"Wait for me."

It was the familiar call of the Second Senior Brother.

The few Taoists at the rear subconsciously stopped and looked back.

But they didn't see their Second Senior Brother. Instead, they saw Lin Bai streaking toward them like a meteor, and a bolt of lightning descending from the sky.

[Received Resentment from Qing Chuan, Qing Mu, Qing An... +1+1+1]

How could he even imitate others' voices? What in the Nine Hells had he been learning all this time!?!

Qing Chuan and the others wanted to cry but were helpless. By the time they reacted and tried to run, it was already too late!

Lin Bai was too fast.

Only the Little White Fox with him, already adapted to the breakneck speed, managed to keep chanting tongue twisters while nestled in his arms.

CRACK!

The lightning struck down a Taoist.

Lin Bai's Blacksmith's Six-Piece Set slammed toward the remaining few. While they scrambled to dodge, his Unceasing Sword Flow skill enveloped the rest.

Daoist Qingyu, Acting Head of Return to Dragon View, was second in command. With True Person Dao Xu in closed-door cultivation, many junior martial brothers had been taught by Qingyu in his stead.

Lin Bai, sharing his Eldest Senior Brother's skills and strength, found dispatching these fledglings—who couldn't even fly quickly—as easy as crushing ants.

The martial arts provided by the Everything Has Shortcomings System, when compared to the skills of Golden Core cultivators, seemed utterly inferior! But considering he'd only been doing missions for just over a month and could already trounce more than a hundred Golden Core cultivators... The System was truly fantastic! However, it couldn't just be one System; it had to be like his, a combination of Systems! If there was only one System, he would still be hiding in Jiamucheng, playing the coward and developing cautiously!

[Dragon Breath] and the others, who were live-streaming, suddenly stopped. However, they only caught a glimpse of the few Golden Core Taoists struck down by Lin Bai and his departing silhouette before the Levitation Talisman forcibly pulled them forward again.

Seeing the loot on the dead Taoists' bodies, which they couldn't pick up, made several Players absolutely heartbroken. They complained about Lin, the Storekeeper's poor resource management, but they had no other choice.

It was all wilderness and desolate mountains, with no villages ahead nor inns behind. If they actually dared to jump down and pick up equipment, they feared they'd never make it back to Qian City.

The Players could only silently activate their recording mode, capturing all the routes they passed, planning to return for the equipment once things settled down.

The only good thing about this game was that dead NPCs wouldn't despawn over time.

Lin Bai wasn't averse to picking up equipment, but the Morning Flight's duration was limited. If he didn't press forward before time ran out, he might genuinely fail to catch even a few of them.

As for why he didn't use Cards to seal them?

Seal such trash that couldn't even flee properly? What was the use of collecting them? Cards were limited; even one-time use Blank Cards had to be used to seal a few strong fighters. Good steel must be used on the cutting edge.

Lin Bai was brimming with confidence, no longer the wide-eyed rookie awestruck by the sight of a Golden Core True Person.

"Wait for me!"

"Slow down!"

"Don't you want your Second Senior Brother anymore?"

"You're too ugly!"

"Don't you want to know where those junior martial brothers behind you went?"

"Daoist Qingling was killed by a Palm Thunder from me."

"Back in Jiamucheng, Daoist Priest Qingfeng took in a disciple named [Dragon Breath]. This [Dragon Breath] colluded with the Beggar Gang, tricking all of you into coming to Qian City to die, all so they could seize your Return to Dragon View!"

"Your robes are gray."

"You're a Taoist, aren't you!"

Following the escape route of the Huilong Observant Daoists, Lin Bai chased them down.

Possessing Vocal Techniques, he switched between his Eldest Senior Brother's voice, then his Second Senior Brother's, then impersonated Qing An, Qing Mu, and others he had killed, all to complete his truth-telling tasks.

He was having a grand time, playing with them like a cat with mice.

