The Search for a Hidden Secret

Just as Li Lin had predicted, the God of Justice had indeed appeared in Star City. However, as he had also thought, finding the God of Justice was no easy task. Of course, he didn't use the title "God of Justice." After all, the multiverse was a chaotic place, and the Astral Plane was even more dangerous. Even if a god were to appear in person, he would have to keep a low profile. Otherwise, if someone took a dislike to him and killed him, he would be in deep trouble. Fortunately, Li Lin had planned ahead and pieced together the image of the God of Justice, which allowed him to find some remaining clues.

However, even so, it didn't reduce the difficulty much. Although the Astral Plane is vast, it doesn't have a unified name. Any traveler from any plane can use any language they've learned to call anything here. It's even common to call Heaven Hell or Hell Heaven. And don't be surprised if you hear someone complain that the environment here is as bad as Mount Celestia —that's definitely something they learned from the devil.

That's why, even with the specific information about where the God of Justice ultimately disappeared, Li Lin was still completely in the dark.

"The Land of Endless Cycles?"

Muttering the word "book" repeatedly to himself, Li Lin frowned. Regardless, the Controller had shown them considerable respect, perhaps because they were heroes who had saved the city, or perhaps because they wanted certain unstable and dangerous elements to leave their sight as soon as possible. Therefore, the Controller, not known for its generosity or hospitality, had granted them permission to use the inter -Star City portal to travel to the Star City closest to the location where the God of Justice had disappeared, without charging any fee. Thus, Li Lin, with Angela, arrived at this Star City, which looked almost identical to the one he had saved.

However, this does not mean that they have reached their destination, because the title Li Lin received was described in the language of the Mechanus. It is said that the controller obtained this information from the tin man in the tavern, so who knows what it originally meant. You know, even on Earth, there are hundreds of Chinese characters that pronounce "YU".

Fortunately, unless completely destroyed, the tin men of the Mechanus retain memories as reliable as computers. After carefully questioning the bartender, Li Lin learned that the God of Justice had mentioned this while chatting with another person who appeared to be from Upper Planes. This greatly narrowed down his search area. Since the information had survived to this day, the two were either speaking Celestial Language or Common Language. Of course, even if he re-translated from scratch based on the characteristics of both languages, it would be difficult to determine exactly where they were referring to—who knows what other people or languages had called this place before?

Li Lin picked up his drink and looked at the small, bright red figure not far away. Angela was sitting excitedly at a table, playing cards with three other high-ranking demons. Those three, who would be powerful even in Hell, were now behaving obediently in front of the little girl, not daring to utter a single breath. In fact, if it weren't Angela the absence of the demon she had torn to pieces at her feet, leaving one person missing, the little girl might not have even had a chance to play cards.

In terms of cunning, demons certainly rank high in the entire multiverse. But before that, unlike the lawless, disrespectful, and arrogant demons, they also had a similar understanding of hierarchy. So when Angela easily tore apart their brethren like chopsticks, they were quite rational and intelligent enough not to seek revenge, but to obediently stay and play with the little one. Of course, no matter how good their hand was, they had to make sure the little one won happily, otherwise their lives would be over... Watching Angela waving her three small cards and looking around triumphantly while the demons beside her lowered their heads without panting was quite amusing.

However, Li Lin didn't stop thinking. He was sitting on a soft seat not far from Angela. This seat was supposed to accommodate four people, but whether it was the mage's aura emanating from Li Lin or the blood and corpses on the ground that made those looking for empty seats change their minds, or at least temporarily change their minds. Li Lin seized this rare opportunity to begin reconstructing and translating place names, attempting to transform them into vocabulary he could understand, or at least close to the original meaning of the locations. The Astral Plane was a wondrous place; as long as you knew the location, even if you didn't know how to get there, you could still reach it by concentrating your thoughts. Of course, the dangers were considerable. Since the phrase "Land of Endless Cycles" itself hadn't been activated, it meant it needed further processing—which was why Li Lin was now translating foreign languages at the dinner table.

Although having the Tin Men repeat the words of the God of Justice would have been more helpful to them at this moment, those damned solid heads stubbornly insisted on using only their own language no matter what environment they were in—just like a damned operating system determined to never be compatible with other software, rigid and inflexible.

