Chapter 316: 316 means pulled out all the stops
No one expected Lin Bai to come up with such a tricky scheme, which was blatantly provoking the other’s bottom line.
The surroundings became quiet; everyone was watching Qing Yun’s reaction.
Lin Bai demonstrated a series of magical methods that had won Qing Yun’s preliminary trust. However, as she looked around, she realized that something was not right, though she had no idea what the problem was.
She had been awakened by the Heavenly Tribulation from her deep sleep and had no idea what had happened in the outside world.
With a hint of suspicion, Qing Yun asked cautiously, "What is a Card?"
"Qing Yun, see that fellow hanging over there? You beat her to death’s door, and I’ll demonstrate for you," Lin Bai pointed at Peach Ancestor, who was hanging upside down, gently persuading her.
Qing Yun’s cultivation level was unknown, but it had to be stronger than the Crossing Tribulation Realm.
Lin Bai did not have the privilege to seal across levels. To seal Qing Yun, he had to ensure that he possessed the cultivation of the Crossing Tribulation Realm.
So, he still needed Qing Yun to help him transition.
Qing Yun glanced at Peach Ancestor. Without wasting any words, she arrived next to Peach Ancestor with a thought. Before Peach Ancestor could say anything, Qing Yun struck her with a palm.
The next moment, she had already brought the gravely injured and dying Peach Ancestor back to Lin Bai’s side.
Firstly, she wanted to see what kind of Divine Skills Lin Bai possessed.
Secondly, she confidently believed in her own overwhelming cultivation and didn’t regard this group of people highly at all. If anything goes wrong, I can always make the first move and kill Lin Bai...
Looking at the returned Peach Ancestor, Lin Bai retrieved the Red String.
The number of Red Strings in the Matchmaker System returned to two.
He sighed in relief. Apparently, if the Red String wasn’t used to connect fates, it could be reused.
Next, Lin Bai took out another Gold Card. A golden light flashed, successfully sealing Peach Ancestor into the Card.
Seeing this, Qing Yun frowned deeply.
Ye Song and the others subconsciously prepared their defenses, ready to face Boss Qingyun’s fury. Wasn’t it better to negotiate terms when she was half-dead from the Heavenly Tribulation? they all muttered inwardly. Why announce it in advance?
The actions of their Alliance Hierarch, dancing on a knife’s edge, truly baffled them...
With a frown, Qing Yun asked, "How can she be restored to her original state?"
Lin Bai released Peach Ancestor.
Peach Ancestor reappeared but had lost her wits, standing dazedly beside Lin Bai.
Lin Bai shared her cultivation, successfully advancing to the Crossing Tribulation Realm.
As the greatest fighting power in this world, the Crossing Tribulation Realm was much stronger than Great Cheng. Spiritual Power was continuously infused into Lin Bai’s body, and he could feel the difference of the Crossing Tribulation Realm.
The Crossing Tribulation Realm no longer required any special Cultivation Techniques. With every move, cultivators could mobilize the Spiritual Power within and around their bodies, unleashing powerful attacks.
Truly, brute force overcame all opposition.
Invincible in the mortal realm.
If cultivators in the Crossing Tribulation Realm were allowed to run amok, nobody could harm them, and they could easily exterminate an entire city or clan. No wonder such individuals were not tolerated by Heaven and Earth...
The moment Peach Ancestor was released, Lin Bai had already raised his Ruler.
...
"Thief, this is too much!" Qing Yun looked at the dazed Peach Ancestor, then at the other Puppets beside Lin Bai, and she became furious. She raised her palm and struck at Lin Bai.
She, the prestigious Qingmu, having lived for countless years—how could she endure such humiliation?
But Lin Bai had anticipated her actions, and the Ruler fell at just the right moment.
Qing Yun, who had just raised her palm, suddenly lowered it, extending it forward obediently in front of Lin Bai, like a schoolgirl awaiting punishment.
SMACK!
The Ruler struck her palm.
A surge of pain from her Divine Soul instantly spread throughout Qing Yun’s body. Unable to hold back, she cried out in pain, causing her towering Qingmu tree-body to sway violently.
The houses built atop it collapsed with a CRASH.
Players who were secretly recording the scene lost their footing and tumbled to the ground.
What’s going on?
Is that Ruler a Divine Artifact?
This sudden turn of events stunned everyone present.
Everyone except Ye Song.
