From God of Lies to Lord of All Worlds

Chapter 454: King Arthur

"The benefit of re-establishing a Transcendent nation, of course, lies in the collection of faith!"

Bai Yang murmured softly, "Even The Church would not find collecting faith more convenient than on this island!"

Displayed before him were the numerous newly erected sacrificial temples and household statues dedicated to the Tuatha Dé Danann across the entire Great Britain region, springing up in the aftermath of this Supernatural Crisis.

One had to admit the sheer pragmatism of Westerners. It went without saying that they would flock to whoever provided for them, but they were equally quick to bow to whoever held the blade. Having narrowly escaped total national destruction, they had wholeheartedly begun to worship the Tuatha Dé Danann.

The most tangible result of this lingering threat was the rapid emergence of temples, Druidic orders, and sacrificial ceremonies dedicated to the Sun God Lugh, springing up everywhere like bamboo shoots after a rain.

Naturally, all of this occurred with Bai Yang's tacit approval. As he expanded this trial and crisis to a global scale, these unique temples and sacrificial rituals began to flourish, even throughout the Commonwealth nations.

The most striking indicator was his daily accumulation of Wish Force, which had suddenly surged by a massive forty percent!

While these Transcendent sacrificial items possessed no inherent energy, turning them into conduits for Wish Force was not a difficult task with the right assistance.

"Crown, we absolutely must continue promoting this!" Alvin exclaimed in excitement. "The daily baseline Wish Force we gather from the Asgardian Pantheon, the American God System, Buddhism, the Japanese Pantheon, and Christianity combined barely rivals what we collect from the Celtic Pantheon alone!"

"Even though this is largely due to their recent surge in popularity, it perfectly demonstrates the sheer efficiency of this collection method!"Bai Yang gave a slight nod. "Indeed... We can have The Core continue pushing this forward. I think it holds immense potential. However, it does not necessarily have to involve sacrifices. Any item that can serve as a conduit for Wish Force will actually suffice."

Previously, their primary methods for gathering Wish Force relied entirely on missionaries and churches.

The churches went without saying. After they completed their reformation of the Roman Catholic Holy See, new bishops were stationed in every church, naturally allowing them to absorb Wish Force.

Authorized missionaries walking among the populace could also absorb their Wish Force. Why did the old crosses fail to do this? It was because those crosses were shaped by the Christianity of the past, rendering them incompatible with the current faith.

The faith of the past and the faith of the present were fundamentally different; they could not be treated as one and the same.

Ironically, this was a disadvantage for The Church. After all, their influence had spread far too widely, yet the fact that the faith of the past could no longer reach the present Church was quite an absurd predicament.

However, rectifying this was simple. It only required offering a little guidance to the current Bennett Angus, prompting him to order the bishops to forge new crosses.

These newly crafted crosses would naturally align with the modern Church, thereby fulfilling the task of absorbing Wish Force. This could be considered a rather unique method of plugging operational gaps.

By observing the shaping of other pantheons, they could tailor a much more suitable path forward for the older divine systems.

Bai Yang narrowed his eyes slightly. Gazing at the steadily growing faith in the Tuatha Dé Danann, he whispered, "The establishment of this pantheon appears far more harmonious. Without actually molding any real deities, it has still convinced countless people to believe in its existence!"

"Furthermore, the expansion of this divine system will yield even greater benefits when we begin transforming other planets in the future. It truly brings out the best in both endeavors!"

Just as the two finished their comprehensive restructuring of this world, thirty-two trial candidates walked into Tintagel Castle below them, gathering in the heart of the desolate fortress.

Tintagel Castle was the legendary birthplace of King Arthur and the residence of his mother, the Duchess of Cornwall. In the legends of Britannia, it was a colossal stronghold boasting immense military significance.

In reality, however, the site had been abandoned ages ago. It was not until the thirteenth century, when the Earl of Cornwall rebuilt it, that the shadows of architecture returned to the region.

Of course, it was now nothing more than ruins, leaving behind only broken walls and lush green grass. Standing in the very center of these dilapidated ruins was a man dressed in traditional Welsh attire, his eyes brimming with nostalgia as he surveyed his surroundings.

