Ever since the appearance of the first gaming pod, players have always considered themselves the main protagonists.

But the game had been going on for over a year.

Players increasingly realized that while they were ordinary people in the real world, they possessed Undying Bodies in the game yet still had no control over their destinies.

Upon entering the game, knowing nothing, they were oppressed by NPCs.

When they achieved a little success, Lin Bai had single-handedly stirred up the global situation, drawing out NPCs they couldn't afford to provoke.

When Lin Bai was trapped in the Heavenly Tribulation, they finally had a chance to develop, but Lin Bai emerged transformed, stole their homes, and handed them over to an even stronger enemy...

They were always one step behind Lin Bai.

And that single step behind sealed their tragic fate.

From beginning to end, it was Lin Bai who shone, or those Lin Bai allowed to shine, like Immortal Realm's First Papparazzi and Crispy Rice. As a result, the gaming forum returned to how it was when the game first launched.

Even though everyone knew that the Immortal World and the Continent of Gods and Demons were not game worlds but real ones, players still enthusiastically discussed the pros and cons of Lin Bai concerning the game, the world, and the players themselves.

The players were divided into two factions: supporters of Lin Bai and opponents of Lin Bai.

Most of Lin Bai's supporters were his fans, peace-loving individuals, and those currently benefiting from the state of the world.

Those who opposed Lin Bai believed their legitimate interests were being infringed upon, and that Lin Bai and his Justice League were the cause of all instability. Eventually, a particular viewpoint on the forum won the support of most of Lin Bai's opponents.

The post read:

"The game is a gift from the gods to the people of the real world.

It provides people with a second life, a different kind of existence, and a means to break existing class structures. In the game, even if you don't have a lucky account, as long as you're willing to work hard, you're guaranteed to achieve a better life than in the real world.

It even offers us a reference to another civilization, allowing our own to progress...

Lin Bai's appearance shattered this beautiful arrangement. He treats players like slaves, wantonly exploiting and oppressing them.

He has ruined the entire gaming experience.

He repeatedly claims to be a savior, but he saves other worlds while destroying ours.

He brought War to our world and severed our path to a higher civilization. Just like the original seven righteous sects and five demonic sects of the Immortal World, Lin Bai single-handedly obstructed our civilization's advancement.

Therefore, the game company is the benefactor of the players, and Lin Bai is the enemy of all players.

All players should unite to overthrow Lin Bai. Only then will everything return to normal, allowing players to once again enjoy the thrill of the game..."

...

The post listed Lin Bai's alleged crimes one by one, along with the many benefits of taking him down. Consequently, an organization advocating "Overthrow Lin Bai and return the game to its roots" was born.

Followers flocked to it.

Overnight, nearly half the players from the Eastern and Western continents secretly joined this organization.

They did everything they could to oppose Lin Bai.

In the Fairy World and the Continent of Gods and Demons, they rallied all of Lin Bai's enemies, exposed all information about him, predicted his every move, and shared all intelligence regarding him.

They ambushed Lin Bai's fans and suppressed anyone close to him.

They marked every known location of Lin Bai, or even potential manifestations of him, waiting for the day they could strike and eradicate him completely.

...

With this unified goal, the players' enthusiasm was fully mobilized. They rediscovered the joy of playing games, making all sorts of preparations.

They were just waiting for the final push to take down Lin Bai, the ultimate BOSS.

...

"Alliance Hierarch, I know I shouldn't be disturbing you at this time, but this issue is currently having a devastating impact." The Leader of the Lin Bai Supporters Group found Lin Bai. She described the matter of the Anti-Linbai Alliance to him and said with great concern, "Some members of the fan group were poisoned while eating; others lost their lives on the road, struck down by a sudden Flying Sword. People in the group are panicked; many are even afraid to act alone. If this continues, the fan group's morale will shatter, and it will likely disband."

"The audacity! I'll take the Demon Beasts and kill them all back to Level Zero!" Little White Fox fumed. "Master is so kind, providing them with so many conveniences, and this is how they repay him?"

"Little White Elder Sister, please calm down. I'm afraid this problem can't be solved by killing," Ye Song said, shaking his head. "First, we can't identify them. Second, there are too many of them; we simply can't kill them all..."

Tuohai, the old ancestor, and the others exchanged glances, also realizing the gravity of the situation.

