Ten Thousand Ways To Eliminate Players

Realizing that the situation was irretrievable, Duke Zhenguo bid farewell to Lin Bai and hastily returned to Kyoto to report. Moments later, he returned to Zhen City, bringing with him numerous Magic Treasures and Pill Medicines from the national treasury of Taiyi Country.

Only when they were about to lose him did the monarch and courtiers of Taiyi Country suddenly realize Lin Bai's importance.

In an instant, all negative voices targeting the Justice League and Lin Bai disappeared without a trace.

Taiyi Country and Lin Bai were already bound together; they had no choice but to invest heavily to improve their image in Lin Bai's mind, with his personal safety being the top priority.

Therefore, most of the Magic Treasures they gifted were defensive.

The most useful among them were a defensive Magic Treasure called the Mirror of Cloud Light and a Storage Bag.

The Mirror of Cloud Light was a defensive Magic Treasure refined by the collective effort of all Artifact Refiners in Taiyi Country. During combat, if the Spirit Stones within the mirror did not deplete, it could defend against all external attacks. Even without Spirit Stones, inputting Spiritual Power could provide defense for the mirror.

Its principle was similar to a city's defensive array, but the mirror was highly portable.

Moreover, its coverage range could be freely adjusted; the smaller the range, the longer it could be sustained, making it an ultimate protective Magic Treasure.

Storage-type Magic Treasures were extremely rare worldwide.

The Storage Bag given to Lin Bai by Taiyi Country could hold nearly ten cubic meters of supplies, already considered top-tier among storage-type Magic Treasures.

There were countless life-saving Pill Medicines...

Similar Magic Treasures and Pill Medicines could actually be found in various sects.

But Lin Bai's six-piece Blacksmith set had an incredibly insidious method for breaking Magic Treasures, rendering protective Magic Treasures practically useless in battle against him. Consequently, no one would carry storage-type Magic Treasures.

After all, if struck by Lin Bai's hammer, no matter how many valuables were hidden in a Storage Bag, they would disintegrate along with the shattering of space. No one could bear such a loss. This was also why Lin Bai had subdued more than ten Great Cheng experts but had not acquired a single storage-type Magic Treasure...

Lin Bai didn't pay much attention to the Cloud Water Mirror.

He had Wen Ba from Sky Demon Mountain, who excelled at recovery, coupled with tenfold recovery power and the high Agility of Flash. It was virtually impossible for Great Cheng experts of the same level to harm him.

But the sudden acquisition of the Storage Bag was a pleasant surprise. System-provided props could sometimes be recalled into the System, but carrying thousands of Bound Immortal Ropes was inconvenient. If they were lost or damaged, his combat power would be greatly diminished. With the Storage Bag, although only ten cubic meters, it was enough to solve the problem of carrying strategic materials.

The Eye of the Broken could see the defects of the Storage Bag. However, even the great Artifact Refiner Zuo Lan couldn't expand the Storage Bag's space. He was not proficient in the Way of Space, and most importantly, he lacked space-type materials.

Needless to say, Lin Bai, with his insufficient understanding of intermediate Magic Treasure theory, couldn't comprehend the array on the Storage Bag.

The Blacksmith's six-piece set could indeed enhance the level of Magic Treasures, but a Storage Bag wasn't a kitchen knife. It required high-level materials for an upgrade; a few random hammer strikes couldn't expand its space.

He wasn't even qualified to use his hammer on a top-level Magic Treasure like the Cloud Water Mirror...

Lin Bai excelled at blitzkrieg and didn't want to give the Players too much time to strategize against him.

「That very day.」

He set off with the higher-ups of the Justice League, heading towards Taihao Country via the Magpie Bridge.

Taihao Country, located west of Taiyi Country, was controlled by the five Demonic Way Sects.

Ancestor Chi Lian and Song Yaoqing were sheltered by their respective sects. To establish his authority, Lin Bai naturally had to capture these two.

