The Plot Arrives

While he was absorbing the Soul Ring, the system had alerted him. He just hadn't heard it.

The system had been upgrading at the time, so it had temporarily shut down all its functions.

Now the upgrade was complete, and he could use the system again.

Another upgrade.

That made two.

Lin Chen remembered that after the first upgrade, the shop had gained more items.

But was that all a system upgrade did?

Lin Chen pursed his lips and was about to close the panel.

Just then, a system notification caught him by surprise.

The system had gained a new function.

And it was so extraordinary that even he was stunned.

The avatars he unlocked by acquiring Soul Rings were finally more than flat cutouts.

No, that wasn't quite right. They were more like real people now.

Because the system had pulled off something incredible: it had patched every avatar and added a plotline for each one.

Now every one of his avatars would have a corresponding identity on Douluo Continent.

The moment they appeared, the system would generate an identity for them, complete with a backstory.

Lin Chen's eyes lit up.

He immediately opened the avatar interface.

The system now displayed his fourth avatar, who had landed at random in Mingdu, in the Sun Moon Empire.

The avatar was—Li Xingyun.

Li Xingyun from The Legend of the Bad Marshal.

What was more, the Dragon Spring Treasure plotline had been updated and brought into Douluo Continent.

Li Xingyun would truly become embroiled in the Dragon Spring Treasure plot, running an escort agency while pursuing the main storyline.

The Dragon Spring Treasure was real in this world now.

At the sight of that, Lin Chen stopped breathing.

He jerked his head up, his eyes full of shock.

What about the previous worlds?

Honor of Kings World, the world of Honkai: Star Rail, and the world of The Outcast.

Lin Chen checked them one by one.

He discovered that the system had patched each of them and assimilated them into this world.

From this moment on, the system had changed Douluo Continent.

No wonder a system that operated on the level of rules was so powerful.

Douluo Continent was no longer just Douluo Continent. It was a fusion of four worlds... No, counting Douluo Continent itself, five.

Lin Chen drew a deep breath and suppressed his shock.

He had too many questions. He needed the system to answer them one by one.

"System, what exactly is going on?"

Lin Chen fired off a string of questions in his mind.

"What does it mean for a plot to arrive? What's this world assimilation? Are people being created out of thin air, or are people in this world being turned into characters from those other worlds?"

He had so many questions that he threw them all out at once.

The system's mechanical voice soon sounded.

"The plots have arrived. The world has been adjusted to accommodate their timelines.

"Important plot characters have also been established in the current world. This will not affect your ability to redeem those same characters from the shop for your avatars later."

Lin Chen froze for a moment.

"What does that mean?"

"It's simple."

"Take the Dragon Spring Treasure plotline of your avatar Li Xingyun. The relevant characters, including Bad Marshal Yuan Tiangang, have already appeared in this world. But Yuan Tiangang did not appear out of thin air. He has genuinely lived in this world for several hundred years."

"He will approach the Li Xingyun avatar later, following the plot's normal progression. But the Li Xingyun avatar can still redeem Yuan Tiangang through the system.

"That Yuan Tiangang will not be bound by the plot. He will become Li Xingyun's companion.

"As for how the worldlines were merged?"

The system explained.

"For example, without changing the basic course of this world's development, another dynasty has been inserted into the Sun Moon Empire's past: Li Tang.

"And Li Xingyun is the last surviving bloodline of that dynasty."

Lin Chen frowned.

"But that doesn't follow the original plot.

"By this point in the original plot, Great Tang had fallen, but no new nation had been founded. It was constant warfare until unification came much later.

"The Sun Moon Empire doesn't fit the plot either."

"Host."

The system's tone remained calm.

"The fusion inserts elements without disrupting the basic structure of your world. It is not a one-to-one recreation. As long as the plot can unfold normally, that is enough."

Lin Chen considered that.

"Is it the same for the other worlds?"

"Yes."

"The main plotlines will revolve around your avatars and no one else."

Lin Chen fell silent for a moment, then asked the most important question.

"System, what exactly am I? How are my avatars this powerful? They can change the world through causality."

"Don't flatter yourself, host."

The system poured cold water on him without mercy.

"Your avatar ability did not come from you. I granted it.

"You have to absorb Soul Rings to unlock them because, after integrating into Douluo Continent, I too must abide by its rules. Otherwise, the mission cannot proceed. I can only wait for you to unlock them one Soul Ring at a time."

Lin Chen: "..."

Fine.

Got excited for nothing.

And here I thought I was some chosen one.

"The avatar plotlines have now been unlocked," the system continued.

"Your avatars will automatically pursue their corresponding plotlines.

"As the various plotlines merge, many important characters will appear. Each has an identity, a position, and a history on Douluo Continent. They are all living people."

"Okay, okay, okay."

Lin Chen was utterly numb.

"So that's how you're doing this?"

He looked down at his four avatars.

One was in Shrek City.

One was in the Sun Moon Empire.

One was in the Star Luo Empire.

One was in the Heaven Dou Empire.

What had once been a confrontation between Douluo Continent and Sun Moon Continent had turned into an all-out free-for-all.

Every plotline involved families and nations. This was no longer simply Douluo Continent; it had become a fused world.

And as he unlocked more avatars, nine worlds would eventually be crammed into this one small Douluo Continent.

Who the hell could take that?

Still, Lin Chen was curious.

He turned to the system.

"System, what's inside the Dragon Spring Treasure? Gold and silver? Those aren't much use on Douluo Continent.

"And Zhang Chulan's Qi-State Origin-Flow?

"Everything's already been converted to Douluo Continent's Soul Power system. Is Qi-State Origin-Flow still useful?"

"I'm not entirely sure either. Why don't you take an active part in the plot and find out for yourself?"

"Aren't you the one who arranged for the plots to arrive and merge? How come you don't know anything now?"

"The rules performed the fusion, not me.

"And is it possible that the avatars and their plots were supposed to arrive together, but were delayed because of you, host?"

The system's words came as a bombshell!

Lin Chen was dumbstruck. Now you're blaming me?

"Then answer me this. Li Xingyun, Zhang Chulan, even Zhao Huaizhen—I can more or less understand them. Their plots arriving is fine.

"But tell me, what the hell is Phainon supposed to be? If his plot arrives, are you trying to destroy Douluo Continent?"