And so, one by one, the world leaders shuffled out like clay monkeys in a parade. They glanced left and right, spotted Jill Young, then saw that severed head, all wearing expressions of relief after surviving disaster. Some of the more quick-witted ones, after a long breath, suddenly realized something and started thinking about chatting up John Yang—and maybe cozying up to Jill Young while they were at it.
But John Yang ignored them, shouting down into the sewer, "You filthy idiots, what's taking so long? Get up here, now!"
So, with heavy breathing and gasps, the Fat Pig lugged Fran Adler up step by step from below. The Fat Pig's legs were shaking, and as soon as he got up, he collapsed onto the ground, refusing to move another inch. But Jill Young didn't care whether he lived or died—she instantly caught Fran in her arms and helped her sit down.
Fran Adler had fainted, but she was still alive.
She was battered and bruised all over, but she was alive.
As long as you're alive, there's hope, there's a future, and endless possibilities!
A wave of overwhelming joy surged through Jill Young's heart—she was so happy she didn't know what to say.
"Not crying your eyes out anymore?"
John Yang's voice drifted into her ears. Jill Young jerked her head up and saw John Yang standing right beside her. From this angle, looking up, he seemed impossibly tall. The storm above parted just a little, and a ray of sunlight hit him, making his calm, confident face look as solid and unshakable as a mountain.
"Your world isn't that easy. Sometimes you'll hit setbacks, sometimes you'll fail, and no matter how strong you are, there will always be times when you're powerless. But don't worry—you've got a rock-solid backup." John Yang reached out and patted Jill Young on the head, thinking he was downright cool at that moment. "Your dad is always your dad."
"Dad!!" Jill Young leapt at him, not caring about the sewer stench clinging to John Yang, and hugged him tight. "Dad! You're so cool!!"
His daughter's hug was a bit painful, but John Yang just felt warm and content from the inside out.
Sneaking out of Hong Kong, doing all those dumb things, suffering and nearly dying over and over—wasn't it all for this moment?
Daughter, maybe your dad really can't help out in your battles anymore. Maybe when you're fighting the enemy, he can't even see your silhouette—he gets that. But no matter what, your dad still hopes he can be the one who shelters you from the storm, who stands tall in your heart—a good dad.
Of course, if he could show off once in a while, that'd be even better.
"Ahem!" John Yang cleared his throat, looking all proud. "Well, obviously! Like father, like daughter. Of course your dad's awesome! You know, Hua Luogeng is your grandmaster, and Chen Jingrun is your great-uncle. Your dad's a pretty badass mathematician."
He finally said it!
He finally said it!
At last, he could proudly show off in front of his daughter—this was the highlight of his whole life!
Just then, his daughter shuddered in his arms.
Huh? Did I just get so cool that my girl’s shivering?
Wait, why is she still shaking, like she's got a fever or something? What's going on?
"Honey, are you..."
Jill Young slowly raised her head, her face pale, her tough body trembling uncontrollably. This wasn't sickness or pain—it was pure instinct. Somewhere far beyond the sky, an overwhelming, unbeatable presence suddenly erupted. The force was so strong, even Jill's body felt a primal fear.
Inside, Jill Young felt like a tidal wave was crashing through her heart.
This... this was absolute life-level suppression!
John Yang and the other regular folks hadn’t noticed a thing—because their bodies were just too weak to sense that terrifying presence. But in Jill Young’s perception, high above the sky, an incomparable aura was swooping down like a world-ending comet.
And it wasn’t just Jill Young—at that moment, every top-level fighter in the world was trembling. Some who were sensitive but not strong enough had collapsed completely, unable to get up. Countless experts felt thunder explode in their hearts, an inexplicable terror echoing inside them.
Deep beneath a bottomless cave in the Siberian plateau, wild howls echoed. At the source of the Nile in Africa, a figure dangling above a mountain waterfall suddenly dropped like a wingless fly, plunging straight into the flood-swollen river below.
That world-shaking presence couldn’t even be contained by space itself, spreading far into higher dimensions. Even Master Nature, deep in the chaos, stared wide-eyed in shock. The four surviving siege teams barely escaped the rampaging spatial waves under this pressure.
Jill Young clenched her teeth and stubbornly stood her ground. She looked up at the sky, the five dragons inside her body humming uneasily. Even her body, which had broken through the fifth limit, felt the crushing pressure of absolute life-level suppression. In the whole world, only one person could do that.
Black Death Emperor...
This terrifying force, swelling and sweeping across the globe like a supernova—what triggered it? What happened with the Black Death Emperor?
"Dad, take care of Fran Adler."
"No problem." From Jill Young's expression, John Yang could tell something truly terrifying had happened. He nervously asked, "What exactly happened?"
"No idea, I'm going to check it out." Jill Young moved in a blur, dashing off like a shadow. The crushing pressure still weighed on her heart, like the world was ending. But the roar of defiance inside her grew stronger and stronger. Behind her, the image of the Great Demon God appeared again, struggling and roaring as if nothing could crush it, nothing could destroy it. In the midst of the terrifying pressure, the Demon God's figure grew even clearer.
With each step forward, Jill Young's stride became more resolute, and the five dragons within her grew braver.
Her power, crushed to a mere fraction, finally surged up again. Even just a little bit made a difference—like when the whole world is bowing down, but one person digs in their knees and stands up.
Boom—the earth split open as Jill Young shot skyward. Inside her, the Supreme Art blazed with power: 'In all eight directions, I am Supreme.' The Supreme Art burned stubbornly, lifting Jill Young higher and higher. Wild winds and dark clouds—nothing could stop her. Like a phoenix piercing through the clouds, she burst through the storm in the blink of an eye, soaring into the sky above.
Blue sky, broad daylight—Jill Young gritted her teeth, raised her head, and her eyes flashed with light, piercing through the thick atmosphere. She saw it—she saw a figure spanning the universe, shooting down from the farthest reaches of the heavens.
Black Death Emperor.
It really was the Black Death Emperor.
He'd completely abandoned his usual slow pace—now, like a meteor, he was diving from outer space toward Earth at dozens of times the speed of sound!
His target... is Washington!