Chapter 175

The surrounding players had nowhere to escape, shrouded in the twisted, enormous shadow of the Slender Ghost, their bodies rapidly covered in colorful patterns as if infected with a plague.

The viewers in the live stream were horrified.

"What kind of monster is this? It's been reduced to ashes and it's still not dead?!"

The sudden change naturally attracted the attention of both teams.

The bespectacled man, no longer able to confront Brian, yelled at his teammates, "Save him first!"

At the same time, the item in his hand rapidly expanded and grew larger, forming a huge protective shield in the blink of an eye, protecting most of the players inside.

Isolating the air seemed to effectively block pollution, and the patterns on the skin of the protected players finally stopped spreading.

However, a small number of players are still in danger.

Their movements became increasingly stiff, like rusty puppets, turning their heads clumsily as if trying to call for help, but their mouths wouldn't open.

Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that the mouths of those people had actually been transformed into a thin, long, smiling arc, as if sewn together with needle and thread.

Finally realizing they were doomed, their increasingly empty eyes were filled with despair.

Seeing this, some people felt their hearts sink.

What a terrifying capacity for pollution!

Cold sweat trickled down the bespectacled man's temples, and a hint of pity flickered across his face as he looked at the desperate players.

He was from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was assigned to the logistics group, so he wasn't as skilled in combat as the first and second squads at the peak.

Moreover, the level and identity of the Slender Man are unknown, but he is incredibly powerful and seemingly unkillable.

With his experience, he made a quick decision to retreat first, saving most of the players, and then consider how to rescue them.

But the bespectacled man didn't expect that before he could even utter the word "retreat," Brian suddenly glanced at him disdainfully and vanished in a blur.

The next second, a deafening thunderclap suddenly erupted behind them!

Rumble—

The Slender Man, who had only recently been resurrected, was swallowed up by a massive surge of lightning.

Bright white lightning crisscrossed like snakes, the intense heat creating a violent impact that cracked the ground and sent rubble flying, illuminating the entire street as bright as day!

"Oh my god!" The players, whose eyes were stung by the stinging sensation, quickly closed their eyes and turned their heads away.

Before long, the lightning slowly dissipated, leaving several pale white electric streaks dancing on the ground.

Where the gaunt figure stood, there was only a huge hole, the gravel layer covered with hideous scorch marks.

The Slender Man was burned into a pile of black, human-shaped ashes, crooked and thin, which were scattered by a gust of wind.

The fact that Slender Man was killed again should have been a good thing, but it had been surrounded by a group of players.

Brian attacked without restraint, and the bespectacled man couldn't stop him, watching helplessly as the players were blasted away.

The doll-like players weren't completely dead initially; there was still a chance of saving them. But after being subjected to the lightning surge, they're probably charred inside and out, utterly dead!

The members of the Peak Third Squad rushed over to check on the situation of those people.

The person involved showed no remorse for killing someone. He tapped the dreadlocked boy's nose with his index finger and lectured him condescendingly: "You can't even kill a regular S-class monster. When you get back, you have to train with the new recruits. Also, have Anna confiscate your game console."

The bespectacled man's hand, outstretched in mid-air, trembled uncontrollably with rage as he roared, "Brian!"

The dreadlocked boy stared at the scorch marks on the thin, ghostly figure, recovering from his astonishment. Still uneasy due to a strange feeling, he moved his lips and said, "No, Brian, this monster is very strange..."

Before he could finish speaking, Brian impatiently waved his hand to interrupt him.

His arrogance was obvious, whether towards strangers or teammates.

The surging electric current made Brian look like a majestic lion, and the only thing that could be described as steady and polite was probably his magnetic voice.

Brian turned to look at the furious bespectacled man, arrogantly raising his chin: "You've already seen my abilities. Are you going to bring your men to sign the assassin contract now, or wait until I beat you into submission before signing?"

*

Looking at the arrogant Brian as if he were a clown, the cloaked man smiled slightly at Xie Xubai with interest: "He's adorably conceited, isn't he?"

Xie Xubai remained silent.

The cloaked man said, "Xie Xubai, you should make up your mind. If you can't produce a single piece, all the players will die—whether they participated in the game or not."

Sensing the deeper meaning in his words, Xie Xubai looked up at him, his lips gradually tightening.

