In the blink of an eye, a day passed. The events of the lockdown city spread like wildfire, and the internet was abuzz with shock and speculation.
Xia Chuan's annihilation of millions of evil spirits left a mark too significant to be concealed. The destruction caused by the apocalyptic thunderstorm devastated the entire city, leaving countless netizens stunned and confused.
Headlines screamed sensational claims:
"Shocking: Thunderstorm of the Century in Lockdown City—Countless Lightning Bolts Rain Down, City in Ruins!"
Accompanying these headlines were various images: dark clouds blanketing the sky, endless bolts of lightning crashing down, a mysterious figure hovering amidst the storm, and snapshots of the city's aftermath—a land scarred by devastation.
The photos ignited a frenzy online.
"My God! Is this real? Did someone actually summon lightning in the lockdown city? This looks like the wrath of heaven itself!"
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"Come on, it's fake for sure. Special effects from some movie, maybe. There's no way this much lightning could strike one place."
"Exactly! Probably a trailer for some game. Fake news is everywhere these days."
"I'd bet my last dollar this is just clickbait. Only the punctuation marks in that article are true—everything else is nonsense!"
"I'm calling the cops. The editor of this fake news needs to be detained for spreading rumors."
Most netizens dismissed the news as fabrication, attributing the story to overzealous media outlets fishing for clicks. But amidst the skepticism, voices of local residents began to emerge, breaking through the noise.
"No, no! It's all true! I live in lockdown city, and I swear on my life, I saw it all!" one resident posted in a panic. "It wasn't just lightning—it was like the heavens themselves descended. A Category 12 hurricane tore through the city! Windows shattered, clothes flew everywhere, and lightning smashed everything in sight. It was terrifying!"
Another resident chimed in with a video, pointing to the aftermath. "Look at my roof! I live on the top floor of Building XX in Xingfu Community. A lightning bolt came straight down and punched a hole clean through it! If it had rained last night, my home would have turned into a water curtain cave. Now I have to hire someone to repair the damage."
"The roof? That's nothing! The Jinmao Building—our city's tallest skyscraper—got hit directly. Lightning punched through a dozen floors, causing millions in damages. Who knows what the owner did to deserve this divine retribution?"
"It wasn't just buildings. The trees lining the streets? Charred to a crisp. Entire rows of them were burned to ashes. There's one street that looks like a giant blackened field now!"
"Even the roads weren't spared," another resident exclaimed. "Potholes everywhere—huge ones! If anyone had been walking or driving there, they'd be dead for sure. It's a miracle no one was hit!"
Some residents speculated darkly, adding a superstitious edge to the conversation.
"Must be all the scumbags in this city, swearing and sinning all day. The heavens finally couldn't take it anymore and sent down divine punishment."