Light Fortress
Chapter 200 - 187 End of the Tune

Chapter 200: Chapter 187 End of the Tune

The Bengxue Bullet shattered Zhou Yu’s forehead.

The Spiritual Link was severed—

The light of the Truth Ruler slowly dispersed, the mechanical sniper rifle deconstructed, transforming into a sky-full of flowing light, retracting into the sleeve of Gu Shen’s clothing.

He let out a long breath.

Due to forcibly leaving the Dream, Gu Shen’s head was still branded with the terrifying scene of a blood fire waterfall... but he knew it was all over now.

Zhou Yu was dead.

[Dissolving Dream] lifted.

The people who had stopped in the block slowly awakened, still unaware of any difference... for their time had all frozen at that moment, only some couldn’t help but rotate their necks, feeling a slight soreness in their limbs.

The slumbering Da Du was revived with a flicker of vitality and energy, and the people on the streets, like fireflies, resumed their movements.

Inside the auditorium, the music of the Lucerne Orchestra also gradually came to a stop, not just because the will of blood fire had dissipated... but because the symphony had reached its final note, the hero’s symphony had truly come to an end.

...

...

"The situation... is roughly like this."

Gu Shen briefly explained what happened in the Dream... of course, omitting the presence of Chu Ling.

Two Titled stood by the body of Zhou Yu.

On Jiangba Dam Bank, where a brief battle had erupted between two Titled powerhouses, they now silently gazed upon the body of Zhou Yu, a mix of gloom and sorrow in their eyes... The once prodigious Judge, ten years later, still looked youthful with his striking features, even in death, only his glabella was slightly faded.

With control over an ability like [Dissolving Dream], he was once considered the successor to the Grand Judge.

It was a pity... he left too early.

Zhou Yu lay on the grass, a breeze stirring his hair, which was fragile due to the Bengxue Bullet’s destruction of his body’s "logic," easily lifted by the wind.

Like the ashes of a burnout.

Similar to the cigar ash at the end of Zhou Jiren’s smoke.

It wouldn’t be long before he would completely "shatter"—

"Congrats, Shu... you’ve taken on an extraordinary student."

Gu Zhi’s complexion was somewhat pale, perhaps because his spirit had been ignited by blood fire during the frontal battle with Xiao... He now appeared somewhat listless, his voice lacking strength as he spoke.

But the congratulations were sincere.

"You’ve taken on an extraordinary student."

Gu Zhi looked at Gu Shen once again... When they met at Jiangba, he had not noticed anything special about this S-rank, and it was the same this time.

Gu Shen looked utterly ordinary.

But... that shot was far from ordinary.

Just from breaking free of Xiao’s "Spirit Control," it was enough to prove that the young man possessed a one in a million talent for Dream Interpretation... This alone warranted the "S-rank" grade.

In the crucial moment, daring to take a shot, and actually hitting the target!

This youngster really had quite the... courage.

Would his younger self dare to make that shot?

Gu Zhi felt a twinge of regret, saying, "It’s just a shame... Zhou Yu was just one of the many ’vessels’ he controlled. Xiao’s true self is hiding somewhere unknown."

"There’s nothing to regret."

Zhou Jiren flicked off some ash from his cigar, speaking softly, "This guy hiding behind the scenes... His true self is probably not even in East Continent. Killing this vessel means his plans in the Dadu District will suffer a huge blow."

A suitable vessel is not so easy to find.

"Have you ever felt... His actions are very much like..." Gu Zhi suddenly started to speak, then hesitated, as if wanting to say more.

"Choosing a Transcendent one admires to be one’s own ’spokesperson’... That’s what the holders of the spark, the Seven God Seals, do," Zhou Jiren spoke bluntly without any need for evasion, "but Xiao’s methods are too inferior. Unable to find followers who are truly devoted, he uses his own abilities to brainwash others, cultivating them to be ’Believers’ who are dead set on him."

"Their logic of behavior seems somewhat similar... But in reality, Xiao is a poor imitator."

"The Seven God Seals grant their power for the Angel Envoys to use, indifferent to reciprocation, while the Angel Envoys must repay with loyalty. Xiao, on the other hand, does the opposite; he chooses to wash their minds clean first, ensuring loyalty, then forcefully takes over their bodies and seizes their abilities."

Zhou Jiren said indifferently, "They may seem the same, but in fact, the two are worlds apart."

"One, is to share and bestow supreme strength, to enlarge others."

"The other, is to hollow out puppets, to empower oneself."

Indeed... Xiao is an extremist infatuated with the Old World, whereas the Seven God Seals are self-sacrificing pioneers illuminating the future. Whether in terms of vision or generosity of spirit, they stand poles apart.

Gu Zhi looked at Zhou Yu’s corpse and after a moment of silence asked, "What about the files?"

He had barely spoken.

A muffled sound came from above the tower.

"Boom!"

The ancient clock trembled chaotically as the Crow trapped inside finally regained consciousness.

Zhou Jiren glanced at the old clock and paid it no mind.

He raised his five fingers.

The [Holy Wood] surged from the ground, encircling the ancient clock to form a snug coffin, muffling the dull knocking, and also cutting off the exchange of sounds between the outside world and the airspace above the tower.

"I will submit Xiao’s ability profile to the council, and if there are no further serial incidents in Dadu District, then the mission of the special investigation team can be considered complete... As for the attack on the hall, it ended successfully with the execution of Zhou Yu," he said softly, hands in his suit pockets, "This is the full report."

"You know that’s not what I’m asking..." Gu Zhi frowned, and addressing Gu Shen directly, he spoke candidly, "The man was killed by this little guy... Your report essentially erases his credit."

"Just pretend you didn’t see it," Zhou Jiren said indifferently.

"Or, if you want the credit, I can also modify the report... [Shuang Chuan] Gu Zhi killed Zhou Yu, achieving great merit."

The old man suddenly fell silent.

Because he understood Zhou Jiren’s true intentions.

"Many people in this world follow a nonsensical logic called ’the weak determine the strong’... The strong show weakness, the weak show off strength. But who is truly strong, does that relate to what is outwardly shown?"

Zhou Jiren looked at Gu Shen, his cigar had not been properly enjoyed for a few puffs and was already completely burnt out.

After the sound of the gunshot, he had been thinking about how to handle the aftermath.

"Don’t care about others’ opinions of you... Become a true Transcendent first."

A bullet from the Deep Sea Third Layer that took away Titled Level Zhou Yu was nothing short of a divine miracle.

But having such a feat recorded in the files and reaching the ears of those in the council... would do Gu Shen no good; he’d be praised into a position not fit for his current status.

The more people blindly and fervently sang praises, the more people awaited his downfall.

"I understand that," Gu Shen said with a smile, "I am well aware of my own capabilities..."

As they spoke,

It seemed that a commotion was arising inside the hall—

In a low voice, someone exclaimed:

"Mrs. Lu!"

"Mrs. Lu, what’s wrong with you?"

...

...

(Not feeling well today, just one Chapter)