“I love the way you get angry and moved.” The cloaked figure laughed, then sighed softly as if quite satisfied. “It makes me want to push you even harder.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the only black piece on the chessboard suddenly began to shake violently.

*

"Brian!" the black teenager suddenly screamed.

It seemed rare to hear his teammates scream in such terror. Brian instinctively turned his head and was met with a creepy smile.

The smiling face, as large as a millstone, met Brian's bewildered gaze like a mammoth with tusks staring intently at a clueless house cat.

Everyone's heart sank suddenly, as if they had fallen into an ice cave, chilling them to the bone.

The Slender Man reappeared, completely unharmed.

And this time, the smile that seemed welded to the ghost's face was fading little by little, finally turning down coldly.

Its laughter is terrifying, and when it stops laughing, it exudes a sense of impending rage that sends chills down your spine.

"Slender Man spoke slowly."

"Humans, you are really rude."

“I extended a friendly invitation to you, but you actually wanted to kill me.”

"Perhaps I should ask the esteemed Black King if not everyone who comes to the Game Kingdom can be called a guest."

"Now, let's get rid of these rude bugs."

Before it could finish speaking, a surprised Brian launched another attack. Thousands of bolts of lightning roared and coalesced on his right arm, slamming into the Slender Man's chest with a deafening boom, smashing a large hole through it!

But there was no penetration, and no blood.

The dented body bounced back like a rubber band.

To Brian's disbelief, the Slender Man lazily swung his cane, striking Brian hard across the face with such force that the skin caved in.

Bang!

Brian, sent flying backward, crashed through the metal railings of the carousel, creating a huge crater in the stone platform. The unsupported roof suddenly collapsed, filling the air with smoke and dust, leaving behind a scene of utter devastation.

"Oh!" The gauntlet frowned, speaking with utter disgust, "All the losses suffered by the amusement park today will be repaid with your lives!"

"Brian!" the dreadlocked boy roared, his body transforming into a swift bolt of lightning as he kicked the skinny ghost with all his might.

The first time he "killed" the Slender Man was like this. The dreadlocked boy was known as "Lightning Boy" because he had an S-level speed that was no less than that of a god-level player, and he was so fast that he was impossible to see with the naked eye.

Faced with this unstoppable attack, the gauntlet simply raised its arm and easily grabbed his ankle with its thin claws, twisting the bone and flesh into a bloody pretzel with a crack.

"Aaaaaah!" The dreadlocked boy was sweating profusely and screamed in pain.

Realizing the gravity of the situation, the bespectacled man shouted to his teammates, "Something's wrong! Even if Brian isn't the best, he still has god-level player stats. This monster can withstand his attacks without taking any damage, so it's at least a mini-boss! You guys take the rest of the team and get out of here!"

The female player reacted extremely quickly, using protective barriers to isolate the contamination while evacuating the remaining players with her companions.

Turning around, he saw the bespectacled man still standing there, anxiously shouting, "Let's go, Captain!"

The bespectacled man didn't leave, not because he couldn't distinguish between what was important and what wasn't, but because he saw a bulge emerging from the ruins. Brian pushed aside the iron railing and slowly stood up.

Brian was covered in dirt and blood, and spat out bloody foam with a "pui" sound.

Immediately following, a piercing explosion rang out in the air, and a bright white bolt of lightning pierced through the air, drawing a straight line and striking the thin, ghostly figure directly in front of it. The current crackled and snapped off the claws that were gripping the dreadlocked boy.

The dreadlocked boy fell to the ground, clutching his ankle in pain, trying to persuade him to retreat: "Brian, this monster is no ordinary creature..."

Brian said, "I'm going to blow it up."

The dreadlocked boy wanted to say something, but when he looked up and saw Brian's terrifying expression, he shuddered, gritted his teeth, and stumbled to the man with glasses, enduring the pain.

"Idiot, don't just stand there! Brian's angry, a thunderstorm's coming!" the dreadlocked boy yelled, his face contorted in anger.

Rumble—

The already gloomy sky suddenly picked up a strong wind, and in no time a large, thick cloud gathered above the amusement park.

Thick bolts of lightning, like silvery snakes, darted about. Looking up, all that could be seen was a sky full of lightning, carrying the imminent power of a storm, its roar shaking heaven and earth.

This was the true power of the gods; the air within a hundred miles trembled, and the monsters lurking in the dark corners of the amusement park were all trembling in fear.

