The gods of all realms watched indifferently as the Heavenly God race knelt before them.
They mocked inwardly, deeply displeased by this race's act of using backdoors.
In all realms, Lin Yu's strength was widely known, and he was hailed as one of the strongest beings.
Lin Yu was someone at the pinnacle of the pyramid; now that they had established a connection with him, they all wished to leverage his power.
This was because their own worlds faced many problems, and naturally, they hoped Lin Yu could lend them a hand.
However, their plans were ultimately intercepted by the Heavenly God race.
How could they not be angry?
Although the Heavenly God race had once shown kindness to the human race and forged karmic ties, those debts should have been repaid by now.
Their intention was merely to give the Heavenly God race a warning and remind them of their place. In their eyes, this was not excessive.
What they didn't know, however, was how seriously the human race treated its friends.
Furthermore, humanity's transcendent civilization was barely over three hundred years old. Their values were still remarkably simple, unlike these civilizations that spanned millions of years and had grown indifferent.
They had even come to regard kindness as mere karma, ceasing all involvement once it was repaid.
Unfortunately, they had misjudged the human race's attitude.
Just as the mysterious deity was about to retract his imposing aura, his expression drastically changed.
He found a figure suddenly appearing before him.
This figure wore a mask, concealing its expression, but its eyes were chillingly indifferent, staring directly at him, filling him with a dread as if he had fallen into an icy abyss.
"Who are you?" he shouted, instinctively stepping back more than a dozen paces.
This masked individual exuded an aura of immense terror. Although he revealed no discernible energy, the deity instinctively began to tremble.
His voice even started to quaver.
The commotion he caused quickly drew the attention of others.
As this was the first gathering of realms, many beings had arrived to offer support.
With so many beings present, the atmosphere became lively, and a disturbance in the main god VIP area naturally attracted even more attention.
They pointed and whispered amongst themselves.
"Look, that's a main god, isn't it? He's actually trembling with fear!"
"Huh, wasn't that him who just unleashed his aura, causing us all to make fools of ourselves?"
"Hush, keep your voices down. Don't let him hear, or he might retaliate!"
"I'm not afraid. If he dares to kill me over this, our ancestor will deal with him."
"I wouldn't dare say that. My ancestor is only a high god."
"Look, that main god is glaring, as if preparing to fight back!"
"........... "
All the beings watched intently, hoping to witness a battle between main gods.
But in the next moment, everyone's eyes widened in disbelief, as if they had seen a ghost.
*Thump!*
A very familiar sound of kneeling echoed through the air.
The main god could no longer withstand the pressure, his legs giving way as he collapsed to the ground.
Prostrate, he trembled uncontrollably, unable to muster any strength.
It was too terrifying!
Who was this being before him?
"Who are you?" he gritted out, his entire body shaking.
"Why are you bullying the Heavenly God race?" the masked man asked coldly.
The main god gritted his teeth, his voice trembling, and said indignantly, "What qualifications do the Heavenly God race have to be favored by the human race? A mere eighth-tier race, why should they be the focus of the first gathering of realms?"
"My realm also faces major problems, possibly on the brink of annihilation. I am not convinced!"
As his words fell, a hush descended upon the crowd.
They shared similar sentiments. Were not all their worlds riddled with issues?
They had been unable to resolve them before, but now that the All-Realms Alliance was established, they, as members, naturally hoped for the powerful beings of all realms to help address their internal problems.
Yet, they had been outmaneuvered by a little-known, eighth-tier race, the Heavenly God race.
How could anyone stomach this?
However, out of respect for the human race, they dared not voice their displeasure directly, resorting instead to private grumbling, such as causing embarrassment to the Heavenly God race.
The masked man let out a cold chuckle upon hearing this.
"Do you revere the human race?"
"Of course! But I revere Lin Yu of the human race even more! He is my idol!"
Whether it was true or not, it seemed genuine.
The masked man's expression softened slightly.
"You have insulted the honor of the human race by bullying the Heavenly God race. I will not kill you, but I will strip you of three thousand years of cultivation as punishment!"
He raised his hand, a light bloomed, and with a flick of his finger across the other's body, a sphere of light containing three thousand years of cultivation was captured in his palm.
"Thank you, senior, for sparing my life!" The main god was not only not angry but also grateful.
While three thousand years of cultivation was substantial, he possessed millions of years, so losing this amount had little impact.
Little did he know, the masked man had initially intended to kill him. However, upon hearing that he considered Lin Yu an idol, he chose punishment instead, and a relatively light one at that.
The masked man nodded, waved his hand, and the main god, no longer in control, was sent flying into the Heavenly God realm.
The remaining beings were all stunned, their mouths agape.
"Who is this person? To so easily subdue a main god-level being, he must be at least a God King!"
"Look at his build, doesn't he seem familiar?"
"He really does seem familiar. Huh, isn't that Lin Yu?"
"It really is Lin Yu! He actually came in person and punished that main god. Although he didn't kill him, stripping him of three thousand years of cultivation is still a significant penalty."
"So the Heavenly God race and the human race have such a good relationship that even Lin Yu personally intervened."
"From now on, we must be polite to the Heavenly God race. We absolutely must not offend them."
"Right, right, although they are an eighth-tier race, they have strong backing!"
"Truly enviable. And the human race is genuinely loyal."
"There's a saying among humans: 'A drop of kindness received should be repaid with a gushing spring!'"
"Alas, it's a pity. There are no longer opportunities to forge ties of kindness with the human race."
"Look, other experts at the god level and above have gone to pay their respects."
".........."
Lin Yu removed his mask, standing before the assembled powerhouses.
When they clearly saw Lin Yu's face, they were momentarily stunned before approaching with smiles.
The sole Immortal Emperor present, with a smile, said, "This humble one, Fu Yunzi, greets fellow Daoist!"
With the Immortal Emperor stepping forward, the other beings made way, not daring to disturb them.
Lin Yu smiled, "Fellow Daoist Fu Yunzi is too kind. Your presence here is an honor for this place."
Facing an Immortal Emperor, he remained extremely polite and treated him with equality.
Fu Yunzi smiled, pleased with Lin Yu's demeanor. Although Lin Yu was far more powerful than him, being respected by Lin Yu and addressed as a fellow Daoist made him feel honored.
Fu Yunzi gestured towards the Heavenly God realm and asked, "Fellow Daoist, have you come to investigate whether there are traces of the Dark Heaven Realm in the Heavenly God realm?"
Dark Heaven Realm?
Lin Yu's heart stirred. This was the first time he had heard the name Dark Heaven Realm.
It seemed the secret behind the great war among the gods in the Heavenly God realm might be related to this world called the Dark Heaven Realm.
Lin Yu offered no opinion, remaining silent.
Fu Yunzi seemed to understand and chuckled, "Fellow Daoist, we can discuss the details on the way. Shall we go together?"
Lin Yu smiled, "Fellow Daoist Fu Yunzi, please lead the way!"
Fu Yunzi shook his head, "You are stronger, I am weaker. How can the weaker one lead?"
Lin Yu also shook his head, "You are the guest, naturally you should go first."
Neither of them moved to go first. Finally, they looked at each other and smiled, speaking in unison, "Let's go together!"
"Hahahaha!"
"Good!"
With hearty laughter, they vanished from the sight of the assembled beings.