Lin Bai was thoroughly enjoying himself, but it was a period of intense suffering for the Taoists of Return to Dragon View. They couldn't fathom how their sect, which had been flourishing like the midday sun, could plummet into destitution in the blink of an eye.

Who had provoked such a madman? Wasn't Lin Bai afraid of retaliation from the Heavenly Dao Sect?

Filled with doubt and indignation, the ranks of Taoists who had come to attack Lin Bai steadily thinned. Consumed by resentment and frustration, they were either killed outright or beaten half to death and sealed into Cards.

Lin Bai's classification method was very simple.

Anyone who could withstand more than ten moves from his Eldest Senior Brother was deemed qualified to be sealed into a Card, to continue "shining" and "contributing."

Those who couldn't even withstand ten moves were killed directly. So pathetically weak, what right did they have to keep living in this world?

Lin Bai harbored no mercy.

In a life-or-death struggle, considerations of righteous or villainous factions were irrelevant.

From the moment they mobilized such a large force to kill him, it had become an irreconcilable, kill-or-be-killed conflict!

They'd say it was the Players' fault? What did their mistakes have to do with him? All he wanted was to survive! Return to Dragon View had truly been unlucky, fumbling a strong hand over a mere Spiritual World Gap. Peaceful negotiations could have been an option; Lin Bai considered himself a mild-tempered person, and there was certainly room for joint development... They had to insist on escalating things to this irreconcilable point, like fire and water. Why bother?

By the time the Morning Flight's duration was exhausted, more than half of the Huilong Observant Daoists on this expedition were dead or injured. Lin Bai's Extreme Kill-Back System task was finally completed.

The Swift Thirty attribute points were automatically delivered.

Seeing that the remaining Huilong Observant Daoists had vanished from sight, and not knowing the way to Return to Dragon View himself, Lin Bai had no choice but to stop and wait for [Dragon Breath] and the others to catch up.

The Players had a Map; with them around, he wouldn't get lost.

While waiting for [Dragon Breath], Lin Bai tested the effects of his new Swift Thirty attribute. While dodging on flat ground, even without actively using Curve Body Single Shadow, he surprisingly replicated its effects.

His eyesight had also sharpened considerably. As long as he concentrated, the flight of an ordinary bird would appear to him in perfect slow motion.

And whenever he wished, the speed at which he could recite tongue twisters had increased at least threefold. A standard tongue twister, when he recited it with his enhanced agility, now surprisingly sounded like rap music.

This meant that, without making any mistakes, he could now unleash three Palm Thunders in the same amount of time it previously took for one.

The "Cui Thick Leg" tongue twister, when sped up threefold, truly sounded like an incantation.

As expected, base attributes were indeed excellent things. Unfortunately, after the Extreme Kill-Back System's mission was completed, no follow-up missions appeared. It seemed this was a System that required specific conditions to activate. However, this didn't bother him at all. If no perilous situation presented itself, he'd just create one. Staying safe and sound wasn't his style; for Lin Bai, putting himself in danger was as easy as eating and drinking.

"Xiao Bai, are you tired?" Lin Bai activated his Wind Riding Art, ascending back into the sky. He surveyed the surrounding rugged mountain ranges, then took out two Belly Filling Pills, giving one to the Little White Fox and eating the other himself.

"Fighting with Master is the most relaxing thing ever! I'm not tired at all. My mouth is just a little dry," the Little White Fox murmured softly, savoring the taste of the Belly Filling Pill. She unconsciously licked her lips and added, "And flying through the forest... it feels like coming home. It's very comforting..."

Her mouth was dry? Lin Bai couldn't help a mischievous thought, then rubbed the Little White Fox's head. "Drink more water before our next fight."

A short while later, the Levitation Talisman brought [Dragon Breath] and the others to him.

[Dragon Breath] asked, "Lin, the Storekeeper, why aren't you moving?"

