Being well-prepared against the unsuspecting, Lin Bai, in cooperation with Hu Qing, effortlessly captured Huang Yun, who was waiting outside to provide support.
In fact, almost no Cultivator of the same level could resist Lin Bai's psychological combo: provocation, Sophistry, Mind Reading Ability, and now with the addition of Charm and the Eye of the Broken...
Huang Yun and his pets could neither fight nor flee. After their Magic Treasure was destroyed by the Blacksmith's six-piece set, the poor creatures were tormented by the Lightning Storm to the brink of death, and in the end, were willingly sealed into Cards.
Huang Yun and Yanjun were fortunate enough to receive permanent residences in Silver Cards, while the remaining pet beasts were sealed into disposable ordinary Cards.
Lin Bai's number of Cards was limited; he couldn't permanently keep everyone he met.
As a Beast Tamer, once Huang Yun was sealed, his pet beasts, in their desperation to save their master, would recklessly attack Lin Bai, trying to awaken Huang Yun's consciousness. Even if roused, Huang Yun, frustrated in his heart, would still command his pet beasts to attack Lin Bai. Therefore, sealing him and everything connected to him was the best choice.
As for the fact that using a disposable ordinary Card would make the pet beasts disappear, leading to a decrease in Huang Yun's strength, Lin Bai paid it no mind. Who cares about a Puppet's feelings anyway!
What's more, he had already achieved the cultivation of the Hollow Realm, and his next target was the Great cheng. Those Card figures who couldn't keep up with his growth rate would eventually be eliminated.
「...」
Lin Bai returned to Zhen City with Hu Qing and Huang Yun.
Ye Song's figure emerged from a large patch of forest that had been ravaged by the Lightning Storm. He looked up at the sky, then around, bent down to pick up a piece of charcoal, and muttered, Capturing a Hollow Realm Cultivator was so troublesome. The most effective means of attack is still the Lightning Storm... A Divine Skill that can destroy everything within a hundred-mile radius with a single shout—isn't that reliant on external power? Besides Laws, are there no other methods to defeat enemies? Lin Bai, oh Lin Bai, it turns out you're not deliberately trying to disgust people; you genuinely lack effective offensive methods! How many people have been bluffed by you! Interesting...
「...」
"Alliance Hierarch, all assets of the Beggar Gang in Fiore City have been completely destroyed."
"The Disciples stationed in Dinghuo City were also killed to the point they dare not go online anymore."
"The team from the Heavenly Sword Sect, led by the Purple-Robed Old Ancestor, has halted 3,000 miles northeast of Zhen City. If they wished, they could reach Zhen City in an hour. We must prepare in advance..."
"The teams from the Valley of Thousand Souls and Sky Demon Mountain have halted 3,000 miles northwest of Zhen City..."
"The Beast Taming Sect is in the southeast..."
"The Tool Refining Sect and the Pill and Spirit Sect are positioned in the southwest..."
「...」
Within a single day, one piece of bad news after another converged on Lin Bai.
Sects that Lin Bai previously controlled, such as the Morning Yuan Sword Sect, Hundred Flower Valley, Beast Control Sect, and Medicine King Valley, fell one after another. Even Return to Dragon View, where Lin Bai had established his Sect, could not escape their cruel fate.
When Return to Dragon View fell, the Super Sect Leader System also issued a new task: [Retain land and lose people, and you will lose both land and people. Retain people and lose land, and you can save both land and people. The Sect has fallen. As the head of the Sect, you must reclaim it to uphold the prestige of the Righteous Door! Reward: 300 Merit Points]
However, this task, much like the mission to rescue 'Crispy Rice', could be easily resolved by winning the current battle. Thus, Lin Bai didn't need to expend specific effort on it.
All these losses were inflicted upon the Justice League by teams led by Great cheng experts from the various Sects that had set out earlier.
The forces from the True Seven Sects and the Five Demonic Sects, mobilized in full force, would take at least seven more days to arrive.