Brian stared at the thin, ghostly figure, whose eyeballs in their sockets turned into blinding electric currents, looking like two laser guns.

“God knows how long it’s been since I felt this kind of pain.” Brian’s face contorted in rage, a hoarse growl rumbling in his throat. “Monster, you have guts.”

Once the crowd had evacuated to at least a kilometer away, more than a dozen Class A protective shields were stacked to form a defensive barrier. A high-voltage lightning bolt, filled with billions of volts, vertically ripped through half the sky, crashing down on the location of Brian and Slender Man with a deafening roar!

Rumble—!

A massive thunderstorm raged through the steel buildings, causing the earth to shake violently and houses to collapse. Like a nuclear explosion, the entire world was filled with lightning, and the powerful shockwave rippled outwards in a ring. The Class A protective shield shattered layer by layer, like a glass dome being hammered!

The dreadlocked boy and his companions snapped to attention and quickly pulled out props to reinforce their protective shields, displaying a keen instinct for survival.

The Peak Third Squad, who didn't know how they ended up hiding with them, paused for a moment and then took out their protective gear as well.

Some players couldn't help but open their eyes, almost blinded by the dazzling light of the lightning, which brought tears to their eyes.

The live broadcast room was completely silent, except for the deafening roar of thunder.

It's no exaggeration to say that most viewers were seeing a god-level player make a move for the first time. They could feel the irresistible power even through the screen, and their feelings were indescribably shocking.

The thunderstorm lasted for more than ten minutes, and when it ended, everyone was somewhat dazed.

Especially the players at the scene.

The electric light could even penetrate the retina; you had to block it with your hand to avoid feeling too uncomfortable.

It took them a while to adjust before they shakily opened their eyes and were startled by what they saw.

Half of the playground is destroyed!

Flames scorched the plastic shell of the iron sheet, the ground was riddled with potholes and cracks, steel bars and cement were exposed, a strong smell of burning filled the air, black smoke hissed from the cracks in the soil and gravel, and tiny electric currents flowed across the surface.

The scene was one of devastation.

The players looked at each other, cautiously peeking out.

Before them lay a deep pit hundreds of meters in diameter, thick black smoke billowing upwards, scorching heat assaulting their senses, and orange-red sparks shooting out of the cracks with a gust of wind, as if lava were flowing.

A person was lying in the very center of the deep pit.

It's Brian.

The thunderstorm was so intense that his clothes were almost completely torn, but he didn't care. He stood up, grabbed a piece of clothing from his backpack, and put it on.

A glance at the grave of the gauntlet revealed only scorched earth.

Defeating a powerful opponent seemed to please him greatly. Brian chuckled disdainfully, as if defending his position: "You unlucky bastard, remember not to mess with me in your next life."

He walked forward without looking back.

The viewers in the live stream were shocked and buzzed with discussion.

"Dead, really dead?"

"He's dead... With so many lightning bolts, he's probably been reduced to ashes."

"My God, is this the power of a god-level player?"

"Brian doesn't seem to care about the title of 'Peak' at all. Captain Xu and his team are probably in big trouble!"

"What do you mean by 'don't look'? Brian is just a stubborn fool who can't understand good or bad advice at all."

Captain Xu is the man with glasses.

Some viewers also felt that the situation in this instance was not good.

"But don't you find it terrifying? Less than an hour into the trial, the first monster that appeared could only be dealt with by a god-level player. Does that mean the other players who aren't strong enough are just waiting to die?"

Some optimistically speculated: "Perhaps because of a record [9], the system judged that we were very likely to win the infinite game, so it secretly increased the difficulty. We have a good chance!"

The others thought this made a lot of sense, and suddenly they heard a thunderous cheer coming from the Americas.

Some spectators even took off their clothes and threw them into the air, shouting and yelling like war drums, passionately chanting, "Thor! Thor!..."

Amidst the enthusiastic praise and adoration, some of Brian's male fans, who had learned language skills, taunted the audience in Middle-earth: "Trash, weaklings, you only deserve to kneel down and submit!"

"Beg for mercy now."

"You're going to get beaten up and cry in a bit."

The audience in the Central Continent region was furious and extremely frustrated, and they desperately wanted their own top-tier player to step forward and give the other regions a good slap in the face.

