Chapter 295: Lion's Big Opening

Is this realizing that the Fazhe Zhidao is fake?

Lin Bai looked at Xu Longyun and nodded at her; in truth, up to this point, he no longer cared much about the game's behind-the-scenes manipulations or the system's secrets.

Having stirred up such a massive situation, he had progressed from the initial stage of building momentum to being swept along by the situation itself.

To not move forward is to die.

However, Lin Bai had long since grown fond of this feeling.

Looking down upon the world, manipulating the fate of everyone. No matter how well one manages things on Earth, one could never enjoy such honors, such status, and such a position.

Fazhe Zhidao?

Once the world is unified and he sits in the highest position, whether it is real or fake will no longer matter.

At that time.

If he wants to be a Heavenly Demon, he will be a Heavenly Demon; if he wants to be the Heavenly Dao, he will be the Heavenly Dao...

"Master, I want to eat the roasted meat you make." After expressing her stance to Xu Longyun, the little white fox pursed her lips and said coyly, "I want to learn the Way of Cooking."

Xu Longyun and Jiang Qingqin's eyes drifted, and their faces flushed instantly.

"Fine, let's find a place with no one around, and I'll roast it for you all to eat." Lin Bai readily agreed.

To tell the truth, he was also curious about what it felt like to eat food made by the Chef God System; without experiencing it personally, he always felt like something was missing from life.

Separating Qingyu and Huaxi, dropping one a hundred miles away, and then rapidly crossing the distance via the Magpie Bridge—repeating this several times, Lin Bai and his disciples had already moved far away from Zhen City and arrived in a no-man's-land.

It must be said.

The speed of using Puppets combined with the Magpie Bridge is convenient and fast for traveling, many times faster than Sword Boats or the like, and even faster than the explosive power of the Great Vehicle Realm.

Lin Bai felt that he didn't need to wait for the Magpie Bridge to cover the whole country; he could already use the Magpie Bridge to launch surprise attacks.

Food made through the Way of Cooking causes people to briefly lose their senses.

Even with several Great Vehicle Realm Puppets for protection, Lin Bai did not wish to place himself in danger. Of course, he even less wanted the seductive expressions of Xu Longyun and the others to be seen by outsiders.

One's own disciples should only be appreciated by oneself.

There were leftover ingredients from before, but Lin Bai did not intend to feed his own people stale ingredients.

He released the sealed Demon Beast from the card, cut off its wings before the astonished eyes of Xu Longyun and the others, and then took the card back to let it slowly recover.

After deploying several Great Vehicle Realm Puppets to the surroundings, Lin Bai calmly began to process the food.

Watching Lin Bai cook was a pleasing sight, and Xu Longyun and the others waited for the delicacies with great interest.

The moment the roasted Flying Dragon wings were cooked, golden light filled the sky, and the fragrance was intoxicating.

After a moment of absent-mindedness, the little white fox, Jiang Qingqin, and Xu Longyun scrambled to put the roasted meat into their mouths.

No one could resist the temptation of fine food.

In front of Lin Bai, there was nothing to be self-conscious about; apart from the little white fox who was just greedy, the other two were practically dying to show off their graceful figures to Lin Bai!

And so.

Lin Bai enjoyed the most beautiful scenery of his life; even with his super-strong self-control, he almost couldn't hold back.

Taking advantage of the women's dazed expressions, Lin Bai also tasted a piece of roasted meat, personally experiencing that intoxicating sensation.

Usually, he ate Spirit Fruit like candy, and he didn't know how deep his accumulated Mental Power was, yet even so, he could not resist the extreme pleasure brought by the food.

However, with high Mental Power comes high resistance; Lin Bai woke up, but the women were still immersed in their own worlds, and the little white fox and Hu He had long since revealed their original forms.

Xu Longyun and Jiang Qingqin lay on the grass, involuntarily letting out murmurs, completely forgetting where they were.

Seeing this scene, Lin Bai took out a camera to record the beautiful scenery while secretly swearing to himself that he would never eat any food he made without ensuring his own safety.

Although the time spent losing oneself was short, the complete loss of judgment regarding the outside world was simply handing one's life over to others.

Moreover, long-term consumption of food made by the Chef God System would also corrode his strong will; with his enterprise not yet achieved, he absolutely must not indulge in the enjoyment of food and beauty.

The Spirit Fruit actually could not produce resistance to the food made by the Chef God System.

The Chef God System is too terrifying.

Xu Longyun and the others, having sobered up, hurriedly tidied their disheveled clothes, each of them blushing and not daring to look at Lin Bai; seeing the gaze Lin Bai cast, their eyes flickered, not daring to meet his eyes.

Only the little white fox rushed over brazenly, snatching another piece of roasted meat to gorge herself: "Master, it's so delicious! Just now, I felt like I was lying in Master's arms, and Master's hand was stroking my fur—it was so comfortable, so comfortable that it went right into my bones. Master, can we eat roasted meat like this every day from now on?"

