Chapter 317: Exhausting All Means

No one expected Lin Bai to come up with such a rotten idea; this was completely and aggressively poking at the other party's bottom line.

The surroundings fell silent, and everyone was watching Qingyun's reaction.

The series of miraculous methods Lin Bai had displayed had already won Qingyun's initial trust, but as she looked around, she realized something was wrong, though she did not know where the problem lay.

She had been startled by the Heavenly Tribulation and had only just awakened from her deep slumber; she had no idea what had happened in the outside world.

Qingyun asked cautiously, with a hint of suspicion: "What is a card?"

"Qingyun, do you see that fellow hanging upside down over there? Beat her until she is on the verge of death, and I will give you a demonstration," Lin Bai pointed toward the Ancestor of Peaches hanging there, guiding her step by step.

Qingyun's cultivation level was unfathomable, but it was certainly more powerful than the Tribulation Transcendence Realm.

Lin Bai was not qualified to seal across tiers; to seal Qingyun, he had to ensure he possessed the cultivation of the Tribulation Transcendence Realm.

Therefore, he still needed Qingyun to help him bridge the gap.

Qingyun glanced at the Ancestor of Peaches over there and, without wasting words, arrived beside the Ancestor of Peaches in a thought; before the Ancestor of Peaches could speak, she struck out with a palm.

The next instant, she had already returned to Lin Bai's side, carrying the severely injured and dying Ancestor of Peaches.

For one, she wanted to see what Lin Bai's divine ability was.

For another, she considered her own cultivation to be heaven-defying and earth-shattering, and she didn't put this group of people before her in her eyes at all; if anything was wrong, she could simply strike first and kill Lin Bai...

Looking at the Ancestor of Peaches who had been brought back, Lin Bai retracted the Red Rope.

The number of Red Ropes within the Yuelao System returned to two.

He breathed a secret sigh of relief; as expected, if one did not use the Red Rope to connect a marriage, the rope could be used repeatedly.

Subsequently, Lin Bai took out a golden card, and with a flash of golden light, he successfully sealed the Ancestor of Peaches into the card.

Seeing this scene, Qingyun frowned repeatedly.

Ye Song and the others subconsciously prepared their defenses, ready to welcome the wrath of the big boss Qingyun, each of them belly-defaming: wouldn't it be better to negotiate terms after she was beaten half-dead by the lightning tribulation?

Why speak prematurely?

Their own Alliance Leader's behavior of dancing on the edge of a blade truly left them baffled...

Qingyun frowned: "How do I restore it to its original state?"

Lin Bai backhanded the Ancestor of Peaches and released her again.

The Ancestor of Peaches reappeared, but she had lost her consciousness and stood beside Lin Bai in a daze.

Lin Bai shared her cultivation and successfully advanced to the Tribulation Transcendence Realm.

As the highest combat power in this world, the Tribulation Transcendence Realm was far more powerful than the Great Vehicle Realm; Spiritual Power poured into Lin Bai's body in an endless stream, and he felt the difference of the Tribulation Transcendence Realm.

The Tribulation Transcendence Realm no longer required any special techniques; with every gesture, one could mobilize the Spirit Qi within the body and in the surroundings to unleash powerful moves.

Truly, one force overcomes ten techniques.

Invincible in the mortal world.

If a Tribulation Transcendence Realm expert were allowed to run amok, no one could hurt them at all; they could easily slaughter cities and exterminate clans, no wonder such fellows were not tolerated by heaven and earth...

The moment he released the Ancestor of Peaches, Lin Bai had already raised the ruler.

"Little thief, you go too far." Qingyun looked at the dazed Ancestor of Peaches, then looked at the other few Puppets beside Lin Bai, and flew into a rage, raising her palm to strike at Lin Bai.

She, the dignified Qingmu, had lived for who knows how many years; how could she endure such humiliation?

But Lin Bai had anticipated her actions, and the ruler fell at just the right moment.

Qingyun's just-raised palm suddenly dropped and changed into an outstretched state, standing obediently before Lin Bai like a primary school student waiting to be punished.

Slap!

The ruler landed on her palm.

A sourness originating from the Spirit Soul instantly spread throughout Qingyun's entire body; she could not help but cry out in pain, and even the towering Qingmu main body shook.

The houses built upon it collapsed with a clatter.

A player secretly recording in the shadows lost their footing and rolled onto the ground.

What is going on?

Is that ruler a Divine Artifact?

The sudden scene stunned everyone.

