The latest task from the Everything Has Shortcomings System was to spread the idea of incompleteness, making over seven thousand people believe that imperfection is the way…

While "Justice Weekly" disseminated the Way of Love, it also propagated the Way of Incompleteness. Lin Bai incorporated the idea of the flaws in the Heavenly Dao into it. In recent days, his Inner Strength had been steadily increasing, proving that more people had joined in creating imperfections. Yet, the task had not shown any signs of completion.

It's highly probable these people creating imperfection are insincere, creating imperfections for the sake of it, but deep down, they don't genuinely acknowledge imperfection. That must be why the task is still incomplete, Lin Bai pondered.

But can one truly accept imperfection? he wondered. Seems a bit difficult!

If not for the rewards from the Incomplete System, I wouldn't accept imperfection either, Lin Bai admitted to himself. At least, I can't appreciate the Venus de Milo...

From creating imperfect items to influencing people's thoughts, the tasks of the Everything Has Shortcomings System were becoming increasingly difficult.

And it was not just this system.

The high EQ task from the Great Language System was currently on hold.

It was not that Lin Bai did not know how to do it; the key issue was that the rewards subsequently given by the Great Language System failed to pique his interest. What was the use of Skills like Shared Anger of Man and God, or You Will Smile at the Sight of Me, other than making people more afraid of him, attracting more enemies, and offering hardly any help in battle?

However, instilling fear could indeed be linked to the Super Villain System's tasks. But Lin Bai had always felt that he was struggling for survival and, deep down, did not identify himself as a villain...

The Doctor God System's Poison Pill formula, the God of Craftsmen System's task of crafting famous weapons for prestigious people, the Pet System's task of finding suitable Cultivation Techniques for Xiao Bai, the Sect Leader System's reputation task, the Super Idol System's task to accumulate fans...

Lin Bai actually had quite a few tasks on his plate, but the rewards for most of these did little to enhance his power, so he did not intend to complete them deliberately.

What mattered most to him was Rush Moon, the skill rewarded by the Matchmaker System, as this task could directly enhance his power. Moreover, after reviewing all his tasks, Lin Bai found a shortcut.

That was to enhance his strength and influence. If the Justice League encompassed the Spirit Artifact Pavilion and Medicine King Valley, then the tasks from the Doctor God System and God of Craftsmen System could be completed effortlessly. The Doctor God System could then directly use the Dan Fang from the Medicine King Valley, and the God of Craftsmen System required crafting weapons for influential people—by then, he himself would be an influential person. Crafting weapons for himself would suffice...

It could be said that Lin Bai had evolved from being unable to survive without completing tasks to a state where tasks and life coexisted in perfect harmony.

No matter what thoughts the members of the Justice League harbored towards him as their Alliance Hierarch, it was an undeniable fact that Lin Bai had established his own foundation.

After all, even an emperor could not make every minister obey him unquestioningly.

Maintaining balance, keeping up appearances, and continuously strengthening his foundation was enough.

Therefore, on the eve of the storm, Lin Bai lived a very leisurely life, adjusting his mental state.

For an entire day, Lin Bai mingled in the player group. Compared to the isolated indigenous people, players could always provide him with more information. For instance, the Deer Mountain Group of Yinmu City had established a research department, planning to combine real-world weapon technology with in-game Artifact Refining to create more powerful weapons.

Of course, the Deer Mountain Group was not the only one with this plan. All in-game organizations that had reached a certain scale shared the same intention. The Beggar Gang's Artifact Refining team was also striving in this direction, but they couldn't hold a candle to the resourceful and powerful Deer Mountain Group.

Some wealthy players, having witnessed the glory of the Beggar Gang, started to splurge money in the game, forcibly recruiting players to form gangs. Rumor had it that they were targeting the entertainment industry, intending to carve out a different path.

There were also whispers that the national team planned to enter the game, intending to build a virtual country within it to conduct real scientific research.

Some said that players on the Continent of Gods and Demons had encountered actual Angels, but the Angels had no idea that a Xianxia Continent existed across the vast ocean.

Others claimed that players had met reclusive masters and, fueled by all kinds of heavenly treasures and earthly materials, had broken through the ninety-ninth Level, reached the Golden Core Realm, and become the undisputed number one player...

All sorts of dizzying news.

In short, the world was vast, and all manner of things were happening; the excitement was not solely concentrated around the Beggar Gang. It was just that Lin Bai's meteoric rise had overshadowed the glory of most other players.

Anyway, one thing had to be acknowledged: players were gradually replacing indigenous residents, step by step becoming the protagonists of the world.

The players in the Beggar Gang seldom talked about Lin Bai.