"Sure, whenever I have time in the future, I will make it for you all," Lin Bai promised with a smile.

As soon as the words were spoken.

Xu Longyun and Jiang Qingqin's faces turned even redder.

Lin Bai tore off two pieces of roasted meat and handed them to them, saying, "Eat. After the first bite, that strange feeling won't happen again, and you can enjoy the food with peace of mind."

As he spoke.

He also released Qingyu and Huaxi, letting them taste the delicious roasted meat as well; as tools for travel, he couldn't just let them work without letting them enjoy things!

Lin Bai is not a black-hearted boss.

After everyone finished their meal, Xu Longyun used the Linglong Bead to return directly to the Zhenguo Duke Mansion.

Then.

She took the Magpie Bridge in the Capital to return to Zhen City; the return trip was even faster than the journey there.

The way Xu Longyun used the Linglong Bead gave Lin Bai inspiration; he decided to keep the cards of Pei Yanzong and Li Zhenren separate, keeping one in Zhen City and carrying the other with him.

At a critical moment, activating the card and then activating the Magpie Bridge would be equivalent to having an escape Magpie Bridge that belonged solely to him...

Trash is treasure that hasn't been placed in the right spot. As low-level Puppets, their cultivation could no longer keep up with current battles, but he couldn't waste the painstaking effort he had put into arranging a marriage for them; they still had to contribute their remaining heat.

After returning to the city.

Everyone entered a new round of busyness.

The Justice Alliance was in a state of disrepair waiting to be rebuilt; everyone's position was very important, and there was not much leisure time.

Lin Bai tried practicing the techniques of Tianmo Mountain for a while.

The techniques of Tianmo Mountain were strong in recovery and were life-preserving techniques, so Lin Bai paid the most attention to them.

It had to be said.

With his aptitude improved, Lin Bai's cultivation speed was indeed much faster, but compared to the players, there was still quite a gap.

Moreover.

Cultivation indeed wasted time; after circulating his Spiritual Power for a few cycles, a few hours had already passed.

In Lin Bai's view, this was a complete waste of life, far less efficient than pondering system tasks to improve.

Thus.

He gave up on cultivation again, sorted through the ongoing tasks, walked among the players, and began his daily eavesdropping.

Compared to NPCs, the players' private chats could always bring Lin Bai more and more timely information, allowing him to make more precise judgments about the situation inside and outside the game.

Lin Bai relied on this information even more than on system tasks.

Thus.

He learned of the new strategy of 【Yigaorendadan】—to go against his way of promoting the Law, thereby limiting his development.

Lin Bai knew this guy was the new account of 【Gugao Laoren】, but he was still stunned by his deductive ability; good heavens, he was one step away from guessing the system he was carrying.

However, Lin Bai did not take his plan too much to heart.

Two months ago, if someone had targeted him like this, it really might have cut off his growth, but now, his momentum was already established; how could it be easy to intercept him?

Lin Bai did not hate 【Gugao Laoren】 because of this; without him stirring up trouble, his own strength would not have grown so quickly.

Sometimes.

A qualified enemy often plays a greater role than a friend.

……

Of course.

Having acquired more wonderful Skills, Lin Bai was no longer limited to eavesdropping on other people's conversations.

When he heard that some players were persistently practicing "Words Follow the Law," he decisively used Being Read Mind to help them improve their progress.

Thus.

Some players practiced "Words Follow the Law" to the second stage, which quickly spread through the forums and caused a huge sensation among the players.

There was nothing more heartening than this.

With successful examples, the enthusiasm of many players who had long since given up on practicing the Law was rekindled.

……

Early the next morning.

Players like 【Baiyin】 and 【Huangye Lang】 sought out Lin Bai.

Lin Bai asked, "Something up?"

【Baiyin】 bowed to Lin Bai and said, "Alliance Leader, the Heavenly Dao Sect wants to conduct a negotiation with the Alliance Leader through us."

"Through you?" Lin Bai smiled, "They really thought of a way."

"Alliance Leader, the Justice Alliance has always been a whole; we can resolve any matter privately," 【Baiyin】 smiled, "But the distance between the Seven Righteous Sects and the Demonic Five Sects is vast, and they are not of one mind, so they rely more on the Heavenly Descended to pass information; it is much faster than traveling."

【Huangye Lang】 laughed, "The Alliance Leader has vast magical powers, so they don't dare to come to the door to negotiate in person."

"Using the heart of a villain to measure the belly of a gentleman; when two countries are at war, one does not behead the envoy. Could I really turn the negotiators into Puppets?" Lin Bai sneered, "With just this bit of narrow-mindedness, they are naturally a notch weaker than the Justice Alliance!"

"The Alliance Leader is right." 【Baiyin】 and the others offered flattery at the right time and asked, "Alliance Leader, are we going to talk to them?"

"Of course we'll talk." Lin Bai smiled, "I have to see what they are planning."

……

"Alliance Leader Lin, I am Yuan Qing, Sect Master of the Heavenly Dao Sect. We have already seen the information you released through *Justice Weekly*, and we regret that we cannot accept it."

