Gloomy souls tumbled inside the Crystal Wall, a twisted face intermittently visible within.
"Young Source Heavenly God successor, you are too arrogant. I have already shown enough sincerity, but you are unwilling to negotiate with me."
Rod spoke indifferently, "Asa, if not for this sincerity, I would not be speaking with you. You are a manifestation of malevolence, the will formed by the hatred of humankind and all living beings, a derivative and symbiote of the Black Fog. If humans achieve ultimate victory, you will die; you can only survive in the endless darkness. Our goals are diametrically opposed; there is no room for collaboration."
Asa chuckled, "Young Source Heavenly God, that’s exactly my point. Why do you oppose the darkness? What’s so good about humans? Selfish, narrow-minded, cowardly, despicable, greedy—each soul that seems upright, upon closer inspection, is unspeakably hideous."
"Is there any creature more disgusting than this? Immerse yourself in the Black Fog, extinguish this stubborn little spark, become the king who rules over all this darkness. Imagine countless powerful monsters bowing before you, the overwhelming darkness submissive at your feet. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?"
Rod looked at him with disdain.
"This is precisely why I can’t communicate with you. What’s so great about ruling a cold and silent world? Having monsters as ugly as feces bow at my feet, what’s the point? In this vast darkness, if only my will remains, where’s the joy in that?"
Asa’s face twisted further, his ashen soul furiously tumbling inside the Crystal Wall, appearing extremely angry as if the meaning of his life had been negated.
"You are too superficial! Those chaotic wills are meaningless; the world itself needs only one will! The universe was born from darkness and will also perish in darkness; this is an eternal, unchangeable destiny. Those who try to resist destiny will perish! Isn’t watching those pretentious souls wail and despair in their destruction the greatest joy?"
"When the Black Fog expands to the edges of the high-layer Spirit Realm, flooding the Sea of Source, you will rule this universe, becoming the supreme King of Darkness. Carrying this dark universe, you will wage war across the myriad realms, extinguishing those enlightened universes one by one, letting your name echo through the infinite multiverse. Is there anything greater than this?"
Rod, expressionless, picked his nose and responded in an extremely unmoved tone to Asa’s fanatic expression.
"Sorry, I don’t feel any excitement or surge of emotion."
Asa’s face cracked all over.
"What do you actually want?"
Rod smiled, "I want pretty young ladies ah, warm embraces, soft figures, beautiful smiles, charming long legs, seductive voices. That’s where to place one’s soul. When I, the king, return, countless beautiful young ladies will jump onto my bed. Wouldn’t that make one’s heart surge with emotion?"
Asa’s eyes widened, looking as though he had seen someone add salt to bean curd pudding instead of sugar.
This was unacceptable.
In such a soul like his, what churned were hatred and malevolence, what mattered were power and position.
Pretty young ladies were completely beyond his comprehension.
"You, you you you..."
He trembled, almost unable to speak.
"You actually... actually, are so vulgar! Aren’t you the master of the Heavenly God Throne? Aren’t you a powerful Source Heavenly God? What are women? What is the opposite sex? Beings without power have no value!"
Rod stopped smiling and said coldly, "Asa, our values are irreconcilable, but in such circumstances, we still have common grounds for cooperation. You believe that darkness is invincible, that the Black Fog will eventually engulf the world. Hence, whatever you do, you will not affect this outcome. If I fail, you will also gain your freedom."
"Are you willing to bet on this?"
Asa’s soul calmed down, the gray mist contracted into a cluster, solidifying into an expressionless face.
"Why should I bet with you?"
The corners of Rod’s mouth slightly curved upward, "You can prove you are right, that your failure was merely due to the rebellion of the Book of Destiny, not because of an intellectual deficiency. Moreover, you can watch my failure up close, the destruction of mankind, right? Perhaps you could even claim my Heavenly God Throne."
This statement hit Asa’s core; his soul expanded, and a shadowy laughter gradually grew louder.
"Fine! Young Source Heavenly God, since you are so confident, I’ll take your bet. You will eventually understand that darkness is the world’s inevitable destiny, that the Black Fog is the unbeatable final product."
He paused for a moment, gritting his teeth as he spoke.
"I’ll cooperate with you, proving that book is nothing but useless trash!"
Rod nodded, then asked in his mind one last time.
"Book, can we release it? Is there any risk?"
The Book of Knowledge also responded in his consciousness, "Yes, the risk is minimal. This guy has lost almost all his power; however, he cannot leave the Dream Realm, otherwise the Dream Realm will lose its hold on him, and once out in the outside world, the evil spirits can quickly develop again."
"Additionally, I will block his perception of certain secret events, preventing him from knowing too much, which may be disadvantageous to us."