210: Chapter 211 The God of the American Empire

Facing the twelve figures radiating terrifying auras surrounding him, along with the seven pure-blooded giant dragons circling overhead with immense dragon might, Lin Muyang felt not a shred of fear. Instead, the corners of his mouth curled up, revealing a faint, amused smile.

"To deal with just me, you've mobilized such an impressive lineup. I'm truly... flattered."

Thoughts raced through his mind. Admittedly, the opposition had made a grand gesture this time. They had assembled top experts from many countries, including an old-school legendary Summoner like Hansa Bami; the level of attention they paid him was evident. Fortunately, he had grown to his current level. If this had been a few months ago, when his level was still low and his foundation unstable, he would have had no choice but to use his Divine Concealment Aura to flee in embarrassment if faced with an encirclement of this scale. And fleeing in embarrassment was certainly not what Lin Muyang wanted.

Now, the situation was completely different.

This independent dimensional space, forcibly carved out, isolated him from the outside world and also cut off support from Xu Ruohan, Time Utterance, and Heartstring. In the eyes of the opposition, this was undoubtedly a lethal cage designed to trap him to death. But in Lin Muyang's eyes, why wasn't this a perfect hunting ground?

The opposition wanted to use this opportunity to negotiate, using both threats and inducements to try to make him submit. And Lin Muyang, why wouldn't he want to use this opportunity to teach these wolves who dared to extend their claws toward him a bloody lesson they would never forget?

Eliminating this batch of top experts from various countries—who could be considered the pillars of their nations—in one go would bring about unprecedented deterrence. It would be enough to make forces like the American Empire, the Western Federation, and Australia not dare to easily target Lin Muyang for a long time to come. He couldn't be bothered to be like the protagonists in certain stories, exhausted from dealing with wave after wave of endless probing, assassinations, and conspiracies.

What he wanted to do was a thunderous strike, using absolute power to completely break the enemy's claws and fangs, beating them until they were terrified, beating them until the decision-makers behind them would tremble at the mere thought of the price of making an enemy of him!

And the prerequisite for this thunderous strike was, naturally, to be able to keep all twelve people present, along with the seven giant dragons, or at least leave the majority of them and cripple their vital energy.

For anyone else, this goal would be nothing short of a fantasy. Twelve experts, each at least comparable to a low-stage Nation-Guarding Level Expert, with several being long-famous top experts, plus seven pure-blooded giant dragons—such a lineup was enough to flatten a small country within an hour. Trying to annihilate them all, even with several Nation-Guarding Level Experts of the same level joining forces, was an almost impossible task.

But in Lin Muyang's eyes... this was not difficult, one could even say it was completely devoid of challenge.

"Lin Muyang."

Just then, among the twelve, a middle-aged man with golden hair, wearing magnificent golden mage robes and holding a staff embedded with a massive amethyst, stepped forward from not far beside the Giant Dragon Summoner Hansa Bami and spoke. He spoke in the language of the Xia Kingdom with a distinct foreign accent but clear articulation. His voice was steady and possessed a sense of Penetration, carrying a faint arrogance of one who had long held a high position.

"I am Slake, from the American Empire." The golden-haired man, who was Slake, looked directly at Lin Muyang with sharp eyes, a gaze that seemed to penetrate the heart. He did not release a violent aura like Hansa Bami, but the condensed magic fluctuations flowing faintly around his body, and the seven golden magic balls orbiting him slowly like satellites, emitting a heart-stopping destructive aura, all signaled that he was also a terrifying existence standing at the pinnacle of the magic field.

"You are a smart person, so you must have guessed our intent today." Slake didn't beat around the bush and cut straight to the point, his tone carrying an unquestionable certainty. "We do not want to be your enemy; on the contrary, we greatly appreciate your talent and potential. This world is very big. What the Xia Kingdom can give you, we... or rather, the coalition we represent, can give you more, better, and more freedom."

He paused, seemingly to give Lin Muyang time to digest, and then continued: "Resources, mythic grade equipment and mythical grade skill books, top-tier cultivation secret realms, the most cutting-edge magic technology and knowledge, and even a territory independent of any country where you have the final say. As long as you are willing to nod, these can all become yours. That mythical grade skill book is just a token of our sincerity."

His words were extremely tempting, painting a glittering picture of a future full of infinite possibilities before Lin Muyang. Moreover, he deliberately avoided the sensitive word "betrayal."

