CHAPTER 367: 367 OUTSTANDING EVIL

Wherever Lin Bai was, the place buzzed with popularity. Whenever he took any action, the Players were always the most excited because they were the first to receive the news. The barrage of comments exploded on the screens of Players live-streaming from the battlefield. The people of the Western Continent did not like sending bullet screen comments as much as the people of the Eastern Continent, but when Lin Bai appeared in the video, they still expressed their excitement with bullet screen comments. In their eyes, since the game began, Players in "Land of Gods and Demons" had been less entertaining than those in "Xianxia Continent." After all, Lin Bai was over there, breaking rules and having fun with them, while they could only play the game in a standard way.

These days, the Players had finally made some changes, but this provoked the NPCs, leading to a full-scale war. The old Players were constantly defeated, and new Players were killed or imprisoned right after their appearance. They had no gaming experience and now, finally, could breathe a sigh of relief. However, the bullet screen comments they sent were not innovative, mostly simple outbursts of emotion like "Long Live Lin Bai," "Kill them all," "You are my king," or "I want to eat your ×××." These were like the comments from Lin Bai’s fans, such as "I love you," which had no real meaning and would typically be blocked by viewers.

「At this time.」

Most of the scrolling bullet screen comments were sent by viewers from the Eastern Continent. They liked discussing and analyzing the current situation through the comments.

"The Alliance Hierarch is too kind to the people of the Continent of Gods and Demons. Use Separation of Love! Use those sound wave weapons! Let the people of the Continent of Gods and Demons taste the fear of being ruled by his Laws!"

"That’s hardly a glorious victory. The Alliance Hierarch’s status is already so high; what’s the point of crushing newbies? Didn’t you see the Alliance Hierarch directly telling them to gather all their elite forces? Those people are the Alliance Hierarch’s true rivals."

"The Players in the Continent of Gods and Demons are the ones benefiting, directly enjoying the Alliance Hierarch’s goodness without being tormented by him."

"They indeed escaped the Alliance Hierarch’s torment, but their Levels didn’t go up! Many of us have already reached the point of Tribulation, but tens of thousands of them were being suppressed by a group of knights. It’s truly a disgrace to us Players!"

"Although the Alliance Hierarch’s Laws are tormenting, it cannot be denied that he has made a great contribution to world peace. Plus, he has allowed our Levels to far surpass those of the Players on the Continent of Gods and Demons."

"What’s the use of leveling up? Only leveling up without battling—that kind of life has no meaning. What we need are blood-boiling battles, not being penned up and treated like pigs."

"Isn’t the Alliance Hierarch about to open the Magpie Bridge in the Fairy World? You can go fight anytime you want!"

"Who would be that foolish? The Bronze Realm in the Fairy World corresponds to the Crossing Tribulation Realm in the Mortal World below. Entering the Fairy World is pure masochism. The Fairy World is only suitable for leveling up secretly, then returning to the Mortal World to crush newbies."

"Is there a possibility that we could ask the Alliance Hierarch for permission to go to the Continent of Gods and Demons and play with them? We could help the Justice League expand its territory. Letting the Alliance Hierarch do everything himself is our dereliction of duty!"

The NPCs of the Continent of Gods and Demons did not understand the meaning of Phoenix Seeks Phoenix. Without understanding its meaning, they did not know it was a courtship performance. They only thought the men performing in front of them were cursed, so they did not refuse them or select an individual as a mate from among them. After a brief daze, the female Priests decisively shone the Holy Light on the cursed knights before them to expel the curses.

However, men under the Phoenix Seeks Phoenix Spell were not only immune to harm but also immune to blessing Spells. So, the Priests witnessed the Holy Light bouncing off them, and then they became even more convinced that Phoenix Seeks Phoenix was an evil art. The handsome man in the sky, claiming to be the God of Rules and a hero of the Justice League, naturally became a nefarious Evil God in their hearts.

Knights were noble and glorious. Dancing involuntarily in front of the Priests tarnished their dignity. They heard Lin Bai’s arrogant words. Proud as they were, they would not submit to an Evil God. Unable to fight, only their blood could wash away the humiliation brought by the Evil God.

However, the knights who had lost control of their bodies could not even use the ’fighting spirit’ within them to commit suicide. They could only desperately ask for help from the Priests who were constantly shining the Holy Light on them, begging them to end their lives.

Then, when the Priests attacked them, they were disappointed once again. The terrible curse of the Evil God was even immune to damage...

"Evil Spirit, we will not surrender!"

"You can take our lives, but not our dignity!"

"Bishop Garnett, do not agree to the Evil Spirit’s terms! It is our honor to die for the Holy Light Church!"

The knights’ despairing cries startled those in the sky. Bishop Garnett, in his red robe, looked at the scene below and then at Lin Bai standing before him, his face filled with despair. Beside him, a Dragon Knight unsteadily raised his Dragon Spear, his face determined.

"The Holy Light is with me!"

