The Inner World.
Flames licked at everything around them, but Yang Tao didn't touch the gigantic embryo, because doing so would only eliminate Hozuki Yayoi's mother and this ghost embryo together.
Elisa had completely revealed her true power, transforming into a hundred-meter-tall 'demon' in the Inner World—yes, a 'demon' in a fiery gown with demon horns, though she looked suspiciously like a succubus from every angle.
HP: 52100 / 52100
Fifty thousand HP was an unimaginable existence in this world; the previous 'Tai Sui' only had a little over 20,000 HP.
Elisa 'brutally' lifted her foot, clad in a pair of bright red high heels, and stomped heavily on the ghost embryo.
The raging flames made the embryo shriek.
Miko and Hana huddled in his arms like quails; both Elisa and the gigantic ghost embryo exerted immense pressure on them, and the fear emanating from deep within their hearts made it difficult for them even to breathe.
Yang Tao also felt it hard to breathe.
One on each side was truly a bit too much… cough, cough, it was just too crowded.
The absolute disparity in strength left the unborn ghost embryo with no means of resistance.
It was forcibly peeled away from the 'mother' by Elisa.
"I… I don't want to die… I don't want to die…"
The childlike embryo, sensing danger, wriggled incessantly, but no matter what, it couldn't escape Elisa's grasp.
"Elisa, deal with it…"
Although this thing hadn't fully developed yet, the exploration value it provided was extremely high, not even inferior to the protagonist, indicating that this ghost embryo was either not the final Boss or was an extremely important villain.
This incubating ghost must be an extraordinary existence.
But it appeared too early, or rather, it met the wrong person at the wrong time and in the wrong place.
After all, experts coming from another world to 'fish in a pond' were simply too rare.
Upon hearing this, Elisa grabbed the opponent and instantly refined it!
With its demise, Elisa's HP increased again, though a demon with over ten thousand HP only boosted her HP by less than a thousand points.
It wasn't that the conversion efficiency was too poor, but rather that the disparity in strength was too great; compared to those small ghosts with only one or two hundred HP, they could at most increase Elisa's HP by one or two points.
After dealing with the embryo, the tear stains on Hozuki Yayoi's mother's face disappeared, replaced by a serene smile.
Elisa's body shrank back to normal.
She came beside Yang Tao, and seeing him with an arm around each girl, she couldn't help but let out a snort.
"It's resolved, but this isn't Hozuki Yayoi's mother; or rather, it's not just Hozuki Yayoi's mother."
"The ghost embryo just now parasitized her, using her to constantly devour other evil spirits, providing pure power for itself to absorb."
Yang Tao withdrew his hands from the two little girls' arms and looked at the huge figure, asking, "Does she still have her sanity?"
"Yes, but not much."
Yang Tao watched Hozuki Yayoi walk towards the massive figure, his emotions somewhat complex, but having witnessed too many partings and deaths, he didn't dwell on it further.
He turned his gaze to the 'Tai Sui' beside them.
"For old times' sake, I'll let you off this time, but… barbarians are barbarians. You can do whatever you want with the men of the Kamiyo family, but don't harm the women. Leave some for our living people to torment."
If it were according to the 'Tai Sui's' personality in the plot, it would be impossible for him to be so obedient, even if it meant mutual destruction.
But the problem was that he now clearly understood that even if he self-destructed point-blank, it would merely be a slightly larger firework in Yang Tao's eyes.
"Alright…"
Keitarō beside him: "..."
So, we men are just meant to die?
Unfortunately, that was not something Yang Tao was concerned about.
Everyone quietly watched the mother and daughter reunite; at that moment, no one spoke.
About half an hour passed.
Hozuki Yayoi, with red, swollen eyes, returned to the group and bowed deeply to Yang Tao and Elisa, saying, "Uncle, big sister, thank you."
Yang Tao smiled and reached out to pat Hozuki Yayoi's head, saying, "It's nothing. Aren't you taking your mother back?"
Hozuki Yayoi could have used a doll to bring her mother, who had already turned into an evil spirit, back, but she chose not to. Hearing his question, she just shook her head gently and said:
"No, Uncle, please, I beg you to perform a ritual for my mother, hoping she can be reborn…"
Ritual?
But I only know physical rituals…
Could it be that I should finely chop Hozuki Yayoi's mother with the Yamato?
Yang Tao looked at the dark figure and said, "Let her stay in the Inner World for now. Once I find the right person, I'll perform a ritual for her…"
Hozuki Yayoi nodded. Yang Tao reached out and ruffled her head, then turned to Elisa and said, "Let's go out."
Instantly, the Inner World receded.
'Given time, Elisa's Inner World might even become a real world…'
This thought emerged from the depths of Yang Tao's heart.
...
Night.
After having dinner at a restaurant, everyone waved goodbye.
Yang Tao looked down at Hozuki Yayoi, who was standing beside him, waving goodbye to Keitarō and her older sister Hozuki Eiko, and said with a wry smile, "Hozuki Yayoi, you're standing in the wrong place…"
"I'm not standing in the wrong place, Uncle. Do you like to raise… children?"
Slap…
Yang Tao slapped Hozuki Yayoi's head with his large hand and said to Hozuki Eiko, "Next time you're looking at weird stuff, please do it away from the child!"
Hozuki Eiko's cheeks immediately turned as red as if they were about to drip blood. She ran to Hozuki Yayoi in two steps, picked her up, and said, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry…"
After their last and current interactions, Yang Tao had already realized that Hozuki Eiko, who appeared quiet and ladylike, actually possessed a touch of yandere and masochistic tendencies.
Throughout the journey, her gaze had barely left Keitarō, especially when Keitarō was chatting with Kamiyo Ai, Miko, and Hana; her tensed body indicated her extreme nervousness.
He smiled, waved his hand, and said, "Alright, we're going back too. See you again if there's a chance."
With that, he pulled open the car door and drove away with Elisa and the others.
Elisa, who had been quiet in the car, suddenly said, "Yang Tao, I want to go see that child…"
"That child?"
"Sharon…"
Elisa was a very special existence; although Yang Tao had always defined her as a ghost, her main body was actually still alive…
And she was only a part of her main body's soul.
It wasn't until Yang Tao sent her to this world that she slowly developed a complete personality.
"Why do you suddenly want to see her? You and they have no relation now."
Neither Elisa's main body nor the so-called benevolent clone actually had much relation to the current Elisa. Elisa had grown into an independent existence, so Yang Tao was somewhat puzzled by her sudden desire to see Sharon.
Elisa, sitting in the passenger seat, quietly watched the scenery outside the car. The light spilling from the streetlights on the road made her face flicker between light and shadow.
"I know, but I want to see how she's doing now…"
"How she's doing?"
A smile appeared on Yang Tao's face as he said, "After I drop them off, you can go see Sharon…"