The seventh floor of the Wuqi Tower was a realm of absolute ice, where, not far from Luo Feng, massive, near-transparent ice mountains stretched into the distance.
"The seventh floor!"
Luo Feng’s heart swelled with anticipation. "The Wuqi Tower has nine floors in total, and the first eight are the trials. Once I pass the eighth floor and enter the ninth, that means reaching the summit—success!"
The more he contemplated it, the more Luo Feng felt that the ninth floor of the Wuqi Tower held a profound secret!
"Only two final hurdles remain."
"The trial of the seventh floor, and the final trial of the eighth floor." Luo Feng carefully surveyed his surroundings, cautiously probing everything. No matter how powerful one’s strength, a sliver of carelessness could be fatal; the closer one got to victory, the more circumspect one had to be.
Hushhhhhh...
Subtle ripples of space disturbed the cold air high above, and then a colossal, single eye began to materialize.
"The Divine Eye?" Luo Feng started.
He had faced this Divine Eye during the final life-or-death danger on the third floor of the Wuqi Tower. Its gaze brought a devastating impact to the will.
"Why is the seventh floor also the Divine Eye? Is it another will assault?" Luo Feng wondered privately. "But the third floor already had a will assault; it shouldn't be the same."
Hummmm...
The Divine Eye radiated a faint golden light that enveloped the area below, including Luo Feng.
"Soldier Silver River," a venerable voice echoed directly in Luo Feng's mind. "Pass the Divine Eye's trial, and you may proceed to the eighth floor of the Wuqi Tower... That eighth floor will be your final obstacle before the summit."
As the aged voice faded.
Boom!!!
The faint golden light in the sky instantly erupted with a powerful will assault, causing Luo Feng’s expression to shift slightly. It was indeed a will assault, and its initial intensity matched the peak intensity he had endured at the end of the third floor.
"Willpower?" Luo Feng looked up at the Divine Eye but remained rooted to the spot, choosing to endure it head-on.
A will assault was formless and intangible; evasion was impossible. One could only meet it with brute force. Will against will!
"Why is the seventh floor still a will assault?" The doubt flickered through Luo Feng's mind, but he immediately cast it aside, focusing his entire strength on resisting the incoming pressure.
...
Before the light screen, four commanders observed the scene.
"This Soldier Silver River's willpower should be exceptionally strong; overcoming the seventh floor shouldn't be difficult," the burly commander stated in a resonant voice. "The only question is, how much of the 'Divine Eye Secret Technique' can he absorb?"
"The Divine Eye Secret Technique is a secret method created by His Majesty the God-King," the Black Mist Commander explained. "It is a specialized form of attack. In my Jin Clan World, only those who receive a title, make a special contribution, or show immense potential are granted access to it—and even then, only partial techniques."
"Indeed. Six soldiers have reached the seventh floor of this Wuqi Tower before. Five failed, and one succeeded in reaching the eighth. Of those six... the weakest couldn't even fully master the first volume of the 'Divine Eye Secret Technique,' and the strongest only managed to learn three volumes."
"We shall see how many volumes Soldier Silver River manages to learn!"
...
Luo Feng was unaware of this external scrutiny; he was wholly immersed in resisting the will assault. He occasionally glanced at the Divine Eye above, and at other times, at the sprawling, near-transparent ice mountains surrounding him.
"Just enduring the will assault?" Luo Feng mused. "I wonder what the Divine Eye's ultimate limit is."
Though his will was strong, it had its limits. If the Divine Eye's attack surpassed his endurance, he risked falling unconscious and being teleported out.
"Even so, this is an opportunity to temper my will."
"The Wuqi Tower has nine floors, eight trials—I refuse to believe the seventh floor can stop me." Luo Feng continued his steadfast resistance.
The faint golden light enveloped him, making Luo Feng feel as if he were draped in shimmering gold dust.
The will assault intensified, soon reaching the level of the 'True God Limit.' However, this level posed no threat to Luo Feng.
"Hm?" Luo Feng's peripheral vision suddenly caught sight of an ice mountain in the distance.
"That is!"
Luo Feng immediately turned his head to look.
Within the heart of the near-transparent ice mountain in the distance, ancient characters began to emerge—the writing of the Primordial Civilization, dense and numerous, nearly filling the mountain's core.
The text at the very top read: Divine Eye Secret Technique, Volume One!
Following that were the detailed contents.
"The Divine Eye Secret Technique?" Luo Feng read the top line and immediately rejoiced.
"Hah! It truly is a reward starting from the fourth floor! Though it's a trial, there are rewards. This seventh floor directly grants a secret technique!" Luo Feng was thrilled.
A secret technique is different from a secret method.
Secret methods suitable for Universe Venerables hold no meaning for Universe Masters; the stronger one becomes, the more one must create methods suited to oneself. Low-level secret methods become irrelevant.
But secret techniques are different.
Techniques like Annihilation Severance, Eastern Splendor, and Undying River are all secret techniques. They are useful to the weak, and even supreme experts benefit from them. A powerful secret technique can cause one's strength to surge; Undying River, for instance, grants an extra chance to survive and is an immensely precious technique in the Primordial Civilization.
