"Refuse?" Faceless One was a bit caught by surprise by Wang Lu's refusal. "The reason?"
"Because I know that it will upset you. Anything that will make you happy, I will take the complete opposite."
"... Just like that?" Faceless One said, "I did not expect you to be so naive. Because of momentary likes and dislikes, you can even cast aside the bigger picture?"
Wang Lu sneered, "Pfft, the big picture? Who do you think I am? You want to lure me into doing your bidding by talking to me about likes and dislikes and the bigger picture? Listen carefully, my momentary dislike is much more important than what you call the bigger picture."
"You…"
"I am a Nine Regions cultivator, not your Western Continent profession. For me, the ideas and understanding are far more important than riches and honor, and secular world power. So, if you're talking to me about interest, then you're talking to the wrong person."
"That's simply absurd!" Faceless One angrily said, "You…"
Wang Lu directly interrupted, "That's enough, no need to say anymore. Just quietly wait for the resurrection of Golden King and the complete eradication of your Holy Light Religion and Holy Light belief. Honestly, his little bit of hatred towards Holy Light Religion alone is enough for me to stand on the side of Golden King."
"..." After a long silence, Faceless One laughed wildly. "Hahaha! You will definitely regret this, you simply don't know what you've done! What you'd lose!"
"Hahaha, since I don't know about it, why should I regret? Wait till I know. Besides, let me borrow a phrase from the people in the past: those are all good, but I don't like them."
His voice has just fallen when the boundless darkness suddenly lightened up—a dazzling light lit in the front.
The haze scattered, the voice of Faceless One suddenly disappeared, and within his line of sight, he saw the towering Beautiful Unique Pool Peak!
And near him, he saw the still unconscious Liu Li, Bai Shixuan, and Quan Zouhua. Only their gentle breathings proved that they were okay. The only one that was in an awkward situation was Aya. Because he didn't have enough time to tie her to the seat, she was thrown down and curled up on her own leg.
... The space where he has just had a conversation with Faceless One should be an independent space separated by spells. It was there where the challengers would undergo very rigorous tests. They were strict enough that the mighty ancients were left helpless and had to use a tricky way, by using the vehicle's inertia to break through the trial area.
So now, was the Golden King's vehicle, driven by inertia, carried them pass the trial area?
Or did Wang Lu pass the trial ahead of the others?
Wang Lu somewhat curiously thought. Theoretically, since other people still fell asleep and only he woke up alone, it should be the later. However, he really didn't feel his conversation with Faceless One has achieved anything. If that was the test, what was it?
However, his thoughts were quickly attracted to the ever-closer Beautiful Unique Pool Peak. The towering peak was like a majestic giant, filled with suffocating oppression. Only when one has sufficiently gotten really close to it that one would understand that the significance of this trial was far more than just the finish line of the trial.
He removed the seat belt and reached out his hand to control the vehicle, to rapidly climbed along the mountain. However, the mountain path was very long. After nobody knows how much time has passed, Wang Lu finally arrived at the summit. And there, an unexpected person was waiting for him.
The man stood on the summit, glittered with golden light from the sun above the sea of clouds behind him.
However, when he approached, he found out that the dazzling golden light did not come from the distant sun, but from the man himself. That unequaled brilliance even eclipsed the light from the sun.
"Golden King?"
As he got out of the vehicle, his mind was stunned, feeling that everything didn't seem to be that incomprehensible.
"Humph, given your achievements and accomplishments, I have granted you the qualification to call my name and speak to me." Golden King lifted up his head lightly and gently landed his gaze. "Bask in the glory, for you are the only mortal that has been given this gift for more than thousands of years."
Wang Lu lightly nodded with a faint smile.
Then, Golden King slightly bowed his head, and his eyes showed a considerable appreciation. "Apart from me, you are the only one who has reached the summit of the mountain in the last tens of thousands of years."
Wang Lu was somewhat surprised. "Only two people? What about the Holy Light Religion…"
Upon hearing him mentioning about Holy Light Religion, Golden King's complexion turned significantly gloomy. "Can a bunch of vile bastards put their feet on Beautiful Unique Pool Peak?"
Wang Lu wondered aloud, "In other words, they didn't really finish the fourth pass of the champions trial?"
"They've done it." Golden King said, "The content of the champions trial is just to arrive at Beautiful Unique Pool Peak, by breaking through the last ring of the sea of clouds. I will not set a test that exceeds the limit of my subordinate, but at the same time, I will not let those filthy scum defile my Beautiful Unique Pool Peak."
Wang Lu pondered and said, "So, climbing Beautiful Unique Pool Peak can't be done with the common methods? I found it strange that we have to use a vehicle to break through the sea of clouds. No matter how I look at it, it doesn't seem to be the right way. But, without the vehicle, we can't even leave the castle. Could it be that there's a problem in that rule?"
