Chapter 148

"Once this is over, back at the supply base, I'll test your ability again."

Ling Shuang exhaled slowly and spoke.

"Alright."

Xu Jingming gave a slight nod, retracting the golden lightning that enveloped his body.

He wondered whether the ability detection device could even detect his SS-rank ability.

"Jingming!"

At that moment, a wave of fragrant wind swept toward him.

Song Qiuyun ran over from afar, ignoring Vice Principal Ling Shuang's presence, and threw herself into Xu Jingming's arms.

Her soft, supple body pressed against him, instantly filling him with an astonishing fullness and elasticity.

"Wait here for a moment. After we deal with the followers of the Sect of Destiny, we'll return to the supply base."

Ling Shuang cleared her throat softly, silently marveling at the beauty of youth.

Then, her beautiful face hardened with lethal intent; she reached out a slender hand, grasped the Grand Archbishop trapped in the spatial prison, and stepped through the portal into the void.

The next instant,

her figure appeared in the battlefields of the other two vice principals.

"It's fine. It's all over."

Looking at the tear-streaked, pale oval face in his arms,

Xu Jingming felt a faint stir, extended his right hand, and gently wiped away her tears...

Inside the plantation, the number of Sect of Destiny followers was indeed vast.

Yet their strongest were merely the mid-tier seventh-rank Grand Archbishop and a dozen or so sixth-rank ability users.

The rest of the followers were mostly low-rank ability users—second or third rank.

With the arrival of Ling Shuang, Xu Ping, and Jiang Mo—the three eighth-rank Grand Masters—the

disturbance instigated by the Sect of Destiny was swiftly quelled.

Aside from the Sect of Destiny's Grand Archbishop and the dozen or so sixth-rank ability users,

all other followers were slain on the spot...

Boom—boom—boom~~~~

The floating plantation descended to the ground, and all three schools' new students regathered at the plantation's entrance.

Compared to when they first entered the plantation, many new students looked disheveled; some even bore faint traces of sorrow on their faces.

Although the three vice principals arrived in time, roughly three hundred and forty new students still perished in the disturbance caused by the Sect of Destiny.

"A total of 342 new students from the three schools perished at the hands of Sect of Destiny followers."

"The deaths of these 342 students are primarily the responsibility of our three elite universities; we will provide compensation as per battlefield casualty protocols."

Before the ranks of the three schools' new students,

Vice Principal Ling Shuang of Magic University stood with a heavy expression; on either side, Xu Ping and Jiang Mo wore equally solemn faces.

These 342 were exceptional students—some of whom might have become Grand Masters or even Grand Sages in the future.

Yet these outstanding students,

did not die on the battlefield against ferocious beasts, but were killed by human cultists—something they could not tolerate!

"The Sect of Destiny is humanity's enemy—and even more so, our three elite universities' enemy!"

"Starting today, our three elite universities will issue a death warrant against the Sect of Destiny!"

"Issue relevant tasks for students and instructors! We will eradicate them completely from the territory of Great Xia!"

Ling Shuang's beautiful face was cold with lethal intent.

Today's attack on the three-school alliance was merely a small squad led by a single Sect of Destiny Grand Archbishop.

What they must do is uproot the entire Sect of Destiny!

Just as sixty years ago, utterly annihilate them!

Of course, it's not just our three elite universities.

She has already reported this matter to the national leadership; she believes the state will respond soon.

"Sect of Destiny... Divine Blood Emissaries..."

At the front of the line, Xu Jingming, standing tall, his gaze flickered slightly.

He hadn't expected that after slaying the Sect of Destiny's so-called "Divine Blood Emissary," he would gain Ability Points.

And the amount was substantial—far more than killing a beast of the same rank!

"Once back at school, I can look for traces of the Sect of Destiny and try hunting Divine Blood Emissaries for Ability Points.

Judging by today's situation, there should be quite a few Divine Blood Emissaries within the Sect of Destiny..."

Xu Jingming thought silently.