"Lost them. Can't find the way," Lin Bai glanced at them and asked, "How much further?"

[Dragon Breath] consulted the Map. "We've only covered a quarter of the distance. Why don't we tie the Levitation Talisman to you? Lady Hua Xi is too slow; at her speed, we won't get there until tomorrow morning at the earliest."

[Mountain Tiger] said, "That's right! Speed is paramount in warfare. If the people who escaped back to Return to Dragon View have time to prepare defenses, attacking them will be much harder."

"Don't worry. Even if it's difficult, we'll crack them," Lin Bai chuckled. "A little slower is fine. We're probably too late to catch them off guard anyway. Arriving a day or two later might even increase their psychological pressure."

[Daluo Golden Immortal] said, "Lin, the Storekeeper, True Person Dao Xu is a Nascent Soul level expert. He must have some trump cards. Are you confident you can defeat him?"

"No confidence," Lin Bai shook his head, answering honestly due to the ongoing truth-telling task. "But you all know I rarely rely on direct confrontation when I fight. Who knows, maybe some unorthodox trick will be enough to take him down!"

A Nascent Soul expert... sounded formidable. However, with Cupid's Arrow in hand, Lin Bai felt it was entirely necessary to 'sacrifice' himself and conquer True Person Dao Xu with the power of love. Cupid's Arrow was different from the Matchmaker's Red String. The Matchmaker's Red String was bidirectional. Cupid's Arrow of Love was unidirectional: the person shot by the arrow would unconditionally fall in love with the first individual they saw. This was why Lin Bai was so audacious. He only needed to ensure that True Person Dao Xu saw him first after being hit by the arrow, not one of the Players. Fame? As long as he could take Return to Dragon View as a base, fame was completely unimportant! It was much safer than confronting a Nascent Soul True Person head-on.

"Aside from Dao Xu, are there any other experts at Return to Dragon View, or any special arrangements? Like elders, or a Mountain Protection Array?" Lin Bai asked.

"That, I don't know." [Dragon Breath] shook his head. "I wasn't at Return to Dragon View for many days, and I spent most of my time training. There are many things I'm unaware of, and Daoist Priest Qingfeng never mentioned them. But a sect with a legacy spanning thousands of years shouldn't only have True Person Dao Xu as a top expert. It's best to be cautious."

"Mm," Lin Bai nodded. "What about the Beggar Gang members? Have they caught up?"

"Lao Mi and the others are trying to figure something out," [Daluo Golden Immortal] said. "They mentioned wanting to build hot air balloons and have people from Hundred Flower Valley and Morning Yuan Sword Sect pilot them over. But, as you know, Qian City doesn't have many Golden Core masters currently, so borrowing strength isn't easy. They probably won't make it here in a day or two, unless the City Lord is willing to lease large troop transport ships. But deploying troop transport ships is very costly, and the City Lord is reluctant. His stance is that it's inappropriate for Taiyi Country to intervene in disputes between sects..."

"Tell them not to bother the City Lord." Lin Bai glanced at them. "Go to Hundred Flower Valley and find Jiang Yuru. Borrow their transportation. If Jiang Yuru refuses, tell her I haven't forgotten what happened at the recruitment fair! If she still refuses, tell her I'm past caring about making more enemies, and my belongings aren't easily taken..."

In this Immortal World, strength was paramount. Lin Bai felt he now had the confidence to say such things. Besides, honestly, he really didn't mind offending Hundred Flower Valley further.

When Lin Bai completed his Extreme Kill-Back System task, feeling relaxed, he leisurely led [Dragon Breath] and the others toward Return to Dragon View.

Meanwhile, the Deer Mountain Group, which controlled the entirety of Yinmu City, urgently convened a meeting to discuss their future direction.

