The sound came from afar and, in a blink of an eye, it was near.

Several sprawling golden Talisman Inscriptions enveloped the direction of the Winger's Five Gate, accompanied by a sweeping force. A power that seized one's spirit and will.

"Master Li!" exclaimed He Qin.

"Divinity Transformation!" spoke Wan Qifeng.

"Lin Bai is finished, hahaha!" Ma Changcheng chimed in.

...

The faces of the Cultivators of the Winger's Five Gate changed rapidly. They descended quickly in a panic, trying to evade by heading towards the ground.

They could unite to resist a Nascent Soul Cultivator.

But a Divinity Transformation Cultivator, who could employ the Spiritual Energy of heaven and earth for their own use, was simply an overwhelmingly powerful existence for them.

The Players on the Hundred Flowers Shuttle and Blood Boat couldn't help but hold their breath, horror filling their eyes.

Is this the Divinity Transformation Realm?

Is this an immortal?

These special effects are so cool!

Compared to these special effects, Lin, the Storekeeper's Rush Moon is so inferior!

Why don't the game officials make this scene into a promotional video?

This sort of power actually fits people's imagination of xianxia!

Lin, the Storekeeper's trashy Separation of Love, compared to this, is simply garbage! It's an eyesore!

As expected, Lin, the Storekeeper has ruined the game...

...

Master Li? Lin Bai thought. The mastermind who trapped Old Song's family and triggered all these disasters?

Looking at the golden Talisman Inscriptions that almost filled his entire field of vision, Lin Bai immediately recalled his left hand and issued a guarding command to all his Puppets.

This was his first time facing a Divinity Transformation Cultivator. Even with the combined Cultivation Levels of Pei Yanzong and Dao Xu, he was incapable of casting Talisman Inscriptions from several kilometers away like this.

If I were to use modern weapons as an analogy, if a Nascent Soul Cultivator's attack range is like a submachine gun, then the Divinity Transformation Realm is practically a mortar. I can hit you, but you can't hit me. This was precisely why Divinity Transformation Cultivators could crush Nascent Soul Cultivators. It was sheer suppression through attack range. This long-range attack could even counter my Rush Moon... So damn annoying!

Seeing Lin Bai aiming the Cupid's Bow in his hand at his master several kilometers away, Dao Xu was greatly alarmed and hurriedly said, "Lin Bai, I beg you, please don't tie me and Master together..."

Ignoring Dao Xu, Lin Bai tied Master Li and the bewildered Pei Yanzong beside him together with a red thread. Only then did he fully mobilize his Spiritual Power and call out loudly, "Master Li, your beautiful lover is here. Would you dare to strike down such a delicate flower?"

Master Li is several kilometers away, Lin Bai mused. The range of the Arrow of Love might not be enough, and I can't guarantee who Master Li would see. Moreover, judging by the speed of the attacking golden Talisman Inscriptions, I suspect they would hit me before the Arrow of Love even reaches its target. Compared to that, the Matchmaker's red thread is more reliable; it ignores distance and binds instantly. At such a critical moment, if not now, when?

"Master, don't come over!" Dao Xu shouted in terror, his eyes looking as if they were about to burst.

The next second, the kitchen knife in Lin Bai's hand was placed on Pei Yanzong's neck.

Right after that, a scene that stunned everyone unfolded.

"Despicable!"

A furious shout erupted!

Master Li suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, forcibly burning his Spiritual Power. With speed akin to teleportation, he shot past the Talisman Inscriptions he himself had launched.

Then, with lightning speed, he drew several Talisman Inscriptions in the air and sent them hurtling backward to collide with his previous ones.

BANG!

The Talisman Inscriptions crashed into each other.

A massive sound erupted.

The shockwave spread out from the point of collision.

The Players watching the spectacle from the Hundred Flowers Shuttle were blown about, tumbling head over heels.

The trees in the forest looked as if they had been bombarded by artillery; branches snapped, roots were torn out, and trunks lay toppled everywhere. What was once a lush forest was now a complete wreck.

Master Li, at the very center of the explosion, bore the brunt of the impact. He spat out another mouthful of blood, his Taoist robe torn to shreds, hanging from his body like a beggar's rags.

...

What's happening?

Everyone, whether in the game or outside, be they Players, Cultivators, or spectators, was dumbfounded by this sudden turn of events.

Heaven and earth fell silent.

The bullet comments on the Beggar Gang Disciples' live stream momentarily vanished.

...

"What is Master Li doing?" Ma Changcheng asked, his eyes wide.

"Even a Divinity Transformation Cultivator can't escape the Arrow of Love?" Guan Pengfei said in astonishment.

