"Quit messing around!" Pei Yanzong dodged a sudden palm attack, looking at Dao Xu with adoration. "If you hurt me, there'll be no one else to help you."

"Scram!" Dao Xu's face turned crimson. Wasn't this how he once treated Lin Bai in front of the Return to Dragon View Disciples? That Lin Bai, the thief, even took advantage of him then. How did he manage to stomach the nausea? The Great Path of Love was too disgusting! Why did he have to cultivate to the Nascent Soul Realm? If he were merely at the Golden Core level, he would've been killed just now! That damn Lin Bai, why did he have to restore his sanity... Why did he have to make an old man, several hundred years old, bear all this? Why?

Dao Xu struck at Lin Bai, one palm after another, his face unknowingly covered in tears. What kind of disaster had he caused?

...

"Dao Xu, give it your all! He doesn't have the heart to hit you anymore. Seize the opportunity to kill him!" Watching Xin Shang and the others fleeing rapidly, Lin Bai finally let out a long sigh of relief; he had finally managed to turn the tables.

"Insolent brat! You and I are irreconcilable!" Dao Xu roared in grief and anger, continuously launching powerful attacks, wishing he could kill Pei Yanzong on the spot.

Pei Yanzong kept dodging, not having the heart to strike back at Dao Xu. "Xu Xu, stop hitting me. You're crying! Seeing your tears makes my heart ache. I can feel your pain. Let me go help you get rid of Lin Bai. We'll return to Waning Sun Gate, and we'll no longer care about the rights and wrongs of the martial world."

An Arrow of Love.

The dynamic between the two had completely reversed.

However, their Cultivation Levels were comparable. Just as Pei Yanzong couldn't overpower Dao Xu before, Dao Xu now found himself unable to defeat Pei Yanzong.

...

Taking advantage of the tense standoff between the two, Lin Bai surveyed the battlefield.

Out of the ten card puppets in the formation, only four remained: Dao Xu, Qing Yu, Lady Hua Xi, and Qing Shan.

The rest had all perished, having played almost no significant role in this fight.

Qing Yu, Qing Shan, and Lady Hua Xi were also seriously injured. It was thanks to Lin Bai and Dao Xu attracting most of the firepower; otherwise, these three wouldn't have survived either.

The loss is too great, Lin Bai sighed to himself.

When I shot Pei Yanzong, I had a chance to fire a second arrow. But at that time, the four panicked individuals fleeing all had their backs to me. Even if I had hit them, the first people they would have seen would have been disciples from their own sects. Even if they got married on the spot, it wouldn't have helped me much. I'm down to six Arrows of Love; I can't afford to waste them.

While he hesitated, Xin Shang and the others had already retreated into their respective formations, using their sect's Disciples to hide themselves.

That young Cupid simply can't compare to the experienced Matchmaker. The Matchmaker's red and green lines disregard distance and obstructions and can be used at any time. Cupid's Arrow can't even curve! So lame! The Matchmaker System's mission hasn't been completed yet, probably because Pei Yanzong and Dao Xu aren't famous enough. The Justice Weekly has been in publication for too short a time. Without the Matchmaker's red thread, the upcoming battle won't be easy. Lin Bai shook his head slightly. The group on the other side blocked the way to Qian City, leaving him no chance to play matchmaker for the City Lord and Lao Mi.

...

"Don't call me Xu Xu!"

"Alright, Xu Xu. I'll listen to anything you say..."

"Pei Yanzong, if you truly love me, then stand still and let me kill you!"

"If you kill me, who else will be there to protect you?"

"You idiot! You're being controlled by Lin Bai!"

"My love for you is sincere! It's not controlled by anyone!"

"WAAAH! I can't take it anymore! Hurry up and let me kill you!"

...

The celestial canopy hadn't dispersed yet. Under Lin Bai's feet, the Tree hit by Palm Thunder smoldered, spewing black smoke. Across from him, an eerie silence persisted among the five major sects.

