173: Chapter 173 The real culprit behind the power outage has been found! And it turns out to be a naked high school student?!

Jiangcheng Power Bureau, Dispatch Center.

When Lieutenant Colonel Chu Feng arrived,

Director Wang Gang had already pulled his few remaining hairs into a disheveled mess.

"Lieutenant Colonel Chu! You're finally here!"

As soon as Director Wang Gang saw the military uniform, it was as if he had seen a long-lost relative, and he almost threw himself forward to hug Chu Feng's leg.

"It's definitely Tier 7! It must be a Tier 7 King-class Thunder Beast rampaging in the city and sucking up electricity!"

"Look at this data, this is fucking impossible for a human to do!"

Lieutenant Colonel Chu Feng took the report, his eye twitching involuntarily.

A Tier 7 King-class Thunder Beast? Have you even seen what a Tier 7 Source Beast looks like?

If one of those things really entered the city, we wouldn't just be having a city-wide blackout right now—the whole city would be hosting funerals.

But... hehe, this bro has!

A Tier 7 Scorpion King, though it was the kind that had been beaten into mush.

Su Ming's face inexplicably flashed across Lieutenant Colonel Chu Feng's mind...

Lieutenant Colonel Chu Feng was also feeling annoyed.

What kind of day was today?

Early in the morning, he had gone to Jiangcheng No. 1 High School to handle that kid Su Ming's military merits,

and then experienced the most despairing and frustrating Tier 7 battle of his life.

He had barely sat down back at base when a phone call from Commander Qin Luo dispatched him once again to deal with the city-wide blackout.

He was an ice-type Awakened, not an electrician!

I haven't even finished writing my report yet...!

While he was brooding, the military terminal on his wrist suddenly vibrated.

A new warning pop-up appeared.

It wasn't from the power System.

It was from the Jiangcheng Energy Detection Bureau.

Lieutenant Colonel Chu Feng tapped it open, glanced at the content, and his pupils shrank.

[Priority: Class A]

[Type: Gravitational Anomaly Pulse]

[Intensity: Exceeds the range of civilian monitoring equipment]

[Source Direction: North City Ruins, locking onto specific coordinates...]

[Remarks: Pulse is still ongoing, specific situation unknown.]

Gravitational anomaly?

North City Ruins?

Lieutenant Colonel Chu Feng stared in the direction of those coordinates.

First, there was electricity theft tonight, and now a gravitational pulse pops up. The two events happened almost back-to-back.

One lightning, one gravity.

What the hell is going on?

What is Jiangcheng tonight, some kind of limited-time event?

Is every freak and monster lining up to cause trouble?

Lieutenant Colonel Chu Feng cursed inwardly.

Each one is more ridiculous than the last!

He was just preparing to dispatch people to investigate the gravity source...

*Beep...!*

The main screen of the technical team flashed red again!

Everyone's eyes shot over in unison.

A new Source Energy monitoring alarm.

[Stable and continuous eruption of lightning-attribute Source Energy detected!]

[Location: Jiangcheng City Center, central area of the Heaven on Earth Club!]

[Source Energy Intensity: Accompanied by continuous lightning Source Energy radiation! ...Approaching Tier 4!]

[This Source Energy signal highly coincides with the timeline of the city-wide power grid collapse!]

Now, the attention of the entire dispatch room was drawn there.

"Found it! In the city center!"

"Heaven on Earth? Isn't that that Advanced bathhouse club?"

"No wonder... A Tier 7 Thunder Beast shapeshifting to infiltrate a human settlement, a classic predatory camouflage behavior!"

Director Wang Gang slapped his thigh on the spot, as if finding a lifeline, and roared excitedly, "What did I tell you! After the Thunder Beast sucks up the electricity, it will inevitably find a place to digest it, during which lightning energy will definitely leak out!"

He pointed at the glaring red dot on the screen, then turned back to point at the report of the gravitational anomaly.

Lieutenant Colonel Chu Feng remained silent.

He looked at the gravity signal from the East City Ruins, then at the lightning signal from Heaven on Earth in the city center.

One was a Class A gravitational pulse that went off the charts,

but it seemed the organization hadn't given any further updates.

The other was a continuous and stable Tier 4 lightning Source Energy being released in real-time, with solid evidence.

Comparing the two...

Lieutenant Colonel Chu Feng made his judgment.

Although he felt something was off in his heart,

a soldier's instinct dictated that he must prioritize the most definite and dangerous target.

