The moment the Spirit of Pride appeared, an invisible spiritual ripple swept across the entire field.
It wasn't a sound wave, nor was it a magic power shock.
Instead, it was a more insidious, more indefensible force.
It seeped directly into the soul, precisely prying at the deepest self-perception in everyone's heart.
In an instant, Lin Qingyue and her three companions simultaneously felt an inexplicable surge of irritability and conceit, growing wildly from the depths of their souls.
Lin Xiyue's mind buzzed as a thought popped out uncontrollably:
"What is this pile of black smoke in front of me? Just a collection of trash!"
"I, the Paladin, am the number one under heaven! Watch me corner it alone and rub it into the ground! The rest of you, just spam 666!"
This thought felt so utterly natural.
She subconsciously lowered her center of gravity, the muscles in her left arm bulged, and she leaned forward slightly with Blackstone's Protection, assuming an extremely aggressive charging posture.
The rhythm of the Holy Light flowing around her body became fierce. The formation, which had been tightly coordinated with her sister, was torn open by her unconscious step forward.
She was clearly ready to charge and crush the enemy lines alone, carrying the team as the "One God and Three Noobs."
The same was happening with Su Wan.
She glanced at Lin Xiyue's plain and simple shield block, and a flicker of contempt actually arose in her heart.
"Physical defense?"
"How primitive, how inefficient!"
"This little Knight should just stay behind me obediently and become my captive wife!"
"My ice art, capable of freezing all creation, is the only truth that can end this battle!"
The frost on her fingertips suddenly sharpened, and she began to weave an extensive Frost Magic Circle.
A powerful urge surged in her heart, and she wanted to chant a "Winter Solo Dance," turning the entire courtyard into her ice sculpture art gallery.
She completely ignored the fact that the "audience" for this art included her teammates, who were about to be swept into it.
After Xia Lian's strike missed, the aloofness of a lone wolf was instantly ignited in her heart.
"Su Wan's spells are flashy but impractical."
"Lin Xiyue's defense is clumsy and slow."
"Only I, only I with my ghostly movements and poisoned daggers, can find the monster's core, deliver the highest critical strike in the coolest pose, and win the MVP of the entire field!"
Her stealthing figure silently deviated from the golden route that could have formed crossfire with her teammates, preparing to perform a stunning individual play that would dazzle the entire field.
And as the Captain, Lin Qingyue, who was being specially targeted by the opponent, was even more heavily influenced.
There was no "I am the strongest" in her head.
Instead, she was instantly overwhelmed by a tidal wave of a desire to perform!
This won't do. This opening is too bland. It doesn't befit my "Cheater" identity at all!
I should pull out the Zhongli Trial Card first, cast Planet Befall, and the BGM must be "Rex Incognito." For my entrance line, I'll use "Though I have no desire to contend for the throne, I know the suffering of the common people"!
Then I'll dodge all attacks in slow motion, pull out Barbara's AK, and dance as I fire off a seven-colored rainbow of bullets!
Finally, under the admiring gazes of my teammates, I'll use a Sunlight Spear to trigger a nuclear explosion effect, strike a pose against the backdrop of the mushroom cloud, and push up a pair of nonexistent sunglasses with one hand...
This, this is the treatment a protagonist deserves!
An urge to start playing around immediately, turning the battlefield into a personal music video set, almost made her start breakdancing on the spot.
The once flawless combat formation, under the erosion of this invisible force, developed a fatal sluggishness and disconnection!
Everyone felt they were the core of the team, and that their own fighting style was the optimal solution.
The teammates' actions, conversely, became cumbersome hindrances.
Coordination was disintegrating.
The team was on the verge of collapse.
The Plastic Sisters Squad looked ready to disband on the spot and go their separate ways.
This was the power of the Original Sin "Pride."
It did not cause direct damage, yet it could dismantle the strongest barriers from within, turning the closest comrades into a rabble fighting individually.
On the blurred face of the Spirit of Pride, an extremely pleased and twisted curve appeared.
It savored all of this, savoring the way the pathetic, fragile self-esteem of mortals swelled and burst under its power.
However, just as Lin Xiyue was about to charge, Su Wan was about to chant, Xia Lian was almost out of the range of her teammates' support, and Lin Qingyue was about to pull out a speaker...
