Chapter 252

Not long after the new issue of *Heavenly Dao Review* was published, *Heavenly Dao Xing* and *Fozi Shuo* simultaneously released articles in rebuttal.

*Heavenly Dao Xing* argued that the review of Zhou Zu Real Person in *Heavenly Dao Review* was entirely one-sided and based purely on speculation; in the Heaven's Pride Tournament a thousand years ago, Zhou Zu Old Ancestor was the world's number one in name and reality, there was never any private duel off the stage, and the talk of him converting to Buddhism was completely groundless.

This expedition against Lin Bai was initiated by Zhou Zu Old Ancestor himself, and he did not snatch anyone's spot...

*Fozi Shuo* followed up by defending its own Zen Master, stating that Wuwang Chanshi has a firm Buddha heart and has never had a desire for victory or defeat; the Heaven's Pride Tournament is already water under the bridge and should not be brought up again, and he and Zhou Zu Real Person are close friends in private.

Although *Heavenly Dao Review* ranked him as number one, deep down, he believes that Zhou Zu Real Person is the true number one among the twelve, and he advised everyone not to be misled by *Heavenly Dao Review*, as the ranking has no meaning at all.

*Shengji Journal* published an article saying that the ranking is just for fun; Ye Song Demon Ancestor is at the bottom of the Shengji Sect in terms of strength, yet with such strength, he could actually be ranked third among the twelve, which shows how much water there is in the ranking...

*Flower Moon Journal* published an article stating that *Heavenly Dao Review* does not judge based on strength, but merely ranked Cen Qing Fairy last based on the Moon Spirit Sect's cultivation method, which is unfair.

……

The hype was quickly stirred up.

To put it in modern terms, the twelve Great Vehicle Stage experts sent out by the Righteous Seven Sects and the Demonic Five Sects had all made it onto the trending list.

In a world nearly devoid of entertainment resources, the common people are quite keen on things like rankings.

In ancient China, there were rankings like "First Lu, Second Zhao, Third Dian Wei" and the eighteen heroes of Sui and Tang; this world is no exception.

Therefore, the first issue of *Heavenly Dao Review* targeting individuals immediately triggered a violent reaction among the populace.

People were excitedly comparing the data and cultivation methods published by *Heavenly Dao Review*. Based on their preferences, they picked out the characters they liked and speculated on what kind of exciting stories would unfold when they encountered Lin Bai.

Since the establishment of the Justice Alliance, the lives of the common people have not seen much change, but entertainment has become much richer, and fresh news can be heard every single day.

Lin Bai's fame among the people is in full swing, having long since overshadowed everyone in the Cultivation World.

……

"Lin Bai can even dig up old, moldy stories and turn them into an article; this child is a marvelous person. If he could join my Buddha Spirit Sect, why worry that the Buddhist sect wouldn't flourish?"

Wuwang Chanshi is wearing a moon-white monk's robe and looks like a middle-aged man.

He turns his prayer beads, and several publications are laid out in front of him: *Justice Weekly*, *Heavenly Dao Xing*, *Fozi Shuo*, *Shengji Journal*, and so on, everything one expects to find.

At this moment, the page spread open before him is the one in *Heavenly Dao Review* about him:

Wuwang Chanshi:

Age: 1202 years old;

Height: 6 feet 3 inches;

Cultivation: No-Self Stage (equivalent to Great Vehicle Stage);

Dharma Treasure: Brocade Kasaya, Subduing Demon Prayer Beads, Purple Gold Alms Bowl;

Cultivation Method: Vajra Subduing Demon.

Personal Experience: Entered Vajra Temple at nine, entered Sramanera Realm the same year; entered Initial Zen Realm at 10, selected as a Heaven's Pride by Buddha Spirit Sect, apprenticed to Huitong Zen Master; entered Arhat Stage at 18, selected as the number one Golden Body Arhat within the Buddha Spirit Sect...

……

"This child wants to put this poor monk on the fire to roast!"

Wuwang Chanshi laughed dumbly, but the joy between his brows could not be hidden.

