This Is My Name

While Angela was engaged in fierce combat with her enemies in a created space, Li Lin and the God of Justice were also busy in the hall. In a sense, the two had abandoned direct confrontation of strength, instead adopting a more complex, precise, and rapid technical warfare. Magical barriers rose up, only to shatter and collapse with the corresponding divine spells. Energy flows powerful enough to destroy the heavens and earth were powerless against the shimmering, seemingly transparent protective shields that could be pierced with a single finger.

This is the power of rules: light eliminates darkness, but also creates darkness. There is no justice without evil, no back without front, no right without left. All comparisons are mutual; without warmth, there is no feeling of cold. The power of rules is greater than everything. Order exists forever in every corner of the multiverse, proving the ultimate meaning of enemies, friends, life, death, existence, and annihilation.

What we are facing now is precisely this ultimate confrontation.

Li Lin didn't possess Angela's "let him be strong, I'll remain calm as a breeze sweeps across the mountain" kind of tough fighting style, but that didn't mean he would be at a disadvantage in battle. In the past few minutes, he had already unleashed hundreds of different spells of various schools, attributes, and effects, fiercely countering the divine magic cast by the God of Justice, which had different attributes, factions, and natures, without falling behind in the slightest. Although theoretically, any mage should be at a disadvantage in this situation, since each mage can only prepare and use a limited number of spells, and even with the greatest power, running out of cards is meaningless—however, this rule clearly doesn't apply to Arcane Mage.

Li Lin stretched out his hand and pushed forward, making a semi-circle before drawing a circle with his palm. The white mist emitted instantly engulfed the roaring demon army, sending the stench and disgusting monsters back to where they belonged.

"As God of Justice, summoning demons would be a laughingstock."

As the saying goes, "It is impolite not to reciprocate," and in the next instant, Li Lin clenched his fist, then traced his fingers through the void. As a spatial rift opened, several black panthers sprang forth, their mouths wide open, revealing sharp teeth as sharp as blades. Under the summoner's command, they charged towards the enemy, then fell silently to the ground amidst the thick black fog, becoming corpses—they didn't even have time to be teleported back to the world they were originally summoned to, thus dying far from home.

The two sides once again engaged in a back-and-forth exchange of attacks and defenses, with neither gaining an advantage nor suffering any harm. The forces expended were roughly equal; neither side held back excessively, nor did either side exceed its limits.

Order, balance, logic.

"I know where you come from, Master."

The eyes of the God of Justice were fixed on Li Lin before him, unmoving.

"Because I come from the same place as you, where I was just an ordinary person... Oh, maybe not, but what does it matter? Now I stand here, the eternal ruler of this multiverse, able to change anything to my will—a power I've never possessed before. In my time, I was just an ordinary, poor student. I had talent, I had ability! But that unfair world suppressed my abilities! It wouldn't give me any chance!"

Seemingly because he hadn't chatted with anyone for a long time, the God of Justice seemed somewhat agitated.

"I think you should understand my thoughts, Master. I don't know how you inherited this terrible power, but I think you should understand the persecution that unfair society inflicted on me. Everyone looked down on me. They mocked me as a waste, an incompetent person. But that's only because they didn't understand my thoughts! Although I had my doubts before, after coming into this world, I discovered my true abilities. I was born to become a god, to strive to make this world a better place."

As he spoke, he raised both hands.

"I want to create a society that is better, freer, and more equal than the world I live in! Human rights, democracy, freedom! This is everything our gods should give them! Therefore, I cannot tolerate the existence of the Magic Empire, where you mages firmly hold the ruling class! You completely deny ordinary people equal opportunities; you are simply more talented and able to wield greater power. And because of this, can you comfortably stand at the top of society? I don't think so! To create a more democratic, free, and human rights-based world, we must first abolish classes and realize the ideal of equality for all!"

At this point, the God of Justice stretched out his hand and pointed at Li Lin.

"And what about you? My fellow countrymen? What have you done? To satisfy your own greedy, evil desires, you've oppressed these innocent people, and are you so fascinated by standing above them?"

I know what you're talking about.

Li Lin shrugged.

"I think you know that in your world, there's a country that did the same thing, under the same banner as you... But I think you should also know how it ended up. For many countries outside of that, 9/11 is a day to celebrate; foolish people made foolish choices and were punished. That's the embodiment of order."

"Dictators are indeed completely unreasonable."

