Shen Luo was somewhat surprised when Jiang Lin suddenly appeared in the game level.
Previously, they had speculated that the ghost building was composed of individual rooms and games. Breaking through the game's barrier might lead to entering another game or directly leaving the ghost building.
Jiang Lin… had he already found a way to break through the game's barrier?
Before Shen Luo could ponder further, the boss in the distance, a strange creature made of mosaics, suddenly attacked. It produced a mosaic machine gun and unleashed a barrage of fire towards Jiang Lin.
Shen Luo waved his hand, casting a sealing spell to temporarily disable the mosaic gun. He turned back, intending to ask Jiang Lin what was happening.
Then he heard a "Thanks," and Jiang Lin vanished.
"???"
…
The point that Shen Luo found strange was also the point that the ghost building found strange. The two powers within this person, when separated, could be dealt with. Why, when combined, did they possess such overbearing strength? They could actually break the 'rules' of the ghost building. Was that power akin to the laws of heaven and earth?
Even so, with just the little power he possessed, he couldn't overturn the ghost building.
However, leaving such a major virus to roam freely within the building was not a good thing. The core of the ghost building soon made its decision.
Thus, changes began to occur within the building.
Around Jiang Lin, countless passages and floors started to shift. The energy patterns (game levels) were also rearranged. It was like a living labyrinth.
Was it preparing to annihilate him in one go, or trying to drive him out? Jiang Lin's mind raced with possibilities. However, the greater the changes in the ghost building, the closer he was to its core.
Jiang Lin's gaze, maintained through the perspective of 'Number One,' intently followed the changes in the energy channels and the flow of energy within them.
—What shape would this energy form, and where was the excess energy flowing from?
Starting from these two points, Jiang Lin quickly discovered the opponent's objective: they intended to isolate him and cast him out alone!
He moved, flying out through a gap before the surrounding energy channels could form a closed loop. Then, he followed the thickest stream of energy back to its source, heading straight for the core.
This action caused the energy channels that had formed a encirclement around him to momentarily freeze.
—How did this guy figure it out so quickly? The core was perplexed.
Simultaneously, a sense of crisis arose. If he were allowed to remain, he might cause greater damage to the ghost building in the future. It would be better to eliminate him now, while the strange energy within him was limited…
…
After enduring a siege, Jiang Lin suddenly found that the pursuit from behind had ceased, the surrounding energy was no longer restless, and everything had returned to its original state. The path ahead of him was smoother than ever before.
Gradually, the passage grew darker. This darkness was not due to the sky or light intensity, but because the surrounding energy was gradually turning into pure black. Occasionally, lines of pure black energy would fly in from elsewhere.
Jiang Lin had a guess. As expected, after a short while, the surrounding passages were completely filled with pure black energy.
After proceeding a bit further, Jiang Lin suddenly stopped. It was then that he understood why the voice within the benevolent light cluster had said it was only a small part of the core. Even capturing it would be useless.
This black energy sphere before him was at least ten times larger than the light cluster. The energy overflowing from its surface was filled with pure malice. Jiang Lin felt his mind becoming agitated just by looking at it from a distance, and unpleasant memories flashed through his mind.
"Is this the core of ultimate evil?"
Jiang Lin moved a little closer, observing his surroundings. The benevolent light cluster had gently obstructed his approach all along. But this black energy sphere gave Jiang Lin the illusion of being invited inside.
Just as Jiang Lin thought this, a gap suddenly opened on the black energy sphere, facing Jiang Lin. A voice filled with malice echoed from within, full of provocation:
"You want to subdue me? I'll give you that chance."
Jiang Lin abruptly looked behind him; the entrance he had used had disappeared.
At the same time, streams of black energy began to pour out from the opening on the black sphere, emanating pure evil.
Jiang Lin raised his hand, deploying a defensive shield. However, that pure evil easily corroded the energy shield and surged towards Jiang Lin.
Jiang Lin's pupils contracted as he quickly threw out various defensive shields and ghost artifacts. However, no matter what he used, it could only delay the onslaught for a moment before being quickly corroded.
"The proliferation of malice cannot be intercepted," the voice from within the black sphere stated. "You cannot stop others' evil thoughts, nor can you stop others from doing evil. Evil can penetrate all phenomena. It exists within your heart as well."
As the words fell, a trace of pure malice pierced through the barrier Jiang Lin had thrown up and touched his palm. It instantly spread, attempting to burrow deeper, trying to draw out the evil within his heart.
Wherever the black malice passed, it left a black stain. Jiang Lin had no doubt that if the opponent were given more time, he would likely be assimilated.
No wonder… the Underworld was so wary of invasive species. Whenever they found a seedling, they would try their utmost to eradicate it. If it were truly allowed to develop, it would be a great catastrophe for Water Blue Star!
"Now I can confirm that you are the true control core of the ghost building."
"I'm very curious…" Jiang Lin continued to throw ghost artifacts outwards while mobilizing the gray energy within his body.
"What would happen if the ghost building lost the control of 'evil'?"
As he spoke, before the black sphere could react, Jiang Lin suddenly retreated a step, abandoning his defense. He drew out all the accumulated gray energy from these past days, transforming it into a three-meter-long great saber. With all his might, he swung it at the barrier diagonally behind the black sphere.
"Hmm? What are you…"
Amidst the black sphere's astonished voice, the great saber cut through the malice surging towards Jiang Lin and struck the ghost building's barrier. The collision of rule power against rule power generated airflow that made Jiang Lin's robe flutter.
*Crack.*
A faint crack appeared on the barrier.
Simultaneously, the malice that had just been cleaved apart surged towards the defenseless Jiang Lin even more ferociously. In an instant, it engulfed him.
On the other side, the crack made by the great saber, which had just spread to two fingers in length, was suppressed by the ghost building's power. It was also rapidly repairing itself. In less than a minute, it would be as good as new.
…
Fierce malice enveloped and eroded Jiang Lin from all directions… his head, hands, feet, torso… The malice step by step gnawed at him, entering his body. It invaded his thoughts, conjuring his most wicked ideas. It invaded his heart, corroding his conscience…
Memories from his life began to replay: the village shrouded in deathly energy during the natural disaster, his mother dying in bed at the end, the scene of the beggar old man being kicked… The details of his struggles in the ghost market before becoming a ghost messenger… During his patrol as an intern ghost messenger, the ghosts he helped turned against him, luring him into a trap along with others… As a formal ghost messenger, his cultivation was lowered by human-set restrictions while escorting souls…
Almost all of Jiang Lin's unlucky and unfortunate memories were brought to the surface. But just as the malice was about to erode his conscience and unleash the wickedness in his heart… a light suddenly emerged from his heart.
…