The Final Step

Ji Ning sighed inwardly. Whatever you kill is yours to keep. Clearly, the Moon Underwater Abyss didn't care if gods slaughtered each other. Perhaps this carnage was itself a form of even more brutal tempering and selection. After all, the Sea-Demons and Yakshas of the Abyss had already killed several thousand Empyrean Gods. This alone showed just how merciless the Abyss's elimination process truly was.

Ji Ning followed the silver-haired man as they walked across the fifth island—the Falling Moon Island.

Falling Moon Island radiated an ancient, heart-shaking aura.

The other four islands had been ordinary, but this one felt different to Ji Ning. It was as if the island contained an inconceivably great power, a power that could annihilate him in an instant.

The great power who created the Moon Underwater Abyss went through all this trouble to select Empyrean Gods… for what purpose? Ji Ning pondered silently. To train us and then send us out? Unlikely. There must be an important goal. He nodded to himself. Well, I'm headed to the last location now. After that, I can leave. It seems this final place will reveal everything.

Soon.

Ji Ning and the silver-haired man followed a mountain path to the mountain's peak. At the summit stood a seemingly crude temple built from ordinary piled rocks.

"This is the Falling Moon Temple," the silver-haired man said, pointing at the ancient temple. Though it appeared ordinary—even shabby—it radiated a faint presence as the core nexus of the entire Falling Moon Island.

In front of the temple stood a golden light stele.

"Release the two hundred-plus Empyrean Gods you've been carrying," the silver-haired man instructed.

"Understood." Ji Ning nodded. With a thought, a large group of figures appeared around them. It was the two hundred-plus Empyrean Gods: Sin God, Sealed God, the Seven Dragon Gods—each of them curiously taking in their surroundings. Many revealed expressions of delight.

"This isn't Thousandstar Island."

"This is a new island."

"This must be the fifth island! We're going to get out. We can leave!"

The gods became excited almost instantly. They noticed Ji Ning and the silver-haired man.

"Northmoon, this is the fifth island, right?" one of the gods ventured, and the others all turned to look at him.

Ji Ning nodded with a smile. "This is the Falling Moon Island, the fifth island."

"Hahaha!"

"Northmoon, if you ever have need of me, just say the word. Even if it costs me my life, I won't hesitate."

"Northmoon, a great favor needs no words of thanks."

The gods were all stirred with emotion. Some even had tears streaming down their faces. To them, this was no less than a gift of rebirth. Every single one of them was an Empyrean God… they owed a karmic debt, and they would remember it. If Ji Ning ever called upon them for help and they refused, it would corrupt their Dao-hearts. Only the rarest of great fiendish demons could owe such a debt and feel not a single ripple in their hearts.

"Enough," the silver-haired man said coolly.

BOOM~

An invisible wave of might radiated from the temple—like an enormous, formless hand slamming down onto the two hundred-plus Empyrean Gods. With a single, thunderous crash, the entire group was smashed flat to the ground. Ji Ning, however, was not suppressed.

Ji Ning stared in shock at the scene before him. The two hundred-plus Empyrean Gods were likewise terrified. Too terrifying! There were over two hundred of them, yet in an instant they had been flattened without the slightest resistance. And this wasn't a purely forceful smash—that would have driven the gods into the ground like nails, leaving deep holes. Instead, all two hundred-plus of them were sprawled on the ground now, as helpless as mortals in that single moment.

Truly formidable. The methods of the great power who created the Moon Underwater Abyss are beyond my imagination, Ji Ning mused silently.

"You two hundred-plus Empyrean Gods are only able to hope for escape because you followed Northmoon," the silver-haired man said flatly. "Now, go one by one and place your palm upon the golden light stele."

"Yes." "Yes." "Yes."…

The two hundred-plus Empyrean Gods, so ecstatic just moments before, now moved with extreme caution, not daring to be reckless, terrified of losing their lives.

Sin God was the first to step forward. He rested his palm on the golden light stele. The moment his hand touched it, his body froze, utterly immobile. This sight caused all the other gods to grow worried. Ji Ning too felt a pang of concern, but what use was worry? The mere might that had radiated from the temple before could easily annihilate them.

The silver-haired man glanced at Ji Ning and sensed his worry. "Rest assured," he said coolly. "They are unharmed."