"Of course, cooperation requires sincerity and also requires guarantees." Slake changed his tone, his voice becoming a bit more serious. "To ensure our mutual interests and to establish a long-term, stable relationship of trust, we need you to sign a simple soul contract. The contract content is absolutely fair, only binding both parties not to betray or harm each other, and sharing some intelligence and resource channels. It will never restrict your freedom and development; on the contrary, it will become your most solid guarantee."

As he spoke, he carefully observed Lin Muyang's expression. He believed that in the face of such generous conditions, and the "suggestion" of being surrounded by absolute force at this moment, anyone with reason would know how to choose. Resist? That was a path to death. Hansa Bami's dragons and the killing intent of the other ten experts were not just for show.

However, Lin Muyang's reaction made Slake, and the other experts watching from the shadows, sink slightly in their hearts.

Lin Muyang hadn't listened to the latter part of his words at all. From the moment Slake uttered the first word, Lin Muyang's thoughts had already drifted elsewhere. He was evaluating, calculating, and looking for the best timing and order to strike.

"The Mage God of the American Empire, Slake... Level 255, specializes in lightning, fire, and arcane, mastered three forbidden spells, four pieces of mythic grade equipment, two mythic grade skills, mental attribute estimated to exceed 500,000... Hmm, indeed a tough nut to crack. Among this group, his strength ranks in the top three." Through the "Eye of Creation," Lin Muyang had long since seen through the other's rough background. This person was indeed one of the mages with the most luxurious attributes and equipment he had ever seen, besides the few old-school Nation-Guarding Level Experts of the Xia Kingdom. The threat level was even a fraction higher than Hansa Bami's, because a mage's burst and control were more unpredictable.

"Since you jumped out to be this lobbyist, let's start with you." Lin Muyang made a decision in his heart instantly. Catch the bandits by catching the ringleader, strike the snake by hitting its seven inches. First, disable the opponent's strongest and most likely problematic spellcaster, and the subsequent battle would be much easier.

Just as Slake thought Lin Muyang was weighing the pros and cons, thinking about the "generous conditions" he had proposed, and was preparing to add some fuel to the fire, or show some of their sincerity (such as letting a few dragons breathe dragon breath to intimidate him)—

Lin Muyang moved.

He didn't even change his standing posture; he just casually, as if shooing away mosquitoes, raised his right hand and waved it lightly toward Slake and everyone else around him except Slake.

No incantation, no magic riot, no earth-shattering momentum.

Only an invisible, intangible, yet seemingly containing the ultimate principles of the universe and the origin of time, mysterious fluctuation spread silently from Lin Muyang as the center, instantly sweeping across the entire dark dimensional space!

God-Tier Aura—【Astral Stasis】! Activate!

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh...

A series of soft yet incredibly dazzling golden lights were born from nothingness without warning, like the most precise guided missiles, instantly hitting every target except Slake—those eleven top experts from various countries, and the seven pure-blooded giant dragons that had just been roaring and ferocious!

The moment the golden light touched them, time seemed to have been pressed on the pause button.

The expression on Hansa Bami's face, mixed with majesty and scrutiny, froze; his raised arm, which was just about to make some gesture, stiffened in mid-air. Beside him, the talisman that the curse master "Crow" from Japan had just slid from his sleeve stopped at his fingertips. The giant "Hill" from Australia, the earth-yellow protective aura that had just risen on his body, was like a bubble in amber. The crystal ball in the hands of "Lady Crystal" from the Western Federation, which was about to light up with prophetic light, had its brilliance frozen. The ascetic monk Amir from India, his half-closed eyes suddenly opened, essence exploding in his pupils, but he also lost his spirit the moment he touched the golden light, becoming hollow...

Even more shocking were the seven giant dragons! Their huge bodies, sky-covering dragon wings, the dragon breaths of various colors that had been condensed halfway in their mouths, emitting destructive energy fluctuations... were all shrouded in that warm yet eerie golden light! The crimson fire dragon breath was like solidified magma, the icy blue frost breath turned into a static glacier sculpture, the pitch-black shadow dragon breath stopped spreading, the earth-yellow dragon breath bomb hovered in front of the giant dragon's head...

A full eleven living top experts, seven giant dragons with monstrous ferocity, at this moment, all turned into vivid yet lifeless golden statues! They maintained the posture, expression, and energy flow of the previous instant, completely frozen in this dark void. Only the spirit in their eyes was replaced by a kind of blank gold, showing that they were not voluntary, but imprisoned by some supreme rule that could not be understood or resisted.

Dead silence.

A creepy dead silence, even worse than before, instantly enveloped this space.

The only ones who could still move were Slake, who had just finished his speech and was waiting for Lin Muyang's reply, the perpetrator Lin Muyang, and the three calm young girls beside him.

