Chapter 311: 311 All beings are equal
The Saint Heir, Daozi, and other prodigies realized new Divine Powers, rekindling the confidence of many sects.
The players suddenly found their treatment much improved. Sects were now willing to teach them Cultivation Techniques previously withheld and apply Pill Medicines they had been denied before.
The players were overjoyed, all the more grateful to Lin Bai for stirring up trouble everywhere.
The sects guarded their secrets closely. The upper echelons of the financial groups sensed that something had occurred, but due to the information disparity, they couldn’t glean any useful insights despite their endless speculation and numerous probes.
However, because Lin Bai was their common enemy, both parties were currently in a honeymoon period, and minor secrets didn’t affect their relationship.
The game harbored too many secrets; the players simply didn’t care about one or two more.
The Blood Sect was eliminated so quickly that virtually no resources were transferred. Spirit Stones, Pill Medicines, various Magic Artifacts, secret scriptures, and more, accumulated over tens of thousands of years, were smoothly inherited by the Justice League.
The Justice League had never been so well-stocked. Every person in the league was as happy as if it were New Year’s, their faces constantly wreathed in smiles.
Lin Bai had always recruited members by taking in entire sects, from Sect Leaders to ordinary disciples. Thus, within a day, they had reorganized the Blood Sect, transforming it into a branch of the Justice League and restoring order.
Unlike Lin Bai, who was engrossed in his tasks and often unsure of the next step, the members of the Justice League sincerely hoped the league would grow and strengthen. They envisioned it eventually unifying the world or becoming a massive power like the Seven Orthodox Sects and Five Magic Sects.
Only then would they feel secure, no longer needing to act like bandits, burning, killing, and looting everywhere without a permanent home.
Their Sect Master, who pursued the Heavenly Dao, seemed quite unreliable. This made them realize they could only depend on themselves when it came to building the sect.
A few Magpie Bridges extended from the Blood Sect, connecting to the major towns of Taiyi Country.
"Justice Weekly" resumed operations. News that Lin Bai had conquered the Blood Sect—one of the Five Magic Sects—in less than an hour spread throughout Taiyi Country.
Lin Bai’s new Divine Powers, Phoenix Seeks Phoenix and Metamorphosis Butterfly, once again caused a sensation. The reputation of the Love Principle grew even stronger.
Cultivators from the Blood Sect’s Crossing Tribulation Realm and Great Cheng Realm changed their strategy, relying on the absolute protection of Phoenix Seeks Phoenix.
Knowing Lin Bai wouldn’t release them for the time being, they threw caution to the wind. After some discussion, they began to insult Lin Bai incessantly, hoping to enrage him and provoke an irrational action.
Lin Bai didn’t fall for their tricks, but the constant stream of insults was admittedly annoying.
So, while the Justice League members reorganized the Blood Sect, Lin Bai specifically brought Cen Qing and a large group of her admirers across a Magpie Bridge for a tour of the Justice League’s Zhen City branch.
When the Phoenix Seeking Phoenix Group appeared in the skies above Zhen City, the people were still astounded, even though they had already witnessed spectacular sights like the unfurling of the Milky Way and Bind the Immortal.
After all, the appearance of the Phoenix Seeking Phoenix Group, with its performances, was far more entertaining than the Milky Way or Bind the Immortal.
Nearly everyone rushed out of their homes, pointing at the sky, voicing their opinions, and commenting on who sang or danced best.
The common people were oblivious that the cultivators of the Seven Orthodox Sects were lurking among them, ready to take their lives at any moment.
All they knew was that Lin Bai of the Justice League was protecting them, bringing them joy and benefits.
And after several wars in Zhen City, the cultivators had fallen from their high pedestals into the dust. The commoners no longer held them in awe or fear.
Ancestral Masters like Tuohai hadn’t expected Lin Bai to actually dare to parade them through the streets.
With their keen senses, the endless mockery from these once-insignificant mortals echoed in their ears, along with detailed commentary on their performances.
The cultivators’ faces flushed crimson with embarrassment. They desperately wanted to stop their performances but couldn’t. Overwhelmed by shame, they simply closed their eyes and continued to curse Lin Bai to vent their frustration:
"You scoundrel, stop your madness! There will come a day when you receive your punishment!"
"You humiliate all the cultivators in this world, and you will certainly become everyone’s enemy!"
"You just keep repeating those two lines. Aren’t you tired?" Lin Bai, standing beside Cen Qing, said leisurely. "With that energy, you’d be better off thinking about how to please me, join the Justice League, and drag more people down into suffering with you. Otherwise, I’ll take you on a tour of more towns and let you become a beautiful addition to the skyline."
As he spoke, Lin Bai’s Divine Sense enveloped the entirety of Zhen City.
He paraded the Phoenix Seeking Phoenix Group not only to retaliate against their vulgar insults but also to curb the Blood Sect cultivators’ aggression. Furthermore, he aimed to draw out hidden enemies or intimidate any cultivators lurking in Zhen City.
