It figures that the Players on his side wouldn't be reliable! How capable are you, Lin Bai, to make that group of immortal and unyielding people follow your orders all the time? You're facing a backlash, aren't you? Serves you right!

He Qin gloated, "Peng Fei, inform the people from the Medicine King Valley and Spirit Artifact Pavilion to prepare. Our success hinges on this one move. Lin Bai is a cornered dog now."

Delay if possible, fight if not. This was the strategy they had agreed upon.

Lin Bai was like a clown, engaging in a prolonged verbal spat before both armies, causing He Qin's confidence to swell enormously. If he truly had the strength to defeat them, why would he waste time with so much nonsense? Moreover, the Players don't follow Lin Bai's orders, and the disciples of the Evil Five Sects he forcibly subdued are even less likely to listen. It might not even be their three-sect alliance attacking Lin Bai. Perhaps it will be the combined forces of ten sects jointly surrounding and eliminating this demon for the good of the world...

A ragged chorus of the tongue twister echoed through the mountain forest: "...Two people stand before a mountain to compare legs, I wonder if it's Cui Thick Leg..."

As the unevenly recited tongue twisters echoed through the mountain forest, Little White Fox poked her head out from Lin Bai's embrace. She glared wrathfully in the Players' direction, her eyes glinting with a chilling light.

Lin Bai gently patted her head, soothing her anger.

That's just how Players are! You can't expect them to always follow your lead. Once this is over, it'll be time to set some rules for them. Otherwise, they'll keep testing my limits more and more.

Xin Shang and the others subconsciously heightened their vigilance. They couldn't help but feel a flicker of sympathy for Lin Bai. He thinks he has everything under control, but it's all hanging by a thread!

Seeing the suddenly unruly Players, Dao Xu felt an inexplicable wave of satisfaction. Watching Lin Bai's back, he cursed under his breath, Serves you right! So you have bad days too.

He even began to consider whether he should start chanting this tongue twister when he had nothing better to do. Although he was a Puppet, from another perspective, wasn't this his protective talisman? Lin Bai probably wouldn't strike his own Puppet with lightning. Even if he did, it wouldn't matter. Dying would be a release. Even if he didn't die, enduring a lightning strike or two just to see Lin Bai's furious and frustrated face would be totally worth it.

"Did you guys notice? The second the tongue twister sounded, Lin, the Storekeeper, seemed dazed for a moment."

"Lin, the Storekeeper's head must have gone BUZZ right then!"

"That's Players for you, living up to their reputation as a natural disaster! Always being led around by NPCs. I almost thought they'd taken up new jobs!"

"A backstab from the Beggar Gang! Let's see how Lin, the Storekeeper, handles this!"

"I suspect Lin, the Storekeeper, isn't prepared for this at all..."

How should I deal with this? Lin Bai thought. If the Morning Yuan Sword Sect weren't on the other side, my Palm Thunder would have struck those Players the moment the tongue twister began. For now, I still need to establish my foundation. The lightning must be used where it's most effective!

Back in Jiamucheng, Lin Bai had been startled by the Medicine King Valley's Three Thousand Golden Pills.

But after fighting the Evil Five Sects, these Cultivation Sects were just so-so in Lin Bai's eyes.

A regular Nascent Soul expert could easily defeat tens or even hundreds of Golden Core Monks. However, when faced with large-scale battles, even a Nascent Soul expert would have to avoid a direct confrontation.

But was Lin Bai an ordinary Nascent Soul expert? No, he was not.

Lin Bai shared the Cultivation Levels of Dao Xu and Pei Yanzong. Their combined strength was far more than a simple sum of three.

An ordinary Nascent Soul expert possessed neither his Lightning Storm, nor his superior Spiritual Power, and certainly not his Agility that far surpassed an average person's—not to mention his unparalleled luck.

After shielding himself with the Golden Middle Cover and issuing protection orders to all his Card Puppets, Lin Bai thrust out his left hand. Lightning, like a torrent, poured from his palm, plowing through the mist below.

Simultaneously, Lin Bai assumed his battle stance: one eye looking forward, one eye looking backward, and then he hid his nose as well.

After being ambushed by the Waning Sun Gate's Magic Artifact last time, which had temporarily blinded him, he had developed this cautious combat habit.

The Spirit Artifact Pavilion is on the other side; who knows what strange Magic Treasures they might have! As for why he hid his nose? What if there was poisonous gas?

With his facial features rearranged, Lin Bai's handsome face became a grotesque sight.

But he paid it no mind. Amidst the roar of lightning, he declared with soaring spirits, "The tongue twister has sounded like a battle horn! Warriors of the Justice League, united as a wolf pack! The battlefield is like a wailing infant, yearning for you, its mothers, to provide sweet sustenance! Prepare to receive those lamb-like captives, and watch how I dispel this mist, as foolish as Sect Leader He's grandmother's undershirt!"

Having finished his pre-battle pep talk, Lin Bai switched on his voice recorder, took his two personal guards, and flew above the fog.

The fog obscured sight and also blocked Divine Sense.

