In an instant, Lin Bai exploited the loophole in the System. He ignored Hu He and turned to Qing Yun, who had the highest cultivation level, "Qing Yun, would you be willing to sacrifice yourself for your master?" Hu He was devastated. As expected. Among all the disciples, she was the least valued. She was the first to propose sacrificing herself, and yet, her master immediately turned to ask someone else... Qing Yun seemed startled, "Master, what are you talking about? We had planned from the beginning to seal me as a Puppet..." "No, that plan was born out of necessity, it wasn't your voluntary choice," Lin Bai shook his head, interrupting her. He asked seriously, "What if the Heavenly Tribulation were to reach a critical point, and only one of us could survive? Would you be willing to sacrifice yourself to keep your master alive?" Without thinking, Qing Yun glanced at Xu Longyun and Jiang Qingqin. What did he mean? Was he interested in me? So, you accept disciples just to flirt? "Master, I'm willing, I'm willing," Little White Fox seemed to have found something exciting to do, enthusiastically saying, "I'm willing to die for the master." "I'm willing too," chimed in Jiang Qingqin. She never wanted to lose out when it came to vying for affection. "Master, I can do it too," Xu Longyun slightly frowned. She knew that Lin Bai never acted without a plan. Looking at Qing Yun, she sighed silently, adding pressure. [Those who learn from me live, those who imitate me die. Having an example, the disciples still express their willingness to sacrifice for the master. The virtue value increases, and the Spiritual Power Feedback Value rises to 50%] It dropped by twenty percent? The System really is a bitch; those who imitate are really less valued than those who innovate! But fifty percent is not bad either. Lin Bai smiled and nodded at them, then directed his gaze back to Qing Yun, waiting persistently for her answer. Qing Yun looked at Lin Bai puzzledly, then glanced at the male Cultivators encircling the Heavenly Tribulation cloud. After a moment of contemplation and considering Lin Bai's emphasis on virtue, she nodded, "I, the disciple, am willing to sacrifice myself to save my master." [...Spiritual Power Feedback Value increased to fifty percent] A prompt came into Lin Bai's mind, and he broke into a broad smile. Compared to Xu Longyun and the others, who had low levels of cultivation, a rise in Spiritual Power Feedback was inconsequential. But Qing Yun was different. Her feedback increased from a single-digit percentage to fifty percent. Even in the short moments when the Heavenly Tribulation ceased, she could advance her cultivation by a considerable amount using her regained Spiritual Power! It really was… The disciples' virtues were of significant importance. "Good, knowing that you all have such willing hearts is enough for your Master. Focus on dealing with the Heavenly Tribulation! When you're not busy, cultivate more." Lin Bai reassured Qing Yun with a smile. Then, conveniently turning his attention to other matters, he addressed Ancestor Tuohai and the others, "What about you? Are you willing to sacrifice yourselves for your master?" "We, the disciples, are willing." Tuohai, Ye Song, and the others chorused in agreement. Even if they didn't understand what Lin Bai was doing, they didn't mind paying lip service to their nominal master. After all, their lives were currently controlled by Lin Bai. When it came time for them to die, whether voluntary or not, there wasn't much difference! Furthermore, although Lin Bai was cruel to outsiders, as long as one joined the Justice League, they had basic protection. Lin Bai was always very kind to the disciples within the league. He always did everything possible to maintain the league's vitality. In this respect, he was more reliable than most Sect Leaders. Regardless of whether the disciples were sincere or fake, Lin Bai pushed the Spiritual Power Feedback Value of all disciples to fifty percent. Aside from a few Players and Xu Longyun's trio, the remaining twenty or so people had at least reached the Great Cheng Realm. With fifty-percent feedback, Lin Bai felt his Spiritual Power growing every moment. The Players hid the news of Lin Bai's second Body Snatching. They hoped that the Seven Righteous Sects and the Five Demonic Sects would clash with Lin Si Bai, weakening each other along the way, so they could profit from the conflict. Unveiling Lin Bai's strength might scare off the Seven Righteous Sects from targeting him. So, they had to keep it a secret when necessary. However, the news of Lin Bai using Phoenix Seeks Phoenix during the Tribulation did get out. The incident was too conspicuous; even without the Players spreading the word, the natives saw it themselves. After all, such a significant event as Lin Bai undergoing the Tribulation, they had to witness it with their own eyes. Moreover, to prevent Lin Si Bai from using the Metamorphosis Butterfly to revive Lin Bai, the twelve Sects nearly enclosed the Holy Extreme Sect and guarded all the roads. The Supporting Group came to find Lin Bai. The reason they didn't block them was that they hoped these people who descended from the heavens could add complications to Lin Bai's Heavenly Tribulation if they accidentally broke into it. Who would have thought Lin Bai would use the Supporting Group to execute a Phoenix Seeks Phoenix move from behind the Heavenly Tribulation. This scene left the Cultivators who were watching from a distance dumbfounded. "Senior Brother Wan, what should we do?" a Cultivator from the Poison Sect, wreathed in dark energy and at the Great Cheng