The Ninth Ancestor's intrusion into their minds stirred chaos among the players.
...
"The Ninth Ancestor of the Righteous Door has invaded our consciousness?"
"What's going on? What kind of black technology is this?"
"The game company allows our consciousness to enter game bodies and can add things to our consciousness—that's perfectly normal!"
"Not normal at all! Sure, the bodies are supplied by the game company, and I've come to terms with occasionally losing control of them. But it's outrageous when our consciousness is manipulated! Our thoughts are our own! Forcibly stuffing things into our minds is like... like they're violating our thoughts!"
"They don't even need to violate our thoughts; the game company could just poison the nutrient solution, and we'd be dead either way."
"It's not a matter of life or death. It's about the game company infringing upon our human rights!"
"You can choose not to play. It's a free game account, and you can even use it to earn money. Adding some things to your mind to make the game more interesting? I don't see a problem with that."
"This is what makes it realistic. If Immortal Techniques don't work on players because of 'human rights' and 'privacy,' *that* would be unreasonable."
"Do you all think it doesn't matter?"
"Putting some images into our minds—what's the difference between that and what we hear or see? Buddy, if you want to live a peaceful and happy life, don't overthink it. The game company's black technology isn't something ordinary folks like us can comprehend."
"It's like in the movies where they directly insert chips into people's brains, and robots control humans through those chips—that's far more terrifying!"
"If you want freedom and human rights, go back to a primitive lifestyle. Then, when a cannonball comes flying, forget freedom—you won't even have your life! I'm not going to resist. Whoever wants to protest, go right ahead!"
"Speaking of which, have you noticed that the Ninth Ancestor's background is the universe? The map of this world is massive! Do you think we'll eventually go on interstellar expeditions to battle alien civilizations?"
"It's highly likely. And not just the universe, but also the Fairy World. In a world with such a vast setting, some invasion of privacy is to be expected. After all, the game company merely showed us some images, without altering our memories."
"The game just started, and we've already encountered the Great Cheng. I was thinking there wasn't much left to explore. But it turns out I've only seen the tip of the iceberg. This technology, this setting—truly impressive."
"Perhaps it's part of the lore that the Righteous Door discovered civilizations in the universe similar to ours. That would explain the origin of Lin, the Storekeeper's printing press and voice recorder."
"I wonder when we'll be able to truly enter the Righteous Door."
"More than entering the Righteous Door, I'm concerned about whether the Path of Laws will be accessible to players. 'Spoken Law Follows' and the 'Love Principle' are too broken. Many players have already given up on the Cultivation Rules, and if we can only learn outdated cultivation techniques, we'll be completely unable to fight NPCs who have mastered these Laws."
"Creation out of thin air is the power of a creator. Today, Lin, the Storekeeper, can create a Milky Way; tomorrow, he could conjure a river of magma. If the terrain suddenly changes mid-battle against him, we wouldn't even know how we died."
"Don't use our current Level to measure Lin, the Storekeeper's Skills. Great Vehicle Practitioners can move mountains and fill seas. If your resistances are high enough, you could probably bathe in a river of magma. Right now, Lin, the Storekeeper, clearly can't beat Zhou Zhu. Besides, when players fight a BOSS, their strategies are far more diverse than NPCs'..."
...
Letting the Ninth Ancestor's showing off gradually ferment, Lin Bai approached Zhou Zhu.
Zhou Zhu currently looked like a beggar, not a single item on him intact. The destructive power of the Blacksmith's Six-Piece Set was undeniable.
"Greetings, True Person Zhou." Lin Bai politely greeted him with a clasped fist salute. Then, curious, he dipped his hand into the Milky Way. The water was ice-cold, confirming it was ordinary water.
Zhou Zhu was floating in the water, eyeing Lin Bai up and down. He suddenly asked, "Lin Bai, aren't you afraid I'll suddenly strike?"
"If you really intend to attack, does the distance—whether three meters or five miles—truly make a difference?" Lin Bai asked with a smile.