The strategy itself was sound. He Qin's mistake, however, was treating Lin Bai as an ordinary Cultivator.

Lin Bai shared the Spiritual Power and Skills of Pei Yanzong and Dao Xu. He would use his Divine Sense to observe his surroundings.

But before obtaining Cards, he had always relied on his keen powers of observation to perceive the world.

After consuming numerous Spirit Fruits, Lin Bai's sight, smell, and hearing were far superior to those of ordinary people.

Unlike blood-mist, this fog didn't interfere with his sense of smell. Relying solely on scent, Lin Bai could still accurately pinpoint the Cultivators hiding in the forest.

The lightning-resistant Magic Artifacts were indeed effective.

The first wave of lightning struck, but the auras of the Cultivators in the forest did not diminish.

However, Lin Bai's mind began to receive a flood of emotional feedback:

[Shock from Ge Dong, Song Sitian, Lu Cong... +1 +1 +1]

[Tension from He Qin, Miao Jiangxi, Chen Dayao... +1 +1 +1]

[Joy from Silver, Dragon Breath, Mountain Tiger, I'm Not an Alt... +1 +1 +1]

[Anxiety from Jiang Qingqin, Hu He... +1 +1 +1]

[Jealousy from Xin Shang, Ge Feiyun... +1 +1 +1]

The two emotion trees in Lin Bai's mind began to scroll rapidly. Everyone on the battlefield was providing him with emotions—all sorts of them, far more than usual. He didn't even have time to distinguish who was who!

The moment Lin Bai stepped forward, the Extreme Kill-Back System promptly displayed a mission prompt: [Win the battle while in a predicament; Reward: Agility +30]

Indeed, only when undertaking great deeds are the rewards greatest.

After the first wave of lightning, the Players stopped chanting tongue twisters. Instead, a series of perfectly synchronized advertisements began:

"Double protection, prevents cavities! Jieya Toothpaste wishes Lin, the Storekeeper, a resounding victory!"

"Romantic and rich, love is heaven-sent. Furong Chocolate, savor your profound affection..."

"Thanks to those fools for pushing Lin Bai into a corner," He Qin remarked, glancing mockingly at the Beggar Gang Disciples who were still running advertisements. "Lin Bai is still fighting alone. The people from the Evil Five Sects have no intention of helping him. Our plan has succeeded. Now, we just wait for Lin Bai's Spiritual Power to be exhausted. That will be the moment of his death."

The words had barely left his mouth when a tremendous force erupted from beneath his feet. He involuntarily struck a pose—one hand forward, one hand back—as his body was flung helplessly into the sky.

He Qin's expression changed instantly. What the hell is going on? How did he find my hiding place?

"What's happening?"

"Why am I flying?"

"Oh no, is this Lin Bai's Separation of Love?"

"How did he find us?"

"How can Separation of Love target all of us simultaneously?"

Scattered cries of alarm echoed. He Qin looked around, his mind instantly going blank. Beside him were hundreds of Sword Immortals from his sect, all of whom had been planning to launch a sneak attack once Lin Bai's Spiritual Power was depleted. But now, they were all frozen in the same flamboyant posture, rising into the sky together, some faster, some slower.

He Qin had heard about the Separation of Love Technique from the Players, but he never knew it could control so many people simultaneously!

He circulated his energy, trying to halt his ascent. But the more he did, the faster he flew. He couldn't even change his posture.

He Qin's heart plummeted. It's over! Everything is over! Can the Power of Laws truly be this formidable? He Qin hadn't believed in such laws before, but now he had no choice but to consider them. Compared to abstract laws, he was even more unwilling to believe that such a terrifying Taoist law could exist in the world.

What relieved He Qin was their foresight in wearing black masks and hoods. Otherwise, for the dignified Sect Leader of the Morning Yuan Sword Sect to be sent flying into the sky like a woman, and in front of the Evil Five Sects at that... how could he ever show his face again? Despicable! The Righteous Door's Techniques are too unsettling!

Also taking flight were the people from the Spirit Artifact Pavilion and Medicine King Valley, who had been hidden in the mountain forest.

Lin Bai's Rush Moon targeted groups of two or more. Each activation could banish one person. With hundreds or even thousands gathered, theoretically, he could banish them one by one until only a single person remained.

Lin Bai's current Spiritual Power was more than enough for him to perform millisecond-level micro-manipulations.

Moreover, banishing one after another didn't require a high degree of technical skill.

In just over ten seconds, all the Cultivators and Players hiding in the mountain forest and at the sect gates were banished into the sky by his Rush Moon, stripped of the mist's protection.

The so-called Mist Formation now seemed like a complete joke.

"What's happening?"

"What was that?"

"It's Separation of Love!"

Screams of panic erupted everywhere. In that instant, all prior emotions—fear, joy, and others—transformed into pure shock, affecting friend and foe alike. Several thousand masked individuals were simultaneously launched by Rush Moon from the forest, and the Beggar Gang's advertisements screeched to a halt. Xin Shang and the other members of the Evil Five Sects stared, their eyes wide with disbelief.

