The Internet Flame War

Master Tongtian had reached the top of the "No. 1 Sword Immortal of the National Server" rankings under the name "Supreme Purity Sword Master." Like a boulder dropped into a still lake, his rise sent enormous waves through the gaming community of Realms Expedition. The honor brought him not only admiration and praise, but also endless doubts, jealousy, and open and covert attacks.

At first, Master Tongtian had scoffed at the forum's speculation about his "abnormal win rate," "inhuman plays," and "suspected cheats." How could a Sage care about the cries of ants? He had even found it a little amusing. Ordinary people couldn't understand his micro-control and game sense, which were grounded in his comprehension of the Great Dao, so they could only blame it on unorthodox methods. They truly knew nothing of the wider world.

However, when registration for the "World's First Martial Arts Tournament" officially opened and the organizers announced the seeded players, naming "Supreme Purity Sword Master" as one of the leading contenders for the title, that undercurrent finally became a raging public tide.

A ten-thousand-word post titled "Digging into 'Supreme Purity Sword Master': Godlike Skill or Powered by Cheats?" quietly appeared at the top of Expedition Camp, the game's biggest forum. It quickly caught fire and earned the "Trending" tag.

The poster, whose ID was "Data Emperor Conan," claimed to be a veteran game data analyst. The post seemed objective on the surface, citing a wealth of "Supreme Purity Sword Master's" combat data—such as the intervals between skill activations, pixel-level movement precision, and estimated reaction times—and comparing them with known top professional players and even the theoretical limits of human ability. Every conclusion pointed to something "abnormal." The post was full of claims like "Model analysis indicates that a human could not consistently reproduce these plays" and "Reaction speeds repeatedly exceed the upper threshold, violating biological laws." It stopped short of directly accusing him of cheating, but its insinuations were unmistakable.

More insidiously, the second half of the post turned to personal attacks and speculation about his motives. It suggested "Supreme Purity Sword Master" was either a pawn trained by some major guild to generate hype, or a psychologically twisted loser who cheated to feel important. It even hinted that he might have made "improper deals" with other contestants to sabotage the tournament.

The post hit the forum like fresh meat thrown into a pack of wolves, setting the whole place ablaze.

"I knew it! Nobody can be that good. He's a cheater!"

"Data Emperor has my support! The officials need to ban his account and investigate! Give us a fair game!"

"Ha! No. 1 Sword Immortal of the National Server? More like No. 1 Sword—powered by technology!"

"+1. Is this 'Supreme Purity Sword Master' actually 'Supreme Purity Cheat Master'?"

"Trash! Get out of the game! Keep those cheating scumbags out of the tournament!"

Abusive comments spread beneath the post like a plague. Countless players who didn't know the facts—or had been swept up in the outrage—joined in with insults and reports. A few small-time streamers even tried to cash in on the attention, taking clips out of context to dissect "Supreme Purity Sword Master's" "smoking-gun plays" on stream, with withering mockery.

Villa, living room.

Master Tongtian had just finished a satisfying ranked match and was sipping contentedly at the iced cola Lin Fan had made for him, his latest discovery and favorite drink. He casually opened the game forum to see whether the officials had posted any news about the tournament. Then the glaring pinned post and the torrent of malicious comments beneath it hit him without warning.

At first, he merely frowned. But as he scanned the so-called "data analysis" and the vile insults below, the contentment vanished from his face, replaced by an icy chill. His grip tightened around the phone until his knuckles turned white. The air around him seemed to drop several degrees, and a fine layer of condensation formed on the outside of the glass on the coffee table.

Lin Fan was curled up on the sofa nearby, scrolling through short videos, when a chill suddenly ran down his back. He shivered and looked up in confusion. Master Tongtian's profile was as cold as ice, and his eyes glimmered with killing intent so palpable it almost seemed to take physical form.

"L-Lord Master?" Lin Fan's heart lurched. He had a bad feeling. "Are you... all right?"

Master Tongtian didn't answer. He simply turned the phone screen toward Lin Fan and spoke in a voice so low and terrifying it seemed to contain an erupting volcano. "Xiao Lin, in this world, how should one deal with such foul slander and baseless accusations?"

Lin Fan leaned over to look, and his scalp went numb. He had seen the post earlier but hadn't dared mention it to Master Tongtian. He'd feared that if the man got angry, he might follow the poster through the internet and scatter him to the winds. But it seemed Master Tongtian had found it on his own anyway.

"Um... Lord Master, don't get angry!" Lin Fan hurried to soothe him. "The internet is like this. You get all kinds of people! They're just jealous! They're envious of your skill! Don't stoop to their level. The truth will come out!"

"The truth will come out?" Master Tongtian gave a cold snort. Sword energy surged around him, blowing Lin Fan's hair back. "Why should I prove myself to these ants? But they dare accuse me of cheating! They insult my Dao heart! How could I let them get away with such a karmic offense?!"

The angrier he grew, the more forcefully he spoke. He sprang to his feet, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. "Once I sweep my divine sense over them and find these loudmouths, I'll make them understand the wrath of a Sage—and the price of provoking one!"