But by synthesizing various pieces of information, Lin Bai still concluded that he remained the most dazzling NPC in the eyes of all players.

This is not a good thing! Lin Bai thought. To those aggressive players, the most dazzling also means glittering achievements!

Perhaps this was why the game company had tolerated his existence as a "virus." Although he was undermining the game, from a certain perspective, his presence also added to its playability, serving as motivation for the players. If he were the CEO of the game company, he too would not eliminate such a cash cow.

Having analyzed the reason, Lin Bai glanced up at the sky and chuckled, "Puppets, huh!"

"What puppets?" Dao Xu, sensing something, asked subconsciously.

"Everyone and everything between heaven and earth are merely the puppets of the Chess Player. In the end, it's just a matter of which side's Chess Player is more skilled!" Lin Bai said leisurely. "Dao Xu, do you think there will come a day when a chess piece can jump up and bite the Chess Player?"

"How could a chess piece bite its player?" Dao Xu snorted. "Unless it can transform from a piece into a player. What are you trying to say?"

Lin Bai smiled, turned to look at Dao Xu, and pointed to the sky. "That's precisely why I've always wanted to become the Heavenly Dao!"

"..." Dao Xu gazed at Lin Bai, the aversion from the Arrow of Resistance still lingering. Yet, at this moment, he felt a sliver of admiration for this young man full of cunning schemes. However, he still muttered to himself, If you can become the Heavenly Dao, it will only be because the heavens are truly blind.

「That night.」

After Lin Bai helped the editors of "Justice Weekly" revise the content of "Immortal Romance," the players began the busy process of finalizing the draft, selecting illustrations, printing, and so on.

Little Fox watched with great interest from the side. After all, she had also participated in the "performance" and was quite eager to see how she would appear in the book. Of course, she hoped even more that Lin Bai could tailor a story exclusively for her, preferably with himself as the protagonist. But the proposal was rejected as soon as she voiced it.

Lin Bai did not completely extinguish her hopes, merely telling her that the time was not yet right.

Some tasks could be completed in advance, while others could not.

If some peculiar task to bring Fame to a pet arose in the future, having already defined Little Fox's character would make it difficult to change.

Lin Bai could not ensure perfection in every aspect, but he tried his best to avoid preventable mistakes—this was a prerequisite for survival.

The book "Immortal Legend: The Rare Flower Romance" was also published the next day.

With ample manpower and funds, coupled with the extraordinary power and control of the Golden Core Monks from various Sects, producing a batch of books overnight was not difficult. Publications in the Immortal World did not require version numbers; they could be sold directly after printing.

As soon as the new book hit the market, its convoluted story and exquisite illustrations immediately caused a massive stir in Qian City.

Previous publications were all letterpress printed, and even if they had illustrations, most were crude. In contrast, photographs taken by digital cameras, perfectly replicated onto paper by color printers, looked as if real people had been printed onto the pages, instantly convincing everyone that these were the methods of Immortals.

Moreover, the extras in the photographs were real Cultivators, shown Flying to the sky and escaping into the ground, their Spells frozen in an instant. This gave people a direct, intuitive understanding of what a battle between true Cultivators looked like!

Not to mention, Qing Yu and Hua Xi's temperament and beauty were truly striking. With the background blurred, the citizens of Qian City didn't even notice that all the illustrations were shot in the mountains surrounding the city.

Almost all the citizens believed these were real events, merely recorded by Immortal techniques.

A beauty bathing in a green pool, her white shoulders exposed above the water—the mere sight of her back was enough to send one's imagination soaring.

A white fox delivering a letter, a beauty leaning by a window, her gaze filled with longing for her beloved.

Before the Rule Hall, Qing Yu knelt on the ground, his back covered in mottled scars, yet his gaze remained resolute as he gritted his teeth and said, "I have no regrets."

On the battlefield, Lady Hua Xi fearlessly shielded Qing Yu from a sword aura aimed at him…

At this moment, Qing Yu and Hua Xi were no longer the dry, paper-thin characters from "Justice Weekly"; they had truly come alive, becoming three-dimensional.

Especially with those classic lines accompanying the illustrations: "I never regret it. The two luckiest things in my life: one was meeting you; the other was falling in love with you."

"For you, I am willing to stand against the entire world."

"I know we cannot be together, but I am willing to bear the pain for you, like a moth to a flame; knowing I will be hurt, I will still rush into the fire without hesitation..."

"To die in your arms is the greatest fortune of my life."

As soon as the new book was released, it was snatched up. The people of Qian City went into a frenzy; regardless of literacy, obtaining a copy of the novel became a matter of pride.