Luo Feng had acquired the complete set of Annihilation Severance, but due to the influence of the original innate will, he could only view the first three volumes. However, once he reached the Void True God level, he would naturally see the later contents. During the Universe Master and True God stages, Annihilation Severance already surpassed many techniques involving burning divine power, and its later parts would be even more invaluable. Gaining an early lead means gaining momentum at every step, with later stages being exponentially more precious. Even in the Jin Clan World, only the initial few stages of the divine power burning techniques are circulated.
...
"To obtain an entire secret technique!" Luo Feng was ecstatic. "I wonder what it is, and if my Duandong River lineage possesses it!"
The Duandong River lineage was a single line, with only one inheritor per generation. His Majesty the God-King, however, was the builder of a super-force; what the God-King possessed, the Duandong River lineage might lack.
"Hm?" Luo Feng focused his gaze. As for the will assault? The current True God Limit pressure held no sway over him.
"The Divine Eye Secret Technique is a secret technique utilizing willpower!" Luo Feng understood the basics with just a quick glance, and his joy deepened.
A massive harvest! A monumental opportunity!
Having inherited the Duandong River lineage and possessing knowledge of the Primordial Civilization, Luo Feng naturally grasped the significance of the 'Divine Eye Secret Technique.'
The Divine Eye Secret Technique is a secret method for employing willpower!
Perhaps the 'Third Generation Ancestor' of the Duandong River lineage could devise three or four volumes, but if that ancestor wasn't skilled in this area, the resulting technique might not reach a high echelon. For an entire force or lineage, only having the initial few volumes held little true significance. Only a complete, perhaps even peak-level, series of techniques—one that could stand against the entire Primordial Civilization—was truly worthy of pride. Techniques like Annihilation Severance, Eastern Splendor, and Undying River were all complete series.
"Willpower..."
"All strong individuals possess willpower; this willpower varies in strength!"
"When the weak perish, everything dissipates."
"But when the strong die, their willpower remains, contained even within a drop of blood or a single scale, exerting powerful pressure and assault."
"When the strong are alive... they battle, their wills clash. The stronger will can unsettle the opponent's mind, gaining the initiative before a blow is even struck. If the difference in will is vast... a natural will assault can plunge the opponent into unconsciousness, leaving them defenseless." Luo Feng nodded as he read the opening passage of 'Divine Eye Secret Technique, Volume One.'
In reality, for powerful beings—taking flesh-and-blood life as an example—there is a distinction between the soul, consciousness, and willpower!
When the soul is extinguished, death is absolute.
Consciousness is built upon the soul; the stronger the soul, the generally stronger the consciousness. The weaker the soul, the weaker the consciousness! When two experts clash... for example, a True God versus a Universe Venerable, if the gap in consciousness is too wide, mere pressure from consciousness can shatter the opponent's soul, leading to immediate demise!
Willpower, however, is different.
Willpower is transcendent. Even if the soul and consciousness are weak, if one's disposition and inner fortitude are strong, they can still possess formidable willpower—super willpower!
When one is weaker, willpower is of limited use, generally employed only to resist illusions or maintain one's true self. Upon death, willpower naturally dissipates, offering little offensive utility.
But—
Upon reaching the levels of True God, Void True God, and higher, willpower becomes increasingly critical. The wills of supreme experts persist even after death! Luo Feng’s droplet of 'Divine Blood' was evidence of this. Yet, even within the Primordial Civilization... some supreme experts generally only relied on natural will opposition to suppress opponents; they didn't know how to utilize willpower more effectively.
Willpower is too ethereal, too abstract. How can it be employed?
Only certain supreme beings can truly comprehend and create applications for it. Unlike the basic first stage of divine power burning techniques, which even some powerful Void True Gods can grasp, will secret techniques are unattainable even for Eternal True Gods. Only upon mastering the laws of Chaos can one begin to have insights.
And the 'Divine Eye Secret Technique' is a powerful secret method created by His Majesty the God-King.
...
"Must willpower reach the Void True God level before one can begin cultivating the Divine Eye Secret Technique?"
"Hm?"
"Why does this feel similar to cultivating the mind?"
Luo Feng read while pondering the first volume. This volume contained not only parts of the cultivation technique but also guidance on enhancing willpower. According to its instructions, to improve willpower, one must value the inner self, constantly dissect one's heart, recognize one's own nature, and continuously elevate oneself.
...
The Divine Eye in the sky continued to spread its faint golden light, its contained will assault growing stronger, already surpassing the True God Limit and continuing to climb.
The jump from True God Limit to Void True God is a massive leap. Therefore, Luo Feng could still resist it effortlessly.
The interior of the ice mountain continued to reveal segments of text—still part of the first volume of the Divine Eye Secret Technique. Clearly, this volume was extensive. Finally, the emergence of text ceased; the entire first volume was displayed.
"Just the first volume took this long to fully manifest. If my willpower hadn't broken past the True God Limit, I probably couldn't even read the whole thing," Luo Feng murmured with emotion.
Moments after the first volume was fully revealed—
"Eh..." Luo Feng suddenly spotted text emerging from the core of another distant ice mountain. "Divine Eye Secret Technique, Volume Two!"
Luo Feng was instantly overjoyed and began reading and memorizing. A complete secret technique, naturally, was divided into many volumes.