Chapter 217: Harvest Season

To destroy a person, one does not necessarily need force; one can also rely on wisdom, or a heart of benevolence.

In the end.

Li Zhenren abandoned his freedom for love and gloriously became Lin Bai's Puppet.

……

【Victory won in a difficult situation; Agility +30 (already issued)】

【Fight alongside your cards (completed); 10 Silver Cards (already issued)】

【Not every battle will go smoothly; please attempt to seal an opponent of the same level during battle to further tap into the potential of a Card Master (3 Gold-Edged Cards pre-issued for this mission); Reward: 5 Gold-Edged Cards】

【Make ten thousand people feel fear; Charisma +10 (already issued)】

【Congratulations, you have taken a small step forward on the path of a villain. Keep up the good work and make more people tremble at the mere mention of your name; make thirty thousand people feel your fear; Style +10】

……

The battle ended, and a series of mission completion notifications echoed in Lin Bai's mind.

Lin Bai had black lines on his forehead.

The completion of the Card System and Extreme Counter-Kill System missions was within his expectations.

But why did the Super Villain System jump out to join the fun?

How did this lousy mission get completed so inexplicably?

Were there ten thousand people present?

He had conquered the coalition of several sects with love and justice, and actively treated the Cultivators injured by the Lightning Storm; after the battle, almost no one had died...

Was there any righteous sect member kinder than him?

How could he have made people afraid?

It was incomprehensible.

Furthermore.

One Villain System rewards Charisma, then rewards Style?

Are they sure this is shaping a villain, not a superhero?

After grumbling in his heart, the principled Lin Bai quickly put aside the minor unhappiness brought by the Super Villain System and once again discarded the Villain System into the cold palace.

He believed.

The misunderstanding was only temporary; the day he brought stability and peace to the cultivation world, everyone would realize the benefits of the Justice Alliance, reverse their impressions of him, and subsequently support and worship him fanatically.

……

A Gold-Edged Card had sealed Li Zhenren.

Now.

Aside from the three Golden Cards used for the Card System's mission, Lin Bai still had one Gold-Edged Card, fifteen Silver-Edged Cards, and ten one-time-use Blank Cards in his hand, as well as four Red Ropes from the Yuelao System, seven Love Arrows, and nine Resistance Arrows...

Compared to the intricate and complex situation he was about to face, Lin Bai's trump cards were actually not many.

However.

Li Zhenren's addition had suddenly increased Lin Bai's personal strength by a large margin, so he did not need to worry too much about the future...

After all.

His trump cards were true trump cards, capable of turning the tide at critical moments.

Moreover.

To a certain extent, the Justice Alliance could be considered to have initially gotten on the right track.

Having witnessed the process of Lin Bai subduing a Spirit Transformation expert with their own eyes, the unruly sect leaders like Xin Shang and He Qin had become much more submissive.

Most of the Justice Alliance members had been thoroughly moved by Lin Bai's love and justice and chose to submit; the NPCs of the Justice Alliance were united as never before.

Lin Bai possessed a team, and the power of a team was immense, sufficient to help him complete more missions as quickly as possible and help him rapidly grind up his strength.

……

The difficulty of the new mission given by the Card System had doubled.

Up to now.

The Puppets Lin Bai had sealed were either beaten by him until they were severely injured and near death, or their will had been completely disintegrated by him using various means.

He had never tried to seal an opponent directly during a battle...

The success rate of the card's seal was thirty percent; with the two situations mentioned above, combined with Lin Bai's super-high Luck, the success rate reached one hundred percent.

But sealing during a battle... when the confrontation between the two sides was at its peak, could it be sealed successfully?

Were the three Gold-Edged Cards given enough?

The most critical point was that Lin Bai hadn't figured out what his own level was.

Releasing Qingyu and Huaxi from the cards made him a Golden Core Peak; releasing Daoxu and Pei Yanzong made him a Nascent Soul Peak; counting Li Zhenren, he was a Spirit Transformation expert...

Which stage did an expert of the same level refer to?

Lin Bai's fluctuating strength made it impossible for him to figure out what the standard for mission completion was.