Upon hearing this, the God of Justice's expression darkened.

"However, you cannot ultimately defeat me, just like the Magic Empire before you. You will ultimately fail; there will be no other surprises or possibilities."

Li Lin remained silent in the face of the words of the God of Justice.

Now, he fully understands why the Magic Empire was defeated; it wasn't just due to tactics, strategy, or other objective reasons. In fact, what caused this outcome was something that came after the God of Justice — the Wheel of Fate.

This is not surprising. Fate is everywhere, and neither gods, humans, nor demons can escape it. Perhaps some of them do not believe in the existence of fate, nor do they believe that it can control all things. But in fact, this is not the case. Just as people eat when they are hungry, sleep when they are tired, kill when they are angry, and laugh when they are happy, fate is also part of the rules. It is an integrated whole after all the rules are contained, and it faithfully carries out its mission in the corners of the multiverse.

Some believe fate is unknowable, and Li Lin doesn't disagree. In fact, fate is precisely that. It encompasses chaotic order, and while no one knows exactly where their future will lead, even if you don't know if you'll be killed by a falling flowerpot, you should know to take off your clothes before going to bed. That's the rule, that's order. Fate merely searches for a point among countless orders, choices, rules, and origins, silently observing, watching, and guiding everyone towards any outcome resulting from their choices. You might starve to death, become a dried-up corpse, or even ultimately become an evil spirit—all depending on the unpredictability of fate itself. For Li Lin and the many gods and demons who know of its existence, this is an inevitable uncertainty within controllable rules, not a threat.

However, the God of Justice changed this. Using the power of the Three Supreme Gods he had obtained, he created the "Pointer of Fate." From that moment on, destiny was no longer unpredictable but a deterministic entity. He used the power in his hands to guide destiny toward predetermined rules. Now, Li Lin was completely certain that the Magic Empire's defeat was not due to their own mistakes or incompetence, but rather to the guidance of destiny—and perhaps even the disappearance and remnants of the Power of Manipulation also stemmed from this.

But fate shouldn't have a pointer, and Li Lin had never believed that the God of Justice could really do this, but now, he had to change his mind.

The battle with the God of Justice felt to Li Lin like fighting a prophetic mage. A prophetic mage can glimpse fragments of the future through the energy of magic and make preparations and choices in advance. However, the God of Justice is fundamentally different. He doesn't need to seek the future; he only needs to create it... From this perspective, it is a very tricky matter.

However, it's not entirely hopeless.

Although the God of Justice holds the power of destiny, Li Lin's understanding of order is far more profound. Even a prophetic mage who can see the future cannot completely escape it. Similarly, creating a future does not mean that the future will necessarily benefit the creator. Any future is merely a part of a chain, and the connection of one chain after another does not guarantee a smooth formation. Following a distorted path will inevitably lead to collapse due to the inability to connect order and rules.

Li Lin is currently searching for this connection point. The God of Justice is like a worker, laying rails for the moving chariot of destiny, and what Li Lin needs to do is guide it to make the direction of the rails distorted and crooked... Even the slightest difference will lead to the failure of all previous efforts.

"I think you've never considered the fact that even an unjust law is still a law."

Li Lin habitually flexed his fingers, beginning his search for the next "twist point" that could mislead the God of Justice and create a deviation from fate.

"But in reality, those people were killed by you... a consequence of your choices."

But revolutions inevitably involve sacrifices!

The God of Justice seems to be stepping into Li Lin's trap.

"Their sacrifice is inevitable for freedom, justice, and human rights! It's far better than being ruled in a half-dead state!"

"Even though they've lost their freedom, at least they have life."

Li Lin raised an eyebrow, and the magical fire in his hand began to burn fiercely.

"I think you've never considered this, perhaps you've been too pampered in your world? Freedom is a drug; it forces people to become dependent and lazy... Appropriate freedom is necessary, but unrestricted freedom poses a threat—just like what you're doing now. I must stop you and destroy the Pointer of Fate."

"Don't even think about it!"

The God of Justice took half a step forward.

"I fight for the whole world, and I will never lose to evil like you. Fate is in my hands, and no matter how you resist, you will inevitably fail. Now you have no way out, mage. Your theories are useless. I believe everyone can make their own judgments, wise and rational choices. They don't need someone to tell them what to do and what not to do. I believe they can make their own choices!"