Having witnessed the power of the Magpie Bridge, Sects like the Heavenly Dao Sect issued a strict directive to their subordinate Sects scattered everywhere: guard the gateways of every town and city. Starting from the capital of Taiyi Country and spreading outwards, they were to relentlessly hunt down any suspicious Justice League Bridge Protectors and do everything possible to prevent the establishment of the Magpie Bridge Network.
They intended to trap Lin Bai in Zhen City, leaving him no escape.
The True Seven Sects, joining forces with the Five Demonic Sects, issued an ultimatum to Taiyi Country: they were forbidden from assisting Lin Bai. Otherwise, Taiyi Country would cease to have a reason to exist.
Once this ultimatum was issued, many City Lords of important towns in Taiyi Country, disregarding the orders of the Royal family, defected to the side of the True Seven Sects.
In the blink of an eye, a perfectly stable country was thrown into turmoil, becoming divided and fragmented.
With the True Seven Sects and the Five Demonic Sects determined to eliminate Lin Bai, he and his Justice League were instantly pushed into a desperate, besieged situation...
No one was optimistic about the Justice League's future.
However, for a Sect established just over two months ago to stir the world's situation to such an extent was truly unprecedented.
「...」
"Are you satisfied now?" Duke Zhenguo, seeing Lin Bai again after just over twenty hours, looked haggard and much older, as if he had aged more than ten years. The situation was changing so rapidly that even someone as powerful as him couldn't keep up.
Behind Duke Zhenguo stood a dozen or so generals, clad in armor and bearing arms.
These generals looked at Lin Bai with unfriendly eyes, as if they wished they could skin him alive and grind his bones.
Squad after squad of soldiers, holding hands, entered Zhen City via the Magpie Bridge. The sight left the citizens of Zhen City marveling, their longing for the Magpie Bridge growing even stronger.
Merchants, too, began discussing the benefits the Magpie Bridge could bring to their businesses. However, they often stopped after just a sentence or two. After all, if Lin Bai couldn't survive this War, the Magpie Bridge would cease to exist. No amount of planning would matter then.
The soldiers of The Northern Army fanned out in formation on the Martial Arts Field, beginning to assemble various city defense armaments.
These soldiers were all, at the very least, in the Divinity Transformation Realm. Like their generals, the soldiers looked at Lin Bai with eyes full of profound disgust.
No one liked this man who had dragged them from peace into war, especially when their enemies were unfathomable Great cheng experts...
Wave after wave of negative emotions flooded Lin Bai's mind. The storm he had stirred up had agitated so many people. If these negative emotions could be deliberately converted into Spiritual Power, he likely would have already reached the Mahayana Realm by now.
At this moment, Lin Bai looked with satisfaction at the thousands of Divinity Transformation Realm soldiers, his face beaming with delight.
As expected of Taiyi Country, established for thousands of years; its foundations are truly deep, Lin Bai thought. I knew it. No Royal family would willingly tolerate dozens of 'retired emperors' ruling over them.
"What are you saying, Your Grace?" Lin Bai said to Duke Zhenguo, who was clearly expressing his dissatisfaction. "Give me liberty, or give me death! If we win this War, Taiyi Country will henceforth be independent of the True Seven Sects. The Justice League isn't interested in power. On the contrary, it will use the Laws to help Taiyi Country develop rapidly. If we win this battle, it won't be long before Taiyi Country becomes the number one power on the Continent. This is mutually beneficial."
"That's only if we can win," Duke Zhenguo said, his face dark.
"Your Grace, life rarely offers many chances to stake everything. Some opportunities, if seized, are gained; if missed, they are gone forever." Lin Bai smiled faintly. "And you, esteemed generals, don't look so glum. Smile a little. Stay optimistic and relaxed, and good fortune will favor our side..."
Under the effect of Lin Bai's 'Smile When You See Me' ability, all the generals, including Duke Zhenguo, were forced to crack a smile.
Consequently, the negative Emotion Value in Lin Bai's System backend surged anew, allowing him to easily learn the names of the dozen or so generals present.
"Lin Bai, restrain yourself somewhat. These generals are all battle-hardened veterans. Offending them will do you no good," Duke Zhenguo reprimanded, though he was smiling.
