Action on the Prime Material Plane

The storm caused by the planar tremors naturally affected the Prime Material Plane. Fortunately, the Ringwraith City suffered no damage, as it floats in the sky rather than on the ground, and possesses the formidable defense of the Shield of Guardianship, making it difficult for even planar fluctuations to cause direct harm. On the other hand, the allies of the Magic Empire suffered heavy losses. The Sea-Encircled Country experienced a rare tsunami, causing numerous casualties. The Kingdom of Serei was also hit by a landslide, but fortunately escaped the disaster. Large swathes of trees collapsed in the forests inhabited by the elves, even blocking many waterways. The Dark Elf and the City of a Thousand Towers fared no better; if one hadn't been well-prepared and the other hadn't been accustomed to living in constant crisis, they would likely have been buried alive deep underground.

Compared to the Magic Empire, the United Kingdom suffered far greater losses. The earthquake not only caused considerable casualties but also severely damaged its economy. Crops that had already sprouted withered and died in large numbers due to the earthquake, causing prices in the United Kingdom to rise several times over in just a few days. Furthermore, the United Kingdom lacked the manpower to handle the dead, leading to widespread plagues in many border areas. In addition, the large number of wild animals that fled into the countryside and cities in panic also had a significant impact on the United Kingdom.

Along with the invasion of plague, wild beasts, and disasters, the hearts of the people in the United Kingdom were in turmoil. They feared that the Scourge Legion would seize the opportunity to invade the United Kingdom and completely destroy their defenses. However, to everyone's surprise, the undead that lingered on the border had all vanished without a trace. No one knew where they had gone; from the border of the United Kingdom, there was absolutely no trace of the undead. But the United Kingdom did not let its guard down. After all, the shadow cast by the previous attack was still too great, so even though they could not see the undead, they did not want to send troops again—and they no longer had the ability to do so.

Li Lin did not seize the opportunity to launch an attack, because at this moment, he had more important things to do.

The once quiet Ringwraith City suddenly became bustling with activity. Li Lin had promised Maya and the Elven Queen that they could relocate their races to Ringwraith City. The elves would reside in the Garden of Verdure, under Kalin's jurisdiction, while the Dark Elf chose Anna's gravesite as their home. The inhabitants of the City of a Thousand Towers had been completely evacuated and moved to the central area of Ringwraith City. After all, since the God of Justice had decided to disregard the rules and directly use the "inhumane" method of planar collision, Li Lin naturally wouldn't limit his focus to ordinary warfare. Although it was impossible for everyone to live in Ringwraith City, Li Lin still provided assistance to the best of his ability.

After all, considering that he might have to move the Prime Material Plane to avoid the God of Justice's attack, and that violent plane movement would also cause serious damage to the Prime Material Plane, it was best for his allies to stay in safe places. As for the Sea-Encircled Country and Serei, Li Lin didn't tell them the truth, only that this period would be troublesome and he hoped they would be careful. Fortunately, Serei was already used to a life of constant disasters and calamities, and Li Lin gifted the Sea-Encircled Country two sea fortresses to meet their needs, thus silencing Princess Shirley's questions.

As for the undead, most of them perished in the natural disaster, while the rest were recalled to safety by Angela. After all, in the days to come, as Mount Celestia gradually approached, the Prime Material Plane would also experience similar aftershocks, and these troops could not be wasted any longer, but were prepared for the final battle.

During this time, Li Lin also took some time to open Lower Planes plane with Nia, pulling Gabriel and the angels she led back to the material world. Just as Li Lin had predicted, after such a long battle, only 130,000 angels had actually survived, with 70,000 having perished in the war against demons and devils. However, considering that a single Blood War in the Hell plane involves at least a million battles, no one would underestimate the fighting capabilities of these angels.

Of course, settling these angels also gave Li Lin quite a headache for a while. After all, although these angels were currently on Li Lin's side, and after watching Gabriel's memories, they also approved of the Magic Empire's revenge, it didn't mean they could tolerate the existence of evil before their eyes. So, after much deliberation, Li Lin had no choice but to send the angels to Beika's "King's Shield." Anyway, it had always been deserted with only Beika there, so sending tens of thousands of angels to keep her company wouldn't hurt. Moreover, Li Lin also agreed to Gabriel's request to have these angels assist in maintaining order in the city—of course, they didn't need to patrol the training grounds filled with Black Edge Knight and the cemetery inhabited by Dark Elf.

To Li Lin's relief, these angels were clearly very law-abiding. They patrolled the Ringwraith City every day according to its regulations and punished evil deeds to a certain extent. This had inadvertently improved the order within the Ringwraith City and also brought Li Lin an unexpected benefit.

