Chapter 550: Willpower!

Inner World.

Mo Xue, the Lord of the Snowpeak Kingdom, sat before a bamboo hut, sipping warm tea as steam gently curled upward. Gazing at the ripples spreading across the vast lake before him, he felt utterly at peace. The bamboo hut was one he had built himself, carefully selecting and splitting each bamboo stalk. The tea leaves were from a plant he had searched for across the vast inner world, and after much experimentation, he found their flavor quite pleasing. As for whether they contained toxins? To a Four Heavens Realm God like Mo Xue, such concerns were trivial—what mattered was the taste.

These were the days Mo Xue cherished. In truth, the closer he drew to death, the more at ease he became.

“Father-in-law,” a translucent face of Dongbo Xueying materialized beside him.

“Xueying,” Mo Xue regarded his son-in-law. “What is it? More trouble with the trial?”

The translucent face wore a troubled expression as it nodded. “Yes. This is the final test, and I was hoping for your guidance.”

“Speak,” Mo Xue said.

“My True God Heart has been sealed, and external aid is forbidden. I must break the seal through my own willpower,” the enormous face sighed helplessly. “I’ve never even heard of breaking a seal through sheer will.”

“You haven’t heard of it because your experience is still limited,” Mo Xue replied.

Xueying was taken aback. “It’s possible?”

“It is.”

Mo Xue continued, “You should understand the power of will, yes?”

The enormous face nodded.

When he first became a Transcendent, a mere glance from him could exert tangible pressure, enough to shatter a mortal’s soul or render them unconscious.

As a Deity, his will grew even stronger. While its effect on Demigods was manageable, to mortals, it was a nightmare—a single look could kill, and that was no exaggeration.

Upon reaching the Realm God level, the pressure of his will became terrifying even to Transcendents, as if an endless abyss had descended upon them.

As for the mighty ones—their will alone could obliterate entire continents spanning tens of thousands of miles, let alone its impact on souls.

“Then you should also know the ways to strengthen your will?” Mo Xue asked.

“I only know of two. The first is through advancing in cultivation—higher realms mean a stronger True God Heart, which naturally enhances the will it emanates,” Xueying explained. Just as a mortal weighing two hundred pounds would naturally possess greater strength than one weighing a hundred, so too did a cultivator’s realm determine the might of their will.

The second method was tempering the heart. “One’s state of mind also influences willpower. That’s why even among Four Heavens Realm Gods, some exert far greater will pressure than others.”

“Correct,” Mo Xue agreed. “To strengthen your will, those are indeed the two paths—either elevate your realm or refine your heart. But reaching the Four Heavens Realm will take time, and if your realm advances, the trial’s difficulty will likely escalate as well.”

Xueying nodded. His current trial was designed for a Three Heavens Realm God. If he broke through, the overseer would surely tighten the seal.

“Thus, your only path is tempering the heart,” Mo Xue declared.

“How?” Xueying asked.

He knew of the concept, but it was nebulous. After all, even the Divine Emperor Tianyun’s will surpassed that of many mighty ones—did that mean the mighty ones lacked refinement?

Mo Xue chuckled. “Had you asked me before I met my eldest daughter, I wouldn’t have been able to explain. But now, I can guide you.”

Xueying’s translucent face brightened with anticipation.

“At the highest levels of heart tempering, the True God Heart becomes like flawless crystal, radiating light,” Mo Xue said. “When you look inward, you can see this glow emanating from it.”

“My True God Heart doesn’t shine,” Xueying admitted.

“Mine does,” Mo Xue replied.

Xueying was stunned.

“Observe.”

Mo Xue sat still as a miniature version of himself emerged from his brow.

Xueying understood—this was his father-in-law’s True God Heart, exposed without protection. Such trust was profound, for a cultivator’s True God Heart was their most vital essence.

The tiny Mo Xue was translucent, serene, and bathed in a visible radiance.

“A purified heart causes the True God Heart to emit what the experts of the Divine Realm and Abyss call ‘Will Light,’” Mo Xue explained. “Achieving this signifies an advanced state of heart tempering. Rumor speaks of even higher levels, but I know little of them.”

“How does one temper the heart to reach this state?” Xueying pressed.

“There is no absolute method,” Mo Xue said. “But I can tell you this: when you are free of doubt, worry, and fear—when your mind is clear, your resolve unshakable, and your focus singular—your True God Heart will shine like crystal.”

Xueying repeated the words silently: *Free of doubt, worry, and fear. Clear mind. Unshakable resolve. Singular focus.*

“I once carried many burdens,” Mo Xue mused. “But when I learned my daughter had become a Four Heavens Realm God and that you, my son-in-law, were a personal disciple of the Divine Emperor, my worries vanished. That was when I ventured into the Heartlake Island ruins. Ironically, the Nine Suns Palace Master led us Four Heavens Realm Gods as mere pawns, sending us into danger. But I, unafraid, sought out peril willingly—and thus, I obtained the True Divine Artifact first.”

He laughed. “They spoke of fairness, of everyone relying on their own skills. Yet when I claimed the treasure, the Nine Suns Palace Master still sought to take it by force.”

Xueying sighed.

Indeed.

In joint expeditions, true treasures were rarely shared—each relied on their own means. And when faced with such prizes, who would abide by prior agreements?

“A True Divine Artifact holds immense significance. Some say it can even aid mighty ones in ascending to the Sovereign level,” Mo Xue said. “Before such a prize, who would hesitate? In the end, it was I, the least afraid of death, who claimed it. The more one fears death, the less likely they are to succeed.”

“Enough of that,” Mo Xue turned to Xueying with a smile. “You, foolish boy, risked yourself for an old man like me. Why not stay safe as an Inspector? In time, you’ll reach the Four Heavens Realm, and the Divine Emperor will surely favor you further. Yet here you are, braving Heartlake Island for my sake.”

“Don’t worry. Once we return, I’ll be far more cautious,” Xueying assured him. Heartlake Island was perilous beyond measure—even the common Black-Armored Monsters were deadly. Had it not been for his gamble at the Bloodfire Gate and the subsequent escape into the Annihilation Cavern, he might not have survived.

Though he had grown through the ordeal, Xueying resolved never to recklessly enter places beyond his strength—unless, like now, there was a compelling reason. Heartlake Island was among the most dangerous ruins in all existence, and the Annihilation Cavern had been his only venture into its depths—driven by necessity, not choice.

“I know you’re cautious, and that’s good. Prudence is key to longevity in cultivation,” Mo Xue said. “As for tempering the heart, remember what I’ve said. The rest is for you to grasp alone—no one can do it for you.”

Xueying nodded. His father-in-law had already given him much.

*Free of doubt, worry, and fear. Clear mind. Unshakable resolve. Singular focus.*

The six principles sounded simple, yet each was profoundly difficult.

To be *free of doubt*—how many mighty Realm Gods could truly claim such a state?