Lin Bai was busily setting up Magpie Bridges all over the Eastern Continent, forcing negotiations between the Heavenly Tang Nation and the West Continent United States to come to a halt. At the temporary war command post of the West Continent Congress, the projection about Lin Bai was flipping through images so rapidly that those present could hardly keep up. The projector was displaying a stream of satellite images. The Magpie Bridges had nearly covered the entire Eastern Continent and were multiplying at an alarming rate. "Have the people of the Heavenly Tang Nation lost their minds? This isn't in line with their usual way of doing things!" "Why would they compromise with Lin Bai?" "They are traitors to our planet." "President, please order the Heavenly Tang Nation to declare war on Lin Bai's invasion immediately. We can send troops to assist them. Otherwise, we will see them as enemies and will not hesitate to obliterate them and Lin Bai from the Eastern Continent," a white-haired general said with a grim expression. "General Joseph, we can negotiate with Lin Bai and extract value from him. Though he wears the face of an Easterner, he is not of our world and should not feel an affinity for the Heavenly Tang Nation. Clearly, his actions in the Heavenly Tang Nation are not approved by them. His deeds may seem to be aiding the Heavenly Tang Nation, yet he has thrown the country into chaos. The people of the Heavenly Tang Nation would not appreciate such an unruly fellow. We can use freedom and equality to lure Lin Bai over to our side," the speaker, an elderly woman with auburn hair named Madeleine, said. "I also dislike that man. He will drag our world into an abyss," a councilman named Lucas said. "Lucas, you just hate his Magpie Bridges, don't you!" Madeleine mocked. Lucas's consortium, which specialized in oil and automobiles, was hit the hardest by the Magpie Bridges. One hour after the appearance of the Magpie Bridges, his consortium's stock prices had already plummeted. If the Magpie Bridges expanded globally, his consortium would undoubtedly go bankrupt rapidly. "You think he only disrupted my business? He wants the entire world. Madeleine, keep your naivety. He's a superhuman, but no comic artist has given him a perfectly virtuous personality. What right do you have to negotiate with him? When the entire world is his, that's when true freedom exists. Study his history carefully, and you'll find that he's been conquering since he appeared," Lucas retorted. "You, me, including everyone in this room, will become his puppets. Only conquest and suppression exist between civilizations, never goodwill." With that one sentence, the conference room fell into temporary silence. As Lin Bai had the face of an Easterner, they instinctively repelled him. "Lin Bai came out of the "Immortal World" corresponding to the Eastern Continent, while our world corresponds to the "Land of Gods and Demons." If we are to cooperate, it should be with the Angels emerging from the "Land of Gods and Demons"," a councilman named Drake said. "We and Lin Bai are naturally in a confrontational relationship." "Ladies and gentlemen, I'm sure you've all understood Lin Bai's capabilities from the materials at hand. If we were to wage war against him, what strategy would we use to best defeat him?" The President interrupted the ceaseless arguments, turning to the white-haired general. "Joseph, you're the most experienced in warfare here, so do you have any suggestions?" "Using high-intensity firepower is the most effective method," Joseph stated. "However, that requires our fleet to reach the coast of the Eastern Continent. Long-range intercontinental Missiles won't pose any threat to him." "What about nuclear bombs?" the President asked. "Unless the Heavenly Tang Nation initiates a nuclear strike from their territory, our first wave of attack, with nuclear-armed rockets, will require three minutes to reach its target. Lin Bai would have more than enough time to retreat to the game world in those three minutes," Joseph explained. "Even if he doesn't retreat to the game world, the Magpie Bridges covering the Eastern Continent would allow him to easily evade the range of a nuclear strike. This would be true unless we shut down his return path via the Magpie Bridges and blanket the entire Heavenly Tang Nation with nuclear attacks. But that would instigate a counter-attack from the Heavenly Tang Nation, and the best outcome would be mutual destruction." Once again, silence filled the room. Nuclear attacks are the last resort, not to be used until the very end. No one is willing to use nuclear weapons due to their potential for global destruction. Especially among those present, as people of great significance, they were the least willing of all to destroy the world. "The best option is to use public opinion to make Lin Bai the enemy of the whole world and force the Eastern Continent to act against him," said Joseph. "This would let them fight first. Only once they have started could we get involved. The best course of action would, in fact, be a decapitation strike…" "Which fleet is closest to the Eastern Continent?" the President asked. "The Eighth Fleet is resupplying at the South Province Islands. They are the fleet closest to the Eastern Continent and will take five days to sail there," said Admiral Brady. The President declared, "Have the Eighth