Since all these rules and superstitions are outdated, what's wrong with me indulging in some me

At the other end of the passage, the evil god's angry shriek transformed into a more chaotic, nauseating, and furious strange sound, as if it had eaten something extremely awful.

The reverse suction suddenly stopped! Then it disappeared completely!

The energy hub convulsed and swelled violently as if it had indigestion, and then with a soft "pop," it collapsed and disappeared on the spot, like a bursting bubble!

The dark red vortex let out a mournful cry, completely ceasing its rotation. Its color rapidly dimmed, turning into a pool of lifeless, foul blood that seeped into the ground.

Lu Changsheng's jade pendant also instantly subsided, its light dimmed, but the cracks on its surface were clearly visible, and the temperature was frighteningly high.

As the pressure eased, Lu Changsheng spat out another mouthful of blood and collapsed backward as if exhausted. He was barely supported by Cheng Caijun, who rushed up to him.

"Chengcai..." Lu Changsheng glanced at him weakly, his eyes filled with complex emotions, "What...did you just throw over there?"

Cheng Caijun scratched his head and chuckled dryly, "Nothing much, I just sent the evil god boss that Li Xingguo gave him back. I guess... the delivery experience wasn't great."

Lu Changsheng: "..."

He glanced down at the jade pendant on his chest, which was full of cracks but seemed to contain terrifying power, then looked at the dried blood and the empty array on the ground, and finally his gaze fell on Cheng Caijun's face, which was full of "Praise my cleverness".

For a moment, I didn't know what to say.

The nexus of the evil god's descent was temporarily disrupted in such an unexpected and absurd way.

But both of them knew that this was by no means the end. The evil god himself, whose plans had been so thoroughly toyed with and thwarted, would surely unleash his fury in a more direct and terrifying way.

The tremors in the basement grew more and more violent, and large chunks of cement began to fall from the ceiling. The pure and frenzied aura of destruction emanating from the direction of the main teaching building had locked onto this place.

"Hurry...He's coming..." Lu Changsheng took a deep breath.

Although the hub for transmitting the evil god's power has been destroyed, the proctor is still the vessel for the evil god's power, and the power cannot dissipate so quickly.

The two of them, supporting each other, staggered towards the exit, leaving behind the messy, energy-depleted basement and the unfortunate soul who had been "mailed" to an unknown destination.

Lu Changsheng and Cheng Caijun supported each other and practically tumbled and crawled out of the fourth teaching building.

Behind them, the entire building groaned under the weight, bricks and stones falling in a rustling sound. But more terrifying than the building's collapse was the chilling killing intent that clung to them like a shadow, relentlessly locking onto them.

The jade pendant, riddled with cracks, was scalding hot and heavy. The energy of the evil god's nexus, which it had forcibly absorbed, was like a furnace about to explode. Not only was it unusable, it was also constantly eroding his body and will, bringing him excruciating pain and countless chaotic whispers.

Cheng Caijun was in no better shape. He was exhausted, covered in abrasions, and only his eyes were keeping him awake, staring intently ahead at the rusty school exit.

Hope is at hand.

However, just as their fingertips were about to touch the cold iron door—

A chilling aura, filled with resentment and murderous intent, suddenly shot out from the shadows of the teaching building behind them, like a leech! It transformed into a bolt of lightning as dark as a shadow, tearing through the air and striking down towards their backs with speed beyond the reach of sight!

Before the force even reached their bodies, the chilling premonition of death sent chills down their spines and their blood nearly froze.

"It's over!" This was the thought that flashed through their minds at the same time.

At this critical moment—

They stumbled and staggered to the rusty gates of Qing Teng High School. Outside the gates stood a man, silent and still.

He was dressed in a well-tailored dark gray suit, with a simple black overcoat over it, revealing a neat white shirt at the collar.

He looked to be about thirty-five or thirty-six years old, with a cold and stern face and sharp features. He wore frameless glasses, and his gaze behind the lenses was calm and unwavering, as if the apocalyptic scene before him and the howling attack of the evil god were nothing to him.

Just as the Shadow Thunder was about to cross the school gate and strike Lu Changsheng and his companion—

The man in the suit moved.

His movements appeared slow, even somewhat leisurely. He merely raised his left hand slightly, palm open, facing the devastating shadow lightning.

There were no incantations, no bursts of energy, and no dazzling light.

Only a whisper, extremely faint yet seemingly resounding through the very fabric of rules:

"This area is off-limits."

hum!

Starting from his palm, an invisible yet real barrier instantly unfolded. The barrier was not a physical entity, but rather a temporary modification and absolute declaration of the "rules"—outside the school gates, outside the game area, attacks are prohibited.

The shadow lightning crashed violently into this barrier of rules!

There were no earth-shattering explosions.

The terrifying energy, powerful enough to annihilate Lu Changsheng and his companion dozens of times over, emitted a low, hoarse sound—like countless panes of glass shattering simultaneously—the moment it touched the barrier, before vanishing without a trace. Not even a ripple of energy could cross the rusted threshold of the school gate.

Everything happened too fast.

Lu Changsheng and Cheng Caijun collapsed onto the cold ground, just a step away from the school gate. Still shaken, they turned back and saw only the last glimmer of light from the dissipating shadows and lightning, and outside the school gate, a man in a suit who had lowered his left hand as if he were merely dusting it off.

The man glanced at them calmly through his glasses, his gaze lingering for half a second on the cracked jade pendant on Lu Changsheng's chest before shifting away. He raised his hand to look at a classic mechanical watch on his wrist.

"You were very punctual, four hours, just the right time." His voice was steady and even. "You did quite well on this exam."

Cheng Caijun's mouth gaped open, still reeling from the shock of escaping death and the sudden rescue.

Despite the excruciating pain and dizziness, Lu Changsheng struggled to sit up and looked at the mysterious man.

There was no energy leakage from the other party, but the feeling of being as still and majestic as a mountain, as if they were completely integrated with the rules of the surrounding space, was more unsettling than any powerful energy fluctuation.

"You are..." Lu Changsheng's voice was hoarse.

"Rules Administration Bureau, Third Execution Department, Senior Investigator, codename 'The Hanged Man,' but I don't like that title. You can call me 'Tianliang.'"

The man gave a concise self-introduction, while simultaneously pulling a palm-sized, tablet-like black device from the inside pocket of his trench coat and quickly swiping his fingers across it.

"Intern Lu Changsheng, player Cheng Caijun, the undercover mission at Qing Teng High School has been completed, evaluation..." He paused, then glanced expressionlessly at the disheveled Cheng Caijun and Lu Changsheng.

"Lu Changsheng C".

"Sung Jae-jun D".

Rules Management Bureau?

Lu Changsheng frowned slightly; he had heard this term before while watching the live stream.