Chapter 1430

Two months later, in the Thunder Punishment Realm, deep within the Thunder Beast Zone.

This wild world, composed entirely of pure lightning, still maintained its primordial fury and clamor.

Within the Thunderwood Forest.

A four-member team, consisting of two men and two women, moved forward with caution.

They all wore battle armor, their chests bearing the insignia of Star Dome Academy, clearly academy students.

As they advanced, their steps were light and slow, their spiritual energy extended outward.

They vigilantly scanned their surroundings, clearly deeply aware of the dangers of the Thunder Beast Zone.

"Come to think of it, the Beast Hunt Competition is about to begin, isn't it?"

Leading the way, a tall young man carrying a broad-bladed battle sword broke the silence, his voice lowered.

He was Lei Lie, a Star Level Six martial artist and the team's captain.

"Yeah, judging by the timeline, there's less than ten days left."

The one who responded was a woman with a ponytail and a delicate face.

Her name was Lin Wei, a Star Level Five elemental master.

"Alright, once we kill a few more thunder beasts, we should prepare to return."

Lei Lie nodded slightly.

Participating in the Beast Hunt Competition grants Source Points, and there's no life risk.

Naturally, all of them had signed up.

"I wonder what ranking our Eternal Star Alliance will achieve this time."

In the middle of the team, a slightly younger boy with chestnut-brown short hair muttered.

His name was Zhou Ming, Star Level Five.

Although an elemental master, his combat power was not strong.

On the contrary, his spiritual energy was extremely powerful, making him more of a reconnaissance type.

"What ranking? Last place, obviously."

At the rear, a tall black-clad woman spoke coolly.

Her name was Su Qing, a Star Level Five martial artist and the second-strongest member of the team.

"The Beast Hunt Competition is co-hosted by three major powers—when has our Star Alliance ever been anything but a runner-up?"

Her tone carried a hint of helplessness.

But it was not complaint—more like stating an accepted fact.

"Yeah, I guess we've just gotten used to it."

Zhou Ming sighed, "Our strength gap with the other two factions is too large."

Lei Lie nodded and said gravely:

"Our academy's teaching model is inherently geared toward systematic cultivation.

Although we do have missions, they're nowhere near as intense as those of the God-Slaying Martial Temple or the Cosmic Mercenary Alliance.

They've fought their way out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood—their combat experience and instinct for life-or-death battles far surpass ours.

The Beast Hunt Competition is basically their home turf."

"True."

Lin Wei nodded, "But it's only true at the Star Level.

The academy has its advantages—our academy's Cosmic Level and Immortal Level experts.

They've lived long enough to gradually make up for the battles they missed.

Combined with the solid foundation and abundant resources provided by the academy,

Among the same level, Eternal Star Alliance experts generally possess greater strength and deeper cultivation.

But at the Star Level and Star Radiance Level, we're definitely at a disadvantage."

"Indeed."

Zhou Ming nodded, then suddenly brightened and changed the subject:

"For this Beast Hunt Competition, I heard a lot of our academy's participants signed up—and many of them are ruthless ones!

I heard that besides Luo Yi, the other two disciples of the Supreme Dominators, Xu Jingming and Yue Ying, will also compete."

"They're not ruthless ones."

Lei Lie shook his head, "If it were a thousand years from now, maybe—but right now, they're too immature.

They've just entered the Star Level; they'll probably join the competition just to earn points like us, unable to change the outcome."

"True."

Zhou Ming remembered they had entered the academy through the Talent Competition—too little time had passed.

"To improve our ranking, it'll still depend on those few Star Peak experts..."

His voice cut off mid-sentence.

"What's wrong?" Captain Lei Lie asked in confusion.

"We're done! My spiritual perception has detected an extremely terrifying thunder beast!"

Zhou Ming's face turned grim. Just as he opened his mouth to order the team to retreat—

"Roar—!!"

A deafening roar erupted, as if hundreds of thunderbolts exploded simultaneously beside their ears!

A colossal creature suddenly appeared dozens of kilometers away!