「At this moment.」

A female Priest, inspired by the knights’ spirit, clasped her hands, shouted a slogan, and resolutely drew a small dagger, plunging it into her heart. With her death, the knights performing before her regained their freedom.

Lin Bai was stunned.

Very well! Members of these religious Sects are indeed different from members of cultivation Sects. These people truly have faith in their hearts!

Discovering a way to save the Holy Knights, the Priests seemed to see a ray of hope.

"The Holy Light is with me!" The phrase resonated among them.

Just as the Priests were about to collectively ascend to heaven before everyone’s eyes, the cold glances from Garnett and the Knight Commander made Lin Bai sigh silently. Using provocation, he spoke, enunciating each word, "The Holy Light is with *you*."

As soon as the words left his mouth, the Priests halted their suicide attempts. They cast levitation Spells on themselves and, with red eyes, flew towards the sky, heading straight for Lin Bai. Seeing them fly up, Lin Bai promptly added the knights who had just regained their freedom back into the Phoenix Seeking Phoenix Group. At the same time, he thoughtfully added the Red Robed Bishop and the Knight Commander into it as well.

He was not here to kill. These brainwashed individuals looked ready to fight him to the death, and Lin Bai certainly could not let the situation continue to escalate.

The Priests were drawn by the provocation, and the knights and Mages below, singing and dancing, naturally followed their lead. The Mages could use flight techniques and levitation Spells to fly, but without their mounts, they could not reach the sky. They had to run on the ground, performing their talents while gazing up at their goddesses.

Despair filled the hearts of the men controlled by Phoenix Seeks Phoenix, and they constantly cursed Lin Bai. Garnett and the Knight Commander also joined the chorus of curses against Lin Bai.

The Body of the War God Flashed to appear opposite Lin Bai. During the intervals when Lin Bai paused, it would cooperate with him, using provocation on the Priests to save their lives.

"You only have one life."

"If you don’t even cherish your own life, how can you have compassion for the people of the world?"

"I am a merciful person. I won’t just stand by and watch you commit suicide."

"Promise me, no matter what, you will not give up on life, okay?"

"I came with good intentions and never intended to be your enemy."

Lin Bai, the Body of the War God, and Lin Liu Bai, controlling John’s body, spoke one after another. Whenever the Priests showed signs of attempting suicide, Lin Bai would make them and their pursuers circle the battlefield.

The best way to save a group of suicidal people is to make them experience something more terrifying than death. Then, they will naturally understand the value of life and the meaning of living. Their initial burst of determination would falter on the second attempt and be exhausted by the third. After one, two, three, four unsuccessful suicide attempts, they would eventually form a conditioned reflex, shaking their firm inner resolve...

The battlefield fell eerily silent. On the screen, exclamations of "God," "Oh my God," and "Devil" from people all over the Western Continent filled the air, completely transforming the celebratory atmosphere that had existed when Lin Bai first entered the battlefield.

"Alright, I admit I spoke too soon. The idea of a victory lacking glory was never a concept in the Alliance Hierarch’s mind. Anyone who doesn’t act according to his wishes ends up suffering his brutal torment."

"I once said that Lin Bai’s kindness to the Continent of Gods and Demons was unfair to the natives of the Immortal World. Seeing this, I’m relieved. It’s not about fearing scarcity but rather inequity; we can always trust Lin, the Storekeeper."

"What nonsense are you all talking about? Don’t you see those Priests trying to kill themselves? Big Brother Lin is saving their lives."

The Cultivators of the Justice League found nothing unusual about this. Looking at the bizarre scene on the battlefield, Cheng Xunyun’s eyes twitched unconsciously. He felt fortunate that Lin Bai had indeed shown them mercy. Parachutes? Acoustic reflectors? All useless! Lin Bai’s methods of torment were always more than they could imagine...

"Council President, I think we should change our strategy towards Lin Bai," blurted Joseph, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "Just a word or two from him is enough to run us to death, and that’s while dancing!"

"I don’t want to see you old codgers performing your talents in front of me," said Madeleine, looking frail and aged. "This is Phoenix Seeks Phoenix. As long as I choose or refuse, everyone will regain their freedom. Those natives just don’t know the solution. Every single one of Lin Bai’s Laws has loopholes."

"It’s no use. Even without Phoenix Seeks Phoenix, his taunts are enough to get everyone running; it’s just that we wouldn’t be singing and dancing. Joseph is right. We indeed need to change our strategy towards Lin Bai. The master of the Blue Planet has changed." The dread of Bondage surged in his heart, and the Council President sighed dejectedly, seeming to have aged more than ten years in that instant.

The surrounding clamor and Lin Bai’s words, like a death summons, seemed to stuff a thousand buzzing flies into Garnett’s head, making it feel like it was about to explode.

"Mr. Lin, I can persuade them not to commit suicide. Please stop torturing us." Garnett was performing a set of finger exercises. Realizing they were helpless against Lin Bai, he chose to compromise.