Li Lin first translated the sentence into Celestial Language, but still couldn't find the key to teleportation. So he translated it into Common Language, but that didn't work either. Then Li Lin simply scrambled the order and mixed Common Language and Celestial Language together for various translations, but it was still futile. It seemed that this was not a simple task.

Just as Li Lin rubbed his temples, intending to start in a different way, a clear voice came from beside him, speaking Abyss Language, one of the languages commonly used here.

May I sit here?

Li Lin looked up and saw a girl draped in a black cloak standing smiling beside him, seemingly oblivious to the magical aura emanating from Li Lin and the corpses on the ground. Of course, judging from the equally bright light surrounding her, this girl was also a rather troublesome character.

"No problem, please have a seat."

Li Lin shrugged and gestured for the girl to sit down. The girl smiled and nodded in thanks before taking her seat on the other side of the table. Angela held her cards tightly, staring intently at the dice on the table, seemingly uninterested in what was happening around her.

Li Lin pulled his glass back from the center of the table, continuing his thoughts. The other party clearly didn't intend to disturb him; the girl in the black cloak beckoned to the bartender and quietly ordered—a gesture that earned Li Lin's favor. After all, in Astral Plane travel, politeness was paramount. Following the rules was essential for a qualified traveler.

However, this did not bring any progress to Li Lin's translation work. When he sighed again and looked up, Angela had obviously gotten tired of playing the card game—just look at the three pitiful devil arms left on the table in front of her. But the little one was obviously very excited, which was why Li Lin did not see the devils' corpses.

Playing games with such a dangerous guy was obviously an unwise choice. Since no one dared to challenge her, the little guy naturally stopped sitting there. She could only purse her lips in boredom, then took the cards and other things the devil had lost to her and returned to Li Lin's side. She sat down in the chair next to her master and took a big gulp of the pure "virgin blood" in front of her.

This is exactly what Angela admires most: with enough money, there's nothing you can't get.

"Did you find anything, Master?"

Angela fiddled with the deck of cards made of silver foil and gold thread in her hand, asking idly as she did so. A magical glow shimmered across the cards, indicating they were no ordinary treasures; in the Prime Material Plane, they could probably buy an entire country. But in the little one's hands, they were no different from the cheap, ten-yuan decks sold on trains.

"No results."

Li Lin shook his head. He felt his brain was getting tired. After all, switching between various languages on a large scale for a long time was really exhausting.

"Perhaps I need to spend some more time."

"Then there's nothing we can do."

Angela didn't urge them as usual, perhaps because staying in the Astral Plane itself was interesting to her, so the little one didn't mind what to do next. So she just shrugged and then turned her gaze to the girl sitting opposite her, revealing her signature innocent and lively smile.

"So, elder sister, would you like to play cards? If you lose, all I need is a cup of your blood to taste. Isn't that cheap and a good deal?"

It seems she's fallen in love with this game.

"Of course, no problem."

Surprisingly, the other party agreed. The girl in the black robe nodded to Angela in goodwill while reaching out to flip a card.

"This..."

"My name is Angela. What is your name, elder sister?"

"Stifal... Hello. Nice to meet you, beautiful and lovely Miss Angela."

As she spoke, the girl in the black robe reached out and took her first card.

Since he had nothing else to do, Li Lin relaxed and began to watch the two play. He had to admit, Li Lin was somewhat surprised that anyone dared to directly accept Angela's challenge. Moreover, unlike the timid devils he'd encountered before, this girl Stifal was clearly skilled at cards. After one round, she defeated Angela with an absolute advantage and won some of the devil's spoils. Angela, unusually, showed no anger or rage. Instead, the two seemed to have reached some kind of tacit understanding during the game, stopping after just one round.

"So, big sister, where are you planning to go?"

Angela fiddled with her cup while asking curiously. After all, she had a lot of curiosity about this plane and the travelers here, so it wasn't strange for her to ask.

"Just wandering around."

Stifal's answer was like that of a true dimensional traveler: formal, concise, yet utterly meaningless.

"I really like cute girls, so I occasionally travel to other dimensions like this, and when I see a cute girl, I capture her and take her home to raise. That's my fun. And to be honest, I'm also very interested in you, cute lady."

"What a noble and admirable pleasure."

Angela might be unusually agreeable, or more likely, she was actually approached by someone—and by a woman, no less.

