Chapter 308: 308 We are the saviors
From the moment Lin Bai took action to conquer the Blood Sect, not much time had passed. The reinforcements from the Valley of Thousand Souls waited only a short while before the restless Players hastily returned online.
"What happened at the Blood Sect?" an anxious Ning Wenlin promptly asked.
"Elder, there’s no need to go to the Blood Sect anymore." The voice of Cunning Daoist Master was a bit weary, yet somewhat excited. Facing Ning Wenlin’s puzzled gaze, he sighed, "The Blood Sect has already been conquered by Lin Bai."
"What?" Ning Wenlin was taken aback. "How is this possible? How much time has passed? With the Sea of Blood as a barrier and a Transcendance Tribulation Stage elder within the sect, how could the Blood Sect be so easily wiped out? Even if a Transcendance Tribulation Stage elder wouldn’t normally intervene, with the sect facing annihilation, they would surely act. Suppressing their own cultivation, their strength should still surpass that of Great Chariot experts, right? How could there have been no commotion, and why hasn’t a single person escaped?"
"Lin Bai has newly cultivated a Rule called Phoenix Seeks Phoenix. No matter how high one’s cultivation is, if they are a male cultivator, they involuntarily perform their talents upon encountering a female cultivator and are completely unable to take action," Cunning Daoist Master explained.
"Perform their talents?" Ning Wenlin was stunned and asked, "What kind of talents?"
"Singing, dancing, somersaults... I guess they perform whatever they excel in!" Cunning Daoist Master clicked his tongue as he spoke, shaking his head. "The mountains and fields were full of male cultivators surrounding a woman, showcasing their talents nonstop. A Transcendance Tribulation Stage elder named Nan Rong was performing somersaults... he must have done countless ones. Tsk, it was too dreadful to watch."
Somersaults? Ning Wenlin was dumbfounded; he couldn’t connect performing talents with a great battle among cultivators. After a moment of stupefaction, he regained his composure and asked, "What exactly happened? Explain the details to me. Don’t try to deceive me."
After pondering for a moment, Cunning Daoist Master looked at Ning Wenlin and vividly and concisely described the scene he had witnessed on the live broadcast. Purely as a spectator, the scenes Lin Bai had broadcast were actually quite thrilling...
"Even the Crossing Tribulation Realm cannot resist this Rule?" Unable to believe Cunning Daoist Master’s narration, Ning Wenlin asked, "Lin Bai even plans to take the cultivators of the Blood Sect to campaign against other sects? How dare he? Are you sure you’re not fooling me?"
"Why would I deceive you?" Cunning Daoist Master pointed to the thrilled Players not far away, who were also describing the Blood Sect’s battle situation to the native cultivators. "Elder, do you think we spent all that time down there just to make up a story to tease you? The Blood Sect is right ahead. Lin Bai and his team just entered the Blood Sect to rest. If you don’t believe it, you can go and have a look."
Cunning Daoist Master’s solemn vow dispelled Ning Wenlin’s doubt. He furrowed his eyebrows. Are all male cultivators exempt? They can’t even attack? Then who in the world can be Lin Bai’s opponent?
"Perhaps female cultivators can! The male cultivators controlled by Phoenix Seeks Phoenix cannot attack Lin Bai, but Lin Bai also cannot attack them," Cunning Daoist Master said, recalling the discussions among many Players in the barrage comments. "Elder, the key to breaking Phoenix Seeks Phoenix lies in the woman to whom the talents are being performed. If she’s killed, all the controlled male cultivators should be freed."
Ning Wenlin looked at Cunning Daoist Master and said, "Continue."
Cunning Daoist Master continued, "The Rule is ineffective against female cultivators. If they kill the core female cultivator in the center, it should trigger a backlash among the cultivators controlled by Lin Bai. Of course, there’s a crucial point to this: the chosen female cultivator must possess high cultivation, capable of swiftly breaking the Immortal Bonding Magical Treasure. The new rope Lin Bai refined was much stronger; even Great Cheng cultivators couldn’t break free quickly. Once bound, they might be severely injured by a swarm of Great Cheng cultivators and then turned into a Puppet by Lin Bai. Several female Great Cheng cultivators from the Blood Sect have already surrendered. At this moment, more than a dozen Great Cheng cultivators have gathered around Lin Bai..."
"With such stringent conditions, how can it possibly be achieved?" Ning Wenlin said angrily. "Which female Great Cheng cultivator can withstand the simultaneous attack of a dozen cultivators of the same level while bound?"
"Elder, you missed a point—their protective Magic Treasures will also be broken," Cunning Daoist Master supplemented. "Moreover, once they encounter Lin Bai, there’s no chance to escape. Therefore, any female cultivator who dares to assassinate Lin Bai must possess a spirit that does not fear death..."
"..." Ning Wenlin was stunned for a moment, then declared dejectedly, "It’s impossible for such a cultivator to exist."