Ye Song watched as Lin Bai raised the Ruler high, his heart still pounding with lingering fear.
Ye Lan extended a finger, gently prodded Ye Song’s back, and whispered, "Forging the Divine Soul?"
Ye Song turned and glared at her fiercely.
"What is this?" Qing Yun eyed the Ruler, startled.
"The Ruler, a Divine Artifact embodying a master’s way, used to punish disobedient disciples," Lin Bai didn’t conceal the Ruler’s function and struck her again. "Qing Yun, since you acknowledged me as your master and have enjoyed many benefits, yet you refuse to even call me ’Master,’ this strike is my lesson to you in etiquette and moral conduct."
The pain in her Divine Soul was unbearable. Qingmu trembled again. She wanted to mobilize the Spiritual Energy within her to fight back, but under the Ruler’s power, she couldn’t even move.
At this moment, how could she not realize she had been tricked by Lin Bai?
"You..." Anger surged within Qing Yun.
"’You’ what?" Lin Bai, observing the Heavenly Tribulation above, quickened his assault. "Call me Master."
"Never!" Enduring the pain in her Divine Soul, Qing Yun gritted her teeth. "I’d rather die and take you, thief, down with me!"
Such familiar words.
In the Phoenix Seeks Phoenix Group, Ancestor Tuohai and the others looked at Qing Yun, who was being completely controlled by Lin Bai. They empathized deeply, feeling a wave of despair. She wishes for mutual destruction? It won’t be long before she submits on her own...
Cen Qing gulped nervously. As expected, it wasn’t easy being Lin Bai’s disciple. He even has such a countermeasure!
Xu Longyun and the others didn’t care. No matter how painfully Lin Bai’s Ruler struck, it wouldn’t fall on them.
"Disobeying your master is a great disrespect. You deserve this punishment!" The Ruler in Lin Bai’s hand fell again.
"Scoundrel! Scoundrel! Even if I have to forgo this Heavenly Tribulation, I will first tear you into pieces, then shred your Divine Soul! None of these women, your disciples, will escape!" Qing Yun’s face twisted grotesquely.
Xu Longyun narrowed her eyes, a dangerous glint within them.
At this moment, within Qing Yun’s mind, an image of an old man riding a blue ox appeared. He had three flowers above his nape and a celebratory cloud above his head. Lotuses bloomed with every step of the ox. He looked like a transcendent, enlightened master.
The old man looked at Qing Yun pitifully, shaking his head repeatedly. "Ignorant Child, Ignorant Child! A sword’s edge is sharpened through honing, and plum blossoms exude their fragrance from bitter cold. You’ve cultivated for hundreds of thousands of years, yet you fear the Heavenly Tribulation, hiding all day. What meaning is there in such a wasted life? Ignorant Child, this Heavenly Tribulation is your opportunity. Only after passing it can you roam freely between Heaven and Earth. Do not ruin your future for a moment of willfulness. That is all I have to say. Consider it well!"
With that, the old man vanished abruptly.
Qing Yun was startled. "Who was that?"
"It’s me, your master, Lin Bai." Lin Bai pretended not to have used his Mind Reading Ability. The Ruler in his hand struck down again. "This strike is for your impulsiveness and disregard for your life. You’ve endured for countless years to achieve what you have today. Yet for trivial matters, you want to perish with me? Did you cultivate for tens of thousands of years just to vent this anger?"
"Trivial matter? You lured the Heavenly Tribulation, threatening my life! And you want to turn me into a Puppet, scheming for my freedom..." Qing Yun cried out, aggrieved and furious. "If this is called a trivial matter, then what in the world is a serious one?"
"Is turning you into a Puppet harming you?" Lin Bai took out an Enlightenment Pill and gestured for Xu Longyun to feed it to Peach Ancestor. "Under the Heavenly Tribulation, all of us will turn to dust. This is the only way to help everyone survive the Heavenly Tribulation. Compared to eternal life, what is a brief loss of freedom?
When you are struck by the Heavenly Tribulation to the brink of death, I can still turn you into a Puppet. Telling you this in advance is a mark of respect for your wishes.
Since I can turn you into a Puppet, I can also restore your freedom. Can’t you even understand something so simple? Do you actually believe I couldn’t survive this Heavenly Tribulation without you?"
For the final statement, Lin Bai used the Enlightenment Skill.
"..." Qing Yun was stunned. She remembered the old man who had inexplicably appeared in her mind. Looking at Lin Bai, a thought suddenly struck her: Could this man truly be her chance for survival?