"President Lu, Lin Bai is acting with impunity. It's practically a foregone conclusion that he'll take Return to Dragon View. Once the Beggar Gang controls Return to Dragon View, given the Players' nature, they'll most likely use it as a springboard to sweep through the sects under Qian City. Eventually, they'll control all Player resources in the four Novice Villages subordinate to Qian City and grow into a behemoth." A Player named [Lu Group·Administrative Officer] meticulously reported the current situation to [Lu Group·President Lu], who was seated at the head of the round table.

[Lu Group·President Lu] frowned, his fingers lightly tapping the tabletop. "The Beggar Gang has Lin Bai. Even if we consolidate all the resources of Yinmu City, it will be very difficult to keep pace with their development. Facts have proven that this Immortal World game will coexist with reality and persist for a long time. Compared to other companies, we gained an initial advantage through sheer luck. However, due to the Beggar Gang's existence, this advantage now seems like a joke. That's the current situation. Everyone, feel free to share your thoughts. Let's discuss a way to counter the Beggar Gang's continued expansion."

"President Lu, unless we also align ourselves with a powerful NPC like Lin Bai, it won't be easy for us to catch up to the Beggar Gang through our own development alone," [Lu Group·Lu Horn] said. "Above Yinmu City is Zhen City, where several sects are also waiting to carve up the Novice Village's Player resources. If we continue with our previous plan—spreading out, entering different sects, learning Skills, then provoking sect wars to gain benefits—it will be too slow. Moreover, after Lin Bai's disruptions, NPCs will undoubtedly be wary of us..."

[Lu Group·President Lu] interrupted him. "We all know the difficulties. I want to hear solutions."

"Heaven's Chosen," a female Player named [Lu Group·Lu Fuzz] said. "President Lu, we need to find a Heaven's Chosen, someone like Lin Bai. We can leverage their power to expand our influence and consolidate resources. According to the intelligence we've gathered, both the Righteous Seven Sects and the Demonic Five Sects have Heaven's Chosen. These individuals possess outstanding aptitude; it's said that each of them has the ability to dominate their generation, much like Lin Bai."

"Heaven's Chosen?" [Lu Group·President Lu] mused. "I'm afraid they wouldn't be easy to control!"

"We don't need to control them, just guide them," [Lu Group·Lu Fuzz] smiled. "Nominally, Lin Bai controls the Beggar Gang, but in reality, the Beggar Gang is pushing Lin Bai forward. This Return to Dragon View incident, for instance, was orchestrated by Players. If Lin Bai weren't so strong, the Beggar Gang would have ceased to exist by now."

"[Lu Fuzz] is right. Ultimately, the Beggar Gang is just a disorganized mob that got incredibly lucky," [Lu Group·Lu Eye] said. "If Lin Bai were with Deer Mountain Group, our plan for this Return to Dragon View incident would undoubtedly be far more comprehensive than the Beggar Gang's. Their attack on Return to Dragon View seems like it was conceived on a whim. Lin Bai fought his way through, and they didn't even have anyone following to pick up equipment."

"I understand the reasoning, but where would we find a Heaven's Chosen?" [Lu Group·President Lu] asked. "We don't even know the location of the Righteous Seven Sects."

"We can publicize Lin Bai's actions," [Lu Group·Lu Fuzz] suggested. "Lin Bai's methods are too high-profile; there will always be people who disapprove of him. Perhaps after news of the Return to Dragon View incident spreads, Heaven's Chosen will naturally emerge. This game is incredibly realistic; one small action can affect everything. With the Beggar Gang's current operation, who knows how many things will change as a result! I believe we need to wait for now, let the Return to Dragon View situation develop."

"[Lu Fuzz] is right. Haste makes waste," [Lu Group·Lu Horn] said. "In the meantime, we should continue with our established rhythm: develop our industries in Taiyi Country, accumulate in-game wealth, and use those game earnings to fund further play. The Beggar Gang members are too foolish. They only know how to use advertising money to play the game and have no concept of capital operations. The most stable path to growth is developing our in-game presence and real-world operations simultaneously."