this infinite world

The world is made up of countless coincidences.

Of course, this wasn't a sudden philosophical thought for Chu Hao; rather, the idea naturally arose in his mind after he saw the signs of Thorin and his group's campsite. In Ochi's mental scan, the campsite was not only quite conspicuous, but even the campfire had only recently gone out, as if Gandalf and his companions had just entered the goblin kingdom to begin their exploration before Chu Hao and his group arrived…

...But how is that possible?
It's important to understand that Chu Hao and his group parted ways with Thorin and his companions after Rivendell. After that, Chu Hao went to Blue Mountains, personally commanded two battles, and led a large group of dwarves here. During this time, he even experienced a major battle with the blasphemer Azog. Naturally, their speed couldn't compare to Thorin and his group, who were traveling light... So why did they arrive at almost the same speed as Thorin and his group when they entered the goblin kingdom?
Is this really just a coincidence? Moreover, the main quest given by the God of War this time is closely related to Thorin and his group. If Thorin dies, then the quest will fail. So... how will the God of War handle this relationship?
So, after careful consideration, Chu Hao decided to take a gamble. Instead of following the normal storyline, he turned to the Blue Mountain dungeon. And as it turned out, even without the participation of the Arctic team, Thorin and his group still arrived safely in the Goblin Kingdom—in fact, almost perfectly safely…

Of course, this could be described as the "manipulation" of the supreme deity, or a coincidence of fate. After all, the "supreme deity" is almost omnipotent, capable of traversing worlds and adjusting the flow of time with ease. But is this "plot," seemingly guided by an invisible hand, really just a matter of "coincidence"?

Doubting everything is a fundamental lesson for the wise, and Chu Hao was no exception. Therefore, he had long considered this so-called "coincidence," and he hadn't forgotten what Yang Yun had said when they first met—

Why would Yang Yun mistake me for Ling Xin? Could it be that Ling Xin is also in the world of Lord of the Rings?

Of course, all of this was ultimately just Chu Hao's speculation, without any substantial evidence to support it; at most, it was just a vague suspicion... But just as Ling Xin, even from such a distance, still saw Chu Hao's figure at a glance; almost at the same moment, Chu Hao also seemed to sense something and looked in Ling Xin's direction, and what caught his eye first was the other party's iconic metal mask...

At this moment, Chu Hao understood many things, and some of his questions were answered. For example, the inexplicable things Ling Xin had said to him before, Ling Xin's indifference to his experiences during this period, and why Ling Xin always kept to himself and disappeared most of the time, even Chu Hao and Li Ganglei, who were also members of the rebel organization O6, could not contact him... There was only one reason: Ling Xin had also entered the Main God Space, and had entered long before him!
But Chu Hao preferred not to hear these explanations, because the instant he understood these questions, something within him—something he held dear, some belief, something incredibly beautiful—shattered…

"How did you get here? Why are you here?"

At that moment, Chu Hao almost roared. He ignored Thorin and the others who were surrounded by a group of goblins below him, and instead stared at Ling Xin like a wounded beast, as if he wanted to grind his teeth to pieces: "Ling Xin... answer me!"

"You're acting much more excitedly than I expected. I thought you'd be calmer. This isn't like you at all..."

Chu Hao didn't shout, because he knew that if that person was truly Ling Xin, then the other party would definitely have a way to communicate with him across the distance. And just as Chu Hao expected, the next moment, Ling Xin's voice appeared nearby, and he himself suddenly appeared close to Chu Hao like a ghost: "Long time no see, Chu Hao..."

"...No, it wasn't that long, was it? After all, we had just met once before you entered this Lord of the Rings world, although the atmosphere of that meeting wasn't very good."

Ling Xin's words were a direct confirmation of his identity to Chu Hao, simultaneously extinguishing any last shred of hope Chu Hao might harbor. Although he had confirmed Ling Xin's identity upon seeing the metal mask—after all, other things could be forged—that unique metal mask was absolutely impossible to counterfeit, not even imitated or copied. Because it represented a secret Ling Xin guarded, a great secret called the Final Dogma, a secret whose exact nature even Chu Hao didn't know…

"Ling Xin? You are Ling Xin?"

But to Chu Hao's complete surprise, before he could continue speaking, Zhang Heng beside him suddenly had a look of realization: "I knew I'd heard that name somewhere before... You're Ling Xin, the one Chu Hao and Li Ganglei were talking about? The leader of the rebel organization, and also their elder brother?"

