Chapter 443: Consequences

Outside the alternate dimension.

At this moment, those present were no longer just the Legendary Mages led by You Zhige, the Royal Astral Cultivators, or the Heavenly Realm and Supreme Experts who had gathered from around the world.

Aside from the local Great Shang, the other five of the Six Extremities had also sent their delegates, with some factions even dispatching multiple Heavenly Realm figures.

Solar Radiance Sovereign, Yuan Zhenchuan, Fan Xiu, Wu De, Xiao Donghai... all had arrived. Those who were closer had arrived several hours earlier, while those from the far end of the continent, such as Solar Radiance Sovereign and Yuan Zhenchuan, had made it here just half an hour ago.

At this moment, every Heavenly Realm Expert wore a grave expression.

The earlier battle between Li Pin and Long Xiang above the Celestial Martial God Hall had sent shockwaves across every faction. Before anyone could confront him, Li Pin had disappeared from the hall, vanishing using the Void Ring.

After much effort tracking him, they had rushed to Supreme Expert Ge Lin's estate, only to find Li Pin had already arrived in Great Shang. There, he clashed fiercely with Great Shang's Heavenly Realm Experts over the royal capital. The battle had then shifted to this alternate dimension.

"This is all a part of a scheme! A trap aimed directly at Hall Master Li!" Yuan Zhenchuan's voice burned with suppressed fury. "If it wasn't premeditated, how could Great Shang be so well-prepared? This alternate dimension was clearly set up for him."

You Zhige replied calmly, "Lord Yuan Zhenchuan, I beg to differ. Every nation has its trump cards, and Great Shang is no exception.

"If Li Pin hadn't stormed into Great Shang and relentlessly pursued our Heavenly Realm Experts, how would this situation have escalated to the point of trapping him here? I bought a knife, and you ran into it—should I take the blame for that? Isn't that just playing victim?"

Yuan Zhenchuan snapped. "He only came to Great Shang because of Zhao Kunwu's schemes!"

You Zhige remained composed. He said, "It's premature to make such accusations before the truth comes to light. Speaking recklessly without proof only weakens your position, Lord Yuan Zhenchuan."

His composure reflected his confidence in Zhao Kunwu and the others, who had trapped Li Pin in the alternate dimension.

The delay in reopening the alternate dimension was of no concern to him, as there were only two possible reasons for that: it was either Li Pin was fiercely resisting, delaying the inevitable, or Zhao Kunwu and his group were recovering to ensure they could face the Astral Cultivators' inevitable backlash.

As for failure, having personally witnessed the Astral Formation's power, that possibility had never occurred to You Zhige.

Beside him, Wu De, aware he had been used, remained silent. You Zhige's confidence left him unwilling to speak out.

Yuan Zhenchuan said coldly, "If anything happens to Hall Master Li, Great Shang can prepare for an all-out war with Tianyuan."

"You're being excessive, Lord Yuan Zhenchuan. It won't come to that," You Zhige replied, his tone dismissive.

He didn't believe Yuan Zhenchuan could rally all of Tianyuan into war against Great Shang.

Yuan Zhenchuan warned, "Don't look so pleased with yourself. Hall Master Li's talent is unmatched. While you've been improving, so has he. His battle with Long Xiang proved that. If Great Shang keeps scheming like this, you may end up losing all your Heavenly Realm Experts in the dimension, leaving them as mere corpses under his blade."

"That is no concern of yours," You Zhige said indifferently. "We—"

Solar Radiance Sovereign, the chairman of the Gaia Alliance, cut off You Zhige. "Enough. There's no need to argue further. Focus on opening the alternate dimension first."

He turned to Dao Ming, Tu Tan, and Xiao Donghai, who were working nearby. "Have you located the entrance?"

Xiao Donghai shook his head. "The entrance has been sealed from the other side using special methods. It will take at least ten to fifteen days of calculations to pinpoint its position."

Ten to fifteen days!?

The number sent a wave of unease through the people present. By then, the outcome of the battle inside would already be decided.

Whispers broke out among the surrounding Heavenly Realm Experts, their voices carried through spiritual transmissions. From their demeanor, most seemed to be spectating with detached interest.

"Hall Master Li acted recklessly. If Zhao Kunwu and Ji Xuanyuan dared to scheme against him, they must have been confident in their plan. Hall Master Li should have reported this to the Gaia Alliance and let the Alliance handle it."

"Reporting to the Gaia Alliance means reporting to Solar Radiance Sovereign. Since Long Xiang started this mess, it would mean bowing to him. Worse, if Great Shang decided to counter-accuse Li Pin, it could cause even more trouble."

"Having Solar Radiance Sovereign lead the Gaia Alliance is a good thing, isn't it? I don't understand why Li Pin and Zhao Kunwu are still stirring up chaos after a year of peace."

"They're unwilling to give up leadership over the Gaia civilization. After all, the situation now is different from before. With the Divine Dragon Empire leading the Grand Alliance, the overall environment will remain stable for a long time."

