Ten Thousand Ways To Eliminate Players-Chapter 436: Peace all over the world for days

"I shall honor you all as my teachers and offer you a bow."

While the celestial Players were pondering how to break the deadlock, Lin Bai's various Divided Gods had already returned to safety with the resurrected Butterfly Demons.

Then, all his Divided Gods in the sky bowed to the assembled crowd. Lin Bai used a Skill that doubled his volume; the statement echoed between heaven and earth, and every single person heard it clearly.

The crowd was in an uproar. Many fell to their knees, trembling, not daring to raise their heads. No one dared to accept Lin Bai's ceremonial bow.

"King of all Gods, please retract your statement! We are unworthy."

"How could we dare presume to become teachers to the King of all Gods?"

"Alliance Hierarch, you honor us too greatly!"

"What could we possibly teach the King of all Gods?"

...

"There's a saying: 'When three people walk together, one of them can surely be my teacher.' Today, I honor all of you as my teachers to learn from everyone's strengths, comprehend the Heavenly Dao, and help everyone survive this catastrophe," Lin Bai said with utmost sincerity. "After this ceremony of taking you as teachers, you will all be my teachers, and I, in turn, will also be yours. Once the ceremony is complete, I will lead you all to sound the horns for a counterattack. Please do not refuse."

"We dare not refuse." Hearing Lin Bai's explanation, the crowd no longer had any objections. They all straightened up, accepting Lin Bai's gesture of respect. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Lin Bai had saved the world. Now, his words were sacred edicts that no one dared to disobey. Moreover, he had given everyone a new life and granted them an Undying Body. At this moment, no other faith remained in anyone's heart; Lin Bai was their one true god. Under the halo of his idol-like status, everything Lin Bai did was perceived as right.

[System Notification: Only those who refuse no teacher can become a teacher to all. By honoring all as teachers, one becomes the teacher of all (Completed). Reward: Mentor's Heart (You can accept anyone as a Disciple; they cannot refuse.)]

The celestial Players had brought the catastrophe, nearly wiping out the inhabitants of two worlds. Those resurrected by Lin Bai were now gathered together. As for those who had died and were not revived, they could no longer be considered part of the world's populace. Thus, the seemingly impossible task of honoring everyone as his teacher was accomplished by Lin Bai through a stroke of serendipity.

The Mentor's Heart was the most powerful support-type Skill. Previously, Lin Bai could only bestow his Skills upon his thirty-six Disciples. Now, he could accept everyone as his Disciples, meaning everyone could be granted his Skills.

Consequently, the critical weakness of the reborn Butterfly Demons—possessing potent Spiritual Power but lacking Skills—would be rectified. Combined with their Undying Bodies, the Divine Artifacts of the celestial Players would be rendered useless.

Having completed the Mentor's Heart task, Lin Bai surveyed the crowd, and all his Divided Gods performed a unified gesture. "I will impart to you my Divine Rules, enabling you to combat the Players. However, the Undying Bodies I've granted you originate from the Players themselves. As long as you are immortal, they too will not truly die. Therefore, I have but one mission for you: use my Divine Rules with all your might to seize the Divine Artifacts from the Players' grasp."

"We obey the Divine King's command!"

A chorus of voices, disparate in pitch yet unified in fervor, resonated like thunder, shaking the heavens.

"Once you have seized their Divine Artifacts, I will revoke your Undying Bodies. You may perish, but by then, you will also possess the ability to kill the Players. Our ultimate objective is to grind all Players down to Level Zero, making them our prisoners. We will then use their Undying Bodies to generate wealth for us, effectively enslaving them. Do you aspire to such a life, and are you willing to fight for it?"

Lin Bai's voice, infused with Sophistry, was powerfully persuasive.

"We do!"

"We are willing!"

The morale of billions of people surged like a rainbow as they waved their arms towards the sky.

Lin Bai laughed heartily and bestowed upon them his Skills: Provocation, Absolute Suppression, Wedding Domain, Rush Moon, and more.

After granting the Skills, Lin Bai waved his hand with a flourish. "Excellent! We move out! Byleth, Larondo, you are responsible for transporting them to the battlefield."

The Earth Goddess and the Abyss Lord accepted the command. They had long admired Lin Bai with profound respect, almost to the point of worship. His abilities had clearly transcended this world. At this moment, he was the true savior, the embodiment of the Heavenly Dao.

「...」

When billions of individuals with Undying Bodies, all equipped with System Skills, surged back onto the battlefield, the celestial Players' nightmare truly began.

