"Don't be deceived by him! If we don't join forces, we'll end up being defeated by him one by one. Even if we join the Justice League, our Sect's grand army will arrive in a few days. What will you do then?" Qiu Liang was frantic, but he still clung to a shred of sanity, attempting to rally allies.
Zuo Lan and Cen Qing's eyes flickered; they couldn't meet Qiu Liang's gaze. They hadn't helped Wen Ba earlier, and now that a glimmer of hope had finally appeared, why would they resist alongside Qiu Liang again? Do we look like fools?
"Elder Qiu, you are mistaken," Lin Bai said, looking up at the sky. Wen Ba's Rush Moon had reached its limit, and he was already entangled with Ye Song and the others. Lin Bai casually threw a rope to assist them, then turned back to Qiu Liang. "I can't deny that I can be rather impulsive at times, but that's only towards my enemies. I have never mistreated those who joined the Justice League; in fact, they rarely have to go to battle. Furthermore, times have changed. Do you really believe that the Righteous Seven Sects and the Demonic Five Sects will still attack the Justice League after this battle?"
"..." Seeing Zuo Lan and Cen Qing were clearly tempted, Qiu Liang felt a tightness in his chest. He looked around. His own Hollow Realm disciples were bound in mid-air by ropes, all having resigned themselves to their fate. Wen Ba was still struggling, but facing the siege of three Great Cheng realm cultivators, his demise was only a matter of time. The once-mighty allied forces of the Ten Sects had either surrendered or perished. Now, he was the only one left to confront Li Xiaobai.
Not even an hour has passed yet! All those clever plans—ambushing Little White Fox, taking her hostage, exchanging her for the Transformation Pill's Dan Fang—they all turned into jokes the moment we encountered Lin Bai...
Watching the eager Lin Bai and then the battered Wen Ba in the sky, Qiu Liang heaved a long sigh and closed his eyes. "Come on, don't torture an old man like me any longer. Just turn me into a puppet! Alliance Hierarch Lin, I only ask one thing: after I become a puppet, please let me regain my consciousness..."
Lin Bai was speechless.
Not even an attempt to resist? Giving up just like that? War God System, did you see that? It's not that I don't want to fight; the enemies are just too pathetic! They don't give me a chance! To subdue the enemy without fighting—I must have reached the highest realm of warfare!
Looking at the utterly dejected Qiu Liang, Lin Bai threw out a silver Card.
A silver light enveloped Qiu Liang, effortlessly drawing him into the Card without the slightest resistance. It was even easier than subduing Xiao Yu.
Releasing Qiu Liang again, Lin Bai now possessed the Cultivation Level of two Great Cheng realm cultivators.
When he turned to look at Zuo Lan and Cen Qing, they immediately plastered smiles on their faces and cupped their fists. "I, Zuo Lan, wish to join the Justice League and serve the Alliance Hierarch!" declared Zuo Lan. Cen Qing quickly followed, "I, Cen Qing, also wish to serve!"
What is dignity? Is dignity more important than being turned into a Card?
"Then why aren't you up there helping to take down Wen Ba?" Lin Bai smiled at them, pointing to the sky.
The two jolted and immediately flew upwards, shouting as they went, afraid of being misunderstood by Ye Song and Xiao Yu, "Brother Ye, we're here to help!"
"Wen Ba, prepare to die!"
Seeing several Great Cheng realm cultivators ganging up on Wen Ba, Lin Bai remembered his ongoing task from the War God System and, without hesitation, joined the fray with his two puppets.
Participation is what counts, right? Besides, can't one display the valor of a War God even in a group fight? Who decreed that a War God must constantly put themselves in danger...
The fight had barely begun, and the enemies had already become allies! Is this the power of the Dao of Rules?
Lin Bai's unprecedented fighting style left the hundred thousand soldiers of The Northern Army dumbfounded. Recalling their earlier indignation, shame washed over them.
