Chapter 158: The Might of the Nascent Soul

Perhaps it is love, perhaps it is freedom.

I do not know what point touched Huaxi Furen, but in the end, she agreed to Lin Bai's conditions.

Under Huaxi Furen's expectant gaze, Lin Bai fed Qingyu an Enlightenment Pill.

Qingyu regained his consciousness.

He did not need Huaxi Furen to explain.

He had always been outside the card.

Although he had been ignorant and unaware, the moment his memory returned, everything he had seen and heard returned to his mind with perfect clarity.

Qingyu did not even launch an attack on Lin Bai; he merely glared at him in anger before immediately embracing Huaxi Furen, like a pair of lovers reunited after a long separation, deeply enamored with one another.

The passion that erupted in that instant made those watching blush, almost making them think that in the next second, they would merge like water and fire.

Several players swallowed in unison, looking forward to the Justice Sect even more; Shopkeeper Lin's methods were becoming increasingly numerous, and if one said he didn't have a sect behind him, not even a ghost would believe it.

……

After lingering with Lady Huaxi for a moment, Qingyu parted from her with reluctance, though the two still held hands; he looked at Lin Bai, his gaze cold: "Lin Bai, I already know your intent. Xiaoxi promised you that she would teach the Beggar Sect disciples Dao Methods and martial arts, and I naturally must obey her. But before that, I only want to ask you one thing: how do you intend to deal with Huilong Temple?"

"Rest assured, I am not a bloodthirsty person. If they are obedient, I will keep them all, and everyone can happily step forward to welcome a new life together. If they are not obedient, I will beat them until they are." Lin Bai smiled at Qingyu, "Little Yu, what do you think of this method of mine?"

Little Yu?

The corner of Qingyu's mouth twitched as he looked at Lin Bai, knowing that since things had developed to this point, the conflict between Lin Bai and Huilong Temple was already unavoidable!

After pondering for a moment, he said: "When dealing with Huilong Temple, can I choose not to take action?"

Lin Bai looked at Qingyu strangely: "If you don't take action, aren't you afraid of more casualties? Can't you just close your eyes and pretend nothing is happening?"

A single sentence.

It precisely struck the soft spot of Daoist Qingyu, and he stood there stunned.

Huaxi Furen felt his pain as if it were her own, gently hugging his arm to offer him comfort.

"Little Yu, for the sake of Huilong Temple, you should even more so lead by example and persuade your sect disciples to lay down their weapons and not fight me. As the acting Temple Master of Huilong Temple, you should have this prestige." Lin Bai looked at Qingyu, teaching him earnestly.

"If I do that, I will be spurned by everyone in Huilong Temple." Qingyu's expression became very ugly.

"If one can spare fellow practitioners from suffering, what does it matter if one suffers some criticism?" Lin Bai's face was radiant with a sacred glow, "I have never cared about reputation. But when the future comes, even without my explanation, everyone will understand what I have done. Time will prove all of this; I have always firmly believed in this point."

You yourself aren't a good thing to begin with, what kind of reputation do you have!

Besides.

Where does your confidence even come from!

Time will indeed prove everything, but can you really live until that time?

Daoist Qingyu looked at Lin Bai and chose silence; he could not find words to refute him, and he could not be bothered to refute him either.

Lin Bai's words had forced him into a corner; other than following the path Lin Bai had arranged for him, whatever he said or did would be wrong.

"It is happily decided then." Lin Bai clapped his hands and laughed, his gaze sweeping over the two of them, "You two continue to linger for a moment; later, Little Yu can tell me about the specific defenses of Huilong Temple. For the sake of your everlasting love, I will not restore Daoist Qingshan's consciousness."

"……" Qingyu was taken aback.

Huaxi Furen recalled the various slanders Qingshan had leveled against her that day, and his desperate protection of Qingyu; she hatefully pinched the soft flesh at his waist and said resentfully: "Little Yu, I really didn't see it, your junior brother is so deeply devoted to you! Are you going to explain to me why the dignified eldest disciple of Huilong Temple likes his own junior brother? Tell me the truth, were you the one who started it, or was he?"

Daoist Qingyu's expression turned bitter, and he hurriedly explained: "Xiaoxi, do not make such groundless guesses. If not for this battle, I would not have known that Junior Brother Qingshan had such deep feelings for me. From beginning to end, my heart has only ever held you, Xiaoxi; there is no 'who started it'..."