As he spoke, Zhang Heng looked at Chu Hao, whose face was full of complicated emotions, and then at Ling Xin, who was standing still. He slapped his right palm with his left hand and said, "So that's how it is... It must be that Chu Hao left Li Ganglei the character invitation bracelet and then pulled you, the leader of the rebel organization, into the God Space, right?"

"Alright, having more friends means having more options. It just so happens that we're going to have a team battle with the Celestials team. After all, the leader of an organization is usually the strongest one. Although I don't know exactly how strong you are, just looking at this very cool metal mask, I can tell that you must be one of the strongest..."

"Are you fucking an idiot?"

Seeing Zhang Heng step forward unsuspectingly and extend his right hand, seemingly intending to exchange pleasantries with this "one of his own," even with Chu Hao's inner turmoil, a "#" appeared on his forehead. He wished he could shut Zhang Heng up: "I didn't leave any plot character invitation bracelet... Can't you see that besides being the Ling Xin you mentioned, he's also a member of the Celestial Team, our enemy!"

Unexpectedly, Ling Xin not only did not launch a surprise attack while Zhang Heng was speaking, but also did not react to Chu Hao's statement that he was on the opposing side.

The young man wearing the metal mask stood silently in place, his expression hidden beneath the mask, impossible to decipher. But one thing was certain: Ling Xin emanated not a trace of hostility or murderous intent, like a bottomless ancient well, its calmness chilling…

"Huh? A member of Team Celestials?"

Ling Xin's incredibly calm attitude clearly misled Zhang Heng. Zhang Heng first looked at the motionless Ling Xin, then at Chu Hao, whose face was full of impatience and seemed to convey a sense of "disappointment in Chu Hao's lack of progress," before belatedly realizing his mistake.

Even so, the young man still hesitated and said, "But even if he's a member of the Celestial Team, Ling Xin is still your brother, your family, isn't he?"

"Judging from your reaction, Chu Hao, there must be some misunderstanding... Can't you two sit down and have a proper talk?"

"Heh, what an interesting argument... Chu Hao, where did you find such an interesting teammate?"

Upon hearing Zhang Heng's words, Ling Xin's body twitched slightly, and a soft chuckle came from beneath his metal mask: "Oh, I see, this way of speaking... you must be that comedic assassin Zhang Heng, right?"

"I've seen your information in the reports of the Rebel Organization before, and seeing you today, I can confirm that you truly live up to your reputation..."

"Okay, kill him now, immediately!"

Upon hearing Ling Xin mention that infamous name, which was universally acknowledged in the underworld but which Zhang Heng himself utterly loathed, Zhang Heng's expression immediately changed. He gritted his teeth and said, "Chu Hao, you're right. The Heavenly God Team are all enemies, so let's start the war now..."

"Give me more!"

Seeing Zhang Heng's unreliable behavior, even the serious Chu Hao could no longer hold back and punched Zhang Heng, knocking this nonsensical and comical killer to the ground.

However, while this brought the conversation back on track, it completely ruined the tense atmosphere between the two. Chu Hao couldn't even keep a straight face and could only look at Ling Xin helplessly, saying in a low voice, "Ling Xin... you shouldn't be here."

"So where should I be? Should I stay at the final line of defense, or should I be stationed at the main base?"

Ling Xin's words still carried that enigmatic tone: "You and I both know that's just self-deception. The enemies we're about to face, namely Organization C and Organization X, possess power far beyond your imagination. Even if we consolidate the resources of the entire world and unite all the forces that can be united, we still cannot match them..." "So, this is your choice? A miracle that shouldn't have happened, the Main God Space..." Chu Hao said through gritted teeth.

“That’s right, the Main God Space, although the hope is quite slim, is a brand new path that we have never imagined before.” Ling Xin nodded and said, “Chu Hao, shouldn’t you know the most about this kind of thing?”

"……you're right."

Recalling the scene when he had just returned to the Main God Space and was shocked by what the "Main God" was capable of, Chu Hao had to admit that Ling Xin's words made some sense, because he had also experienced that time: "But, this is not a reason for you to do this!"

"What reason?"

"You know perfectly well what I'm talking about!"

Chu Hao waved one hand, his face revealing an agitated expression that was quite rare for him: "Aren't Li Ganglei and I... your most important family members? Why are you hiding this from us too!?"

