Chapter 312: The Tips of Practicing the 312 Rule
"...Unlimited magical power, invincible in attack, unbeatable in battle?" Xu Longyun looked at Lin Bai, her eyes filled with amusement.
"Patent rights can’t restrain them. Only by making them feel extreme humiliation will they transfer their hatred of me to others," Lin Bai smiled.
"Aren’t you afraid they’ll hate you even more?" Xu Longyun asked with a smile.
"Happiness comes from comparison. When they see others who are more wretched than them, they’ll naturally stop hating me." As Lin Bai spoke, he turned to look at Ye Song, Xiao Yun, and the others, asking, "Seeing the fate of people like Tuohai, you must be very glad you joined the Justice League early, right?"
A mix of emotions surged within Ye Song and the others, but they had to admit that Lin Bai had hit the nail on the head; they were indeed feeling fortunate... Playing with people’s hearts! This guy is definitely an Evil Spirit.
"Master, what if they don’t chant the slogan?" Little White Fox blinked her eyes and asked timidly.
"In the crowd wanting to join the Justice League, there are over ten thousand people. If over a third of them chant the slogan, then everyone else will have to bear the blame." Lin Bai looked up at the sky, his eyes sparkling. "This is a psychological game involving coercion, conformity, reverse rationalization, Stockholm Syndrome, the sunk cost effect, and so forth. Throughout history, no one has been able to escape this combination of tactics. They will inevitably surrender."
"..." Xu Longyun looked at Lin Bai in confusion, recalling the debate between Lin Bai and Monk Forget outside Zhen City. She couldn’t help but ask, "Are these teachings from Righteous Door?"
"Yes, these are the comprehensive works on human nature summarized by the nine ancestors of Righteous Door after observing all kinds of human behaviors. When I find the way back to Righteous Door in the future, I will take you all to study them," Lin Bai said with a smile as he looked around at everyone.
Everyone was forced to smile, but in their hearts, they were yearning for Righteous Door. Lin Bai continued to paint the legendary Righteous Door as a holy land in their minds. It seemed that once they reached Righteous Door, everyone could become saints, and everyone was waiting for the day when they would officially enter Righteous Door.
The players from the Beggar Gang in Zhen City and Qian City all arrived at the Blood Sect through the Magpie Bridge. The headquarters of Justice Weekly also moved here, leaving only a few players to manage the business of the Justice League, but these players accounted for a very small proportion. Players couldn’t possibly manage their shops all the time. For them, the best choice was to leave the business to the locals. All they needed to do is provide goods, check the accounts, and collect money. After all, no matter what players do in the game, Level is of utmost importance. If their Level is not high enough, even flying through the sky would be significantly slower than others. Moreover, with the Magpie Bridge, traveling to various places wouldn’t take up much time.
As more and more people arrived, the Blood Sect gradually became bustling. The first thing all members of the Justice League did was look for their Dao Partners, and disciples of sects under the Moon Spirit Sect instantly became popular. The Magpie Bridge connected Taiyi Country, and Lin Bai had integrated all the subordinate sects of the Seven Righteous Sects and the Five Demon Sects in Taiyi Country. The number of female cultivators in the alliance was not small. Of course, in terms of ratio, female cultivators were still pitifully scarce, but this didn’t prevent the members of the alliance from forming Dao partnerships first.
The affairs of Forget and Zhou Zhu, and the Purple Robed Ancestor and Hu Qing, had all been publicized by Justice Weekly. Inside the alliance, the definition of love was quite broad. If there weren’t enough female cultivators, they would make do with Demon Beasts.
Many people couldn’t accept such unconventional love, but the current condition was that having a Dao partner could save one’s life. In case Lin Bai couldn’t protect them and they transformed into demon cultivators, they would still be able to survive! So, they reluctantly made do. However, most people pre-arranged contracts stating they would peacefully break up if a better match was found. All this love was merely for the sake of survival.
No one was willing to cultivate the Way of Love anymore. The Alliance Hierarch’s mastery of the Divine Skills of the Way of Love was too fast. It was clear that his understanding of Cupid’s Path was growing by the day. Who could compete with him? Thinking about the Way of Love, it would be better to say some nice words and contemplate the Heavenly Dao!
「The next day.」
Leaving those like Xin Shang, whose cultivation was not high enough, to manage the Blood Sect, Lin Bai took his disciples, including Ye Song who had reached the Great cheng Realm, players who acted as live-broadcast tools, and the merry Phoenix Seeking Phoenix Group, and headed grandly towards the Holy Extreme Sect. This was all the combat power that the Justice League could currently put into play. Compared with the Five Demon Sects, the high-end combat power of the Justice League was painfully scarce.
The members of the Justice League staying at the Blood Sect had cultivation levels no higher than the Divinity Transformation Realm. If anyone came to attack, even with the Sea of Blood as a barrier, they would definitely not be able to hold on. However, the advantage of Lin Bai’s Justice League lay in its incredible mobility. Once the Magpie Bridge was set up, they could return immediately. Lin Bai couldn’t protect the vast Taiyi Country, but there was no problem in focusing on a few key sects. To be safe, people like Xu Longyun who were closest to Lin Bai were still kept by his side. In the whole world, the safest place was by his side. Lin Bai didn’t want to do anything he would regret.