Seeing is believing, he thought. Only when they witnessed how terrifying the Phoenix Seeking Phoenix Group could be when it acted defiantly on their own turf would they exercise caution.
Lin Bai had noticed Xu Longyun’s concern and intended this display as reassurance for her.
At this time, Yan Qing and Yi Wuji were still in Zhen City. Great Cheng Realm cultivators could conceal their movements so effectively that even Crossing Tribulation Realm cultivators couldn’t detect them.
With the fall of the Blood Sect and the appearance of the Phoenix Seeking Phoenix Group, they had already decided to use the Five Magic Sects to delay the Justice League’s advance while they figured out how to deal with Lin Bai.
The sudden enlightenment of Daozi and others, who comprehended new Divine Skills, further solidified their resolve.
However, they hadn’t withdrawn their arrangements in Zhen City. Much like the Five Magic Sects, the Seven Orthodox Sects also wanted to give their own prodigies enough time to mature.
Crucially, they also harbored a sliver of hope.
What if they could kill Lin Bai?
However, when Lin Bai suddenly appeared, parading the Blood Sect cultivators through the streets after bringing them via the Magpie Bridge, Yan Qing and the others immediately abandoned any thought of ambushing him.
This is how Phoenix Seeks Phoenix manifests?
Yan Qing and Yi Wuji exchanged glances, wordlessly agreeing not to make a move. Unless Lin Bai actually led the Justice League to attack their sects, they would let the Five Magic Sects wage a war of attrition against him.
Yan Qing had once worried that the Five Magic Sects, in desperation, would directly defect to the Justice League.
But now, with prodigies like Daozi comprehending new Divine Skills, he was completely at ease. As long as there was even the slightest hope of a comeback, the Five Magic Sects wouldn’t merge with the Justice League.
What they had to guard against now was the Five Magic Sects trying to buy time for their own prodigies to mature by diverting Lin Bai towards the territories of the Seven Orthodox Sects.
Lin Bai was somewhat disappointed that no cultivators had stepped forward to fight Cen Qing or rescue the Blood Sect cultivators. He led the Phoenix Seeking Phoenix Group back to the Blood Sect.
He looked at the captive cultivators, shook his head, and said, "I was hoping to use you as bait, but I couldn’t even lure out a single one. You lot are truly failures as individuals."
"Knowing it’s a trap, who would come out? Do you think everyone is as foolish as you?" Elder Nan Rong retorted, performing a somersault. Having left the clamor of Zhen City, his mood had calmed considerably.
"As foolish as me?" Lin Bai chuckled. "I paraded you around merely to intimidate others. Now that my objective is achieved, how am I foolish?"
Everyone was forced to smile, glaring at him angrily.
Suppressing the rage in his heart, Elder Nan Rong asked, "Lin Bai, do you truly intend to keep us trapped with Phoenix Seeks Phoenix indefinitely? Don’t you realize that the longer you torment us, the less you’ll be able to trust us, and the more difficult it will become to resolve this..."
"Of course, I know. But aren’t I in a bind right now?" Lin Bai glanced at them and said earnestly, "However, I’ve thought of a new idea: for every sect I conquer, I’ll pick one of you to take a turn ’using’ Phoenix Seeks Phoenix. This way, you can compete. Whoever surrenders to me first, I’ll release."
"You...!" Elder Tuohai choked, gritting his teeth. "Despicable!"
Cen Qing heaved a sigh of relief, glancing at Lin Bai with gratitude. It’s fine as long as I’m not the only one being put through this, she thought.
Truthfully, leading a group of people in a parade through the streets had put immense pressure on her.
"Lin Bai, how can we prove that we have won your trust?" Elder Nan Rong suddenly asked.
"Nan Rong!" Elder Tuohai exclaimed, looking at him in disbelief. He couldn’t believe Nan Rong would ask such a thing.
"Martial Brother Tuohai, this situation has to be resolved eventually. Lin Bai is too outrageous," Elder Nan Rong said with a bitter smile. "You’re only dancing, but I’ve already done over eight thousand somersaults! My insides feel like they’re about to spill out of my throat..."
Tu Yan and the others remained expressionless, also awaiting an answer. Lin Bai parading them through the streets had been a profound shock.
"Daoist Friend Nan Rong, that’s an excellent question," Lin Bai looked at him. "What I said earlier was the truth; I am indeed in a bind. The difficulty is that I don’t know how to trust you. Furthermore, if you wish to surrender, all of you must surrender. Otherwise, if even a few among you harbor ill intentions and try to drag my Justice League down with them, I cannot afford such a loss."
"There must be a way!" Elder Nan Rong insisted, his face darkening. "As the saying goes, ’Be merciful wherever possible.’ Besides, keeping us trapped like this does you no good either."
"Oh, there is a way," Lin Bai said with a slight smile. "When you have a moment, you can try to persuade each other. For example, Elder Nan Rong, while you’re flipping about, you can try to whisper some sweet nothings into Elder Tuohai’s ear—appeal to his reason, stir his emotions, say plenty of good things about me. You might just change his mind. After all, you’re all linked now; you sink or swim together."
