"..." Qing Yu swallowed, feeling that all his years as Acting Head of the View had been for nothing.

"Sect Leader, should we continue our Spoken Law Follows practice?" Dao Kong asked, his heart burning with fervor. Unable to wait for any formal plans, he interrupted his Spoken Law Follows practice to inquire.

"Continue practicing," Lin Bai said with a smile, looking at him. "I am also juggling the cultivation of many Principles of the Great Tao. When one avenue doesn't yield results, another might. Opportunity favors those who are prepared. If you set your sights on the summit, even if you don't ultimately reach the peak, you will surely stand taller than others."

"Thank you, Sect Leader, for your teachings," Dao Kong said gratefully.

...

"Damn, that's inspiring! If I weren't a player, Storekeeper Lin's words would have swayed me," Great Luo Golden Immortal typed into the private chat channel.

"Don't get emotional. Weren't you just saying you couldn't bear to kill Storekeeper Lin? Don't you get it yet? Once Storekeeper Lin's cultivation matures, all players will be nothing but ants in his eyes," Dumbelldore said coldly.

"Brother Deng, you haven't actually developed feelings for Lin Bai, have you? They're just game NPCs; we've never treated them as real people from the start!" I'm Not an Alt Account chuckled. "Compared to Storekeeper Lin, we're the true Heavenly Dao, seeing everyone as ants from the very beginning."

"Storekeeper Lin probably doesn't know that his so-called 'laws' are actually hidden Skills the game prepared for us players. Think about it. When you look at the enthusiastic Storekeeper Lin, don't you find him pitiful? His entire destiny is predetermined," Crazy Man said, looking at Lin Bai with pity and sighing.

...

Pitiful?

Lin Bai silently rolled his eyes, stood up, and surveyed the crowd. "I must achieve fame, only then can you all soar with me. Qing Yu, find some quick-learning disciples. Have them go to Medicine King Valley, Morning Yuan Sword Sect, Hundred Flower Valley, and Spirit Artifact Pavilion. In the name of Righteous Door, invite them to Qian City to eliminate evil spirits and defend the righteous path. Tell them Righteous Door is hosting the Qian City Cup Demon Slaying Competition. We'll use this opportunity to redefine the rankings of the various sects. Let's see which sect slays the most evil spirits and heretics in this competition!"

Who does he think he is, daring to reset the sect rankings? After all he's done and said, it'd be a miracle if these sects don't kick him while he's down! Is this purity of mind? This is pure cluelessness!

Qing Yu looked at Lin Bai and asked, "What if they don't come? We don't have the authority to command them..."

"If they don't come, it means they forfeit. Righteous Door will then be the top-ranked righteous sect outside Qian City. Just send out the invitations," Lin Bai stated arrogantly.

"Alright!" Qing Yu agreed sheepishly. Send them then. I'm just a puppet now; it's not my face to lose.

"Crazy Man, are there any Beggar Gang disciples left in Qian City not controlled by the Five Evil Sects?" Lin Bai asked, turning to the players.

"Yes," Crazy Man replied. "When the Five Evil Sects arrived, many of us weren't online, so we evaded their capture."

"Notify them to spread the news about the Qian City Cup. Make sure every citizen of Qian City knows. Have the Beggar Gang disciples start a betting pool to liven up the common folk's leisure time."

Lin Bai chuckled. "This is an opportunity to promote Righteous Door. We can't just declare who is righteous and who is evil; we need public opinion on our side. Previously, cultivation sects were aloof and offered no benefit to the common people. Righteous Door cannot follow their path. We need to be down-to-earth, integrate with the populace, and earn their affection. Only then will our position be unshakeable."

"Sect Leader Lin, is this really necessary?" Qing Yu finally couldn't bear it any longer. "Excessive interaction between cultivators and mortals is detrimental to cultivation..."

"I'm different from you; I cultivate Laws," Lin Bai said with a glance and a smile. "The Laws require a sense of participation, an immersion in the mortal world. Blindly distancing oneself from worldly affairs would only slow my cultivation."

The Super Sect Leader System required him to organize or participate in an event against peers of the same level and achieve first place.

Now, with the Five Evil Sects invading, Lin Bai naturally had to seize this opportunity.

Return to Dragon View's location might be genuinely rich in spiritual energy, making cultivation highly efficient for others. However, Lin Bai's cultivation didn't depend on spiritual energy. Aside from its spiritual field being useful to him, staying in this unpopular, desolate place would indeed slow his mission progress.

As for Qing Yu's concern that sects like Hundred Flower Valley wouldn't come to their aid? It would be better if they didn't! In any case, the "Qian City Cup" was being organized, and the invitations had been sent. If they didn't show up, it would be considered a forfeit. Lin Bai was adept at fooling the System.

...

