From God of Lies to Lord of All Worlds

Chapter 436: King Selection Trial

"The souls of the greedy will eventually be collected anyway, so why can't it be me?"

This was the rule Bai Yang had established for the King Selection Trial.

The colossal Wish Power brought in by the Commonwealth nations across the world allowed the divine pantheon known as the Celtic gods to take root and sprout on this land. It also made more people aware of everything happening here, resulting in over three million candidates setting foot on the soil of Great Britain.

These candidates were naturally not truly chosen at random. Instead, Bai Yang had utilized the quantum computational power of the Core to select a specific group of people, announcing them through the mouth of Merlin.

Of course, his true candidates only numbered a hundred. The rest were completely handed over to the Windsor Family and the remaining British civil servants as a reward for their swift surrender.

He was not some demon, after all, and had no desire to completely annihilate this nation. He simply wanted to shape a divine pantheon and guide the emergence of Transcendence. Therefore, strengthening the country's administrative system was a deliberate move on his part.

Great Britain could not be allowed to collapse. He was still waiting for the new king to ascend the throne and recreate the golden age of Britain!

These Commonwealth nations were natural mouthpieces for propaganda and the future pool of faith for the Celtic divine pantheon!

The vast number of Irish Americans also represented a significant force. Even if they could not rival Christianity, they should be comparable to other sects. This was the specific power Bai Yang was focusing on.

Meanwhile, on Main Street in London, a group of people dressed in plain robes raised their signs once again. However, this time it was no longer a protest, but proselytizing!"The Druidic Order welcomes you! Every living being who believes in nature and the cycle of life can join the Druidic Order and become a follower of the natural elements and the Celtic gods!"

It had to be said that these people chose an excellent time. Even without Transcendents around them, the manifestation of the Celtic gods would instinctively drive many people to join this sect.

However, these people were not true Druids. They were merely a group of former environmentalists who had transformed into religious zealots.

These money-crazed lunatics, seeing that their environmental protection business was no longer viable, had immediately turned around and started the business of proselytizing. Along the way, they had genuinely managed to attract quite a few people.

After all, there was not much hope left on this land right now, and this sect was considered one of the rare voices of reason.

"However, since you are operating under the name of the Druids, do not blame me for using Druidic standards to regulate you!" Looking at the greedy individuals at the very top of these supposed believers, Bai Yang sneered and flicked his fingers.

The next second, an oak tree had already fully grown in their headquarters. Those who feigned their faith were turned into statues and fertilizer beneath the tree as it grew.

Within a few breaths, the entire headquarters of the "Druidic Order" was left with fewer than twenty people.

These twenty people stared dumbfounded at the total eradication of everyone from the sect leader down to the followers. They were instantly steeped in fear, losing even the strength to run, and collapsed limply onto the ground.

"Since you wanted to use the gods, you should have considered how the true gods would deal with false believers!" Bai Yang stated indifferently. He watched as these people stared timidly at the oak tree before them, but he also noticed that a few bold followers chose to chant the names of the spirits of nature and the Earth Mother Danu, hoping to establish a connection with the gods.

This was humanity. As long as they were not completely wiped out, they would find a way out on their own!

Bai Yang nodded in approval. It would not take long for these people to transform into true believers and become the bridge between nature and divinity. This could be considered a very unique Transcendent balance.

The biggest difference between Druids and other sects was that they were not eager for expansion and aggression. Instead, they were a very special type of apostle closely connected to nature. This could also be considered a backup plan Bai Yang had established for the upcoming war of Transcendents.

The believer who had prayed first raised a hand amidst the astonished gazes of the surrounding people. In that hand was an oak branch, and at the very tip of the branch, a small white flower slowly bloomed!

The nature they placed their faith in had responded!

"Excellent. The power of the Druids now has a source. It is time to let the candidates of the king face their trial!" Bai Yang clapped his hands, his tone actually revealing a hint of urgency beneath the sky!

Thus, as the eyes of the world converged on London and everyone slowly settled down in the city, the phantom of a massive Tree of Life slowly appeared in the sky above the River Thames.

The cameras from the BBC captured both the phantom and the old man standing beneath it, broadcasting the news from this place to the entire world:

"The gods are pleased that their faith has descended upon Britain once more, and the spirit of the Druids is reviving across this vast land!"

