Chapter 245 - 153: Annihilation of Thunder Extreme, Different Life Trajectories

「One day later.」

The fiery sun slowly ascended into the sky. Its warm rays pierced through the gray clouds, showering the land below.

A glance across the Iron Ring District revealed that many streets had fractured pavement, and lampposts had toppled over or were leaning askew.

The walls on both sides of the alleyways were riddled with cracks and collapses. Cars parked on the roadside were twisted and mangled, and in some corners, severed cables still smoldered with a flicker of flame.

"Has the sun come up...?"

The residents hiding in their buildings were all pale-faced, their eyes bloodshot and weary.

Hunger, exhaustion, terror...

The sounds of gunfire, which had raged for a full day and night, had ceased at some unknown point. Even so, no one dared to truly fall asleep.

The war outside the city walls had also come to an abrupt halt, and no one knew the reason why.

Looking up, they could only see the Superpower Bureau’s hovercars silently gliding across the sky outside their windows, quietly patrolling the entire city.

On the streets below, Patrol Department vehicles flashed their red and blue lights as they drove through main thoroughfares and back alleys, beginning to order repairs on the roads and treat the wounded.

It seemed as if this scene had begun in the middle of the night, but no one had dared to venture out to see what was happening.

But now, with the sounds of battle completely silenced, a flurry of news reports began to broadcast on time, appearing on screens throughout the streets and alleys.

[Wilderness Daily: Through the heroic efforts of the City Defense Department, the great warlord Lu Shan has been defeated. His forces suffered heavy casualties and have retreated to the Red River... According to frontline reports, the bodies of five Superpower Level experts from the warlord’s forces were discovered at the scene, along with an unspecified number of other casualties among his soldiers, estimated to be at least several thousand.]

[Ring Daily: The Superpower Bureau has announced the completion of a special joint operation with the Patrol Department. The Rebels within the city have been almost completely wiped out. Only their leader, Legos, and an accomplice who aided his escape are still at large. All citizens are urged to report any leads...]

[City Morning Paper: It is reported that Yao Capital has dispatched a special commissioner to Ring City, ordering the Five Major Enterprises to disband their punitive forces. It was also announced that they will temporarily take over the affairs of the Political Affairs Department to begin urban restoration work and provide more employment opportunities for the city’s residents...]

News alerts from various sources flooded everyone’s com-watches, and similar reports played on the large screens in trolley stations and shopping malls, causing the people of the Iron Ring District to stare wide-eyed in disbelief.

Countless people took the last report to heart. Their haggard, numb expressions shifted to ones of excitement and trepidation, as if they had just seen a glimmer of hope for survival.

In the Inner Ring of the city, the Five Major Enterprises fell silent.

The directors of every branch were in a gloomy mood, yet they had to force a smile as they watched the man in the sharp black suit walk into the conference room.

His calm and composed face held no threat, but his mere presence was enough to stop anyone from daring to mention their past grievances.

For a time, the fiery July sun showered down its light, bringing a growing warmth.

Patrol teams from the Superpower Bureau and the Patrol Department gradually spread throughout the city, hunting for the remaining suspects and doing their best to rescue more of the wounded.

In contrast, inside the magnificent building of the Thunder Extreme Martial Arts Hall, with its massive floor-to-ceiling windows...

CLICK. The door to the third-floor lounge was pushed open.

Zhan Diao and Lei Chongming, having partially recovered from their injuries, were just getting out of bed to stretch their bodies. They occasionally glanced with curiosity toward the Iron Ring District across the river, visible through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Hearing the noise, they both spun around to look.

A tall figure in a sky-blue martial arts uniform walked in from outside, his cold, stern face as expressionless as ever.

"Senior Brother?"

Zhan Diao looked at him, a little surprised.

Lei Chongming was also taken aback and asked in confusion, "Senior Brother Wu, didn’t you go with Father to the Jinshi Boxing Hall?"

"Could it be..."

"It’s over."

Wu Yuntao said calmly, slowly walking up to the two of them.

Zhan Diao and Lei Chongming froze for a moment, then, assuming their revenge had been exacted, their expressions instantly became ecstatic.

"Was the Jinshi Boxing Hall wiped out? That old dog Luo Qianshan must be dead, right?"

"And what about that little bastard named Lu? Senior Brother Wu, did the punitive force send back word? Did they eliminate him?"

The two of them fired off questions one after another as Wu Yuntao walked silently to stand before them.

His eyes were cold, yet tinged with a hint of pity.

Sensing that something was wrong, Zhan Diao felt a flicker of confusion.

’Something’s wrong.’

’Why didn’t Master come back with him?’

The thought flashed through his mind, but before he could speak—

CRACK!

His head twisted a full one hundred and eighty degrees. His body crumpled to the ground, dead.

Beside him, Lei Chongming’s eyes went wide with horror.

In his line of sight, Wu Yuntao, having just effortlessly killed Zhan Diao with a twist of his hands, turned his head to look at him.

"Senior Brother Wu, you—"

SNAP!

His words were cut short as Wu Yuntao’s hand clamped around his neck.

His body went limp, his feet leaving the floor as Wu Yuntao lifted him into the air with one arm.

"You know, I despise you all."

His tone was cold. Wu Yuntao looked at Lei Chongming, whose face was flushing red, his eyes filled with terror and disbelief as he struggled. "Your talent is mediocre, yet you get to enjoy all those resources so complacently."

"At least the trash from the orphanage could provide me with some sustenance. But garbage like you... you’re just an eyesore."

The words tumbled out, a torrent revealing his true feelings.

Lei Chongming’s face stiffened in disbelief.

But before he could struggle again—

CRACK!

His neck broke. The light faded from his eyes, and he died.

It wasn’t just him. The entire Thunder Extreme Martial Arts Hall was now eerily quiet.

The floor-to-ceiling windows were splattered with blood, and disciples lay dead on the floor.

The first-floor hall, the second-floor corridor, the quiet rear courtyard.

From the barbells and equipment in the training area to the metal posts, from the lounge to the changing rooms... figures lay in pools of their own blood, all of them dead.