"Did Master Li get hit by an arrow?" Wan Qifeng frowned deeply.

"The arrow on Lin Bai's bowstring hasn't been loosed this entire time," He Qin observed, his gaze exceptionally profound. He shook his head and let out a self-deprecating laugh. "I should have known. How could a man who dares to throw the world into such turmoil reveal all his abilities? And how could he possess only a mere Nascent Soul cultivation? Sect Leaders, we have lost!"

...

"Is this guy here for comic relief?" A bullet comment drifted by, instantly igniting the fervor of the crowd.

"And I had such high hopes for him! Turns out he's all show and no go."

"Lin, the Storekeeper is an invincible man!"

"Lin, the Storekeeper must be the game company's favorite son! The buffs they've given him are too outrageous!"

"I don't get it. What's the principle here? Lin Bai didn't even shoot the Arrow of Love in his hand!"

"Remember Qing Yu and Flower Stream? Back then, Lin Bai didn't have the Arrow of Love either. He just spoke a single sentence, and they were bound in matrimony, still inseparable to this day."

"Spoken Law Follows!"

"There's no other explanation other than Spoken Law Follows."

"Unfathomable Lin, the Storekeeper."

"There must be limitations, right? If I recall correctly, Lin, the Storekeeper has only used Spoken Law Follows twice. The rest of the time, he needed the Arrow of Love..."

"Are you guys still thinking of going against Lin, the Storekeeper?"

"What else can we do? Just let Lin Bai grow unchecked and have all us Players work for him?"

"Master Li is in the Divinity Transformation Realm and was taken down by Lin Bai in one move. Players have been in the game for two months, and not a single one has reached Golden Core. Not to mention Lin, the Storekeeper's nearly unbeatable Skills, the Puppets he controls alone could sweep through a vast number of us. You tell me, how are we supposed to fight?"

"There's only one possibility: Lin Bai is a late-game boss, not someone current Players should even be thinking about. Besides, I don't believe any game would have unbeatable Skills. If we think a Skill is unbeatable, it's because we haven't found the right way to counter it. Maybe it's positioning, maybe it's an attribute counter. If we experiment enough times, we'll find a way. Even when raiding major bosses in other games, the developers don't let you succeed on the first try."

"Exactly. Lin, the Storekeeper's Bow of Love might work on NPCs, but that kind of mental Skill can't possibly work on Players."

"The game controls our bodies, sure, but the developers can't control our minds. Couldn't they just temporarily take control of our bodies to make the Skill effect work? Like those cutscenes in other games where you watch your character talk but can't control them at all..."

"There's no point discussing this now. What we should be doing is heading to the official forums to protest. Regardless of whether Lin, the Storekeeper is a late-game boss, don't you think the plot is advancing too quickly? Master Li, at the Avatar Realm, can use Skills from kilometers away! Players would be helpless against that!"

"You've hit the nail on the head. At this stage, Players should be facing low-level Disciples from Cultivation Sects as bosses. Golden Core cultivation for bosses would be most appropriate. Leveling up by fighting low-level Disciples and then using Skills and strategy to defeat Golden Core-level bosses—that's what makes sense. Lin Bai taking on Nascent Soul stage opponents was already unreasonable. Now there's a Divinity Transformation expert? It's like pitting an ant against an elephant. It's completely absurd!"

"You're right. Even in that Western game, Land of Gods and Demons, they never had such level-skipping bosses."

"Except for Qian City, no other place has a Divinity Transformation Realm boss..."

"With Justice Weekly around, it won't be long before the major boss emerges. There's no doubt Lin, the Storekeeper has that kind of capability. After all, the persona he's created for himself is that of a savior..."

"Screw the savior! If a savior like that appeared in our world, I'd be the first to try and take him down."

"Whatever the case, let's go protest first!"

"Yes, yes! Last time we protested, they released a batch of game accounts. If we protest a few more times, maybe the game company will soften up and start open beta. No matter how you all see Lin Bai, I personally find the current game plot quite thrilling. You can never guess what's going to happen next!"

"Count me in!"

"Heroes emerge in chaotic times. Lin, the Storekeeper single-handedly created these chaotic times. Now it just remains to be seen which of the Players will be the hero who can save the world from fire and water."

"So, who's the real savior? The Players or Lin Bai?"

"The winner takes all."

...

"Despicable! Threatening this old Taoist with an innocent person—what kind of skill is that?" Master Li wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, glaring angrily at Lin Bai. He occasionally glanced at Pei Yanzong, his face etched with anxiety.

Dao Xu, looking at his master's expression, instantly understood what had happened. He closed his eyes in despair. "Master, it is my fault."

