Lin Bai had invested the most energy in the Justice League and the Law of Love, so naturally, no oversights could occur. A series of questions not only failed to damage the Justice League but instead allowed Lin Bai to seize the opportunity to boost his reputation and publicize it further.
Chan Master Forget quickly adjusted his strategy: if he couldn't tarnish Lin Bai's reputation, he would undermine his cultivation. He hadn't wanted to make Lin Bai the subject of debate. But the initial statement, "Lin Bai is a human," made Chan Master Forget realize that targeting Lin Bai directly was doomed to fail; the fellow simply had no shame. If not Lin Bai, he could only use himself. When Lin Bai uttered, "You are a woman," a faint smile touched Chan Master Forget's lips, as if victory were beckoning.
The facts were undeniable. He didn't believe Lin Bai could argue him into being a woman unless Lin Bai had truly mastered Spoken Law Follows.
"From your appearance, Chan Master, you have an Adam's apple and a beard; you are indeed a genuine man." Lin Bai, not feeling cornered in the slightest, sized up Chan Master Forget from head to toe and asked, "Chan Master, do you know what humanity's most primal instinct is?"
"What is it?" Chan Master Forget asked.
"It's procreation, continuity," Lin Bai stated firmly, looking at Chan Master Forget. "Without procreation, nothing in the world would exist. Cultivators live long lives, seeking longevity, seeking ascension. If everyone in the world practiced cultivation, then in a few hundred, perhaps a thousand years, the human species would cease to exist. That is a grave sin. When you began your cultivation, Chan Master, and joined the Buddha Spirit Sect, you, as a man, automatically relinquished that mission."
"Procreation?" Jiang Qingqin muttered, gazing at Lin Bai in the sky, as if he had grasped some crucial insight.
"I may have abandoned the mission of a man, but that doesn't make me a woman." Chan Master Forget, unfazed by Lin Bai's disparagement, said nonchalantly. He had come to realize that in confronting Lin Bai, clinging to even a shred of dignity would lead to utter defeat.
Lin Bai glanced at Zhou Zhu in the distance with an enigmatic smile and shook his head. "Chan Master Forget, consider the cosmos: heaven and earth, yin and yang, male and female. A solitary yin cannot give birth; a lone yang cannot flourish. All things conform to this principle, and the Great Path of Love, born from the ultimate rationale of heaven and earth, is no exception. Your love with Perfected Zhou, Chan Master, transgressed the fundamental laws of cosmic operation and disregarded human ethics. It should never have occurred. Yet, why did such an ardent passion, one from which neither of you could break free, erupt so inevitably?"
Why? Isn't it because you manipulated them? Before this, both of them were normal... Whether they were indigenous people or NPCs, all had the same thought. Chan Master Forget, however, remained oblivious. Gazing at Zhou Zhu, ensnared by the Milky Way, a pang of heartache shot through him. The love in Zhou Zhu's eyes was undeniable; their feelings for each other were real.
The clamor from below grew louder. Lin Bai, fearing it might affect Forget's composure, continued without waiting for him to speak, "Chan Master, don't feel you're abnormal. Today, I will enlighten you and explain the nature of your relationship. The Eight Ancestors of the Righteous Door extensively studied the Law of Love and accurately described phenomena like yours, Chan Master. They stated that everyone carries some genes of the opposite sex. At birth, the physical form your parents bestow upon you determines whether you are male or female; this you cannot change. Psychologically, however, you are free. You can choose to identify as a man or a woman, and no one can interfere with this freedom of psychological choice."
No one interferes? Chan Master Forget's heart pounded. But recalling his wager with Lin Bai, he stated firmly, "No matter what you say, my body is still that of a man."
"No, your body isn't either," Lin Bai smiled. "The Eight Ancestors were fanatically devoted to the Love Principle and deeply investigated the reasons for people like you, Chan Master. Psychological factors are secondary; the key lies in physical composition, as psychological issues are often rooted in the body.
"To unravel the body's mysteries, the Eight Ancestors studied its secrets. They discovered that both males and females possess 23 pairs of chromosomes. Chromosomes are the vessels of heredity, the carriers of genes. Twenty-two pairs are common to both sexes; these they termed autosomes. The remaining pair, which determines sex, differs between males and females. This distinct twenty-third pair is crucial for differentiating sexes: males are XY, females are XX. Your situation, Chan Master, is actually an anomaly. Based on my observations, your chromosomes correspond to a special case identified by the Eight Ancestors—XXY."
"XXY? What does that mean?" Chan Master Forget asked.
"It means, Chan Master, that you were originally meant to be born a girl. However, due to certain special circumstances—perhaps an identical twin died in the womb and his genes were absorbed by you, or perhaps your mother consumed some extraordinary heavenly treasure during pregnancy—your original chromosomes were overwritten. This resulted in the peculiar characteristic of appearing male externally while being female internally," Lin Bai said, looking at Chan Master Forget with an expression of pity and sighing.