Alright then! Their worries were unnecessary. No, they themselves were unnecessary. Almost everyone was secretly grumbling about Lin Bai. If you were so incredible, why didn't you say so earlier? Why let us go through all that fear and anxiety, even going to the trouble of relocating the people of Zhen City...
Seeing the situation was decided, He Qin and the others began discussing the content for the new issue of "Justice Weekly" with the Players.
"Do we report it truthfully?" Ma Changcheng asked.
"Of course, report it truthfully! Alliance Hierarch Lin single-handedly defeated the joint forces of ten Sects in under an hour. Is there anything that could boost the prestige of our Justice League more than this?" Silver said.
"Other things don't matter much, but should we perhaps embellish Lin, the Storekeeper's 'Bind the Immortal' technique a little? If those binding methods get out, it might damage the Alliance Hierarch's reputation," He Qin suggested.
"If Lin, the Storekeeper, isn't afraid, what are we afraid of?" Silver argued forcefully. "This is exactly how we should publicize it! Only then will those face-conscious fools from the Righteous Seven Sects and Demonic Five Sects not dare to cause trouble lightly, and only then can we develop in peace..."
The victory in the war solidified the Beggar Gang's position.
But the thousand cultivators who died at the cooking competition had also served as a stark warning to the Players, making them realize the necessity of increasing their own strength.
Otherwise, they wouldn't even be able to withstand a sneak attack.
Now that the Justice League had Great Cheng realm cultivators joining, it meant they had access to more profound Cultivation Techniques.
So, the Players of the Justice League desired stability more than ever, and the prerequisite for stability was deterrence. They didn't mind making Lin, the Storekeeper's new skill, Bind the Immortal, sound even more... unconventional.
"Our worries were completely unnecessary. Lin Bai is the game company's golden child; the Righteous Seven Sects could never eliminate him, and neither could we," Black Sheep discussed with colleagues via bullet comments.
"The Dao of Rules is just too unfair," said Far Vision Eagle. "If things continue like this, not only will the Righteous Seven Sects be helpless against Lin Bai, but even the Players, as they grow stronger, won't be able to touch him."
"Taunting, a binding art that ignores distance, the ability to escape via the Magpie Bridge at any time, Great Cheng realm puppet bodyguards, and a special move that can kill a group of people with a single shout—a map-wide attack. How powerful would Players have to become to take him down?" BattleWolf lamented.
"What's even more terrifying is that Lin Bai is constantly growing. You never know what new aspect of the Dao of Rules he'll comprehend next!" Agile Leopard added.
"Why are we so fixated on opposing Lin Bai? Perhaps the game company created Lin Bai to drive the plot and maintain order in the game world," Tiger that Stabilizes the Mountain mused. "With a powerful NPC like Lin Bai around, even the most chaotic Players wouldn't dare to act recklessly, right?"
"An NPC like that will never die unless it's a plot-mandated death," said Stir-shit stick.
"Let's stop targeting Lin Bai. We should quietly observe his next strategy against the Righteous Seven Sects and focus on developing our strength in secret!" Far Vision Eagle advised. "The group's goal is to establish our own power in this world, not necessarily through war. Our strength lies in economics. Having the in-game industries support our real-world endeavors should be our next focus."
"Only the Dao of Rules can counter the Dao of Rules. While the group's Players learn Skills, a portion of them should also dedicate time to studying the Dao of Rules of the Righteous Door," said Tiger that Stabilizes the Mountain. "For the sake of balance, the game officials won't let Lin Bai and his Justice League become too dominant."
"Eagle Boss, do you think the Heavenly Dao Sect will continue to go after Lin Bai?" Deepdiving Fish suddenly asked.
"Until they find a way to break Lin Bai's Dao of Rules, the attacks from the Righteous Seven Sects and Demonic Five Sects will most likely cease," Far Vision Eagle replied. "This is our chance to rise. Old Ma, once the situation stabilizes, find a way to connect with Lin Bai. We need to hedge our bets..."
The Blood Sect and Poison Sect, rushing towards the capital of Taiyi Country, managed to halt their advance just in time.