For the longest time, they had been able to act so wantonly primarily because Lin Bai's Disciples were few in number, and moreover, Lin Bai could not meticulously control all his Divided Gods. But now, incomprehensible, instantly cast Skills were everywhere. Though the celestial Players wielded Divine Artifacts, they were utterly helpless against a horde of unkillable foes.

Initially, when their opponents fought without any discernible strategy, the celestial Players could manage a back-and-forth. However, the battlefield was an excellent training ground.

Soon, the Butterfly Demons mastered the effective application of the Divine Rules: If an enemy tried to flee, a single Provocation would involuntarily drag them back into the fray. Once in close combat, if a few pairs of hands made contact, all their Spiritual Power would be sealed, and any Divine Artifact, no matter how powerful, would be snatched away...

The most dreadful of all was the Wedding Domain.

The solemn wedding ceremony had become a tool for these "foolish" NPCs to probe their weaknesses. Often, immediately after the wedding concluded, a barrage of Skills like Provocation and Absolute Suppression would descend upon them.

Then, upon respawning at the Resurrection Point, they would make the disheartening discovery that their painstakingly acquired Divine Artifacts had been pilfered...

「...」

A similar calamity befell the new generation of Players in the real world. Relying on System benefits, they had initially believed they could leisurely enjoy the game in this chaotic world. But Lin Bai remained Lin Bai; he had no intention of letting them have fun. When those nightmarish Skills descended upon them, they too were stripped bare…

Most terrifyingly, the NPCs of the Continent of Gods and Demons would, without actually killing them, butcher their in-game bodies and prepare them as food. Although the game company provided these bodies, the consciousness within was their own, leading to an experience of ultimate horror.

Even the most fanatical Players in reality, those who harbored the deepest animosity towards Lin Bai, wouldn't dare step into a game pod a second time after enduring the nightmare of Absolute Suppression. They were terrified. This time, their fear was genuine.

After all, Lin Bai possessed the Magpie Bridge. If they continued to provoke him, allowing this horde of lunatics to invade the real world, they would become pariahs, condemned by the entire world.

The game company promised to reinforce the game pods, but Lin Bai had too many tricks up his sleeve. Who knew if the game company was reliable? What if Lin Bai managed to breach the game pods? Has Lin Bai truly attained the Heavenly Dao?

It hardly mattered now.

After the most frenzied battle in history, the real-world Players withdrew from the game en masse. They flocked to the forums, declaring their permanent retirement from the game and pledging to become model citizens of the new world, some even proclaiming themselves Lin Bai's most die-hard fans...

Once the real-world Players logged off, the celestial Players lost their supply line for Divine Artifacts. After being relentlessly hunted and cornered by the frenzied Butterfly Demons for half a month, celestial Players vanished entirely from the Continent of Gods and Demons.

Through unparalleled ferocity, the native inhabitants of the Continent of Gods and Demons reclaimed their homeland.

Among the looted Divine Artifacts, they discovered Magic Treasures like the Qiankun Mirror and the Rebirth Stone, capable of resurrecting their deceased kin. They brought back to life the children who had perished and those who were without partners. Then, they recounted the tales of Lin Bai's greatness and swiftly found companions for the newly revived.

Even newborn infants were matched with suitable Dao companions by the adults, who taught them the Way of Love from their earliest days.

After all, an Undying Body was temporary, while the Way of Love was eternal.

「...」

"This is insane! Who on earth did the game company provoke? How can Lin Bai possess such terrifying Skills? Now that even the Divine Artifacts are gone, what's the damn point of fighting?!"

"Whoever claimed we could ambush Lin Bai with Divine Artifacts was dreaming! He doesn't even give you an opening, does he?"

"Just like the game company, Lin Bai no longer needs to lift a finger. He's already invincible."

"The crucial question is, what now? We can't complete the game company's quests, nor can we defeat Lin Bai. What path is left for us?"

"I heard Lin Bai plans for us to become slaves to those natives, helping them rebuild their homes..."

"Impossible! I'd rather die than be their slave!"

"The problem is, we can't die."

"Perhaps we could shift our perspective. Treat this world as a life-simulation game. View tasks like building cities and farming as quests given by NPCs. Wouldn't that make it more bearable? Games come in all varieties, not just war-themed ones."

"You certainly have a way of looking at things."

"If it comes to that, I'd rather lose my memories again. It would be less agonizing."

"This must be our punishment, mustn't it? After all, we genuinely annihilated a world. If not for Lin Bai, three worlds would have fallen at our hands."

"No, four. Our own world was destroyed too. Is destroying worlds truly in our nature? I can't even recall what life was like with my wife and children before the game company existed. Yet, I remember being incredibly happy and content back then. Once I started playing games, it felt like everything changed. If I had the chance to go back, I swear I would never touch a game again..."

