"Master Zhou had no chance to kill Lin Bai in one fell swoop," the Far-Sighted Hawk said to Master Zhang. "Master, the Heavenly Dao Sect should make other plans!"
"..." Master Zhang glanced at him, not bothering to speak. The battle between Great Cheng Zhou Zhu and Lin Bai was the major event everyone was closely watching, and he had listened to the entire broadcast.
Master Zhang was a member of the Heavenly Dao Sect, and he felt particularly uncomfortable seeing his own Great Cheng practitioner being toyed with by Lin Bai.
The only part that lifted his spirits was when Zhou Zhu was suppressing Lin Bai. He had even thought the tables were turning. However, later, under Lin Bai's manipulation, Zhou Zhu and Forget inexplicably became lovers. At that point, he felt utterly terrible.
A Nirvana stage monk from the Buddha Spirit Sect and a Great Cheng practitioner from the Heavenly Dao Sect becoming Daoist companions—this could be considered a perfect match in terms of status.
But two old men, no matter how one looked at it, were a colossal joke...
Don't even mention the Love Principle; it's a joke in itself.
Bizarrely, Zhou Zhu didn't realize this. He naturally accepted his feelings for Forget. In Master Zhang's opinion, Lin Bai was crudely rubbing the faces of the Heavenly Dao Sect and the Buddha Spirit Sect into the ground...
If this incident spread, even if Lin Bai's cultivation level was not as good as Zhou Zhu's and Master Forget's, he would still be the winner, and the two sects would suffer a crushing defeat.
"Master, Master Zhou Zhu is deeply ensnared in Lin Bai's trap, and the Heavenly Dao Sect cannot reach him in time. Our immediate priority should be for the Heavenly Dao Sect to publish an article via the Heavenly Path Journal. This article must condemn Lin Bai's Love Principle as a twisted doctrine that disregards human ethics, branding him an Evil Spirit. Only then can we begin to salvage the situation. Lin Bai wields this Love Principle to wantonly disrupt social order: men no longer love women, women no longer love men. If such a 'Principle of Love' is allowed to proliferate, and emotions can be arbitrarily manipulated, who will ensure the continuation of lineage? In the long run, human civilization itself is doomed to perish."
Looking at Master Zhang, who was still in a daze, the Far-Sighted Hawk calmly continued, "There are already several documented instances, all personally orchestrated by Lin Bai and subsequently exposed by him through 'Justice Weekly.' These heinous acts are currently masked by the aura of the Law of Love. Once we assist in dispelling this illusion, allowing the world to recognize the truth of Lin Bai's chaotic influence and stripping him of his popular support, the narrative of 'Lin Bai's Justice League guiding commoners to cultivation' will crumble on its own. If we can solidify his identity as an Evil Spirit, even nations like Taiyi would have to consider public sentiment before offering him aid. Should sects like the Beast Control Sect dare to collaborate with Lin Bai, the Heavenly Dao Sect would possess a legitimate reason to denounce them. This is the true and righteous kingly path."
By the time the Far-Sighted Hawk was halfway through his speech, Master Zhang had already come to his senses. He listened carefully, thought for a moment, and said, "Good. Go and contact the Sect Master yourself. Tell him your proposed countermeasures."
「…」
"Lin Bai, stop torturing Forget! Otherwise, even if it means never seeing him again for the rest of my life, I will kill you with my own palm!" Zhou Zhu glared at Lin Bai, threatening fiercely. "Don't try to coerce me with your so-called Love Principle. With your disposition, if you could truly make the entire world fall in love with you, you probably would have done so long ago. Why resort to singling me out with threats? Although I'm under your control, my mind isn't muddled..."
ER!
My character has really been seen through completely. Looks like I'll have to find a more reasonable way to threaten people in the future...
Lin Bai chuckled and shook his head. "So, you've seen through me, huh? Yes, I wouldn't easily bind myself with romantic entanglements. After all, my goal is to cultivate the Heavenly Dao. Too many such ties could easily divert me to the position of Cupid and shake my resolve. However, when my life is threatened, I can't be bothered with such constraints."
