Nascent Soul Expert +1.

"No!" Watching Pei Yanzong being engulfed by a Card, Dao Xu let out a desperate cry of despair. At that moment, he felt as if he had witnessed a bleak future of Pei Yanzong clinging to him day and night. The clear blue sky turned gloomy in an instant.

"Lin Bai, how could you do this?" Dao Xu angrily questioned Lin Bai. "You went back on your word! Weren't we supposed to kill him?"

"Don't worry. As long as I don't help him regain his consciousness, he won't bother you." Lin Bai put the Card away and, satisfied, snapped his fingers. "Pleasure doing business with you, Dao Dao."

"Shameless," Dao Xu said, his voice trembling. He felt used and found Lin Bai increasingly repulsive.

"Don't be like that. I know you despise me." Lin Bai casually released Pei Yanzong. Feeling the surge of Cold Spirit Power in his Dantian, he flicked his finger, sending out a flurry of ice flowers, and then said, "But this won't prevent us from netting them all, Dao Xu! Your reputation is already ruined, so why not drag a few others down with you?"

Dao Xu was stunned into silence.

The chatter from the opposing side instantly died down.

The members of the Five Evil Sects were dumbfounded, staring as if they were witnessing a true Devil's Head. Compared to Lin Bai, they felt utterly unworthy of being called part of the Magic Gate!

Zhao Tulong clenched his Bloodthirsty Knife, his throat working as he swallowed hard. He suddenly regretted provoking Lin Bai!

「 」

"Dao Dao, don't be afraid. We have Justice Weekly. We can make black sound white. I'll make sure to restore your image..." Lin Bai continued to persuade Dao Xu. "You've already lost your freedom. If you lose your reputation too, you'll have nothing left."

Where the hell is my reputation? Dao Xu cried inwardly, "Don't call me Dao Dao..."

"Then it's settled." Since Dao Xu wasn't arguing about cooperation but was instead fixated on the nickname, Lin Bai knew their partnership was established. He had successfully injected vitality into a desolate heart.

However, just in case, Lin Bai decided to add more leverage. "If you don't agree, I'll help Pei Yanzong regain his senses and let him handle this."

[Received anger, resentment, fear... from Dao Xu; +1+1+1]

Little White Fox peeked out from Lin Bai's arms, its gaze full of admiration for its master. Master is so amazing! Truly a man destined to become the Heavenly Dao, his plans are flawless, and no one can escape his clutches...

「 」

"It's confirmed! Lin, the Storekeeper, is the big BOSS! He's way too evil. If this guy were in a TV show, he'd definitely be the major villain—the kind that survives until the very end."

"The developers said there's no fixed plot, and any NPC can be killed."

"And you actually believe what the game company says?"

"You can't really say Lin, the Storekeeper, is a villain. Everything he does is well-reasoned, and he's always provoked first."

"Yeah, Lin, the Storekeeper, definitely doesn't start trouble. He just excels at blowing small things out of proportion. In the real world, he'd be a total troublemaker."

"Everyone, let me ask one question: between Lin, the Storekeeper, and the Players, who's more evil?"

"I vote Players."

"I'm with Lin, the Storekeeper."

"I choose the game company. No game, no pain."

"I absolutely love how Lin, the Storekeeper, is bad—bad with reason, bad with style!"

"I just love that attitude of 'You hate me, but you can't touch me!'"

"Right now, Lin, the Storekeeper, is just messing with NPCs. Wait until you guys get into the game and actually face him. If you can still say you like Lin, the Storekeeper, then, I'll be truly impressed."

"The tables will turn. Then it'll be Lin, the Storekeeper's, turn to experience the Players' evil!"

"Exactly! There's no unkillable BOSS, only unskilled Players!"

「 」

In the direction of the Five Evil Sects, there was an eerie silence. Hearing is one thing, but seeing is believing.

Lin Bai had spoken just a few simple sentences in front of Pei Yanzong—words that wouldn't have fooled a five-year-old child—yet Pei Yanzong had fallen for it. They had watched as Pei Yanzong seemingly died on the spot, only to be sucked into Lin Bai's Card. In the blink of an eye, his injuries were fully healed, and he had become Lin Bai's Puppet. No one understood how any of it worked.

The Magic Gate possessed Puppet Techniques. To be precise, the Evil spirits refined by Magic Spirits could be considered a form of such techniques. However, refining an Evil spirit was incredibly difficult. One had to ensure the soul's integrity, prevent backlash from the soul, and find a way to preserve the Evil spirit's combat strength. Refining a Golden Core level Evil spirit took at least three to five years, and the slightest misstep would waste all prior effort.

But Lin Bai? A single Card flew out, and he had subdued Pei Yanzong. Pei Yanzong, a Nascent Soul expert on par with their own strength!

