This Is It—Found You!

"Trouble—" Bai Zhou didn't actually want the Principal to win, but he wanted even less for the human faction to claim an easy victory like this. After all, his current identity was still that of an "anomaly" attending school in the Reflected Ruin Realm! Only now, under the focus of multiple gazes, did Bai Zhou realize that the gaze of certain beings could carry tangible pressure—as though the heavens above were collapsing, distorting even the air itself. When the eyes of the three Titled Extraordinaries turned serious, white light akin to lightning flashed faintly through the air. And when that "Deputy Director Liu" cast a glance his way, even if it was merely a careless look, it made Bai Zhou feel as if he had plunged into a quagmire, icy cold all over and barely able to move. Subconsciously, Bai Zhou compared this "Deputy Director Liu" with his impression of the Statute Hall's Inspector. He suspected their strength might be comparable, standing at the very least on the same life tier. Half a cut above the Principal, who was half a step away from ascending to that life tier! Were it not so, even with an unexpected sneak attack from this deputy director, the Principal wouldn't have been shot down so haphazardly. Fortunately, these gazes were gone in a flash. The tangible pressure quickly shifted away. After all, Bai Zhou was far too weak in their eyes. No one took him seriously, let alone believed he could escape right under their noses! No matter what was special about this anomalous individual, Commander Han was left to capture him—letting Commander Han operate as he pleased. *Crunch—* Footsteps crushed rubble. Wind blew across the sky full of dust. "Deputy Director Liu" touched down upon the ruins of rubble strewn across the ground, carefully making his way to the bottom of the deep crater to inspect it. Looking around, the surroundings were completely empty. There was only a section of a red blade buried beneath a collapsed pillar, revealing a glint of its sharp edge. "It's that—" A look of realization came over Deputy Director Liu's face. He stepped closer and picked up the blade sheltered under the rubble. It felt smooth and warm to the touch—the folding knife that was entirely crimson. In the hands of the Principal, this folding knife had moved as nimbly as a butterfly darting through flowers, capable of unraveling living souls as easily as reeling silk from cocoons. Yet at this moment, it lay quietly in Deputy Director Liu's palm, devoid of its former ferocity and malice. "Where is the Principal?" Seeing no corpse of the Principal at the bottom of the crater, Emerald Flame knitted her brows tightly, her heart skipping a beat. She looked around instinctively, worried that the elusive Principal was about to materialize beside someone again. "The Thunderous Heavenly Bow possesses domineering power. When an arrow is loosed, the thunderous roar sounds like the cry of a thousand birds—hence, in the presence of this bow, one rarely finds intact remains." Rusted Silver Knight observed the archaic greatbow in Deputy Director Liu's hand, his voice tinged with wary reverence. "Since even the folding knife was left behind, it seems that Principal must have been blasted until not a shred of corpse or bone remains." After all, all three of them had seen clearly with their own eyes that the Principal's chest had been pierced straight through by the arrow. The moment the thunder detonated, the three of them had felt that peerless, lethal divine majesty at close range, as if their own lives were nearly reaped by that single arrow. Sword of Winter nodded slowly. The Ice Soul Greatsword in his hand was still ceaselessly releasing frigid chill, leaving his face nearly entirely coated in frost, and even the exhalations from his nostrils were long plumes of white vapor. "The Principal is most likely dead for real." He spoke in a cold voice, simultaneously releasing his right hand that gripped the Ice Soul Greatsword. As the greatsword dispersed into the air, the frost across his body gradually thawed, though his frame remained stiff. As the frost melted, ever more wounds appeared upon his skin. As the strongest among the three, a being who had taken half a step beyond Level 6, he was the one who had absorbed the brunt of the Principal's damage and paid the heaviest price just now; otherwise, the defensive line formed by the trio would have collapsed long ago. "Blasted to nothingness, was he—" Standing at the bottom of the crater, Deputy Director Liu held the bow in one hand and weighed the blood-red folding knife in his palm with the other, his expression thoughtful. Sensing the Principal's spirituality slowly dissipating into the surroundings, Deputy Director Liu looked down at the Thunderous Heavenly Bow in his hand and nodded. "Perhaps so." After all, he too knew the terrifying might of his Thunderous Heavenly Bow. The limbs of the bow looked archaic, but once infused with spirituality, its shape would transform—its curves becoming fierce and aggressive, as if lightning falling from the sky had been instantly frozen into form. The two ends of the bow were like agile thunder serpents. There was no physical bowstring, only a faint, translucent arc of pale lightning, with a muted rumble of thunder constantly hovering around the weapon. —This mysterious heavenly bow, permanently wrapped in rolling thunder, was not a product of modern technology, but an extraordinary relic from a bygone civilization. Years ago, when the ruin housing the heavenly bow emerged in the Reflected Ruin Realm, countless Titled Extraordinaries and beings beyond Level 6 fought over it. In the end, after a bloody, gruesome battle, Deputy Director Liu, who had bided his