Unable to figure it out, he simply stopped thinking about it.

After victory came the harvest season.

With the addition of new members to the Justice Alliance, many stalled missions could be restarted, and the Card System's missions could wait until he encountered enemies.

……

Li Zhenren was released from the card by Lin Bai, dazed and having lost his consciousness.

Daoxu looked at his master, his gaze desolate; from this moment on, Huilong Temple could be considered completely removed from the list. He sighed inwardly, knowing this would happen, why covet that Lingjie Fengxi; he should have just given it to Lin Bai.

Pei Yanzong looked at Li Zhenren with pity, reaching out to tidy his tattered clothes, his gaze full of tenderness: "Sect Leader Lin, when can you help Li-lang recover his consciousness?"

"When the affairs of the Justice Alliance are as smooth as wheat waves blown by the wind, I will help Li Zhenren recover his consciousness." Lin Bai affectionately stroked the head of the little white fox, his face overflowing with an irrepressible smile.

There was no help for it; he could not help himself.

Having shared Li Zhenren's Spiritual Power and Skills, he finally felt the vastness of heaven and earth; the Spiritual Power in his dantian was truly like a great river, inexhaustible and boundless, not to mention that method of Void Talisman Drawing...

Let's put it this way!

Even if he did not use the Moon-Chasing, he could rely on brute force to suppress everyone present.

"Sect Leader, what about my Separation Arrow?" Daoxu asked with a fawning smile, rubbing his hands together.

Lin Bai pointed at Pei Yanzong, too lazy to make an analogy for him.

Daoxu understood immediately and quietly breathed a sigh of relief; he was not afraid of Lin Bai reneging on his debt. Although Lin Bai was arrogant and domineering, he had kept every promise he ever made, and his character was trustworthy.

Pei Yanzong looked at Daoxu with a smile, hesitating to speak: "Daodao, are you really not going to reconsider? I once gave my life for you. As long as you are willing, I can help you persuade Brother Li, and the three of us can live together..."

"Get lost," Daoxu scolded with a laugh.

The disciples of the Canyang Sect watched their Sect Leader's humble appearance, and after hesitating for a long time, no one had the courage to step forward and acknowledge him; it was too shameful.

Lin Bai stopped paying attention to the two flirting with each other, restrained his smile, and looked at He Qin, Xin Shang, and the others opposite him.

Several Sect Leaders stood cautiously in front of Lin Bai, their attitudes as respectful as could be.

This was the way of self-preservation.

This was respect for the strong.

This was respect for a freak.

"Alliance Leader, please forgive our previous disrespect." He Qin and the others cupped their fists and bowed to Lin Bai.

"No matter, my heart is as vast as the ocean; I will not hold a grudge against others for matters as insignificant as duckweed. By joining the Justice Alliance, we are all one family. A family is like a boat, and we are all helmsmen on this boat. Only by working together can we let the boat sail far away with the wind," Lin Bai said with high spirits.

Not hold a grudge for insignificant matters?

Everyone subconsciously looked at Daoxu Zhenren; if they remembered correctly, he had only provoked his master a few times, and you had tortured him to the point of death!

And he is still your Puppet?

We were the ones who truly opposed you as an entire sect...

Everyone felt bitter in their hearts, yet they still had to show a smile to Lin Bai against their will: "Thank you, Alliance Leader, for your magnanimity."

"Congratulations to the Alliance Leader, the Justice Alliance has added new members. Congratulations to Sect Leader He for choosing the correct path." Xin Shang and the others were all smiles; their former rivals had also been forced by Lin Bai to join the Justice Alliance—why did it feel so good!

"Same to you, same to you," He Qin and the others replied through gritted teeth.

Lin Bai smiled.

Everyone was forced to maintain a uniform smile.

Although the smiles of the people around were uniformly fake and looked a bit creepy, one got used to it after a while; he couldn't be expected to keep himself from smiling, could he!

"With new members joining the alliance, the Justice Alliance is expanding rapidly like a pufferfish that has swallowed a bellyful of air. On this occasion of universal celebration, why don't we, like celebrating the New Year, brim with the sweetest smiles? Shall we return to the Chaoyuan Sword Sect in a line as orderly as ants moving house, and then discuss the subsequent development of the alliance together?" Lin Bai looked around at everyone and proposed.