Judging by Dao Xu's reaction, Lin Bai also possessed a method to restore their sanity, and without fear of backlash? Such abilities were beyond the reach of the Magic Spirit Sect. Even the ancient demons from the Valley of Thousand Souls, who had cultivated for millennia, probably couldn't perform such feats so effortlessly!

Was this young man before them truly someone they could oppose? How did he do it? By being so audacious, wasn't he afraid of becoming a public enemy? With such ruthlessness, surely neither the Seven Righteous Sects nor the Five Magic Sects would tolerate him?

Zhao Tulong and the others simultaneously felt the urge to retreat. But they didn't dare. They had imprisoned Disciples of the Beggar Gang and plotted to ambush Lin Bai... Who could guarantee Lin Bai wouldn't hold a grudge? If Lin Bai sought revenge, which of their Sects could withstand him? These were legacies built over a thousand years!

So, what Dao Xu had said was true. They should have retreated from the very beginning, sought help from the Five Magic Sects, and let them deal with Lin Bai. But now, it was too late for regrets! Zhao Tulong and the others were caught in a dilemma; Lin Bai alone had driven them to a dead end.

"Friends from the Waning Sun Gate, Sect Master Pei is one of us now. Why not lay down your weapons and join my Righteous Door?" Lin Bai ignored the remaining Sect Leaders, looking towards the Waning Sun Gate members and said with a smile, "I am not a bloodthirsty person, so you need not worry about your safety. Look over there, at our lively friends from Return to Dragon View. They are your example. They joined the Righteous Door, and after only two or three days together, we've become like a close-knit family, confiding in one another. This time, knowing they would be facing your Five Evil Sects—five against one, with minuscule chances of victory—they still followed me resolutely, without a single complaint..."

Bullshit! Dao Xu's face was dark as he remained silent. If you hadn't tormented me half to death at Return to Dragon View and scared them witless, it'd be a miracle if they submitted to you! Do you really think you have some kind of Personal Charm?

"Besides, I have no grudge against any of you. The mistakes made by Sect Master Pei shouldn't be borne by you." Lin Bai sighed meaningfully, popping a Temperament Fruit into his mouth to enhance his aura as he spoke. "Those of you who came to Qian City to fight must at least have Golden Core Cultivation, right? It's not easy to reach the Golden Core realm. It would be a terrible waste to die for such an insignificant matter. Sect Master Pei can still live on as my Puppet, with a chance to regain his senses in the future. But if you die, you're truly dead. Is it worth it?"

A stir went through the Cultivators of the Waning Sun Gate. And not just them. The ordinary Golden Core Cultivators from the Blood Shadow Sect and the Mysterious Darkness Cult also grew contemplative. Our Sect Leaders aren't making a move... It's obvious we can't beat Lin Bai!

"A person only has one life. It can be as weighty as Mount Tai or as light as a goose feather. Ask yourselves, how many rounds of my Lightning Storm can you withstand?" Lin Bai stood with his hands clasped behind his back, looking towards the Waning Sun Gate, and said earnestly, "Heaven has the virtue of cherishing life. Don't say I didn't give you a chance."

He paused, his eyes sweeping over the dense crowd of Cultivators before him. "With the Heavenly Chosen descending upon the world, it's no longer the same as it was. I, at just over twenty years of age, can single-handedly suppress all five of your Evil Sects until you can barely breathe. What is there left to cherish in your dilapidated Sects? In the future, Laws will reign supreme, and the Heavenly Chosen will dominate. Do you think the lofty Five Magic Sects will grant you better Cultivation Techniques?"

Lin Bai waved his hand, pointing towards the Players. His voice suddenly rose an octave. "Can the Cultivation Techniques you practice guarantee victory in the future against these Heavenly Chosen, whose every meridian is open? Are your techniques as powerful as my Laws? You can't defeat me today, and you won't defeat them tomorrow! Tell me, do you want to live like that? Do you want to fall from being lofty Cultivators to becoming weaklings bullied by all?"

The Players looked bewildered. What does Lin, the Storekeeper, mean? Does he know something?

The commotion among the Waning Sun Gate members intensified. Clearly, Lin Bai's words had struck a chord with them. Of course, what moved them even more was the undeniable fact that Lin Bai truly possessed the strength to suppress everyone.

"Sect Leader Lin, if we join the Righteous Door, and the Five Magic Sects come to hold us accountable in the future, can you protect us?" a voice suddenly called out from the direction of the Waning Sun Gate.

"In this joint effort of your five factions to pressure my Righteous Door, who took the lead?" A smirk touched Lin Bai's lips as he continued proudly, "You have the Five Magic Sects backing you, but don't I also have the Righteous Door behind me? I forgot to mention, you only get one chance to choose, and you have no way out. In a fight, you can't beat me. In evil, you're no match for me. If you don't surrender now, then when?"