"..." Zhou Zhu looked at Lin Bai and suddenly asked, "How does one cultivate the Law of Love?"
"Hold love in the highest reverence, make way for love in all things, and be willing to abandon everything for the sake of love," Lin Bai explained.
Xu Longyun and Jiang Qingqin exchanged glances, both frowning.
"You simultaneously cultivate Spoken Law Follows, the Love Principle, the Way of Incompleteness, and even the Way of Cooking. You have achieved mastery in every path of Law. This contradicts the pure heart you preach. How do you explain this?" Zhou Zhu asked.
Controlled by the Milky Way, he had lost the will to kill Lin Bai. He simply stood in mid-air, discussing the Dao with him.
Only through personal experience could one truly comprehend the power of Laws. Zhou Zhu was already contemplating switching to cultivating the Way of Laws, and there was no one in the world who understood it better than the person before him.
Throughout Zhen City, many people looked up at the sky.
This was also the question weighing on their minds. The Way of Laws had been spreading in the world for some time, but apart from Lin Bai, no one had succeeded in cultivating it.
One couldn't help but suspect that Lin Bai was holding back, deliberately concealing cultivation secrets for his own benefit...
Zhou Zhu had voiced the doubt in their hearts.
「…」
Lin Bai smiled. "Purity does not mean singularity. When I cultivate Spoken Law Follows, my mind is solely focused on Spoken Law Follows. When I practice the Way of Cooking, my mind is filled only with the Way of Cooking. When I experience love, my eyes see only my beloved. That is my purity. The reason people fail is that their hearts are set on quick success and instant benefits. They don't love for love's sake, but for the sake of attaining power through the Laws. Thus, they stray onto the wrong path, so it's perfectly normal that they fail to comprehend the Great Path of Love..."
"You constantly speak of becoming the Heavenly Dao. Isn't that also cultivating for the sake of Laws?" Zhou Zhu forced a smile, impatiently wiped his face, yet still couldn't stop the damned grin. He asked irritably.
"I am cultivating to become the Heavenly Dao. When cultivating other Laws, my mind is indeed free from distractions," Lin Bai said sincerely. "Perhaps it is this very mindset that aligns with the Way of Laws. Master Zhou, perhaps you'll say that to cultivate the Heavenly Way is also a form of obsession. I am different from you all. I cultivate the Heavenly Dao simply to become the Heavenly Dao. Worldly cultivators seek the Heavenly Dao, yet all they think about are the benefits it will bring them, their efforts tainted by countless selfish desires. How could they possibly succeed...?"
"..." Zhou Zhu seemed lost in thought.
Ye Song vaguely sensed that something didn't add up, but he couldn't pinpoint what it was.
But when Lin Bai elucidated the Way of Laws, he seemed to radiate a sacred light, compelling Ye Song to believe that what Lin Bai said was true.
City Lord Feng Jing sighed quietly to himself and shook his head. Selflessness, purity... Doesn't this mean all officials are excluded from the Cultivation of Rules?
The players whispered among themselves:
「…」
"It really is an NPC-exclusive cultivation technique; the Law demands too high a level of mental purity. Players will never be able to master it in this lifetime."
"I think players have a higher chance of mastering it than NPCs. NPCs have all sorts of distracting thoughts, while players don't. We are unattached in this world; we can easily achieve the single-minded focus Storekeeper Lin described."
"Unless you revert to a pure gaming mindset, without thinking of making money from the Beggar Gang or vying for fame and profit, only then might you succeed. Storekeeper Lin has successfully corrupted you all with benefits. To restore the pure heart of a player is as difficult as ascending to the heavens."
"Exactly! All players are currently being led astray by Lin Bai, solely focused on making money. Storekeeper Lin is the one who's truly unconstrained, doing whatever he pleases. He's more like a player than actual players. It's not surprising he can succeed..."
「…」
Lin Bai and Zhou Zhu debated the nature of Laws in the sky for about an hour.
Suddenly, they both stopped talking simultaneously and looked into the distance.
A black dot rushed towards them at high speed. Before the person arrived, a rolling, thunderous voice preceded him: "Lin Bai, do not harm my love!"
