CHAPTER 374: 374 LIN BAI DOESN’T WANT TO BE A NANNY

As soon as Lin Bai entered Pine Stone City, he immediately took control of the teleportation portal.

Long Tianxi and Nan Lingtian, leading the City Guard Army, sealed off Pine Stone City, allowing entry but prohibiting exit.

In this world where strength was paramount, a Star Diamond and a Platinum Realm cultivator were enough to control an entire city.

Lin Bai also had a batch of puppets at the Silver and Golden Realms.

However, these puppets lacked consciousness and required manual control to act, making them unsuitable for maintaining order.

At this point, Lin Bai didn’t have many Enlightenment Pills left. He couldn’t help everyone regain their consciousness and had to use them sparingly.

...

A Heavenly Person from the City Guard Army, unable to bear Lin Bai’s tyranny, secretly approached Nan Lingtian to ask if he planned to send for help from other cities to take down Lin Bai in one fell swoop.

Then, this individual was decisively eliminated by Nan Lingtian.

Having suffered the consequences of betraying Lin Bai once, how could Nan Lingtian dare to make the same mistake again?

All Heavenly People who attempted to leave Pine Stone City were ruthlessly killed by Long Tianxi and Nan Lingtian, their bodies hung from the city gates.

All the Heavenly People in Pine Stone City were inevitably thrown into a state of panic, forced to reconsider the matter of the new host body and the Tenth Heavenly King.

Yet, no one dared to provoke Lin Bai directly.

Regardless of Long Tianxi’s performance, the notion of mortal incompetence was deeply ingrained in their minds.

No one believed Lin Bai could last long. Moreover, he seemed emotionally unpredictable, making it unwise to approach him at this time.

「That day.」

The players from the Guiding Pool and Lin Bai’s disciples rushed to Pine Stone City via the Magpie Bridge.

The Guiding Pool was small and lacked resources, making it unsuitable for cultivation, and the players, forced to cultivate there, were bursting with impatience.

Now that they had an opportunity to understand the Fairy World, they naturally swarmed over.

Besides this, they also harbored various intentions.

...

When thousands of mortals poured into Pine Stone City, the Heavenly People were in an uproar, finally realizing the gravity of the situation.

When had the Fairy World ever seen so many mortals?

This was an absolutely unprecedented spectacle.

In the Fairy World, Ascenders had always been a scarce resource.

If there were so many mortals, their value would have long since plummeted. How could they still command such high prices on the black market?

The most crucial point was that the mortals entering Pine Stone City were clearly not Ascenders. Their strength was too feeble; ordinary Heavenly People in Pine Stone City could kill several with a single slap.

Did Lin Bai, who had single-handedly subdued the City Lord and Long Tianxi, intend to conquer the world with these weakling mortals? What a dreamer! This was a perfect opportunity to capture a few mortals, break through Pine Stone City’s blockade, and make a fortune outside to improve their lives!

To the Heavenly People, the players walking the streets were like tantalizing treasures, shimmering with golden light.

The allure of wealth stirs hearts; fortune is sought through peril.

As the number of players on the streets increased, a Heavenly Person finally succumbed to temptation and made a move. Once the first one acted, a second followed...

...

The unrestrained players toured the Heavenly People’s city in small groups, just as they had when first entering the game, oblivious to any danger.

But as they walked, their numbers began to dwindle.

Either they entered a shop and never re-emerged, or they turned a corner on the street and lost control of their bodies...

In short, a large-scale disappearance event erupted among the players shortly after they entered Pine Stone City.

It mattered little whether they were members of financial groups or players with lucky accounts.

The skills players had learned in the Mortal World were useless against the Heavenly People; they couldn’t create the slightest ripple...

It was only because some Heavenly People wanted to capture a few alive—to sell for profit after Lin Bai was defeated—that these players weren’t all killed and sent back to the resurrection point. The level gap between the two sides was simply too vast.

Lin Bai’s disciples were in a much better situation.

Although Lin Bai had imbued them with Laws, each was a seasoned veteran of worldly affairs.

The lowest realm of a Heavenly Person was equivalent to theirs, making Pine Stone City feel like a wolf’s den to a flock of sheep.

The auras of the Heavenly People kept them in a constant state of trepidation. Even with Laws, they dared not make any reckless moves. After entering Pine Stone City, they basically stayed within the City Lord’s mansion, not daring to venture out.

After all, they only had one life. No one wanted to waste it and be reborn as a butterfly, starting all over again.

Only then did Tuohai and the others understand why Lin Bai had said they were far from adequate. In the Fairy World, hundreds of thousands of Heavenly People at their level were considered ordinary. One misstep could indeed lead to death.

...

"You fools! With such heaven-defying abilities, why not find a secluded place to develop quietly for a few hundred years? Once everyone’s strength has matured, then you can contend with the Heavenly People."

