Ten Thousand Ways To Eliminate Players

The Temperament Fruit made Lin Bai's words incredibly persuasive. Once he stated his intentions, all past misunderstandings with Xu Longyun vanished.

Xu Longyun believed she had seen the truth and was certain Lin Bai would eventually walk the path to becoming a demon. She worried for his destiny yet also anticipated his ultimate transformation into a heavenly demon. Any animosity she held toward Jiang Qingqin had long since been cast to the winds.

Jiang Qingqin, on the other hand, felt guilty for, in a way, stealing her best friend's man. However, because of their bond through the Love Principle, she didn't believe Lin Bai would fall for someone else. Consequently, she harbored no hatred towards Xu Longyun.

The word "all" gave Little Fox a glimmer of hope for advancing her position. She was so overjoyed she couldn't spare a thought for anything else.

As for Lin Bai, he was struggling to survive under the dual pressures from the game officials and the System's hidden machinations. He dared not let emotions become his weakness. Yet, he knew the truth would one day be unveiled. He couldn't resign himself to a life of solitude; he had to have a backup plan...

In short, everyone was happy. Of course, all this was possible because this was the Immortal World, where having multiple wives and concubines was commonplace. In the modern world, it would undoubtedly cause an uproar!

With Xu Longyun as his Disciple, Lin Bai was one person short of completing the System's task.

After leaving Jiamucheng, Lin Bai led the members of the Justice League in a great procession to find the Fox Den. There was strength in numbers.

Little White Fox's mother was a Three-tailed demon fox, equivalent to a human cultivator at the Golden Core Cultivation level. Monsters held a low status in the Immortal World. Sensing a large number of cultivators gathering outside Jiamucheng, they had already taken flight, escaping deeper into the mountains. However, those chosen by the Evil Wumen to challenge Lin Bai were at least Golden Core Monks. Thousands of Golden Core Monks fanned out. In no time, Little White Fox's mother and her six older siblings were captured and brought before Lin Bai. Not only them, but a large number of Wolf Monsters, Bear Monsters, and others were also caught. The lesser Monsters around Jiamucheng were essentially rounded up in one fell swoop.

After Little White Fox was taken by Lin Bai, her mother, the Three-Tailed Fox, had been worried for some time. Fearing Lin Bai would use Little Fox to capture them all, she had moved her entire litter overnight. But after living elsewhere for a period and realizing Lin Bai paid them no mind, they moved back. After all, one's own den, no matter how humble, is better than any golden or silver one. Not long after they returned, they encountered the Golden Core search of the mountain. She and her children were all caught.

Thus, when brought before Lin Bai, the Three-Tailed Fox trembled like a leaf, lamenting the harsh life of a Monster. A powerful Monster like her, accustomed to freedom, would never resign herself to being tamed and becoming a pet beast. Moreover, rumors within the Monster Race held that beautiful Fox Demons skilled in illusions usually met very tragic ends once captured...

The Three-Tailed Fox, eyes brimming with tears, mournfully instructed her children, "Children, pretend to obey for now. When the restrictions are lifted, you can end your own lives! First Little Seven, then us... Unfortunate is my family; what calamity have we encountered? If there is an afterlife, I would rather be grass or a tree than a Monster again..."

"Mother!"

"Mother!"

The young foxes circled the Three-Tailed Fox, each whimpering in distress.

"Mother, why are you all crying?"

Suddenly, a joyful voice interjected. The grieving foxes' cries ceased abruptly.

"Mother, I think I hear Little Seven's voice. Are we about to die?" A snow-white young fox choked back sobs, raising its head, its vision blurred by tears.

"Third Sister, what are you saying? We're all alive and well, how could we be dying!" Little White Fox looked at her siblings, then, stunned, she chided, "Didn't I ask you to *invite* Mother here? Why did you place a restriction on her?"

Ge Feiyun glanced furtively at Lin Bai and explained awkwardly, "Miss Xiao Bai, your mother wouldn't listen to our explanations. If we hadn't placed a restriction on her, I'm afraid she might have already taken her own life."

"Little Seven?" The Three-Tailed Fox stared at Little Fox in surprise. "Is that you... you've transformed?"

"Yes, Master gave me a Transformation Pill, and I transformed!" Hearing the Three-Tailed Fox's question, Little White Fox instantly forgot her earlier annoyance. She twirled around, showing off her transformed appearance to her mother. "Well? Am I pretty?"

A Transformation Pill? Ge Feiyun and the others froze, staring at Lin Bai in astonishment. Everyone knew the value of a Transformation Pill; they naturally understood what its appearance signified!

Blast it! Jiang Qingqin had explicitly warned not to reveal the matter of the Transformation Pill! And Little Fox just blurted it all out...

Listening to the murmurs around him, the Players discussing animatedly how to get pets from him, Lin Bai sighed inwardly. This was all being broadcast live now, wasn't it!

Still, he had already offended the Seven Major Sects. The Transformation Pill affair getting out didn't seem like such a big deal. His good big brother had even activated an affiliated quest to destroy the Beast Taming Sect. If word got out, it would save him the trouble of concocting excuses when he went to attack others.

