Chapter 145: Divine Blood Emissary! The Trigger for Ability Evolution!

"What's going on? An earthquake?"

"First the cult, now an earthquake?"

"We can't be this unlucky..."

"..."

The entire plantation's ground was shaking violently, and many of the new students from the three academies looked around in alarm and uncertainty.

Then, under everyone's stunned gazes, they flew up!

No—it wasn't them flying up, it was the entire plantation flying up!

Seen from afar, the whole plantation looked like a floating island, suspended above the entire Demon Cave Forest.

"It's Vice Principal Ling Shuang of Demon Academy!"

A new student excitedly pointed at the slender figure in the distant sky and shouted.

Immediately after, on the southeast side, a golden light flickered.

A massive golden ape figure appeared, its thick feet trampling swathes of trees flat.

It swung a thick staff and slammed it brutally into the empty air!

Boom!!

Accompanied by a muffled sound, the entire space within the plantation trembled slightly!!

Whoosh—

A towering flood of seawater drowned the Demon Cave Forest beneath the plantation, and then a colossal dark-blue water giant appeared!

The water giant opened its enormous mouth, spewing endless high-pressure streams of water that struck the same spot as the golden ape!

Rumble rumble rumble!!

The trembling of space instantly intensified by another degree.

At the same time, with Vice Principal Ling Shuang's assistance, at the spot the two were bombarding, wisps of spatial cracks actually began to spread!

"It's Vice Principal Xu Ping and Vice Principal Jiang Mo!"

"That's great! We're saved!"

The appearance of the three Grandmasters undoubtedly injected a powerful stimulant into the despairing new students!

The crowd cheered excitedly.

The instructors, excited as well, hastened their slaughter against the Tianming Sect ability-users by another degree!

With hope of survival, the new students felt a measure of relief.

They instinctively looked toward Xu Jingming and Kiran, the two S-Class, at the very center of the plantation.

One look was enough to give them a fright.

A configuration of one peak fourth-tier plus four lower fourth-tier ability-users instantly made everyone's expression turn ugly.

"It's over, the S-Class side is in great danger!"

"Obviously, it's a cult after all—the S-Class must be their first target!"

"That guy is Dong Sheng? How did he become like that?!"

"..."

Although Dong Sheng in his beastized state was utterly unrecognizable, quite a few Jin University new students still identified him.

They couldn't help but reveal looks of horror—jumping from mid second-tier to peak fourth-tier, what on earth was going on with this guy?

On the other side, faced with the two choices Dong Sheng had given, both Kiran and Xu Jingming were silent for the moment.

For Kiran, joining forces with the Tianming Sect to kill new students from the three great academies wasn't entirely unacceptable.

But this was, after all, Great Xia's territory, and unless it came to the very last step, he wouldn't choose to do so.

As for Xu Jingming, he narrowed his eyes slightly, glancing at the Archbishop in midair, then at Dong Sheng.

Peak fourth-tier...

Being only at lower third-tier right now, he naturally had no way to kill peak fourth-tier Dong Sheng.

But his system panel still held 49,000 ability points—if he spent all of them on raising his level,

he could roughly reach fourth-tier, and once his level entered fourth-tier, there would be a chance to turn the tables!

'Although leveling up consecutively is a bit too conspicuous, at this point, this is the only way to survive.'

Xu Jingming thought silently to himself.

Other new students might be able to hold on until the principals broke through the spatial blockade, but as an S-Class, he definitely couldn't escape.

Between exposing his abnormal leveling speed and preserving his life, naturally life was more important.

"All you prodigies of the three academies, you've all seen it!

Soaring from mid second-tier to peak fourth-tier—this is the power the Tianming Sect has granted me!

Once we kill your S-Class, you will be the next targets!

Of course, our Tianming Sect will also give you a chance.

When I make my move later, if you strike together and kill the surrounding new students,

then you will be a member of our Tianming Sect! In the future, you too will obtain the same power as me!"

Seeming to notice the gazes from the surrounding new students, Dong Sheng spoke with great confidence.

His voice echoed throughout the plantation.

For a moment, the previously settled crowd of new students actually began to stir.

Anyone with eyes could see that the three Grandmasters would still need a while before they could break through.

Before then, without any special means of survival, once Dong Sheng had a free hand, death would be certain!

And Dong Sheng's words undoubtedly gave them one chance to choose.

Yet at that moment, the cold voice of Vice Principal Ling Shuang of the Devil Academy rang in everyone's ears:

"Any freshman who dares to attack another will be expelled and executed on the spot!"

In midair, fierce winds howled.

The long hair behind Vice Principal Ling Shuang whipped wildly in the wind.

Her ancient black robe rustled in the gale, outlining her slender, alluring figure.

Had this been ordinary times, it would have been a truly beautiful sight.

But now, her delicate face, marked by a tear-shaped mole, was frozen with ice.

Proving her words were no empty threat...

