CHAPTER 400: 400 CONFRONTATIONS

"Kill a Golden Core cultivator or below from the Justice League; Reward: Ten Constitution Building Elixirs."

"Kill a Nascent Soul Cultivator from the Justice League; Reward: Ten Lionheart Pills."

"Kill a Transforming Spirit Stage Monk from the Justice League; Reward: Ten Dragon Tiger Pills."

"Kill a Void Cultivator from the Justice League; Reward: One slot in the Basic Academy."

...

"Kill a Sect Leader; Reward: Star-glowing Realm personal disciple status."

"Kill one of Lin Bai’s crucial disciples; Reward: Star Diamond Realm personal disciple status."

"Assassinate the editor-in-chief of Justice Weekly, die ten times; Reward: Ten Dragon Tiger Pills and a set of city houses."

"Destroy projects initiated by the Justice League; Reward: Ten Major Rejuvenation Pills."

"Kill either Xu Longyun, Jiang Qingqin, or Little White Fox; Reward: Star-glowing Realm personal disciple status, City Lord status."

"Kill Lin Bai; Heavenly King personal disciple status."

「...」

The days of the Fairy World’s players suddenly got better.

Overnight, all cities lifted their restrictions on them, allowing them to use teleportation portals, allowing them to use Mortal World silver taels to purchase supplies in the city, setting up dedicated residential areas for them, and even lifting bans on Celestials teaching them various skills, and so on.

As long as they held their nameplates given upon entry into the Fairy World, their rights in the Fairy World were identical to normal Celestials. Their treatment was many times better than that of Ascenders.

Not long after improving their treatment, each city began to launch a public task bulletin specifically aimed at players.

Lin Bai and his Justice League colleagues were all clearly named and priced, becoming task targets.

「...」

Below the mission board, a group of players were chattering about the political orders in the Fairy World:

"The Justice League revealed the identity of the Heavenly King and sent so many players to the Fairy World, trying to stir up chaos. The Nine Celestial Kings of the Immortal World countered instantly. As immortals fight, we are the beneficiaries. Beautiful."

"They should be made to compete fiercely. I must say, the Justice League lost this round."

"The formation of the Anti-Linbai Alliance was very timely. If they hadn’t stood against Lin Bai, the situation would still be under Lin Bai’s control!"

"Control my ass! The reason Lin Bai compromised with the Anti-Linbai Alliance was because he couldn’t control the situation anymore. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have shifted the battlefield to the Continent of Gods and Demons; this is clearly a strategic retreat."

"I gotta say, players understand players better; the Heavenly King has directly given us tasks. Mobilizing players’ enthusiasm with tasks means Lin Bai can’t even beg for peace anymore."

"The resources in the Fairy World are too precious; I’m afraid even the members of the Justice League will defect."

"Lin Bai spread his forces too widely; his manpower is insufficient. It’s time for him to face this disaster!"

"Taking too big a step can lead to pulling something. Lin Bai fell because he became accustomed to smooth sailing. When the Justice League collapses, the empire he built will also collapse."

"It won’t collapse. Lin Bai has the Magpie Bridge, so he can still maintain his basic defenses."

"It can’t be held up. Some people have already publicized how to bypass the Magpie Bridge and enter or exit the Fairy World; it just takes dying twice. The lost levels can be regained by taking one or two Pill Medicines. Compared to the rewards, that’s not a loss at all. The Constitution Building Elixir from the Fairy World isn’t in the same league as the rubbish from the Lower Realm. Just pop one Constitution Building Elixir, and you’re immediately elevated to the Nascent Soul Realm. To get ten such elixirs, all you need to do is kill a cultivator below the Golden Core Stage. Those disciples who haven’t yet achieved Core Formation can’t even use Wind Control; they are merely oversized martial artists. A few days of cultivation in the Fairy World will be more than enough to eliminate them..."

"And the Cultivation Technique to do so was provided by Lin Bai’s Justice League. It’s so sad when you think about it!"

"The Fairy World is going to cut the Justice League off at its roots!"

"Below is a real world, but because of the dispute between Lin Bai and the Fairy World, rivers of blood are going to flow. It’s kind of hard to bring myself to take action against them when you think about it!"

"What’s there to hesitate about? The cultivators have been on guard against us from the get-go!"

"Lin Bai will never expect that the world he is so keen to save will face desolation because of him."

"This was inevitable. Even without Lin Bai, as more and more players flood in, the mortals get nothing good out of this, and the conflict between the two sides will eventually erupt. Being targeted by the game company might simply be their fate..."

"Why feel sorry for them? Lin Bai has also set his sights on our world. You don’t really think he sent the Magpie Bridge into our world to truly promote peaceful exchange between the two worlds, do you?"

「...」

With players in the mix, everyone’s strategies were more or less out in the open. What kind of news could truly be hidden?

Lin Bai, who was planning to acquire Divine Status for his disciples, soon learned about the latest developments in the Fairy World.

The Sect Masters of both the Seven Righteous Sects and Five Demonic Sects, as well as several royal families, came to seek Lin Bai’s help.

