Luo Feng advanced along the ancient, solemn, and deserted path, which was paved with massive square flagstones. Each stone bore a unique carving, no two alike, each a masterpiece that, were Luo Feng to look down, would instantly capture his attention.

The seemingly ordinary road and courtyard walls concealed endless extravagance.

He rounded a corner and saw a doorway; the door was open.

"Hm?"

Luo Feng could see straight through the doorway to the scattered mechanical components, weapon parts, and various items placed haphazardly inside. As he approached the threshold, he saw a man clad in magnificent royal robes, intently examining several differently styled mechanical components beside him.

The man in the magnificent royal robe turned his head towards Luo Feng and smiled slightly. "Since you are here, please, sit." Indeed, a magnificent black throne was set before him.

Luo Feng said nothing more, proceeding obediently to sit down. Since His Majesty the God King had established the 'Wu Qi Tower' and set so many trials, compelling countless elites and soldiers from the Jin World to press forward one after another, there must be a purpose.

"This man..." Luo Feng studied him closely. "Strange. Even the virtual consciousness of the former Broken East River carried a sense of pressure. Why does he have none at all?"

It was as if he had encountered a familiar neighborhood elder during his childhood. Facing the man before him, an inexplicable intimacy arose, devoid of any apprehension, only ease.

"Impressive," Luo Feng mused internally. "Even with my willpower, I cannot control this feeling of goodwill toward him." "You must be curious," the man in the magnificent royal robe said, looking at Luo Feng. "As to precisely why the God King created the Wu Qi Tower and set up these trials—I will tell you now. First, let me reveal my identity... I am the God King of this Jin World." Luo Feng started.

His Majesty the God King?

Though he had speculated, he still found it unbelievable that this ordinary man, resembling a simple old man from Earth, could be His Majesty the God King?

"To be precise, I am the virtual consciousness left behind after the God King passed away," the man in the magnificent royal robe explained, looking at Luo Feng.

Virtual consciousness?

Luo Feng was inwardly startled. It was just as he had guessed; His Majesty the God King was truly dead.

"You don't seem overly surprised," the man in the magnificent royal robe observed. "Nothing seems to have greatly exceeded your expectations? Although I observed you from afar before, I detected nothing unusual. But now I know, you are not a life form of my Jin World."

Luo Feng's heart lurched; he nearly self-destructed instantly.

However, outwardly, Luo Feng maintained his composure. "It's not that I'm not surprised; it's that everything you've said is too unbelievable. That's why I've maintained a skeptical attitude. You claim to be the God King, and you claim to be the virtual consciousness left after the God King's death. How could the great His Majesty the God King possibly be dead? And what do you mean by saying I am not a life form of the Jin World?"

"Haha," the man in the magnificent royal robe laughed, a genuinely happy sound.

"There is no need for vigilance, no need for worry," the man in the magnificent royal robe chuckled. "I will explain everything in detail, and you will understand."

Luo Feng listened closely.

"When I..." The man in the magnificent royal robe's eyes held a trace of reminiscence. "That was a very, very long time ago. I chose a path that was almost certainly fatal. So, before setting out, I created the Wu Qi Tower in the Jin World and left behind this titled mission. If I failed, perhaps there would still be a chance for reversal."

"I left."

"But I left a virtual consciousness here. This consciousness possesses all my memories and thoughts, though it cannot be considered a true life form."

"Of course, I—this virtual consciousness—subconsciously still believe myself to be the God King." Luo Feng nodded in understanding.

After all, the virtual consciousness possessed all the memories and thoughts of the 'God King of Jin.'

"What dangers the God King encountered after leaving, I do not know. After all, I cannot contact him," the man in the magnificent royal robe sighed. "But through my understanding of the Jin World, one day I learned that the God King had perished."

"The Wu Qi Tower has nine layers, and this ninth layer connects to the core of the entire cosmic origin of the Jin World," the man in the magnificent royal robe explained. "I often travel to the core of the Jin World's origin. With the God King's demise, the core of the Jin World naturally experienced massive fluctuations."

The man in the magnificent royal robe looked at Luo Feng. "Also, the reason I concluded that you are not a life form of my Jin World is because..."

"When you entered this ninth layer, the core of the cosmic origin connected to by this ninth layer did not recognize you." The man in the magnificent royal robe stated. "If you were a life form within the Jin World, you would be a child of this world, naturally accepted, and you would be fiercely loyal to the God King, willing to die for him."

Luo Feng understood.

Just like the Lord of Nine Serenities; the mandates created by the Lord of Nine Serenities were also absolutely loyal to him.

It was the same principle.

Life forms within the Jin World were absolutely loyal to His Majesty the God King. It was the same for the Four Great Commanders; if the God King ordered them to die, they would not hesitate.

"Oh? Since you know this, what do you intend to do?" Luo Feng's guard sharpened.

If the man intended to kill him, it would be too easy with his capabilities; there was no need for all this talking. A dignified God King speaking to him at length must have some objective.

