Reversing Falsehood and Preserving Truth: All Gods and Gods Are in My Hands

Lu Yu slowly opened his eyes, and a few fine lightning patterns flashed and disappeared deep in his pupils, like the flickering of stars.

The pale blue lightning that had been slightly overflowing due to the newfound power around him had now completely subsided, flowing gently through his meridians, sometimes like still water flowing deep, sometimes revealing a hidden sharpness, exuding a sense of harmony that combines strength and gentleness, and can be controlled at will.

His profound understanding of the three aspects of "protection," "destruction," and "order" in the Thunder Path made his aura calm down, losing some of the youthful impetuosity and gaining a composure and gravitas beyond his years.

On the throne, Thor's massive, mountain-like body leaned slightly forward, and the lightning surging in his azure eyes gradually subsided.

The confusion and bewilderment that had previously lingered between his brows seemed to have been somewhat dispelled by the clear and firm thunderous aura emanating from Lu Yu, replaced by a sense of relief after experiencing vicissitudes, and undisguised admiration.

"Not bad, kid."

Thor's deep voice echoed through the empty temple, carrying a metallic quality. His rough fingers tapped lightly on the armrest of the obsidian throne, producing a muffled "thump-thump." "In such a short time, you've managed to integrate the unwavering protection, destructive power, and orderly nature of thunder into your heart. Though you've only grasped the basics, you've already embarked on the right path. You... finally understand."

He paused, then raised his gaze as if piercing through the dome of the temple, looking into the endless void. His tone carried an indescribable sense of melancholy, the desolation of a hero who had lost his weapon. "Mjolnir... my old buddy, I don't know where he's been lost. A piece of my memory is missing too, as if someone forcibly dug it out... This feeling is truly suffocating."

He withdrew his gaze and refocused on Lu Yu. The slight melancholy was quickly replaced by a rough yet bold expectation, and a faint flame rekindled in his eyes: "However, a lost hammer can be found again, and lost memories can perhaps be recalled. As long as the true essence of Thunder is passed down, there is still hope."

Lu Yu could clearly feel the heavy entrustment and earnest expectations in Thor's words. It was a legacy that transcended time and space, and the gods' recognition of their successors.

He took a deep breath, suppressed the surging emotions in his heart, and solemnly bowed: "I will keep your teachings in mind, senior, and will certainly live up to your expectations."

"Hey!"

Thor suddenly grinned, his hearty laughter dispelling the lingering heaviness in the temple, like sunlight piercing through dark clouds.

He abruptly stood up, his imposing figure causing the entire temple to tremble slightly. He strode to Lu Yu, looking down at him intently. His eyes, flashing with lightning, seemed to see right through him, reaching his very essence. "I was so focused on your limited understanding of lightning earlier, but now that I'm taking a closer look… tsk tsk, you're quite something!"

He stretched out his large, fan-like hand and patted Lu Yu on the shoulder without any politeness. The seemingly casual pat contained immense divine power, causing Lu Yu's blood and qi to surge. He subconsciously activated his Spirit Plant Returning to Origin Body to barely stabilize himself and prevent him from losing his composure on the spot.

"Good heavens! You've managed to cram four major roads into that tiny body of yours?"

Thor's eyes widened as if he had discovered a rare treasure. He looked Lu Yu up and down, his surprise slowly turning into excitement. "Hahaha! Wonderful! Truly wonderful! I, Thor, have conquered the Nine Realms, what geniuses and prodigies haven't I seen? To be able to make several different fundamental Dao powers coexist peacefully within one person, and even subtly complement each other, you are absolutely the first!"

He rubbed his hands together, looking quite excited, the disappointment from losing his hammer and his memory completely gone: "Since I can't find the hammer for now, and my memories are all fragmented, staying here isn't entirely without fun! Watching a little guy like you grow up might be more interesting than fighting that serpent Jormungandr!"