"Dream on! I’d rather die than surrender to a despicable cur like you!" Elder Tuohai retorted, his voice a mix of laughter and rage.
Lin Bai ignored him and continued, "The second step is to hypnotize yourselves. Forget the harm I’ve inflicted and the unpleasantness I’ve caused. For instance, I used Phoenix Seeks Phoenix to control you and subdue the Blood Sect. You can console yourselves by believing that Phoenix Seeks Phoenix was my special method to temper your Dao hearts, to guide you toward comprehending more profound laws of the Dao—all for your own good. If you continuously hypnotize yourselves with such thoughts, then eventually, when you no longer hate me, when you willingly believe I acted for your benefit and that I am righteous, and when I can sense your sincerity, then I can release you."
The Blood Sect cultivators were utterly dumbfounded. For a long moment, they were speechless, their expressions contorting in disbelief. They couldn’t comprehend how anyone could utter such brazenly shameless words!
Cen Qing glowered at Lin Bai, silently adding her own resentment to the mix. He told me the same things once, she fumed internally, that Phoenix Seeks Phoenix was to temper my Dao heart and enhance my reputation! Looking back, it was all just to trick me! The Alliance Hierarch is truly despicable!
"How can such a shameless person like you exist in this world?" Tu Yan finally exploded, his face trembling with rage. "Lin Thief, you are utterly trampling on our dignity!"
"This isn’t trampling on your dignity; this is my Way of Belief," Lin Bai said earnestly, looking at them. "Becoming my believer isn’t without benefits. It can increase your combat strength by ten percent. Moreover, I am the foremost expert on the laws of the world, capable of annihilating an entire sect single-handedly. A powerful War God like me—don’t I deserve your worship?"
PAH! Elder Tuohai spat fiercely, expressing his disdain for Lin Bai.
Lin Bai merely smiled and continued, "I know this is all very difficult, so I’ve devised an excellent solution for you."
"What solution?" Elder Nan Rong and Fairy Cen Qing asked in unison.
"During my battles, my Supporting Group usually dresses uniformly in clothes printed with my portrait. They hold banners emblazoned with my name and shout slogans like, ’Lin Bai, Lin Bai, you’re the best!’ or ’Lin Bai, Lin Bai, I love you!’ They don’t feel any shame; instead, they consider it perfectly natural and an honor," Lin Bai explained. "You can do the same. Train yourselves from the outside in. Start by chanting slogans, and gradually, bit by bit, come to believe that I am right, that I am your god..."
"Lin Bai, don’t push it too far! I’d rather die than shout such slogans!" Elder Nan Rong snapped, his face darkening with anger. "You’re not trying to solve the problem at all; you’re just toying with us!"
"No, I am indeed trying to solve the problem," Lin Bai said seriously, shaking his head. "I know you can’t bring yourselves to shout my Supporting Group’s slogans. That’s why I’ve prepared a different set for you."
"What slogans?" a Great Cheng Realm cultivator asked.
"When I go into battle, you can chant: ’Lin Bai, Lin Bai, boundless magic, ever-victorious, invincible in attack!’ When I face enemies, you can chant: ’Lin Bai, Lin Bai, vast Divine Skills, insignificant clowns, easily crushed!’ When I am victorious, you can chant: ’Justice League, commands the Nine Heavens, for millennia to come, unifying the martial world!’" Lin Bai recalled Ding Chunqiu’s ostentatious displays and casually concocted a few lines.
Fairy Cen Qing’s eyes widened progressively as she listened. She involuntarily turned her head away, so embarrassed she wished the earth would swallow her whole. How can he say such things so brazenly? she wondered. Are all who cultivate the Heavenly Dao this shameless?
This is too... too...
Utterly shameless!
"Lin Thief! We are trying to negotiate with you in good faith, yet you relentlessly mock us! Do you find this amusing?" Elder Nan Rong’s face turned livid with anger, and he stammered.
"Hah!" Lin Bai scoffed. "If you don’t do this, how can you prove you’ve truly become rotten to the core? How can you sever ties with your original sects? And how could I possibly dare to trust you? Only when you’ve made yourselves into laughingstocks, so much so that even if you escaped, you’d be too ashamed to return to your former sects—only then will I dare to employ you without reservation!"
"I would rather dance and somersault myself to death than shout such slogans!" Elder Tuohai declared, his face ashen, as he gritted his teeth.
"Are somersaulting and dancing so much more dignified than shouting slogans?" Lin Bai sneered. "You may believe you’re being forced to somersault and dance, but do you think others will see it that way? They’ll only see what you did—the dancing, the singing. When people talk about you behind your backs, they won’t care whether you were forced or not! Only by dragging everyone else down to your level can you possibly find true release from Phoenix Seeks Phoenix. I can grant you physical freedom, but true spiritual liberation will only come when everyone has taken a turn inside Phoenix Seeks Phoenix and emerged the same—equality for all. My words end here. Think about it carefully!"