The Beggar Gang disciples initially priced "Immortal Romance" at half a tael of Silver per copy, considering much of their labor was free.

Later, as the book became a rarity, its price surged to three taels of Silver.

In just a few days, the editorial department of "Justice Weekly" became the Beggar Gang's most profitable division. This was the first time they had made money in the game, instead of just pouring money into it.

The citizens of Qian City developed an immense enthusiasm for cultivation.

In front of the Five Evil Sects' encampment, a long line of young people eager to learn Taoism had formed.

Many unmarried young women also joined in. They began to yearn for a love like Lady Hua Xi's, hoping to meet a man who would fearlessly devote himself to them.

Within a single day, the teachings on the Cultivation of Rules for the Love Principle in the special edition of Justice Weekly had become gospel for the youth of Qian City, who now believed they too could become immortal couples like Qing Yu and Lady Hua Xi…

"City Lord, we cannot allow Lin Bai to control Justice Weekly any longer!" the Scholar anxiously reported to the City Lord. "With such a powerful propaganda tool in his hands, he can guide people's thoughts. If this continues, Qian City will no longer be ours to rule."

"Even though I know it's not real, the love between Qing Yu and Lady Hua Xi depicted in 'Immortal Legend' is truly enviable!" Guo Yuan sighed, flipping through the copy in his hands. "Old Zhao, what do you think about Lin Bai's relentless promotion of the Cultivation of Rules? Is there any chance the Love Principle could actually be cultivated successfully?"

"City Lord?" The Scholar's eyes widened involuntarily. Recalling his and Crispy Rice's recent activities in the City Lord's mansion, his face turned pale. "City Lord, you've been deceived by Lin Bai! He's not a savior, but a genuine demon sowing chaos! If you don't awaken to this, Qian City is in peril! We must find a way to eliminate Lin Bai. His threat has far surpassed that of the Chosen One…"

"I am aware of what I have been doing these past few days. The Love Principle is indeed fascinating; I feel I've grasped some of its truth," Guo Yuan said, glancing at the Scholar. "However, we should indeed find a way to eliminate Lin Bai. The Beggar Gang will only go astray under his leadership. Only when Lin Bai is gone can Crispy Rice truly control the Beggar Gang. Then, the Chosen One can be truly useful to me."

"..." A deep worry flashed in the Scholar's eyes.

At that moment, his hatred for Lin Bai reached its peak.

However, the City Lord's decision to eliminate Lin Bai, prompted by Lin Bai's suppression of Crispy Rice, instilled a flicker of hope in him. There might still be a chance to salvage the situation.

Once Lin Bai was dead, dealing with a mere Crispy Rice would be much easier. Even if the Chosen One was immortal and indestructible, with his methods, he could torment him until he wished for death, forcing him to disappear from the City Lord's sight forever.

Guo Yuan looked at the Scholar, pondered for a moment, and said, "Old Zhao, the previous letter I sent to Duke Zhenguo might not have been taken seriously. I want you to personally go to Prince Zhen Guo's house. Take Justice Weekly and Immortal Romance with you. Tell him everything that has happened in Qian City recently, and also inform him that Commandery Princess Yun Yang has fallen in love with Lin Bai, but Lin Bai only wants to use Commandery Princess Yun Yang to cultivate the Love Principle. Duke Zhenguo is extremely fond of Commandery Princess Yun Yang; he will certainly make appropriate arrangements for Lin Bai."

"Yes, City Lord." The Scholar clasped his fist, accepted the order, and turned to leave.

"Wait," the City Lord called out, stopping him.

"City Lord, do you have any other instructions?" the Scholar asked.

"..." The City Lord looked at the Scholar, hesitated for a moment, then said, "Help me conceal my dealings with Crispy Rice. Tell Duke Zhenguo that the contents of Justice Weekly are entirely fabricated..."

[System: The CP needs hype, love needs to be proclaimed. Let the CP you created have a love story that makes the world yearn. (Completed) Reward: Rush Moon (Dispensed)]

[System: Love can resolve hatred. Create a CP between two people who hate each other and publicize their story. Reward: Milky Way (You can temporarily draw a river to separate two people in love, making them unable to meet.)]

Not long after the release of "Immortal Romance: Qing Hua Legend," a success notification came from the Matchmaker System, followed by a new task, still involving creating CPs.

Making two people who hated each other fall in love was not particularly difficult with the Matchmaker's Red Thread, but the task reward—creating a river—seemed rather ordinary.

After all, he had not encountered many cultivator couples in the Cultivation World yet. Unless he could constantly create CPs and make everyone in the world fall in love.

Otherwise, the ability to separate lovers seemed like a useless skill.