Chapter 36: Ascending to Godhood

Inside the Mountain Tiger's lair, Ke Lu instructed Hysilens, "I need to fully absorb the power of this Secret Realm. I don't know how long it will take. You go outside and provide cover for us. Make sure no one else interferes."

"Understood," Hysilens nodded, her gaze shifting to Su Rou standing some distance away. "What about Miss Su Rou?"

Ke Lu pondered briefly. "She'll stay here. I have plans for her."

With the instructions given, Ke Lu turned her attention to Su Rou.

The young girl stood anxiously in place, her eyes immediately turning to Ke Lu with a questioning look.

"Come here," Ke Lu's voice, though soft, carried clearly to Su Rou's ears.

Or rather, if Ke Lu so willed, she could make her voice resonate through every corner of the Secret Realm.

For she could already be considered the God of this Secret Realm.

A God of a small world might not possess immense power, but within their own domain, they held unique authority.

Ever since Ke Lu defeated the Mountain Tiger and negotiated with its mother, Su Rou had remained motionless, following Ke Lu's instructions via the communicator.

There were truths Ke Lu couldn't yet reveal to Su Rou, such as why she alone possessed a complete Law, or why the Laws of this world were fragmented.

Ke Lu hadn't anticipated discussing these matters, but she had remained vigilant, just in case.

Hearing Ke Lu's summons, Su Rou strode forward without hesitation.

At the foot of the throne, she looked up and asked, "Lulu, was that... Sister Hysilens just now?"

"Yes, we're safe now, but..." Ke Lu's tone turned serious. "You must swear an oath to heaven and earth that you will never reveal what I'm about to tell you to anyone, unless I grant you permission."

"What's so secretive about this?" Su Rou asked, puzzled but trusting, knowing Ke Lu would never harm her.

"By heaven and earth as witness, and mountains and rivers as proof, I, Su Rou, hereby swear this oath! Unless Ke Lu permits, I will absolutely keep the following conversation confidential. Should I violate this oath, may I be struck by heavenly lightning, forever condemned to the Bottomless Hell, and denied reincarnation!"

This was a Martial Artist's oath sworn upon the Laws of Heaven and Earth—the most binding and severe oath imaginable.

From this moment forward, any voluntary disclosure of these matters by Su Rou would invoke the wrath of the Laws.

Of course, forced disclosures—such as through mind-reading or hypnosis—would not count as violations, so long as Su Rou didn't intentionally betray the truth.

"Excellent," Ke Lu nodded in satisfaction.

It wasn't that she lacked empathy, but some matters required utmost discretion.

Ke Lu subtly embellished the recent events, omitting certain truths and only sharing what could be disclosed.

Some secrets weren't ready to be disclosed yet.

After processing this deluge of outrageous information, Su Rou seemed to short-circuit.

Her gaze swept up and down Ke Lu, brimming with four parts awe, three parts suspicion, two parts amusement, and one part admiration.

Ke Lu sat calmly, allowing Su Rou to scrutinize her without reservation.

"This is a bit..." Su Rou opened her mouth, ultimately sighing softly, "Too unbelievable."

She shook her head, as if trying to shake off the shock that filled her mind, then couldn't resist pressing for more details:

"So you've truly become the Lord of this Secret Realm now? Does that mean we have an entire world at our disposal?!"

Though Su Rou's family was wealthy and controlled several small Secret Realms, this was entirely different.

She suddenly realized that no matter how astonishing Ke Lu's future actions might be, she would never be surprised again. This woman had quietly seized a Secret Realm—it was simply...

"So cool!" she finally exclaimed, her eyes sparkling.

"Alright," Ke Lu said, a faint smile playing at the corners of her lips. "While I absorb the Secret Realm Core, you can cultivate alongside me. It should greatly benefit you."

"What about Sister Hysilens?" Su Rou thoughtfully asked. "She's a Martial Artist too. Wouldn't this help her as well?"

"Oh, she said she doesn't need it," Ke Lu replied.

As if! Hysilens's true strength was at the True God Tier. What she needed was for Ke Lu to quickly advance her Power Level, not some paltry insights into the Laws.

Su Rou didn't press further. Her gaze swept across the surroundings until she found a clean, comfortable spot. She sat cross-legged, her voice brimming with anticipation:

"Just wait until we get out. We'll shock everyone!"

Ke Lu wasted no time.

She closed her eyes, meticulously sensing the flow of the Laws—

within her limbs and bones, across the surface of her skin, and in the space around her.

Ke Lu sat motionless on the throne, like a magnetic pole drawing everything toward her.

An invisible force field expanded outward, drawing in wisps of Law energy from all directions, as well as the stray Spirit Power seeping from the Secret Realm itself.

She glowed with light.

Unlike the red radiance that had emanated from Mountain Tiger Mother earlier, this was the unique blue light that represented Ke Lu.

The light pulsed and intensified with each breath.

The creative force that shaped all things, the destructive force that annihilated all things, the lawful force that governed all things...

These drawn-in powers now surged toward Ke Lu's body like returning prodigals seeking their only true home, each jostling and pushing to be the first to enter.

None would yield to the others, their eagerness surpassing even that of sprinters in a hundred-meter final.

This was their God.

Ke Lu glanced up. Su Rou had already entered a state of Deep Meditation, completely oblivious to the changes occurring around them.

But in Ke Lu's eyes, the world was transforming into something utterly different from what it had been before.

It was a profound, abstract sensation.

Like the incomparable wonder a blind person might experience upon first seeing the world after years of darkness.

In Ke Lu's eyes, the world was no longer defined by mountains, rivers, trees, or stones, but had become something purer and more beautiful.

Like a peeled fruit revealing its inner flesh.

Is this the perspective of a God? Truly, it's worlds apart from mortal understanding.

Ke Lu closed her eyes once more.

Countless streams of Spirit Power and the myriad Laws of the universe now served as stepping stones for her rapidly ascending Power Level.

It felt even more blissful than soaking in a hot spring, allowing her to advance with astonishing speed in such a short time.

Apprentice Fourth-Tier, Apprentice Fifth-Tier...

Ke Lu had lost track of her progress as she entered an even deeper state of cultivation—Deep Meditation.

Outside the cave, countless creatures bowed in submission, forming a vast, dark kneeling mass.

Even the trees and flowers bent slightly toward Ke Lu's location, expressing their utmost reverence for the Lord of the Secret Realm.

Soon, the leaked aura subsided completely.

The river continued to flow ceaselessly, the flora thrived, and the animals resumed their natural habits.

Everything appeared unchanged.

Yet they all sensed that something had quietly transformed.