On that day.
Several articles were published in *Toxin Path* and *Blood Gazette*:
The first:
*The First Battle: Blood and Poison Sects vs. Righteous Door*: This article quoted 'A Brave Man's' analysis of the current situation. It pointed out the consortium's wild ambitions and the Heavenly Dao Sect's undeserved reputation.
The second:
*The Great War Looms, Yet Some Sects Feign Sleep*: This article strongly criticized the inaction of sects like the Beast Taming Sect, Pill and Spirit Sect, Tool Refining Sect, and Heavenly Sword Sect in the face of Lin Bai. It called upon all sects to mobilize, eliminate Lin Bai, and restore peace to the world.
The third:
*The World's Transformation Should Not Be Led by Outsiders*: This article exposed Lin Bai's origins as an outsider and the conspiracy behind the Laws. It argued that while cultivators indeed needed to change, this transformation should be led by local sects, not dictated by the Righteous Door and these heaven-sent individuals.
...
The publication of these articles caused a tremendous uproar worldwide.
After all, they were published on the heels of the Blood and Poison Sects' victory over the Justice League, showcasing their achievements.
The Heavenly Dao Sect, Heavenly Sword Sect, and Tool Refining Sect were suppressed into silence. Unable to even offer a rebuttal, they could only watch as the Poison Sect and Blood Sect basked in the spotlight.
Previously, Zhou Zhu and the Forgetful Monk had engaged Lin Bai in a direct confrontation. Consequently, they became laughingstocks, requiring the Heavenly Dao Sect and Buddha Spirit Sect to clean up their mess and conceal the truth.
The Heavenly Dao Sect wanted to retaliate. What's so impressive about taking down the Beggar Gang, a subordinate of the Justice League? If you have the guts, go after Lin Bai directly!
But ultimately, they couldn't bring themselves to do it.
Nominally, the Seven Righteous Sects and the Five Demonic Sects were adversaries. However, after the Wen and Evil Decree was issued, in the eyes of the world, they had long become a unified front—at least until the Righteous Door was eliminated. Infighting at this juncture would only invite further ridicule.
「Beast Taming Sect.」
Elder Qiu received a new order from the Sect Master: strike immediately. Like the Poison Sect, he was to wipe out Lin Bai's subordinates. If necessary, he was to capture Lin Bai, bring him to the Beast Taming Sect, and force the Transformation Pill formula from him.
Elder Qiu's expression darkened instantly. Quite apart from Lin Bai's own capabilities, who did the Sect Master think he was, trying to snatch someone from among eleven Great Cheng Realm experts? The world's number one combatant? Had the Sect Master's head been caught in a door?
"Master, what should we do?" a Hollow Realm disciple asked from the side. "We sent Senior Brother Fox to observe the Cooking Competition. Should we recall him?"
"Recall him for what?" Elder Qiu glared at him. "Those higher-ups simply don't grasp the situation. They want fame, and they also want the Transformation Pill. How could that be possible? Is Lin Bai someone to be trifled with? The Poison Sect and Blood Sect are gloating now, but they'll be just as humiliated in the future."
"Master, given the incident with the Beggar Gang, I don't think Lin Bai will hold the Cooking Competition anymore," the disciple said cautiously.
"It doesn't matter if he holds it or not. Lin Bai's disciple founded the Demon Country and pledged to grant freedom to all demons. I've already told Hu Qing that if anything goes wrong with the Cooking Competition, he should find Little White Fox and use the opportunity to join the Demon Country," Elder Qiu stated. "Lin Bai favors foxes, and Hu Qing's art of Charm has reached mastery. Starting with Little White Fox, deceiving her for the Transformation Pill should be easy."
"Master, your foresight is admirable. Your disciple is deeply impressed," the disciple flattered.
"Senior Sister, are we still going to Zhen City?" Phoenix in Flight looked at Ava Blake with concern. "I'm afraid the cooking competition might be canceled. I don't mind either way, but I'm worried Lin Bai will take his anger out on you!"
Ava Blake, a Hollow Realm disciple of Fairy Cen Qing, had been dispatched by her master to deal with the cooking competition.
