Chapter 527

Chapter 527: Chapter 524: "Today is the happiest day of my life."Su Ming’an, you are not yet a Bai Shen, so I will not give up everything for you." Fengchang raised his head, "Have you come here now to agree to kill the source of the disaster—Cici?"

"You already know the truth about the Jiu Shen, and you know that killing her will not solve any problems—even so, you have not changed your mind about killing her?" Su Ming’an said.

He turned sideways, revealing Xiber trailing black tentacles behind him, displaying her pair of eyes that almost exactly resembled Fengchang’s.

The drifting toxic rain sprinkled on her red robe, the delicately sewn robe was almost unable to withstand the invasion of the poisoned rain.

Her eyes, corroded by the toxic rain and trickling with some blood, were staring intently at Fengchang below, waiting for an answer.

—Brother, you already know, right? You know that Jiu Shen is the Righteous God, right!

—The disaster of Qiongdi originates from people’s faith. As long as there is faith, the curse will never end. The fault isn’t hers!

—Killing her won’t solve any problems!

She stared at him, gazing intensely at him.

This brother, who had long since diverged from her path, had finally come to know the complete truth.

Now, the gulf between them could perhaps be bridged.

...Don’t think of her as a heretic, don’t push the disaster onto her, don’t think about killing her, she truly did nothing wrong...

...The division of beliefs should not become a barrier preventing their reunification. This farce, created by growth and belief, should have been resolved long ago...

However, at the next moment, she heard his voice, still calm and steady.

"I still haven’t changed my mind, Jiu Shen must be the Evil God." Fengchang spoke evenly, "Su Ming’an, maintaining the status quo is the best situation for us..."

Hearing these words, Xiber let out a sound "Hah," and laughed.

Her laughter was brilliant and childish, like that of a child, ringing through the sky like silver bells, which clashed grotesquely with her face eroded by the toxic rain.

"...I am truly foolish." She laughed a few times, as if mocking herself: "Feng Qiqi, how optimistic must I have been about the outcome to believe that you would one day come to your senses."

Her tears abruptly streamed down her scalded cheeks.

Perhaps due to experiences from her childhood, in front of this person, she was always easily disarmed.

Even as a hedgehog wrapped in spikes all over, she had a soft side.

The mix of clear and bright red fluids scorched her pale face like a rotten tomato. Her appearance looked extremely ferocious, like a red-skinned demon from Hell, scaring the timid tribespeople into shivering.

As she was crying, suddenly, an egg was thrown from the crowd.

It hit the rain barrier above people’s heads, failing to break through. The egg fluid stayed on the barrier, like a burst of white fireworks.

"Crack." A faint sound of an eggshell cracking rose, and people seemed to be suddenly awakened, and they started cursing at Xiber.

"Heretic—get out!"

"Heretic—stay away from our esteemed Bai Shen! Don’t bewitch him!!!"

"Die!! Disgusting thing that believes in the Evil God, die! It’s all your fault that our life is so miserable!"

"Die—!!"

The tribespeople stood up straight, throwing lettuce leaves and eggs at the detestable heretic, as if they were insulting a pest.

Xiber watched this scene, gradually reining in her tears, her gaze becoming fainter and fainter.

The women’s curses were shrill, the elderly’s thick, pouring into her ears like ice water, invading her mind, making her hear every word clearly.

Standing high above, looking down at the crowd that reviled her, her state of mind was calmer than it had ever been.

What humans lacked the most was a spirit of unity. They always enjoyed segregating themselves, naturally repelling the "diseased" and the different.

Thus, she felt it was all in vain, all irreversible, as people rushed uncontrollably towards the unknown abyss. Just like in the culture of Qiongdi, filled with contrasts and comparisons, searching for kinship among the different, demanding standardization for the unique, not allowing for the existence of others.

Outsiders were adept at using certain things to create division, a fact well known by many. Foolishly, people always took the bait.

She had thought, by having Noel pose as the Sacrificial Saintess and reveal the message, it would awaken Fengchang to the truth.

Instead, he chose to perpetuate the lie, to sustain the faith by branding the Jiu Shen as an Evil God.

—The very ones who should have faced the truth chose to bury it.

"I should have known, should have expected you would do this..." she said.

She extended her hand, black tendrils spreading around her, blooming like a grotesque flower.