Suddenly, Su Ming's face, always wearing that smug grin, flashed through his mind.

Damn it, it couldn't be that kid's doing, could it?!

But no matter how he looked at it, that kid didn't seem like someone who would expose his own location...

Could there really be another monster in Jiangcheng?

He shook his head, temporarily suppressing that thought.

"All special forces teams!"

Lieutenant Colonel Chu Feng grabbed the communicator on the desk, his voice cold.

"Target locked on 'Heaven on Earth' in the city center. Everyone equip Tier 3 combat gear and prepare to surround and breach!"

...

Meanwhile, in the Imperial Suite of "Heaven on Earth."

Although the entire city was blacked out, the room was as bright as day.

Ye Xiao was that very human walking lightbulb.

The [Nine Heavens Thunder Body] talent on his body's surface was triggered by the chaotic external electromagnetic field,

uncontrollably emitting dazzling azure electric arcs, making him look like a Thunder God descending to the mortal Realm.

At this moment, with his left arm around the soft and warm Wan'er and his right arm holding the charming Ling'er,

he struck a peerlessly aloof pose of "my fate is determined by me, not by heaven," with his chin tilted so high it was almost poking the ceiling.

"Did you see that, sisters?"

Feeling the slight trembling of the two soft bodies in his arms and the adoration overflowing from their eyes,

his heart swelled with heroic pride.

"This city-wide blackout phenomenon is because I just listened to the thunder to comprehend the Dao, felt a sudden inspiration, and triggered the resonance of heaven and earth, resulting in heaven's jealousy!"

Wan'er and Ling'er had never seen such a scene before and were already completely dumbfounded,

letting out gasps of surprise in cooperation, looking at Ye Xiao as if they were looking at a walking deity.

"Young Master Ye, you... you are simply too amazing!"

"Yeah, yeah! We thought it was just a power outage, but it turns out you were Cultivating!"

Listening to these praises, Ye Xiao felt like he was about to float into the sky.

He felt that Su Ming was right—this kind of place really could temper one's Dao Heart...

See? Didn't I just comprehend it on the spot?

*Bang...!!!*

With a deafening boom, that highly expensive special alloy explosion-proof door

was violently kicked open from the outside,

hurtling through the air and smashing into the opposite wall, shattering into pieces.

Over a dozen blinding beams of tactical flashlights

instantly locked onto the figure bathed in lightning on the large bed.

Fully armed, Lieutenant Colonel Chu Feng held the latest model of a Tier 5 Source Energy rifle,

followed by a squad of murderous-looking Crisis Special Forces members,

their dark muzzles pointing in unison at Ye Xiao.

"Don't move!"

The special forces members looked at the figure in the darkness shrouded in lightning, facing a heavy encirclement without a shred of fear,

and they couldn't help but gasp.

It's him!

It must be that high-level Thunder Beast shapeshifter who sucked the 500kV ultra-high voltage substation dry in one go!

Look at this Aura, look at this style—there's no mistake!

The atmosphere instantly became extremely tense!

However, in the face of over a dozen heavy weapons that could easily tear through the defense of a Tier 5 Source Beast,

Ye Xiao was not flustered in the slightest; instead, he burst into wild laughter.

"Hahaha! Well met!"

He understood!

This must be the military sensing his supreme Aura when he broke through his Realm,

and they had specifically come to "recruit talents," preparing to enlist him as an exception!

He had long heard that for those top Geniuses who suddenly burst onto the scene, the Federal Military

would have special channels to directly bring them into the core sequence for nurturing.

To think that I, Ye Xiao, would also have a day where I can stand shoulder to shoulder with that fellow Su Ming!

Today is the day that I, Ye Xiao, the Successor of the Lightning Dao, make my name known throughout Jiangcheng!

Thinking of this, he shoved the two beauties in his arms aside,

violently whipped off the thin silk blanket covering him, and stood up from the bed stark naked!

Under everyone's astonished gazes, he bent his legs slightly,

assuming the starting stance of the [Nine Heavens Thunder Fist],

lightning surging across his entire body as he bellowed with full force at Lieutenant Colonel Chu Feng and the others at the door:

"Well met! I am the orthodox lineage of the Lightning Dao, the Qilin child of the Ye Family! You are fortunate today to witness with your own eyes my supreme lightning power..."

