Predecessors who ascended from our sect are now slaves in the Fairy World, exploited by the Celestial Beings... This news struck like a thunderbolt, swiftly overshadowing Lin Bai's unprecedented feat of ascending with ten thousand people. The minds of the Cultivators from the Seven Orthodox Sects and Five Demonic Sects buzzed, and they couldn't recover for a long time. No one wanted to accept this reality. Ascension was the lifelong goal of every Cultivator. But now, Lin Bai had suddenly stated that after their lifetime of persistence and hard work, after risking their lives to cross the Heavenly Tribulation, they would end up as slaves in the Fairy World. Who could bear such a cruel truth? This was too much, even for a trick! In an instant, everyone's faith collapsed. Especially those old ancestors in the Crossing Tribulation Realm; they seemed to have lost their vitality, utterly devoid of life. "Impossible, absolutely impossible!" Frost Cold Sword Saint had a fiery temper. He flipped the table on the spot, his eyes red. "This must be a trick by Lin Bai! He saw we wouldn't join the Justice League, so he used this evil method to cut off our future and force us to serve him..." ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭·𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮·𝙣𝙚𝙩 Nobody responded to him. Frost Cold Sword Saint was panting heavily. After a while, Ancestor Yan Qing sighed and said, "Brother Frost Cold, please sit down. With the Magpie Bridge connecting heaven and earth, anyone can ascend to the Fairy World. Lin Bai has no need to deceive us." Yi Wuji said, "Lin Bai could subdue the world with his own power and force us to join the Justice League. He no longer needs to resort to plots and schemes." Upon hearing this, another silence fell. "The Descended Beings are Players from another world. Lin Bai from the Righteous Door has caused utter chaos in the Cultivation World, and now the Celestial Beings from the Fairy World have arrived. Heaven itself seems to want to extinguish our Cultivation World!" Ancient Sorrow murmured sorrowfully. "Without Lin Bai, the Cultivation World has no future." Octavio of the Beast Taming Sect shook his head, his black hair having turned half white in this short time. "We've cultivated diligently for hundreds of years, all to one day ascend and become immortal. But it turns out, once we ascend, we're just playthings for others. What was the point of the Cultivation World's tens of thousands of years of cultivation? We're just a damn joke!" "For tens of thousands of years, not a single ancestor has returned from the Fairy World. We should have realized something was wrong long ago," Qiu Shuichen said dazedly. "Without Lin Bai's Magpie Bridge, we would still be kept in the dark!" "Cultivation is indeed a trap. No wonder Lin Bai said that the Power of Laws is the true path," Ancestor Yan Qing said despondently. "Everyone, what should we do next?" Monk Enlightenment asked in a daze. "First, let's go to the Holy Extreme Sect and ascend to the Fairy World through the Magpie Bridge. We must find out what's really going on there, as we can't just rely on Lin Bai's word alone," Ancestor Yan Qing said. "Our cultivation is nearing the Crossing Tribulation Realm. One day we will trigger the Heavenly Tribulation, and we will need to visit the Fairy World to solve the predicament of those in the Crossing Tribulation Realm being unable to use their power in the Mortal World…" "Master, what if Lin Bai makes things difficult for us?" Daozi from the Heavenly Dao Sect asked. Wave after wave of events had long worn away his fighting spirit, and he no longer had any intention of being Lin Bai's enemy. "As long as we don't oppose him, why would he make things difficult for us!" Heart of Sword retorted. "He needs us, his comrades in arms, to confront the Celestial Beings, doesn't he? Besides, before his ascension, he sent word asking us to join the Justice League. The Cultivation World is a joke now. If we stubbornly continue to oppose Lin Bai, won't we just make ourselves more of a laughingstock?" "I don't mind joining the Justice League, but I have a question. The Celestial Beings of the Fairy World look down on us like ants. What about the Divine Skills that rained down here a few days ago?" Buddha's Son asked. "Surely they weren't bestowed upon us by the beings of the Fairy World!" "What Divine Skills?" Octavio, the Sect Master of the Beast Taming Sect, suddenly asked. The Beast Taming Sect had no prodigies. To spare his feelings, everyone had been careful not to tell him about the Divine Skills the prodigies had been blessed with from heaven. With the sudden shock from the Fairy World, Buddha's Son and Daozi were greatly flustered and had completely forgotten their previous agreement. "Uncle Octavio, I'll explain the matter of the Divine Skills to you later." Heart of Sword from the Heavenly Sword Sect glanced at Octavio and continued the earlier topic. "Do you think it's possible it's related to the game company? The Descended Beings are treating our world like a game, and Lin Bai has always been treated as a disruptive force in the game. Were our Divine Skills given by the game company to make us fight Lin Bai to the death, to eliminate Lin Bai through our hands?" "That's exactly what we fear. If we side with Lin Bai, we could anger the game company," Buddha's Son said. "..." Everyone fell silent. "We're just playthings to the Celestial Beings above and the Players below. Everyone treats the people of our world as toys; does it matter anymore? Doesn't the game company also treat us as toys?" Frost Cold Sword Saint said angrily. "It would