However, it seems that, like the previous trial instances, "Game House" has been copied into countless separately running instances. Players who do not use team-up items will be randomly assigned, and there is no connection between the copied instances, so they can't even see each other.

"It's just killing a monster, why are you so smug?"

They've even brought out steel pipes and bagpipes, is this a concert?!

I never noticed before that these foreigners love to be the center of attention, like strutting monkeys!

Someone muttered curses under their breath: "We're not without god-level players, you bunch of foreign devils, watch out or you'll get caught out!"

To be fair, this viewer was just venting their anger.

Unexpectedly, the next second, the expressions of the passionate audience from other continents changed drastically, and their smiles gradually froze.

They stared intently at the live stream screen as if they had seen something unbelievable, then suddenly covered their mouths, widened their eyes, turned pale, and gasped.

"Oh my god..."

Brian in the instance also suddenly froze.

Blood gushed from the gaping hole in his chest, dripping onto the ground from the thin, ghostly claws.

Snap, snap...

"...why?"

As Brian spoke, he spat out blood foam, then slowly turned his head in shock.

How could you possibly still be alive?

That was a strike imbued with divine power, capable of piercing tornadoes, evaporating the ocean, and shattering the Brooks Mountains.

The gaunt, smiling face of the thin, ghostly figure, when placed next to him, remained as sinister and eerie as ever, sending chills down one's spine.

The difference this time was that a chill and a coldness also spread through Brian's heart.

Brian's wildly trembling pupils gradually crushed his pride.

Countless black lines emanated from the thin, ghostly figure, piercing through Brian's body and pinning the screaming, muscular man to the ground.

At the same time, large swaths of shadow, like a tide, spread outwards from beneath the slender ghost, chasing after the other players who were fleeing in panic.

Live broadcast room.

"It's all over, it ...!!"

"X's system is messing around again! If this monster's stats are okay, I'll eat it—"

"Don't just stand there! Those of you with enough money, hurry up and give them a tip! No matter what, let's figure out a way to escape first!"

"What's the point of giving rewards? Didn't you see that even god-level players have given up?! Can those items sold in the store compare to the power of a god?"

Negative comments popped up again: "Hahahaha! I already said there's no hope, just go to sleep."

Someone replied: "Hey upstairs, if you keep spouting nonsense, believe me, I'll come down the internet cable and beat you up!"

The comments section was a complete mess.

What could they do as spectators? This trial, concerning all of humanity, was it really just a matter of watching helplessly? A monster that even god-level players couldn't kill—perhaps only a god could...

Wait a minute.

god?

Yes! Yes! God!

Some audience members, their faces flushed, reacted with excitement as if grasping at a last glimmer of hope: "Xie Xubai! We can pray to Xie Xubai! Didn't He say that when we're at our wits' end, we can call upon His name?!"

Others who thought of this also felt the same excitement.

Some people hesitated, asking, "Will calling Xie Xubai's name really work?"

“Someone tried to call upon Him while training in the trial pool, but He never appeared…”

"Besides, we're just spectators. If anyone's going to make a call, it'll be the desperate players in the dungeon who're calling out, right?"

But now they have no other choice.

Hoping to try anything, they closed their eyes and prayed anxiously, making heartfelt requests.

To the astonishment of the audience from other continents, many audience members from the Central Continent suddenly fell silent, clasped their hands together, trembled their eyelashes, and muttered incantations.

They were horrified: "What, what are you doing?"

Is this some kind of cult ritual?

"Stop talking nonsense!" The audience from the Central Continent region had been too lazy to pay attention to them lately, but thinking that each additional person would increase the chances of success, they stared straight at them and said in a serious and cold voice, "If you want to save your god-level player, call His name with us."

Beside them, as Xie Xubai's name was called out again and again, a mysterious connection seemed to be formed, and the brows of some players from Zhongzhou gradually relaxed.

What does it feel like to be watched over by God? It's amazing; they can't describe it in words.

All I know is that when that gentle gaze falls softly upon me from across the vast distance, I feel as if I am being bathed in warm sunlight.

They seemed to have returned to infancy, curled up in their mother's warm amniotic fluid, feeling boundless peace, unable to hold back their tears, and an impulse uncontrollably welled up in their hearts.

I want to call upon Him forever, to be watched over by Him tenderly forever.

Xie Xubai.

