The Golden Seal Monarch's massive body suddenly took a step forward.
His thick arm shot out, pointing directly at Jiang Chen. His voice was deep and resonant: "Human, don't try any clever tricks. In the Protoplasma Golden Mountain, every thought you have will be reflected back through the Protoplasma Mirror."
As he spoke, the Golden Seal Monarch swept his arm outward, and as if performing some divine stone-to-gold art, shimmering golden light rippled across the surrounding area for hundreds of meters. Countless mirrors forged from metal sprang into existence around Jiang Chen, arranged in a complex and deliberate pattern. They sliced the void into innumerable fragments, and in an instant, it felt as though Jiang Chen had been pulled into a fractured, disorienting space.
Countless mirrors, countless reflections of Jiang Chen — and every thought running through his mind — were all displayed upon those mirrors with perfect clarity.
Jiang Chen was stunned. Suddenly, fragments of legend regarding the Protoplasma Golden Mountain flooded his mind.
These Protoplasma Mirrors were formed by the Protoplasma force of the mountain itself, which warped the gravitational field and distorted space-time to create them. Not only could they reflect every physical object in existence, they could also refract a person's innermost thoughts — an utterly miraculous phenomenon.
Jiang Chen realized that these mirrors must possess some kind of special mind-reading ability, capable of prying into a person's thoughts and projecting them onto the mirror's surface.
But that put him at an absolute disadvantage.
Without hesitation, he activated the Heart of Rock, shielding every last one of his thoughts.
Sure enough, the moment the Heart of Rock took effect, Jiang Chen's thoughts were completely blocked. Every Protoplasma Mirror simultaneously lost its target, and the reflections on their surfaces blurred into obscurity.
"Hmm?" The Golden Seal Monarch looked slightly surprised. "Human, you've actually cultivated a mental power technique? With your meager cultivation of the Spirit Realm's third level?"
The Golden Seal Monarch was formidable indeed — he had read Jiang Chen's cultivation level at a single glance.
"However, concealing your thoughts is futile," the Golden Seal Monarch said flatly. "Human, everyone who has ever come here has faced only two possibilities."
"First, death."
"Second, passing my test and becoming the master of the Protoplasma Golden Mountain." His voice was rigid and mechanical, as if following a pre-programmed script, devoid of any human emotion. "There is no third possibility."
The Protoplasma Golden Mountain sat within the ancient ruins, and even the founding ancestors of the four great sects knew only its surface. As for the tenth level, none of them had ever set foot in it.
"You've closed off your spiritual consciousness and prevented the Protoplasma Mirror from reflecting your inner thoughts. That is, I'll admit, rather impressive. I will say this one last time: either pass the test, or die."
Jiang Chen knew the Golden Seal Monarch was not bluffing.
"How do I pass the test?" Jiang Chen had no choice but to ask. He understood that he was riding a tiger with no way down — the Golden Seal Monarch's tone made it clear there was no retreat.
Either pass the test, or die.
"Simple. First, answer one of my questions. Then, withstand a single strike from me."
"That's it?" Jiang Chen found it hard to believe.
"Simple?" The Golden Seal Monarch let out a cold laugh. "Every person who came here before said the same thing. The difference is, they're all ghosts buried beneath the Protoplasma Golden Mountain now."
"What?" Jiang Chen's expression shifted. "People have been here before?"
"Not just people — since ancient times, who knows how many centuries have passed. Plenty of people have come. But as time went on, the ones who arrived grew weaker and weaker. And because they were weaker, my degree of awakening has grown correspondingly lower."
"Ah, truly, it's so lonely. When will I ever be able to awaken fully again?" The Golden Seal Monarch sighed.
"Degree of awakening?" Jiang Chen immediately recalled what the Golden Cicada had told him. "So the Golden Cicada's inherited memories were accurate after all? The Golden Seal Monarch's level of awakening really does depend on the cultivation level of whoever enters?"
The stronger the intruder, the greater the Protoplasma force the mountain would activate, and the more difficult the trials on each level would become. And correspondingly, the Golden Seal Monarch's degree of awakening would be higher.
The moment the thought formed in Jiang Chen's mind, the Protoplasma Mirror reflected it. The Golden Seal Monarch snorted coldly: "So it was that big-mouthed little Golden Cicada who told you my name. Hmph. But it doesn't matter. In the Protoplasma Golden Mountain, the rules apply equally to everyone who comes here!"
"Human, make your choice! Will you be killed by me, or will you accept my test?"
Being killed outright was obviously something no one would choose.
The test — answer one question, then withstand a single strike from the Golden Seal Monarch — Jiang Chen figured there was at least a sliver of hope.
"I choose to accept the test!" Jiang Chen's gaze was resolute as he met the Golden Seal Monarch's eyes.
"Good!" The Golden Seal Monarch nodded indifferently. "No one has ever passed before, but you — I sense something different about you compared to the others. I hope your answer won't disappoint me. Remember: how well you answer the question will directly determine how difficult the next stage of the test will be."