Villain? No, I'll catch up with the protagonist after passing the civil service exam.

The gale-force winds, carrying icy seawater, poured wildly into the wide-open helicopter cabin door.

The man wearing the golden mask floated in mid-air outside the hatch. He had no foothold, yet a terrifying, suffocating pressure emanated from him.

The white light at his fingertips, powerful enough to tear steel apart, emanated an aura of destruction.

"Lu Jingyan, you really surprised me."

The voice of the Celestial Temple Master pierced through the deafening roar of the propellers, carrying the arrogance of a higher-dimensional being, and exploded directly in Lu Jingyan's mind.

"I originally thought that bomb would be enough to turn you and these ignorant mortals into sacrifices for the revival of divine authority. I never expected that you would dare to use your own body to support the formation and throw it into the high seas."

He tilted his head slightly, and a cruel light flashed in the vertical pupils behind the mask.

"But that doesn't change anything. Mortals are, after all, just mortals."

The helicopter pilot was frozen in fear, his hands trembling as he gripped the controls. Humans could fly? This was completely beyond his comprehension!

Lu Jingyan didn't even frown.

He didn't even look at the blinding white light, but just glanced down at the coordinates on his watch.

"Are you always this talkative?"

Lu Jingyan pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses, his tone as indifferent as if he were asking a passerby for a light.

The Lord of the Heavenly Gods was stunned. He, a powerful being at the half-step Nascent Soul stage, was about to unleash divine punishment, and this mortal, on the verge of death, actually complained that he was talking too much nonsense?

"Arrogant ants!"

The Lord of the Heavenly Temple was utterly enraged. His golden aura surged violently, instantly evaporating the surrounding rain.

"You think dropping the bomb will save that filthy city? I'll crush your soul with my own hands right now and let you taste the agony of soul-searching and refining!"

He raised his hands high and began to rapidly chant ancient and obscure cultivation techniques.

"Throughout the nine heavens and ten earths, its divine might is as imposing as a mountain..."

As he chanted, the sky above the sea began to change color dramatically, and the faint sounds of wind and thunder could be heard gathering.

This was his ultimate, trump card formation. He would use the most magnificent and awe-inspiring method to crush this mortal who had repeatedly challenged divine authority into dust! He wanted the whole world to know that the majesty of the Temple of Gods was inviolable!

"...In my name, I unleash divine punishment!"

The long, drawn-out animation of his ultimate move finally ended, and the Heavenly God Palace Master's eyes flashed with murderous intent. He swung his hand sharply, ready to savor Lu Jingyan's expression of desperate pleading.

However, Lu Jingyan did not look at him.

Lu Jingyan simply took a step back into the cabin, then pulled a pair of earmuffs off his tactical vest and slowly put them on.

He looked at the Temple Master of the Heavenly Gods, who was still striking a pose in mid-air, and sighed helplessly.

"The villain dies from talking too much; this law has remained unchanged for thousands of years."

Lu Jingyan raised his hand and coldly uttered two words into the headset.

"Fire."

The voice just fell.

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"

In the pitch-black night sky, twelve deafening gunshots rang out simultaneously!

These are not ordinary sniper rifles, but rather a fleet of 12.7mm anti-materiel sniper rifles, all mounted on three stealthy police helicopters lying in ambush nearby!

Twelve specially crafted tungsten steel armor-piercing incendiary rounds, carrying terrifying kinetic energy capable of tearing the sound barrier, formed a perfect crossfire network from four directions. They traced blinding dark red trajectories through the air, instantly piercing the night sky.

"What?!"

The Celestial Temple Master's pupils constricted sharply; he hadn't even had time to unleash the spell in his hand.

"Snap!"

That protective aura, supposedly able to withstand lightning tribulations, was like a paper window, instantly cracked and then shattered under the absolute force of modern heavy military weaponry!

"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!"

The dull thud of bullets piercing flesh rang out one after another. Twelve armor-piercing rounds, with overwhelming force, tore through his limbs, chest, and dantian without leaving any blind spots!

"ah--!!!"

The Lord of the Celestial Temple let out a bloodcurdling scream that was unlike anything in human form. The white light in his hand instantly dissipated, and the golden mask that represented divine authority and arrogance was blown off by a bullet, revealing a face twisted and deformed from extreme pain.

He looked down at his battered body, his eyes filled with incomprehensible shock.

He was a half-step Nascent Soul cultivator! He hadn't even unleashed his magic yet! He hadn't finished uttering his boastful words! And these mortals, devoid of any martial ethics, actually used this barbaric block of iron to shatter his Dao?!