Lin Bai and the others walked with Cen Qing, not far behind them was the joyously singing and dancing Phoenix Seeking Phoenix Group. Cen Qing was of the Great cheng Realm, but her face was currently as white as a sheet, her eyes dark-circled, and she looked as haggard as a normal person who hadn’t slept for several days.
"Master, they argued all night last night. Some wanted to persuade me to let them go, especially Elder Tuohai, who is determined to die with you. You must be on guard against him..." Cen Qing reported to Lin Bai in a hoarse voice. After realizing that her cultivation speed had increased by fifty percent, she naturally began to refer to Lin Bai as her master.
"Let them discuss." Lin Bai looked at Cen Qing sympathetically, grabbed a handful of Spirit Fruits, and handed them to her. "Those guys just want to torture you until you can’t bear it and finally surrender. You have to stick to your heart and not be deceived by them. Take these Spirit Condensing Fruits. When you can’t hold on, eat one and use their torment to temper your Divine Soul. As disciples of Righteous Door, we can’t be worse than an inconsequential sect."
Ever since he corralled all the male cultivators of the Blood Sect into the Phoenix Seeking Phoenix Group, tens of thousands of cultivators had become his negative emotion bank. They were producing Spirit Fruits in droves. Meanwhile, the positive Emotion Value provided by the people of Taiyi Country and the disciples of the Justice League was flooding in, following their victory over the Blood Sect. The two fruit trees had a bumper crop, laden with fruits. Lin Bai could never finish eating them all by himself, so he didn’t feel hesitant to give them away.
"Thank you, Master." Cen Qing accepted the Spirit Fruits and thanked Lin Bai. The Spirit Fruits exuded a peculiar fragrance, and she unconsciously put one in her mouth. The effects of the Spirit Fruits were immediate. In the blink of an eye, Cen Qing’s fatigue vanished, and she was vibrant again. As a Great cheng cultivator, her perception of the spiritual aspect was much more acute than that of Xin Shang and the others. Just one fruit made her realize the wonders of the Spirit Fruits. Her eyes involuntarily lit up, feeling that all the torment she had suffered was worth it. Righteous Door really lived up to its reputation as a legendary holy land.
Lin Bai looked back at the proud Elder Tuohai and the others, then continued to instruct his disciple, "Cen Qing, they can provoke you, so you can provoke them too! With this group of willing subjects following you, you have a perfect chance to practice Spoken Law Follows. The Heavenly Dao is cultivated by understanding people’s hearts and the myriad states of mortal existence. This group is a living, breathing tapestry of the mortal world—what a splendid opportunity for your cultivation! If you can attain the Heavenly Dao before I do, it will be a great blessing for Righteous Door."
Ye Song and others pondered his words.
"Cultivate with Spoken Law Follows?" Cen Qing was full of surprise.
"Yes." Lin Bai looked around and asked, "Who has the pamphlet of Spoken Law Follows? Give one to Cen Qing."
A player ran over and gave Cen Qing a copy of the "Warmth Chapter" of Spoken Law Follows. After randomly flipping a couple of pages, Cen Qing’s face turned red. She hesitated, "Master, it may not be appropriate to say these things to those people, right?"
Lin Bai gave her a glance and shook his head. "Cen Qing, it’s fine if disciples of Righteous Door cannot keep up with their cultivation. However, they must be eloquent and have thick skins. Your master’s fast growth is based on these two tricks. They will not harm you. You don’t have a Dao partner yet. In the Phoenix Seeking Phoenix Group, there are individuals at the Crossing Tribulation Realm and Great cheng Realm. Right now, they are performing their talents for you, all to win your favor. You are free to choose a suitable companion from among them. As your master, I possess the Arrow of Love. I can play matchmaker for you. With one shot, you’ll have a Dao partner who is completely devoted to you. Why wouldn’t you take this chance?"
"Despicable!"
"Shameless kid!" Elder Tuohai and the others, who had some understanding of Lin Bai, naturally knew how overbearing the Arrow of Love was. Being shot by it was worse than being a Puppet, and they cursed at him again.
Lin Bai was indifferent.
Cen Qing swept her gaze over them with contempt and shook her head. "Master, what talents could this bunch possibly possess? Who would be interested in a man who does countless somersaults in front of you? Besides, these fellows are capricious and only interested in petty schemes. Having spent time with this despicable lot, they all look like contemptible buffoons to me. There’s no way Cen Qing would ever choose a Dao partner from among them..."
"It’s entirely up to you," Lin Bai said with a smile. "Being my disciple is the most fortunate thing in the world. From now on, don’t feel constrained. If you have any requests, just come to your master. If I can grant them, I certainly will. If I can’t do so right now, I will once my abilities have grown."
Cen Qing blushed and glanced at Xu Longyun and the others, then thanked Lin Bai with a bow, "Thank you, Master."
Jiang Qingqin glared at her and snorted.