More importantly, he must find a way to let the other bishops know how terrifying this Evil Spirit is so they can prepare in advance.

The moment he finished speaking, Lin Bai’s taunting, like a tightening headband curse, stopped. The world became quiet, with only beautiful singing and hymns remaining.

"Not dying anymore?" Lin Bai asked with a faint smile, looking at the Priests less than three hundred meters away. His voice was gentle, but the Priests were as silent as cicadas in winter. After the "You Smile When You See Me" effect forced ugly smiles onto their faces, their complexions turned even paler. Despair and fear constantly surged from their hearts.

Compared to the Evil Spirit before them, those Black Wizards and Liches seemed as innocent as newborn babies.

"It’s regrettable that your comrade died. That was my mistake; I didn’t expect you to have no reverence for life." Lin Bai could sense their emotions. He shook his head and sighed. "I don’t intend to judge your faith, but after today’s ordeal, I hope you remember one thing: life is the most precious thing, and you only get one. Don’t give up easily. Life is long and wonderful. Isn’t it better to use your life to do meaningful things? The world needs you."

[Resentment from Garnett, Carl, Timothy... +1+1+1...]

Who doesn’t know that life only comes once? Weren’t we forced to commit suicide by you? Evil Spirit! Seductive Evil Spirit!

The Priests glared at Lin Bai, feeling the urge to throw Holy Light at him and purify him. But in the end, they suppressed the impulse. An Evil Spirit this purely evil... perhaps only the Archangel Leader has the power to purify him!

"Timothy, don’t be impulsive!" Garnett’s fingers danced rapidly. Fearing the Priests might do something rash, he immediately shouted.

The Priests glanced at their bishop and fell silent. After being interrupted so many times, who in their right mind would continue trying to commit suicide? Did they not think they had been tormented enough? At this moment, they even felt a little envious of the comrade who had succeeded in killing herself. How wonderful! She returned to the embrace of the Lord of Holy Light so easily and joyfully, without suffering any torture.

"Mr. Lin, could you please remove the Magic on us? Negotiating like this is too inconvenient," Garnett forced an ugly smile.

"The key to dispelling Phoenix Seeks Phoenix doesn’t lie with me, but with them," Lin Bai smiled, gesturing towards the Priests.

"Us?" The Priests were forced to smile.

"Phoenix Seeks Phoenix is the Law of Love. They are displaying their talents to you, much like courtship in the natural world. It is love, it is procreation, it is the most beautiful thing in the world. As long as you choose a satisfactory partner from among them, Phoenix Seeks Phoenix will naturally end." Lin Bai sighed and shook his head. "I thought someone among you would have realized the solution. Yet, you chose the most tragic method: death. Not a single one of you has love in your heart. It’s truly disappointing."

Love? Choose a partner from among them, and the curse will be lifted? The Priests collectively fell into a daze, the muscles on their faces twitching. It was that simple? The death of their comrade, which they had considered heroic, now seemed like a joke. But... the most terrifying Evil Spirit in the world was talking about love and peace... Could there be anything more ironic? At this moment, even their faith in the Lord of Holy Light began to waver.

But regardless, Lin Bai had given them a method, and they had to try it. They couldn’t let the knights perform their talents endlessly!

When the first Priest chose a partner, the performing Phoenix Seeking Phoenix Group of knights stopped. Then, all the Priests, filled with deep resentment, chose their partners. The Phoenix Seeking Phoenix Group came to a complete halt.

The world fell into a deathly silence. The members of the Holy Light Sect looked up at the faintly smiling Lin Bai in the sky. Their faith was collapsing, and they collectively fell into a crisis of doubting life itself.

"Can Lillith be resurrected?" a Priest asked timidly.

Lin Bai glanced at her and nodded. "If someone is willing to offer her their most sincere love and even sacrifice their life for her, she can be reborn in another way."

"She died for the Holy Light Church! I am willing to sacrifice my life for her. I hope you keep your word!" Knight Commander Carl interrupted Lin Bai. He dismounted his Flying Dragon, walked over to the lifeless Lillith, picked her up, and kissed her without hesitation.

Charge!

John Flashed behind the Knight Commander, activated his Skill, and plunged his Longsword into Carl’s back.

Then, amidst the crowd’s astonished gasps, the bodies of Knight Commander Carl and Priest Lillith transformed into a Light Ball and vanished. Two beautiful butterflies emerged from the light and danced in the air.

Looking at the stunned crowd, Lin Bai extended his hand and said softly, "You two, if you trust me, I can take you to the Immortal World and help you regain human bodies."

Before he even finished speaking, the two butterflies landed on his palm.

「At this very moment.」

The crowd seemed to have forgotten their earlier miserable state. They looked up at the sky. Lin Bai, floating in the air, looked utterly saintly, like a divine being come to save the world.

Lin Bai smiled and looked towards the Red Robed Bishop. "Bishop Garnett, send someone with John to Free City to negotiate the terms of peace. I will take you to witness the truth of this world."