His roar was like a resonant bell, containing the thunderous vibration of the [Nine Heavens Thunder Body],

actually causing the eardrums of several special forces members to buzz, and even Lieutenant Colonel Chu Feng subconsciously took half a step back.

This kid has quite an impressive Aura!

But in the next second, a special forces member leaned close to Director Wang Gang's ear and whispered in an extremely low voice.

"Director Wang... no matter how you look at it... this is just a high schooler who got caught red-handed visiting prostitutes without paying..."

Although the voice was quiet, it was exceptionally clear in the silent room.

The tense, murderous atmosphere on the scene instantly collapsed.

It was comical, absurd, and ridiculous.

Lieutenant Colonel Chu Feng focused his gaze. Once the lightning dimmed slightly and he clearly saw that face, his entire face turned as black as the bottom of a pot.

Ye Xiao?!

That little martial idiot from the Magic City's Ye Family?

Why is he here?!

Lieutenant Colonel Chu Feng suppressed the urge to slap this embarrassing piece of work to death, took a step forward,

and pointed at the thunderclouds outside the window that had not yet dispersed and the dead-silent urban area, questioning coldly:

"Kid, don't tell me this city-wide power grid anomaly and this sky full of thunderstorms were all caused by you?"

As he questioned him, he was still wondering about that fleeting gravitational signal in his heart.

Where is that kid Su Ming? Why is he the only one here?

Ye Xiao was currently at the Peak of his blind self-confidence,

and did not detect the Killing Intent in Lieutenant Colonel Chu Feng's words at all.

He only took this as the final test from a military big shot!

With a wave of his hand, his posture was arrogant, as if a king reviewing his territory.

"That's right!"

"All of this is a phenomenon triggered by this young master listening to the thunder to comprehend the Dao and touching upon the lightning Origin!"

"You do not need to panic; this is a sign of a powerhouse being born! Once I stabilize my Realm, the Jiangcheng power grid will naturally return to normal!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire venue fell into a dead silence once more.

Director Wang Gang and the special forces members were all dumbfounded.

Holy shit! This posturing was so fresh and refined,

it was simply unheard of!

Lieutenant Colonel Chu Feng was so angry his head spun, and he almost lost his composure.

Calm the fuck down!

Lightning Origin? I'll let you taste the ice Origin!

Tier 5 · Platinum ice-type Source Energy suddenly erupted from his body!

*Crack!*

The moisture in the air instantly condensed into ice crystals, and the temperature of the entire Imperial Suite plummeted.

Lieutenant Colonel Chu Feng took a step forward, his figure as fast as a phantom, appearing directly in front of Ye Xiao.

Before that kid could react,

a massive slap packed with bone-chilling cold energy

landed squarely on his head.

*Slap!*

A crisp, explosive sound echoed.

In the face of Tier 5 · Platinum Source Energy, the protective lightning on Ye Xiao's body

was as fragile as a soap bubble, collapsing instantly upon contact.

He was spun around two and a half times by the slap, seeing stars,

and fell limply to his knees, clutching his face and grimacing in pain.

Lieutenant Colonel Chu Feng withdrew his hand, looking down at this naked "Thunder God,"

his tone filled with undisguised mockery.

"Listening to the thunder to comprehend the Dao? I think you're just a clown putting on a show, helping me find you, you unlucky bastard."

"Obviously, with your mere pseudo-Tier 4 strength,

you aren't worthy of draining 500,000 volts of ultra-high voltage in one go."

He didn't bother wasting any more words and simply waved his hand.

"Handcuff him and take him back for interrogation!"

Two special forces members stepped forward,

locking the still-dazed Ye Xiao with Source Energy Suppressing Handcuffs.

Ye Xiao's face was filled with frustration and confusion.

For the life of him, he couldn't figure it out.

What was going on?

How did that "Thunder God Realm" from just now, where he controlled everything and his word was law, turn out to be...

how was it as fragile as a sheet of paper?

Did I comprehend a fake Dao?

"Wait!! I really comprehended the Dao!"

He turned his head back desperately, his face full of grievance,

"Aren't you guys here to recruit me?!"

Lieutenant Colonel Chu Feng didn't even turn his head.

"Put on your pants before you talk."

Ye Xiao looked down.

He was stark naked, without a single thread on him.

Meanwhile, the corridor was already packed with staff members who had gathered to watch after hearing the commotion.

Over a dozen pairs of eyes stared straight at him.

Ye Xiao's face turned from a swollen red to a socially deceased purple.

"My... my pants..."

...