That’s it!
If she dared to face the Heavenly Tribulation alone, she wouldn’t have endured in solitude for so many years!
To avoid the Heavenly Tribulation, she had remained in deep sleep for tens of thousands of years. If the Heavenly Tribulation hadn’t suddenly descended upon her, she would still be slumbering. Is this truly the life she desires?
Perhaps even the heavens couldn’t bear her decadent state and sent this man to her, forcing her to make a choice!
However, it feels so humiliating!
"Will you truly restore my freedom?" Qing Yun asked.
SMACK!
Another strike from the Ruler landed.
Lin Bai said, "Call me Master."
"Master, after the Heavenly Tribulation, will you truly restore my freedom?" Qing Yun shuddered, gritting her teeth.
"Of course. Unless absolutely necessary, who would want to imprison their own disciple?" Lin Bai’s eyes revealed compassion. "The way of a master requires me to cultivate each disciple into a talent. Turning a disciple into a Puppet would violate the dignity of being a master. How could I be such a wicked person?"
As if to corroborate Lin Bai’s words, Peach Ancestor regained consciousness at that very moment. She looked around and quickly realized what had happened to her. Dark energy billowed out as she lunged at Lin Bai. "You Evil Spirit! You turned me into a Puppet! I’ll fight you to the death!"
Lin Bai issued the command to her: "Protect!"
The dark energy vanished instantly. Peach Ancestor repeatedly tried to mobilize her Spiritual Power, but it seemed sealed; whenever she tried to attack Lin Bai, her Spiritual Power remained inert.
"Fight? What fight? Turning you into a Puppet saved your life. As long as I live, you will exist forever!" Lin Bai glared at Peach Ancestor and declared.
"Thief! Thief! May you die a horrible death! If I ever escape, I will eat your flesh and drink your blood..." Peach Ancestor, unable to harm Lin Bai, cursed him madly.
Who the hell wants to live like this!
She had stayed to trigger the Heavenly Tribulation precisely to seek death, to pursue her Dao companion. Now, not only could she not die, but she was also sealed as a Puppet, subservient to her enemy’s will. This was worse than death!
SMACK!
The Ruler descended once again.
Seeing Peach Ancestor’s antics, Qing Yun’s doubts resurfaced. Just as she was pondering the implications, she was struck again by the Ruler. She complained aggrievedly, "Why are you hitting me again?"
"To beat the lack of fight out of you," Lin Bai looked at Qing Yun and casually invented a reason.
"You..." Qing Yun trembled, a wave of humiliation washing over her. She no longer cared about the old man in her mind and gritted her teeth. "You’re dead meat..."
"Stubborn fool." Lin Bai looked up at the sky. The tribulation clouds had already re-formed, and lightning could strike at any moment. He had run out of methods. Steeling his heart, he briefly flashed the Heart of Sky Demon before retracting it again. "Even after extensive teaching, you still don’t understand my sincere intentions. If I truly wanted to harm you, I would have implanted this Heart of Sky Demon into you, letting you draw all the Heavenly Tribulation. Once you were struck by the Heavenly Tribulation to the brink of death, I would then turn you into a Puppet. Wouldn’t that be the same? Why would I go through all this trouble and be considerate of your feelings..."
The moment the Heart of Sky Demon was revealed, the tribulation clouds instantly accelerated their convergence.
The instant the Heart of Sky Demon appeared, Qing Yun froze. She thoroughly understood now: this master she had acknowledged was definitely not a good person!
Consider her feelings? This was a blatant threat, wasn’t it?
The Heart of Sky Demon flickered once and agitated the tribulation clouds; if it truly attached to her, she would likely have no chance of survival!
Having clung to life for tens of thousands of years, Qing Yun cherished life more than anyone...
Thus, she decided to trust the old immortal in her mind this once. It’s better to live ignobly than to die well. She had no choice but to gamble!
"Master, stop hitting me! I’ll face the Heavenly Tribulation with you. But please, Master, unless absolutely necessary, don’t turn me into a Puppet..." Qing Yun took a deep breath, a tear of regret trickling from the corner of her eye.
Before she could finish her sentence, perhaps stirred by the aura of the Heart of Sky Demon, the Heavenly Tribulation intensified, and overwhelming lightning descended impatiently, fiercer and more ferocious than the first time.
Lin Bai immediately withdrew his Ruler.
