From God of Lies to Lord of All Worlds

Chapter 345: The God of Trickery's First Appearance

"Crown, with this kind of growth rate, if you were in the Dylan Continent, you would instantly become the enemy of all the Gods!" Alvin's voice rang out, bringing a faint smile to Bai Yang's lips.

"We are already the enemy of the Gods right now, it is just that they do not know it yet. I have no intention of letting them find out either. By the time they truly arrive in this world, their enemy will no longer be me."

"The Gods under our command will engage them in a very special kind of battle!"

Bai Yang spoke with calm composure, "It is just that the God outside that Rift seems to be lacking the desire to explore lately..."

He was actually somewhat disappointed. The Gods of the Dylan Continent lacked a spirit of exploration, so how was he supposed to exploit them for resources?

"For those with Powerful Divine Power, exploring the outside world is not a necessity. Besides, they have far too much time. Immense lifespans cause them to lose their basic sensitivity to the passage of time. For entities like that, a single thought might span over a century or two!" Alvin explained.

"Is this not the World's Self-Preservation Mechanism?" Bai Yang suddenly remarked, prompting Alvin's Curiosity. "Self-preservation mechanism? What do you mean?"

Bai Yang smiled as he explained, "This is a truth I slowly came to understand only after reaching a Transcendent Divine Rank. It serves as an explanation for World Tiers and the behavior of these Deities."

"There are simply too many unbelievable things about the Dylan Continent. It is so absurd that it makes one wonder how such a small world manages to support such a colossal Divine System!"

"But hearing your words just now, I finally have an explanation..."Bai Yang continued, "No matter how much Slaughter or assimilation occurs on the Dylan Continent, does the total number of Deities remain roughly the same? Or perhaps, the combined number of high-tier Deities and Lesser Deities stays relatively constant?"

Hearing this, Alvin pondered for a moment. "Now that you mention it... it really does seem that way? After Sylvia, Goddess of Magic fell, many Lesser Deities did indeed emerge. But after the Holy War, when many Gods fell, a new Goddess of Magic appeared..."

"Are you saying that this is actually an issue with the World itself?"

Bai Yang nodded. "Inevitably. There is an Upper Limit to the Energy a world can bear. This Upper Limit must be a specific Threshold, and the Deities act as the Valves for this Threshold. Their numbers serve as the Barometer for the World!"

"Furthermore, could the long periods of contemplation and slumber of those with Powerful Divine Power not be seen as the World's adjustments? Do you really think these Deities choose to sleep of their own volition?"

Bai Yang's words plunged Alvin into deep thought.

He would not have noticed it if he had not thought about it, but upon closer reflection, it was truly startling. Was this highly inefficient behavioral pattern, this peculiar Divine Effect, truly what the Gods wanted?

Or was it the World forcing them to act this way?

Bai Yang continued, "Resources are scarce on the Dylan Continent, so they have no other choice. They can only prevent those with Powerful Divine Power from appearing frequently, delegating the task of making appearances to their followers or Lesser Deities below them!"

He added with a smile, "Is this not exactly what we are doing? The resources and Faith required by a Chief God are far too massive. We have no way to satisfy that sheer volume, so we can only set our sights on the believers."

Alvin smiled back. "So in this world, we are no different from the Creator God of the Dylan Continent. Crown, this proves the righteousness of your path!"

Bai Yang waved his hand dismissively. "Alright, enough flattery. Go prepare the Villains for this continent! The Church and Heaven might not need to worry about the problem of Hell, but we certainly do!"

"Since you have already forged a true Hell, and have Ascended from the God of Lies to the God of Trickery, why not try letting go of the reins again?" Alvin asked. "This Nation certainly does not lack belief in Hell. If the Demons wish to come, they should be able to manage it, right?"

Hearing this, Bai Yang understood perfectly. He looked at Alvin with a grin. "Are you suggesting we step away from the Negotiating Table and let these Archdemons officially enter the game?"

