105: It's just a gathering place for ants, not worth mentioning.

Zhou Yuan knelt on the ground, his body trembling like a withered leaf in the wind, his forehead pressed tightly against the cold, rough ground, not daring to even breathe.

His mind was blank, leaving only boundless fear.

His Elder brother Zhou Tianxiao, the pillar of the Mysterious Thunder Sect and a Fifth-Rank powerhouse, had just been killed right before his eyes, his head smashed in by a casual slap from Chen Nian.

Along with the powerful Elders of the Sect, they were all instantly killed like mere dogs or chickens.

This was not a battle at all; it was a crushing defeat, a cold, indifferent gaze of a god upon the mortal world!

His only thought now was to pray that this god of slaughter would not take his anger out on the entire Mysterious Thunder Sect.

The centuries-old foundation of the Mysterious Thunder Sect and the lives of thousands of Disciples were now tied to him, hanging by a single thought from Chen Nian.

Zhou Yuan did not hesitate in the slightest.

He shuddered violently, then scrambled on his hands and knees, rushing to Chen Nian's feet.

"Thud!"

He prostrated himself completely, his forehead slamming heavily against the cold, cracked ground.

"Special... Special Commissioner Chen... Spare me! Spare me!"

"Today's events... it was all... it was all Zhou Tianxiao and these Elders acting on their own! They were blinded by greed, they were possessed by demons!"

"We... the rest of us in the Mysterious Thunder Sect have absolutely no ill intentions toward the Spiritual Energy Bureau or you!"

"I... I even tried to persuade him just now! But he wouldn't listen at all! I... I have nothing to do with this! Please, Special Commissioner, investigate the truth!"

In order to survive, Zhou Yuan pushed all the responsibility away, clearing his own name completely.

He buried his head in the ground, his body trembling like a leaf in the wind, waiting for the judgment that would decide his fate.

Chen Nian looked down at the trembling Zhou Yuan at his feet, his face expressionless.

He didn't actually care much about the survival of the Mysterious Thunder Sect.

It was just a gathering place for ants; whether it lived or died made no difference to him.

However, the Mysterious Thunder Sect had been entrenched in Donghai City for many years, with deep-rooted influence. If it were completely destroyed, it would inevitably cause a massive power vacuum and the subsequent chaos.

He wasn't a bad person, so naturally, he didn't want such things to happen.

But dealing with these aftermaths would take a lot of time and energy.

Chen Nian hated trouble the most.

In comparison, supporting an obedient Puppet to take over this ready-made structure was undoubtedly the most efficient and effortless choice.

The guy in front of him named Zhou Yuan was quite sensible; his attitude along the way had been respectful, and he hadn't done anything strange.

Maybe he'll do.

"Alright, I get it."

Chen Nian spoke indifferently, his voice devoid of emotion.

However, Zhou Yuan felt as if he had been granted an amnesty.

He still didn't dare to look directly at Chen Nian, but his tone became even more respectful: "Thank you, Special Commissioner Chen! Thank you, Special Commissioner Chen, for sparing my life!"

"Zhou Tianxiao has been executed, and the Mysterious Thunder Sect cannot go a day without a leader." Chen Nian looked at him, his tone flat but carrying an unquestionable weight. "From now on, you are the new Sect Master of the Mysterious Thunder Sect."

Hearing this, Zhou Yuan was stunned for a moment and jerked his head up.

His face was filled with disbelief and immense surprise.

The position of Sect Master!

This was a position he had once dreamed of, but never dared to truly hope for!

Now, it had just fallen onto his head so easily?

All because of a single sentence from the man in front of him!

Although it was just a light sentence, he did not doubt the decisiveness of those words at all.

The massive shock made him forget how to react for a moment.

"What? You don't want to?" Chen Nian raised an eyebrow slightly.

Zhou Yuan shuddered and instantly came back to his senses: "I am willing! I am! Your subordinate is absolutely willing!"

His voice trembled with excitement, and he bowed deeply again.

"Your subordinate Zhou Yuan will strictly follow Special Commissioner Chen's orders. From now on, the entire Mysterious Thunder Sect will follow your lead. Whatever you command, the Mysterious Thunder Sect will not hesitate, even at the cost of our lives!"