Xie Xubai...

*

Lines representing the power of faith floated around Xie Xubai's hand, like a star-studded Milky Way. Some were lighter in color, while others were pure gold. There were hundreds of them, constantly conveying the devout and sincere calls of the audience.

Xie Xubai freed one hand and placed it on these lines, his fingertips gathering spiritual energy to soothe their restless minds.

Given the cloaked man's temperament, seeing Xie Xubai's considerate behavior, which resembled taking care of a kindergarten child, he would have ridiculed him to some extent.

But right now, they don't have time to worry about that.

It wasn't even as good as the "fireworks" that Yin Yang Brian set off.

Because all of his attention was focused on Xie Xubai's other hand, his pupils suddenly dilated and remained motionless for more than ten minutes.

Suddenly, he burst out laughing, as if he had seen something extremely absurd and ridiculous, yet it had truly shocked him. His hoarse, rough voice said, word by word, "Should I say that you are indeed worthy of being called Xie Xubai? Thank you, Great Sage."

Xie Xubai remained silent.

The talkative cloaked figure, unusually, didn't chatter on and on with his usual rapid-fire mouth.

They paused for half a second, then slowly asked, "Do you know what you're doing?"

"Do you know that the spiritual body is equivalent to a part of the soul? Do you know what the consequences are for someone who hasn't become a god if they lose their spiritual body?"

The cloaked man's eyes darkened further, as if he were speaking through gritted teeth, his voice firm and resolute: "When you took advantage of my inattention to split off a part of your spiritual body to make chess pieces, did you ever imagine it would be this painful?"

Xie Xubai remained silent.

He casually touched the faith line with his left hand, soothing the uneasy audience.

His right hand was outstretched, palm facing upward, and his split spiritual body was forcibly compressed inch by inch until it condensed into a jade-white chess piece.

The white pieces radiate a surging yet gentle golden halo, round and beautiful, small and exquisite, like works of art created by a master craftsman with painstaking effort, perfectly complementing the hand with its distinct joints and sculpted ice and snow.

The image looks sacred, harmless, and pleasing to the eye.

But for Xie Xubai, it was no less than a brush with death.

Splitting a spiritual body and condensing a spiritual body clone are different; they are like a rope, where the latter involves tying a knot in the rope, while the former involves cutting the rope short.

This is why Xie Xubai seemed somewhat silent just now; he was afraid that the cloaked man would notice something amiss.

Now that the pieces are in place, Xie Xubai can finally relax.

His slightly trembling fingertips touched the gold-rimmed glasses, dispelling his disguise and revealing his true state.

The pain of a split soul would be excruciating for most people, causing them to faint.

Xie Xubai was kept awake purely by willpower, but he was in no good condition.

His face was ashen, his lips were bloodless, his chest barely rose and fell, and his breathing was as light as the wind.

Large beads of cold sweat condensed into a stream, sliding down Xie Xubai's forehead and landing heavily on his thick eyelashes, casting a deep shadow.

He weakly trembled his eyelashes, and with a soft pat, glistening beads of sweat dripped onto the chessboard, bursting into tiny water droplets.

Xie Xubai in this way evokes the image of a refined and elegant gentleman from ancient times, suffering from a serious illness. Though his beauty is stunning, it is fleeting, full of brokenness, like a priceless piece of glass, making one want to hold it in their hands and play with it carefully.

But then there was a loud cracking sound.

The sound of the white pieces landing on the board was like a clear spring striking a stone, a crisp and clear sound.

The cloaked figure suddenly snapped out of his daze.

Xie Xubai took a deep breath, using it to regain some of his strength.

His thin, bloodless lips parted slightly, his voice was weak, and his attitude was cold and unquestionable.

"Neither of us can kill the other right now. Stop your pieces and then retreat."

There are many kinds of chess, but the cloaked man said this was Go.

Go, as the name suggests, is a game where you win by surrounding your opponent's pieces with your own.

If one piece cannot surround another, there is no point in continuing this stalemate.

"You're ordering me to retreat? Have you forgotten I have plenty of pieces?" The cloaked figure almost laughed in anger, conjuring a handful of black chess pieces from thin air. "Now it's my turn to make a move, but where are you going to get a second piece? You're making such a fuss over just one piece? You—"

She admitted that she had the idea of ​​forcing Xie Xubai to turn corpses into chess pieces like her, but she did not expect the other party to be so resolute.