Except for Ye Song.

Ye Song looked at the ruler Lin Bai held high, his heart still lingering in fear.

Ye Lan extended a finger and poked Ye Song's back from behind, saying softly: "Tempering the Spirit Soul?"

Ye Song turned his head and glared at her fiercely.

"What is this object?" Qingyun looked at the ruler, feeling shocked beyond measure.

"A ruler, a Divine Artifact condensed from the Dao of the Teacher, used to punish disobedient Disciples." Lin Bai did not hide the efficacy of the ruler and struck down with it again, "Qingyun, since you have taken me as your master and enjoyed many benefits, yet refuse to even call me Master, this strike is for me to teach you the etiquette and the Dao of virtue."

The pain in her Spirit Soul was impossible to resist, and Qingmu trembled again; she wanted to mobilize the Spirit Qi in her body to resist, but under the effect of the ruler, she could not even move.

At this moment, how could she not know that she had fallen into Lin Bai's wicked trap?

"You..." Qingyun was furious.

"What about me?" Lin Bai observed the Heavenly Tribulation above his head and accelerated his offensive, "Call me Master."

"Don't even think about it." Qingyun endured the pain in her Spirit Soul, her teeth clenched, "Even if I die, I will perish together with you, you thief."

What familiar words.

Within the Fengqiuhuang Group, Tuohai and the others watched Qingyun being manipulated, feeling empathy and sorrow in their hearts; perish together, indeed—before long, you will likely surrender yourself...

Cen Qing pursed her lips and swallowed her saliva incessantly; as expected, it was not easy to be Lin Bai's Disciple, he actually had such a countermeasure!

Xu Longyun and the others did not care; no matter how painful Lin Bai's ruler hit, it would not land on them.

"Defying your master is a great disrespect and deserves to be beaten." The ruler in Lin Bai's hand fell once more.

"You scoundrel, you scoundrel! I would rather give up on transcending the lightning tribulation than let you go; I will tear you into ten thousand pieces, then shred your Spirit Soul. None of the female Disciples around you will escape!" Qingyun's expression was ferocious.

Xu Longyun narrowed her eyes, a dangerous aura leaking from them.

At this moment.

An old man riding a green ox appeared in Qingyun's mind, with three flowers above his head and a halo of auspicious clouds crowning him; with every step the ox took, a lotus flower bloomed beneath its hooves, making him look just like a high-level master who had attained the Dao.

The old man looked at Qingyun with pity and shook his head repeatedly: "Foolish child, foolish child. A sharp Sword is forged through tempering; the fragrance of plum blossoms comes from the bitter cold. You have cultivated for hundreds of thousands of years, yet you fear the Heavenly Tribulation, hiding away all day long. What is the meaning of wasting your life like this? Foolish child, this lightning tribulation is your opportunity. Only after transcending it can you be truly free between heaven and earth. Do not ruin your future for a moment of willfulness. I have said all I can; take care of yourself!"

Having said this.

The old man vanished in a flash.

Qingyun was shaken: "Who is it?"

"It is I, your master, Lin Bai." Lin Bai pretended not to have used Being Read Mind, and the ruler in his hand fell once more. "This strike is for your impulsive actions and lack of regard for life. You have endured for who knows how many years to achieve what you have today; for the sake of such a trivial matter, you would seek mutual destruction with me? Is tens of thousands of years of cultivation just to vent this one breath of anger?"

"Trivial matter? You summoned the lightning tribulation and harmed my life! You even want to turn me into a Puppet and scheme against my freedom..." Qingyun said, feeling both aggrieved and furious. "If this is called a trivial matter, what in the world is a major one?"

"Is turning you into a Puppet harming you?" Lin Bai took out an Enlightenment Pill and signaled for Xu Longyun to feed it into the mouth of the Peach Ancestor. "Under the lightning tribulation, you, I, and everyone else will be reduced to ashes. Only by this plan can we help everyone transcend the lightning tribulation. Compared to eternal life, what is the loss of a brief moment of freedom?

When you are struck to the brink of death by the lightning tribulation, I can still turn you into a Puppet. Telling you in advance is simply respecting your wishes.

Being able to turn you into a Puppet means being able to restore your freedom. You cannot even understand this simple logic? Do you really think that without you, I, your master, would be unable to transcend this lightning tribulation?"

The final sentence.

Lin Bai used his Dihua Skill.