"I don’t know how so many of you with insufficient realms managed to ascend, but your strength is too weak. Now, with your rash seizure of Pine Stone City, news will spread, and a large number of Heavenly People will attack. No matter how powerful you are, can you protect everyone? Go! Hurry, before they react..."

In the City Lord’s reception hall, the Heavenly Person kept as a pet by Nan Lingtian looked at Lin Bai, his heart aching with regret.

His Daoist name was Mad Wind Sword Fanatic. He had ascended from the Heavenly Sword Sect and had been kept captive in the Fairy World for over sixty years; his cultivation level had barely reached the Peak of the Bronze Realm.

At this moment, his mental state was extremely poor. He paced back and forth in the room, bearded and disheveled, his eyes bloodshot. He was filled with a violent aura, looking much like a member of the Demon Cult.

Nearby stood four others: Ascenders from the Moon Spirit Sect, Sky Demon Mountain, Tool Refining Sect, and Pill and Spirit Sect. They looked gloomy, showing no joy at their newfound freedom. Moreover, an indescribable tension was hidden in their expressions, and they frequently glanced out the window.

Lin Bai’s disciples looked at these Ascender seniors, who were like birds startled by a bowstring, their hearts filled with sorrow and righteous indignation.

"Elder Sword Fanatic, there’s no need to worry," the Ziyi Ancestor looked sympathetically at the elder from his own sect and gently consoled him. "The Alliance Hierarch has mastered the Power of Laws. His abilities are not inferior to those of the Heavenly Kings. Even Star Diamond Realm masters couldn’t withstand a single blow from him. With him here, he will definitely rescue the Ascender seniors of our sects."

"Laws? The Laws comprehended in the Mortal World are merely superficial! You probably have no idea how powerful those Heavenly People who have truly mastered Laws are!" Mad Wind Sword Fanatic seemed to recall something and shuddered involuntarily. "Listen to my advice: while those Heavenly People haven’t spread the news yet, let’s quickly hide in the Black Stone Mountain Range. We can make further plans once our cultivation has progressed..."

"Elder Sword Fanatic is right," Fairy Xuan Yun of the Moon Spirit Sect glanced at Lin Bai and added her persuasion. "It wasn’t easy for humanity to produce such an exceptional talent. You are the hope of all Ascenders; you cannot be ruined!"

"Friends, the world has changed. Some things are unavoidable, no matter how much we wish to evade them," Lin Bai said, looking at these pitiable Ascenders and shaking his head. "Those Ascenders who escaped the control of the Heavenly People and hid in the ruins? They are merely part of a new charade orchestrated by the Heavenly People. The Heavenly People have operated in the Fairy World for who knows how many years. Do you really think there are places in this world they can’t reach? As long as they wish, they can find you even if you hide in the Poison Dragon Nest..."

Hearing this harsh truth, the Ascenders’ expressions changed drastically.

They looked at each other, Mad Wind Sword Fanatic’s lips trembling. "Is that... true?"

"Why would I deceive you? Nan Lingtian told me himself," Lin Bai glanced at him. "Besides, the Mortal World is not what you imagine anymore. We must conquer the Fairy World as quickly as possible; we simply don’t have hundreds of years to grow..."

"Conquer the Fairy World at the fastest speed? Are you joking?" Fairy Xuan Yun frowned, looking at Lin Bai as if he were a madman. "Daoist Lu Ying of the Heavenly Dao Sect was exceptionally brilliant. He endured humiliation and bore heavy burdens for eighty years, finally breaking through to the Platinum Realm. In one fell swoop, he slew the City Lord of Fengxian City and rescued a whole city of Ascenders. Yet, he couldn’t evade the pursuit of Star Diamond Realm masters for even ten days. How fast could you possibly conquer the Fairy World?"

"Sister Xuan Yun is right. We are irreconcilable with the Heavenly People; they cannot be used by us," Red Ming Daoist of the Tool Refining Sect said. "The only way is for us to unite, find our compatriots in the ruins, and then rally more Ascenders. Together, we must strive for a place where we can survive and cultivate. That is the true path..."

"Elder Red Ming, Alliance Hierarch Lin is different from us," Zuo Lan from the Tool Refining Sect awkwardly interrupted his senior. "He is a top disciple of the Righteous Door. When he set out, he was but a mortal. In less than a year, he has already unified all the sects in the Lower Realm..."

"Impossible!" several Ascenders exclaimed simultaneously.

"Nothing is impossible. It has been only three days since I ascended to the Fairy World, and I am already at the Star Diamond Realm; otherwise, how could I have captured Pine Stone City? Currently, I might not match the Heavenly Kings of the Fairy World, but it won’t be long before the mere mention of my name silences crying children throughout the Fairy World." Lin Bai stood up, his aura flaring as he instilled confidence in everyone. "I released you to serve me, not to listen to you demoralize our own people!"

Under the pressure of his Star Diamond aura, the Ascenders trembled, finding it hard to believe what they were seeing.

But then, trembling, they rose to their feet. Looking at Lin Bai, they declared in unison, "We are willing to follow the Alliance Hierarch’s command!"

