The Teaching

Margaret wasn’t lying.

Although she had excellent mental fortitude, people still tend to exhibit unconscious reactions when lying.

And when such reactions fall under the scrutiny of a powerful expert at the Ultimate Grandmaster level, they are magnified --- raising suspicions.

So most of what Margaret said was actually true.

She only mixed in a few lies amid the truths.

Blending truth and falsehood made it hard to distinguish between the two.

For example, the method to break through to the next realm --- that was real. She did find it in an ancient manuscript.

As for whether it was effective or not, she offered no guarantees. What could be achieved with it? She wasn’t sure either.

Of course, just in case, she had taken precautions.

Following the records in the manuscript, she copied the method word for word without missing a single detail.

So she could truthfully swear by the heavens that the method was authentic.

The key point, however, was that she deliberately rearranged certain parts of the instructions, creating two diverging paths for cultivation.

This way, even if Zeus and Hera couldn't detect anything wrong, they also wouldn’t actually be able to break through using it.

She had spent a lot of effort fine-tuning this deception.

As for Zeus suddenly threatening her, she saw through it for what it was --- just a bluff.

Unable to tell if she was telling the truth, he tried to scare her.

Margaret had seen through such crude tactics and simply chose not to call them out.

And why was she so calm?

Because she knew full well: with Zeus and Hera’s limited cultural and scholarly background, they couldn’t decipher the cultivation method themselves.

They still needed her to translate and explain.

Which meant she was certain Zeus wouldn’t dare hurt her.

Sure enough, after she swore a vicious oath ---

Zeus loosened his grip.

“Hmph! I’ll trust you --- for now,” Zeus said coldly. “But your method for breaking through is quite unusual. Until we’ve fully comprehended it, you’re not going anywhere!”

“You’ve already gotten what you wanted --- are you saying you’re not planning to leave?” Margaret frowned, clearly displeased. “That’s not what you promised me.”

“We promised to spare your lives if you handed over a genuine method,” Zeus replied righteously. “But since we haven’t yet verified its authenticity, we naturally can’t say we’re breaking our word.”

“So if you never manage to comprehend it, you’ll just stay here indefinitely?” Her frown deepened.

“Of course!” Zeus admitted without shame.

The book was too esoteric. With their current level of knowledge, they couldn’t understand it on their own. They needed an excuse to stay and have Margaret explain everything to them.

That way, not only would it be easier to comprehend, but they could also keep her completely under control, maintaining dominance over the entire situation.

“Girl, you’d better assist us in comprehending this method as quickly as possible,” Hera said with a cold smile. “Otherwise, we won’t be leaving this mountain anytime soon. As for your little lover --- he can stay hidden in the mountains and recover in peace.”

She knew Margaret was stalling for time --- but so what?

Even if Logan Rhys recovered and returned to peak condition, he still wouldn’t be a match for her and Zeus.

If they wished, they could easily obliterate Mount Luoxia and wipe out Logan for good.

“If you two insist, I have nothing more to say. I only hope that once you’ve comprehended the method, you’ll keep your word,” Margaret said.

“Of course,” Hera nodded. “If you help us both break through, you’ll be a revered figure in the Pantheon. Why would we ever want to kill you?”

“There are still plenty of empty rooms in this temple. Please help yourselves,” Margaret said coldly. “But I’ll say this upfront --- if you harm anyone else, I swear I won’t help you, even if it costs me my life.”

“No problem!”

Zeus and Hera agreed instantly and then walked into the ancient temple together.

At this moment, neither of them was trying to compete with the other.

Mainly because even if one seized the manual, they wouldn’t understand it without Margaret’s help --- so they could maintain a facade of civility for now.

But once the breakthrough method was truly grasped, whether they’d fight or not was a different matter altogether.

As fellow god-kings, they were both allies and rivals.

Whoever broke through first would determine the balance of power going forward.

Even the position of the Pantheon’s Supreme Leader was up for grabs.

Inside the temple, under Margaret’s guidance, Zeus and Hera began studying diligently.

To avoid suspicion, Margaret taught them with the utmost seriousness, explaining every word and sentence without any sign of deception.

Her trap was already set --- not afraid they’d learn it all, only afraid they wouldn’t.

As long as they kept trying to learn, she could buy Dustin the time he desperately needed.

This was the absolute limit of what she could do now.

She just hoped Dustin could seize this opportunity and break through first.

Because otherwise, she wasn’t sure how long she could keep the ruse going.

After all, Zeus and Hera were no ordinary people. Sooner or later, they’d realize something was wrong.

And when that happened, everyone in the temple might die alongside her.

This was a high-stakes gamble.

One she couldn’t afford to lose.

She had to win this.

She had to bet that Dustin would break through before Zeus and Hera did. - Ton