Lin Xiang had not expected this crisis to conclude in such an anticlimactic fashion, underestimating the foundations of this world.
"Since you know I am also an outsider, why did you accept me? Aren't you afraid I'll be like that other outsider?"
"Does it matter?"
Seeing Lin Xiang's insistence on knowing the reason, Mazu smiled and replied, "Because of a sense of recognition."
"Although I don't know which world you come from, I see a recognition in your eyes that resonates with me. I can feel the familiarity of seeing someone from home in a foreign land, and that's why I decided to keep you."
The smile on Lin Xiang's face undoubtedly acknowledged Mazu's view. "Then why did you tell me to do what I wanted, only to watch me unknowingly cooperate with their performance?"
Mazu's smile widened, her bright eyes narrowing into slits. "Although I don't know your intentions, there's something you'll need when adventuring in the Chaos Sea."
"What is it?"
Lin Xiang tilted her head curiously.
"The World Tree in Odin's possession!"
The World Tree is a concept, a law. As long as its essence is understood, all deities can cultivate their own World Tree.
"I know some secrets of Jianmu, but I cannot reveal them to you without permission."
Mazu smiled like a cunning fox. "But Odin is different. To preserve the glory of his pantheon, he won't mind exchanging the secrets of the World Tree."
Lin Xiang suddenly understood and accepted Mazu's good intentions.
The laws were resisting in their own way. If this crisis could be resolved smoothly, the freedom the great deities desired would be impossible. It was understandable that they would use this as an excuse to hinder progress.
Even in the worst-case scenario, if the outsider was so powerful that even the laws and the great deities combined could not resist them, these great deities would not stay. Fleeing to the Chaos Sea to try their luck would be a choice.
So, the current situation is this: behind the new gods and old gods are the great deities unwilling to be bound by faith and the laws unwilling to break their restraints. If the old gods, represented by Odin, win this war, the laws will receive the help of the great deities to jointly expel the outsider. Conversely, the laws will grant greater freedom to the great deities, who will become collaborators with the laws, forming an even tighter bond.
Amidst this tangled stalemate, Lin Xiang still had a question: why had no one considered simply expelling these corrupted deities and humans from the world? Would the laws rather expend their sustaining and protective essence on shadows and contend with the great deities than abandon these deities who had become ticking time bombs?
Unless the great deities were also involved, threatening the laws with mutual destruction. In that case, the arrival of the outsider might have been orchestrated by the great deities.
After all, a life of working for the laws indefinitely without divine status would be difficult, with the risk of death for poor performance. They naturally wouldn't want to be exploited any longer. Seizing this opportunity to take charge was understandable.
To obtain the secrets of the World Tree from Odin would undoubtedly come at a great cost. However, supporting Odin to defeat Loki did not align with her own interests, and the price of offending the great deities was unacceptable to Lin Xiang. As an outsider, the laws would not trust her either.
What else could make Odin willing to hand over the secrets of the World Tree? After much thought, only the shadow came to mind. The prerequisite for the shadow to become the God King was not defeating the new gods; as long as the glory of the Norse pantheon could be preserved, Odin would surely be willing to hand over the World Tree.
As for how to make the shadow the God King, he already had a congenital advantage. His mother was the Earth Goddess of the Americas, and the gods living on this land owed him a great debt.
Odin and the other Norse gods were a given; they wished for the shadow to ascend to the God King position today. If she declared her support, the Eastern gods would also support the shadow out of respect for her. All that remained were the indigenous deities. However, Lin Xiang, who held the power of the media, naturally had an advantage over most of them. As long as their faith was secured, persuading them to support the shadow would not be difficult.
As for the ancient gods led by the Feathered Serpent God, Lin Xiang had no solution. They had their own territories, and their followers, existing in tribal forms, had preserved their faith and culture well. It was likely that Odin would have to handle them himself.
Ultimately, the shadow carried half the bloodline of the indigenous people, and the noble divinity from the Earth Mother could earn them a certain degree of respect and trust.
Perhaps if the shadow married an indigenous goddess as his divine consort, there would be no problem. The plan was complete.
Since she had decided to support the shadow becoming the God King, the truth behind the media goddess's demise could no longer be concealed. Although the great deities behind Loki would have opinions about this, they would likely not openly confront her over this matter, given her unknown background.
The appearance of the first outsider was something the great deities desired, but at the same time, making enemies of two powerful beings capable of traversing the Chaos Sea was something they would have to consider. Lin Xiang was certain they would turn a blind eye and not expose her identity.
Although she didn't know what role the World Tree would play, anything that Mazu treated so solemnly must be valuable.
The subsequent actions proceeded smoothly. Perhaps due to the great deities' tacit approval, Loki ignored Lin Xiang's usurpation of media authority, with only the God of Technology conveying a subtle protest.
Lin Xiang, understanding the unspoken implications, promised not to allow the evil gods to join the ranks of the old gods, and that the Eastern gods would maintain their neutral stance.
Odin also decisively agreed to the exchange of the World Tree for Lin Xiang's support of the shadow becoming the God King. The words of this king were particularly insightful, "To the laws, we are like candles burning on an altar. The upward flame illuminates the altar and adorns its majesty, while the tears that flow can only add fuel to this flame."
Lin Xiang understood Odin's meaning; the laws still held the advantage. If the world were truly facing destruction, those great deities would not remain indifferent. They were too deeply bound by the laws, and few had the courage to abandon everything and start anew.
The Chaos Sea was fraught with danger. If they were to leave the protection of the laws, they would likely become food. The laws, fully aware of this, had no intention of backing down.
The stalemate between the two sides would continue for a long time. Perhaps only when the crisis brought by the outsider truly erupted would one side make a concession. But none of this mattered to Lin Xiang. She had a fallback plan to withdraw, and with the experience of this journey, the return trip would be much safer.
The Greek world, with its five primordial gods, was not afraid of the outsider's invasion. The existence of the crystal wall could repel this contamination, halving its danger. With the support of the laws, as long as it wasn't a dozen beings equivalent to primordial gods attacking together, self-preservation was assured.