"I'm merely letting them experience the allure of the Laws, to bolster their confidence in me. In any case, I am the Alliance Hierarch of the Justice League and the Worldly Walker of the Righteous Door, someone who has conquered two Great cheng experts using the Way of Laws. The Righteous Door has numerous ancestors whose cultivation is heaven-reaching; who are they putting on such stern faces for?" Lin Bai's smile vanished as he continued, "This fight against the True Seven Sects is mutually beneficial. It's not a matter of who is begging whom. His Grace the Duke surely hasn't told them about the other method of cultivating the Way of Laws, has he?"
"Such arrogance from a mere youth!"
"Insolent!"
Several of the hot-tempered generals immediately erupted. A few even drew their swords and pointed them at Lin Bai.
Xu Longyun frowned slightly, then flashed to Lin Bai's side. With a somber face, she stared coldly at the generals, her actions clearly showing she stood with Lin Bai.
"A bunch of fools. If I truly needed to rely on you, *that's* when you should be worried," Lin Bai said dismissively, shaking his head.
Duke Zhenguo glanced at Lin Bai, then snapped at the generals, "Sheathe your swords!"
The generals exchanged glances and reluctantly sheathed their weapons.
Lin Bai's words were a rude awakening. He was right. If the Justice League truly considered them its main force, that would be the real cause for concern. It would mean Lin Bai was just a showy, useless weapon, with no real confidence against the True Seven Sects. Lin Bai looking down on them, conversely, was a good thing.
"Lin Bai, The Northern Army has mobilized 100,000 troops this time to assist the Justice League in defending Zhen City. Among them are thirty Hollow Realm cultivators, 10,000 elite Divinity Transformation Realm cultivators, and the rest are at the Golden Core Realm. The Northern Army has also brought thirty Destroy Immortal Artilleries and thirty Killing Immortal Artilleries, along with 50,000 jin of top-grade Spirit Stones. Activating the Zhen City Defense Array, we can hold out for six hours," Duke Zhenguo said, changing the subject. "Our Great cheng cultivators must remain in Kyoto to protect the Royal family..."
"Your Grace, when you say six hours, what intensity of attack are you referring to?" Lin Bai asked in surprise.
"Against the simultaneous assault of ten Great cheng cultivators, it can hold for six hours," Duke Zhenguo replied, looking at Lin Bai. "After those six hours, once the Spirit Stones are depleted, Zhen City will inevitably fall."
"What about the Magpie Bridge transporting Spirit Stones back and forth from the Capital City?" Lin Bai asked. I've still underestimated the strength of Taiyi Country, he thought. Thousands of years of accumulation... their foundation is truly immense!
"The array formation won't hold indefinitely, and neither will the Destroy Immortal Artilleries or the Killing Immortal Artilleries, even with a supply of Spirit Stones," Duke Zhenguo frowned slightly. "Lin Bai, don't entertain any more ideas about relying further on Taiyi Country. This is the absolute maximum support I could secure. Taiyi Country cannot possibly exhaust all its resources for the Justice League."
"I understand. You all still need to live on, after all!" Lin Bai chuckled. "Six hours is enough."
"We can only defend the city; no offensive actions," Duke Zhenguo added.
"Defending is sufficient. Leave the offense to me," Lin Bai smiled. "With the Magpie Bridge, if we can't hold out, we can retreat to the Capital City! At that point, the Great cheng experts guarding the Royal family will essentially be guarding us!"
"You...!" Duke Zhenguo exclaimed, glaring yet laughing in exasperation.
"Just kidding! We're allies; how could I possibly sabotage my own people?" Lin Bai laughed heartily. "Rest assured, Your Grace. This is the main battlefield. We will use this battle to demonstrate the might of the Justice League and make the True Seven Sects retreat in the face of such difficulty. The Magpie Bridges deployed earlier were not for escape, but for reclaiming lost territories after the War."
Duke Zhenguo stared at Lin Bai, silent for a long moment.
He couldn't discern which of Lin Bai's words were true and which were false.
But seeing Xu Longyun standing beside Lin Bai, Duke Zhenguo felt certain: this fellow was capable of anything...