Lin Bai nodded at Ge Feiyun and ordered, "Release their restrictions!"

Ge Feiyun nodded, and with a wave of his hand, he removed the restrictions on all the foxes.

The Three-Tailed Fox had recognized Lin Bai earlier, but the moment she saw him clearly now, an inexplicable sense of affinity surged from within her heart. It felt as if this young man before her was the most trustworthy person in the world, someone to whom she could entrust her life—no, someone worth protecting with her life... She felt nothing amiss about this; it seemed entirely natural, as if things were meant to be this way.

"Little Seven, you really transformed?"

"You look so pretty after transforming!"

"But why do you still have your ears and tail? Is it a side effect of the Transformation Pill?"

"Little Seven, I cried for so long after you were taken!"

"Mother, we don't have to kill ourselves now, right? Little Seven's master seems so gentle. I don't think he'll harm us..."

The Three-Tailed Fox transformed into human form. She glanced nervously at her surroundings, then, with a delicate shyness, bowed gracefully to Lin Bai. "Hu He greets Young Master. Thank you, Young Master, for taking in my young daughter."

In human form, Hu He was a mature woman in a white dress, her long hair cascading over her shoulders. Every gesture exuded an enchanting allure that could stir any heart, a stark contrast to the pure innocence of Little White Fox. Even among the many female cultivators of Hundred Flower Valley, with their customized faces, she stood out, overshadowing them completely. This was an innate enchantment, impossible to imitate.

"WOW! I'm in love! I'm in love!"

"Now I believe why Fox Demons are said to be able to topple nations!"

"If I cultivate the Love Principle, I absolutely must find a Fox Demon!"

"I shouldn't have played this game! How am I supposed to face my wife back home after this?"

"I swear, before I die, I *must* have a Fox Demon as a pet!"

"I just shivered involuntarily. My nutrient solution must be contaminated now!"

"Damn these game artists! How could they design such a bewitching woman? I thought I'd never fall for a 2D character!"

"Compared to the Fox Demon, those female cultivators from Hundred Flower Valley are just common street makeup!"

"I can't leave the Beggar Gang now! I'm definitely going to beg Shopkeeper Lin to grant me a Fox Demon later..."

"Damn this game, trying to seduce me with beauty!"

"Why can't we reincarnate as part of the Monster Race? I want to be a Monster! I'm going to the game forums to protest! Allow Players to choose their race!"

Amidst a wave of exclamations, the Players chattered excitedly, their private messages flooding with all sorts of wild comments. The moment the Three-Tailed Fox transformed, their 'LSP' instincts were completely unleashed. The commotion she caused was no less than when Little White Fox had transformed. Little White Fox's transformation represented the pure affection otaku held for their 2D characters, while the Three-Tailed Fox ignited their most primal desires.

Noticing the Players' uproar, Jiang Qingqin glanced disdainfully at the Three-Tailed Fox and muttered, "Hmph. A bunch of unsophisticated peasants."

"Hu He?" Lin Bai, too, was momentarily stunned by the Three-Tailed Fox's beauty, but he quickly regained his composure. He looked her up and down. "A fine name."

Hu He blushed. "Thank you for your praise, Young Master." The strong sense of affinity emanating from Lin Bai made her want to get closer, to nuzzle against him.

Fortunately, she retained her composure. Knowing Lin Bai was her daughter's master and apparently a person of great standing among humans, she desperately suppressed her impulses, afraid of negatively impacting her daughter. Crucially, she didn't fully understand the situation and dared not judge Lin Bai's character based on her own assumptions alone. But the thought of suicide had long since been cast to the winds.

"I am Fox One. Thank you for taking care of Little Seven!"

"I am Fox Two..."

"I am Fox Three..."

"I am Fox Four! Do you have any more Transformation Pills? I want to transform just like Little Seven!"

The six young foxes scrambled to present themselves to Lin Bai. The 'Favorability Towards Foxes' wasn't just affecting their mother. These young ones were about the same age as Little White Fox; they didn't overthink things!

"All of you, be quiet!" Hu He chided, then said to Lin Bai with embarrassment, "Forgive them, Young Master. The children are ill-mannered; please don't mind them."

The young foxes fell silent instantly, though their eyes still darted about, curiously observing their surroundings. Lin Bai had given them courage. However, when they noticed the covetous gazes of the onlookers, they remembered their predicament and instinctively huddled together.

This 'Favorability Towards Foxes' is truly potent!

Lin Bai smiled. "It's quite all right."

Watching the young foxes, he mused internally, 'This is a truly trustworthy core team!' Unfortunately, their current strength was too meager. To become a real asset, he would need to find a way to enhance their abilities. Which meant... he still had to deal with the Beast Taming Sect...

Having confirmed the effect of 'Favorability Towards Foxes,' Lin Bai looked at Hu He and asked directly, no longer hesitating, "Hu He, are you willing to become my Disciple?"