"Such a cultivator might not exist among humans, but the Valley of Thousand Souls has nurtured souls for tens of thousands of years. Perhaps a powerful Ghost King could accomplish this. After all, the Transcendance Tribulation Stage ancestors controlled by Lin Bai, having suffered such humiliation—why would they endure it? If freed, those with enough mettle might immediately undergo their tribulations, hoping to drag Lin Bai down with them to perish together. The combined tribulations triggered by eight such individuals simultaneously would surely generate enough power to drag Lin Bai and his Justice League straight to hell!"
Cunning Daoist Master kindly offered the idea. Lin Bai’s Cultivation of Rules had completely disrupted the game’s balance, and the Players had to find a way to eliminate him. Moreover, for Players, accomplishing an seemingly impossible task would also grant them a profound sense of achievement.
Ning Wenlin fell silent for a moment, then said, "Perhaps it’s worth a try. Did Lin Bai mention which sect he intends to visit next?"
"It’s likely the Holy Extreme Sect," responded Cunning Daoist Master. "Lin Bai didn’t state any clear intention. However, based on the principle of maximizing benefits, he’ll likely go to whichever sect is closest to the Blood Sect. After all, for Lin Bai, taking over the Five Demon Sects is as effortless as retrieving something from his own bag; he’ll naturally choose the most convenient path..."
A walkover? What an insulting term! When did the high and mighty Five Demon Sects fall to the point where they were so easily overrun? Ning Wenlin’s heart filled with sorrow, yet he had to acknowledge this terrifying reality.
After pondering for a while, he said, "It will take at least four days to reach the Holy Extreme Sect from the Blood Sect, and another three days to reach our Valley of Thousand Souls. Seven days should be enough for us to prepare."
「Zhen City.」
Master Yan Qing and Yi Wuji heard about the destruction of the Blood Sect. The two sect masters were dumbstruck, utterly disbelieving the news.
"...Sect Master, Taiyi Country stands between the Seven Righteous Sects and the Five Demon Sects. For Lin Bai to integrate the Five Demon Sects, it would take at least a month," Far Vision Eagle explained. "Given the current situation, fighting over individual cities or territories is pointless. We must consolidate all the high-end combat power of the Seven Righteous Sects for a decisive battle against Lin Bai. Otherwise, if we wait for Lin Bai to defeat them one by one, it won’t be long before only the Justice League remains, and the name of the Seven Righteous Sects will vanish from the world!"
Master Yan Qing returned to his senses and shook his head. "Things aren’t that simple. The Five Demon Sects and the Seven Righteous Sects have always been comparable in strength. If Lin Bai integrates the Five Demon Sects, coupled with his Cultivation of Rules, the Seven Righteous Sects will stand no chance. Rules? Rules? Could it truly be as Lin Bai said, that the heavens intend to annihilate our Cultivation World?"
"Sect Master, we shouldn’t boost the enemy’s morale while demoralizing ourselves," Far Vision Eagle said. "Think about it, Lin Bai is not without weaknesses. As the primary targets, the Five Demon Sects certainly won’t sit idly by and await annihilation. We have Descended Ones who can provide real-time updates on battle situations, allowing us to observe and find weaknesses in the Rules. Moreover, the Five Demon Sects, having been forcefully suppressed by him, won’t willingly fight for him. Once we find an opportunity to heavily injure Lin Bai, those forcibly suppressed Demon Sects will inevitably turn against him..."
"..." Master Yan Qing stared at Far Vision Eagle, remaining silent for a long time, his eyes narrowed in thought.
"Sect Master, surely you’re not considering surrendering to the Justice League?" Far Vision Eagle provoked. "Surrendering directly to Lin Bai might indeed be the path of least loss."
"Nonsense!" Master Yan Qing’s eyes snapped open, and he shouted, "How could the Heavenly Dao Sect’s foundation, built over tens of thousands of years, be ruined at my hands? Lin Bai, a mere upstart, commits Evil Spirit deeds in the name of the Heavenly Dao! How could he possibly control the vast Cultivation World? I am merely questioning your strategies. You’ve come to my side, presenting elaborate plans, yet not one has succeeded. I’m even beginning to suspect you’re in league with that Lin Bai, aiming to help him overthrow this world..."
What the hell! What a bizarre thought! Has he cultivated himself into foolishness, or has Lin Bai driven him mad? If we were allied with Lin Bai, would any of you still be alive?
Far Vision Eagle helplessly shook his head. "Sect Master, our plans haven’t failed due to lack of merit, but because Lin Bai is progressing too rapidly. We can’t keep up with his pace. Forget us; even you, Sect Master, faced constant setbacks when dealing with Lin Bai, didn’t you? Claiming we’re in cahoots with Lin Bai is simply absurd. Our civilization is based on technology, while Lin Bai’s methods rely on Rules—the two are completely unrelated. If we understood Rules, would we allow Lin Bai to dominate unchallenged?"
He paused, then added, "Moreover, you just mentioned that Lin Bai commits Evil Spirit acts. Since we, the Descended Ones, came into this world, have any of us caused even one ten-thousandth of the harm Lin Bai has?"
