Star City's Controllers

To others, the runic protection seemed utterly ineffective; they felt no sudden surge of courage, nor did it heal their damaged bodies. But on the other side, the colossal whale enveloped within began to howl in anger, clearly dissatisfied with its current situation and treatment. But what could it do? Even in the astral Astral Plane psychic power was infinitely amplified, the power of rules played a crucial role—moreover, considering its special status, the rules were perhaps even more important.

Despite the monster's struggles, Li Lin didn't stop. He cast another spell, and hundreds of Magic Missile converged into a waterfall of meteors, cascading from Li Lin fingertips and striking the giant whale heavily. Without the protection of the Antimagic Field, the poor Astral Plane Giant Whale was clearly not as strong and sturdy as it had appeared. With this round of attacks, it began to wail, but didn't retreat. On the contrary, the pain in its body made the whale see this annoying city not as a food supply base, but as an enemy it had to eliminate. Soon, more than a dozen tentacles flew out of the void, shooting towards Li Lin's body—considering the damned nature of the Astral Plane, such an attack was practically a surprise attack.

However, they also failed to achieve their goal.

A bright red light appeared in front of Li Lin, easily severing the huge, thick tentacles and turning them into fragments.

"As long as it's not something I can't touch, it's very easy for me."

Angela flicked the translucent tentacle in her hand, seemingly considering whether to take it back as a collectible. However, after it turned into stardust and disappeared, the little guy had to give up his idea.

This round of attacks seemed to have boosted the confidence of the guardians within Star City. Soon, they launched another attack on the giant whale, and this time it was not as futile as before. Crimson sparks erupted from its massive, dark body, and various kinds of magic began to retaliate once again. This only enraged the already wounded giant whale, which clearly had no intention of retreating.

"This is really troublesome."

Li Lin raised his hand again, unleashing three Chain Fireball in quick succession, creating a massive bombardment on the whale's surface. Then, he raised his hand slightly. Although the monster had slowed its advance under the attack, it didn't seem to be giving up. With his current strength, while he could guarantee its destruction, he couldn't guarantee how much power he would have left. Maintaining the Temporary Mythal already consumed considerable power, and he couldn't transform it into other functional forms. Therefore, unless absolutely necessary, Li Lin was unwilling to unleash his power now.

"Angela, is there any way?"

"Of course, Master."

Despite being her first time in the Astral Plane, the little one seemed to be just as familiar with its Astral Plane rules as Li Lin. She flexed her wrists, but the light in her eyes didn't shine any brighter. Instead, her pair of jet-black, bat-like wings emitted a bright red glow and continuously released specks of red starlight in all directions, which was quite unusual.

That thing has no weight, right?

"Probably not."

Li Lin thought carefully for a moment, then answered.

"What, you want to throw it out? Don't forget what I said, here, physical strength is meaningless..."

"The power of the mind is everything; I understand that."

Angela picked up where Li Lin left off, looking at her palms over and over, before finally smiling.

Based on Li Lin's experience, this definitely didn't mean anything good. Before he could stop her, Angela had already transformed into a red phantom and rushed towards the terrifying monster that was almost as big as the city in the distance.

As the red flash streaked past, the giant whale's attack abruptly ceased. Even its tentacles, which had already reached for Star City, intending to smash it, quickly retracted. Then, a sharp, piercing scream tore through the starry sky, making everyone's ears ring. Based on past experience, they naturally assumed the scream came from the reckless red figure that had charged towards the Astral Plane Giant Whale. However, as Star City slowly and steadily approached, everyone's eyes widened in astonishment.

The enormous, terrifying whale was furiously waving its tentacles, and in front of its smooth forehead, a large, long crack appeared. Angela stood there, desperately pulling at the flesh that was trying to reassemble itself, widening the gap between them.

This scene left everyone speechless. Admittedly, the Astral Plane is a realm of the mind, but even so, no one would ever be so insane as to try to tear apart a fully grown Astral Plane Giant Whale with their bare hands using only brute force! Even some gods could not accomplish such a feat. But the crimson figure before her clearly disregarded all the laws applicable to the Prime Material Plane. She resolutely tore apart the whale's flesh inch by inch, as if she were facing a giant paper toy rather than a living, breathing entity, all the while letting out proud and triumphant laughter.