The Best Teacher System granted his Disciples a fifty percent boost to their cultivation speed, so naturally, he would choose the one with the highest cultivation.

"WHOA! Lin, the Storekeeper, really knows how to play! First, he takes Little White Fox as a Disciple, and now her mother too! Tsk, tsk, mother and daughter!"

Dragon Breath glanced at Dumbelldore and said teasingly, "Dumbelldore, you're in luck! As the Righteous Door's eldest senior brother, you'll have all these pretty junior sisters beneath you."

Dumbelldore looked at Lin Bai with envy, saying sourly, "What's it got to do with me? All the junior sisters belong to Master alone."

The Three-Tailed Fox was taken aback and subconsciously glanced at her daughter.

"Mother, agree quickly! There are great benefits to cultivating with Master!" Little Fox urged. Previously, she might have minded her mother becoming a Disciple alongside her under the same master. But hearing about a fifty percent increase in cultivation speed, who would care about such things? Master even took his lovers as Disciples; would he mind a mother and daughter pair?

"I am willing."

The Three-Tailed Fox hesitated for a moment, then nodded. She found she simply couldn't refuse Lin Bai.

"Me too!"

"I want to as well!"

The young foxes chirped up again, clamoring with their wishes.

[Recruit five Disciples (Completed); Reward: Diligence (Issued)]

[Learning techniques without honing them through practice is ultimately just theory. Arrange trials for your Disciples. Let them achieve renown in their respective fields. Reward: Ruler (A tool for punishment; your Disciples cannot evade it.)]

The Best Teacher System's task was complete. A new task had appeared: to have his Disciples make a name for themselves in their respective fields. This task could be considered both difficult and easy. It was difficult because Lin Bai's own radiance was so overwhelming that it threatened to eclipse his Disciples entirely. On the other hand, it could be easy. Once Lin Bai truly achieved great renown, who wouldn't show his Disciples some respect? Even if they accomplished little, they would still become famous by association...

As for the Ruler? Impossible to dodge? It was practically a Divine Artifact for dealing with Disciples! Currently, he only had five Disciples. In the future, as their numbers grew, he could be invincible with just this Ruler in hand, even without using other Skills! Clearly, the Ruler was also an item targeted at Players. It was definitely worth grinding for... Truly, no System was useless!

Glancing at Dumbelldore, Lin Bai smirked. Now that Dumbelldore was his Disciple, the thought of killing his master was likely impossible for him in this lifetime! His own core team was coming together, bit by bit!

Lin Bai said to the chirping young foxes, "Slowly, everyone will get a chance." Then he turned to Little White Fox. "Xiao Bai, you and your mother haven't seen each other for a long time; you must have much to say. Have Jiang Qingqin find you a place to catch up. Once they're settled and calm, come back to me."

"Yes, Master!" Little White Fox was already eager to share her recent experiences with her family. Taking her mother's hand, she said as they walked off, "Mother, come with me! I'll tell you all about what's happened these past few days. Let me tell you, Master is incredibly powerful..."

Shen Kuangdao remarked, "The Alliance Hierarch's charm is truly unparalleled. Wild Demon Beasts are typically the most savage, yet they were so submissive to the Alliance Hierarch upon their first meeting. Such methods are far superior to those of the Beast Taming Sect. I, Shen, am deeply impressed."

Zhao Tulong asked, "Is the way of beast taming also a Law?"

Lin Bai glanced at him. "No. Laws emphasize the equality of all things. Beast taming goes against the Mandate of Heaven and cannot become a Law. Notify everyone to prepare for departure. Our business here is concluded; it's time to head to the Morning Yuan Sword Sect."

Ge Feiyun asked, "Alliance Hierarch, regarding the Wolf Demons and Bear Demons captured while searching for Xiao Bai's family, how should they be handled? Shall we bring them here?"

Lin Bai pondered for a moment. "There are other Monsters too? Bring them over; let me take a look..."

Ge Feiyun ordered his men to bring the other Monsters.

During the wait, the Players eagerly swarmed forward.

A Player boldly asked, "Lin, the Storekeeper, can we have a Monster as a pet?"

Silver said, "Those siblings of Little White Fox—could you give one to us? We promise to treat them well!"

Dragon Breath added, "It doesn't have to be a Fox Demon! Those Wolf Demons, Bear Demons, or whatever—if Shopkeeper Lin doesn't want them, you can give them to us. I'm not picky!"

I'm Not an Alt Account asked, "Can the Transformation Pill be used to customize what a Demon Beast transforms into?"

Surveying the Players who had gathered around him, Lin Bai smiled. "Of course, you can!"

"Really?!" The Players were overjoyed.

Lin Bai smiled. "However, it's only for those who have made significant contributions to the Beggar Gang or the Righteous Door. Otherwise, with so many members in the Beggar Gang, if I give one to you and not to him, someone will inevitably be dissatisfied, right?" He mused inwardly, what could be more amusing than using such classic, tried-and-true methods to revitalize a game renowned for its realism!