The Spiritual Energy of the Fairy World is too rich. Even a player who has just started the game can surpass the low-ranking disciples of each sect after a day or two of cultivation there.

For most of the sects in the outer areas of the basic city, Nascent Soul cultivators are considered top-notch combat power, while most disciples are below the Golden Core stage.

The tasks issued by the Fairy World also targeted disciples below the Golden Core stage. This meant that once the offensive began, the cultivators in the Mortal World would suffer devastating blows.

To make matters worse, the Fairy World imposed a blockade on them, and ordinary cultivators were even deprived of the opportunity to cultivate in the Fairy World.

What’s even more pitiful is that even if they could join the players in cultivating in the Fairy World, their progress would still be slower than the players’...

「...」

"Alliance Hierarch, the Fairy World is trying to cut off our cultivation inheritance. What should we do?" asked Master Yan Qing.

"Most of the players are still low-level and can’t touch cultivators at the Hollow Realm or above for the time being. But low-level cultivators are no match for them! It’s impossible to be on guard indefinitely!" said the Frost Cold Sword Saint in dismay. "Even if all the top experts from the Hollow Realm are dispatched, they won’t be able to save everyone."

"It’s also not possible to gather all the lower-rank disciples in the sect; our resources wouldn’t be able to support it," said Nightfall of the Poison Sect.

"Even if we gather them together, we can’t defend against them. There are players among them who have reached the Crossing Tribulation Realm. The Anti-Linbai Alliance has long provided them with the method. Once they infiltrate our sects and trigger a Heavenly Tribulation, I’m afraid it will lead to our complete annihilation," said Lu Wei of the Valley of Thousand Souls in a sinister tone. "If I had known this, I would never have taught them Cultivation Techniques in the first place."

Lin Bai looked at Lu Wei unexpectedly.

Lu Wei suddenly remembered that it was Lin Bai who had suggested attracting players with Cultivation Techniques and sending them to the Fairy World. His heart skipped a beat, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead. He forced a smile, saying, "Alliance Hierarch, I didn’t mean to complain about you. At that time, sending them to the Fairy World was indeed the best choice. But times have changed, and no one would have thought that the Heavenly Kings of the Fairy World would resort to such despicable tactics."

"Think of the ancestors who ascended; Celestials never regarded us as equals," Qu Chaozong of the Blood Sect said, helping Lu Wei out. "If there’s someone to blame, it’s the game company. They created these monsters."

"Alliance Hierarch, why don’t we strike first?" suggested the Demon Master of Sky Demon Mountain. "Let’s use the Magpie Bridge to raid the real world and wipe out all the players. Remove the threat at its root and end this once and for all."

Cheng Xunyun’s face changed instantly. He stood up abruptly, saying urgently, "Alliance Hierarch, we cannot do this! They are living beings too; they’ve only been manipulated by others. Once we start attacking real-life players, it will incite public outrage. Our world also has billions of civilians, and they are all innocent. Thanks to your efforts, our two worlds have finally been able to coexist peacefully. If killing breeds hatred, and if the game company exploits it, it would lead to an all-out war, ultimately resulting in the destruction of worlds."

"So your world can’t be destroyed, but ours deserves to be exterminated?" The Sacred Lord of the Holy Extreme Sect stared at Cheng Xunyun, his gaze as cold as if he intended to kill.

"Sacred Lord, that’s not what I meant." Cheng Xunyun wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and hurriedly defended himself, "What I mean is, if we cooperate fully, we can definitely find a more reasonable solution. After all, we’re members of the Justice League; mutual aid is the purpose of the alliance. Moreover, we’ve been consistently aiding in the development of your world, faithfully executing the Alliance Hierarch’s orders!"

With that said, he turned to the monarchs of Taiyi Country and Taichu Country. "Your Majesties, you too have seen the hard work of the laborers. They have been tirelessly working overtime, silently enduring any hardships. Among those players, there may very well be their relatives! The tasks issued by the Fairy World are not only targeting cultivators but also our construction projects—they are our enemies too!"

The monarchs from Taiyi and Taichu countries nodded. "Sacred Lord, indeed, we have not yet reached a point where we need to invade reality and pit both worlds against each other in a fight to the death."

As monarchs, they understood Cheng Xunyun’s predicament more than anyone else. No king would want to push their people into dire straits.

At present, the tasks issued by the Fairy World were only aimed at the Justice League.

If the Sacred Lord and his followers invaded reality, angered the players, and prompted those players to attack civilians, that would be a true disaster—extinction of nations and peoples could occur.

"Husband, they’ve gone too far." Xu Longyun’s face was frosty.

"They’ve always been players. It’s absolutely normal for them to come up with even more outrageous actions based on their player mindset," the Immortal Realm’s First Papparazzi commented cuttingly.

On this occasion, his name was also on the bounty list, with a reward higher than those for the sect leaders. He didn’t know whether to celebrate or mourn. He had entered the game with one aim: to build his career. His level wasn’t high, and he wasn’t too bothered about it, but the occasional assassination attempts were becoming bothersome, meaning he couldn’t get anything done. Being a player himself, he knew their tendencies better than anyone else; rewards or not, they couldn’t wait to stir up trouble. In all honesty, Lin Bai had managed to stabilize the situation on his own almost a year into the game, which was indeed an amazing feat.