"...You still don't understand, Chu Hao."

Faced with Chu Hao's questioning, Ling Xin sighed again: "Although what Zhang Heng said was quite funny, he was right about one thing. Even though we belong to different reincarnation teams, our relationship will not change. You and Li Ganglei are still my most important younger brothers, my family... That's why I have to keep it from you as well."

"What do you mean I'm talking nonsense?! I'll kill you! Right now, immediately... mmm!"

Seemingly not wanting Zhang Heng to interrupt their conversation, Nian Xikong merely glanced sideways, and a chilling sword aura was already positioned against Zhang Heng's throat. He only needed to utter another word before his throat was slit. This action immediately terrified Zhang Heng, causing him to break out in a cold sweat, and he dared not utter a single word.

Without Zhang Heng's interruption, Ling Xin's words could proceed smoothly. He continued, "I think I said this a long time ago, right? You know too little about Organization C and Organization X. Do you think they only know how to invade the Main God Space? No, what they want to do is far more terrifying than you imagine."

"I kept these things from you for your own good. After all, sometimes being completely ignorant is the greatest fortune... Do you know how much I handled behind the scenes after you vaguely mentioned the existence of the Main God Space to Li Ganglei? The things involved are far beyond your imagination..."

"Then Li Ganglei and I should thank you, right?" Chu Hao said through gritted teeth, "Thank you for choosing to keep it a secret and 'protecting' us in this way?"

“You know perfectly well that every member of the Rebel Organization is never afraid to sacrifice themselves, and that we O6 members will also…”

"—But I fear your sacrifice."

Suddenly, Ling Xin interrupted Chu Hao. And for the first time, his voice trembled noticeably.

It was just a simple sentence, yet it left Chu Hao speechless, because he could completely feel the concern hidden in the other person's words. Ling Xin's concern for him was absolutely genuine, without a trace of pretense; just like how he himself risked his life to protect his world and those people who knew nothing about the memetic effect...

For a moment, both of them fell silent, and after a long while, Ling Xin sighed. Amidst the sounds of Thorin's battle with the goblins below, the young man wearing a metal mask spoke up: "Since you already know all this, then I don't need to hide it from you anymore... Chu Hao, I want you to join the Celestial Team."

"Time is running out. Organizations C and X have been operating more and more aggressively lately. Invading the Reincarnation World under the control of the Supreme God is not the first time they have done this. They will probably launch an operation against our world soon... Before that, I must have a Reincarnation Squad strong enough to fight them."

As he spoke, Ling Xin extended his right hand to Chu Hao and said sincerely, "I have an item here that can transfer the team's formation. With the combined strength of you and me, I believe the Celestial Squad can quickly become stronger."

"So, come to me, Chu Hao. Just like before, we'll fight together against Organization C and Organization X..."

"Join the Celestials team? That's a really tempting offer..."

Chu Hao stared at Ling Xin's outstretched right hand for a long time before finally uttering these words. Then, he slowly extended his own right hand.

"Chu Hao, you—"

Upon seeing this scene, Zhang Heng immediately panicked. He disregarded Nian Xikong's sword energy and was about to activate bullet time to stop Chu Hao. However, in the blink of an eye, Chu Hao's right fist had already drawn a decisive arc, unhesitatingly deflecting Ling Xin's olive branch and slamming heavily onto that cold metal mask!

"Is that so? This is your 'choice,' Chu Hao..."

"Yes, Ling Xin, this is my choice!"

In front of Ling Xin's gradually rising figure, amidst the sounds of Thorin and the goblins fighting below, Chu Hao threw a punch and straightened his body, shouting loudly: "Just now, someone told me that when faced with an indecisive situation, all you have to do is become stronger, just become stronger!"

"So, even if you are the leader of the rebel organization, my brother, the person I've been closest to and most respected since childhood... I'm going to wake you up now!"

As he spoke, four or five runes lit up in front of Chu Hao, and then his right hand burst into flames. At this moment, he did not look like an arcane mage, but a melee fighter who had exchanged for the Flame-Flame Fruit.

Amidst Ling Xin's utter astonishment, Zhang Heng's delighted surprise, and Nian Xikong's admiring gaze, Chu Hao called out loudly, "Zhang Heng, Nian Xikong—"

"Let's go!" (End of Chapter)