At that moment, she was merely half a day's journey from Zhen City. Hearing about the events in Qian City, she found herself in a predicament. Honestly, she had no desire whatsoever to face Lin Bai.
In her mind, Lin Bai was an absolute pervert and didn't deserve to practice the Way of Love.
"What did Master say?" Ava Blake sighed softly and asked.
"Master suggested we wait a bit longer," Phoenix in Flight replied. "The Sect Master ordered her to lead a team to eliminate the Justice League's peripheral members and gradually advance on Zhen City. However, she doesn't intend to do that yet; she plans to observe how the situation develops."
...
「The Ancestor in Purple.」
The purple-robed Ancestor, who had just fled Zhen City intending to return openly as a guest for the grand event, was stunned by the sudden news. After a long pause, he grumbled resentfully, A bunch of idiots, utterly foolish.
However, he abandoned any plans to return to Zhen City. Instead, he rode his sword to find the Heavenly Sword Sect disciples he had led out.
Given what the Poison Sect and Blood Sect had done, going to Zhen City now would be tantamount to walking into a trap and would also diminish the Heavenly Sword Sect's prestige.
...
「Ye Song.」
Ye Song also sighed with similar sentiments. Lin Bai and the Righteous Door he backed had piqued his interest considerably.
His main concern now was that the cooking competition would be forcibly canceled. If that happened, he had no idea when he'd get another chance to join the Righteous Door.
If he weren't tied up in Zhen City, Ye Song would have been tempted to go to Qian City himself, stir up some trouble, drive away those two idiots from the Poison Sect and Blood Sect, and bail out the Justice League.
...
「The Players.」
"Boss, some players are stirring up trouble behind the scenes." A comment scrolled across Far-Sighted Hawk's live feed, followed by the name: BattleWolf.
"Normal. Just proceed according to the original plan," Far-Sighted Hawk replied calmly, glancing back at Perfected Zhang, who had grown wary of him. "When consortiums enter the game, it's natural for some independent players to be dissatisfied and try to rise up. This is all within expectations."
"The player who secretly instigated the Poison Sect and Blood Sect understands the consortium's strategy and is also very familiar with the Beggar Gang's internal affairs. The assessment is that he's an old player, very likely one of those forced to delete their accounts, such as Greg or Lonely Old Man. The possibility of it being Lonely Old Man, who was ambushed by Crispy Rice when targeting the Beggar Gang headquarters, is even higher." Another comment appeared, attributed to Crafty Fox.
"Should we send someone to find him and recruit him into the group?" asked Tiger that Stabilizes the Mountain.
"No need. He wouldn't be manageable even if we recruited him. A lone wolf like him can't achieve much. He's perfect for muddying the waters for us," Far-Sighted Hawk said.
"Lonely Old Man is talented; he single-handedly built up the Beggar Gang. Aren't you worried that under his scheming, the Justice League might actually be destroyed by the Seven Righteous Sects?" Deepdiving Fish inquired.
"If Lin Bai could be destroyed so easily, he wouldn't be called the developers' darling," Far-Sighted Hawk chuckled. "Lin Bai's methods are too gentle. The Seven Righteous Sects and Five Demonic Sects haven't truly felt the pain, so we don't have an opportunity to rise. The Poison Sect and Blood Sect provoking the Justice League is perfectly timed. Trouble Maker, what's the situation with the Justice League?"
"Lin Bai held a meeting for the league's upper echelons. The Treasures Refining Pavilion and Spirit Implement Sect members are working overtime to craft Magic Artifacts. Those from Medicine King Valley have started concocting Pill Medicines. Everyone is actively preparing for war; they must be planning a counterattack. However, according to the Beggar Gang, the cooking competition will proceed as scheduled. Lin Bai is likely using this to stabilize morale. The true purpose of the Magpie Bridge has not yet been determined."
Trouble Maker sent a long message: "Boss, I have to tell you something. With my current cooking skills, winning runner-up in the cooking competition is very difficult. Some cultivators are secretly using underhanded tactics to hinder those achieving good results. Perhaps because I'm a player, they spared me. However, the other party is unscrupulous, and my chances of defeating them are extremely low."