It was due to their oversight and miscalculation.

But where did Xie Xubai, a novice who was just starting out and practicing chess for the first time, get the confidence to compete with him?

Xie Xubai glanced at him indifferently, and then, with a flick of his sleeve, a round white chess piece floated out.

He said softly, "Who said I only condensed one?"

In response to his words, another white chess piece slowly floated out from his sleeve.

Xie Xubai looked up: "Want to guess how many there are?"

The cloaked figure stared at Xie Xubai's sleeve, which contained an unreadable number of chess pieces, as if he had seen a ghost.

That indifferent expression was like a slap, striking their face hard and painfully.

A fleeting twist of disbelief crossed the cloaked figure's face, as if he were utterly bewildered: "How could you?"

Xie Xubai: "Anyway, it's going to hurt, so let's just get it over with all at once, clean and quick."

He looked into the cloaked man's eyes, his demeanor calm and composed, and said unhurriedly, "If you want to finish your moves in one go, I'll play along. I'm also curious about my current fighting strength, and how much of a chance I have compared to your pieces."

In this world, probably no one else can so calmly and confidently say "You will definitely lose" from "We don't know who will win or lose" like Xie Xubai.

That's far too arrogant!

The cloaked man was furious, but before he could ask a question, Xie Xubai, as if he had expected it, interrupted him.

There's no need to yell, no need to raise your voice in anger, no need to show off your abilities like a roc spreading its wings.

All you need to do is remain calm and composed, and say something understated.

"Let's make our move."

That aura emanating from within was enough to scare away all arrogance.

—It's pointless to say more; the outcome will be decided by the moves.

Cloaked Man: "..."

The chess pieces he carefully selected and collected are undoubtedly very powerful.

But honestly, he wasn't entirely confident about fighting Xie Xubai.

Slender Man was able to escape unscathed from Brian's attacks because of the rules, but the pieces created by Xie Xubai's split spirit were not subject to such restrictions.

Xie Xubai was right about one thing: the person who loses ten pieces first will lose.

Therefore, the cloaked man will not make a move easily.

It's theoretically possible to not make a move and let the black and white pieces remain locked in a stalemate, since neither side can defeat the other.

But Xie Xubai, though seemingly gentle, is actually ruthless.

A human being with a perseverance that even evil gods find astonishing and inferior to.

You can fight someone like that until the end of time, and then find a way to destroy them both.

The cloaked figure couldn't help but carefully observe Xie Xubai's expression.

How could a human being, such a agonizing thing as splitting one's soul, possibly be indifferent to it?

She looked at Xie Xubai's face, still covered in cold sweat, and at his fingertips trembling uncontrollably from the pain.

Looking into Xie Xubai's eyes, they shone brightly, even as he endured unimaginable pain.

It is a willpower that remains as hard as a rock even if one is shattered to pieces and one's flesh is scattered.

It is an indomitable spirit that runs through the soul.

The cloaked figure was momentarily speechless, then gave a forced smile and said, "Alright, the game is more interesting when it's played slowly."

At the same time, her eyelashes trembled almost imperceptibly and drooped down slightly.

It seemed as if they were avoiding each other's sharpest attacks, or as if they were willingly admitting defeat.

*

Driven to despair by the shadow cast by Slender Man, the players are plunged into hopelessness once again.

But just then, the menacing shadow receded like a tide and disappeared without warning!

They've really disappeared! They're not seeing things!

Players are unsure if it's the system's twisted sense of humor, such as having Slender Man suddenly appear just when they're feeling hopeful, leaving them utterly devastated.

They waited warily in place for a while, until they saw wisps of golden lines appear out of nowhere, outlining a slender and elegant human figure in mid-air.

The aura it exudes is sacred, solemn, and inviolable.

Viewers from other continents thought the viewers from Central Continent were crazy.

After a clear face was outlined by golden lines, the silent Central Continent audience seats suddenly erupted into a deafening roar.

The scene was so grand that it seemed capable of uprooting the entire live broadcast hall. Everyone was shouting at the top of their lungs, their faces flushed, and some even cried with excitement!

This phenomenon is also contagious.

When viewers from other sections of the live broadcast room came over to ask what was going on, unsurprisingly, they joined the cheering crowd in less than ten seconds, shouting excitedly along with everyone else!