As this voice trailed off, all the Players lapsed into silence.

"To hell with the game company! Everyone, let's go find Lin Bai and negotiate! We must atone for our sins. Perhaps only Lin Bai can offer us a respectable outcome."

"If it's possible, I'd rather help Lin Bai defeat that cursed game company now. Only then can I vent this bitter resentment in my heart..."

「...」

[System Notification: ...Crush all visible enemies beneath your feet (Completed). Reward: Immortal Soul (Received).]

[System Notification: Under all heavens, there is no land that is not the King's... (Completed). Reward: Advent (Received).]

[System Notification: Let your benevolent name spread throughout the world (Completed). Reward: Heart of Virtue (Received).]

「Real World.」

A series of task completion notifications echoed in Lin Bai's mind.

Indeed, Lin Bai had been concealed in the real world all this time. The figures actively causing trouble and making moves were merely his Divided Gods. The Divine Artifacts churned out by the game company were too numerous and varied. He was unwilling to risk his true self; if he were to perish, all his painstaking efforts would vanish like smoke.

Therefore, he preferred to let matters drag on rather than take unnecessary risks at such a critical juncture.

Fortunately, the natives, who had been severely oppressed by the Players, fought back valiantly. They had actually managed to turn the tables, even compelling the celestial Players to retreat.

After all, with both the Advent and Immortal Soul Skills now granted, it was evident that the celestial Players no longer harbored any thoughts of resisting him.

It was hardly surprising. Now that he could seemingly command the winds and clouds and had acquired a vast arsenal of Divine Artifacts courtesy of the game company, opposing him was purely seeking humiliation.

Xu Longyun asked, "Husband, what's on your mind?"

Lin Bai turned to Xu Longyun and said, "We've won. From this moment forward, war will be a thing of the past in this world."

"Have we truly won?" Xu Longyun asked, still doubtful. "The real-world Players indeed don't dare enter the game anymore, but we haven't launched a counterattack on the Fairy World to grind all the celestial Players down to Level Zero. Besides, the game company won't just sit idly by, will they?"

"There's no need for that. Now that everyone has grasped the essence of the Divine Rules, their courage has utterly failed them," Lin Bai said, shaking his head with a slight, knowing chuckle. "Come, let's go to the Dream Heavenly Palace."

With that, Lin Bai activated Shadow Following, materializing directly behind the Dream Heavenly King. He then deployed the Magpie Bridge, bringing Xu Longyun and the others across.

The Dream Heavenly King and his entourage were discussing the future of the Fairy World with the leaders of the four major guilds when Lin Bai's abrupt appearance startled everyone.

THUMP! THUMP!

Seeing Lin Bai, Sui Liang and the others shot to their feet so abruptly they knocked over their chairs. They made no attempt to flee.

After being tormented by the Provocation Skill and the Wedding Domain, every celestial Player knew escape on the battlefield was impossible.

The Dream Heavenly King and the others sighed, exchanged glances, then stood and bowed to Lin Bai. "Greetings, Alliance Hierarch."

"Mm," Lin Bai nodded, taking the seat of honor and surveying the room. "So, you've all conceded?"

"We concede, we concede," Sui Liang and the others chorused, their voices laced with fear.

"Alliance Hierarch Lin, we have come today representing the celestial Players to formally surrender to you," the leader of the Fire Phoenix Guild said, mustering his courage. "We are willing to assist the people of the Immortal World and the Continent of Gods and Demons in rebuilding their homes. We are also willing to aid you, Alliance Hierarch, in confronting the game company. We understand our crimes are unforgivable, but we implore you to grant us a place of refuge."

"Are you willing to relinquish your Cultivation Levels?" Lin Bai scanned them and asked.

Everyone exchanged glances, each heaving a sigh before lowering their heads. "We are willing."

What choice did they have? In the current situation, their desires were irrelevant. If Lin Bai wished to absorb their Spiritual Power, he hardly needed their consent. The fact that he even bothered to ask was already a significant show of respect.

"Very well. Gather all celestial Players in every town and city. I will arrange for individuals to absorb your Spiritual Power. Once you reach Level Zero, you will be assigned work," Lin Bai said with a smile. "Return and prepare. Dismissed!"

"Does the Alliance Hierarch have no other arrangements for us?" Sui Liang asked, seemingly surprised by Lin Bai's amenability. He swallowed, forcing a smile.

"What other arrangements could you possibly expect? With your pathetic capabilities, did you truly think I was counting on you to confront the game company?" Lin Bai waved his hand dismissively. "Ultimately, you're all just tools, nothing more!"