"So, I'm actually a woman?" Chan Master Forget frowned slightly.
"Correct." Lin Bai nodded firmly. "Your inherent genes influence your subconscious. That's why you chose to escape, why you didn't wish to marry a woman, and thus joined the Buddha Spirit Sect, which forbids romantic relationships. It's why you unconsciously fell in love with Zhou Zhu, another man. Even in our debate, you proposed the topic 'You are a man.' This might seem like you were trying to corner me, but in reality, your subconscious, hidden deep within your conscious mind, sought to use my words to resolve your inner turmoil. Only by dispelling these doubts can you confidently declare to the world that your love with Perfected Zhou is not heretical, but entirely reasonable…"
Is this what truly lies within the depths of my mind? Chan Master Forget was stunned. He had to admit, Lin Bai's well-reasoned explanation struck a chord deep within him. He knew his love for Zhou Zhu was unconventional, but if he were a woman, everything would make sense, and no one in the world could say otherwise…
Seeing the visibly swayed Chan Master Forget, Lin Bai smiled confidently. "Chan Master, admit it: you are, in truth, a woman. Currently, my cultivation of the Love Principle is still lacking. But in time, when my cultivation advances, with a mere thought, I can restore your female form. Then you can live a life of harmonious bliss with Perfected Zhou, a life that even immortals would envy—wouldn't that be wonderful? At that time, you could even bear him a healthy child, making your life truly perfect and free of regrets."
Chan Master Forget gazed at Zhou Zhu, still trapped by the Milky Way, an inexplicable sweetness flickering across his face. He rose, pressed his palms together, and bowed to Lin Bai. "In that case, Alliance Hierarch Lin, I shall entrust this matter to you."
"Holy crap! He actually talked a man into believing he's a woman?"
"Is he bullying the old monk for being uneducated?"
"Is this how genetics works? No instruments, no tests, just words, and he's redefined him? This is completely unreasonable!"
"It's not that Lin, the Storekeeper, is illogical; it's that he struck Chan Master Forget's weakest point. For him and Zhou Zhu to be accepted by the world, one of them needed to become a woman. Lin, the Storekeeper, merely dangled this possibility, and Chan Master Forget willingly hypnotized himself, conveniently going along with it. He lost not to Lin, the Storekeeper's eloquence, but to his own love…"
"But his love was also orchestrated by Lin, the Storekeeper! Before Zhou Zhu appeared, Chan Master Forget probably didn't even know he liked men. Two pitiful Great cheng Realm cultivators, manipulated unknowingly in the palm of his hand. Lin, the Storekeeper, is terrifying!"
"This further proves the existence of the Great Path of Love, and that it transcends existing cultivation realms! Still, I have to say, Lin, the Storekeeper, is incredible—he's truly relentless in promoting his Path of Rules…"
"Doesn't anyone else find it bizarre that Lin, the Storekeeper, has introduced genetics into the Immortal World?"
"We're used to it by now. Lin, the Storekeeper, is the real transmigrator; we're all just country bumpkins…"
Ye Song was dumbfounded, staring at Lin Bai in the sky. He secretly vowed to himself never to dabble in the Way of Love in this lifetime and, until he understood the full extent of the Righteous Door's capabilities, never to oppose Lin Bai. He didn't want to suffer the same fate as Chan Master Forget: a man for hundreds of years, only to be inexplicably turned into a woman, utterly unaware of the transformation himself.
Watching Chan Master Forget change from a man to a woman before his very eyes, He Qin felt a wave of relief. He finally understood why Lin Bai had insisted on using an enemy's cultivation for this demonstration of Spoken Law Follows. The ability to distort truth so profoundly was too terrifying; it must never be used against one's own people. At this moment, his gaze towards Lin Bai was filled with adoration. With just a few words, Lin Bai had turned Chan Master Forget into a woman. Although the Law of Love had played a part, the power of Spoken Law Follows was already becoming apparent. What was mere persuasion now would surely become reality in the future. Alliance Hierarch Lin had previously warned the world not to rashly cultivate the Law without sufficient aptitude and comprehension. Now, however, He Qin resolved to try. Even if he ultimately failed to comprehend any Divine Skills, mastering just three-tenths of Lin, the Storekeeper's Glib Lotus eloquence would be enough for him to dominate the world.