"Forget!" Zhou Zhu couldn't help but exclaim, his voice filled with excitement. "It's him! He's here!"
「…」
"It's Monk Forget!"
"Holy shit, he really paired them up! How did Alliance Hierarch Lin do it?"
"Monk Forget clearly wasn't even here."
"Anyone still claiming this is a Charm Technique? This is clearly the Way of Laws!"
"From enemies to lovers, each thinking of the other... incredible. I've decided! I'm going to cultivate this Great Path of Love too! If Lin Bai becomes the Heavenly Dao, I want to become Cupid!"
"What do you guys think is the trial Alliance Hierarch Lin Bai has set for Monk Forget?"
"I don't care about that. I just want to know, between Monk Forget and Zhou Zhu, who's the husband and who's the wife?"
"The Heavenly Dao Sect and the Buddha Spirit Sect could never have imagined that the Great Vehicle Practitioners they sent to kill Lin Bai would be turned into a couple by him! The remaining Great Vehicle Practitioners must be terrified that if they confront Lin Bai, they might suddenly find themselves with an extra husband... or a wife. Tsk, tsk, this method is truly cruel..."
"Cruel? Why do I feel a little like laughing?"
「…」
Ye Song watched Monk Forget, appearing like a crimson cloud as he fluttered to Zhou Zhu's rescue. The corners of his eyes twitched violently. He inwardly cursed, Damn it all!
「…」
"Zhou Lang, I am late! Let us join forces and eliminate Lin Bai!" Monk Forget's speed was immense. As he approached, the phantom of a wrathful Vajra Guardian emerged behind him.
The Vajra phantom, bare-chested, towered over a thousand meters tall, with three heads and six arms, wielding Magic Artifacts such as a sword, a demon-conquering hammer, a crescent spade, and a demon-conquering bell.
Dark clouds swirled around the phantom, obscuring its lower half and making it appear even more ferocious.
Monk Forget, clad in a red Kasaya, stood before the Vajra phantom. Far from being dwarfed, he appeared even more imposing.
However, his anxious gaze towards Zhou Zhu contrasted sharply with the wrathful Dharma image of the Vajra, somewhat diminishing its imposing aura...
「…」
Immense pressure radiated from all directions. Indeed, none in the Great Cheng stage were simple.
Lin Bai was startled by the Vajra phantom. With a flick of his hand, a strand of the Milky Way wrapped around Monk Forget.
"What can a mere water formation like this do to me?" Forget laughed arrogantly, channeling his Spiritual Power to shatter the Milky Way binding him.
He had rushed here and was unaware of what had transpired.
But when his Spiritual Power swept over the water, it merely caused a few ripples on the surface. The strand of the Milky Way remained unmoved, still coiled around him.
"Forget, wait!" Seeing another Milky Way manifest around Forget, Zhou Zhu grew anxious and hurriedly cautioned him.
"Zhou Lang, do not fear! Together, Lin Bai is no match for us. After we kill him, we shall retire to the mountains and leave the mortal world behind," said Forget, his gaze on Zhou Zhu softening as he flew forward.
However, just as they began to move, the celestial river surrounding them suddenly swelled.
In an instant.
A vast lake materialized in the sky, separating the two.
No matter how Forget channeled his power, he couldn't advance an inch, let alone get closer to Zhou Zhu.
「…」
"Damn, it really is the Milky Way! He decreed they couldn't meet, and so they can't! So domineering! These special effects are incredible!" a player exclaimed, even forgetting to send a private message.
"The Way of Laws... terrifying indeed."
"I hope Lin Bai's Love Principle can't be used on players."
"Too late. Lao Mi and the City Lord are already head over heels for each other."
"The Love Principle is a trap! Think about it: cultivating the Love Principle requires two people to fall in love, but as soon as they do, they become subject to the Milky Way's restrictions. In other words, anyone who cultivates the Love Principle will be constrained by Lin Bai for life, unable to oppose him..."
"Now that you mention it, it's true! The Love Principle is a trap. Could the other Laws be traps as well? Are they stratagems devised by the Righteous Door to control everyone in the world...?"
"I'm definitely not going to practice the Love Principle anymore!"