Ranking him first among the twelve Great Vehicle Stage experts—although he knows it is Lin Bai's tactic to sow discord, this honor has already added much luster to the Buddha Spirit Sect.

If he can also recruit Lin Bai into the Buddhist sect this time, it would not be impossible for the Buddha Spirit Sect to replace the Heavenly Dao Sect and become the leader of the Righteous Sect.

That's right.

The purpose of Wuwang Chanshi's trip is not to kill Lin Bai, but to convert Lin Bai into the Buddhist sect.

The cultivation method he excels in has never been Vajra Subduing Demon, but Vajra Converting Demon; otherwise, he wouldn't have nearly made Zhou Zu convert during the Heaven's Pride Tournament.

When he was at the Arhat Stage, he was able to subdue Zhou Zu by relying on Vajra Converting Demon; now that he has reached the No-Self Stage, taking down Lin Bai should not be a problem.

Wuwang does not believe that a young man in his early twenties can have a Dao Heart firm enough to resist a Great Vehicle Stage expert.

……

Heavenly Dao Sect.

Zhou Zu Real Person stands against the wind, a trace of ferocity flashing between his brows: "Lin Bai, Wuwang, you go too far."

Behind him.

A Void Refinement Realm cultivator named Jingming cautiously advised: "Master, this is Lin Bai's tactic to sow discord..."

"I know." Zhou Zu did not look back. "Old thief Wuwang and Qiu Liang of the Beast Taming Sect, these two definitely want to protect Lin Bai and profit from him. If they encounter Lin Bai first, it will be quite unfavorable for my Heavenly Dao Sect. I will go a step ahead and kill Lin Bai before everyone else to cut off their thoughts; you all follow later."

"Master, the Sect Master said to plan before acting." Jingming hurriedly advised, "Lin Bai has revealed the strength of the Great Vehicle Stage; it would be better to wait for the people from the Demonic Sects to strike first, find out Lin Bai's true strength, and then make plans."

"Probing again and again, Lin Bai is setting up a maze; if we wait any longer, the opportunity will be lost. If even a Great Vehicle Stage expert is timid, we might as well hand the world over to the Justice Alliance early and let everyone have peace." Zhou Zu scolded with a Zhaofeng, lifted his leg to step out, and when he reappeared, he was already ten miles away.

After a few steps, he had already disappeared from the sight of the Heavenly Dao Sect disciples.

Jingming looked at his master's disappearing figure and said with a worried brow: "Master has ultimately fallen for Lin Bai's provocation. Le Dao, inform the sect of Master's situation!"

……

Heavenly Sword Sect.

Ziyi Old Ancestor learned of the ranking in *Justice Weekly*, smiled slightly, threw the publication at his side away, and ignored it further. Then, he turned his attention to Mingyue, who was standing on the street, holding a small booklet, and offering warm blessings to everyone he met.

He underestimated the influence of *Justice Weekly* and underestimated the difficulty of cultivating laws.

In Chentu City, cultivating "words follow the law" has become a trend. On the street, one doesn't have to walk far to encounter one or two crazy scholars or knights practicing "words follow the law." Mingyue is mixed in among them and does not stand out, and the people of Chentu City are used to it.

It has even spawned a group of idlers who specialize in making fun of them.

"... Your efforts will be settled by time. In the future, when the time is ripe, the suffering you have experienced will turn into sweetness and be returned to you a hundredfold." Mingyue mustered his courage and had just sent warmth to the person opposite him.

The person opposite rolled his eyes at him: "Said it wrong?"

"What's wrong?" Mingyue asked subconsciously.

"Look, it's wrong now; your cultivation has been interrupted." That person laughed loudly, as if he had obtained great satisfaction, and strode away.

Leaving Mingyue dumbfounded, his fists clenched and then relaxed, relaxed and then clenched; he didn't recover for a long time.

Ziyi Old Ancestor watched from afar as Mingyue, who had started over ten times after only two hours of cultivation, put himself in Mingyue's position, and was shocked to find that his result would not necessarily be much better than Mingyue's.

