Victory in the First Round

The descent of a divine avatar is not utterly invincible. Aside from the suppression and power drain exerted by the Prime Material Plane itself, mortals often overlook the fact that there is always a connection between the avatar and the original. The avatar's power originates from the original, therefore there must be a "channel" between them for the exchange of power. However, the god's sheer power leaves no time for people to ponder these hidden stories. But for Arcane Mage, everything about the gods is intimately familiar. Even a god with immense power like the God of Justice must abide by the rules.

As the gate to another world shattered, the once beautiful and holy light of Heaven began to slowly fade away. The "Hymn of Destruction" Magic Power cannon was enough to destroy all tangible and intangible connections. If it was a gate to another world, even if it were the embodiment of the God of Justice, once it was hit, it would not have a good end.

"Hateful!!"

As the gate to another world disappeared, the God of Justice's expression changed drastically. He looked up at Li Lin, a cunning smile flashing in his eyes.

"You think you can defeat me like this, Arcane Mage!?"

As the God of Justice roared, the light behind him grew even brighter, and powerful God of Justice energy began to condense and reform around him. Now that the connection had been broken, the Saint understood that his existence wouldn't last long. However, Li Lin still underestimated the divine power contained within his body—in fact, this was something Arcane Mage couldn't withstand! This power had already been prepared when he cast the light blade. Now, if he unleashed it, Li Lin, caught within it, would face certain death!

"Die, Arcane Mage! This is the final judgment!"

It radiated golden light.

Six golden wings appeared out of thin air around Li Lin's body, spreading out and blocking his movements. Accompanied by unparalleled divine power, the God of Justice rushed towards Li Lin. Wherever he passed, all the air was blown apart, forming a huge storm. The originally thick dark clouds also began to gradually dissipate, and the light on the earth seemed to have condensed into a single point, enough to destroy anything in his way.

However, faced with this unparalleled power, Li Lin simply shrugged.

I don't think so.

As Li Lin answered the God of Justice, he extended his right hand, and soon the Eternal Library reappeared, its cover adorned with hundreds of magical runes that flowed and shone brightly.

"Actually, I think we need to communicate a little."

As he spoke, Li Lin reached out and lightly flicked his finger across the spellbook.

"Temporary Mythal!!"

With Li Lin's roar, the magical runes that had been attached to the cover suddenly increased in size and expanded, enveloping the two of them and even half the city. At that moment, the God of Justice suddenly felt that the power he had been losing had stopped being consumed. At the same time, the lightsaber in his hand began to flicker and gradually thin. Then, the six golden wings vanished into thin air, and the originally immense divine power suddenly began to surge wildly and uncontrollably, erupting before the God of Justice. With a huge roar and a storm, it slammed the God of Justice back to the ground.

What happened?

The God of Justice felt as if his body was about to be torn apart. Suddenly, his uncontrolled divine power erupted, and even he could not escape unscathed. But before the God of Justice could understand what was happening, the sound of wind behind him made him turn around hurriedly. However, the God of Justice only saw an enlarged fist.

"Bang!!"

With a loud crash, the God of Justice was sent flying backward, crashing through two sections of wall before falling heavily to the ground. He looked up, staring at Li Lin's figure in bewilderment, completely clueless about what had happened. His divine power was no longer being consumed, but he couldn't release it either. All his power seemed to be firmly locked, impossible to use at will.

"Rise up, God of Justice!"

Li Lin cracked his knuckles, a relaxed and confident smile on his face, as he gazed at the God of Justice.

"I know what you're thinking. You plan to return to the Upper Realm and make a comeback... Okay, I admit, I still abide by the rules. Arcane Mage don't go to the Upper Realm, and gods don't descend to the Prime Material Plane. That's the rule. Although you've broken that rule more than once, I'm not as barbaric and ignorant as you. Of course, I understand your idea of reclaiming your power... However, I'm sorry, I don't intend for you to do that."

"What... did you do?"

Slowly standing up, the God of Justice stared intently at Li Lin and asked in a low voice.

"I have temporarily restricted your access to divine power."

Li Lin spoke at his own unhurried pace, as if discussing the day's weather. But to the God of Justice, these words were like a thunderbolt from the blue.

"Nonsense, how could that be... Even if you are Arcane Mage..."

"That's why I said... you simply don't understand why the Prime Material Plane is controlled by Arcane Mage."

Li Lin reached into his robe and pulled out a black, sharp dagger.

"Come, let me see what kind of power you possessed as a mortal."

"Snort!!"