"Unfortunately, I already have a master, so you'll have to give up, elder sister."

That's such a shame.

Stifal made a rather exaggerated gesture, seemingly genuinely disappointed.

"So, where are you two headed? I can tell you're both very capable individuals; you must have some rather interesting goals."

Frankly, while her question wasn't exactly rude among interdimensional travelers, it was close to offensive. However, her smiling and kind expression made it difficult to get angry. But this didn't really help Li Lin.

"We're here to find something, and it certainly has nothing to do with you. So I hope you'll restrain your abilities, half-succubus."

Li Lin picked up his wine glass and took a sip, while his little finger curled slightly, a sign that he was ready to cast a spell at any moment.

"Since our meeting started pleasantly, why can't we end it pleasantly as well?"

"That's true, I was rude."

Stifal continued to smile, but her posture shifted subtly.

"In return, may I ask if there's anything I can help with? I noticed you seemed to be facing some difficulties, powerful mage. If it's not a secret, you can tell me, and perhaps I can help you resolve some issues—after all, I am a traveler who has journeyed through countless planes for a long time."

Although the girl's words weren't entirely outrageous, and Li Lin didn't really believe that a half-succubus could give him any good advice, this was, after all, the Astral Plane —a world where everyone you meet is likely to have their own unique qualities.

I'm looking for a place.

After much deliberation, Li Lin decided to gather ideas from all sides. After all, given the current situation, this was a case of "three heads are better than one," though whether they could outwit a Zhuge Liang was another matter entirely.

"It's called the 'Land of Endless Cycles,' but I don't think that's its real name, so I'm trying to find some... key enough to open the door."

"This really stumps me."

Although Stifal was still smiling, his expression had become somewhat serious.

"I'm just a dimensional traveler; using keys to open doors isn't my forte... But why don't you try finding a dimensional merchant? I think they could give you a satisfactory answer, after all, that's their specialty. If you two don't mind, I could recommend someone who might be able to help you solve your current troubles."

Unlike those dimensional travelers who wander aimlessly in the dark, dimensional merchants are a far more peculiar existence. Strictly speaking, it's not just a profession, but a race. This race is born with the talent to open portals in various ways across different corners of a plane and travel to any time they desire at will. Of course, it's hard to say whether their race chose to become traveling merchants because they possess this talent, or whether becoming a traveling merchant inherently grants them this talent. In any case, these beings always appear in various parts of the multiverse, using their mercenary mindset to open every trade route.

Of course, Li Lin had considered finding interdimensional merchants, but firstly, he was unfamiliar with the area, and interdimensional merchants rarely appeared, since they carried the rarest and most precious items from various planes, making them easy targets. Secondly, interdimensional merchants were also very cunning; depending on their position, customers becoming commodities was not unusual for them.

However, since this opportunity has arisen, and I cannot afford to waste any more time...

"Of course, no problem."

Li Lin thought for a moment, then nodded in agreement.

Led by Stifal, Li Lin and Angela left the tavern and traversed most of Star City before finally stopping in an extremely secluded corner. While common sense suggested it was likely a trap to steal their money and kill them, anyone foolish enough to harm Li Lin and Angela would be at risk. Fortunately, the cloaked, black-haired girl clearly didn't have the habit of willingly placing herself on the Book of the Dead's list.

This is it.

Following Stifal's finger, Li Lin spotted a stone table, but that was all. Judging from its placement, it should be against a wall, but there was no sign of any business owner. The only furnishings were paper and a pen on the table.

Stifal stepped forward first, wrote something on a piece of paper, then paused, took something from her bosom (Li Lin noticed that it was the devil's property she had won from Angela), placed it on the table, and then returned, gesturing to Li Lin.

"Alright, Your Excellency, you may now speak with her... It's a very safe and convenient method, isn't it?"

That's true.

Li Lin walked to the table. The paper in front of him was blank, completely empty. Without hesitation, he picked up a pen and wrote down the title that had been troubling him in the language of the Mechanus. Shortly after he put down the pen, the words on the paper began to dance and change, moving like magical runes, and recombine, revealing a completely new path to Li Lin —then a burst of silver flames suddenly ignited, engulfing the paper and reducing it to ashes.

However, Li Lin had clearly found the answer he was looking for.