time until the very end before striking decisively, was fortunate enough to claim one of its most valuable relics—the Thunderous Heavenly Bow! —Just like now. This had also propelled him from the mediocre ranks above Level 6 to the position of deputy director of the Anomaly Investigation Bureau, becoming a renowned, domineering figure throughout Tinghai City! "Then, it's time to bring an end to everything here." Deputy Director Liu looked back, impassively surveying the nearby surroundings. Then, looking toward Commander Han in the classroom building from afar, his voice rang clearly in Commander Han's ears: "The minor secret realm must be cleansed completely to cut off any possibility of this quasi-King of Wicked Desires reviving!" The existence of both a King of Wicked Desires and a minor secret realm was contingent and unique. As long as all living entities within Yuanmeng Middle School were eliminated, the minor secret realm would naturally collapse. After a while, the teachers and students—having lost all their memories—would be re-spawned by the Ruin Realm, but the King of Wicked Desires and the minor secret realm would never return. "Understood!" Commander Han bowed solemnly toward the distance and used his walkie-talkie to issue the signal for the general assault on the school to the troops waiting outside: "Eagle! Eagle! Eagle!" *Crackle—* "Received!" Everything seemed to enter the closing phase. Following a brief hush, the school grew lively. Yet this liveliness belonged to the FZDC, belonged to the human faction, not Bai Zhou—he was still surrounded by the army of mechanical hounds! "Before the minor secret realm ends, you'd best surrender obediently!" Commander Han lowered his walkie-talkie and looked toward Bai Zhou, who was battling within the encirclement, speaking in a warm, persuasive tone: "You saw it yourself. With so many esteemed lords present, you cannot escape. Struggling is meaningless." "Come with me. When the minor secret realm is destroyed, I will preserve your vitality as best as I can—at the very least, salvage an arm and a leg." "If your brain can be brought out, there might even be hope for you to be resurrected in the future!" Commander Han urged him with earnest solicitude. Judging from his patient expression alone, an outsider might truly believe he had Bai Zhou's best interests at heart. Yet the contents of his words sent goosebumps running all over Bai Zhou's skin. Sure enough, when it came to these Extraordinaries, regardless of good or evil factions, every single one of them was utterly insane— Bai Zhou's hands never ceased tearing through the mechanical hounds, while his mind raced at maximum capacity, desperately trying to devise an escape route. What should he do? What could he do? How could he cut through the machine army, crush Commander Han, stab the three Titled Extraordinaries outside to death, and finally confront that underhanded old dog who liked ambushing people with a bow? Rely on praying to the gods? Unless Bai Zhou could summon Little Red Riding Hood from the Troy civilization on the spot, or merge with true heretical power then and there to become a new Wolf Knight— Otherwise, all of that was sheer, delusional fantasy! If gods were useless, what about devils— Impassive on the surface, deep in Bai Zhou's mind surfaced the Inverted Maiden with a "π" hanging above her head. Was she truly in this school? In this classroom building? Now that the Principal was dead and the FZDC had launched a general sweep of the minor secret realm, why hadn't she made a move yet? Bai Zhou keenly realized that the mysterious Inverted Maiden was bound to be a new variable, one that could bring a shift to the situation within this minor secret realm. Although he didn't understand why she had yet to act, Bai Zhou was left with only one choice— *Find her!* With this thought in mind, Bai Zhou's target was no longer Commander Han. He began to retreat against the current, fighting off the mechanical hounds while sprinting in the opposite direction toward the upper floors of the classroom building. Before, because of the Principal's interference, he hadn't been able to search this building. But according to the scene Bai Zhou had witnessed in his divination— She had to be hidden inside here! "Turning around to flee instead of charging at me?" Watching Bai Zhou's movements, Commander Han raised an eyebrow. He commanded the army of mechanical hounds to pursue rapidly, while ordering the subordinates beside him to take action: "The general assault has begun. The time left for us to capture the anomalous individual is running short." "Speed it up!" Several figures leaped forward, each possessing the strength of a Level 4 Extraordinary. They were not mere bodyguards, but mid-level cadres brought by Commander Han to suppress Yuanmeng Middle School, positioned perfectly for use right now. Commander Han had reviewed recordings of Bai Zhou's strength in advance and specifically brought along a contingent of core personnel to capture him—paying Bai Zhou considerable respect. In a one-on-one duel, none would be a match for Bai Zhou, but mingled within the army of mechanical hounds and drones, delivering sudden strikes from time to time, they immediately put Bai Zhou in dire straits, swaying on the brink of collapse. *Boom, boom, boom!* *Thud, thud, thud!* Mechanical hounds gave chase while drones bombarded. A frantic pursuit ensued, yet on every floor he reached, Bai Zhou would glance into each classroom as he passed. Now, Commander Han, who had been closely observing Bai Zhou's actions, finally realized that Bai Zhou wasn't fleeing blindly in panic, but was doing something with a purpose— *Does he have a hidden trump card?