The Palace Master Appears

Luo Feng had already obtained four black metal plates. Now, with this new information pouring into his mind, the `Nine Tribulations Secret Manual` was finally complete. Only upon fully grasping the entire `Nine Tribulations Secret Manual` did Luo Feng truly marvel at its profound and mysterious nature.

“Unbelievable,” Jinjiao murmured, closing its eyes.

Within its consciousness, individual characters of the `Nine Tribulations Secret Manual` floated, countless words combining to form this secret manual. Even without delving into the content, the sheer combination of these myriad characters resembled a colossal secret pattern diagram! Each character was a part of this secret pattern diagram, naturally forming a secret pattern diagram far more complex and perfect than even a miniature cosmic secret pattern diagram!

“Simply incredible.”

“The textual content of a secret manual can form a secret pattern diagram? I’ve never even heard of such a thing.” Luo Feng exclaimed in astonishment. He understood that this was only possible because the `Nine Tribulations Secret Manual` had reached a supreme level! The closer something was to the fundamental mysteries of the universe, the more profound and enigmatic it would be.

Take the Beast God, for instance; its very form was an embodiment of laws.

The `Nine Tribulations Secret Manual` was even directly rejected and obstructed by the universe's operational laws. Even if created, it couldn't be taught. Fortunately, Zuoshanke used a `Heavenly Soul Crystal` to carry it, allowing this heaven-defying secret manual to be passed on, and then only to a single life form! Whereas the `strongest innate secret technique` was directly bestowed by the universe!

Yet, the `Nine Tribulations Secret Manual` was rejected by the universe, clearly indicating it was on a higher tier than the strongest innate secret technique, having reached an inconceivable level, one that a `Universe Master` could simply not create.

...

Jinjiao paused for a moment before the black metal plate in the treasure room, clearly stunned by the complete secret manual. Soon, it recovered from its shock.

“I can’t stay in this `Blood Cloud Palace` for long; I must leave quickly.”

Jinjiao’s divine power immediately swept the black metal plate into its world ring. Its gaze then swept over the massive quantities of rare cosmic materials, tens of thousands of heavy treasures, and hundreds of supreme treasures nearby...

“Boom!”

A terrifying pressure instantly descended, engulfing the entire `Blood Cloud Palace`. Simultaneously, the space-time within the `Blood Cloud Palace` was completely controlled, and spatial fluctuations ceased instantly.

“Not good!” Jinjiao was alarmed. “It’s a `Universe Master`!”

Jinjiao turned its head and saw a figure emanating endless killing intent appearing in the distant corridor outside the door. He wore blood-red battle robes, had a pair of golden curved horns on his head, and wore a mask. His tail extended from his battle skirt, sweeping slightly, and his eyes were fixed on Jinjiao.

“`Blood Cloud Palace Master`?” Jinjiao slowly turned, facing him from afar.

What if he was a `Universe Master`?

“Jinjiao!” The `Blood Cloud Palace Master` looked at Luo Feng, walking step by step. “You guessed correctly, I am the `Blood Cloud Palace Master`... but...” As he spoke, his divine body rapidly began to transform. His blood-red battle robes quickly changed into ordinary green combat armor, his pair of golden sharp horns became crystalline twin horns, and his mask disappeared, revealing a familiar face.

His aura also changed.

The previous endless killing intent transformed into an aura as vast as the sea.

“Tea-teacher?” Jinjiao’s eyes widened. The `Blood Cloud Palace Master` before him had instantly transformed into his teacher, Zuoshanke! And their auras were completely identical, not just the aura... even that pressure, stronger than Chaos City Lord’s, was the same. This was absolutely impossible to fake.

“Luo Feng.” Zuoshanke spoke with a smile. “Did you ever imagine that the fifth black metal plate would lead to this outcome?”

Jinjiao Luo Feng blinked, recalling his conversation with Teacher Zuoshanke back in the Beast God Realm. At that time, Luo Feng had asked his teacher, “Is the fifth black metal plate of the `Nine Tribulations Secret Manual` another trial?” Zuoshanke had replied, “No, if you could guess your teacher’s methods, would I still be your teacher?”

Luo Feng had been very curious then and pressed further.

But Zuoshanke had refused to say, only stating, “You’ll know when the time comes.”

...

Outside the main hall of the `Blood Cloud Palace`.

Zuoshanke stood, gazing at the endless black currents in the distant void. Jinjiao also grew as tall as Zuoshanke, like a winged lion standing beside him.

“Teacher, the `Blood Cloud Palace Master` was actually you...” Jinjiao began. “No wonder the various cosmic races couldn’t do anything to the `Blood Cloud Palace Master`.”

“The `Blood Cloud Palace Master` who once roamed the universe was merely a clone I created,” Zuoshanke sighed, looking at the endless void. “Though just a clone, it still possessed strength comparable to your teacher, Chaos City Lord. It was enough to roam the universe.”

“Then why did you act under the identity of the `Blood Cloud Palace Master`, Teacher?” Jinjiao’s eyes were filled with confusion. With Zuoshanke’s strength, who would dare provoke him? If he wanted revenge or to kill someone, he could do so openly.

“Because of you!”

Zuoshanke said.

“Me?” Jinjiao was startled.

“Yes.” Zuoshanke nodded. “To be precise, the `Blood Cloud Palace Master` identity was prepared for my future third disciple. Whoever could ultimately meet my requirements would inherit the position of `Blood Cloud Palace Master`.”

