Hastings looked into Merlin's eyes. "Up until now, you haven't been able to provide any valid evidence to prove those potential threats. It's hard to convince people with just a fairy's prophecy and your words."
"Oh, then why did the Matthews family act six years ago?" Merlin propped his boots on the coffee table and asked with a faint smile.
Hastings was silent for a moment. "Our family's historical mission is to protect humanity, so even if there's the slightest possibility, we won't hesitate to nip it in the bud."
"You make it sound so nice, but in the end, you're just a lackey of the gods in the human world. Speaking of which, you've really hidden yourself well. If it wasn't for the incident in Armored Rock City, even I wouldn't have realized that the mastermind behind the Church of Patience was you. If you'd joined forces with Van 'er the Fifth earlier, perhaps you would've won this battle long ago, and none of this would've happened."
Hastings shook his head. "We have nothing to do with the temple. We didn't contact each other in the past, and we won't contact each other in the future. Although we serve the same great existence, we've received different orders over the years. Basically, we've been doing our own things. Van 'er the Fifth doesn't know of our existence. As for you, I didn't expect that you'd finally choose to stand on our side."
"I'm almost tired of life in the human world. My friends and family died hundreds of years ago, so I don't have much nostalgia for the human world now. It's time to look forward." Merlin's gaze was cold. Although there was still a smile at the corner of his mouth, there was no longer a trace of human expression on his face. His pupils emitted a golden majesty.
The scene before him was not unfamiliar to Hastings. In his dreams, he had seen countless faces like this, which meant that the last trace of humanity in them had disappeared, and they had completely transformed into another, purer life.
Speaking of which, Hastings was quite impressed with Merlin. The latter had successfully become a god more than nine hundred years ago, but he had relied on his child-like naivety and cruelty to survive for a long time. It was not until this day that he made his choice.
"I believe in your sincerity, but the final decision is still in the hands of those great existences." Hastings bowed. Facing the pair of golden pupils, his tone unconsciously carried a hint of respect.
"I don't care." Merlin said calmly, "I'm not the one who's anxious anyway. However, I still have to remind you that he can complete the apotheosis ceremony in two days."
"It's impossible to complete the Apotheosis Ceremony without the Soul Flower."
"Alright, let's make a bet."
Hastings bitterly smiled. "I respect you very much, Mister Merlin, but if you don't tell me the method to bypass the Soul Flower and become a God, I'm afraid it will be very difficult for me to agree to your request."
"This is the only bargaining chip I have. Do you think I will take the initiative to show you my trump card?" Merlin sneered. "The church is finished, and the Matthews family is not far from being finished. However, I don't believe that those things only have so few arrangements in the human world. As long as I tell you the method, you will have a way to destroy the apotheosis ceremony."
Hastings fell silent. As expected of an old monster who had lived for more than nine hundred years, Hastings had seen through his intentions with a single glance. This vigilance made it almost impossible for Hastings to use trickery to get what he wanted.
In that case, only negotiation was left.
At this moment, the blonde beauty suddenly interrupted, "Even if His Holiness can successfully become a God, he is only one person after all. His enemies are hundreds of gods, and they have existed for more than a few hundred thousand years."
"It seems that you still don't understand what it means to become a God with three forces." Merlin smiled. "Your strength at the moment of apotheosis will determine your strength after becoming a God. You can use the apotheosis as a magnifying glass. After multiplying it by a huge number, the slightest difference will be magnified infinitely. After the three forces fuse, they will at least be twice as strong as the original force. This difference will be magnified to an incomparably terrifying level. Of course, after becoming a God, you can continue to grow your strength through the accumulation of time, but the prerequisite is that you have enough faith. As far as I know, even in a holy kingdom, faith is an extremely scarce resource. It is almost impossible to make up for this gap through cultivation. This is also why those things are so concerned about Rob's apotheosis."
"Whether His Holiness can successfully become a God or not is another matter," Hastings said.
"Other than an accident like me, once the apotheosis ceremony begins, there are only two possibilities. Either the apotheosis succeeds, or the apotheosis dies. There is no third outcome. I've waited for so many years and finally got this opportunity. Do you think I'm the kind of person who would waste an opportunity like this?" Merlin grinned.
Hastings nodded. "Can we discuss this for a moment?"
"Go ahead," Merlin said indifferently.
Hastings and the blonde beauty walked out of the stone wall. As soon as they left the house, the blonde beauty could not help but say angrily, "He's too cunning. He's clearly betting on both sides. If he gets that thing, he'll be able to make up for the flaws in his body and become a true god. If we reject him, he'll let His Holiness ascend to godhood. This way, he'll become the savior of mankind. This is equivalent to putting himself in an invincible position in advance."
Hastings looked less agitated. "This is the Merlin we know, isn't it? An opportunist and an absolute egoist."
"Hmph, if it were me, I wouldn't give that thing to him. I want to see if he really has a way to bypass the Flower of Souls and help His Holiness become a God."
Hastings did not say anything. The blonde beauty's eyes widened. "You're not going to agree to his conditions, are you?! That guy might be bluffing. "
"It's not me. It's those great beings. Based on my understanding of them, there's a high chance that they will agree to his conditions."
"Why?"
"If you have a long and eternal life, you'll understand their thoughts. Even if there's only a one in ten thousand chance, it's still a risk they can't bear. Merlin must have seen this, which is why he's so fearless."
If Merlin, who was on the other side of the stone wall, had heard the conversation between the two, he would have realized that Jestens was not just a mouthpiece like he said. He obviously had his own judgment and a considerable amount of autonomy. Even if his opinion could not play a decisive role, it could still be used as a reference.
"Then what do we say?" the blonde beauty asked.
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