The phone kept ringing. Lin Bai divided his attention, picked up the phone, and pressed the answer key. "Director Cheng, what do you need?"
The body Lin Wu Bai had snatched belonged to Cai Jia; her voice was soft and delicate. He had been in this body for many days, yet still hadn't adjusted to the different physiological habits between n and won. The experience of a man in a woman's body was not pleasant.
Lin Bai even had the idea of swapping Lin Si Bai and Lin Wu Bai, letting Zheng Tong handle matters in reality while Lin's Young Lady took care of affairs in the Immortal World.
Female players' bodies in the ga weren't designed with an endocrine system. Except for their appearance, they weren't much different from n's.
Reality was different. When Cai Jia logged into the ga and Lin Wu Bai controlled the body, although Lin Bai was still the one in control, his personality would involuntarily be influenced by the body's hormones as soon as he switched perspectives. Sotis, his emotions would beco extrely unstable.
Cheng Xunyun interrupted Lin Bai, speaking anxiously, "Alliance Hierarch Lin, you can't extend the Magpie Bridge into the real world! It will cause social panic."
"Director Cheng, it's just an experint to verify the possibility of connectivity between the two worlds. Don't be so nervous," Lin Bai said, popping a Spirit Fruit into his mouth to soothe his agitated emotions.
"Alliance Hierarch Lin, players grow rapidly and can play a crucial role in the confrontations with the Celestial Humans. But if the players feel threatened, they might do things unfavorable to you," Cheng Xunyun spoke rapidly. "The thoughts of individuals don't always align. Every person in our world has independent and free thoughts. You, and that includes us, are unable to control every individual and synchronize their actions. If chaos arises, it would be impossible to manage in both worlds. Alliance Hierarch Lin, since we intend to deal with the ga company, shouldn't we first maintain internal peace and stability? I've told you, we can't control the ga company's forum; all information is practically transparent. This ans opposing nations can learn our movents at any ti through the forum. Right now, they are already investigating the matter of Body Snatching. If they also find out about the Magpie Bridge, they would probably initiate war imdiately. Your actions are too reckless; they could plunge the entire world into chaos. No one can bear such a cost. Please, reconsider your decision…"
Cheng Xunyun was almost incoherent, but his aning was very clear. Lin Wu Bai remained silent for a mont, then cursed, "Damn ga company!"
"..." Cheng Xunyun suddenly froze, the veins on his forehead throbbing. You want to invade the real world, so what the hell does that have to do with the ga company?!
Suppressing the anger in his heart, Cheng Xunyun said, "Alliance Hierarch Lin, our world doesn't have Immortal Techniques, but it possesses powerful technology. If war breaks out, the people of various nations won't be like those in the ga world, letting you manipulate them as you please..."
"Are you threatening ?" Lin Wu Bai asked.
"I don't an to threaten you. Alliance Hierarch Lin, we are currently in a cooperative relationship. I just hope you can respect your allies' interests," Cheng Xunyun said. "We all know you are powerful, but in the ga world, even the Justice League relies on players to function normally. At any ti, a single person is incapable of dominating the world."
"Director Cheng, I genuinely want to cooperate with you. I never expected you to think of as a madman who wishes to dominate the world. You've deeply disappointed . This isn't the kind of cooperation I envisioned. Since I don't even have the freedom to conduct experints, it would be better for us to part ways and handle our own affairs! I'm looking for allies to fight the ga company, not a boss who wants to control constantly," Lin Wu Bai complained icily.
What was with this tone, as if he's initiating a breakup?
Cheng Xunyun froze again, a possibility flashing through his mind. Could Lin Bai's personality be influenced by the thoughts of the person whose body he took over? This was a major discovery! No, when Lin Bai initially cultivated the Spoken Law Follows technique, he had also played the role of a woman… Could he be suffering from a split personality disorder? If he had a split personality, that would be big trouble! But at this critical mont, with the Magpie Bridge about to extend over, this discovery was irrelevant. Lin Bai's main body might cross over via the Magpie Bridge; that would be the real disaster!
Cheng Xunyun's mind raced. He took a deep breath and was about to speak.
But he heard Lin Wu Bai's voice from the other end: "Director Cheng, I have always been the one leading our interactions. You should understand that you cannot influence any of my decisions. In the ga world, hasn't everyone who opposed ended up badly? I believe the correct course of action for you now would be to abandon your prejudices against . Then, join in researching the Magpie Bridge, uncovering the pros and cons of linking the two worlds. We should achieve true mutual aid and joint developnt, instead of you simply accusing . Your attitude now is completely different from when you persuaded to let players develop in the ga world…"
"But…" Cheng Xunyun began.
