Chapter 1696: Mid-Level Will Technique - King, Myriad Dharma Star Palm! Immortal Gate!

Chapter 1696: Mid-Level Will Technique - King, Universal Law Star Palm! The Gate of Immortality!

"Why do you ask this question?"

The Supreme Will expressed confusion.

"Nothing at all."

Zhou Zhou spoke bitterly, yet couldn't resist asking again: "Is there truly no hope of achieving such a thing?"

The Supreme Will observed his demeanor, as if sensing the truth beneath, a mixture of helplessness and suppressed laughter.

"You, though ambitious and full of pride—those are good traits."

"But don't dream too far ahead."

"Stay grounded. Progress steadily. Only when you reach the peak of Will Transcendence will you be able to advance through the proper path to the realm of Eternal Immortality."

"Never, under any circumstances, attempt to breach the Gate of Immortality with the strength of a lower-tier Will Transcendence, seeking to stand on equal footing with the masters of the Eternal Immortality Realm."

"Too exaggerated, too unrealistic."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Zhou's lips grew even more bitter.

Could he not see that it was unrealistic?

My Supreme Will, you have misunderstood.

It wasn't my desire to do such things—no, it was the legendary Immortal Unchanging Sovereign who forced me to do them.

I didn't want to!

But he couldn't say that. If he did, the Supreme Will would surely not believe him.

After all, such a thing was simply too absurd.

Seeing Zhou Zhou's expression, the Supreme Will said nothing more, instead stating, "Then stay here and begin to refine the primordial essence of this ancient continent and the primordial essence of the time-space river."

"When you've completed that, prepare yourself and you may then arrive at the Dusk Battlefield, joining us to fight side by side."

"That is the battlefield where you truly belong,"

the Supreme Will spoke.

With those words uttered,

even He could not help but feel a sudden pang of deep emotion.

Not long ago, they had been urging Zhou Zhou to avoid the Twilight Battlefield so early in his journey, advising him that properly accumulating his strength was of the utmost importance.

Who could have foreseen how little time would pass before He would feel this sudden, pressing urge to request Zhou Zhou's presence on the Twilight Battlefield, to fight alongside them.

It was truly a case of seeing someone anew after a mere three days' absence.

Then, choosing to say no more, He departed the Eternal Continent with the host of Supreme Will realm powerhouses, returning to the Twilight Battlefield.

Leaving behind only Zhou Zhou, the Dharma Lord of Spring and Autumn, and the generals and soldiers under their commands.

"Third... no, Second Brother."

Spring and Autumn Law Master spoke somewhat hesitantly, then patted Zhou Zhou's shoulder and said, "Since I have already set aside my duty of guarding the Eternal Continent, I must now join you in the War of Dusk and take part in the battle."

"Actually... it feels quite good."

"Previously, I always stayed by the side of the Chaos Pool of the Ten Worlds, constantly dreaming of one day catching some astonishing catch—some divine catch—that would ensure I'd never worry about the path ahead again."

"Now that you, my second brother, have shattered my fantasies, I should return to reality."

"I just had a strange, intangible feeling."

"This journey to the War of Dusk might not be a misfortune for me—but rather, a blessing."

"The opportunity to ascend to the Supreme Supreme Will Realm, or even to the Lower Will Transcendence Realm, may very well lie hidden within this very expedition."

"Brother, if I truly happen to have guessed correctly—"

"By defeating me in this battle, you are, in essence, shaping me."

"And when that day comes, I will surely give you a magnificent gift!"

Chunqiu Fa Zhong spoke.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Zhou's bitter expression slightly lightened. He smiled and said,

"Then I wish Brother Two finds his own fortune swiftly, and ascends to the Supreme Will Realm, perhaps even beyond into the Will Transcendence Realm."

At first, this was merely an ordinary blessing—neither Zhou Zhou nor Chunqiu Fa Zhong had given it much thought.

But the very next moment,

Chunqiu Fa Zhong suddenly felt his fate surge, as though it had been nourished by a powerful tonic, increasing by a third and more.

He could sense now that his own fate had reached the very threshold of the Will Transcendence Realm.

That meant—

If his luck wasn't too poor, this journey to the Dusk Battlefield might truly bring him the fated opportunity for Will Transcendence, allowing him to ascend to the lower tier of the Will Transcendence Realm sooner than ever before.

"This… this…"

The Law Lord of Spring and Autumn watched, dumbfounded, as the tides of his own destiny and fortune shifted.

Then, a sudden realization struck him, and he whipped his gaze toward the Emperor of Common Customs, who was currently staring back at his surging aura in sheer bewilderment.

"Second Brother!"

"You did this, didn't you?"

"Otherwise, how could my fortune suddenly skyrocket like this the exact moment you finished speaking?"

The Law Lord of Spring and Autumn pressed him, his voice trembling with excitement.

"It should… be the work of my fortune."

Zhou Zhou himself was utterly dazed.