"We obey the Alliance Leader's order," everyone said in unison.

Although the Alliance Leader's metaphors were a bit strange, at this juncture, who dared to object?

Just understanding the meaning was enough.

Besides.

The Alliance Leader was practicing the "Word Becomes Law"; at a time like this, listening to more of his metaphors might come in handy for them in the future!

"Shopkeeper Lin is mighty!"

"The Justice Alliance is mighty!"

"The Beggar Sect will surely win!"

"Feipeng Automobile congratulates the Justice Alliance on adding new members!"

"Langchi Chip, adding a powerful core to the Justice Alliance!"

"Lanxin Chewing Gum, chew two at a time, even the metaphors you speak will be extra fresh!"

The happiest were the players of the Beggar Sect.

The Chaoyuan Sword Sect being conquered by Lin Bai meant that all the cultivation sects around Qian City had been brought under the Justice Alliance.

It also meant that they could learn any Skill they wanted as they pleased, without any obstacles in between.

Relying on this point, the Beggar Sect players were at least eight streets ahead of the players in other cities.

Although Lin Bai's Fazhe Zhidao was immensely powerful, its universality was too poor; if players wanted to grow, they still had to rely on sect Skills.

And.

Li Zhenren had shown them the power of the Transformation Realm.

Lin Bai had also struggled a bit when dealing with it and had almost suffered a loss, only escaping disaster by being torn apart.

If they could cultivate to the Transformation Realm, pushing Lin Bai might be as easy as turning over one's hand.

After all.

They had many people, and they were not afraid of death!

He Qin led the way in front.

Everyone chatted and laughed as they returned to the Chaoyuan Sword Sect in a grand procession.

In the woods at the foot of the mountain.

The Cangming Sword Immortal, dressed in black, trembled while holding his famous Magic Tool, the Cangming Sword.

He looked at Lin Bai, who was surrounded by the crowd in the sky; he raised his Sword several times, but did not dare to release his Sword Qi.

The Cangming Sword Immortal had actually arrived even earlier than Li Zhenren, and he had witnessed the entire process of the battle between Lin Bai and his own Disciple.

And then.

He lost his nerve.

The name Cangming Sword Immortal sounds very imposing.

But in reality, he practices the Sword of the Deviant Dao, specializing in assassination and concealment, striking enemies with a single blow from the shadows. He understood all of He Qin's plans, intending to coordinate with them to launch a fatal strike when He Qin assassinated Lin Bai.

With him making the move.

Lin Bai would surely be unable to defend against it.

Throughout the entire battle, Cangming Sword Immortal had been secretly searching for Lin Bai's weaknesses, but until the very end, he never found an opportunity to strike.

In fact, the moment Li Zhenren used Flash to kill Lin Bai, he had an opportunity to strike.

But the unsightly state of Li Zhenren, who was involuntarily controlled by the Love Dao, terrified Cangming Sword Immortal, and he simply did not dare to thrust out a sword that would have been a sure success.

He was not afraid of death, but he was afraid of ending up with the same fate as Li Zhenren.

A dignified Transformation Realm expert, with nearly a thousand years of cultivation, ending up in such a state—it was laughable and worse than death!

"A bunch of useless things, how did you provoke such a formidable enemy? Giving this old man a pile of trouble for nothing..." Cangming Sword Immortal said in a mournful tone. He sheathed his Sword and muttered, "He Qin, you all endure for now. It won't be too late to deal with Lin Bai after I investigate what kind of background the Justice Alliance has! Old Li lost because he acted rashly without understanding Lin Bai's methods; his nature was too impatient, his temper too fiery... The Law Cultivation is too terrifying. Perhaps I should also ponder this so-called Love Dao; knowing oneself and the enemy is the only way to win every battle!"

Muttering his plans to himself.

Cangming Sword Immortal, like a ghost, fled rapidly from the shadows of the mountain forest. Only after reaching a hundred miles away did he fly off on his Sword, disappearing into the horizon.

