"You are a king."

As the words echoed, the Three Emperors Formation conjured four dragon thrones. Three appeared behind the stone statues, and the fourth materialized beside Crown Prince Wanli.

The meaning was clear: the Three Emperors Formation was treating Wanli with the respect befitting a Son of Heaven.

Jin De's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

What was the meaning of this? Was the Three Emperors Formation truly designed for those with the Mandate of Heaven, with such a stark difference in treatment?

Zhuge Liang chuckled wryly. "It appears our efforts were in vain. The Three Emperors Formation cannot be broken through brute force."

"Hahaha!" Zhou Yu laughed, unfazed.

Guo Jia joined in the laughter. "Not entirely in vain. At least we contributed and fulfilled our duty."

Jin De trembled with rage but knew this wasn't the time to vent her anger on them. With her injuries, she might still need their assistance if things took a turn for the worse.

"King, please take your seat," Emperor Gaozu of Han spoke.

Wanli obeyed, his heart brimming with exhilaration. ‘Fortune truly favors me! A formation that could force a Great Vehicle Realm expert to cough up blood is treating me with the respect befitting a Son of Heaven!’ He sat down confidently, looking at the three emperor statues with anticipation.

The statues spoke one after another.

Gaozu: "You desire to recruit Guiguzi."

The Overlord: "You require our approval."

Taizu: "In the past, we failed to convince Guiguzi. If you are inferior to us, you shall retreat."

Their words confirmed a suspicion that had been lingering in everyone's minds.

The Three Emperors Formation wasn't Guiguzi's creation; it was a cage set up by the three founding emperors for the Guigu lineage.

Fan Li, observing from outside the formation, felt a sense of confusion. He recalled that the first Guiguzi had ascended to the immortal realm after declining the offers from the three kingdoms.

Why would the founding emperors of Chu, Han, and Ming imprison the descendants of the first Guiguzi?

Was it simply a case of bullying the children while the adults were away?

"Guigu has three questions. Please answer, King. First question: What is a Son of Heaven?"

Wanli's expression turned serious.

Fan Li, standing outside the formation, also listened intently.

What was a Son of Heaven?

Fan Li's lips twitched.

Guiguzi was bold indeed.

He had faced the Overlord of Chu, Emperor Gaozu of Han, and Emperor Taizu of Ming – all founding emperors, not successors like Xiang Ning or Liu Xie.

To ask the question "What is a Son of Heaven?" required not only wisdom but also courage.

Stolen story; please report.

"I..."

Wanli had already formulated his answer, but he realized his form of address was inappropriate.

He corrected himself. "I believe a Son of Heaven is the son of the Heavenly Dao, the son of destiny, the son of fate."

This was likely the standard answer.

In the world, the heavens held the highest authority. The emperor, claiming to be the Son of Heaven, ruled over all things on behalf of the heavens.

Gaozu nodded. "That was my answer as well."

Wanli suppressed his excitement. To share the same view as the founding emperor of the Great Han was a testament to his own exceptional qualities.

"Second question: What is the duty of a Son of Heaven?"

What should a Son of Heaven do?

Fan Li thought to himself, ‘Is this a job interview for the position of Son of Heaven? They're asking all the relevant professional questions.’

Wanli pondered for a long time before answering. "The most important duty of a Son of Heaven is to establish rituals and propriety. The essence of rituals lies in division, and the essence of division lies in names. Therefore, the Son of Heaven governs the Three Dukes, the Three Dukes lead the feudal lords, the feudal lords control the ministers and officials, and the ministers and officials govern the common people."

"Oh?" Fan Li's eyelids twitched.

According to Wanli, the Son of Heaven's task was to define rituals and social hierarchy, dividing the people into different classes, and then ruling over them in a hierarchical manner.

It was indeed the standard answer.

In Fan Li's previous life, this would have been considered a perfect essay, the work of a top scorer in the college entrance exams, a model student of rote learning, and a shining example of exam-oriented education.

Taizu nodded. "That was my answer as well."

Wanli was overjoyed.

Even Zhang Juzheng couldn't help but sigh in admiration. "The Crown Prince has been studying the classics and histories with me since childhood, and his progress in Confucian cultivation has been remarkable, surpassing even my own expectations. He is truly a born emperor. His comprehension and wisdom are beyond that of ordinary people."

Jin De, witnessing Wanli's perfect answers to the first two questions, felt a sense of despair.

‘This trip was a complete mistake! Without the Mandate of Heaven, one doesn't even have the right to be questioned! Elder Sister, you should have come yourself...’ She looked around, her gaze settling on Fan Li with frustration.

He possessed the Mandate of Heaven and was the only one in their group who was qualified to challenge the Three Emperors Formation.

Although the Mandate of Heaven was rare, it was possible for dozens or even hundreds of people to possess it at the same time.

However, having the Mandate of Heaven was one thing; having the necessary fortune was another.

Even those with the Mandate of Heaven could meet an untimely demise if their luck was poor. And even if they survived, they might lead unremarkable lives.

"How could he possibly surpass Crown Prince Wanli?" Jin De shook her head. She not only loathed Fan Li but also looked down on him. At his age and with his background, his cultivation level was pathetic. He was truly mediocre.

The stone statue spoke once more.

"Third question: Can the Son of Heaven ascend further?"

Upon hearing that there was a third question, Wanli could no longer contain his smile. He was on the verge of bursting into laughter.

The fact that the Three Emperors Formation had presented him with a third question meant he was on the cusp of breaking through.

Finally, Guiguzi would join the Great Ming, and he would earn himself an immense amount of credit!

"Of course, the Son of Heaven can ascend further," Wanli replied confidently. He pointed towards the sky, a victorious smile playing on his lips. "Above the Son of Heaven is the Heavenly Emperor. I aspire to ascend with the entire nation and establish a celestial dynasty!"

The Great Ming was the strongest nation in the world. The Jiajing Emperor would undoubtedly unify the land – this was a belief shared by all the ministers and officials of the Great Ming.

Therefore, unifying the land was never their ultimate goal. Ascending with the entire nation was. This included Crown Prince Wanli, who particularly hoped to personally achieve this feat.

The Overlord nodded. "That was my answer as well."

Jin De gasped. ‘It's over. Completely over. How am I supposed to report back to Elder Sister...?’ In her eyes, Wanli had answered the three questions perfectly and was about to succeed.

She glared at Fan Li with resentment.

That useless man!

Why didn't he challenge the formation first?

He had wasted his Mandate of Heaven for nothing!

But then she shook her head.

How could a mediocre man like Fan Li possibly give better answers than Crown Prince Wanli?

Even if he had gone first, he would likely have been rejected by the stone statue after just one question.

"Let's go. There's nothing left for us here," Jin De said dejectedly.

"Sage Ruler, Duke Jin hasn't challenged the formation yet," Yan Yuan reminded her with a frown.

"Him? Heh."

Jin De sneered, her face filled with mockery.

However, just as she was about to leave, she heard the voice of the stone statue echoing from within the formation.

"The three questions have been answered."

"King, you are not qualified."