……

"Shopkeeper Lin is really capable; Longxi mentioned learning skills, and he solved it immediately. This leader is truly worth following."

"The Beggar Sect's only weakness has been compensated; the next step for the Beggar Sect is to conquer other sects."

"The world where the Beggar Sect dominates is about to arrive."

"That's only because I haven't entered the game yet. If I enter the game, I will definitely choose a novice village furthest from Jiamu City, develop silently, and eventually step on the corpses of Beggar Sect disciples to claim the throne."

……

No one cared about the NPC's public display of affection; what the players cared about was always Shopkeeper Lin's personal ability.

After a brief rest.

Lin Bai and the others set off again.

Their target was Huilong Temple, and Daoist Qingyu's mood was somewhat low.

However.

He still took the Suspension Talisman from Lin Bai's hand.

Just as Lin Bai said, he had no room for choice; he couldn't even end his own life.

From beginning to end, Qingyu had never agreed to help Lin Bai deal with Huilong Temple.

Daoist Qingyu had his own pride; he would rather die standing than live kneeling.

It was one thing when he lacked consciousness before, but now he had regained it.

Even if he was not the master of his own actions, he would still use his own strength to help more of Huilong Temple's disciples and juniors to resist Lin Bai and preserve the reputation of Huilong Temple.

Although Lin Bai spoke with high-sounding righteousness, Qingyu understood the terror of the Seven Righteous Sects even better; following Lin Bai was a dead end, and only by resisting him could one find a glimmer of survival.

It was just a pity for the lover he had finally found!

Qingyu looked at Huaxi Furen, who was snuggled against him, a flash of apology crossing his eyes, and his hand holding her shoulder subconsciously tightened a little.

Huaxi Furen looked back at her lover, her gaze full of tenderness and affection; it is rare in life to have a lover, and there could be no time more pleasant than this.

Being able to be with her lover, what did losing a little freedom matter?

……

In order to gain Lin Bai's trust, Qingyu gave a detailed account of everything regarding Huilong Temple.

Huilong Temple was a branch that had separated from the Heavenly Dao Sect, and it had a history of over two thousand years to this day.

The original founder was Shouquan Daoren, who had already passed away after failing his Tribulation Transcendence.

Nowadays, the one with the highest seniority in Huilong Temple was Li Zhenren, who had discovered the Lingjie Fengxi back then; it was said that he had already reached the Transformation Realm.

However.

He spent most of his time wandering outside, tempering his heart in the mortal world.

He had long since ceased to concern himself with the affairs of the temple.

His last appearance was to inform Huilong Temple about the matter of the Lingjie Fengxi in Jiamu City, after which he vanished without a trace.

Now.

The leader of Huilong Temple is Daoxu Zhenren, who possesses the cultivation of a Nascent Soul, and about one-third of the Qing-generation Disciples of Huilong Temple are his disciples.

Their cultivation levels are uneven, with the highest being Qing Yu Daozhang, who is at Golden Core Peak, and his junior fellow apprentice Qingshan.

The remaining Disciples are apprenticed to Daojing and Daokong respectively; their aptitude is inferior to Daoxu, and they are currently also at the cultivation level of Golden Core Peak.

When Qingyu led the Huilong Temple Daoists on the expedition, all three of the Dao-generation members were in secluded meditation and were unaware of what was happening in the outside world.

In reality.

Qingyu has been managing Huilong Temple on behalf of others for thirty years, and most of the decisions have come from his hand; even the matter of sending Qingfeng to Jiamu City to guard the Lingjie Fengxi was arranged by him.

Therefore.

The high-end combat power of Huilong Temple today consists of the three Dao-generation True Persons and over a hundred Golden Cores; the remaining ordinary Disciples are basically cannon fodder in front of Lin Bai.

The mountain-protecting array that Lin Bai worried about does indeed exist, but it is merely an ordinary blinding array, intended to prevent ordinary people from wandering in.

Anyone with Golden Core cultivation can see through it at a glance.

Arrays in this world are not well-developed and are mostly used as auxiliary studies for sects.

Arrays are difficult to learn and difficult to master, requiring a massive investment of energy.

Therefore.