Realm, asked. Since Lin Bai's appearance, "What should we do?" had become every Cultivator's catchphrase. "Do we kill these people who descended from the heavens?" "What's the point of killing them? Lin Bai hasn't used Phoenix Seeks Phoenix on himself. Killing them will only disturb Lin Bai. If that madman shrouds us with his Heavenly Tribulation, who among us could withstand it even for a moment?" Senior Brother Wan looked at the thunderstorm that enveloped the entire Holy Extreme Sect and spoke coldly. He had seen a Transcendance Tribulation Stage master undergo Tribulation, but he had never seen such a large-scale event. The thunderclouds that eclipsed the sky were enough to make his hair stand on end with just one look, let alone being swept into the Heavenly Tribulation. He already held great admiration for Lin Bai; after all, this fellow had managed to survive the Heavenly Tribulation for more than twenty days with over 10,000 people, and not a single one died. "So, we're just going to do nothing?" the Great Cheng Realm Cultivator wrapped in dark air asked. "The Sect ordered us to intercept Lin Si Bai's Body Snatching. Implementing this is the utmost priority; any further complication is unnecessary," Senior Brother Wan said. "If Lin Bai did use Phoenix Seeks Phoenix on himself to evade the Heavenly Tribulation, that would mean he's exhausted. We can deal with those visitors then. They're not high-level Cultivators; they'd be easy to defeat." Lin Wu Bai thought that winning over Lady of L would be easier than Zheng Tong; after all, Lady of L was his fan. But to his surprise, winning over his own fan was several times more difficult than dealing with Zheng Tong. Lady of L, a hardcore fan of Lin Bai, was overjoyed rather than afraid upon learning that Lin Wu Bai had taken over her body through Body Snatching, following her from the game into the real world. She couldn't wait to share the good news with all her sisters in the fan group, intending to help Lin Bai establish a foothold in the real world through the fans. If Lin Bai hadn't stopped her in time, she would have already done so. Most of those obsessed with game characters are young anime fans, and they quite embraced the notion of sharing their body with the soul of their idols. Especially since Lin Bai knew Immortal Techniques, which was an even more wonderful thing. When Lin Bai spoke with her, she had already imagined many love stories with them as the main characters in her mind, including 'The Mermaid Legend,' 'The Prince and the Princess,' 'Predestined Lovers,' etc., and excitedly told Lin Bai about them. If Lin Bai didn't use Silence on her, they wouldn't have been able to communicate at all. It took over an hour for Lin Bai to thoroughly break down the current situation to her and inform her about the confidential matters before allowing her to go back to the game. And so, donning the real-life identity of Lady of L, Lin Bai truly began his exploration of the real world. Lin Si Bai conquered two Sects: the Beast Taming Sect and the Moon Spirit Sect. Although it's referred to as conquest, it was actually an occupation because the Sects were already emptied by the time he arrived. No Sect wanted to clash head-on with Lin Si Bai directly. Many examples had proven that rashly engaging in battle with Lin Bai only made him stronger. It was better to avoid his spearhead and strike a deadly blow when the time was right. Lin Si Bai wasn't idle either. Upon arriving at each Sect, a Magpie Bridge would be set up, and Justice Weekly would glorify the victory of the Justice League while he continued the conquest of the remaining Sects. Although there were no actual wars, the Sects of the Seven Righteous Sects and the Five Demonic Sects represented wealth themselves. Any Sect that had operated for tens of thousands of years was located in a place rich in Spiritual Energy. The Players who followed Lin Si Bai finally struck it rich. Though the territories nominally belonged to the Justice League, Lin Si Bai was a commander without an army. Luo Xue and other natives cultivated slowly, so in the end, these conquered Sects would still need to be managed by the Players. Except for those Players not controlled by conglomerates, the conglomerate spies who had to stay among the Seven Righteous Sects and Five Demonic Sects, and Players who had to remain in the game world to participate in conglomerate management, most Players moved towards the Sects through the Magpie Bridge. They utilized the abundant resources of the Sects to level up and replicated real-world technology as quickly as possible. Back then, the creation of ultraviolet lamps capable of harming Lin Bai's Divine Soul made Players realize that real-world technology was not entirely useless. When applied correctly, it could indeed counter the natives. The Cultivators of the Seven Righteous Sects and the Five Demonic Sects were forced to leave their Sects. They played cat and mouse with Lin Si Bai, biding their time, waiting for their own elites to grow and for Lin Bai's death amidst the Heavenly Tribulation. Realizing that Players couldn't be relied on, the Sects decisively began to separate Cultivators and Players. Low-tier Cultivators who weren't of much use were dispersed to blend in with people all over the world, ready to strike when the time was right. High-tier Cultivators, through various means, gradually arrived at the periphery of Taichu Country and Taihao Country. They completely blocked off the paths from these two countries to the Holy Extreme Sect, intending to intercept Lin Si Bai and prevent him from reviving Lin Bai. Unwittingly, Players and