... She had originally thought that letting him know the truth would clear up their misunderstandings.

... But he already knew the truth and still chose to bury it, to forcefully pin her to a cross of shame.

"You really are a fitting good Clan Leader, Fengchang," she said, "...Too fitting."

"Swoosh!"

Several differently colored energies suddenly rose from the ground, shooting towards the sky in unison.

They pierced through the rain Barrier, like numerous piercing arrows, shooting straight at Xiber—

Su Ming’an immediately shielded her behind him, the energies that struck him were resisted and nullified by the elements of the Shadow State.

The clansfolk watched in shock, no one had anticipated that someone would attack Lord Bai Shen.

"—He is not Bai Shen, do not be deceived by him!" a man clad in golden armor stood up, by his side was the ninth-ranking ’Furioso’, a figure of great prestige in the First Tribe.

Next to the man, there were several players who also had Guides.

They knew this was their last chance. If they couldn’t stop Su Ming’an’s dominion over the clansfolk’s faith, they would never again have a chance to win. This was a war with only one victor, now or never.

"—Watch closely! He is an adventurer! An adventurer who has made a pact with the heretic Xiber! Clansfolk, don’t let anyone play with your faith!" Anthony, the gun player holding the purple-grade weapon ’Odin’s Eternal Spear’, who had infiltrated the First Tribe and secured a position as a Guest Elder, spoke convincingly.

Upon hearing his words, the clansfolk ceased their prayers, their eyes filled with doubt.

—How could Lord Bai Shen possibly align with a heretic?

—How could a Righteous God of light and justice walk alongside a believer of destruction and evil?

Xiber coldly watched them, wanting to retaliate immediately, but considering Su Ming’an next to her as Bai Shen, she held back.

... She couldn’t commit a slaughter, certainly not under the identity of a heretic, as that would only tarnish him further.

"Why don’t you fight back?" Su Ming’an said.

"I can’t..." Xiber muttered, biting her lip.

"You are the only believer of the Righteous God, the one most deserving of the gods’ love in Qiongdi. You needn’t worry about me." Su Ming’an said.

Looking at those players who had stepped forward to expose his identity, his eyes were cold.

"—I am the successor of Bai Shen Laersas," he said. "Ignorant clansfolk—you still dare not face your faith."

"Don’t trust him! You all must have seen him; he was the adventurer who walked with the heretic Xiber at the Stone Fortress a few days ago! How could someone who consorts with evil possibly gain the favor of Bai Shen!" Anthony immediately exclaimed loudly.

At last, Su Ming’an’s gaze locked onto him.

Looking back at Su Ming’an, Anthony was not frightened. It was daylight, and as a Player, Su Ming’an could not attack him. It was the perfect opportunity to expose his identity.

"Yes, Su Ming’an... could never become a Bai Shen. He has made a pact with a heretic; Lord Bai Shen would never decree such a person as a successor," Mizushima Kawa Sora also spoke out.

She looked towards Dian Si with a pleading gaze, hoping to gain the support of this highly revered Qiongdi person, which would make their argument more persuasive.

Dian Si sighed but shook his head, indicating that he still recognized Su Ming’an’s identity.

Mizushima Kawa Sora immediately shifted her gaze to Fengchang on the platform. Given the current situation, he was the only one who could change the course of events.

"Everyone, listen to me, we cannot blindly trust an adventurer who has made a pact with a heretic..." Anthony stood out and looked at the confused Qiongdi tribesmen.

At that moment, Su Ming’an aimed at him and reached out his hand—

Suddenly, the air grew tense.

A powerful force of gravity suddenly pressed down on Anthony, and a red scale appeared above his head, his expression turning vacant.

"Bang!" "Bang!" Two loud noises echoed through the square as the Heart of Gravity’s Energy Suppression Skill forced Anthony to his knees.

"Wait..." Mizushima Kawa Sora sensed something was wrong.

During the day, Players could not attack other Players, right?

But now...?

"Snap!" A loud noise.

She stepped back, her face splattered hot with Anthony’s warm blood, her eyes violently trembling as she realized a horrifying possibility.

"20 points," said Su Ming’an.

He then moved his hand towards another Player, Zhong Xi.

Zhong Xi’s expression changed, and she immediately rolled into the crowd, attempting to use the tribesmen as human shields. But the "Judgment" Skill was a single-target lock. Her eyelids fluttered, and she fell into a stupor. The next moment, a bullet depleted her blood level.

