This sudden halt came too abruptly, as though a person running with all his might had suddenly come to a standstill.
In a closeup, WindWithoutTrace's red eyes slowly restored to normal, but his eyes were dull and his breathing slowed. He asked, "Who...are you?"
Everyone was stunned upon hearing his sudden question.
Shi Xiaobai was stunned. Why did he suddenly ask for his name while they were having a nice battle?
Just as Shi Xiaobai was hesitant over answering truthfully, WindWithoutTrace's voice boomed once again.
"You say...This world is fake?"
WindWithoutTrace's voice sounded more and more astounded. So he wasn't asking God DogLeading? However, why did this question seem like he was conversing with someone. But from the way he looked, it did not appear like he was asking anyone around him.
What was wrong with WindWithoutTrace?
In the commentator stands, Biscuit suddenly felt his heart jump as he hurriedly shouted, "Bishop of Virtuality!?"
The moment Biscuit finished saying that, a black mist suddenly appeared around WindWithoutTrace. It sunk into WindWithoutTrace at an extremely fast speed as WindWithoutTrace's facial features instantly turned ferocious. He screamed out aloud but his roar came to an abrupt end half a second later.
WindWithoutTrace was completely engulfed by the black mist in a few seconds. The black mist suddenly solidified and transformed into a gigantic black cocoon.
Everyone was stunned by the sudden turn of events. In just a few seconds, WindWithoutTrace had been completely enveloped by the black mist that turned into a black cocoon. It was as though he had completely fallen into the darkness.
"Quick, use the virtual system to inform the other contestants. Tell them to shatter the black cocoon as fast as possible!"
Biscuit hurriedly turned his head and shouted to the staff not far from him. "What appeared isn't the Bishop of Virtuality, but the Bishop of Virtuality's dark virus. As long as the black cocoon is shattered, contestant WindWithoutTrace will be saved! Also, do not stop the match. Inform the branch where WindWithoutTrace is. Do not attempt to wake WindWithoutTrace from his virtual immersion, or everything will be over!"
"Hurry up and shatter the virus black cocoon, or WindWithoutTrace would be brainwashed into becoming a parishioner of the Church of Virtuality. He will become a heartless terrorist!"
Biscuit's rapid words and calm analysis caused the panicked crowd to gradually calm down. The staff did not dare delay any further and followed Biscuit’s instructions.
In a while, the system's voice resounded in the virtual world in a hurried tone.
"All players, please shatter the black virus cocoon as soon as possible. If not, contestant WindWithoutTrace would become a parishioner of the Church of Virtuality. This is not a drill, I repeat, this is not a drill. Neither is this part of the game. It is an emergency!"
"Please..."
The three-man team was appalled when they heard the system's voice. The Church of Virtuality was notorious, with it being one of the three international terrorist organizations. They had naturally heard of it. However, this was the first time they encountered the Bishop of Virtuality's brainwashing process. If they did not shatter the black cocoon, WindWithoutTrace would become a zombie parishioner of the Church of Virtuality!
Shi Xiaobai was also horrified. Although he did not know what the Church of Virtuality was, he could sense the exigency of the circumstances from the panic the three-man team felt and the way the system said it.
If WindWithoutTrace was to become a so-called parishioner of the Church of Virtuality, it seemed like it was because of him?
Shi Xiaobai was feeling a little too deep for tears. Why were people these days so glass-hearted? Why were they hurt at the slightest umbrage?
Shi Xiaobai knew he could no longer stand by the sidelines and appear indifferent.
However...
Shi Xiaobai looked up and saw the black cocoon. There was a golden sheen around the cocoon and appeared extremely hard.
Shi Xiaobai sighed. Expecting him who had no offensive techniques to shatter the black steel cocoon with his bare fists, This Subject can't do it!
