The Opened Door

"A hidden sanctuary forbidden by books."

Floating in the boundless starry sky, Li Lin and Angela were heading towards their destination. Although they didn't know exactly where it was, that's how the Astral Plane works; you only need to know your destination. Whether you're taken there by train, ship, or plane is not a concern for travelers.

They didn't know how much time had passed, or rather, not much time had actually passed, when the two stopped and looked at the huge island that had suddenly appeared before them.

It must be said that in the Astral Plane, a flat landmass or a floating island is not uncommon, but this island is clearly unusual. It looks like a large basin filled with water, with clear lake water swaying calmly and peacefully in it. Although there is no source of fresh water, it does not look like a stagnant pool at all. At the same time, it reflects sunlight from who-knows-where—at least, as far as Li Lin looked, all he could see were scattered stars.

Although this place exists, it doesn't truly exist. If Li Lin didn't possess the key to the "Hidden Forbidden Sanctuary," even if he were lucky enough to slip here at will, he wouldn't see anything. The gate is only open to those who know their destination; everyone else is refused entry.

"Come with me, be careful."

Li Lin slowly slowed down, reached out and grabbed Angela, and cautiously approached the place. Upon getting closer, Li Lin discovered that the place was not empty except for the lake. A not particularly tall palace stood in the middle of the lake, and the only thing connecting it was a stone bridge that spanned the entire lake and stretched all the way to the end, like a red carpet used to welcome guests in the palace.

A land of order.

When Li Lin landed on the stone bridge, gravity recaptured his body, and at the same time, Li Lin felt a faint hunger in his stomach. Clearly, time here was no longer frozen like in the Astral Plane, but maintained its original flow—which was indeed quite strange. The sunlight shone on him, making Li Lin feel warm and comfortable, but he still couldn't see the sun's shadow.

There couldn't be anything more bizarre than this.

Angela didn't act recklessly as usual. Instead, she narrowed her eyes, revealing a hint of hostility for the first time, and stared unfriendly at the small hall standing at the far end. The jet-black wings were not folded, but the crimson that had previously appeared on them had disappeared. The influence of the Astral Plane had completely vanished; what remained was merely a more normal manifestation of a unique world.

That's unbelievable.

Li Lin's face was gloomy. Finding the right location did not improve his mood; on the contrary, it made it worse.

Although the Astral Plane may seem absurd to outsiders, it actually possesses a fairly strict order. Within this order, there are beings powerful enough to violate Astral Plane, yet they manifest themselves not through chaos but through another kind of order. Li Lin was almost certain that his guess was correct. The only question was the current situation and whether he still had hope or possibility. However, some things must be faced regardless of one's choices.

For example, death.

For example, fate.

The journey wasn't short, but Li Lin unusually refrained from using any magic to speed up his progress. He simply walked slowly towards the palace before him, with Angela following closely behind. She displayed an anxiety, unease, and anger unlike Li Lin's. A slight smirk played on her lips, her fingers constantly rubbing the hem of her skirt. Her wings fluttered, folded, and then unfolded at an almost imperceptible angle. Unlike Li Lin, Angela didn't know what was hidden within these gestures. But it felt oppressive and filled her with absolute resistance.

Finally, the two arrived at the door.

Li Lin remained silent for a moment, then finally reached out and pushed open the door.

The interior was equally bright and shiny.

Sunlight streamed through the stained glass, radiating its brilliance within the hall. At its deepest part, a huge circular object was slowly moving. It looked like a clock, with concentric metal rings wrapping around it at various angles, and long hands rotating on them at an extremely slow pace. However, it was not static.

"That's truly rare."

As a heavy voice rang out, the person standing in front of the strange clock, completely wrapped in a cloak, turned around.

"I never expected that anyone would actually find this place."

"I am merely following in the footsteps of those who came before me."

Li Lin answered in a deep voice, paying no attention to the person, but staring intently at the strange clock before him. He could sense the powerful force within it, a force that was neither divine nor Magic Power, nor any natural power or other random thing. This force far surpassed them all, almost the only, eternal, and irresistible existence in this world. Compared to it, even the greatest gods were nothing more than roadside weeds, utterly meaningless.

"That?!"

