Destroy Immortal Artillery and Killing Immortal Artillery were set up around Zhen City. Their ominous, dark, gaping muzzles emanated an intimidating aura.
Masses of Spirit Stones were poured into the defense array at Zhen City's center. The defensive shield that soared into the sky flickered and vanished as The Northern Army made the final adjustments to Zhen City's defense system.
Dozens of Magpie Bridges, unaffected by the defense array, stretched for tens of thousands of miles from Zhen City to Kyoto, the capital of Taiyi Country, showcasing the formidable strength of the Law of Love.
Along the way, cultivators from the Seven Righteous Sects attempted to sabotage the Magpie Bridges in various ways, but they failed even to intercept the cultivators transporting goods. The Magpie Bridges' transportation speed was simply too fast.
The hard facts further confirmed the existence of the Law.
Judging by accomplishments, the radiance of the Law of Love overwhelmingly overshadowed Spoken Law Follows and the Way of Incompleteness.
The Heavenly Dao was elusive, and no one knew if it could succeed, but the Law of Love already had practical examples, which was enough to attract everyone.
High-ranking cultivators at or above the Divinity Transformation Realm, mostly wary of the Milky Way under Lin Bai's control, planned to begin their cultivation in the Law of Love only after his death.
A small portion of these high-ranking cultivators believed the Milky Way wasn't a punishment for lovers but a trial and an incentive for the Law of Love. They believed sincerity could move even the most obstinate. Thus, even if Lin Bai subjected them to the Milky Way, they felt that comprehending a deeper level of the Law of Love would certainly allow them to break free from the Milky Way, perhaps even use it to their advantage in cultivating the Love Principle.
Low-ranking cultivators didn't care as much. For them, any slight hope of climbing higher, despite some drawbacks, was a chance to ascend. Lin Bai was of too high a status, so they were unlikely to cross paths.
The common people had the simplest thoughts; they were interested in the Magpie Bridge's functions. Justice Weekly stated that understanding the Cultivation Rules required a certain enlightenment. However, as long as there was love, anyone could control the Magpie Bridge and potentially earn money transporting goods. This presented no difficulty for them.
The Justice League's promotion of bringing cultivation to the common folk was seen by them as mere amusement. A regular kitchen knife and one made by an Artifact Refiner both cut vegetables; there wasn't much difference. Even if the cost of Pill Medicine was significantly reduced, it wouldn't be free. Besides, who would take medicine without reason?
The Magpie Bridge could generate income and significantly improve their lives. This point alone was enough for them to support Lin Bai unconditionally and hope for his victory in the war against the Justice League.
Married couples became even more affectionate.
Unmarried young men and women broke through familial barriers and voluntarily came together, and pairs of lovers quickly emerged one after another.
The common people wished even more fervently for Lin Bai to become Cupid.
After all, he was the only one genuinely working for the people. If cultivators from the Seven Righteous Sects or the Five Demon Sects gained control of the Magpie Bridge, it would once again become exclusive to cultivators.
Thus, under the intentional propaganda and guidance of Justice Weekly and Taiyi Country, Lin Bai's acclaim as Cupid continually rose among the people.
「Meanwhile.」
The Heavenly Review's article about Duke Zhenguo revealing Taiyi Country's actual strength also caused a significant stir among the populace.
Just as Lin Bai had predicted, the moment the monarchs of nations such as Taichu and Taihao received the news, they immediately cursed the Justice League and Taiyi Country.
「On the back of the Flying Dragon.」
"Hmm." Elder Qiu gazed towards Zhen City and nodded faintly.
"With Brother Hu Qing now a puppet, Lin Bai will be on guard. Obtaining the Transformation Pill will likely be much harder," the Hollow Realm disciple said. "The Heavenly Sent Ones are treacherous, and any strategy devised against them is quickly laid bare. Master, what should we do?"
"What's the situation with the Valley of Thousand Souls and Sky Demon Mountain?" Elder Qiu asked.
"They're holding their forces back," the Hollow Realm disciple replied. "It seems everyone is waiting for someone else to make the first move!"
"Xie Long, what would you say Lin Bai's weak point is?" Elder Qiu asked suddenly after a moment of silence.
"The people he's in love with, I suppose!" The Hollow Realm disciple stole a glance at Elder Qiu before continuing, "Lin Bai's cultivation of the Law of Love is the most advanced, and his understanding of it is powerful. But the drawback is equally obvious. I think if we could capture Xu Longyun, Jiang Qingqin, or the Little White Fox, Lin Bai would risk his life for them, just as Master Wu Wang disregarded everything to save Zhou Zhu. I feel Lin Bai developed the Magpie Bridge primarily to protect his loved ones at any moment."
"That's exactly what I was thinking," Elder Qiu nodded. "We can see this weakness, and so can others. Xie Long, avoid the Heavenly Sent Ones. Inform your fellow disciples that once the war breaks out, they should disregard everything else and do whatever it takes to capture the Little White Fox."
"Why her?" Xie Long asked in surprise.