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Chapter84 Holding Power
As Shi Xiaobai was weighing the possibility of his fists being able to shatter the steel-like black cocoon, the three-man team had begun taking action. Although they had never encountered the virus black cocoon before, they were acutely aware of the Church of Virtuality's infamy. The cult was filled with madmen who treated the human world as a virtual world. This group of madmen reduced life to cold numbers, represented killing as a daily quest used to level themselves up. As they were inhumane with no desires or fear, they had no weaknesses at all.
Compared to the other two terrorist organizations which had clear objectives and desires, the Church of Virtuality posed the greatest destructive threat to the human world. The parishioners who were brainwashed by the Bishop of Virtuality would follow every order. They would ignore all emotions and were collectively a group of controlled powerful zombies.
If WindWithoutTrace was completely brainwashed, what awaited him was just ice-cold death—being nipped in the bud by righteous organizations.
This had to be prohibited!
"Da Da Da..."
GunfireInTheWorld raised his machine gun and aimed at the black cocoon. He had few bullets left, but at this moment, he was not stingy with any of his bullets!
"Peng! Peng! Peng! ......”
Scalding hot bullets violently bombarded the shimmering steel cocoon's surface. As bullet after bullet pounded furiously on the unyielding darkness, the projectiles shattered and fell to the ground, giving off fiery sparks in the process. Black smoke began to billow as it lingered around the black cocoon.
Only when the last bullet was shot out and the lingering black smoke dissipated from the black cocoon's surface did people realize that the black cocoon's surface was as smooth as before despite GunfireInTheWorld’s intense shelling. There was not a single crack or depression!
"Fuck!"
GunfireInTheWorld cursed angrily under his breath as he threw his heavy-duty machine gun to the ground!
"Peng...Peng...Peng"
Despite GunfireInTheWorld having finished spraying his bullets, the sound of bullets striking the black cocoon's surface did not come to an end. ThatTenderOneShot's bullets were also working hard at it.
At this point in time, ThatTenderOneShot could no longer bother to hide his location. He jumped down from the tree and quickly closed the distance. Shot after shot, he aimed at the same target. The bullets that streaked out from his barrel hit the same spot on the black cocoon's surface under his precise control.
However, a despairing reality was starkly revealed. Not a single mark was left behind on the black cocoon's surface.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
To the side of the black cocoon, the harsh collision sounds of metal hitting metal constantly resonated.
DualBladesToTraverseTheWorld was waving both his arms as two sharp blades slashed down again and again at the bottomless and impenetrable darkness.
A rare tint of redness appeared in the usually calm DualBladesToTraverseTheWorld's eyes. His breathing became irregular as he constantly jumped, waving his arms and brandishing his blades. Despite repeating his untiring efforts, his blade failed to leave the slightest scratch on the black cocoon's surface!
"Peng!"
Suddenly, but completely within reason, the short blade in DualBladesToTraverseTheWorld's right hand broke!
DualBladesToTraverseTheWorld was surprised by this, but he clenching his teeth in determination, he abandoned his broken blade. As he held the remaining short blade with both hands, he angrily slashed at the black cocoon once again!
The competition was just a virtual game, but what WindWithoutTrace was facing was a tragedy of the cruelest reality. The three-man team had given u
p their obsession with victory, foregoing any conflicts they previously had with WindWithoutTrace. They wanted to save WindWithoutTrace!
Even though they lacked the strength to save him, they still persisted on. It was not to hypocritically proclaim that they had risked their lives to save a person, but to honestly tell everyone that they had done their best to stop this black cocoon, an impenetrable darkness and an incoming tragedy!
DualBladesToTraverseTheWorld angrily brandished his blade as he slashed at the black cocoon while ThatTenderOneShot continued cursing while constantly pulling the trigger.
Without a weapon, GunfireInTheWorld could only watch helplessly. Suddenly, he turned to look at Shi Xiaobai who stayed rooted in his spot. An irrepressible anger suddenly arose in him!
The lowly them were delivering their lowly efforts.
But the powerful him was just watching idly by the side?
"Why aren't you doing anything?"
GunfireInTheWorld angrily shouted in Shi Xiaobai's direction!
...
"Why...isn't contestant DogLeading doing a thing. If this keeps up..."