"..." Qingyun froze. She recalled the old man who had inexplicably appeared in her mind, then looked at Lin Bai. A thought suddenly broke into her mind: could the person before her truly be the opportunity for her to survive?

That must be it!

If she had dared to transcend the tribulation alone, she would not have endured in hiding for so many years!

To avoid the lightning tribulation, she had slept for tens of thousands of years. If the lightning tribulation had not suddenly come upon her, she would still be in a deep slumber. Was this truly the life she wanted?

Perhaps even Heaven could not bear to watch her decadent state any longer, so it sent this person to her to force her to make a choice!

But, it feels so humiliating!

"Will you truly restore my freedom?" Qingyun asked.

Slap!

Another strike of the ruler fell.

Lin Bai: "Call me Master."

"Master, after the lightning tribulation, will you really restore my freedom?" Qingyun trembled, gritting her teeth.

"Naturally. Unless absolutely necessary, who would wish to imprison their own Disciple?" Lin Bai's eyes revealed a look of compassion. "The Teacher Dao requires me to cultivate every Disciple into a talent. Turning a Disciple into a Puppet violates the dignity of the Teacher Dao. How could I be such an evil person?"

As if cooperating with Lin Bai, the Peach Ancestor regained consciousness at this very moment. She looked around, quickly realizing what had happened to her. Black energy overflowed as she rolled toward Lin Bai: "You demon, you actually turned this old woman into a Puppet. I will fight you to the death."

Protect!

Lin Bai issued the command of protection to her.

The black energy vanished instantly. The Peach Ancestor urged her Spiritual Power repeatedly, but it felt as if it were locked; whenever she wanted to attack Lin Bai, her Spiritual Power remained indifferent.

"Fight to the death? Turning you into a Puppet is saving you. As long as I do not die, you will exist forever," Lin Bai glared at the Peach Ancestor and shouted.

"You scoundrel, you scoundrel! You will die a horrible death! If one day I can break free, I will surely eat your flesh and drink your blood..." Unable to do anything to Lin Bai, the Peach Ancestor cursed him madly.

As if she wanted to live!

She had stayed behind to trigger the lightning tribulation specifically to seek death, so she could pursue her Dao companion. Now, not only could she not die, but she was sealed as a Puppet, driven by her enemy; it was even more unbearable than death.

Slap!

The ruler fell once more.

Qingyun watched the Peach Ancestor acting up and felt doubt rise in her heart again. Just as she was pondering the pros and cons, she received another strike of the ruler and could not help but say aggrievedly: "Why hit me again?"

"For your lack of a fighting spirit." Lin Bai looked at Qingyun and casually made up a reason.

"You..." Qingyun's whole body trembled, a sense of humiliation washing over her heart. She no longer wanted to think about the old man in her mind and gritted her teeth: "You are dead..."

"Obstinate and unyielding." Lin Bai looked up at the sky. The Tribulation Cloud had already reformed, and lightning could strike at any moment. His methods were exhausted, so he steeled his heart and took out the Heavenly Demon Heart to show it for a moment before putting it away. "I have taught you for so long, yet you still do not understand your master's painstaking efforts. If I truly wanted to harm you, I would have attached this Heavenly Demon Heart to you, letting you draw all the Heavenly Tribulation away. Once you were struck to the brink of death by the tribulation, I would then take you as a Puppet. Would that not be the same? Why go to such great lengths to care about your feelings..."

The moment the Heavenly Demon Heart was revealed.

The Tribulation Cloud instantly accelerated its rate of condensation.

The moment the Heavenly Demon Heart was revealed, Qingyun was suddenly stunned. She realized completely that the master she had taken was definitely not a good thing!

What "caring about her feelings"—this was a threat, wasn't it?

The Heavenly Demon Heart had only shone for a moment, and it had already triggered the Tribulation Cloud. If it were truly attached to her, she would likely have no chance of survival!

Having "cowered" for tens of thousands of years, Qingyun cherished her life more than anyone else...

Thus.

She decided to trust the old immortal in her mind once; it is better to live in disgrace than to die well. She had no choice but to gamble!

"Master, stop hitting me. I will join forces with you to transcend the tribulation, but please, Master, unless absolutely necessary, do not turn me into a Puppet..." Qingyun took a deep breath, a tear of remorse falling from the corner of her eye.

Before she could finish speaking.

Perhaps it was the aura of the Heavenly Demon Heart that triggered the lightning tribulation, but the overwhelming lightning descended impatiently, even more fierce and ferocious than the first time.