"The reason why humanity needs rulers is because they can recognize their own folly and weaknesses, rather than blindly pursuing optimistic development."

Magical flames leaped from Li Lin's hands, transforming into sharp swords that pierced the enemy.

"There will always be someone who needs to show them the way."

"This is just an excuse used by those in power."

The God of Justice waved his hand, and silver flames radiating holy light danced and transformed into a shield, blocking another round of attacks from Li Lin.

"They don't want to see their power being diluted, so they came up with this excuse. They consider themselves superior and look down on those who are inferior to them!"

Those who despise the poor are always the poor themselves.

Swords clashed, and countless chains tightly bound the giant hammer that appeared out of nowhere and hurled at Li Lin, binding it in mid-air before it shattered and disappeared under the immense power of magic.

"Only those who lack self-confidence crave inferiority. What about those who advocate democratic rights? Aren't they all just trying to gain more power? The world will inevitably return to its proper course, and order will ultimately prevail. What you've done will forever remain history... Good intentions don't guarantee a good reality or destiny; sometimes, they can even lead to the opposite. I think those foolish citizens certainly don't realize that the army they voted for will be brutally abusing prisoners on that land under the banner of freedom and democracy. But do you think they will face this reality instead of denying it?"

"Nonsense!"

The power of the storm took shape beside the God of Justice, displaying its rampant, chaotic, and terrifying strength. A chilling cold, enough to freeze the air, also began to form, merging with the burning flames. The storm swirled, entangling the flames, while the icy chill enveloped them, creating an unprecedented form. Watching this scene unfold before him, Li Lin's eyes narrowed slightly, revealing a thoughtful expression.

"Even if I'm not a mage, I can still use magic."

Noticing the change in the other party, the God of Justice's expression revealed a hint of pride amidst his smugness.

"Furthermore, I can use spells that you mages could never use, just you wait and see!"

With a roar from the God of Justice, an ice ball encased in burning flames hurtled towards Li Lin, leaving a trail of cold and heat in its wake. Facing this fierce attack, Li Lin didn't even flinch. He simply stood there, neither using any magic to defend himself nor attempting to dodge, as if the attack were nothing more than Little Xue used in a snowball fight, utterly harmless. But the God of Justice knew this was his final, painstakingly crafted killing move. The icy outer shell could reflect most magic, and even if Li Lin could neutralize it, the whirlwind and flames within would still inflict considerable damage. This pleased the God of Justice greatly.

"So, can you mages combine these different types of energy into one? This is the power of the gods. I control all the elements; this is my true power. I will control everything! No matter how powerful you are, you are ultimately just a conventional mage. It's impossible for you to defeat me. Remember, innovation is true power."

"Luckily, you're not a mage."

Facing the water and fire balls rushing towards him at high speed, Li Lin's lips curled up slightly.

"Otherwise, you will utterly disgrace the mages, Your God of Justice. We mages have made it very clear that opposite attributes cannot be mixed."

"This is nothing more than you monks clinging to old ways and lacking ambition!"

As the God of Justice spoke, the divine spell that had been charging forward suddenly split apart. Then—the spell, which should have blasted Li Lin to pieces, failed to achieve its intended effect, instead exploding in mid-air and turning into a scene of utter chaos. Faced with this scene, the God of Justice's eyes widened in astonishment. He simply couldn't understand how his prepared technique could suddenly lose its effectiveness. He had tested it countless times; there was absolutely no reason for it to suddenly collapse at this moment!

"Rules, order."

Li Lin pointed to his head.

"Follow the rules, follow the order, follow the laws governing the world... You'll never understand. Innovation is important, but no one is foolish enough to engage in wildly imaginative and absurd explorations before conducting thorough basic research. Your Highness, God of God of Justice, well, in my opinion, you don't deserve to be called God of Justice at all, because you were never God of Justice to begin with. Chaos, inferior ways of thinking, and meaningless actions—you are the ultimate enemy of order. The danger of chaos is truly embodied in you. Now, tell me your real name, shall I? Stop tarnishing the name of God of Justice, because you are simply unworthy."

"Very good."

Faced with Li Lin's mockery, the God of Justice's expression grew even more somber, but he did not become angry.

"I'll show you what Tang Longfei is truly powerful!! Open your eyes wide and watch carefully!! Although I don't know where you came from, I am a descendant of the dragon!"

With his shout, a golden light suddenly burst forth from his body, forming the shape of a dragon.