"30 points," Su Ming’an put away his sniper rifle Wandering Night Walk.

His Occupation Skill had risen to level 30, but he had no time to check now.

His current sanity value was 30 points, still a dangerous value.

Upon seeing this, Sean, who was perched in a tree, immediately tried to flee. However, he hadn’t run far when his Light Armor was fiercely shattered by Spatial Vibration.

"40 points," continued Su Ming’an, counting.

Seeing Bai Shen begin to kill, the tribespeople panicked and scattered, causing the scene to become chaotic as countless figures hustled and bustled across the square. Only a few with steadfast faith remained kneeling, unflinching.

Xiber watched Su Ming’an murdering and began to laugh loudly.

Her laughter was intense, and her tendrils danced around her like living things, her white hair trembling as though dancing elegantly amidst filth like a butterfly.

"Right! Kill these people, kill Fengchang! Kill him! It doesn’t matter if he never comes to his senses!" she shouted, laughing. "Kill him! Take his authority, and we’ll have completed our ascent to godhood—no need to care about these people’s lives, no need at all!"

She looked at Fengchang, struggling embarrassingly to protect the Qiongdi people, watching his bright and shiny Sacrificial Robe stained with dust, feeling a subtle pleasure in her heart.

The black tendrils abruptly rose from behind her, mingling with Su Ming’an’s white tendrils. They smashed down from high above, jointly restricting Fengchang’s movements and cornering him into a dead end.

That filthy black and the sacred white combined, distinctly contrasting yet beautiful, looked extremely pretty in her eyes.

She pulled Su Ming’an, plunging towards the barrier below.

Su Ming’an watched, somewhat astonished, as Xiber suddenly burst into frenzied laughter, realizing her mental state seemed perpetually abnormal.

...Living in such an environment, under such scrutiny, how could she possibly be normal?

This world was too despairing, so despairing that it nearly suffocated him.

"Su Ming’an! Su Ming’an! — You are the best, the only one who understands me! You are the perfect partner I dreamed up!" She clutched his shoulders, and large patches of bright red blood stained his clothes.

"Bang!"

Her dark tendrils broke through the rain barrier, creating a large hole, and toxic rain poured down, drenching those tribe members she once loved.

For a moment, people’s wails rose from all around.

And she just watched this tragic scene and laughed heartily.

Like a tightly stretched string, suddenly snapped. Just as she had recovered from her frenzy, she plunged into madness once again.

Su Ming’an’s brow furrowed slightly.

Her black tendrils now tightly grasped him, refusing to let go, and although they were soft, they constricted him painfully.

"Xiber, calm down!" Su Ming’an expended 100 Emotion Value points to immediately erect a barrier, blocking the toxic rain.

This group of tribe members could not die, at least not by her hand.

She was now merely devastated by Fengchang’s response, temporarily unable to cope, and he needed to bring her back.

"Su Ming’an—Su Ming’an! I’m so happy! I’m so happy! I am the Brave! I must vindicate the ancient gods, I must kill the deceitful Dark Demon King!!" she laughed loudly, calling his name, her face wounds even more ghastly.

"—Fengchang dares to disrespect Lord Bai Shen and the Brave! I’ll kill him, overthrow the distorted faith of Qiongdi—I am the great hero who will save them—!"

She laughed, gradually running out of breath. The desire to kill completely took over her.

She had done so much, even unearthing long-buried truths, yet her brother still wanted to kill her for the "stability of faith," unwilling to help her correct the truth,

So,

it was better to just kill him, seize the Black Python Authority, and end that tiny bit of hope she had to save him.

The more she exerted herself, the more she clung to love and hope, the more this powerlessness fed her thoughts of destruction and death.

...They each lived in their own fates,

destined to be unable to save each other.

Looking at the sacrificial robe figure awkwardly struggling between the tendrils, she laughed, coughing up a mouthful of blood.

"Those who love the people die despised by them; the saviors are destroyed by despair." She said: "...How could I possibly succeed?"

She extended her hands, as if trying to touch the sky obscured by the firmament, envisioning the endless sea reflected in blue—

Blood appeared before her eyes,

the blood of the tribe members she wanted to save.

"Su Ming’an, thank you." She said with a blood-stained smile:

"...Today is the happiest day of my life."