Upon learning of Lin Bai's movements, the cultivators of the seven orthodox sects breathed a collective sigh of relief.

Although the Players spoke dismissively, Lin Bai had refined many Bound Immortal Ropes before departing. Who knew what he was planning?

No one wanted to face Lin Bai head-on at this time.

It wasn't that they feared they couldn't defeat him; the problem was that the Way of Love and the Puppetry Technique were too repulsive and insidious. No one wanted to be inexplicably bound by Lin Bai's matchmaking or turned into a puppet. The higher-ups were especially reluctant. As for sending Hollow Realm cultivators below the Great Cheng Realm to intercept Lin Bai, that would just be feeding the Justice League.

Meanwhile, the five Demonic Way Sects began cursing. Some Great Cheng experts even privately complained that the Poison Sect and Blood Sect were shielding Ancestor Chi Lian and Song Yaoqing; if they had handed them over earlier, it wouldn't have drawn Lin Bai, this Devil's Head, to them.

Like the Heavenly Dao Sect, several Demonic Way Sects also had subordinate sects stationed on the border of Taihao Country, constantly prepared to deal with the Justice League.

The moment Lin Bai set off, the Sect Master of the Holy Extreme Sect, Nightfall of the Poison Sect, Qu Chaoan of the Blood Sect, Lu Wei of the Valley of Thousand Souls, and the Demon Master of Sky Demon Mountain, contacted through Players, immediately departed. They gathered at a sect called Heavenly Slaughter Temple to discuss countermeasures.

They could also communicate with each other through Heavenly Descendants, but when it came to dealing with Lin Bai, meeting in person provided more confidence.

Moreover, face-to-face discussions allowed them to better gauge each other's true intentions.

The five Demonic Way Sects revered the Sect Master of the Holy Extreme Sect, while the Sect Masters of the other four sects under him were of comparable strength.

They weren't like the seven orthodox sects, which included three sects not adept at combat: the Pill and Spirit Sect, the Moon Spirit Sect, and the Tool Refining Sect.

Each Demonic Way Sect had its own unique characteristics, which was why they had been able to contend with the seven orthodox sects for so many years.

The five Sect Masters were present.

Xinlong Group's 'Tiger that Stabilizes the Mountain', Capital Science Group's 'The Bright Sun', Rich Reach Group's 'Wind Rider', and the incognito 'A Brave Man' also joined this meeting.

Several Players maintained a calm facade, yet right under the sect masters' noses, they started a private chat, brazenly exchanging intelligence.

'Far Vision Eagle' asked, "A Gao, you've followed Lin Bai the longest. What do you think his ultimate goal is this time?"

'A Brave Man' replied, "You might not believe this, but based on my understanding of Lin Bai, he won't stop until he's taken down at least one or two of the five Demonic Way Sects."

'The Bright Sun' retorted, "Isn't Lin Bai being too reckless? He only has eight Great Cheng experts under him. Any single sect has at least fifty such experts. If fifty Great Cheng experts decide to avoid a head-on confrontation and commit to harassing him, Lin Bai himself might be untouchable. However, the members of the Justice League in Taiyi Country could then be easily wiped out."

'A Brave Man' explained, "Director Ru, you all seem to think Lin Bai cares about his Justice League. What if he doesn't care at all? I don't deny that the consortiums' strategies have been effective recently, but you've pushed him too hard. A madman driven to desperation is capable of anything."

'Wind Rider' questioned, "If he doesn't care, why did he go through all the trouble to establish the Justice League? Just for fun?"

'A Brave Man' responded, "Who knows? Lin Bai is an enigma. Although he constantly professes his innocent heart, not a single word from his mouth can be trusted. Lin Bai has always proclaimed that Players are a calamity. Yet, his own actions always targeted the natives, regardless of the consequences. This made him seem more like a Player than even us."

After pondering for a moment, 'Wind Rider' suggested, "Considering Lin Bai from a Player's perspective, he might indeed, as Brave Alone suggests, challenge a sect regardless of the cost. This would bring him more prestige and achievements…"

'Tiger that Stabilizes the Mountain' mused, "How should we respond then..."