"Damn it, what the hell was that?"

"Lin, the Storekeeper's Separation of Love can send so many people skyward at once?"

"Holy crap, that's spectacular!"

"Spectacular my ass! If Lin, the Storekeeper, has skills like these, what's the point of playing? Might as well log off and go to bed!"

"And we just offended Lin, the Storekeeper..."

"CRAP!"

"This game is unplayable!"

"Lin, the Storekeeper's Skills are too broken! If they don't nerf him, there's no way to play!"

"His Lightning Storm AOE was already unbeatable, and now he has this unrestricted launching Skill? How many Players would it take to even defeat Lin, the Storekeeper?"

"This time, I'm definitely going to the forums to protest!"

"This is just ridiculous!"

"Man, I want to learn Skills like that too!"

The Beggar Gang Disciples, along with the offline viewers watching the livestream, collectively lost their minds. They could accept a Separation of Love that banished one person. But they couldn't accept a Separation of Love that could toss thousands of people into the sky simultaneously! What kind of love requires separating from thousands of people at once?

Lonely Old Man, watching the livestream offline, almost bit his tongue off. His face instantly darkened as his thoughts delved deeper than others. What if this Immortal World game is a real world? Are the Players invaders? Then what is Lin Bai? A savior? Could everything he possesses have been granted by the will of this world? Can Players, despite their immortality, truly fight against the world's will? Or are they destined to live under Lin Bai's oppressive power, like ordinary natives in another world? He used to think the game was just slightly more difficult because of Lin Bai. But now, it seemed this game was pure hell! If Lin Bai gained a few more abilities that could affect reality, would they even survive playing this game? A chill ran down Lonely Old Man's spine. For an instant, he wanted to quit the game immediately, seal away his gaming pod, and never enter this accursed game again. Lin Bai is simply unbeatable.

A single action can affect the entire situation. When Separation of Love was showcased to the world via livestream and news of it subsequently spread throughout the game, most Players chose to stop what they were doing, log out, and watch a Beggar Gang Disciple's stream. Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated. They had to gather firsthand intelligence.

In just tens of seconds, aside from the Morning Yuan Sword Sect, the Players in the Immortal World were almost completely wiped out, as if time had rewound to before their arrival.

Many natives were baffled, suspecting something major had occurred in the world of the Players. They all rushed to report this unusual situation to their Sect Leaders or superiors.

Lin Bai was unaware that his large-scale use of the Rush Moon Skill had triggered a seismic event in the game world. He himself was somewhat baffled. He knew the Morning Yuan Sword Sect had planned an ambush, but he hadn't expected them all to be identically dressed in black robes and masks! That wasn't in the Players' intel! With everyone dressed the same, who should his Arrow of Love target? Natives, unlike Players, didn't have names hovering over their heads. True, the two emotion trees in his mind could identify names based on emotions, but with emotions flooding in so rapidly, how could he tell who was who? That's it! These people must have developed this countermeasure based on his Arrow of Love, stumbling upon the right idea by accident. And they even knew to use Players to spread misinformation as a smokescreen... Indeed, the natives are getting smarter! It's a good thing I managed to acquire the Rush Moon Skill before coming here. Otherwise, if I'd relied on the Matchmaker's Red Thread or Cupid's Arrow, I would've definitely suffered a major setback. For now, let's hit some of them with lightning first! Those who can withstand the lightning are from the Spirit Artifact Pavilion and the Medicine King Valley. Those who can't are from the Morning Yuan Sword Sect. And those who can endure it for a prolonged period must be the Nascent Soul experts.

One must be ruthless to gain a firm foothold. Even a benevolent Bodhisattva has moments of wrathful glare. In this world teeming with enemies, excessive kindness will only make others perceive you as weak and easily bullied.

As the recorded tongue twister reached its end, Lin Bai, without hesitation, directed his left hand. Lightning struck towards the black-robed figures soaring into the sky.

While affected by Rush Moon, one could only maintain a single posture. Thus, everyone ascending helplessly became lambs to the slaughter, watching powerlessly as the lightning descended upon them.

After one volley of lightning, dozens of blackened figures with vacant eyes appeared in mid-air. Some, despite being struck and glaring furiously, could only curse at Lin Bai. Others, however, were instantly knocked into a comatose state by their injuries.

Even though they were unconscious and severely injured, the relentless Rush Moon continued to carry them stubbornly skyward.

"Lin Bai, you scoundrel! Using such evil Techniques to harm people is dishonorable!"

"Fellow Daoists, we must devise a countermeasure quickly! Lin Bai's demonic arts are terrifying! If we continue to passively endure these attacks, our sects might be annihilated here!"

"Fellow Daoists, do not panic! Circulate your energy! Circulating your energy can accelerate the ascent! The faster you circulate, the faster you'll fly! Once we reach the apex, we'll descend, and then we can counterattack!"

"Circulate your energy! Circulate!"

Watching the masked men suddenly accelerate, shooting skyward like rockets, Lin Bai frowned slightly. Damn, they figured out Rush Moon's weakness so quickly...