"Xie Xubai!! It's Xie Xubai!!!"

"My idol! My husband! My god!!"

"He really came to our rescue!!!"

Foreign viewers felt they had been quite arrogant and crazy just now, but compared to these viewers from the Middle Kingdom... God, have they really gone mad?

Who exactly is Xie Xubai?

Inside the instance.

Facing the excited and admiring gazes of all the players in the Central Continent region, Xie Xubai, who had been expressionless, suddenly smiled gently and warmly.

That smile was so exquisite, so beautiful, that even heaven and earth would pale in comparison.

The players in the Central Continent region and the viewers outside the live stream, who were like mad rabbits, all gasped for breath, clutching their pounding hearts, their blood rushing through their veins, and in a daze, they thought that it would be worth dying for them now.

Then they saw Xie Xubai walk towards Brian.

Brian was tormented and wounded by Slender Man. When he suddenly saw an unidentified person approaching him, his first reaction was to attack.

Thunderbolts shot out like sharp arrows, striking Xie Xubai.

Captain Xu, the bespectacled man, was practically going crazy. He had never been so angry before—that idiot Brian dared to attack their god! Did he have a death wish?!

Captain Xu rushed out to block the attack for Xie Xubai, but a golden light blocked his way.

Then everyone saw that the lightning seemed to be blocked by an invisible barrier, failing to touch Xie Xubai's clothes, just like ice and snow melting into the air.

Just like the cloaked man's mocking remark.

"When have you ever seen a chess piece killed by the chessboard?"

Xie Xubai entered the game himself, becoming a chess piece. Apart from the cloaked man's black pieces, no attack from anyone in this chessboard world could affect him.

But the players were unaware of this.

All they saw was Xie Xubai walking forward naturally, as if strolling leisurely, doing nothing, and with just a calm glance, he neutralized the attack of the god-level player.

Brian was on the verge of despair.

He had never felt such frustration since he made a pact with the gods.

"Who are you? What do you want?!" Seeing Xie Xubai approaching step by step, Brian, like a lion cornered and driven to desperation, shouted fiercely, his trembling hands betraying his inner turmoil as he gripped the ground tightly. "You want to kill me?!"

Not only Brian had this misunderstanding, but Captain Xu also felt that Brian was too arrogant, and Xie Xubai was preparing to teach him a lesson.

He had no objections, was very pleased, felt triumphant, and was happy to see it happen.

I just wanted to tell the other person something, and I had a feeling that this matter couldn't be hidden.

"Thank you... sir!" Feeling that calling someone by their first name was disrespectful to God, Captain Xu addressed him as "sir."

Xie Xubai turned his head upon hearing this.

Captain Xu paused for a moment, then stated truthfully, "Brian isn't actually a bad person. When that monster attacked us, it was Brian who shook everyone away, saving many people from harm. His teammates also used their items to protect us."

Just before, Brian used lightning to crush Slender Man into ashes for the first time, and the players around him were blown away. Captain Xu thought those people had been caught in the blast and died.

Unexpectedly, the members of the third squad quickly arrived at the players who had been thrown into the air and found that, at worst, they had only suffered minor cuts and lacerations from the lightning strikes, which could be healed in no time with healing items.

The power that could blast even Slender Man into dust could not possibly cause such superficial injuries.

There is only one conclusion—Bryan controlled the power and pushed away the players who were about to be completely turned into puppets.

Furthermore, the black teenager didn't actually need to specifically remind Brian to run before he summoned the thunderstorm, but he did remind him anyway.

Afterwards, the boy and his teammates used props to fill in the barrier and help everyone resist the lightning strike. Their hypocritical actions were truly unexpected.

Captain Xu wasn't pleading for this group; he hadn't forgotten how Brian had bullied them and forced them to sign a suicide pact.

However, the entire Peak team had focused on understanding Xie Xubai, and Captain Xu felt that this gentle and kind deity valued people's character.

God-level players are rare and a powerful asset. Instead of killing them, why not recruit them? If they harbor disloyalty, it's not too late to kill them later.

Xie Xubai knew about the things Captain Xu mentioned.

If Xie Xubai hadn't known that Brian was merely stubborn and self-willed, rather than disregarding human life, he would have dealt with this black sheep who was sharpening his knives and ready to attack his fellow humans the moment he appeared.