"Report him to Lin Bai. Gain Lin Bai's trust," Far-Sighted Hawk stated decisively.
"..." After a series of ellipses, Trouble Maker replied, "Boss, you overestimate me. I'm just a level-one character. When cultivators kill, I can't even see their shadows, you know? But I will report him. I'll start by making a good impression on Xu Longyun. If possible, I plan to approach her, display my abilities, and achieve my goals through an indirect route..."
...
「The Wider Conflict.」
Harassing the Justice League's periphery was merely for show, instigated by the Poison Sect and Blood Sect for the world to see. The high-ranking members of the Seven Righteous Sects and Five Demonic Sects remained focused on Zhen City. They wanted to see how Lin Bai would respond.
After all, the destruction of the Beggar Gang Headquarters marked the Justice League's first nominal defeat. If Lin Bai was truly lured out of Zhen City by the Poison Sect and Blood Sect, it would prove their strategy effective. They would then recapture Zhen City, gradually squeezing Lin Bai's room for survival, and finally crush him.
However, the Seven Righteous Sects and Five Demonic Sects hoped even more that this incident would force out the Righteous Door backing Lin Bai.
Compared to Lin Bai, the Righteous Door that nurtured such a monstrous talent was the true hidden threat.
But instead of Lin Bai's counterattack against the Poison Sect and Blood Sect, everyone received the *Justice Weekly*'s announcement regarding the Magpie Bridge.
The function of the Magpie Bridge once again caused a massive uproar.
Just as Xu Longyun had worried, apart from ordinary citizens, no one cared whether the Magpie Bridge was for civilian or commercial use. They only saw its convenient transportation capabilities.
Through the Magpie Bridge, constructed by those in love, one could travel between any part of the world in an instant. Once this Divine Skill appeared, the Poison Sect and Blood Sect's encirclement of Lin Bai became a joke. With the Magpie Bridge, no one could stop Lin Bai, yet he could attack anyone he wished, anytime.
Lin Bai could appear at their doorsteps at any moment. Who could remain seated?
...
However, the *Justice Weekly*'s description of the Magpie Bridge seemed overly exaggerated, and many people simply didn't believe it could be that powerful.
But Lin Bai soon proved them all wrong with decisive action.
Not long after the *Justice Weekly* was published, a Magpie Bridge spanned tens of thousands of miles from Zhen City, connecting directly to the capital of Taiyi Country.
The appearance of the Magpie Bridge shocked everyone. When the news spread, most people's minds went blank, utterly incapable of thought.
Could such a Divine Skill truly exist in this world? Even experts at the Transcendence Tribulation Stage, capable of mobilizing the power of heaven and earth, couldn't achieve this. Was the Way of the Laws truly this terrifying?
...
「Immortal World Forums.」
The forums of the Immortal World instantly erupted.
"Holy shit, this is basically a teleportation gate from a game!"
"I've long said that the game map is too large. It's unreasonable not to have teleportation gates or town portal scrolls; too much time is wasted traveling. Players would eventually quit because of this. I never expected Storekeeper Lin to come up with the Magpie Bridge! Suddenly, it all makes sense."
"But the right to use the Magpie Bridge is in Lin Bai's hands; he can cancel it anytime. If players want to use it, they can't attack Lin Bai. How is that reasonable?"
"Giving Lin Bai control over transportation? Not even the game developers' favorite child gets treated this well!"
"Perhaps others who comprehend the Way of the Laws can also control the Magpie Bridge."
"What about players? Players can't even truly experience love; how could they master the Way of Love in a game? Even if we built a rocket using technology, it wouldn't be as fast as the Magpie Bridge! Wherever the Magpie Bridge reaches, they are invincible. The Justice League is unbeatable now."
"It can still be countered. Didn't Lin Bai say the Magpie Bridge requires the power of lovers for transport? Kill the lovers stationed at each end of the bridge, and you can sever the Magpie Bridge connection. We can use civilian soldiers and establish strict household registration and review systems. Spies can infiltrate and closely monitor the movements of the Justice League's lovers, eliminating suspicious individuals promptly. Better to kill by mistake than to let one escape. Then Storekeeper Lin won't be able to send anyone anywhere with his Magpie Bridge then."
