"Many years ago, the lands where the Extraordinary Essence covered were known both as ’Disaster Realms’ and ’Wondrous Realms’. Because inside, there were not only dangers but also many powerful ’Sealed Items’ without an owner, as well as ’Strong Logic Mithril’ that had yet to be excavated."
"This has led to...once a ’Disaster Realm’ is born, many Transcendents would rush to explore it."
"The development of the Duolu River Disaster Realm and the Moon City Disaster Realm is quite similar. After the discovery of the Disaster Realm, the first batch of explorers entered and encountered catastrophes, which then initiated ’rescue missions’. However, the North Continent’s interest in ’Disaster Realm rescue’ is not very high."
The Empress slowly said, "Because the Transcendents entering the Disaster Realm come from all over the Five Continents. They reap benefits, and they also have to bear the risks, so when faced with crises, the first to offer ’rescue’ are the continental councils."
Most of the North Continent’s forces are focused on the Fortress Frontier. If military power had to be mobilized every time a Disaster Realm faced danger, they would someday die of their own ’selflessness’.
This is somewhat like a public task that the willing take on.
When a Disaster Realm is born, the message spreads across the deep water areas of the Five Continents, and every Transcendent can choose whether to act... The strength of the Outer Continent Transcendents should not be underestimated either, with many outstanding and powerful Transcendents capable of pacifying small to medium-sized Disaster Realms. As for large Disaster Realms, they would need to form teams to take action together.
Strong Logic Materials, Sealed Items, and some creations within Disaster Realms... are all enough to attract these powerhouses.
"But this time, the Duolu River Disaster Realm... is different from the situation in Moon City. This Super Large Disaster Realm, after its birth, was completely taken over and strictly sealed by the North Continent Army. Do you know why?"
Gu Shen slightly furrowed his brow, vaguely guessing something.
"Because...Spiritual Poison?"
Zhong Yuan, the captain of the Investigation Corps Second Team, told him that the poison of the golden spike flowers and the toxin of the Duolu River Disaster Realm came from the same source!
That guy’s strength is formidable, almost without an equal below the titled level!
But when Zhong Yuan mentioned the toxin of the Duolu River Disaster Realm...visibly, his face changed!
One can imagine...just how tragic the expedition of the Duolu River was.
"Correct." The Empress said faintly, "The surface of the Duolu River emits a decayed aura, and anyone who enters the Disaster Realm will be infected by the ’River Poison’. There is practically no antidote for this poison... The North Continent Army immediately detected the anomaly and took over, luckily, all the Transcendents who first entered the Disaster Realm had already died, so the River Poison did not spread externally."
As Gu Shen listened to this news, his expression was complex.
In such a situation... a total wipeout is actually good news.
He felt somewhat confused inside.
Was the ’Spiritual Poison’ of the Duolu River Disaster Realm also cast by the Netherworld King?
Being chosen by the ’Netherworld King’s Spark’, Gu Shen realized this was not a good thing.
Because he inherited an unprecedentedly colossal mess...he gradually discovered one after another of the previous Netherworld King’s schemes, as if the former was a madman, and currently, these setups seem to serve only one purpose.
To bring a great deal of ominousness upon himself.
If the river poison of the Duolu River Disaster Realm spreads... Gu Shen felt that these killings would most likely be held accountable on his head.
He sighed softly, his demeanor somber.
But this doesn’t really seem unusual.
"The battle in the Duolu River was extremely fierce; the ’chaotic dark spots’ within this Super Large Disaster Realm multiplied, and to annihilate them, one must delve deep within. The main forces of the Northern Investigation Corps and the Third Legion were mostly infected by the ’River Poison’..." The Empress’s voice was weary, "The terrifying aspect of the Duolu River Poison is that it does not immediately trigger upon infection but instead adds a Spiritual Imprint, marking it, lying dormant, so no one knows when this trace of spirit will erupt."
As Gu Shen heard this, his face changed slightly.
Doesn’t this somewhat resemble his method of extracting souls in the ’Pure Land’?