"Besides, it's too late for what you're saying. The Magpie Bridge has already been extended. Instead of wasting breath here, you should consider how to guide public sentint in the right direction. Lin Bai said he wants to make a star, yet you all kept preaching about the dangers of virtual idols. Weren't you quite proficient at guiding public opinion?" Lin Wu Bai taunted faintly.
Before he could finish, the busy tone sounded from the phone.
She smiled and casually tossed the cellphone aside.
These days, Lin Wu Bai had felt completely brushed off. If he didn't exert so pressure on them, they'd think he was a pushover!
「Guiding Pool.」
Seeing the connected Magpie Bridge, all the players fell silent.
"Old Guo, let's go check it out together," Lin Bai said, looking at the Magpie Bridge and reminding Guo Yuan with a smile.
"Alright." Guo Yuan nodded blankly, the smile Lin Bai induced on his face rather stiff.
"I'm going too," Xu Longyun declared.
"Master, I also want to go see the real world," Ye Song added quickly.
"Alliance Hierarch, we also wish to go..." Ancestor Yan Qing stated.
Every native of their world was filled with curiosity about the real world.
People from the real world could learn about the ga world through player live streams, but the natives had absolutely no concept of the real world; the information obtained through Body Snatching was too scarce.
"Alright, let's all go together," Lin Bai said. Then, he looked at Far Vision Eagle and the others, adding, "You few players should co along too!"
The players froze almost simultaneously.
If their ga bodies could return to the real world via the Magpie Bridge, what state would their real-world bodies be in? Could Resurrection Points be established in the real world? If so, wouldn't that an they'd possess Undying Bodies in the real world too? If they waged war with undying bodies, what nation could possibly be their rival?
A series of fantastic ideas surged through the players' minds, and thus, they no longer opposed the Magpie Bridge connecting to reality.
Everyone consciously held hands, preparing to cross through the Magpie Bridge.
Lin Bai left the Body of the War God to guard their ho base.
With the Magpie Bridge in place, even if the Celestial Humans discovered the anomaly at the Guiding Pool, they could return instantly. There would be no substantial delay.
"Lin Bai, what kind of world is over there?" White Maple asked.
These days, his ears were filled with talk of laws, the Heaven-sent, Players, and the like. He had also personally witnessed the players' inhuman cultivation speed and had long been itching with curiosity about these matters.
Lin Bai glanced back at him, then with a flick of his hand, stored him in a Card. Since it was an experint, of course, he had to bring a sample of each type.
Crispy Rice's real na was Luo Peng, a young man in his early twenties. He lived in a detached villa of nearly 500 square ters—not because he was exceptionally wealthy, but because the enormous fortune he had accumulated in the ga over the past few months was enough to elevate him to the ranks of the rich.
As a matter of fact, early players who started live streaming after it beca available had all amassed significant wealth from the ga.
Moreover, Crispy Rice was the Gang Leader of the Beggar Gang. With the aura Lin Bai had bestowed upon him, and having tactically displaced the Lonely Old Man, the wealth he had obtained from the ga was already an astronomical sum.
When Lin Bai activated the Magpie Bridge, Luo Peng had just stepped out of his gaming cabin. Consequently, the portion of the Magpie Bridge that manifested in the real world was quite small, only about two ters long.
When Guo Yuan erged from the Magpie Bridge with Lin Bai and his group, Luo Peng was staring blankly at the bridge beneath his feet, his face a mask of disbelief.
He had never imagined that the Magpie Bridge could actually connect from the ga to the real world.
As soon as Guo Yuan erged, he rushed towards Luo Peng.
Even an ill-fated connection was a connection. Though he had never seen Luo Peng's real-life appearance, the inexplicable bond between them remained unchanged, and he recognized Crispy Rice instantly.
"Old Guo, you really ca out of the ga world?" Luo Peng stamred excitedly, at a loss for what to do. "Seeing what I look like in real life, you must be very disappointed!"
"Silly, what nonsense are you talking about! In our world, you never looked down on for being an old man, so why would I look down on you?" Guo Yuan gazed at Luo Peng with pity, his eyes full of affection.
But a closer look would reveal the calmness in his eyes, along with a hint of surprise at his first glimpse of the real world.
The ill-fated connection sparked by Pan Jinlian's Bamboo Pole was naturally not as steadfast as one tied by the Matchmaker God's red thread.
In the ga, Guo Yuan had entertained thoughts of using Crispy Rice to sche for control of the Beggar Gang. However, Lin Bai had moved too quickly; the entire world was scrambling to follow Lin Bai's pace. All of Guo Yuan's plans were aborted before they could even begin, leaving only physical gratification in his relationship with Crispy Rice.