Most Cultivators are more keen on improving their own strength rather than dividing their attention to study arrays that are of no help in combat.

……

In order to maintain the cover for his invincible persona, Lin Bai did not ask in detail about the combat power levels of each realm.

However, he had easily taken down a Golden Core Peak cultivation level.

With Cupid's Arrow, Lin Bai felt that taking down Huilong Temple would not be a problem.

Thus.

His mind was much more at ease.

Lin Bai did not continue with the Great Language System's bragging task; at the current speed, they would arrive at Huilong Temple by tomorrow morning.

They would likely enter battle immediately, and continuing the bragging task would be counterproductive.

Facts proved.

The Great Language System's tasks are only suitable for doing slowly when settled; when conducting important matters, doing the Great Language System's tasks only delays things.

Lin Bai did not do the bragging task.

Longxi and the others, however, did not let this opportunity pass, especially when they learned that almost all players who had entered the game had already begun practicing "Words Manifesting into Reality," they dared not be negligent!

Whether it was Palm Thunder or the Skill of Word Matching, the effects were incredibly cool!

Even if there was only a one in ten thousand chance, it was worth a gamble……

So.

Lin Bai's journey was not lonely.

Several players vied to flatter him.

Shopkeeper Lin finally enjoyed the pleasure of being showered with warmth by others.

From the mouths of Longxi and the others, Lin Bai learned the fact that "Words Manifesting into Reality" had spread among the players.

Then.

He suddenly realized a terrifying problem.

Before the players could wreak havoc on the world, he seemed to have wreaked havoc on the world first……

However.

In Lin Bai's view, this was a good thing.

Spending a massive amount of time learning "Words Manifesting into Reality," which would never yield results, isn't that better than them learning those Dao Methods and Martial Arts that could allow them to grow rapidly?

At this moment.

Lin Bai felt that he was a great person.

He had successfully delayed the players' leveling pace, helping the entire world and himself win time.

……

The dawn pierced the sky.

The east turned white.

Lin Bai and his party finally arrived at Huilong Temple.

Just as Qing Yu Daozhang said, the blinding array outside Huilong Temple was ineffective against a Golden Core True Person.

Sharing Qingyu's cultivation, he easily saw the full view of Huilong Temple.

Huilong Temple was built on a mountain peak nearly three thousand meters high; the mountain was precipitous, and the cliffs were steep.

Surrounded by a sea of clouds, appearing and disappearing, it was like a fairyland, looking more like a place where a practitioner should stay than Qian City.

Below the mountainside was a dense forest; in such dangerous terrain, it was almost impossible for mortals to set foot, and the so-called blinding array was more like something Huilong Temple set up to show off.

As for the Spirit Qi.

To be honest.

Lin Bai, who never practiced, could not tell at all.

If it weren't for the tasks of the Sect Leader System and the Peerless Divine Doctor System, he would never have run to this desolate place to establish a sect; there were too few people.

The closer they got to the sect, the more nervous Qing Yu Daozhang became.

His emotional fluctuations were intense, clearly feeding back into Lin Bai's mind.

Combining these emotions, Lin Bai pondered his psychological state, shook his head, and without waiting for Qingyu to speak, channeled his Internal Energy and used ventriloquism to mimic Qingyu's voice: "Master, fellow Disciples, I am Qingyu. Do not put up any pointless resistance; you are no match for Shopkeeper Lin of the Justice Sect. Lay down your weapons and surrender! Huilong Temple has no future; only under the leadership of the wise and martial Shopkeeper Lin can we possibly become a sect that surpasses the Seven Righteous Sects..."

"..." The moment Lin Bai spoke, Qing Yu Daozhang was stunned. It was only after Lin Bai finished that he came to his senses, looking at Lin Bai in disbelief, his chest heaving, "Shopkeeper Lin, you?"

"Little Yu, we had an agreement, didn't we?" Lin Bai smiled slightly. "I feel your eloquence is not as good as mine, so I simply said it for you." As he spoke, he switched back to Qingyu's tone and said loudly, "Whoever does not obey, there is no need for Shopkeeper Lin to act; I will deal with you myself."