"What's your strategy?" Duke Zhenguo asked.
"First, help me clear out the spies from the various Sects within the city to prevent internal sabotage," Lin Bai said, looking around at everyone. "Then, we'll launch a public opinion war through the Skyfallen, continuously promoting the benefits of the Magpie Bridge for the people's livelihood. We'll brand the True Seven Sects and the Five Demonic Sects as obstacles to civilization and oppressors of the common folk. If necessary, you can first bestow upon me the title of 'Cupid'. Promoting the Magpie Bridge in the name of Cupid will be more persuasive."
Duke Zhenguo looked at Lin Bai and nodded.
Xu Longyun's breathing quickened slightly. She shot Duke Zhenguo a meaningful glance; compared to the ethereal Heavenly Dao, she was more eager to solidify Lin Bai's title as Cupid.
After outlining the arrangements for the Cupid plan, Lin Bai looked at Duke Zhenguo and said, "Your Grace, later, have Tao of Heaven Review conduct an exclusive interview with you to reveal Taiyi Country's military strength to the world. During the interview, you can moderately exaggerate Taiyi Country's military power."
"Why?" Duke Zhenguo asked. "Things have already reached this stage. Exaggerating Taiyi Country's strength won't stop the True Seven Sects; they'll attack regardless. The greater the strength Taiyi Country proclaims, the more suspicious the True Seven Sects will become." He frowned. "Could it be... you want to push Taiyi Country's Royal family into a corner, forcing them to ally with you?"
"It's not about pushing Taiyi Country's Royal family into a corner, but rather the Royal families of Taichu Country and Taihao Country," Lin Bai said with a calm smile. "Taiyi Country has already raised the banner of rebellion, while Taichu Country and Taihao Country merely watch from the sidelines. Why should we let them be so comfortable? Taiyi Country possesses military strength that can threaten the True Seven Sects. Your Grace, don't you think the True Seven Sects will then assume Taichu Country and Taihao Country also possess similar strength? Won't they seize the opportunity to weaken them? Even if not immediately, once they've dealt with the Justice League, do you think they'll refrain?"
"HISS!" The generals behind Duke Zhenguo gasped sharply.
Looking at Lin Bai, Duke Zhenguo sighed inwardly, finally certain that this man truly possessed the ability to throw the world into chaos. How utterly sinister!
"Your Grace, once the seeds of suspicion are sown, Taichu Country and Taihao Country, after weighing the pros and cons, might find they have no choice but to rebel as well," Lin Bai said with a relaxed smile.
"And at that point, it will be quite easy for the Justice League to negotiate cooperation with them, won't it!" Duke Zhenguo snorted, a smile playing on his lips but not reaching his eyes.
"Just preparing for a rainy day," Lin Bai said with a hint of coyness. "Making more friends and fewer enemies has always been the Justice League's principle. Besides, the Justice League and these countries are fundamentally aligned; they would have come together sooner or later. I've merely accelerated the process of their cooperation a tiny bit."
First, you trap them with no way out, then you 'cooperate'. One would have to have suffered eight lifetimes of bad luck to be chosen as your ally! Duke Zhenguo grumbled inwardly, then asked aloud, "And then?"
"Then it's simple," Lin Bai smiled. "While things are slowly fermenting, we'll finish up the cooking competition first..."
The public opinion war, though ruthless, was at least related to the current War. But how did the topic suddenly jump back to a cooking competition? Duke Zhenguo felt choked with exasperation and said resentfully, "At a time like this, you're *still* thinking about a cooking competition?"
"Your Grace, the Laws of the Way of Cooking also need to be propagated," Lin Bai said. "Right now, the more relaxed we appear, the more cautious our opponents will become, which in turn buys us more time to make arrangements. Your Grace, please rest assured, the cooking competition doesn't conflict with battling our external enemies..."
If the situation becomes even more chaotic, and we truly can't withstand the True Seven Sects' encirclement and opt to flee, there won't be another chance to hold such a large-scale, cross-city competition. Therefore, the cooking competition must be completed. The more Skills, the better.