Perhaps the unprovoked provocation of a passerby would have long since led him to start a massacre.

"Words Follow the Law" requires not only a sufficient vocabulary but also enough quick-wittedness; one cannot be disturbed by anyone's speech, and it further requires a firm heart that remains unmoved...

For ordinary people, it is fine; after suffering two setbacks, they might just give up.

But for those in the Cultivation World, once the inner demon of self-doubt is planted after failing at a hundred different practices, it is possible for inner demons to proliferate; the mild cases go mad, while the severe ones head toward destruction.

"Either the Fazhe Zhidao is real; or the Fazhe Zhidao is a conspiracy aimed at the Cultivation World." The Purple-Clothed Ancestor pondered quietly for a moment and reached a conclusion that made his hair stand on end.

Thinking of this.

The Purple-Clothed Ancestor took one last look at the bright moon, flashed a few times, and left Chentu City, returning to the Sword Boat, where he sought out a Heavenly Descended: "Send a message to the sect: the sect's prodigies must be extremely cautious when practicing Words Follow the Law. Lin Bai's Fazhe Zhidao is very likely the root that will destroy the Cultivation World."

After saying these words.

He looked again at the eldest Disciple beside him: "Song Guangxiao, are you willing to verify the Dao of Love on behalf of your master?"

Song Guangxiao's expression changed, and he stammered: "Master, this disciple is willing to verify the Dao of Love. But can Master refrain from abolishing this disciple's cultivation?"

"..." The Purple-Clothed Ancestor glanced at him and said, "Mingyue's temperament is unstable, which is why I destroyed his cultivation to firm up his Dao Heart. You possess the cultivation of the Void Refinement Realm, and your Dao Heart is sufficiently firm. Whether it is abolished or not is of no consequence. The Dao of Love requires mutual affection; if you become a cripple, what will you use to attract the women who admire you?"

Song Guangxiao let out a long breath: "This disciple is willing to practice the Dao of Love."

The Purple-Clothed Ancestor instructed: "Good. You take a Heavenly Descended, leave the group, and go to the Pointed Sword Sect to find a Dao companion. From this moment on, you need not concern yourself with Lin Bai's affairs; just devote your heart and soul to the Dao of Love. The Heavenly Descended have many devious ideas; you can let them devise strategies for you..."

Shengji Sect.

Ye Song, with his slender figure and handsome face, looked at the *Justice Weekly* and pondered for a long time before a smile suddenly crossed the corners of his mouth: "To be hunted by the Righteous and Evil Paths and still find time to host a cooking competition—what an interesting little fellow. Compared to you, the people of the Demon Sect are just too rule-abiding."

While speaking.

The muscles on his face swelled as if they had been inflated, and his original height of 1.8 meters compressed downward; in the blink of an eye, he had turned into a 1.7-meter-tall little fatty.

Along with his transformation, the intimidating pressure also vanished, retracting into his body.

Once all the changes were complete, Ye Song looked at the Disciple standing by and asked with a smile: "Lan, do I look like a chef?"

"You do." The Disciple named Lan was a woman with a voluptuous figure; black Qi coiled around her, yet her face was as pale as a dead person's. She gave off a deathly, lifeless feeling. Her gaze was dull as she turned to look at her master: "Is Master going to participate in the cooking competition?"

"With so many techniques, why must you practice the Dead Man Sutra? You've made yourself look neither human nor ghost. It is precisely because of these messy techniques that the Demon Sect cannot step into the light. In the future, when the Dao of Love becomes popular, it would be a miracle if anyone takes a fancy to you."

Ye Song looked at his female Disciple, lectured her, shook his head helplessly, and then said triumphantly, "That's right. Your master here plays among the mortals; I am proficient in everything from zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting to frying, stir-frying, and deep-frying. The people of the Righteous Sect are busy scheming against each other—some want to kill Lin Bai, some want to recruit Lin Bai, and some have their eyes on Lin Bai's techniques. They are all extremely stupid and will sooner or later be picked off one by one by Lin Bai. I, however, want to do the opposite. I am going to apprentice myself to Lin Bai, join his Justice Gate, and wreak havoc on the world with him, dismantling the Justice Gate from within."