Fleet head to the Heavenly Tang Nation to pressure them along with allied forces and cut off their supply chain. Notify the conglomerates in the game to obtain Spells from the game for use in reality; we need to have a means to confront the Eastern Continent..." "...The West Continent United States has teamed up to put pressure on us, requesting us to declare war on you. Otherwise, they will cut off our ties with the international settlement system and halt our trade..." Cheng Xunyun told Lin Bai about the rapidly changing international situation, feeling mentally exhausted. Everything's in a mess. Lin Bai doesn't understand politics at all; he's just a reckless madman. Xu Longyun stood next to Lin Bai, smartphone in hand, brows furrowed as she skimmed through the news articles. She had never seen such a complicated situation, with numerous forces intertwined, where every action set off a chain of events. She was utterly confused by all these wars fought with economics and trade. Moreover, in the Player's world, it seemed everyone could express their opinions, and every opinion seemed to make sense. In her world, she could manage a basic city, but in this world, she probably couldn't even manage a small county. She had given Lin Bai many suggestions before, but here, she couldn't come up with a single useful one. This realization inevitably made her feel somewhat dejected. Indeed. Her knowledge was still inadequate... The Little Fox and her siblings were having a blast on their mobile phones, playing games and scrolling through short video feeds, oblivious to whatever was happening in the outside world. If the sky fell, Lin Bai would hold it up. People like Tuohai were trying to understand the technology of the real world. The more they learned, the more they respected it: objects that could fly in the sky, travel in the water, or launch accurate strikes from thousands of miles away... These ordinary people who could not cultivate indeed had the capital to be arrogant. In some aspects, they were even more formidable than them, the Cultivators. Of course, that was specifically because this world lacked Spiritual Energy; if it existed here, the situation would be quite different. "Is the problem tough to solve?" Lin Bai interrupted Cheng Xunyun. "It's a tangled mess. The United States Eighth Fleet is already heading towards our coastline; a war seems inevitable," Cheng Xunyun said. "Our diplomats have already gone to negotiate with them..." "Did you relay my demands to them?" Lin Bai asked. "We didn't get the chance," Cheng Xunyun, taken aback, responded. "They aren't aware of my abilities?" Lin Bai asked again. "The game data is public. It's been several hours; they should have an understanding of your abilities by now. However, they probably have a misconceived assessment of you since the real world and the game world are not the same," Cheng Xunyun said. "Countries on the Western Continent have always been quite arrogant." "Does your diplomat in The United States have a wife?" Lin Bai looked at Cheng Xunyun and suddenly asked. "Of course." Cheng Xunyun frowned. "What are you planning to do?" "I'll build a Magpie Bridge across the ocean." Lin Bai looked at him, shaking his head. "I've said before, speed can resolve all troubles. Your negotiation skills are too weak. I've decided to talk to them personally." It seemed as if Cheng Xunyun had thought of something, and he licked his lips involuntarily. "Are you going to deal with them yourself?" "Is there a better way?" Lin Bai laughed. "You're always worrying about your so-called nuclear war destroying the world. If I go to their country, they surely wouldn't throw a nuclear bomb on their own heads! "Director Cheng, why should I practice Cultivation Rules? Rules are meant to simplify complex problems. If one day, I succeed in mastering Spoken Law Follows, I wouldn't even need to go in person; just a sentence could change their minds." "Is your way of solving problems always by escalating conflicts?" Cheng Xunyun couldn't help but ask. "How could that be?" Lin Bai replied. "My way of solving problems has always been to deal with those who cause them. Trust me, nobody wants to perish along with the world for the sake of an outsider like me. The ultimate losers would be your own people, as it would be your interests that are compromised. If the world were to be destroyed as a result, the game company would also lose because there would be no more Players!" Xu Longyun's eyes immediately brightened. [Resentment from Cheng Xunyun; +1 +1 +1...] The vein on Cheng Xunyun's forehead throbbed. "Is this your true goal?" Lin Bai shook his head. "Director Cheng, do you know why I always succeed?" "Why?" Cheng Xunyun asked. "With no desire comes steadfastness," Lin Bai said. "Because I don't belong to any of your worlds, no matter what your worlds become, there is no loss for me. That's why I always forge ahead when handling affairs." His gaze went past Cheng Xunyun to look at the likes of Ancestor Yan Qing. "Those of you who are restricted by self-interest will naturally not be my match. Therefore, the victor is definitely me." Yan Qing and the others were silent. Isn't this the reason they have been hesitating and daring not to put their lives on the line against Lin Bai? That one time they used the Heavenly Tribulation to trap Lin Bai and gain the upper hand was only because Peach Ancestor no longer wanted to live. Those who wish for death naturally fear nothing. "Madman," Cheng Xunyun's face turned pale. "The Heavenly Dao is heartless," Lin Bai said, looking at the sky, his gaze deep. "Moreover, you should see by now that it's precisely my recklessness that has kept all losses to a minimum." "..." Cheng Xunyun paused for a moment, then took out his mobile phone. "I need to request instructions from above." Lin Bai made a go-ahead gesture. 