Even if Brian is a god-level player, killing him would provoke hatred from European and American players.

"Did you hear that, Brian?"

Xie Xubai glanced indifferently at the burly man with light blond hair: "If it weren't for the pleas of the 'weak' you speak of, you would already be dead."

He doesn't need translation skills; his words will automatically be translated into a meaning that the other person can understand.

Less than half a second later, Brian remembered the words he had spoken to Captain Xu from his superior position: "It is common sense that the weak should obey the strong."

He glared angrily at Xie Xubai.

Xie Xubai has a typical Eastern appearance, as beautiful as the stars and as handsome as the moon. His demeanor perfectly matches the words in "Admonition to My Son": "Without tranquility, one cannot achieve far-reaching goals; without detachment, one cannot clarify one's ambitions."

Just like the gentleman in the Chinese textbook walks up to you with a calm and collected demeanor, players in the Central Continent region are easily captivated at first sight and instantly turn into screaming chickens.

However, this kind of appearance does not actually conform to the aesthetic standards of foreigners.

They generally believe that men should be strong and rugged, with muscles all over their bodies and deep, three-dimensional facial features.

Xie Xubai, on the other hand, had a small face and a thin frame, looking like a weakling.

But when Brian saw Xie Xubai effortlessly deflect his attack as if brushing away dust, and Xie Xubai's calm eyes looking down at him from above, he couldn't help but panic and lower his head, having the thought of backing down.

Xie Xubai didn't want Brian to die, but he also didn't want him to ruin things.

It's impossible to expect god-level players and ordinary players to talk about human rights; their power to look down on gods has already made them forget themselves.

Looking across this entire training ground, perhaps only I can tame this arrogant lion.

Therefore, Xie Xubai reached out and hooked Brian's chin, forcing him to look up and stare directly into his eyes, his gaze still indifferent.

"You believe that the weak should submit to the strong, right?"

Brian, who hadn't been treated so rudely in a long time, frowned, his eyebrows furrowing as if he was about to explode.

But perhaps the injuries were too severe; the Slender Man's blow had almost severed half of his heart. Or perhaps his pride had been shattered beyond repair today.

Under Xie Xubai's unwavering gaze, Brian gritted his teeth and uttered a single word in a disheveled manner: "...Yes."

Xie Xubai: "Then who do you think is the weaker one and who is the stronger one between you and me?"

"..." As if he had been insulted by being stepped on, Brian's cheeks flushed red, the veins on his temples bulged, and his teeth trembled.

“Tell me, who is he?” Xie Xubai pinched his chin, his cold white fingertips sliding down to lightly touch Brian’s throat, asking in a light, teasing tone, “Hmm? Brian.”

"...!!"

Brian jolted as his vital area was touched, his breathing quickening.

At the same time, his heart rate increased to the point that he felt dizzy.

He felt a sense of oppression from Xie Xubai, like that of a gaunt, ghostly figure. It seemed that if he didn't answer, Xie Xubai would make him suffer again.

This conjecture, like the force with which Xie Xubai gripped his chin and that mocking gaze, burned like a raging fire against Brian's pride.

Finally, at some point, he couldn't hold on any longer. The burly, blond man abruptly closed his eyes, throwing caution to the wind, and roared like a stray dog, "You are strong!"

"Good boy." Xie Xubai remained expressionless, a halo of light gathering at his fingertips, transforming into a collar around Brian's neck—only this kind of restraint that controls vital parts can teach an unruly lion to restrain itself.

This action completely shocked Brian, who was so ashamed and furious he was about to explode: "You!!"

Meeting Brian's wide eyes, Xie Xubai casually lowered his eyelashes. With just one glance, Brian swallowed all the words he was about to say.

He smiled gently: "Always remember to obey me."

Ignoring the blond mercenary whose face alternated between pale and flushed, Xie Xubai turned around, looked elegantly at all the players present, and announced with a smile.

"Hello everyone, it's a pleasure to meet you all. I am Xie Xubai, the NPC who will guide you through this trial instance."

Author's Note:

I'm so exhausted from writing this, I'm practically collapsing QAQ This is basically a combined update from yesterday and today.

To celebrate Yuncheng's return to 9am-a-day celebrations after a long hiatus, we're giving away 66 small red envelopes in the comments section. First come, first served! Love you all!