In the commentator stands, Sweets spoke before stopping mid-sentence. In fact, the audience in the viewing hall had already raised a ruckus. The three-man team's humble efforts and Shi Xiaobai's standing by the sidelines formed a stark contrast. It forced them to question Shi Xiaobai's inaction.
Biscuit sighed and said, "Have all of you forgotten? Contestant DogLeading is only at the third level of the Psionic Mortal Realm. He might have been abandoning his Psionic Ability cultivation in exchange for cultivating Crab Steps. His offensive strength might even be inferior to a normal person at the third level of the Psionic Mortal Realm. He is not doing a thing because he himself knows it would not amount to anything."
Sweets was stunned and figured it out too. A mighty figure that had cultivated Crab Steps to the Exemplary Mastery realm but remained only at the third level of the Psionic Mortal Realm was clearly an instance of attending to one thing and losing sight of the other. IChooseDogLeading's attacks were definitely inferior to his evasion. It was even very possible that it was not even up to mark, so it was impossible for him to shatter the virus black cocoon.
But, was everything doomed to despair?
Sweets could not help but ask, "If there is no way to shatter the virus black cocoon...what will happen to contestant WindWithoutTrace?"
Biscuit remained silent for a moment before he struggled to say, "If contestant WindWithoutTrace is completely brainwashed and becomes a parishioner of the Church of Virtuality, then the inquisitors will immediately isolate him, preventing any further deeper contact with the Bishop of Virtuality. He will be nipped in the bud or even..."
Once he was fully inculcated of those beliefs of the Church of Virtuality, he would become a murderous terrorist. Like a virus, he would be isolated by inquisitors to discipline and reform him, but most parishioners of the Church of Virtuality usually ended up being directly killed.
Sweets immediately found it hard to breathe. To watch a life, despite it being somewhat ugly on the inside and outside, walking towards the ends of darkness, one would naturally feel a sense of sadness for the loss of one's kind.
The audience in the viewing hall were all silent. Not long ago, they were still finding it surprising and amusing with WindWithoutTrace's absurd behavior. Now, they were all silently praying for WindWithoutTrace. People in this era faced all sorts of hidden dangers. Even while hiding in the virtual world, a true nightmare still existed. And this nightmare was a public enemy of humanity.
But at this moment, who could save WindWithoutTrace, shattering this hateful nightmare?
...
Nightmares could be shattered but the reality made the cruelty even more vivid.
GunfireInTheWorld found it impossible to understand why Shi Xiaobai was frozen still.
"Why aren't you doing anything?" GunfireInTheWorld angrily shouted at Shi Xiaobai, "Does the powerful you lack the slightest bit of compassion?"
"WindWithoutTrace might have a grudge with you, but is there a need to turn a blind eye?"
"Can you watch unfeelingly as WindWithoutTrace becomes a parishioner of the Church of Virtuality, becoming a crazy terrorist?"
"..."
The helpless often took it out on bystanders that did not lend a helping hand. From GunfireInTheWorld's point of view, Shi Xiaobai's act of standing idle was extremely despicable. It made him feel anger and shame.
Shi Xiaobai, who had been criticized, had his head down all this while. His eyebrows were knitted tightly, as though he was thinking of something, hesitating or even in a struggle.
Suddenly, as though he was moved by a sentence, Shi Xiaobai abruptly raised his head at GunfireInTheWorld.
GunfireInTheWorld was stunned as he swallowed the words that he was about to bellow out.
What...what sort of eyes were those?
Why...why did he have such a gaze?
Suddenly, a soft but firm voice resounded, waking GunfireInTheWorld up from his trance.
"This King will save him...before he becomes a terrorist."
After Shi Xiaobai said that, he turned to walk towards the black cocoon.
GunfireInTheWorld froze in his spot.
Those eyes...seemed to hide an emotion that caused trepidation in one's heart. It was hard to guess what the emotion was, and it was not something that could be empathized, but he could feel the upheaval the emotion in his eyes gave.