The Elder in the Purple Robe arrived during the confrontation between Forget and Lin Bai. Like Forget, he had hurried on his journey and was unaware of the preceding events. Upon arrival, he witnessed the spontaneously appearing Milky Way and observed the wager between Lin Bai and Forget. He was deeply puzzled by the love between Chan Master Forget and Zhou Zhu. Piecing together snippets of conversation from the citizens of Zhen City, the Elder in the Purple Robe reconstructed the sequence of events. Ultimately, he concluded that the Path of Rules was real. The Heavenly Sword Sect was foremost in offense. The Elder in the Purple Robe had infiltrated Zhen City. Unlike Forget and Zhou Zhu, he wasn't bound by Lin Bai's Love Principle. Lin Bai, meanwhile, was entirely focused on his debate with Chan Master Forget. At such close range, an attack would surely be fatal to Lin Bai. Yet, the Elder in the Purple Robe had no intention of striking. He was now profoundly captivated by the Path of Rules. The Wind Sword Intent he had comprehended seemed like child's play in comparison. He decided to observe Lin Bai closely, to grasp the essence of the Path of Rules from him, and then to surpass Lin Bai, becoming the true God of Rules.
"Chan Master Forget, let us continue!" Having successfully rectified Chan Master Forget's self-perception, Lin Bai gestured. In Forget, Lin Bai saw the hope of completing his mission.
"I believe the sky is red," Chan Master Forget stated calmly, looking at Lin Bai.
Lin Bai froze, looking at Chan Master Forget in astonishment. Is he going easy on me?
Chan Master Forget nodded, returning his smile.
Whether Lin Bai's claim about mastering the Way of Love and being able to truly turn him into a woman was true or not, it hardly mattered now. Lin Bai's theories on psychology and chromosomes had thoroughly resolved the current predicament he and Zhou Zhu faced. Moreover, Chan Master Forget had a realization: even if the world accepted their love, the Buddha Spirit Sect behind him and the Heavenly Dao Sect behind Zhou Zhu would never permit them to be together. At their cultivation realm, techniques were a minor issue; the reputation of their sects was paramount. Neither the Heavenly Dao Sect nor the Buddha Spirit Sect would allow them both to live, and neither of them was a match for their respective sects. Rather than sabotaging Lin Bai's cultivation to curry favor with their sects, only to be discarded like spent tools afterward, it was far better to support Lin Bai. Even if they didn't join the Justice League, as long as Lin Bai remained to contend with the Seven Righteous Sects, those sects would be too preoccupied to bother with them. He and Zhou Zhu could then happily enjoy their private world. That being the case, why not concede a little and let Lin Bai feel indebted?
"Shameless!"
"Alliance Hierarch Lin, is this even allowed?"
"Then, if I cultivate Spoken Law Follows, can't I just find someone to collude with me at will?"
The moment the issue of Chan Master Forget's concession arose, Zhen City erupted. Many who had firmly believed in the Law now began to doubt its authenticity again. In their view, any cultivation that allowed for loopholes was not true cultivation. The Elder in the Purple Robe frowned even more deeply.
Lin Bai, with his sharp hearing and keen sight, naturally heard the clamor from below. He swept his gaze over the boisterous crowd in Zhen City and nodded with a smile at Chan Master Forget. "No, the sky is blue. Its color is determined by sunlight. Sunlight appears white, but it is actually composed of seven colors—the colors of the rainbow…"
The art of debate required sound reasoning and evidence. Lin Bai wouldn't just counter with "the sky is blue" and leave it at that; he was still concerned about failing his mission! After all, Forget had given him such an excellent opening. Therefore, Lin Bai didn't mind offering some basic scientific education to the crowd below, dispelling their doubts about cultivation and, in the process, further elevating the standing of the Righteous Door. Having consumed many Spirit Fruits, the knowledge from his past life was as if imprinted on his mind, so Lin Bai had no fear of making any mistakes…
Chan Master Forget was taken aback. He had never imagined Lin Bai could articulate such a rationale for something as simple as the sky's color. At that moment, his confidence in the chromosome theory surged anew. The Righteous Door explained the myriad things of heaven and earth with a different set of doctrines; perhaps Lin Bai truly did have a way to change him from male to female…
As Lin Bai expounded on the wavelengths of light, the doubts about the Law among the people of Zhen City once again dissipated. In this world, no one knew why the sky was blue. Lin Bai, however, had provided a genuine answer, making everyone realize that cultivating Spoken Law Follows was still fraught with challenges. Without sufficient knowledge, it was likely impossible to succeed… Of course, most people still preferred to hear Lin Bai's arguments that twisted black and white. Compared to "why the sky is blue," they found "why the sky is red" far more entertaining…
As the debate between Lin Bai and Chan Master Forget devolved into amicable garbage time, the Heavenly Path Journal released a sensational article accusing Lin Bai of manipulating the Way of Love, branding him an extraterritorial demon who deluded the masses and sought to extinguish humanity. However, the article failed to make even a ripple. After all, Lin Bai's prior discourse on the Law was already widely known. He had cautioned the populace that without genius-level comprehension, one could not cultivate the Path of Rules, and that the Justice League had no intention of exterminating humanity. It had to be said, luck always seemed to be on Lin Bai's side.