Qing Yu and the others didn't understand what this "Qiankun Cup" was all about, but players like Dragon Breath were all too familiar with such concepts. Moreover, Lin Bai was always avant-garde in his thinking. Without a shred of doubt, their minds naturally leaped to advertisements, sponsorships, and the like...

With the "Qian City Cup" now, there would be a "Kun City Cup" later... Storekeeper Lin truly is the officially designated money-grubbing NPC; he never disappoints!

...

"Outside Qian City, the Beggar Gang's tactics were decent; your drawback was your lack of durability. This time, against the Five Evil Sects, we will still use the Lightning Storm tactic," Lin Bai continued. "The Golden Core Masters within the sect need not engage directly. Their duty will be to protect these Descended Individuals. Let the Descended Individuals recite the Palm Thunder incantation. We aim to heavily damage the Five Evil Sects in the first round and give them a taste of our strength."

"Understood." Crazy Man and the others looked slightly embarrassed. "Sect Leader, rest assured, we absolutely won't hold you back this time."

"Qing Meng, prepare more Pill Medicines for the warriors heading into battle." Lin Bai then turned to the long-stunned Taoists of Return to Dragon View and smiled. "Time is short, and I haven't finished refining some practical Pill Medicines. Once this conflict is settled, we'll strive to research more practical Dan Fang for combat. Many in this world do not wish to see Righteous Door rise, so future battles are inevitable for us. Since war cannot be avoided, we must find ways to minimize casualties."

"Thank you, Sect Leader," Qing Meng and the others replied woodenly, cupping their fists. For a moment, they didn't know whether to feel grateful to Lin Bai or resent him.

"That's about all I've thought of. Does anyone have anything to add?" Lin Bai asked, once again surveying the group.

Everyone shook their heads. If conflicts with the Evil Door had occurred in the past, everyone would have favored negotiation and restraint, trying to minimize escalation. Encountering a warmonger like Lin Bai, who seemed eager to immediately rush out and annihilate the Five Evil Sects, was something they found quite unsettling! The only fortunate thing was that Lin Bai wasn't expecting them to charge in as cannon fodder. From this perspective, Lin Bai as Sect Leader was indeed better than Qing Yu.

...

"Since there are no further questions, everyone may disperse and make your preparations," Lin Bai said with a wave of his hand. "Lady Hua Xi, please stay. I need you to disclose more information about the Five Evil Sects, such as how many Nascent Soul Masters they have, their favored spells, Magic Treasures, and so on."

"Understood." Lady Hua Xi agreed with a smile and remained. Having become Lin Bai's puppet and staying with Righteous Door, the Mysterious Darkness Cult would surely no longer tolerate her. If Lin Bai could truly achieve fame in this one battle, it would actually be more beneficial for her.

...

「Qian City. City Lord's Mansion.」

"Sect Leaders, by causing trouble here in my Qian City, do you intend to provoke a conflict with the Taiyi Country?" City Lord Guo Yuan asked, looking sternly and fearlessly at the leaders of the Evil Door sects who had appeared at his door.

"Such imposing authority, City Lord Guo." Xin Shang, the Sect Master of Blood Shadow Sect, appeared to be a young man in his early twenties. Dressed in a black robe, with delicate, somewhat sinister features, he looked at Guo Yuan with an icy gaze, his voice carrying a chilling tone. "If we are to speak of unreasonableness, it was you, City Lord, who erred first. Though we are labeled as the Magic Gate, we have never caused any trouble for Taiyi Country. When entering your city-states, we abide by your rules. This time, when the Descended Individuals appeared in the world, we first consulted you, City Lord, before fairly competing for them with those so-called prestigious righteous sects. But what did you do? The Descended Individuals were divided among a few prominent sects, while the envoys from our sects were slaughtered. You broke the rules first, City Lord. Even if we were to take your head for this, the Emperor of Taiyi Country would have no grounds to object!"

"..." Guo Yuan frowned slightly. "Regarding the recruitment fair, it was indeed an oversight on my part. I, this old man, was unaware that Lin Bai was such an arrogant individual."

"We are already aware of the sequence of events; there's no need for you to repeat them, City Lord," Pei Yanzong, Sect Master of Waning Sun Gate, interrupted Guo Yuan. "Lin Bai killed my only son; in our eyes, he is already a dead man. We have come to you today, City Lord, to discuss the redistribution of these Descended Individuals."

"And how do you propose that?" Guo Yuan asked.

"We won't make things too difficult for you, City Lord. The Descended Individuals who arrive in the four subsidiary cities under Qian City's jurisdiction within the next year—all of them are to be allocated to our five sects. Would that be acceptable?" Xin Shang proposed. "Return to Dragon View was destroyed by Lin Bai alone, shattering the balance between the righteous and evil paths. Our strength now surpasses that of sects like Morning Yuan Sword Sect. Surely, City Lord, you are willing to cooperate and compensate us for our losses this time?"

"..." Guo Yuan remained silent.

