Thunder That Shocks the World

The sky suddenly darkened as if black clouds were pressing in, the wind gradually subsided, and an oppressive silence fell over the city.

Thunderclouds gathered above Changling County, their rumbling incredibly powerful!

Inside the County Magistrate's mansion.

A middle-aged man put down his brush and hurried out of his study. Staring at the churning, surging thunderclouds on the horizon, he couldn't help but show a look of shock.

"What in the world is happening?!"

This celestial anomaly had arrived so suddenly and was so bizarre, it was unheard of!

"County Magistrate Tang! It looks like a rare torrential rain is coming!" An elder in official attire rushed over.

"Quickly order people to prepare flood prevention measures, lest the surrounding residential areas be washed away by the accumulated rainwater."

County Magistrate Tang's expression grew grim. He immediately flicked his sleeve and gave the order, "Tell everyone in the county to return home quickly and not to wander outside carelessly."

Subordinate officials kept coming forward to ask for instructions. The bustling crowd and the frantic activity within the County Magistrate's mansion left everyone overwhelmed.

However, his gaze kept drifting to the horizon, watching the terrifying thunderclouds where lightning flashed intermittently, his expression filled with unease and doubt.

Could it be an illusion?

These thunderclouds...

Why are they lingering without falling, as if intentionally accumulating power?

The thunder rumbling within the black clouds seemed to be turning from blue to purple, and after the flashing lightning, faint dragon shadows could be seen coiling—

In an instant, County Magistrate Tang felt a surge of fear. His face contorted in alarm as he shouted loudly:

"Send out the yamen runners! Disperse the residents from the area under those thunderclouds as quickly as possible!"

A disaster of immense scale is about to befall Changling!

The tavern was crowded with people seeking shelter from the rain.

Discussions buzzed all around, with everyone complaining about the suddenness of the thunderstorm, interspersed with the shouts and clamor of drinking.

In a corner by the window sat a tall, straight figure, clad in a straw cloak, with a noble bearing that hinted at the demeanor of a reclusive master.

But this person was now staring intently at the flashing thunderclouds above, constantly performing divination with his hands.

"A celestial anomaly, suppressing all living beings. Blue lightning and purple electricity, heavenly might vast and mighty. These thunderclouds are by no means naturally formed; they are like a calamity descending from the heavens... Could it be that an unparalleled demon is lurking within Changling County, its cultivation so terrifying that it requires heavenly law to suppress it?!"

"As soon as I arrived in the county, I heard many rumors, suggesting numerous evil spirits were causing trouble and people had died. Could these thunderclouds—"

"Wait!"

He quickly took out a palm-sized compass, but his hand trembled, making it difficult to hold.

"Why is the Scattered Stars Eight Trigrams Disk shaking so violently, and this soul-seeking pointer... is spinning rapidly?!"

This item was extraordinary, capable of tracking the true form of Yin and evil, and sensing changes in wind and clouds. He usually relied on it to find many ghosts.

But now...

The compass seemed to be spinning wildly as if driven mad!

His face gradually turned pale, and sweat broke out on his forehead.

"How can this be? How can this be?! The Eight Trigrams Disk has never been wrong; it could accurately locate even evil spirits and strange ghosts, but now... Could it be that Changling County is truly a devil's den, and all the terrifying demons in heaven and earth are hiding here?!"

His heart trembled. He looked up again, observing the patrons, farmers, and servants whom the compass pointer swept over...

A tavern boy carrying a wine pot happened to pass by and glanced back at him with a puzzled expression.

The man in the straw cloak immediately broke out in a cold sweat, feeling as if he were sitting on pins and needles!

"This is bad! Have I stumbled into a devil's den... Is this my destined great calamity?!"

He swallowed hard, leaning on the wooden table to stand up, his legs feeling weak.

A faint cracking sound echoed.

His face startled, he quickly looked down at the Eight Trigrams Disk in his arms and was horrified to find cracks spreading across it!

An indescribable fear washed over him, and he no longer hesitated.

"This place... this Changling County is truly terrifying! I must leave!!"

In the inn across the street.

A black-haired girl, about twelve or thirteen years old, stood by the window. She had a delicate and cute face, with braids hanging down to her chest, and wore a Daoist robe and skirt with a fairy-like aura, exuding a faint ethereal spirit.