"Xu Longyun and Jiang Qingqin are too obvious as targets and will surely draw attacks from many others. Lin Bai will certainly provide them with more protection. The Little White Fox is the easiest to capture," Elder Qiu explained. "Considering Lin Bai can also establish a Magpie Bridge with the Little White Fox, he will certainly not abandon her. Moreover, since she is the one he has designated as the Mistress of the Demon Country, it's both logical and emotional for Lin Bai to come to her rescue. At that point, we can exchange the Little White Fox for the formula of the Transformation Pill..."
"Master, have you considered that Lin Bai might die in this battle?" Xie Long asked.
"The Little White Fox was transformed using the Transformation Pill. Perhaps the elders in our sect can reverse-engineer the secrets of the Transformation Pill from her," Elder Qiu said after a pause. This is also a backup plan.
"..." Xie Long was momentarily stunned. "Master, you truly have considered everything. When do we attack?"
"During the cooking competition," Elder Qiu replied. "Even with the enemy at the gates, Lin Bai insists on completing the cooking competition. I fear it's not merely a show of force to us; perhaps he's trying to comprehend some new Law. Those above will not allow Lin Bai to continue strengthening himself."
Elder Qiu guessed correctly. As soon as he finished speaking, a Player acting as a messenger delivered news: an infiltrator had already snuck into Zhen City. They planned to kill the Magpie Bridge Guard during the final round of the cooking competition, at which point the other sects would seize the opportunity to attack and trap Lin Bai within Zhen City.
「The cooking competition venue.」
A delicious aroma filled the air.
Lin Bai, Xu Longyun, Jiang Qingqin, the Little White Fox, Duke Zhenguo, City Lord Feng Jing, and key members of the Justice League were seated on the viewing platform, watching the chefs below cook with fervent enthusiasm.
The audience stands were filled with members of the Lin Bai Support Group and Heavenly Sent Ones from the Justice League, waving all sorts of advertisements and light-up signs supporting Lin Bai.
The Northern Army patrolled the sky above the venue in their warships. These ships were equipped with mini Destroy Immortal Artillery aimed at the venue, ready to fire at any moment.
At this point, not many people remained on the competition grounds.
Infiltrating cultivators had been cleared out by Ye Song, and many chefs had voluntarily withdrawn from the competition. The Northern Army was making massive defensive preparations within the city, while outside, cultivators from the Seven Righteous Sects and Five Demon Sects watched hungrily, ready to storm in at any moment.
In the wars of cultivators, the common people are mere cannon fodder.
As a reward for the cooking competition, the prospect of becoming Lin Bai's disciple was no longer that appealing in the face of war. On the contrary, involvement with Lin Bai could even lead to loss of life.
In fact, as soon as The Northern Army had arrived, many citizens of Zhen City had already been evacuated to Kyoto for refuge via the Magpie Bridges, enjoying the convenience of the bridges in advance.
Zhen City at that moment was practically an empty city.
Under such tremendous pressure, those still cooking on the field were all incredibly stubborn individuals.
"Sister disciples, let me share some unfortunate news with you: Master and I can also connect via a Magpie Bridge!" the Little White Fox flaunted, seemingly oblivious to the tense atmosphere, as she dangled the Positioning Ring on her wrist before Xu Longyun and Jiang Qingqin.
Neither Xu Longyun nor Jiang Qingqin paid her any mind. This was within their expectations. Besides, with the battle imminent, one more loved one meant one more Magpie Bridge, which in turn meant an added measure of safety for Lin Bai.
Only Duke Zhenguo grunted in dissatisfaction, though it was unclear whether it was due to Lin Bai's perceived promiscuity or his insistence on holding the cooking competition despite the impending battle.
"Master, the attack on the Beggar Gang in Qian City by the Poison Sect and the Blood Sect was instigated by a Heavenly Sent One known as 'A Brave Man.' According to our intelligence department, 'A Brave Man' is actually the former Deputy Gang Leader, 'Lonely Old Man.' All strategies the Seven Righteous Sects and Five Demon Sects have implemented against the Justice League originate from his schemes," Xu Longyun stated. "He is a vengeful individual. After we win this war, we should find a way to punish him to prevent similar incidents from recurring."
"Lonely Old Man? He is indeed a man of talent," Lin Bai said, fiddling with his chef's knife—part of the blacksmith's six-piece set, which he had upgraded several times—in front of a large pot. He then glanced at the cooks below and continued, "However, don't worry too much about him. Heavenly Sent Ones are indestructible. No matter how you torment them, it's inconsequential. The best way to deal with them is to integrate the environment, allowing them to merge into this world like ordinary people. These are all matters for the future. Don't think too far ahead; we take it one step at a time."
While they were talking, a messenger flew down onto the viewing platform and saluted Duke Zhenguo. "Marshal, the armies from Sky Demon Mountain and other groups surrounding Zhen City have suddenly started moving towards us. They are expected to arrive in at most one hour. Through the Heavenly Sent Ones, they claim to be responding to Alliance Hierarch Lin's invitation to observe the cooking competition and request that we lower our defenses around Zhen City..."
[Resentment from Xu Zhongsheng; +1+1+1...]