* *Could the Principal still be revived?* A massive wave of doubt welled up in Commander Han's heart. Even as Bai Zhou, braving the relentless pressure, fled in apparent disarray from the first floor entrance up to the second, then the third— Seeing Bai Zhou climb to the fourth floor, Commander Han, unable to fathom Bai Zhou's intentions, felt a faint sense of unease. Thus, he decided to strike in person— "Still not submitting? Where do you think you're running?" Commander Han closed the distance. His left arm swept out and he smashed downward diagonally. Though his frame was as emaciated as firewood, his strike carried strength surpassing nine oxen, brimming with an unbelievable, domineering majesty, as if the sheer weight of dragons and elephants had been hurled from his hands. His Qi expanded like an inescapable net, crashing down as if the sky were falling and the earth splitting. An inexplicable intent enveloped Bai Zhou, leaving him nowhere to dodge and no way to defend. With just a single strike, Bai Zhou, who had been invincible amid the chaotic troops, was blasted flying! The power of a Level 5 Extraordinary was laid bare! Even among Level 5 Extraordinaries, this commander was far from ordinary! *Boom!* Dust billowed into the air! Shattered stones sprayed everywhere! Blood sprayed glaringly through the air. Caught off guard, Bai Zhou crashed through a wall and tumbled into a classroom beside him. Mechanical hounds and drones poured through the massive hole in the wall in a frenzy, pressing their advantage. "Cough! *Cough, cough, cough!*" Landing amidst a heap of battered desks and chairs, Bai Zhou wiped his face, aching all over, looking thoroughly battered. His current predicament had reached a dead end; Commander Han's inescapable net left Bai Zhou completely breathless. He had searched everywhere from the first floor to the third, yet he couldn't find a single thing related to the Inverted Maiden. For a moment, this pushed Bai Zhou toward despair. *Has it really come to this? Does my only option remain transforming into the Cursebound Colossus—* At this point, how could Bai Zhou care about blowing his cover? Wanted criminal or not, whatever methods he had must be unleashed! Glancing up to see the plaque for "Class 4, Grade 4" beside the classroom door, Bai Zhou instinctively scanned the layout of the classroom before transforming. Just as he was about to look away as he had done before, his spine suddenly stiffened, and his movements halted. *Not here either—hm?* No! At the back of the classroom hung a row of portraits of mathematicians with stiff smiles, the eyes in every oil painting rendered as circular vortexes. —They seemed to all be smiling eerily and stiffly right at Bai Zhou! In the corner hung a tilted, old-fashioned mechanical wall clock, its pendulum stationary, frozen at 3:14. Yet if Bai Zhou looked closely, he would discover that the second hand hadn't stopped; rather, it was swinging back and forth at the 3:14 position, as if the hand was struggling to advance, only to be bound and restrained by an invisible force, trapped in an endless cycle of oscillation. Apart from the few desks and chairs Bai Zhou had overturned upon crashing in, all the aged desks filling the classroom held open, yellowed notebooks, densely covered with writing. A bizarre tranquility hung in the quiet classroom, yet amidst the crunching and grinding of the mechanical hounds outside, Bai Zhou distinctly caught a subtle, unusual sound. *Rustle, rustle...* Like chalk gliding across a blackboard in a peculiar rhythm. —The sound naturally came from the blackboard. Bai Zhou turned his head toward the blackboard immediately, his eyes widening so abruptly that his heartbeat skipped half a rhythm. The blackboard was covered in dense mathematical formulas of every kind, along with various triangular and circular symbols. And following these formulas was a handwritten sequence of decimal digits: π = 3.141592653589793... The handwriting grew increasingly hurried and crooked, as though the writer had been in a state of extreme fury and terror. By the end, it had degenerated into an unrecognizable series of repeatedly traced circles, like the tracks drawn by a lunatic trapped in a maze. These tiny digits filled three blackboards along the walls, and even now, those minuscule circles were still being added to the very corner of the board. That was where the *rustle, rustle* sound came from! "This is—!" Bai Zhou's spirituality stirred. Fixing his gaze intently on the "π" symbol on the blackboard, Bai Zhou had only stared for a brief moment before his intuition suddenly surged violently, sending frantic warnings ringing through his mind! *Step!* At that moment, Commander Han caught up with Bai Zhou, causing Bai Zhou to whip his head around. Commander Han strode slowly into the classroom, looking at Bai Zhou with calm confidence as though admiring the struggles of a trapped beast driven into a corner, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips: "Done running?" "What on earth are you looking for? No one can save you, anomalous individual!" Yet, facing Commander Han's step-by-step advance alongside the army of mechanical hounds, Bai Zhou, cornered against the wall, was no longer afraid. His gaze even settled into calm. Seeing Commander Han and his subordinates enter the classroom, Bai Zhou slowly rose from the messy debris on the floor, stealing a sideways glance at the blackboard beside him. *π?* *This is it—I'm saved!* Impassive on the surface, Bai Zhou's heart thudded wildly, tinged with the relief of having survived a brush with death: *I ran all across this classroom building, and it turns out to be in Class 4, Grade 4 on the fourth floor.* *Finally—I found you!*