The consequence of such debauchery was a severe toll on his body. If Lin Bai hadn't saved him with Pill dicine, he would have perished within a few days.
Having walked the precipice of the Ghost Gate, how could Guo Yuan possibly still harbor any affection for Crispy Rice?
"Crispy Rice, how about you show the sights of your world?" Guo Yuan said.
"Of course." Luo Peng reached out, took Guo Yuan's hand, and then looked at Lin Bai. "Alliance Hierarch, there's food and drink at ho. Please make yourselves comfortable. I'll take the City Lord to see the sights."
"Mm." Lin Bai waved him off. With his main body now in the real world, he had much to research and couldn't be bothered with them.
The real world lacked Spiritual Energy.
However, unlike with Body Snatching, when one's main body arrived in this world, the Spiritual Energy stored in the Dantian could still be utilized.
The ability to casually draw on Spiritual Energy for attacks was now ineffective.
Still, even cultivation techniques for those below the Hollow Realm were enough to allow cultivators to act as minor superhumans in the real world—albeit, superhumans running on a limited battery.
For those at the Great Cheng Realm and above, the amount of Spiritual Energy stored in their Dantian was considerable. As long as they didn't use excessively large-scale Spells, wiping out a city before their Spiritual Power depleted wouldn't be a problem.
As for Lin Bai, who shared the Spiritual Power of nurous Great Cheng Realm and Crossing Tribulation Realm cultivators, it was even less of an issue.
"Master, is this the world of the Heaven-sent?" Xu Longyun asked, looking around the villa's interior in surprise. "It truly is completely different from our world."
"There really isn't a trace of Spiritual Energy." Tuohai flashed outside the window, activated his Wind Riding Art, and flew into mid-air. A mont later, he flashed back in. "The cities are indeed vast. Compared to our world, it can certainly be called luxurious..."
"Damn, we're really back in reality," Far Vision Eagle exclaid. Returning to reality in their ga bodies, they were even more astonished than the natives.
"We can live stream, send private ssages, and use the Skills and Spells we learned in the ga! Damn, this is a massive boon!" Wind Rider said.
"It's a pity there's no Resurrection Point option," The Bright Sun remarked.
"Whether there's a Resurrection Point or not is irrelevant," Tiger that Stabilizes the Mountain said, glancing at Lin Bai. "Don't forget, that one has the Magpie Bridge. Even if we revive in the ga world, it won't take long to return to the battlefield."
"Nearly a million players with Undying Bodies, all returning to the real world... If not controlled properly, the world will descend into chaos," Far Vision Eagle said. "If players commit cris, the police will be completely powerless against them…"
"Players are our own people; the harm they might cause is secondary. It's those cultivators who are the real catastrophe," Wind Rider said, looking out the window. The sky was filled with cultivators using the Wind Riding Art, curiously observing this new world. He sighed. "Our world is much easier to conquer than the Celestial Human World."
On the live stream screen.
Several identical bullet comnts from Cheng Xunyun scrolled past: "You guys keep Lin Bai stable, don't let him do anything reckless! I'm already on my way!"
There were few bullet comnts.
As high-ranking mbers of their consortium, Far Vision Eagle and the others understood the dangers of the Magpie Bridge entering reality and hadn't opened their public live streams from the beginning.
However, seeing Tuohai and the others flying in the sky, they also knew it no longer mattered much whether they opened their public live stream channels or not.
Tuohai and the others were causing such a huge commotion; if anyone rely glanced up at the sky, the news would be impossible to contain.
What needed to be done still had to be done. Far Vision Eagle approached Lin Bai, saying, "Alliance Hierarch, Director Cheng will be here soon. To prevent causing worse and more adverse effects, shouldn't we ask Elder Tuohai and the others to return?"
"You can call them back. While you're at it, explain the rules of your world and how to use various items," Lin Bai said dismissively with a smile. He looked at Xu Longyun. "Xiao Yun, Xiao Bai, you should listen too. When in Ro, do as the Romans do. If we fail in the conflict against the Celestial Human World, this world will be our fallback. I don't believe that the Celestial Humans can enter the mortal realm, much less cross over from ga cabins into reality..."
Everyone simultaneously turned to Lin Bai. No wonder he had insisted on building the Magpie Bridge to the real world; so this was his plan.
Were they planning for defeat before even considering victory?
However, this truly was a way to solve the problem.
The Magpie Bridge was under Lin Bai's control. Unless the Celestial Humans were willing to resort to Body Snatching, they couldn't possibly enter the real world. And those who ca via Body Snatching were far too easy to deal with.
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