"Rebellious Disciple, if you were to die in battle, it would still be the glory of my Huilong Temple. I never expected that I would be so blind as to take in a coward like you who fears death." A deep, resonant voice came from within Huilong Temple, sounding like rolling thunder that echoed across the sky. "Today, I shall personally take the field to see how you, this rebellious disciple, intend to deal with me! Disciples of Huilong Temple, form up and meet the enemy!"

"Master, those words just now were not spoken by me." Qingyu defended himself anxiously. "It was Lin Bai; he is mimicking my voice."

Puppets that have regained their consciousness are truly not cute at all!

No wonder the Card System would erase their consciousness after sealing them, turning them into fighting machines that only know how to obey orders...

Lin Bai glanced at Qing Yu Daozhang, gave him the order to launch an attack on the mountain gate, and continued to mimic his voice: "Master, wasn't it you who told me to bring Shopkeeper Lin here? Before you went into seclusion, you told me that you were an undercover agent for the Justice Sect within Huilong Temple, all for the sake of one day being able to return to the Justice Sect and overthrow the high and mighty Heavenly Dao Sect..."

"Lin Bai, stop. Master, it wasn't me who said that; it is all Lin Bai sowing discord." Qingyu raised the Fulong Sword in grief and indignation, forcefully hacking out a massive Sword energy toward the mountain gate of Huilong Temple.

The mountain gate of Huilong Temple collapsed with a boom.

It revealed the Huilong Temple Daoists arranged neatly on the plaza behind it.

Directly in front of the Daoists were three elders with white hair and beards. The leader, wearing a gray cloth Daoist robe, swept his gaze past Qingyu and looked at Lin Bai in the sky. He slowly raised his palm and said coldly, "Yellow-mouthed child, do you really think that by controlling my foolish disciple, you can make Huilong Temple fall apart? Today, I will let you see what the might of a Nascent Soul is."

Actually.

There was no need for him to speak.

Lin Bai had already personally experienced the difference between a Nascent Soul and a Golden Core.

In his view, a Golden Core was nothing more than having a bit more Spirit Qi, the ability to fly, and the capacity to use some powerful Skills.

However.

Daoxu Zhenren was just standing there, and a pressure that intimidated his soul radiated from his entire body.

It made him feel from the bottom of his heart that he could not possibly be his opponent; once a fight started, he would surely die.

Lin Bai possessed several hundred years of Internal Energy and also shared the cultivation of Qingyu and Huaxi Furen, yet he still felt this way when facing a Nascent Soul True Person.

Let alone the little white fox, who had almost no cultivation; she was shivering in Lin Bai's arms, let alone reciting tongue twisters, she couldn't even speak.

Is this what a Nascent Soul True Person is?

Lin Bai frowned slightly. If it came to real strength, the moment he saw Daoxu, his momentum was stolen, and he would probably have turned and fled!

But now?

The moment Daoxu Zhenren stared at him, Lin Bai decisively drew his bow and nocked an arrow, rapidly firing Cupid's Arrow at Daoxu.

At this moment.

Daoxu Zhenren had eyes only for him; could there be a better opportunity than this?

"Petty trick!"

Daoxu Zhenren narrowed his eyes, completely disregarding that tiny arrow.

He waved his hand downward, and a huge Golden Talisman composed of Spirit Qi gradually took shape, shrouding the area above Lin Bai's head.

Inside the talisman.

Three fire dragons circled and danced, seemingly waiting for the moment the talisman took shape to rush out and burn Lin Bai to ashes...

Joy had already appeared in the eyes of the many Huilong Temple Daoists.

The little white fox trembled and buried her head into Lin Bai's clothes, not daring to look at the talisman above.

But the next second.

Cupid's Arrow reached in front of Daoxu Zhenren. He flicked his finger to release a burst of Spirit Qi, but it did not deflect Cupid's Arrow.

The tiny arrow quickly sank into his heart.

Subsequently, the cold gaze Daoxu Zhenren had directed at Lin Bai suddenly turned gentle.

Immediately after, he shuddered violently, his expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly waved his hand, dispelling the talisman that was about to take shape in the sky.

Amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd of Daoists, Daoxu flashed into the sky and arrived in front of Lin Bai in a few blinks.

He grabbed Lin Bai's shoulders in a panic, his large hands fumbling over his body, as he babbled incoherently, "Bai, are you alright? Did you get hurt just now? Heavens, what have I done? Why would I attack you..."

(End of chapter)