"Yes, that's the difficulty," sighed the Leader of the Lin Bai Supporters Group. "To this day, we still don't know who is in charge of the 'Anti-Linbai Alliance.' All their orders are issued through the forum. As long as they post a call to action, many people will spontaneously respond and complete the task. We can't identify the enemy from their forum IDs."

"How arrogant! Are we just going to let them grow stronger?" Little White Fox growled.

"The Alliance Hierarch's influence is too vast, and the players are not united. Therefore, they've taken the opposite approach, making all their information open and transparent. They even anticipated that the Alliance Hierarch would move against them and publicly posted their countermeasures on the forum." The Leader of the Lin Bai Supporters Group looked at the senior members of the Justice League in the room, hesitated for a moment, then continued, "They said that if the Alliance Hierarch launches a massive retaliation against players, or harasses their families in the real world, they will lead everyone to undergo Tribulation together and destroy the entire game world. They said, if they aren't allowed to play, then no one gets to play..."

"How utterly preposterous!" Xu Longyun's face turned grim, the joy of her recent wedding vanishing from her heart.

At this point, she understood why Lin Bai wanted to establish the Justice League, to restrain players, to become the Heavenly Dao. This group of lawless fellows was a cancer on the world. When she knew of the establishment of the Anti-Linbai Alliance, she had been thinking of solutions; after all, Lin Bai was going to leave the Mortal World to her to manage during his expedition to the Fairy World. In a short period, she had made numerous plans for division, suppression, balance, and so on. But all these plans were instantly rendered moot with the emergence of the mutual destruction threat. Her home, her loved ones, her people were all here; moreover, they only had one life and could not bear the pain of mutual destruction.

Qing Yun and the others drew a sharp breath, stunned by the players' outrageous plans.

"If we had known this would happen, we shouldn't have let them level up in the first place," said elder Yan Qing, his face dark. "We finally managed to restore order, and now they've jumped out to cause trouble again."

"We can't let them dictate terms. The players' talents are too strong. If they all manage to grow powerful through this, we'll be even more helpless against them," said Elder Nan Rong.

"Those of us who have surpassed the Crossing Tribulation Realm can't act in the Mortal World either, or we'll trigger a Heavenly Tribulation," Qing Yun said. "And our Realm is too low to enter the Fairy World. We're no match for the Heavenly Beings, let alone dealing with those players hiding among them..."

What an awkward predicament!

The hall fell into a temporary silence.

All eyes turned to Lin Bai, the man who seemed capable of anything.

"Why are you all looking at me? Let them make their fuss," Lin Bai said, glancing around at everyone with a smile. "They play their game, we play ours. As long as they haven't been completely blinded by greed and actually attack me, let them oppose Lin Bai as they wish."

"But Master, aren't you afraid they'll actually grow stronger?" Tuohai asked.

"I want them to grow stronger," Lin Bai stated. "Why are they so arrogant? It boils down to one reason: those who have nothing to lose fear nothing. They have nothing to lose, which is why they're so fearless. Once they establish their own forces in this world, possess their own industries, then even if you asked them to destroy the world, no one would be willing."

Lin Bai shook his head and chuckled. "Didn't I defeat the seven righteous sects and five demonic sects with this very tactic? They're just treading my old path. I'm the originator of this strategy; they're still too inexperienced. Sacrificing my reputation for the temporary peace of the world is well worth it."

"..." Everyone was speechless.

"Husband," Xu Longyun said, looking at Lin Bai.

"Notify Immortal Realm's First Papparazzi and the others that the Justice League permits freedom of speech and enterprise, and encourages world diversification. If necessary, they can even publicize the Anti-Linbai Alliance's deeds. We still have the Heavenly Review, don't we? We can provide them with an 'Anti-Linbai Pioneer' contribution leaderboard, ranking them based on the actions they boast about on the forums."

Lin Bai smiled. "Once they're established and the Anti-Linbai Alliance becomes a lucrative target, the masterminds behind it will naturally emerge. It won't be too late to settle scores with them then..."

"But they're colluding with the Heavenly Beings. Once they grow stronger, they'll be difficult to deal with," said the Leader of the Lin Bai Supporters Group.