Duke Zhenguo shot Lin Bai a resentful look and said, "Times have changed. Let them observe the ceremony from outside the city; they don't need to enter."
Lin Bai nodded and instructed, "Tell them that my final dish will be prepared outside the city..."
Before his voice fell, Lin Bai's mind suddenly received a task completion notification from the Matchmaker System:
[Under your influence, more couples have been born in the world, and the title of Cupid has become deeply rooted in people's hearts. Reward: Bondage (Distributed)]
[Cupid's influence should not be limited to humans. Encourage more species to believe in love, create cross-species CPs, and ensure their stories are widely circulated. Reward: Metamorphosis Butterfly (Loving couples can transform into butterflies after death)]
Phew! Lin Bai let out a long breath. It's finally here. Ignoring the subsequent task, he turned to Duke Zhenguo and said, "Duke, please look after the cooking competition for a while. I've newly comprehended a divine skill and need to find a quiet place to test it."
"You've comprehended another divine skill?" Xu Longyun looked at Lin Bai incredulously.
"Yes, pressure creates motivation. Perhaps my master sent me down the mountain with the intention of using this kind of pressure to force my breakthrough!" Lin Bai said with a smile.
"Is it related to the Love Principle again?" Xu Longyun pressed.
"Yes," Lin Bai nodded.
"Alright, go ahead." Duke Zhenguo forced a smile, but this time, he wasn't angry. He wished Lin Bai would comprehend even more Laws; if Lin Bai could achieve godhood on the spot, that would be the best outcome.
"I'll go with you," Xu Longyun said.
"I'll go too."
"Me too," Jiang Qingqin and the Little White Fox said in unison. At this moment, none of them wanted to be separated from Lin Bai.
Lin Bai's expression was a bit strange. He had intended to find a place to test Bondage alone.
This divine skill had too strong a visual impact and could easily be misunderstood. Since they insisted on coming, and explaining would waste time, Lin Bai decided not to stop them. Anyway, he would have to use it on the battlefield, so it would be good for them to witness it in advance.
「On the competition ground.」
Ye Song, who was engrossed in his stir-frying, felt his ears twitch slightly. He was quite curious about Lin Bai's newly comprehended Law and felt an itch to follow and see. But I've remained hidden until now; revealing myself for a mere divine skill isn't worth it. Others struggle immensely to comprehend Laws, yet for Lin Bai, it seems as simple as eating and drinking. It would be strange if there wasn't some trick to it. If one truly wants to learn Laws, joining the Righteous Door is the proper way...
「The conference room at the back of the competition field was empty.」
Lin Bai arrived with the three females—two women and one young fox.
Looking at their expectant gazes, Lin Bai ultimately felt it was inappropriate to use Bondage on them. Instead, he released his newly acquired puppet, Hu Qing.
He silently used Bondage on Hu Qing.
However, after activating the skill, nothing happened. Instead, a prompt appeared in his mind: "You need to specify a rope."
Lin Bai was stunned.
Damn! The system doesn't even provide a rope? That's too low!
"Master, what is this new divine skill you've comprehended? Is it powerful?" the Little Fox asked, blinking her eyes.
"Quite powerful," Lin Bai said, his gaze shifting to Hu Qing's belt.
[Designate rope: length 1.8 meters, suitable for rear hogtie binding.]
The next moment, Hu Qing's belt suddenly flew out and, with astonishing speed, completed the simplest rear hogtie binding on Hu Qing.
[Resentment from Hu Qing; +1+1+1]
"..." Xu Longyun and Jiang Qingqin.
"..." Xu Longyun stared at Hu Qing, who was suspended in mid-air in a strange, bound position. Her face instantly turned beet red, and she stammered, "Th-this... this is the new divine skill you've comprehended? It's too... too..."
"Ahem!" Lin Bai cleared his throat and said, "The Law said it could enhance feelings between lovers. I didn't know it would have this kind of effect!"
"It certainly could enhance feelings between lovers..." Xu Longyun looked helplessly at Lin Bai and warned, "But I absolutely will not allow this thing to be used on me."
"You can use it on me," Jiang Qingqin said after a moment's hesitation, her face reddening.
"You..." Xu Longyun glared at Jiang Qingqin and scolded, "Shameless!"
Is this also a competition? Lin Bai thought.
"Why would you want this used on yourselves?" the Little White Fox asked, looking curiously at the two women. "Isn't this for binding enemies?"
Lin Bai chuckled. "Little White is right. It was originally intended for binding enemies."
Xu Longyun's and Jiang Qingqin's faces instantly became flushed.
[Resentment from Xu Longyun, Jiang Qingqin; +1+1+1]
Hu Qing looked at them mournfully and said in a helpless tone, "Alliance Hierarch Lin, could you please let me down?"
"Of course," Lin Bai said. He then mentally issued the command to release, but Hu Qing remained motionless. Lin Bai's expression changed slightly. Does it have to be undone manually?
Hu Qing glanced at Lin Bai, then, with a forceful jerk, the belt binding him instantly snapped.
Watching Hu Qing free himself, Lin Bai's expression grew even grimmer. He muttered, "Damn it, I might need to get some sturdier ropes."