Chapter 30: Police Pursuit, Celestial Phenomenon

As the van sped along, it passed a road sign.

It read: "Natural Scenic Reserve ahead, 5 kilometers."

The human traffickers in the vehicle grew even more excited upon seeing the sign, knowing that their escape was not far off. They couldn't help but fantasize about selling the boy, taking the money, and then heading off to live a life of luxury.

They had no idea.

They were oblivious to the seemingly sudden overcast sky, the dark clouds rapidly piling up above their heads, and the thunderous power continuously accumulating within those clouds!

...

At that moment, the Yanhai City Police Department had also received a report regarding a child abduction.

As Criminal Investigation Captain Liang Yuzhu was the closest to the target location, she led her team in a vehicle, racing toward the Yanhai City Zoo.

As the police pulled surveillance footage along the route, they quickly locked onto the suspicious van.

It was then that Liang Yuzhu realized.

These traffickers were heading straight toward the Natural Scenic Reserve!

The police car pursued them relentlessly.

Watching the traffickers' movements, Liang Yuzhu realized the urgency of the situation. After assessing the situation, she spoke to the officers behind her

"Look, the routes within this scenic reserve are quite complex."

"Since they intend to dive straight in, they must have planned an escape route in advance, including changing vehicles and disguises."

After explaining the severity of the situation, Liang Yuzhu reminded her team that time was running out!

"According to the informant's description, the abducted boy hasn't cried or made a fuss; he was wrapped in a blanket by the traffickers."

"If it weren't for a sharp-eyed companion, the report might not have been made so quickly."

"This suggests the traffickers are using anesthetics. It is difficult to control the dosage of such substances, and given the child's young age..."

"If he remains unconscious for an extended period, it is highly likely to cause irreversible brain damage."

As Liang Yuzhu's words fell, the accompanying officers realized that the difficulty of this case went far beyond that.

One officer, sitting in the police car, stared at the gathering clouds.

The layers of thunderclouds, resembling jagged mountain ranges, occasionally flickered with dancing bolts of electricity. As they drew closer, the mountain-like clouds pressed down heavily upon them, making it feel as though they could hardly breathe...

The more they looked, the more it felt like witnessing an apocalyptic landscape!

Such a sight naturally led one to believe that a massive thunderstorm was imminent.

As they witnessed the anomaly on the horizon, the officers felt a burning hatred for the traffickers.

"These people are despicable! They treat another person's child as nothing more than a tool for money. Aren't they afraid of divine retribution!"

"They will stop at nothing to achieve their goals! We must bring them to justice!"

"The storm is coming, and that child is only four years old! If they really take him into the mountains... after all that struggle, I don't know if the boy can survive it."

Amidst the conversation of the officers, Liang Yuzhu kept her eyes fixed ahead and said

"That is why we must intercept them before they enter the scenic reserve."

"Otherwise... things will only get more complicated."

Having said that, Liang Yuzhu's gaze froze on the distance.

The police car had just passed a sign as well.

Within her field of vision, Liang Yuzhu's expression grew increasingly heavy.

As she focused on the clouds ahead, she noticed something extraordinary.

In her pupils, a massive bolt of lightning was clearly reflected within the clouds!

It was currently gathering strength like a spear, seemingly ready to erupt at any moment and strike the ground with thunderous force!

Liang Yuzhu had never seen such extreme weather.

She couldn't help but feel an added layer of worry for the abducted child.

"Will we make it in time?"

...

The sky-blotting dark clouds covered the entire earth as if it were night.

The tallest cloud resembled a deity clad in black armor. The lightning spear held tightly in its hand was continuously accumulating electrical power.

This was exactly what Liang Yuzhu had seen.

As the traffickers' van drove a certain distance forward, the dark cloud seemed to have locked onto its target.

*Screeeech—!*

Accompanied by a piercing sound of intertwining electrical currents, a flash of lightning instantly erupted from the clouds!

"Whistling wind whips the thunder, subduing all demonic essences..."

"Yimu True Thunder, descend!"

In a trance-like state, an ethereal, distant voice seemed to drift from the clouds ten thousand meters high.

Immediately following, the lightning spear that had been condensing in the sky finally shot forth!

*Crack!*

A massive bolt of lightning struck straight down toward the ground!

It happened with incredible speed!

In the blink of an eye!

The sky was split in two. Within the ink-black firmament, a dazzling line of light was carved out, as bright as day.

If a camera had captured this moment, it would have been spectacular, much like the lightning photos commonly seen online.

In the next instant, the lightning, branching out like a giant tree, slammed heavily into the ground!

*BOOM—CRASH!*

It struck unerringly and precisely directly in front of the van.

It was only five meters away from the van's front bumper!

And the vehicle was still traveling at high speed!

The precision of the strike was exquisite to an extreme degree!

*Sizzle!*

The lightning striking the ground produced a piercing sound, as if it were tearing through space itself, making one's scalp tingle!

At this moment, the traffickers in the van had no time to react!

One second, they were discussing how much money the boy could fetch.

The next, they were planning what to look for in their next target.

But before the smiles could even fade from their faces, their vision was overtaken by a blinding white light!

Especially given the originally gloomy, pitch-black environment, the sudden flash of such brilliant lightning caused the eyes of the three traffickers to feel an unbearable sting!

They couldn't help but cover their eyes and cry out in pain!

"Ah! Dammit, my eyes!"

"Hell, what happened!"

The men in the driver's seat and the passenger seat of the van cursed loudly!

Because there was nothing obstructing their view, the moment the lightning struck, the massive, tree-like bolt was seared deep into their retinas.

Consequently, they were more severely affected, nearly falling into temporary blindness.

However, the driver kept his foot on the accelerator, having no intention of slowing down.

After all, they were only five kilometers away from the scenic reserve and were about to make their escape.

Unless absolutely necessary, they would never stop easily.

The events that had just transpired left the three of them in a state of utter confusion!

In contrast, the man in black sitting in the back seat seemed to have caught a glimpse of something through his peripheral vision.

His face was filled with pure shock!

...

(End of Chapter)