「Half an hour later.」 A Magpie Bridge stretched for tens of thousands of miles, piercing directly from the Eastern Continent into the palace of the Western Continent. The next second, the ambassador's wife led Cheng Xunyun, who was holding Lin Bai's head with Lin Bai's two arms on his shoulders, across the Magpie Bridge to the ambassador's side. The President of the Congress, who had just stood up due to the sudden appearance of the Magpie Bridge while sternly condemning the ambassador about Lin Bai, suddenly saw Lin Bai's head and sat back down. "You guys..." As he was speaking, he reached for the phone on the table. Before Lin Bai made any noticeable moves, the President's own belt suddenly flew out and tied him up neatly. The same happened to the other officials in the room. Seeing this scene in the game was one thing, but witnessing Lin Bai use Bind the Immortal to tie people up in reality caused Cheng Xunyun's heart to pound and cold sweat to break out. This was the President of The United States Congress! So influential that a stomp of his foot could cause the world to tremble. Unexpectedly, he had been bound like a pig by Lin Bai, stripped of all dignity. Indeed, power grants one the liberty to do as they please. Choosing not to oppose Lin Bai was the correct choice. "...You madmen, how dare you kidnap me! Aren't you afraid of sparking a war?" the President of the Congress, a man in his sixties, turned red with rage and shouted angrily. To him, the ropes that Cultivators could easily break were an insurmountable barrier. After struggling a few times, he was huffing and puffing with exertion. "What is he saying?" asked Lin Bai. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ 𝚗𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚕·𝚏𝚒𝚛𝚎·𝚗𝚎𝚝 This place wasn't Earth, after all. Even with his proficient English, Lin Bai surprisingly didn't understand a word the President of the Congress was saying. Cheng Xunyun reluctantly translated it for him. "Tell him, as long as I keep using the decapitation strategy, no one can wage war." Lin Bai's head flew up in the air. Cheng Xunyun was still translating when suddenly, the door was broken open from the outside, and two armed guards rushed in. But their actions were clearly slower than Lin Bai's. Belts flew out instantly, and they suffered the same fate as the President of the Congress. The President of the Congress was dumbfounded. Lin Bai's hand flew out, hoisting the rope that bound the President of the Congress, and floated towards the door. "Director Cheng, follow me. You ought to know where they hold significant meetings. Talking to this old man here is too troublesome. Let's join them for a meeting! "The ambassador's wife can return via the Magpie Bridge; it's too dangerous here." The shell-shocked ambassador's wife looked at her husband, who nodded at her. She stepped onto the Magpie Bridge and returned to the Eastern Continent. Cheng Xunyun reluctantly followed. As he passed the bound guards, he took their guns and tossed one to the ambassador. Then, they witnessed a scene they would never forget for the rest of their lives. The sudden piercing of the palace by the Magpie Bridge had already triggered the strongest security measures. A large group of security guards converged towards the President's room. However, the moment they showed their faces, they were easily disarmed by Lin Bai's Bind the Immortal. Some were even tied up before they could fully emerge. Guns? Any weapon, in Lin Bai's presence, was a joke... The President of the Congress stared blankly at what was happening before his eyes, his mind a complete void. Is this the enemy they have to fight against? He must be a god! Such a person, even a nuclear bomb couldn't kill him, right? "Alliance Hierarch Lin, be careful. They might use snipers," Cheng Xunyun warned. The next moment, Lin Bai's hand flew out. After a while, it flew back, holding a sniper trussed up like a dumpling. The sniper looked incredulous. "Do you remember what I said?" Lin Bai's head smiled. "I can hear sounds within a hundred miles. The modern weapons you're so proud of can't do anything to me. Besides, I only sent a head here to fight. If this head gets taken down, I can simply send a few more." Cheng Xunyun was speechless. Being able to perceive all movements within a hundred miles and still only using a head to fight—this guy was too cautious! The ambassador, seeing all the officials and guards hanging in the air, suddenly felt that the negotiation he had meticulously prepared was entirely unnecessary... The President of the Congress turned deathly pale and stammered in the language of the Eastern Continent, speaking rapidly, "Alliance Hierarch Lin, this might be a misunderstanding. We don't want to start a war. If possible, The United States can provide you with all the conveniences you need. Our technology is far more advanced than that of the Heavenly Tang Nation..."