This is the only word everyone uses to refer to it. It's not that there aren't better ways to describe it, but whether it's gods, humans, demons, Arcane Mage, or anything else, when it comes to it, they all use the rather vague title "that." It's not within their sphere of thought, nor within their sphere of life, nor within their sphere of struggle. The entire multiverse is under its control; no one can escape it, no one.

"May I ask what brings you here?"

The man took a step forward and asked.

"I do have something I'd like to ask."

Suppressing his nervousness and unease, Li Lin asked the question. He looked at "that" again. Although he had never seen "that" in his life, Li Lin believed that this was what he was looking for. The question he was about to ask would represent his final choice.

"I only want to know one thing: what did the person who came before me do?"

As Li Lin asked his question, the previously relaxed atmosphere instantly became much more serious.

"That's not a good question, guest from afar."

After a moment of silence, the other person answered, his hands clasped inside his long sleeves, seemingly doing nothing.

Why don't you shift your focus from the lost past and look to the present and future?

"To be honest, I don't seem to know who you are."

Upon hearing the other party's response, Li Lin frowned slightly, his fingers curled slightly, and then straightened again.

"I am the guardian of this place."

The other party did not panic when Li Lin asked the question.

"It is my duty to guard this place."

"Guarding what?"

Li Lin continued to press for answers, but his gaze had already bypassed the other person, fixed directly on the slowly moving pointer.

"You are not worthy of that answer, guest from afar."

The other party seemed to be getting a little impatient with Li Lin's persistent questioning.

"No matter how you found out about this place, it's not a place for you. Now, you should turn around and leave. That's what you should do, isn't it?"

I don't think so.

Following this answer, Li Lin made his move.

A barrage of colorful Magic Missile flew from his fingertips like a storm, hurtling towards his opponent. Faced with this sudden attack, the man showed no sign of panic. He sneered and shouted.

"Madness!"

With a furious roar, a semi-transparent, distorted barrier stretched out before him. The rapidly approaching Magic Missile missed their intended targets; an invisible force in the air detected their trajectories, causing the crystals of Magic Power energy to condense and freeze in mid-air before dissipating back into nothingness. But Li Lin didn't stop. He walked forward, swinging his arms in a strange and wondrous manner. Magical runes appeared on his hands, pulsating and forming complex and powerful incantations. Then, an invisible force vibrated the air within the hall, tearing the semi-transparent barrier before him to shreds.

"When it comes to controlling order, I'm no less capable than you, Guardian."

Li Lin's expression was solemn, yet tinged with a hint of mockery.

"Now, tell me, who exactly are you? And what are you trying to protect?"

"So you're Arcane Mage."

It seemed as if only then did they notice the magical runes floating in front of Li Lin, and the other party became slightly more cautious.

"However, even for you, isn't it a bit too presumptuous to make a move here?"

"As a protector and follower of order, I think I have reason... to protect everything I need to protect."

Li Lin snorted coldly.

"Furthermore, I'd really like to know, who exactly is it that has arbitrarily installed pointers on the Wheel of Fate?!"

This was the first time Li Lin had unleashed such intense rage. The magical power he had been holding and condensing in his hands erupted with its most powerful force, engulfing everything in a vibrant green light that easily devoured the floor, chairs, and ornate stone pillars. This time, facing the surging magical power, the opponent did not try to block it again. Perhaps he felt it was unnecessary, or perhaps he was unable to withstand the rage of the Arcane Mage before him. Therefore, the strange man quickly chose to retreat. A faint light shimmered around him, and then, with the help of some unknown force, he dodged an attack that was otherwise impossible to avoid, narrowly missing it by a hair's breadth.

"This is to make the multiverse function in a more orderly manner, Arcane Mage."

This time, the strange man finally got serious. He raised his head and took out a long staff from under his cloak.

"Do you really want the unknowable chaos to rule the entire universe? And..."

As he spoke, the strange man brandished his long staff.

"I think we need to talk privately."

Just then, Angela suddenly unfurled her jet-black wings. She retreated rapidly, turning around as if to leap out at something... but in the end, she vanished silently into thin air, as if she had never been there at all.

Li Lin wasn't concerned about Angela's disappearance, nor did he seem worried. Although the little one might encounter danger here, based on Li Lin's understanding of her, this small matter wouldn't bother her. Given enough time, patience, and destructive power, Angela wouldn't take this little trick seriously at all. What concerned him more was the person before him. Although he was still deeply hidden in his cloak, Li Lin had already vaguely sensed his true identity.

