CHAPTER 408: NO ONE CAN REMAIN UNINVOLVED

The player started the live broadcast.

Tuohai found their broadcast room.

Then, Lin Bai’s Divided God took them across the Magpie Bridge, and in an instant, they arrived at the battlefield.

The live video came to an abrupt halt.

Just like the heads and arms Lin Bai had sent over previously, everyone who emerged from the Magpie Bridge was instantly frozen on the battlefield.

Xu Longyun and other viewers of the live broadcast stared at the Ruyi hovering above Dream Heavenly King’s head, feeling both dejected and astonished. "They’re frozen again! Everyone must fight him on his home ground. Doesn’t that make Dream Heavenly King invincible?"

"He’s not invincible. Living beings entering his domain are also pulled into a dream world. The more people enter, the more vulnerable he becomes. If he’s defeated in the dream world, everyone should be able to escape."

Lin Bai, being directly involved, knew better than anyone what had transpired in the dream world.

Upon entering the battlefield, the Divided God and the players were instantly dragged into the dream world. There, several people had materialized out of thin air, without any prior warning.

Propping his chin on his hand, Lin Bai mused, "The only question is the extent of his domain, and whether there’s a way to attack him from outside it."

"Some players are heading towards the Misty Forest now. I believe we’ll soon know how large his domain is." Xu Longyun glanced at Lin Bai and analyzed, "Surrounded by enemies, Dream Heavenly King would only dare to use Ruyi if he had confidence in his self-preservation."

Several players entered the game under the protection of a Divided God and, for now, none had died. The live video remained frozen.

Soon, viewers flooded into their live broadcast, demanding via the bullet chat that Lin Bai must eliminate Dream Heavenly King.

The number of voices asking Lin Bai to use the Magpie Bridge to send them in had dwindled significantly, as death in the dream world resulted in account deletion.

Lin Bai ignored them. Instead, he eyed the Ruyi above Dream Heavenly King’s head, contemplating how to acquire it. Such a powerful Divine Artifact was a waste in the hands of an enemy.

"Tuohai, bring Immortal Realm’s First Papparazzi here," Lin Bai ordered, momentarily shifting his focus from the battlefield.

Tuohai turned and left.

A moment later, Immortal Realm’s First Papparazzi arrived. "Alliance Hierarch, what can I do for you?"

"Start a live broadcast," Lin Bai said. "I want to speak with the Earth Goddess and the others."

As Immortal Realm’s First Papparazzi started the broadcast, he asked excitedly, "Alliance Hierarch, are you going to collaborate with the Earth Goddess and the others?"

Lin Bai glanced at him and said with nonchalance, "Your Excellency, Earth Goddess, my apologies for the late response. You must already be aware of Dream Heavenly King’s methods. Currently, in the Misty Forest, the Lord of Abyss and the Necro Sovereign are battling them in the dream world. Through my investigation, anyone who steps into the Misty Forest will be pulled into the dream world. At present, we still don’t know how to break Dream Heavenly King’s dream technique."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "I believe your prolonged absence is because you are unwilling to join forces with the Lord of Abyss. I can understand that.

"However, the Nine Heavenly Kings of the Fairy World are Players, possessing immortal lives. In the future, they will undoubtedly be a threat to all worlds. It was my mistake to bring them into your world, but I had compelling reasons. You must be aware of the game company’s existence. Even if I hadn’t done so, they would have eventually broken the barriers between the two worlds, plunging both into chaos.

"Previously, you invited me to ally with you, presumably because you understood the stakes involved. Therefore, I have decided to open a new battlefield to eliminate all hidden dangers from the root.

"Dream Heavenly King, Thunder Heavenly King, Water Heavenly King, Fire Heavenly King, and Gold Heavenly King—five Heavenly Kings have come to the Continent of Gods and Demons. Only four Heavenly Kings remain in the Fairy World now. I propose we launch a surprise attack on the Fairy World, eliminate the four Heavenly Kings stationed there first, and then turn back to deal with the Heavenly Kings on the Continent of Gods and Demons. If you agree with my strategy, let us meet in Free City to discuss the specific operational procedures..."

As one of the superstars among players, Immortal Realm’s First Papparazzi attracted a large audience as soon as he started his live stream.

"Holy shit, it’s Lin Bai!"

"Avatar-type skills are so fucking awesome!"

"Alliance Hierarch Lin, I’m your biggest fan!"

"Alliance Hierarch, you must defeat Dream Heavenly King! You’re our only savior!"

"Are they going to team up with the Earth Goddess? I support you!"

"My friend is passing information near the Earth Goddess. I’ll tell him to relay your message to her right now!"

"Luring the tiger away from the mountain and employing one enemy to subdue another! Alliance Hierarch Lin, that’s a brilliant strategy!"

Lin Bai ignored the players and had Immortal Realm’s First Papparazzi end the broadcast.

"My husband, are you planning to take the Earth Goddess and the others to the Fairy World?" Xu Longyun asked.

