The Military Is Shaken! Lock Down the News

Elsewhere.

At the summit of Jade Emperor Peak.

A red alert cordon had already been set up amid the torrential rain, sealing off the ruins left behind by the passing thunderstorm.

A group of neatly uniformed soldiers moved silently like ghosts through the ruins atop Jade Emperor Peak. Their steps were firm, their expressions grave, every movement showing the highest vigilance and rigorous training.

"The military's been alerted, and judging by their bearing and training, they're definitely not ordinary soldiers! Special forces?"

"A natural disaster? There's no way it's that simple!"

"Fuck! There was actually thunder that violent? Even from a thousand meters away, all the hair on my body stood on end."

"Go, go, they're looking this way."

The onlooking crowd was stunned by the military's sudden clearing operation.

They had originally wanted to see what the place looked like after the thunderstorm passed, but the tight security kept them outside.

When ordinary people saw a scene like this, no matter how curious they were, they lowered their heads and left.

Some tried to force their way closer. They were Pioneers who had received the news and hoped to seek an opportunity, but the soldiers' cold, resolute gazes stopped them outside.

The inside and outside of the red alert line formed a stark contrast, as though they were separated into two different worlds.

On the pitch-black, rain-lashed night, the mountain peak was deathly silent.

The people sent by the military to take over were all Pioneers.

They were powerfully built, with sharp gazes.

Their entire beings seemed to radiate a grim, killing aura that placed immense pressure even on ordinary people.

"Sir, the City Defense Force has news."

The City Defense Force members stood before their superior, not daring to meet the eyes of this military leader whose aura was terrifying.

The man's presence was too overwhelming. One sweep of his eyes made them feel intense pressure.

"You said you saw someone walk out from inside?"

The military officer asked.

His voice was gentle, but every word carried immense authority, and every glance revealed an unquestionable majesty.

The City Defense Force members answered involuntarily.

"Yes, sir. When the thunder struck earlier, we were nearby..."

The City Defense Force personnel described in detail what they had witnessed.

Even as they spoke, thunder still flickered and lingered in the sky like roaming flood dragons. Thunder like that was undoubtedly a major disaster.

A great deal of electrical charge remained in the air. Simply drawing near made their scalps tingle.

Yet it was not even one ten-thousandth as intimidating as the thunder from before.

It was precisely because of that that the appearance of that figure had left everyone utterly shocked.

What was even stranger was that,

when they faced these soldiers, they felt the same astonishing aura, identical to that of the person they had seen walking out of the thunder.

After recounting the scene, a City Defense Force member could not help but ask, "Sir, what exactly happened? Tai City has felt strange lately."

The officer's expression was cold and stern. "Do not ask what you should not ask. When it is time for you to know, you will know."

The City Defense Force members lowered their heads in awe.

Soon, they were taken away, while several soldiers methodically dealt with the mess at the scene.

Han Li rose to his feet, brushed the mud from his trousers, and stood at the mountaintop, looking toward the center of the thunderstorm.

There had originally been a temple there, but it had now been churned into ruins by the thunder. A Buddha statue was buried halfway in the earth, its head completely shattered.

The surrounding hotels, guesthouses, and other buildings had not escaped either. After the thunderstorm passed through, nothing had remained—except for one survivor.

That survivor had walked out of the blazing thunder right in front of three City Defense Force members.

Yet amid the devastation, he had surprisingly failed to find even the slightest clue related to that person.

"Another Pioneer? This is the sixty-sixth Pioneer discovered in Tai City... He walked out from the center of the thunderstorm on Jade Emperor Peak unscathed. According to witnesses, his demeanor was ferocious... Hmm, let's temporarily assign him the codename 'Tyrant.'"

"Looks like he gained quite an opportunity from that thunderstorm."

"Pioneers in this era are either lucky enough to have an opportunity fall into their laps by chance, or they are gifted elites with keen instincts... This Tyrant appears to have had a purpose. He deliberately approached the heavenly phenomenon of Spirit Qi Recovery."

"People like this are the most frightening. We do not know which side they stand on. If they pose a threat to society, the disaster they bring would be no less than an [Anomaly]... We must begin a population census as soon as possible and find him."

"Our top priority is to lock down the news and release some misinformation about a natural disaster."

Han Li suddenly felt irritated. He reached into his pocket for a cigarette, only to come up empty.

His brows furrowed tightly.

At last, he slowly dialed a number.

Fang Yi did not know

that because of him, many people would remain sleepless through the night.

In the apartment, on the sofa.

Fang Yi was testing out his Thunder Right Hand.

After he infused it with the Thunder Attribute, his right hand underwent obvious changes.

Silver-white lightning-shaped tattoos spread across his palm and the back of his hand. When he lightly clenched his fist, lightning surged within his palm.

"It really feels completely different with an Attribute infused. My right hand has become the toughest part of my body, and the Thunder Attribute has greatly strengthened its attack power."

What was more,

the Thunder Attribute possessed a unique critical-hit effect against Fiends.

It dealt 300% critical damage against Fiends.

In other words, when facing creatures with evil Attributes, Fang Yi could swing his hand with full force and produce a clap of thunder!

Lightning moved in his palm, critical hits firing in rapid succession!

It was simply a Fiend's nightmare.

Not only that, these thunderclaps would also inflict enormous damage when attacking Fiends. If used properly, it was even possible to kill a Fiend with a single slap!

Killing a creature with an evil Attribute in one slap.

That normally required overwhelming suppression through High-level Attributes or a sufficient gap in cultivation realm. Yet now, Fang Yi's right hand could reach that level.

It counted as a pretty good trump card.

A smile played on Fang Yi's lips as he clenched his hand.

Thunder erupted wildly from his palm, its blazing white light so bright it was impossible to keep one's eyes open.

Like an obedient, docile kitten.

"Would I count as one of the top Pioneers now?"