"Lin Bai's current move clearly shows ill intent. How should we respond?" the Sect Master of the Holy Extreme Sect suddenly spoke, his voice nearly overlapping with 'Tiger that Stabilizes the Mountain's' private chat.

He appeared to be a man in his forties, tall and imposing, with a square face and a wide mouth. Sitting on his chair, he was almost half a head taller than the others, exuding a natural air of authority.

"Screw it, let's fight him!" Nightfall of the Poison Sect declared. "We can't just hand over Ancestor Chi Lian and Song Yaoqing. If we can't even protect our own people, who will be willing to lay their lives on the line for the sect?"

"The Heavenly Descendants' strategies were completely useless, only managing to delay things for a few days. Ultimately, we still have to face Lin Bai. He's clearly trying to make things difficult for us." Qu Chaoan of the Blood Sect glanced at the consortium leaders present. "Let's proceed with our previously agreed plan. Since he has left the protection of the towns, let's eliminate his puppets in one swift strike. Even if we suffer some losses, we must beat him back to his original form, solving the problem once and for all. I have a premonition that if we keep dragging this out, Lin Bai will eventually defeat us one by one."

The Demon Master of Sky Demon Mountain lamented, "Those old folks from the seven orthodox sects are quite lucky. Lin Bai isn't going after them; he came for us instead."

"What are your thoughts?" The Sect Master of the Holy Extreme Sect asked, turning to 'Tiger that Stabilizes the Mountain'.

"Sect Master, I stand by my judgment," 'Tiger that Stabilizes the Mountain' replied. "Lin Bai is unwilling to engage in a large-scale conflict before the Magpie Bridge construction is complete."

"What if he demands we hand over Ancestor Chi Lian?" Nightfall asked.

"Stall," 'The Bright Sun' suggested. "In any case, we must not strike first. If we do, the precarious situation we've painstakingly established will instantly collapse. The five Demonic Way Sects can indeed uproot the Justice League, but if Lin Bai escapes, the five Demonic Way Sects will never know peace again. Everything will revert to the era of the Wen and Evil Decree, which benefits no one."

"Heavenly Descendants are fearless in the face of death; we should have been the main force against Lin Bai. However, we were given too little time and couldn't develop sufficiently," 'Wind Rider' argued. "Currently, Taihao Country has over ten thousand Heavenly Descendants. Not all ten thousand need to be as formidable as dragons; five thousand Hollow Realm experts would be enough to suppress Lin Bai completely."

The consortiums' objective remained consistent: to secure their own place in the game world.

"Five thousand Hollow Realm experts?" The Demon Master sneered. "Even if all your meridians were open, do you realize how many resources it would take to elevate your cultivation to the Hollow Realm in such a short time? Which sect could afford that?"

The Players exchanged glances, discussing amongst themselves.

'Tiger that Stabilizes the Mountain' concluded, "This is the best suggestion we can offer…"

"Are you certain Lin Bai won't actively provoke a war?" the Sect Master of the Holy Extreme Sect suddenly interrupted.

"We cannot guarantee it." 'Tiger that Stabilizes the Mountain' recalled the deduction from 'A Brave Man' and shook his head. "It's merely a possibility. If a portion of the previous war reparations is delivered to the Justice League, the probability of Lin Bai not starting a war increases to seventy percent. If Ancestor Chi Lian and Song Yaoqing are handed over, all the pressure will shift to the seven orthodox sects…"

"If we do that, the five Demonic Way Sects will likely lose all face with the seven orthodox sects," Lu Wei stated with dissatisfaction.

"'Kill Lin Bai's puppets,' 'Clip the Justice League's wings'—none of these tactics target Lin Bai himself," 'Wind Rider' said. "Esteemed Sect Masters, although you may be unwilling to admit it, you truly have no way to deal with his Laws. To handle Lin Bai smoothly, the only options are to buy time with money, buy peace with money, and if necessary, trade space for time…"

"What do you mean by 'trade space for time'?" Qu Chaoan asked.