If someone unaware of the truth were to see this, they might think that the Astral Plane Giant Whale was the one being bullied.

As Angela moved, the gap slowly extended backward, completely severing the poor creature's body. Although the Astral Plane Giant Whale didn't surrender to this terrifying attack, it swiftly swung its head and extended its tentacles to attack, trying to tear the creature from its body. However, the little creature's pair of jet-black, bat-like wings easily blocked all attacks, ruthlessly keeping them outside its body.

Finally, with the little one's last laugh, the enormous and terrifying Astral Plane Giant Whale was torn in two from its head. The little one, clutching one half the size of a skyscraper, hurled it forward with force. Then, the energy source, now devoid of its soul, reverted to its original form—the whale's final corpse separated, dispersed, and transformed into specks of light that merged into the shimmering galaxy below, disappearing without a trace.

"This is a really interesting place."

Angela glanced at her hand, then quickly flew in a circle before returning to Li Lin's side.

"Master, I love it here!"

"Okay, I know."

Knowing the little guy well, Li Lin was the first to recover from the shock. He patted the little guy's head helplessly, then turned and flew towards Star City —which was originally their destination.

Everyone in Star City kept a respectful distance from the two who had landed—a gesture of both respect and caution. After all, someone capable of tearing Astral Plane Giant Whale in two with her bare hands was definitely not someone to be trifled with; her mental power was, at the very least, exceptionally strong. The magical radiance emanating from the other mage was equally striking. In the Astral Plane, the mind is expressed in the most direct way. Since both possessed a mental brilliance that drew attention, it meant they were undoubtedly among the most formidable figures here; it was best not to provoke them.

Travelers may be able to do this, but there are others who must fulfill their responsibilities. Although their situation is equally difficult, they must still grit their teeth and step forward to maintain the peace and stability of the entire city.

"Star City welcomes you, travelers."

A figure with a smooth, flawless surface, like a polished marble slab, approached. His small, dark eyes, tinged with pale yellow, darted about nimbly. He crossed his hands, his soft fingers interlacing in an odd shape, instead of resting them on his weapon as usual. Although these two had violated the rule against unauthorized flight over Star City, no rational being would dare to propose such a thing at this time, courting certain death.

"Thank you for your kind assistance as well."

"You're welcome. Any traveler would do the same. After all, Star City is a lifelong friend of travelers in the Silver Void."

Li Lin's response was quite appropriate, which eased the other party's initial tension considerably. Although he still didn't know the other party's background, they clearly possessed extensive experience in interdimensional travel. And dealing with such a person was obviously quite easy. As long as he didn't go too far, he shouldn't cause any problems.

"Of course, esteemed traveler. Our Star City is always open to all who need help. In the Silver Void, we are all the same travelers, without distinction. The only difference lies in whether we are in the same place. Fate has brought us together, and we will be grateful for its kindness."

At this point, a large crescent-shaped slit appeared on its face, as if it were smiling. It glanced intentionally or unintentionally at the surrounding crowd, then turned its gaze back to the two people in front of it.

"So, how can I help you?"

"I want to meet the person in charge of this Star City."

Li Lin's words caused the other person's previously smiling expression to freeze slightly.

"Of course, you can rest assured, I just hope to get some information from him."

Perhaps because Li Lin's attitude was very calm, or more likely because he saw the excited glint in Angela's eyes as she stood beside him, constantly scrutinizing the ground with a sense of danger, the other party did not hesitate for long.

"Of course, please follow me, travelers."

Soon, the two were led into the highest-floor building in the center of Star City. After settling them in and informing them that the controller was currently busy with other matters and would need some time to speak with them, the guard left the room, leaving the two travelers alone.

"I have no doubt that the reason things have progressed so quickly is because those guys are afraid you'll tear this city in two like you're tearing apart Astral Plane Whale."

Sitting in a chair made of some unknown type of wood, Li Lin swirled the wine in his glass. Although one wouldn't die without food or water in the Astral Plane, these sensations would return when he returned to other planes. If he didn't want to starve to death immediately after leaving this place due to decades without food, then replenishing his food supply was essential. Besides, there was no possibility of food rotting here.