Zhou Zhu couldn't suppress a smile, then frowned in disgust. "The Path of Laws is indeed repulsive."
"It's unavoidable." Lin Bai shrugged, his smile fading. "Empathy is a necessary process. Without empathy, how can one speak of uniting with the Dao? True Person Zhou, join my Justice League! The Laws are the future!"
Zhou Zhu interrupted Lin Bai, "I have no interest in the Laws. Can this Milky Way truly separate me from Forget?"
"Mere words aren't convincing enough. Let me show you," said Lin Bai. He recalled Qing Yu and Lady Hua Xi—whom he had sent skyward earlier—to their Cards, then released them beside him.
The two of them looked at Zhou Zhu in fear, then at each other, both with bitter expressions.
Qing Yu gently patted Flower Stream's hand, turned to Lin Bai, and pleaded, "Alliance Hierarch, if in the future you need us to activate the Separation of Love, could you use only me? Flower Stream is timid..."
Previously, he was the most powerful Puppet in Lin Bai's hands.
But later, Nascent Soul cultivators, Divinity Transformation experts, one powerful Puppet after another appeared. He and Flower Stream were gradually left unused by Lin Bai. The rare times they were summoned, it was as cannon fodder.
The so-called cultivation of the Way of Love and the promise of future freedom were all lies.
This revelation filled Qing Yu's heart with despair.
But in this world where power ruled, Lin Bai's opponents had already become cultivators at the Great Cheng. This made him lose the confidence to even speak to Lin Bai.
"Jade Young, say no more. If you die, I cannot live alone." Flower Stream grabbed Qing Yu's hand tightly, nestled into his embrace, and said mournfully, "This is our fate..."
"Alright, stop your public displays of affection in front of me." Lin Bai looked at them helplessly. "This time, it was my operational error. I didn't expect a Great Cheng cultivator's reaction to be so swift. From now on, I'll keep you two separate from other Cards, so you won't be used as cannon fodder. I won't forget what I promised you."
Qing Yu and Flower Stream were overjoyed. They released each other and bowed to Lin Bai in unison, "Thank you, Alliance Hierarch."
Lin Bai's gaze shifted from them back to Zhou Zhu. "True Person Zhou, do you acknowledge their love?" he asked.
Zhou Zhu absentmindedly shifted his gaze from Qing Yu and Flower Stream and nodded vaguely.
He envied the bond between Qing Yu and Flower Stream. He knew it was true love; he could sense they only had eyes for each other.
Zhou Zhu couldn't help but project himself and Zen Master Forget into their place. If only he and Forget could be as affectionate as the couple before him...
"Milky Way!" Lin Bai waved his hand again.
The river reappeared, enveloping Flower Stream, forcefully pulling her away from Zhou Zhu's side.
"Jade Young!" Flower Stream, in the middle of the Milky Way, waved to Qing Yu in panic.
"Flower Stream, don't be afraid, I'm here!" Qing Yu hurriedly rushed towards Lady Hua Xi. But just as he reached the edge of the Milky Way, the one-meter-wide river rapidly expanded upon his approach. In no time, it swelled into a hundred-meter-wide torrent, sweeping Flower Stream far from his side.
"Jade Young!"
"Flower Stream!"
The closer Qing Yu tried to get to Flower Stream, the faster the river grew. Soon, the river had widened to a kilometer, separating them by a vast distance.
Above and below, silence reigned, broken only by the desperate calls of Qing Yu and Flower Stream for each other.
Lin Bai held his breath.
Damn it! This was a real Milky Way, and it could even expand on its own... This is completely unreasonable! If I'd known the effect was so domineering, I wouldn't have needed the Ninth Ancestor to show off; I alone would have been sufficient. That Ninth Ancestor completely stole my thunder for no reason.
...
Zhou Zhu's expression turned exceedingly grim in an instant. He had assumed the Milky Way was merely a small, inconvenient circle around him and Forget, a trivial matter when they met.