A fiery warm current exploded thunderously in the depths of their souls!
That was the Blessing from Feng Yan, the purest divine power bestowed upon them by the God after Nirvana!
Blessing of the Vermilion Bird!
A high-pitched and clear phoenix cry exploded directly within their Spiritual Sea of Consciousness!
The head-swelling arrogance and irritability, like snow meeting the scorching sun, were instantly purified and dispelled.
The 20% resistance to the "Punishment of the Seven Sins" rule played a crucial role at this moment, acting like a stabilizing anchor!
It was like a bucket of ice water poured over their heads, jolting Lin Xiyue and the other two awake!
"What was I thinking just now?"
Lin Xiyue's heart tightened, and cold sweat instantly broke out on her forehead.
She immediately realized how dangerous her thought of "I am the greatest in the world" had been; that wasn't her own thought at all!
The ice spike that was about to form at Su Wan's fingertips suddenly dissipated. Her eyes, which had been somewhat disdainful of her teammates, instantly regained their clarity and gravity, and her pretty face flushed slightly.
"It's Mental Pollution! This thing can amplify our negative emotions!"
Xia Lian's figure also re-emerged from the shadows, maintaining a distance from her teammates that allowed for immediate support, her face showing a hint of lingering fear.
After just one encounter, they had almost brought about their own destruction due to the pride within their hearts!
This was the terrifying nature of the Seven Deadly Sins Rules.
It wasn't a sword or a blade, yet it was more harmful than any.
Only Lin Qingyue, upon regaining her senses, did not show lingering fear on her face, but instead wore an expression mixed with relief and a strange sense of regret.
Hiss... That was close, I almost fell for it.
A flash of relief quickly crossed her mind.
Immediately after, a strong sense of regret surged within her.
Tsk, but that entrance scheme just now was actually pretty good. It's a shame it was an enemy debuff, otherwise I'd have to pull one out... Note it down, I can use it next time I fight a BOSS.
Complaints aside, she immediately realized the horror of this invisible Mental Pollution.
This was more capable of dismantling a team than any physical attack.
"Tighten the formation! Don't let it dictate the pace! Watch out for mental attacks!"
Lin Qingyue shouted, her voice infused with Mental Energy, sounding like an alarm bell that completely pulled her teammates back from the brink of a social death caused by their own self-inflation.
Hearing her voice, the three of them immediately closed in on Lin Qingyue without any hesitation, reforming the most stable diamond-shaped defensive formation.
Lin Xiyue was in front, Su Wan in the back, Xia Lian roamed the flank, and Lin Qingyue stayed in the center to coordinate.
The rift created by "Pride" was instantly healed under the God's Blessing and the Captain's command.
"Oh?"
Seeing this, the overlapping voices of the Spirit of Pride revealed a hint of surprise, but more so, an even denser sarcasm.
"To think you could actually resist my 'Law'. It seems you are still stained with some other scent."
"But, it is useless."
"The way the weak huddle together for warmth to conceal their incompetence is, in my eyes, even more pitiful."
Its will swept over Lin Xiyue.
"That Paladin, weren't you still thinking of fighting alone and making your teammates cheer '666' for you?"
It then turned to Su Wan.
"That Mage, don't you still think your teammates' fighting style is primitive and inefficient, and want to turn this place into your own art exhibition?"
Finally, it was Xia Lian.
"And you, that Ranger, weren't you just preparing to abandon your companions and stage a play as a lone hero?"
Its will finally locked onto Lin Qingyue, carrying a thick sense of mockery.
"As for you... an actor who only thinks of taking a final bow in the most magnificent posture. Look, this is your fragile connection; with just a gentle breath from me, it will fall apart immediately!"
The vicious words echoed in the minds of the four.
However, not only did Lin Qingyue not get angry, but the corners of her mouth actually curved into a faint smile.
She lifted her eyes, her pink pupils clear and transparent, with a hint of playfulness as if she could see through everything.
"Oh? Peeking into other people's thoughts, yet you speak so loudly about it."
Lin Qingyue tilted her head, her smile growing even brighter, but her tone turned ice cold.
"This kind of behavior, where we come from, is called being a pervert."