"Storekeeper Lin is destined to become a public enemy. Either he'll be killed by everyone, or he'll become a true king, suppressing all under heaven."
「…」
The players' minds were nimble, always able to perceive different issues within the current situation.
「…」
"Zhou Lang, what is this?"
Trapped by the surging river water and unable to move, Monk Forget grew extremely anxious. He shouted towards Zhou Zhu, who was separated by the river, his figure almost indistinct.
"Forget, this is the Milky Way, a law Lin Bai established, specifically designed for those in love. Those obstructed by the Milky Way, the more deeply they love, the more insurmountably they are separated!"
With his beloved so close yet untouchable, Zhou Zhu's heart plummeted as if into the abyss. Despairingly, he cried out, "Forget, retract your divine abilities! Before you came, Lin Bai promised me that only if you pass his trial will he lift the Milky Way's curse for us. Otherwise, if Lin Bai is killed, and no one else masters the Way of Love, I fear we will never be able to meet again!"
"I don't believe it! Zhou Lang, he has bluffed you! There's no law that cannot be broken," laughed Forget wildly. "Just watch me break his Milky Way!"
With that said.
He pressed down his hand, and the Golden Bowl held by the Vajra phantom behind him inverted.
The mouth of the Golden Bowl faced downwards, and a tremendous suction force emanated from the sky. The waters of the Milky Way were drawn by this suction, forming a pillar that surged skyward into the bowl. On the ground, trees swayed, dust and stones flew. Branches, leaves, and mountain stones were all sucked towards the Golden Bowl. Some trees were even uprooted entirely, flying into the sky...
Lin Bai watched, utterly amazed.
Impressive! So this is the might of the Great Cheng stage! It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call his methods Immortal Techniques. This was hardly inferior to when I flattened the mountain forest for a hundred miles around with a single shout... System products are truly top-quality.
Lin Bai wasn't worried about Forget sucking the Milky Way dry. Let Forget struggle; the more dramatically he acted, the greater the impact on the outside world, and the sooner he would concede.
Lin Bai gazed at the Vajra phantom in the sky, somewhat envious. The phantom is clearly composed of Spiritual Power; the Blacksmith's six-piece set probably wouldn't work on it...
「…」
The Golden Bowl continuously drew upon the waters of the Milky Way, but the water, over half a foot thick, seemed endless.
"Forget, don't waste your energy! The waters of the Milky Way can expand rapidly as we draw closer. Its source is unknown; it's impossible to drain it," seeing Forget's gradually paling face, Zhou Zhu urgently pleaded with Lin Bai, "Lin Bai, please try to persuade him..."
Monk Forget ignored Zhou Zhu, continuing to channel his Spiritual Power, urging the Golden Bowl to draw in the waters of the Milky Way.
But no matter how fiercely he exerted himself, the Milky Way showed no signs of diminishing. It continued to surge and flow, an insurmountable barrier separating Forget and Zhou Zhu...
Monk Forget's face grew increasingly flushed.
PUFF!
Finally, Forget could hold on no longer. He spat out a mouthful of blood, and the Vajra phantom abruptly dissipated.
SPLASH!
The moment the Vajra phantom vanished, all the mountain stones, trees, and water from the Milky Way that the Golden Bowl had absorbed came crashing down from the sky, right onto Monk Forget.
Monk Forget could have dodged the debris, but he didn't. Instead, he closed his eyes, allowing the waters of the Milky Way to drench him completely. He stood there, soaked and dazed.
After a long moment, Forget wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. He opened his eyes, looked at the Milky Way swirling around him, then at Zhou Zhu, who was anxiously trying to rush over and heal him but was blocked by the celestial river. He sighed heavily and turned to Lin Bai. "Enough. Lin Bai, I overestimated myself. Tell me, what do you want this poor monk to do?"
Lin Bai smiled faintly. With a thought, he dispersed the Milky Way around Monk Forget, though he left Zhou Zhu's in place. He said aloud, "Monk Forget, I need your help to cultivate the Way of Spoken Law Follows. If you can endure for a full day and night, I will no longer trouble either of you. You may take Zhou Zhu and leave. How does that sound?"