While many allies have consistently supported the Magic Empire, this support stems from self-interest rather than morality. After all, those allied with the Magic Empire are mostly weak nations, naturally prioritizing their own interests over morality. However, this doesn't mean everyone idolizes the Magic Empire. In many people's eyes, even if not evil, the Magic Empire is still powerful and terrifying. Furthermore, these individuals have heard of the Magic Empire's numerous cruel acts abroad. Although ostensibly driven by self-interest, human emotions still exist. Even without direct involvement, standing on the same side as such a nation raises concerns about future consequences, and whether the gods will forgive their actions.

Unlike the ethereal gods on Earth, the gods here are real and tangible. Even if people don't believe in them, they still have an instinctive fear of those mysterious forces.

But now, gazing at the beautiful figures soaring above the Ringwraith City, many who had been unsettled calmed down. After all, they all knew of the existence of angels. In the legends of many gods, angels were symbols of kindness and justice. Now that they had appeared here to help the Magic Empire, it meant that they had not done anything wrong. Or rather, the Magic Empire was not as evil and terrifying as the legends suggested.

Of course, while some tried to cause trouble for the angels or approached them out of curiosity, the angels were clearly very obedient. Most of their time, besides patrolling the entire Ringwraith City, they prayed to their new master— the God of Light —in the newly built Temple. Of course, this was merely a contingency plan; Li Lin did not intend to confuse the Magic Empire with religion, so he issued an order forbidding angels from proselytizing to the residents of Ringwraith City. Although somewhat confused by this order, Gabriel accepted Li Lin's suggestion.

After all, we're all under someone else's roof.

Of course, Li Lin only mentioned the matter of plane shifting to Gabriel, Nia, and Angela, among others. Gabriel's reaction was extremely strong. After all, she was a subordinate of the gods and naturally couldn't tolerate the destruction of the entire upper Lower Planes. However, she also understood Li Lin's actions; at least, if the beings of the Prime Material Plane could survive, then it would be a good thing. Nia, on the other hand, was deeply worried. She shared Li Lin's concerns: whether the gods could obtain the "Great Book of Law" in time. Although Li Lin had promised the gods that he would hold out until the very last moment before sealing off the entire Prime Material Plane, after that time, there would be nothing more he could do.

The best solution would be for the gods to use their divine domains to crash into Mount Celestia. Even if they couldn't stop it, they could at least delay its arrival. However, this would also be dangerous for the gods. After all, in the eyes of the God of Justice, they were no different from walking food; if they were willing to deliver themselves to his doorstep, he would welcome them without hesitation. Although these gods would restore everything to its former glory once they obtained the Great Book of Law, Li Lin seriously doubted how much courage they would have to choose this path.

Moreover, you only get one chance.

If the Goddess of Theft fails, then the gods will have no choice but to launch a direct assault on the Supreme Temple, which is not much different from a primitive man attacking a star destroyer with a javelin. Unless the God of Justice has a limit to his power absorption and is about to be overwhelmed, this will be a considerable threat. Even with the help of the ancient gods, Li Lin believes the problem will not be any simpler.

So what about the Lord of the Nine Hells?

Although Li Lin hadn't directly offered any opinions or suggestions to the Lord of the Nine Hells regarding this matter, it seemed the latter had no intention of contacting Li Lin. Indeed, while the Lord of the Nine Hells did possess the power to confront the God of Justice, doing so would also be incredibly taxing on him. In Hell, a world where the strong prey on the weak, only hierarchy and strength could suppress ambition and conspiracy. The Lord of the Nine Hells had painstakingly managed Hell for tens of millions of years, or even longer, and naturally didn't want it to vanish. He wouldn't take the initiative to act because of this "possible" threat. Besides, once the Prime Material Plane shifted, it would inevitably have to confront the God of Justice again; in that case, why waste energy for someone else?

Li Lin was able to guess some of the Lord of the Nine Hells' thoughts.

Of course, this doesn't mean he's forgotten the United Kingdom. Although if things continue like this, even without his intervention, the United Kingdom will eventually collapse due to the dimensional collision and shift, this is not what Li Lin wants to see. He wants to personally end the Five-Nation Alliance, not let some natural or man-made disaster steal it from him. Besides, the God of Justice's power is greatly diminished now, and what he needs most is the faith here. Li Lin is certain that if he launches a full-scale attack, even if the God of Justice is truly determined to fight to the death, he will definitely intervene to stop him.

