"It's the Thunder Bureau! They've surrounded us!"
"Quick! Get out from the back!"
Panic-stricken voices rose and fell.
Some people panicked and tried to escape through the back door, but as soon as they rushed out, Thunder Bureau members who were already waiting pointed guns at their foreheads.
Some awakened individuals loyal to the O family tried to resist and break through, but just as they gathered their energy, several more violent supernatural attacks arrived first.
"Bang! Bang!"
With the sound of bones shattering and the explosion of energy annihilation, dozens of Ao family awakened individuals who were about to make their move fell to the ground, their fate unknown.
Lei Zhanyong walked ahead expressionlessly, taking the lead.
With a team of elite Thunder Bureau judges behind him, he smashed through the gate of the Ao family with a loud "bang" and strode inside.
A high-level Awakened individual, dressed in the attire of the Ao family and possessing considerable aura, forced himself to remain calm, attempting to buy some time. He deliberately blocked the passageway in front of the gate and sternly questioned Lei Zhanyong, who had barged in:
"Director Lei, what does your Thunder Bureau mean by this?! You've barged into the Ao family's residence without cause. Do you really think we're easy to bully? Is there no law in this Jincheng?!"
Lei Zhanyong didn't even bother to look at him properly, and shoved him away without any hesitation, continuing to walk inside without stopping.
The awakened member of the Ao family stumbled, but after regaining his footing, he was filled with shame and anger, and wanted to chase after him to continue to stop him.
But then a tall judge stepped out from behind Lei Zhanyong, standing like a wall in front of him, holding a stamped official document in his hand.
While demonstrating, the towering judge also shouted in a voice amplified by energy:
"By order of the Central State authorities, the Ao family is suspected of illegally possessing large weapons, harming fellow citizens of the Central State, and colluding with external forces. They must be immediately and thoroughly investigated!"
The sound instantly drowned out the torrential rain and drowned out the gasps and commotion inside the Ao family compound.
The judge then stepped forward to catch up with Lei Zhanyong and continued to announce loudly:
"All direct and collateral members of the Ao family, immediately cease all resistance, remain in place, and await investigation!"
"Those who refuse to cooperate will be considered traitors and will be killed on the spot without exception!"
The final sentence, brimming with murderous intent, resounded like thunder in the sky, echoing in the ears of every member of the Ao family! It utterly shattered their last shred of hope and illusion!
Inside the Austrian council chamber.
The head of the Ao family, Ao Cangbai, sat in the main seat like a clay statue, his hands gripping the cold armrests tightly.
Those clan elders who used to be so arrogant and domineering were now either slumped in their chairs or huddled in corners trembling, completely devoid of their former ferocity.
Ao Cangbai never expected that Zhongzhou and Thunder Bureau would act so quickly.
It was so fast that he didn't even have time to relocate key members or destroy crucial evidence!
We've already lost contact with the Silver City base; they're probably in grave danger.
Ao Cangbai pondered to himself;
This is Jincheng. If we resist, that old man who is in charge of Jincheng will definitely intervene, and there is absolutely no reason for the Ao family to survive.
But if he were to simply surrender and let the Thunder Bureau drag him and his clansmen away like pigs and dogs, becoming prisoners and at the mercy of others, Ao Cangbai, who had dominated his life, would be unwilling to accept it!
While they were pondering and hesitating, the Thunder Bureau Awakeners who rushed into the Ao family had already swiftly taken control of all the Ao family members.
Lei Zhanyong slowly stepped into the Ao family's council hall, his gaze sweeping seriously over the core members of the Ao family.
Just then, a calm and powerful report came from behind Lei Zhanyong, from the judge of the Thunder Bureau:
"Reporting to the director, the operation is going smoothly!"
"Initial resistance has been suppressed, and all members of the Ao family have been brought under control."
"The Au family is completely sealed off; neither their mobility nor teleportation arrays can allow them to leave this place."
After listening to the report, Lei Zhanyong's resolute face remained expressionless. He simply shifted his gaze to the Ao family patriarch sitting before him and responded with a single word in a deep voice:
"good!"
That "good" struck Ao Cangbai and all members of the Ao family like a heavy hammer blow.
The council chamber of the Ao family was deathly silent, as if a cold guillotine was hanging over their necks, with only the deafening thunder and torrential rain outside and the chilling atmosphere of the Thunder Bureau members.
Ao Cangbai sat in the main seat, his eyes showing an abnormal bluish-white tinge.
His cloudy eyes swept over the clan elders below, who were trembling with fear like mud, and the clan members and guards who were forced to kneel on the ground like dead ashes. Then he looked at Lei Zhanyong's cold face, which represented the authority of Zhongzhou.
Ao Cangbai felt a deep sense of sorrow.
The Ao family's accumulated wealth, past glory, and ambitions are likely to be completely destroyed today!
"Ao Cangbai, the Ao family is finished." Lei Zhanyong's voice broke the deathly silence:
“This is Jincheng. You should know better than anyone that any additional resistance is futile and will only increase unnecessary casualties,” Lei Zhanyong advised, clearly not believing that Ao Cangbai could escape from him.
But after all, old age can be quite unpredictable, and there's no guarantee that someone won't be hiding some ultimate trump card, potentially causing meaningless casualties.
Therefore, Lei Zhanyong still hoped that Ao Cangbai would stop resisting, and that winning without bloodshed would be the best outcome.
However, Lei Zhanyong's persuasion was like the last spark that ignited a powder keg.
In Ao Cangbai's eyes, which had been ashen with despair, a spark of near-madness, a desperate gamble, a spark of mutual destruction ignited.
How could he simply surrender and become a prisoner, at the mercy of others?!
"It's over? Hehe... Hahaha!"
Ao Cangbai let out a shrill and maniacal laugh, abruptly standing up from his seat and pointing at Lei Zhanyong:
"Lei Zhanyong! Who do you think you are! How dare you speak to me in that tone?!"
"When I led the Ao family to conquer Jincheng, you were still playing in the mud somewhere!"
Lei Zhanyong's expression was grave; he knew that today's clearing mission was unlikely to go smoothly.
He unleashed his energy first, sending out blinding lightning bolts, intending to suppress the members of the Ao family in the council hall to prevent any unforeseen events.
However, at the very moment Lei Zhanyong unleashed his energy, Ao Cangbai moved.
The previously listless aura on that aged body suddenly surged!
"boom--!!!"
A violent energy far exceeding the limit suddenly erupted, and the circular shockwave shattered the entire council hall!
Even the judges from the Thunder Bureau who were standing outside were pushed back more than ten meters by this powerful shockwave before they could barely regain their footing.
The judges all looked toward the collapsed council chamber, their faces filled with horror.
Such immense power is something that ordinary awakened beings could never possess.
The head of the Ao family is indeed not to be underestimated.
Lei Zhanyong stood still, his body as solid as a mountain, without moving an inch.
The instant the energy of the Aocang cypress erupted, thick bolts of lightning intertwined to form a thunder armor, protecting him completely and easily withstanding the impact.
Lei Zhanyong frowned as he looked at Ao Cangbai.
He noticed that the Ao family's council hall had collapsed in the impact, but the Ao family shrine behind Ao Cangbai remained unscathed.
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