This time, the God of Justice finally became serious, deeply aware of the gravity of the situation. Indeed, without using divine power, the rules governing the consumption caused by the interference of the gods of the Prime Material Plane would not be violated. However, the inability to use divine power would cast the god down to the mortal realm. Although many gods were once mortals, after ascending to godhood, they had almost all forgotten their mortal memories. They had become accustomed to using rules and divine power to solve problems, and a battle where divine power could not be used was virtually unheard of for a god.

The Temporary Mythal Li Lin cast was conditional on "sealing off all divine power." Arcane Mage rule the Prime Material Plane —this is no empty statement. Even gods, when descending to the mortal realm alone, must consider the presence of Arcane Mage; this is their home turf, where they possess absolute initiative, though failure is not insurmountable. However, no god would choose to take such a risk and oppose Arcane Mage.

"Give it your all, I don't want to kill you before the Temporary Mythal breaks down."

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Lin's figure vanished.

Faced with this sudden tension, the God of Justice had no choice. For the first time, he waved his hand, dispersing the lightsaber that was gradually collapsing due to its unstable power. He then reached behind his back and drew a knight's longsword. This sword was simple and unadorned, unlike any ornate divine weapon. However, it shimmered with a faint, visible light, clearly indicating that its immense power, even under the Temporary Mythal, could not be completely suppressed.

However, Li Lin acted even faster than he had imagined.

A dagger shot silently from the side of the God of Justice, aiming for his head. Sensing the danger, the God of Justice quickly turned, holding his sword horizontally to block Li Lin's sneak attack once more. However, this time the situation was different—the dagger, deflected by the sword, flew backward. At the same time, a sharp pain shot through the God of Justice's back. He turned around hastily, only to see Li Lin already retreating silently.

"Good awareness."

Wiping the blood off the dagger, Li Lin spoke leisurely. Then he raised his left hand, and soon, a dark shadow drifted by, reforming into a dagger even blacker than the blackest blade in Li Lin's hand.

"It's a pity your reaction time was too slow... Were you really a soldier before?"

"I don't want to hear a mage's accusations."

Though he said this aloud, deep down, the God of Justice was secretly astonished. Before becoming a god, he was also a battle-hardened mortal, and had faced assassination attempts countless times. However, Li Lin's sneak attack was completely unexpected. He hadn't used any magic, relying solely on physical skill to conceal himself, move stealthily, and launch his attack. This was precisely what the God of Justice suspected most: how could a mage have mastered such exquisite skills? Moreover, from the moment the first dagger flew towards him until Li Lin successfully landed his attack, the God of Justice hadn't sensed Magic Power fluctuations. In other words, after throwing the first dagger, Li Lin had relied entirely on his physical skill and speed to move behind the God of Justice.

But how is this possible? Even a skilled thief couldn't easily achieve such agility and technique, so how did Li Lin, a mage, accomplish all of this?

It seems my body is as healthy as I imagined.

Seeing the God of Justice's surprised expression, Li Lin smiled slightly. Indeed, he hadn't used any magic to increase his speed, but even so, his body, originally composed of magic, was constantly circulating and casting spells. The God of Justice clearly hadn't noticed anything amiss within Li Lin's body, and therefore, naturally couldn't discover the problem.

As for the second question, that's even simpler. When creating the Seven Ring Spirit Envoys, Li Lin would take each weapon on a solo journey across the continent for a period of a hundred years after its creation. This was to hone his relationship with the weapon and his combat skills. Each of the seven weapons was so familiar to Li Lin that he could use them with perfect ease. Even though he hadn't touched them for eighteen years, whenever he picked them up, Li Lin's soul still remembered the experience he had gained from life-or-death battles.

However, the duration of the Temporary Mythal depends on the opponent's ability. With the God of Justice's powerful strength, being able to suppress the opponent for more than ten minutes is already the limit. Li Lin does not intend to waste this time. In any case, he has a better way to use it.

"However, you're not the only one who knows how to fight!"

Accompanied by the voice of the God of Justice, Li Lin felt a blur before his eyes, followed by a sharp whooshing sound, with an unpredictable trajectory, piercing towards Li Lin's body.

Born with super speed?

Li Lin raised an eyebrow and quickly retreated, but this time, the God of Justice was clearly prepared. With a loud shout, his longsword erupted with a bright light, transforming into countless starlight points that completely enveloped Li Lin's body. Faced with this domineering attack, Li Lin had nowhere to dodge and could only raise his dagger to defend himself. However, this was precisely the God of Justice's target.

"Ding ding!!"