"Not Alliance Hierarch. You are to take me as your Master," Lin Bai shook his head. "Your abilities are too weak; you stand no chance against the Heavenly People. Take me as your Master, and I can bestow upon you the Power of Laws, granting you the ability to protect yourselves in this coming battle."

Knowing the capabilities of the Star Diamond Realm, Lin Bai’s sense of urgency intensified. Of his thirty-odd disciples, apart from Qing Yun, most were at the Bronze Realm. Ye Song and the others had only just advanced from the Mahayana Realm to the Crossing Tribulation Realm.

In the Fairy World, even with Laws, their cultivation levels were clearly insufficient.

He urgently needed individuals of higher realms as disciples.

"The Power of Laws can be bestowed?" Xuan Yun asked in confusion.

"Fine, a disciple then! After being tormented in this damn Fairy World for so many years, what’s the harm in staking it all on one last fight? If I die, I die!" As if his fighting spirit had been ignited, Mad Wind Sword Fanatic’s eyes gleamed. He suddenly stood up. "Master above!" Mad Wind declared, sinking to his knees with a thud. "Receive this bow from your disciple!"

"Disciple Xuan Yun pays respects to Master."

"Red Ming pays respects to Master."

...

With Mad Wind Sword Fanatic taking the lead, Xuan Yun and the others, though still harboring many doubts, also bowed. The accomplished came first; Lin Bai’s Star Diamond Realm alone was sufficient for him to be their teacher.

No sooner had they completed the pledge than they felt a distinct change in the circulation of Spiritual Energy within their bodies. Astonished, they looked at Lin Bai. "Master, this..."

"If you have any questions, let Tuohai and the others explain," Lin Bai waved his hand, interrupting them. "Don’t put too much stock in this master-disciple relationship. What I value in disciples is strength. If someone better comes along, you could be kicked out of the sect at any time. I know this is unorthodox, but in the war to conquer the Fairy World, I must prioritize overall strength, not loyalty."

Mad Wind and the others were stunned.

Ye Song and the others chorused, "We understand, Master!" With 100% loyalty, they would never question any of Lin Bai’s decisions.

Lin Bai nodded, surveying the group. "...You all know the plan for the new host body. From now on, all our actions will revolve around it. First, we must make the Heavenly People of the Fairy World accept the ’New Heavenly People’—that is, the players. We must coexist with them and stir up chaos in the Fairy World..."

As he was speaking, a few players from the financial consortiums suddenly began whispering among themselves, discussing the players’ plight in Pine Stone City. They occasionally glanced at Lin Bai, unsure whether to interrupt.

Lin Bai overheard their private conversation, coughed, and asked, "You few, why do you keep looking at me? What happened?"

"Alliance Hierarch, there’s trouble," Far Vision Eagle said. "Many players who entered Pine Stone City have been captured en masse by the local Heavenly People. Many are missing. They’ve had restrictions placed on them, preventing them from even committing suicide to resurrect."

Suicide? Resurrection?

Mad Wind Sword Fanatic and the others grew increasingly bewildered, casting questioning glances at their respective sect members, as if seeking an explanation.

They had only ascended a few short decades ago, yet it felt as if millennia had passed. Everything was so alien, completely detached from their understanding of the Lower Realm.

"Those Heavenly People intend to sell the players for profit after you’re defeated..." Wind Rider said, his expression odd.

"Ascenders are highly sought after in the Fairy World. They never treated us as human beings!" Mad Wind Sword Fanatic said bitterly. "Alliance Hierarch, slaughter all the Heavenly People in Pine Stone City! Only then can we deter them; otherwise, similar incidents will keep happening..."

"Alliance Hierarch, Elder Mad Wind is right," The Bright Sun interjected. "The Heavenly People’s prejudice against mortals is too deep-seated. Without drastic measures, their mindset won’t change. Those who must be killed, must be killed. Otherwise, even with Undying Bodies, players will find it impossible to move freely in the Fairy World."

"Alliance Hierarch, being imprisoned and forced to delete our characters to restart is too great a price. We can’t afford it," Battle-Ready Tiger said. "The power disparity between us is too vast. Your previous plan to cause widespread disruption by using players to stir up the Fairy World might not be feasible."

"Alliance Hierarch, you are unknown in the Fairy World," Far Vision Eagle said. "You built your reputation in the Mortal World step by step. Only by orchestrating a major event will they take us, these New Heavenly People, seriously. Only then will we have the chance to infiltrate their ranks and stir up trouble from within."

"Since when did you all develop this habit of relying on me?" Lin Bai looked at Far Vision Eagle and the others, smiling. "I brought you here to help me get things done, not for me to do everything while you enjoy the ready-made benefits. People from the Western Continent know to ship modern weapons to the Continent of Gods and Demons. You can do the same! If the power difference is too great, use technology to bridge the gap. Nuclear leveling *is* peace!"