All eyes were fixed on Pei Yanzong and Dao Xu, the two old men awkwardly flirting.

The Players who rushed out from under the canopy were stunned by the scene.

What happened? After all this time, the Five Evil Sects only set up a celestial canopy? They didn't even have a backup plan? Were they scared off by Lin, the Storekeeper? That can't be right!

...

"Did we miss something?" Dragon Breath asked in the private chat channel.

"Obviously. We missed a huge battle," Crazy Man said, looking at the ravaged battlefield. "The game company is so unprofessional. Such a great publicity opportunity, just wasted."

"Has Lin, the Storekeeper, won?" Mountain Tiger asked.

"Not yet. Almost none of the opposition are dead. There's still more to see," Great Loe the Golden Immortal said.

...

The Huilong Observant Daoists, responsible for protecting and guiding the Levitation Talisman, didn't know how to react upon seeing their own Sect Leader fall in love with someone new.

How embarrassing! How shameful!

However, the fact that Pei Yanzong, from the opposing side, dared not retaliate against their Sect Leader despite being attacked, only strengthened their resolve to cultivate the Great Path of Love.

To so easily twist the mind of a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator... the laws of the Love Principle are too terrifying! It's definitely worth cultivating!

...

"Lin Bai, if you have any guts, fight us fair and square! What kind of hero relies on sneak attacks?" Shen Kuang roared, his face dark, even as he hid behind his Disciples.

"Come on then. I'm waiting for you," Lin Bai replied with a smile, aiming his Cupid's Bow in the direction of Shen Kuang's voice.

Shen Kuang's voice cut off abruptly. A commotion rippled through the Mysterious Darkness Cult's ranks as Shen Kuang scrambled to change his position. He wouldn't dare gamble on whether Lin Bai's arrows had penetrating power! Would it be better to die on the spot than to end up like Pei Yanzong? Who knew if Lin Bai's arrows could pierce through defenses? At this moment, Shen Kuang deeply understood Dao Xu's fervent wish for death. This is a disaster! Why would the Righteous Door unleash such a menace upon the world?

...

"Sect Leader Lin, my Master, he..." Qing Yu began, arriving beside Lin Bai with Lady Hua Xi, but hesitated to continue.

"Return to your Cards and recover. You're not needed anymore," Lin Bai said with a slight smile. He pulled out their Cards and, without further discussion, recalled the three heavily injured Puppets.

The gap between Nascent Soul and Golden Core is a vast chasm. The severely injured trio can no longer contribute significantly. I can't afford to waste their remaining combat power.

...

"Xin Shang! Zhao Tulong! Are you just going to stand by and watch Pei Yanzong suffer this humiliation?" Unable to kill Pei Yanzong, Dao Xu had no choice but to turn his provocations to the others. "Once he's dead, it'll be your turn! There's no room for reconciliation between you and Lin Bai. Today, either he dies, or you all perish!"

"Well said, Dao Xu! Keep provoking them. We'll take them down one by one. I'll even find you a few more lovers to make up for my mistake," Lin Bai said calmly, pulling out a voice recorder. He selected a 'ten-person serving' of Palm Thunder and pressed play.

When the tongue-twister recording finished, Lin Bai lifted his left hand.

Ten bolts of lightning shot towards Pei Yanzong.

Engaged with Dao Xu, Pei Yanzong couldn't dodge in time, and at least three lightning bolts grazed him, scorching half his body black.

His resilience as a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator was far greater than that of a Golden Core; he still had the strength to fight.

Pei Yanzong couldn't help but glare at Lin Bai and roar, "You insolent brat! You've gone too far! Disciples of the Waning Sun Gate, attack with all your might! Kill Lin Bai! Xin Shang, Zhao Tulong, what are you waiting for? Kill Lin Bai, help me rescue Dao Xu, and I'll owe you all a great favor!"