"Don't! Absolutely not, Lord Master!" Lin Fan was terrified out of his wits. Without thinking, he wrapped both arms around Master Tongtian's waist—it felt like clinging to a rocket about to launch. "The internet is virtual! IP addresses can be hidden! You won't be able to find out who they are! Besides... using your divine sense to search ordinary people without permission is... it's an invasion of privacy! It's illegal! The enforcers of this world will come after you... I mean, you'll be punished by the 'Heavenly Dao Rules'!"

In his panic, he had even invoked the "Heavenly Dao Rules."

Master Tongtian paused, his brows knitting together. He didn't fear this world's so-called "rules," but he knew that using power beyond this world's limits would surely bring unnecessary trouble—and might even expose their existence. Gong Gong had nearly gone off to demolish a dam before. That was warning enough.

"Am I supposed to let these rats yap away and sully my good name?!" Master Tongtian's anger refused to subside, and his chest felt tight. He had roamed the Primordial Era for countless aeons. When had he ever suffered such humiliation? Even when he had stood against the Four Sages, he had openly set up the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation. He had never been stabbed in the back with such underhanded tactics.

"Of course not!" Seeing that he was beginning to relent, Lin Fan hurried on. "We can fight back! We can... use their methods!"

"Their methods?" Master Tongtian narrowed his eyes.

"Right! An online flame war... I mean, we can reason with them on the forum! Refute their rumors!" Lin Fan explained. "We can post a clarification and let the facts speak for themselves! Or... I could help you make an alt account and argue with them!" He sounded a little unsure of himself at the last suggestion.

"Reason with them? Argue with them?" Master Tongtian looked as though he'd heard the funniest joke in the world. His anger turned to scornful laughter. "Reason with these foul-mouthed fools who understand nothing? That would be like playing a lute to a cow! As for arguing... hmph. I refuse to lower myself to their level!"

He sat back down, but his face remained so dark it looked ready to drip water. Arguing with mortals really would be beneath him, but if he didn't vent this anger, his thoughts would never be at ease!

Just then, Lao Tzu, who had been resting with his eyes closed nearby, slowly opened them. He glanced at the murderous Master Tongtian and spoke calmly. "The Great Dao is simple, yet its manifestations are infinitely complex. The 'internet' of this world is likewise a gathering place for the thoughts of all beings. Its chaos is nothing unusual. Fellow Daoist Tong Tian, your heart is in disorder."

"Lao Tzu! Don't you dare make light of this!" Master Tongtian was already furious, and the words only irritated him further. "If someone accused your alchemy of being a fraud, what would you do?"

Lao Tzu raised his teacup and took a sip, calm and unruffled. "The pure will remain pure, and the polluted will remain polluted. Time will prove everything."

Master Tongtian: "..." He felt there was simply no getting through to this serene, unattached fellow!

Nearby, Gong Gong put down his copy of A Guide to Preventing Geological Disasters and interjected in a booming voice, "If you ask me, ignore them! Find the source and punch them into paste. Then we'll see who dares make another peep!" That certainly matched Gong Gong's usual style.

Goddess Nüwa was using her tablet to design a new "Mountains and Rivers Society-State Pattern" for nail art. She looked up with a frown at the remark. "Can people's malice truly become so amplified online? How ugly. Fellow Daoist Tong Tian, why not join me in exploring nail art? Calm your mind, and don't let such filth anger you."

Jumang poked his head in from the backyard, still holding a little shovel smeared with spiritual soil. "Would you like me to use the fragrance of plants and trees to cleanse the foul air here?"

Lin Fan looked at the group of elders offering suggestions, each more unreliable than the last, and felt utterly exhausted.

Listening to everyone's suggestions—except Lao Tzu's—Master Tongtian's expression shifted back and forth. Gong Gong's solution would be satisfying, but it would leave endless trouble in its wake. Nüwa's idea... never mind. Jumang's was even less helpful. Irritably, he ran a hand through his hair, then looked again at the post and the insults beneath it.

Suddenly, a resolute glint appeared in his eyes.

"Enough!" He drew a deep breath, as if he had made up his mind. "If you insist on using your tongues as swords to sully my Dao heart, then don't blame me for... returning your own methods upon you!"

He picked up his phone again, but instead of registering an alt account, he logged straight into his main account, "Supreme Purity Sword Master"!

"Lord Master! What are you doing?" Lin Fan had a bad feeling.

Master Tongtian ignored him and began typing rapidly on the virtual keyboard. He didn't curse the way Lin Fan had imagined. Instead, he started refuting the "exposé" point by point, with an extremely composed tone—almost one of academic criticism delivered from on high.

"Regarding skill activation intervals: what you call 'the human limit' is merely what a frog at the bottom of a well sees of the sky. Have you never heard of 'the sword and the heart as one, with a thought and it is done'? This is merely the first stage of the sword path. Ordinary people like you can't understand it, so you blame outside forces. Laughable."