Upon learning that Lin Bai had agreed to the negotiation, Patriarch Yuan Qing looked at the players in front of him, weighed his words, and said, "This old Daoist admits that the Fazhe Zhidao is indeed miraculous. Through our carelessness, we suffered losses and were taken advantage of by the Alliance Leader. But in the final analysis, the trend of the world is still on our side, so please, Alliance Leader Lin, take care of yourself."

"What about war reparations?" Lin Bai asked.

"The cultivators of the Seven Righteous Sects and the Demonic Five Sects were seized by Alliance Leader Lin and forced to work for you. For Alliance Leader Lin to ask for war reparations is a bit too overbearing," Patriarch Yuan Qing said, "In my view, Alliance Leader Lin should release the various cultivators you have captured in exchange for the peace of the Justice Alliance."

"So that means no reparations." Lin Bai smiled, "The Sect Master took the initiative to negotiate with me, yet started off with an overbearing attitude; there is no sincerity at all, so there's no point in talking. Let's just keep fighting. Others might fear you, but I truly do not."

【Anger from Yuan Qing; +1 +1 +1...】

Not long after saying this, the Negative Emotion of Patriarch Yuan Qing flashed through Lin Bai's mind.

Soon.

【Baiyin】 brought back the feedback from Patriarch Yuan Qing: "Does Alliance Leader Lin really want to be so aggressive? Nowadays, the Heavenly Descended are causing chaos in the world; the Alliance Leader shoulders the responsibility of spreading the Fazhe Zhidao, and the Justice Alliance keeps claiming to practice for the benefit of the people, but I observe Alliance Leader Lin's behavior, and it seems selfish and completely disregarding the common people. If a war between sects is truly provoked, how many people can you protect? The Seven Righteous Sects have a hundred times more Great Vehicle Realm cultivators in their mountain gates, and even have ancestors at the Tribulation Transcendence Stage sitting in command. Do you really think that so-called 'home-swapping' plan can succeed?"

"Then why did you come to negotiate with me?" Lin Bai poked at Yuan Qing's sore spot, "Old Sect Master, I am a person who never likes to talk nonsense. With the Heavenly Descended here, there are no secrets in the world. Regarding the demands you put forward, you must have discussed them for a whole night; it would be better to just state the results directly. Arguing for the upper hand in words has no meaning..."

After a long silence.

Patriarch Yuan Qing said: "First, there will absolutely be no war reparations; second, Chilian and Song Yaoqing of the Poison Sect and Blood Sect will not be handed over to you; third, you must release the several Great Vehicle Realm cultivators forced to surrender, including the Puppets you have sealed; fourth, the Justice Alliance must formally issue an apology statement to the Seven Righteous Sects; fifth, revoke the promotion of the Patent Law; sixth, the use of the Magpie Bridge must be supervised by people sent by the Seven Righteous Sects and the Demonic Five Sects..."

"And then?"

Lin Bai waited quietly for him to finish, then said, "The demands are stated; it's time to say something useful to me!"

Patriarch Yuan Qing said: "If Alliance Leader Lin can achieve the above points, the Seven Righteous Sects and the Demonic Five Sects will revoke the Righteous-Evil Execution Order against Alliance Leader Lin, allow the Justice Alliance to stand on its own, and spread the Fazhe Zhidao in the world. Alliance Leader Lin and the Taiyi Kingdom have committed faults, but the Seven Righteous Sects will let bygones be bygones..."

"How can you people think so beautifully?" Lin Bai was amused, "I called you Sect Master, and you really think you're someone. Those who don't know would think you were the ones who won the war. How thick-skinned can you be? Does the Justice Alliance need your recognition? Let's not continue talking; let's see the real results in action!"

"Alliance Leader Lin, the above are just the plans we provided. If you have any dissatisfaction, you can bring it up for us to discuss. Cultivation is not easy, and war at every turn is of no benefit to anyone," Patriarch Yuan Qing said.

"I didn't want to talk at all; you were the ones who wanted to talk. My meaning is to keep fighting. If you think my 'home-swapping' tactic doesn't work, let's see the real results in action. You don't want to give war reparations, so I'll go get them myself. You don't want to hand over the two culprits, Chilian and Song Yaoqing, so I'll go catch them myself. The Justice Alliance has such a large family business, all built through fighting. To the Alliance, war means wealth. You say stop fighting, so I should stop? Wouldn't that be cutting off my path to wealth?" Lin Bai said indifferently, "Sect Master, I invented a new way of traveling yesterday; it's faster than the Great Vehicle Realm. Instead of wasting time playing tricks on me, you'd better guess who I'm going to hit next?"

Thanks to Shamen Shi 1 for the Alliance Leader, I have no face left to speak of adding more chapters. After raising Lin Bai's strength, I am a bit unsure how to transition, and I am in a state of slight writer's block, so the plot seems a bit dull; please forgive me, everyone!

(End of this chapter)