Lin Bai withdrew the ruler at the first opportunity.

Qingyun glanced at Lin Bai, then flew up to meet the lightning.

The tree shadows of the green wood lit up one after another, bearing the full brunt of the lightning. While suspended in mid-air, she did not forget to speak to Lin Bai: "Master, if you do not agree to my request, I will let the lightning fall and see who can hold out longer..."

"I, your master, promise you." Lin Bai said loudly. Qingyun was truly worthy of being an ultimate powerhouse; she blocked all the lightning by herself, and the people on the green wood were calm and relaxed, exceptionally at ease.

"Even if you take me as a Puppet, you must help me restore my consciousness." Qingyun said again.

"Naturally." Lin Bai was responsive to every request.

Ye Song and the others remained silent. From the perspective of morality, they did not agree with Lin Bai's methods, but from the perspective of self-interest, this was the best possible outcome.

Otherwise.

Everyone under the Tribulation Cloud will likely not survive.

"If I can regain my freedom, you must restore my free status." Qingyun kept chattering away with demands while resisting the Heavenly Tribulation.

"Good disciple, focus on dealing with the Heavenly Tribulation and stop letting your thoughts run wild; your master will agree to any demand you have." Under the Tribulation Cloud, Lin Bai pacified Qingyun's restless heart.

The crowd was speechless.

【Resentment from Qingyun; +1 +1 +1...】

Qingyun was up above intercepting the lightning.

Lin Bai breathed a temporary sigh of relief and took out a large pile of Spirit Fruit: "Come, everyone take a few, nourish your Spirit; when Qingyun can no longer hold on in a moment, we will all need to work together."

By the time Qingyun couldn't hold on, who knew how terrifying the Tribulation Cloud would be—would it even be their turn to step in?

The crowd engaged in Belly-Defamation.

But they still silently stepped forward, took the Spirit Fruit, and popped them into their mouths one by one; every bit of strength they could gain mattered.

Ancestor Tao was still cursing loudly to the side, but no one paid her any mind anymore; there was even someone singing over there—with the lightning tribulation overhead, could everyone really be taken care of?

Lin Bai looked toward the Great Vehicle Realm cultivators of the Shengji Sect on the other side and waved at them: "Fellow Daoists, no need for courtesy. We are all in the same boat, and all previous grievances should be set aside. If we can survive this lightning tribulation and you still wish to oppose me, I, Lin, will take it all on."

Several Great Vehicle Realm cultivators looked at each other, their mouths tasting bitter; even Ancestor Qingyun had been brought to heel by you, who would still dare to oppose you?

Mingyan hesitated for a moment, then cupped her hands and said: "Alliance Leader Lin, we were unable to distinguish right from wrong before, which is why we stood against the Alliance Leader; please forgive us. The Alliance Leader is right; we were long ago treated as discarded pawns. If not for Alliance Leader Lin, we would have already turned to ash under the lightning tribulation. Our debt of gratitude to the Shengji Sect was wiped clean the moment the lightning tribulation descended. If we are fortunate enough to survive the lightning tribulation, please allow us to join the Justice Alliance; we are also willing to contribute our meager strength to the alliance."

"Please accept us, Alliance Leader." The other female cultivators echoed in unison; at this point, to still be stubborn and oppose Lin Bai would be truly foolish.

"I grant your request." Lin Bai smiled and took out another large handful of Spirit Fruit, sending them over, "Welcome to the Justice Alliance."

"Alliance Leader Lin's divine abilities shake the heavens; we were blinded by greed to even think of opposing the Alliance Leader. If we can safely survive the lightning tribulation, we are also willing to follow the Alliance Leader and join the Justice Alliance." Within the Phoenix Seeking Phoenix Array, Ancestor Tuohai and the others hurriedly expressed their stance to Lin Bai as well.

"Have you thought it through?" Lin Bai asked.

"Thought it through." Tuohai smiled bitterly and thoughtfully handed the whip to Lin Bai, "The capable are teachers; the future will surely be the world of Fazhe Zhidao. If you do not despise me, Tuohai is willing to take the Alliance Leader as his master and practice the Law of Cultivation..."

Qingyun was up above resisting the Heavenly Tribulation, while Lin Bai was down below winning over hearts. Qingyun, who was distracted by the commotion here, was furious and said aggrievedly: "Lin Bai, those fruits are useful to me; don't feed them to those useless people. Give some to me, and I can resist a few more Heavenly Tribulations..."

(End of this chapter)