"Regarding movement precision: pixel-level? Hmph. Do you know the realm of 'subtle perception'? Under the shroud of divine sense, nothing escapes notice. Dodging attacks becomes instinct. Why would I need to calculate it?"

"Regarding reaction speed: biological laws? For mortals like you to judge the speed of a Sage's divine sense is like a mayfly pontificating on the roc's speed. You cannot discuss ice with an insect born in summer."

His reply contained no obscenities, but every word cut like a sword. It brimmed with absolute superiority and contempt, born of his higher level of life and knowledge. He dismissed the other side's "data" as worthless and attributed his own abilities to the gap in their realms—a height his opponents could never hope to reach.

The moment his reply appeared, the whole thread fell silent for a moment. Then it exploded like cold water poured into hot oil!

"Holy crap! The man himself showed up!"

"That attitude... Isn't he a little too arrogant?!"

"'A Sage's divine sense'? 'The first stage of the sword path'? LMAO, what a terminal case of chuunibyou!"

"I'm dead. The cheater's trying to act like a scholar now?"

"Reported. Not only is he cheating, he's spreading feudal superstition!"

The mockery and insults didn't stop. Master Tongtian's high-and-mighty response only made them worse. To those players, "Supreme Purity Sword Master" wasn't just refusing to admit he was wrong. He was also spouting cryptic nonsense and putting on an act, as if he thought they were stupid!

Master Tongtian stared at the even more vicious comments on the screen, his face turning livid. He had thought his "reasoning" would cow these petty fools. Instead, it had been like playing a lute to a cow, provoking an even stronger backlash. The feeling of being surrounded by countless ignorant remarks, unable to make himself understood despite being in the right, left him so suffocated he nearly vomited blood.

"Obstinate fools! Incorrigible!" He gritted his teeth as sword energy escaped him once more, beyond his control. Fine cracks began to spread across the phone screen.

Seeing this, Lin Fan knew he couldn't let Master Tongtian handle this personally any longer. Otherwise, he'd either make himself sick with anger or destroy the phone. Lin Fan quickly snatched it from him. "Lord Master! Leave it to me! I'll handle this! Just calm down for a while!"

He shoved the cola into Master Tongtian's hand, then took the phone and moved aside to think of a solution.

A head-on clash wouldn't work. On the internet, Master Tongtian's "Sage theories" would only be seen as arrogant provocation. So the only option was... to fight fire with fire?

After thinking it over, Lin Fan logged into a forum alt account he hadn't used in years and began composing a post. Instead of directly trading insults, he started a new thread titled "A Rational Analysis of 'Supreme Purity Sword Master's' Plays: Could We Really Be Looking at a Once-in-a-Thousand-Years Gaming Prodigy?"

In the post, he avoided the mystical talk of "realms" and focused on the game itself. Using straightforward language, he analyzed some of "Supreme Purity Sword Master's" best highlights—clips he had secretly recorded—and pointed out the incredible game sense, psychological tactics, and micro-control they displayed. He also listed real-life examples of people with extraordinary reaction speeds and hand-eye coordination, such as certain professional athletes. He acknowledged that "Supreme Purity Sword Master's" plays were indeed beyond what most players could comprehend, but attributed that to "extreme gaming talent combined with unbelievable dedication." He urged everyone to stay rational and avoid personal attacks in the absence of hard evidence.

As expected, the post drew comments from a number of more reasonable players. There were still plenty of doubters, but at least the thread was no longer a one-sided flood of abuse. Lin Fan also quietly contacted a few friends in the gaming community to help boost the post and guide the discussion.

At the same time, Lin Fan began gathering information about "Data Emperor Conan's" shady past. He refused to believe someone who liked stirring up drama had clean hands. After some digging, he found evidence that the man had previously been paid to write advertorials and smear competitors. Lin Fan organized the evidence and prepared to release it at the right moment.

Thanks to Lin Fan's quiet mediation and steering, the online storm sparked by the exposé temporarily settled into a stalemate. Supporters and opponents argued fiercely, and the forum remained busier than ever.

As for the instigator, Master Tongtian, after his initial fury and setback from jumping into the fight himself, he seemed to calm down a little. He stopped looking at the infuriating posts and simply kept logging into the game on time each day, answering every accusation in silence with one clean victory after another.

His plays grew ever more incisive, and his record more dazzling. It was as if he were pouring all his fury and frustration into his opponents in the game. Amid the controversy, the name "Supreme Purity Sword Master" carried an unstoppable air of resolve as he awaited the "World's First Martial Arts Tournament."

He knew that only by crushing every opponent with overwhelming strength in the official tournament, before the eyes of the whole world, and claiming the title of "World's No. 1" could he completely dispel the rumors and make the yapping crowd shut up for good.

The online flame war had temporarily come to an end. But a much greater storm was quietly gathering above the arena of the "World's First Martial Arts Tournament."

In the villa, Lin Fan watched Master Tongtian finally stop radiating an oppressive gloom and devote himself entirely to preparing for the competition. He quietly wiped the sweat from his brow.

Managing a Sage's online reputation was more exhausting than having Gong Gong control the floods!