"You can't fool me, God of Justice."

At this point, Li Lin suddenly relaxed a lot, and he even had the leisure to stretch his neck.

"How about dropping your disguise and showing your true colors? I imagine you don't enjoy fighting with your back to the wall."

Silence.

Then, just as Li Lin had said, the other party reached out and removed his cloak, revealing a familiar yet unfamiliar face that Li Lin had seen before in the City of the Federation.

"I never expected you could see through something like that, Arcane Mage."

"It's very simple logic."

Li Lin raised an eyebrow.

"The Wheel of Fate has no pointers; it is impossible for anyone to control it. Only you, who have obtained the power of the Three Supreme Gods, can create such a thing and force fate to move forward along its predetermined path. Therefore, when I saw those pointers that should never exist in this world, I already discovered the problem."

Li Lin stared unblinkingly at the man in front of him.

"Only the Three Supreme Gods know the exact location of 'that.' Since you killed them, you must have obtained the key. However, I never imagined you would be so bold, or rather, so foolish..."

"I don't think I'm stupid, mage."

The God of Justice revealed a confident smile.

"Look, I have mastered power—the power of order, the power of chaos, and the power of their fusion. So, I am naturally qualified to do these things, aren't I? Since I have the ability to do these things, why shouldn't I do them? Look at what I can do now! I can even use this power to manipulate everything in the entire multiverse! I can make anything I care about act according to my will! Even gods and demons are no exception!"

"A foolish choice, and you paid the price."

"That's exactly what you said."

Faced with Li Lin's mockery, the God of Justice shrugged.

"Indeed, I find myself trapped in this damned place, and no matter what I try, I can't leave. But so what? I am a god; even if I can't get out, my avatars can! And through them, I can still sense the changes in the outside world. Of course, this limits my power, but here..."

A powerful, divine radiance, unlike anything before, began to emanate from the God of Justice, displaying unprecedented power.

"Do you really think you can face a Supreme God? Arcane Mage?"

"Now I finally understand why the you in the Upper Planes only possessed the divine power of Greater God. That was an avatar you created, wasn't it? And the reason you attacked other gods was to absorb their power to replenish yourself, wasn't that right?"

Li Lin cautiously took two steps back. He frowned. The divine power emanating from the other party was genuine, the supreme divine power. That's right, this was the true God of Justice who had killed the Three Supreme Gods and seized their divine power and status, not that imposter wandering around Mount Celestia.

"I have to admit, you played that trick quite well; at least you scared those gods."

The immense pressure made Li Lin feel a powerful, unprecedented pressure. In fact, he hadn't noticed the problem at first, but the slight chaotic fluctuations of divine power when the God of Justice banished Angela from this world caught his attention. If it weren't for that, Li Lin would have found it difficult to consider such a complex issue in such a short time. Originally, he only intended to get some information out of her, but now Li Lin's thoughts were becoming clearer and clearer.

"That's right, I did come to replenish my depleted strength. I have no followers in this damned place."

Seeing that he had gained an absolute advantage, the God of Justice became even more smug.

"However, don't misunderstand. The reason I want to eliminate them is to rule the entire Upper Planes!"

As he spoke, the God of Justice clenched his fist in anger and shook his head.

"Is this what you call justice?"

A clear sneer filled Li Lin's eyes.

"Certainly."

Faced with his questioning, the God of Justice remained righteous and assertive.

"Look at what those gods are doing! For their own sake, they drive the humans of the Prime Material Plane to slaughter each other. Whether it's evil or justice, in the end, isn't it all about power?! They don't have the power to break the balance, yet they let those humans suffer needlessly. They deceive with lies, exploit unsuspecting humans to worship them, extract power from them, and then use them to wage wars that should belong only to the gods, ultimately leading to the devastation of the entire Prime Material Plane! Is this the god people worship?! No, we don't need such gods. Therefore, I will rule the entire Upper Planes, and in this way, the whole world will have lasting peace!"

"Foolish delusion."

The immense power was already upon him, forcing even Li Lin to unleash his protective spells to prevent further damage.

You will ultimately fail.

"This is impossible, Arcane Mage. Fate is on my side... and you, I originally planned to destroy your empire one last time, but since you've come here of your own accord, then I won't hold back."