"Firstly, the Heavenly Beings won't fully trust them. Secondly, they grow, but don't we grow as well?" Lin Bai looked at the completely loyal leader and said, "Some matters need to be rushed; others cannot be. I know you're worried about the fans' safety, but the fans also need to be tempered. I can't protect you for a lifetime, and you can't rely on my reputation forever! When I'm too busy to handle these trivialities, it will be your turn to step up, defend me, and fight for me. In any case, your group's cohesion should be stronger than theirs, right?"

[Moved by the Leader of the Lin Bai Supporters Group: +1+1+1...]

Being needed by her idol deeply touched the leader. She looked at Lin Bai, her gaze gradually firming with resolve. "Alliance Hierarch, I understand. You just focus on your important endeavors. I will guard your home front."

"Good, go then! You are not fighting alone. I and the Justice League will always be your staunchest supporters." Lin Bai gave her an encouraging look, opened his palm, and presented her with a Spirit Fruit and a Temperament Fruit. "Keep up the good work."

"Alliance Hierarch, I won't disappoint you!" The leader excitedly accepted the two fruits, contributing a wave of pleasure points to Lin Bai, and departed in high spirits.

...

"Husband, I am not your equal." Watching the leader depart, Xu Longyun's expression turned melancholic, and she said dejectedly, "If it weren't for you, I'm afraid I would have ruined everything."

"You just care too much about me," Lin Bai consoled her with a smile. "Xiao Yun, don't let your emotions cloud your judgment. Learn to observe the entire world from a higher perspective, and don't be afraid of making mistakes. You must always believe that I can resolve any problem for you, even if you err."

"Mm," Xu Longyun nodded emphatically.

"Master, have you perfected your Taoist law?" Qing Yun asked.

"I have," Lin Bai replied.

"What's it like? Is it powerful?" Qing Yun's eyes lit up as she asked excitedly.

She didn't really care about the Mortal World or what the players were doing. Her goal had always been the Righteous Door, to become a Divine Wood transcending the world; Lin Bai's growth was what she truly hoped for.

Tuohai and the others also cast curious glances his way.

"I can't tell you for now. This Taoist law must remain my trump card," Lin Bai said, fabricating an excuse. He had no other choice.

He certainly couldn't tell everyone that the new law he'd just comprehended was about becoming a competent master of ceremonies! That would crush their morale.

"Yes, yes, loose lips sink ships. Our current passive situation is precisely because Master's abilities have all been exposed. It's high time some were kept hidden," Ye Song nodded in agreement. "Especially now, Master should not be overly exposed."

"If there's nothing else, let's leave it at that." Lin Bai stood up, surveyed his many disciples, and said, "When I reach the Fairy World, I'll find a secluded place for you to improve your cultivation. As for other matters, proceed according to the agreed-upon plan."

...

Lin Bai's every move was under intense scrutiny.

Due to his wedding, he had severed all Magpie Bridges between the Mortal World and the Fairy World. To abruptly reopen a Magpie Bridge now would be too conspicuous.

Therefore, Lin Bai put on his Disguise Glasses, masqueraded as a player, and simultaneously opened all the Magpie Bridges, mingling with the players as he entered the Fairy World.

...

「At the same time, Lin Bai entered the Fairy World.」

Justice Weekly ran a full report on the Thunder Heavenly King's entry into the Continent of Gods and Demons.

If it were just this piece of news, it wouldn't have caused much of a stir; after all, the Thunder Heavenly King had already caused such a massive commotion in Free City that it was common knowledge.

The players of the "Anti-Linbai Alliance" naturally wouldn't miss this opportunity to slander Lin Bai. News such as 'the Thunder Heavenly King was deceived' and 'Lin Bai had diverted the disaster elsewhere' quickly reached the NPCs' ears through their propaganda.

Lin Bai went a step further: through Justice Weekly, he published information on the Nine Heavenly Kings of the Fairy World, as well as details on the various deities of the Continent of Gods and Demons.

Even this wasn't considered particularly significant?

The crucial move was that Lin Bai opened the Magpie Bridge between the Continent of Gods and Demons and the Fairy World, allowing interaction and exchange between the two realms. The moment this news broke, it immediately caused an uproar in both worlds.

Everyone knew Lin Bai was trying to muddy the waters.

But no one could resist such a temptation.

Indeed, whether they were Heavenly Kings or deities, and regardless of whether they planned an invasion, they first needed to thoroughly explore the other world...