"Beast-Ear, where did you go?" Long Lin, the sect leader of the Beast Taming Studio, frowned as he looked at the personal Disciple who had suddenly appeared before him, asking with displeasure.

"Reporting to Master, this Disciple went to investigate the situation of Lin Bai's battle against the Chaoyuan Sword Sect." 【I Love Beast-Ear Girl】 looked at the vast army of Demon Beasts, their expression somewhat dejected.

"Oh?" Long Lin raised an eyebrow. "How was the battle?"

"Defeated, a crushing defeat," said 【I Love Beast-Ear Girl】.

"Lin Bai was defeated?" Long Lin stood up abruptly from the flying crane he was riding.

"The Chaoyuan Sword Sect was defeated," 【I Love Beast-Ear Girl】 said, feeling listless.

The gap between them and the Beggar Sect Disciples was widening at a speed visible to the naked eye, to the point where they couldn't even muster much interest in the game anymore. Moreover, the Beast Taming Studio didn't even have the Beast-Ear Girls they liked.

"Defeated is good, defeated is good." Long Lin clapped his hands and laughed. "I was still worried that Lin Bai would be defeated and the Transformation Pill would fall into other hands! Defeated is good, Heaven is prospering my Beast Taming Studio!"

"Master, don't be happy too early." 【I Love Beast-Ear Girl】 sighed and said gloomily, "Take my advice: turn back and return home, then plan again! With our small force, going there is just serving as a snack for Shopkeeper Lin."

"Stop inflating others' morale and extinguishing your own prestige," Long Lin laughed. "You have only been initiated for a short time; you probably don't understand that every sect fears fighting my Beast Taming Studio, with our endless Demon Beasts at our command..."

"The people from the Evil Five Sects watched the fun the whole time. Lin Bai fought the combined forces of the Chaoyuan Sword Sect, Medicine King Valley, and Spirit Tool Pavilion alone. Li Zhenren, the Transformation Realm expert from Huilong Temple, was taken down by Lin Bai in two rounds. Lin Bai wasn't harmed a single bit throughout the whole process, and in the end, he even turned him into his own Puppet." 【I Love Beast-Ear Girl】 interrupted their arrogant sect leader and shook their head. "If the sect leader is confident, feel free to go."

"..." Long Lin was stunned. After a long while, he finally came to his senses. "Is this true?"

"Why would I lie to you? The whole battle, including cleaning up the battlefield, didn't even take an hour. Doesn't that explain the problem?" 【I Love Beast-Ear Girl】 said. "If you don't believe me, you can ask the other junior brothers. I reckon it won't be long before the *Justice Weekly* reports the battle situation."

"How is that possible?" Long Lin was distraught and muttered, "How could an unknown young man from a crooked, evil path have such powerful combat strength? Could it be that he is even better than the geniuses of the Seven Righteous Sects?"

"I don't know about geniuses," said 【I Love Beast-Ear Girl】. "But I know that with our numbers—no, even with all our people and beasts—going there is just adding a side dish for the Justice Alliance. To deal with Lin Bai, without a dozen or so Transformation Realm experts, it's simply impossible..."

As they were speaking.

They suddenly paused and said excitedly, "Master, this Disciple has a plan. It might be feasible?"

"Speak." Long Lin had not yet recovered from the shock of Lin Bai's astonishing combat power, and his expression was somewhat cold.

"We join the Justice Alliance directly!" 【I Love Beast-Ear Girl】 said excitedly. "In order to promote his Law Cultivation, the Justice Alliance accepts anyone they see. If we take the initiative to defect, he surely wouldn't drive us out! As long as we enter the alliance and gain his trust, steal the formula for the Transformation Pill, and then defect back, we won't have lost anything..."

"Nonsense." Long Lin glared at them fiercely and said with a dark face, "My Beast Taming Studio is upright and honorable; how could we engage in such sneaky, petty behavior? Do not let me hear similar words again. I know what you are thinking; the Transformation Pill concerns the future of the Beast Taming Studio, and I will find a way to obtain it myself."

(End of this chapter)