"Yes. It took so much effort to gather them; we can’t let them remain idle. I’m adept at managing multiple fronts," Lin Bai said, his mind already on the task of collecting the Nine Sacred artifacts of Laws. With the most powerful Dream Heavenly King entangled by the Lord of Abyss, this is an excellent opportunity to seize the other Holy Artifacts. I don’t believe there’s anyone else over there as powerful as Dream Heavenly King; after all, a single God of Darkness took down Thunder Heavenly King back then.

"Won’t it be dangerous?" Xu Longyun looked at Lin Bai, reminding him, "Previously, the Earth Goddess and the others believed Thunder Heavenly King intended to seize their Divine Statuses. Now that the Dark Heart has spread the news about the dream incident, they know you were the one who seized their Divine Statuses. They might unleash their anger on you..."

"We can’t ask for too much. Fortune favors the bold," Lin Bai said, looking at Xu Longyun and extending his hand. "Give me the Disguise Glasses."

Xu Longyun was speechless. One moment he’s talking about risks and wealth, and the next he’s asking for glasses. However, she still handed them over. A cautious Lin Bai was the Lin Bai she adored.

There were only three pairs of Disguise Glasses in total. One pair was with the Divided God accompanying the God of Darkness, Lin Bai himself had one, and Xu Longyun had taken the third when she was impersonating him.

When Lin Bai first obtained the Disguise Glasses, he’d considered them rather useless. Now, however, these inconspicuous items were playing a crucial role in the war.

After retrieving the glasses, Lin Bai created another Divided God. Then, he took out a spare Dark Divine Seal from his storage ring and inserted it into the Divided God to stabilize its form.

The Divided God itself only possessed System skills and lacked any inherent power. The Disguise Glasses couldn’t simulate power either. Having a Main God’s Divine Status to provide support would make the disguise more convincing.

Tu Yan watched as Lin Bai casually took out the Dark Divine Seal, pursing his lips silently. He felt his earlier eagerness to obtain the Dark Divine Seal had been somewhat reckless. Judging by his master’s methods, Divine Statuses might become so common in the future that the fear shown by the gods of the Continent of Gods and Demons is justified.

Tu Yan felt a twinge in his brow, an ominous premonition. He had a gut feeling that his master’s strategy of ’directing the tiger to swallow the wolf’ might not go so smoothly.

After merging with the Dark Divine Seal, Lin Bai’s Divided God donned the Disguise Glasses and took on his appearance. Apart from the inherent sinister aura of the Dark Divine Seal, there was no trace of a Divine Soul.

Free City teemed with players. Once word spread that Lin Bai and the Earth Goddess were to negotiate there, players eagerly logged in, each finding a vantage point and immediately starting their live streams.

A golden Hexagram Array suddenly materialized on the ground. After a flash of light, a group of gods, spearheaded by the Earth Goddess, appeared outside Free City.

Behind them were their escorts from various lands: Angels flew in the sky; there were treefolk hundreds of meters tall, giants armed with Longswords, and sharp-eared elves, among others.

Watching the army behind the gods, Xu Longyun’s heart filled with mixed emotions. She sighed, "If only the time would come when my husband wouldn’t have to take to the field himself."

Tuohai and the others immediately flushed red. Shame welled up within them as they apologized to Lin Bai, "Master, it is because we disciples are incompetent."

Tu Yan, Ye Song, and the other disciples who had received a Dark Divine Seal sighed inwardly. We weren’t given a chance to develop either!

"It has nothing to do with you. The Justice League has only been established for a few months. Those individuals are old monsters who have lived for thousands, even tens of thousands of years; it’s normal that we can’t compare to them." Lin Bai smiled dismissively, reassuring them, "The League has only been around for a few months, yet it already has these old monsters treating us as a formidable enemy. They are the ones who should be panicking. Besides, the Justice League doesn’t rely on orthodox cultivation but on assimilation and integration. Though they wield great power now, these forces will eventually belong to our League. I’m best at turning enemies into friends..."

"..." Tuohai and the others were speechless for a moment. However, upon reflection, they realized it was true. They too had once been Lin Bai’s enemies, but hadn’t they all ended up joining the Justice League under his manipulation?

One could only say Lin Bai was too prodigious.

Free City was the first stronghold on the Western Continent leading to the Continent of Gods and Demons. Several Magpie Bridges were already in place, so Lin Bai didn’t need to bother building new ones. He simply connected to one, and his disguised Divided God appeared in the sky above Free City.

The moment Lin Bai appeared, the players in Free City erupted in cheers. All live broadcast cameras focused on him.

"Lin Bai, you despicable, shameless villain who incited this war! How dare you show your face!" the War God roared, the sound like a Thunder Shock. His Longsword pointed at Lin Bai, his entire being radiating a battle intent so fierce it seemed capable of tearing the sun and moon apart.

The other gods also glared at him with rage. Apparently, they already knew about Lin Bai impersonating Thunder Heavenly King.

"Esteemed gods, please calm your anger. I have come with sincerity," Lin Bai said, standing opposite them, seemingly oblivious to their fury. He wore a humble smile and spoke with calm composure. His gaze swept over the assembled gods, mentally tagging each one. Every god here would be his prey in the future.