"The Justice Gate has the Dao of Fortune Telling." Lan said coldly, "In Qian City, Lin Bai could call out everyone's name in one breath. If you go, you are throwing yourself into a net."

"There are many people in the world named Ye Song. How would he know that I am the famous Hundred Changes Demon Lord?" Ye Song said dismissively, "Even if he sees through me, so what? You don't really think your master can't beat him, do you?"

"I am not afraid that you cannot beat him; I am afraid that you will fall in love with him!" Lan maintained her dead-person face, "Love is the most poisonous of poisons. If you are struck by his Love Arrow, I won't even be able to save you."

"..." Ye Song froze for a moment, "Bad luck; I should have known better than to bring you out."

Lan stared straight at him: "I am doing this for your own good. I advise you to give up this unreliable idea."

"My mind is made up; you don't need to persuade me anymore." Ye Song looked at her, "Say something nice and see me off."

"There is a pure land in the heart, and innocence in the eyes; all your good luck is the result of your accumulated efforts." Lan paused for a moment, pulled a small booklet filled with warm words from her sleeve, flipped to a random page, and read the sentences on it with a straight face.

"..." Ye Song stared blankly at the booklet in Lan's hand, his brows furrowed in anger, "Well done, Ye Lan, you are actually secretly practicing Words Follow the Law? Is the sect's own technique not enough for you to practice? I have misjudged you. I announce that from today on, you are expelled from the sect."

"If you dare to expel me from the sect, I will tell the Heavenly Descended about you participating in the cooking competition." Lan closed the booklet in her hand and tilted her head.

"Hahaha!" Ye Song suddenly laughed, reached out, and patted Ye Lan on the shoulder, "Master was just joking with you, why did you take it seriously! It's settled then; your cultivation is sufficient, so I will leave the task of leading the team to you. Just wander around under my banner when you have nothing to do and provide cover for me."

After speaking.

A ball of black Qi exploded in front of Ye Lan, and immediately after, Ye Song disappeared entirely.

Leaving only Ye Lan, who looked up at the sky and said softly: "Go ahead with peace of mind, Master. If you fall in love with Lin Bai, tomorrow I will take all your disciples and go defect to the Mistress."

Moon Spirit Sect.

In front of Cen Qing.

Several players surrounded Cen Qing, chattering away.

"Fairy Cen, Lin Bai is blatantly discriminating against our Moon Spirit Sect! What is wrong with women? Women can hold up half the sky. The union of Yin and Yang is the supreme principle of heaven and earth; why does he look down on our Moon Spirit Sect?" 【Shusheng Xinlingmei】 said indignantly, "We must vent this anger and clear the name of our Moon Spirit Sect."

"How to clear the name?" Cen Qing looked at the Heavenly Descended before her with a half-smile and asked.

"Use his own methods against him." 【Shusheng Xinlingmei】 said, "Only by defeating Lin Bai head-on can we wash away the dirty water he splashed on us."

"Shusheng is right." 【Fenghuang Yufei】 said, "However, Lin Bai's Fazhe Zhidao is truly bizarre and impossible to guard against. We must think of a foolproof plan; acting rashly would mean falling into Lin Bai's trap, which would be counterproductive."

"Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated. We should first comprehend Lin Bai's Fazhe; even if we cannot grasp the divine ability, comprehending a way to break it would be beneficial to us." 【Zaodong Zhi Shou】 said, "Lin Bai is arrogant and has made the Fazhe Zhidao public. Since there is still time, we might as well give it a try..."

【Zui Ai Xianzi】 of Illusion Valley had been recruited by Lin Bai, but his feat of conquering an NPC had spread among the players.

Every LSP who joined the Moon Spirit Sect changed their game strategy, following the example and starting a new path of conquering NPCs.

Fight Lin Bai?

It was nothing more than an excuse to conquer NPCs!

Fairies are meant to be cherished, not sent to fight Lin Bai...

(End of chapter)