"Ah, you have arrived! Offspring of the gods, descendants of the Druids!" The man turned his head, smiling gently at the thirty-odd incredibly cautious individuals. "Do not be nervous. This is not Hell, and I am certainly no demon. There is no need for fear!"

"Who are you?" Edwin was the one who spoke up again. Staring at the man before him, his gaze carried an almost unfathomable sense of expectation. The man offered a gentle smile. "You all should have guessed my name by now. Yes, just as you thought, I am Arthur Pendragon, King of Britain."

A deafening clamor erupted! This massive uproar swept not just through the scene, nor merely across London, nor even just the Commonwealth, but among people all over the entire world!

They naturally knew who Arthur Pendragon was. Or rather, there was no one who did not know his name.

After all, the Tuatha Dé Danann had little renown, and the Celtic Pantheon was an unfamiliar term in this world. However, when those two elements were combined and illuminated by Christian mythology and countless distinct tales from the Middle Ages, everyone recognized that name!

He was the leader of the Round Table Knights, the most legendary and magnificent King of ancient Britain, the lifelong nemesis of ancient Rome, the mightiest sovereign of Celtic mythology, and the Eternal King!

He was the monarch who unified all of Britain, the very symbol of justice and hope. In that era, they had defeated the Saxons and even marched into the European Continent. He was the ultimate hero of this land.

And now, this seemingly radiant and handsome man had appeared before everyone's eyes, stirring up a massive and deafening wave of voices!

"King Arthur?" Naturally, the expressions of the trial candidates present were a mix of sheer astonishment and deep reverence. Having grown up listening to tales of this hero, they were overcome with an unparalleled excitement, feeling as though they were witnessing the rebirth of an idol!

The hostility and vigilance in the air noticeably dissipated, allowing King Arthur's expression to relax significantly.

"Merlin informed me that the next monarch would be selected upon this land, and that they must draw the cursed Sword in the Stone—I have come to see exactly what kind of person my Inheritor will be!"

Arthur spoke softly. As he gazed around, a wave of melancholy washed over him. "To think that Britain has transformed into this... This is actually my first time visiting this place... It has truly been far too long."

After the young King let out a wistful sigh at his surroundings, he turned his attention back to the people standing before him:

"Originally, Merlin intended to use this castle and the sea behind it to conduct your final trial. In the end, however, I chose to come here myself."

"Whoever passes the trial will inevitably face criticism from others. But if it is an Inheritor that I have personally approved of, surely that criticism will be somewhat lessened, right?"

As soon as King Arthur said this, all the viewers subconsciously nodded in agreement. Everyone had their own opinions, and they would not easily submit to a new King—but if that person had earned King Arthur's favor and explicit approval, the situation would naturally be completely different.

An endorsement from the greatest of kings was practically the most invincible backing one could possibly possess.

"Then, Your Majesty King Arthur, what exactly is our trial?"

Someone could not help but ask. Since the impending trial was unavoidable anyway, some had long grown impatient, eager to get it over with as quickly as possible.

"Do not rush. Impatience is not a quality befitting a King!" King Arthur placated them with a smile. Rather than directly revealing the contents of the trial, he opted to tell them a story—a story vastly different from the legends they knew.

"You all should have heard my tale. In that story, I failed. Most of the Round Table Knights died in battle, Lancelot and Gawain turned against each other, and Gareth and Gaheris fell by Lancelot's blade..."

King Arthur declared softly, "However, that is not the truth of the story. In fact, the real events were far more terrifying than that!"

"A group of otherworldly deities invaded this world, ultimately choosing the North Sea region as the staging ground for their invasion!"

"Such an invasion was naturally discovered. Thus, the Norse Gods preemptively initiated Ragnarok, the Tuatha Dé Danann launched an expedition to the North Sea, and deities from all across Europe rallied to the extreme north!"

"In that catastrophic war, the gods fell, the Tree of Life was snapped in half, and the Archdruids perished one after another. Only we were left."

"I chose to lead all our warriors to the European Continent, which had already been overrun at the time. Fighting alongside The Church, we managed to win that horrific war!"

"It was a sorrowful and tragic battle. The entire order of the Round Table Knights was nearly wiped out, leaving only Bedivere alive. So, I asked him to send me back to my homeland, back to Avalon..."

"But now, they have returned!"