“`Blood Cloud Palace Master`? Inherit?” Jinjiao’s eyes widened.

Hell.

His teacher was setting him up! The `Blood Cloud Palace Master` was a madman, with enemies spread across the universe, whom major powers wished to kill quickly! From his teacher’s words, it seemed he wanted him to inherit this position.

“I cultivated your second senior brother in the same way,” Zuoshanke reminisced. “I created an identity early on—the `Northern Prison Master`! Once your second senior brother, Yan Emperor, became strong enough, I let him inherit the position of `Northern Prison Master`.”

“What?” Jinjiao was even more shocked.

`Blood Cloud Palace Master`, `Northern Prison Master`!

They were both clones created by Teacher Zuoshanke?

The `Northern Prison Master` was an evil cosmic super-being whose fame was no less than that of the `Blood Cloud Palace Master`. He possessed a flying palace-type supreme treasure, the `Northern Prison`, which also had the function of suppression and sealing. This `Northern Prison Master` roamed the universe, and whenever he fought an enemy, he loved to trap them in the `Northern Prison`. If they didn't possess the ability of innate clones, the only way to escape was to self-destruct and perish!

He was even more ancient than the `Blood Cloud Palace Master`.

He was an evil and powerful being from the early days of the universe, though he later gradually disappeared.

“I let your second senior brother inherit the position of `Northern Prison Master`.” Zuoshanke shook his head. “However, after endless years, he still couldn’t satisfy me. So I reclaimed everything from the `Northern Prison Master`, making that identity disappear forever. He wasn’t qualified to continue being the `Northern Prison Master`.”

Luo Feng was secretly alarmed.

Reclaim everything from the `Northern Prison Master`?

“I no longer have much hope for your second senior brother, so I’ve poured all my efforts into cultivating you,” Zuoshanke said with a nostalgic smile, looking at Luo Feng.

“My second senior brother disappointed Teacher; perhaps this disciple might also disappoint Teacher in the future,” Jinjiao said, lowering its head.

Zuoshanke smiled, “When you can fully control the `Star Tower`, you are already stronger than your second senior brother. The `Star Tower`... though its power is heaven-defying, even Universe Venerables, Universe Masters, and Universe Supreme Masters have no hope of controlling it. And the will of weaker beings is simply insufficient. It’s very good that you could endure the life-and-death inheritance at the Sector Lord level.”

“However... although you’ve performed better than your second senior brother, you are still far from your teacher’s desired goal,” Zuoshanke stated.

“Goal?” Jinjiao turned its head to look at its teacher beside it.

“`Universe Supreme Master`!” Zuoshanke slowly said, revealing his thoughts to Luo Feng for the first time. “When you become a `Universe Supreme Master`, your teacher will consider it a success. If your second senior brother could become a `Universe Supreme Master`, your teacher would also consider it a success. However, based on my judgment, his probability of becoming a `Universe Supreme Master` is extremely low; he has already gone down the wrong path.”

Luo Feng was secretly astonished.

His first senior brother and second senior brother were both `Universe Masters`, yet Zuoshanke was still disappointed and continued to cultivate his third disciple. It turned out that Zuoshanke’s true goal for his disciples was—a `Universe Supreme Master`!

What an insane idea.

`Universe Supreme Masters`, how rare were they in the universe?

Possessing one `Universe Supreme Master` meant a race was a peak race! A power was a super power! Even a solitary `Universe Supreme Master`... was a free and unfettered, great eternal existence. Zuoshanke himself reaching this level was already heaven-defying enough, yet he wanted to cultivate a `Universe Supreme Master` disciple!

Madness!

But Luo Feng couldn’t help but admire his teacher, because what Zuoshanke had done was truly remarkable: cultivating the Yan God Clan lineage, the Earth lineage... and even creating powerful supreme treasures one after another. At least, peak supreme treasures like `Tribulation Armor` and `Original Soul` were no challenge for him, and by sheer luck and opportunity, he even acquired the ultimate supreme treasure, the `Star Tower`!

...

“Becoming a `Universe Supreme Master` is incredibly difficult,” Zuoshanke said. “If one merely stays in one place cultivating in seclusion, they will never become a `Universe Supreme Master`! Every `Universe Supreme Master`’s birth involves countless opportunities, trials, and tribulations, but without a doubt, each of them was forged in blood and fire.”

“You have family ties, so you cannot fully throw yourself into the tempering of blood and fire.”

“Therefore, your teacher has prepared the `Blood Cloud Palace Master` identity for you!”

“No one will know who you truly are, but your enemies are spread across the universe... Once you appear in the universe, your enemies will come rushing,” Zuoshanke said, looking at Jinjiao. “Through endless tempering, you will continuously grow. At the very least, this is one method I know to increase the probability of becoming a `Universe Supreme Master`.”

Jinjiao blinked, somewhat bewildered: “They’ll recognize me!”

“They won’t recognize you!”

Zuoshanke flipped his hand, and a blood-red bead appeared in his palm. “This is a special supreme treasure I refined, the `Blood Cloud Pearl`. It will change your soul aura and can even disguise your armor. No one will be able to recognize you. And the flying palace-type supreme treasure behind you, the `Blood Cloud Palace`! It will also be yours!”

“Of course, if you disappoint me, I will reclaim the `Blood Cloud Palace` and `Blood Cloud Pearl`, just as I did with your second senior brother.”

“My disciple!”

“When you become the `Blood Cloud Palace Master`, that will be a new journey... Do you dare to accept it?” Zuoshanke looked at Jinjiao.