With a ring of water surrounding them, and he and Forget in the middle, there might even be a touch of romance.
But now, seeing the Milky Way between Qing Yu and Flower Stream rapidly expand, pushing them further and further apart, he finally understood what Lin Bai meant by "never being able to embrace or kiss."
...
"Is this the Path of Laws?"
「Zhen City.」
Ye Song and Feng Jing stared, awestruck, at the river in the sky and the two figures on opposite banks.
The Milky Way, conjured by Lin Bai with a casual wave, was more shocking than the spectacle brought by the Ninth Ancestor of the Righteous Door.
This transcended any explanation by mere Spells; only the concept of 'rules' or 'Laws' could account for the miracle unfolding in the sky.
But this completely violated the laws of nature! If 'Spoken Law Follows' allowed one to arbitrarily create rules, wouldn't the world descend into chaos?
"The world has changed." Ye Song gazed at Lin Bai in the sky, murmuring, "With the advent of this Milky Way, even if Lin Bai were to die, the Path of Laws would gradually supplant the Way of Cultivation."
Xu Longyun stared blankly at the unfolding river in the sky, her face flushed. She swallowed unconsciously, her mind completely filled with Lin Bai's image.
This is the man she has chosen! Father, do you see? This is the man your daughter has chosen!!
...
"The Path of Laws is real, Old Wan! The Path of Laws is real! The Alliance Hierarch didn't lie to us!" He Qin's lips trembled, tears streaming down his aged face. The fear and panic in his heart vanished in that instant.
With the appearance of the Milky Way, the Justice League's position was thoroughly solidified. Countless individuals would surely be drawn by its reputation to join.
Because this was the sacred ground of the Path of Laws.
"Yes! The Laws are actually real!" Wan Qifeng looked at the river in the sky, his face filled with aspiration and hope. "The best decision I ever made was joining the Justice League."
"The future will undoubtedly belong to the Laws." Long Lin murmured, his eyes blazing with fervor. His resentment towards Lin Bai had long since evaporated. The separation of Demon Beasts from the Beast Control Sect? Compared to the Laws, it was utter nonsense!
"The Path of Laws, the Path of Laws!" Luo Xue gazed at Lin Bai's back in the sky, her face flushed like a young fangirl looking at her idol.
...
"Lin Bai will prevail! The Laws are king!"
"Lin Bai, you're so cool! I love that Milky Way!"
"I want to have your babies!"
"Ah, so beautiful! He's truly worthy of being the idol I chose!"
After a momentary daze, the players in the Lin Bai Support Group came to their senses, wildly waving light signs and plushies, appearing utterly frenzied.
Screams rose and fell in waves.
No one cared about decorum anymore. If they could fly, they would have already rushed to Lin Bai's side and done outrageous things to him.
...
"...This completely violates the laws of physics! What about the principle of conservation of energy? How can a river expand on its own? It's illogical! Aren't the developers afraid the game will crash if such chaotic rules appear?"
"The moment that little Milky Way appeared out of thin air, it was already violating the rules! This is an Immortal World; don't try to explain it with our mundane theories."
"Where are those people who said Lin, the Storekeeper's Path of Laws was nothing to worry about? Faced with such an impassable river, what do you say now? If Lin, the Storekeeper, cultivates to a higher level, you probably won't even be able to get near him!"
"There must be a way to overcome it! I refuse to believe the game company would create an unbeatable Skill. The Separation of Love was once considered uncounterable, but wasn't its weakness eventually found?" a player, stubbornly staring at the Milky Way like a mule, insisted, convinced that any BOSS could eventually be defeated.
...
"Do you understand now?" Lin Bai asked Zhou Zhu.
"Will it be the same for me and Forget?" Zhou Zhu asked, his voice trembling.
"Yes. As long as the Milky Way exists, two people in love can never meet." Lin Bai nodded firmly. "That's the rule. Unless it's nullified by another rule, it will persist, unswayed by anyone's will."
