"The assignment you executed at Gu Castle... was actually arranged by me."
Amidst the snow, the Empress’s voice came through.
Gu Shen’s expression remained unchanged, as he said, "You must have been interested in me ever since the cemetery incident... The North Continent Army’s invitation to me was quite enthusiastic, and I was thinking about this on the way here. Since the legion commander resides in the castle, the person arranging the assignment could only be you."
He vaguely felt an approving glance being cast from across the snowy landscape.
It wasn’t hard to guess.
But Gu Shen was somewhat puzzled as to why Her Majesty the Empress would bother telling him all this... Though she dwells in seclusion, she is still the strategist controlling the entire chessboard of the North Continent.
Yet, thinking deeper at the moment, and combining the details of the labyrinth assignment with the Empress’s foresight-like ability,
Gu Shen felt a chill down his spine.
If all of this was arranged by Her Majesty the Empress... then had she foreseen what would happen over at the labyrinth?
The Investigation Corps’s labyrinth task, without his involvement, would certainly have ended in failure.
He suddenly understood what the Empress meant earlier by "arrangement."
Not only allowing him to accompany Yuan Yuan out on the assignment, but even inviting him to the North Continent... were all parts of the "arrangement."
"You are quite fortunate, Lin Lin’s report was well-written."
Softly, the Empress said, "But even without that report, you need not worry about anyone pursuing what happened beyond the border... The awarding of the First Class Medal serves to put a period on the labyrinth task."
This remark was a reassurance.
Now Gu Shen was somewhat curious... just how far and how wide could the Empress’s "eyes" see into the future?
Snowflakes swirled within the furnace.
He was still holding the "Goddess of Destiny’s Sanctuary," feeling the pendant’s cold, slippery touch, yet no danger alert...This indicated that everything in the Divine Domain was safe, but Gu Shen had a peculiar premonition.
This pendant might not be "working" at all.
"You should have noticed... I’m in a very bad state right now."
The Empress’s voice, weary, opened slowly, "Now the sealing object on the second floor of the castle has started to be dissolved by the ’furnace’, and if this situation continues, sooner or later... I will lose control of the ’furnace’."
Was it because it was supporting the entire Central City’s combustion?
Gu Shen’s expression was conflicted, cautiously asking, "Your Majesty, is this something I can hear?"
"Of course... Calling you here was precisely to say these things." The Empress laughed, "You can listen with peace of mind..."
Gu Shen really couldn’t... The North Continent has so many lords and generals, with the top battle powers spanning the entire Five Continents, yet when faced with such a predicament, Her Majesty the Empress did not summon Rusty Bone, White Lizard, or Silver Fox, nor even call upon her most devout Angel Envoy Aluer, instead summoning him, a weakly ranked, third-stage cultivating Eastern Continent Transcendent.
How could Gu Shen truly be at ease?
To be honest, he’s still worried that his "Netherworld King" identity has already been seen through.
"Recently, the North Continent successfully conquered the ’Duolu River Disaster Realm’..." The Empress spoke again, her tone meaningful, "You should have heard about this, right?"
Within the Divine Domain, when the Empress asked, Gu Shen could only answer.
No matter how much he thought, it was useless.
He replied honestly, "Yes."
In fact, putting aside those concerns, Gu Shen was also very curious himself... The Empress should rank among the top three highest Divine Thrones of the Seven Gods, her power so formidable, how did it come to such a self-imposed seclusion in the attic?
Judging by the current situation.
The Empress has fallen into a dilemma, where if she leaves the attic, the power of the "furnace" will gradually slip from control, and once Central City loses its main energy source... disaster will descend, and Gu Shen could imagine the horrifying scene of suspended skyscrapers crashing down. Without the "furnace," without a doubt, this city, which has finally revived its grandeur, will plunge into the abyss, turning back into "Eternal Winter City."
"The conquest of the Duolu River Disaster Realm... wasn’t that simple."
The Empress said, "Currently, the ’furnace’ is unstable, because most of my spiritual power was expended on the Duolu River Disaster Realm task."
Gu Shen’s pupils contracted.
This was the real secret hidden behind the scenes!
The North Continent’s publicly released news was that the Investigation Corps and the Third Legion fought together, with Purple Rain in the rear and White Lizard on the front lines, the elites of both legions successfully conquering the disaster.
The Empress hadn’t even appeared.
But in reality... The Empress not only contributed but also consumed a large amount of spirit!
"The Duolu River... what is it exactly?"
"It’s a ’spontaneously born place’ like the Moon City Disaster Realm, a super-large disaster realm, appearing out of nowhere, defying the understanding and exploration of disaster realms by the North Continent over the years."
The Empress candidly said, "Perhaps due to a significant increase in the inland source essence, causing this aberration. In recent years, frequent ’black spots,’ ’black holes,’ and corresponding ’disaster realms’ have emerged where the North Continent Giant Wall contacts the Old World. The most frightening thing is... Transcendents still retain impressions of disaster realms from decades ago."