Chapter 313: The Secret to Cultivating the Dao

"... Boundless magic power, invincible in attack, and ever-victorious in battle?" Xu Longyun looked at Lin Bai, her eyes filled with a smile.

"Patent rights cannot restrain them; only by making them feel extreme shame will they shift their hatred for me onto others," Lin Bai smiled and said.

"Aren't you afraid they will hate you even more?" Xu Longyun asked with a smile.

"Happiness is found through comparison. When they see someone even more miserable than themselves, they will naturally stop hating me," Lin Bai said, looking at Ye Song, Xiao Yun, and the others, then asked, "Seeing the plight of Tuohai and the others, you must be very glad you joined the Justice Alliance early, right?"

Ye Song and the others felt a complex mix of emotions, but they had to admit that Lin Bai had truly hit the nail on the head; they were indeed feeling glad...

Playing with people's hearts!

This guy was undoubtedly a complete demon.

"Master, what should I do if they don't shout the slogans?" the little white fox blinked her eyes and asked timidly.

"There are over ten thousand people in the group who want to join the Justice Alliance. If more than a third shout the slogans, everyone in the group will be unable to shake off this black pot." Lin Bai glanced at the sky, his gaze sharp, "This is a psychological game involving coercion, conformity, reverse rationalization, Stockholm syndrome, sunk cost, and other effects. Throughout history, no one has been able to escape this combination of punches; they will surely yield."

"..." Xu Longyun looked at Lin Bai in confusion, recalling the debate between Lin Bai and Wuwang Chanshi outside Zhen City, and couldn't help but ask, "Is this all knowledge from the Justice Sect?"

"Yes, these are all part of a monumental work on the human heart summarized by the Nine Ancestors of the Justice Sect after observing the myriad states of all living beings. When I find the way back to the Justice Sect in the future, I will take you all to study it," Lin Bai looked around at everyone and smiled.

Everyone was forced to smile, yet in their hearts, they felt a quiet yearning for the Justice Sect.

Lin Bai kept promoting it, and the legendary Justice Sect had long since become a holy land in their hearts. It seemed as if they only needed to reach the Justice Sect to become saints, and everyone was waiting for the day they could officially enter it.

The Beggar Sect players from Zhen City and Qian City had all come to the Blood Sect via the Magpie Bridge, and the headquarters of *Justice Weekly* had also moved here, leaving behind only a few players to manage the Justice Alliance's businesses; however, these players accounted for a very small proportion.

Players could not guard their shops at all times. For them, the best choice was to leave the business to the natives to manage; they only needed to supply goods, check accounts, and collect money.

After all.

No matter what players did in the game, their level was the top priority. If their level was not high enough, even flying through the air would be much slower than others.

Moreover, with the Magpie Bridge, traveling between places did not take much time...

As more people arrived, the Blood Sect gradually became lively. At this time, the first thing all members of the Justice Alliance did was to find themselves a Dao companion, and the disciples of the sects under the Moon Spirit Sect immediately became hot commodities.

The Magpie Bridge connected the Taiyi Kingdom, and Lin Bai had integrated all the subordinate sects of the Seven Righteous Sects and the Demonic Five Sects in the Taiyi Kingdom, so there was no shortage of female cultivators in the alliance.

But calculated by proportion, the number of female cultivators was still pitifully small.

However, this did not prevent the members of the alliance from finding their Dao companions.

The stories of Wuwang and Zhou Zu, and the Purple-Robed Ancestor and Hu Qing, had long been deeply rooted in people's hearts. Within the alliance, the definition of love was quite broad; if there weren't enough female cultivators, Demon Beasts would fill the gap...

Of course, many people could not accept such alternative love in their hearts, but the alliance's current benefit was that having a Dao companion could save one's life. This point was tempting enough; the deaths in Zhen City were a warning. In case Lin Bai failed to protect them, they could continue to live even if they were transformed into demon cultivators...

When life and love were linked, everything else ceased to be a problem.