While ecstatic in his heart, he felt even more solemn.

He knew very well how he had obtained this Sect Master position.

His power, and even the survival of the Mysterious Thunder Sect, came entirely from Chen Nian's approval.

This approval required him to trade it for absolute loyalty and value.

"Very good." Chen Nian nodded, satisfied with his attitude. "From now on, the Mysterious Thunder Sect is yours. I don't want to hear any more negative news about the Mysterious Thunder Sect, understand?"

Zhou Yuan quickly promised:

"Understood! Your subordinate understands!"

"Please rest assured, Special Commissioner Chen. Your subordinate will definitely reorganize the Sect as quickly as possible, clear out all destabilizing factors, and will never cause you any more trouble!"

"From now on, the Mysterious Thunder Sect will be the most loyal affiliate of the Spiritual Energy Bureau, fully cooperating with all the Bureau's actions!"

"Hmm." Chen Nian nodded with satisfaction.

Just then, a burst of urgent sirens approached from afar, piercing through the deathly silent street.

Several black off-road vehicles marked with the special emblem of the Spiritual Energy Bureau arrived quickly at the scene.

The car doors flew open, and a large team of fully armed Spiritual Energy Bureau Agents wearing black combat uniforms rushed down, professionally sealing off the scene.

A middle-aged man who appeared to be the team leader walked over quickly.

When he saw the gruesome state of the scene, even he, accustomed to all kinds of bloody scenes, couldn't help but gasp.

The entire street looked as if it had been plowed by a meteorite.

The ground was shattered, buildings were damaged, and the air still held the burnt smell of lightning and the nauseating stench of blood.

And what shocked him the most was the minced meat scattered on the ground, and that headless corpse lying in a pool of blood, which was exceptionally conspicuous.

"This... this is the uniform of the Mysterious Thunder Sect..."

A young Special Agent leaned closer and said in surprise.

The middle-aged man leading the team quickly noticed the only figure standing in the middle of the field.

And the other person kneeling at his feet.

When he saw Chen Nian's face, and Zhou Yuan's attire as the second-in-command of the Mysterious Thunder Sect, a terrifying thought instantly flooded his mind.

He dared not delay, quickly stepping forward, stopping five paces away from Chen Nian, and bowed respectfully.

"Special Commissioner Chen!"

His posture was extremely low, even carrying a hint of imperceptible awe.

However, Chen Nian just glanced at the scene casually and said indifferently: "Alright, you guys clean up the scene."

He said it casually, concise and to the point.

However, the man did not hesitate at all, immediately straightened his body, and respectfully replied: "Yes!"

Then, he turned around and shouted sternly at his subordinates: "What are you all standing around for? Quickly seal off the scene and clean up!"

Hearing this, the Spiritual Energy Bureau Agents quickly came back to their senses and replied in unison: "Yes, Captain!"

Subsequently, the Spiritual Energy Bureau Agents immediately took action, beginning to deal with the battlefield in an orderly manner.

Chen Nian no longer paid attention to the busy Spiritual Energy Bureau personnel.

He turned to Zhou Yuan, who was still kneeling on the ground, and said: "Continue back to the headquarters."

Zhou Yuan was stunned for a moment, then quickly came back to his senses.

"Yes... yes!"

He quickly trotted forward, personally opening the car door for Chen Nian, his posture humble to the extreme.

He watched Chen Nian get into the car, then carefully closed the door and trotted over to sit in the passenger seat.

He urged the shaken driver: "Drive, take Special Commissioner Chen back to the Spiritual Energy Bureau headquarters, and drive steadily!"

The vehicle slowly started and drove away from the street that looked like it had been ravaged by a storm.

Not until the vehicle had driven some distance did Zhou Yuan let out a sigh of relief, feeling as if he had collapsed, his back already soaked in cold sweat.

Recalling the scenes from just moments ago, he still felt a lingering fear.

In his eyes, there was fear, there was unease, but more than that, it was an indescribable ambition and excitement.

The era had changed.

The sky over Donghai City had completely changed from this day on.

And he, Zhou Yuan, had grasped the thickest rope in this transformation.