeed quite familiar."

"As for that old guy you’re speaking of, he indeed isn’t anything good."

Gu Shen picked up a bottle of red wine from the counter, his fingertips brushed against the neck, neatly cutting it open, the severed cork slowly airborne, then freezing in place.

Bai Shu turned around.

The domain activated.

Everything in the tavern fell into "stasis," yet Gu Shen was not affected at all; he continued pouring himself a drink nonchalantly.

Bai Shu looked on in disbelief.

Because there were only two people in the tavern, his domain seemed as if it hadn’t activated at all...

And the "cork" suspended in mid-air proved his domain had indeed unfolded successfully.

"Alright, straight to the point."

Gu Shen spoke in a deep voice: "I’ll help you resurrect Li Rou, and you do something for me."

Starting off with a powerful offer.

With a thud.

The cork plunged quickly, then paused again.

Bai Shu instantly stood in front of Gu Shen, staring intently at the young man before him, "Who are you? Why should I trust you?"

Truly the Changye Invincible of yesteryear...

Gu Shen felt a sense of awe.

A smoldering firelight appeared between his brows, now the continually awakening Blazing Fire could temporarily counter Bai Shu’s [Reverse Flow], which was why he dared come to this underground tavern.

"I...consider myself one of your juniors."

Gu Shen’s words made Bai Shu pause in a moment’s bewilderment.

"We are still some time away from meeting."

He said sincerely: "Mr. Bai Shu, you may not believe me, but please believe in my ’fire’."

The blazing fire floated slowly in the air, transforming into ripples that spread out—

Gu Shen encoded and condensed the occurrences in the real world into a small cluster of flames.

Bai Shu could feel that there was no malice in this firelight.

He frowned, watching the images of the "original world trajectory" unfold.

The furrow in his brow gradually loosened.

His expression became dazed, perplexed, and uncertain.

"You..."

Bai Shu looked at Gu Shen, wanting to say countless words, but ultimately nothing came out.

Gu Shen smiled and said: "A somewhat bold request, I’d like you to take care of Zhou Jiren; unless someone of the Divine Throne level intervenes, your [Reverse Flow] can handle any disaster."

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