"This...this is impossible..."

The Lord of the Heavenly Temple coughed up mouthfuls of blood mixed with fragments of internal organs, his body convulsing in mid-air like a tattered sack.

Lu Jingyan walked to the cabin door, took off his earmuffs, and looked down at him.

"Nothing is impossible."

"You really think I dropped bombs in international waters just to evacuate people?"

Lu Jingyan pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses, revealing an extreme coldness behind the lenses.

"Firing anti-materiel sniper rifles in the city can easily cause panic among civilians and collateral damage. That's why I specifically chose this location as your graveyard."

"That's called having a wide field of fire, understand?"

The Temple God opened its mouth, seemingly wanting to deliver a final curse.

But Lu Jingyan didn't give him that chance. He drew his Type 92 pistol from his waist, pointed it at the Heavenly God Temple Master's forehead, and decisively pulled the trigger.

"Bang!"

The last bullet pierced the skull precisely, bringing an end to the sinful life of this "god".

The Lord of the Heavenly Temple instantly lost all his strength and plummeted straight into the dark depths of the sea.

"thump!"

A huge splash of water erupted. The arrogant Lord of the Celestial Temple, along with the biological bomb he was so proud of, sank forever into the cold seabed.

The helicopter hovered over the sea. After confirming there were no signs of life, Lu Jingyan picked up the walkie-talkie.

"Command center, this is Lu Jingyan."

"Target eliminated. Threat resolved. Retreat."

Through the headset came Director Chen's excited, trembling cheers, and the erupting applause throughout the command center.

Lu Jingyan leaned against the cabin wall and let out a long sigh of relief. This enormous crisis, which had almost overturned the entire city and even humanity's understanding, had finally been physically averted.

The Temple of Heavenly Gods was destroyed. That extreme cultivation organization, hidden in the long river of history, crumbled under the thunderous blow of the modern state apparatus. Those remnants of the temple, scattered throughout the country and attempting to take advantage of the chaos, were also swept away like leaves in the autumn wind by various special police and armed police forces within the following week.

The provincial capital has finally regained its long-lost tranquility.

It was as if that thrilling supernatural crisis was just a brief nightmare.

……

half a month later.

Provincial Public Security Bureau, Auditorium.

A commendation ceremony, the highest-level and largest-scale since the establishment of the department, is being held here.

Red flags fluttered, and flowers adorned the stage. The audience was filled with elite representatives from the province's police force, reporters from major media outlets, and even high-ranking officials from Beijing. All the cameras and microphones were aimed at the tall, imposing figure on the platform.

Lu Jingyan was dressed in a crisp, top-ranking police uniform. His sash was adorned with numerous heavy medals.

"In recognition of Comrade Lu Jingyan's outstanding performance in the 'Temple of Heaven' major terrorist attack..."

The voice of the provincial department's top leader resonated solemnly throughout the auditorium through the microphone.

"He saved the lives of tens of thousands of citizens with swift and decisive action, safeguarding national security and the dignity of the law! After deliberation by higher authorities, Comrade Lu Jingyan is hereby awarded the 'First-Class Merit' and the honorary title of 'Provincial-Level Special-Class Combat Hero'!"

Thunderous applause erupted instantly, almost lifting the roof off the auditorium.

Countless flashes of light illuminated the night sky. This commendation ceremony was not only held within the provincial department but was also broadcast live across the entire internet. Online, the popularity of various live streaming rooms exploded, with the barrage of comments so thick that the image was obscured.

Lu Jingyan walked steadily to the center of the stage.

He accepted the weighty medal, then turned to face the thousands of colleagues below the stage and the hundreds of millions of viewers online. He hadn't prepared any elaborate speech; he simply raised his hand and gave a perfectly standard and solemn salute.

Then, he approached the microphone, his voice calm yet carrying a resolute power that penetrated the soul.

"The law does not believe in tears."

"I don't believe in magic either."

"On this land of China, no one is above the rules. If someone is, then send them on their way."

"Because here, justice is the only 'miracle'."

Applause erupted once again like a tsunami. The ceremony concluded in a solemn yet enthusiastic atmosphere.

Lu Jingyan stepped down from the stage and went to the backstage lounge.

As soon as he opened the door, he saw a familiar figure.

Su Xiaoxiao, dressed in clean casual clothes, held a large bouquet of vibrant red roses. She stood there, her eyes slightly red, gazing intently at the gleaming First-Class Merit Medal on Lu Jingyan's chest. The adoration and love in her eyes were almost palpable.