Qing Yun glanced at Lin Bai, then soared into the air to meet the lightning.
Shadows of the Qingmu tree lit up one after another, absorbing all the lightning strikes. While hovering in mid-air, Qing Yun didn’t forget to say to Lin Bai, "Master, if you don’t agree to my request, I’ll let the lightning fall. Let’s see who can endure longer..."
"Your master agrees to your terms," Lin Bai declared loudly. Qing Yun truly lives up to her name as a final boss; she single-handedly blocked all the lightning. The people on the Qingmu tree were completely at ease, feeling exceptionally relaxed.
"Even if you turn me into a Puppet, you must help me recover my senses," Qing Yun added.
"Naturally," Lin Bai promptly agreed to all requests.
Ye Song and the others remained silent. Morally, they didn’t agree with Lin Bai’s actions, but from a selfish standpoint, this was the best outcome.
Otherwise, everyone under the tribulation clouds would probably not survive.
"If I can regain my freedom, you must restore it to me!" Qing Yun continued to make demands relentlessly while fighting the Heavenly Tribulation.
"Good disciple, focus on the Heavenly Tribulation and stop letting your thoughts wander. Your master agrees to all your requests." Under the cover of the tribulation clouds, Lin Bai soothed Qing Yun’s agitated heart.
Everyone was speechless.
[Resentment from Qing Yun; +1+1+1...]
Qing Yun intercepted the lightning above.
Lin Bai breathed a temporary sigh of relief. He took out a large pile of Spirit Fruits. "Come, everyone take a few. Replenish your energy. When Qing Yun can’t hold on, we’ll need everyone to work together."
When Qing Yun can’t hold on anymore, who knows how terrifying that tribulation cloud will be? Will it still be our turn to act? everyone grumbled inwardly.
But they still stepped forward silently, took the Spirit Fruits, and swallowed them one after another. Every bit of increased strength counts.
Peach Ancestor was still cursing loudly to the side, but no one paid her any attention. There are even people singing over there! With the Heavenly Tribulation overhead, can everyone really be taken care of?
Lin Bai looked towards the Great Cheng cultivators from the Holy Extreme Sect on the other side and waved. "Fellow Daoists, don’t be reserved. We’re all in the same boat. Past grudges should be set aside. If we can survive this Heavenly Tribulation, and you still wish to oppose me, I, Lin Bai, will face you all."
The Great Cheng cultivators looked at each other, a bitter taste in their mouths. Even Ancestor Qingyun has been completely subdued by you. Who would still dare to oppose you?
After a moment of hesitation, Mingyan cupped her fists. "Alliance Hierarch Lin, we were misguided before and opposed you. Please forgive us. You’re right; we had already been abandoned as disposable pawns. If it weren’t for you, Alliance Hierarch, we would have turned to ash under the Heavenly Tribulation long ago. Our debt to the Holy Extreme Sect was cleared the moment the Heavenly Tribulation descended. If we are fortunate enough to survive this Heavenly Tribulation, please allow us to join the Justice League. We are willing to contribute our meager strength to the League."
"Please, Alliance Hierarch, take us in!" the other female cultivators echoed in unison. At this point, only a true fool would stubbornly continue to oppose Lin Bai.
"I grant your request," Lin Bai smiled, taking out another large handful of Spirit Fruits and handing them over. "Welcome to the Justice League."
"Alliance Hierarch Lin, your Divine Skills are world-shaking! We were blind to have thought of opposing you. If we can safely pass this Heavenly Tribulation, we too are willing to follow you, Alliance Hierarch, and join the Justice League!" In the Phoenix Seeks Phoenix Array, Ancestor Tuohai and the others quickly pledged their allegiance to Lin Bai.
"You’ve thought it through?" Lin Bai asked.
"We’ve thought it through," Tuohai said with a bitter smile, thoughtfully handing Lin Bai a whip. "The accomplished one is the master. The future will undoubtedly belong to the Dao of Cultivation Law. If you do not disdain us, Alliance Hierarch, I, Tuohai, wish to take you as my master and cultivate the Dao of Cultivation Law..."
While Qing Yun was resisting the Heavenly Tribulation above, Lin Bai was consolidating support below. Qing Yun, whose attention was partly diverted to the situation here, was seething with frustration and said aggrievedly, "Lin Bai, those fruits are useful to me! Don’t give them to those wastes! Give me some, and I can resist a few more Heavenly Tribulations..."