However, a Dao companion was just a Dao companion. Most people had signed contracts in advance; if they met a more suitable partner, they would break up peacefully. After all, their current love was just for the sake of survival.

As for the Dao of Love, hardly anyone practiced it anymore. The Alliance Leader understood the divine ability of the Dao of Love too quickly and was walking further and further down the path of the Love God; who could compete with him?

Rather than thinking about the Dao of the Love God, it was better to say more nice things and ponder the Heavenly Dao!

The next day.

Leaving Xin Shang and others whose cultivation was insufficient to manage the Blood Sect.

Lin Bai took his few disciples, Ye Song and other Great Vehicle Realm cultivators, as well as the players acting as live-streaming tools, the Fengqiuhuang Group, and headed toward the Shengji Sect in a grand procession.

This was all the combat power the current Justice Alliance could muster.

Compared to the Demonic Five Sects, the Justice Alliance's high-end combat power was pitifully scarce.

The highest cultivation level of the Justice Alliance members left guarding the Blood Sect was only the Spirit Transformation Realm. Even with the Xuehai as a barrier, they would absolutely not be able to defend the new sect if anyone came to attack.

Fortunately, Lin Bai's Justice Alliance possessed super mobility; once the Magpie Bridge was set up, they could return immediately. Lin Bai could not defend the vast Taiyi Kingdom, but guarding a few key sects was completely fine.

To be safe, Xu Longyun and others closest to Lin Bai were still brought along by him.

In the whole world.

Only by his side was the safest; Lin Bai did not want to do anything he would regret.

Lin Bai and the others walked with Cen Qing, and not far behind them was the singing and dancing Fengqiuhuang Group.

In just one night, Cen Qing's face had turned pale, her eyes were dark, and she looked as haggard as an ordinary person who hadn't slept for several days, showing none of the demeanor of a Great Vehicle Realm cultivator.

"Master, this group of people argued all night last night, and some even tried to persuade me to let them go, especially Ancestor Tuohai, who is bent on dying together with you. You must be on guard against him..." Cen Qing's voice was hoarse as she reported the situation to Lin Bai. When she discovered that her cultivation speed had increased by fifty percent, she naturally changed her address to call Lin Bai Master.

"Let them discuss it." Lin Bai looked at Cen Qing with pity, reached out and grabbed a handful of Spirit Fruit, and handed them to Cen Qing, "These guys just want to torture you, to make you unable to endure it, and eventually reveal a flaw, giving them a chance to survive. You must hold fast to your original heart and not be bewitched by them. Take these Concentration Fruit; when you can't hold on, eat one to use them to temper your own Spirit Soul. As a disciple of the Justice Sect, you cannot be worse than a third-rate sect."

Ever since he had rounded up all the male cultivators of the Blood Sect into the Fengqiuhuang Group, the ten thousand cultivators had already become his reservoir of Negative Emotion.

Spirit Fruit were being farmed out by the handful.

Defeating the Blood Sect, the people of the Taiyi Kingdom and the disciples of the Justice Alliance had been providing him with a constant stream of Positive Emotion Value.

The two Emotion Trees had a bumper harvest, full to the brim with fruit. Lin Bai couldn't finish eating them even if he ate until the year of the monkey, so he didn't feel any heartache when giving them away.

"Thank you, Master."

Cen Qing took the Spirit Fruit and thanked Lin Bai.

The Spirit Fruit emitted a strange fragrance, and she subconsciously popped one into her mouth.

The effect of the Spirit Fruit was immediate.

In the blink of an eye, Cen Qing's fatigue vanished, and she was once again full of vigor.

She was in the Great Vehicle Realm, and her perception of the Spirit Soul was much more sensitive than that of Xin Shang and the others. Just one fruit made her realize the miraculous nature of the Spirit Fruit.

Her eyes lit up, and she suddenly felt that all the torture she had suffered was worth it. There were no side effects at all; the Justice Sect was truly worthy of being a legendary holy land.