For Li Lin, this was the only chance to prevent Mount Celestia from entering the Prime Material Plane and to kill the God of Justice.

You only get one chance.

And now, he is still patiently waiting.

Mount Celestia is moving slowly but steadily toward the Prime Material Plane. It needs to overcome numerous obstacles and other parts of the Upper Planes before it can reach the edge of the Prime Material Plane. According to the Lady of Secrets's calculations, Mount Celestia will have an unavoidable close encounter with the Prime Material Plane in at most six months.

Success or failure hinges on this one move.

All we can do now is wait.

Standing outside the portal, watching the elves lining up and entering the Ringwraith City under the protection of angels, Li Lin's expression was solemn.

"Since the other side has decided to disregard everything, the threat we face will only grow stronger."

"But that is also our opportunity, Arcane Mage."

The Elf Queen floated beside him, completely enveloped in a sphere of pure water, isolating her from any potential pollution or influence from the outside air.

"To be honest, the odds are only fifty-fifty."

Li Lin sighed and shrugged.

"The civilization of the Magic Empire has lost too much. Although the empire possesses many weapons that could temporarily alleviate or even prevent this crisis, most of them were destroyed a thousand years ago. We lack both the materials and the manpower to complete them. While Yi Aier's ideas and concepts are good, we lack the time to manufacture and experiment with them."

Recalling the little maid, Li Lin couldn't help but smile bitterly. After returning to the Prime Material Plane, he discovered that Yi Aier was being repeatedly subjected to "maid re-education" by Suoxiate for some unknown reason. When Li Lin inquired, Suoxiate simply used the excuse of "affecting the stability and harmony among the Ring Spirit Envoy" to shut him up. However, Li Lin later learned the truth from Kalin, that big mouth, and immediately understood why the other Ring Spirit Envoy had been avoiding him these days—so Li Lin readily abandoned his idea of pleading for Yi Aier and let Suoxiate educate her.

"The collision of planes and the destruction of worlds—I've never witnessed anything like that before. It must be incredibly interesting. Perhaps I'll even be able to see the beginning and the end of the universe."

In contrast to the worried Elf Queen, Angela was quite relaxed and didn't seem to care about the crisis at all.

"Why are you so worried? As the saying goes, change your perspective. Here's what I'll give you: this black stone tablet. Rub it vigorously, and you'll discover the secrets of the entire universe."

"That was a terrible sight, Miss Angela."

The Elf Queen did not take the strange, dark rectangular stone brick from Angela's hand.

"The sky will shatter, the oceans will dry up. The earth will reveal fissures leading to the Abyss; nowhere will be safe. The air will be filled with deadly poisonous gases that will relentlessly roam everywhere, plundering all life... In the end, everything will be destroyed, and even the greatest gods will not escape this calamity."

"Since the end result is death anyway, I think it's better for them to do more."

Angela coldly and threw away her hand and the black stone tablet in the picture book that said, "Touch it and you will know the secrets of the universe."

"Isn't it better to be a martyr than a villain? Since those idiots who are revered by thousands are so terrified, why don't they make a heroic sacrifice to gain sympathy and points? Hiding like rats in a black hole deep in the universe, shivering under blankets, waiting for destruction and death? What a bunch of useless nerds."

"That's not actually the case, Miss Angela."

Hearing Angela's unfiltered words, the Elf Queen frowned, then looked into the distance.

"The gods are also working hard to protect their people... You see."

The two followed the Elf Queen's gaze, and then Li Lin's eyes widened in surprise. He stood there stunned for a moment before turning his head to look at the Elf Queen.

"You actually kept this? Why didn't you tell me in the first place?"

"This is the will of the Elf Goddess, Your Arcane Mage."

The Elf Queen's smile was shrouded in a heavy shadow.

"In fact, if it weren't for the guidance of the gods, we wouldn't have known that this thing still existed within our capital. To be honest, even in this critical moment, I wouldn't want to use it. In my personal opinion, even if the entire world were to be destroyed, we should never use this cursed thing again."

"Nuclear weapons are the key to starting a war, and also the key to ending one."

Angela licked her lips, watching with excitement and curiosity the colossal creature slowly advancing under the elves' guidance. It looked completely unlike an elf; its jagged, sharp, serrated armor made it resemble a cursed weapon used by demons in Hell. Its jet-black body wasn't a natural black; it was covered in congealed blood—most of it aged over countless ages, its color distorted by the winds of time, obscuring its original appearance. But this only made it appear more majestic and terrifying, like a fearsome monster lurking in the darkness.

"Master, although I don't know what this thing is, I like it."