"That's not the natural rule of this place, but from a bunch of despicable and ignorant bastards who thought themselves smart." Golden King's tone was haughty as he demeaned those mighty ancients who built the castle to nothing. But then he became serious and explained to Wang Lu, "Beautiful Unique Pool Peak is a trial left for the mortals by the ancient gods, a starting point for the mortals to reach the heaven.
"The sea of clouds under the mountain is the first screening test. There are all sorts of trials in the sea of clouds that test the courage, wisdom, and perseverance. However, the trial that decides whether a person can truly escape from the mundane world and ascend the heaven is actually in the last hurdle of the sea of clouds. I will take those who finish the first half of the test as champion, because only the worlds' best warrior can break through the first part of the trial, and only the best warriors are worthy to be my champion. As for the last trial, I don't need to let them try it."
Wang Lu asked, "What is the content of the last trial? I was dragged into a strange space and talked to a man about a deal, but it wasn't settled."
"That is the content of your trial." Golden King said, "In that space, you will be offered with an irresistible opportunity. As long as you accept something that your mind somewhat doesn't agree, you will enjoy endless benefits—power, wealth, or beauty. And this trade is not illusory. It is indeed achievable."
Wang Lu slightly nodded to show his approval. The condition that Faceless One proposed in that space did not seem to be a lie. If he was willing to seal the deal, the benefit that he could obtain would be immeasurable. Even fragmented, Holy Light Religion would still remain among the most powerful organizations in the Western Continent. If put in Nine Regions perspective, it would be the same as Wang Lu suddenly having control of a top rank immortal cultivation sect! And all that Wang Lu needed to do was to pinch his nose in disgust and shake hands with Faceless One.
However, Wang Lu didn't like the deal so he simply refused it. Moreover, it was a sincere refusal.
"Could it be that the inability to tell good from bad, disregarding the gains and losses, is the key to pass the trial?" Wang Lu laughed in spite of trying not to.
However, Golden King solemnly said, "Able to draw a line between your feelings and external things is the first step into godhood."
Finding it to be strange, Wang Lu asked, "If that's the case, there are many dissatisfied and brainless people in this world, so why are there only two who can pass the last test and arrive at the summit?"
Golden King said, "Can a brainless unhappy person pass all the prior trials? Those who can come here must be good at weighing the pros and the cons, with deep planning, resourceful…"
Upon hearing this, Wang Lu couldn't help but interrupt, "I think these conditions could not be achieved by these few people in the vehicle, yet, here they are."
Golden King surprisingly didn't care about Wang Lu's failure in being polite, but just contemptuously said with a smile, "Therefore, they can't even open their eyes here. They don't have the qualification to witness this great mountain. They are your subordinates in this test, so even if they follow you until the end, they can only serve as foil."
"So that's why."
Golden King brought back the main point, "Only a resourceful and talented person who is also good at weighing the pros and cons can go to the end. However, among bastards, the more intelligent and the more thoughtful they are, the more the last enticement is irresistible to them. Therefore, I really didn't think that you actually can get here."
Wang Lu lightly said with a smile, "I was just a bit lucky."
Golden King said, "Then, I want to ask you a question. If a person that is very close to you die and only a vile and treacherous person you disdain knows about the method to resurrect that close person of yours, would you make a deal in exchange for the resurrection of that person?"
Wang Lu pondered for a long time before saying, "From my point of view, I don't like to do things that I consider to be wrong. If the person who knows the resurrection method is a treacherous vile person, then whatever things that he knows, I should be able know too. As such, I don't have to make a deal with him. I'll just try another method. However, I'm not sure if I encounter a similar situation that I would be able to refuse every single time. After all, there are too many things in the world that I am simply powerless to do anything about."
Golden King nodded while his gaze showed even more applause. "Yes, intention alone can prove nothing. But when you are able to stand at the pinnacle of the mortal world, there would not be many circumstances that can make you at a loss. And at that time, this intention is the biggest boundary that separates the gods from the mortals."
"After I conquered Beautiful Unique Pool Peak and went down the sea of clouds, I took it and placed it into my Treasure House, letting it become one of the passes in my champions trial. During which, many things were simplified, but even then, in thousands of years, you are the only one who can come to me."
"You have indeed proved your qualifications. You are no longer a lowly and incompetent bastard, so I will fully demonstrate the generosity of the king."
With that, Golden King held out his hand, and after a moment, a boxy lump slowly coalesced in his palm
"This is the reward for you."
Wang Lu somewhat trembled in fear while staring at that lump thing. He inwardly said, "I have broken through the boundaries between mortals and the gods, don't tell me Golden King wants to personally grant me a soap…"