This guy...this guy that calls himself "This King"...was not simple.
As GunfireInTheWorld watched Shi Xiaobai's back, his expression softened.
The audience gradually turned silent as they noticed Shi Xiaobai approaching the black cocoon. Even though they understood that God DogLeading was a strange talent that specialized only in movement techniques after hearing Biscuit's analysis, it did not mean they could understand why he was sitting on his hands.
Even if God DogLeading was only at the third level of the Psionic Mortal Realm, they still yearned for a miracle to happen.
Maybe God DogLeading was able to save WindWithoutTrace, shattering this nightmare?
Under everyone's watchful gaze, Shi Xiaobai came to the side of the black cocoon where DualBladesToTraverseTheWorld was standing.
He looked at DualBladesToTraverseTheWorld and asked, "Your blade, can This King borrow it?"
DualBladesToTraverseTheWorld was stunned as he handed the short knife in his hand hesitantly.
As Shi Xiaobai took over the short knife, he fell into startled state momentarily before he took a deep breath.
"Even This King is afraid of himself when This King uses a knife."
As Shi Xiaobai held onto the knife's handle, it was as though he held a power that could destroy everything.
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Chapter85 That one Knife
The moment Shi Xiaobai held the knife's handle, it was as though he turned into another person. His pair of black eyes flickered with a strange glint. The way he held the knife made it appeared like he had held one countless times before, but he was just out of practice due to numerous years of disuse.
DualBladesToTraverseTheWorld was standing closest to him, so the feeling was impressed on him. As he watched the knife-wielding Shi Xiaobai in a daze, he felt as though there was an unseen edge that existed in Shi Xiaobai's body, but he also felt as though Shi Xiaobai's entire being had become an exposed blade that seemed blinding.
This was an expert, a peerless expert.
DualBladesToTraverseTheWorld felt mixed emotions amidst shock.
As the audience watched through the cold screen, they felt a fiery energy brewing around Shi Xiaobai. They could not help but hold their breaths, as they felt as though "this person and this knife was the only thing under the heavens".
As the cameras zoomed in, they gave Shi Xiaobai a close up. The audience was stunned because at this moment, Shi Xiaobai's ey
es were closed. He stood in front of the black cocoon motionless, as though he was preparing something.
The virus black cocoon had already appeared for several minutes by now. The Bishop of Virtuality's brainwashing speed varied depending on the person. Those with weaker wills and doubted reality deeply were easier brainwashed. It was unknown what state WindWithoutTrace was in at this moment.
Time waits for no man!
Everyone was anxious but they still maintained a uniform silence. The three-man team in the virtual world did not dare disturb Shi Xiaobai as well. Everyone was waiting, waiting for the strike from that knife.
That knife very likely decided WindWithoutTrace's fate.
As time passed, Shi Xiaobai's breathing suddenly came to a halt as he abruptly opened his eyes. Without a roar or any grandiose postures, he directly and simply attacked using the knife!
This strike was neither a slash, nor a cut, but a direct stab into the steel black cocoon!
This stab was as fast as lightning, like the violent grinding of flint-stones!
Everyone stared with their eyes widened. Stabbing the thick metallic black cocoon with a short knife was like pricking a hardened rock with a needle. The most likely result was the knife breaking!
What was the outcome of the stab?
The result exceeded all expectations. The knife did not stab a hole into the black cocoon, nor did the knife shatter. Neither did the short knife rebound.
The knife actually "submerged" into the black cocoon!
There was no sign of an impact at all. There was not even the sound of a collision. The moment the short knife stabbed at the black cocoon, it sank into the black cocoon instantly, as though it had stabbed into black liquid!
"What happened!?" Sweets exclaimed in surprise.
Biscuit shook his head with a wry smile. Despite his rich experience, he too was clueless.
There was not a single crack or dent appearing on the extremely hard metallic black cocoon’s surface despite the combined attacks from the three-man team; hence, it was evident how hard it was.
However, DogLeading's simple stab had penetrated deep into the cocoon like it had passed through water.
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