Lin Bai looked at the smug Ancestor Tuohai and the others, and continued to instruct his disciple: "Cen Qing, they can stimulate you, and you can also stimulate them. This group of ready-made people is chasing after you; you can use them to practice 'Words Follow the Law'. The Heavenly Dao cultivates the human heart and the myriad states of all living beings. This group of people is a vivid picture of the mortal world—what a great opportunity for cultivation. If you can cultivate the Heavenly Dao before your master, it will also be a blessing for the Justice Sect."

Ye Song and the others were lost in thought.

"Cultivate 'Words Follow the Law'?" Cen Qing was full of surprise.

"Yes." Lin Bai looked around and asked, "Who has the booklet of 'Words Follow the Law' quotes? Give a copy to Cen Qing."

A player came running over, stumbling slightly, and presented the "Warmth Chapter" of *Words Manifesting* to Cen Qing.

Cen Qing took it, flipped through it casually, and her face turned red involuntarily; she fidgeted and said, "Master, is it really appropriate to say these things to those people?"

Lin Bai smiled as he looked at her, shook his head, and said, "Cen Qing, a Disciple of the Justice Alliance can afford to lag behind in cultivation, but their eloquence must be excellent, and their skin must be thick. The reason I have grown so fast is precisely because of these two secrets; I would not lead you astray."

"You do not have a Dao companion yet. The Fengqiuhuang Group includes those at the Tribulation Transcendence Realm and Great Vehicle Realm. They are performing their talents for you now solely to gain your favor."

"You may choose a suitable partner from among them. I possess the Love Arrow and can certainly play matchmaker for you; with one shot, you will have a Dao companion who is completely obedient to you. Why not do it?"

……

"Despicable."

"Shameless brat."

……

Tuohai and the others had all learned about Lin Bai, so they naturally knew how overbearing the Love Arrow was. Once struck by the Love Arrow, one was worse off than a Puppet. One by one, they were so humiliated and angry that they began to curse him again.

Lin Bai did not take it to heart.

Cen Qing swept a look of disdain over the crowd and shook her head, saying, "Master, what talents do these guys have? Who would like a man who has flipped countless somersaults in front of you? Moreover, these guys are fickle and petty. Having stayed with this bunch of filthy people for so long, I see them all as nothing but clowns. How could I possibly fancy them..."

"As you wish," Lin Bai said with a smile. "Being my Disciple is the happiest thing in the world. You don't need to be restrained in the future; if you have any requests, just come to me. If I can do it, I will certainly satisfy you. If I cannot do it for the time being, I will satisfy you once my abilities have grown."

Cen Qing's face flushed red. She snuck a glance at Xu Longyun and the others before bowing gracefully to Lin Bai: "Thank you, Master."

Jiang Qingqin glared back at her and let out a cold snort.

Xu Longyun, however, did not take it to heart. Although what Lin Bai said sounded like sweet nothings, she knew that Lin Bai could never be with Cen Qing.

If he cared about Cen Qing, he would not have let her go to Tuohai and the others to practice *Words Manifesting*...

Besides, Lin Bai had to have a few true Disciples!

However.

Lin Bai had indeed passed on his signature skills to Cen Qing, but how easy was it to cultivate a face as thick and an eloquence as capable of reversing heaven and earth as Lin Bai's?

……

The words Lin Bai used to teach Cen Qing opened the gates of the devil.

On the journey that followed, the Fengqiuhuang Group became increasingly lively.

Cen Qing did not use the Fengqiuhuang Group to practice *Words Manifesting*—she could not bring herself to say the words—but she began to follow Lin Bai's example, using her words to provoke and divide Tuohai and the other ancestors.

However.

Ye Song and the others ran off to the Fengqiuhuang Group to practice their eloquence.

There were also players who followed Lin Bai's example, going to find these special NPCs to practice *Words Manifesting*; some players went to bewitch them, finding all sorts of ways to provoke them and find amusement in them, and some even used them to verify newly cultivated techniques. In any case, the Fengqiuhuang Group was absolutely protected, so there was no fear of beating them to death...

With a perverted Alliance Leader, the people below followed suit in their perversion. Everyone in the team was contributing to the Justice Alliance's "hawk-taming" tactics.