be better to join Lin Bai as soon as possible; there might still be a chance for survival." "Brother Frost Cold, Lin Bai has also treated us as playthings," Yi Wuji said calmly. "To date, we have suffered the most at his hands…" Everyone looked at each other, growing increasingly sorrowful. They couldn't understand how they, who once stood at the pinnacle of the world, had become the most pitiful group of people in just a few short months. "Forget it. Choosing the lesser of three evils, we know very little about the game company. But they can mobilize an entire realm to invade another; we can't match that kind of divine power. The Celestial Beings are in the Fairy World; they probably won't come down unless we ascend," Ancestor Yan Qing spoke in a hoarse voice. "Only Lin Bai is close at hand. We should join him and let him lead the charge, fighting the other two threats for us. Perhaps in the end, we might be the ones to benefit." "Ancestor Yan Qing is right. Lin Bai likes to be in the spotlight. He will definitely be at the forefront in the battle against the Celestial Beings; we just have to follow him," Ancient Sorrow from the Pill and Spirit Sect said. "This is a strategy of driving the tiger to swallow the wolf." "Exactly, exactly! Driving the tiger to swallow the wolf is indeed a good strategy," everyone chimed in, finding reasons to justify their actions. Ancestor Yan Qing looked around at everyone and shook his head, sighing. "Earlier, the Sect Masters of the Five Demonic Sects proposed an alliance with us to fight against Lin Bai and the Players. We might as well join them and go to the Holy Extreme Sect together. Who could have imagined that after so many years of life-and-death struggle, it would be an external enemy that unites us…" "...After ascension comes enslavement. The genderless Celestial Beings are born from a mother body. What do you all think?" Far Vision Eagle asked. "Analyzing purely from a gaming perspective, it's quite normal. Ascending is equivalent to changing the Map, and it's natural that the Level of monsters on the new Map will be higher. If it were all peace and prosperity after ascension, that would be abnormal," Wind Rider answered. "So, Boss Wind, you think that the Fairy World is also being controlled by the game company?" The Bright Sun asked. "Nine times out of ten," Wind Rider said. "If it weren't for Lin Bai's invasion of reality, Players would find it normal to encounter Celestial Beings after ascending to the Heaven Realm and would continue to play the game enthusiastically. Maybe there would even be several quests to save the sect's predecessors, ultimately ending with overthrowing the rule of the Celestial Beings and defeating the Nine Heavenly Kings, putting a perfect end to the game. Don't you think the Realm division of the Celestial Beings seems a bit childish? Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum… all the way to Heavenly King. Doesn't it feel like a game setting?" Black Sheep said: "In the end, the game company is still the villain behind the scenes!" Ray Electrical said: "If we don't treat this place as a real world and keep playing it as a game, the storyline is quite interesting." Sunset said: "Unfortunately, Lin Bai, that shit-stirrer, has ruined our gaming experience, forcing us to deal with the problems of the Three Realms simultaneously. He's turned a perfectly good game into an apocalyptic crisis for three worlds." Tiger that Stabilizes the Mountain said: "Boss Sunset, do you really think that highly of Lin Bai? Do you think he can bring crisis to the Fairy World too?!" Sunset said serenely: "A man who hasn't been defeated once since his debut, of course, deserves to be highly regarded. Even the powerful Celestial Beings knelt before Lin Bai, didn't they? Rather than saying I think highly of Lin Bai, it's better to say I think highly of the Righteous Door behind him. All the top brass have long equated the Righteous Door with the game company." Far Vision Eagle asked: "The higher-ups intend for us to use our Undying Bodies as Players to assist Lin Bai in fighting against the Celestial Beings. This is an opportunity to expand our power in the other worlds. What do you all think?" "What else can we think? After Lin Bai invaded reality, what decision-making power do we have left? Whatever he orders, we just do it…" Wind Rider said. Crafty Fox said: "Everyone is being led by the nose by Lin Bai! Whether it's the game company or the Celestial Beings, I always feel like Lin Bai is the final BOSS!" [...Establish your own territory (Completed); Reward: Mark (Distributed)] [Guard your own base and make a name for yourself in the Fairy World; Reward: Positioning (You can know the exact location of the Marked target)] Lin Bai designated the Guiding Pool as his territory. The initial task of the Great Heavenly Sovereign System was completed, and a new task was also given. Lin Bai placed the Mark on his Disciples. Then, about twenty-odd moving spots appeared in his mind, and that was all; there were no other functions. However, combined with the reward for the second task, Mark plus Positioning, it did resemble a global Map in a game with teammate markers. Marking enemies too would be suitable for group battles… It made sense. The Great Celestial must dominate the Three Realms. To finely control the Three Realms, naturally, the entire Map must be revealed. Through Marking, one could grasp the movements in all realms. By this logic, the Great Heavenly Sovereign System might later develop abilities such as teleporting according to Marks or observing the environment around Marked targets, just like Little White