"Yes, Crown. That is exactly what you should do. What we need to control is the potential harm they might cause, but their specific actions should no longer be our primary concern. Have you not been striving toward this very goal? For instance, that worldwide Hellish Sacrifice you initiated?"

Alvin's words made Bai Yang nod in agreement. "Indeed. Letting them act on their own is the only way for the Supernatural to truly take root in this Nation. Hearing you say that makes me think we do not need to worry about the Archdemons for the time being!" "Human nature will ensure that Demons exist in this Nation forever. Whether it is Demons, Werewolves, or Vampires, the situation will inevitably turn out this way. And the existence of the Church is precisely the symbol that keeps this crisis from spiraling out of control."

Bai Yang instantly knew exactly what he needed. Human desire would drive anyone in dire straits or Despair to dabble in the Power of Hell. They would inevitably rise to prominence within this Nation, only to be eradicated by the Church.

It sounded like a simple, straightforward story where Evil Never Triumphs Over Good, serving merely to bolster the Church's strength. But fundamentally, was it not also the perfect advertisement for the Power of Hell?

Thanks to independent media and the internet, countless people would learn exactly what kind of entity a Demon Worshiper suppressed by the Church truly was. Then, naturally, there would be those who actively sought to become that very entity.

Yes, becoming a Demon Worshiper meant going to Hell, being hunted by the Church, and becoming an existence deemed Unacceptable by Mortal Standards. But so what?

Those who chose this path would either be the destitute driven into a corner, Ambitious Individuals yearning for power, or perhaps some extraordinary Capitalist...

No matter what, they were absolutely the type of people who would never regret their choices. They would propagate the Power of Hell, and in doing so, indirectly promote the power of the Church.

Moreover, knowing that ordinary people had such a last resort might actually improve their lives in the future. Capitalists were not Fools. Once they realized that the commoners they used to carelessly trample to death now possessed the power to drag them to their graves, they would certainly learn to restrain themselves!

Of course, one might argue that Capitalists could also choose Depravity and become Demons themselves. In that case, it would simply be a race to see what was faster: their fall into darkness, or the blade of the Church.

Besides, even if they successfully completed their transformation, suppressed their subordinates, and somehow managed to ward off the demonic incursions, there was still a final fail-safe.

If the Church tracked the traces of demonic power and uncovered the truth, would those Fanatical Believers who now treated The Bible as their absolute code of conduct truly turn a blind eye to those evildoers?

As Jesus once said, to witness an act of evil and do nothing to stop it was a Sin in itself!

Alvin, naturally, had also thought of this. He spoke with a hint of surprise, "Crown, you still harbor compassion for those ordinary mortals in your heart..."

"Ordinary people are the Core Support of Monarchs and Deities alike. How could I not think of them?" Bai Yang said with a bright smile. "Only when they live well and are willing to have children can we harvest more Faith, right?"

"Furthermore, the Capitalists of America are truly acting a bit too inhumanely. I need to trim their branches a bit!"

"As a Great Man once said: A Single Spark Can Start a Prairie Fire!"

This was Bai Yang's open conspiracy. In fact, many people had probably already figured it out, as it was a very simple and predictable outcome. Yet, no one could stop it, simply because it was far too effective.

The selection criteria for a Demon were incredibly simple: as long as you could offer up your soul and sacrifice everything else, you could obtain the power you desired.

As for what you intended to do with that power, no one cared, because you would eventually succumb to Depravity through the use of such power anyway.

What if someone could truly resist the corruption of that power? Well, unfortunately, such a person would never receive that power in the first place. The Church would have long since invited them to become a Saint.

"This too is a trick, Alvin!" Bai Yang chuckled. "Who says tricks must always be shrouded in dark conspiracies? An open and transparent scheme is still a trick!"

"And I am going to use this trick to continue telling my Supernatural stories to the entire world..."

Bai Yang snapped his fingers. With that crisp sound, the entire world seemed to tremble for a fraction of a second, yet simultaneously felt as though nothing had changed at all.

But no matter how one looked at it, the first appearance of the true "God of Trickery" had now officially begun!