He suppressed his smile, his expression becoming more serious, but the encouraging light in his eyes shone even brighter: "Your lightning power has just taken shape, you've only just touched the threshold. But to truly unleash its power, you're still far from it! Lightning isn't just about releasing electricity and striking people. Once you gradually improve your level and your mind and spirit become one with the lightning, I'll teach you something real!"

Feeling Thor's unreserved recognition and encouragement, Lu Yu felt a surge of warmth in his heart and bowed again: "Thank you for your kindness, senior. I will definitely study diligently and listen to your teachings."

"Alright, stop being so polite, it makes me uncomfortable."

Thor waved his hand, sat back on his throne, his massive body shrouded in shadow, only the occasional flash of lightning in his eyes indicating his presence. "Remember, with great power comes great responsibility. I'll be waiting to see what new tricks you can pull with this lightning."

In the real world, the first light of dawn is breaking.

The cleanup and investigation of the abandoned cargo yard on the outskirts of Zhongzhou City are nearing completion.

The professionals from the Shouzhen Bureau, dressed in full protective suits, worked like skilled surgeons, meticulously searching for every clue amidst the charred remains of the snake king, the twisted and deformed high-voltage power line towers, and the mess scattered on the ground.

Specially designed collectors carefully gather soil samples and biological residues, while drones hover in the air, capturing panoramic data. The entire site is well-organized.

The on-site supervisor quickly approached Shen Che, who had rushed over, and handed him an encrypted report. He gave a respectful briefing: "Team Leader Shen, the preliminary analysis results are in. The main target has been confirmed as a 'Snake King' level experimental subject that 'Doctor's' organization failed to destroy during their evacuation. High concentrations of illusory energy and artificially synthesized reagents were detected in its body. The remaining snakes are a local population of black-browed rat snakes, which have mutated after being contaminated by the leftover 'illusory energy inducer,' resulting in a significant increase in their aggressiveness."

Shen Che listened calmly, tapping lightly on the report cover with his fingers, and nodded almost imperceptibly.

Lu Yu and Su Wan... independently and successfully handled the Snake King crisis without the support of the Watchers, and even Lu Yu took the opportunity to awaken the Thunder Path. Their growth was faster than he expected.

"Clean up all biological residues and treat them harmlessly. Conduct in-depth analysis of soil samples to assess the environmental degradation cycle of the inducer, and make sure there is no risk of secondary pollution." Shen Che issued the order in a calm voice, without any extra emotion, but with an unquestionable authority.

"yes!"

The person in charge took the order and left, quickly relaying instructions, which accelerated the cleanup work on site once again.

Shen Che turned and walked towards the command vehicle parked in the distance. The moment he opened the car door, the corner of his mouth on his usually cold and hard face twitched up very slightly, like the first melting of ice and snow, before returning to normal so quickly that it seemed like an illusion.

He got into the car, rubbed his temples which were throbbing from working late into the night, and a barely perceptible hint of satisfaction flashed deep in his eyes.

Lu Yu, this rising star, is emerging at an astonishing pace. Given time, he will surely become a mainstay of the Shouzhen Bureau, and perhaps even surpass him.

He picked up his encrypted tablet, activated the screen, and began browsing the daily briefings from the Bureau of Guardianship. Most of the content consisted of reports of sporadic ethereal activity from various locations, as well as some undetermined supernatural phenomena; there were no particularly urgent situations.

Just as he was about to close the presentation page and finish up, a text message mixed in with hundreds of other messages and marked "low relevance, to be observed" caught his attention.

The source of the information was a field observer from a prefecture-level city in a province in southwestern China, and the content was very concise:

"...Under the name of the 'Folk Culture Research Association,' remnants of a miniature secret sacrificial site were discovered in an abandoned mine pit on the outskirts of the city. The ritual symbols were severely deformed, and the core structure was difficult to identify. However, after a preliminary systematic comparison, it was found to have a highly secretive correlation with some basic ritual diagrams of the cult 'Guizhenjiao'."

"The Return to Truth Sect?"

Shen Che's finger paused on those three words, his eyes instantly turning sharp as knives, and his aura suddenly turned icy.