"Gradually withdraw control over Taihao Country, allow Lin Bai's Justice League to expand, and tie up Lin Bai's energy with more affairs," 'Wind Rider' explained.

"The more you talk, the more cowardly it sounds!" Lu Wei fumed. "According to your logic, we might as well just pack up and hand over our sects to Lin Bai. Sect Master, let's just fight! At worst, we'll trigger a new God and Demon War. Dragging on like this is damn frustrating! Our great sects are being cornered by a mere Lin Bai…"

Suddenly, 'Tiger that Stabilizes the Mountain' paused. He looked at Qu Chaoan, the Blood Sect's Master, with a strange expression and said with resignation, "Sect Master Ye, there's no need for further discussion. We can fight now. Just moments ago, 'Justice Weekly' released the latest news: a Heavenly Descendant reportedly spotted Song Yaoqing in the Poison Sect. Lin Bai is furious, believing the Blood Sect is harboring a war criminal, deceiving the Justice League, and acting in bad faith. He abandoned the Taihao Country garrison that was sent to welcome him at the Ghost Gate and is taking the Magpie Bridge directly to the Blood Sect's headquarters to capture Song Yaoqing…"

Everyone present was stunned.

"Outrageous! Even if Song Yaoqing sprouted wings, he couldn't have flown back to the Blood Sect in just a few days!" Qu Chaoan erupted in anger, glaring at 'Tiger that Stabilizes the Mountain' and roaring, "Why would your Heavenly Descendants spread such a rumor?"

'Tiger that Stabilizes the Mountain' looked at Qu Chaoan as if he were an idiot, shaking his head and sighing, "Lin Bai doesn't need Heavenly Descendants to inform him, nor does he need Song Yaoqing to actually be in the Blood Sect. He could claim Ancestor Chi Lian is in the Blood Sect and still have a pretext to attack."

At the same time, he sent a private message to 'A Brave Man': "You were right. Lin Bai never intended to develop steadily. He's here to stir up trouble. He probably really is planning to take down one or two sects in one go."

'A Brave Man's' brow furrowed. "Lin Bai never does anything he's not confident about. If he's going directly to attack the Blood Sect, he must have a new method to take them down. Knowing Lin Bai's personality, as soon as he captures the Blood Sect, he'll likely try to sweep across the entire world."

The Players froze, simultaneously realizing the gravity of the situation. The script seemed to be veering off course, heading towards Lin Bai unifying the world!

If Lin Bai really united the world in three or four months, what the hell was the point of them playing? What was the meaning of the game company investing so much and bringing in so many Players? City wars, national wars—none of them would happen. Were three or four hundred thousand people just here to watch Lin Bai's solo performance?

"That whelp, he's gone too far!" Qu Chaoan instantly understood the implications, veins bulging on his forehead. "Sect Master, let's fight! Lin Bai is nothing but a troublemaker! If we don't kill him, we'll never have peace! These Heavenly Descendants and their strategies are all wrong…"

"We can't catch up," the Sect Master of the Holy Extreme Sect said, shaking his head after a moment's pause.

"…" Qu Chaoan froze, his expression turning extremely ugly in an instant.

"How many Great Chariot experts does the Blood Sect currently have?" the Sect Master of the Holy Extreme Sect continued.

"After the truce with Lin Bai, over thirty Great Cheng experts returned to the Blood Sect. Including those who remained, we have over forty. We also have eight Transcendence Tribulation Stage Ancestors and over two thousand Hollow Realm Disciples." As he spoke, Qu Chaoan's expression suddenly relaxed. He snorted disdainfully, "Just eight Great Cheng experts, and they think they can attack my Blood Sect? They're dreaming. We don't need to rush. If they anger a Transcendence Tribulation Stage Ancestor into dragging Lin Bai into a Heavenly Tribulation with him, ten Lin Bais wouldn't survive."