Fox's Positioning Ring! However, if that were the case, without a supercomputer for a brain, one probably couldn't handle the Great Celestial's Skills. After all, Lin Bai's Soul Split already provided him with three additional perspectives. Activating Little White Fox's Positioning Ring would make it four. Adding his main perspective, and then future perspectives from other Marks he might make… he'd definitely have a mental breakdown. At this moment, Lin Bai suddenly understood why there was no upper limit to the Spirit Fruit he consumed. Such high-intensity work required a tremendous spirit! That damn System! Thinking of the Divine Skills of those legendary figures who could survey the Three Realms, knowing five hundred years into the past and five hundred years into the future, Lin Bai felt exhausted just thinking about them… Cultivators and Players constantly came and went, visiting the Guiding Pool to see the Fairy World. These people asked all sorts of questions. Lin Bai simply had several Celestial Beings he'd turned into Puppets stripped naked, bound with ropes, and strung up for display to enhance his persuasiveness. Of course, the most persuasive was White Maple, whom Lin Bai had fed an Enlightenment Pill and subjected to the Truth-telling Technique. After Lin Bai ordered him to guard, this fellow couldn't launch any external attacks, but he could speak. Celestial Beings were proud and arrogant. How could they tolerate being made into Puppets and, worse, hung up to be gawked at by a group of ants? Ever since regaining his senses, White Maple had been in a state of extreme rage, constantly spewing the most heartfelt curses at everyone who came to visit, touch, or question him… Whether natives or Players, everyone was full of curiosity about the Fairy World. The Celestial Beings were powerful, so they didn't dare rush out to explore. Instead, they had to torment the immobilized White Maple. Because of the Truth-telling Technique, White Maple's curses often revealed much useful information. This was exactly what everyone wanted, and thus, information about the Fairy World was pieced together bit by bit. Then, under Lin Bai's instruction, the Players promptly published this information through the "Justice Weekly" and "Heavenly Dao Review" periodicals. Lin Bai needed to maintain his influence in the media at all times… The Magpie Bridges constructed by various nations had long been completed. Through these Magpie Bridges, travel was very convenient for everyone. Players, along with Cultivators from the Seven Orthodox Sects and Five Demonic Sects, arrived at the Holy Extreme Sect one after another, then traveled to the Fairy World via a Magpie Bridge. As more and more people ascended, Lin Bai opened several more Magpie Bridges to increase visitor traffic. The Justice League had no shortage of couples, after all. Moreover, Lin Bai also needed to prepare for contingencies. If the couple managing a Magpie Bridge died, the bridge would break. If they failed to hold their base, it would be difficult to reach the Fairy World again without the Magpie Bridge. Qing Yu and Flower Stream were his Card Puppets and would be of great use in the future; he couldn't let them suffer any casualties… All members who had undergone Tribulation had ascended, yet the Guiding Light remained. Lin Bai, Tuohai, and others studied it for a long time but couldn't find how to control the Heavenly Tribulation. As for turning off the Guiding Light, that was very simple. Even without White Maple, anyone could figure it out at a glance. In the center of the Guiding Pool was a disk resembling a ship's rudder. When the Guiding Light was active, it would rotate slowly. It had calibrated marks showing: one person, two people, three people… Each mark was further apart than the last. Once someone passed the Heavenly Tribulation and the Guiding Light activated, the disk would automatically turn to the corresponding position, then gradually move back until it reset, at which point the Guiding Light would disappear. This disk could be manually reset. Usually, after completing Tribulation and ascending, the Guiding Light would persist for about an hour. But this time, over ten thousand people had passed the Heavenly Tribulation simultaneously, pushing the disk to its limit. It was now slowly inching its way back. Based on the Guiding Light's usual duration, it would take at least four hundred-odd days for the Guiding Disk to reset. No wonder it had caught White Maple's attention. He had come this time specifically to manually shut down the disk and stop this mass ascension of ten thousand people… "Master, more and more people are ascending through the Magpie Bridge. With so much activity, will it attract the attention of the Celestial Beings outside?" Xu Longyun asked worriedly, looking at the bustling Guiding Pool. "Yes, Master. Although White Maple was subjected to the Truth-telling Technique and we got a lot of information out of him, he clams up when it comes to critical issues. We still know very little about the Fairy World's situation. Shouldn't we send people out to gather intelligence? After all, 'know thyself and know thy enemy, and you will win every battle,'" Ye Song said. Having acquired the Power of Laws, he was feeling extremely confident and eager to go out, find some Celestial Beings, and test his new abilities. "No rush. I still have some preparations to make." Lin Bai looked at the bustling Guiding Pool, his mind on several unfinished tasks. At the very least, I need to unify the Lower Realm first before we can truly explore the Fairy World. Otherwise, chaos in our rear will only drag us down…