The instant Li Lin raised his dagger, two points of sword light struck it precisely. The immense force from the impact caused Li Lin's wrist to tremble slightly, forcibly altering the dagger's trajectory and sending it flying to the sides. This momentary pause did not escape the eyes of the God of Justice. A smug smile played on his lips as he thrust his sword forward, piercing Li Lin's body through his severed hands.

"Um?"

The moment the sword was inserted, the God of Justice immediately sensed something was wrong. He felt no impact whatsoever; it was as if he had attacked thin air. At that moment, a sudden, intense dizziness forced God of Justice to stop. Just then, a tremendous force struck God of Justice heavily in the face from the side, knocking him to the ground. Before he could even get up, a foot pressed down on his chest, rendering him immobile for another moment.

"For a god, you are truly weak. I'm very curious, how have you acquired so much divine power over the years?"

Li Lin, standing on the chest of the God of Justice, leisurely asked.

"You... despicable mage..."

"Don't get it wrong."

Li Lin waved the "Gloomy Curse" in his hand.

"Since it's a dagger, isn't it common sense that it's cursed and poisoned? Poor god, to be honest, if they saw you like this, all the gods you killed would die with their eyes wide open in disbelief."

"..."

Faced with Li Lin's taunts, the God of Justice gritted his teeth, unable to utter a single word. Although his strength was currently the greatest in the Upper Realm, as a god, the God of Justice was not adept at this kind of equal combat. His vast reserves of divine power allowed him to freely exhaust the power of other gods before devouring or destroying them. Relying on his unique talent, the God of Justice was virtually invincible in the Upper Planes. After accumulating sufficient strength, he began to extend his influence into the Lower Planes. The God of Justice believed that as long as he retained this special talent, neither gods nor demons would be his match.

The immense power brought with it boundless confidence. In fact, when the God of Justice learned of the Arcane Mage's appearance, he didn't hesitate for long before deciding to Divine Descent. After all, Li Lin's arrival had caused turmoil in the Prime Material Plane, gradually weakening the God of Justice's source of power. Furthermore, the gods he hadn't killed were causing him trouble in places beyond his reach. Therefore, the God of Justice to send a saint to eliminate this remaining Arcane Mage and prevent future threats.

However, things turned out completely differently than he expected. Not only was Li Lin immune to the powerful divine technique "Instantly Slay Mortal Creatures," but he also managed to seal his divine power! This was something the God of Justice had never anticipated.

"It's about time."

The power of the Mythal began to slowly decrease. Li Lin glanced at the gradually collapsing magical runes around him, shrugged, and then raised his right hand. The power of magic began to condense in Li Lin's palm.

"I think you can hear me, so I'll just say it directly."

Looking into the eyes of the God of Justice, Li Lin spoke slowly and deliberately.

"As someone who disrupts the world's rules and balance, wash your neck and wait to die."

"Arcane Mage, don't be so arrogant...!!"

Before the God of Justice could finish speaking, Li Lin reached down, and a beam of light filled with negative energy burst forth from his palm, piercing through the God of Justice's chest.

The uncontrollable power of light immediately went berserk. The body of the God of Justice, amidst dazzling light, suddenly flew into the sky, then exploded with a deafening roar, becoming shooting stars that streaked across the sky before disappearing into the dark clouds. The clear sky and sunlight vanished at an unimaginable speed, once again shrouded in darkness and clouds. The entire city was deathly silent, with only the faint sound of burning flames audible.

"Possessing the divine power of Greater God, yet only having the experience of Lesser God?"

Gazing Li Lin at the shattered and destroyed Saint.

"That's an interesting research topic."

Muttering to himself, Li Lin turned to look at the paladins. Witnessing the failure of their faith had shattered the fighting spirit of these once-fervent knights. They stood frozen, staring at the sky shattered by the destruction of the Holy One of the God of Justice, their faces filled with despair and terror. Having lost the Holy One's incarnation and severely depleted of power, the God of Justice had withdrawn the divine power that had enveloped and protected the paladins in order to replenish his strength. This deepened the knights' despair and sorrow. In unison, they reached out towards the sky, facing imminent destruction.

Faced with this situation, Li Lin simply turned his head away and gave his final order.

"Angela, kill them all, leave no one alive."

"Yes, Master!"

Upon hearing Li Lin's order, Angela, who was already incredibly excited after witnessing the saint's death, stood up. Her jet-black wings unfurled behind her, and her crimson eyes shone with excitement.

"My loyal servants, kill them all!!"

This is the final order.

For those paladins who had already given up hope, this meant absolutely nothing.