"Even if you died, it wouldn't be cancelled?" Zhou Zhu's gaze suddenly turned sharp.
"Once a rule is created, it no longer has anything to do with me. It will operate independently between heaven and earth." Lin Bai completely dismissed his threat. "Moreover, if I die, unless a second person masters the Path of Spoken Law Follows, no one will be able to dispel the Milky Way for you."
"I don't believe it." Zhou Zhu glanced at Lin Bai, then suddenly used a teleportation technique, appearing within the river between Qing Yu and Flower Stream.
The Milky Way around him and the one affecting Flower Stream did not interfere with each other. In fact, the river even receded to create an empty space where Zhou Zhu stood.
Zhou Zhu teleported again, appearing beside the despairing Flower Stream.
Flower Stream drifted into his personal Milky Way, yet his own river remained unchanged.
Flower Stream, looking utterly lost, stared blankly at Qing Yu on the opposite bank, oblivious to her surroundings.
Zhou Zhu teleported back.
"You've figured it out." Lin Bai watched him and smiled. "A rule is a rule. The Milky Way separates those who are in love. You don't love Flower Stream, nor do you love Qing Yu, so you are unaffected. But they are in love. Even if you were to kill Flower Stream, Qing Yu would still be unable to approach her remains. That is the domineering nature of a rule."
"Alliance Hierarch, please retract your Divine Skill!" Qing Yu, snapping back to his senses, hurriedly cried out to Lin Bai. "Flower Stream and I will never make any demands of you again!"
With a wave of Lin Bai's hand, the kilometer-long river vanished from the sky, not leaving even a single drop of water behind, as if it had never existed.
Flower Stream and Qing Yu rushed towards each other, embracing tightly and kissing passionately, heedless of their surroundings. Having experienced the despair of the Milky Way, they cherished each other all the more.
The Milky Way around Zhou Zhu, however, remained.
"True Person Zhou, Palm Thunder was the first Divine Skill I defined, tailored for myself." Lin Bai looked at the deathly pale Zhou Zhu, standing with his hands clasped behind his back. "The Milky Way is the second Law I established after achieving some success in my cultivation, designed to complement my Love Principle. The Love Principle can make two strangers fall deeply in love quickly, and the Milky Way can then ensure they never meet. The two are complementary."
He glanced down at Xu Longyun, smiled faintly, and continued, "By mastering these two Laws, I will be invincible. For example, I could make you fall in love with me, then use the Milky Way to separate us forever. True Person Zhou, do you now understand why I am not afraid you might harm me?"
"What must I do for you to help me dispel this Milky Way Law?" Zhou Zhu looked at Lin Bai, his voice suddenly hoarse. The thought of never seeing Zen Master Forget again was like a needle piercing his heart. He couldn't bear such an outcome; the day's events had shaken him too profoundly.
Remembering the new quest from the Matchmaker System, Lin Bai looked at Zhou Zhu and shook his head. "True Person Zhou, I have witnessed your deep affection and consideration for Forget. But do you truly understand what is in his heart? Are you certain he truly loves you?"
"I am cultivating the Love Principle, and what I enjoy most is witnessing every passionate love story in the mortal realm reach its destined conclusion, where lovers finally unite. To use your pure love to make things difficult for you would make me seem petty."
"I am not a malicious person. How about this: when Zen Master Forget arrives, I will pose a challenge to test him on your behalf. If he passes, it will prove your love is true. At that point, I will dispel the Milky Way for you, allowing you to be together forever. How does that sound?"
"Don't make it too difficult for him!" Zhou Zhu forced a smile and said hastily.
"Rest assured, it will be just a small test." Lin Bai smiled. "Besides, True Person, don't you wish to know just how deep his love for you truly is?"
Zhou Zhu shook his head and smiled bitterly, "Rather than you testing him, I would prefer you make things difficult for me. Over these many years, I have wronged him in too many ways..."