"The thousand-year foundation of Return to Dragon View has been destroyed by you, you traitorous disciple! Of course, it's your fault!" Master Li glared furiously at Dao Xu. "After I kill Lin Bai, I will execute you, this traitorous disciple, myself!"

Kill Lin Bai? A bitter smile touched Dao Xu's lips as he thought. He's being controlled and doesn't even know it. I'm afraid it won't be long before you too become one of Lin Bai's lackeys.

Master Li pretended not to care about Pei Yanzong. He looked up and snorted derisively at the black-clad, masked figures of Rush Moon. "Dao Kong! Daojing! Where are you? Where are the Disciples of Return to Dragon View?"

"Master." Dao Kong and Daojing flew out from the rear of the group, their expressions grim.

Dao Kong looked at Lin Bai, hesitated for a moment, then cupped his fist and said, "Sect Leader, my master is old, and his cultivation did not come easily. Please, spare my master some dignity."

"Dao Kong, who are you calling Sect Leader?" Master Li's nose practically contorted with rage. "Why did I take in such ungrateful disciples? The others are one thing, but you are my direct disciples! How could you so easily hand over Return to Dragon View? Shouldn't you fight to the death, to make your training under me worthwhile? Disciples of Return to Dragon View, step forward at once! Use your Divine Skills and assist me in killing Lin Bai!"

Not a single Cultivator from Return to Dragon View moved. Instead, they looked at their grandmaster with pity.

"Please, Sect Leader, spare our Grandmaster!" someone suddenly shouted, and the cry quickly resonated among the Taoists of Return to Dragon View. The rest, as if jolted to their senses, bowed to Lin Bai in a somewhat disorganized manner.

"Please, Sect Leader, spare our Grandmaster."

"We are willing to persuade our Grandmaster to join the Righteous Door."

...

"You... all of you?" Master Li was stunned, subconsciously clutching his chest.

At that moment, his anger caused his qi and blood to surge, and his injuries seemed to worsen significantly.

Xin Shang and the others had complex emotions. Logically, they should have been pleased to see Return to Dragon View, their rival for hundreds of years, fall to such a state. Yet, at this moment, none of them could bring themselves to rejoice. Instead, a sense of shared sorrow, like a fox mourning a dead hare, washed over them.

"This matter is concluded. Send word to our sect's ancestors. Tell them not to provoke Lin Bai," Zhao Tulong murmured.

Xin Shang and the others subconsciously nodded in agreement.

"Master, don't put up a futile resistance," Daojing said mournfully. "Haven't you realized? You've already fallen for his trick!"

"Nonsense!" Master Li retorted angrily.

"You risked injury to stop your own attack. Don't you find that strange?" Daojing pressed.

"..." Master Li was momentarily stunned. He glanced at Pei Yanzong, still held captive by Lin Bai, but still said defiantly, "This old Taoist simply did not wish to harm an innocent."

"Is Pei Yanzong the innocent one?" Dao Kong, throwing caution to the wind, challenged him. "Do you even know who he is? He's the Sect Leader of the Waning Sun Gate, our sworn enemy! Is it normal for you to suffer a backlash for his sake?"

The Disciples of the Waning Sun Gate exchanged glances. Looking at Lin Bai, who was smiling while holding a cleaver to Pei Yanzong's neck, they all sighed, admitting their inferiority. That guy is the true master of unorthodox evil!

"So what if he's the Sect Leader of the Waning Sun Gate?" Master Li, his ruse exposed, decided to throw caution to the wind. "Being held hostage by Lin Bai makes him a hostage! This old Taoist cannot stand such shameless behavior! Not only will I save all of you, but I will also dismantle this ridiculous Justice League and restore peace to the world!"

Lin Bai looked up at the sky.

Rush Moon had long since stopped.

The members of the Morning Yuan Sword Sect alliance were slowly drifting down.

Seeing Lin Bai look up, the group of men in black immediately stopped.

He Qin tore the mask from his face and announced loudly, "Alliance Hierarch, please don't attack! We have been convinced by your Power of Laws! We wish to join the Justice League!"

His smile was as humble as could be.

When Master Li, who was at the Realm of Soul Transformation, had chosen to harm himself rather than hurt Lin Bai, these people had finally cast aside their so-called dignity and made the "correct" choice.

"Alliance Hierarch, the Spirit Artifact Pavilion is willing to join the Justice League and contribute its utmost to the league's cause!" Wan Qifeng also removed his mask. He was shrewder than He Qin, even adopting the official rhetoric promoted by the Justice League. "The Spirit Artifact Pavilion is also willing to compensate for the expenses of this campaign."

What an old fox! He Qin and Ma Changcheng simultaneously glared at the shameless fellow.

