Chapter 7: The Insidious God of Shadows

After leaving Xingtian’s territory, Li Mingxing encountered several individuals who intended to kill him to curry favor with Apollo.

However, Li Mingxing and his companions, Zheng and Aisha, were no longer the same as they had been. Not only were their two level-6 skills restored and usable, but Li Mingxing, having acquired a new longsword and elevated his swordsmanship essence to level 7, could single-handedly hold off two low-tier sixth-rank enemies. After slaying a group consisting of seven low-tier sixth-rank, three high-tier sixth-rank, and one low-tier seventh-rank combatants, they encountered no further significant resistance.

Nevertheless, Li Mingxing sensed that the atmosphere in this Inner World was amiss, a feeling that intensified once they entered the domain of the God of Shadows.

Just as Li Mingxing was wondering what was happening, a man dressed as a thief emerged from the vicinity. The man cast a look of disgust at the sun in the sky, then turned to Li Mingxing and said, "You came from the territory of the Headless God of War, didn't you? My master wishes to see you. Follow me." Li Mingxing was taken aback; he had not expected to make contact with the God of Shadows so quickly. Despite his reservations, he followed.

However, upon meeting the thief’s supposed master in a nearby cavern, Li Mingxing grew indignant. The person before him was not the God of Shadows, but a high-tier seventh-rank assassin. Seeing Li Mingxing’s annoyed expression, the assassin chuckled and asked, "Do you know why I summoned you?"

"I have no idea what thoughts this master might have," Li Mingxing replied coldly. Although he was on enemy ground, he did not fear the man. While he might not necessarily be able to fight his way out, he could use the "Sword Pellet" he had recently forged for a sneak attack.

Undeterred by Li Mingxing’s cold demeanor, the assassin smiled and said, "I invited you here because I sense a dark aura about you. As someone who handles affairs for the God of Shadows, I find that with the sun so intense, some of my subordinates are unable to operate, leaving me with certain difficulties. That is why I had you brought here."

"To ask for my help?" Li Mingxing said aloud, while sneering inwardly. He had come to find the God of Shadows himself; he had no intention of taking on some subordinate's task. If it were a mission for the God of Shadows, there might be substantial rewards, but for a task like this, any benefits would surely be reaped by the assassin. Consequently, Li Mingxing did not even bother to ask for details, merely watching the man calmly.

Since Li Mingxing remained silent, the assassin couldn't easily force the task upon him, lest it trigger resistance. After a moment of thought, he said, "You are a newcomer. How about I grant you a small favor as a gesture of goodwill?"

At this, Li Mingxing stood up. "No need. I am here to see the God of Shadows. If you do not wish to introduce me, that is fine, but you can still inform him: there is a conspiracy on Apollo’s side to turn this entire world into a world where the sun never sets."

With that, Li Mingxing, Zheng, and Aisha turned to leave. Just as they turned their backs, he heard the assassin say, "You turn away so easily—are you not afraid of being assassinated the moment you do?"

Li Mingxing was about to retort, but he immediately felt that something was wrong. The assassin’s voice had changed; it no longer sounded like the one he had spoken to earlier, but now carried a chill like ice colliding in a freezing wind.

Li Mingxing turned back to find the assassin watching him with a faint smile. The power radiating from him was identical to what Li Mingxing had felt when he met Xingtian—a sense of absolute authority that ignored everything and demanded submission. Li Mingxing instantly realized that the person before him was no longer the assassin; he had become the God of Shadows.

Even with the support of the Dark Alliance behind him, Li Mingxing dared not act disrespectfully toward such a deity. He became remarkably compliant, walked back to the assassin, sat down, and asked, "May I ask what the God of Shadows requires?"

"Is what you just said the truth?" the God of Shadows asked, staring into Li Mingxing’s eyes. Being a god who enjoyed deception, he was naturally suspicious. Before Li Mingxing could answer, a spell akin to "Detect Lies" descended upon him.

Li Mingxing found the spell both frustrating and amusing, but he did not hold back. He recounted his deductions regarding Apollo’s plan, identifying himself as a member of the Dark Alliance and mentioning the presence of a Light Alliance mole near Apollo. These were indeed deductions, but they were rooted in fact, so the spell registered no falsehood. For a deity like the God of Shadows, who thrived on behind-the-scenes manipulation, a single piece of intelligence was enough to grasp the situation.

After explaining this, Li Mingxing waited in silence. After pondering for a long time, the God of Shadows asked, "Was the Headless God of War mobilizing his entire army also your idea?"

"No. I merely informed him of the facts. He did not wish to become Apollo’s subordinate, so he took his troops to cause disruption," Li Mingxing replied without hesitation.

"I suspected as much. That suits me just fine. Since you did not accept my subordinate's task, how about you complete one for me? Rest assured, the reward I provide will be no less than what the Headless God of War would offer."

Seeing the God of Shadows’ eyes fixed upon him, Li Mingxing knew that if he did not agree, he would never leave. He nodded, "Please, state the mission, my lord."

"Excellent, I like your attitude," the God of Shadows laughed loudly. "I will spread word of Apollo’s plan shortly. While I do not know how many gods will believe it, it will at least muddy the waters. You shall be the one to prove the truth of it to certain deities."

Li Mingxing realized immediately that the God of Shadows intended to intervene. He considered that while the god’s help would speed up his mission, it would also polarize the deities of the Inner World. Moreover, if the factions were decided by the God of Shadows rather than him, it would be detrimental to the Dark Alliance’s long-term plans.

However, Li Mingxing could not refuse. He smiled and said, "Rest assured, my lord, I will tell everything I know to all the gods. Whether they choose to believe it or not is no longer my concern."

The God of Shadows realized that Li Mingxing had seen through his scheme. Though his expression did not change, a sliver of dissatisfaction grew within him. He had sent for Li Mingxing partly to suppress him, as he, the controller of intelligence within the shadows, already knew something of the dealings between Li Mingxing and Xingtian. He had intended to use this mission to form a League of Gods under his own control, with Li Mingxing acting as the front—if things failed, the blame would not fall on him.

He had not expected Li Mingxing to be so shrewd, effectively sealing the outcome. If Li Mingxing were to approach all the gods rather than the select few the god had planned, the result would be that Li Mingxing would remain unscathed, the gods would unite to suppress Apollo, and the matter would end there—leaving the God of Shadows’ own ambitions unfulfilled.

Nevertheless, he would not openly oppose Li Mingxing. He smiled and said, "That aligns with my wishes as well. Why don't I send you to several of these deities? With my escort, I believe you will be able to contact them more quickly."

Li Mingxing understood: the God of Shadows still wanted to influence his decisions by directing him to specific gods first. Once those gods were swayed, the God of Shadows would find an excuse to withdraw, forcing Li Mingxing to handle the rest alone, or perhaps even interfere with his progress.

Unable to reject the "kindness" of a god, Li Mingxing spoke before the other could continue: "Actually, you only need to send me to the Forest Goddess. Once we convince her, almost all the gods in this world will believe the truth."

"That is a good plan, but I cannot agree to it. You see, while I bear no great hatred for the Forest Goddess, I do not have much contact with her."

"No matter, we can go ourselves. However, perhaps you could provide us with a list of gods we should contact early on. I imagine they are already quite troubled by Apollo’s plan."

Li Mingxing’s words left the God of Shadows with no further excuses. After staring at him for a long time, the god finally said, "Very well, we shall do as you say. You may begin. Once you have completed the task, return to me for your reward."

As he finished speaking, the divine presence vanished from the assassin. Li Mingxing understood that the God of Shadows had departed; for now, he had won this round.