"I sense no sincerity from you," the God of Holy Light said coldly. "Even from thousands of meters away, I can feel the disgusting, evil aura of the God of Darkness on you. You must have placed a copied Divine Status on yourself, haven’t you?"

"Despicable!"

"Shameless!"

"You framed the Heavenly King of the Fairy World for your own actions! What kind of Alliance Hierarch of the Justice League are you? The Divine Status of the God of Deception should belong to you!"

"You’re definitely planning to trick us into going to the Fairy World to seize our Divine Statuses..."

"Stop wasting words with him! Let’s kill him, and no one will ever threaten our faith again!"

The gods rebuked Lin Bai one after another, a stark contrast to the aloof Lord of Abyss, who would fight at the slightest provocation.

"Hehe, it seems these gods have finally caught on."

"Alliance Hierarch Lin might end up not only failing to steal the chicken but losing the rice as well," a player commented.

"There are no secrets where players are concerned. A conspiracy exposed to the light will never succeed."

"Let’s see how Alliance Hierarch Lin handles this situation!"

"Your Excellency Byleth, are you sure you want to go to war with me?" Lin Bai ignored the incensed crowd of gods and turned his gaze to the Earth Goddess.

The Earth Goddess, her long brown curls adorned with a floral wreath, held a staff made from a tree branch. Her long skirt trailed on the ground. She looked calm and graceful. From beginning to end, she merely observed Lin Bai without uttering a word.

The Earth Goddess gave Lin Bai the same unfathomable impression as the God of Darkness. She seemed to be one with the entire land. Getting her Divine Status to give to Xu Longyun would not be easy.

"If your actions threaten the safety of all divine beings, I am not averse to going to war with you," the Earth Goddess said, glancing coolly at Lin Bai. "However, your Divine Soul is too weak and incongruous with the vast Divine Power you seemingly wield. The ’you’ speaking to me now is merely a Divided God, isn’t it?"

"As expected of the strongest god, you saw through my disguise with a single glance," Lin Bai chuckled. "That’s right, this is merely one of my Divided Gods. Even if you kill him, I will suffer no harm. Instead, you will lose my friendship. The next time we meet, it will likely be on the battlefield."

"No one here is afraid of you!" the Sun God, golden hair shimmering, forced a smile. His lips twitched a few times as he added angrily.

"I don’t want you to fear me, nor did I ever intend to be your enemy. Even the God of Darkness does not wish to make an enemy of the entire world. Besides, I lack such power," Lin Bai coughed lightly. "Esteemed gods, I have come with sincerity to resolve the catastrophe threatening all worlds..."

"Lin Bai, your fine words cannot conceal the fact that you turned the God of Darkness into a Puppet and copied his Divine Status," the Wisdom Goddess said coldly.

"Beautiful goddess, may I ask your name?" Lin Bai smiled, looking at the goddess who had spoken.

"Wisdom Goddess Athesis," the Wisdom Goddess replied with an arrogant smile.

"Goddess Athesis, believe it or not, the God of Darkness incident was an accident." Lin Bai looked at the Wisdom Goddess, activating his Enlightenment Skill, his eyes sincere. "Don’t rush to refute me. Please, hear me out first.

"Fellow gods, if you are familiar with my past, you should know that I rarely use Cards. Moreover, to seal someone with a Card, the target must be gravely injured and near death, or they must willingly consent to be sealed by me.

"The God of Darkness is a main god. His Divine Power is endless; as long as there are shadows, he cannot die. Tell me, how could I possibly have sealed such a god as a Puppet without his consent?

"Furthermore, the one beside Thunder Heavenly King at that time was just a minor Divided God of mine, his strength at most equivalent to a Four-winged Angel. He was captured and imprisoned by Thunder Heavenly King and used as a tool to set up the Magpie Bridge—many people in Pine stone city witnessed this. You should all understand that even a gravely injured God of Darkness couldn’t be harmed by a Four-winged Angel!"

The gods exchanged uncertain glances.

Lin Bai’s explanation inherently carried Sophistry.

Besides, they themselves were unwilling to believe that beings of their immense power could be turned into Puppets.

So, for the moment, the hostility most of them felt towards Lin Bai lessened somewhat.

"That doesn’t change the fact that you ultimately turned the God of Darkness into a Puppet," the God of Wisdom said.

"Your Excellency Athesis, if I were to say that turning the God of Darkness into a Puppet was an act of saving him, would you believe me?" Lin Bai looked at the Wisdom Goddess and said, "Furthermore, I must correct one point: I did not turn the God of Darkness into a Puppet. Rather, I used a special ability I possess to help him stabilize his Divine Status."

He paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping across the gods. "After his Divine Status was stabilized using my special method, the God of Darkness’s power will not wane, even without a single believer. That is why the God of Darkness agreed to let me copy his Divine Status. Now, he no longer needs believers to provide him with power. He has become the true God of Darkness."