Wan Qifeng remained unfazed.

Ma Changcheng sighed, cupped his fist, and said, "Medicine King Valley is also willing to provide war reparations."

[Resentment from Ma Changcheng, He Qin, Wan Qifeng +1, +1, +1]

[Anger from Master Li +1, +1, +1]

Sensing the emotions from the onlookers, Lin Bai asked, "You three Sect Leaders, are you truly repentant, like lost lambs that have found their way?"

"Alliance Hierarch, we are overwhelmed by your invincible strength, which is like the sun! Our admiration for you flows like a mighty river, endless and inexhaustible! Our desire to join the Justice League is truer than gold, purer than a newborn's heart! This sincerity can be witnessed by the heavens, comparable to the sun and moon!"

With Wan Qifeng having set the precedent, He Qin also cast aside his reservations. It's just a contest of shamelessness; who can't do that? As long as the green hills remain, one need not worry about firewood. The reinforcements from the Seven Righteous Sects would at best be Divinity Transformation Realm experts; they'd just be cannon fodder if they came. It's better to secure a retreat for ourselves early on, lest we end up like Master Li.

Xin Shang and his companions cast disdainful glances at He Qin, though there was a hint of admiration in their eyes. If only we had been so clear-sighted back then, we would have become Lin Bai's trusted aides by now!

"In that case, you shall all stay quiet like a flock of quails and watch how I subdue Master Li, who is as proud as a little rooster!" Lin Bai instructed with a smile.

The moment he smiled, Dao Xu, Daojing, Dao Kong, Pei Yanzong, and the furious Master Li all simultaneously broke into matching smiles.

The sudden, identical smiles startled He Qin and the others. Everyone smiling at once.

These people change expressions too quickly! What's wrong with them? This is so damn creepy! And Master Li, it's one thing for the others to smile, but he just called you a little rooster, what are you smiling about?

At this moment, it felt as if the world itself wasn't real.

...

You're the little rooster! Your whole family are little roosters!

Master Li, smiling, his body trembling, said, "You insolent brat, you've gone too far! No one has ever dared to insult this old Taoist like this!"

Lin Bai reined in his smile.

Master Li's expression immediately reverted to its normal anger.

When Lin Bai smiled again, Master Li's furious roar was instantly accompanied by a smile...

After a few rounds of this, it was as if Master Li was performing some kind of exaggerated facial expression show for Lin Bai. It was incredibly awkward.

Everyone watching Master Li was stunned. The Taoists of Return to Dragon View couldn't bear to watch their grandmaster; they blushed and lowered their heads.

You clearly weren't capable enough, so why did you have to force yourself into this mess, Grandmaster! This is utterly humiliating! Return to Dragon View... its reputation is ruined now, but perhaps that's for the best...

...

PFFT!

The Little White Fox, who had also been forced to smile several times, finally couldn't hold back a genuine laugh. Master's wicked sense of humor is truly something else!

"Insolent brat, stop trying to trick this old Taoist with your evil arts!" Master Li finally realized something was amiss and could no longer restrain himself. Pointing his fingers like a sword, he sent a blade of wind straight at Lin Bai's brow. He was worried about Pei Yanzong and wanted to kill Lin Bai as quickly as possible to save his beloved.

The moment the sword wind was released, Pei Yanzong's head tilted, perfectly shielding Lin Bai's.

WHOOSH!

Master Li hastily channeled his power to stop the sword wind he had just launched. Under the influence of the red thread, he would rather injure himself than harm his beloved.

The fierce sword wind pierced through his left palm, and blood gushed out.

But Master Li paid no heed to his injury. He looked at Lin Bai, a glint of determination in his eyes.

Like a phantom, he suddenly appeared to Lin Bai's left. With a flick of his finger, he knocked away the kitchen knife pressed against Pei Yanzong's neck. Then, reaching out, he snatched Pei Yanzong from Lin Bai's grasp.

Lin Bai, with his Agility of sixty, failed to react in time. The Card Puppets under his command to guard him also couldn't react; all they managed was a slight stir.

However, Master Li was not unscathed. The near-teleportation-like Flash had put an immense strain on his body. After seizing Pei Yanzong, he spat out another mouthful of blood, his face as pale as paper.

Barely suppressing the intense pain, Master Li let out a wild laugh. "Lin Bai, now that you've lost your hostage, let's see who can protect you! Those who don't cultivate properly and rely on unorthodox methods will never gain true recognition!"

Before he could finish speaking, Pei Yanzong, who was in his arms, suddenly vanished.

The next instant, he reappeared in front of Lin Bai, as if nothing had changed at all.

Master Li's laughter died in his throat.