Just moments ago, he had merely offered the most ordinary blessing imaginable. How could that microscopic sliver of immortal fortune within him have acted as if triggered, unleashing its innate power to bestow a 'tiny' benediction upon the Law Lord of Spring and Autumn with less than a billionth of its total might?

Then that power swiftly returned to its original state, as if the faint immortality fate upon his body had done nothing at all.

And the fate of the Spring-Autumn Law Master suddenly surged by a third!?

That’s too exaggerated!

Is this what immortality fate truly is?

Also…

Immortality fate—something only the legendary Immortal Beyond-All-Time cultivators were said to possess. With the power of such immortality fate, creating another Immortal Beyond-All-Time cultivator would be an exceedingly difficult feat.

Yet, if merely crafting a lower-tier Will Transcendence cultivator, it would be quite simple.

"I can feel it—the moment my fate suddenly surged, my probability of ascending to a lower-tier Will Transcendence cultivator has increased by no less than thirty percent."

"Moreover, my understanding of my Will Technique—Ten Directions True Me—is growing rapidly. In no time, I will fully elevate it to the Transcendence Technique—Hundred Realms Supreme Sovereign."

"Then, I will be able to directly shatter two bottlenecks, rising straight from the Mid-Level Supreme Will Realm to the Lower-tier Will Transcendence Realm!"

"Big brother!"

"You're truly my real big brother!"

Master Chongqiu's demeanor shifted abruptly—so warm, so grateful, that anyone unfamiliar might have thought Zhou Zhou was the biological parents of Master Chongqiu.

"Third brother, no need to be so formal."

Zhou Zhou sighed, gently helping Master Chongqiu rise.

"Big brother, no more words."

"From now on, whatever you say, I'll do."

"I, Master Chongqiu, will honor your word above all—no matter where you point, I will never turn away."

"If you command me to fight the Heavenly Punishment Emperor, I will risk my life and face him head-on."

Master Chongqiu, moved beyond measure, made a series of solemn promises that only left Zhou Zhou with a renewed sense of helpless amusement.

"Third brother, Brother Senior hasn't done anything wrong. Why should you go and fight against Brother Senior?"

Zhou Zhou sighed helplessly.

"Let me give you an example, an example."

"We won't talk about the abstract stuff."

"Like this, Second Brother, look."

The Spring-Autumn Law Master extended his right hand, and suddenly a miniature golden treasure chest, no larger than a palm, appeared in his hand.

This tiny treasure chest was entirely golden, radiating an terrifying aura of temporal flow and eternal constancy.

"Is this...?"

Zhou Zhou raised an eyebrow, astonished.

"Hmm."

"This is where I have preserved all my treasured possessions—the Spring-Autumn Treasury."

The Spring-Autumn Master gazed at it with a serene smile, showing not the slightest regret over the treasure vault about to be relinquished.

"I once cherished it deeply, but now I no longer need it."

"I have greater pursuits ahead—things that would only distract me."

"I believe the treasures within the treasury will serve a more vital purpose in your hands. That, surely, is where they truly belong."

Zhou Zhou watched the Spring-Autumn Master's eyes and saw that He was genuinely willing to hand over the Spring-Autumn Treasury to himself.

He said nothing, merely nodded slightly, and accepted the vault.

He, too, had a habit of collecting treasures, and possessed a similar first treasury of his own.

In this regard, he was very much like the Spring-Autumn Master.

Thus, he deeply understood the immense emotions that would flood his heart as he gave away this treasury.

But this does not mean that He is grieving.

On the contrary.

The Chaochun Law Master, who could release these treasures from his very heart, had clearly reached a higher realm of mind and will.

He had transformed.

The transformed Chaochun Law Master does not grieve at losing these treasures—he only feels a deep sense of relief and genuine joy.

After that, the Chaochun Law Master did not linger long, merely exchanged a few words with Zhou Zhou before departing.

Once the Chaochun Law Master had left, Zhou Zhou glanced briefly at the contents of the Chaochun Treasury.

A single glance, and he could not help but gasp in astonishment.

"Rifles, gene-based elixirs, fragmented master god realms, vampire castles, plant life, 2D miniature worlds, illusions of the void, immortal scrolls…"

"Third brother's collection is incredibly diverse and complete."

Zhou Zhou grew more and more astonished.

For this Chaochun Lawmaster’s Chaochun Treasury was nearly comprehensive, encompassing everything imaginable.

Its top-tier treasures—such as Will Law Instruments, Transcendence Law Instruments, and other corresponding-grade items—though not as numerous as Zhou Zhou’s First Treasury, were nonetheless exceptionally thorough in scope, ranging from the most basic sanitary paper to the highest-grade Transcendence Law Instruments. Almost nothing was missing.

Unlike Zhou Zhou’s First Treasury, which only accepted elite spoils and discarded lower-tier loot that Zhou Zhou deemed unworthy—directly funneling it into the Military Merit Exchange Treasury for common soldiers and vassals to freely trade—this treasury was far more inclusive.

"Good. Excellent."

"Also, toss it into the Military Merit Exchange System."