But at this moment, she wore a heavy expression that belied her age.

Her gaze swept across the street and happened to see the man in the straw cloak fleeing desperately in the rain, his retreating figure looking extremely panicked.

"That Daoist Hu Sang is quite famous, skilled in martial arts, and adept at Feng Shui and spiritual communication. Yet, even he is fleeing in terror, not daring to linger for even a moment despite the pouring rain."

"Great-Grandfather specifically sent me a letter asking me to come here for a visit. Could it be that he wants me to gain experience here?"

She looked up again at the thunder rumbling within the black clouds...

Her face was already ashen pale.

Even though she was the most gifted prodigy among her clan's generations, possessing extraordinary cultivation at a young age, she still felt insignificant, like an ant, when gazing at the majestic heavenly might. It felt as if she could turn into dust and vanish into the heavens and earth in an instant.

"A place for training like this... is it, is it perhaps too dangerous?"

The young girl hugged her shoulders, her body trembling uncontrollably.

She...

Also wanted to flee this place like Daoist Hu Sang.

But her limbs were already frozen stiff, making it impossible to even take a step.

She could only watch the sky full of lightning, her entire body chilled to the bone, the thunderous roars shaking her heart, almost shattering her mind. Her originally bright, starlike eyes gradually lost their focus.

With the limited experience of her short life, she couldn't comprehend what the scene before her meant, nor what had happened.

Meanwhile--

Lin Tianlu rushed to the backyard, taking the clothes off the drying rack one by one.

"This rain, it just starts pouring without any warning!"

He couldn't help but complain a couple of times, gathering all the clothes in his arms and hurrying back inside through the drizzle.

However, a glance out of the corner of his eye made him stare in shock as he saw Mao Ruoyu, pale-faced, leaning on a chair, walking with difficulty.

"Madam Mao?!"

He quickly dropped the clothes and went to help her, "Is something wrong with your body again?"

"This humble one doesn't know... I just feel uneasy and my breathing is obstructed, as if danger is approaching." Mao Ruoyu shook her head weakly.

Lin Tianlu frowned slightly, then simply picked her up. He didn't have time to pay attention to the soft touch in his arms and immediately strode out the door.

"Mis-, Mister?"

"It's better to see a doctor sooner. If you push yourself, a small illness can become a serious one."

But as he reached the door, he saw that it was already pouring rain outside.

"How troublesome!"

Lin Tianlu's gaze turned cold as he swept over the dark sky outside.

The streaks of lightning seemed so glaring and annoying now.

He simply took off his outer robe to shield Mao Ruoyu in his arms, activated the Soaring Dragon Phantom Step he had just learned, and prepared to rush to the county's medical clinic.

Just at this moment, the circling thunder in the sky above had condensed into a purplish-black color, faintly resembling the birth of a thunder dragon, like a world-ending catastrophe. Just a wisp of its aura scattering caused the entire Changling County to fall into sudden silence, making the rumbling thunder sound even more--

"What the hell are you rumbling about!"

Lin Tianlu suddenly cursed.

Seeing the woman in his arms frown repeatedly due to the thunder, even on the verge of fainting. He felt a surge of anger, clicking his tongue and shouting, "Why are you even thundering! Not thundering earlier, not thundering later, just targeting patients and disturbing people's peace. Just go find a tree and strike it, then get lost!"

"..."

The earth-shattering thunder seemed to pause for a moment.

Lin Tianlu exhaled a breath of stale air fiercely, focusing on his rapid steps, leaving a trail of afterimages in the deserted street.

The dark clouds surged like monstrous waves, and a streak of purplish-black light seemed to find its target's energy, piercing through the clouds. The world-ending power threatened to split the sky--

And struck directly towards Lin Tianlu's head!

But at the moment the thunder dragon descended, this world-shocking power suddenly froze. The lightning that should have struck abruptly changed course and instead blasted into Lin Tianlu's courtyard, shaking the ground violently.

At the same time, a soaring sword energy was born, ringing clearly and whistling straight into the sky, quietly dispersing the sun-obscuring black clouds that covered the heavens. The thunder and rain gradually subsided.

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