"That would lead to indiscriminate killings, and the world would collapse even faster."
"With the appearance of the Magpie Bridge, it's not the players who should be most worried. At worst, players can cooperate with Lin Bai to develop this world. Once the world is under control, they can treat Lin Bai as the final boss. Right now, the Seven Righteous Sects and Five Demonic Sects should be the most distressed. If the Magpie Bridge isn't dealt with, their Cultivation Empires will crumble."
"No wonder Lin Bai didn't send troops to seek justice for the Beggar Gang. So this was his trump card!"
"The game world is truly about to descend into chaos."
...
「Qian City.」
"Magpie Bridge?"
Inside Qian City, Chi Lian, who had been admiring the color printer's exquisite craftsmanship, and Song Yaoqing stared at each other, both momentarily stunned.
Song Yaoqing said, "Tens of thousands of miles in an instant. Brother Chi Lian, we're in trouble."
Chi Lian's gaze was cold. "Lin Bai is the one in trouble. If he had secretly set up the Magpie Bridge, he might have caught us off guard. But now that he has revealed it, those who were hesitant will be forced to act. They'll have to kill him first. No one wants to see such a powerful Law in Lin Bai's hands."
Song Yaoqing pondered, "The Way of Love is truly terrifying. Is this the Power of Laws?"
Chi Lian glanced at Song Yaoqing. "Brother Song, planning to find a lover and study the Way of Laws together?"
"If we could kill Lin Bai, perhaps I would. But not now. Lin Bai controls the Milky Way. Practicing the Way of Love now would be like delivering sheep to a tiger's mouth, subject to his control at every turn." Song Yaoqing shook his head, frowning. "Brother Chi Lian, are Laws truly going to replace cultivation?"
Before Chi Lian could speak, 'A Brave Man' burst in, saying, "Master, leave some people in Qian City to suppress the Beggar Gang disciples and keep them from logging in. The rest must rush to Zhen City and eliminate the remaining members of the Justice League! Wiping out all the pairs of lovers under his command is the only way to stop the Magpie Bridge from spreading rapidly. Once Lin Bai establishes his Magpie Bridge network, no one will be able to contain him!"
Before 'A Brave Man' finished speaking, a player acting as a messenger rushed in and said to Chi Lian, "Ancestor, the Sect Master orders an immediate deployment to Zhen City to exterminate the Justice League at all costs!"
...
「The Sects' Response.」
Annihilate all members of the Justice League, at any cost!
Confirming the Magpie Bridge's authenticity, the Seven Righteous Sects and Five Demonic Sects immediately changed their strategy, issuing new, mandatory orders to all their disciples abroad.
The Beast Taming Sect abandoned its plans for the Transformation Pill. With Lin Bai possessing the Magpie Bridge, capturing him would be as difficult as reaching the heavens. If they continued scheming, their sect might be destroyed before they succeeded. What use would the Transformation Pill be then?
Cultivators from every sect, almost to a man, emptied their strongholds and rushed towards Zhen City.
Great Cheng Realm experts led the charge, followed by those of the Hollow Realm, and then cultivators of the Divinity Transformation and Golden Core Realms utilizing transportation artifacts.
The appearance of the Magpie Bridge had truly crossed the bottom line of the Cultivation World.
At this point, no one bothered with public opinion or verbal sparring. Killing Lin Bai, by any means necessary, was the only thing that mattered.
The Magpie Bridge could indeed change the world, but this world-altering tool had to be in their hands.
...
「The Consortium Players.」
This sudden turn of events also caught the consortium players completely off guard.
Far-Sighted Hawk was silent for a long while before forcing out a single word, his face dark: "Damn!"
"Boss, it's suddenly a world war! What do we do?" Tiger that Stabilizes the Mountain asked. "All our previous strategies are useless."
"What else can we do? Watch the show," Far-Sighted Hawk said, his head throbbing. "Have the group run war simulations and formulate new strategies. Dammit, only after entering the game did I realize how much of a headache a troublemaker who constantly creates unexpected situations can be! I bloody well want to kill Lin Bai myself now..."