With cold detachment, Zhou Zhou almost entirely emptied this entire Chaochun Treasury into the Military Merit Exchange Treasury—except for one item.

A single volume: the Hundred-World Sovereign, still unmastered.

He examined it carefully, and immediately felt a surge of joy within his heart.

For he realized—the Hundred-World Sovereign was a Transcendence-grade entity of extraordinary potential.

Though not possessing the same potential for development as the "King" upon His own body,

it still reaches at least the potential of near-immortality techniques.

The Four Supreme Lords in Reserve, chosen by the Supreme Will, each truly exhibit extraordinary developmental potential.

The Universal Evil Sovereign, the Heaven-Punishing God King—no less so, the Spring-Autumn Law Master is no exception.

Zhou Zhou mused with deep sentiment.

Then, his gaze subtly shifted, and the control over Zhou Zhan was released. His will returned fully to the core of the Cycle of Rebirth Palace.

Next, he issued a command:

"You remain on the Eternal Continent and the River of Time-Space today, to assimilate its primordial essence and uncover the true secrets hidden within."

"I will also send a fragment of myself to the Ultimate Void Battlefield to assimilate there."

"Plus, the unfully assimilated power of the Strange Fruit within my own body."

"Perhaps within a few days, I shall ascend to the Supreme Supreme Will Realm."

"Very well."

Zhou Zhan accepted the words with simple clarity, then immediately soared into the sky, hovering above the Eternal Continent. With both hands forming seals, radiant hues of color burst forth from his body, surging into the Eternal Continent and the River of Time below, linking the primordial essence of the continent with that of the River of Time, beginning the process of refinement.

Within the Palace of Cycles.

Seeing Zhou Zhan commence his refinement, Zhou Zhou entered his meditation chamber himself and continued to refine the strange fruit energy within his body.

Nightfall.

Within the Palace of Cycles.

Zhou Zhou's form slowly emerged from the void, then his eyes opened.

Though in real time he had only passed less than half a day, there was now a trace of weariness and depth in his gaze.

For during his meditation, he had employed the Palace of Cycles' boundless temporal power, stretching the ratio of time to 1 day to 10,000 years. Within a genuine multiverse, he had trained for nearly two thousand years before finally concluding his cultivation and awakening within the Palace of Cycles.

"Two thousand years of time—my mastery over the power of the Strange Fruit has not only been fully assimilated, bringing me one step closer to the Supreme Will Realm of the Highest Tier. I have also elevated my 'King' to the Mid-Level Supreme Will Realm, and my 'Universal Stars Palm' has ascended to the status of a Will Technique, reaching the same Mid-Level Supreme Will Realm tier."

Zhou Zhou nodded with deep satisfaction.

In previous times, he would never have been able to elevate both of his signature abilities to such a level within such a brief span. But now, with the newly ascended Wheel of Rebirth Palace, he could achieve it.

With a mere thought, a cascade of golden textual information appeared.

[Will Technique Name: King]

[Will Technique Tier: Mid-Level Supreme Will Realm]

[Will Technique Description: As a Lord of the Will Path at the Lower Tier of Supreme Will Realm, you may mark 100% of the populace within your territory, and command everything they possess—ten thousand times greater than their original holdings, including but not limited to appearance, bloodline, skills, weapons, technique laws, and even the elusive concept of fate.

When you fully command all that the marked populace possesses, they will be immune to any negative influence.]

Zhou Zhou nodded in satisfaction.

A "King" elevated to the Mid-Transcendent Supreme Will Realm could channel the power of all subordinates directly into himself, amplifying it instantly by a factor of ten thousand!

Previously, under his command there were ten Transcendent Will masters. Amplified ten thousandfold, that became a full hundred thousand Transcendent Will masters!

With the combined power of a hundred thousand Transcendent Will masters—among them many upper-tier Transcendent Will masters—flowing through himself, what kind of terrifying force would that constitute?

Could such power possibly unlock the Gate of Immortality?

The thought suddenly struck Zhou Zhou's mind.

His eyes instantly brightened.

Of course! To open the Gate of Immortality, the most crucial factor was simply possessing power on the level of eternal immortality. If, through the King's power, he could gather a force equivalent to that of eternal immortality, wouldn't that mean he could finally open the Gate of Immortality?

He was uncertain.

Yet he felt this idea warranted a try.

He raised his gaze toward the very zenith above him, his eyes piercing through the vast cosmos and reaching into the ultimate void of the great universe, where he saw a phantom colossal gate standing firm within the boundless expanse.

The gate was entirely golden, its surface etched with intricate patterns. Upon closer inspection, those patterns revealed a grand epic chronicle—images of beings ascending from the mundane to immortality, a saga of ascension etched in time.

At first glance, an ancient, majestic aura radiated from the phantom golden gate.

Even Zhou Zhou, a man with countless experiences, instinctively held his breath.

For this was the Gate of Immortality!

When he possessed the transcendent-tier, singular lord talent, "Heavenly Sovereign," and was touched by a sliver of immortal destiny, he found himself able to see this gate.