It was a thunder beast resembling a giant ape, but its body had been magnified dozens of times.

It stood over thirty meters tall, its entire body forged from impossibly dense silver-white Lei Ting, its muscular contours sharply defined, as if carved from lightning.

On its massive head grew three vertical pupils, each spewing blinding bolts of electric light.

Its thick arms pounded its own broad chest, producing deep, rumbling booms—'Dong dong!'

The lightning coiling around it was not the usual blue-purple, but a deathly pale white!

A furious pressure surged toward them like a tangible tidal wave.

The free-floating lightning particles in the air instantly turned violent, crackling with sharp snaps.

"It's Lei Kuangyong! By its aura, it's reached Star Peak!"

Lin Wei gasped in shock, and Lei Lie's face instantly changed.

Dozens of kilometers meant nothing to a Star Peak Lei Beast—it could cross them in an instant!

They had no way to escape!

"Split up! Save whoever can!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Lei Lie gave the order.

The four of them erupted into their maximum speed simultaneously.

Yuan energy surged wildly as they retreated in different directions!

Yet before they had even fled several hundred meters—

Lei Kuangyong's three vertical pupils locked onto the four tiny insects, a cruel glint flashing in their depths.

Its thick hind legs slammed into the ground, its massive body moving with a terrifying speed incongruous to its size.

It became a pale-white streak of Lei Ting's afterimage, lunging toward them!

Its giant palm swung out, five claws forged from highly compressed Lei Ting tearing through the air.

A shrill shriek rose as a web of lightning surged forward, about to engulf Zhou Ming, the one lagging behind!

Lei Lie could even feel the devastating heat and numbness behind him—death's breath seized his heart instantly.

"It's over! This Lei Kuangyong is too fast!"

His mind went blank.

At this critical moment—

"Ssssshhhh—!!!"

A dark golden Lei Ting, deeper and more domineering than the lightning surrounding Lei Kuangyong,

seemingly imbued with the meaning of annihilation, shot forth without warning from afar!

This Lei Ting moved at an extreme speed, surpassing the limits of visual perception—as if it had always been there.

It carried no earth-shattering roar, only an ultimate sharpness that severed all things and destroyed everything!

The dark golden Lei Guang precisely swept across Lei Kuangyong's thick neck.

Time seemed to freeze for an instant.

Lei Kuangyong's forward lunge froze rigidly; the cruel light in its three pupils instantly vanished, replaced by confusion and disbelief.

The next instant—

"Puff!!!"

The massive, grotesque head, formed of silver-white Lei Ting,

cleanly severed from its body, shot upward!

The cut surface was mirror-smooth—no blood, only an explosion of even brighter, fiercer Lei Guang!

The headless, colossal body continued forward several steps by inertia before crashing to the ground with a thunderous impact, shaking the earth and spraying Lei Jiang everywhere.

The scattered silver-white Lei Guang rained down like a grand fireworks display.

It illuminated the dark forest in brilliant clarity, revealing the four stunned, astonished, and survivor's faces below.

"W-We're saved?"

Lin Wei murmured, her Yuan energy still unsteady.

"A powerful cultivator intervened!"

Lei Lie's heart pounded as his gaze locked onto the Lei He beside the fallen Lei Kuangyong.

There, as the swirling Lei Guang slowly faded, a tall, imposing figure gradually became clear.

The Lei Guang moments ago had been a human shape!

Fine dark golden electric arcs, like loyal guardians, silently circled and dissolved around him.

He wore a simple black battle robe, gripping a long spear of pure dark purple, etched with secret patterns.

Beneath his short black hair was a young man's face, sharply defined and coldly composed.

Most striking were his eyes—calm and deep, yet as if containing the birth and death of thunder.

Merely standing there, he naturally radiated a crushing, heart-stopping aura.

"Is that... Xu Jingming?"

Lei Lie, barely escaped from death, widened his eyes, his voice filled with disbelief.

Su Qing and Lin Wei were utterly stunned, staring blankly at the young man who had just one-shot a Star Peak Lei Beast.