Chapter 10: Each One’s Scheme

But would Li Mingxing really just rush out like that? The answer is no. After entering the domain of the Forest Goddess, Li Mingxing understood that the two who had escaped would certainly ambush them again. The next ambush would not be as fortunate; the enemy would surely find a force capable of absolutely suppressing Li Mingxing's troops.

For Li Mingxing to run out now would not be bravery, but stupidity. Therefore, after discussing this with the Forest Goddess, he decided to stay within her territory.

He still had some time, and he did not need to stay here for too long—only until the God of Shadows or Xing Tian started a war with Apollo. Of course, if those deities dragged their feet and did not start a war, it did not matter; Li Mingxing had already done what he could, and the rest was beyond his control.

Furthermore, judging by Apollo’s actions, the representative of the Light Alliance must have entered a step earlier than Li Mingxing, and Li Mingxing did not believe that person would stay here longer than he would.

With this decision, Li Mingxing felt much more at ease. He settled down temporarily in the Forest Goddess's domain, not concerning himself with the current state of the Goddess. Instead, he spent his days training his swordsmanship and his control over his muscles and physical strength. He also took this opportunity to refine the short sword he had just acquired into a blade, which he then concealed inside his mouth.

When he had time, he would go to the edge of the Forest Goddess's domain, appearing and then vanishing to provoke the enemies hidden somewhere nearby.

Li Mingxing’s actions were fine once or twice, but after doing it many times, the apprentice hero from the Light Alliance realized Li Mingxing’s intent. He desperately wanted to return to Apollo’s side to ensure Apollo completed his subsequent tasks, but he was unwilling to leave like this and let go of such a formidable enemy as Li Mingxing.

Just as he was torn between these two choices, the mage under his command walked up to him. "My lord, we cannot continue like this. We have been in here for nearly ten days. Although we don't know when the enemy arrived, they have certainly been here at least three days longer than you have. If we don't act now, everything we have worked for will be snatched away by them."

Hearing this, the apprentice hero frowned. "I understand. It seems the situation can no longer be delayed. You stay here and keep watch. If they come out, lead the troops and charge. No matter what, you must pin them down here."

"And you, my lord?" the mage asked.

"Me? I am going to see Lord Apollo to tell him that the Forest Goddess has united with other deities to oppose his plans," the apprentice hero said calmly, though a flicker of hesitation could be seen in his eyes.

After all, doing this was equivalent to pushing Apollo into direct opposition with the other gods and making this inner world even more chaotic. If that happened, his mission would be considered a failure. Even if he had the chance to enter this inner world again, he might not be able to achieve such results.

But what would happen if he didn't do it? He had no idea. However, he knew one thing: the apprentice hero of the Dark Alliance before him was no weakling. If given three days, he could bring this entire inner world under the sphere of influence of the Dark Alliance.

Thinking of this, the last trace of hesitation in the apprentice hero's eyes vanished. He stood up, patted the mage on the shoulder, and said, "I leave this to you. Remember, you must keep that person here."

After the apprentice hero departed, the mage contemplated the current situation. He had been trained by the apprentice hero specifically as a strategist. While he might not have been as strong in grasping the big picture as his master, he had gained considerable insight into human nature.

When the apprentice hero left, he had already guessed his intentions. Having analyzed Li Mingxing's thoughts, he believed that if Li Mingxing learned of this situation, he would certainly exploit the opportunity. If Li Mingxing were to invite a group of deities to join him, even Apollo might not be able to defeat them. With such an opportunity, Li Mingxing might very well succeed in unifying the gods of the entire inner world.

He had to find another way to prevent this, so he could not let Li Mingxing know the truth; he had to lure Li Mingxing out and suppress him.

An idea struck the mage, and he smiled. "Let’s start by luring the snake out of its hole."

Soon, everything the mage did was noticed by Li Mingxing. At first, seeing the enemy appear outside was a surprise, as Li Mingxing had not detected their presence at all over the past three days. His first reaction was that the enemy was trying to lure him out. Li Mingxing ignored this obvious trap.

However, he soon realized that this strategy was somewhat off; the setup was simply too crude. Li Mingxing thought carefully and understood: it seemed the enemy intended to trap him here, but fearing their own strength was insufficient, they used this fake ploy to confuse him.

But why would the Light Alliance do this? Did they have some way to deal with him? Li Mingxing wondered. He dismissed the thought as unlikely, for he was currently in the Forest Goddess's domain; attacking him would be equivalent to attacking the Goddess, which would mean a war between gods.

With this thought, a realization struck him: had the enemy learned of his presence and gone to fetch Apollo?

Once this thought emerged, it grew more plausible. He could no longer sit still; he prepared to seek out other gods to gather all their strength for a decisive battle against Apollo.

Just as Li Mingxing was preparing to leave, Zheng and Aisha approached. Seeing his intention to leave, they were curious. Li Mingxing explained his suspicion and his plan to find other gods. The two girls did not possess the cunning of the mage; they simply felt Li Mingxing’s plan was sound—if they could ambush Apollo here, the inner world would be much safer.

Just then, the Forest Goddess, who had been unseen, emerged from her woods. At the moment of her appearance, Li Mingxing felt the surrounding flowers bloom instantly, and countless small birds circled around her. It was clear that the Forest Goddess exuded an air of gentle arrogance.

What surprised Li Mingxing most was the silver horn atop her head. He immediately understood that the Forest Goddess’s true form was likely a Holy Unicorn.

After emerging, the Forest Goddess smiled softly. "I apologize. You have been here for so long, and I haven't come to see you. Any matters were passed on through that druid. It was my fault as the host."

"Not at all. You are a deity; you don't need to concern yourself with a small figure like me," Li Mingxing said with a smile.

The Goddess shook her head. "I have seen your situation over the past few days. If you were simply trying to jump into a trap, I wouldn't have cared. But someone has been calculating against me, and a mere mortal at that—I will not let that pass. Li Mingxing, will you do me a favor?"

Li Mingxing looked up at the Forest Goddess. At this moment, he felt that this seemingly gentle goddess was just as formidable as the God of Shadows. This realization made him uncomfortable, but he had to agree to her request, using this opportunity to help her set a larger trap.

Leaving the Forest Goddess’s territory with two sixth-tier high-level bodyguards she provided, Li Mingxing did not encounter any enemies. However, his thoughts were focused on the bodyguards, as their aura was nearly identical to the Forest Goddess herself.

Recalling the headless war god under Xing Tian and the ability of the God of Shadows to possess his seventh-tier high-level assassin, a thought occurred to Li Mingxing: perhaps he and these two bodyguards were merely bait, meant to draw the flames of war outside the Forest Goddess’s territory.

If Apollo fought the Forest Goddess outside her domain, even if other gods intervened, Apollo could not claim that she had intentionally set a trap for him. Even if the inner world fell into chaos, the Forest Goddess could still maintain a neutral stance in the end.

Reflecting on this, Li Mingxing felt his understanding of human nature had deepened. However, he had forgotten that his opponent was also laying a trap, one significantly more intricate than anything he had seen.

Except for the Forest Goddess’s intervention, which had not been accounted for, everything else had been anticipated. After Li Mingxing left the domain, the mage led his troops to follow, preparing to launch a surprise attack from behind. Of course, this was merely a feigned attack, intended only to force them back into the Forest Goddess’s territory, as the mage’s plan required Li Mingxing to be within her domain to succeed.