Of course, if hunting Divine Blood Emissaries proved less efficient than hunting ferocious beasts,

he would still prefer to hunt beasts in the wilderness.

"Due to the sudden incident involving the Sect of Destiny, this study trip is terminated early.

All new students from the three schools will assemble at the main plaza of the supply base tomorrow at 9 a. . to return to campus.

Now, return with your instructors to the supply base for rest!"

Led by the three vice principals—Ling Shuang, Xu Ping, and Jiang Mo—

over a dozen other instructors took positions along the middle and rear of the column to prevent any remaining Sect of Destiny followers from launching another surprise attack.

Thus, the group hurried swiftly toward the supply base.

"We're back!"

"Phew, that was tough!"

"That was terrifying—I almost got killed by that second-rank cultist."

"..."

When the towering buildings of the Shun'an Supply Base came into view,

many new students exhaled deeply, as if escaping death; some even collapsed wearily onto the ground.

This study trip had been far too intense and dangerous.

Before the supply base building, Zhou Ying, who had been waiting, saw Song Qiuyun in the group and quietly let out a breath of relief.

"New students, dismissed! Xu Jingming, come with me."

In this area, where human ability users were active, there was no need to fear further threats from the Sect of Destiny.

So Ling Shuang immediately disbanded the group, and Xu Jingming followed her into the main building of the supply base.

"Sit down."

In the temporary office,

Xu Jingming sat on the sofa; Ling Shuang took her seat behind the desk.

Her two long, pale legs, clad in black traditional attire, crossed gently.

As for the Grand Archbishop, sealed by her own spatial ability, and the dozen or so sixth-rank followers, they were under the direct guard of the other two vice principals.

Then, on Ling Shuang's slender, ivory fingers,

the space ring glowed faintly, and a black, high-tech device materialized on the desk.

It was the same compact Ability Detection Device Xu Jingming had seen once during the three-school special recruitment.

"Activate your ability. The device will analyze the results."

Ling Shuang's beautiful eyes fixed on Xu Jingming as she lightly tapped the device.

Hum—

The black device activated, projecting a pale blue beam of light.

Xu Jingming didn't hesitate—he immediately unleashed his ability!

Crackling—

Amid violent energy fluctuations, wild, brilliant golden lightning swirled around him.

As if draped in a cloak of lightning, he appeared divine and formidable.

Though Ling Shuang had seen it once before, seeing it again still made her heart pause slightly.

Her own ability was a unique S-rank spatial ability—"Spatial Interference"—granting her exceptional control over space.

Precisely because of this, despite being only a low-tier eighth-rank Grand Master,

she had been able to seize the Grand Archbishop's mistake and forcibly break through the spatial lockdown created by the Beast King's Bone.

As an S-rank ability user,

she had previously sensed that Xu Jingming's Purple Thunder ability was of the same rank as her own.

But now, from this golden lightning, she sensed a higher rank's aura!

"Could Xu Jingming's S-rank ability have mutated into an SS-rank ability?"

Ling Shuang thought instinctively, then shook her head.

She had reviewed Xu Jingming's records; she knew he had originally possessed only an E-rank ability.

For him to mutate into an S-rank ability was already extremely rare.

How could he mutate again?

"Ability fluctuation detected. Analyzing..."

As Ling Shuang pondered silently,

A pale blue light projected from the black device scanned Xu Jingming and the golden lightning entirely.

Immediately, the machine's operational noise grew louder, as if performing an extremely complex calculation.

After this, three or four minutes passed before a mechanical electronic alert sounded in the office:

"Psychic ability detection complete. This ability is Doutian Divine Thunder, a subtype of the Natural Lightning category, rated SS-class!"

"Doutian Divine Thunder! SS-class psychic ability!"

Vice Principal Ling Shuang's pupils shrank sharply.

Her delicate oval face, marked by a tear-shaped mole, was filled with shock.

Xu Jingming's psychic ability had truly mutated into an SS-class?!