Xu Longyun didn’t seem to mind. Although what Lin Bai said sounded like sweet words, she knew Lin Bai would never be with Cen Qing. If he cared for Cen Qing, he wouldn’t let her go to practice Spoken Law Follows with Elder Tuohai and the others... Besides, Lin Bai ought to have some true disciples, shouldn’t he? However, Lin Bai had indeed imparted his unique skills to Cen Qing. But, cultivating such thick skin and extraordinary eloquence like Lin Bai was no easy feat.
Lin Bai’s instruction to Cen Qing opened the Demon’s door. The journey of the Phoenix Seeking Phoenix Group became more lively. Cen Qing didn’t use the Phoenix Seeking Phoenix Group to practice Spoken Law Follows; she couldn’t bring herself to say such things. However, she started to emulate Lin Bai, using words to provoke and divide Elder Tuohai and the others.
However, Ye Song and the others also went to the Phoenix Seeking Phoenix Group to practice their eloquence. Some players emulated Lin Bai, seeking out these special NPCs to practice Spoken Law Follows. Other players went to sow discord among them, devising various ways to provoke them and deriving amusement from their reactions. Some even used them to test newly learned Cultivation Techniques. After all, the Phoenix Seeking Phoenix Group offered absolute protection, so there was no fear of accidentally killing them. They were contributing to the Justice League’s war-of-attrition tactics. The once self-satisfied Phoenix Seeking Phoenix Group had turned into a giant toy for the Justice League, injecting much fun into the otherwise tedious journey.
Traveling from the Blood Sect to the Holy Extreme Sect, even with Lin Bai’s speed, would take two days. During this time, the likes of Tuohai had been bombarded from all directions by the Justice League, leaving them physically and mentally exhausted. They had absolutely no energy left to play tricks or slander Lin Bai. The emotions that these foes originally provided to Lin Bai’s system were anger, hatred, and the like. However, as Lin Bai continuously implemented various tactics against them, many of the people’s emotions gradually transformed into fear, depression, and even anxiety. A day and night passed, and already, some cultivators on the brink of the Great cheng Realm were close to breaking down, pleading to join the Justice League.
However, as the Justice League’s army neared the Holy Extreme Sect, aside from the players who occasionally had the heart to tease the Phoenix Seeking Phoenix Group, the likes of Ye Song and other cultivators of the Great cheng Realm had long since become vigilant, maintaining a watchful eye on their surroundings to prevent any sudden attacks.
The Holy Extreme Sect, being the strongest among the Five Demon Sects, was not protected by natural barriers like the Sea of Blood or the Poison Sect. Instead, it relied on a Spirit Tree to safeguard the sect. This Spirit Tree, known by the Holy Extreme Sect as Qingmu, was a thousand feet high, half yin and half yang.
The yang side was rich in Spiritual Energy, making cultivation on this side twice as effective. The closer one was to the tree’s roots, the denser the Spiritual Energy became, nearly matching the additional fifty percent cultivation speed provided by Lin Bai’s ’Way of the Master’ bonus.
The yin side was filled with gloomy wind and a strong aura of death, reminiscent of the underworld. It could be used to temper the body and for the cultivation of yin-related techniques. Ye Lan’s "Dead Man Sutra" was cultivated on the yin side of the Qingmu.
The fruits of this Spirit Tree had the effects of Soul Condensation and life extension. Consuming a single fruit could increase one’s lifespan by a thousand years, which was the Holy Extreme Sect’s greatest asset.
After all, cultivators below the Hollow Realm also had lifespans. If they couldn’t break through to the Great cheng Realm, they could die at any time. The increased lifespan provided by the Qingmu Fruit offered them more opportunities for a breakthrough.
The only pity was that while the Qingmu was immense, the number of fruits it bore was extremely scarce, and the fruiting cycle was even more protracted. A fruit, from budding to ripening, took three thousand years. During this period, various factors could cause the fruit to wither and fall. In the end, only a little over a thousand fruits could be harvested. Since the establishment of the Holy Extreme Sect, only just over two thousand fruits had been preserved. If not for the scarcity of the fruits, the Holy Extreme Sect would not have been suppressed by the Heavenly Dao Sect for so many years. With the Qingmu, they could have dominated the world long ago.
"Master, the Qingmu is very important for the continuity of the Holy Extreme Sect, just like the Sea of Blood is very important to the Blood Sect. Losing the Qingmu means destroying half of the Holy Extreme Sect, so they would never give up on their sect." Ye Song looked at the towering Qingmu, his heart filled with emotion. "Even if they retreat, they will surely leave behind some defenses. We need to be careful..."
"The Blood Sect activated the Sea of Blood. Has your Holy Extreme Sect’s Qingmu had no defenses all these years, relying only on people for protection?" Lin Bai asked.
"No." Ye Song shook his head. "But it is rumored that Qingmu is sentient. If the tree does not die, its spirit will not perish. When the Holy Extreme Sect is in trouble, the tree spirit will automatically sacrifice itself to protect the sect. However, over tens of thousands of years, the Holy Extreme Sect has been invaded several times, but the tree spirit has never shown itself. Over time, no one took it seriously anymore. Even the Sect Master probably thinks that the tree spirit only exists in rumors..."