Under normal circumstances, the Waning Sun Gate members would have charged out. But to fight to help their Sect Leader rescue Dao Xu... the excuse sounded utterly humiliating! Besides, the other sects hadn't moved. If they charged ahead to clash with a formidable foe like Lin Bai, wouldn't they just be courting death?

...

"Fellow Daoist Zhao, Fellow Daoist Xin, Fellow Daoist Shen, Fellow Daoist Pei is right! The longer this drags on, the more unpredictable it will become. Let's attack together! His Spiritual Power is nearly exhausted. How many people can a few scattered Palm Thunders kill? If we don't eliminate him now while he's vulnerable, it will be hard to find such a good chance again!" Ge Feiyun's voice came from the direction of the Magic Spirit Sect.

Lin Bai's Palm Thunder was the bane of Evil spirits, and Ge Feiyun, more than anyone, wanted him dead. She continued, "We outnumber him. His law-infused arrows must be limited. If we're careful and exhaust his supply of arrows, victory will be ours! Besides, Dao Xu regaining his sanity proves that his Love Principle has its limits!"

The members of the Five Evil Sects stirred, eager for action.

...

"Pei Yanzong, are you willing to give up your life for Dao Xu?" Lin Bai ignored the clamoring crowd and, while once again assailing Pei Yanzong with a series of lightning strikes, pulled out his old trick. "Old Pei, surrender to me, and I can let you two be together forever!"

"PAH! I would rather die at Dao Xu's hands than surrender to an evil thief like you!" Pei Yanzong roared.

"Then why don't you die?" Lin Bai chuckled. "In the next moment, I'm going to have Dao Xu charge their formation. He has already consumed more than half of his Spiritual Power and is definitely no match for Xin Shang and the others. When that time comes, will you protect him or not?"

Pei Yanzong was stunned, a flicker of struggle in his eyes. "If he dies, I will accompany him in death. We may not have been born on the same day of the same month in the same year, but being able to die on the same day as Dao Dao... I would be content."

"You fool! Stop making me sick!" Dao Xu gagged, then looked up at Lin Bai with a grief-stricken expression. "Lin Bai, just let me fight the enemy! Stop tormenting this old Daoist! I give up! I promise I'll never cause you trouble again!"

"Dao Dao, how could you say that?" Pei Yanzong looked at him, incredulous.

"Get lost!" Dao Xu bellowed.

...

"Dao Xu, do you remember what I did to you outside the Return to Dragon View?" Lin Bai smiled, reminding him, "There is a way to free yourself, you know!"

"..." Dao Xu froze, a flicker of conflict in his eyes. He looked at Pei Yanzong, who was still dodging left and right, and steeled his resolve. He forced an unnatural smile and said in a voice full of sorrow, "Ah Pei, given how we are now, there's no joy left in living—only endless ridicule from others. It would be better if you died first. I will follow you. If we cannot share joy in life, then let us walk the road to the Yellow Springs together..."

"Dao Dao?" Pei Yanzong froze, his eyes wide.

"Ah Pei... I'm sorry," Dao Xu said, his voice trembling. Desperate to end this painful existence, he channeled his inner thespian, tears welling in his tiger-like eyes.

"Alright. Let's die together." A faint smile touched Pei Yanzong's lips. He closed his eyes, resolutely abandoning all defense and evasion. Someone in unrequited love is always blind, willing to sacrifice anything for that love, including themselves.

"Pei Yanzong, you idiot!" Zhao Tulong's panicked voice cried out from behind. "He's tricking you!"

But it was too late.

With a palm strike filled with pent-up hatred, Dao Xu struck Pei Yanzong squarely in the chest.

Pei Yanzong coughed up a mouthful of blood and fell backward, yet he still reached out a hand toward Dao Xu, his eyes filled with tenderness. "Dao Dao... I'll wait for you."

Protect!

Just in time, Lin Bai changed Dao Xu's mental command to 'Protect!', stopping him from launching a follow-up attack. With a flick of his wrist, a Gold Card he had prepared shot towards the fading Pei Yanzong, enveloping him.