"You only need to take an oath," the man in the magnificent royal robe said with a soft smile. "When you eventually ascend to the rank of a God King powerhouse, you must exert your full effort to kill the other three supreme beings."

"Hm?" Luo Feng was stunned.

An oath?

Ancient civilizations certainly possessed many oaths that penetrated the soul; once violated, one's spirit would be scattered, resulting in utter annihilation.

"When I become a powerhouse on the God King level?" Luo Feng was astonished. "I am merely a Law Master right now."

"So you need not worry," the man in the magnificent royal robe shook his head. "It is too distant for you now; you cannot possibly help my Jin World at present. This is merely a promise for the future, a commitment for when you become a God King. Rest assured, if you agree, there will naturally be benefits for you. If you refuse, even if you choose self-destruction, the moment you explode, I can annihilate your soul. I know that many life forms from outside the Jin World possess the ability to create clones."

Luo Feng was stunned.

It seemed...

This His Majesty the God King knew a great deal.

"I know much more than you imagine," the man in the magnificent royal robe looked at Luo Feng. "...Make your choice. Will you agree to my terms, or will you refuse?"

Luo Feng managed a wry smile. "Do I even have a choice?" A joke. Luo Feng trusted that even if he self-destructed against a measure left by a God King, his soul would be annihilated in that instant, causing all his clones to perish simultaneously. That would truly be the end. Moreover, this oath only pertains to a time when he becomes a God King.

A God King—how distant that realm was, standing above even the Eternal True God. Luo Feng himself didn't know if he could ever cultivate to that level.

After all, based on the scattered clues he had pieced together, a God King should be comparable to the Third Generation Ancestor.

"I must confirm that your oath is genuine. After all, I am merely a virtual consciousness; if I were deceived..." The man in the magnificent royal robe smiled, then gestured vaguely towards the surroundings. Instantly, lines of law-pattern script began to emerge in the air around them, and within moments, the area was encased in a colossal cage formed by these patterns.

"Boom!"

A faint, hazy blue light enveloped Luo Feng.

"This way, I can ascertain all changes in your soul," the man in the magnificent royal robe chuckled. "If you are being deceitful, so am I!"

The man in the magnificent royal robe suddenly stood up, his expression one of utter shock.

Luo Feng was astonished.

The man in the magnificent royal robe stared at Luo Feng in utter disbelief. "You, you..."

"What about me?" Luo Feng asked, confused.

"Hahaha, hahahaha!" The man in the magnificent royal robe burst into loud, hearty laughter, achieving a release of great joy.

Luo Feng grew more perplexed—what was happening?

"Disperse," the man in the magnificent royal robe commanded towards the air. All the law-pattern scripts floating in the void vanished.

"Your Majesty the God King, weren't you going to make me take an oath?" Luo Feng asked, bewildered.

"It's unnecessary," the man in the magnificent royal robe smiled, looking at Luo Feng. "Because you have cultivated the Nine Tribulations Secret Tome, an oath is naturally not required."

"Nine Tribulations Secret Tome?" Luo Feng was utterly shocked, completely losing his composure.

The Nine Tribulations Secret Tome?

This... this...

This was a secret manual that truly changed his destiny. It was because of the Nine Tribulations Secret Tome that his path to power could reach its current height. Without it, perhaps he could still have become strong, but likely not to this degree. According to Teacher Mountain-Seated Guest, the Nine Tribulations Secret Tome was created by him and could only be passed to a single cultivator, and that cultivator must be a life form of the Earth lineage.

"What, what is going on?" Luo Feng's mind felt like it exploded, countless thoughts surfacing.

A secret manual that could only be cultivated by those of the Earth lineage.

A secret manual that could only be cultivated by a single person.

Even a secret manual created by Mountain-Seated Guest.

Why... did this God King know about it?

Indeed. Luo Feng had long harbored doubts; the Nine Tribulations Secret Tome was too heaven-defying. No other True God could accomplish such a feat—let alone True Gods, even the Purple Moon Ancestor or East Emperor Ancestor had never been known to create such an impossibly powerful secret manual. Yet Mountain-Seated Guest quietly created one.

"What about the Nine Tribulations Secret Tome?" Luo Feng pressed.

"Haha, this Nine Tribulations Secret Tome," the man in the magnificent royal robe laughed heartily. "It is one of the undisclosed ultimate skills of my Jin World. Those who cultivate it experience rapid transformation of their divine bodies, and it offers immense benefits to the soul—it is a supreme ultimate skill that absolutely alters comprehension and talent. Anyone who cultivates the Nine Tribulations Secret Tome is truly core to my Jin Nation. Since you have cultivated it, you naturally belong to my Jin lineage... Wait until you rise to prominence; if you don't kill those three, those three will kill you. Thus, an oath is unnecessary."

Coughing and sniffling, Fan Qie warmly reminded: The validity period for monthly tickets is only two hours left; if you don't vote now, they will expire! And the competition for monthly tickets is reaching its white-hot peak; Fan Qie needs your vote~~