"I like it here; it's really quite interesting."

Angela ran and jumped around the living room, admiring the afterimages she created at lightning speed as they floated in the air in various poses before disappearing. She could even touch her afterimages and feel the lingering power and warmth within them. This kept the little one entertained—like a cat chasing and playing with a ball of yarn. Watching Angela's mischievous play, Li Lin could only shake his head with a helpless wry smile.

"Indeed, this place is very interesting for you."

With that, Li Lin downed the fruit wine in his glass in one gulp. The natural aroma made his mind feel much more relaxed. Under the light of the Astral Plane, the liquid shone with a crystal-clear brilliance, and the fruit used for flavoring also gave off a natural fragrance. This was a rare, high-grade beverage in the Astral Plane; it seemed the other party really cared about him.

This must be a product of Upper Planes.

To this day, Li Lin still doesn't know where the little one's power comes from. Judging from everything that just happened, her mental power is far stronger than he expected. However, it is so strange that this appears in an undead creature. Generally speaking, undead creatures in the Astral Plane should be no different from inanimate objects. Although Li Lin had long expected that the little one would be an exception, he did not expect her to be an exception to this extent.

A person walked in, still with that smooth, marble-like face, but this time his voice was much more serious.

"The Controller is ready to meet you, travelers."

For Angela, this world had indeed brought her many surprises, especially when she discovered that the so-called controller was actually a hybrid monster with three faces on its head, six arms, and a snake-like lower body. The little one immediately had the idea of dissecting it for observation. She subconsciously licked her lips and revealed a "naive" smile.

"Thank you very much for granting us permission to visit, esteemed Controllers."

Li Lin ignored Angela's dangerous signal, whether intentionally or unintentionally, it was unclear. The controller also ignored Angela's dangerous gaze, whether due to unawareness or for the same reason as Li Lin, it was unknown.

"You're welcome, travelers. You helped us through disaster and danger, and we are simply giving back as a matter of course. This is the most basic law of equivalent exchange in the multiverse. We abide by the rules and order, and as long as your requests are within our capabilities, we will naturally do our best to help."

Three mouths opened and closed simultaneously. It was as precise as if the same person were speaking, yet they were completely different.

"Then I won't stand on ceremony."

Li Lin clearly understood that he didn't have much time to waste, and the Controllers' time was also limited. If he were to waste time on trivial matters like "today's weather" or "haha," he would be the most foolish idiot in the multiverse. Although this matter was of paramount importance in his own world, to the Controllers, matters in any plane other than the Astral Plane were insignificant. Therefore, instead of trying to explain its danger and importance, it was better to simply state the result.

"According to the intelligence I've received, someone once came to the Astral Plane for some purpose, and that's why we've come here as well."

Li Lin did not specify a particular time, and in the Astral Plane, any specific time description is meaningless. What has happened is the past, what is happening is the present, and what has not yet happened is the future. There is not even a distinction between yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Precision to the previous moment, the present moment, and the next moment is already the limit here.

As he spoke, Li Lin stretched out his hands, letting the magical energy gather in them, then transforming into the form of God of Justice. The three pairs of eyes of the controller stared silently at the illusion before them. They gazed at the man standing before them, awaiting the traveler's next question.

"I want to know what he was looking for, or where he had been. His last known location, and the final destination and direction he headed. That's what I need. I want a clear, accurate, and unambiguous answer."

When Li Lin asked the question, the controllers did not answer immediately. Instead, they closed their eyes and began to think.

Li Lin knew that they weren't merely thinking; in fact, within the Astral Plane, there were countless Star City, yet each was ruled by only one Controller. Although they resided in different cities, their thoughts were identical. Like a computer connected to a mainframe, the Controller's thought network was a vast, boundless regional network, sharing all intelligence and transmitting all information and records. While the God of Justice might not have actually been here, it didn't matter to Li Lin. He had undoubtedly visited one of the Star City, and now, his task was to first locate his trail. The Controller was the only being capable of helping him achieve this.

After a considerable amount of time—not too long, though—the controllers finally opened their eyes again.