Under the crushing pressure of her overwhelming aura, several freshmen in the plantation who had entertained violent thoughts instantly quelled their intentions.

"You fools! You lack even this much courage!"

Dong Sheng sneered, turning his gaze back to Xu Jingming and Kilan, his twisted face thick with murderous intent:

"I'll give you three seconds—submit, or die?"

"3... 2... 1......"

Before Dong Sheng finished his countdown, Kilan raised his hands and stepped forward as if surrendering:

"Don't kill me—I join the Tianming Sect."

"Wise choice."

Dong Sheng nodded in satisfaction, then turned to Xu Jingming: "And you?"

Xu Jingming said nothing; the space ring on his finger glowed.

In his hand appeared the Qingxiao Black Dragon Spear, two meters one in length, wreathed in blue-purple Lei Ting that crackled loudly.

"Obstinate fool! You've chosen death!"

Dong Sheng narrowed his eyes and shook his head in regret:

"With your potential, had you joined our Tianming Sect, you would have become a Saint Disciple like me.

Perhaps we could have become good friends. What a pity...

Kilan, kill Xu Jingming. This is your token of loyalty."

Kilan knew he wouldn't easily earn the Tianming Sect's trust and had prepared to kill other freshmen.

He never expected his first target would be Xu Jingming!

Xu Jingming was the brightest S-Class in Great Xia—if he killed him, Kilan would have no way back.

Of course, if he could survive, that would be fine—but the key issue was, he lacked the strength to kill Xu Jingming!

Just as Kilan looked troubled, four fourth-rank lower-tier adepts beside Dong Sheng stepped forward:

"We'll join you."

"Good..."

Kilan exhaled sharply and drew his battle blade from his space ring.

He immediately activated his ability, entering the S-Class combat technique "Beast Lord Descent" enhancement state.

"One third-rank lower-tier, plus four fourth-rank lower-tier—perhaps I won't even need to expend Ability Points."

Xu Jingming slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air, his body swelling violently, wreathed all over in lightning as he simultaneously entered the Lightning Platform:

"Come! Let me see just how strong you really are!"

"Still boasting in this situation? You seek death!"

One of the black-robed fourth-rank lower-tier beast-transformation adepts sneered.

He struck first, raising his great blade toward Xu Jingming: "Gale Slash!!"

Boom!!

With terrifying energy fluctuations, razor-sharp gales swirled around the blade!

As if slicing through the air itself, it slashed toward Xu Jingming!

A normal adept would either dodge or block with a weapon against this strike.

But Xu Jingming didn't dodge at all—he stood frozen, motionless.

"This is the Devil Academy's S-Class? Pathetic!"

The black-robed man grinned savagely, accelerating his blade further!

Yet the next instant—clang! —his smile froze on his face.

On Xu Jingming's massive, Lei Jitai-enhanced body, a suit of armor forged from liquid Lei Ting had suddenly appeared.

The blade struck it—and inflicted not a single scratch.

Instead, a sharp, piercing pain shot up from the blade's hilt.

"Impossible?! I'm a fourth-rank adept!"

The black-robed man's eyes widened in disbelief—then he saw a black-purple Lei Ting spear-shadow hurtling toward him!

"Lightning Gale Break!"

With Xu Jingming's low voice and the thunderous roar of Lei Ting,

The black-robed man's head was pierced clean through, bursting like a watermelon!

Then—Bang! —it exploded, blood spraying everywhere!

His headless body crashed to the ground.

Unlike ordinary adepts, his body still seemed alive after falling—struggling to rise!

But without his head to control it, he could only twitch helplessly on the ground.

"Daring to attack alone? You seek death!"

Xu Jingming gave a cold snort and drew his long spear back to his side.

"Huh?!"

The remaining three black-robed figures were instantly shocked — they hadn't expected Xu Jingming to kill the man so cleanly and decisively!

"You actually have another defensive S-rank combat art?!"

With a subordinate slain right before his eyes, Dong Sheng's expression also turned somewhat ugly:

"Enough, I'll strike together with you!"

So saying, he stepped to the very front of the group, and terrifying crimson flames coiled around his entire body!

And from those flames, Xu Jingming sensed a fatal, deathly threat!

It was a terrifying wave of energy that even his S-rank combat art, 'Nether Prison Thunder Armor,' couldn't block!

"Looks like I'll have to use ability points after all. Too bad — I still wanted to test whether 50,000 ability points could upgrade my ability..."

Xu Jingming shook his head, opened his system panel, and was just about to click the plus sign after the level.

The headless black-robed corpse on the ground finally lost its last strength and stopped twitching.

At the same time, a pleasant chime rang out in Xu Jingming's mind:

'Ding. Killed one Tier-4 lower-rank Divine Blood Emissary. Ability points +1000.'

Ability points: ->

The ability points on the system panel had finally broken through the 50,000 mark!

And the ability column on the panel changed in sync!

Ability: Doushen Shenlei (S-rank+)