The once self-contented Fengqiuhuang Group had effectively become a giant toy for the Justice Alliance, adding quite a bit of fun to the tedious journey.

……

From the Blood Sect to the Shengji Sect, it would take two days even at Lin Bai's pace.

During this period, Tuohai and the others suffered a comprehensive, all-out bombardment from the Justice Alliance, leaving them physically and mentally exhausted.

They no longer had the heart to scheme or curse Lin Bai.

As for Lin Bai's backend, the emotions these guys originally provided were anger, hatred, and so on.

As Lin Bai used endless methods on them, the emotions of most people gradually transformed into fear, depression, and even anxiety...

After a day and a night, some at the Great Vehicle Realm were already on the verge of collapse, crying and begging to join the Justice Alliance.

……

However.

When the Justice Alliance's team neared the Shengji Sect, apart from the players who still occasionally had the heart to tease the Fengqiuhuang Group, Ye Song and the other Great Vehicle Realm cultivators had long since reined in their thoughts and began to guard the surroundings, preventing any sudden attacks.

The Shengji Sect was the strongest among the Demonic Five Sects. It did not rely on natural barriers like the Xuehai or the Poison Sect, but instead relied on a Spirit Tree to protect the sect.

This Spirit Tree was called Green Wood by the Shengji Sect; it was a thousand zhang tall, with one half yin and one half yang.

The yang side had dense Spirit Qi, and cultivating on this side yielded twice the result with half the effort. The closer one was to the roots, the denser the Spirit Qi, which could almost match the additional 50% cultivation speed bonus from Lin Bai's Dao of the Master.

The yin side was filled with gusts of yin wind all day long, with dense death energy, as if it were the Yellow Springs. It could be used to temper the body or to cultivate yin-attribute techniques. Ye Lan's *Dead Man Sutra* was cultivated on the yin side of the Green Wood.

The fruits on this Spirit Tree had the effect of Spirit Refining and extending life. Consuming one could increase one's lifespan by a thousand years; this was the Shengji Sect's greatest reliance.

After all.

Cultivators below the Void Refinement Realm had limited lifespans. Once they failed to break through to the Great Vehicle Realm, they could die at any time. The lifespan increased by the Green Wood Fruit provided them with more possibilities for breakthroughs.

It was a pity that although the Green Wood was tall, the number of fruits it bore was extremely scarce, and the cycle of fruiting was even longer.

It took three thousand years for a fruit to go from blooming to ripening. During this period, due to various reasons, the fruits would wither and fall.

In the end, they could harvest no more than a thousand or so.

Since the founding of the Shengji Sect, they had only retained a little over two thousand fruits.

If it were not for the scarcity of the fruits, the Shengji Sect would not have been suppressed by the Heavenly Dao Sect for so many years; they would have long since suppressed the world with the Green Wood.

"Master, the Green Wood is very important to the continuation of the Shengji Sect. If they lose the Green Wood, the Shengji Sect will be half-destroyed, so they will absolutely not abandon their sect." Ye Song looked at the towering Green Wood, feeling emotional. "Even if they retreat, they will definitely leave behind a contingency. We must be careful..."

"The Blood Sect can activate the Xuehai as an array. You of the Shengji Sect have studied the Green Wood for so many years; have you not found any defensive methods, relying entirely on people when encountering foreign enemies?" Lin Bai asked.

"The people of the Shengji Sect have the strongest cultivation and have always disdained relying on external forces." Ye Song shook his head. He was silent for a moment and said, "However, legend has it that the Green Wood has a spirit; as long as the tree does not die, the spirit does not perish. If the Shengji Sect is in trouble, the Tree Spirit will automatically manifest to protect it."

"But for tens of thousands of years, the Shengji Sect has encountered several invasions, yet the Tree Spirit has never appeared. No one has taken it seriously for a long time. I reckon even the Sect Leader thinks the Tree Spirit is just a rumor and would not treat it as a contingency..."

(End of this chapter)