Cultivators gradually distanced themselves from each other, forming two factions. As for the war of words in public opinion, only Justice Weekly and Tao of Heaven Review were still active, while other publications like Heavenly Path Journal and Poison Gazette had long ceased operation. A storm is brewing. The natives of the Immortal World, who had even given up on their Sects, no longer had the leisure to focus on these inconsequential matters. They were just waiting for Lin Bai to either die or ascend, then they would launch a ferocious counter-attack against those who descended from the heavens, completely dealing with all potential threats. Regarding Lin Bai's demand for a cooking competition, once Lin Bai split his Divine Soul, no Sect bothered anymore. Lin Bai had sent his Divine Soul to invade their Sects; the two sides had already torn all pretenses apart. Helping Lin Bai cultivate Cultivation Rules? They would have to be foolish to do that! Lin Bai wielded the threat of the Heavenly Tribulation, but he would have to find them first. After all, their Sects now belonged to the Justice League. Lin Bai surely wouldn't be insane enough to lead the Heavenly Tribulation to destroy his own Sects, would he? Through long-term struggle, the Sect Masters of the Seven Righteous Sects and the Five Demonic Sects finally learned to abandon and endure... The Sects abandoned preparations for Lin Bai's world-class cooking competition, but the Justice League would not. Lin Wu Bai's deterrence towards several countries was not much less than that of the Sects. After all, Justice Weekly was bombarding relentlessly, toppling one Sect after another on a whim, all while producing various photos as evidence. The Seven Righteous Sects and the Five Demonic Sects, however, had vanished without a trace, with no large-scale movements. After more than ten days of relentless bombardment, the public knew only of Lin Bai, unaware of the Seven Righteous Sects. With wolves in front and tigers behind... Justice Weekly proposed to continue organizing the cooking competition. The royal families of various countries naturally did not dare to disobey the orders of the Justice League. While Lin Si Bai was conquering territories, various countries, cities, and towns were holding one cooking competition after another in full swing. They progressed layer by layer, waiting for the day when the top eight emerged to compete with Lin Bai in the Holy Extreme Sect, ultimately allowing Lin Bai to obtain the predetermined title of "Food God". Of course, various countries were also closely watching Lin Bai's main body, which was in the midst of the Heavenly Tribulation. They were ready to welcome a new God and Demon War at any time—no, a historic dispute between the Cultivation World and the Laws. 「In short, the current Immortal World presented a strange calm.」 As the local Sects began to guard against the Players, Lin Bai's sources of information regarding the Seven Righteous Sects and the Five Demonic Sects also dried up. Even though he kept an eye on the Player forums, he couldn't find any news about the Sects. The world was too big. Even if the Sects were numerous, if they were truly determined to hide, it would be normal not to find them for a while. Lin Bai could roughly guess the Sects' movements, but at this time, his thoughts were no longer on them. After the Heavenly Tribulation had continued for forty days, Qing Yun finally showed signs of faltering. This time, it wasn't fake; it was real. Thick lightning would occasionally pierce through Qing Yun's tree shadows and strike Qingmu's true body. Branch after thick branch was struck down by lightning, caught fire, and fell to the ground with a deafening boom. Every time a branch fell, Qing Yun would cry out in pain, and the cyan illusion she supported would weaken a few more degrees. Nᴇw novel chapters are publɪshed on novel•fire.net If it weren't for Phoenix Seeks Phoenix, the low-level Cultivators undergoing the Tribulation with Lin Bai would have long since fallen in droves. The Spring Breeze Turns Into Rain Technique was no longer greatly effective. However, after more than twenty days of continuous nurturing by the Spring Breeze Turns Into Rain Technique, Qingmu was laden with fruit. Those fruits, capable of extending life by a thousand years, had long since matured. Lin Bai and numerous Cultivators had eaten the fruits. They contained immense life force but provided no help to their strength. Without having to take care of tens of thousands of low-level Cultivators, the Faraday Cage was also completed. However, the cage meticulously crafted by Zuo Lan only lasted for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea in the Heavenly Tribulation before being torn apart by the Thunderbolt. If Qing Yun hadn't timely replaced the cage and blocked the Heavenly Tribulation, perhaps several Great Cheng Realm Cultivators would have also fallen. After forty continuous days of intensification, the Heavenly Tribulation had gone completely mad, bombarding downward without discrimination. In areas not protected by Qing Yun, lightning was as dense as raindrops, leaving not even a place to stand. Outside Qingmu, trees for a hundred miles around had long been struck into scorched earth by lightning. Of course, the Faraday Cage wasn't constructed in vain; it allowed Qing Yun the respite of a cup of tea's time to recover. Qing Yun's Spiritual Power absorption during that cup of tea's time, with a fifty percent feedback strength, relentlessly pushed Lin Bai's own cultivation all the way to the Hollow Realm. He was only one Realm away from becoming a top expert.