"The curse upon the earth halts here. Lugh, the Sun God, has answered my plea, confining the disaster that was supposed to destroy this continent to the River Thames!"

"Now, the immortal undead have appeared. Candidates of the king, take up your swords and slay an undead! Use their bones as the key to unlock the second trial!"

Merlin slowly retreated, but following his words, the phantom of the Tree of Life in the sky violently descended once again. Hanging in mid-air, it directly drained the water of the River Thames, exposing the riverbed below. It was also at this moment that everyone saw the scene at the bottom of the river!

The River Thames was a river that had been flowing long before London was even built. It was the most familiar river to everyone in the Great Britain region. Even during the most ancient age of kings, the English monarchs had all looked upon this river.

But today, as the water dissipated under the mighty power of the gods, these people were finally able to truly see the bottom of the river for the first time!

And it was this first look that allowed all the spectators to clearly see that panic-inducing sight!

The entire riverbed of the Thames was densely packed with countless "people." They stood pressed together, one after another, completely blocking the river channel.

The dozen or so "people" in the very front row were the clearest in the camera's lens.

Their bodies were withered, their postures hunched, and their skin blackened. Red light emanated from their eyes, and their limbs were grotesquely twisted. Looking unhuman yet still human was perhaps the most accurate description for them!

How were these "people"? They were clearly humanoid monsters and ghosts, or rather, the immortal undead!

"The first trial is a test of courage! Those who wish to participate in the King Selection Trial may enter the river on their own. The spirits of nature will help you facilitate one-on-one duels. Of course, you can also choose to fight one against many. Take note, courage is the foremost quality required to become a king!"

Merlin's voice rang out through the air, and those people who had come to participate in the King Selection Trial, aggressive and full of enthusiasm, instantly fell dead silent!

Many of them were entirely unprepared to undergo a real trial. They had even assumed that the trial was merely a selection process via that holly wand, followed by simply pulling out the Sword in the Stone!

Who could have known that the very first trial would require them to fight a death match against an undead monster?

"Singh, didn't you say you were going to be the first candidate?" Among the candidates from the India region, someone had already pushed a plump man forward.

As a result, the man ran backward without a moment's hesitation. "I am not going! I came here to participate in a trial, not to throw my life away! I suspect the English harbor ill intentions and just want to use us as offerings!"

"They must know that the curse requires killing a lot of people. If we die, they will not have to!"

This statement was actually quite a harsh condemnation of their motives, yet in such a terrifying environment, it surprisingly sounded rather reasonable.

Even more people had already started turning their heads and running outward!

Everyone had assumed that this trial was nothing more than a lottery draw. Who could have imagined that it was actually a terrifying combat test?

Fighting dead people in the very first round? And terrifying undead at that?

Whoever wanted to go could go; either way, they were not going!

They ran away also out of fear that if no one volunteered, they would be forcibly drafted by the Transcendents, and dying like that would be an absolute injustice.

Of the three million candidates who had come here, the sheer cowardice of the first round alone eliminated over a million people. Even more opted to observe from the sidelines, wanting to see if anyone was truly daring enough to be the first in the world to step forward!

"As a king, without courage, how is one supposed to lead a nation to victory?" Bennett Angus, who had been observing the situation the entire time, commented indifferently. "Carolyn, who do you think will be the first?"

Beside him, the Holy Maiden Carolyn wrinkled her nose. "It should be someone from America. They have a bit more courage! But Teacher, these undead are so pitiful. I cannot sense any murderous intent from them, only resentment that cannot find release!"

Angus nodded. "Indeed. Because they are not hateful beings born of death, but rather innocents who died unjustly. It is completely normal that you can sense this!"

"But this divine pantheon is also using faith to wash away the resentment on them, which is a very interesting approach... So the unfortunate can actually be redeemed in such a way?"

The acting Pope seemed to have discovered a very unique method. "Carolyn, after this trial ends, you can take a trip to London and study this approach. Perhaps the Precepts for our Atoning Clergymen, Cleansing Nuns, and Redemption Bishops lie right within it!"

"Yes, Teacher!" The young girl nodded gently, gazing at those deceased souls with eyes full of pity.