「...」

While everyone was discussing their response strategy, Lin Bai remained silent.

He naturally understood the agenda of the Nine Celestial Kings of the Immortal World: to corner him in the Fairy World and ultimately eliminate him, this hidden threat to them. After all, they couldn’t penetrate the Lower Realm, and it had no resources to offer them either. To them, it was dispensable; if it got destroyed, so be it... However, their move was brutal indeed, hitting his weak spot. Destruction is far easier than construction; no matter how capable he was, he couldn’t protect the entire world on his own.

Moreover, as Cheng Xunyun had mentioned, if he went to the real world and eliminated all the players, it would be tantamount to directly instigating a war between the two worlds.

If the game company got involved because of this and turned it into a game for everyone, with billions of players entering the Immortal World, and then they introduced a bunch of "lucky accounts," the situation would truly become irreversible.

After pondering quietly for a while, Lin Bai said, "Transfer all low-level cultivators to the Continent of Gods and Demons. We can learn from others; have them practice some magic from the Continent of Gods and Demons. Perhaps it will help them improve their own realms. Also, there are no Heavenly Tribulations in the Continent of Gods and Demons, which can prevent them from being threatened by such tribulations."

"Brilliant!" The Immortal Realm’s First Papparazzi’s eyes brightened, and he applauded. "Taking a step back can open up new possibilities! Alliance Hierarch, your next battlefield is on the Continent of Gods and Demons. Moving all the cultivators there will also put some pressure on the deities of the Continent of Gods and Demons. Moreover, Immortal World players can’t set up resurrection points on the Continent of Gods and Demons. As long as we move the cultivators there and then cut off the Magpie Bridge, we can eliminate this disaster before it truly begins."

"Alliance Hierarch, we can move the cultivators, but what about the ordinary citizens?" The monarch of Taiyi Country furrowed his brows. "Without the cultivators, if the players vent their fury on the citizens, the ordinary folks will have no way to resist them."

"The common people are too numerous; we can’t possibly relocate them all to the Continent of Gods and Demons!" said the ruler of Taichu Country. "Their homes and livelihoods are here; it’s simply not feasible."

"There are also ongoing projects. If they destroy them, we can’t afford the losses," added the ruler of Taihao Country.

In the past, they would have gladly allowed Lin Bai to relocate all the cultivators and sects.

But under the current circumstances, if the cultivators left, they would be the ones to bear the brunt of the impact.

Lin Bai looked at the Immortal Realm’s First Papparazzi and said, "Issue a warning in Justice Weekly: if any player dares to harm ordinary people or basic public infrastructure, they will be deemed an enemy of all humankind. I will destroy them at their source."

"The source?" The Immortal Realm’s First Papparazzi was taken aback.

"Cheng Xunyun, find a few players to cooperate with me. Papparazzi, bring your camera and record everything," Lin Bai commanded.

A Magpie Bridge connected to the real world.

Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Lin Bai demonstrated how he could easily eject players from their seemingly indestructible game pods.

The Immortal Realm’s First Papparazzi was dumbfounded, "Holy shit! Once this video gets out, the players will definitely be in an uproar."

"Let them be in an uproar. Otherwise, they might actually think I have no way to deal with them!" Lin Bai said coldly. "Scaring them off is much better than letting rivers of blood flow in the end. I hope no one will be foolish enough to ignore this warning."

「...」

Not long after the bounties were posted in the Fairy Realm, players were eager and actively preparing.

After all, to kill people, they had to level up first.

But on that very day, Magpie Bridges connected various locations. Batch after batch of cultivators packed up their equipment and belongings, brought their families, and stepped onto the Magpie Bridges, entering the Continent of Gods and Demons.

With the Magpie Bridge, even moving was faster than for anyone else.

「...」

Fairy Realm.

The players who received the news were flabbergasted.

"Holy shit! That reaction was way too fast!"

"Moving entire families! Didn’t expect Lin Bai to have moments of fear, Hahaha!"

"Do they really think that by moving to the Continent of Gods and Demons and cutting off the Magpie Bridge, we’ll have no way to deal with them?"

"What way is there? The Continent of Gods and Demons doesn’t have our resurrection points, does it?"

"The Spiritual World Gap. The Spiritual World Gap should be the passage connecting the Immortal World and the Continent of Gods and Demons. Even without Lin Bai’s Magpie Bridge, the two worlds will eventually connect through the Spiritual World Gap and overlap. I think that was the game company’s original plan."

"How do you know all this?"

"I have a passion for studying history. I specifically researched the records of various sects concerning the Spiritual World Gap. Some obscure logs mention cultivators who got lost in the Spiritual World Gap, survived for a few years, and then returned. These records state they encountered human races whose languages they couldn’t understand. The Continent of Gods and Demons also has records of spatial rifts. I compared the histories of both worlds and discovered that the opening times of the Spiritual World Gap and these spatial rifts are very close..."