Chapter 1239: Withered tree

Noon.

Gu Qing Shan returned to his dwellings.

He was responsible for cooking once again and Li Qiu Yu was responsible for watching him from the side.

“One of our practical class teachers passed away”

Gu Qing Shan said as he diced some meat.

“Hm, I know that” Li Qiu Yu replied.

Gu Qing Shan glanced at her.

Li Qiu Yu shook her head: “I can’t tell you, it’s a rule”

“What rule?” Gu Qing Shan asked.

“If a certain Apocalypse hadn’t been fully understood, the detailed situation of those who die within it cannot be revealed” Li Qiu Yu replied.

Gu Qing Shan nodded, expressing his understanding.

A few moments later, the food was prepared.

Li Qiu Yu helped prepare the table.

The two of them sat down and had their meal.

“This is for you” Li Qiu Yu said.

Gu Qing Shan received it, only to see that it was an identification.

[Li Qiu Shan had completed his first spirit linking, now currently attempting to connect with the obtained inheritance to learn from it. Specified method: Sleeping]

[Herby confirmed by Li Qiu Yu]

Followed by her signature.

“What do I need this for?” Gu Qing Shan asked.

“A new practical combat class teacher has been selected, and you’ll join them this afternoon. You need to quickly complete your connection and obtain more from your Spirit Linked inheritance” Li Qiu Yu replied.

Gu Qing Shan understood and said: “So, you were afraid that I’d sleep in the middle of my practical combat class, then not believe that I’m actually trying to undergo spirit linking”

He gave the identification back to her and asked: “Can they prepare a nighttime environment?”

“You need a nighttime environment to attempt spirit linking?” Li Qiu Yu asked.

“Yes”

“That’s no issue, the Study Lodge has some worlds that had been destroyed by Apocalypses. There’s nothing inside, they’re only for students to experience what things are like—— as long as you have the courage to sleep there, you can”

She then added another line onto the identification: [Requires nighttime environment]

“Also, we have a mission soon, you need to quickly become stronger”

“Even a newcomer to the Wind Listeners like myself can participate in a mission?” Gu Qing Shan asked.

“A greenhouse flower will never be able to stand against the Apocalypse, not to mention your technique is able to destroy all defensive means; under certain circumstances, it can be extremely useful, which qualifies you to undertake missions” Li Qiu Yu replied.

Gu Qing Shan nodded.

——–the Wind Listeners were responsible for collecting all ‘Secrets’ and ‘Mysteries’, so he had actually been looking forward to the first mission.

Half-way through the meal, a piece of bone suddenly appeared in front of Li Qiu Yu.

Li Qiu Yu received the bone, carefully read its content, and turned to Gu Qing Shan.

“I won’t be back tonight”

“What’s the matter?” Gu Qing Shan asked.

Li Qiu Yu replied: “A special artifact had been reported on an island in the vicinity of the Western Sea Grotto. Anyone who prayed to it can summon flames that envelope and consume any person of their choosing”

“There are two possibilities for that artifact, firstly, it is a combative artifact with great power; secondly, it is the host of an Apocalypse”

“Then, you’re going on a mission?” Gu Qing Shan asked

Li Qiu Yu: “That’s right, I need to investigate and look into this Mystery, retrieve it if necessary, or destroy it if necessary. If I can’t handle it on my own, I’ll call for the Eliminators”

“I understand, be careful” Gu Qing Shan replied.

He suddenly felt like he was acting too casually, so he added: “I’ve only just learnt one Spirit Linked fist technique, when I participate in the mission, I wouldn’t be immediately killed off by some Apocalypse, will I?”

Li Qiu Yu leered at him and asked: “I’ll be right there and you’re still afraid?”

Gu Qing Shan sincerely replied: “I am”

…

When class started in the afternoon, all the students were led onto the sparring grounds.

The new practical combat class teacher was a veteran from the Eliminators, recognized by many students and admired by them all.

Everyone was a bit excited.

Combat.

Fighting using supernatural powers was something that everyone aspired to do.

The teacher gave out his orders.

“No need to attempt spirit linking today, all of you go to that side and pick out your own sparring opponents, I’ll be coming to judge your skills and level of spirit linking later”

“Anyone who had just begun to attempt spirit linking can head this way”

“You formed a spirit link with a weapon? Then go receive your foundational weapon scriptures and train”

“You, and you as well, since you’re both Bone Master apprentices, head to the Bone Tower, focus on your senses there”

While he was arranging the class, he saw a piece of paper being handed to him.