He could now confirm...
It is highly likely that this was a technique left behind by the ’previous Netherworld King’.
"Most importantly, I sensed the aura of the ’Divine Throne’ within the Duolu River Disaster Realm."
The Empress raised her palm, and the essence swirling around the Frost Throne gradually approached her palm.
Part of the scenery of the Duolu River Disaster Realm was reflected, recreated within the Divine Domain.
A mighty river was almost frozen by snow and ice, yet even beneath the frost, black mists continued to swirl.
On both banks of the river were shattered snow-capped mountains.
"To erase the Spiritual Imprint of the Duolu River, I expended considerable spirit, ensuring that every Transcendent leaving the Disaster Realm was rid of the ’mark’." The Empress spoke slowly, "Due to unspeakable reasons, I can only support the Melting Furnace from the second floor of the ancient castle... After this incident, my mental state worsened, and thus this matter has turned into what you see now."
He dared not utter a word.
If the Empress knew that the toxin of the Duolu River Disaster Realm was cast by the Netherworld King, and he was the heir of this generation’s Netherworld King’s Spark...
The scene was too beautiful to imagine.
"At present...it appears that the entrance to the Duolu River Disaster Realm is a [Door], providing us with this standalone passage to the Duolu River. Yet, after clearing the chaotic dark spots inside the Duolu River, no second [Door] was found at the end of the Disaster Realm."
Gu Shen slightly raised his brows: "Second [Door]?"
"In a separately sealed Disaster Realm space, where there is a first [Door], there must be a second [Door]... This is the known iron law; where there’s an entrance, there must be an exit."
The Empress’s expression was grave.
"But... your room doesn’t have one." Gu Shen turned back to look at the large red door behind him, closed by the commander.
With only one [Door].
This [Door] could both enter and exit.
"The Extraordinary Law cannot be perceived using the common logic of the real world. For example, Extraordinary Essence requires a medium to surge through the void." The Empress extended her fingers, drawing them slowly, "If the Duolu River Disaster Realm only had one [Door], then the North Continent would be the only support point providing it energy, which is unreasonable..."
The North Continent doesn’t have that much free-floating essence!
Then the abundant chaotic essence filling the Duolu River could only have been absorbed from the [Old World].
Gu Shen murmured, "Another second [Door] is hidden within the Duolu River."
"Correct." The Empress said faintly, "I am preparing to restart the Duolu River mission, seeking out this hidden second [Door], finding the source that provides this Disaster Realm with a massive amount of essence..."
Hearing this, Gu Shen paused, and an extremely absurd thought surfaced in his mind: "Do you intend...to reverse plunder the essence resources from the other side of the [Door]?"
The burning of the Melting Furnace required a large amount of Extraordinary Essence.
And after clearing the chaotic dark spots, the Duolu River Disaster Realm had become very "safe".
If the second [Door] could be found...
The Empress amidst the ice and snow merely smiled.
"Gu Shen..." She didn’t answer Gu Shen’s question but instead asked, "For the upcoming restart of the Duolu River mission, do you wish to go?"
For Gu Shen, this wasn’t really a question needing much thought.
He would have already personally stepped into the Duolu River, searching for that damned ’source of the river poison’.
Once mental toxicity of such scale spreads, it would attract a tremendous amount of trouble to himself... But the Duolu River is a super large Disaster Realm strictly controlled by the North Continent Army, with no chance for outsiders to enter.
Yet the Empress herself had offered the olive branch.
Gu Shen couldn’t help but stop to ponder...
He raised his head, earnestly staring at the Empress.
Upon entering the Melting Furnace Divine Domain, Gu Shen maintained clarity throughout.
Apart from the identity of "messenger", it seemed he only had the "Heir to the Netherworld King" as his trump card of concern for the Empress.
From the previous conversation, the Empress had not seen through this trump card.
Then... do I even qualify?
To be personally invited by the Empress to participate in such a level of a mission!
(PS: Double monthly votes are requested! Another Chapter before 5:30 PM!)