Chi Lian the Ancestor and Song Yaoqing stared at each other, their expressions exceedingly grim.
Their surprise attack on the Beggar Gang's headquarters had pushed the Justice League to the brink, making them complacent and leading them to believe Lin Bai was nothing special.
But in a flash, they had been brutally proven wrong.
In less than an hour, the combined forces of ten Sects, including seven Great Cheng realm cultivators—not a single person or beast—had managed to escape...
Is this something a human can achieve?
It was crucial to remember that Lin Bai had previously only displayed the cultivation of a Divinity Transformation Realm cultivator. Even when he tricked Forget and Zhou Zhu, he relied on cunning, not strength. And the so-called Northern Army's highest cultivation was merely at the Hollow Realm.
Transcending cultivation realms is like crossing an insurmountable chasm. Shouldn't the normal outcome have been seven Great Cheng realm cultivators ruthlessly crushing the so-called Justice League? How did it get completely reversed?
"A bunch of trash!" Chi Lian the Ancestor couldn't help but curse. "A group of old fools who've lived for thousands of years combined, easily manipulated by a mere youngster. What a disgrace! I'm ashamed to be associated with them..."
"Stop cursing, Brother Chi Lian. We need to think about what to do!" Song Yaoqing glanced at him and shook his head. "They were coerced by their Sects. We, on the other hand, actively provoked the Justice League and even destroyed Lin Bai's branch. Lin Bai probably hates us the most!"
"..." Chi Lian the Ancestor fell silent. He looked up, his eyes bloodshot, his emotions spiraling. "So, what do you suggest we do? A whole group of Great Cheng realm cultivators couldn't defeat Lin Bai. Now he has Great Cheng realm puppets, his own cultivation has reached the Great Cheng realm, and he has a few spineless cowards assisting him. His Dao of Rules is unpredictable and elusive. If the two of us encounter the Justice League, we'll be lambs to the slaughter! We've gravely offended Lin Bai; we won't even get a chance to surrender. Tell me, what should we do?"
"Maybe... we should return to our Sects?" Song Yaoqing said, clenching his teeth. "The Justice League has already become a formidable power. This situation is beyond our ability to handle."
Chi Lian the Ancestor was about to nod.
Suddenly, the Player acting as a messenger approached them, offering a sympathetic look before saying, "Great Ancestors, a message came from the Sect. It says we must intercept all cultivators leaving the capital of Taiyi Country and ensure they are not allowed to spread out. They say if the Magpie Bridge is allowed to spread, the Justice League will become truly uncontrollable."
"..." Chi Lian the Ancestor.
"..." Song Yaoqing.
They exchanged a look.
Chi Lian the Ancestor sneered, "This is clearly pushing us into a dead end! The Justice League has nearly ten thousand members, with at least a thousand pairs of lovers among them. The capital of Taiyi Country has roads leading out in all directions, and Taiyi Country itself is assisting the Justice League. They can easily send people to divert our attention. With just a few dozen of us, how can we possibly stop so many?"
Song Yaoqing sighed in despair. "We've been treated as disposable pawns."
Chi Lian the Ancestor asked the Player, "Did the Sect say anything about how to deal with Lin Bai next?"
The Player shook his head.
Chi Lian the Ancestor laughed, a sound devoid of humor. "Just as I thought! Those idiots don't know what to do either! Lin Bai is a hedgehog, and those fools in the Sect are a pack of dogs. They might be stronger than Lin Bai on paper, but not a single one of them is competent."
Song Yaoqing glanced towards where Lin Bai might be and said, "Brother Chi Lian, that disciple of yours seems quite sharp. Why not summon him and ask for his strategy?"
Chi Lian the Ancestor shot him a glare. "If I had the ability to summon one of those descended ones at will, I wouldn't be in this predicament!"
「Offline.」
Lonely Old Man, now known as A Brave Man, watched the Beggar Gang's live stream, his brow deeply furrowed. He showed no intention of logging on.