Sin God remained frozen with his hand on the stele for roughly ten breaths before he regained clarity. He withdrew his hand, his face bearing an expression of utter disbelief as he stared at the golden light stele.

"Step back," the silver-haired man commanded.

Sin God snapped out of it and quickly retreated.

"Next," the silver-haired man ordered.

The other gods, though uneasy, still had to step forward. Sin God himself spoke up: "It's fine. There's no danger." This helped calm the hearts of the assembled Empyrean Gods.

Each god, upon touching the stele, would stand motionless for exactly ten breaths before regaining awareness.

The process continued for a long while…

All two hundred-plus Empyrean Gods had made contact with the golden light stele.

"Take them back," the silver-haired man said to Ji Ning. Hearing this, Sin God and the others finally let out a sigh of relief. Ji Ning waved his hand, and in an instant, all two hundred-plus Empyrean Gods were collected into his immortal estate.

"Northmoon. You go as well. Place your hand upon the golden light stele," the silver-haired man said.

Ji Ning walked over and gently rested his hand upon the golden light stele.

BOOM!

An intangible energy surged into his sea of consciousness and soul.

"I, by my life, do swear…" Ji Ning's truesoul began to speak the oath uncontrollably. Though his soul was not under his command, he was fully aware of what was happening.

A Life Oath!

A Life Oath was extremely complex. It wasn't something one could simply declare at will. Within the Three Realms… even the greatest powers could not issue a Life Oath on their own. Only upon becoming a Chaos Immortal or a World God could one perhaps actively and voluntarily swear a Life Oath. Otherwise, external objects were required.

In places like the Ninefang Chaosworld, the top-tier sects would possess treasures like this 'golden light stele' to force their disciples into swearing Life Oaths involuntarily.

Once a Life Oath was sworn… it was absolutely impossible to leak the information.

Ji Ning had experienced this before through soul-searching. When probing memories containing certain techniques or divine abilities, the memory bubbles were densely packed with complex prohibitions that were simply impenetrable. Any attempt to forcefully break through would only shatter the memory bubble.

A Life Oath could never be violated.

…

Ji Ning regained his clarity, staring at the golden light stele. He murmured softly, "No wonder the Buddha Jue Ming only spoke of the special properties of certain treasures but refused to say a single word about the Moon Underwater Abyss itself. So it was because of a Life Oath."

The Life Oath strictly limited what external prohibitions could be revealed.

As for treasures like the Iceheart Spirit Leaf… these were not unique to the Moon Underwater Abyss. They existed in the outside world as well, so they could be discussed openly.

"Once you leave, although you cannot reveal many of the secrets of the Moon Underwater Abyss, you may entice more Empyrean Gods to enter," the silver-haired man said.

"Entice more Empyrean Gods?" Ji Ning shook his head internally.

How could he?

The mortality rate within the Moon Underwater Abyss was far, far too high. This kind of tempering was terrifying. Its effects were indeed remarkable—he himself had made it through—but he had no confidence that other Empyrean Gods could do the same. Moreover, the great tribulation of the Three Realms was now upon them. A formation of even a few hundred Empyrean Gods and True Immortals could rival a Daofather! In the face of the coming calamity, he could not possibly trick more Empyrean Gods into entering this place.

"Alright. Enter the temple," the silver-haired man said with a faint smile. "Once you emerge from the temple, I will send you out of the Moon Underwater Abyss."

"Mm." Ji Ning strode forward.

The temple was ancient and dilapidated, but the might it had just radiated told Ji Ning that it was far from simple.

He stepped across the threshold.

"Hm?" Once inside the temple, Ji Ning swept his gaze across the hall. It was spartan to the extreme. It was completely empty—nothing but stone pillars and stone walls, with no adornments whatsoever. The hall was only a few hundred zhang in length and width, and he could see every corner of it with perfect clarity.

HUM~~~

Suddenly, the entire temple became suffused with a hazy, deep-azure light. Every single stone radiated that profound azure glow, and countless beams of light wound their way toward Ji Ning, wrapping around him. Soon, a cocoon radiating deep-azure light formed in the middle of the temple.

The silver-haired man outside watched silently, a faint smile curling at the corner of his lips. He murmured to himself, "I hope you don't disappoint our master."