The composure, confidence, and that faint trace of arrogance on Slake's face faded away like the tide, replaced by an expression that could not be described in words, mixed with extreme horror, confusion, and a trace of fear.

He opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to say something, but found his throat dry and unable to make any sound. He turned his head sharply to look at his companion Hansa Bami, who was close at hand but had turned into a golden statue, unable to even move his eyeballs, and then looked at "Hill," "Lady Crystal," and "Crow" who were also frozen in the distance... Finally, his gaze fell back on Lin Muyang.

That calm, waveless young face, which seemed to have just done a trivial thing, now appeared more terrifying than a demon king in the abyss in Slake's eyes!

"This... what is this?!" A long-sealed memory fragment exploded in Slake's mind like a thunderbolt! He remembered! A few months ago, his intelligence department had submitted a piece of obscure, trivial intelligence from the Xia Kingdom. The content was about a young Summoner named Lin Muyang in Tianhai City, who had a conflict with a local family and was suspected of using a weird method that could freeze the target's time, pinning down a level 100 guard. At that time, many high-level officials, including him, were inclined to believe that it was the means of the "protector" behind Lin Muyang, or some precious one-time prop. After all, that kind of skill involving the rules of time was too inconceivable and definitely not something a low-level Summoner could master.

Later, Lin Muyang became famous and showed various abilities, but he never used this "immobilization" ability on a large scale in public, which deepened their judgment—it might have been an accident, or the cost was huge, and it couldn't be used often.

But now...

The nightmare-like scene before him shattered all their self-righteous analysis and judgment!

This was not a single-target skill! This was not an accident! This was not a prop!

This was a group control god-tier skill that could be used at will, instantly shroud multiple powerful targets, and had an effect so overbearing that it was despair-inducing! Moreover, looking at Lin Muyang's relaxed appearance, the consumption didn't seem to be high!

"He... he has always had this ability! Since a long time ago!" A stormy sea surged in Slake's heart, and a chill rushed from the soles of his feet to his skull. All their plans, all their calculations, all their "thorough preparations" seemed so ridiculous and vulnerable in the face of this rule-level ability that completely exceeded their cognition and was unreasonable! They thought they were hunters, laying down a net, waiting for the prey to enter the trap. Little did they know, they were the lambs who had broken into the tiger's den!

"Almost... almost got scared by you." Slake forcibly suppressed the fear in his heart. After all, he was a battle-hardened top expert. He took a deep breath, squeezed a stiff smile on his face again, but that smile was uglier than crying. He tried to use language to regain the initiative, or rather, to embolden himself.

"However, Lin Muyang, you don't think that just by relying on this one control skill, you can eat me up, right?" Slake's voice carried a trace of imperceptible tremor, but he forced himself to straighten his back. The seven golden magic balls around him accelerated their rotation speed suddenly, making a "buzzing" sound, and the destructive magic fluctuations climbed step by step, rendering the surrounding darkness with a layer of pale gold.

"I admit, your means are very weird and very strong. But control is, after all, just control! It can't kill people!" Slake's eyes became sharp again, even carrying a trace of madness. "As long as I can kill you first, or hold out until your control time ends, victory still belongs to us! And you will face the craziest revenge from all of us!"

What he said was not unreasonable. 【Astral Stasis】, although strong, was essentially hard control, with a limited duration, and could not directly cause damage. Once the control ended, the counterattack of the eleven enraged experts and seven giant dragons would be devastating. Slake was betting that Lin Muyang did not have enough means to solve him, a level 255 Mage God, within the control time! As long as he held on, or even counter-killed Lin Muyang, everything still had a turning point.

However, the look Lin Muyang gave him carried a trace of faint pity, as if looking at an ant trying to fight a tsunami with a twig.

"Who told you I only have control?" Lin Muyang said lightly, his tone so calm it was chilling.

Immediately after, under the gaze of Slake's suddenly constricted pupils, Lin Muyang raised his hand again.

This time, it was not aimed at Slake, but at the void in front of him. He opened his five fingers and made a "summoning" gesture.

"Come over, everyone."

The calm words fell.

The next moment, in this dark, void space that originally only had Lin Muyang, three young girls, Slake, and a group of golden statues, a strange change happened again!

Summoning magic arrays with different colors and auras, like gorgeous fireworks suddenly blooming in the night sky, lit up one after another around Lin Muyang's body! As the light flowed, graceful, charming, yet radiating either holy, demonic, cold, or scorching terrifying auras, the figures of young girls, as if walking out of paintings, descending from legends, one after another, clearly appeared in this imprisoned space!