After a long pause, he looked at Wen Ba, sealed within the Card, and sighed. "There's no solution! A game-breaking BUG like this definitely isn't an official creation. But can the game officials truly sit by and watch him wreak havoc on the game world? This isn't normal, not at all..."
After a moment of quiet contemplation, Lonely Old Man sighed again. "Lao Mi, oh Lao Mi, you've dodged another bullet. What virtues or abilities do you possess to receive such favor from Lin Bai! A fellow who just got incredibly lucky. I refuse to believe that with my intellect, I can't bring you down!"
Lonely Old Man paused, then muttered, "Lao Mi... 'Big Brother'? Could Lao Mi hold some special significance for Lin Bai? Lao Mi... Incomplete... Dao of Rules... Dao of Rules..."
Suddenly, Lonely Old Man's eyes lit up. He hastily logged back online and rushed excitedly to Chi Lian the Ancestor. "Master, I've figured it out! To deal with Lin Bai, we must start with his Dao of Rules!"
Chi Lian the Ancestor looked at his disciple. "Nonsense. Of course, I know we need to start with his Dao of Rules. But besides him, who else in this world understands it?"
"Master, the world may not understand it, but it can be sabotaged," A Brave Man replied. "Lin Bai's strength lies in his Dao of Rules. If we try to follow him in cultivating these rules, we'll always be playing his game, always one step behind. But what if we sabotage his Dao of Rules at its very roots? He creates incompleteness, so we will create perfection. He promotes the Love Principle, so we will disrupt couples. He wants to establish the Way of Cooking, so we will ruin his culinary competition. We will oppose everything he advocates. Over time, his rules will lose their foundation for existence. Either Lin Bai's cultivation will stagnate, or it will regress significantly. Either way, it's beneficial for us..."
Song Yaoqing interjected, "What's the use of saying all this? The Sect has ordered us to stay outside the capital of Taiyi Country and intercept lovers to prevent the Magpie Bridge from spreading. Lin Bai could attack us at any moment. How would we even get the chance to sabotage his Dao of Rules? And based on what you're saying, sabotaging his Cultivation of Rules isn't something just the two of us can accomplish."
"Master, confronting Lin Bai needlessly is just like sending him more helpers," A Brave Man said with a smile. "Relay my method to the Sect, and we should withdraw immediately. The people in the Sect aren't fools; they should understand that keeping you two here is pointless. Dealing with Lin Bai isn't a short-term affair. We can no longer prevent the Magpie Bridge from spreading, so we might as well focus all our efforts on countering Lin Bai's Dao of Rules."
The Player acting as the messenger nearby looked at A Brave Man in astonishment and silently relayed the information.
[...Personally participated in battle (Completed). Reward: 30 (Distributed).]
[...Natural Antagonist: Next, do something world-shaking, make more people tremble at the mention of your name (Completed). Reward: Near-death Counterattack (Distributed).]
[You have completed a small step as a villain. Continue on the path of villainy and perform an even greater feat to shock the world. Reward: Loyalty (You can see the loyalty of your subordinates).]
[...Fought for your own survival (Completed). Reward: Flash (Distributed).]
DING, DING, DING.
The moment Wen Ba was sealed into the Card, several dialogue boxes popped up in Lin Bai's mind.
He had reaped three powerful rewards.
Acquiring the long-desired Flash signified that he and his Justice League had finally emerged from their current predicament. His prowess had finally intimidated his enemies, and he had firmly established his footing in this world.
It hasn't been easy!
Lin Bai sighed, then surveyed the dejected Great Cheng realm cultivators beside him and smiled faintly. "Why the long faces? Joining the Justice League is an honor for you, a new beginning in your lives. You should be happy.
"Now, the Justice League has won a great victory, new members have joined, and the alliance grows stronger. I, the Alliance Hierarch, am delighted. This is a perfect opportunity to showcase my skills in the unfinished cooking competition, to let the world recognize the power of the Way of Cooking, and to bring the cooking competition to a perfect conclusion..."