Eliminate Her

Jade Dog was not at all surprised by Lyu Xiaofeng's actions.

In fact, Jade Dog had already prepared a backup plan the moment Red Fox brought out the shield.

The instant the giant shield was cleaved apart by Lyu Xiaofeng's sword, a large, colored bubble enveloped Jade Dog and Red Fox.

Meanwhile, the shattered Taotie shield transformed into a streak of black light that lunged at Lyu Xiaofeng.

Lyu Xiaofeng didn't bother defending at all. He allowed the black Taotie to tear into him, charging toward Da Di without a care.

"Peach Blossom Spring?"

"I'm going to drag you out of that 'paradise' and straight back into the abyss!"

The power of the surrounding bomb intensified, the shockwaves sending them stumbling and swaying.

More lethally, the humanity within the bomb had begun to erode their divinity!

...

"Principal Han, you're still not going to act?"

Xia Yitiao looked at Principal Han with some surprise.

"Didn't you say it yourself? The more you do, the more you risk messing up. I'm already this old. Helping them kill an evil god was plenty. I can't be expected to solve everything for them, can I?"

Xia Yitiao chuckled upon hearing this.

"That kid Da Di is still in there. He's a simple, honest boy. Aren't you afraid something might happen to him?"

Principal Han rubbed his lower back and said, "What's there to worry about? That kid has more life-saving tricks on him than he has muscles. What is there to fear?"

"Hahaha!"

Xia Yitiao laughed heartily.

"That boy has been honest and righteous since he was a child. Your grandson used to bully him all day long, and Da Di would never hit back even when he took a beating."

"Later, I asked Da Di about it. Guess what he said?"

Hearing this, Principal Han laughed along.

"The boy said he didn't fight back because he couldn't control his own strength. He was afraid he'd accidentally kill your grandson, and then you'd give him extra summer homework."

"Hahaha!"

Xia Yitiao and Principal Han both burst into loud, cheerful laughter.

When people get old, they enjoy reminiscing about the past.

The two of them chatted and laughed in a harmonious atmosphere, forming a sharp contrast with the Demigods struggling for their lives inside the water curtain.

"Old Xia, are you really going to Central City after you retire?"

"Yeah. I'll take a look around and meet Rose to see what she actually looks like."

"If she's beautiful, I'll pursue her."

"If she looks like a lizard monster in human skin, I'll just buy a small house by the sea, do some fishing, and live out the rest of my days."

Principal Han smiled, pulled a business card from his pocket, and handed it to Xia Yitiao.

"Old Xia, we've been friends for decades. I know your personality very well."

"If you've made up your mind, I certainly can't stop you. This is my son's business card."

"If you ever need to leave Central City in a hurry, give him a call."

"If you really do want to buy a house by the sea one day, call him then too. He'll help you out."

Xia Yitiao tucked the card away with a grin.

"Old Han, you still don't trust me, do you?"

"Fine, I'll keep the card. When I get there, I'll find your boy and grab a drink with him. Don't you worry."

Principal Han gave him another deep look before turning his head away.

"Speaking of which, our Huangshan City is quite interesting."

"The City Lord is a prisoner locked in the Command Center. If he wants to go out for a meal, he has to apply a week in advance."

"The Security Bureau Chief is hailed as a Crime-Buster and should have had a brilliant future, yet he chooses to retire early."

"And finally, there's me, a mere principal..."

"Alright, alright. You're getting long-winded in your old age."

Xia Yitiao waved a hand and looked down at the Boil Mountain in his grip.

"I feel like something is wrong with Boil Mountain."

"Hmm? What's wrong?"

Xia Yitiao's expression turned serious.

"Just now, it started refusing to communicate with me. It won't even answer my questions."

Principal Han frowned upon hearing this. After a moment of thought, he asked, "Did you feed it divinity?"

"Of course. How could I forget something like that? It's not the first time I've used it."

"How long have you been using it?"

"Not long. Half an hour?"

"If it's not working out, send it back to the Hidden Vault. And don't forget to report this situation to Uncle Guo."

"Reporting it to Uncle Guo is no problem. The problem is that things aren't finished in there yet."

"It's almost over."

Principal Han replied, waving his right hand. Suddenly, his expression turned odd.

"What is it?"

Xia Yitiao noticed his change in expression and asked.

Principal Han didn't answer. He waved his hand again. This time, a streak of white light pierced through the water curtain, flew back, and landed in his hand.

The white light gradually dissipated, revealing its true form—a white bone needle covered in blackish-blue cracks.

"Old Xia."

"Yeah?"

"Something is wrong here!"

"What happened?"

"I just tried to summon the bone needle, and it ignored me!"

"Huh?"

The two looked at each other, their expressions turning solemn.

"Wait a second, I think I just remembered something."

Xia Yitiao pinched the bridge of his nose.

"A while ago, Headquarters put out a warrant for a masked man—the same one who appeared at the Lyu family manor. You should know about this, right?"

"I know of it, but I don't know the details. Wasn't he just a Demigod?"

"He's a Demigod, but not an ordinary one. That man can influence sealed objects!"

"Back then, a sealed object was touched by him. Afterward, it tried to escape the Hidden Vault every single day. According to Headquarters' assessment, that sealed object wanted to return to his side."

Hearing this, Principal Han gripped the bone needle tightly.

"Are you saying that masked man is nearby?"

"It's possible!"

Principal Han's expression grew grim. "Then we can't delay any longer."

"Agreed."

...

The aftershocks of the explosion gradually faded. The interior of the water curtain was a scene of total devastation; no one would have guessed that this was once the prosperous Lyu family manor.

Jade Dog and Red Fox stood together, their expressions unsightly.

They had survived the explosion, but their divinity had been severely eroded by humanity. They would need time to purge it.

Da Di remained within his circle, his expression wary but his body largely uninjured.

Black Death Lolita had sustained some injuries, but due to the nature of her special pathway, she had already mostly recovered.

Only Lyu Xiaofeng looked utterly wretched.

More than a third of his flesh had vanished, leaving internal organs and parts of his skeleton visible. Meanwhile, the phantom outside his body appeared increasingly human-like.

At this moment, a twisted dagger shaped like a centipede was plunged squarely into his back, right through the heart.

Distorted, dark purple patterns spread across the phantom's body.

"Blegh."

Lyu Xiaofeng spat out a mouthful of black blood, his face filled with unwilling rage.

"You... you..."

Black Death Lolita looked anxious. Lyu Xiaofeng was far too resilient. Any other person would have been reduced to a puddle of bloody sludge by such potent toxins, yet he was still clinging to life.

The three Demigods around her were watching her like hawks.

"I've done everything I was supposed to! He's as good as dead! Let me out!"

Black Death Lolita shouted toward the sky. Her words immediately put Red Fox and Jade Dog on high alert.

Did this Black Death Lolita have accomplices?

But there was no response from outside. After a few seconds, Xia Yitiao's voice finally rang out.

"Eliminate her!"