"..." Master Yuan Qing remained silent.
"Lin Bai constantly labels us a catastrophe, yet he himself is the true catastrophe of this era." Far Vision Eagle looked at Yan Qing, then at Yi Wuji, and gave a bitter laugh. "Sect Masters, when we, the Descended Ones, first arrived in this world, we had no specific mission. But now, I believe we’ve found our purpose. Perhaps our existence is to help you eliminate Lin Bai, this Evil Spirit of chaos, and restore clarity to the world."
Saving the world? Master Yan Qing instinctively rubbed his temples, trying to alleviate his throbbing headache. Lin Bai also came under the banner of saving the world, but look what he’s done! The Rules may be irresistible now, but the Descended Ones are numerous, undying, and unaging. If allowed to develop, they could become even more problematic than Lin Bai. Everyone claims to be saving the world; if this continues, there’ll be no world left to save... The Cultivation World has been peaceful for so many years. Why has it become so difficult in our time? The revered ancestors who ascended to the Fairy World... the very roots of our Cultivation World are being torn out! Aren’t any of you planning to return and see?
"Facts prove that current cultivators are helpless against Lin Bai’s Rules," Far Vision Eagle spoke confidently. "Lin Bai cultivates Rules swiftly, but we, with all our meridians unblocked, also cultivate at an astonishing speed. Moreover, we are undying and unaging, fearing no losses. Perhaps we are Lin Bai’s true nemesis. Most importantly, we are rational, whereas Lin Bai acts on impulse, his actions often devoid of logic..."
"You just said that the Cultivation World is helpless against Lin Bai and that you are his nemesis. Why, then, did you previously suggest we gather the Seven Righteous Sects to oppose him?" Yi Wuji suddenly asked.
"You’ve never trusted us; you’ve always been wary." Far Vision Eagle was prepared for this. He looked helplessly at the two men and said frankly, "Since Sect Master Yi has asked, I’ll be direct. Although my earlier plan was presented as a strategy for the Seven Righteous Sects, we don’t actually believe you are a match for Lin Bai. We were waiting for you to be defeated by him. Only when you truly feel the pain will you remember our worth and perhaps consider using our help to deal with Lin Bai..."
The faces of Master Yan Qing and Yi Wuji suddenly darkened.
Calculations... Indeed, calculations were everywhere!
But as Far Vision Eagle said, unless they reached the very brink, they would never truly trust the Descended Ones.
"Sect Masters, this is also a move born of desperation," Far Vision Eagle looked at them and said earnestly. "Lin Bai keeps saying we will cause a catastrophe. After suppressing the Seven Righteous Sects and the Five Demon Sects, he will undoubtedly turn his attention to us, the pitiable Descended Ones. At that time, without the support of the Seven Righteous Sects, how could we possibly be Lin Bai’s opponents, even if we are immortal? In essence, we are comrades fighting on the same front. Even if you, Sect Masters, are still wary of us, surely you’ve heard the saying ’drive the tiger to swallow the wolf’?"
Drive the tiger to swallow the wolf? Master Yan Qing’s expression flickered. He asked, "Do you have a method to counter Lin Bai?"
Far Vision Eagle glanced at his barrage comments and said, "Sect Master, our original plan was to wait for your defeat. Then, we would persuade you to disband your forces, hide among the common people, or retreat into deep mountains and remote wildernesses. You would impart your skills to us. We would develop slowly, using time to gradually build our resistance against Lin Bai, ultimately defeating that formidable enemy. Now that everything is out in the open, if you trust us, Sect Master, we can skip the intermediate steps and directly integrate the resources of the Seven Righteous Sects. In the shortest possible time, we can elevate the cultivation of a select group of Descended Ones. Using other methods to delay Lin Bai’s advance, we would confront him first. If successful, the Justice League’s attention will shift to us, and the Seven Righteous Sects will be preserved."
"Sect Master Yi, what do you think?" Master Yan Qing asked.
"Perhaps it’s worth a try," Yi Wuji nodded. "Given the aptitude of the Descended Ones, integrating all the resources of the Seven Righteous Sects could indeed produce a large number of experts in a short time."
"Concealing information, relocating from original sect grounds, and having cultivators create disturbances for the Justice League in various locations can extend our cultivation time," Far Vision Eagle proposed.
It was like a light at the end of the tunnel; by defining the Players as world-savers, he had found a new direction for survival. The game had completely lost its balance now, but no one would give up the benefit of having their lifespan doubled. As some in the scientific community theorized, even conducting scientific deductions within a game could be beneficial to the real world. Of course, the prerequisite was that Players needed to have a certain degree of influence in this world, or better yet, control it.
"Alright, please step out for a moment. This matter is of great importance. Allow me to discuss it with Sect Master Yi before giving you an answer," Master Yan Qing said, dismissing Far Vision Eagle with a wave of his hand without an immediate commitment.