Gu Qing Shan.

He gave the identification Li Qiu Yu gave him to the practical class teacher.

The teacher looked at the identification, then at him, displaying a highly amused expression.

Li Chun Dao, Li Qiu Yu, Li Qiu Shan.

So this youngster is their brother.

But this spirit linking method is a bit unbelievable…

Although, this pair of brother and sister wouldn’t mess around with this matter.

After a while, the teacher reluctantly said: “Li Qiu Shan… follow me”

“Yes” Gu Qing Shan replied.

The teacher brought him all the way to the back of the Study Lodge.

This place was a narrow path surrounded by tall walls, with very few people who came and went, and no one at all near the end.

At the end of the path, on top of a fortified black wall, there were several solemnly locked doors.

“The second door on the left is a world currently in its nighttime; it had been thoroughly destroyed, but we’ve also cleaned up the Apocalypse as well, so it’s very safe”

“Then I’ll be sleeping inside”

The teacher thought for a bit, then continued: “During your spirit linking process, if you run into any issues you don’t understand, you can ask me when you wake up”

Gu Qing Shan bowed and said: “Thank you, teacher”

He took out a set of pillows and mattress from his bracelet, waited for the teacher to open the door, then went inside.

The door was closed behind him.

Gu Qing Shan looked around.

It was certainly nighttime in this world right now.

Everything had been destroyed.

No living beings could be seen.

The city looked like a destroyed gigantic robot that had already fallen to the ground, leaving only its tattered remains.

Although this situation might incite fear in others, Gu Qing Shan felt extremely peaceful here.

Because there wasn’t anything in this place, and nothing would occur.

He looked for a relatively empty area, then laid out his mattress and pillow on top of the metal ground.

“Alright, let me see exactly what this cloning technique is about”

He muttered, laid on the bed, then slowly closed his eyes.

A destroyed world.

Enveloped by the shroud of night.

Only a single young man was sleeping here.

10 minutes.

20 minutes.

Suddenly, Gu Qing Shan felt as if he was awake.

But he knew that he was still sleeping.

This was a miraculous sensation, almost indescribable by words.

While in this state, something else seemed to exist in this world.

It was something he couldn’t recognize while he was awake.

「 Save… me 」

A weak voice resounded from underground.

Gu Qing Shan was surprised.

I’m currently in another world, so why can I still hear that voice?

What exactly is that voice?

While he was wondering, his body began to descend.

Just like the previous time, he went directly through solid ground, passing countless bones and corpses, hard rock and underground minerals, lava, the world barrier, eventually leaving the nighttime world to appear at the School of Shan Hai’s underground, then continued to descend.

He continuously went down, and down, and down.

He kept descending—–

Gu Qing Shan recognized once again that he was currently in a soul state, otherwise he wouldn’t have been able to travel so deep underground.

The so-called [Night Cruiser] ability allows me to travel through any obstacle and manifest my body at any location.

However, during each dream, I can only manifest a single time.

Last time, I was unprepared so I didn’t understand what happened; this time, I will need to pick the right place to manifest.

While he was thinking, his surroundings became bright.

Desolate, barren earth.

The ground was filled with jagged rocks, devoid of all life, with only a single withered tree in his vision.

Gu Qing Shan manifested his form in the faraway barren land.

“Who was it? Who just called for help?” he asked.

「 Me… hurry and save me… 」

Following the voice, Gu Qing Shan only saw the withered tree.

Strange.

This place is the School of Shan Hai’s underground, why is there a lone world here, and why is there such a tree?

“What exactly are you?” Gu Qing Shan shouted in question.

The voice suddenly chuckled and spoke in a low tone: 「 You who came from the future, he who became my ally through the witness of the Greatest Above the Star Crown, don’t you recognize me? 」

Gu Qing Shan trembled for a split second.

“You are part of the Eternal Abyss?”

「 No, I AM the Abyss 」

Gu Qing Shan was shocked.

What he was witnessing was too eerie.

He lightly touched the Abyssal ring, but it didn’t react at all.

「 Hurry, save me, we can talk later 」the voice urged him.

Gu Qing Shan stayed silent without answering.

Suddenly, he waved his hands to hold the twin swords Heaven and Earth.

A person appeared behind him, just a bit further away.

A man carrying a sword on his back.