"If the City Lord does not agree, we will have no choice but to seek redress from the Taiyi Emperor!" Shen Kuang, Sect Master of Blood Separation Sect, declared, looking at Guo Yuan. "We'll ask him if he has completely sided with the Righteous Seven Sects!"

Fools! Descended Individuals are appearing in the world, yet you still cling to the old rules. You probably won't even know how you died!

Guo Yuan said impassively, "Sect Master Xin, regarding the recruitment fair, it was indeed I, Guo, who was inconsiderate, and I should offer some compensation. These Descended Individuals are unpredictable, disregard the law, and offer no benefit to society. I have no authority to interfere in who they belong to, nor do I care to. However, are you truly confident you can take down Lin Bai?"

"That is not something the City Lord needs to concern himself with," Xin Shang sneered.

"Lin Bai claims to be a Worldly Walker of Righteous Door," Guo Yuan continued. "However, I, Guo, have scoured the archives and found not a single mention of Righteous Door. Lin Bai single-handedly fought over a hundred Golden Core Monks from Return to Dragon View, employing bizarre Taoist law..."

"City Lord, what exactly are you trying to say?" Xin Shang frowned.

"Lin Bai is even more unruly than the Descended Individuals—utterly lawless," Guo Yuan said, taking a deep breath. "Furthermore, his origins are mysterious, and he has no ties in this world. An ordinary person, having offended all of you, would not dare to then offend Return to Dragon View. Yet Lin Bai acts without any scruples, as if he intends to make an enemy of the entire world. Nine times out of ten, Qian City's troubles are caused by him. To be frank, I privately call him a shit-stirrer; he's turned a perfectly good situation into a complete mess. If you can truly eliminate Lin Bai, then all is well. But if you fail, it is the people of my Qian City who will suffer. He most likely wouldn't show any regard for Taiyi Country either..."

"Are you implying that we are inferior to Lin Bai?" Shen Kuang said coldly.

"That is not what I, Guo, meant," Guo Yuan said. "What I am saying is, the matter of the Descended Individuals can be discussed after you have dealt with Lin Bai. I, Guo, dare not promise to let you recruit Descended Individuals for a full year, but I can guarantee this:

"If you win, I, Guo, in my capacity as City Lord, am willing to act as an intermediary between you and Morning Yuan Sword Sect to jointly discuss the allocation of the Descended Individuals and select a plan acceptable to both sides.

"Otherwise, if you are defeated by Lin Bai, no matter how much I, Guo, promise, it will be futile. Instead, that Lin Bai will likely come looking for trouble with me, needlessly stirring up conflict."

"So, the City Lord fears Lin Bai, but not us?" Xin Shang said, looking at Guo Yuan with a sinister expression.

"At least you are somewhat reasonable. That Lin Bai's methods are too bizarre; it's impossible to predict what he'll do! You probably don't know yet, but Lin Bai has spread a Divine Skill called Spoken Law Follows. When the Descended Individuals from the Beggar Gang cultivated it, they threw Qian City into chaos. And then there's that Way of Incompleteness of his—first Jiamucheng was ruined, then Qian City. The citizens are suffering terribly; this old man is about to be driven mad by them..." Guo Yuan, his face a mask of distress, shifted to complaining about Lin Bai. After venting his grievances, he continued, "Lin Bai alone is already like this. If there truly is a Righteous Door backing him and he manages to escape, I, a mere City Lord, fear I couldn't withstand his retaliation! If you don't believe me, you've captured plenty of Beggar Gang disciples; you can glean information from them. Therefore, until the victor between you and Lin Bai is decided, all I can do is remain neutral. I ask for your understanding, Sect Masters."

"..." Shen Kuang opened his mouth, about to speak, but Xin Shang cut him off with a snort. "The City Lord remaining neutral is sufficient. We will settle everything after we've slain Lin Bai."

"Then it is settled," Guo Yuan said, sighing in relief and cupping his fists. "In that case, I, Guo, will await your good news. Sect Masters, you may do as you please with the Descended Individuals. However, I implore you to restrain your disciples from disturbing the city's residents. It would be best to confine the battlefield to outside the city to avoid giving rise to gossip..."

...

After the Sect Masters of the Five Evil Sects departed, the Scholar quietly appeared behind Guo Yuan, his expression somewhat complex. "City Lord, are we just going to sell Lin Bai out like this? Under Lin Bai's control, the Descended Individuals didn't cause much turmoil in Qian City. I've heard that in Yinmu City, their Descended Individuals used various schemes to completely sideline the City Lord."

"Otherwise, what would you have me do?" Guo Yuan snorted in dissatisfaction. "That brat caused all this trouble. If he doesn't bear the consequences, who will? Should Taiyi Country clean up his mess? If he can't even overcome this hurdle, he's unworthy of the Commandery Princess's favor. Lin Bai himself said he is a man of destiny, meant to face this calamity. It's far better for him to face these troubles than for us to bear them."