Chapter 1440: Is This All the Power You Have, to Question Me?

"What?"

Barton blinked, glanced around, and laughed:

"Fight here? Fine. This starship can't possibly be damaged by us mere Star Rankers."

As he spoke, his energy began to boil steadily!

The aura of a Star Rank Six powerhouse, along with the full force of the sixth layer of Earth Dao, erupted without restraint!

Yet, in the next instant—

"Ssssshhhh—!!!"

A faint yet hair-raising sound of lightning tearing through air suddenly rang out!

No earth-shattering explosion, no violent energy surges swept through.

All that appeared before their eyes was a fleeting, deep golden-black lightning flash!

That lightning moved at an extreme speed, beyond the limits of visual perception, as if it were an illusion.

Then, with a heavy, thunderous crash like a giant hammer striking a drum—

The towering, bear-like Barton, who had stood two meters tall and menacingly before Xu Jingming,

was suddenly flung backward as if struck dead center by an invisible giant mallet!

His sneer hadn't even had time to twist into shock before it contorted completely.

In the stunned gazes of the crowd, his massive body arced helplessly through the air and slammed into the reinforced glass wall of a shop dozens of meters away!

Remember, every item on the starship had been specially reinforced to withstand Star Rank attacks.

Yet now, the glass Barton struck groaned under unbearable strain.

Though it didn't shatter completely, it was already covered in spiderweb-like cracks.

Barton clung to the glass wall like a flattened insect.

After a brief pause, he slumped limply down and collapsed onto the ground.

His eyes were tightly shut, his face pale as death.

His combat vest had split open, revealing a clear, charred fist imprint on his chest, wisps of smoke rising from it.

He was completely unconscious, his breath reduced to the faintest whisper.

From the moment Xu Jingming spoke until Barton flew back and passed out—

The entire process took less than an instant!

Fast!

Too fast!

So fast that most couldn't even see what had happened!

The entrance to the entertainment zone instantly fell into deathly silence.

All chatter, murmurs, and whispers seemed abruptly cut off by an invisible hand.

Everyone stared wide-eyed, mouths agape.

They looked in disbelief at the slumped Barton, then whirled sharply toward the towering, unmoving figure.

Xu Jingming stood exactly where Barton had been, his posture unchanged.

Around him, fine, hair-thin arcs of dark golden electricity flickered and vanished, emitting a chilling aura of annihilation.

"This..."

Yue Ying's gray-stone eyes also stared, frozen at the scene.

Her full lips parted slightly, her exquisite face etched with disbelief.

As an elf princess, her perception far surpassed her peers', and her dynamic vision was exceptionally sharp.

Yet even she had only caught a blurred, dark golden afterimage flash past!

That speed exceeded her comprehension!

In her memory, two months ago on Meteorite Star,

Xu Jingming had defeated a Star Rank Seven demon, but only through powerful combat techniques and quick adaptability.

He had never displayed such absurd, overwhelming speed and power!

Besides, Barton wasn't some weakling.

He was among the top of Star Rank Six!

Yet now, he hung there like a ragdoll.

This wasn't just defeat—it was utter, crushing domination!

An absolute chasm in power!

"Jingming, is he really a Star Rank Six who rose through heavenly treasures?"

This thought flashed through Yue Ying's mind, but she immediately rejected it.

No!

Impossible!

Levels forcibly raised by heavenly treasures result in unstable energy.

How could he unleash such dense, terrifying attacks?

But to break through four ranks on his own within two months—could that be too extreme?

A wave of indescribable shock and complex emotion surged within her.

Xu Jingming had no idea of the turbulent emotions behind him.

He had slowly retracted his right fist, which he hadn't realized he'd clenched.

His gaze, calm and level, swept over Barton's unconscious form, as if brushing away a speck of dust.

Then, he lifted his gaze.

He looked toward Chi Huang, whose smile had frozen completely on his face, and the group behind him, equally stunned.

A faint, icy smile curled at the corner of his lips.

His voice echoed clearly through the deathly silent air:

"I thought someone important had shown up—turns out, just trash."

"With this little strength, how dare you question me?"

Chi Huang narrowed his eyes but said nothing.

"So you're not brave enough to strike again."

Xu Jingming withdrew his gaze and turned to Yue Ying:

"The trouble is settled. Let's go."

Xu Jingming knew Chi Huang was behind this.

With his current strength, he truly couldn't defeat a Star Peak dual-principle origin expert.

But if the other side dared to move, he could simply call for help—have Sister Ye Li deal with it.

Unfortunately, the other side didn't take the bait.

But there's plenty of time ahead; the Beast Hunt Competition is about to begin, and he'll have more than enough chances to settle the score later.

"Oh, okay."

Only then did Yue Ying snap out of the storm of emotions.

Like a little follower, he hurried after him with his round, slender legs.

"No way! Xu Jingming actually won!"

"How did he win? I didn't even see it! His speed was too fast!"

"I caught a glimpse—he landed just one punch and sent Baton flying."

"Whoa, that strong? If that had been a weapon instead of a fist, wouldn't he have killed Baton outright?"

"......"

Only after Xu Jingming and Yue Ying's figures vanished completely around the street corner.

The entire scene erupted into a deafening clamor of discussion.

There was no help for it—no one had expected Xu Jingming to be this strong.

He'd taken down Baton, a Star Stage Six expert, with a single blow!

With this power, he truly could operate alone in the Beast Hunt Competition.

"Indeed, no surprise—he's a disciple of the Supreme Sovereign. Don't mess with him."

Eventually, someone ended the topic, and the crowd gradually dispersed.

All one could say was that the title "Disciple of the Supreme Sovereign" granted Xu Jingming prestige—and a filter.

No matter how monstrous Xu Jingming's feats appeared, they would always seem reasonable because of that identity.

"Xu Jingming's physique is strange."

"True. Baton's Earth Principle defense was top-tier for Star Stage Six, and he'd mastered the Life Principle to the fifth level—yet he couldn't even take one punch."

"His speed is also extremely fast—far beyond ordinary Star Stage Six experts."

"......"

On the other side, Chi Huang's companions were whispering among themselves.

As Star Peak experts, they could easily see every move Xu Jingming had made.

Precisely because of that, they were even more astonished!

Xu Jingming hadn't used Lightning or Destruction Principle at all—he relied solely on raw physical power!

To obliterate a Star Stage Six expert famed for defense, using only flesh and bone—that was terrifying.

"Interesting. Can his physique really be this strong?"

"Looks like it's not just about stacking heavenly treasures to raise his level."

Chi Huang's eyes narrowed slightly, a flicker of surprise and amusement passing through his crimson-gold heterochromatic pupils:

"Forget it. I'll wait until the Beast Hunt Competition begins—then I'll test his mettle."

On the Starship Mother Vessel, he naturally couldn't act.

But once they reached Blood Refining Star, things would be different...