At that moment, a sudden ripple spread through the air, accompanied by a surge of powerful astral energy fluctuation.

Moments later, Li Pin's figure appeared before everyone.

Yuan Zhenchuan, Fan Xiu, and Qiao Baishi froze for a moment before their expressions lit up with joy.

"It's Li Pin!"

"He's alive? That's great!"

Meanwhile, You Zhige, Wu De, and the others' pupils dilated sharply.

You Zhige couldn't hold back and asked, "Li Pin... where are my master and His Majesty Ji Xuanyuan?"

Li Pin replied nonchalantly. "I'm here. They're not. That means they're dead."

"Impossible.... My master and the others—"

"Nine Legendary Mages were part of this. You're one of them, aren't you? I'll send you to join them now."

Before You Zhige could react, Li Pin's figure blurred and appeared right in front of him.

While You Zhige was caught off guard, Solar Radiance Sovereign had been paying close attention to Li Pin the moment he appeared.

Seeing him make a move, Solar Radiance Sovereign quickly shouted, "Stop!"

He thrusted his hands forward and twisted them rapidly. The space around You Zhige warped and shifted, moving him a thousand meters away in an instant.

Solar Radiance Sovereign quickly stepped in front of Li Pin. "Hall Master Li, show mercy."

Li Pin glanced at him. "You want to fight me?"

Solar Radiance Sovereign said solemnly, "Hall Master Li, the blood of humanity's strong shouldn't be spilled in internal conflict."

Li Pin indifferently said, "Internal conflict? I've already killed Zhao Kunwu, Ji Xuanyuan, Zhu Zhao, Ying Huo, and Jin Taibai. What are you going to do about it?"

Yuan Zhenchuan, Qiao Baishi, Wu De, Solar Radiance Sovereign, and Dao Ming—those deeply invested in the incident—widened their eyes in disbelief. Even those watching with a mind to enjoy the spectacle, like Fan Xiu, Xiao Donghai, Xiao Qianyuan, and Bai Ying, couldn't hide their shock.

They understood that Li Pin couldn't be lying about something so easily verified, but they still couldn't help but cry out in disbelief.

"Killed them all?"

"What do you mean, 'killed them all'!?"

"This... how is that possible!?"

You Zhige, a member of Great Shang, along with the other Legendary Mages and Master Astral Cultivators, felt a shiver course through them. An unprecedented chill swept over them.

"Impossible... impossible..."

Solar Radiance Sovereign was the first to react. He roared in disbelief, "Li Pin! What... what did you say!?"

"I think I've made myself clear," Li Pin replied. "If the high-ranking members of Great Shang can't focus on strengthening themselves and contributing to world peace, then they need to be replaced."

Solar Radiance Sovereign was about to speak when Dao Ming, who had accompanied him, noticed the ring on Li Pin's left hand.

It was none other than Great Shang's National Divine Ring—the Mental Spirit Ring, capable of allowing a Heavenly Realm Expert to reach the pinnacle of their power.

With that ring in Li Pin's possession, Ji Xuanyuan's fate was clear.

In Great Shang, Zhao Kunwu had always led the charge on the frontlines, while Ji Xuanyuan held the rear and oversaw the grand strategy. If Ji Xuanyuan, the one holding the fort, had already fallen, then what could have happened to Zhao Kunwu, who led from the front?

Five Heavenly Realm Experts—gone.

Two of them had already taken long strides on the Heavenly path and were expected to reach the Legendary level one day. Yet they had all perished just like that.

How much of Gaia's human race's accumulated fortune had been destroyed?

At that moment, despite never holding much prejudice against Li Pin, Solar Radiance Sovereign still couldn't hold back his anger and shouted, "Why!? Did it really have to come to this—to the point where life and death are the only outcomes!?"

He glared at Li Pin. "They were Gaia's elite warriors, the first batch of Astral Cultivators nurtured by the great Astral God Yin Luo.

"Their potential was boundless, and they had the future prospect of becoming Legends. They could have died a more meaningful death by fighting demonic creatures or resisting an alien invasion, rather than perishing in internal conflicts."

Li Pin met his gaze without backing down. "Why? After all this time, haven't you investigated the truth?

"From what I see, capturing the real culprits and punishing them is now my mistake. The correct approach should have been to mobilize the power of the Celestial Martial God Hall and wage full-scale war against your Solar Radiance Empire.

"Or perhaps, starting tomorrow, I'll focus on scheming against both the Solar Radiance Empire and Great Shang, and you can simply turn a blind eye—would that be better?"

At this moment, Xiao Qianyuan from the Royal Empire couldn't help but interject, "But... isn't the purpose of the Gaia Alliance to resolve such conflicts? Why can't we settle this openly within the Alliance?"

"The Alliance's approach has always been to suppress matters, let them fade away, and move on. You keep scheming against me, I keep scheming against you—nothing ever changes."

Li Pin's voice was calm, yet it carried a chilling weight. "You've held your lofty positions and enjoyed your privileges for far too long. Perhaps only death and bloodshed can remind you of one simple truth—if you do something wrong, you must face the consequences."